Category: Teen

Posted in Teen, Young Adult/New Adult

Let’s Split Up gives all the YA creeps

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Let’s Split Up, by Bill Wood, (Sept. 2025, Scholastic Press), $14.99, ISBN: 9798225006143

Ages 12+

A horror-thriller for teens that’s heavily influenced by the Scooby Doo gang, Let’s Split Up starts with a bang: a town’s power couple, football player Brad and cheerleader Shelley, are found murdered in an abandoned mansion. Rumors immediately start circulating that they were murdered by the Carrington Ghoul, a ghost of the angry old former resident. But things aren’t adding up for Jonesy, Cam, Amber, and new girl Buffy. They start poking around, conducting their own investigation as the body count goes up and more secrets come to light, but that only serves to put themselves in the killer’s sights. They’re going to have to crack this case or risk being next on the list. There are some fun nods to the original Scooby gang here and there in the story, but these characters are more relatable to a new group of teen readers: Jonesy and Cam are two teen boys working through emerging feelings for one another; Amber is bisexual and trying to get her parents to understand that she can like both guys and girls; Buffy’s reasons for moving to the town just aren’t adding up. There are some tense, creepy moments that thriller and horror readers alike will enjoy, and it’s a quickly paced novel that makes for good weekend reading.

Have a horror or thriller reader you need to buy a gift for? Pair this with a card game like Don’t Get Stabbed! or Psycho Killer.

Posted in Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Non-Fiction, Teen, Tween Reads

All I Want for Christmas is… a pile of awesome books!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

It’s that time of year, everyone! If you’re stumped on what to get the kids, tweens, and teens in your life, books are always a great gift. I’ve been reading some good stuff lately, so I’ll be spotlighting them here. I bet they’d each look lovely in a stocking or wrapped up with something a little extra.

J.R.R. Tolkien: The Father of Modern Fantasy (Pocket Portraits), by Don Marshall, (Nov. 2025, Adams Media), $17.00, ISBN: 978150722417

Ages 12+

This was my first foray into the Pocket Portraits series, and I am HOOKED. The fact that the very nice person at Simon & Schuster asked me if I wanted to look at a Tolkien biography makes me think this was serendipity, for starters. First of all, the book is so beautifully crafted. It’s a small book – about 6″ x 4.5″ – and will fit into a coat pocket as easily as it will tuck into your bag. The die-cut cover is sturdy and feels great in your hands, and the book cover’s portrait of JRR himself is beautifully showcased by the die-cut. I was in love from the second I took the book out of its envelope when it arrived.

If you have tweens and teens who balk at biographies – you know I do! – this Pocket Portraits series is for them. J.R.R. Tolkien: The Father of Modern Fantasy captures key moments in Tolkien’s life, interspersed with quotes and brief excerpts from his work and interesting facts. Marshall is known as the Obscure Lord of the Rings Facts Guy and is an excellent choice to create this easily readable, informative, and comprehensive overview of Tolkien’s life and work. Beginning with Tolkien’s childhood, Marshall identifies the moments in his life that influenced his work: the loss of his parents in childhood; the trauma of World War I; falling in love with his wife, Edith; his friendship with C.S. Lewis. Readers see Tolkien’s lighter side as Marshall touches on his reputation as a prankster, and we read about his letters to his children, particularly his son Christopher, who carried on his father’s literary legacy.

There are several other Pocket Portraits books in the series, with more on the way. And they fit easily into a stocking! (I checked.) There’s no shortage of LOTR gifts out there: wrap up a set of the series or check out some creators on Etsy to find the perfect companion gift!

 

 

The Arrival, by Shaun Tan, (May 2025, Scholastic Graphix), $16.99, ISBN: 9780439895309

Ages 9+

Shaun Tan’s classic is available in paperback release, and this is a modern classic that deserves a spot on every shelf. A moving story of immigration with a touch of the fantastic, The Arrival is told with beautiful pencil illustrations that resemble old sepia photographs. A man leaves his wife and daughter, traveling by locomotive and steamship to… a new world. In Tan’s universe, images we are familiar with: Ellis Island, families sleeping on crowded trains and ships, close-ups of frightened and hopeful faces, share a world with fantastic creatures both adorable and dreadful. Completely wordless, Tan’s illustrations speak volumes as we see the man struggle with learning a new language and the companion animals that seem to accompany the residents of this new land. Tan taps into the immigrant experience in a way that reaches readers’ hearts as well as their minds. An Author’s Note goes deeper into Tan’s inspiration. Pair with a sketch pad and pencils for a budding artist.

