Embedded Files
6 Times We Almost Kissed (and One Time We Did)
6 Times We Almost Kissed (and One Time We Did)
Publisher Information: Little, Brown 2023
Summary: Six moments lead us to two girls, one kiss, and three little words that were maybe always true in this gorgeous novel perfect for fans of Nina LaCour and Jenny Han. 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, emotionally, and financially, the Moms combine their households the summer before senior year.
So Penny and Tate make a pact: They’ll play nice. Be the drama-free daughters their mothers need through this scary and hopeful time. There’s only one little hitch in their plan: Penny and Tate keep almost kissing. It’s just this confusing thing that keeps happening. You know, from time to time. For basically their entire teenaged existence.
They’ve never talked about it. They’ve always ignored it in the aftermath. But now they’re living across the hall from each other. And some things—like their kisses—can’t be almost forever.
Book Trailer:
https://www.tiktok.com/@chronicallybookish/video/7199055280351595822?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7431992111334475295
Read-a-Likes:
Margo Zimmerman Gets the Girl by Brianna R. Shrum & Sarah Waxelbaum
You Don't Have a Shot by Racquel Marie
The Dos and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaigirdar
We Are Okay by Nina LaCour
She Drives Me Crazy by Kelly Quindlen
Links of Interest:
Author Website: https://www.tess-sharpe.com/
An Interview with Tess Sharpe: https://culturess.com/2023/01/23/interview-tess-sharpe-discusses-new-book-fanfiction-emotional-scenes/
What They're Saying on BookTok: https://www.tiktok.com/discover/6-times-we-almost-kissed-book
Bianca Torre is Afraid of Everything
Bianca Torre is Afraid of Everything
Publisher Information: Clarion 2023
Summary: Murder most fowl In this sardonic and campy YA thriller, an anxious, introverted nonbinary teen birder somehow finds themself investigating a murder with their neighbor/fellow anime lover, all while falling for a cute girl from their birding group...and trying not to get killed next.
Sixteen-year-old Bianca Torre is an avid birder undergoing a gender identity crisis and grappling with an ever-growing list of fears. Some, like Fear #6: Initiating Conversation, keep them constrained, forcing them to watch birds from the telescope in their bedroom. And, occasionally, their neighbors. When their gaze wanders to one particular window across the street, Bianca witnesses a creepy plague-masked murderer take their neighbor's life. Worse, the death is ruled a suicide, forcing Bianca to make a choice--succumb to their long list of fears (including #3 Murder and #55 Breaking into a Dead Guy's Apartment), or investigate what happened.
Bianca enlists the help of their friend Anderson Coleman, but the two have more knowledge of anime than true crime. As Bianca and Anderson dig deeper into the murder with a little help from Bianca's crush and fellow birding aficionado, Elaine Yee (#13 Beautiful People, #11 Parents Discovering They're a Raging Lesbian), the trio uncover a conspiracy much larger--and weirder--than imagined. And when the killer catches wind of the investigation, suddenly Bianca's #1 fear of public speaking doesn't sound so bad compared to the threat of being silenced for good. In this absurdist, darkly comical YA thriller that is a deceptively deep exploration of anxiety and identity, perhaps the real murder investigation is the friends we make along the way
Book Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/-6Z-k51Ke5U?feature=share
Read-a-Likes:
Gwen & Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher
One Killer Problem by Justine Pucella Winans
Wander in the Dark by Jumata Emill
The Wicked Bargain by Gabe Cole Novoa
Links of Interest:
Author website: https://www.justinepucellawinans.com/
Author interview: https://www.bookweb.org/news/indies-introduce-qa-justine-pucella-winans-1629259
Cornell Lab: All About Birds, Your Online Guide To Birds And Birdwatching: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news
The Blood Years
The Blood Years
Publisher Information: Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, New York, NY, 2023
Summary: Frederieke Teitler and her older sister, Astra, live in a house, in a city, in a world divided. Their father ran out on them when Rieke was only six, leaving their mother a wreck and their grandfather as their only stable family. He’s done his best to provide for them and shield them from antisemitism, but now, seven years later, being a Jew has become increasingly dangerous, even in their beloved home of Czernowitz, long considered a safe haven for Jewish people. And when Astra falls in love and starts pulling away from her, Rieke wonders if there’s anything in her life she can count on—and, if so, if she has the power to hold on to it.
