Tag Archives: teen fiction

Butler Bookshelf

by

This week’s Butler Bookshelf is all about being transported to new worlds with fantastical characters and creatures. In Lily the Pond Mermaid by Lucy Fleming, young readers have a look inside Lily’s world as she takes care of her pond and all the creatures who live in it. Lily spends her days helping damselflies and dragonflies strengthen their wings, finding yummy algae for snails, taking care of the butterflies’ plants, and protecting tadpoles from the hot sun. Occaisionally, Lily has to protect her pond from strange metal objects and save her friends from harmful traps. Even though Lily loves her job, her worries keep her up at night. After a big storm, Lily knows it’s time to speak up and ask her friends for help caring for the pond. Once she and her friends work together, Lily understands the importance of asking for help when you most need it. Told in simple text and whimsical, full-color digital illustrations, Lucy Fleming brings attention to pollution and seeking help when you need it. Lily’s determination to care for her pond will inspire young readers to work in their own ways to protect their environments from threats like pollution. Readers will also see the importance of leaning on others and asking for help when life gets too overwhelming as Lily learns that she doesn’t have to work alone. This sweet story about community and care will be a perfect fantastical addition to any picture book collection.

Check out more fantasy books for all ages below!

The Dragon’s Apprentice
Written by James Riley
Published by Labyrinth Road
Available now!

Fateless
Written by Julie Kagawa
Published by Harper
Available July 15, 2025

Lily the Pond Mermaid
Written and illustrated by Lucy Fleming
Published by Candlewick Press
Available now!T

Tidemagic: Isla Flit and the Impossible Key
Written by Clare Harlow
Published by Alfred A. Knopf
Available now!

Wee Unicorn
Written and illustrated by Meg McLaren
Published by Charlesbridge
Available now!

Road Trip to Love: A Review of Amelia, If Only 

by

Amelia, If Only 
Written by Becky Albertalli 
Published by HarperCollins Publishers/Harper 
Ages 14-18 
Available June 10, 2025 

Amelia can’t believe her luck when she finds out that her favorite YouTuber, Walter Holland, is hosting a meet and greet just a few hours away from her hometown. Eager to spend one last weekend with her best friends, Zora, Natalie, and Mark, before graduation, Amelia plans a road trip to meet Walter and distract Natalie from her toxic ex-girlfriend, who dumped her at prom. When they get to the meet and greet and become friends with Walter, Amelia is beyond excited. Her parasocial crush on Walter often leaves butterflies in her stomach, but after developing a genuine friendship with him, Amelia begins to wonder if she’s misjudging her feelings for Walter…and for Natalie.    

Becky Albertalli combines her hallmark wit and humor with tender emotion to create a fast-paced story with an endearing cast of characters. Amelia’s adventurous spirit mixes well with her more grounded friends, resulting in a fun road trip comedy. Albertalli deepens the story by thoughtfully discussing the journey of self-discovery when it comes to queer identity by showing different coming out stories; for example, Amelia questioned her sexuality for years before coming out, whereas Zora and Natalie knew early on in life that they were lesbians. This nuanced conversation brings realistic and well-developed queer representation to Amelia’s story. Albertalli also uses Walter’s character and his own queer identity to introduce young readers to the concept of parasocial relationships and the role that queer celebrities play as a space of comfort and representation online. By incorporating Internet posts from Walter and his fans, she develops his character enough to allow readers to instantly connect with him when he becomes friends with Amelia. At once funny and heartwarming, Amelia, If Only will provide valuable queer representation to teen collections across public and classroom libraries. 

Butler Bookshelf

by

Even though it’s only April, we here at the Butler Center have received countless fantastic books for teens! From fantasy to romance, we want to share some great new teen fiction, like Love on Paper by Danielle Parker. When Macy Descanso is accepted to attend Penovation, a high-profile writing workshop program, she knows she has some big shoes to fill from her writer parents. However, when the workshop’s theme is romance and Macy’s critique partner is the (irresistably cute) son of her parents’ writing rivals, Caleb, she feels the pressure rachet up. Soon, when a classmate reveals a mystery left behind by a romantic literary giant, she knows it will be the perfect thing to distract her from her imposter syndrome. Plus, would it really be so bad to bond with Caleb, who is growing more charming by the second, over solving this mystery? Parker presents a fun summer romance, building Macy and Caleb’s relationship incrementally until they finally admit their feelings for each other. The mystery element adds an entertaining touch, propelling the story forward as the characters explore Berkeley and the surrounding area to find the prolific writer Betty Quinn’s last unfinished manuscript. Parker doesn’t shy away from heavier topics, discussing grief, complicated parental relationships, and imposter syndrome. Using thoughtful and humorous prose, Parker explores what it means to make a name for yourself, even when escaping your parents’ shadow feels impossible. Joyful, funny, and intriguing, Love on Paper is a wonderful young adult rom-com to add to any personal or public library collection!

