High School Summer Reading

Stranded in Honolulu when a strange cloud causes a worldwide electronics failure, sixteen-year-old Leilani and her father must make their way home to Hilo amid escalating perils, including her severe epilepsy. Get it here!

When her ailing father is conscripted to fight invaders from the north, Mulan dresses as a man to take his place in the army, but an old enemy and an attraction for her troop's commander complicate her mission. Get it here!

Jess hasn't seen her dad in over a decade. But after a crash kills her mother and leaves her injured, she is forced to move to his remote cabin in the wilderness. Just as Jess is getting to know her dad, a secret from his past leaves him dead. With only her father's dog for company, Jess must survive the harsh conditions. She has to. She knows who killed her father and she wants revenge. Get it here!

Sixteen-year-old Jetta, part of a family troupe of shadow performers, can bind departed souls to intricate shadow puppets with her blood, but such magic has been forbidden by the Aquitans ever since they conquered Chakrana. Her family seeks an audience with the king of Aquitan, hoping to gain access to its healing waters for Jetta's "ups and downs," and to find a place to weave their magic. Following a rebellion, daunting trials stand between Jetta and Aquitan. Jetta has her parents and her magic on her side, but there are those that would do anything to harness her power, and the specter of war looms. Heidi Heilig creates a world inspired by Asian cultures and French colonialism. Get it here!

Malcolm Polstead and his daemon, Asta, are used to overhearing news and the occasional scandal at the inn run by his family. But during a winter of unceasing rain, Malcolm finds a mysterious object—and finds himself in grave danger. Inside the object is a cryptic message about something called Dust; and it's not long before Malcolm is approached by the spy for whom this message was actually intended. When she asks Malcolm to keep his eyes open, he begins to notice suspicious characters everywhere. All are asking about the same thing: a girl named Lyra. Get it here!

The first time the Nightmares came, it nearly cost Alice her life. Now she's trained to battle monstrous creatures in the dark dream realm known as Wonderland with magic weapons and hardcore fighting skills. Yet even warriors have a curfew. Life in real-world Atlanta isn't always so simple, as Alice juggles an overprotective mom, a high-maintenance best friend, and a slipping GPA. Keeping the Nightmares at bay is turning into a full-time job. But when Alice's handsome and mysterious mentor is poisoned, she has to find the antidote by venturing deeper into Wonderland than she's ever gone before. And she'll need to use everything she's learned in both worlds to keep from losing her head... literally. Get it here!

Kamala Khan is an ordinary girl from Jersey City - until she is suddenly empowered with extraordinary gifts. But who truly is the all-new Ms. Marvel? Teenager? Muslim? Inhuman? As Kamala discovers the dangers of her newfound powers, she unlocks a secret behind them as well. Is Kamala ready to wield these immense new gifts? Or will the weight of the legacy before her be too much to handle? Kamala has no idea either. But she's comin' for you, New York! Get it here!

Explore the past 150 years through the eyes of Indigenous creators in this groundbreaking graphic novel anthology. Beautifully illustrated, these stories are an emotional and enlightening journey through Indigenous wonderworks, psychic battles, and time travel. See how Indigenous peoples have survived a post-apocalyptic world since Contact. Get it here!

Tyler Feder shares her story of her mother's first oncology appointment to facing reality as a motherless daughter in this frank and refreshingly funny graphic memoir. Get it here!

Ida Mae Jones dreams of flight. But being a woman and being black, are two strikes against her. When America enters the war with Germany and Japan and the Army creates the Women Airforce Service Pilots, Ida sees a way to fly as well as do something to help her brother stationed in the Pacific. But even the WASP won't accept her as a black woman, forcing Ida Mae to make a difficult choice of pretending to be white to be accepted into the program. Hiding one's racial heritage and denying one's self is a heavy burden. And while Ida Mae chases her dream, she must also decide who it is she really wants to be. Get it here!

