Georgia Peach Book Nominees

1. Georgia Peach Book Nominees 2013-14

2. In this post apocalyptic future, the world is covered in ash. After the eruption of the Yellowstone “super-volcano” destroys his city and its surroundings, fifteen-year-old Alex must journey from Cedar Falls, Iowa, to Illinois to find his parents and sister. He picks up Darla as a travel partner, and together they must find the strength and skills to survive and outlast an epic disaster. “This is a compelling read for either guys or gals, but the main character is a guy. I really, really enjoyed this book and could NOT stop reading until I finished it!” -Mrs. Renard

3. Finley LOVES basketball. He's always dreamed of using it to get out of town someday, but until he can, putting on the #21 jersey makes everything seem ok.Russ has just moved to the neighborhood, and was a huge basketball phenom, but his life has been turned upside down by tragedy. He won't pick up a basketball, and answers only to the name Boy21--taken from his former jersey number. As their final year of high school brings them together, a unique friendship may turn out to be the answer they both need.“It’s a guy book!” -Mrs. Renard

4. Meet Peter Friedman, high school freshman. Talented photographer. Former baseball star. When a freakish injury ends his pitching career, Peter has some major things to figure out. Is there life after sports? Why has his grandfather suddenly given him thousands of dollars worth of camera equipment? And is it his imagination, or is the super-hot star of the girls' swim team flirting with him, right in front of the amazing new girl in his photography class?

5. Colby and Bev have a long-standing pact: graduate, hit the road with Bev's band, and then spend the year wandering around Europe. But moments after the tour kicks off, Bev makes a shocking announcement: she's abandoning their plans - and Colby - to start college in the fall. But the show must go on and The Disenchantments weave through the Pacific Northwest, playing in small towns and dingy venues, while roadie-Colby struggles to deal with Bev's already-growing distance and the most important question of all: what's next?

6. When 16-year-old Nick gets a package, he wonders if it will explain the secretive behavior of his classmates. The package contains the mysterious computer game Erebos. Players must obey strict rules: always play alone, never talk about the game, and never tell anyone your nickname. Curious, Nick joins the game and quickly becomes addicted. But Erebos knows a lot about the players and begins to manipulate their lives. “My absolute favorite book of the list! Both guys and gals will enjoy this suspenseful thriller.” -Mrs. Renard

7. Every day a different body. Every day a different life. Every day in love with the same girl. There’s never any warning about where it will be or who it will be. “A” has made peace with that, even established guidelines by which to live: Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere. It’s all fine until the morning that A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin’s girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has been living no longer apply. Because finally A has found someone he wants to be with—day in, day out, day after day.

8. TIME Magazine's #1 Fiction Book of 2012!“The Fault in Our Stars is a love story, one of the most genuine and moving ones in recent American fiction, but it's also an existential tragedy of tremendous intelligence and courage and sadness." —Lev Grossman, TIME MagazineDespite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten. “Yes, it’s sad, but also funny and wonderful! It is soon to be a movie, and it is one of my top picks! Even guys will like it.” – Mrs. Renard

9. Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness. Elisa is the chosen one. The younger of two princesses, Elisa, on her sixteenth birthday, has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs her to be the chosen one. And he's not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies, seething with dark magic, are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people's savior, and he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake. Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn't die young. Most of the chosen do. “Pure fantasy fun!” -Mrs. Renard

10. This novel in verse is an unforgettable story of loss, courage and hope as a teenage girl escapes war-torn Sudan to face the challenges of a new life in America. Viola survives brutality in war-torn Sudan, makes a perilous journey, lives as a refugee in Egypt, and finally reaches Portland, Maine, where her quest for freedom and security is hampered by memories of past horrors and the traditions her mother and other Sudanese adults hold dear.

11. Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.

12. Don't Sweat. Don't Laugh. Don't draw attention to yourself. And most of all, whatever you do, do not fall in love with one of them. Seventeen-year-old Gene has passed as a vampire for years, carefully following every rule, but now, just as he finds a girl worth fighting for, he is chosen to participate in the hunt. Participating in the hunt of the last remaining humans means that Gene's carefully constructed life begins to crumble around him. He's thrust into the path of a girl who makes him feel things he never thought possible—and into a ruthless pack of hunters whose suspicions about his true nature are growing. Now that Gene has finally found something worth fighting for, his need to survive is stronger than ever—but is it worth the cost of his humanity? “A compelling read—but fair warning—this book contains some very graphic violence and gore.” -Mrs. Renard

