2025 Trans Day of Visibility Books for Teens
Dear Bookworms,Happy Trans Day of Visibility, want to celebrate with a book? We have 5 really wonderful options (truthfully we have way more and choosing just 5 was tough) for your reading pleasure!The Borrow a Boyfriend Club Noah Byrd is the perfect boy. At least, that's what he needs to convince his new classmates of to prove his gender. His plan? Join the school's illustrious (and secret) Borrow a Boyfriend Club, whose members rent themselves out for dates. Once he's accepted among the bros, the "slip-ups" end. But Noah's interview is a flop. Desperate, he strikes a deal with the club's…
An Arab American Heritage Month Booklist
Dear Bookworms, HAPPY EID! We are back at it again with another book reccomendation post! There is a number of observances for April but I want to start the month off with Arab American Heritage Month, below you will find a list of books written by or featuring Arab Americans. From here : a memoir Refugee advocate Luma Mufleh writes of her tumultuous journey to reconcile her identity as a gay Muslim woman and a proud Arab-turned-American refugeeHuda F cares? This summer's exercise in Fahmy family sisterly bonding involves a trip to Disney World--which seems like it is headed…
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…
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…
My Top Ten Manga Picks (in no specific order)
Yuki Huang
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
Yuki Huang
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 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,…
A Martin Luther King Jr. and Civil Rights Movement Booklist
As you all know, yesterday (January 15th) was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. In celebration of this momentous holiday, below are ten books to read on his life and the Civil Rights Movement. 1. A Long Time Coming : a lyrical biography of race in America from Ona Judge to Barack Obama by Ray Anthony Shephard: This YA biography-in-verse of six important Black Americans from different eras, including Ona Judge, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Ida B. Wells, Martin Luther King Jr., and Barack Obama, chronicles the diverse ways each fought racism and shows how much--and how little--…
Ten LGBTQIA+ Reads with BIPOC Main Characters
All the Yellow Suns by Malavika Kannan: Sixteen-year-old queer Indian American, Maya, who falls for her white, wealthy, and complicated female classmate, Juneau, is asked to join a secret society of artists, vandals, and mischief-makers who fight for justice at their school. Bianca Torre is Afraid of Everything by Justine Pucella Winans: Bianca, 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. Chasing Pacquiao…
Ten Verse Novels to Read in 2024
1. 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. 2. A Million Quiet Revolutions by Robin Gow: Two seventeen-year-old trans boys in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, struggling to understand themselves and their love for each other, are inspired by an online story about trans soldiers who fell in love during the American Revolution. 3. An Appetite for Miracles by Laekan Zea Kemp: With the…
Book Bingo Round-Up! My 23 Books of 2023
Laura, Center for Brooklyn History
While the very first book I finished in 2023 was for BPL’s Book Bingo game, I crammed most of the squares into the last three months of the year, furiously flipping pages to complete my bingo card. And I can very happily say that, despite my procrastination, I completed the whole thing—bonus square included! Here’s my 2023 BPL Book Bingo list in the order in which I read them, and with the corresponding bingo category in bold: I began with a classic graphic novel in January, Maus I and II by Art Spiegelman, which I purchased from Books Are Magic on Smith Street. It was a somber read, but I’…
Our Favorite YA Books of 2023
With 2024 approaching, a few of our YA librarians wanted to share some of their favorite books of this year. Perhaps they're your favorite too! Em Tone Akane-banashi, Vol. 1: On That Day by Yuki Suenaga: 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…
'Tis the Season to Be Reading: A Holiday Booklist
Are you ready for the holiday season? Here are some books set during Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New Years. 1. Christmas Clash by Suzanne Park: Enemies Chloe Kwon and Peter Li, whose families operate rival restaurants in the food court, must work together to save the mall from a developer and discover that the feud between their families goes far deeper than either of them realized. 2. Eight Dates and Nights by Betsy Aldredge: Teens Hannah and Noah, who each have different ideas of how to spend Hanukkah, team up to save the last Jewish remnant in small-town…
December 2023 YA New Releases
1. Caught in a Bad Fauxmance / Rose Elle Gonzalez: Agreeing to fake date the son of his family’s longtime enemy, Devin Báez uses this opportunity to gather intel strong enough to take them down and keep the family cabin they gambled on a risky bet until he realizes love is in the cards. 2. Dark Heir / C.S. Pacat: In this much anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestseller Dark Rise, Will travels to the heart of the ancient world where he must keep his true identity hidden as he’s tempted by the darkness within. 3. Defiant / Brandon Sanderson: To…
Can't Get Enough of Coriolanus Snow in The Hunger Games?
