Winter 2015 Teen Events @ the Library

If You Like....The Hunger Games

Looking for more heart-pounding reads like The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins? Try out some of these other books with murky futures, non-stop action, and strong characters you can cheer for! 

Graceling by Kristin Cashore (2008)

YA FIC CASHORE

In a world where some people are born with extreme skills called Graces, Katsa struggles for redemption from her own horrifying Grace, the Grace of killing, and teams up with another young fighter to save their land from a corrupt king.

The Selection by Kiera Cass (2012)

YA FIC CASS

America Singer is living in a caste-divided nation that formed after the war that destroyed the United States. America is chosen to compete in the Selection--a contest to see which girl can win the heart of a prince--but all she really wants is a chance for a future with her secret love, Aspen, who is a caste below her.

The Maze Runner by James Dashner (2009)

YA FIC DASHNER

Thomas wakes up with no memory in the middle of a maze and realizes he must work with the community in which he finds himself if he is to escape.

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers (2012)

YA FIC LAFEVERS

In fifteenth-century Brittany, Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage to the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain. There she learns that the god of Death has blessed her with dangerous gifts---gifts that will make her the perfect assassin.

Legend by Marie Lu (2011)

YA FIC LU

In a dark future when North America has split into two warring nations, fifteen-year-olds Day, a famous criminal, and prodigy June, the brilliant soldier hired to capture him, discover that they have a common enemy.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer (2012)

YA FIC MEYER

As plague ravages the overcrowded Earth, Cinder, a gifted mechanic and cyborg, becomes involved with handsome Prince Kai and must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect the world in this futuristic take on the Cinderella story.

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness (2009)

YA FIC NESS

On an alien world where everyone can hear everyone else’s thoughts, Todd makes a disturbing discovery at a spaceship crash site and is soon on the run from a power-hungry tyrant with his dog and the ship’s mysterious occupant.

1984 by George Orwell (1949)

FIC ORWELL

One of the most influential dystopian novels ever written. Winston lives in a desolate, totalitarian society where every move he makes is watched by the Thought Police. Can he find the strength to escape the system and experience love and independence? 

Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer (2006)

YA FIC PFEFFER

When a meteor hits the moon, Miranda must learn to survive the unimaginable. Told in journal entries, this is the heart-pounding story of her struggle to hold on to hope in an increasingly desperate world.

Divergent by Veronica Roth (2011)

YA FIC ROTH

Beatrice must choose among five factions to define her identity for the rest of her life, a decision made more difficult when she discovers that she does not fit into any one group and that her “perfect” society is not perfect after all.

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater (2011)

YA FIC STIEFVATER

Returning champion Sean Kendrick competes against Puck Connolly, the first girl ever to ride in the annual Scorpio Races, a dangerous competition involving deadly water horses.

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld (2005)

YA FIC WESTERFELD

All Tally wants is to turn sixteen; on that day she will be transformed into a gorgeous “Pretty” whose only job will be to have a great time. But when her best friend runs away before the transformation, Tally must find her and turn her in….or never become pretty at all.

Other Authors You Might Like:

Jenna Black

Joelle Charbonneau

Cassandra Clare

Ally Condie

Jeanne DuPrau

Nancy Farmer

Lois Lowry

Lauren Oliver

Beth Revis

Neal Shusterman

New YA Books - December 2014

Check out some hot new YA reads for cold December days!

No Place to Fall by Jaye Robin Brown

YA FIC BROWN

Sixteen-year-old Amber Vaughn dreams of attending the North Carolina School of the Arts to pursue a dream of becoming a professional singer, but her family is falling apart and she is torn between two boys.

 

Top Ten Clues You’re Clueless by Liz Czukas

YA FIC CZUKAS

The day before Christmas, money goes missing from a donation box at GoodFoods Market. Chloe and five of her co-workers try to identify the thief as they are held in the break room until the police arrive.

 

The Princess of Thorns by Stacey Jay

YA FIC JAY

After ten years of exile among fairies who teach her to use her magically-enhanced strength and courage, Sleeping Beauty's daughter Aurora enlists the help of Niklaas, eleventh son of King Eldorio, in the fight to reclaim her throne.

The Number 7 by Jessica Lidh

YA FIC LIDH

When Louisa moves from North Carolina to her father's childhood home in Pennsylvania, a phone call from beyond the grave brings a buried family secret to life.

 

Now That You’re Here by Amy Nichols

YA FIC NICHOLS

When street smart graffiti artist, Danny, is jolted into a parallel world, only Eevee, an alluring science geek has the know-how to get him home. But as he falls for her, his motivation to leave dwindles. Part 1 of the Duplexity series.

