The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy by Douglas Adams

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy was written by Douglas Adams and is a work of non-fiction. I have read many wonderful books in the past and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is the kind of book I enjoy. 

It is a well-crafted sci-fi story about a man named Arthur Dent who is sort of depressed with the nonsense of his life. He gets taken off the earth after the world’s apocalypse and put into an intergalactic adventure on a spaceship called the “Heart of Gold”. He goes on this adventure that takes him through such an uncomfortably absurd universe. 

There are others on his quest with him, including a friend of his who was secretly an alien living on earth for 15 years before the apocalypse. Also on the adventure were a woman Arthur met at a cocktail party, although he never got fully acquainted with her and a man with his eyes set on traveling through the universe. 

The adventure is set on such an excellent scale. It sometimes has moments when it thinks about the world around us and has an interesting inquiry about the tendencies of us humans. The book is written with a wonderful sense of humor, highlighted by one alien species’ attempts to mess with the protagonists’ heads with bad poetry.

The writing includes a lot of detail and usually makes a joke about the human race. Some jokes may be about digital watches or others about being careful what you say. This book can make you laugh at times and can also allow you to think carefully about a situation so you can get a better understanding of the plot. So hang on tight to your seatbelts and get ready for a wonderful adventure through the universe in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

Louis C.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Ernest Cline's book, Ready Player One, is an awesome fiction novel. If you're into sci-fi gaming and 80s culture you will love this book. Ready Player One is about a boy named Wade Watts, a motherless and fatherless kid living with his druggy aunt and her boyfriend. In the year 2044 people don't live in the real world anymore; they live inside a virtual reality called the OASIS. The OASIS was created by a man named James Halliday. James Halliday is one of the greatest videogame creators who ever lived. He was a mysterious man who left an Easter egg in the OASIS after he died. The Easter egg was a game; the winner of the game would win all of his money and be the owner of the OASIS. In order to get to the Easter egg it is necessary to decipher three clues. But nobody has figured out these clues in the past ten years. Wade Watts is a gunter and is the first one in the whole OASIS to decipher the first clue. When he does that the whole world is after him. Bad people tried to assassinate him outside the OASIS. He is an expert on James Halliday so he knows everything about him. He uses all that knowledge to advance in the hunt for the Easter egg. But there are many more problems to come. If you want to know more about Wade Watts and how the hunt goes make sure you read Ready Player One by Ernest Cline.

Eduardo O.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Delirium by Lauren Oliver is a science-fiction romance novel. This novel can be enjoyed by both girls and guys but I think it appeals more to girls, especially those who have been hurt by love. That is because Delirium is about a seventeen year old girl, Lena Haloway, who cannot wait to be cured of the disease, amour deliria nervosa, also known as love. 

The futuristic world in which Lena has perfected a cure takes away the ability to love and all that disease brings. The cure cannot be given though until the person is eighteen, leaving Lena to wait a horrible summer until she can get it. You see Lena change as a person as her final summer with the disease goes on. She goes from her normal goody two shoes personality to one of defiance and lies. This novel takes you through Lena and her friend Hana’s adventures of defying their government and falling in love with life and people. The government will not allow the disease to grow though, leaving Lena with very little choice of what to do. 

For those who ever wished love didn't exist, this book is for you. Delirium truly gives meaning to the phrase “you don’t know what you have until it’s gone.”

Quinn E.

Divergent by: Veronica Roth

I read the book Divergent and it is a dystopian fiction. If you have ever seen The Hunger Games movie then they are similar. This book is about Beatrice Prior who lives in the future city of Chicago and the town is divided into five factions; the honest, the brave, the selfless, the peaceful and the intelligent. At the age of 16 you must choose which faction in which to live. The story follows Beatrice who has to take a placement test to determine in which faction she can live. On testing day she learns she is known as something called divergent and that is something you do not want to be because it can get you killed. Beatrice chooses a new faction and we see all the trouble she goes through with leaving and moving her life somewhere else. This book will keep you on the edge of your seat and will keep you guessing at every turn. In every chapter there is something you will not expect. This book has politics, romance, mystery and action. Divergent is a book that talks a lot about choices and how these choices affect one’s future and you need to be careful with the choices you make. I think you should read this book; first, before the movie comes out and second, because readers will like the story because it has a little bit of everything. This is a good book that won’t take you long to read and will keep you guessing.

