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YouthFiction
1. The Cryptid Catcher, by Lija Fisher (5-8th grade) 
Initiallystunned to learn that his father wasn’t an archaeologist but a cryptid hunteremployed by a decidedly short-tempered (apparent) billionaire, orphanedseventh-grader Clivo takes up the mantle. As his gratifyingly well-fundedtravels take him from the Colorado Rockies to the Maine woods, Loch Ness, andremotest Alaska in this first of a planned duology, he discovers that rare,legendary creatures aren’t that hard to find—he comes away with some niftyselfies—and that they actually need protection from unscrupulous rival hunters.So does he, as it turns out. Fortunately, Clivo’s homeschooling in languages, jujitsu,and wilderness survival skills stand him in good stead. Better yet, he findsgeeky but able allies in the Myth Blasters, a club of young brainiacs, anddespite torrents of verbal abuse, his new boss proves willing to mount a rescuemission in the clutch. Fisher slips in occasional cryptid info dumps, butrather than indulging in the first novelist’s usual tendency to cram in lots ofdistracting extra themes and subplots, she dishes up an action-oriented romp,puts a resourceful but not superhuman protagonist at the head of a colorful,diverse (of species as well as race) supporting cast, and salts the plot withtantalizing hints that the stakes are about to be raised. Stay tuned forfurther monsters and mishaps in the forthcoming sequel, Cryptid Keeper.
— JohnPeters
2. HarborMe, by Jacqueline Woodson (5-8th grade) 
Six fifth- and sixth-graders,all in a special class for those who learn differently, are suddenly given, bytheir beloved teacher, an extra hour of safe space—an empty classroom wherethey are told they can talk about anything or nothing. At first, it’s nothing.Then, Haley, the book’s narrator, describes how each child begins to unfold.Esteban’s story demands to be told first; Immigration Services have taken hisfather away. The others lend sympathy and support, and then, over the course ofa school year, more confidences are shared. Ashton, one of the school’s fewwhite kids, is bullied. Amari sketches guns and worries about being shot.Puerto Rican Tiago struggles with being American, yet not American.Haley’s own story is intertwined with that of her best friend, Holly. Haley’sred hair comes from her father, but he’s in jail and Haley’s mother is dead; anuncle cares for the hyperactive Holly. The plot, at times, creaks, especiallythe setup. But the magic is in the writing. Woodson tells stories torn fromheadlines but personalizes them with poetry and memories, blunting their traumawith understanding and love. Haley’s history weaves in and out, drawing readersclose. These children become each other’s safe harbors, and Woodson brilliantlyshows readers how to find the connections we all need.
— Ilene Cooper
3. HiddenPieces, by Paula Stokes(10-12th grade) 
Embry’s on a romantic breakfrom her soldier boyfriend, but she doesn’t want to hurt him by telling himshe’s moved on with the artistic Holden. The high-school seniors meet in ashuttered hotel, until, during a sexual encounter, a candle is kicked over, andthe place burns down. It’s pragmatic to keep silent, but then Embry startsgetting blackmail texts. The sender—“Unknown”—makes shocking requests of Embry,each one upping the ante, with her near and dear caught in a dangerous web.Stokes offers a classic whodunit, masterfully played. Tensions rise, secretsare revealed, and the widening scope of the mystery gives plenty of suspects achance to step into the spotlight. This leads to a nice interplay between Embryand readers, who will begin to distrust certain individuals at the very momentshe does. Set in small towns along the Oregon coast, Stokes makes the oftenwild landscape an integral part of the story. Characters, even minor ones, arewell-developed, as are the subplots, which include parental relationships. Allbecome, as the title indicates, pieces in an intricate puzzle. With overtonesof Lois Duncan’s I Know What You Did LastSummer (1973), this has the OMG quality that makes youafraid to wonder what will happen next.
