Happy Teen Thursday, y’all! Below, some exciting upcoming events and new releases to add to your TBR piles…
Looking forward to…
Emma Berquist – Thurs May 30 @ 7PM
Chilling tales for the mystery-seekers!
Event details
Sarah Dessen – Tues June 4 @ 7PM
For the hopeless romantics…
For our event with Sarah Dessen on June 4th, you can pre-order your copy of The Rest of the Story to receive a signing line ticket!
And sure, we know it’s still early, BUT– Epic Reads is giving adorable Dessen-inspired tote bags when you submit your receipt!!!!! So we urge y’all to pre-order your copy and then submit proof of purchase here to claim your bag!
A few new releases we’re excited for!
With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo
We fell head over heels for National Book Award winner The Poet X– as we’re sure many of you did, too! So we’ve been waiting on pins and needles for the release of Elizabeth Acevedo’s new book! A few of our Kids booksellers recommend this, including Eugenia, who says: “Brimming with flavor and comfort, this story centers around Emoni Santiago, a young Afro-Latina struggling to keep it all together– school, work, motherhood. Fortunately she has the support of her ‘Buela and her best friend Angelica, plus she can always relieve some stress in the kitchen, where she feels most at home. National Book Award winner Elizabeth Acevedo brings us another beautifully crafted story about love, family, and the value of hard work and determination, with a main character that is–to put it simply– real. I adored this book, and I hope young readers will be inspired to try out some of Emoni’s recipes, which are sprinkled throughout its pages. I know I was!”
Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens by Tanya Boteju *TEEN BUZZ BOOK* 
This book comes beloved by several BookPeeps, and it was also chosen as the Teen Buzz Book for May! Teen Press Corps member Ivy says: “Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens is a diversely queer novel, with a fairly original concept and uniquely real characters. Nima Kumara-Clark is a brilliant protagonist, sweet and innocent while still growing and changing throughout the novel. As the reader explores drag alongside her, we get a good sense of her feelings, the feelings that she isn’t totally sure of herself. There’s a sincerity to Nima that’s hard to find in most protagonists, especially YA protagonists. Tanya Boteju has a lot of talent, so her future is infinite. My hope for Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens is that it can at least change some people’s mindset regarding the benefits of drag, and introduce young people to a new art form they didn’t know they needed.”
Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me by Mariko Tamaki, artwork by Rosemary Valero-O’Connell
We’re obsessed with this new graphic novel about identity, friendship, and love! It comes highly recommended by several booksellers, including Tomoko, who says: “This gorgeous graphic novel gave me all the feelings–Freddy is trapped (kind of–not really–but still) in a relationship with Laura Dean, who makes her both incredibly happy and absolutely devastated. All of my righteous indignation boiled for Freddy, that frustrating friend whose relationship woes you can clearly see from outside looking in and who you just want to lock in the attic (no? Just me?) until they get over their obsession with someone who treats them like dirt. Powerful writing by Mariko Tamaki is coupled with Rosemary Valero-O’Connell’s delicately and emotionally illustrated spreads to reveal a story so recognizably human and potent. Turn the first page and you won’t be able to stop until you know what finally happens!”
BookPeople 