Duets: When One Book Isn't Enough
When are two related books better than one? How about when you want to get another character's perspective. Or to find out what happens next. Or to tie up all those loose plot threads. People aren't the only ones who like to pair up. Some books need buddies, too! Here are a few that prove it:
(Click on any title to reserve it at a CCPL branch.)
By Gayle Forman
In If I Stay, 17-year-old Mia's parents and brother are killed in a car wreck that leaves her in a coma. Should she fight to survive for her boyfriend, Adam, and the rest of the living? Or, should she let go to be with her family? Three years later in Where She Went, Adam is a rising rock star who reconnects with an old friend after the horrific events tore them apart.
In Graceling, some people are born with extreme skills called Graces. Katsa struggles with her own deadly Grace and teams up with a young fighter to save their land. In a neighboring country, Fire is the last human-shaped monster, with great beauty and the ability to control other people's minds. Yet, even she cannot escape the strife in her kingdom.
Meet two wars and two generations of young Harlem men who fight them. Fallen Angels starts in 1967 when 17-year-old Richie Perry enlists in the Army and is sent to Vietnam. Decades later in Sunrise Over Fallujah, Robin Perry is sent to Iraq as a member of a battalion whose mission is to gain the Iraqi people's trust.
In The Battle of Jericho, cousins Jericho and Josh are delighted when their high school’s most elite club invites them to pledge. Yet, they find that admission is not all fun and games. November Blues picks up as November is reeling from the fallout of a tragic accident. An unexpected pregnancy changes her situation even more.
In The Wednesday Wars, when Holling's classmates go to Catechism or Hebrew school, he stays in Mrs. Baker's classroom where they read Shakespeare plays and learn about the world. Okay for Now is about a character from that book, Doug, who just moved to a new town. Doug is miserable until he finds Lil and a safe haven in the local library.
Jumper and Jumper: Griffin’s Story
By Steven Gould
In Jumper, 17-year-old David first "jumps" spontaneously to escape his abusive father -- and finds he can teleport at will. He runs away to New York City where he falls in love and tests out his strange powers. In another world where Jumpers are hunted by ruthless Paladins, Jumper: Griffin’s Story follows Griffin as he flees assassins who murdered his parents.
In Jumper, 17-year-old David first "jumps" spontaneously to escape his abusive father -- and finds he can teleport at will. He runs away to New York City where he falls in love and tests out his strange powers. In another world where Jumpers are hunted by ruthless Paladins, Jumper: Griffin’s Story follows Griffin as he flees assassins who murdered his parents.
A meteor knocks the moon off its axis, causing catastrophic tsunamis and volcanic eruptions. In Life As We Knew It, Miranda helps helps her family survive as resources dwindle. In The Dead and the Gone, Alex takes care of his sisters after losing their parents in the chaos. Characters from both books unite in This World We Live In.
Who says fairy tales are for kids? After a werewolf kills their grandmother and almost kills them, the Sisters Red devote themselves to hunting and killing the vicious beasts. In the nearby town where Sweetly is set, Gretchen's memories of her twin sister’s abduction by a witch-like monster fade until girls start vanishing at the annual chocolate festival.
In Tantalize, 17-year-old Quincie and her uncle are trying to revitalize the family’s failing restaurant. They opt for a vampire theme, not realizing the kinds of customers they’ll attract. In Eternal, one reckless choice by guardian angel Zachary results in Miranda turning into a vampire. Characters from both books meet up in Blessed.
In Stargirl, 16-year-old Leo and his classmates are shocked when an eccentric new student called Stargirl shakes up their school. In Love, Stargirl, sad after moving away from Arizona, Stargirl sets out to write “the world’s longest letter” to an old friend to describe her new life in Pennsylvania.
By Nancy Werlin
In The Killer’s Cousin, David is acquitted of murder and goes to stay with relatives where he's forced to face his past as he learns more about his strange young cousin, Lily. In Locked Inside, Marnie is kidnapped and must rethink her idealized relationship with her dead mother -- and the way she treats others.
In If You Come Softly, Jeremiah and Ellie fall in love and try to cope with the subtle and not-so-subtle bigotry they experience because he is black and she is white. Later, in Behind You, the characters must pick up the pieces of their lives after a tragic loss.
When his younger brother, Jeff, is diagnosed with leukemia in Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie, 13-year-old Steven tries to deal with his complex emotions. After Ever After is told from Jeff's perspective as he and a friend help each other overcome aftereffects of their cancer treatments before middle school graduation.
Ivy and Hazel
By Julie Hearn
In 19th century London, Ivy is mistreated and destitute. Then, her beautiful red hair attracts the attention of a painter who wants her to be his model -- and his muse. Years later, Ivy’s naive daughter Hazel is involved in the budding Women’s Rights Movement. But after a protest gets out of hand, Hazel is sent to her grandparents' sugar plantation.
By Barry Lyga
In The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl, comic book obsessed "Fanboy" encounters “Goth Girl.” She changes his outlook on almost everything, including himself. In Goth Girl Rising, Kyra is home after a breakdown and months in a psych ward. She struggles to grasp her place in the world.
In Hard Love, 16-year-old John publishes a ’zine in which he writes his secret feelings about his lonely life. Through the ‘zine community, he meets Marisol, a self-proclaimed “rich spoiled lesbian private-school gifted-and-talented writer virgin.” In Love & Lies, Marisol falls under the spell of her beautiful but deceitful writing teacher while befriending a shy, vulnerable girl.
In What My Mother Doesn't Know, 14-year-old Sophie is dating sexy Dylan, chatting online with “cybersoul”-mate Chaz, and secretly nursing a crush on sweet but geeky Murphy. In What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know, Murphy's life is mostly miserable until the artsy outsider is invited to audit an art class at Harvard.
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