Andi Diehn loves books. Also dogs, cats, ducks, and coffee. When she's not at the bookstore, she's working as an editor for a local educational publisher. She also writes children's books in her spare time - which there isn't a lot of, because she has three sons, a husband, and lots of dogs, cats, and ducks. Thank goodness for coffee.
As an adult (debatable?) who reads A LOT of middle grade and young adult books, I sometimes feel like a spy, peeking into the ever-murky land of teens and preteens. And sometimes I wonder - is this really what they're like? Drawing on years of being mom, plus those deeply buried memories of my own teen years, I can attest that David Levithan's new YA novel, RYAN AND AVERY, nails it. Yes, these two gorgeous, brave, flawed characters are real and recognizable. And entirely new.
The book is about Ryan and Avery's first ten dates, but not in linear order, because falling in love is messy and complicated and a very nonlinear process that's reflected exquisitely in the meandering structure of this inherently readable novel. Falling in love is also fraught, right? Because there's never just two people in a relationship - no, we've got friends, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins... you get the picture. And for queer kids trying to navigate the occasionally unfriendly waters of being 16, it can be even messier because of all those strangers eager to comment on two boys holding hands.
But make no mistake - this book is joyful, fun, tender, sweet, and hopeful. I think I'm going to go read it again. -Andi
David left his band, Darkhearts, years before they blew up into the world’s hottest pop sensation, and ever since he’s been, well, bitter. Wouldn’t you be? And he misses his two friends - Chance and Eli - who went on to make it big. But when Eli dies and Chance returns home to heal, David finds himself spending a lot of time with the boy he’s still furious at. And that anger? Yeah, it starts to feel like something else. Something better. Much better. Can David move past the past and embrace the future - and Chance? So much more than a book about a band. ~Andi
Remember sixth grade? *shudder* Tough year. Andy Zhou starts his sixth school year with an accidental head of pink hair. And an unsettling suspicion that trying to be the right kind of kid - for his best friend, for his new friend, for his parents, for his grandparents visiting from China - is going to backfire no matter how hard he tries to keep everyone happy. Throw in the hundreds of the microaggressions and larger moments of racism Andy has to deal with on a daily basis, and it’s no wonder he’s pulling out his hair. Literally. Loved this sweet book that manages to combine funny with big learning.
You might have heard: U.S. schools and libraries are seeing a record number of book challenges. And books with an LGBTQ+ focus are at the top of a lot of those lists. Maybe that’s why Ness, always up for a challenge, provides a layer of censorship before the censors can get to him. Black boxes sprinkled throughout this book cover up swears, descriptions of sex, and who knows what else. Not the reader! Or do we? After all, the love, frustration, anger, and empathy between the four main characters just about percolates off the page–we don’t even need to know what’s under those black boxes to be deeply affected by these young men who are working so hard to figure themselves out.
Hockey? Enemies-to-lovers? Frank discussion of mental health? I’m here for it.
Mickey comes from a long family tradition of star hockey players, and is suffering from rampant, untreated depression. Jaysen is the one player standing between him and being a number one draft pick like his dad and grandfather before him. So, of course, Mickey and Jaysen hate each other. But . . . well . . . do they really? Competition turns to tension turns to vulnerability turns to misunderstanding turns to more tension turns to . . . SWOON.
Extra points to this book for featuring a character who’s dealing with depression. We need to talk A LOT more about what it’s like to be a teenager in the world today – there’s so much pressure, and so much exposure, and so much uncertainty. Even when you're a hockey superstar.
An amnesia trope? I am here for it! When Stevie wakes up after suffering a head injury with no recollection of the last two years of her life, it’s like her whole world has skipped a beat and everything feels . . . off. Like her relationship with her parents. And with her two best friends. Nothing feels right. The one thing that doesn’t feel off for Stevie is Nora, the girl who happened to discover Stevie in a wooded ravine and carried her to safety. Whenever Nora’s around, the world makes sense. Nora’s the only one who seems to really know her. But . . . that can’t mean . . . because Stevie certainly isn’t . . . it’s not like she’s . . . oooohhhhh. A fantastic ride with suspense, love, true friends vs fake friends, all the best stuff.
