 Good morning everyone and welcome to this week's edition of Encompass Live. I am your host, Krista Porter here at the Nebraska Library Commission. Encompass Live is the Commission's weekly online event, webinar, webcast, online show, whatever. Whatever you call us, we are here live every Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. central time. However, if you're unable to join us on Wednesdays, that's fine. We do record the show every week and you can always go to our website and see all of our previous recordings there. And I'll show you where that is at the end of today's show. We post the recordings there, any presentations, like in this case PowerPoint presentations that are available, that are used during the show, and any handouts that might be included. I also put links to any websites that might be mentioned. We have a delicious account to collect all of that. So all of that will be available to you afterwards in the recordings. Both the live show and the recordings are free and open to anyone to watch. So please do share with your friends, colleagues, neighbors, family, anyone? Anyone who you think might be interested in any of our topics, send them to our website and they can watch any of our live shows or all of our recordings. We do a mixture of things here, book reviews as we have today, interviews, mini training sessions, demos of new services and products. Basically the only criteria for our show is that it be something for libraries. Either something libraries are actually doing out there, some new service or product available to libraries, something new out of the box they might not have been thinking about, but it's all library related. It all comes back to libraries in one way or another. We do bring in guest speakers to the show sometimes, but we also have Nebraska Library Commission staff do shows. And today, well, we're supposed to have a mixture today. Yes, unfortunately. Right next to me right now is Sally Snyder, who is here at the Library Commission, coordinator of children and young adult library service. And with us, it was supposed to be joining us for today's topic. Jill Annas, who's from Elkhorn, Grandview Middle School, but she's unable to join us today. Healthy shoes, but that's okay. Sally is going to play the part of both herself and Jill today. So I'll be reading Jill's descriptions and trying not to stumble over words. I read through it this morning so I'd be a little more familiar. And so I didn't bring a hat to put on Jill, but you'll probably recognize the difference in phraseology between the two of us. Yeah, and she'll try and say, you know, this was Jill's from her mind. Jill says something like that. So and our topic for today, as you can see, is best new teen books of 2016. And you can see from the slides here, this is actually a session that is done every year, both the teen version and a children's one that Sally does at our Nebraska Library Association. And the rest of the school library and Association annual conference. And after that, I always have her come on the show and redo it for anyone who couldn't make it to the conference. And usually last year Jill did join us as well. Yes. So that is our usual thing, but just not this year. Didn't happen this year. And I don't want you to take lots of notes because you can get the handout. So just jot down something that will remind you what title you were interested in. Do you want to show us our first read? I was thinking, yes, but we're not set up for that. Oh, we can. Okay. Just a quick, here's how to find them. Go to type in NLC and it should go right to the website. There we go. When you're on our main website over here in the search area, just type handouts. And there it is. And the first one, Nebraska Library Commission handouts. I keep telling other people, you can put your handouts here, but I'm the only one. So it just, just my handouts. And you can see there under the 2016 NLA and SLA conference handouts is the best new team books of 2016 PDF. And right below that says with blurbs, it's coming. Right. Next year. I hopefully in January and also the children's books with blurbs will happen. It's just a matter of merging two files and tidying up. So right now if you wanted to, and anyone who did pre-register, I did send you the link to this page yesterday afternoon to let you know if you wanted the list at least ahead of time, you can get that from here right now. Right. And then soon there'll be the blurb version as well. Thank you. We'll get back to this. We'll just get started. A couple of things to kind of give some background is a lot of these books are ones that we receive here at the Library Commission as review books from different publishers. Not any publisher, no publisher sends me every single book in the children's and teen range that they publish. Thank goodness I wouldn't be drowning. But I'm always missing something but that's part of working with books. Some of them are books that Jill has run across and some of them are ones we find at the public library or occasionally I buy it at the bookstore because I want to talk about that book. So they come from different places like that and so if your favorite book isn't mentioned, it doesn't mean I hated it or anything. It just means probably I didn't run across it in time for the presentation. Also we do a very general age grouping fiction for younger teens, fiction for older teens. So we leave that up to your discretion. We try to say how old the character is in the book or what grade they're in in school so you get a sense of what group would likely read that book. But I don't want to narrow anybody's reading because of an age of a kid in the book. So the blurbs are written by Jill, her blurbs are, my blurbs are written by me. I have a couple of things I pulled off of Novel List just because I had to quickly bring something together. So we'll get going with fiction for younger teens. And if you have questions like Krista said or you just want to say hey my kids love that book, go right ahead and type that in because it's fun to hear people who have teens reading. It's good to hear that they really love it. Jill says Nick 12 has an extraordinary vocabulary due to his linguistics professor father who pushes him to read and learn words from the dictionary that he has published. Nick doesn't enjoy the vocabulary lessons and would rather spend his time playing soccer with his best friend Kobe. Nick's world begins to crumble when his mother decides to move out of state for a job and his appendix ruptures at a big soccer game right before regionals. Nick latches on to the eccentric librarian who helps him through his many middle school trials. With themes of divorce, bullying and acceptance, the author of the crossover has written another exceptional sports first novel. Fuzzy Maxine Max is in sixth grade in middle school and she happens across the newest student on his first day. Fuzzy the first robot program to learn and to integrate the middle school. Lunch ladies, custodians, even