Fall 2023 Reading Recommendations

9/9/23

As the days begin to darken and leaves change, cozy up with a book featuring inspiring protagonists.

The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln by Deborah Marinelli

Vividly recounts the days leading up to Lincoln’s murder, the political and social context of the time, and the minds of those involved. With a combination of intrigue and historical fact, a candid look into the public and private response to these crimes provides fascinating reading for all young adults interested in history and politics. 

Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Philip Hoose

On March 2, 1955, an impassioned teenager, fed up with the daily injustices of Jim Crow segregation, refused to give her seat to a white woman on a segregated bus. Instead of being celebrated as Rosa Parks would be just nine months later, fifteen-year-old Claudette Colvin found herself shunned by her classmates and community. Undaunted, a year later she dared to challenge segregation again as a key plaintiff in the landmark case that struck down the segregation laws of Montgomery. The first in-depth account of an important yet largely unknown civil rights figure.

The Green Glass Sea by Ellen Klages

It is 1943, and 11-year-old Dewey Kerrigan is traveling west on a train to live with her scientist father, but no one, not her father nor the military guardians who accompany her, will tell her exactly where he is. When she reaches Los Alamos, New Mexico, she learns why: he's working on a top-secret government program. The infamous Manhattan Project.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. The first “immortal” human cells grown in culture, are still alive today. HeLa cells were vital for developing the polio vaccine; uncovered secrets of cancer, viruses, and the atomic bomb’s effects…Yet Henrietta Lacks remains virtually unknown, buried in an unmarked grave.

Henrietta’s family did not learn of her “immortality” until more than twenty years after her death. And though the cells had launched a multimillion-dollar industry, her family never saw any of the profits. This book captures the beauty and drama of scientific discovery, as well as its human consequences.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Dante can swim. Ari can't. Dante is articulate and self-assured. Ari has a hard time with words and suffers from self-doubt. Dante gets lost in poetry and art. Ari gets lost in thoughts of his older brother who is in prison. Dante is fair-skinned. Ari's features are much darker. It seems that a boy like Dante, with his open and unique perspective on life, would be the last person to break down the walls that Ari has built around himself. But against all odds, when Ari and Dante meet, they develop a special bond.

The Stars Beneath Our Feet by David Barclay Moore

Lolly tries to steer a safe path through the projects in Harlem in the wake of his brother’s death. His mother’s girlfriend brings him a gift that will change everything: two enormous bags filled with Legos. Lolly’s always loved Legos, and he prides himself on following the kit instructions exactly. Now, faced with a pile of building blocks and no instructions, his path isn’t clear—and the pressure to join a “crew,” as his brother did, is always there. But building a fantastical Lego city at the community center provides Lolly with an escape—and an unexpected bridge back to the world.

Ghost (Track #1) by Jason Reynolds

Running. That's all that Ghost (real name Castle Cranshaw) has ever known. But never for a track team. Nope, his game has always been ball. But when Ghost impulsively challenges an elite sprinter to a race—and wins—the Olympic medalist track coach sees he has something: crazy natural talent. Thing is, Ghost has something else: a lot of anger, and a past that he is trying to outrun. Can Ghost harness his raw talent for speed and meld with the team, or will his past finally catch up to him?

Restart by Gordon Korman

Chase doesn't remember falling off the roof. He doesn't remember hitting his head. He doesn't, in fact, remember anything. He wakes up in a hospital room and suddenly has to learn his whole life all over again . . . starting with his own name. He knows he's Chase. But who is Chase? When he gets back to school, he sees that different kids have very different reactions to his return. Some kids treat him like a hero. Some kids are clearly afraid of him. Pretty soon, it's not only a question of who Chase is--it's a question of who he was . . . and who he's going to be.

Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling

Aven Green loves to tell people that she lost her arms in an alligator wrestling match or a wildfire in Tanzania, but the truth is she was born without them. And when her parents take a job running Stagecoach Pass, a rundown western theme park in Arizona, Aven moves with them across the country knowing that she’ll have to answer the question over and over again. Her new life takes an unexpected turn when she bonds with Connor, and they discover a room at Stagecoach Pass that holds bigger secrets than Aven ever could have imagined.