The Arrival received multiple awards, including a Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, Locus Award; it was designated a 2007 Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Picture Book of the Year; received the 2008 Angoulême International Comics Festival Prize for Best Comic Book (for the French edition), and received recognition from The New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Books.

The Great LEGO® Puzzle Book: 120 Creative Building Challenges, by Jacob Berg, (Sept. 2025, No Starch Press), $16.99, ISBN: 9781718504226

Ages 8+

No Starch Press is my go-to publisher for LEGO books. They have such fun and inventive ideas. When I received a robotics grant from work, I loaded my shelves with No Starch LEGO Mindstorms books. They’re that good. Now, we’ve got The Great LEGO® Puzzle Book, chock full of the coolest building challenges. There are 3-D challenges; fill the hole challenges; create your own challenge type challenges, even challenges that test readers’ ability to match shadows! Every challenge has full-color photo illustrated walkthroughs with detailed descriptions of bricks needed to compete in each challenge. Tips throughout keep builders’ brains working with thought-provoking suggestions. If you have LEGO groups at your library, this is the perfect book for a group challenge activity.

If you’re putting this on your holiday shopping list, pair with – what else? – a fun LEGO set! Consider getting the “classic creative” sets that just include random bricks so your recipients can dive right into some of these challenges.

 

Posted in Horror, Teen, Young Adult/New Adult

Cosmic horror lets loose in the Hamptons?! You’ve Awoken Her

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

You’ve Awoken Her, by Ann Dávila Cardinal, (June 2025, HarperCollins), $19.99, ISBN: 9780063299559

Ages 12+

HOLY COW, folks, you are going to love this book. I’ve been on a bit of a spooky kick for a little bit, and this tale was everything I needed between two tidy covers. Gabriel – Gabi to his friends – is a kid living in Astoria, Queens. His best friend, Ruthie, has moved away and is living the posh life in the Hamptons, and he’s on his way to spend some time with her, despite a warning from a complete stranger on the train platform that “they’ve awoken her”. It’s New York, he figures it’s nonsense – despite that creepy feeling in his gut – and heads to the Hamptons, where he sees Ruthie is a party girl and so different from the girl he knew. And he’s not thrilled with her smug rich-boy boyfriend, Frost, either. When a woman drowns by the water at one of Frost’s parties, AND he sees what looks suspiciously like a tentacle near the drowning woman – he starts digging into the town’s secrets. When more residents start dying, Gabi knows that his discomfort is about so much more than Hamptons society: he’s sure Frost is behind this somehow. Now, he just has to convince Ruthie that he’s not jealous of her new boyfriend or new lifestyle. Cardinal hooks readers from page one and doesn’t let up, introducing exciting characters and creepy scenarios. She also takes on Lovecraft by reframing cosmic horror in an inclusive, diverse lens: Gabi is Puerto Rican; there are LGBTQ+ characters in the story. More importantly, Cardinal addresses Lovecraft’s shortcomings within the story while creating a new way of reading and enjoying works influenced by his ideas. Don’t miss this book – it’s a good one.

Posted in Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Teen, Tween Reads

Soul Machine provides a metaphysical deep dive for tweens and teens

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Soul Machine, by Jordana Globerman, (June 2025, Annick Press), $17.9.9, ISBN: 9781773219592

Ages 12+

A young woman named Chloe lives with her older sister, Lacey, in a house in the country. Lacey makes breth on her spinning wheel – the raw material needed to craft souls – and frustrates Chloe at her refusal to fully teach her how to make it. Outside of their countryside life, the wealthy MCorp is mass-producing soul production using synthetic materials; Lacey and Chloe are one of the few independent, organic breth producers left. When the supply of breth runs out, Chloe journeys into the city to find a new source – and possibly, to figure out some ways to modernize, ala MCorp. What she finds instead are long-kept family secrets that put her and Lacey in Maya’s – the head of MCorp – crosshairs. Globerman gives readers a lot to think on here: themes of mass-production and ethics; consumption at any cost versus mindful creation; megacorporations versus independent makers, and how the soul fits into all of this. Maya is an almost comical villain, egomaniacal to the point of hilarity and determined to keep her comfortable lifestyle. Lacey nearly kills herself to keep her family’s breth business alive. Chloe, the younger sister, is at times brash and impudent, but begins to understand the big issues once she leaves home. A contemplative book created in two-color sequences, each color scheme relating to different chapters. Back matter includes discussion “questions with no wrong answers”.  A good book club choice.

