Rhode Island Teen Book Award Nominees for 2010
Published between 2007 and 2009, these books were nominated by the Rhode Island Teen Book Award Committee based on their literary quality and their appeal to teens. Read at least 3 of the books and you can vote for your favorite. You have to be a young adult reader to be eligible to vote.
Award winners, reading guides, and book lists for teens. Check out the book club ideas and Author Talk. A user friendly, visually appealing site for teens.
Teen Book Reviews by our own Teen Patrons:
Shannon - Grade 6 – Fudge-A-Mania by Judy Blume (Rating: 3/5 bugs)
It’s a funny book but there is a lot of parts I find confusing, such as the past when Peter and Fudge go into the lady’s house. Who would go into a stranger’s house?
Josh – Grade 6 – Pendragon by D. J. MacHale (Rating: 5/5 bugs)
I feel this way because it was fantasy which I like and because of all the monsters.
Madison – Grade 6 – Girls to the Rescue #1 by Bruce Lansky (Rating: 4/5 bugs)
It’s an interesting book to read. It is all about amazing rescues in which the girls are the heroes. Every rescue is unique and the books teach about many cultures. The heroes are cunning and come up with answers so intelligent, I think the authors are geniuses. But it’s an easy to read book so I could not enjoy it fully, that is why it deserves 4 bugs.
Melanie – Grade 6 – Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke (Rating: 4/5 bugs)
This book deserves 4 bugs because it has a lot of detail. It is about a dragon who goes on a journey with a Brownie and a boy. They go through hard obstacles like hunters and not enough food. When they get to their destination they have to fight the golden dragon and save the other dragons who turned to stone.
Anie – Grade 8 – Goal II by Robert Rigby (Rating: 5/5 bugs)
I feel this way because it has to do with the Spanish soccer leagues and its part of my heritage, plus I’ve played soccer for 6 ½ years.
Evan – Grade 9 – The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch (Rating: 5/5 bugs)
This book taught me a lot, and it was also interesting. It said how you should live your life. The author had a great sense of humor, which made this book funny at times, too.
Sabrina – Grade 9 – The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (Rating: 3/5 bugs)
I feel that this book was satisfactory since at times it was confusing. It had a lot of lessons to learn from that a person could take away with wisdom. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy reading about travel.
Natalia – Grade 7 – My Last Best Friend by Julie Bowe (Rating: 5/5 bugs)
I gave this book 5 bugs because in this book there’s a girl named Ida May and her best and only friend moved and she said that she was her last best friend so in school she was all lonely. She had no one to talk to or sit with. But one day this girl named Stacey came up to her so they could be friends. So even though you only had one best friend and they leave you can always find another one.
Jessi – Grade 6 – Maximum Ride: School’s Out – Forever by James Patterson (Rating: 5/5 bugs)
I really liked Maximum Ride because the book is very different. It’s kind of like sci-fi, horror, romance, and comedy all wrapped up in one. I don’t think mutant bird kids are real, but then again I don’t know anyone who is a mutant freak! At least that’s what Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, the Gasman, and Angel call themselves. These 6 flying bird kids are the results of an experiment that left them 98% human and 2% bird. That 2% has a big impact let me tell you! These children are on the run, ages ranging 14 to 6 years old! The “flock” escaped from the science lab in California that they call the school. They grew up in dog crates for crying out loud! James Patterson is a really good author and I recommend his books.
Andrew – Grade 11 – Charlie & The Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl (Rating 5/5 bugs)
This book is very funny and witty as well as descriptive enough to make you feel as though you are actually in the book. Roald Dahl does an excellent job piecing together the storyline to create a great fictional tale of a boy who goes from rags to riches.
Seanna - Grade 9 - Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine (Rating: 5/5 bugs)
This book was well written with a very good storyline. Ella is very willful, even though she is cursed and must be obedient. I love this book because she gets herself into many exciting situations. Ella is a very intelligent young woman who is so brave that she refuses to marry the prince to save his life, even though she loves him a lot. The ending is very happy and I will probably read this book again.
Jen – Grade 8 – Double Identity by Margaret Patterson Haddix (Rating: 5/5 bugs)
I really enjoy books with a mystery science fiction theme. This book provided a sense of adventure, science fiction, logic, and mystery. The main character Bethany, discovers secrets of her life. Overall, this book was definitely one of my favorites.
Matt – Grade 8 – The Art of Keeping Cool by Janet Taylor Lisle (Rating: 4/5 bugs)
I feel that this book deserves four bugs because I thought that it was a good book. I really liked how the time period was in World War II in Rhode Island. It said some places that I have been before. I also like how the book did not reveal an answer for a long time. I did not like how the book was sad at some points. That is why I think that this book gets four bugs.
Kaitlyn – Grade 7 – Tending to Grace by Kimberly Newton Fusco (Rating: 4/5 bugs)
The book Tending to Grace is written in a creative format with a complex and lovable main character, Cornelia. The story has twists and turns, friends and enemies, suspense and worry. Cornelia is a very intriguing character in herself, never liking to talk but loving to read, in school in the “stupid” English classes with the “watered-down” copies of the books. Kimberly Newton Fusco is a very creative and inventive author who has here written a story where life can be rough, work can be fun, and friends can come from unexpected places.
Samantha – Grade 10 – Dramarama by E. Lockhart (Rating: 5/5 bugs)
Dramarama is a book all about theatre, and since my #1 passion is theatre, I loved this book! I liked the way the author worked in little bits of information about various Broadway shows. This book really makes your imagination work – thinking about how characters look, how the costumes feel, and how the tension and nerves kick in. Bravo for Dramarama!
Jason – Grade 7 – The Dragon’s Egg by Sarah L. Thomson (Rating: 4/5 bugs)
The book had a different way to look at dragons. There were farm dragons that were used for eggs. They are small and have small wings. Then there are legendary dragons which are like in the story books. In the book they were supposed to be extinct.
Devin – Grade 6 – How to Steal a Dog by Barbara O’Connor (Rating: 5/5 bugs)
I feel that way because the last 16 pages was the best part of the book. Also the last 16 pages tied the whole book together for me. I like the fact that the child stole a dog to get money for an apartment but at the end the child returned the dog and explained what he did to the owner and he ended up finding a apartment.
Kerri – Grade 11 – Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (Rating: 5/5 bugs)
I totally loved this book. I love fantasy and I really love vampires. The mix of action and romance had me wishing I was like the Cullens and didn’t need to sleep. I could not put this book down. I love the details. It was like watching a movie. Speaking of movies, I can’t wait for this one to come out on December 12.
James – Grade 6 – When Will This Cruel War be Over? The Civil War Diary of Emma Simpson by Barry Denenberg (Rating: 4/5 bugs)
It was a cliff hanger and emotional. It made me want to keep reading. It had too many characters, so it was hard to follow what was happening. But it really explained what happened in the Civil War. They didn’t say how she felt about the end. When Emma’s mom died I was about to cry. It was really scary what happened to them. It taught me a lot about the war like that the Yankees invaded their houses and stole their things.
Aminah – Grade 6 – Mick Harte Was Here by Barbara Park (Rating: 4/5)
Because the book teaches you that a bike helmet does a lot. The book is about a boy riding his bike without his helmet. He crashed into a truck. He would have survived if he was wearing a helmet and it was really hard for his family.
Katelyn – Grade 6 – The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau (Rating: 5/5)
Because it’s about people who live underground but they didn’t know that. Also, because it was exciting/adventurous. My favorite characters were Lina, Doon, and Poppy. I cannot wait to read the sequel.