Staff Picks - Teen

Created on April 23, 2021, 12:19 pm

Last Updated June 9, 2023, 11:53 am

Export List to CSV
Series
Akata series volume 1
Notes
Fans of magical realism will enjoy the world created in this first installment of "The Nsibidi Scripts." Sunny, a 12 year old albino girl living in Nigeria, discovers she not only has magical abilities but is a key member to protect the world from a new threat. - Lisa N
Description
Notes
A time loop, a mystery, and an impossible to make decision where only 1 will survive. The story is haunting, funny, twisted, surprising and hard to put down. - Chrysalis C
Description
Notes
Ellie lives in a world with things like magic, ghosts, and vampires. When her cousin dies, he comes to her in a dream to tell her he was murdered. She vows to find his killer and get revenge. Ellie is an engaging Indigenous protagonist and the mystery is very compelling. - Michelle M
Description
Notes
17-year-old Jack’s mother has been arrested for crimes related to the Las Vegas casino she runs. He turns to his four best friends—asexual teens he only knows from online—to help him investigate his mom’s rival. Pick this up if you are looking for a fast-paced heist! - Michelle M
Description
Notes
Determined to track down her kidnapped cousin, Lou Wickett flies from Boston to England to dig up her family's secrets and finds goblins, heartbreak, and horror. Based on the poem The Goblin Market, this supernatural horror novel is a compelling read from start to finish. - Emily L
Description
Notes
Ambrose trained to go to space all his life, but nothing prepared him to wake up mid-flight with no memory of takeoff. Or to be flying with a (very attractive) rival. Can Ambrose survive to carry out his mission? Sci-fi, adventure, mystery, romance - this book has it all! - Keren J
Description
Author
Notes
An amazing and beautiful coming-of-age story about surviving high school in a new country, with a new language and a new step-family. It's also a poignant reminder how our parents' actions appear more human and heroic the older we get and more we understand them. - Charlotte M
Description
Notes
A college freshman in 1983, Kim Hyun Sook learns all art is political, even her traditional dance group and Shakespeare! After joining a book club that reads books banned by the repressive South Korean government, she starts to fight back. A gripping true story! - Jennifer R
Description
Notes
Told from the perspective of a Black teen getting beaten by a white cop and a white teen witness to the beating, the perspectives of Rashad and Quinn will keep readers riveted and will open the eyes of teens living a privileged life. - Ruth C
Description
Notes
Shawn's dead. And his brother, 15-year-old Will, plans to avenge him. After all, there're The Rules. But there's also an elevator ride. And it's a long way down. - Stephen H
Description
Series
Library wars volume 1
Notes
Libraries protect the freedom to read, so when Japan starts banning some books for being potentially harmful, libraries form an army to literally fight censorship. Inspired by an incident in her youth, Iku Kasahara joins the elite force, but does she have what it takes? - Jennie R
Description
Notes
Dounya battles eating disorders in this young adult graphic novel. She strives for perfection, eating to combat stress. She begins to eat and purge—her weight drops from over 200 pounds to just 73 pounds. Part of a sobering series by Zuiker Press. - Sarah C
Description
Notes
When Naval Aviator Jerry Denton was shot down over North Vietnam, he had no idea that he would spend the next 7 years as a POW. In an age of Marvel superheroes, this story of true heroes will keep young readers completely captivated. - Anne W
Description
Notes
This delightful book has been on my list for a long time. It perfectly captures the angst of adolescence while vividly portraying the hardships of life on an Indian reservation. This funny and poignant book will steal your heart. - Patricia W
Description
Series
Notes
Action-packed sci-fi epic with smart teen girls tackling the ultimate problems in the universe and shocking plot twists? Ignite the Stars has it all! A page-turner perfect for readers who enjoy other dystopian YA series like Hunger Games, Legend, and Divergent. - Claire F
Formats:
Description
Notes
This book was a delightful, unique twist on traditional Alice in Wonderland narratives. For lovers of twisted fairytales, Alice, and fantasy novels! - Mariah P
Description
Notes
If anyone ever invites you to Tu Reviens, promise me that you'll go. In this intricately plotted contemporary novel for teens, Jane has five choices that could determine the course of her life--but every choice comes with a price. - Kate O
Description
18) Scythe
Series
Notes
In the future no one dies naturally, but the population still needs to be culled. Two teens are apprenticed to a Scythe and learn how to glean people. Full of moral questions, this is a thriller with opposing factions, mass gleanings, and globe-trotting adventure. - Michelle M
Description
Notes
When she starts college playing for the best basketball team in the country, Elena realizes she no longer loves the sport. The following years of illness and self-discovery lead her back to her love of the game. A great story of finding success on your own terms. - Jennie R
Description
Series
Notes
An amazing adventure as a group of renegade girls scouts explore the opium dens and thieves lairs that make up the secret city below New York. Add in secret identities and an exiled princess and everyone will want to know who is Kiki Strike? - Jennie R
Description