Posted in Teen, Tween Reads

Sticker Jigsaw brings a new spin to classics

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Sticker Jigsaw: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, based on the novel by L. Frank Baum/Illustrated by Dinara Mirtalipova, (Feb. 2025, Odd Dot), $18.99, ISBN: 9781250908339

Ages 8+

Did The Wizard of Oz ever go out of style? Not likely, but Wicked is absolutely making the beloved classic “Popular” all over again. Sticker Jigsaw is just what it says on the cover: there are 15 sticker jigsaw puzzles inside, all set to scenes inspired by Baum’s classic story. Each spread includes an excerpt from the story and a cheerful illustrations, with one area blurred out and overlaid with jigsaw lines. A sticker section notes which areas belong to which spreads, and readers can peel and place the puzzle pieces to complete the artwork. The stickers are removable, so there are no worries about mistakes. The sticker pages are perforated to make for easy removal, but the main pages are not – if you plan to purchase these for program use, take apart the book before the program begins so you can hand out spreads with no fuss. Readers can choose from memorable moments like The Council with the Munchkins, The Gates of Oz, and The Search for the Wicked Witch. It’s a fun gift and it’s a fun idea for programs: if you have a small program, it’s less than $20 for one book. If you’re planning on a Wicked screening (or The Wizard of Oz), this makes for a good trivia prize or a fun extension activity.

Posted in Fantasy, Teen, Young Adult/New Adult

Divining the Leaves is magical

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Divining the Leaves, by Shveta Thakrar, (March 2025, HarperCollins), $19.99, ISBN: 9780063255265

Ages 13+

Ridhi is a 17-year-old young woman deeply connected to nature: she blends flora into delectable scents, wears flower crowns, and feels the trees as if they speak to her, and she wants desperately for the nature spirits – yakshas – to allow her entry into the enchanted forest. Nilesh is a young man who used to be her friend but has veered away from the “weird girl” with flowers in her hair. Nilesh’s world falls apart when he discovers that not only are his parents divorcing, but that their marriage has been an illusion for years. He gets suspended from school and sent to live with Ridhi’s family while his parents sort themselves out. While staying with Ridhi’s family, Nilesh encounters Kamini, part of the Yaksha court. He’s smitten, but Kamini’s affections may not be all they seem to be. Meanwhile, Ridhi has made connections of her own in the Yaksha world, striking up a deal with one of the noblewomen of the Yaksha court. The nobles are playing the mortals like chess pieces, but the mortals have their own agendas. Rich with Hindu and Buddhist mythology, Thakrar allows Divining the Leaves readers to get lost in the beauty of the writing. She creates a story that invites readers – like her main characters – to escape from the frustrations of daily living to get lost in the magical beauty of the enchanted forest and the Yaksha court and Night Market. Invite readers to create their own flower crowns and nature-inspired art projects to extend an activity for this beautifully woven story. Invite your fantasy readers to get lost in this world.

Posted in Fantasy, Teen, Young Adult/New Adult

2025 is all about the dragons: A Language of Dragons by S.F. Williamson

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

A Language of Dragons, by S.F. Williamson, (Jan 2025, HarperCollins), $19.99, ISBN: 9780063353848

Ages 13+

Dragons have always been popular, but 2025 is shaping up to be THE year for Dragon Lit. We all know about Onyx Storm hitting shelves later this month, but do you know about A Language of Dragons? Pull up a chair, let’s talk. Set in an alternate London in 1923, dragons are in the world but it’s an uneasy existence with humans. A rigid class system is in place that moves people up and down among classes like chess pieces. Viv Featherswallow isn’t concerned with any of this, though. She’s got a level of privilege as a member of the Second Class, and has her life sorted: she’s going to get a summer internship studying dragon languages and attain a comfortable job as a dragon translator. She may have done some awful things to keep her comfortable spot, but she did what she has to do. Until the night her parents are arrested for being part of a rebellion. Viv’s world is turned upside down; desperate, she leaves her sister with family friends, focused on one task that will destroy evidence against her parents. All she has to do is free one dragon. By midnight, she’s sparked a civil war. Viv is brought to Bletchley Park as a codebreaker – translate the dragons’ hidden language, and she and her family will go free. But it’s never that simple, and the more Viv discovers about the hidden language, the more she learns about the Peace Agreement between Britannia and the dragons, and the corruption that goes all the way to the top: the Prime Minister. Will Viv give the Prime Minister the information she needs, putting all of dragonkind at risk, or will she risk her family’s safety? A Language of Dragons has it all: a conflicted heroine, a romance, and a richly layered story with very high stakes. Unputdownable for fantasy fans and dragon aficionados.

