By Shelby Robinson
Checked Out
You may already know that the Hutchinson Public Library offers several different book clubs for adults, but did you know that there is also one just for seventh-12th graders?
Teen Book Club was started last fall after several young adult patrons took interest in our adult book clubs and asked for one just for teens. The books we read range in length, genre and topic.
If you’re a YA reader of any age and you’re looking for something new, check out one of the titles that Teen Book Club has read so far!
For those that love a good murder mystery, you might enjoy Ellen Raskin’s “The Westing Game.” In this novel, 16 heirs are called to the reading of a will. One of them will inherit $200 million but only if they can expose the murderer hiding amongst the heirs. Each pair of heirs is given a clue to solve. The book alternates points of view, and the reader quickly learns that no one is who they seem to be.
Teen Book Club enjoyed the unique and eccentric characters in this story. One member said that she would likely have never picked up this book on her own but really enjoyed it in the end.
Historical fiction readers should check out the book “Leviathan” by Scott Westerfeld. This book is the first in a series centered on WWI. While many elements in this book parallel real history, there are a few key differences that set the stage.
On one side of the war, you have the Clankers, who create powerful mechanical war machines, and on the other you have the Darwinists, who specialize in hybrid animals bred for war. Prince Aleksander, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, is on one side, and Deryn Sharp, a girl disguised as a boy in the British Army, is on the other. When their paths collide, they find themselves unlikely allies with life-threatening secrets to keep.
Teen Book Club readers really enjoyed the detailed illustrations in this book, which brings to life the imaginative steampunk world that Westerfeld creates with animals and machines.
The book that might be Teen Book Club’s favorite so far is the romance novel “Love & Gelato” by Jenna Evans Welch. This story is about Lina, a teen spending the summer in Tuscany with a father she only just found out exists. She’s determined to hate it, but the food is amazing, the sites are stunning, and then there’s the ever-so-charming Ren.
But ultimately, it’s her mother’s journal that keeps Lina from jumping on the next flight home. Following in her mother’s footsteps, Lina finds herself in the world of secret romances, art, dresses and hidden bakeries.
This book is a little on the longer side, and not all of the book club members were finished by the end of the month. So after the meeting, some wanted to keep their books so they could keep reading to the end. The story is exciting and sweet and made everyone want gelato.
Book clubs are a great way to meet other book lovers, discover new favorite reads and connect with your community. Teen Book Club is open to anyone in seventh to 12th grade and is always accepting new members.
To join, you can find the sign up form on the library’s website or stop by and talk to me in the Youth Services Department. While we will be taking a short break in May as the school year wraps up, Teen Book Club will be back in full swing this summer with more books, discussions and snacks!
Shelby Robinson is the Young Adult Services Librarian at the Hutchinson Public Library. She can be reached at shelby.r@hutchpl.org