Brooklyn teens (and their librarians) talking about their favorite books, sharing original art and writing, and promoting cool free stuff to do!
My To-Be-Read (TBR) List for 2024
We're just a few weeks away before 2023 is over. I've been thinking about what books I'd like to finally read. Here's my TBR (so far!) for 2024. 1. Ash by Malinda Lo: In this variation on the Cinderella story, Ash grows up believing in the fairy realm that the king and his philosophers have sought to suppress, until one day she must choose between a handsome fairy and the king's huntress. This is a novel I read about 10 years ago, and I'm so excited to re-read it in 2024! 2. Didn’t See That Coming by Jesse Q. Sutanto: Playing anonymously as a guy to avoid…
'Tis the Season to Be Reading: A Holiday Booklist
Are you ready for the holiday season? Here are some books set during Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New Years. 1. Christmas Clash by Suzanne Park: Enemies Chloe Kwon and Peter Li, whose families operate rival restaurants in the food court, must work together to save the mall from a developer and discover that the feud between their families goes far deeper than either of them realized. 2. Eight Dates and Nights by Betsy Aldredge: Teens Hannah and Noah, who each have different ideas of how to spend Hanukkah, team up to save the last Jewish remnant in small-town…
December 2023 YA New Releases
1. Caught in a Bad Fauxmance / Rose Elle Gonzalez: Agreeing to fake date the son of his family’s longtime enemy, Devin Báez uses this opportunity to gather intel strong enough to take them down and keep the family cabin they gambled on a risky bet until he realizes love is in the cards. 2. Dark Heir / C.S. Pacat: In this much anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestseller Dark Rise, Will travels to the heart of the ancient world where he must keep his true identity hidden as he’s tempted by the darkness within. 3. Defiant / Brandon Sanderson: To…
Can't Get Enough of Coriolanus Snow in The Hunger Games?
Last week, after eight years since Mockingjay Part 2 released in theaters, we finally have a new Hunger Games franchise film: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes! This dystopian prequel to the infamous The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins follows a teenage Coriolanus Snow (eventually the President Snow we all know and loathe from The Hunger Games trilogy) as he navigates mentoring Hunger Games tribute Lucy Gray Baird from District 12 to help her survive the tenth annual Hunger Games. Coriolanus Snow, known also as Coryo, serves as a…
A Short Nonfiction November Booklist
Happy Nonfiction November! Nonfiction November is a month-long challenge to read more nonfiction books. Here are five books to read this month: 1. From Here : a memoir by Luma Mufleh: In her coming-of-age 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 refugee. 2. Hidden Systems: Water, Electricity, the Internet and the Secrets Behind the Systems We Use Everyday by Dan Nott: This non-fiction graphic novel illustrates the hidden history for every…
Ten Books to Read During Native American and Native Alaskan Heritage Month
November is National Native American and Native Alaskan 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. Below are ten books that celebrate Native American and Indigenous voices and history of North America. Fiction 1. Funeral Songs for Dying Girls by Cherie Dimaline: To save her father’s job at the crematorium and the only home she’s ever known, Winifred and her con-…
Happy Halloween: A Horror Booklist
Happy Halloween, everyone! Is anyone wearing a costume this year? If you enjoy horror or thrillers, be sure to check out this booklist: 1. All These Sunken Souls : a black horror anthology edited by Circe Moskowitz: Welcome to the Dark. We are all familiar with tropes of the horror genre: slasher and victims, demon and the possessed. Bloody screams, haunted visions, and the peddler of wares we aren’t sure we can trust. In this young adult horror anthology, fans of Jordan Peele, Lovecraft Country, and Horror Noire will get a little bit of everything they love—and a…
Five Graphic Novels to Read Now
As someone who loves graphic novels, I'm happily sharing five 2023 releases to check out. 1. Brooms by Jasmine Walls and Teo Duvall: It’s 1930s Mississippi. Magic is permitted only in certain circumstances, and by certain people. Unsanctioned broom racing is banned. But for those who need the money, or the thrills...it's there to be found. Meet Billie Mae, captain of the Night Storms racing team, and Loretta, her best friend and second-in-command. They’re determined to make enough money to move out west to a state that allows Black folks to legally use magic and take…
Ten Spooky Ghost Stories for Fall
Fall is finally here, and Halloween is only two weeks away! If you enjoy spooky ghost stories, check out any of these titles below: 1. Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas: Yadriel, a trans boy, summons the angry spirit of his high school's bad boy, and agrees to help him learn how he died, thereby proving himself a brujo, not a bruja, to his conservative family. 2. Delicious Monsters by Liselle Sambury: Told in alternating timelines, seventeen-year-old Daisy and her mother move into her deceased uncle's mansion, only to find horrors waiting inside, and ten years later,…
October is LGBTQ+ History Month
First celebrated in the United States in 1994, LGBTQ+ History Month is a month-long celebration in October of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer history. It also honors the ongoing history of queer and trans rights. Below are ten books that celebrate the lives of both real (and fictional) LGBTQ+ people of the past. A Million to One by Adiba Jaigirdar: Josefa is an unapologetic and charismatic thief, who loves the thrill of the chase. She has her eye on her biggest mark yet—the RMS Titanic, the most luxurious ship in the world. But she isn’t interested in…
Celebrate the Freedom to Read: Banned Books Week!
