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Fiction

January 18, 2013 by Karen Jensen, MLS

Get Your Generations On! (Older characters in YA lit – and my grandma)

It seems a truism in YA lit that adults often seem far and few between.  Even when they are there, they don’t often play a significant role. And older adults? Forget about it.  I have really been thinking about this since our discussion earlier this week about siblings in YA lit: Siblings? We don’t need […]

December 21, 2012 by Karen Jensen, MLS

These are a few of my favorite reads: the 2012 Karen edition

Raindrops on roses and zombies eating kittens, Bright copper boys and warm fuzzy kisses, Page after page, turning with need These are a few of my favorite reads . . . MG Reads, approved by my tweenThe One and Only Ivan by Katherine ApplegateLiar & Spy by Rebecca SteadWonder by R J PalacioThe Cavendish Home […]

November 28, 2012 by Karen Jensen, MLS

Random Dystopia Generator; a journey through genre fatigue and what happens when the market becomes oversaturated (a not a book review)

Without a doubt, Dystopian is a hot genre right now.  I have read a ton – I have bought a ton – and my teens are definitely asking for them.  But after a while, they are all starting to blend together.  Recently I began reading The Forsaken by Lisa M. Stasse (awesome cover), and I […]

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More Recent Posts

Best or Favorite? A look at the NPR “Best” Young Adult Novels list

August 13, 2012 by Karen Jensen, MLS

I watch So You Think You Can Dance every week without fail.  Here is a show where you can call in and vote for your “favorite” dancer.  This favorite part is important, every year they make a point of making this distinction: it is not the best dancer, but your favorite.  Because that’s how voting […]

Why YA? Joel Stein says don’t read this. I say think for yourself.

April 3, 2012 by Karen Jensen, MLS

I am an adult.  Well, I at least play one on tv (or in real life).  Mostly.  I also read YA fiction.  Joel Stein recently said in a New York Times article that I should not.  Sure, I could stand at a dinner party after you asked me what I read and make a defense […]

ALA Midwinter Highlights, The ARCs (March 2012)

January 30, 2012 by Karen Jensen, MLS

Although ARCs (advanced reader’s copies) are not the main point of ALA (there is so much to see and learn there, see my previous post), it is interesting to get a look firsthand at some of the books being released in the upcoming year for teens.  Many of us are operating on limited budgets (I […]

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The 2012 Printz Award Winners

January 26, 2012 by Karen Jensen, MLS

Sometime this week I think they announced the Oscar nominees, but what is even more important is that Monday at ALA Midwinter they announced the Michael L. Printz Award winners.  The Printz Award is awarded yearly for excellence in young adult literature.  These are the best of the best as chosen by a committee of […]

ALA Midwinter Highlights: The ARCs (January and February)

January 25, 2012 by Karen Jensen, MLS

On Monday I shared with you things I loved and learned at the ALA Midwinter exhibits. Today, I share with you the best part of ALA – the ARCs (Advanced Reader’s Copy).  So this is not the world’s longest blog post ever, today we will cover titles set to be released in January or February […]

Book Review: The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

January 19, 2012 by Karen Jensen, MLS

“It is the first day of November and so, today, someone will die.” As far as first lines go, there is no denying that the first line of The Scorpio Races draws you in – and it never lets go. I am a huge fan of the Wolves of Mercy Falls series, but was not […]

The Soundtrack of Your Books: When Music and Books Collide

November 2, 2011 by Karen Jensen, MLS

I recently finished reading Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride (which I loved and totally recommend).  The title is a play on the famous (and awesome) song Tiny Dancer by Elton John.  In fact, every chapter title in the book is a musical reference.  This book has a built in playlist, and it is […]

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