Acevedo's poetry is gorgeous while relaying the story of two girls who are sisters, but don't know about each other. Their father had two families, one in New York City and the other in the Dominican Republic. His plane crashes as he is going to the DR. This is a story of grief and finding strength.
Avery Grambs has a plan for a better future: survive high school, win a scholarship, and get out. But her fortunes change in an instant when billionaire Tobias Hawthorne dies and leaves Avery virtually his entire fortune. The catch? Avery has no idea why -- or even who Tobias Hawthorne is.
To receive her inheritance, Avery must move into sprawling, secret passage-filled Hawthorne House, where every room bears the old man's touch -- and his love of puzzles, riddles, and codes. Unfortunately for Avery, Hawthorne House is also occupied by the family that Tobias Hawthorne just dispossessed.
Perry Firekeeper-Birch was ready for her Summer of Slack but instead, after a fender bender that was entirely not her fault, she’s stuck working to pay back her Auntie Daunis for repairs to the Jeep.
Thankfully she has the other outcasts of the summer program, Team Misfit Toys, and even her twin sister Pauline. Together they ace obstacle courses, plan vigils for missing women in the community, and make sure summer doesn’t feel so lost after all.
But when she attends a meeting at a local university, Perry learns about the “Warrior Girl”, an ancestor whose bones and knife are stored in the museum archives, and everything changes. Perry has to return Warrior Girl to her tribe. Determined to help, she learns all she can about NAGPRA, the federal law that allows tribes to request the return of ancestral remains and sacred items. The university has been using legal loopholes to hold onto Warrior Girl and twelve other Anishinaabe ancestors’ remains, and Perry and the Misfits won’t let it go on any longer.
Using all of their skills and resources, the Misfits realize a heist is the only way to bring back the stolen artifacts and remains for good. But there is more to this repatriation than meets the eye as more women disappear and Pauline’s perfectionism takes a turn for the worse. As secrets and mysteries unfurl, Perry and the Misfits must fight to find a way to make things right – for the ancestors and for their community.
Sixteen-year-old Amal makes the decision to start wearing the hijab full-time and everyone has a reaction. Her parents, her teachers, her friends, people on the street. But she stands by her decision to embrace her faith and all that it is, even if it does make her a little different from everyone else.
Maggie knows something’s off about Val, her mom’s new husband. Val is from Oldworld, where they still use magic, and he won’t have any tech in his office-shed behind the house. But—more importantly—what are the huge, horrible, jagged, jumpy shadows following him around? This is so, so good!
Often laugh-out-loud funny, this book has some sports and a little romance but is mostly about a messed-up boy from a messed-up family. Felton is fast and big. He discovers that moving is the best way to make life seem okay, so he bikes and he runs. He's not counting on being recruited for football...
Greer Walsh has extremely large breasts which she hides in a giant sweatshirt. She hides behind her smart girl persona as well. When she is persuaded to try out for the volleyball team, and she meets a new boy, things get complicated. There's lots of great talk about body image in here and other large chested girls will find a hero in Greer. Anyone else will enjoy her character and think about the issues that she thinks about.
Marcelo is on the Autism spectrum and has attended a special school for his whole life. His father makes him spend one summer working at his law firm (the real world). Marcelo makes a difficult choice.
An alien invasion is beginning, but no one knows what the aliens look like. Plot twists galore. Great action, but great psychological drama, too! The stranger you see while you are trying to get food could be an alien, watch out!
Sue Hua just moved from racially diverse Seattle to a suburban white-bread town where she feels like the only Asian American for miles. Then she meets Andy, a handsome and passionate violin player who happens to be Asian American. Sue feels an instant attraction to Andy, and her white friends think they’re “made for each other”–after all, they both use chopsticks and eat a lot of rice, right? But there’s just one problem. Andy’s last name is Suzuki. And while that may mean nothing to the other students at Lakeview High, Sue knows that it presents a world of problems to her family.
Chase wakes up knowing nothing about himself. He doesn't remember falling off of the roof. He has to relearn who his mother is and everything else about his life. He's not able to play football for his middle school team because of the head injury he suffered in the fall. When he returns to school, it looks like a lot of the other kids give him a wide berth, except his football buddies. Chase has a chance to become a new person, which path will he choose- that of a self-centered bully or someone new?
Once Again, Earth is under attack. An alien species is poised for a front assault. The survival of humanity depends on a military genius who can defeat the aliens. But who? Ender Wiggin. Brilliant. Ruthless. Cunning. A tactical and strategic master. And a child. Recruited for military training by the world government, Ender's childhood ends the moment he enters his new home: Battle School. Among the elite recruits Ender proves himself to be a genius among geniuses. In simulated war games he excels. But is the pressure and loneliness taking its toll on Ender? Simulations are one thing. How will Ender perform in real combat conditions? After all, Battle School is just a game.
Amber Appleton lives in a bus. Ever since her mom's boyfriend kicked them out, Amber, her mom, and her dog have been camped out in the back of Hello Yellow (the school bus her mom drives). Still, Amber, the self-proclaimed princess of hope and girl of unyielding optimism, refuses to sweat the bad stuff. But when a fatal tragedy threatens Amber's optimism—and her way of life, can Amber continue to be the rock star of hope? With an oddball cast of characters, and a heartwarming, inspiring story, this novel unveils a beautifully beaten-up world of laughs, loyalty, and hard-earned hope.
Bri is the daughter of a rapper who was shot and killed in his prime, but she wants to be known for her own rapping abilities, not as her father's daughter. Tons of cultural and hip hop references make this a fun, but real book.
Ry gets stuck in the middle of Montana with no cell phone, no ride, no luggage, and only one shoe. His parents are in the Caribbean and his grandfather seems to be missing. I laughed out loud numerous times while reading this one. Great characters, even if they only are around for a cameo.
In New York in 2083, things are falling apart. Paper is hard to get. Caffeine and chocolate are illegal, but beer for minors is okay. (Why would you waste precious water making beer, anyway?). Anya Ballachine is the daughter of a criminal, he used to head a chocolate company before he was shot and killed, making Anya an orphan. Anya has got a lot on her hands. Her grandmother is dying, her older brother is simple-minded, her boyfriend is a jerk and she has to take care of her little sister. Good action. Good premise, but scary, because you could see how NYC could end up this way.
Spensa wants to fly more than anything, but her family has been shamed by her father's famous treason. The small remnant of humans that are trapped on their planet rely on their pilots to save them from the alien attackers that are constantly sniping at them. During a huge battle, Spensa's father supposedly ran away. Spensa does not believe it. How can she trust the Defense Force? But how can she not become a pilot?
Quinn Roberts is a sixteen year old who loves writing screenplays and making films with his sister. After his sister is killed in a car accident, he stops going to school and his mother stops going out of the house. This book begins when one of Quinn's friends insists he comes with him for an outing. I enjoyed the characters in the book. Quinn has a non-coming out as everyone he decides to tell already knew.
In the kingdom of Orleans, the people have been cursed with gray skin and hair like straw. They spend a lot of time and money becoming beautiful with the help of the Belles. We experience this world through the eyes of Camellia, one of the Belles. As well as having lots of intrigue and betrayals, this is a interesting metaphor for our world today. Who sets the standard for what is beautiful? Why do some people find it so important? Why do we spend so much time and money trying to become more beautiful?