Best Teen & Young Adult Multigenerational Family Fiction
The Newbery. and Coretta Scott King Honoree about the Weird Watsons of Flint, Michigan—. from Christopher Paul Curtis, author of Bud, Not Buddy , a Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott Award Winner. That happened in the mid-'90s when Christopher Paul Curtis released his first book, The Watsons Go to Birmingham — 1963 ." Christopher Paul Curtis's alternately hilarious and deeply moving novel, winner of the Newbery Honor and the Coretta Scott King Honor, blends the fictional account of an African American family with the factual events of the violent summer of 1963.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"A funny book with lively characters that teaches about an important event in US history."
"Well written,but only a small glimpse into the events."
"While reading this book I felt as if I was going through the life of the Watsons."
"One of my favorite parts is when Kenny, the main character, explained the how to survive a blizzard prank."
"Very good to spark the tough discussions of differences and the things our country is experiencing as I write this review."
"There are some too silly parts, like an older brother who gets his tongue stuck on a frozen rear view mirror, and installing a record player in a car. The mother threatens to burn the older brother who is caught playing with matches again. In the end the big brother who was a problem earlier now feels compassion and concern for his little brother and helps him deal with his feelings."
"This was a very entertaining book that kept you reading."
"I particularly enjoyed how the Civil Rights part of the boom rains an undertone until the end."
In this explosive series finale, allegiances will be confirmed and secrets revealed as the forces of light and darkness collide in a desperate struggle to control the keys to the demon prison. one of the most enjoyable fantasies I ve read. --Christopher Paolini, bestselling author of Eragon". one of the most enjoyable fantasies I've read.---Christopher Paolini, bestselling author of Eragon. --This text refers to the Library Binding edition.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"As the final book of a series of great reads it leaves you wanting more."
"I think the story has a great deal of potential, but some elements are underdeveloped and some are overworked. I think Grandpa ought to know an awful lot more about what he is dealing with and shre it with the readers so we can be fascinated by it. There are so many possible parallel story lines here, I am disappointed that Seth's tomfoolery is the one we are subjected to. The final thing that annoyed me was Kendra's odd inner thought sequences, like wondering if battling a demon would be as scary as a recital, and other parts where the author seems to repeat himself and just barely change the wording."
"I wanted my 10 year old to try a new genre other than a Diary of a Wimpy Kid type books."
"It would be awesome if you continued in the same story line with new or old characters and have guys like newel in Doren and Seth "operation see scary monsters" really good story line I'd like to see what happened when Braxton comes back to take Kendra in to fairy realm."
"the whole series took me 2 weeks to read!"
"Great book forever fun forever all ages."
"Brandon Mull completely outdid himself with the sheer pleasure these books give.The Fablehaven plot itself isnt necessarily a new concept,fairy tale creatures living amongst humans,however,our author makes a grand escape from the usual doldrums of such stories with the idea that these creatures are not what you think them to be. Throughout the books our hero and heroine,brother and sister, have a single purpose,to save the Fablehaven preserve from being exposed and overrun."
"I would suggest this book to anyone who wants to start a fictional, magical series (I can't wait to read the next book) and for kids 8-10+."
A New York Times bestseller. An NPR Best Book of 2017. A Buzzfeed Best YA Book of 2017. A Kirkus Reviews Best Teen Book of 2017. A School Library Journal Best Young Adult Book of 2017. A Bustle Best YA Novel of 2017. A PopSugar Best Young Adult Novel of 2017. A Book Riot Best Book of 2017. A Paste Magazine Best Young Adult Novel of 2017. Eleanor & Park meets Bollywood in this hilarious and heartfelt novel about two Indian-American teens whose parents conspire to arrange their marriage. Sandhya Menon is the author of WHEN DIMPLE MET RISHI (Simon Pulse/May 30, 2017) and a second YA contemporary coming in the summer of 2018.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"My heart felt full and squishy with happiness when I finished this book. One of my favorite things about this book was the heavy elements of Indian culture. It was so interesting to read about modern teenagers and their take on their Indian heritage and culture. I thought the culture was presented in an informative, relatable, and honest manner. They were both sweet and endearing families that made me laugh so many times! Dimple came off as a bit brash at first, but she eventually opened up and showed her kind and caring side."
"I did like the narrators for the most part, although the guy doing a female’s voice isn’t the greatest. It’s pretty early into the book, so if you’ve read it, you’ll probably know what I’m talking about. And as for the controversy, if you can call it that, surrounding this book, I think it’s blown out of proportion. Celia kind of drive me nuts through at least half the book, along with some of the other coding contestants. It was nice to see a bit of the Indian culture scattered throughout the book, so props for that."
