Hints at Talk It Up! and Speak Out! titles

A week from tomorrow I'll be announcing the twelve titles chosen for Talk It Up! and Speak Out!. This is one of the best parts of the TIU/SO program. It's not easy, because I have to pick just six books that will appeal to a wide range of teen readers. The dry-erase board in my office has remnants of ink from titles I've picked, erased, picked again, modified, crossed out, and finally chosen. Every year, I announce the chosen titles at the TIU/SO information session, and I give free books to those who can guess the titles from the booktalks I write. Here are some hints at what I've picked, if you feel like guessing early:

Of the six Talk It Up! books (7-9 grade):

• Two are centered around the relationships of a group of friends


• One is historical fiction


• One is speculative fiction


• One is a graphic novel


• Two have urban settings that are important to the plot


• Two are by an author who was not born in the United States

Of the six Speak Out! books (10-12 grade):

• One is nonfiction


• Two of the authors have very popular blogs


• One received a Printz honor


• Three have family dramas


• None are set west of the Mississippi


• Two are first novels

(You didn't think I'd make it easy, did you?)

Have fun guessing! If you guess correctly you get... nothing but the satisfaction of being right (and I can't tell you if you're right for another week).