YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
The Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers list identifies titles aimed at encouraging reading among teens who dislike to read for whatever reason. Criteria for these titles include those with a high interest "hook", a catchy title/cover, sufficient plot to sustain interest, humor when appropriate, and more. Click here to visit the official website and view additional reading lists.
Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers
Amari and the Night Brothers by Call Number: TEEN ALSTONThirteen-year-old Amari, a poor Black girl from the projects, gets an invitation from her missing brother to join the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs and join in the fight against an evil magician.
The Canyon's Edge by Call Number: TEEN BOWLINGA year after the death of her mother in a restaurant shooting, Nora is left struggling to stay alive when a climbing trip with her father goes terribly wrong.
Cheer Up by Call Number: GRAPHIC NOVEL CHEERAnnie is a smart, antisocial lesbian starting her senior year of high school who's under pressure to join the cheerleader squad to make friends and round out her college applications. Her former friend BeeBee is a people-pleaser--a trans girl who must keep her parents happy with her grades and social life to keep their support of her transition. Through the rigors of squad training and amped up social pressures (not to mention micro aggressions and other queer youth problems), the two girls rekindle a friendship they thought they'd lost and discover there may be other, sweeter feelings springing up between them.
The Crossroads at Midnight by An old woman living alone on the edge of a bog gets an unexpected — and unsettling — visitor, throwing her quiet life into a long-buried mystery. An isolated backwoods family stumbles into good fortune for a time with a monstrous discovery in the lake behind their house, but that time is running short. And a misfit little girl, struggling to make friends, meets an understanding soul one day at the beach: but why will he only play with her alone at night? All these lonely souls — and more — have reached out into the darkness, not knowing what they might find. Around the dark edges of reality lurk unknown beings with unknowable intentions — ordinary objects can become cursed possessions, entities who seem like friends can become monstrous, and those who seem monstrous can become the truest companions. In this collection of evocative, unnerving slice-of-life horror, five stories explore what happens when one is desperate enough to seek solace in the unnatural, and what might be waiting for us at the Crossroads at Midnight.
The Girl from the Sea by Call Number: GRAPHIC NOVEL GIRLFifteen-year-old Morgan has a secret: She can't wait to escape the perfect little island where she lives. Because really, Morgan's biggest secret is that she has a lot of secrets, including the one about wanting to kiss another girl. Then one night, Morgan is saved from drowning by a mysterious girl named Keltie. The two become friends and suddenly life on the island doesn't seem so stifling anymore. But Keltie has some secrets of her own.
Nubia: Real One by Call Number: GRAPHIC NOVEL NUBIANubia has always been a little bit...different. As a baby she showcased Amazonian-like strength by pushing over a tree to rescue her neighbor's cat. But despite her having similar abilities, the world has no problem telling her that she's no Wonder Woman. And even if she were, they wouldn't want her. Every time she comes to the rescue, she's reminded of how people see her: as a threat. Her moms do their best to keep her safe, but Nubia can't deny the fire within her, even if she's a little awkward about it sometimes. Even if it means people assume the worst. When Nubia's best friend, Quisha, is threatened by a boy who thinks he owns the town, Nubia will risk it all--her safety, her home, and her crush on that cute kid in English class--to become the hero society tells her she isn't.
The Passing Playbook by Call Number: YA FICTION FITZSIMOFifteen-year-old Spencer Harris is a proud nerd, an awesome big brother, and a David Beckham in training. He's also transgender. After transitioning at his old school leads to a year of isolation and bullying, Spencer gets a fresh start at Oakley, the most liberal private school in Ohio. At Oakley, Spencer seems to have it all: more accepting classmates, a decent shot at a starting position on the boy's soccer team, great new friends, and maybe even something more than friendship with one of his teammates. The problem is, no one at Oakley knows Spencer is trans--he's passing. So when a discriminatory law forces Spencer's coach to bench him after he discovers the "F" on Spencer's birth certificate, Spencer has to make a choice: cheer his team on from the sidelines or publicly fight for his right to play, even though it would mean coming out to everyone-- including the guy he's falling for.
