2020 Teen Summer Reading List

Here it is . . . the annual summer reading list for teens.  Try one of our favorites on the list . . .

The Accident Season by Moira Fowley-Doyle
Every October, Cara and her family inexplicably suffer bruises, broken bones, and worse. Is it coincidence? Or a curse? As Cara begins to look closer, the mysteries only multiply and deepen.

Dig by A.S. King
Five white teenage cousins who are struggling with the failures and racial ignorance of their dysfunctional parents and their wealthy grandparents, reunite for Easter.

How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff
To get away from her pregnant stepmother in New York City, fifteen-year-old Daisy goes to England to stay with her aunt and cousins, with whom she instantly bonds, but soon war breaks out and rips apart the family while devastating the land.


More Books --
19 Love Songs by David Levithan
All Eyes on Us by Kit Frick
Angel Thieves by Kathi Appelt
Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones
Dear Evan Hansen by Val Emmich
The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee
Her Royal Highness by Rachel Hawkins
Infinity Son by Adam Silvera
The Kingdom by Jess Rothenberg
The Light at the Bottom of the World by London Shah
The Lovely War by Julie Berry
The Raft by S.A. Bodeen
Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
Serious Moonlight by Jenn Bennett
The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner
The Similars by Rebecca Hanover
Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly
Stronger, Faster, More Beautiful by Arwen Dayton
We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia
When You Were Everything by Ashley Woodfolk


Check these books out on display at the Arnold Branch through August 21, 2020.

Laugh Out Loud

Sometimes we just need a good laugh.  So this week, I'm sharing some of my favorite funny teen books . . . .

Dealing With Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede
Bored with traditional palace life, a princess goes off to live with a group of dragons and soon becomes involved with fighting against some disreputable wizards who want to steal away the dragons' kingdom.

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
When a plane crash strands thirteen teen beauty contestants on a mysterious island, they struggle to survive, to get along with one another, to combat the island's other diabolical occupants, and to learn their dance numbers in case they are rescued in time for the competition.

Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick by Joe Schrieber
Perry's parents insist that he take Gobi, their Lithuanian exchange student, to senior prom but after an incident at the dance he learns that Gobi is actually an assassin who needs him as a henchman on a mission in Manhattan.

There Is No Dog by Meg Rosoff
When the beautiful Lucy prays to fall in love, God, an irresponsible youth named Bob, chooses to answer her prayer personally, to the dismay of this assistant, Mr. B who must try to clean up the resulting catastrophes.

My Most Excellent Year: A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins & Fenway Park by Steve Kluger
Three teenagers in Boston narrate their experiences of a year of new friendships, first loves, and coming into their own.


More Funny Books --
An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway
The Boy Recession by Flynn Meaney
Boys Don't Knit (In Public) by T.S. Easton
Evil Librarian by Michelle Knudsen
Fat Kid Rules the World by K.L. Going
Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith
I Woke Up Dead at the Mall by Judy Sheehan
Noggin by John Corey Whaley
Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg
Seriously Wicked by Tina Connolly
Soul Enchilada by David Gill
Thieving Weasels by Billy Taylor
Three Clams and an Oyster by Randy Powell
The Vigilante Poets of Selwyn Academy by Kate Hattemer
We Are All Made of Molecules by Susin Nielsen

Check these books out on display at the Arnold Branch through October 13, 2017.

Sometimes You Just Gotta Laugh

It seems to me that teen books are once more trending more towards realistic fiction.  This means that the books are turning more serious.  However, sometimes you just want to have a little humor in your stories.  So here are my favorite funny books for teens . . . .

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride
Sam LaCroix, a Seattle fast-food worker and college dropout, discovers that he is a necromancer, part of a world of harbingers, werewolves, satyrs, and one particular necromancer who sees Sam as a threat to his lucrative business of raising the dead.

Going Bovine by Libba Bray
In an attempt to find a cure after being diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jakob's (aka mad cow) disease, Cameron Smith, a disaffected sixteen-year-old boy, sets off on a road trip with a death-obsessed video gaming dwarf he meets in the hospital.

There Is No Dog by Meg Rosoff
When the beautiful Lucy prays to fall in love, God, an irresponsible youth named Bob, chooses to answer her prayer personally, to the dismay of this assistant, Mr. B who must try to clean up the resulting catastrophes.

