The summer reading program is now live! Sign up here and start logging your time to be entered to win prizes all summer long! If you’re looking for something to read, consider these new arrivals in the teen section, but remember: all reading counts. That includes print books, e-books, audiobooks, and graphic novels of all stripes.
Fiction
What Girls Are Made Of, by Elana K. Arnold.
Carolrhoda Lab, 2017.
“This is NOT a story of sugar, spice, and everything nice.
“When Nina Faye was fourteen, her mother told her there was no such thing as unconditional love. Nina believed her. Now Nina is sixteen. And she’ll do anything for the boy she loves, just to prove she’s worthy of him. But when he breaks up with her, Nina is lost. What is she if not a girlfriend? What is she made of?
“Broken-hearted, Nina tries to figure out what the conditions of love are. She’s been volunteering at a high-kill animal shelter where she realizes that for dogs waiting to be adopted, love comes only to those with youth, symmetry, and quietness. She also ruminates on the strange, dark time her mother took her to Italy to see statues of saints who endured unspeakable torture because of their unquestioning devotion to the divine. Is this what love is?
“Raw, compelling, and unflinching, Elana K. Arnold’s newest novel explores the darkest crevices of femaleness. What girls are made of might just surprise you.” From the publisher.
War Storm, by Victoria Aveyard.
HarperTeen, 2018.
“Victory comes at a price.
“Mare Barrow learned this all too well when Cal’s betrayal nearly destroyed her. Now determined to protect her heart—and secure freedom for Reds and newbloods like her—Mare resolves to destroy the kingdom of Norta once and for all… starting with the crown on Maven’s head.
“But no battle is won alone, and before the Reds may rise as one, Mare must side with the boy who broke her heart in order to destroy the boy who almost broke her. Cal’s powerful Silver allies, alongside Mare and the Scarlet Guard, prove a formidable force. But Maven is driven by an obsession so deep, he will stop at nothing to have Mare as his own again, even if it means destroying everything—and everyone—in his path.
“War is coming, and all Mare has fought for hangs in the balance. Will victory be enough to topple the Silver kingdoms? Or will the little lightning girl be forever silenced?
“In the epic conclusion to Victoria Aveyard’s stunning series, Mare must embrace her fate and summon all her power… for all will be tested, but not all will survive.” From the publisher.
Lies You Never Told Me, by Jennifer Donaldson.
Razorbill, 2018.
“Gabe and Elyse have never met. But both made the mistake of falling for the wrong person, and falling hard.
“Elyse is shocked when she’s cast as the lead in her Portland high school’s production of Romeo and Juliet. Her best friend is usually the star, and quiet, shy Elyse isn’t sure she’s up to the task. That is, until she catches someone’s eye at rehearsals—someone she knows she should never be with. But never say never…
“In Austin, Texas, Gabe is contemplating the unthinkable—breaking up with Sasha, his impulsive popular girlfriend. She’s always had a fiery temper, so she’s not going to let him slip through her fingers, even if it means destroying him.
“With breathtaking twists, forbidden romances, and deadly secrets, Jennifer Donaldson’s scandalous, thrilling novel reveals how one bad choice can blaze out of control, burning everything—and everyone—in its path.” From the publisher.
Furyborn, by Claire Legrand.
Sourcebooks Fire, 2018.
“Two young women, centuries apart, hold the power to either save their world… or doom it.
“When assassins ambush her best friend, the crown prince, Rielle Dardenne risks everything to save him, exposing her ability to perform all seven kinds of elemental magic. The only people who should possess this power are a pair of prophesied Queens: a queen of light and a queen of blood. To prove she is the Sun Queen, Rielle must endure seven trials to test her magic. If she fails, she will be executed… unless the trials destroy her first.
“A thousand years later, the legend of Queen Rielle is a mere fairy tale to bounty hunter Eliana Ferracora. When the Undying Empire conquered her kingdom, she embraced violence to keep her family safe. Now, she believes herself untouchable—until her mother vanishes. To find her, Eliana joins a rebel captain on a dangerous mission and discovers that the evil at the heart of the empire is more terrible than she ever imagined.
“As Rielle and Eliana fight in a cosmic war that spans millennia, their stories intersect, and the shocking connections between them will ultimately determine the fate of the world—and of each other.” From the publisher.
Reflection, by Elizabeth Lim.
Disney Press, 2018.
