Kelly Jensen's Blog, page 66

The Year of the Canon

Late last year, I decided 2017 would be the year I dove more fully into the literary canon. I was an English major (you are all shocked), and when I graduated and no longer had to read the classics for my classes, it was a real joy to dive into books that were as far from that category as possible: YA dystopias, adult mysteries, popular nonfiction, and lots of Harry Potter re-reads.

Lately, though, I’ve been wanting to inject more variety into my reading. Despite all the reading I did for my degree, my knowledge of the (English language) literary canon is not as expansive as I wish it were. It will be ten years this December since I graduated with my BA, so 2017 seems like a good time to revisit some of my roots, to broaden them, and in so doing, learn more about our cultural history.

The first book I chose was I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. I expect most of the books I read for this project will be audiobook reads, and this was a great one to kick it off, since Angelou reads it herself. She’s got such a unique voice and cadence, and her story of her first sixteen years of life is engrossing, painful, and important. It’s also full of joy and humor in many parts. I like a good memoir, and there’s no doubt that Angelou’s is among the best, both in terms of content and writing style.

I have read a lot of the classics already, of course; favorites include Jane Eyre, Frankenstein, The Color Purple, and A Christmas Carol. There are definitely some I like less (Mrs. Dalloway, A Tale of Two Cities, Wuthering Heights), and a couple I loathe (Absalom, Absalom!, The Great Gatsby). I look forward to adding more titles to each category this year.

I’ve made a list of some authors I’d like to read more of for this project, including Jane Austen, Toni Morrison, Salman Rushdie, and Ernest Hemingway. I want to try a few more Dickens titles and finally read The Catcher in the Rye. I want to check out classic adventure tales like Robinson Crusoe and read newer additions to the literary canon like Things Fall Apart and The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. I want to broaden the idea of what our English language literary canon should be, too, and I hope you’ll help me do so by commenting with a recommendation for a book you loved.

Here We Are: It’s Yours

 

Here We Are: Feminism For The Real World officially releases today. To celebrate the book, and to celebrate every day we wake up and do the thing again and again, enjoy the whole damn cake.

Thank you for all of your amazing support and enthusiasm. Buy the book for yourself, for people you know, for your libraries and classrooms.

If this weekend’s marches around the world say anything, it’s that there’s still work to do. I like to think this book will help new feminists, as well as seasoned ones, find that hope, that courage, and that enthusiasm to keep on fighting.

 

Debut YA Novels: January 2017

 

It’s time for another round-up of debut YA novels of the month — this one being the first of 2017. The firsts of the firsts!

This round-up includes debut novels, where “debut” is in its purest definition. These are first-time books by first-time authors. I’m not including books by authors who are using or have used a pseudonym in the past or those who have written in other categories (adult, middle grade, etc.) in the past. Authors who have self-published are not included here either.

All descriptions are from Goodreads, unless otherwise noted; I’ve found Goodreads descriptions to offer better insight to what a book is about over WorldCat. If I’m missing any debuts out in January from traditional publishers — and I should clarify that indie/small presses are okay — let me know in the comments.

As always, not all noted titles included here are necessarily endorsements for those titles. List is arranged alphabetically by title, with pub dates beside them.

 

 

After The Fall by Kate Hart (1/24)

Seventeen-year-old Raychel is sleeping with two boys: her overachieving best friend Matt…and his slacker brother, Andrew. Raychel sneaks into Matt’s bed after nightmares, but nothing ever happens. He doesn’t even seem to realize she’s a girl, except when he decides she needs rescuing. But Raychel doesn’t want to be his girl anyway. She just needs his support as she deals with the classmate who assaulted her, the constant threat of her family’s eviction, and the dream of college slipping quickly out of reach. Matt tries to help, but he doesn’t really get it… and he’d never understand why she’s fallen into a secret relationship with his brother. The friendships are a precarious balance, and when tragedy strikes, everything falls apart. Raychel has to decide which pieces she can pick up – and which ones are worth putting back together.

 

 

 

Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson (1/24)

Mary B. Addison killed a baby.

Allegedly. She didn’t say much in that first interview with detectives, and the media filled in the only blanks that mattered: A white baby had died while under the care of a church-going black woman and her nine-year-old daughter. The public convicted Mary and the jury made it official. But did she do it? She wouldn’t say.

Mary survived six years in baby jail before being dumped in a group home. The house isn’t really “home”—no place where you fear for your life can be considered a home. Home is Ted, who she meets on assignment at a nursing home.

There wasn’t a point to setting the record straight before, but now she’s got Ted—and their unborn child—to think about. When the state threatens to take her baby, Mary must find the voice to fight her past. And her fate lies in the hands of the one person she distrusts the most: her Momma. No one knows the real Momma. But who really knows the real Mary?

 

 

Almost Autumn by Marianne Kaurin, translated by Rosie Hedger (1/3)

It’s October 1942, in Oslo, Norway. Fifteen-year-old Ilse Stern is waiting to meet boy-next-door Hermann Rod for their first date. She was beginning to think he’d never ask her; she’s had a crush on him for as long as she can remember.

But Hermann won’t be able to make it tonight. What Ilse doesn’t know is that Hermann is secretly working in the Resistance, helping Norwegian Jews flee the country to escape the Nazis. The work is exhausting and unpredictable, full of late nights and code words and lies to Hermann’s parents, to his boss… to Ilse.

And as life under German occupation becomes even more difficult, particularly for Jewish families like the Sterns, the choices made become more important by the hour: To speak up or to look away? To stay or to flee? To act now or wait one more day?

 

 

The Book Jumper by Mechthild Glaser (1/3)

Amy Lennox doesn’t know quite what to expect when she and her mother pick up and leave Germany for Scotland, heading to her mother’s childhood home of Lennox House on the island of Stormsay.

Amy’s grandmother, Lady Mairead, insists that Amy must read while she resides at Lennox House—but not in the usual way. It turns out that Amy is a book jumper, able to leap into a story and interact with the world inside. As thrilling as Amy’s new power is, it also brings danger: someone is stealing from the books she visits, and that person may be after her life. Teaming up with fellow book jumper Will, Amy vows to get to the bottom of the thefts—at whatever cost.

 

 

 

 

Caraval by Stephanie Garber (1/31)

Welcome, welcome to Caraval―Stephanie Garber’s sweeping tale of two sisters who escape their ruthless father when they enter the dangerous intrigue of a legendary game.

Scarlett has never left the tiny island where she and her beloved sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval, the far-away, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show, are over.

But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But she nevertheless becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic with the other players in the game. And whether Caraval is real or not, she must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over, a dangerous domino effect of consequences is set off, and her sister disappears forever.

 

 

City of Saints and Thieves by Natalie C. Anderson (1/24)

In the shadows of Sangui City, there lives a girl who doesn’t exist. After fleeing the Congo as refugees, Tina and her mother arrived in Kenya looking for the chance to build a new life and home. Her mother quickly found work as a maid for a prominent family, headed by Roland Greyhill, one of the city’s most respected business leaders. But Tina soon learns that the Greyhill fortune was made from a life of corruption and crime. So when her mother is found shot to death in Mr. Greyhill’s personal study, she knows exactly who’s behind it.

