Teen Read Week took place a few short months ago and following last year's successful "Choose Our Next Book" challenge, we decided to do it again. We asked you to give the staff titles that YOU thought WE should read. Staff members looked at the list and got started reading your recommendations! Below are the results on a scale of 1-5. (1= No good; 2= Eh; 3=Good; 4=Great; and 5=The Best)
Summary: After the mutant Erasers abduct the youngest member of their group, the "bird kids," who are the result of genetic experimentation, take off in pursuit and find themselves struggling to understand their own origins and purpose. Rating: 2 (The reader wished the characters would have grown more throughout the story, instead of making the same mistakes over and over again.)
Summary: After a night of indiscriminate partying, Rachel gets close to her friend's fiance and is consumed with guilt, until the intensity of her feelings forces her to make a difficult choice. Rating: 2.5 (The reader thought the content was a bit fluffy, but definitely mature- it was definitely for an older reader.)
Cinderella Society by Kay Cassidy
Summary: After winning a coveted spot on the high school cheerleading squad, 16 year old newcomer, Jess Parker, is still treated as an "outsider" by the majority of the student body thanks to the harassment campaign led by the popular cheerleader she displaced. Rating: 2 (The reader felt like she has read too many stories similar to this one, but says that if you like this type of story you'll probably love this book.)
Heroes of Olympus #1: The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan
Jason, Piper, and Leo, three students from a school for "bad kids," find themselves at Camp Half-Blood, where they learn they are demi-gods, and begin a quest to free Hera, who has been imprisoned by Mother Earth herself. Rating: 4 (The reader found great pleasure in returning to the familiar world of Camp Half-Blood, revisiting some favorite characters and meeting new ones. The action was intriguing as always!)
Heroes of Olympus #2: Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan
Summary: Demi-god Percy Jackson, still with no memory, and his new friends from Camp go on a quest to free Death, but their bigger task is to unite the Greek and Roman camps so that the Prophecy of Seven can be fulfilled. Rating: 4 (The reader liked this book a lot and can't wait to read more in the series.)
Crash by Jerry Spinelli
Summary: Seventh grader John "Crash" Coogan has always been uncomfortable with his tough, aggressive behavior, until his relationship with an unusual Quaker boy and his grandfather's stroke make him consider the meaning of friendship and the importance of family. Rating: 3.5 (The reader thought this story was very realistic and liked the ending very much.)
Clique #2: Best Friends for Never by Lisi Harrison
Summary: A bet about wardrobes between the wealthy Massie and the middle-class Claire results in a testing of old friendships, a forging of new ones, and a change for the student body at Octavian County Day School. Rating: 4 (The reader liked this book because the story was very relevant to what kids are going through in their own everyday lives.)
A Boy at War by Harry Mazer
Summary: While fishing with his friends off Honolulu on December 7, 1941, teenaged Adam is caught in the midst of the Japanese attack and through the chaos of the subsequent days tries to find his father, a naval officier who was serving on the U.S.S. Arizona when the bombs fell. Rating: 5 (The reader thought this book was a very realistic and personal snapshot of the events from that period in history.)
Thank you to all the teens who gave us recommendations and all the staff members who took the time to read these books and give their opinions. This was a fun project! Look for it again next October during our annual Teen Read Week celebrations!
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