Brooklyn teens (and their librarians) talking about their favorite books, sharing original art and writing, and promoting cool free stuff to do!
National Women's Health Awareness Month
Dearest Bookworms,It is National Women's Health Month, our physical well being is just as important as our mental well being. I want to note, that while the official title for this awareness says Women that this is applicable to anyone with female anatomy, the following book list will be reflective of that. This booklist will contain titles related to overall womens health, but we also want to highlight Menstrual Hygiene Day (May 28th) and Period Poverty Awareness Week (May 12-18) in this post. The Library is a big advocate in fighting Period Poverty and equiping menstruating persons…
Mental Health Awareness Month
Dearest Bookworms,As the school year dwindles down and those pesky exams loom closer take the time to prioritize yourself. Like any observation and awareness we post about, mental health is a year round priority. We hope you find some comfort and knowledge in these books, and know if you ever need anything the library is always here to help! Check out the programs the library is offering to support mental health and wellness: https://discover.bklynlibrary.org/?event=true&search=mental+healthLavender clouds : comics about neurodivergence and mental health by Bex Ollerton In Lavender…
Jewish Heritage Month Booklist
Dearest Bookworms,It's Jewish Heritage Month! Celebrate with a booklist filled with Jewish Authors and Characters. Murder Land by Carlyn Greenwald Seventeen-year-old Billie feels like she is on top of the world. She gets to spend the summer with her best friend, sparks are flying with her crush, and she has received a promotion to ride operator for one of the most buzzworthy new attractions in the theme park she works at. But the first night on the new job takes a dark turn when her creepy coworker mysteriously dies…on her ride, when she isn’t authorized to be running it. Billie recruits…
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Dearest Bookworms,It is AAPI Heritage Month! April showers bring May flowers, and with it a new set of observations and awarnesses to inspire out booklists! Below you'll find some book recommendations from Asain American and Pacific Islander Authors to help you kick off the month!The queens of New York by E L Shen Seventeen-year-old inseparable best friends Jia, Ariel, and Everett navigate first love, grief, racism, and Asian American consciousness during one life-changing summer apart. Best friends Jia Lee, Ariel Kim, and Everett Hoang are inseparable. But this summer, they won't be…
CARE Internship Applications are Open!
Are you passionate about menstrual equity and looking for a meaningful internship? Join Cycle Alliance and make a difference in your community!Who Can Apply?Must be 14–19 years old (or in 9th–12th grade).Must complete an online Cycle Ally training before starting.Must commit to 60 hours over 12 weeks.What You’ll Gain:A $1,000 stipend upon completion.A verified letter of service hours for your records. Intern Responsibilities:Assist the CARE Manager with restocking period pantries and assembling period kits.Participate and lead Cycle Alliance programs and teen programs during scheduled…
National Financial Literacy Month
Dearest Bookworm,April was a busy month, with a stock market decline and a looming recession it is so important that we continue to educate ourselves and grow our Financial Literacy. As April closes and a new month begins I am leaving you with a short booklist that covers a multitude of financial topics that could be useful to know!Stock market 101 : from bull and bear markets to dividends, shares, and margins - your essential... guide to the stock market Investing for the first time can be intimidating. In easy-to-understand language, Stock Market 101, 2nd Edition provides the groundwork…
Announcing the 2025 Teen Writing Contest & Ned Vizzini Prize Winners
We received 970 submissions, and the Teen Writing Contest Committee is pleased to announce the following prizes, honors, and selections for the 2025 Teen Writing Contest & Ned Vizzini Teen Writing Prize. Poetry Middle School First Place: Russia is Not Russian by Sasha KeehnerSecond Place: I Held the Match by Tess DolceHonorable Mention: My Only Love Pizza by Javon FindlayHonorable Mention: The Wild Tulip by Angria UtnasunovaHonorable Mention: The Beautiful Truth by Sophia Smith High School First Place: Plot by Michelle LeeSecond Place:…
Teen Climate Justice Booklists: Explore, Empower, and Inspire
In honor of Earth Month, it’s time to dive into the world of climate change, climate justice, and discover what YOU can do to help create a greener, more sustainable future.How to Fight for Climate JusticeCheck out these non-fiction reads that break down the science behind climate change and reveal the societal forces driving man-made global warming. Learn what’s really happening to our planet, pick up practical tips on how to make a difference, and discover ways to take care of yourself while standing up as an eco-advocate.Who Fights for Climate JusticeMeet the trailblazers making change…
