Imagine this: all your life, you’ve been underestimated. You’ve been patted, petted, cooed over and kept in an imaginary cage. Always back by curfew, only had one boyfriend. You’re never allowed to do anything “cool”, and you go to one of the most prestigious academies in Massachusetts. Oh, yeah- and your family calls you “Bunny Rabbit”.

That’s the life of Frankie Landau-Banks. And she’s had her fill of it.
This year, all that is going to change.

Reason Number One: Thanks to kind genes, Frankie now has some oomph to her figure. The best part? The greatest catch at Alabaster, of course: Matthew Livingston.

Reason Number Two: Matthew is part of a secret society. An all-male society. A VERY EXCLUSIVE all-male society.

Reason Number Three: Frankie isn’t about to take “no” for an answer. Again.

Join Frankie, Matthew and the rest of the dogs as the war over Alabaster begins– and ends.

–Becca Kaufeld, ACPL Teen Advisory Board

Teens may vote for the Teens’ Top Ten through September 18th at the Teens’ Top Ten voting page.

YALSA’s Online Courses Cooler temperatures, falling leaves … why not complete the picture by signing up for one of YALSA’s Online Courses this fall? YALSA is offering three courses  (including two brand-new ones!): AIMing at Tweens: Advising, Involving, Motivating (taught by Teri Lesesne); Graphic Novels and Teen Readers: The Basics and Beyond (taught by Francisca Goldsmith) and Reaching Teens with Gaming (taught by Beth Gallaway). Read descriptions and register at YALSA’s Online Courses page.

Bundled Registration Open If you’re planning to attend both ALA conferences this year (Midwinter Meeting in Boston, Jan. 15-19 and Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., June 24-29) , take advantage of bundled registration and save 20% off of advanced registration for each conference separately. You’ll be able to register for hotels now, too. Starting Oct. 1, you can add registration for YALSA’s Midwinter Institute, “Libraries 3.0: Teen Edition” and YALSA’s Midwinter Social Event, “Games, Gadgets & Gurus.”

After the jump, learn how you can propose a program or paper for the 2010 YA Lit Symposium, see how you can preorder YALSA’s newest book, tell YALSA your opinion on future continuing education topics, and find out deadlines for the Teens’ Top Ten and Teen Read Week.

YALSA’s YA Lit Symposium Needs You Think about joining YALSA in 2010 for the Young Adult Literature Symposium, Nov. 5-7, 2010, in Albuquerque, N.M, with a theme  of “Beyond Good Intentions: Teens, Literature and Diversity.” Proposals for programs, papers, and the preconference will be accepted at the symposium website through Oct. 1. We’re also giving away two stipends to offset travel costs, one for someone whose worked directly with teens in a library setting for ten years or less and one for a student in an ALA-accredited MLS program (you must be enrolled in an MLS program at the start of the symposium); stipend applications are due by Jan. 4, 2010. Details on both are available at www.ala.org/yalitsymposium.

Preorder Cool Teen Programs for under $100 YALSA’s newest book, Cool Teen Programs for under $100, edited by Jenine Lillian for YALSA (YALSA, 2009), is now available for preorders! Books will ship in late September. This essential guide offers creative, fun programming ideas at prices that won’t break your budget (plus it has helpful chapters on budgeting and marketing for teen librarians).

Talk to Us YALSA is currently surveying members on topics for future professional development offerings – tell us what you’d like to see addressed in our online courses, monthly chats, face-to-face institutes, and more. The survey will take less than ten minutes and you’ll be entered to win a free online course from YALSA, just for completing it.

Two Weeks That’s how long you have until two big YALSA deadlines: registration for Teen Read Week ends Sept. 18, as does voting for the Teens’ Top Ten. Make sure you’ve registered for Teen Read Week and then encourage your teens to vote for this year’s Teens’ Top Ten. We’ll be announcing the winners during Teen Read Week in a video featuring WWE Superstars and Divas (and maybe a couple authors, too).

That’s it for this week’s update! To stay up to date on the latest from the YALSA Office, sign up to follow YALSA on Twitter or become a fan of YALSA on Facebook!

Teens can voice their choice for their favorite books by voting in YALSA’s annual Teens’ Top Ten poll! Voting is open now through Sept. 18. YALSA extended the voting period this year to four weeks, with more time for teens to fit voting into their busy schedules, particularly at the start of the school year. We’ll announce the winners in a webcast during Teen Read Week, Oct. 18-24.

How can you encourage teens to vote? There are plenty of ways. Read on to find out more…

Encourage teens to participate in the Teens’ Top Ten:

• Start by reading the recommendations for promoting the Teens’ Top Ten at your library on the YALSA website.
• Print out the 2009 nominee bookmarks (PDF) and distribute them at your library.
• Take one computer in your library and make it a voting station. Download the Teens’ Top Ten widget (GIF) and add to your library’s blog or website to encourage teens to vote. Link back to www.ala.org/teenstopten now through Sept. 18
• Bookmark the Teens’ Top Ten tag on this blog and encourage teens at your library to read the reviews, which were compiled by teens on the Allen County Public Library Teen Advisory Board.
• Remind them that it’s the only booklist chosen entirely by teens — and that every vote counts.

