Story Tags

Is This Really Controversial?

Books about teens that have been challenged by parents, schools or libraries.

Banned Books Week is a very popular time for readers everywhere.

What pairs well with pumpkin spice lattes? Spooky reads to get you in the mood for Halloween, of course! From slightly scary to totally terrifying, these recent titles should prove just as hair-raising as any old Stephen King or Lovecraft story, and earn their place amongst those hallowed masters of the macabre. Are You Sleeping by Kathleen Barber

DC's Wild, Wondrous Heart

Ecological, Historical & Poetic Explorations of Rock Creek Park

When many people think of our nation's capital, they focus on its political life. Yet residents here know our city environment encompasses much more than federal politics. At its heart lies my favorite area, Rock Creek Park. Over double the size of Central Park, it includes forests, streams, hills, fields, recreational and historical sites. Here residents and tourists can escape from urban stress, slow down, engage in recreation, and commune with nature.

Summertime Fun: Bottled and Brewed

The Washington, D.C. area is home to a number of vineyards and breweries. If you'd like to be more knowledgeable about your next glass, check out these titles. The Nation's Capital Brewmaster by Mark Elliot Benbow

Novel to Screen: Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

Staff Recommendation

When Rachel Chu goes to Singapore for the summer, her boyfriend Nick doesn't tell her a few important details about himself. Find out what happens next in the best selling novel, Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan. The novel is the basis for the movie by the same name.

Take to the Seas!

Nautical Novels & Nonfiction

They say that the sea is a cruel mistress, harsh and fickle. But she is also alluring, holding a beautiful, spellbinding power over many of us that can define entire lives, communities and even empires. Whether you like to keep a respectful distance from the shore or dive headfirst under the waves, it’s hard to deny the power of a good sea song. Below are a few titles that capture the mystery, danger, and grandeur of the ocean, from heart-wrenching to historical, fact to fantasy.

Books In Verse

YA Titles With Impact Using Fewer Words

Using different styles of writing can be a great tool for authors who want to mix up the young adult reading scene. In the titles below, each author uses the in verse writing style that delivers less words to arrive at deep emotion, character flaws and pivotal plot points. A reader could interpret this writing style as similar to poetry or symbolic to user interpretation. Do you agree?

Supernatural Short Stories

Collections featuring the unexplained and unexplainable

I love novels, but a great short story can be so satisfying. Sometimes you want to read something quick; but fast-to-read doesn't necessarily mean that that work will be any less profound or compelling than something that takes much longer to read. This is a list of short stories—some all by one author and some by many authors grouped by theme—with fantastical elements.

Sinister Summer

Beach Books with a Terrifying Twist

Do you like your frolicking to be a little frightful? Your picnics with a dose of panic? Your travels to have a touch of terror? Then fear no more, because here is a list of books for the reader who likes their summer scary—on the page, at least. Whether it’s something from the Master of Horror or an '80s exorcism throwback or a true crime account whose culprit just made headlines, each of these titles is sure to give you a chill on all those hot, muggy days we have ahead of us; happy Summer Challenge!

Worlds Where Senses Mix, Part Two

Explorations of Synesthesia in Adult and Teen Fiction

The last few decades have seen a resurgence of interest in synesthesia, the neurological condition in which a stimulus of one sense involuntarily evokes another sense (such as hearing colors or tasting words). Not only has synesthesia become a well-developed area of research within neuroscience, but many new works of literature, along with new attention on certain older works, have broadened awareness of this fascinating phenomenon.