Happy Disability Pride Month!
Happy Disability Pride Month! It's held every year in July to recognize the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26th, 1990. Each color of the Disability Pride flag symbolizes a type of disability: The 2021 disability flag colors each represent a type of disability:Green: sensory disabilitiesBlue: emotional and psychiatric disabilitiesWhite: non-visible and undiagnosed disabilitiesGold: neurodiversityRed: physical disabilitiesBelow are ten books with disabled characters, or are written by people with disabilities. Breathe and Count Back…
July 2024 Teen Book Releases
Cursed Boys and Broken Hearts by Adam Sass: Grant Rossi, an eighteen-year-old with a poor dating record due to a wish gone wrong, returns to his family's vineyard and B&B to help save it from disrepair, only to find himself working alongside his former friend and first love, Ben McKittrick.Everything We Never Had by Randy Ribay: Set in the 1930s to today, four generations of Filipino American boys grapple with identity, masculinity, and father-son relationships.Exes and Foes by Amanda Woody: Long-time rivals Emma and Caleb find themselves both chasing Juliet and decide to compete for her…
Give Audiobooks a Try: 10 Recommendations for Teens
In celebration of Audiobook Appreciation Month, below are ten audiobooks to try for both newbies and more experienced listeners!All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir: Lahore, Pakistan. Then. Misbah is a dreamer and storyteller, newly married to Toufiq in an arranged match. After their young life is shaken by tragedy, they come to the United States and open the Clouds' Rest Inn Motel, hoping for a new start. Juniper, California. Now. Salahudin and Noor are more than best friends; they are family. Growing up as outcasts in the small desert town of Juniper, California, they understand each other the way no…
Read with Pride 2024 YA Booklist
Happy Pride, y'all! Check out these ten YA books with LGBTQIA+ main characters to read with pride this month, and all year round!Canto Contigo: A Novel by Jonny Garza Villa: In a twenty-four-hour span, Rafael Alvarez led North Amistad High School's Mariachi Alma de la Frontera to their eleventh consecutive first-place win in the Mariachi Extravaganza de Nacional; and met, made out with, and almost hooked up with one of the cutest guys he's ever met. Now eight months later, Rafie's ready for one final win. What he didn't plan for is his family moving to San Antonio before his senior year,…
June 2024 Teen Book Releases
Annie LeBlanc is Not Dead Yet by Molly Morris: Winning the chance to resurrect her ex-best friend Annie LeBlanc from the dead for 30 days, Wilson Moss, ecstatic to have her back, discovers a loophole that may mean Annie can stay for good, but the only person who can help is someone who hates them both.Brownstone by Samuel Teer: In the summer of 1995, almost-fifteen-year-old Almudena is sent to live with her estranged Spanish-speaking father, and together they renovate a brownstone and build a relationship while Almudena navigates the Latin American side of her heritage for the first time.Four…
Ten YA Books for Reluctant Readers
If you're struggling to find some quick and accessible novels that will grab your attention, check out the ten listed below:Airlock by Tash McAdam: Brick, a young thief, is terrified of outer space. But they’re forced to escape Earth when a warrant goes out for their arrest. There’s nothing left for them on the dusty, barren wasteland of Earth anyway. Brick stows away on a cargo ship headed for the moon. They reluctantly allow a local teenage enforcer named Amar to tag along. But the ship ends up containing unusual cargo and the crew members may not be who they appear to be. Suddenly the…
May 2024 Teen Manga Releases
A Condition Called Love, Vol. 8 by Megumi Morino: Hotaru is a 16-year-old high school first year who has always been ambivalent about love, preferring instead to have a lively life with her family and friends. So when she sees her schoolmate, Hananoi-kun, sitting in the snow after a messy, public breakup, she thinks nothing of offering to share her umbrella. But when he asks her out in the middle of her classroom the next day, she can't help but feel that her life is about to change in a big way.Black Clover, Vol. 35 by Yuki Tabata: Asta is a young boy who dreams of becoming the greatest mage…
A Different Kind of Mother's Day Booklist
Mother's Day on May 12th will be a tough day for me. My mother and maternal grandmother passed away last year, so this will be my first one without them. I will spend the day thinking and talking about them, and of course, missing them.I wanted to take a different approach to a Mother's Day booklist this time -- to highlight novels with more complicated mother-daughter relationships. Ones that involve grief, illness, strife, and / or estrangement. I'm hoping this booklist helps any teens who can relate and feel alone in their experience. Dancing at the Pity Party: A Dead Mom Graphic…
Three May Celebrations: a booklist
May is a very significant month in terms of celebrations. It's Asian-American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Mental Health Awareness Month, AND Jewish American Heritage Month. In honor of these three observances, check out this booklist below:AANHPI Heritage Month:Gloria Buenrostro is Not My Girlfriend by Brandon Hoàng: As one of only two Asian Americans in his school and often left out, Gary jumps at the chance of breaking into the school's popular clique by befriending the most beautiful girl in school, but as he comes closer to achieving his goal, Gary also risks…
May 2024 YA Book Releases
A Tale of Two Knights: Tristan and Lancelot by James Persichetti and L Biehler: When Merlin goes missing and Camelot falls under attack, King Arthur sends his estranged half-sister, Morgan le Fay, and esteemed Knights of the Round Table, Tristan and Lancelot, to find him. As the reluctant trio travels through Albion saving towns from treacherous foes and battling fae, their bonds deepen, and sparks fly between the two knights. Before they can sort through their complicated feelings, an unexpected dark force appears, bringing what just might be the end of Camelot. Bite Me, Royce…
