These are the 2019 releases I’ve already read, loved, and think will stand the test of time to still be favorites a year from now. All are worth a pre-order.

PICTURE BOOKS

Where Are You From?

In which a girl who is asked where she’s really from turns to her abuelo for the answer.

Under My Hijab

Grandma wears it clasped under her chin. Aunty pins hers up with a beautiful brooch. Jenna puts it under a sun hat when she hikes. Zara styles hers to match her outfit. As a young girl observes six very different women in her life who each wear the hijab in a unique way, she also dreams of the rich possibilities of her own future, and how she will express her own personality through her hijab. Written in sprightly rhyme and illustrated by a talented newcomer, Under My Hijab honors the diverse lives of contemporary Muslim women and girls, their love for each other, and their pride in their culture and faith.

Say Something!

The world needs your voice.
If you have a brilliant idea…say something!
If you see an injustice…say something!
In this empowering new picture book, beloved author Peter H. Reynolds explores the many ways that a single voice can make a difference. Each of us, each and every day, have the chance to say something: with our actions, our words, and our voices. Perfect for kid activists everywhere, this timely story reminds readers of the undeniable importance and power of their voice. There are so many ways to tell the world who you are…what you are thinking…and what you believe. And how you’ll make it better. The time is now: SAY SOMETHING!

It’s Not Hansel and Gretel

In the fairytale mashup, Hansel and Gretel talk back to the narrator, refusing to play their roles.

Carl and the Meaning of Life

From the often Caldecott-buzzed Deborah Freedman, a sweet and funny story about finding your place in the world.
Carl is an earthworm. He spends his days happily tunneling in the soil until a field mouse asks him a simple question that stops him short: “Why?” Carl’s quest takes him on an adventure to meet all the animals of the forest, each of whom seems to know exactly what they were put on this earth to do, unlike the curious Carl. But it’s not until the world around him has changed that Carl begins to realize everyone, no matter how small, makes a big difference just by being themselves.

Dandy

From popular author Ame Dyckman and rising star Charles Santoso comes the laugh-out-loud story of a father desperate to destroy the dandelion marring his perfectly manicured lawn, and his daughter’s fierce attempts to save it.
When Daddy spots a solitary weed in his lawn, he’s appalled (along with all of his neighborhood friends). But his daughter Sweetie has fallen in love with the beautiful flower, even going so far as to name it Charlotte. Racing against time and the mockery of his friends, Daddy has to find a way to get rid of the errant dandelion without breaking his little girl’s heart.

The Roots of Rap: 16 Bars on the 4 Pillars of Hip Hop

Explore the roots of rap in this stunning, rhyming, triple-timing picture book!
A generation voicing
stories, hopes, and fears
founds a hip-hop nation.
Say holler if you hear.
The roots of rap and the history of hip-hop have origins that precede DJ Kool Herc and Grandmaster Flash. Kids will learn about how it evolved from folktales, spirituals, and poetry, to the showmanship of James Brown, to the culture of graffiti art and break dancing that formed around the art form and gave birth to the musical artists we know today. Written in lyrical rhythm by award-winning author and poet Carole Boston Weatherford and complete with flowing, vibrant illustrations by Frank Morrison, this book beautifully illustrates how hip-hop is a language spoken the whole world ’round, it and features a foreward by Swizz Beatz, a Grammy Award winning American hip-hop rapper, DJ, and record producer.

Remarkably You

Pat Zietlow Miller celebrates individuality in her picture book about the beauty of being yourself.
Remarkably You is a manifesto about all of the things—little or small, loud or quiet—that make us who we are.
You might go unnoticed, or shine like a star,
but wherever you go and whoever you are…
don’t change how you act to be just like the rest.
Believe in yourself and the things you do best.

The Undefeated 

The Newbery Award-winning author of THE CROSSOVER pens an ode to black American triumph and tribulation, with art from a two-time Caldecott Honoree.
Originally performed for ESPN’s The Undefeated, this poem is a love letter to black life in the United States. It highlights the unspeakable trauma of slavery, the faith and fire of the civil rights movement, and the grit, passion, and perseverance of some of the world’s greatest heroes. The text is also peppered with references to the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks, and others, offering deeper insights into the accomplishments of the past, while bringing stark attention to the endurance and spirit of those surviving and thriving in the present. Robust back matter at the end provides valuable historical context and additional detail for those wishing to learn more.

EARLY READER

I’m super excited about the new Acorn line for ages 4-7 new readers, a younger version of Scholastic’s Branches line. These are going to be perfect for my elementary students!
Pick a book. Grow a Reader! These series are part of Scholastic’s early reader line, Acorn, aimed at children who are learning to read. With easy-to-read text, a short-story format, plenty of humor, and full-color artwork on every page, these books will boost reading confidence and fluency. Acorn books plant a love of reading and help readers grow!

Hello, Crabby!

Crabby is NOT happy. Sun is in Crabby’s eyes. Salt is in Crabby’s teeth. Sand is in Crabby’s shell. Plankton tries again and again to cheer Crabby up — with laugh-out-loud results! Will Crabby ever crack a smile? Or will Crabby always be crabby? With comic speech bubbles and full-color artwork throughout, Geisel Award Honoree Jonathan Fenske’s early reader series is sure to be a hit with new readers!

Unicorn and Yeti: Sparkly New Friends

Unicorn has a horn and can do magic.
Yeti is big and furry and cannot do magic.
Yeti likes snowball fights.
Unicorn does not like snowball fights.
But Unicorn and Yeti both love sparkly things, hot chocolate with rainbow sprinkles, and — most of all — being best friends! These laugh-out-loud stories with full-color artwork and easy-to-read text throughout are perfect for new readers!

YOUNG ADULT

On the Come Up

Sixteen-year-old Bri wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. Or at least make it out of her neighborhood one day. As the daughter of an underground rap legend who died before he hit big, Bri’s got big shoes to fill. But now that her mom has unexpectedly lost her job, food banks and shutoff notices are as much a part of Bri’s life as beats and rhymes. With bills piling up and homelessness staring her family down, Bri no longer just wants to make it—she has to make it.
On the Come Up is Angie Thomas’s homage to hip-hop, the art that sparked her passion for storytelling and continues to inspire her to this day. It is the story of fighting for your dreams, even as the odds are stacked against you; of the struggle to become who you are and not who everyone expects you to be; and of the desperate realities of poor and working-class black families.

Internment

Rebellions are built on hope.
Set in a horrifying near-future United States, seventeen-year-old Layla Amin and her parents are forced into an internment camp for Muslim American citizens.
With the help of newly made friends also trapped within the internment camp, her boyfriend on the outside, and an unexpected alliance, Layla begins a journey to fight for freedom, leading a revolution against the internment camp’s Director and his guards.
Heart-racing and emotional, Internment challenges readers to fight complicit silence that exists in our society today.

Frankly in Love

This smart, romantic, and totally original coming-of-age YA contemporary debut about a Korean-American teen falling in (and out) of love is perfect for fans of The Sun is Also a Star, Eleanor & Park, and Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda.
High school senior Frank Li is a Limbo–his term for Korean-American kids who find themselves caught between their parents’ traditional expectations and their own Southern California upbringing. His parents have one rule when it comes to romance–“Date Korean”–which proves complicated when Frank falls for Brit Means, who is smart, beautiful–and white. Fellow Limbo Joy Song is in a similar predicament, and so they make a pact: they’ll pretend to date each other in order to gain their freedom. Frank thinks it’s the perfect plan, but in the end, Frank and Joy’s fake-dating maneuver leaves him wondering if he ever really understood love–or himself–at all.

There’s Something About Sweetie

Ashish Patel didn’t know love could be so…sucky. After he’s dumped by his ex-girlfriend, his mojo goes AWOL. Even worse, his parents are annoyingly, smugly confident they could find him a better match. So, in a moment of weakness, Ash challenges them to set him up.
The Patels insist that Ashish date an Indian-American girl—under contract. Per subclause 1(a), he’ll be taking his date on “fun” excursions like visiting the Hindu temple and his eccentric Gita Auntie. Kill him now. How is this ever going to work?
Sweetie Nair is many things: a formidable track athlete who can outrun most people in California, a loyal friend, a shower-singing champion. Oh, and she’s also fat. To Sweetie’s traditional parents, this last detail is the kiss of death.
Sweetie loves her parents, but she’s so tired of being told she’s lacking because she’s fat. She decides it’s time to kick off the Sassy Sweetie Project, where she’ll show the world (and herself) what she’s really made of.
Ashish and Sweetie both have something to prove. But with each date they realize there’s an unexpected magic growing between them. Can they find their true selves without losing each other?

