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By the Numbers
Teen: 194
Tween: 99
Children: 79

Sources
Review Copies: 102
Swapped: 5
Purchased: 29
Library: 189

Standouts (titles link to my reviews)
Teen: Selected in June: Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
"This book tore out my heart, stomped on it, then sat down next to me and offered me a cigarette and a very strong drink."
Tween: Selected in July: Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead
"How do you follow up a Newbery winner? With another book that seems simple on the surface, but bubbles with secrets underneath."
Children: Selected in March: Keeper by Kathi Appelt
"It's not an action-packed heart-thumper of a book, although there are certainly tense moments. It meanders, it daydreams, it wanders. It has that magical-realism-type acceptance of the marvelous and fantastical next to the everyday. You have to assemble the real stories from the crumbs dropped by the author."

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By the Numbers
Teen: 20
Tween: 6
Children: 4

Sources
Review Copies: 6

Purchased: 2
Library: 18

Standouts
Teen: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
So the premise is  what you'd get if a Lifetime movie did unspeakable things with a Lurlene McDaniel book. But the execution is really that good. The story doesn't so much tug your heartstrings as use your own funnybone to rip them out.
Tween: Agent Q, or the Smell of Danger! by M.T. Anderson
I read this book after a bunch of lackluster experiences, and it was just what I needed. Irreverent, hilarious, and fast-paced, it's like Bond met "Airplane!" and they mainlined a bunch of Pixy Stix.

Children: The Dead Boys by Royce Buckingham
Yeeeep! This is a creepy, creepy book. Twelve-year-old Teddy moves to a new town and discovers that every ten years, a twelve-year-old boy goes missing around the giant sycamore tree next door. And the last disappearance? Ten years ago exactly. Brrrr.

Because I Want To Awards
Robots in Love!: Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Okay, one robot, and that's really an android. I love a fairytale retelling, but sometimes they can twist themselves into so many knots trying to be faithful to the original that it just becames sort of bland. Not so this book.
I Hate You With Every Fiber of My Being, Author: Orleans by Sherri L. Smith
But not, y'know, in the bad way. Step into a New Orleans that's been knocked back to the Stone Age by hurricane after hurricane, and take the ride with tough Fen and sheltered Daniel. Root for them as they brave the dangers of man and nature to try to get a newborn baby over the Wall and to a better life. Fuller review coming soon, when I've recovered from the end. Sob.
I Wish This was Made Up: Trash by Andy Mulligan
Three trash pickers discover a treasure, and a mystery that could change everything in their corrupt Third-World country. This slim novel hit harder because it's made inescapably clear that, while the country and politicians are made up, the same corruption, poverty, and despair exists all over the world.
Who Says History Can't Be Awesome?: Bomb: the race to build--and steal--the world's most dangerous weapon by Steve Sheinkin
Science! Espionage! Betrayal! It's all here, and all true.

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By the Numbers
Teen: 15
Tween: 6
Children: 3

Sources
Review Copies: 4

Purchased: 1
Library: 13

Standouts
Teen: Unwholly by Neal Schusterman
Confess it; aren't you a little wary of something suddenly becoming a trilogy when previously it was a stand-alone? This one worked. Schusterman takes everything and everybody from the first book, adds some new twists and characters, and hits blend with gusto. Be warned; there are scenes of slaughter. Not graphic, but it's quite clear that the majority don't just make it out with a couple of owies.
Tween: The Lost Treasure of Tuckernuck by Emily Fairlie
A good old-fashioned school adventure story, with kooky touches (school mascot: Hilda the Chicken!) I thoroughly enjoyed this. Review soon.
Children: The Memory Bank by Carolyn Coman
This hybrid (half text, half story-told-in-pictures) book was lovely and imaginative and unique and if I can wrap my head around it, there may be an actual review soon.


Because I Want To Awards
Scary Teens: The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken
Is two enough to call it a trend? Whatevs; I will. Like Unwholly, this book was all about the adult fear of teenage power. In this case, it's genuinely scary-ass psychic powers. Awesome premise, somewhat uneven execution, but overall, I'll read the next book.
Food for Thought: The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie by Tanya Lee Stone
I had a grand total of two Barbies in my lifetime, but this book was an interesting look at a loved and hated American icon. I enjoyed the history of Mattel, and the evolution of Barbie over the years.

