Brooklyn teens (and their librarians) talking about their favorite books, sharing original art and writing, and promoting cool free stuff to do!
Spooky Teen Reads for Halloween
Are you excited for Halloween? Do you love to read horror and/or thrillers? Have I got recommendations for you!Flawless Girls by Anna-Marie McLemore: When her sister Renata returns from prominent finishing school Alarie House, seemingly pleasant, unnervingly polite and possibly murderous, younger sister Isla is determined to find out want happened to Renata by going back to the school and is drawn into the opulent, unsettling place that won’t give up its secrets—or her—without a fight.Killer House Party by Lily Anderson: Red Solo cups? Check. Snacks? Check. Abandoned mansion full of countless…
Ten Books on Bullying for National Bullying Prevention Month
October is National Bullying Prevention Month. The ten books below raise awareness on how bullying affects teens and might help readers become better allies to those who are being bullied.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…
New Teen Non-Fiction to Check Out
Want to learn something new? Need advice? Check out these new(er) non-fiction releases.Civic Minded : what everyone should know about the US government by Jeff Fleischer; How do student loans work? What do sanctions do? Where does federal spending go, and who decides on the budget? Author and established journalist Jeff Fleischer digs into these and other relevant civics topics to explain the history behind different processes and programs, what they look like today, and why it’s important to understand them.How to Survive Your Parents : a teen's guide to thriving in a difficult family by…
Join the Menstrual Movement
Rakisha, Branch Manager/Kings Bay
Hey boys and girls and friends beyond the gender binary, it’s everyone’s favorite period advocacy librarian here to talk about Period Action Day. Period Action Day (a.k.a PAD) is a global day of awareness that occurs on the second Saturday of October every year. PAD was established in 2019 to “end period poverty and stigma through advocacy, education, and service.” Period poverty is the inability to afford period products, lack of access to safe and clean places to perform menstrual care, and the inability to receive accurate information about the menstrual process.…
October is LGBTQ+ History Month
Happy LGBTQ+ History Month! Below are ten novels to check out in honor of this momentous observance. A Million to One by Adiba Jaigirdar: United in one goal—stealing the Rubaiyat, a jewel-encrusted book aboard the RMS Titanic—four girls find careless mistakes, old grudges and new romance putting them, and their mission, in grave danger when tragedy strikes.Charming Young Man by Eliot Schrefer: They say Lâeon Delafosse will be France's next great pianist. But despite his being the youngest student ever accepted into the prestigious Paris Conservatory, there's no way an impoverished…
October 2024 Teen Book Releases
Halfway There: a graphic memoir of self-discovery by Christine Mari: Christine has always felt she is just half: Half American, half Japanese. As a biracial Japanese American who was born in Tokyo but raised in the US, she knows all too well what it’s like to be a part of two different worlds but never feeling as though you belong to either. Now on the brink of adulthood, Christine decides it’s time to return to the place she once called home. So she sets forth on a year abroad in Tokyo, believing that this is where she truly belongs. After years of feeling like an outsider, now she will…
It's Banned Books Week! (9/22-9/28)
Hey y'all, it's Banned Books Week (9/22-9/28). This year's theme is Freed Between the Lines. Since 1982, Banned Books Week has served as an event to highlight the importance of free and open access to information, including the right to read whatever you want.Below are the top ten books that have been banned or challenged in school and public libraries in 2023. All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson: In a series of personal essays, prominent journalist and LGBTQIA+ activist George M. Johnson explores his childhood, adolescence, and college years in New Jersey and Virginia. From…
It's Latine & Hispanic American Heritage Month! (9/15-10/15)
Every year, Latine & Hispanic American Heritage Month is celebrated in the U.S. from September 15th-October 15th. Below are ten books with Latine or Hispanic main characters. Ander and Santi Were Here: A Novel by Jonny Garza Villa: Nonbinary teen Ander is ready to leave their family's taquería and focus on their art, but when Santi, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico, begins to work at the restaurant, the two teens spark a romance made complicated by immigration police.Breathe and Count Back from Ten by Natalia Sylvester: Verónica, a Peruvian‑American teen with hip dysplasia,…
Paid Opportunities and More for Teens
Apply today for internship opportunities at Brooklyn Public Library and other institutions around NYC!Brooklyn Public Library paid internshipsBPL has four internship applications open. Sign up here for our teen newsletter to stay up-to-date about all of our opportunities for teens. You can also find info about our programs and internships at bklynlibrary.org/teens, and follow us on Instagram @bklynfuture.BPL: BookMatch TeenLearn the art of recommending books and offer a readers’ advisory service exclusive to teens. Along the way, meet new friends and make connections to…
September is Bisexual Visibility Month!
