March 20, 2023
Arthur Kevin Rein’s tension-filled YA tale revolves around a teen-aged boy dealing with personal challenges and a crime mystery.
As summers go, Sam, 17, knows this will be one of the worst. He’s working hard for his family’s failing lake resort, is in love with a seemingly unattainable girl, and his best friend is the […]
March 14, 2023
Starship Malaysia is an inventive, historical YA novel following an adolescent American’s adventures in Malaysia.
In 1982 and ’83, after his father’s tragic death, 17-year-old Scott Mitchell moves to a small Malaysian town with his mother and her new husband. Scott quickly befriends a group of native boys, eventually becoming involved in their investigation of […]
February 28, 2023
The engrossing second installment of Douglas Smith’s Dream Rider Saga trilogy sees his superhero teen protagonists, Will, Case and Fader, searching for an ancient artifact. Finding it might help explain the disappearance of Will’s parents, but sinister intruders in his home seem to be searching for something. Is everyone after the same prize? Who will […]
February 14, 2023
A Freak in the Family Tree is a compelling YA fantasy novel about friendship, history, and breaking down prejudices.
The novel follows 12-year-old Kit, who feels like an outcast in her small town because of her junk-collector father and his eccentric family, even as she rides horses and attends private school due to her wealthy […]
February 14, 2023
R.J. Lee Heroux’s energetic YA fantasy features a version of Olympus ruled not by gods but by talking dogs, protectors of their real-world child companions.
Canine brothers Loki and Buddy watch over James, a boy turning six who enters Olympus through a portal to start school with four other six-year-olds and their dogs. As Loki […]
February 7, 2023
What would you pay if you could replace sad memories with happy ones? And what would it cost if those memories were extracted from someone else? J.S.R. Smith examines this question in his post-apocalyptic, young adult novel, Cultivating Sunshine.
In the near-future, Mona, an orphan, leaves the orphanage to live at the Company, a business […]
January 31, 2023
Just City is an engaging, philosophically oriented YA novel that helps show readers how to find the values that matter the most to them.
The story follows Nathan, a budding young entrepreneur striving to succeed on his own, as he works to earn money to enter a start-up contest. As part of this, he takes […]
January 3, 2023
Author Elizabeth Breau undertakes the daunting task of encapsulating the key western concepts, events, causes and consequences that comprise the historical context for the SAT Reading and Writing college entrance exams. Her study guide is designed to help students connect “relevant background knowledge” with the rise of democratic ideologies so they can select the best […]
December 27, 2022
In Dennis Batchelder’s young adult novel Oversight, a girl fights for her destiny and uncovers ancient secrets that pit her against her ally.
Connected to a group called Soul Identity by her special ancient soul line, 17-year-old Zelly is destined to become one of the organization’s overseers when she turns 19. The clandestine organization dictates […]
November 15, 2022
A Canadian teenager—and secret superhero—is tested to the max in this fast-paced fantasy adventure for young adults.
Homeless kids are disappearing from the streets of Toronto. Journalist Harry Lyle doesn’t know how teen Will Dreycott finds answers, but he tells Will what he knows about missing street boys and hopes Will can supply some leads […]