Category: Book Recommendations

Great Graphic Novels (#GGN2024) Featured Review: Northranger by Rey Terciero and Bre Indigo

  • Northranger
  • by Rey Terciero and Bre Indigo
  • HarperAlley
  • Publication Date: June 6, 2023
  • ISBN-13: 9780063007383

Cade is just your average horror-loving, queer Texas teen who stays closeted in the face of his step-dad’s casual household homophobia and gender stereotyping.  When he has to help out on a ranch for the summer, sparks fly with the equally closeted rancher’s son Henry. Their budding friendship and romance is just one piece of a large web of truths that can’t be said out loud. The mystery surrounding the death of Henry’s mother threatens to tear them apart when Cade’s pre-disposure to translate the world through the eyes of a horror movie gets the best of him. 

Indigo’s choice of sepia tones and shaded renderings of rural and urban Texas create a perfect mood for this contemporary gothic romance take on Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey. Sibling squabbles, crushes, parent quarrels—all relationships—are depicted and conveyed with a surprising amount of nuance and depth within such a quick read. Teens will enjoy the tension and flow of these relationships, especially as they exist within Cade’s obsession with all things horror. Family connections, and learning to talk about uncomfortable subjects out loud, are the only things that might save the day in this wildly charming love story.

Ideal for fans of Heartstopper and Bloom, the romance and real-life complications of Northranger are beautifully portrayed. This graphic will be equally appealing to teens who find the creepiness, mystery, and tension of gothic romance especially thrilling, or for anyone who enjoys horror tropes mixed with real life. Readers who enjoy Northranger may want to also want to check out The Hills of Estrella Roja by Ashley Robin Franklin. Finally, fans of Jane Austen’s original novel and of remixes in general will find a lot to love here.

-M’issa Fleming

Other Nominated Titles

Release Date: January 10, 2023
Release Date: May 9, 2023
Release Date: June 20, 2023
Release Date: August 29, 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: Flowerheart by Catherine Bakewell

  • Flowerheart
  • by Catherine Bakewell
  • Narrated by Morag Sims
  • HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. | HarperTeen
  • Publication Date: March 14, 2023
  • ISBN: 9780063214651

Clara has never been able to truly control her magic, and while it creates great inconveniences for her, it has never hurt anyone, until now. When her latest magical test fails miserably and those in charge threaten to bind her magic, Clara’s magic lashes out and curses her father. Clara must find a way to heal the flowers that are growing out of her father’s insides before she loses her magic and is unable to fix it. She finds an unlikely ally with her ex-best friend Xavier, who offers a deal that will benefit them both. 

This fantasy blends unique magical abilities with an engaging plot that keeps readers discovering something new every step of the way. Morag Sims brings the whimsy of this book to light and her voice balances Clara’s sweetness with her magic’s sourness. While this audiobook is a comforting romp through a new magical world, it takes on mental health issues and anxiety in a gentle yet realistic way. It is a contemporary cousin to Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones and will also appeal to fans of A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer. This audiobook will delight high fantasy fans who love romance mixed in with their new magical worlds. 

-Sarah Carpenter

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: Going Dark by Melissa De La Cruz

  • Going Dark
  • by Melissa De La Cruz
  • Publisher: Sterling Publishing Co
  • Imprint: Union Square and Co
  • Release date: January 31, 2023
  • ISBN: 9781454947646

When college sophomore, Josh, returns from a romantic Roman getaway without his travel influencer girlfriend the internet has questions. Soon #WhereIsAmeliaAshley is trending and Josh is the police’s number one suspect. But fellow student and master hacker, Harper, is also working the case and she has discovered that even people who live their lives online can have plenty of secrets.

True crime fans will recognize the similarities to the Gabby Petito case, which is sure to raise interest. But this is not a retelling of her tragic death. This fast-paced book is filled with twists that have twists. The tone is dramatic and readers feel like they are rushing towards an inevitably dark conclusion.

Readers who are into influencer culture,  quick mysteries, and unreliable narrators should read  Live Your Best Lie by Jessie Weavernd You’re So Dead by Ash Parsons.

