Libby's Guide

Brooklyn Gartner hates football. When her mother remarries, Brooklyn and her mother relocate from their home in Oregon to Leighton, Texas. Brooklyn has to give up her friends, her ballet studio, and everything she loves, all because her new stepbrother is a star football player--and in Leighton, football is life. If that isn’t enough, now the middle school football team has invaded her refuge, the Center Stage Dance Studio. Their coach insists dance conditioning practice will improve their football.

Brooklyn is beyond angry, but when her dance partner is injured, she might just have to rely on one...

I finally made it through this powerful, painful, but wonderfully necessary book. I’m grateful for Thomas’s character Starr and her strong voice that helped expand my worldview and understanding. Starr’s experience is difficult to read about, mostly because I wish it weren’t true to life, but I know it is. I recommend this read for all who may relate to Starr’s experience, but especially for those of us who can’t relate--because we need to learn to at least understand.

When fleeing a neighborhood party gone wrong, Starr and her friend Khalil are pulled over by a police officer. The officer says th...

When Quinn develops alopecia and loses all her hair, her friends gradually turn on her.  At the same time, Nick is slowly pushing all his friends away after losing his legs in a snowmobiling accident. Then Quinn’s family moves so her autistic brother can attend a special school.  Quinn hopes for a new start and she is drawn to Nick because she understands some of his feelings.  But will Quinn and Nick be able to trust each other enough to be friends?

In How We Roll, Natasha Friend takes a sensitive look at the trials of dealing with a new disability as a teen. Her characterization is rea...

In 1872, Celine Rousseau flees from Paris to New Orleans in order to escape her tragic past.  She tries to start a new life in service to the Ursuline Convent.  However, Celine soon finds herself drawn into the underworld of the La Cour des Lions.  A series of gruesome murders seems to follow Celine and soon she worries about everyone close to her.  Will life in New Orleans prove more dangerous than Paris?

The Beautiful is an alternate history of New Orleans--one where the paranormal is alive and real and danger lurks around every corner.  The story is exciting and a good read for l...

Stevie Hart has never fit in, but she’s okay with that.  She enjoys homeschool and her political work with the Springs for Tomorrow Alliance. And even if it isn’t typical teenage stuff, Stevie and her best friend Sanger know how to have fun. But when Max Garza moves in next door, Stevie’s comfortable life starts to unravel. Max convinces Stevie and Sanger to help him with his list:  23 Ways to Fake My Death Without Dying.  Unfortunately, as Stevie grows closer to Max, it is harder for her to handle his brushes with death.

Lucky Few is a book that swings between humorous and profound.  It...

Mia Tang lives in a motel.  Every day while her immigrant parents clean the rooms, ten-year-old Mia runs the front desk.  She takes care of customers and also helps hide the immigrants her parents sometimes let stay in the motel for free.  If the owner Mr. Yao finds out, Mia’s family will be out of a home and out of a job.  On top of all that, Mia really wants to be a writer, but her mother insists she focus on math.

Front Desk is a heartwarming story about the goodness of people, but it doesn’t shy away from some hard issues.  Mia fearlessly confronts prejudice and the unkind treat...

Danyal Jilani wants an arranged marriage--he just wants some say on who that arranged bride should be.  Unfortunately, the family of his longtime crush Kaval, doesn’t believe Danyal is marriage material.  But when Danyal is given the chance to compete in the Renaissance Man competition at his school, he believes this is his chance to redeem himself. To ensure his success, Danyal recruits Bisma to help him prepare for the competition.  However, the more Danyal prepares, the more he questions what is really important.

This delightful coming of age story exposes readers to Islamic Indian cu...

Jude loves her life in Syria, but when violence threatens her hometown, she and her mother leave to visit family in the United States.  At first Jude is homesick.  She misses her older brother and father.  Life in America is too fast and she doesn’t speak enough English.  But as Jude makes new friends and new discoveries, she finds that ‘home’ can be more than one place.

A story written in verse, Other Words for Home is a lyrical representation of one immigrant’s life.  Jude’s voice shows the beauty of family and friends wherever you may find yourself.  Her words will help readers g...

When Anna Cicconi starts her summer nannying job, she is ready for a new start.  But throughout the small community, Anna is met with strange reactions.  It turns out that she closely resembles Zoe Spanos, a girl from the area who went missing around six months ago.  Intrigued by the mystery, Anna begins learning about Zoe’s disappearance.  She also starts having inexplicable memories that make her think she knows Zoe Spanos and maybe even knows what happened to her.  But can Anna’s memories be trusted?

This twisty YA mystery will keep readers hooked until the very end.  With a...

Maria Louisa, or Malú as she prefers to be called, is dreading her first day at Posada Middle School.  She wonders if she will find her people--the ones who she can be completely herself with.  Because Malú loves punk rock, skateboarding, zines, and Soyrizo, but she doesn’t love cilantro or speaking Spanish.  Malú also worries about disappointing her mother by not being Mexican or senorita enough. Will Malú learn to follow the first rule of punk and be herself or will she be defeated by all the expectations?

The First Rule of Punk is a great addition to the middle school reading world....