Category: Awards and Selected Lists

Amazing Audiobooks (#AA2024) Featured Review: Spice Road by Maiya Ibrahim

  • Spice Road
  • by Maiya Ibrahim
  • Narrated by Krupa Pattani
  • Books on Tape | Listening Library
  • Publication Date: January 24, 2023
  • ISBN: 9780593667859

Misra tea has the power to awaken magic hidden within. However, the Council closely guards its use and severely punishes those who violate its rules. Misra misuse can lead to magical obsession and death if the Council doesn’t get to you first. Imani shows her loyalty to the Council by strictly following their Misra rules. She is determined to prove her worth as a Shield and is different from her deceased Misra-obsessed older brother. When Imani uncovers evidence that her brother may still be alive and using Misra, she takes the opportunity to prove her loyalty by returning him to the Council. Imani and a group of Council-selected Shields embark on the expansive journey to find her brother. The farther Imani gets from home, the more she learns about her world and Misra, which calls into question everything she thought was true. 


This sweeping journey draws readers into a new sandswept world filled with ghouls and snarky djinns. There is something for every reader in this adventurous romantic fantasy.  Pattani’s narration takes this gorgeous story to new heights. She successfully helps readers navigate this new world and compels them forward. It is an audiobook that will hold listeners attention for just one more minute, followed by one more. Spice Road is perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Roshani Chokshi.

-Sarah Carpenter

Other Nominated Titles

Release Date: November 22, 2023
Release Date: March 14, 2023

The Selected Lists teams read throughout the year in search of the best titles published in their respective categories. Once a book is suggested (either internally or through the title suggestion form), it must pass through a review process to be designated an official nomination.

Each week, the teams feature a review of one of the officially nominated titles. Additional titles to receive this designation are listed as well. At year’s end, the team will curate a final list from all nominated titles and select a Top Ten.

Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers (#QP2024) Feature Review: Pardalita by Joana Estrela

  • Pardalita
  • by Joana Estrela
  • Publisher: Chronicle Books
  • Imprint: Levine Querido
  • Release date:  April 18, 2023
  • ISBN: 9781646142569

Raquel is a 16-year-old living in a very small town in Portugal. Everyone knows everyone kind of small town. It starts out with Raquel being suspended for cussing out a school aide. She has her two best friends, Luisa and Fred, to help ground her. Then she sees, for the first, Pardalita. Next thing Raquel knows is that she’s applying for the theater program to become closer to Pardalita.

I think this would be a good candidate for QPRR. It’s very much a slice of life, it’s very relatable, and deals with first loves/crushes, being an “angsty” teenager, and “coming out of your shell.” It’s very much a great book to read for any teen!

 Recommended for readers who also may have enjoyed This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki, and Are you listening? by Tillie Walden.

-Molly Sprague-Rice

Other Nominated Titles

Release Date: January 3, 2023
Release Date: March 7, 2023

The Selected Lists teams read throughout the year in search of the best titles published in their respective categories. Once a book is suggested (either internally or through the title suggestion form), it must pass through a review process to be designated an official nomination.

Each week, the teams feature a review of one of the officially nominated titles. Additional titles to receive this designation are listed as well. At year’s end, the team will curate a final list from all nominated titles and select a Top Ten.

Best Fiction for Young Adults (#BFYA2024) Featured Review: Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross

  • Divine Rivals
  • by Rebecca Ross
  • Publisher: Wednesday Books
  • Release date: April 4, 2023
  • ISBN: 9781250857439

After centuries of slumber, the gods have woken and they are angry, launching the country into a brutal war that forces mortals to choose sides. Iris and Roman are in a fierce competition to become the new newspaper columnist for the prestigious Oath Gazette, both with their own reasons for competing. Iris has struggled to pay the bills ever since her brother joined the war and her mother became consumed by grief and her alcohol addiction. Roman comes from a wealthy family, but wants to carve a life for himself out from under his father’s shadow. While Iris continues to fight for the better paying job and can’t stop worrying about her brother, she finds comfort in writing letters and slipping them into her wardrobe where they vanish – into the hands of Roman, her rival at the paper, who decides to anonymously write her back. 

Divine Rivals is a historical fantasy romance with a focus on the power of family and love in a time of war. The magical letter writing is romantic and fun. The two main characters, Iris and Roman, are delightful to read about as they face different obstacles from different backgrounds, and the supporting characters are just as powerful and interesting. While some readers may think the pacing starts off slow, the second half takes off at such a rapid pace it’s hard to put down and is utterly captivating as the setting of the story shifts to the war front.
This is a strong choice for teens who are a fan of rivals-to-romance fantasy titles and don’t mind a cliffhanger. Readers who enjoyed The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski or Lovely War by Julie Berry should give Divine Rivals a try.

