The end of school is rapidly approaching. Am I the only one who feels this year flew by? This is the time of year where schools send home notes with encouraging words like --- "Let's all stride to make this a great end of the year! Keep studying! Keep up the good work!" It's like a rallying cry. Every note has lots of exclamation points. I always smile when I read sentences with lots of exclamation points. They make me think someone is trying really hard to convince me of something.

I am betting you know what I mean. Really!

Have a great end of the school year...we're sharing some terrific new books and interviews this month. It's time for you to make your personal summer reading list. And weigh in on the monthly poll and let us know if your school has a required summer reading list as well.

Happy reading...
 
Carol Fitzgerald for Teenreads.com

Teenreads.com contributing writer Amy Alessio interviewed award-winning author Chris Crutcher, a family therapist whose books take an unflinching look at some of the realities for today's young adults. Over the years Crutcher's books have been challenged across the country and a few have been banned. In 2004 WHALE TALK was removed from a school district's required reading list in South Carolina and was banned from an Alabama school in March 2005. Crutcher's latest novel, THE SLEDDING HILL, focuses on a boy and his fight to make his own decisions about what he can read and write.  

THE SLEDDING HILL by Chris Crutcher (Fiction)
Eddie Proffit must cope with the unexpected deaths of his father and his best friend, while having to face the possibility of one of his favorite books being removed from his school. Eddie needs his friend, Billy Bartholomew, now more than ever during these difficult times. Reviewed by Amy Alessio and excerpted.

Rachel Vail, author of IF WE KISS, answers three revealing questions about her novel's plot, the elements of her story that are based in reality, and the circumstances surrounding her memorable first kiss.

IF WE KISS by Rachel Vail (Fiction)
Critically acclaimed author Rachel Vail has written a fun, humorous book about the woes of falling for the not-so-perfect boy, with a protagonist who is endearing and down-to-earth. Reviewed by Kristi Olson and excerpted.

RAINA'S STORY by Lurlene McDaniel (Fiction)
As the second book in Lurlene McDaniel's "Angels in Pink" trilogy opens, Raina St. James and her two best friends, Holly Harrison and Kathleen McKensie, are starting their junior year of high school. It's an eventful year filled with surprises for Raina, and she needs the support of her pals more than ever. Reviewed by Shannon McKenna and excerpted.

THE CLIQUE by Lisi Harrison (Fiction)
Meet the seventh grade A-listers: Dylan Marvil, Kristen Gregory, Alicia Rivera, and the one and only Massie Block, the uncontested ruler of The Clique. On the surface, these girls are filthy rich, utterly gorgeous, snotty to the max, and unbelievably spoiled. They're also down-and-dirty cruel to anyone who bothers them. Enter Claire Lyons, a total outsider who is temporarily living in Massie's guesthouse. She yearns to be part of the group even though she's not wealthy, gorgeous, snotty, or spoiled. Talk about a mission impossible! Or is it?

Among the titles featured in May's roundup of cool new books are NOBODY DOES IT BETTER, which is the seventh Gossip Girl novel, and THE SLEDDING HILL, the latest work from the award-winning and outspoken Chris Crutcher. This month's releases also include 47, acclaimed mystery writer Walter Mosley's gripping YA fiction debut; IF WE KISS, the story of a girl --- and the kiss that will get her in big trouble; and the second installment in the Stake Your Destiny series, where the reader controls the action and assumes the role of Vampire Slayer.

Carmen, Bridget, Lena and Tibby are coming to a theater near you --- along with their pair of magical jeans of course! June 1st marks the big screen release of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, the highly anticipated film based on the bestselling novel by Ann Brashares. To celebrate, Random House has published three Sisterhood-related titles that fans will treasure.

A chilling new series...

From the author of the bestselling Alex Rider novels comes THE GATEKEEPERS, a thrilling new series for teens that pits good against evil and past against present in a riveting modern-day drama of ancient secrets, supernatural powers, and spellbinding magic. Five young people unknowingly hold the power to prevent one of the most diabolical plots ever envisioned --- one that will alter the course of history by unlocking an ancient barrier and unleashing unfathomable evil. Will the gatekeepers be able to intervene before it's too late?

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The Claudia Ann Seaman Poetry Award is open to all high school students across the country. Each young writer may submit two poems on any subject and in any form as long as their submission does not exceed 10 pages in length. The deadline for entering this annual contest is June 1, 2005.

