Sixteen-year-old Derry and her eight siblings—a diverse group that includes white, Black, Mexican, nonbinary, deaf, overweight, and queer individuals—were abandoned … More
Category: Appeared in Booklist/ALA
My Best Books for Youth in 2021
Click here to read about these nine books that I reviewed in 2021 for Booklist Magazine and India Currents Magazine. … More
The Nobleman’s Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks by Mackenzi Lee
Gr. 9-12 ***Starred Review*** Following his beloved mother’s suicide, Adrian Montague—a Lord-to-be who suffers from acute anxiety—receives her personal affects. … More
When You Get the Chance by Emma Lord
Gr. 8-12 Millie Price, 16, is a singer obsessed with the dream of making it on Broadway. Until then, she … More
Here’s to Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
Gr. 9-12 ***Starred Review*** Ben Alejo and Arthur Seuss are back in this sequel to What If It’s Us (2018), … More
The Corpse Queen by Heather R. Herrman
Gr. 9-12 ***Starred Review*** In 1850s Philadelphia, Molly Green, 17, grapples with the supposed suicide of her best friend at … More
Lessons in Fusion by Primrose Madayag Knazan
Gr. 8-12 Sixteen-year-old Sarah (SAH-rah) Dayan-Abad of Winnipeg has her own cooking blog where she showcases her own fusion recipes … More
Listen, Layla by Jassmin Abdel-Magied
Gr. 7-10 In this sequel to You Must Be Layla (2019), smart but headstrong Layla looks forward to working on … More
Where There’s a Whisk by Sarah J. Schmitt
Gr. 8-12 Peyton Sinclaire doesn’t want to get stuck baking pies in a Florida panhandle diner. With her father in … More
Sugar Town Queens by Malla Nunn
Gr. 7-12 ***Starred Review*** Fifteen-year-old Amandla has always set her sights on leaving Sugar Town, a slum outside Durban, South … More
When Loose Ends Meet 