April 4, 2018 will mark 50 years since the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Now's a great time to pick up this amazing new book about the life and death of Dr. King: Martin Rising: Requiem for a King by Andrea David Pinkney, illustrated by Brian Pinkney (2018; 127 pages). (Check out the [...]
Over the weekend, my husband and I went to see the movie Love, Simon. Have you seen it yet? It was so great. You should definitely see it. Take a look at the trailer now. And depending on your preferences you should definitely read the book first OR read the book after you've seen the [...]
Get ready for March Madness with these books about basketball! The Crossover by Kwame Alexander (2014; 237 pages). This novel in verse pops on every page as middle schooler Josh navigates life on and off the basketball court. It's got a special place in my heart since I served on the 2015 Newbery Committee, which [...]
March is Women's History Month, so it's a great time to learn something new about women's history. Check out one of these recent books we've gotten at the library. Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers of World War II by Liza Mundy (2017; 416 pages). Some 11,000 women worked [...]
Shane Burcaw answers questions you were afraid to ask about having a disability and he'll make you laugh while doing it. Shane Burcaw was born with a disease called spinal muscular atrophy, which means his muscles do not develop and he uses a wheelchair to get around and relies on lots of help to do [...]
Speak gets an update and it's perfect for introducing this iconic book to a new generation of readers. Speak (1999; 197 pages) by Laurie Halse Anderson was published almost 20 years ago: a dark, intense story about a high school freshman with a dangerous secret she feels she can't tell anyone. It was a National Book [...]
Last week, the winners of the American Library Association's 2018 Youth Media Awards were announced. You may know them better as the Newbery (for children's book text), Caldecott (for children's book illustrations), and Printz (for teen books) Medals. If you're looking for the best of the best in children's and teen literature, look no further. [...]
With many social justice issues in the news over the past several years, you may be looking for books to help you start a conversation. Here are a few recent teen books written about social justice issues that will definitely get teens (and the adults who care about them) talking. The Hate U Give [...]
This cute and funny romance will hit the spot with middle graders who want to read YA or teens looking for gentle romance. I Believe in a Thing Called Love by Maurene Goo (2017; 325 pages). Korean American Desi Lee is great at a lot of things. She's president of her class and valedictorian. She's [...]
Are you obsessed with super heroes? This is a great time to be alive because publishers keep coming out with all kinds of superhero novels. We have tons of superhero comics at the library, but if you just can't get enough or if you have a friend who's reluctant to pick up comics but devours [...]