Staff Picks Youth Fiction
May 2020
Strongheart: Wonder Dog of the Silver Screen
by Candace Flemming
Based on a real life dog (be sure to read the author’s note at end of book), this is an enthralling story that literally reads like a Hollywood movie. This dog’s life has it all—action, suspense, mystery and romance. As a puppy he was taken to be trained to be a ferocious guard dog. Rescued after WWI by a Hollywood producer looking for a canine star, through love and patience this puppy lived up to his stage name of Strongheart. Look on Youtube for a video of scenes from his movies. Also available on OverDrive.
Recommended by: Joan Stoiber, Youth Services Reference Librarian I
Posted in: Youth Fiction
Inkling
by Kenneth Oppel
When the family dog sees an inkblot come to life the stage is set for a riotous good time in Inkling. Ethan, the main character, is struggling on the art portion of a class project because his dad is a somewhat famous illustrator but Ethan is not that great at drawing. When Inkling the inkblot is ‘born’ it turns out he can not only talk and read but he can DRAW! Ethan thinks this is the end of all his troubles, but is it? Also available on OverDrive.
Recommended by: Becky McCormack, Youth Services Assistant Manager
Posted in: Youth Fiction
Some Places More Than Others
by Renee Watson
Amara’s birthday is coming up and all she wants is the opportunity to go to New York with her father. Unfortunately, her mother thinks she’s too young (she’s almost 12!) and her father’s not too keen on the idea either. Amara gets to the bottom of things as she’s very persistent and both good and bad come out of it. This realistic fiction will both soothe and invigorate those who read it.
Recommended by: Becky McCormack , Youth Services Assistant Manager
Posted in: Youth Fiction
Aru Shah and the End of Time
by Roshani Chokshi
Chokshi integrates Indian mythology into this adventurous book. Aru is an only child living in a museum and feeling unloved by her mother. When she releases a demon from a lamp in the museum the guilt Aru feels weighs heavily on her. She rises to the occasion and fights to save the world. Also available on OverDrive.
Recommended by: Becky McCormack, Youth Services Assistant Manager
Posted in: Youth Fiction
Ghost Squad
by Claribel Ortega
Set in Saint Augustine, Florida a few weeks before Halloween this story of ghosts, malicious spirits, magical animals, and witches has all the right ingredients for a spooky read. Lucely Luna lives in a house with her dad and the ghosts of all her dead relatives. Mornings are spent around the breakfast table, piled high with food for the living and the dead. But when her ghostly relatives start disappearing, Lucely knows somethings wrong and she’s determined to fix it. With the help of her best friend, Syd, Lucely tracks down an old spellbook and recites a spell that accidentally releases malicious spirits into the world. Now the girls have to rely on help from Syd’s witch grandmother, Babette, and the rest of Lucely’s ghostly relatives. They have to put things right before the full moon on Halloween, or the town will be forever changed. Grab yourself a blanket and some snacks–you won’t want to go anywhere until this story is over!
Recommended by: Kara DeCarlo, Youth Services School Liaison
Posted in: Youth Fiction
The Usual Suspects
by Maurice Broaddus
A special education classroom, bullies, and the discovery of a gun near school make for a compelling read. The main character, Thelonious, who frequently creates disruptions in class, is an immediate suspect. This angers him so he, along with his bestie, Nehemiah, attempts to discover the identity of who brought in the gun. He encounters resistance alternating with support from his mother, his special ed classmates, and his teachers in this edgy middle school setting.
Recommended by: Becky McCormack, Youth Services Assistant Manager
Posted in: Youth Fiction
Caravan to the North: Misael’s Long Walk
by Jorge Argueta
This quick but powerful read centers on the decision of the Martinez family to leave their native El Salvador to travel to the United States. Written in verse, the reader feels both the cruelties and kindnesses experienced by the people in the caravan. This semi-autobiographical account achingly recounts the risks taken by people fleeing their home countries.
Recommended by: Becky McCormack, Youth Services Assitant Manager
Posted in: Youth Fiction
Sheets
by Brenna Thummler
Posted in: Youth Fiction
A Dash of Trouble
by Anna Meriano
First book in the series Love Sugar Magic, Leonora, the youngest in the family, wants to discover the secret all the women in her family seem to share. When it comes time to celebrate the Day of the Dead, Leonora decides to skip school and find out or herself what exactly is going on in the family bakery. What possible harm could come from baking a little bit of magic to help a friend? Also available on OverDrive.
Recommended by: Joan Stoiber, Youth Services Reference Librarian I
Posted in: Youth Fiction
Hope in the Holler
by Lisa Lewis Tyre
By the author of Last in a Long Line of Rebels comes a realistic fiction book of the power of kindness and friendship. After the death of her mother, 11-year-old Wavie must go live with her mother’s sister in a town that her Mom left behind many years ago. Wavie, must “be brave”, one of the items in the list of instructions her mother left her to help her find her way in life. With kindness and caring and the neighborhood “no counts”, Wavie helps herself and others as she yearns to escape the clutches of her aunt and uncle. Also available on OverDrive.
Recommended by: Joan Stoiber, Youth Services Reference Librarian I
Posted in: Youth Fiction