With the Fire on High

With her daughter to care for and her abuela to help support, high school senior Emoni Santiago has to make the tough decisions, and do what must be done. The one place she can let her responsibilities go is in the kitchen, where she adds a little something magical to everything she cooks, turning her food into straight-up goodness. Still, she knows she doesn’t have enough time for her school’s new culinary arts class, doesn’t have the money for the class’s trip to Spain — and shouldn’t still be dreaming of someday working in a real kitchen. But even with all the rules she has for her life — and all the rules everyone expects her to play by — once Emoni starts cooking, her only real choice is to let her talent break free.

I really need to up my game with incorporating more nonfiction picture books into my reading plans and piles, as I know there were many more out this year that would be worthy of this list, but these are the standout memorable ones from what I read.

NONFICTION PICTURE BOOKS

Edit 1/6/19 – Correction: Why did I need to make a correction? Because I messed up. Native tribes are recognized sovereign Nations, thus any informational book about a Nation’s culture would clearly be categorized as a nonfiction book. I know this, and I still missed it. When looking through my list to pull out the nonfiction books, I glossed right over We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga as my mind didn’t even flag that it would be nonfiction. And that right there is a problem. It’s a problem for all of us because too often our society reinforces an inaccurate and stereotyped viewpoint that Native Nations only existed in the past. But there are currently 573 federally recognized tribes in the United States and each one is its own sovereign Nation whose enrolled members have dual citizenship in their Native Nation and the USA. We need to start thinking of Native Nations are contemporary thriving cultures (because they are), and we need students to hear books about them – both fiction and nonfiction – written by #ownvoices writers and illustrators. We learn from what we read and see, and that’s part of why We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga is a valuable book to share. I’ve read the book, I love the book, and I know it is telling the a real-life explanation of an important part of the Cherokee Nation’s cultural viewpoints, yet I still missed it. Thank you Traci Sorell for the reminder. And thank you Debbie Reese for always providing important viewpoints on twitter that remind us all what to keep in mind when reading books about Native Nations.

BIOGRAPHY PICTURE BOOKS

FICTION PICTURE BOOKS

EARLY READERS / TRANSITIONAL CHAPTER BOOKS

MIDDLE GRADE

GRAPHIC NOVELS
&
POETRY

YOUNG ADULT

This year for my picture book 10 for 10 list, I’m choosing to highlight & celebrate my favorite female-illustrated picture books of 2018.

both illustrated by Stephanie Laberis

I’m transitioning from being out of the classroom as a literacy consultant into a new role as a K-5 school library media specialist.
I am beyond excited, especially to be back sharing books with kids again, and I approached this year’s list a bit differently because I’ve been thinking so much about the picture books I’m eager to share with students once we get back to school, but I also know the books I might choose to read with my K-2 kids might be different from what I choose for my 3-5 kids.
So with all of that in mind, I’m sharing my 10 books for K-2 AND my 10 books for K-5, PLUS my 5 I’ll for sure share with both grade level groups, so there’s another 10 when shared twice (I told you it was creative counting this year!). I know Cathy will call me out on this (I know, I know, I make it my own, but I love the concept!), but that’s ok, because it’s more love for picture books, which is always a good thing!

Not Quite Narwhal by Jessie Sima
Flowers for Sarajevo by John McCutcheon, illus by Kristy Caldwell
When We Were Alone by David Alexander Robertson, illus by Julie Flett
Shark Lady by Jess Keating, illus by Marta Álvarez Miguéns
If Sharks Disappeared by Lily Williams
Claymates by Dev Petty, illus by Lauren Eldridge
That Neighbor Kid by Daniel Miyares (wordless)
My Heart Fills With Happiness by Monique Gray Smith, illus by Julie Flett (board book)
My Beautiful Birds by Suzanne del Rizzo
Early Sunday Morning by Denene Millner, illus by Vanessa Brantley-Newton
Life by Cynthia Rylant, illus by Brendan Wenzel
Blue Sky, White Stars by Sarvinder Naberhaus, illus by Kadir Nelson
My Kicks: A Sneaker Story! by Susan Verde, illus by Katie Kath
Out! by Arree Chung
A Perfect Day by Lane Smith
Beautiful by Stacy McAnulty, illus by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff

Barkus by Patricia MacLachlan, illus by Marc Boutavant
King & Kayla series by Dori Hillestead Butler, illus by Nancy Meyers
Charlie & Mouse by Laurel Snyder
Fergus and Zeke by Kate Messner
My Kite is Stuck! and Other Stories by Salina Yoon (book #2)
Super Narwhal and Jelly Jolt by Ben Clanton (book #2 in the early graphic novel series)

The Gauntlet by Karuna Riazi
The Time Museum by Matthew Loux (graphic novel)
Last Day on Mars by Kevin Emerson
Orphan Island by Laurel Snyder
Clayton Byrd Goes Underground by Rita Williams-Garcia
Miles Morales by Jason Reynolds (out Aug 1)

In a Perfect World by Trish Doller
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas – if there’s anyone left who hasn’t read it yet!
The Names They Gave Us by Emery Lord
Saints & Misfits by S.K. Ali
The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
Piecing Me Together by Renée Watson

*When possible, please support independent bookstores or your local library.

I had already read two of these books when I wrote my blog post in March, A Text Set to See Themselves In – Providing the Mirror or Window to get to the Sliding Door. At the time I said “I could too easily see my students in the pages of these stories, which makes them all the more impactful. These are the kinds of books our teens need to see in their classrooms, read, and discuss.” Well, I can now say for certain, all three of these are powerful books that need to be in teens’ hands as quickly and as often as we can get them there. I feel a sense of urgency about telling teachers to buy and share these books because I know exactly which former students of mine would have been changed for the better by reading these stories. Lives would have been affected by seeing themselves and their lives and their neighborhoods in these books. That’s a powerful thing to hand to an adolescent.

Please, buy/get The Hate U Give, Long Way Down, and Dear Martin. Read them. And then make sure the teens in your life do also. I promise you will not be sorry, and you will not walk away from any of these books the same you walked into them. They represent the power of story to change, validate, and affect the lives of the children in our society to make a better future for themselves, their neighborhoods, and all of us. My thoughts on each are below.

A powerful debut that grabs the reader from the start and doesn’t let go. You will ache from the injustice Justyce faces as he navigates a world that sees him primarily for the color of his skin, and secondarily for everything else beneath it. 


Another teen having to navigate a complicated world more messed up than he deserves. His story will strike a chord with the teens you know who look like Justyce and will seem themselves in his story, those who have friends who look like Justyce and want to better understand their stories, and, perhaps most importantly, those who judge and avoid teens who look like Justyce because just maybe it will give them a reason to think again. 


An important book to add to the conversation about police brutality and race relations in America and how it impacts the lives of black teen boys. Pair this with All American Boys & The Hate U Give, and open up conversations with teens, and adults, in your life.

Powerful. Important. Impactful. When people talk about window & mirror books, this is what they’re talking about, with the potential to be that sliding door for many. 


Starr’s voice is fantastic, and feels oh so real. For a debut book, this is a standout. It is written so well, and draws you into the story and makes you want to be a part of it. We care about these characters and their lives and the outcome. 


This book, and Starr’s insights made me feel like I could know my students’ lives better. A must-read for 8th & up, and a book that needs to be shared with students. Pair with All American Boys for an effective pairing to start conversation.

There is such power in reading aloud, sharing experiences with text, and celebrating the joy of picture books in all grade levels. I hope you gain some inspiration and find some new-to-you titles to add to your collection and share with students no matter what grade you teach.

