Our theme this year is Plant a Seed, Read! which is rooted in the farm-to-table concept. A farm grows food that nourishes our bodies; a library grows ideas that nourish our minds. Both food and stories connect us to our family, culture, economy, and ecology. Join us for activities, programs, prizes, and, of course, reading throughout the challenge!
Reading can be done inside OR outside! Get outside with these great library events for teens this summer!
See Also:
The baker and the bard
Author(s):
Description:
"Juniper and Hadley have a good thing going in Larkspur, spending their respective days apprenticing at a little bakery and performing at the local inn. But when a stranger makes an unusual order at the bakery, the two friends (and Hadley's pet snake, Fern) set out on a journey to forage the magical mushrooms needed to make the requested galette pastries. Along the way, Juniper and Hadley stumble across a mystery too compelling to ignore: Something has been coming out of the woods at night and eating the local farmers' crops, leaving only a trail of glowy goo behind. Intent on finally going on an adventure that could fuel their bardic craft, Hadley tows Juniper into the woods to investigate. What started as a simple errand to pick mushrooms soon turns into a thrilling quest to save some furry new friends--and their caretaker, a softspoken little fey named Thistle--who are in danger of losing their home" --Back cover.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
YA FIC Hau
See Also:
Café con lychee
Author(s):
Description:
"Theo Mori and Gabriel Moreno have always been at odds. Their parents own rival businesses--an Asian American café and a Puerto Rican bakery--and Gabi's lack of coordination has cost their soccer team too many games to count. Stuck in the closet and scared to pursue his own dreams, Gabi sees his parents' shop as his future. Stuck under the weight of his parents' expectations, Theo's best shot at leaving Vermont means first ensuring his parents' livelihood is secure. So when a new fusion café threatens both shops, Theo and Gabi realize an unfortunate truth--they can only achieve their goals by working together to cook up an underground bakery operation and win back their customers. But can they put aside their differences long enough to save their parents' shops or will the new feelings between them boil over?" --
Format:
Book
Call Number:
YA FIC Lee
See Also:
What's eating Jackie Oh?
Author(s):
Description:
Jackie Oh is done being your model minority. She’s tired of perfect GPAs, PSATs, SATs, all of it. Jackie longs to become a professional chef. But her Korean American parents are Ivy League corporate workaholics who would never understand her dream. Just ask her brother, Justin, who hasn’t heard from them since he was sent to Rikers Island. Jackie works at her grandparents’ Midtown Manhattan deli after school and practices French cooking techniques at night--when she should be studying. But the kitchen’s the only place Jackie is free from all the stresses eating at her--school, family, and the increasing violence targeting the Asian community. Then the most unexpected thing happens: Jackie becomes a teen contestant on her favorite cooking show, Burn Off! Soon Jackie is thrown headfirst into a cutthroat TV world filled with showboating child actors, snarky judges, and gimmicky “gotcha!” challenges. All Jackie wants to do is cook her way. But what is her way?
Format:
Book
Call Number:
YA FIC Par
See Also:
A wizard's guide to defensive baking
Author(s):
Description:
Fourteen-year-old Mona isn't like the wizards charged with defending the city. She can't control lightning or speak to water. Her familiar is a sourdough starter and her magic only works on bread. She has a comfortable life in her aunt's bakery making gingerbread men dance. But Mona's life is turned upside down when she finds a dead body on the bakery floor. An assassin is stalking the streets of Mona's city, preying on magic folk, and it appears that Mona is his next target. And in an embattled city suddenly bereft of wizards, the assassin may be the least of Mona's worries...