The Power of Style by Call Number: 391 ALLAIREStyle is not just the clothes on our backs--it is self-expression, representation, and transformation. As a fashion-obsessed Ojibwe teen, Christian Allaire rarely saw anyone that looked like him in the magazines or movies he looked to for inspiration. Now the Fashion and Style Writer for Vogue, he is working to change that--because clothes are never just clothes. Men's heels are a statement of pride in the face of LGTBQ+ discrimination, while ribbon shirts honor Indigenous ancestors and keep culture alive. Allaire takes the reader through boldly designed chapters to discuss additional topics like cosplay, make up, hijabs, and hair, probing the connections between fashion and history, culture, politics, and social justice.
Teen Killers Club by Seventeen-year-old Signal Deere has raised eyebrows for years as an unhappy Goth misfit from the trailer park. When she's convicted of her best friend Rose's brutal murder, she's designated a Class A--the most dangerous and manipulative criminal profile. To avoid prison, Signal signs on for a secret program for 18-and-under Class As and is whisked off to an abandoned sleep-away camp, where she and seven bunkmates will train as assassins. Yet even in the Teen Killers Club, Signal doesn't fit in. She's squeamish around blood. She's kind and empathetic. And her optimistic attitude is threatening to turn a group of ragtag maniacs into a team of close-knit friends. Maybe that's because Signal's not really a killer. She was framed for Rose's murder and only joined the program to escape, track down Rose's real killer, and clear her name. But Signal never planned on the sinister technologies that keep the campers confined. She never planned on the mysterious man in the woods determined to pick them off one by one. And she certainly never planned on falling in love.
They Better Call Me Sugar by Growing up in dire poverty in Suffolk, Virginia, Sugar (born Ta'Shauna) Rodgers never imagined that she would become an all-star player in the WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association). Both of her siblings were in and out of prison throughout much of her childhood and shootings in her neighborhood were commonplace. For Sugar this was just a fact of life. While academics wasn't a high priority for Sugar and many of her friends, athletics always played a prominent role. She mastered her three-point shot on a net her brother put up just outside their home, eventually becoming so good that she could hustle local drug dealers out of money in one-on-one contests. With the love and support of her family and friends, Sugar's performance on her high school basketball team led to her recruitment by the Georgetown Hoyas, and her eventual draft into the WNBA in 2013 by the Minnesota Lynx (who won the WNBA Finals in Sugar's first year). The first of her family to attend college, Sugar speaks of her struggles both academically and as an athlete with raw honesty. Sugar's road to a successful career as a professional basketball player is fraught with sadness and death--including her mother's death when she's fourteen, which leaves Sugar essentially homeless. Throughout it all, Sugar clings to basketball as a way to keep herself focused and sane. And now Sugar shares her story as a message of hope and inspiration for young girls and boys everywhere, but especially those growing up in economically challenging conditions. Never sugarcoating her life experiences, she delivers a powerful message of discipline, perseverance, and always believing in oneself.
Be Not Far from Me by Call Number: YA FICTION MCGINNISLost in the Great Smoky Mountains, rising high school senior Ashley Hawkins must fight for survival without any tools, growing in awareness that the world is not tame, and neither are people.
Heartstopper (Heartstopper #1) by Call Number: J GN HEARTSTO pbkShy and softhearted Charlie strikes up a friendship with rugby player Nick, and as the two grow closer and take on the ups and downs of high school, their friendship grows into something more.
Long Way Down by Call Number: YA FICTION REYNOLDSTerse, sharp verse depicts a desperate teenager seeking to avenge the shooting death of his brother. Gun tucked into his waistband, he is shocked by the appearance of childhood friends and relatives on a chilling sixty-second elevator ride. Visceral language and raw emotion result in a powerful novel of grief and vengeance.
