Teens' Top Ten

Teen Read Week was October 12-18. 

More than 8,000 teens voted for their favorite books. 

The top ten are:

1. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

3. Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

4. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

5. Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports by James patterson

6. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

7. The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray

8. Extras by Scott Westerfeld

9. Before I Die by Jenny Downham

10. Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson

Did any of your favorites make the list?

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

I really enjoyed this book a lot! I felt I knew the characters well and became attached to them. Even the villains were well written. Have to admit that I felt anger toward them. Inkheart is a big book with 534 pages. I am looking forward to reading the next two books in the trilogy. 

Here's a little description about the story. 

Meggie's father Mo has an interesting talent. When he reads aloud, things and sometimes people come out of their stories and into the real world. But now the evil Capricorn wants to use Mo's talents to bring himself great wealth and power. 

Meggie loves books and is always comparing her own life to characters from well known stories. Each chapter starts off with a quote from a classic children's book as a way of introduction to the chapter.

The movie is coming out in January. Of course, when I watch the trailer, the characters don't look anything like how I imagined them when I read the book. 

Why do adults read children's literature?

I read an article about this subject that was written five years ago. It starts out by saying:

"...more adults pick up books aimed at young readers. Are we yearning for old-fashioned stories, seeking spiritual solace, or merely dumbing down?"

Okay, that last part didn't sit too well with me. I'm glad the investigative writer posed another theory. 

"More and more adults are realizing that some children's writers are maybe providing something that adult authors aren't." Says David Almond. "One of the things I've found is that when you are writing for children you can be very direct about things that you're really interested in. The power of narrative becomes very important. A discipline comes with making sure the page keeps turning."

Jonathan Stroud continues this line of thinking with, "A lot of adult fiction hasn't got such a strong narrative drive. A successful book for children must have a strong narrative, otherwise the kid is not going to read it. The kid is not going to be impressed by trendy, pretentious, hifalutin stuff which some adults will be enraptured by."

That's a little more like it!

I really respect this quote that I found from an adult who enjoys reading children's literature.

"I have read books for children and teens for years. I enjoy the clean writing style, the unpretentious language, and the strong narrative line. I enjoy their subject matter more too, where I don't have to worry about graphic murders and explicit sexual scenes dominating the book. I also find more treasures, more books that will stay with me for years, more worthwhile reading than when I read bestsellers aimed at adults."

I really must agree with that one. I can relate on every level. I actually did not get hooked on children's literature until I was an adult. It all started when I read The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi. I loved it and couldn't stop there. 

Did Harry Potter help add more adults enjoying children's literature today or did Stephenie Meyer?

Are you hooked? What did it for you?

By the way, this is in no way bashing adult books or the people who read them.

Halloween Books

Big Pumpkin by Erica Silverman

A witch wants to bake a pie, but her pumpkin is stuck on the vine. Some graveyard friends try and help, but they can't get it to budge. Finally the bat has a great idea. Fun rhythmic story.

The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams

This little old lady gets the scare of her life from the objects that are following her.

Too Many Pumpkins by Linda White

Rebecca Estelle hates pumpkins because she was forced to eat so many as a child. To her surprise she ends up with pumpkins growing in her yard and turns a disaster into a celebration.

Piggie Pie by Margie Palatini. 

This book is fun to read aloud with your best witch voice.

 See how the farm animals trick Gritch the Witch to save themselves from being eaten.

The Hallo-Wiener by Dave Pilkey

Hey bullies, don't pick on Oscar the wiener dog because he might end up saving your life.

Skeleton Hiccups by Margery Cuyler

This skeleton can't get rid of his hiccups no matter what he tries. 

Then he sees his reflection in a mirror and screams in fright. 

The Best Halloween Ever by Barbara Robinson.

The Herdmans are back and still causing havoc for the 

Halloween activities in this chapter book. 

Sheep Trick or Treat by Nancy Shaw

The sheep go trick-or-treating but wolves are lurking in the woods. 

On their way home, their costumes help to scare the wolves away.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I first found out about this book from Stephenie Meyer's web site. She raved about it, saying that she's told total strangers about it in Target and that she took it out to dinner with her to read it under the table. I guess that got me interested. I went and bought the book and read it.

Yes, I really liked it a lot. Very well written characters and a unique story line. It grabbed me and keep me throughout the entire book.

Here's a little bit of what the jacket covers says.
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

The book does end by wrapping something major up, but...here's where I was a little sad. I read the last sentence of the book and then it said-
END OF BOOK ONE

What? Oh my gosh. I must read the next one right away, however, I had no idea it was just released in September. How long must I wait? In a way, I wish the author would have just written a few more chapters and concluded everything nicely. Now I have to wait to find out more.

I loved the book and the characters a lot, so of course I will keep reading, but sometimes I really get sick of series. Some series that have too many books in them end up losing me. I did that with the Maximum Ride books and the Shadow Children series. How about having a limit on a series to just three books? They would be three really great and exciting books and then it would all end there.

Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier

I really enjoyed this book. The main characters are sisters who secretly get to escape their home in Transylvania once a month and enter the magical world of the Wildwood. It had plenty of adventure, fantasy and a perfect amount of romance. This book is up for the 2009 Beehive Awards in the young adult category. (The Beehive Award is from the Children's Literature Association of Utah.)


Here is a little bit about it from the author's web site.

When her father falls ill and must leave their forest home over the winter, Jena and her oldest sister Tati are left in charge. All goes well until a tragic accident allows their over bearing cousin to take control. The appearance of a mysterious young man in a black coat divides sister from sister, and suddenly Jena finds herself fighting to save all she holds dear. With her constant companion Gogu by her side, she must venture to realms dark and perilous in her quest to preserve, not just those she loves, but her own independence as well.