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High School (9-12)

Beauty queens lost

Posted by Neeyati on Jul 3, 2018
A review of Beauty Queens by
Libba
Bray

Really smart, funny, feminist, anti-capitalist satire about what it's like to be a teen girl (and not necessarily just a cis/straight/able-bodied and/or white teen girl).

Not okay but getting there

Posted by Molly W on May 7, 2018
A review of We are okay by
Nina
LaCour

This is a beautiful, quiet book about grief and friendship and recognizing when the people you love are broken. It's also about the power of sticking with those close to you until they are on the road to healing.

Pitch perfect

Posted by Jane J on May 1, 2018
A review of Five Flavors of Dumb by
Antony
John

"For the record, I wasn't around the day they decided to become Dumb. If I'd been their manager back then I'd have pointed out that the name, while accurate, was not exactly smart. It just encouraged people to question the band's intelligence, maybe even their sanity. And the way I saw it, Dumb didn't have much of either."

Gloomies, like Goonies, but not exactly

Posted by Molly W on Apr 23, 2018
A review of Misfit City Vol. 1 by
Kirsten
Smith

This graphic novel series is set in Cannon Cove, where a popular adventure movie called The Gloomies was filmed in the 1980s. Decades later, fans of the movie continue to visit and annoy the residents who cater to the tourism with mild resentment. Then a cool group of teen "misfits" who begrudgingly live in the sleepy coastal town discover something unexpected, mysterious and adventurous: a pirate map belonging to the legendary Black Mary!

Heart and depth

Posted by Karen L on Apr 13, 2018
Misa
Sugira

I tried it, and I liked it! I’m not usually into angsty teen romance novels, but Sugiura provides plenty of layers to this one. Sana is discovering her sexual identity (lesbian), she is discovering her father’s infidelity (he is having an affair of sorts), and at the same time she is struggling with her peers’ racism (she is of Japanese descent), and her own racism (she falls for a Latina girl at her high school and stumbles with her own preconceived beliefs).

The magic of the stage

Posted by Molly W on Mar 5, 2018
A review of The Backstagers by
James Tynion IV, Rian Sygh, Walter Baiamonte, Jim Campbell, and
Veronica Fish

Have you felt enchanted when experiencing live theater? I have! This new graphic novel series explores the weird and wild magic that happens behind the scenes of high school theater productions. Jory is a new student at St. Genesius looking for an after-school activity. He stumbles into the backstage crew on accident and immediately finds a place in their ranks. They are a welcoming and motley bunch working the lights, sound, sets and costumes and they have a secret.

The Hate U Give gets lots of love

Posted by Beth M on Feb 16, 2018
A review of The Hate U Give by
Angie
Thomas

Smash YA hit The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas took home a handful of awards at American Library Association Youth Media Awards, a few months after winning the Boston Globe Horn Book Award. The hype is real, you guys, it's THAT GOOD.

ALA Youth Media Awards Announced

Posted by Molly W on Feb 12, 2018

The American Library Association (ALA) announced the top books, video and audio books for children and young adults, including the Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, Newbery and Printz awards at its Midwinter Meeting and Exhibits in Denver today.