"Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. History." - History.com

Here is a list of 28 Black authors to help you honor the achievements of Black authors, and the impact they have on Young Adult literature every day this month. It is my hope and intention that you use this information to guide your reading all year long, and not allow the celebration of Black History Month to remain confined to the month of February.

Believe it or not, books can be extremely controversial! Every year libraries, school districts, publishers, and book sellers get countless complaints about content of the books they make available to people.

Banned Books Week was created in order to celebrate our freedom to read. This year Banned Books Week is from September 26th through October 2nd. (That's right now!)

Each year the Office for Intellectual Freedom tracks the challenges to library, school, and university materials that people have tried to have banned and compiles a list. Here in the Canyon Library, we believe in protecting your right to free expression and free access to ideas. Students can choose any book in our library. It is up to you and your guardians to decide what that means for you.

​What follows is a list of some of the most challenged books in 2020 that you are free to check out from our library. For more information about a title, follow the link to access the book's page on Destiny Discover.

Although we are near the end of the month now, I would feel terrible if I didn't post acknowledging that April is National Poetry Month! 

In addition to our regular Poetry section, the Canyon Library has several novels in verse. These books use the format and lyricism of poetry to tell their story. Perfect for poetry lovers looking for their next book!

​Here are 10 novels in verse (and their summaries from Destiny Discover) that you could check out from our library today:

​Chlorine Sky by Mahogany L. Browne
Picked on at home, criticized for talking trash while beating boys at basketball, and always seen as less than her best friend, a girl struggles to like and accept herself.

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​Crank by Ellen Hopkins
Kristina Georgia Snow's life is turned upside-down, when she visits her absentee father, gets turned on to the drug "crank", becomes addicted, and is lead down a desperate path that threatens her mind, soul, and her life.
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​Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
Sixteen-year-olds Camino Rios, of the Dominican Republic, and Yahaira Rios, of New York City, are devastated to learn of their father's death in a plane crash and stunned to learn of each other's existence. A novel in verse told in two voices.
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​The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
Fourteen-year-old twin basketball stars Josh and Jordan wrestle with highs and lows on and off the court as their father ignores his declining health.
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​Blood Water Paint by Joy McCullough
In Renaissance Italy, Artemisia Gentileschi endures the subjugation of women that allows her father to take credit for her extraordinary paintings, rape and the ensuing trial, and torture, buoyed by her deceased mother's stories of strong women of the Bible.​ ​

​Finding Wonders: Three Girls Who Changed Science by Jeannine Atkins
A biographical novel in verse of three different girls in three different time periods who grew up to become groundbreaking scientists​

​Punching the Air by Ibi Aanu Zoboi
When sixteen-year-old Amal Shahid is wrongfully incarcerated, he uses his poetry and his art to maintain his humanity and fight for the truth in a system designed to work against him.​

​Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
As Will, fifteen, sets out to avenge his brother Shawn's fatal shooting, seven ghosts who knew Shawn board the elevator and reveal truths Will needs to know.
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November 3, 2020 is election day, here in the United States of America. In the coming days, the votes will be tallied and counted (and possibly recounted) until the officials declare the new, or returning, winners of various political offices (most notably President of the United States).

Until a winner is declared, why not explore the idea of politics and elections from some YA characters in these books:

Running by Natalia Sylvester 

• Genres: Politics, Coming of Age, Realistic Fiction
• Senator Anthony Ruiz has decided to run for president, throwing his whole Cuban American family, including his 15-year-old daughter into public scrutiny. As Mariana is suddenly forced to be front and center in her father's political career, and she begins to learn more about her father's platform she realizes that she may not agree with his positions. How can Mariana separate her own beliefs from her fathers? And, how can she speak out against him during the most important campaign of his life? 
  
  

Yes No Maybe So by Becky Albertalli & Aisha Saeed

• Genre: Romance, Contemporary
• Jamie Goldberg is happy to volunteer for the local state senate candidate, as long as he can stay behind the scenes and doesn't have to talk to strangers. Maya Rehman was supposed to go on a big summer trip, but when it's canceled her mother volunteers her to go political canvassing with Jamie. Despite their differences, and the impending reality of the political campaign, Jamie and Maya begin to form "the cross-cultural romance of the century" (Goodreads).

You Say It First by Katie Cotugno

• Genres: Realistic Fiction, Contemporary Romance
• ​Meg is working at a voter registration call center in Philadelphia during her senior year of high school. One night her call connects her to Colby, a small-town Ohio boy who doesn't have time to deal with a "privileged rich girl preaching the sanctity of the political process, so he says the worst thing he can think of and hangs up" (Goodreads). Over the course of several phone calls, a long-distance friendship (and maybe something more) begins to develop between Meg and Colby. Can these teenagers from opposite walks of life make it work in the end?
  
