Over the past few years, we’ve had useful discussions in ALSC about how our association supports library service to tweens. ALSC has made some forward strides in supporting our members who serve this fun and sometimes elusive group — online courses, webinars, discussions – and we have more in the works: the joint ALSC/YALSA presidents program at Annual Conference, more articles about tweens in Children and Libraries and more blog posts about tweens.
Today we present Top Titles for Tweens, a list of the ALSC award winners most of interest to tweens, ages 10-14. This list was created by our active School Age Programs and Services Committee, chaired by Tami Chumbley Finley. (Many thanks to Tami and the ALSC members who assessed the winners and created this list!)
Let ALSC help you bring your tween readers the best of the best – use this list to assist with collection development, readers advisory, school visit booktalking, and even programming. (And don’t forget to add these books to your own nightstand – they’re literally the best!)
The 2012 School Age Programs and Services Committee has identified the following titles from the recently announced ALSC Media and Notable Awards that are suitable for tween readers, ages 10-14.
Newbery Award
DEAD END IN NORVELT written by Jack Gantos, published by Farrar Straus and Giroux
Newbery Honor Books
INSIDE OUT & BACK AGAIN written by Thanhha Lai, published by HarperCollins Children’s Books
BREAKING STALIN’S NOSE written by Eugene Yelchin, published by Henry Holt and Company, LLC
Batchelder Award
SOLDIER BEAR written by Bibi Dumon Tak, illustrated by Philip Hopman, translated by Laura Watkinson, published by Eerdmans Books for Readers
Batchelder Honor Book
THE LILY POND written by Annika Thor, translated by Linda Schenk, published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books
Pura Belpre Author Award
UNDER THE MESQUITE written by Guadalupe Garcia McCall, published by Lee and Low Books, Inc.
Pura Belpre Author Honor Books
HURRICANE DANCERS: THE FIRST CARRIBEAN PIRATE SHIPWRECK written by Margarita Engle, published by Henry Holt and Company, LLC
MAXIMILIAN AND THE MYSTERY OF THE GUARDIAN ANGEL: A BILINGUAL LUCHA LIBRE THRILLER written and illustrated by Xavier Garza, published by Cinco Puntos Press
Pura Belpre Illustrator Award
DIEGO RIVERA: HIW WORLD AND OURS written and illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh, published by Abrams Books for Young Readers
Odyssey Honor Audiobooks
GHETTO COWBOY produced by Brilliance Audio. Written by G. Neri; Narrated by JD Jackson
OKAY FOR NOW produced by Listening Library, an imprint of Random House Audio Publishing Group, Random House, Inc. Written by Gary D. Schmidt; Narrated by Lincoln Hoppe
THE SCORPIO RACES produced by Scholastic Inc./Scholastic Audiobooks. Written by Maggie Stiefvater; Narrated by Steve West and Fiona Hardingham
YOUNG FREDLE produced by Listening Library, an imprint of Random House Audio Publishing Group, Random House. Written by Cynthia Voigt; Narrated by Wendy Carter
Sibert Medal
BALLOONS OVER BROADWAY: THE TRUE STORY OF THE PUPPETEER OF MACY’S PARADE written by Melissa Sweet, published by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
Sibert Honor Books
BLACK & WHITE: THE CONFRONTATION BETWEEN REVEREND FRED L. SHUTTLESWORTH AND EUGENE “BULL” CONNOR written by Larry Dane Brimner, published by Calkins Creek
DRAWING FROM MEMORY written and illustrated by Allan Say, published by Scholastic Press
THE ELEPHANT SCIENTIST written and illustrated by Caitlin O’Connell and Donna M. Jackson, illustrated by Caitlin O’Connell and Timothy Rodwell, published by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
WITCHES!: THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE TALE OF DISASTER IN SALEM written and illustrated by Rosalyn Schanzer, published by National Geographic Society
Children’s Notable Books
AMELIA LOST: THE LIFE AND DISAPPEARANCE OF AMELIA EARHART written by Candace Fleming, published by Schwartz & Wade Books
AMERICA IS UNDER ATTACK: SEPTEMBER 11, 2001: THE DAY THE TOWERS FELL written by Don Brown, Published by Roaring Book Press
ANYA’S GHOST written by Vera Brosgol, published by First Second
BALLOONS OVER BROADWAY: THE TRUE STORY OF THE PUPPETEER OF MACY’S PARADE written by Melissa Sweet, published by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
BETWEEN SHADES OF GREY written by Ruta Sepetys, published by Philomel Books
BILLIONS OF YEARS, AMAZING CHANGES: THE STORY OF EVOLUTION written by Laurence Pringle, illustrated by Steve Jenkins, published by Boyds Mills Press
