#milwaukee county teen book award

[mkecountyteenbookaward]

Elena Soo is strongly anti-prom, even going so far as to try to stage an alternative prom event to benefit her beloved community center—and then her childhood friend surprises her, dropping back into her life after four years with an over-the-top promposal. Did we mention he has grown up into a pink-haired K-Pop star? Once upon a K-Prom is a super sweet friends-to-lovers story that will keep you turning the pages.  The dialogue is playful and romantic and the K-Pop details give the reader a little glimpse into the world of K-Pop idols.  

[kristenreviewsmedia]

The Hunger Games

Classic YA Novel: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins Collins, S. (2008). The Hunger Games. Scholastic Press.

Rating: 5 stars

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is one of those books that withstand the tale of time. This novel brings the readers into a future dystopia in what was once the United States but is now known as Panem. Panem comprises 13 districts and the Capitol, known for its riches and life of ease, but since the upraise district, 13 were bombed, and only 12 remain. The Treaty of Treason was formed because of this uprising. Now, each year, to remember why the treaty was signed, the Capitol holds The Hunger Games. In the Hunger Games, all 12 districts are forced to select two children, one boy, and one girl tribute, from the ages 12 to 18, to fight to the death until only 1 of the 24 children remains.  This novel starts right before the 74th Hunger Games. This is where we meet Katniss Everdeen and her sister, Primrose.  Katniss's name is in the reaping several times because she has taken out extra food portions, and as the quote goes, “may the odds be ever in your favor.” this does not fare well for Katniss. Still, Primrose has only one entry; Primrose’s name gets called, and Katniss volunteers in her place. The male tribute from her district is Peeta Mellark, who Katniss recognized as the boy who saved her life by giving her bread. Katniss struggles with the idea of having to kill him. On the way to the Hunger Games to the Capitol, ensure all the tributes are well-fed, dressed, and cleaned.  They put on a show where they parade them though the town on chariots, they also have them all train together before the games some of these tributes being ones that trained and volunteered to be here while some have to skills at all. Katniss, though, has her hunting of animals. The last part of the show, before they televise the games, is to have each contestant go on for an interview, which is a last chance to really try and win sponsors. Throughout these games, Katniss must battle the elements, capital mutts, and the other tributes to return to her family.

The Hunger Games is a read everyone should pick up and read once, twice, or ten times. This is a classic because it resonated with people back in 2008 and still has those same abilities in 2016 or 2024. Many can relate to this story because it is about Katniss, who is willing to fight back against the system after seeing how messed up it truly is. Then we have Peeta Mellark, who we can connect with by not waiting for the system to change who we are at the core. Twenty years down the line and even one hundred years, this feeling will still be identifiable because people will be trying to fight the injustices that are taking place worldwide, from women’s rights to civil rights, light rights, and so much more. This novel also really picks up on the idea of how desensitized to killing we have all become; the book shows that the Capitols population enjoys watching children die, while for us, you can say that mass shootings of children in schools feel like they are just being mourned and then moved on from, without any change. This book is a classic and will keep getting picked up by more generations.

California Young Reader Medal for Young Adults - 2011 Golden Duck Award for Hal Clement Award for Young Adult - 2009 Milwaukee County Teen Book Award - 2009 Teen Buckeye Book Award - 2011Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award - 2010

[shorlibteens]

Vote in the 2024 Milwaukee County Teen Book Awards!

Vote now, vote at your library, or vote via email at MCTBA.votes@gmail.com

[pussymagicuniverse]

taking stock // setting intentions

It’s hard to write this. It hurts. I’m feeling rubbed raw right now. Winter melancholy, the smell of cold & dusty rooms, the hardwood floor freezing beneath my bare feet in the morning; hearing Tori Amos & The Pretenders on the radio in my car, on my way to do holiday shopping, weeping to “Silent All These Years” & “2000 Miles.” Coffee to go & feeling kicked in the chest by the passage of time. Thinking of my youngest child, my solstice baby, turning two on the longest night of the year; realizing that he’s officially a toddler now, not a baby, & I will never have any more babies. Nevermind that having two kids is perfect for me, that I don’t actually want to have more babies—just knowing that part of my life is over for real is hard. & the other sadnesses, the winter nostalgia, the memories. Wandering the streets of Philadelphia with A., high-fiving the Phillie Phanatic, coffee at the Last Drop. Celebrating Hanukkah with S., lighting the shammash, our simple meal of pasta with kalamata olives & fried artichokes. How I haven’t seen or talked to either one of them in years.

