Category: Teen

Posted in History, Middle School, Teen, Uncategorized, Young Adult/New Adult

A powerful history of the Armenian genocide: Armaveni by Nadine Takvorian

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Armaveni: A Graphic Novel of the Armenian Genocide, by Nadine Takvorian, (March 2026, Levine Querido), $18.99, ISBN: 9781646146536

Ages 12-18

Nadine Takvorian’s semi-autobiographical graphic novel, Armaveni, is a powerful story of the Armenian genocide of 1915 and its reverberations to this day. High schooler Nadine wants to know more about her family’s Armenian and Turkish history, but it’s too painful a subject for her parents, whose families were directly affected, to talk about. When her parents finally decide it’s time to tell their families’ stories, Nadine and her brother, Sayat, want to know more. They join a church group visit to Armenia and book a side trip to visit family in Istanbul, where they learn the true horror of the genocide. Fundamentally changed, Nadine returns home and confronts her teacher’s prejudice. Takvorian tells her family’s story in a strong voice that moves between history and contemporary – the novel is set in 2001 – to give readers a full historical document. The mythical phoenix is a symbol running through the story that describes for both Nadine’s awakening to herself as an Armenian-American with a full understanding of her history and the history of the Armenian people. As put by Nadine herself, “Armenians exist.Welcome home.” Back matter includes photos, an author’s note, a glossary, and resources for further reading. Armaveni deserves a place on graphic novel memoirs including Persepolis, Maus, and March. A recommended first purchase.

Posted in Fiction, Middle Grade, Teen, Tween Reads

Tales from the TBR: Dear Mothman by Robin Gow

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Dear Mothman, by Robin Gow, (March 2023, Amulet Books), $18.99, ISBN: 9781419764400

Ages 10-14

Noah is a sixth grader whose best friend, Lewis, has recently died in a car accident. Lewis was also the only other trans boy in their school, leaving Noah bereft. Remembering Lewis’s favorite cryptid, Mothman, Noah begins writing to Mothman as he works through his feelings and hopes Mothman will eventually connect with him. As Noah works through his grief, he starts making new friends at school, but is reticent to share Mothman – or, inititally himself – with them. When he decides to make his science fair project about Mothman, his classmates laugh at him and his teachers attempt to steer him in another direction, but Noah is focused: he believes Mothman is in communication with him, and he’s determined to find him. He heads off into the woods to find the cryptid for himself. Written in verse in the form of journal entries and characters’ thoughts, Dear Mothman is an aching exploration of grief and identity. There are beautiful moments, like the formation of Noah’s new friends and relationships and deeply moving moments as Noah delves into his loss, being open about his identity, and his fledgling relationship with Hanna, a fellow classmate. I loved every single moment I spent with this novel. A paperback version released in October 2024. Cryptids are a surprising and fun trend for tweens these days, so take the opportunity to engage your readers and put this one on your shelf.

Dear Mothman has starred reviews from School Library Journal and Booklist. It was a Bookpage selection, an Indie Next pick, and a 2024 Lambda Literary Award Winner (LGBTQ+ Middle Grade).

Posted in Fiction, Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, picture books, Teen, Tween Reads

Scholastic brought the party!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Scholastic has been bringing the party to librarians and bookish folk! First, we had the in-person Graphix celebrations and Comic-Con parties, and now we had a virtual LLX (formerly the American Library Association’s Midwinter conference, then LibLearnX) party where we got to see authors and Scholastic editors talk about some exciting upcoming Spring books. For those folks who got their responses in early, we got a box of ARCs AND candy!

Sour Patch Watermelon! (There was a Hershey bar, too, but that didn’t make it to the photo.)

There’s a great spread of books in this box and I’m hoping to read and report back on all of them. There are picture books: Mac Barnett and Carson Ellis’s newest collaboration, a retelling of Rumpelstiltkin; Rhea’s Rodeo, Laekan Zea Kemp and Raissa Figueroa’s gorgeous look at Mexican women’s rodeo; Mama Says I’m Fine, Brittney Cooper and Tanisha Anthony’s love letter to moms (their interview had me sniffling back tears: this book is just wonderful), and Chana Stiefel and Susan Gal’s Awe, which evokes that exact feeling with each turn of the page. 

