Our teen book spotlight this week is all about Possibilities from the Past!!! We are exploring books that deal with past events, individuals, or time periods--through both fiction and nonfiction--as there is so much we can learn. We can learn how we are still being impacted from things already done, what choices not to make, or to open our eyes to some amazing individuals who have made a difference without us even knowing and we should know. Books have the ability to do that--to let us learn about our possibilities from the past. These books and more can be found by searching the catalog using the search tags #yahistoricalfiction and #amazingyanonfiction as well as on Libby and Hoopla.
The 2022 Summer Reading Program Oceans of Possibilities is taking place from June 4th-August 10th with a new theme and badge activities every week. Make sure to watch the Teen Book Spotlight book talk video for this week as it counts towards your badge activities for the week; if you read one of the titles featured or on the tagged list, that counts as another activity as well!!! Earn the weekly themed badges to get your virtual tickets which can be turned into opportunities to win prizes! For more information--such as to sign up or to sign in to your account in order to track your books and activities--visit our Summer Reading page and click “LOG IN NOW”.
Check back next week for a new teen book spotlight and if you have any book suggestions, please let us know!!
The Light in Hidden Places by Sharon Cameron--When her Jewish grocery store employers, the Diamants are arrested in 1943 and sent to the ghetto, sixteen-year-old Stefania Podgorska is left to care for her younger sister Helena on her own. Max, one of the Diamants' sons, shows up at her apartment, and she decides to hide him and eventually twelve other Jews. Further complicating matters, two Nazi officers commandeer her home for their headquarters and Stefania and Helena walk a fine line between getting caught and keeping those in her attic safe.
Boots on the Ground by Elizabeth Partridge--Presents stories from eight individuals who were on the ground during the Vietnam War. Offers personal narratives and over 100 photographs that capture the intensity of the fighting, and the lasting impact of the horrors of a war that killed over 58,000 Americans.
Sabotage by Neil Bascomb--In 1939, a Norsk Hydro plant in Vemork was the world's sole producer of “heavy water,” the key ingredient in developing a nuclear fission bomb. The Nazis invaded the country, and quickly took over Vemork to start making Hitler's very own nuclear bomb. It could have ended the war, but the Allies discovered the plan. After a group of British operatives failed to take down the industrial fortress, the task fell to a band of young Norwegian commandos, armed only with skis and explosives. With great courage, they pulled off probably the greatest act of sabotage of World War II.
Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys--Daughter of a brothel prostitute, all 17-year-old Josie Maraine wants is to escape the Big Easy. Caught between her dream of leaving Conti Street for an elite college and the clandestine underworld of New Orleans, Josie is tangled in a police investigation of a mysterious death in the French Quarter. With so many secrets and lies complicating her life, can she trust her best friend, Patrick? Can she abandon her mother?
March: Book One by John Lewis--Presents a graphic telling of the true story of Congressman John Lewis, who was a founder of the Nashville Student Movement and participated in the 1960s Civil Rights Movement in such actions as the March on Washington.
Black Birds in the Sky by Brandy Colbert--Chronicles the history of the Tulsa Race Massacre, which took place in Tulsa, Oklahoma on June 1, 1921 when a white mob entered the predominantly black neighborhood of Greenwood and destroyed thirty-five blocks of houses and businesses with fire and explosives. Describes what led up to the event, the resurgence in white supremacy groups, the pervasive jealousy of black prosperity, and the devastating aftermath for the black community. Explains why so little is known about it, and how it fits into the larger struggle for civil rights and equality for black Americans.