"If I’m being honest, I still feel the way Dimple and Rishi do about the clash of cultures to how I feel now. There were some instances of abelist language that I think could have been avoided and I think that we should all work to remove such words (c*razy is the one I remember being used) from our usage. I’ve had some very similar interactions with people—both dealing with Desi people and their internalized biases or white people and their racism—and I think including them showed that racism isn’t something that just happens once in a while. It’ll make you laugh and swoon and angry and excited all at once. You’ll end up rooting for not only the main characters but the supporting characters as well (looking at you Ashish <3)."
Best Teen & Young Adult Alternative Family Fiction
Orange Is the New Black meets Walter Dean Myer’s Monster in this gritty, twisty, and haunting debut by Tiffany D. Jackson about a girl convicted of murder seeking the truth while surviving life in a group home. She didn’t say much in that first interview with detectives, and the media filled in the only blanks that mattered: a white baby had died while under the care of a churchgoing black woman and her nine-year-old daughter. ★ “Suspenseful without being emotionally manipulative, compelling without resorting to shock value, this is a tightly spun debut that wrestles with many intense ideas and ends with a knife twist that will send readers racing back to the beginning again.” (Booklist (starred review) ). “Seen through Jackson’s dark portrait of the legal system and the failures of parents and social workers, Mary’s environments are as grim as the stories that play out in them; readers fascinated by procedural dramas will be thoroughly hooked.” (Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books). “A well-executed, powerful journey into the claustrophobic life of a young girl trying to navigate what little is left after the world has judged her, and what she will do to escape it.” (Mindy McGinnis, Edgar Award-winning author of A Madness So Discreet).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Very powerful, emotional, twisted and at the same time provoking and disturbing story, that made me not want to put the book down. Throughout the story we learn about Mary’s struggles, and her ‘journey’ through ‘baby jail’ and ‘group home’. Although bullied, abused and with nowhere to run, Mary stays focused and strong, and constantly is trying to improve her life and do better."
"This is a book that I'll be thinking about for a long time to come."
"She was tried as an adult and convicted of manslaughter at just nine years old for killing a three month old baby. Now that Mary is older she's learning how unfair her trial was and how all the people that have been assigned to help her have failed her."
"When Mary becomes pregnant and learns the state will likely take her baby from her as soon as he is born, Mary finds a lawyer to try to exonerate herself and prove her mother’s guilt in Alyssa’s death."
"Allegedly is a dark and twisty read, all the more scary because of how closely it parallels what is really going on in the world."
"I do however, love all the articles, interviews, and documents used in the story line."
"The writing pulled me in so much that I lived and breathed the life of a young black teenage girl, even though I couldn't be farther away from who she is and her situation."
"I was totally sucked into this story right away."
Best Teen & Young Adult Stepfamily Fiction
Sixteen-year-old Starr lives in two worlds: the poor neighbourhood where she was born and raised and her posh high school in the suburbs. This story is important.” (Kirkus Reviews (starred review) ). “Though Thomas’s story is heartbreakingly topical, its greatest strength is in its authentic depiction of a teenage girl, her loving family, and her attempts to reconcile what she knows to be true about their lives with the way those lives are depicted—and completely undervalued—by society at large.” (Publishers Weekly (starred review) ). “Pair this powerful debut with Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely’s ALL AMERICAN BOYS to start a conversation on racism, police brutality, and the Black Lives Matter movement.” (School Library Journal (starred review) ). “Thomas has penned a powerful, in-your-face novel that will similarly galvanize fans of Kekla Magoon’s How It Went Down and Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely’s All American Boys.” (Horn Book (starred review) ).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I had originally said I was not going to read this book, I didn't know how well I would like it, and I don't tend to get involved with things that can make life at work harder for me. I hated reading it, I cried my eyes out, Thomas did such an amazing job of making a horrible action into beautiful fiction that made you feel like you were right there. This was really refreshing to read because so many books, YA especially make parents out to be monsters that don't care, that aren't there for their kids. I mean it is like a troupe or something for these stories and it isn't actually the norm and gets annoying to read, so this book did an amazing job with the parents and family. All around though this story just floored me, it gave me a perspective I have never considered before, offered insights into a world I am not a part of, and I loved every minute of it."
"In January, uber popular author, John Green, tweeted that The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas would become a classic. I can see this book lasting, not because it’s timeless (hopefully the struggles addressed in THUG will be no more, as Starr prophesied), but because it’s a flashpoint in American history that shouldn’t be forgotten even if it’s rectified. Angie Thomas’ debut is the kind of transformative and accessible novel that can touch a variety of readers and have long-lasting effects. They’re vigorous and honest, Angie Thomas’ words giving them breath, blood, and life. If you’ve read the blurb, then you know the Black Lives Matter movement inspires this novel. Experiencing the effects of that moment from Starr’s perspective is gut wrenching, although, I can foresee some readers feeling numb. Her rage over her friend’s murder is the emotion that steals the show, never leading to traditional acceptance. I mean, with all the hype it’s impossible not to go into this book with some expectation and my greatest fear regarding THUG was that it would piss me off."
