Staff Picks

Beautiful book, but most definitely not for the faint of heart, it describes the struggles of the Jewish children living in Vienna in 1936 when Nazi influence was on the rise. When the World was Ours is a great way to get an in depth perspective on each child’s experience. Absolutely love this book, it was my favorite for quite a while, but I wouldn’t recommend it to younger people, or anyone with sensitivities towards violence and child abuse. This book is pretty dark and has some heavy subjects like death and Nazis, but I do feel it’s important that youths read it.

 

Publisher's description:

Vienna. 1936. Three young friends—Leo, Elsa, and Max—spend a perfect day together, unaware that around them Europe is descending into a growing darkness and that they will soon be cruelly ripped apart from one another. With their lives taking them across Europe—to Germany, England, Prague, and Poland—will they ever find their way back to one another? Will they want to?

 

The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin is a beautifully written and emotionally powerful novel that captures the complexity of grief, friendship, and growing up through the eyes of a thoughtful young girl named Suzy. After the sudden death of her best friend, Suzy becomes convinced that a rare jellyfish sting might be the cause, and her journey to prove it is both scientific and deeply personal. Benjamin’s writing is lyrical and full of heart, blending fascinating facts about marine biology with a moving exploration of loss and healing. Suzy’s voice is honest, intelligent, and quietly brave, making her an unforgettable narrator. This book is a celebration of curiosity, resilience, and the quiet magic of the natural world—it’s the kind of story that stays with you long after you’ve turned the last page.

 

Publisher's description:

Twelve-year-old Suzy Swanson wades through her intense grief over the loss of her best friend by investigating the rare jellyfish she is convinced was responsible for her friend's death.

 

Greenglass House by Kate Milford is so cool because it’s like going on a huge adventure full of mysteries, puzzles, and even a little bit of ghostly magic! The story is about a 12-year-old boy named Milo who’s hoping for a quiet holiday at this super old and creepy inn called Greenglass House. But when a bunch of weird guests show up, everything gets way more exciting. The house itself is kind of spooky, but in a fun way. It has hidden corners, secret rooms, and hallways you’d never expect. Some doors even seem to move on their own, making you feel like the house is alive and hiding something.

 

Publisher's description:

At Greenglass House, a smuggler's inn, twelve-year-old Milo, the innkeepers' adopted son, plans to spend his winter holidays relaxing but soon guests are arriving with strange stories about the house sending Milo and Meddy, the cook's daughter, on an adventure.

 

Alone by Megan Freeman is an amazing, edge-of-your-seat adventure that grabs you right from the start! It’s about a 12-year-old girl named Maddie who wakes up one day to find that everyone in her town is gone, and she’s totally alone. The book is super intense because Maddie has to figure out how to survive all by herself—finding food, staying safe, and dealing with the loneliness. She’s smart, strong, and never gives up, no matter how tough things get. It’s a crazy, emotional ride that makes you feel like you’re right there with her, and you just can’t stop reading to find out what happens next!

 

Publisher's description:

When twelve-year-old Maddie hatches a scheme for a secret sleepover with her two best friends, she ends up waking up to a nightmare. She's alone--left behind in a town that has been mysteriously evacuated and abandoned. With no one to rely on, no power, and no working phone lines or internet access, Maddie slowly learns to survive on her own. Her only companions are a Rottweiler named George and all the books she can read. After a rough start, Maddie learns to trust her own ingenuity and invents clever ways to survive in a place that has been deserted and forgotten. As months pass, she escapes natural disasters, looters, and wild animals. But Maddie's most formidable enemy is the crushing loneliness she faces every day. Can Maddie's stubborn will to survive carry her through the most frightening experience of her life?

 

Find Alone in our online catalog.

 

We don't all use words to express how we are feeling. This is a thoughtful, sweet book that identifies and celebrates the many different forms of communication used by the people around us.
 

Publisher's description:
We don't all use words to express how we are feeling. This is a thoughtful, sweet book that identifies and celebrates the many different forms of communication used by the people around us.

You can find More Than Words: So Many Ways to Say What We Mean in our online catalog

Eka loves visiting her Grandfather in Tokyo because she can slip out and sing, dance, and march with her spirit friends (yōkai) in a glorious night parade. She can't do this in New York where her family now lives, so she cherishes her participation in the wild procession and longs for her next visit.

 

Publisher's description:
The night parade is about to begin . . . The ground thunders in Tokyo. A gust of wind blows. The pitter patter of paws and claws draws closer. The air is thick with swirling, swooping demons. It's Eka's favorite evening of the year, the one night she refuses to miss. But it's become harder to travel to Japan now that she's living across the world in New York. Unsure of when she can return next to see her yokai friends, Eka tries to forget that this could be her last parade for some time. Instead, she'll march, sing, dance, hoot, and screech until sunrise. Because on this night, there's no time to waste--the night parade awaits.

Find Tokyo night parade in our catalog

With only a word or two per page, this book's expressive illustrations show the interactions between a grumpy older cat and an energetic kitten—and what happens when the kitten's exuberance goes too far. This is a hilarious way to explore the concept of opposites!
 

Publisher's description:
"Meet Kitty! Kitty wants to play! Meet Cat. Cat just wants to nap. Bold, whimsical artwork and plenty of humor engage little ones in a sly and stylish introduction to opposites. This deceptively simple concept book introduces readers to grumpy, old, exhausted Cat, who just wants to be left alone, and to happy, new, energetic Kitty, who longs to make friends."--Publisher marketing.

Find Kitty & Cat: Opposites Attract in our catalog

 

Publisher's description: 

Roaming marks a triumphant return to the graphic novel and deft foray into new adult fiction for Caldecott Medal-winning authors Jillian Tamaki (Boundless) and Mariko Tamaki (Cold). Over the course of a much-anticipated trip to New York, an unexpected fling blossoms between casual acquaintances and throws a long-term friendship off-balance. Emotional tensions vibrate wildly against the resplendently illustrated backdrop of the city, capturing a spontaneous queer romance in all of its fledgling glory. Slick attention to the details of a bustling, intimidating metropolis are softened with a palette of muted pastels, as though seen through the eyes of first-time travelers. The awe, wonder, and occasional stumble along the way all come to life with stunning accuracy in this sumptuous softcover with gorgeous jacket. Roaming is the third collaboration from the critically acclaimed team behind Skim and Governor General's Literary Award winner This One Summer. Moody, atmospheric, and teeming with life, the magic of this comics duo leaks through the pages with lush and exquisite pen work. The Tamakis' singular, elegant vision of an urban paradise slowly revealing its imperfections to the tune of its visitors' rhythms is a masterpiece–a future classic for generations to come.

 

This young adult novel is a high stakes adventure that takes place on one unforgettable night after two best friends, Kat and Stevie, travel into New York City and get separated, with no money, no cell phones, and no way of reuniting. Kat is desperate to prove her dedication to theater by attending her theater teacher's one man show, but also can't seem to stop running into the cute boy she met earlier in the night. Stevie wants nothing to do with her step siblings after her father cancels at the last minute on their birthday dinner together, and yet learns to trust and love them after a series of unfortunate events leads to her needing their help to reunite a lost Pomeranian named Brad with his mother. Morgan Matson is a wizard at imbuing her novels with tiny details that make the characters, plot, and setting feel incredibly lived in and real. The reader is left giddy with her sense of humor, and fresh and clever wit. I would recommend this novel to fans of Jenny Han, Jenn Bennett, or Maureen Goo.

 

Publisher's description: 

Two girls. One night. Zero phones. Kat and Stevie—best friends, theater kids, polar opposites—have snuck away from the suburbs to spend a night in New York City. They have it all planned out. They’ll see a play, eat at the city’s hottest restaurant, and have the best. Night. Ever. What could go wrong? Well. Kind of a lot? They’re barely off the train before they’re dealing with destroyed phones, family drama, and unexpected Pomeranians. Over the next few hours, they’ll have to grapple with old flames, terrible theater, and unhelpful cab drivers. But there are also cute boys to kiss, parties to crash, dry cleaning to deliver (don’t ask), and the world’s best museum to explore. Over the course of a wild night in the city that never sleeps, both Kat and Stevie will get a wake-up call about their friendship, their choices...and finally discover what they really want for their future. That is, assuming they can make it to Grand Central before the clock strikes midnight.

 

I love how I can get lost in this author's books. She takes us to a remote winter lodge in the wilderness and we meet the guests, who are old friends from their days together at University. They are gathered for their annual New Year's Eve celebration and as the author moves between the different characters' point of views we learn their unexpected histories and how no one is whom they seem to be. The setting of the lodge itself is its own dark character, and it is easy to escape into these complicated people and their relationships while trying to figure out who was murdered and why.

 

Publisher's description: A group of thirty-something Oxford friends celebrate New Year's Eve in the Scottish Highlands as a historic blizzard hits, trapping and isolating them, only to discover one of them is a murderer.