November 2022 New Book Releases
Fall is here! Need some book recommendations? Put a hold on any, or all of these upcoming releases: At Midnight : 15 beloved fairy tales reimagined / Dahlia Adler: A collection of fifteen original and retold fairy tales, reimagined with fresh perspectives and unexpected twists. Bloodmarked / Tracy Deonn: When the leaders of the Order reveal that they will do everything in their power to keep the approaching demon war a secret, Bree and her friends go on the run so she can learn how to control her devastating new powers. Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win / Susan Azim…
Ten Horror & Thriller Reads for Halloween
Do you love a good scare or thrill? Below are ten books I recommend reading this Halloween! Belladonna / Adalyn Grace: Nineteen-year-old orphan Signa Farrow confronts Death--and her own deathly powers--when she investigates the mysterious murder of a relative at the Thorn Grove estate. Blackwater / Jeannette Aroyo (graphic novel): Tony Price is a popular high school track star and occasional delinquent aching for his dad's attention and approval. Eli Hirsch is a quiet boy with a chronic autoimmune disorder that has ravaged his health and social life. What happens when these…
October 2022 Teen Book Releases
Need some new book recommendations? Put a hold on these upcoming releases: After Dark with Roxie Clark by Brooke Lauren Davis: Eighteen-year-old Roxie agrees to help her sister Skylar uncover her boyfriend's killer, but they discover that everyone in Whistler, Indiana, is hiding something and some ghost stories are best left untold. A Scatter of Light by Malinda Lo: The summer of 2013 in the Bay is a momentous one for eighteen-year-old Aria Tang West, for the working-class queer community she finds herself in, and for her artist grandmother. The First to Die at the End by Adam…
Banned Books to Borrow Now!
Banned Books Week is coming up -- September 18-24th. At the Brooklyn Public Library, we read banned and challenged books all year round! Some of my favorite books have been banned or challenged by libraries and schools throughout the country. Want to learn more? Join my monthly book club. In September, we're talking about Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe. Below are five banned books I'd recommend to teens in a heartbeat: Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender: Felix Love has never been in love--and, yes, he's painfully aware of the irony. He desperately…
Video Games in Books
Do you love playing video games? Here are five books to read about teens who play too! Don't Hate the Player by Alexis Nedd: By day, Emilia is a field hockey star with a popular boyfriend and a mother obsessed with her academic future. By night, she's kicking virtual butt as the only female member of a highly competitive eSports team. Emilia has mastered the art of keeping her two worlds thriving, which hinges on them staying completely separate. When a major eSports tournament comes to her city, Emilia is determined to prove herself to the male-dominated gaming community. Her…
July is Disability Pride Month
Did you know 13.2% of Americans had some kind of physical or mental disability in 2019? Since the passing of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) in 1990, Disability Pride Month is celebrated every July. The Americans with Disabilities Act helps protect the rights of people with disabilities in five important areas: employment state and local government facilities and services public accommodations telecommunications transportation. Unfortunately, many people with disabilities still face discrimination and stigma. In light of this reality, it is even more…
Five May Book Releases to Look Out For!
Need more book recommendations? Here are five upcoming releases in May. Put them on hold ASAP! I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston: "After seventeen-year-olds Chole and Shara, Chole's rival for valedictorian, kiss, Shara vanishes leaving Chole and two boys, who are also enamored with Shara, to follow the trail of clues she left behind, but during the search, Chloe starts to suspect there might be more to Shara and her small Alabama town than she thought." Bravely by Maggie Stiefvater: "A retelling of Brave, this book tells Merida’s story and her longing for adventure and…
Happy Trans Day of Visibility 2022!
Happy Trans Day of Visiblity! Today is especially important in light of all the anti-trans legislation being passed in states across the nation. While there is much darkness and pain, there is also light, and joy and hope. I highly recommend checking out this short but powerful piece on Teen Vogue. It was put together by teens like you! As a transgender person, what brings me joy is seeing other trans youth and trans adults flourish, and being happy in their day-to-day life. It also beings me joy seeing parents supporting their transgender kids in all aspects of life…
All About Writing!
Do you like to write? Enter this year's Teen Writing Contest anytime between March 1-31. Below are five books about teen writers to enjoy and inspire you! EMERGENCY CONTACT BY MARY H.K. CHOI: For Penny Lee high school was a total nonevent. Her friends were okay, her grades were fine, and while she somehow managed to land a boyfriend, he doesn't actually know anything about her. When Penny heads to college in Austin, Texas, to learn how to become a writer, it's seventy-nine miles and a zillion light years away from everything she can't wait to leave behind. Sam's stuck.…
Ten Graphic Picks for Black History Month
Afar by Leila Del Duca: In a post-industrial desert wasteland, fifteen-year-old Boetema develops the ability to astral project to other planets. On her own planet, with her parents gone, she and her thirteen-year-old brother, Inotu, must cross a dangerous desert to flee a cyborg bodyguard. Bingo Love by Tee Franklin: "When Hazel Johnson and Mari McCray met at church bingo in 1963, it was love at first sight. Forced apart by their families and society, Hazel and Mari both married young men and had families. Decades later, now in their mid-'60s, Hazel and Mari reunite again at a…
Upcoming Book Releases to Put on Hold Now!
