Young Adult

I LOVE series books as a way of attracting students to read! The children of the Grace Field House orphanage must escape a macabre fate before it’s too late. There are 20 entries in this manga series, illustrated by Posuka Demizu.

Great tweener from the author of Wonder. Here, Palacio makes her graphic novel debut with the heartrending story of Grandmère who, as a young Jewish girl, was hidden by a family in a Nazi-occupied French village during World War II and how the boy she and her classmates once shunned became her savior and best friend. Beautiful book about kindness adults should heed during these divisive political times.

The first in a series of novels based on the Lethal Lit podcast – the story follows Tig Torres, a Cuban American teen detective, in her hometown of Hollow Falls. Using her smarts and fearlessness, Tig tracks down the infamous “Lit Killer,” a serial killer who staged his murders after death scenes from famous books.

A dramatic true story of South Korea's Fifth Republic, a military regime that entrenched its power through censorship, torture and the murder of protestors. Enlightening and makes for great class discussions.

Part of the Flyy Girls series about a group of Harlem highschoolers. In this installment, when Micah Dupree’s perfect older brother dies, her world is turned upside-down. With her anxiety growing, a serious boyfriend in the picture, and new feelings emerging, she begins to question what being a “good girl” really means...and if it’s worth it, anyway.

An unforgettable story of grief and the support of community as a young girl, faced with aching loss, begins to understand that what we love will always be with us. Perfect for tweens.

Monster. Man-hater. Murderess. Forget everything you've been told about Medusa. Internationally bestselling author Burton flips the script in this astonishing retelling of Greek myth, illuminating the woman behind the legend.

There are no monsters anymore, or so the children in the city of Lucille are taught. Jam and her best friend, Redemption, have grown up with this lesson all their life. But when Jam meets Pet, a creature made of horns and colors and claws, who emerges from one of her mother's paintings and a drop of Jam's blood, she must reconsider what she's been told in this novel that asks difficult questions about what choices you can make when the society around you is in denial. 

When a small plane crash ends with a group of seven teens washed up on a deserted island, their first thought is survival. With supplies dwindling and the fear of being stranded forever becoming more of a reality, they quickly discover that being the most popular kid in high school doesn't help when you're fighting to stay alive. And when strange and terrifying accidents start to occur all around them, the group realizes that they are being targeted by someone who was on the plane, and that the island isn't their only danger.

Gripping novel for tweens written in verse by the author of the Printz Honor-winning Starfish, featuring a poverty-stricken boy who bravely rides out all the storms life keeps throwing at him.

Searing look into the world of a single Muslim family in the wake of 9/11. The story of a child of immigrants forging a blurry identity, falling in love, and finding hope – in the midst of a modern war by the National Book Award-nominated and Shatter Me series author.

Dreamy Thulani spends most of his time up on the roof, taking care of the flock of doves in the cote and watching the streets of Brooklyn bustle below him. Suddenly, for the first time since his mother died, he finally has a reason to come down from the roof. But as much as he wants to care for a girl, Ysa – more fragile and fiercer than his birds – she will not trust easily in this beautiful book by the always dependable Williams-Garcia. 

This is actually the 24^th in a Manga series. As players of Monster Hunter and Dungeons & Dragons know, the slime is not exactly the king of the fantasy monsters. So, when a 37-year-old Tokyo salaryman dies and wakes up in a world of elves and magic, he's a little disappointed to find he's become a blind, boneless slime monster. I get a kick out of these books, and I know a lot of reluctant teen readers who devour them.

Newbery Medal Winner from one of my favorite authors, this enthralling novel for tweens is told from the perspective of one uniquely endearing dog. Includes beautiful color artwork with illustrations by Caldecott honoree Shawn Harris.

Hoodie Rosen’s life isn’t that bad. Sure, his entire Orthodox Jewish community has just picked up and moved to the quiet, mostly non-Jewish town of Tregaron, but Hoodie's world hasn’t changed that much. That is, until he meets and falls for Anna-Marie Diaz-O’Leary – who happens to be the daughter of the obstinate mayor trying to keep Hoodie’s community out of the town. And things only get more complicated when Tregaron is struck by a series of antisemitic crimes that quickly escalate to deadly violence. Wry, witty and great for classroom discussions.