FICTION
Enclave by Ann Aguirre
Fifteen-year-old Deuce, a loyal Huntress, her role is provide her city with meat and protect it from the subhuman, zombielike Freaks, but when she is partnered with the mysterious outsider, Fade, she begins to see the problems in the elders' benign protectiveness.
"In this post-apocalyptic tale, readers will discover underground tribes, mutants, humans who live like animals and tender hearts with hazy memories of what life Topside was like. Although much of the book is gruesome and dark, and cutting seems to be made much of, there is also a childlike delight in sun, rain, canned food, and books. Strangely enough, words of George MacDonald serve as inspiration and comfort at just the right times throughout the book. Of its genre, Enclave holds its own with The Hunger Games, and its ancestors, “The Uglies” series."
Janice DeLong (Children's Literature)
"In this post-apocalyptic tale, readers will discover underground tribes, mutants, humans who live like animals and tender hearts with hazy memories of what life Topside was like. Although much of the book is gruesome and dark, and cutting seems to be made much of, there is also a childlike delight in sun, rain, canned food, and books. Strangely enough, words of George MacDonald serve as inspiration and comfort at just the right times throughout the book. Of its genre, Enclave holds its own with The Hunger Games, and its ancestors, “The Uglies” series."
Janice DeLong (Children's Literature)
Drought by Pam Bachorz
Ruby's blood holds the secret to the Water that keeps her and her fellow Congregants alive, and struggles to decide how to save her community from the evil Darwin West.
"Bachorz paints the bleak colony in stark detail and writes especially vivid and interesting characters, but the story suffers from a certain sameness. She makes Ruby's grim world believable but so unremittingly desolate that readers may need relief nearly as much as the colony's inhabitants. An intriguing story with depth, but its success will depend on individual taste."
Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, November 15, 2010 (Vol. 78, No. 22))
"Bachorz paints the bleak colony in stark detail and writes especially vivid and interesting characters, but the story suffers from a certain sameness. She makes Ruby's grim world believable but so unremittingly desolate that readers may need relief nearly as much as the colony's inhabitants. An intriguing story with depth, but its success will depend on individual taste."
Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, November 15, 2010 (Vol. 78, No. 22))
House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
Matteo Alacrán is not a person, he is a clone of 143-year-old drug lord, El Patrón and must escape or else be harvested for his organs.
"This is a powerful, ultimately hopeful, story that builds on today's sociopolitical, ethical, and scientific issues and prognosticates a compelling picture of what the future could bring. All of these serious issues are held together by a remarkable coming-of-age story, in which a boy's self-image and right to life are at stake."
Sally Estes (Booklist, Sep. 15, 2002 (Vol. 99, No. 2))
"This is a powerful, ultimately hopeful, story that builds on today's sociopolitical, ethical, and scientific issues and prognosticates a compelling picture of what the future could bring. All of these serious issues are held together by a remarkable coming-of-age story, in which a boy's self-image and right to life are at stake."
Sally Estes (Booklist, Sep. 15, 2002 (Vol. 99, No. 2))
Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Twelve-year-old Luke has live his life in isolation and fear of the Population Police until another “third” convinces him to come out of the shadows.
"Although the denouement is swift and tidy, the fully realized setting, honest characters, and fast paced plot combine for a suspenseful tale of two youngsters fighting for their very existence."
Betty Carter (The ALAN Review, Winter 1999 (Vol. 26, No. 2))
"Although the denouement is swift and tidy, the fully realized setting, honest characters, and fast paced plot combine for a suspenseful tale of two youngsters fighting for their very existence."
Betty Carter (The ALAN Review, Winter 1999 (Vol. 26, No. 2))
Matched by Ally Condie
This book is the first in this series about a girl named Cassia who has always depended on the Society to tell her what to read, what to watch, and what to believe. When something goes amiss during her Matching ceremony and she sees the faces of two guys, she has to make a choice between what her heart tells her and what the Society tells her.
“The stunning clarity and attention to detail in Condie’s Big Brother–like world is a feat… However, the author just as easily tears this world apart while deftly exploring the individual cost of societal perfection and the sacrifices inherent in freedom of choice.”
Courtney Jones (Booklist, Sep. 15, 2010 (Vol. 107, No. 2))
“The stunning clarity and attention to detail in Condie’s Big Brother–like world is a feat… However, the author just as easily tears this world apart while deftly exploring the individual cost of societal perfection and the sacrifices inherent in freedom of choice.”
Courtney Jones (Booklist, Sep. 15, 2010 (Vol. 107, No. 2))
The Maze Runner by James Dashner
Sixteen-year-old Thomas wakes up with no memory in the middle of a maze and realizes he must work with the community in which he finds himself if he is to escape.
