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Showing posts with label YA fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label YA fiction. Show all posts

Monday, September 19, 2022

Boarding Schools




Honestly, my knowledge of boarding schools centers around the trope of wicked step-parents threatening their stepchildren with it, and Hogwarts. According to Why Kids Go to Boarding School By Doug Abrahms 35,000 students attend private boarding schools in the United States and not one of them is about learning witchcraft and wizardry. They do however claim to offer a lot of other areas of study and perhaps even an ice rink or stables to play in.




"Beth Kramer is a "townie" who returns to her sophomore year after having endured a year of tension with her roommate, Sarah. But Sarah Brunson knows there's more to that story. Amanda Priya "Spence" Spencer is the privileged daughter of NYC elites, who is reeling from the realization that her family name shielded her from the same fate as Sarah. Ramin Golafshar arrives at Chandler as a transfer student to escape the dangers of being gay in Iran, only to suffer brutal hazing under the guise of tradition in the boys' dorms. And Freddy Bello is the senior who's no longer sure of his future but knows he has to stand up to his friends after what happened to Ramin. At Chandler, the elite boarding school, these five teens are brought together in the Circle, a coveted writing group where life-changing friendships are born--and secrets are revealed. Their professor tells them to write their truths. But is the truth enough to change the long-standing culture of abuse at Chandler? And can their friendship survive the fallout?"--Provided by publisher.




Finch Chamberlin is the newest transfer student to the ultra-competitive Ulalume Academy... but she's also not what she seems. Months before school started, Finch and her parents got into an accident that should have left her dead at the bottom of the river. But something monstrous, and ancient, and terrifying, wouldn't let her drown. Finch doesn't know why she woke up after her heart stopped, but since dying she's felt a constant pull from the school and the surrounding town of Rainwater, like something on the island is calling to her. Selena St. Clair sees right through Finch, and she knows something is seriously wrong with her. But despite Selena's suspicion, she feels drawn to Finch and has a sinking feeling that from now on the two will be inexplicably linked to one another. One night Finch, Selena, and her friends accidentally summon a carnivorous creature of immense power in the depths of the school. It promises to grant every desire the girls have kept locked away in their insecure hearts―beauty, power, adoration―in exchange for a price: human body parts. But as the cost of their wanting becomes more deadly, Finch and Selena must learn to work together to stop the horror they unleashed, before it consumes the entire island. -- Back cover.






"True biz? The students at the River Valley School for the Deaf just want to hook up, pass their history final, and have doctors, politicians, and their parents stop telling them what to do with their bodies. This revelatory novel plunges readers into the halls of a residential school for the deaf, where they'll meet Charlie, a rebellious transfer student who's never met another deaf person before; Austin, the school's golden boy, whose world is rocked when his baby sister is born hearing; and February, the headmistress, who is fighting to keep her school open and her marriage intact, but might not be able to do both at the same time. As a series of crises both personal and political threaten to unravel each of them, Charlie, Austin, and February find their lives inextricable from one another-and changed forever. This is a story of sign language and lip-reading, cochlear implants and civil rights, isolation and injustice, first love and loss, and, above all, great persistence, daring, and joy. Absorbing and assured, idiosyncratic and relatable, this is an unforgettable journey into the Deaf community and a universal celebration of human connection"--. Provided by publisher.










Ella, Yuki, and Rory are the talk of their elite school, Grimrose Académie. After the mysterious death of their best friend Ariane, the police ruled it a suicide. When Nani Eszes arrives as their newest roommate, it sets into motion a series of events they couldn't have imagined. As the girls retrace their friend's last steps, they uncover dark secrets about themselves and their destinies. They are all cursed to repeat the brutal and gruesome endings to their stories-- unless they can break the cycle. -- adapted from back cover.





Scholarship student Rachel keeps to herself at Manchester Prep, preferring the company of horror films to trust fund babies. When a prank puts her on the radar of a mysterious student society, "The Mary Shelley Club", they subject her to a number of escalating Fear Tests which eventually puts them on the radar of a serial killer. Provided by publisher.