Before twelve-year-old Jeremy can come out to his parents, they get divorced, and his world feels stuck in limbo–not the best time for big, potentially life-altering news. But then he meets Evan during a two-week stay at his uncle’s beach house. Evan is kind, fun, and cute - and Jeremy has to work hard to keep his crush secret. Besides, Evan doesn’t even like him back, not like that. Except… maybe he does? As the boys grow closer, even inventing a language related to the birds swirling above the sea, Jeremy finds himself in a story about first love–and struggling to keep the different parts of his life separate. A sweet, gentle, important book.
Friendship is hard. And the end of a friendship is even harder. Walter doesn’t understand why his best friend, Xavier, “quietly… slowly…” becomes best friends with someone else. No fight, no cross-country move, no reason to no longer be friends–except sometimes that’s just what happens. This picture book is perfect for kiddos who are struggling with the highs and lows of being a social creature in a world that is frequently hard to fathom. It’s also perfect for all of us grownups who are supposed to have relationships figured out, but… just… don’t.
I started this book with my morning coffee on a Tuesday, a day I had many deadlines. I missed ALL those deadlines. Couldn't stop reading! And then I read parts of it over again on Wednesday. This riveting YA novel centers on 15-year-old Kermit, whose sister was recently killed by a drunk driver. In the wake of his sister's death, he discovers relationships he never knew he was missing, even as he struggles with his parents and their reliance on their faith. Un-put-downable. ~Andi
You’d think a book that offers a crucial kid’s perspective on the trauma of living during the age of school shootings would be a sad one, but I laughed as much reading this as I do reading Gordon Korman’s books. Twelve-year-old Simon just wants a normal life. And where better to find that than a National Quiet Zone, where there’s no internet, radio, or television? But even there, his past won’t leave him alone. There are still rooms with only one exit, clanging bells, sirens, and media vans. All of these spark anxiety - that’s what life is like when you suffer from PTSD, when you’re the only survivor of a school shooting. But his new friends, his parents, his puppy, and a random herd of emus help him through the bad parts and find more and more joy. Funny, smart, emotional, and sciencey - a book we need right now. -Andi
I run hot to tepid on Barbara Kingsolver, but this one hit the biggest button on my respect dispenser from page one. Mostly because of Demon's voice and the way he tells his story--with laser-focus and not a small helping of scathing wit. Informed by Dickens and infused with the very contemporary issue of drug addiction in rural communities, this book earns its page count. -Andi
Felix may be short, but his heart is HUGE. As is his interest in forensics - which makes the school Forensic Club the perfect extracurricular. Plus, maybe forensics can help him find his dad, who left when Felix was a baby. A book that manages to combine cool STEM stuff with issues like a chronic medical diagnosis and questions about biological parents - perfect for every kind of reader. -Andi
"Avoid large places. Keep to small." This advice from a mysterious bus driver seems silly when Ollie and her friends set out on foot after their school bus breaks down. But something isn't right, and Ollie suspects it has something to do with the old book she saved from being tossed in the river. But that's not possible - or is it? Steven King style for middle graders! -Andi
Bug has always lived in a haunted house, but after Uncle Roderick dies, the house feels haunted with something different, something new. Something that is urgently trying to make Bug understand . . . what? This book is a ghost story wrapped in a mystery tied with a bow of self discovery that manages to be riveting, spooky, and endearing. -Andi
A literary mystery with a 13-year-old protagonist named Duchess, who I want to slip into the pages and adopt. Because she's neglected and amazing--and paired with the town's ailing chief of police, the two might have a fighting chance at evading the danger that threatens to follow them both to early graves. Maybe. A gritty, smart, surprising mystery--the best kind. -Andi
Three siblings struggle in their own distinct ways to fit in, stand out, and survive warring parents in small-town 1986, until a national disaster makes them realize they are stronger together. Wonderfully recognizable characters that you just want to shake awake - in a good way! -Andi
Cat? Squirrel? Cat? Squirrel? Mina says cat. Her father says squirrel. And when you're a mouse, it's good to know for sure the species of your houseguests. "Everything will be fine," Mina's father promises. And he turns out to be right! Mostly. -Andi
Bug used to love summer, but she isn't allowed to go to the beach alone, especially not with the Midnight Marauder on the loose. When Frankie moves into the building for a few weeks, Bug figures life is going to get better. In some ways it does, but in other ways... Well, growing up is hard. Venice Beach in the '80s is the perfect setting for this coming-of-age story. -Andi
Ellie is smart and tough, but is she smart and tough enough to save her father from a coma? Maybe, with the help of a couple new, old friends. Set during the Depression, a book about learning to survive and discovering that your family is deeper - and stronger - than you suspected. -Andi