New Orca Soundings books

Orca Soundings series

Running the risk by Lesley Choyce

Impact by James C. Dekker

Hannah's touch by Laura Langston

Jacked by Carrie Mac

Back by Norah McClintock

Picture this by Norah McClintock

In the woods by Robin Stevenson

Riley Park by Diane Tullson

Other fiction from Orca Publishers

Sister wife by Shelley Hrdlitschka

The Beckoners by Carrie Mac

Five minutes more by Darlene Ryan

Review: Audrey, wait!

Audrey, wait! by Robin Benway

Audrey is really into music and has just broken up with her boyfriend Evan, who is in a band at their high school. Things seem to be going fine until Evan comes on stage at a concert and sings a song he wrote about their break-up called "Audrey, wait!" The song goes on a meteoric rise to the top of the Billboard charts and makes Evan's band - and Audrey - famous. Between being followed by paparazzi, having people on the internet gossip about her every move, and needing to quit her part-time job (where she has a really cute coworker), Audrey finds out fame may not be all it's cracked up to be.

I adored this book, especially because I loved the characters. Audrey is very likable, her parents are fantastic, and the conversations between Audrey and her best friend Victoria are often completely hilarious. I laughed out loud several times and got completely sucked into the dramas going on in Audrey's life to the point where I couldn't wait to get home and read more. (Given my slack reading patterns lately, that is notable!)

Music is all throughout this novel, and the lyrics quoted at the beginning of each chapter were not only appropriate but had me Googling a few artists who were new to me. Robin Benway is obviously enthusiastic and knowledgeable about music and it pervades the entire book.

Overall, this is a very fun book that I will happily read again.

4.5 stars out of 5 for Audrey, wait!

Read the first chapter online.

November links

Remembrance Day

Remembrance Day is only a week away, and as always we should take this opportunity to reflect upon what members of previous generations have sacrificed for us to live the lives of freedom that we have today. Not only that, but consider how current generations are working to protect that freedom and, remarkably, some people work to defuse live bombs almost a century old. Nearly 80 websites related to Remembrance Day are linked below, and library books are viewable as well.

Remembrance Day links (click on the keywords to see the lists of links):

New bookmarks

Borrow Anywhere, Return Anywhere

From the Government of Nova Scotia website:

A new library program gives Nova Scotians free access to more than 100 libraries in the province, regardless of where they live.

Under the initiative, a Nova Scotian can visit any public, university or college library in the province and borrow or return library items.

They don't need to be living in the area or attending the university.

This is an incredible program, and you can view the list of participating libraries here. Take advantage of it by getting a free library card from the public library (students need parental consent if under the age of 14)!

New books!

A large box of new books arrived late last week, and all are now circulating (except the reference volumes, of course). There is already a lengthy waiting list for Catching Fire.

Fiction

Thirteen reasons why by Jay Asher.

Graceling by Kristin Cashore.

Catching fire by Suzanne Collins.

An abundance of Katherines by John Green.

Meridian by Amber Kizer.

Boy meets boy by David Levithan.

So punk rock: and other ways to disappoint your mother by Micol Ostow

Dead is the new black, Dead is a state of mind, and Dead is so last year by Marlene Perez.

The forest of hands and teeth by Carrie Ryan.

Hell phone by William Sleator.

The arrival by Shaun Tan.

Skinned by Robin Wasserman.

Wake by Lisa McMann.

Nonfiction

Bodies from the ice: melting glaciers and the rediscovery of the past by James M. Deem.

Three cups of tea by Greg Mortenson.

The stuff of life: a graphic guide to genetics and DNA by Mark Schultz.

Reference

30,000 years of art by the editors of Phaidon.

The way we work: getting to know the amazing human body by David Macaulay.

Rainforest by Thomas Marent.

Review: Graceling

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Katsa lives in a land of seven kingdoms and is the orphaned niece of King Randa. She lives freely and comfortably in the castle but must do as Randa demands. It wouldn’t be such an awful trade-off but Randa demands that she does horrible things to other people, for Katsa is Graced with an exceptional ability to kill. She is tired of Randa’s bullying and has started the Council, which uses a network of informants and spies to help people in need.

On one of her rescue missions Katsa encounters Po, a foreign prince Graced with fighting who is trying to unravel the mystery of his kidnapped grandfather. When Katsa and Po eventually discover that they are trying to solve the same problem, they team together to take care of it (and a problematic king) once and for all.

