So here we are- part two of the Top Picks list for 2011.
Each book on the list below was reviewed in the past year, although not all the books were published in 2011. If the book made a Top Picks list in the past, it won’t be on this year’s list (Wintergirls, by Laurie Halse Anderson, was first reviewed in 2009 and made the list that year, so it’s not on this year’s list).
Books that made this list were chosen by our reviewers as exceptional examples of compelling writing, creativity, and original illustration or presentation. Many of them provided considerable food for thought as well as entertainment value. The choices were made only from books reviewed for the site, so there are many fine titles that do not appear here. The Monster Librarian’s Top Picks for 2011, listed below, have not been ranked in any order(although I tried to list them alphabetically). We created lists for adult books, young adult books, and kids’ books. I previously posted the Top Picks for Adult Fiction in 2011. You’ll find the Top Picks booklists for young adults and children below. Enjoy!
Note for librarians and readers: As with all recommended reading lists, not all of The Monster Librarian’s Top Picks for 2011 will be appropriate for or appreciated by every reader. Please take the time to check out reviews of these titles at MonsterLibrarian.com before making a decision about reading them or recommending them to others.
The Monster Librarian’s Top Picks for Young Adults, 2011
A special mention goes to Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, by Ransom Riggs, chosen as a top pick by four different reviewers independently of each other.
Abarat series by Clive Barker (Abarat,
Abarat: Days of Magic, Nights of War
, and Abarat: Absolute Midnight
)
Across the Universe
by Beth Revis
Cryer’s Cross
by Lisa McMann
Drink, Slay, Love
by Sarah Beth Durst
Ghost Town (Morganville Vampires, Book 9)
by Rachel Caine
Ink Exchange (Wicked Lovely) by Melissa Marr
Lockdown: Escape from Furnace 1
by Alexander Gordon Smith
Mercy
by Rebecca Lim
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
by Ransom Riggs
Nickel Plated
by Aric Davis
Red Moon Rising
by Peter Moore
Shiver (Wolves of Mercy Falls)
by Maggie Stiefvater
Skulls
by Tim Marquitz
Subject Seven by James A. Moore
Teeth: Vampire Tales
edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling.
The Dead (An Enemy Novel)
by Charlie Higson
The Near Witch
by Victoria Schwab
The Monster Librarian’s Top Picks for Kids, 2011
A special mention goes to Crooked Hills: Book One by Cullen Bunn, reviewed independently by two different reviewers and highly recommended by both.
Crooked Hills by Cullen Bunn
Dragonbreath series, books 1-3, by Ursula Vernon (Dragonbreath,
Attack of the Ninja Frogs,
Curse of the Were-wiener
)
Fear: 13 Stories of Suspense and Horror
edited by R.L. Stine
Monster and Me (Monster and Me) by Robert Marsh
Scary School by Derek the Ghost
Little Goblins Ten by Pamela Jane, illustrated by Jane Manning
The Island of the Skog by Steven Kellogg
The Shadows: The Books of Elsewhere: Volume 1 by Jacqueline West
The smash hit and #1 New York Times bestseller Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs is out in paperback now, and thanks to the amazing folks at Quirk Books, I’ve got a copy that I would love to give to you! The author of the book used strange and intriguing vintage photographs of children to give life to this strange tale of family tragedy, time-travel, monsters, and orphaned children with strange powers. Even if you don’t traditionally read books targeted to a teen audience, this is an incredible story well worth picking up.
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