Our teen book spotlight this week is focused on books that are award winners!!! A few weeks ago, the ALA Youth Media Awards were held which is basically the Oscars for books! Held every year at the end of January, books win a variety of awards that range from the best book of the year to the best debut novel by a debut author; there is even an award given to the best audiobook. We are taking a look at some of the 2022 winners from a variety of awards. We have realistic fiction all the way to fantasy and nonfiction. Reading award winners gives you an opportunity to read an amazing story that may be outside of your comfort zone, but you know you are in for one of the best. These books and more can be found by searching the catalog using the search tag #yaawardwinner (there are also tags available for each specific award; take a look for them at the bottom of the detailed record of each title or just ask for assistance at your library) 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!!
From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry by Paula Yoo--Chronicles the events leading up to and following the murder of Chinese American Vincent Chin in 1982 which sparked the Asian American movement and led to the United States' first federal civil rights trial in connection with an Asian American citizen. Examines the cultural context of the event, the act itself, the trials, and its legacy, and discusses how xenophobia and anti-Asian discrimination and violence have affected the lives of Asian Americans throughout history. Includes black-and-white photographs and a timeline.
In the Shadow of the Fallen Towers by Don Brown--This graphic novel recounts the events that followed the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, describing the personal stories of those who survived, were rescued, and died saving lives. Recounts the Herculean efforts of the clean-up crew, the resulting wars and capture of enemy combatants, and reverberating anti-Muslim sentiments in the United States.
Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley--Half Anishinaabe and half white, eighteen-year-old Daunis Fontaine puts her plans for medical school on hold after her uncle overdoses on meth and her grandmother has a stroke. Sticking around her Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan, home, Daunis is dealt further tragedy when she witnesses her best friend's murder by her meth-addicted boyfriend. Using her knowledge of chemistry, and fueled by rage against what's happening to those on the reservation, Daunis begins an investigation into the components of a deadly circulating form of the drug, who's dealing it, and how she can protect those in her community from it.
Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet by Laekan Zea Kemp--Penelope Prado is supposed to be taking classes to become a nurse, but she secretly longs to open a bakery and eventually take over her father's popular Austin-based Tex-Mex restaurant, Nacho's Tacos. When she finally confides to her parents that she's been skipping classes, they fire her from the restaurant and issue an ultimatum: go back to school or leave home. On her last day of work, she meets new employee Xander Amaro, who is in the United States searching for his father and the pair develop a connection. As an undocumented citizen, Xander fears for his safety, but slowly builds a sense of normalcy the longer he works for Penelope's father and builds ties with his grandmother. Penelope is uncertain about what she should do with her future, while navigating her new relationship with Xander and daring to fulfill her passions in the culinary arts.
Crossing the Line by Kareem Rosser--Memoir of the author's experiences growing up in a violent neighborhood with a mother addicted to drugs. Discusses his chance encounter with his brothers' discovery of a nearby horse stable and his escape into the world of riding, and later, the sport of polo. Recounts how he earned a spot on a college team and led them to a national title, all while dealing with personal struggles, such as keeping his brothers out of jail and the murder of his best friend.
Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo--Seventeen-year-old Lily Hu is living in Chinatown, in 1950s era San Francisco when she meets and befriends her first white friend, Kathleen Miller through a mutual interest in aerospace. When the pair express their desire to see a performer at a well-known lesbian bar, they sneak out and it's there that they explore their sexuality and begin a relationship with each other in secret. However, with Lily's conservative Chinese family at her heels and McCarthyism threatening her family, Lily will need to make tough choices about her relationship with Kathy and who she wants to be.