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MADreads for Teens

Book reviews for teens by library staff and guest contributors

Este cuento entró por un caminito plateado, y salió por uno dorado / This story entered through a silver path and left on a golden one

Cover of The Last Cuentista
A review of The Last Cuentista by Donna Higuera

It’s not very often a science fiction book wins the Newbery Award and the Pura Belpré Award but The Last Cuentista did this year. The Last Cuentista is a dystopian story with tales of Mexican folklore woven within. ‘Cuentista’ in Spanish means storyteller and the main character, Petra Peña, is truly the only cuentista left in the world.

Mar 3, 2022

You get an award and you get another award and...

Cover of Firekeeper's Daughter
A review of Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley

The ALA Youth Media Awards were announced last week and Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley was honored in a number of categories (very deservedly so!).

2022 Awards and Honors:
AILA American Indian Youth Literature Award, Young Adult Honor
William C Morris YA Debut Award Winner
Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature Winner

Feb 4, 2022

The magic of baking

Cover of A Wizard's Guide to Defens
A review of A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher

Yes, Mona is a wizard, but her specialty is bread. Which is wonderful for keeping muffins from burning or convincing biscuits that they are not overworked, but significantly less so for defending the her city from an internal coupe and foreign invaders. Mona is a reluctant hero, who very rightly points out that she wouldn't have needed to BE a hero if the people in charge had just done what they were supposed to.

Dec 14, 2021

Kent State more than 50 years later

Cover of Kent State
A review of Kent State by Deborah Wiles

To this day there is argument about what happened at Kent State on May 4, 1970. What's certain is that tensions were high. America was at war in Vietnam, the nation was divided in their support of President Nixon, young men were living in fear of the draft, and students were protesting the bombing of Cambodia by United States military forces. Many students at Kent State thought the bombing escalated a war that the United States was supposedly withdrawing from and were peacefully protesting on Friday, May 1 on the Commons, a large grassy area in the middle of campus.

Nov 17, 2021

At the corner of...

Cover of American Street
A review of American Street by Ibi Aanu Zoboi

So many exciting twist and turns! An endearing adventure all the way to the end. I was awed at the varied facets the main character endured from the very beginning, like witnessing her mother's detainment after her first flight to the United States to her less than celebratory introduction to meeting her new family members. I enjoyed her innocence of learning Western culture through the eyes of her cousins and new friends.

Oct 21, 2021

Saving Godzilla?

Cover of The Kaiju Preservation Soc
A review of The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi

I've been waiting to tell you about John Scalzi's forthcoming title for a while now as it was just the antidote I needed for a reading slump. At the time most things I'd been reading were eliciting a tepid, 'ah it was fine' response. And then came the Kaiju. Not only were they a saving grace for me, but based on the author note included in the book, were one for Scalzi as well. He'd been struggling with another book as the pandemic worsened and just couldn't make progress when the idea for this story popped into his head.

Oct 19, 2021

2021 Finalists for the National Book Awards

Cover of Award Finalists
Award Finalists

Recently the National Book Foundation announced the 2021 Finalists for the National Book Awards.  According to their website "the mission of the National Book Foundation is to celebrate the best literature in America, expand its audience, and ensure that books have a prominent place in American culture."   The categories include Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Translated Literature, Young People's Literature.

Oct 7, 2021

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