Teen Fiction
Books can mirror our lives, and we see ourselves in the characters and their experiences. They can be windows into lives that we don't know or understand. Books can also open doors that would otherwise remain closed. Check out the recommendations for books with diverse characters, science fiction, and fantasy. If these don't grab your interest, search the catalog or stop by to check out what else is on the library shelves.
BOOK OF THE MONTH
One Last Chance to Live
by Francisco X. Stork
What would you do if you had one last summer to live?
Nico has always believed in his dreams. Especially the dream he has of becoming a writer; it's the reason why he started taking a creative writing class his senior year of high school. But then Nico has a dream about his own funeral. A dream that feels too real to ignore.
In it, Rosario is beckoning to him. Rosario was Nico's neighbor, his best friend's girlfriend, and his inspiration. She was also the girl that Nico was in love with. And Rosario died last year.
Nico becomes obsessed with figuring out what Rosario was trying to say to him, and how she died. Surely if he can make sense of her death, he can find a way to prevent his own?
But at the same time, Nico's mom is sick, and his brother is falling down a bad path with a local gang. Nico knows it's on him to step up and take care of his family -- but how can he keep it together when, like Rosario, he sees how easy it might be to just let go of it all.
This searingly beautiful and hopeful novel is about the search for a life of meaning and creativity, while also accepting the flawed life that we're given. It's a love story between a teen boy and the girl who still haunts his dreams.
#WeNeedDiverseBooks
The collection of books represents stories from diverse groups (BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, differently-abled). The stories are written by authors from those groups, not an outsider. These books offer the chance for all teens to see characters like themselves on the pages of books. And they offer the rest of the world a more authentic view of cultures different than their own. Click the image for more details.
Escape from Reality
Open a new book. Look at the pages and see new worlds and alternate realities. This collection of fantasy, science fiction, and dystopian novels offers stories about magic, mythology, space, and more. These books also relate to the Perceptions and Reality English class. Click the image for more details.
War Stories
History is full of wars. In this collection of war stories, the stories of the winners, the losers, the forgotten, the broken, and the brave give glimpses into the war experience. The collection will complement the ELA War Stories class, but anyone can check these out.