“Fa Mulan has a warrior’s heart. She would do anything to protect her loved ones, including go to war in her ailing father’s place disguised as a soldier called Ping. And when the captain of her regiment, Li Shang, takes a grievous blow meant for her, Mulan knows she must do everything she can to help him survive his life-threatening injury… even if that means accepting a harrowing mission to the Underworld, Diyu.
“King Yama, the ruler of Diyu, is not about to make things easy for her. With the help of Shang’s great lion guardian, Mulan must traverse the Underworld, face near-impossible obstacles, and bring Shang back before sunrise—or stay in Diyu forever. As if that weren’t enough, Mulan is still posing as Ping and grappling with the decision to reveal her true identity, especially as she and Shang grow closer.
“Time is of the essence. Will Mulan be able to save Shang—and herself—before it’s too late?” From the publisher.
Sparrow, by Sarah Moon.
Arthur A. Levine Books, 2017.
“They find her on the edge of the roof of her school. No one believes that she wasn’t about to jump.
“But then again, no one knows Sparrow very well.
“She keeps good grades. She keeps to herself. Though she wishes she had a friend, she has no idea how that might happen.
“So sometimes she goes where the birds gather and she waits, waits for them to come get her, gather her up, take her with them, take her high above the school, above the city, above the crowds. For those few moments she’s not alone, closed in.
“But Sparrow becomes to discover something else inside her—a music, a song that grows in power, if only she can let it be a bridge.
“Sparrow’s voice is beautiful, funny, and heartbreakingly direct. Her journey is a quest for connection, for survival, that will leave no reader unmoved.” From the publisher.
Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe, by Preston Norton.
Hyperion, 2018.
“Cliff Hubbard is a huge loser. Literally. His nickname at Happy Valley High School is Neanderthal because he’s so enormous—6′ 6” and 250 pounds, to be exact. He has nobody at school, and life in his trailer-park home has gone from bad to worse ever since his older brother’s suicide.
“There’s no one Cliff hates more than the nauseatingly cool quarterback, Aaron Zimmerman. Then Aaron returns to school after a near-death experience with a bizarre claim: while he was unconscious he saw God, who gave him a list of things to do to make Happy Valley High suck less. And God said there’s only one person who can help: Neanderthal.
“To his own surprise, Cliff says he’s in. As he and Aaron make their way through the List, which involves a vindictive English teacher, a mysterious computer hacker, a decidedly unchristian cult of Jesus Teens, the local drug dealers, and the meanest bully at HVHS, Cliff feels like he’s part of something for the first time since losing his brother. But fixing a broken school isn’t as simple as it seems, and just when Cliff thinks they’ve completed the List, he realizes their mission hits closer to home than he ever imagined.
“Razor-sharp, moving, and outrageously funny, Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe is an unforgettable story of finding your place in an imperfect world.” From the publisher.
Fadeaway, by Maura Ellen Stokes.
Yellow Jacket, 2018.
“Sam and Reagan are basketball fanatics and best friends. It’s the summer before their freshman year of high school, and they are busy practicing for basketball tryouts, building their new wardrobes, and enjoying their last bit of freedom. But when tragedy strikes and Reagan’s heart gives out, Sam is left to grieve her best friend while navigating a new school and new friends in a world that no longer makes sense. That is, until she hears Reagan’s voice.
“In a world full of broken forevers and what should have beens, Sam searches for a purpose and comes to discover that even when you can’t possibly believe things will get any better, they always do.” From the publisher.
Little Do We Know, by Tamara Ireland Stone.
Hyperion, 2018.
“Next-door neighbors and ex-best friends Hannah and Emory haven’t spoken in months. Not since the fight—the one where they both said things they couldn’t take back.
“Now Emory is fine-tuning her UCLA performing arts application and trying to make the most of the months she has left with her boyfriend, Luke, before they head off to separate colleges. Meanwhile, Hannah’s strong faith is shaken when her family’s financial problems come to light, and she finds herself turning to unexpected places—and people—for answers to the difficult questions she’s suddenly facing.
“No matter how much Hannah and Emory desperately want to bridge the thirty-six steps between their bedroom windows, they can’t. Not anymore.
“That is, until their paths cross unexpectedly when, one night, Hannah finds Luke doubled over in his car outside her house. In the aftermath of the accident, all three struggle to understand what happened in their own ways. But when a devastating secret about Hannah and Emory’s argument ultimately comes to light, they must reexamine the things they hold true.
