Staff Picks
September 2022
Surviving the Wild: Rainbow the Koala
by Remy Lai
A heartwarming and heart wrenching graphic novel about Rainbow the koala who is ready to go off and live on his own according to his mom. Rainbow has problems though with the kookaburra who laughs at him, and he can’t find a tree to live in. Rainbow runs out of water and then a bush fire overtakes the area…how can anything survive? Based on true events that happened in the outback with animals being rescued and relocated to the wild, this book introduces children to the importance of being environmentally smart. It is part of the series by author which also includes Star the Elephant.
Recommended by: Joan Stoiber, Youth Services Reference Librarian
Posted in: Youth Fiction
August 2022
A Game of Fox and Squirrels
by Jenn Reese
Sisters, Caitlin and Sam, are sent to live with an aunt they didn’t know they had after an incident with their parents. Sam just wants to go back home but Caitlin is actually happy in their new home. When something fantastical appears to Sam she thinks she’s on the right road to happiness but is she?
Recommended by: Becky McCormack, Youth Services Assistant Manager
Posted in: Youth Fiction
School’s In, Crabby!
by Jonathan Fenske
It’s another day undersea for Crabby and Plankton, the two unlikely friends and sea creatures with opposite personalities. After spotting a school of fish, Plankton insists on playing pretend school and making Crabby a star student. Crabby, in his usual grumpy self, tries to trick him using clever wordplay to get to recess. This is the fifth book from Geisel Award Honoree Jonathan Fenske’s early reader Crabby Book series. The colorful cartoonish characters are full of humorous expressions. Presented in simple panels with easy text, it highly appeals to emerging readers looking for funny and playful stories. The short but hilarious storyline will make readers young and old share a laugh. A fun pick for back to school season!
Recommended by: Fanny Camargo, Youth Services Reference Librarian
Posted in: Youth Fiction
Born Behind Bars
by Padma Venkatraman
Kabir was born to his imprisoned mother in India. When he is released to the care of an uncle at age nine, Kabir not only leaves the only family he knows but has to navigate his way in a world that he is unfamiliar with. Using the knowledge and wisdom he gained from his mother and the other inmates he forges ahead.
This book is available in the library and on OverDrive/Libby as an e audiobook.
Recommended by: Becky McCormack, Youth Services Assistant Manager
Posted in: Youth Fiction
Barakamon
Have you ever been hit with artist’s block? Sei Handa definitely has and he’s at his last wits end. With his artistic career as Japan’s youngest professional Japanese calligrapher spiraling down after a violent outburst, Handa has been sent to Goto Islands in a last hope attempt to be able to redeem himself after his incident. Finding himself in rural Japan in a tight knit community where everyone knows everything about each other will he ever be able to regain his sanity again?
Recommended by: Ayla Franco, Youth Services Assistant
Posted in: Movies/TV
Gender Queer: a Memoir
by Maia Kobabe
Gender Queer depicts the emotional and physical journey Maia Kobabe goes through growing up. Questions like am I Lesbian? Am I Trans? Why am I weird? Always roamed eir mind. It’s always hard being a teenager but for Maia it was a whole other world. With so many identities people can choose nowadays Maia found eirself confused and overwhelmed by all the variety. This is a great book for people who are trying to find out their gender identity or for those who want to read about the gender queer community.
This book is available in the library and on OverDrive/Libby and Hoopla as an ebook.
Recommended by: Ayla Franco, Youth Services Assistant
Posted in: Young Adult Fiction
While I was Away
by Waka Brown
Waka lives in Kansas. When her mother decides she needs to know how to speak Japanese better than she does, Waka is sent to live with her grandmother in Tokyo, Japan for five months. Not only is Waka not fluent with the language but she’s unused to the customs there. She also needs to navigate the different friend network at her new school.
Recommended by: Becky McCormack, Youth Services Assistant Manager
Posted in: Youth Biographies
The World Belonged to Us
by Jacqueline Woodson
A beautifully written and illustrated reminisce of a summer in Brooklyn when the author was young. The depiction of a diverse group of children all playing together from day to Mom’s calling them in at night will bring back memories of childhood for some readers and introduce how summer playtime used to be to children of today.
This book is available in the library and on OverDrive/Libby as an ebook.
Recommended by: Joan Stoiber, Youth Services Reference Librarian
Posted in: Youth Fiction
Cuba in My Pocket
by Adrianna Cuevas
Cumba lives in Cuba in the year 1961. Fidel Castro has taken over and there is much unrest. When a soldier demands that Cumba reports to duty as a soldier even though he’s only 12, his parents make the decision to send him to the United States. Once there, Cumba not only needs to learn the language but he needs to acclimate himself to new surroundings, a new school and new living arrangements.
Recommended by: Becky McCormack, Youth Services Assistant Manager
Posted in: Youth Fiction
All of Us Villains
by Amanda Foody
Mix Harry Potter’s magic with the Hunger Games and you’ve got “All Of Us Villains”. Every generation seven families send a teenaged “champion” into the blood veil to fight to the death. The winner’s family receives high magic until the next tournament begins. The families are pegged as villains, and raise their children to believe they are too. But are they? As the games begin, some will live and some will die, but is there a way to stop the curse that forces the Teens to fight? Are the Teens as villainous as they seem? Or just broken? Check out this 2023 Read For A Lifetime book today to find out!
This book is avaialble in the library and on OverDrive/Libby as an ebook and e audiobook
Recommended by: Erin Faxel, Youth Services Teen Librarian
Posted in: Young Adult Fiction