-Cathy DeCampli

Other Nominated Titles

Release Date: March 7, 2023
Release Date: April 25, 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 Sharp Edge of Silence by Cameron Kelly Rosenblum

  • The Sharp Edge of Silence
  • by Cameron Kelly Rosenblum
  • Publisher: Quill Tree Books
  • Release date: April 11, 2023
  • ISBN: 9780062932105

“Who will you be at Lycroft Phelps?” is the question posed to three students–Charlotte, Max, and Quinn–and each student with whom Dean Frye corresponds, but it is these three around whom this story revolves. Charlotte is a gifted ballerina and choreographer. She is most well known for dating Sebastian “Seb” McNeilly, the “genetic miracle” who also seems completely besotted with her, even as he must mysteriously cancel plans that both of them seem to be looking forward to.  Max is a scholarship student who becomes an unlikely coxswain for the Varsity 1 boy’s crew team, and in so doing, is invited to join “Slycroft” a secret society created as a rebellion against the admittance of girls to the school. Once limited to porn and pranks, Slycroft now has a tradition of setting bounties on the female attendees, and members take the girls’ panties as evidence of sexual conquest. Quinn is a legacy student who is determined to kill Colin Pearce, the Slycroft Lord of the Book. Quinn’s ingenuity at obtaining a security guard’s gun and a chance meeting with Charlotte who has discovered the Slycroft clubhouse brings Quinn’s motive into sharp relief and sets into motion an investigation and revenge plot that could tarnish the stellar reputation of Lycroft Phelps.

Told from the perspectives of Quinn, Charlotte, and Max, and supplemented with letters and emails between Lycroft Phelps faculty and administration, this is a deep dive into the bowels of rape culture and its effect on victims.  The circumstances surrounding Quinn’s rape include her own use of alcohol and the initial consensual nature of the encounter. The aftermath, including self-harm and rage at her feelings of powerlessness and the inevitability of Colin escaping any accountability for the attack, are realistically portrayed.  Author Cameron K. Rosenblum explores the varying levels of participation by each of the key male players. What could easily become male-bashing, instead, is a nuanced exploration of peer pressure and the need to stand against the elements that make rape culture possible. From start to finish, The Sharp Edge of Silence has a solidly paced plot with characters who have believable interests and motivations.  Language denigrating the female population at the school is accurately portrayed despite how difficult it can be to read. The sexual bounty, expectation for “bros” to fit a specific kind of sexual behavior, and hotness correlations are immediately recognizable by teens who have stumbled into them.  All of the elements combine to create an important story that celebrates justice and the reclamation of one’s bodily autonomy.

The alternating first person narration gives this an appeal for any teen who prefers gritty, hopeful slice-of-life stories. You’d Be Home Now by Kathleen Glasgow, The Music of What Happens by Bill Konigsberg, and The Secrets We Keep by Cassie Gustafson all deal with varying shades of sexual assault and the healing that comes from naming the trauma and getting help.

-Jodi Kruse

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: The Dog Knight by Jeremy Whitley and Bre Indigo

  • The Dog Knight by Jeremy Whitley and Bre Indigo
  • Feiwel & Friends / Macmillan Publishing Group
  • Publication Date: May 16, 2023
  • ISBN-13: 9781250756725

Other Nominated Titles

Release Date: November 8, 2022
Release Date: February 7, 2023
Release Date: September 12, 2023
Release Date: October 17, 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: Last Chance Dance by Lakita Wilson

  • Last Chance Dance
  • by Lakita  Wilson
  • Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
  • Imprint: Penguin Random House
  • Release date: February 21, 2023
  • ISBN: 9780593525616

Leila has just been dumped by her high school boyfriend right before graduation. Feeling lost and like she wasted her time, she’s looking for something new. Luckily her school has a tradition called Last Chance Dance. Students write down three of their crushes and with a serious algorithm they are paired up with matching crushes. When Leila does hers, she’s excited about all her matches except Tre, an annoying boy who bugged her all through high school competing to be the best, and making fun of her at the worst times. So Leila decides to go on dates with all her matches, except for Tre.  As Leila goes on her dates, she learns about love, loss and what it takes to find the right match. Because when she finally does date Tre, she discovers that not everyone is who they seem on the outside, and sometimes people surprise you.

This cute romance story has wonderfully well-developed characters that teens can relate to. The journey Leila takes as she goes on each date is relatable and readers truly get to know them just as Leila does. Readers will love reading about her dates. There is humor, romance, and a diverse main character.

Readers who enjoy the enemy-to-lovers trope, realistic fiction about graduating, and stories with strong friendships will like this one.  For more enemy to lover’s romance try Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert. For another realistic, relatable diverse romance try Love Radio by Ebony La Delle.

