Cultural Exploration: Mexico

July 6, 2017 | jonesw

The country of Mexico has a rich and extensive cultural history. Learn about its traditions and customs with fiction and non-fiction titles featuring Mexican and Mexican-American characters.

Picture Books

Just in case by Yuyi Morales

As Senor Calavera prepares for Grandma Beetle's birthday he finds an alphabetical assortment of unusual presents, but with the help of Zelmiro the Ghost, he finds the best gift of all.

New Mysteries and Thrillers for Teens

June 23, 2017 | jonesw
Blacklist by Alyson Noël

When a Hollywood it-girl goes missing amid dangerous secrets, Layla, Aster, and Tommy struggle to clear their names and identify the source of sinister messages while the tabloids explode with rumors.

Dreamland burning by Jennifer Latham

"When Rowan finds a skeleton on her family's property, investigating the brutal, century-old murder leads to painful discoveries about the past. Alternating chapters tell the story of William, another teen grappling with the racial firestorm leading up to the 1921 Tulsa race riot, providing some clues to the mystery"--.

A good idea by Cristina Moracho

"A girl returns to her small hometown in Maine seeking revenge for the death of her childhood best friend"--.

Water World

June 7, 2017 | jonesw

How does water get to us? How do we use it in our daily lives? Most importantly, how can we protect our most valuable resource? Check out a book or online resource about water to learn more. 

The Water Cycle

All the water in the world by George Ella Lyon

Social Media and Tech Tales for Teens

June 3, 2017 | jonesw

Snapchat? Instagram? Facebook? At least one of these social media tools is probably part of your life. Check out a book that explores the impact of technology and social media for fictional teenagers. 

#Famous by Jilly Gagnon

When Rachel's picture of crush Kyle goes viral, it sparks a whirlwind adventure of Internet fame that forces both Rachel and Kyle to question whether fame and love are worth the price.

#scandal by Sarah Ockler

When pictures of Lucy kissing her best friend's boyfriend emerge on the world of social media, she becomes a social pariah after the scandal rocks the school.

Heroes and Villains in Teen Fiction

June 1, 2017 | jonesw
Black Widow : forever red by Margaret Stohl

Natasha Romanov, called the Black Widow, agent of S.H.I.E.L.D, rescues a young girl from Ivan, the man who once trained her as an assassin--and eight years later she is called upon to protect the teenage Ava from a threat from the past--and possibly from S.H.I.E.L.D itself.

The brokenhearted by Amelia Kahaney

"When seventeen-year-old Anthem Fleet is suddenly transformed into an all-powerful superhero, she must balance her old life with the dark secret of who she has become"--.

Dark star by Bethany Frenette

"Audrey, the sixteen-year-old daughter of a superhero, must access powers she never knew she had to defend Minneapolis from terrifying demons that have emerged from Beneath"--.

GLBT Book Month: Teen Fiction

June 1, 2017 | jonesw

Beginning in 2015, the American Library Assocation (ALA) has designated the month of June GLBT Book Month, "a nationwide celebration of the authors and writings that reflect the lives and experiences of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community." Check out one of the following novels that explores the issues and experiences of GLBT teens.

Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Fifteen-year-old Ari Mendoza is an angry loner with a brother in prison, but when he meets Dante and they become friends, Ari starts to ask questions about himself, his parents, and his family that he has never asked before.

The art of being normal by Lisa Williamson

David Piper, always an outsider, forms an unlikely friendship with Leo Denton who, from the first day at his new school wants only to be invisible, but when David's deepest secret gets out, that he wants to be a girl, things get very messy for both of them.

New Fantasy on the Teen Shelf

May 24, 2017 | jonesw

Check out a fantasy title that just hit the teen shelf!

Beheld by Alex Flinn

Kendra, a witch, uses a magic mirror to see her beloved James, whom she met in Salem, Massachusetts, but she loses track of him during World War II, and only finds a clue when she is in Miami, bringing a modern fairy tale couple together.

The bone witch by Rin Chupeco

Tea's gift for death magic means that she is a bone witch, a title that makes her feared and ostracized by her community, but when an older bone witch trains her to become an asha--one who can wield elemental magic--Tea will have to overcome her obstacles and make a powerful choice in the face of danger as dark forces approach.

This Song Will Save Your Life: More Music in YA Fiction

May 24, 2017 | jonesw

Is there a song that changed your life? A song that made you feel happy or understood or saved? Check out a title that explores the effect of music in the lives of young people. 

Naked '76 by Kevin Brooks

In the summer of 1976, when punk rock is taking over England, Lili finds herself playing bass for a wild new band called Naked, and struggling to sort out complicated relationships with self-destructive band mates.

Nick & Norah's infinite playlist by Rachel Cohn

This Song Will Save Your Life: Music in YA Fiction

May 24, 2017 | jonesw

Is there a song that changed your life? A song that made you feel happy or understood or saved? Check out a title that explores the effect of music in the lives of young people. 

The bad decisions playlist by Michael Rubens

"Sixteen-year-old Austin, a self-described screw-up, finds out that his allegedly dead father happens to be the very-much-alive rock star Shane Tyler. Austin--a talented musician himself--is sucked into his newfound father's alluring music-biz orbit, pulling his true love, Josephine, along with him"--.

Exile by Kevin Emerson

As band manager for the up-and-coming DangerHeart, seventeen-year-old Summer Carlson navigates a relationship with the lead singer and decides whether to act on information that could rocket the band to stardom.

Art and Artists in Teen Fiction

May 23, 2017 | jonesw
The anatomical shape of a heart by Jenn Bennett

Sparks fly when Beatrix Adams, seventeen, who strives to be a medical illustrator, meets Jack, one of San Francisco's most notorious graffiti artists, but even as Beatrix begins to uncover the secrets that have left Jack so wounded, her own family secrets threaten to tear them apart.

And we're off by Dana Schwartz

Offered a summer trip to Europe to study history's most famous artists, seventeen-year-old Nora is required to create a unique painting at each stop, but clashes with her mom who fears her daughter's optimism may prompt an insecure future.

Draw the line by Laurent Linn

"A teen boy survives a hate crime against another gay student through his art"--.

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