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By the Numbers
Teen: 18
Tween: 7
Children: 7

Sources
Review Copies: 9

Purchased: 1
Library: 17

Standouts
Teen: TIE
Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst
She was supposed to give up her life for her goddess. But her goddess never showed. What now? The core of this book was its amazing main character: Liana's faith and yet her practicality, her strength in the face of the upending of everything she'd ever believed. This is a beautiful and unique book with a setting that I loved. I'll stop gushing now, because the only book that could have rivaled it this month was . . .
Hush by Eishes Chayil
Raise your hand if you haven't heard of this one. Yeah, that's what I thought. Powerful, fascinating for its nuanced portrayal of an insular religious community and its secrets, and what it truly means to be a Woman of Valor.
Tween: Geeks, Girls, and Secret Identities by Mike Jung
A superhero fanboy discovers Captain Stupendous's secret identity: he's a twelve-year-old girl. Well, now he is, anyway. And there's a supervillain, and mayhem, plus the usual angst and trauma of being a twelve-year-old. There's just oodles of fun awaiting you in this book.
Children: Me and Momma and Big John by Mara Rockliff
A boy watches his mother work on New York's Cathedral of St. John the Divine, and comes to realize that though her work may be small, the great cathedral couldn't rise without it. A very different look at art and artists, when the individual isn't recognized but their contribution is invaluable to a larger endeavor.

Because I Want To Awards
Consistently Excellent Series is Consistently Excellent: The Hive Detectives by Loree Griffith Burns
This whole series is strong on the science, but this one is particularly good about it, showing how scientists are using the scientific method to formulate and examine theories related to Colony Collapse Disorder, and what the process teaches them even if they don't get The Big Answer to Everything.
No Easy Answers: Fall for Anything by Courtney Sheinmel
Struggling to understand her father's suicide, Eddie falls into a strange relationship with his protege. I really appreciated that this didn't offer one simple thing that made everything better for Eddie, because it doesn't work like that.
Yipppeeee, Finally!: The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson
I've been waiting to read this ever since I devoured The Girl of Fire and Thorns last year. This book is more complex as Elisa struggles with the mantle of ruling that she took on at the end of the last book. The end was a little ARGH but I did love this book.

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By the Numbers
Teen: 17
Tween: 7
Children: 4

Sources
Review Copies: 8
Swapped: 1
Purchased: 1
Library: 14

Standouts
Teen: The Brides of Rollrock Island by Margo Lanagan
Like Tender Morsels, this is a complex story of flawed human beings in a supernatural situation, though this book is somewhat more accessible than that one. I loved it but it's not for everybody. Check out the review (linked in title) for more blathering on my part.
Tween: The Encyclopedia of Me by Karen Rivers
This should have felt overstuffed with Issues: biracial character, autism in the family, deceptive friends, identity, etc. Not to mention the quirky structure: written as an encyclopedia, with all the text filed under different entries, this book should have been massively confusing. The fact that it wasn't overstuffed or confusing, and that's it's a breezy, fun, funny read shows how well it's put together.
Children: Attack of the Fluffy Bunnies by Andrea Beaty, illustrations by Dan Santat
Equal parts hilarious and weird, you need this on hand for when your quirkiest young patrons come in.

Because I Want To Awards
Most Eagerly Anticipated: Team Human by Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brennan
This send-up of the vampire craze has been on my radar for a loooong time. In general, it was worth the wait.
Most Awesome This-Meets-That: Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel
Steampunk meets zombie. True, there were huge issues with the execution, and I may expound on them in a review in the future, but by golly it was a fun mashup.
Most Applicable to Everyday Life: How to Grow Up and Rule the World by Vordak the Incomprehensible (aka Scott Seegert)
Hysterically funny guidebook to becoming a supervillain. Foisted it on a young man of my acquaintance and his mom reports that he adores it. Live in fear, people of Earth. Live in fear.

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By the Numbers
Teen: 18
Tween: 9
Children: 5

Sources
Review Copies: 11

Purchased: 2
Library: 14

Standouts
Teen: Every Day by David Levithan
I'm hardly the only person to fall in love with this story. Review coming soon.
Tween: Milo: Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze by Alan Silberberg
The comic illustrations may catch the eye of Wimpy Kid fans, but this story about a boy struggling to deal with his mother's death from a brain tumor offers more depth. Best part? How Milo's believable middle-school angst is woven through the grief. Life goes on.
Children: Bones: skeletons and how they work by Steve Jenkins
Okay, this was just plain neat. Jenkins' distinctive art style illustrates this first look at the framework of our bodies. My favorite part was the animal bones he adds, especially the chameleon's.

Because I Want To Awards
Goriest: Shadows by Ilsa J. Bick
I was awfully excited for this book, the sequel to Ashes. I still gobbled it up--fast-paced, dark, and with multiple tangled storylines as we watch the world fall apart--but with a slightly queasy stomach, because holy crap, the gore. Blood spattering everywhere. You're warned.
Would So Have Gotten a Slapped Face in Real Life: Beat the Band by Don Calame
The main character is a 15-year-old boy. He's horny, stupid, and impetuous, and darned if I didn't like him and his horny, stupid, impetuous best friends in spite of all that. Calame is awfully good at toeing that line.
Yippee Sequel!: Super by Matthew Cody
Back when I read the first book, I knew this MG superhero novel was begging for a sequel. Cody spins out the threads that were left dangling from Powerless, and again leaves it in a spot that seems to promise bigger and better things for our pubescent heroes.