-Rachel Adams

Other Nominated Titles

Release Date: September 13, 2022
Release Date: January 31, 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) Summer Quarterly Round-Up

  • Divine Rivals
  • By Rebecca Ross
  • Publication Date: 2023.
  • Length: 357 p.
  • Publisher: Wednesday Books, $18.99
  • ISBN: 9781250857439
  • Reading Level: Gr. 10 – 12.

As the war between the gods creeps closer to the city, Iris and Roman fiercely compete to become the new newspaper columnist for the prestigious Oath Gazette. Their lives become further entwined and complicated thanks to the magical letters they unknowingly write to each other.

  • Friends Like These
  • By Jennifer Lynn Alvarez
  • Publication Date: 2022
  • Length: 377 p.
  • Publisher: Delacorte Press, $18.99 
  • ISBN: (9780593309674)
  • Reading Level: Gr. 9 – 12

Power couple Jessica and Jake’s relationship is irreparably damaged when Jake’s former girlfriend live streams their sexual encounter at a party.  Jake wakes up disoriented, Jessica leaves the party devastated, and Tegan–the ex–is missing and presumed dead.

  • Give Me a Sign
  • By Anna Sortino
  • Publication Date: 2023
  • Length: 303 p.
  • Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, $18.99 
  • ISBN: (9780593533796)
  • Reading Level: Gr. 7 – 10.

Lilah is hard of hearing and uses hearing aids, but she feels like she doesn’t fit in with the hearing world. She learns to embrace her Deaf identity while working as a junior counselor at a summer camp for the deaf and blind, while also making friends and starting a summer romance.


  • Gloria Buenrostro Is Not My Girlfriend
  • By Brandon Hoàng
  • Publication Date: 2023
  • Length: 293 p.
  • Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux, $19.99 
  • ISBN: (9780374388577)
  • Reading Level: Gr. 8 – 12

Gary Võ’s revelation that he has an “in” with the untouchable Gloria Buenrostro has the potential of lifting him and his best friend, Preston, out of social obscurity–if he is willing to betray Gloria’s trust in the relationship the two of them have built.

  • Going Bicoastal
  • By Dahlia Adler
  • Publication Date: 2023
  • Length: 325 p.
  • Publisher: Wednesday Books, $20.00 
  • ISBN: (9781250871640)
  • Reading Level: Gr. 9 – 12.

Jewish, bisexual Natalya has to choose between trying something new and scary or making the familiar new again in this light-hearted rom-com, which tells two parallel romance storylines: one where Natalya spends her summer in LA with her estranged mother and one where she stays in NYC with her dad.

  • I Kick and I Fly
  • By Ruchira Gupta
  • Publication Date: 2023
  • Length: 336 p.
  • Publisher: Scholastic Press, $18.99 
  • ISBN: (9781338825091)
  • Reading Level: Gr. 7 – 12

Heera is a girl, told since she was little, that she is destined for a life of prostitution. She is invited into a hostel for endangered girls and is given the chance to learn kung fu and, in the process, learn about how strong she really is.

  • If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come
  • By Jen St. Jude
  • Publication Date: 2023
  • Length: 397 p.
  • Publisher: Bloomsbury YA, $19.99 
  • ISBN: (9781547611362)
  • Reading Level: Gr. 10 – 12

Avery is ready to end her life when she receives a call that an asteroid is imminent and  will end the world for everyone. With a handful of days left, she must decide how and with whom to spend the remaining time.

  • Into the Light
  • By Mark Oshiro
  • Publication Date: 2023
  • Length: 442 p.
  • Publisher: Tor Teen, $19.99 
  • ISBN: (9781250812254)
  • Reading Level: Gr. 9 – 12.

Manny, exiled from his adoptive family and their religious organization, roams about trying to survive. When he sees the report of a dead body near the organization’s camp, he is determined to discover if the body belongs to his sister in hopes he is not too late.

  • Invisible Son
  • By Kim Johnson
  • Publication Date: 2023
  • Length: 404 p.
  • Publication Date: Random House, $18.99 
  • ISBN: (9780593482100)
  • Reading Grade: Gr. 9 – 12

Andres Jackson just spent two months incarcerated for a crime he didn’t commit.  A restorative justice program allows him to return to his family home in Northeast Portland but his  plans for returning to school and establishing his innocence are interrupted by the COVID-19 Pandemic.

