 | Last week's list only had a few books I was excited about, but this week's list has a whole bunch! This week, the 19 YA titles catch my eye the most, with titles like Diabolic, The Sun Is Also A Star, Dear My Blank, Aftermath, Heartless, and Blood for Blood. And when I showed the New Releases PowerPoint (included in this post--free download) today during lunch, I had three girls who were VERY excited about Dan and Phil Go Outside. Literally, they squealed when they saw it. Guess I'll be getting that one. |
YOUNG ADULT (GRADES 8+):
  | The Sun is Also a Star (Nicola Yoon) Whoohoo! A new Nicola Yoon book! This is sure to be popular in my library, and I definitely plan to read it. Seventeen-year old Natasha is only hours away from being deported back to Jamaica with her family. Daniel suffers under his parents' high expectation while secretly aspiring to be a poet. The story alternates between the two voices. Realistic fiction. |
  | The Best Possible Answer (E. Katherine Kottaras) Ultra-high-achiever Viviana Rabinovich-Lowe has always had a plan—and no room to be anything less than perfect. But her quest for perfection comes to a screeching halt when her boyfriend leaks racy pictures of her to the entire school. Then she gets a job working at the community pool, where she meets a new group of friends who know nothing about her past. That includes Evan, a gorgeous guy who makes her want to do something she never thought she’d do again: trust. Romance. |
  | Dan and Phil Go Outside (Dan Howell and Phil Lester) Sigh. More YouTuber books I'll have to get. Dan Howell and Phil Lester, avoiders of human contact and direct sunlight, actually went outside. Traveling around the world on tour, they have collected hundreds of exclusive, intimate, and funny photos, as well as revealing and candid side notes, to show the behind-the-scenes story of their adventure. Could we maybe call this a memoir? A travelogue? |
  | The Bone Sparrow (Zana Fraillon) Subhi is a refugee. Born in an Australian permanent detention center after his mother and sister fled the violence of a distant homeland, Subhi has only ever known life behind the fences. Every night, the magical Night Sea from his mother's stories brings him gifts, the faraway whales sing to him, and the birds tell their stories. And as he grows, his imagination threatens to burst beyond the limits of his containment. Magical realism. |
  | Saving Hamlet (Molly Booth) Emma Allen is excited to work as assistant stage manager of her school's production of Hamlet. But things quickly start to go wrong, and Emma is feeling the stress. One night, she falls through a trapdoor on the stage and finds herself in Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, in 1601. Pair with Rachel Harris's My Super-Sweet Sixteenth Century. Time travel. |
  | Bad Blood (Jennifer Barnes) The Naturals, book 4. When Cassie Hobbes joined the FBI's Naturals program, she had one goal: uncover the truth about her mother's murder. But now, everything Cassie thought she knew about what happened that night has been called into question. Her mother is alive, and the people holding her captive are more powerful—and dangerous—than anything the Naturals have faced so far. Action-adventure, mystery. |
  | A Million Worlds With You (Claudia Gray) Firebirds, book 3. The fate of the multiverse rests in Marguerite Caine’s hands. Marguerite has been at the center of a cross-dimensional feud since she first traveled to another universe using her parents’ invention, the Firebird. Only now has she learned the true plans of the evil Triad Corporation—and that those plans could spell doom for dozens or hundreds of universes, each facing total annihilation. Dystopia, time-travel. |
  | Blood for Blood (Ryan Graudin) Sequel to: Wolf By Wolf. Tear-jerker dualogy about Yael, a young victim of Nazi medical testing who develops the ability to change her appearance at will. Yael uses her skin-shifting power to work for a Nazi resistance group whose goal is to assassinate Adolf Hitler. Love these books! Historical fiction, alternate history. |
  | The Diabolic (S.J. Kincaid) Nemesis is a Diabolic, a humanoid teenager created to protect a galactic senator’s daughter, Sidonia. The two have grown up side by side, but are in no way sisters. Nemesis is expected to give her life for Sidonia, and she would do so gladly. When the power-mad Emperor learns Sidonia’s father is participating in a rebellion, he summons Sidonia to serve as a hostage. Now, there is only one way for Nemesis to protect Sidonia. She must become her. Dystopia. |
  | Until I Break (Kara Bietz) Two boys: One, a star athlete and top student with a deep-seated need to prove himself. The other, a chip-on-his-shoulder quarterback who will never settle for second best. When gunshots echo through the halls of Broadmeadow High School, whose finger is on the trigger? Realistic fiction, mental illness. |
  | The Romantics (Leah Konen) Hmm...this is narrated by...Love? Interesting! Gael Brennan is about to have his heart broken when his first big relationship crumbles on the heels of his parents’ painful separation. Love intervenes with the intention of setting things right—but she doesn’t anticipate the intrusion of her dreaded nemesis: the Rebound. Love’s plans for Gael are sidetracked by Cara, Gael’s hot-sauce-wielding “dream girl.” Romance. |