Tyler J.

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Suzanne Collins' book, Mockingjay, is a great action adventure book. If you have read the two books before it that are part of the Hunger Games series which include The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, you will definitely love this one. The passionate love story of Katniss and Peeta trails on into the third and final book of the series. It has the reader on the edge of their seats on whether Katniss will be with Peeta or Gale or if they all will even survive through the war that started amongst the Districts and Capitol. Katniss is enraged when she finds out they rescued her and not Peeta, because once she and Peeta were picked to be tributes again for the annual Hunger Games, she was determined to keep him alive because that is all that mattered to her at that point. With Peeta gone, District 12 destroyed and in pain from all her injuries, Katniss was lost and didn’t know what to do anymore. She wanted to protect everyone she loved, which included her mom, sister, Gale and Peeta, but she couldn't do everything on her own. While Haymitch and all the other authorities in District 13 were planning ways to destroy the Capitol and revolt, they told Katniss she was the Mockingjay, the secret weapon to winning the war and ending the Capitol’s horrid ways. At first she questioned that authority but then realized she had to do all she could to stop President Snow since he already ruined so much in her life. With that she knew being the Mockingjay was just the kind of title she needed to have her leadership role stand out and inspire everyone else to follow her in this revolt. This is a great book to read if you like action and adventure especially because you don’t really expect what will happen next since there are so many outcomes that can happen from the situation. While reading this book, you’ll realize how important it is to appreciate the ones who love and care about you because you never know what can happen. Unfortunately, in the blink of an eye, the one you treasure most can be gone and lost forever without having the chance to say “Goodbye”.€

 Jessica S.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

I liked the book, Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins because not only was it the sequel to the Hunger Games but also because of how great the book was itself. I really like how the author is continuing the story. She adds greater twists and turns to this story making the games more challenging and crazy. She adds new characters; they seem interesting but you don't get to find out much about them but that was alright. The previous characters from the first book seem changed also but some changed for the better while others had a different side to them you would never have imagined. I really like this book because I was interested in the Hunger Games series when I first read it a couple of years ago. Finally, reading the second book just makes me want to dive into the third right away. I think other students who like adventure and twists would really enjoy this series. I really like the series and how the characters live in a different world than we. Everything they do is futuristic but there are also a lot of survival techniques from the past. This story has a great plot and great twists to keep it interesting. I would recommend anybody read these books.

Jenny N.

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Douglas Adams' book, Hitchhike’s Guide to the Galaxy, is an interesting book to say the least. You must be fully dedicated to pay very close attention if you have intentions of reading this book. It starts off in a small town in London with an “average Joe” named Arthur Dent. He is then hurdled into space after his own planet is destroyed with his best friend who just happens to be from another planet! Along the way they meet lots of interesting characters including Zaphod Beeblebrox, Marvin the Paranoid Android and Trillian. The names of the characters themselves can attest that this book is a different one. I enjoyed dissecting this book and trying to figure out everything that was going on. This is not a book for the faint hearted. It may take a while but this book is worth trying to understand. If you have a very good attention span and love Si-Fi then this is the book for you.

Maegan D.

Cat's Cradle By Kurt Vonnegut

Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut is a science fiction novel that tells the
story of a biographer named Jonah who is writing a book for Dr. Franklin
Hoenikker after his death. Dr. Hoenikker was a physicist who helped
create the atomic bomb. Jonah is led on a strange journey by Dr.
Hoenikker’s family which then helps him find Bokonism. Bokonism is a
religion created in the island San Lorenzo and has many odd
practices. The Hoenikker’s also have many secrets they have been hiding
that could potentially cause the end of the world. Vonnegut is great in
bringing forth humor in his novels. Many of the themes in this novel are
still relevant in today’s society. The themes of existentialism and post
modernism are seen, like in most of Vonnegut’s books, throughout Cat’s
Cradle. I recommend this book to anyone who would enjoy a different
approach to science fiction.

