What's New on Hoopla in September 2021?

 There's so much great new stuff on Hoopla Digital this month! Here are some of our top picks!

Call Me Athena: Girl From Detroit by Colby Cedar Smith: Athena's life is not an easy one. Even though she was born in the USA, her parents are newly arrived immigrants from France and Greece, who struggle to provide for Athena and her siblings in a tiny apartment in Michigan. Plus, it's the 1930's, right in the middle of the Great Depression, so everything is scarce, making Athena wonder why in the world her parents ever came to the USA, and whether her family really has any kind of future in their new country.

Not Even Bones by Rebecca Schaefer: Nita wants to make one thing perfectly clear: she is NOT a murderer. She has never killed any of the magical creatures whose body parts she sells on the black market. No, the murderer is her mom, who does all the hunting. Nita just does what she has to to survive... until the day her mom brings home a living being. When Nita refuses to kill the helpless creature, she learns dark truths about the world around her, and ends up fighting for her freedom and her life, when she finds herself in the place of her former victims: for sale on the black market.

You Owe Me a Murder by Eileen Cook: Kim has just learned to very valuable lessons: be VERY careful what you say to people when your heart is broken, and never trust a random stranger you just met on a plane. When Kim meets Nikki on a flight to London (the same flight which contains her ex and his new love) and jokes about wishing her boyfriend was dead, she means it as a totally harmless statement. But then her ex turns up dead, and Nikki, who feels she did Kim a favor by doing the deed, wants Kim to murder someone in return. 

What's New on Hoopla for August 2021

We have some great new titles for you to enjoy on Hoopla Digital this month! Here are some of our favorites:

Cloakers by Alexandra Lapointe: Crystia is a Cloaker: an elite member of a secret society of shape shifters tasked with maintaining order in society. The problem is, Crystia never wanted the job. She was one of dozens  kids stolen from her family at a young age by the Black Coats, and genetically modified into becoming what she now is. Now she wants out, and she and the other Cloakers will do anything it takes to make it to freedom and reunite with their families.

How to Break an Evil Curse by Laura Morrison: The first book in the new Chronicles of Fritillary series shows us why it's a really bad idea to fight with your BFF... especially if your BFF happens to be an evil wizard. The king of Fritillary learns this the hard way when his former bestie curses his firstborn daughter to die if she is ever touched by the sunlight. Of course the king decides the only way to keep Princess Juliana safe is to lock her in a dungeon... but never count a girl with a serving spoon down because after 8 years of digging a VERY big hole the princess is FINALLY free and she is off to see the world... and free herself from her curse!

Like Other Girls by Britta Lundin: Mara did not mean to start a revolution when she tried out for the boys football team. She just wanted to get back on a team after getting kicked out of girl's basketball for fighting. It's not her fault she's really good at it, and it's not her fault four other girls joined the team, and it's DEFINITELY not her fault those four actually DO suck, but now the team, including her own brother blame her for "ruining" the team. If Mara has any hope of impressing the coach, and her crush Valentina (who just happens to be one of the 4 other girls on the team) it's up to her to whip these girls into shape and turn this team around!

Walls by L.M. Elliot: 1960 is was not an easy year for the city of Berlin. It was politically divided, and in about a year it would be literally divided by a huge wall that would separate the city into Democracy and Communism. This division is already becoming apparent in Drew's own family, since he lives in West Berlin in an Army family, while his cousin Matthias is in East Berlin, dodging the secret police and smuggling outlawed rock music, which if he is caught with, could get him sent to a work-camp for hard labor and "re-education."

What's New on Hoopla

 This month all Hoopla Digital users can get up to 15 checkouts! Here are some books we think you will enjoy!

