High school nonfiction fun? A mystery that makes you laugh? A graphic novel by the director of a television show?
Yes. Yes. And Yes. Read on …
Book summaries excerpted from Goodreads. Click the cover to see the full summary and additional reviews.
YOUNG ADULT FICTION
Bianca Torre (16) is an avid birder undergoing a gender identity crisis and grappling with an ever-growing list of fears. Some of which force them to watch life from the telescope in their bedroom. When their gaze wanders from the birds to one particular window across the street, Bianca witnesses a creepy plague-masked murderer take their neighbor’s life.
Worse, the death is ruled a suicide, forcing Bianca to make a choice—succumb to their long list of fears (including #3: Murder and #55: Breaking into a Dead Guy’s Apartment) or investigate what happened.
Christopher @ Plucked from the Stacks – Sometimes a title tells you everything you need to know. Bianca Torre is afraid of everything. Author Justine Pucella Winans has delivered a mystery with tongue planted somewhere near the cheek. It’s not always overtly funny, since at its base is something terrifying. In a way, these bits of fun also make the danger of the murder investigation even more heightened. One second, Bianca stresses over meeting up with their crush. The next, they’re receiving threatening messages from someone who clearly knows too much about them. There’s an unsettling feeling that something bad could happen at any moment. With skilled plotting and a lovable cast of characters, Winans balances this into a compelling mystery that readers have no need to fear.
YA GRAPHIC NOVEL
Shuna, the prince of a poor land, watches in despair as his people work themselves to death harvesting the little grain that grows there. When a traveler presents him with a sample of seeds from a mysterious western land, he sets out to find the source of the golden grain, dreaming of a better life for his subjects.
On the quest, he meets a proud girl named Thea. After freeing her from captivity, her enemies pursue him. Thea escapes north and Shuna continues toward the west. Will Shuna ever see Thea again? And will he make it back home from his quest for the golden grain?
Kristen @ Goodreads – If you love this director you should definitely check this book out, the art is amazing and I love that it was finally translated into English for us to enjoy. Such a fascinating story a journey to find food in a land that is becoming sterile.
Katy @ Books YA Love – M is for Hayao Miyzaki masterwork. Just before co-founding Studio Ghibli in 1985, Miyazaki created this stunning illustrated story based on a Tibetan folktale about a prince’s epic pilgrimage to bring barley to his people. Four decades after its publication in Japan, the classic graphic novel (read back to front) is available to English readers for the first time.
HIGH SCHOOL NONFICTION
Microbes are everywhere: outside, indoors, on your body, in your body. In fact, only about half of our bodies' cells are human cells—the rest are microbes. Through zany facts, hilarious and sometimes disgusting illustrations, and interviews with experts in their fields, aspiring young scientists (or kids who just want to be grossed out) will discover a hidden world in which your health depends on a myriad of microbes, houseflies get zombified by fungi, and termites are saving the planet one fart at a time.
Hilary @ Goodreads – This book is SO. MUCH. FUN. I enjoy learning about germs and microbes because I think when told in the right way, it it such a funny and fascinating topic, and this text does not disappoint! Learn about all the bacteria, good and bad, that populate our world and our day to day life. With chapter titles like, “Fart as if the Future of the Human Race Depended on It” and “Sleep Tight, Don’t Let ‘Em Bite!” Even the backmatter is funny and an absolute treat to read.
POETRY NOVEL IN VERSE
Garvey’s finally happy—he’s feeling close to his father through their shared love of music, bullies are no longer tormenting him, and his best friends Manny and Joe are by his side.
But when the schools, stores, and restaurants close because people are getting sick, Garvey’s improved life goes into lockdown as well. And when Garvey’s father gets sick, Garvey must find a way to use his newfound musical skills to bring hope to both his father and himself.
Alexis @ Goodreads – Carve out time because putting down Nikki Grimes’ books just don’t happen. I devoured this book. I love having more of Garvey’s story and having it set during the pandemic and George Floyd as well was a good surprise. This was a fantastic read and kids will really enjoy seeing their history on the page.
Cindy on behalf of Kiss the Book, review by Mallory Birch – I loved that Garvey’s story was written in Tanka poetry. I also liked that it was written about a recent historical event. Students will get to see and compare their experiences of the global pandemic through someone else’s eyes. I thought it was great.
YA SPECULATIVE FICTION
Theo and her brother, Marco, threw the biggest party of the year. And got caught. Their punishment? Leave Arizona to spend the summer with their grandmother in the rainy beachside town of Nightfall, Oregon—population 846 souls. Upon their arrival she lays out the one house rule: always be home before dark.
But Theo and Marco are determined to make the most of their summer, and on their first day they meet the enigmatic Minnow and her friends. Beautiful and charismatic, the girls have a magnetic pull that Theo and her brother can't resist.
In the quaint town of Nightfall, Oregon, it isn't the dark you should be afraid of—it's the girls.
Karen @ Teen Librarian Toolbox – I am reading this as part of my Cybils reading, which I discussed here the other day. To be honest, I’m not sure why I hadn’t read this already as it is solidly in my wheelhouse. The main thing I want to say is this: this is a solidly enjoyable teen horror book. And as someone who has spent a fair amount of time recently railing against how adult YA has gotten, this is solidly YA; the teens act and talk like teens and it is authentic in voice and relatable. As a bonus feature, In Nightfall features one of my favorite horror tropes: creepy towns with dark secrets. It got a bit sluggish in the middle, but I listened to the audio and never walked away. A solid horror book that I definitely recommend.
The NextGen Librarian – The Lost Boys meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer in this a**-kicking good time of a YA thriller! This was the best paranormal horror book I’ve read in a while! [Author Suzanne Young] SLAYED (get it?) this novel I couldn’t put it down and found myself immersed in this world. And the cover? Come on! So good—I highly recommend it! CW: blood, alcohol, death, murder, violence, hospitalization, gore