Last week, after eight years since Mockingjay Part 2 released in theaters, we finally have a new Hunger Games franchise film: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes! This dystopian prequel to the infamous The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins follows a teenage Coriolanus Snow (eventually the President Snow we all know and loathe from The Hunger Games trilogy) as he navigates mentoring Hunger Games tribute Lucy Gray Baird from District 12 to help her survive the tenth annual Hunger Games. Coriolanus Snow, known also as Coryo, serves as a…
A Short Nonfiction November Booklist
Happy Nonfiction November! Nonfiction November is a month-long challenge to read more nonfiction books. Here are five books to read this month: 1. From Here : a memoir by Luma Mufleh: In her coming-of-age memoir, 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. 2. Hidden Systems: Water, Electricity, the Internet and the Secrets Behind the Systems We Use Everyday by Dan Nott: This non-fiction graphic novel illustrates the hidden history for every…
Happy Halloween: A Horror Booklist
Happy Halloween, everyone! Is anyone wearing a costume this year? If you enjoy horror or thrillers, be sure to check out this booklist: 1. All These Sunken Souls : a black horror anthology edited by Circe Moskowitz: Welcome to the Dark. We are all familiar with tropes of the horror genre: slasher and victims, demon and the possessed. Bloody screams, haunted visions, and the peddler of wares we aren’t sure we can trust. In this young adult horror anthology, fans of Jordan Peele, Lovecraft Country, and Horror Noire will get a little bit of everything they love—and a…
Ten Spooky Ghost Stories for Fall
Fall is finally here, and Halloween is only two weeks away! If you enjoy spooky ghost stories, check out any of these titles below: 1. Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas: Yadriel, a trans boy, summons the angry spirit of his high school's bad boy, and agrees to help him learn how he died, thereby proving himself a brujo, not a bruja, to his conservative family. 2. Delicious Monsters by Liselle Sambury: Told in alternating timelines, seventeen-year-old Daisy and her mother move into her deceased uncle's mansion, only to find horrors waiting inside, and ten years later,…
October is LGBTQ+ History Month
First celebrated in the United States in 1994, LGBTQ+ History Month is a month-long celebration in October of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer history. It also honors the ongoing history of queer and trans rights. Below are ten books that celebrate the lives of both real (and fictional) LGBTQ+ people of the past. A Million to One by Adiba Jaigirdar: Josefa is an unapologetic and charismatic thief, who loves the thrill of the chase. She has her eye on her biggest mark yet—the RMS Titanic, the most luxurious ship in the world. But she isn’t interested in…
Hispanic Heritage Month Booklist
“I’ve put up with too much, too long, and now I’m just too intelligent, too powerful, too beautiful, too sure of who I am finally to deserve anything less.”— Sandra Cisneros Did you know that National Hispanic Heritage Month is observed every year in the U.S. from September 15 to October 15? Why? To "celebrate the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America." Below are ten awesome books written by Hispanic American writers with Hispanic American main characters…
Ten Upcoming YA Releases to Put on Hold!