the vice principal are computer robots but fuzzy is something else. Soon as it is clear that something is amiss at the school and vice principal Barbara seems to have it in for Max and Fuzzy. And again look at the author Tom Engelberger and Paul Delliner. Yeah, it'll be good. Jill says, my life with the liars, Zylin 12 has lived her entire life on a religious compound making good choices so she can stay in the light. She has been taught that everyone who lives on the outside is in the darkness and all are liars. One night her life changes when a strange man who calls himself her father takes her away from the compound to live with him and his family. On the outside there are no hungry days and many different clothes to choose from but Zylin still believes it is all lies. Her goal is to return to her home before her 13th birthday where she will receive a special ceremony. This novel opens the reader's eyes to what life and occult could look like and how children are the ultimate victims of brainwash. The siren, Jill says, after a shipwreck kills Kalen's family she begs the sea to save her life. In repayment Kalen must serve 100 years as a siren of the sea, her voice sending innocent lives to their death in order to feed the ocean. After serving 80 years Kalen still grieves the loss of life. The ocean loves and cares for Kalen as a mother would a daughter but when Kalen falls in love with a human named a Kinley it is strictly against the rules and she must hide it from the ocean and her siren sisters. Sirens are unable to speak, age or marry. Is their courtship doomed? Will Kalen find a way around the strict siren rules or will she and Kinley die trying? Jill says Cedar 12 has just lost her father and brother Ben in a devastating car accident. This is her first summer grieving their loss. Cedar her mother and younger brother Miles decide to spend the summer in Iron Creek. On her first day Cedar meets neighbor Leo all dressed up in a theater costume. They become instant friends and Leo convinces Cedar to get a summer job at the Summer Lost Festival. Mysteries begin to fill Cedar's days. Who is placing objects on her window that reminds her of Ben? What happened to the ring of the late Summer Lost actress? Middle school novel filled with themes of new friendship, family and learning to live with loss. The audiobook was a great summer read. Brock Ripley 14 has a passion for soccer but he has tensed up as a goalie in big games. After the season ends he is noticed at a local park by a high school quarterback star Hunter Gates. He runs past plays to help Hunter practice for the upcoming season. When Brock becomes a successful receiver Hunter and his father convince him to try out for the football team. After freezing in middle school soccer playoffs Brock doesn't want to be labeled gutless in football. When Brock befriends a new student Richie Fong he begins to see how Hunter and the other football players are bullying Richie. Brock wants to stand up for his friend but he doesn't want to lose their respect on the field. With short chapters and plot twists I highly recommend this coming-of-age novel that helps to teach students to stand up for what is right no matter what the outcome. Ramey Clark 10 has come to realize the only way to get her father back is to win the 1975 Little Miss Central Florida Contest. Her father left town two days ago with a dental hygienist and he will see Ramey's picture in the paper and he will have to come home to congratulate her. In order to win the contest Ramey needs to do good deeds and learn how to twirl a baton. She enrolls herself in a baton class with Louisiana Elefante who has a show business background and the headstrong Beverly Tapinski who wants to sabotage the contest. As the competition approaches an unexpected friendship arises between the three girls. A novel of love, loss and the struggles of growing up in a small town. A very good middle school read. Whoops, I'll turn my page too soon, sorry. This is a new series by John Flanagan called Ranger's Apprentice the Early Years. And this is book one, The Tournament at Gorlin. Halt's beginning years as a ranger starts with him working with Crowley to find a way to reunite the old school ranger corps who have been systematically fired by Molgorath, Baron of Gorlin and replaced by Toadies. The Baron is holding the king for safety in his castle and it looks like Prince Duncan is ransacking the northern part of the country for his own enjoyment. Halt, Crowley and some other true rangers look into the situation and are determined to right any wrongs no matter the cost. This is sure to be popular because it's a look at earlier times of the very popular character of Halt. Yeah, lots of people like to see that kind of how did they get where they're at in the books I've already been reading. Yes, well I sure enjoyed it. Jill says Anna 13 believes her life is falling apart. Her best friend Danny wants nothing to do with her as they begin eighth grade. Anna's mother has attempted suicide and is now in a treatment facility. Since her mother was in the hospital, Anna must live with her father, stepmother Marnie and their new baby. Anna sits at the outcast table at lunch and is trying to find her place at school and at home without her mother. Once she realizes her stepmother can be helpful, things start to look up for Anna. Perfectly narrated by a typical sarcastic teenager who is adapting to the life she is given. Readers will enjoy seeing Anna grow through adversity and learning that life isn't always perfect. I was looking to you to change the screen. Lily and Duncan told the dual perspectives of Tim 13 and Norbert 13. Both Tim and Norbert have secrets that only their family members know. Tim was born a boy but he knows deep down that he is really a girl named Lily. Tim has been to the doctor to discuss the struggles of being transgender and the steps he needs to take before puberty hits. Norbert is just moving to Florida after a tragedy with his bipolar father and he must live with his mom and grandmother until his mom gets back on her feet again. Norbert doesn't like his name or the fact that he has bipolar disorder either. Tim defends Norbert and nicknames him Duncan for his love of Dunkin Donuts. Once school starts the basketball team notices Norbert's height and wants him to try out for the team. Norbert makes the team and must decide if he and Tim can stay friends as Tim is being bullied by the athletes. Will Duncan stand up to his basketball teammates and will he learn to manage his bipolar medicine? Will Lily have the strength to make it through the next difficult steps in her journey? With two difficult topics to weave together into a novel, Gephardt handles both situations in a sensitive and thought-provoking manner. I have to get a drink here. Ah, Mr. Lemoncello. This is a sequel to Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's library. In this book Kyle Keely who is 13 and his teammates have become famous for escaping from Mr. Lemoncello's library and