Shhhh! It's a Secret!

This week we are focusing on teen books that contain plots hinging on secrets and lies . . . .

Freakling by Lana Krumwiede
After a traumatic accident removes his telekinetic ability, or psy, twelve-year-old Taemon is exiled to the "dud farm," where he is surprised to find kind, open people who enjoy using their hands but there are also mysteries at the colony and when Taemon unwittingly leaks one of the secrets he must find the courage to repair the damage, even if it means returning to the city from which he was banished.

The Miles Between by Mary Pearson
Seventeen-year-old Destiny keeps a painful childhood secret all to herself until she and three classmates from her exclusive boarding school take off on an unauthorized road trip in search of "one fair day."

This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith
Perfect strangers Graham Larkin and Ellie O'Neill meet online when Graham accidentally sends Ellie an e-mail about his pet pig, Wilbur. The two 17-year-olds strike up an e-mail relationship from opposite sides of the country and don't even know each other's first names. What's more, Ellie doesn't know Graham is a famous actor, and Graham doesn't know about the big secret in Ellie's family tree. When the relationship goes from online to in-person, they find out whether their relationship can be the real thing.

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
In a world where dragons and humans coexist in an uneasy truce and dragons can assume human form, Seraphina, whose mother died giving birth to her, grapples with her own identity amid magical secrets and royal scandals, while she struggles to accept and develop her extraordinary musical talents.

Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey
In small-town Australia, teens Jasper and Charlie form an unlikely friendship when one asks the other to help him cover up a murder until they can prove who is responsible.


More Secrets & Lies --
34 Pieces of You by Carmen Rodrigues
After the End by Amy Plum
Before Wings by Beth Goobie
Chime by Franny Billingsley
Crash Into You by Katie McGarry
Crushed by Laura McNeal
The Night My Sister Went Missing by Carol Plum-Ucci
Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King
The Safe-Keeper's Secret by Sharon Shinn
Sea Change by Aimee Friedmann
September Girls by Bennett Madison
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
There Will Be Lies by Nick Lake
The Truth Commission by Susan Juby
V Is for Villain by Peter Moore
What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell

Check out these books on display through July 1, 2016.

Road Trip! Stories of the Journey

I love a good road trip.  Whether I have a destination in mind or if I'm just making it up as I go, a road trip is always fun.  Here are some great teen books featuring road trips . . .

The Miles Between by Mary E. Pearson
Seventeen-year-old Destiny keeps a painful childhood secret all to herself until she and three classmates from her exclusive boarding school take off on an unauthorized road trip in search of "one fair day."

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
After the death of her father, Amy, a high school student and Roger, a college freshman, set out on a carefully planned road trip from California to Connecticut, but wind up taking many detours, forcing Amy to face her worst fears and come to terms with her grief and guilt.

Going Bovine by Libby Bray
Cameron Smith, a disaffected sixteen year-old who, after being diagnosed with Creutzfeld Jakob's (aka mad cow) disease, sets off on a road trip with a death-obsessed video gaming dwarf he meets in the hospital in an attempt to find a cure.

Ostrich Boys by Keith Gray
After their best friend Ross dies, English teenagers Blake, Kenny, and Sim plan a proper memorial by taking his ashes to Ross, Scotland, an adventure-filled journey that tests their loyalty to each other and forces them to question what friendship means.

You Are Here: A Novel by Jennifer E. Smith
Sixteen-year-old Emma Healy has never felt that she fit in with the rest of her family, so when she discovers that she had a twin brother who died shortly after they were born, she takes off on an impulsive road trip to try to discover who she really is.


More Books Featuring Road Trips --
100 Sideways Miles by Andrew Smith
13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
Being Henry David by Cal Armistead
Defining Dulcie by Paul Acampora
Kissing in America by Margo Rabb
Man Made Boy by Jon Skovron
Num8ers by Rachel Ward
Perfect Escape by Jennifer Brown
The Porcupine of Truth by Bill Konigsberg
Rainbow Road by Alex Sanchez
The Secret Life of Prince Charming by Deb Caletti
There Will Be Lies by Nick Lake
Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
Why We Took the Car by Wolfgang Herrndorf
Witch World by Christopher Pike


Check out these books on display at the Arnold Branch through August 28, 2015.

School Is Nearly Out

School is nearly out for the summer.  Here's a few teen books for the last weeks of school . . .

The Miles Between by Mary Pearson
Seventeen-year-old Destiny keeps a painful childhood secret all to herself until she and three classmates from her exclusive boarding school take off on an unauthorized road trip in search of "one fair day."

Accidental Love by Gary Soto
After unexpectedly falling in love with a "nerdy" boy, fourteen-year-old Marisa works to change her life by transferring to another school, altering some of her behavior, and losing weight.

A Winter Night's Dream by Andrew Matthews
Casey, a high school freshman, and Stew, a senior, search for love separately, with the help of a favorite teacher, before meeting each other.

The Murder of Bindy Mackenzie by Jaclyn Moriarty
Class brain Bindy Mackenzie has alienated her entire high school but when she realizes someone is trying to kill her, she has to make friends in order to get help.