Posts by Andrea Lipinski

Some of you might think that you already know the story of the Wizard of Oz.  But if you're basing that assumption on your memories of the 1939 movie starring Judy Garland, then some of you are wrong.  However, it's not too late to catch up with the REAL story of what happened in the land of Oz.  Eric Shanower's graphic novel version of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is incredibly faithful to L. Frank Baum's original story ... which means that it demonstrates all the ways in which the land of Oz was wonderful, 

One of the coolest and creepiest books of 2009 was The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan.  Now in 2010 Ryan brings us The Dead-Tossed Waves, which isn't a sequel but a "companion" book.  That means that we don't learn exactly what happened after the end of The Forest of Hands and Teeth but it's set in the same eerie world.  And what a world it is! 

After the Return, society collapsed and had to be 

The story of Robin Hood has been told and retold many times over the years.  Many versions of the story focus on the "robbing the rich and helping the poor" aspect of Robin's life, with varying levels of emphasis on the romantic subplot.  But it wasn't until I read the graphic novel Outlaw: The Legend of Robin Hood that I really got to enjoy a well-rounded treatment of Robin's story that explored how and why he became that legendary outlaw. 

This version of the classic story 

When I first became a librarian, I had no idea how many teens would ask me the question, "Can you find me a book that will make me cry?"  So now I always keep that request in the back of my mind, and If I Stay by Gayle Forman is definitely a strong contender.

At the very beginning of this book (so this is just an itty-bitty spoiler), a family of four people gets involved in a terrible car accident.  Most of the story is told by Mia, who is physically in a coma but her mind is 

I Can't Keep My Own Secrets: Six-Word Memoirs by Teens Famous and Obscure is one of the most popular books I’ve ever shared at a Teen Advisory Group meeting.  All of my kids were passing it around, reading their favorites out loud to each other, and trying to come up with their own six-word memoirs.  What is a six-word memoir, you ask?  Try to summarize something important about your life in just six words; it might be harder than you think!

Here are some of our favorite examples of 

Some of the best graphic novel titles from the Stuff for the Teen Age 2010 List:

Color of Earth Trilogy

We had a lot of trouble trying to categorize these books.  Yes, they're manhwa (Korean manga).  Yes, they're realistic fiction, inspired by the true story of the author's family.  Yes, they're 

Teens at the Kingsbridge Library have a LOT to say about DVDs, games, and graphic novels on the Stuff for the Teen Age 2010 List.

Glee You know that wistful sighing noise that girls make sometimes? The sound they make when the sun comes out from behind the clouds, the boy / prince / sparkly vampire of their dreams is walking towards them (smiling and/or sparkling at them), and 

Some of my favorite paranormal titles from the Stuff for the Teen Age 2010 List:

The Forest of Hands and Teeth

This was one of the most interesting and creepy entries in what we librarians were calling "The Year of the Zombie."  Granted, the Unconsecrated aren't actually called "zombies" in this book, but they're people who die and then come back to life, so you do the math.  Plus, this book has one of the greatest titles