Are you in a Teen Book Club? If so, Readers Circle wants to know more about your group. For sharing this info, here are the very cool prizes that they are giving away:

ONE Grand Prize Winner will receive:

• a full set of Readers Circle Books 
• a pizza party
• a photo of his/her book club on our Readers-Circle.com site.
• and a Readers Circle book of their choice for every member of their book club!

Note: TWO runners-up will receive a full set of Readers Circle books.

NOBODY DOES IT BETTER: A Gossip Girl Novel by Cecily von Ziegesar (Fiction)
In Cecily von Ziegesar's seventh Gossip Girl novel, Blair, Serena, Nate and the rest of the Upper East Side crew are getting fidgety as the end of senior year --- and decision time --- approaches. Reviewed by Amy Alessio and excerpted.

RUBY TUESDAY by Jennifer Anne Kogler (Fiction)
Jennifer Anne Kogler's promising debut novel is the story of a gambling father, a card-shark grandmother, and a family of women inhabiting a Las Vegas casino. At the center of it all is Ruby Tuesday, a girl who never noticed they were different. Reviewed by Hannah Gomez and excerpted.

FAR FROM XANADU by Julie Anne Peters (Fiction)
Softball champion Mighty Mike Szabo is in love with Xanadu, the new girl in Mike's small Midwestern town. The only problem is that Mike is a girl and Xanadu likes boys. Reviewed by Sarah A. Wood.

BOY PROOF by Cecil Castellucci (Fiction)
This fun and thought-provoking novel centers on Egg (aka Victoria Jurgen), a girl who has trouble relating to people and obsesses over sci-fi flicks. Her sheltered life has the potential to change dramatically thanks to the arrival of a young man named Max Carter, who is immediately intrigued by Egg. Reviewed by Paula Jolin.

A THIEF IN THE HOUSE OF MEMORY by Tim Wynne-Jones (Mystery)
Sixteen-year-old Declan Steeple begins to question the hazy memories of his mother Lindy who left him six years ago, when the mysterious death of a thief sets off repercussions within his family. Reviewed by Sarah Sawtelle.

CAUGHT IN THE ACT by Peter Moore (Fiction)
Ethan Lederer is an honors student who has a great girlfriend. Life is almost normal until Lydia Krane shows up in chemistry class. She's not really Ethan's type, but he feels an unexplainable attraction to her and they grow close. But can Ethan grasp who she really is? Reviewed by Kristi Olson.

SURVIVING ANTARCTICA: Reality TV 2083, by Andrea White (Historical Science Fiction)
The year is 2083, and five teenagers embark on the adventure of a lifetime that just might end their lives. They are contestants on a reality television show called "Antarctic Survivor," which is set up to recreate Robert F. Scott's doomed 1912 attempt to be the first to reach the South Pole. But in 2083 reality TV is not just an act. Reviewed by Chris Shanley-Dillman.

WHERE I WANT TO BE by Adele Griffin (Fiction)
This story of sibling rivalry is about two sisters struggling with mental illness and maturity, and narrated through alternating voices from opposite sides of the grave. Reviewed by Sarah A. Wood.

GOING GOING by Naomi Shihab Nye (Fiction)
National Book Award finalist Naomi Shihab Nye's latest novel is a highly politicized story about a young girl and her attempt to take on Big Business in San Antonio, Texas. With plenty of rhetoric, idealism, and broad, sweeping themes to go around, GOING GOING is a go-get-'em read for any budding social activist. Reviewed by Alexis Burling.

STORKY: How I Lost My Nickname and Won the Girl, by D.L. Garfinkle (Fiction)
In this funny and realistic journal of teen trials and tribulations, high school freshman Michael "Storky" Pomerantz talks about his struggles to lose his unflatterring nickname and win the girl of his dreams. Reviewed by Amy Alessio.

PINNED by Alfred C. Martino (Fiction)
Ivan Korske and Bobby Zane couldn't be more different --- they come from different backgrounds, different lifestyles, and they have very different values and ways of looking at the world. Yet they both have the drive, determination, and commitment necessary to become the state wrestling champion. Reviewed by Carlie Webber.

QUICKSILVER by Stephanie Spinner (Mythology)
Stephanie Spinner brings the famous winged messenger Hermes --- and the best-known gods and mortals of mythology --- to life in this enjoyable follow-up to her previous book, QUIVER. Reviewed by Amy Alessio.

Here is our Question of the Month:

E-mail us and tell us what you think by clicking on the link below.

This contest period, one teen reader will be randomly chosen to win a copy of THE SLEDDING HILL by Chris Crutcher. (See official rules below.) To automatically enter to win, e-mail us your recommendations and book ratings.