With revenge always on her mind, Tina spends the next four years surviving on the streets alone, working as a master thief for the Goondas, Sangui City’s local gang. It’s a job for the Goondas that finally brings Tina back to the Greyhill estate, giving her the chance for vengeance she’s been waiting for. But as soon as she steps inside the lavish home, she’s overtaken by the pain of old wounds and the pull of past friendships, setting into motion a dangerous cascade of events that could, at any moment, cost Tina her life. But finally uncovering the incredible truth about who killed her mother—and why—keeps her holding on in this fast-paced nail-biting thriller.

 

The Edge of Everything by Jeff Giles (1/31)

It’s been a shattering year for seventeen-year-old Zoe, who’s still reeling from her father’s shockingly sudden death in a caving accident and her neighbors’ mysterious disappearance from their own home. Then on a terrifying sub-zero, blizzardy night in Montana, she and her brother are brutally attacked in a cabin in the woods–only to be rescued by a mysterious bounty hunter they call X.

X is no ordinary bounty hunter. He is from a hell called the Lowlands, sent to claim the soul of Zoe’s evil attacker and others like him. Forbidden to reveal himself to anyone other than his victims, X casts aside the Lowlands’ rules for Zoe. As X and Zoe learn more about their different worlds, they begin to question the past, their fate, and their future. But escaping the Lowlands and the ties that bind X might mean the ultimate sacrifice for both of them.

 

 

Flower by Elizabeth Craft and Shea Olson (1/3)

These are the things that I’ve always wanted:

To get the top grades in my class.

To make my grandmother proud.

And most of all, proof that I could succeed where the rest of my family had not: a Stanford acceptance letter, early admission.

My mother and my sister were obsessed with boys and love and sex. So obsessed that they lost sight of their futures, of what they wanted. And in the end, they lost everything.

I’ll never let a boy distract me. I promised my grandmother that.

But that was before Tate.

Before the biggest pop star on the planet took an interest in me.

Before private planes and secret dates and lyrics meant for me alone.

There’s so much I don’t know. Like why he left music. Where he goes when we’re not together. What dark past he’s hiding. But when we kiss, the future feels far away. And now…I’m not sure what I want.

 

Frostblood by Elly Blake (1/10)

Seventeen-year-old Ruby is a fireblood who must hide her powers of heat and flame from the cruel frostblood ruling class that wants to destroy all that are left of her kind. So when her mother is killed for protecting her and rebel frostbloods demand her help to kill their rampaging king, she agrees. But Ruby’s powers are unpredictable, and she’s not sure she’s willing to let the rebels and an infuriating (yet irresistible) young man called Arcus use her as their weapon.

All she wants is revenge, but before they can take action, Ruby is captured and forced to take part in the king’s tournaments that pit fireblood prisoners against frostblood champions. Now she has only one chance to destroy the maniacal ruler who has taken everything from her and from the icy young man she has come to love.

 

 

How To Break A Boy by Laurie Devore (1/31)

Keep your enemies close, but your friends closer.

Olivia Clayton has mastered the art of tearing others down to stay on top. She and her best friend, Adrienne, rule their small southern town like all good mean girls do–through intimidation and manipulation.

After Olivia suffers a family tragedy and catches Adrienne sleeping with her boyfriend, Olivia is over it. She decides to make a change–but it’s impossible to resist taking Adrienne down one last time. Up to her old tricks, Olivia convinces golden boy Whit DuRant to be her SAT tutor and her fake boyfriend. But when it starts to feel real, Whit gets caught up in Olivia and Adrienne’s war.

Olivia may ruin everything she touches, but this time she won’t go down without a fight–not if it means losing Whit.

And definitely not if it means losing what’s left of herself.

 

 

 

The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett by Chelsea Sedoti (1/10)

Hawthorn wasn’t trying to insert herself into a missing person’s investigation. Or maybe she was. But that’s only because Lizzie Lovett’s disappearance is the one fascinating mystery their sleepy town has ever had. Bad things don’t happen to popular girls like Lizzie Lovett, and Hawthorn is convinced she’ll turn up at any moment-which means the time for speculation is now.

So Hawthorn comes up with her own theory for Lizzie’s disappearance. A theory way too absurd to take seriously…at first. The more Hawthorn talks, the more she believes. And what better way to collect evidence than to immerse herself in Lizzie’s life? Like getting a job at the diner where Lizzie worked and hanging out with Lizzie’s boyfriend. After all, it’s not as if he killed her-or did he?

 

 

 

If You Were Here by Jennie Yabroff (1/2)

Tess was semi-successfully passing for normal before her mother’s erratic behavior turned her into social cyanide. Now life is only bearable thanks to weekend 16 Candles and Oreo binges with her best (and only) friend, Tabitha. Then Tabitha inexplicably drops Tess, leaving her alone with her fears about her mother and the troubling visions that leave her shaking with dread. Before Tess can come to terms with this loss, a horrific tragedy occurs at school, and everyone is blaming her. Now, Tess must find answers, fast: What really happened that night at school? Is she responsible? And do her visions mean she has a gift of prophecy, or the same mental illness that is stealing her mom?

 

 

 

A List of Cages by Robin Roe (1/10)

When Adam Blake lands the best elective ever in his senior year, serving as an aide to the school psychologist, he thinks he’s got it made. Sure, it means a lot of sitting around, which isn’t easy for a guy with ADHD, but he can’t complain, since he gets to spend the period texting all his friends. Then the doctor asks him to track down the troubled freshman who keeps dodging her, and Adam discovers that the boy is Julian–the foster brother he hasn’t seen in five years.

Adam is ecstatic to be reunited. At first, Julian seems like the boy he once knew. He’s still kind hearted. He still writes stories and loves picture books meant for little kids. But as they spend more time together, Adam realizes that Julian is keeping secrets, like where he hides during the middle of the day, and what’s really going on inside his house. Adam is determined to help him, but his involvement could cost both boys their lives.

 

 

Poison’s Kiss by Breeana Shields (1/10)

Marinda has kissed dozens of boys. They all die afterward. It s a miserable life, but being a visha kanya a poison maiden is what she was created to do. Marinda serves the Raja by dispatching his enemies with only her lips as a weapon.

Until now, the men she was ordered to kiss have been strangers, enemies of the kingdom. Then she receives orders to kiss Deven, a boy she knows too well to be convinced he needs to die. She begins to question who she s really working for. And that is a thread that, once pulled, will unravel more than she can afford to lose.

This rich, surprising, and accessible debut is based in Indian folklore and delivers a story that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.

 

 

The Truth of Right Now by Kara Lee Corthron (1/3)

Lily is returning to her privileged Manhattan high school after a harrowing end to her sophomore year and it’s not pretty. She hates chemistry and her spiteful lab partner, her friends are either not speaking to her or suffocating her with concerned glances, and nothing seems to give her joy anymore. Worst of all, she can’t escape her own thoughts about what drove her away from everyone in the first place.

Enter Dari (short for Dariomauritius), the artistic and mysterious transfer student, adept at cutting class. Not that he’d rather be at home with his domineering Trinidadian father. Dari is everything that Lily needs: bright, creative, honest, and unpredictable. And in a school where no one really stands out, Dari finds Lily’s sensitivity and openness magnetic. Their attraction ignites immediately, and for the first time in what feels like forever, Lily and Dari find happiness in each other.