Jose C.

Annotated Abraham Lincoln Nominees(IPart 3)

This week I am posting part three of a series of posts about the 2013-14 Abraham Lincoln Nominees. When we are done, we will have a complete list of annotated titles for students and teachers. There are some great books this year. So, please, read on!
------------------

Across the universe by Beth Revis 
Amy didn't want to go at first, but staying meant she would never see her parents again. All she had to do was be cryogenically frozen. She and her parents were to wake up 300 years later where they would help colonize a new planet, but 50 years early she is woken up and it was no accident. She is now living among the crew of the ship and one of them is trying to kill off the frozen colonists. One by one.


Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick
It begins with a camping trip. Alex is taking one last adventure into the woods before the terminal brain cancer she has been diagnosed with ends her life. When an electromagnetic pulse blasts across the U.S. knocking out all electronic devices, the world is suddenly changed. She finds out that some adolescents have become the Changed, flesh-eating beasts (yep, zombies). She and two other survivors form a makeshift family who do their best to survive this new world.


Five flavors of dumb by Antony John 
A deaf girl would probably not be your first choice to manage your garage band. But then again, Dumb, the most recent winner of Seattle’s Battle of the Bands contest, wouldn't be Piper’s choice of a band to manage either. The band members are a bunch of misfits who can barely get along. But if Piper can get them a paying gig in the next month and hold the band together at the same time, she may be able to earn enough to cover college tuition and actually have the future of her dreams.


How to save a life by Sara Zarr 
Jill has been running away from her life ever since her dad died. In her grief, she has pushed away her mom, her boyfriend and her friends for a year. Mandy is trying to start her life over by
giving her unborn baby up for adoption.The two girls couldn't be more different. When Jill’s mom has offered to adopt the baby, Jill thinks it’s end of the world, but could it be the key to healing them all?

Stupid Fast by Geoff Herbach
Felton Reinstein has never had it easy. Just look at his name--Felton. Even worse than this is nickname, Squirrel Nut. Felton has always been kind of nervous, skinny and socially awkward. It could be because of his dysfunctional family. His mom is mentally ill, his younger brother is a needy, insecure piano prodigy.And his dad committed suicide when Felton was five. Felton was the one who found the body. But for some reason, in his sophomore year of high school, puberty practically steamrolls him. He shoots to over six feet tall and becomes super fast. He is now a star football player and sprinter with tons of friends and hot new girl who wants to date him. God help the stupid fast, but clueless kid.

Abe Lincoln Nominees 2014: Some More Information, Part 1

The new Abe Lincoln Nominees were announced a few months ago. We thought you would like to know more about some of the nominees. This is part 1. More titles to come in the next few weeks.

Cinder - Marissa Meyer

Cinder lives with her cruel stepmother and stepsisters in a small apartment. She has to do most of the chores and most of her income goes to help pay the rent. There is a royal ball happening soon and Cinder’s sisters are eager to go. Sound familiar? It is, sort of. Cinder is not a typical teenage girl. She lives in New Beijing in a time after the third world war. She is a gifted mechanic who can fix any machine, and by the way, she is a cyborg. When Prince Kai asks for help with his personal robot, little does she know that she may be the only girl / machine who can save  the world from intergalactic war.

I hunt killers - Barry Lyga

Jazz Dent’s dad was one of the world’s most notorious serial killers. And even though his dad is in jail now, the memories of his past still haunt Jazz on a daily basis. And if that isn’t bad enough, everyone in town thinks, “like father, like son.”  They could be right. Billy Dent taught his son everything he knew, every grisly detail.  And now, with a new serial killer in town that is mimicking his dad’s crime, Jazz is obsessed with proving to everyone in town (including himself) that genes don’t determine your destiny.

