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New for Teens

Feel Good Romance for Teens

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Life is crazy right now! While you try to take it easy this holiday season, check out these new, lighthearted stories.

Layoverland by Gabby Noone
Published: August 4, 2020
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Teens

Bea has some flaws. She says she is “a hater, not a helper,” but then she is in a deadly car accident and finds herself as an assigned helper in purgatory. It turns out that the place between heaven and hell is in a tacky airport.

If Bea wants to move on to heaven, she has to help 5,000 souls figure out what’s keeping them out of heaven. Bea is manipulative and can call out your weaknesses, so she’s great for the job!

Then, it turns out that cute Caleb is also the guy that caused the car accident that killed them both. Of course, flawed Bea plots to make sure Caleb doesn’t get into heaven.

If you like dark humor, and the tv show The Good Place, this book is for you!

Find it in the catalog.

 

Every Reason We Shouldn’t by Sara Fujimura
Published: March 3, 2020
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Teens

Looking for an upbeat romantic comedy? Here’s your book!

But first, Olivia has to work through some things. At 16, she feels like her competitive figure skating career is over, which means she’s not living up to the expectations of her gold medal Olympian parents, the family skating rink business is failing, and her mom’s serious back injury left Olivia as her caretaker, and has left the family with massive medical bills.

Then, Jonah Choi, speed skater and Olympic hopeful, begins training at her family’s rink; and he attends Olivia’s new high school. Jonah is someone who understands what it’s like to be a professional teenage athlete, and as they spend more time together Olivia rediscovers her confidence and passion for skating. It’s time for Olivia to decide what she wants!

Find it in the catalog.

 


More Than Just A Pretty Face by Syed M. Masood
Published: August 4, 2020
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Teens

Danyal Jilani lives up to his family’s idea that he isn’t very bright. But hey, he has lots of other things going for him. He’s good looking, funny, likeable, and lives a carefree life. His only real concerns are becoming a chef, and getting the attention of Kaval. The problem is that Kaval’s parents don’t think Danyal is worthy of their daughter. Danyal’s carefree days are upended when he is selected to participate in an academic competition. The competition is very exclusive, so this could be the way to prove himself to Kaval’s parents.

Danyal has to be sure that he will win, so obviously he enlists the help of Bisma, a potential match for an arranged marriage made by his family. As Bisma and Danyal spend more time together working on his essay entry, he learns of her painful and scandalous secret. His connection with Bisma grows and he starts to realize that his ideal path may not be the best path for him.

Find it in the catalog.

The Voting Booth

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The Voting Booth by Brandy Colbert
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Teens

It’s Election Day! Marva and Duke, seniors at different high schools, are voting for the first time. Marva has thoroughly researched and planned for this day, just like she does with everything in life. She is ready to vote! Duke registered a couple years ago when he was 16.

It turns out that Duke isn’t registered where he thought, his car breaks down, and Marva shows up to save the day. The two have never met, but Marva believes every vote counts, so she is going to get Duke to his polling place. The story follows the two through this one election day and the craziness that ensues. Everything that can go wrong does, all while they run all over town trying to get Duke’s vote in.

As they spend the day together, they get to each other, and they start to understand themselves and their relationships better. Marva is having a tough time with her boyfriend who she thought was a perfect match for her; and Duke is having a tough time with his parents since his older brother died.

The chapters alternate between Marva and Duke, and the story moves at a surprising pace. I enjoyed the quick wit and momentum of Duke and Marva’s relationship. The author touches on a number of issues relevant to the lives of young people of color, and the impact young people can make by voting and participating in the elections process.

If you can, register to vote, go vote; and then check out The Voting Booth!

Turtle Under Ice

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Turtle Under Ice by Juleah del Rosario
Published: February 11, 2020
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Teens

I am not going to lie to you, this is a sad one. From page one you can feel the loneliness and sorrow that hangs over Row, Ariana, and their home. Each one, their own island of grief.

Their mother died. Years later the grief is still with Row and her big sister Ariana. For Row, Ariana’s disappearance into a snowy night is a terrifying blow to their relationship. The novel, written in verse, is told from both Row’s and Ariana’s perspective. Without focusing on the small details that make up their lives, the novel centers on how each character copes with their grief, and how the disconnects in their relationships with each other and with their friends, keeps them from healing in order to live their lives. They both need to learn how to miss their mom while being more than the sum of their grief.