  

Red, White, Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

• Genre: Romance, LGBTQ+, Contemporary
• Alex Claremont-Diaz is the First Son of the United States. When a picture of a confrontation with Prince Henry go viral, threatening American/British relations, his mother's marketing team decide the best move is to stage a fake friendship between the boys. As the teens pretend to be friends, they start getting to know each other and soon find themselves in a romantic relationship that must stay secret unless they want to completely ruin President Ellen Claremont's reelection campaign.

All the the above titles are available to check out from the CHS library through Destiny or as eBooks from the SCV Public Library on Sora. 


​A few other election-y titles:

• The Voting Booth by Brandy Colbert
  • This has a 4-star rating on Goodreads, but is only available to checkout from the public library on Sora.
• Most Likely by Sarah Watson
  • This has a 4-star rating on Goodreads, but is only available to checkout from the public library on Sora.
• The State of Us by Shaun David Hutchinson
  • This book is available from both Destiny and Sora. It is rated quite low by reviewers on Goodreads due to sensitivity issues related to the LGBTQIA+ community and a potential disregard for racial issues.

Every year, a committee of teenagers nominates a collection of YA books to be named the Teen's Top 10. Then, after a period of voting from teenagers across the country, the Top 10 books for teenagers is announced. This year voting closes on October 15th. Here are the 25 nominees selected by the committee for the public to vote on, a summary from the committee, and how you can read each one!

(Remember, if you are using Sora you can get books from the Santa Clarita Public Library without a library card, but you will need one to use the LA County Library.)

1. #MurderFunding, by Gretchen McNeil **WINNER!**

• This is the second in the series, following #MurderTrending.
• After Becca's mom's death, a mysterious girl shows up at Becca's school. With theories floating around the internet about the true identity of some famous serial killers, Becca goes on a mission to figure out her mom's past.
• This title is available on Sora from the LA County Library (with a library card). 

2. Are You Listening? by Tillie Walden

• Bea encounters Lou, a talented mechanic escaping her past life. On a winding road trip through West Texas, they discover more about themselves and each other, and are finally able to come to terms with their past. Along with friendship and emotional struggles, this novel uncovers a whimsical magic.
• This title is not YET available from any platform offered by CHS. 

3. Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff **WINNER!**

• This is the first in a series called The Aurora Cycle.
• When Tyler Jones saves Aurora Jie-Lin O'Malley, he doesn't expect to be pulled into an intergalactic adventure that threatens the living universe and puts his very values to the test. Instead, he's more worried about the rag-tag squad of Aurora Academy dredges that he's been assigned after missing the Draft. But together they embark on a mission to understand Aurora's paranormal behavior, and in the process become more than just friends.
• This title and its sequel are available as eBooks or audiobooks on Sora from either the Santa Clarita Public Library or the LA County Library (with a library card).

4. The Beast Player by Nahoko Uehashi

• Orphaned Elin learns to use her ability to communicate with animals as she navigates through political unrest. The beauty and power of the natural world are at the heart of this captivating, nimbly translated Japanese fantasy.
• This title is available as an eBook or audiobook on Sora from the LA County Library (with a library card).

5. Between Worlds: Folktales of Britain and Ireland by Kevin Crossley

• This is a book full of many wonderful and interesting folktales from both Britain and Ireland. There are many stories of different genres, including Magic and Wonder, Adventures and Legends, and even about ghosts! While some stories last up to 13 pages, there are others that only last as long as one to three pages!
• This title is not YET available on any platform offered by CHS.

6. Broken Throne: A Red Queen Collection by Victoria Aveyard **WINNER!**

• This book is the second of the Red Queen series.
• Mare Barrow's world is divided by blood -- those with common, Red blood serve the Silver-blooded elite, who are gifted with superhuman abilities. Mare is a Red, scraping by as a thief in a poor ,rural village, until a twist of fate throws her in front of the Silver court. Before the king, princes, and all the nobles, she discovers she has an ability of her own. Follow Mare in this series collection, with three new unpublished novellas!
• This title is available as an eBook or audiobook on Sora from either the Santa Clarita Public Library or the LA County Library (with a library card).

7.  Dreamland: The True Tale of America's Opiate Epidemic by Sam Quinones

• Dreamland tells the tale of America's opiate epidemic in a way that feels as though you are hearing it firsthand; it weaves the stories of addicts and activists alike into a novel that is enticing and shocking. Quinones writes a novel that shows the behind the scenes of an epidemic that hits close to the heart of many Americans, yet he tells it in a way that takes you on an adventure rather than a report.
• This title is available as an eBook or audiobook on Sora from either the Santa Clarita Public Library or the LA County Library (with a library card).