1. All Alone With You by Amelia Diane Coombs: Eloise Deane is the worst and doesn't care who knows it. She's grumpy, prefers to be alone, and is just slogging through senior year with one goal: get accepted to USC and move to California. So when her guidance counselor drops the bombshell that to score a scholarship she'll desperately need, her applications require volunteer hours, Eloise is up for the challenge. Until she's paired with LifeCare, a volunteer agency that offers social support to lonely seniors through phone calls and visits. Basically, it's a total nightmare for Eloise's…
August is Romance Awareness Month
Jessi; Rakisha, Branch Manager/Kings Bay
August is the start of Romance Awareness Month, but it’s not just another time of the year to stress about your romantic prospects (or lack thereof). Romance Awareness Month has come to represent a time to enjoy the meet-cutes, enemies to lovers, and forced proximity love stories created by some of our favorite authors. As we move into the dog days of summer, now is the perfect time to curl up with a romance novel on the beach or binge watch your favorite rom-com movies under the artic blast of your air conditioner. Streaming platforms are offering us movie adaptations of some of the most…
Summer 2023 Teen Book Releases
A Guide to the Dark by Meriam Metoui: Stranded at the Wildwood Motel while on their spring break road trip, Mira and Layla discover eight people died in their room and set out to find the connection between the deaths and the unexplainable things that keep happening inside Room 9. All the Yellow Suns by Malavika Kannan: Sixteen-year-old queer Indian American, Maya, who falls for her white, wealthy, and complicated female classmate, Juneau, is asked to join a secret society of artists, vandals, and mischief-makers who fight for justice at their school. Give Me a Sign by Anna…
July is 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. The featured image is the disability pride flag and each color symbolizes a type of disability: The 2021 disability flag colors each represent a type of disability: Green: sensory disabilities Blue: emotional and psychiatric disabilities White: non-visible and undiagnosed disabilities Gold: neurodiversity Red: physical disabilities Below are five books that have disabled characters, or are written by people…
Celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month with Yiddish Fiction in Translation
Danielle Winter
In honor of Jewish American Heritage Month, here are some books to check out from Brooklyn Public Library that are Yiddish fiction in translation. You will find the themes in these stories are not foreign to today’s reader; they focus on the immigrant experience, women’s issues, love, fitting in and standing out, and the inner mind. Oedipus in Brooklyn and Other Stories was written by the Galician-born Yiddish female writer Blume Lempel (1907-1999) and translated from Yiddish by Ellen Cassedy and Yermiyahu Ahron Taub. Lempel moved to Paris in 1929 and emigrated to the United States in…
It's Complicated: A Mother's Day Booklist
Today we’re considering literature that spotlights complex and chaotic motherhood through themes of upheaval and diaspora, shame and the supernatural. Being a mother is intense (understatement) and these titles take it seriously, using it as a springboard for creating rich, challenging art. So we don’t skim over books in which motherhood is the least complicating factor characters deal with: try Sandra Cisneros’s The House on Mango Street (1984), in which Esperanza’s artistic, kind mother is a protective presence in abrasive surroundings. Or Jan Morris’s Conundrum (1974), in which receiving…
April 2023 Teen Book Releases
Need book recommendations? Check out these twelve upcoming releases. 1. Pieces of Me / Kate McLaughlin: Eighteen-year-old Dylan is diagnosed with Dissociate Identity Disorder and grapples with what her diagnosis means for her future and her past. 2. Promposal / Garrett Raechell: To move to the top of the waitlist at her dream school, Autumn Reeves becomes the Promposal Queen, but when she is forced to partner with her former-crush-turned-enemy, she finds her friendships, her business and her entire future on the line. 3. A Whole Song and Dance / …
April is National Poetry Month
Did you know April is National Poetry Month? If you like to read poetry or verse novels check out the booklist below: A Time to Dance by Padma Venkatraman: Veda, a classical dance prodigy in India, lives and breathes dance--so when an accident leaves her a below-knee amputee, her dreams are shattered. For a girl who's grown used to receiving applause for her dance prowess and flexibility, adjusting to a prosthetic leg is painful and humbling. But Veda refuses to let her disability rob her of her dreams, and she starts all over again, taking beginner classes with the youngest…
Fifteen Recommended Reads for Black History Month
February is Black History Month. Black History Month was proposed by Black professors and the Black United Students group at Kent State University in 1969, and was first celebrated a year later from January 2nd to February 28th. Not until 1976, was it finally celebrated nationwide. One way to celebrate and honor Black history is by reading books by Black writers, poets, activists, etc. Below are fifteen books to read this month, and all year round! Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé: Welcome to Niveus Private Academy, where money paves the hallways, and…