Did you know September is Bisexual Visibility Month? It is a celebration of bisexual identity, community, and relationships. September 23rd is officially Bisexual Visibility Day. In honor of this special observance, check out these teen novels with bi main characters. Alondra by Gina Femia: Seventeen-year-old Alonda finds friendship, fame, and love on the streets of Coney Island when she befriends a group of teen wrestlers. Forever is Now by Mariama Lockington: When sixteen-year-old Sadie, a Black bisexual recluse, develops agoraphobia the summer before her junior year, she relies…
September 2024 Teen Book Releases
A Second Chance on Earth by Juan Vidal: When sixteen-year-old Marcos travels to Cartagena, Colombia to scatter his late father's ashes, he strikes up a friendship with Camilo, a boy his age who works as a local taxi driver and shares Marcos' love for the novel One Hundred Years of Solitude." Celestial Monsters by Aiden Thomas: Transgender demigod Teo and his friends must battle the Obsidian gods and steal back the sun stone in order to free their fellow semidioses and return Sol to the sky.Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White: After being nearly beaten to death for evidence he holds…
Back-to-School Teen Book List
Are you excited for the upcoming school year? Below are ten books set in high school or college.American Panda by Gloria Chao: A freshman at MIT, seventeen-year-old Mei Lu tries to live up to her Taiwanese parents' expectations, but no amount of tradition, obligation, or guilt prevent her from hiding several truths--that she is a germaphobe who cannot become a doctor, she prefers dancing to biology, she decides to reconnect with her estranged older brother, and she is dating a Japanese boy. Can she find a way to be herself, before her web of lies unravels.Bunt! : striking out on financial aid…
Happy Fat Liberation Month!
Did you know August is Fat Liberation Month? Started by the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, it is a month-long celebration of fat positivity, and to address the history of discrimination and stigma against fat people. Here are ten books that feature fat main characters and / or real fat people's stories. Across a Field of Starlight: a graphic novel by Blue Delliquanti: Lu and Fassen are from different worlds and separate solar systems, so when the war of Fassen's world invades Lu's peaceful home, they find themselves at the forefront of a battle they hoped would never…
August 2024: YA Manga Releases
Akane-Banashi, Vol. 7 by Suenaga Yuki / Moue Takamasa: Shinta Arakawa wants nothing more than to pass his shin’uchi exam—the test that would make him a top-rank headliner and master storyteller in the traditional Japanese art of rakugo. Akane Osaki, his daughter and biggest fan, spies on him while he practices and learns his routines for herself. When rakugo master Issho Arakawa expels everyone after the exam with no explanation, a fire is lit inside Akane. From that day forth, she has had one goal—to avenge her father and prove his art was worthy of the title of shin’uchi. In order to secure…
Teen Reads with "Summer" in the Title
Are you all about summer? Be sure to check out these novels that have the word "Summer" in the title!Hot Boy Summer by Joe Jimenez: Four gay teens in Texas have the summer of their lives while discovering important truths about realness, belonging, and friendship in this joyful young adult contemporary novel for fans of Adam Silvera and Becky Albertalli.Hurricane Summer by Asha Bromfield: While visiting her father who lives in Jamaica, eighteen-year-old Tilla faces a storm of dark secrets that threaten to unravel her own life, while an actual storm, Hurricane Gustav, threatens the lives of…
August 2024 Teen Book Releases
Castle of the Cursed by Romina Garber: After losing her parents in a mysterious attack, seventeen-year-old Estela suffers from survivor's guilt and is sent to live with her Aunt in their ancestral Spanish castle, where she uncovers family secrets and meets a supernatural, silver-eyed boy who claims he is trapped in the castle.Eighteen Roses by Shannon C F Rogers: Filipina American Lucia grapples with teenage angst, family expectations, and friendship woes as she reluctantly prepares for her debutante ball.Everything We Never Had by Randy Ribay: Set in the 1930s to today, four generations of…
