Tag: Young Adult

Women’s History Month

March is Women’s History Month, and we’d like to highlight some titles, nonfiction and fiction, that we’re super excited about.

Caravantes, Peggy. The Many Faces of Josephine Baker: Dancer, Singer, Activist, Spy. 2015. An in-depth portrait of the famous entertainer’s complex life discusses her impoverished childhood, rise to fame in Europe, espionage work for the French Resistance during World War II, and adoption of twelve children.

Casey, Susan. Women Heroes of the American Revolution: 20 Stories of Espionage, Sabotage, Defiance, and Rescue. 2015.
Susan Casey gives 20 remarkable girls and women the spotlight they deserve in this lively collection of biographical profiles. These women took action in many ways: as spies, soldiers, nurses, water carriers, fundraisers, writers, couriers, and more. Women Heroes of the American Revolution brings a fresh new perspective to their stories resulting from interviews with historians and with descendants of participants of the Revolution and features ample excerpts from primary source documents.

Conkling, Winifred. Passenger on the Pearl: The True Story of Emily Edmonson’s Flight from Slavery. 2015.
Documents the events of the 1848 escape attempt by Emily Edmonson on board the Pearl, discussing the contributions made by Harriet Beecher Stowe, Emily’s subsequent education, and her history-changing teaching career.

Cooper, Ilene. A Woman in the House (and Senate): How Women Came to the United States Congress, Broke Down Barriers, and Changed the Country. 2014.
Tracing the period between the women’s suffrage movement through the results of the 2012 election, a chronicle of women’s contributions to politics in the United States features archival photographs and portraits of such luminaries as Hattie Caraway, Patsy Mink and Shirley Chisholm.

Crowder, Melanie. Audacity. 2015.
A historical fiction novel in verse detailing the life of Clara Lemlich and her struggle for women’s labor rights in the early 20th century in New York.

Lepore, Jill. The Secret History of Wonder Woman. 2014.
A riveting work of historical detection revealing that the origin of one of the world’s most iconic superheroes hides within it a fascinating family story – and a crucial history of twentieth century feminism.

Petrash, Antonia. Long Island and the Woman Suffrage Movement. 2013.
A history of the suffrage movement and its important activists on Long Island.

March Book Discussion: How I Live Now

Come to our book discussion on Friday, March 13th at 3pm!

Fifteen-year-old Daisy is sent from Manhattan to England to visit her aunt and cousins she’s never met: three boys near her age, and their little sister. Her aunt goes away on business soon after Daisy arrives. The next day bombs go off as London is attacked and occupied by an unnamed enemy.

As power fails, and systems fail, the farm becomes more isolated. Despite the war, it’s a kind of Eden, with no adults in charge and no rules, a place where Daisy’s uncanny bond with her cousins grows into something rare and extraordinary. But the war is everywhere, and Daisy and her cousins must lead each other into a world that is unknown in the scariest, most elemental way. – from the publisher

For Teens in grades 7-12.
Pick up a copy at the Circulation desk one month prior! Also available as a book on CD and as an ebook.

2015 Rainbow List

The Rainbow List is a bibliography of books with significant gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender content, aimed at people from birth to age 18. These books were all published between July 2013 and December 2014. More information about this project, including summaries of titles, can be found here. For our purposes, books aimed at teenagers will be highlighted.

Teen Fiction

Teen Nonfiction

Graphic Novel Non-fiction

 

 

February Book Discussion: Blood & Chocolate

Come to our book discussion on Wednesday, February 18th at 3pm!

Sixteen-year-old Vivian Gandillon is trying to fit in to her new home in the suburbs. But trying to act ‘normal’ isn’t always easy, since Vivian and her family are werewolves. It’s glorious to have the power to change, and Vivian is a beautiful loup-garou with all the young wolves howling for her. But she wants no part of her squabbling pack, left leaderless by her father’s recent death.

Then Vivian falls in love with a human, a meat-boy. If she reveals herself, will he relish the magic of her dual nature? When a brutal murder threatens the pack’s survival, Vivian’s divided loyalties are further divided. What is she really? Human or beast?

For Teens in grades 7-12.
Pick up a copy of the book one month prior at the Circulation desk! Also available as a book on CD.

January Book Discussion: The Maze Runner

Come to our book discussion on Thursday, January 22nd at 7pm!

