2022 Discussion Guides

Bent Heavens by Daniel Kraus

Publisher Information: New York : Feiwel & Friends, 2021 

Summary:  Liv Fleming's father, Lee, went missing more than two years ago, not long after he claimed to have been abducted by aliens.  Liv has long accepted that he's dead, though that doesn't mean she has given up their traditions.  Every Sunday, she and her long-time friend Doug trudge through the woods to check the traps Lee left behind, traps he set to catch the aliens he so desperately believed were after him.

But Liv is done with childhood fantasies.  Done pretending she believes her father's absurd theories.  Done going through the motions for Doug's sake.  However, on the very day she chooses to destroy the traps, she discovers in one of them a creature so inhuman it can only be one thing.  In that moment, she's faced with a painful realization: her dad was telling the truth.  And no one believed him.

Now, she and Doug have a choice to make.  They can turn the alien over to the authorities...or they can take matters in their own hands.

On the heels of the worldwide success of The Shape of Water, Daniel Kraus returns with a horrifying and heartbreaking thriller about the lengths people go to find justice and the painful reality of grief.

Book Trailer:

https://youtu.be/rE3AWaGs1YQ

Read-a-Likes:

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith

I Hope You Get This Message by Farah Naz Rishi

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancy

The Death and Life of Zebulon Finch by Daniel Kraus

Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

The Program by Suzanne Young

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau

Links of Interest:

Author Website:  https://www.danielkraus.com/

Author Interview:  https://www.libraryjournal.com/story/horror-interview-daniel-kraus-the-living-dead

A Fan Interviews Author:  https://project-nerd.com/2020/06/03/a-fan-interview-with-daniel-kraus/

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

Publisher Information: New York, NY: Swoon Reads, 2020

Summary:  Yadriel has summoned a ghost and now he can't get rid of him.

When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his true gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo.  With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free.

However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian Diaz, the school's resident bad boy, and Julian is not about to go quietly into death.  He's determined to find out what happened and tie off some loose ends before he leaves.  Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian, so that they can both get what they want.  But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave.

Book Trailer:

https://youtu.be/ZA52TJvLu3w

Read-a-Likes:

Felix Ever After by Kacen Callendar

Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron

The Gravity of Us by Phil Stamper

You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson

Pet by Akwaeke Emezi

A Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

The Extraordinaries by TJ Klune

Heartstopper by Alice Oseman

Red White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Links of Interest:

Official Website: https://www.aiden-thomas.com/

Author Q & A: https://diversebooks.org/qa-with-aiden-thomas-author-of-cemetery-boys/

GLAAD Resources:  https://glaad.org/transgender/resources

Trans Youth Equality Foundation:  https://www.transyouthequality.org/for-youth

Humans Rights Campaign Trans Youth Resources:  https://www.hrc.org/resources/transgender-children-and-youth-understanding-the-basics

How to be a Trans and Nonbinary Ally:  https://www.thetrevorproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Guide-to-Being-an-Ally-to-Transgender-and-Nonbinary-Youth.pdf 

Charming As a Verb by Ben Philippe

Publisher Information:  New York, NY: Balzer + Bray, 2020

Summary:   Henri "Halti" Haltiwanger can charm just about anyone.  He is a star debater and popular student at the prestigious FATE academy, the dutiful first-generation Haitian son, and trusted dog walker for his wealthy New York City neighbors.  But his easy smiles mask a burning ambition to attend his dream college, Columbia University. 

There is only one person who seems immune to Henri's charms: his "intense" classmate and neighbor Corinne Troy.  When she uncovers Henri's less-than-honest-dog-walking scheme, she blackmails him into helping her change her image at school.  Henri agrees, seeing a potential upside for him.

Soon what started as a mutual hustle turns into something more surpising than either of them bargained for...

This is a sharply funny and insightful novel about the countless hustles we have to keep from doing the hardest thing: being ourselves. 

