Attencion Teen Readers

The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) wants you to help decide the best books of the last year. Vote for your favorite book, so it can make it to the Top 10! 

Here is a great opportunity for your voices to be heard. Help pick out the best of the best books from this list of real page turners (nominated by teens like you). Vote for the best 10 books for YALSA's Teens Top 10 list, where you and other teens' voices are the only ones that matter. 

Find out more about these titles on Teachingbooks.net

     

  

     

    

    

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38 Best First Lines!

  Here they are in no particular order, with a few pretty covers thrown in... 

"I stare down at my shoes, watching as a fine layer of ash settles on the worn leather. This is where the bed I shared with my sister, Prim, stood."

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

"I've been locked up for 264 days." Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

""First the colors.
Then the humans.

That's usually how I see things.

Or at least, how I try."

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

"A thief is a lot like a wizard. I have quick hands. And I can make things disappear. But then I stole the magician's locus magicalicus and almost disappeared myself forever."

The Magic Thief by Sarah Prineas

"Prague, early May. The sky weighed gray over fairy-tale rooftops, and all the world was watching."
Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor

"The screw through Cinder's ankle had rusted, the engraved cross marks worn to a mangled circle."
Cinder by Marissa Meyer

"Congratulations. The fact that you're reading this means you've taken one giant step closer to your next birthday."
Maximum Ride, The Angel Experiment by James Patterson

"Ironically, since the attacks, the sunsets have been glorious."
Angelfall by Susan Ee

"How does one describe Artemis Fowl? Various psychiatrists have tried and failed."
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

"The assassins dropped into the palace grounds at midnight, four fleet shadows dark against the wall. The fall was high, the ground was hard; they made no more sound on impact than the pattering of rain."
Ptolemy's Gate by Jonathan Stroud

"I stood in front of today's schedule still holding my skateboard, still drenched from the ride over, and still desperately wishing I hadn't dropped out of college."
Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride

"Turner Buckminster had lived in Phippsburg, Maine, for fifteen minutes shy of six hours."
Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary D. Schmidt

"Once, in a house on Egypt street, there lived a rabbit who was made almost entirely of china."
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate Di Camillo

"The night breathed through the apartment like a dark animal."
Reckless by Cornelia Funke

"Not for the first time, an argument had broken out over breakfast at number four, Privet Drive."
Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets
by JK Rowling

"Prayer candles flicker in my bedroom. The Scriptura Sancta lies discarded, pages crumpled, on my bed. Bruises mark my knees from kneeling on the hard tile, and the Godstone in my navel throbs. I have been praying― no, begging― that King Alejandro de Vega, my future husband, will be ugly, old, and fat."
The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

"I've always been competitive. Maybe it's because I'm a dragon, and that's how we are, at least the males of our species."
Phoenix by Finley Aaron

"Jacob Fielding stood in a small room and stared at a body."
Thirteen Days to Midnight by Patrick Carman

"Joost had two problems: the moon and his mustache."
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

"It was as black in the closet as old blood."
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

"I've confessed to everything and I'd like to be hanged. Now, if you please."
Chime by Franny Billingsley

"The man sitting across from me at the café was thinking about murdering his wife."
The Mind Readers by Lori Brighton

"I've watched through his eyes, I've listened through his ears, and I tell you he's the one. Or at least as close as we're going to get."
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

"You stop fearing the Devil when you're holding his hand."
Between The Devil and The Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke

"The world is a clock winding down."
The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey

"There's a hint of wind coming over the top of the stone walls and through the barbed-wire sky on the day Alexander Stowe was to be Purged."
The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann

"The Austrian horses glinted in the moonlight, their riders standing tall in the saddle, swords raised."
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

"Despite her casting him down to this place, despite the fresh bruises on his skin and the blood under his nails, Roiben still loved Lady Silarial."
Ironside by Holly Black

"Someone was looking at me, a disturbing sensation if you're dead."
A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb

"In the land of Ingary, where such things as seven-league boots and cloaks of invisibility really exist, it is quite a misfortune to be born the eldest of three. Everyone knows you are the one who will fail first, and worst, if the three of you set out to seek your fortunes."
Howl's moving Castle by Diana Wynn Jones

"Late in the winter of my seventeenth year, my mother decided I was depressed, presumably because I rarely left the house, spent quite a lot of time in bed, read the same book over and over, ate infrequently, and devoted quite a bit of my abundant free time to thinking about death."
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

"There's a right way to do things and a wrong way, if you're going to run a hotel in a smuggler's town. You shouldn't make it a habit to ask too many questions, for one thing. And you probably shouldn't be in it for the money."
The Greenglass House by Kate Milford

"There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife."
The Graveyard Book by Nail Gaiman

"When my brother Fish turned thirteen, we moved to the deepest part of inland because of the hurricane and, of course, that fact that he'd caused it."
Savvy by Ingrid Law

 

"The wolf tasted the babe's face with the tip of his tongue and pronounced her sweet, and the fox licked the back of her head to see if it was so. For the rest of her life, when this child grew into a faerie with bright eyes and a laugh as loud and unladylike as a crow's, that spot on her hair would never lie flat."
Dreamdark by Laini Taylor

"The shutters swinging in the storm winds were the only sign of her entry." Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

"Of the first few hauntings I investigated with Lockwood and Co. I intend to say little, in part to protect the identity of the victims, in part because of the gruesome nature of the incidents, but mainly because, in a variety of ingenious ways, we succeeded in messing them all up."
The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud

"There is one mirror in my house. It is behind a sliding panel in the hallway upstairs. Our faction allows me to stand in front of it on the second day of every third month, the day my mother cuts my hair." Divergent by Veronica Roth

And an honorable mention in the category of Best First Chapter Title!

