Recommendations for Teens

A spooky tale of virtual school gone very, very wrong...

Not every kid would be thrilled to move to rural Alaska, but sixth grader Lucy is eager to leave her bullies behind and start over. However, it turns out that Lucy's new school does remote learning from October to April, when the roads become too icy to navigate safely.

Being the new kid is hard enough -- how is she going to make friends when she can't meet anyone in person?!Luckily, the sixth grade class at White Pine Secondary School is tiny (just thirteen students) and they're all super nice and really welcoming. While chatting on zoom, they ask Lucy lots of questions about living in the big city, some of which strike Lucy as a little odd but she just chalks it up to the fact that her new classmates have spent their whole lives in a VERY small town.

As the ice starts to thaw, Lucy grows increasingly excited about meeting her new friends in person! But when she enters the school's address on her phone's GPS, it leads her to a crumbling, clearly abandoned building with a rotted wood sign in front -- a sign that reads White Pine Secondary School. There's nothing else in sight... except a tiny cemetery with snow-dusted headstones poking out of the frozen ground. Headstones with some very familiar names on them . . .

Lucy doesn't know what to believe. Are her new "friends" pulling an elaborate prank? Or is truth far, far more horrifying?

"I hold my breath while reading Sarah Crossan's books. Every word is filled with so much love, the book is practically throbbing. A beautiful, perfect, moving read." --Cecelia Ahern, bestselling author of P. S. I Love You

In 1847, everything in Ireland was falling apart--but sixteen-year-old Nell was falling in love. Carnegie Medal winner Sarah Crossan's first historical novel-in-verse is a suspenseful and heartbreaking story of love, family, and the forces that can destroy us or bind us forever. For fans of Joy McCullough, Elizabeth Acevedo, Malinda Lo, and Ruta Sepetys.

Ireland is starving, and a poor Irish scullery maid falls in love with the British heir to the land. Can their romance stay hidden during the devastating famine? The potatoes are black, people are dying, and in the midst of it all, Nell must do everything she can to keep her family together and everyone she loves alive.

It is hard to tell a love story

and also the story of a people

being torn apart.

In rural Iowa in 1941, twelve-year-old Peggy’s quiet life is turned upside down by refugee arrivals, first love, and a heartbreaking diagnosis.

Growing up a farm girl, Peggy’s life has never been particularly exciting. But a lot changes in 1941. Her friend Joe starts acting strange around her. The Quaker hostel nearby reopens to house Jewish refugees from Europe, including a handsome boy named Gunther and a troubled professor of nothing. And her cousin and best friend, Delia, is diagnosed with leukemia—and doesn’t even know it. 

Peggy has always been rational. She may not be able to understand poetry and speak in metaphors like Delia, but she has to believe she can find a way out of this mess, for both of them. There has to be a cure. And yet the more she tries to control, the more powerless she feels. She can’t make Gunther see her the way she sees him. She can’t help the Professor find his missing daughter. She’s tired of feeling young and naive, but growing up is proving even worse. 

A historical coming-of-age novel that feels as alive and present as today, Scattergood offers even readers familiar with World War II a fascinating new glimpse of history, far from the battlefields of Europe and the shores of New York City. H.M. Bouwman presents a raw and unapologetic snapshot of a girl battling her own shortcomings and the random nature of life.

The untold origin story of the 5 Muses from Disney's Hercules is revealed in this rollicking YA fantasy filled with mythical adventure, music, and the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood.

The Muses narrated Hercules's story. Now, in this novel for fans of the New York Times bestsellers Go the Distance and Fire & Fate, they'll narrate their own "gospel truth."

Living in a quiet seaside village with their overprotective mother, teenaged sisters Calliope, Clio, Melpomene, Terpsichore, and Thalia are talented performers with no audience. If Calli had her way, she'd pursue her dream of writing epic stories in the city of Thebes. But family comes first, and as the eldest, she'd never leave her beloved sisters behind.

Then, following a disastrous public music performance, their mother reveals a shocking secret: she is Mnemosyne, the Goddess of Memory, and for nearly two decades, she's been on the run from the gods of Mount Olympus, desperate to keep her daughters safe from their machinations. Before she can share more, she is kidnapped . . . and though the girls don't know it yet, the villain pulling the strings is none other than Hades, fiery God of the Underworld. 