— Ilene Cooper
4. Mirage,by Somaiya Daud (9-12th grade) 
Daud’s debut novel tells thestory of 18-year-old Amani, whose planet is occupied by the Vathek empire.During a coming-of-age ceremony, she’s kidnapped by the regime and smuggledinto the royal palace, because she bears an uncanny resemblance to Maram, thecruel princess of the Vathek empire. Amani is to serve as Maram’s body doublefor public events, and she must be ready to die in the princess’ place, ifrequired. Despite the beauty of the palace—and the princess’ fiancé,Idris—Amani wishes to return to her family. If she’s to have any chance ofthat, she must play the princess to perfection . . . but one wrong move couldmean her death. Daud’s gorgeously written novel features lush and poeticlanguage that brings the setting into vivid color. In addition to the blend ofsf and fantasy, Daud supplies a dash of forbidden romance destined to leave thereader gasping for breath. Every character is complex, and, while there is aclear demarcation between what is right and wrong, no one is beyond redemption,especially the women characters, who rarely get such a narrative arc in thegenre. With an ending that is gut-wrenching yet still hopeful, this immersive,captivating series starter is sure to have fans eager for the sequel.
— Qurratulayn Muhammad
5. TheSecond Life of Ava Rivers, by Faith Gardner (9-12th grade) 
Gardner (Perdita, 2015) hascrafted an elegant novel with themes of trauma, loss, and forgiveness at itsheart. A heavy layer of mystery covers the story, forcing a sense of unease onthe reader and making it difficult to place the novel in any one genre. It alsokeeps readers on their toes, mimicking the way that Vera and her family feel.As young children, Vera was her twin sister’s foil. Now, she’s defined by hertwin sister’s absence. Ava Rivers was abducted on Halloween when the girls weresix. Since then, Vera’s parents have never given up hope that their daughtermight come back. When Ava suddenly does resurface, everyone has to adjust tothe miracle. But there’s something that feels off about Ava’s return. Gardnerdrops subtle clues throughout the story, but the real pull of this novel liesin Vera’s empathetic but frank perspective: “The very question of who she isseems to have stirred an equal and opposite reactionary question in me. Who am I?”Gardner’s unforgettable voice blends Jodi Picoult’s emotional,ripped-from-the-headlines storytelling with Mindy McGinnis’ unflinchinglyhonest protagonists. Gardner’s gorgeous language and the atmospheric tone makesthis a well-crafted, genre-defying story that deserves a wide readership.
— Caitlin Kling
6. Toiland Trouble: 15 Tales of Women and Witchcraft, by Jessica Spotswood and TessSharpe (9-12th grade) 
There aretwo lessons that witches throughout literature and pop culture have learnedover and over: that magic has a price, and that magic is often tied to pain.The witches in this collection of 15 stories learn those lessons to powerfuleffect. The tone of the stories ranges from breezy to devastating, the settingsfrom historical to dystopian, the genres from romance to revenge fantasy. Butat the heart of each is a girl (or girls) learning to discover her power.Standouts include Brandy Colbert’s “The Truth about Queenie,” about a youngAfrican American witch reluctant to embrace her abilities; Nova Ren Suma’s “TheOne Who Stayed,” a wrenching, collective narrative from a group that witnessesa trauma; Jessica Spotswood’s “Beware of Girls with Crooked Mouths,” whichfeatures three sisters trying to outrun a family curse; and Elizabeth May’s The Handmaid’s Tale–esque “While TheyWatch Us Burn,” ends the collection in a chilling near-future in which womenare rounded up and accused of witchcraft. It’s not a flawless collection—notall the stories have quite the same emotional heft—but the collective impact isundeniably resounding, and the particularly strong back half will leave readersmore than a little bewitched themselves.
— MaggieReagan
YouthNonfiction
1. MaryWho Wrote Frankenstein, by Linda Bailey, illus. by Júlia Sardà (K-3rd grade) 
Though youngsters won’t yethave delved into Mary Shelley’s gothic horror classic, most will have beenexposed to her piecemeal monster. Riffs such as Adam Rex’s Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich (2006),Patrick McDonnell’s The Monsters’ Monster (2012),and Michael Hall’s Frankencrayon (2016)are just a few of the picture books starring Shelley’s creation; and let’s notforget Jim Benton’s Franny K. Stein series or Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie film.Viewed in this eerie light, a picture-book biography on Shelley herself doesn’tseem out of place, especially one so stunning as this. Bailey relates Shelley’schildhood, rebellious adolescence, and participation in the now-famous writingcompetition that spawned the mad Dr. Frankenstein and his monster as afantastic story in its own right. Her writing is warm and inclusive, posingoccasional questions directly to the reader and establishing Shelley as aspirited dreamer. No less astonishing are Sardà’s folk art–style illustrations,which employ deep, moody hues—burgundy, plum, black, gray, and midnight blue—tocreate hauntingly detailed scenes. Ghostly monsters waft through people’simaginations; dense trees lean and reach their branches toward Shelley’s passingcarriage; a dead frog sits upright when zapped with electricity. Readers willrevel in this artful portrait of a celebrated young author and betterappreciate the true brains behind the operation. A thorough afterword offersmore details of Shelley’s life.