Book Trailer:

https://youtu.be/940uenoJQmk

Read-a-Likes:

Not So Pure and Simple by Lamar Giles

Frankly in Love by David Yoon

Opposite of Always by Justin Reynolds

Jackpot by Nic Stone

Links of Interest:

Author's Website: https://benphilippe.com/

Authors' Interview:  https://sobookingcool.com/2020/09/03/interview-with-charming-as-a-verb-author-ben-philippe/

Author Q & A:  https://diversebooks.org/qa-with-ben-philippe-charming-as-a-verb/

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

Publisher Information:  New York, NY: Harper Teen, 2020 

Summary:   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 crash.  Separated by distance -- and Papi's secrets -- the two girls are forced to face a new reality in which their father is dead and their lives are forever altered.  And then, when it seems like they've lost everything of their father, they learn of each other.

Book Trailer:

 https://youtu.be/yAagecNMaBA

Read-a-Likes:

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

Utwine by Edwige Danticat

Turtle Under the Ice by Juleah del Rosario

One of the Good Ones by Maritza Moulite

Links of Interest:

Author website:  acevedowrites.com

Author interview:  HERE

Author reads Clap When You Land:  HERE

Author tours Morning Heights, New York City:  HERE

Author podcast:  HERE

"Queen" from Clap When You Land:  HERE

The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee

Publisher Information:  New York, NY:  G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2019

Summary:   Jo Kwan works as a lady's maid while living in an underground secret room under the local newspaper owner's house.   At night, she writes a column anonymously as Miss Sweetie, answering an advice column that normally answers questions about getting stains out of dresses and how to handle oneself socially.  Jo starts answering the letters more honestly, using the woman's suffrage movement to spur her independent and forward-thinking ideas.  Can a young Chinese woman help change the mindset of the townspeople?  Or will she stay silenced and in the shadows for self-preservation? 

Book Trailer:

https://youtu.be/wh7ZXsynOjM

Read-a-Likes:

The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys

Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack

The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessen

These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly

Links of Interest:

Author website:  staceyhlee.com

Educator's guide:  HERE

History Channel's Building the Transcontinental Railroad: How 20,000 Chinese Immigrants Made It Happen:  HERE

Chinese-American Women and the Suffrage Movement:  HERE

The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys

Publisher Information: New York, NY: Philomel Books, 2019

Summary:  Madrid, 1957.  Under the fascist dictartorship of General Francisco Franco, Spain is hiding a dark secret. Meanwhile, tourists and foreign businessmen flood into Spain under the welcoming promise of sunshine and wine.  Among them is nineteen-year-old Daniel Matheson, the son of an oil tycoon, who arrives in Madrid with his parents hoping to connect with the country of his mother's birth through the lens of his camera. 

Photography - and fate - intoduce him to Ana, who's family's interweaving obstacles reveal the lingering grasp of the Spanish Civil War - as well as chilling definitions of fortune and fear.  Daniel's photographs leave him with uncomfortable questions amidst shadows of danger.  He is backed into a corner of difficult decisions to protect those he loves. 

Lives and hearts collide, revealing an incredibly dark side to the sunny Spanish city. 

Book Trailer:

https://youtu.be/3tExprBAE1k

Read-a-Likes:

The Book Thief  by Marcus Zusak

Eyes of the World: Robert Capa, Gerda Taro, and the Invention of Modern Photography by Marc Aaronson

Lovely War by Julie Berry

Pan's Labyrinth: The Labyrinth of the Faun by Guillermo del Toro

Shame the Stars by Guadalupe Garcia McCall

The War Outside by Monica Hesse

Links of Interest:

Author website:  rutasepetys.com

Educator's guide:  HERE

Author interview:  HERE

Another author interview:  HERE

Documentary about Spain under Franco:  HERE

Golden Arm by Carl Deuker

Publisher Information: New York, New York: HarperCollins, 2021

Summary:   Larazus "Laz" Weathers has always been shy, and his issue with stuttering when he speaks hasn't helped.  Stuck in a Seattle trailer park, Laz finds baseball helps him escape from the world of poverty and drugs.  When he gets an opportunity to pitch for the rich kids across town, he has a chance to get drafted by the major leagues.

