Alex Awards

2010 Alex Awards
Adult Books that Appeal to Teen Readers

Call numbers for the Duluth Public Library are in ( ) after the description.
If it looks good to you and the Library doesn't have it, ask about interlibrary loan,
and we'll get it for you from another library.

Carriger, Gail. SOULLESS: AN ALEXIA TARABOTTI NOVEL
Wielding a parasol and hairpins, 25-year-old soulless spinster Alexia Tarabotti accidentally stakes a vampire lacking all common etiquette to open this delightfully dangerous romp.

Currie, Ron, Jr. Everything Matters!
While still in the womb, voices warn Junior of his impending death by comet in this unusually structured coming-of-age story. He has 36 years. How will he spend them? (Fic)

Dinkel, David. The Good Soldiers
This eye-opening account of “the surge” in 2007 follows the troops of Battalion 2-16, revealing the gritty reality for all those good soldiers serving in Iraq. (956.7 F495g)

Grossman, Lev. The Magicians
Fantasy and reality meld in unexpected and tragic ways when 17-year-old Quentin Coldwater trades his ho-hum Brooklyn existence for the magical society of Brakebills College. (Fic SF)

Kamkwamba, William. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope
Young teen William, who taught himself enough physics and engineering to build a windmill and bring electricity to his drought-stricken village, discovered the magic of his Malawi homeland in the miracles of science. (968.97 K128b)

Rock, Peter. My Abandonment
Based on a true story, 13-year-old Caroline and her questionably sane father live in a nature preserve on the outskirts of Portland, Oregon. A haunting exploration of familial lore, survival, and hope. (Fic)

Rosoff, Meg. The Bride’s Farewell
Rather than marry without love, Pell Ridley absconds with a favorite horse and her brother, Bean. Both are quickly lost, and Pell’s perilous journey to find Bean leads to discovery of the things she ran away from: family, love, and herself. (Fic)

Small, David. Stitches: A Memoir
Replete with themes of anger, pain, and hope, and employing classic imagery from Alice in Wonderland, renowned illustrator Small chronicles the harrowing story of his childhood and adolescence in this dark graphic novel. (741.5999 Sm18s)

Welch, Diana. The Kids Are All Right: A Memoir
This heart-wrenching memoir, collaboratively written from four different points of view, chronicles the ups and downs of the Welch siblings, who struggled to define the notion of home after their parents died.

Wilson, Kevin. Tunneling to the Center of the Earth
In a wholly original collection of stories, Wilson turns down the odd side streets of reality to explore rentable relatives, unscrupulous Scrabble workers, Mortal Kombat–fueled romancers, and the adventures of other wildly quirky characters. (Fic)

The Alex Awards were created to recognize that many teens enjoy and often prefer books written for adults, and to assist librarians in recommending adult books that appeal to teens. The award is named in honor of the late Margaret Alexander Edwards, fondly called “Alex” by her closest friends, a young adult specialist at the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore. She used adult books extensively with young adults to broaden their experiences and enrich their understanding of themselves and their world.

See lists from previous years

Copyright American Library Association 2008. This document may be reprinted and distributed for non-commercial and educational purposes only, and not for resale. No resale use may be made of material on this web site at any time. All other rights reserved.

1/26/10
Duluth Public Library, 520 W. Superior St., Duluth, MN 55802

	Carriger, Gail. SOULLESS: AN ALEXIA TARABOTTI NOVEL Wielding a parasol and hairpins, 25-year-old soulless spinster Alexia Tarabotti accidentally stakes a vampire lacking all common etiquette to open this delightfully dangerous romp.
	Currie, Ron, Jr. Everything Matters! While still in the womb, voices warn Junior of his impending death by comet in this unusually structured coming-of-age story. He has 36 years. How will he spend them? (Fic)
	Dinkel, David. The Good Soldiers This eye-opening account of “the surge” in 2007 follows the troops of Battalion 2-16, revealing the gritty reality for all those good soldiers serving in Iraq. (956.7 F495g)
	Grossman, Lev. The Magicians Fantasy and reality meld in unexpected and tragic ways when 17-year-old Quentin Coldwater trades his ho-hum Brooklyn existence for the magical society of Brakebills College. (Fic SF)
	Kamkwamba, William. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope Young teen William, who taught himself enough physics and engineering to build a windmill and bring electricity to his drought-stricken village, discovered the magic of his Malawi homeland in the miracles of science. (968.97 K128b)
	Rock, Peter. My Abandonment Based on a true story, 13-year-old Caroline and her questionably sane father live in a nature preserve on the outskirts of Portland, Oregon. A haunting exploration of familial lore, survival, and hope. (Fic)
	Rosoff, Meg. The Bride’s Farewell Rather than marry without love, Pell Ridley absconds with a favorite horse and her brother, Bean. Both are quickly lost, and Pell’s perilous journey to find Bean leads to discovery of the things she ran away from: family, love, and herself. (Fic)
	Small, David. Stitches: A Memoir Replete with themes of anger, pain, and hope, and employing classic imagery from Alice in Wonderland, renowned illustrator Small chronicles the harrowing story of his childhood and adolescence in this dark graphic novel. (741.5999 Sm18s)
	Welch, Diana. The Kids Are All Right: A Memoir This heart-wrenching memoir, collaboratively written from four different points of view, chronicles the ups and downs of the Welch siblings, who struggled to define the notion of home after their parents died.
	Wilson, Kevin. Tunneling to the Center of the Earth In a wholly original collection of stories, Wilson turns down the odd side streets of reality to explore rentable relatives, unscrupulous Scrabble workers, Mortal Kombat–fueled romancers, and the adventures of other wildly quirky characters. (Fic)