— Julia Smith
2. Memphis,Martin, and the Mountaintop: The Sanitation Strike of 1968, by Alice FayeDuncan, illus. by R. Gregory Christie (3-6th grade) 
In this impressive picturebook, a character inspired by an African American family involved in the 1968Memphis sanitation strike tells her first-person account of the experience inverse and prose. Nine-year-old Lorraine begins, “I remember Memphis and legionsof noblemen. / I remember broken glass as the voice of a fallen King. / Fire,smoke, and ashes ravaged midnight cityscapes. / Black men marched for honor,and I must tell the story.” From her we learn about the strike’s impetus andits effect on the community, the dreams that kept it going, the state ofemergency, and the excitement when Dr. King marched there in March, followed bythe tragedy that occurred when he was back on April 4. Each full-page spreadfunctions as a chapter with headings such as “Silver Rights,” “Trucks andTanks,” “Black Widow,” and “Mountaintop.” The informative back matter,meanwhile, includes a time line and source notes. The excellent gouache art istypical of Christie’s distinctive and impactful style, with impressionisticimages set on pages saturated with shades of blue, yellow, or orange. Mostgratifyingly, the determination of the characters and the import of this partof history are imbued with dignity throughout.
— Andrew Medlar
3. PuttingPeace First: Seven Commitments to Change the World, by Eric David Dawson
(5-8th grade) 
Dawson, cofounder of thenational nonprofit Peace First, has written a handbook for young people whowant to make a difference now,not when they get older. The book begins with a Peacemaker Manifesto, or set ofseven commitments, for young people to aspire to do: Put Peace First, EveryDay; Raise My Hand; Open My Heart; Take a Stand; Bring Others Along; Work withMy Enemies; Keep Trying. Chapters highlight seven young people who embracedeach of these commitments by creating a peacekeeping project that made adifference in their communities. The book offers practical suggestions forteens to identify a local issue of interest to them, strategies for a solutionto the problem, tips for implementing an action plan, and advice on how totroubleshoot any challenges that might occur. To raise awareness aboutdisabilities, one project had college students with and without disabilitiesplay basketball together, which expanded to other sports and became a mutualmentoring program. The templates included here to help youth plan their projectgoals are particularly useful. Not every idea presented was successful, but theteens persevered despite that, and their stories will empower and inspireothers to fight to make a difference, too.
— Sharon Rawlins
4. UnpunishedMurder: Massacre at Colfax and the Quest for Justice, by Lawrence Goldstone
(9-12th grade) 
This information-packed bookdiscusses the origins and repercussions of the Colfax massacre. In centralLouisiana in 1873, white supremacists surrounded a courthouse where more than100 formerly enslaved men had taken refuge. The attackers set the buildingablaze and, after the freedmen came out and surrendered their weapons, shotthem. No one was convicted of those murders. A Supreme Court decision relatedto the massacre resulted in the dismantling of Reconstruction and the swiftreturn of widespread discrimination and violence against black Americans,particularly in the South. Offering a broad view of the issues, Goldstonepresents a great deal of relevant background material on constitutionalhistory, the federal court system, and the Dred Scott decision as well asdescribing significant individuals and political factions during theReconstruction period. The illustrations include period portraits, photos, andpolitical cartoons. Though the many details regarding government officials,judicial rulings, and widespread corruption during the period can befascinating, students without a solid foundation in American history may loseinterest. Those who persevere will find a gripping story and a well-informedperspective on American history. Spotlighting an event seldom discussed inbooks for young people, Goldstone provides a complex, useful historical contextfor understanding issues surrounding race and justice.
— Carolyn Phelan
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发表于 2018-9-3 23:02:05
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