But playing for the other team means leaving behind his family, including Antonio, Laz's younger brother, who more and more, seems to be drawn to the dark world of Jet City's drug ring.  Now Laz will have to choose between being the star pitcher he always dreamed of becoming and the team player his family needs.

Book Trailer:

https://youtu.be/LnuJE-0NcOY

Read-a-Likes:

Boy21 by Matthew Quick

The DH by John Feinstein

Game Seven by Paul Volponi

Heat by Mike Lupica

After the Shot Drops by Randy Ribay

Links of Interest:

Author website:   HERE

Author reads short portion of book:  HERE

Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson

Publisher Information: New York, NY:  Katherine Tegen Books, 2020. 

Summary:  Korey Fields is dead. 

When Enchanted wakes up with blood on her hands and zero memory of the previous night, no one - the police and Korey's fans included - has more questions than she does.  All she really knows is that this isn't how things are supposed to be.  Korey was Enchanted's ticket to stardom. 

Before there was a dead body, Enchanted was an aspiring singer, struggling with her tight knit family's recent move to the suburbs while trying to find her place as the lone Black girl in high school.  But then legendary R&B artist Korey Fields spots her at an audition.  And suddenly, her dream of being a professional singer takes flight.

Enchanted is dazzled by Korey's luxurious life but soon her dreams turn into a nightmare.  Behind Korey's charm and star power hides a dark side, one that wants to control her every move, with rage and consequences.  Except now he's dead and the police are at the door.  Who killed Korey Fields?

All signs point to Enchanted.

Book Trailer:

Read-a-Likes:

The Life I'm In by Sharon Flake

Muted by Tami Charles

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas

A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow

You Know I'm No Good by Jessie Ann Foley

Girl, Unframed by Deb Caletti

Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott

The Cellar by Natasha Preston

What Unbreakable Looks Like by Kate McLaughlin

Links of Interest:

Author website:  writeinebk.com

Author interview:  HERE

Q & A with author:  HERE

He Knew Better with authors Tiffany D. Jackson, Dhonielle Clayton, Ashley Woodfolk, & Nic Stone:  HERE

Author explains the importance of diverse, inclusive, and contempory books in schools & libraries:  HERE

Author blog:  HERE 

Educator's guide:  HERE

Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass by Mariko Tamaki & artist Steve Pugh

Publisher Information: New York, NY: DC Ink, 2019

Summary:  Harleen is a tough, outspoken, rebellious kid who lives in a ramshackle apartment above a karaoke cabaret owned by a drag queen named Mama.  Ever since Harleen's parents split, Mama has been her only family.  When the cabaret becomes the next victim in the wave of gentrification that's taking over the neighborhood, Harleen gets mad. 

When Harleen decides to turn her anger into action, she is faced with two choices: join Ivy, who's campaigning to make the neighborhood a better place to live, or join The Joker, who plans to take down Gotham one corporation at a time.

 Book Trailer:

https://youtu.be/oIkDU-RqSEY

Read-a-Likes:

Superman Smashes the Klan by Gene Luen Yang

All New Wolverine by Tom Taylor

Batman: Harley Quinn by Paul Dini

The Unbelievable Gwenpool by Christopher Hastings

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl by Ryan North

Links of Interest:

Author website:  marikotamaki.blogspot.com

Artist website:  stevepugh.com

Q & A with author and artist:  HERE

DC Ink:  HERE

He Must Like You by Danielle Younge-Ullman

Publisher Information:  New York, NY: Viking Books for Young Readers, 2020 

Summary:  Libby is having a rough senior year.  Her older brother absconded with his college money and is bartending on a Greek island.  Her dad just told her she's got to pay for college herself, and he's evicting her when she graduates so he can Airnb her room.  A drunken hook-up with her co-worker Kyle has left her upset and confused. 

So when Perry Ackerman, serial harasser and the most handsy customer at The Goat where she waitresses, pushes her over the edge, she can hardly be blamed for dumping a pitcher of sangria on his head.  Unfortunately, Perry is a local industry hero, the restaurant's most important customer, and Libby's mom's boss. 