Caterer and small-town minister's wife Faith Fairchild might never have accepted the job teaching a course on Cooking for Idiots at Mansfield Academy had it not been for Daryl Martin. An African-American student at the prestigious prep school, Daryl has lately become the target of a series of vicious and anonymous racial attacks -- and Faith is determined to put an end to the injustice. But Mansfield, she finds, is a seething cauldron of secrets, academic in-fighting, and unspoken rules that complicate her task. When someone tampers with her classroom cooking ingredients -- and then the remains of her prime suspect are discovered smoldering in a campus bonfire -- she realizes that a monstrous evil is stalking both Daryl and the school. And suddenly Faith's own life is in serious jeopardy as well!




Omar knows his scholarship to Ghalib Academy Boarding School is a game changer, providing him--the son of a servant--with an opportunity to improve his station in life. He can't wait to experience all the school has to offer, especially science club and hopefully the soccer team; but when he arrives, his hopes are dashed. First-year scholarship students aren't allowed to join clubs or teams--and not only that, they have to earn their keep doing menial chores. At first Omar is dejected--but then he gets angry when he learns something even worse--the school deliberately "weeds out" kids like him by requiring them to get significantly higher grades than kids who can pay tuition, making it nearly impossible for scholarship students to graduate. It's a good thing that in his favorite class, he's learned the importance of being stubbornly optimistic. So with the help of his tightknit new group of friends--and with the threat of expulsion looming over him--he sets out to do what seems impossible: change a rigged system.




My life goes completely sideways the moment I meet the mysterious Braxton. Sure, he's ridiculously hot, but he's also the reason I've been kicked out of school and recruited into Gray Wolf Academy--a remote island school completely off the grid. I never should have trusted a face so perfect.But the reality of why Gray Wolf wanted me is what truly blows my mind. It's a school for time travelers. Tripping, they call it. This place is filled with elaborate costumes and rare artifacts, where every move is strategic and the halls are filled with shadows and secrets.Here, what you see isn't always what it appears. Including Braxton. Because even though there's an energy connecting us together, the more secrets he keeps from me, the more it feels like something is pulling us apart. Something that has to do with this place--and its darker purpose. It's all part of a guarded, elaborate puzzle of history and time...and I might be one of the missing pieces.Now I have all the time in the world. And yet I can't shake the feeling that time is the one thing I'm about to run out of...fast.




"A riveting, modern gothic debut with shades of The Secret History, The Stepford Wives, and a dash of Circe, set at a secretive all girls' boarding school perched on a craggy Scottish peninsula. For 150 years, high above rocky Scottish cliffs, Caldonbrae Hall has sat untouched, a beacon of excellence in an old ancestral castle. A boarding school for girls, it promises that the young women lucky enough to be admitted will emerge 'resilient and ready to serve society.' Into its illustrious midst steps Rose Christie: a 26-year-old Classics teacher, Caldonbrae's new head of the department, and the first hire for the school in over a decade. At first, Rose is overwhelmed to be invited into this institution, whose prestige is unrivaled. But she quickly discovers that behind the school's elitist veneer lies an impenetrable, starkly traditional culture that she struggles to reconcile with her modernist beliefs-not to mention her commitment to educating 'girls for the future.' It also doesn't take long for Rose to suspect that there's more to the secret circumstances surrounding the abrupt departure of her predecessor-a woman whose ghost lingers everywhere-than anyone is willing to let on. In her search for this mysterious former teacher, Rose instead uncovers the darkness that beats at the heart of Caldonbrae, forcing her to confront the true extent of the school's nefarious purpose, and her own role in perpetuating it. A darkly feminist tale pitched against a haunting backdrop, and populated by an electrifying cast of heroines, Madam will keep readers engrossed until the breathtaking conclusion"--. Provided by publisher.

Monday, November 15, 2021

Ghostbusters!!!

 


I spent quite a bit of time in the children's hospital, in the '80s.   I recall spending a lot of that time in the playroom, alone, with their t.v. on a cart attached to what could have very well been a beta, and watching Ghostbusters, over and over and over, until a nurse would finally claim the t.v. cart was needed elsewhere.  Bill Murray, (my first and everlasting crush), Dan Akroyd, Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson, the entire cast, I idolized.  They were my heroes because they kept me company when I was alone, they made me laugh, when I was scared, they gave me an escape when I desperately needed one.