I Accidentally Vaporize My Pre-Algebra Teacher
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

I hope you've enjoyed this list!

Researching about drugs and alcohol?

Books about drugs and alcohol, especially those that explore addiction, recovery, and the societal impact of substance abuse, can be powerful tools for raising awareness, offering insight, and providing support for those struggling with these issues. Here are some compelling books/ebooks that delve into various aspects of drugs and alcohol, which could be helpful for both education and personal growth:

            

            

         

Fiction Young Adult:

"Crank" by Ellen Hopkins

Written in verse, this novel tells the story of a teenage girl who becomes addicted to methamphetamine. It’s a powerful narrative about the choices, consequences, and emotional turmoil of addiction.

"Impulse" by Ellen Hopkins

Another book by Ellen Hopkins, this one is about three teens in a psychiatric hospital, all dealing with issues related to addiction, mental health, and self-destruction. It offers insight into the struggles of young people dealing with personal trauma and addiction.

Why Read These Books?

Books about drugs and alcohol can provide valuable lessons on prevention, understanding, and empathy for those affected by substance abuse. Whether through a compelling personal story, a scientific analysis, or a work of fiction, these books illuminate the complex realities of addiction and recovery. They can inspire those struggling with addiction, educate those unfamiliar with the subject, and offer hope to anyone seeking to understand or heal from the impact of substance abuse.

Is cheerleading for you?

Click HERE for the ebooks

Cheerleading doesn’t have to be solely a hobby. For passionate athletes, cheerleading can grow into a career. This book will introduce you to careers that are perfect for people who have a love of cheerleading. It explores jobs as coaches, judges, choreographers, and professional sports cheerleaders. The title features informative sidebars, exciting photos, a glossary, and an index.

Cheerleaders perform incredible routines, each packed with dozens of skills. It can take athletes years of practice to master these moves. This title introduces readers to some of these skills. It explores the many stunts, tumbling skills, jumps, and dance moves that cheerleaders use during their routines. It features informative sidebars, exciting photos, a glossary, and more!

Cheerleading is a big commitment. Cheerleaders spend time exercising, practicing their routines, and performing. Specialized tools help them in each of these areas. This book will introduce you to some of the tools that cheerleaders use. You will learn about cheer uniforms, training equipment, and props. The book features informative sidebars, exciting photos, a glossary, and more! 

All Star cheerleaders spend hours every week training to perform for a few short minutes. Their routines are carefully choreographed to earn a team as many points as possible. This title introduces readers to the exciting world of cheer competitions. It explores the history of competitive cheer, the process of preparing to compete, and what to expect on competition day. The title features informative sidebars, exciting photos, a glossary, and an index.

Cheerleading is a competitive activity, and cheerleaders often need to try out before earning a place on a team. This can be nerve-wracking, but with the right preparation, it can be a fun experience. Training can be hard, too, but the end result of a perfect routine is worth it. This title introduces readers to the world of cheerleading. It walks prospective cheerleaders through finding a squad, participating in tryouts, training with a team, and training independently. The title features informative sidebars, exciting photos, a glossary, and an index

The ERAS TOUR Encyclopedia

 

Check out the backstage pass to Taylor Swift's iconic The Eras Tour!

Includes a detailed exploration of each tour stop in North America, the stage design, costumes, and dancers, and an in-depth analysis of every song featured in her setlist. 

Don't miss out on this awesome tour through Taylor Swift's journey through the years.

Available at the library and as a multi-user ebook. 

Click on the HERE to access the ebook

 

Native American Authors and Stories

 #NotYourPrincess Voices of Native American Women 

-Edited by Lisa Charleyboy and Mary Beth Leatherdale

The first thing I am is a person.

I am a woman. And I am part of a nation, 

the Indian nation. But people either 

relate to you as an Indian or a s woman. They relate to you 

as a category. A lot of people don't realize that 

I am not that different

from everyone else.

Winona LaDuke 

(Anishinaabe/Ojibwe) (pg.32)

Walking in two world by Wab Kinew

  In the real world, Bugz is a shy and self-conscious Indigenous teen who faces the stresses of teenage angst and life on the Rez. But in the virtual world, her alter ego is not just confident but dominant in a massively multiplayer video game universe.

 "We don't want to create two worlds, but walk together in one  world -relating to each other as having our own uniqueness that we mutually respect." -Senator Murray Sinclair

Braiding Sweetgrass Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer

I could hand you a braid of sweetgrass as thick and shining as the braid that hung down my grandmother's bak. But it is not mine to give, nor yours to take. Wiingaashk belongs to herself. I offer, in her place, a braid of stories meant to heal our relationship with the world. - Robin Wall Kimmerer

Native American Code Talkers by M. M. Eboch

The Navajo code talkers were the United States' secret weapon. To make sure Japanese forces did not figure out their battle plans, US forces communicated using code.

Impossible? At first they could hardly believe this complex assignment. The same government that had forbidden them to speak their native language in school now depended on it for national security.

The Girl Who Lived with the Bears by Barbara Goldin

The story of the girl who insulated the bears and was taken to live with them is one of the most popular stories of the native peoples of what is now British Columbia, the Yukon, and Alaska. Over the years it has been told in varying versions by the Haida, Tlingit, Tsimshian, Tagish, Tutchone, and Ahtna peoples.

"The girl stood there, confused and growing angry. Handsome or not, she thought, he shouldn't keep a chief's daughter waiting." - The Girl Who Lived with the Bears

I Fight No More - Let me be a free man, free to travel, free to stop, free to work, free to trade where I choose, free to choose my own teachers, free to follow the religion of my fathers, free to talk, think and act for myself — and I will obey every law or submit to the penalty. -Chief Joseph