Now Libby has to navigate the fallout of her outburst, find an apartment, and deal with her increasing rage at the guys who've screwed up her life--and her increasing crush on the only guy who truly gets her.

As timely as it is timeless, He Must Like You is a story about consent, rage, and revenge, and the potential we all have to be better people. 

Book Trailer:

https://youtu.be/EVcAKE8htXE

Read-a-Likes:

Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson

Girl, Unframed by Deb Caletti

Know My Name by Chanel Miller

You Know I'm No Good by Jessie Ann Foley

Gabi, a Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero

Links of Interest:

Author website:  danielleyoungeullman.com

Educator's guide:  HERE

Author interview:  HERE

Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker (art by Wendy Wu)

Publisher Information: St. Louis, MO:  Lion Forge LLC, 2019

Summary:  Nova Huang knows more about magic than your average teenage witch.  She works at her grandmothers' bookshop, where she helps them loan out spell books and investigate any supernatural occurences in their New England town.

One fateful night, she follows reports of a white wolf in the woods, and she comes across the unexpected:  her childhood crush, Tam Lang, battling a horse demon in the woods.  As  a werewolf, Tam has been wandering from place to place for years, unable to call any town home. 

Pursued by dark forces eager to claim the magic of wolves and out of options, Tam turns to Nova for help.  Their latent feelings are rekindled against a backdrop of witchcraft, untested magic, occult rituals, and family ties both new and old in this enchanting tale of self-discovery. 

Book Trailer:

Read-a-Likes:

Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell and illustrated by Faith Hicks

Bloom by Kevin Panetta and illustraded by Savanna Ganucheau

The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen

Witchlight by Jessi Zabarsky

Kiki's Delivery Service by Hayao Miyazaki

Sabrina the Teenage Witch by Kelly Thompson and illustrated by Veronica Fish and Andy Fish

Links of Interest:

Author website:  suzannewakeenwalker.com

Artist website:  artofwendyxwu.com

Educator's guide:  HERE

Mid-Autumn Festival:  HERE

The Other Side of the Sky by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

Publisher Information: New York, NY:  Harper Teen, 2020 

Summary:  Prince North's home is in the sky, in a gleaming city held aloft by intricate engines and powered by technology.  Nimh is the living goddess of her people on the Surface, responsible for providing answers, direction---hope.  North's and Nimh's lives are entwined ---though their hearts can never be.  Linked by a terrifying prophecy and caught between duty and fate, they must choose between saving their people or succumbing to the bond that is forbidden between them.

Book Trailer:

Read-a-Likes:

The  Young Elites  by Marie Lu

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

Furyborn by Claire Legrand

A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseann A. Brown

Links of Interest:

Author website:  amiekaufman.com

Author interview:  HERE

Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam

Publisher Information: New York, NY: Balzer + Bray, 2020

Summary:   Amal Shahid has always been an artist and a poet.  But even in a diverse art school, he's seen as  disruptive and unmotivated by a biased system.  Then one fateful night, an altercation in a gentrifrying neighborhood escalates into a tragedy.  "Boys just being boys" turns out to be true only when the boys are white.

Suddenly, at just sixteen years old, Amal's bright future is upended: he is convicted of a crime he didn't commit and sent to prison.  Despair and rage almost sink him until he turns to the refuge of his words, his art.  This never should have been his story.  But can he change it?

With spellbinding lyricism, award-winning author Ibi Zoboi and prison reform activist Yusef Salaam tell a moving and deeply profound story about how one boy is able to maintain his humanity to fight for the truth, in a system designed to stripe him of both. 

Book Trailer:

https://youtu.be/cfJUv-mZ0vo

Read-a-Likes:

Miles Morales by Jason Reynolds

Just Mercy: Adapted for young people by Bryan Stevenson

Monster by Walter Dean Myers

This is My America by Kim Johnson

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

A Very Large Expance of Sea by Tahereh Mafi

Dear Justyce by Nic Stone

Dear Martin by Nic Stone

Anger is a Gift by Mark Oshiro

Links of Interest:

Author website:  ibizoboi.net

Author website:  yusefspeaks.com

Educator's guide:  HERE

Interview with authors:  HERE

Innocence project:  HERE

Red Hood by Elana K. Arnold

Publisher Information: New York, NY: Balzer + Bray, 2020

Summary:  You are not alone in the woods, seen only by the unblinking yellow moon. 

