April What’s New In Kids & Teens!
The Youth Department has tons of new titles waiting for you to check out!
New YA Fiction
Abruptly separated from her beloved 12-year-old half-sister Tasha after their mother’s murder a year ago, 17-year-old Rue was taken from Houston by her father, whom she’s never met, to a secret island, Ghizon, “thousands of nautical miles off the coast of Madagascar.” Wrestling with her mother’s death, Rue must navigate meeting her father, discovering her half-magical heritage, and investigating why she and her dad are the only Black people, or people of color at all, on Ghizon. With the help of Bri, an anxious Ghizoni tech wiz, Rue transports back to her Houston block, intending to slip Tasha a gift on the anniversary of Mom’s death. But after Rue uses magic to save Tasha from an accident and touches her, a Ghizoni cardinal sin, the Ghizoni officials want Tasha dead—and Rue soon discovers that a cartel wants the same, in addition to destroying East Row, her home neighborhood, whose residents she considers family. Elle relentlessly highlights the ancestral trauma of genocide, colonialism, and institutional racism that Black people endure to this day. Full of grief, love, and vengeance, this poignant debut encourages readers to embrace the whole of their identities to overcome pain.
Finding himself alone in a posh New York City hotel room for the night, Aidan does what any red-blooded seventeen-year-old would do– he tries to hook up with someone new. But that lapse in judgment leads to him waking up next to a dead guy, which sparks an epic case of mistaken identity. Now he’s on the run from federal agents — and a cyber-terrorist group who will stop at nothing to find him.
New Juvenile Fiction
Fans of Erin Entrada Kelly’s Hello, Universe and Melissa Savage’s own Lemons will devour this voice-driven novel packed with humor and heart about two friends who head off on an adventure to find the Loch Ness Monster. Ada Ru finally thought her parents were going to agree to a Fitzhugh family vacation in Disney World the summer before sixth grade, until her father announces he’s taking a teaching position in Scotland, and moving the family there for the entire summer. Ada Ru is anything but happy. She doesn’t like their new home, she hates haggis, and she certainly doesn’t like the idea that she will be away from her best friend all summer. To top it all off, there is said to be a monster in the lake near their house! That’s when she meets Hamish Bean Timmy, Hammy Bean for short, captain of the Nessie Quest Monster Chaser boat tour. He knows everything there is to know about the fabled Loch Ness Monster and Scotland. But as the two unlikely friends embark on an epic adventure to spot the lake monster, they end up discovering more than they ever could have imagined.
Winner of the Pura Belpré Award! Efrén Nava’s Amá is his Superwoman—or Soperwoman, named after the delicious Mexican sopes his mother often prepares. Both Amá and Apá work hard all day to provide for the family, making sure Efrén and his younger siblings Max and Mía feel safe and loved. But Efrén worries about his parents; although he’s American-born, his parents are undocumented. His worst nightmare comes true one day when Amá doesn’t return from work and is deported across the border to Tijuana, México. Now more than ever, Efrén must channel his inner Soperboy to help take care of and try to reunite his family.
New Easy Reader Fiction
The cone-shaped jingles sewn to Grandma Wolfe’s dress sing. Jenna loves the tradition of jingle dancing that has been shared over generations in her family and intertribal community. She hopes to dance at the next powwow. But with the day quickly approaching, she has a problem—how will her dress sing if it has no jingles?
A terrific read-aloud pick, perfect to share with a family member! New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Leitich Smith’s lyrical text is paired with the warm, evocative watercolors of Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu in this affirming story of a contemporary Native American girl who turns to her family and community.
Have you ever wanted to climb to the top of Everest with one hand behind your back? Kiss a crocodile all by yourself on the Nile River? How about learning how to bottle moonlight, or track a distant star? There are endless things to discover and whole universes to explore simply by reading a book. But books are only smears of ink without the reader’s mind to give their letters meaning and bring them to life. With a rollicking, rhyming text and delightful artwork, poet and storyteller Allan Wolf and illustrator Brianne Farley remind us that books, no matter how they may be consumed, give readers of every background an opportunity to expand their world and spark their imagination. With infectious enthusiasm, No Buddy Like a Book offers an ode to the wonders of language–written, spoken, and everything in between.
Homer is a dog but he also secretly fancies himself part wolf. So when an invitation to attend Wolf Camp falls out of his kibble bag one morning, he’s determined to go. After his people finally agree, Homer boards the bus bound for Wolf Camp, along with fellow campers Trixie and Rex. They’re greeted on the other end by wolf counselors Fang and Grrr , and what follows is an array of wolf activities, including learning to howl, mark, and hunt. Of course, Homer’s a little homesick at times, and the food isn’t very good, but that just makes heading home all the sweeter.
New Manga & Graphic Novels
Can you be a hero…if society doesn’t see you as a person?
Nubia has always been a little bit…different. As a baby she showcased Amazonian-like strength by pushing over a tree to rescue her neighbor’s cat. But despite her having similar abilities, the world has no problem telling her that she’s no Wonder Woman. And even if she were, they wouldn’t want her. Every time she comes to the rescue, she’s reminded of how people see her: as a threat. Her moms do their best to keep her safe, but Nubia can’t deny the fire within her, even if she’s a little awkward about it sometimes. Even if it means people assume the worst.
Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love. An LGBTQ+ graphic novel about life, love, and everything that happens in between: this is the third volume of Heartstopper.
Charlie didn’t think Nick could ever like him back, but now they’re officially boyfriends. Nick’s even found the courage to come out to his mum. But coming out isn’t just something that happens once – there’s Nick’s older brother, and a school trip to Paris, not to mention all the other friends and family – and life can be hard, even with someone who loves you by your side. As their feelings for each other get more serious, Charlie and Nick will need each other more than ever before.
Adult Books for Teens
Toss a coin to your Witcher
Collection of books 1-3 comes The Witcher. You’ve seen in on Netflix now you can read it! Travelling near the edge of the Brokilon forest, monster hunter Geralt meets a widowed fisherman whose dead and murderous wife resides in a eerie mansion known as the House of Glass, which seems to have endless rooms, nothing to fill them with, and horror around every corner.
Multi-Eisner award-winning writer Paul Tobin pens a fantasy epic of the adventures of Geralt of Rivia, a witcher–one of the few remaining monster hunters from the critically acclaimed video game fantasy The Witcher by CD Projekt Red!
Don’t forget to check out our new Overdrive eBooks and Audio books check them out with Libby
Patricia Blanco Sr. Librarian-Youth Services
Blanco-patricia@monroecounty-fl.gov
*Descriptions provided by Goodreads.com