  • Izzy at the End of the World
  • By K. A. Reynolds
  • Publication Date: 2023
  • Length: 330 p.
  • Publication Date: Clarion Books, $19.99 
  • ISBN: (9780358467779)
  • Reading Level: Gr. 5 – 9

Izzy Wilder is a fourteen-year-old autistic girl who recently lost her mom. Now living with her grandparents, Izzy witnesses a bright light that causes everyone she knows to vanish. With only her beloved dog left of her family, Izzy must try to survive.

  • Nigeria Jones
  • By Ibi Zoboi
  • Publication Date: 2023
  • Length: 369 p.
  • Publisher: Balzar + Bray, $17.99 
  • ISBN: (9780062888846)
  • Reading Level: Gr. 7 – 12

Growing up in a Black Nationalist compound, Nigeria Jones has accepted her father’s philosophies without question. His decision to begin a relationship with a younger woman in the absence of Nigeria’s mother as well as his restrictions prohibiting her from attending the private school her mother wanted her to attend are causing Nigeria not just to question him, but to rebel.

  • Reggie and Delilah’s Year of Falling
  • By Elise Bryant
  • Publication Date: 2023
  • Length: 392 p.
  • Publisher: Balzer + Bray, $18.99 
  • ISBN: (9780063212992)
  • Reading Level: Gr. 8 – 11

A New Year’s Eve gig that Delilah can’t get out of and a little peer pressure forcing Reggie to attend a party where Delilah’s band is performing is the beginning of a relationship that neither of them can seem to escape.

  • The Dos and Donuts of Love
  • By Adiba Jaigirdar
  • Publication Date: 2023
  • Length: 321 p
  • Publisher: Feiwel and Friends, $19.99 
  • ISBN: (9781250842114)
  • Reading Level: Gr. 8 – 12.

Shireen Malik is determined to win the Junior Irish Baking Show to save her parents’ struggling donut shop, but finds herself partnered with her ex-girlfriend.  Navigating friendships, romantic entanglements, and the competition is enough to challenge any baker.

  • The Minus-One Club
  • By Kekla Magoon
  • Publication Date: 2023
  • Length: 360 p.
  • Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR), $19.99 
  • ISBN: (9781250806208)
  • Reading Level: Gr. 9 – 12

After fifteen year-old Kermit loses his older sister in a car accident, he finds a message signed “-1” in his locker, inviting him into an unlikely group of fellow students dealing with grief.

  • The Queens of New York
    • By E.L. Shen
    • Publication Date: 2023
    • Length: 326 p.
    • Publisher: Quill Tree Books, $19.99 
    • ISBN: (9780063237957)
    • Reading Level: Gr. 8 – 11

Summer has just begun when three best friends, Everett, Jia and Ariel head separate ways for a summer of discovery, romance, and most importantly, friendship. That summer will also test their relationship and create opportunities for personal growth.

  • This Delicious Death
  • By Kayla Cottingham
  • Publication Date: 2023
  • Length: 290 p.
  • Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire, $11.99 
  • ISBN: (9781728236445)
  • Reading Level: Gr. 9 – 12

A new pathogen requires individuals to eat synthetic human meat to not turn into monsters. All is going well until people start disappearing at a music festival. As users of the synthetic meat, Zoey, Celeste and their friends are determined to solve the mystery before more people get hurt.

  • What Happened to Rachel Riley?
  • By Claire Swinarski
  • Publication Date: 2023
  • Length: 343 p.
  • Publication Date: Quill Tree Books, $19.99 
  • ISBN: (9780063213098)
  • Reading Level: Gr. 5 – 8.

When Anna starts eighth grade at a new school, she is immediately drawn to the mystery surrounding Rachel Riley, a former popular student who the entire eighth grade class has shunned. Anna decides to use her fact-finding skills to create a podcast dedicated to figuring out what happened to Rachel Riley.

  • Where You See Yourself
  • By Claire Forrest
  • Publication Date: 2023
  • Length: 306 p.
  • Publisher: Scholastic Press, $19.99 
  • ISBN: (9781338813838)
  • Reading Level: Gr. 10 – 12

Effie, a high school senior with cerebral palsy, grapples with advocating for herself, deciding which college to attend, and revealing her feelings to the guy she has had a secret crush on for years.

