River Readers

In this sequel to The Witch Boy, Aster and his family are adjusting to his unconventional talent for witchery; unlike the other boys in his family, he isn't a shapeshifter. He's taking classes with his grandmother and helping to keep an eye on his great-uncle whose corrupted magic wreaked havoc on the family.

Bestselling author and illustrator Jarrett Krosoczka is well known for his popular children’s graphic novel series about a superhero lunch lady. He’s also written and or illustrated more than 30 books for young readers. However, his latest book, a memoir in graphic novel format, was written for an older audience because it deals with serious issues, including the heroin addiction of his mostly absent mother, and an unknown father.

When Lana and her father return to their seaside hometown to help clear the debris of a storm, the last thing she expects is to discover a colony of Aquicorns—magical seahorse-like residents of the coral reef. As she explores the damaged town and the fabled undersea palace, Lana learns that while she cannot always count on adults to be the guardians she needs, she herself is capable of finding the strength to protect both the ocean, and her own happiness. --Goodreads

Long-listed for the YA National Book Award this book takes place in 2002, just after 9/11 and it chronicles the path of a young Muslim girl named Shirin. Shirin and her family have just moved, again, and once again she must endure the awkward stares, rude and racist comments and even some physical abuse because of the hajib she chooses to wear. Keeping her battle armor up and her head down is the only way Shirin knows how to maneuver through her day. That works for her until she meets Ocean. Ocean works to get Shirin to let him in even though she knows it will end in disaster.

Arthur is spending the summer in NYC while his mom is working there. So far his summer has been uneventful. He misses his friends from Georgia and can't seem to break through to make any new friends. Then he unexpectedly meets Ben at the post office. Ben is mailing a box of items to his ex-boyfriend and is caught up in the drama of it. Consequently, they leave without exchanging numbers. Will they meet again? Will the universe draw them together?

Adult film actress Stormy Daniels offers details about her brief 2006 affair with Donald Trump, but that's not the focus of this conversational, wide-ranging, and forthright account of her life. A bright kid from Louisiana who wanted to be a writer and loved horses, Daniels grew up in a dysfunctional rat- and cockroach-infested house, was sexually abused at age nine by a friend's neighbor, excelled in school, had relationships with various boys (the details of which she candidly describes), and enjoyed horseback riding.

The hilarious and heartbreaking confessions of a figure skater turned collegiate hockey player who's terrified of checking . . . and is desperately in love with the captain of his hockey team.

Toby and Luke have been through everything together, best friends all their lives. Although they have different personalities entirely, their horrific family situations and living conditions formed a bond between them. Their safe haven is an old wreck of an airplane they found in the forest by their North Carolina home. They would sit for hours in the plane, plotting and planning their escape from their lives of abuse, neglect and misery. It all seems possible when Luke has the opportunity for a wrestling scholarship to Iowa. It was their ticket out.

It all started with the disappearance of Mattie Southern and the subsequent discovery of her body. Mattie left behind a sister, Sadie, who was devastated by her death. Their mother survived but she was a drug addict, neglectful at best, absent entirely at her worst. Sadie had done her best to raise Mattie on her own with their surrogate grandmother, May Beth Foster, occasionally looking after them.

Lily is biologically a boy but has always felt like she was a girl in a boy's body. She was born Tim McGrother but dreams of the day when she can be Lily. Her mom and sister are very supportive as is her friend Dare but her dad is not.

Norbert has recently moved into the area with his mom to live with his grandmother. Nicknamed Dunkin for his love of Dunkin Donuts, he longs to fit in. His first friend is Lily but when school starts, he becomes friends with the jocks who bully Lily terribly, straining his friendship with Lily and Dare.

In this short book of poems all bearing the same title Terrance Hayes wrote poems within the first one hundred days of the Trump presidency. He speaks to us of our country's past and future errors.

What happens when you put six special kids in a room, once a week, without a teacher to monitor their conversation? That is the premise of this beautiful book, Harbor Me by Jaqueline Woodson. The six students call the room the ARTT (A Room to Talk) and it becomes their safe space to talk about all that is going on in their lives. This book covers alcoholic parents, incarceration, immigration, racism and many other important topics, as they affect the lives of these twelve year olds.

This graphic novel is a love story of two women who meet in their younger years while playing bingo with their grandmothers at their church. It is story of the resilience of love and family and the plight of same gender relationships in the earlier years in our country. It is well-written and beautifully drawn. I highly recommend it.

In his literary debut, Tommy Orange intertwines the stories of 12 Native people in modern day making their roads converge at a huge powwow in Oakland. The book depicts the plight of Native Americans through the years and their continued struggles today.

Celebrated novelist David Treuer has gained a reputation for writing fiction that expands the horizons of Native American literature. In Rez Life, his first full-length work of nonfiction, Treuer brings a novelist’s storytelling skill and an eye for detail to a complex and subtle examination of Native American reservation life, past and present.