​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Start playing TODAY!

https://multcolib.beanstack.org/reader365

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Follow the McDaniel Library

on Instagram @nsullivan.mhs

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Start playing TODAY!

https://multcolib.beanstack.org/reader365

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Follow the McDaniel Library

on Instagram @nsullivan.mhs

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Swans of Harlem (Adapted for Young Adults) by Karen Valby During the civil rights movement, The Dance Theater of Harlem made history as its members appeared on magazine covers, performed around the world, and blazed a trail on and off the stage. This book spotlights five of these dancers and how their hard work and determination paved the way for Black ballerinas to have an equal chance at the spotlight.

​

Wearing My Mother's Heart by Sophia Thakur For those who love poetry, this heartfelt collection is a must-read. Sophia Thakur weaves together the narratives of three generations of women, their hopes, dreams, loves, and deepest thoughts. This is a poignant and thought-provoking book.

​

Work with What You Got: A Memoir by Zion Clark and James S. Hirsch Zion Clark was born without legs to an imprisoned and drug-addicted mother. In foster care, he experienced abuse and neglect but also found supportive allies who recognized his potential and supported his dreams. Through perseverance and grit, Zion became a renowned wheelchair racer, wrestler, and a contestant on America’s Got Talent. His memoir will inspire readers to reach their full potential.

​

​

​

Recommended Fiction Books 2025

​

Ander & Santi Were Here by Jonny Garza Villa

Ander Martínez has never known life beyond the Santos Vista neighborhood of San Antonio. The scent of pan dulce, the blend of Spanish and English on the streets, and their family’s taquería have all shaped who they are—especially as a budding muralist. Now, with art school on the horizon, Ander isn’t sure they’re ready to leave it all behind. To help them move forward, their family “fires” them from the restaurant, pushing them to focus on art and prepare for the future. Then Ander meets Santiago López Alvarado, the charming new waiter who quickly becomes something more. Through Santi’s eyes, Ander begins to see new possibilities for their art—and for themselves. And for Santi, Ander feels like home. But when ICE targets Santi, the life they’ve begun to build together is threatened. Ander must confront what it means to love, to fight, and to hold on when everything feels like it’s slipping away.

​

Ariel Crashes a Train by Olivia Cole

Ariel is afraid of her own mind. She already feels like she is too big, too queer, too rough to live up to her parents’ exacting expectations, or to fit into what the world expects of a “good girl.” And as violent fantasies she can’t control take over every aspect of her life, she is convinced something much deeper is wrong with her. Ever since her older sister escaped to college, Ariel isn’t sure if her careful rituals and practiced distance will be enough to keep those around her safe anymore. Then a summer job at a carnival brings new friends into Ariel’s fractured world , and she finds herself questioning her desire to keep everyone out—of her head and her heart. But if they knew what she was really thinking, they would run in the other direction—right? Instead, with help and support, Ariel discovers a future where she can be at home in her mind and body, and for the first time learns there’s a name for what she struggles with—Obsessive Compulsive Disorder—and that she’s not broken, and not alone.

​

Ash’s Cabin by Jen Wang

Ash has always felt alone. Adults ignore the climate crisis. Other kids Ash’s age are more interested in pop stars and popularity contests than in fighting for change. Even Ash’s family seems to be sleepwalking through life. The only person who ever seemed to get Ash was their Grandpa Edwin. Before he died, he used to talk about building a secret cabin, deep in the California wilderness. Did he ever build it? What if it’s still there, waiting for him to come back…or for Ash to find it? To Ash, that maybe-mythical cabin is starting to feel like the perfect place for a fresh start and an escape from the miserable feeling of alienation that haunts their daily life.

​

​

​

Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross

After centuries of sleep, the gods are warring again. But eighteen-year-old Iris Winnow just wants to hold her family together. Her mother is suffering from addiction and her brother is missing from the front lines. Her best bet is to win the columnist promotion at the Oath Gazette.

To combat her worries, Iris writes letters to her brother and slips them beneath her wardrobe door, where they vanish—into the hands of Roman Kitt, her cold and handsome rival at the paper. When he anonymously writes Iris back, the two of them forge a connection that will follow Iris all the way to the front lines of battle: for her brother, the fate of mankind, and love.

