The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

In the future, what will our country be hungry for? Will it be food, or something more sinister, like power, violence and death? And who will we sacrifice to satisfy the hunger? These are games you don't want to play! Review by Loretta Eysie

Terry Pratchett knighted by the Queen!

Author Terry Pratchett has been knighted in the New Year Honours list. Pratchett, 60, who lives near Salisbury in Wiltshire, has sold more than 55 million books worldwide and his works have been translated into 33 languages. He is most known for his series, Discworld.

Gaming Blogs

If you are a serious gamer, check out these gaming blogs. Some of them are updated multiple times daily!

1up.com

escapistmagazine.com

gamasutra.com

gamepolitics.com

joystiq.com

kotaku.com

ypulse.com

Review of Black Rabbit Summer by Kevin Brooks

I could hardly bear to read this book. Kevin Brooks is one of my favorite authors, and although his books are never light (in Martyn Pig, 15-year-old Martyn decides to dispose of his alcoholic father's body rather than be forced by the authorities to live with his aunt; in Lucas, a girl tries to protect a young drifter on a remote English island from a mob who is after him because he is "different"), sometimes he is too dark and morbid even for me. The sense of creepiness and foreboding is strong right from the start of this book. Pete, who has just graduated from high school, is lying in his room doing nothing when he gets a call from his old "friend" Nicole. That sounds innocent enough, but there's clearly more going on than you're being told. There are references to an old gang, an old hideout, a previous relationship, and Pete's friend Raymond, who for some reason needs "minding." Even without knowing what's going on, the reader can tell that Pete is being drawn into something that's going to end very, very badly. I'll tell you right now that this is not one of those books where what happens is not really that terrible. It's worse than what I imagined. There are times where it seems hard to believe that Pete would behave the way he does, but the allure of sex, alcohol and drugs can certainly lead a teen astray. My suggestion is: if you haven't read any Kevin Brooks, start with Martyn Pig, its sequel Kissing the Rain, Lucas, or even Road of the Dead. Then, when you love Brooks, try Black Rabbit Summer. Review by Stacy

The New Anime Movies Are Here!

I know you've been waiting with bated breath for the new anime titles to arrive. Well...they're here!
Inuyasha: The Movie 4 Fire on the Mystic Island
Inuyasha: The Movie 1 Affections Touching Across Time
Gundam Wing: The Movie Endless Waltz
Princess Mononoke
Spirited Away
Spiral: What Are the Blade Chidlren?

Come in and check them out!

If you like Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, try these books!

The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray
My Swordhand is Singing
Gothic! Ten Original Dark Tales
Raven's Gate
Horseman
Corbenic
Coraline
Darkhenge
Road of the Dead
Darkside
Midnight Predator
May Bird and the Ever After

Review of The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Volume 1: The Pox Party by M.T. Anderson

I started reading this book when a friend who is a high school English teacher said everyone at her school is talking about it; so, even though I haven't liked any of Anderson's other books that I've tried, I decided to give it a shot. All I can say is I'm really glad I did. I didn't know anything about the book before I started it, so I wasn't even sure what genre it was. One of the things that captivated me from the start is that I wasn't sure what was going on - it seemed like it was going to be fantasy, though I was pretty sure my friend had said it was historical. I'm not sure how to convey how unusual the writing is: the language is very intricate, and though it's told in what I hope is an accurate portrayal of the language of the time (Revolutionary War New England), the language isn't at all stilted and doesn't get in the way of the story. The plot unfolds so gently that it came as sort of a shock when I realized that Octavian and his mother are slaves. The book won the National Book Award in Young People's Literature, and it's easy to see why. It's very beautifully written. I have only finished half of the book, but I couldn't wait to post this review, and I'll certainly read the second volume: The Kingdom on the Waves. Review by Stacy

Letters About Literature: National Reading-Writing Contest

Students in grades 4 through 12 are invited to enter a national reading-writing contest called Letters about Literature. The contest is sponsored by The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, in partnership with Target Stores and in cooperation with affiliate state centers for the book. To enter, readers write a personal letter to an author in any genre --fiction or nonfiction, contemporary or classic. The author can be living or dead. The letter should explain how that author's work changed the student's way of thinking about the world or themselves. There are three competition levels: Level I for children in grades 4 through 6; Level II for grades 7 and 8, and Level III for grades 9 - 12. The winners will be announced in the spring of next year, and will receive cash awards at the national and state levels. Visit the website: Letters About Literature for official guidelines, rules, and entry coupon. The next contest begins this month. Good luck!