"The community of boys contains a few well-developed, appealing characters, and some not so appealing, which will create emotional investment and identification from a range of readers; Thomas himself is smart, sensitive, astonishingly brave, and troubled enough to be interesting. Readers will wonder what’s to come after this exciting and readable set-up."Karen Coats (The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, November 2009 (Vol. 63, No. 3))
"The community of boys contains a few well-developed, appealing characters, and some not so appealing, which will create emotional investment and identification from a range of readers; Thomas himself is smart, sensitive, astonishingly brave, and troubled enough to be interesting. Readers will wonder what’s to come after this exciting and readable set-up."Karen Coats (The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, November 2009 (Vol. 63, No. 3))
The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch
In the aftermath of a war, America’s landscape has been ravaged and two-thirds of the population left dead from a vicious strain of influenza. Fifteen-year-old Stephen Quinn and his family were among the few that survived and became salvagers, roaming the country in search of material to trade. But after a series of setbacks Stephen finds his way to Settler’s Landing, a community that seems too good to be true. Then Stephen meets Jenny, who refuses to accept things as they are. And when they play a prank that goes horribly wrong, chaos erupts, and they find themselves in the midst of a battle that will change Settler’s Landing and their lives forever.
“This riveting novel, with its strong characters and fast-paced narrative, depicts a post apocalyptic future that is all too plausibly real, and the final battle will have teen readers on the edge of their seats as it races toward a satisfying conclusion.”
Bonnie Kunzel (VOYA, February 2012 (Vol. 34, No. 6))
“This riveting novel, with its strong characters and fast-paced narrative, depicts a post apocalyptic future that is all too plausibly real, and the final battle will have teen readers on the edge of their seats as it races toward a satisfying conclusion.”
Bonnie Kunzel (VOYA, February 2012 (Vol. 34, No. 6))
The Lottery by Shirley Jackson
Every year, in a small village of about 300 residents, the locals are in a strange and nervous mood on June 27th. Children gather up stones as the adult townsfolk assemble for their annual lottery that is practiced to ensure a good harvest. This short story details the events of that fateful day.
The Giver by Lois Lowry
In Jonas's world, there is no war, poverty, or family turmoil, and so no fear, no hardship, no everyday discontent, no long-term terror. But when he is given his lifetime assignment at the Ceremony of Twelve, Jonas becomes the receiver of memories shared by only one other in his community and discovers the truth about the society in which he lives.
"From the book jacket's evocative photographic images--The Giver in black and white; trees in blazing color--to the suspenseful conclusion, this book is first-rate."
Laura M. Zaidman (The ALAN Review, Fall 1994 (Vol. 22, No. 1))
"From the book jacket's evocative photographic images--The Giver in black and white; trees in blazing color--to the suspenseful conclusion, this book is first-rate."
Laura M. Zaidman (The ALAN Review, Fall 1994 (Vol. 22, No. 1))
Bumped by Megan McCafferty
A pair of twins live in 2036 New Jersey where they are expected to become devotedly religious wives and mothers or high-priced Surrogettes for couples made infertile by a widespread virus, Melody and Harmony radically find courage to believe they have choices.
"The concept, however, is already contrived for maximum drama, and once you add in a hyperactive agent screaming about the sexiest male-for-hire on the planet, a straight-out-of-Sweet-Valley twin-switching escapade, and declarations of true love flying all over the place, the poignancy of the side plots are nearly lost. Series fiction fans or readers just delving into sci-fi are the likeliest audience for this story that is mostly Jessica and Elizabeth, with sperm and cool technology thrown in."
April Spisak (The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, May 2011 (Vol. 64, No. 9))
"The concept, however, is already contrived for maximum drama, and once you add in a hyperactive agent screaming about the sexiest male-for-hire on the planet, a straight-out-of-Sweet-Valley twin-switching escapade, and declarations of true love flying all over the place, the poignancy of the side plots are nearly lost. Series fiction fans or readers just delving into sci-fi are the likeliest audience for this story that is mostly Jessica and Elizabeth, with sperm and cool technology thrown in."
April Spisak (The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, May 2011 (Vol. 64, No. 9))
Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Lena lives within the confines of her society where, at eighteen, all teens are cured by the government of deliria, a.k.a. love, and assigned a spouse and job. This all sounds good to Lena – whose own mother committed suicide after the cure failed her – until she falls in love three months before she’s scheduled to have the procedure.