Under Calli's leadership, the sisters embark on a journey to save their mother and to learn more about their own divine origins. But the path ahead is filled with mythical trials and tribulations, and they'll need to rely on both their individual talents and the strength of their sisterhood to ensure that they ascend from "zeroes" to "heroes"--or more accurately, heroines.

Penned by New York Times bestselling author Farrah Rochon, this YA fantasy uniquely blends a twist on a Disney classic with a fresh take on Greek mythology.

A sixteen-year-old girl is on a mission to find the perfect boyfriend this Hanukkah, but love might not go according to plan, in this charming winter romcom from the author of The Summer of Lost Letters.

Shira Barbanel has a plan: this Hanukkah, she’s going to get a boyfriend. And she has the perfect candidate in mind—her great-uncle’s assistant, Isaac. He’s reliable, brilliant, and of course, super hot. The only problem? Shira’s an absolute disaster when it comes to flirting.

Enter Tyler Nelson, Shira’s nemesis-slash-former-crush. As much as she hates to admit it, Tyler is the most charming and popular guy she knows. Which means he’s the perfect person to teach her how to win Isaac over.

When Shira and Tyler get snowed in together at Golden Doors, they strike a deal—flirting lessons for Shira in exchange for career connections for Tyler. But as Shira starts to see the sweet, funny boy beneath Tyler’s playboy exterior, she realizes she actually likes hanging out with him. And that wasn’t part of the plan.

Amidst a whirl of snowy adventures, hot chocolate, and candlelight, Shira must learn to trust her heart to discover if the romance she planned is really the one that will make her happiest.

From award-winning author Katryn Bury of the Drew Leclair series, this hopeful coming-of-age middle grade novel follows the unlikely friendship between Sam, a recent cancer survivor, and a popular girl at school as they come together on a quest to uncover the truth about alien life in honor of Sam's best friend's final wishes. This powerful story of friendship and grief is a gentle reminder that we are never alone in the universe.

Sam Kepler Greyson doesn't want to be the "cancer kid." After losing his best friend and fellow UFO enthusiast, Oscar, to brain cancer, Sam wants to focus on anything but his own cancer--maybe even a normal year of middle school.

But whispers in the halls and lingering grief over Oscar make Sam's return much harder. To make matters worse, he is paired with popular girl Cat for a history project. Between Cat's icy attitude and troubling rumors that Sam lied about having cancer, nothing seems to be going well.

Things start to look up when Cat and Sam unexpectedly bond over the UFO obsession he once shared with Oscar--but Sam isn't sure he's ready to open up to someone again. With the chance for a fresh start within reach, he worries that coming clean about his illness will only make Cat pity him. Hiding the truth also helps Sam avoid the biggest worry of all: What if his cancer comes back?

"Bury writes about grief and being a survivor with honesty and humor in this captivating mystery that explores friendship and the power of believing." --Jennifer Chambliss Bertman, New York Times bestselling author of the Book Scavenger series and Sisterhood of Sleuths

"Katryn Bury is a master of middle grade voice. A powerful, heartfelt exploration of loss, grief, and friendship. I absolutely loved it." --Micahel Leali, award-winning author of The Civil War of Amos Abernathy and Matteo

"A beautiful and original exploration of friendship and its power to make us more than just the sum of our parts. Funny, tender, and insightful, Sam's voice will stay with readers long after they turn the final page." --Ali Standish, award-winning author of The Improbable Tales of Baskerville Hall

"Bury expertly balances humor and heartache as Sam's story explores grief, new friendships, and starting over, but it also celebrates enticing mysteries of the unknown in a way that is sure to engage readers. A quietly powerful novel." --A. J. Sass, award-winning author of Ellen Outside the Lines and Ana on the Edge

"A moving, humorous exploration of friendship and trust." --Kirkus Reviews

"Intensely readable." --School Library Journal (starred review)

When her unconventional parents finally agree to settle down in one place, twelve-year-old Cayenne's dreams come true--but the reality of fitting in is much harder than she imagined. Acclaimed author Jessica Vitalis crafts an unforgettable historical novel-in-verse about belonging, family, and social class, for fans of Lisa Fipps's Starfish and Jasmine Warga's Other Words for Home.

As Cayenne enters seventh grade, her parents decide it's time to stop living in their van, roaming from place to place. Cayenne hopes that this means she will finally belong somewhere and make some friends. But it turns out that staying in one place isn't easy at all.

