Monday, February 13, 2023

YA African American History Month


Black History Month is an annual observance originating in the United States, where it is also known as African-American History Month. It has received official recognition from governments in the United States and Canada, and more recently has been observed in Ireland and the United Kingdom.
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Promise Boys is a YA thriller/mystery that follows the J.B., Ramon, and Trey as they attempt to clear their names when they are framed for the death of their prep school principal. Told through a variety of perspectives, readers follow along as they attempt to clear their names of the crime.



Liz Lighty has always believed she's too black, too poor, too awkward to shine in her small, rich, prom-obsessed midwestern town. But it's okay — Liz has a plan that will get her out of Campbell, Indiana, forever: attend the uber-elite Pennington College, play in their world-famous orchestra, and become a doctor.



Morris Award Finalist. Justyce McAllister is a good kid, an honor student, and always there to help a friend--but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. Despite leaving his rough neighborhood behind, he can't escape the scorn of his former peers or the ridicule of his new classmates.



Through a series of flashbacks and letters to Justyce, Quan's story takes form. Troubles at home and misunderstandings at school give rise to police encounters and tough decisions. But then there's a dead cop and a weapon with Quan's prints on it. What leads a bright kid down a road to a murder charge?



 If there's one thing seventeen-year-old Maverick Carter knows, it's that a real man takes care of his family. As the son of a former gang legend, Mav does that the only way he knows how: dealing for the King Lords. With this money he can help his mom, who works two jobs while his dad's in prison.



It tells the story of Bri, a sixteen-year old rapper hoping to fill the shoes of her father and "make it" as an underground hip-hop legend. Overnight, Bri becomes an internet sensation after posting a rap hit which sparks controversy. As Bri defeats the odds to "make it" she battles controversy to achieve her dreams.



THE COST OF KNOWING is a heartbreaking and beautiful read about family, fate, and racism. After losing his parents and best friend, Alex feels that he has grown decades. At 16 years old, he works to earn money to help out his best friend's family and tries to keep his little brother safe.



A teenager explores her magical connections to greenery and gods. Briseis Greene is a Black high schooler with magical powers that she hides from most people save her adoptive mothers, Thandie and Angie. She has an innate connection to plants and is even able to grow them from seeds using just her mind and hands.





A SONG OF WRAITHS AND RUIN is a dual-POV YA fantasy novel inspired by West African folklore, and it follows two protagonists: a refugee named Malik and a princess named Karina. When Malik's younger sister is abducted by a vengeful spirit, he strikes a deal to win her freedom by murdering the crown princess of Ziran.



A rich, dark urban fantasy debut following a teen witch who is given a horrifying task: sacrificing her first love to save her family's magic. The problem is, she's never been in love—she'll have to find the perfect guy before she can kill him.





An NAACP Image Award Nominee, I'm Not Dying with You Tonight follows two teen girls—one black, one white—who have to confront their own assumptions about racial inequality as they rely on each other to get through the violent race riot that has set their city on fire with civil unrest.



The Hate U Give meets Just Mercy in this unflinching yet uplifting first novel that explores the racist injustices in the American justice system. Every week, seventeen-year-old Tracy Beaumont writes letters to Innocence X, asking the organization to help her father, an innocent Black man on death row.



The poem celebrates the U.S. not as a "perfect union," but as a country that has the grit to struggle with its all-too-real problems. Progress, the poem argues, doesn't happen all at once: it's a slow and sometimes painful "climb" up the "hill" of justice, a climb that takes patience and humility.



To Be A Slave is the intense and heartbreaking collection of stories from those who were slaves themselves. The book is written by the slaves who experienced the horrible and torturous journeys through slavery. The stories take place anywhere from the start of slavery in 1776 to the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863.



Bobby's going to be a father. Suddenly things like school and house parties and hanging with friends no longer seem important as they're replaced by visits to Nia's obstetrician and a social worker who says that the only way for Nia and Bobby to lead a normal life is to put their baby up for adoption.



The behind-the-scenes access of Almost Famous meets the searing revelations of metoo in this story of a teen journalist who uncovers the scandal of the decade. Ever since seventeen-year-old Josie Wright can remember, writing has been her identity, the thing that grounds her when everything else is a garbage fire.





Ali's boxing coach Malloy and his parents help him learn from his mistakes and gain responsibility for his actions. This is a powerful story about friendship and family, showing how they might not always be perfect but are still tremendously important in both good and bad times.



All American Boys is a young adult novel that looks at a specific instance of police brutality from the perspectives of two high school classmates: Rashad, who is savagely beaten by a local policeman who (wrongly) suspects him of shoplifting and assaulting a white woman, and Quinn, who sees the beating and initially



A paintbrush and a pen come together to depict a vividly real portrait of the lives of two Jasons, living in New York City, trying to make their dreams come true. Jason writes, Jason illustrates, in a way that allows the reader to get both of their perspectives - but at the same time, they can be seen as one entity.