By the time Ghostbusters II was released, I was an avid watcher of the Ghostbusters Saturday morning cartoon.  I begged for the toys and somehow only ended up with Slimer but I had a playhouse.  My rickety playhouse with three steps leading to a door, a triangular roof, two windows, and a built-in wooden seat.  In 1989, my playhouse got a facelift.  It was painted neon slime green, with the ghostbusters II logo painted above to door thanks to my mom.  It was gaudy.  I loved it.

I love Ghostbusters.  As someone who can never pick a favorite, I can say that Ghostbusters is tops.  I even adore the much-maligned 2016 Ghostbusters, (it's really not hard as long as you keep in mind that it is an alternate universe and should not in any way be taken seriously).  When the teasers for Ghostbusters Afterlife started, I was ready for it.  Every time a new trailer is released I'm ecstatic.  I am so ready for this.




    Exploring everything from the pioneering special effects to set design and the unforgettable soundtrack, this authorized book tells the exhaustive behind-the-scenes story of how Dan Akroyd's original concept evolved into a cinematic sensation. Packed with fascinating production photos, concept art, and behind-the-scenes images, this book details how Slimer, Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, and the many ghosts and ghouls in the films came to the screen. Featuring new interviews with Dan Akroyd, Ivan Reitman, Ernie Hudson, Richard Edlund, and many others, the book reveals how the cast and crew overcame momentous challenges to create one of the best-loved movie franchises of the 1980s. --from back cover.










    When a possessed fashion designer offers a spring line aimed to displease, Ray learns that catching ghosts isn't always exciting, Egon has a touching moment with a spectral spook, and Winston shines.



    Thirty years after the original film took the world by storm, Ghostbusters is back and fully rebooted for a new generation. Director Paul Feig combines all the paranormal-fighting elements that made the original franchise so beloved with a cast of new characters, played by the funniest actors working today. The Ghostbusters are back and ready to save the world! Boys and girls ages 3 to 7 will love having both the new and classic Ghostbusters Little Golden Books in one big hardcover edition!

Monday, October 4, 2021

TeenTober




"The Teens' Top Ten is a "teen choice" list, where teens nominate and choose their favorite books of the previous year! Nominators are members of teen book groups in fifteen school and public libraries around the country. Nominations are posted on Thursday of National Library Week, and teens across the country vote on their favorite titles each year. Readers ages twelve to eighteen will vote online between August 15 - October 15 here on the Teens' Top Ten site. The winners will be announced the following week after." Teens' Top Ten

Here is a selection from the Young Adult Library Services Association's list of Teen's Top 10 Nominees:



In a series of personal essays, a prominent journalist and LGBTQIA+ activist George M. Johnson explores his childhood, adolescence, and college years in New Jersey and Virginia. From the memories of getting his teeth kicked out by bullies at age five, to flea marketing with his loving grandmother, to his first sexual relationships, this young-adult memoir weaves together the trials and triumphs faced by Black queer boys.



"As princess of the island kingdom Visidia, Amora Montara has spent her entire life training to be High Animancer--the master of souls. The rest of the realm can choose their magic, but for Amora, it's never been a choice. To secure her place as heir to the throne, she must prove her mastery of the monarchy's dangerous soul magic. When her demonstration goes awry, Amora is forced to flee. She strikes a deal with Bastian, a mysterious pirate: he'll help her prove she's fit to rule if she'll help him reclaim his stolen magic. But sailing the kingdom holds more wonder--and more peril--than Amora anticipated. A destructive new magic is on the rise, and if Amora is to conquer it, she'll need to face legendary monsters, cross paths with vengeful mermaids, and deal with a stow-away she never expected... or risk the fate of Visidia and lose the crown forever."--Jacket flap.




"They were leaning over the edge of the unknown and afraid of what they would discover there: Meet the World War II female scientists who worked in the secret sites of the Manhattan Project. Recruited not only from labs and universities from across the United States but also from countries abroad, these scientists helped in -- and often initiated -- the development of the atomic bomb, taking starring roles in the Manhattan Project. In fact, their involvement was critical to its success, though many of them were not fully aware of the consequences. The atomic women include: Lise Meitner and Iraene Joliot-Curie (daughter of Marie Curie), who led the groundwork for the Manhattan Project from Europe; Elizabeth Rona, the foremost expert in plutonium, who gave rise to the "Fat Man" and "Little Boy," the bombs dropped over Japan;Leona Woods, Elizabeth Graves, and Joan Hinton, who were inspired by European scientific ideals but carved their own paths." -- (Source of summary not specified)





It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capitol, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to out charm, outwit, and outmaneuver his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute. The odds are against him. He's been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined, every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favor or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute, and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes.