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By the Numbers
Teen: 14
Tween: 7
Children

Sources
Review Copies: 8
Swapped: 1
Purchased: 1
Library: 17

Standouts
Teen: Mr. Monster by Dan Wells
Though my library cataloged this in their adult section, I felt like it was a perfect example of a teen book. A very dark and disturbing teen book, to be sure, but with the same themes of self-definition, growing into yourself, and understanding what you're capable of and why that doesn't mean you should do it. In some ways better than the first book.
Tween: Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead
How do you follow up a Newbery winner? With another book that seems simple on the surface, but bubbles with secrets underneath. Review coming soon.
Children: Just a Second by Steve Jenkins
We don't talk about the concept of time a whole lot in children's lit. Oh, sure, how to tell time, but not the way that Jenkins does, recounting various things that could happen in various units of time. I think scientific-minded kids will get a giant kick out of it. And of course the illustrations are stellar.

Because I Want To Awards
Longest Awaited: Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore
Years, you guys. Years. I kept wanting to re-read the others as I worked my way through this book. It's not a flashy, action-packed plot by any means, but this quietly powerful meditation on personal guilt and responsibility, and how a leader must handle them in both herself and the people she leads left an impression.
No Easy Answers: I Am J by Cris Beam
This story of a transgender teen gained points for not having J discover a place where he magically belonged. He felt as out of place in the LGBT shelter as he did at home, and that felt realistic to me. The real focus was not on "how will the world ever accept me" but "how will I ever learn to fit into this skin."
For Lovers of Traditional Children's Lit: What Happened on Fox Street by Tricia Springstubb
There's something very old-fashioned about the feel of this book. I noticed the words "wholesome" and "classic" coming up a lot in other reviews, even though there are themes that would never have come up fifty years ago. I think it's because of the way that Mo is pretty much left to her own devices, seeking out adventure and answers in equal measure. Give this to lovers of the Penderwicks and other modern classic books.

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By the Numbers
Teen: 18
Tween: 9
Children: 7

Sources
Review Copies: 9
Purchased: 2
Library: 20

Standouts
Teen: Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
I . . . I can't even talk coherently about this book, weeks after reading. Once I can, there will be a blog post, I promise, because this is the kind of book you need to think about and talk about.
Tween: Dust Girl by Sarah Zettel
From my review, posted yesterday: "Wild and weird, rich and textured, this is a freaking amazing book. And I want more."
Children: The Penderwicks at Point Mouette by Jeanne Birdsall
This book sees the younger Penderwicks developing much more distinct personalities, as they deal with drama during their summer trip. A worthy addition to a series that stands out for its classic feel.

Because I Want To Awards
Another Sticky One: Leverage by Joshua Cohen
This story of two very different high school athletes who band together in the face of vicious bullying is another one I won't soon forget.
I Feel Bad for the Author: Burn Mark by Laura Powell
Because while this is an intriguing setting with a fascinating couple of characters who need to make major moral choices, the kidlit world has already gone gaga over a contemporary alternate universe where magic has been criminalized, and it's really hard to go head-to-head with Holly Black. That said, I really loved some of the moral complexity Powell tackled in this book, and where she left it at the end.
Conservation as Battleground: Kakapo Rescue by Sy Montgomery, pictures by Nic Bishop
I'm always disposed to like the Scientists in the Field series for their excellent pictures and their interesting take on conversation and nature-related topics. This one highlights the ups and downs of attempting to preserve a species that has fallen to less than 100 members.

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By the Numbers
Teen: 15
Tween: 10
Children: 5

Sources
Review Copies: 7
Swapped: 1
Purchased: 2
Library: 17

Standouts
Teen: Mistwood by Leah Cypess
I kept this on my list because there were some comparisons to Meghan Whalen "Creator of Eugenides" Turner, but secretly I was wondering how it would be. I think the comparisons were warranted. While some secondary characters weren't very strong, this is definitely in the same vein of complex political machinations and multi-layered inner life of the mysterious protagonist.
Tween: Julia Gillian and the Dream of the Dog by Alison McGhee
This last book in the Julia Gillian trilogy is all about what we knew would happen from the first book. To put it succinctly, yes, the dog dies, and serious, sensitive Julia Gillian has to handle it as best she can. Well, really, what did you think would happen? Sniff.
Children: Alvin Ho: Allergic to Dead Bodies, Funerals, and Other Fatal Circumstances by Lenore Look, illustrated by LeUyen Pham
Of all the things to fear, this is the biggie: death, and Alvin Ho handles it in his inimitable fashion. He's still an unabashed scaredy-cat, but he's starting to handle it now, learning that being afraid doesn't mean he shouldn't face things. He's also getting into some more stereotypically second-grade trouble, although mostly because he's too shy to open his mouth and correct misconceptions.