This time of year always hurts. Everyone takes stock of their lives near the turning of the year, everyone takes stock near their birthday, & my birthday is New Year’s Eve. & this year is perhaps even harder than most because it is the turning of not just a year but a decade. How do I sum up a decade when I can’t even sum up a year? As always when I think about the passage of time, when I look back on what’s happened, I think: All this? In just ten years I’ve experienced all this? But on the other hand: That’s all? That’s all that an entire decade of my life adds up to?

Oh, but there’s been so much. Living in Oakland, California for two years, then moving back to not just the midwest but the town I swore I’d never return to, the town I spent my tortured teen years in. & eventually falling in love with this town, & realizing that home is where I make it, & not in some mythical perfect city where everyone is into all the same things I am. (& that a city like that doesn’t really exist, & there are more like-minded people here than I’d assumed.) Getting married, having two kids; learning to be a wife & a mama & feeling like I was failing at it until I realized there’s not just one way to be a wife or mother. Realizing, to paraphrase the late, great Prince, that—I’m not a woman, I’m not a man, I am something that you’ll never understand. Growing my hair long then cutting it short again. Learning how to disengage from the endless bad news cycle that is the world/society we live in; to be well-informed & active without burning out. Learning, finally, to live with balance & stealth. Finding healthier ways to channel some of my more self-destructive impulses. Learning to find adventure & poetry in the small moments, not just the epic road trips & the one-night stands but the walking around downtown taking photos of graffiti scrawled in alleyways, the walking alongside the tracks watching the trains blow by, the parking my car in the county park & writing while my baby naps in the backseat.

There’s been heartbreak & hard shit. Falling in love (again) & being crushed by it. Losing a lot of people I thought would be riding side-by-side with me for the long haul; some died & others just decided to extricate themselves from my life. & being afraid to make new friends, holding everyone at arm’s length no matter how much I want to let them closer because I’m afraid of the moment when they, too, decide I’m not worth their time. Favorite places closing down. There’s been brokeness & threats of eviction, shitty landlords & hustling for freelance jobs so I can keep the lights on. Illness & injury, anxiety & depression. Drinking too much (but then, eventually, drinking less, & feeling okay about it). Trying to maintain good relationships with my parents; loving them, knowing they love me, yet knowing there are some things about me they’ll never understand or accept.

There’s been so much good, so much beauty. Watching my children grow. Truly dedicating myself to my writing after years of setbacks & holding myself back, & all that’s come from that: being Poet Laureate of my town, winning a couple awards, getting a poetry book picked up for publication. & the courses I took to deepen my connection to poetry, & leading courses, myself. & the writing itself, the one thing that has never abandoned me even when I thought it had. Learning how to carve space & time for myself & my work from the chaos of my life. Starting my own small press, which I��d been dreaming of since I was fifteen; the reality of it being both better & harder than I’d ever imagined. Creating visual art, again; being part of some art shows & actually selling a few pieces but also realizing I don’t care if I sell my visual art or not because it brings me joy. The moments I’ve spent with friends & friendly strangers: Kenosha punk shows, Milwaukee poetry readings, coffee & long walks. Zine fests. Making music: Oakland Wine Drinkers Union at the start of the decade, Wasted & Wounded at the end. & & &. Hiking in Joshua Tree. Visiting Peter Lorre & Dee Dee Ramone at Hollywood Forever. Sitting in cafes, diners, bars across the country, writing & daydreaming. Seeing Patti Smith in concert in Chicago, on her 70th birthday, the day before my 35th. Reading books & growing vegetables. So much, so much.

