2023 Discussion Guides

Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

Publisher Information: New York : Feiwel & Friends, 2021 

Summary:  When two Niveus Private Academy students, Devon Richards and Chiamaka Adebayo, are selected to be part of the elite school’s senior class prefects, it looks like their year is off to an amazing start. After all, not only does it look great on college applications, but it officially puts each of them in the running for valedictorian, too.

Shortly after the announcement is made, though, someone who goes by Aces begins using anonymous text messages to reveal secrets about the two of them that turn their lives upside down and threaten every aspect of their carefully planned futures.

As Aces shows no sign of stopping, what seemed like a sick prank quickly turns into a dangerous game, with all the cards stacked against them. Can Devon and Chiamaka stop Aces before things become incredibly deadly?

Book Trailer:

https://youtu.be/PNLeGBJgrIg

Read-a-Likes:

Gossip Girl by Cecily Von Ziegesar

One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee

Links of Interest:

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

7 Books That Inspired Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé While Writing Ace of Spades': https://www.bookdepository.com/blog/books-inspiration-ace-of-spades

Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/60MzApQ13q5eWju51cvE00?si=c3894d3ff3af4214&nd=1

All These Bodies by Kendare Blake

Publisher Information: New York, NY: Quill Tree Books, 2021 

Summary:  Summer 1958. A gruesome killer plagues the Midwest, leaving behind a trail of bodies completely drained of blood. Michael Jensen, an aspiring journalist whose father happens to be the town sheriff, never imagined that the Bloodless Murders would come to his backyard. Not until the night the Carlson family was found murdered in their home. Marie Catherine Hale, a diminutive fifteen-year-old, was discovered at the scene--covered in blood. She is the sole suspect in custody. Michael didn't think that he would be part of the investigation, but he is pulled in when Marie decides that he is the only one she will confess to. As Marie recounts her version of the story, it falls to Michael to find the truth: What really happened the night that the Carlsons were killed? And how did one girl wind up in the middle of all these bodies? 

Book Trailer:

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=embed_video&v=3101956183369622

Read-a-Likes:

Cadaver & Queen by Alisa Kwitney 

The Initial Insult by Mindy McGinnis 

Keep This to Yourself by Tom Ryan 

The Sacrifice Box by Martin J Stewart 

White Smoke by Tiffany D Jackson

Links of Interest:

Official Website: https://www.kendareblake.com/writing/all-these-bodies/

Kendare Blake Shares Three Secrets about 'All These Bodies': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sl2z5-ZzZlo

Rhode Island Historical Society Page on Mercy Brown: https://www.rihs.org/have-mercy/

Teaching Books Guide: https://www.teachingbooks.net/tb.cgi?tid=78117

Blackout by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon

Publisher Information:  New York, NY: Quill Tree Books, 2021 

Summary:   Blackout follows thirteen teenagers in six interlinked stories which celebrate Black love. After a summer heatwave causes a citywide power outage in New York City, Black teens explore love, friendships, and hidden truths over the course of a single day. Among the characters are exes who have to bury their rivalry to walk from Manhattan to Brooklyn for a block party, two boys who get trapped on the subway, and best friends who get stuck in the library. When the lights go out, people reveal hidden truths. Love blossoms, friendship transforms, and new possibilities take flight. 

Book Trailer:

https://youtu.be/ZhdQMwSkJSI

Read-a-Likes:

What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones

The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer

You've Reached Sam by Dustin Thao

Every Day by Daniel Levithan

Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon

Links of Interest:

Authors' Interview:  https://youtu.be/wSHz4aMkcrc

Teachers' Guide: https://b0f646cfbd7462424f7a-f9758a43fb7c33cc8adda0fd36101899.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/teaching-guides/TG-9780063088092.pdf

Book Club Guide: https://www.farshore.co.uk/resources/blackout-book-club-guide/

The Corpse Queen by Heather M. Herrman

Publisher Information:  New York, NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons, September 2021 