Vampire High by Douglas Rees
When his family moves from California to New Sodom, Massachusetts and Cody enters Vlad Dracul Magnet School, many things seem strange, from the dark-haired, pale-skinned, supernaturally strong students to Charon, the wolf who guides him around campus on the first day.


More Funny Teen Books --
All-American Girl by Meg Cabot
Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway
Boys Don't Knit (in Public) by Tom Easton
Dark Lord, the Early Years by Jamie Thomson
Freshman: A Novel by Michael Gerber
Ghost Town by Richard Jennings
Hellhole by Gina Damico
Inside the Mind of Gideon Rayburn by Sarah Miller
Me & Earl & the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
Mothership by Martin Leicht
My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger
No More Dead Dogs by Gordon Korman
Noggin by John Corey Whaley
Soul Enchilada by David Macinnes Gill
The Prom Goer's Interstellar Excursion by Chris McCoy
Trouble in Me by Jack Gantos

 Check these books out at the Arnold Branch.

Make a Date with a Book

Valentine's Day will be here is just one week.  Don't have plans for the day yet?

No problem!
Pick one of these great teen romance books to read this Valentine's Day . . .







The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenbrough
In Seattle in 1937 two seventeen-year-olds, Henry, who is white, and Flora, who is African-American, become the unwitting pawns in a game played by two immortal figures, Love and Death, where they must choose each other at the end, or one of them will die.

Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt
When Lord Death comes to claim sixteen-year-old Keturah while she is lost in the King's Forest, she charms him with her story and is granted a twenty-four hour reprieve in which to seek her one true love.

There Is No Dog by Meg Rosoff
When the beautiful Lucy prays to fall in love, God, an irresponsible youth named Bob, chooses to answer her prayer personally, to the dismay of this assistant, Mr. B who must try to clean up the resulting catastrophes.

Son of the Mob by Gordon Korman
Seventeen-year-old Vince's life is constantly complicated by the fact that he is the son of a powerful Mafia boss, a relationship that threatens to destroy his romance with the daughter of an FBI agent.

Keeping the Castle by Patrice Kindl
In order to support her family and maintain their ancient castle in Lesser Hoo, seventeen-year-old Althea bears the burden of finding a wealthy suitor who can remedy their financial problems.


More Teen Romances --
Anna Dressed in Blood by  Kendare Blake
As I Wake by Elizabeth Scott
Beastkeeper by Cat Hellisen
Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult & Samantha Van Leer
Crash Into You by Kate McGarry
Cupid: A Tale of Love and Desire by Juilius Lester
Drink, Slay, Love by Sarah Beth Durst
Eat, Brains, Love by Jeff Hart
Fan Art by Sarah Tregay
The Last Forever by Deb Caletti
Love by the Morning Star by Laura Sullivan
The Princess Spy by Melanie Dickerson
Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matswon
The Shadow Prince by Bree Despain
Still Star-Crossed by Melinda Taub
These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman
This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith
Time Between Us by Tamara Stone
The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh


Check out these books on display at the Arnold Branch through February 27, 2016.

Which Is Better? The Book or the Movie?

This has been a great year for movies based on teen books.  From Me and Earl and the Dying Girl to the final Hunger Games movie, there have been several movies released this year based on books.  Here are some of my favorite books turned into movies . . . .

Stardust by Neil Gaiman
The story of young Tristran Thorn and his adventures in the land of Faerie. He has fallen in love with beautiful Victoria Forester and in order to win her hand, he must retrieve a fallen star and deliver it to her.

William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily, A New Hope by Ian Doescher
A retelling of Star wars in the style of Shakespeare, in which a wise Jedi knight, an evil Sith lord, a beautiful captive princess, and a young hero coming of age reflect the valor and villainy of the Bard's greatest plays.

Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz
After the death of the uncle who had been his guardian, fourteen-year-old Alex Rider is coerced to continue his uncle's dangerous work for Britain's intelligence agency, MI6.

How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff
To get away from her pregnant stepmother in New York City, fifteen-year-old Daisy goes to England to stay with her aunt and cousins, with whom she instantly bonds, but soon war breaks out and rips apart the family while devastating the land.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman
While in a coma following an automobile accident that killed her parents and younger brother, seventeen-year-old Mia, a gifted cellist, weights whether to live with her grief or join her family in death.


More Books Turned into Movies --
Beastly by Alex Flinn
Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause
The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
I Know What You Did Last Summer by Lois Duncan
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Paper Towns by John Green
The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares
Speak by Laurie Hals Anderson
The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp
Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead


Check out these books on display at the Arnold Branch through December 18, 2015.

