Staff Picks
March 2020
The Astonishing Color of After
by Emily X.R. Pan
This is a novel rich with characterization and imagery. Lee, the main female character, is in high school with a guy best friend, a love of art and a mother from Taiwan with secrets. When tragedy strikes, secrets are uncovered and parts of the past are revealed. Read this for a strong, poignant coming of age story.
Recommended by: Becky McCormack, Youth Services Assistant Manager
Posted in: Young Adult Fiction
The Best at It
by Maulik Pancholy
This is a very realistic story of Rahul’s coming to terms with friendships, self-identity, and bullying. While attempting to more fully fit in with his peers, Rahul tries to become the best at anything instead of following his true passion. With humor and pathos, Pancholy brings together not only Rahul and his classmates but the cultures of the world.
Recommended by: Becky McCormack, Youth Services Assistant Manager
Posted in: Youth Fiction
The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise
by Dan Gemeinhart
Adventure? Check. Drama? Check. Interesting characters? Check. What more can you ask for in a book? Not much. Just imagine a whole cast of fascinating people travelling together on a bus across much of the United States. Now add in their individual wants and needs and, bingo!, you’ve got quite the tale.
Recommended by: Becky McCormack, Youth Services Assistant Manager
Posted in: Youth Fiction
Two Peas in a Pod
by Sarah Mlynoski
Part of the Whatever After series, Abby wakes up after a restless night and is promptly named a princess. She and her brother and dog must have many adventures as they try to discover the identity of the real princess in the kingdom. Fast paced, clever, and full of girl power.
Recommended by: Joan Stoiber, Youth Services Reference
Posted in: Youth Fiction
Grenade
by Alan Gratz
Set on the island of Okinawa as the Americans are starting their invasion during WW II, this action packed story will keep readers turning the pages. Told from the points of view of an American soldier and an 11 year old Okinawan boy, their lives will collide with a bang. The boy has been given two grenades, one to use to kill an American soldier. By the author of Refugee, the 2020 Caudill winner.
Recommended by: Joan Stoiber, Youth Services Reference
Posted in: Young Adult Fiction
Dr. Snow Has Got To Go
by Dan Gutman
Recommended by: Joan Stoiber, Youth Services Reference
Posted in: Youth Fiction
The Red Menace
by Lois Ruby
Marty Rafner’s life is pretty normal for a 13 year old kid growing up in a small Kansas town in 1953. He loves playing baseball, listening on his radio as his favorite player, Mickey Mantle, wins games for the New York Yankees, and nurses a crush for his friend and next door neighbor, Amy Lynn. Everything changes when some family friends, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, are accused of spying for the Russians and are sentenced to death. To make matters worse, Marty’s own mother is now under suspicion of not being a loyal US citizen. It’s not easy to keep friends and live a normal life when the FBI is watching your family’s every move. The only one who seems to not mind being around Marty is Luke, his neighbor who has recently returned home from fighting in the Korean War. But Luke isn’t the same since he’s been back from the war, and Marty is running out of ideas on how to help him. With the execution date of the Rosenbergs getting closer, Marty can’t help but worry about the fate of his own family, if his life will ever go back to being normal, or if he’ll always be seen as a traitor. For fans of historical fiction and suspense, Red Menace is a home run.
Recommended by: Stephanie Thomas, Preschool Services Coordinator
Posted in: Youth Fiction
Blue Skies
by Anne Bustard
An emotional read that keeps you caring about the characters until the very end. World War II is over and life is returning to normal in Texas. However, 10 year old Glory Bea is still waiting for her father to come home. She is sure he will and once again wake her up singing the song, “Blue skies”. Based on real events, the town begins to plan for a parade to welcome the Merci Train, one of 49 boxcars from France. Will her dad be part of that train?
Recommended by: Joan Stoiber, Youth Services
Posted in: Youth Fiction
Bloom
by Kenneth Oppel
This is book 1 in the series The Overthrow. Once again Oppel delivers a book that is full of action, suspense, and surprises as the pace quickens with every turn of the page. It starts with what seems like a normal rain on Salt Spring Island in Vancouver, but then black grass begins to grow—everywhere. Then allergy producing pollen is released and the plants seem to change into meat-eaters. Three teens are immune to the plants and must find out why before humanity is wiped out. In Fall 2020, the second book, Hatch, will be available.
Recommended by: Joan Stoiber, Youth Services
Posted in: Young Adult Fiction
The Newspaper Club
by Beth Vrabel
What’s a kid from a family of reporters to do when they move from a bustling city to a sleepy town? Use their reporting skills to get to the bottom of a string of vandalism cases at the local park, of course. And along the way maybe make a few friends and start their own newspaper. This novel is a quick read, full of great characters and a mystery waiting to be solved. I can’t wait for the sequel!
Recommended by: Kara DeCarlo, School Liaison
Posted in: Youth Fiction