Summary:   Soon after her best friend Kitty mysteriously dies, orphaned seventeen-year-old Molly Green is sent away to live with her "aunt." With no relations that she knows of, Molly assumes she has been sold as free domestic labor for the price of an extra donation in the church orphanage's coffers. Such a thing is not unheard of. There are only so many options for an unmarried girl in 1850s Philadelphia. Only, when Molly arrives, she discovers her aunt is very much real, exceedingly wealthy, and with secrets of her own. Secrets and wealth she intends to share--for a price. Molly's estranged aunt Ava, has built her empire by robbing graves and selling the corpses to medical students who need bodies to practice surgical procedures. And she wants Molly to help her procure the corpses. As Molly learns her aunt's trade in the dead of night and explores the mansion by day, she is both horrified and deeply intrigued by the anatomy lessons held at the old church on her aunt's property. Enigmatic Doctor LaValle's lessons are a heady mixture of knowledge and power and Molly has never wanted anything more than to join his male-only group of students. But the cost of inclusion is steep and with a murderer loose in the city, the pursuit of power and opportunity becomes a deadly dance. 

Book Trailer:

Read-a-Likes:

The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee

The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig

A Great and Terrible Beauty (Gemma Doyle #1) by Libba Bray

These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

House of Furies by Madeleine Roux 

Links of Interest:

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

Read an Excerpt: http://www.penguinteen.com/cover-reveal-the-corpse-queen

Author Talk: https://fb.watch/bRXa9Ur0q9/

A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey

Publisher Information:  New York : Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2021 

Summary:   Love & Gelato meets Don’t Date Rosa Santos in this charming, heartfelt story following a Miami girl who unexpectedly finds love—and herself—in a small English town. For Lila Reyes, a summer in England was never part of the plan. The plan was 1) take over her abuela’s role as head baker at their panadería, 2) move in with her best friend after graduation, and 3) live happily ever after with her boyfriend. But then the Trifecta happened, and everything—including Lila herself—fell apart. Worried about Lila’s mental health, her parents make a new plan for her: spend three months with family friends in Winchester, England, to relax and reset. But with the lack of sun, a grumpy inn cook, and a small town lacking Miami flavor (both in food and otherwise), what would be a dream trip for some feels more like a nightmare to Lila…until she meets Orion Maxwell. A teashop clerk with troubles of his own, Orion is determined to help Lila out of her funk, and appoints himself as her personal tour guide. From Winchester’s drama-filled music scene to the sweeping English countryside, it isn’t long before Lila is not only charmed by Orion, but England itself. Soon a new future is beginning to form in Lila’s mind—one that would mean leaving everything she ever planned behind.  

Book Trailer:

https://youtu.be/AMDUoCO0Jic

Read-a-Likes:

I Love You So Mochi by Sara Kuhn

Salty, Bitter, Sweet by Mayra Cuevas

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

Links of Interest:

Author Website: https://www.laurataylornamey.com/books/a-cuban-girls-guide-to-tea-and-tomorrow/

Author Q&A: https://taylorismyfirstname.com/2020/11/24/qa-with-laura-taylor-namey/

Cuban Enough: Our Culture is Not a Monolith: https://frolic.media/cuban-enough-by-laura-taylor-namey/

The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer

Publisher Information:  New York : Katherine Tegen Books, HarperCollins Publishers, 2021 

Summary:  Earth's population is divided between only two existing countries which cannot manage to cooperate in any way, until a distress signal arrives from Titan's first settler and neither can afford to rescue her on their own if they act separately. Ambrose wakes up on board with successfully reaching his sister the primary thought in his mind until he notices several strange circumstances: he doesn't remember the launch, the ship's OS is voiced by his mother, strangers have been aboard, and the only other person on this mission has barricaded himself away from sight. It's quite possible he won't be able to puzzle out these occurrences on his own, but even in learning to work together, it's just as possible that Kodiak and Ambrose are up against bigger forces than they could have even imagined." 

