On the Shelf

Header Right Social

FacebookInstagramYoutubeMeetupOn the Shelf Blog

Header Right Search

Teens

The Voting Booth

by Leave a Comment

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!

Anna Dressed in Blood

by Leave a Comment

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
Format: Book and Eaudiobook
Who it’s for: Teens

Tis the spooky season, which I believe calls for something about the things that go bump in the night. I found that in Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake. It is the first of its ghostly series, and put eloquently: “It’s the old boy-meets-girls story. if the boy is a wry, self-destructive ghost hunter bent on avenging his father and the girl is a homicidal ghost trapped in a house full of everyone she’s ever murdered.” – Holly Black, New York Times bestselling author of Red Glove.

It’s perfect for people who want a light and easy paranormal read that happens to be a teen urban fantasy, rather than a teen urban fantasy that has paranormal elements. I like ghost stories, and while this one isn’t particularly scary (in my opinion. You may find otherwise.), it does manage to be fun, full of magic, a bit of mystery, and interesting characters. Find it in the catalog!

From Twinkle, With Love

by Leave a Comment


Recommended Book
From Twinkle, With Love by  Sandhya Menon
Publication Date: May 22, 2018
Format: Book or ebook
Who it’s for: Teens

“In this delightful romantic comedy from the New York Times bestselling author of When Dimple Met Rishi, told through the letters Twinkle writes to her favorite female filmmakers, From Twinkle, with Love navigates big truths about friendship, family, and the unexpected places love can find you.

Aspiring filmmaker and wallflower Twinkle Mehra has stories she wants to tell and universes she wants to explore, if only the world would listen. So when fellow film geek Sahil Roy approaches her to direct a movie for the upcoming Summer Festival, Twinkle is all over it. The chance to publicly showcase her voice as a director? Dream come true. The fact that it gets her closer to her longtime crush, Neil Roy-a.k.a. Sahil’s twin brother? Dream come true x 2.

When mystery man N begins emailing her, Twinkle is sure it’s Neil, finally ready to begin their happily-ever-after. The only slightly inconvenient problem is that, in the course of movie-making, she’s fallen madly in love with the irresistibly adorkable Sahil.

Twinkle soon realizes that resistance is futile: The romance she’s got is not the one she’s scripted. But will it be enough?” – Publisher’s blurb

This took a bit for me to get into. It was soooooooo High School. The crush, the BFF drama, the awkwardness, the ‘Woe is me’ angst, etc. So very HS, so stereotypical; it made me cringe, laugh, and smh. I would have stopped reading it by like chapter two, if not for Books for the Beast (a YA reader’s advisory conference in Maryland) and the fact her first book got so much praise. I powered through.

It was very amusing with a couple of lil life lessons to boot. If this was a Disney Channel movie, I could have made it through without cringing so much or smh at the mistakes they made. I still would have lol at the awkward moments. Despite all those things it was a great read.

The Indian culture that was in the book was completely natural and did not feel forced. It was just a part of Twinkle’s life, her story. The gay friends felt forced, like an afterthought. I liked the text messages and emails. They made it feel epistolary. The supposed diary entries where Twinkle is writing to directors never really felt like letters. They did not really feel like a diary entries, either. Only at the beginning of the diary entry and when she closed the “letter” did it ever feel like she was writing a letter to somebody.  It felt more like just a first POV novel.

I was considering reading her debut novel but when I was talking about From Twinkle, With Love with a coworker, she said this plot sounds almost identical to When Dimple Met Rishi. Now if they made movies from her novels on Disney Channel, I would watch them all and enjoy. If I was in middle/high school and liked romance novels, I would read all her novels as well. Def geared for upper middle school and High School girls.

Read a High School Rom-Com starring a cute Indian Girl!

 

Pet

by Leave a Comment

Pet by Akwaeke Emezi
Published: September 2019
Book
Who it’s for: Teens

Find it in the catalog

Jam lives in a world where monsters no longer exist. The angels have made the world safe again by eradicating the monsters. School children learn of the angels and monsters, but people have done little to prevent their reemergence. When a horrific looking creature named Pet steps from Jam’s mother’s painting, Jam must come to grips with the fact that there is a monster in her best friend’s house. With the monster hunter Pet by her side, she must make some tough decisions to protect her friend.

This creative story teaches us that monsters aren’t always what they seem , and that merely telling the tales of angels isn’t enough to stop the wicked. Brave people like Jam must speak up and fight to reveal the wolves in sheep’s clothing that live among us.

The Poet X

by Leave a Comment

The Poet X  By Elizabeth Acevedo
Format: Audio
Who it’s for:  Teens, Adults

Xiomara, a Dominican American teen living in Harlem, is struggling to define who she is.  Her twin brother, Xavier, is the smart one.  He skipped a grade and attends a different, “smart” high school.  Xiomara (See-oh-MAH-ruh) is lost in her journal, defending herself from the attention of boys, and running away from her mother’s religion.  Xiomara’s teacher introduces her to slam poetry and invites her to attend a poetry club.  But, it’s at the same time as her confirmation class so she doesn’t attend.    Xiomara continues to write her thoughts, frustrations and passions in her journal.

Xiomara meets a boy in Bio class, Aman, that she is definitely interested in.  She sneaks away to the park to spend time with him.  She reads him her poetry and she realizes that she is good at it.  But, Mami, still expects her to attend confirmation class and be a good, religious girl.  It all comes crashing down on her when her Mami finds out about her boyfriend and finds her journal.

This award winning novel is told in poetry.  It was an amazing audio experience.  To hear the words is very different than to read them.  And, if you do not speak Spanish it is much easier to listen so the words are pronounced correctly.

This book won the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature (2018) and the Michael L. Printz Award (2019).

 Find it in the catalog.

My Hero Academia

by Leave a Comment

My Hero Academia
Format: YA Graphic Novel
Who it’s for: Teens and Adults

Attention all heroes in training! There’s only one manga to read if you want to see a new take on the superhero genre. My Hero Academia is the tale of a world where 80% of the world develop powers, known as quirks. Ranging from super strength, to fire powers, to…..being a frog. Our protagonist is Izuku Midoriya, nickname Deku, one of the limited number of people born without a quirk, and thus is mocked for his desire to become a hero. But everything changes after a fateful encounter with the number one hero, and idol of young Midoriya, All-Might. This 9 foot, American oriented hero is the hero of the masses, but hold a fateful secret that Deku soon learns, giving him his chance in order to ascend the ranks and join the prestigious hero academy UA.

From here we’re treated to a delightful assortment of classmates and heros who are just trying to navigate high school life while also occasionally (ok, very often) fighting off villains and even worse, homework! One of the best elements is the growth of the characters in this series, where the ideals of self-sacrifice are examined, and what it means to the future, as well as learning from your mistakes and growing from them. Of particular note is Bakugo, the prodigy childhood friend of Deku turned school bully until fate finds them even ground, shaking Bakugo’s perspective and forcing him to grow as a result.

Overall, I’ve found My Hero to be a fantastic love letter to American superhero comics while still taking it’s own spin on the subject. It’s great for Teens and Adults, if you’re looking at it for younger readers, there’s enough language and action to recommend you to first take a read through to see if it’s right for them. My Hero has also spawned a fantastic anime series and their first movie is actually about to hit our shelves so there’s never been a better time to check it out, Plus Ultra!