Legend - Marie Lu

In the distant future, the two halves of the USA are separate countries that are constantly at war. June is the youngest soldier in the Army. Day is a young criminal who is trying to take down the Republic Government one terrorist attack at a time. They were sworn enemies until the day they found each other, and the truth.

The pregnancy project : a memoir - Gaby Rodriguez

Gaby Rodriguez never wanted to be a stereotype. Even though she is the daughter and sister of teen moms, nobody that knows her could imagine her being one herself. But she wondered, how would people react if she did get pregnant? She decided to find out. For her Senior year project, she made a decision that would change the lives of everyone in her school. She decided to fake a pregnancy. At the end of the year, she would reveal the truth to the whole school. Her story has been featured on Good Morning America and was even made into a Lifetime movie.  .

Ready player one- Ernest Cline

It is 2044 and the world is kind of a mess. To cope, everyone escapes into the world of the OASIS, a virtual world where they work, play, learn and even find love. When the creator of the OASIS dies, he leaves a huge fortune to the person who can solve a series of clues and puzzles that will take the players all over the thousands of planets in the virtual world. For five years, none of the thousands of players around the world can crack even one clue. And then Wade Watts, a poor teenager from Oklohama solves the first clue. The race is on.

2014 Abraham Lincoln Award Nominees

The new Abraham Lincoln Award nominees have been announced and we are trying to get enough copies in the LRC as quickly as possible. If you are not familiar with the whole Abe Lincoln Award thing, check out our web page on the yearly award. Trust me, it's awesome.



Here is the whole list:

Across the universe by Beth Revis
Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Daughter of smoke and bone by Lani Taylor
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Every day by  David Levithan
Everybody sees the ants by A.S. King
The fault in our stars by John Green
Five flavors of Dumb by Antony John
Hate list by Jennifer Brown
How to save a life by Sara Zarr
I hunt killers by Barry Lyga
Legend by Marie Lu
Marcelo in the real world by Francisco Stork
The night circus: a novel by  Erin Morgenstern
The Pregnancy project: a memoir by  Gaby Rodriguez with Jenna Glatzer
Purple heart by Patricia McCormick
Ready player one by Ernest Cline
Room by Emma Donoghue
Shadow and bone by Leigh Bardugo
Stupid fast by Geoff Herbach
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

And here are some other ways of looking at the nominees:

If you liked The Hunger Games....
Across the universe by Beth Revis
Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Legend by Marie Lu
Shadow and bone by Leigh Bardugo

If you like a little magic or little bit of the supernatural with your romance...
Daughter of smoke and bone by Lani Taylor
The night circus: a novel by  Erin Morgenstern

How about an element of mystery?
Across the universe by Beth Revis
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
I hunt killers by Barry Lyga

It could happen to you (or someone you know)...
Everybody sees the ants by A.S. King
The fault in our stars by John Green
Five flavors of Dumb by Antony John
Hate list by Jennifer Brown
How to save a life by Sara Zarr
The pregnancy project: a memoir by  Gaby Rodriguez with Jenna Glatzer
Purple heart by Patricia McCormick
Stupid fast by Geoff Herbach
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Happening now in an alternate universe or in the future...
Across the universe by Beth Revis
Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Daughter of smoke and bone by Lani Taylor
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Legend by Marie Lu
The night circus: a novel by  Erin Morgenstern
Ready player one by Ernest Cline
Shadow and bone by Leigh Bardugo

A dude's point of view...
Everybody sees the ants by A.S. King
I hunt killers by Barry Lyga
Purple heart by Patricia McCormick
Ready player one by Ernest Cline
Stupid fast by Geoff Herbach

A different point of view...
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Every day by  David Levithan
Five flavors of Dumb by Antony John
Marcelo in the real world by Francisco Stork
Room by Emma Donoghue

Most likely to make you think of Dexter or Hannibal Lecter...
I hunt killers by Barry Lyga

Most likely to make you laugh....
Stupid fast by Geoff Herbach

If you liked Thirteen Reasons Why...
The fault in our stars by John Green
Hate list by Jennifer Brown
How to save a life by Sara Zarr
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Author Spotlight: James Patterson

Today's post is about one of my favorite authors. His writings are diverse, intense and not always expected.

