Whether you like heavy duty literature or just books with meaning the 2010 National Book Award Finalist List has something for you. This week I recommend Lockdown by Walter Dean Myers from the Teen List. The sixth graders this yea rread Holes by Louis Sachar and the 8th graders last year read Monster by Walter Dean Myers. Why did I bring this up? Because all three of these titles deal with the "not so nice" side of growing up, getting in trouble, uninvolved parents, and the over use of authority...and in the end....there are people who care. Lockdown sees a young man, only 15, dealing with being in jail and doing work release at a local elderly care facility. He not only learns to take responsibility for his choices, but learns that everyone has a history and it's what you learn from that past that shapes you as a person. You don't want to miss this young adult novel. YA MYE (found upstairs in Young Adult section).

Mockingbird-Kathryn Erskine Teen List

A wonderful story of a "different" girl dealing with the loss of her older brother. What is it like for a young girl to have Asperger's Syndrome, trying to understand the dramatic and tragic changes that occur in life? Read this heartfelt story of what bravery can be and appreciate the different ways of "just dealing". JF ERS (Juvenile)

Interested in other National Award Finalists.... check back for more information as books become available at the library!