My Summer Reading List
Below are five books I hope to read this summer!1. Four Eids and a Funeral by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé and Adiba Jaigirdar: The town of New Crosshaven has it all—even its own infamous love story. These days, Said Hossain spends most of his time away at boarding school. But when his favorite hometown librarian, Ms. Barnes, dies, he must return to New Crosshaven for her funeral and for the summer. Too bad being home makes it a lot harder to avoid facing his ex–best friend, Tiwa Olatunji, or facing the daunting task of telling his Bangladeshi parents that he would rather be an artist than a doctor…
Teen Graphic Novel Releases in 2024
If you enjoy reading graphic novels and non-fiction, check out some of this year's releases! Call Me Iggy by Jorge Augusto Aguirre: Crushing on a girl at school who doesn't know he exists, Ohio-born Colombian American teen Iggy finds his life unraveling when his grandfather's ghost decides to meddle in his love life, setting him off on a journey of self-discovery.City Boy by Greg Pak: Meet a new Korean hero named...City Boy! Or at least, that's the best translation of what the cities call him. City Boy, a.k.a. Cameron Kim, is just trying to make a living by using his powers of being able…
My Top Five Reads of 2024 (So Far!)
I can't believe it's already July! I've read twenty-five books so far, and these are my top five:Brownstone by Samuel Teer and Mar Julia (graphic novel): Almudena has always wondered about the dad she never met. Now, with her white mother headed on a once-in-a-lifetime trip without her, she’s left alone with her Guatemalan father for an entire summer. Xavier seems happy to see her, but he expects her to live in (and help fix up) his old, broken-down brownstone. And all along, she must navigate the language barrier of his rapid-fire Spanish—which she doesn’t speak. As Almudena tries to adjust…
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,…
Paid Opportunities and More for Teens
Lots of paid summer opportunities are opening up - apply now! Brooklyn Public Library: Teen TechiesDo you love technology and your library? Want to make a difference in your community? Looking to build your resume and gain valuable work and leadership experience? Apply to BPL's Teen Techies program here!HERicane NYC ProgramNYC Emergency Management invites New York City high school students to participate in the I-DIEM HERricane program in NYC, designed to encourage young women from 16-22 years old to pursue careers and leadership roles in emergency management. For additional details…
Why the Freedom to Read Is Important
Fiona Z. | Freedom to Read Teen Ambassador
This essay was submitted by one of our teen interns, Fiona Z., who is currently in our Freedom to Read Teen Ambassadors program.Immortality isn't real but would you believe me if I told you, you can live millions of lives, laugh millions of laughs, walk to distant worlds, and see the end of time through pairs of eyes that aren't your own? The possibility of experiencing millions of relationships, connections, and conflicts without even getting up from your chair is solely possible because of books. The experience of reading goes beyond just a leisure activity; it is a profound and…
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…
Book Recommendations for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
BookMatch Teen interns offer book recommendations to fellow teens. Here are three lists of recommendations for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month. Read them this month, and all year! Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Titles for Middle GradeAsian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Titles for TeensAsian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Titles for AdultsWant more recommendations? Fill out BookMatch Teen's online questionnaire and get a personalized booklist!
