Kiss Number 8 is more than just a kiss-story: it's a heartfelt family history and it's swimming in mystery. Beautifully illustrated by Ellen T Crenshaw, this book will give you all the feels.
Caleb
Clare Legrand calls this "a book about girls," but it's really a book about the kind of girls you don't always see in novels: hurting, hopeful, hungry, and above all, powerful. It's a dark, strange, spooky read--perfect for a chilly March night--that reminded me of a Hiyao Miyazaki or Guillermo del Toro movie, but has a magic all its own. Check it out.
Kate
A story about the love between two very different sisters, finding your own identity, and finding your voice as a girl.
Sarah
Courtney and Jupiter have been best friends and next door neighbors forever, but lately, Courtney can't shake the feeling that he might want something more than friendship from Jupiter. When new girl Rae moves to town and upends the status quo, feelings erupt on all sides. Odd One Out is a nuanced exploration of friendship, sexuality, and being a teenager for fans of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. I loved every character in this book!
Rebecca
Demonized by some and lauded by others, 'feminism' has been a challenging topic since it came on the scene. But what is it really? What does it address? Who has been involved? And very importantly, what does 'intersectional' actually mean? Though this book is aimed at teens, it's a great crash-course in feminist history. It touches on a wide range of topics, but doesn't shy away from bringing up some of the legitimate criticisms of the movement.
Stacey
A picture book for even the youngest readers about community, social justice, incarceration, and non-violent protest. It's also about cooking, sharing, and eating delicious noodles and features a cute cast of animal characters.
Marika
Emily M. Danforth's debut novel tells the story of a young girl growing up in rural Montana after the tragic death of both of her parents. Coming to understand her sexuality is further complicated when her conservative aunt discovers her relationship with her best friend and Cameron is sent away to a religious conversion therapy school. Danforth handles the difficulties of family life and identity with nuance and grace in this beautifully rendered coming of age tale.
Kathryn, Writer in Residence for Young Readers
You might recognize him as the subject of the new Oscar-winning Best Documentary, FREE SOLO, a film about his death-defying ropeless journey up 3,000 feet of vertical cliff face in Yosemite. But Alex Honnold is also an engaging writer, and this peek into his thought processes is fascinating (and accessible to people who have never touched a climbing wall in their lives). A dizzying read that will fuel your sense of adventure.
Kate
With regards to the coming catastrophic effects of climate change the first sentence of this powerful polemic says it all: “It is worse, much worse, than you think.”
Dale
A complex, peripatetic, magnificently written book about identity, war, guilt, and responsibility. The prose is beautiful, the story is compelling, and you find yourself ripping through the pages in hopes that you will be able to dig down one more layer, to better understand this man and his motivations and demons and secrets.
David
