Reading Suggestions
Need some help finding your next read? Let our staff help by using one of our materials selection services.
Youth Book Box
Birth - Grade 12. Subscribe for the library's version of a subscription box. Enjoy a book and other fun bookish treats each month. Return your box with the book each month for a new one.
Book Match Junior
Birth - Grade 12. Looking for something new to read? Let us suggest some great books for you!
Book Doctor
Sick child at home? Call the Youth Services Department. Tell us a few of their favorite things and we will gather a selection of items plus surprises to be picked up. So quick and easy they will feel better in no time.
Express Bag for Kids
Looking for a set of books related to a theme or school subject? Let our librarians put together an Express Bag for you to share with your young reader.
TEEN BOOK BOX
Grades 9 – 12. Subscribe for your own monthly Teen Book Box. Enjoy a new High School Fiction book and other special treats each month.
TEEN BOOK MATCH
Grades 9-12. Looking for something new to read? Let us suggest some great books for you!
Youth Staff Picks
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Spooked!
This book for young readers explores in riveting detail the false panic created by the famous War of the Worlds radio broadcast from 1938 -- as well as the repercussions of "fake news" today.
On the night of October 30, 1938, thousands of Americans panicked when they believed that Martians had invaded Earth. What appeared to be breaking news about an alien invasion was in fact a radio drama based on H. G. Wells's War of the Worlds, performed by Orson Welles and his Mercury Theatre players. Some listeners became angry once they realized they had been tricked, and the reaction to the broadcast sparked a national discussion about fake news, propaganda, and the role of radio. In this compelling nonfiction chapter book, Gail Jarrow explores the production of the broadcast, the aftermath, and the concept of fake news in the media.A 2019 Robert F. Sibert Informational Honor Book * A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year * A Booklist Editors' Choice * A Washington Post Best Children's Book * A BCCB Blue Ribbon * A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books
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Written in Bone
Anthropology scientists take readers through the process of investigating human remains found at colonial-era sites to reveal causes of death, match remains with the names on the historical records, and determine the skeletons' gender, age at death, nationality, and even economic standing.
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Before the Ever After
For as long as ZJ can remember, his dad has been everyone's hero. As a charming, talented pro football star, he's as beloved to the neighborhood kids he plays with as he is to his millions of adoring sports fans. But lately life at ZJ's house is anything but charming. His dad is having trouble remembering things and seems to be angry all the time. ZJ's mom explains it's because of all the head injuries his dad sustained during his career. ZJ can understand that--but it doesn't make the sting any less real when his own father forgets his name. As ZJ contemplates his new reality, he has to figure out how to hold on tight to family traditions and recollections of the glory days, all the while wondering what their past amounts to if his father can't remember it. And most importantly, can those happy feelings ever be reclaimed when they are all so busy aching for the past?
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Show Me a Sign
Winner of the 2021 Schneider Family Book Award ∙NPR Best Books of 2020 ∙Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2020 ∙School Library Journal Best Books of 2020 ∙New York Public Library Best Books of 2020 ∙Chicago Public Library Best Books of 2020 ∙2020 Jane Addams Children's Book Award Finalist ∙2020 New England Independent Booksellers Award Finalist
* A must-read. -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review
More than just a page-turner. Well researched and spare... sensitive... relevant. -- Newbery Medalist, Meg Medina for the New York Times
A triumph. -- Brian Selznick, creator of Wonderstruck and the Caldecott Award winner, The Invention of Hugo Cabret
* Will enthrall readers, but her internal journey...profound. -- The Horn Book, starred review
* Expertly crafted...exceptionally written. -- School Library Journal, starred review
* Engrossing. -- Publishers Weekly, starred review
This book blew me away. -- Alex Gino, Stonewall Award-winning author of George
Spend time in Mary's world. You'll be better for it. -- Erin Entrada Kelly, author of the Newbery Award Winner, Hello, Universe
Deaf author Ann Clare LeZotte weaves a riveting Own Voices story inspired by the true history of a thriving deaf community on Martha's Vineyard in the early 19th century. This piercing exploration of ableism, racism, and colonialism answers the call to dig deep, examine core beliefs, and question what is considered normal.
Mary Lambert has always felt safe and protected on her beloved island of Martha's Vineyard. Her great-great-grandfather was an early English settler and the first deaf islander. Now, over a hundred years later, many people there -- including Mary -- are deaf, and nearly everyone can communicate in sign language. Mary has never felt isolated. She is proud of her lineage.
But recent events have delivered winds of change. Mary's brother died, leaving her family shattered. Tensions over land disputes are mounting between English settlers and the Wampanoag people. And a cunning young scientist has arrived, hoping to discover the origin of the island's prevalent deafness. His maniacal drive to find answers soon renders Mary a live specimen in a cruel experiment. Her struggle to save herself is at the core of this penetrating and poignant novel that probes our perceptions of ability and disability.