A Lunar New Year Booklist
Almost American Girl: An Illustrated Memoir by Robin Ha: For as long as she can remember, it's been Robin and her mom against the world. Growing up as the only child of a single mother in Seoul, Korea, wasn't always easy, but it has bonded them fiercely together. So when a vacation to visit friends in Huntsville, Alabama, unexpectedly becomes a permanent relocation--following her mother's announcement that she's getting married--Robin is devastated. Overnight, her life changes. She is dropped into a new school where she doesn't understand the language and struggles to keep up. She is…
Six Coming-of-Age Stories To Check Out
Every Summer After / Carley Fortune: They say you can never go home again, and for Persephone Fraser, ever since she made the biggest mistake of her life a decade ago, that has felt too true. Instead of glittering summers on the lakeshore of her childhood, she spends them in a stylish apartment in the city, going out with friends, and keeping everyone a safe distance from her heart. Until she receives the call that sends her racing back to Barry's Bay and into the orbit of Sam Florek--the man she never thought she'd have to live without. For six summers, through hazy afternoons on the…
Re-Reading My Favorites in 2023
While it's exciting to keep track of all the new books coming out, there's something to be said for re-reading books you once enjoyed. In between reading new and upcoming releases this year, I'm going to also re-read some of my favorites. I browsed by bookshelves at home, reviewed my Goodreads account, and picked out five books. Will I still love them? Looking forward to finding out! Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender: Felix Love has never been in love--and, yes, he's painfully aware of the irony. He desperately wants to know what it's like and why it seems so easy for everyone but him…
Jewish Books to Read During Hanukkah
This year, Hanukkah is from December 18th-26th. If you enjoy reading stories with Jewish characters and/or themes, be sure to check these out: Color Me In by Natasha Diaz: Who is Nevaeh Levitz? Growing up in an affluent suburb of New York City, sixteen-year-old Nevaeh Levitz never thought much about her biracial roots. When her Black mom and Jewish dad split up, she relocates to her mom's family home in Harlem and is forced to confront her identity for the first time. Nevaeh wants to get to know her extended family, but one of her cousins can't stand that Nevaeh, who inadvertently…
December & January Teen Book Releases
'Tis the season to be reading! Here are some new and upcoming releases in December and January to put on hold now: Acting the Part / ZR Ellor: Playing a lesbian warrior on a hit TV show, queer actor Lily Ashton orchestrates a fake-dating scheme to save their on-screen love interest from being killed off while coming to terms with their own gender identity. A Million to One / Adiba Jaigirdar: An acrobat, an actress, an artist, and a thief, four girls who seemingly have nothing in common, work together and plot a heist to steal the Rubaiyat off the Titanic. As You walk On…
Five Books to Read for Native American Heritage Month!
November is National Native American Heritage Month. First approved by former President George H. W. Bush in November 1990, it has been observed yearly as both "Native American Heritage Month" and "National American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month" since 1994. To honor this important yearly event, here are five amazing books that center Native American and Indigenous voices of North America. Apple Skin to the Core by Eric Gansworth: The term "Apple" is a slur in Native communities across the country. It's for someone supposedly "red on the…
November 2022 New Book Releases
Fall is here! Need some book recommendations? Put a hold on any, or all of these upcoming releases: At Midnight : 15 beloved fairy tales reimagined / Dahlia Adler: A collection of fifteen original and retold fairy tales, reimagined with fresh perspectives and unexpected twists. Bloodmarked / Tracy Deonn: When the leaders of the Order reveal that they will do everything in their power to keep the approaching demon war a secret, Bree and her friends go on the run so she can learn how to control her devastating new powers. Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win / Susan Azim…
Halloween BookMatch! Costume-Based Reading Recommendations
Muse, TRS
What are you going to be for Halloween?! Much like an astrological sign, a Halloween costume can reveal an awful lot about a person—so in the spirit of spooky season, step into Off the Shelf's office and we'll advise what book pairs best with your holiday attire. Psst! Don't see your costume on the list? Try the Library's free BookMatch service to receive personalized book recommendations for your friends, your family and even your most fiendish foes! VAMPIRE Fledgling written by Octavia E. Butler You thought I was going to say Dracula, right? While it is a classic, I…
