Rhode Island Teen Book Award ~ 2008 School Libraries: A Quest for Wisdom RIEMA Conference April 27, 2007

The Goal of RITBA To promote quality literature for teens by highlighting well- written books that will be of interest to those between the ages of 12 and 18 years of age.

Committee Demographics 37 Librarians, teachers, media specialists, reading specialists, and GSLIS students Represent public libraries, public schools, and private schools Anyone who is willing to read a lot of teen books (at least 35 over 6 months) is welcome to join the committee Committee reads potential nominees from September through March This year, the committee considered 91 titles

Nominee Selection Process Titles must have young adults as a targeted audience Must have been published in the last two years (ie. Nominees for the 2008 award must be published between ) Committee Breaks into two groups: one focuses on MS titles, and the other HS titles Use a combination of a scoring system and discussion

The 2007 Winner Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

2007 Honor Books The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan Perfect by Natasha Friend

RITBA Nominees for 2008 Recommended for Middle School Students Black Duck By Janet Taylor Lisle booktalk presented by Deb Hobday LaSalle Academy

RITBA Nominees for 2008 Recommended for Middle School Students Down the Rabbit Hole by Peter Abrahams

RITBA Nominees for 2008 Recommended for Middle School Students Larklight: A Rousing Tale of Dauntless Pluck in the Farthest Reaches of Space By Philip Reeve booktalk presented by Aaron Coutu Greenville PL

RITBA Nominees for 2008 Recommended for Middle School Students Yellow Star by Jennifer Roy

RITBA Nominees for 2008 Recommended for All Teens Breathe: A Ghost Story by Cliff McNish

RITBA Nominees for 2008 Recommended for All Teens A Brief Chapter in My Impossible Life by Dana Reinhardt

RITBA Nominees for 2008 Recommended for All Teens Diva By Alex Flinn booktalk presented by Sharon Lux LaSalle Academy

RITBA Nominees for 2008 Recommended for All Teens Endymion Spring by Matthew Skelton

RITBA Nominees for 2008 Recommended for All Teens Incantation by Alice Hoffman

RITBA Nominees for 2008 Recommended for All Teens Let Me Play: The Story of Title IX By Karen Blumenthal

RITBA Nominees for 2008 Recommended for All Teens Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

RITBA Nominees for 2008 Recommended for All Teens Lush By Natasha Friend

RITBA Nominees for 2008 Recommended for All Teens Marie, Dancing by Carolyn Meyer booktalk presented by Deb Hobday LaSalle Academy

RITBA Nominees for 2008 Recommended for All Teens The Night My Sister Went Missing by Carol Plun-Ucci

RITBA Nominees for 2008 Recommended for All Teens Notes from the Midnight Driver by Jordan Sonnenblick booktalk presented by Robin Lensing Pawtucket PL

RITBA Nominees for 2008 Recommended for All Teens The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin booktalk presented by Sharon Lux LaSalle Academy

RITBA Nominees for 2008 Recommended for All Teens Side Effects By Amy Goldman Koss

RITBA Nominees for 2008 Recommended for All Teens Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar booktalk presented by Robin Lensing Pawtucket PL

RITBA Nominees for 2008 Recommended for High School Students The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

RITBA Nominees for 2008 Recommended for High School Students Peeps by Scott Westerfeld booktalk presented by Aaron Coutu Greenville PL

RITBA Nominees for 2008 Recommended for High School Students Sold by Patricia McCormick

RITBA Nominees for 2008 Recommended for High School Students Theories of Relativity by Barbara Haworth-Attard

Working with the RITBA List The Website and Discussion Modules Visit the Award’s Website for access to Discussion Modules for each book!

Working with the RITBA List Other Ways of Promoting Participation There are many ways to encourage both students and teachers to participate in the RITBA process

The 2008 Election Your teens will be able to vote between January 1 and the start of February vacation. To be eligible to vote, teens must read at least 3 titles from the list. Encourage your students and teachers to read and participate in the election

For More Information Feel free to visit the RITBA website at a/ritbaindex.htm a/ritbaindex.htm You can also the chairperson at We welcome anyone who would like to join the committee

Questions Are Welcome