How are you encouraging teens to participate? Tell us in the comments!

Teens’ Top Ten Voting Begins Monday! The Teens’ Top Ten opens for voting on Monday! Teens can vote for their favorite books from the past year at the Teens’ Top Ten website through Sept. 18. We’re giving teens four weeks to vote this year, to make sure that every teen’s vote counts. Winners will be announced in a webcast featuring World Wrestling Entertainment Superstars and Divas (plus a few special guests!) during Teen Read Week, Oct. 18-24.

Canada: The New Frontier for the WrestleMania Reading Challenge For the first time, YALSA and World Wrestling Entertainment will open registration for the WrestleMania Reading Challenge to Canadian residents, excluding Quebec. Registration at this time is open only to residents of Canada (excluding Quebec). Canadian librarians can sign up using an online form through Aug. 31.

Go Back to School with YALSA Relive your school days and sign up for YALSA’s top-notch professional development! We’re offering three classes for the fall session (including two brand-new courses). Join us for AIMing at Tweens: Advising, Involving, Motivating (taught by Teri Lesesne); Graphic Novels and Teen Readers: The Basics and Beyond (taught by Francisca Goldsmith) and Reaching Teens with Gaming (taught by Beth Gallaway). Read descriptions and register at YALSA’s Online Courses page. Registration ends Oct. 2.

After the jump, find out about how to propose a session or win a travel stipend for the YA Lit Symposium in 2010, encourage your patrons to nominate you for the 2009 I Love My Librarian Award, sign up for Teen Read Week, and more.

YALSA’s YA Lit Symposium Needs You Think about joining YALSA in 2010 for the Young Adult Literature Symposium, Nov. 5-7, 2010, in Albuquerque, N.M, with a theme  of “Beyond Good Intentions: Teens, Literature and Diversity.” Proposals for programs, papers, and the preconference will be accepted at the symposium website through Oct. 1. We’re also giving away two stipends to offset travel costs, one for someone whose worked directly with teens in a library setting for ten years or less and one for a student in an ALA-accredited MLS program (you must be enrolled in an MLS program at the start of the symposium); stipend applications are due by Jan. 4, 2010. Details on both are available at www.ala.org/yalitsymposium.

Congrats to Cristina Mitra! Cristina Mitra is YALSA’s 2009-2010 Spectrum scholar. Mitra will use the funds to earn an MLS at the  San Jose State University School of Library and Information Science. YALSA was able to sponsor a Spectrum scholar this year through donations to the Friends of YALSA.

I Love My Librarian Nominations Now Open Nominations are now open for the 2009 Carnegie Corporation of New York/New York Times I Love My Librarian Award. The award invites library users to recognize the accomplishments of librarians in public, school, college, community college and university libraries for their efforts to improve the lives of people in their community. Nominations will run through October 9 and are being accepted online at www.ilovelibraries.org/ilovemylibrarian. You can also find information on the 2008 winners and download publicity tools at the I Love My Librarian website.

Teen Read Week Registration: Don’t Forget Teen Read Week is coming up fast! Make sure you’re registered so you can download the 2009 theme logo, Read Beyond Reality @ your library. After you’ve registered, check out the Teen Read Week website for ideas and download publicity tools to get the word out at your school or in your community. Then, post what you’re doing this year on the Teen Read Week wiki.

Bundled Registration Opens Soon Bundled registration for ALA’s 2010 Midwinter Meeting (Boston, Jan. 15-19) and Annual Conference (Washington, D.C., June 24-29) opens on Sept. 1. Bundled registration costs $300 for YALSA members (and even less for students), a $60 savings. Learn more at the Midwinter Registration webpage.

That’s it for this week’s update! To stay up to date on the latest from the YALSA Office, sign up to follow YALSA on Twitter or become a fan of YALSA on Facebook!

It is often said that it takes a village to raise a child. In this book, it takes an unusual village to raise an orphaned child: a graveyard full of spirits from all walks of life and different time periods. Each ghost brings new adventures to young Bod’s life. Meanwhile, the murderers of Bod’s family are determined to kill Bod in order to prevent the fulfillment of a prophecy. Bod’s life becomes a wild ride, full of danger, suspense, twists and turns, with a trip into another dimension thrown in for good measure. This Newbery Medal winner by Neil Gaiman will not only appeal to fans of the supernatural, but also to anyone who just likes a good story filled with humor and mystery. –Scott Forsythe, ACPL Teen Advisory Board

The Graveyard Book is one of 25 Teens’ Top Ten nominees chosen by teen advisory groups from around the country. Read all about TTT here.

“Once upon a time, I was a little girl who disappeared.
Once upon a time, my name was not Alice.
Once upon a time, I didn’t know how lucky I was. ”

Living Dead Girl is a book you will love to hate.

Alice is a fifteen year old girl that has not known a normal childhood since she was ten years old, but Alice is not Alice. She is a shell of her former self. She is a girl without hope. She is an abducted child.

