1.
New Release Spotlight: February 27, 2018
YOUNG ADULT (GRADES 7+):
A Girl Like That (Tanaz Bhathena)
Debut author! In Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, sixteen-year-old half-Hindu/half-Parsi Zarin
Wadia is the class troublemaker and top subject for the school rumor blogs,
regularly leaving class to smoke cigarettes in cars with boys, but she also
desperately wants to grow up and move out of her aunt and uncle's house,
perhaps realizing too late that Porus, another non-Muslim Indian who risks
deportation but remains devoted to Zarin, could help her escape. Recommended
for Grades 8+. Publishers Weekly and SLJ starred. Realistic fiction, Middle East.
Hope Nation (multiple authors)
The teens of today are the caretakers of tomorrow, and yet it's difficult for many to
find joy or comfort in our turbulent society. But in trying times, words are power.
Some of today's most influential young adult authors come together in this highly
personal nonfiction collection of essays, poems, and letters, each a first-hand
account that ultimately strives to inspire hope. Authors include Marie Lu, Jeff
Zentner, David Levithan, Julie Murphy, James Dashner, and many more. I can't
find any professional reviews or grade level recommendations, but Titlewave
classifies it as YA. Essays.
Daughter of the Siren Queen (Tricia Levenseller)
Sequel to: Daughter of the Pirate King. Yes, it's a sequel, which I usually include in
a separate section, but I have a few girls who are ravenous for this book to come
out! Pirate Princess Alosa has emerged victorious from the last book. She has
found all three pieces of the treasure map, and the pirates who kidnapped her are
now captives on her ship. That includes Riden, an "enemy" pirate who is still
unexpectedly loyal to Alosa. This duology is incredibly popular with my 7th and 8th
grade library girls--don't miss it! Recommended for Grades 7-10. Adventure,
pirates.
1/5
All Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens Throughout the Ages
(multiple YA authors)
Short story collection that includes a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood set in war-
torn 1870s Mexico featuring a transgender soldier, two girls falling in love while
mourning the death of Kurt Cobain, forbidden love in a sixteenth-century Spanish
convent, and an asexual girl discovering her identity amid the 1970s roller-disco
scene. Features many cultures and time periods throughout history. Authors
include Robin Talley, Kody Keplinger, Shaun David Hutchinson, Tess Sharpe, and
many others. Recommended for Grades 9-12. Kirkus starred. Short stories,
LGBTQIA.
Tess of the Road (Rachel Hartman)
I love gender-bending adventures! In the medieval kingdom of Goredd, women are
expected to be ladies, men are their protectors, and dragons get to be whomever
they want. Tess, stubbornly, is a troublemaker. You can't make a scene at your
sister's wedding and break a relative's nose with one punch (no matter how
pompous he is) and not suffer the consequences. As her family plans to send her
to a nunnery, Tess yanks on her boots and sets out on a journey across the
Southlands, alone and pretending to be a boy. Set in the world of Seraphina.
Recommended for Grades 8+. Kirkus starred. Fantasy, dragons.

2.
People Like Us (Dana Mele)
Kay Donovan may have skeletons in her closet, but the past is past, and she's
reinvented herself entirely. Now she's a star soccer player whose group of gorgeous
friends run their private school with effortless popularity and acerbic wit. But when a
girl's body is found in the lake, Kay's carefully constructed life begins to topple. Give
to fans of Pretty Little Liars. Recommended for Grades 9-12. Mystery, thriller.
Cadaver and Queen (Alisa Kwitney)
2018 is the 200th anniversary of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, so I expect to see
many more Frankenstein retellings this year. When Elizabeth Lavenza enrolled at
Ingold as its first female medical student, she knew she wouldn't have an easy time.
When she stumbles across what appears to be a faulty Bio-Mechanical--one of the
mechanized cadavers created to service the school--she jumps at the chance to fix it
and get ahead in the program. Only this Bio-Mechanical isn't like the others. This
one seems to have thoughts, feelings...and self-awareness. Recommended for
Grades 8-12. Mystery, science, Frankenstein retelling.
This Heart of Mine (C.C. Hunter)
Seventeen-year-old Leah MacKenzie gets a second chance at life when a donor
heart matches her blood type. Then Leah discovers who the donor was--a boy from
her school who killed himself. Plagued with dreams since the transplant, Leah
realizes she may hold the clues to what really happened. Matt refuses to believe his
twin killed himself. When Leah seeks him out, he learns they are both having similar
dreams and he’s certain it means something. While unraveling the secrets of his
brother’s final moments, Leah and Matt find each other, and a love they are terrified
to lose. Recommended for Grades 10+. Romance, grief, organ donation.
The Calculus of Change (Jessie Hilb)
Aden isn't looking for love in her senior year. She's much more focused on things like
getting a solo gig at Ike's and keeping her brother from illegal herbal recreation. But
when Tate walks into Calculus class wearing a yarmulke and a grin, Aden's heart is
gone in an instant. Recommended for Grades 9-12. Romance.
2/5