October 1st-7th 2023 is Banned Books Week! Created in 1982, Banned Books Week is an annual celebration of the freedom to read and a time to uplift frequently challenged book titles. The theme this year is "Let Freedom Read!" Banned Books Week is an important time for libraries, schools, and other places of learning across the country to uplift the right to intellectual freedom and the right to the freedom to read. For 2022, there were thirteen titles in the list of the top ten frequently challenged books, including ties for fifth and tenth place: Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe…
October 2023 YA Book Releases
And Don't Look Back by Rebecca Barrow: After her mother's death, teen Harlow pieces together the truth of her family's past and what her mom was hiding from. Beholder by Ryan La Sala: The only survivor of a NYC penthouse party massacre where dead bodies were arranged into disturbingly elegant sculpture, Athan becomes the prime suspect and, desperate to prove his innocence, must confront an ancient evil compelling its victims toward violence, chaos and self-destruction. The Blackwoods by Brandy Colbert: Told from multiple points of view, Ardith and Hollis Blackwood's…
Facing My Last Year of High School
Every school year brings a new set of challenges and apprehensions, but no school year feels as stressful as the last year of high school. Many seniors find themselves standing on the precipice of adulthood and facing a life outside the structures of public school. While senior year brings many joys, it can bring some concerns. Daniella, a Story Teen Intern at the Central Branch, took some time out of her busy schedule to offer a few thoughts about her senior year. --Bklyn Future This school year will be my last year as a high school student, and I’ll be transitioning into adulthood.…
Hispanic Heritage Month Booklist
Jessi“I’ve put up with too much, too long, and now I’m just too intelligent, too powerful, too beautiful, too sure of who I am finally to deserve anything less.”— Sandra CisnerosDid you know that National Hispanic Heritage Month is observed every year in the U.S. from September 15 to October 15? Why? To "celebrate the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America." Below are ten awesome books written by Hispanic American writers with Hispanic American main characters you can…
Teen Book Review: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
When I stumbled upon the book Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, written by Benjamin Alire Saenz, I immediately felt seen as a person. Not only was it my first piece of queer literature, it served as a love letter for Mexican-American queer adolescents– a revolutionary concept to me at the time. The book follows two Mexican-American teenagers exploring facets of their identity when grappling with cultural norms, social conformity, and hidden family secrets, in the midst of the AIDS epidemic. Aristotle and Dante meet in a public pool, where Dante teaches Ari…
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 three internship applications open, with more to come. 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…
Period Protection For Back to School
Rakisha, Branch Manager/Kings Bay
Pencils? Check. Notebooks? Check. Bookbag? Check. Scientific calculator? Check. Uniform shirt? Check. Pads and tampons? Uh-oh! When preparing for the new school year, heading to the Staples and Rumi to stock up on cute stationery supplies seems like a no brainer but how about the menstrual hygiene aisle at the supermarket? Although all New York public middle and high schools are required to have free period products available in the restrooms, it’s easy to be caught unaware. Bathroom dispensers in schools, however, are only a drop in a bucket compared to the millions of menstruators who…
Ten Upcoming YA Releases to Put on Hold!
1. All Alone With You by Amelia Diane Coombs: Eloise Deane is the worst and doesn't care who knows it. She's grumpy, prefers to be alone, and is just slogging through senior year with one goal: get accepted to USC and move to California. So when her guidance counselor drops the bombshell that to score a scholarship she'll desperately need, her applications require volunteer hours, Eloise is up for the challenge. Until she's paired with LifeCare, a volunteer agency that offers social support to lonely seniors through phone calls and visits. Basically, it's a total nightmare for Eloise's…
Park Slope Book Lovers Group Wants YOUR Vote!
