Shipp, J.  (2010).  The Teen's Guide to World Domination:  Advice on Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Awesomeness.  New York, NY:  St. Martin's Griffin.  285p.  ISBN 10: 0-312-64154-0.

Summary:  In this self-help book, author Josh Shipp gives advice to teens on how to dominate their own world instead of allowing others to negatively influence their decision-making and self perception.  Using personal experiences, real-life issues, and the attitude of a big brother, Shipp delivers sound advice that gives the teen reader purpose instead of having to blindly navigate through his/her life as it happens around him/her.   He identifies “villains” that might hinder any success and joy, and he offers suggestions on how one can avoid these “villains” and be the “hero” of his/her own world.

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Sepetys, R.  (2011).  Between Shades of Gray.  New York, NY:  Philomel Books. 344p. ISBN 10:  0- 399-25412-9

Summary:  In this captivating historical fiction novel, fifteen-year-old Lina Vilkas is taken along with her family from their home in Lithuania by the NKVD, the Soviet secret police.  It is 1941 and Stalin is removing any people believed to be anti-Soviet and deporting them to refugee camps and prisons where millions are tortured, starved, and forced to live in conditions not even fit for animals.  Along with her mother and brother, Lina struggles to stay alive with little more than hatred for the Soviets and hope that she will see her father alive again.   A gifted artist, Lina risks her life as she documents their experiences and vows that the suffering of millions will not go unknown and their sacrifices will live on.

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Bray, L.   (2011). Beauty Queens. New York, NY:  Scholastic Press. 396p. ISBN 10: 0-439-89597-9.

Summary:  Fifty Teen Dream contestants are on their way to a beautiful island paradise when their plane goes down leaving them deserted and in disbelief.  Assuming they will be rescued quickly, they take all necessary measures to be ready and beautiful when the cameras arrive.  However, as days and then weeks pass, their priorities change as the girls settle in to their new life on the island.  Once they find there are more people on the island than just themselves, they quickly realize that they must rely on their wits and their creativity if they want to make it off the island alive.

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Billingsley, F.  (2011).  Chime.  New York, NY:  Dial Books.  361p.  ISBN 10:  0-8037-3552-9

Summary:  Because seventeen-year-old Briony Larkin has the Second Sight and can see spirits, she has been convinced by her stepmother that she is a witch and cannot tell a soul, not even her own father, or she will be hanged by the people in her village.  She believes that her powers have caused her twin sister’s brain damage as well as the death of her stepmother.  She tells herself that because she is a witch, she is not capable of feeling or caring about another person until handsomely perfect Eldric comes into her life and helps open her eyes to the truth about the secrets the spirit world holds.  This knowledge completely changes all she has believed about the Old Ones, her stepmother, and her fate as a witch.

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