Format:
Book
Call Number:
YA FIC Kin
See Also:
The marrow thieves
Author(s):
Description:
"In a future world ravaged by global warming, people have lost the ability to dream, and the dreamlessness has led to widespread madness. The only people still able to dream are North America's indigenous population - and it is their marrow that holds the cure for the rest of the world. But getting the marrow - and dreams - means death for the unwilling donors. Driven to flight, a 15-year-old and his companions struggle for survival, attempt to reunite with loved ones, and take refuge from the "recruiters" who seek them out to bring them to the marrow-stealing 'factories.'"--
Format:
Book
Call Number:
YA FIC Dim
See Also:
A Cuban girl's guide to tea and tomorrow
Author(s):
Description:
Seventeen-year-old Lila Reyes, furious when her parents send her to the English countryside to recover from grief and heartbreak, unexpectedly falls in love with a teashop clerk--and England, itself.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
YA FIC Nam
See Also:
Fatima Tate takes the cake
Author(s):
Description:
Seventeen-year-old Fatima Tate, aspiring baker (100% against her conservative parents’ wishes), leads a pretty normal life in Albuquerque: long drives with BFF Zaynab, weekly services at the mosque, big family parties, soup kitchen volunteering (the best way to perfect her flaky dough recipe!), stressing about college. But everything changes when she meets a charming university student named Raheem. Knowing the 'rents would FREAK, Fatima keeps their burgeoning relationship a secret...and then, one day, her parents and his parents decide to arrange their marriage. Amazing! True serendipity! Except it's not amazing. As soon as the ring is on Fatima’s finger, Raheem’s charm transforms into control and manipulation. Fatima knows she has to call the whole thing off, but Raheem doesn’t like to lose. He threatens to reveal their premarital sexual history and destroy her and her family’s reputation in their tight-knit Muslim community. Fatima must find the inner strength to blaze her own trail by owning her body, her choices, and her future.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
YA FIC Van
See Also:
With the fire on high
Author(s):
Description:
Ever since she got pregnant freshman year, Emoni Santiago has been doing what has to be done for her daughter and her abuela. The one place she can let all that go is in the kitchen, where she adds a little something magical to everything she cooks, turning her food into straight-up goodness. She dreams of working as a chef after she graduates, but knows that is impossible. But once Emoni starts cooking, her only choice is to let her talent break free. -- adapted from jacket
Format:
Book
Call Number:
YA FIC Ace
See Also:
The music of what happens
Author(s):
Description:
It is summer in Phoenix, and seventeen-year-old Maximo offers to help Jordan, a fellow student in high school, with the food truck that belonged to Jordan's deceased father, and which may be the only thing standing between homelessness for Jordan and his mom; the boys are strongly attracted to each other, but as their romance develops it is threatened by the secrets they are hiding--and by the racism and homophobia of those around them.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
YA FIC Kon
See Also:
This poison heart
Author(s):
Description:
Briseis has a gift: she can grow plants from tiny seeds to rich blooms with a single touch. When Briseis's aunt dies and wills her a dilapidated estate in rural New York, Bri and her parents decide to leave Brooklyn behind for the summer. Hopefully there, surrounded by plants and flowers, Bri will finally learn to control her gift. But their new home is sinister in ways they could never have imagined--it comes with a specific set of instructions, an old-school apothecary, and a walled garden filled with the deadliest botanicals in the world that can only be entered by those who share Bri's unique family lineage. When strangers begin to arrive on their doorstep, asking for tinctures and elixirs, Bri learns she has a surprising talent for creating them. One of the visitors is Marie, a mysterious young woman who Bri befriends, only to find that Marie is keeping dark secrets about the history of the estate and its surrounding community. There is more to Bri's sudden inheritance than she could have imagined, and she is determined to uncover it . . . until a nefarious group comes after her in search of a rare and dangerous immortality elixir. Up against a centuries-old curse and the deadliest plant on earth, Bri must harness her gift to protect herself and her family.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
YA FIC Bay
See Also:
What we harvest
Author(s):
Description:
Wren owes everything she has to her hometown, Hollow’s End, a centuries-old, picture-perfect slice of America. Tourists travel miles to marvel at its miracle crops, including the shimmering, iridescent wheat of Wren’s family’s farm. At least, they did. Until five months ago. That’s when the Quicksilver blight first surfaced, poisoning the farms of Hollow’s End one by one. It began by consuming the crops, thick silver sludge bleeding from the earth. Next were the animals. Infected livestock and wild creatures staggered off into the woods by day--only to return at night, their eyes fogged white, leering from the trees. Then the blight came for the neighbors. Wren is among the last locals standing, and the blight has finally come for her, too. Now the only one she can turn to is her ex, Derek, the last person she wants to call. They haven’t spoken in months, but Wren and Derek still have one thing in common: Hollow’s End means everything to them. Only, there’s much they don’t know about their hometown and its celebrated miracle crops. And they’re about to discover that miracles aren’t free. Their ancestors have an awful lot to pay for, and Wren and Derek are the only ones left to settle old debts.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
YA FIC Fra
See Also:
Wings in the wild
Author(s):
