Here on the Patrol site, we've been posting reviews of quite a few YA novels through the GGC book club. HarperCollins Canada has been great in providing us with books every month that "appeal" to a "teen" audience.

But what does that mean? That these books don't appeal to an adult audience? 'Cause quite a few of them have been read and thoroughly enjoyed by adults here at the GGC national office. Does it mean that teens don't want to read books for adults? Well, we all know that isn't true at all!

Over at the Grid, they raise the question, "What's the point of YA fiction?" and highlight a great new book (that you just might be seeing here very soon!) What do you think of YA fiction? Do you find the label useful or condescending? Does having the label mean that books for teens aren't as "good" as books for adults? Does YA fiction "appeal" to you? How do you decide what books to read and what books not to read?

Hi everyone! Happy New Year to all of you, I hope you had a great Christmas. To start the New Year off, I decided to give my top five best female celebrity role models of 2011. In order, (5 being worst, 1 being the best), here’s my list!

1. Lady Gaga: She is definitely my top role model of the year because of what she stands for. Some people may strongly disagree with this because they only see her as being a freak and for being inappropriate and suggestive, but you have to really listen to her speak to understand what she’s all about. She sticks up for what she believes in, is a huge bullying activist, inspires millions of “Little Monsters” (as she calls her fans) every day of all ages to be who they are and to be proud of it, does lots of charity work, and most of all, can sing like no other singer I've ever heard before!

2. Taylor Swift: Taylor Swift was bullied a lot in high school, and had a really hard time getting where she is today, but she never let it stop her from getting what she truly wanted: to sing for millions of people across the world. So many girls are inspired by Taylor because she has songs that we can relate to about bullying, relationships: everything a teenage girl goes through. She’s also extremely talented, which is someone a lot of girls should aspire to be.

3. Ellen Degenres: Ah, Ellen. We all know about her talk show that comes on almost every day, how she has on many celebrities to interview and how she’s probably one of the funniest people on television, but there are a lot of things about her that we don’t see. For example, she does a lot of charity work, and donates money to people/schools who aren’t as fortunate as she is.  Ellen is also a huge bullying and vegan activist, and has accomplished a lot in her lifetime (been on many TV shows, has her own talk show, won many awards, etc.) She is an inspiration to a lot of girls to be who they are and to be kind to others who aren’t as fortunate as us.

4. Oprah Winfrey: When the topic of good role models comes up, Oprah Winfrey is always discussed, but does anyone really know why? Oprah is a huge role model to all of us girls because she’s smart, unpretentious, and caring of the people who aren’t as fortunate as she. She participates in so many charities and donates so much money to people who don’t have it that it’s virtually impossible to name them all. You can tell she’s very intelligent because of the way she speaks, and the way she interviews many people and celebrities. Oprah clearly makes number four on my list.

5. Kate Middleton: Kate is the wife of Prince William, making her the Duchess of Cambridge. Ever since she started dating William, she has been in the spotlight. I know she’s an extremely modest person, because she never lets all the fame go to her head and is always polite when encountered by fans and in interviews. She even participated in the “Children’s Wish Foundation”, when a little girl with cancer asked to meet a real princess; Kate was happy to accept the role. Lastly, being a royal, Kate is extremely well-mannered, which also shows in interviews and when speaking out to the public alongside her Prince Charming. The fashionable Kate obviously makes my list.

Girls, if you’re ever looking for someone to look up to, take a look and listen to these ladies. They are beautiful, intelligent, and most of all, extraordinarily kind. Thank you!

Mercy by Rebecca Lim

Waking up on a bus, heading to the small town of Paradise, Mercy doesn’t know whose body and life she is sharing. Nobody knows, and she has to try and live this girl’s life until she leaves, and takes on someone else’s life. Only this time she meets Ryan, whose sister was kidnapped and is presumed dead. Now that another girl has gone missing, Mercy and Ryan have to act fast to find the kidnapper.

This is a great mystery with a fast-paced and intriguing plot. It will leave you guessing at every turn! Also, Mercy is an independent and strong willed girl who can look out for herself – not something we get to see in all YA books, so very welcome when we do get it!

1. Mercy awakes in a strange place, and has to quickly figure out who she is, where she is and who everyone around her is. Have you ever experienced anything like that? When and where? What did you do to get through it?
2. Luc wants Mercy to stay quiet and hidden, just to get from body to body as fast as she can so she can get to him, but Mercy feels compelled to help, or at least not do any damage to, the girls whose lives she lives. Do you think this is the right thing for Mercy to do? Why or why not? Would you get involved?

Looking for more GGC Book Club book choices for January? We select four great new books offered by Harper Collins Canada each month for each of the age categories below. If it’s on our book club list, then it has already received GGC’s approval based on specific criteria. Each book is also age-rated:

Sparks and Brownies (5-8 year olds)

Brownies and Guides (9-12 year olds), and

books for adults