Teens had a great summer at Battery Park.  Our Teen Advisory Group met for snacks, conversation, and book discussion. Nick, Dhruv and Caleb made an awesome video about Summer Reading that got the whole staff laughing—come to a TAG meeting and check it out!  This fall we'll be meeting Thursdays at 4 p.m.

Between vacations, volunteering, summer camps and just hanging out, everyone found time to discover new books. Here are some of the titles that had us talking this summer.

Are You My Mother?, by Alison Bechdel.  A deep, dark graphic novel about family, psychology, and more.  

Guns, Germs, and Steel, by Jared M. Diamond.  High school students across the city were assigned this book, and are now finishing up August grappling with Diamond's theories.  What do you think?

Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?, by Roz Chast.  One of the funniest cartoonists in America tackles an outrageous, hilarious, and touching topic: her parents.

Peanut, by Ayun Halliday.  A crazy, but totally believable story of food allergies, friends, and the struggle to be true to yourself.  Sensing a theme here?  Hey, our teens make no apologies for loving all these talented graphic novelists.  Women in comics rock!

The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger.  An oldie but a goodie, or is it?  Our teens had lively debates about whether this book has stood the test of time.