Check out more teen fiction below!

A Bird in the Air Means We Can Still Breathe
Written by Mahogany L. Browne
Published by Crowne Books for Young Readers
Available now!

Camila Nunez’s Year of Disasters
Written by Miriam Zoila Perez
Published by Page Street Publishing
Available now!

Love on Paper
Written by Danielle Parker
Published by Joy Revolution
Available now!

On the Wings of la Noche
Written by Vanessa L. Torres
Published by Alfred A. Knopf
Available now!

True Life in Uncanny Valley
Written by Deb Caletti
Published by Labyrinth Road
Available now!

Butler Bookshelf

by

Books are a great way to learn about new things. Whether it’s fiction that shows us a new culture, a chapter book that helps us understand new emotions, or nonfiction that shares interesting facts about nature, there’s always something new to learn in every book we pick up! This week’s Butler Bookshelf is a list of new books we’ve received that all have something to teach us about, like What’s the Actually Factually Difference?: How to Tell the Difference Between Over 150 Things That Are Similar But Different! by Jane Wilsher and illustrated by Liz Kay. This fun book is rich with knowldge and full of facts about all kinds of things that seem the same, but are actually different. Wilsher divides the book into many different chapters. including “Transportation,” “Jobs and hobbies,” and “History,” so readers have a wide range of topics to learn about. Kay’s illustrations accompany the text well and engage readers by helping to visualize every topic. A useful resource that can be read alone, What’s the Actually Factually Difference? can also be used to play fun trivia and quiz games with friends by taking turns reading and guessing the differences between things like a crocodile and an alligator or a black hole and a wormhole.

Check out more books below!

A Burning in the Bones (Waxways 3)
Written by Scott Reintgen
Published by Margaret K. McElderry Books
Available now

Charlie Hernandez and the Phantom of Time (Charlie Hernandez 4)
Written by Ryan Calejo
Published by Aladdin
Available now

Nature School: Planet Earth: Lessons and Activities to Inspire Children’s Fascination with Our Planet
Written by Lauren Giordano and Laura Stroup
Illustrated by Staphanie Hathaway
Published by Quarry Books
Available now

Sona Sharma, Wish Me Luck (Hardcover Edition)
Written by Chitra Soundar
Illustrated by Jen Khatun
Published by Candlewick Press
Available now

What’s the Actually Factually Difference? How to Tell the Difference Between Over 150 Things That Are Similar But Different!
Written by Jane Wilsher
Illustrated by Liz Kay
Published by words & pictures
Available now

Butler Bookshelf

by

This week’s Butler Bookshelf is all about new fiction titles in our collection! These titles feature animal adventures, a school for time travelers, and dragons in London for readers of all ages. The featured title this week is Time Out! (Addy McBean) by Margery Cuyler and illustrated by Stacy Curtis. In this chapter book for beginning readers, math-loving Addy McBean learns how to tell time on analog clocks and how to set an alarm. Along the way, she and her best friend, Star, become convinced that their teacher, Mr. Vertex, is getting married. Working tirelessly to look for clues, they accidentally spread the rumor to their class. In addition to learning the fun of telling time, Addy learns the importance of using facts to make a decision instead of assumptions. Curtis uses quirky digital illustrations to accompany Addy’s adventures, and Cuyler includes a character glossary and a word list to help young readers remember characters and learn new terms.

Check out more fiction below!

