Are you wondering what the “Teen Choice Award Nominees” display in the Teen Lounge near 309 Creative is all about? It celebrates the finalists for the Lincoln Award. Each year, Lincoln Award finalists are chosen by librarians across the state, but the winner is chosen by teens in grades 9-12 from across Illinois. If you are in high school, that could be you! Just attend meetings of our High School Book Club and read some of the Lincoln Award Finalist books.
You don’t need to attend every meeting nor read every book, just make sure you come to at least two meetings and read three of the Lincoln Award Finalist titles before mid-March. High School Book Club meets next on Saturday, October 4, at 3:30 PM. The Lincoln Award Finalists span many genres, so there’s something for every kind of reader. Here are just a few of the 20 finalists:
You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kaylan Bayron Charity plays the role of “the final girl” acting out scenes from a horror film at Camp Mirror Lake. Then a co-worker ends up dead. It’s up to Charity and her girlfriend, Bezi, to find the very real killer before it’s too late.
Dungeons and Drama by Kristy Boyce Riley’s dream is to be on Broadway, but her school’s spring show was canceled, and she ends up working at her dad’s game store. She and her geeky co-worker Nathan make a pact- he’ll help her at the store, and she’ll make his girlfriend jealous. That includes joining his role-playing game. She comes to realize gaming and role-playing might actually be fun.
Shut up, This Is Serious by Carolina Ixta Two Latina teenagers in Oakland struggle to find what family means to them. Belen has lost motivation after her dad left the family and she skips class to read or visit her sister’s salon, risking her ability to graduate. Meanwhile, her high-achieving, college-bound best friend Leti is pregnant, and afraid to tell her judgmental parents because her equally high-achieving boyfriend is Black.
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune Linus is a caseworker for the Department for the Care of Magical Youth. He lives a quiet and lonely life until he is summoned to Marsyas Island to investigate an orphanage full of children and teenagers deemed dangerous, including a gnome, wyvern, and were-dog. The orphanage is run by a charming man who may have magical secrets of his own.
Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang Even though she’s named for Valentine’s Day, generations of Val’s family have been unlucky in love. She’s ready to accept that she’s inherited that curse, but a series of events starting with a lion dancer handing her a paper heart makes her start to think otherwise.
You can find physical copies of the Lincoln Award Finalists on display in our Teen Lounge area. Some of them are also available as e-books which are downloadable right from your phone or tablet using your free DKPL library card. Your friendly Teen Services Staff is always happy to help you find your next book. For more information, feel free to contact Teen Services Staff in the Teen Room at 815-756-9568 (ext. 2450) or by e-mail at [email protected].