Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

“dfather was only twenty-one when he saw the horrors of a concentration camp. War and violence are rooted in evil, pride, and ego. There’s almost always another alternative, but it seems the world has yet to embrace this fact. And it is the children who innocently suffer.”

Pride by Ibi Zoboi

“nto something so much more for young readers still carving out their identities.”

Shadow of Night (#2 in All Souls Trilogy) by Deborah Harkness

“No, Diana can save herself. She even saves her significant other, Matthew de Clairmont on more than one occasion. This pattern continues in the second installment of the trilogy Shadow of Night.”

The Field Guide to the North American Teenager by Ben Phillipe

“Norris has a chip on his shoulder after his dad refuses to let Norris stay in Canada instead of moving to Texas.”

Drums of Autumn (Outlander #4) by Diana Gabaldon

“Drums of Autumn has plenty of action, violence, romance, family reunion, and time travel. Despite the horrors and traumas of various characters, this installation in the series is perhaps the richest as it brings multiple worlds together.”

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

“I love this book for what it tells my students: no matter what life hands you, no matter how difficult it may be, surround yourself with people who cheer you on and hold on to your power, talent, and inherent worth. Don’t let anyone try to tell you you aren’t worthy because of x,y, or z. Because they are wrong.”

The Legend of Fire Horse Woman by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston

“the United States government long concentrated populations of American Indians on reservations, prisoners of the Civil War, and incarcerated Japanese Americans in camps.”

Persuasion by Jane Austen

“Persuasion by Jane Austen was probably a dangerous book for me to read after my break-up. It’s about a second-chance relationship between Anne Elliot and Captain Frederick Wentworth. But, what the heck?”

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

“I like to think that Austen realized when she wrote Northanger Abbey that even though books like The Mysteries of Udolpho were entertaining and influential, novels still needed something more fundamental. Readers needed characters more like themselves to engage with.”

The Overstory by Richard Powers

“I’m usually impressed by a good storyline. Still, if an author does something that creative with the structure of a book, I can admire it on its own, without a good storyline. Thankfully, The Overstory contains both beautiful design and story!”