*Disclaimer: This video could lead to numerous book purchases. Plan accordingly.

Sometimes Tim feels invisible at school-until one day, when Tim meets Sam. But Sam isn’t just any new friend: he’s a blue whale, and he can’t find his way home! Returning Sam to the sea is hard work, but Tim is determined to help. After all, it’s not every day you meet a new friend!
This picture book about the power of friendship by new talent Cale Atkinson is brought to life by charming, dynamic illustrations.

Perfect for a new generation of Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day readers, this charming story about a grumpy cat gently shows how far a little sharing can go. Bernice is having a truly rotten time at her friend’s birthday party. First, everyone else gets a piece of cake with a frosting rose. But not Bernice. Then, everyone else gets strawberry-melon soda. Bernice gets the prune-grapefruit juice. And it’s warm. The last straw is the one lousy (squished) candy she gets from the piñata. So when the balloons arrive, Bernice knows just what she has to do: grab them all. And then, poor cross Bernice gets carried up, up, and away. Luckily, she figures out just how to make her way back down to the party…and she brightens lots of other animals’ days on her way.
Hannah Harrison’s gorgeous animal paintings come alive in her second picture book. Her “exceptionally polished” debut, Extraordinary Jane, received starred reviews from Kirkus, Publisher’s Weekly, and  School Library Journal. 

Just behind an ordinary housefilled with too little fun,Ernest D. decides that today will be the day he explores the depths of his pond.
Beyond the pond, he discovers a not-so-ordinary world that will change him forever.

Firefly. Cricket. Vole. Peter. Can four creatures from four very different Nations help one another find their ways in the world that can feel oh-so-big? Delve into this lush, unforgettable tale in the tradition of Charlotte’s Web and The Rats of NIMH, from the author of the New York Times bestselling Someday.
Firefly doesn’t merely want to fly, she wants to touch the moon. Cricket doesn’t merely want to sing about baseball, he wants to catch. When these two little creatures with big dreams wander out of Firefly Hollow, refusing to listen to their elders, they find themselves face-to-face with the one creature they were always told to stay away from…a giant.
But Peter is a Miniature Giant. They’ve always been told that a Miniature Giant is nothing but a Future Giant, but this one just isn’t quite as big or as scary as the other Giants. Peter has a dream of his own, as well as memories to escape. He is overwhelmed with sadness, and a summer with his new unlikely friends Firefly and Cricket might be just what he needs. Can these friends’ dreams help them overcome the past?
Firefly Hollow is nothing short of enchanting, reminding us all that the very best friend is the one who wants you to achieve your dreams. Full-color tip-in illustrations and dozens of black-and-white drawing provide added glow.

When a country raccoon used to a soft life winds up all alone in the big city, there’s no telling what he’ll do to survive — and to save his fellow wild animals in the process.
Kit, a young raccoon, has lived his whole life under the Big Sky in the comfort of his parents’ burrow. But when a pack of hunting dogs destroy his home and kill his parents, Kit finds himself in Ankle Snap Alley, a city in the midst of a turf war between the Wild Ones and the people’s pets who call themselves The Flealess. There he follows the clues his parents left behind to uncover the secret that they died for–the existence of an ancient truce that gives Ankle Snap Alley to the Wild Ones. But The Flealess will stop at nothing to keep that secret buried forever–and Kit is in serious danger.   Perfect for fans of the Warriors, Spirit Animals, or Redwall series, this first book in the Wild Ones epic is sure capture young readers’ imaginations and take them on a great adventure. 

In her first novel since winning the Newbery Medal, Katherine Applegate delivers an unforgettable and magical story about family, friendship, and resilience.
Jackson and his family have fallen on hard times. There’s no more money for rent. And not much for food, either. His parents, his little sister, and their dog may have to live in their minivan. Again.
Crenshaw is a cat. He’s large, he’s outspoken, and he’s imaginary. He has come back into Jackson’s life to help him. But is an imaginary friend enough to save this family from losing everything?
Beloved author Katherine Applegate proves in unexpected ways that friends matter, whether real or imaginary.

For fans of Raina Telgemeier’s Smile, a heartwarming graphic novel about friendship and surviving junior high through the power of roller derby. 
Twelve-year-old Astrid has always done everything with her best friend Nicole. So when Astrid signs up for roller derby camp, she assumes Nicole will too. But Nicole signs up for dance camp with a new friend instead, and so begins the toughest summer of Astrid’s life. There are bumps and bruises as Astrid learns who she is without Nicole…and what it takes to be a strong, tough roller girl. 

If seventeen-year-old Skylar Evans were a typical Creek View girl, her future would involve a double-wide trailer, a baby on her hip, and the graveyard shift at Taco Bell. But after graduation, the only thing standing between straightedge Skylar and art school are three minimum-wage months of summer. Skylar can taste the freedom—that is, until her mother loses her job and everything starts coming apart. Torn between her dreams and the people she loves, Skylar realizes everything she’s ever worked for is on the line.
Nineteen-year-old Josh Mitchell had a different ticket out of Creek View: the Marines. But after his leg is blown off in Afghanistan, he returns home, a shell of the cocksure boy he used to be. What brings Skylar and Josh together is working at the Paradise—a quirky motel off California’s dusty Highway 99. Despite their differences, their shared isolation turns into an unexpected friendship and soon, something deeper. 

In an unforgettable new novel from award-winning authors Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely, two teens—one black, one white—grapple with the repercussions of a single violent act that leaves their school, their community, and, ultimately, the country bitterly divided by racial tension.
A bag of chips. That’s all sixteen-year-old Rashad is looking for at the corner bodega. What he finds instead is a fist-happy cop, Paul Galuzzi, who mistakes Rashad for a shoplifter, mistakes Rashad’s pleadings that he’s stolen nothing for belligerence, mistakes Rashad’s resistance to leave the bodega as resisting arrest, mistakes Rashad’s every flinch at every punch the cop throws as further resistance and refusal to STAY STILL as ordered. But how can you stay still when someone is pounding your face into the concrete pavement?
But there were witnesses: Quinn Collins—a varsity basketball player and Rashad’s classmate who has been raised by Paul since his own father died in Afghanistan—and a video camera. Soon the beating is all over the news and Paul is getting threatened with accusations of prejudice and racial brutality. Quinn refuses to believe that the man who has basically been his savior could possibly be guilty. But then Rashad is absent. And absent again. And again. And the basketball team—half of whom are Rashad’s best friends—start to take sides. As does the school. And the town. Simmering tensions threaten to explode as Rashad and Quinn are forced to face decisions and consequences they had never considered before.
Written in tandem by two award-winning authors, this tour de force shares the alternating perspectives of Rashad and Quinn as the complications from that single violent moment, the type taken from the headlines, unfold and reverberate to highlight an unwelcome truth. 

Laia is a slave. 
Elias is a soldier. 
Neither is free.
Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.
It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.
But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.
There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself. 

What books are you buying as gifts this year?

      In an unforgettable new novel from award-winning authors Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely, two teens—one black, one white—grapple with the repercussions of a single violent act that leaves their school, their community, and, ultimately, the country bitterly divided by racial tension.
      A bag of chips. That’s all sixteen-year-old Rashad is looking for at the corner bodega. What he finds instead is a fist-happy cop, Paul Galluzzo, who mistakes Rashad for a shoplifter, mistakes Rashad’s pleadings that he’s stolen nothing for belligerence, mistakes Rashad’s resistance to leave the bodega as resisting arrest, mistakes Rashad’s every flinch at every punch the cop throws as further resistance and refusal to STAY STILL as ordered. But how can you stay still when someone is pounding your face into the concrete pavement?
      But there were witnesses: Quinn Collins—a varsity basketball player and Rashad’s classmate who has been raised by Paul since his own father died in Afghanistan—and a video camera. Soon the beating is all over the news and Paul is getting threatened with accusations of prejudice and racial brutality. Quinn refuses to believe that the man who has basically been his savior could possibly be guilty. But then Rashad is absent. And absent again. And again. And the basketball team—half of whom are Rashad’s best friends—start to take sides. As does the school. And the town. Simmering tensions threaten to explode as Rashad and Quinn are forced to face decisions and consequences they had never considered before.
      Written in tandem by two award-winning authors, this tour de force shares the alternating perspectives of Rashad and Quinn as the complications from that single violent moment, the type taken from the headlines, unfold and reverberate to highlight an unwelcome truth.