Ten Horror & Thriller Reads for Halloween
Do you love a good scare or thrill? Below are ten books I recommend reading this Halloween! Belladonna / Adalyn Grace: Nineteen-year-old orphan Signa Farrow confronts Death--and her own deathly powers--when she investigates the mysterious murder of a relative at the Thorn Grove estate. Blackwater / Jeannette Aroyo (graphic novel): Tony Price is a popular high school track star and occasional delinquent aching for his dad's attention and approval. Eli Hirsch is a quiet boy with a chronic autoimmune disorder that has ravaged his health and social life. What happens when these…
October 2022 Teen Book Releases
Need some new book recommendations? Put a hold on these upcoming releases: After Dark with Roxie Clark by Brooke Lauren Davis: Eighteen-year-old Roxie agrees to help her sister Skylar uncover her boyfriend's killer, but they discover that everyone in Whistler, Indiana, is hiding something and some ghost stories are best left untold. A Scatter of Light by Malinda Lo: The summer of 2013 in the Bay is a momentous one for eighteen-year-old Aria Tang West, for the working-class queer community she finds herself in, and for her artist grandmother. The First to Die at the End by Adam…
Video Games in Books
Do you love playing video games? Here are five books to read about teens who play too! Don't Hate the Player by Alexis Nedd: By day, Emilia is a field hockey star with a popular boyfriend and a mother obsessed with her academic future. By night, she's kicking virtual butt as the only female member of a highly competitive eSports team. Emilia has mastered the art of keeping her two worlds thriving, which hinges on them staying completely separate. When a major eSports tournament comes to her city, Emilia is determined to prove herself to the male-dominated gaming community. Her…
July is Disability Pride Month
Did you know 13.2% of Americans had some kind of physical or mental disability in 2019? Since the passing of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) in 1990, Disability Pride Month is celebrated every July. The Americans with Disabilities Act helps protect the rights of people with disabilities in five important areas: employment state and local government facilities and services public accommodations telecommunications transportation. Unfortunately, many people with disabilities still face discrimination and stigma. In light of this reality, it is even more…
Happy Birthday, BPL!
Kimberly, Children's Senior Librarian
If there is one thing I love it’s a birthday—especially mine (September 2; send books!) and that of my most loved ones. Something about turning a year older and celebrating the day you were born is just so special to me. So it’s with extreme excitement that, my first summer as a librarian at Brooklyn Public Library (BPL being a loved one for me), I get to celebrate the Library’s 125th birthday (BPL, you look great. You don’t look a day over 21.). All summer long, BPL will have programming for all ages to commemorate this epic birthday bash, and to get you into the spirit of…
New Book Releases in June!
Brianna Liu
Happy Summer, y'all! Here are eight new releases to check out this month!
Kids Create: Pipe Cleaner Daffodils
Marlene, Assistant Branch Manager - Cypress Hills
Spring has sprung here in Brooklyn! And in honor of all the growing new plant life, we are making some beautiful flowers out of pipe cleaners. Supplies: Pipe Cleaners 3 yellow 1 orange 1 6-inch green Glue Pencil (optional) Steps: 1. Fold all 3 yellow pipe cleaners in half, open them up and arrange them in a star. Twist them at the middle so that they stay in place. 2. Take the end of one of the pipe cleaners and roll it tightly (like a snail!) Repeat until all the "petals" have been rolled up. Arrange them to your liking. …
BKLYN Presents: Black History Month Books to Celebrate
Patricia; Marlene, Assistant Branch Manager - Cypress Hills
During the month of February, we celebrate Black History month and invite you to join the celebration! Carter G. Woodson, an African American historian and former slave, began the celebration in 1929 to celebrate the contributions of African Americans to the United States of America. At first, it was a two week-long celebration. Imagine a two week-long birthday party! He decided on February because it was the birthdays of two men who were very important in the lives of African Americans: Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. In 1976, Former United States president Gerald Ford decided…
Ten Graphic Picks for Black History Month
Afar by Leila Del Duca: In a post-industrial desert wasteland, fifteen-year-old Boetema develops the ability to astral project to other planets. On her own planet, with her parents gone, she and her thirteen-year-old brother, Inotu, must cross a dangerous desert to flee a cyborg bodyguard. Bingo Love by Tee Franklin: "When Hazel Johnson and Mari McCray met at church bingo in 1963, it was love at first sight. Forced apart by their families and society, Hazel and Mari both married young men and had families. Decades later, now in their mid-'60s, Hazel and Mari reunite again at a…
The Fashion Show that Helped Launch a Movement
Upcoming Book Releases to Put on Hold Now!