  • Wings in the Wild
  • By Margarita Engle
  • Publication Date: 2023
  • Length: 211 p.
  • Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, $18.99 
  • ISBN: (9781665926362)
  • Reading Level: Gr. 7 – 10

A hurricane displaces Soleida and her family, leading to her parents’ imprisonment for making illegal art and forcing Soleida to flee Cuba alone on foot. Dariel travels with his Cuban grandfather to Costa Rica to help those in need. Soleida and Dariel fall in love and fight the climate crisis.

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: Danger and Other Unknown Risks by Ryan North and Erica Henderson

  • Danger and Other Unknown Risks
  • by Ryan North and Erica Henderson
  • Penguin Random House / Penguin Workshop
  • Publication Date: April 4 2023
  • ISBN-13: 9780593224823

In Danger and Other Unknown Risks Marguerite and her talking dog Daisy are on a quest to save their post-apocalyptic world. At midnight on January 1, 2000, the apocalypse came in the form of magic, and the world is now split into different realms where the laws of physics and the way magic works are different. Marguerite has been tasked by her uncle with finding three totems so he can perform a powerful spell that will save the world from its current magical instability. As Marguerite and Daisy try to save the world, they meet a variety of people along the way and have an adventure all their own. Will they succeed in obtaining the items they need to save the world?

Danger and Other Unknown Risks is a fun, dystopian adventure full of magic, a talking dog, and humor with a likable, quirky protagonist. The world building is fun and interesting and provides a unique magical future that the reader can get invested in. The illustrations are fun and colorful, but also include realistic body sizes, and a variety of different realms. While the art may look cartoony, readers are in for a high-stakes, perilous ride. 

Danger and Other Unknown Risks is a great read for fans of dystopian adventures or D&D stories. Fans of North and Henderson’s previous work together on The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl will gravitate towards this standalone volume from the familiar team. Teens who like offbeat shows like Adventure Time or Loki will also enjoy this book.

—Kaileigh Oldham

Other Nominated Titles

Release Date: March 1, 2023
Release Date: February 14, 2023
Release Date: June 13, 2023
Release Date: July 4, 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: Rubi Ramo’s Recipe for Success by Jessica Parra, Narrated by Karla Serrato

  • Rubi Ramos’s Recipe for Success
  • by Jessica Parra
  • Narrated by Karla Serrato
  • Dreamscape Media, LLC
  • Publication Date: May 16, 2023
  • ISBN: 9781666633634

Senior Rubi Ramos has a plan. 1. Get accepted to Alma University and 2. Become a successful lawyer, just as her bakery owner, Cuban-American parents expect of her. But when Rubi is waitlisted, she’s determined to fix that by finding a math tutor and leading her debate team to the championship, all while keeping the waitlist and baking beyond her work at the bakery a secret. What could go wrong? It turns out Rubi’s passion for baking and competing in the bake off could help with being accepted to Alma and also help with realizing her dream. 

Jessica Parra’s debut into YA features topics she is familiar with as a lawyer and the daughter of Guatemalan and Cuban bakers. Parra’s characters are both entertaining and believable and Serrato’s narration gives personality to each. The cover gives romance, yet overall the story is more coming-of-age with Rubi’s relationship with her parents, her friends, and her teammates as well as the decisions she ultimately has to make.  

For readers who enjoyed  A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey; reading about the expectations of traditional family values in When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon or the strong-willed protagonist in Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy.

-Lysha Thompson  

Other Nominated Titles

Release Date: March28, 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.

Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers (#QP2024) Feature Review: Aces Wild: A Heist by Amanda DeWitt

  • Aces Wild: A Heist
  • by Amanda DeWitt
  • Publisher: Peachtree Teen
  • Imprint: Holiday House
  • Release date: September 13, 2022
  • ISBN: 9781682634660

Jack attends a private school in Massachusetts and runs an underground, literally in the basement, blackjack ring where he uses his card counting tricks learned from his life in Las Vegas where his family owns and runs a casino.  Things seem to be running smoothly until he sees his mother arrested on TV and has to race back to Las Vegas.

Jack is ace and has a group of internet friends that have found each other as allies who are also ace that live around the country. When Jack’s mom is arrested, he makes an impulsive decision to fly his friends to Vegas to help him figure out what happened. Many bad decisions are made, but they have each other to rely on.

Readers who love the idea of taking risks in casinos and banding together with friends on a mission will enjoy Jack and his friend gang. Similar reads are The 99 Boyfriends of Micah Summers by Adam Sass, Overturned by Lamar Giles.

Other Nominated Titles

Release Date: April 4, 2023
Release Date: January 31, 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.