An unforgettable story of Arn Chorn-Pond, who defied the odds to survive the Cambodian genocide of 1975-1979 and the labor camps of the Khmer Rouge. Based on the true story and authentically told from his point of view as a young boy, this is an achingly raw and powerful historical novel about a child of war who becomes a man of peace. Get it here!

Dolssa is an upper-crust city girl with a secret lover and an uncanny gift. Branded a heretic, she's on the run from the friar who wants her executed. Botille is a matchmaker and a tavern-keeper, struggling to keep her family on the right side of the law. When their lives collide, Botille rescues a dying Dolssa and conceals her in the tavern, where an unlikely friendship blooms. Botille nurses Dolssa back to health and hides her from her pursuers, but Botille can't protect them forever, and when the wrath of the Church bears down upon them, Dolssa's passion and Botille's good intentions could destroy the entire village. Get it here!

Welcome to a world where humans live side by side with monsters. Here you'll find an architect of hell on earth, spectral boy toys, a Maori force of nature, and a landform that claims lives. Fifteen top voices in speculative fiction explore the intersection of fear and love in a haunting, at times hilarious, darkly imaginative volume. Get it here!

Inspired by the legend of Faust and told in alternating timelines, sixteen-year-old Roan arrives at Mill House as a ward and discovers she is connected to an ancient evil secret, while, centuries later, seventeen-year-old Zoey explores the dwelling's ruins and soon realizes she is not alone. Get it here!

In 1578 Hungary, sixteen-year-old Anna is elevated from scullery maid to chambermaid by the young and glamorous Countess Elizabeth Bathory, falling completely under the Countess's spell until Anna realizes that she is not a friend but a prisoner of the increasingly cruel and murderous Elizabeth. Get it here!

At sixteen, Lady Jane Grey is about to be married off to a stranger and caught up in a conspiracy to rob her cousin, King Edward, of his throne. But those trifling problems aren't for Jane to worry about. Jane gets to be Queen of England. Like that could go wrong. Get it here!

Dan spends his time creating graphic novels about his dream girl. When his mom sends him and new fiance, Hank, on a camping trip to "bond", Dan is determined to trick Hank into showing his flaws through a series of embarrassing pranks. But Dan didn't count on a hot girl joining the trip, getting separated from their guide, or the humiliating injuries he suffers while terrorizing his stepdad-to-be. With a hungry bear on their trail, no supplies, and a lot of unpleasant itching, can Dan see his plan through now that his survival depends on Hank? Get it here!

Monty doesn’t care that his passions are not suitable for a gentleman. But as he embarks on a tour of Europe, his quests for pleasure are in danger of coming to an end. Not only is he expected to take over the family’s estate upon his return, but Monty is nursing a crush on his best friend and traveling companion. So Monty vows to make this escapade one last hedonistic hurrah. But when Monty’s decisions turns their trip into a manhunt, it calls into question everything he knows, including his relationship with the boy he adores. Get it here!

When Paris, a rising star of the local music scene, is found dead over her turntables, Kya, her pre-fame best friend, and Fuse, her chief groupie, are torn between grief for Paris and hatred for each other. But, when a lack of suspects stalls the investigation, and the police seem to lose interest, the two girls unite, determined to find out who murdered their friend. Get it here!

Arthur has been stripped of his college scholarship, is losing his grip on reality, and has been sent away to live with his aunt and uncle. It's there that Arthur discovers a journal written by his grandfather, an iconic author who went missing the last week of his life. What happened in his final week and how much his actions were influenced by his Alzheimer's? With the dementia-fueled journal providing clues, Arthur embarks on a cross-country train ride to relive his grandfather's last week. Get it here!

As a town prepares for the anniversary of the deaths of five cheerleaders who were killed in three separate, horrific accidents, two teens uncover long-buried truths about what really happened years ago. Get it here!

Presents the history of the group of spies, Holocaust survivors, and lawyers who pursued Adolf Eichmann, a Nazi war criminal, for fifteen years in order to bring him to justice for his leadership role in the killing of thousands of Jews during World War II. Get it here!

