Category Archives: Themed Book Lists

Favorite Teen Books

blue sword
absolutely
hitch
chocolate

To close out Teen Read Week, we wanted to share the results of our Facebook survey which asked readers for their favorite teen books. Here’s what they said:

The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
Then Again, Maybe I Won’t by Judy Blume
The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
The entire Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery
Forever by Judy Blume
Anything by Agatha Christie

Have a favorite that isn’t listed? Let us know!

65th Anniversary of Charlotte’s Web

charlottesweb65 years ago, E. B. White’s beloved story of animals growing up on a farm was published. White based the characters on animals from his own farm in Maine and did a bunch of research – at his local library – to learn all he could about the lives of spiders before writing about Charlotte and her infamous web.

Here are some recommended animal-related children’s books to share with your favorite little ones if they enjoy Charlotte’s Web:

The Bad Guys by Aaron Blabey – A group of animal companions who look bad but perform good deeds overcome their inborn natures to work together for the sake of rescuing hundreds of dogs from a maximum-security dog pound.

Freddy the Detective by Walter R. Brooks – Freddy the pig does some detective work in order to solve the mystery of the missing toy train.

Mac and Cheese by Sarah Weeks – Two cats who are as different as night and day are nevertheless best friends, as Cheese proves when a gust of wind plays havoc with Mac’s favorite hat.

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo – The adventures of Desperaux Tilling, a small mouse of unusual talents, the princess that he loves, the servant girl who longs to be a princess, and a devious rat determined to bring them all to ruin.

Wildwood by Colin Meloy – When her baby brother is kidnapped by crows, seventh-grader Prue McKeel ventures into the forbidden Impassable Wilderness, a dangerous and magical forest at the edge of Portland, Oregon, and soon finds herself involved in a war among the various inhabitants. Continue reading →

Short but Sweet: Short Story Collections

wevealreadygonethisfarDon’t let a shortage of time get in the way of reading a good story. Look for the following collections of short stories the next time you’re in need of concise fiction that still packs a punch:

We’ve Already Gone This Far by Patrick Dacey – Presents a collection of short stories about characters in a small Massachusetts town struggling with loss and disappointment in their respective quests for the American Dream.

Always Happy Hour: Stories by Mary Miller – Combining hard-edged prose and savage Southern charm, the author showcases a collection of lusty, lazy, hard-drinking characters in a series of stories.

The Djinn Falls in Love & Other Stories edited by Mahvesh Murad & Jared Shurin – A fascinating collection of new and classic tales of the fearsome Djinn, from bestselling, award-winning and breakthrough international writers.

Fen: Stories by Daisy Johnson – Offers short stories set in The Fens of England, including a story featuring a house that falls in love with a girl and becomes jealous of her friend.

Dis Mem Ber: And Other Stories of Mystery & Suspense by Joyce Carol Oates – A latest collection of stories focuses on the inner lives of vulnerable female protagonists struggling through victimization, provocation or deep emotional unrest to commit violent retaliatory acts.

MatchUp edited by Lee Child – A follow-up to “FaceOff” collects stories written by best-selling thriller authors, 11 women and 11 men partnered in male-female literary pairings, in an anthology that includes contributions by such favorites as Sandra Brown, John Sandford and Eric Van Lustbader. Continue reading →