The Loop by Call Number: YA FICTION OLIVERLuka Kane has spent 736 days wrongfully imprisoned inside the Loop awaiting his execution. Each day is the same. Each day is torturous. But things are starting to change. Whispers of war are circulating. Strange things are happening to the prisoners. And the warden delivers a message: Luka, you have to get out ... Now Luka must decide whether breaking out of the Loop is his only way to survive, especially if there's any chance of saving the ones he loves. But the population on the outside may be far more terrifying than anything he could have imaged. And in order to save his family, he'll have to discover who is responsible for the chaos that has been inflicted upon the world.
Punching the Air by Call Number: YA FICTION ZOBOIAmal Shahid has always been an artist and a poet. But even in a diverse art school, he's seen as disruptive and unmotivated by a biased system. Then one fateful night, an altercation in a gentrifying neighborhood escalates into tragedy. "Boys just being boys" turns out to be true only when those boys are white. The story that I think will be my life starts today. Suddenly, at just sixteen years old, Amal's bright future is upended: he is convicted of a crime he didn't commit and sent to prison. Despair and rage almost sink him until he turns to the refuge of his words, his art. This never should have been his story. But can he change it' With spellbinding lyricism, award-winning author Ibi Zoboi and prison reform activist Yusef Salaam tell a moving and deeply profound story about how one boy is able to maintain his humanity and fight for the truth, in a system designed to strip him of both.
Snapdragon by Call Number: J GN SNAPDRAG pbkSnap's town had a witch. At least, that's how the rumor goes. But in reality, Jacks is just a Crocs-wearing, internet-savvy old lady who sells roadkill skeletons online. It's creepy, sure, but Snap thinks it's kind of cool, too. Snap needs a favor from this old woman, though, so she begins helping Jacks with her strange work. Snap gets to know her and realizes that Jacks may in fact have real magic--and an unlikely connection to Snap's family's past.
You Should See Me in a Crown by Call Number: YA FICTION JOHNSONLiz Lighty has always done her best to avoid the spotlight in her small, wealthy, and prom-obsessed midwestern high school, after all, her family is black and rather poor, especially since her mother died; instead she has concentrated on her grades and her musical ability in the hopes that it will win her a scholarship to elite Pennington College and their famous orchestra where she plans to study medicine--but when that scholarship falls through she is forced to turn to her school's scholarship for prom king and queen, which plunges her into the gauntlet of social media which she hates and leads her to discoveries about her own identity and the value of true friendships.
10 Blind Dates by Call Number: YA FICTION ELSTONAfter an unexpected breakup, seventeen-year-old Sophie lets members of her large, eccentric extended family set her up on ten blind dates during Christmas vacation.
Belly Up by Call Number: YA FICTION DARROWSKnow what's more fun than being the new girl for your senior year? Being the pregnant new girl. It isn't awesome. There is one upside, though--a boy named Leaf Leon. He's cute, an amazing cook and he's flirting me up, hard-core. Too bad I'm knocked up with a stranger's baby. I should probably mention that to him at some point. But how?
The Haunted by Call Number: YA FICTION VEGATo evade her manipulative ex-boyfriend, sixteen-year-old Hendricks' family moves to small-town New York, where she joins the popular crowd, but only her outcast neighbor, Eddie, can help chase vindictive ghosts from her new house.
Heroine by Call Number: YA FICTION MCGINNISWhen a car crash sidelines Mickey just before softball season, she has to find a way to hold on to her spot as the catcher for a team expected to make a historic tournament run. Behind the plate is the only place she's ever felt comfortable, and the painkillers she's been prescribed can help her get there. The pills do more than take away pain; they make her feel good. With a new circle of friends--fellow injured athletes, others with just time to kill--Mickey finds peaceful acceptance, and people with whom words come easily, even if it is just the pills loosening her tongue. But as the pressure to be Mickey Catalan heightens, her need increases, and it becomes less about pain and more about want, something that could send her spiraling out of control.