My thoughts:


I’m not sure my words will be able to adequately express the importance of this book and the urgency I feel to get it into hands of my urban teens specifically, and all teens generally. 


This is a book to start conversations, in our classrooms and with each other. It’s a book to make you take a step back and look at bias in your own life. 


The power in this book lies in the stripped down simplicity-two boys, two views, one incident, which, through the honesty and realness of the characters who are dealing with complex issues of race, community, perceptions, stereotypes, and assumptions, is able to address a timely issue in a way teens will be able to relate to without feeling lectured at. 


Reynolds and Kiely have written a story that stays true to the teen voice and the inner struggle of trying to understand things that don’t make sense, and wanting to change but not knowing how, wanting to fight for what’s right in the face of outside pressures, and how that all impacts relationships with family and friends. 


It’s a gut-wrenching book because of how easy it was for me to picture my own students’ faces and voices in place of Rashad’s & Quinn’s, and in how it made me think about privilege while keeping the focus on these characters and the many real people who have been affected by racial incidents of police brutality. I especially appreciated that the two characters were the forefront, but had friends, teachers, and family who all affected their actions and decisions in a true to life way. 


It’s honest, real, powerful, and oh so important. 


It’s a book people need to read. 

“All-American Boys is amazing. I’m literally at a loss of words to explain how I feel. It was so powerful.” (Larry)

“I think this book is really good. But there’s more than just good. There is a deeper meaning to the book.” (Harrison) 

“This book is so powerful. It has let everyone know about racism that has been going around lately.” (Madelyn) 

“[The authors] produced a thoughtful way to write about what is going on these days.”(Malik) 

“I feel this book had a goal to have you look at society different and it did…” (Alex) 

“I liked this book a lot! It is definitely a part of my Top 10. I think it is a different way to talk about police brutality. I am scared for my black family.” (Aalisiyah) 

“All-American Boys was a really powerful story. Altogether the story was amazing.” (anon) 

“This book gives the best inside look on black and white societies and perspectives of teenagers.” (Kimi) 

“All-American Boys really affected me. Why are black people portrayed as the bad guy? I think this book shows that this is wrong. People appear to be more racist than they think. It’s sad that not many people notice this.” (Carlos) 

“I think most people can relate to this book.” (Rosita) 

“These are things that are happening today, police brutality. It’s not just in the book, it’s in real life this stuff happens in real life. And it’s not fair.” (Roman)

image from Emery’s website

I adored Emery Lord’s debut novel, Open Road Summer, and was thrilled to hear she had a second book coming. I was even more thrilled when I was asked for my address to have an early copy of The Start of Me and You sent to me. I adored Emery’s second book also, and even though it’s very different in feel, it maintains that same lyrical beauty to the writing that I was enamored with in her first book. And I love the gorgeousness of her books covers. Emery Lord is, without a doubt, a new author on my favorites list. If you haven’t read her books yet, what are you waiting for? You can read the synopsis and my thoughts for each of them below.

Title: OPEN ROAD SUMMER
Release Date: April 15, 2014
Number of Pages: 352
Source of Book: ARC from Publisher (Thanks Bloomsbury!)

After breaking up with her bad-news boyfriend, Reagan O’Neill is ready to leave her rebellious ways behind. . . and her best friend, country superstar Lilah Montgomery, is nursing a broken heart of her own. Fortunately, Lilah’s 24-city tour is about to kick off, offering a perfect opportunity for a girls-only summer of break-up ballads and healing hearts. But when Matt Finch joins the tour as its opening act, his boy-next-door charm proves difficult for Reagan to resist, despite her vow to live a drama-free existence. This summer, Reagan and Lilah will navigate the ups and downs of fame and friendship as they come to see that giving your heart to the right person is always a risk worth taking. A fresh new voice in contemporary romance, Emery Lord’s gorgeous writing hits all the right notes.

Love this book so, so much! Read it in one day because I couldn’t stop until I knew how it ended. It’s a special book…well-written, honest characters, sass, romance, music, and heart.




Title: THE START OF ME AND YOU
Release Date: March 31, 2015
Number of Pages:
Source of Book: ARC from Publisher (Thanks Bloomsbury!)

Following her pitch-perfect debut Open Road Summer, Emery Lord pens another gorgeous story of best friends, new love & second chances.
       It’s been a year since it happened—when Paige Hancock’s first boyfriend died in an accident. After shutting out the world for a year, Paige is finally ready for a second chance at high school . . . and she has a plan. First: Get her old crush, Ryan Chase, to date her—the perfect way to convince everyone she’s back to normal. Next: Join a club—simple, it’s high school after all. But when Ryan’s sweet, nerdy cousin, Max, moves to town and recruits Paige for the Quiz Bowl team (of all things!) her perfect plan is thrown for a serious loop. Will Paige be able to face her fears and finally open herself up to the life she was meant to live?
       Brimming with heartfelt relationships and authentic high-school dynamics The Start of Me and You proves that it’s never too late for second chances.

I am so in love with Emery Lord’s books! Her writing is beautiful, her stories are quietly powerful, and they are so full of honesty and truth and hope that they make me want to be better. Hope for relationships, hope for the future, hope for teens just starting to figure themselves out. I adored Open Road Summer and immediately knew that I had found a new author to add to my favorites/must-buy list, and although The Start of Me and You is very different, it solidified for me that I was right on that first assessment of Emery Lord’s potential as an author of contemporary realistic stories with sweet romances and the importance of friendships and family. Here stories are character-driven, and the characters are done so well. The Start of You and Me has elements to character that are so deftly layered in Lord’s hands that I felt as if these characters were my own friends. There is such a realness to her character building that the issues and circumstances of her characters resonate with the reader. The Start of Me and You resonates with elements of grief, divorce, siblings, family suffering with Alzheimers, friendships, crushes, dreams for the future, going for what you want, not seeing the person right in front of you, and pushing yourself to be the best you. What I adore about Emery Lord’s stories is that they aren’t just about the boy-the boy is there, but it’s about the girl figuring herself out first before being ready for a boy. And it’s about a great, nice boy-the kind that you would want the girls you care about to end up with. Beyond the nice guys, Emery Lord writes wonderful girl friendships in a way that makes me want to buy her books for my best friends, and hand them to my students to see what supportive girl friendships are really all about. I can’t wait to see what Lord will write next, but in the meantime, I’ll be recommending this book (and her last one) over and over again!




And I absolutely can’t wait for Emery Lord’s next book, When We Collided, coming from Bloomsbury in 2016. She is for sure a new author on my favorites list which makes her an automatic must-buy for any new books she writes.

I like looking back at my reading “year in review” and being reminded of all of the worlds I’ve spent time in and characters I’ve gotten to know over the past year of reading. In looking back at this year, I read many more picture books, tried to get to more middle grades because of my committee obligations, and started a #bookaday picture book read aloud goal with my classes for this school year. All in all, 2014 was a great year of reading, although I did feel that I was doing more reading out of obligation instead of just by choice/pleasure, which might have impacted what I was able to read, and felt like I missed a lot of YA books I wish I would have had the chance to read.

I have been obsessed with Michelle Hodkin‘s debut series ever since I first read an early copy of THE UNBECOMING OF MARA DYER in June of 2011 and stayed up way too late because I couldn’t stop reading and woke up too early after a late night because I needed to know what would happen. It instantly became my most often recommended book to all of my friends and students.

Instead of just sharing my thoughts about the final book, I’ve put my thoughts from all three books in the same place in the hope that if you haven’t yet listened to my recommendation to read. this. book. now., this will inspire you to now that you can read through the whole trilogy at once (and not have to wait over three years like I did!).

Mara Dyer wants to believe there’s more to the lies she’s been told.

There is.

She doesn’t stop to think about where her quest for the truth might lead.

She should.

She never had to imagine how far she would go for vengeance.

She will now.

Loyalties are betrayed, guilt and innocence tangle, and fate and chance collide in this shocking conclusion to Mara Dyer’s story.