Graceling had been getting rave reviews from tons of blogs and starred reviews from major book review publications, so I decided I had to read it. It has quickly become one of my favourite books and one that I will re-read gladly. There are so many things I loved about this book: Katsa kicks butt but is also hilarious and empathetic, the plot never stops for a moment, and there are twists at every turn. One thing that really impressed me is that the moment I figured something out, the characters figured it out too. Nothing irks me more than knowing something integral to the plot and the characters haven’t a clue until 100 pages later. It drives me crazy! This book is smart, funny (I laughed out loud several times), action-packed, thrilling, and devastatingly romantic. In one word: wow.

Thankfully, Graceling is the first in a series.

5 stars out of 5 for Graceling.

Kristin Cashore’s blog.

An interview with Kristin Cashore.

Delicious bookmarks from September

New books!

Fiction

Feed by M. T. Anderson

Hate List by Jennifer Brown

Chosen, Untamed and Hunted (House of Night books 3, 4 & 5) by P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast

Blue Bloods and Masquerade (Blue Bloods books 1 & 2) by Melissa De La Cruz

Operation Red Jericho by Joshua Mowll

Wolf Brother and Spirit Walker by Michelle Paver

Viking Warrior and Dragons from the Sea (The Strongbow Saga books 1 & 2) by Judson Roberts

Skin and Sight by Adrienne Maria Vrettos

Nonfiction

Beyond the myth: the story of Joan of Arc by Polly Schoyer Brooks

I can't keep my own secrets: six-word memoirs by teens famous and obscure edited by SMITH Magazine

The Crusades: a very short introduction by Christopher Tyerman

Delicious bookmarks from the summer

Review: Hate List

Hate List by Jennifer Brown

Valerie is not looking forward to her first day of school in grade 12. She hasn't been to school since May 2nd, which was the day her boyfriend, Nick, opened fire in the school cafeteria and killed and injured several people, including Valerie. Nick targeted people who were on the "hate list" that he and Valerie had kept, a list that included students who bullied them and the bullies' friends. Although cleared by the police, many people still believe Valerie knew what Nick was going to do and at least partially blame her for the tragedy. It doesn't help that she's the only one left to blame since Nick died that day, too.

Valerie's journey through her recovery, both physical (Nick shot her almost fatally in the leg) and emotional, is poignant and powerful. She walks a line between being a perpetrator and a victim, not entirely sure which category she falls in even though she didn't know what Nick was planning. And then there's the grief: Nick was her first love and she misses him terribly, let alone trying to come to grips with what he did.

The variety of reactions she gets from her classmates, teachers and members of the community are wide ranging and it was often tough to watch her deal with them, sometimes pushing away the very people who really wanted to help her. I felt a lot of sympathy for Valerie and appreciated the author writing from her point of view.

It is hard to believe that it is 10 years since Columbine, and Hate List appears to be one of several books written recently about school shootings, and it is both unique and one of the best that I've read.

4 stars out of 5 for Hate List.

Jennifer Brown's website.

Read the first chapter of Hate List.

*This review is based on an advanced reader's copy (ARC) that I received from Little, Brown.

Review: I can't keep my own secrets

I can't keep my own secrets: six-word memoirs by teens famous and obscure edited by SMITH Magazine

"Insert melodramatic cliche-teen ick here." - Jordan E. (p. 161)*

Not quite: comprised of hundreds of six-word memoirs, I can't keep my own secrets is a quick and thoughtful read. By turns hilarious and harrowing, reflective and revealing, the brief memoirs offer a glimpse into the lives of teens.

There is something for just about everyone in here: drugs, family, beliefs, death, sexual identity, family, school, and more are all topics found in the memoirs. I don't really know what else to say, except to share some examples:

"You made me stronger. Thanks, rapist." - Alyssa Z. (p. 82)
"I really don't mind being autistic." - Lisa D. (p. 54)
"Some days sucked. Sun still rose." - Mary H. (p. 141)
"Not your average teen angst bullshit." - Amanda L. (p. 30)

Indeed.

4 stars out of 5 for I can't keep my own secrets.

*This review is based on an advanced reader's copy (ARC) that I received from HarperTeen. As such, page numbers cited may not be the same in the final publication.