Because I Want To Awards
Was Most Surprised to Like: Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown
Okay, y'all . . . homicidal mermaids. So many ways this could have been bad. Instead, it was surprisingly good. Although I would have liked to had Calder in his merman guise on the cover, instead of Generic Girl Mermaid.
Most Challenging: Love You Two by Maria Pallotta Chiarolli
Also known as the polyamorous-mom book. Because I have very strong feelings about monogamy in marriage, I was squarely in the protagonist's camp at the beginning of the book, not a comfortable place to be really. The happy-sweet-we-love-and-accept-everybody-no-really-everybody message started to be a bit much near the 3/4 mark, but I still think it's well worth reading for the reminder that love comes into our lives in all forms.
Least Sympathetic Main Character: Archvillain by Barry Lyga
Lyga treads a careful line in making his superpowered genius kid arrogant, a little nasty, a lot thoughtless, but not truly evil, just painted that way by circumstances. An entertaining look at the other side of the mask and cape, and the start of a series I'll keep on hand for comic-book mavens.

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By the Numbers
Teen: 15
Tween: 11
Children: 6

Sources
Review Copies: 5
Purchased: 6
Library: 19

Standouts
Teen: The DUFF by Kody Keplinger
Hey, did you know teens handle sex about like adults do? They get with the wrong partners, they do it for the wrong reasons, it's all tangled up with their inner lives, and sometimes love (or serious like) comes as a total revelation. You didn't? Kody Keplinger does.
Tween: Dani Noir by Nova Ren Suma
Maybe if she had credits to refer to, Dani would know who she's supposed to hate and who she's supposed to like, and all the good guys would ride off into the sunset together. Unfortunately, life's not like the movies.
Children: Hamster and Cheese by Colleen A.F. Venable and Stephanie Yue
In the mood for a graphic novel? Something a little more challenging than an easy reader, but still conquerable? A quirky, funny tale? A story about a reluctant private eye? An animal book? In this first installment of the Pet Shop Private Eye series, Venable and Yue have gotcha covered.

Because I Want To Awards
Best First Line: The Exile of Gigi Lane by Adrienne Maria Vrettos
"I'm Gigi Lane, and you wish you were me." Seriously, put the book down after that. I dare you.
What Are the Odds?: This Means War! by Ellen Wittlinger and Countdown by Deborah Wiles
I had no idea I'd be reading not one but two great books this month about the Cuban Missile Crisis, seen through the eyes of kids on the perimeter of the military and filtered through their everyday hopes, fears, and struggles. I just wish the first had gotten a little more critical love.
Bring a Hanky: Dear Anjali by Melissa Glenn Haber
This book about a girl struggling to come to terms with her best friend's sudden death goes beyond "She'll always be with me" and into "You know, she wasn't perfect, but that's okay, because that's the way I wanted her." Man, you guys, I was a mess.
And Now, I Taunt You: Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan
Complicated relationships, witty banter, a healthy dollop of supernatural hijinks . . . yep, sounds like SRB to me. You'll see the review on this one closer to its publication in September. Yeah, I'm evil.

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By the Numbers
Teen: 10
Tween: 11
Children: 13

Sources
Review Copies: 10
Purchased: 4
Library: 12

Standouts
Teen: Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
I am an evil, evil person for mentioning this because it won't even be out for months. But. I LOVED IT. Dragons and war and politics and adventure and romance and the deeply practical, quick-witted, identity-confused girl at the center of it all. Review closer to publication.
Tween: The Truth About My Bat Mitzvah by Nora Raleigh Baskin
I kept looking for this book because it promised to be about faith and coming of age, two of my particular loves. It brings that, but it's mostly about a girl coming to terms with her beloved grandmother's death and how her faith plays into that.
Children: Keeper by Kathi Appelt
I have a half-written review in my drafts, trying to put my finger on why this book about the Gulf Coast and mothers and cobbled-together families captured my heart. Guys, I don't know why, but it did.

Because I Want To Awards
Why Didn't I Grow Up in New York City?: Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithin
Just like Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, this book made me long to live in New York. At least over Christmas. Don't talk to me about the rents. This is my fantasyland.
Darker Than I Expected: Alibi Junior High by Greg Logsted
Okay, a kid raised in the CIA going to regular school for the first time? Should be laff-a-minute. But with lingering PTSD, a secondary character that's an amputee from the Afghanistan war, and the complicated realization that the way he was raised was completely crazeballs, this is a book with a little more meat on it.
I Love You, David Wiesner: June 29, 1999 by David Wiesner
Yes, this is an older one. I happened across it on my shelves, and I remembered why I'm a David Wiesner fangirl. It leads you blithely in one completely kooky direction, and at the last minute, cuts away and drops the reality (also deliciously kooky) into your lap.
Just Try and Keep It on Your Shelves: If Dinosaurs Lived Today by Dougal Dixon and M.J. Benton
Just for the picture of a bear fighting a dinosaur for a salmon, you need this book. But more, it's a book that posits dinosaurs in our world, speculates on what they'd eat and who'd eat them and how humans would use them. Too, too cool.

