10. Son of the Mob

Korman, Gordan. Son of the Mob. Hyperion Books: New York. 2002.

Annotation: The son of a big time mobster and the daughter of an FBI agent fall in love, but there is more to that.

Justification for Nomination: This story remind me a lot of Romeo and Juliet with how they come from two different worlds and aren't suppose to connect or have contact with each other. I also picked out this book because the cover was appealing he is hiding behind a bouquet of roses for the one he loves. It is a bit humorous that the intent is to hide and not be obvious what he is doing. I nominated this book for different reasons, its not the type of book I would normally read (romance, mixed with humor and adventure) I mostly like mystery or horror. The more I think about it the more I realize that is how life is. It's never going to go smoothly but with the right touch anything is possible. How someone can be feeling when they fall in love with someone they'd least expected. I myself went through this type of love the unexpected, but isn't that why we love? We never know who that person will be. I liked how Vince showed some of the typical emotions a teenager faces while trying to prove to the world he is more mature then others think. I too, am the daughter of an FBI employee and I knew guys were intimidated by that. It's like how some girls are attracted to the "bad boy image" parents don't want their daughters with them, but you are drawn to the hidden fruit. It's natural to be attracted to someone different from you. I lived a similar experience to the main character. I enjoyed this book, I could connect well to Vince and some other characters. This is defiantly a book I would recommend.

Genre: Humor, Romance, Action

9. When the Emperor Was Divine

Otsuka, Julie. When the Emperor Was Divine. Borzoi Book: New York. 2002.

Annotation: A Japanese family during the Second World War. The father was arrested for treason, the mother, daughter, and son are sent to an internment camp, where the girl tells her brother bedtime stories about the desert beyond the barbed-wire fence, and the boy whispers the forbidden name of the Japanese emperor when he thinks no one is listening.

Justification for Rejection: I wasn't expecting to reject this book. I was disappointed that the author didn't go into more depth with the characters, specifically the Japanese family in the internment camps. I felt this book needed to be improved. I felt like this was a rough draft of what the authors intent was. It felt like a shell that with more nurturing aspects it would have grown into a beautiful piece of writing. The story line is so disconnected that it was hard to stay focused. I also felt the ending of the book could have been changed to leave the reader hanging and make for a better sequel by telling more depth to the Japanese family. I did think the cover of this book was beautiful, the leafy green color was the biggest reason I chose this book and it had a traditional Japanese plant as well. The title of the book was also appealing it had a bit of a mystery to it. This book however, gave me more insight on the emotions that is felt in a Japanese internment camp.

Genre: Adult "Market", Historical fiction,

8. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

Schwartz, Alvin and Stephen Gammell. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. Scholastic Inc: New York, 1987.

Annotation: This book will appeal to any age, for listening, viewing the drawings or for telling. This collection of folklore retold by Alvin Schwartz has twisted and chilling stories.

Justification for Rejection: Unfortunately I decided to reject this book for mixed reasons. This book is targeted for late elementary and junior high age. I feel this book would be appropriate for early teenagers but not really for adult readers. There was only a handful of stories in this book that gave me chills and the illustrations were eerie. I think the illustrator did an awesome job portraying the stories. The stories were short and I thought they could have had more details and more depth to them. I do feel these stories are important to tell and to past on. I don't feel this book should be on the list of banned books. None of the content of this book I feel is something readers should not be exposed to. This use to be one of my favorite books when I was thirteen, I still think this is a book for that age. It was weird back in May 2009, I saw a lady talk about this particular book on Yalsa and how her children loved it. This book is in a series of scary stories and I think they are apart of our culture and whether or not they are fable they should be told.

Genre: challenged/banned, horror, folklore, fiction.

7. I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You

Carter, Ally. I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You. New York: Hyperion books. 2006.

Annotation: They speak 14 languages, but they don't know how to talk to boys. They are students at the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women. While the name implies the epitome of snooty girls’ private school, it is anything but. A school that trains you to be a spy...like James Bond but for girls. They have all the high-tech gadgets, they can blend and infiltrate anywhere, hack any database, mix deadly poison. But there is one code they can't crack.

Justification for Nomination: This isn't your typical romance novel where you find a damsel in distress. It takes place in a private high school for young girls. A compelling young adult book that features appeal to adventure, action, and romance readers. Here and there it could also fill the coming of age or edgy/problem genre. The characters deal with lots of emotions and the typical idea of who am I? These geniuses don't have the social skills to talk to boys. This book fills the romance genre because one character falls in love with a boy out of her league and totally off limits. Is she willing to risk it all for love? This book is from a series. It reminds me of what it was like to be that age, the panic feeling of talking to a crush. Hoping that he too felt the same way. Readers will be able to connect to the characters and relate to their emotions. It might even bring up past crushes. For me I wished I was in the story because it would be cool to be able to learn fourteen different languages, and learn high tech, top security codes for such agencies as the CIA. I really enjoyed this book and I think anyone who is attracted to adventure will too.

Genre: Romance, mystery, action, adventure, coming of age, edgy/problem

6. Famous Crimes: Stories of Law and Order in Minnesota

O'Meara, Sheri. Famous Crimes: Stories of Law and Order in Minnesota. Minnesota: The Minnesota Series. 2008.

Annotation: Take a look back in time to Minnesota's famous crimes, eight stories in all. These stories will have you ask questions while sending chills down your spine. If you happen to visit Saint Paul, Minnesota you may have crossed paths with some of the crime scenes in these stories.

Justification for Nomination: This book is in a series, which showcased a small number of crimes that occurred in Minnesota. Anyone who is interested in real crimes, especially related to their very own state should read this book. While its unfortunate that these crimes occurred it's important for readers to be able to know more about them. It gives insight that not every perfect little community is safe. This book is spread out over several decades and there are vivid photographs from the crime scenes and cases. It uses lots of vivid details that can leave even a uncommitted reader's attention captured.

Genre: mystery, non-fiction.