On the Big Screen: Flipped

So, who else is really excited to see Flipped? It is coming out in a few weeks, and I just might have to re-read the book to freshen up before seeing the movie.

For those of your who missed the book, here's a synopsis:

The first time she saw him, she flipped. The first time he saw her, he ran. That was the second grade, but not much has changed by the seventh. She says: “My Bryce. Still walking around with my first kiss.” He says: “It’s been six years of strategic avoidance and social discomfort.” But in the eighth grade everything gets turned upside down. And just as he’s thinking there’s more to her than meets the eye, she’s thinking that he’s not quite all he seemed. This is a classic romantic comedy of errors told in alternating chapters by two fresh, funny new voices. Wendelin Van Draanen is at her best here with a knockout cast of quirky characters and a hilarious series of misunderstandings and missed opportunities. But underlying the humor are two teens in transition. They are each learning to look beyond the surface of people, both figuring out who they are, who they want to be, and who they want to be with.

If you would also like to hunt it down in the library's catalog, look no further!


Click here to check out more great books that have found their way into movie history.

Librarian's Pick of the Week: Out of the Dust

Title: Out of the Dust
Author: Karen Hesse
Published: 1997
Age: 12+

This book was one of YALSA's selections for the "Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults" in 1998. For more information about book list and other book awards, visit the YALSA page on the ALA website.

Synopsis: "A terrible accident has transformed Billie Jo's life, scarring her inside and out. Her mother is gone. Her father can't talk about it. And the one thing that might make her feel better - playing the piano - is impossible with her wounded hands. To make matters worse, dust storms are devastating the family farm and all the farms nearby."

Review: "'Daddy came in, / he sat across from Ma and blew his nose. / Mud streamed out. / He coughed and spit out / mud. / If he had cried, / his tears would have been mud too, / but he didn't cry. / And neither did Ma." This is life in the Oklahoma dust bowl in the mid-1930s. Billie Jo and her parents barely eke out a living from the land, as her father refuses to plant anything but wheat, and the winds and dust destroy the crop time after time. Playing the piano provides some solace, but there is no comfort to be had once Billie Jo's pregnant mother mistakes a bucket of kerosene for a bucket of water and dies, leaving a husband who withdraws even further and an adolescent daughter with terribly burned hands. The story is bleak, but Hesse's writing transcends the gloom and transforms it into a powerfully compelling tale of a girl with enormous strength, courage, and love. The entire novel is written in very readable blank verse, a superb choice for bringing out the exquisite agony and delight to be found in such a difficult period lived by such a vibrant character. It also spares the reader the trouble of wading through pages of distressing text, distilling all the experiences into brief, acutely observed phrases. This is an excellent book for discussion, and many of the poems stand alone sufficiently to be used as powerful supplements to a history lesson." - Booklist


If you're intrigued, don't forget to check our library's catalog for this book!

Read-Alike: Pretty Little Liars

With the Pretty Little Liars television series starting back up, we thought we'd make up a little Read-Alike list for all of you who've already read the entire series and are looking for something similar. These titles are to be read only while sipping a caramel frap, painting your nails, dreaming about your crush, and texting your besties from your new iPhone that you found at the bottom of your Prada bag next to your Chanel perfume. ;-)


If it was the drama that you liked...

Gossip Girl
by Cecily von Ziegesar

Presents a world of jealousy and betrayal at an exclusive private school in Manhattan.

The Luxe
by Anna Godberson

In 1899 Manhattan, the drowning of beautiful Elizabeth Holland, daughter of New York society's ruling family, brings to the surface the scandalous behavior of several teenagers of varying social class.

The Real Real
by Emma McLaughlin

When Hampton High senior Jesse is cast in a reality television show along with five other, more popular students, drama on and off screen reveals that what the audience and producers want is not the same as what Jesse wants.

Beautiful Stranger
by Zoey Dean

Seeking to escape the drama of Beverly Hills and the repercussions of major changes in their respective love lives, Anna and Sam take a trip to New York City the summer after their high school graduation.

Those Girls
by Sarah Lawrence

At the exclusive Stagmount School for Girls, wealthy seventeen-year-olds Jinx Slater and her best friend Liberty Latiffe are having a fabulous year until a new student arrives and Liberty falls under her spell, unaware of her sinister intentions.


If it was the scandal that you liked...

Scandal: a Private Novel
by Kate Brian

When Reed returns to Easton after a traumatic kidnapping, she is horrified to discover that the historical dormitory of Billings has been torn down, an occurrence that challenges the power and popularity of the Billings Girls.

The Clique
Lisi Harrison

Wealthy Massie is determined to exclude middle class Claire, the daughter of her father's old friend, from her seventh-grade clique at a very exclusive private school in Westchester, New York, but after Massie steals her only friend, Claire strikes back.

Haters
by by Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez

Having tried for years to deny her psychic abilities, high school sophomore Paski has disturbing visions about the popular girl at her new high school in Orange County, California.

Bad Girls, Bad Girls, Whatcha Gonna Do?
by Cynthia Voigt

As new ninth-graders eager only to survive high school, Mikey and Margalo must deal creatively with stolen money and cheating on the tennis courts.



If it was the secrecy that you liked...

Privilege
by Kate Brian

After the death of Thomas Pearson, Ariana Osgood is safely locked away in a mental institution. But she will stop at nothing to break out and rejoin the world of the wealthy.

What I Saw and How I Lied
by Judy Blundell

In 1947, with her stepfather back from the war and family life returning to normal, teenage Evie, smitten by the handsome ex-GI who seems to have a secret hold on Joe, finds herself caught in a complicated web of lies whose devastating outcome change her life forever.

Blue Bloods
Melissa de la Cruz

Select teenagers from some of New York City's wealthiest and most socially prominent families learn a startling secret about their bloodlines.

Double Identity
by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Bethany's parents have always been overprotective, but when they suddenly drop out of sight with no explanation, Bethany uncovers shocking secrets that make her question everything she thought she knew about herself and her family.



Want more suggestions? Then check out these links for more Read-Alikes and Book Lists!

Librarian's Pick of the Week: Beautiful Creatures

Title: Beautiful Creatures
Author: Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Published: 2009
Age: 12+

This book was a finalist for this year's William C. Morris Award, which is given to books written for young adults by a first-time, previously unpublished author. For more information about the William C. Morris awards and other book awards, visit the YALSA page on the ALA website.

Synopsis: "There were no surprises in Gatlin County. We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere. At least, that's what I thought. Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong. There was a curse. There was a girl. And in the end, there was a grave. Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever. Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them. In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything."

Review: "Garcia and Stohl's debut is a tale of star-crossed teenage lovers entwined with history, magic, and family. Narrator Ethan, a high school senior being raised by his distant father and their tarot-reading housekeeper, longs to escape the history and sameness that afflicts his hometown of Gatlin, S.C. He gets his wish when he meets beautiful Lena, who arrives in town to live with her reclusive Uncle Macon (making her an outcast as well). Ethan and Lena connect quickly and intensely: he sees her in his dreams, they can converse telepathically, and the discovery of a buried locket gives them Civil War-era visions. Ethan realizes that there is a magical dimension to stultifying Gatlin-and that he, Lena, her family, and even his mother's death are all wrapped up in it. As Lena's 16th birthday approaches, bringing life-changing consequences, more questions are raised than answered, and the protracted climax is a long time coming. But readers who like angst-filled teenage romance will be swept up by the haunting and detailed atmosphere, the conventions and strictures of Southern life, and a compelling and dimensional mythology." - Publisher's Weekly


If you're intrigued, don't forget to check our library's catalog for this book!