K-I-S-S-I-N-G! Tales of Love

I love a good romance story.  Whether the traditional boy meets girl and falls in love to those tales of star-crossed lovers, I can always read a good romance.  Here are some great teen romances . . .

Son of the Mob by Gordon Korman
Seventeen-year-old Vince's life is constantly complicated by the fact that he is the son of a powerful Mafia boss, a relationship that threatens to destroy his romance with the daughter of an FBI agent.

Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt
When Lord Death comes to claim sixteen-year-old Keturah while she is lost in the King's Forest, she charms him with her story and is granted a twenty-four hour reprieve in which to seek her one true love.

Wait for Me by An Na
As her senior year in high school approaches, Mina yearns to find her own path in life but working at the family business, taking care of her little sister, and dealing with her mother's impossible expectations are as stifling as the southern California heat, until she falls in love with a man who offers a way out.

Lips Touch, Three Times by Laini Taylor
Contains three short stores of supernatural love, each focusing on a kiss that has consequences for the kissers' souls.

There Is No Dog by Meg Rosoff
When the beautiful Lucy prays to fall in love, God, an irresponsible youth named Bob, chooses to answer her prayer personally, to the dismay of this assistant, Mr. B who must try to clean up the resulting catastrophes.

Accidental Love by Gary Soto
After unexpectedly falling in love with a "nerdy" boy, fourteen-year-old Marisa works to change her life by transferring to another school, altering some of her behavior, and losing weight.


More Romances for Teens --
A Winter Night's Dream by Andrew Matthews
Time Between  Us by Tamara Ireland Stone
This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith
Things I Know About Love by Kate Le Vann
Taken by Storm by Angela Morrison
Street Love by Walter Dean Myers
Something Like Normal by Trish Doller
Of Poseidon by Anna Banks
Muchacho: A Novel by Louanne Johnson
Love and Other Perishable Items by Laura Buzo
Heartsinger by Karlijn Stoffels
Gone, Gone, Gone by Hannah Moskowitz
Flavor of the Week by Tucker Shaw
Fancy White Trash by Marjetta Geerling
Drink, Slay, Love by Sarah Beth Durst

It's the End of the World . . . .

A popular theme in teen books is the world ending.  Whether this is a natural disaster that causes the world go back to the Stone Age or a plague that wipes out all the adults on earth, it's a great story.  Here are some books featuring teens facing the end of the world . . . .

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Through journal entries sixteen-year-old Miranda describes her family's struggle to survive after a meteor hits the moon, causing worldwide tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions.

The Compound by S.A. Bodeen
After his parents, two sisters, and he have spent six years in a vast underground compound built by his wealthy father to protect them from a nuclear holocaust, fifteen-year-old Eli, whose twin brother and grandmother were left behind, discovers that hisfather has perpetrated a monstrous hoax on them all.

Icons by Margaret Stohl
After an alien force known as the Icon colonizes Earth, decimating humanity, four surviving teenagers must piece together the mysteries of their pasts--in order to save the future.

Gone by Michael Grant
In a small town on the coast of California, everyone over the age of fourteen suddenly disappears, setting up a battle between the remaining town residents and the students from a local private school, as well as those who have "The Power" and are able to perform supernatural feats and those who do not.

Storm by Donna Jo Napoli
Having lost her family in a massive flood, sixteen-year-old Sebah finds her way onto a gigantic ark, where she must conceal herself from Noah and his family until it is safe for her and another stowaway to slip away.

How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff
To get away from her pregnant stepmother in New York City, fifteen-year-old Daisy goes to England to stay with her aunt and cousins, with whom she instantly bonds, but soon war breaks out and rips apart the family while devastating the land.

More Books --
After the End by Amy Plum
After the Snow by S.D. Crockett
Alien Invasions & Other Inconveniences by Brian Yansky
The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch
Exodus by Julie Bertagna
The Fury by Alexander Gordon Smith
Hole in the Sky by Pete Hautman
Love in the Time of Global Warming by Francesca Lia Block
Quarantine: The Loners by Lex Thomas
Restoring Harmony by Joelle Anthony
The Rule of Three by Eric Walters
Shipbreaker: A Novel by Paolo Bacigalupi
A Small Free Kiss in the Dark by Glenda Millard