Presents the history of the AIDS crisis through the lens of the victims and activists who demanded action and literally fought for their lives. This unflinching text explores everything from the disease's origins and how it spread to the activism it inspired and how the world confronts HIV and AIDS today. Get it here!

Looks at the events surrounding the closing of the Dozier School for Boys in Florida, a reform school that had been in use for one hundred years, in which several of the students were physically and sexually abused. Get it here!

A hilarious YA contemporary realistic novel about a witty Black French Canadian teen who moves to Austin, Texas, and experiences the joys, cliches, and awkward humiliations of the American high school experience--including falling in love. Get it here!

When Louise boyfriend disrespects Native people in front of her, she breaks dumps him. She'd rather spend her senior year with her family and friends and working on the school newspaper. The editors pair her up with a new photojournalist, Joey, and in no time they are covering a major story: the school musical director's inclusive approach to casting is provoking backlash from their mostly white, middle-class town. As tensions mount, so does a romance between Lou and Joey. But 'dating while Native' can be difficult. Get it here!

Sixteen-year-olds Camino Rios, of the Dominican Republic, and Yahaira Rios, of New York City, are devastated to learn of their father's death in a plane crash and stunned to learn of each other's existence. A novel in verse told in two voices.Get it here!

Jamie is cool with volunteering for his local state senate candidate as long as he's behind the scenes. When it comes to knocking on doors and speaking to strangers (or, almost anyone), Jamie chokes. Maya's having the worst Ramadan ever. Her friend is too busy to hang out, her summer trip is canceled, and her parents are separating. Why her mother thinks the solution to her problems is political canvassing is beyond her. Going door to isn't exactly glamorous, but maybe it's not the worst thing in the world. After all, the polls are getting closer--and so are Maya and Jamie. Get it here!

When Ever Wong's parents sent her away for the summer, she's expecting Chien Tan: a strict, educational immersion program in Taiwan. Instead, she finds the infamous 'Loveboat" where her classmates are more interested in the Taipei nightlife than curriculum. Hookups abound, snake-blood sake flows, and adult supervision is nonexistent. For the first time ever, Ever is discovering what freedom tastes like. But when summer ends, will she go back to the future her parents have planned or will Loveboat give her the courage she needs to pursue the future of her dreams? Get it here!

Two princesses vying for the ultimate crown. Two girls vying for the prince's heart. This is the story of the American royals. In an alternate America, princesses Beatrice and Samantha Washington and the two girls wooing their brother, Prince Jefferson, become embroiled in high drama in the most glorious court in the world. Get it here!

When the notorious I.A. Cocha is captured by the Olympus Commonwealth and revealed to be a sixteen-year-old girl, she is sentenced to correctional rehabilitation at a training ground for the elite Star Force where she forms unlikely alliances.

Farway was born outside of time. The son of a time traveler from 2354 AD and a Roman gladiator, Far's existence defies the laws of nature. All he's ever wanted was to explore history, but after failing a final exam, he becomes a black market captain, time-traveling to steal valuables from the past. During a routine heist, Far meets Eliot, who has secrets that will affect his life. Armed with this knowledge, Eliot will lead Far on a race through time to set things right before the clock runs out. Get it here!

Elena, the first scientifically confirmed virgin birth, acquires the ability to heal by touch at age sixteen, the same year that people start disappearing in beams of light, causing her to wonder if she is bringing about the Apocalypse. Get it here!

Sixteen-year-old Gravity Delgado has been breaking records and competitors since she started boxing with a legendary coach at age twelve, and now will reach the Olympics if her home life and romance do not distract her. Get it here!

Told from alternating perspectives, Bunny takes a basketball scholarship to an elite private school to help his family, leaving behind Nasir, his best friend, in their tough Philadelphia neighborhood. Get it here!

A year after being nearly paralyzed, Audrey Lee is going to the Olympics but the United States' gymnastics team is on the verge of collapse and Leo, her new coach's cute son, is another distraction. Get it here!