Reynolds writes an encouraging letter to dreamers of all ages in four short chapters. From the beginning, he lets us know that his own dreams are yet to be realized, and so this is not a self-help or how-to manual, but a letter from an aching heart to all fellow dreamers.



Book Summary. A timely and powerful story about a teen girl striving for success in a world that too often feels like it wants to break her. Jade believes she must get out of her poor neighborhood if she's ever going to succeed. Her mother tells her to take advantage of every opportunity that comes her way.

YA Book Recommendations for Football Lovers!


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From New York Times bestselling author and former NFL defensive end Tim Green comes a football story about a boy who is given a chance to prove that wealth and privilege don't matter on the football field, as long as he has the skills to compete.



Tim Green tells a heartfelt and moving story about a deaf boy's journey to change how others see him—both on and off the football field. All Landon Dorch has ever wanted is to be like everyone else. His deafness has been an obstacle all of his life. But now he finally sees his chance to fit in.



From the author of Gym Candy comes a novel of football and bullying, finding friends and finding courage. With both good speed and good hands, wide receiver Brock Ripley should be a natural for the varsity team, but he shies away from physical contact.



A troubled Wisconsin teenager finds solid ground and grievous injury alike on the gridiron. If a whole family could be said to suffer from PTSD it would be Isaiah's, devastated by sudden, violent deaths.



Fifteen-year-old Felton Reinstein hits puberty and transforms from a nerd to an athlete but struggles to cope with his mom's growing mental health struggles in Geoff Herbach's young adult novel, Stupid Fast (2011). Bullied and teased most of his young life, Felton has anxiety caused by his dad's death by suicide.



When softball star Liv Rodinsky throws one ill-advised punch during the most important game of the year, she loses her scholarship to her fancy private school, her boyfriend, and her teammates all in one fell swoop.



Told from the first-person perspective of Arlo Brodie, the novel is divided into the four years of high school, with each year — freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior —showing the progression from junior varsity to varsity football and the ever more brutal head injuries inflicted — and suffered — by Arlo.



Two years ago, Maggie Carleton's life fell apart when her father murdered her mother. And after she told the police what happened, she stopped speaking and hasn't spoken since. Even the move to Lawton, Alabama, couldn't draw Maggie back out. So she stayed quiet, keeping her sorrow and her fractured heart hidden away.



As a Congressman's daughter in Washington, D.C., Kate Hamilton is good at getting what she wants—what some people might call “interfering.” But when her family moves to West Texas so her dad can run in a special election, Kate encounters some difficulties that test all her political skills.

Tuesday, January 3, 2023

Ryan's Fave YA Books of 2022

 With 2022 now behind us. It's time to showcase some of your favorite books of 2022! Here are some of Ryan's favorite books of 2022. 

"This year was a HUGE of graphic novels for me. Majority of the 50 book I read this year were graphic novels. Though I did enjoy many novels as well." ~Ryan Calhoun, BPL YA Librarian. 


Heartstopper by Alice Oseman

Shy and softhearted Charlie Spring sits next to rugby player Nick Nelson in class one morning. A warm and intimate friendship follows, and that soon develops into something more for Charlie, who doesn't think he has a chance.

But Nick is struggling with feelings of his own, and as the two grow closer and take on the ups and downs of high school, they come to understand the surprising and delightful ways in which love works.

Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love. A sweet and charming coming-of-age story that explores friendship, love, and coming out. This edition features beautiful two-color artwork.

Now streaming on Netflix!


Flamer by Mike Curato

I know I'm not gay. Gay boys like other boys. I hate boys. They're mean, and scary, and they're always destroying something or saying something dumb or both.

I hate that word. Gay. It makes me feel . . . unsafe.

It's the summer between middle school and high school, and Aiden Navarro is away at camp. Everyone's going through changes--but for Aiden, the stakes feel higher. As he navigates friendships, deals with bullies, and spends time with Elias (a boy he can't stop thinking about), he finds himself on a path of self-discovery and acceptance.


Fence by C. S. Pacat

Nicholas Cox is determined to prove himself in the world of competitive fencing, and earn his place alongside fencing legends like the dad he never knew, but things get more complicated when he's up against his golden-boy half-brother, as well as sullen fencing prodigy, Seiji Katayama.

Nicholas, the illegitimate son of a retired fencing champion, is a scrappy fencing wunderkind, and dreams of getting the chance and the training to actually compete. After getting accepted to the prodigious Kings Row private school, Nicholas is thrust into a cut-throat world, and finds himself facing not only his golden-boy half-brother, but the unbeatable, mysterious Seiji Katayama...

