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Caitlyn's Recommendation: The Manifestor Prophecy by Angie Thomas
Nic Blake is a Remarkable in an Unremarkable world. She and her father have lived in human cities for 12 years together, but every year that her father doesn't teach her how to use her powers, she becomes increasingly frustrated. When she finds out that her favorite fantasy novels are actually based on real events and that her father is even a character in them, she's suddenly catapulted into the Remarkable world with two friends and her hellhound, Cocoa. She and her friends must prove her father's innocence, who's been on the run since being falsely accused of a crime. This novel created such a great world and characters that when I finished it, I thought "Okay, where's the next one?" Nic Blake is a character that I very much look forward to spending more time with! For grades 4 and up.
Kristy's Recommendation: Finally Seen by Kelly Yang
In Kelly Yang's latest heartfelt novel, we meet Lina, who has come to America to live with her parents after five years of living in China with her Grandma. When Mina gets to America, she is startled to find that it is nothing like she imagined it would be. Her parents work incredibly hard and constantly struggle to make enough money. They worry about their green card status and battle the mean farmer who employs Lina’s dad and works him to exhaustion every day. Lina struggles to speak English in school, but finds connection with her ESL teacher and in her school library, where she loves to read graphic novels.
Lina’s story is full of love and hope — and heart wrenching sweetness that is impactful for both kid and adult readers. Yang’s books are so special because they truly appeal to kids and their grownups. This one, in particular, features a moving and positive plot line about the power of books as windows and sliding doors to other cultural experiences and the dangers of book banning. Such a sweet, fun, relatable story. Perfect for grades 3-6.
Felicia's Recommendation: Live Your Best Lie by Jessie Weaver
One of Us is Lying meets Gossip Girl. Summer Cartwright is a popular Social Media Influencer with millions of followers and a newly minted book deal. Every moment of her life has been carefully curated to complement her “perfectly imperfect” social media personality. But when Summer goes missing during her annual Halloween party and an unscheduled post appears on her feed claiming she’ll be dead in the next five minutes, those closest to Summer—her best friend, her ex-boyfriend, her frenemy, and her wannabe—know it isn’t a media stunt for attention. It’s not Summer’s brand. Something is wrong. When their investigation leads to Summer’s lifeless body, they’re forced to accept that she was murdered. This story is told from many points of view with some flashbacks and Summer's social media posts. Recommended for grades 9 and up.
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