-Allison Riggs

The Selected Lists teams read throughout the year in search of the best titles published in their respective categories. Once a book is suggested (either internally or through the title suggestion form), it must pass through a review process to be designated an official nomination.

Each week, the teams feature a review of one of the officially nominated titles. Additional titles to receive this designation are listed as well. At year’s end, the team will curate a final list from all nominated titles and select a Top Ten.
The Best Fiction for Young Adults Committee appreciates teen feedback as members evaluate the nominated titles. Teen librarians are encouraged to share the List of Potential Nominees under consideration with their patrons and solicit feedback using the link: https://bit.ly/BFYA24TeenFB

Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers (#QP2024) Feature Review: Extra Life (Young Readers Adaptation) by Steven Johnson

  • Extra Life (Young Readers Adaptation)
  • by Steven Johnson
  • Publisher: Penguin
  • Imprint: Viking Books for Young Readers
  • Release date: January 3, 2023 ISBN: 9780593351499

Humans have doubled their life expectancy. Extra Life explores the scientific advancements that have prolonged human life, including vaccines, seat belts, and pesticides. It provides a deep dive into modern history and scientific advances, which not only informs, but also speculates on the impact this has on the planet and our future.

With large font and interesting chapter titles, a hefty bibliography and index, this book also includes recommended reading and would be a perfect resource for basic science inquiries and the starting point for further topic investigations.

Fatal Fever: Tracking Down Typhoid Mary by Gail Jarrow, The Deadliest Diseases Then and Now by Deborah Hopkinson, and History Smashers: Plagues and and Pandemics by Kate Messner.

-Lorrie Roussin

Other Nominated Titles

Release Date: April 11, 2023
Release Date: April 18, 2023

The Selected Lists teams read throughout the year in search of the best titles published in their respective categories. Once a book is suggested (either internally or through the title suggestion form), it must pass through a review process to be designated an official nomination.

Each week, the teams feature a review of one of the officially nominated titles. Additional titles to receive this designation are listed as well. At year’s end, the team will curate a final list from all nominated titles and select a Top Ten.

Best Fiction for Young Adults (#BFYA2024) Featured Review: This Dark Descent by Kalyn Josephson

  • This Dark Descent
  • by Kalyn Josephson
  • Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
  • Release date: September 26, 2023
  • ISBN: 9781250812360

Mikira Rusel’s family was once famous for breeding enchanted horses, but their ranch has fallen on hard times thanks to the spite of the Kelbras family, one of the Great Houses of Veradell. When Mikira’s father is discovered to be an unlicensed enchanter and arrested, Mikira makes a dangerous bargain with Rezek Kelbras: if she wins the Illinir, an infamously lucrative, but dangerous, horse race using an unenchanted horse, her father will be freed. To do this impossible task, she partners with an upstart nobleman, Damien, and a practitioner of forbidden magic, Arielle, who have their own reasons to hate the Kelbras. Yet Mikira wonders if, in pursuit of their own revenge, her allies will eventually become enemies as well.

This Dark Descent is compelling, fast-paced, and intricately plotted. Dual narrators Mikira and Arielle are strong, sympathetic characters, two women who are tired of being powerless in an unequal society, but who come to have vastly different, conflicting ideals when wresting power for themselves. The dynamics among this group of secret rebels is fascinating, as Mikira, Arielle, and Damien all have something precious to lose that brings them together while also putting them at cross-purposes. Josephson expertly balances each character’s desires, motives, secrets, and moral codes to craft a taut thriller filled with bargains, betrayals, sacrifices, and revenge. The four horse races that make up the Illinir are packed with action and danger, while the introspective character moments make it clear what is at stake. The enchantment-based magic system is unique and steeped heavily in Jewish lore of the golem. Josephson also includes bisexual and demiromantic characters and references other queer couples in the story to make a queer-inclusive fantasy world.

Teens who love morally gray characters, twisty political intrigue, and dark magics will find much to love here. Readers of other dark fantasies with epic stakes like A Door in the Dark by Scott Reintgen, The Cruel Prince by Holly Black, and The Young Elites by Marie Lu will appreciate the worldbuilding and political intrigue. Those who enjoy the racing aspect may also enjoy The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater and Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin.

-Krista Hutley

Other Nominated Titles

Release Date: January 24, 2023
Release Date: April 11, 2023

The Selected Lists teams read throughout the year in search of the best titles published in their respective categories. Once a book is suggested (either internally or through the title suggestion form), it must pass through a review process to be designated an official nomination.

Each week, the teams feature a review of one of the officially nominated titles. Additional titles to receive this designation are listed as well. At year’s end, the team will curate a final list from all nominated titles and select a Top Ten.
The Best Fiction for Young Adults Committee appreciates teen feedback as members evaluate the nominated titles. Teen librarians are encouraged to share the List of Potential Nominees under consideration with their patrons and solicit feedback using the link: https://bit.ly/BFYA24TeenFB

Amazing Audiobooks (#AA2024) Featured Review: Other Side of the Tracks by Charity Alyse

  • Other Side of the Tracks by Charity Alyse
  • Narrated by Angel Pean, Ruffin Prentiss, Shaun Taylor-Corbett
  • Simon & Schuster Audiobooks | Simon & Schuster Audio
  • Publication Date: November 22, 2022
  • ISBN: 978179715276

Bayside and Hamilton, nearly identical in design, have been racially divided from the beginning. No one crosses the train tracks. Zach, who was raised in Philly and recently moved to Bayside along with his Bayside-native father, sees no reason to follow the “rules” when it comes to the segregation of the two towns.

Although they have only left Bayside a handful of times, Capri and her older brother, Justin, have dreams of getting out and making it big. Justin is counting on a basketball scholarship and college while Capri dreams of dancing on Broadway. When Zach learns his idol, a jazz musician, owns a record shop in Hamilton and heads over to meet him he meets Capri, who is working at the shop. Zach and Capri share mutual goals and an instant connection. Told from the three teens’ points of view, this story explores race, division, and class through the people and traditions of two towns. When a Hamilton teen is shot by a Bayside police officer, tragedy strikes the towns. It could further deepen the division between the towns or, just maybe, it will bring about the start of real change. 

Charity Alyse’s debut novel is both emotionally intense and thought-provoking. Racism, segregation, and interracial relationships are all key components of the storyline. Although set in the present, the events are reminiscent of circumstances of earlier decades. The narrators provide distinctly-voiced characters that will draw listeners to the story.

Other Side of the Tracks is a perfect next read to follow Angie Thomas’ The Hate U Give, I’m Not Dying with You Tonight by Gilly Segal or Kim Johnson’s Invisible Son. Be sure to recommend this title to teens watching All American. 

-Lysha Thompson

Other Nominated Titles

Release Date: May 2, 2023
Release Date June 6, 2023

The Selected Lists teams read throughout the year in search of the best titles published in their respective categories. Once a book is suggested (either internally or through the title suggestion form), it must pass through a review process to be designated an official nomination.

Each week, the teams feature a review of one of the officially nominated titles. Additional titles to receive this designation are listed as well. At year’s end, the team will curate a final list from all nominated titles and select a Top Ten.

Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers (#QP2024) Feature Review: Someone is Always Watching by Kelley Armstrong

  • Someone is Always Watching
  • by Kelley Armstrong
  • Publisher: Penguin Random House
  • Imprint: Tundra
  • Release date: April 11, 2023 
  • ISBN: 9780735270923

Blythe’s tight-knit group of friends have started to be plagued by nightmares, hallucinations, and what seem to be repressed memories. The stakes are raised when her best friend Gabrielle has a series of psychotic breaks at school, and is whisked away to a mental health facility following a suspicious death of a school official. Blythe and her friends must work together to find out what really happened to Gabrielle and how this relates to their own nightmares and visions. But can they trust anyone, even one another?

Someone is Always Watching is a fast-paced, plot driven thriller. Although some parts of the plot feel a bit underdeveloped, especially in the second half of the book, the twists and turns will likely keep readers turning the pages until the end. The book is just about 350 pages, but reads as quickly as a book half its length.

Also try books by Karen McManus or These Deadly Games by Diana Urban.

– Julianne Novetsky

Other Nominated Titles

Release Date: April 18, 2023
Release Date: January 3, 2023

The Selected Lists teams read throughout the year in search of the best titles published in their respective categories. Once a book is suggested (either internally or through the title suggestion form), it must pass through a review process to be designated an official nomination.

Each week, the teams feature a review of one of the officially nominated titles. Additional titles to receive this designation are listed as well. At year’s end, the team will curate a final list from all nominated titles and select a Top Ten.

Best Fiction for Young Adults (#BFYA2024) Featured Review:The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

  • The Spirit Bares Its Teeth
  • by Andrew Joseph White
  • Publisher: Peachtree Teen
  • Release date: September 5, 2023
  • ISBN: 9781682636114

Silas Bell has ambitions of being a doctor and has some training on anatomy and surgical technique. However, Silas, a trans boy, has been tutored into submission to hide his autism and will likely be forced to marry as a doting housewife. He is sent away to a school for girls to cure their “Veil Sickness,” a claimed madness that afflicts violet-eyed people who can speak with the dead. Several girls go missing, and their ghosts begin to speak to Silas, launching him into a violent and twisted quest for the truth. 

This is a complex and compelling horror, mixing paranormal and psychological elements that will enchant readers. An exploration of the harm done to those that are “other” by society, with biting critique and deep compassion, White’s story set in the Victorian era feels eerily current.  Silas offers a well-developed protagonist, alongside a powerful cast of secondary characters. 

