This third week of April has been marked with April showers and plenty of warmth. This week’s Spine Poetry fits the bill perfectly:
“Spring,
Weather,
Coming on Strong,
Sooner or Later.”
Enjoy this weather and tune in for next week’s rendition!
This third week of April has been marked with April showers and plenty of warmth. This week’s Spine Poetry fits the bill perfectly:
“Spring,
Weather,
Coming on Strong,
Sooner or Later.”
Enjoy this weather and tune in for next week’s rendition!
This week’s Spine Poetry is nothing short of a home run!
“I Live for This!
Opening Day,
Peanuts and Crackerjack,
The Game,
Baseball.”
Hopefully your Opening Day predictions come true! Let’s go!
To kick off National Poetry Month, here’s a treat: Spine Poetry! A form of “found” poetry, the titles of these books are the pieces that create unique poems.
“Poetry in Person,
Bluestones and Salt Hay,
Sugar and Sand,
Honey and Salt,
The Beauty of Living!”
You can find these books in our catalog by clicking on the stanza. Be on the look out for next week’s spine poetry!
From EpicReads: “Let us set the scene: You just got to book club. You have your book with you, obviously. That’s the most important thing. But what’s the second most important thing, the thing you’re looking for the second you walk through the door?
Book club snacks. That’s right.
We don’t know about you, but we love when books make us hungry. That’s a sign of good writing, and frankly, reading while snacking is one of our favorite pastimes!
Without further ado, check out some books that pair perfectly with book club snacks!”
For full book descriptions, check out the list here.
From EpicReads:
“If you’re someone who’s fallen in love with HBO’s Euphoria, you should know that you’re not alone. This Zendaya-led series has been a powerhouse in storytelling, acting, costume, and pretty much every other facet. It’s a messy teenage tale of first love, gender identity, social media, and abuse in all its aspects, and it’s impossible not to fall in love with these incredibly crafted characters. But what are you supposed to do once you’ve finished?
Well, we’re here to help!
These books explore the same ideas as Euphoria and will tug on your heartstrings just the same. Expect well-crafted representation, dramatic school dances, and betrayals sure to crush your emotions to pieces. We know, we know, you can’t wait. So scroll down and let’s get reading!”
On Monday, January 24, the American Library Association (ALA) announced the top books, digital media, video and audio books for children and young adults – including the Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, Newbery and Printz awards – at its LibLearnX: The Library Learning Experience, taking place virtually from Chicago.
A list of the 2022 award winners and honor selections from the Young Adult category follows:
Newbery Honor Book: A Snake Falls to Earth, written by Darcie Little Badger
Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award: Me (Moth), written by Amber McBride
Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults: Firekeeper’s Daughter, written by Angeline Boulley
Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience: Words in My Hands, written and illustrated by Asphyxia
Odyssey Award for the best audiobooks produced for young adults: When You Look Like Us, written by Pamela N. Harris and narrated by Preston Butler III
Pura Belpré Awards honoring Latinx writers and illustrators whose young adult books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience: How Moon Fuentez Fell in Love with the Universe, written by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland
Robert F. Sibert Honor Book: Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown, written by Steve Sheinkin
Stonewall Book Award given annually to English-language young adult books of exceptional merit relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender experience: Last Night at the Telegraph Club, written by Malinda Lo
William C. Morris Award for a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens: Firekeeper’s Daughter, written by Angeline Boulley
YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults: Ambushed!: The Assassination Plot Against President Garfield, written by Gail Jarrow
American Indian Youth Literature Awards, which were established to identify and honor the very best writing and illustrations by and about American Indians and Alaska Natives: Apple (Skin to the Core), written by Eric Gansworth [Onondaga]
Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, which promotes Asian/Pacific American culture and heritage and is awarded based on literary and artistic merit: Last Night at the Telegraph Club, written by Malinda Lo
The Sydney Taylor Book Award, presented annually to outstanding books for children and teens that authentically portray the Jewish experience: The City Beautiful, by Aden Polydoros
TIME Magazine recently published a list of 100 books they consider to be the best young adult books of all time, spanning from the 1800s to recent years. How many have you read?
Curious about how these particular books were selected? Check out this article detailing the process.