The Castle School (for Troubled Girls) by Alyssa Sheinmel: Moira can't help that she's considered "troubled." You'd be pretty troubled too if your best friend had just died. But Moira's parents don't seem to understand that's why she has been "acting out" lately, so they ship her off to a special all-girl's school somewhere in the middle of nowhere, Maine. Little do they know, the school is just down the road from a school for troubled boys which seems to Moira could be all kinds of fun... until weird stuff starts happening. Weird stuff that might be caused by the creepy doctors who run both schools. 

The Murder Game by Carrie Doyle: Luke never asked to be pulled into the middle of a murder investigation, but that's exactly what happens when Mr. Heckler, a professor at Luke's elite boarding school is killed. What's worse, the police think the killer is Oscar, Luke's room mate and best friend. Luke knows Oscar would never do such a thing, and sets out to clear his friend's name.. and maybe earn the attention of the hot new girl he's been dying to spend time with.

The Obsession by Jesse Q. Sutanto: Logan calls himself a romantic. Everyone else calls him a stalker, especially Delilah, who is the object of his obsession. Logan wants to know everything about Delilah, and will stop at nothing to know her better, including watching her on a secret camera he has installed and following her every move on social media. Then one day, Logan sees Delilah doing something terrible. Something he believes he can use to make Delilah love him.. or else. 

Where the Road Leads Us by Robin Reul: Jack has two goals before leaving for college: patch things up with the brother he once loved, and finally, FINALLY deal with the aftermath of their dad's death. Hallie is just trying to get to Oregon after receiving some really bad news about one of her closest friends. When the two former classmates who barely know each other end up on the same rideshare to the bus stop, neither one of them expected it to be the start of the most epic adventure of their lives. 

What's New in Graphic Novels

 The newest member of the YCLD teen department team, Genesis, tells us what is new for checkout in the world of graphic novels. 

Black Canary: Ignite by Meg Cabot: For fans of DC Comics and anything Gotham City, this origin story is for you! Dinah Lance, a 13-year old middle schooler who's in a rock band with her two best friends spends most of her time practicing to win the upcoming school Battle of the Bands. When she's not rehearsing, she dreams of joining the Gotham City Junior Police Academy so she can make a real difference and solve crimes just like her detective father. But when a dangerous shadow figure begins threatening her friends and family, Dinah has to learn about her mother's secret past and newfound abilities.

Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera and Celia Moscote: Fans of Bloom and Spinning will love this queer coming-of-age graphic novel adaptation of Gabby Rivera's best-selling novel. Juliet Milagros Palante is leaving her hometown of the Bronx and heading to Portland, Oregon for a summer internship. But, just before leaving, Juliet comes out to her family, causing a tear in her relationship with her mom. Wondering if her mom will ever speak to her again, Juliet arrives in Portland to meet with Harlowe Brisbane, both her favorite feminist author and the person she'll be interning with. In this new city, Juliet learns what it means to be Puerto Rican, lesbian, and out, even when the rest of the world doesn't understand.

Martian Ghost Centaur by Mat Heagerty and Steph Mided: The Town of Southborough was once a major tourist destination that was said to be the home of the famous sasquatch after multiple sightings of the cryptid over the years. But once sightings of the Sasquatch came to a halt, so did the town's tourism, and with that came financial difficulties for the town and its residents. A tech company by the name of Start-up.com, a start-up that helps people start their own start-ups, decides to take advantage of Southborough's monetary situation and begins buying up various places throughout town to construct a headquarters, in turn pushing out all the local townspeople. Fortunately, Louie O'Connor and her best friend Felix decide they're going to do whatever it takes to drive back tourism while also protecting everything that makes their hometown special. Even if that means creating an elaborate hoax to drive out the Start-up.com takeover.

What if We Were... by Axelle Lenoir: Nathalie and Marie are 17 year old best friends since elementary school who battle boredom by using their imaginations to play a game they invented called "What if We Were...?" The rules are simple: one player names a topic, such as "Vikings" or "vampire slayers," then both players imagine what life would be like as that subject. Easy enough to play, but hard to master. After all these years, Nathalie and Marie are experts as they have mastered how to think outside the box and creatively surprise each other. But what if a new player decided to join the game? And what if she was really hot? Find out if Nathalie and Marie survive the next round without heartbreak in this graphic novel that proves there's nothing better than using your imagination.