Teens seeking gory historical horror, with a deeper examination of various forms of oppression will find this a must read.  Readers who loved White’s Hell Followed with Us will definitely want to check out this title. Additionally, this would be a good pick for fans of The Honeys or The Wilder Girls.  

-Kaitlin Malixi

Other Nominated Titles

Release Date: January 24, 2023
Release Date: April 18, 2023
Release Date: March 14, 2023
Release Date: May 2, 2023

The Selected Lists teams read throughout the year in search of the best titles published in their respective categories. Once a book is suggested (either internally or through the title suggestion form), it must pass through a review process to be designated an official nomination.

Each week, the teams feature a review of one of the officially nominated titles. Additional titles to receive this designation are listed as well. At year’s end, the team will curate a final list from all nominated titles and select a Top Ten.
The Best Fiction for Young Adults Committee appreciates teen feedback as members evaluate the nominated titles. Teen librarians are encouraged to share the List of Potential Nominees under consideration with their patrons and solicit feedback using the link: https://bit.ly/BFYA24TeenFB

Great Graphic Novels (#GGN2024) Featured Review: Insomniacs After School by Makoto Ojiro

  • Insomniacs After School, Vol. 1
  • by Makoto Ojiro
  • VIZ Media
  • Publication Date: March 21, 2023
  • ISBN-13: ‎9781974736577

Ganta Nakami is a grumpy and unfriendly high schooler with few friends but it’s primarily because he’s an insomniac and hardly ever sleeps. This causes him to also fall asleep at school and, while trying to find a good place to nap, he comes across the abandoned astronomy club room. Only it’s not so abandoned when he finds a fellow insomniac, outgoing Isaki Magari. After some forced proximity bonding, they discover that they can get some rest together and become secret friends.

Insomniacs After School, vol. 1 is the beginning of a heartwarming series about two unlikely high schoolers becoming closer as they are plagued by their shared disorder. The story addresses friendship, healing, and the power of dreams while also giving the reader cute banter and lightheartedness. Each character in Insomniacs After School is distinct, not only in their design but also in their personalities, allowing readers from various backgrounds to find a character they resonate with. The magic of the abandoned astronomy tower is captured in detail by Makoto Ojiro, but it is the beautiful renderings of abandoned nighttime streets that really pack an atmospheric and emotional punch.

Those who like stories about teenage friendship and unconventional bonding should read Chion-san of the Cat Temple, also by Makoto Ojiro. For manga readers who like the coming-of-age, finding-yourself vibes, I recommend Blue Period by Tsubasa Yamaguchi. Teens who enjoyed the unlikely friendship and emotional themes of the novel Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell may also enjoy this new manga series.

–Cheyenne Sons

Other Nominated Titles

Release Date: June 6, 2023
Release Date: June 6, 2023
Release Date: June 13, 2023
Release Date: September 12, 2023

The Selected Lists teams read throughout the year in search of the best titles published in their respective categories. Once a book is suggested (either internally or through the title suggestion form), it must pass through a review process to be designated an official nomination.

Each week, the teams feature a review of one of the officially nominated titles. Additional titles to receive this designation are listed as well. At year’s end, the team will curate a final list from all nominated titles and select a Top Ten.

Amazing Audiobooks (#AA2024) Featured Review: The Queens of New York by E.L. Shen

  • The Queens of New York
  • by E.L. Shen
  • Narrated by Katharine Chin, Vyvy Nguyen and Joy Osmanski
  • Harper Collins Publishers, Inc. | Quill Tree Books
  • Publication Date: June 6, 2023
  • ISBN: 9780063237988

Best friends and New York natives Jia, Ariel and Everett are inseparable. But this summer, each friend is going on their own adventure.Broadway-obsessed Everett is off to a prestigious theater camp in Ohio. Though she can’t stop thinking about South Korea where her older sister died last year, Ariel, a certified genius, is headed to California for a STEM camp before starting college a year early. Kind, solid Jia is at home in Flushing trying to help with her parents’ restaurant while also caring for her younger sister and grandmother. The three friends support each other from near and far while exploring the world and how they want to live in it.

This audiobook has something to offer everyone and readers will be sure to catch glimpses of themselves in Jia, Ariel and Everett. The narrators bring the personality of the different friends to life in a way that is realistic and comforting rather than overly dramatic. A great read for those looking for realistic fiction and tales of strong friendship like The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, the Heartstopper books and TV series, Becky Albertali’s Simonverse books as well as Golden Boys by Phil Stamper.

-Natalie LaRocque

The Selected Lists teams read throughout the year in search of the best titles published in their respective categories. Once a book is suggested (either internally or through the title suggestion form), it must pass through a review process to be designated an official nomination.

Each week, the teams feature a review of one of the officially nominated titles. Additional titles to receive this designation are listed as well. At year’s end, the team will curate a final list from all nominated titles and select a Top Ten.