“The heavy blade hung high above the prisoners, glinting against the stars, and then the Razor came down, a wedge of falling darkness cutting through the torchlight. One solid thump, and four more heads had been shaved from their bodies.” In a post-technological age where the past is all but forgotten, a rebellion is stirring. The nobility are being captured and executed. Their only hope is the mysterious red rook who keeps sneaking into prisons and freeing people, leaving a red-tipped feather behind. 

I adored this re-imagining of The Scarlet Pimpernel! The dystopian setting provides a perfect background and gender-swapping the main character creates a more modern feeling. There's the perfect mix of action, world-building, and romance. 

Rook by Sharon Cameron

Erica's Picks
8th & up
Tags: adventure, crime caper. dystopian, fast-paced, retellings, romance, science fiction

 One day Samantha had a happy, stable life running a dry goods store with her father and dreaming of moving to New York to play violin. The next her father and her home are lost in a fire, and when their land lord tries to take advantage of her, she kills him in self defense. Of course, no jury is going to side with a Chinese girl who killed a White man, so she's forced to flee or face the noose. Together with a runaway slave, Annamae, Samantha sets her sights on the freedom of the west. Traveling as two girls wouldn't be safe, so they disguise themselves as Sammy and Andy. The trail holds more surprises than they anticipated, including two cowboys they team up with for safety. But will the four of them be able to make it out West, and what will happen if the boys discover their secret?

I confess that I love a good Western and it was nice to find one with POC leads There's all the excitement you'd expect to find on the trail as well as interesting commentary about the times that you wouldn't find in a white-washed western.

Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee

Erica's Picks
7th & up
​Tags: adventure, historical fiction, people of color, romance

Elise's sophomore year of high school is not going as planned. Over the summer she dedicated herself to becoming popular. She studied popularity and all the latest trends like she would prepare for a final, but when school starts she fails so badly that her social standing drops even lower. She comforts herself by sneaking out of the house for late-night walks. When she stumbles on a secret, under-ground dance club she discovers a group of people who actually like her and a way to get out of her head and enjoy herself. Even more importantly, she discovers a passion for DJing. Soon she's leading a double life: social outcast high-school student by day, popular up-and-coming DJ by night. But she can't keep it up forever, and sparks will fly when the two halves of her life come crashing together.

The characters in this novel are so well drawn and I was completely sucked in by Elise's emotional journey. It captures adolescence and the messy path to self-acceptance perfectly.  I have never been one to frequent discotheques, but I enjoyed learning about this subculture and the world of DJs. Elise's narrative voice brings lightness and humor to a heavy subject.

This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales

Erica's Picks
8th & up
​Tags: character driven, contemporary fiction, family life, friendship, issues fiction, mental illness, romance

Two star-crossed lovers from feuding clans meet; both families are traveling performers in California’s central valley.  Lace’s Hispanic family, the Palomas, swim in mermaid exhibits in the river; all the women are marked with a pattern of scales. The French Corbeaus dance in the tallest trees clad in beautiful wings. Cluck has feathers growing from the nape of his neck and a clawed hand deformed by his sadistic brother. Lace has been warned that his kind are pure black magic and a touch from them can kill.
When Cluck rescues Lace from a disastrous chemical explosion, his touch instead immerses her in his world and an enchanting relationship begins. This is magical realism at its best.  The writing is heartbreakingly exquisite.
An old feud, a new love, a long buried secret, a flash of mermaid tails, a flutter of fairy wings infuse this tender story with the power of fear, love and honesty.

Tessa's Picks, 6-7th grade, Romance, Contemporary Fiction
 ​

Maddie and her friends are excited to audition for the eighth grade play Romeo and Juliet.  There is plenty of drama happening on the middle school stage already with crushes, mean girls, cliques and rivalries.  New girl Gemma with her good looks, British accent, and kind, cheery personality is a shoe in for Juliet.  Maddie likes her, a lot, maybe as more than a friend.  When the boy playing Romeo drops out only weeks before opening night, there is only one person who the director sees as a possible replacement.  Is this Maddie dream role or her worst nightmare?  Sprinkled with the Bard’s words, as well as the fun to be had using Shakespearean insults, this story will appeal to theatre geeks everywhere.  