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By the Numbers
Teen: 19
Tween: 9
Children: 7

Sources
Review Copies: 11
Swapped: 1
Purchased: 5
Library: 16

Standouts
Teen: Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
I realize I'm a few years late on this one. You know how everybody raaaaves about a book and then you get all contrary and go, "Nah, can't possibly be that good?" And you just give in and read it and then it is? Oh, just me, then. Anyway, if you haven't read this book about the past and the present and family and secrets and the love that gets passed down across generations even though you don't really know where it all came from . . . well, you should. 'Kay? Mkay.
Tween: The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z by Kate Messner
This story of a girl undergoing massive life changes as the seasons change around her is poignant and sweet and immediately recognizable to anybody who's ever lived through the tween years.
Children: The Case of the Vanishing Frogs: A Scientific Mystery by Sandra Markle
Just why are the golden frogs of Panama disappearing? Come along and find out why, and what scientists are doing to save them. Just right for mystery lovers, animal lovers, and anybody who loves magnificent pictures.

Because I Want To Awards
Most Hmmm-Worthy: Grave Mercy by R.L. LaFevers
There's a lot that sets this book about an nun/assassin in 15th century Brittany apart. Generally in a good way, but mostly in a Hmmm way. I want to muse on it sometime soon.
Most Stomach-Turning: Slice of Cherry by Dia Reeves
It's about the two daughters of a serial killer, who seem to be taking after dear old Dad. Yikes. But more than that, it's about two sisters, struggling with the change in themselves and in their relationship. While they, y'know, kill people. A lot.
Sequel Most Desired: Powerless by Matthew Cody
Holy potential, Batman! While this story of a town protected by preteen superheroes, and the one ordinary kid who's in on the secret, was tied up all right and tight (no cliffhangers here!), there were some threads that could be woven into a killer sequel. Please? Pleaseplease?
Just What I Wanted: Ottoline Goes to School by Chris Riddell
I've been thoroughly charmed by Ottoline and her faithful Mr. Munroe (not a dog) since the first book. This entry into the series was exactly the mixture of quirky and sweet that I expected and wanted.

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By the Numbers
Teen: 25
Tween: 2
Children: 2

Sources
Review Copies: 3
Library: 23

Standouts
Teen: Blood Red Road by Moira Young
I've been keeping notes for myself on my Cybils reading. Many of them say things like, "Interesting premise. Flattish characters." The notes for this are a gibbering mess of "OMG! The setting! The characters! The violence! The tone! Saba! Jaaaack!" So. Yeah. There's that. I also got a colleague to read it. When she finished the book, we basically squeed at each other until our voices gave out.

Since I'm reading all Cybils nominees all the time, and read so few tween or children's book this month, I'm just going to stick to a Teen standout and be done with it.

Because I Want To Awards
Swoony McSwoon: The Demon's Surrender by Sarah Rees Brennan
Finally, the nerdy, sweet, competent, honorable compulsive liar got some loving. What I've been personally waiting for since the moment I met him in The Demon's Lexicon.
So Many Points Over Book One: Shift by Jeri Smith-Ready
Remember how I half-loved, half-hated the first book last month? Much better this time around. Mostly because the character I hated most got the big poof.
LizB, I Will Never Doubt Your Taste Again, Not That I Did Before: Chime by Franny Billingsley
I have never thought of LizB as a gusher; quite the opposite. So when she posted this glowing review of Chime, I sat up and took notice. When I read it, I said, "Oh. That's why."

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By the Numbers
Teen: 11
Tween: 8
Children: 7

Sources
Review Copies: 5
Swapped: 1
Purchased: 1
Library: 17

Standouts
Teen: TIE Flash Burnout by L.K. Madigan AND Say the Word by Jeannine Garsee
While these are two very different stories, for me the reason they stood out was the same: the main characters. One is a boy making all the wrong choices in his first two profound attachments to two different girls. One is a girl struggling with her mother's recent death and all the choices that same mother made in her life. They can both be jaw-droppingly selfish and short-sighted, but still managed to be sympathetic enough to keep me reading. Well done, both authors.
Tween: The Last Invisible Boy by Evan Kuhlman
Don't let the Wimpy-Kid-style drawings fool you. This is a quiet and reflective book on the death of a parent, or more accurately, a boy getting used to the loss of a parent, that really takes the time to explore all the different emotions.
Children: Clover Twig and the Magical Cottage by Kaye Umansky
After that title, I was expecting something so twee my teeth would fall out. What I got was a hilarious and quirky fantasy with a stridently down-to-earth heroine who handles anything comes her way, be it a back-talking front gate, an evil witch, or an incredibly dirty house she's just been hired to clean. I want more Clover Twig!