At the end of every year, when I look back on the year that’s passed & think about what I wish I’d had more of, the same two things always come up—I always wish I’d written more, & spent more time with friends. At the close of this decade, it’s no different. So I’m setting my intentions for 2020 & beyond. There are other things I will be manifesting in this new decade: greater patience with my children & myself, more time spent helping others, taking my press to a higher level, getting to the point with my own writing where I make a good enough living that I no longer need to take on freelance copyediting jobs to pay the bills. More tattoos, more live music (both witnessing & performing), more art, more walking & dancing. Quitting smoking, again, for good this time. I’ll keep my house cleaner & more organized but also not get down on myself when it does fall into disarray. I’ll deal with things as they come rather than letting it all pile up & overwhelm me. I’ll be a more active activist. I’ll learn to play chess & bake bread & make my own cold brew coffee. I’ll improve my credit score & try my hand at canning. I’ll do more thrift shopping & modify my own clothes. & I will write more, & spend more time with my friends.

I will write for the joy of it, without thinking about editing or sending out submissions, because that can come later. I will write poetry & fiction & essays & reviews & plays & songs & journal entries; I’ll write in bed before I rise, in the backyard while my children play on the swing set, in my car while the little one sleeps in the backseat. I’ll stop by places when I know my friends will be there, even if I can only stop by for a few minutes. I’ll accept more invitations to open mics & parties; I’ll invite people over for barbecues & out for coffee. & I’ll stop pushing people away/not letting them in. If our friendships eventually end, I’ll deal with it, then, but in the meantime, I’ll hold them close. The twenties will be my decade of connection & creativity, even more than the previous decades have been.

•

The companion playlist for this installment is somewhat thematically linked to the piece. It’s also a way to showcase (some of) my favorite songs from (some of) my favorite albums of the decade.

Jessie Lynn McMains (they/them) is a poet, writer, zine-maker, and small press owner. They are a queer and non-binary mama to two wild kiddos. Aside from words, music is their favorite thing in the world. They’re also obsessed with tarot, the Midwest/Great Lakes/Rust Belt, ghosts, and the undying spirit of punk rock. You can find their website at recklesschants.net, or find them on Tumblr, Twitter, and Instagram @rustbeltjessie.

[theyabookadvisor-blog]

“The Serpent King” Booktalk

Zentner, J. (2016). The Serpent King. New York, NY: Crown Books for Young Readers. Hardcover; ISBN: 9780553524024; $11.19.

Awards: William C. Morris YA Debut Award (2017), Rhode Island Teen Book Award Nominee (2018), Milwaukee County Teen Book Award Nominee (2017), Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award Nominee (2017), Lincoln Award Nominee (2018) Great Lakes Great Books Award for 9-12 (2018), Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Debut Goodreads Author & for Young Adult Fiction (2016)

Dill is an outcast. He’s the son of a preacher who handled snakes and is now in prison. His mom can’t see any life for him outside of their shadowy home. While his friend and crush Lydia dreams of college, Dill sees a black hole where his future should be. All he has are his two fellow outcast friends, Lydia and Travis, but it’s senior year, and Lydia will be leaving for college and chasing her dreams. People think of high school graduation as a new beginning, but all Dill feels is an end.

Dill’s is passionate about his music, and Lydia encourages him to go after his dreams. But Dill feels trapped, trapped in his father’s shadow, trapped by his mother. And he starts to resent Lydia for her ability to leave, and he’s too afraid to tell her how he feels. Can Dill escape the shadow of The Serpent King and begin to live his life on his own terms?

https://anchor.fm/sally-tate/episodes/Book-Talk-The-Serpent-King-by-Jeff-Zentner-e1r8t6

[danyblu]