Here’s a treat for readers who enjoy listening to music while reading: authors Angeline Boulley and Cassandra Hartt have shared specially crafted playlists to accompany their books, Firekeeper’s Daughter and The Sea is Salt and So Am I. Click the banners to see the playlists and song annotations from the authors!
The American Library Association (ALA) recently announced the 2021 Youth Media Award winners at its annual midwinter conference. These awards, including the prestigious Newbery, Caldecott, and Coretta Scott King Book Awards, encourage original and creative work in the field of children’s and young adult literature and media.
Awards specifically for young adult books include:
Other awards – such as the Pura Belpré Award, the Stonewall Book Award, and more – are awarded to multiple categories of books including young adult titles.
To find out more about each award presented and this year’s award winners, click here!
Scavenge the Stars by Tara Sim (The Count of Monte Cristo)
When Amaya rescues a mysterious stranger from drowning, she fears her rash actions have earned her a longer sentence on the debtor ship where she’s been held captive for years. Instead, the man she saved offers her unimaginable riches and a new identity, setting Amaya on a perilous course through the coastal city-state of Moray, where old-world opulence and desperate gamblers collide.
Amaya wants one thing: revenge against the man who ruined her family and stole the life she once had. But the more entangled she becomes in this game of deception—and as her path intertwines with the son of the man she’s plotting to bring down—the more she uncovers about the truth of her past. And the more she realizes she must trust no one…
Night Spinner by Addie Thorley (The Hunchback of Notre Dame)
Before the massacre at Nariin, Enebish was one of the greatest warriors in the Sky King’s Imperial Army: a rare and dangerous Night Spinner, blessed with the ability to control the threads of darkness. Now, she is known as Enebish the Destroyer―a monster and murderer, banished to a monastery for losing control of her power and annihilating a merchant caravan.
Guilt stricken and scarred, Enebish tries to be grateful for her sanctuary, until her adoptive sister, Imperial Army commander Ghoa, returns from the war front with a tantalizing offer. If Enebish can capture the notorious criminal, Temujin, whose band of rebels has been seizing army supply wagons, not only will her crimes be pardoned, she will be reinstated as a warrior. Enebish eagerly accepts. But as she hunts Temujin across the tundra, she discovers the tides of war have shifted, and the supplies he’s stealing are the only thing keeping thousands of shepherds from starving. Torn between duty and conscience, Enebish must decide whether to put her trust in the charismatic rebel or her beloved sister. No matter who she chooses, an even greater enemy is advancing, ready to bring the empire to its knees.
I Killed Zoe Spanos by Kit Frick (Rebecca)
When Anna Cicconi arrives to the small Hamptons village of Herron Mills for a summer nanny gig, she has high hopes for a fresh start. What she finds instead is a community on edge after the disappearance of Zoe Spanos, a local girl who has been missing since New Year’s Eve. Anna bears an eerie resemblance to Zoe, and her mere presence in town stirs up still-raw feelings about the unsolved case. As Anna delves deeper into the mystery, stepping further and further into Zoe’s life, she becomes increasingly convinced that she and Zoe are connected–and that she knows what happened to her.
Two months later, Zoe’s body is found in a nearby lake, and Anna is charged with manslaughter. But Anna’s confession is riddled with holes, and Martina Green, teen host of the Missing Zoe podcast, isn’t satisfied. Did Anna really kill Zoe? And if not, can Martina’s podcast uncover the truth?
Ruinsong by Julia Ember (The Phantom of the Opera)
In a world where magic is sung, a powerful mage named Cadence has been forced to torture her country’s disgraced nobility at her ruthless queen’s bidding. But when she is reunited with her childhood friend, a noblewoman with ties to the underground rebellion, she must finally make a choice: Take a stand to free their country from oppression, or follow in the queen’s footsteps and become a monster herself.
Jane by April Lindner (Jane Eyre)
Forced to drop out of an esteemed East Coast college after the sudden death of her parents, Jane Moore takes a nanny job at Thornfield Park, the estate of Nico Rathburn, a world-famous rock star on the brink of a huge comeback. Practical and independent, Jane reluctantly becomes entranced by her magnetic and brooding employer and finds herself in the midst of a forbidden romance.