If you’re a teenager who enjoys reading then the Teens’ Top Ten might be something you’d like to look into. The Teens' Top Ten is a “teen choice" award, where teens choose their favorite books of the previous year. This year twenty-five amazing books have been nominated and now from August 15 to October 15 it’s up to all of us - teens across the country - to vote and narrow those twenty-five books to the best ten. Beginning August 15, teens can vote online here. You can find all titles at Brooklyn Public Library. Visit your local branch or our online catalog to place holds! Are you…
August is Romance Awareness Month
August is the start of Romance Awareness Month, but it’s not just another time of the year to stress about your romantic prospects (or lack thereof). Romance Awareness Month has come to represent a time to enjoy the meet-cutes, enemies to lovers, and forced proximity love stories created by some of our favorite authors. As we move into the dog days of summer, now is the perfect time to curl up with a romance novel on the beach or binge watch your favorite rom-com movies under the artic blast of your air conditioner. Streaming platforms are offering us movie adaptations of some of the most…
Summer 2023 Teen Book Releases
A Guide to the Dark by Meriam Metoui: Stranded at the Wildwood Motel while on their spring break road trip, Mira and Layla discover eight people died in their room and set out to find the connection between the deaths and the unexplainable things that keep happening inside Room 9. All the Yellow Suns by Malavika Kannan: Sixteen-year-old queer Indian American, Maya, who falls for her white, wealthy, and complicated female classmate, Juneau, is asked to join a secret society of artists, vandals, and mischief-makers who fight for justice at their school. Give Me a Sign by Anna…
A Non-Fiction Booklist
Do you also like to read about science, history, people, etc? Be sure to check out these twelve titles listed below: All Boys Aren't Blue: a memoir-manifesto by George M Johnson: A first book by the prominent journalist and LGBTQIA+ activist shares personal essays that chronicle his childhood, adolescence and college years as a Black queer youth, exploring subjects ranging from gender identity and toxic masculinity to structural marginalization and Black joy. Black Birds in the Sky: the story and legacy of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre by Brandy Colbert: A searing new work of…
Barbieheimer: Which is your choice?
Next week on July 21st, 2023, two highly-anticipated films with award-winning directors are debuting on the big screen: Greta Gerwig's Barbie and Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer. Barbie is based on Mattel's popular doll discovering the 'real world' while Oppenheimer tells the story of the creator of the atomic bomb. While the films have completely different genres, they are both stacked with A-list casts and crews and are both expected to be hits at the box office. For Barbie, Margot Robbie stars as the titular character with Ryan Gosling as Ken; Oppenheimer…
July is 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. The featured image is the disability pride flag and each color symbolizes a type of disability: The 2021 disability flag colors each represent a type of disability: Green: sensory disabilities Blue: emotional and psychiatric disabilities White: non-visible and undiagnosed disabilities Gold: neurodiversity Red: physical disabilities Below are five books that have disabled characters, or are written by people…
Five Books on Grief and Loss
Less than two weeks ago, my Grandma Betty passed away at 101 years old. She lived a long and active life. She and I were also quite close. I moved into her building in 2021 to help take care of her. I'm grieving her death but I'm also relieved to know she is now at peace. Below are five books that address grief and loss well. 1. 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…
For the Love of K-pop & Their Fans
Rakisha, Branch Manager/Kings Bay
It was a rare Saturday off from work in the early part of 2019. My kids were 14 and 12 years old, and in middle school at the time. The oldest was watching television and my youngest was reading scanlations of their favorite manga on the computer. I was scrolling through Twitter while making breakfast, and I saw that something called “BTS” was trending. I called out to my children, “Hey! What is a BTS and why is it trending so much on Twitter?” Both laughed at me. “Mommy,” My youngest began in their trademark dry tone. “BTS is not a ‘what,’ they’re a ‘who’ and they’re always…
June 2023 Teen Book Releases
Basil and Oregano by Melissa Capriglione: Basil Eyres and Arabella Oregano are both students of cooking with magic at Porta Bella Magiculinary Academy, and although the two are instantly smitten with each other, Arabella has a secret with the potential to throw Basil's future aspirations into jeopardy. Darkhearts by James L Sutter: When his former bandmate dies, David is thrown back into contact with singer Chance, forcing him to rediscover all the things that once made them so close—and that tore them apart—as he attempts to claim the celebrity he’s been denied. Family Style…
(New) AAPI LGBTQIA+ Reads to Check Out!
Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month is almost over, and Pride Month is fast approaching. Below are ten (newer!) books with characters of both identities. Beating Heart Baby by Lio Min: Seventeen-year-old Santi Arboleda finally feels settled in his new life in Los Angeles with a growing found family and a relationship with musical prodigy Suwa--until Suwa is offered the chance to step into the spotlight that he has always denied himselfand they must finally face their dreams, their pasts, and their futures, whether together or apart. Chasing Pacquiao by Rod…
Let's All Celebrate Menstruation
Rakisha, Branch Manager/Kings Bay
I am the Puberty Librarian. I am the Period Lady. I’m the patron saint of library menstruators. If I had $1 for every time a coworker said “I think of you every time I get a tampon from the staff bathroom,” I’d be able to pay both my kiddos’ college tuition. I have a brand and a reputation, and I accept it proudly. Sometimes, it gets burdensome because I’m a librarian that contains multitudes, doggoneit! I make jewelry. I’m learning to read Korean. I’m studying philosophy. Then, I remember that period poverty and menstrual equity is still a worldwide issue. If the thought of me inspires folks…
May is (Also) Jewish American Heritage Month
May is Jewish American Heritage Month. One way to celebrate is to read books with Jewish protagonists, ideally by written Jewish-identified authors. Here are ten books I recommend checking out! Color Me In by Natasha Diaz: Fifteen-year-old Nevaeh Levitz is torn between two worlds, passing for white while living in Harlem, being called Jewish while attending her mother's Baptist church, and experiencing first love while watching her parents' marriage crumble. Cool for the Summer by Dahlia Adler: Anticipating a romantic summer with her football star crush, Lara struggles…
Happy Asian American, Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month!
In May, the U.S. celebrates Asian American, Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander Heritage Month. According to asianpacificheritage.gov/, the month is one for “paying tribute to the generations of Asian and Pacific Islanders who have enriched America’s history and are instrumental in its future success.” In honor of this special occasion, pick up a book (or 10) written by an AANHPI writer and enjoy! Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram: Clinically-depressed Darius Kellner, a high school sophomore, travels to Iran to meet his grandparents, but it…
Announcing the 2023 Teen Writing Contest & Ned Vizzini Prize Winners
Karen, Coordinator of Young Adult Services
This post has been edited to reflect a new list of winners. We received 900+ submissions, and the Teen Writing Contest Committee is pleased to announce the following prizes, honors, and selections for the 2023 Teen Writing Contest & Ned Vizzini Teen Writing Prize. Poetry Middle School First Place: A Child’s Thoughts on Recurring Themes in Headlines by Gabi Flatto-Katz Second Place: Green blades, barbeque, and dawn + dusk by Mae Lower Honorable Mention: Where I'm From by Emmanuella Anaela Ibeanu Honorable Mention: An Ode to Ye Mordious…
April 22nd is Earth Day
Spring is in bloom in Brooklyn and there is no better way to celebrate it than with Earth Day! A holiday started in 1970 to raise awareness around environmental protection, Earth Day is now celebrated annually world-wide on April 22nd. There are many ways to celebrate and honor the Earth we call home. Below are five book recommendations to help get in touch with nature and brush up on your knowledge of climate change this spring. Braiding sweetgrass for young adults : indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge, and the teachings of plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer. …
Five Books to Read During Autism Acceptance Month
Did you know April is also Autism Acceptance Month? Over 7 million people in the United States are on the Autism spectrum; Autism is the fastest-growing developmental disability in the U.S. What is autism? Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), is a complex, lifelong developmental condition that typically appears during early childhood and can impact a person’s social skills, communication, relationships, and self-regulation. The Autism experience is different for everyone. It is defined by a certain set of behaviors and is often referred to as a “spectrum condition” that affects people…
April 2023 Teen Book Releases
Need book recommendations? Check out these twelve upcoming releases. 1. Pieces of Me / Kate McLaughlin: Eighteen-year-old Dylan is diagnosed with Dissociate Identity Disorder and grapples with what her diagnosis means for her future and her past. 2. Promposal / Garrett Raechell: To move to the top of the waitlist at her dream school, Autumn Reeves becomes the Promposal Queen, but when she is forced to partner with her former-crush-turned-enemy, she finds her friendships, her business and her entire future on the line. 3. A Whole Song and Dance / …
April is National Poetry Month
Did you know April is National Poetry Month? If you like to read poetry or verse novels check out the booklist below: A Time to Dance by Padma Venkatraman: Veda, a classical dance prodigy in India, lives and breathes dance--so when an accident leaves her a below-knee amputee, her dreams are shattered. For a girl who's grown used to receiving applause for her dance prowess and flexibility, adjusting to a prosthetic leg is painful and humbling. But Veda refuses to let her disability rob her of her dreams, and she starts all over again, taking beginner classes with the youngest…