What's New On Hoopla

 Here are some great new teen titles we've recently added to Hoopla Digital you should definitely check out!

The Castle School (For Troubled Girls) by Alyssa B. Sheinmel: Ok, so Moira gets that she has kind of always been a troublemaker. And she KNOWS that she has gotten way worse since her best friend Nathan died. But that still doesn't mean she has to be happy or even accepting of  her parents decision to send her away to a creepy boarding school in the middle of he woods! She's not interested in being there, or making new friends or in her counseling sessions. But she IS kind of interesting in exploring the nearby all-boys boarding school late at night with her room mate... that is, until things start to get weird, and really, really creepy. 

Grace Unto Death by J. D. Winter: Dying sucks. Being only sort-of dead is even worse. Grace never set out to become a Necrowight. She was just out jogging, trying to get a little exercise and get away from her jerk stepdad. It was totally not her fault she ran into UNBELIEVABLY good looking Sebastian (swoon!) who just happened to be undead and just happened to have turned her into whatever the heck she was now. And what exactly IS she now? Is she dead? Undead? Only mostly dead? What is a teenage ghoul to do.

Hotel Black by Ken G. Jones: Edmund, Greg and Mary are glad to be heading off to Wales for a nice little vacation with their parents at Hotel Black... until they actually get there. Constantly surrounded by mist, the hotel has a deeply creepy air to it. Then there's the squeaking rats and the nightly nightmares they all seem to be having. Plus the weird portraits hanging everywhere of the same man... who always looks different somehow. What is going on at this hotel and will Edmund, Greg and Mary even make it out alive if they are brave enough to try to find out?

The Salt in Our Blood by Ava Morgyn: When Cat' beloved grandmother dies, Mary has no choice but to move to New Orleans to live with the mother, Mary, who abandoned her as a child. There, Cat finds a mysterious picture of her mother cradling a child who is most definitely not Cat. As Cat begins to uncover twisted family secrets, she begins to realize that her mother has issues that run much deeper that she ever suspected, and even worse, Cat begins to have haunting dreams in which strange apparitions seem to be trying to tell her something important about her own life and future as well as her mysterious past. 

What's New On Hoopla for December?

 Here are some of the great new books now available on Hoopla Digital for you to borrow in December:

The Girl Who Wasn't There by Penny Joelson: Kasia is a watcher. Watching is all she can really do, since her illness keeps her from leaving her home most of the time. Unfortunately for Kasia, this means she is usually bored, since nothing really happens on her quiet little street. That is, until the day Kasia witnesses what she believes is a kidnapping. A kidnaping that is also witnessed by another girl Kasia sees watching from a window across the street from her own. But, when Kasia sets out to find the other witness, so they can both report what they have seen and potentially save a kidnap victim, things get even stranger, because the girl Kasia saw in the window, doesn't seem to exist at all. 

The Liar's Guide to the Night Sky by Brianna R. Shrum: Hallie is NOT happy that her parents are making her move during the last semester of her Senior year. She's ESPECIALLY not happy that they've moved her to Colorado, all the way across the country from all her friends in Massachusetts. It couldn't possibly get any worse... and the it does. When on a family camping trip in the freezing Colorado wilderness Hallie and her family fall victim to an avalanche, and with people in desperate need of medical care, Hallie decides to brave the extreme environment in order to try to help them survive. 

This Splintered Silence by Kayla Olson: Lindley is a new kind of pioneer. She is a crew member on Space Station Luca, daughter of the Captain and one of the first of a new generation born in space. Then comes the horrible day when a virus breaks out, killing just about every first-generation crew member, and leaving teenage Lindley in charge of a broken station, quickly running out of food and unable to contact Earth for assistance. This seems terrible enough, until the day one of Lindley's fellow second generation crew members develops symptoms that look terrifyingly similar to the disease that wiped out their parents. But is disease really what's happening here? Or is one the crew secretly a murderer?

Four Three Two One by Courtney Stevens: One year after surviving a horrific bus bombing in New York City that claimed 19 people's lives, Go Jennings is struggling to heal and move forward with her life. Her boyfriend, Chandler, another survivor, refuses to talk about it at all, and Go NEEDS someone, anyone to talk to. So she reaches out to some of the other survivors in the hopes of forming some sort of support group. But will Go's actions do more harm than good? And can you really ever get over something so massive that it changes your life forever?

New on Hoopla Digital

 Hoopla is loaded with new titles for you to borrow from the comfort of home on any web-enabled device. Just create a profile using your library card number and you can borrow up to 10 titles a month, and it's not just books either. Hoopla also lets you stream movies and music and download audiobooks and comics. Here are some of our favorite new titles available now:

Five Total Strangers by Natalie D. Richards: Mira is halfway to Pittsburgh to spend Christmas with her mom as the city is hit by a truly epic blizzard that cancels the final flight of her trip. Desperate to get home, Mira accepts a ride share with some college kids she made friends with on her flight. But as conditions get worse, she realizes these people don't know each other at all. She's trapped in a car with a bunch of strangers, and horrible weather conditions... but one of the passengers seems to be determined that none of them will make it to their destination alive. 

Pretty Funny For a Girl by Rebecca Elliott: Hayla is a girl with a dream: one day she hopes to be a stand-up comedian. She knows it's a cutthroat business, and that it's mostly dominated by middle aged white guys, but she knows she's funny and is determined to make it big. Then she meets super hottie Leo, who is also on the path to becoming a famous comic and offers Hayla a chance to co-write some of his sets. Hayla's friends don't rust Leo, and keep telling Hayla he's just using her, but Hayla doesn't want to listen for one particular reason: she's afraid she might be falling in love with Leo. 

We Were Restless Things by Cole Nagamatsu. Noemi's best friend is dead. He died under the most mysterious of circumstances, too: drowned on dry land, with no lakes or other bodies of water to be found for miles of where his body was discovered. Only Noemi knows the truth: there is a lake hidden in the woods, and only Noemi has the ability to find it. This is where Link died... or did he? Because now, Noemi is starting to get weird messages from someone claiming to be her dead best friend. And the messages are a warning of terrible things to come. 

Winter, White and Wicked by Shannon Dittemore: Sylvi lives a very unusual life. She's an orphan, and lives all alone in her truck on the island of Layce, which is cursed by a never-ending winter. Sylvi is actually pretty ok with her life though - no one really bothers her, and she has a really great best friend Lenore and the protection of an ice spirit to keep her company. That is until the day Lenore runs away to join a band of northern rebels, and Sylvi gets roped into a dangerous smuggling operation in order to try to saver her beloved friend. 

New Digital Non-Fiction

 Ok, yes, the library is still closed, but that doesn't mean we're not still working hard behind the scenes to help you get access to great materials. Hoopla digital, for example just added some great new non-fiction titles that you can check out and read on any web-enabled device. Here are some of our favorite titles:

A Pirates Life for She: Swashbuckling Women Through the Ages by Laura Sook Duncombe: This Seven Seas History of the world’s well-known female buccaneers, tells the story of sixteen women who through the ages have sailed alongside-and sometimes in the command of their male counterparts. All of the women discussed come from all walks of life. They all desired freedom, but were never really mentioned in history until now. Author Laura Sook Duncombe looks at these women: who they were and what they fought for even when the odds were all against them. Some female swashbucklers featured are: Ancient Norse princess Alfhild, Sayyida al-Hurra of the Barbary corsairs, Grace O’Malley, and Cheng I Sao who commanded a fleet 1,400 off China in the early 19th century. These women’s courage, determination and skills they possessed is what makes them women to be feared and admired. This is great a fun read if you like learning about women’s history or pirates.

