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. [...]
Disney’s adaptation of the Newbery-award winning A Wrinkle in Time hits theaters next month. Madeleine L’Engle’s mind-bending sci-fi tale has attracted many fans since its publication in 1962, as has its sequel, A Wind in the Door. But between the publication of these two books, L’Engle published The Arm of the Starfish, a sort-of sequel [...]
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 [...]
Hot off the presses and straight to your library! Here are five great NEW picture books by African American authors and illustrators: Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut by Derrick D. Barnes; illustrated by Gordon C. James (2017) Nothing compares to the confidence you feel after a fresh haircut. This ode to feeling [...]
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 [...]
Oh, January. January, you're tough. If you're having trouble appreciating the beauty of this wet, gray, cold season, maybe these books will help. Making Winter: A Hygge-Inspired Guide to Surviving the Winter Months by Emma Mitchell (2017; 128 pages). The Danish concept of hygge (pronounced hoo-gah) is all about creating coziness and celebrating the pleasure of being [...]
This dishy, dramatic novel is perfect for your vacation reading. I picked up Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan (2013; 403 pages) because it's being made into a movie this summer starring Constance Wu (whom I love from the TV show Fresh Off the Boat). I expected a fun, dishy read and I was not disappointed! [...]
Hulu recently released a trailer for the second season of The Handmaid's Tale, a Hulu original series based on Margaret Atwood's novel. If you, like me, can't wait to binge the new season, here are some recent dystopian novels you might enjoy. Future Home of the Living God by Louise Erdrich (2017; 269 pages). In [...]
This psychological thriller will keep you at the edge of your seat. The Woman in the Window (2018; 427 pages) by A.J. Finn has been getting a lot of buzz and it debuted at #1 on the New York Times Best Seller list. I'm here to tell you that it lives up to the hype; [...]