"This book is amazing. First of all, this is apparently Ms. Thomas' first book, which is mind-blowing all on its own. Ms. Thomas has a way of telling stories which packs an emotional punch."
"This book tells the story of so many of our black kids past, present and unfortunately, future."
"Starr’s story read more like a memoir than fiction, and it revealed so much about contemporary circumstances revolving around race in our country."
Best Teen & Young Adult Adoption Fiction
After putting her own baby up for adoption, she goes looking for her biological family, including—. And when her adopted family’s long-buried problems begin to explode to the surface, Maya can’t help but wonder where exactly it is that she belongs. ★ “Equally heartwarming and heart-wrenching... Benway ( Emmy & Oliver ) delves into the souls of these characters as they wrestle to overcome feelings of inadequacy, abandonment, and betrayal, gradually coming to understand themselves and each other.” (Publishers Weekly (starred review) ). Robin Benway’s characters are authentically crafted, full of heart, hurt, and hope.” (Brandy Colbert, author of Pointe and Little & Lion). Emmy & Oliver is a genuinely sweet and funny novel bursting with the inextinguishable forces of love—between parents and children, distant and inseparable friends, new and reunited lovers.” (Stephanie Perkins, New York Times bestselling author of Isla and the Happily Ever After Stephanie Perkins, New York Times bestselling author of Isla and the Happily Ever After Stephanie Perkins, New York Times bestselling author of Isla and the Happily). ★ “At times heartfelt, funny, irreverent, and ultimately satisfying… a good choice for fans of Stephanie Perkins’s Anna and the French Kiss or any of Sarah Dessen’s novels.” (School Library Journal (starred review) ).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I love love love this book!"
"The teen voices and their experience with adoption and foster care ring true."
"But the story does earned it a five stars."
"Heartwarming perspective on adoption and what truly connects people and what actually makes a family."
"It was so emotional and raw and great."
"I chose this reading because I'm a social worker in the adoption field."
"Really enjoyed this book!"
Best Teen & Young Adult New Baby Fiction
This oversized interactive book is a heartfelt look at the wonder and excitement of waiting . and waiting . and waiting for a new sibling to arrive. STARRED REVIEW "Roussey’s whimsical, scraggly, illustrations are perfectly suited to the girl’s excitement as the big day approaches." PreS—A little girl wonders about her not-yet-born sibling, reassuring and encouraging the baby by telling of all the good things waiting out in the world ("like strawberries and cupcakes-my favorites!").
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"And, the book focuses on the thoughts and emotions of the child who is waiting for their brother or sister to arrive. And, the flaps that reveal the slowly growing baby on each page are just an added bonus that keep my daughter even more engaged."
"This book is adorable."
"Bought it for my 2 year old granddaughter who will be a big sister shortly; it works for her but she is definitely on the young side for this book. At 2 my granddaughter is having a little difficulty understanding what is going to happen...this book is a great tool to help her. I was a child therapist for over 30 years, taught preschool, and raised 5 children (including preparing them for the birth of their siblings)."
"Sent to three-year old great niece, who lives out of state, who just found out she is going to be a big sister!"
"I also like that it puts the coming baby in a positive light rather then talking about all the negative effects of the baby may have on an older sibling's life."
"This book is too cute and great for getting daughter excited about having a baby sister."
"Cute story told with simple pictures in a well-constructed, sturdy book."
"My daughter LOVED this book."
Best Teen & Young Adult Parents Fiction
Suddenly, Brian finds himself alone in the Canadian wilderness with nothing but a tattered Windbreaker and the hatchet his mother gave him as a present—and the dreadful secret that has been tearing him apart since his parent’s divorce. This Newbery Honor book is a dramatic, heart-stopping story of a boy who, following a plane crash in the Canadian wilderness, must learn to survive with only a hatchet and his own wits. Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. Grade 8-12 Brian Robeson, 13, is the only passenger on a small plane flying him to visit his father in the Canadian wilderness when the pilot has a heart attack and dies.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"on the comment side one commented and mention the story of Brian in the 'hatchet', i got intrigue and look for the book in amazon. i found it and when i start reading it i can not put down the book, though i know it's fiction but the comment is true, a 13yo boy survive alone without anything except his hatchet."
"Still trying to get 9 year old Reed to read this."
