Looking for Alaska

Winner of the Michael L. Printz AwardAn ALA Best Book for Young AdultsAn ALA Quick PickA Los Angeles Times 2005 Book Prize FinalistA New York Public Library Book for the Teen AgeA 2005 Booklist Editor’s ChoiceA 2005 School Library Journal Best Book of the YearBefore. Miles Pudge” Halter is done with his safe life at home. His whole life has been one big non-event, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave the Great Perhaps” even more (François Rabelais, poet). He heads off to the sometimes crazy and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive, screwed up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young. She is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart. Then. . . . After. Nothing is ever the same.

John Green attended a boarding school not unlike Alaska-'s Culver Creek. After graduating from college in 2000, he worked as a chaplain at a children-'s hospital. John-'s experiences with patients and their families during intense crises solidified his desire to write for teens about the challenge of confronting loss. John works for Booklist and is also a commentator for National Public Radio-'s national afternoon newsmagazine, -ôAll Things Considered,-ö and Chicago-'s NPR affiliate, WBEZ. -ôNick,-ö about John-'s experiences as a chaplain, appeared on -ôDriveway Moments-ö a -ôbest-of-ö two-CD set, which NPR released in August 2004. John was recently featured in the Tribune-'s RedEye edition and on television as one of Chicago-'s -ôFabulous 20somethings.-ö He lives in New York City.