Reaching Reluctant Readers: Using Booktalks and More to Entice Teens to Read
CSLA 2009, Ontario Presented by Joy Millam and Heather Gruenthal
High School- Fiction
Cohn, Rachel and Levithan, David. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. 2006. Random House/Alfred A. Knopf, $16.95. (ISBN-10, 0-375-83531-8; ISBN-13, 9780375835315). The book of love goes punk rock.
Giles, Gail. What Happened to Cass McBride. 2006. Little, Brown, $16.99. (ISBN-10, 0-316-16638-3; ISBN-13, 9780316166386). Two words: Buried. Alive.
Hopkins, Ellen. Identical. 2008. McElderry, $17.99 (978-1-4169-5005-9). This novel in verse takes on a taboo topic, sexual abuse.
McDaniel, Lurlene. Prey. 2008. Random House, $10.99 (978-0-385-73453-0). What’s Ryan to do when he’s got the hots for his teacher and she feels the same?
McMann, Lisa. Wake. 2008. Simon & Schuster, $15.99 (978-1-4169-5357-9). Things get crazy when a dreamwalker gets sucked into everyone’s dreams.
McCaffrey, Kate. In Ecstasy. 2009. Annick Press, $21.95 (978-1-55451-175-4). Sophie and Mia are best friends and tell each other about sex, drugs, and everything else. When best friends lie to each other, though, unexpected things happen.
Schroeder, Lisa. I Heart You, You Haunt Me.2008. Simon & Schuster, $7.99 (978-1-4169-5520-7). Imagine having your dead boyfriend “living” at your house.
Scott, Elizabeth. Living Dead Girl. 2008. Simon Pulse, $17.00 (978-4169-6059-1). Do the unthinkable, find a new girl for the monster who kidnapped you.
Shiraz, Yasmin. Retaliation. 2008. Rolling Hills Press, $14.95 (978-0971817432). Good girl Tashera is attacked and her people want to retaliate.
Sitomer, Alan Lawrence. The Secret Story of Sonia Rodriguez. 2008. Hyperion Books for Children, $17.99 (978-1-4231-1072-9). Sonia is everything to everyone except herself.
Stolarz, Laurie Faria. Project 17. 2007. Hyperion, $15.99 (978-0-7868-3856-1). Teens and an abandoned insane asylum takes on a Blair Witch twist.
Williams-Garcia, Rita . Jumped. 2009. HarperCollins/Amistad, $16.99 (978-0-06-076092-2). Keeping quiet has a price. Trina gets jumped.
High School- Nonfiction
Franzini, Michael. One Hundred Young Americans. 2007. Harper Collins, $29.95 (978-0-06119200-5). Photos and stories of real teens.
Fulbeck, Kip. Permanence. 2008. Chronicle Books, $19.95 (978-0-8118-6131-1). The why’s are answered—why that tattoo and why get it.
Hart, Carey and Chris Palmer. Inked. 2008. Artisan/Workman Publishing, $35.00 (978-1-5796-5335-4). Everyone's skin has a story.
Smith, John. Inked: Clever, Odd and Outrageous Tattoos. 2008. teNeues , $19.95 (978-3-8327-9280-0). Inked is outrageous.
Stutts, Ryan. The Skateboarding Field Manual. 2009. Firefly, $19.95 (978-1-55407-362-7). Skateboarding 101: Evolution of the Sport, Tricks, Skatepark Etiquette and dealing with the law.
Quick Picks for Junior High School Level
Applegate, K.A. EverWorld (series). 1999. Scholastic, (0-590-87743-7). Gods, Vikings, Aztecs, Merlin, and god-eating aliens.
Asai, Carrie. Samurai Girl (series).2003. Simon/ Pulse, $6.99 (6-898-5949-X). Heaven must become a ninja or die in this series.
Atwater-Rhodes, Amelia. In the Forests of the Night. Delacorte, $8.95 (0-385-32674-2). Can Rachel get revenge?
Bird, Isobel. Circle of Three (series). 2001. HarperTeen, $4.99 (0-064-47291-4). Will Kate learn how to cast a successful spell?
Brewer, Heather. The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Eighth Grade Bites. Penguin Group/ Dutton, $16.95 (ISBN13: 978-0-5254-7-8119). Life can really suck.
Carroll, Jenny. The Mediator (series). 2000. Simon Pulse, $4.99 (0-671-78791-8). Some ghosts you love. Some ghosts you hate.
Collins, Suzanne.Hunger Games. 2008. Scholastic, $17.99 (978-0439023481).
A survivor game, gone deadly.
Ewing, Lynne. Daughters of the Moon (series). 2000. Hyperion. (0-786-80653-2). Supernatural powers protect these goddesses.
Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Among the Hidden(Shadow Children Series). Simon & Schuster, $4.50 (0-689-82475-0).
Harrison, Lisi. The Clique. $7.99. Little, Brown, 2004. (0-316-70129-7). Seventh grade is going to be hell.
Horowitz, Anthony and Johnston, Antony.Point Blank: The Graphic Novel. 2008. Philomel, $14.99 (978-0-399-25026-2).
Alex Rider in full color.
Horowitz, Anthony. Raven’s Gate(The Gatekeepers series).2005. Scholastic, (0-439-67995-8). Out of the detention center….to the Gates of Hell? Alex Rider’s creator has a new series that is scarier than ever.
Horowitz, Anthony. Stormbreaker(Alex Rider Series). Penguin Putnam/Philomel Books, $16.99 (0-399-23620-1). Will teen spy Alex save the day?
Kern, Peggy.“The Bluford High Series.” No Way Out. 2008. Townsend Press, $4.95 (978-1-49194-176-7). Bluford High kid desperate for money.
Langan, Paul. “The Bluford High Series.” Schooled. 2008. Townsend Press, $4.95 (978-1-49194-177-4). Bluford boy has NBA dreams.
Meyer, Stephenie. Twilight.(Twilight Saga) Little Brown, 2005. (0-316-16017-2). Bella’s attraction to Edward does not diminish even when he admits to being a vampire.
Patterson, James. Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment.Little, Brown, 2005. 0-316-15556-X.
Can Max save her band of winged mutants from the Erasers? Can she save the world?
Rennison, Louise. Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging:Confessions of Georgia Nicolson. 2000. HarperCollins, $6.95 (0-06-447227-2). Fabitty fab fab.
Sones, Sonya. What My Mother Doesn't Know. Simon and Schuster, $17 (0-689-84114-0). Sophie keeps finding Mr. Wrong.
Shan, Darren and Takahir Arai. Cirque du Freak: the manga Vol 1. 2009. Yen Press, $10.99 (978-0-7595-3041-6). One visit to a freak show lands a boy in a world of vicious vampires.