Your hands are empty.  You are nearly naked. 

And the wolf is angry.

Since her grandmother became her caretaker when she was four years old, Bisou Martel has lived a quiet life in a little house in Seattle.  She's kept mostly to herself.  She's been good.  But then comes the night of homecoming,  when she finds herself running for her life over roots and between trees, a fury of claws, and teeth behind her.  A wolf attacks.  Biscou fights back.  A new moon rises.  And with it, questions.  About the blood in Bisou's past and on her hands as she stumbles home.  About broken boys and vicious wolves.  About girls lost in the woods --- frightened,  but not alone.  

Book Trailer:

https://youtu.be/n_NZpyFjw_c

Read-a-Likes:

Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron

The Bone Houses by Emily LLoyd-Jones

The Never Tilting World by Rin Chupeco

Damsel by Elana K. Arnold

Dark and Deepest Red by Anna-Marie McLemore

Links of Interest:

Author website:  elanakarnold.com 

Author interview:  HERE

Sick Kids in Love by Hannah Moskowitz

Publisher Information:  Fort Collins, CO: Entangled Teen, 2019

Summary:   Isabel has one rule:  no dating.  It's easier. - It's safer. - It's better for the other person. 

She's got issues.  She's got secrets.  She's got rheumatoid arthritis, an invisible chronic illness.  But then she meets another sick kid, Sasha.  He's got an invisible chronic illness too.  Isabel's never heard of it, something she can't even pronounce. 

He understands what it means to be sick.  He understands her more than her healthy friends.  He understands her more than her own father...and he's a doctor.

Sasha is gorgeous, fun and foul-mouthed.  And totally into her.

Isabel has one rule:  no dating.  It's complicated. - It's dangerous. - It's never felt better to consider breaking that rule for him.

Book Trailer:

Read-a-Likes:

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Five Feet Apart by Rachel Lippincott

It's My Life by Stacie Ramey

Just Breathe by Cammie McGovern

Girl on the Line by Faith Gardner

When My Heart Joins the Thousand by A.J. Steiger

Links of Interest:

Author Website:  hannahmosk.blogspot.com

Author interview:  HERE

Another author Interview:  HERE

Author's Twitter:  HERE

YA Cafe about Sick Kids in Love:  HERE

Information about Rheumatoid Arthritis:  HERE

Information about Gaucher Disease:  HERE

Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi

Publisher Information: New York, NY: Little Brown and Company, 2020 

Summary:  The construct of race has always been used to gain and keep power, to create dynamics that separate and silence.  This remarkable reimagining of Dr. Ibram X. Kendi's National Book Award-winning Stamped from the Beginning reveals the history of racist ideas in America, and inspires hope for an antiracist future.  It takes you on a race journey from then to now, shows you why we feel how we feel, and why the poison of racism lingers.  It also proves that while racist ideas have always been easy to fabricate and distribute, they can also be discredited.  

Through a gripping, fast-paced, and energizing narrative written by beloved award-winning Jason Reynolds, this book shines a light on the many insidious forms of racist ideas--and on ways readers can identify and stamp out racist thoughts in their daily lives.

 Book Trailer:

https://youtu.be/pFas9f-6K3I

Read-a-Likes:

We Are Not Yet Equal: Understanding our racial divide by Carol Anderson

Between the World and Me (adult) by Ta-Nahisi Coates

This Book is Anti-Racist: 20 lessons on how to wake up, take action and do the work by Tiffany Jewell

American Street by Ibi Zoboi

Black Enough: stories of being young and Black in America by Ibi Zoboi

Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi

Links of Interest:

Author Website:  jasonwritesbooks.com

Author website:  ibramxkendi.com

Book Guide, Graphics, Videos, and more from Hatchet Book Group :  HERE

Conversations with the authors and more from the National Council of Teachers of English:  HERE

Educator's guide:  HERE

PBS Black Culture Connection:  HERE

Read Across Rhode Island Book 2021 resources:  HERE

War and Speech by Don Zolidis

Publisher Information: New York, NY: Hyperion, 2020 

Summary:  A girl plots the takedown of the toxic Speech and Debate team that rules her school.