In twenty-first-century New York City, the fact that Lily is white and Dari is black shouldn’t matter that much, but nothing’s as simple as it seems. When tragedy becomes reality, can friendship survive even if romance cannot?

 

 

Under Rose-Tainted Skies by Louise Gornall (1/3)

Norah has agoraphobia and OCD. When groceries are left on the porch, she can’t step out to get them. Struggling to snag the bags with a stick, she meets Luke. He’s sweet and funny, and he just caught her fishing for groceries. Because of course he did.

Norah can’t leave the house, but can she let someone in? As their friendship grows deeper, Norah realizes Luke deserves a normal girl. One who can lie on the front lawn and look up at the stars. One who isn’t so screwed up.

 

 

 

 

Wait For Me by Caroline Leech (1/31)

It’s 1945, and Lorna Anderson’s life on her father’s farm in Scotland consists of endless chores and rationing, knitting Red Cross scarves, and praying for an Allied victory. So when Paul Vogel, a German prisoner of war, is assigned as the new farmhand, Lorna is appalled. How can she possibly work alongside the enemy when her own brothers are risking their lives for their country?

But as Lorna reluctantly spends time with Paul, she feels herself changing. The more she learns about him—from his time in the war to his life back home in Germany—the more she sees the boy behind the soldier. Soon Lorna is battling her own warring heart. Loving Paul could mean losing her family and the life she’s always known. With tensions rising all around them, Lorna must decide how much she’s willing to sacrifice before the end of the war determines their fate.

 

 

Whenever I’m With You by Lydia Sharp (1/3)

A missing boy.

A road trip into the Alaskan wilderness.

A week that will change everything…

After Gabi’s parents’ divorce, she moves from California to Alaska with her dad. At first, it feels like banishment—until she meets Kai. He welcomes her into his life, sharing his family, his friends, and his warmth. But as winter approaches, Kai pulls away for seemingly no reason at all. He’s quiet, withdrawn. Then one day, he disappears.

Kai’s twin brother, Hunter, believes Kai is retracing their missing father’s steps in the wilderness north of Anchorage. There’s a blizzard on the way, and Kai is alone out there. Gabi’s frustration over his emotional distance quickly turns to serious concern. This is the boy who saved her from the dark. She can’t lose him to it.

So Gabi and Hunter agree to head out together on a wild journey north—a trip that will challenge them physically and emotionally, as they try to convince the boy they love to return home.

 

 

 

You Don’t Know My Name by Kristen Orlando (1/10)

Seventeen-year-old Reagan Elizabeth Hillis is used to changing identities overnight, lying to every friend she’s ever had, and pushing away anyone who gets too close. Trained in mortal combat and weaponry her entire life, Reagan is expected to follow in her parents’ footsteps and join the ranks of the most powerful top-secret agency in the world, the Black Angels. Falling in love with the boy next door was never part of the plan.

Now Reagan has to decide: Will she use her incredible talents and lead the dangerous life she was born into, or throw it all away to follow her heart and embrace the normal life she’s always wanted? And does she even have a choice at all?

 

This Week at Book Riot

 

 

Popping the round-up here a little later than usual because of Friday’s fundraising endeavor. Here’s the short list of this week’s post at Book Riot:

 

3 On A YA Theme is far more than 3 titles this week, with a look at stand alone fantasy titles.

 

If you don’t get the “What’s Up in YA?” newsletter from Book Riot, now is a great time to sign up. One reason some weeks have more writing on site from me than others is the newsletter — if it’s a heavy-writing week for the newsletter, it’s shorter on site. Tomorrow’s newsletter is all about backlist YA, and in a very-soon future newsletter, I’ve got a killer interview with a debut author whose book is going to explode in the best possible ways.

Let’s Fund These Classroom Literacy Projects Together

Today is Inauguration Day in America.

It’s a day that the majority of the American population is unhappy about — the person being sworn in as the country’s leader didn’t earn the popular vote. His stances on everything from women’s health to LGBTQIA+ rights, to stripping healthcare, to building a literal wall between two countries and more are not what the majority wanted.

But technicalities. We get it. That’s how he won and that’s how he’ll continue to do things like avoid paying taxes or releasing that information to the American public.

What can we do as citizens, though? This is the question we’ve been mulling over since the Electoral College declared the winner.

Angie Manfredi, back in November, had a great idea. She found a few classrooms on Donors Choose that needed more money to be funded. These were for literacy-related projects serving children in schools that were of highest poverty.

In other words: the kinds of kids and classrooms most likely to be hurt by the incoming administration. The kinds of kids and classrooms that deserve to have access to basic tools to make them stronger, smart, and feel like they’re a part of this country.

That they, too, belong.

Leila and I joined in with Angie, as did a number of other wonderful bloggers, librarians, and authors, sharing classrooms we’d found with our respective social networks. None of us kept strong track, but the combined power we had and the generosity of people in the book/reading/library/teaching/publishing world meant we were able to fund a whole lot of classrooms.

And those teachers, as well as those students, were grateful.

We could think of no better way to respond to the Inauguration and changeover in America’s political world than to put together a big list of classrooms we’d like to get funded today. But more specifically, we sought out a range of classrooms in different parts of the country that were seeking project funding relating to English as a Second Language (ESL) and second language learning more broadly.

Can we do this? Let’s do this. Even a $1 donation to one classroom moves the marker a little bit closer. It’s a reminder to the future generations, as well as to the educators in those classrooms and passionate about their students, that they matter. That they deserve to learn and that they are welcome in this country, despite what the government might say or do.  Leila and I have pulled together 12 classroom projects. If you click through, you can read a full description of what the money will go toward. We’ve offered up the short explanation, along with a link. The first of these projects expires tomorrow, January 21, so let’s get them funded first, then carry on down the line.

It might not be much, but it certainly does something. And in a situation where so many of us feel powerless, this is an easy opportunity to take action.

Feel free to share this list widely. Even if you can’t make a contribution, any sharing will help tremendously. Let’s get these classrooms funded.

(Fair warning: some of these stories will break your heart.)

 

 

Starting A Collection of Books In Spanish! in Morris, MN (this campaign ends tomorrow—let’s fund it first!):

 

We are a smaller rural community that has a rapidly growing population of Hispanics. Our students are incredibly smart and the main goal is for them to realize the many opportunities that they have and how they can grow as individuals to make a difference in the world we live in. If no one encourages them or provides materials they need to do this; how will that ever happen? They come from all different backgrounds and cultures – we need a library collection to match!

 

Fueling Bilingual Brains! in Chapel Hill, NC:

 

My students are eager bilingual learners. They come from Mexico, El Salvador, the U.S., and a myriad other places around the world. The majority of them have free or reduced-price lunch plans. These students have warm hearts and friendly smiles.

They are thirsty for knowledge and grow visibly every day.

In addition to learning a second language (English or Spanish), the students engage in project-based learning. They work hard every day in class to achieve high levels of learning, and then spend an extra hour in school to help them shore up whatever they need help with.

 

Bilingual Books for School and Home in New Bedford, MA:

 

My students live in a high poverty, urban area. They go to a community school where every child receives free breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Many of our students live in public housing, with relatives, or are homeless. Many of my students are second language learners. Many of the children do not have their needs met at home. This is often due to lack of finances, long work days, and everyday stress.

