Joy's Kids Book Recommendations
The sci-fi I've been waiting for – a world of haves and have-nots set in futuristic Taipei. Corporations rule and pollution poisons the air. Jason Zhou wants out. But will he get there?
If you read one YA book this season, make it THE HATE U GIVE, a stunning, searing debut novel by Angie Thomas. When Starr Carter is the only witness to the fatal shooting of her childhood friend Khalil by a police officer, the always tenuous balance between her two worlds - the poor neighborhood where she lives and the wealthy suburban private school she attends-- is blown to bits. Starr is the only one who knows the truth of what happened that night, but what she says or doesn't say may destroy her community... or her life. Authentic. Achingly real. THE HATE YOU GIVE deals with racism and police violence with unblinking honesty. A must read for teens and adults alike, as these articles linked below all attest. This is hands down the best book I've read this year.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/19/books/review/black-lives-matter-teenage-books.html
http://nymag.com/thecut/2017/03/angie-thomas-the-hate-u-give-interview-ya-novel.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/24/books/review/ya-crossover.html
This adorable tween read by Austin author Jo Whittemore first came out as COLONIAL MADNESS and now has been re-released in paper back with a new, more inviting title and a fresh cover that reflects what a fun, fun read it is! Booklist calls ME & MOM Gilmore Girls meets WESTING GAME and I agree. I adore this lively, humorous story of Tori Porter and her mom, who embark on a crazy 'live as they did in Colonial times' adventure in order to inherit a fortune from an eccentric relative.
An adorable, funny, and very relatable picture book about a dog who just can't behave. For everyone who's ever loved an imperfect pet... or imperfect person!
If you have never read anything by the fabulous Margo Rabb, then her latest YA, KISSING IN AMERICA ,is a great title to start with. It's wise and funny, a study of love, loss and family. Since her father's death two years ago, sixteen-year-old Eva has taken comfort in romance novels. But then she falls for a boy named Will. And when Will moves to California, love-struck Eva convinces her friend Annie to embark on a crazy road trip to see Will again. Somewhere along the way across America, Eva discovers that the truths she's been search for are far more complicated than she has suspected.