my vote for best teen book
August 2011
It has to be Star Dancer by Beth Webb. It was different, not only in the subject matter (druids, the late Iron Age and Roman invasion) but its approach to magic was something I've never seen before. I went to a talk by the author, and she explained it was based on the psychology of how people see things, rather than what she called 'wand waving.'
We need more books for teens that treat the readers intelligently. Star Dancer is an excellent mixture of history, psychology and wonderful storytelling.
What the new millenium needs is innovative approches, not just exciting stories with more and more thrilling endings (which seems to be the trend), but stories that last because they relate to how we think and touch on human needs.