National Poetry Month (A Booklist)
Dearest Bookworms,I know what you are thinking, Another Booklist!? I was thinking this to when I was deciding what to post this month, but April is a month of many observances and as a librarian it is our sworn duty to bring books to the public. Below you'll find a list of Poetry books for National Poetry Month, and if you are a Poet please submit your Poem to be shared on the BKLYNFuture Instagram or Blog. Black girl you are Atlas Poet Renée Watson looks back at her childhood and urges readers to look forward at their futures with love, understanding, and celebration in this fully…
2025 Trans Day of Visibility Books for Teens
Dear Bookworms,Happy Trans Day of Visibility, want to celebrate with a book? We have 5 really wonderful options (truthfully we have way more and choosing just 5 was tough) for your reading pleasure!The Borrow a Boyfriend Club Noah Byrd is the perfect boy. At least, that's what he needs to convince his new classmates of to prove his gender. His plan? Join the school's illustrious (and secret) Borrow a Boyfriend Club, whose members rent themselves out for dates. Once he's accepted among the bros, the "slip-ups" end. But Noah's interview is a flop. Desperate, he strikes a deal with the club's…
An Arab American Heritage Month Booklist
Dear Bookworms, HAPPY EID! We are back at it again with another book reccomendation post! There is a number of observances for April but I want to start the month off with Arab American Heritage Month, below you will find a list of books written by or featuring Arab Americans. From here : a memoir Refugee advocate Luma Mufleh writes of her tumultuous journey to reconcile her identity as a gay Muslim woman and a proud Arab-turned-American refugeeHuda F cares? This summer's exercise in Fahmy family sisterly bonding involves a trip to Disney World--which seems like it is headed…
Happy Lunar New Year 2025!
Hey everyone! It's been so fun writing for this blog, but I will be taking a break from it for a while. This will be my last post until I return! Below are ten books to read in honor of Lunar New Year, which starts tomorrow, January 29th. Age 16 by Rosena Fung: Sixteen-year-old Roz is preoccupied with normal teenage stuff: navigating high school friendships, worrying about college, and figuring out what to wear to prom. When her estranged Por Por abruptly arrives for a seemingly indefinite visit, the already delicate relationship between Roz and her mother is upended. With three…
In Honor of MLK Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement
Yesterday was Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the U.S. Below are ten books about his life as well as the Civil Rights Movement. A Long Time Coming : a lyrical biography of race in America from Ona Judge to Barack Obama by Ray Anthony Shepard: Meticulously researched and drawn from numerous primary sources, this biography-in-verse tells the story of racism in the U.S. through six important Black Americans from different eras who struggled for justice, chronicling how much - and how little - racism has changed since our country's founding.All You Have to Do by Autumn Allen: In April 1968, in…
A New Teen Graphic Novel Virtual Book Club
If you love reading graphic novels like I do, I'd love for you to join my new teen virtual book club! We will meet on the last Thursday of each month. Our first club meeting is on January 30th at 4pm on Zoom and we will discuss Huda Fahmy's hilarous graphic novel, Huda F Are You?, the first in a series!"Huda and her family just moved to Dearborn, Michigan, a small town with a big Muslim population. In her old town, Huda knew exactly who she was: She was the hijabi girl. But in Dearborn, everyone is the hijabi girl. Huda is lost in a sea of hijabis, and she can't rely on her hijab to define…
January 2025 Teen Book Releases
After Life by Gayle Forman: Amber bikes home one spring, seven years after she died after being hit by a car while riding that bike, and her return impacts those around her as she struggles to learn how and why she got a second chance.Better than Revenge by Kasie West: When seventeen-year-old Finley discovers her boyfriend Jensen used her pitch for their school's podcast team, she plots revenge while unexpectedly discovering her talent for football and a deeper connection with Jensen's rival, Theo.Bingsu for Two by Sujin Witherspoon: River Langston-Lee dumps his girlfriend, quits his job at…
Books I'd Like to Reread in 2025
We often get excited for the books that are coming out. It's easy to forget the books we've read and loved before. While my TBR is a mile long, I also want to re-read these ten titles below!Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo: Camino Rios lives for the summers when her father visits her in the Dominican Republic. But this time, on the day when his plane is supposed to land, Camino arrives at the airport to see crowds of crying people. In New York City, Yahaira Rios is called to the principal's office, where her mother is waiting to tell her that her father, her hero, has died in a plane…
Happy Holidays!