Editora Valentina divulga capa de “O Fundo é apenas o Começo” de NEAL SHUSTERMAN, premiado autor de diversos best-sellers do New York Times, “O ceifador”, publicado pela Seguinte. Conheça a sinopse:   Uma poderosa jornada da mente humana, um mergulho profundo nas águas da doença mental. CADEN BOSCH está a bordo de um navio que ruma ao ponto mais remoto da Terra: Challenger Deep, uma depressão marinha situada a sudoeste da Fossa das Marianas. CADEN BOSCH é um aluno brilhante do ensino médio, cujos amigos estão começando a notar seu comportamento estranho. CADEN BOSCH é designado o artista de plantão do navio, para documentar a viagem com desenhos. CADEN BOSCH finge entrar para a equipe de corrida da escola, mas na verdade passa os dias caminhando quilômetros, absorto em pensamentos. CADEN BOSCH está dividido entre sua lealdade ao capitão e a tentação de se amotinar. CADEN BOSCH está dilacerado. Cativante e poderoso, O fundo é apenas o começo é um romance que permanece muito além da última página, um pungente tour de force de um dos mais admirados autores contemporâneos da ficção jovem adulta.   “O Fundo é apenas o Começo” é vencedor e finalista de mais de 15 prêmios, entre eles vencedor do NATIONAL BOOK AWARD, Medalha de Ouro no CALIFORNIA BOOK AWARD, Finalista do MILWAUKEE COUNTY TEEN BOOK AWARD, Melhor Livro do Ano (Publishers Weekly), Finalista do ABRAHAM LINCOLN AWARD, entre outros. Já estou surtando para poder ler! 😱🙌 (em Editora Valentina)

[mkecountyteenbookaward]

This book takes place in 1989 where 17 year old Cristian struggles to be a regular teen in communist Romania. While this book is historical fiction, Cristian feels like a very relatable teen character. I was moved by his struggle to balance family life, friends, and a crush with the responsibilities of being an informer forced on him by a communist government. I Must Betray You is beautifully written and incredibly moving. It is the perfect balance of action packed, suspenseful, and touching. A must read!

[mkecountyteenbookaward]

Hungry Ghost

Hungry Ghost by Victoria Ying

Valerie Chu tries so hard to be a good daughter and friend. She is a good student, listens to her parents, doesn’t have big outbursts, and most importantly, to her mother, is thin. But after years of counting calories and denying herself, Valerie is learning that you can’t be yourself if you only listen to other’s rules. It’s time to open up, stop hiding the truth, and be her own person. In the end, simple colors and expressive panels make readers really connect to Valerie’s experiences and emotions. Victoria Ying’s debut novel Hungry Ghost is a beautiful and almost haunting view into the reality of life when one struggles with physical, emotional, and mental demons. 

[mkecountyteenbookaward]

Give Me a Sign

Give Me a Sign by Anna Sortino

Seventeen-year-old Lilah is tired. Tired of relying on friends and devices to help her hear, and, at the same time, tired of being considered not “deaf enough.” Wanting to be seen, to be understood, means a trip down memory lane. To a summer of working as a counselor at a camp for the deaf and hard of hearing. The same camp she herself attended as a child. What follows is a season full of learning, struggles, friendship, and more. A story does not have to be dark and depressing to tackle serious subjects. Highlighting the struggles that those in the Deaf community face, Anna Sortino’s debut novel is not to be missed.

Reviewer's Note: The audiobook for this novel is FANTASTIC! It makes the experience that much more real. You really get a sense of the struggles Lilah goes through and how hearing loss, no matter the severity, impacts everyone’s lives.

[mkecountyteenbookaward]

I’d Rather Burn than Bloom

I’d Rather Burn than Bloom by Shannon C.F. Rogers

Marisol knows she is a terrible Filipina daughter. After her mother’s tragic death, the anger that fueled her endless fights with her mom needs another outlet, so she turns against herself and all she loves, including her terrible sister and best friend. 

Told through chapters alternating between flashbacks and present day, author Shannon Rogers brings readers on a journey of healing. Themes of loss, substance abuse, self-love, generational trauma, and the pressures of being a first generation American are handled with an honesty and tenderness that will have readers rooting for Marisol. In the end, Marisol discovers what readers knew all along: that Marisol is deserving of love and forgiveness from her friends and family, but most importantly, from herself.