Kiss Number 8 by Call Number: GRAPHIC NOVEL KISSMads is pretty happy with her life. She goes to church with her family, and minor league baseball games with her dad. She goofs off with her best friend Cat, and has thus far managed to avoid getting kissed by Adam, the boy next door. It's everything she hoped high school would be... until all of a sudden, it's not. Her dad is hiding something big--so big it could tear her family apart. And that's just the beginning of her problems: Mads is starting to figure out that she doesn't want to kiss Adam... because the only person she wants to kiss is Cat. Just like that, Mad's tidy little life has gotten epically messy--and epically heartbreaking. And when your heart is broken, it takes more than an awkward, uncomfortable, tooth-clashing, friendship-ending kiss to put things right again. It takes a whole bunch of them.
Pumpkinheads by Call Number: GRAPHIC NOVEL PUMPKINHWorking at a pumpkin patch every autumn, Deja and Josiah plan the ultimate Halloween night to celebrate their last year working together.
Two Can Keep a Secret by Call Number: YA FICTION MCMANUSWhile true-crime afficionado Ellery and her twin brother are staying with their grandmother in a Vermont community known for murder, a new friend goes missing and Ellery may be next.
Unpregnant by Call Number: YA FICTION HENDRIKSWhen seventeen-year-old Veronica Clarke discovers she is pregnant, she enlists the help of high school misfit Bailey Butler to drive her over nine hundred miles to the closest abortion clinic.
We Are Displaced: My Journey and Stories From Refugee Girls Around the World by Call Number: J305.2309 YOUSAFZAMalala Yousafzai introduces some of the people behind the statistics and news stories we read or hear every day about the millions of people displaced worldwide. In We Are Displaced, which is part memoir, part communal storytelling, Malala not only explores her own story, but she also shares the personal stories of some of the incredible girls she has met on her journeys-- girls who have lost their community, relatives, and often the only world they've ever known. In a time of immigration crises, war, and border conflicts, We Are Displaced is an important reminder from one of the world's most prominent young activists that every single one of the 68.5 million currently displaced is a person-- often a young person-- with hopes and dreams.
#Murdertrending by Call Number: YA FICTION MCNEILFalsely accused of murdering her stepsister, seventeen-year-old Dee fights to survive paid assassins on Alcatraz 2.0, the most popular prison on social media.
Amal Unbound by Call Number: TEENS SAEEDIn Pakistan, Amal holds onto her dream of being a teacher even after becoming an indentured servant to pay off her family's debt to the wealthy and corrupt Khan family.
Animal Zombies! by Call Number: J577.857 STIEFELEye-popping photographs amp up the creepy factor in this fact book of strange and dangerous animals.
Game Changer by Call Number: TEEN GREENWALWhile thirteen-year-old Teddy fights for his life after a football injury at training camp, his friends and family gather to support him and discuss events leading to his coma. Told through dialogue, text messages, newspaper articles, transcripts, an online forum, and Teddy's inner thoughts.
Hey, Kiddo: How I Lost My Mother, Found My Father, and Dealt With Family Addiction by Call Number: GRAPHIC NOVEL HEYIn kindergarten, Jarrett Krosoczka's teacher asks him to draw his family, with a mommy and a daddy. But Jarrett's family is much more complicated than that. His mom is an addict, in and out of rehab, and in and out of Jarrett's life. His father is a mystery -- Jarrett doesn't know where to find him, or even what his name is. Jarrett lives with his grandparents -- two very loud, very loving, very opinionated people who had thought they were through with raising children until Jarrett came along.
The Poet X by Call Number: YA FICTION ACEVEDOWhen Xiomara Batista, who pours all her frustrations and passion into poetry, is invited to join the school slam poetry club, she struggles with her mother's expectations and her need to be heard.
The Prince and the Dressmaker by Call Number: J GN PRINCEPrince Sebastian is looking for a bride or rather, his parents are looking for one for him. Sebastian is too busy hiding his secret life from everyone. At night he puts on daring dresses and takes Paris by storm as the fabulous Lady Crystallia the hottest fashion icon in the world capital of fashion!
Sadie by Call Number: YA FICTION SUMMERSTold from the alternating perspectives of nineteen-year-old Sadie who runs away from her isolated small Colorado town to find her younger sister's killer, and a true crime podcast exploring Sadie's disappearance.
