Diverse Characters
Upon a burning throne
Ashok Banker
SCIENCE FICTION Banker Ashok
Fantasy, Diverse Characters
"In a world where demigods and demons walk among mortals, the Emperor of the vast Burnt Empire has died, leaving a turbulent realm without an emperor. Two young princes, Adri and Shvate, are in line to rule, but birthright does not guarantee inheritance: For any successor must sit upon the legendary Burning Throne and pass The Test of Fire. Imbued with dark sorceries, the throne is a crucible--one that incinerates the unworthy. Adri and Shvate pass The Test and are declared heirs to the empire... but there is another with a claim to power, another who also survives: a girl from an outlying kingdom. When this girl, whose father is the powerful demonlord Jarsun, is denied her claim by the interim leaders, Jarsun declares war, vowing to tear the Burnt Empire apart--leaving the young princes Adri and Shvate to rule a shattered realm embroiled in rebellion and chaos..." -- Front jacket flap.
The last cuentista
Donna Barba Higuera
jFICTION Higuera Donna
Science Fiction, Diverse Characters
"A girl named Petra Pena, who wanted nothing more than to be a storyteller, like her abuelita. But Petra's world is ending. Earth has been destroyed by a comet, and only a few hundred scientists and their children - among them Petra and her family - have been chosen to journey to a new planet. They are the ones who must carry on the human race. Hundreds of years later, Petra wakes to this new planet - and the discovery that she is the only person who remembers Earth. A sinister Collective has taken over the ship during its journey, bent on erasing the sins of humanity's past. They have systematically purged the memories of all aboard - or purged them altogether. Petra alone now carries the stories of our past, and with them, any hope for our future. Can she make them live again? " --
The winner of this year's Newbery Medal, awarded to the author for the most distinguished contribution to literature for children in the past year, goes to The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera! This is a wholly original book - a science fiction tale inspired by Latin American folklore! A young girl, Petra Pena, heads out on an evacuation spaceship when Earth is destroyed by a comet. But when she suddenly wakes aboard the ship to find hundreds of years have passed and she is the only one left who remembers Earth and the stories of her heritage and past, how will she use her knowledge to build the future and save her people? -Anne W
Aristotle and Dante dive into the waters of the world
Benjamin Alire Sáenz
YOUNG ADULT FICTION/Saenz, Benjamin
Diverse Characters, Young Adult
High school seniors Aristotle and Dante find ways to spend time together despite being at different schools, having to keep their love secret, and nightly news of gay men dying from AIDS.
This second novel is equally as eloquent, captivating and heart-wrenching as the first. Characters are beautifully life-like, multi-faceted and layered and the story is realistic, thought-provoking and well worth waiting nine years for! -Victoria
Hani and Ishu's guide to fake dating
Adiba Jaigirdar
YOUNG ADULT FICTION Jaigirda Adiba
Diverse Characters, Young Adult, LGBTQ+
Everyone likes Humaira 'Hani' Khan, she's easy going and one of the most popular girls at school. But when she comes out to her friends as bisexual, they invalidate her identity, saying she can't be bi if she's only dated guys. Panicked, Hani blurts out that she's in a relationship, with a girl her friends absolutely hate. Shita 'Ishu' Dey. Ishu is the complete opposite of Hani. She's an academic overachiever who hopes that becoming head girl will set her on the right track for college. But Ishita agrees to help Hani, if Hani will help her become more popular so that she stands a chance of being elected head girl.
This is a lovely story of questioning our identities and comparing ourselves to our family expectations and more importantly having the courage to be authentic. -Victoria
Furia
Yamile Saied Méndez
YOUNG ADULT FICTION Mendez Yamile
Diverse Characters, Sports, Young Adult
Rosario, Argentina. At home Camila Hassan lives within her mother's narrow expectations, her soccer-star brother's shadow, and under the abusive rule of her short-tempered father. On the field, she is La Furia, a powerhouse of skill and talent. When her team qualifies for the South American tournament, Camila dreams of getting an athletic scholarship to a North American university. But her parents wouldn't allow a girl to play fúbol-- and she needs their permission to go any farther. Can she make her way in a world with no place for the dreams and ambition of a girl like her? -- adapted from jacket
Furia is passionate, driven and a character I think many will be able to identify with. This is a story of defying expectations and rising about to become your best self! -Victoria
This is my brain in love
I. W. Gregorio
YOUNG ADULT FICTION Gregorio I. W.
Diverse Characters, Young Adult
Rising high school juniors Jocelyn Wu and Will Domenici fall in love while trying to save the Wu family restaurant, A-Plus Chinese Garden.
This book was recommended to me by a Teen patron. Not usually one for romance, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The author manages to successfully and more importantly honestly navigate conversations about mental health and different cultural lived experiences of Americans. -Victoria
Bodies are cool
Tyler Feder
jE Feder
Picture Books, Read Woke, Diverse Characters
Illustrations and easy-to-read, rhyming text celebrate bodies of all shapes, sizes, ages, and colors, with different kinds of hair, eyes, spots, scars, and more.
Bodies Are Cool! Unashamedly all bodies positive and I am definitely here for it. -Casey
The happiness of a dog with a ball in its mouth
Bruce Handy
jE Handy
Picture Books, Diverse Characters
"Starting from the happiness of waking up into a brand-new day, the picture book goes on to explore the kinds of relationships and contrasts that play out between our feelings and experiences every single day. Whether it's the nervousness of a beginning paired with the happiness of a middle; the indignity of a cut against the happiness of a scab; the boredom of nothing to do contrasted with the happiness of nothing to do; or the divide of mine against the happiness of our, these pages challenge the reader to think about daily activities and experiences and the feelings they conjure. The Happiness of a Dog with a Ball in Its Mouth is a gentle, fun, and philosophical read"--
What a nice exploration of opposites and how they are often fluid. This is a perfect book for savoring together. -Casey
City of the plague god
Sarwat Chadda
jFICTION Chadda Sarwat
Diverse Characters, Read Woke, Fantasy
"Thirteen-year-old Sikander Aziz has to team up with the hero Gilgamesh in order to stop Nergal, the ancient god of plagues, from wiping out the population of Manhattan in this adventure based on Mesopotamian mythology"--
This is the first of the Rick Riordan Presents imprint that I have read, and I am impressed! Going back for round two with Sikander and Gilgamesh soon, as the first time around was a whirlwind. -Casey
I sang you down from the stars
Tasha Spillett-Sumner
jE Spillett
Picture Books, Read Woke, Diverse Characters
A Native American woman describes how she loved her child before it was born and, throughout her pregnancy, gathered a bundle of gifts to welcome the newborn.
Tasha Spillet-Sumner's poetry and Michaela Goade's illustrations are a beautiful pairing not to be missed. -Casey
The fantasy genre has a great new addition with this epic series. Set in a world filled with Indian myth and folklore, this is an epic filled with interesting characters. A lot of interesting themes: Magic, Political/war, Relationships, etc -Mykle