2022 - 2023
BOOK OF THE WEEK
CAMP BY L.C. ROSEN
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At Camp Outland, a camp for LGBTQIA teens, sixteen-year-old Randall "Del" Kapplehoff's plan to have Hudson Aaronson-Lim fall in love with him succeeds, but both are hiding their true selves.
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what storm what thunder by myriam j.a. chancy
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At the end of a long, sweltering day, as markets and businesses begin to close for the evening, an earthquake of 7.0 magnitude shakes the capital of Haiti, Port-au-Prince. Award-winning author Myriam J. A. Chancy masterfully charts the inner lives of the characters affected by the disaster.
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This book is available in our physical collection.
babel by r.f. kuang
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A Chinese boy orphaned by cholera and raised in Britain is trained to work at Oxford's prestigious Royal Institute of Translation, the world's center for translation and magic through silver-working, where he must choose between competing loyalties.
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why didn't you tell me? by carmen rita wong
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An immigrant mother’s long-held secrets upend her daughter’s understanding of her family, her identity, and her place in the world in this powerful and dramatic memoir.
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This book is available in our physical collection.
One of the Good Ones by Maika Moulite + Maritza Moulite
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On her 18th birthday, Kezi Smith attends a protest and subsequently dies in police custody. When an idealized image of her circulates through social media as another victim of police brutality, her sister Happi begins to question why only certain people are deemed worthy to be missed. As she embarks on a journey to honor Kezi, a surprising twist is revealed that changes everything Happi thought she knew about her sister.
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we deserve monuments by jas hammonds
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When seventeen-year-old Avery moves to rural Georgia to live with her ailing grandmother, she encounters decade-old family secrets and a mystery surrounding the town's racist past.
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man o' war by cory mccarthy
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On a field trip to SeaPlanet, seventeen-year-old Arab-American high school swimmer River McIntyre has a chance encounter with Indy, a happy, healthy queer person, which sets off a wrenching journey of self-discovery, from internalized homophobia and gender dysphoria, through layers of coming out, affirmation surgery, and true love.
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red clocks by leni zumas
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Abortion is once again illegal in America, in-vitro fertilization is banned, and the Personhood Amendment grants rights of life, liberty, and property to every embryo. Five very different women navigate these new barriers alongside age-old questions surrounding motherhood, identity, and freedom.
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This book is available in our physical collection.
when we make it by elisabet valesquez
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Sarai uses verse to navigate the strain of family traumas and the systemic pressures of toxic masculinity and housing insecurity in a rapidly gentrifying Brooklyn, questioning the society around her, her Boricua identity, and the life she lives.
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at sea by emma fedor
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What happens when the man you love most in the world—who may be lying about everything—unexpectedly disappears and takes your small child with him?
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This book is available in our physical collection.
TRUE BIZ by SARH NOVIC
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"True biz? The students at the River Valley School for the Deaf just want to hook up, pass their history final, and have doctors, politicians, and their parents stop telling them what to do with their bodies. This is a story of sign language and lip-reading, cochlear implants and civil rights, isolation and injustice, first love and loss, and, above all, great persistence, daring, and joy.
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breathe and count back from ten by natalia sylvester
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Verónica, a Peruvian-American teen with hip dysplasia, auditions to become a mermaid at a Central Florida theme park in the summer before her senior year, all while figuring out her first real boyfriend and how to feel safe in her own body.
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the weight of blood by tiffany d. jackson
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Author Tiffany D. Jackson ramps up the horror and tackles America’s history and legacy of racism in this YA novel following a biracial teenager as her Georgia high school hosts its first integrated prom.
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simone breaks all the rules by debbie rigaud
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Simone Thibodeaux is about to switch things up. Check her life: It's sealed in a boy-proof container. Her Haitian immigrant parents send Simone to an all-girls high school and enforce strict no-dating rules. As for prom? Simone is allowed to go on one condition: Her parents will select her date (a boy from a nice, Haitian immigrant family, obviously). Simone is desperate to avoid the setup -- especially since she has a serious crush on another boy. It's time to take action.
A rom-com with plenty of sweet for readers itching for a bit of light amongst a lot of heavy.
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the black panther party by david f. walker
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This gripping illustrated history explores the impact and significance of the Panthers, from their social, educational, and healthcare programs that were designed to uplift the Black community to their battle against police brutality through citizen patrols and frequent clashes with the FBI, which targeted the Party from its outset.
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This book is available in our physical collection, as well as in ebook.
survive the dome by kosoko jackson
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A high school junior teams up with a hacker during a police brutality protest to shut down a device that creates an impenetrable Dome around Baltimore that is keeping the residents in and information from going out.
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the sunbearer trials by aidan thomas
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Transgender demigod Teo is unexpectedly selected for the Sunbearer Trials, a fierce competition among demigod heroes where the winner sacrifices the loser to Sol, their blood fueling the Sun Stones that protect Reino del Sol.
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fatty fatty boom boom by RABIA chaudry
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Rabia Chaudry—known from the podcast Serial and her bestselling book, Adnan’s Story, as well as her own wildly popular podcast, Undisclosed—serves up a candid and intimate memoir about food, body image, and growing up in a tight knit but sometimes overly concerned Pakistani immigrant family.
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This book is available in our physical collection.
Leech by hiron ennes
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A gothic dystopia that sees a doctor enter a baron’s home to take care of his family. And a parasite is on the loose. Think Wuthering Heights… but with worms!
