Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers (#QP2022) Nominations Round-Up, Fall

Each quarter, the Selected Lists teams compile the titles that have been officially nominated to date. These books have been suggested by the team or through the title suggestion form, read by multiple members of the team, and received approval to be designated an official nomination. At the end of the year, the final list of nominations and each Selected List’s Top Ten will be chosen from these titles.


Amari and the Night Brothers. By B.B. Alston. HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray, $17.99 (9781725418295). 

Amari knows her brother isn’t dead. A briefcase in his closet leads her to a magical world—and the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, the place Quinton was working when he disappeared. Amari must use all her smarts and her heart to find out what really happened.

Artie and the Wolf Moon. By Olivia Stephens. Lerner Publishing Group/Graphic Universe, $16.99 (9781728420202). 

After Artie finds out her mother is a werewolf and that she lost her father to vampires, she must then battle vampires to save her friends and new wolf family while trying to practice her own potential wolf abilities.

Before the Ever After. By Jacqueline Woodson. 2020. Penguin Random House/Nancy Paulsen Books, $17.99 (9780399545436). 

Being the son of Zachariah 44, football star, has always felt like a dream to ZJ. But recently it’s been more like a nightmare, with his dad’s headaches, memory problems, and dramatic mood changes defining life in their house.

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Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers (#QP2022) Featured Review of The Power of Style: How Fashion and Beauty are Being Used to Reclaim Cultures by Christian Allaire

The Power of Style Cover Art

The Power of Style: How Fashion and Beauty Are Being Used to Reclaim Cultures by Christian Allaire
Annick Press
Publication Date: April 27, 2021
ISBN: 9781773214900 

Authored by a fashion and style writer for Vogue, this look at current elements of style focuses on social justice, culture, and politics, and their connection to how under-represented communities use fashion to proudly claim their identities. Included are ribbon shirts, hijabs, high heels, hair, and cosplay.

This quick overview of specific fashion elements uses a variety of eye-catching photos and brief, interesting commentary to keep readers flipping pages. The striking cover, 100-page length, and diverse collection of topics make this an easy book to pick up and browse. Fashion provides an inroad to larger ideas in history and pop culture without being didactic or overwhelming.

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Best Fiction for Young Adults (#BFYA2020) Nominees Round Up, December 13 Edition

Click here to see all of the current Best Fiction for Young Adults nominees along with more information about the list and past years’ selections.

Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Knopf Books for Young Readers / Random House
Publication Date: May 7, 2019
ISBN: 978-1524720964

In 2380, Tyler Jones, graduating cadet of Aurora Academy, rescues Aurora, a girl who has been in cryo-sleep for over 200 years and wakes with new, mysterious powers. Along with a squad of misfits from Aurora Academy, they go on a mission to uncover the truth about Aurora and what happened to Octavia, the colony Aurora had been heading to over 200 years ago.

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Best Fiction for Young Adults (#BFYA2020) Nominees Round Up, September 20 Edition

Click here to see all of the current Best Fiction for Young Adults nominees along with more information about the list and past years’ selections.

You Asked for Perfect by Laura Silverman
Sourcebooks Fire / Sourcebooks
Publication Date: March 5, 2019
ISBN: 978-1492658276

Ariel’s whole life has revolved around creating the perfect high school resume, but when he fails a calculus quiz, everything seems to unravel at once. Reluctantly, he asks handsome Amir to tutor him. As a romance begins, everything Ariel has built starts to crumble, and he isn’t sure if what makes him happy is worth holding onto.

Continue reading Best Fiction for Young Adults (#BFYA2020) Nominees Round Up, September 20 Edition