What Mrs. N's Been Reading - Force Majeure

I just finished Force Majeure, cowritten by Thomas Sniegoski (who wrote Sleeper Code and Sleeper Agenda - see What Mrs. N's Been Reading - Sleeper Code and What Mrs. N's Been Reading - Sleeper Agenda ) and Christopher Golden. If you liked Sleeper Code and Sleeper Agenda, which I did, you'll like this one. Shane, a genius college student, figures out how to artificially create tornados, but bails out of the project when a covert government agency wants to develop it further to use as a weapon of mass destruction. Of course, saying no to a covert government agency never quite works out. Another secret agency seems to want to help him, but in all of the secrecy, who really are the good guys? Not for the younger middle schoolers because the body count is pretty high, but plenty of action. Check it out!

New "And" Magazine Now Available

Hey, I just got a pile of the latest edition of And magazine. I mentioned it in a previous post, but for those of you weren't paying attention, it's a literary magazine with all of the writing and artwork done by local teens. It's very good. And as an additional plug, a few library volunteers, employees or children of employees have contributed to it. They are available, free for the taking, down in the YA area. Help yourself and enjoy!

New From TokyoPop

If you're looking for something that's potentially a little bit different, check out these new YA novels from TokyoPop, the folks who bring us many of the most popular manga series. New YA Books: New From TokyoPop

What Mrs. N's Been Reading - The Last Treasure

I recently finished Janet S. Anderson's The Last Treasure. It's the story of a young boy, Ellsworth Smith (what a name to saddle a kid with!) who gets caught up in solving an old family mystery involving a hidden treasure, and in the process helps to bring a splintered extended family back together. It's a good one for middle-schoolers. It was one of those books that, when you look back on it, really wasn't action packed, but was so well written that it kept you coming back anyway. I'd recommend it, but not for really reluctant readers who need more fast-paced action up front to keep their attention.

New Historical Fiction

Fans of Ann Rinaldi's historical fiction will enjoy the 2 new ones we just added to the collection. For details see New YA Books: Historical Fiction Additions .

New Mysteries and Series Installments

A pile of new stuff just hit my desk including some forensic mysteries, the first in the Demonata series, the latest in the Cherub series, and the first in a new Tamora Pierce series. For details see New YA Books: Mysteries and More .

Five Below Fundraiser Update

I'm a little behind, what with the holiday and a bad case of a stomach bug that had me so sick I couldn't even read, but a big belated thank you to everyone who supported the Teen Advisory Group's Five Below fundraiser - either by shopping, handing out vouchers, or simply talking it up. A big thanks also to Rick and all of the staff at Five Below. We made enough money to start buying some accessories for that teen space! Our next fundraiser will be a car wash at the Commerce Bank at the Camp Hill Mall on Saturday, May 19. Hopefully that will generate enough cash to get some furniture. Watch for details.

What Mrs. N's Been Reading - The Schwa Was Here

I just finished Neal Shusterman's The Schwa Was Here. What a wonderful book! I found myself laughing out loud as I was reading it. It reminded me of Gary Paulsen's Harris and Me in a lot of ways, and I love that book. It's one of those books that will be a longstanding sort of personal inside joke. I was at the orchid show at Longwood Gardens just as I started reading this, and I found myself thinking, "What am I? The Schwa?" as people walked right into me as though I wasn't there - didn't even blink or acknowledge me after they'd actually run into me. Those of us who tend to be sort of low key can relate. The characters were wonderful, the voice of Antsy, the narrator was the perfect, typical, eighth-grader, and story elements which could have gone so over-the-top and unbelievable were resolved in a satisfying manner. Highly recommended! Great for middle school boys, but adults will love it too.