Then—war breaks out in Europe. First the Russians, then the Germans, invade Czernowitz. Almost overnight, Rieke and Astra’s world changes, and every day becomes a struggle: to keep their grandfather’s business, to keep their home, to keep their lives. Rieke has long known that she exists in a world defined by those who have power and those who do not, and as those powers close in around her, she must decide whether holding on to her life might mean letting go of everything that has ever mattered to her—and if that’s a choice she will even have the chance to make.
Book Trailer:
Read-a-Likes:
I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys
Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
Links of Interest:
Author website: https://elanakarnold.com
Educator's guide: https://b0f646cfbd7462424f7a-f9758a43fb7c33cc8adda0fd36101899.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/teaching-guides/TG-9780062990853.pdf
Author interview: https://youtu.be/xDcGUUflMF8?si=OvAeqIkJ74gsn7vd
Chaos Theory
Chaos Theory
Title: Chaos Theory
Author: Nic Stone
Publication Info: Ember 2024
Summary : The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dear Martin delivers a gripping romance about two teens: a certified genius living with a diagnosed mental disorder and a politician's son who is running from his own addiction and grief. Don't miss this gut punch of a novel about mental health, loss, and discovering you are worthy of love.
Scars exist to remind us of what we've survived.
DETACHED
Since Shelbi enrolled at Windward Academy as a senior and won't be there very long, she hasn't bothered making friends. What her classmates don't know about her can't be used to hurt her--you know, like it did at her last school.
WASTED
Andy Criddle is not okay. At all.
He's had far too much to drink.
Again. Which is bad.
And things are about to get worse.
When Shelbi sees Andy at his lowest, she can relate. So she doesn't resist reaching out. And there's no doubt their connection has them both seeing stars . . . but the closer they get, the more the past threatens to pull their universes apart.
#1 New York Times bestselling author Nic Stone delivers a tour de force about living with grief, prioritizing mental health, and finding love amid the chaos. (Summary from catalog)
Read-a-likes:
The Spectacular Now Tharp, Tim
Tilt Hopkins, Ellen
Lux Woodfolk, Ashley
Links of Interest:
Colin Kaepernick: Change the Game
Colin Kaepernick: Change the Game
Title: Change the Game by Colin Kaepernick and Eve L. Eweing, with illustrations by Orlando Caicedo
Publisher Information: Scholastic Inc., 2023
Summary: Change the Game is an inspiring high school graphic novel memoir for readers 12 and up from celebrated athlete and activist Colin Kaepernick. High school star athlete Colin Kaepernick is at a crossroads in life. Heavily scouted by colleges and MLB as a baseball pitcher, he has a bright future ahead of him as a highly touted prospect. Everyone from his parents to his teachers and coaches are in agreement on his future. Colin feels differently. Colin isn’t excited about baseball. In the words of five-time all-star MLB player Adam Jones, “Baseball is a white man’s game.” Colin looks up to athletes like Allen talented, hyper-competitive, unapologetically Black, and dominating their sports while staying true to themselves. College football looks a lot more fun than sleeping on hotel room floors in the minor leagues of baseball. But Colin doesn't have a single offer to play football. Yet. This touching graphic novel explores the story of how a young change-maker learned to find himself and never compromise. How the right decision is very rarely the easy one, but taking the road less traveled can make all the difference in the world. (Summary from Goodreads)
Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euOy6PaWNi0
Read-A-Likes:
Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang
Kneel by Candace Buford
Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice by Tommie Smith
Things that Make White People Uncomfortable: Adapted for Young Readers by Michael Bennett and Dave Zirin
Work with What You Got by Zion Clark
Links of Interest:
The Davenports
The Davenports
Title: The Davenports
Author: Krystal Marquis
Publication Information: Dial Books 2024
Summary: The Davenports are one of the few Black families of immense wealth and status in a changing United States, their fortune made through the entrepreneurship of William Davenport, a formerly enslaved man who founded the Davenport Carriage Company years ago. Now it's 1910, and the Davenports live surrounded by servants, crystal chandeliers, and endless parties, finding their way and finding love--even where they're not supposed to.
