Chapter One with HPL: Recent Episodes
Houston Library
Join us for first chapter reads from awesome titles for tweens and teens. All titles are available from our collection so visit www.houstonlibrary.org today! Publisher permission obtained for all readings.
Twelve tales, twelve dangerous tales of mystery, magic, and rebellious hearts. Each twists like a spindle to reveal truths full of warning and triumph, truths that free hearts long kept tame, truths that explore life, and death. A prince has a surprising awakening. A beauty fights like a beast. A boy refuses to become prey. A path to happiness is lost, then found again. New York Times bestselling author Soman Chainani respins old stories into fresh fairy tales for a new era and creates a world like no other. These stories know you. They understand you. They reflect you. They are tales for our times. So read on, if you dare. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
A cat-and-mouse game that can only end in bloodshed.Esha lost everything in the royal coup—and as the legendary rebel known as the Viper, she's made the guilty pay. Now she's been tasked with her most important mission to date: taking down the ruthless General Hotha. Kunal has been a soldier since childhood. His uncle, the general, has ensured that Kunal never strays from the path—even as a part of Kunal longs to join the outside world, which has only been growing more volatile. When Esha and Kunal's paths cross one fated night, an impossible chain of events unfolds. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Katherin Tegen Books, an imprint of
When the Sudanese civil war reaches his village in 1985, eleven-year-old Salva becomes separated from his family and must walk with other Dinka tribe members through southern Sudan, Ethiopia, and Kenya in search of safe haven. Based on the life of Salva Dut, who, after emigrating to America in 1996, began a project to dig water wells in Sudan. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library's catalog.
When her beloved cousin goes missing after a May Day celebration, sixteen-year-old Ivy discovers that both her cousin and her hometown in the Missouri Ozarks are as full of secrets as the woods that surround them. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
A tale based on true events follows the coming-of-age of a girl who is motivated by an act of racism at school to learn about her ancestral heritage and her grandparents' experiences as lost children during the Korean War. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Belly spends the summer she turns sixteen at the beach just like every other summer of her life, but this time things are very different. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Aladdin, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Skye Shin has heard it all. Fat girls shouldn't dance. Wear bright colors. Shouldn't call attention to themselves. But Skye dreams of joining the glittering world of K-Pop, and to do that, she's about to break all the rules that society, the media, and even her own mother, have set for girls like her. She'll challenge thousands of other performers in an internationally televised competition looking for the next K-pop star, and she'll do it better than anyone else. When Skye nails her audition, she's immediately swept into a whirlwind of countless practices, shocking performances, and the drama that comes with reality TV. What she doesn't count on are the highly fat-phobic beauty standards of the Korean pop entertainment industry, her sudden media fame, and scrutiny, or the sparks that soon fly with her fellow competitor, Henry Cho. But Skye has her sights on becoming the world's first plus-sized K-pop star, and that means winning the competition, without losing herself. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Mia and Jake have known each other their whole lives. They've endured summer vacations, Sunday brunches, even dentist visits together. Their mothers, who are best friends, are convinced that Mia and Jake would be the perfect couple, even though they can't stand to be in the same room together. After Mia's mom turns away yet another cute boy, Mia and Jake decide they've have had enough. Together, they hatch a plan to get their moms off their backs. Permanently. All they have to do is pretend to date and then stage the worst breakup of all time -- and then they'll be free. The only problem is, maybe Jake and Mia don't hate each other as much as they once thought... This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Swoon, an imprint of Macmillan. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Silver Batal, a young desert-dweller, dreams of becoming a water dragon racer, and when she befriends a rare dragon that can swim and fly, she may just get her chance. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Square Fish, an imprint of Macmillan. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
When seventeen-year-old Ginny receives a packet of mysterious envelopes from her favorite aunt, she leaves New Jersey to criss-cross Europe on a sort of scavenger hunt that transforms her life. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
In 1868, with his army officer father suddenly posted to India, and his mother mysteriously "unwell," fourteen-year-old Sherlock Holmes is sent to stay with his eccentric uncle and aunt in their vast house in Hampshire, where he uncovers his first murder and a diabolical villain. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Farrar, Straus & Giroux, an imprint of Macmillan. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Two years ago Louise le Blanc fled her coven and took shelter in the city of Cesarine, forsaking all magic. Sworn to the Church as a Chasseur, Reid Diggory has lived by one principle: Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. Then a wicked stunt forces the two into holy matrimony. Lou is unable to ignore her growing feelings, yet powerless to change what she is. A choice must be made... and love makes fools of us all. -- Adapted from jacket. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
After twelve-year-old Lark, determined to escape her squalid life, steals a magical sword from the Royal Museum, she reluctantly becomes the next Nightingale, destined to vanquish an ancient evil. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Atheneum, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
A lengthy California drought escalates to catastrophic proportions, turning Alyssa's quiet suburban street into a warzone, and she is forced to make impossible choices if she and her brother are to survive. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of S&S Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
While running a spy network from their elementary school, five unpopular misfits combine their talents and use cutting-edge gadgetry to fight evil around the world. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Amulet Books, an imprint of ABRAMS. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
High school senior Tanner Scott has hidden his bisexuality since his family moved to Utah, but he falls hard for Sebastian, a Mormon mentoring students in a writing seminar Tanner's best friend convinced him to take. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Published with permission of Simon & Schuster. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
While his human Elliot adjusts to his new home and stepfamily, Gizmo, an evil genius guinea pig, searches for a new evil lair where he can plot to take over the world, but Gizmo is constantly thwarted by Elliot's little stepsister Jasmine (who likes to play dress-up), Abuela (who may or may not like to eat cavies), and Wedgie (a Corgi superhero and Gizmo's nemesis). This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Self-proclaimed fat girl Willowdean Dickson (dubbed "Dumplin'" by her former beauty queen mom) has always been at home in her own skin. Her thoughts on having the ultimate bikini body? Put a bikini on your body. With her all-American beauty best friend, Ellen, by her side, things have always worked... until Will takes a job at Harpy's, the local fast-food joint. There she meets Private School Bo, a hot former jock. Will isn't surprised to find herself attracted to Bo. But she is surprised when he seems to like her back. Instead of finding new heights of self-assurance in her relationship with Bo, Will starts to doubt herself. So she sets out to take back her confidence by doing the most horrifying thing she can imagine: entering the Miss Clover City beauty pageant -- along with several other unlikely candidates -- to show the world that she deserves to be up there as much as any twiggy girl does. Along the way, she'll shock the hell out of Clover City -- and maybe herself most of all.
This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
In the aftermath of a major earthquake, eleven-year-old Maya overcomes her own fear to help others at home and in northeast Japan, where a tsunami caused great damage. Includes author's note about the facts behind the story.
This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Atheneum, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Seventeen-year-old Kim gets more than she bargained for when she is set up for murder. Perfect for fans of One of Us is Lying, E. Lockhart, and Gillian Flynn. 17-year-old Kim never expected to plot a murder. But that was before her boyfriend dumped her for another girl. Now, Kim's stuck on a class trip to London with him and his new soulmate and she can't help wishing he was a little bit dead, even if she'd never really do that. But when Kim meets Nicki, a stranger on the plane who's more than willing to listen to Kim's woes, things start to look up. Nicki's got a great sense of humor, and when she jokes about swapping murders, Kim plays along, that is, until Kim's ex-boyfriend mysteriously dies. Blackmailed by Nicki to fulfill her end of the deal, Kim will have to commit a murder or take the fall for one.
This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Sixth-graders Sara, a Pakistani American, and Elizabeth, a Jewish girl, connect in an after school cooking club and bond over food and their mothers' struggles to become United States citizens.
This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
As plague ravages the overcrowded Earth, observed by a ruthless lunar people, Cinder, a gifted mechanic and cyborg, becomes involved with handsome Prince Kai and must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect the world in this futuristic take on the Cinderella story.