"This book was a required read for me in school; I loved it then and I still love it today."
"Still one of my all time favorites."
"I'm excited to give this book to our nephew."
"Life turns on seeming capricious moments. A selfish foolish boy alone, beyond all help, turns to his own resources and hurries through chapter after chapter in a race with the coming winter, to bring himself into connection with the world around him, and out of the wilderness."
"I know it's a little weird to be reading this book for the first time at 28 years old, but I have to admit that I though this book was an excellent read!"
"It's a good book, a nice short story to read on a camping trip or something."
Best Teen & Young Adult Siblings Fiction
But not on much else besides trouble with the Socs, a vicious gang of rich kids whose idea of a good time is beating up on “greasers” like Ponyboy. S. E. Hinton's classic story of a boy who finds himself on the outskirts of regular society remains as powerful today as it was the day it was first published. " The Outsiders transformed young-adult fiction from a genre mostly about prom queens, football players and high school crushes to one that portrayed a darker, truer world." "What it's like to live lonely and unwanted and cornered by circumstance...There is rawness and violence here, but honest hope, too." A New York Herald Tribune Best Teenage Book. A Chicago Tribune Book World Spring Book Festival Honor Book. An ALA Best Book for Young Adults. Winner of the Massachusetts Children's Book Award.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I always have and always will love this book."
"She is 13 years old and doesn't know about the movie, otherwise I think she'd just skip the book."
"The Outsiders contain everything; family, friendship, love, death, grief and just about anything else."
"This book turned my non reader son into an avid reader in 5th grade he read this book and did not put it down and has not stopped reading since."
"My grandkids are reading this book at schools and were so surprised that it was one if my favorite books from my high school days."
"Using this book to teach an 8th-grade language arts class, kids still relate to the characters even after 50 years."
"I read this book in class and at first, I really didnt like it, but honest to God this book changed my life for the better."
"I think is was about 12 when I first read it."
Best Teen & Young Adult Marriage & Divorce Fiction
Suddenly, Brian finds himself alone in the Canadian wilderness with nothing but a tattered Windbreaker and the hatchet his mother gave him as a present—and the dreadful secret that has been tearing him apart since his parent’s divorce. This Newbery Honor book is a dramatic, heart-stopping story of a boy who, following a plane crash in the Canadian wilderness, must learn to survive with only a hatchet and his own wits. Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. Grade 8-12 Brian Robeson, 13, is the only passenger on a small plane flying him to visit his father in the Canadian wilderness when the pilot has a heart attack and dies.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Daughter loves this series."
"My esl tutor recommended this book to me."
"It seems hard to find this 20th anniversary edition of Hatchet, but it is well worth the effort."
Best Teen & Young Adult Orphans & Foster Homes Fiction
The 10th-anniversary edition of the #1 New York Times bestseller and modern classic beloved by millions of readers. Markus Zusak is the author of I Am the Messenger, a Printz Honor Book and LA Times Book Award finalist, and the international bestseller, The Book Thief.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It is by no means a piece of high literature, which one might associate with writers like Proust, D.H Lawrence, Conrad, or Dickens, but it is just as compelling and its creative force and greatness lies in an unbelievable cast of characters, an amazing story, and an honesty that rings out loudly and clearly. I shed many tears while reading this book, and laughed many times, and the rollercoaster of emotions I experienced were well earned by the masterful storytelling and writing by its author."
"Having lived in Germany during the time Markus Zusak describes, I can appreciate the settings described, although my family was sophisticated and never used a "four-letter-word.""
"He's not the usual scythe and darkness death we have seen before but a death who is just doing his job and trying not to get too distracted by the strange lives of the living he passes by. However words become so much more to our young heroine: a bridge connecting her to her foster Papa, Hans Hubermann; a way to escape the horrors happening around her, both figuratively and literally; a way to emotionally relate and communicate to the young Jewish man the Hubermanns hide in their basement. How else might a young German girl, a member of the local Hitler Young group, deal with the unwarranted hatred she sees being thrown at Jewish people like the young man in their basement she has come to love like family? Another unforgettable character is Papa, a man who seems to have unlimited amounts of kindness and another character who refuses to let the propaganda of the Fuhrer dement what he knows to be the right way to be."
"The Book Thief by Markus Zusak follows the life of a girl named Liesel Meminger in Germany during World War II. The majority of the story encompasses Liesel’s journey in Molching with her foster parents, the Hubermanns, where she learns to read, builds connections, steals books (as implied by the title), and lives through the struggles of war. Liesel’s best friend was “permanently hungry.” Liesel and her foster parents also hide a Jewish man named Max in their basement for a share of the story. Zusak brings a more human lense to the people in Germany, and demonstrates that they struggled in the war."