Teen Reads

Description: "Rob Fitzgerald is determined to impress Destry Camberwick, the perfect new girl who he’s devastatingly in love with. But that’s a difficult task for a painfully shy wallflower who’s prone to panic attacks and would rather hang out with his grandad all day. That is, until he starts getting mysterious text messages from an unknown number with challenges designed to encourage him to get out of his comfort zone. Is Rob Fitzgerald on the road to getting the girl? Or will fear keep him out of the spotlight forever?" --Amazon.com

Description: " It's senior year, and Chamomile Myles has whiplash from traveling between her two universes: school (the relentless countdown to prom, torturous college applications, and the mindless march toward an uncertain future) and home, where she wrestles a slow, bitter battle with her father's terminal illness. Enter Brendan, a man-bun-and tutu-wearing hospital volunteer with a penchant for absurdity, who strides boldly between her worlds--and helps her open up a new road between them" -- Provided by publisher.

Description: "Kyle Baker thought his family was happy. Happy enough, anyway. That’s why, when Kyle learns that his mother has been having an affair and his father has been living with the secret, his reality is altered. He quits baseball, ghosts his girlfriend, and generally checks out of life as he’s known it. With his older sisters out of the house and friends who don’t get it, the only person he can talk to is his cousin Emily―who is always there on the other end of his texts but still has her own life, hours away. Kyle’s parents want him to keep the secret of his mother’s affair from the rest of the family until after what might be their last big summer reunion. As Kyle watches the effects of his parents’ choices ripple out over friends, family, and strangers, and he feels the walls of his relationships closing in, he has to decide what his obligations are to everyone he cares for―including himself" --Amazon.com

Description: "Anna and her mother have moved hundreds of miles to put the past behind them. Anna hopes to make a fresh start and escape the harassment she's been subjected to. But then rumors and whispers start, and Anna tries to ignore what is happening by immersing herself in learning about Maggie, a local woman accused of witchcraft in the seventeenth century. A woman who was shamed. Silenced. And whose story has unsettling parallels to Anna's own. From Laura Bates, feminist and founder of the Everyday Sexism Project, comes a debut novel for the #metoo era. It's a powerful call to action, reminding all readers of the implications of sexism and the role we can each play in ending it" -- Amazon.

Description: "Jocelyn Wu has just three wishes for her junior year: To make it through without dying of boredom, to direct a short film with her BFF Priya Venkatram, and to get at least two months into the year without being compared to or confused with Peggy Chang, the only other Chinese girl in her grade. Will Domenici has two goals: to find a paying summer internship, and to prove he has what it takes to become an editor on his school paper. Then Jocelyn's father tells her their family restaurant may be going under, and all wishes are off. Because her dad has the marketing skills of a dumpling, it's up to Jocelyn and her unlikely new employee, Will, to bring A-Plus Chinese Garden into the 21st century (or, at least, to Facebook). What starts off as a rocky partnership soon grows into something more. But family prejudices and the uncertain future of A-Plus threaten to keep Will and Jocelyn apart. It will take everything they have and more, to save the family restaurant and their budding romance" --Amazon.com

Description: A treasure trove of the essential activities and skills that have defined generations of boyhoods. Designed with the same nostalgic look and feel as the first book, the Dangerous Book for Boys, this volume includes new chapters and important skills, fascinating historical information, and captivating stories. From how to pick a padlock, to maps of historic empires and even how to write a thank-you letter, the Igguldens will help parents reduce their son's screen time, and fill weekend afternoons and summer days with wonder, excitement, adventure, and fun.

Description: Earth Guardians youth director and hip-hop artist Xiuhtezcatl Martinez uses his art and activism to show that climate change is a human issue. In Imaginary Borders, Martinez visualizes a future that allows us to direct our anger, fear, and passion toward creating change. Because we all have a part to play.

Description: Schatz and Klein Stahl show that each letter of the alphabet tells the story of a significant moment in America's progressive history--one that isn't always covered in history classes. The entries explore several centuries of politics, culture, art, activism, and liberation, including radical librarians, Supreme Court cases, courageous youth, punk rocker grrrls, Southern quilts, and modern witches.

Description: Each topic is fully illustrated to support the information, make the facts crystal clear, and bring the science to life. A large central image explains the idea visually and each topic is summed up on a single page, helping readers to quickly get up to speed and really understand how chemistry works. Information boxes explain the theory with the help of simple graphics and for further studying, a handy "Key Facts" box provides a simple summary you can check back on later.

Description: Flint, Michigan had been built up, then abandoned, by General Motors. In 2014, as a plan to save money, government officials decided that Flint would temporarily switch its water supply from Lake Huron to the Flint River. Within months, many residents broke out in rashes. Children stopped growing. Some people were hospitalized with mysterious illnesses; others died. Despite the murky, foul-smelling liquid pouring from the city's faucets, officials refused to listen. Cooper and Aronson show how the crisis unfolded, and also the history of racism and segregation that led up to it, and how the people of Flint fought--and are still fighting--for clean water and healthy lives.