Summer is great, but this weather has been so hot that I honestly just want to sit inside in the air conditioning and read. If you’re like me, here’s some delightful books to try as you avoid the heat and humidity!
So science-fiction and fantasy tend to get lumped together as genres, but this book is a straight sci-fi. Ambrose and Kodiak are two teenagers who wake up on a ship headed to Saturn’s moon Titan for a rescue mission. The problem is that neither has any memory of how he got there, and the two of them are from countries that are at war with each other. Warily, they join forces as they attempt to discover what the ship’s controlling and suspicious AI isn’t telling them, and slowly they begin to fall in love. Part mystery, part romance, this space opera is intricately plotted and perfect for Pride Month. Continue reading “The Selector’s Selections: June 2021”
The Daniel Boone Regional Library is challenging youth ages 12-18 to read for 15 hours, share three book reviews and do seven fun, library-related activities. Complete this Summer Reading challenge, and beginning July 1, you’ll receive a free book. You’ll also be entered into a drawing for an Amazon Fire Tablet.
Reading and activity trackers are available to download below. You can also request printed Summer Reading materials at your library, at a bookmobile stop or via curbside pickup.
We may still be a month away from real summer, but as far as I’m concerned, it’s time to break out the delightful summer reads. You made it through the school year, now turn your brain off for a bit and enjoy some books for fun! If you don’t want to turn your brain all the way off, I understand—I’ve got a very important literary fiction book at the end, just for you.
First up, we’ve got a delightful cross between “Princess Diaries” and “Crazy Rich Asians.” Japanese-American Izumi lives with her single mom in a small town in Northern California, and she’s used to feeling like an outsider as one of only three Asian girls in her community. While she loves her life, she’s always wondered about her father—a man her mother refuses to discuss, beyond saying he was a one-night stand in college. When Izumi accidentally discovers his name, she and her friends do a little digging and learn that he is the Crown Prince of Japan. Before she knows what’s happening, Izumi is invited to spend her summer in Tokyo with him. Continue reading “The Selector’s Selections: May 2021”
This year, Summer Reading goes wild with stories about animals, both real and imagined. Beginning Tuesday, June 1, you’ll be able to download reading and activity trackers from the library’s website, or you can request printed Summer Reading materials at your library branch or bookmobile stop or via curbside pickup.
Starting Tuesday, June 8, you can submit your entry into the “Pet Photo Contest.” Share your your cutest pet photo for a chance to win a gift card to a local bookstore. In June, we’ll also be hosting a podcasting workshop for beginners and launching a two-part introduction to Dungeons & Dragons (5th edition). Continue reading “Teen Summer Reading Preview”
The winners for the Gateway and Truman Readers Awards have been announced! These awards honors the best-loved books among Missouri high school and junior high students. To be eligible to vote, students must read 3-4 of the finalists. This year, hundreds of votes were cast by students in grades 6-12.
Truman Readers Award
1st Place: “Not If I Save You First” by Ally Carter
Six years ago Maddie lived in Washington D.C. with her father, a Secret Service agent assigned to the President’s family, and her best friend was Logan, the President’s son; but after her father was wounded in an attempted kidnapping the two of them moved to a remote cabin in Alaska and Logan never replied to her letters. But now he has suddenly turned up on her doorstep she has to save him from the winter wilderness and the men who are pursuing him.
Alex can see the future. When he touches objects or people, he sees what will happen days, weeks or even years in its future. Though it may seem like a blessing, Alex knows it’s a curse—especially when he sees the death of his little brother Isaiah. He’s never been able to change a vision before, but Alex will do whatever it takes to change this one. Being Black in their affluent Chicago suburb presents enough challenges and dangers on its own, and then Alex discovers that he’s not Continue reading “The Selector’s Selections: April 2021”
May is just around the corner and so is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. To celebrate, I have a curated list of books written by Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAPI) authors, about AAPI stories, for everyone to enjoy.
CONTEMPORARY FICTION
“The Astonishing Color of After” by Emily X. R. Pan
After her mother’s suicide, grief-stricken Leigh Chen Sanders travels to Taiwan for the first time to stay with grandparents she has never met, determined to find her mother who she believes turned into a bird.
After three months of competition, central Missouri teens have selected their March Madness Teen Book Tournament Champion! We began with a list of 16 finalists which included bestsellers such as “Dear Martin” by Nic Stone and popular series starters like “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” by Jenny Han.
Many thanks to the teachers and school librarians who have supported this program, and to all the teens who have participated! And now, our 2021 champion is…
Subscribe to our teen program newsletter to get a sneak peek of this year’s Summer Reading program, “Tales & Tails.” Through this program, the library challenges young adults to read for 15 hours, share three book reviews and do seven of our suggested activities. Complete the challenge, and you will be eligible to win some pretty awesome prizes like an Amazon Fire tablet! More information to come later this month.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s Unbound Book Festival is entirely online. Unbound is hosting a variety of weekly author panels, poetry readings and writing workshops through April. Review their full schedule for more details.
Next Tuesday, March 23 at 7 p.m., Unbound will host “Changing Landscapes in YA Fiction” with authors Anuradha Rajurkar, Brie Spangler and Louisa Onomé. Tune in on Facebook or YouTube as these acclaimed YA authors discuss challenges of writing for the next generation of readers.
If you loved the author’s “Cemetery Boys” from last year, get excited for their version of Peter Pan! Five years ago, Wendy Darling was found wandering in the woods, with no memory of the past six months, and no idea where her two younger brothers were. Wendy’s worked hard to deal with the trauma and grief of losing her brothers, and she’s ready to start nursing school and finally move on with her life. But then children start disappearing again, and a boy named Peter begs for her help. Wendy is drawn back into the half-remembered world of her childhood, and amid shadowy secrets, must face the truth about her past. Continue reading “The Selector’s Selections: March 2021”
“The Darkness Outside Us” by Eliot Schrefer
The winners for the 
May is just around the corner and so is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. To celebrate, I have a curated list of books written by Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAPI) authors, about AAPI stories, for everyone to enjoy.