3.
Where I Live (Brenda Rufener)
Linden Rose has a big secret: she is homeless and living in the halls of her small-
town high school. Her position as school blog editor, her best friends, Ham and
Seung, and the promise of a future far away are what keep Linden under the radar
and moving forward. But when cool-girl Bea comes to school with a bloody lip, the
damage hits too close to home. Linden begins looking at Bea's life, and soon her
investigation prompts people to pay more attention. And attention is the last thing
she needs. Recommended for Grades 9-12. Realistic fiction, homelessness, abuse.
This Tiny Perfect World (Lauren Gibaldi)
What a beautiful front cover! When Penny wins a scholarship to a prestigious
theater camp, she thinks it’s the start of a perfect summer. But when she arrives at
camp, Penny is thrust into a world of competition and self-doubt. And as she meets
new friends, including Chase, a talented young actor with big-city dreams, she
begins to realize that her own dreams may be bigger than she ever imagined. Give
to fans of Sarah Dessen. Recommended for Grades 9-12. Realistic fiction,
romance, theatre.
The Traitor's Game (Jennifer A. Nielsen)
The Traitor's Game, book 1. Nothing is as it seems in the kingdom of Antora.
Kestra Dallisor has spent three years in exile in the Lava Fields, but that won't stop
her from being drawn back into her father's palace politics. He's the right hand man
of the cruel king, Lord Endrick, which makes Kestra a valuable bargaining chip. A
group of rebels knows this all too well--and they snatch Kestra from her carriage as
she reluctantly travels home. Recommended for Grades 6+. Adventure, romance.
Heart of Iron (Ashley Poston)
Seventeen-year-old Ana is a scoundrel by nurture and an outlaw by nature. Found
as a child drifting through space with a sentient android called D09, Ana was
saved by a fearsome space captain and the grizzled crew she now calls family.
But D09--one of the last remaining illegal Metals--has been glitching, and Ana will
stop at nothing to find a way to fix him. Give to fans of Starflight and The Red
Queen. Recommend for Grades 7-12. Science fiction, space opera.
THIS WEEK'S SEQUELS (YA):
3/5

4.
The Wishmakers (Tyler Whitesides)
The Wishmakers, book 1. Ace unwittingly releases a genie from a peanut butter jar
and gets unlimited wishes that he must learn to use with their consequences before
all the world's cats and dogs turn into zombies who will eat mankind. Recommended
for Grades 3-7. Kirkus starred. Fantasy, adventure.
Clem Hetherington and the Ironwood Race (Jen Breach, Douglas Holgate)
Clem Hetherington, book 1. Clementine Hetherington and her robot brother, Digory,
have run away from the orphanage they've been living in since their parents died.
Clem and Dig want to follow in their famous archaeologist mother's footsteps, but
no one will take them seriously. Their chance arrives when a man from their past
saves Digory's life, and to repay the debt they enter a multiday rally race... to
recover stolen artifacts. Recommended for Grades 4+. Graphic novel, science
fiction.
The Misfits Club (Kieran Crowley)
I saw this cover and immediately thought of Scooby Doo! Nothing exciting ever
happens in the small town of Newpark, where Brian, Hannah, and twins Chris and
Sam live. And when they start their summer vacation, they know it's the end of an
era. The Misfits Club--a club they started when they were eight years ols--is
disbanding, and they still haven't managed to solve any real mysteries. But when
they persuade new club members Amelia to go investigate a spooky old house,
they unexpectedly discover some stolen goods. Could this be their change for one
last adventure? Recommended for Grades 4-7. Booklist starred. Mystery, humor.
4/5
Wed Wabbit (Lissa Evans)
You're called Fidge and you're nearly eleven. You've been hurled into a strange
world. You have three companions: two are unbelievably weird and the third is
your awful cousin Graham. You have to solve a series of nearly impossible clues.
You need to deal with a cruel dictator and three thousand Wimbley Woos (yes, you
read that sentence correctly). And the whole situation--the whole, entire thing--is
your fault. Recommended for Grades 4-7. Kirkus starred. Humor.
Quest of the Cubs (Kathryn Lasky)
Bears of the Ice, book 1. Great for fans of Spirit Animals, Warriors, or The
Guardians of Ga'Hoole series. For generations, the noble polar bears have ruled
the Northern Kingdoms. But now, their society is on the brink of collapse. A group
of power-hungry bears has seized control, and darkness is creeping across the
snow. Cubs First and Second don't know any of this, but when their mother is taken
prisoner, the cubs' world falls apart. They know they have to rescue her, but how
can two cubs who've barely learned to hunt survive a treacherous journey across
the ice? Recommended for Grades 3-6. Kirkus starred. Animal fantasy, adventure.
One True Way (Shannon Hitchcock)
From the moment she met Samantha, star of the school basketball team, on her
first day at Daniel Boone Middle School, Allison Drake felt she had found a friend,
something she needs badly since her brother died and her father left--but as their
friendship grows it begins to evolve into a deeper emotion, and in North Carolina in
1977, it is not easy to discover that you might be gay. Recommended for Grades
4-7. Kirkus starred. Historical fiction, GLBT.
MIDDLE GRADES (GRADES 4-7):

5.
PICTURE BOOKS (ALL AGES):
Adelaide's Secret World (Elise Hurst)
Originally published in Australia in 2015. Adelaide leads a quiet life in the midst of
the city. At night she listens to the song of the stars, but during the day she watches
over the others like her: the still ones, the quiet ones, those who dance and dream
alone. Great for art teachers! Kirkus starred. 32 pages.
5/5
THIS WEEK'S SEQUELS (MIDDLE GRADES):