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- Ashley S.
- Tuesday, April 02
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Check out these diverse titles releasing in April!
Here at Richland Library we are committed to fostering an inclusive culture that celebrates and respects our differences and unique learning styles. Each month a blog post will go live that showcases forthcoming diverse youth titles that have been purchased by the library. From differences in race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability and more, these titles are great reads for the entire family.
Be sure to check out the 5 titles that I'm most excited for in the slideshow below as well as the curated list of releases at the bottom of this post.
Enjoy!
Blood City Rollers
Published in 2024
After ice-skater and Olympic hopeful Mina wipes out at her biggest competition she gets recruited by a squad of vampires who need a human player to complete their Paranormal Roller Derby team.
Hearts Still Beating
Published in 2024
Two teen girls, Mara and Rory, navigate a complex web of love, infection, and survival as they reunite in an experimental resettlement program, grappling with their pasts and the looming threat of the virus that once transformed Mara into a monster.
The Orange Wall
An Acorn Book
Published in 2024
With her puppy Coco's help, Zoya gives her room a glittery makeover.
Roar-choo!
Published in 2024
"When a dragon gets sick, his phoenix friend rushes to help and ends up needing his help in return"-- Provided by publisher.
Puzzled
A Memoir of Growing Up with OCD
Published in 2024
"A memoir of living with OCD before and after diagnosis"-- Provided by publisher.
Merciless Saviors
A Novel
Published in 2024
Gem Echols, now wielding the power of the God of Air, grapples with the unintended chaos unleashed upon the pantheon, leading them to confront the dilemma of restoring balance without sacrificing themselves.
Wild Dreamers
Published in 2024
Told in alternating voices, determined to make a difference and heal from their troubled pasts, teens Ana and Leandro fight to protect California wildlife and the endangered puma.
The Black Girl Survives in This One
Horror Stories
Published in 2024
A collection of fiften horror stories centering on Black girls who battle monsters, both human and supernatural, face down death, and survive.
No Going Back
Published in 2024
Told over the course of forty-eight hours, seventeen-year-old Tony heads back to his old life in Des Moines, Washington after being released from a youth detention center, but toxic old relationships and unforseen challenges make staying on the straight-and-narrow nearly impossible.
The Misdirection of Fault Lines
Published in 2024
Three Asian American teen girls look for direction in their lives as they compete against each other at an elite tennis tournament.
Sound the Gong
Published in 2024
Zephyr, now a god in a warrior's body, faces challenges as she strives to support her lordess Xin Ren in a tumultuous political landscape, and is determined to overcome fate and make her enemies pay, even when confronting a revelation about Crow's true allegiance.
King of Dead Things
Published in 2024
Eli, who possesses unique magical abilities, and Malcolm, desperate to escape his past and save his mother, join forces to retrieve a dangerous magical artifact in the mystical underbelly of London.
Last Boyfriends
Published in 2024
"A queer YA coming-of-age featuring three queer teenage boys in small town Alabama who set out to get revenge on their ex-boyfriends and end up fighting their school's anti-LGBTQ+ initiatives"-- Provided by publisher.
Benny Ramairez and the Nearly Departed
Published in 2024
Twelve-year-old Cuban American Benny must help the ghost of his rich, famous, and morally bankrupt musician grandfather cross over to the other side before the New Year's Eve deadline.
The Door Is Open
Stories of Celebration and Community by 11 Desi Voices
Published in 2024
"A story of community, belonging, and friendship told by South Asian authors through an interconnected anthology, based in the fictional town of Maple Grove, New Jersey, and centralized at the town community center"-- Provided by publisher.
The Breakup Lists
Published in 2024
"A high school stage manager has to face his complicated feelings about love when he catches himself falling for the same guy as his sister"-- Provided by publisher.
Built to Last
Published in 2024
Every creation two friends build together end up tumbling down, except their friendship.
Kill Her Twice
Published in 2024
In in 1930s Los Angeles Chinatown, the Chow sisters, May, Gemma, and Peony, suspect foul play in the death of Chinatown star Lulu Wong and take it upon themselves to solve the murder, revealing a conspiracy that threatens their Chinatown neighborhood.
Song of the Six Realms
Published in 2024
Seventeen-year-old musician Xue faces a lifetime of servitude until Duke Meng offers her freedom in exchange for serving as a musician in residence, but Xue soon discovers the Duke is a celestial ruler with ulterior motives and she must unlock her past toprevent an impending war in the Six Realms.
Otherworldly
Published in 2024
In a land where the supernatural is believed to be real, non-believer Ellery and familiar Knox from the Other World form an unexpected alliance to strike a deal that could alter their lives forever.