completing the first library gate. The children from all over the country demand their chance to play. Teams from different states must qualify to enter a new competition called the Library Olympics. That will encompass research, library challenges and tricky puzzles to solve. However, when library books turn out missing during the games it threatens the entire Library Olympic competition and the competitors now have another mystery to solve. Will Kyle and his team become the Grand Champions once again or will the prestigious library be forced to close for good? Gravenstein definitely has a love for libraries as this novel teaches readers about the Dewey Decimal System, the banning of books, and to view the library as a community center. It's a great sequel that is action-packed with many plot twists. Kind of a different note. This is a new series called Dreamjumper. This is the first book titled Nightmare Escape. Ben has the ability to jump into other people's dreams, which can be fun and can be terrifying. When his friends start falling victim to an evil monster in their dreams, Ben must harness the power within him to defeat the monster and save both strangers and his friends. And that one, go back to that one. Joe, sorry. I'm going the wrong way. Where was I? I tried to in the, if you want to go back, do this one. Oh, that one. Yeah. There we go. Sorry. I just, I caught my eye that it says a great ride as a, you know, by J.J. Abrams. Oh, yeah. The director. Greg Grunberg, one of the authors of this, is an actor. He was in Heroes, the TV show Heroes, and various other things you'd recognize as well. You think I know that because I read this book. Well, the J.J. Abrams had caught my attention. I'm like, really? And then I saw the author. I was like, hey, that makes sense now. And I didn't catch that at all. What's pushing buttons? The wrong buttons. Okay. Moving on to, to catch a cheat. This is a sequel to The Great Green Heist, which was a wonderful book. And this one, Jackson Green in eighth grade has again promised no more schemes or pranks than he's stuck with it. He is surprised when the principal calls him into his office and accuses him and Charlie, his best friend, of flooding the school over the weekend. There was even video evidence that they did it, but they did not do it. Now they need to discover who doctored the video and what can be done about it. And these are fun because Jackson Green is kind of like in potions 12, potions 11. Oh, cool. He can come up with these elaborate schemes and he keeps promising not to do it anymore, but this time they have to save their names. So, I guess it's okay. Friend or foe is part of the unbarred series. This one is a modern retelling of Shakespeare's Othello. In this one, Ian is heard when Orlando, their band's leader, chooses Chase over him to keep the band going while Orlando is in jail. Slowly, with lots of conniving and murder, everything falls apart. Other books in the series include Duty or Desire about a modernization of Anthony and Cleopatra, Harder Mind and Modernization of Romeo and Juliet, and Vijer Flea Handlet. Now we get to Terror of Honol Creek. Court 13 and his father are preparing for the oncoming hurricane. They live in Alabama on a houseboat docked on a friend's property. Mrs. Stovall has two daughters, Liza 13 and Francie 6. As the hurricane begins to blow, Court's dog Catfish drags Francie back to the houseboat and Court and Liza follow. Soon, all are trapped as the houseboat pulls free of the moorings and tosses along the river in the hurricane. When the houseboat falls apart, it is up to Court to find higher ground for the three of them to survive since he knows the swamp almost as well as his father does. The problem with this is that all kinds of animals are also seeking higher ground. This is a Golden Sower nominee for 2017-2018. Oh, nice. It's a local. Nebraska. Yes. Good point. Book 2 in the Masterminds series. In Book 1, teens Malik, Eli, Tori and Amber just discovered that their town of Serenity, New Mexico is an enormous science experiment testing the effects of cloning master criminals. After finding out that their town isn't perfect and that they are in fact the test subjects, the teens break free of the town and their families. Now in Book 2, they must dig deep into their inner criminal in order to survive and steer clear of the scientists who are out to find them. The problem is they don't know how to survive in the outside world and they must figure out a way to expose their captors and save other clones. More problems and new enemies arise in this fast paced science fiction sequel to Masterminds. And readers will be begging for the third installment that comes out in March of 2017. And it's Gordon Cormy. Some authors do just know. Yeah, the regular, the usual suspects. This is a full color graphic novel, the first in a new series titled Four Points. It is 1860, Twins Alex and Cleopatra called Cleo are 12 and they are on their own while their father has been gone for months looking for work. Soon they are traveling to looking for their father. And they may go to San Francisco to answer an ad for $200 from a man looking for his 12-year-old red-headed grandson. Edwin had science, Silas also red-haired twins and a bit older have the same plan. It isn't long before one of each set of twins is shamed hide onto a ship sailing around Cape Horn. The other two get together and hide on another ship sailing to Pothiasmus of Panama. They plan to hide on the train across and sail up to San Francisco. But fate intervenes. Chris, 12, his uncle Jack takes him from Vancouver to Alaska to sail on his boat. Chris is surprised to see another boy on the boat, Frank, who is 16. It has been about a year since Chris's father died and Chris still has terrible dreams at night. The sailboat hit something in the night and soon Chris and Frank are in the dinghy but Uncle Jack is gone. They finally reach land and are stranded in the wilderness with nothing until they find an abandoned cabin. Survival, finding a way to work together when they hate each other and hoping for rescue when there is no way to let anyone know they need help. Oh, and that grizzly bear has wandered through their fishing area a couple of times, too. So they've got some stuff to handle. Rise of the Wolf is book two in the Mark of the Thieves series. In this book, Nick, who has been a slave for five years in ancient Rome, is determined to stay away from his newly discovered grandfather, General Randolph. The praetors believe Nick has the key to another amulet, the malice of Mars, and they want him to retrieve it for them. They are holding his mother hostage for it. He's not sure who he can trust besides his friends Aurelia and Christmas and his sister, Olivia. Trading as a charioteer prepares him for the challenge from the praetors when the first race of the Lude Romanite Games in honor of the Emperor. Lots of intrigue and danger. And book three will come out at the end of January next year. It's titled Wrath of the