Staff Picks Youth Fiction

Are you there God? It’s me, Margaret

by Judy Blume

Posted in: Youth Fiction

Oh Sal

by Kevin Henkes

Posted in: Youth Fiction

We Dream of Space

by ERIN ENTRADA Kelly

The three Nelson Thomas siblings could not be further apart. Each of them moves through their own, never intersecting, orbits. Cash, who loves basketball but isn’t good at it, is struggling to pass seventh grade for the second time. Fitch excels at the local arcade game, Major Havoc, but can never seem to get a grip on his temper. And Bird, Fitch’s twelve-year-old twin, has dreams of being an astronaut, but feels her hopes and dreams dwindle as she begins to question her own importance in the world. Each of the Nelson Thomas kids wants to live a different life, be a different person, and escape from the tense unpleasantness that is their family. They are pummeling away from each other, alone and lost. It seems as though the Nelson Thomas siblings will never collide with each other, until one fateful day, they do. 

This book is available in the library, on OverDrive/Libby, and Hoopla as an ebook and e audiobook.

Recommended by: Stephanie Visser-Rodriguez, Youth Services Reference Librarian

Posted in: Youth Fiction

One Last Shot

by John David Anderson

Malcolm is trying to like baseball for his dad’s sake, but it just really isn’t his thing. When he tries miniature golf, though, he finds he excels. The problem is still his dad. Malcolm isn’t driven in sports like his father and it’s causing problems between them. When Malcolm detects similar issues between his dad and his mom, he feels like he needs to fix it. Things start looking up when Malcolm meets a new friend while playing miniature golf. With a friend and a coach, Malcolm is able to start seeing his life in a different way. 

Recommended by: Becky McCormack, Youth Services Assistant Manager

Posted in: Youth Fiction

A Rover’s Story

by Jasmine Warga

A remarkable read told from the viewpoint of the Mars rover, Resilience, better known as Res. His journey starts with being created in a lab at the Jet Propulsion Center and continues as he explores Mars…until he falls. Seventeen years later he returns to Earth after sending back so much information about Mars. He has feelings and thoughts, sadly unexpressed, for the people who did his coding and for Fly, the drone who accompanied him to Mars. At times while reading you forget that he is a rover, not a person.

The book is available in the library and on OverDrive/Libby as an ebook and e audiobook.

Recommended by: Joan Stoiber, Youth Services Reference Librarian I

Posted in: Youth Fiction

The Mysterious Benedict Society

by Trenton Lee Stewart

Reynie Muldoon is quite surprised when he finds a peculiar ad in the newspaper that seems to be directed exactly at him: “Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?” A genius orphan, who never seems to fit in anywhere, Reynie feels this might be his only opportunity to both achieve great things and finally make friends. When he arrives, he is quite shocked to find the tests and questions posed to the hundreds of children who answered the ad are just as strange as the ad itself. Nonethless, Reynie, along with only three other children are chosen for the job. The task at hand: go undercover as students at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, where something very dark and evil is at work. Will Reynie and his new friends be able to stop the Institute before the world is irreversibly changed for the worse? This puzzling and humorous book is a great pick if you want a book that’ll make you wonder, think, and laugh.

This book is available in the library and on OverDrive/Libby as an ebook and e audiobook

Recommended by: Stephanie Visser-Rodriguez, Youth Services Reference Librarian

Posted in: Youth Fiction

The Road to After

by Rebekah Lowell

This novel in verse is beautifully written and illustrated by the author. This quick read is so empowering and shows that even through the darkest, hardest childhood experiences can lead to survival, hope and ultimately healing. There are also lots of metaphor’s used to help the young reader see the meaning readily.

Recommended by: Lenore Garoufalis, Youth Services Assistant

Posted in: Youth Fiction

Caprice

by Coe Booth

Caprice has just returned from a summer program at an exclusive boarding school. She’s thrilled to be back home but is conflicted as well. She’s been offered a scholarship for 8th grade and high school at the boarding school. Should she stay or should she go? In the meantime, her grandmother has become ill and some memories from the past are haunting Caprice. Add in some friend troubles and a boy who’s interested in her, and Caprice has a lot on her mind.

This book is available in the library and on OverDrive/Libby as an ebook and e audiobook.

Submitted by: Becky McCormack, Youth Services Assistant Manager

Posted in: Youth Fiction

Spooky Sleuths: The Ghost Tree

by Natasha Deen

Do you like mysteries and spooky stories?  Then you’ll love this new series based on ghost stories from Guyana.  It’s the first book in the series which is illustrated and good for an early chapter book reader. It’s a fast paced book that keeps you hanging on for the next clue! Asim moves to a new town and hears weird noises at night, eerie lights and an evil tree. Can Asim and his friends save their teacher and the town from the ghost tree? Read on if you dare!

Recommended by: Lenore Garoufalis, Youth Services Assistant

Posted in: Youth Fiction

Abby in Orbit: Blast Off!

by Andrea J. Loney

Blast Off! by Andrea J. Loney is the first book in the new Abby in Orbit series. It’s a beginner chapter book for any reader interested in space or surviving their first day of third grade. Abby and her little brother Nico, just moved from Earth to the OASIS International Space Station, joining their scientist parents. There’s a lot to get used to, like the lack of gravity, and making new friends. Abby tries her hardest to get it all right, but runs into some trouble. This sweet, funny, relatable story will have readers laughing and daydreaming about living in space.

Recommended by: Erin Cady, Youth Services Reference Librarian

Posted in: Youth Fiction