BIO: James Patterson was born 1947 in Newburgh, NY. Graduated valedictorian of his class in 1965. He claims to be a reluctant reader while he was in high school but majored in English at Manhattan College. He never planned to be a writer, “that seemed to presumptuous of me”. After graduation from college he landed a job as a junior copywriter but quickly advanced in his career becoming a CEO of a major New York advertising firm. All the while he continued to write in his spare time.

A contributor to Publishers Weekly called Patterson "always a generous author (lots of plot and intrigue) if not a stylish one." In 2008, Patterson announced plans to develop his novels into computer games. For more information visit his website http://www.jamespatterson.com/

Among my favorites:

Alex Cross Series        

The Beach House

Maximum Ride

Link to more books by James Patterson on our shelves

Read a review by Ethan W. The Jester

"James Patterson." Contemporary Authors Online. Detroit: Gale, 2013. Biography In Context. Web.
          7  Mar. 2013.
James Patterson Author Biographies. Ezine Articles, Oct. 2009. Web. 7 Mar. 2013.
     <http://ezinearticles.com/ ?James-Patterson---Author-Biographies&id=3036955>.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

The book, Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline is a great book overall. The main character must solve puzzles and outsmart other players and enemies in a virtual videogame world which has taken over the lives of many people in the real world. The inventor of the game passed away and left various puzzles and clues which will lead to all of his fortune in the real world and his power in the oasis. And that is a lot considering he was a billionaire.

Wade, the main character, is one of the best at pop culture from the 80's and the puzzles in the game are about that. While making friends and becoming famous along the way, he must fight against time because a large Imperialist Corporate company named the Sixerâs sponsors a team just to solve the puzzle and reach the prize. They do everything possible including cheating and even killing for it. As the contest goes on, Wade and his friends, who vowed never to help each other with the puzzles, team up. They have no other choice as the Sixerâs come dangerously close to solving it and taking over the oasis and all of the power and money earned by finishing the puzzles.

But, not on Wade's watch. He will do everything possible to stop them as he fights in a historic battle. Will he lose and have the Sixerâs take over or will he win and become the most rich and famous person in the world?

Mason A.

5 Cool New Books (if you have the time)

You want to know the number one comment that most librarians get about their job? "Man, I wish my job was to read books all day." To which, I usually reply, "Yeah, me too." Reading is certainly part of the job of a school librarian, but like most jobs (including being a high school student), you don't always get to do the fun parts as much as you would like. My reading wish list could fill a book (yeah, I said it).

Here are five recent books that are on my list to read one day...when I have time. They sound awesome. Hope you like them too.


F Bray,L 
Bray, Libba. The Diviners.  
The year is 1926. Evie O'Neill gets kicked out of her small town in Ohio when she uses her psychic powers a little too often, but she is thrilled that she gets to move to New York to live. The only problem is that she has to live with her Uncle, a curator of the Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult. She thought she was going to hang out in speakeasies and hang out with Ziegfield girls (look it up), but she soon finds herself working with her uncle on a rash of occult based murders.

F Hautman,P 
Hautman, Pete. The Obsidian Blade.
Soon after strange disks of shimmering air appear in air above his house one day, Tucker Feye’s parents start acting strange. Then one day both of his parents disappear. He suspects the disks are somehow involved and soon he embarks on a time-twisting journey that involves the death of an ancient prophet and a shadowy sect of priests.

F Rosoff,M 
Rosoff, Meg. There is No Dog. 
Here is an idea for you. What if God is actually a teenage boy named Bob? Yeah, he made the Earth and everything on it (including cute girls). But mostly, he just likes sitting around eating junk food, being moody (that's why we have natural disasters), pining after girls and ignoring Earth. That is, until the day he meets a beautiful and irresistible girl named Lucy.