Storm. Jill says Jackie Heart 12 has made a vow to lose her class clown reputation this year in seventh grade. But no matter how hard she tries, Jackie can't keep her mouth shut. She receives five detentions on the first day of school and twenty by the end of the week. Jackie has a stuttering habit that she is self-conscious about and the principal will only drop the detentions if Jackie enters this public speaking competition and tries out for the school play. Although she dreads both activities, these struggles help her as a student and an individual. It's a good middle school read for fans of middle school the worst years of my life with a female protagonist. This is a graphic novel as it says there on the cover. Said in the Depression, Samantha White called Snow by her mother returns home from boarding school after her father dies. His second wife, who appears to have some magic, is dismayed to find he has left her only a trust fund and everything else to her, his daughter. The ticker tape of the stock market stands in for the mirror. And seven rugged boys from the alleys stands in for the dwarves. Beautifully told in black, gray and white art with a minimum of text. Really lovely. Zen Starling is a petty thief to help support his mother and sister and loves to ride the trains that travel in minutes through a gateway to other solar systems. This futuristic story shows Zen pretending to be a lesser known member of a wealthy family. But it backfires and he ends up on the run. This says there's at least one sequel coming but I haven't seen any information about when it might be, when it might come and what it's titled. Love this book. This is book one in a proposed four book series. The series is called Track. Castle Crenshaw, call me ghost in seventh grade, has been fast ever since he and his mom ran away from his father who was threatening them with a gun. Ghost is often on the edge of trouble but really doesn't want any and he doesn't want to upset his mom. One day he watches a track team practicing and stands up and raises the runner he thinks is too smug. Coach offers him a chance to try out and be on the team but he has to keep up his core and stay out of trouble. He tries but it is hard for him. Coach knows where ghost is coming from and has been coaching for years to help kids stay out of trouble. I'm excited that this is a series about track because we have football and basketball books a lot which are great but other aspects of sports. A lot of other sports. Baseball. A lot of baseball. A lot of baseball. That's true. The secret language of sisters. Tilly 14 and Rue 16 have always had a connection. Tilly is impatient and always moving. Rue is common together. When Tilly impatiently texts Rue again and again to pick her up, Rue breaks a rule and texts a brief reply while driving and ends up in a crash. Now Rue has locked in syndrome where she knows what's going on but she cannot communicate with anybody and no one knows that's her condition. And that is just the beginning. Chapters alternate between the sisters viewpoints. Her sister does figure it out and Rue can move one eyelid just one. That's how she communicates. Good family story though. Some reviews say the texting and driving message is a little heavy-handed. I didn't think it was so much but... Rick Riordan again. How can you go wrong? This is the first book in the Trials of Apollo news series. It's titled The Hidden Oracle. Apollo was sent to Earth as a 16-year-old boy with missing memories because Zeus blames him for the war with Gaia. Now he has none of his former powers and apparently must complete a mission before he will be restored. Percy Jackson helps him and his new friend make it to Camp Half-Blood. But he has his own problems too. He's only in the story limited amount. There is plenty of trouble to go around. Demigods have been disappearing. People of Delphi have been cut off and there seems to be a conspiracy working to destroy the status quo. It's humorous. Apollo often rants about how wonderful he usually is and now he must face danger with none of his powers. Oh yes, Rick's been very busy because this is the second book in the Gods of Asgard series. Magnus Chase and his friends must find Thor's missing hammer before the giants decide to attack our world. And Loki is up to something. Interest will still be high for this mythic series by Ryerson. For both of them actually. Jill says 8th grader Max Crumley is experiencing public school for the very first time. He was glad to get out of homeschooling with Grandma but public school has been one humiliation after another. Max throws up on the school bully. He lost a race due to needing to go to the bathroom and has been locked in his locker twice so far. Max is documenting his journey in an illustrated journal of his middle school ups and downs. Will Max be able to get out of his locked locker or will he be stuck there the entire weekend? What other trouble can Max get into? Will he be forced back to homeschooling with Grandma? It's a new series by the Dork Diaries author that will be sure to attract the diary of a wimpy kid fans. I did look similar. Yeah, same. Arts time. Yeah. This is a heartbreaker. Jack 12. This is from novelist I'm quoting. Tells a gripping story of Joseph 14 who joins his family as a foster child. Damaged in prison Joseph wants nothing more than to find his baby daughter Jupiter whom he has never seen. When Joseph has begun to believe that he'll have a future he is confronted by demons from his past that force a tragic sacrifice. Gary Schmidt is an excellent author and this is another outstanding title. Astrid Sullivan 17 lives in Detroit where the latest thing is racing horses called Titans which are actually machines. Her family has fallen on hard times and she jumped at the chance to ride a Titan in the race circuit this summer with the hope of being able to save her family's home. Racing is dangerous and the other jockeys see her as an intruder in their domain. And is her horse Padlock really responding to her with affection and emotion or is she just imagining it? Appealing hard luck story with a tough heroine and her supportive crew. The last place on earth Jill says Daisy Cruz 16 is worried about her best friend Henry Hawking because she hasn't heard from him in days. Daisy believes an awkward moment they shared has ruined their friendship. When days pass without any contact from Henry Daisy knows it has to be more. Plus many students and staff at school are suddenly becoming sick. She finds a note on Henry's desk and believes he is in danger. She follows the clues to Earl's Padres National Forest and finds an underground bunker. Daisy is thrust into a potential apocalypse that she is not well equipped to handle. Can Daisy become a survivalist or is this all just a bad dream? Themes of friendship, loyalty and family are depicting in this engaging mystery. Another graphic novel by Reena Telgemeier. Katrina and her family have moved to the coast of Northern California for the sake of her little