'March: Book Three' by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, illustrated by Nate Powell
"This memoir’s unique eyewitness view of epochal events makes it essential reading for an understanding of those times—and these. (Graphic memoir. 11 & up)"A living icon of the civil rights movement brings his frank and stirring account of the movement’s most tumultuous years (so far) to a climax.Read full book review.
'All We Have Left' by Wendy Mills
"Both a poignant contemplation on 9/11 and a necessary intervention in this current political climate. (timeline, author's note) (Fiction. 13-18)"This election cycle, with its exacerbated Islamophobia, makes author Mills' (Positively Beautiful, 2015) fictive meditation on 9/11 and the 15 years after especially timely.Read full book review.
'The Gilded Cage' by Lucinda Gray
"A fast-paced, satisfying historical novel with a gutsy heroine and an intriguing 19th-century mystery at its core. (Historical mystery. 12 & up)"Newfound family wealth draws a teenage Virginia farm girl into a murder mystery set in upper-crust England in the 1820s.Read full book review.
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'The Memory Book' by Lara Avery
"Indelible. (Fiction. 14 & up)"A high school valedictorian with big plans to flee her small town gets a degenerative genetic disease.Read full book review.
'American Girls' by Alison Umminger
"An insightful, original take on the coming-of-age story, this novel plumbs the depths of American culture to arrive at a poignant emotional truth. (author's note) (Fiction. 14 & up)"A bright, prickly teenager struggles to find her place while spending a summer exploring the contradictions of Hollywood, replete with beautiful actors, has-been pop stars, and the specter of the Manson girls.Read full book review.
'Read Me Like A Book' by Liz Kessler
"With an absorbing plot and believable dialogue, this novel demonstrates respect for teens’ fears and desires, ending on a hopeful note that steers clear of unconvincing platitudes. (Fiction. 14 & up)"Life is messy, people are imperfect—but Ashleigh learns that love really is all you need in this bighearted story of honesty and acceptance.Read full book review.
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'Mirror in the Sky' by Aditi Khorana
"Like a space explorer, Tara is thrust into the uncharted territory of life and must decide how she will navigate this new part of herself. (Fiction. 14 & up)"New friends and the discovery of a new planet cause one teen to question her life on Earth—and beyond.Read full book review.
'This is Not the End' by Jesse Jordan
"A wickedly funny examination of what it means to choose your own destiny. (Fantasy. 14-17)"A teenage outcast discovers he is the key to the world’s undoing.Read full book review.
'Steeplejack' by A.J. Hartley
"Smart political intrigue wrapped in all the twists and turns of a good detective story makes for a rip-roaring series opener. (Fantasy. 13 & up)"This latest novel from Hartley (Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, 2014, etc.), his debut for teens, is social commentary masquerading as crime fiction masquerading as fantasy.Read full book review.
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'Property of the State' by Bill Cameron
"An eminently satisfying series opener for mystery fans who want their downtrodden detectives to be appealing, clever, and unafraid of action. (Mystery. 14-18)"Foster teen Joey narrates events as he slowly uncovers a convoluted mystery, with a soupçon of romance added for spice.Read full book review.
'The Loose Ends List' by Carrie Firestone
"A poignant and important story about compassion, love, and the decision to live life on your own terms—right up to the very last minute: all aboard. (Fiction. 14-18)"A cancer diagnosis derails a teen’s summer plans.Read full book review.