Speak: The Graphic Novel by Call Number: GRAPHIC NOVEL SPEAKSpeak up for yourself--we want to know what you have to say." From the first moment of her freshman year at Merryweather High, Melinda knows this is a big fat lie, part of the nonsense of high school. She is friendless--an outcast--because she busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops, so now nobody will talk to her, let alone listen to her.
Sunny by Call Number: J REYNOLDSSunny, the Defenders' best runner, only runs for his father, who blames Sunny for his mother's death, but with his coach's help Sunny finds a way to combine track and field with his true passion, dancing.
42 Is Not Just a Number: The Odyssey of Jackie Robinson, American Hero by Call Number: JB ROBA revelatory portrait of the life and legacy of the heroic baseball legend explores how, despite his amazing athletic abilities, he was challenged to break the color barrier and overcome significant discrimination in order to play in Major League Baseball.
Dear Martin by Call Number: YA FICTION STONEWriting letters to the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., seventeen-year-old college-bound Justyce McAllister struggles to face the reality of race relations today and how they are shaping him.
The Hate U Give by Call Number: YA FICTION THOMASAfter witnessing her friend's death at the hands of a police officer, Starr Carter's life is complicated when the police and a local drug lord try to intimidate her in an effort to learn what happened the night Kahlil died.- Long Way Down by Call Number: YA FICTION REYNOLDSAs Will, fifteen, sets out to avenge his brother Shawn's fatal shooting, seven ghosts who knew Shawn board the elevator and reveal truths Will needs to know.
Miles Morales: Spider-Man by Call Number: TEEN REYNOLDSBrooklyn Visions Academy student Miles Morales may not always want to be a super hero, but he must come to terms with his identity--and deal with a villainous teacher--as the new Spider Man.
One of Us Is Lying by Call Number: YA FICTION MCMANUSWhen the creator of a high school gossip app mysteriously dies in front of four high-profile students all four become suspects. It's up to them to solve the case.
Patina by Call Number: J REYNOLDSA newbie to the track team, Patina "Patty" Jones must learn to rely on her family and teammates as she tries to outrun her personal demons.
Sandwiches!: More Than You've Ever Wanted to Know About Making and Eating America's Favorite Food by Call Number: 641.84 DEERINGFrom a classic PB&J to a triple-decker club, discover everything youve ever wanted to know (and MORE) about Americas favorite food: SANDWICHES! In this cookbook meets guidebook, kids and adults will learn to assemble and enjoy a variety of delicious breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert sandwiches. With fun factoids and trivia, plus an array of vegetarian sandwiches and regional specialties, this truly is the ultimate guide to what takes place between the bread.
Scooby Apocalypse Vol. 1 by In this gritty reimagining of Scooby Doo we are introduced to dark new versions of the familiar Scooby gang as they battle a variety of monsters. It's Scooby Doo meets Resident Evil.
Spill Zone, Vol. 1 by Call Number: GRAPHIC NOVEL SPILLThree years ago an event destroyed the small city of Poughkeepsie, forever changing reality within its borders. Uncanny manifestations and lethal dangers now await anyone who enters the Spill Zone. The Spill claimed Addison's parents and scarred her little sister, Lexa, who hasn't spoken since. Addison provides for her sister by photographing the Zone's twisted attractions on illicit midnight rides. Art collectors pay top dollar for these bizarre images, but getting close enough for the perfect shot can mean death or worse. When an eccentric collector makes a million-dollar offer, Addison breaks her own hard-learned rules of survival and ventures farther than she has ever dared. Within the Spill Zone, Hell awaits and it seems to be calling Addison's name.
All American Boys by Call Number: TEEN REYNOLDSWhen sixteen-year-old Rashad is mistakenly accused of stealing, classmate Quinn witnesses his brutal beating at the hands of a police officer who happens to be the older brother of his best friend. Told through Rashad and Quinn's alternating viewpoints.
