A Tale of Two Besties: A Hello Giggles Novel by Sophia Rossi

Rossi, Sophia. A Tale of Two Besties: A Hello Giggles Novel. New York, RAZORBILL, 2015. Print. ISBN: 978-1-59514-805-6. $17.99, Ages 13+.

Formats Available: Hardcover, eBook, Audio

Annotation: Two best friends face the hardships of starting a new school without each other.

Awards:  None

Booktalk: Lily and Harper are besties, BFFS, soul twinsies, PuppyGirl and Gawkward Fairy. Destined to be besties forever, the two girls are about to face their first years of high school, at two different schools. Harper is casual and cool. She always searches for the best in people and is a great listener. Lily is a bit more on the awkward side who is a little less cool and a little more eccentric- wearing fairy wings where ever she goes. The two balance each other out, but begin to worry the strength of their friendship when Lily announces she is going to Pathways, a school for artistic and creative students. Harper insists they will be fine and always there for each other, but Lily isn't so sure. On the first day of school, their experiences aren't at all what they expected, and their friendship is immediately put to the test. When did Lily's ex-boyfriend become so cute? SOS Can Lily and Harper make it through high school and still be BFFS?

"My hands flew up to my neck, feeling for the present Lily had just given me: a vintage BFF broken heart necklace that came in a pair- Lily had the other half. It felt gold and old and pretty heavy. I probably would have loved it, except that, as we rode in the car towards a party that I assumed was a jokey cover for my real birthday surprise, I couldn't help thinking of it as a consolation prize. Plus, it totally didn't match my outfit."


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Check out Sophia Rossi and her website for all things girls at

Hello Giggles!

Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff

Yovanoff, Brenna. Paper Valentine. New York; RAZORBILL, 2013. ISBN 978-1-59514-599-4, $17.99. Ages 14+

Formats Available: Paperback, Hardcover, eBook, Audio

Annotation: When murders keep happening in the city of Ludlow, Hannah is pressured by her best friend's ghost to get to the bottom of these crimes and unmask the real killer.

Awards: None

Booktalk: If your best friend passed away, would you want them to haunt you? Hannah lost her best friend Lillian six months ago, but can't seem to move on because Lillian's ghost is always around. When a string of murders begins to take place in town and are linked only to a paper valentine, Lillian's ghost pushes Hannah to investigate the disasters further. Hannah can barely get a hold of her own life- where she stands at school and figuring out Finny Boone and what his deal is, but now she finds herself surrounded by secrets and ghosts. Will confronting this killer and solving these murders be what it takes for Hannah to finally have closure and move on from her best friend's death? 

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The Treachery of Beautiful Things by Ruth Frances Long

Long, Ruth Frances. The Treachery of Beautiful Things. New York: Dial Books, 2012. ISBN 978-0-8037-3580-4. $17.99. Ages 12+

Formats Available: Paperback, Hardover, ebook

Annotation: Jenny enters the world of The Realm and must fight for independence and love.

Awards: none

Booktalk: Can a beautiful forest really swallow someone alive? Jenny and her brother Tom, a magnificent flute player, are walking home one evening, when the forest floor opens up and swallows Tom whole. Jenny could barely believe her own eyes, but she knows what she saw. Having to return home without her brother, life is never quite the same as an only child. Being paraded in front of numerous psychiatrists and doctors, seven years later Jenny decides the best future for her is far away at college and out of her parents' hair. Before she is ready to leave, she visits the forest where Tom disappeared to say her final goodbye. As she strolls along, she suddenly hears beautiful music played by a flute. Could it be Tom? Jenny follows the music until she comes to a thick patch of trees. She notices a locket similar to her own and watches as it is sucked inside. Jenny remembers the night of Tom's disappearance. Could he still be alive? With that thought, she crosses into the trees and lets them pull her inside.

When Jenny awakens, she finds herself among a beautiful forest with little memory of how she got there. As she begins to investigate her surroundings she encounters creatures of the forest, and after a run in with some mischievous faeries, meets Jack. But can she trust him? Follow Jenny as she explores this mystical, faerie world. A world where nothing is what it seems and no one is who they say, will Jenny ever find Tom?