Sixteen year old Thomas wakes up with no memory in the middle of a maze and realizes he must work with the community in which he finds himself if he is to escape.

For Teens in grades 7-12. Open to all teens who have *read* the book.
Pick up a copy at the Circulation desk one month prior! Also available as an e-book, and sound recording download.

Best Teen Books of 2014

Our friends over at Kirkus Reviews have published their list of the Best Teen Books of 2014. We are more than delighted to share this list with you! All quotes are from Kirkus Reviews.

The Islands at the End of the World by Austin Aslan. “A suspenseful and engaging series opener made all the more distinctive through its careful realization of setting. (Science fiction. 12 & up)”

Never Ending by Martyn Bedford. “Beautiful and illuminating but as hard as therapy. (Fiction. 14-18)”

Shackleton: Antarctic Odyssey by Nick Bertozzi. “A top-shelf rendition of one of the greatest survival stories to come out of the Age of Exploration. (source list) (Graphic historical fiction. 10-16)”

Heap House by Edward Carey. “Magnificently creepy. (Horror. 10-16)”

The Tyrant’s Daughter by J.C. Carleson. “Smart, relevant, required reading. (author’s note, commentary, further reading) (Fiction. 13 & up)”

Dreaming in Indian: Contemporary Native American Voices, edited by Lisa Charleyboy and Mary Beth Leatherdale. “Original and accessible, both an exuberant work of art and a uniquely valuable resource. (Anthology. 12-18)”

A Hero at the End of the World by Erin Claiborne. “A smart, funny and emotionally engaging tale perfect for any reader who longs for another train ride to Hogwarts. (Fantasy. 12 & up)”

Death Sworn by Leah Cypess. “A thoughtful exploration of identity and responsibility wrapped in a twisty, suspenseful mystery and set in a gorgeously realized fantasy world. (Fantasy/mystery. 12 & up)”

Jesus Jackson by James Ryan Daley. “Smart and sweet, comforting and moving. (Fiction. 12-16)”

Vango: Between Sky and Earth by Timothée de Fombelle, translated by Sarah Ardizzone. “Beautiful writing, intricate plotting, and breathless reveals—plus several plucky female leads—make this a must-read. (Historical fiction. 12 & up)”

Exquisite Captive: Book One of the Dark Caravan Cycle by Heather Demetrios. “Readers will wish they had a jinni to grant them the next book in the series. (Fantasy. 15 & up)”

Earth Star by Janet Edwards. “Amaz—simply amaz. (Science fiction. 11-16)”

Eyes Wide Open: Going Behind the Environmental Headlines by Paul Fleischman. “For high schools that assign one book for all students to read and discuss: This is the one. (source notes, bibliography, suggested resources, glossary, acknowledgements, image credits, index, website) (Nonfiction. 14-18)”

The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, and the Fall of Imperial Russia by Candace Fleming. “A remarkable human story, told with clarity and confidence. (bibliography, Web resources, source notes, picture credits, index) (Nonfiction. 12 & up)”

The Carnival at Bray by Jessie Ann Foley. “Powerfully evocative. (Historical fiction. 14 & up)”

Two Girls Staring at the Ceiling by Lucy Frank. “Riveting, humanizing and real. (Verse fiction. 13-17)”

A Creature of Moonlight by Rebecca Hahn. “Deliberate at first, Hahn’s debut is cumulatively stunning. (Fantasy. 12 & up)”

The Vigilante Poets of Selwyn Academy by Kate Hattemer. “A sparkling, timely tour of the complicated intersection where life meets art. (Fiction. 12 & up)”

Poisoned Apples: Poems for You, My Pretty by Christine Heppermann. “Full of razors that cut—and razors to cut off shackles: a must. (author’s note, index of first lines, index of photographs) (Poetry. 13-17)”

Why We Took the Car by Wolfgang Herndorf, translated by Tim Mohr. “In his first novel translated into English, Herrndorf sits squarely and triumphantly at the intersection of literary tall tale and coming-of-age picaresque. (Fiction. 14-17)”

The Devil’s Intern by Donna Hosie. “Just outstanding fun for those who enjoy snarky comedy and suspense. (Paranormal suspense. 12-18)”

Girl Defective by Simmone Howell. “Funny, observant, a relentless critic of the world’s (and her own) flaws, Sky is original, thoroughly authentic and great company, decorating her astute, irreverent commentary with vivid Aussie references; chasing these down should provide foreign readers with hours of online fun. (Fiction. 14 & up)”