Daughters unto Devils by Call Number: YA FICTION LUKAVICSWhen sixteen-year-old Amanda Verner's family decides to move from their small mountain cabin to the vast prairie, she hopes it is her chance for a fresh start. When the Verners arrive at their new home, a large cabin abandoned by its previous owners, they discover the inside covered in blood. And as the days pass, it is obvious to Amanda that something isn't right on the prairie. She's heard stories of lands being tainted by evil, of men losing their minds and killing their families, and there is something strange about the doctor and his son who live in the woods on the edge of the prairie. But with the guilt and shame of her sins weighing on her, Amanda can't be sure if the true evil lies in the land, or deep within her soul.
Exit, Pursued by a Bear by Call Number: YA FICTION JOHNSTONAt cheerleading camp, Hermione is drugged and raped, but she is not sure whether it was one of her teammates or a boy on another team--and in the aftermath she has to deal with the rumors in her small Ontario town, the often awkward reaction of her classmates, the rejection of her boyfriend, the discovery that her best friend, Polly, is gay, and above all the need to remember what happened so that the guilty boy can be brought to justice.
Feminism: Reinventing the F-Word by Call Number: J 305.42 HIGGINSPresents a history of feminism, discussing the three waves of the movement and the issues that feminism addresses, including such topics as reproductive rights, domestic violence, income inequality, and body image.
The Geek's Guide to Unrequited Love by Call Number: YA FICTION TASHGraham Posner is trying to get his best friend, Roxana, to fall in love with him by planning the perfect weekend for her at Comic-Con.
If I Was Your Girl by Call Number: YA FICTION RUSSOAmanda Hardy only wants to fit in at her new school, but she is keeping a big secret, so when she falls for Grant, guarded Amanda finds herself yearning to share with him everything about herself, including her previous life as Andrew.
Plutona by Call Number: GRAPHIC NOVEL PLUTONAFive kids discover the body of the world's greatest super hero, Plutona, in the woods after school one day. This discovery sends them on a dark journey that will threaten to tear apart their friendship and their lives.
Symptoms of Being Human by Call Number: YA FICTION GARVINA gender-fluid teenager who struggles with identity creates a blog on the topic that goes viral, and faces ridicule at the hands of fellow students.
Tell Me Three Things by Call Number: YA FICTION BUXBAUMSixteen-year old Jessie, still grieving over her mother's death, must move from Chicago to "The Valley," with a new stepfamily but has no new friends until an anonymous fellow student emails and offers to help her navigate the school's treacherous social waters.
This Is Where It Ends by Call Number: YA FICTION NIJKAMP10:00 AM - The principal of Opportunity High School finishes her speech welcoming everyone to a new semester.
10:02 AM - Everyone gets up to leave for class.
10:03 AM - The doors won't open.
10:05 AM - A boy enters the auditorium and starts shooting.
The entire story is told over the course of 54 minutes from four different perspectives as the students fight to survive. Because everyone has a reason to fear the boy with the gun.
Dumplin' by Call Number: YA FICTION MURPHYSixteen-year-old Willowdean wants to prove to everyone in her small Texas town that she is more than just a fat girl, so while grappling with her feelings for a co-worker who is clearly attracted to her, Willow and some other misfits prepare to compete in the beauty pageant her mother runs.
Everything, Everything by Call Number: YA FICTION YOONThe story of a teenage girl who’s literally allergic to the outside world. When a new family moves in next door, she begins a complicated romance that challenges everything she’s ever known. The narrative unfolds via vignettes, diary entries, texts, charts, lists, illustrations, and more.
The Fangirl's Guide to the Galaxy by Call Number: 302.23 MAGGSA handbook for ladies living the nerdy life, including fanfic, cosplay, cons, books, memes, podcasts, vlogs, OTPs and RPGs and MMOs and more.
The Iron Trial by Call Number: TEEN BLACKWarned away from magic all of his life, Callum endeavors to fail the trials that would admit him to the Magisterium only to be drawn into its ranks against his will and forced to confront dark elements from his past.