Here are 10 interesting books coming out this February. If you like to get new releases before anyone else, be sure to put these on hold right now! Extasia by Claire Legrand: In a postapocalyptic world, sixteen-year-old Saint Amity joins a coven and sets out on a quest to summon the Devil in order to protect her village, which is controlled by group of pious elders. Fire Becomes Her by Rosiee Thor: In a world where magic can be bottled and power sipped, seventeen-year-old Ingrid Ellis tries to rise in society on the arm of Lindon Holt, but when she agrees to spy…
See the Movie, Read the Book: Christmas Edition
Christmas was last week, but that doesn't mean it's over. Just ask any die-hard Hallmark Channel viewer—they've been enjoying holiday flicks since before Daylight Saving Time, and will probably watch more for weeks to come. There's a definite lure to the comfort these movies depict: fireplaces galore, cups of tea and cocoa, fair isle sweaters, hats and scarves (barely worn but ever-present), and true love realized through the magic of Christmas. And guess what? All of that holly-jolly splendor is even better when it takes place in a good book. Grab a candy cane and check out…
In Celebration of Native American/Indigenous Heritage Month
Native American and Alaska Native Heritage Month started out as a week-long celebration as of 1986, during former President Reagan's administration. Since 1995, November has been designated as the month to celebrate and honor the cultures, achievements and contributions of Native Americans and Alaska Natives. Below are ten books of varying genres you can read to finish out this month, and all year round. Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer: "An inspired weaving of indigenous knowledge, plant science,…
2021 Transgender Day of Remembrance
"Transgender Day of Remembrance seeks to highlight the losses we face due to anti-transgender bigotry and violence… With so many seeking to erase transgender people—sometimes in the most brutal ways possible—it is vitally important that those we lose are remembered, and that we continue to fight for justice." –TDoR founder Gwendolyn Ann Smith “November 20 marks Trans Day of Remembrance, an annual memorial for our murdered kin. The day gives us space to grieve the siblings—overwhelmingly Black trans women and femmes—who were pushed out of this world too soon. Our rebellious mourning recommits…
Books to Bring on a Picnic
The first time I created a list of Picnic Reads, sharing a blanket with friends and family for a day of eating, drinking, fun and frivolity wasn’t that popular. However, things have changed, and if you're going to hang out with your loved ones, an open space outdoors makes the best sense. I compiled the first list with books centered around food, summer and vacations in mind. Some of those books, alas, are no longer in our collection—something I consider a tragedy! Five years ago, I could not have conceived of a world in which future generations of library users would be deprived…
Cool Off With These Hot Reads
It’s official: the dog days of summer are here. Now’s the time to grab a beach blanket, find a shady tree, sit in front of a fan...you get the idea. Wherever you end up, be sure to chill out with a good book—and don’t forget the sunscreen! Something New Under the Sun by Alexandra Kleeman Set in Hollywood in the not-too-distant future, Kleeman’s dystopian thriller features movie stars, wildfires, and privatized, synthetic water. Out in August, this book is already getting serious buzz. Appleseed by Matt Bell Packing your bags for a long summer vacation? At nearly 500 pages…
Get Into This AAPI Heritage Month Booklist!
