Teen Fiction by North Georgia Authors

I recently had the pleasure of attending the Paths to Publishing KidLit panel by the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Southern Breeze Chapter at Sharon Forks Library. It was a real treat to hear what inspired each of the seven authors at the event to write and publish their books. Here are two books for teens written by authors featured at the program. 

Peony Watercolor's Wish for Sun and Moon by Robyn Field

Worried about her family’s finances, twelve-year-old Peony Watercolor hopes to win a thousand dollar grand prize in her middle school’s talent show. This charming story combines real-world issues with whimsical elements, including a school librarian who fills the role of fairy godmother. 

In 2024 Peony Watercolor’s Wish for Sun and Moon received a Gold Medal in the Pre-Teen Fantasy category at the 2024 Moonbeam Children's Book Awards which celebrate youthful curiosity, discovery, and learning through books and reading. 

Ranger Nader & the Sunstruck Phantom by Kam Karem

An ordinary ninth grader receives a relic from the battle of Gilgamesh in Mesopotamia and is called to defend Lebanon's famous Cedar Forest and the Phoenician way of life against the demi-god determined to destroy both. This exciting teen novel by T.K. Read, published under the pen name Kam Karem, combines legends, futuristic technology and adventures in space. 

Ranger Nader is the first book in the Guardian Chronicles series. It was a finalist in the Indie Excellence Award and the IAN and won its category in the Global Book Awards and the International Book Awards.

Robyn Field
Image Credit Forsyth County Public Library

SCBWI KidLit Panel
Image Credit Forsyth County Public Library

Alicia Cavitt

Information Specialist

Staff Picks The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie

For Native American Heritage Month, I got to read a book that’s been on my TBR list for quite some time, Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Fans of coming-of-age struggles and humorous high school interactions will enjoy this compelling novel. 

Teenage narrator and aspiring cartoonist, Arnold Spirit, chronicles common struggles like bullying, unrequited love, and high school sports, as well as experiences unique to his life on a Native American reservation in Spokane, Washington. In the course of his first year in high school, Arnold also transfers from a reservation school to an all-white one and grieves the loss of family and friends.  

The Absolutely True Story of a Part-time Indian won the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature in 2007 and offers an insightful view of growing up as a Native American in Washington.