1) Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds is a novel told in verse about a 15-year-old boy named Will who takes a gun into his apartment building seeking revenge for his brother's murder. As he rides the elevator down, he encounters ghosts from his past who tell their stories and confront him with whether to follow the code of getting revenge or break the cycle of violence. 2) One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus is a mystery about five high school students who are suspects in the murder of a classmate after he planned to reveal secrets about each of them and dies in detention. 3) In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan is a humorous high fantasy parody about a

1. Virginia
Readers' Choice
2019-2020

2. Long Way Down, by Jason Reynolds
Drama, Novel in Verse
When 15-year-old Will’s older brother is gunned down, he
leaves his 8th floor apartment with revenge on his mind
and a gun in his pocket. The 67-second trip down to the
lobby morphs into something else, though, when the
elevator inexplicably stops at every single floor on the way
down, picking up a passenger from Will’s past each time
the doors part. As the elevator fills up and the ghosts tell
their stories, Will is confronted with a terrible decision: will
he loyally follow 3 Rules—no crying, no snitching, always
get revenge— and avenge his brother’s death, or will he
break the cycle of violence? Told in verse, the entire
novel takes place in that minute-long ride, the “long way
down” that will determine who lives-- and who dies.
WATCH THE TRAILER
September 17

3. One of Us is Lying, by Karen McManus
Mystery, Realistic Fiction
On a Monday afternoon, five students walk into
detention: Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and
never breaks a rule; Addy, the beauty, is the picture-
perfect homecoming princess; Nate, the criminal, is
already on probation for dealing; Cooper, the athlete,
is the all-star baseball pitcher; and Simon, the
outcast, is the creator of Bayview High’s notorious
gossip app. Only, Simon never makes it out of that
classroom. Before the end of detention Simon's
dead, and according to investigators, his death
wasn’t an accident. On Monday, he died. But on
Tuesday, he’d planned to post juicy reveals about all
four of his high-profile classmates, which makes all
four of them suspects in his murder. Or are they the
perfect patsies for a killer who’s still on the
loose? Everyone has secrets, right? What really
matters is how far you would go to protect them. (adapted
from publisher)
WATCH THE TRAILER
October 15

4. In Other Lands, by Sarah Rees Brennan
High Fantasy, Humor
Small for his size and prone to brutal sarcasm, Elliot is a
magnet for bullies, so when he discovers a portal to the
Borderlands-- a land filled with magical creatures and new
possibilities— he doesn’t think twice about leaving his
lonely existence in the real world behind. Instead of
escaping into a world of fantasy, though, Elliot finds
himself smack dab in the middle of a land bracing for
drama and war. How will Elliot the pacifist deal with the
bloody fighting and conflict of this new realm? With
sarcasm, humor, and his own style of course! A laugh-out
loud parody of Harry Potter, In Other Lands is a zany
adventure that pokes fun at common fantasy tropes and is
full of unexpected twists, awkward romances, and epic
battles.
WATCH THE TRAILER
November 19

5. The Lines We Cross, by Randa Abdel-Fattah
World Drama, Romance, Realistic Fiction
Michael and Mina are two students from different
sides of the picket line. Michael, or rather,
Michael's parents, represent Aussie Values, an
Australian anti-immigrant group that hopes to
decrease the supports provided to refugees in
Australia. Mina and her parents are Muslim
refugees from Afghanistan, hoping to rebuild their
lives and safely grieve the losses they
suffered. When put to the test, what will Michael
and Mina stand for?
WATCH THE TRAILER
December 17

6. Warcross, by Marie Lu
Science Fiction, Action, Adventure
Tattooed, rainbow-haired Emika Chen is a bounty
hunter living in major debt. When her attempt to
hack into the opening game of the International
Warcross Championships doesn't go as planned,
she is immediately thrust into the spotlight. Not
only is she capturing the attention of Warcross
players worldwide, but the creator of the games
himself - Hideo Tanaka. Will his promise of
fortune be enough to convince her to enter this
dangerous virtual tournament and the
consequences that lurk there?
WATCH THE TRAILER
January 21

7. Spill Zone, by Scott Westerfeld
Graphic Novel, Science Fiction, Horror
Three years ago, the Spill transformed Poughkeepsie
from a sleepy NY town to a living nightmare, a
quarantined zone where the laws of physics no longer
apply, mutated creatures roam, and human “meat
puppets” lurk with empty, glowing eyes. Armed only with
a camera, outlaw artist Addison sneaks past the National
Guard perimeter at night, searching for answers about the
mysterious disaster and photographing the strange
phenomena there. It’s risky but selling those photographs
to wealthy collectors pays the bills now that Addison and
her little sister, Alexa, are on their own, their parents
victims of the tragedy. What was the Spill? What
happened to their parents? And why won’t Alexa, a
survivor of the tragedy, talk about what she witnessed that
night? When a rich buyer offers Addison a million-dollar
payday for a dangerous job inside the Zone, she must
decide whether the risk is worth the reward. Creepy sci-fi
at its finest, The Spill Zone is an eerie graphic novel you
won’t be able to put down.
WATCH THE TRAILER
January 21

8. The 57 Bus, by Dashka Slater
Nonfiction
One teenager in a skirt. One teenager with a lighter. One
moment that changes two lives and two communities
forever. If it weren’t for the 57 bus, Sasha and Richard
never would have met. Both were high school students
from Oakland, California, one of the most diverse cities in
the country, but they inhabited different worlds. Sasha, a
white agender teen, lived in the middle-class foothills and
attended a small private school. Richard, a black teen,
lived in the crime-plagued flatlands and attended a large
public one. Each day, their paths overlapped for a mere
eight minutes. But one afternoon on the bus ride home
from school, a single reckless act left Sasha severely
burned, and Richard charged with two hate crimes and
facing life imprisonment. This riveting non-fiction account
will make you think about issues of race and class,
gender and identity, and crime and punishment.
WATCH THE TRAILER
February 18

9. Dreamland Burning, by Jennifer Latham
Mystery, Historical Fiction
Some bodies won't stay buried. Some stories
need to be told. When seventeen-year-old Rowan
Chase finds a skeleton on her family’s property,
she has no idea that investigating the brutal
century-old murder will lead to a summer of
painful discoveries about the past… and the
present. Told from alternating perspectives, past
and present, this lightning-paced page-turner
brings the Tulsa race riot of 1921 to blazing life
and raises important questions about the complex
state of US race relations – both yesterday and
today. (adapted from publisher)
WATCH THE TRAILER
March 17

10. Loving vs. Virginia, by Patricia Hruby Powell
Historical Fiction, Novel in Verse
Virginia wasn’t always for lovers. Caroline
County, Virginia. 1955. Two teenagers in love.
One black, one white. Told in verse, Loving v.
Virginia tells the true story of Mildred and Richard
Loving and how they fought discrimination—and
the law—so they could be together. Would you
change the world to be with the person you love?
WATCH THE TRAILER
March 17

11. Paper Butterflies, by Lisa Heathfield
Drama, Realistic Fiction
June's life is full of secrets--she lives in a home
where she suffers from daily abuse of her
stepmother and sister, abuse her dad doesn't
even know about. She goes to a school where
she's picked on, targeted, and treated as an
outcast. June lives in her world without others
knowing her struggles, a world where it seems
that there is no light; that is, until she meets
Blister. Blister shows June another way of life,
one filled with paper butterflies and laughter. And
in a world where there seems to be so little worth
fighting for, doesn't June deserve it? Paper
Butterflies is a heartbreaking tale of survival
against the darkness and how love can bring us
into the light.
WATCH THE TRAILER
April 21