Because I Want To Awards
Tongue-Firmly-in-Cheek: The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity by Mac Barnett is an especial treat for people who've read more than their lifetime recommended allowance of Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew mysteries.
Okay, Did They Even Read It?: Luv Ya Bunches by Lauren Myracle, infamous for being excluded from Scholastic Book fairs at schools because a character has two moms, contains more discussion of Islam than it does of lesbians. On the other hand . . . hmm.
Way Too Cool: Where Else in the Wild? by David M. Schwartz is perfect for Where's Waldo lovers who also enjoy science and animals.

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By the Numbers
Teen: 23
Tween: 9
Children: 8

Sources
Review Copies: 8
Purchased: 1
Library: 28

Standouts
Teen: This Gorgeous Game by Donna Freitas
To everyone else, he's the most perfect and amazing person in the world. But to her, he's the one she most adamantly doesn't want. This story of obsession should be read by every girl who's ever ignored that little voice inside.
Tween: After Ever After by Jordan Sonnenblick
Kiddie cancer patients just warm the friggin' cockles of your heart, don't they? Sonnenblick shows us what life is like for the ones who beat it: the physical effects of the medicine, the trauma to the family members, and the ever-present fear that it'll come back. It could be angst-o-rama, but he combines it with a pitch-perfect story of a mostly typical young teen trying to find his place in the world.
Children: Junonia by Kevin Henkes
If you've ever known or been a sensitive and introverted child, you'll recognize Alice, her dismay at the changes in her beloved summer hideaway, her hopes for the all-important tenth birthday, and her quest to find the rare junonia shell.

Because I Want To Awards
Most Harrowing: The Enemy and The Dead, by Charlie Higson
Yep, It's That Good!: The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger
Best Possible End: Are These My Basoomas I See Before Me? by Louise Rennison
Marvelously Gross: Crust and Spray: Gross Stuff in Your  Eyes, Ears, Nose, and Throat by C.S. Larsen

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By the Numbers
Teen: 18
Tween: 4
Children: 9

Sources
Review Copies: 4
Swapped: 3
Purchased: 2
Library: 21

Standouts
Teen: Solace of the Road by Siobhan Dowd
Armed with a red wig, foster teen Holly takes to the road as Solace, the daring, sexier, and more adventurous side of herself, on a quest to find the mother who gave her up. But will Solace endure when Holly's real memories start to surface? Even though I knew Holly was about to crash and burn emotionally any second, I couldn't put this down.
Tween: Here's How I See It - Here's How It Is by Heather Henson
Thirteen stinks any way you look at it. But June's summer stinks more than most. Her mom has moved out, her dad seems to be having a midlife crisis, and her special role in the family theater is being usurped by an annoying outsider. This first novel impressed me with its razor-sharp recall of just how bad the middle school years could be.
Children: Stage Fright by Meg Cabot
Allie Finkle and her rules are back, and this time she's navigating the tricky waters of friendship vs stage rivalry. What's a girl to do when her very, very best friend wants the exact same part in the class play that she does? I always say that Meg Cabot is just about the best writer of the modern girl character of any age, and this one did not prove me wrong.

Because I Want To Awards
Most Interesting Main Character: The Rise of Renegade X by Chelsea Campbell
Not Nearly as Light and Fluffy as It Sounded: Donut Days by Lara Zielin
Will Remind You That Love Has Jagged Edges: Ballad: a gathering of faerie by Maggie Stiefvater
Gotta Read the Next One: Leaving the Bellweathers by Kristin Clark Venuti
Took the Entire Premise of the First Book and Turned It Inside Out: Ascendant by Diana Peterfreund

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By the Numbers
Teen: 17
Tween: 10
Children: 10

Sources
Review Copies: 3
Swapped: 3
Purchased: 1
Library: 23

Standouts
Teen: The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff
This is such a well-thought-out, creeptastic world, where nasties go bump in the night and everybody pretends it was the cat, that I didn't even mind the rather slow-moving plot because I was so busy marinating in Mackie's dark life. And how about that cover?!
Tween: How to Survive in Antarctica by Lucy Jane Bledsoe
Forget Alaska. This is the final frontier, people. Writer-in-residence Bledsoe enumerates the wild and woolly desert at the bottom of the world, dipping into tidbits of Antarctic history, zoology, and climatology along the way.
Children: Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Practicing the Piano (but she does love being in recitals) by Peggy Gifford
Moxy is back, and living up to her name. She's so busy preparing for her recital, what with the glittery cape, the bejeweled crown, the tap shoes, and who can forget that bow? that she hasn't actually done so much, y'know, practicing.

