Teens

  • Teens in Sports

    If you love sports, whether it’s watching or playing, you’ll love these fantastic new novels involving teens playing their favorite games. Check these out also for a dose of romance and social justice. In Kneel by Candace Buford, Marion and Rus are hassled by their white adversaries at the football game, insults and fists fly,… Continue reading

  • Teens in Love

    February is a great time to find new love, and new books to love.  Here are some fantastic new teen titles focusing on teen romance. In Blackout, six fabulous Black authors weave a romance in six different parts, all beginning with a citywide blackout. In the free-verse novel Only on the Weekends by Dean Atta,… Continue reading

  • The Central Library Expands Hours, and 20-Plus Things to Do There

    The Central Library Expands Hours, and 20-Plus Things to Do There

    Tourists stop by all the time, but when was the last time you visited The Seattle Public Library’s internationally acclaimed downtown location? If it’s been a while, we have good news: Starting Wednesday, Jan. 18, the Central Library will be open two nights a week until 8 p.m. (with the exception of the Faye G.… Continue reading

  • What Seattle Read in 2022: Teen Edition

    What are the teenagers checking out these days? We were curious, so as a follow-up to our post on The Seattle Public Library’s most popular books for adults in 2022, we’ve compiled the top-circulated 10 fiction and nonfiction books for teen audiences. It’s a diverse, fascinating list, ranging from award-winning graphic novels to an Ojibwe… Continue reading

  • Gothic Teen Reads

    Gothic Teen Reads

    Gothic horror has always been one of my favorite genres. Even through the holidays, I find myself turning to the gothic for a fun escape. I love the unsettling atmosphere, the haunted houses, the ghosts, and the element of mystery woven throughout the story. Here are some of my recent teen gothic-horror favorites: Watch Over… Continue reading

  • Teen Staff Faves 2022

    Each year, we ask library staff around the system for their favorite books published that year.  Here are this year’s teen titles. In The Charmed List by Julie Abe, Ellie and Jack, two teens with magical abilities, are forced to go on a road trip as punishment for a prank gone wrong. Along the way,… Continue reading

  • Native American Books for Teens and Young Adults

    In celebration of Native American Heritage month, we’re featuring titles written for teens by Native American and First Nations authors. Some of these are realistic, some are fantasy, and some take the form of memoirs. In Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley, science-oriented Daunis uses her Ojibwe knowledge of plants, medicine, and chemistry to help her… Continue reading

  • School Tales for Teens: September 2022

    School is back in session!  If you need some time away from your homework, here are some great teen novels about school life. In Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, an anonymous student known only as Aces spreads secrets about two Black students to try and keep them from succeeding in the predominantly white school. Dahlia… Continue reading

  • Black History Month 2022: Black Teens in Love

    Black History month meets Valentine’s Day, and they make a sweet couple! Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender follows seventeen-year-old Felix, who feels he is one marginalization more than people can handle: Black, queer, trans. When someone posts his deadname and pre-transition pictures, Felix seeks revenge, but his search for his tormentor reveals some surprises… Continue reading

  • Staff Faves 2021: Teen Books

    Here are ten books for teens that our staff loved in 2021! Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley “Daunis, who is part Ojibwe, defers attending the University of Michigan to care for her mother and reluctantly becomes involved in the investigation of a series of drug-related deaths.” — NoveList Yolk by Mary H.K. Choi “Ji-young Baek,… Continue reading

  • Watch and Read: Stranger Things

    While I can honestly watch Stranger Things over and over and over again we have so much material that adds on to the Stranger Things universe to quench your nerdy hearts. As well as a few reads to give you the same feeling the show did – for all ages! The Stranger Things Field Guild… Continue reading

  • Three on a Theme: Seattle Writers

    Every fall, as the rains return, we are reacquainted with the knowledge of where exactly on Earth we are. Autumn in Seattle can be gloomy and hard to survive emotionally, but it is also an experience that can be enhanced by delving into the cultural history and storytelling of the specific place we are in.… Continue reading

  • Witchy Reads for a Witchy Autumn

    We are approaching one of the most magical times of the year: when the leaves begin to turn, the days get windier, and the spiders come out to leave their shimmery artwork in the gardens for us to admire. Every autumn, it can feel amazing to lean into the spookier side of things and appreciate… Continue reading

  • Magical Tales by Women of Color

    I went on a search for stories with a magical theme to them by authors who are women of color. On my search I managed to procure these six stories for your enjoyment. They are all a little different, so hopefully you’ll find one to strike your fancy. The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig… Continue reading

  • #BookBingoNW2020: Neuro-diverse protagonist or author

    In this year’s Book Bingo, the neuro-diverse protagonist or author square invites us to journey into the world of a person whose modes of thinking and ways of processing the world differ from those of the mainstream population. Neurodiversity, often associated with disabilities like autism or ADHD, can sometimes lead to deep connections, groundbreaking insights,… Continue reading

  • Bus Reads for January

    Commuting to Seattle by bus five days a week gives me a lot of reading time. Here’s what I read on the bus in January: The Wall by John Lanchester. Due to climate change an island nation has built a wall to keep out the Others – those adrift. Each citizen is assigned wall duty for… Continue reading

  • Bus Reads for July

    Commuting to Seattle by bus five days a week gives me a lot of reading time. Here’s what I read on the bus in July: Early Riser by Jasper Fforde. I really enjoyed this book, I think the only issue I sometimes have with Jasper is that it sometimes feels like in his books there… Continue reading

  • 2019 Lambda Literary Awards: LGBTQ Titles for Children and Young Adults

    The 2019 Lammy Award finalists were announced earlier this month, and there are eight contenders in the LGBTQ Children’s/Young Adult category.  Among them are some of our favorite recent titles, including last year’s National Book Award Winner The Poet X and both(!) of Kheryn Callender’s novels.  We were especially pleased at the diversity of both… Continue reading