Expect the Unexpected: Summer Reading 2008

Fiction

A Little Friendly Advice by Siobhan Vivian YAFICT VIVIAN SIOBHAN Little (CL and branches)

When Ruby's divorced father shows up unexpectedly on her sixteenth birthday, the week that follows is full of confusing surprises.

A Really Nice Prom Mess by Brian Sloan YAFICT SLOAN BRIAN Really ; YPBK S (CL and EFP)

Gay high school senior Cameron Hayes endures a disastrous prom night when forced to take a girl as his date, one which brings surprising adventures as well as unexpected revelations.

Unexpected Development by Marlene Perez YAFICT PEREZ MARLENE Unexpect (CL and branches)

In a series of papers for Honors English, a senior girl relates the difficulties of being blessed with a voluptuous body that began appearing in fifth grade.

When the Black Girl Sings by Bil Wright YAFICT WRIGHT BIL When (CL and branches)

Lahni decides to join the church choir to help her become a better singer. But what starts out as a way to practice singing becomes a place of belonging and a means for Lahni to discover her own identity.

Short Stories

Destination Unexpected, edited by Donald R.Gallo YAFICT DESTINAT (CL)

The characters in these stories experience things that change the way they look at the world, and at themselves.

Dreams and Visions: Fourteen Flights of Fantasy, edited by M. Jerry Weiss and Helen S. Weiss YAFICT Dreams (CL and ES)

What if one person's beliefs could change the course of human history? What happens when all one knows is simply a lie? What if the woman who lives next door is actually a wicked witch from a dark fairy tale? These premises comprise just a few of the story lines in tales that blend the line between fantasy and reality.

Unexpected: 11 Mysterious Stories, edited by Laura E. Williams YPBK U and JPBK U (CL and MS)

A unique collection of mind-bending tales, that are as mysterious as they are creepy, will leave all mystery lovers anxiously anticipating the turn of each and every page.

Graphic Novels

The Arrival by Shaun Tan YA GRAPH ARRIVAL (CL and branches)

In this wordless graphic novel, a man leaves his homeland and sets off for a new country, where he must build a new life for himself and his family.

Black God series by Dall-Young Lim and Sung-Woo Park YA GRAPH MANGA BLACK (CL and branches)

Deciding to stop at a noodle stand on his way home, game programmer Keita Ibuki finds himself entangled in the affairs of a manic girl who turns out to be a Mototsumitama, a guardian of the coexistence equilibrium.

Runaways series by Brian K. Vaughn YA GRAPH RUNAWAYS (CL and branches)

The teenage years are hard enough, but what do you do when you find out your parents are secret villains in disguise? You run away with the offspring of other villainous parents to form a gang -- and a great superhero comic series.

Translucent series by Kazuhiro Okamoto YA GRAPH MANGA TRANSLUCENT (CL and branches)

Is becoming invisible a curse or a blessing for a teenage girl? Shizuka needs support from her friends and family to stay solid, both literally and figuratively, as she struggles with personal insecurities, career aspirations, and boys.

Nonfiction

One Hundred Young Americans by Michael Franzini 920.073 FRANZINI (CL, BW)

Photographer Franzini selects a group of teenagers that represents the diversity of American youth, encompassing "cheerleaders, jocks, student body presidents, prom queens, nerds, band geeks, gamers, skaters, stoners, goths, punks, druggies and kids who defy all labels." Each teen is photographed in the setting and pose of his or her choice, often to revealing effect.

Shady Ladies: Nineteen Surprising and Rebellious American Women by Suzann Ledbetter 813.54 LEDBETTE (CL)

This breezy romp through 19th-century American history touches upon the colorful lives and careers of women who are largely unfamiliar now, though they scandalized conventional society in their own time.

A Sheltered Life: the Unexpected History of the Giant Tortoise by Paul Chambers 597.9246 CHAMBERS (CL)

They seem the stuff of myths or legends--giant tortoises large enough to carry a human on their backs. Chambers recounts the often-tragic story of the giant tortoises and their encounters with humans over the centuries in this highly readable account.

Twinkie, Deconstructed: My Journey to Discover How the Ingredients Found in Processed Foods Are Grown, Mined (Yes, Mined), and Manipulated into What America Eats by Steve Ettlinger 641.308 ETTLINGE (CL)

From the phosphate mines in Idaho to the corn fields in Iowa, from gypsum mines in Oklahoma to the vanilla harvest in Madagascar, Twinkie, Deconstructed is a fascinating, thoroughly researched narrative that demystifies some of the most common processed food ingredients -- where they come from, how they are made, how they are used -- and why.

Key: CL = Central Library BW = Brightwood Branch