Kids' Book Spotlight - Books to Be Thankful For - Teen Collection

 We're thankful for these books about friendship, family, and self-acceptance from our Teen collection. 

Teen Middle (Grades 6-8)

Mango Delight

by Fracaswell Hyman

When seventh-grader Mango Delight Fuller accidentally breaks her BFF Brooklyn's new cell phone, her life falls apart. She loses her friends and her spot on the track team, and even costs her father his job as a chef. But Brooklyn's planned revenge--sneakily signing up Mango to audition for the school musical--backfires when Mango not only wins the lead role, but becomes a YouTube sensation and attracts the attention of the school's queen bee, Hailey Jo. Hailey Jo is from a VERY wealthy family, and expects everyone to do her bidding. Soon Mango finds herself forced to make tough choices about the kind of friend she wants to have . . . and, just as important, the kind of friend she wants to be.

Unstoppable

by Tim Green

If anyone understands the phrase 'tough luck,' it's Harrison. As a foster kid in a cruel home, he knows his dream of one day playing for the NFL is a long shot. Then Harrison's luck seems to change. He is brought into a new home with kind, loving parents--his new dad is even a football coach. Harrison's big build and his incredible determination quickly make him a star running back on the junior high school team. In no time, he's practically unstoppable. But Harrison's good luck can't last forever.

Urban Outlaws

by Peter Jay Black

Deep beneath London, five extraordinary youths, orphans who bonded over their shared sense of justice, have formed the Urban Outlaws and dedicated themselves to outsmarting criminals and performing Random Acts of Kindness (R.A.K.s), but they are in serious trouble when they face a genius super-computer, Proteus.

The Thing About Jellyfish

by Ali Benjamin

Twelve-year-old Suzy Swanson wades through her intense grief over the loss of her best friend by investigating the rare jellyfish she is convinced was responsible for her friend's death.

The Other Half of Happy

by Rebecca Balcarcel

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.

Teen High (Grades 9-12)

Kira-Kira

by Cynthia Kadohata

Chronicles the close friendship between two Japanese-American sisters growing up in rural Georgia during the late 1950s and early 1960s, and the despair when one sister becomes terminally ill.

The Beauty That Remains

by Ashley Woodfolk

Music brought Autumn, Shay, and Logan together. Autumn is a talented artist and a loyal friend. Shay was defined by two things: her bond with her twin sister, Sasha, and her love of music. And Logan has always turned to writing love songs when his real love life was a little less than perfect. But death might pull them apart-- when tragedy strikes each of them, music is no longer enough. Logan can't stop watching vlogs of his dead ex-boyfriend; Shay is struggling to keep it together; Autumn sends messages that she knows can never be answered. It is possible for one band's music to reunite them and prove that beauty thrives in the people left behind?

I'll Give You the Sun

by Jandy Nelson

A story of first love, family, loss, and betrayal told from different points in time, and in separate voices, by artists Jude and her twin brother Noah.

Just As You Are: A Teen's Guide to Self-Acceptance and Lasting Self-Esteem

by Michelle Skeen

Stop comparing yourself to others--you're special just as you are!" That's the message psychologist Michelle Skeen and her daughter, Kelly Skeen, instill in teen readers with this unique self-help guide. With this fun and engaging book, teens will learn how to silence their nit-picky inner critic, overcome feelings of inadequacy and unworthiness, cultivate self-acceptance and self-compassion, and discover what really matters to them.

A List of Cages

by Robin Roe

When Adam Blake lands the best elective ever in his senior year, serving as an aide to the school psychologist, he thinks he's got it made. Sure, it means a lot of sitting around, which isn't easy for a guy with ADHD, but he can't complain, since he gets to spend the period texting all his friends. Then the doctor asks him to track down the troubled freshman who keeps dodging her, and Adam discovers that the boy is Julian -- the foster brother he hasn't seen in five years. Adam is ecstatic to be reunited. At first, Julian seems like the boy he once knew. He's still kindhearted. He still writes stories and loves picture books meant for little kids. But as they spend more time together, Adam realizes that Julian is keeping secrets, like where he hides during the middle of the day, and what's really going on inside his house. Adam is determined to help him, but his involvement could cost both boys their lives.

Stephani Lindsey

Youth Specialist

Sharon Forks Library

#WeKnowBooks

Kids' Book Spotlight- Books to Be Thankful For - Juvenile Collection

 We're thankful for these books in our Juvenile collection that inspire kindness, gratitude and generosity! 

