Staff Picks: Book Collection: Young Adult and Juvenile Fiction

Recommended by Jasmine Rizer, Cataloging

I have a perhaps unreasoning soft spot for Kate DiCamillo; her books may be marketed to people far younger than myself, but they make me cry on the bus, so she must be doing something right. This is a book about unfathomable adults and female friendship and the King of the Cats. Louisiana Elefante has since gotten her own novel, which is also an A-plus read. Beverly Tapinski is terrifying and I hope she gets her own novel too.

Recommended by Jasmine Rizer

This book was a finalist for YALSA's William C. Morris Award, and it's no mystery why. Profane, funny, loyal, imperfect, and impossible not to root for, protagonist Gabi often reminds me of the best and worst parts of my own adolescent self, even though I struggled with pretty much none of the issues that loom large in Gabi's life (a drug-addicted father, weight, and her identity as the daughter of immigrants, among others). Not that this is not even close to being one of those "issue novels" that you might remember from young-adult literature if you grew up in the Eighties. Gabi is a whole person, not just a vehicle for the reader to Learn a Valuable Lesson, and she's a whole person you should meet and get to know and love a lot.

Recommended by Leandra Nessel, Development Department

This is a YA novel about two British women during WWII, one a pilot and the other a spy. Don't let the YA category turn you away -- this is an emotionally gripping story and one of the best depictions of female friendships I've ever encountered. This is the only book that I've ever finished and then immediately started re-reading because I wanted to go back and see what I missed during the first reading.

Recommended by Jasmine Rizer, Cataloging Department

This young adult novel has all of the things, as the Internet might say. It is a story about young people learning to use their magical powers responsibly, also a story about a girl who wants adventures in a world where accepted gender roles will steal all her chances for adventures unless she is terribly clever and brave, and it's a story about friendship and secrets and beginning to notice that the grown-ups are not infallible and they have their own feelings and vulnerabilities. This book came out in 1983, but for richness and engaging writing, it certainly matches the contemporary young adult literature that so many people my age are not ashamed to be seen reading on the bus. Plus, it's the first in a series, so if you want more, there is more.

Recommend by Mary Poland, Access Services

With a tone that reminded me of True Detective, the book grabbed my interest and held on fast. This thriller is set amid the ruin that is present-day Detroit and blends magical realism with gritty reality to create a fascinating, complex story. If you like, crime novels with a twist give this one a try.

Are you out of the mainstream? Do you feel watched? You may be in San Francisco and part of 17 year old Marcus Yallow's world. As Homeland Security attempts to make America safe, Marcus's rights and mobility shrink, and he is accused of being a terrorist. How would you fight back?

Recommended by J. R., Cataloging

My hopes for this one were so high that I was inevitably a little let down through absolutely no fault of the author's. I'm choosing this one nonetheless, because I think what he did here was incredibly valuable, and I can probably say very little about this exploration of the way in which our pettiest actions can crush another human being that hasn't already been said. One scene, in particular, was hard for me to get through, in the best possible way, because of its spot-on portrayal of people's utter lack of compassion for the suicidal person.