There is Olivia, the beautiful elder Davenport daughter, ready to do her duty by getting married . . . until she meets the charismatic civil rights leader Washington DeWight and sparks fly. The younger daughter, Helen, is more interested in fixing cars than falling in love--unless it's with her sister's suitor. Amy-Rose, the childhood friend turned maid to the Davenport sisters, dreams of opening her own business--and marrying the one man she could never be with, Olivia and Helen's brother, John. But Olivia's best friend, Ruby, also has her sights set on John Davenport, though she can't seem to keep his interest . . . until family pressure has her scheming to win his heart, just as someone else wins hers.
Inspired by the real-life story of the Patterson family, The Davenports is the tale of four determined and passionate young Black women discovering the courage to steer their own path in life--and love. (summary from catalog)
Read-a-likes:
Out of Darkness Perez, Ashley Hope
A Sitting in St. James William-Garcia, Rita
The Revolution of Birdie Randolph Colbert, Brandy
Links of Interest
Interview with Krystal Marquis
Dead Flip
Dead Flip
Publisher Information: Hachette Book Group, 2022
Summary: Growing up, Cori, Maz, and Sam were inseparable best friends, sharing their love for Halloween, arcade games, and one another. Now it’s 1992, Sam has been missing for five years, and Cori and Maz aren’t speaking anymore. How could they be, when Cori is sure Sam is dead and Maz thinks he may have been kidnapped by a supernatural pinball machine?
These days, all Maz wants to do is party, buy CDs at Sam Goody, and run away from his past. Meanwhile, Cori is a homecoming queen, hiding her abiding love of horror movies and her queer self under the bubblegum veneer of a high school queen bee. But when Sam returns—still twelve years old while his best friends are now seventeen—Maz and Cori are thrown back together to solve the mystery of what really happened to Sam the night he went missing. Beneath the surface of that mystery lurk secrets the friends never told one another, then and now. And Sam’s is the darkest of all…
Book Trailer:
https://youtu.be/LNKE4coPc8I
Read-a-Likes:
All These Bodies by Kendare Blake
Blackwater by Jeannette Arroyo
Bone Jack by Sara Crowe
The Sacrifice Box by Martin J. Stewart
Thornhill by Pam Smy
Links of Interest:
Author Website: https://www.sarafarizan.com/
Author Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-X7RCRdG3DE
Gen Z and Pinball: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rQrilhtX1k
Divine Rivals
Divine Rivals
Publisher Information: Wednesday Books, New York, 2023
Summary: After centuries of sleep, the gods are warring again. But eighteen-year-old Iris Winnow just wants to hold her family together. Her mother is suffering from addiction and her brother is missing from the front lines. Her best bet is to win the columnist promotion at the Oath Gazette. To combat her worries, Iris writes letters to her brother and slips them beneath her wardrobe door, where they vanish―into the hands of Roman Kitt, her cold and handsome rival at the paper. When he anonymously writes Iris back, the two of them forge a connection that will follow Iris all the way to the front lines of battle: for her brother, the fate of mankind, and love.
