The Dark
By Lemony Snicket
Laszlo is afraid of the dark. The dark lives in the same house as Laszlo. Mostly, though, the dark stays in the basement and doesn't come into Lazslo's room. But one night, it does.
A nicely‑written picture book about a boy overcoming his fear of the dark, with illustrations that complement the story perfectly.
Recommended by Edda
West Kendall Regional
The Selection
By Kiera Cass
Sixteen‑year‑old America Singer is living in the caste‑divided nation of Illéa, which formed after the war that destroyed the United States. America is chosen to compete in the Selection—a contest to see which girl can win the heart of Illé́a's prince—but all she really wants is a chance for a future with her secret love, Aspen, who is a caste below her.
Hunger Games meet The Bachelor…
Recommended by Miriam
Shenandoah Branch
Time to Get Dressed
By Elivia Savadier
When Solomon tries to dress himself, disaster ensues. His shirt ends up on his legs, his sock on his hand, and his pants on his head. It's getting late so Daddy intervenes and all goes smoothly‑for a while.
Recommended by Ana
West Kendall Regional
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
By Junot Diaz
Things have never been easy for Oscar, a sweet but disastrously overweight, lovesick Dominican ghetto nerd. From his home in New Jersey, where he lives with his old‑world mother and rebellious sister, Oscar dreams of becoming the Dominican J. R. R. Tolkien and, most of all, of finding love. But he may never get what he wants, thanks to the Fukoe‑the curse that has haunted the Oscar's family for generations, dooming them to prison, torture, tragic accidents, and, above all, ill‑starred love.
Recommended by Ricci
Main Library
Midwinterblood
By Marcus Sedgwick
Seven linked vignettes unfold on a Scandinavian island inhabited—throughout various time periods—by Vikings, vampires, ghosts, and a curiously powerful plant.
Unique and captivating. I really enjoyed this one.
Recommended by Edda
West Kendall Regional
Noggin
By John C. Whaley
Travis Coates was alive once and then he wasn't. Now he's alive again. Simple as that. The in between part is still a little fuzzy, but Travis can tell you that, at some point or another, his head got chopped off and shoved into a freezer in Denver, Colorado. Five years later, it was reattached to some other guy's body, and well, here he is. Despite all logic, he's still sixteen, but everything and everyone around him has changed. That includes his bedroom, his parents, his best friend, and his girlfriend. Or maybe she's not his girlfriend anymore? That's a bit fuzzy too. Looks like if the new Travis and the old Travis are ever going to find a way to exist together, there are going to be a few more scars. Oh well, you only live twice.
Recommended by Alisha
Main Library
Child 44
By Tom Rob Smith
In a country ruled by fear, no one is innocent. Stalin's Soviet Union is an official paradise, where citizens live free from crime and fear only one thing: the all‑powerful state. Defending this system is idealistic security officer Leo Demidov, a war hero who believes in the iron fist of the law. But when a murderer starts to kill at will and Leo dares to investigate, the State's obedient servant finds himself demoted and exiled. Now, with only his wife at his side, Leo must fight to uncover shocking truths about a killer‑and a country where "crime" doesn't exist.
Based on a true story of a serial killer who preyed on young boys and girls in the "crimeless" Soviet Union and of the KBG agent who risked his life to hunt him down.
Recommended by Susan
West Dade Regional