Nimona by Call Number: J GN NIMONANimona is an impulsive young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta. As sidekick and supervillain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc. Their mission: prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his buddies at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren't the heroes everyone thinks they are. But as small acts of mischief escalate into a vicious battle, Lord Blackheart realizes that Nimona's powers are as murky and mysterious as her past. And her unpredictable wild side might be more dangerous than he is willing to admit.
Rad American Women A-Z by Call Number: J 920.72 SCHATZPresents a collection of short biographies of notable American women representing each letter of the alphabet, from Angela Davis and Billie Jean King to Yuri Kochiyama and Zora Neale Hurston.
Red Queen by Call Number: YA FICTION AVEYARDMare Barrow's world is divided by blood -- those with common, Red blood serve the Silver-blooded elite, who are gifted with superhuman abilities. Mare is a Red, scraping by as a thief in a poor, rural village, until a twist of fate throws her in front of the Silver court. Before the king, princes, and all the nobles, she discovers she has an ability of her own. To cover up this impossibility, the king forces her to play the role of a lost Silver princess and betroths her to one of his own sons. As Mare is drawn further into the Silver world, she risks everything and uses her new position to help the Scarlet Guard -- a growing Red rebellion -- even as her heart tugs her in an impossible direction. One wrong move can lead to her death, but in the dangerous game she plays, the only certainty is betrayal.
Shadowshaper by Call Number: YA FICTION OLDERSierra Santiago thinks she's in for a typical Brooklyn summer, but when she starts seeing graffiti murals start to weep in Bed-Stuy, she realizes something strange is going on. A supernatural order known as the Shadowshapers has operated in New York City for generations, and Sierra is linked to them through her grandfather. But someone has turne dthe order's magic against them and Sierra must harness her own powers and dodge an army of supernatural creatures in order to save her family.
The Silence of Six by “What is the silence of six, and what are you going to do about it?” These are the last words uttered by 17-year-old Max Stein’s best friend, Evan: Just moments after hacking into the live-streaming Presidential debate at their high school, he kills himself. Haunted by the image of Evan’s death, Max’s entire world turns upside down as he suddenly finds himself the target of a corporate-government witch-hunt. Fearing for his life and fighting to prove his own innocence, Max goes on the run with no one to trust and too many unanswered questions.
Zeroboxer by Call Number: TEEN LEEAs seventeen-year-old Carr 'the Raptor' Luka rises to fame in the weightless combat sport of zeroboxing, he learns a devastating secret that jeopardizes not only his future in the sport, but interplanetary relations.
Batman Science: The Real-World Science Behind Batman's Gear by Batman conquers crime with brains, brawn, and a whole lot of high-tech gadgetry. Batman Science explores the surprising ways the Caped Crusader s gear and gadgets actually connect to reality. Accessible text, real-world photos, and Batman illustrations team up to reveal the real science and engineering behind Batman's fictional world
The Crossover by Call Number: J ALEXANDEFourteen-year-old twin basketball stars Josh and Jordan wrestle with highs and lows on and off the court as their father ignores his declining health.
Famous Last Words by Call Number: TEEN ALENDERHigh-schooler Willa has just moved to California with her mother and film director stepfather, and she will be attending a private school--but her real problem is that she keeps seeing things that are not really there, like a dead body in the swimming pool, and her visions may be connected to a serial killer that is stalking young girls in Hollywood.
Gabi, a Girl in Pieces by Call Number: YA FICTION QUINTEROSixteen-year-old Gabi Hernandez chronicles her senior year in high school as she copes with her friend Cindy's pregnancy, friend Sebastian's coming out, her father's meth habit, her own cravings for food and cute boys, and especially, the poetry that helps forge her identity.
I Am Pusheen the Cat by Who is Pusheen? This collection of oh-so-cute kitty comics—featuring the chubby, tubby tabby who has taken the Internet by storm—will fill you in on all the basics.
Juvie by Call Number: YA FICTION WATKINSWorking hard to be a contributing member of her family, Sadie accepts blame for her sister's drug deal to keep the latter out of prison and finds everything she worked for threatened by a six-month sentence that tests her sister's character.