My students are excited to come to school and crave the routine of our school day.

One of the main focuses of our school is to integrate the arts into learning.

 

Kids Read First! Continued , in Lewiston, ME:

 

Imagine moving to a new country. You walk into a classroom full of new faces, immersed in a language you have never spoken.You have a happy, smiling teacher talking to you in a language you don’t understand. These are the students I teach and work with every day.

I work in a school where English Language Learners are more than half of the student population.

My students come into school every day as not only a place to learn, but a place to eat, be surrounded with friends, and more importantly, feel safe.

My school is also a Title I school in central Maine, where 100 percent of our students receive free breakfast, lunch, and snack. We help students learn English while holding on to their own language as well. My students have come from different countries in Africa, from many different and difficult situations. They are in need of the tools to make them successful in the classroom, and this all begins with a determined teacher and a vast amount of literacy rich resources.

 

My Future Leaders Need My Attention! in Yuma, AZ:

 

My 6th grade ELL class are very special to me. As a first year teacher, I have developed an attachment that makes me hungry to connect with them to get them to reach for the stars and beyond. They are not only struggling to learn the English language, but fight battles outside school in order to get ahead. Most of the students, have their parents in Mexico, and at times see them only once a week. Imagine being 11 and 12 year old separated from your parents in whom you depend on!

Everyday I tell my students they are “Tomorrow Leaders.” These 6th graders need my full support and attention to encourage them not to give up.

They also need reassurance from the school faculty, community and their family members. We are their armor, and with these tools, they will continue to fight upcoming battles to win this war.

Language is a barrier in my class, as I also have 2 Arabic students from Yemen, who have no idea how to put on this armor that the school has provided. Resources are needed but I feel the attention of a teacher is a powerful tool that can benefit each student.

 

Graphic Novels to Reach Success in English !, in Jamaica, NY:

 

My students are English Language Learners who speak Spanish, Bengali, Arabic and Urdu. They are eager to develop as readers and love to read books with visuals and graphics. We are located in Jamaica Queens and this is the second year we exist as a school.

The picture of our school shows a window of opportunity, we believe all of students will have the best opportunities if they believe in themselves.

Our students engage in Science, Technology, Art, Engineering and Math on a weekly basis.

 

Teach in Color , in Houston, TX:

 

I am a second grade ESL teacher in a Dual Language program. This school year, my content area is English and Math. Most of my students have been learning English and Spanish since kindergarten! Many of my students’ native language is Spanish.

My students work diligently everyday to learn both English and Spanish.

As an ESL teacher, I should provide several visual cues for English words and vocabulary. Pictures should be in color, but I do not have a color printer or ink to provide a visual-rich environment.

 

To Read is to Live More Than One Life , in Oxon Hill, MD:

 

I teach a beautiful, lively bunch of English language learners that are at every level of English language acquisition. Many of them have faced so much transition in their young lives and yet they come to ESOL class every day with a smile for me.

Our purpose is clear; to give them every opportunity to gain the skills to be successful in the 21st century world.

Our school is a Title I school and we just got a program for autism. The children bring a wide rage of needs both academically and personally.

 

Non-Fiction Knock-Out !, in Salt Lake City, UT:

 

My students arrive at our “highly impacted” Title 1 school like kids all over the country: eager to learn and joyful at recess.

The difference is that many of their families struggle with food insecurity, unemployment, and providing the basic necessities of clothing and shelter.

For most, school is the very best part of their day. All the students in my resource classroom have IEPs (Individual Education Programs) based on their abilities and need specialized and differentiated instruction to achieve grade level competence.

 

Help Support our International and ESL Students , in Falls Church, VA:

 

Being a small district — we do not have many built-in supports for students who are considered ESL/ESOL. We need to be able to support learners of all backgrounds and need materials to help with that. These supplies will allow for one-on-one instruction as well as small group and collaborative instruction to support the whole learner. Because we live, work, and learn in the Digital Age, we need materials that will help students from all backgrounds succeed in a digital world.

 

Before There Was Google Translate…We Used Dictionaries !, in Bayside, NY:

 

What better way to welcome someone to America than by extending a helping hand!

Can you imagine trying to read a 7th grade text when you are reading on a first grade level?

That is what my students are trying to do every day.

All of my students are newcomers (in the U.S.A less than a year), or beginners (speaking English at a beginning level). Our school resides in the beautiful town of Bayside, where we have a large Chinese population and a growing Hispanic population. In my ESL class we consider ourselves a “family”. My students feel they can come to me with any problem they may encounter. I consider my ESL classroom a safe place for learning and growing.

 

First Generation English Readers , in Santa Maria, CA:

 

My students are humbled by and appreciative of the little things. Many of them do not own books at home. They are fascinated with new books and love to be in our class library. School wide, 95% of the students qualify for free/reduced lunch. I have 48 students I see daily and 46 of them are are English Learners.

My students absolutely love learning to read and take AR tests.

We have created a college bound atmosphere and my students are building a foundation that will help prepare them for their future. I am humbled to be a part of their educational journey.

 

Monthly Giving: Natural Resources Defense Council

Over this past weekend, I drove out to West Texas and spent a few hours at Big Bend National Park on Monday. (All national parks were free on MLK Day, I hope some of our readers took advantage like I did!) Despite living in Texas most of my life, I had never been to this particular park before. It offers plenty for visitors who only have a few hours (like me) as well as those who want to stay for weeks. I took one of the scenic drives down to Santa Elena Canyon at the Mexican border (here, have a picture), marveled at the mountains, said hello to a coyote, and stood alongside the Rio Grande.

I could go on about the beauty and majesty of this particular park, but this is not a travelogue. My trip to Big Bend, however, was why the environment was on my mind and why I selected the Natural Resources Defense Council as January’s organization for my monthly giving. The protection of the Earth and its resources is vital to all people and the generations to come, and the NRDC is one of the most effective organizations fighting for it. It’s both no secret and no surprise that our incoming administration has targeted environmental protections, vowing to roll back the progress we’ve made on ensuring access to little things like clean air and water. The most alarming is the proposed appointment of a man as head of the EPA who “has sued to block every major EPA regulation in recent years.” The NRDC’s website is a good place to explore to learn about the threat to our shared home and what you can do to fight it.

My 18-month old nephew gave me a membership to the NRDC for Christmas (I expect he had some help from his parents), and I think of him whenever I visit a place like Big Bend. I hope my donation goes a little way toward ensuring both the Earth’s beauty and its life-supporting resources will be there for him and all future generations. If you haven’t made a charitable contribution this month and have the means, the NRDC would be an excellent choice.

The booklist below features fiction about tweens and teens who are passionate about the Earth, its wildlife, conservation, and sustainability, as well as nonfiction titles that describe the seriousness of the threat to our environment and what we can do about it. Also check out Kelly’s Get Genrefied piece from 2014 on climate fiction (cli-fi), a subgenre of science fiction (usually) whose themes tackle the effects of climate change. Descriptions are from WorldCat and links lead to Goodreads.

Fiction – Middle Grade

The Lion Who Stole My Arm by Nicola Davies

When his ambition to become a great hunter like his father is crushed by a lion attack that causes him to lose an arm, young Pedru is overcome by a desire to kill the lion that mauled him but questions his resolve when an opportunity arises.

