Teen 76 Top Ten - #1 of 2002

Here's news of the next 76 Top Ten -- a Teen 76 Top Ten. It will be mailed to you in the February white box, for store display in March.

Teen/young adult books will still be included in the full Children's 76s, but, just as you've moved and increased your teen sections in your stores, we want this group of readers to have their own distinct place.

Note: This is the first 76 Top Ten in the new design. Many of you asked for a better size to display rather than the one-sided 8 ½" x 14" pad, so this 76 Top Ten will be double-sided and 8 ½" x 11". It's also easier to photocopy, and easier to download from BookWeb.org. (Click here for a downloadable pdf file.) ALSO, this new format allows room for all 10 picks to be pictured, as well as allowing room for additional highlights and/or forthcoming picks at the end.

Thank you for all the great nominations! As always, it pains me how many good books just can't crack these finite lists, but we'll be posting individual, passionate book picks at BookSense.com, for you and the public to peruse.

-Carl
carl@booksense.com

Teen 76 Top Ten - #1 of 2002
In a poll of independent booksellers, these are the 10 best new and recent books for teen readers.

1. THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS, by Ann Brashares (Delacorte, $14.95, 0385729332) "Four 15-year-old girls have been best friends since their mothers took childbirth classes together. Now, for the first time since birth, they'll all be separated ... but only geographically. They will keep each other in their hearts as they try to navigate this world on their own."-Crystal McKinney, Davis-Kidd Booksellers, Jackson, TN Also a Listening Library Audio (0807205893)

2. THE MISFITS, by James Howe (Atheneum, $16, 0689839553) "This follows a group of four seventh-graders who call themselves the Gang of Five. When one of their members refuses to say the Pledge of Allegiance, they end up learning a lot about politics and what it means to not fit in and the power of being heard for who they are."-Hilary Berg, A Room of One's Own Feminist Bookstore & Coffee House, Madison, WI

3. THE SEEING STONE, by Kevin Crossley-Holland (Arthur A. Levine/ Scholastic, $17.95, 0439263263) "This Book One of The Arthur Trilogy tells of two Arthurs whose thrilling stories are woven together to form an unforgettable tale of medieval life. Crossley-Holland never disappoints!"-Sue Carita, Toadstool Bookshop, Milford, NH Also a Listening Library Audio (0807205389)

4. TRUE BELIEVER, by Virginia Euwer Wolff (Simon & Schuster, $17, 0689828276) The 2001 National Book Award winner. "In the second book in the trilogy, begun in Make Lemonade, we follow LaVaughn's struggles to escape the inner city at college. I can't wait for the third book!"-Susan Dexter, Politics & Prose, Washington, DC Also a Listening Library Audio (0807206911)

5. STUCK IN NEUTRAL, by Terry Trueman (Avon Tempest, $6.95 paper, 0064472132) "You'll never look at a disabled teenager the same way again. What constitutes a good quality of life and who should be entitled to it? This debut novel is all about going beyond one's limitations."-Amy Nina Baum, Red Balloon Bookshop, St. Paul, MN

6. THE LAND, by Mildred Taylor (Phyllis Fogelman Books, $17.99, 0803719507) The prequel to Newbery Medal winner Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. "This is an amazing novel about growing up, taking chances, facing your fears, and about a young man taking extreme chances against all odds. A gripping story."-Jennifer Lavonier, Books of Wonder, New York, NY Also a Listening Library Audio (0807206199)

7. ENDER'S GAME, by Orson Scott Card (Starscape/Tor, $5.99 paper, 0765342294) A new edition of a bookseller favorite; also a Hugo and Nebula Award winner. "Ender Wiggin is chosen to attend an exclusive battle school training the best young minds to fight in an upcoming alien invasion."-Kathy Magruder, Lee Booksellers, Lincoln, NE

8. THE FOLK KEEPER, by Franny Billingsley (Aladdin, $4.95 paper, 0689844611) "This unique story tells the tale of an Irish orphan who disguises herself as a boy in order to be a Folk Keeper, one of the powerful creatures living underground capable of great destruction. A creepy and gripping book!"-Alison Morris, Wellesley Booksmith, Wellesley, MA Also a Listening Library Audio (0807282499)

9. FIRE BRINGER, by David Clement-Davies (Firebird, $6.99 paper, 0142300608) "Both my 13-year-old son and I love this book! Set in ancient Scotland and filled with mythology, fantasy, and mystery, it reminds me of Redwall and Watership Down. This is my 'Harry Potter pick' for this year; I enjoyed it that much."-Suzanne Droppert, Liberty Bay Books, Poulsbo, WA

10. SLAP YOUR SIDES, by M.E. Kerr (HarperCollins, $15.95, 0060294817) "Amidst the rash of WWII novels for teens, here's one with a twist. Bud is not going off to war like the other town boys, but to a conscientious objector camp, as his family are Quakers. Can he hold on to his convictions while the nation goes to war?"-Mary Brice, Tattered Cover, Denver, CO

Attention Louise Rennison/Georgia Nicolson fans!
Coming in May from HarperCollins:

• ON THE BRIGHT SIDE,
• I'M NOW THE GIRLFRIEND OF A SEX GOD will be out in paperback ... and … book #3 will arrive in hardcover:
• KNOCKED OUT BY MY NUNGA-NUNGAS!

Reserve your copy now.

Calling all Rowling and Tolkien fans:
At the top of many booksellers' favorites list is Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials Trilogy:

• THE GOLDEN COMPASS,
• THE SUBTLE KNIFE,
  
• and THE AMBER SPYGLASS.

All are in Del Rey paperback editions (and on audio from Listening Library), awaiting more eager readers (and listeners).