April is (Also!) Autism Acceptance Month
Happy Autism Acceptance Month! Below are ten novels and non-fiction books on autism and/or with autistic main characters. FICTION:Daniel, Deconstructed by James Ramos: Photographer and film buff Daniel Sanchez learned a long time ago that the only way to get by in an allistic world is to mask his autism and follow the script. Which means he knows that boisterous, buff, and beautiful soccer superstars like his best friend, Mona Sinclair, shouldn't be wasting time hanging out with introverts...But when Daniel meets a new classmate, Gabe Mendes, who is tall, mysterious, nonbinary, and--…
YA Books to Read for Arab American Heritage Month
In celebration of Arab American Heritage Month, check out these ten books below: From Here : a memoir by Luma Mufleh: Refugee advocate Luma Mufleh writes of her tumultuous journey to reconcile her identity as a gay Muslim woman and a proud Arab-turned-American refugee. Home is Not a Country by Safia Elhillo: A novel in verse follows the experiences of a misfit teen in a discriminatory suburban community who questions her mixed heritage before unexpected family revelations force her to fight for her own identity.Hope Ablaze by Sarah Mughal Rana: Eighteen-year-old Nida faces…
April is National Poetry Month: Booklist
All the Fighting Parts by Hannah V. Sawyerr: In the wake of being sexually assaulted by her pastor, sixteen-year-old Amina struggles to regain her footing until she finds the strength within herself to confront her abuser in court.Alma Presses Play by Tina Cane: In 1980s New York, half-Chinese, half-Jewish Alma, whose life is a series of halfways, uses her Walkman to get through the challenges thrown her way until she is ready to press play on the soundtrack of her life.An Impossible Thing to Say by Arya Shahi: In the aftermath of 9/11, high school sophomore Omid grapples with finding the…
April 2024 Teen Book Releases
Canto Contigo: a novel by Jonny Garza Villa: In a twenty-four-hour span, Rafael Alvarez led North Amistad High School's Mariachi Alma de la Frontera to their eleventh consecutive first-place win in the Mariachi Extravaganza de Nacional; and met, made out with, and almost hooked up with one of the cutest guys he's ever met. Now eight months later, Rafie's ready for one final win. What he didn't plan for is his family moving to San Antonio before his senior year, forcing him to leave behind his group while dealing with the loss of the most important person in his life-his beloved abuelo.…
Ten YA Books to Read to Celebrate Spring
Blaine for the Win by Robbie Couch: High school junior Blaine Bowers has it all—the perfect boyfriend, a pretty sweet gig as a muralist for local Windy City businesses, a loving family, and awesome, talented friends. And he is absolutely, 100% positive that aforementioned perfect boyfriend—senior student council president and Mr. Popular of Wicker West High School, Joey—is going to invite Blaine to spend spring break with his family in beautiful, sunny Cabo San Lucas. Except Joey breaks up with him instead. In public. On their one-year anniversary. Because, according to Joey, Blaine is too…
Are You a Foodie?
If you love reading about food, baking, and cooking, be sure to check out these ten novels:Drizzle, Dreams, and Lovestruck Things by Maya Prasad: The Singh sisters grew up helping their father navigate the bustle of the Songbird Inn. Nestled on dreamy and drizzly Orcas Island in the Pacific Northwest, the inn's always been warm and cozy and filled with interesting guests—the perfect home. But things are about to heat up now that the Songbird has been named the Most Romantic Inn in America. Nidhi has everything planned out—until a storm brings a wayward tree crashing into her life one autumn…
March 2024 Teen Book Releases
Ariel Crashes a Train by Olivia A Cole: Ariel grapples with her fear of her own mind and violent fantasies, driven by her desire to meet her parents' expectations and societal norms, until a summer job at a carnival leads her to new friends who help her discover her struggle with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and find acceptance and support for her true self.Bad Like Us by Gabriella Lepore: While at a private beach lodge with her popular classmates when an anonymous letter leads to murder, Eva places her trust in Colton and together they uncover secrets that upend everything they thought they…
Happy Lunar New Year 2024: A Booklist
1. Flamer by Mike Curato (graphic novel): It's the summer between middle school and high school, and Aiden Navarro is away at camp. Everyone's going through changes--but for Aiden, the stakes feel higher. As he navigates friendships, deals with bullies, and spends time with Elias (a boy he can't stop thinking about), he finds himself on a path of self-discovery and acceptance.2. Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo: Seventeen-year-old Lily Hu can't remember exactly when the question took root, but the answer was in full bloom the moment she and Kathleen Miller…
February is Black History Month: A Booklist
1. Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson: Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement. Touching and powerful, each poem is both accessible and emotionally charged, each line a glimpse into a child’s soul as she searches for her place in the world. Woodson’s eloquent poetry also reflects the joy of finding her voice through writing stories, despite the fact…
February 2024: Teen Book Releases
Cupid's Revenge by Wibke Brueggemann: Unlike her friend Teddy, sixteen-year-old Tilly is not looking for a girlfriend, but when Teddy forms a crush on Katherine Cooper-Bunting, his co-star in their community theater production, Tilly finds herself also swooning over her. Escaping Mr. Rochester by LL McKinney: In this empowering Black queer romance reimagining of Charlotte Brontèe's classic novel, Jane Eyre, the new governess at Thornfield Hall discovers her cruel employer has locked away his wife as revenge for withholding her inheritance and, as his dark plan unfolds,…