13. Jazz is a likable teenager. A charmer, some might say. But he's also the son of the world's most infamous serial killer, and for Dear Old Dad, "Take Your Son to Work Day" was year-round. Jazz has witnessed crime scenes the way cops wish they could--from the criminals' point of view. And now, even though Dad has been in jail for years, bodies are piling up in the sleepy town of Lobo's Nod. Again. In an effort to prove murder doesn't run in the family, Jazz joins the police in the hunt for this new serial killer. But Jazz has a secret--could he be more like his father than anyone knows? “A little creepy and haunting, but perfect for fans of CSI or Criminal Minds!” -Mrs. Renard

14. The Victorian language of flowers was used to convey romantic expressions: honeysuckle for devotion, asters for patience, and red roses for love. But for Victoria Jones, it’s been more useful in communicating grief, mistrust, and solitude. Now 18, she has been emancipated from the foster care system and, though homeless, is hired to work for a local florist. But after meeting a mysterious vendor at the flower market, she is forced to confront her past and decide whether it’s worth risking everything for a second chance at happiness.

15. High school sophomore Danny excels at gymnastics but is bullied, like the rest of the gymnasts, by members of the football team. Kurt, a new student, is a muscle-bound football recruit with a stutter and a past of abuse. The two form an unlikely friendship as they stand up to the captains of the football team, whose arrogance and steroid-usage have led them to unspeakable levels of bullying. Told in alternating voices and with unapologetic truth, Leverage illuminates the fierce loyalty, flawed justice, and hard-won optimism of two young athletes. “Warning: This hard-hitting novel is for mature readers as it includes brutality that is graphically described and may be disturbing to read.” -Mrs. Renard

16. “Sixteen-year-old Angel’s life on the street begins when Call, the man she thinks is her boyfriend, gets her hooked on “candy,” and before she knows it, she is forced to sell herself to support him—and her habit. But when Call brings home an 11-year-old girl, Melli, and demands that Angel train her for the street, Angel realizes that things must change. However, change may require a miracle. This novel is itself something of a miracle: a spot-on, compassionate—and passionate—account of a heartbreakingly horrible life. In this novel in verse, Leavitt has created in Angel’s voice a perfect mix of innocence and experience.” Booklist starred review(October 1, 2012 (Vol. 109, No. 3))

17. When Samantha, the seventeen-year-old daughter of a wealthy, perfectionistic, Republican state senator, falls in love with the boy next door, whose family is large, boisterous, and just making ends meet, she discovers a different way to live. A gorgeous debut about family, friendship, first romance, and how to be true to one person you love without betraying another.

18. When soldiers arrive in his hometown in Cambodia, ArnChorn Pond is separated from his family and sent to a labor camp. He works in the rice paddies until he volunteers to learn to play an instrument--a decision that both saves his life and lands him in battle. Based on the true story of ArnChorn-Pond, this is an achingly raw and powerful novel about a child of war who becomes a man of peace.

19. Ava is tired of her ultracool attitude, ultraradical politics, and ultrablack clothing. She's ready to try something new—she's even ready to be someone new. Someone who fits in, someone with a gorgeous boyfriend, someone who wears pink. But Ava soon finds that changing herself is more complicated than changing her wardrobe. Even getting involved in the school musical raises issues she never imagined. As she faces surprising choices and unforeseen consequences, Ava wonders if she will ever figure out who she really wants to be.

20. Though she is from a family of clairvoyants, Blue Sargent's only gift seems to be that she makes other people's talents stronger. When she meets Gansey, one of the Raven Boys from the expensive Aglionby Academy, she discovers that he has talents of his own--and that together their talents are a dangerous mix.

21. Thanks to Connor, Lev, and Risa—and their high-profile revolt at Happy Jack Harvest Camp—people can no longer turn a blind eye to unwinding. Camus Comprix, or Cam, is a product of unwinding; made entirely out of the parts of other unwinds. Cam accepts his role as the centerpiece of a public campaign to expand the general “harvest”—until he falls in love and begins to develop ideas of his own. Can a rewound being have a soul? Is he even human?

22. Good Reads for Guys: Never Fall Down Leverage I Hunt Killers Boy 21 Curveball The Disenchantments The Hunt 2013-14Georgia Peach Book Nominees Recap Good Reads for Girls: My Life Next Door The Girl of Fire and Thorns My Book of Life by Angel The Language of Flowers Pink Grave Mercy The Good Braider Good Reads for All: Erebos The Raven Boys Ashfall UnWholly Every Day The Fault in our Stars