Teens

They have arrived!  The official lists of our favorite books published in 2021 are now available on our website.  You'll also see many of them highlighted on our social media pages and in the department.  It is always SO HARD to choose which titles make the cut, especially since we haven't been able to read everything yet.  I know that I still have quite a large stack of 2021 titles in my to-read pile.  So if YOUR fave isn't included, we're sorry!  All of the lists are loaded on my Katie Jane's Corner page, and there are links in this blog.  But, while I have your attention, I wanted to highlight a couple of book-specific programs we have coming up.

KJ's Reader Getaways
I'm resuming my monthly program for adults who love kid lit.  We'll meet at OHenry's on Friday, January 14, 2022 at 4 p.m. to talk books and enjoy a tasty treat, courtesy of the library.  No registration is required.

Huge fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer!  I'm talking about the original cheesy movie from 1992 (complete with extended death scene of Paul Reubens' character) AND the seven seasons of the far-more dramatic television show starring Sarah Michelle Gellar.  The show premiered when I was 17 and ended the year I completed my master's degree.  I have vivid memories of watching the weekly episode in college, then running across the street to my Bible study group.  Yeah, I know that seems weird.  What can I say?  I'm a weird girl.

If you're a fellow Buffy fan, I have fantastic news!  Author Kendare Blake continues the world of Buffy the Vampire Slayer in a new series featuring the next generation of Scoobies and Slayers who must defeat a powerful new evil!  The first book came out this week.

We have some delicious programs coming up for teens and tweens!

Ultimate Donut Showdown
Teens sample and vote for the best donut in town on Tuesday, January 11, 2022 at 6:30 pm.  Open to grades 7-12.  Sign up online or by phone (205-444-7826).

Candy Sushi
Tweens use candy ingredients to make a sushi roll on Tuesday, January 18, 2022 at 4 pm.  Open to grades 4-6.  Sign up online or by phone (205-444-7830).

Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera have written another book together!  And it continues the story of Arthur and Ben, the boys readers first fell for in the New York Times bestselling rom-com What If It’s Us.

Here's to Us (12/28/21)
Ben survived freshman year of college, but he’s feeling more stuck than ever. His classes are a slog, his part-time job working with his father is even worse, and his best friend Dylan’s been acting weird for weeks. Ben’s only real bright spot is his writing partner Mario, who’s been giving him a lot of Spanish lessons and even more kisses. Mario’s big Hollywood dreams make Ben start to dream bigger—and the choices he makes now could be the key to reshaping his future. So why can’t he stop thinking about a certain boy from his past?

It's the most wonderful time of the year!  Not only is it almost Christmas, but it's almost time for a new season of Homeschool Hub.  In fact, registration for the first session opens today, December 22, 2021.

Learn all about Mary Blair Art on Wednesday, January 5, 2022 at 2 p.m.  Miss Grace will introduce you to the woman whose vibrant colors and stylized designs pervaded Disney animated films from 1943 to 1953 (Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, and Peter Pan).  Miss Grace will also lead everyone in an art project inspired by Mary Blair's work on Disneyland’s IT’S A SMALL WORLD attraction.  Registration is required for this K-8th grade event.  You can sign up online or by phone (205-444-7830).  

Looking for a new book to add to your holiday reading list?  Here are the latest Christmas books for kids and teens.

BOARD BOOKS
Blippi: Merry Christmas! by Thea Feldman
Happy Trollmas! by Kurt Estes
Jingle Bells = Navidad by Susie Jaramillo
This Is the Way We Trim the Tree: A Christmas Nursery Rhyme by Arlo Finsy
This Little Piggy’s Night Before Christmas by Joe Rhatigan 

So, I’ve noticed a publishing trend in teen lit – alternate reality.  I’ve also noticed that there is a new Matrix movie coming to the big screen beginning December 22nd – The Matrix Resurrections.  Hmm.  Think there’s a connection?

It's Ferris Bueller's Day Off with murder when three old friends relive an epic ditch day, and it goes horribly—and fatally—wrong.  It’s the new book from your favorite thriller author Karen M. McManus.

You’ll Be the Death of Me (11/30/21)

The National Book Awards were established in 1950 to celebrate the best writing in America. Since 1989, they have been overseen by the National Book Foundation, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to celebrate the best literature in America, expand its audience, and ensure that books have a prominent place in American culture.  They announced the 2021 winners at a dinner last night, November 17th.  And the winner for Young People's Literature is . . .

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malindo Lo (ebook & audiobook on Overdrive)

Ten years ago, Ruta Sepetys wowed the reading world with her debut novel.  Between Shades of Gray was both a national and international bestseller and a Carnegie finalist.  It was also one of my personal faves of 2011.  And now, in 2021, it has been turned into a stunning graphic novel!

Between Shades of Gray: The Graphic Novel (11/09/21)
June, 1941. A knock comes at the door and the life of fifteen-year-old Lina Vilkas changes forever. She's arrested by the Soviet secret police and deported from Lithuania to Siberia with her mother and younger brother. The conditions are horrific and Lina must fight for her life and for the lives of those around her, including the boy that she loves. Risking everything, she secretly passes along clues in the form of drawings, hoping they will reach her father's prison camp. But will her messages, and her courage, be enough to reunite her family? Will they be enough to keep her alive?