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Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Rowell, Rainbow. Eleanor & Park. New York, St. Martin's Press, 2013. Print.

 Formats Available: Hardcover, softcover, eBook, Audio

Annotation: Two misfits. One extraordinary love.

Booktalk: Two teenagers meet on the bus on their way to school. Both a bit alternative, the girl comes from a poor and sometimes frightening home life. She's teased and ridiculed about her hair and hand me down clothes, but she tries to remain as invisible as she can. The boy is more popular. He likes comic books and punk rock music. His home life is normal. His parents love him and he doesn't have to worry much when it comes to buying clothes and music. When he offers this strange girl a seat next to him on the bus, his immediate reaction isn't love at first sight. Over time the two connect as she reads his comic books over his shoulder. It's through this connection that he begins to see more than this girl's appearance. Follow their journey as they embark on a new friendship that will turn into the most epic love story of all time. The love story of Eleanor & Park.

Awards: none

Teen Quote: "It is so amazing! I'm afraid about the ending though. I'm worried that we won't ever find out what happens after the end!" ---Gianna, age 14

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Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

                                   

Andrews, Jesse. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl: A Novel. New York: Amulet, 2012. Print.

Annotation:  Follow Greg as he recounts the time in during his high school career that ruined his life but made him realize the true meaning what having real friendships is all about.

Booktalk: Greg Gaines tries his best to be invisible. His main goal is to get through high school without having any kind of run-ins with the various clicks at his high school. He stays away from any kind of relationships except Earl. Only Earl, according to Greg, is his business partner and he hardly considers him a friend. When Greg's mother comes to him with news that a girl Rachel he once knew has Leukemia, she forces him to make contact and spend some time with her. Greg was just managing to get by without anyone having any sort of opinion about him, but now he must make friends with a sick girl. Will Greg be able shed his invisibility cloak and comfort Rachel during this frightening time in her life? Or will he keep his walls up and keep Rachel out? Join Greg as he recounts his story in Me and Earl and the Dying Girl.

Awards: none

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Check out my book talk on Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews!

Here's the official trailer for the feature film, released in 2015

Mo' Meta Blues: The World According to Questlove by Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson and Ben Greenman

Greenman, Ben and Thompson, Ahmir “Questlove”. Mo’ Meta Blues: The World According to Questlove. New York, Grand Central Publishing, 2013.

Formats Available: Hardcover, softcover, audio, ebook

Annotation: Questlove writes about his life growing up in Philadelphia and how music has always been his number one.

Booktalk: This is the story all about how...wait a minute, wrong musician. Born and raised in West Philadelphia (mostly) Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson has been influenced by all music from a very young age. Drummer and co-founder of the legendary hip hop group The Roots, you may know Questlove from Late Night with Jimmy Fallon's house band The Roots Crew. Questlove with the help of journalist and critic, Ben Greenman of The New Yorker, takes you on a musical journey and visits the moments in time that mattered to him most and how music was always right there beside him. A must read for all lovers of music, join Questlove and uncover the meaning of having Mo' Meta Blues.

Awards: None

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Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz

Saenz, Benjamin Alire. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. New York: Simon & Schuster BFYR, 2012. Print. 

Formats Available: Hardcover, paperback, ebook, audio

Awards: Lambda Literary Award and Stonewall Book Award for LGBT fiction

Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award honor

Pura Belpre Narrative Medal for Latino fiction

Michael L. Printz Award honor for Young Adult fiction

Annotation: A coming of age story between two friends, Ari and Dante face the confusing and emotional time as they grow from boys to adults. 

Booktalk: Aristotle keeps to himself while constantly thinking about his older brother whom his parents and sisters have seem to forgotten. Dante is an only child who isn't afraid to be himself. Aristotle is pensive and is always inside his own head. Dante is eloquent and isn't afraid to express himself creatively. When the two boys meet on a hot summer day at the pool in 1987, neither one of them could imagine the friendship that was about to be born. As their friendship develops so do their desires, but do they desire the same things? A coming of age story between two boys who play by different rules, find out what is to come as Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe.

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