What's Popular with Tweens and Teens

 1) Long Live the Pumpkin Queen by Shea Ernshaw (2022)

Hour of the Pumpkin Queen by Megan Shepherd (2025)

The Pumpkin Queen series tells the story of Sally after she has married Jack and the movie ends with her being the Queen of Halloween Town. Each book is written by a different author, which reminds me of a lot of the middle grade books like The Babysitter's Club and the Monster High books. It's on this list because of how basing books on movies, TV shows, and even dolls encourages kids who are not big readers to pick them up based on their other interests. I found both titles on the New York Times Best Sellers List for YA. 

2) The Lake by Natasha Preston (2021)

I discovered this book a little while ago at the public library and it's been on my TBR list. I was searching for popular books to get back in touch with reading YA after having not for a while, so it's on this list because of its popularity. I've found that recommending thrillers is a safe choice when doing reader's advisory for people who want to get into reading. This book is about a lake that is holding on to the secret that two friends are trying to hide.

3) House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland (2021) 

This also stood out to me at the public library and I added it to my TBR list. Throughout this class, I've searched for new books to me for these annotations. However, for a week about what kids are really reading, I figured I'd look back at my own interests. The story is about Iris Hollow whose sister has gone missing and the only way to find her is to retrace the lost memories from her childhood. Once again, this made it on the list for its complex story line.

4) Scythe by Neal Shusterman (2021)

This next book is on my annotated list because it is written by a man and does not have a female on the cover. When I did my observation hours with Lynne Cote at Newburyport High School, she told me she tries really hard to find titles that would be appealing to the boys because so many YA books have girls on the cover and the boys aren't drawn to read them. (Also because the last two were on my own TBR lists they have female leads...). So I found this book by looking at the Libby app list of most popular YA books right now and it took a good deal of scrolling to find this one. With that, the story line sounds great: it's about how nobody dies naturally, only by way of the Scythes. Now two newly appointed teen Scythes must begin their killing spree. 

 

5) Gone by Michael Grant (2008)

I rediscovered this series when googling for books that boys actually like to read. It's a little dated at this point, but I also think underrated. It's about kids in a town with a mysterious power plant, and one day all the adults disappear and the kids must fend for themselves while also figuring out what happened to their parents. It's on this list because a non-reader in my life loved it. It also has a male protagonist. 

Books that Make Us Better People

 

1) Facing the Enemy: How a Nazi Youth Camp in America Tested a Friendship by Barbara Krasner (2023)

Based on real life events, two best friends are torn apart by World War 2, but not in the way one would expect. One boy is sent to a Nazi youth camp for German-Americans where he learns that Jewish people like his best friend are the enemy. Grieved by the loss of his friend, Benjy forms his own anti-Nazi vigilante group. I found this book on GoodReads and it stood out as a title to add to this list because there are so many WW2 books, yet this one is telling a completely new side of the war. 

2) This Terrible True Thing by Jenny Laden (2023)

Also found on GoodReads and based on a true story, Jenny Laden uses poems, journal entries, and drawings to tell the story of her gay father's battle with AIDS during the 90's epidemic. It made it to this list because I think it's so important for historical fiction to also be about social issues beyond wars. It's also important that we continue to tell the story of those victims of AIDS, especially in a time when we have a lot of resources for HIV positive folks. 

3) Displacement by Kiku Hughes (2020)

Speaking of events that we should not forget to read about... when America put Japanese-Americans into internment camps after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. I found this title last week browsing the library for romance books and it's on this list because I think all high schoolers should be reading about the subject in conjunction with learning about the holocaust. (Shout out to Mr. Rojee from Medway High School for teaching us about this even though it wasn't on the curriculum and there were basically no books on the subject at the time). Kiku travels back in time to when her grandmother was imprisoned for being of Japanese descent. 

4) Almost American Girl by Robin Ha (2020)

This is a graphic memoir that tells the story of a young girl's immigration to the U.S. from Korea. It's a graphic novel because Ha's love of comics is what gets her out of the isolation she felt after moving to Alabama. I discovered this book browsing for something to read in the graphic novel section of my public library and have since been seeing it everywhere. It's on this list because of how important it is for students to gain empathy for immigrants right now. 

 

5) Americanized: Rebel Without a Green Card by Sara Saedi (2018)

Sara Saedi is an Iranian immigrant who wants to learn to drive, get a boyfriend, be acne-free, and then discovers that she also needs a green card after learning about her undocumented status. I wanted a memoir for this list because a lot of non-readers I know prefer non-fiction with conversational tones and modern day dilemmas. I discovered this book on GoodReads because of my interest in Almost American Girl.

Love is Between the Pages

 1) Rival Darling by Alexandra Moody (2024)

 

This book was found at my public library and it stood out because it is sports-related (of which I don't know anything about). I know there are a lot of young readers who like to read about athletes like themselves, which is why I added it. Otherwise, it's a classic romance. Violet begins dating Reed because he's her ex-boyfriend's biggest ice hockey rival. Reed now needs to prove to Violet that he's worth dating for real. It gets messy.

2) Pizza My Heart: A Wish Novel by Rhiannon Richardson (2022)

This is a middle grade book for younger readers as well as older ones who may not be allowed anything too steamy. I found it searching through the tween section of the public library and the title stuck out to me because it reminds me of a lot of cozy read titles. Maya moves to a new town when her parents open up another pizza restaurant where she is the delivery girl. She embarrasses herself in front of a cute boy who ends up being a student at her new school. It's a romance as well as navigating life at a new school. 

3) Summer of Salt by Katrina Leno (2018)

Georgina comes from a long line of witches, but has yet to have her own magic come in. This book is coming-of-age, magical realism, and queer teen romance. I found the title browsing my local library, specifically searching for Romantacy type of reads. It's on this list for the ways it weaves romance with other genre elements and I think students who are not really big on sexy books will enjoy reading it. 

4) The Encanto's Daughter by Melissa de la Cruz (2024)

I wanted a Romantacy book on this list and this one stuck out to me because it is inspired by Fillipino mythology, which is something I know nothing about. I found it on this website. It's about a girl who is half-human and half-encanto and has spent her life disguised in the real world, but now is called to the thrown of the Sirena Court when her father dies unexpectedly. She also meets a knight who she becomes infatuated with.

5) Turning Twelve by Kathryn Ormsbee and Molly Brooks (2024)

This is another middle grade book and also a graphic novel to add more variety to this list. I found it a few weeks ago when I was searching for graphic novels to read for this class. Katie is ready for middle school and all it has to offer, including a crush on Grace (although that is complicated in her religious community). It reminds me of Are you there, God? It's me Margaret.