Green Witch is a fairy tale set in a world where a band of marauders known as The Horde have reduced civilization to ashes.  Green’s family was killed in the first Horde attack, and she has spent the time since in near seclusion in her home in the forest.  Her garden is her refuge, and while the world around slowly rebuilds itself she tends her garden and collects stories one by one from the people of the village.  She longs for only one thing- a boy she loves who has gone away to find his missing family.  Green begins to hear rumors of five witches, one of whom is supposed to be able to grant a heart’s desire.  She heads out to collect the witches’ stories and to see if they can help her find the boy she loves, a journey that takes her on an adventure that is a pleasure to read. 

Green Witch is a sequel to Green Angel, but you don’t have to have read the first one to enjoy the second.  It is a lyrically written story, poetic in tone, and full of beautiful turns of phrase.  Green is a striking character, as are her companions.  Alice Hoffman does a great job of bringing to life a world in ruins and the people struggling to rebuild their lives. 
 

Join us for another wonderful Teen Galley Party. Galleys are pre-releases of new books.  We’ve collected a ton over the last few months and on Wednesday, October 20th at 6:00 p.m. we are giving them all away.  So, come by the Teen Lounge for free books and OFCOURSE PIZZA.

Image courtesy of flickr user thetruthabout

One of the challenges many people face is what to do with all the stuff they have lying around, that they no longer need or use. Can this stuff be recycled, and more importantly, where can they take it?

Well, if you've got a smartphone (Android or iPhone), the FREE app My Recycle List takes the guesswork away. According to the website, the app lets users quickly find recycling locations nearby that accept items you pick from a list. Easily organize locations you want to use by adding them to your list. My Recycle List takes the pain out of recycling by making it easy to accomplish your recycling goals in the least amount of trips.

But hey, don't take my word for it. Head on over to the mobile section of  the website for details.

If you don't have a smartphone, not to worry — you can still use the 1800recycling.com website for information about where you can recycle various products.

So go ahead, get rid of that stuff!

Marcelo sees the world differently from most high school kids, so when he makes a deal with his dad to work in a law firm mail room over the summer, he doesn’t know what to expect.  Marcelo’s form of autism makes it difficult for him to understand facial expressions, or to discern figurative meanings of words.  He is brilliant, especially when it comes to religion, but he is sheltered, and the fact that he often needs to think things over thoroughly makes others think that he is less intelligent than he is.  The law firm is a cutthroat world, and when Marcelo stumbles on a photograph he was never meant to see, it changes him and his perception of the world.

 Marcelo in the Real World  is a great story.  Marcelo is a wonderful character with an authentic voice, and this is the story of him growing up, with all that entails: learning about adult relationships, pondering the complex ethics of business, seeing ones parents as flawed for the first time, and making friends and enemies.  Marcelo is forced to make difficult choices, and along the way loses something he has always depended on. 

 

In honor of American Library Associations's Banned Book Week, I have put together a list of Young Adult titles that have either been banned or challenged in their lifetime. 

Take a look at some of the titles, many of them are life changing and fasicinating reads that should never be kept out of the hands of readers.  The sad truth is, at some point someone somwhere took issue with them.

The Teens Top Ten books of the year, picked by YOU!  Every year YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) publishes a list of the Top Ten Books voted on by teens-- go their website to vote on which you think are the best.  This year's nominees include Catching Fire, Leviathan, Shiver, The Roar, Heist Society and I Am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to be Your Class President....

Everyone occasionally has the passing thought that their parents may be evil, but these kids know it for sure.  Every year since forever, their parents have gotten together a few times a year to plan a big charity event.  During these meetings, the kids are banished to a playroom—until this year.  This year Alex has found a series of secret passages in his house, and he leads the other five kids down them, to spy on their parents.  What they see seems impossible, but the knowledge that their parents are really, truly, murderously evil sends them on the run, with nothing but themselves to rely on.

Runaways is a really excellent storyline by Brian K. Vaughan (he wrote The Pride of Baghdad, and seasons 3-5 of LOST.)  Unlike in most superhero comics, these kids sort of think costumes and code-names are lame, and their rallying cry is “try not to die.”  It’s a great series, with a ton of great girl heroes and some pretty great guy heroes, and a genetically engineered dinosaur from the 87th Century, so it’s pure awesome from that standpoint.     

 

Well, The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner is short: it’s a novella that gives background information on what was going on in Seattle during the events in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.  On its own, it’s not a well-rounded enough story to sustain interest, but if you’ve read The Twilight Saga, and watched Eclipse the movie, you will enjoy reading about Bree.  Her story is that she is a homeless and starving when a guy offers her a free meal.  When he is done with her, she is a vampire living in a coven where the only ways to stay alive are to be the strongest fighter, or to hide.   Bree, it turns out, is great at hiding, and much smarter than a lot of other newborns.

The best characters in this story are Bree, and a guy named Freaky Fred, who has the weirdest power.  It’s also interesting to see how the newborns operate, and how they are controlled.  Finally—for fans of the series—Bree’s story shows us that, in Eclipse, there was more going on in the scene in the clearing than Bella knew.  If you can’t get enough of the Twilight Saga, check out The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner.     
 

Karl Shoemaker has a plan: Operation Be Normal.  It starts with avoiding his best friend, and ends with getting through the semester without getting put in therapy.  Karl has been in mandatory group therapy (called the madman underground) with the same kids since forever, and he is sick of it: the same stories, the same problems, year after year.  The problem is that with five jobs, an erratic, alcoholic mother, more pet cats than he can count, and a reputation for being a “psycho,” it’s going to be difficult for Karl to have a normal year.  When he is offered what amounts to a "get out of jail free" card for therapy, his fellow madmen think he's turned on them.  After everything they have shared, it is considered to be a first rate betrayal, and one even Karl is not sure he should commit.

Tales of the Madman Underground is one of the best books I’ve read recently.  Karl is a great character: funny, sweet, and full of rage.  This is a story about friendship and family, and the relationships that form when adults can’t be trusted.  Karl and his friends have very difficult lives—it’s not unusual for them to find themselves sleeping in cars or sneaking into basements because their homes are not safe.  Sometimes the madmen make hard choices or bad choices, but they are there for each other.  They stand up and help each other make the best of what are sometimes horrible life situations.   That is the root of Karl’s dilemma: does grabbing hold of normalcy mean abandoning his friends and his only support system?
 

What if Dr. Jekell and Mr. Hyde really existed, and their families, Jekell’s descended from a brother or cousin, and Hydes’ descended from the man himself, continued down the generations, carrying family secrets and family traits? 

Jill Jekel and Tristan Hyde are both in the same advanced Chemistry class, when their teacher announces a prestigious chemistry contest with a large cash prize.  Jill’s dad was a brilliant chemist, but his recent death has left her family without much extra money, and Jill may not be able to afford college.  Tristan doesn’t care about the money, the prestige, or anything except keeping his violent dreams at bay.  When he hears that Jill’s family may have some old formulas, he agrees to team up with Jill: Jekel and Hyde recreating the Jekell and Hyde experiments…  the gimmick might be enough to win Jill the prize money, but Tristan secretly plans to use the project to cure his violent urges before they get out of control.  As they work together, late at night, quiet and studious Jill finds herself more and more attracted to Tristian, and Tristan finds in Jill something to hang on to as his sanity slips further away...

Jekel Loves Hyde is a romance, suspense and mystery all rolled into one.  I didn’t think it was as funny as Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side (Fantaskey’s other novel) but it’s got an interesting plot and enough of a twist at the end that it will keep you guessing.  Horror/romance fans, this book is for you!