BLACK & WHITE: THE CONFRONTATION BETWEEN REVEREND FRED L. SHUTTLESWORTH AND EUGENE “BULL” CONNOR written by Larry Dane Brimner, published by Calkins Creek
BLIZZARD OF GLASS: THE HALIFAX EXPLOSION OF 1917 written by Sally M. Walker, published by Henry Holt
BLUEFISH written by Pat Schmatz, published by Candlewick Press
BREAKING STALIN’S NOSE written by Eugene Yelchin, published by Henry Holt and Company, LLC
CAN WE SAVE THE TIGER? Written by Martin Jenkins, illustrated by Vicky White, published by Candlewick Press
THE CHESHIRE CHEESE CAT: A DICKENS OF A TALE written by Carmen Agra Deedy, illustrated by Randall Wright, published by Peachtree Publishers
DEAD END IN NORVELT written by Jack Gantos, published by Farrar Straus and Giroux
DIEGO RIVERA: HIW WORLD AND OURS written and illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh, published by Abrams Books for Young Readers
DRAWING FROM MEMORY written and illustrated by Allan Say, published by Scholastic Press
THE ELEPHANT SCIENTIST written and illustrated by Caitlin O’Connell and Donna M. Jackson, illustrated by Caitlin O’Connell and Timothy Rodwell, published by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
FINGERTIPS OF DUNCAN DORFMAN written by Meg Wolitzer, published by Dutton Children’s Books
FLYAWAY written by Lucy Christopher, published by Chicken House
THE GREAT MIGRATION: JOURNEY TO THE NORTH written by Eloise Greenfield, illustrated by Jan Spivey Gilchrist, published by HarperCollins Children’s Books
HEART AND SOUL: THE STORY OF AMERICA AND AFRICAN AMERICANS written and illustrated by Kadir Nelson, published by Balzer & Bray
HIDDEN written by Helen Frost, published by Farrar Straus Giroux
THE HOUSE BABA BUILT: AN ARTIST’S CHILDHOOD IN CHINA written by Ed Young and Libby Koponen, illustrated by Ed young, published by Little, Brown and Co.
HURRICANE DANCERS: THE FIRST CARRIBEAN PIRATE SHIPWRECK written by Margarita Engle, published by Henry Holt and Company, LLC
INSIDE OUT & BACK AGAIN written by Thanhha Lai, published by HarperCollins Children’s Books
INTO THE UNKOWN:HOW GREAT EXPLORERES FOUND THEIR WAY BY LAND, SEA, AND AIR written by Stewart Ross, illustrated by Stephen Biesty, published by Candlewick Press
JEFFERSON’S SONS: A FOUNDING FATHER’S SECRET CHILDREN written by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, published by Dial Books for Young Readers
JUNONIA written by Kevin Henkes, published by Greenwillow Books
THE LILY POND written by Annika Thor, translated by Linda Schenk, published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books
LOST & FOUND written and illustrated by Shaun Tan, published by Arthur A. Levine Books
MAXIMILIAN AND THE MYSTERY OF THE GUARDIAN ANGEL: A BILINGUAL LUCHA LIBRE THRILLER written and illustrated by Xavier Garza, published by Cinco Puntos Press
A MONSTER CALLS written by Patrick Ness, published by Candlewick Press
MUSIC WAS IT: YOUNG LEONARD BERNSTEIN written by Susan Goldman Rubin, published by Charlesbridge
NEVER FORGOTTEN written by Patricia McKissack, illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon, published by Schwartz & Wade Books
NIGHT FLIGHT: AMELIA EARHART CROSSES THE ATLANTIC written by Robert Burleigh, illustrated by Wendell Minor, published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
NO ORDINARY DAY written by Deborah Ellis, published by Groundwood
OKAY FOR NOW written by Gary Schmidt, published by Clarion Books
RAGGIN’ JAZZIN’, ROCKIN’: AMERICAN MUSICAL INSTRUMENT MAKERS written by Susan VanHecke, published by Boyds Mills Press
THE SCORPIO RACES written by Maggie Stiefvater, published by Scholastic Press
SITA’S RAMAYANA written by Samhita Arni, illustrated by Moyna Chitrakar, published by Groundwood
SPACE, STARS, AND THE BEGINNING OF TIME: WHAT THE HUBBLE TELESCOPE SAW written by Elaine Scott, published by Clarion Books
SOLDIER BEAR written by Bibi Dumon Tak, illustrated by Philip Hopman, translated by Laura Watkinson, published by Eerdmans Books for Readers
STONES FOR MY FATHER written by Trilby Kent, published by Tundra Books of Northern New York
TALL STORY written by Candy Gourlay, published by David Fickling Books
TEREZIN: VOICES FROM THE HOLOCAUST written by Ruth Thomson, published by Candlewick Press
THUNDER BIRDS: NATURE’S FLYING PREDATORS written and illustrated by Jim Arnosky, published by Sterling
TREASURY OF GREEK MYTHOLOGY: CLASSIC STORIES OF GODS, GODDESSES, HEROES & MONSTERS written by Donna Jo Napoli, illustrated by Christina Balit, published by National Geographic Society
THE TROUBLE WITH MAY AMELIA written by Jennifer Holm, published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers
UNDER THE MESQUITE written by Guadalupe Garcia McCall, published by Lee and Low Books, Inc.