When her social studies class studies the Titanic tragedy (the wreckage has just been discovered and her teacher is obsessed), Cayenne sees more and more parallels between the social strata of the infamous ship and her own life. Will she ever squeeze her way into the popular girls' clique, even though they live in fancy houses on the hill and she lives in a tiny, rundown home with chickens in the front yard? Is it possible that the boy she likes actually likes her back? Can she find a way to make room for herself in this town? Does she really want to? Maybe being "normal" isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Set in the mid-1980s, this literary novel is for readers of Megan E. Freeman's Alone and Erin Entrada Kelly's We Dream of Space.

Set at a camp over the course of six summers, this novel dives into the falling-out of two girls from different backgrounds who thought they'd be friends forever. Claire Swinarski, Edgar Award nominee of the ALA Notable What Happened to Rachel Riley?, tackles privilege, perspective, and the power of friendship in this page-turning puzzle that readers will devour.

Eowyn Becker has waited all year to attend her sixth summer at Lamplighter Lake Summer Camp. Here, she's not in the shadow of her Broadway-star older brother; she's a stellar performer in her own right. Here, the pain of her mom's death can't reach her, and she gets to reunite with her best friend, Jules Marrigan--the only person in the world who understands her.

But when she gets to camp, everything seems wrong. The best-friend reunion Eowyn had been dreaming of doesn't go as planned. Jules will barely even look at Eowyn, let alone talk to her, and Eowyn has no idea why.

Well, maybe she does...

There are two sides to every story, and if you want to understand this one, you'll need to hear both. Told in a series of alternating chapters that dip back to past summers, the girls' story will soon reveal how Eowyn and Jules went from being best friends to fierce foils. Can they mend ways before the curtains close on what was supposed to be the best summer of their lives?

The fight to save the human and magical worlds is ON...but witch (in-training) Ramya isn't much help unless she can learn her new powers--and fast. It's a race to the finish in the stunning conclusion to the Like a Charm duology from the award-winning author of A Kind of Spark.

Ramya thought discovering she was a witch would make life easier. But mastering her powers isn't going as smoothly as she thought. And while she is stuck in Loch Ness stumbling through spells, the wicked siren Portia is gaining control over the human and hidden worlds in the city. 

Time is running out, but the more Ramya presses, the more her family insists she isn't ready for the fight. Then an old friend is kidnapped, and Ramya can't wait any longer. Armed with a lot of bravery, a little magic, and a few new friends, Ramya hopes it is enough to take down Portia and the sirens forever--before everything she loves is lost forever.

A snake spirit transforms into a boy and must hide his true identity after falling for a headstrong prince in this lush, romantic retelling of the traditional Chinese folktale.

When Prince Xian was a boy, a white snake bit his mother and condemned her to a slow, painful death. The only known cure is an elusive spirit pearl--or an antidote created from the rare white snake itself. Desperate and determined, Xian travels to the city of Changle, where an oracle predicted he would find and capture a white snake.

Seven years ago, Zhen, a white snake in the West Lake, consumed a coveted spirit pearl, which gave him special powers--including the ability to change into human form.

In Changle, Xian encounters an enigmatic but beautiful stable boy named Zhen. The two are immediately drawn to each other, but Zhen soon realizes that he is the white snake Xian is hunting. As their feelings grow deeper, will the truth about Zhen's identity tear them apart?

From master storyteller Garth Nix, the chilling story of a strange object that falls into the wrong hands and has the potential to destroy the world. Perfect for fans of STRANGER THINGS and THE LAST KIDS ON EARTH.

It's not fair. Kim's always lived in the shadow of his younger sister, Eila -- which is not how it's supposed to be. Eila is a prodigy, and everyone talks about how smart she is... but, in Kim's eyes, she has no common sense.

One day Kim and Eila are walking in the woods, and Eila finds an enigmatic, otherworldly object. Kim thinks it's bad news... but Eila begins to commune with it. Kim has every reason to be worried, because soon Eila is able to control the minds of everyone around her... in ways she says is the best for everyone.

Kim's problem-solving must go into high gear. He has to not only save his sister, but save the world from his sister and the forces she's unleashed.

What can you do when the adult world lets you down?

