Special Collections
California Department of Education Recommended Literature List 2025
Description: The California Department of Education (CDE) coordinates the development of Recommended Literature List with the assistance of teachers, teacher librarians employed by schools and public libraries, administrators, curriculum planners, and parents.#CDE
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Witch Hunt
by Elizabeth Levy and Andrea BalisA cutting-edge look into a pivotal moment in US history: McCarthy's infamous "witch hunt" for communists during the 1950's Red Scare.At the cusp of the Cold War, Americans were so afraid of communists living among them that they began to hunt them like witches. As Senator Joe McCarthy took up this mantle to hunt down “communists” in the US, citizens grew terrified of being accused, so they turned on each other - pointing fingers at neighbors, friends, and even family.Told through a unique and inviting screenplay-format, brought to life with dozens of illustrations by Tim Foley, and comprised almost entirely of quotes derived from primary sources, Witch Hunt recounts the political craze that gripped America during the Red Scare when McCarthyism forced people to go to extraordinary lengths to keep themselves and their families safe from persecution against their own government.
Wildful
by Kengo KurimotoDiscover the magic of the wilderness in this breathtaking graphic novel reminiscent of The Secret Garden. Poppy’s mother hasn’t been the same since Gran passed away. She stays inside and watches TV, unable to leave the couch. So maybe that’s why Poppy has started spending more time outside, taking her dog Pepper for walks around the neighborhood. When Pepper leads Poppy through a hole in the fence, she finds a forgotten forest that’s been there all along, as well as a new friend named Rob. Rob teaches Poppy that you can find magic in the wilderness – if you know where to look! Poppy looks, and then she looks closer … and sees flowers opening before her eyes, watches animals slip into their hidden homes, and listens to the sound of water droplets falling gently on puddles, leaves and feathers. She can barely wait to tell Mum about everything she’s seen, and asks her to come see, too – but her mother rarely has the energy to leave the couch. Will Poppy ever be able help her mother see the beauty in the woods – and in life? This beautifully illustrated graphic novel is an exploration of grief, love, and finding magic in the wilderness – and in ourselves. Key Text Features illustrations Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.7 Analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to the meaning, tone, or beauty of a text (e.g., graphic novel, multimedia presentation of fiction, folktale, myth, poem). CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.3 Describe how a particular story's or drama's plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.
Ultraviolet
by Aida SalazarSometimes life explodes in technicolor.In the spirit of Judy Blume, award-winning author Aida Salazar tells it like it is about puberty, hormones, and first love in this hilarious, heartwarming, and highly relatable coming-of-age story. Perfect for fans of Jason Reynolds, Kwame Alexander, and Adib Khorram.* "Stunning...A story that sings to the soul." -Kirkus Reviews, starred review* "A compassionate verse novel about first love, heartbreak, and vulnerability. " -Publishers Weekly, starred review* "Salazar writes from a place of abundant empathy. . . . Another heartfelt and accessible tale of growing up from one of the best in modern children's literature." -School Library Journal, starred reviewFor Elio Solis, eighth grade fizzes with change-His body teeming with hormones. His feelings that flow like lava. His relationship with Pops, who's always telling him to man up, the Solis way. And especially Camelia, his first girlfriend.But then, betrayal and heartbreak send Elio spiraling toward revenge, a fight to prove his manhood, and defend Camelia's honor. He doesn't anticipate the dire consequences-or that Camelia's not looking for a savior.Ultraviolet digs deep into themes of consent, puberty, masculinity, and the emotional lives of boys, as it challenges stereotypes and offers another way to be in the world.
Three Summers
by Laura L. Sullivan and Amra Sabic-El-RayessAn epic middle-grade memoir about sisterhood and coming-of-age in the three years leading up to the Bosnian Genocide. Three Summers is the story of five young cousins who grow closer than sisters as ethnic tensions escalate over three summers in 1980s Bosnia. They navigate the joys and pitfalls of adolescence on their family’s little island in the middle of the Una River. When finally confronted with the harsh truths of the adult world around them, their bond gives them the resilience to discover and hold fast to their true selves.Written with incredible warmth and tenderness, Amra Sabic-El-Rayess takes readers on a journey that will break their hearts and put them back together again.
