Like a true bibliophile, I attest to the cliché that the book is always better than the movie - seldom do I find the contrary; Nevertheless, hype about an upcoming film adaption gains the interest of many young readers and even some reluctant ones. Grab your popcorn - here are three YA books that have upcoming release dates! The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken If you are a teenager in Bracken's future America, things are looking pretty grim. Most teenagers have died of a mysterious illness while the others have been placed into government internment camps. Why, you may ask? Well, because they have all developed strange and powerful abilities. Enter Ruby, our 16-year-old protagonist who has the most rare and remarkable power. With a little help, Ruby and a group of other fugitive teens escape the camp, searching for an alleged safe haven and resistance organization. However, the group is being hunted down by multiple frightening adversaries. If you enjoy addictive, dystopian, post/pre apocalyptic fiction, you will love The Darkest Minds. Kirkus Reviews recommends a Grade 8+Up interest level which is seemingly an accurate target audience for the film, which is rated PG-13. Check out the trailer below. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys "The took me in my nightgown. Thinking back, the signs were there - family photos burned in the fireplace, Mother sewing her best silver and jewelry into the lining of her coat late at night, and Papa not returning from work. . . Only later did I realize that Mother and Father intended we escape. We did not escape. We were taken." I always thought I knew my WWII history until I read Ruta Sepetys' Between Shades of Gray. We know the atrocities that Hitler was responsible for during The second world war, but we rarely discuss the fact that Stalin was responsible for the murder of 20 million innocent lives during the same time period. Tennessee resident Ruta Sepetys is the daughter of a Lithuanian refugee. This book is a reflection of what happened to her family and so many other families when Stalin annexed the Baltics as a part of the Soviet Union. This book is wonderful. So many middle and high school students devour this one every year in my library. It particularly piques the interest of kids who loved holocaust fiction such a The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. The movie has since been titled, Ashes in the Snow, and the U.S. release date is vaguely listed as 2018. It will premier in Lithuania this October. Check out the English subtitled trailer below. For an added challenge, read Sepetys' novel Salt to the Sea and see if you can find the hidden connection between these two amazing books! Rumor has it that the film rights to this equally outstanding book has been purchased by Universal Pictures! Ready Player One by Ernest Cline Put this book in the hands of any gaming obsessed, sci-fi-fanatic teenager, and he might just swoon. It's the year 2044, and the life of teenager Wade Watts, as well as the lives of the majority of Earth's inhabitants, are bleak and meaningless. The Earth is heavily polluted, densely overpopulated, and economically chaotic. The only existence that gives humans purpose is The Oasis - an infinite virtual reality designed by genius, 80's enthusiast, and recently deceased James Halliday. The world quickly learns that Halliday has left his entire fortune and majority stake in the Oasis corporation hidden somewhere in this virtual reality. In order for Wade, and billions of other determined contenders to find it, one must complete a series of obstacles that requires extensive knowledge of the 1980's! Guess what the good citizens of 2044 suddenly become obsessed with? You guessed it - Duran Duran, Pacman, Blade Runner, and anything else remotely suggestive of 80's pop culture. Although the movie has been largely marketed to teens, the book has not. I wouldn't put this in the hands of many middle schoolers. There's a decent amount of fowl language and sexual suggestive themes. High schoolers though? Most definitely. My only concern is that the content is a little advanced. The numerous 80's pop culture references are pertinent to the plot, and if the likes of Space Invaders and Michael J. Fox catch phrases from Back to the Future go over your head, this one might not be for you. If what I just described to you sounds freaking awesome, buy this book now. You will totally geek out. I secretly hope the rebirth of 80's parties will spawn from this book and film. Ready Player One comes out on Redbox and On Demand at the end of July, but as always, read the book first.
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AuthorKaitlyn Benavides, M.Ed, Ed.S Archives
April 2019
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