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…
Announcing the 2024 Teen Writing Contest & Ned Vizzini Prize Winners
We received 800+ submissions, and the Teen Writing Contest Committee is pleased to announce the following prizes, honors, and selections for the 2024 Teen Writing Contest & Ned Vizzini Teen Writing Prize. Poetry Middle School First Place: Probably by Stella DempseySecond Place: Unbreakable by Gia OcceanHonorable Mention: Where I'm From by Tamira BradshawHonorable Mention: Welcome to New York by Alan Kofman Honorable Mention: Monster Dream by Jeffrey OrtigozaHigh School First Place: Unfinished Gun Poem by Arielle Lichtman Second Place: Mourner…
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…
Book Review: Super Boba Cafe
Karen, Coordinator of Young Adult Services
This book review was submitted by a local teen. Wolf W. attends middle school in Brooklyn and enjoys visiting the Windsor Terrace Library.Super Boba Cafe by Nidhi Chanani is an interesting and beautifully written book. It is about a child who shares embarrassing photos of herself with her “Crush,” or “Boyfriend.” He is not satisfied “And wants more,” as said in the text. She feels uncomfortable and doesn’t respond. When she doesn’t respond he leaks the embarrassing photos on social media and other sharing platforms, whatsapp, discord, ect. When she comes to school the next day she is…
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…
Perfectionism
I’m an artist. Of course I am a perfectionist.Growing up, I learned to put my best foot forward in everything I do. Strive for perfection and never settle for less. Especially in art school. Every stroke of your brush, every scratch of your pencil, every eraser mark, everything must be done with intention and done with perfection.The afternoon sun beamed down on my hunched-over back, burning me as I added final details to my sketch. The art teacher leaned over my shoulder, breathing down on me. Several tense moments passed as the compliment that I was anticipating never came.“Look at this…
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…
Defending the Freedom to Read
Karen, Coordinator of Young Adult Services
Recently one of our StoryTeen interns, Adelaide, gave testimony to the New York City Council about fighting book bans.Good afternoon. Thank you to the Members of the New York City Council for the opportunity to speak today.My name is Adelaide Sendlenski. I’m a sophomore in high school at Saint Ann’s and a participant in Brooklyn Public Library’s StoryTeen program. Through StoryTeen, I have had the opportunity to learn how important early childhood literacy is--the foundations laid from birth to 3 years impact a child’s learning for their entire life--and through StoryTeen I’ve had the…
March is Women's History Month: A Booklist
1. Anne Frank's Diary: The Graphic Adaptation by Ari Folman, David Polonsky, Anne Frank: The only graphic biography of Anne Frank's diary that has been authorized by the Anne Frank Foundation and that uses text from the diary--it will introduce a new generation of young readers to this classic of Holocaust literature. This adaptation of Anne Frank's Diary of a Young Girl into a graphic version for a young readership, maintains the integrity and power of the original work. 2. Ashes in the Snow by Ruta Sepetys: Lina is a fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl. She paints, she draws, she…
My Top Ten Manga Picks (in no specific order)
Do you also like to read manga that can get your blood bumping, make you swoon, or make you cackle from laughter? Be sure to give the ten titles listed below a look if you haven't already.Demon Slayer by Koyoharu Gotoge: A popular action manga about Tanjiro, who sets off to become a demon slayer to avenge his family and find a cure for his little sister who’s turning into a demon. This manga explores the themes of familial love, revenge, comradery, and resilience. Haikyu! by Haruichi Furudate: A popular volleyball manga about Hinata, who upon seeing the “Little Giant” of…
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…
Happy Valentine's Day!: Ten Romance Recommendations
Happy Valentine's Day! Do you also like to read romantic titles that’ll make your teenage heart swoon with affection and heartbreak? Be sure to check out these ten titles. American Panda by Gloria Chao: A freshman at MIT, seventeen-year-old Mei Lu tries to live up to her Taiwanese parents' expectations, but no amount of tradition, obligation, or guilt prevent her from hiding several truths--that she is a germaphobe who cannot become a doctor, she prefers dancing to biology, she decides to reconnect with her estranged older brother, and she is dating a Japanese boy.A Sign of…
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,…
Publishing Opportunity!
What is something you wish you knew before entering middle school? The Gutenberg Project aims to tackle this very question through publishing a book comprised of short stories all written by high schoolers (like you!). So submit your short stories today to be considered for publication! For more information please check out our poster below. Happy Writing! We can’t wait to see what you write! Best of luck, The Gutenberg Fellowship at Avenues: The World School