A Language of Dragons has a starred review from School Library Journal.

Posted in Animal Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Teen, Tween Reads, Young Adult/New Adult

STOP THE PRESSES! NEW MOUSE GUARD INCOMING!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Holy cow, was this a great announcement to read. Mouse Guard is an Eisner and Harvey Award-winning graphic novel and comic book series; it’s a fantasy setting similar to Brian Jacques’s Redwall books. The Mouse Guard was formed to protect mice against predators. It’s a great series; my son (now in his mid-20s) was a tremendous fan when he was a kid, which naturally got me reading it. We were both hooked!

Anyway, the great news from BOOM! Studios: in honor of Mouse Guard’s 20th anniversary, we are getting a NEW Mouse Guard adventure! Here’s the scoop from BOOM!:

LOS ANGELES, CA (December 19, 2024) – There are few series as lauded and beloved as David Petersen’s Eisner Award-winning and New York Times bestselling Mouse Guard. Now, in celebration of the 20th anniversaries of both Mouse Guard and BOOM! Studios, David Petersen, along with Eisner-nominated artist Gabriel Rodríguez (Locke & Key), bring a brand new chapter to life in this sprawling saga with MOUSE GUARD: DAWN OF THE BLACK AXE.

The origins of the legendary Black Axe are revealed in this prequel story set in the earliest point in the Mouse Guard history. Adventure with the ancient weapon’s first mouse wielder and champion, Bardrick, as he sets off on an epic quest of good versus evil!

“Getting to write this Mouse Guard lore of the forging of the Black Axe and it being handed to Bardrick (first of eleven wielders) while getting to do so with the brilliant Gabriel Rodríguez drawing Dawn of the Black Axe has been a thrill,” said Mouse Guard creator David Petersen. “He’s going above and beyond with his inked pages and storytelling while I’m just trying to keep up coloring them and still do them justice. Gabe was top of my list when we started pitching names for this spin off project, and I postponed it for a long time until his schedule opened up––I didn’t want to do this first one with anyone else.

“I’ll continue to work on the next volume in the main Mouse Guard series: The Weasel War of 1149, but I also hope this is first of many more Mouse Guard books like this one, where I get to explore the other past wielders of the Black Axe with exciting and extremely talented collaborators like Gabe.”

“I’ve been a fan of David Petersen’s work since the first time I saw a volume of his astonishing Mouse Guard books. We became friends as soon as we met,” said Eisner-nominated artist Gabriel Rodríguez. “Almost a decade ago we started daydreaming about working together on the story of the first wielder of the mythical Black Axe. That dream finally came true, and I’m humbled, grateful and excited to share it with the faithful legion of Mouse Guard readers.”

MOUSE GUARD: DAWN OF THE BLACK AXE #1 features main cover art by series artist Gabriel Rodríguez, and variant covers by Mouse Guard creator David Petersen, and celebrated artist Goñi Montes (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers).

MOUSE GUARD: DAWN OF THE BLACK AXE is the newest release from BOOM! Studios’ award-winning Archaia imprint, home to inspiring graphic novels such as Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut, Ryan North, and Albert Monteys; The Sacrifice of Darkness by Roxane Gay, Tracy Lynne-Oliver, and Rebecca Kirby; Big Black: Stand at Attica by Frank “Big Black” Smith, Jared Reinmuth, and Améziane; The Killer by Matz and Luc Jacamon; We Served the People by Emei Burell; New World by David Jesus Vignolli; Eighty Days by A.C. Esguerra; Better Angels: A Kate Warne Adventure by Jeff Jensen and George Schall; The Short While by Jeremy Sorese; About Betty’s Boob by Vero Cazot and Julie Rocheleau; Flavor Girls by Loïc Locatelli-Kournwsky; I’m Still Alive by Roberto Saviano and Asaf Hanuka; and licensed series including Sabaa Tahir’s An Ember in the Ashes; Lev Grossman’s The Magicians; and Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, The Storyteller, and Labyrinth.

MOUSE GUARD: DAWN OF THE BLACK AXE #1 will be available in comic shops March 19, 2025. It is available for pre-order at your local comic shop. Digital copies can be purchased from content providers, including Kindle, iBooks, and Google Play.