Zodiac by Romina Russell

YA FIC RUSSELL

When a violent blast strikes the moons of Cancer, sending its ocean planet off-kilter and killing thousands of citizens, Rhoma Grace, a student from House Cancer, must convince twelve worlds to unite as one Zodiac against Ophiuchus, the exiled thirteenth Guardian of Zodiac legend.

The Perfectionists by Sara Shepard

YA FIC SHEPARD

Forging a friendship based on their mutual hatred of a philandering boy, five girls imagine a perfect way to kill him and must prove their innocence when he is killed in the exact manner they envisioned.

Diamond Boy by Michael Williams

YA FIC WILLIAMS

When Patson's family moves to Marange region of Zimbabwe, he begins working in the mines, searching for blood diamonds, until government soldiers arrive and Patson is forced to journey to South Africa in search of his missing sister and a better life.

Mindfulness for Teen Anxiety: A Workbook For Overcoming Anxiety at Home, at School and Everywhere Else by Christopher Willard

YA 155.5 WIL

Psychologist Christopher Willard offers teens proven-effective, mindfulness-based practices to help them cope with anxiety, identify common triggers (such as dating or school performance), learn valuable time-management skills, and feel calmer at home, at school, and with friends.

The Survival Guide for School Success: Use Your Brain's Built-in Apps to Sharpen Attention, Battle Boredom, and Build Mental Muscle by Ron Shumsky

YA 370.15 SHU

This book provides ten tools to improve executive functioning, described as "mental apps" that will appeal to digital natives. Featuring plenty of examples, practice assignments, and a playful tone, this book can provide an academic boost to any student.

Make Up: Your Guide to Beauty, Style and Success---Online and Off by Michelle Phan

YA 646.72 PHA

YouTube sensation Michelle Phan collects her best advice, stories, and lessons into a book her fans have been asking for. It includes her trademark beauty and style tips and tutorials, as well as stories from her life and advice on the topics her fans ask her about most.

The Babysitter’s Backpack by Rebecca Rissman

YA 649.1 RIS

Do you want to get started as a babysitter? Everything you need to know is right here! You'll learn about basic childcare skills, staying safe while babysitting, and starting your own babysitting business.

Teen Holiday Madness Program next Wednesday @ 5:30

Teen Holiday Madness is next Wednesday, December 17 at 5:30 PM!!!

Stop by and make a t-shirt t-bone dog toy to donate to a dog at the Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter this holiday season! Bring in a can or bag of wet or dry dog or cat food and be entered to win a prize!

We'll also have some cookie-decorating action, and tons of games.

Can't make the program but still want to make the craft? Stop by the youth services or reference desk and pick up a craft-to-go bag. It's got all the supplies you need to make the t-shirt t-bone!

For more info, email ya@westcaldwell.bccls.org call 973-226-5441.

Open to teens in grades 6-12. See you there!

International Games Day!

Do you have what it takes to be a game champion? 

We're celebrating International Games Day on Saturday November 15 with TWO Wii game tournaments and plenty of board games, card games, and more! 

For grades K-5: Mariokart Tournament starting at 10:00 AM.

For grades 6-12: Super Smash Bros. Brawl Tournament starting at 2:00 PM. 

The program is free and open to the public, but you MUST register if you'd like to compete. 

Sign up by calling 973-226-5441 or register online at http://tinyurl.com/WCPL-Events.

Location: West Caldwell Public Library Meeting Room, 30 Clinton Road, West Caldwell NJ 07006

New YA Books - November 2014

Check out some of these great new reads for November! 

The Stepsister’s Tale by Tracy Barrett

YA FIC BARRETT

Jane cares for her mother and sister until her stepfather dies, leaving nothing but debts and Jane's spoiled stepsister behind, but a mysterious boy from the woods and an invitation to a royal ball are certain to change her fate.

Heap House by Edward Carey

YA FIC CAREY

Young Clod is an Iremonger. He lives at Heap House, his family's mansion at the center of the Heaps, a vast sea of lost and discarded items. Each Iremonger has an odd gift and Clod’s is perhaps the oddest of all….he can hear all of the objects of Heap House whispering!

 

Michael Vey: Hunt for the Jade Dragon by Richard Paul Evans

YA FIC EVANS

Michael, Taylor, Ostin, and the rest of the Electroclan head to Taiwan in search of nine-year-old child prodigy Lin Julung, or Jade Dragon, who the Elgen kidnapped for Hatch's army of electric children.