End of the year

Have a wonderful summer everybody! See you in September.

Summer reading

Summertime is always one of my favourite times for reading (not much beats laying on the beach with a good book). There are many reading lists for teens floating around the internet, and I've listed some of them below. Lots of books to choose from!

Good Comics for Kids summer 2009 reading list (scroll down to get to the teen section)

Graphic novel titles from Get Graphic

Pop Candy: twenty-five great high school books - and there are even more recommendations in the comments.

Rainbow List 2009 - list of recently published GLBTQ books, and don't forget to check out the 2008 list too.

School Library Journal's Best Books 2008 - a great list of very good books published in 2008.

Summer Reading List - this summer reading list from a school district in the U.S. has tons of great books suggested for grades 6-9. This is their list for grades 10-12.

Top 10 dystopian novels for teenagers - a list by a British author who writes (you guessed it) dystopian novels for teens. View my own top 10 list of dystopian novels. This list of dystopian novels from Booklist is most excellent as well. (Can you tell I have a weakness for this genre?)

YALSA book lists and book awards - you'll never be stuck for books to read if you have a look around this site that provides many book lists and awards. Definitely take a look at the Printz and Alex awards, and the Best Books and Teens' Top 10 lists.

And don't forget that the Cumberland Regional Library is having a summer reading program with prizes!

New bookmarks in June

It's that time of year again

...new books time! A couple of quick orders and a generous donation (of 5 books from the Bluford High series) have brought some new fiction into the library in the past couple of weeks.

The diary of Pelly D by L. J. Adlington

The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Darkside by Tom Becker

The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor

The ruins of Gorlan (Ranger's Apprentice #1) by John Flanagan

Ten cents a dance by Christine Fletcher

Right behind you by Gail Giles

Newes from the dead by Mary Hooper

Payback (from the Bluford High series) by Paul Langan

The declaration by Gemma Malley

The fountainhead by Ayn Rand

Lost and found, Secrets in the shadows, Someone to love me, and Until we meet again (all from the Bluford High series) by Anne Schraff

Inside the cage by Matt Whyman

Hush by Jacqueline Woodson

New Delicious links in May

Review: The knife of never letting go

The knife of never letting go: Chaos walking, book 1 by Patrick Ness

Todd Hewitt is the youngest boy in Prentisstown, where all the women died of a virus shortly after he was born, and the virus caused all the men and boys to hear each other's thoughts and the thoughts of animals as well. Todd is a month away from turning 13 and becoming a man, when one day he "hears" silence in the swamp when he's gathering apples. It turns out the silence is a girl, Viola - the first one he's ever seen.

When the other members of the town hear about Todd's encounter with silence, his caregivers tell him to run away. Todd doesn't understand but he and his dog Manchee go and take Viola with them.

Off they run, beyond the limits of the town to where Todd has never been and he believes nothing - and nobody - else is out there. Turns out that is the least of the lies he has been told: not only are there other towns, but there are women who are alive. With crazy Prentisstown preacher Aaron and an army of Prentisstown men on their tail, Todd, Viola and Manchee set out to make it to the city Haven while they still can.

The knife of never letting go was a fast read. Even though it is almost 500 pages long I whipped through it in 2 days, staying up late to finish it. But wow, is it ever dark! It even seems to me that it's darker than The Hunger Games, but perhaps that was because, apart from Todd's dog Manchee ("Poo. Poo, Todd."), there was not much lightness or humour in the book. I did find it amusing that the only thing sheep think is "sheep!", though. Heh.

This is not a book for the faint of heart. It is a testament to Ness's abilities that the story could wrench my heart so acutely, because it really did some serious wrenching. One scene made me gasp aloud and put the book down for a moment to regain my composure. As awful and painful as this book can be, it is masterfully done, and Todd is a wonderful and compelling character.

This is the first book in a trilogy and it ends on a huge cliffhanger. The second book is out in the fall, so if you find cliffhangers frustrating then you'll want to wait to read it. Otherwise, I highly recommend it.

4.5 stars out of 5 for The knife of never letting go: Chaos walking, book 1.

The knife of never letting go won the Guardian Children's Book Prize in the United Kingdom.

The Hunger Games wins the Battle!

I am very happy about this, so I thought I would share.