The Doomsday Vault (Everwhen School of Time Travel (and Other Odd Sciences) 1)
Written by Thomas Wheeler
Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Available now

A Language of Dragons
Written by S.F. Williamson
Published by Harper
Available now

Little Head, Little Nose
Written by Yuli Yav
Illustrated by Antonia Woodward
Published by LITTLE SIMON
Available now

Time Out! (Addy McBean)
Written by Margery Cuyler
Illustrated by Stacy Curtis
Published by Aladdin Quix
Available now

A Wolf Called Fire
Written by Rosanne Parry
Published by Greenwillow Books
Available now

Be Careful What You Bargain For: A Review of The Rose Bargain

by

The Rose Bargain 
Written by Sasha Peyton Smith 
Published by Harper/HarperCollins Publishers 
Ages 15-18 (Publisher recommends ages 13 and up) 
Available February 4, 2025 

The time has come for Lady Ivy Benton to make her debut into high society and her bargain with England’s immortal faerie Queen Moryen, who has ruled for the last 400 years. Ivy has been dreading her debut since her family fell from grace when her older sister’s debut season went wrong after she bargained away her memory to experience something new and escape the confines of high society. However, when the queen announces a competition to marry her fae son, Prince Bram, Ivy sees an opportunity to repair her family’s social status. Facing the queen’s cruel tests and the animosity of the five other girls in the competition, the stakes rise when Bram’s human stepbrother, Prince Emmett, proposes a risky plot to unseat the Queen. Soon, Ivy’s plan to save her family from social ruin develops into a mission to free all of England from the queen’s cruel reign, made only more complicated by her growing feelings for the wrong prince. 

Smith expertly crafts a compelling plot full of intrigue, romance, and danger in this historical fantasy. Ivy’s friendship with the other girls develops fully over the course of the plot, starting as adversaries and eventually becoming each other’s confidantes as they face the grueling competition together. Ivy and Emmett’s developing romantic feelings, which culminate in a sexually explicit intimate scene, add a layer of emotional tension and skew this novel toward the older end of the young adult range. The cast of characters is diverse without feeling tokenized, including characters of Japanese and Ghanian descent, and a lesbian romance subplot. Although Ivy’s perspective dominates the book, Smith includes vignettes of other characters’ points of view, including the other competitors, Emmett, and Ivy’s sister, Lydia. These additions add depth to the story and worldbuilding without distracting from the central plot. A thrilling fantasy adventure, The Rose Bargain will keep readers hooked from page one and counting down the days until the next installment. 

Butler Bookshelf

by

For this week’s Butler Bookshelf, we’re highlighting a variety of youth literature in our collection. This list has something for all ages, fiction, nonfiction, and bilingual! The featured book for this week is Ollie, the Acorn, and the Mighty Idea written by Andrew Hacket and illustrated by Kaz Windness. Ollie is tired of dealing with Everett’s constant bullying. One day, when Everett steals a sapling from Ollie, he has an idea — he will eat an acorn and grow into a mighty tree so that Everett will never be able to bully him again. But when Ollie becomes tall and strong and stands up to Everett once and for all, he realizes that he went about it all wrong. He burps everything up, and Ollie and Everett reconcile and start growing their gardens together. Windness’s colorful, lively illustrations compliment Hacket’s lively and expressive story about how to stand up for yourself and what it truly means to be mighty.

Check out more books for all ages below!

The Flower Shop/La Florería
Written by Lourdes Heuer
Illustrated by Zara González Hoang
Published by Candlewick Press
Available now!

Love Is Hard Work: The Art and Heart of Corita Kent
Written by Dan Paley
Illustrated by Victoria Tentler-Krylov
Published by Candlewick Press
Available now!

My Father’s House
Written by Mina Javaherbin
Illustrated by Lindsey Yankey
Published by Candlewick Press
Available now!

Ollie, the Acorn, and the Mighty Idea
Written by Andrew Hacket
Illustrated by Kaz Windness
Published by Page Street Kids
Available now!

Paige Proves It!: The Curious Cove
Written and illustrated by Amy Marie Stadelmann
Published by Aladdin
Available now!

Zodiac Rising
Written by Katie Zhao
Published by Random House Children’s Books
Available now!

Butler Bookshelf

by

In addition to all the holidays being celebrated this month, October marks National Book Month. Whether you’re looking for books for new readers or seasoned bookworms, the Butler Center has lots of new releases to share! For this week’s Butler Bookshelf, we have a list of books, fiction and nonfiction, for readers young and old to enjoy. The Butler Bookshelf feature this week is Dazzling Zelda: The Story of Fashion Designer Zelda Wynn Valdes written and illustrated by Aura Lewis in collaboration with Farai Simoyi. In this nonfiction picture book, Lewis tells the story of the life and accomplishments of Black fashion designer Zelda Wynn Valdes. Zelda loved hearing the sound of her grandmother’s sewing machine when she was growing up. The first time she designed and made a dress on her own, she knew she wanted to be a fashion designer when she grew up! Unfortunately, Zelda faced some obstacles because of her race. At the time, Black women were excluded from designing fashion and were only considered seamstresses. However, Zelda perservered and opened her own boutique in New York City. Her dresses were popular with the women in the city, and soon she was catching the attention of celebrities like Ella Fitzgerald and Marlene Dietrich. Zelda also made costumes for actors and ballet dancers, and she dyed ballerina tights so all the dancers could wear tights that matched their skin tone. Read about Zelda’s inspiring accomplishments and important contributions to the fashion industry in Dazzling Zelda!

