The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly- What's New in YA Literature - with Maureen Ambrosino and Sarah Sogigian

One of my favorite sessions at MSLA every year is the YA Literature.  The handouts, which are located in the binder are excellent and the book list will be located on the Metrowest  website and will be linked . Below you will find my notes from the session:

• My Most Excellent Year - Kluger (Favorite Book of the Year) families, funny, letter, email, IM formats, extended format
  
• Rumors - Godbersen : Sequel to Locks(?) 7-8, third one comes out in Spring
• Gone - Grant : like The Girl Who Owns a City, everyone over 15 dies. Good vs. evil with a cliff hanger ending 6-8
• Spirit - Hightman: Takes place in Massachusetts in 17oo's.  Ghost hunters, cliff hanger climax, short, quick read 6-8
• All the Lovely Bad Ones - Hahn : Not the best of Mary Downing Hahn; Haunted Inn story
• Ghosts of Kerfol - Noyes : Retelling of a previous story in the beginning. MA Author 6-8
• Ghost Child - Hartnett: Takes place in an afternoon as a woman looks back on her life through the eyes of a child. Not sure that kids would like it. 8 and up
• Graveyard Book - Gaiman : Like the Jungle book, but in a Grave yard- Child was raised by spirits- 6 and up
• The Unspoken- Fahy : Kids survived a fire at a compound (think Wako) are reunited by the funeral of one, who dies of his worst fear.  This was a prediction. 6-8
• The Hunger Games - Collins : one of the favorites.  US has had a war and is divided into regions. Kids are sent to the Hunger Games, like survivor only real.  
• Chains - Laurie Halse Anderson : Headed for some awards! Different from the usual Anderson.  Historical Fiction.  Story of the American Revolution through the eyes of a slave
• Guardian - Lester : very short, 9 and up, aftermath of a lynching.
• Reincarnation** - Weyn : Story of 2 souls that are reincarnated over and over again. Ageless love story where the souls keep being reunited. 9-up Middle could read it
• Curse as Dark as Gold - Bunce : retelling of Rumpelstiltskin set in the Industrial Revolution
• Ever - Gail Carson Levine : Girl is going to be sacrificed to the gods. Not up to the usual Levine
• Merlin's Dragon - T.A. Barron : Bridges the gap between The Lost Years of Merlin and The Trees of Avalon. You can request a Teacher Pack for his books for free! Middle level
• Feathered - Kasischke : not a favorite. 2 high school friends who go on a trip to Cancun and get into trouble. One friend goes missing.  At the ending, the girl is found. Sounds like a Jodi Picoult book to me.
• Shift - Bradbury : Two friends graduate from HS and go on a bike trip. One goes missing and the other one is a suspect.  Mystery. HS guys appeal, quick read
• Stolen Car - Patrick Jones : Tough topic.  First line "I am 15 years old and I am driving a stolen car." Friends, tough topics, bad boy, friendship, cautionary tale. HS
• Bliss - Myracle : Creepy story, set in the 1960s, girl sent to live at boarding school.  Mystery of someone who died at the school.  Chapters are interspersed with The Gong Show and the Tate/Manson Murder trial.  Very creepy character, but the ending was a little bit of a letdown.  HS
• Night Road - AM Jenkins : not that great. pass
• Suck it Up - Meehl : makes fun of the other vampire stories. Humorous story of Morning, a vegetarian vampire (drinks Blood Lite) nominated for YALSA Best Book for YA .6 and up
• Twilight and the series: go to the web site
• Pandora Gets Jealous - Hennesy Ancient Greece- likes the Lightening Thief, Girl Power!
• Three Willows: The Sisterhood Grows up - Brashares : Sister Lite! for younger readers.  Friendships, girls. Good for mean MS girls, Sweet story.
• First Kiss (then Tell) - Busby- short stories about first kisses of YA authors
• All We Know of Heaven - Mitchard : the story of 2 girls that are riding in a car and crash, they look alike, and mistake her for the other one.  Survive story. HS
• Rapunzel's Revenge - Hale : Graphic novel Fantastic! Any age group.
• Danger Overseas - Keene and Dixon : not good.  Very predictable.  Older Technology, outdated.
• Little Brother - Doctorow : Scary, HS read, story of Malcolm and Internet hacker, terrorists blow up a bridge, and the kids are suspected. Very Techie.

Go to GoodReads.com for more their recommendations!