Teen Survivor:
Another Kind of Cowboy, by Susan Juby
I quite liked this one, as it a) deals with horseback riding, which is something that I haven’t done nearly enough of these days, b) discusses relevant issues for teens, such as drugs, drinking, and homosexuality, and c) its set in Canada (w00t!).

City of Bones, by Cassandra Clare
This one was quite the thrill ride. I thought it was very engaging, and had fantastically written characters. There was lots of angsty teen relationship drama in this series as well, but it had a bit of an odd twist to it, so it was pretty interesting (and not just… angsty). In fact, the day after I read this one, I got the next two from the trilogy out, and read those too.

Next on this list for me to read are So This is How it Ends, by Tui T. Sutherland and Frost, by Nicole Luiken.

Young Reader’s Choice 2010:
The Mysterious Benedict Society, by Trenton Lee Stewart
This one is listed in the Junior section for the book awards, and I’m not quite sure if it really should go there. The ages of the characters are right, but the plot is quite twisty, and the book is LONG. Not that grades 4 to 6 can’t read long books, but I could see kids that have a bit of trouble with reading getting frustrated. Even I thought it was a bit hard to get in to at first, but the characters grow on you, and you want to see what crazy things they will try next!

The Alchemyst: the Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, by Michael Scott
I just finished this one this morning (the next one is on hold for me!). A great book that brings in a lot of mythology and legend in to the present day. I bet kids who like the Percy Jackson books would like this series, and vice versa.

Schooled, by Gordon Korman
Gordon Korman = insanely awesome. ‘nough said. *digs battered copy of “This Can’t be Happening at Macdonald Hall” off bookcase and giggles maniacally*.

Next on list: Skulduggery Pleasant: Scepter of the Ancients, by Derek Landy.

As for those books from CLA, I’m reading a couple of books that one of the presenters recommended. The presentation was called “Enhancing Engagement: Aboriginal Boys & Reading” and it was given by Dr. Barbara McNeil, who is from the Faculty of Education at the University of Regina. Besides being a great session to go to (Prof. McNeil was a very engaging speaker, and you could see how dedicated and enthusiastic she was/is about the topic!), I got a massive list of books to read. So I’m in the middle of reading Will’s Garden, by Lee Maracle, and The Mystery of the Frozen Brains, by Marty Chan. Interestingly, Marty Chan is going to be doing a kid’s program at the Idylwylde branch of EPL tomorrow. If I had heard about it sooner (instead of this afternoon) I would have tried to borrow one of my nieces or nephews to sneak in