The Classroom Bookshelf
SCROLL DOWN TO READ POSTS
The Classroom Bookshelf
by Erika Thulin Dawes
Teen Librarian Toolbox
by Amanda MacGregor
July 30, 2013 by Angela Carstensen
Benjamin Percy’s Red Moon is a political thriller as much as werewolf horror novel, in the same way that World War Z is about military strategy. Red Moon reflects the current state of our world, in particular terrorism, persecuted minorities, and the importance of energy sources in today’s political decision-making. In fact, Justin Cronin (author of The […]
April 29, 2013 by Angela Carstensen
Today’s three reviewed novels share elements of the supernatural and magical realism. What teenager doesn’t wish for a superpower, if only to imagine themselves less under the control of the adults in their lives? In a series of connected vignettes, What the Family Needed introduces seven members of one family who grapple with special abilities. […]
March 12, 2013 by Angela Carstensen
Trilogies. How many of us shudder at the thought? How many of us miss those great standalone novels? A whole story arc in one book – imagine! On the other hand, many readers enjoy knowing that there is more to come. In a student bookgroup meeting last week, as we discussed what to read next, […]
ADVERTISEMENT
May 1, 2012 by Angela Carstensen
Seth Grahame-Smith first made a mash-up splash with Pride and Prejudice and Zombies in 2009, and followed it with Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Slayer the following year. The movie version of the latter is set for release next month (check out the trailer). Grahame-Smith has been busy with screenplays lately, responsible for both his own novel […]
March 12, 2012 by Angela Carstensen
There aren’t a lot of great realistic novels out there for the older young adult set. Those 18-23 year-olds, what are they reading that is really about them? Michelle Haimoff‘s debut paperback original is an absorbing, well-written novel about a newly independent adult in New York City in the months after 9/11. It goes beyond bar-hopping […]
February 21, 2012 by Angela Carstensen
Pure is the first in a new dystopian trilogy that seems made for teen readers; film rights have already been sold. Julianna Baggott has written a few books for young readers, but is best known for adult literary fiction and poetry. I had a chance to hear her speak at ALA Midwinter in January. She has […]
January 30, 2012 by Angela Carstensen
Drusilla Campbell writes fiction around contemporary issues, including post partum depression (The Good Sister), surviving the loss of a child (Blood Orange) and losing a family member to a drunk driver (The Edge of the Sky). Although teen characters appear in these novels, Campbell’s latest has full-blown appeal for teen readers, echoing stories of abduction […]
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT