Staff Picks Youth Fiction
December 2020
Forget Me Nat (Nat Enough #2), Volume 2
by Maria Scrivan
This graphic novel is #2 in the series Nat Enough. Nat has a crush on Derek! The world is wonderful until he tells her that he just wants to be friends, right before the Valentine’s Day dance Now she is crushed. With humor and insight into the junior high mind, Scrivan has Nat work her way through her problems to become true to her real friends and especially to herself.
Recommended by: Joan Stoiber, Youth Reference Librarian I
Posted in: Youth Fiction
Goodbye, Mr. Terupt
by Rob Buyea
Book 4 in this popular series sees Mr. Terupt announcing that he will be moving away at the end of the school year. Jeffrey, Alexia, Anna, Danielle, Luke, Peter, and Jessica, who have known him since 5th grade are now 8th graders and have him as their advisor. This group needs advising with their many different issues—physical, emotional, or relational. The students come up with a bucket-list of projects to make the last year memorable for them all and beyond.
Submitted by: Joan Stoiber, Youth Reference Librarian I
Posted in: Youth Fiction
November 2020
Orange for the Sunsets
by Tina Athaide
Asha, an Indian, and Yesofu, an African, are best friends in Uganda. When Idi Amin seizes control of the government, he requires all Indians to leave Uganda regardless of their citizenship. Asha’s father wants to leave but her mother does not. What ensues is a harrowing story of looking for sense amidst chaos.
Recommended by: Becky McCormack, Youth Services Assistant Manager
Posted in: Youth Fiction
Song for a Whale
by Lynne Kelly
Iris, along with her grandmother, is deaf. When Iris finds out about a whale who has difficulty communicating with other whales, she immediately feels a connection. When her parents deny her wish to try to visit the whale in person, she hatches another plan. This title is also available on OverDrive.
Recommended by: Becky McCormack, Youth Services Assistant Manager
Posted in: Youth Fiction
Pie in the Sky
by Remy Lai
Jingwen and his brother leave their home for Australia. Their parents owned a bakery in their former home and now his mother is working in one. Jingwen feels compelled to secretly make every cake that he made with his dad who was killed in an accident. To keep the cake making hidden from his mother, Jingwen and his brother must eat the entire cake before their mother returns from work. This title is also available on OverDrive.
Recommended by: Becky McCormack, Youth Services Assistant Manager
Posted in: Youth Fiction
October 2020
A Line Tender
by Kate Allen
Lucy and her best friend, Fred, are working on a field guide of animals for school consisting of drawings (by Lucy) and facts (by Fred). When an accident occurs, Lucy’s life is changed forever. With help from some close grownups in her life, she learns to navigate a new normal.
Recommended by: Becky McCormack, Youth Services Assistant Manager
Posted in: Youth Fiction
I Can Make This Promise
by Christine Day
Edie and her friends find a box in the attic full of letters and pictures of a woman who looks a lot like Edie. Who is it? Why doesn’t Edie know about her? What ensues is a discovery of lost family.
Recommended by: Becky McCormack, Youth Services Assistant Manager
Posted in: Youth Fiction
The Sisters of Straygarden Place
by Hayley Chewins
Posted in: Youth Fiction
I Always Wanted One
by Oliver Tallec
A touching story about a boy and his dog but with a wonderful twist. This funny story is told from the dog’s perspective. (Hint)
Recommended by: Joan Stoiber, Youth Services Reference Librarian I
Posted in: Youth Fiction
The One with the Scraggly Beard
by Elizabeth Withley
A beautifully illustrated and empathetically written story answering questions and concerns a mom’s young son has about a man who lives under the bridge. This is a story about homelessness, the path lives can take, and belonging. Be sure to read the Author’s Note at the end of the story.
Recommended by: Joan Stoiber, Youth Services Reference Librarian I
Posted in: Youth Fiction