[mkecountyteenbookaward]

Man Made Monsters

Man Made Monsters by Andrea L. Rogers

Man Made Monsters is a collection of interlinked short horror stories grounded in history and Cherokee tradition. Though the story collection’s pieces can be read individually, author Andrea L. Rogers rewards readers who follow the Wilson family’s thread of terror from 1839 to 2039 with the richness of a fully fleshed-out world. Accompanying the stories are Jeff Edwards’ illustrations which tie Cherokee imagery to the text. Readers of supernatural horror will find inventive twists on classic monsters. Readers who prefer their horror in the true-crime vein will enjoy Rogers’ relentless mirroring of supernatural horrors with human horrors throughout history. In Man Made Monsters’ final stories, set in 2029 and 2039, fans of speculative and sci-fi thrillers will relish original projections of our future world. In short, no matter your typical genre, you’ll find Rogers’ collection to be a page-turner worthy of recommending to fellow story lovers.

[mkecountyteenbookaward]

Only This Beautiful Moment

Only This Beautiful Moment by Abdi Nazemian

Only This Beautiful Moment by Abdi Nazemian features three members of an Iranian-American family—Moud, Saeed, and Bobby.  Moud, an out gay teen in Los Angeles, tells his story from modern day in 2019.  Saeed’s story is told from 1978 during a social revolution in Iran.  Bobby’s takes place in 1939 Los Angeles, where he is entering into the world of Hollywood show-biz.  In 2019, Moud learns that his grandfather in Iran is dying, and he and his father, Saeed, travel to Tehran to spend time with the extended family.  The reader learns about family secrets through each boy’s experiences, and as they are revealed to Moud during his time in Iran.

Fans of novels with multiple points of view will love this touching multigenerational story!

[mkecountyteenbookaward]

The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich

The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich by Deya Muniz

Fashion fans and romance fans alike will adore this charming debut graphic novel from Webtoons artist Deya Muniz! Brilliant, full color illustrations and animated characters combine to create a story that is too gouda to put down!

Lady Camembert is desperate to live life on her own terms, free from the traditional gender roles in the Kingdom of Fromage. Upon her father’s passing, she seizes the opportunity for a fresh start and moves to the capital. Disguised as a man, Camembert enjoys a life full of activism, royal friends, and the latest fashions. As Camembert and Princess Brie develop feelings for each other, keeping the truth of her identity a secret gets harder. What sacrifices will Lady Camembert make to live the life of her dreams?

[mkecountyteenbookaward]

We Are All So Good at Smiling

We Are All So Good at Smiling by Amber McBride

Amber McBride, author of Me (Moth), is back again with another moving story in verse. We Are All So Good at Smiling is hauntingly beautiful and center's on Whimsy's battle with depression after she witnesses a traumatic event. In a universe closely mirroring our own, Whimsy and Faerry use their magic to help each other find the truth.

[mkecountyteenbookaward]

The Weight of Blood

The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson 

Maddy Washington has always been an outsider in her small Southern town, and she becomes the target of increasingly cruel, racist jokes once her classmates discover that she’s biracial and has been passing as white. This reveal sets into motion a series of events that culminate in death and destruction the night of Springville’s senior prom.   

This modern retelling of Stephen King’s Carrie explores the impacts of bullying, microaggressions, and modern-day racism.  Thought-provoking and unsettling, this story will linger with its readers long after the final pages are turned.  

[mkecountyteenbookaward]

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert

Celine Bangura has a loyal social media following for her conspiracy theory obsessed observations. But internet fame doesn’t translate to real life and she finds herself on the outs with the cool kids at her high school, including her ex-best friend Brad Graeme. Brad is a star football player managing his OCD and can’t quite figure out what went wrong with Celine. Their moms have been best friends forever and the friendship turned into an academic rivalry spurred by hilarious insults. These characters were so funny and likable, and the tension only gets better when Celine signs up for a survival course in the woods and Brad shows up to complete it as well. The sparks and witty comments fly in this heartwarming and compelling romance. Celene’s family dynamic was also incredibly compelling. She was raised by a single mom and has a burning desire to prove herself to her estranged father through the survival camp. You end up rooting for Celine and Brad individually and together.