If you haven't read The Hunger Games yet, you should. You can get it here at the library.

A few new books

A few new fiction books have come in this week. Hopefully there will be many more coming later this month from orders I sent a couple of weeks ago. Can't wait!

Go ask Alice by Anonymous

Girls in pants: the third summer of the sisterhood by Ann Brashares

The knife of never letting go (Chaos walking, book 1) by Patrick Ness

The ghosts of Kerfol by Deborah Noyes

Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Review: Need

Need by Carrie Jones

After her beloved step-father's death, Zara's mother sends her to live in rural Maine with her grandmother. Strange things start happening immediately: teenage boys are disappearing from the town and there is a creepy pointing man in the woods who calls to her. On the other hand, there are two gorgeous guys interested in her and they both distrust the other one. Zara's not sure what to think.

Things get interesting when Zara and her new friends discover why the creepy pointing guy leaves gold dust in his wake: he's a pixie. And not a friendly one. In fact, he's looking for a queen and has targeted Zara. Luckily, Nick takes on the role of protecting Zara but he has some secrets, too.

Need is basically a combination of Twilight and Wicked Lovely: a girl moves away from her mother to a small town with a pixie king who is hunting her. As such, I rather enjoyed it. Zara's obsession with phobias was fun and each chapter was named after a phobia - my favourite chapter title was "Pixiophobia, a fear of pixies. I made this up, but believe me it should be a word because it sure is a legitimate fear." Heh heh.

Zara was more like Aislinn in Wicked Lovely than Bella in Twilight with her spunkiness, bravery, and nerve. Sure, she was a bit reckless and needed Nick to swoop in and save her once or twice, but at least Nick didn't watch her sleep. Zara was likeable and funny and believable, and her grandmother Betty was fantastic.

Four stars out of five for Need.

Book website.

Battle of the (Kids') Books update

It's down to two:The Hunger Games vs. The astonishing life of Octavian Nothing: Traitor to the nation, Volume II: The kingdom on the waves. The final Battle of the (Kids') Books judge is Lois Lowry and she will have her decision posted next week. Oh, the tension!

My pick, Graceling (which is on order for the library), was eliminated a while back, but my #2 pick was The Hunger Games so here's hoping it wins! These girls are hoping so too.

Where the wild things are trailer

A trailer for a movie version of Maurice Sendak's classic picture book Where the wild things are was released a few weeks ago. It looks wonderful.



Bring on the wild rumpus!

(If you are unfamiliar with the story, you can always watch President Obama read it to the crowd at the White House Easter celebration.)

Booklist: Dear Diary

On the recommendation of a couple of students, I've put together a list of library books that are written journal-style. From Speak to Diary of a Wimpy Kid to The diary of Anne Frank, there are over a dozen books that fit the bill.

New website links in April

Instead of a weekly post, I've decided to start doing monthly posts of new websites that I've bookmarked on the library Delicious account. So without further ado (it's a long list, folks):

Infinite Photograph

Infinite Photograph is a photo mosaic of more than 300,000 nature photographs that just keeps going and going and going. For example, the image on the left it is a photo mosaic of a chickadee head, which you can see is made up of hundreds of tiny photos. Zoom in (with the yellow square in the bottom corner) to see the other photos, and all of those photos are mosaics as well. It is really quite astounding.

If you enjoy this you may also like NASA's Visible Earth, the Smithsonian's Earth from Space, and the always wonderful The Big Picture.

April Newsletter

Parrsboro Regional Schools' April newsletter is now available to be viewed online as a PDF document. The school calendar is always viewable on the Parrboro Schools' website.

Fantastic Hunger Games video

Two girls made a music video (to the tune of a High School Musical 3 song) about how The Hunger Games should win the Battle of the (Kids') Books. Click on the image to watch it on the School Library Journal website.

Battle of the (Kids') Books

School Library Journal has begun a Battle of the (Kids') Books, with books set head-to-head for elimination. (You can look at the schedule here.) Judges are given two books and must decide which one comes out on top, and the judges are a mix of authors ranging from Anne Brashares to Chris Crutcher. They have a tough job, especially given the quality of the books chosen for the tournament.

Don't let the word "kids" in the tournament title scare you off - most of these books are for teens, not children.