Beginning Chapter Books (Grades 1-3)

Heidi Heckelbeck Lends a Helping Hand

by Wanda Coven

Heidi discovers that helping to clean up can be fun, so she brings her community together to make the neglected "Trash Park" beautiful again.

Wallace and Grace and the Lost Puppy

by Heather Alexander

While owl detectives Wallace and Grace are on a scavenger hunt, they find a lost puppy, Jasper, and try to help him find his way home.

Turkeys We Have Loved and Eaten (and Other Thankful Stuff)

by Barbara Park

To celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, Mr. Scary's first grade class prepares a Thankful List for the school contest, but Junie B. Jones finds it hard to be grateful for squash or Tattletale May.

Thanks to Lucy

by Ilene Cooper

Bobby Quinn has a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving--his grandmother's visit, an adopted baby brother or sister on the way--but what he's most thankful for is his beagle Lucy, who hasn't been acting like herself lately.

The Life of Ty: Non-Random Acts of Kindness

by Lauren Myracle

Ty Perry’s second-grade life is crazier than ever. He’s trying hard not to worry too much, but that’s not easy when his brain is filled with so many thoughts, like finally finding a pet for Baby Maggie, his sometimes-crazy classmates, and the dreaded neck-pinch-of-death. And then there’s his upcoming recitation about doing an act of kindness in front of the whole class!

Chapter Books (Grades 3-5)

Captain Superlative!

by J. S. Puller

Janey, a quiet outsider, is inspired by the eccentric and enigmatic Captain Superlative, a masked superhero who runs through the halls of their middle school, performing radical acts of kindness.

Chloe on the Bright Side

by Courtney Sheinmel

Rejected by the cool girls club, fifth-grader Chloe Silver, new in town after her parents' divorce, forms a different type of club, with offbeat Lucy Tanaka and nerdy Leo Barish, that tests out different acts of kindness on classmates.

Things Seen from Above

by Shelley Pearsall

April is looking for an escape from the sixth-grade lunch hour, which has become a social-scene nightmare, so she signs up to be a "buddy bench monitor" for the fourth graders' recess. Joey Byrd is a boy on the fringes, who wanders the playground alone, dragging his foot through the dirt. But over time, April realizes that Joey isn't just making random circles. When you look at his designs from above, a story emerges... Joey's "bird's eye" drawings reveal what he observes and thinks about every day. Told in alternating viewpoints--April's in text and Joey's mostly in art--the story gives the "whole picture" of what happens as these two outsiders find their rightful places.

Finding Home

by Karen Kingsbury

For Ashley, moving to Bloomington, Indiana, is especially hard but with time, prayer, a few surprises, and especially the love of her family, she finally feels at home.

Before the Ever After

by Jacqueline Woodson

ZJ's friends Ollie, Darry and Daniel help him cope when his father, a beloved professional football player, suffers severe headaches and memory loss that spell the end of his career.

Stephani Lindsey

Youth Specialist 

Sharon Forks Library

#WeKnowBooks

Staff Picks: Music to Read By

Music can tell a story and set a mood as much as any book. The next time you want to "listen" to a story, try one of these pieces of music inspired by classic literature.

Scheherazade by Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov

Composed by Rimsky-Korsakov in 1888, Scheherazade is thematically based on the series of stories known as One Thousand and One Nights or The Arabian Nights. You can hear the voice of Scheherazade in the sweet strains of the violin solo, while the threatening tones of the Sultan are evoked by the bass motif in the first movement.

The Arabian Nights

The clever and beautiful Scheherazade enchants her husband, a bloodthirsty sultan who executes each of his wives after one night of marriage, with a story each evening, always ending on a cliffhanger in order to postpone her execution for one more day. After one thousand and one nights of stories, the sultan decides to spare her life.

Romeo and Juliet by Sergey Prokofiev

Prokofiev's dramatized ballet is based on Shakespeare's tragic play and originally had a happy ending in which Romeo and Juliet dance away hand in hand. After some controversy - and at the insistence of Soviet cultural officials - Prokofiev reinstated the original ending, although he wasn't happy about some of the musical changes made to his score. The ballet premiered in 1938 and a film version was made in 1955.

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

One of Shakespeare's most popular plays, this tragic romance tells the story of two young lovers from warring families. The play has been retold countless times and has inspired books, operas, ballets, and movies.

The Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber

Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1986 musical is a little different from - and perhaps better known than - the book that inspired it. The modernized operatic music from the hit Broadway play sweeps listeners into the romantic world of young opera singer Christine, Raoul, and the mysterious Phantom.