Happy Holidays! Below are ten books to read during this holiday season.Christmas Clash by Suzanne Park: Chloe Kwon can't stand Peter Li. It's always been that way. Their families don't get along either: their parents operate rival restaurants in the Riverwood Mall food court--Korean food for the Kwons and Chinese food for the Lis. Now it's the holiday season and Chloe's the photographer at the mall's Santa Land, and Peter works at the virtual reality North Pole experience right across the atrium. It's all Chloe can do to avoid Peter's smug, incredibly photogenic face. But it turns out the…
It's Disability December!
It's Disability December! What is it, might you ask? A reading challenge to promote books with disability representation. Below are ten books to consider reading!1. Breathe and Count Back from Ten by Natalia Sylvester: Veronica, a Peruvian American teen with hip dysplasia, auditions to become a mermaid at a Central Florida theme park in the summer before her senior year, all while figuring out her first real boyfriend and how to feel safe in her own body. 2. Darius the Great is not Okay by Adib Khorram: Clinically-depressed Darius Kellner, a high school sophomore, travels to Iran to meet…
December 2024 YA Manga Releases
Do you love manga? Check out these new and upcoming releases!Akane-banashi, Vol. 10 by Yuki Suenaga: Shinta Arakawa wants nothing more than to pass his shin’uchi exam—the test that would make him a top-rank headliner and master storyteller in the traditional Japanese art of rakugo. Akane Osaki, his daughter and biggest fan, spies on him while he practices and learns his routines for herself. When rakugo master Issho Arakawa expels everyone after the exam with no explanation, a fire is lit inside Akane. From that day forth, she has had one goal—to avenge her father and prove his art was worthy…
December 2024 Teen Book Releases
Better Than Revenge by Kasie West: Seventeen-year-old Finley has only ever had one goal: to become a famous podcaster. This includes coming up with the perfect pitch to land her on her school's podcast team. But when her football-obsessed boyfriend, Jensen, decides to also try out—and uses her idea—she's left confused and betrayed. Determined to get back at him, Finley and her friends try to find the perfect revenge scheme, but quickly discover that Jensen is almost-impossible to best. Keyword, almost. Includes an author Q&A! By chance, Finley discovers a knack for kicking and…
Five Books I’m Grateful For
In honor of this Thanksgiving season, I wanted to share five books I'm grateful to have read. These five books are ones I not only really enjoyed, but have stuck with me. They have helped change the way I understand myself, or the world. I have either already reread them, or I plan to next year. Share below what books you are grateful for!Gender Queer: a memoir by Maia Kobabe: In 2014, Maia Kobabe, who uses e/em/eir pronouns, thought that a comic of reading statistics would be the last autobiographical comic e would ever write. At the time, it was the only thing e felt comfortable with…
November is Native American Heritage Month
Happy Native American Heritage Month! Below are five novels with Native American or Indigenous main characters, and five non-fiction titles to help you learn more about Native American and Indigenous cultures. FICTION1. Rez Ball by Byron Graves: When the varsity basketball team members take him under their wing, Tre Brun, representing his Ojibwe reservation, steps into his late brother’s shoes as star player but soon learns he can’t mess up?—?not on the court, not in school and not in love.2. The Rez Doctor by Gitz Crazyboy: Ryan Fox dreams of becoming a doctor. But when university takes…
Ten Memoirs to Read in November
November is National Memoir Writing Month. Try reading any (or all!) of these memoirs and maybe even sit down and write about your own life!All Boys Aren't Blue : a memoir-manifesto by George M Johnson: In a series of personal essays, prominent journalist and LGBTQIA+ activist George M. Johnson explores his childhood, adolescence, and college years in New Jersey and Virginia. From the memories of getting his teeth kicked out by bullies at age five, to flea marketing with his loving grandmother, to his first sexual relationships, this young-adult memoir weaves together the trials and triumphs…
