Books to Pimp for Teen Tech Week

Back in the day before I earned my MLIS and before I even had a library career I had a LTA class on Readers’ Advisory.  The first day of class the instructor informed us that “when doing Readers Advisory you are not so much advising the reader as you are pimping the books”.  She went on to refer to her job as a “Book Pimp” (let the hilarious mental images ensue).  Now, many years later, using her terminology I give you: “Books to Pimp for Teen Tech Week”.  Going with their theme of “Mix & Mash” this post represents both fiction and non-fiction books that involve teens and technology.  Enjoy!

Ender’s Game – Orson Scott Card

Everyone should know this book, but fortunately for us new patrons are being born everyday and they have no idea about this magnificent, thought-provoking series.

Ender Wiggin is a third born child.  This is not unusual now but in the future when population is tightly controlled Ender is special.  Also, Ender at the age of 6 is still being monitored by the government.  Then comes the day that Ender’s parent fear most.  He has been chosen for Battle School (to his older brother’s horror), he is to become a solider and protect the world from the “bugs”.  Seventy years ago the bugs attacked the humans killing us without mercy, until a battle in which the bugs retreated and were never heard from again.

Ender is the youngest and smallest at battle school but it quickly becomes apparent that he is one of the best the school has ever seen.  There is talk by those in power that Ender may be the one to save us from the bugs again, except this time we are bringing the fight to them.

This book has attained classic status in the science fiction and young adult realms due to it’s engaging story and believable characters.  Orson Scott Card has created a world around Ender’s life and the series continues with Ender’s Shadow.  Listening to the audio-book  has it’s perks also (Harlan Ellison makes a guest appearance).

O’Reilly’s Brain-Friendly Guides

Greatest. Guides. EVER! These books are excellent beginner guides to web design, HTML, App Design, Algebra, Physics, and so on.  They are written in an easily digested format and interject humor where ever possible.  They are illustrated and show easy step-by-step instructions.  A very approachable text for teens with a high interest in technology and it’s applications.

Uglies – Scott Westerfeld

Tally Youngblood is going to turn sixteen and all her ugly little problems will go away. Her ugly face, gone. Her ugly body, gone. Her ugly mind, gone especially. When Tally turns sixteen she will be able to get the operation to correct every physical flaw she has. When her best friend turns sixteen and moves to New Pretty Town she figures her life is over until she becomes pretty. That is when she meets Shay who is drastically different than anyone Tally ever met. For starters she doesn’t want to become pretty which the girls will soon find out isn’t really a choice. Follow Tally on this amazing roller coaster of a novel, great for anyone in middle school and up.

The Accidental Billionaires – Ben Mezrich

This book is not a particularly hard sell.  As the inspiration for the movie The Social Network this is the story of Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg.  A billionaire before the age of 25 a concept that will not be lost on teens, “A million dollars isn’t cool, you know what’s cool?  A billion dollars”.  This book is not without controversy though, slammed critically for the authors inability to get an interview with Zuckerberg, his liberal tweaking of the dialogue, and using Zuckerberg’s enemies for his primary source material.  All that aside the book is entertaining, fast-paced, and will be gobbled up high school teens.

Spacer and Rat – Margaret Bechard

Jack (Spacer) is a teen that has spent his entire life in space.  He and the rest of the residents of the Freedom Station refer to the earth dwellers as “rats” due to their destruction of their planet.  Then Kit (Rat) is abandoned by her father on the Freedom Station with her sentient robot, Waldo.  The robot is illegal technology that leads Jack and Kit into more trouble than they bargained for.  By the end Jack and Kit come to an understanding and both have challenged their previously held beliefs.

 

 

So YA like…Science Fiction

The Adoration of Jenna Fox Mary E. Pearson

Jenna Fox should be dead.  Her father, illegally using the latest medical advances, is able to save 10 percent of her brain.  Her memories slowly start to return as she recovers.  Now Jenna must remain hidden and she wonders: if this is life she is to lead why save her in the first place?

Silver Eyes Nicole Luiken

Angel Eastland is unable to remember her past, violet eyed due to a genetic experiment, and controlled by a brain chip, has been hired to capture Michael Vallant.  The problem is she feels an inexplicable sense of attachment to Michael.  She struggles to retrieve her past, fighting the control of the loyalty chip implanted in her brain.  There are many things in Angel’s world that are not exactly what they seem.

The Last Universe William Sleator

Susan wants desperately to be normal, but a freak illness confines her brother, Gary, to a wheel chair and now she must help him instead of the carefree summer she had planned.  Then there is the garden that the teen’s quantum-physicist uncle had installed, but the garden seems to be…changing?   After each attempt into the garden maze Gary’s illness get better, what is the connection and what is his disease?  A great fast paced novel filled with mystery.

Among the Hidden Margaret Peterson Haddix

Luke has finally had enough when his parents no longer allow him to go outside.  Being a third child is tough but it is infinitely harder when you are considered illegal.  With the woods behind Luke’s house seized by the government for more housing his only joy comes from watching the new families from his attic.  He watches everyone leave the neighborhood for work and school but one day he notices a movement at the window of one the houses.  Will he risk everything to find out what’s going on?

Unwind Neal Shusterman

The second civil war was fought over abortion.  When the dust settled a compromise was reached, any parents wishing to get rid of their child can have them “unwound”, a process that reuses the teen body for donation.  By chance three teens that are slated to be unwound meet and band together to fight a system that would destroy them.

Ender’s Game Orson Scott Card

Most people of a certain age have read this classic Sci-fi novel, but more and more teens are increasingly unaware of this fantastic novel.  Ender Wiggins has been monitored since birth, he could be the chosen one, the one that will save the world from the invaders.  A great read with a shocking ending.

Feed M.T. Anderson

A boy meets girl tale with a twist.  Every person gets a feed, a computer chip that constantly bombards them with ads and product info based on what their brain likes and doesn’t.  See a shirt that looks cool, instantly ads pop up for that shirt, where you can buy it, and heck they’ll even send it to your home.  This novel is great and does even better on audio (you get the feeds just like the charecters).