Retribution has arrived. 

Oh how I love this series! The ending was worth the wait for Michelle to get it just right, and she did. There were expletives said, sections reread, mind blown, paragraphs & lines savored, questions answered, connections to the previous books, smirks on my face, cheers in my head, and fulfillment felt as I read through this final chapter in the Mara Dyer saga.

Mara Dyer believes life can’t get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.It can. 
She believes there must be more to the accident she can’t remember that killed her friends and left her strangely unharmed. There is.
She doesn’t believe that after everything she’s been through, she can fall in love. She’s wrong.

THE UNBECOMING OF MARA DYER is one of the most interesting books that I have read in awhile. It blew my mind, kept me on my toes, crawled under my skin, tugged at my heart, and won’t get out of my head. It is a multi-layered story: part psychological thriller, part epic teen romance, part high school story, part mystery, part family dynamics, and part suspense. Oh, and I can’t forget the slight paranormal tendencies (in the mental sense not creatures) underlying the events of this book. It is a page-turning, hard to put down, want to know what will happen and how the main character will figure it all out kind of book. It starts with a note from Mara setting up the premise that she’s going to be telling you her story (under a pseudonym) of why her life is not normal. It’s definitely a book you have to read with an open mind so you can just go with it. At times I thought, “oh, this is like ___” only to find out I was wrong, but I could definitely see the influences of other YA books, but done with unique twists. There are lots of “what is going on?!” and “did that just happen?!” moments, but that’s what made it so much more readable.


Michelle Hodkin (a debut author!) has an engaging writing style that is a nice balance of descriptive, exciting, humorous, suspenseful, sarcastic, and intelligent. It just draws you in without even realizing it and you find yourself negotiating “just one more chapter before I go to sleep” fifteen times in a row until you can’t keep your eyes open anymore. Parts of this book (especially the dialogue) were so smile to myself entertaining I found myself rereading them just to soak them in more and deeply process the subtle references and entertaining quality.


And the main character Michelle has written in Mara? Not the most reliable, or most sane, but she’s got an awesome sass to her that I love, and underneath her insecurity and unsureness has a strength and integrity that drew me to her even more. Mara doesn’t remember what happened the night the building collapsed and her friends were killed. One of the best parts of this book is the way that Mara’s memories of that night start to come back to her. We get flashbacks through her dreams as she gets them – leaving us feeling as unsure as Mara does about what’s going on – but eventually we finally get the whole story of that night and the story comes together really well. It’s written in the way that makes you feel like the character is feeling at that point in the book – you’ll be scared, hopeful, worried, confused, happy, and freaked out when Mara is feeling that way as you go through the story with her.


Should we talk boys now? How about my newest (and quite possibly best ever) literary crush – Noah Shaw. Really, after reading it, I sigh just hearing his name. I love, love, love Noah’s character. He’s got a great way of talking (and lots of hidden secrets to come) and interacting and being that is just captivating. The parts I found myself rereading the most were the interactions between Mara and Noah. Now, I should warn you, at first I was a little skeptical because he seemed like the stereotypical bad boy, insta-crush, jerk to girls, love interest character, but there’s much, much more than meets the eye (or rumor mill as the case may be) with Noah Shaw. Don’t let his early interactions fool you – there is an epic sort of romance that develops between Mara and Noah that will have you swooning by the end.


Secondary characters deserve a mention too – maybe because I have two brothers myself and am the middle/only girl, I really enjoyed Mara’s relationship with her brothers – especially her older brother Daniel. He’s great. He watches out for her, covers for her, protects her, and pushes her to get out there. I want a big brother like him. We also see Mara at her new school after they move out of state and meet her new friend Jamie. He is awesomely sarcastic and witty and good comedic relief. He also serves as commentary to set the stage for what’s going on in the new school’s dynamics. I enjoyed reading both Daniel’s and Jamie’s characters; I would have liked a little more of Jamie though.


This book all leads up to an ending that is unexpected and left me wondering What?! How did that happen?! It made me want to go back and reread the whole book with that new perspective and see if it changed my thoughts on earlier parts of the story. It ends at a point that added a final cliffhanger of a twist and left me hoping that there would be more – and there will be a sequel (thank goodness because I need answers!) You may feel a little off balance at the end of this one, but I truly think that’s part of the reason that it is so good. I want my stories to surprise me once in awhile and this one was definitely surprising. Be on the lookout for THE UNBECOMING OF MARA DYER in September!

Mara Dyer once believed she could run from her past.She can’t.
She used to think her problems were all in her head.They aren’t.
She couldn’t imagine that after everything she’s been through, the boy she loves would still be keeping secrets.She’s wrong.
In this gripping sequel to The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, the truth evolves and choices prove deadly. What will become of Mara Dyer next?

I’m not totally sure how to express my feelings about this book because there are so many! My immediate thoughts at the end of it included some unprintable words because I was so blown away. I obsessively loved THE UNBECOMING OF MARA DYER when I got an early read of it last year, and was eagerly anticipating reading the sequel, THE EVOLUTION OF MARA DYER, and was extremely lucky to be able to get an early copy loaned to me, and it completely lived up to the anticipation I had going into it. This was a strong second book that definitely matched up to my love of the first book.


I adore Michelle Hodkin, but I finished this book feeling like she’s a diabolical genius of a writer. It surprises me that she wasn’t a writer before this, and I hope she continues to be one for a long time. Maybe that’s part of the reason that I enjoy her writing so much, it came from a spark of an idea for a story, and because her background is diverse, there’s a spark to the writing that just really clicks for me. The way the writing is paced, the intelligence to it, the unreliable narrator, the mood, the witty banter, the uncomfortable suspense of not knowing what’s going to happen, the love and support of family, the heart at the center of this chaotic psychological thriller, and, yes, the romance, too…it all grabs me and doesn’t let me go. I read 544 pages in two days (and those were teaching/working days!) because I just couldn’t stop reading. It’s a long book that doesn’t feel long. It’s a sequel that keeps the story moving, but is interesting in its own right. So much was revealed in this book about what’s really going on with Mara and Noah and everything that happened. I appreciated that we were given so much information and many questions were answered, but some still are not and more were created that make me anxious to see where this is all headed.


Interestingly, I didn’t think this book had as much of the creepy feeling as the first one, but it definitely had suspenseful and psychological tension to it. Favorite characters were back, and new intriguing ones were introduced. Family support and love is still central to the relationships that hold Mara together. And I can’t forget the romantic storyline between Mara and Noah Shaw, which because of their unique abilities, becomes even more difficult for them to manage. At its heart, there are questions of truth, reality, trust, faith…all the things that make for a conflicted character who is just trying to hold it all together against odds that seem stacked against her.


As much as I loved this book, there was one thing bugged me. There was a clue fairly early on to a twist that seemed so obvious to me, and Mara is very intelligent, and so it seemed like she should have realized it, but I guess she is dealing with quite a bit of psychosis stuff at this point, so I should cut her some slack for not catching it. I’m still thrilled there is going to be a third book, THE RETRIBUTION OF MARA DYER, coming in 2013, especially after the twists and reveals of the ending of this book! Not sure how I’ll be able to wait so long!

If you want to head back into the world of the Wolves of Mercy Falls and back into Cole St. Clair’s head (and, really, why wouldn’t you?), try SINNER by Maggie Stiefvater.

A standalone companion book to the internationally bestselling Shiver Trilogy. 
Sinner follows Cole St. Clair, a pivotal character from the #1 New York Times bestselling Shiver Trilogy. Everybody thinks they know Cole’s story. Stardom. Addiction. Downfall. Disappearance. But only a few people know Cole’s darkest secret — his ability to shift into a wolf. One of these people is Isabel. At one point, they may have even loved each other. But that feels like a lifetime ago. Now Cole is back. Back in the spotlight. Back in the danger zone. Back in Isabel’s life. Can this sinner be saved?

If you want something different that is a must-read with a guy main character (that might make you cry a bit), try WINGER by Andrew Smith.