​

Invisible Son by Kim Johnson

Life can change in an instant. When you’re wrongfully accused of a crime. When a virus shuts everything down. When the girl you love moves on. Andre Jackson is determined to reclaim his identity. But returning from juvie doesn’t feel like coming home. His Portland, Oregon, neighborhood is rapidly gentrifying, and COVID-19 shuts down school before he can return. And Andre’s suspicions about his arrest for a crime he didn’t commit even taint his friendships. It’s as if his whole life has been erased. The one thing Andre is counting on is his relationship with the Whitaker kids—especially his longtime crush, Sierra. But Sierra’s brother Eric is missing, and the facts don’t add up as their adoptive parents fight to keep up the act that their racially diverse family is picture-perfect. If Andre can find Eric, he just might uncover the truth about his own arrest. But in a world where power is held by a few and Andre is nearly invisible, searching for the truth is a dangerous game.

​

Kill Her Twice by Stacey Lee

LOS ANGELES, 1932: Lulu Wong, star of the silver screen and the pride of Chinatown, has a face known to practically everyone, especially the Chow sisters—May, Gemma, and Peony—Lulu’s former classmates and neighbors. So the girls instantly know it’s Lulu when they discover a body one morning in an out-of-the-way stable, far from the Beverly Hills home where she lived after her fame skyrocketed. The sisters suspect Lulu’s death is the result of foul play, but the police don’t seem motivated to investigate. Even worse, there are signs that point to a cover-up, and powerful forces in the city want to frame the killing as evidence that Chinatown is a den of iniquity and crime, even more reason it should be demolished to make room for the construction of a new railway depot, Union Station. Worried that neither the police nor the papers will treat Lulu fairly—no matter her fame and wealth—the sisters set out to solve their friend’s murder themselves, and maybe save their neighborhood in the bargain. But with Lulu’s killer still on the loose, the girls’ investigation just might put them square in the crosshairs of a cold-blooded murderer.

​

​

​

Illustrated History of Urban Legends by Adam Allsuch Boardman

Whether you love spooky urban legends or bizarre local lore, this book features some of the best stories and their histories. Vibrant illustrations and plenty of conspiracies, myths, and legends make this book a must-read for any reader who loves falling down weird rabbit holes.

​

Movie Book by DK

Part of DK’s Big Ideas series, The Movie Book is a do-it-all compendium of movie history and looks at how films have fit into society. Examining 100 films from the silent era onward (and spanning all genres, from The Wizard of Oz to Vertigo to Pulp Fiction), the book’s profiles include great lines, historical significance, and mini-biographies of key industry players. Any movie buff will be drawn instantly to the must-see content and may be inclined to seek out older, harder-to-get fare for a true picture of movie-making’s multifaceted history.

​

Just Mercy (Adapted for Young Adults) by Bryan Stevenson

Through his work with the Equal Justice Initiative, attorney Bryan Stevenson fights every day for the vulnerable and wrongfully imprisoned, and also to reveal the inequities and racial bias of America’s criminal justice system. This YA adaptation of his bestseller — now a film starring Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Foxx — relays the stories of Stevenson’s clients and how they wound up in the system. An eye-opening and galvanizing read.

​

One in a Million: A Graphic Memoir by Claire Lordon

When Claire was a teenager, she became ill, and nobody could figure out what was wrong with her. After multiple visits to various doctors and clinics, she learned that she had a brain tumor. This heartfelt graphic novel memoir follows the ups and downs of juggling her medical journey and everyday life as a teenager.

​

Quantum Life (Adapted for Young Adults) by Hakeem Oluseyi and Joshua Horwitz

James Edward Plummer was a brilliant boy stuck in a bad situation. His high I.Q. and impoverished childhood were at odds with each other, which pushed him to find a bizarre balance between the two. After developing a drug addiction and getting accepted into the Physics Ph.D. program at Stanford University, James found a mentor who helped him tip the scales of his life into one of success. His inspiring story is a must-read!

​

​

​

​

​

Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, and the Fall of Imperial Russia by Candace Fleming If truth is stranger than fiction, the Romanovs still get some kind of prize. Anyone who claims history is boring should get their hands on this book. Fleming writes about Russia’s last royal family and its downfall in a gripping way, covering every spot of doom in its gilded halls (while also tending to the lives of the poor Russian masses).

​

Faraway Brothers (Adapted for Young Adults) by Lauren Markham

A remarkable story of brotherhood, immigration, and finding home, The story follows the lives of 17-year-old twins Ernesto and Raúl Flores, who are forced to flee El Salvador for America after being targeted by a local gang. While the journey itself is harrowing, so too are their lives as undocumented migrants. Ernesto and Raúl must adapt to all-new surroundings and anxiously await their immigration court hearing, all while experiencing the typical trials of adolescence.