sister Maya who has cystic fibrosis. And Kat is even less happy about the move when she is told that her new home is haunted while Maya sets her heart on meeting the ghost. Maya is curious about death as hers appears more imminent than other children's. And she is also interested in the day of the dead celebration as a part of her own history. Her mother is from Mexico. Their father is white. And Katrina is scared of any thought of ghosts. So the older sister scared the younger sister. Some nonfiction for teens. This is a history of modern forensic science. And the author starts with the first test for arsenic poisoning that happened in the 1800s. And then moves forward through criminal profiling and fingerprinting. And where those started as far as we know and how they've been used in determining the dastardly deeds. And by the time I got done reading this book I thought everybody wants to kill everybody. But it's very well done and good information and teens will be fascinated by the topic. There's a lot of TV shows that are about that now too on the cable channels. Good point. This is the third book in the deadly diseases trilogy. The first one was Red Madness and the second one was Fatal Fever about Typhoid Mary. In this title she briefly hits on previous bubonic plague pandemics but focuses mostly on the one that hit the US in the early 1900s having started up again first in China, then Hong Kong, India and beyond. Excellent research told with plenty of photos and illustrations from the time. And you'll be depressed to know that yes bubonic plague is still here. I mean it still exists in the US. Mostly in animals, not people. Scientists in the field series, this is about the great white shark and the author noted that while he was researching for this book he only saw calm sharks, none of the frenzy that the movies have focused on so he was rather impressed with these sharks. And the book follows Dr. Greg Skomal who is a biologist and head of the Massachusetts shark research program and he's working to understand the habits and behavior of the great white shark to give us more information about. And how can you go wrong with this book on yourself? Yeah. Oh it was shark week. There you go. This is from Novelist because I couldn't get a hold of Jill's blurb. It's the story of the landmark 1944 surgical procedure that repaired the heart of a child with blue baby syndrome. Lack of blood oxygen caused by a congenital defect. The team that developed the procedure included a cardiologist and a surgeon but most of the actual work was done by Vivian Thomas an African American lab assistant who was frequently mistaken for a janitor in the 40s. And he was initially left out of the recognition and acclaim. Of course. He was Dr. Blalock's research assistant who had lost his savings from medical school in the 1929 stock market crash. And in the children's book list I read a title called Tiny Stitches which is actually about this same discovery and about Vivian Thomas. So you might look for that title as well. In this book each chapter discusses the author's visit to one of the many areas of a zoo. She goes behind the scenes with the keepers and shares much of what is involved in caring for the animals and some of their quirky behaviors. Excellent photos will draw in the readers. Well, if you're interested in animals because I grabbed this book off the shelf and ran with it. It's a good topic for me. Jill says this volume of the scientists in the field series takes readers to New Caledonia, a French island in the Pacific. This island is the home to a species of remarkably bright birds, bright crows. All crows have a lot of intelligence, but the New Caledonian crows are able to make and use jewels. Turner tracks a team of scientists who observe the crows in the lab and in the wild, tracking their problem-solving skills and social behavior. Colorful pictures throughout with detailed scientific observations comparing crows with other species and concluding with an Ask the Author section. It's another great volume to add to the nonfiction section. Some fiction for older readers. Jill says Celestine 17 lives in a dystopian society where everyone is required to be perfect. So I'm out of luck. Those who fail to show perfection are branded with the letter F and are considered flawed. Flawed citizens are to live by strict laws and are bullied and ostracized by the public. Her entire life Celestine has been a rule follower and overachiever until one day she aids an elderly flawed man on the city bus while everyone looks at her in disbelief. That one decision completely changes her entire life. Will Celestine be considered flawed and be branded? Action-packed novel that has the reader contemplating human nature and the cliffhanger ending will make you want to read the sequel. Perfect. It comes out in April next year. Sammy 18 is a determined high school senior with her whole life ahead of her, winning the debate championship to graduate top of her class and head to New York for college. Then comes the worst diagnosis of her life. Sammy has a genetic condition that will rob her mind and deteriorate her muscles. The news is extremely hard to believe since Sammy has a photographic memory. Sammy wants her future self to remember her senior year in high school and the days that fall. She decides to write a memory book so she will be able to look back on when she can no longer remember. As the weeks progress the reality of her condition is brought to light. Will Sammy be able to compete in the debate finals? Which of her friends will stick by her side? With humor mixed with sadness this genetic disorder is brought to life in journal entries by Sammy, her family and friends. Highly recommended for fans of The Fault in Our Stars and 13 Reasons Why. Sounds very similar. Yeah. Will says Mary Barrow 17 has come a long way from living in the stilts. Mary is a red with silver abilities to control electrical energy. A fierce battle has erupted against the silvers and the Red Rebellion led by Mary with Cal by her side. Unable to fully trust anyone, Mary's goal is to track down the other new bloods like herself in order to form an army capable of taking down King Maven who was murdering these mutants in order to force Mary back into his control. Mary's desire for revenge may lead her in the wrong direction and at times she shows similarities to Queen Alara whom Mary despises. Will Mary be able to locate the new bloods before King Maven or will she let her desire for revenge ruin everything? Fast-paced sequel to Red Queen. The cliffhanger ending will have fans anxiously awaiting the third installment titled King's Cage which hits the bookstores in February of next year. Not too much longer now. 17 year old Poppy stumbles into a secret workshop at the infamous Grossholz candle factory in her hometown and soon a wax boy called Doug is helping her uncover an evil plot that threatens her hometown of paraffin Vermont. He can walk and talk and interesting. His arm or something bent and get it