Saving the World One Tampon at a Time
Rakisha, Branch Manager/Kings Bay
My 16 and 18-year-old kids like to tease me about my childhood and teen years, because it is so vastly different than their upbringing. Every now and then, I will reveal something that will make them exclaim “wow, you were poor.” Those memories are funny now, but they were not then. I recall being a broke college student working a part-time job and spending an afternoon searching for enough soda cans and beer bottles to collect a dollar in nickel deposits. I just needed enough money to buy a cheap box of maxi pads from the 99-cents store, because I wasn’t getting paid for another two days.…
YA Books with Disability Representation
Did you know that March is Disability Awareness Month? Like many other people, I live with multiple invisibile disabilities. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), up to 1 in 4 or 26% of adults in the United States have some type of disability. Below are ten books (fiction and non-fiction) that center disability representation. FICTION: 1. Breathe and Count Back from Ten by Natalia Sylvester: Verónica, 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…
Paid Opportunities and More for Teens
Get the details about BPL's Teen Writing Contest, Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP), and more! 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. Brooklyn Public Library: Teen Writing Contest Entries are accepted in two categories: Poetry (up to 500 words); Prose (up to 2,500 words). Awards will be given in two age groups: Middle School (grades 6 – 8) and High School (grades 9 –…
Getting Witchy for Women's History Month
Rakisha, Branch Manager/Kings Bay
I was sitting at my kitchen table flipping through my first deck of recently purchased tarot cards. A stack of young adult books about paganism, magic and witchcraft sat in front of me. As I shuffled the cards from my left hand to my right, I asked out loud: “Am I witch now?” My quick-witted 16-year-old replied: “Historically, yes. You’re an older, divorced, Black woman who wears pants. You’re a witch.” Well, dang. Technically, they weren’t wrong in their assessment and it inspired me to delve into the connection between women, marginalized communities and witchcraft. Pagan …
Enter BPL's 2023 Teen Writing Contest! - March 1-31
Do you like to write? Brooklyn Public Library's 2023 Teen Writing Contest is accepting submissions March 1-31. The contest is open to middle and high schoolers all over NYC. Top winners in poetry and prose will receive the new Ned Vizzini Teen Writing Prize with a cash award, and have their pieces published in the Teen Writing Journal distributed by the Library. Stop by your local library branch to see if they're giving out FREE Grab & Go Writing Kits. For more information and the link to submit visit: https://www.bklynlibrary.org/teen-writing-contest…
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…
Paid Opportunities and More for Teens
Get the details about internships and jobs at wildlife parks around NYC, a media internships, a podcast challenge, two writing contests and more! 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. Morgan Library: Teen Writing Contest Did you know the first writer identifiable by name in human history is a Mesopotamian woman from 2300 B.C. named Enheduanna? Inspired by Enheduanna, the Morgan is hosting a…
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…
Sexplanations for You!
Rakisha, Branch Manager/Kings Bay
There is so much information about sex, but there aren’t many clear answers. Is gender and virginity really a social construct? Does sexuality exist on a spectrum? Am I normal? Jokes about kinks or accusations of grooming and sexualization are all over social media, and most of these comments are by folks who neither have the experience nor the knowledge of what those terms mean. The LGBTQIA+acronym seems to grow longer by the day while people are declaring themselves ethically non-monogamous and polyamorous before they’ve even had their first kiss. How does one cut through the…
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…
Paid Opportunities and More for Teens
Get the details about internships and jobs at wildlife parks around NYC, a podcast challenge, and free arts programs! 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. Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has several job, internship and volunteer opportunities available for young adults (ages 14-26) at their five wildlife…
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…
Sing Your Freakin' Heart Out!
Rakisha, Branch Manager/Kings Bay
Sing Your Freakin' Heart Out In the spring of 2022, my group of K-pop-loving friends taught me about the slew of karaoke rooms in mid-Manhattan near Macy’s Herald Square. Soon we were taking monthly pilgrimages to KoreaTown, colloquially known as K-Town, to storm our favorite karaoke spot. Armed with beverages, fried chicken, and unchecked volume, we would spend hours belting out Broadway showtunes, bad girl anthems, raunchy rap songs, and the requisite BTS hits. We would leave with our moods lighter and our friendship bonds tighter. It was definitely better than singing into a…