Don’t let the prospect of a sad and poignant story sway you from reading this beautifully written and hopeful portrayal of loss, love, and grief.

Find it in the Catalog

#OwnVoices

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I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “own voices.” I’m going to talk about what it means, why it’s important, and offer a few title suggestions.

Corrine Duyvis created the #OwnVoices hashtag in 2015 to promote children’s and young adult books written by someone from a marginalized or under-represented group who writes characters based on their own experiences, and from their own perspective. The number of #OwnVoices authors and their stories is growing, but their stories are still often told by authors with an outside perspective.

#OwnVoices is about bringing awareness to under-represented authors and what they bring to the world of writing through their lived experiences. It’s about bringing awareness to readers that there are so many more experiences in the world than our own; and that we become better people, citizens, and friends when we read beyond their own experiences. It’s about reaching the children and teens that pick up book after book, never seeing themselves or their experiences represented by the main characters in a book.

Use #OwnVoices on social media or in your search engine to find a selection of titles. Take a look at #WeNeedDiverseBooks on Overdrive or Libby to find a selection of #OwnVoices ebooks and audiobooks. Here are a few suggestions to get you started.

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
Published May 5, 2020
ebook and audiobook
Who It’s For: Teens

Alternating between the Dominican Republic and New York, the reader experiences what loss does to two teens, and how forgiveness brings them together and helps them to heal. I have started reading this and the poetic verse of Elizabeth Acevedo does not disappoint.

Find the ebook or audiobook.

 

 

Saving Savannah by Tonya Bolden
Published January 14, 2020
Book
Who It’s For: Teens

Set in the early 1900s in Washington, D.C., Savannah is a member of the upper class. She soon gets a view into how the other half lives, and is inspired to fight for changes. Step back in time to 100 years ago when people were fighting for change, just as they are today.

Find it in the catalog.

 

 

I’ll Be the One by Lyla Lee
Published June 16, 2020
ebook
Who It’s For: Teen

Skye wants to be a K-pop star, and she’s going to audition no matter what people say about her weight. She has something to prove, and she’s going to do it in front of the world. Confident Skye brings on the fun and body positivity in this light-hearted rom-com.

Find the ebook.

 

 

The Tiger at Midnight by Swati Teerdhala
Published April 23, 2019
Book
Who It’s For: Teens

The stories of Esha and Kunal are based on ancient Indian history and Hindu mythology. Secretly, Esha is the Viper, an assassin bent on taking down General Hotha. Inevitably, Kunal, a soldier and the nephew of General Hotha, crosses paths with the Viper.

This first book in the series is full of romance, action, and magic.

Find it in the catalog.

Dark and Deepest Red

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Dark and Deepest Red by Anna-Marie McLemore
Publication Date: January 14, 2020
Book
Who It’s For: Teens, Adults

This is a beautiful and haunting story told in a dual timeline, linking people across five centuries. The story will hearken the tale of The Red Shoes, by Hans Christian Andersen, but it is so much more.

In 1518 France, Lavinia is swept into the chaos of a dancing plague, but her role is not that of victim, but as suspect. Her strange family and strange ways must mean only one thing: she is a witch. Five centuries later, Emil is linked to the past by blood, and Rosella by a beautiful pair of red shoes. Separated by 500 years, what must Lavinia and Emil do to save the people they love?

In this dark fairy tale, the author blends history, family, love, betrayal, women’s and girls’ roles in society, and the treatment of marginalized peoples in the past and present into a magical story.

Find it in the catalog

We Hunt the Flame

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We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Teens

Set in an ancient Arabian-like world, We Hunt the Flame follows Zafia, the mysterious Hunter who is determined to provide food for her village. She disguises herself as a man to do so, despite her best friend urging her to reveal herself as a woman. She is the only one able to go into to encroaching, dark forest to hunt and come out not only alive but also sane. On one such hunt, Zafia is confronted by the powerful Witch of the wood. She tells Zafia she can stop the  Arz from consuming her homeland if she travels to an ancient island and retrieves a powerful artifact.

Nasir is a deadly assassin and the son of the king. His brutal father accepts nothing less than merciless efficiency from his son and punishes those he loves whenever Nasir fails. Nasir is tasked by his father to track and follow the hunter to the island to retrieve the artifact then kill the hunter. While on the island they encounter elves, shape shifters and sentient plants with a taste for human blood. The main characters discover new alliances and undercover the truth about those who sent them on this perilous quest.

Find it in the catalog