Here are 10 interesting books coming out this February. If you like to get new releases before anyone else, be sure to put these on hold right now! Extasia by Claire Legrand: In a postapocalyptic world, sixteen-year-old Saint Amity joins a coven and sets out on a quest to summon the Devil in order to protect her village, which is controlled by group of pious elders. Fire Becomes Her by Rosiee Thor: In a world where magic can be bottled and power sipped, seventeen-year-old Ingrid Ellis tries to rise in society on the arm of Lindon Holt, but when she agrees to spy…
Paint the Tiny Library Contest for Teens
Books Are Magic and Arts Gowanus are searching for a teen (12-18 years old) artist to design and paint their tiny free library! Winners receive a $200 stipend and a $50 gift card for art supplies. Your work will be posted on Art Gowanus and Books Are Magic's social media too! Submissions are due by January 28th and winners will be notified February 1st. Want more information? If you have any questions, reach out to johnny@artsgowanus.org.
Fairy Tale Retellings & Reimaginings
This year I've fallen hard for fairy tale retellings and reimaginings. If you enjoy them too, I highly recommend putting these titles on hold! Ash by Malinda Lo: In this variation on the Cinderella story, Ash grows up believing in the fairy realm that the king and his philosophers have sought to suppress, until one day she must choose between a handsome fairy cursed to love her and the king's huntress whom she loves. Briarheart by Mercedes Lackey: Miriam may be the daughter of Queen Alethia of Tirendell, but she's not a princess. She's the child of Alethia and her…
Let it Snow! Winter-Themed Fantasy Books to Curl Up With
It's somehow already December and the temperature is starting to drop. It even snowed a bit the other day! What better way to stay warm and cozy than to curl up with a good book? Here are some fun winter-themed fantasy novels to check out, and two booklists I made for more recommendations: BKLYN BookMatch: Wintery Reads for Teens Wintery YA Set in Fantastical Worlds A Winter's Promise by Christelle Dabos: Plain-spoken, headstrong Ophelia cares little about appearances. Her ability to read the past of objects is unmatched in all of Anima and, what's more, she…
In Celebration of Native American/Indigenous Heritage Month
JessiNative American and Alaska Native Heritage Month started out as a week-long celebration as of 1986, during former President Reagan's administration. Since 1995, November has been designated as the month to celebrate and honor the cultures, achievements and contributions of Native Americans and Alaska Natives. Below are ten books of varying genres you can read to finish out this month, and all year round. Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer: "An inspired weaving of indigenous knowledge, plant science,…
Books and Gratitude
I feel grateful for a lot of things in my life -- health, family, friends, being a librarian, my cat, tea, and the list goes on! I'm also grateful for books, especially these five. They have changed my life! Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe: Kobabe's beautiful graphic memoir helped me realize I'm non-binary! Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo: One of my favorite historical fiction novels by one of my favorite authors! Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian: A powerful novel set during the height of the AIDS epidemic in NYC. I cried so much! Sadie by Courtney Summers:…
Ten Awesome Books By Indigenous Writers
November is Native American Heritage Month and we're celebrating by highlighting ten novels and non-fiction books for teens, by Indigenous writers in North America! An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States for Young People by Jean Mendoza: Going beyond the story of America as a country "discovered" by a few brave men in the "New World," Indigenous human rights advocate Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz reveals the roles that settler colonialism and policies of American Indian genocide played in forming our national identity. Apple : Skin to the Core : A Memoir…
Happy Ace Awareness Week! (10/24-10/30)
It's Ace Awareness Week everyone! Formerly known as Asexual Awareness Week (since 2010), this special occasion is being celebrated from October 24th - 30th this year. "An asexual person does not experience sexual attraction or an intrinsic desire to have sexual relationships." Asexuality is also a spectrum and there are many ways to identify as a part of the ace-spec community. Below are ten novels that center ace-spec characters: Beneath the Citadel by Destiny Soria: In the city of Eldra, people are ruled by ancient prophecies. For centuries, the high council has stayed in…
Fantasy Fiction for Fall!
Want to explore a new place without having to leave your couch (or bed)? Check out these eight titles that are chock full of fantastical elements and adventure! The Iron Raven by Julie Kagawa: Robin Goodfellow. Puck. Prankster, joker, raven, fool... King Oberon's right-hand jester from A Midsummer Night's Dream. The legends are many, but the truth will now be known as never before, as Puck finally tells his own story and faces a threat unlike any before. A threat that brings him face-to-face with a new enemy...himself. With the Iron Queen Meghan Chase and her prince…
LGBTQ+ History Month Reads
October is LGBTQ+ History Month in the United States. We celebrate the history and achievements of the LGBTQ+ community across the country. Here are five amazing books that capture the many lives and experiences of queer and trans people of our past. FICTION Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo: Seventeen-year-old Lily Hu can't remember exactly when the question took root, but the answer was in full bloom the moment she and Kathleen Miller walked under the flashing neon sign of a lesbian bar called the Telegraph Club. America in 1954 is not a safe place for two girls to…