The Jewel by Amy Ewing

YA FIC EWING

Violet, a poor girl from the outer city, finds forbidden romance and uncovers brutal secrets when, after three years of training, she is purchased by a royal family as a surrogate mother for royal children.

Vango: Between Earth and Sky by Timothee de Fombelle

YA FIC FOMBELLE

In a world between wars, a young man on the cusp of taking priestly vows is suddenly made a fugitive. Fleeing the accusations of police who blame him for a murder, as well as more sinister forces with darker intentions, Vango attempts to trace the secrets of his shrouded past and prove his innocence before all is lost.

Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers

YA FIC LAFEVERS

Annith's worst fears are realized when she discovers that, despite her lifelong training to be an assassin, she is being groomed by the abbess as a Seeress, to be forever shut up in the convent of Saint Mortain.

Beware the Wild by Natalie C. Parker

YA FIC PARKER

A teen girl and her boyfriend must find her older brother after he wanders into their town's swamp and a mysterious girl appears in his place.

How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon

YA FIC MAGOON

When sixteen-year-old Tariq Johnson is shot to death, his community is thrown into an uproar because Tariq was black and the shooter, Jack Franklin, is white. Everyone has something to say, but no two accounts of the events agree.

Stronger Than You Know by Jolene B. Perry

YA FIC PERRY

After fifteen years of horrific abuse and neglect by her mother and her mother's boyfriends, Joy struggles to understand and accept a normal life with relatives, at school, and with a boyfriend.

I Love I Hate I Miss My Sister by Amelie Sarn

YA FIC SARN

Eighteen-year-old Sohane loves no one more than her beautiful, carefree younger sister, Djelila. And she hates no one as much. The two have always shared everything. But now, Djelila is embracing her life as a secular teen, and Sohane is becoming more religious in her Muslim faith.

UnDivided by Neal Shusterman

YA FIC SHUSTERMAN

The thrilling continuation of the UnWind Dystology series.Three teens band together to force the government to repeal horrific procedures in which unwanted teenagers are captured and are unwound into parts that can be reused for transplantation.

Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater

YA FIC STIEFVATER

Book 3 of the Raven Cycle. Blue Sargent has found things. She has friends she can trust, a group to which she can belong. The Raven Boys have taken her in as one of their own. The trick with found things though, is how easily they can be lost.

Slump by Kevin Waltman

YA FIC WALTMAN

Derrick "D-Bow" Bowman thought sophomore year would be easier, but his girlfriend Jasmine leaves him for putting too much focus on basketball, the jump shot he worked on all summer is not working, and his father has a heart attack, forcing Derrick to accept that basketball cannot be his only priority.

Bad Boy: A Memoir by Walter Dean Myers

YA BIOG MYERS

Bestselling author Walter Dean Myers travels back to his roots in the magical world of Harlem during the 1940s and 1950s. As a boy, Myers was quick-tempered and physically strong, always ready for a fight. He also read voraciously and aspired to be a writer. But growing up in a poor family, his hopes for a successful future diminished as he realized the class and racial struggles that surrounded him.

Dear Bully: Seventy Authors Tell Their Stories edited Carrie Jones and Megan Kelley Hall

YA 302.3 DEA

Discover how Lauren Kate transformed the feeling of that one mean girl getting under her skin into her first novel, how Lauren Oliver learned to celebrate ambiguity in her classmates and in herself, and how R.L. Stine turned being the "funny guy" into the best defense against the bullies in his class. Today's top authors share their stories about bullying in a collection at turns moving and self-effacing, but always deeply personal.

Happy Halloween from your friendly library staff!

Happy Halloween!

West Caldwell Public Library now staffed by dead authors Eugene O'Neill, Dorothy Parker, and Edgar Allan Poe!

Announcing the YALSA Teens' Top Ten List!

YALSA Teens' Top Ten is an annual "teen choice" list where you pick the best books of this year! Sixteen teen groups across the country nominated titles, and teens from everywhere voted for their favorites.

Even if your favorite didn't make the list this year, these titles are super popular with teens across the country and around the world. Try one out today!

The 2014 Teens' Top Ten list is:

1. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell (Macmillan/St. Martin's Griffin)
2. Splintered by A.G. Howard (ABRAMS/Amulet Books)
3. The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson (Tor Teen)
4. The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey (Penguin/Putnam Juvenile) 
5. Monument 14: Sky on Fire by Emmy Laybourne (Macmillan/Feiwel & Friends)
6. Earth Girl by Janet Edwards (Prometheus Books /Pyr)
7. The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
8. Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson (Random House/Delacorte Press)
9. Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo (Macmillan/Henry Holt Books for Young Readers)
10. The Eye of Minds by James Dashner (Random House/Delacorte Press)

Get more info about the books here. And be sure to vote in next year's contest! 