The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux

The Phantom of the Opera is partially inspired by true events and by the rumors surrounding a Paris opera house, the Palais Garnier, in the nineteenth century. Leroux, a courtroom reporter and drama critic, also wrote detective stories, and the mystery of the Phantom's identity is central to the plot.


You might also want to try this book, which is inspired by some of the great music of the 1970s!

Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Written as an oral history and including interviews from members of the eponymous band, Daisy Jones and the Six is a fictional telling of the meteoric rise and mysterious fall of one of the bands that defined rock music in the 1970s. Author Taylor Jenkins Reid draws inspiration from actual bands of the era, such as Fleetwood Mac.

You can listen to the music of Fleetwood Mac, the Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin by checking out music CDs in the library's collection.

Melissa
Information Specialist
#WeKnowBooks

Kids' Book Spotlight- Books to Be Thankful For- Easy Collection

We're thankful for these books in our Easy Picture Book and Early Reader collections that inspire kindness, gratitude and generosity! 

Early Readers

You Can Be Kind, Pout-Pout Fish!

by Deborah Diesen

Mr. Fish's friends are all about to pout, and soon the whole class is in a bad mood. What can Mr. Fish do to turn the day around? All it takes is a simple act of kindness!

We Are Thankful

by Margaret McNamara

Asked by their teacher to think about the things and people for which they are thankful, the first graders of the Robin Hill School take turns sharing their feelings, challenging young Reza to think of something original.

Thank You Day

by Farrah McDoogle

Preparing special notes to place on the Thank You Tree in the Neighborhood of Make Believe, Daniel Tiger and his friends think of various polite ways to express their gratitude to those who help them.

Poppleton in Fall

by Cynthia Rylant

Poppleton the pig enjoys the company of geese flying south, buys a new winter coat with the help of his friend Cherry Sue, and tries to order pancakes at the Lion's Club breakfast.

My Brother, Ant

by Betsy Byars

In four separate stories, Ant's older brother gets rid of the monster under Ant's bed, forgives Ant for drawing on his homework, tries to read a story, and helps Ant write a letter to Santa.

Picture Books

Attitude of Gratitude

by Julie Andrews

Gerry, the very fairy princess, learns the importance of gratitude even in the face of disappointment over the course of Gratitude Day at school.

Give Thank You a Try

by James Patterson

An illustrated exploration of the phrase "thank you" and the many scenarios of kindness and gratitude in which it can be used.

The Thank You Letter

by Jane Cabrera

Grace's thank-you notes for her birthday presents appear all over town, bringing love and happiness into everyone's lives.

The Way Home for Wolf

by Rachel Bright

Wolf cub Wilf is convinced that he has what it takes to lead the pack, but the adults just laugh--and when he falls behind and finds himself alone in the dark of the Arctic night he discovers that it is really important to have friends who will show you the way home.

The Breaking News

by Sarah Lynne Reul

When devastating news rattles a young girl's community, her normally attentive parents and neighbors are suddenly exhausted and distracted. At school, her teacher tells the class to look for the helpers--the good people working to make things better in big and small ways. She wants more than anything to help in a BIG way, but maybe she can start with one small act of kindness instead...and then another, and another. Small things can compound, after all, to make a world of difference.

Stephani Lindsey

Youth Specialist

Sharon Fork Library

#WeKnowBooks

overBOOKed to Read: Snowblind by Ragnar Jonasson

Snowblind by Ragnar Jonasson

The first novel in the Dark Iceland series takes place in Siglufjörður, "an idyllically quiet fishing village in Northern Iceland, where no one locks their doors - accessible only via a small mountain tunnel. Ari Thór Arason: a rookie policeman on his first posting, far from his girlfriend in Reykjavik - with a past that he's unable to leave behind. When a young woman is found lying half-naked in the snow, bleeding and unconscious, and a highly-esteemed, elderly writer falls to his death in the local theatre, Ari is dragged straight into the heart of a community where he can trust no one, and secrets and lies are a way of life. An avalanche and unremitting snowstorms close the mountain pass, and the 24-hour darkness threatens to push Ari over the edge, as curtains begin to twitch, and his investigation becomes increasingly complex, chilling and personal. Past plays tag with the present and the claustrophobic tension mounts, while Ari is thrust ever deeper into his own darkness -- blinded by snow, and with a killer on the loose." (from Goodreads)

Join the overBOOKed book club for a virtual discussion of this title on Thursday, December 17, at 10:00 a.m. OverBOOKed meets virtually at 10:00 a.m. every third Thursday of the month. Register here to receive your GoToMeeting link to join the discussion!

