Fresh Reads, Honest reviews, Educator-approved
Love finds a way behind reinforced walls. A shared journal becomes a lifeline for two incarcerated teens at a divided detention center. This slow-burn romance trades sci-fi for social justice, offering a nuanced look at the cruelty of the system and the enduring power of human connection.
Ghost Boys: The Graphic Novel follows 12-year-old Jerome after a fatal police shooting, moving between the world of the living and the “Ghost Boys” of history. With stunning, emotive artwork, this book tackles institutional racism and unconscious bias with grace and grit.
Jared Reck delivers a 5-star masterpiece of humor and heart. Donuts and Other Proclamations of Love follows Oscar, a teen navigating grief and the pressures of fitting in, while running a Swedish food truck with his grandfather. A perfect pick for middle and high schoolers, this story explores the many ways we express love when words fail us. It’s an essential tool for counselors and educators looking to support emotional literacy and empathy.
Born on Independence Day in the heart of Tegucigalpa, Libertad Morazán is a young poet searching for her own freedom. Set against the real-world 2017 Honduran election crisis, this powerful queer coming-of-age novel explores the heavy intersection of family loyalty, political activism, and the heart-wrenching choice between staying to fight or migrating for safety. A moving and authentic look at how national unrest shapes individual identity.
In his haunting debut fiction novel, Rex Ogle explores the gut-wrenching price of loyalty. Written in propulsive verse, When We Ride follows two best friends trapped between the hope of a future and the pull of the streets. While its graphic content and “edgy” themes require careful guidance, the story of Diego and Lawson is an essential, relevant read for high schoolers navigating complex choices and the cycle of poverty.