Violet has a great family, she is smart and funny and the only one in her family with brown eyes and brown skin.  Her mom is white and blond and so is her half sister.  Her dad, who died before she was born, was black. She’s really tired of people asking if she is adopted.
Attending a mostly white school, Violet feels disconnected from her black side.  Taking matters into her own hands, she looks up her paternal grandmother online and finds that she has an art opening and reception in a nearby city.  So begins a relationship that reclaims her dad’s side of the family.  Visiting grandmother Roxanne in a mostly black neighborhood of Los Angeles and meeting relatives she had never heard of, Violet feels at home and validated.  She discovers her roots and celebrates all the parts of herself. A heart warming story about family and identity.

Tessa's picks
3rd-6th
Character driven, contemporary fiction, family life, people of color

  Do you watch Chopped, Iron Chief, or Next Top Chef?
If you like to cook, this book is for you!  How would you like to be a contestant on a reality television teen cooking competition?  Leaving her humble hometown where she chefs at her father’s barbecue restaurant, Nora is out her comfort zone in the high tech kitchens in front of the TV camera.  The other contestants range from nice to nasty but would one of them sabotage the others in order to win the coveted prize of attending culinary school in Paris?

Nora must avoid  the mysterious “accidents” that have begun to plague Kitchen arena as well as negotiate her love/hate relationship with contestant Christian Van Lorton, son of a famous chef.  As eliminations due to the accidents escalate, Nora must catch the perpetrator before she is chopped for good!

Tessa’s Pick
5th-7th
Contemporary fiction, romance

Lucas and Tessa=best friends.  Since they could walk. When Lucas realizes that he has other feelings for Tessa, he asks her to prom in an endearing and very public way.  He is humiliated when she turns him down.  Why?

When she confesses that she likes girls, Lucas is hurt and mad.  Didn’t she trust him enough to tell him that she was gay?  Why did she keep it a secret from her best friend.  Hurt feelings lead to some bad decisions and soon the whole town is against Tessa.  Not only do they treat her badly, they are boycotting her parent’s grocery store.

The school is thinking of cancelling prom and everyone is mad at Tessa.

Can Lucas help to make things right? Will Tessa go to prom?

Tessa's picks
6th-8th
Contemporary fiction, character driven, friendship, LGBTQ

Jane has been biding her time at Life House where she is being treated for attempted suicide.

She has a Plan.  She has followed all the rules and convinced the doctors that she is well on the way to recovery.  On the plane ride home to New Jersey for Christmas, she will overdose on pills and join her father who killed himself on that holiday four years ago.  Instead the plane crashed and she comes to on a mountain top in a blizzard.

There is one other survivor—Alex.  He is brave and funny and ready to jump into the challenge of getting off the mountain alive.  No small feat.  The harrowing details of their journey will have you on the edge of your seat waving away any who would distract you.  Along the way, Jane also journeys away from the brink of suicide.  As she partners with Alex she finds the strength and courage to overcome frightening obstacles physical, emotional and mental.

She must fight the wilderness for the future she suddenly wants.

Tessa's Picks
7th-8th
contempoary fiction, fast paced, issues fiction, survival

Early, her brother Jubi, mother Summer and father Dash are thin on money but fat on love. Language, poetry and rhythm are an essential part of the Pearl family’s life. You just love being in their home feeling the joy that take in each other and in learning and having fun. When Early’s father, who works as a page in a Chicago Library, gets drawn into a diamond theft he disappears leaving the family in dire straits.   They wind up homeless in the city’s shelter system and you feel like you are there with them experiencing the frustrations, sorrows and boredom.  Summer seems to give up hope and it is up to Early to solve the mystery of Dash’s disappearance and prove his innocence.  Here is a heroine to love. She is smart and feisty and absolutely driven to bring her family back together.

I did not like how the author portrayed all the women in the shelter hitting their kids.  I do not think this is accurate and stereotyping in this way is doing a disservice to you the reader.  Be aware.

Tessa's Picks
4th - 6th Grade
Tags: Character Driven, Contemporary fiction, issues fiction, people of color,

Joey can understand some people with ease. Her mother's words are always clear to her.  Sometimes it even seems as if they can read each other's minds. Other people, like her step father, she can't understand at all: it's very hard to lip-read through facial hair. Joey wants to learn sign language to express herself, but her mother refuses to let her. Then one day, as Joey is gathering mushrooms, she runs into an old man. At first he yells at her for trespassing, but when he realizes that she can't hear his shouts he calms down and introduces her to a new friend. Sukari knows more signs than Joey does and they get along well. Sukari likes raisins and tickles but hates dogs and time-out. Sukari is playful and mischievous, but what else would you expect from a chimpanzee?