“In alternating chapters, a skeptic and a believer piece together the story of their complex relationship with help from the boy caught somewhere in the middle. New York Times best-selling author Tamara Ireland Stone deftly crafts a moving portrait of faith, love, and friendship.” From the publisher.
My Name is Victoria, by Lucy Worsley.
Candlewick Press, 2018.
“Miss V. Conroy is good at keeping secrets. She likes to sit as quiet as a mouse, neat and discreet. But when her father sends her to Kensington Palace to become the companion to Princess Victoria, Miss V soon finds that she can no longer remain in the shadows.
“Miss V’s father, Sir John Conroy, confidant and financial advisor to Victoria’s mother, has devised a strict set of rules for the young princess, which he calls the Kensington System. It governs her behavior and keeps her locked away from the world. He says it is for the princess’s safety, but Victoria herself is convinced that it is to keep her lonely and unhappy.
“Torn between loyalty to her father and her growing friendship with the willful and passionate princess, Miss V has a decision to make: to continue in silence or to speak out.
“By turns thrilling, dramatic, and touching, this is the story of Queen Victoria’s childhood as you’ve never heard it before.” From the publisher.
Nonfiction
The 57 Bus, by Dashka Slater.
Farrar Straus Giraux, 2017.
“One teenager in a skirt. One teenager with a lighter. One moment that changes their lives forever.
“If it weren’t for the 57 bus, Sasha and Richard never would have met. Both were high school students in Oakland, California, one of the most diverse cities in the country, but they inhabited different worlds. Sasha lived in the middle-class foothills and attended a small private school. Richard lived in the economically challenged flatlands and attended a large public one. After school each day, their paths overlapped on the bus for a mere eight minutes. Bot one afternoon, a single reckless act left Sasha severely burned and Richard charged with two hate crimes and facing life imprisonment. The case garnered international attention, thrusting both teenagers into the spotlight. But in The 57 Bus, author Dashka Slater shows that what might at first seem like a simple matter of right and wrong, justice and injustice, victim and criminal is something more complicated—and far more heartbreaking.
“This story, first chronicled in The New York Times Magazine by Slater and artfully, compassionately, and expertly expanded upon here, is a riveting exploration of race, class, gender, identity, morality, and forgiveness. Told with honesty and insight gleaned from both teens’ lives, The 57 Bus will invite you to rethink all you know about crime, punishment, and empathy.” From the publisher.
Graphic Novels
Wonder Woman: Heart of the Amazon, by Shea Fontana.
DC Comics, 2018.
“For Wonder Woman, being a hero is in the blood.
“She is the greatest warrior the world has ever seen—a guardian of peace and justice with the power of a goddess. But even Diana of Themyscira—the superhero better known as Wonder Woman—is entitled to a little down time. And after the incredible trials she’s just endured, she could use it.
“But when she goes to a wedding with her best friend Etta Candy, all hell breaks loose. A madwoman’s attack on the reception ignites an all-out war for Wonder Woman’s most precious resource: the DNA that makes her an Amazon. It could be a miracle cure… or a doomsday weapon.
“Soon the planet’s most powerful bounty hunters are on her trail, out to acquire her genetic makeup by any means necessary. Can Wonder Woman fend off this ruthless attack? Or will the heart of the Amazon be exposed for the world to see?” From the publisher.
The Girl from the Other Side, vol. 4, by Nagabe.
Seven Seas Entertainment, 2017.
“A fate worse than death.
“Shiva’s little white lie has had devastating consequences. While she reels from the shock of the horrific events that have unfolded, Auntie reveals to Teacher how Shiva came to live under her roof—and the cruel fate that awaits all who are afflicted by the curse.” From the publisher.
To Your Eternity, vol. 5, by Yoshitoki Oima.
Kodansha Comics, 2018.
“Monstrous killers from many lands are banished to Jananda Island.
“There, Fushi must win the island’s fighting tournament to save Pioran and gain their freedom.
“While immersed in the brutality and the tyranny of Jananda, Fushi further learns what it means to be human.” From the publisher.
The Devil is a Part-Timer, vol. 11, by Satoshi Wagahara.
Yen Press, 2018.
“Maou versus the angels!
“When Chiho collapses, Maou and the others conclude it must be the work of an angel. All that’s left is to figure out whether their assailant is holed up in Tokyo Tower or the Skytree before dispatching the Maou/Alciel dream team to take them down! Meanwhile, will the tiny Devil’s Castle be able to make the transition to a digital television?!” From the publisher.