For continuing news on MOUSE GUARD: DAWN OF THE BLACK AXE and more from BOOM! Studios, stay tuned to www.boom-studios.com and follow @boomstudios on X.

About David Petersen:

David Petersen is the creator of the New York Times Bestselling and critically acclaimed Graphic Novel series Mouse Guard.  He was the 2007 Russ Manning Award recipient for Most Promising Newcomer and has since gone on to win three Eisner Awards and two Harvey’s for his continued work on the Mouse Guard series. David has done covers for Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, Jim Henson’s Storyteller, Star Wars, TMNT, and Usagi Yojimbo as well as recent work for Magic the Gathering: Bloomburrow.

David and his wife Julia live in Michigan.

About Gabriel Rodríguez:

Gabriel Rodríguez is a Chilean comic book artist and writer. He’s the author of Sword of Ages and co-creator Locke & Key, Onyx, and the Eisner Award-winning Little Nemo: Return to Slumberland at IDW. He’s also drawn titles such as Adventures of Superman for DC Comics, Locke & Key/Sandman: Heaven and Hell for IDW/DC, Le Gouffre Des Resurrections for Les Humanoïdes Associés, and illustrated for Marvel, BOOM! Studios, Skybound, Oni Press, Heroic Signatures and Clover Press. He has also contributed illustrations for novels by Stephen King and Joe Hill. He lives and works in Santiago, Chile. You can find Gabriel on Instagram at @gr_comics.

Posted in Teen, Tween Reads, Young Adult/New Adult

Being a Jane Austen Murder Mystery Spin-Off: In Want of a Suspect by Tirzah Price

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

In Want of a Suspect (A Lizzie & Darcy Mystery), by Tirzah Price, (Nov. 2024, HarperCollins), $19.99, ISBN: 9780063278028

Ages 12+

The Jane Austen Murder Mysteries brought some of the author’s favorite characters to cozy mystery life, but author Tirzah Price gives us more in a new spin-off starring Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy! In Want of a Suspect features Lizzie, working as a solicitor in her father’s firm, and Darcy working as a solicitor in his family’s firm, Pemberley. Lizzie’s called in to investigate a suspicious warehouse fire and locate a person of interest seen at the location… which leads Lizzie to a woman Darcy once courted. When the key suspect turns up dead and Lizzie doggedly refuses to give up her investigation, she may be putting her own life on the line next. The interaction between Lizzie and Darcy makes the story. It’s alternately playful and cautious as the two blend their personal and professional lives and navigate expectations of young men and women in Austen’s time. Lizzie’s feelings for Darcy are in direct conflict with the knowledge that she would be expected – not by Darcy, but society – to leave her work and become a homemaker; Darcy feels the pressure to declare his intentions to Lizzie’s parents if he calls on her at home, relying instead on accompanying her on her investigations. The mystery itself is perfectly cozy, with the deaths occuring off-page; plot twists keep the whodunnit moving. You don’t need to have read the Jane Austen Murder Mysteries to jump into In Want of a Suspect, but it will be helpful as Price refers to previous events. Other characters from Austen’s novels make appearances. If you have mystery fans and Austen readers – YA and beyond! – this is a great add to your shelves.

Posted in Graphic Novels, Teen, Young Adult/New Adult

The Murder Next Door examines trauma

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Murder Next Door: A Graphic Memoir, by Hugh D’Andrade, (Feb. 2025, Street Noise Books), $20.99, ISBN: 9781951491352

Ages 14+

In 1978, Hugh discovered his friends crying outside their home in his neighborhood. They had come home from school and discovered their mother lying on the floor, murdered. Forty years later, he’s an adult with a successful career and social life, but he’s also haunted by the murder and experiences anger, anxiety, and panic attacks. Through The Murder Next Door, he examines his trauma and its roots, moving between sessions with his therapist and his memories. Using light blue and black illustration, with red for jarring emphasis, D’Andrade’s art is at once stark and dreamlike; his recall so painful, the reporting at odds with what D’Andrade witnessed, that it all churns in his mind, feeding his anger, his anxiety, his constant feeling of dread. He becomes an adult who baits conspiracy theorists, an adult never quite secure. Writing this memoir, D’Andrade allows readers to sit in on his therapy sessions and see where young Hugh was forced to bear witness to the unthinkable; we see the scars it left, rendered in red ink for readers to witness. A moving portrait of youth lost and of resistant trauma.