8. The Field Guide to the North American Teenager by Ben Philippe

• Norris Kaplan, a hilarious, snarky Black French-Canadian teen, has to move from Montreal to Austin, Texas with his single mother. In his less-than-ideal new environment, he meets new people and starts categorizing them with his trademark Kaplan-wit in a notebook, for his own amusement. He makes new friends and experiences a brief romance but is overall hilarious and painfully honest about his experience on uncharted grounds.
• This title is available at Canyon High School (use Destiny Discover to place a hold) or as an eBook and audiobook on Sora from the LA County Library (with a library card).

9. Frankly in Love by David Yoon

• Frank Li's parents are traditional Korean parents -- only Korean girls are acceptable for dating and marriage. The problem is, Frank falls in love with a white girl, Brit, and he knows his parents will not approve. So to cover up his dating scheme and please his parents, he pretends he's dating a family friend -- Joy, the perfect Korean girl for his parents. Of course, Frank is stuck in a messy love triangle, but when cancer hits his father, Frank is forced to reconsider his life and who he actually is and wants to be.
• This title is available at Canyon High School (use Destiny Discover to place a hold) or as an eBook and audiobook on Sora from the Santa Clarita Public Library or the LA County Library (with a library card).

10. The Grace Year by Kim Liggett

• Tierney lived in a world where women are treated like something men have control over but at the same time must be careful of, for they have a mysterious magic. All girls at the age of 16 must complete something called the Grace Year, a year of banishment from greater society. Tierney wants to make it out of the Grace year alive and go to work on the fields. But things don't exactly go according to plan. She and the girls she's with, in fact, uncover some of the biggest secrets of their world.
• This title is available as an eBook or audiobook on Sora from either the Santa Clarita Public Library or the LA County Library (with a library card).

​11. The Last Bus to Everland by Sophie Cameron

• Brody Fair is a teenager that not many people understood -- not his parents, siblings, and obviously not the girls in his neighborhood that make his life a living nightmare. But one day he meets Nico who takes him into a very bizarre world that only opens at 11:21pm and in there he meets a few people that become his friends. But when the doors start to close, Brody needs to make a choice of either staying in Everland with Nico and risking not seeing his family again or going home and having to say goodbye to Nico and Everland forever.
• This title is available as an eBook or audiobook on Sora from either the Santa Clarita Public Library or the LA County Library (with a library card).

12. Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me by Mariko Tamaki

• 17-year-old Fredrica Riley is in and out of a relationship with the most popular girl in school, Laura Dean. Freddy loves Laura, but when she's with her, Freddy isn't quite happy. The more Freddy is with Laura, the more friends she loses, including her closest friend Doodle. Freddy starts to wonder if Laura's not the problem, but herself. So, she seeks the advice of Anna Vice online and starts to get her life together after the advice to "break up with her."
• This title is available on Sora from the LA County Library (with a library card).

13. Lovely War by Julie Berry **WINNER!**

• It's 1917 and World War I is at its zenith when Hazel and James first catch sight of each other at a London party. She's a shy and talented pianist; he's a newly minted soldier with dreams of becoming an architect. When they fall in love, it's immediate and deep -- and cut short when James is shipped off to the killing fields.
• This title is available as an eBook or audiobook on Sora from either the Santa Clarita Public Library or the LA County Library (with a library card).

14. The Memory Thief by Lauren Mansy **WINNER!**

• 17-year-old Etta Lark wants to live outside of the corrupt culture of her realm, but grapples with the guilt of an accident that has left her mother bedridden in the city's asylum. When the ruler of the city, Madame, threatens to put her mother up for auction, a Craewick practice in which a "criminal's" memories are sold to the highest bidder before being killed, Etta will do whatever it takes to save her. To save her mother, Etta rejoins the Shadows, the rebel group she swore off in the wake of the accident years earlier, and sets out to steal a memorized map of the Maze, a formidable prison created by the bloodthirsty ruler of a neighboring Realm.
• This title is available on Sora from the LA County Library (with a library card).

15. My Ideal Boyfriend is a Croissant by Laura Dockrill

• Bluebelle aka BB or Big Bones loves food and is unapologetic about it, but when she has a bad asthma attack, she is tasked with losing weight and keeping a food diary. Grudgingly, she accepts, but when a tragedy hits her family, it becomes the least of her worries.
• This title is available as an eBooks or audiobook on Sora from the LA County Library (with a library card).