Book Trailer:

https://www.canva.com/design/DAFG3Qk4V8g/watch

Read-a-Likes:

Illuminae by Amy Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

Aurora Rising by Amy Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

A Complicated Love Story Set in Space by Shaun David Hutchinson

Links of Interest:

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

Discussion with Author: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFIt1e5y1F0

Author Twitter: https://twitter.com/EliotSchrefer?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor 

Author Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/schrefer

Donuts and Other Proclamations of Love by Jared Reck

Publisher Information: New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf, June 2021 

Summary:  It's easy to look at high school senior Oscar Olsson and think: lost. He hates school, struggles to read, and wants nothing to do with college. But Oscar is anything but lost---he knows exactly what he wants and exactly how to get it. Oscar and Farfar, the Swedish grandfather who's raised him, run a food truck together selling rullekebab and munkar, and Oscar wants to finish school so he can focus on the food truck full-time.

It's easy to look at Mary Louise (Lou for short) Messinger and think: driven. AP everything, valedictorian in her sights, and Ivy league college aspirations.

When Lou hijacks Oscar's carefully crafted schedule of independent studies and blocks of time in the Culinary Lab, Oscar is roped into helping Lou complete her over-ambitious, resume-building service project-reducing food waste in Central Adams High School. While Lou stands to gain her Girl Scout Gold Award, Oscar will be faced with a mountain of uneaten school apples and countless hours with a girl he can't stand.

With the finish line in sight, a relationship he never expected, and festival season about to begin (for good), the unthinkable happens, and Oscar's future is anything but certain.

Book Trailer:

https://youtu.be/iHSz8ONC7w0

Read-a-Likes:

In the Wild Light by Jeff Zentner

The Translucent Boy and the Girl Who Saw Him by Tom Hoffman 

A Short History of the Girl Next Door by Jared Reck 

The Length of a String by Elissa Brent Weissman

You’d Be Home by Now by Kathleen Glasgow

All the Things We Never Knew by Liara Tamani

Links of Interest:

Author Website: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/549850/donuts-and-other-proclamations-of-love-by-jared-reck/ 

Publisher Website:https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/549850/donuts-and-other-proclamations-of-love-by-jared-reck/ 

YALSA Amazing Audiobooks Recommendation: https://static.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jared-reck/donuts-and-other-proclamations-of-love/ 

An Emotion of Great Delight by Tahereh Mafi

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

Summary:  It’s 2003, several months since the US officially declared war on Iraq, and the American political world has evolved. Tensions are high, hate crimes are on the rise, FBI agents are infiltrating local mosques, and the Muslim community is harassed and targeted more than ever. Shadi, who wears hijab, keeps her head down.

She's too busy drowning in her own troubles to find the time to deal with bigots.

Shadi is named for joy, but she’s haunted by sorrow. Her brother is dead, her father is dying, her mother is falling apart, and her best friend has mysteriously dropped out of her life. And then, of course, there’s the small matter of her heart—

It’s broken.

Shadi tries to navigate her crumbling world by soldiering through, saying nothing. She devours her own pain, each day retreating farther and farther inside herself until finally, one day, everything changes.

She explodes.

An Emotion of Great Delight is a searing look into the world of a single Muslim family in the wake of 9/11. It’s about a child of immigrants forging a blurry identity, falling in love, and finding hope—in the midst of a modern war.