But there’s a mystery at Thornfield, and Jane’s much-envied relationship with Nico is soon tested by an agonizing secret from his past. Torn between her feelings for Nico and his fateful secret, Jane must decide: Does being true to herself mean giving up on true love?
The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White (Frankenstein)
Elizabeth Lavenza hasn’t had a proper meal in weeks. Her thin arms are covered with bruises from her “caregiver,” and she is on the verge of being thrown into the streets . . . until she is brought to the home of Victor Frankenstein, an unsmiling, solitary boy who has everything–except a friend. Victor is her escape from misery. Elizabeth does everything she can to make herself indispensable–and it works. She is taken in by the Frankenstein family and rewarded with a warm bed, delicious food, and dresses of the finest silk. Soon she and Victor are inseparable.
But her new life comes at a price. As the years pass, Elizabeth’s survival depends on managing Victor’s dangerous temper and entertaining his every whim, no matter how depraved. Behind her blue eyes and sweet smile lies the calculating heart of a girl determined to stay alive no matter the cost . . . as the world she knows is consumed by darkness.
Not Now, Not Ever by Lily Anderson (“The Importance of Being Earnest”)
Elliot Gabaroche is very clear on what she isn’t going to do this summer.
1. She isn’t going to stay home in Sacramento, where she’d have to sit through her stepmother’s sixth community theater production of The Importance of Being Earnest.
2. She isn’t going to mock trial camp at UCLA.
3. And she certainly isn’t going to the Air Force summer program on her mother’s base in Colorado Springs. Ellie’s seen three generations of her family go through USAF boot camp up close, and she knows that it’s much less Luke/Yoda/”feel the force,” and much more one hundred push-ups on three days of no sleep.
What she is going to do is pack up her attitude, her favorite Octavia Butler novels, and her Jordans, and go to summer camp. Specifically, a cutthroat academic-decathlon-like competition for a full scholarship to Rayevich College, the only college with a Science Fiction Literature program. And she’s going to start over as Ever Lawrence, on her own terms, without the shadow of all her family’s expectations. Because why do what’s expected of you when you can fight other genius nerds to the death for a shot at the dream you’re sure your family will consider a complete waste of time?
Sky Without Stars by Jessica Brody (Les Miserables)
When the Last Days came, the planet of Laterre promised hope. But five hundred years later, it’s now a place where an extravagant elite class reigns supreme; where the clouds hide the stars and the poor starve in the streets; where a rebel group, long thought dead, is resurfacing. Whispers of revolution have begun—a revolution that hinges on three unlikely heroes…
Chatine is a street-savvy thief who will do anything to escape the brutal Regime, including spying on Marcellus, the grandson of the most powerful man on the planet.
Marcellus is an officer—and the son of a traitor. Groomed to command by his legendary grandfather, Marcellus begins to doubt the government he’s vowed to serve when he discovers a cryptic message that only one person, a girl named Alouette, can read.
Alouette is living in an underground refuge, where she guards and protects the last surviving library on the planet. But a shocking murder will bring Alouette to the surface for the first time in twelve years…and plunge Laterre into chaos.
Once & Future by A.R. Capetta, Cory McCarthy (The Once and Future King)
When Ari crash-lands on Old Earth and pulls a magic sword from its ancient resting place, she is revealed to be the newest reincarnation of King Arthur. Then she meets Merlin, who has aged backward over the centuries into a teenager, and together they must break the curse that keeps Arthur coming back. Their quest? Defeat the cruel, oppressive government and bring peace and equality to all humankind.
No pressure.
Pride by Ibi Zoboi (Pride & Prejudice)
Zuri Benitez has pride. Brooklyn pride, family pride, and pride in her Afro-Latino roots. But pride might not be enough to save her rapidly gentrifying neighborhood from becoming unrecognizable.
When the wealthy Darcy family moves in across the street, Zuri wants nothing to do with their two teenage sons, even as her older sister, Janae, starts to fall for the charming Ainsley. She especially can’t stand the judgmental and arrogant Darius. Yet as Zuri and Darius are forced to find common ground, their initial dislike shifts into an unexpected understanding.