An Election Day 2024 Booklist
Today is Election Day! Many people of voting age (18 years old and older) are visiting their local polling location to cast their ballot. If you're interested in learning more about voting and elections, check out the books below.If you're eligible to vote, visit NYC Votes to find out how and where to vote, and what's on the ballot. Your vote matters!FICTIONRunning by Natalia Sylvester: When fifteen-year-old Cuban American Mariana Ruiz's father runs for president, Mari starts to see him with new eyes. A novel about waking up and standing up, and what happens when you stop seeing your dad as…
Spooky Teen Reads for Halloween
Are you excited for Halloween? Do you love to read horror and/or thrillers? Have I got recommendations for you!Flawless Girls by Anna-Marie McLemore: When her sister Renata returns from prominent finishing school Alarie House, seemingly pleasant, unnervingly polite and possibly murderous, younger sister Isla is determined to find out want happened to Renata by going back to the school and is drawn into the opulent, unsettling place that won’t give up its secrets—or her—without a fight.Killer House Party by Lily Anderson: Red Solo cups? Check. Snacks? Check. Abandoned mansion full of countless…
Ten Books on Bullying for National Bullying Prevention Month
October is National Bullying Prevention Month. The ten books below raise awareness on how bullying affects teens and might help readers become better allies to those who are being bullied.All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir: Lahore, Pakistan. Then. Misbah is a dreamer and storyteller, newly married to Toufiq in an arranged match. After their young life is shaken by tragedy, they come to the United States and open the Clouds' Rest Inn Motel, hoping for a new start. Juniper, California. Now. Salahudin and Noor are more than best friends; they are family. Growing up as outcasts in the small desert town…
New Teen Non-Fiction to Check Out
Want to learn something new? Need advice? Check out these new(er) non-fiction releases.Civic Minded : what everyone should know about the US government by Jeff Fleischer; How do student loans work? What do sanctions do? Where does federal spending go, and who decides on the budget? Author and established journalist Jeff Fleischer digs into these and other relevant civics topics to explain the history behind different processes and programs, what they look like today, and why it’s important to understand them.How to Survive Your Parents : a teen's guide to thriving in a difficult family by…
Join the Menstrual Movement
Rakisha, Branch Manager/Kings Bay
Hey boys and girls and friends beyond the gender binary, it’s everyone’s favorite period advocacy librarian here to talk about Period Action Day. Period Action Day (a.k.a PAD) is a global day of awareness that occurs on the second Saturday of October every year. PAD was established in 2019 to “end period poverty and stigma through advocacy, education, and service.” Period poverty is the inability to afford period products, lack of access to safe and clean places to perform menstrual care, and the inability to receive accurate information about the menstrual process.…
October is LGBTQ+ History Month
Happy LGBTQ+ History Month! Below are ten novels to check out in honor of this momentous observance. A Million to One by Adiba Jaigirdar: United in one goal—stealing the Rubaiyat, a jewel-encrusted book aboard the RMS Titanic—four girls find careless mistakes, old grudges and new romance putting them, and their mission, in grave danger when tragedy strikes.Charming Young Man by Eliot Schrefer: They say Lâeon Delafosse will be France's next great pianist. But despite his being the youngest student ever accepted into the prestigious Paris Conservatory, there's no way an impoverished…
October 2024 Teen Book Releases