Book Trailer:

https://www.flexclip.com/share/633440072b2542ea92f9cc95b31f815a.html

Read-a-Likes:

Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram

All My Rage by Saba Tahir

My Heart Underwater by Laurel Flores Fantauzzo

All-American Muslim Girl by Nadine Jolie Courtney

Links of Interest:

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

Author's Website: https://www.harpercollins.com/blogs/authors/tahereh-mafi-20144252415773

Author Q&A : https://www.loc.gov/item/webcast-10030/

A Conversation between Tahereh Mafi and Marie Lu: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ot_Z6zIeg1s

Blog Post from We Need Diverse Books: https://diversebooks.org/an-emotion-of-great-delight-by-tahereh-mafi-is-about-containing-multitudes/

Fallout: Spies, Superbombs and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown by Steve Sheinkin 

Publisher Information: New York, NY: Roaring Brook Press 2021 

Summary:  As World War II comes to a close, the United States and the Soviet Union emerge as the two greatest world powers on extreme opposites of the political spectrum. After the United States showed its hand with the atomic bomb in Hiroshima, the Soviets refuse to be left behind. With communism sweeping the globe, the two nations begin a neck-and-neck competition to build even more destructive bombs and conquer the Space Race. In their battle for dominance, spy planes fly above, armed submarines swim deep below, and undercover agents meet in the dead of night. 

The Cold War game grows more precarious as weapons are pointed towards each other, with fingers literally on the trigger. The decades-long showdown culminates in the Cuban Missile Crisis, the world's close call with the third―and final―world war. 

Book Trailer:

https://youtu.be/PI4SpQBLk3M

Read-a-Likes:

Bomb: The Race to Build--and Steal--the World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin 

Blacklisted!: Hollywood, the Cold War, and the First Amendment by Larry Dane Brimner 

Bridge of Spies by Giles Whittell 

Walls by L.M. Eliott 

Links of Interest:

Official Author Website: http://stevesheinkin.com/

Book Review and Author Interview:https://www.shelf-awareness.com/readers-issue.html?issue=1055#m18409

Publisher’s Discussion Guide: https://www.mackidsschoolandlibrary.com/discussion-guide-fallout/

Author Interview: https://youtu.be/Mh7XxvDlOLg

Author Interview: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2021/08/04/steve-sheinkin-returns-a-deep-dive-into-the-fallout/

Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley

Publisher Information: Henry, Holt & Co.  March 2021

Summary:  Angeline Boulley's debut novel, Firekeeper's Daughter, is a groundbreaking YA thriller about a Native teen who must root out the corruption in her community. Eighteen-year-old Daunis Fontaine has never quite fit in, both in her hometown and on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. She dreams of a fresh start at college, but when family tragedy strikes, Daunis puts her future on hold to look after her fragile mother. The only bright spot is meeting Jamie, the charming new recruit on her brother Levi’s hockey team. Yet even as Daunis falls for Jamie, she senses the dashing hockey star is hiding something. Everything comes to light when Daunis witnesses a shocking murder, thrusting her into an FBI investigation of a lethal new drug. Reluctantly, Daunis agrees to go undercover, drawing on her knowledge of chemistry and Ojibwe traditional medicine to track down the source. But the search for truth is more complicated than Daunis imagined, exposing secrets and old scars. At the same time, she grows concerned with an investigation that seems more focused on punishing the offenders than protecting the victims. Now, as the deceptions—and deaths—keep growing, Daunis must learn what it means to be a strong Anishinaabe kwe (Ojibwe woman) and how far she’ll go for her community, even if it tears apart the only world she’s ever known.

 Book Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Y7y75ROo4A&feature=youtu.be&scrlybrkr=876ea429

Read-a-Likes:

A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger

Give Me Some Truth by Eric L. Gansworth

Walking in Two Worlds by Wab Kinew

Killers of the Flower Moon: the Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI (Young Readers Edition) by David Grann

Links of Interest:

Author website:  https://angelineboulley.com/(link is external)

Book Club Kit:  https://bookish.netgalley.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Firekeepers-Daughter-Book-Club-Kit.pdf

Author interview:   https://diversebooks.org/qa-with-angeline-boulley-firekeepers-daughter/ 

Author interview and panel discussion:  Firekeeper’s Daughter: a celebration of indigenous literature with Angeline Boulley and Louise Erdich

The Girls I've Been by Tess Sharpe

Publisher Information:  New York, NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons 2021

Summary:  Nora O'Malley's been a lot of girls. As the daughter of a con-artist who targets criminal men, she grew up as her mother's protégé. But when her mom fell for the mark instead of conning him, Nora pulled the ultimate con: escape. 