        Ryan Dean West is a fourteen-year-old junior at a boarding school for rich kids. He’s living in Opportunity Hall, the dorm for troublemakers, and rooming with the biggest bully on the rugby team. And he’s madly in love with his best friend Annie, who thinks of him as a little boy.
        With the help of his sense of humor, rugby buddies, and his penchant for doodling comics, Ryan Dean manages to survive life’s complications and even find some happiness along the way. But when the unthinkable happens, he has to figure out how to hold on to what’s important, even when it feels like everything has fallen apart.
        Filled with hand-drawn info-graphics and illustrations and told in a pitch-perfect voice, this realistic depiction of a teen’s experience strikes an exceptional balance of hilarious and heartbreaking.

If you want to read a magical fantasy book whose entire trilogy is already out so you don’t have to wait to find out what happens, that will make you wonder why you didn’t read it two years ago, try SHADOW & BONE by Leigh Bardugo.

        The Shadow Fold, a swathe of impenetrable darkness, crawling with monsters that feast on human flesh, is slowly destroying the once-great nation of Ravka.
        Alina, a pale, lonely orphan, discovers a unique power that thrusts her into the lavish world of the kingdom’s magical elite—the Grisha. Could she be the key to unravelling the dark fabric of the Shadow Fold and setting Ravka free?
        The Darkling, a creature of seductive charm and terrifying power, leader of the Grisha. If Alina is to fulfill her destiny, she must discover how to unlock her gift and face up to her dangerous attraction to him.
        But what of Mal, Alina’s childhood best friend? As Alina contemplates her dazzling new future, why can’t she ever quite forget him?
        Glorious. Epic. Irresistible. Romance.

If you want a heart-warming book for the middle grade level, from a wonderful debut writer voice, that celebrates words and relationships and will leave you believing that there just might be some magic in this world after all, try A SNICKER OF MAGIC by Natalie Lloyd.

      Introducing an extraordinary new voice—a magical debut that will make your skin tingle, your eyes glisten . . .and your heart sing.
      Midnight Gulch used to be a magical place, a town where people could sing up thunderstorms and dance up sunflowers. But that was long ago, before a curse drove the magic away. Twelve-year-old Felicity knows all about things like that; her nomadic mother is cursed with a wandering heart.
      But when she arrives in Midnight Gulch, Felicity thinks her luck’s about to change. A “word collector,” Felicity sees words everywhere—shining above strangers, tucked into church eves, and tangled up her dog’s floppy ears—but Midnight Gulch is the first place she’s ever seen the word “home.” And then there’s Jonah, a mysterious, spiky-haired do-gooder who shimmers with words Felicity’s never seen before, words that make Felicity’s heart beat a little faster.
      Felicity wants to stay in Midnight Gulch more than anything, but first, she’ll need to figure out how to bring back the magic, breaking the spell that’s been cast over the town . . . and her mother’s broken heart.

My thoughts: This is a special book. Natalie Lloyd has written a magical, enchanting book that pulls at the reader to keep turning pages and believe in magic. A heartwarming book that is a must-read for middle grades.

If you want something gritty, with perspectives that will make you (or your students) question your own perceptions and what is truth, try HOW IT WENT DOWN by Kekla Magoon.

        In Kekla Magoon’s How It Went Down, when sixteen-year-old Tariq Johnson dies from two gunshot wounds, his community is thrown into an uproar. Tariq was black. The shooter, Jack Franklin, is white.
        In the aftermath of Tariq’s death, everyone has something to say, but no two accounts of the events line up. By the day, new twists and turns further obscure the truth.
        Tariq’s friends, family, and community struggle to make sense of the tragedy, and of the hole left behind when a life is cut short. In their own words, they grapple for a way to say with certainty: This is how it went down.

If you want something wholly different and truly unique that is a historical-ish story intertwined and interwoven with stunningly gorgeous wordless graphic illustrations, whose whole is told via both individual stories in a twisty way, try IN THE SHADOWS by Kiersten White & Jim Di Bartolo.

From the remarkable imagination of acclaimed artist Jim Di Bartolo and the exquisite pen of bestselling author Kiersten White comes a spellbinding story of love, mystery, and dark conspiracy, told in an alternating narrative of words and pictures. 
Cora and Minnie are sisters living in a small, stifling town where strange and mysterious things occur. Their mother runs the local boarding house. Their father is gone. The woman up the hill may or may not be a witch. 
Thomas and Charles are brothers who’ve been exiled to the boarding house so Thomas can tame his ways and Charles can fight an illness that is killing him with increasing speed. Their family history is one of sorrow and guilt. They think they can escape from it . . . but they can’t.

If you want something to read in August that is stunningly beautiful free verse and a brilliant new take on the memoir, try BROWN GIRL DREAMING by Jacqueline Woodson.

Jacqueline Woodson, one of today’s finest writers, tells the moving story of her childhood in mesmerizing verse.  Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement. Touching and powerful, each poem is both accessible and emotionally charged, each line a glimpse into a child’s soul as she searches for her place in the world. Woodson’s eloquent poetry also reflects the joy of finding her voice through writing stories, despite the fact that she struggled with reading as a child. Her love of stories inspired her and stayed with her, creating the first sparks of the gifted writer she was to become.

>>Fair Warning: The following are September releases, but they’re so good I’ve been recommending them since I first read advance copies of them. And you can pre-order now so you won’t forget about them in the back-to-school craziness.<<

If you want a September debut contemporary with some romance, but mostly about a kick-butt, strong female main character who enters a previously all boys military academy (that I know will be at the top of my students’ want-to-read lists), try RITES OF PASSAGE by Joy N. Hensley.

       Sam McKenna’s never turned down a dare. And she’s not going to start with the last one her brother gave her before he died.
       So Sam joins the first-ever class of girls at the prestigious Denmark Military Academy. She’s expecting push-ups and long runs, rope climbing and mud-crawling. As a military brat, she can handle an obstacle course just as well as the boys. She’s even expecting the hostility she gets from some of the cadets who don’t think girls belong there. What she’s not expecting is her fiery attraction to her drill sergeant. But dating is strictly forbidden and Sam won’t risk her future, or the dare, on something so petty…no matter how much she wants him.
       As Sam struggles to prove herself, she discovers that some of the boys don’t just want her gone—they will stop at nothing to drive her out. When their petty threats turn to brutal hazing, bleeding into every corner of her life, she realizes they are not acting alone. A decades-old secret society is alive and active… and determined to force her out.       At any cost.
       Now time’s running short. Sam must decide who she can trust…and choosing the wrong person could have deadly consequences.

If you want something to add to your fall TBR list that is a diverse, powerful story for older YA, from a fresh, new writer, try THE SECRET SKY: A Novel of Forbidden Love in Afghanistan by Atia Abawi.

A novel of love during a time of war by NBC’s Afghanistan correspondent                                            Set in present-day Afghanistan, this is the story of two teenagers, one Pashtun and one Hazara, who must fight against their culture, their tradition, their families, and the Taliban to stay together. Told in three rotating perspectives—the two teens and another boy in the village who turns them in to the local Taliban—this novel depicts both the violent realities of living in Afghanistan, as well as the beauty of the land and the cultures there. And it shows that love can bloom in even the darkest of places.
        This is an absolute must read not just for teens but for anyone who has lived during the time of America’s War in Afghanistan.

Elizabeth Eulberg is one of my favorite authors when I want a guaranteed enjoyable book (we bonded over our cheeseheadedness) and have been a huge fan of all of her books since I first read THE LONELY HEARTS CLUB. Then came PROM & PREJUDICE, followed by TAKE A BOW, and the latest, REVENGE OF THE GIRL WITH THE GREAT PERSONALITY. So I was thrilled when I heard that Elizabeth’s latest book was set in Wisconsin (finally!) and even more excited when I was able to get an early copy of BETTER OFF FRIENDS to read in September. And let me tell you, I was up early the next morning to keep reading the book because I couldn’t stop thinking about Macallan and Levi. When I finished later that day, I declared it Elizabeth Eulberg’s best book yet. And now (well, tomorrow) you get to read it, too! We Wisconsin bloggers were so excited that Elizabeth’s launch part would be in Milwaukee, and I knew I had to be a part of the blog tour. And the best part? Elizabeth is visiting my school today! 

