Young Adult

An expansive, moving poetry anthology, celebrating 20 years of poetry from students and alumni of Chicago's Oak Park River Forest High School Spoken Word Club.

Haunting novel about a group of five terminally ill teenagers whose midnight stories become their reality. Perhaps your teens have watched the Netflix series?

When the YouTube-famous Ghost Gang (Chrissy, Chase, Emma and Kiki) visit a haunted LA hotel notorious for tragedy to secretly film after dark, they expect it to be just like their previous paranormal huntings… spooky enough to attract subscribers – and ultimately harmless. But when they stumble upon something unexpected in the former room of a gruesome serial killer, they quickly realize that they’re in over their heads. Not for the faint of heart.

Daddy duty. As I have a teenage daughter who is a fan of The Selection Stories, I decided to check it out for myself. And while I may not be captivated by an inside look the hearts and minds of the two men fighting to win America Singer’s love, I can assure you that this book series is a great way to start conversations with teenage girls. 

My older teenage daughter is into the Shadow and Bone trilogy (there’s a series on Netflix, if you’re a REALLY lazy reader), so we checked out collection of stories, beautifully illustrated by Daniel J. Zollinger.

And since I have a teenage son who is fascinated by war and the military, I had to include this entry for red meat readers. Danny Manion has been fighting his entire life. Sometimes with his fists; sometimes with his words. But when his actions finally land him in real trouble, he can't fight the judge who offers him a choice: jail... or the army. Turns out there's a perfect place for him in the US military: the Studies and Observation Group (SOG), an elite volunteer-only task force comprised of US Air Force Commandos, Army Green Berets, Navy SEALS, and even a CIA agent or two. With the SOG's focus on covert action and psychological warfare, Danny is guaranteed an unusual tour of duty, and a hugely dangerous one. Fortunately, the very same qualities that got him in trouble at home make him a natural-born commando in a secret war. Even if almost nobody knows he's there.

Before Miss Peregrine gave them a home, the story of peculiars was written in the Tales. Wealthy cannibals who dine on the discarded limbs of peculiars. A fork-tongued princess. These are but a few of the truly brilliant stories in Tales of the Peculiar—the collection of fairy tales known to hide information about the peculiar world, including clues to the locations of time loops. Perfect for fans of Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children series.

After spending her early years in Wuhan, China, riding water buffalos and devouring stinky tofu, Laura immigrates to Texas, where her hometown is as foreign as Mars – at least until 2020, when COVID-19 makes Wuhan a household name. Terrific coming-of-age graphic novel about a girl who simply wants to make the basketball team, escape Chinese school and figure out why girls make her heart flutter.

In this captivating fantasy, Talia must solve a multigenerational mystery and break a curse, all the while being torn between making her family proud and regaining the trust of the boy she loves.

Ellie is tired of being fat-shamed and does something about it in this poignant debut novel-in-verse. Remarkably written, and a perfect discussion starter for the awkwardness of being a teen – or just different.

Nima wishes she were someone else. She doesn’t feel understood by her mother, who grew up in a different land. She doesn’t feel accepted in her suburban town; yet somehow, she isn't different enough to belong elsewhere. Her best friend, Haitham, is the only person with whom she can truly be herself. Until she can't, and suddenly her only refuge is gone. As the ground is pulled out from under her, Nima must grapple with the phantom of a life not chosen – the name her parents meant to give her at birth: Yasmeen. But that other name, that other girl, might be more real than Nima knows.  And the life Nima wishes were someone else's…is one she will need to fight for with a fierceness she never knew she possessed.

I LOVE this series of Disney villains. In this entry we hear the story of the Little Mermaid Ariel's nemesis, Ursula, the sea witch. What led to her becoming so twisted, scorned, and filled with hatred? Many tales have tried to explain her motives. Here is one account of what might have shaped the sea witch into a detestable and poor unfortunate soul. You’ll get hooked on the entire series.

Here’s a question every teen needs to ask themselves, “Are you kind to everyone but yourself?” Bluth, a psychologist, offers fun, everyday exercises grounded in mindfulness and self-compassion to help teens overcome crippling self-criticism and respond to feelings of self-doubt with greater kindness and self-care. Needed now more than ever.

A middle grade graphic novel about Marlene, a young girl who stops straightening her hair and embraces her natural curls.

Saving the world is such a bother when it makes you late for tea. Wizard Lily Singer is kept busy managing library archives, studying magic and trying to keep her witch friend Sebastian from dragging her into trouble. Unfortunately, he loves adventure even more than she loves being left alone. This first-entry into an urban fantasy series full of adventure and snarky humor is guaranteed to cause loud snorts of laughter, tea cravings and sleep loss.