Halfway There: a graphic memoir of self-discovery by Christine Mari: Christine has always felt she is just half: Half American, half Japanese. As a biracial Japanese American who was born in Tokyo but raised in the US, she knows all too well what it’s like to be a part of two different worlds but never feeling as though you belong to either. Now on the brink of adulthood, Christine decides it’s time to return to the place she once called home. So she sets forth on a year abroad in Tokyo, believing that this is where she truly belongs. After years of feeling like an outsider, now she will…
It's Banned Books Week! (9/22-9/28)
Hey y'all, it's Banned Books Week (9/22-9/28). This year's theme is Freed Between the Lines. Since 1982, Banned Books Week has served as an event to highlight the importance of free and open access to information, including the right to read whatever you want.Below are the top ten books that have been banned or challenged in school and public libraries in 2023. All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson: In a series of personal essays, prominent journalist and LGBTQIA+ activist George M. Johnson explores his childhood, adolescence, and college years in New Jersey and Virginia. From…
It's Latine & Hispanic American Heritage Month! (9/15-10/15)
Every year, Latine & Hispanic American Heritage Month is celebrated in the U.S. from September 15th-October 15th. Below are ten books with Latine or Hispanic main characters. Ander and Santi Were Here: A Novel by Jonny Garza Villa: Nonbinary teen Ander is ready to leave their family's taquería and focus on their art, but when Santi, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico, begins to work at the restaurant, the two teens spark a romance made complicated by immigration police.Breathe and Count Back from Ten by Natalia Sylvester: Verónica, a Peruvian‑American teen with hip dysplasia,…
Paid Opportunities and More for Teens
Apply today for internship opportunities at Brooklyn Public Library and other institutions around NYC!Brooklyn Public Library paid internshipsBPL has four internship applications open. Sign up here for our teen newsletter to stay up-to-date about all of our opportunities for teens. You can also find info about our programs and internships at bklynlibrary.org/teens, and follow us on Instagram @bklynfuture.BPL: BookMatch TeenLearn the art of recommending books and offer a readers’ advisory service exclusive to teens. Along the way, meet new friends and make connections to…
September is Bisexual Visibility Month!
Did you know September is Bisexual Visibility Month? It is a celebration of bisexual identity, community, and relationships. September 23rd is officially Bisexual Visibility Day. In honor of this special observance, check out these teen novels with bi main characters. Alondra by Gina Femia: Seventeen-year-old Alonda finds friendship, fame, and love on the streets of Coney Island when she befriends a group of teen wrestlers. Forever is Now by Mariama Lockington: When sixteen-year-old Sadie, a Black bisexual recluse, develops agoraphobia the summer before her junior year, she relies…
September 2024 Teen Book Releases
A Second Chance on Earth by Juan Vidal: When sixteen-year-old Marcos travels to Cartagena, Colombia to scatter his late father's ashes, he strikes up a friendship with Camilo, a boy his age who works as a local taxi driver and shares Marcos' love for the novel One Hundred Years of Solitude." Celestial Monsters by Aiden Thomas: Transgender demigod Teo and his friends must battle the Obsidian gods and steal back the sun stone in order to free their fellow semidioses and return Sol to the sky.Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White: After being nearly beaten to death for evidence he holds…
Back-to-School Teen Book List
Are you excited for the upcoming school year? Below are ten books set in high school or college.American Panda by Gloria Chao: A freshman at MIT, seventeen-year-old Mei Lu tries to live up to her Taiwanese parents' expectations, but no amount of tradition, obligation, or guilt prevent her from hiding several truths--that she is a germaphobe who cannot become a doctor, she prefers dancing to biology, she decides to reconnect with her estranged older brother, and she is dating a Japanese boy. Can she find a way to be herself, before her web of lies unravels.Bunt! : striking out on financial aid…
Happy Fat Liberation Month!
