Hannah Jayne – The Hub

Click here to see all of the current Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers nominees along with more information about the list and past years’ selections.

Beast Rider by Tony Johnston and Maria Elena Fontandt De Rhoads
Abrams
Publication Date: March 19, 2019
ISBN: 9781419733635

Manuel has one goal; to get to Los Angeles and his older brother. In order to do this he will have to jump on a train, The Beast, and ride on the roof until it crosses into the US. But it isn’t that easy when you are 12. Manuel encounters many setbacks on his voyage including police, gangs, thieves, starvation and someone even steals his shoes. Getting to his brother takes years.

While this story at first appears hopeless, Manuel never loses sight of his goal and shows his resilience to all of these obstacles and even meets some kind people who give him a meal and nurse him back to life after being left for dead.

This title is recommended for readers who have enjoyed Sedgwick’s Saint Death (2016), Anderson’s Border Crossing (2009) or Bowles poems They Call Me Guero (2018).

–Jessica Lorentz Smith

Copycat by Hannah Jayne
Sourcebooks/ Sourcebooks
Publication Date: July 3, 2018
ISBN: 9781492647393 Continue reading Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers (#QP2020) Nominees Round Up, November 25 Edition

Books with lots of action are often a home run with readers, especially those who like a plot-driven story. They can cross a wide-range of genres, from spy fiction to murder mysteries.

Definition:
Action books are often very heavy on the plot with danger pulling the story forward, leaving readers on the edge of their seat desperate to know what happens next. Elements of risk and surprise are key factors in action stories. The events that trigger the action or danger are typically outside the protagonist’s day to day life. Often, at the end of the story, the hero or heroine is never the same.

Characteristics:
* Fast-paced
* Conflict
* Danger
* Risk
* Double-crossings
* Betrayal
* Villains
* Violence
* Survival
* Plot twists
* Underdogs

Appeal:
With action novels, readers quickly turn the pages – often reading these novels in a single setting. In a series, there is often an overall arc that ties all the books together, even though the primary plot of the book is resolved.

Actions books are perfect escapism reads; this type of story rarely happens in real life.

Readers like rooting for the underdogs. Often times these teen characters go against supposedly smarter more savvy adults and yet, they are victorious in their quest. It’s hard not to root for the underdog.

YA Action Adventure

Continue reading Genre Guide: Action Novels