Shaun David Hutchinson

Amazing Audiobooks (#AA2020) Nominees Round Up, September 11 Edition

Published September 11, 2019

Click here to see all of the current Amazing Audiobooks nominees along with more information about the list and past years’ selections.

Brave Face by Shaun David Hutchinson, narrated by Shaun David Hutchinson
Simon & Schuster Audio and Blackstone Audio
Publication Date: May 21, 2019
ISBN: 978-1508286158

Brave Face by Shaun David Hutchinson is a memoir narrated by the author retelling his high school and college years through depression, anxiety, self-identity, and leading to his suicide attempt at nineteen years old. Hutchinson recounts his young adult years honestly including a disclaimer right at the beginning of the book “I’LL KEEP THIS SHORT. A LOT HAPPENS IN THIS MEMOIR. There’s drug use, sex in the backseat of Mustang, discussion of homosexuality, alcohol use, a smidge of profanity, and a little petty theft.”

Booklist: New LGBTQIAP+ Nonfiction for Pride Month

Published June 11, 2019

June is LGBTQ Pride Month: a time celebrate and recognize the impact that LGBTQ people have in the world. June was chosen for Pride Month as a way to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall riots that have been seen as the landmark event that propelled the movement for LGBTQ civil rights.

What Would Brian May Read?

Published May 6, 2019

My favorite movie of 2018 was Bohemian Rhapsody. I was thrilled to see it, and Rami Malek, win awards, but, as interesting as Freddy Mercury’s story is, I find Queen guitarist Brian May’s story equally as interesting. Not only is he one of the world’s greatest guitarists, he built his own guitar and has a PhD in astrophysics. Although he is now in his 70s he still plays and recently released a new single, “New Horizons”, to celebrate the space probe of the same name as it flew past Ultima Thule, the farthest object in the solar system that a spacecraft has visited. Brian May might be described as a Renaissance Man and I wondered are there Renaissance Teens who might be inspired by these books I think reflect aspects of Brian May’s life?

Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers (#QP2020) Nominees Round Up, April 23 Edition

Published April 23, 2019

The Past and Other Things that Should Stay Buried by Shaun David Hutchinson
Simon Pulse
Publication Date: February 19, 2019
ISBN: 9781481498579

Dino’s family runs a funeral home preparing bodies for burial, and up until now, the bodies have stayed dead. July, Dino’s ex-best friend, wakes up while he’s preparing her body for her funeral. In her not-dead state, she and Dino must figure out why this has happened, and how to fix it, all while avoiding detection and grappling with their present and past.

#ALAAC18 Recap: #BFYA2019 Teen Feedback Session

Published August 1, 2018

The Best Fiction for Young Adults feedback session is one of the best parts of every ALA conference. Local teens get the opportunity to read books that have been nominated for #BFYA and give their feedback about the titles. It’s always interesting to hear the perspective of real teens, and the group in New Orleans were particularly amazing. They all sounded like professional book reviewers, and I wish there had been time to talk with them at length about the books they enjoyed.

Here are some of the titles the teens particularly liked from this year’s #BFYA nominees list along with a little of their feedback and a link to each title’s nomination post (when available.)

#BFYA2019 Nominees Round Up, May 18 Edition

Published May 18, 2018

The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza by Shaun David Hutchinson
Simon Pulse / Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: February 6, 2018
ISBN: 978-1481498548

Elena lives a fairly normal teen life despite the notoriety and ridicule she endures due to her scientifically proven virgin birth. However, Elena believes the voices she hears from inanimate objects prove her destiny is something extraordinary. When she heals her longtime crush who is dying from a gunshot wound, Elena’s voices send her on a mission to possibly save the world–or end it.

#AA2019 Nominees Round Up, May 2 Edition

Published May 2, 2018

The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza by Shaun David Hutchinson, narrated by Candace Thaxton
Audio Published by Simon and Schuster Audio
Publication Date: February 6, 2018
ISBN: 978-1508245636

Elena Mendoza is the product of parthenogenesis, or virgin birth. It’s a fact; proven by a doctor and peer-reviewed medical journals. Because of this information, Elena grows up with her classmates and community thinking her an oddity, students at her school calling her “Mary” to persecute her difference. Her best friend Fadil, is really her only friend. One day while on her break at Starbucks, Fadil literally pushes Elena into taking to her crush Winifred “Freddie” Petrine. Elena approaches just as another student at their high school, David Combs, shoots Freddie. This leads the Starbucks siren to inform Elena of her healing capabilities and encourages her to save Freddie’s life. In the aftermath of the healing, David is “raptured” by a bright light and disappears. This chain of events sets off an apocalypse, one in which Elena is cast in a starring role. Elena then learns that her healing capabilities are not limited to Freddie alone, as she heals a neighborhood stray and an elderly neighbor. Should she listen to the voices that tell her to use her healing powers to save humanity, to her friends or family that provide conflicting viewpoints, or to her intuition? Elena is confounded and paralyzed with indecision but inevitably has to choose a course of action.

Month in Review: September 2017

Published October 6, 2017

What happened in YA last month? Here is a quick round up of featured posts on The Hub and other links to keep you up to date when collecting for your teens.

month in review | yalsa's the hub

At the Hub

Amazing Audiobooks, Volume 3 – featuring fantastic characters and a dash of magical realism
QuickPick Immigrants and Refugees – new books are being written to inform the public of the realities of those seeking sanctuary
QuickPick Science Fiction – four science fiction stories with fabulous hooks
Banned Books: International Edition -international books that have found their way onto our Banned Books List
QuickPick Novels in Verse – four titles with four very different approaches
Romantic Comedies – escape into a fun-filled romantic comedy when you could use a little levity, love, and fun
QuickPick Social Media in YA Fiction these titles serve as fascinating yet cautionary tales of social media
Amazing Audiobooks Volume 2 – featuring historical LGBTQ romance, nonfiction, a murder mystery and more.
Women in Comics – Refugee Experiences – Graphic novels featuring refugee stories from around the world.
Monthly Monday Poll – Which YA book referencing modern or historical child-labor issues is your favorite?

Tag: Shaun David Hutchinson

At the Hub