Did you know August is Fat Liberation Month? Started by the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, it is a month-long celebration of fat positivity, and to address the history of discrimination and stigma against fat people. Here are ten books that feature fat main characters and / or real fat people's stories. Across a Field of Starlight: a graphic novel by Blue Delliquanti: Lu and Fassen are from different worlds and separate solar systems, so when the war of Fassen's world invades Lu's peaceful home, they find themselves at the forefront of a battle they hoped would never…
August 2024: YA Manga Releases
Akane-Banashi, Vol. 7 by Suenaga Yuki / Moue Takamasa: Shinta Arakawa wants nothing more than to pass his shin’uchi exam—the test that would make him a top-rank headliner and master storyteller in the traditional Japanese art of rakugo. Akane Osaki, his daughter and biggest fan, spies on him while he practices and learns his routines for herself. When rakugo master Issho Arakawa expels everyone after the exam with no explanation, a fire is lit inside Akane. From that day forth, she has had one goal—to avenge her father and prove his art was worthy of the title of shin’uchi. In order to secure…
Teen Reads with "Summer" in the Title
Are you all about summer? Be sure to check out these novels that have the word "Summer" in the title!Hot Boy Summer by Joe Jimenez: Four gay teens in Texas have the summer of their lives while discovering important truths about realness, belonging, and friendship in this joyful young adult contemporary novel for fans of Adam Silvera and Becky Albertalli.Hurricane Summer by Asha Bromfield: While visiting her father who lives in Jamaica, eighteen-year-old Tilla faces a storm of dark secrets that threaten to unravel her own life, while an actual storm, Hurricane Gustav, threatens the lives of…
August 2024 Teen Book Releases
Castle of the Cursed by Romina Garber: After losing her parents in a mysterious attack, seventeen-year-old Estela suffers from survivor's guilt and is sent to live with her Aunt in their ancestral Spanish castle, where she uncovers family secrets and meets a supernatural, silver-eyed boy who claims he is trapped in the castle.Eighteen Roses by Shannon C F Rogers: Filipina American Lucia grapples with teenage angst, family expectations, and friendship woes as she reluctantly prepares for her debutante ball.Everything We Never Had by Randy Ribay: Set in the 1930s to today, four generations of…
My Summer Reading List
Below are five books I hope to read this summer!1. Four Eids and a Funeral by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé and Adiba Jaigirdar: The town of New Crosshaven has it all—even its own infamous love story. These days, Said Hossain spends most of his time away at boarding school. But when his favorite hometown librarian, Ms. Barnes, dies, he must return to New Crosshaven for her funeral and for the summer. Too bad being home makes it a lot harder to avoid facing his ex–best friend, Tiwa Olatunji, or facing the daunting task of telling his Bangladeshi parents that he would rather be an artist than a doctor…
Teen Graphic Novel Releases in 2024
If you enjoy reading graphic novels and non-fiction, check out some of this year's releases! Call Me Iggy by Jorge Augusto Aguirre: Crushing on a girl at school who doesn't know he exists, Ohio-born Colombian American teen Iggy finds his life unraveling when his grandfather's ghost decides to meddle in his love life, setting him off on a journey of self-discovery.City Boy by Greg Pak: Meet a new Korean hero named...City Boy! Or at least, that's the best translation of what the cities call him. City Boy, a.k.a. Cameron Kim, is just trying to make a living by using his powers of being able…
My Top Five Reads of 2024 (So Far!)
I can't believe it's already July! I've read twenty-five books so far, and these are my top five:Brownstone by Samuel Teer and Mar Julia (graphic novel): Almudena has always wondered about the dad she never met. Now, with her white mother headed on a once-in-a-lifetime trip without her, she’s left alone with her Guatemalan father for an entire summer. Xavier seems happy to see her, but he expects her to live in (and help fix up) his old, broken-down brownstone. And all along, she must navigate the language barrier of his rapid-fire Spanish—which she doesn’t speak. As Almudena tries to adjust…
Happy Disability Pride Month!