I have a special place in my heart for the great apes so I naturally loved Sukari!  The exploration of American Sign Language is interesting as well.  Several communication styles are used, but they are clearly differentiated with bold italics for written notes and all caps for sign language. If you love apes or if you’re just looking for a great realistic story about a teen finding her place in the world, this is the book for you!

Hurt Go Happy by Ginny Rorby 

Erica's Picks
5th - 8th Grade
Tags: Animals, Character Driven, Contemporary Fiction, Family Life

Cinder can't believe her luck--the crowned prince at her stall seeking her mechanical expertise! It's the kind of encounter every girl in New Beijing dreams of. And he chose to come on the day she was missing a foot! Not that a prince would ever date a cyborg. Still, the way he looked at her with those gorgeous eyes has helped her to understand her sisters' obsession. They have bigger problems to occupy their minds, though. The city is ravaged by a mysterious plague that the King has contracted and cyborgs are being drafted for fatal testing to find a cure. In the midst of the outbreak, the mysterious Lunar Queen is threatening war unless her demands are met. Cinder is poised to lose everyone she has ever trusted--including herself.

I'm a sucker for fairy tales retold and this is a particularly good one. It has familiar elements to serve as friendly signposts, but it didn't follow the story too closely. I love the theme of cyborg rights and what it means to be human. Cinder is a strong heroine and a skilled mechanic. Prince Kai goes beyond the bland prince charmings completely lacking personality so common in fairy tales. I'd recommend this to fans of fairy-tales retold or science fiction.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Grades 6th - 8th
Tags: Dystopian, Fairy Tales, Retellings, Romance, Science Fiction

After their parents disappearance, Sabrina and Daphne go to live with their grandmother.  She tells them the truth about their family's history: that the girls are the great, great (etc.) grandchildren of the Brothers Grimm and the fairy tale characters (or ‘everafters’) that they wrote about are alive and well and living in Ferryport landing.  It has long been their family's job to keep peace in the town and solve any mysteries that crop up.  Now it's Sabrina and Daphne's turn to take over as the Fairy Tale Detectives.

It is fun to see well-known characters re-imagined in a modern setting. My favorite one is the trickster Puck who plays a big role in the series.  These books are fast-paced, funny, and enjoyable.  They’re great for students just graduating to regular chapter books. 

The Fairy Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley

Erica's Picks
2nd - 4th Grade
Tags: Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Fast-Paced, Humor, Mystery, Retellings

One island with two kingdoms engaged in a long and bloody war. Princess Nakaba is from Senan in the North while Prince Caesar is from Belquat in the South. Their marriage finally brings peace to the land, but Princess Nakaba knows better than to think it will last. Now she's a hostage in enemy territory with only her faithful Ajin servant beside her. She expects to wake up with a dagger at her throat every day, and she is prepared to fight to save herself and her kingdom. But she isn't prepared for the kindness Caesar shows her, or the mystical powers she develops. Now her heart is being torn in two. How can she do what is right when everything is so wrong? Will she remain true to herself--even if it means betraying others?

There's a lot of great themes in this series that take it beyond the usual shojo manga fare. Princess Nakaba is a fierce and unique protagonist. There's an overarching theme of discrimination with the Ajin (part human and part animal who are treated as servants and feared and hated by many.) The world-building grows more complex and interesting with each installment and the political intrigue keeps the plot moving. The artwork is exquisite with wonderfully expressive faces and gorgeous costumes. I'd give this to anyone looking for a fantasy comic that is character and relationship driven. 

Dawn of the Arcana by Rei Toma

Erica's Picks:
6th - 8th Grade
Tags: Character Driven, Comics, Fantasy, Romance

Reese was waiting in the airport when it began. First, she noticed birds plummeting out of the sky and splattering on the tarmac below. Then the news reports came in: bird strikes causing plane crashes all over the continent. She was suddenly glad that her flight was delayed. But with all the planes grounded while the crashes are investigated, Reese has to find another way home, through now-panicked towns and across the desert. It's a trip that would change her forever--and she can't even remember what happened.

Malinda Lo is a local author and the novel has a distinct San Francisco flare. I found the premise interesting, and I love how the voice of every character was really allowed to shine.  I'd give this to fans of science fiction who appreciate both action and character development. Fans of conspiracy theories and aliens will enjoy this novel in particular. 

Adaptation by Malinda Lo

Erica's Picks
8th Grade
Tags: LGBTQ, People of Color, Romance, Science Fiction, Survival