2017 The List Great Reads for Youth LOL # TORONTO PUBLIC LIBRARY young voices Magazine Creative writing and visual art by Toronto teens ages 12 to 19. Submit now! Programs and Classes Improve your skills, meet mentors and learn about creative expression. Conference Young Voices 2016 Meet and work directly Cover art by Jane Li with professional authors and artists. tpl.ca/youngvoices Contents COMING OF AGE, 3 HARD HITTING, 4 REAL LIFE, 5 SCHOOL DRAMA, 6 IDENTITY, 7 VOICES, 8 LOL FANTASY, 9 SCIENCE FICTION, 10 COMICS, 11 MANGA, 12 HISTORY, 13 REBOOT, 14 NAILBITERS, 15 HUMOUR, 16 # What’s your reading pleasure? Are you looking to solve mysteries, discover superheroes or scare yourself silly. The List has you covered. From real life to fantasy, hard-hitting to humour, comics to coming-of-age, and so much more...TPL’s youth literature experts have worked with youth readers to gather their top recent reading recommendations. These incredible books will make you laugh, cry, refl ect and celebrate. And make sure to check out the TPL website for the full list of 100 books. Happy reading! LOL Lisa Heggum Manager, Youth Services COMING OF AGE First-time experiences, discovering what’s important to you, and fi nding your way in the world are the themes in these character-driven stories and real-life recollections. “Coming of age narratives typically show the dramatic changes in the protagonist’s identity.” Coming of age stories focus on a character’s development between their teenage years to adulthood. Coming of age narratives typically show the dramatic changes in the protagonist’s identity as they are challenged by personal, social or political events. Some novels that are commonly known in the genre include The Giver, The Catcher in the Rye, The Goldfi nch and The Secret Life of Bees. -Kevin Kevin SUGGESTED READS Burn Baby Burn Crush MEG MEDINA CATHY ALTER Historical Fiction & DAVE SINGLETON Nonfi ction Once, in a Town Called Moth TRILBY KENT Ana has to make huge adjustments after her father abruptly moves the two of them to Toronto from their Mennonite colony in The Smell of Other The V-Word: True Bolivia. People’s Houses Stories about First- BONNIE-SUE HITCHCOCK Time Sex Historical Fiction AMBER J. KEYSER Nonfi ction Share your book reviews using #tplteenslist 3 HARD HITTING Raw and unfl inching, these powerful and uncompromising books are about devastating and traumatic experiences. “Yes, realistic fi ction might get a little too real for some, but it’s got some other great perks.” Your life may or may not be perfect, but it’s always good to read up on someone else’s! Yes, realistic fi ction might get a little too real for some, but it’s got some other great perks. Realistic fi ction makes it easier for readers to relate to the characters. It also does a good job of commenting on culture and society, but it doesn’t need to get as scary as dystopian fi ction. Some realistic fi ction books I’ve loved Terese are: Bridge to Terabithia, Room, and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. -Terese SUGGESTED READS A World Without You Fifteen Lanes BETH REVIS S.J. LAIDLAW Exit, Pursued by a Bear E.K. JOHNSTON As the captain of Palermo Heights’ elite cheerleading squad, Hermione is used to being in charge. After she is raped, she struggles to Rani Patel in Full Highly Illogical come to terms with the Eff ect Behavior assault and to learn how SONIA PATEL JOHN COREY WHALEY to move forward. 4 PSSST! Check out the full list: tpl.ca/thelist REAL LIFE Inner confl ict, harsh realities, dreams and personal connections shape the journey to self-discovery in these stories of fi ctional and real lives lived. “I recommend All the Birds to anyone who feels a bit strange, and likes their books to be strange, too.“ Recently, I read All the Birds in the Sky, which is perhaps not YA, but is at least one-third about being a teenager. It also features the imminent end of the world from climate-change- related cataclysms (very refl ective of our current/upcoming world). And, there are things like Harry Potter-esque magic, Lemony Snicket levels of melodrama, plus some sci-fi thrown in. Magic and high tech are, in the end, extrapolations though Wenting – metaphors and extensions of this real world. Anyway, I Photo credit: Rena Rong recommend All the Birds to anyone who feels a bit strange, and likes their books to be strange, too. -Wenting SUGGESTED READS Born To Run The Great American BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN Whatever Nonfi ction TIM FEDERLE Precious Cargo CRAIG DAVIDSON Nonfi ction Craig is surprised to fi nd himself in the middle of a real community after his writing career stalls and he takes a job as a bus driver for diff erenly-abled Speed of Life The Sun is Also teens. J.M. KELLY