Skip to content Skip to footer

Teens

Books Like Harry Potter

Harry Potter has taken the shape of so many things over the years: the first big series you finish when you start your reading journey, a classic from your childhood you can’t forget, a movie series people love just as much as the books, and more. If you’re looking to read something else that might give you the same feelings as an HP book, whether it’s dealing with boarding school/ coven magic, the discovery of powers, or just having some crazy cool wizard and witch-like presence that must defeat the BIG BAD, these books are for you. This rec list…

Read more

Poetry Month (Taylor Swift Edition)

Hello to all poetry fans and swifties that are awaiting Taylor’s new album drop, "The Tortured Poets Department" (April 19th). We just have one "question" for you… Are you "ready for it?" We’ll be your "anti-hero" with some poetic "masterminds,’" from past and present, book recommendations to help the "treacherous" time pass more swiftly. Dickinson: Selected Poems and Commentaries by Emily Dickinson A sixth cousin, three times removed, of Taylor Swift and an exquisite poet of the 19th century. Here is a book of some of Emily Dickinson’s works, along with commentaries from Vendler. Dickinson writes about…

Read more

Alien Encounters

Looking for an out of this world read? Then look no further! Every book on this list features some sort of alien encounter. We've got green aliens, blue aliens, robotic aliens, and more. Aliens who want to destroy us and aliens looking for love or friendship. So keep on reading to find your next cosmic novel. Binti by Nnedi Okorafor She left her home for the stars, but found more adventure than she bargained for. A tense and intimate coming-of-age story in space. An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green April May makes a video that shows her…

Read more

Vampire Novels

Halloween may have come and gone, but vampires live forever! From bats to boyfriends, this staff recommendation list should have something you'll want to take a bite out of. When Life Gives You Vampires by Gloria Duke A paranormal Dumplin' for adults, When Life Gives You Vampires is part a journey of body positivity, part a story about learning how to accept love at face value, and part a hysterical romcom told through a paranormal lens. A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson Saved from the brink of death by a mysterious stranger, Constanta is transformed from a…

Read more

Mental Health Representation for All Ages

Want your next read to feature mental health as a topic? Check out one of these staff-recommended titles! This list has titles for adults, teens, and kids. Kids How to Train Your Pet Brain by Nelly Buchet With heart and humor, How to Train Your Pet Brain welcomes kids to explore how their bodies and minds work together to process emotions. Lighthearted illustrations paired with grounded language help kids understand why their brain does what it does, that big feelings are OK, and a strategy to help feel calm. My Monster and Me by Nadiya…

Read more

Retellings for All Ages

Want to read a new twist on a classic fairytale or myth? Check out one of these staff recommendations! Adults Darling Girl by Liz Michalski In this beautiful, grounded, and darkly magical modern-day reimagining of J. M. Barrie's classic, to save her daughter's life one woman must take on the infamous Peter Pan--who is not the innocent adventurer the fairy tales make him out to be . . . Fables vol. 1: Legends in Exile by Bill Willingham When a savage creature known only as the Adversary conquered the fabled lands of legends…

Read more

Hot on Hoopla: New eBooks for All Ages

Whether you’re participating in our Summer Reading or looking for a new book, check out these new releases on Hoopla without venturing out into the heat. You’ll find new books for adults, teens, and kids. eBooks for Kids Chickadee: Criminal Mastermind by Elina Ellis Not all super-villains are scary and tough, some can be as simple as the bird perched outside your window. Better keep a close eye on that Chickadee, because it just might have a plan… My Life at the Bottom by Linda Bondestam This whimsical story about life is told…

Read more

Poetry for All Ages

Poetry has the power to open up our emotions and is a beautiful outlet to express ourselves. It can lighten us, renew us, and encourage us. The following list is filled with books to inspire you. The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta In this uplifting coming-of-age novel told in accessible verse, Atta chronicles the growth and glory of Michael Angeli, a mixed-race kid from London, as he navigates his cultural identity as Cypriot and Jamaican as well as his emerging sexuality. Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson In vivid poems that reflect the joy…

Read more

Holiday Movie Picks

Holidays are for families and classic movies! Here’s some of our favs so that you can spread some holiday cheer! Scrooged Bill Murray plays a miserly executive in this comedic play on the classic story “A Christmas Carol”. This is a hilarious spin on a classic tale A Christmas Story All he wanted was a Red Rider BB Gun, carbine action, two-hundred shot range model air rifle! Check out this quotable classic about a boy and his quest to get the perfect Christmas Gift. …

Read more

Extraordinary Books With BIPOC Main Characters

Make your next read something extraordinary by choosing a book that features a BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, [or] Person of Color) main character. Below you will find some staff recommended teen and adult "must-reads". If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha Even as a girl, I knew the only chance I had was to change my face...even before a fortune-teller told me so. Kyuri is a heartbreakingly beautiful woman with a hard-won job at a room salon, an exclusive bar where she entertains businessmen while they drink. Though she prides herself on her cold, clear-eyed approach…

Read more