THE UNFORGOTTEN COAT written by Frank Cottrell Boyce, illustrated by Carl Hunter and Clare Heney, published by Candlewick Press
WITCHES!: THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE TALE OF DISASTER IN SALEM written and illustrated by Rosalyn Schanzer, published by National Geographic Society
WONDERSTRUCK written and illustrated by Brian Selznick, published by Scholastic
YOUNG FREDLE written by Cynthia Voigt , illustrated by Louise Yates, published by Alfred A. Knopf
ZITA THE SPACEGIRL written and illustrated by Ben Hatke, published by First Second
Children’s Notable Recordings
ALCATRAZ VERSUS THE EVIL LIBRARIANS written by Brandon Sanderson, narrated by Ramon De Ocampo, Recorded Books
COUNTDOWN written by Deborah Wiles, narrated by Emma Galvin, Listening Library
DEAD END IN NORVELT, written and narrated by Jack Gantos, Macmillan
DEAR AMERICA: LIKE THE WILLOW TREE written by Lois Lowry, narrated by Sara Barnett, Scholastic
JEFFERSON’S SONS written by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, narrated by Adenrele Ojo, Listening Library
LOOKING LIKE ME written by Walter Dean Myers, illustrated by Christopher Myers, narrated by Dion Graham and Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Live Oak Media
LUCKY FOR GOOD written by Susan Patron, narrated by Cassandra Campbell, Listening Library
MIRROR, MIRROR; A BOOK IN REVERSABLE VERSE written by Marilyn Singer, illustrated by Josee Massee, narrated by Marilyn Singer and Joe Morton, Live Oak Media
MOON OVER MANIFEST written by Clare Vanderpool, narrated by Jenna Lamia, Cassandra Campbell and Kirby Heyborne, Listening Library
OKAY FOR NOW written by Gary D. Schmidt, narrated by Lincoln Hoppe, Listening Library
OPERATION YES written by Sara Lewis Holmes, narrated by Jessica Almasy, Brilliance Audio
PRACTICALLY RIDICULOUS performed by the Jimmies, Pluckypea Publishing
THE APOTHECARY written by Maile Meloy, narrated by Cristin Milioti, Penguin
THE INCORRIGIBLE CHILDREN OF ASHTON PLACE, BOOK 2: THE HIDDEN GALLERY WRITTEN BY Maryrose Wood, narrated by Katherine Kellgren, Listening Library
THE OTHER HALF OF MY HEART written by Sundee T. Frazier, narrated by Bahni Turpin, Listening Library
THE SISTERS CLUB: CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF BOYS written by Megan McDonald, narrated by Jenna Lamia, Brilliance Audio
THE UNFORGOTTEN COAT written by Frank Cottrell Boyce, narrated by Sarah Coomes, Brilliance Audio
THUNDER OVER KANDAHAR written by Sharon E. McKay, narrated by Mozhan Marno, Listening Library
Notable Children’s Videos
ERIC CARLE, PICTURE BOOK WRITER: THE ART OF THE PICTUR E BOOK, 32min., Eric Carle Studio
A CHILD’S GARDEN OF POETRY, 27min., Warner Home Video
CHOOSING TO BE A GFF (GOOD FRIEND FOREVER), 15min., Good Friend, Inc.
COMING OUT: WHAT EVERY TEEN (GAY & STRAIGHT) NEEDS TO KNOW, 23min., Human Relations Media
SAFETY SMART SCIENCE WITH BILL NYE: GERMS & YOUR HELATH, 26min., Disney Educational Productions
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Our guest blogger today is ALSC President Mary Fellows.
Special thanks to Chair Tami Chumbley Finley and the ALSC School Age Programs and Services Committee for creating the Top Titles for Tweens list.