Book Suggestions

This month's Teen Scene email newsletter describes lots of great new books, as well as a list of one-of-a-kind graphic novels. Sign up now to get monthly reading suggestions delivered to your inbox! Here are some I am really interested in reading:

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher (science fantasy)
Finn is trapped in Incarceron, a brutal, futuristic prison imbued with artificial intelligence and so vast that it's like a city. Claudia, the daughter of Incarceron's ruthless warden, is being forced into an arranged marriage for political reasons. The two of them live in completely separate worlds, but each is desperate to escape--and they may be each other's only hope. Readers of either science fiction or epic fantasy who love complex, twisting plots, intricate world-building, elegant writing, romance, and plenty of political intrigue are sure to be hooked by this riveting read.

Emiko Superstar by Mariko Tamaki (realistic fiction graphic novel)
Being a geek never really bothered Emiko...but now her geeky friends are excited about attending a young executives' retreat over the summer, and Emi isn't interested. Then, just when it seems that her summer will be all babysitting, all the time, shy Emi is handed a flyer advertising weekend performance-art "Freak Shows," and she's both intrigued and terrified. After she finally works up the nerve to go to one of the shows, her whole life changes. Check out this slightly angsty, gently funny, and completely engaging read to see how Emi goes from geek to superstar on the road to becoming herself.

You Don't Even Know Me: Stories and Poems about Boys by Sharon Flake
Lots of books tell stories about the trials and tribulations of being a teenage girl; the poems and stories in this companion to the girl-focused collection Who Am I Without Him? are all about guys and their lives. From 17-year-old Tow-Kaye, who's both excited and scared about marrying his pregnant girlfriend, to James, who's contemplating taking his own life after the death of his twin, to Eric, who loves his North Philly 'hood, the African-American young men you'll meet in this book are realistic characters that you'll care about and remember.