New YA Books - October 2014

Weather outside getting nippy? Ghouls and ghosts lurking behind every corner? Curl up with a good book this month and leave the big, bad world behind!

The Witch’s Boy by Kelly Regan Barnhill

YA FIC BARNHILL

When Ned and his twin brother tumble from their raft into a raging river, only Ned survives. Villagers are convinced the wrong boy lived. But when a Bandit King comes to steal the magic from Ned's witch mother, can Ned prove them wrong and protect his community?

Exquisite Captive by Heather Demetrios

YA FIC DEMETRIOS

Jinni. Empress. Warrior. Slave. Nalia is a jinni of tremendous ancient power, but she’s bound to serve her cruel master, Malek. Can she finally escape with the help of Raif, an enigmatic leader…and her sworn enemy?

Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick

YA FIC FITZPATRICK

Britt is planning a peaceful hike in the Grand Tetons of Wyoming, but trouble arises when she is caught in a blizzard, taken hostage by fugitives, and finds evidence of murders in this suspenseful, twisted tale.

Skink: No Surrender by Carl Hiaasen

YA FIC HIASSEN

With the help of an eccentric ex-governor, a teenaged boy searches for his missing cousin in the Florida wilds.

Salt & Storm by Kendall Kulper

YA FIC KULPER

Avery Roe wants to take her rightful place as the sea witch of Prince Island. When she foresees her own murder, a harpoon boy promises to help her change her fate and keep her island safe…but salvation will require an unexpected sacrifice.

Egg & Spoon by Gregory Maguire

YA FIC MAGUIRE

Poor Russian country girl Elena Rudina and aristocratic Ekatrina meet and set in motion an escapade that includes mistaken identity, a monk locked in a tower, a prince traveling incognito, and the sassy witch Baba Yaga.

Firebug by Lish McBride

YA FIC MCBRIDE

After she is asked to kill a family friend by the woman who killed her mother, Ava, an assassin who can start fires with her mind, desperately tries to escape the Coterie, a magical mafia, while keeping the murders to a minimum.

Althea & Oliver by Cristina Moracho

YA FIC MORACHO

Althea and Oliver, who have been friends since they were six, find their worlds turned upside down when Oliver contracts Kleine-Levin syndrome, and Althea discovers she wants to be more than friends.

On a Clear Day by Walter Dean Myers

YA FIC MYERS

In 2035, Dahlia Grillo, a sixteen-year-old math whiz, joins with six other American teens traveling to England to meet with groups from around the world in hopes of stopping C8, the companies that control nearly everything for their own benefit.

Jackaby by William Ritter

YA FIC RITTER

Newly arrived in 1892 New England, Abigail Rook becomes assistant to R. F. Jackaby, an investigator of the unexplained with the ability to see supernatural beings. As she helps him delve into a case of serial murder, Jackaby is convinced the culprit is an inhuman creature.

Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld

YA FIC WESTERFELD

Eighteen-year-old Darcy Patel navigates the New York City publishing world after writing her first book, the story of Lizzie who slips into the "Afterworld" to survive a terrorist attack and becomes a spirit guide.

Beetle Boy by Margaret Willey

YA FIC WILLEY

When his mother walked out on the family, seven-year-old Charlie comforted his inconsolable father by sharing the silly beetle boy stories his mother told him. Years later, these stolen stories still haunt Charlie's dreams.

Be a Changemaker: How to Start Something That Matters by Laurie Ann Thompson

YA 361.2 THO

Empower yourself in today's highly connected, socially conscious world as you learn how to wield your passions, digital tools, and the principles of social entrepreneurship to affect real change in your schools, communities, and beyond.

Eyes Wide Open: Going Behind the Environmental Headlines by Paul Fleischman

YA 363.78 FLE

Paul Fleischman offers teens a wake-up call and a tool kit for decoding the barrage of conflicting information about the environment that confronts them every day.

How Rude! The Teen Guide to Good Manners, Proper Behavior, and Not Grossing People Out by Alex J. Packer

YA 395.1 PAC

Explaining etiquette from A ("Applause") to Z ("Zits"), Alex J. Packer blends outrageous humor with sound advice as he guides readers and explains why manners and etiquette are important.

Poisoned Apples: Poems For You, My Pretty by Christine Heppermann

YA 811.6 HEP

From Snow White’s cottage and Rapunzel's tower to health class and the prom, these poems are a moving depiction of young women, society, and our expectations.