When Sydney starts Eaganville School for the Arts, she immediately runs afoul of the powerful Speech and Debate kids due to her mouthy nature.  She's adopted by other misfits with Speech grudges -- athletic Lakshmi; former Speech star Elijah; and gay theater aficionado Thomas. 

Sydney decides to avenge her friends by joining Speech and Debate and destroying it from the inside.   To do this, she must become good enough to stay on the varsity team all the way to the Nationals.  The dissent Sydney and her friends sow within the team involves inflaming rivalries, toying with hormones, and various other dirty tricks -- luckily, the varsity team members are so odious that their punishments remain hilarious.  The true villain is the win-at-all-costs abusive coach. 

 Book Trailer:

https://youtu.be/IgS1JMZs9xY

Read-a-Likes:

The Seven Torments of Amy and Craig by Don Zolidis

She's the Worst by Lauren Spieller

Lucky Caller by Emma Mills

How to Speak Boy by Tianna Smith

Meet Me at Midnight by Jessica Pennington

Links of Interest:

Author website:  donzolidis.com

Author interview:  HERE

Another author interview:  HERE

A play by Don Zolidis that was done by students in quarantine:  HERE

How to start a debate team:  HERE

We Are Not From Here by Jenny Torres Sanchez

Publisher Information: New York, NY: Philomel Books, 2020 

Summary: A ripped-from-the-headlines novel of desperation, escape, and survival across the U.S./Mexico border.

Pulga, Chico, and Pequena have no false illusions about the town they've grown up in and the dangers that surround them.  Though their families--both biological and found--create a warm community for them, threats lurk around every corner.  And when those threats become all too real, the three teens know they have no choice but to run: for the border, for the hope of freedom, and for their very lives.

Crossing from Guatemala to Mexico with their eyes on the U.S. border, they follow the route of La Bestia, a system of trains that promise the hope of freedom--if they are lucky enough to survive the harrowing journey.  With nothing but the bags on their backs and the desperation that courses through their very veins, Pulga, Chico, and Pequena know that there's no turning back, dangerous though the road ahead may be.

In this story inspired by real--and current--events, the plight at our southern border is brought to life.

 Book Trailer:

https://youtu.be/a57h0iYu4Ys

Read-a-Likes:

Beast Rider by Tony Johnston

We Are Here to Stay by Susan Kuklin

Santuary by Paola Mendoza

Enrique's Journey by Sonia Narazio

The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

American Street by Ibi Zoboi

Links of Interest:

Author website:  jennytorressanchez.com

Author interview:  HERE

You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson

Publisher Information: New York, NY:  Scholastic Press, 2020

Summary:   Liz Lighty has a plan: get into Pennington College, play clarinet in their famous orchestra, and become a doctor.  Unfortunately for Liz, her plans come to a screeching halt when the financial aid expects doesn't come through. 

Liz Lighty has a backup plan: win prom queen and win the scholarship from her school.  Liz is thrown into the crazy  and ridiculous nature of the prom season and with the help of her friends, she feels she has a chance.  Then she meets the sweet, funny, and all around amazing new girl Mack, who is also running for prom queen.  Will Liz fall for the competition or follow her dream?

 Book Trailer:

https://youtu.be/Gip8tbVG1NU

Read-a-Likes:

Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli

Let's Talk About Love by Claire Kann

Felix Ever After by Kacen Callendar

Camp by L.C. Rosen

I'll Be the One by Lyla Lee

Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby RIvera

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

All Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens Throughout the Ages edited by Saundra Mitchell

Links of Interest:

Author website:  byleahjohnson.com

Educator's guide:  HERE

Author interview:  HERE