F Stiefvater,M 
Stiefvater, Maggie. The Raven Boys.
Blue Sargent was born into a family of psychics, but she has no powers of her own, though her presence strengthens the abilities of people with the gift. When she meets Gansey, a Raven Boy, as the students at a nearby private school are called, she can’t get him out of her mind. Soon, he and his friends rope her into a dangerous scheme to unleash a long dormant supernatural power.

F Vizzini,N 
Vizzini, Ned. The Other Normals. 
Fifteen year old Peregrine “Perry” Eckert would spend every moment playing Creatures & Caverns (a Dungeons & Dragons like game) if he could because that is where he feels most at home. But his parents are worried about his game playing and, well, his lack of social skills. So they send him off to summer camp instead. He thinks he is in for the worst summer of his life until he gets to camp and stumbles into the World of the Other Normals. There he meets one of  the creators of Creatures & Caverns. Here the mythical creatures from game are real. Suddenly, Perry finds himself embarking on a real quest to save a princess. The only problem? He will have to deal with actually have to learn how to deal with people in his own world too. Yikes.

Recommended Reading: Your Video Game Future

These stories all imagine a future where video games or virtual reality have become an integral part how how we live, for good or bad.

F Card,O 
Card, Orson Scott. Ender's Game.
In order to defend ourselves against an alien race that has been raging for over a hundred years, the military trains young soldiers in its Battle School using video game battle simulators. At 12, Ender Wiggins is selected to attend the school where he quickly becomes a leader in battle and possibly the only one who can save the human race.

F Cline,E 
Cline, Ernest. Ready Player One.
It is the year 2044 and the real world is not a nice place to  live in. So instead, most of humanity spends its time in the OASIS,  a virtual world where everyone goes to work, school or just to hang out. Upon the death of James Halliday, the billionaire 80s pop culture obsessed video game designer of the OASIS, an epic contest is announced. The winner must solve a series of pop culture related puzzles to inherit all of Halliday's money and gain control of his company. In 5 years  no one has even gotten close until teenager Wade Watts figures out the first puzzle. Now he is in a race to the end with the rest of the world either watching or trying to beat him to the end.

F Doctorow,C 
Doctorow, Cory. For the Win.
In the near future, millions of people are into multiplayer online games trying to win virtual gold, jewels and artifacts, which creates  a massive virtual economy. Some corporations decide to exploit this economy by setting up gold farming sweatshops in third world countries. These gamers collect the virtual wealth to sell to those in first world countries who want to skip the lower levels of game play. A group of teenagers around the world band together to take on these powerful corporations in a move that might even bring down the whole virtual economy.

F Falkner,B 
Falkner, Brian. Brain Jack.
After teenage hacker Sam Wilson manages to break into the near impenetrable AT&T network and takes out the world's infrastructure while trying to cover his tracks, he is recruited by Homeland Security, whose job it is to protect the internet. It is the near future and neuro-headsets have replaced keyboards.  People's brains are jacked right onto the network. It allows some very bad people to mess with user's heads—literally. It is up to Sam and his fellow hackers to stop them.

F Kostick.C Kostick, Conor. Epic.
Violence was banned many years ago on New Earth. All disputes are settled in the arena of a fantasy computer game called Epic. Everyone plays the game. If you win, you have the chance to go to college, fulfill your dreams, and get more supplies for your community. If you lose, your line online and off is not worth anything. In an attempt to get change the system and possible end the game, Erik and his friends find a way to challenge the masters of the game and rulers of New Earth, The Committee.

All These Things I've done by Gabrielle Zevin

This is a great book for anyone interested in dystopian societies. It follows the life of a young girl trying to run her abnormal family after both her parents die. She has to deal with the family and her own family. She ends up in trouble with the law and she experiences romance and heart break. I found this book so enjoyable I wasn’t able to put it down. There was always some struggle she had to get through so the book never got boring. I love books that keep the story moving. If a character is stuck on one issue for too long I get bored. This was a great book for me and a book I would highly recommend.

Victoria W.