back straight again. This author has an interesting imagination. I've enjoyed all of her books so far. They're not too scary for me which is wonderful. Is there a little bit scary? Oh yes. This is the first book in a new series in an alternate world. It is 1942 prior to Pearl Harbor and the US government has just allowed women to serve in the military on the front lines. This book follows four women who volunteer for service and after boot camp soon find out what war it is. Two serve together in Africa. One hopes to be a medic and the fourth is in intelligence. It is as to be expected gritty and tough and includes both men supportive of women in combat and men who find it ridiculous. I don't know how many books are going to be in this series but there's certainly going to be more. Jill says Nathan 17 is a half blood. His mother was a white witch and his father was the most notorious black witch in history. Nathan is only seeking revenge and searching for his lost love and Elise who shot and killed his father. His only obsession is to locate and kill Elise which makes Nathan unable to assist the alliance with restoring balance. In order for the war to end Nathan must obtain the amulet and make him indestructible. And he needs to kill Wal-And and Saul O'Brien, the heads of the evil council of white witches. Now can white witches have an evil council? That seems... Gabriel holds a key to Nathan's heart and soul but the consequences are devastating and beautiful. Nathan's life comes around full circle and the conclusion is both thought provoking and haunting in this finale to the half blood trilogy. Again Jill says a graphic picture surfaces through social media of a drunk topless unconscious teenage girl during a high school party. The next day four students are arrested for sexual assault. Small ten mentality begins questioning the victim, blaming her and taking the side of the athletes. Narrated by senior Kate Weston as she begins to question the reactions of her friends and peers and the beginning of a new relationship with her neighbor and childhood friend Ben. The truth becomes clear when an obscure hidden video is found that night, is found on the web. This book is a must read for high school students and parents to bring awareness of the sad reality of sexual assault and to bring up the obligation of bystanders to speak the truth. This is a realistic fiction novel that has similarities to the Stublinville High School rape case in 2012. Jill says Olivia 17 has grown up believing her father murdered her mother in the woods when she was only three years old. Fourteen years and several foster homes later new evidence proves that Olivia's father was also a victim that day. Olivia, now known as Ariel, decides to return to her father's hometown and attend the funeral. Once in Medford she realizes she can't go on unless she figures out the truth and finds her parents killer. Filled with suspense and page turning action, readers will feel like they know Olivia and will root for her to uncover the 14-year mystery. The dedication of the book was touching and you will love Nora even more knowing that she is like the author's mother. The reader will also figure out the significance of the book cover at the end of the novel. What a perfect touch to an amazing novel. Jill says Hanukkah 17 has just lost the love of her life in the war. She begins working at a funeral parlor in Nazi-occupied Holland to help her pick up the pieces and support her family. She also has an undercover job working in the black market smuggling hard to come by cigarettes, meat, and other desirable items. One day a customer asks for assistance finding a missing Jewish girl in a blue coat who she was hiding. Hanukkah can't believe what her neighbor is asking but decides to uncover the clues to the mysterious disappearance of the 15-year-old girl Mirjam. Hanukkah joins an underground resistance group and together they begin to fit the pieces together of why the girl disappeared. As thoroughly researched this time it depicts themes of self-discovery, redemption, and social responsibility in this World War II novel. And this book depends on the boy in the striped pajamas and the boy who dared. Mirra 17 lives on a six-mile-long, half-mile-wide Haven Island near New Jersey. They can see the lights of Atlantic City at night with mother and younger brother Jasper Lee who has Hunter syndrome. Best friends and classmates Eva and Denny, old Carmen, Jillian, Shift, whose name is really Johnny Carpenter, but your hurricane Sandy hits the island and devastation is everywhere. What has happened to Mirra's friends? Her mother and brother are on the mainland due to a doctor appointment. Can she let them know she's all right? It's kind of a shocking look at what devastation hurricanes can bring. It is 1906 in San Francisco and Mercy Wong, 15, daughter of a laundry man in Chinatown, has managed to bribe her way into attending St. Clair School for girls, pretending to be in eras from China, to further her education and set herself up to go to college. The girls are not welcoming and Mercy strives to maintain her disguise. Then one morning the earthquake hits and soon Mercy is the one holding everyone together. She is worried about her family as she finds a way to feed not only the surviving St. Clair girls, but others now living in the park with them. Mercy is a kind, strong, let's get to it character who will appeal to many teen readers. Jill says Parker Grant 17 was blinded in a car accident at the age of seven, which also took the life of her mother. Adapting to blindness, Parker has developed a set of rules for her friends and family. Rule number one states, don't deceive me ever, especially using my blindness, especially in public. Unfortunately, Parker's former boyfriend, Scott, breaks this rule in middle school when he secretly invites his friends in a room with Parker without her knowledge. Parker was completely humiliated and has never forgiven him. Her world begins to crumble when her father suddenly passes away and Scott transfers to her high school. Will her love of running help to ease her pain while joining the track team and finding a guide when her just adds to the complications in her life? This unique novel grips the reader by showing how one character can overcome things and learn to live a different life without her parents. Parker 17 and her best friend, Kate, have held up to the plan for their futures since sixth grade to become ballerinas, share an apartment in San Francisco, their home. Then things fall apart. Kate is on their way to her dream. Harper is not. Her body cannot do what Kate can do. With her dream lost, Harper finds a last-minute opportunity and goes to Antarctica to winter over for six months as a research assistant and to patch herself up. Told an alternating chapters of Antarctica and San Francisco, the book slowly reveals what Harper should have seen coming and chose to ignore. Booklist says an adventure story with lots of heart. Is that one you had? I recognize that