Teen Staff Picks (May 2023)

by Hassan, Rochelle

Book - 2023

Aziza is a hedgewitch who learned to interact with fae from her grandfather and knows how to travel between the human world and the magical realm. When sh...Show more Aziza is a hedgewitch who learned to interact with fae from her grandfather and knows how to travel between the human world and the magical realm. When she meets Leo, she agrees to help lift the curse that has made him forget his true love as long as Leo helps her keep their Massachusetts town safe from monsters. Along the way they team up with Tristan, a necromancer who was kicked out of his house for being gay, and they enter the forest to find Leo’s missing sister Hazel in this absorbing fantasy about love and family. Show less

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Different for Boys

by Ness, Patrick

Paperback - 2023

Even though Ant, Charlie, Jack and Josh grew up together, now there’s tension in their friend group because Jack is openly gay and it makes Charlie uncomf...Show more Even though Ant, Charlie, Jack and Josh grew up together, now there’s tension in their friend group because Jack is openly gay and it makes Charlie uncomfortable. Ant feels like a terrible friend because he told Jack he’s not gay, but Ant and Charlie have been secretly fooling around for months. Don’t worry about controversial content here folks. This illustrated novella has all the curse words and sex scenes redacted so that people too young to read that stuff won’t get upset. (Yes, that was sarcasm, in case you missed it.) Show less

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Enter the Body

by McCullough, Joy

Book - 2023

What would happen if Juliet, Ophelia, Lavinia and Cordelia got the chance to write their own versions of their stories from Shakespeare’s most famous trag...Show more What would happen if Juliet, Ophelia, Lavinia and Cordelia got the chance to write their own versions of their stories from Shakespeare’s most famous tragedies? Find out in this novel in verse where the famous female characters discuss their doomed romances and family drama with each other. They discover that sometimes you can reclaim happiness and other times you have to accept your fate. Show less

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Harvest House

by Smith, Cynthia Leitich

Book - 2023

East Hannesburg High sophomore and thespian Hughie Wolfe volunteers to work at Harvest House, a haunted house that will raise money for charity during Hal...Show more East Hannesburg High sophomore and thespian Hughie Wolfe volunteers to work at Harvest House, a haunted house that will raise money for charity during Halloween season, even though they’re putting on a play with a stereotypical “Indian maiden” ghost character. Meanwhile, the Bad Man keeps stalking young Indigenous women in their Kansas town. Can Hughie and his friends stop the evil spirit that’s threatening their Muscogee community? Show less

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I'll Take Everything You Have

by Klise, James

Book - 2023

After moving to Chicago to earn money to go to college, Joe and his cousin Bernie get caught up in a scam to steal from their wealthy neighbors. Joe also ...Show more After moving to Chicago to earn money to go to college, Joe and his cousin Bernie get caught up in a scam to steal from their wealthy neighbors. Joe also feels torn between Eddie, a handsome delivery driver he meets at his hotel restaurant job, and Raymond, one of the rich teens targeted of the thievery ring. Set in 1934, this novel by local author James Klise mixes film noir vibes with queer romance and it’s full of mysteries that will keep you guessing until the end. Show less

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Imogen, Obviously

by Albertalli, Becky

Book - 2023

High school senior Imogen proudly supports her queer friends as their hopeless hetero super ally and feels super excited to visit her best friend Lili at ...Show more High school senior Imogen proudly supports her queer friends as their hopeless hetero super ally and feels super excited to visit her best friend Lili at Blackwell College where she’s a freshman. Imogen feels totally fine pretending to be Lili’s ex-girlfriend when Lili worries that she’s less experienced than her sophisticated college queer friends, obviously. Then why does Imogen feel all fluttery around Lili’s adorable roommate Tessa? Inspired by the author’s complicated experience of coming out as bi, this novel will make you laugh and sometimes cringe as Imogen awkwardly figures herself out. Show less

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In Limbo

by Lee, Deborah

Paperback - 2023

What does it mean to be forever in between? Growing up in suburban New Jersey, author and illustrator Deb JJ (Jung-Jin) Lee realizes they left behind more...Show more What does it mean to be forever in between? Growing up in suburban New Jersey, author and illustrator Deb JJ (Jung-Jin) Lee realizes they left behind more than their home country when their family immigrated to the US from South Korea as a young child. For Deb, being forever in between is being both a non-American and a non-Korean. With soft, often dream-like illustrations Deb recounts their years as a teen exploring facets of themselves in their graphic memoir In Limbo. What started as a weekend project (a four-page comic on Twitter about transgenerational language barriers) grew into an over five-year therapeutic self-reflection diving into identity, mental health, friendships, and family. Deb’s experiences as a young immigrant and navigating their heritage are inseparable from their experiences growing into an independent adult. Deb works through some difficult high school experiences and the ways in which their mental health impacts their well-being. There are some dark moments and plenty of deeply personal recollections, but in the end Deb finds understanding within themselves and leaves readers with plenty to think about. This graphic memoir is a very real read, and the illustrations are stunning. Be sure to read the last few pages at the end of the book to learn more about In Limbo and the author. Show less

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My Special One

Volume 1

by Koda, Momoko

Paperback - 2023

Sahoko swears she’ll never fall in love after her middle school crush humiliated her on social media. She changes her mind once she meets J-pop idol Kouta...Show more Sahoko swears she’ll never fall in love after her middle school crush humiliated her on social media. She changes her mind once she meets J-pop idol Kouta, who keeps showing up to eat at her family’s dinky diner. As she gets to know sweet and encouraging Kouta, she can’t deny her feelings any longer, but will she even find the courage to ask for his phone number? Find out in this adorable new manga series. Show less

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Sunshine

How One Camp Taught Me About Life, Death, and Hope

by Krosoczka, Jarrett

Book - 2023

If you loved Hey, Kiddo, don’t miss this bittersweet graphic novel memoir about 16-year-old Jarrett working as a camp counselor for kids with cancer. Jarr...Show more If you loved Hey, Kiddo, don’t miss this bittersweet graphic novel memoir about 16-year-old Jarrett working as a camp counselor for kids with cancer. Jarrett shows how volunteering at Camp Sunshine in Maine helped him work through his own family trauma and changed his life for the better. As he bonds with 13-year-old Diego, who is battling brain cancer, as well as other campers and their families, Jarrett learns that even though the math doesn’t add up, you get back a lot more than you give while volunteering. Show less

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We Are All So Good at Smiling

by McBride, Amber

Book - 2023

In this unique story told in verse, Whimsy struggles with depression and misses her brother Cole who disappeared in the forest ten years ago. Her best fri...Show more In this unique story told in verse, Whimsy struggles with depression and misses her brother Cole who disappeared in the forest ten years ago. Her best friend Faerry’s sister Tale went missing at the same time Cole did. Now Whimsy and Faerry must go back through the forest to confront Baba Yaga and find out the truth of what happened to their siblings. Written in fanciful language and filled with fairy tale and folktale references, this is a book you won’t soon forget. Show less

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