16. Opposite of Always by Justin A Reynolds

• Jack, a nerdy, quirky, and lovable high school senior falls in love with Kate, only to find that she dies a couple of months later. Every occurrence of her death sends him back in time to the night they first met to give Jack another chance to save Kate.
• This title is available at Canyon High School (use Destiny Discover to place a hold) or as an eBook and audiobook on Sora from either the Santa Clarita Public Library or the LA County Library (with a library card).

17. Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell. Illustrated by Faith Erin Hicks **WINNER!**

• Josiah and Deja have been working the Succotash Hut together for the past three years and this is their last night working together before they go off to college. Deja is on a mission ot help Josiah talk to his dream girl and eat snacks along the way. This dreamy graphic novel tells the cute story of these two teens' last night at the pumpkin patch.
• This title is available at Canyon High School (use Destiny Discover to place a hold) or on Sora from either the Santa Clarita Public Library or the LA County Library (with a library card).

18. Stolen Time by Danielle Rollins

• Dorothy has been raised her whole life as a con artist. Her surprisingly sheltered life leaves her struggling to escape without knowing what she is looking for, and here is where Ash comes in with a time machine. Dorothy believes she is simply sneaking onto a plane, but imagine her surprise when she ends up in 2077 instead of 1913.
• This title is available as an eBooks or audiobook on Sora from the LA County Library (with a library card).

19. Stronger Than a Bronze Dragon by Mary Fan

• 17-year-old Anlei wants to protect her village from the shadow spirits called Ligui == even if that means marrying the local viceroy and giving up her own freedom. but on the day before her wedding, she meets a secretive thief named Tai, and the two of them embark on an epic quest to destroy the Ligui and save the world. Their journey will take them to Hell and back, but the mysteries of the shadow spirits are not so easily solved.
• This title is not YET available on any platform offered by CHS.

20. These Witches Don't Burn by Isabel Sterling

• This is the first in a new series, the sequel The Coven Won't Break is already out!

• Hannah, a teen witch in Salem, has to keep her identity a secret so she doesn't lose her magic forever. Out of nowhere, a bloody accident finds its way to a school event and Hannah is convinced it has to do with a blood witch that haunted her past. She's forced to team up with her stubborn ex-girlfriend, Veronica, and together they go through a thrilling adventure to try to find whoever is behind this dark magic.
• This title (and its sequel) is available as an eBook or audiobook on Sora from either the Santa Clarita Public Library or the LA County Library (with a library card).

21. Warhead: The True Story of One Teen Who Almost Saved the World by Jeff Henigson

• When Jeff, an average 15-year-old learns he has brain cancer, his plan of getting a girlfriend and a new car goes falling. While Jeff is fighting for his life, the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union are in a standoff. When Jeff is given a wish, he wishes to meet the leader of the Soviet Union to discuss ending the Cold War. Will he be able to achieve World Peace?
• This title is not YET available on any platform offered by CHS.

22. Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell **WINNER!**

• Simon Snow did everything he was supposed to do. He beat the villain. He won the war. He even fell in love. Now comes the good part, right? Now comes the happily ever after...So why can't Simon Snow get off the couch? What he needs, according to his best friends, is a change of scenery. He just needs to see himself in a new light...That's how Simon, Penny, and Baz end up in a vintage convertible, tearing across the American West.
• This title is available at Canyon High School (use Destiny Discover to place a hold) or as an eBook and audiobook on Sora from either the Santa Clarita Public Library or the LA County Library (with a library card).

23. We Hunt the Flame (Sands of Arawiya) by Hafsah Faizal **WINNER!**

• Zafira Bint Iskandar is the Hunter. The savior for her people - but they will never know it, because their prejudice against women forces Zafira to hide her identity. Nasir, an assassin and the Prince, is forced to leave behind his compassion by his father . As the Arz, the darkness grows closer, the two embark on a quest for an artifacts to save Arawiya, but while Zafira is set on stopping the Arz, Nasir is set on the mission given to him by his father: Kill the hunter and take the Artifact to the palace.
• This title is available as an eBooks or audiobook on Sora from the LA County Library (with a library card) or as an eBooks from the Santa Clarita Public Library.

24. Wilder Girls by Rory Power **WINNER!**

• Raxter school has been under quarantine for eighteen months. Nobody knows what caused the mysterious outbreak of the tox. Everyone at the school started getting infected and makes the m feel strangers in their own body. Hetty has been dealing with her own demons since this began and waiting for a cure seems pointless. Once her friend Byatt goes missing, she becomes restless and wants answers.
• This title is available at Canyon High School (use Destiny Discover to place a hold) or as an eBook and audiobook on Sora from either the Santa Clarita Public Library or the LA County Library (with a library card).