Oliver’s artfully detailed prose reveals, brick by brick, the sturdy dramatic foundation of an initially implausible premise. Lena's gradual awakening is set against a convincing backdrop of totalitarian horror. Chilling epigraphs from the government's rewritten histories begin each chapter, providing contextual propaganda so thorough that they've even reinterpreted the Bible to suit their message. The abrupt ending leaves enough unanswered questions to set breathless readers up for volume two of this trilogy.
Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, January 1, 2011 (Vol. 79, No. 1))
Oliver’s artfully detailed prose reveals, brick by brick, the sturdy dramatic foundation of an initially implausible premise. Lena's gradual awakening is set against a convincing backdrop of totalitarian horror. Chilling epigraphs from the government's rewritten histories begin each chapter, providing contextual propaganda so thorough that they've even reinterpreted the Bible to suit their message. The abrupt ending leaves enough unanswered questions to set breathless readers up for volume two of this trilogy.
Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, January 1, 2011 (Vol. 79, No. 1))
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Beatrice Prior must choose among five predetermined factions that define her identity for the rest of her life…but she does not fit into just one and soon discovers the society she lives in is not as perfect as she thought it was.
“Divergent is similar to Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games (Scholastic, 2008/VOYA October 2008): a dystopian future society divided into factions, with a young female protagonist who must fight in a war. While Divergent will attract fans of Hunger Games, Roth’s nonstop action, excellent voice, and simple yet accessible writing style will draw in many new readers to the genre. The themes are particularly poignant for young adults trying to identify their place in the world--having the choice to follow in your parents’ footsteps or do something new."
Devin Burritt (VOYA, August 2011 (Vol. 34, No. 3))
“Divergent is similar to Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games (Scholastic, 2008/VOYA October 2008): a dystopian future society divided into factions, with a young female protagonist who must fight in a war. While Divergent will attract fans of Hunger Games, Roth’s nonstop action, excellent voice, and simple yet accessible writing style will draw in many new readers to the genre. The themes are particularly poignant for young adults trying to identify their place in the world--having the choice to follow in your parents’ footsteps or do something new."
Devin Burritt (VOYA, August 2011 (Vol. 34, No. 3))
Battle Royale by Koushun Takami
A nightmare scenario: a class of junior high school students is taken to a deserted island where, as part of a ruthless authoritarian program, they are provided arms and forced to kill until only one survivor is left standing.
Non fiction
A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah
In the more than fifty conflicts going on worldwide, it is estimated that there are some 300,000 child soldiers. Ishmael Beah used to be one of them. This powerful and compelling memoir paints a picture of life through the eyes of a child soldier, and it will cause readers to stop and consider how a person becomes a killer.
"As children fight on in dreadful wars around the globe, Beah's story is a must for every school collection."
Rayna Patton (VOYA, February 2007 (Vol. 29, No. 6))
"As children fight on in dreadful wars around the globe, Beah's story is a must for every school collection."
Rayna Patton (VOYA, February 2007 (Vol. 29, No. 6))
Reality TV: Remaking Television Culture by Susan Murray and Laurie Ouellette
This book contains a series of essays and is one of the first books to address the economic, visual, cultural, audience, and new media dimensions of reality television and has become the standard in the field. Topics range from the blending of fact and fiction, to the uses of viewer labor and "interactivity," to issues of surveillance, gender performativity, hyper-commercialism, and generic parody.
“Offers the most insightful and significant scholarly analysis to date of the changes taking place in the economic 'globalization' of television production. A delight to read, laced with wit and humor."
Choice
“Offers the most insightful and significant scholarly analysis to date of the changes taking place in the economic 'globalization' of television production. A delight to read, laced with wit and humor."
Choice
Gangs by Richard Swift
In search of a sense of identity and belonging that their world has denied them, young people are pushed into gangs by a dangerous combination of violence, guns, drugs, racism, poverty, families under pressure, and ever-widening slums. This book exposes the roots of the problem. It offers a startling analysis of the involvement of the adult world, as well as hard-hitting reforms that might just undermine the appeal of gang life. Most of all, it shows that we fail to understand gangs at our own risk.
"With well-documented references, a sharp wit, and a passionate commitment … this will grab teens, and adults, too, with its compelling arguments about why kids join gangs and what happens when greed, poverty, and injustice intersect."
Hazel Rochman (Booklist, May 1, 2011 (Vol. 107, No. 17))
"With well-documented references, a sharp wit, and a passionate commitment … this will grab teens, and adults, too, with its compelling arguments about why kids join gangs and what happens when greed, poverty, and injustice intersect."
Hazel Rochman (Booklist, May 1, 2011 (Vol. 107, No. 17))