Operation Redwood by S. Terrell French

In northern California, Julian Carter-Li and his friends old and new fight to save a grove of redwoods from an investment company that plans to cut them down.

Hoot by Carl Hiaasen

Roy, who is new to his small Florida community, becomes involved in another boy’s attempt to save a colony of burrowing owls from a proposed construction site. | Also by Hiaasen: Flush, Scat

Moon Bear by Gill Lewis

In Laos, twelve-year-old Tam must work at a bear farm where bears are cruelly caged and milked for their bile, but when a familiar cub is brought to the farm, Tam will do anything to free both the cub, and himself.

The Summer We Saved the Bees by Robin Stevenson

Wolf’s mother is obsessed with saving the world’s honeybees. He gets that. It’s another thing entirely when she announces that she’s taking her Save the Bees show on the road–family style and complete with mortifying bee costumes. What will it take for Wolf and his sisters to convince her that dragging the family around the province in a beat-up Ford panel van may not be the best idea she ever had?

Lea Leads the Way by Lisa Yee (American Girl)

During a hike with her brother through the Amazon rainforest, fifth-grader Lea discovers a badly injured baby sloth. Lea quickly decides she must do all she can to help the little sloth survive. But as she learns more, she wonders: “Is that the right thing to do?”

Fiction – Young Adult

Dig Too Deep by Amy Allgeyer

When a nearby mountaintop removal mine is suspected of contaminating the water and sickening the residents of a small Kentucky town, sixteen-year-old Liberty Briscoe searches for answers.

Flip the Bird by Kym Brunner

A teenage falconer in training runs up against trouble when he finds himself falling for a girl who is part of a radical animal rights group.

Silver People: Voices From the Panama Canal by Margarita Engle

Fourteen-year-old Mateo and other Caribbean islanders face discrimination, segregation, and harsh working conditions when American recruiters lure them to the Panamanian rain forest in 1906 to build the great canal.

The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf by Ambelin Kwaymullina

Taking refuge among other teens who are in hiding from a government threatened by their supernatural powers, Ashala covertly practices her abilities only to be captured and interrogated for information about the location of her friends. [Note from KF: This description doesn’t show the environmental connections, but they’re an integral part of the story, I promise!] | Sequels: The Disappearance of Ember Crow, The Foretelling of Georgie Spider

Endangered by Eliot Schrefer

Sophie is not happy to be back in the Congo for the summer, but when she rescues an abused baby bonobo she becomes more involved in her mother’s sanctuary–and when fighting breaks out and the sanctuary is attacked, it is up to Sophie to rescue the apes and somehow survive in the jungle. | Also by Schrefer: Threatened, Rescued

My Chemical Mountain by Corina Vacco

The summer before they begin high school, best friends Jason, Charlie, and Cornpop go after the chemical plant that has been polluting their town, one seeking revenge for his father’s death and the others mainly for the thrill of it.

Nonfiction

Last of the Giants: The Rise and Fall of Earth’s Most Dominant Species by Jeff Campbell

Today, an ancient world is vanishing right before our eyes: the age of giant animals. Over 40,000 years ago, the earth was ruled by megafauna: mammoths and mastodons, saber-toothed tigers and giant sloths. Of course, those creatures no longer exist, and there is only one likely reason for that: the evolution and arrival of the earth’s only tool-wielding hunter, the wildly adaptive, comparatively pint-sized human species. Many more of the world’s biggest and baddest creatures–including the black rhino, the dodo, giant tortoises, and the great auk–have vanished since our world became truly global. Last of the Giants chronicles those giant animals and apex predators who were pushed to extinction in the modern era. At the same time, the book also highlights those giant species that remain–even though many barely survive, living in such low numbers that they are on the brink of leaving this world within the next few decades.

The Story of Seeds: From Mendel’s Garden to Your Plate, and How There’s More of Less to Eat Around the World by Nancy Castaldo

With the growth of genetically modified foods, the use of many seeds is dwindling–of 80,000 edible plants, only about 150 are being cultivated. With a global cast of men and women, scientists and laypeople, and photographic documentation, Nancy Castaldo chronicles where our food comes from, and more importantly, where it is going as she digs deeper into the importance of seeds in our world.

Gaia Warriors by Nicola Davies

Here is a book that takes a clear look at how and why Earth’s climate is changing and the ways we can deal with it. Its style is simple and its explanations are compelling, illuminating not only hard facts but also the opinions and potential solutions of scientists all over the world.

50 Things You Should Know About the Environment by Jen Green

From the icy poles to the evergreen rainforests, life has found a way to flourish in nearly every environment on Earth. This book explores the startling discoveries of new life forms in extreme environments, such as the strange worlds of the ocean depths. Whilst marvelling the world around us, it also confronts the human impact on the environment. The mounting evidence for global warming is explored and challenges us to work towards a more sustainable future. Packed with facts, diagrams, infographics and photos, this is the perfect introduction to the wonder and intrigue of our environment.

It’s Getting Hot in Here: The Past, Present, and Future of Climate Change by Bridget Heos

This hard-hitting look at climate change tackles the past, present, and future of global warming, examining the effects it’s having across the world, the politics behind denial, and the ways in which we can all work to lessen the harsh effects of our warming world. Perfect for young environmentalists looking to learn about the ways in which we can take action against global warming.

Moonbird: A Year on the Wind With the Great Survivor B95 by Philip Hoose

Documents the survival tale of an intrepid shorebird who has endured annual migrations between Argentina and the Canadian Arctic throughout the course of a long lifetime while his species continues to decline. | Also by Hoose: The Race to Save the Lord God-Bird

Find YA Books On Any Topic: A Resource Guide

 

Some of the best questions that land in my inbox or show up in my social media feed relate to finding YA books. Where can someone find books are X or Y or Z, or books that are about X or Y or Z written by people of color, queer writers, disabled writers, and so on. Often, those questions come with the (sometimes unspoken) caveat that the recommendations be vetted by those marginalized groups to ensure that good, solid representation shows up in the books that will ultimately end up in a young reader’s hands.

Many times, I can give the answer to these questions. Other times, I peruse some of the excellent resources out there in order to check and double check my recommendations. I realized rounding up the resources I use would be invaluable to fellow readers, both those who ware looking for book lists and those who may be looking for a good book.

This isn’t a comprehensive resource, and certainly, I’ll be missing some great stuff. I’d love more recommended resources in the comments if there are sites you use to look for YA books and book recommendations. I’ve broken this down by category, though please note there are plenty of crossover lists and intersectional explorations among these resources. Some of these are long-running resources and some are newer but look extremely promising. It’s also worth noting many of these sites don’t stick to YA alone, so there might be further resources available for those interested in books for older or younger readers.

A huge, huge thank you to those who work tirelessly to keep these resources excellent tools in furthering discussion and knowledge of young adult literature.

 

General Resources

 

The Ultimate List of YA Book Lists: I keep this guide on my Tumblr that rounds up the booklists many might find interesting or useful that I’ve written or that Kimberly has written.

 

YA Lit: This is an excellent tool for keeping on top of releases as they hit shelves, as well as those which will be publishing in the future.

 

 

Diversity: Race & Ethnicity

 

Diversity in YA: Book lists on about any topic that are completely stacked with diverse/inclusive titles.

