Top 2021 Reads from the Librarians - Part 6: Young Adult and Junior Fiction

Here's some Young Adult Fiction that hit the spot for 2021 - click on the titles for more info from the catalogue:

In the Wild Light by Jeff Zentner: A stunning coming of age story about two friends in a small Appalachian town who get the chance to leave their old life behind through scholarships to an elite school in Connecticut. But young Cash has to choose between a life of opportunity or staying with the grandparents who saved hm. (Chosen by Kristen)

The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer: A YA novel that is a terrific read for all adults as well. This one's set in a dystopian world divided between two countries unable to cooperate in any way. A distress call from Titan’s first settler means both countries will have to work together for a successful rescue. (Chosen by Emma)

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas: This is YA but everyone should read it. The characters are excellent, the story is painfully relevant, and I think everyone can learn something from this book. NB: We also have the movie version which is also well worth a look. (From Lara)

Pumpkin by Julie Murphy: This heart-warming novel is a fabulously joyful companion to Dumplin’. Growing up gay and fat in a small West Texas town was never going to be easy. Nominated as Prom Queen as a joke, Waylon decides with the help of his twin sister, Clem, to take the challenge on and live his truth. (Chosen by Emma)

The Chronicles of the Invaders series by John Connolly & Jennifer Ridyard: Starting with Conquest, here’s what the blurb says: ‘She is the first of her kind to be born on Earth. He is one of the Resistance, fighting to rid the world of an alien invasion. They were never meant to meet. And when they do, it will change everything.’ (Chosen by Fiona)

Love at F1rst Sight by Josh Sundquist:
The way he describes what it could be like for someone who hasn’t developed the mental systems to process sight would try to make sense of seeing for the first time… I find it fascinating. Those of us who were born seeing, whether or not we still can, take for granted the mental pathways we learned in order to understand the information a set of eyes sent to us. (From RS)

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi: This YA fantasy had me hooked. I loved the world, the adventure, and the Nigerian inspired mythology. This novel won a Nebula Award and is first in the Legacy of Orisha series. (From Lara)

Emma's Junior Fiction picks:

The Dollar Kids by Jennifer Jacobson: A heart-tugging novel about guilt and grief, family and friendship and, above all, community. In a tough part of the city, violence and poverty go hand in hand. A mill town offering homes for a dollar could be a way out, or is it?

The Island at the End of Everything by Kiran Millwood Hargrave: Amy grows up on an island for people, like her mother, who have leprosy. When uninfected islanders are forced to leave, Amy determines to get back to her mother before it's too late. An irresistibly poetic, bittersweet and heart-breaking tale of finding your way home.

Can You See Me? by Libby Scott and Rebecca Westcott: Tally tries really hard to be like her friends, but there's something that makes her different. A story about autism, empathy and kindness that will touch readers of all ages. 

How to Bee by Bren MacDibble: Set in a future Australia where honey bees are all but extinct, the quickest and bravest kids climb the fruit trees to pollinate flowers by hand. Told in the voice of the unforgettable Peony this is a book about family, friendship, courage and survival. This novel won a bunch of awards in 2018, including a NZ Book Award.

21 January 2022

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