Staff Picks
April 2020
Frozen Charlotte
by Alex Bell
Sophie goes to stay with her uncle and her three cousins, while her parents are away. It’s been years since she last saw them. They now live on the remote isle of Skye, in a house that was once a school for girls. Until strange things happened and the school closed. Sophie finds her relatives have changed too. When Sophie starts to experience strange voices and happenings she must find out the truth before it’s too late.
Recommend by: Holly Balasa, Youth Services Shelver
Posted in: Young Adult Fiction
Ten
by Gretchen McNeil
Ten teens. Three days. One killer. Best friends Meg and Minnie are more than excited to spend President’s Day weekend at an exclusive house party on Henry Island. But the fun turns twisted after they discover a DVD with a sinister message: Vengeance is mine. Taking a page from Agatha Christie’s novel Then There Where None, the teens must find which one of them is the killer before no one is left on the island.
Recommended by: April Balasa, Patron Services Clerk
Posted in: Young Adult Fiction
Tweet Cute
by Emma Lord
Pepper is a busy high school student, balancing her grades, college applications, swim team, and her mom’s fast-food Twitter account. When Big League Burger accidentally starts a feud with a small local business, all of Twitter sits back to enjoy the show. As Pepper tries to navigate her Twitter fight, she finds herself spending more time with Jack, a guy she’s known for years but never paid much attention to, meanwhile also talking to Wolf, a guy she’s never met on an app developed for her school. Will her Twitter feud accidentally lead to a meet-up with the perfect guy? Or has she already met him? Also available on OverDrive.
Recommended by: Alejandra Menendez, Youth Services Reference Librarian I
Posted in: Young Adult Fiction
Ordinary Hazards: A Memoir
by Nikki Grimes
This novel in verse takes us through the author’s formative years of life. Since her mother is a paranoid schizophrenic and her father is unable to care for her, Nikki and her sister land in the foster care system. When her mother remarries Nikki is brought back to live with her but her older sister is not. Nikki misses her sister and her biological father who encourages her artistic side. While difficult to read at times, this book is ultimately uplifting and celebrates perseverance and fortitude.
Recommended by: Becky McCormack, Youth Services Assistant Manager
Posted in: Young Adult Nonfiction
Five Feet Apart
by Rachael Lippincott
The title of this book refers to the distance at which Stella and Will, both of whom have cystic fibrosis, must stay from each other. Stella initially dislikes Will when they meet in the hospital due to his wanton disregard for his health. Will, an artist, agrees to use the app Stella created to take his medications if she’ll let him draw her portrait. And the rest, they say, is history. But how it all comes together is the real fun in this romantic tale. Also available on OverDrive.
Recommended by: Becky McCormack, Youth Services Assistant Manager
Posted in: Young Adult Fiction
The Parker Inheritance
by Varian Johnson
Candice loves mysteries and brain teasers. After she finds a letter addressed to her grandmother, she teams up with Brandon, the boy across the street to try to solve a mystery from the 1950s and to collect a fortune. Flipping between the present and past, the children uncover a case of racism that is still impacting the town. Fans of The Westing Game, which plays a role in this mystery, will enjoy this complex, yet fast-paced story. This book is a 2019 Coretta Scott King Honor Book. Also available on OverDrive.
Recommended by: Joan Stoiber, Youth Reference Librarian I
Posted in: Youth Fiction
Stef Soto, Taco Queen
by Jennifer Torres
A debut novel about a young girl finding her voice. Stef is tired of being teased about her family’s taco truck. But when the city steps in with regulations, which side will Stef be on? This is a heartwarming multicultural novel based on current events. Also available on OverDrive.
Recommended by: Joan Stoiber, Youth Reference Librarian I
Posted in: Youth Fiction
Nowhere Boy
by Katherine Marsh
A story about being in a lockdown situation during a real lockdown! In this book it is not a virus, but a threat of terrorism that has caused the lockdown in Brussels. Ahmed has fled Syria with his father but ends up hiding alone in the wine cellar of Max’s house. Max, newly arrived from Washington, D.C. and feeling uncomfortable in his new surroundings, discovers him and wants to help. But after a terrorist attack occurs, the police are looking for any foreigners. What to do when you don’t know who to trust, including your family? A timely novel about the importance of understanding to replace the fear of different cultures. Based on a true, similar incident that occurred during WWII. Also available on OverDrive.
Recommended by: Joan Stoiber, Youth Reference Librarian I
Posted in: Youth Fiction
Lifeboat 12: Based on a True Story
by Susan Hood
What difference could it make if Ken got on lifeboat 12 instead of lifeboat 8? Ken finds out when the ship he is on is torpedoed before it can reach Canada from England. Many parents were evacuating their children to escape the Blitz to the safety of Canada. To do so though, they had to cross the Atlantic Ocean. Ken finds himself on lifeboat 12 with other survivors but with limited food and water. Can they survive the stress, the storms, and keep their sanity? Also available on OverDrive.
Recommended by: Joan Stoiber, Youth Services Reference Librarian I
Posted in: Youth Fiction
A Cry in the Dark (Carly Moore: Book 1)
by Denise Grover Swank
Carly, a young woman with a brand new identity, is on the run from a family mired down in shady business dealings. But while on the road to a new town, her car breaks down. Carly then meets a handsome tow-truck driver, takes on a part-time job, witnesses a murder and then becomes the target of those murderers. A few bad people, in this small, forgotten town in the Smoky Mountains, think she’s someone she’s not. So she’ll have to solve a murder to prove them wrong. And while all this goes on around her, she worries that someone may recognize her. Will she find the chance to get back on the road before her father finds her? If you enjoy suspense with some light romance, this might be the series for you. Available on OverDrive.
Recommended by: Michelle Przekwas, Adult Services Shelver
Posted in: Adult Fiction