 

We Need Diverse Books: WNDB’s summer reading series is an excellent place to go for read alike suggestions of inclusive titles from popular titles you may already know.

 

Edi Campbell: Edi keeps track of the inclusive titles published in any given year. She’s got the book lists on the side bar of her website, including a list of POC authors of YA and New Adult fiction.

 

Debbie Reese: Her American Indians in Children’s Literature site has a host of excellent resources and book recommendations by and about Natives.

 

Cynthia Leitich-Smith: She has been keeping incredible bibliographies for children’s list for ages and these resources are a treasure trove.

 

Rich in Color: They track the weekly new releases by authors of color and/or featuring inclusivity.

 

The Brown Bookshelf: I’ve been reading this site for a long, long time, and it continues to be a great resource for books by and about black writers and characters. They have a nice round-up of authors of color, and their 28 Days series, which happens every February, is a must-read.

 

Asian YA Lit: This one is not only new to me, but it’s pretty new all together.  This Tumblr has round-ups and other posts of interest relating to Asian YA lit. Their intro post makes me so excited to see what all they highlight.

 

Latinxs in Kid Lit: If you’re looking for YA, middle grade, or other resources relating to Latinx books, writers, or readers, you can do no better than here.

 

Diversity: LGBTQIA+

 

Gay YA: This tumblr, started by two teenagers, is one of the best YA resources out there about queer YA lit and representation.

 

LGBTQ Reads: Book lists galore. This is a fabulous and ever-growing resource for queer YA (and sometimes “New Adult”) lit.

 

Lee Wind: Lee has been an advocate for LGBTQ+ children’s lit for a long, long time and the resources and booklists on his website are so useful.

 

Diversity: Disability

 

Disability in Kid Lit: Any and everything you ever wanted to know or learn about disability and disability representation in kid lit. Book reviews, book lists, and fabulous discussion posts.

This Week at Book Riot

 

Over on Book Riot this week…

 

18 great bookish puzzles (because sometimes you need a break from reading).

 

30 ways to make your winter a little more bookish.

 

“3 On A YA Theme” tackles teens who are misfits (which could be so many, but alas, I’ve limited it to 4. See what I did there?)

 

And here are over 20 gorgeous journals for you to buy and write in. I am a collector of journals and not a user of them, but one of my goals this year is to be better at using them, rather than saving them.

 

Also this week, I received the beautiful finished copies of Here We Are: Feminism For The Real World. The book comes out in a week and a half, which is so soon. Bunny not included, though he sure is cute:

 

 

Don’t forget that if you preorder and send proof of your purchase my way, you can be entered for a chance to win a really nice prize pack.

2016 Reading in Review

Does anyone still care about 2016? I always feel like I’m cheating a little if I make my best of list before the end of the official year. What if the last book I finish, in the last hours of December 31, turns out to be the most phenomenal book of the year? (It hasn’t yet, but in theory, it could happen.)

So I hope some of you are still interested in reading a bit about 2016 books. In no particular order, these were my favorite reads of the year. Most were 2016 publications, but some are backlist. Links lead to my reviews, if I wrote one.

YA Fiction

The Passion of Dolssa by Julie Berry

I loved this story about a teenage female mystic in 13th-century France fleeing persecution and the teenage girl and her sisters who take her in and protect her. It’s superb historical fiction – a well-realized setting, characters that feel immediate but not overly modernized, literary and completely absorbing – about a time period not written much about in books for teens. I highly recommend it on audio for the old Provencal pronunciations and spot-on voicing of the two main characters.

The Diviners by Libba Bray

This is by far my favorite book by Libba Bray. It’s got a lot going on – 1920s New York setting, supernatural murders, multiple POVs, a main character with magical powers – but Bray makes it all work together. The characters and time period (not usually one of my favorites) are fascinating in her hands, and so is the central mystery.

A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro

How I love Sherlock Holmes retellings. This one stands out because of the voice. It’s gender-swapped: Charlotte Holmes is the descendant of the “real” Sherlock Holmes, and she inherited his genius at solving crimes as well as his propensity for misandry and drug addiction. She strikes up a tense friendship with James “Jamie” Watson, a descendant of John Watson, who narrates the book. They investigate the murder of a student at the boarding school they both attend, and while the mystery is good, it’s the relationship between Charlotte and Jamie that sets this book apart.

The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge

OK, I know I said that these were in no particular order, but I lied (see what I did there?). This is my favorite book of the year, and the one my workplace selected as our Mock Printz winner (I am so hoping it gets some love from the real Printz committee). It’s rare that my favorite book is also one I would consider a contender for an award based solely on literary merit, but there you have it. I loved the melding of historical fiction, fantasy, and mystery; the characters were three-dimensional and interesting; the plot was complex and kept me guessing; and it explores religion vs. science, feminism, and the nature of truth, all things that are catnip for me in fiction.

The Diabolic by S. J. Kincaid

This is a true science fiction treat: a space adventure with a killer hook, complex world-building, political machinations that will interest teenagers, an unusual love story, characters you love and characters you love to hate, and a twisty plot that will leave you breathless. It reminded me of everything I love about science fiction, and as soon as I finished it, I started gushing about it to people. If you’re a fan of science fiction at all, pick this up – it’s even better than Kincaid’s Insignia series, which was excellent as well.

If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo

Russo’s book is a positive, hopeful story of a Amanda’s acclimation to a new school, where no one knows that she was assigned the male gender at birth, not the female gender she knows she is. At heart, it is a sweet teen romance, but the focus broadens to Amanda’s family and friends as well. Amanda initially passes easily, but inevitably, she is outed, and this conflict is the main driver of the story. Amanda’s voice is authentically teen and readers (cis and trans) will easily empathize and root for her. Not just socially important, this is also just a well-executed story.

Middle Grade Fiction

George by Alex Gino

Jamie Clayton (a trans actress from Sense8) narrates Gino’s young middle grade book about a girl who everyone thinks is a boy. Melissa, as she prefers to be called instead of her given name George, desperately wants to play Charlotte in her school’s production of Charlotte’s Web, but her teacher tells her that role is reserved for girls – not knowing that Melissa is a girl, too. Melissa’s friend decides to help her out, and there is a happy ending. This is a gentle story about a trans child that also doesn’t shy away from some of the unpleasantness associated with being trans. This book single-handedly attempts to fill a giant hole in kidlit – books for elementary age kids about trans kids – and it does so wonderfully.

Adult Fiction

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

I describe this book as the anti-Gone Girl. Like Gone Girl, it’s a twisty, psychological thriller about unlikable people who do nasty things and lie about them, but it diverges from Gone Girl in an important way that would be a complete spoiler if I mentioned it here. So just take my word for it and give this immensely popular novel a whirl, if you haven’t already.

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

With this gorgeous gem of a book, Emily St. John Mandel reminded me that adult science fiction is still worth reading. This is literary SF set in a post-flu pandemic America that also flashes back to the times before. It focuses on a variety of characters, but they all revolve around a Hollywood star, Arthur Leander, who is on the brink of being washed-up – or perhaps he has already passed that point before he contracts the flu and dies in the first few pages of the novel. The writing is just so lovely, the characters so real, and Kirsten Potter’s voice is perfectly suited to narrate the audio version.

