National Network for Equitable Library Service

What means more, shared values or shared blood? Maxie's choice changes everything in this acclaimed companion to The Rock and the River. Bad things happen in the heat, they say. Maxie knows all about how fire can erupt at a moment's notice, especially now, in the sweltering Chicago summer of 1968. She is a Black Panther—or at least she wants to be one. Maxie believes in the movement. She wants to belong. She wants to join the struggle. But everyone keeps telling her she's too young.

I'm your protagonist-Reshma Kapoor-and if you have the free time to read this book, then you're probably nothing like me. Reshma is a college counselor's dream. She's the top-ranked senior at her ultra-competitive Silicon Valley high school, with a spotless academic record and a long roster of extracurriculars. But there are plenty of perfect students in the country, and if Reshma wants to get into Stanford, and into med school after that, she needs the hook to beat them all. What's a habitual over-achiever to do? Land herself a literary agent, of course.

A compelling and humorous story of friendship from Academy Award–winning actress Marlee Matlin. Cindy looked straight at Megan. Now she looked a little frustrated. "What's the matter? Are you deaf or something?" she yelled back. Megan screamed out, and then fell to the ground, laughing hysterically. "How did you know that?" she asked as she laughed. Megan is excited when Cindy moves into her neighborhood—maybe she'll finally have a best friend. Sure enough, the two girls quickly become inseparable.

With one word, Tess’s world could be completely undone: Epilepsy. Tess lives for swimming: the feel of the pool's rough edge on her toes, the snap of cold water on her skin, and the push of her limbs ever forward. In the water, she’s truly alive. Until tragedy strikes. And Tess is left navigating a summer of doctor visits, missed swim practices, a newly distant best friend, and a job stuck behind a counter—not sitting high in the lifeguard chair like every season before. Instead, her spot goes to new guy Charlie.

In this sweet and stylish romance, two lovers turned cosplay rivals go head-to-head for a chance at their dream school… and maybe a second chance at love. Eli Peterson is a self-taught, up-and-coming makeup artist in the cosplay scene who is barely making ends meet. While they might be slaying it with their breathtaking looks, they’re also trying to save enough money for top surgery and convince their parents that their artistic dream is worthwhile. During a convention, Eli hears about Makeup Wars, a competition that could change everything… The grand prize?

"This book checks all the boxes of a hi-lo text. It has an exciting hook, a modern teen worldview, and is at a lower reading level...A must-buy for libraries looking for diverse and compelling hi-lo books." —School Library Journal, starred review Jason is sure his sister, Becca, was murdered, but he’s the only one who thinks so. After finding a photograph Becca kept hidden, he decides to infiltrate a boxing gym to prove that she didn’t die accidentally.

The Louisiana bayou is haunted by strange disappearances in a YA paranormal mystery that is “American myth at its very best” (New York Times–bestselling author Kiersten White). Growing up in the backwaters of Louisiana, Sterling and her brother Phin have survived a great deal together. So when Phin suddenly disappears, she’s devastated. But even more upsetting than his disappearance is the reaction Sterling gets from everyone around her: no one else even remembers Phin existed. It seems a nearby swamp has a terrifying power over the inhabitants of Sterling’s hometown.

A haunting, chilling, and atmospheric southern swamp tale—perfect for fans of Maggie Stiefvater’s Shiver. In this companion to Beware the Wild, the book New York Times bestselling author Kiersten White called “American myth at its very best,” Natalie C. Parker takes readers on a journey back to an eerie Louisiana swamp town. Candace “Candy” Pickens has been obsessed with the swamp lore of her tiny Louisiana town for . . . forever. Name any ghostly swamp figure and Candy will recite the entire tale in a way that will curl your toes and send chills up your spine.

Welcome to the Dark. We are all familiar with tropes of the horror genre: slasher and victims, demon and the possessed. Bloody screams, haunted visions, and the peddler of wares we aren't sure we can trust. In this young adult horror anthology, fans of Jordan Peele, Lovecraft Country, and Horror Noire will get a little bit of everything they love—and a lot of what they fear—through a twisted blend of horror lenses, from the thoughtful to the terrifying.

"Immersive from the get-go, this novel is a quick-paced gem. The story is action-packed, with a plot that is always moving forward but still offers plenty of room for heart-fluttering moments between the protagonists...Engrossing and thrilling—this reluctant reader title should not be missed." —Kirkus Reviews Brick, a young thief, is terrified of outer space. But they’re forced to escape Earth when a warrant goes out for their arrest. There’s nothing left for them on the dusty, barren wasteland of Earth anyway. Brick stows away on a cargo ship headed for the moon.