The winner will be chosen in early May and I'm pulling for Graceling, which I tore through a couple of months ago and is now on order for the library. The Hunger Games (which hasn't been on the shelf since I got it in and handed it to someone I knew would love it, and she's been busy ever since getting her friends reading it) would be nice too.

Review: Inferno

Inferno by Robin Stevenson

Smart, independent Dante is struggling at the school she's been attending since she and her parents moved over a year ago, and being brokenhearted due to her secret girlfriend moving away isn't helping matters. For her sixteenth birthday she changed her name to Dante after reading Dante Alighieri's Inferno, but her mother still calls her Emily and sends her to a support group for girls. It is there that Dante gets to know Parker, a mysterious girl who quit school and lives with her boyfriend.

Dante is an independent thinker and Parker easily convinces her to get involved in her protests against free speech and schools' strict rules. Soon Dante is sneaking out of her house in the middle of the night and scaling walls to hang banners. Things are not all fun and games for long however, and when Parker's group decides to protest the status quo in a way that people will notice and remember, Dante must decide how far she'll go to help a friend.

I like Dante, but then I almost always like smart and independent female protagonists. She's also a bit quirky but confident in her quirks, but I almost always like that too. So perhaps I was destined to like her.

That said (and none too eloquently either), what I really enjoyed was knowing how Dante perceived herself and comparing that to how others saw her. How she came across so confident and self-assured and yet really didn't know what to do most of the time. How her actions were definitive but the decisions going into her actions often weren't. The saying "the road to hell is paved with good intentions" could certainly be used to explain what happens with Dante, but that may be taking the Inferno metaphor too far.

The people who populate the rest of Dante's world were fascinating. I particularly enjoyed her parents and their distinct personalities and reactions. Parker was complex and almost unbearable to watch sometimes. Her situation was heartbreaking but scarily accurate, and of all the characters I wonder most about what happened to her. I doubt I'm the only one she sticks with.

As a side note, I love the cover. The fire juxtaposed with circular clockwork-like graphics is eye-catching and the title font is simple and elegant. Not to be ridiculously picky, but I would have liked the cover even more if the font used for the author's name was the same as the title font. Nonetheless, I would definitely be drawn to this book if it was on a display, and I'll find out soon enough here at the library if others feel the same way.

Inferno is a compelling novel that has friendship, rebellion, love, risk-taking, and more. 4 stars out of 5.

Robin Stevenson's website.
Other books by Robin Stevenson at PRHS.

Dante Alighieri's Inferno.

*This review is based on an advanced reader's copy (ARC) that I received through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program.

Percy Jackson is coming to a theatre near you

Yes, that's right, The lightning thief (the first book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan) is being made into a movie with lots of big-name stars, according to Variety. Here's a quick rundown:

Percy Jackson: Logan Lerman (I didn't really realize it until I saw his picture, but this is exactly how I imagined Percy Jackson.)





Grover (who was my favourite character): Brandon T. Jackson







Annabeth: Alexandra Daddario







Chiron: Pierce Brosnan

Zeus: Sean Bean

Poseidon: Kevin McKidd

Medusa: Uma Thurman (I can't wait to see Uma Thurman with snakes for hair, I really can't.)

Athena: Melina Kanakaredes

More cast choices will undoubtedly be announced in the near future as filming begins in Vancouver in a few weeks.

Also, the fifth and final book in the Percy Jackson series, entitled The last Olympian, is being released on May 5th. Check out the Percy Jackson and the Olympians site for more information.

New library books

A few new books have arrived at the library this week, thanks to a Scholastic book sale and preview books from Copper Beech. Our ordering year starts today as well, so I'll be busy making orders over the next few weeks. Hooray!

Fiction

I'd tell you I love you, but then I'd have to kill you and Cross my heart and hope to spy by Ally Carter

Models don't eat chocolate cookies by Erin Dionne

Nonfiction

The boy who dared by Susan Campbell-Bartoletti

Sexually transmitted diseases by Leanne Currie-McGhee

Genocide in Darfur by Janey Levy

Anorexia by Peggy J. Parks

So true

I couldn't resist posting this gem from Indexed.

Review: Generation Dead

Generation Dead by Daniel Waters

When some teenagers around America start rising from the dead for reasons nobody understands, some of them go back to school. One of those schools is Oakvale High, where Phoebe and her "normally biotic" friends Adam and Margi attend classes. People have different reactions when it comes to the "differently biotic," everything from fear and revulsion to fascination and compassion. When Phoebe gets a crush on living impaired football player Tommy and starts dating him, things start to get complicated.