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25. With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo ​**WINNER!**

• Emoni Santiago is a senior in high school and has a fiery passion for cooking and her family. With a young daughter and a grandma to take care of, Emoni is struggling to choose whether to follow her dreams of becoming a chef or stay with her family.
• This title is available at Canyon High School (use Destiny Discover to place a hold) or as an eBook and audiobook on Sora from either the Santa Clarita Public Library or the LA County Library (with a library card).

As high school students in 2020, none of you remember the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Every year, during this week, I remember where I was the moment I learned about the terrorist attack in New York City. I remember arriving at school with my mom (who was a teacher there) and having another teacher ask if we'd seen the news this morning. We hadn't. I remember spending the next hour before school started sitting in the office watching the news then spending the rest of the day wishing my teacher would tell us something, anything about what was going on. I remember the weeks following, where every car on the street had a little American flag sticking up from the window as a way of saying "We're in this together." I remember having an assembly on the one year anniversary, in order to honor the first responders and medical workers who were so important on that day. Then, one day, it all became a memory. Something that happened, but no longer affects our day to day life.

But this isn't true for everyone. There are some people who were immediately affected by loss or injury and the attack remains a huge part of their life. Hope and Other Punchlines is a story about the babies of 2001. Hope and her friends and family were each affected by the attack in their own unique ways. This is their story.

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​The following is a book review which I wrote in September 2019:

On September 11, 2001 four airplanes were hijacked on their way to the United States of America. One landed in a field in Pennsylvania, one hit the Pentagon in Washington DC, and two crashed into the Twin Towers [World Trade Center] in New York City. Almost 3000 people lost their lives as a result of this attack on America.

Hope and Other Punchlines is a fictional story about those who didn't. 
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Based on a real city in New Jersey, Hope and Other Punchlines takes place in the city which suffered the most deaths in the terrorist attack, outside of New York itself. Abbi, who's middle name is Hope, was photographed in a crown and holding a balloon as her caregiver, holding Abbi, ran away from the falling towers behind them. It was Abbi's first birthday. The image went viral and "Baby Hope" became a symbol for the entire country of hope and joy in times of sorrow.

This is the reality that Abbi has grown up with. She is famous and people are constantly doting on her in public places, thanking her for being Baby Hope and telling her that her picture is handing in their house. Can you imagine how strange that must feel? Abbi is sick of it.

Then, the summer before senior year, Abbi starts to feel the symptoms of 9/11 Syndrome, a very real effect of having been near the towers when they fell. Abbi, convinced she is dying wants to get away and just be a normal girl for one summer before dealing with the illness. So, she gets a job as a camp counselor outside of town. It is here that Abbi meets Noah, a boy who has his own connection to the Baby Hope photo and refuses to let Abbi ignore her past. Noah takes her on a wild goose chase, leading to Abbi meeting all of the remaining people in her viral photo. For some it's joyful; for others its painful. Through it all Abbi remains their rock, as she's done her whole life. 

This book brought back all of the emotions I remember feeling on the day of the attack. It reminded me to think about all the people who didn't stop being affected by the attack a few weeks or months later. Living in California and having no family on the east coast, its easy to become disconnected from disasters that happen there. It is important to remain aware and connected to the other people in our country, and to support each other in times of need. This book is an excellent reminder for us.

Plus, I've always wondered how it would feel to go viral. Now I know!

The CDC lists suicide as the second leading cause of death for children and teenagers ages 10-24. Experts say that more teenagers and young adults die for suicide than from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, pneumonia, influenza, and chronic lung disease combined. There is an average of 3703 suicide attempts by high school students every day in the United States; 4 out of 5 of these teens have given clear warning signs.

In order to bring awareness to these facts and the serious impact of suicide rates in our country, September has been named National Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month.