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LAVENDER HOUSE by LEV ROSEN
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A delicious story from a new voice in suspense, Lev AC Rosen's Lavender House is Knives Out with a queer historical twist.
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This book is available in our physical collection.
all my rage by sabaa Tahir
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A brilliant, unforgettable, and heart-wrenching contemporary novel about family and forgiveness, love and loss, in a sweeping story that crosses generations and continents.
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thieves by lucie bryon
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Ella and Madeleine don’t know it yet, but they’re about to embark on the strangest romantic adventure of their lives, and it’s not just their hearts that are getting stolen in this laugh-out-loud, capering graphic novel.
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This book is available in our physical collection.
jackal by erin e. adams
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A young Black girl goes missing in the woods outside her white Rust Belt town. But she's not the first--and she may not be the last. It's watching. It's Get Out meets The Vanishing Half.
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LOVE AFTER THE END: AN ANTHOLOGY OF TWO-SPIRIT and indigIqueer speculative fiction edited by joshua whitehead
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This story collection showcases a number of new and emerging Two-Spirit and queer Indigenous writers from across Turtle Island. These visionary authors show how queer Indigenous communities can bloom and thrive through utopian narratives that detail the vivacity and enduring strength of 2SQness throughout its plight in the maw of settler colonialism's histories.
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This book is available in our physical collection.
drawing the vote by tommy jenkins
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Author Tommy Jenkins traces this history from the earliest steps toward democracy during the American Revolution, to the upheaval caused by the Civil War, the fight for women's suffrage, the Civil Rights movement, the election of an African American president, and the control by a Republican majority. Along the way, Jenkins identifies events and trends that led to the unprecedented results of the 2016 presidential election that left Americans wondering, 'how did this happen?'"
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This book is available in our physical collection (catch it on our VOTE display) and on ebook.
ordinary monsters by j.m. miro
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England, 1882. In Victorian London, two children with mysterious powers are hunted by a figure of darkness —a man made of smoke. With lush prose, mesmerizing world-building, and a gripping plot, Ordinary Monsters presents a catastrophic vision of the Victorian world—and of the gifted, broken children who must save it.
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This book is available in our physical collection (catch it on our Boo! display).
book of night by holly black
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Charlie Hall works for magicians who are basically criminals. She has never found a lock she couldn't pick, a book she couldn't steal, and that makes her very valuable for the magicians who want to rob their fellow magicians. But when Charlie tries to distance herself from that life, she gets caught up in maelstrom of murder and lies. Up against a cast of doppelgängers, mercurial billionaires, magicians, and the people she loves the most, Charlie is determined to survive.
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Ain't burned all the bright by jason reynolds, illus. by jason griffin
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A gripping and emotional story of a Black family living through the beginning stages of COVID-19 and the BLM movement . It's a blend of art and text that illustrates finding hope in the “little things”.
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QUEER DUCKS (AND OTHER ANIMALS) by ELIOT SCHREFER illus., JULES ZUCKERBERG
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In sharp and witty prose—aided by humorous comics from artist Jules Zuckerberg—Schrefer uses science, history, anthropology, and sociology to illustrate the diversity of sexual behavior in the animal world. Interviews with researchers in the field offer additional insights for readers and aspiring scientists.
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JULIET TAKES A BREATH by GABBY RIVERA + CELIA MOSCOTE
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For fans of Bloom and Spinning, critically-acclaimed writer Gabby Rivera (Marvel’s America) adapts her bestselling novel alongside artist Celia Moscote in an unforgettable queer coming-of-age story exploring race, identity and what it means to be true to your amazing self.
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This book is available in our physical collection, as well as in ebook.
TONTA by JAMIE HERNANDEZ
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In this graphic novel, teenager Tonta is staying for the weekend with her half-sister, the self-absorbed Vivian. At home, Tonta's stepfather is shot during a botched burglary, which leads to the discovery of family secrets that require Tonta to confront some unpleasant truths that she previously managed to suppress or remain ignorant of. Through it all, Tonta showcases Hernandez's brilliant talent for character, weaving a host of characters and milieus from his vast arsenal.
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This book is available in our physical collection.
amazona by Canizales
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Andrea, a young Indigenous Colombian woman, has returned to the land she calls home. Only nineteen years old, she comes to mourn her lost child. And she comes with another mission. Andrea has hidden a camera upon herself. If she can capture evidence of the illegal mining that displaced her family, it will mark the first step toward reclaiming their land. This socially conscious thriller from graphic novelist Canizales examines the injustices of his home country in a stark, distinctive style.
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This book is available in our physical collection, as well as in ebook.
UNEARTHED by lilliam revera + STEPH C
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This poignant and heartfelt tale about the trials that immigrants face in America is crafted by Pura Belpré Honor-winning author Lilliam Rivera (Never Look Back) and rising illustrator Steph C. Their modern refresh of Jessica’s story shows the budding hero take on challenges that ordinary immigrant families face every day. As she struggles with a new reality in Coast City, Jessica must overcome her fear to become a beacon of hope for her community.
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This book is available in our physical collection, as well as in ebook.
MESSY ROOTS by LAURA GAO
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A deeply thoughtful, engaging, and funny graphic memoir about a young person exploring self, identity, and what it means to be a Wuhanese American amidst the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic. Gao beautifully illustrates a coming-of-age–making the basketball team, escaping Chinese school, and figuring out why girls make Gao’s heart flutter.
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WHERE TO CHECK IT OUT
This book is available in our physical collection, as well as in ebook.