Staff Picks Youth

Glass Slippers

by Leah Cypess

Did you know Cinderella had a third wicked stepsister? Tirza was only a little girl when the prince discovered Cinderella, so when she became queen, Ella didn’t hold her family’s evil ways against her. She took Tirza under her wing and let her live in the castle, so she never thought Tirza would betray her. Then, just before the annual ball to celebrate the magic of the glass slippers, they go missing, and Tirza is immediately accused as the thief. Tirza knows she didn’t steal the slippers, so who did? This story is one cliff hanger after another! Action packed with magic, suspense, betrayal, and rivalry, you don’t want to miss this one! Glass Slippers is the second book in the Sisters Ever After series by Leah Cypess.

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

Recommended by: Erin Cady, Youth Services Reference Librarian

Posted in: Youth Fiction

Consider the Octopus

by Nora Raleigh Baskin

Twelve-year-old Dr. Sidney Miller is not actually a doctor. She’s a girl with a goldfish longing for adventure since her best friend moved away. And twelve-year-old Jeremy “JB” Barnes makes a few mistakes that connect the two in some major scheming! JB’s mom is a scientist aboard a research ship desperately trying to clean up the Pacific Ocean. In a last ditch effort to help their mission, her team organizes an Emergency Global Summit and puts JB in charge of invitations. How long will it be before everyone realizes JB invited the wrong Sidney Miller? Can the two new friends make an impact before then? STEM enthusiasts, ocean lovers, environmentalists and tweens alike will all find something to love in this endearing middle grade novel full of mix-ups!

Recommended by: Erin Cady, Youth Services Reference Librarian

Posted in: Youth Fiction

Ollie Escapes the Great Chicago Fire

by Salima Alikhan

Great historical fiction genre which combines storytelling with real life events.  I loved the bravery and perseverance the character shows throughout the book.  It is a fast read with suspense to keep the reader interested.  Find out how Ollie saves his sister in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 and all the emotions and hard times they went through.  This new series also has four other great fiction titles.  

 Recommended by:  Lenore Garoufalis, Youth Services Assistant

Posted in: Youth Fiction

The Girl in White

by Lindsay Currie

Posted in: Youth Fiction

Tune It Out

by Jamie Sumner

Twelve year old Louise Montgomery, Lou for short, has been displaced by her mom’s restlessness her whole life. They move from place to place living off of odd jobs and Lou’s singing talent, even though she hates performing. It’s been just the two of them against the world until an accident alerts the authorities to their questionable lifestyle. As a result, Lou is sent to live with her aunt and uncle while her mom works on rebuilding her life. Lou discovers a lot about herself and learns that her sensory processing disorder doesn’t have to hold her back. From the author of Roll with It, comes another wonderful middle grade novel about overcoming obstacles and being true to oneself.

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

Recommended by: Erin Cady, Youth Services Reference Librarian

Posted in: Youth Fiction

The Genius Under the Table

by Eugene Yelchin

Yevgeny is growing up in Russia during the Cold War. He’s not talented like his ice-skating star older brother. He feels as if he has no artistic talent at all but then his parents see the secret artwork he has been creating underneath the family’s dining room table. Once he starts taking art lessons under the tutelage of an art master, his life starts looking up. 

Recommended by: Becky McCormack, Youth Services Assistant Manager

Posted in: Youth Biographies

Clues to the Universe

by Christina Li

Benji is tired of being bullied at school. When a new girl, Ro, shows up and they accidentally pick up each other’s folders they become friends. Ro is totally into science and space and wants to make a rocket and enter it into the science fair. All Benji wants to do is draw. He’s obsessed with comics. When Ro discovers something about Benji’s absent father, they make a deal. 

Recommended by: Becky McCormack, Youth Services Assistant Manager

Posted in: Youth Fiction

My Life in the Fish Tank

by Barbara Dee

Zinnia, Zinny for short, is having a rough school year after her older brother is diagnosed with a mental illness. Her parents ask Zinny and her siblings to keep it a secret. As a result of this, Zinny loses touch with her best friends because they ask questions that she feels she can’t answer. 

Recommended by: Becky McCormack, Youth Services Assistant Manager

Posted in: Youth Fiction

The Spirit of Springer: The Real-Life Rescue of an Orphaned Orca

by Amanda Abler

This is a true story about Springer, an orphaned orca, who was found alone in Puget Sound in 2002. She was in poor health due to skin sores, starvation, and loneliness- since her call was not what other orcas in the area responded to. Scientists found where orcas like her were living. After being healed, she was released near them with the hope that they would accept her into the pod.

Recommended by: Joan Stoiber, Youth Services Reference Librarian

Posted in: Youth Nonfiction

Above the Rim: How Elgin Baylor Changed Basketball

by Jen Bryant

Learning to play basketball in the streets, Elgin Baylor took his ability to jump high and hang in the air over the rim to new heights. His nickname was Rabbit. After college he became the first professional African American NBA player. Elgin played in the late 1950s and early 1960s for the Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers using his acrobatic skills to excel as a player. Though people loved to come see him play, he was not allowed into “whites only” restaurants and hotels as the team traveled. Changes in society were happening that are referred to as part of his journey to stand up for himself by sitting down and getting people and the NBA to change.

This book is available in the library and as a movie on Hoopla.

Recommended by: Joan Stoiber, Youth Services Reference Librarian

Posted in: Youth Biographies