Staff Picks
April 2023
Stone Blind
by Natalie Haynes
Posted in: Adult Fiction
Spin
by Rebecca Caprara
Posted in: Young Adult Fiction
Awkward
by Svetlana Chmakova
Penelope Torres has put herself in an awkward situation. In an attempt to survive her first day at a new middle school, Penelope snubbed Jaime, the school nerd. Afterwards, she’s wracked with guilt at her decision and wishes she could somehow undo what she’s done. Penelope tries to best to move past what happened and fit in at school with her Art Club friends. But everything changes when the Art Club goes head to head with the Science Club, of which Jaime is a member. Can Penelope and the Art Club prove that they’ve got what it takes? And more importantly, can Penelope fix this awkwardness between her and Jaime?
Recommended by: Stephanie Visser-Rodriguez, Youth Services Assistant
Posted in: Youth Fiction
Geekerella
by Ashley Poston
Elle loves the show Starfield. It was her favorite thing to watch with her late father, who was also the founder of Excelsi Con. When she sees an add for a cosplay contest she has to win. Between the money she saved working at the Pumpkin Food Truck, and the money she could win at the contest, she’d finally be able to get away from her evil stepmother and her daughters. Darien plays Carmindor in the new Strafield movie. Many people think that he does not fit as the character, while others just see him as a heartthrob. When Elle and Darien meet at the Con, will it be love at first sight? Will they be able to save each other and live happily ever after?
This book is available in the library and on OverDrive/Libby as an ebook and e audiobook.
Recommended by: Erin Faxel, Youth Services Teen Librarian
Posted in: Young Adult Fiction
Now Entering Addamsville
by Francesca Zappia
Zora is special, just like her mom was before she disappeared. She can see ghosts. She is also being accused of setting a fire that killed the local school janitor. With evidence piling up against her, she starts the search for the real killer. She finds out that her town has a history of tragic fires and the arsonist was never caught. She teams up with her cousin Artemis, only to have their efforts blocked by a popular ghost hunting show that is filming in their town. Will Zora and Artemis be able to solve the mystery? Or are they doomed to become ghosts themselves?
This book is available in the library and on OverDrive/Libby as an ebook.
Recommended by: Erin Faxel, Youth Services Teen Librarian
Posted in: Young Adult Fiction
Morning Sun in Wuhan
by Ying Chang Compestine
Morning Sun in Wuhan by Ying Chang Compestine describes thirteen-year-old Mei’s experience as the Coronavirus pandemic starts in China in January 2020. Her mother just passed away, unrelated to COVID-19, and her father is already very busy as the director of Yangtze Hospital’s respiratory care department, so the virus outbreak means he’s even less available to Mei. Working through her grief she starts out feeling pretty lost, but she figures out a way to help her community, and even makes some unlikely friends. Her passion is cooking, so recipes and kitchen tips are sprinkled throughout the story. This book leaves readers hungry and hopeful that working together is not only possible, but also prosperous.
Recommended by: Erin Cady, Youth Services Reference Librarian
Posted in: Youth Fiction
March 2023
Everything You Need to Ace American History in One Big Fat Notebook
by Lily Rothman
Posted in: Young Adult Nonfiction
Miles Lewis, King of the Ice
by Kelly Starling Lyons
Great new series for beginning readers featuring large font and pictures throughout the book. In this book, the reader is introduced to how skating relates to physics, relationships with family and friends and how to resolve issues. It is also a perfect Segway to Black History month as the author refers to the first black hockey player in the NHL. At the end of the book, I really enjoyed how the author gives a sneak peak of the next book in the series.
Recommended by: Lenore Garoufalis, Youth Services Assistant
The Kind Worth Saving
by Peter Swanson
Some of the same characters that were in The Kind Worth Killing are in this book as well as references to events in that book, but it is not necessary to read it first. This book can stand alone with its page turning action. Joan has always seemed a little off to Henry Kimball even when he was a first-year teacher and she was in his Honors English class. Now many years later when she hires him to discover if her husband is having an affair, he feels uneasy taking the case. As his investigation continues, Kimball finds troubling incidences in Joan’s past. In alternating chapters using the voice of Kimball, Joan, Richard, and Lilly the past and present collide in an explosive ending.
This book is available in the library and on OverDrive/Libby as an ebook.
Recommended by: Joan Stoiber, Youth Services Reference Librarian
Posted in: Adult Fiction
All That Is Mine I Carry With Me
by William Landay
Phil has writer’s block. He meets up with an old friend and decides to write about the disappearance forty years ago of the man’s mother, Jane. Jane disappeared one day without a trace. No body was found. The three siblings did not know if she was dead, possibly killed by their father, or had just run away. An investigation took place, but no evidence was discovered to solve the mysterious disappearance. The sister and two brothers had their lives totally affected by that one event as is told in chapters that reflect their point of view. Twenty years later her body is found. The discovery of the body brought the guilt or innocence of their father to a head. Still, who killed Jane remained a mystery until the final pages.
This book is available in the library and on OverDrive/Libby as an ebook.
Recommended by: Joan Stoiber, Youth Services Reference Librarian
Posted in: Adult Fiction