The eBook and eAudiobook versions of Snowblind are available through OverDrive. Anyone with a Forsyth County Library card can sign up for a free OverDrive account. Sign up for a free card today and start enjoying FCPL's digital catalog from wherever you are!

Christina
Information Specialist
#WeKnowBooks

Kids' Book Spotlight - Super Sleuth Teen Books

"How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth?" ~Sherlock Holmes 

Teen Middle (Grades 6-8)

The Stitchers

by Lorien Lawrence

Thirteen-year-olds Quinn Parker and Mike Warren uncover the awful truth about their strange neighbors and the gruesome secret of how they stay young.

Zenobia July

by Lisa Bunker

Zenobia July, an excellent coder and hacker, investigates a mystery while wrestling with the challenges of a new school, a new family, and presenting her true gender for the first time.

The Unforgettable Guinevere St. Clair

by Amy Makechnie

Guinevere St. Clair is going to be a lawyer. She was the fastest girl in New York City. She knows everything there is to know about the brain. And now that she's living in Crow, Iowa, she wants to ride into her first day of school on a cow named Willowdale Princess Deon Dawn. Her family has moved there, where her parents grew up, in the hopes of jogging her mother Vienna's memory. Vienna has been suffering from memory loss since Gwyn was four. Gwyn's father is obsessed with finding out everything he can to help his wife, but Gwyn's focused on problems that seem a little more within her reach. Like proving that the very strange Gaysie Cutter who lives next door is behind the disappearance of her only friend, Wilbur Truesdale. Gwyn is sure she can crack the case, but when she does she finds that not all of her investigations lead her to the places she would have expected. In fact they might just lead her to learn about the mother she's been doing her best to forget.

The House in Poplar Wood

by Kathryn Ormsbee

The Vickery twins, Lee and Felix, live in a house in Poplar Wood, where, because of the "Agreement," their mother serves Memory, and their father assists Death, and only Lee is allowed to leave the house, except for Halloween; but when a local girl is murdered, Gretchen Whipple, daughter of the mayor, offers the boys a deal--help her solve the crime and she will help them break the Agreement, and regain their freedom.

The Usual Suspects

by Maurice Broaddus

Thelonius Mitchell is tired of being labeled. He's in special ed, separated from the "normal" kids at school who don't have any "issues." That's enough to make all the teachers and students look at him and his friends with a constant side-eye. (Although his disruptive antics and pranks have given him a rep too.) When a gun is found at a neighborhood hangout, Thelonius and his pals become instant suspects. Thelonius may be guilty of pulling crazy stunts at school, but a criminal? T isn't about to let that label stick.

Teen High (Grades 9-12)

Blink 

by Sasha Dawn

Sixteen-year-old Josh falls in love with newcomer Chatham Claiborne, who has come to town to find her missing sister, but when Chatham suddenly disappears Josh unearths a web of lies and secrecy surrounding her life, and in doing so unwittingly discovers vital clues to the town's longest unsolved mystery.

The Window

by Amelia Brunskill

Anna is outgoing and athletic, the opposite of her twin sister Jess. The same on the outside, so completely different inside-- yet they tell each other everything. Or so Jess thought. After Anna falls to her death while sneaking out her bedroom window, Jess questions where Anna was going, who she was meeting. Jess soon discovers that her twin kept a lot of secrets. And as she digs deeper, she learns that the answers she's looking for may be truths that no one wants her to uncover.

Trouble Never Sleeps

by Stephanie Tromly

Of course I didn't like Digby when I met him. No one does. The first time Philip Digby--the brilliant, annoying, and somehow entirely enigmatic Digby--showed up on Zoe Webster's doorstep, he treated her like a book he'd already read and knew the ending to. But before she knew it, he's dragged her into a series of dangerous, and marginally legal, schemes all related to the futile hunt for his kidnapped sister. A hunt that as haunted him for years. Now, a year later, Digby's got a new lead. Sure, it could require breaking into a secret government research facility (not to mention a little light treason), and yes, Zoe could be jeopardizing her Ivy League future. But dating Digby was never going to be short on danger, and when it comes to Digby, forget the acerbic banter, steamy chemistry, and no small amount of sarcasm; it's all about giving him the closure he so desperately needs. But what if that closure comes with a twist neither expects?

If You’re Out There

by Katy Loutzenhiser

Zan is baffled when her best friend, Priya, stops answering her emails after moving to California, but new friend, Logan, presents the disturbing possibility that Priya cannot answer.

