Former Book Picks:
Little Brother by Cory Doctrow
Warnings: (1) This book contains some “adult” content, so it may not be appropriate for some younger readers. (2) This book may induce paranoia.
This is a seriously scary book—in a very real way—and an easy segue into dystopian fiction for those who are not sure if they will like the genre. It takes place in a not-too-distant future
where school security systems use gait recognition software to keep intruders out—and students in—and where every keystroke on a school laptop is monitored. Then there is a suspected terrorist attack in San Francisco and things get really crazy. Seventeen-year-old Marcus thinks the Department of Homeland Security is out of control, so he uses his tech savvy to start an underground rebellion against the current government. This book is socially and politically charged, featuring super-smart teen characters who are willing to take risks for what they believe in. It may hold particular appeal for techies and teens interested in civil liberties.
--Tracy's Picks, Fall 2008
Genesis Alpha by Rune Michaels
Josh was a test tube baby designed to save his cancer-stricken brother Max, and the two have always been extremely close. When Max is arrested for a brutal murder, Josh knows Max is innocent. But then the sister of the murdered girl starts hassling him and hiding clues to his brother's guilt in their favorite online role-playing game, old secrets come to light, and suddenly Josh doesn’t know what to believe about his brother or himself. This is an unforgettable—and unsettling—suspense novel that explores the natures of good and evil, and the roles of biology and free will. --Tracy's Picks, Spring 2009
Here are a few more suggestions:
The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson
Brain Jack by Brian Falkner
Confessions of a Boyfriend Stealer by Robynn Clairday
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
Epic by Chuck Kostick
Evil Genius by Catherine Jinks
Feed by M.T. Anderson
Fever Crumb by Philip Reeve
For the Win by Cory Doctrow
Framed! by Malcolm Rose
The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler
The Gospel According to Larry by Janet Tashjian
Human.4 by Mike A. Lancaster
I, Robot by Isaac Asimov
iBoy by Kevin Brooks
In Your Room by Jordanna Fraiberg
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
Little Blog on the Prairie by Cathleen Davitt Bell
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Robot Dreams by Sara Varon
Streams of Babel by Carol Plum-Ucci
Things I Know About Love by Kate Le Vann
Ttyl by Lauren Myracle
Unison Spark byAndy Marino
Variant by Robinson Wells
Very LeFreak by Rachel Cohn
Virtual War by Gloria Skurzynski
Wish You Were Dead by Todd Strasser
And for those more inclined toward narrative nonfiction, try:
The Radioactive Boy Scout by Ken Silverstein
You might also want to take a peek at our page on Facebook, were we've been posting book trailers, or check out our list of 15 Ways to Geek Out for Teen Tech Week, based on YALSA's list of 25 Ways to Geek Out.
Do you have a favorite tech-themed read? We'd love to hear which of the books above you recommend—or what we've left off the list*!
*We have only included titles available from Bullitt County Public Libraries. We also chose to keep steampunk titles to a minimum.
Ready Player One was one of the best books that I read in the last year, I absolutely loved it. Older teens with a taste for 80's nostalgia should enjoy it, but I think that the perfect audience for it is those who WERE teens in the 1980s.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree, Sherry. I just finished the book last night and some the the '80s allusions made me downright giddy! It's definitely a book for adults, but at least as appealing to teens (especially those with an interest in gaming, virtual reality, and/or the 1980s) as *The Future of Us.* It was definitely a worthy Alex Award winner.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I wasn't a teen in the '80s. I was still in elementary school in the late '80s and early '90s, but I absorbed at lot of that culture anyway. I think many of today's teens get a kick out of it too, or are familiar through the influence of their parents and "old" movies.