​

Flowers in the Gutter by K. R. Gaddy

The tale of the Edelweiss Pirates reads like the most thrilling of war fiction, yet it’s the result of historian K. R. Gaddy’s meticulous research. These weren’t your typical pirates — rather, they were working-class German teenagers risking their lives to resist the Nazis during World War II. Their refusal of complacency, even as the Gestapo pursued and arrested them, is something we could all learn from.

​

Hanged! by Sarah Miller

Mary Surratt owned the boarding house where John Wilkes Booth and his co-conspirators regularly gathered. So, when Booth assassinated President Abraham Lincoln, Mary Surratt was found guilty of treason and became the first woman executed by the United States government. This book dives into the details of the assassination and whether Surratt was involved in the plot or was the victim of a terrible misfortune.

​

Hick by Sarah Miller

A meticulously researched and deeply engaging exploration of Lorena Hickok's journey to becoming a celebrated journalist and Eleanor Roosevelt's confidante and lover. A masterfully-woven narrative that feels as compelling as any work of fiction, painting an intimate and well-rounded portrait of Hick, Eleanor, and their significant relationship. A must-read for fans of women's history. (Publication Date: 5/27/2025)

​

​

​

Sheine Lende by Darcy Little Badger

Shane works with her mother and their ghost dogs, tracking down missing persons even when their families can’t afford to pay. Their own family was displaced from their traditional home years ago following a devastating flood – and the loss of Shane’s father and her grandparents. They don’t think they’ll ever get their home back. Then Shane’s mother and a local boy go missing, after a strange interaction with a fairy ring. Shane, her brother, her friends, and her lone, surviving grandparent – who isn’t to be trusted – set off on the road to find them. But they may not be anywhere in this world – or this place in time. Nevertheless, Shane is going to find them.

​

Youth Group by Jordan Morris

When cynical, gothy Kay lets her mom talk her into joining the youth group at their church, she's prepared for the dorky sing-alongs and the cheesy slogans about dodging temptation. What she isn't prepared for is walking in on the clean-cut youth group leaders, Meg and Cortland, in the middle of a real-deal exorcism. Turns out these wholesome Christian teens are demon-hunting soldiers in a secret war that’s heating up fast, and even if Kay wanted to stay on the sidelines, she doesn’t have a choice – she’s a “Blight,” a human who demons can’t possess, and that makes her a target. But Kay's in good hands with her new friends – for them, fighting literal demons is all in a Sunday’s work!

​

​

​

​

​

​

Recommended Nonfiction Books 2025

​

American Spirits by Barb Rosenstock

In 1848, Kate and Maggie Fox claimed they could talk to the spirit that haunted their home. Guided by their older sister, Leah, the girls quickly rose to fame and fortune as they communed with spirits on the other side. However, as their reputation as mediums grew, so did the backlash from the press. This fascinating story will captivate and thrill.

​

American Wings by Sherri L. Smith and Elizabeth Wein

This book offers a fascinating look at aviation history and civil rights in the years between World War I and World War II. As aviation fever took hold in America, many young pilots dreamed of taking to the skies. Faced with prejudice in traditional aviation schools, a group of Black pilots started a flying club and airfield near Chicago. With World War II came an increased demand for pilots, and their school trained young men of all backgrounds to fly and fight for their country.

​

Bonnie and Clyde by Karen Blumenthal

Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow have gone down in history (by their first names, at least), but in this part-biography, part-true crime narrative, journalist Karen Blumenthal pauses to ask — how did these two poor teens from west Texas wind up as outlaws in the first place? The result of her curiosity is a fascinating and heart-pounding tale of love and crime set against the backdrop of the Great Depression.

​

Death in the Jungle by Candace Fleming

A riveting account of Jim Jones and his notorious cult, Peoples Temple. Jones recruited hundreds of followers by promising them equality and happiness before moving them from California to Guyana, South America. When the authorities started closing in, Jones convinced over 900 of his devout followers to drink poisoned punch. Chilling, heartbreaking, and impossible to set down.

​

Devotion (Young Readers Edition) by Adam Makos

This true story follows two pilots from different backgrounds as they forge an unbreakable bond during the Korean War. When one of them gets shot down behind enemy lines, the other risks everything to find and rescue him. Readers who enjoy true stories about unbreakable bonds and brotherhood will love this inspiring account.

​

​

​

​

​

​

https://soraapp.com/home