Description:
When a hurricane exposes Soleida's family's secret sculpture garden, the Cuban government arrests her artist parents, forcing her to escape alone to Central America where she meets Dariel, a Cuban American boy, and together they work to protect the environment and bring attention to the imprisoned artists in Cuba.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
YA FIC Eng
See Also:
It waits in the forest
Author(s):
Description:
Unlike the other residents of the small Caribbean Island of St. Virgil, Selina DaSilva does not believe in magic. With a logical mind and a knack for botany, Selina used to dream of leaving the island to study Pharmacology--until a vicious, unsolved attack left her father dead and her mother in a coma. Now her guilt over her mother’s condition keeps her tethered to the island, relegated to conning gullible tourists with useless talismans and phony protection rituals. But when one of those tourists ends up at the center of a string of strange murders, the truth that Selina has been denying can no longer be avoided: there is evil lurking in the forests that surround St. Virgil. Another thing that can’t be avoided? Selina’s ex-boyfriend Gabriel, newly employed at the local newspaper and eager to put his investigative skills to use. Desperate to put an end to the killings and claim justice for Selina’s family, these two former lovers race to find answers. But evil bides its time. And as long-buried feelings and long-hidden secrets about Selina’s family’s past begin to reveal themselves, only one answer remains--and it waits in the forest.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
YA FIC Das
See Also:
A deathly compendium of poisonous plants : wicked weeds and sinister seeds - VIEW IN CATALOG
A deathly compendium of poisonous plants : wicked weeds and sinister seeds
Author(s):
Description:
"A must for fans of science and history--and also armchair detectives--this entertaining and informative illustrated compendium delves into nature's deadliest plants and their fascinating histories as implements of medicine, warfare, and foul play"--
Format:
Book
Call Number:
YA 581.659 Hir
See Also:
Flowerheart
Author(s):
Description:
Clara's magic has always been wild. But it's never been dangerous. Then a simple touch causes poisonous flowers to bloom in her father's chest. The only way to heal him is to cast an extremely difficult spell that requires perfect control. And the only person willing to help is her former best friend, Xavier, who's grown from a sweet, shy child into a mysterious and distant young man. Xavier names a terrible price in return, knowing Clara will give anything to save her father. As she struggles to reconcile the new Xavier with the boy she once loved, she discovers their bargain is only one of the heavy secrets he's hiding. And as she hunts for the truth, she instead finds the root of a terrible darkness that's taken hold in the queendom--a darkness only Clara's magic is powerful enough to stop.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
YA FIC Bak
See Also:
Ophelia after all
Author(s):
Description:
Seventeen-year-old Ophelia Rojas, well known for her rose garden and her dramatic crushes on every boy in sight, begins to question her sexuality and sense of self when she starts to fall for cute, quiet Talia Sanchez in the weeks leading up to their high school prom and graduation.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
YA FIC Mar
See Also:
The name she gave me
Author(s):
Description:
Rynn has lived on a garlic farm in central Maine since she was adopted at six weeks old. She was born with a hole in her heart--literally. Although it was fixed long ago, she still feels an emptiness there when she wonders about her biological family. All Rynn knows about her mom is that she gave Rynn the name Scheherazade when she was born, and that she had--and kept--another daughter. Rynn's adoptive father is gentle and supportive, but her complicated relationship with her adoptive mother makes her feel like an outsider in the only family she's ever known. Rynn decides she can't wait until she turns eighteen to know more about her birth family, so she takes matters into her own hands. She quickly learns that she has a younger sister living in foster care in a nearby town. But if Rynn reconnects with her biological sister, it may drive her adoptive family apart for good.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
YA FIC Cul
See Also:
Basil and Oregano
Author(s):
Description:
Porta Bella Magiculinary Academy is the finest school for the art of cooking with magic, and Basil Eyres is determined to be the top student. On the first day of her senior year, Arabella Oregano, the daughter of a renowned chef, joins the academy for her senior year as well. The two are instantly smitten with each other, but Basil senses there’s something Arabella is hiding from her. Still, the two work together to stand out from the class as the end of year culinary festival approaches. But when Arabella’s secret is reveled, Basil is faced with the hardest decision of her life, which has the potential to throw her future aspirations in jeopardy.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
YA FIC Cap
See Also:
The poison season
Author(s):
Description:
Leelo has spent her entire life on Endla, coexisting with the bloodthirsty Forest and respecting the poisonous lake that protects her island from outsiders who seek to destroy it. But as much as Leelo cares for her community, she struggles to accept that her younger brother will be exiled by his next birthday, unless he gains the magic of enchanted song so vital to Endla. When Leelo sees a young outsider on the verge of drowning in the lake, she knows exactly what she's supposed to do. But in a moment that will change everything, Leelo betrays her family, her best friend, and Endla by making an unthinkable choice. Discovery could lead to devastating consequences for both Leelo and the outsider, Jaren, but as they grow closer, Leelo realizes that not all danger comes from beyond the lake--and they can only survive if Leelo is willing to question the very fabric of her society, her people, and herself.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