Because I Want To Awards
Longest Awaited: I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett
Most Confusing-yet-still-compelling: Nobel Genes by Rune Michaels (I may do a blog post about this one. It's gnawing on my mind.)
Gosh, I Hope This is a Series: The Secret Science Alliance and the Copycat Crook by Eleanor Davis

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By the Numbers
Teen: 24
Tween: 11
Children: 11

Sources
Review Copies: 4
Swapped: 1
Purchased: 4
Library: 27

Standouts
Teen: Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness
OH MY GOD. Ever since the very first book (reviewed here) I've known that Ness doesn't hesitate to make the hard choices when it comes to his characters. This tremendous novel winds up the provocative and demanding series just right.
Tween: Marching for Freedom: Walk Together Children and Don't You Grow Weary by Elizabeth Partridge
The story of the civil rights movement has never been told quite like this: through the eyes of the children who were on the front lines, fighting just as hard as their parents for their own future.
Children: Neil Armstrong is My Uncle and Other Lies Muscle Man McGinty Told Me by Nan Marino
For such a short novel, this is proving difficult to recap in twenty-five words or less. Um, okay: loss, friendship, Vietnam, the moon landing, the way people are different underneath the surface, and a really well-done unlikeable girl protagonist. Yeah, you're just gonna have to read it.

Because I Want To Awards
Loved It But I Can't Sleep Without a Nightlight Now: Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves
Just Plain Fun: Dead Guy Spy by Nathan Lubar AND Lunch Lady and the Author Visit Vendetta by Jarrett J. Krosoczka
Thank You So Much for Not Introducing Smoochies into This: How to Say Goodbye in Robot by Natalie Standiford
The Booktalk Writes Itself: Zombies vs Unicorns, edited by Justine Larbalestier and Holly Black

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By the Numbers
Teen: 20
Tween: 5
Children: 4

Sources
Review Copies: 6
Library: 20

Standouts
Teen: Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Think you know what a teen paranormal book is going to be all about? Think again. Barnes upends conventions all over this tale of a girl literally raised by wolves. Best of all? There's a window open for a sequel, but not a great gaping garage door.
Tween: Julia Gillian and the Quest for Joy by Alison McGhee
McGhee doesn't disappoint in her follow-up to the quietly marvelous Julia Gillian and the Art of Knowing. Serious, sensitive Julia Gillian feels her way through the early tween years the same way we all did--by making mistakes and learning from them.
Children: Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11 by Brian Floca
Want to feel the magic and wonder of the first moon landing for yourself? This book will probably the closest you can get to actually being there.

Because I Want To Awards
Will Make Your Brain Hurt: The Long Wait for Tomorrow by Joaquin Dorfman
More Than I Expected: Chasing Boys by Karen Tayleur
Worth the Wait: Tales From Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan

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By the Numbers
Teen: 19
Tween: 10
Children: 17

Sources
Review Copies: 4
Swapped: 1
Purchased: 2
Library: 14

Standouts
Teen: Soul Enchilada by David Macinnis Gill
It's a standoff between all the forces of Hell and a seventeen-year-old high school dropout named Bug Smoot with little more than her attitude to defend her. After meeting Bug, I'd say those are pretty even odds.
Tween: Positively by Courtney Sheinmel
It's about an HIV-positive girl who just lost her mother to AIDS. Sounds like all it needs is a C-list celebrity to make a Lifetime movie out of it. But that would be overly dismissive of a tender, reflective novel featuring a prickly and tough young girl adjusting to a life changing almost too fast for her to keep up.
Children: Ballet for Martha: Making Appalachian Spring by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan, illustrated by Brian Floca
I admit: I kinda went, "Really? I mean, really?" Not only a picture book for older readers about the making of a ballet, but not even a flashy one like the Nutcracker or Swan Lake. But this nonfiction title about creative collaboration drew me in. I'm not sure how wide the audience will be, but there will be some kids who love this book with all their hearts.

Because I Want To Awards
Way Better Than I Expected: Academy 7 by Anne Osterlund
Made Me Cry on an Airplane, Thanks a Lot: Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler
Too Awesome for Words Nonfic: The Bat Scientists by Mary Kay Carson
Yes, It's Sharon Creech, But . . . : The Unfinished Angel by Sharon Creech (I really wasn't sure what to think about this book, which had more than a whiff of medal-bait about it.)

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By the Numbers
Teen: 21
Tween: 11
Children: 16

Sources
Swapped: 2
Purchased: 1
Library: 40

Standouts
Teen: Thaw by Monica Roe
I simply couldn't put this book down, even when I wanted to kick Dane right in the goolies.
Tween: When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
This book confused the bejesus out of me, and yet, I kept reading. There's time travel, and unlikely friendships, and growth and Madeleine L'Engle and . . . and  . . . okay, just read it already, willya?
Children: Wild Things by Clay Carmichael
A book about the unlikely families that we cobble together because the pieces don't fit anywhere else. Too bad the cover belonged on a different book.

