March Teen Book Releases
March is almost here! Here are twelve books to put on hold that will be released next month. 1. Dear Medusa / Olivia A. Cole: Sixteen-year-old Alicia Rivers has a reputation that precedes her. But there's more to her story than the whispers that follow her throughout the hallways at school--whispers that splinter into a million different insults that really mean: a girl who has had sex. But what her classmates don't know is that Alicia was sexually abused by a popular teacher, and that trauma has rewritten every cell in her body into someone she doesn't recognize. To the world…
Love is in the Air, and on the Page!
Happy Valentine's Day! Want a fun romance to read? Look no further than this booklist. 1. 6 Times We Almost Kissed (And One Time We Did) by Tess Sharpe: Penny and Tate have always clashed. Unfortunately, their mothers are lifelong best friends, so the girls’ bickering has carried them through playdates, tragedy, and more than one rom-com marathon with the Moms. When Penny’s mother decides to become a living donor to Tate’s mom, ending her wait for a liver transplant, things go from clashing to cataclysmic. Because in order to help their families recover physically,…
Fifteen Recommended Reads for Black History Month
February is Black History Month. Black History Month was proposed by Black professors and the Black United Students group at Kent State University in 1969, and was first celebrated a year later from January 2nd to February 28th. Not until 1976, was it finally celebrated nationwide. One way to celebrate and honor Black history is by reading books by Black writers, poets, activists, etc. Below are fifteen books to read this month, and all year round! Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé: Welcome to Niveus Private Academy, where money paves the hallways, and…
A Lunar New Year Booklist
Almost American Girl: An Illustrated Memoir by Robin Ha: For as long as she can remember, it's been Robin and her mom against the world. Growing up as the only child of a single mother in Seoul, Korea, wasn't always easy, but it has bonded them fiercely together. So when a vacation to visit friends in Huntsville, Alabama, unexpectedly becomes a permanent relocation--following her mother's announcement that she's getting married--Robin is devastated. Overnight, her life changes. She is dropped into a new school where she doesn't understand the language and struggles to keep up. She is…
Six Coming-of-Age Stories To Check Out
Every Summer After / Carley Fortune: They say you can never go home again, and for Persephone Fraser, ever since she made the biggest mistake of her life a decade ago, that has felt too true. Instead of glittering summers on the lakeshore of her childhood, she spends them in a stylish apartment in the city, going out with friends, and keeping everyone a safe distance from her heart. Until she receives the call that sends her racing back to Barry's Bay and into the orbit of Sam Florek--the man she never thought she'd have to live without. For six summers, through hazy afternoons on the…
Re-Reading My Favorites in 2023
While it's exciting to keep track of all the new books coming out, there's something to be said for re-reading books you once enjoyed. In between reading new and upcoming releases this year, I'm going to also re-read some of my favorites. I browsed by bookshelves at home, reviewed my Goodreads account, and picked out five books. Will I still love them? Looking forward to finding out! Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender: Felix Love has never been in love--and, yes, he's painfully aware of the irony. He desperately wants to know what it's like and why it seems so easy for everyone but him…
Jewish Books to Read During Hanukkah
This year, Hanukkah is from December 18th-26th. If you enjoy reading stories with Jewish characters and/or themes, be sure to check these out: Color Me In by Natasha Diaz: Who is Nevaeh Levitz? Growing up in an affluent suburb of New York City, sixteen-year-old Nevaeh Levitz never thought much about her biracial roots. When her Black mom and Jewish dad split up, she relocates to her mom's family home in Harlem and is forced to confront her identity for the first time. Nevaeh wants to get to know her extended family, but one of her cousins can't stand that Nevaeh, who inadvertently…
December & January Teen Book Releases
'Tis the season to be reading! Here are some new and upcoming releases in December and January to put on hold now: Acting the Part / ZR Ellor: Playing a lesbian warrior on a hit TV show, queer actor Lily Ashton orchestrates a fake-dating scheme to save their on-screen love interest from being killed off while coming to terms with their own gender identity. A Million to One / Adiba Jaigirdar: An acrobat, an actress, an artist, and a thief, four girls who seemingly have nothing in common, work together and plot a heist to steal the Rubaiyat off the Titanic. As You walk On…
It's #NonfictionNovember!
Did you know it's Nonfiction November? It's a month-long challenge to read more nonfiction books. As someone who loves reading nonfiction, I was super excited to learn about this. If you're interested in trying a book or two before the month is over, here are five recommendations! 1. Better Than We Found It: conversations to help save the world by Frederick Joseph: Every generation inherits the problems created by the ones before them, but no generation will inherit as many problems--as many crises--as the current generation of young people. From the devastations of climate…
Five Books to Read for Native American Heritage Month!
