GOING BOVINE won the 2010 Michael J. Printz Award for excellent young adult literature. Author Libba Bray creates a realistic character in Cameron, who is coasting through school and life. There is not much he cares about until he finds out he has mad cow disease. As his health deteriorates and he drifts in and out of consciousness, he dreams he undertakes a Don Xiote-like cross country quest to save the world and find a cure for his illness. Along for the ride is his hospital roomate, who he knows from high school and who happens to be a dwarf. A Norse God cursed to exist as a garden gnome and a pink haired punk rock angel teach Cameron to care about others, appreciate his family and even find romance.Collins, Suzanne. 2008. HUNGER GAMES. New York: Scholastic, Inc. ISBN 0439023483
In the futuristic dystopia of Panem, society is controlled by a Capitol that conducts a brutal and deadly television reality game each year. Each of the nation's territories sends two children, selected by lottery, to compete in the Hunger Games. They must hide, hunt and fight, killing each other until only one participant is left standing. Katniss takes the place of her little sister, who was selected to go to the games. The capitol creates many torturous scenarios that pit the participants against one another. Katniss is a good hunter and a formidable foe. The book is fast-paced. There is one adventure after another and romance adds another interesting element to the plot.Shan, Darren. 2001. CIRQUE DU FREAK. Boston: Little, Brown. ISBN 0316648523
Life suddenly changes for Darren when he and his friend Steve go to a freak show, Cirque Du Freak. They see all kinds of weird things and beings. After the show, Steve approaches one of the performers, a vampire named Mr. Crepsley and begs him to take him as his assistant. But Mr. Crepsley refuses. "You are an evil person", he tells Steve. "Your blood is bad...Vampires are not the evil monsters of lore...We respect life. You have a killer's instincts, but we are not killers." Darren, meanwhile, is hiding and sees the whole scene between Steve and Mr. Crepsley.Darren, for his part, cannot stop thinking about Mr. Crepsley's exotic spider, Madam Octa. A few days later, Darren sneaks back into the dilapidated building where the show took place to steal the spider. From here things go from bad to worse. Events get twisted and Darren finds himself in a place he never wished to be, and can never escape. Readers who enjoy horror, will want to read this book and work their way through the whole series.
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