Aunt Cookie enjoys & reviews books. You could say she’s quite… bookie!
This blog is part of a graduate course project on Library Resources for Young Adults
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“School Spirits: My So-Called Death”
Maddie’s physical body is missing, her spirit is trapped at her high school, and now she’s in an Afterlife Support Group with other spirits. While her friends and mom are hoping to find her alive, Maddie knows what she has to do: solve the mystery of her own murder. Read more ⇢
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“Frankenstein: Junji Ito Story Collection”
Manga artist Junji Ito lends his beautifully disturbing vision to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, and the results are as haunting as a fan of either horror icon could want. This collection also includes six Oshikiri stories, The Hell of the Doll Funeral, Face Firmly in Place, and Boss Non-Non. Read more ⇢
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“Center Stage”
The American Ballet Academy is the dream of teen dancers around the nation, but only a handful are accepted into a program that will train them to their absolute limits. These hopefuls discover love and heartbreak, reckon with cruel realities, and learn what it means to follow their true passion. Read more ⇢
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“The Rose That Grew from Concrete”
Between 1989 and 1991, a teenaged Tupac Shakur wrote over seventy poems. These verses displayed shades of the rapper 2pac would become as he rose to stardom. After his tragic murder, they were published as a collection which printed his handwritten pages next to typed versions of his words. Read more ⇢
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“How to Survive a Slasher”
Satterville, aka “Slasherville,” has a bloody history including two massacres straight out of a horror movie. CJ Smith wants to live outside the shadow of the Wolf Man killers. But a mysterious manuscript shows up on their doorstep and they find themself in the center of a new slasher plot! Read more ⇢
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“Pet”
Jam grew up hearing stories about how her seemingly utopian city no longer has monsters. When a strange creature called Pet tells Jam they’re an angel on a mission to hunt a monster, Jam joins their hunt and learns that bad things can have a habit of coming back… Read more ⇢
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“Fun Home: a Family Tragicomic”
Mythological and literary references abound as Alison Bechdel navigates uncomfortable truths about her father Bruce’s closeted homosexuality while discovering her own lesbianism. The Bechdel family tragedies are balanced with sardonic humor and a quietly expressive art-style that have paved the way for a new wave of biographical comics. Read more ⇢
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“Doki Doki Literature Club!”
A schoolboy’s childhood friend Sayori convinces him to attend a meeting of the Literature Club. He’s reluctant, but is swayed after meeting Yuri, Natsuki, and Monika. As he proceeds to bond with each girl, he makes a horrifying discovery that turns the entire game on its head… Read more ⇢
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“Dear Martin”
Justyce “Jus” McAllister has dedicated his life to pursuing Dr. Martin Luther King’s dream. After he’s placed in handcuffs for trying to help an intoxicated girl get home safely, he begins to notice how racism in the 21st century can make “staying out of trouble” an impossible option. Jus can no longer ignore that attitudes haven’t changed much since MLK’s time… Read more ⇢
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“Last Night at the Telegraph Club”
17-year-old Lily Hu lives in San Francisco’s Chinatown in 1954, a time of heightened Red Scare paranoia. Then she develops a romantic bond with her classmate Kath Miller. But the threat of deportation hangs over the Hu family, and having a known queer person in their household could attract even more unwanted attention… Read more ⇢
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“Hello, Cruel World: 101+ Alternatives to Suicide for Teens, Freaks, and Other Outlaws”
Drawing on her own history with suicidal ideation, Kate Bornstein offers a list of over 100 alternatives to encourage teens to choose Life over Death. Bornstein continues to offer support and hope by recounting the many roles she’s “traveled” through in her life with playful humor and deep empathy. Read more ⇢
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“Gidget, the Little Girl with Big Ideas”
Franzie is an energetic and bright teen who befriends a group of male “surf bums” one summer. The guys dub her “Gidget” (a portmanteau of “girl” and “midget”) and agree to teach her how to surf. Gidget experiences first love, teen rebellion, and the challenges of fitting in when you always defy expectations. Read more ⇢