a Star NICOLA YOON Share your book reviews using #tplteenslist 5 SCHOOL DRAMA Pressure, drama and sticky social situations – a close-up look at just how tough school can get. “They must conquer their environment to accomplish an inconceivable feat – survival.” Together, teens navigate the tumultuous world of school and face the various perils of their environment – the pressure, drama and treacherous social situations. The teens endure fi erce tests of their willpower, with the decisions they make ultimately determining their fate. Though in their world, no choice between fl ight or fi ght exists. They must conquer their environment to Monidipa accomplish an inconceivable feat – survival. The only question is, will they succeed? -Monidipa SUGGESTED READS Beware That Girl Buff y: The High TERESA TOTEN School Years FAITH ERIN HICKS Graphic Novel Flannery LISA MOORE Flannery is trying to cope with being on welfare, being ditched by her best friend, and being paired with her long-time crush, Tyrone, on a class project. Giant Days, Vol. 3 Shooter JOHN ALLISON CAROLINE PIGNAT Graphic Novel 6 PSSST! Check out the full list: tpl.ca/thelist IDENTITY Powerful personal accounts about taking your place in the world and knowing and showing who you are. “If a person can connect to the struggles of a protagonist in a book, then maybe they can develop a deeper understanding of people in real life.” How would you ever know what it’s like, if not for literature, to be a part of the LGBTQ community? Not Ross everyone is a part of the LGBTQ community. That’s a fact. If a person can connect to the struggles of a protagonist in a book, then maybe they can develop a deeper understanding of people in real life who face similar struggles. I recommend Funny Boy, a story about the struggles of a young boy growing up in the days of the Sri SUGGESTED READS Lankan riots. -Ross Even This Page Freedom’s Just Is White Another Word VIVEK SHRAYA CAROLINE STELLINGS Poetry Historical Fiction Girl Mans Up M-E GIRARD Pen isn’t trying to be a boy. She just wants to be her gender- nonconforming self, even if it means clashing with her old-school Portuguese family – who Holding Up the Original Fake KIRSTIN CRONN-MILLS totally don’t get her. Universe JENNIFER NIVEN Share your book reviews using #tplteenslist 7 VOICES Social inequality and injustice experienced by marginalized individuals and communities; and the work of activists who campaigned for change. “These women have inspired and revolutionized the minds of people all around the world.” Maya Angelou wrote about civil rights and racism. Emily Dickinson stood against cultural norms in her community. Margaret Atwood included her passion for environmentalism in her writing. Using their words as weapons, these women use their voices to break down walls and their platform as a means to attain social justice. Powerful poets prove that even a medium as simple as Zainab writing has the capability of making the world a better place. -Zainab SUGGESTED READS Being Jazz March Book 3 JAZZ JENNINGS JOHN LEWIS Nonfi ction Graphic Novel Feminism: Reinventing the F-Word NADIA ABUSHANAB HIGGINS Nonfi ction Find out why society’s new f-word, feminism, makes some people uncomfortable and learn from modern leaders what it means to be a Residential Schools Watched feminist – and why some MELANIE FLORENCE MARINA BUDHOS criticize feminism. Nonfi ction 8 PSSST! Check out the full list: tpl.ca/thelist FANTASY Other-worldly, futuristic or contemporary tales of epic adventure, dark secrets, mortal danger and the supernatural. “Fantasy is the ethereal world that allows the reader to completely disappear.” Fantasy is a captivating escape to one’s imagination, where even the wildest dreams become a reality. Fantasy is the ethereal world that allows the reader to completely disappear from the face of society. It’s a magical place where Prince Charming awakens a princess with a kiss and wishes are granted on a regular basis. It thrills our imaginations and allows us to venture through the mythical world of illusions. I particularly enjoyed Josephine Angelini’s brilliant Starcrossed series about an individual Realiza who is unaware of her amazing angel-like powers. -Realiza SUGGESTED READS The Forgetting Heir to the Sky SHARON CAMERON AMANDA SUN Fantasy Fantasy Three Dark Crowns KENDARE BLAKE Fantasy When they turn 16, triplets Mirabella, Katherine, and Arsinoe must wield their magical powers against each other to determine who becomes queen. Julia Vanishes This Savage Song CATHERINE EGAN VICTORIA SCHWAB Fantasy Fantasy Share your book reviews using #tplteenslist 9 SCIENCE FICTION Travel into uncharted territory and imagine strange and jarring new worlds in alternate realities or far away futures.