November is National Native American Heritage Month. First approved by former President George H. W. Bush in November 1990, it has been observed yearly as both "Native American Heritage Month" and "National American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month" since 1994. To honor this important yearly event, here are five amazing books that center Native American and Indigenous voices of North America. Apple Skin to the Core by Eric Gansworth: The term "Apple" is a slur in Native communities across the country. It's for someone supposedly "red on the…
November 2022 New Book Releases
Fall is here! Need some book recommendations? Put a hold on any, or all of these upcoming releases: At Midnight : 15 beloved fairy tales reimagined / Dahlia Adler: A collection of fifteen original and retold fairy tales, reimagined with fresh perspectives and unexpected twists. Bloodmarked / Tracy Deonn: When the leaders of the Order reveal that they will do everything in their power to keep the approaching demon war a secret, Bree and her friends go on the run so she can learn how to control her devastating new powers. Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win / Susan Azim…
Ten Horror & Thriller Reads for Halloween
Do you love a good scare or thrill? Below are ten books I recommend reading this Halloween! Belladonna / Adalyn Grace: Nineteen-year-old orphan Signa Farrow confronts Death--and her own deathly powers--when she investigates the mysterious murder of a relative at the Thorn Grove estate. Blackwater / Jeannette Aroyo (graphic novel): Tony Price is a popular high school track star and occasional delinquent aching for his dad's attention and approval. Eli Hirsch is a quiet boy with a chronic autoimmune disorder that has ravaged his health and social life. What happens when these…
October 2022 Teen Book Releases
Need some new book recommendations? Put a hold on these upcoming releases: After Dark with Roxie Clark by Brooke Lauren Davis: Eighteen-year-old Roxie agrees to help her sister Skylar uncover her boyfriend's killer, but they discover that everyone in Whistler, Indiana, is hiding something and some ghost stories are best left untold. A Scatter of Light by Malinda Lo: The summer of 2013 in the Bay is a momentous one for eighteen-year-old Aria Tang West, for the working-class queer community she finds herself in, and for her artist grandmother. The First to Die at the End by Adam…
Banned Books to Borrow Now!
Banned Books Week is coming up -- September 18-24th. At the Brooklyn Public Library, we read banned and challenged books all year round! Some of my favorite books have been banned or challenged by libraries and schools throughout the country. Want to learn more? Join my monthly book club. In September, we're talking about Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe. Below are five banned books I'd recommend to teens in a heartbeat: Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender: Felix Love has never been in love--and, yes, he's painfully aware of the irony. He desperately…
Video Games in Books
Do you love playing video games? Here are five books to read about teens who play too! Don't Hate the Player by Alexis Nedd: By day, Emilia is a field hockey star with a popular boyfriend and a mother obsessed with her academic future. By night, she's kicking virtual butt as the only female member of a highly competitive eSports team. Emilia has mastered the art of keeping her two worlds thriving, which hinges on them staying completely separate. When a major eSports tournament comes to her city, Emilia is determined to prove herself to the male-dominated gaming community. Her…
July is Disability Pride Month
Did you know 13.2% of Americans had some kind of physical or mental disability in 2019? Since the passing of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) in 1990, Disability Pride Month is celebrated every July. The Americans with Disabilities Act helps protect the rights of people with disabilities in five important areas: employment state and local government facilities and services public accommodations telecommunications transportation. Unfortunately, many people with disabilities still face discrimination and stigma. In light of this reality, it is even more…
Five May Book Releases to Look Out For!
Need more book recommendations? Here are five upcoming releases in May. Put them on hold ASAP! I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston: "After seventeen-year-olds Chole and Shara, Chole's rival for valedictorian, kiss, Shara vanishes leaving Chole and two boys, who are also enamored with Shara, to follow the trail of clues she left behind, but during the search, Chloe starts to suspect there might be more to Shara and her small Alabama town than she thought." Bravely by Maggie Stiefvater: "A retelling of Brave, this book tells Merida’s story and her longing for adventure and…
Happy Trans Day of Visibility 2022!
Happy Trans Day of Visiblity! Today is especially important in light of all the anti-trans legislation being passed in states across the nation. While there is much darkness and pain, there is also light, and joy and hope. I highly recommend checking out this short but powerful piece on Teen Vogue. It was put together by teens like you! As a transgender person, what brings me joy is seeing other trans youth and trans adults flourish, and being happy in their day-to-day life. It also beings me joy seeing parents supporting their transgender kids in all aspects of life…
All About Writing!
Do you like to write? Enter this year's Teen Writing Contest anytime between March 1-31. Below are five books about teen writers to enjoy and inspire you! EMERGENCY CONTACT BY MARY H.K. CHOI: For Penny Lee high school was a total nonevent. Her friends were okay, her grades were fine, and while she somehow managed to land a boyfriend, he doesn't actually know anything about her. When Penny heads to college in Austin, Texas, to learn how to become a writer, it's seventy-nine miles and a zillion light years away from everything she can't wait to leave behind. Sam's stuck.…
Ten Graphic Picks for Black History Month
Afar by Leila Del Duca: In a post-industrial desert wasteland, fifteen-year-old Boetema develops the ability to astral project to other planets. On her own planet, with her parents gone, she and her thirteen-year-old brother, Inotu, must cross a dangerous desert to flee a cyborg bodyguard. Bingo Love by Tee Franklin: "When Hazel Johnson and Mari McCray met at church bingo in 1963, it was love at first sight. Forced apart by their families and society, Hazel and Mari both married young men and had families. Decades later, now in their mid-'60s, Hazel and Mari reunite again at a…