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I read the Hunger Games and it was a fantastic book. I heard all this hype about it and I thought it was going to be nothing special. I assumed it would be just another book like Twilight or Harry Potter; a book that everyone thinks is amazing but is of no interest to me. Even with this in mind, I decided to give it a try. Once I started reading this book, I could not put it down. I read the entire book within a week and I can’t wait to read the 2nd and 3rd ones and also see the movie. I am hoping the movie does the book some justice and that none of the important details are left out.

Tyler S.

Abraham Lincoln Nominees: 5 Book Trailers

The nominees for the Abraham Lincoln Award for 2013 have been announced. So it's time to get down to business and start reading them. There are some great titles on the list--22 of them in fact. Information about the award and the title list can be found on our Abe Lincoln Award page. Here are book trailers for five of the nominees.


1. Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld 



2.Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson



3. The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey



4. Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta



5. Matched by Ally Condie

If You Liked Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

You just finished the Hunger Games books and you are itching for another cool story just like it. Well, you are in luck. Here are five books that you might like if you enjoyed the Hunger Games trilogy.

F Roth,V  

Divergent by Veronica Roth

In the future, the world is divided into 5 groups, the members of which spend their lives cultivating a particular virtue--selflessness, honesty, intelligence, and peacefulness. Each 16 year old has to pick a group to which he or she will devote the rest of his or her life by enduring a series of extreme tests of physical endurance and intense psychological simulations. The system helps to create a "perfect" world for its inhabitants. For Beatrice Prior, it is her time to choose her path. She can choose to stay with her family or be true to who she really is--she can't do both.

F Dashner, J

Maze Runner by James Dashner

When Thomas wakes up in a giant dark elevator, he has no memory of his life before he woke up. He just knows his name is Thomas--or is it? The doors of the elevator suddenly open and he finds himself looking out on The Glade, a huge outdoor area surrounded by giant stone walls. A group of teenage boys just like him is waiting to greet him. The Glade is a giant maze from which nobody has escaped. Every 30 days a new boy arrives. When a girl arrives the next day, chaos ensues.

F Bacigalupi, P

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

In a world reeling from natural disasters and environmental destruction caused by human beings, we have almost run out of oil and the gap between the rich and poor has grown ever wider. In the Gulf Coast region, grounded oil tankers are taken apart by crews of dirt poor teenagers called Ship Breakers. Nailer, a member of the light crew, scavenges for copper and other valuable materials so that he and his abusive, alcoholic dad can survive. One day, a hurricane causes a luxury ship to wreck on the shore near where Nailer lives. He and a friend are able to rescue the lone survivor, a beautiful, wealthy girl. Protecting her and reuniting her with her family could mean a new life for Nailer or unseen dangers that could cost him his life.

F Westerfeld,S

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

How do you create a world where there is always peace and harmony? Make everyone beautiful, of course! Tally Youngblood is about to reach her 16th birthday and she will finally get the operation that transforms all of the kids in her world from an Ugly into a Pretty. The operation uses cosmetic surgery to change your appearance to conform to an ideal standard of beauty. Tally is looking forward to the operation (as is every teenager) until she meets Shay, a fellow female Ugly who tells her about The Smoke, a colony of outsiders who have chosen to live without technology and who have refused to get the operation.

F Shusterman,N

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

In the near future, a civil war has been fought between those who believe that abortion should be legal and those who think it should be illegal. The result? Abortion of newborns is illegal, but teenagers can be sent to Harvest Farms, where they can have their individual body parts taken and given to other people who need them--they are unwound. So if you get into trouble with the law, are an orphan, or are just unlucky enough, prepare for your unwinding.

The Hunger Games by: Suzanne Collins

Suzanne Collins' book, “The Hunger Games”, is a fiction book. If you like action movies or even reading about action books, you should start reading this book. It is a story about how government in the future takes control of how you live and this story talks about Katniss and how she learned to hunt and how it kept her alive during the games. Katniss’ survival in the games is hard when she's the main target and Katniss is to play the role of the girl who fell in love to stay alive.

Luis P.