Through clashes, rivalries, and romance between teammates, Nicholas and the boys of Kings Row will discover there's much more to fencing than just foils and lunges. From acclaimed writer C.S. Pacat (The Captive Prince) and fan-favorite artist Johanna the Mad.


Children of Blood and Bone  by Tomi Adeyemi

They killed my mother.
They took our magic.
They tried to bury us.

Now we rise.

Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zélie's Reaper mother summoned forth souls.

But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.

Now Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.

Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers and her growing feelings for an enemy.


The Good Girls by Claire Eliza Bartlet

The troublemaker. The overachiever. The cheer captain. The dead girl. Like every high school in America, Jefferson-Lorne High contains all of the above.

After the shocking murder of senior Emma Baines, three of her classmates are at the top of the suspect list: Claude, the notorious partier; Avery, the head cheerleader; and Gwen, the would-be valedictorian.

But appearances are never what they seem. And the truth behind what really happened to Emma may just be lying in plain sight. As long buried secrets come to light, the clock is ticking to find Emma's killer--before another good girl goes down.


Ain't Burned All the Bright by Jason Reynolds

Jason Reynolds and his best bud, Jason Griffin, had a mind-meld. And they decided to tackle it, in one fell swoop, in about ten sentences, and 300 pages of art, this piece, this contemplation-manifesto-fierce-vulnerable-gorgeous-terrifying-WhatIsWrongWithHumans-hope-filled-hopeful-searing-Eye-Poppingly-Illustrated-tender-heartbreaking-how-The-HECK-did-They-Come-UP-with-This project about oxygen. And all of the symbolism attached to that word, especially NOW.

And so for anyone who didn't really know what it means to not be able to breathe, REALLY breathe, for generations, now you know. And those who already do, you'll be nodding yep yep, that is exactly how it is


The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Avery Grambs has a plan for a better future: survive high school, win a scholarship, and get out. But her fortunes change in an instant when billionaire Tobias Hawthorne dies and leaves Avery virtually his entire fortune. The catch? Avery has no idea why -- or even who Tobias Hawthorne is.

To receive her inheritance, Avery must move into sprawling, secret passage-filled Hawthorne House, where every room bears the old man's touch -- and his love of puzzles, riddles, and codes. Unfortunately for Avery, Hawthorne House is also occupied by the family that Tobias Hawthorne just dispossessed. This includes the four Hawthorne grandsons: dangerous, magnetic, brilliant boys who grew up with every expectation that one day, they would inherit billions. Heir apparent Grayson Hawthorne is convinced that Avery must be a conwoman, and he's determined to take her down. His brother, Jameson, views her as their grandfather's last hurrah: a twisted riddle, a puzzle to be solved. Caught in a world of wealth and privilege with danger around every turn, Avery will have to play the game herself just to survive.


Welcome to St. Hell by Lewis Hancox

A groundbreaking memoir about being a trans teen, in the vein of FUN HOME and FLAMER... and at the same time entirely its own.

Lewis has a few things to say to his younger teen self. He knows she hates her body. He knows she's confused about who to snog. He knows she's really a he and will ultimately realize this... but she's going to go through a whole lot of mess (some of it funny, some of it not funny at all) to get to that point. Lewis is trying to tell her this... but she's refusing to listen.

In WELCOME TO ST. HELL, author-illustrator Lewis Hancox takes readers on the hilarious, heartbreaking, and healing path he took to make it past trauma, confusion, hurt, and dubious fashion choices in order to become the man he was meant to be. It's a remarkable, groundbreaking graphic memoir from an unmistakably bold new voice in comics.

Monday, November 21, 2022

The Giving Tree

Our Teen Advisory Board was busy decorating for the Christmas season! As well as setting up BPL's Giving Tree.     

    Bremen Public Library is giving back to those teens in need with our new Giving Tree. Teens in need of hats, gloves, and scrafs can come into the Young Adult Room during December select the items needed. Donations are accepted, but must be purchased new and be odor free. 

    We would like to thank the Notty Knitters for their partnership with this event. The tree will be located next to the Care Cabinet in the Young Adult Room. 






Zombie Prom: A Night to Dismember

 These teens had a FRIGHT of a time at our first Zombie Prom event! Thank you to all who participated, and a special thank you to H&R Block Bremen for donating waters! We will see you next year! 
















Winner!

 CONGRATUALATIONS! Tyrstan Berger on completing the TeenTober 2022 Freak Out at Your Library reading challenge! 


Monday, November 7, 2022

TeenTober Week 4

That's a wrap! TeenTober: Freak Out at Your Library Has come to an end. With over 40 teens signed up for the reading challenge, and over 500 teens that attended programs! Thank you to all who participated! We can't wait for next year!