CEDAR FALLS -- Sorting through more than 600 new books is no small task, but it is one that most librarians would relish.

Kelly Stern is no different. The Cedar Falls High School teacher librarian recently received a shipment of 624 books, all geared toward students in middle and high school. The books are part of the Young Adults' Choices project, which sends out thousands of books each year to schools across the country. Students in participating schools are then asked to read and rate the books. Their choices are compiled to form the following year's reading list for the program. Cedar Falls was one of just three districts chosen to participate this year.

Though this is the first time Cedar Falls has participated, Stern was part of the same program in West Des Moines.

"What I saw there was this is a motivating factor to get kids reading," she said. "They will be one of only a few districts in the country determining what books kids are reading next year and what books teachers and librarians are buying and recommending. This is the only national book list chosen by young adults."

The books, all of which are donated by North American publishers, had to receive at least two positive reviews in professional journals to be considered in the collection. Stern said that means the new books coming into her library are quality titles and not just leftovers from someone's warehouse.

Because of Cedar Falls' size, the district had to pair with Waverly schools to be considered for the program. Janesville also was asked to participate. Last week, librarians and reading and English teachers from all three districts descended on the Cedar Falls High School library to select the books they would take back to their classrooms or media centers. Each person walked away with 24 new titles.

The districts will switch up their miniature collections at least twice in the coming year to make sure that students are exposed to as many new titles as possible, Stern said.

Megann Tresemer, an English teacher at Holmes Junior High, said her classroom will actually house all 48 books brought back to the school. Once the school year gets under way, Tresemer plans to host a couple book talks to get her students interested in the program. She hopes as their excitement grows, students will take it upon themselves to plan and host their own book talks for their classmates.

"The kids' own reading interests are always at the heart of what I do," Tresemer said. "It is so important for kids to have books that they love to read. This will be a great addition to the independent reading program we already do."

The project, which is sponsored by the International Reading Association, will continue in Cedar Falls for two more years. In the second year, Stern said the district will collect about 1,500 titles with another 900 expected in the third year. When the program is complete, the district keeps all the books they received over the three years.

Though Stern will have to share the collection with the librarians and teachers in Waverly and Janesville, she said the addition will be a great help.

"We are talking about more than 3,000 books over three years," she said. "Hard cover books cost between $15 and $26 each. Even at the low end, we are looking at $45,000 worth of books we wouldn't have had otherwise. That can free up a lot of money for other things we will need in the next couple of years."

Contact Emily Christensen at (319) 291-1570 or emily.christensen@wcfcourier.com.

{M3Young Adults' Choices for 2007

13 Little Blue Envelopes, Maureen Johnson

Absolutely, Positively Not…, David LaRochelle

Autobiography of My Dead Brother, Walter Dean Myers

Black and White, Paul Volponi

Bloodline, Kate Cary

Candy, Kevin Brooks

Code Orange, Caroline B. Cooney

Crackback, John Coy

The Diary of Ma Yan: The Struggles and Hopes of a Chinese Schoolgirl, Ma Yan and Pierre Haski

Dread Locks, Neal Shusterman

Elsewhere, Gabrielle Zevin

Fade to Black, Alex Flinn

Fame, Glory and Other Things on My To Do List, Janette Rallison

Heavy Metal and You, Christopher Krovatin

Hold Me Tight, Lorie Ann Grover

If We Kiss, Rachel Vail

Inkspell, Cornelia Funke

Invisible, Pete Hautman

Kringle, Tony Abbott

Looking for Alaska, John Green

Lucky T., Kate Brian

Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment, James Patterson

Pretties, Scott Westerfeld

Prom, Laurie Halse Anderson

Ready or Not, Meg Cabot

Sleeping Freshman Never Lie, David Lubar

Something About America, Maria Testa

Surviving Antarctica: Reality TV 2083, Andrea White

Twilight, Stephenie Meyer

You Are So Not Invited to My Batmitzvah!, Fiona Rosenbloom