In the Stacks

Yellow labels on the spines of books on the adult fiction shelves show they’re meant for teen readers or young adult (YA), with more intricate and mature plots than chapter books but with themes aimed at young adults. Scan for them on the shelves, look them up in our computer catalogue, or use these titles as a starting point.

The Shadow Speaker, by Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu. This latest offering from the author of “Zarah the Windseeker” has created a spell-binding world of spirits, life, and possibility. It is 2070, and the post-war Earth that fourteen year-old Ejii lives in continues to change as aftershocks from the Peace Bombs roil through the world. Created to bring harmony to the world by causing enough mutations that no one could take sides, the Peace Bombs had unplanned effects, the latest of which is a joining of disparate worlds hostile to each other. Now, Ejii, who is a mutant of a type known as a shadow speaker, has been told by the shadows that she must leave her home to prevent a war. Set in the Sahara, this novel uses the cultures and religions of the area as a base to build on in creating a wonderfully intricate new world.

Looking for JJ, by Anne Cassidy. When Alice was ten, her best friend died. Was killed. Murdered. By Jennifer Jones. What could make one child kill another? And what happens to child murderers? But the question on everyone’s mind at the moment is: where is she now? And is she safe to be around? Alice knows. She’s worked hard to put her past behind her, but it sure wasn’t easy. Alice has a home, a boyfriend, a job, and a future, all of which could fall apart at any moment if anyone finds out who she really is. And then, out of the blue, a reporter appears and everything depends on who can make the best and fastest deal. Can Alice save her new life, or will someone else make the deal that sends her running again?

Defect, by Will Weaver. David’s the weird kid you try to avoid at school, the one with the mashed-up face, hearing aids, bad acne and a bad attitude. He’d be fine if the school bully would leave him alone, but Kael didn’t and now the practical joke David played on Kael and his friends has gotten him transferred to an alternative school. No one hides anything much at Oak Leaf Alternative: his new friend Cheetah talks freely about her grand mal seizures and other kids in school are just as up front about what brought them to Oak Leaf. But David isn’t ready to share the fact that he isn’t really “defective,” he’s “enhanced” – something not even his foster parents and his girlfriend, Cheetah, know. Suddenly, his secret is out and he is given a chance at a “normal” life – but is normal what he wants?

Lizard People, by Charlie Price. What happens when your mom won’t take her meds and goes off the deep end in the school office and claims the secretary is one of the feared Lizard People? When your dad can’t take it anymore and leaves? When you make a friend at the hospital who claims to be from another planet? Ben is a high school junior when he’s left to deal with his mom’s mental illness by himself. He meets Marco in the hospital lobby, and even though Marco seems sane, he confirms that the Lizard People don’t like the color red, just as Ben’s mom says. It leaves Ben with some hard thinking. Is there is a planet of lizard people that both Marco and Ben’s mom have been to? Or is Marco mentally ill, like his mom? Or maybe Ben’s the one who is ill – he knows it runs in families. This fast-moving story will keep readers guessing and the answer won’t be anything you expect.

Master storyteller Jim Weiss recently visited the Juneau Public Library and presented some amazing classic stories for all ages.   If you missed it, check out JPL Podcasts where very soon you will be able to listen/download two stories from his Downtown Library performance.  Not familiar with Jim Weiss? Get a taste of his storytelling by listening to one of his many recordings owned by the libraries.

For information about our upcoming programs, or to place a hold on any of our material, please visit us at www.juneau.org/library or call us at 586-5249.