cover. Was that in the summer reading program list, maybe, or... I think I've had this on a Friday read. Oh, okay. That's what it was. Yes. Okay. I recognize the cover. Good to remember. This is a fictional account of the impact of the Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami, which occurred in March of 2011. Kai, 17, is in school when the earthquake hits, and soon everyone is running for higher ground. He ends up in an auditorium set up as a shelter for survivors, and he hopes his mother and grandparents are okay. He has more heartbreak to come. Told in free verse, the novel conveys the terror of the quake and tsunami hitting the land and of the hard situations that follow. Kai's American father had left the family and returned to the U.S., and now he hopes to contact him. Excellent. Book and heartfelt telling of this tragic event. Jill says Emily 16 knows right from wrong, but even good people make mistakes. Emily was at a high school football game one night and saw Belinda a classmate with developmental disabilities being assaulted under the bleachers. Instead of assisting Belinda, Emily throws. Lucas, a football player, also did not aid Belinda but found a teacher instead. The consequences of their lack of action are community service at a center for young adults with disabilities. Luckily, Belinda was able to fend off the attacker herself, and she begins trying to pick herself back up and move on. Emily and Lucas form a friendship and start to believe that they are helping at the community center. Can Emily and Lucas find a way to apologize and to help the person they hurt the most? Told in dual perspectives of Emily, and the governor's voice for the distinctive characters shines through, and themes of regret, love, and forgiveness are portrayed. This is a paranormal book, actually. A 17-year-old boy. I have to turn the page. I thought I had his name. His family has for years done a process that keeps the rocks from falling off the cliff and keeps everyone alive. Although lately, as he's been maturing, he's wondered how those rocks, which are really kind of a little bit away from the town, could really affect the town. It's not like in this picture where it actually would fall on the town. And what happens is he discovers that his family has a deep, dark secret, and that the ritual to keep the rocks from falling is really more about keeping someone alive, his grandmother, than anything else. And he has to decide if he's going to support his family or free the town from their potential tyranny. Part of this is done because he has the ability to pull things out of other people, and that, like, you can pull out your interest in kittens and use that to satisfy the rocks. Mostly that doesn't cause any harm, but a couple of times it has made a difference. So it's an intriguing premise. Yeah, yeah. And what should he do? And I read that book. It sounds like I had the name, but it's great. It's all your fault. This one was great. Catlin Singelberry is 17 years old, and she is part of the family singing group. She's a proper Christian teenager, but she has now been asked to spend the weekend with her impossible cousin, Heller Harrigan, a Hollywood wild child, and keep her out of trouble for the weekend so they can go to the big movie debuts. And it's not easy. And I just want to note that homeschooled is used regularly, and this is in New York, to explain Catlin's uncool clothing viewpoints, opinions, attitudes, et cetera. Whenever somebody says, well, she's homeschooled, they say, which I found a little irritating, but it is a fun book. The Winner's Kiss is book three in the Winner's Trilogy. Jill says Kestrel 17 has been taken prisoner by her own people and forced to work in a barbaric work camp where she is drugged in order to work long hours under the watch of ruthless guards. Prisoners then long for the nighttime drug that is given for a restful night's sleep. Aaron does not know of Kestrel's predicament as he is preparing for war with Falloria. Aaron is unstoppable, and as he has gained a new alliance with Dakhra, he also has the God of Death on his side. Can Aaron fully trust this new alliance? Will Kestrel escape the work camp? Will Aaron be able to forgive her? Action-packed finale in the Winner's Curse Trilogy, the conclusion will have readers more than satisfied. Jill says set in January of 1945 when Russian armies were advancing through East Prussia, four teenagers are clinging to the hope of escape. With much research of the tragic sinking of the German ship Wilhelm Kostloff, Septus writes in four alternating voices, Lithuanian nurse Joanna, Polish Himalaya, Russian forger Florian and German soldier Alfred, and their desperate fight for escape, these four young people come from very different backgrounds and each has their own dark secret. The connection between the characters brings the novel to life and has readers hoping for their survival in this tragedy. It's a heartbreaking page-turner in historical fiction novel that helps readers gain knowledge of a little-known part of history and leaves them with a little bit of hope. Maisie 16 is an excellent high school runner with plans of college scholarships. Dedicated to running, she wakes up early one morning for a jog when the weather turns ugly. Lightning strikes a tree which brings down the power line. At first, Maisie believes it is fire where she is seen, but in reality the power line causes an electrical fire to burn Maisie nearly destroying her face. Following the burn unit, Maisie is able to receive a very rare partial face transplant surgery. Will Maisie's surgery be a success and will she be able to accept her new self and learn to live again? It's an excellent realistic fiction book for fans of The Running Dream, Artichoke's Heart, and Cold Ham's Warm Heart. Jill says Eden 15 is a band-eat freshman who has had a crush on her older brother's best friend, Kevin, for years until one night her world was turned upside down. Kevin sneaks into Eden's room and sexually assaults her and threatens to kill her if she speaks a word of it to anyone. Instead of seeking help from her family or friends, Eden keeps a secret and begins to turn into a completely different person, distancing herself from people and using boys to gain control over her body. Smith's debut novel has broken down into four parts, Eden's freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior years of high school. Eden break her silence and let her friends and her family know of her attack. This difficult story of one rape survivor portrays a realization that each victim reacts differently and goes through their own painful journey on the road to recovery. This is a sequel to the book and Ember in the Ashes. The sequel to... This has Elias and Leia on the run from Elias' mother, the evil Commandant, and new vicious emperor and markets. The two are headed to Calf prison where they are hoping to free Leia's brother who knows the secret of making Cerec steal. This knowledge might just save Leia's people, the