With snow still on the ground, it’s hard to believe spring is around the corner. But every day the sun sets a little later, and the colorful signs of warmer weather are sprouting–spring will be here before we know it.
Here is a preview of some upcoming young adult books we’re looking forward to seeing. Place a hold now, or pick them up when they make their way onto our shelves in March!
- “A Wizard of Earthsea: A Graphic Novel” – As the creator of graphic novel adaptations like “To Kill a Mockingbird” and “The Great Gatsby,” artist Fred Fordham is no stranger to reimaginations of classics. This March, Fordham brings Ursula K. Le Guin’s beloved fantasy “A Wizard of Earthsea” to life in striking watercolor style. Whether you’re a longtime fan of the Earthsea series or new to it, keep an eye out for this graphic novel.
- “Fable for the End of the World” – In dueling POVs, readers follow Inesa and Melinoë, two individuals on opposite sides in the Lamb’s Gauntlet, a grotesque bloodbath of a spectacle organized by the ubiquitous conglomerate Caerus. Billed as “The Last of Us” meets “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” this standalone post-apocalyptic novel is perfect for fans of page-turning dystopian romance.
- “Kirby’s Lessons for Falling (in Love)” – When champion rock climber Kirby Tan suffers an injury, she finds herself joining the school’s newspaper as an advice columnist. It’s not quite what she thought she’d be doing when sophomore year started, but Kirby seems to have found a knack for helping her classmates find romance. While navigating others’ relationships, Kirby must make sense of her own, some budding, some changing. While you wait for this beautifully illustrated exploration of grief and joy, check out Gao’s debut “Messy Roots,” a compelling graphic novel memoir.
- “They Bloom at Night” – Best-selling author Trang Thanh Tran follows up her Morris Finalist “She Is a Haunting” with another unsettling tale. When a hurricane sweeps through Noon’s hometown, it leaves devastation–and as the water rises each day, a red algae bloom overtakes the ecosystem. The wildlife isn’t the only thing mutating. When Noon investigates what’s lurking in the water and the increasing number of disappearances of townspeople, she reckons with trauma, identity, family and more.
- “When We Ride” – Benny and Lawson have been best friends since forever, but when personal circumstances send Lawson down an increasingly dangerous path, their longtime loyalty to one another is tested. As with Rex Ogle’s award-winning memoirs, his novel-in-verse debut is a heart-wrenching, beautifully written work.
Photo by Elin Melaas on Unsplash.