Special Mention: Classroom Voices on Education and Race – Daniel Frio

Frio emphasizes the important need for firsthand experiences from students on the issue of education and race in the classroom, and the value of critical thinking and open discussions among the student body. He includes critical information on how to promote inclusivity in schools and draws attention to race and the racial achievement gap, using input from students, including those from Wayland, who are burdened with misunderstanding. Frio used WHS student journal entries over a 25 year span to establish a clearer picture of the educational and racial experiences of students across generations. The work is incredibly insightful and provides a useful template for those seeking to extract genuine responses from students on some personal and challenging topics. “Classroom Voices on Education and Race” also features Mark Liddell, the WHS METCO Coordinator and former middle school history teacher.

The Gilded Wolves – Roshani Chokshi
Genre: Fantasy

Set in Paris in the year 1889, six unlikely thieves band together and try to pull a heist to prevent an evil society from taking over their magical world. The characters risk it all in an attempt to save their beloved city while trying to keep themselves alive.

Like A Love Story – Abdi Nazemian
Genre: Historical Fiction, LGBTQ+

In 1989, Reza, an Iranian immigrant, moves to New York City with his mom, stepdad and brother. “Like A Love Story” follows Reza as he grapples with his fear of coming out as gay amid the AIDS crisis.

Act Cool – Tobly McSmith
Genre: Young Adult/Realistic/Psychological Fiction

August Greene, a newly transitioning transgender boy who aspires to be a Broadway star, runs away from his religious parents to live with his aunt to try to achieve his dreams of becoming a famous actor. In order to stay with his aunt, August must promise his parents he won’t transition. How will August stay true to himself without losing his parents’ trust and having to leave the safety of his aunt’s home?

Our Way Back to Always – Nina Moreno
Genre: Young Adult Romantic Fiction

Childhood friends Sam and Lou were inseparable, but when middle school happened, they didn’t speak to each other for four years. When the summer before senior years rolls around, Sam, who is dealing with the death of his father, and Lou, experiencing the stress of college admissions, come together and rediscover the bucket list they made when they were kids.

Super Fake Love Song – David Yoon
Genre: Young Adult Romance

The nerdy Sunny Dae, mesmerized by the cool and confident girl Cirrus Soh, accidentally ends up telling her a lie that he’s the front man of a rock band. Unable to escape the lie, he ends up trying to start a rock band with his friends to impress Cirrus.

So Many Beginnings: A Little Woman Remix – Bethany Morrow
Genre: Young Adult Fiction

Centered around North Carolina in the year 1863 during the midst of the Civil War, the Freedmen’s Colony of Roanoke Island is a safe haven and refuge for newly freed Black Americans. In this haven, the March sisters—Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy—explore love, heartbreak and new horizons as independent young women.

Beasts of Prey – Ayana Gray
Genre: Fantasy

Sixteen-year-old Koffi, an indentured servant at the Night Zoo in the city of Lkossa, lives in fear of the zoo’s cruel master who is a danger to her family and discovers a hidden power she doesn’t understand. Ekon, destined to become an elite warrior, encounters a vicious monster and is rescued by Koffi. Fate brings together these two teenagers in a quest to hunt down the ancient creature that threatens their home.

The Other Merlin – Robyn Schneider
Genre: Fantasy

When a royal messenger from the kingdom of Camelot summons Emry Merlin’s less talented twin brother to serve as a wizard for the depressed Prince Arthur, Emry disguises herself and pretends to be her brother in hopes of traveling to the royal court and switching places with him.

In the Wild Light – Jeff Zentner
Genre: Young Adult Realistic Fiction

In this coming-of-age novel, Cash and his best friend Delaney are given an opportunity to leave their small and impoverished town and go to an elite prep school. Cash will have to deal with his love for Delaney and leaving his family and his town behind.

Like Other Girls – Britta Lundin
Genre: Young Adult/LGBTQ+/Sports Fiction

After getting kicked off the school basketball team, Mara decides to try out football with her best friend Quinn and her brother. Realizing her natural abilities, Mara joins the football team, inspiring four other girls, including Mara’s crush and her nemesis, to also join. Mara is forced to wrestle with her preconceived notions of sports, gender, sexuality and friendship.

