Story Tags

Read Feed

Bored with your reading options? Feel like you've read all there is to read of a particular subject? DC Public Library is here to help. Click here to find personalized recommendations and online book clubs, or scroll down for staff-curated readings lists.

Art All Nigt Logo

Art All Night

Made in D.C.

Join us as local businesses and public spaces along Wisconsin Avenue transform into pop-up galleries and performance stages for an evening of art in all its forms. Tenleytown’s artistic future is on display at the library as some of tomorrow’s brightest artists and performers from local schools showcase their paintings, sculpture, and ceramics. The award-winning Wilson High School poetry club hosts an invitational poetry slam.

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

Historical or Nostalgic Fiction?

Recent Fiction set in 1980s and 1990s

Historical fiction is often defined as a novel that takes place in the past. But in 2017, can a novel set in 1996 or even 2000 be considered historical? Rather: if the writer and/or reader vividly remembers a time only 15-20 years in the past, reliving that past veers into nostalgia rather than history. Then again, what if the novel is for a YA crowd who never experienced the 80s or 90s? When does it become historical? These novels all take place between 1980 and 2001 and were written by authors looking back.

Proof of Forever by Lexa Hillyer

Young Adult Books Set At Summer Camp

Summer is winding down, which means it's almost time for everyone to go back to school, and vacation season is wrapping up. As fall arrives, some bibliophiles may cling to books set in summer as a reminder of the season of cookouts and beach days. When I was a child, I was fortunate enough to attend summer camp for numerous summers of my life. While these camps may have only lasted two weeks, I'd learn skills related to music and writing, and leave with friendships I still hold onto today.

Emma Vol 5 cover

Emma by Kaoru Mori

Staff Recommendation

In late Victorian London, William Jones goes to visit his retired governess Mrs. Stowner. He hasn't seen her in several years. During his visit, William notices Emma, Mrs. Stowner's young maid. Their meeting is the beginning of a romance in the manga series Emma by Kaoru Mori, English translation by Sheldon Drzka.

Mexican Whiteboy

Teens and the Cultural Experience

An exploration of culture, race, and injustice

Young Adult fiction often proves itself to be well versed in conveying numerous subject matter with broad appeal. Realistic-fiction with an emphasis on the cultural experience is a personal favorite of mine because stories can allow readers to enjoy a shared moment between themselves and the outlined characters on the page. The following titles emphasize teens and the cultural nuances which shape their environment and those who occupy or influence it.  

Took

A Catalog of Disturbing Dolls

In case you needed more nightmares.

Glass eyes, rag dresses, and yarn curls. There's nothing like a haunted doll to make even the bravest readers shiver. Forget that old Stephen King X-Files episode and read on for some thrilling tales that will leave you frightened, but not in pieces.Older Children Grades 3-6Doll Bones by Holly Black

With Malice by Eileen Cook

YA Around the World

A List of Young Adult Novels Set Around the World

There a lot of amazing young adult books that are set right here in America.  While these books can serve as mirrors for some teens by representing characters and settings to which they can relate, books that act as windows into the lives of other teenagers and cultures are also important.  Plus, for those who are unable to travel foreign countries, sometimes being able to read about them can be one of the next best things.  Below is a list of seven different young adult novels set around the world.

When the Moon Was Ours, by Anna Marie McLemore

Teens: Check Out LGBTQ YA at the Library!

Looking for a book to read this Pride Month? Check out these LGBTQ YA novels, new and old!

Wonders of the Invisible World

Supernatural Teens

Books about young people and their amazing abilities

If you consider yourself a literary fan of heavy suspense, dark undertones, and fast moving storytelling, paranormal fiction just might be a sub-genre worth investigating. These are the books that typically grab my attention and maintain interest all throughout hundreds of pages from beginning to end. If you're searching for books that provide a thrill, browse the recommendations below to see what jumps out at you!

Pages