Check out more books from the Butler Center’s collection below!

Blackberry Fox
Written by Kathrin Tordasi
Published by Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Available now

Dazzling Zelda: The Story of Fashion Designer Zelda Wynn Valdes
Written and illustrated by Aura Lewis in collaboration with Farai Simoyi
Published by Beach Lane Books
Available now

The Dividing Sky
Written by Jill Tew
Published by Joy Revolution
Available now

Maisy’s Rocket
Written and illustrated by Lucy Cousins
Published by Candlewick Press
Available October 29, 2024

Somewhere In Between
Written and illustrated by Laan Cham
Published by Random House Children’s Books
Available now

Butler Bookshelf

by

Diverse stories are an important part of literature for all ages, especially for kids. October is Global Diversity Month, so this week’s Butler Bookshelf highlights some fiction and nonfiction books from authors around the world. One of these books is Look! Look! written by Uma Krishnaswami and illustrated by Uma Krishnaswamy. Krishnaswami tells the story of a young Indian girl discovers a slab of stone in the weeds, and she calls her friends to come and take a look. They work together to clean the weeds, garbage, and other stones up. Soon, more and more people from their village and other villages nearby help them uncover an old step well. Once the well is cleaned up, rain fills the well, and the previously dry and dusty land comes back to life as plants begin growing again and the animals return. Accompanied by colorful, geometric illustrations done in acrylic, poster color, and water color by Uma Krishnaswamy, Look! Look! is a delightlful story that educates readers on ancient Indian step wells and shows how they can potentially be a solution for handling floods and providing water in India.

Check out more books from diverse authors below!

Hooray for She, He, Ze and They!: What Are Your Pronouns Today?
Written by Lindz Amer
Illustrated by Kip Alizadeh
Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Available now

Look! Look!
Written by Uma Krishnaswami
Illustrated by Uma Krishnaswamy
Published by House of Anansi Press
Available now

My Olive Tree
Written and illustrated by Hazar Elbayya
Published by Anne Schwartz Books
Available now

Old Wounds
Written by Logan-Ashley Kisner
Published by Delacorte Press
Available now

Tala Learns to Siva
Written by Kealani Netane
Illustrated by Dung Ho
Published by Orchard Books
Available now

You’re Invited: A review of My Big, Fat Desi Wedding: A YA Romance Anthology

by

My Big, Fat Desi Wedding: A YA Romance Anthology
Edited by Prerna Pickett
Page Street Publishing
February 13, 2024
Age 14+

All the big flavors, big fashion, and big family drama of an extravagant Desi wedding, in an extraordinary series of bite-sized stories. Jaanu, a sassy younger sister who’s very words can mysteriously bring about disaster for the happy couple—rainy weather, a tipsy bride, or a missing wedding dress. Zayna, driven to distraction by a desire to help her mother and avoid a cute, but infuriating classmate, finds that food and friendship can go hand-in-hand to help heal a heartache. In a blackout experience, Shloka, binds herself, and her cult, to a rival vampire who also happens to be her long-lost love. Eight short stories full of wedding drama and swoony romance, spanning genre, culture and location, are bookended by the perspective of a mysterious auntie that flits through the stories like a Desi fairy godmother.

Prerna Pickett expertly weaves these stories of family, tradition, and love while still honoring the diversity of Desi cultures the authors celebrate. Each well-crafted story shines, and includes its own variation of the highs and lows that all families go through and the complex emotions that often bubble up around even the most joyous wedding celebration. The individual authors’ style and flair are evident, and the entries vary in themes and tone (from humorous to horrifying), while still reading as a well-linked collection. Design details such as the mehndi-like border to the chapter breaks and the varied skin tones and traditions represented in the cover art add to the cultural (and romantic) emersion readers will get from this delightful anthology. A fun and fast-paced collection sure to entice romantics, foodies, fashionistas, and maybe a meddling auntie or two.