Our teen book spotlight this week is on books that are some of my favorite reads of 2023!!! These are the books that kept me reading till 3:00 in the morning (we have all been there before), left me speechless and filled with emotions (including some crying on the couch), wanting to talk about it with someone instantly, and then telling everyone else they have to read it! Some of these books are standalone titles while a few start a series; this was such a hard list to make. These books and more can be found by searching the catalog using the search tag #elyse’sfavorites as well as on Libby and Hoopla. Check back next week for a new teen book spotlight and if you have any book suggestions, please let us know!!
A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin--Seventeen-year-old Zhang Ning is an apprentice in the art of magical tea-making and she used to take great pride in her work. However, when she unknowingly brewed a poisonous tea that killed her mother and threatens the life of her sister, she now views herself with contempt. In order to save the life of her sister, Ning enters a cutthroat magical competition to find the kingdom's greatest master of the art of brewing tea, but political schemes and secrets make her goal of gaining access to royal physicians to cure her dying sister far more dangerous than she imagined.
Me (Moth) by Amber McBride--Two years after the death of her family in a car accident, sole survivor Moth still feels adrift and lost, even though she's mostly comfortably cared for by her aunt. When she meets junior classmate Sani, whose ancestors are Navajo, she finds a kindred spirit who understands what it feels like to be disconnected from family. Abused by his stepfather, Sani decides to leave home and search for his biological father on the Navajo Nation in the western United States. Moth tags along, also hoping to find freedom from her negative thoughts and unhappy life. As the pair visit landmarks and national parks, they find love and a trustworthy companion with which to share their pain and joy.
The Words We Keep by Erin Stewart--High school teenager Lily has been trying to hold things together since she found her sister Alice on the bathroom floor--bleeding from cutting herself--and her family sent Alice to a treatment center. Lily's unprocessed feelings about what happened come to a head when she finds out Alice is coming home. At school she meets new kid Micah who knows Alice because he was in treatment with her. He tries to get Lily to process her feelings about what happened through an art project they're paired together on that uses poetry to express their truths.
Sunshine by Jarrett Krosoczka--In this graphic novel memoir, author Jarrett J. Krosoczka recounts his high school experience as a sixteen-year-old counselor at Camp Sunshine, a camp for seriously ill kids and their families. Initially, Jarrett thinks it might be a depressing experience for him, but instead, Jarrett learns from the kids how to make every moment count. As he helps the kids get the full camp experience with wilderness challenges, spooky campfire stories, and lake swimming, he gains an experience that changes his life forever.
The Luminaries by Susan Dennard--In Hemlock Falls, Winnie Wednesday wants to join the Luminaries--the ancient order that protects the town from monsters and nightmares in the nearby forest. However, after her father was branded a witch and a traitor, her family has been shunned. But on her sixteenth birthday, she can take the deadly test to be a Luminary and restore her family's reputation. Winnie asks bad boy Jay Friday, her ex-best friend, to train her. Soon the pair encounter a danger in the forest that no one knows about.
American Murderer by Gail Jarrow--Chronicles the discovery of American hookworm disease in the American South by scientist Charles Stiles, and discusses Stiles's work to implement public health standards to eradicate the disease. Explores the factors that led to people being infected with hookworm, and examines its effect on society during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Includes color and black-and-white photographs, a timeline, a glossary, and additional resources.