Book Trailer:
https://youtu.be/W7O3lelDoZ4
Read-a-Likes:
Antigoddess by Kendare Blake
Seasons of the Storm by Elle Cosimano
Threads That Bind by Kika Hatzopoulou
Links of Interest:
Author Website: https://rebeccarossauthor.com/divine-rivals/
Types of Tea: https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/tea-types-and-their-health-benefits?scrlybrkr=876ea429
Enter the Body
Enter the Body
Title: Enter the Body
Author: Joy McCullough
Publication Information: Dutton Books for Young Readers 2023
Summary: In the room beneath a stage's trapdoor, Shakespeare's dead teenage girls compare their experiences and retell the stories of their lives, their loves, and their fates in their own words. Bestselling author Joy McCullough offers a brilliant testament tohow young women can support each other and reclaim their stories in the aftermath of trauma. (from catalog)
Read-a-likes:
Falling for Hamlet Ray, Michele
That way Madness Lies Adler, Dahlia
Ophelia, Klein, Lisa
Links of Interest
Hockey Girl Loves Drama Boy
Hockey Girl Loves Drama Boy
Publisher Information: First Second, 2023
Summary: It should have been a night of triumph for Alix’s hockey team. But her mean teammate Lindsay decided to start up with her usual rude comments and today Alix, who usually tries to control her anger, let it finally run free. Alix lashes out and before she knows it, her coach is dragging her off Lindsay, and the invitation to the Canada National Women’s U18 Team’s summer camp is on the line.
She needs to learn how to control this anger, and she is sure Ezra, the popular and poised theater kid from her grade is the answer. So she asks for his help. But as they hang out and start to get closer, Alix learns that there is more to Ezra than the cool front he puts on. And that maybe this friendship could become something more…
Book Trailer:
Read-a-Likes:
Belle of the Ball by Mari Costa
Check, Please! by Ngozi Ukazu
Every Day: The Graphic Novel by David Levithan
Fox Point’s Own Gemma Hopper by Brie Spangler
Stars in their Eyes by Jessica Walton
Links of Interest:
Author Website: https://www.faitherinhicks.com/
Author Q & A: https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-authors/article/93231-q-a-with-faith-erin-hicks.html
Author Interview: https://thenerddaily.com/faith-erin-hicks-hockey-girl-loves-drama-boy-interview/
The Infinity Particle
The Infinity Particle
Publisher Information: New York, NY : Quill Tree Books, [2023].
Summary: In this gorgeous graphic novel by Wendy Xu, co-creator of the award-winning Mooncakes, a young inventor falls for a lifelike AI and confronts questions of freedom and autonomy. Clementine Chang moves from Earth to Mars for a new start and is lucky enough to land her dream job with Dr. Marcella Lin, an Artificial Intelligence pioneer. On her first day of work, Clem meets Dr. Lin's assistant, a humanoid AI named Kye. Clem is no stranger to robots--she built herself a cute moth-shaped companion named SENA. Still, there's something about Kye that feels almost too human. When Clem and Kye begin to collaborate, their chemistry sets off sparks. The only downside? Dr. Lin is enraged by Kye's growing independence and won't allow him more freedom. Plus, their relationship throws into question everything Clem thought she knew about AI. After all, if Kye is sentient enough to have feelings, shouldn't he be able to control his own actions? Where is the line between AI and human? As her past and Kye's future weigh down on her, Clem becomes determined to help him break free--even if it means risking everything she came to Mars for.
Book Trailer:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CvdP7iSg2hr/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
Read-a-Likes:
The Hills of Estrella Roja by Ashley Robin Franklin
Project Nought by Chelsey Furedi
M is for Monster by Talia Dutton
Goddess in the Machine by Lora Beth Johnson
Links of Interest:
Author Website: https://www.artofwendyxu.com/
Diverse Books Article: https://diversebooks.org/blog-hope-for-the-future-is-at-the-heart-of-the-infinity-particle-by-wendy-xu/
Author Interview: https://www.comicsbeat.com/interview-sci-fi-ai-fungi-wendy-xu-on-the-infinity-particle/
A Long Stretch of Bad Days
A Long Stretch of Bad Days
Publisher Information: Katherine Tegan Books, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, New York, NY, 2023
Summary: A lifetime of hard work has put Lydia Chass on track to attend a prestigious journalism program and leave Henley behind—until a school error leaves her a credit short of graduating.
