The library is closed Sunday, March 31 for Easter.

Staff Picks


February 2024

In Limbo

by Deborah Lee

A clear depiction of feeling like you don’t fit in for being different. Deborah (Jung Jin) emigrated from Korea with her family, so her English isn’t perfect, she has a very Korean name, and physically she just doesn’t look like her peers. She feels like she sticks out like a sore thumb, and she can’t even find comfort in her own home with how much her parents constantly argue. Without a place to belong to Deborah’s mental health plummets. Could connecting to her roots and a trip to Korea help her accept herself?

Recommended by: Ayla Franco, Youth Services Assistant

Posted in: Young Adult Fiction


The Gray

by Chris Baron

Whenever Sasha feels overwhelmed by all that he sees, hears and feels, he goes to a place he calls the Gray, where it is hard to distinguish reality from fantasy. His therapist and parents feel it would be helpful for him to go stay with his aunt and get back to nature. That also means getting away from all the screen time that Sasha has been doing as the area has no wi-fi. Things don’t go smoothly as Sasha has trouble with a bully, an unfriendly boy, and falls off a horse. All of this helps him to grow and change but does it help him enough when the going gets really rough?

Recommended by: Joan Stoiber, Youth Services Reference Librarian I

Posted in: Youth Fiction


January 2024

Running Past Dark

by Han Nolan

A young adult mystery in which Scottie is determined to discover why her twin sister, with a male gym teacher in the car, ran into a stonewall killing them both. Scottie is harassed at home and at school as she has accused the teacher of raping her sister. While her mother loses herself in alcohol to cope, Scottie takes up ultrarunning. While she runs she tries to figure out what really happened to her sister and who might be still alive who is responsible.

Recommended by: Joan Stoiber, Youth Services Reference Librarian

Posted in: Young Adult Fiction


The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen

by Isaac Blum

Hoodie’s entire Orthodox Jewish community has moved to the non-Jewish town of Tregaron. The people of Tregaron aren’t happy that so many Orthodox Jews are moving in at once. When Hoodie falls for the non Jewish daughter of the mayor who is trying to kick Hoodie’s community out of town, life gets rough. Things get even worse when the town is hit by anti-Semitic crimes that escalate into a deadly shooting. Should Hoodie abandon his community for his first love, or should he stick by them through the good and bad?  This book will open your eyes to things that some in the Jewish community (and many other groups as well) are experiencing today.

Recommended by: Erin Faxel, Youth Services Teen Librarian

Posted in: Youth Fiction


All These Bodies

by Kendare Blake

In 1958 a serial killer is leaving bodies throughout the Midwest. All of them completely drained of blood. The final murders happen in a small Minnesota farmhouse. The only difference between the first murders and the last is that there is a 15 year old female survivor covered head to toe in blood at the final scene. The son of the sheriff is tasked to talk to this girl in order to figure out what part she played in the murders. The big questions are: Where did all the blood go? What really happened? And how did a girl end up in the middle of all of it? Pick up this thriller to find out!

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

Recommended by: Erin Faxel, Youth Services Teen Librarian

Posted in: Young Adult Fiction


Shelter

by Christie Matheson

Heartbreaking story of what living in a shelter looks like in the eyes of a ten-year-old. But also shows how resilient and driven a young girl can be and how she overcomes sadness.  It also reminds readers what is most important and what we have in life is often taken for granted.
Recommended by: Lenore Garoufalis, Youth Services Assistant

Posted in: Youth Fiction


The Dragons Club

by Cyn Bermudez

Faith, a gifted violinist teen, is a recipient of a scholarship at a prestigious private art school. The turmoil in her home life makes school focus and attendance a constant struggle. Her beloved sister’s drug addiction has impacted her mentally and emotionally to great extent and her last chance to maintain her scholarship comes with one condition. She’s required to join a freshly created youth support group. Although hesitant at first, the Dragons Club becomes an outlet, an oasis, and a life-changing experience. Bermudez’s portrayal of substance abuse and its impact is presented in a very compelling and touching way in this tale. Written in verse, this beautiful and realistic short novel brings us a hopeful tale about coping with anxiety while pursuing connection, strength, and self preservation.

Recommended by: Fanny Camargo, Youth Services Librarian

Posted in: Young Adult Fiction


The Cardboard Kingdom: Snow and Sorcery

by Chad Sell

The Cardboard Kingdom: Snow and Sorcery by Chad Sell is the third installment of the graphic novel series. The Cardboard Kingdom is a neighborhood group of kids with big imaginations who like having adventures together. In this book, some kids from across town want to join the kingdom, but no one can seem to get along. A battle is brewing to settle things once and for all, unless they can find a way to live together in harmony. With slimy snowball attacks, elaborate costumes, and a whodunit mystery, this story has all the excitement to make you keep reading!

Recommended by: Erin Cady, Youth Services Reference Librarian

Posted in: Youth Fiction


Babble: And How Punctuation Saved It

by Caroline Adderson

A humorously written story about the town of Babble. No one could understand each other and they all talked all the time in monotone, but never listening. The first few pages are one long run on sentence because there is no punctuation. Luckily, a young girl comes along and begins to share strange objects with all the town people. With the period they can stop talking and listen. With the question mark they can have a discussion. Other punctuation marks are given out such as commas, quotation marks, apostrophes, and very importantly exclamation marks. A very fun way to emphasize the importance of using punctuation but also the importance of communication in understanding each other. 

Recommended by: Joan Stoiber, Youth Services Reference Librarian 

Posted in: Youth Fiction


Different: A Story of the Spanish Civil War

by Monica Montanes

With Francisco Franco in charge in Spain anyone who was different was in danger. Anyone who had fought for freedom had to flee the country. Different is told through the voices of seven-year-old Socorro and nine-year-old Paco who are siblings. Because their father had to escape Spain because of his political beliefs, the family must hide the truth and keep secrets in order to survive. They can’t ask for more food or better treatment because someone might find out why their father isn’t home anymore. After 8 years a letter finally arrives from the father reuniting them in Venezuela. Different is based on the author’s family history.  

Recommended by: Joan Stoiber, Youth Services Reference Librarian 

Posted in: Youth Fiction


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