If you liked The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins...

We have all loved The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and based on how often we get requests for books that are similar, we're guessing that most of you are fans or have one in your household! Hopefully, you'll find a few books that will help you pass the time as you wait for the final installment, Mockingjay, to be released on August 24th. This list incorporates a ton of books that are on different reading levels. All books share a theme or characteristic with Ms. Collins wonderful series. If you have questions about these books (or any others), stop by the YA (young adult) department and ask -- we love to talk about books! :-)

Read-a-likes for The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi
Taken by Edward Bloor
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
Graceling by Kristin Cashore
The White Mountains by John Christopher
The Supernaturalist by Eoin Colfer
The Maze Runner by James Dashner
Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
Eon: Dragoneye Reborn by Alison Goodman
Gone by Michael Grant
Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Dr. Franklin's Island by Ann Halam
Worldshaker by Richard Harland
Epic by Conor Kostick
The Giver by Lois Lowery
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
Z is for Zachariah by Robert C. O'Brien
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
Unwind by Neal Shusterman
Heir Apparent by Vivian Vande Velde
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
The Storm Thief by Chris Wooding
The Last Book in the Universe by W.R. Philbrick

*This list was adapted from http://www.provolibrary.com/booklists.

NSL Teen Contributed Book Review - Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Review contributed by Alexis K.
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson is one of the most moving and empowering novels I have ever read. The main character, Melinda, is a not quite popular soon-to-be freshman who decides to attend a party that irrevocably changes her life. At that party, she is raped by a popular senior after becoming drunk, and spends the entire school year trying to hide that fact, while become a social and academic failure. The pain and fear is only made worse when her best friend begins to date that senior. Everything finally culminates when he tried to rape Melinda again, but this time her screams are heard.

This book should be read by all teenagers, especially females, over the age of 13. It will no doubt change your perspective on life, love, and friendship. The obvious pain of Melinda can make this book seem almost depressing, and much of the content necessitates a more mature audience. I can imagine anyone affected in any way by sexual abuse will be able to connect with the novel on a even deeper level.

Help Clean Marine Mammals in Gulf

Tuesday, July 13th
2:00pm – 4:00pm
Meeting Room
Ages 10 and Up
Registration Required

The North Shelby Library is participating as part of Craft Hope’s Project 8: Gulf Coast Oil Spill. Craft Hope have partnered with The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies, the Audubon Nature Institute, and the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge to assist them in their efforts in caring for and cleaning oiled marine mammals, mostly dolphins, other marine mammals, birds, and sea turtles. They are asking for people who can sew, knit, or crochet to create sets of hand towels and/or wash rags to send. Please join us as we knit some rags to send to the gulf to help.

For more on Craft Hope go to http://crafthope.com

Note: You do not need to know how to knit. We will be using a Knitting Loom with help from an instructor if you don’t already know how.

Also, if you can’t make it, we will be taking donations of rags and washcloths to send to the gulf

The Final Diagnosis Book Talk

We had a wonderful program here at the North Shelby Library today. Pathologist, Dr. Boris Datnow spoke about his book, The Final Diagnosis: What Autopsies Reveal About Life and Death. This book is a collection of many stories written in an entertaining style for any reader.

During Dr. Datnow's talk he explained various reasons why someone would want to have an autopsy. We often think of autopsy in relation to crime shows where a forensic pathologist has to do an autopsy to find out the cause of death in order to help solve the crime. What about with "natural" death? Sometimes people want closure, someone to blame, or even to find out parentage. It was fascinating. Dr. Datnow also teased us with some of the stories from the book, but refused to tell us the ending. We have to read the book of course. Check out photos from the event here.


We also met another doctor turned writer, Dr. Joseph Lewis, who has just published a book, What Killed the Great and Not So Great Composers. The following is a description from the book:
From a personally assembled database of 13,859 classical musicians, What Killed the Great and not so Great Composers delves into the medical histories of a wide variety of composers from both a musical and medical standpoint. Biographies of musicians from Johann Sebastian Bach of the Baroque period to Benjamin Britten of the Modern era explore in depth their illnesses and the impact their diseases had on musical productivity. Other chapters referenced to specific composers are devoted to such diverse ailments as deafness, mental disorders, sexually transmitted diseases, surgery and war injuries, to name a few. A unique section of statistics and demographics analyzes various aspects of composers’ lives such as their longevity related to contemporaneous nonmusical populations, the incidence of various illnesses they experienced over the centuries and the type of medical problems suffered by the so-called top 100 classical musicians. Although a precise and complete accounting of the great composers’ ailments may never be possible, a general understanding of the medical problems experienced by these unique individuals, nevertheless, can heighten one’s appreciation of their creative processes despite the hardships imposed by their physical and mental illnesses. Although some individuals surrendered to their disabilities for a variety of reasons, others were able to rise above their infirmities and produce the wonderful music mankind has enjoyed through the centuries.

Can't always judge a book by its cover

I think we all judge a book by its cover when browsing a bookshelf. But the saying goes that one "can't judge a book by its cover" and with this book it's completely true. The copyright on this book is 1993, but it looks older than that and it consistently circulates. Apparently the content is good information. some of the section titles are: Sew an Heirloom, Quilted Fashions & More, Luxurious Lingerie, Speed Tailoring, Designer Touches, and Sewing Basics. Check here to see if it's in.

Prince of Persia : the graphic novel

Edward wants to be sure you know that his buddy, Prince of Persia, also has a Graphic Novel in the YA department in addition to being in a movie and a video game. Pretty sweet. Check the availability of it here

New Books in the YA Dept

Looking for more books to add to your summer reading list? Make sure to check out the new books in the YA department.
Here are just a few of the titles to whet your appetite:

Heist Society by Ally Carter
Prom Dates from Hell by Rosemary Clement-Moore
Shooting the Moon by Frances O'Roark Dowell
Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols
Captivate by Carrie Jones
A Spy in the House by Y. S. Lee
Ash by Malinda Lo
The Long Way Home by Andrew Klavan
Radiant Shadows by Melissa Marr
Smudge Marks by Claudia Osmond
Epitaph Road by David Patneaude
I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder
The Hunchback Assignments by Arthur Slade
Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater

...and many more!