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Recommended for Teens

A Song of Wraiths and Ruins

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Series Title: A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown
First Book: A Song of Wraiths and Ruin
Who it’s for: Teens

A Song of Wraiths and Ruin is an enemies to lovers fantasy romance that is inspired by West African folklore. While I’m not much for enemies to lovers, I did enjoy reading the first book in this duology. We have Malik, our first main character that has anxiety—yes to mental health representation— and he’s traveling with his sisters to a new city so they can make some money and send it back home. Malik has a kind heart and that ends up being used against him. He ends up having to kill the princess in order to save his youngest sister, Nadia.

Then there’s Karina, she’s a strong and resilient princess that has just lost her Mom. Karina knows that she is not fit yet to rule the kingdom by herself yet so she sets out on a mission to bring her mother back to life, but in order to do that she needs a King’s heart. That’s where the Solstasia competition comes into play, as a prize, she will marry the winner of the competition.

I was definitely invested in this story wondering how these two were going to develop a relationship and can’t wait to read the second book.

Check out A Song of Wraiths and Ruin in our catalog.

The Tea Dragon Society

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The Tea Dragon Society Series by Kay O’neill
Format: Book & eBook on Hoopla
Who is it for?: Everyone

Prepare yourself for an overload of adorable in a world where tea leaves grow on the antlers of tiny dragons. In volume one, Greta a blacksmith’s apprentice, meets new friends and the tea dragons that they care for. Minette is a former prophetess with a mysterious past. Hesekiel and Erik, retired adventurers, are the last remaining members of The Tea Dragon Society. Together they work to keep the knowledge of tea dragon care alive. In volume two, The Tea Dragon Festival, we meet Rinn, a forager from a small village in the mountains. On one of their quests, they meet Aedhan, a dragon from the Silver Wing Clan that accidentally took an 80-year nap. In volume three, The Tea Dragon Tapestry, Greta pursues an apprenticeship with a famous blacksmith from a faraway city and Minette has reoccurring dreams of memories she thought were lost to her.

The series touches on a lot of very important themes such as friendship, grief, and personal growth. Each volume includes pages from the Tea Dragon Handbook. Kay O’neill’s art is warm and charming. I enjoyed seeing how they “dragonified” the different kinds of teas. Chamomile is cute and sleepy while Jasmine is regal and well-groomed. This graphic novel series is perfect for someone who wants something calm, endearing, and lovely to read. Find The Tea Dragon Society in the catalog or on Hoopla!

The House of the Scorpion

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The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
Format:  Book
Who it’s For:  Teens and Adults

Matteo Alacrán wasn’t born; he was harvested.  His DNA came from El Patrón, lord of a state called Opium—poppy fields lay between the United States and land that what was once named Mexico.  Matt’s cells were divided inside a petri dish, and he was then placed in the womb of a cow, where he continued to develop from embryo to fetus to baby.  He is a boy at the present, but most see him as a monster—except for El Patrón.  El Patrón loves Matt as he loves himself because Matt is himself.

As Matt fights to understand his existence, he is threatened by a menacing cast of characters, including El Patrón’s tyrannical family, and he is surrounded by a dangerous army of bodyguards.  Escape Matt’s only chance for survival.  But escape from the Alacrán Estate is no promise of independence because Matt is marked by his difference in ways he does not recognize.

Find The House of the Scorpion in the catalog!

They Called Us Enemy

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They Called Us Enemy by George Takei
Format: Graphic Novel
Who it’s for: Teens and Adults

What did the Japanese Internment Camps look like from a kid’s eye view? George Takei, well known for his role as Lieutenant Sulu in the original Star Trek series, was a 5 year old boy living in California in 1942 when his family was taken from their home and sent to live in a series of faraway Internment Camps for the duration of World War II.

The graphic novel is a great format for this biography that allows you to simultaneously see this story from the point of view of a child, his parents, and you the outside observer. You’ll get insight into life in the camps, the effects such an experience has on people for the rest of their lives, and the questions we must all ask ourselves about human rights, patriotism, and justice.

If you haven’t tried a graphic novel before, let this one be the first!

Find They Called Us Enemy in the catalog
Find They Called Us Enemy in Hoopla

Inkblot

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Inkblot by Emma Kubert, Art by Rusty Gladd
Format: Book & eBook on Hoopla
Who’s it for?: Teens and Young Adults

Meet Inkblot! Anyone who cohabitates with a cat knows that our feline friends are going to do what they want, when they want. Inkblot is no exception. Seeker, a bookkeeping sorceress, accidentally summons this magical black cat, a “space-distorting demon” that has “no regard for any established law of nature, magic or otherwise.” As Seeker chases Inkblot through time and space, he leads them into chaos, from a pirate mutiny to battling giants and dragons and even solving a sphynx’s riddle. If you’re a cat person who happens to enjoy space travel, I highly recommend.

Find Inkblot in the catalog or on Hoopla!

Legendborn

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Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Teens

What caught my attention to read Legendborn was that it involved King Arthur lore that is rarely included in young adult fantasy. The story follows Bree, a determined teen that is trying to find the cause of her mother’s death after a terrible car accident that was classified to be a hit and run. She ends up getting involved in a secret society that is filled with descendants from King Arthur’s round table. In her gut, she knows this secret society had something to do with her mother’s accident. The society tried to alter or “mesmer” her and her father’s memories while visiting their mother in the hospital. What I liked about Legendborn were the characters and the magic system. I admired Bree’s stubborn spirit to find answers. She didn’t care what others thought of her and did what she needed to do. Legendborn is a good read for anyone that enjoys a modern twist on classic folklore.

Find Legendborn in the catalog.