Story Tags

The Serpent King

Northern Virginia Teen Book Festival Authors

Journey with these characters before you journey to NoVa

The Northern Virginia (NoVa) Teen Book Festival is on Saturday, March 30th at the George C. Marshall High School in Falls Church, VA. You can take the metro to the school or drive to it. It's a fun free event, and I'm going to tell you a little bit about some of the books by the festival's featured authors. 

Backstagers

Hidden Worlds

Beyond the thin veil separating our reality from all that is or could be exist other worlds. Worlds that are connected to us and affect our lives. The following books depict other worlds or realities, and the people of our world that find themselves part of them.

All Summer Long by Hope Larson

Feels Like Summer

YA and Children's fiction with summer vibes for all ages

Summertime, and the livin’ is easy… The weather is starting to warm up, but it’s not quite summer yet. If you’re yearning for those hot-hot days and warm nights around the campfire, visit June, July and August through these stories. These YA and juvenile reads are great for their target audience -- and adults too!

Four African American 19th Century

The Females of February

Black History Month: Good Reads for Teens

February is here and before it flies by, take some time to intentionally open up a book by a black female author. Let this month be your reason to celebrate the countless narratives of African American women. Here are a variety of beautiful stories all written by black women.  

Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal

How to Read Like a Librarian

Peek at our staff's reading list

There are a lot of librarian stereotypes out there: we’re all women (false), we’re all either uptight and impersonal or coding nerds with tattoos (false), we like to shush people (false), and we have either read everything in the library or we only read books you’d find on lists of importance (definitely false and false).

The Parker Inheritance

You've Got a Friend in Me

Books about friendship for kids and teens

Younger kids (Pre-k through 2nd grade) Hooray for Hat by Brian Won Elephant is in a terrible mood, but surprising generosity from a mysterious benefactor cheers him up so much that he decides to help his friends get out of their gloominess. An excellent opportunity to discuss supporting friends and shaking off sadness.

Loneliest Girl in the Universe cover

What's Out There?

"The stars are like the trees in the forest, alive and breathing. And they're watching me.” -Haruki Murakami, Kafka on the Shore

The wide vacuum of space: black, never-ending, mysterious and beautiful. Haven’t you ever wondered what could be lurking among the stars? These YA novelists have a few ideas, and not all of them involve peaceful alien alliances or inter-dimensional romance.   The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James

Book Club Tea and Jane Austen Action Figure

The Pride and Prejudice Book Club: Truths Universally Acknowledged

Over 200 years old, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is one of the most beloved novels in the English language. The first line of the novel, "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife," sets up our expectations and the plot immediately, and we know that there will be some single, well-off men who will fall in love. Or marry, at the least.

"Winter" by Melissa Meyer

I Feel Crazy

Mental Illness in YA

Mental illness can be hard to read about, but there are some great young adult books on the subject. This list comprises a few stellar reads with main characters who deal with mental illness, while embarking on their other adventures.   

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Twice upon a Time...

Young Adult Fantasy Series

As the colder months approach, you'll want plenty of good books to keep you busy indoors. Why not dive into a new series? And, while you're at it, why not try some fantasy to escape the doldrums of the dark reality of winter? Below, find the books that kick off seven great young adult fantasy series. Some series are complete while others are still in the works, so take your pick and, like a drifting snowflake, get carried away by these immersive stories of the fantastic.

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