Featured DVDs and More
June 1 – Staff Picks: Lisa
Each Tiny Spark by Pablo Cartaya
Grades 4-7
Emilia Torres has a wandering mind. It’s hard for her to follow along at school, and sometimes she forgets to do what her mom or abuela asks. But she remembers what matters: a time when her family was whole and home-made sense. When Dad returns from deployment, Emilia expects that her life will get back to normal. Instead, it unravels.
Stand Up, Yumi Chung! By Jessica Kim
Grades 3-6
On the outside, Yumi Chung suffers from #shygirlproblems, a perm-gone-wrong, and kids calling her “Yu-MEAT” because she smells like her family’s Korean barbecue restaurant. On the inside, Yumi is ready for her Netflix stand-up special. Her notebook is filled with mortifying memories that she’s reworked into comedy gold. All she needs is a stage and courage.
Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia
Grades 5-8
Seventh-grader Tristan Strong feels anything but strong ever since he failed to save his best friend when they were in a bus accident together. All he has left of Eddie is the journal his friend wrote stories in. Tristan is dreading the month he’s going to spend on his grandparents’ farm in Alabama, where he’s being sent to heal from the tragedy.
May 25 – Staff Picks: Anna
Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park
Young Teen
In Dakota Territory in the 1880s, half-Chinese Hanna and her white father face racism and resistance to change as they try to make a home for themselves. The novel has poignant moments, yet sparkles with humor, introducing a captivating heroine whose wry, observant voice will resonate with readers.
Ways to Make Sunshine by Renée Watson
Elementary
The Hart family of Portland, Oregon, faces many setbacks after Ryan’s father loses his job, but no matter what, Ryan tries to bring sunshine to her loved ones.
The Dark Lord Clementine by Sarah Jean Horwitz
Young Teen
When her father is cursed by a rival witch, twelve-year-old Clementine Morcerous assumes his duties as Dark Lord of the realm, but soon questions her father’s code of good and evil.
May 18 – Asian/Pacific American Authors
Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay
Jay Reguero plans to spend the last semester of his senior year playing video games before heading to the University of Michigan in the fall. But when he discovers that his Filipino cousin Jun was murdered as part of President Duterte’s war on drugs, and no one in the family wants to talk about what happened, Jay travels to the Philippines to find out the real story.
Warcross by Marie Lu
After hacking into the Warcross Championships’ opening game to track illegal betting, bounty hunter Emika Chen is asked by the game’s creator to go undercover to investigate a security problem, and she uncovers a sinister plot.
The Epic Crush of Genie Lo by F. C. Lee
The struggle to get into a top-tier college consumes sixteen-year-old Genie’s every waking thought. But when she discovers she’s a celestial spirit who’s powerful enough to bash through the gates of heaven with her fists, her perfectionist existence is shattered.
May 11 – YA Webcomics
On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden
A ragtag crew travels to the deepest reaches of space, rebuilding beautiful, broken structures to piece the past together. Two girls meet in boarding school and fall deeply in love—only to learn the pain of loss. With interwoven timelines and stunning art, award-winning graphic novelist Tillie Walden creates an inventive world, breathtaking romance, and an epic quest for love.
Check, Please! By Ngozi Ukazu
Check, Please! is the coming-of-age story of Eric Bittle, an ex-junior figure skating champion turned college hockey player learning to cope with the contact sport—and his feelings towards Jack, his attractive team captain.
Witchy by Ariel Slamet Ries
In the witch kingdom Hyalin, the strength of your magic is determined by the length of your hair. Those that are strong enough are conscripted by the Witch Guard, who enforce the law in peacetime and protect the land during war. However, those with hair judged too long are pronounced enemies of the kingdom and annihilated. This is called a witch burning.