Before Ray, Alice was a normal, happy girl, but now she is a tortured fifteen year old. Ray took her from a class field trip when she was ten years old and every day since she had been his slave. His slave emotionally, physically, and most horrifically, sexually. Every day she does whatever Ray wants her to do so that she can protect her once upon a time family that lives on 623 Daisy Lane. She knows that if she doesn’t do exactly what Ray wants, then both her, and her family, will end up just like the Alice before her, dead.

In this chilling novel by Elizabeth Scott, child abduction is shown in a way that can open your eyes in ways that a newspaper article never could. It teaches about “stranger danger” better than any other source. This book demands attention. It explores the mindset and desperation of Alice in such a way that your heart breaks for her. The writing in this book is so enthralling and intense that it can’t be put down to read later like other books. You almost have to read the book all at once to see what happens to Alice, to see if she ever gets away from Ray, or if she endures her suffering through the very end of her life.

Emily A., ACPL Teen Advisory Board

Living Dead Girl is one of 25 Teens’ Top Ten nominees chosen by teen advisory groups from around the country. Read all about TTT here.

 Eternal by Cynthia Leitich Smith, a novel set in the same parallel world as her previous book Tantalize, is not the typical vampire romance. Instead it is a breath of fresh air as it explores a new fantastical pairing.

The story is told by Miranda, a high-schooler turned vampire (”Eternal”) princess, and Zachary, her adoring guardian angel. After Miranda joins the legions of the undead, she is adopted by the King of the Mantle of Dracul, otherwise known as the reigning Dracula. Because Zachary reveals himself as an angel while attempting to protect Miranda the night she is taken, he is stripped of his wings. The only way to regain his heavenly powers is to complete a mysterious assignment. Zachary is led to Dracula’s castle, where he soon accidentally interviews to be the Eternal princess’ personal assistant. As he finds himself face to face with Miranda, his long lost girl, he makes it his goal to save her soul. Miranda realizes that she is falling in love with this strange human as they work together to plan her Father’s Death Day gala, although soon she discovers that Zachary isn’t as human as she thought.

Their love story, one of a vampire and an angel, has never been told in such an amusing fashion. With a cast of vibrant and contemporary characters, Eternal is a must-read. Smith employs the perfect combination of wit and sincerity, making for an enthralling tale that is almost impossible to put down. Eternal will keep readers entertained through the very last page. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good romance, and even to those who don’t. I doubt that anyone could be disappointed after reading this amazing novel.  — Tara Olivero, Allen County Public Library Teen Advisory Board

Eternal is one of 25 Teens’ Top Ten nominees chosen by teen advisory groups from around the country. Read all about TTT here.

Fifteen years ago, the Mayor of the Education City  was presented with an unwelcome surprise by his superiors: twin six-month-old boys whom he must raise as his own. As the Mayor reluctantly accepted the two babies, Umasi and Zen, he had no way of knowing that when they grew up, they would change the city forever…

A somewhat chilling tale of education gone horribly awry, it’s nonetheless an outstanding read. This action packed science fiction novel has everything a reader could want – beautifully detailed fight scenes, an intricate plot, and very realistic characters. It’s even got a love story in it! How much better does it get? –Joe Kaufeld, ACPL Teen Advisory Board

Truancy: Origins is one of 25 Teens’ Top Ten nominees chosen by teen advisory groups from around the country. Read all about TTT here.

Geek Charming by Robin Palmer
What would it be like to be popular?
Josh needs to know. He’s making a documentary about popularity for college. And since he was the savior of her drowning purse, Dylan, queen of the A-crowd, is in on it. But when the camera turns on, Dylan’s perfect world starts breaking apart, and her diva mask is shattered. Will Josh’s camera capture the real Dylan or the fake?

This book is awesome. At different points, I saw little subtle touches of reality thrown in. The characters are so real, it feels like you’re not just reading it. It could be the story of somebody you know. I know people who would fit Josh’s profile, or even become Dylan. Do you?  –Becca Kaufeld

Geek Charming is one of 25 Teens’ Top Ten nominees chosen by teen advisory groups from around the country. Read all about TTT here.

Paper Towns by John Green is a fantastic book and a wild ride. Green takes the audience through the adventures Quentin ‘Q’ Jacobsen has with Margo Roth Spiegelman. Q is a very bright senior who is planning on attending Duke the following fall. He is fairly shy and mainly just talks to his band friends. However, he has always loved Margo from afar. One night Margo slips into Q’s room and she takes him on the craziest night of his life. The next day Margo disappears. Q is shocked but he finds clues that Margo left for him. He religiously follows the clues in search of Margo.

Green keeps the audience engaged and uses great imagery. Not to mention that this book is very funny! I recommend it highly to all readers looking for a quick read and a great book. –Luke Fallon

Also, Sadie and Billy wear green, talk about their love for John Green.

Paper Towns is one of 25 Teens’ Top Ten nominees chosen by teen advisory groups from around the country. Read all about TTT here.