For five years Nora's been playing at normal. But she needs to dust off the skills she ditched because she has three problems:

#1: Her ex walked in on her with her girlfriend. Even though they're all friends, Wes didn't know about her and Iris. 

#2: The morning after Wes finds them kissing, they all have to meet to deposit the fundraiser money they raised at the bank. It's a nightmare that goes from awkward to deadly, because: 

#3: Right after they enter the bank, two guys start robbing it. 

The bank robbers may be trouble, but Nora's something else entirely. They have no idea who they're really holding hostage . . 

Book Trailer:

https://youtu.be/-d7wCBFRa0w

Read-a-Likes:

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson

This Is My America by Kim Johnson 

All Your Twisted Secrets by Diana Urban

Links of Interest:

Author Website: http://www.tess-sharpe.com/

Official Website: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/671421/the-girls-ive-been-by-tess-sharpe/

Himawari House by Harmony Becker

Publisher Information: New York, NY: First Second 2021

Summary:  Living in a new country is no walk in the park--Nao, Hyejung, and Tina can all attest to that. The three of them became fast friends through living together in the Himawari House in Tokyo and attending the same Japanese cram school. Nao came to Japan to reconnect with her Japanese heritage, while Hyejung and Tina came to find freedom and their own paths. Though each of them has her own motivations and challenges, they all deal with language barriers, being a fish out of water, self discovery, love, and family.

Book Trailer:

https://youtu.be/PNhQ63Uvckw

Read-a-Likes:

Huda F Are You?  by Huda Fahmy

Silver Spoon by Hiromu Arakawa

Listen, Layla by Yassmin Abdel-Magied

The Greatest Thing by Sarah Winifred Searle

How Do You Live? by Genzaburo Yoshino

Love in English by Maria E Andreu

Barakamon by Satsuki Machino

Yotsuba&! by Kiyohiko Azuma

Links of Interest:

Author website:  https://www.instagram.com/hamin

Author Q & A: https://www.slj.com/story/interview-harmony-becker-creator-of-himawari-house-graphic-novels

A Conversation with Graphic Novel Illustrator Harmony Becker

Home is Not a Country by Safia Elhillo

Publisher Information: New York, NY: Make Me a World, 2021

Summary:   Nima doesn't feel understood. By her mother, who grew up far away in a different land. By her suburban town, which makes her feel too much like an outsider to fit in and not enough like an outsider to feel like that she belongs somewhere else. At least she has her childhood friend Haitham, with whom she can let her guard down and be herself. Until she doesn't. As the ground is pulled out from under her, Nima must grapple with the phantom of a life not chosen, the name her parents didn't give her at birth: Yasmeen. But that other name, that other girl, might just be more real than Nima knows. And more hungry. And the life Nima has, the one she keeps wishing were someone else's...she might have to fight for it with a fierceness she never knew she had.

Book Trailer:

https://youtu.be/AaqxL1eWcR8

Read-a-Likes:

All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir

Come On In: 15 Stories About Immigration and Finding Home edited by Adi Alsaid

Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know by Samira Ahmed

You Truly Assumed by Laila Sabreen

Zara Hossain is Here by Sabina Khan

Links of Interest:

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

Author Q&A: https://thenerddaily.com/safia-elhillo-author-interview/

Teaching Books Guide: Teaching Books Guide to 'Home is Not a Country'

House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland

Publisher Information: New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2021

Summary:   Iris Hollow and her older sisters, Grey and Vivi, disappeared as children one cold night only to return a month later, but different. As they aged, their dark hair turned white, their blue eyes turned black, a small crescent shape scar had appeared on their necks, and none of them remembered what happened to them. When her oldest sister, Grey, goes missing once again, Iris with the help of her sister has to delve into her past to save her sister from the nightmares they had forgotten.

