Best books of 2012

Here is a compilation of some year end "best of" lists for teen books. Check them out and see if you can add any titles to your "to read" pile!

• Barnes & Noble: Best Teen Books of 2012 
• Goodreads Choice Awards: YA Fantasy & Science Fiction
• Goodreads Choice Awards: YA Fiction
• Kirkus Book Reviews: Best Teen Books of 2012
• Publishers Weekly: Best Books of 2012: Children's Fiction
• School Library Journal: Best Books 2012 (scroll down to Fiction for teen books) 
• YALSA: Teens' Top Ten (voted on by teens across the country)

Winter break programs at the library

Here are some fun activities to do over the rest of your winter break. They all meet on the lower level in the Meeting Room:

Competitive Gaming
Thursday, December 27 at 6 pm

Play fighting games on PS3, XBOX 360, or Wii.

Anime Club
Saturday, December 29 at 2:30 pm

Discuss manga and anime, hang out with friends, and make your own buttons!

Recycled Crafts
Wednesday, January 2 at 2 pm

Transform paper towel rolls into colorful winter critters -- owls, racoons, squirrels, foxes, or other animals of your choice! I hope to post some examples later this week.

If you plan to attend, please click on the links to register.

Catching up with teen series

Here are some books we've added to the shelves in the last few weeks that are also part of a series:

Shadows by Ilsa J. Bick

Follow-up to Ashes

The Best Friend by Melody Carlson
#2 in the Kingston High series - Follow up to The Jerk Magnet

The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson

Follow up to The Girl of Fire and Thorns

 

Hidden by P.C. Cast

#10 in the House of Night series 

Reached by Ally Condie

Final book in the Matched trilogy

A Fractured Light by Jocelyn Davies

Sequel to A Beautiful Dark

Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick

Final book in the Hush, Hush series

Beautiful Redemption by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

#4 in The Caster Chronicles

Dearly, Beloved: A Zombie Novel by Lia Habel

Follow up to Dearly, Departed

Tiger's Destiny by Colleen Houck
Final book in the Tiger's Curse series

Whispers at Moonrise by C.C. Hunter

#4 in the Shadow Falls series

The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa
1st book in the Iron Fey spin off series Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten

Speed of Light by Amber Kizer

#3 in the Fenestra series

Execution by Alexander Gordon Smith

#5 in the Escape from Furnace series

The Hunters: Destiny Rising by L.J. Smith

Final book in spin-off Vampire Diaries series

Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor 

Follow up to Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Feedback by Robison Wells

#2 in the Variant series

Rebel Heart by Moira Young

#2 in the Dustlands series - Follow up to Blood Red Road

Because It Is My Blood by Gabrielle Zevin

2nd book in the Birthright series- Follow up to All These Things I've Done

Recommended new books to read during Thanksgiving Break

If you can't get enough dystopia in science fiction --->

Crewel by Gennifer Albin

If you're looking for a mash-up of genres, including romance, mystery, the supernatural and suspense, all set in Victorian England --->

The Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron 

If you like science fiction --->

Beta by Rachel Cohn

If you like books that put a twist on fairy tales ---> 

Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross

If you can't wait for the third Divergent book or like books with post apocalyptic settings --->  

Breathe by Sarah Crossan

For a book about a teen athlete juggling school, homework, and boys  --->

Surviving High School by M. Doty

If you like fantasy fiction -->

Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst

If you enjoy books written in verse  --->

The Good Braider by Terry Farish

For a book on sibling rivalry  --->

All You Never Wanted by Adele Griffin

For a book about a teen losing his girlfriend in a car crash and traveling through time to get her back --->

Through to You by Emily Hainsworth

If you want to read a book about survival with adventure --->

Safekeeping by Karen Hesse 

If you're looking for a dystopia with male protagonist --->

Elemental by Antony John

For a book about how a teen copes with being in a train wreck that left another teen in a coma --->

A Certain October by Angela Johnson

If you want a book that feels like a comic book with fast-paced action --->

The Vindico by Wesley King

If you enjoy books about survival set in the wilderness --->

Survive by Alex Morel

If you are a fan of horror --->

The Turning by Francine Prose

If you want to read a thriller set in Chicago about a teen who is unearthing her mysterious past --->

The Shadow Society by Marie Rutkoski

If you're a mystery fan --->

Freaks Like Us by Susan Vaught

Beautiful Lies by Jessica Warman

And that's just a handful of the new books in the teen section!

Ally Condie concludes Matched series with 'Reached'

The final book in the Matched trilogy, Reached, is finally out today! If you've already read Matched and Crossed, don't forget to place a hold on a copy of Reached.

"Divergent" tops 2012 Teens' Top 10!

From August 15 to September 15, teens across the country voted for the best books of the year from the nominated titles. These are the books they selected for the 2012 Teens' Top 10:

1. Divergent by Veronica Roth
2. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
3. Legend by Marie Lu
4. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
5. What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen
6. Across the Universe by Beth Revis
7. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
8. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
9. Where She Went by Gayle Forman
10. Abandon by Meg Cabot

I was not surprised by the results at all, because the books on this list are checked out more often than they are on the shelves at Dundee! Have you read any of the Top 10? Did any of your favorites not make the list?

Competitive Gaming tournament photos

Twenty teens attended last Tuesday's dual tournament meeting of Competitive Gaming Club! Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Tekken Tag Tournament 2 (PS3) were the two games played in the tournament. We also had a third game system set up for people who just wanted to play for fun.

First place in each tournament received a $15 gift card to GameStop. Second and third place winners picked out a game poster of their choice. Photos of the winners:

Clockwise from left: Competitive Gaming Club president Jake congratulates Marko (1st place finishers in Tekken) and Roger (1st place in Smash Bros.); top 3 finishers in Tekken tournament; top 3 finishers in Smash Bros. tournament

After both tournaments concluded the gamers continued to play Brawl, PS3, and Wii games. And there also were a few Magic and Yu-Gi-Oh games going on as well!

Please join us for our next meeting of the Competitive Gaming Club on Thursday, November 29 at 6:30 pm!

Sign up now for the WrestleMania Reading Challenge!

Are you a WWE fan? Do you want to win a trip to New Jersey to attend WrestleMania 29? If you are in grades 5-12 you are eligible to enter the WrestleMania Reading Challenge.

All you have to do is 1) write a letter to your favorite WWE superstar convincing him or her to read your favorite book and 2) pledge to read 5 books. You may read the 5 books anytime from now through April 7, 2013 (the date of WrestleMania 29).

Sign up at the Dundee Library's Information Desk and receive your entry forms. You may also download and print the forms from home:

Competitive Project Form
Pledge Form

Both forms and your letter are due to the Information Desk by Monday, November 15.

One finalist from each age group (grades 5-6, 7-8, and 9-12) at the Dundee Library will move on to the next round of judging. In January, 18 finalists from across the country will be selected to win a trip to East Rutherford, NJ, to WrestleMania 29.

Last year, the Dundee Library's own Sleepy Hollow teen Kenyan Gustafson was a winner and traveled to Miami to attend WrestleMania 28!

In November, I will also hold a drawing for a Target gift card and other prizes from all entry forms received.

Call the Information Desk or email Danielle (dpacini@dundeelibrary.info) with any questions.