YA FIC Rut
See Also:
The official Five nights at Freddy's cookbook - VIEW IN CATALOG
The official Five nights at Freddy's cookbook
Author(s):
Description:
The one and only OFFICIAL Five Nights at Freddy's Cookbook, with over 40 recipes inspired by the hit games. From Freddy Fazbear's Pepperoni X-Press and Chica's Ultimate Thai Chicken Burger, to Foxy's Fruity Cove Coolor and El Chip's Fully Loaded Tortillas, the official Five Nights at Freddy's Cookbook is packed with mouthwatering recipes that are hauntingly delicious.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
YA 641.5 Caw
See Also:
A bánh mì for two
Author(s):
Description:
In Sài Gòn, Lan is always trying to be the perfect daughter, dependable and willing to care for her widowed mother and their bánh mì stall. Her secret passion, however, is A Bánh Mì for Two, the food blog she started with her father, but has stopped updating since his passing. Meanwhile, Vietnamese American Vivi Huynh, has never been to Việt Nam. Her parents rarely even talk about the homeland that clearly haunts them. So Vivi secretly goes to Vietnam for a study abroad program her freshman year of college. She’s determined to figure out why her parents left, and to try everything she’s seen on her favorite food blog, A Bánh Mì for Two. When Vivi and Lan meet in Sài Gòn, they strike a deal. Lan will show Vivi around the city, helping her piece together her mother’s story through crumbling photographs and old memories. Vivi will help Lan start writing again so she can enter a food blogging contest. And slowly, as they explore the city and their pasts, Vivi and Lan fall in love.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
YA FIC Ngu
See Also:
If it makes you happy
Author(s):
Description:
Winnie is all set to attend college in the fall, but first she's spending her summer days working at her granny's diner and spending her midnights with Dallas, the boy she loves to hate and hates that she likes. In a small town like Misty Haven, secrets are impossible to keep. Like when Winnie allegedly snaps on Dr. Skinner, which results in everyone feeling compelled to give her weight loss advice for her own good. To raise money for the diner, Winnie enters a televised cooking competition that Granny doesn't want her to enter. Can Winnie find a way around her formidable grandmother? -- adapted from jacket and Goodreads.com info
Format:
Book
Call Number:
YA FIC Kan
See Also:
Somewhere between bitter and sweet
Author(s):
Description:
Told in two voices, Pen, whose dream of taking over her family's restaurant has been destroyed, and Xander, a new, undocumented, employee seeking his father, form a bond.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
YA FIC Kem
See Also:
Together we rot
Author(s):
Description:
"Wil Greene's mom has been missing for over a year, and the police are ready to call the case closed-- they claim she skipped town and you can't find a woman who wants to disappear. But she knows her mom wouldn't just leave ... and she knows the family of her former best friend, Elwood Clarke, has something to do with it. Elwood has been counting down the days until his 18th birthday-- in dread. It marks leaving school and joining his pastor father in dedicating his life to their congregation, the Garden of Adam. But when he comes home after one night of after a final goodbye with his friends, already self-flagellating for the sins of drinking and disobeying his father, he discovers his path is not as virtuous as he thought. He's not his father's successor, but his sacrifice. For the woods he's grown up with are thirsty, and must be paid in blood. Now on the run from a family that wants him dead, he turns to the only one who will believe him: Wil. Together, they form a reluctant partnership; she'll help him hide if he helps her find evidence that his family killed her mother. But in the end they dig up more secrets than they bargained for, unraveling decades of dark cult dealings in their town, led by the Clarke family. And there's a reason they need Elwood's blood for their satanic rituals. Something inhuman is growing inside of him. Everywhere he goes, the plants come alive and the forest calls to him, and Wil isn't sure if she can save the boy she can't help but love" --
Format:
Book
Call Number:
YA FIC Arn
See Also:
Drizzle, dreams, and lovestruck things
Author(s):
Description:
The Singh sisters grew up helping their father navigate the bustle of the Songbird Inn. Nestled on dreamy and drizzly Orcas Island in the Pacific Northwest, the inn's always been warm and cozy and filled with interesting guests--the perfect home. But things are about to heat up now that the Songbird has been named the Most Romantic Inn in America. Nidhi has everything planned out--until a storm brings a wayward tree crashing into her life one autumn . . . and along with it, an intriguing construction worker and a yearning for her motherland. Suddenly, she's questioning everything she thought she wanted. Avani can't sit still. If she does, her grief for Pop, their dad's late husband, will overwhelm her. So she keeps moving as much as she can, planning an elaborate Winter Ball in Pop's memory. Until a blizzard traps her in a barn with the boy she accidentally stood up and has been actively avoiding ever since. Sirisha loves seeing the world through her camera, but her shyness prevents her from stepping out from behind the lens. Talking to girls is such a struggle! When a pretty actress comes to the Songbird with her theater troupe, spring has sprung for Sirisha--if only she can find the words. Rani is a hopeless romantic through and through. After gently nudging her sisters to open their hearts, she is convinced it's finally her turn to find love. When two potential suitors float in on a summer breeze, Rani is swept up in grandeur to match her wildest Bollywood dreams. But which boy is the one she's meant to be with?
Format:
Book
Call Number:
YA FIC Pra