media: young adult

2016

December
The March Trilogy
graphic novel young adult
The March Trilogy written by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin | illustrated by Nate Powell

Written by US Congressman, John Lewis, of Georgia and his staff member and comic oficionado Andrew Aydin, this is the John Lewis’s coming of age story during the time of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Illustrator Nate Powell helps flesh out Dr. Martin Luther King, Fannie Lou Hamer, and the hope and scorn of an era.

Ghost
young adult
Ghost written by Jason Reynolds

He’s running as fast as he can—away from school, away from his thoughts, away from himself. But maybe he can set that running to some good. Coach thinks he could. Jason Reynolds writes another winner, about growing up African American. Reynolds knows this world so well.

November
Dare to Disappoint: Growing Up in Turkey
young adult
Dare to Disappoint: Growing Up in Turkey written by Özge Samanci, Özge Samanci

Be a doctor. Be a lawyer. Be an engineer. The voices of her father and other well-meaning advisors are so loud in Özge’s head she can’t hear her own voice. But what does Özge want? Samanaci, growing up on the Aegean coast in Turkey, shows readers a view of the challenges of another culture in this whimsically-drawn graphic novel memoir.

October
Presenting Buffalo Bill: The Man Who Invented the Wild West
young adult
Presenting Buffalo Bill: The Man Who Invented the Wild West written by Candace Fleming

Buffalo Bill Cody gave us the Wild Wild West as we perceive it today. Was he a liar? A philanthropist? A friend of Native Americans? An exploiter of Native Americans? "Presenting Buffalo Bill" is a wonderful exploration of a complex historical figure.

Another Brooklyn
adult young adult
Another Brooklyn written by Jacqueline Woodson

Jacqueline Woodson has written another masterpiece, this time for adults–but it could be put in the hands of younger readers. Four young girls are fast friends in Brooklyn. As they grow from nine to young teens and then to older teens, their relationships with each other change.

September
The Lie Tree
young adult
The Lie Tree written by Frances Hardinge

In Victorian England, when women were thought to be inferior to men, 14 year old Faith Sunderly is inquisitive and clever enough to pursue justice and revenge. Winner of England’s prestigious Costa Book of the Year (formerly Whitbread), this is the first children’s book to win since Philip Pullman’s Amber Spyglass in 2001. It’s a wow!

How to Hang a Witch
young adult
How to Hang a Witch written by Adriana Mather

Samantha Mather is a direct descendant of Cotton Mather, a key accuser in The Salem Witch Trials. As a result, when she and her family move to notorious Salem, she is instantly outcast. Before long, she has acquired a spirit living in her house, is receiving death threats, and members of the community have begun dying at an alarming rate. Sam soon discovers this is all part of an elaborate, centuries-old curse that only she can break. Fast-moving and creepy, readers will be immediately hooked on Adriana Mather’s debut novel.

Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War
young adult
Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War written by Steve Sheinkin

The story of the Pentagon Papers and how Daniel Ellsberg risked everything to reveal to the nation the corruption in the White House throughout the Vietnam War. Here is a look at patriotism, integrity, and freedom.

August
The Women in the Walls
young adult
The Women in the Walls written by Amy Lukavics

Lucy lives in a huge, castle-like estate with her father, aunt, and cousin. One day, her aunt mysteriously disappears and strange voices and screams begin to emanate from within the walls. Are the voices those of her relatives or are they simply hallucinations? Lucy and her cousin begin a disturbingly horrific investigation that may very well lead them to their own demise.

Flickers
young adult
Flickers written by Arthur Slade

Arthur Slade’s latest novel, Flickers, features orphaned twins Isabelle and Beatrice Thorn who are living in glamorous 1920s Hollywood far from the Canadian prairie where they were born. Slade is the award-winning author of seventeen novels for young readers including The Hunchback Assignments, and Dust. He is also the author of the acclaimed graphic novel Modo: Ember’s End.

Flannery
young adult
Flannery written by Lisa Moore, Lisa Moore, Lisa Moore, Lisa Moore

Flannery’s mom is a flaky but loving eco-artist, who can’t pay the bills. Her little brother is charming but spoiled. Her best friend is in love with an abusive boyfriend. Flannery is in love with Tyrone, an outlaw graffiti artist and they’re paired for their final project in entrepreneurship class. Tyrone comes up with the idea of love potions, then disappears. It’s up to Flannery to work it all out.

July
Last Chance Island
young adult
Last Chance Island written by Norma Charles

How do a young boy from Africa and a rebellious teenager from Canada end up on a remote Irish island populated with only a lighthouse and its keeper? In this adventure for teens, taking place in three countries, readers will discover how people from very different cultures can help each other.