The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman
by Gennifer CholdenkoReaders will be rooting for a happy ending for Hank in Newbery-Honor-winner Gennifer Choldenko&’s gripping story of a boy struggling to hold his family together when his mom doesn't come home.When eleven-year-old Hank&’s mom doesn&’t come home, he takes care of his toddler sister, Boo, like he always does. But it&’s been a week now. They are out of food and mom has never stayed away this long… Hank knows he needs help, so he and Boo seek out the stranger listed as their emergency contact.But asking for help has consequences. It means social workers, and a new school, and having to answer questions about his mom that he's been trying to keep secret. And if they can't find his mom soon, Hank and Boo may end up in different foster homes--he could lose everything. Gennifer Choldenko has written a heart-wrenching, healing, and ultimately hopeful story about how complicated family can be. About how you can love someone, even when you can&’t rely on them. And about the transformative power of second chances.
Sing It Like Celia
by Mónica MancillasPerfect for fans of The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise and Merci Suárez Changes Gears, Sing It Like Celia is a revelatory story about a Mexican American girl who finds her voice and herself with the help of her role model and icon, Celia Cruz.Twelve-year-old Salva Sanchez has always been a fan of Celia Cruz, also known as &“the queen of salsa.&” Her love of Celia stems from her mother, who leaves Salva without explanation one awful day. Now Salva is stuck with her investigative journalist father in an RV campground. In the middle of nowhere.As Salva acclimates to her new environment and desperately tries to figure out why her mother left, she befriends a posse of campground kids who have started a band. When the kids discover that Salva has an amazing singing voice, they convince her to join their group. Soon, Salva learns how to find her voice—and herself—with the help of her newfound friends, her dad, and the one and only Celia Cruz.
The Sherlock Society
by James PontiIn the tradition of Nancy Drew, four kids and one grandfather in Miami tackle a decades-old mystery in this first book full of &“atmosphere, history, and lively humor&” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) in the Sherlock Society middle grade series from New York Times bestselling, Edgar Award–winning author James Ponti!Siblings Alex and Zoe Sherlock take their last name as inspiration when choosing a summer job. After all, starting a detective agency has to be better than babysitting (boring), lawn mowing (sweaty), or cleaning out the attic (boring and sweaty). Their friends Lina, an avid bookworm, and Yadi, an aspiring cinematographer, join the enterprise, and Alex and Zoe&’s retired reporter grandfather offers up his sweet aquamarine Cadillac convertible and storage unit full of cold cases. The group&’s first target is the long-lost treasure supposedly hidden near their hometown Miami. Their investigation into the local doings of famed gangster Al Capone leads them to a remote island in the middle of the Everglades where they find alarming evidence hinting at corporate corruption. Together with Grandpa&’s know-how and the kids&’ intelligence—plus some really slick gadgets—can the Sherlock Society root out the conspiracy?
Rising from the Ashes: Los Angeles, 1992. Edward Jae Song Lee, Latasha Harlins, Rodney King, and a City on Fire
by Paula YooA Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books of the Year The Horn Book Fanfare Best Books of the Year A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year A YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Award Finalist Award-winning author Paula Yoo delivers "a comprehensive, kaleidoscopic account of what happened before, during, and after the 1992 Los Angeles uprising." (Horn Book Magazine, starred review) In the spring of 1992, after a jury returned not guilty verdicts in the trial of four police officers charged in the brutal beating of a Black man, Rodney King, Los Angeles was torn apart. Thousands of fires were set, causing more than a billion dollars in damage. In neighborhoods abandoned by the police, protestors and storeowners exchanged gunfire. More than 12,000 people were arrested and 2,400 injured. Sixty-three died. In Rising from the Ashes, award-winning author Paula Yoo draws on the experience of the city’s Korean American community to narrate and illuminate this uprising, from the racism that created economically disadvantaged neighborhoods torn by drugs and gang-related violence, to the tensions between the city’s minority communities. At its heart are the stories of three lives and three families: those of Rodney King; of Latasha Harlins, a Black teenager shot and killed by a Korean American storeowner; and Edward Jae Song Lee, a Korean American man killed in the unrest. Woven throughout, and set against a minute-by-minute account of the uprising, are the voices of dozens others: police officers, firefighters, journalists, business owners, and activists whose recollections give texture and perspective to the events of those five days in 1992 and their impact over the years that followed.
Red Bird Danced
by Dawn QuigleyWith lyrical verse and powerful emotion, Dawn Quigley (Ojibwe) tells the story of urban Native kids who find strength in connection with those who came before and in the hope that lets them take flight. Ariel and Tomah have lived in the city’s intertribal housing complex all their lives. But for both of them, this Dagwaagin (Autumn) season is different than any before.From his bench outside the front door of his building, Tomah watches his community move around him. He is better at making people laugh than he is at schoolwork, but often it feels like his neighbor Ariel is the only one who really sees him, even in her sadness. Ariel has always danced ballet because of her Auntie Bineshiinh and loves the way dance makes her feet hover above the ground like a bird. But ever since Auntie went missing, Ariel’s dancing doesn’t feel like flying.As the seasons change and the cold of winter gives way to spring’s promise, Ariel and Tomah begin to change too as they learn to share the rhythms and stories they carry within themselves.This first middle grade novel by Dawn Quigley is a tour de force. She is known for her American Indian Youth Literature Award–winning Jo Jo Makoons chapter book series and young adult novel Apple in the Middle. Give Red Bird Danced to readers who love Jasmine Warga and Christine Day!
Not Nothing
by Gayle Forman"The book we all need at the time we all need it.&” —Katherine Applegate, Newbery Award–winning author of The One and Only Ivan In this multigenerational middle grade novel of hope, compassion, and forgiveness from #1 New York Times bestselling author Gayle Forman that is as timely as it is timeless, a boy who has been assigned to spend his summer volunteering at a senior living facility learns unexpected lessons that change the trajectory of his life.Alex is twelve, and he did something very, very bad. A judge sentences him to spend his summer volunteering at a retirement home where he&’s bossed around by an annoying and self-important do-gooder named Maya-Jade. He hasn&’t seen his mom in a year, his aunt and uncle don&’t want him, and Shady Glen&’s geriatric residents seem like zombies to him. Josey is 107 and ready for his life to be over. He has evaded death many times, having survived ghettos, dragnets, and a concentration camp—all thanks to the heroism of a woman named Olka and his own ability to sew. But now he spends his days in room 206 at Shady Glen, refusing to speak and waiting (and waiting and waiting) to die. Until Alex knocks on Josey&’s door…and Josey begins to tell Alex his story. As Alex comes back again and again to hear more, an unlikely bond grows between them. Soon a new possibility opens up for Alex: Can he rise to the occasion of his life, even if it means confronting the worst thing that he&’s ever done?
Hidden Gem
by Linda LiuTHIS BOOK ROCKS!!(It also happens to be about a rock...)"Breathtaking." —Kirkus Reviews, starred reviewPrepare to fall in love with this debut picture book and its irresistibly quirky story of a tiny, unassuming rock's journey to self-confidence, perfect for fans of Eric Carle & Jon Klassen.When a small pebble sees others gathering on the steps of the Museum of Rocks, he grows curious. Once inside the esteemed halls, he is shocked by what he discovers. The only rocks on display are glittering gemstones, geodes, and crystals! These beautiful stones make him wonder: Can he be special, too? Perhaps he’ll find an answer in the World’s Most Beautiful Gem exhibition . . . or maybe, just maybe, he will find the answer inside himself.
Happy Birthday to Me
by Thao LamHow does it feel to turn a year older? A child runs through a spectrum of emotions on the best day of the year, their birthday! A child runs through a spectrum of emotions on the best day of the year—their birthday! Early-morning excitement gives way to shyness at the arrival of guests, hunger for cake, a craze for arts and crafts, and some real piñata problems. So how can a kid possibly answer that age old question: "How does it feel to be a year older?" From bestselling picture-book creator Thao Lam comes this irrepressible celebration of emotions, captured in a rainbow of cut-paper collage. Happy Birthday to Me makes for the perfect birthday present or anytime-guide to naming our feelings. Key Text Features Illustrations Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.4 Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses.
Feel Calm
by Andy J. Pizza and Sophie MillerFrom the creators of the New York Times bestseller Invisible Things, this hands-on board book leads toddlers on a whimsical and reassuring journey from chaos to calm. When you feel wound up, how do you get the knots out? Follow along to unwind the tangled mess of ups, downs, and loop the loops and find the way back to calm. With this book in hand, take a moment to pause, take a deep breath, and practice mindfulness and grounding techniques perfectly suited for young readers.Invisible Things introduced the wonderful concept of exploring the invisible things that make up the human experience, encouraging us to look past the visible and connect with the things that are not seen. This inviting board book brings the idea into an interactive format, offering kids a great way to explore and take charge of their emotions.FEELINGS BOOK: Educators, therapists, and caregivers looking to have nuanced or challenging discussions with kids about their experiences can use this as a jumping-off point for conversation: What are your chaos feelings? What helps you feel calm? SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING: One common exercise teachers use is to ask kids to point to their emotions on a chart and then name them, for which this book will be a powerful tool. REVIEWED BY MENTAL HEALTH EXPERT: This book was vetted by a licensed independent clinical social worker specializing in mental health for kids. Pair it with the Invisible Things book or Invisible Things Feelings Flash Cards to create an effective home or classroom resource.POPULAR AUTHOR: Andy J. Pizza is one of the creative minds behind several children’s books, including the bestselling Invisible Things, A Pizza with Everything on It, and A Sundae with Everything on It. He also hosts the popular podcast Creative Pep Talk.Perfect for:Parents, grandparents, caregivers, teachers, and educatorsAnyone interested in social-emotional learning (SEL) and entertaining ways to explore emotions with kidsAnyone looking for interactive books about emotional health for babies and toddlersYoung readers who enjoy tactile board books like Press Here and Mix It Up!Fans of Pixar's Inside OutFans of Andy J. Pizza, the Creative Pep Talk podcast, or his bestselling books, including Invisible Things and A Pizza with Everything on It
Fail-a-bration
by Brad Montague and Kristi MontagueNew York Times bestselling duo Brad and Kristi Montague are throwing a big party to celebrate failures, in this fun and affirming book that finds the joy in trying and learning, even if you don&’t succeedYou are cordially invited to a giant fail-a-bration party! Bring with you the cake that came out lopsided, the spelling test mistakes, or the plant that died.Brad and Kristi Montague have started a movement for kids and adults alike to celebrate the way failing actually means you tried and learned something. Failing doesn&’t have to bad! It's just part of the process of learning to do something better.So if you missed the goal during that soccer game or burned the cookies, put on a party hat and join the fail-a-bration, to let the fail fires light the way to success!
Everyone Gets a Turn
by Marianne DubucA lovely and heartwarming illustrated children’s book about friendship, taking turns, and caring for one another by award-winning author Marianne Dubuc.Beloved children's book author and illustrator Marianne Dubuc chronicles the adventure and collaboration that ensues when four animal friends take turns caring for a precious little egg they find in the woods.Enter the beautifully illustrated world of Bear, Hare, Turtle, and Mouse. In Dubuc's signature soft and inviting watercolor scenes, these forest friends make an unexpected discovery and turn to each other to find a shared solution. They decide they each will have a turn caring for the egg in their homes.Mouse's house is chilly, so a cozy fire is set ablaze in the fireplace. At Bear's house, exercise and activity rule the day, and Little Egg hatches out of her shell! The next stop is Hare's house, where Bear and Hare dote over the newborn chick and face a new challenge: trying to find something for her to eat! Finally, it's on to Turtle's house for a special time exploring Turtle's treasures and sharing stories.An endearing picture book that celebrates friendship and encourages young readers to share and trust in the power of community and their own resourcefulness, Everyone Gets a Turn is a wonderful read-aloud book for children with a timeless message.
