New Book Releases for Kids and Teens: October 23, 2018

It's almost November--can you believe it? In just a couple of days, I will be hosting author Ying Chang Compestine! I am very excited to meet her and see her presentations. In next Tuesday's spotlight, I'll share some photos of her visit and let you know how it went!

This week's list is a little short, only 11 titles and no picture books. I can't wait to read The Assassin's Guide to Love and Treason and of course, Lu has already been requested by a couple of my students. And since I loved Bad Romance, I'm likely to read Imagine Us Happy.

NOTE: Titles highlighted in purple are those that received two or more starred professional reviews.

YOUNG ADULT (GRADES 7+):

Attucks! (Phillip Hoose) Charts the rise of the legendary Crispus Attucks High School Tigers in the 1950s. By winning the Indiana state high school basketball boys' championship in 1955, ten teens from a school meant to be the centerpiece of racially segregated education in Indiana shattered the myth of their own inferiority. Their brilliant coach had fashioned an unbeatable team from a group of boys born in the South and raised in poverty, anchored by the astonishing player Oscar 'The Big O' Robertson. The Crispus Attucks Tigers went down in history as the first state champions from the city of Indianapolis and the first all-black team in U.S. history to win a racially open championship tournament. Recommended for Grades 7-12. Multiple starred reviews. Narrative nonfiction, basketball, racial segregation, prejudice.

West (Edith Pattou) Sequel to: East. When Rose first met Charles, he was trapped in the form of a white bear. To rescue him, Rose traveled to the land that lay east of the sun and west of the moon to defeat the evil Troll Queen. Now Rose has found her happily-ever-after with Charles--until a sudden storm destroys his ship and he is presumed dead. But Rose doesn't believe the shipwreck was an act of nature, nor does she believe Charles is truly dead. Recommended for Grades 7-10. SLJ starred. Fantasy.

The Light Between Worlds (Laura E. Weymouth) Six years ago, sisters Evelyn and Philippa Hapwell were swept away to a strange and beautiful kingdom called the Woodlands, where they lived for years. But ever since they returned to their lives in post-WWII England, they have struggled to adjust. Ev desperately wants to return to the Woodlands, and Philippa just wants to move on. When Ev goes missing, Philippa must confront the depth of her sister's despair and the painful truths they've been running from. Recommended for Grades 7-12. Publishers Weekly starred. Fantasy.

An Assassin's Guide to Love and Treason (Virginia Boecker) When Lady Katherine's father is killed for being an illegally practicing Catholic, she discovers treason wasn't the only secret he's been hiding: he was also involved in a murder plot against the reigning Queen Elizabeth I. With nothing left to lose, Katherine disguises herself as a boy and travels to London to fulfill her father's mission, and to take it one step further--kill the queen herself. Recommended for Grades 9-12. Kirkus starred. Historical fiction, Shakespeare.

That Night (Amy Giles) The year since a mass shooting shook their Queens neighborhood has played out differently for Jess and Lucas, both of whom were affected by that night in eerily similar and deeply personal ways. As Jess struggles to take care of her depressed mother and Lucas takes up boxing under the ever-watchful eye of his overprotective parents, their paths converge. They slowly become friends and then something more, learning to heal and move forward together. Recommended for Grades 9-12. Realistic fiction, mental illness, violence.

Imagine Us Happy (Jennifer Yu) Debut author! Stella lives with depression, and her goals for junior year are pretty much limited to surviving her classes, staying out of her parents' constant fights and staving off unwanted feelings enough to hang out with her friends Lin and Katie. Until Kevin. A quiet, wry senior who understands Stella and the lows she's going through like no one else. With him, she feels less lonely, listened to--and hopeful for the first time since ever... But to keep that feeling, Stella lets her grades go and her friendships slide. And soon she sees just how deep Kevin's own scars go. Now little arguments are shattering. Major fights are catastrophic. And trying to hold it all together is exhausting Stella past the breaking point. Pair with Demetrios'Bad Romance. Recommended for Grades 9-12. Realistic fiction, mental illness.

Watch You Burn (Amanda Searcy) Jenny didn't want to move to the creepy, possibly haunted town with her dad. But the cops are on to her, and the only way she can protect herself is by moving as far away from her hometown as possible and staying out of trouble. But even after she moves, Jenny still gets the itch. The itch to light a match and then watch it burn. It's something she hasn't been able to stop, ever since an accident years ago. Now, in a new town, Jenny has the strange feeling that someone is watching her every move. Recommended for Grades 9-12. Thriller, arson.

Just Wreck It All (N. Griffin) Two years ago Bett was athletic, fearless, and prone to daredevil behavior (fizzicle feats, she called them). But when a dare gone wrong leaves her best friend severely and permanently injured, everything changes. Now, Bett is extremely overweight, depressed, and forbids herself from enjoying anything in life, from her favorite sports to having friends--anything she determines to be a plus. But some pluses can't be avoided, and when that happens, Bett punishes herself through binge eating. As long as she can keep the pluses and minuses balanced, she can make it through another day. Recommended for Grades 7-12. Realistic fiction, mental health, eating disorders.

THIS WEEK'S SEQUELS (YA):





MIDDLE GRADES (GRADES 4-7):

Lu (Jason Reynolds) Track series, book 4. This is a sequel, but I'm including it in this section because it has two starred reviews and because I know how popular this series is with my students. Lu knows he can lead Ghost, Patina, Sunny, and the team to victory at the championships, but it might not be as easy as it seems. Suddenly, there are hurdles in Lu's way--literally and not-so-literally--and Lu needs to figure out, fast, what winning the gold really means. Recommended for Grades 5-8. Booklist and SLJ starred. Realistic fiction, sports, track.

Charlie Hernandez & the League of Shadows (Ryan Calejo) Charlie Hernandez has always been proud of his Latin American heritage. Thanks to his abuela's stories, Charlie possesses an almost encyclopedic knowledge of the monsters and ghouls who have spent the last five hundred years haunting the imaginations of children. But when Charlie begins to experience freaky bodily manifestations--ones all too similar to those described by his grandma in his favorite legend--he is suddenly swept up in a world where the mythical beings he's spent his entire life hearing about seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Hispanic folklore and into his life. Recommended for Grades 5-8. Booklist and Kirkus starred. Fantasy, Latinx mythology.

Two Roads (Joseph Bruchac) It's 1932, and twelve-year-old Cal Black and his Pop have been riding the rails for years after losing their farm in the Great Depression. But then Pop has to go to Washington, DC, and Cal can't go with him. So Pop tells Cal something he never knew before--Pop is actually a Creek Indian, which means Cal is too. And Pop has decided to send Cal to a government boarding school for Native Americans in Oklahoma called the Challagi School. Recommended for Grades 5-8. Historical fiction, Native Americans.

This list also appears on my New Releases--Weekly Board on Pinterest: