Early April YA Titles
Below are three YA titles to add to your pile of kids books to love in early April (see for my picks for younger kids here):
The Here and Now, Ann Brashares, Delacorte Press
The new book by author of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, is a very different kind of novel. Prenna might seem like an ordinary teenager but she is not. She is a member of a community of time travelers who have landed in the present from a devastating plague ridden future. Her movements, her contacts with others, and her very conversations are circumscribed by “the twelve rules” put in place to keep them safe and not disturb the time. Yet, how much can Prenna trust that the leaders have their members best interest in mind when she knows that any misstep could cause a person’s removal or death at the hands of those pledged to keep them safe? A page turner.
The Ring and the Crown, Melissa de la Cruz, Disney-Hyperion
Sweeping romance, alternative history with Franco/Anglo crown, where there was no American Revolution, and internecine royal conflict threaded with magic construct a compelling and riveting fantasy novel, plus a crazy great book trailer. Do not miss.
The Vigilante Poets of Selwyn Academy, Kate Hattemer, RH/Knopf Books for Young Readers
Brainy outsiders? “Look at me” theater geeks? Handsome popular guy? Cool English teacher? Villainous administrators? Outsized crushes? Just an ordinary Minneapolis arts high school until a reality show takes residence. It’s all down hill from here, unless the Vigilante Poets can save the day in this outstanding debut novel.