When King Jameson declares his love for Lady Hollis Brite, Hollis is shocked--and thrilled. After all, she's grown up at Keresken Castle, vying for the king's attention alongside other daughters of the nobility. Capturing his heart is a dream come true. But Hollis soon realizes that falling in love with a king and being crowned queen may not be the happily ever after she thought it would be. And when she meets a commoner with the mysterious power to see right into her heart, she finds that the future she really wants is one that she never thought to imagine.





Frederick Joseph calls up race-related anecdotes from his past, explaining why they were hurtful and how he might handle things now. Each chapter features the voice of at least one artist or activist, including Angie Thomas, author of The Hate U Give; April Reign, creator of #OscarsSoWhite; Jemele Hill, sports journalist and podcast host; and eleven others. Touching on everything from cultural appropriation to power dynamics, "reverse racism" to white privilege, microaggressions to the tragic results of overt racism, this book serves as a conversation starter, tool kit, and invaluable window into the life of a former "token Black kid" who now presents himself as the friend many readers need. -- adapted from the inside front jacket flap.


Yadriel, a trans boy, summons the angry spirit of his high school's bad boy, and agrees to help him learn how he died, thereby proving himself a brujo, not a bruja, to his conservative family.




Cordelia Carstairs, a Shadowhunter trained to battle demons, travels with her brother to London where they reconnect with childhood friends but soon must face devastating demon attacks in the quarantined city.



Camino Rios lives for the summers when her father visits her in the Dominican Republic. But this time, on the day when his plane is supposed to land, Camino arrives at the airport to see crowds of crying people ... In New York City, Yahaira Rios is called to the principal's office, where her mother is waiting to tell her that her father, her hero, has died in a plane crash. Separated by distance -- and Papi's secrets -- the two girls are forced to face a new reality in which their father is dead and their lives are forever altered. And then, when it seems like they've lost everything of their father, they learn of each other.



Sixteen-year-old Iduna harbors a dark secret. On the surface, she is an Arendellian village girl, an aspiring inventor, and the best friend of Prince Agnarr, but she is also secretly Northuldra. Ever since the day the forest fell, Arendellians have despised and distrusted Northuldra with a vengeance. No matter that the Northuldra-along with some of Arendelle's own-have been trapped in the Enchanted Forest behind an impenetrable wall of mist since the day of the battle. Iduna doesn't know why the mist refuses to part, or why it descended to begin with. The only clear thing is that she must keep her identity from everyone, even Agnarr. Her life depends on it. Fortunately for her, Agnarr doesn't know that Iduna is the Northuldra girl he saw seemingly flying on a gust of wind all those years ago, the day of the celebration turned disaster. The day Agnarr lost his father, the king. The day Agnarr himself almost died. What Agnarr does know is that Iduna is a true ally in the face of his royal responsibilities and the expectations of an overbearing council and a well-meaning regent who will rule in Agnarr's place until he turns twenty-one and assumes the Arendellian throne. As Iduna and Agnarr grow ever closer, however, friendship is no longer enough. If only falling for each other didn't mean risking their futures: Iduna's as a hidden-in-plain-sight citizen of Arendelle, and Agnarr's as imminent king. But for a chance at true love, the risk might be worth taking.



A bold and original YA graphic novel about battling your inner doubts and fears-and finding your genius Sometimes, the world is too much for Mona Starr. She's sweet, geeky, and creative, but it's hard for her to make friends and connect with other people. She's like a lot of sensitive teenagers-but in the hands of graphic novelist Laura Lee Gulledge, Mona's struggle with depression takes on a vivid, concrete form. Mona calls it her Matter. The Matter gets everywhere, telling Mona she's not good enough, and that everyone around her wishes she would go away. But through therapy, art, writing, and the persistence of a few good friends, Mona starts to understand her Matter, and how she-and readers-can turn their fears into strengths. Heartfelt, emotionally vulnerable, and visually stunning, The Dark Matter of Mona Starr is a story that takes the inner life of a teenager seriously, while giving readers a new way to look at the universal quest for meaning and connection.