Book Trailer:

https://youtu.be/VdgmDTLylyo

Read-a-Likes:

Small Favors by Erin A. Craig

What Big Teeth by Rose Szabo

Wilder Girls by Rory Power

Horrid by Katrina Leno

Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand 

Links of Interest:

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

Q&A with Author: https://thenerddaily.com/krystal-sutherland-house-of-hollow-interview/ 

Questions with the Author: http://www.penguinteen.com/house-of-hollow-secrets-krystal-sutherland-reveals-5-shocking-things-that-almost-happened/ 

In Deeper Waters by F. T Lukens

Publisher Information: NY, NY: Margaret K. McElderry Books , 2021

Summary:  Prince Tal has long awaited his coming-of-age tour. After spending most of his life cloistered behind palace walls as he learns to keep his forbidden magic secret, he can finally see his family's kingdom for the first time. His first taste of adventure comes just two days into the journey, when their crew discovers a mysterious prisoner on a burning derelict vessel. Tasked with watching over the prisoner, Tal is surprised to feel an intense connection with the roguish Athlen. So when Athlen leaps overboard and disappears, Tal feels responsible and heartbroken, knowing Athlen could not have survived in the open ocean. That is, until Tal runs into Athlen days later on dry land, very much alive, and as charming--and secretive--as ever. But before they can pursue anything further, Tal is kidnapped by pirates and held ransom in a plot to reveal his rumored powers and instigate a war. Tal must escape if he hopes to save his family and the kingdom. And Athlen might just be his only hope.

Book Trailer:

https://youtu.be/rSp-MtxVuQM

Read-a-Likes:

The Mermaid, The Witch, and the Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall 

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

Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst 

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas 

The Girl From the Sea by Molly Ostertag 

The Dark Tide by Alicia Jasinska

Links of Interest:

Author webpage: https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/F-T-Lukens/172896571 

NPR Review: https://www.npr.org/2021/04/24/989445880/in-deeper-waters-is-a-frothy-romantic-confection 

Tor.com Review: https://www.tor.com/2021/04/21/book-reviews-in-deeper-waters-by-f-t-lukens/

Kneel by Candace Buford

Publisher Information: Inkyard Press; Original edition 2021

Summary:  For guys like Russell Boudreaux, football is the only way out of their small town. As the team’s varsity tight end, Rus has a singular goal: to get a scholarship and play on the national stage. But when his best friend is unfairly arrested and kicked off the team, Rus faces an impossible choice: speak up or live in fear.

Desperate for change, Rus kneels during the national anthem. In one instant, he falls from local stardom and becomes a target for hatred. But he’s not alone. With the help of his best friend and an unlikely ally, Rus will fight for his dreams, and for justice.

Book Trailer:

Read-a-Likes:

The Black Kids by Christine Hammond Reed 

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds 

This Is My America by Kim Johnson

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas 

Slay by Brittney Morris

Links of Interest:

Author Website: https://candacebuford.squarespace.com/ 

Author Interview: https://youtu.be/BBmxSlaEAxo

Discussion Guide: https://www.bookclubbish.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Kneel-by-Candace-Buford_Discussion-Guide.pdf

 Not My Problem by Ciara Smyth

Publisher Information:  New York, New York: Harper Teen, 2021

Summary:  Aideen has plenty of problems she can’t fix. Her best (and only) friend is pulling away. Her mother’s drinking problem is a constant concern. She’s even running out of outlandish diseases to fake so she can skip PE.  But when Aideen stumbles on her nemesis, overachiever Meabh Kowalski, in the midst of a full-blown meltdown, she sees a problem that—unlike her own disaster of a life—seems refreshingly easy to solve. Meabh is desperate to escape her crushing pile of extracurriculars. Aideen volunteers to help. By pushing Meabh down the stairs.  Problem? Solved. Meabh’s sprained ankle is the perfect excuse to ditch her overwhelming schedule. But when another student learns about their little scheme and brings Aideen another “client” who needs her “help,” it kicks off a semester of traded favors, ill-advised hijinks, and an unexpected chance at love. Fixing other people’s problems won’t fix her own, but it might be the push she needs to start.