​
Tessa' Picks, 4th-7th grade, Character driven, Contemporary Fiction, Friendship, LGBTQ, Romance

With graduation behind her, Dimple is looking forward to Stanford and escaping her Indian mother’s obsession with finding the IIH (ideal Indian husband) for her.  Even better they agree to let her attend a 6 week summer program at SFSU for aspiring web developers,her passion. Behind her back, her parents and Rishi’s have arranged for him to attend as well hoping to initiate an “arranged” marriage. Turn this book over...that is what happens.  Rishi is a romantic and believes in traditional Indian values even to the point of denying his art which is his passion.
Dimple is a feminist and focused on career.  Despite their differences, these two fall in love.  Set in foggy San Francisco, this is a sweet and feisty love story that will have you hoping for a happy ending.


Tessa"s Picks, 7th-8th grade, Character driven, People of color, Romance, Contemporary fiction

Elle's life is controlled by her wicked step-mother. One of the only bright spots is Starfield, a show her parents loved when they were alive. When it's announced that the latest teen heart-throb is cast as the lead in the new reboot, she's crushed. But when a costume contest for the show at the local comic con is announced, she sees its cash prize as her ticket to freedom. In her quest to alter her dad's costume and make it to the masquerade ball she'll find an unexpected fairy godmother and an even more surprising prince charming.

This is a great retelling of the Cinderella story. The magic pumpkin is replaced with a vegan food truck, the fairy godmother is a surly coworker, and the evil step-mother is...well...an evil step-mother. Some things don't change. I like that the story alternates between Elle's perspective and the actor playing the lead. Even better it turns out that he's more than some brainless heart-throb and is actually a huge fan of the show.

​Geekerella by Ashley Poston

Erica's Picks
6th - 8th Grade
Tags: ​contemporary fiction, fairy tales, people of color, retellings, romance

 
Seventeen –year old Harper Scott’s whole life has been ballet. She and her best friend Kate have held true to ”The Plan “which would place them in professional ballet companies after early graduation from high school. But the plan fails Harper; "Your love is evident," her instructor tells her. "But, darling, sometimes ballet does not love us back."  Harper tries to move past disappointment and envision a new path forward which lands her in Antarctica, one of three lucky students to receive an internship. She is related to Robert Falcon Scott, the explorer who died attempting to reach the South Pole and that fact was the “luck.” Haunting her are her jealousy and anger that Kate has succeeded where she failed and doubts about her first ever romantic interest in Owen who she left in home town San Francisco. 
This is a story of what it means to have your whole life derailed, go to an unimaginably hostile, isolated and beautiful place and forge a whole new path for yourself.  I loved this book; it broke my heart and then mended it. 

Tessa's Picks, 6-8th grade, Character driven, Romance, Friendship, Contemporary fiction.

 “I hate seeing fat girls on TV or in movies, because the only way the world seems to be okay with putting a fat person on camera is if they’re miserable with themselves or if they’re the jolly best friend. Well, I’m neither of those things.” Willowdean goes by Will to her friends and Dumplin' to her ex-beauty queen mother. She is unafraid to wear her swimsuit and if people stare, then that's their issue, not hers. But when she enters a beauty pageant with some other unlikely contenders, her mother is horrified. First kisses, broken friendships, Dolly Parton, drag queens, beauty pageants, and self-discovery. This is one year Dumplin' will never forget.

I cannot get enough of Will's bold and sassy voice and her defiant attitude. She is a character worth rooting for, even when she makes mistakes along the way. It was refreshing to read about body image issues that are prevalent in society but rarely discussed--especially in such a nuanced and honest way. Those aren't the only issues that receive such a frank treatment either. Evolving friendships, romantic relationships, grief, and mother-daughter relationships all get the same funny and insightful treatment. Plus there's Dolly Parton. What more could I ask for?

Erica's Picks
8th Grade
Tags: character driven, contemporary fiction, family life, friendship, humor, romance