Picture Books
Nell Plants a Tree
Anne Wynter and Daniel Miyares
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I’ve long been a fan of picture books that track the changing landscape and this book fits the bill.
Middle Grade
The Lost Year
Katherine Marsh
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Set during the early days of the pandemic, this is actually the story of Matthew’s grandmother and her cousins who lived in Ukraine in the 1930s when Stalin was starving the Ukrainians.
Simon Sort of Says
Erin Bow
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Simon is relived to move to a town where no one has access to the internet. (It’s a satellite thing.) He goes about making friends who aren’t going to know anything about his life before he moved to the town and that’s the way he likes it. This book was very funny, which was a pretty big tightrope to cross given the subject matter.
Young Adult
When You Wish Upon a Lantern
Gloria Cho
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Liya is mourning her grandmother and spending a lot of time at her family’s Chinatown store. Things have been awkward with her friend Kai since she threw up on him when he might have been trying to kiss her. Plus Liya and Kai’s families are feuding. And the store isn’t doing so well. But Liya has a plan to fix things.
What Happened to Rachel Riley
Claire Swinarski
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Anna’s new in town and she wants the topic of her school project to be finding reasons why no one at her school talks to a girl named Rachel Riley. A budding podcaster, she is stymied in her investigation by her teacher, her parents, and most of the kids in school.
Imposter Syndrome and Other Confessions of Alejandra Kim
Patricia Park
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Alejandra Kim is the daughter of Argentinean immigrants who were themselves immigrants from Korea. She lives in Queens, but attends a fancy Manhattan prep school and she has a laser-like focus on attending an elite liberal arts school in Maine.
Chaos Theory
Nic Stone
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Really good portrayal of mental health and addiction issues at the teenage level. Also, just a delight to read. Yay, Nic Stone!
Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything
Raquel Vasquez Gilliland
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Am I the only one who was surprised when this turned into science fiction halfway through the contemporary YA novel? I guess my anti-flap-reading m.o. tripped me up. Also, the cover isn’t leaning sci-fi.
Throwback
Maureen Goo
An excellent view of the 90s through the eyes of a contemporary teen.