Teen Top Ten 2008 nominees

The YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Assoc) Teen Top Ten 2008 nominees list came out in April. The idea behind the list is that groups of teens around the country have been reading new releases of books throughout the year. In April the list of the top 25 came out, and in October teens around the country can vote for the top ten during Teen Read Week. Since these are titles picked by teens, not adults, they tend to be popular titles and I book talk them for summer reading.

Usually this list means a frantic few weeks of reading during May/early June to familiarize myself with the titles. This year I’m doing better. When the list came out I had already read 5 of the books and I had read several of the first books where then book nominated was a sequel.

So that’s my challenge for the next few weeks. How many can I read before we start the booktalks? I’ll be reviewing them here, so stay tuned.

And if you are wondering if the titles are any good, take a look at last year’s winners:

1. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2006).
2. Just Listen by Sarah Dessen (Viking Children’s Books, 2006)
3. How to Ruin a Summer Vacation by Simone Elkeles (Flux, 2006).
4. Maximum Ride: School’s Out – Forever by James Patterson (Hachette Book Group USA/Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2006).
5. Firegirl by Tony Abbott (Hachette Book Group USA/Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2006).
6. All Hallows Eve (13 Stories)by Vivian Vande Velde (Harcourt, 2006).
7. Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer (Harcourt, 2006).
8. River Secrets by Shannon Hale (Bloomsbury, 2006).
9. Bad Kitty by Michele Jaffe (HarperCollins, 2006).
10. Road of the Dead by Kevin Brooks (Chicken House, 2006).

(From YALSA’s website – Teen Top Ten 2007)

-Ms. Bergin