Staff Picks

Albert's Quiet Quest

Staff Pick Badge
Albert's Quiet Quest Cover Image

Albert's Quiet Quest (Hardcover)

By Isabelle Arsenault
$17.99
ISBN: 9780553536560
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Random House Books for Young Readers - June 4th, 2019

 

In this lovely picture book, Albert just wants a peaceful place to read. Albert's neighborhood friends have other ideas. Is it possible to have solitude with people? Featuring the same neighborhood children as Colette's Lost Pet, Arsenault's picture book series is a sweet successor of Sendak's Nutshell Library gang, and a welcome addition to picture book shelves.

Marika

Tiger vs. Nightmare

Staff Pick Badge
Tiger vs. Nightmare Cover Image

Tiger vs. Nightmare (Hardcover)

By Emily Tetri, Emily Tetri (Illustrator)
$17.99
ISBN: 9781626725355
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: First Second - November 6th, 2018

 

Nightmares are bad, but Tiger doesn’t have to worry about that. The Monster under her bed is her best friend and scares them all away. Until one comes that’s so big and scary that even Monster is frightened. Only friendship and teamwork can save the day now!

Shana

Frankly in Love

Staff Pick Badge
Frankly in Love Cover Image

Frankly in Love (Hardcover)

By David Yoon
$18.99
ISBN: 9781984812209
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers - September 10th, 2019

 

Two friends know their traditional-minded parents won't approve of their non-Korean love interests, so they pretend to date each other to take the heat off. What could go wrong? What seems like a simple premise is the vehicle for a hilarious, moving, and surprising exploration of growing up second generation American, realizing your parents are only human, and finding yourself along the way. With its playful use of language and relatable characters, this book is frankly easy to fall in love with.

Leila

The Downstairs Girl

Staff Pick Badge
The Downstairs Girl Cover Image

The Downstairs Girl (Hardcover)

By Stacey Lee
$17.99
ISBN: 9781524740955
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers - August 13th, 2019

 

Atlanta, 1890. By day, Jo Kuan works as a lady's maid. By night, she writes a newspaper advice column under the name Miss Sweetie. But when her column challenges fixed ideas about race and gender, she isn't prepared for the backlash. Rich with historical detail and a compelling heroine. Stacey Lee is one of the best YA historical fiction authors writing today!

Rebecca

Merciful Crow

Staff Pick Badge
The Merciful Crow (The Merciful Crow Series #1) Cover Image

The Merciful Crow (The Merciful Crow Series #1) (Hardcover)

By Margaret Owen
$18.99
ISBN: 9781250191922
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) - July 30th, 2019

 

The inside of this book is as beautiful as the outside! I quickly found myself drawn head over heels into the rich world of Margaret Owen's debut; it's so lived-in that it's hard not to be! There's not much better than finding such a fresh, magical fantasy to sink your teeth into.

Caleb

Get In Trouble

Staff Pick Badge
Get in Trouble: Stories Cover Image

Get in Trouble: Stories (Paperback)

By Kelly Link
$17.00
ISBN: 9780812986495
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Random House Trade Paperbacks - February 9th, 2016

 

My favorites in this collection are The Summer People, The Lesson, and The New Boyfriend, but they're all fantastic (and fantastical), with strong female leads to boot.  Kelly Link has a wacky, clever, bizarre imagination. Perfect for curling up with during the next thunderstorm.

 

Catherine, Writer in Residence for Adults

Shatter the Sky

Staff Pick Badge
Shatter the Sky (The Shatter the Sky Duology) Cover Image

Shatter the Sky (The Shatter the Sky Duology) (Hardcover)

By Rebecca Kim Wells
$15.19
ISBN: 9781534437906
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers - July 30th, 2019

 

I wish I could live in the world Rebecca Kim Wells has built in SHATTER THE SKY. This book has it all: adventure; intrigue; a culture that accepts queerness without question; a protagonist who is clever, practical, determined, and impossible not to love. And, of course, DRAGONS!

Kate

 

The only thing that would make me love this book more is if it had been published 15 years ago so I could have read it over and over again as a teenager.

Shana

An Ember in the Ashes

Staff Pick Badge
An Ember in the Ashes Cover Image

An Ember in the Ashes (Paperback)

By Sabaa Tahir
$9.59
ISBN: 9781595148049
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Razorbill - February 9th, 2016

 

An Ember in the Ashes is one of my all time favorite books. From the first chapter to the last, you will be consumed by Sabaa Tahir's fantastic writing. Right from the start, you enter the Martial Empire and the story sets off, pulling you with it.  Laia and Elias happen to be the main characters, but Helene will surprise you. And Helene is who I'm rooting for to win it all. Who will you root for?

Sinny

Wild and Crooked

Staff Pick Badge
Wild and Crooked Cover Image

Wild and Crooked (Hardcover)

By Leah Thomas
$18.99
ISBN: 9781547600021
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Bloomsbury YA - June 4th, 2019

 

Kalyn's father murdered Gus's father seventeen years ago. Or did he? In Wild and Crooked, Thomas delves into the prejudices around the murder that split their small Kentucky town and their families in half, while also deftly exploring family, social class, sexuality, homophobia, poverty, and disability in a way that never feels forced. The book avoids the trap of a Romeo and Juliet romance and instead focuses on family and friendship in a gripping, heartfelt novel of forgiveness and love.

April

Pages

More Staff Picks