scholars, from extinction by the empire. Along the way, Elias is poisoned and his strength is weakening. The journey becomes even more complicated when the rebel Kenan appears. This story is told from three points of view. Leia, Elias, and Helen, once Elias is close friend. Now, Helene is the brudge-right Elias' sworn enemy who is commanded to capture him and Leia. With a bit of magic and some dark action pack plot, the second installment proves to be extremely suspenseful, leaving a cliffhanger ending that will have readers craving the third book set to print in 2018. That's just too long. Whoa, that's a long time, yeah. The art of being normal. Set in England, Leo is 15, is the new guy at Eden Park School, and he is keeping a low profile. Rumors are he attacked a teacher at his former school in a tough neighborhood, so students are keeping their distance. Everyone is intrigued, though, David 14 and his friends Felix and Essie. We know early on that David Filzi is a girl but has been afraid to tell his parents. David's secrets and a secret Leo was hiding can only be kept for so long. Jill says, outcast high school seniors, Dill, Travis, and Lydia are best friends trying to survive their final year of school in small town Tennessee. Dill's teacher father has been sent to jail and Dill must help his mother with the bills. Travis is obsessed with the fantasy book series and keeps busy working at the lumber yard with his abusive father. Lydia is all into fashion and has a blog with thousands of followers. The three have very little in common besides not being in the popular group at school. Together their friendship binds them but what will happen after graduation when Lydia goes off to college leaving Travis and Dill behind. Zender presents themes of bullying, friendship, love, and loss, making this one of my favorite YA books so far this year. I haven't cried this much since I read all the bright places, highly recommended. If you're into that kind of thing, yes, obviously very well written and if it gets to you, get to her so much. Did get to her. Jill says, Micah Carter 18 is having difficulties remembering what happened the night his best friend and soulmate Janie's house burned down. Micah is continually questioned by therapists, police officers, and his friend Dewey but his memory is foggy a problem worsened by drinking. Janie and Micah have been inseparable friends since elementary school when Janie moved in next door. Janie with the outgoing personality and Micah the shy introvert. The friendship was perfect as long as no one else finds out about it. The point of view switches between Janie's thoughts before the fire and Micah's afterwards. This unique writing style and the mystery behind the fire keeps the reader hooked needing to know and find out what happened to Janie. And thank you that's our list and we did pretty well. Yeah, just 11 o'clock right now. Yeah, you thought you'd go long. I just kept on reading that. We hope you found some titles that will work in your library. I don't know if we had any comments by any. No, nothing came in. If you have any comments or questions or thoughts you want to share type it into the questions section. I thought it was interesting. There's a lot of series books but I started getting the feeling a lot are wrapping up but new ones are starting so hopefully people are like my series is done. It's the last one. What do I do? It's okay. There's something new coming. And one of the fun things about writing a review or a book talk about these titles or reading them here is when you start saying it's the third book and it's the wrap up and you say so-and-so goes where and nobody if you haven't read the book like some of the hers I haven't read. I don't know who any of those people are or where they were trying to go but it's still intrigued. Yeah, and now you're like I need to go back and start that series now. It's hard to keep up with all of them. And it's tricky to write the description so that you can give the information without giving anything away but also letting people know what's happening in that book. Alright, well, I don't see anybody have anything urgent they want to say online so that's cool. We'll wrap it up for this morning ending practically untimely. Thank you very much Sally. Thank you Jill even though you weren't here for at least being able to share your blurbs and doing the lay work of reading all those books that Sally didn't get to. It's a lot easier to read half the books than it is to read all of the books. There we go. Alright, so we'll wrap it up for this week's show. It will be on our website if you just type and now on the Commission's website you can get to us by going there and typing in Encompass Live. Yep, you can also just Google Encompass Live. We happen to be the only thing out there calling ourselves that so far. Hopefully that will last. This is our upcoming shows but our archives will be right over here right underneath our upcoming shows and by this afternoon probably today's show will be posted. It will be here with the recording, the PowerPoint presentation and I'll put a direct link here also to that handouts page for you where the current list is and where one of the blurbs will be. So that will wrap it up for today show. Hope you join us next week when our topic is begin with books and early literacy partnership. Lincoln City Libraries has been working with the City County Health Department to provide books and information and things for getting kids started really early in reading to the low income clients that come through the health department. So Dickie Wood from Lincoln City Libraries will be with us next week to tell us about this program and how they got it, how they pulled it off and what some information for you if you want to do the same thing in your library. So please do sign up for that episode and any of the other ones we have coming up here. These are our first episodes of January 2017. Yay, new year, new shows. Also we are on Facebook. If you are a big Facebook user you can pop over to our Facebook page. Give us a like. You'll get announcements of when we've recordings available, when a new shoot, new shows coming up, reminders of sessions. So like here's when it says login right now for today's show. So you can see that over there. So it definitely do like us over there if you are big on Facebook to keep up with what you're doing, what we're doing. Other than that, that wraps it up for this week show. Thank you very much. Oh wait, we have something here. Somebody said something. I missed it. Thanks Mrs. Thank you for hosting this. I enjoyed it. Look forward to recommending these books. Yay, thank you. All right. And thank you Krista for running the show for almost everything. Once in a blue moon I step in and often have to stumble a little bit, but I'm getting better. You're a good filling host. Yeah, backup host. All right then that'll wrap it up for today. Thank you very much everyone and we'll see you next time on Encompass Live. Bye bye.