December 2023

A young Latinx poet grappling with loneliness and heartache decides one day to bring Tejano pop star Selena Quintanilla back to life. The séance kicks off an uncanny trip narrated by a Greek chorus of gossiping spirits as she journeys through a dead celebrity prom, encounters her shadow self, and performs karaoke in hell. In visceral poems embodying millennial angst, paragraph-long conversations overheard at her local coffeeshop, and unhinged Twitter rants, Lozada-Oliva reveals an eerie, sometimes gruesome, yet moving love story.

Winner of the Booker Prize, this darkly allegorical, Kafka-esque tale of power, obsession and one woman’s struggle to break free from the violence both without and within her is terrifying.

I was devastated when Crichton, the author of two of my favorite books – Jurassic Park and The Great Train Robbery – passed away way too young. Writing under the pen name “John Lange,” Crichton presents the story of Peter Ross, and American radiologist invited to deliver a study in Spain and enjoy a Mediterranean vacation. But he wasn't planning on meeting Angela Locke, a dark-haired beauty with a big problem -- she's on the run from two warring gangs, each dead set on finding a mysterious artifact, and they'll kill anyone who stands in their way. It's a desperate fight for survival across the European continent as Peter and Angela race to uncover a centuries-old secret before they become its next victim.

It has always bothered me that there is not more emphasis teaching students practical study strategies. This book provides teens with a practical guide on how to learn anything more quickly and easily.

I hate to sound like a curmudgeon, but it depresses me to see so many negative-themes books for teens. No wonder they’re stressed. I make a conscious effort to find books that inspire students to make a positive impact on the world, and that’s what I love about this book. Featuring stories of how kids all around the world are making a positive difference, this inspiring guide shows kids how to wield their passions, digital tools and the principles of social entrepreneurship to affect real change in their schools, communities and beyond.

I have been in the position of introducing Shakespeare to teens – and it’s not easy task. Doescher delightfully adapts the popular Tina Fey teen film Mean Girls into Shakespearean verse. The result is an Elizabethan makeover in this totally fetch comedy of manners about North Shore High’s queen bees, wannabes, misfits and nerds.

I had to include at least one holiday-themed book. Francie is saving up for a car and angling to kiss the cute boy who works at the tree lot next door – hopefully it will be good enough to wipe her fiasco of a first kiss from her memory. As the weather outside gets more and more frightful, can Francie pull off the holiday of her dreams? Funny tale of a teen girl’s second chance at her first kiss.

I like to feature little-known authors, so I thought I’d give this Rowling a boost – lol! A heartwarming, page-turning adventure about one child's love for his most treasured thing, and how far he will go to find it. A tale for the whole family to fall in love with, from one of the world’s greatest storytellers. Best read aloud.

In his powerful and moving poem, featuring illustrations from thirteen extraordinary artists, bestselling author and UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Neil Gaiman draws together many different memories to answer the question, what do you need to be warm?

A warm, feel-good Christmas story featuring everyone's favorite tractor, Otis, the friend you can always count on, written and illustrated by one of my favorite children’s book illustrators.