The following books in our library collection deal with suicide in a way that provides perspective and solidarity to those with mental and physical illnesses that may cause a suicide attempt:

• The Last Time We Say Goodbye by Cynthia Hand
  • ​After her younger brother, Tyler, commits suicide, Lex struggles to work through her grief in the face of a family that has fallen apart, the sudden distance between her and her friends, and memories of Tyler that still feel all too real.
• Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glassgow
  • ​As she struggles to recover and survive, seventeen-year-old homeless Charlotte "Charlie" Davis cuts herself to dull the pain of abandonment and abuse.
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
  • ​Perks follows observant "wallflower" Charlie as he charts a course through the strange world between adolescence and adulthood. First dates, family drama, and new friends. Sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show . Devastating loss, young love, and life on the fringes. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it, Charlie must learn to navigate those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up.
• The Astonishing Color of After by Emily XR Pan
  • ​After her mother's suicide, grief-stricken Leigh Sanders travels to Taiwan to stay with grandparents she never met, determined to find her mother who she believes turned into a bird.
• All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
  • Told in alternating voices, when Theodore Finch and Violet Markey meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, both teetering on the edge, it's the beginning of an unlikely relationship, a journey to discover the "natural wonders" of the state of Indiana, and two teens' desperate desire to heal and save one another.
• It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini
  • New York City teenager Craig Gilner succumbs to academic and social pressures at an elite high school and enters a psychiatric hospital after attempting suicide.
• I Was Here by Gayle Forman
  • In an attempt to understand why her best friend committed suicide, eighteen-year-old Cody Reynolds retraces her dead friend's footsteps and makes some startling discoveries.
• The Program by Suzanne Young
  • When suicide becomes a worldwide epidemic, the only known cure is The Program, a treatment in which painful memories are erased, a fate worse than death to seventeen-year-old Sloane who knows that The Program will steal memories of her dead brother and boyfriend.
• The History of Jane Doe by Michael Belanger
  • After his girlfriend commits suicide, a teenage history buff looks back at their relationship and tries to understand what lead to the tragedy.
• We Are Okay by Nina LaCour
  • After leaving her life behind to go to college in New York, Marin must face the truth about the tragedy that happened in the final weeks of summer when her friend Mabel comes to visit.
• Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick
  • A day in the life of a suicidal teen boy saying good-bye to the four people who matter most to him.
• If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo
  • Amanda Hardy only wants to fit in at her new school, but she is keeping a big secret, so when she falls for Grant, guarded Amanda finds herself yearning to share with him everything about herself, including her previous life as Andrew.
• Falling Into Place by Amy Zhang
  • One cold fall day, high school junior Liz Emerson steers her car into a tree. This haunting and heartbreaking story is told by a surprising and unexpected narrator and unfolds in nonlinear flashbacks even as Liz's friends, foes, and family gather at the hospital and Liz clings to life.
• And We Stay by Jenny Hubbard
  • Sent to an Amherst, Massachusetts, boarding school after her ex-boyfriend shoots himself, seventeen-year-old Emily expresses herself through poetry as she relives their relationship, copes with her guilt, and begins to heal.
• Skim by Mariko Tamaki
  • (Graphic Novel) Wiccan goth teen Kimberly Keiko Cameron sinks into a growing depression after her classmate's ex-boyfriend kills himself, sparking a school revolution that forces all the students to redefine themselves.

For more information on stress, anxiety, depression and suicide read the materials in  Cameron's Collection, found in the Gale Database > Gale ebooks.

If you or anyone you know is in need of emergency help call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 and visit their youth webpage for more resources. 

This summer I took a class for my Master's degree which asked me to read, watch, and listen to A TON of different books, movies, shows, podcasts, etc. for young adults. Here is a list of the things I chose and a little bit about them!

Books:

• American Royals
  • Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have an American royal family? Would we still care so much about Harry and Meghan? How would our country be different and what would it be like to be part of the royal family? This book is a chance to have some insight into the lives of the American royals.
• Darius the Great is Not Okay
  • What is a clinically depressed teenage boy who just wants to drink quality tea and fit in for once supposed to do when he is suddenly pulled from his life in Portland, Oregon to visit the grandparents he's never met in Yazd, Iran? Darius just hopes he doesn't disappoint his Persian family as much as he seems to disappoint his own father. 
• Educated: A Memoir
  • Tara Westover lives in a house with her mother, father, and her six older siblings. This all seems perfectly normal until you know that Tara doesn't actually exist in the eyes of the government. She didn't have a birth certificate until she was nine. She never visited the doctor (despite several injuries at the hands of her father and brothers), and she didn't see a classroom until she was seventeen years old! Despite it all, Tara Westover went to college, earned a PhD in history, and became Educated​.
• Five Feet Apart
  • Stella and Will are not supposed to fall in love. For real, they might die if they do. But will their health stop them from getting closer or will they decide love is more important?
• Frankly in Love
  • Frank Li has been given high expectations from his Korean parents. He must get top marks in school and he must find a nice Korean girl to fall in love with (not like his sister who broke the rules and married a Black man). But, Frank Li likes a white girl in his class and he thinks he may have done poorly on his SAT, and his best friend is African American. Frank cannot tell his parents any of this, so he finds a fake girlfriend and hides parts of his life from his parents. Can he get away with it until he leaves for college?
• Gut Check
  • What would you do if your brother probably had a concussion, but was the star player on your school's football team? For Wyatt, keeping his brother's secret and making his father proud is the most important thing, until one day it isn't.
• Jackpot
  • What would you do if you sold the winning lottery ticket, but you had no idea who that woman was or if she even realizes she won? For Rico, this means asking the most popular guy at school to help her find this woman and make sure the money is claimed before the deadline. Will there be a reward for her efforts? Probably not, but Rico knows she has to try to find this woman.
• Just Mercy: Adapted for Young Adults
  • Did you know that until the year 2012, teenagers could still be sentenced to life in prison without parole? Several laws and systems are still in place today that affect the quality of life for prisoners in the United States. People of color, especially, are wrongly accused or convicted and sentenced to unfair punishments by the court. This book discusses some of the most atrocious cases Bryan Stevenson has fought in his career.
• Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe
  • What's a guy to do when his brother is dead, his father is abusive, everyone bullies him, and the most popular guy at school says God wants Cliff to help him fix the school? Just go along with it, I guess. 
• Serpent & Dove
  • A witch and a witch hunter, suddenly thrown into a marriage against their will. This sounds like a story destined for success. Yet, somehow, this pair of enemies turned lovers seems to be on track for success, until Lou's secret is exposed. Will Reid be able to ignore the fact that his new wife is the very person he's been trying to find (and kill) this whole time?
• Slay
  • Kiera is sick and tired of the discrimination against Black people in her favorite video games...so she makes her own! All is well in the world of Slay, until a boy winds up dead as a result of an in-game conflict. Can Kiera (and the police) figure out who the culprit is before anyone else gets hurt? Can Kiera keep her identity a secret from her classmates at school? Read Slay to find out.
• Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You (CHS library does not yet own this title)
  • ​Getting arrested for drugs is a felony. Prisoners arrested on felony charges lose their right to vote. More BIPOC than any other races are arrested on drug charges. Is this a coincidence or is it a carefully plotted political scheme to maintain a system of racism? Stamped dives into this topic for you.
• The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein
  • We all know about Dr. Frankenstein and his monster, but have you ever heard about Elizabeth? In this book, we get to hear her story about how she came to live with the Frankenstein's and the actions she has taken to remain part of their family despite everything that has been done to her.
• The Music of What Happens
  • Max and Jordan are complete opposites in personality, interests, everything. Well, everything except that they are both gay. ​​Can they learn to trust and open up to one another or will their secrets get in the way?
• The Poet X
  • What is a Catholic girl who is pretty sure she loves teenage boys more than she loves Jesus supposed to do when her mother makes her start confirmation classes? For Xiomara, it means writing poem after poem to work through her emotions and try to build bridges between herself and the people she has alienated in her drive to find herself. Presented through poems, get inside Xiomara's head and discover how she deals with all the conflicting emotions of disobeying parents, questioning her religion, and falling in "like" with a boy.
• Unnatural Disasters
  • We all know about the hole in the ozone layer and the polar ice caps melting and we know about terrorism. But what will the world look like when the these things start to work together, causing the world to fall apart around you? Lucy Weaver is about to find out.
• Truly Devious
  • In 1936, Dottie was minding her own business until she wound up dead at the hands of the mysterious Ellingham family murderer. With her death, the knowledge of who was behind their murders died as well. Decades later, Stevie is invited to the Ellingham Academy and becomes determined to solve their case, until one of her own friends ends up dead as well! Can Stevie solve this case and stay safe doing it?
• Vincent & Theo
  • If you are interested in art history and the story of Vincent van Gogh, look no further than to Vincent & Theo. This book tells his story through the narrative of his relationship with his brother Theo.
• What if It's Us?
  • Would you put a want ad for a boy you met once online to try to find him again? Not many would, but Arthur could not stop thinking about the boy from the post office. Follow along as Ben and Arthur fall in love with each other, with New York, and with Hamilton in What if it's Us?
• What the Night Sings
  • We have all heard about the terrible, tragic events of the Holocaust, but how did it affect the minds and lives of its survivors once they were freed? Gerta's story shows how difficult it was for Holocaust survivors to recover from their torture and trauma at the hands of the Nazi's. In this illustrated story about a teenage girl's journey to recovery, learn about her experience as a prisoner and about how she finally became free from her captivity.

