Staff Picks
September 2021
The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez
by Adrianna Cuevas
Nestor misses his father, who’s serving in the military, something awful. He’s very discouraged from moving every year to a new school. When he immediately makes new friends after he and his mother move in with their grandmother, he’s encouraged. When pet animals begin disappearing, Nestor, who has a secret super power, and his friends attempt to solve the mystery.
Recommended by: Becky McCormack, Youth Services Assistant Manager
Posted in: Youth Fiction
Leave Only Footprints: My Acadia-to-Zion Journey Through Every National Park
by Conor Knighton
When Conor Knighton’s fiancé leaves him he decides to take his mind off of it by traveling to all of the National Parks in one year. Good thing he worked for CBS and they loved the idea of him sending in reports from all of the parks. This book is full of his experiences from all of the parks. It’s not a pure fact book and it’s not a book written to get you to visit the parks (though after reading it I’m sure you’ll find at least one place you’d like to go). It has a ton of interesting activities that he participated in and has a lot of little pieces of interviews from people he met there. A very fun and informative read.
Recommended by: Erin Faxel, Youth Services Teen Librarian
Posted in: Adult Nonfiction
No Place Like Here
by Christina June
Ashlyn just spent the last school year at boarding school, and all she wants to do is get back home and spend the summer hanging out with her BFF. But things don’t always go to plan. Ashlyn’s father is arrested for tax evasion and her mother checks into rehab for depression. Next thing Ashlyn knows, she’s being shipped off to her cousin’s house to spend the summer working at some camp. Will someone with no outdoor talents be able to survive the summer? Will Ashlyn be able to forgive and help fix her broken family? Will there be romance at this camp she’s being sent to? Pick up a copy of this book to find out.
This book is available in the library and on Hoopla as an ebook.
Recommended by: Erin Faxel, Youth Services Teen Librarian
The Wild World Handbook Habitats
by Andrea Debbink
A great book for budding environmentalists and nature lovers. This book visits multiple types of habitats and gives facts and mini stories about them. There are also stories about famous activists, photographers, environmentalists and more. In between the stories you’ll find different activities to try out that relate to what you’ve just read. We only have one Earth and it’s our job to help protect it. This book might help middle graders take a step in the right direction.
Recommended by: Erin Faxel, Youth Services Teen Librarian
Posted in: Youth Nonfiction
In the Wild Light
by Jeff Zentner
Just like all of Zentner’s books, this book will hit all of your feels. Cash’s mother died of a drug overdose so he’s mostly been raised by his Grandparents. He spends his days living in a small run down town dodging drug dealers, taking care of his sick Papaw, and hanging out with his best friend Delaney. When Delaney manages to secure them both scholarships to one of the top private High Schools in the country Cash has to make the tough decision on whether or not to go. Should he leave his Grandparents to fend for themselves and everything he’s ever known? Or should he jump at the chance to create a better future and go to the new school with Delaney? A new school where they might not fit in and where he thinks he doesn’t deserve to be. This book with make you laugh and cry in all the best ways. Pick it up today.
Recommended by: Erin Faxel, Youth Services Teen Librarian
Posted in: Young Adult Fiction
The Thirteenth Cat
by Mary Downing Hahn
Don’t let the cover with a fluffy white cat fool you. This is a spell binding story about black cats…especially numbers Thirteen, Fourteen, and Fifteen. Hahn has once again written a spooky middle grade book that will keep the reader guessing to the very end.
Recommended by: Joan Stoiber, Youth Services Reference Librarian I
Posted in: Youth Fiction
Dig
by A.S. King
Posted in: Young Adult Fiction
Pax
by Sara Pennypacker
Posted in: Youth Fiction
Paletero Man
by Lucky Diaz
Summer has come to an end, but this is a great pick for these last warm days. Latin Grammy Winner Lucky Diaz and illustrator Micah Player team up for this heartwarming and vibrant story that takes place in Los Angeles, but may as well happen in any other urban beautifully diverse kind of town. With a splash of Spanish and a musical narrative in rhyme, a young boy is soon to embark on a quest to find the beloved neighborhood paletero man to enjoy the most delicious ice pops in town. We get a glimpse of city life that pulsates not only with lively hustle and bustle, but also with kindness and a true sense of community. By the end of the story, you may crave an icy treat and find paletero José to meet. A good read for Hispanic Heritage month. To celebrate, pair-up with the song by the same title.
Recommended by: Fanny Camargo, Youth Services Reference Librarian I
Posted in: Youth Fiction
The List of Unspeakable Fears
by J. Kasper Kramer
A timely historical novel where an anxious young girl, Essie, must learn to face her fears of the unknown, isolation, and unseen viruses that can kill you. After her mother remarries a doctor who oversees a quarantine hospital where typhoid patients are housed, including Typhoid Mary, Essie’s anxiety disorder escalates until reality and her nightmares feed on each other. She is sure the island is haunted and that her stepfather is another Dr. Frankenstein. Plus there is even an evil cat and a ghost terrifying her days and nights.
Recommended by: Joan Stoiber, Youth Services Reference Librarian I
Posted in: Youth Fiction