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Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos
Theodosia Throckmorton has her hands full at the Museum of Legends and Antiquities in London. Her father may be head curator, but it is Theo--and only Theo--who is able to see all the black magic and ancient curses that still cling to the artifacts in the museum. When Theo's mother returns from her latest archaeological dig bearing the Heart of Egypt--a legendary amulet belonging to an ancient tomb--Theo learns that it comes inscribed with a curse so black and vile that it threatens to crumble the British Empire from within and start a war too terrible to imagine. Intent on returning the malevolent artifact to its rightful place, Theo devises a daring plan to put things right. But even with the help of her younger brother, a wily street urchin, and the secret society known as the Brotherhood of the Chosen Keepers, it won't be easy . . . she quickly finds herself pursued down dark alleys, across an ocean, through the bustling crowds of Cairo, and straight into the heart of an ancient mystery. Theo will have to call upon everything she's ever learned in order to prevent the rising chaos from destroying her country--and herself! AUTHOR R L La Fevers is the author of Nathanial Fludd http://www.rllafevers.com AGES 8-12 years
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Séance Tea Party
Lora wants to stay a kid forever, and she'll do anything to make that happen . . . including befriending Alexa, the ghost who haunts her house. A middle-grade graphic novel about growing up that's perfect for fans of Ghosts and Making Friends.
Growing up sounds terrible.
No one has time to do anything fun, or play outside, or use their imagination. Everything is suddenly so serious. People are more interested in their looks and what others think about them than having fun adventures. Who wants that?
Not Lora.
After watching her circle of friends seemingly fade away, Lora is determined to still have fun on her own. A tea party with a twist leaves Lora to re-discovering Alexa, the ghost that haunts her house -- and Lora's old imaginary friend! Lora and Alexa are thrilled to meet kindred spirits and they become best friends . . . but unfortunately, not everything can last forever.
Reimena Yee brings to life a story about growing up, childhood, and what it means to let go. A fantastical story following lovable characters as they each realize what it means to be who you are.
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Yorick and Bones
Hear ye, hear ye! Father-daughter duo Jeremy and Hermione Tankard are pleased to introduce the first book in a rib-tickling, heartfelt full-color graphic novel series perfect for fans of Bird & Squirrel!
Yorick is a skeleton who was just dug up after a few hundred years of sleep. He speaks like it too. "Forsooth, my joy, I barely can contain!"
Bones is the hungry dog who did the digging. Though he cannot speak, he can chomp.
What will become of these two unlikely companions? Will Yorick ever find the friend he seeks? Will Bones ever find a tasty treat that does not talk back?
The course of true friendship never did run smooth.
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Speechless
How do you give a eulogy when you can't think of one good thing to say? A poignant, funny, and candid look at grief, family secrets, difficult people, and learning to look behind the facade.
As if being stuffed into last year's dress pants at his cousin's wake weren't uncomfortable enough, thirteen-year-old Jimmy has just learned from his mother that he has to say a few words at the funeral the next day. Why him? What could he possibly say about his cousin, who ruined everything they did? He can't recall one birthday party, family gathering, or school event with Patrick that didn't result in injury or destruction. As Jimmy attempts to navigate the odd social norms of the wake, he draws on humor, heartfelt concern, and a good deal of angst while racking his brain and his memory for a decent and meaningful memory to share. But it's not until faced with a microphone that the realization finally hits him: it's not the words that are spoken that matter the most, but those that are truly heard. -
Can Bears Ski?
Is Little Bear ignoring his friends when they say hi, or is something else going on? A discovery opens new doors in a tale that will delight kids with deafness and all children learning to navigate their world.
Little Bear feels the world around him. He feels his bed rumble when Dad Bear wakes him up in the morning. He feels the floor shake when his teacher stomps to get his attention. But something else is missing, like when his friends tell jokes that he isn't sure he understands, or when all around him Little Bear hears the question, "Can bears ski?" Then, one day, Dad Bear takes him to see an "aud-i-olo-gist," and Little Bear learns that he has been experiencing deafness and will start wearing hearing aids. Soon he figures out what that puzzling refrain is: "Can you hear me?" Little Bear's new world is LOUD and will take some getting used to, but with the love and support of Dad Bear, he will find his way. In this lyrical picture book, award-winning creators Raymond Antrobus and Polly Dunbar draw on their own experiences to tell Bear's story.
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Old Rock (Is Not Boring)
Quirky charm infuses this tale of Old Rock's life story, which is much more exciting than you'd expect.
Old Rock has been sitting in the same spot in the pine forest for as long as anyone can remember. Spotted Beetle, Tall Pine, and Hummingbird think just sitting there must be boring, but they are in for a wonderful surprise.
Fabulous tales of adventurous travel, exotic scenery, entertaining neighbors, and more from Old Rock's life prove it has been anything but boring.
Great storytellers come in all shapes, sizes, and ages, and Old Rock's stories are sure to inspire questions that lead to wonderful conversations about the past and the natural world.