The Strange, True Tale of Frankenstein’s Creator Mary Shelley by Catherine Reef: This new book, celebrating the 200th anniversary of Frankenstein, is the real life and strange autobiography of Mary Shelley that reads like gothic novel. It is filled with scandal, death, drama, and one of the strangest yet most tragic love stories in literary history. Mary ran away to Lake Geneva with poet, Percy Bysshe Shelley (who was already married at the time when they met, how scandalous!) when she was just sixteen years old. It was during this time that she envisioned her story of Frankenstein. Even though her story was successful, it was not too long afterwards that tragedy and misfortune happened. Teen staff recommends this great, enthralling book for teens both if they need to do a research paper for school, or if they just want to read something fun for their accelerated reading!

A Teen’s Guide to Great Public Speaking: Thank-You for Coming to my TED Talk by Chris Anderson and Lorin Oberweger: This teen version of the popular adult book of the same title will help teens with tips and techniques for public speaking, with presentations among their classmates, and in their future adult lives. After reading this, teens should feel more confident and capable as public speakers. Being able to communicate clearly in front of an audience is essential in today’s workforce, whether it is doing an interview, class presentation or online videos. Ted Talks are well-known for having presenters that can speak with an inspirational tone of voice, electrifying a room, and convincing people to change their minds or inspire them to follow their dreams. This is a necessary read for teens who are especially shy and want to improve their communication. In addition, teen staff recommends it for teens who may need to be in the front of camera for online classes.

Anxiety…I’m So Done with You: A Teen's Guide to Ditching Toxic Stress and Hardwiring Your Brain for Happiness by Jodi Aman: Feeling stressed out, anxious, and alone? Feeling like you cannot control certain aspects of your life? Is it hard to tell yourself you are smart enough or capable enough to get good grades or follow your passions in life? Do you feel like anxiety is pretty much sucking the life out of you? If you are familiar with any of these feelings and want a way to out from constantly feeling anxiety-ridden then this book may be able to help you start to take control of your feelings. This book offers help for teens who are experiencing changes to in their lives because of the current epidemic. At the end of each chapter, this book also includes activity questions to help teens identify the “lies” that anxiety is telling them, as well as tips for practicing happy daily habits, and helping  build necessary skills to take back control of your and get rid of anxiety once and for all. This book is also great for parents to do along with their teens to help them with their mental health struggles.

2020 Eisner Awards Announced

San Diego Comic-Con is not happening in person this year, but it's still going on virtually, and one of the highlights of the convention is always the announcement of the winner of the year's Will Eisner Awards. The Eisner is the award given to the year's best comics, and it's the most prestigious award in the comic book and graphic novel industry. So, we thought we would share with you some of this year's winners (and also some of the other great nominees) we think you might be interested in checking out from YCLD!

Best Publication for Kids:
Guts by Raina Telgemeier

Other nominees in the category:

          

     

Best Publication for Teens:
Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me by Mariko Tamaki

Other nominees in the category:

     

      


Many of these titles are now available for checkout at your nearest branch for curbside pickup or for download through Hoopla Digital and Overdrive, so check them out today!

New Teen Non-Fiction Picks!

Today’s recommended reads are digital e-books that will hopefully inspire you to improve your life and lead you towards personal growth. Learning from others who gone through similar tough times in life can help make you realize that you're not the only person who is going through something by reading about how that person overcame what life can throw at you. Also, sometimes you need a self-help book if you do not know how to begin to make certain small changes that can improve your well-being, whether it is trying to calm your wired mind to get a goodnight sleep, or embracing and gaining confidence in yourself. These books can help with all of that.

