G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers 11/7/2023. New paperback. On sale 11/7/23. Pre-order today! Store pick: Ali Hazelwood makes a move to chess for her first YA novel, and it is just as amazing as her adult novels. After staying away from chess for years because of her complicated feelings about her dad, Mallory plays in a charity tournament at the request of her best friend and ends up beating the current world champion, Nolan. Afterwards, she's approached to join a chess club on a fellowship that would allow her to not have to worry about a job to support her family, and after an int... View More...
Berkley 6/28/2022. New paperback. Signed bookplate laid in. Store pick: Florence grew up with parents who run their small town's only funeral home...and she can see ghosts, just like her dad. She's lived with and learned from death all her life. But that doesn't make it any easier when her own dad dies. Now a successful ghostwriter for a famous romance author, Florence hasn't been home in years because she's not a fan of the town or some of the people in it. She just wants to go back to New York and try to finish her latest book, even though she can't find it in her any more to write a happy ... View More...
Ember 9/4/2018. New paperback. 2019/20 SC Young Adult Award Nominee. Store pick: After Justyce, an African American teen on the path to an Ivy League education, encounters racial profiling for the first time, he starts writing letters to Martin Luther King, Jr., to help him figure out what he should do. But now that his eyes have been opened and he sees the racial injustice happening everywhere from his predominantly white private school to the local police to the media, he can't help but feel like maybe Martin doesn't have the answers, especially after tragedy hits close to home. A fast read... View More...
HarperTeen 6/4/2019. New paperback. 2019/20 SC Young Adult Award Nominee. Store pick: 16-year-old Grace has just had a baby. After going through the pregnancy and choosing adoptive parents for her daughter, she now feels unmoored from her life before and wants to find her own biological family. That's how her biological siblings, Maya and Joaquin, come into the picture. Maya, set apart from her adoptive family in looks and temperament, struggles with the fallout of her adoptive mom's secrets coming to light. And Joaquin, in foster care his whole life, struggles with the idea of being worthy o... View More...
Grand Central Publishing 12/6/2022. New hardcover. in Brand New jacket. Store pick: Wanda is born in the middle of a devastating hurricane that claims two of her family members and frays the edges of a fragile environment. Set in Florida, we see Wanda grow into a young adult while the only place she has ever known as home becomes a victim of climate change. Brooks-Dalton shows us the crumbling of civilization and the strength of one person's determination to find beauty in the loss. Wanda's story asks us to see both magic and hope in an uncertain future. -Mary Jane, store volunteer reader View More...
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers 4/4/2023. New hardcover. First Edition, First Printing. in Brand New jacket. Store pick: Marjan is having to deal with a lot for a teenager -- her mom died years ago, leaving her with a strained relationship with her dad...but now her dad's died suddenly, too, and Marjan has to keep his veterinary practice up and running in addition to her schoolwork and basic necessities. Then Marjan finds out that her dad wasn't just a vet, that the mythical animals from the stories he told her are real, and he would treat them when needed -- and now Marjan has inher... View More...
Atria Books 3/4/2014. New paperback. Store pick: Ordinary Grace is a beautifully written, atmospheric novel that is both a coming-of-age story and an homage to life in a small Midwestern town in the 1960s. It is a quiet, simple story with a huge message and wonderfully developed characters. While there is a murder, the identity of the perpetrator is secondary to how the residents and family members are affected by all the events of the summer of 1961. -Nancy M., store volunteer Edgar Award Winner for Best Novel. View More...