Middle Grade/YA Nonfiction

March: Book Three by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell

Ugh, this was just so good. I can see why it won the National Book Award. The story is engrossing, Lewis tells it in such an engaging way, and the art is a terrific complement. I learned so much but never felt like I was reading a textbook or being lectured. Fascinating and important and moving.

Uprooted: The Japanese American Experience During World War II by Albert Marrin

Marrin covers the Japanese-American imprisonment in American concentration camps (with an excellent explanation for why these were concentration camps, not internment camps, both legally and practically speaking). He also delves into Japanese-American participation as soldiers in both the Pacific and the European warfronts. The writing is crisp, the topic absorbing, and Marrin doesn’t shy away from calling things what they are – racism, concentration camps, white supremacy. Especially in light of the current climate, this should be required reading for all Americans.

The Plot to Kill Hitler: Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Spy, Unlikely Hero by Patricia McCormick

McCormick traces Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s life from sensitive young boy to passive resister to outright involvement in some of the most well-known plots to kill Hitler. His life is fascinating and not very well known by many in America (I don’t believe I even heard about him until I was an adult myself). McCormick asks her young readers hard questions and challenges them to think deeply about what they would do in Bonhoeffer’s situation – and whether doing the right thing, the hard thing, the dangerous thing is worth it even in the face of failure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On The Radar: January 2017

I used to do a monthly spotlight here at STACKED highlighting a handful of the YA titles hitting shelves that should be purchased for a library, classroom, or personal collection on a budget. It was my attempt to winnow down the huge list of books publishing each month into a format that was easy to digest and hit both the big, huge releases, as well as some of the quieter ones that deserved attention. I let the series fall away last year, but because of a surge in interest and requests from readers, it’s coming back!

 

 

“On The Radar” is a monthly series meant to highlight between 9 and 12 books per month to fit a budget of roughly $300 or less. These lists are curated from a larger spreadsheet I keep with a running list of titles hitting shelves and are meant to reflect not only the big books coming out from authors readers know and love, but it’s also meant to showcase some of the titles that have hit my radar through review copies, publicity blasts, or because they’re titles that might otherwise not be readily seen or picked up through those traditional avenues. It’s part science and part art.

Book descriptions come from Goodreads and reasons for putting on your radar are mine and mine alone!

 

Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson

Mary B. Addison killed a baby.

Allegedly. She didn’t say much in that first interview with detectives, and the media filled in the only blanks that mattered: A white baby had died while under the care of a church-going black woman and her nine-year-old daughter. The public convicted Mary and the jury made it official. But did she do it? She wouldn’t say.

Mary survived six years in baby jail before being dumped in a group home. The house isn’t really “home”—no place where you fear for your life can be considered a home. Home is Ted, who she meets on assignment at a nursing home.

There wasn’t a point to setting the record straight before, but now she’s got Ted—and their unborn child—to think about. When the state threatens to take her baby, Mary must find the voice to fight her past. And her fate lies in the hands of the one person she distrusts the most: her Momma. No one knows the real Momma. But who really knows the real Mary?

Why it should be on your radar: This debut novel by a woman of color is a well-paced, twisty-turny psychological thriller. The main character is a black girl caught up in the juvenile detention system and it wrestles with race, with gender, and so much more.

 

Caraval by Stephanie Garber (first in series)

Scarlett has never left the tiny island where she and her beloved sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval, the far-away, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show, are over.

But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But she nevertheless becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic with the other players in the game. And whether Caraval is real or not, she must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over, a dangerous domino effect of consequences is set off, and her sister disappears forever.

Why it should be on your radar: This book has been getting tremendous buzz and was a YA Buzz title at BEA last year. I’ve read some comps to The Night Circus and suspect that fantasy lovers will eat this one up. First in a series by a debut author.

 

 

Carve The Mark by Veronica Roth (first in a duology)

On a planet where violence and vengeance rule, in a galaxy where some are favored by fate, everyone develops a currentgift, a unique power meant to shape the future. While most benefit from their currentgifts, Akos and Cyra do not—their gifts make them vulnerable to others’ control. Can they reclaim their gifts, their fates, and their lives, and reset the balance of power in this world?

Cyra is the sister of the brutal tyrant who rules the Shotet people. Cyra’s currentgift gives her pain and power—something her brother exploits, using her to torture his enemies. But Cyra is much more than just a blade in her brother’s hand: she is resilient, quick on her feet, and smarter than he knows.

Akos is from the peace-loving nation of Thuvhe, and his loyalty to his family is limitless. Though protected by his unusual currentgift, once Akos and his brother are captured by enemy Shotet soldiers, Akos is desperate to get his brother out alive—no matter what the cost. When Akos is thrust into Cyra’s world, the enmity between their countries and families seems insurmountable. They must decide to help each other to survive—or to destroy one another.

Why it should be on your radar: Veronica Roth burst onto the YA scene with her “Divergent” trilogy, and this is the first in her new series. It has a huge marketing budget, but it should do well by author reputation alone. Worth noting that some readers have expressed concerns about the trope of the dark-skinned aggressor in this book, so don’t be surprised if readers or reviews bring that up.

 

 

Frostblood by Elly Blake (first in a series)

Seventeen-year-old Ruby is a fireblood who must hide her powers of heat and flame from the cruel frostblood ruling class that wants to destroy all that are left of her kind. So when her mother is killed for protecting her and rebel frostbloods demand her help to kill their rampaging king, she agrees. But Ruby’s powers are unpredictable, and she’s not sure she’s willing to let the rebels and an infuriating (yet irresistible) young man called Arcus use her as their weapon.

All she wants is revenge, but before they can take action, Ruby is captured and forced to take part in the king’s tournaments that pit fireblood prisoners against frostblood champions. Now she has only one chance to destroy the maniacal ruler who has taken everything from her and from the icy young man she has come to love.

Why it should be on your radar: I received a number of review copies of this one and a very early finished copy, as well. Something says to me it’ll be popular and hit many radars — it’s the first in a new fantasy trilogy by a debut author.

 

 

Here We Are: Feminism For The Real World edited by Kelly Jensen

Let’s get the feminist party started!

Here We Are is a scrapbook-style teen guide to understanding what it really means to be a feminist. It’s packed with essays, lists, poems, comics, and illustrations from a diverse range of voices, including TV, film, and pop-culture celebrities and public figures such as ballet dancer Michaela DePrince and her sister Mia, politician Wendy Davis, as well as popular YA authors like Nova Ren Suma, Malinda Lo, Brandy Colbert, Courtney Summers, and many more. Altogether, the book features more than forty-four pieces, with an eight-page insert of full-color illustrations.

Here We Are is a response to lively discussions about the true meaning of feminism on social media and across popular culture and is an invitation to one of the most important, life-changing, and exciting parties around.

Why it should be on your radar: Even if I were not the editor, I’d want this book on my radar because it’s topically relevant and the voices represented in this book mirror and window the voices that teen readers need. Also, it’s already earned four starred reviews so far from trade journals (Kirkus, SLJ, Booklist, and Publishers Weekly).

 

 

History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera

When Griffin’s first love and ex-boyfriend, Theo, dies in a drowning accident, his universe implodes. Even though Theo had moved to California for college and started seeing Jackson, Griffin never doubted Theo would come back to him when the time was right. But now, the future he’s been imagining for himself has gone far off course.