Gene understands stories - comic book stories, in particular. Big action. Bigger thrills. And the hero always wins. But Gene doesn't get sports. As a kid, his friends called him "Stick" and every basketball game he played ended in pain. He lost interest in basketball long ago, but at the high school where he now teaches, it's all anyone can talk about. The men's varsity team, the Dragons, is having a phenomenal season that's been decades in the making. Each victory brings them closer to their ultimate goal: the California State Championships. Once Gene gets to know these young all-stars, he realizes that their story is just as thrilling as anything he's seen on a comic book page. He knows he has to follow this epic to its end. What he doesn't know yet is that this season is not only going to change the Dragons's lives, but his own life as well.




Desperate to reach her grieving mother, Mira joins a group of college students driving home after their flight is stranded, but the road conditions are not the only mortal danger they face.
Stuck at the Philadelphia airport by an incoming blizzard results, Mira hitches a ride to Pittsburgh with a group of college kids who were on her initial flight. As the trip begins she discovers that her fellow travelers aren't friends like she thought. They're strangers-- and every one of them seems to be hiding something dangerous. The roads go from slippery to terrifying. People's belongings disappear. Someone in the car is lying-- and may be sabotaging the trip. If Mira wants to make it home alive, she needs to uncover the truth about these total strangers. -- adapted from back cover




"It's the summer between middle school and high school, and Aiden Navarro is away at camp. Everyone's going through changes--but for Aiden, the stakes feel higher. As he navigates friendships, deals with bullies, and spends time with Elias (a boy he can't stop thinking about), he finds himself on a path of self-discovery and acceptance."--Amazon.




When a Connecticut teenager inherits vast wealth and an eccentric estate from the richest man in Texas, she must also live with his surviving family and solve a series of puzzles to discover how she earned her inheritance.



Chronic overachiever Prudence Daniels is always quick to cast judgment on the lazy, rude, and arrogant residents of her coastal town. Her dreams of karmic justice are fulfilled when, after a night out with her friends, she wakes up with the sudden ability to cast instant karma on those around her.




Making a Faustian bargain to live forever but never be remembered, a woman from early eighteenth-century France endures unacknowledged centuries before meeting a man who remembers her name.




After her mother dies in an accident, Bree Matthews wants nothing to do with her family memories or childhood home. A residential program for bright high schoolers at UNC-Chapel Hill seems like the perfect escape-- until Bree witnesses a magical attack her very first night on campus. A young mage who calls himself a 'Merlin' attempts-- and fails-- to wipe Bree's memory of everything she saw. His failure unlocks Bree’s own unique magic and a buried memory with a hidden connection: the night her mother died, another Merlin was at the hospital. Now she'll do whatever it takes to find out the truth, even if that means infiltrating the Legendborn as one of their initiates. -- adapted from jacket. Provided by publisher.





Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood must recover a book stolen by warlocks Ragnor Fell and Shinyun Jung, who are being controlled by a Greater Demon.
Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood are living together in a fabulous loft; their warlock son, Max, has started learning to walk, and the streets of New York are peaceful and quiet-- well, relatively. Until the night that two old acquaintances break into Magnus's apartment and steal the powerful Book of the White. Now Magnus and Alec need to follow the thieves to Shanghai: they need some backup to accompany them, and they need a babysitter. Also, someone has stabbed Magnus with a strange magical weapon and the wound is glowing, so they have that to worry about too. As Magnus's magic grows unstable, will they be able to stop the demons flooding into the city? Before their kid completely wears out Alec's mom? -- adapted from jacket




A desperate orphan turned pirate and a rebellious imperial daughter find a connection on the high seas in a world divided by colonialism and threaded with magic.



"A year after the Bayview four were cleared of Simon Kelleher's death, a new mystery has cropped up--a game with dangerous consequences that's targeting students at Bayview again. And if the creator isn't found soon, dangerous could prove deadly"-- Provided by publisher.



Eighteen-year-old Alessandra Stathos, the second daughter of a minor nobleman, makes a plan to seduce, marry, and kill the king, then rule the world, and only love can stop her.