Book Trailer:

https://biteable.com/watch/3541028/05c509e9bdf2985aed0848ce56fe58e5?scrlybrkr=876ea429

Read-a-Likes:

She Drives Me Crazy by Kelly Quindlen 

I Think I Love You by Auriane Desombre 

Not Here To Be Liked by Michelle Quach 

Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon 

Heretics Anonymous by Katie Henry 

Simon and the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli 

Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen 

Late To the Party by Kelly Quindlen 

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell 

Links of Interest:

Ciara Smyth Official Website: https://ciarasmyth.com/

Not My Problem by Ciara Smyth, KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Awards 2022: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a85j0YLKvXA

Q&A with Ciara Smyth: https://beyondabookshelf.co.uk/2021/not-my-problem-ciara-smyth/

Written Q&A with Ciara Smith: https://diversebooks.org/qa-with-ciara-smyth-not-my-problem/

Nubia: Real One by L.L. McKinney and Ills. by Robyn Smith

Publisher Information: Burbank, CA: DC Comics 2021

Summary:  Can you be a hero...if society doesn’t see you as a person? Nubia has always been a little bit...different. As a baby she showcased Amazonian-like strength by pushing over a tree to rescue her neighbor’s cat. But, despite having similar abilities, the world has no problem telling her that she’s no Wonder Woman. And even if she was, they wouldn’t want her. Every time she comes to the rescue, she’s reminded of how people see her; as a threat. Her Moms do their best to keep her safe, but Nubia can’t deny the fire within her, even if she’s a little awkward about it sometimes. Even if it means people assume the worst. When Nubia’s best friend, Quisha, is threatened by a boy who thinks he owns the town, Nubia will risk it all—her safety, her home, and her crush on that cute kid in English class—to become the hero society tells her she isn’t. From the witty and powerful voice behind A Blade So Black, L.L. McKinney, and with endearing and expressive art by Robyn Smith, comes a vital story for today about equality, identity and kicking it with your squad. 

 Book Trailer:

Read-a-Likes:

I Am Not Starfire by Mariko Tamaki

Teen Titans: Raven by Kami Garcia and Ills. by Gabriel Picolo

March: Book One by John Lewis

Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass by Mariko Tamaki 

Links of Interest:

Author Website: https://llmckinney.com/ 

Artist Website: https://www.robrosmo.com/

The Passing Playbook by Isaac Fitzsimons

Publisher Information: New York: Dial Books, 2021

Summary:  Spencer Harris is looking for a fresh start at his new school after being bullied and harassed out of his old one for being transgender. The new school seems to be like it could be a fit. The students seem more accepting. He is making friends easily and is quickly able to join the boys’ soccer team. The only issue is that no one knows Spencer is transgender at his new school. When a discriminatory law causes the soccer coach to bench Spencer after seeing his birth certificate, Spencer has to make a decision: stay on the sidelines or fight for his right to play.

 Book Trailer:

https://youtu.be/ln6dJYAJOTQ

Read-a-Likes:

Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender

Stay Gold by Tobly McSmith

May the Best Man Win by ZR Ellor

Between Perfect and Real by Ray Stoeve

Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee

Links of Interest:

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

Author Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QEWbuKDgic

Q&A: https://diversebooks.org/qa-with-isaac-fitzsimons-the-passing-playbook/

Spotify Playlist from the Author: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5GIkl7ujpiaDuGnIOluO6D?go=1&sp_cid=c7f45d29145096c90eccacc7460ae1e7&utm_source=embed_player_m&utm_medium=desktop&nd=1

Take Me With You When You Go by David Levithan and Jennifer Niven

Publisher Information: New York, New York: Penguin Random House, 2021

Summary:  From the New York Times bestselling authors of All the Bright Places and Every Day comes a story of hope, siblinghood, and finding your home in the people who matter the most.

