Reading Matters Blog

William Kamkwamba first encountered the magic that ruled Malawi when he was six. Herd boys found a  sack in the road; it was filled with bubblegum!  What a treasure! "Should we give any to this little boy with leaves in his hair?", they asked. Of course they did, a double handful of gumballs: so many colors.  William ate them all.

If you're an aspiring writer or a lover of teen fantasies, you'll want to put the date, December 21st on your calendar. Local author, Maggie Stiefvater, will be visiting the Salem Church Library to talk about books and writing. Teens and adults are invited to drop in during our regular Lit Bistro time, 3:30-5:00. Ms. Stiefvater will be joining us from 4:00-5:00. Ms. Stiefvater is the author of two fantasy series. One of her books, Shiver, has been on the New York Times bestseller list.

The Young Adult Library Services Association has just announced this year's Teens' Top Ten. Over 11,000 teens voted online for their favorites from August 24 through September 18. And the winners are ...

1. Paper Towns by John Green
2. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
3. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
4. City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
5. Identical by Ellen Hopkins
6. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
7. Wake by Lisa McMann
8. Untamed by P.C. and Kristin Cast
9. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
10. Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Teen Read Week is all about reading for fun, so take a break from homework by checking out one of these great books.

Here are some books to get you started (after you finish the rest of her books, of course!):

The Vampire Diaries by L.J. Smith is a popular series! If you liked that series, you may also like these titles:

Marked by PC Cast and Kristin Cast
Enter the dark, magical world of The House of Night, a world where vampyres have always existed. Sixteen-year-old Zoey Redbird has just been Marked as a fledgling vampyre and joins the House of Night, a school where she will train to become an adult vampire. That is, if she makes it through the Change--and not all of those who are Marked do.
(Catalog summary). This is the first book in a series.

Talk about hearing voices in your head. On New World, all men, boys, and animals can hear each other's thoughts, also called "noise." There's ways to cover up or mask your thoughts, but it's hard to do. Todd Hewitt is the last boy in Prentisstown, on the cusp of his 13th birthday, which will make him a man. One day, while running an errand, he notices a silence in the noise - something that has never happened before - and comes upon someone who changes his perception of his world forever.

If you haven't read Robin McKinley's newest book, you might want to check it out (published in 2008):
 

Since you like Sarah Dessen's book, This Lullaby, you might want to check out her other titles- we own nine other titles by her! Meanwhile, here are three other titles you might enjoy.

Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer
When sixteen-year-old Hope and the aunt who has raised her move from
Brooklyn to Mulhoney, Wisconsin, to work as waitress and cook in the
Welcome Stairways diner, they become involved with the diner owner's
political campaign to oust the town's corrupt mayor.

Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta.

Thanks for your patience. Here are some books that deal with themes similar to Thirteen Reasons Why:

Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson.

Tyler, formerly a socially invisible nerd, is sentenced to a summer of physical labor following a prank. As a result, he enters his senior year of high school with a new set of muscles and a different reputation. His life soon spirals out of control, and he contemplates darker and darker solutions to his situation.

Aimee: a Novel by Mary Beth Miller.

Thank you for your book match request for titles like How to Be Popular by Meg Cabot. Here are some books that might enjoy: