This Beautiful Day
Richard Jackson, illustrated by Suzy Lee

I love rainstorms—Bob and I have been known to open the drapes and pull up chairs to watch them—so the cover of this brand new book immediately appealed to me. (And the illustrations inside the front and back covers are wonderful, too.) Three children happily dance, skip, and jump through the day, both in the rain and in the sunshine. Their joy and exuberance leap off the page, and you’ll want to dance with them!

—Sally

 

Orphan Train Girl
Christina Baker Kline

This book is the young people’s version of Orphan Train. I was captivated by it, and couldn't put the book down.The present day story connects the lives of a teen girl in the foster care system with an elderly woman. As the teen sets to work cleaning, the elderly woman shares her experiences as an orphan train girl. Both their lives are changed because of their interaction. I enjoyed this story of second chances and forever families.

—Pam

 

The Hate U Give
Angie Thomas Starr

Carter's life is turned upside down after she witnesses the shooting of her friend, Khalil, by a police officer. She has created an uneasy balance between the ghetto neighborhood she lives in and the prep school she attends and this event shakes that foundation. Starr wants to speak out about Khalil’s murder but struggles to find her voice amongst the media saying that Khalil was an armed drug dealer who threatened the cop. She knows the media is spreading lies, but will her voice be enough to get justice for Khalil? I really liked this book with its modern message and many pop culture references.

Stranger Than Fanfiction
Chris Colfer

This novel starts with a predictable plot; four teenagers going on a summer road trip before they head their separate directions for college in the fall. Except this book has one really unrealistic twist; a big time TV show celebrity, Cash Carter, decides to join these kids on their trip after one of the teens jokingly invites him. The author is very aware throughout the book of its absurd plot which makes for a very humorous read. I found this book to be a great summer read and I continue to love this author’s books.

All Rights Reserved
Gregory Scott Katsoulis

Speth Jime lives in a dystopian world where every word and most gestures are copyrighted, patented, or trademarked. After citizens turn fifteen, they become adults—meaning they must read a speech and pay for every word they speak from the age of fifteen until they die. Speth is excited to make her speech until she watches her best friend commit suicide rather than attempt to pay off the word debt his family has amassed. She wants to express her grief but cannot as she has not read her speech yet. So Speth decides to remain silent; she zips her lips and silently makes a vow to never speak another word. Her family is dismayed and the government is furious at her defiance towards tradition. But Speth has started a small revolution: other kids around the city choose to zip their lips instead of speaking which makes the government even more desperate to find any way
necessary to make Speth speak. I loved this new take on young adult dystopian novels and found the premise to be very original.

Note: this book will be released on August 29.