Life is Short and Then You Die

Adolescence is a time of firsts. First kiss. First love. First loss. First job. The first taste of adult responsibilities, and the first look at an independent life away from both the restrictions and the security of home. And in this case, a very different type of "first": murder. This short story collection of murder mysteries adds a sinister spin to the joy and pain of firsts that have always been a major part of life, whether it be high school cliques who take the term "backstabbing" too seriously, stumbling upon a body on the way home from school, or receiving a Snapchat message that promises something deadly. Contributors include Barry Lyga, Caleb Roehrig, Emmy Laybourne, Jonathan Maberry, R.L. Stine, Rachel Vincent, Y.S. Lee, and more!

Stephani Lindsey

Youth Specialist

Sharon Forks Library

#WeKnowBooks

Kids' Book Spotlight - Super Sleuth Chapter Books

"My name is Sherlock Holmes. It is my business to know what other people don’t know." 

                                                                       ~Sherlock Holmes

Beginning Chapter Books (Grades 1-3)

Iggy Peck and the Mysterious Mansion

by Andrea Beaty

Iggy is delighted when Ada Twist's Aunt Bernice inherits a mansion featuring his favorite architectural periods, but unless the Questioneers can find its missing antiques, the house may be lost forever. Includes information about Art Deco and Art Nouveau, facts about unusual cats, a recipe for ice cream, and a biographical note on Ida B. Wells.

Hazy Bloom and the Mystery Next Door

by Jennifer Hamburg

Summer has just began, and Hazy Bloom is not a happy camper. In fact, she's not even an unhappy camper, because she's stuck at home while all of her friends spend their summers camping, hiking, and having exciting adventures. But then Hazy's tomorrow power--her ability to see odd visions of something that will happen the next day--leads her to the empty house next door, where strange things are happening. Flickering lights. A weird gust of wind. Horrible rattling. Slamming doors. Could there be a ghost inside? Suddenly, her summer is anything but boring, now that Hazy has a crazy mystery to solve.

Marty Frye Private Eye: The Case of the Missing Action Figure

by Janet Tashjian

Marty Frye, a seven-year-old who likes to read poetry and talk in rhymes, solves three separate mysteries for a classmate, a toy store owner, and his younger sister.

Nancy Drew Clue Book: Pool Party Puzzler

by Carolyn Keene

During classmate Dierdre's "sweet half-sixteen" birthday party, Nancy Drew and her Clue Crew friends investigate who threw a snake into the pool--and why.

Hardy Boys Clue Book: The Video Game Bandit

by Franklin Dixon

Frank and Joe are on a mission to track down a thief in the first book in an all-new, interactive Hardy Boys chapter book mystery series. Includes space for readers to jot down their own ideas and solutions to the case! Bayport Elementary is throwing a fundraiser so they can go on an end-of-the-year trip. Ellie Freeman's parents have volunteered their house for the event, and neighbors have donated all sorts of prizes to be raffled off including movie tickets and gift certificates to Fun World. But the best prize of all is a brand-new ZCross50000, a video game system that every kid has been drooling over. But sometime during the event, the ZCross goes missing. Can Frank and Jo figure out who took the prize before it's too late to save the big school trip?

Chapter Books (Grades 3-5)

Premeditated Myrtle

by Elizabeth Bunce

When twelve-year-old aspiring detective Myrtle Hardcastle learns her neighbor in quiet Swinburne, England, a breeder of rare flowers, has died she is certain it was murder and that she must find the killer.

Super Puzzletastic Mysteries: Short Stories for Young Sleuths

New York Times bestselling author Chris Grabenstein and his all-star cast of contributing authors team up for Super Puzzletastic Mysteries, a group of interactive short stories that invite the reader to solve the mystery themselves.

The Peacock Detectives

by Carly Nugent

Almost twelve years old, Cassie is good at finding her neighbors' pet peacocks but not so good at figuring out the changes in her parents, her older sister, and her best friend Jonas.

Finally, Something Mysterious 

by Doug Cornett

Paul Marconi and his two friends are amateur detectives and find their biggest case when their neighbor wakes up to a lawn full of rubber duckies. The kids set out to discover the culprit.

Sunnyside Plaza

by Scott Simon

While helping police officers Esther and Lon investigate a suspicious death at her group home, nineteen-year-old Sal Miyake, who is mentally challenged, gains insights into herself and makes new friends.

Stephani Lindsey

Youth Specialist

Sharon Forks Library

#WeKnowBooks