Next, we have some graphic novels: Midsummer Sisters from Niki Smith; a moving story about the impact of divorce on stepsiblings who are as close as siblings and best friends, and Opting Out from Maia Kobabe and Lucky Srikumar, who bring us Saachi, a kid who is dealing with the usual friendship, sibling, and crush dilemmas, but also wants nothing to do with “blue-and-pink binaries”. This conversation was so good that I can’t wait to dive into these books… dare I bring them home this weekend and jump the TBR line?

Novels in verse are up next: Aida Salazar’s Stream, where two rising ninth graders meet after being sent to Mexico by their parents to unplug from the online world. If you’re thinking a sweet resort where they’re going to hang out by the pool all day, you’re wrong: they’re in locations without electricity or running water! Then we’ve got Perfect Enough by Meg Eden Kuyatt, a companion to Good Different (2023). Selah, the main character in Good Different, is back (still a dragon) and looking forward to spending her summer at writing camp… until she discovers that Ezra, her bully, is there too.

Finally, we have a YA novel that sounds outstanding: Goldenborn, by Ama Ofosua Lieb, which draws from Ghanian mythology to tell Akoma Ado’s story. She’s a teen investigating magical crime when she’s made an offer she can’t refuse by trickster god Anansi. It’s romantasy and I am here for it.

More goodies to come!

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

Tales from the TBR: Graphic Novels edition

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Hey all, I know pretty much everything is going to be Tales from the TBR for a bit. I know I’ve been away for a while, and trust me, it’s been on my mind.

Last year was a tough year. For all of us, I know, but I needed to give myself some grace and pull back for a bit. Work has been amazing, but in working on some exciting projects, I needed a little downtime for my mental health. I wanted to read more big-people books, so I took some time and am doing just that.

That said, I still love writing about kidlit here, so I want to keep doing that. I may not be as regular as I once was, but I will still be here. And I’d like to talk about other stuff I’m doing: games, outreach, fun programming. So please keep an eye out.

Thanks for sticking around.

Heartbreak Hotel, by Micol Arianna Beltramini/Illustrated by Agnese Innocente, (Sept. 2025, Maverick), $14.99, ISBN: 9781545820421

Ages 14+

Imagine having your heart broken and waking up in a hotel that will give you time to live inside your head; to weave your own illusions that help you cope. Heartbreak Hotel tells the stories of four teens, each experiencing heartbreak; it’s time to check out of the hotel, though, and to do that, they must find one another, witness their stories, and move on. While each one suffers from some kind of loss, you’ll see that losses don’t always equate a death. Two-color watercolor washes define each character’s present; brighter watercolors bring readers to the past, giving memories a livelier tint; usually, it’s the memories that are subdued. Characters include a girl mourning the love of her life; a girl who never wants to grow up; a boy whose Instagram filters tell the story he wants people to see, and a boy who just wants to stop. Alice in Wonderland nods run throughout the story: the four playing card suits; a caterpillar, and a rabbit all appear, as does a plastic cat named Neko, who acts as one character’s guide to the hotel. Themes touch on grief, moving on, memory, and self-esteem. A good pick for social-emotional collections.

More Weight, by Ben Wickey, (Sept. 2025, Top Shelf Productions), $39.99, ISBN: 9781603095600

Ages 16+

Wickey worked on this book for a decade, and the labor of love comes through. Centered in Salem, the heart of the story lies with Giles Corey, who famously demanded “more weight” as he was pressed to death during the Salem Witch Trials. We don’t get a rosy picture of Corey, who was neither good nor kind; he is altogether human and flawed, as are most of the people in Salem, from the men making decisions on murdering women to the young girls who feigned being under attack, sending women to their deaths. With this event serving as the story’s nucleus, Wickey builds the history of Salem and the American ability to turn the most gruesome of events into pop culture phenomena. We meet the ghosts of Nathaniel Hawthorne and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, who hold thoughtful conversations as they stroll Salem’s streets, and we see modern-day Salem as a hub for witchcraft aficionados and Hocus Pocus fans: but do they understand, truly understand, what happened there? Wickey’s thoughtful dialogue may make readers take another look at the merchandising of the Salem Witch Trials and come away with a more sobering outlook. Illustrations go between a woodcut look for Corey’s tale and more realistic artwork for Hawthorn, Longfellow, and modern-day Salem, infusing Colonial Salem with a historical look and feel that makes readers feel like they’re reading long-lost library tomes. Meticulously researched and flawlessly presented, this is a brilliant work of historical fact and fiction that deserves a place on shelves in teen and adult graphic novel collections.

More Weight has starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Shelf Awareness, and Booklist.

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.