Suspended from school and prone to rages, twelve-year-old Kate finds her own way to get on with her life, despite the messed-up adults around her. Her gran, for one, is stubborn and aloof -- not unlike Kate herself, who has no friends, and who's been expelled for "behavioral issues," like the meltdowns she has had ever since her mom dumped her with her grandmother three years ago. Kate dreams that one day her mother will return for her. When that happens, they'll need money, so Kate sets out to make some.

Gran nixes her idea to sell psychiatric advice like Lucy in Peanuts ("You're not a psychiatrist. You'll get sued."), so Kate decides to open a philosophy booth to provide answers to life's big and small questions. She soon learns that adults have plenty of problems and secrets of their own, including Gran. When she finds that her grandmother has been lying to her about her mother, the two have a huge fight, and Gran says she can't wait for Kate to finish high school so she'll be rid of her at last. Kate decides to take matters into her own hands and discovers that to get what she wants, she may have to reach out to some unexpected people, and find a way to lay down her own anger.

Key Text Features

quotations

dialogue

literary references

signs

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.2
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.5
Analyze how a particular sentence, chapter, scene, or stanza fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the theme, setting, or plot.

In this magical adventure that's perfect for fans of Lisa Yee and Erin Entrada Kelly, star athlete Thea must face her worst fears when two mischievous duwendes, Filipino goblins, threaten to wreak havoc on her life--and destroy her town.

Thea gets a chance to begin anew at Pacific Academy. There, she's a star athlete, someone with friends and popularity.

But disaster strikes at Junior Stunt Warrior summer camp with her new friends: Her extremely uncool former best friend, Evan, shows up too, and she discovers that stunt class is the one activity she's not good at. Actually, it's something she's terrified of. It all reminds Thea of the shy, invisible version of herself she's determined to leave behind.

Then, in the midst of building a practice obstacle course, Thea wrecks a tree that a pair of grumpy duwendes--Filipino goblins--call home. She's shocked that not only are duwendes real, but the two in her backyard want revenge.

Now Thea must team up with friends new and old to fend off the duwendes before they destroy her entire neighborhood. But can she pull it off while saving her cool-girl image, too?

The Beanstalk Murder - a middle grade fantasy novel by P. G. Bell - involves a young witch in training, her archenemy, the kingdom of giants, and a huge murder mystery!

Anwen Sedge, a young Meadow Witch apprentice, lives in a rural village that hasn't seen giants since the Great Beanstalk War. So it's quite a surprise when one drops from the sky and squishes the village flat. It's an even bigger surprise when Anwen discovers that he was dead BEFORE he hit the ground. This is a murder! The only solution is for Anwen and her arch nemesis, Cerys (who's the best at High Magic and won't let anyone forget it) to send a plea for help to the giants' kingdom, using a magic beanstalk.

But the beanstalk backfires, shooting the two rivals into the giants’ kingdom before crumbling to dust! There, they make a terrible discovery – the murdered giant was none other than the king. And the giants have no magic of their own to get the girls home. Trapped in the royal palace and surrounded by intrigue, Anwen decides to use her Meadow Witch skills to unmask the killer, despite Cerys's doubts in her.

With the help of a few new friends and her reluctant rival, can Anwen figure out who murdered the king before the killer strikes again?

How did a human girl become a fairy godmother? Godmothers are made, not born. Discover the untold origins of one of Disney's beloved magic makers.

The first volume in The Enchanters series from the New York Times best-selling author of A Twisted Tale and Fairy Tale Reform School features a deluxe trim size and beautiful painted edges!

Before she created carriages out of pumpkins, fashioned gowns out of thin air, and conjured one-of-a-kind glass slippers, Cinderella's Fairy Godmother was a spirited sixteen-year-old named Renée Dubois. But how did a human girl become a fairy godmother?

A young governess with a tragic past, Renée is determined to prove that fairies are real. Yet when her young cousin follows her into the woods one night and is caught in mortal peril, Renée has no choice but to offer herself in his place. Just when she thinks this is the end, she's saved by a mysterious duo who take Renée under their wings, and she is brought into the world of the Fée.

So begins a life Renée hadn't dared to dream of. Studying magic, forging friendships, and stumbling upon an unlikely romance, Renée is on an exciting path. But this new path is not without its own challenges.

Renée longs to return to the mortal realm with the coveted title of godmother, a dream that seems just out of reach. And her tireless empathy, as well as her boundless determination might be just what she needs to become the Fairy Godmother the world will come to know.