Monday, January 11, 2021

Kids' Book Spotlight - Teen Books for the New Year!

A New Year means new beginnings and new challenges! Check out these books from our Teen collection that are all about embracing and inspiring change.

Teen Middle (Grades 6-8)

by Rebecca Balacarcel

Twelve-year-old Quijana is a biracial girl, desperately trying to understand the changes that are going on in her life; her mother rarely gets home before bedtime, her father suddenly seems to be trying to get in touch with his Guatemalan roots (even though he never bothered to teach Quijana Spanish), she is about to start seventh grade in the Texas town where they live and she is worried about fitting in--and Quijana suspects that her parents are keeping secrets, because she is sure there is something wrong with her little brother, Memito, who is becoming increasingly hard to reach.

The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen
by Susin Nielsen

When thirteen-year-old Henry and his family move to the city to leave behind a secret tragedy, Henry finds a journal is his best friend.

Sea Change
by Frank Viva

Follows a young boy who is reluctantly sent to spend the summer in a remote part of Nova Scotia. As the summer wears on, the hero forges solid friendships with other kids in the small fishing community and is changed forever by the experience.

Empty
by Suzanne Weyn 

When, just ten years in the future, oil supplies run out and global warming leads to devastating storms, senior high school classmates Tom, Niki, Gwen, Hector, and Brock realize that the world as they know it is ending and lead the way to a more environmentally-friendly society.

The Moon Within
by Aida Salazar

Eleven-year-old (nearly twelve) Celi Rivera, who is a mix of Black-Puerto Rican-Mexican Indian is uncomfortable about her approaching period, and the changes that are happening to her body; she is horrified that her mother wants to hold a traditional public moon ceremony to celebrate the occasion--until she finds out that her best friend Magda is contemplating an even more profound change of life.



Teen High (Grades 9-12)

by Jeff Zentner

Every Friday night, best friends Delia and Josie become Rayne Ravenscroft and Delilah Darkwood, hosts of the campy creature feature show Midnite Matinee on the local cable station TV Six. But with the end of senior year quickly approaching, the girls face tough decisions about their futures. Josie has been dreading graduation, as she tries to decide whether to leave for a big university and chase her dream career in mainstream TV. And Lawson, one of the show's guest performers, a talented MMA fighter with weaknesses for pancakes, fantasy novels, and Josie, is making her tough decision even harder. Scary movies are the last connection Delia has to her dad, who abandoned the family years ago. If Midnite Matinee becomes a hit, maybe he'll see it and want to be a part of her life again. And maybe Josie will stay with the show instead of leaving her behind, too. As the tug-of-war between growing up and growing apart tests the bonds of their friendship, Josie and Delia start to realize that an uncertain future can be both monstrous...and momentous.

The Hive 
by Barry Lyga

It's the near future -- the day after tomorrow -- and the government has shut down online bullying once and for all. With BLINQ, its new social media platform, users can "like" or "share," but they can also "condemn" posts -- and if condemns reach a certain level, users can exact punishment from the original poster in real life. No more anonymous trolling! Instead... hive justice. Seventeen-year-old Cassie McKinney is angry at everything. She's just lost her beloved father, a cult hero in the hacking world. She's been uprooted to a new apartment and -- worse -- a new school. Cassie is barely enduring senior year when she's drawn into a powerful group of girls and their effort to make their posts go viral. Cassie's just trying to be funny when she posts a cutting BLINQ. But when that BLINQ goes viral in all the worst ways, she becomes the target of a furious mob. Abandoned by her friends, betrayed by the system, and bristling at the injustice of it all, Cassie goes on the run. In the shadows, she finds people to help her hide. If she wants to clear her name, though, she will have to work with them to unravel a conspiracy beyond her imagination.

The Map from Here to There
by Emery Lord

High school senior Paige knows there is so much more to life after high school, but is it so terrible to want everything to stay the same forever? What happens after happily ever after? It's senior year, and Paige Hancock is finally living her best life. She has a fun summer job, great friends, and a super charming boyfriend who totally gets her. But senior year also means big decisions. Weighing "the rest of her life," Paige feels her anxiety begin to pervade every decision she makes. Everything is exactly how she always wanted it to be--how can she leave it all behind next year? In her head, she knows there is so much more to experience after high school. But in her heart, is it so terrible to want everything to stay the same forever?

Mike
by Andrew Norriss

Floyd is a teenage tennis prodigy. Since he was little, all he's ever known is the routine of training, of matches, of working hard to rise to the top. But something strange is happening. Floyd is being followed by a boy whom no one else can see. And Mike will go to all lengths to make himself heard. Floyd will discover that finding out what Mike wants will change the course of his entire life. A thought-provoking journey of self-discovery. Mike examines what it means to break free and find your own path. Even if it means throwing away the plans of a lifetime.

by Adi Alsaid

Central International School's annual lock-in is legendary. Bonds are made. Contests are fought. Stories are forged that will be passed down from student to student for years to come. This year's lock-in begins normally enough. Then a group of students led by Marisa Cuevas stage an ecoprotest and chain themselves to the doors, vowing to keep everyone trapped inside until their list of demands is met. Some students rally to their cause -- but others are aggrieved to watch their own plans fall apart. Amira has trained all year to compete in the school decathlon on her own terms. Peejay intended to honor his brother by throwing the greatest party CIS has ever seen. Kenji was looking forward to making a splash at his improv showcase. Omar wanted to spend a little time with the boy he's been crushing on. Celeste, adrift in a new country, was hoping to connect with someone -- anyone. And Marisa, once so certain of her goals, must now decide how far she'll go to attain them. Every year, lock-in night changes lives. This year, it might just change the world.

Stephani Lindsey
Youth Specialist
Sharon Forks Library
#WeKnowBooks

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