Ms. Marvel - No Normal by Call Number: GRAPHIC NOVEL MISSKamala Khan is an ordinary girl from Jersey City -- until she's suddenly empowered with extraordinary gifts. But who truly is the new Ms. Marvel? Teenager? Muslim? Inhuman? Find out as she takes the Marvel Universe by storm! When Kamala discovers the dangers of her newfound powers, she unlocks a secret behind them, as well. Is Kamala ready to wield these immense new gifts? Or will the weight of the legacy before her be too much to bear?
Through the Woods by Call Number: GRAPHIC NOVEL THROUGHFive mysterious, spine-tingling stories follow journeys into (and out of?) the eerie abyss. These chilling tales spring from the macabre imagination of acclaimed and award-winning comic creator Emily Carroll. Come take a walk in the woods and see what awaits you there...
Tomboy by Call Number: GRAPHIC NOVEL TOMBOYShe wasn't a girly girl, nor one of the guys, but somewhere in the middle.
100 Questions You'd Never Ask Your Parents by Call Number: 306.7083 HENDERSOHonest and direct answers to the questions about sex, sexuality, and health that everyone is too embarrassed to ask out loud.
Boy Nobody by Call Number: TEEN ZADOFFSixteen-year-old Boy Nobody, an assassin controlled by a shadowy government organization, The Program, considers sabotaging his latest mission because his target reminds him of the normal life he craves.
How to Speak Dog: A Guide to Decoding Dog Language by Call Number: J 636.7088 NEWMANA guide about how to understand a dog's body language and behavior illustrates such key concepts as barking, howling, panting, bared teeth, and wagging tail.
Jedi Academy by Call Number: J GN JEDIThe story of Roan Novachez, Jedi Academy student, is told through comics, journal entries, letters, doodles, and newspaper clippings. This incredible, original story from author/illustrator Jeffrey Brown captures all of the humor, awkwardness, fun, and frustrations of middle school...in a galaxy far, far away.
Killer of Enemies by Call Number: TEEN BRUCHACIn a world that has barely survived an apocalypse that leaves it with pre-twentieth century technology, Lozen is a monster hunter for four tyrants who are holding her family hostage.
Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong by Call Number: J GN NOTHINGCharlie is the laid-back captain of the basketball team. Nate is the neurotic, scheming president of the robotics club. Their unlikely friendship nearly bites the dust when Nate declares war on the cheerleaders and they retaliate by making Charlie their figurehead in the ugliest class election campaign the school has ever seen. At stake is funding that will either cover a robotics competition or new cheerleading uniforms-- but not both. Bad sportsmanship? Sure. Chainsaws? Why not. Running away from home on Thanksgiving? Nothing can possibly go wrong.
Proxy by Call Number: TEEN LONDONPrivileged Syd and and his proxy, Knox, are thrown together to overthrow the system.
The Testing by Call Number: TEEN CHARBONNSixteen-year-old Malencia (Cia) Vale is chosen to participate in The Testing to attend the University; however, Cia is fearful when she figures out her friends who do not pass The Testing are disappearing.
Vietnam Book 4: Casualties of War by Call Number: TEEN LYNCHOne of four friends who have volunteered to fight in the Vietnam War, the intellectual Beck is in the Air Force, where he is part of a crew spraying Agent Orange, but the destruction of the jungle and his isolation from the fighting going on below is starting to effect him.
Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass by Call Number: YA FICTION MEDINAOne morning before school, some girl tells Piddy Sanchez that Yaqui Delgado hates her and wants to kick her ass. Piddy doesn't even know who Yaqui is, never mind what she's done to piss her off. Word is that Yaqui thinks Piddy is stuck-up, shakes her stuff when she walks, and isn't Latin enough with her white skin, good grades, and no accent. And Yaqui isn't kidding around, so Piddy better watch her back. At first Piddy is more concerned with trying to find out more about the father she's never met and how to balance honors courses with her weekend job at the neighborhood hair salon. But as the harassment escalates, avoiding Yaqui and her gang starts to take over Piddy's life. Is there any way for Piddy to survive without closing herself off or running away?
