Teens and Tweens Reads with Natasha

Summer is here and kids are out of school. Yay!!! So why not take the time to read some books? It is me again, Natasha the YA Librarian and I am here to recommend some good books and to remind you to sign up for our Summer Reading Program. This would be a great opportunity to use some of these titles to add to your reading log. (Hint-Hint!)

Teens 
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
This interesting novel presents a collaboration of fiction and photographs. In this story, a sixteen-year-old named Jacob comes across a remote island off the coast of Wales. He discovers a decaying building named Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. Jacob explores the home where children used to live, one of them being his own grandfather. This is an interesting book for those who enjoy mysteries, horror and paranormal activities. The photographs add an interesting take to this novel.

Just Write: Here's How! by Walter Dean Myers
This is a how-to-do guide for those teens who want to become writers. YA author, Walter Dean Myers, has put together this collection of valuable information and includes examples from his writing and reading experience. This book is inspiring and any young author would gain much needed information from a renowned author.

Beneath a Meth Moon by Jacqueline Woodson
This is an extraordinary book about a girl named, Laurel Daneau, who is trying to gain a new lease on life. It all starts when Laurel loses her mother and grandmother after Hurricane Katrina which causes her father, younger bother and herself to move to another state. She gains new friends and become a cheerleader for the school's basketball team. Still grieving the lost of her mother and grandmother, Laurel gets caught up with the wrong crowd through her boyfriend, T-Boom, the co-captain of the basketball team, who introduced her to meth. Soon she begins to alienate her friends and family and as her life drifts downward, Laurel finally realizes she needs to find some sobriety. With help from new friends, Laurel now is able to rewrite her story and move on from her addiction.


Tweens

Wonder by R.J. Palacio
Auggie Pullman has a rare disorder. His head is malformed and he has scars from corrective surgery. After being home schooled, his parents decided it was time for Auggie to go to private school.  Auggie wants to convince his classmates that he is just like them-normal. The books starts from Auggie's point of view and then switches to his sister, friends and others. This novel shows how a community deals with acceptance. Wonder is a very powerful book for tweens and  teens to read and it helps deal with the issue of bullying.

Explorer: The Mystery Boxes by Kazu Kibuishi 

This graphic novel has a collection of seven stories. Each story is about mysterious boxes. The stories may be short but they are well crafted. One of the stories in the book, Spring Cleaning, was illustrated by Raina Telgemeier. If you have read my book review from last month, then you would see my review of her book, Smile.