Book Talk

Pulse

by Patrick Carman

Another great story along the lines of the Hunger Games and Divergent. Faith lives outside the states, where the world is slowly withering away. As her friends begin to enter the states, Faith's life begins to change, even more than she knows. Faith meets Dylan another who will always live outside. It is Dylan who show Faith that she can move objects with her mind. Discovering a "pulse" is life altering for Faith and enters her in a battle she didn't even know was going on. It's a exciting story that was hard to put down. Definitely worth the time. It is a fantastic read that you don't want to miss.

~from the Teen Review

Book Talk

The Scorpio Races

Maggie Stiefvater

An interesting take on the myth of the water horse.  Every November on the Island of Thisby only the bravest race the water horses.  It is a deadly race.  Sean Kendrick is a returning champion, his skills with the water horses is almost otherworldly.  Puck Connolly never meant to race but to save her house and family she has no choice.  These two characters who are so different come to work together to paint a beautiful picture about life and fate.  It's a breath-taking story you shouldn't miss.

~from the Teen Review

Book Talk

Amber House

by Kelly Moore

A wonderfully haunting book about the past and present.  While exploring her family ancestral home, Sarah begins having visions of the past.  Slowly she comes to discover that there are many secrets hidden in this home.  But when her visions begin to see and speak to her, Sarah begins to feel that there is a presence that threatens the person she holds most dear, her little brother Sam.  It was a fantastic book that I couldn't put down.  Wonderfully written with just the right amount of mystery.

~taken from the Teen Review.

Book Talk

Legend

Marie Lu

Set in a dystopian United States where the West is the "Republic" at war with its neighbors, "Legend" by Marie Lu is an action-packed tale that keeps you reading!  I loved how the story switched perspectives from fifteen-year-old Day (a wanted criminal living in the slums) to fifteen-year-old June (a military detective).  They are supposed to be enemies.  And they are ... that is until they meet each other and are forced to reassess their notions of this dystopian world and the people in it.

~Jeanelle W. 

(from the Teen Review)

Book Talk

                                   Storyteller's Daughter

Cameron Dokey

A wonderful retelling of the Arabian Nights, that shares the power of stories and love.  After his wife's betrayal the king decrees that he will take a new wife every day. In an effort to save the young women of the realm, Shahrazad volunteers to be his wife.  As a way to protect her life and hopefully heal the king, she begins a story each evening yet never quite finishing them.  Each telling fascinates the king so that he lets Shahrazad live night after night.  But how many stories can you tell before you run out?  And when an unexpected catastrophe happens will Shahrazad's stories protect her?  This is a fantastic new version of an old classic.  It is a simple and enchanting story.

Book Talk

Okay For Now

by Gary D. Schmidt

Okay For Now drops you into the life of Doug Swieteck, a fourteen year old who has just move to a new town. While trying to adjust to his new life, he meets several new friends.  Along the way he runs into his fair share problems.  It is a well done story that describes what it's like to move to a place, make new friends, overcome problems and how to stand by your friends no matter what.

~From the Auburn Teen Online Review

David H.

Book Talk

Sold

By Patricia McCormick

Told in powerful vignettes, Sold by Patricia McCormick is a haunting tale of a girl from Nepal who thought she was going to be a maid, but instead finds that she ahs been sold into child prostitution.  Though the topic is quite heavy, through the voice of 13-year-old Lakshmi your eyes will be opened to the reality of modern-day slavery.  An important and enthralling read.

~Jeanelle W.

Your Summer Reading Recap

Teens who joined the Light Up the Night Summer Reading Program this year did just that.  You read a cumulative total of 312 days a gave a whopping 53 reviews of all that you read.  AWESOME!
Here is just a small list of some of the things you read this summer and enjoyed.

• Heaven is for Real - T. Burpo
• The Revealers - D. Wilhelm  (yes, some of you enjoyed your school reading!)
• The Alex Rider Series - A. Horowitz
• Delirium - L. Oliver
• The Hunger Games Series - S. Collins
• I.Q.: Independence Hall - R. Smith
• The Fourth Stall - C. Rylander
• Inheritance - C. Paolini
• Birthmarked - C. O'Brien
• The Book Thief - M. Zusak

Awesome job this summer.  And don't forget to keep reading!

Book Talk

Salt

by Maurice Gee

Hari and Pearl are each on a mission - Hari to rescue his father, Pearl to escape an arranged marriage. They both soon discover that their mission is bigger than the two of them. There are secrets in Deep Salt - the mine owned by Pearl's intended and where Hari's father has been sent. No one ever comes back from Deep Salt and no one knows what is mined in Deep Salt. Will Hari and Pearl succeed? This is a tale that will keep you guessing - full of adventure, family and political intrigue. Will you survive Deep Salt? 

~from Teen Review

Book Talk

Chime

Franny Billingsley

Briony lives in the Swampsea - a place known for its links to the old world.  Briony has a secret - she can see the Old Ones and spirits - Briony is a witch.  She knows that exposing this secret will mean her death.  Yet when a young man comes into her life she discovers that more than just her own secret will be exposed - secrets she never even knew.  This book is a bit slow but it grabs you and won't let go.

~from the Auburn Teen Review

Book Talk

Michale Vey: the Prisoner of Cell 25

by Richard Paul Evans

Michael is special and it has nothing to do with his Tourette's Syndrome.  He's electric and when he meets Taylor he discovers he's not the only one.  Soon he and Taylor are fighting for their lives and the world from those who accidentally created them.  This book is action packed.  I couldn't put it down.  Definitely a must read!

~the Auburn Online Teen Review Site

Book Talk

When You Reach Me        

by Rebecca Stead

Join Miranda as she retells a year of life in New York City - life at school, working at a sandwich shop and at home with her family.  This is a tale of friendships, of mystery and even some magic.  Its Newbery Medal was well-deserved for this clever read was filled with surprises!

Review by Jeanelle W.

Book Talk

The Alchemyst: the Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel

By Michael Scott

Sophie and Josh expect to spend their summer working and hanging out.  Neither expected to spend their summer running from magical evils, befriending a 700 year old Alchemyst, while chasing a book.  This is an action packed mystical adventure you can't miss.

Book Talk

The Grimm Legacy

By Polly Shulman

Elizabeth works at the New York Circulating Materials Depository - a library of things.  She's eager to gain access tothe Special Grimm Collection which contains magical items need a special deposit for circulation. But when some items go missing, it's up to Elizabeth and her new friends to find out what's going on.  This is a great read - imaginative and fun.  If only our library had a special collection like this.

Book Talk

Uglies

by Scott Westerfeld

Scott Westerfeld creates a futuristic world in his novel The Uglies, where everyone gets cosmetic surgery at age 16 to become a standardized version of "pretty."  The ones that don't buy into the conformity make Uglies startlingly thought-provoking, raising questions for our present society and for ourselves.

Review by Jeanelle W.

Book Talk

Virals

By Kathy Reichs
Tory and her friends were just trying to have a good time. But when they uncover a corpse and rescue a dog from a lab things change. Suddenly they have super powers. Can they discover the links between the lab and the corpse before they become science subjects themselves? This book was fantastic. If you like suspense, action and adventure then this is a title you should check out.