Six Crimson Cranes – Elizabeth Lim
Genre: Fantasy

Shiori, the princess of Kiata, is exiled by her stepmother, Raikama, after the secret of her forbidden magical powers is revealed. Raikama turns Shiori’s brothers into cranes and banishes Shiori from speaking or else her brothers will die. When searching for her brothers, she discovers a deceitful conspiracy to overtake the throne. Will she be able to save her kingdom and maybe find true love in the process?

Little Thieves – Margaret Owen
Genre: Fantasy

A retelling of the Brother Grimm’s “The Goose Girl,” “Little Thieves” focuses on Vanja, the poor servant of Princess Gisele. When Vanja’s godmother’s care comes at a terrible price, she switches lives with Princess Gisele and becomes a princess and a thief while Gisele is left penniless, hoping to find a way to reclaim her life.

Roxy – Jarod Shusterman and Neal Shusterman
Genre: Young Adult Realistic Fiction

Roxy (Oxycontin) and Addy (Adderall), compete to tempt siblings Isaac, dealing with a serious injury, and Ivy with untreated ADHD, to alleviate them from pain and distraction, and in the process, jeopardizes both their lives.

Let’s Talk About Love – Claire Kann
Genre: Young Adult Romance Fiction/LGBTQ+

Alice, a biromantic asexual black woman, meets Takumi while working at a library and instantly cannot stop thinking about him. Alice must now make a decision: profess her feelings for Takumi and risk rejection or keep them inside at the expense of not being true to herself.

Extreme Weather and Climate Change: What’s the Connection? – Stuard Kallen
Genre: Nonfiction, Environmental

Learn about the correlation between the threat of climate change and its effect on unnatural weather patterns due to human use of fossil fuels and the devastating consequences it has on the environment. What, if anything, can be done to slow the threat of severe climate change?

Billy Summers – Stephen King
Genre: Adventure Fiction/Crime

Billy Summers, a hitman considering retirement, is offered a final two million dollar job by a mobster to kill Joel Allen, who’s also a hitman. Billy is one of the best snipers in the world, an Iraq war veteran and a mastermind. What could possibly go wrong?

Forged in Fire and Stars – Andrea Robertson
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

In a medieval-like fantasy world, Ara is destined to become a Loresmith, a blacksmith who works with the king and queen to protect the kingdom, but since the monarchy’s defeat years ago, Ara never truly believed in her fate. That is until she is stolen by Princess Nimhea and Prince Eamon in hopes of taking their place back in the throne, realizing her destiny.

Between Shades of Gray: The Graphic Novel – Andrew Donkin
Genre: Graphic novel, historical fiction

Based on the novel, “Between Shades of Gray” by Ruta Sepetys, this graphic novel rendition explores the hardships of fifteen-year-old Lina, who was taken by the Soviets from her home in Lithuania and thrown into a Siberian labor camp in the midst of World War II with her brother and mother. Highlighting the horrific violence and cruelty Lina had to face to keep herself and her family alive, Between Shades of Gray is a chilling account of the terrors of WWII.

Himawari House – Harmony Becker
Genre: Graphic novel, Young adult fiction

Nao, Hyejung and Tina are new to living in Japan and instantly become friends through living at the Himawari House in Tokyo and attending the same school. Each of them deal with their ambitions and challenges of living in a new country, language barriers and friendship.

Nichijou: My Ordinary Life – Keiichi Arai
Genre: Manga, comedy

Dive into the lives of a group of high school friends as they deal with life’s many different unexpected events. Written in small vignettes, this charming manga adaptation of the anime will make you laugh from page one.

The Beatles Get Back – The Beatles
Genre: Nonfiction

Explore the captivating recording sessions from one of the most iconic and famous rock bands of all time. With transcripts created with over 120 hours of recordings, “The Beatles Get Back” gives a fascinating and vivid experience of being in the recording studio with the legendary band.

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