Prom Babies
Published in 2024
"A multi-generational novel beginning with three teen girls who become pregnant on prom night, and picking up as their three teens head to prom eighteen years later"-- Provided by publisher.
Sing It Like Celia
Published in 2024
After her mother's sudden departure, twelve-year-old Salva Sanchez adjusts to her new life in an RV campground with her father, and finds her voice through new friendships and a love for Celia Cruz, the "queen of salsa."
This is Me Trying
Published in 2024
Growing up, Bryce, Beatriz, and Santiago were inseparable, but after the dissolution of their friendship and Bryce's suicide, Beatriz and Santiago attempt to reconcile and navigate love, mental illness, and forgiveness.
Off with Their Heads
Published in 2024
Witches and lovers Caro Rabbit and Iccadora Alice Sickle's twisted past comes to light as they are once again thrust into each other's lives and beckoned back to Wonderland, the dark, monster-filled forest where it all began.
The Equinox Test
Published in 2024
Rose, Amethyst, and Lavender, fifth-year students at the Brooklyn School of Magic, need to pass the Equinox Test in order to move up to Middle Magic--but they soon face self-doubts, a cheating scandal, and trouble brewing in the magical community.
What's Eating Jackie Oh?
Published in 2024
"A Korean American teen tries to balance her dream to become a chef with the cultural expectations of her family when she enters the competitive world of a TV cooking show"-- Provided by publisher.
Lucky Scramble
Published in 2024
"Twelve-year-old Tyler Goodman faces off against other competitive cubers at the Speed Cubing National Championships"-- Provided by publisher.
Isabel in Bloom
Published in 2024
Making friends in a new city, and new country, is hard for twelve-year-old Isabel, but joining the gardening and cooking club at school helps her find her way.
Three Summers
A Memoir of Sisterhood, Summer Crushes, and Growing Up on the Eve of War
Published in 2024
"An epic middle-grade memoir about sisterhood and coming-of-age in the three years leading up to the Bosnian Genocide. Three Summers is the story of five young cousins who grow closer than sisters as ethnic tensions escalate over three summers in 1980s Bosnia. They navigate the joys and pitfalls of adolescence on their family's little island in the middle of the Una River. When finally confronted with the harsh truths of the adult world around them, their bond gives them the resilience to discover and hold fast to their true selves. Written with incredible warmth and tenderness, Amra Sabic-El-Rayess takes readers on a journey that will break their hearts and put them back together again"--
Ultraviolet
Published in 2024
Thirteen-year-old Elio is struggling with "coming of age"--first love, first heartbreak, first real fight (which lands him in the hospital), and what it means to be a "man", a true friend, and an ally, as well as how to overcome a culture of toxic masculinity.
Piper Chen Sings
Published in 2024
When Piper is offered a solo at her school's Spring Sing, she must overcome her stage fright to put on an unforgettable performance.
Bye Land, Bye Sea
Published in 2024
Two children lost at sea must overcome a language barrier if they want to find a way home.
A Maleta Full of Treasures
Published in 2024
"When Abuela comes to visit from Peru, she brings a suitcase full of treasures and her granddaughter learns that home is not just a place, but the love between family no matter the distance"-- Provided by publisher.
I Would Love You Still
Published in 2024
"A trip to the zoo inspires a mother to list all the ways they love her child"-- Provided by publisher.
Juneteenth is
Published in 2024
"This book is an ode to the history of the Black community in the United States, a tribute to Black joy, and a portrait of familial love"-- Provided by publisher.
Meet Me on Mercer Street
Published in 2024
Aspiring artist Kacie spends most of her time on Mercer Street with her best friend Nisha, but one day Nisha and her family are gone, and Kacie struggles to understand the changes happening to her street and neighborhood, and what they mean for her life.
The ABCs of Queer History
Published in 2024
"CELEBRATE THE ABCs OF LGBTQIA+. An alphabet book that highlights and celebrates queer history in the United States from A to Z, presenting bold ideas for big thinkers in every letter! A is for abundant, always, ally, and alive. F is for family, friendship, fluid, and free. O is for optimists, opportunity, open, and outspoken"-- Provided by publisher.
Shiny Misfits
Published in 2024
Bay Ann is sure her tap dance will shine at the school talent show, but when her crush, Alyee Maq, catches her before she falls (which was his fault anyway) and gets all the "fame" she is determined to beat him at his own attention-seeking game.
Dear Wendy
Published in 2024
Aromantic and asexual students Sophie and Jo, engaged in an online feud as the creators of popular relationship advice accounts "Dear Wendy" and "Sincerely Wanda," unwittingly become real-life friends and navigate their shared aroace identities as they face the challenges of college life.