Newsflash: kids love fantasy & sci-fi!  Yolanda Hood and Kelly Stern came to the Iowa Library Association 2009 Annual Conference to talk about how fantasy and science fiction have become a lot more accessible to teens (and grownups) who don’t necessarily love “high-fantasy.”  They had lots of cool titles to recommend to librarians who want to connect with their teen users; these are 5 of my favorites:

A Taste for Red by Lewis Harris

Stephanie, aka “Svetlana,” is a goth-clad sixth grader who eats exclusively red foods, sleeps under her bed, and discovers that she can control people with her mind.  She’s also convinced that she’s a vampire.  Stephanie / Svetlana has a new teacher, Mrs. Larch, and she thinks they might have something in common!  For instance, Mrs. Larch has a suspiciously dark wardrobe…  But is Mrs. Larch really on her side?  Reader beware:  this book has one really dark scene with a dead body; its probably best for 3rd-7th graders.

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