This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Macmillan. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Given his lifetime assignment at the Ceremony of Twelve, Jonas becomes the receiver of memories shared by only one other in his community and discovers the terrible truth about the society in which he lives.
This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library Catalog.
You may think you know the story. Penniless orphan Jane Eyre begins a new life as a governess at Thornfield Hall, where she meets one dark, brooding Mr. Rochester--and, Reader, she marries him. Or does she? Prepare for an adventure of Gothic proportions, in which all is not as it seems, a certain gentleman is hiding more than skeletons in his closets, and orphan Jane Eyre, aspiring author Charlotte Bronte, and supernatural investigator Alexander Blackwood are about to be drawn together on the most epic ghost hunt this side of Wuthering Heights.
This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Left stranded in the Amazon jungle when their plane crashes on their way back to England from Manaus, Brazil, four children struggle to survive for days until one of them finds a map that leads them to a ruined city and a secret hidden among the vines.
This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Simon & Schuster. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn't play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone's business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he's been emailing, will be compromised. With some messy dynamics emerging in his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon's junior year has suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated. Now, change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he's pushed out -- without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he's never met. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
The haunted season has arrived in the Antler Wood. No fox kit is safe. When Mia and Uly are separated from their litters, they discover a dangerous world full of monsters. In order to find a den to call home, they must venture through field and forest, facing unspeakable things that dwell in the darkness: a zombie who hungers for their flesh, a witch who tries to steal their skins, a ghost who hunts them through the snow . . . and other things too scary to mention. Featuring eight interconnected stories and sixteen hauntingly beautiful illustrations, "Scary Stories for Young Foxes" contains the kinds of adventures and thrills you love to listen to beside a campfire in the dark of night. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Henry Holt, an imprint of Macmillan. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Ali lives in Bed-Stuy, a Brooklyn neighborhood known for guns and drugs, but he and his sister, Jazz, and their neighbors, Needles and Noodles, stay out of trouble until they go to the wrong party, where one gets badly hurt and another leaves with a target on his back. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Atheneum, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Thirteen-year-old Amari, a poor Black girl from the projects, gets an invitation from her missing brother to join the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs and join in the fight against an evil magician. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
"In the Jim Crow South, white supremacy reigns and tensions are high. But Evalene Deschamps has other things to worry about. She has two little sisters to look after, an overworked single mother, and a longtime crush who is finally making a move. On top of all that, Evvie's magic abilities are growing stronger by the day. Her family calls it jubilation--a gift passed down from generations of black women since the time of slavery. And as Evvie's talents waken, something dark comes loose and threatens to resurface...AND when the demons of Evvie's past finally shake free, she must embrace her mighty lineage, and summon the power that lies within her."-- Publisher's description.
This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Simon & Schuster. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
"It's 1963, and things are changing for Jezebel Turner. Her beloved grandmother has just passed away. The local police deputy won't stop harassing her family. With school integration arriving in South Carolina, Jez and her twin brother, Jay, are about to begin the school year with a bunch of new kids. But the biggest change comes when Jez and Jay turn eleven and their uncle, Doc, tells them he's going to train them in rootwork. Jez and Jay have always been fascinated by the African American folk magic that has been the legacy of their family for generations--especially the curious potions and powders Doc and Gran would make for the people on their island. But Jez soon finds out that her family's true power goes far beyond small charms and elixirs... and not a moment too soon"-- Provided by publisher.
This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Walden Pond Press, an imprint of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
"To discover the truth behind her mother's mysterious death, a teen girl infiltrates a magical secret society claiming to be the descendants of King Arthur and his knights"-- Provided by publisher.
This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Margaraet K. McElderry, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
"Twelve-year-old Tad navigates a year filled with girl problems, school antics, and the worst summer job in history, all told in the form of hilarious, illustrated blog entries"-- Provided by publisher.
This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
"On a hot day in July 1919, five black youths went swimming in Lake Michigan, unintentionally floating close to the "white" beach. An angry white man began throwing stones at the boys, striking and killing one. Racial conflict on the beach erupted into days of urban violence that shook the city of Chicago to its foundations. This mesmerizing narrative draws on contemporary accounts as it traces the roots of the explosion that had been building for decades in race relations, politics, business, and clashes of culture."
This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Clarion, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
After receiving a wooden puzzle box at a town festival, twelve-year-old Kallie figures out how to open the box and finds that her fate seems to be connected to a young bone carver from another time. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Square Fish, an imprint of Macmillan.
Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
"Elliot North fights to save her family's land and her own heart in this post-apocalyptic reimaging of Jane Austen's PERSUASION"-- Provided by publisher. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Told from three viewpoints, Audrey, Grace, and Harlow come together at their annual town carnival to heal and reconnect after a tragedy. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Aladdin Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Irreverent, foul-mouthed, seventeen-year-old Cricket Cherpin, living under the watchful eye of Mother Mary at a Catholic boys' home in Maine, has such bleak prospects he is considering suicide when Wynona Bidaban steps into his world. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of HMH Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
When petty thief Gilly, who lives with five younger brothers and sisters in a run-down boot, gets caught stealing, she is sentenced to three months at Fairy Tale Reform School, where all of the teachers are former villains, including the Big Bad Wolf, the Evil Queen, and Cinderella's Wicked Stepmother. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
For Sophie, small-town life has never felt small. With her four best friends, she can weather any storm. But when Sophie's beloved Acadia High School marching band is selected to march in the upcoming Rose Parade, it's her job to get them all the way to LA. Her plan? To persuade country singer Megan Pleasant, their Midwestern town's only claim to fame, to come back to Acadia to headline a fundraising festival. The only problem is that Megan has very publicly sworn never to return. What ensues is a journey filled with long-kept secrets, hidden heartbreaks, and revelations that could change everything along with a possible fifth best friend: a new guy with a magnetic smile and secrets of his own. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Macmillan. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
In the historic town of Norvelt, Pennsylvania, twelve-year-old Jack Gantos spends the summer of 1962 grounded for various offenses until he is assigned to help an elderly neighbor with a most unusual chore involving the newly dead, molten wax, twisted promises, Girl Scout cookies, underage driving, lessons from history, typewriting, and countless bloody noses. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Macmillan. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Soraya, a princess cursed to be poisonous to the touch, has lived eighteen years in the shadows but as her twin brother's wedding approaches, she faces choices with unimaginable consequences. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Flatiron, an imprint of Macmillan. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
"Jack, 12, tells the gripping story of Joseph, 14, who joins his family as a foster child. Damaged in prison, Joseph wants nothing more than to find his baby daughter, Jupiter, whom he has never seen. When Joseph has begun to believe he'll have a future, he is confronted by demons from his past that force a tragic sacrifice"-- Provided by publisher. This title is intended for tweens however it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
After her mother dies, Lina travels to Italy where she discovers her mother's journal and sets off on an adventure to unearth her mother's secrets.- Provided by publisher. This title is intended for teens and may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Simon & Schuster. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
For most of Tony Gilbert's life, he has thought of his uncle as "Weird Uncle Charlie." That is, until Uncle Charlie moves in with Tony and his family. Uncle Charlie is still odd, of course--talking about spirits and other supernatural stuff--but he and Tony become fast friends, and Tony ends up having a lot of fun with Uncle Charlie. When Uncle Charlie dies suddenly, Tony is devastated. Then he starts seeing Uncle Charlie everywhere! It doesn't help that Tony switched schools--it was Uncle Charlie's dying wish that Tony attend the Penda School, where Uncle Charlie himself went as a kid. The Penda School is eerie enough without his uncle's ghost making it worse. On top of that, rumors have been circulating about a student who went missing shortly before Tony arrived. Could that somehow be related to Uncle Charlie's ghost? This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Two Exes. One holiday adventure. Merry Ex-Mas? Seventeen-year-old Lila Beckwith's parents just left for vacation, and Lila's all set to throw the holiday party of the season. But when her Christmas-obsessed little brother, Cooper, discovers that global warming is melting the North Pole, he and his best friend, Tyler, take off on a runaway mission to save Santa. Lila has to get Cooper safely home before her parents get back on Christmas Eve. But the only person who can help her is Tyler's older brother, Beau -- a.k.a. Lila's musician, anti-everything ex-boyfriend.. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Simon & Schuster. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
During the summer of 1971 in a small Texas town, thirteen-year-old Toby and his best friend Cal meet the star of a sideshow act, 600-pound Zachary, the fattest boy in the world. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Square Fish, an imprint of Macmillan. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Betrothed since childhood to the prince of Mynaria, Princess Dennaleia has always known what her future holds. Her marriage will seal the alliance between Mynaria and her homeland, protecting her people from other hostile kingdoms. But Denna has a secret. She possesses an Affinity for fire--a dangerous gift for the future queen of a land where magic is forbidden. Now Denna has to learn the ways of her new kingdom while trying to hide her growing magic. To make matters worse, she must learn to ride Mynaria's formidable warhorses before her coronation--and her teacher is the person who intimidates her most, the prickly and unconventional Princess Amaranthine, sister of her betrothed. When a shocking assassination leaves the kingdom reeling, Mare and Denna reluctantly join forces to search for the culprit. As the two work together, they discover there is more to one another than they thought--and soon their friendship is threatening to blossom into something more. But with dangerous conflict brewing that makes the alliance more important than ever, acting on their feelings could be deadly. Forced to choose between their duty and their hearts, Mare and Denna must find a way to save their kingdoms--and each other.
This title is intended for teens and may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of HarperCollins. Click hereto see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Accompanied by an eccentric, human-sized rat, Liza embarks on a perilous quest through an underground realm to save her brother Patrick, whose soul has been stolen by the evilest of creatures--the spider-like spindlers. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Seventeen-year-old Ali is simultaneously swept up in a whirlwind romance and down a rabbit hole of family secrets when another Taiwanese family moves into tiny, predominantly-white, Plainhart, Indiana. The only Asian person at her school in Plainhart, Indiana, Ali Chu ignores the clueless racism from her classmates and teachers. When Chase Yu's family arrives in town, Ali tries to ignore the 'they belong together' whispers, but they develop a friendship rooted in competitive martial arts, joking in two languages, and, most importantly, pushing back against the discrimination they face. When Ali's mom forces her to end the friendship, she uncovers secrets about her family and Chase that force her to question everything she thought she knew about life, love, and her unknowable future. -- adapted from jacket. This title is intended for teens and may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Simon & Schuster. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
When eleven-year-old Abi moves with her father and new stepfamily into an eerie old house, something magical makes her books more real and brings a not-so-imaginary friend to stepbrother Louis. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Simon & Schuster. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Zuri Benitez has pride. Brooklyn pride, family pride, and pride in her Afro-Latino roots. But pride might not be enough to save her rapidly gentrifying neighborhood from becoming unrecognizable. When the wealthy Darcy family moves in across the street, Zuri wants nothing to do with their two teenage sons, even as her older sister, Janae, starts to fall for the charming Ainsley. She especially can't stand the judgmental and arrogant Darius. Yet as Zuri and Darius are forced to find common ground, their initial dislike shifts into an unexpected understanding. But with four wild sisters pulling her in different directions, cute boy Warren vying for her attention, and college applications hovering on the horizon, Zuri fights to find her place in Bushwick's changing landscape, or lose it all. In a timely update of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, critically acclaimed author Ibi Zoboi skillfully balances cultural identity, class, and gentrification against the heady magic of first love in her vibrant reimagining of this beloved classic. This title is intended for teens and may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
While spending the summer at their grandmother's Vermont inn, two prankster siblings awaken young ghosts from the inn's distant past who refuse to "rest in peace." This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Summer, 1518. A strange sickness sweeps through Strasbourg: women dance in the streets, some until they fall down dead. As rumors of witchcraft spread, suspicion turns toward Lavinia and her family, and Lavinia may have to do the unimaginable to save herself and everyone she loves. Five centuries later, a pair of red shoes seal to Rosella Oliva's feet, making her dance uncontrollably. They draw her toward a boy who knows the dancing fever's history better than anyone: Emil, whose family was blamed for the fever five hundred years ago. But there's more to what happened in 1518 than even Emil knows, and discovering the truth may decide whether Rosella survives the red shoes. - from the publisher. This title is intended for teens and may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Feiwel & Friends, an imprint of Macmillan. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Charlotte struggles to adjust when her mother moves the family to Walnut Grove, Minnesota, the small, boring town where pioneer author Laura Ingalls Wilder grew up, in hopes of finding inspiration for her writing career. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Square Fish, an imprint of Macmillan. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Inspired by myth and folklore, bestselling author Leigh Bardugo has crafted a collection of short stories filled with betrayals, revenge, sacrifice, and love. Love speaks in flowers. Truth requires thorns. Travel to a world of dark bargains struck by moonlight, of haunted towns and hungry woods, of talking beasts and gingerbread golems, where a young mermaid's voice can summon deadly storms and where a river might do a lovestruck boy's bidding but only for a terrible price. Perfect for fans familiar with the Grishaverse, or those just arriving. - adapted from School Library Journal Review. This title is intended for teens and may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Macmillan. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library Catalog.
Privately questioning her remote community's superstitions about dangerous powerful spirits in their Devil's Alley home, Cecelia Rios experiments with the forbidden art of brujería to rescue her kidnapped sister. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Ever since she got pregnant freshman year, Emoni Santiago has been doing what has to be done for her daughter and her abuela. The one place she can let all that go is in the kitchen, where she adds a little something magical to everything she cooks, turning her food into straight-up goodness. She dreams of working as a chef after she graduates, but knows that is impossible. But once Emoni starts cooking, her only choice is to let her talent break free. -- adapted from jacket. This title is intended for teens and may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Twelve-year-old Theo uses arcane knowledge and her own special talent when she encounters two secret societies, one sworn to protect the world from ancient Egyptian magic and one planning to harness it to bring chaos to the world, both of which want a valuable artifact stolen from the London museum for which her parents work. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Click here to see this title in Houston Public Library's catalog.
Rosario, Argentina. At home Camila Hassan lives within her mother's narrow expectations, her soccer-star brother's shadow, and under the abusive rule of her short-tempered father. On the field, she is La Furia, a powerhouse of skill and talent. When her team qualifies for the South American tournament, Camila dreams of getting an athletic scholarship to a North American university. But her parents wouldn't allow a girl to play fúbol-- and she needs their permission to go any farther. Can she make her way in a world with no place for the dreams and ambition of a girl like her? -- adapted from jacket. This title is intended for teens and may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Workman Publishing Co., an imprint of Algonquin Young Readers. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
When Ivan, a gorilla who has lived for years in a down-and-out circus-themed mall, meets Ruby, a baby elephant that has been added to the mall, he decides that he must find her a better life. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
A headless horseman haunts Sleep Hollow. At least that's the legend in the tiny village of Tarrytown. But scary stories won't stop the town's new schoolmaster, Ichabod Crane, from crossing through the Hollow, especially when the beautiful Katrina lives on the other side. Will Ichabod win over his beloved or discover that the legend of Sleepy Hollow is actually true?
This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
In 1930s Alabama, twelve-year-old Hoodoo Hatcher is the only member of his family who seems unable to practice folk magic, but when a mysterious man called the Stranger puts the entire town at risk from his black magic, Hoodoo must learn to conjure to defeat him.
This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Clarion, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Still feeling broken after her family's battle in Los Lagos, Lula invokes a dark spell to bring her boyfriend and others back after a fatal bus crash, but unwittingly raises an army of hungry, half-dead casimuertos, instead.
This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Sourcebooks Fire. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Nobody Owens is a normal boy, except that he has been raised by ghosts and other denizens of the graveyard... This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
A thrilling reimagining of Shakespeare's Hamlet, The Steep and Thorny Way tells the story of a murder most foul and the mighty power of love and acceptance in a state gone terribly rotten. 1920s Oregon is not a welcoming place for Hanalee Denney, the daughter of a white woman and an African-American man. She has almost no rights by law, and the Ku Klux Klan breeds fear and hatred in even Hanalee's oldest friendships. Plus, her father, Hank Denney, died a year ago, hit by a drunk-driving teenager. Now her father's killer is out of jail and back in town, and he claims that Hanalee's father wasn't killed by the accident at all but, instead, was poisoned by the doctor who looked after him—who happens to be Hanalee's new stepfather. The only way for Hanalee to get the answers she needs is to ask Hank himself, a "haint" wandering the roads at night.
This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of ABRAMS. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
April didn't mean to start the fire. She wasn’t the one who broke the vase. April didn’t ask to go live in a big, creepy mansion with a bunch of orphans who just don't understand that April isn’t like them. After all, April’s mother is coming back for her someday very soon.
All April has to do is find the clues her mother left inside the massive mansion. But Winterborne House is hiding more than one secret, so April and her friends are going to have to work together to unravel the riddle of a missing heir, a creepy legend, and a mysterious key before the only home they’ve ever known is lost to them forever.
This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
The Torres sisters dream of escape - from their despotic father and from the oppressive traditions and expectations of belonging to an old San Antonio family. Then the eldest sister dies, Ana, leaving her younger sisters, Jessica, Iridian, and Rosa feeling as though escape is forever out of reach. But then odd things begin to occur around the house - mysterious laughter and shadows, writing on the walls. Maybe Ana isn't really gone after all... This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive.. Recorded with permission of Algonquin Young Readers, an imprint of Workman Publishing. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
When her grandmother dies, Suraya inherits her pelesit - a ghostly demon who helps Suraya feel not quite so lonely. But pelesit can bring danger as well as hope... This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Dr. Moreau's daughter, Juliet, travels to her estranged father's island, only to encounter murder, medical horrors, and a love triangle. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Twelve-year-old Latinx Zoey navigates the tricky waters of friendship and family while searching for a way to save her grandfather's bowling alley from closing.-- Provided by publisher. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of S&S Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Pulled from the streets at age twelve and trained to become one of the most powerful assassins in Sumerand, Aina Solís discovers a conspiracy that could rewrite the kingdom's history and her own future. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of St. Martin's Press, an imprint of Macmillan. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Told in verse and using the folk hero Rosa la Bayamesa, acclaimed poet Margarita Engle gives us another gripping, breathtaking account of a tumultuous period in Cuban history. (from the publisher) This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Square Fish, an Imprint of Macmillan. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Five years ago, Wren died for 178 minutes. When she awoke as a Reboot she quickly became the best in her elite crimefighting unit. Life as a Reboot is good; she's got friends and a purpose... until she's given an order she can't obey. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in Houston Public Library's catalog.
After his cousin is murdered by a drug cartel, twelve-year-old Jaime must make the treacherous journey from his home in Guatemala to his older brother in New Mexico. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of S&S Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Growing up in a Victorian mansion in the middle of the woods with her cold, distant father, Lucy explored the dark hallways of the estate with her cousin, Margaret. They're inseparable--a family. When her aunt Penelope, the only mother she's ever known, tragically disappears while walking in the woods surrounding their estate, Lucy finds herself devastated and alone. Margaret has been spending a lot of time in the attic. She claims she can hear her dead mother's voice whispering from the walls. Emotionally shut out by her father, Lucy watches helplessly as her cousin's sanity slowly unravels. But when she begins hearing voices herself, Lucy finds herself confronting an ancient and deadly legacy that has marked the women in her family for generations. - from the publisher. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Harlequin Teen, an imprint of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Visiting her grandmother in Australia, Livy, ten, is reminded of the promise she made five years before to Bob, a strange, green creature who cannot recall who or what he is. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Feiwel & Friends, an imprint of Macmillan. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
What if you aren't the Chosen One? The one who's supposed to fight the zombies, or the soul-eating ghosts, or whatever the heck this new thing is, with the blue lights and the death? What if you're like Mikey? Who just wants to graduate and go to prom and maybe finally work up the courage to ask Henna out before someone goes and blows up the high school. Again. Because sometimes there are problems bigger than this week's end of the world, and sometimes you just have to find the extraordinary in your ordinary life. Even if your best friend is worshipped by mountain lions. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of HarperTeen an imprint of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
An old red oak tree tells how he and his crow friend, Bongo, help their human neighbors get along after a threat against an immigrant family is carved into the tree's trunk. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Read with permission of Macmillan. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Eighteen-year-old Muslims Adam and Zayneb meet in Doha, Qatar, during spring break and fall in love as both struggle to find a way to live their own truths. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Salaam Reads, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Molly and Michael dislike their spooky new stepsister Heather but realize that they must try to save her when she seems ready to follow a ghost child to her doom. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Clarion and imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
When her friend Monday Charles goes missing and Monday's mother refuses to give her a straight answer, Claudia digs into her disappearance. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
It's WWII. Nazis are bombing London nightly and children are being evacuated to Canada. But evacuation has it's own dangers and Ken finds himself in a fight to survive. Based on real events and people. This novel is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
In this prequel to Alice in Wonderland, Cath would rather open a bakery and marry for love than accept a proposal from the King of Hearts, especially after meeting the handsome and mysterious court jester. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Macmillan. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
At an English boarding school in the 1930s, crime-solving friends Hazel Wong and Daisy Wells struggle to find an exciting mystery to investigate until Hazel discovers the dead body of Miss Bell, the science teacher. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Simon & Schuster. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
After spending her summer running the family farm and training the quarterback for her school's rival football team, sixteen-year-old D.J. decides to go out for the sport herself, not anticipating the reactions of those around her. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
While waiting to leave Mars before it burns up just like the Earth before it, Liam and his friend Phoebe discover some facts about time and space and realize that the human race is just one of the races trying to survive in space. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Walden Pond Press, an imprint of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Xiomara Batista feels unheard and unable to hide in her Harlem neighborhood. Ever since her body grew into curves, Xiomara Batista has learned to let her fists and her fierceness do the talking. She pours all her frustration and passion onto the pages of a leather notebook, reciting the words to herself like prayers-- especially after she catches feelings for a boy in her bio class named Aman, who her family can never know about. Mami is determined to force her daughter to obey the laws of the church, and Xiomara understands that her thoughts are best kept to herself. When she is invited to join her school's slam poetry club, she can't stop thinking about performing her poems.
This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recording made with permission of HarperTeen, an imprint of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library Catalog.
A twelve-year-old girl discovers her father is the keeper of the gateway between our world and The Dark, and when he goes missing she'll need to unlock her own powers and fight a horde of spooky creatures set on starting a war. -- Provided by publisher.
This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Avoiding relationships to protect her sensitive heart, plus-sized Molly supports her once-cynical twin, Cassie, when the latter has her own bout of lovesickness, a situation that is complicated by sibling dynamics and an unexpected romantic triangle. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recording made with permission of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
The tale is told as if it’s happening once upon a dream: the lovely maiden meets her handsome prince in the woods. The story has been told many times and in many ways. But always the maiden finds out that she is a princess—a princess who has been cursed by a dark fairy to prick her finger on a spindle and fall into an eternal sleep. Though her three good fairies try to protect her, the princess succumbs to the curse. But the power of good endures, as her true love defeats the fire-breathing dragon and awakens the princess with true love’s first kiss. The two live happily ever after.
And yet this is only half the story. So what of the dark fairy, Maleficent? Why does she curse the innocent princess? What led to her becoming so filled with malice, anger, and hatred? Many tales have tried to explain her motives. Here is one account, pulled down from the many passed down through the ages. It is a tale of love and betrayal, of magic and reveries. It is a tale of the Mistress of All Evil.
This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Disney Press. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
As the partition of India nears in 1947 bringing violence even to Jalandhar, Tariq, a Muslim, finds himself caught between his forbidden interest in Anupreet, a Sikh girl, and Margaret, a British girl whose affection for him might help with his dream of studying at Oxford.
This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Simon & Schuster.
Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Melody isn't like her fellow students. She can't walk, talk, or write - all because she has cerebral palsy. What her classmates, teachers, and doctors don't know is that Melody is BRILLIANT; she can remember every detail of everything she's learned or experienced. In fact, she's the smartest kid in her school and she's determined to let everyone know...somehow.
This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Atheneum, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
As the heirs to opposing sides in a warring city, Kate Harker and Augustus Flynn should never have met. A Romeo and Juliet-esque fantasy about the difference between good and evil and the blurry gray area in between.
This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Told from separate viewpoints, as Finn, Emma, and Chess Greystone and Natalie Mayhew, ages eight to thirteen, continue their quest to rescue their mothers they must return to the alternate dimension where truth is illegal.
This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
The Amazing Maurice runs the perfect Pied Piper scam. This streetwise alley cat knows the value of cold, hard cash and can talk his way into and out of anything. But when Maurice and his cohorts decide to con the town of Bad Blinitz, it will take more than fast talking to survive the danger that awaits. For this is a town where food is scarce and rats are hated, where cellars are lined with deadly traps, and where a terrifying evil lurks beneath the hunger-stricken streets....
This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Rahul Kapoor is heading into seventh grade and the start of middle school is making him feel increasingly anxious. His grandfather Bhai, gives him some well-meaning advice: Find one thing you're really good at. And become the BEST at it. Those four little words sear themselves into Rahul's brain. But what if he discovers he isn't the best at anything? This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
In the early 1990s, when gay teenager Cameron Post rebels against her conservative Montana ranch town and her family decides she needs to change her ways, she is sent to a gay conversion therapy center. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Fifth-grade best friends Kenzie "Kenzilla" and Shelly "Bombshell" dream of becoming roller derby superstars one day, but when a junior league forms and they must recruit teammates, will their friendship survive? This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Amulet Books, an imprint of ABRAMS. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Two years younger than his classmates at a prestigious boarding school, fourteen-year-old Ryan Dean West grapples with living in the dorm for troublemakers, falling for his female best friend who thinks of him as just a kid, and playing wing on the Varsity rugby team with some of his frightening new dorm-mates. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Simon & Schuster. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Twelve-year-old Teddy investigates when a popular Texas zoo's star attraction--Henry the hippopotamus--is murdered. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Simon & Schuster. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Sawkill Rock is a small island with a dark secret; girls have disappeared for years, victims of shadowy evil hunting without a fight. Until now. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Seventeen-year-old Alice and her mother have spent most of Alice's life on the road, always a step ahead of the uncanny bad luck biting at their heels. But when Alice's grandmother, the reclusive author of a cult-classic book of pitch-dark fairy tales, dies alone on her estate, the Hazel Wood, Alice learns how bad her luck can really get. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Flatiron, an imprint of Macmillan. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
After researching Glenn Burke, the first major league baseball player to come out as gay, sixth-grader Silas Wade slowly comes out to his best friend Zoey, then his coach, with unexpected consequences. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Macmillan. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Hazel knows a lot about the world. That's because when she's not hanging with her best friend, taking care of her dog, or helping care for the goats on her family's farm, she loves reading through dusty encyclopedias. But even Hazel doesn't have answers for the questions awaiting her as she enters eighth grade! This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Lara Jean didn't expect to really fall for Peter; they were just pretending after all. Except suddenly they weren't. Now Lara Jean is more confused than ever and the situation becomes more complicated when a boy from her past returns to her life, and her feelings for him return too. Can a girl be in love with two boys at the same time? This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Simon & Schuster. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Bullied at school, eighth-grader Apple, a Filipino American who loves the music of the Beatles, decides to change her life by learning how to play the guitar. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
A local tech company is hosting a weekend-long survivalist competition with a huge cash prize. If the two team up-- and win-- It could solve all of Nate's problems, and Kate wants the money to escape her controlling father. Told in two voices, this novel follows Nate Jae-Woo Kim and Kate Anderson as they team up hoping to win the competition and the prize money. Sure, survival is important, but the real challenge? Making it through the weekend with their hearts intact. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Sourcebooks. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Sent with her mother to the safety of a relative's home in Cincinnati when her Syrian hometown is overshadowed by violence, Jude worries for the family members who were left behind as she adjusts to a new life with unexpected surprises. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
They're called parachutes: teenagers dropped off to live in private homes and study in the US while their wealthy parents remain in Asia. Claire Wang never thought she'd be one of them, until her parents pluck her from her privileged life in Shanghai and enroll her at a high school in California... This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Cilla Lee-Jenkins is 50% Chinese, 50% Caucasian, and 100% destined for literary greatness! In this middle grade novel, she shares stories about a new sibling, being biracial, and her destiny as a future author extraordinaire. Priscilla "Cilla" Lee-Jenkins is on a tight deadline. Her baby sister is about to be born, and Cilla needs to become a bestselling author before her family forgets all about her. So she writes about what she knows best―herself! (description from publisher) This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Square Fish, an imprint of Macmillan. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
A freshman at MIT, seventeen-year-old Mei Lu tries to live up to her Taiwanese parents' expectations, but no amount of tradition, obligation, or guilt prevent her from hiding several truths--that she is a germaphobe who cannot become a doctor, she prefers dancing to biology, she decides to reconnect with her estranged older brother, and she is dating a Japanese boy. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Simon Pulse, an imprint of Simon and Schuster. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library's catalog.
Told that they will have to move out of their Harlem brownstone just after Christmas, the five Vanderbeeker children, ages four to twelve, decide to change their reclusive landlord's mind. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library's catalog.
While staying at the remote and reputedly haunted Maine inn run by her father and pregnant stepmother, sixteen-year-old Cynda feels increasingly isolated from her father's new family and finds solace in the attentions of a charming but mysterious guest. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
- Elizabeth's mother works at Dresden Zoo, where her favorite animal is an elephant named Marlene. When the zoo director tells her the dangerous animals must be shot to prevent them running amok when the town is bombed, Elizabeth's mother moves Marlene into the back garden to save her. And then the bombs start to fall... This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Feiwel & Friends, an imprint of Macmillan. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Gwyneth comes from a special family. A family that passes that time-traveling gene through the female line. Her cousin, Charlotte, is supposed to be the gene bearer but a dizzy spell sends Gwyneth tumbling through time into a different era! Why did her mother lie about her birthday thus hiding her gene-bearing fate? Can she trust Gideon, a fellow time traveler? And how will she get back home? This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Macmillan.
Best friends Sophie and Agatha couldn't be more different and they're excited to start their fable training at the School for Good and Evil, where regular kids train to become the heroes and villains of legend. Sophie is certain she'll get top marks and follow in the footsteps of heroines like Rapunzel and Cinderella while Agatha is looking forward to villain classes. But when school starts they find their fortunes reversed! Is it a mistake? Or the first step in discovering who they're really meant to be? This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recording made with permission of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
First love, grief, and time travel help Jack realize that actions have consequences. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Katherine Tegan Books, an imprint of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Rory becomes convinced that he and his nemesis have become superheroes after they both turn green and land in the same hospital ward. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Walden Pond Press, an imprint of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Eight smuggled books and one teenage prisoner chosen to protect them, Librarian of Auschwitz is based on the true story of Dita Kraus. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Henry Holt, an imprint of Macmillan. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
A fantastic tale about a girl raised by a witch, a swamp monster, and a tiny dragon. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Algonquin Young Readers, an imprint of Workman Publishing Co. Click here to see this book in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Alex is the most powerful bruja in her witchy family, but she hates magic. When she casts a curse on herself to make her magic disappear it backfires and she must travel to Los Lagos, the land between, to rescue those she loves. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Sourcebooks Fire. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Eleven-year-old Jenae doesn't have any friends—and she's just fine with that. She's so good at being invisible in school, it's almost like she has a superpower, like her idol, Astrid Dane. Then a new student shows up at school—a boy named Aubrey with fiery red hair and a smile that won't quit. Jenae can't figure out why he keeps popping up everywhere she goes. The more she tries to push him away, the more he seems determined to be her friend. When the two are paired up for a class debate about the proposed name change for their school, Jenae knows this new friendship has an expiration date. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recording made with permission of Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
In this reimagining of the Snow White fairytale, Lorelai is an exiled princess who is being pursued by a magic-wielding prince serving as the personal huntsman for evil queen Irina, who has charged him with bringing her Lorelai's heart. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
In nineteenth-century Norway, fourteen-year-old Astri, whose aunt has sold her to a mean goatherder, dreams of joining her father in America. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Amulet Books, an imprint for ABRAMS. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
To catch her father's killer, eighteen-year-old Marguerite Caine's must travel into different dimensions and versions of herself. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of HarperTeen an imprint of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Twelve-year-old Coyote and her father rush to Poplin Springs, Washington, in their old school bus to save a memory box buried in a park that will soon be demolished. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Henry Holt, an imprint of Macmillan. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
History meets fantasy! In the fifteenth-century kingdom of Brittany, seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where she learns that the god of Death has blessed her with dangerous gifts--and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
From a young age Loma travels across fifteenth-century Spain with her grandfather who has the ear of the King and Queen and uses his influence to keep fellow Jews safe. But as she grows Loma begins to realize that helping her people may mean sacrificing her own dreams. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recording made with permission of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
This Stonewall Book Award Winning title follows Amanda, the new girl in school who has a secret and is determined not to get close to anyone. But when she falls for Grant, she wants to tell him everything about herself; including that at her old school she used to be Andrew. Can she trust Grant? Will sharing her true self cost her everything? This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Flatiron, an imprint of Macmillan. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Orphaned Mary Lennox comes to live in her uncles mansion filled with secrets and finds the gardens of the estate her only comfort. When she discovers a neglected, walled garden on the grounds locked with a missing key she recruits two unlikely allies to uncover the secrets of the garden and bring it back to life. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
This title was a National Book Award finalist and is inspired by the author's own experiences as a young Haitian immigrant. American Street follows Fabiola Toussaint in her search for une belle vie—a good life and her American dream. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recording made with permission of Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in Houston Public Library's Catalog.
Otto and Sheed are used to solving mysteries in their quirky Virginia town and as the summer comes to an end they wish for one more adventure. Then a mysterious man shows up with a camera that can stop time. Can Otto and Sheed save their town before time stops...permanently? This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recording made with permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Click here to see this title in Houston Public Library's catalog.
Matt's world fell apart when his mother died. His father can't handle the bills, so Matt has taken a job at the local funeral home to make ends meet. The job is good, and it pays better than the local Cluck Bucket, but it's the only thing going well in his life. Until he meets a unique girl named Lovely. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recording is made with permission of Simon & Schuster. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library's catalog.
Corinne La Mer isn't afraid of anything on her island home. She's not scared of bugs, or bullies, or even the jumbies - trickster spirits that live in the forest. But her courage is put to the test when a beautiful, mysterious stranger plans to claim the entire island for the jumbies. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recording made with permission of Algonquin Young Readers, an imprint of Workman Publishing Co. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
A girl dreams. Of new shoes. Going to university. Getting married. With a scholarship on the horizon, a girl's dreams are within reach until her village is attacked by Boko Haram terrorists and she is kidnapped along with many other women and girls. A girl and the other captives are forced to follow their kidnapper's radical beliefs and she sees her fellows slowly begin to lose themselves. But a girl is strong. A girl is fierce. A girl is determined to live her dreams.
Buried Beneath the Baobab Tree is based on interviews with young women who were kidnapped by Boko Haram. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recording is made with permission of Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
An ordinary family road trip takes a dangerous and intriguing turn for twins Coke and Pepsi when they're are chased off a cliff and begin to received coded messages. Who is after them? And what are The Genius Files?! This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recording made with permission of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library's catalog.
Daughter to two lines of powerful witchdoctors, Arrah's greatest wish is to uphold the family tradition of magic. But she has no magic of her own. When children begin to disappear from the Kingdom, Arrah makes a dark bargain in a desperate bid to find them and, in doing so, uncovers a dark scheme and deep betrayal. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recording made with permission of HarperTeen, an imprint of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Genie learns that bravery can mean many things when he and his older brother spend the summer with their grandparents. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Simon & Schuster. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
This historical fantasy turns English history on its head in an entertaining (if not entirely true) account of Lady Jane Grey. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Thirteen-year-old Lydia's life is turned upside down when she moves to her Aunt Brat's farm after her mother's death. Aunt Brat, her wife, and their elderly live-in landlord do their best to make Lydia feel welcome but she still doesn't feel like she has a place in her new life. Matters are made worse when her aunt rescues a big yellow dog - wasn't one stray enough? This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recording made with permission of Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library's catalog.
Sera Lighthaven has always been curious, a trait that sets her apart from the rest of the Cerulean who live in the City Above the Sky. When Sera is selected as the sacrifice to restore the magic of the tether that connects the City to the planet below, Sera begins to question everything she's been taught and everything she believes in. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of HarperTeen and imprint of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
The Unteachables are the misfits of the school and have been relegated to room 117 with the most burned-out teacher in the school, Mr. Kermit (whose attitude is worse than his students!) - what could go wrong? This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recording made with permission of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Bone Gap is a town where things go missing. So no one is overly surprised when Roza disappears but Finn knows this time is different. He knows Roza was kidnapped by someone dangerous. Someone he saw, but whose face he can't remember... This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Balzer + Bray and imprint of Harper Collins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Luke is the third child - the one who can't exist according to the Population Police, so he has been in hiding his entire life - he's never attended school, or met anyone outside his family. When he spies a girl's face in a neighboring house, a house where he knows two other children live, his life will never be the same. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recording made with permission of Simon & Schuster. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Best friends Miel and Sam are different (Miel has roses growing from her wrist and Sam decorates the town's trees with paintings of the moon) but they're fixtures of the small town they call home. When the Bonner sisters, rumored to be witches fixate on Miel and her roses their very existence is imperiled. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of St Martin's Griffin, an imprint of Macmillan. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen", Breadcrumbs follows Hazel in her quest to save her best friend who disappeared into the woods with a mysterious woman made of ice. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Tula was one the most outspoken abolitionists in 19th century Cuba - a dangerous position to hold. This novel in verse explores her fight against injustice both in society and in her personal life. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
It's 1951 and Pete Collison thinks he's just a regular kid from a regular family. That is until FBI agents show up at the front door accusing Pete's father of being a Communist. Is it true? This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recording is made with permission of Algonquin Young Readers. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
What would have happened to Ebenezer Scrooge if he hadn't mended his ways? Mean girl Holly Chase finds out the hard way! This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of HarperTeen. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Zoe has never met her father; he's been in prison her whole life. When a letter from him arrives on her twelfth birthday Zoe's world is turned upside down. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recording is made with permission of Katherine Tegen Books, an in Imprint of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Sorina has the power of illusion and can create illusions so powerful that other people can see, hear, and touch her creations. When one of her illusions is murdered, Sorina must discover who the killer is and how they managed to murder a person that - technically - doesn't exist. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Harlequin Teen. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Baseball + Family Obligations + One Large Rhino = A fun, funny coming of age tale! This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recording made with permission of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Nalah and her girl gang rule the night of Mega City, but Nalah dreams of living in Mega Tower where only the chosen few dwell. In order to realize her dream Nalah may have to do something unthinkable. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recording is made with permission of Simon & Schuster. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
This title in the Star Darlings series follows Libby, a sweet peace-making girl who must gain self-confidence to succeed at Star Academy. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recording made with permission of Disney Press. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
When her father disappears, Sabriel must battle the risen dead to save a kingdom she barely remembers. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Everything is changing now that Amina is in middle school. It's always been just her and her best friend, but Soojin is suddenly sitting with a "popular" girl and talking about changing her name to sound more "American" leaving Amina wondering if she needs to start changing as well. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Simon & Schuster. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
When a Friday-night football game descends into a riot, almost-strangers Lena and Campbell must rely on each other and confront their own assumptions about racial inequality to survive the night. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Sourcebooks Fire. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
When his father brings home a sickly newborn miniature donkey, Louie is determined to save the fragile creature and names him Winslow. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library's catalog.
