Staff Picks Youth

We Dream of Space

by Erin Entrada Kelly

From the Newbery winner of Hello, Universe comes another pitch-perfect book for middle grades. Cash, Fitch, and Bird are siblings in seventh grade together in 1986. Each are rotating around each other in their own world. Cash may fail seventh grade again. Fitch has anger issues. Bird, his twin, wants to become the first female shuttle commander.

All three siblings have the same science teacher, Ms. Salongan, who assigns them to spacecraft crews that must create and complete a mission. This is being done in connection with the real-life launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger. When launch day arrives, it brings changes for all three siblings and new meaning to the phrase “major malfunction”.

Kelly writes the novel in three alternating points of view and has illustrated the book herself. A Today show pick for “25 children’s books your kids and teens won’t be able to put down this summer!” This title is also available on OverDrive.

Recommended by: Joan Stoiber, Youth Services Reference Librarian I

Posted in: Youth Fiction

Out of the Wild Night

by Blue Balliett

A ghost story full of action and suspense. In November on the island of Nantucket, Mary W. Chase is woken up from her grave to narrate the story as well as be the Crier to wake up the living and the dead to the present danger. Ghostly footprints come on shore from the ocean one night. The ghosts want to prevent the restoration of old houses, which is destroying the memories and possessions of those who lived before. The children, led by Phee and Gabe, form a group of children to work with the ghosts to prevent the evil developer, Eddy Nold, from destroying the houses in the name of improvement. There are many of spooky scenes throughout the story to keep the reader turning pages. As is Baillett’s style, readers have to think and be alert for clues that she weaves into her story. With a surprising twist at the end, readers will be looking back in the book for those clues. A book that blends the worlds between life and death, memories and love.

Recommended by: Joan Stoiber, Youth Services Reference Librarian I

Posted in: Youth Fiction

One Time

by Sharon Creech

Who are you?  Who could you be? These are the two questions Gina Filomena ponders the year she is in Miss Lightstone’s class.  Labeled as a child with an overactive imagination, Gina befriends her new neighbor, Antonio, in whom she finds a kindred spirit.  With the encouragement and guidance of Miss Lightstone, Gina, Antonio, and their classmates discover the wonders of writing.  They soon find that writing is not just about telling stories, but also helps them process their world- and there’s a lot going on in Gina’s world.  An enormous amount of pasta, porcupines eating licorice, the shenanigans of Angel Lucia, the suddenness of change, the perfection found in words like mangata and komorebi.  One Time is a thoughtful read that weaves together imagination, expression, and becoming one’s true self.

Recommended by: Stephanie Thomas, Youth Services Preschool Services Coordinator

Posted in: Youth Fiction

Don’t Turn Out the Lights: A Tribute to Alvin Schwartz’s Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

by Jonathan Maberry

Posted in: Youth Fiction

Genesis Begins Again

by Alicia D. Williams

This story begins with Genesis getting evicted from yet another home. What is wrong with her parents? Why can’t they ever stay in one place? As the plot evolves, the reader discovers some of the long-held beliefs on Genesis’ father’s side of the family. Genesis struggles to come to terms with those beliefs and make new friends in yet another new school. Also available on OverDrive.

 Recommended by: Becky McCormack, Youth Services Assistant Manager

Posted in: Youth Fiction

Obsessed: a memoir of my life with OCD

by Allison Britz

This memoir is intense. If you have no experience with or knowledge of OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) then you’ll expand your know-how significantly in reading this book. Allison has sudden onset OCD in her sophomore year of high school. The struggles she details will both fill you with sympathy and make you cringe in disbelief. Also available on OverDrive.

Recommended by: Becky McCormack, Youth Services Assistant Manager

Posted in: Youth Nonfiction

Before the Ever After

by Jacqueline Woodson

A powerful novel in verse written by Woodson depicting the range of emotions characters feel as a former football player and father descends into the symptoms of the unknown disease called CTE, chronic traumatic encephalopathy. This degenerative brain disease affects boxers and football players and has led to improvements in football helmets. ZJ has to come to grips that his dad will not get better, may continue to get worse, as his dad’s memory of friends and even ZJ fails. And anger takes the place of memories.

Recommended by: Joan Stoiber, Youth Services Reference Librarian 1

Posted in: Youth Fiction

Your Place in the Universe

by Jason Chin

By the author of Grand Canyon, Jason Chin has once again created a book that has magnificent illustrations to go along with text that makes size and distance very understandable. Starting out with the idea that most eight-year-olds are about five times as tall as the book and continuing comparisons on and on into the universe. This is an engaging way to grasp perspectives of things on earth and in space. There is more information found in the back of the book. This is a mind boggling book and a must see to believe.

Recommended by: Joan Stoiber, Youth Services Reference Librarian I

Posted in: Youth Nonfiction

Owly: Just a Little Blue

by Andy Runton

Second book in the Owly graphic novel series. Owly and Wormy try to help a bluebird family whose tree has been damaged. The daddy bluebird does not trust Owly and refuses the new house that they built out of their wheelbarrow. The following spring after a huge storm, Owly and Wormy save the baby birds and bring out the tree house once more for the bluebird family. The cute illustrations and sparse text still gets across the meaning of sacrifice, friendship, and trying again to reach out to others.

Recommended by: Joan Stoiber, Youth Services Reference Librarian I

Posted in: Youth Fiction

Little Wise Wolf

by Gijs Van Der Hammen

Little Wise Wolf earns his name because he reads every big book he can find and knows so much about everything. Unfortunately he never shares his knowledge with his animal friends when they come to him with questions. All that changes after he is asked to help the King feel better and has to undertake a hard, long journey, which he can only do with a little help from his friends. Little Wise Wolf learns knowledge is power only when it is shared with others.

Recommended by: Joan Stoiber, Youth Services Reference Librarian I

Posted in: Youth Fiction