Generation dead is not so much a traditional zombie novel with gore and armed hordes as a tale of prejudice and fear. Differently biotic teens are rejected by their families and friends and subjected to ridicule and violence, and the people who care for them are made vulnerable as well. While the book isn't really preachy about all this, it definitely makes it's point.

Although this book wasn't what I thought it would be I enjoyed it well enough, and I hope that some things (like the suspicious Hunter Foundation) will be fleshed out in the sequels.

3.5 stars out of 5 for Generation Dead.

Tommy's blog, My So-called Undeath.

Review: A long way gone: memoirs of a boy soldier

A long way gone: memoirs of a boy soldier by Ishmael Beah

Ishmael Beah was 12 when a rebel army invaded his village in Sierra Leone. He spent many months running and trying to stay ahead of the rebels who were ruthlessly destroying and killing everything in their path. Since many of the rebel soldiers were young boys, Ishmael and his companions were met with fear almost everywhere they went, and as a result had to survive on their own for months on end.

Less than a year after leaving his village on the run, Ishmael was picked up by the government army and pressed into service. Learning to eat an entire meal in under a minute was perhaps the least violent skill he learned at the camp, and fighting battles and invading villages under the influence of drugs soon became a way of life. A long way gone is a terrible, moving, and ultimately heartwarming tale of one boy's life as a child running from the rebels and fighting them in battle and, later, being rehabilitated.

A long way gone opens masterfully, with a brief anecdote about Ishmael Beah's U.S. high school classmates thinking it was cool how he had seen "people running around with guns and shooting each other." I've heard a similar sentiment expressed many times in the libraries here in Parrsboro, especially from boys who are the same age as Beah was when he was running and fighting for his life. It is a testament to Beah that he could smile at his classmates' ignorance.

In fact, the whole book is a testament to Beah, although he does not glorify himself or try to make himself appear any different from other boy soldiers: as a squad leader in the army, he commanded other boys and performed horrific acts himself and was certainly an active participant. He seems to attribute his rehabilitation as much to luck as anything else, and describes his painful recovery in frank terms. He objectively describes his fear, frustration, annoyance, anger, and joy throughout.

While the book is not gratuitously violent, there are definitely some graphic descriptions of village invasions, battles, and merciless revenge. It is my view that it is as tastefully done as was possible and I was always aware that for every horror described in the book, Beah likely experienced hundreds more.

Yes, this is a bleak book not for the faint of heart, but it is also a tale of the possibility of recovery for children who have lived through horrors that many of us cannot even imagine.

4.5 stars out of 5 for A long way gone.

*Beah has been challenged on the chronology and accuracy of his biography. Whether 100% factually accurate or not, his book provides a much-needed glimpse into the perils of child soldiers.

Review #1.
Review #2.
Watch an interview with Ishmael Beah.
Book website.

The best thing you'll never do

It's probably not what you guessed it was.

Nonetheless, check it out and sign the pledge! (I'm #1104.)

March school newsletter and calendar

The Parrsboro Regional High School March newsletter and calendar is now available online as a PDF file.

100 Young Adult books meme

A YA Books meme has been circulating recently (I saw it here). Arbitrary list or not, I thought it would be interesting to see what I have (and haven't) read and to link to the books we have in the PRHS library. So here we go!

Instructions:
Put an "X" next to the books you've read
Put a "+" next to the books you LOVE
Put a "#" next to the books you plan on reading
Tally your "X"s at the bottom

1. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy / Douglas Adams X
2. Kit's Wilderness / David Almond #
3. Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian / Sherman Alexie X
4. Speak / Laurie Halse Anderson #
5. Feed / M.T. Anderson X
6. Flowers in the Attic / V.C. Andrews
7. 13 Reasons Why / Jay Asher X
8. Am I Blue? / Marion Dane Bauer (editor)
9. Audrey Wait! / Robin Benway #
10. Weetzie Bat / Francesca Lia Block X
11. Tangerine / Edward Bloor
12. Forever / Judy Blume X
13. What I Saw and How I Lied / Judy Blundell #
14. Tyrell / Coe Booth
15. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants / Ann Brashares X
16. A Great and Terrible Beauty / Libba Bray X
17. The Princess Diaries / Meg Cabot X
18. The Stranger / Albert Camus
19. Ender's Game / Orson Scott Card #
20. Postcards from No Man's Land / Aidan Chambers
21. Perks of Being a Wallflower / Stephen Chbosky X
22. And Then There Were None / Agatha Christie X
23. Gingerbread / Rachel Cohn
24. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist / Rachel Cohn and David Levithan X
25. Artemis Fowl (series) / Eoin Colfer #
26. The Hunger Games / Suzanne Collins X+
27. The Midwife's Apprentice / Karen Cushman #
28. The Truth About Forever / Sarah Dessen
29. Little Brother / Cory Doctorow X
30. A Northern Light / Jennifer Donnelly
31. Tears of a Tiger / Sharon Draper
32. The House of the Scorpion / Nancy Farmer
33. Breathing Underwater / Alex Flinn
34. Stardust / Neil Gaiman
35. Annie on My Mind / Nancy Garden
36. What Happened to Cass McBride / Gail Giles X
37. Fat Kid Rules the World / K.L. Going X
38. Lord of the Flies / William Golding X
39. Looking for Alaska / John Green X
40. Bronx Masquerade / Nikki Grimes
41. Out of the Dust / Karen Hesse
42. Hoot / Carl Hiaasen #
43. The Outsiders / S.E. Hinton X
44. Crank / Ellen Hopkins X
45 The First Part Last / Angela Johnson
46. Blood and Chocolate / Annette Curtis Klause
47. Arrow's Flight / Mercedes Lackey
48. Hattie Big Sky / Kirby Larson
49. To Kill a Mockingbird / Harper Lee X+
50. Boy Meets Boy / David Levithan X
51. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks / E. Lockhart X
52. The Giver / Lois Lowry X
53. Number the Stars / Lois Lowry X
54. Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie / David Lubar X
55. Inexcusable / Chris Lynch
56. The Earth, My Butt and Other Big, Round Things / Carolyn Mackler
57. Dragonsong / Anne McCaffrey
58. White Darkness / Geraldine McCaughrean
59. Sold / Patricia McCormick X+
60. Jellicoe Road / Melina Marchetta #
61. Wicked Lovely / Melissa Marr X
62. Twilight / Stephenie Meyer X
63. Dairy Queen / Catherine Murdock
64. Fallen Angels / Walter Dean Myers
65. Monster / Walter Dean Myers X
66. Step From Heaven / An Na
67. Mama Day / Gloria Naylor
68. The Keys to the Kingdom (series) / Garth Nix
69. Sabriel / Garth Nix
70. Airborn / Kenneth Oppel #
71. Eragon / Christopher Paolini X
72. Hatchet / Gary Paulsen X
73. Life As We Knew It / Susan Beth Pfeffer X+
74. The Golden Compass / Phillip Pullman X
75. Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging / Louise Rennison #
76. The Lightning Thief / Rick Riordan X+
77. Always Running: La Vida Loca / Luis Rodriguez
78. how i live now / Meg Rosoff X
79. Harry Potter (series) / J.K. Rowling X
80. Holes / Louis Sachar X
81. Catcher in the Rye / J. D. Salinger X
82. Push / Sapphire
83. Persepolis / Marjane Satrapi X
84. Unwind / Neil Shusterman X+
85. Coldest Winter Ever / Sister Souljah
86. Stargirl / Jerry Spinelli #
87. Chanda's Secrets / Allan Stratton
88. Tale of One Bad Rat / Brian Talbot
89. Rats Saw God / Rob Thomas
90. Lord of the Rings / J.R.R. Tolkien X+
91. Stuck in Neutral / Terry Trueman
92. Gossip Girl / Cecily Von Ziegesar
93. Uglies / Scott Westerfeld X+
94. Every Time a Rainbow Dies / Rita Williams-Garcia
95. Pedro and Me / Judd Winick
96. Hard Love / Ellen Wittlinger
97. American Born Chinese / Gene Luen Yang X
98. Elsewhere / Gabrielle Zevin X
99. I am the Messenger / Markus Zusak X
100. The Book Thief / Markus Zusak X+

Results? I've read 47 of them, and the PRHS library has 51 in its collection. Not bad on either count!