Teen Reads
A number of local schools produce their yearly challenge lists around this time of the year. Here are some of the best high school and middle school titles to start off the school year. MS = middle school GN = graphic novel (Updated August 2025)
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Plain Jane and the Mermaid
Ordinary Jane finds herself suddenly alone in the world and in need of a husband if she is to keep her parents’ house. Handsome Peter accepts her marriage proposal quickly, but is suddenly kidnapped by a mermaid, forcing Jane to face her fears and everyone’s lack of confidence in her. GN MS
Format: Graphic Novel
Availability: Available
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The Enigma Girls
World War Two prompted the British government to recruit hundreds of young women to a secret location in rural England where they spent the next couple years decoding Nazi messages to help the Allies win the war.
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Ruin Road
Football star Cade struggles to face the fears in his community surrounding race and wealth. When he finds a wish-granting ring in a certain pawn shop, he wishes for everyone to stop being so afraid, but when people drop all their anxieties, they learn a little fear may be a good thing.
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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A Deathly Compendium of Poisonous Plants
After a brief warning that eating or even touching these plants may make you sick, kill you, or land you in jail, she gives a little history of their discovery and traditional uses, including in various poisonings both real and fictional. MS
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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[Earthsea
Fans of Ursula K. LeGuin’s fantasy classic The Wizard of Earthsea should be thrilled to find this new graphic novel adaptation by Fred Fordham, who paints lush watercolors to great effect in the story of young Ged, a boy with incredible magical powers, but little self-control. When he is dared to display his abilities, he unleashes a shadow that chases him across the world until he is able to face it and defeat it. GN MS
Format: Graphic Novel
Availability: All copies in use
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Bye Forever, I Guess
Ingrid lives in the shadow of her former best friend unless she is working on her super popular blog or online role-playing game. When a misdirected text results in a growing friendship, she has a chance to really connect with someone, but is he closer to her at school than she thinks? MS
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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When We Ride
Diego’s mother gave him her car to help him get out of their impoverished neighborhood, but when his best friend Lawson cajoles him into helping Lawson deal drugs (for a nice cut of the pay), Diego finds it hard to resist, though their friendship may end.
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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The Deep Dark
Responsible Mags juggles a job, the needs of her sick abuela, and the struggle to keep the dark secret in her basement hidden. When her old friend and romantic interest Nessa appears after a long absence, Mags fights her guilt about a boy’s death in the basement in order to free herself.
Format: Graphic Novel
Availability: All copies in use
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The Last Dragon on Mars
Lunar Jones, a boy living on nearly uninhabitable Mars in a colony facing collapse stumbles upon a dragon that is the living embodiment of the life force of the planet. He is not the only one to be surprised to learn the dragon chooses him to be its last rider. MS
Format: Book
Availability: All copies in use
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Twenty-four Seconds From Now
Told in reverse, this romance follows Neon and Aria, who are about to have sex for the first time. But twenty-four hours before that, Neon was scrolling through videos from his friends, some of whom try to explain sex to him. And twenty-four days before that, Neon was walking his dog and thinking about his parents’ relationship and his grandparents’ relationship. And twenty-four months before all that, he was meeting Aria for the first time.
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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