The night magic disappeared changed everything but Zélie remembers. She remembers when the very earth hummed with magic and she's determined to bring it back. This Morris YA Debut Award Finalist features a fantasy world heavily influenced by Adeyemi's West African heritage. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Macmillan. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
This Own Voices coming of age novel follows a young Lakota boy, Jimmy, on a summer journey with his grandfather - a journey that will change his life. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Amulet Books, an imprint of ABRAMS. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
School newspaper reporter Millie finds herself investigating the murder of Honeywell Stinger's football coach in an effort to clear her father's name. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Step back into the middle ages with this Newbery Honor Book! Readers get a glimpse into the thoughts of spirited Catherine, a fourteen-year-old girl in 1290 England, who recounts her daily life through a series of diary entries. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Clarion, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Determined to follow in Da Vinci's footsteps, artist Beatrix Adams plans to spend the summer before her senior year drawing actual cadavers. But a missed train changes everything. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recording made with permission of Feiwel & Friends, an imprint of Macmillan. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Leonora Logroño hopes that this year she'll be able to help her family prepare for the annual Día de los Muertos festival but is once again told she's too young to help at the Bakery. When she sneaks down to the bakery to try and help out anyway, she discovers that her mother and aunts are brujas—witches of Mexican ancestry who mix a bit of magic into everything they bake. Determined to prove that she can do magic to, Leo decides to help a friend. It's just one little spell, what could go wrong? This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Waldon Pond Press, an imprint of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Cas sees dead people. More accurately, Cas hunts dead people using his father's powerful and deadly athame. People like Anna Dressed in Blood, ghost of a murdered girl, who has killed anyone who enters the home she haunts. Everyone that is except Cas. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Tor Teen, an imprint of Macmillan. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Stanley wishes he was one of his favorite superheroes. Instead, he uses comics to help him cope with the world around him. But when Stanley joins Trivia Quest, the city-wide comics based treasure hunt, he soon discovers that just knowing comics isn't enough. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Trained for both etiquette and combat at Miss Preston’s School of Combat for Negro Girls, Jane McKeene is set for a career protecting the wealthy from the dangers of the walking dead. But when Jane uncovers a conspiracy, she'll be fighting more than the undead and it will take all of her training and resourcefulness to survive. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
When middle schooler Kelly's plans are coopted by babysitting duty, she thinks Halloween is going to be a bust. But the frights are real when Baby Jacob is kidnapped by the Boogieman! Who know monster fighting was part of babysitting? This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recording made with permission of Katherine Tegan Books, an imprint of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Noa, teen hacker extraordinaire, has been on her own since her parents died and thinks she has it made. But when she wakes up in a warehouse with no memory of how she got there, things start to get dangerous. Peter is the secret leader of a hacker alliance that takes on corrupt businesses and he's just stumbled across a secret worth killing to keep. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Fleeing famine, Irish siblings, Molly and Kip travel to England hoping to find work and a home at the Windsor estate. They arrive to find the estate is a creepy, crumbling manor - but the house and its family are not what they seem. Soon they find out about an ancient curse and a mysterious spectre that may threaten their very lives! This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recording made with permission of Amulet, an imprint of Abrams. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
This novelization of Guillermo Del Toro's critically acclaimed film takes readers deeper into the sinister, magical world of Pan's Labyrinth. A dark, richly detailed fairytale set on the brink of war, this title is recommended for fans of The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert and The Cruel Prince by Holly Black. This title is intended for teens; however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Summer at a lake house in Maine should be a treat but family secrets haunt the Ali's family in this spine chilling tale. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recording made with permission of Clarion, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Inspired by the Clue board game and movie, Diana Peterfreund has created a brand new "who done it" sure to entertain. An unexpected storm traps a motley group of students, left alone at an elite boarding school with only the headmaster as chaperone. Hours later, the headmaster's body is found - clearly the victim of foul play. Each of the students have motive and secrets and nothing is quite what it seems at Blackbrook Academy. Will the murderer be revealed in time? This title is intended for teens; however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Amulet, an imprint of Abrams. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Elise carries a notebook every day and uses it to track the number of words she says each day. The goal is zero. Zero words means no wrong answers, no secrets, no conversations she will agonize about while trying to fall asleep. But silence isn't golden, and Elise soon discovers that words may be the only way to get everything she's ever hoped for. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recording made with permission of Sourcebooks. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
This Printz Honor Book explores family, friendship, and identity; when two teen boys who couldn't be more different meet at the swimming pool their lives are changed forever. This title is intended for teens; however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recording made with permission of Simon & Schuster. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Charlie Hernández grew up on tales of fantastic beings from Latin American folklore thanks to his abuela’s stories. Despite his love of myth and legend, Charlie is firmly rooted in reality. Stories are just stories. Right? This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recording made with permission of Simon & Schuster. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Filled with danger and intrigue, Iron Cast follows Ada and Corrine, two hemopaths (a type of magic) who use their abilities to perform at gangster Johnny Dervish's infamous Cast Iron Club by night and to con the Boston's wealthy elite by day. Everything is going wonderfully until Ada is arrested, staff at the club start dying, and Johnny Dervish disappears. Can Ada and Corrine stay ahead of the law long enough to figure out what is happening and how to escape? This title is intended for teens; however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recording made with permission of Amulet Books and imprint of Abrams. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Thirteen-year-old Margaret's life has just been shattered; her father, who she knows is innocent, has just been sentenced to death by the cruel Judge Biggs. To save her father, Margaret will journey through time and, possibly, save another life along the way. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recording is made with permission of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
It’s senior year and Will’s future is bright after conning his way into one of the most elite prep schools in the country. But that future is put in jeopardy when he’s recognized by another con artist. This title is intended for teens; however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Tom is bored. So bored that he accidentally burns down the shed. When he's shipped off to live with his uncle, Tom soon discovers that a sure-fire way to beat boredom is to secretly follow your uncle to South America for a treasure hunt! This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Eighteen-year-old Ever Wong's summer in Taiwan to study becomes complicated when the strict program she was expecting turns out to be more like the Loveboat! High achieving teens, plus no supervision - what could go wrong? This title is intended for teens; however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Twins Iris and Lark are very different: Iris is confident and rational, while Lark is creative and brilliant. They have always been together, that is until 5th Grade begins and they are separated into different classrooms. Suddenly everything feels different - Iris feels unsure of herself and Lark becomes withdrawn. Added to the struggle, things around town are going missing at an alarming rate. What is happening and how can the girls stop it? This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recording made with permission of Walden Pond Press, an imprint of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in our catalog.