Because I Want To Awards
Highest Ratio of Tears to Pages: Love is the Higher Law by David Levithan
Most Highly Anticipated: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Twistiest Book Unfortunately Spoiled by the OCLC Summary (AKA, What Were You Thinking, Guys?!): White Cat by Holly Black
So Happy This Character Got Her Own Book: Goth Girl Rising by Barry Lyga
McGowan, You Are One Sick Dude: The Witch's Guide to Cooking with Children by Keith McGowan
So Far Over the Top It's Receding Beyond the Horizon: Jasper Dash and the Flame-Pits of Delaware by M.T. Anderson
Can't Wait to Recommend This to a 10-Year-Old: NERDS by Michael Buckley

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By the Numbers
Teen: 22
Tween: 10
Children: 11

Sources
Purchased: 2
Library: 37

Standouts
Teen: The Secret Life of Prince Charming by Deb Caletti
Just how many ways can women make romantic mistakes? I think this book covers all of them.
Tween: The Rock and the River by Kekla Magoon
A very different and provocative view of the Civil Rights movement, the Black Panthers, and the people caught in the middle of it.
Children: Animals Up Close by Igor Siqanowicz
You guys, that lizard is licking his own eyeball. No booktalk is needed.

Because I Want To Awards
Most Unsettling Ending: Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper
Getting It Just Right Again: The Kind of Friends We Used to Be by Frances O'Roark Dowell
Slavering for the Sequel(s): Eon: Dragoneye Reborn by Alison Goodman AND Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
Made Me Rethink the Whole Myth, Oh My God, I'm Such a Geek!: Radiant Darkness by Emily Whitman
Wins the So-Not-Twilight Award: Fairy Tale by Cyn Balog
Was Thiiiiiiiis Close to Being the Teen Standout: Pure by Terra Elan McVoy

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By the Numbers
Teen: 22
Tween: 10
Children: 12

Sources
Review Copies: 1
Swapped: 9
Purchased: 2
Library: 28

Standouts
Teen: Out of the Pocket by Bill Konigsberg
Outed by surprise, gay quarterback Bobby Framingham attempts to keep his feet and make his way through a storm of media and personal attention. I loved the more nuanced reactions of his friends and teammates--some raging homophobia, some immediate acceptance, and everything in between.
Tween: Lucky Breaks by Susan Patron
Our Lucky does some growing up. I appreciated Patron's willingness to have Lucky do things out of jealousy and spite, and then deal with what comes next.
Children: Best Friends and Drama Queens by Meg Cabot
Meg Cabot may know just about everything about the workings of the female brain, at any age. Allie Finkle, half tomboy and half girly-girl and all real, runs headlong into a sophisticated new classmate. If you're betting on Allie, you'd be right.

Because I Want To Awards
Actually Made Me Forget He Was a Freakin' Bear: Ice by Sarah Beth Durst
Awesome-tastic Nonfiction: The Lincolns - A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary by Candace Fleming
Very, Very Familiar: Geektastic - Stories from the Nerd Herd edited by Holly Black and Cecil Castelluci
 Man, I So Knew I Was Gonna Cry: Ways to Live Forever by Sally Nichols
I Had No Idea Bubbles Were So Useful: Bubble Homes and Fish Farts by Fiona Bayrock

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By the Numbers
Teen: 15
Tween: 5
Children: 5

Sources
Review Copies: 1
Swapped: 2
Library: 18

Standouts
Teen: A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner
Well, what did you expect? Review soon.
Tween: No Laughter Here by Rita Williams-Garcia
A tween book about female genital mutilation. This was a brave book for Williams-Garcia to write, but the bravest thing about it is that she doesn't fix everything all better in the end.
Children: Julia Gillian (and the Art of Knowing) by Alison McGhee
A tender examination of fear and courage in the heart of a nine-year-old, armed only with a raccoon mask. Review soon.

Because I Want To Awards
So Totally Would Have Won Standout if Not For Eugenides: Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers
Most Wrenching: Willow by Julia Hoban
For the So-Over-Twilight Crowd: Life Sucks by Jessica Abel AND Uninvited by Andrea Marrone
The Weirdest Thing You Will Ever Experience Sober: The Order of Odd-Fish by James Kennedy

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By the Numbers
Teen: 243
Tween: 143
Children: 162

Standouts
Oh, the wailing and gnashing of teeth. I picked my yearly standout from a pool of each month's standout. You'd think that would make it easier than a regular month. It doesn't.
Teen: Right Behind You by Gail Giles
Giles' real triumph in this book is making her main character so immediately familiar and sympathetic, without softening or excusing his horrific past in any way.
Tween: Genesis Alpha by Rune Michaels
What could have been a ripped-from-the-headlines bit of tripe became a meditation on nature vs. nurture, sibling relations, and the source of evil.
Children: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
This book is surprisingly contradictory--dreamy fairy-tale feel blended with a modern, independent heroine, who defies her parents without once losing respect or love for them.

Sources
I don't have any numbers for this, but I obtained the overwhelming majority from the library. A few were obtained via LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program, and more were swapped online or bought at my favorite local used-book store.

This was the year of the Liar cover controversy and of the FTC regulations brouhaha. This was the year I got onto Twitter, and got more involved in Facebook. Life was made easier by LibraryThing adding a collections function in June, making it possible to sort books into wishlist, available at the library, etc, and then into other categories once I'd read them.

What was your favorite thing about this year?

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