Andrea Beck’s Below the Surface is a young adult novel that examines the challenges of fitting into a new community, the burden of judgment, and the effects of tragedy. Set in the seemingly perfect town of Oak Park, the story follows Emily Libert, a sixteen-year-old...

The Cartography of First Love by Angela Grey is an unusual, but completely compelling story of first love encountered in a most unusual location – a psychiatric institution. Fifteen-year-old Zibby is confined because of her eating disorder, and sixteen-year-old Nico suffers from depression and anxiety....

Diaries of a Borderline by Blue Evergarden is a collection of original poetry, ranging in length, tone, and tenor, each connecting a facet of Evergarden's voice. In Diaries of a Borderline XXIII, she drifts through darkness as monsters steal her joy, but she still glimpses...

Craig Staufenberg's The Girl Who Came Back To Life is the story of a young girl who recently lost her parents. Twelve-year-old Sophie struggles to deal with the loss of her parents, who unexpectedly passed away, sending her to live with her distant grandmother, who...

Harry by Jack Heape follows Sophie Martin, who attends Pine Lake Writers’ Camp where she meets Lucas Walker, who is deaf. Initially communicating through written notes, Sophie begins learning American Sign Language (ASL) from Lucas. After camp, she proposes to her parents that she train...

Summer at Cedar Point by Russell W. Ramsey and Angel Giacomo is a nostalgic coming-of-age story set in the 1930s along the shores of Lake Erie, in the now-iconic region of Cedar Point. At the heart of the story are three brothers—Roy, Bill, and Bob...

Some stories don’t shout—they hum softly until your heart can’t help but listen. Notes of Her Heart by Goutham Kool Monk is a love story about two people brought together through music. Rahul Arora is a gifted composer who has built some emotional walls around...

The Reluctant Bully (A Smoochie Family Story) by Gary Rivera is the sequel to The Lunch Money Treasure and continues the adventures of Lynn, a young girl affectionately known as Smoochie. The story picks up where the first book left off, but primarily focuses on...

The Incredible Bobbi Myers by Matt Heart is an electrifying tale that explores the fragility and beauty of life through the lens of a young woman given only thirty days to live. Heart masterfully crafts a narrative that is both heart-wrenching and uplifting, taking readers...

This is a coming-of-age tale about an 18-year-old girl named Rindy, who has aged out of the foster care system and arrives in Tinlee Bay, California, with only a backpack filled with her entire life and the determination to start over. Facing life’s challenges, like...