Do You Remember?
by Sydney SmithFrom the multiple award-winning creator of Small in the City and the illustrator of I Talk Like a River comes a fresh and moving look at memories, filtered through the mind of a child.Tucked in bed at a new apartment, a boy and his mother trade favorite memories. Some are idyllic, like a picnic with Dad, but others are more surprising: a fall from a bike into soft piled hay, the smell of an old oil lamp when a rainstorm blew the power out.Now it&’s just the two of them, and the house where all those memories happened is far away. But maybe someday, this will be a favorite memory, too: happy and sad, an end and a beginning intertwined.In a series of warm and wistful vignettes, as achingly fleeting as childhood memories always become, Sydney Smith takes us into the mind of a young person processing a bevy of complex emotions during a major life change. Do You Remember? is a stirring meditation on holding fast to the best of the past, and choosing to believe in the future.A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
Desert Song
by Laekan Zea KempA family joins the music of the Texas desert night in this tale of tradition and memory from Pura Belpré Honor author Laekan Zea Kemp.It starts with a soft tapping,Uncle Eduardo drumming hishands against his dusty jeans.As the blush of sunset gives way to night in the desert, coyotes, cicadas, and barn owls emerge, each calling out to the moon. Watching from their porch, the family joins the song. One by one, each relative offers their drums, flute, maracas, strings, and voices. They sing with the insects, birds, snakes and toads; and they sing with their ancestors, an audience glittering in the stars overhead. With each strum of passed-down instruments, memories renew, and those gone are alive and near again.Desert Song hums and chimes with all the music a front porch and the desert beyond can hold. Pura Belpré Honor author Laekan Zea Kemp&’s masterfully stirring text dances through Beatriz Gutierrez Hernandez&’s enchanting and dynamic artwork. Readers will be left with the soothing sense that when creativity flourishes, the past is never out of reach, and the bonds that matter never break.Simultaneously published in Spanish as Canción del desierto.
Built to Last
by Minh LêMeet two friends who think they're building imaginative worlds with blocks but come to realize they've been building something far greater--a sturdy, solid friendship--in this picturebook by award-winning creators.Two kids build entire worlds out of blocks, cardboard, and imagination. From boats attacked by a sea creature to a castle crumbling into the ocean. And they don&’t mind when these creations break apart and CRASH to the floor. In fact, they think it&’s pretty funny! Every time, a creation falls apart, they pick up the pieces and keep building bigger and better.But when their latest masterpiece tumbles down in spectacular fashion, the boys aren&’t laughing anymore. Have these two friends reached their breaking point?Playful text by wordsmith Minh Le and dazzling illustrations by artisan Dan Santat showcase their close collaboration in their latest picturebook. As merry as it is moving, here is a story that recognizes the friendships in life that are truly built to last.
Buffalo Fluffalo
by Bess KalbIntroducing a sweet and silly buffalo who tries to bluff and fluff his way into being bigger than he really is. This laugh-out-loud story by an Emmy-nominated comedy writer shows it&’s okay to be yourself.I&’m the Buffalo FluffaloI heave and I huffaloLeave me alone because I&’ve had enuffalo.Buffalo Fluffalo arrives on the scene puffed up with self-importance. Stomping around and raising billows of dust, Buffalo Fluffalo proclaims his superiority to the other creatures—the ram, the prairie dog, and the crow—who just want to be his friend. So Buffalo Fluffalo, who has had enuffalo, heads off to grumble to himself. Suddenly, a rain shower pours down from the clouds and—what&’s this? All of his fluffalo is a soggy mess! There Fluffalo stands, a drenched pip-squeak without his disguise. The other animals, who could see through Fluffalo&’s bravado from the start, circle around to comfort him. As prairie dog says with a smile in his eyes, You&’re great how you are, no matter your size.Readers will find Buffalo Fluffalo&’s insecurity endearing and will be moved to reassure him. This humorous and delightful book encourages self-acceptance with a lighthearted touch.
