Teen Scene
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Margaret Rose (who first appears in "Silent to the Bone") is 12-years old when she spends one summer with her two great uncles who have been building 3 giant towers out of scrap metal behind their house for over 45 years. The new neighbors moving in don’t like the towers and want them torn down because they do not add to the historical integrity of the neighborhood. Margaret Rose enlists a group of adults and leads the fight to save the towers. One thing I liked about this book is that it considers the question of art. How is art determined? Who decides what is art? Full of intelligent dialogue and issues, this book is suitable for teens in grades 7 and up. Those interested in individual rights and civic involvement will enjoy reading this book which has won numerous awards. 
This book was originally published in German and has just been translated into English this year. It is a strong contender for the Batchelder Award in 2007. This true story tells of a young girl who survives the Rwandaan genocide that took place in 1994. Jeanne was an eight year old Catholic girl from a wealthy family at the time, and the only member of her Tutsi family to survive. The Hutus killed over one million Tutsis during a very short period of time while the rest of the world ignored it. The text is quite graphic and is recommended for mature readers, probably grade 9 and above, who are interested in world events and politics. For supplemental information, there are 2 recent movies that that are both excellent also telling other horror stories of the genocide called "Hotel Rwanda" and "Sometimes in April". 
For a different, varied reading experience try Criss Cross. Chapters written in prose, poetry, question and answer format, and haiku effectively describe the intersecting lives of a group of teen-age friends as they begin to discover the wider world. By featuring different characters in successive segments supported by friends who star in other chapters, the author is able to weave a narrative of the love, compassion, awkwardness, friendship, and intelligence that characterize adolescent life. Set during one summer in the mid-1970’s, sprinkled throughout with pencil sketches and photos - this Newbery Award winner is a quick and pleasing read. 
The fantasy trilogy was originally published in Danish and translated into English by the author, and is brand new to Wright Library. In the first book, "The Shamer’s Daughter", we learn that Shamers are people who can feel the crimes and guilt of others and are often used by the authorities to get confessions. 10-year old Dina’s mother is a Shamer who is summoned on a triple murder case leaving Dina and her brother alone. Dina, also a Shamer, is soon tricked into accompanying a man in the pretense of helping her mother, but finds that her mother is being used to set an innocent man up in a political move, which she refuses to do. Dina must help save both her mother and the innocent man, Niko. There are castles and dragons involved and the setting seems to be fairly Medieval. Teens in grades 6-9 will enjoy following the continuing adventures in "The Shamer’s Signet", "The Serpent Gift" and "The Shamer’s War". If you like books by Tamora Pierce, give this a try! 
The story centers around Molly, a 17-year-old girl from Ohio, who has nightmares and visions about a girl named Clementine from Maine who has died 80 years before. Molly and her best friends’ cousin Jared find that they are both experiencing the same visions and, after a very unfriendly introduction, begin to work together to solve the mysteries behind them. Only after all the answers are found are the ghosts put to rest. It might be called a supernatural romance and I found it to be a real page-turner. It is well-written and doesn’t contain any objectional components such as drugs or sex. It is light and easy-to-read, and the kind of thing girls will find very satisfying. Good for grades 7 and up. 
This book just won the 2006 Prinz Award, which goes to the best book of the year written for teens, and has won numerous other prizes as well since it’s publication last year. It’s considered realistic fiction. 16-year-old Miles, from Florida, wants to attend Culver Creek Prepatory School in Alabama as his father did. He is in search of the "Great Perhaps"...what might be. Miles has an affinity for learning and remembering the last words of people. His year at school is filled with friends, schoolwork, pranks and Alaska Young, a girl he finds himself very attracted to. The teens are portrayed very realistically in this novel and the book is full of mature themes and great characterization of teens. They smoke too much and drink cheap wine. Alaska flirts with Miles even though she has a boyfriend, and after a make-out session in which Miles is led to believe that they may have a future together, Alaska is killed in a car crash. Miles and his friends are left wondering if it was an accident or a suicide. They struggle with being left behind but end up pulling one last prank in her honor. This would be suitable for teens in grades 10 and up. 
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