Happy Disability Pride Month! It's held every year in July to recognize the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26th, 1990. Each color of the Disability Pride flag symbolizes a type of disability: The 2021 disability flag colors each represent a type of disability:Green: sensory disabilitiesBlue: emotional and psychiatric disabilitiesWhite: non-visible and undiagnosed disabilitiesGold: neurodiversityRed: physical disabilitiesBelow are ten books with disabled characters, or are written by people with disabilities. Breathe and Count Back…
July 2024 Teen Book Releases
Cursed Boys and Broken Hearts by Adam Sass: Grant Rossi, an eighteen-year-old with a poor dating record due to a wish gone wrong, returns to his family's vineyard and B&B to help save it from disrepair, only to find himself working alongside his former friend and first love, Ben McKittrick.Everything We Never Had by Randy Ribay: Set in the 1930s to today, four generations of Filipino American boys grapple with identity, masculinity, and father-son relationships.Exes and Foes by Amanda Woody: Long-time rivals Emma and Caleb find themselves both chasing Juliet and decide to compete for her…
Give Audiobooks a Try: 10 Recommendations for Teens
In celebration of Audiobook Appreciation Month, below are ten audiobooks to try for both newbies and more experienced listeners!All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir: Lahore, Pakistan. Then. Misbah is a dreamer and storyteller, newly married to Toufiq in an arranged match. After their young life is shaken by tragedy, they come to the United States and open the Clouds' Rest Inn Motel, hoping for a new start. Juniper, California. Now. Salahudin and Noor are more than best friends; they are family. Growing up as outcasts in the small desert town of Juniper, California, they understand each other the way no…
Read with Pride 2024 YA Booklist
Happy Pride, y'all! Check out these ten YA books with LGBTQIA+ main characters to read with pride this month, and all year round!Canto Contigo: A Novel by Jonny Garza Villa: In a twenty-four-hour span, Rafael Alvarez led North Amistad High School's Mariachi Alma de la Frontera to their eleventh consecutive first-place win in the Mariachi Extravaganza de Nacional; and met, made out with, and almost hooked up with one of the cutest guys he's ever met. Now eight months later, Rafie's ready for one final win. What he didn't plan for is his family moving to San Antonio before his senior year,…
Paid Opportunities and More for Teens
Lots of paid summer opportunities are opening up - apply now! Brooklyn Public Library: Teen TechiesDo you love technology and your library? Want to make a difference in your community? Looking to build your resume and gain valuable work and leadership experience? Apply to BPL's Teen Techies program here!HERicane NYC ProgramNYC Emergency Management invites New York City high school students to participate in the I-DIEM HERricane program in NYC, designed to encourage young women from 16-22 years old to pursue careers and leadership roles in emergency management. For additional details…
Why the Freedom to Read Is Important
Fiona Z. | Freedom to Read Teen Ambassador
This essay was submitted by one of our teen interns, Fiona Z., who is currently in our Freedom to Read Teen Ambassadors program.Immortality isn't real but would you believe me if I told you, you can live millions of lives, laugh millions of laughs, walk to distant worlds, and see the end of time through pairs of eyes that aren't your own? The possibility of experiencing millions of relationships, connections, and conflicts without even getting up from your chair is solely possible because of books. The experience of reading goes beyond just a leisure activity; it is a profound and…
June 2024 Teen Book Releases
Annie LeBlanc is Not Dead Yet by Molly Morris: Winning the chance to resurrect her ex-best friend Annie LeBlanc from the dead for 30 days, Wilson Moss, ecstatic to have her back, discovers a loophole that may mean Annie can stay for good, but the only person who can help is someone who hates them both.Brownstone by Samuel Teer: In the summer of 1995, almost-fifteen-year-old Almudena is sent to live with her estranged Spanish-speaking father, and together they renovate a brownstone and build a relationship while Almudena navigates the Latin American side of her heritage for the first time.Four…