And We Stay by Jenny Hubbard. “As graceful as a feather drifting down, this lyrical story delivers a deep journey of healing on a tragic theme. (Fiction. 14-18)”

Love is the Drug by Alaya Dawn Johnson. “Utterly absorbing. (Suspense. 13 & up)”

The Story of Owen: Dragon Slayer of Trondheim by E.K. Johnston. “It may ‘[take] a village to train a dragon slayer,’ but it takes an exceptional dragon slayer to deserve a village—and a storyteller—like this one. (Fantasy. 12-18)”

The Gospel of Winter by Brendan Kiely. “Often bleak, eventually hopeful and beautifully told. (Historical fiction. 14 & up)”

Into the Grey by Celine Kiernan. “A gripping, highly original ghost story. (Fantasy. 12 & up)”

Glory O’Brien’s History of the Future by A.S. King. “With any luck, Glory’s notebook will inspire a new wave of activists. (Fiction. 14 & up)”

Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin. “Informative, revealing, powerful and necessary. (author’s note, glossary, resource list) (Nonfiction. 12 & up)”

Spinoza: the Outcast Thinker by Devra Lehmann. “Clarity, accessibility and spot-on relevance to issues facing modern society make this a must-read. (sources, notes, index) (Nonfiction. 13 & up)”

we were liars by e. lockhart. “Riveting, brutal and beautifully told. (Fiction. 14 & up)”

How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon. “This sobering yet satisfying novel leaves readers to ponder the complex questions it raises. (Fiction. 14 & up)”

Egg & Spoon by Gregory Maguire. “An ambitious, Scheherazade-ian novel, rather like a nesting-doll set of stories, that succeeds in capturing some of the complexities of both Russia and life itself. (Historical fantasy. 12 & up)”

Dirty Wings by Sarah McCarry. “A breathtaking companion volume, fully readable on its own and devastating in the context of its predecessor. (Urban fantasy. 14-18)”

The Freedom Summer Murders by Don Mitchell. “Essential. (Nonfiction. 12-16)”

Althea & Oliver by Cristina Moracho. “Mesmerizing. (Fiction. 14 & up)”

A Matter of Souls by Denise Lewis Patrick. “Shocking, informative and powerful, this volume offers spectacular literary snapshots of black history and culture. (Short stories. 12-18)”

Tomboy: a graphic memoir by Liz Prince. “Spectacular; a book to make anyone think seriously about society’s preordained gender roles (Graphic memoir. 14 & up)”

Hidden Like Anne Frank: Fourteen True Stories of Survival by Marcel Prins and Peter Henk Steenhuis; translated by Laura Watkinson. “Terrifying, haunting and powerful. (foreword, glossary) (Collective memoir. 12 & up)”

Gabi, a girl in pieces by Isabel Quintero. “A fresh, authentic and honest exploration of contemporary Latina identity. (Fiction. 14 & up)”

Frida & Diego: Art, Love, Life by Catherine Reef. “Compelling reading for art lovers. (timeline, source notes, bibliography; index, not seen) (Nonfiction. 12-16)”

Jackaby by William Ritter. “A magical mystery tour de force with a high body count and a list of unusual suspects. (Paranormal mystery. 12-18)”

The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski. “Breathtaking, tragic and true. (Fantasy. 12-18)”

She Is Not Invisible by Marcus Sedgwick. “It’s no coincidence that Sedgwick has crafted yet another gripping tale of wonder. (Thriller. 13 & up)”

Far From You by Tess Sharpe. “An absorbing story full of depth and emotion. (Mystery. 14-18)”

Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith. “By that measure, then, this is a mighty good book. It is about everything that really matters. Plus voracious giant praying mantises. (Science fiction. 14 & up)”

Blue Lily, Lily Blue: Book III of the Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater. “Expect this truly one-of-a-kind series to come to a thundering close. (Fantasy. 14 & up)”

This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki. “Keenly observed and gorgeously illustrated—a triumph. (Graphic novel. 13 & up)”

A Time to Dance by Padma Venkatraman. “A beautiful integration of art, religion, compassion and connection. (author’s note) (Verse fiction. 13-17)”

Dirt Bikes, Drones, and Other Ways to Fly by Conrad Wesselhoeft. “As complex as life itself, this novel addresses serious topics without taking itself too seriously. (Fiction. 14-18)”