Bristal Jamison has a bad reputation and a foul mouth, but she also needs one more credit to graduate. An unexpected partnership forms as the two remake Lydia’s town history podcast to investigate the Long Stretch of Bad Days—a week when Henley was hit by a tornado, a flash flood, as well as its first, only, and unsolved murder.
As their investigation unearths buried secrets, some don’t want them to see the light. When the threats escalate, the girls have to uncover the truth before the dark history of Henley catches up with them.
Book Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dK_7kuCuIXE
Read-a-Likes:
Good as Gold by Candace Buford
Sadie by Courtney Summers
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
Girl Forgotten by Emily Henry
Links of Interest:
The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich
The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Publisher Information: New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2023
Summary: A nobleman with a secret and a princess on a mission find love--and lots of grilled cheese sandwiches--when they least expect it, in this funny, heartfelt graphic novel rom-com. Lady Camembert wants to live life on her own terms, without marriage. Well, without marrying a man, that is. But the law of the land is that women cannot inherit. So when her father passes away, she does the only thing she can: She disguises herself as a man and moves to the capital city of the Kingdom of Fromage to start over as Count Camembert.But it's hard to keep a low profile when the beautiful Princess Brie, with her fierce activism and great sense of fashion, catches her attention. Camembert can't resist getting to know the princess, but as the two grow closer, will she able to keep her secret? A romantic comedy about mistaken identity, true love, and lots of grilled cheese. (From OSL Catalog)
Book Trailer: https://vimeo.com/797155512
Read-a-Likes:
Basil and Oregano by Melissa Capriglione
The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang
Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker Illust. By Wendy Xu
Crumbs by Danie Stirling
Links of Interest:
Deya Muniz Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deyathemuniz/?hl=en
Interview with Author: https://thebookdutchesses.com/2023/05/09/book-tour-the-princess-and-the-grilled-cheese-sandwich-deya-muniz/
Perfect Grilled Cheese Recipe (according to Food Network): https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/the-perfect-grilled-cheese-3636831
Promise Boys
Promise Boys
Publisher Information: MacMillan Publishers, 2023
Summary: The prestigious Urban Promise Prep school might look pristine on the outside, but deadly secrets lurk within. When the principal ends up murdered on school premises and the cops come sniffing around, a trio of students―J.B., Ramón, and Trey―emerge as the prime suspects. They had the means, they had the motive . . . and they may have had the murder weapon. But with all three maintaining their innocence, they must band together to track down the real killer before they are arrested. Or is the true culprit hiding among them?
Find out who killed Principal Moore in Nick Brooks's murder mystery, Promise Boys.
Book Trailer:
https://youtu.be/JE4RncL4BDs
Read-a-Likes:
Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
The Cost of Knowing by Brittney Morris
The Forest Demands Its Due by Kosoko Jackson
Invisible Son by Kim Johnson
Play the Game by Charlene Allen
Links of Interest:
Author Website: https://www.thenickbrooks.com/
Discussion Questions: https://www.mackidsschoolandlibrary.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Promise-Boys_EducatorsGuide_Final-updated.pdf
Author Interview: https://www.npr.org/2023/01/29/1152387255/nick-brooks-on-his-new-young-adult-novel-promise-boys
Rez Ball
Rez Ball
Publisher Information: New York, NY: Heartdrum, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2023.
Summary: These days, Tre Brun is happiest when he is playing basketball on the Red Lake Reservation high school team—even though he can’t help but be constantly gut-punched with memories of his big brother, Jaxon, who died in an accident.