*If you can’t make it to the launch party event,  SIGNED copies can be pre-ordered or purchased after the Better Off Friends Launch Party through Boswell Books by calling (414) 332-1181. If you want it personalized, you have one more day to order!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Not all of these released in 2013, that’s just when I read them. Also, I have not included any 2014 releases that I read for this list, but I will be posting a favorites list for those on January 3rd.


Standalones
THE COLDEST GIRL IN COLDTOWN by Holly Black
THE REAL BOY by Anne Ursu
SOMETHING LIKE NORMAL by Trish Doller
THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US by Kasie West
OUT OF THE EASY by Ruta Sepetys
GHOST HAWK by Susan Cooper
JUMPING OFF SWINGS by Jo Knowles
WHERE THE STARS STILL SHINE by Trish Doller
MY LIFE AFTER NOW by Jessica Verdi
TWO BOYS KISSING by David Levithan
OCTOBER MOURNING: A SONG FOR MATTHEW SHEPARD by Leslea Newman

Picture Books
Journey by Aaron Becker
Mr. Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown
The Dark by Lemony Snicket
On a Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein by Jennifer Berne
Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds
Rocket Writes a Story by Tad Hills
Exclamation Mark by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Mr. Zinger’s Hat by Cary Fagan
Flora & the Flamingo by Molly Idle
A Day With No Crayons by Elizabeth Rusch

Series Starters
BOY NOBODY by Allen Zadoff
I HUNT KILLERS by Barry Lyga
THE TESTING by Joelle Charbonneau
THE LIVING by Matt de la Pena
THE 5th WAVE by Rick Yancey
THE NATURALS by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
THE RULES FOR DISAPPEARING by Ashley Elston

Continuing Series
PERFECT SCOUNDRELS by Ally Carter (3rd book in HEIST SOCIETY series)
BANG by Lisa McMann (book 2 in Visions series)
CROWN OF MIDNIGHT by Sarah J. Maas (book 2 in THRONE OF GLASS series)
ENDLESS by Jessica Shirvington (book 4 in EMBRACE series)
CRASH INTO YOU by Katie McGarry (book 3 in PUSHING THE LIMITS series)
THE RUNAWAY KING by Jennifer A. Nielsen (book 2 in THE FALSE PRINCE series)
SNAKEROOT by Andrea Cremer (book 4 in the NIGHTSHADE series/start of NIGHTSHADE LEGACY series)

Series Finales
CHAMPION by Marie Lu (finale in LEGEND series)
CLOCKWORK PRINCESS by Cassandra Clare (3rd book in Infernal Devices series)
INFINITYGLASS by Myra McEntire (finale of HOURGLASS series)
JUST ONE YEAR by Gayle Forman (sequel to JUST ONE DAY)

My Reading Tally Door Display (read more about it here)

Students’ End-of-Year Reading Tally Signs (idea from Donalyn Miller) which I put up at the beginning of this school year to put us in the right frame of mind to start the year.

Our year-long “In middle school, we are readers” bookshelves (idea inspired by Pinterest)

Students write a book spine for each book they read. I’m hoping we’re overflowing this bulletin board by the end of the school year!

Student Book Recommendations Signs/Wall

I’ve been lucky to get an early read of some amazing books (PB, MG, & YA) in the last few months that are releasing this fall that I would recommend without a doubt. I’m sharing the list here in hope that they will be on your radar. Some of these are making my favorites-of-the-year list for sure. Happy reading!

Title: GHOST HAWK

Author: Susan Cooper

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Release Date: August 27, 2013
Number of Pages: 336
Middle Grades
My Recommendation Post

From Newbery Medalist Susan Cooper, a story of adventure and friendship between a young Native American and a colonial New England settler.
     On the winter day Little Hawk is sent into the woods alone, he can take only a bow and arrows, his handcrafted tomahawk, and the amazing metal knife his father traded for with the new white settlers. If Little Hawk survives three moons by himself, he will be a man.
     John Wakely is only ten when his father dies, but he has already experienced the warmth and friendship of the nearby tribes. Yet his fellow colonists aren’t as accepting of the native people. When he is apprenticed to a barrel-maker, John sees how quickly the relationships between settlers and natives are deteriorating. His friendship with Little Hawk will put both boys in grave danger.
     The intertwining stories of Little Hawk and John Wakely are a fascinating tale of friendship and an eye-opening look at the history of our nation. Newbery Medalist Susan Cooper also includes a timeline and an author’s note that discusses the historical context of this important and moving novel.

Title: HELLO, MY NAME IS RUBY

Author: Philip C. Stead

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Release Date: September 3, 2013
Number of Pages: 40
Picture Book

Join Ruby, a plucky little bird, as she ventures through life, making new friends, learning new skills and asking questions which may have some very surprising results.  Fearless Ruby’s search for adventure, friendship and her place in the world comes to life through acclaimed author/illustrator Philip C. Stead’s whimsical illustrations and succinct, charming text.

Title: THE COLDEST GIRL IN COLDTOWN

Author: Holly Black

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Release Date: September 3, 2013
Number of Pages: 432
Young Adult

Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. The only problem is, once you pass through Coldtown’s gates, you can never leave.
     One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only other survivors of this massacre are her exasperatingly endearing ex-boyfriend, infected and on the edge, and a mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret. Shaken and determined, Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight to the wicked, opulent heart of Coldtown itself.
     The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is a wholly original story of rage and revenge, of guilt and horror, and of love and loathing from bestselling and acclaimed author Holly Black

Title: LIVING WITH JACKIE CHAN

Follow-up to JUMPING OFF SWINGS
Author: Jo Knowles

Publisher: Candlewick
Release Date: September 10, 2013
Number of Pages: 384
Young Adult

After fathering a baby, a teenager moves in with his karate-loving uncle and tries to come to terms with his guilt — and find a way to forgive.
     This isn’t how Josh expected to spend senior year. He thought he’d be hanging out with his best friends, Dave and Caleb, driving around, partying, just like always. But here he is, miles from home — new school, new life, living with his Jackie-Chan-obsessed uncle, Larry, and trying to forget. But Josh can’t forget. So many things bring back memories of last year and the night that changed everything. Every day the pain, the shame, and the just not knowing are never far from his thoughts. Why is he such a loser? How could he have done what he did? He finds some moments of peace when he practices karate with Stella, the girl upstairs and his one real friend. As they move together through the katas, Josh feels connected in a way he has never felt before. He wonders if they could be more than friends, but Stella’s jealous boyfriend will make sure that doesn’t happen. And maybe it doesn’t matter. If Stella knew the truth, would she still think he was a True Karate Man? Readers first met Josh in Jumping Off Swings which told the story of four high school students and how one pregnancy changed all of their lives. In this companion book, they follow Josh as he tries to come to terms with what happened, and find a way to forgive.

Title: THE CHAOS OF STARS

Author: Kiersten White

Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: September 10, 2013
Number of Pages: 288
Young Adult

Isadora’s family is seriously screwed up.
     Of course, as the human daughter of Egyptian gods, that pretty much comes with the territory. She’s also stuck with parents who barely notice her, and a house full of relatives who can’t be bothered to remember her name. After all, they are going to be around forever—and she’s a mere mortal.
     Isadora’s sick of living a life where she’s only worthy of a passing glance, and when she has the chance to move to San Diego with her brother, she jumps on it. But Isadora’s quickly finding that a “normal” life comes with plenty of its own epic complications—and that there’s no such thing as a clean break when it comes to family. Much as she wants to leave her past behind, she can’t shake the ominous dreams that foretell destruction for her entire family. When it turns out there may be truth in her nightmares, Isadora has to decide whether she can abandon her divine heritage after all.