Positive: A Memoir by Paige Rawl
Paige Rawl’s memoir is for anyone who has been bullied. The book details her personal experience being bullied in middle school, when her HIV positive secret came out. Rawls opens up about the fact that she wanted to end her life, but decided against it. She chose to live her life with purpose  and to tell her story. Paige is an HIV and life advocate speaker, her story has inspired and touched millions of people.

The IF in Life: How to Get Off Life’s Sidelines and Become Your Best Self by Rashad Jennings
Former NFL running back Rashad Jennings shares his inspiring personal story and experiences in his debut book that will encourage readers to follow their dreams. Rashad discusses his childhood and the challenges he faced growing up. He never gave up his dream to be an NFL player. Through hard work and determination, he became a record-setting running back for many teams. This book is a great inspirational read for any football fans who would like know more about Rashad’s childhood, college years, and professional career.

Goodnight Mind for Teens: Skills to Help You Quiet Noisy Thoughts and Get Sleep the You Need by Colleen E. Carney
Teens who are having trouble sleeping, this is for you! In this cognitive behavioral therapy tip book, will help you can learn to quiet anxious thoughts and turn off screen time on their phone. This book will also help pinpoint sleep problems through a sleep tracker, and teach you to identify and listen to your internal “body clock” when it is time for sleep, develop a morning and bedtime routine, and suggests on how to unwind at bedtime.

Embracing the Awkward by Joshua Rodriguez
If you would like come out of your shell, be more social and gain confidence you will find this book helpful. Author Joshua Rodriguez uses his own personal experience when he was teen as an example to make the book relatable to readers. This book is written to help you succeed by taking the small steps detailed in each chapter at your own pace. It includes step-by-step checklists of activities to try out like approaching new people, and how to how start a conversation.  The chapters are short but informative. Some of the topics discussed are: understanding yourself and your purpose, mindfulness,
success and failures, identifying your strengths and weakness, making friendships, maintaining family relationships and approaching your crush and asking them out on a date.

All these books are currently available on Hoopla, along with other great books on mental health, mindfulness and self-improvement for teens. And don't forget that we offer Curbside Pickup for items in our collection at all our libraries (except the Heritage Library).

What's New on Hoopla for June?

Need something new to read? Here are some of  the best books that have recently been added to Hoopla Digital!  Don't forget to download the ReadSquared app to sign up for the teen Summer Reading Program and register some of these great books to earn points towards your finishing goal!

The Beholder by Anna Bright: Selah has always dreamed of a fairy tale life: marrying her childhood friend and living happily every after. After all, as the daughter of her community's leader, it's what she was raised to do. But, when the boy she loves rejects her, Selah's mother has a solution: sail halfway around the world to find a suitable husband and come back engaged... or never come back at all.

The Dangerous Art of Blending In by Angelo Surmelis: Evan is not doing well with this whole "growing up" thing. His strict Greek mother thinks he's a disappointment, he can't even have a conversation with his distant workaholic dad, and his formerly dorky best friend somehow became the "hot guy" over the summer, leaving Evan in the dust. Evan's only source of comfort is his art, and maybe, just maybe, the suspicion that his best friend might just feel the same way as Evan and wants to be more than friends.

Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson: In Vermont, only the best and brightest are admitted into Ellingham Academy every school year. Stevie Bell is one of those students. She also happens to be obsessed with true crime, and in particular the mysterious, unsolved disappearance of the school founder's wife and daughter. At least, that's her plan, until strange things start happening at the school, making everyone wonder if a centuries old killer could still be out there somehow, trying to get away with murder all over again.

Uncanny by David Macinnis Gill: When a sudden storm on the day of her 16th birthday takes out power all over Boston, Willow doesn't think it's weird - just another power outage. Until she is suddenly able to stop time. And then she meets her super creepy familiar. And then her sister vanishes without a trace. Eventually Willow realizes her birthday storm was not just unnatural, but supernatural, and it's awakened something ancient. Something evil. Something that wants Willow dead.