When Jaxon's former teammates on the varsity team offer to take Tre under their wing, he sees this as his shot to represent his Ojibwe rez all the way to their first state championship. This is the first step toward his dream of playing in the NBA, no matter how much the odds are stacked against him. But stepping into his brother’s shoes as a star player means that Tre can’t mess up. Not on the court, not at school, and not with his new friend, gamer Khiana, who he is definitely not falling in love with.
After decades of rez teams almost making it, Tre needs to take his team to state. Because if he can live up to Jaxon's dreams, their story isn’t over yet.
Book Trailer:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/17CCqxFuwh2lMayb7ZRK98rHP_Xzy6HLD/view
Read-a-Likes:
Here To Stay by Sara Farizan
Nowhere To Hide by Kim Sigafus
Wrong Side of the Court by H.N. Khan
Links of Interest:
Author Website: https://www.instagram.com/makwa_giniw/
Educator's Guide: https://b0f646cfbd7462424f7a-f9758a43fb7c33cc8adda0fd36101899.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/teaching-guides/TG-9780063160378.pdf
Author Interview: https://cynthialeitichsmith.com/2023/10/byron-graves-on-life-experience-as-backbone-of-story/
Stateless
Stateless
Their Vicious Games
Their Vicious Games
Publisher Information: New York: Simon & Schuster, 2023
Summary: You must work twice as hard to get half as much. Adina Walker has known this the entire time she's been on scholarship at the prestigious Edgewater Academy--a school for the rich (and mostly white) upper class of New England. It's why she works so hard to be perfect and above reproach, no matter what she must force beneath the surface. Even one slip can cost you everything. And it does.
One fight, one moment of lost control, leaves Adina blacklisted from her top choice Ivy League college and any other. Her only chance to regain the future she's sacrificed everything for is the Finish, a high-stakes contest sponsored by Edgewater's founding family in which twelve young, ambitious women with exceptional promise are selected to compete in three mysterious events: the Ride, the Raid, and the Royale. The winner will be granted entry into the fold of the Remington family, whose wealth and power can open any door. But when she arrives at the Finish, Adina quickly gets the feeling that something isn't quite right with both the Remingtons and her fellow competitors, and soon it becomes clear that this larger-than-life prize can only come at an even greater cost. Because the Finish's stakes aren't just make or break...they're life and death.
Adina knows the deck is stacked against her--it always has been--so maybe the only way to survive their vicious games is for her to change the rules.
Book Trailer:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxdBL2GLzBv/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=41757020-54b1-4eb1-ab71-27d9751c3283
Read-a-Likes:
Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast Is Me by Jamison Shea
The Legacies by Jessica Goodman
You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron
Suddenly a Murder by Lauren Muñoz
Links of Interest:
Author Website: https://www.joellewellington.com/
Article by Author on the “Final Girls” Trope: https://crimereads.com/final-girls-joelle-wellington/
Author Interview: https://www.bookweb.org/news/indies-introduce-qa-joelle-wellington-1629721
Throwback
Throwback
Publisher Information: Zando Young Readers, 2023
Summary: Being a first-generation Asian American immigrant is hard. You know what’s harder? Being the daughter of one. Samantha Kang has never gotten along with her mother, Priscilla—and has never understood her bougie-nightmare, John Hughes high school expectations. After a huge fight between them, Sam is desperate to move forward—but instead, finds herself thrown back. Way back. To her shock, Sam finds herself back in high school . . . in the ’90s . . . with a 17-year-old Priscilla. Now this Gen Z girl must try to fit into an analog world. She’s got the fashion down, but everything else is baffling. What is “microfiche”? What’s with the casual racism and misogyny? And why does it feel like Priscilla is someone she could actually be . . . friends with?
Sam's blast to the past has her finding the right romance in the wrong time while questioning everything she thought she knew about her mom . . . and herself. Will Sam figure out what she needs to do to fix things for her mom so that she can go back to a time she understands? Brimming with heart and humor, Maurene Goo’s time-travel romance asks big questions about what exactly one inherits and loses in the immigrant experience.
