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: 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: 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: 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 1, 2012
"Though this novel begs inevitable thematic comparisons to John Green's The Fault in Our Stars (2012), it stands on its own in inventiveness, humor and heart. (Fiction. 14 & up)"
A frequently hysterical confessional from a teen narrator who won't be able to convince readers he's as unlikable as he wants them to believe.
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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: Feb. 28, 2012
"Readers will definitely want to have, know or be Maggie's brothers--but she herself proves to be no slouch when it comes to coping with change and taking on challenges. (Graphic fantasy. 11-13)"
Nervous, home-schooled by her absent and much-missed mom and saddled with three adored older brothers--and a ghost--Maggie starts high school.
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