Ahoy!
by Sophie BlackallJoin a child captain and parent first mate as they embark on a wild high seas adventure…all without leaving the living room! This imaginative romp of a picture book is filled with glorious illustrations from a beloved Caldecott Medalist and New York Times bestselling creator.Raise the mainsail! Batten the hatches! It's time to set sail…on the couch!There's a storm coming, and a child is ready to captain the ship. "Make haste and climb aboard," they call out to their parent, "before you're swept out to sea!" Sea? What sea? The parent is only trying to vacuum the rug. But the child is adamant. It's not a rug--it's the ocean. And that broom? It's the ship's mast. Soon enough, child and parent are both off on an imaginary nautical adventure!Here is a thoroughly engaging, hilarious picture book that celebrates the joys of playing make-believe--and hanging out with a parent!
Stronger at the Seams
by Shannon StockerFrom award-winning author Shannon Stocker comes a moving and empowering YA novel that explores what it means to find your voice and learn to advocate for yourself. Twyla has always believed things happen for a reason, but when she starts having severe health issues and doctors won&’t listen to her concerns, she finds herself questioning everything, including her diagnosis … and wondering if her mother&’s death holds the answer.Twyla enters high school sure of three things: Her best friends will always be there for her, the next four years will be amazing, and her mom was right when she said there&’s a reason behind everything. Then she gets extremely nauseous and has trouble concentrating during a field hockey game. The doctors say it&’s only a mild digestive issue, but Twyla is convinced they&’re wrong. Making things worse, her friends start ghosting her outside of school, even though they tell her everything is fine, and her dad is becoming more distant each time she asks about her mom&’s life before she died.As Twyla&’s illness intensifies and her diagnosis stays the same, she finds herself feeling like her world is unraveling. It&’s not until she begins researching her symptoms herself—and discovers something in her mom&’s old records that could hold the answer to her condition—that she believes there could be some sort of reason for everything she&’s facing. But will anyone listen to her in time?Stronger at the Seams:Is a contemporary fiction novel for readers 12 and up and adult fans of YAComes from Shannon Stocker, the winner of the 2023 Schneider Award for Listen: How Evelyn Glennie, a Deaf Girl, Changed Percussion and an advocate for children with disabilities and chronic diseaseIs a powerful coming-of-age story about family, friendship, and self-advocacy
Playing for Keeps
by Jennifer DuganFrom the author of Some Girls Do comes another heartfelt YA sapphic romance—starring a baseball pitcher and a student umpire who are definitely not supposed to fall for one another.&“Sapphic sports romance perfection. Swoony and romantic, but unafraid to tackle grief, family expectations, and fighting for your dreams, this is a home run of a book.&” —Rachael Lippincott, coauthor of the #1 New York Times Bestsellers Five Feet Apart and She Gets the GirlJune is the star pitcher of her elite club baseball team—with an ego to match—and she's a shoo-in to be recruited at the college level, like her parents have always envisioned. That is, if she can play through an overuse injury that has recently gone from bad to worse.Ivy isn't just reffing to pay off her athletic fees or make some extra cash on the side. She wants to someday officiate at the professional level, even if her parents would rather she go to college instead. The first time they cross paths, Ivy throws June out of a game for grandstanding. Still, they quickly grow from enemies to begrudging friends . . . and then something more. But the rules state that players and umpires are prohibited from dating.As June's shoulder worsens, and a rival discovers the girls' secret and threatens to expose them, everything the two have worked so hard for is at risk. Now both must choose: follow their dreams . . . or follow their hearts?