Book Trailer:
https://youtu.be/vicSZSy8894
Read-a-Likes:
Going Bicoastal by Dahlia Adler
Yesterday is History by Kosoko Jackson
Spin Me Right Around by David Valdes
The Do-Over by Lynn Painter
Links of Interest:
Author Website: https://www.maurenegoo.com/
Author Interview: https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-authors/article/91667-meeting-the-current-moment-close-up-on-maurene-goo.html
Where You See Yourself
Where You See Yourself
Publisher Information: Scholastic Press, New York, 2023
Summary: By the time Effie Galanos starts her senior year, it feels like she’s already been thinking about college applications for an eternity―after all, finding a college that will be the perfect fit and be accessible enough for Effie to navigate in her wheelchair presents a ton of considerations that her friends don’t have to worry about.
What Effie hasn’t told anyone is that she already knows exactly what school she has her heart set on: a college in NYC with a major in Mass Media & Society that will set her up perfectly for her dream job in digital media. She’s never been to New York, but paging through the brochure, she can picture the person she’ll be there, far from the Minneapolis neighborhood where she's lived her entire life. When she finds out that Wilder (her longtime crush) is applying there too, it seems like one more sign from the universe that it’s the right place for her.
But it turns out that the universe is full of surprises. As Effie navigates her way through a year of admissions visits, senior class traditions, internal and external ableism, and a lot of firsts--and lasts--she starts to learn that sometimes growing up means being open to a world of possibilities you never even dreamed of. And maybe being more than just friends with Wilder is one of those dreams...
Book Trailer:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxecoMeP9_P/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=56a6c366-51ae-470a-b52d-ad4201fdd64a
Read-a-Likes:
You, Me and Our Heartstrings by Melissa See
Stars in Their Eyes by Jessica Walton
The Year I Stopped Trying by Katie Heaney
Links of Interest:
Author Website: https://www.claireforrest.com
Author Interview: https://www.youtube.com/live/7yFgU6OgM0s?si=VmRJpv4wr7KwRHjs
The Wicked Bargain
The Wicked Bargain
Publisher Information: Random House, 2023
Summary: On Mar León-de la Rosa's 16th birthday, el Diablo comes calling. Mar is a transmasculine nonbinary teen pirate hiding a magical ability to manipulate fire and ice. But their magic isn't enough to reverse a wicked bargain made by their father and now el Diablo has come to collect his payment: the soul of Mar's father and the entire crew of their ship.
When Mar is miraculously rescued by the sole remaining pirate crew in the Caribbean, el Diablo returns to give them a choice: give up your soul to save your father by the Harvest Moon or never see him again. The task is impossible--Mar refuses to make a bargain and there's no way their magic is any match for el Diablo. Then, Mar finds the most unlikely allies: Bas, an infuriatingly arrogant and handsome pirate -- and the captain's son; and Dami, a genderfluid demonio whose motives are never quite clear. For the first time in their life, Mar may have the courage to use their magic. It could be their only redemption -- or it could mean certain death.
Book Trailer:
https://www.tiktok.com/@mousetache_reads/video/7283103929494277418?embed_source=121374463%2C121468991%2C121439635%2C121433650%2C121404359%2C121351166%2C121331973%2C120811592%2C120810756%3Bnull%3Bembed_share&refer=embed&referer_url=riteenbookaward.org%2F&referer_video_id=7283103929494277418&scrlybrkr=876ea429
Read-a-Likes:
The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas
Venom and Vow by Anna-Marie McLemore & Elliot McLemore
Spell Bound by F.T Lukens
Godly Heathens by H.E Edgemon
The Spirit Bares its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White
Links of Interest:
Author Website: https://www.gabecolenovoa.com/
Author Interview: https://www.yabookscentral.com/interview-with-gabe-cole-novoa-the-wicked-bargain/
Queer in Latin America LGBTQ+ Perspectives: https://revista.drclas.harvard.edu/spotlights/queer-spotlight/
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