  | Heartless (Marissa Meyer) OMG! The Queen of Hearts has a backstory! Long before she was the terror of Wonderland — the infamous Queen of Hearts — she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love. Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland, and a favorite of the yet-unmarried King of Hearts, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, all she wants is to open a shop with her best friend and supply the Kingdom of Hearts with delectable pastries and confections. But according to her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for the young woman who could be the next Queen. Retelling. |
  | The Amateurs (Sara Shepard) As soon as Seneca Frazier sees the post on the Case Not Closed website about Helena Kelly, she’s hooked. Helena’s high-profile disappearance five years earlier is the one that originally got Seneca addicted to true crime. It’s the reason she’s a member of the site in the first place. So when Maddy Wright, her best friend from the CNC site, invites Seneca to spend spring break in Connecticut looking into the cold case, she immediately packs her bag. But Maddy is nothing like she expected, and Helena’s sister, Aerin Kelly, seems completely hostile and totally uninterested in helping with their murder investigation. Mystery, thriller. |
  | Aftermath (Clara Kenzie) Charlotte survived four long years as a prisoner in the attic of her kidnapper, sustained only by dreams of her loving family. The chance to escape suddenly arrives, and Charlotte fights her way to freedom. But an answered prayer turns into heartbreak. Losing her has torn her family apart. Her parents have divorced: Dad's a glutton for fame, Mom drinks too much, and Charlotte's twin is a zoned-out druggie. Mystery, thriller. |
  | Fannie Never Flinched (Mary Cronk Farrell) Fannie Sellins (1872–1919) lived during the Gilded Age of American Industrialization, when the Carnegies and Morgans wore jewels while their laborers wore rags. Fannie dreamed that America could achieve its ideals of equality and justice for all, and she sacrificed her life to help that dream come true. Fannie became a union activist, helping to create St. Louis, Missouri, Local 67 of the United Garment Workers of America. Narrative nonfiction. |
  | We Are Still Tornadoes (Michael Kun, Susan Mullen) Growing up across the street from each other, Scott and Cath have been best friends their entire lives. Cath would help Scott with his English homework, he would make her mix tapes (it's the 80's after all), and any fight they had would be forgotten over TV and cookies. But now they've graduated high school and Cath is off to college while Scott is at home pursuing his musical dreams. Romance. |
  | You In Five Acts (Una LaMarche) In the high-pressure months leading up to the performance that will determine their futures, a group of friends at a performing arts school look back on when an unexpected event upended everything. The moment that changed their relationships, their friendships, and their lives forever. Realistic fiction. |
  | Dear My Blank (Emily Trunko, Lisa Congdon) From the popular Tumblr account of the same name comes a collection of heart-warming, tear-jerking, and gut-wrenching anonymous letters that people never intended to, or didn’t have the courage to send. I have no idea if these letters are truly real, but I do see my students going ga-ga over a book like this. And it's illustrated?! Even better! Epistolary. |
  | Dial Em for Murder (Marni Bates) Humor and mayhem ensue when a teen girl gets caught up in the death of a hi-tech hitman and must try to stay one step ahead of the killers lurking in the shadows of an exclusive prep school. Thriller, mystery. |
NEW RELEASES POWERPOINT:
For four Tuesdays now, I have played a New Releases PowerPoint on our library TV during our students' break and lunch times. It's become a popular feature, and the students are very good about asking me to order the titles they most want to read. Please feel free to download and use the PowerPoint in your library--it's all ready to go and is intentionally generic to fit any library, not just mine.
MIDDLE GRADES (GRADES 5-8):
  | Double Down (Jeff Kinney) Diary of a Wimpy Kid, book 11. I'm not going to say anything about this one because even if it's horrible (and I doubt it's horrible), it will be a MUST in every library, everywhere. This series is and has always been a gigantic hit, no matter what country I live in. Give it to your reluctant reader boys. Humor. illustrated. |
  | Hawkwing's Journey (Erin Hunter) Standalone prequel to A Vision of Shadows. Hawkwing, deputy of SkyClan, sets out on a journey that will change the fate of all five warrior Clans. The cats of SkyClan are facing a darkness unlike any they have seen before—and their only hope is to seek out the kin of Firestar, the cat who once brought their Clan back from obscurity. But even if they find the other four warrior Clans, SkyClan’s time in the gorge territory may truly be at an end. Fantasy. |
  | The Kindness Club (Courtney Sheinmel) Life's not been easy for Chloe lately. Her parents have divorced, and now Chloe is the new girl at school. When Chloe is assigned a science project with offbeat Lucy Tanaka and nerdy Theo Barnes, they have fun creating an experiment that tests out the laws of science through different acts of kindness...officially forming The Kindness Club. Realistic fiction, school stories, friendship. |
  | J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World: A Pop-up Gallery of Curiosities (James Diaz, Sergio Gómez Silván) J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World is full of magical curiosities: a flying car, a hat that sings, an enchanted case, and so much more. This small, deluxe pop-up book showcases three-dimensional renderings of some of the beloved curiosities from the Harry Potter films, including two pops related to the upcoming Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Pull out flaps will feature text that delves into the items on each spread and how they were achieved in the films. Pop-up book. |
