Dry by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

Posted on by
Reply

The drought in Southern California continues to escalate. When Arizona and Nevada back out of the reservoir relief deal, the taps run dry.  Crowds rush to nearby stores to grab water off the shelves. Soon neighborhoods are without water except for those who prepared.  Alyssa and her younger brother, Garrett, find themselves in dire circumstances when their parents do not return from seeking water at a desalination station on the coast.  Their Eagle Scout neighbor, Kelton, offers to help Alyssa find answers.  The trio is thrown into chaotic situations as the SoCal population turns desperate for water.  When it becomes apparent that help will not arrive in time from government agencies, the trio must work together to survive the Tap-Out.

Projekt 1065: A Novel of World War II by Alan Gratz

Posted on by
Reply

Michael O’Shaunessy, originally from Ireland, lives in Nazi Germany with his parents. Michael has joined the Hitler Youth, but Michael has a secret.  Michael and his parents are spies for the Allies passing on information and occasionally assisting downed pilots to escape capture. Then Michael happens upon the plans for Projekt 1065, a Nazi secret plan that could change the outcome of the war. Michael is prepared to take even bigger risks to get the plans to the Allies!

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

Posted on by
Reply

Elizabeth Acevedo’s award-winning book introduces Xiomara Batista, the Poet X.  Xiomara lives in Harlem with Twin, Mami, and Papi.  Mami is deeply religious and strict.  Xiomara is feisty and fierce.  She pours her thoughts and feelings out as poetry in the leatherbound notebook her twin, Xavier, gave to her.  Poetry is her passion, and Xiomara aches for a regular teenage life outside her mother’s strict boundaries. Xiomara is asked to join the Spoken Word Club at school, something she knows will directly confront Mami’s rules, and yet Xiomara isn’t sure she has the courage to speak her words out loud in front of others.

Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi

Posted on by
Reply

Aru Shah lives in the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture in Atlanta with her mother.  Aru Shah fabricates information she shares with her peers to try to fit in.  When three of her classmates visit Aru Shah at the museum to catch her in a lie, Aru shows them the ancient, cursed Lamp of Bharata.  Even though her mother has warned her to never light the lamp, to impress the visiting trio, Aru lights the lamp. Lighting the lamp releases the ancient demon, the Sleeper, who has been trapped in the lamp for centuries.  The Sleeper freezes time and sets out to destroy the world.  It is up to Aru to find away to stop the destructive Sleeper, and return the world to the way it was.

Amina’s Voice by Hena Khan

Posted on by
Reply

Ever since the John Hancock incident in elementary school, Amina has experienced stage fright. Happy to stay in the background, she enjoys hanging out with her best friend Soojin.  But she finds things are different now in middle school. Things are changing, and Amina finds some of these changes difficult and she is unsure of how to handle them. Her older brother,  Mustafa gets into a bit of trouble.  Her father’s older brother is visiting from Pakistan, and he voices his unfavorable opinion about Amina singing.  Soojin wants to hang out with Emily, one of the more popular girls at school.  While Amina wants desperately  to keep her friendship with Soojin as it is. When her mosque is vandalized, Amina and her community are devastated by the hateful act. With the support of her family, friends, and community, Amina perseveres.

The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang

Posted on by
Reply

Prince Sebastian has a secret life. By day he is Prince Sebastian, heir to the throne of Brussels.  At night, he lives a secret life as Lady Crystallia, a Paris fashion icon!  Sebastian hires Frances to be his dressmaker and keep his secret.  Their friendship develops, and Frances’s skill as a designer is noticed by the fashion world.  How long will Frances be willing to put her dreams of becoming a famous fashion designer on hold to protect Sebastian’s secret?

The Faithful Spy: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Plot to Kill Hitler by John Hendrix

Posted on by
Reply

Hendrix’s biography on Dietrich Bonhoeffer is visually stunning.  Hendrix mixes his artistic talents with the narrative of Bonhoeffer’s life and the timeline of events in Germany as Hitler gains power.  Bonhoeffer was a religious young German who studied theology and believed that we are judged on how we treat “others”. During Hitler’s rise to power, Bonhoeffer struggles with the love for his country and the evil deeds of the Nazis. Bonhoeffer seeks many ways to help the Jews and his country escape the grip of the Nazis but he is faced with many obstacles.  Finally, he becomes a Nazi spy for the Abwehr Circle.  The Abwehr Circle has a different agenda than spying on the enemy allied powers. This group of men plans to assassinate Adolf Hitler, but to do so they must stay one step ahead of the SS and Hilter’s paranoia.

El Deafo by Cece Bell

Posted on by
Reply

Cece Bell’s graphic novel/autobiography tells of her experience of learning to function in the hearing world after meningitis leaves her hearing impaired.  She shares her challenges and disappointments as well as her victories.  Cece creates an alter ego “El Deafo.”  El Deafo is a superhero, and as El Deafo Cece imagines herself conquering some of the obstacles that are presented to her.  El Deafo is humorous and inspiring.

Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor

Posted on by
Reply

Strange things start happening in Sunny’s life when her friends reveal to her that they have magical abilities and they suspect that she has them as well. Sunny discovers that she is a “free agent” of the Leopard People.  Besides her regular studies at school, Sunny begins learning magical history, juju, spells, and other magic with her three friends Orlu, Chichi, and Sasha.  All of this she must keep from her overprotective and strict family. Things become even more complicated when the four friends discover that they have been selected by the magical council to take on a serial killer.