Graphic Novels

• Hey, Kiddo
  • Hey, Kiddo tells the story about a teenage boy who's mother is addicted to heroin, father is completely MIA, and is being raised by his grandparents (who were supposed to be done raising children). Yet, author Jarrett J. Krosoczka managed to pull through and become a bestselling author and illustrator! This is his story.
• Pumpkinheads
  • Fall is a well-loved time of the year for many people. If you are looking for the feeling of fall in book form, look no further than Pumpkinheads. This book provides a happy romance story wrapped up in the reds, oranges, and yellows of October.
• Speak: The Graphic Novel
  • Melinda was just starting high school when she was raped at a party. How does her experience with sexual assault affect her freshman year and will she ever recover?
• The Faithful Spy
  • Have you ever heard about the guy who wanted to kill Hitler? His name was Dietrich and he worked for most of his adult life on defeating this super-villain. The Faithful Spy​ tells his story.

Audiobooks

• On the Come Up (CHS has this in book form)
  • Bri's father was a rapper before he was killed. Bri wants to be a rapper too, but will she get famous for the right reasons? When Bri's angry rap about the discrimination she faces as a teenage girl in a white neighborhood goes viral, suddenly Bri has to navigate a whole new world and make decisions about her career she never expected to be faced with.
• Sadie (CHS has this in book form)
  • He killed Sadie's sister. She knows he did. Now she just has to find him so she can avenge Mattie's death. When Mattie is found dead, Sadie knows she can't stay home anymore, so Sadie takes off into the night to find the man who killed her sister and return the favor. West McCray, a radio personality, is following a few months behind, to try to find Sadie and figure out exactly what happened to the The Girls.

Movies

• The Sun is Also a Star (CHS has this in book form)
  • Natasha's family is being deported...tomorrow. Daniel's parents are insisting that he go to college and become a successful doctor. Neither Natasha or Daniel are convinced these are good ideas. When Daniel sees Natasha on the train, he decides he has to know her and convince her that love is real (and they have it). Through a series of fated events in a single day, the two teens become closer. Can they make it through and follow their dreams? Or is destiny just messing with them?
  • This movie is rated PG-13. It is available to stream on HBO Now/Max, or to purchase on Amazon video.
• To All the Boys I've Loved Before (CHS has this in book form)
  • Lara Jean Covey has loved 5 boys in her life (not counting her father). Every time she has big feelings for a boy, Lara Jean has written them a letter and saved it in a special box in her closet. What happens when one day all of those letters get mailed and suddenly Lara Jean needs to confront the feelings she once had for these boys? Will she be humiliated or will she end up finding love with one of them? And, what on Earth will her sister say when she hears about all of this?!
  • This movie is rated PG-13. It, and its sequel, can be streamed on Netflix.

Music

• Chromatica - Lady Gaga
  • Lady Gaga is best known for her electronic pop hits and this album has no shortage of them. With two hits off the album already, more are definitely on the way. The lyrics are relatable and the beat is strong. Dance the night away to Chromatica!
  • This album can be streamed from Apple Music/Spotify.
    
• Lover - Taylor Swift
  • If you're looking for a good song to show someone you love them, you are bound to find it on Taylor's new album, Lover. Whether you just want to tell your friend its nice to have them in your life or your want to demonstrate for your partner that you would die without them in your life, there is a song here for you! Don't forget that she existed, Taylor is here to help you show everyone how you feel! (This was originally written for my assignment, before the release of the truly amazing newest album, folklore.)
    • This album can be streamed from Apple Music/Spotify

Podcasts

• Let's Be Real with Sammy Jaye
  • Sammy Jaye interviews celebrities that she is interested in learning about as a 17 year old girl and talks about subjects that are important to her as a 17 year old girl. In her podcast series, Sammy Jaye interviews musicians and actors to discuss their careers, but doesn't stop the conversation from moving on to real topics. She is willing to discuss her own fight with anxiety and how it affects her in order to make connections with and "humanize" the celebrities she meets.
• Stuff You Missed in History Class
  • I don't know about you, but I feel like there is still so much I don't know about the world, even after finishing school! This podcast helps me bridge that gap by teaching me (in a fun, entertaining manner) about the smaller, lesser-known pieces of history, things they didn't have time to teach me in school

Television Shows

• Riverdale
  • In a town full of murder, crime, and mystery, is there anyone that can be trusted? Watch Riverdale to follow the adventures of Archie and friends while they try to navigate high school and figure out what happened to Jason Blossom on the night of July 4th. Will Betty and Archie ever get together? What exactly did Veronica's dad do, to lose the trust of the entire town and cause his family to flee New York? Who killed Jason?
  • This show is rated TV-14. Seasons 1-4 are available to stream on Netflix. Season 5 premieres in Jan. 2021 on The CW.