  | Lodestar (Shannon Messenger) Keeper of the Lost Cities, book 5. Sophie Foster is back in the Lost Cities--but the Lost Cities have changed. The threat of war hangs heavy over her glittering world, and the Neverseen are wreaking havoc. The lines between friend and enemy have blurred, and Sophie is unsure whom to trust. But when she's warned that the people she loves most will be the next victims, she knows she has to act. Fantasy. |
  | Nothing But Trouble (Jacqueline Davies) This one sounds like one of my favorite books from sixth grade: The Sara Summerby Mary Downing Hahn. Odawahaka has always been too small for Maggie’s big scientific ideas. Between her stuck-in-a-rut mom, her grumpy grandpop, and the lifetime supply of sludgy soda in the fridge, it’s hard for Maggie to imagine a change. But when Lena moves in with her creative spirit and outrageous perspective, middle school takes off with a bang. Friendship, school stories, humor. |
  | The Cartographer's Daughter (Kiran Millwood Hargrave) Originally published in the UK as The Girl of Ink and Stars. Forbidden to leave her island, Isabella Riosse dreams of the faraway lands her father once mapped. When her closest friend disappears into the island’s Forgotten Territories, she volunteers to guide the search. As a cartographer’s daughter, she’s equipped with elaborate ink maps and knowledge of the stars, and is eager to navigate the island’s forgotten heart. Fatnasy. |
  | Archie Green and the Alchemist's Curse (D.D. Everest) Sequel to: Archie Green and the Magician's Secret. The Golden Circle--a symbol that hasn’t been seen in three hundred years--appears on Archie’s palm. It's the mark of the Alchemists’ Club, a group of young magicians from centuries past who experimented with magic...until the spells got out of control, the results turned disastrous, and the club disbanded. |
  | Wildings (Eleanor Glewwe) What a beautiful cover! I plan to read this one...sounds interesting! Rivka is one of the magical elite and the daughter of an important ambassador. But she harbors a deep secret: She once had a twin brother, Arik. When Arik failed to develop his own magical abilities, the government declared him a wilding, removed him from his home, placed him with non-magical adoptive parents, and forbade him any contact with his birth family. Now it is as if he never existed at all. Fantasy. |
EARLY CHAPTER BOOKS (GRADES 1-4):
  | Caveboy Dave (Aaron Reynolds, Phil McAndrew) Pair with Pilkey's Captain UnderPantsseries. Dave Unga-Bunga has always been more scrawny than brawny. This is a major problem when your village expects you to become a meat-bringer. At age twelve, all young cave-people must stalk through the eerie mushroom forests for a prehistoric beast the village can feast on. Dave would much rather invent stuff for a better life, though—like underwear to make loincloths less itchy and cutlery to make eating less filthy. |
  | Threads (Ami Polonsky) The day twelve-year-old Clara finds a desperate note in a purse in Bellman's department store, she is still reeling from the death of her adopted sister, Lola. By that day, thirteen-year-old Yuming has lost hope that the note she stashed in the purse will ever be found. She may be stuck sewing in the pale pink factory outside of Beijing forever. Realistic fiction, Chinese culture. |
  | Teddy & Co. (Cynthia Voigt) A group of lost toys – including a legless bear, a pair of pigs, an aloof penguin, a kindly elephant, and a manipulative rabbit – who make a new home for themselves. Pair with Toys Go Out and Winnie the Pooh. |
  | French Toast (Kari-Lynn Winters) Phoebe, the daughter of a white French-Canadian mother and a Jamaican English-speaking father, dislikes her school nickname of French Toast. Gently prompted by her blind grandmother, she uses descriptions of familiar foods from both cultures to explain the family s varied skin colors and realizes she can take ownership of the nickname proudly. |
PICTURE BOOKS (ALL AGES):
  | A Poem for Peter (Andrea Davis Pinkney) The story of The Snowy Day begins more than one hundred years ago, when Ezra Jack Keats was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. The family were struggling Polish immigrants, and despite Keats’s obvious talent, his father worried that Ezra’s dream of being an artist was an unrealistic one. |
  | Squirrels Leap, Squirrels Sleep (April Pulley Sayre, Steve Jenkins) If you followed a squirrel for a day, what would you see? Climbing branches, storing seeds, making homes in tree holes, and maybe even flying! Discover different kinds of squirrels as the scamper, eat, and--finally--sleep. |
  | Rhino Rumpus (Victoria Allenby, Tara Anderson) Three little rhinos are having trouble getting along as Mama tries to coax them through the evening routine. Will they fidget, fuss, and fight right up until bedtime? Or will their Mama s love help them find some common ground? |
  | A Spy Called James: The True Story of James Lafayette, Revolutionary War Double Agent (Anne Rockwell, Floyd Cooper) James Armistead Lafayette was a slave who spied for George Washington's army during the American Revolution, whose personal fight for freedom began with America's liberation. |
  | One Minute Till Bedtime (Ken Nesbitt (editor), Christoph Niemann) This is a collection of 150 bedtime poems. Includes poetry from: Lemony Snicket, Sharon Creech, Jack Prelutsky, Jane Yolen, Judith Viorst, Naomi Shihab Nye, Pat Mora, Nikki Grimes, and many others. |