Pepper is a swim team captain, chronic overachiever, and all-around perfectionist. Her family may be falling apart, but their massive fast-food chain is booming-- thanks to Pepper, who is secretly running Big League Burger's massive Twitter account. Jack is a class clown and a constant thorn in Pepper's side. He works at his family's deli. His relationship with the business that holds his future might be love/hate, but when Big League Burger steals his grandma's iconic grilled cheese recipe, he'll do whatever it takes to take them down, one tweet at a time. While Pepper and Jack's spat turns into a viral Twitter war-- publicly duking it out with snarky memes and retweet battles-- they're also falling for each other on an anonymous chat app Jack built. -- adapted from jacket



"At the start of their senior year in high school, James (a girl with a boy's name) and Kat are inseparable, but by graduation, they're no longer friends. James prepares to head off to college as she reflects on the dissolution of her friendship with Kat while, in alternating chapters, Kat thinks about being newly in love and having a future that feels wide open"-- Provided by publisher.





Wednesday, September 22, 2021

Banned Books Week: Sept. 26- Oct. 2


“Artwork courtesy of the American Library Association, www.ala.org
"I don't think there is such a thing as a bad book for children. It's tosh. It's snobbery and it's foolishness. We need our children to get on the reading ladder: anything that they enjoy reading will move them up, rung by rung, into literacy."
-Neil Gaiman, "Art Matters: Because Your Imagination Can Change The World"

"In 2020, more than 273 books were affected by censorship attempts. Demands to remove books addressing racism and racial justice or those that shared the stories of Black, Indigenous, or people of color grew in number. At the same time, books addressing themes and issues of concern for LGBTQIA+ people continued to dominate the list." https://www.ala.org/news/mediapresscenter/presskits/bbw

“Artwork courtesy of the American Library Association, www.ala.org


What does it mean when we say, ‘Books unite us?’ It means that books are the tethers that connect us culturally. Stories ground us in our humanity; they convince us that we’re not actually that different and that the things that are actually different about us should be celebrated because they are what make up this tapestry of life.”
-Jason Reynolds



"When people look at George, they think they see a boy. But she knows she's not a boy. She knows she's a girl. George thinks she'll have to keep this a secret forever. Then her teacher announces that their class play is going to be Charlotte's Web. George really, really, REALLY wants to play Charlotte. But the teacher says she can't even try out for the part . . . because she's a boy. With the help of her best friend, Kelly, George comes up with a plan. Not just so she can be Charlotte -- but so everyone can know who she is, once and for all" -- provided by publisher





"The construct of race has always been used to gain and keep power, to create dynamics that separate and silence. Racist ideas are woven into the fabric of this country, and the first step to building an antiracist America is acknowledging America's racist past and present. This book takes you on that journey, showing how racist ideas started and were spread, and how they can be discredited"--Dust jacket flap.
"A history of racist and antiracist ideas in America, from their roots in Europe until today, adapted from the National Book Award winner Stamped from the Beginning"-- Provided by publisher.



When 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.






"Speak 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.



Budding cartoonist Junior leaves his troubled school on the Spokane Indian Reservation to attend an all-white farm town school where the only other Indian is the school mascot.



After discussing the police shooting of a local Black man with their families, Emma and Josh know how to treat a new student who looks and speaks differently than his classmates. -WorldCat



A young girl growing up in an Alabama town in the 1930s learns of injustice and violence when her father, a lawyer, defends a black man accused of raping a white girl.



In Depression-era California, two migrant workers dream of better days on a spread of their own until an act of unintentional violence leads to tragic consequences.



It is the story of eleven-year-old Pecola Breedlove -- a black girl in an America whose love for its blond, blue-eyed children can devastate all others -- who prays for her eyes to turn blue: so that she will be beautiful so that people will look at her so that her world will be different. This is the story of the nightmare at the heart of her yearning and the tragedy of its fulfillment.




"Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed. Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil's name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr. But what Starr does--or does not--say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life." -- Amazon.


Look for ALA’s Top Challenged Books of 2020 list in April 2021!

“Artwork courtesy of the American Library Association, www.ala.org

August 2026

Summer Reading has come to an end, and a new school year is about to start. If it seems like the library has a little less going on this mon...