Title: THE REAL BOY

Author: Anne Ursu

Publisher: Walden Pond Press
Release Date: September 24, 2013
Number of Pages: 343
Middle Grades

From Anne Ursu, the author of one of the most widely acclaimed middle-grade novels in recent memory, comes a new fairy-tale adventure of magic and friendship. 
     On an island at the edge of an immense sea there is a city, a forest, and a boy. The city is called Asteri, a perfect city that was saved by the magic woven into its walls from a devastating plague that swept through the world over a hundred years before. The forest is called the Barrow, a vast wood of ancient trees that encircles the city and feeds the earth with magic. And the boy is called Oscar, a shop boy for the most powerful magician in the Barrow. Oscar spends his days in a small room in the dark cellar of his master’s shop grinding herbs and dreaming of the wizards who once lived on the island generations ago. Oscar’s world is small, but he likes it that way. The real world is vast, strange, and unpredictable. And Oscar does not quite fit in. 
     But it’s been a long time since anyone who could call himself a wizard walked the world, and now that world is changing. Children in the city are falling ill and something sinister lurks in the forest. Oscar has been content to stay in his small room in the cellar, comforted in the knowledge that the magic that flows from the trees will keep his island safe. Now, even magic may not be enough to save it…

Title: WHERE THE STARS STILL SHINE

Author: Trish Doller

Publisher: Bloomsbury
Release Date: September 25, 2013
Number of Pages: 352
Young Adult

Stolen as a child from her large and loving family, and on the run with her mom for more than ten years, Callie has only the barest idea of what normal life might be like. She’s never had a home, never gone to school, and has gotten most of her meals from laundromat vending machines. Her dreams are haunted by memories she’d like to forget completely. But when Callie’s mom is finally arrested for kidnapping her, and Callie’s real dad whisks her back to what would have been her life, in a small town in Florida, Callie must find a way to leave the past behind. She must learn to be part of a family. And she must believe that love–even with someone who seems an improbable choice–is more than just a possibility.
     Trish Doller writes incredibly real teens, and this searing story of love, betrayal, and how not to lose your mind will resonate with readers who want their stories gritty and utterly true.

Title: BANG (Visions book 2)

Author: Lisa McMann

Publisher: SimonPulse
Release Date: October 8, 2013
Number of Pages: 256
Young Adult

Jules should be happy. She saved a lot of people’s lives and she’s finally with Sawyer, pretty much the guy of her dreams. But the nightmare’s not over, because she somehow managed to pass the psycho vision stuff to Sawyer. Excellent.
     Feeling responsible for what he’s going through and knowing that people’s lives are at stake, Jules is determined to help him figure it all out. But Sawyer’s vision is so awful he can barely describe it, much less make sense of it. All he can tell her is there’s a gun, and eleven ear-splitting shots. Bang.
     Jules and Sawyer have to work out the details fast, because the visions are getting worse and that means only one thing: time is running out. But every clue they see takes them down the wrong path. If they can’t prevent the vision from happening, lives will be lost. And they may be among the casualties…

Title: THE LIVING

Author: Matt de la Pena

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Release Date: November 12, 2013
Number of Pages: 336
Young Adult

Shy took the summer job to make some money. In a few months on a luxury cruise liner, he’ll rake in the tips and be able to help his mom and sister out with the bills. And how bad can it be? Bikinis, free food, maybe even a girl or two—every cruise has different passengers, after all.
     But everything changes when the Big One hits. Shy’s only weeks out at sea when an earthquake more massive than ever before recorded hits California, and his life is forever changed.
     The earthquake is only the first disaster. Suddenly it’s a fight to survive for those left living.

Title: THE 5th WAVE

Author: Rick Yancey
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Release Date: May 7, 2013
Number of Pages: 457
My detailed thoughts/recommendation

     The Passage meets Ender’s Game in an epic new series from award-winning author Rick Yancey.
     After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.
     Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

Title: WHEN YOU WERE HERE

Author: Daisy Whitney
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Release Date: June 4, 2013
Number of Pages: 264
My detailed thoughts/recommendation

     Filled with humor, raw emotion, a strong voice, and a brilliant dog named Sandy Koufax, When You Were Here explores the two most powerful forces known to man-death and love. Daisy Whitney brings her characters to life with a deft touch and resonating authenticity. 
     Danny’s mother lost her five-year battle with cancer three weeks before his graduation-the one day that she was hanging on to see.
     Now Danny is left alone, with only his memories, his dog, and his heart-breaking ex-girlfriend for company. He doesn’t know how to figure out what to do with her estate, what to say for his Valedictorian speech, let alone how to live or be happy anymore.
     When he gets a letter from his mom’s property manager in Tokyo, where she had been going for treatment, it shows a side of his mother he never knew. So, with no other sense of direction, Danny travels to Tokyo to connect with his mother’s memory and make sense of her final months, which seemed filled with more joy than Danny ever knew. There, among the cherry blossoms, temples, and crowds, and with the help of an almost-but-definitely-not Harajuku girl, he begins to see how it may not have been ancient magic or mystical treatment that kept his mother going. Perhaps, the secret of how to live lies in how she died.

Title: THE TESTING

Author: Joelle Charbonneau
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
Release Date: June 4, 2013
Number of Pages: 336
My detailed thoughts/recommendation

     Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Isn’t that what they say? But how close is too close when they may be one in the same? 
     The Seven Stages War left much of the planet a charred wasteland. The future belongs to the next generation’s chosen few who must rebuild it. But to enter this elite group, candidates must first pass The Testing—their one chance at a college education and a rewarding career. 
     Cia Vale is honored to be chosen as a Testing candidate; eager to prove her worthiness as a University student and future leader of the United Commonwealth. But on the eve of her departure, her father’s advice hints at a darker side to her upcoming studies–trust no one. 
     But surely she can trust Tomas, her handsome childhood friend who offers an alliance? Tomas, who seems to care more about her with the passing of every grueling (and deadly) day of the Testing. To survive, Cia must choose: love without truth or life without trust.

Title: THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US

Author: Kasie West
Publisher: Harper Teen
Release Date: July 2, 2013
Number of Pages: 320
My detailed thoughts/recommendation

     Seventeen-year-old Caymen Meyers studies the rich like her own personal science experiment, and after years of observation she’s pretty sure they’re only good for one thing—spending money on useless stuff, like the porcelain dolls in her mother’s shop.
     So when Xander Spence walks into the store to pick up a doll for his grandmother, it only takes one glance for Caymen to figure out he’s oozing rich. Despite his charming ways and that he’s one of the first people who actually gets her, she’s smart enough to know his interest won’t last. Because if there’s one thing she’s learned from her mother’s warnings, it’s that the rich have a short attention span. But Xander keeps coming around, despite her best efforts to scare him off. And much to her dismay, she’s beginning to enjoy his company.
     She knows her mom can’t find out—she wouldn’t approve. She’d much rather Caymen hang out with the local rocker who hasn’t been raised by money. But just when Xander’s attention and loyalty are about to convince Caymen that being rich isn’t a character flaw, she finds out that money is a much bigger part of their relationship than she’d ever realized. And that Xander’s not the only one she should’ve been worried about.

Happy Book Birthday to Daisy Whitney’s WHEN YOU WERE HERE (one of my favorite books of the year)!!!

Title: WHEN YOU WERE HERE
Author: Daisy Whitney
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Release Date: June 4, 2013
Number of Pages: 257
Source of Book: ARC from publisher at NCTE

When You Were Here, Lost in Translation meets Where She Went,
is about an American teenager who travels from California to Tokyo to
uncover the secrets surrounding the death of his mother, all while
trying to both hold onto and let go of the girl he’s been in love with
his whole life.

Danny’s mother lost her five-year battle with cancer three weeks before
his graduation-the one day that she was hanging on to see.

Now
Danny is left alone, with only his memories, his dog, and his
heart-breaking ex-girlfriend for company. He doesn’t know how to figure
out what to do with her estate, what to say for his Valedictorian
speech, let alone how to live or be happy anymore.

When he gets a
letter from his mom’s property manager in Tokyo, where she had been
going for treatment, it shows a side of a side of his mother he never
knew. So, with no other sense of direction, Danny travels to Tokyo to
connect with his mother’s memory and make sense of her final months,
which seemed filled with more joy than Danny ever knew. There, among the
cherry blossoms, temples, and crowds, and with the help of an
almost-but-definitely-not Harajuku girl, he begins to see how it may not
have been ancient magic or mystical treatment that kept his mother
going. Perhaps, the secret of how to live lies in how she died.