Robert Parker publishes young adult novels

I read Robert Parker's first book for young adults, Edenville Owls, this summer, and I loved it! I've just started his latest, The Boxer and the Spy, and it shows every sign of being as good as the first one. Robert Parker is the author of the bestselling Spenser novels, on which the TV show Spenser for Hire was based. For a long time, I read each Spenser book as soon as it was released and waited eagerly for the next to come out, but after a while, they became pretty formulaic. I didn't have very high expectations when I started Edenville Owls, but changing his target audience has rejuvenated Parker's writing: the characters are believeable and likeable, the plot is intriguing and involves sports, one or more mysteries, and complicated relationships between the characters. In Edenville Owls, the sport is basketball, and in the new book, obviously, boxing. The dialog is still a bit choppy for my taste, but the books are definitely worth reading. Review by Stacy

Read Mad!

That's right --we have Mad Magazine! This was my favorite when I was a kid, and my neighbor had every issue because his dad brought them home (along with comic books) from his job at the grocery store. We thought he had the best job in the world! Here's what Mondo Times has to say about it: "America's foremost magazine of social parody, biting political satire and just plain silliness, Mad Magazine continues to attract legions of young readers, while remaining a favorite of adults with low standards. It's the best thing that's happened to libraries since the Dewey Decimal System." Some of the regular features include Spy vs Spy, The Lighter Side of..., and of course, the inevitable cover art of Alfred E. Neuman defaced in some relevant way.

Email us your anime suggestions!

We are purchasing some anime DVD's for our collection, and would like your suggestions about what we should buy! If you've seen a great anime film and think we should add it to our collection, email us at westwoodyoungadult@yahoo.com and let us know.

Gaming Fiction

Love to play video games? Try some of these books:
Epic by Kostick
Saga by Kostick
Ender's Game by Card
Head Games by Fredericks
Eagle Strike by Horowitz
Warcraft: vol.1 Dragon Hunt by Knaak and Jae-Hwan
Virtual War by Skurzynski
The Dragonlance Chronicles by Weis and Hickman
Heir Apparent by Vande Velde
User Unfriendly by Vande Velde
Interstellar Pig by Sleator
Parasite Pig by Sleator

Review of A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce

This is a wonderful retelling of the Rumpelstiltskin fairy tale, which I'm sure most of you are familiar with (you know, the weird little man promises to spin a roomful of straw into gold in exchange for something which will be named at a later time, and the poor deluded girl agrees, never dreaming that what she will have to give up is her child. Or... she could guess the little man's name and be released from her bargain). So when I started reading this book, I didn't think there would be much suspense, what with knowing how the story ends and all. But the way the author tells the story is so intricate and the characters so engaging, that you never really see what's coming (although there were times when I wanted to shout at her, "No, he's going to take your baby!") The story reads like historical fiction --Charlotte Miller's father has passed away unexpectedly, and now she is in charge of the family's woolen mill, on which the entire town depends for their income, and which has been plagued by bad luck as long as anyone can remember. She has her younger sister to help, and a previously unknown uncle shows up to "help" them, although it turns out he has nefarious plans of his own. A banker that her father had secretly taken out a loan from turns out to be an unlikely ally, and in fact, he and Charlotte fall in love. But as things spin out of control at the mill, Charlotte refuses his help. Did I mention that her sister became so desperate that she followed some ancient instructions to summon fairy help and conjured up a strange little man (remember that from the fairy tale?) who agrees to spin a roomful of straw into gold in exchange for a cheap ring that Charlotte received from her mother. The money from the gold thread saves the mill, temporarily, but of course their involvement with the little man, Jack Spinner, almost ruins them. Instead of guessing his name, Charlotte has to figure out what Jack Spinner's history is in order to remove the curse from the mill. I can't say enough about what a great book this is. It's a very accurate portrayal of the industrial revolution and the magical part of the story is really pretty minor (although the plot hinges on it), so even if you don't usually like fantasy, it's a great read. Review by Stacy

New DVD

The Breakfast Club: John Hughes' film of American high school life in the 1980's, starring Emilio Estevez and Molly Ringwald

New Video Games Available

XBox 360
Nascar 09: Racing Your Way

Playstation 3
Rock Band: Start a Band, Rock the World
NCAA Football 09: Big Play Saturday

Wii
Metroid Prime 3 Corruption: You Are the Bounty Hunter
Opoona: Join Opoona on a Journey across the Distant Cosmos
Trauma Center Second Opinion: Turns Your Living Room into an O.R.