Subject: You. Missing. Ezra Ahern wakes up one day to find his older sister, Bea, gone. No note, no sign, nothing but an email address hidden somewhere only he would find it. Ezra never expected to be left behind with their abusive stepfather and their neglectful mother—how is he supposed to navigate life without Bea? 

Bea Ahern already knew she needed to get as far away from home as possible But a message in her inbox changes everything, and she finds herself alone in a new city—without Ez, without a real plan—chasing someone who might not even want to be found. 

As things unravel at home for Ezra, Bea will confront secrets about their past that will forever change the way they think about their family. Together and apart, broken by abuse but connected by love, this brother and sister must learn to trust themselves before they can find a way back to each other. 

 Book Trailer:

https://youtu.be/869qrtvzlMw

Read-a-Likes:

Dear Twin by Addie Tsai  

Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany Jackson 

Sadie by Courtney Summers 

Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbuam 

Links of Interest:

David Levithan's Website:  http://www.davidlevithan.com

Jennifer Niven's Website: https://www.jenniferniven.com

Today Tonight Tomorrow by  Rachel Lynn Soloman

Publisher Information: Simon Pulse, July 2020

Summary: The Hating Game meets Booksmart by way of Morgan Matson in this unforgettable romantic comedy about two rival overachievers whose relationship completely transforms over the course of twenty-four hours.

Today, she hates him.

It’s the last day of senior year. Rowan Roth and Neil McNair have been bitter rivals for all of high school, clashing on test scores, student council elections, and even gym class pull-up contests. While Rowan, who secretly wants to write romance novels, is anxious about the future, she’d love to beat her infuriating nemesis one last time.

Tonight, she puts up with him.

When Neil is named valedictorian, Rowan has only one chance at victory: Howl, a senior class game that takes them all over Seattle, a farewell tour of the city she loves. But after learning a group of seniors is out to get them, she and Neil reluctantly decide to team up until they’re the last players left—and then they’ll destroy each other.

As Rowan spends more time with Neil, she realizes he’s much more than the awkward linguistics nerd she’s sparred with for the past four years. And, perhaps, this boy she claims to despise might actually be the boy of her dreams.

Tomorrow…maybe she’s already fallen for him.

 Book Trailer:

https://youtu.be/DGApEaYQ0uY

Read-a-Likes:

Tweet Cute  by Emma Lord

By The Book by Amanda Sellet

Charming as a Verb  by Ben Phillippe

Perfect on Paper by Sophie Gonzales

Links of Interest:

Rachel Lynn Solomon | Official Publisher Page | Simon & Schuster

Virtual #BNYABookclub - TODAY TONIGHT TOMORROW

What I Carry by  Jennifer Longo

Publisher Information: New York, NY: Random House Books for Younger Readers, 2020

Summary:  Growing up in foster care, Muir has lived in many houses. And if she's learned one thing, it is to Pack. Light.

Carry only what fits in a suitcase.

Toothbrush? Yes.

Socks? Yes.

Emotional attachment to friends? foster families? a boyfriend? Nope!

There's no room for any additional baggage.

Muir has just one year left before she ages out of the system. One year before she's free. One year to avoid anything--or anyone--that could get in her way.

Then she meets Francine. And Kira. And Sean.

And everything changes.

 Book Trailer:

https://youtu.be/VPfZQJiA0MM

Read-a-Likes:

Far From the Tree  by Robin Benway

The Sun is Also a Star  by Nicola Yoon

Unstoppable Moses by Tyler James Smith

The How and the Why by Cynthia Hand

The Infinite Pieces of Us by Rebeckah Crane

We Are Okay  by Nina LaCoeur

Links of Interest:

Official Website: http://www.jenlongo.com/

Q&A: http://deborahkalbbooks.blogspot.com/2020/01/q-with-jennifer-longo.html

Author Interview: https://youtu.be/YKOPgn_fdYU