Wide Awake Now
by David LevithanFrom the New York Times bestselling author of Every Day, this is a queer love story set against the backdrop of the 2024 presidential election, in a reimagining of David Levithan&’s 2004 novel Wide Awake.When David Levithan published Wide Awake in 2004, he set it in an imagined 2024, where a gay Jewish man had just been elected president of the United States, until a governor decides that some election results in his state are invalid, awarding crucial votes to the other candidate and his fellow party member. What follows is the story of teens Jimmy and Duncan as they explore their relationship, their politics, and their country.In Wide Awake Now, David Levithan is flipping the script and rewriting Jimmy and Duncan&’s story in the real 2024, rather than his imagined version. This is a protest novel for today.Once again, David Levithan proves the critical importance of standing up for what you believe in and the cost of apathy in today&’s political climate.
Twenty-Four Seconds from Now . . .
by Jason ReynoldsA Coretta Scott King Author Award Winner A New York Times Bestseller Seven starred reviews! &“Jason Reynolds has done it again!...Fresh from start to finish…This is what it could be, should be, if only we were all as lucky as Aria. Girls (and everyone) wait for your Neon!&” —Judy Blume, New York Times bestselling author of Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. and Forever... #1 New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds tackles it—you know…it—from the guy&’s perspective in this stream of consciousness story of a teen boy about to experience a huge first. &“Reynolds&’s foray into romance is as spectacular as expected…Undoubtedly, a story for everyone&” (Booklist, starred review).Twenty-four months ago: Neon gets chased by a dog all around the parking lot of a church. Not his finest moment. And definitely one he would have loved to forget if it weren&’t for the dog&’s owner: Aria. Dressed in sweats, a t-shirt, hair in a ponytail. Aria. Way more than fine. Twenty-four weeks ago: Neon&’s dad insists on talking to him about tenderness and intimacy. Neon and Aria are definitely in love, and while they haven&’t taken that next big step…yet, they&’ve starting talking about…that. Twenty-four days ago: Neon&’s mom finds her—gulp—bra in his room. Hey! No judging! Those hook thingies are complicated! So he&’d figured he&’d better practice, what with the big day only a month away. Twenty-four minutes ago: Neon leaves his shift at work at his dad&’s bingo hall, making sure to bring some chicken tenders for Aria. They&’re not candlelight and they definitely aren&’t caviar, but they are her favorite. And right this second? Neon is locked in Aria&’s bathroom, completely freaking out because twenty-four seconds from now he and Aria are about to…about to… Well, they won&’t do anything if he can&’t get out of his own head (all the advice, insecurities, and what ifs) and out of this bathroom!
This Is Me Trying
by Racquel MariePerfect for fans of Nina LaCour, This is Me Trying is a profound and tender YA contemporary novel exploring grief, love, and guilt from author Racquel Marie. Growing up, Bryce, Beatriz, and Santiago were inseparable. But when Santiago moved away before high school, their friendship crumbled. Three years later, Bryce is gone, Beatriz is known as the dead boy’s girlfriend, and Santiago is back.The last thing Beatriz wants is to reunite with Santiago, who left all her messages unanswered while she drowned alone in grief over Bryce’s death by suicide. Even if she wasn’t angry, Santiago’s attempts to make amends are jeopardizing her plan to keep the world at arm’s length—equal parts protection and punishment—and she swore to never let anyone try that again.Santiago is surprised to find the once happy-go-lucky Bea is now the gothic town loner, though he’s unsurprised she wants nothing to do with him. But he can’t fix what he broke between them while still hiding what led him to cut her off in the first place, and it’s harder to run from his past when he isn’t states away anymore.Inevitably drawn back together by circumstance and history, Beatriz and Santiago navigate grief, love, mental illness, forgiveness, and what it means to try to build a future after unfathomable loss.