Books with Bite @Your Library October 12 - 18

Celebrate Teen Read Week at the Westwood Public Library. Visit us for ideas of great books to read: Vampire Bites, Tasty Bites, Humorous Bites, Mysterious Bites, and Sound Bites.

Play Games Online

You can play your favorite word and number games online at the library! Try these sites:

www.setgame.com/set/ Set Daily Puzzle: puzzle game using shapes, colors, and patterns

www.dailysudoku.com/sudoku/ Sudoku online

FYI the scrabulous web site has been taken down, I think because of copyright infringement!

Relax and Play Board Games

Got some time to kill at the library? Need to take a break from doing your homework? Play checkers, chess or monopoly in the YA Room. Or try out our new game: Shadows over Camelot!

New Board Game in YA Room

Shadows over Camelot is a game where players collaborate with each other to defeat the game itself. You and your fellow gamers are reincarnated Knights of the Round Table, and you must complete a number of quests in order to protect Camelot. Together you must find Excalibur, the Holy Grail and Lancelot’s Armor; you must defeat the Black Knight, and win wars against the Saxons and Picts. As if that isn’t enough, there may be a traitor in your midst! 3 – 7 people can play at a time, and a game takes about 90 minutes.

Review of The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray by Chris Wooding

This is a very creepy book. It's set in London in what appears to be the 19th century, but none of the events described in the story have any real place in history. In this parallel London, the city was bombed and nearly destroyed by a German airship fleet, and in the ensuing years becomes overrun by wych-kin, supernatural monsters that prey on human beings. The only protection comes from wych-hunters who use ancient rituals to track them and kill them. Thaniel Fox is a 17-year-old wych-hunter who learned the craft from his father, and then his mentor, Cathaline. The book opens with Thaniel chasing a Cradlejack (much more dangerous than it sounds: it's like a vampire that preys on babies) into an abandoned building where he stumbles across a crazed young woman who attacks him and then collapses. He takes her home, and with Cathaline's help, tries to unravel her mystery. The only thing she remembers is her name: Alaizabel Cray. Cathaline surrounds her room with talismans to ward off any evil pursuers, but Alaizabel insists that during the night something cold, wet and horrible tried to get into her room, even though no one else heard or felt anything. Is she insane or is something really trying to get her? Thaniel and Cathaline soon realize that the girl they saved is the key to a conspiracy that could bring the ultimate evil into the world. Along the way, they join forces with the vagrants, pickpockets and other unsavory people who inhabit the Old Quarter, an area of London most people avoid. Besides the wych-kin and wolves that inhabit the Old Quarter, there's also the serial killer Stitch-face, clearly modelled on Jack the Ripper. This is a real page-turner, but don't read it unless you have a strong stomach for gore. Review by Stacy Church

Review of Zen and the Art of Faking It by Jordan Sonnenblick

San Lee is an 8th grader transferring into a new school in the middle of a semester, and, once again, he's the new kid in a new school in a new town. But he has the same old problems, only now they're worse than ever because his dad is in prison, and his mom is working constantly to try and support them. At every new school, San makes himself over to become someone who can fit in, but this time he says, "I was sick of pretending to be like everyone else --the artificial slang, the Internet research on sports I didn't care about, the endless watching of MTV so I could learn song lyrics, dance moves, cool clothing brands." Then, in the cafeteria on his first day, he meets a wild-haired girl who spends every lunch period singing and playing an old, beat-up guitar. Next, in social studies class (which he happens to have with the wild-haired girl, Woody), he just happens to know the answer to a question about Zen Buddhism, and his new identity as Buddha Boy is launched. Since he's the only Asian in the school, everyone takes his expertise for granted. So he rushes to the library after school to read up on Buddhism and begins to fake it. He gets paired up with Woody to do a project on Buddhism, and the time involved in their dual project of volunteering at a soup kitchen and learning how to shoot baskets the Zen way gets him into trouble with his mom, who suspects him of becoming a liar like his father. This is a very funny, heartfelt book by the author of two other terrific books: Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie and Notes from the Midnight Driver. Review by Stacy Church