Whether you’re trying to fit in just a few more books before the end of 2020 or looking to jumpstart your 2021 reading, here are some suggestions under (or just over) 200 pages from our Teen Services Department.
These quick reads easily slip into a bag for reading on the go.
Juba! by Walter Dean Myers Set in 1840s New York, this story follows William Henry “Juba” Lane as he works hard to achieve his dream of becoming a professional dancer – his real break comes when he is invited to perform in England. This book also includes engaging vintage illustrations and news clippings.
This title is also available as a downloadable audiobook and as a downloadable ebook.
The Whitsun Daughters by Carrie Mesrobian
A great read for fans of Alice Hoffman’s Practical Magic, The Whitsun Daughters is told from the perspective of the ghost of a 19th century Irish immigrant, watching over three contemporary American teenagers who live on the same plot of land she did as they navigate the challenges of coming of age.
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Speak follows Melinda, a high-school freshman dealing with the traumatic aftermath of rape. Filled with deep feeling, empowering triumph, and moments of startling horror, Melinda’s ultimate triumph inspires and empowers.
This title is also available as a downloadable audiobook and as a graphic novel.I Kill the Mockingbird by Paul Acampora
Memorializing a favorite high school English teacher by… hiding every copy of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird? Join best friends Lucy, Elena, and Michael to see if it works!
Find Layla by Meg Elison
When Layla chooses her own home, a hostile ecosystem of indoor fungi and secret shame as the “biome” for a school science competition, it draws the attention of Child Protective Services. Now Layla has to learn to navigate a new environment while remaining true to herself.
Pick up a whole stack of these quick reads and get cozy at home.
After Tupac & D Foster by Jacqueline WoodsonMeet Neeka, D Foster and the narrator, three inseparable 11-year-old girls. They bond over their shared love of Tupac, explore their close-knit African American neighborhood in Queens, and work to make sense of the unpredictable world in which they live.
This title is also available as a downloadable ebook.
Beast Rider: A Boy’s Journey Beyond the Border by Tony Johnston
Despite the dangers of hopping a train, Manuel is going to Los Angeles to be with his brother. Three years later, after having reunited with his brother, Manuel wonders if this new place will ever feel like home.
This title is also available as a downloadable ebook.
Some Girls Bind by Rory James
Jamie’s older brother says everyone has a secret in high school – Jamie’s is that they bind their chest every day. Jamie struggles to find, and then share, their identity as genderqueer.
This title is also available as a downloadable ebook.
The Apple Tart of Hope by Sarah Moore Fitzgerald
Oscar Dunleavy, an Irish teenager who used to make incredible apple tarts, has gone missing. Oscar’s best friend, Meg, and his little brother, Stevie, try to figure out what happened.
The First Part Last by Angela Johnson
When his beloved girlfriend, Nia, suffers irreversible postpartum brain damage, 16-year-old Bobby takes their newborn baby home. The exhaustion is real, but so is Bobby’s love for his daughter, Feather.
This title is also available as a downloadable audiobook.