By Mickey Duvall
Library Director

Every year a committee of public and school librarians read as many new books published for teens as is humanly possible. A list of recommended books for students in grades 9-12, named the Tayshas list, is the result of this endeavor.
Sheilah Kosco, the Bastrop Library teen librarian, currently serves on this committee and will serve for the next two years. Books are sent by the publishers for consideration and the titles are added to the library collection. As a result, the Bastrop Library’s teen collection is overflowing with new titles!
This year, with so many great stories to choose from, the Tayshas list contains over 70 titles. A complete listing of the books can be found at: www.txla.org/groups/yart/tayshaslists.html I’m highlighting a few of the best of the best.
Laurie Halse Anderson, of “Speak” fame, writes a heartrending story about anorexia, entitled “Wintergirls.” When they were young Lia and Cassie swore to be friends forever, sharing all their secrets, including their eating disorders. But now Cassie is dead and Lia’s life is spinning totally out of control. Written in first person stream of consciousness narrative, readers feel Lia’s isolation, agony and growing disconnect from reality.
In Kristin Cashore’s, “Graceling,” some people have the grace of cooking, some of predicting weather. Katsa’s grace is killing. However, Katsa has a choice in the matter…and the choice that she makes will forever change her life. This is a great fantasy title. Cashore has given us a strong female character who is able to make her own decisions and deal with the consequences. There are great action scenes with her being an assassin, there are plenty of battles. Katsa’s story is a compelling read that has you rushing through all 471 pages until the end. The library also has Cashore’s newest book, “Fire,” a companion book to Graceling.
In “Freeze Frame” by Heidi Ayarbe, Kyle wants more than anything to go back just an instant, to a time before his best friend, Jason, was shot. But time doesn’t stop and Kyle has to learn to live with his action. This is an engrossing, fascinating and gut-wrenching tale. I found myself unable to put the book down, pushing for Kyle to unfreeze his memory and discover what happened the morning his best friend was shot. Fascinating characters include Jason’s younger brother, a librarian who may be an ex-criminal in hiding and a loner named Clock.
Susan Bartoletti’s tale, “The Boy Who Dared,” tells the fictionalized account of Helmuth Hubener’s heroism. Helmuth was a German teen executed for treason by the Nazis. The story portrays the total grip that the Nazis had on all aspects of German society. It tells the story of one German youngster’s attempt to right the wrongs he saw in the government. The portrayal of his fear and his desire for his friends to survive is very emotional.
“Bonechiller” by Graham McNamee tells the tale of four high school students facing off against a soul-stealing beast. This beast has been making young people disappear in their small Ontario, Canada town for centuries and now it is coming after them. The author writes very descriptively, readers may feel like the monster is chasing them! The book has action, danger and romance – something for everyone.

In Simon Holt’s “The Devouring,” Reggie finds a handwritten copy of a poem and she has no idea about the other world she is unlocking. Now the Vours have her brother and Reggie must get him back before it is too late. The tale moves quickly, has a compelling plot and will keep you awake at night!
Flesh-eating zombies have kept the people of Mary’s walled village trapped for generations. When the zombies get in again, Mary and a handful of survivors must do everything in their power to survive. “In the Forest of Hands and Teeth” by Carrie Ryan relates this eerie tale. A spine-chilling future where Ryan gets to live out her fantasy of what she would do when the zombies attack is related. What would you do when the zombie hoards come?
So if you are looking for some great books to read come to the Bastrop Public Library and check out our teen selections. Look for the books highlighted in this article or chose one of the other Tayshas titles. There are books for everyone’s tastes.