Sal and Gabi Break the Universe, by Carlos Hernandez

In order to heal after his mother’s death, thirteen-year-old Sal learns to reach into time and space to retrieve things–and people–from other universes. But when Sal Vidon meets Gabi Real for the first time, it isn’t under the best of circumstances. Sal is in the principal’s office for the third time in three days, and it’s still the first week of school. Gabi, student council president and editor of the school paper, is there to support her friend Yasmany, who just picked a fight with Sal. She is determined to prove that somehow, Sal planted a raw chicken in Yasmany’s locker, even though nobody saw him do it.

Redwood and Ponytail, by K.A. Holt

Told in verse in two voices, with a chorus of fellow students, this is a story of two girls, opposites in many ways, who are drawn to each other; Kate appears to be a stereotypical cheerleader with a sleek ponytail and a perfectly polished persona, Tam is tall, athletic and frequently mistaken for a boy, but their deepening friendship inevitably changes and reveals them in ways they did not anticipate.

Dragon Pearl, by Yoon Ha Lee

Min, a thirteen-year-old girl with fox-magic, stows away on a battle cruiser and impersonates a cadet in order to solve the mystery of what happened to her older brother in the Thousand World Space Forces.

From the Desk of Zoe Washington, by Janae Marks

Avid baker Zoe Washington receives a letter on her twelfth birthday from her biological father, who is in prison for a terrible crime.

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, by Kwame Mbalia

Seventh-grader Tristan Strong feels anything but strong ever since he failed to save his best friend when they were in a bus accident together. All he has left of Eddie is the journal his friend wrote stories in. Tristan is dreading the month he’s going to spend on his grandparents’ farm. But on his first night there, a sticky creature shows up and steals Eddie’s notebook. Tristan chases after it, and a tug-of-war ensues between them underneath a Bottle Tree. In a last attempt to get it away from the creature, Tristan punches the tree, accidentally ripping open a chasm into the MidPass, a volatile place with a burning sea, haunted bone ships, and iron monsters.

Dear Sweet Pea, by Julie Murphy

Thirteen-year-old Patricia, widely known as Sweet Pea, navigates her parents’ unconventional divorce and finds herself in the unlikely role of her town’s advice columnist

Pax, by Sara Pennypacker

Pax and Peter have been inseparable ever since Peter rescued him as a kit. But one day the unimaginable happens: Peter’s dad enlists in the military and makes him return the fox to the wild. At his grandfather’s house three hundred miles away from home, Peter knows he isn’t where he should be-with Pax. He strikes out on his own despite the encroaching war, spurred by love, loyalty, and grief, to be reunited with his fox. Meanwhile Pax, steadfastly waiting for his boy, embarks on adventures and discoveries of his own.

Race to the Sun, by Rebecca Roanhorse

Nizhoni Begay has been able to detect monsters, like that man in the fancy suit who was in the bleachers at her basketball game. Turns out he’s Mr. Charles, her dad’s new boss at the oil and gas company, and he’s alarmingly interested in Nizhoni and her brother, Mac, their Navajo heritage, and the legend of the Hero Twins. Nizhoni knows he’s a threat, but her father won’t believe her. When Dad disappears the next day, leaving behind a message that says “Run!”, the siblings and Nizhoni’s best friend, Davery, are thrust into a rescue mission.

Cog, by Greg Van Eekhout

After an accident leaves him damaged and separated from his scientist caregiver, a young android recruits four robot accomplices and embarks on a cross-country road trip to reunite with her.

Other Words for Home, by Jasmine Warga

Jude never thought she’d be leaving her beloved older brother and father behind, all the way across the ocean in Syria. But when things in her home-town start becoming volatile, Jude and her mother are sent to live in Cincinnati with relatives. At first, everything in America seems too fast and too loud. The American movies Jude has always loved haven’t quite prepared her for starting school in the US — and her new label of “Middle Eastern,” an identity she’s never known before. But this life also brings unexpected surprises–there are new friends, a whole new family, and a school musical that Jude just might try out for. Maybe America, too, is a place where Jude can be seen as she really is.

With the Fire on High, by Elizabeth Acevedo

Ever since she got pregnant in her freshman year, Emoni Santiago’s life has been about making tough decisions. The one place she can let all that go is in the kitchen. Even though she dreams of working as a chef after she graduates, Emoni knows that it’s impossible. Yet once Emoni starts cooking, her only choice is to let her talent break free.

The Beckoning Shadow, by Katharyn Blair

Terrified of her magical power after a horrifying incident resulting from her lack of control, teenage runaway, Vesper Montgomery, enters a dangerous tournament for a chance to rewrite the past and reverse the mistakes that have changed her forever.

