Here's a wealth of excellent books that explore the here and now, some just-the-facts-ma'am realistic and some more fantastical--pick and choose what you like.
CHILDREN'S
Released: March 1, 2012
"While in the end there are some plotlines left untied in slice-of-life fashion, the bittersweet resolution of the main conflict is deeply satisfying. (Fiction. 13 & up)"
A novel with alternating narrators takes an unusually interesting twist due to one of the character's habitual tendency toward self-delusion.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: March 5, 2012
"A story that, like Finley, expresses a lot in relatively few words. (Fiction. 12 & up) "
In a town partially controlled by the Irish mob, a quiet friendship develops between two basketball players.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: March 13, 2012
"No simple coming-out story, this many-layered effort is gritty, warm and ultimately hopeful. (Fiction. 14 & up)"
Compassionate, thoughtful and expressive, this New Zealand import traces a Maori teen's journey through friendships, family, work and the realization that he is gay.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: April 1, 2012
"The issue is seldom front and center in books for teens, but Vivian refuses to falsify or avoid the uncomfortable realities that looks alone confer status, and their power is greatest when obscured by the pretense that "looks don't matter." (Fiction. 12 & up)"
This riveting exploration of physical appearance and the status it confers opens a cultural conversation that's needed to happen for a long time.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: April 1, 2012
"A smart and rewarding ode to literature. (Fantasy. 12 & up)"
This richly satisfying tale of first and last love transcends its genre--not another breathless, fan-fiction take on a literary classic but an intertextual love letter.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: April 3, 2012
"If you haven't discovered this series yet, get going; if you're already a fan, why are you even reading this review? (Urban fantasy/thriller. 14 & up)"
The conclusion to Black's brilliant and unusual Curse Workers trilogy lives up to its predecessors.
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