As always, the Buchanan-Haralson Public Library housed in the Historic Courthouse in Buchanan will be making these titles available and hosting programs to allow local teens to discuss the books they’ve read and have a little fun while casting their ballots for their favorites.
The Georgia Peach Book Award for Teen Readers is a program based on the Georgia Book Awards and the Kentucky Blue Grass Award with the goal “to help promote reading and literacy skills in teens,” according to their web site.
The titles are selected by the Reading Committee, administered by the Georgia Library Association, Georgia Library Media Association, Georgia Public Library Service and the Georgia Education Association.
The books selected by the committee must have been released in the past three years, be fiction or non-fiction appropriate for high-school age readers, be of literary and artistic merit, not promote negative stereotyping, etc.
Voting is submitted through local high schools and public libraries, and readers rate each book they read on a scale of 1 to 5. All voting is submitted by the second week in March and the committee announces a Georgia Peach winner and two Honor books in April.
Reader at the Buchanan Library will be rating their books with 1 to 5 peaches and be turning their votes in to Buchanan-Haralson Library Branch Manager Jana Gentry, who will submit the teen’s votes to the committee on their behalf.
On Monday, Oct. 29, the library held their first event to introduce readers to the new set of books, and more events will be planned and announced in the future to allow teens to talk about the books.
“This year, I want to select one or two books for everyone to read so that we can have at least one full book discussion,” Gentry said.
However, the first event is simply for teens to familiarize themselves with the titles and make some selections. Gentry did add some fun to the event by asking her husband Boy Scout Troop No. 371 Scout Master Scott Gentry to stop by and show the readers how to bake cookies inside a cardboard oven.
“It’s an interesting program,” Gentry said. “It has nothing to do with peaches, but we thought the teens would enjoy it.”
Gentry said, as always, there is something for everyone with this year’s variety of titles. The 20 nominees are: “Anna and the French Kiss” by Stephanie Perkins; “Between Shades of Gray” by Ruta Sepetys (Not to be confused with E.L. James’ very adult novel “Fifty Shades of Gray.”); “Divergent” by Veronica Roth; “The False Princess” by Eilis O’Neal; “Glow” by Amy Kathleen Ryan; “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” by Rebecca Skloot; “Jump” by Elisa Carbone; “The Mockingbirds” by Daisy Whitney; “The Name of the Star” by Maureen Johnson; “Notes From the Blender” by Trisha Cook and Brendan Halpin; “Now is the Time for Running” by Michael Williams; “Please Ignore Vera Dietz” by A.S. King; “Ready Player One” by Ernest Cline; “The Running Dream” by Wendelin Van Draanan; “The Sky is Everywhere” by Jandy Nelson; “Stick” by Andrew Smith; “Stupid Fast” by Geoff Herbach; “This Girl Is Different” by J.J. Johnson; “What Can’t Wait” by Ashley Hope Perez; and “What Comes After” by Steve Watkins.
To learn more about these titles, visit the Buchanan-Haralson Public Library or call at 770-646-3369.
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