Let me Hear a Rhyme, by Tiffany Jackson

When a young black teen is murdered, his two best friends decide to keep his memory alive by promoting his music–rhymes that could turn any hangout into a party–with the help of his younger sister, Jasmine, who is out for justice. As the buzz builds, it forces Quadir, Jarrell, and Jasmine, to each confront the death in their own ways.

Reverie, by Ryan La Sala

While recovering from an attack that leaves him without his memory, gay teenager Kane Montgomery stumbles into a world where dreams known as reveries take on a life of their own, and it is up to Kane and a few unlikely allies to stop them before they spillover into the waking world.

Loki: Where Mischief Lies, by Mackenzi Lee

When Loki and Amora cause the destruction of one of Asgard’s most prized possessions, Amora is banished to Earth, where her powers will slowly and excruciatingly fade to nothing. She was the only person who ever looked at Loki’s magic as a gift instead of a threat; without her, he slips further into anguish and the shadow of his universally adored brother, Thor. When Asgardian magic is detected in relation to a string of murders on Earth, Odin sends Loki to investigate. His journey in nineteenth-century London leads to more than just a murder suspect–it puts Loki on a path to discover the source of his power–and who he’s meant to be.

Tigers, Not Daughters, by Samantha Mabry

The Torres sisters dream of escape. Escape from their needy and despotic widowed father, and from their San Antonio neighborhood, full of old San Antonio families and all the traditions and expectations that go along with them. In the summer after her senior year of high school, Ana, the oldest sister, falls to her death from her bedroom window. A year later, her three younger sisters, Jessica, Iridian, and Rosa, are still consumed by grief and haunted by their sister’s memory. Their dream of leaving Southtown now seems out of reach. But then strange things start happening around the house.

Out of Salem, by Hal Schrieve

Genderqueer fourteen-year-old Z Chilworth has to adjust quickly to their new status as a zombie after waking from death from a car crash that killed their parents and sisters. Always a talented witch, Z now can barely perform magic and is rapidly decaying. Faced with rejection from their remaining family members and old friends, Z moves in with Mrs. Dunnigan, an elderly witch and befriends Aysel, a loud would-be-goth classmate who is, like Z, a loner. As Z struggles to find a way to repair the broken magical seal holding their body together, Aysel fears that her classmates will discover her status as an unregistered werewolf.

The Exact Opposite of Okay, by Laura Steven

Eighteen-year-old Izzy O’Neill knows exactly who she is–a loyal friend, an aspiring comedian, and a person who believes that milk shakes and Reese’s peanut butter cups are major food groups. But after she’s caught in a compromising position with the son of a politician, it seems like everyone around her is eager to give her a new label. Izzy is certain that the whole thing will blow over and she can get back to worrying about how she doesn’t reciprocate her best friend Danny’s feelings for her and wondering how she is ever going to find a way out of their small town. Only it doesn’t.

Ordinary Girls, by Blair Thornburgh

In this retelling of Sense and Sensibility, fifteen-year-old Plum and her older sister Ginny find their relationship tested by family finances, personality differences, and the secrets they are keeping from each other.

How to Be Remy Cameron, by Julian Winters

Everyone on campus knows Remy Cameron: he’s the out-and-proud, super-likable guy who friends, faculty, and fellow students alike admire for his cheerful confidence. Under pressure to write an A+ essay defining who he is and who he wants to be, Remy embarks on an emotional journey toward reconciling the outward labels people attach to him with the real Remy Cameron within.

The Adventure Zone

Justin, Travis, and Griffin McElroy from (also recommended) podcast My Brother, My Brother and Me have recruited their dad Clint for a campaign of high adventure. Join the McElroys as they find their fortune and slay an unconscionable number of… you know, kobolds or whatever in… The Adventure Zone.

Spooked

Are you in the mood for something creepy? Spooked features true-life supernatural stories, told firsthand by people who can barely believe it happened themselves.

Stuff You Missed in History Class

Stuff You Missed in History Class is a bi-weekly podcast that brings you the best (and weirdest) stuff you might never have learned about! From poison control to pandemics, you’re sure to learn something interesting from every episode. Try searching the archives for topics that interest you to learn something new!

Welcome to Night Vale

Welcome to Night Vale is a twice-monthly podcast in the style of community updates for the small desert town of Night Vale, featuring local weather, news, announcements from the Sheriff’s Secret Police, mysterious lights in the night sky, dark hooded figures with unknowable powers, and cultural events.

Who Would Win?

Get ready to put on your thinking caps and use your imagination as hosts James Gavsie and Ray Stakenas avoid actually fighting with each other, while debating the strengths and abilities of their chosen weekly champions. Each week there is a different set of combatants and new guest judge, usually coming from somewhere in the comic book community.