Are you panicking because you have a teenager (or two) to shop for this holiday season? Never fear – Shelf Talk is here to help. Hayden, Jennifer and I, three of Seattle Public Library’s Teen Services Librarians, read dozens of teen books all year long, and they’ve selected their favorites from 2008 just for you. Here’s our top 12 from 2008 (in no particular order):
Hayden’s picks:
How to Ditch Your Fairy by Justine Larbalestier
You might get an awesome fairy, like the clothes-will-look-great-on-you fairy, or the every-guy-will-have-a-crush-on-you fairy. Or, like 14-year-old Charlie, you might get stuck with a really lame fairy, like the every-car-you’re-in-will-find-a-great-parking-spot fairy.
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
This is the perfect book for every smart girl who sometimes feels like she’s not taken seriously. Frankie is thrilled to be dating Matthew, a member of the all-male secret society of pranksters at her elite boarding school. But when she realizes that Matthew and his friends just think of her as a cute plaything, she sets out to show them exactly how brilliant she really is.
Hurricane Song by Paul Volponi
When Hurricane Katrina hits New Orleans, 16-year-old Miles and his father end up stuck inside the nightmare world of the dark, stinking Superdome, where gangs of thugs prey on New Orlean’s most helpless citizens.
The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
It’s a few years in the future, and Jenna Fox has been in a coma for a year. She doesn’t remember the accident, her family, or anything about her life before—even her own body seems strange. And when her parents tell her to go to her room, she finds herself physically unable to disobey. A page-turner!
Jennifer’s picks:
The Devouring by Simon Holt
For the supernatural/horror fans on your list. 13 year-old Reggie finds a handwritten journal about The Vours, supernatural beings that inhabit your body by feeding on your fear. Along with her best friend she jokingly calls them forth, but the person in the house who is most scared of the legend is her 10 year-old brother. When he starts acting very strange, she realizes she will have to face her biggest fears to save him. A quick, gripping, creepy read, and the first in a series.
What They Always Tell Us by Martin Wilson
A touching, hopeful book about heavy topics. 16 year-old Alex starts his junior year by attempting suicide. He is depressed, estranged from his popular jock brother, and dealing with his sexual orientation. When he makes the varsity cross-country team, and becomes friends (and more) with one of his teammates, he begins the process of healing, self discovery and learns there is a whole lot more to his life and his family than he believed.
Runaways: Dead End Kids by Joss Whedon
What would you do if you found out your parents were super-villians with super powers? What if you found out you also had super powers? Meet the Runaways, a band of teens trying to figure out how the heck to use all their powers, right some wrongs and survive. This is the eighth graphic novel in the series and the first written by Joss Whedon (creator of the Buffy the Vampire TV and comic book series).
Revelations by Melissa De la Cruz (Third in the Blue Blood series)
Can’t get enough of Twilight? Then read this series. Schuyler Van Alen goes to an elite private school in New York City but does not really fit into the exclusive, Prada-wearing, party-hopping scene. That is until she realizes she really is one of them – a non-human killing vampire. Now she must solve the mystery of the uber-vamps that are killing off her classmates before it is too late!
Abby’s picks:
Skim by Mariko and Jillian Tamaki
Cousins Mariko (words) and Jillian (pictures) collaborated on this stunning graphic novel that explores first love, depression, sexual identity and the cruelty of teenage girls through beautiful Japanese brush-style drawings and the sardonic, self-deprecating voice of Skim, the not-slim, half-Asian, Wiccan teenage narrator. A great gift for anyone who enjoys coming-of-age stories and comics like Ghost World, Blankets or Optic Nerve.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Sixteen-year-old Katniss lives with her mother and younger sister Prim in the poorest of the twelve districts of Panem, a futuristic state built on the ashes of the United States. Every year, each district must send a boy and girl to the Capitol to fight each other to the death in a televised competition — the Hunger Games. When Prim is selected by lottery to compete, Katniss volunteers to take her place, and finds her wits, strength, courage and loyalty all severely tested as she struggles to survive. I couldn’t put this one down!
The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp
Sutter Keely is a few short months away from his high school graduation, but he has no future plans beyond getting his party on and seeing his beautiful fat girlfriend Cassidy. When Cassidy dumps him and Aimee, a quiet, shy girl, enters his life, his life takes a turn that even he never expected. An offbeat, funny and touching story about an imperfect but likeable teenager who knows that sometimes the only way to get through life is to fully embrace the weird.
Pretty Monsters by Kelly Link
An entire town hides from its enemies inside a thrift-store handbag. Invisible wizards command a small village of children to do their bidding. A teenage poet digs up his girlfriend’s grave to get his poems back and finds a not-so-dead stranger in her place. These creepy, funny, bizarre and magical stories will worm their way into your heart and haunt your daydreams.
Looking for more great teen reads? Check out Push to Talk, The Seattle Public Library’s blog for teens! You’ll find book reviews for teens by teens and librarians here.
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