Ava, Caitlin, Mackenzie, Julie, and Parker only have one thing in common - they hate Nolan Hotchkiss; in fact, they hate him so much they even joke about killing him. Then Nolan is found dead. Exactly how they "planned". They didn't kill Nolan, so who did? This title is intended for teens; however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of HarperTeen, an imprint of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Kara knows more than most how dangerous magic is - her mother was killed for being a witch. But when she discovers her mother's grimoire that's just the beginning of her story. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of HarperCollins. Click here to see to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Margo Manning isn't the teenage socialite everyone thinks - by night, she and a band of flamboyant young men are cat burglars supreme. But when a high stakes job puts her and her crew in deadly peril, they must draw on all their special skills to survive. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Macmillan. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Coraline's new home and new neighbors are... boring. But when she steps through a secret door, she discovers another house, other parents, and other neighbors who are much better than the ones she left behind. But something sinister as at play in this other land and it will take all of Coraline's wit and courage to save herself. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
New school year, new student, new challenges. When Eleanor meets Park, she discovers that even though first loves might not last, it’s worth the risk. This title is intended for teens; however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of St. Martins Griffin, an imprint of Macmillan. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Lenora's life is changed forever when she discovers a secret door to the library where every book and fact ever written is gathered. Adventures are just a page turn away, but a dark nothingness seeks to destroy the library. Can Lenora save the library? This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Square Fish Books, and imprint of Macmillan. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
10 teens + an adult-free island home = Death? Best friends Meg and Minnie sneak away for what is supposed to be an exclusive holiday weekend party only to find their lives in danger as a sinister killer stalks the attendees. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
It's prankster vs prankster in the sleepy town of Yawnee Valley! But can competing pranksters unite to pull off the ultimate prank? This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Abrams. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Vivian Carter is done. Done with machismo. Done with misogyny. Done with following the rules. Following in her Riot Grrrl mother's revolutionary footsteps, Viv anonymously creates a feminist zine inadvertently starting a revolution. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Roaring Brook Press, an imprint of Macmillan. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Ruby "Red" Byrd's mysterious power over wind has blown her from foster home to foster home. Most recently with the Grooves, who seem to have their own odd gifts, and who begin to feel like home. But when a storm closes in, Red's newfound peace is threatened. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Roaring Books Press an imprint of Macmillan. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Caden is on Challenger Deep, the ship headed to the deepest point on Earth. Caden's friends are starting to notice his strange behavior. Caden is the ship's artist - tasked with documenting the journey in images. Caden spends his days walking for miles, thinking. Caden is torn between allegiance and mutiny. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Twelve-year-old Shalya just wants to follow the rules, avoid trouble, and survive seventh grade but after experiencing a powerful protest, Shay is suddenly questioning if some trouble can be good. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Katie is on the verge of freedom, about to embark on Rumspringa and the freedom of experiencing the Outside world when everything changes. Something murderous is haunting the Outside world and the elders make a rule: No one out and no one in. But when Katie finds a gravely injured young man, she can't leave him to die and smuggles him into the barn leading to events she could not have predicted. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Emmy lands at Wellsworth, an elite boarding school, certain she won't fit in. But she soon discovers the school's secret society the Order of Black Hollow Lane and her personal connection to the shadowy organization. Then things really get interesting. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Sourcebooks. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Henry "Monty" Montague is about to embark on the Grand Tour with his best friend (and secret crush) Percy and he's determined to use this year-long escapade to sample every pleasure and vice before returning home to take over the family estate. But when a reckless decision changes their trip from pleasurable to harrowing, Monty begins to question everything. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Katherine Tegen Books an imprint of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
As if moving to a ramshackle "fixer upper" just before seventh grade wasn't bad enough, Harper gets a bad feeling about the home the moment she steps over the threshold. When her younger brother begins acting strangely and talking about friends that only he can see, Harper becomes convinced that the house is haunted by a ghost with malevolent intent. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
If Caymen Meyers has learned anything in her seventeen years, it's that the rich are not trustworthy. HXander is charming, handsome, rich and seems to get her when no one else does but will Caymen be able to overcome her fears and trust him? This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of HarperTeen, and imprint of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Told in a combination of poetry and prose, Swing follows Noah and Walt's story about baseball, jazz, love, hope and courage. Walt is convinced that junior year is going to be "their year" but Noah is skeptical after failing to make the baseball team again and being firmly friend-zoned by his crush. Sometimes you just have to take a swing at life. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Blink, an imprint of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Following your destiny and becoming who you are meant to be can change everything. Follow Eric and Morgan's journey from best friends, to acquaintances, to something more, as seen through vignettes of six birthdays. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Macmillan. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
California girl Mai has no interest in "exploring her roots", but when her parents decide that she will spend the summer in Vietnam, she learns that culture, home, and family can all mean different things. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recording made with permission of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Starting a new school is hard and Riley plans to fly under the radar but when someone discovers that Riley is the anonymous author of a blog on what it's really like to be a gender fluid teen, Riley must decide if it's time to risk everything. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recorded with permission of Balzer + Bray, and imprint of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Sent by her uncaring aunt and uncle to the mysterious Winterhouse Hotel, orphaned Elizabeth discovers a magic book and begins to uncover the dark secrets that linger in the hotel's walls. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recording made with permission of Amulet, an imprint of Abrams. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Bri wants to be one of the greatest rappers in the world but when her first song becomes a viral hit, she finds herself at the center of controversy and portrayed as a menace rather than an artist. With eviction on the horizon, Bri feels she must do anything to make it - even if it means becoming what everybody thinks. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recording is made with permission of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Fig's father isn't like other dads and Fig is convinced it's up to her to solve her father's problems and protect her small family. But when an issue at school bring social services into the mix, Fig discovers that she has more allies than she knows. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Algonquin Young Readers. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
What would you do if you knew you had less than 24 hours to live? Mateo and Rufus are about to have one unforgettable day. This title is intended for teens and may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Recording made with permission of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Alex has loved scary stories his whole life, but now he is trapped in a real terrifying tale when he is tricked by a witch. Recorded with permission of Katherine Tegen Books, an Imprint of HarperCollins. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
This sequel to the Morris Award winning novel Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda follows Simon's BFF Leah as she faces a senior year filled with changing friendships, love, and high school angst. Recorded with permission of Balzer + Bray. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
When Belle finds an enchanted book in Beast's library she is transported to the glittering world of Nevermore where nothing is quite as it seems. Recorded with permission of DisneyPress. This title is intended for tweens and is appropriate for most audiences. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
The world is full of monsters and only the light holds the nightmares at bay in this post-apocalyptic thriller pitting the last surviving humans against the Fade. Recorded with permission of Greenwillow Books an imprint of HarperCollins. This title is intended for teens, however, it may contain language or themes that some readers may find offensive. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
This gripping story of survival follows Karana, a young Nicoleño girl left alone on an island for eighteen years. Recommended for Tweens.
This book was inspired by accounts of the Lone Woman of San Nicolas Island - to learn more visit the National Parks Service's website about the Island of the Blue Dolphins and this Smithsonian Magazine article.
Recorded with permission from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
At the height of the deadly 1918 Flu Pandemic séances and Spiritualism are all the rage, but sixteen-year-old Mary Shelley Black believes in science not spirits. Then the ghost of her first love, killed in the battlefields of World War I, appears. Recommended for Teens. Recorded with permission of Abrams. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Life can change in the blink of an eye and what seems like a normal day can change everything. Recommended for Tweens. Recorded with permission from HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.
Recommended for Tweens. Wayside School isn’t like other schools - check out chapter one to see just how wacky a school can be!
Recorded with permission from HarperCollins.