To make things worse, the only person who truly understands his heartache is Jackson. But no matter how much they open up to each other, Griffin’s downward spiral continues. He’s losing himself in his obsessive compulsions and destructive choices, and the secrets he’s been keeping are tearing him apart.

If Griffin is ever to rebuild his future, he must first confront his history, every last heartbreaking piece in the puzzle of his life.

Why it should be on your radar: Silvera’s first novel, More Happy Than Not, earned great readership and acclaim, and already, his sophomore effort has earned a pile of starred reviews and praise. This queer romance tackles not just sexuality but also mental illness. Silvera is a male author of color.

 

Loving Vs. Virginia: A Documentary Novel of The Landmark Civil Rights Case by Patricia Hruby Powell and Shandra Strickland

From acclaimed author Patricia Hruby Powell comes the story of a landmark civil rights case, told in spare and gorgeous verse.

In 1955, in Caroline County, Virginia, amidst segregation and prejudice, injustice and cruelty, two teenagers fell in love. Their life together broke the law, but their determination would change it. Richard and Mildred Loving were at the heart of a Supreme Court case that legalized marriage between races, and a story of the devoted couple who faced discrimination, fought it, and won.

Why this should be on your radar: Though this is a novel, it’s based entirely in the true story of Loving vs. Virginia and how the case helped change miscegenation laws in the United States. Though Hruby Powell is not a woman of color, she worked with primary sources (aka, people) to write this book, and it’s evident in how the story is rendered and researched. This isn’t ancient history and teen readers will be blown away to know how this era of racism was around during their parents’ era. The illustrations throughout add even more heart and power to the story, as does the unique documentary/verse format.

 

Our Own Private Universe by Robin Talley

Fifteen-year-old Aki Hunter knows she’s bisexual, but up until now she’s only dated guys—and her best friend, Lori, is the only person she’s out to.

When she and Lori set off on a four-week youth-group mission trip in a small Mexican town, it never crosses Aki’s mind that there might be anyone in the group she’d be interested in dating. But that all goes out the window when Aki meets Christa.

Why it should be on your radar: It’s a bisexual main character who is a person of color (the cover being pink-hued the way it is doesn’t make that as obvious as it could) and Talley’s growth as a voice in YA continues to show. There aren’t enough contemporary queer romances, and this one would be a solid choice. I’ve not read this one yet, but I’ve been told there’s sex on the page and that will be a big bonus for not just the YA world, but for readers who are eager to see that sort of honest and unashamed representation.

 

 

 

Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team by Steve Sheinkin

America’s favorite sport and Native American history collide in this thrilling true story about one of the nation’s greatest football teams.

When superstar athlete Jim Thorpe and football legend Pop Warner met in 1904 at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania, they forged one of the winningest teams in American football history. Called “the team that invented football,” they took on the best opponents of their day, defeating much more privileged schools such as Harvard and the Army in a series of breathtakingly close calls, genius plays, and bone-crushing hard work.

But this is not just an underdog story. It’s an unflinching look at the persecution of Native Americans and its intersection with the beginning of one of the most beloved—and exploitative—pastimes in America.

Why it should be on your radar: Steve Sheinkin is a master of young adult nonfiction, and this title takes on so many intersections of social and cultural history that teen readers will be eager to pick it up for recreational reading. It’s a football story as much as a story about Native Americans.

 

 

Wayfarer by Alexandra Bracken (second in a series)

All Etta Spencer wanted was to make her violin debut when she was thrust into a treacherous world where the struggle for power could alter history. After losing the one thing that would have allowed her to protect the Timeline, and the one person worth fighting for, Etta awakens alone in an unknown place and time, exposed to the threat of the two groups who would rather see her dead than succeed. When help arrives, it comes from the last person Etta ever expected—Julian Ironwood, the Grand Master’s heir who has long been presumed dead, and whose dangerous alliance with a man from Etta’s past could put them both at risk.

Meanwhile, Nicholas and Sophia are racing through time in order to locate Etta and the missing astrolabe with Ironwood travelers hot on their trail. They cross paths with a mercenary-for-hire, a cheeky girl named Li Min who quickly develops a flirtation with Sophia. But as the three of them attempt to evade their pursuers, Nicholas soon realizes that one of his companions may have ulterior motives.

As Etta and Nicholas fight to make their way back to one another, from Imperial Russia to the Vatican catacombs, time is rapidly shifting and changing into something unrecognizable… and might just run out on both of them.

Why it should be on your radar: This is the second book, following upon the success of Bracken’s Passenger. Bracken’s got a massive fan base and has been a New York Times Bestseller, so this is a sure bet. If you pissed picking up the first book in this series, it’s available in paperback now.

 

Windwitch by Susan Dennard (second book in series)

After an explosion destroys his ship, the world believes Prince Merik, Windwitch, is dead. Scarred yet alive, Merik is determined to prove his sister’s treachery. Upon reaching the royal capital, crowded with refugees, he haunts the streets, fighting for the weak—which leads to whispers of a disfigured demigod, the Fury, who brings justice to the oppressed.

When the Bloodwitch Aeduan discovers a bounty on Iseult, he makes sure to be the first to find her—yet in a surprise twist, Iseult offers him a deal. She will return money stolen from him, if he locates Safi. Now they must work together to cross the Witchlands, while constantly wondering, who will betray whom first?

After a surprise attack and shipwreck, Safi and the Empress of Marstok barely escape with their lives. Alone in a land of pirates, every moment balances on a knife’s edge—especially when the pirates’ next move could unleash war upon the Witchlands.

Why it should be on your radar: This is the second book in a wildly popular series. Dennard’s reputation and popularity continue to grow, and the first book in this series, Truthwitch, did well. Though blurbs don’t generally mean a lot for the purposes of this post, it’s worth noting that this book’s blurb is from Bracken (listed above), so it’s likely there will be crossover interest among fans of either author.

 

 

The You I’ve Never Known by Ellen Hopkins

Arielle’s life is a blur of new apartments, new schools, and new faces. Since her mother abandoned the family, Arielle has lived nomadically with her father as he moves from job to job. All she’s ever wanted is to stay in one place for an entire school year, and it looks like she might finally get her wish. With a real friend, Monica, who might be even more than a friend soon, things are starting to look up.

But Arielle’s life is upended—and not by her father, but by her mom, who reveals that she never left Arielle. Instead, Arielle’s father kidnapped her, and her mom has been left searching ever since. She wants to take Arielle away, but Arielle has no connection with her mother, and despite everything, still loves her father. How can she choose between the mother she’s been taught to mistrust and the father who sewed that suspicion?

Why it should be on your radar: Ellen Hopkins is perennially popular and while it seems like an obvious title to include, I think that the book’s packaging might make it easy to miss or overlook — this isn’t “on brand” with her other titles, nor did it publish in the fall like previous books of hers have. The title, too, strays from her traditional one-word titles. Hopkins is well-known for her gritty realistic YA and though the look of this book differs, the content is what readers have come to know and love of Hopkins.

 

Extra money in the budget? Want more good titles to consider for your collections or reading this month? A few more suggestions — none of which are better nor worse than the above titles, of course — to know about include After The Fall by Kate Hart, The Truth of Right Now by Kara Lee Corthron, Life in a Fishbowl by Len Vlahos, and Under Rose-Tainted Skies by Louise Gornall.