Since 1992, we celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month in May to acknowledge the accomplishments and contributions of the AAPI communities to the United States. With the unacceptable rise in anti-Asian violence both here and abroad, it is especially vital for us to bring well-deserved attention to these amazing books written by AAPI writers of the past and present. Crying in H Mart: A Memoir by Michelle Zauner: Zauner, a biracial Korean American musician otherwise known as Japanese Breakfast, shares her moving and witty story of growing up Asian in Eugene, OR…
Soda Bread & Shamrocks: A St. Patrick’s Day Booklist
We can’t give you a parade or a pub crawl, but we can offer you a celebratory booklist! Butter your soda bread, drown the shamrock and discover the history and traditions of St. Patrick’s Day with the BPL catalog. Holiday history lessons Celebrating 250 years of the NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade by John T. Ridge NYC’s annual parade started in 1762! The Wearing of the Green by Mike Cronin & Daryl Adair A thoroughly researched history of March 17. Dagger John by John Loughery The story of Archbishop John Hughes, builder of St. Patrick’s Cathedral and founder of…
Young Women's Stories of Past and Present
Yesterday, March 8th was International Women's Day and March itself is Women's History Month. While a Women & Gender Studies major in college, I learned all about how women's lives and experiences have NOT been front and center in literature, the news, history, media, etc. for far too long. Especially Women of Color (WoC) and queer and trans women. Therefore, I present to you five of my favorite novels about young women and their quest to better understand themselves and the world around them in the past and present. Displacement by Kiku…
Wintertime Teen Reads
There's nothing like curling up with a good book when it's cold and snowy outside. If you enjoy stories set during the winter, be sure to check out any, or all of these! Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan: In a story told in the alternating voices of Dash and Lily, two sixteen-year-olds carry on a wintry scavenger hunt at Christmastime in New York, neither knowing quite what--or who--they will find. Let it Snow by John Green, Lauren Myracle, and Maureen Johnson: In three intertwining short stories, several high school couples…
When Did You Fall in Love with Reading?
A little birdie told us that, when our collective quarantine happened, many avid readers just couldn't focus on books anymore. We're sure it's quite scary to suddenly find the thing that felt like home, now feels as if it's 'too much'. If this sounds like you, fear no more! In an effort to help you jumpstart a new love affair with the written word, Off the Shelf editors asked our book-obsessed colleagues: What books made you fall in love with reading? Below are some selections for anyone looking to revisit some childhood classics, or if you're in need, possible inspiration. Happy…
Climate Wednesdays Are Back!
We are pleased to announcethe return of Climate Wednesdays at Brooklyn Public Library! This series, presented by 350 Brooklyn, examines how Brooklynites can face the climate crisis and features experts and activists sharing their ideas and practical solutions to combat climate change. Launched in the fall of 2019, past events have explored how energy use, parenting, food, and our health are impacted by rising temperatures, pollution and natural disasters. The next event on fossil fuel-free transportation (Wednesday, July 22, 7 pm) looks at sustainable transportation…
Quarantine with the DeKalb Library Staff
These past few months have been very strange, indeed, as we’ve adapted to staying apart but working together on library projects virtually. One of the ways the staff of DeKalb Library has been able to feel connected is through having virtual meetings with our colleagues on Zoom and nurturing the friendships that are very strong in the branch. In between talking about important library matters, we’ve found ways to talk about what we’re reading, watching and listening to, and the other ways we’ve been trying to take care of ourselves and feel "normal". Some of us find that we’re reading…
Enemies-to-Lovers: Swoon Over these Romance Novels
Reading romance novels has helped bring me joy during this pandemic. I especially seek out those that fall under the popular trope, enemies-to-lovers. The six titles listed below are witty, fun, and sexy—and will hopefully give you a good laugh, too! Enjoy and stay safe! The Right Swipe: A Novel by Alisha Rai Rhiannon Hunter was ghosted by Samson Lima after letting herself fall for his charms after one amazing date. When he resurfaces, aligned with her biggest business rival and asking for a secomd chance, Rhiannon has to decide if her walls stay up, or if she should risk merging hearts!…
An Enlightening Evening with Emily Lockhart
Shelley P. | LoT Peer Leader
On March 3rd, Emily Lockhart, author of We Were Liars and Genuine Fraud*, visited the Brooklyn Heights Library! Taking command of the room, Emily began by reading an excerpt of We Were Liars. After she elaborated on the role of fairy tales in her life, I realized that Emily utilized impactful moments of her adolescence as inspiration for her literary work. We Were Liars highlights teenage angst and the universal phase in our teen hood where we challenge the beliefs held by our elders. Before writing We Were Liars, Emily had identified as a comedy writer and a series of events had led her to…