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Cybils Reviews: YA and Middle Grade Nonfiction About Science & Disease

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Reading nonfiction for Cybils this year has been really enjoyable and it’s been really neat to not just see the range of topics covered, but it’s been neat to think about the connections between and among them. What do these connections say about the things we’re thinking about on a broader cultural level?

A number of the books have fallen into the broad category of science, and this is an area of nonfiction I love. But saying that books fall into a “broad category of science” doesn’t quite nail what these books have in common — rather, these books look at the side of science concerned with making our world a better, safer place for human and animal kind. They marry science and history in smart, accessible ways.

Here’s a look at a handful of those books, which tackle topics of disease, global warming, extinction, and and more.

 

bubonic-panicBubonic Panic! by Gail Jarrow

This middle grade title explores the third “wave” of bubonic plague, which made its way to America in the early 1900s in San Francisco. Picking it up, I didn’t expect to take away as much as I did about the disease — this was a topic I wrote a lot about in high school and felt like I’d learned enough about and yet, this was an entire aspect of public health and history I didn’t know happened. I suspect a reason for this lack of knowledge might come from what Jarrow touches on (and ultimately doesn’t dig into as much as I wish): racism. Those most susceptible to America’s bubonic plague were Asian immigrants, and the choices politicians made to slow down the spread of the disease targeted Chinatown specifically.

The book isn’t entirely about the disease in America though, and it was fascinating to see the history of bubonic plague traced back into three distinct waves. It’s my suspicion most people, self included, are familiar with the second wave which hit Europe and less aware of the first and third waves. Jarrow does an excellent job telling the history of this disease not just through science and discovery, but she makes it into a mystery. She explores what caused the disease, why it happened in waves, and the roles scientists played in trying to figure out the reason behind the disease, who it targeted, and how to put an end to it. I found much of the discussion of trying to find an immunization for the disease to be some of the most interesting material in the book.

In terms of design, this is a visually appealing book. It’s full color, with thoughtful use of images and sidebars that highlight, rather than detract from, the greater text. I do wish there was a different trim size, since it’s one of those books that is odd to hold and read, but I also understand that to get the visuals to look great, that was likely a necessary choice.

The back matter is excellent, and I found the FAQs that Jarrow chose to include at the end of the book really thought-provoking. It was clear she anticipated some questions from young readers and she addresses them succinctly and smartly.

Fun fact: I knew the plague was still a thing in the American southwest; in mid 2007, my husband and I were driving from Las Vegas to Austin and stopped one night in a New Mexico town, where the lead story was about a small local outbreak. I was surprised, but learning about the fact that it’s rodents and fleas associated with them that can cause the illness makes that make more sense. Likewise, this book will likely heighten fear from the hypochondriacs out there, since this is a disease that’s still possible and Jarrow doesn’t ignore that.

 

its-getting-hot-in-hereIt’s Getting Hot In Here: The Past, Present, and Future of Climate Change by Bridget Heos

This YA nonfiction title is for those who love their science with numbers, figures, and graphs. It’s a well-argued book about the impact of climate change and the need to get serious about protecting our planet. Heos hedges her arguments very well — she clearly delineates the scientific evidence from the political aspects of the global warming argument and then further provides a point for readers to ponder over as she notes that GMOs are also in one of those personal/political/science gaps where science says GMOs are totally fine but individuals find a lot more to chew on with them than they do with things like global warming…also backed by science.

There are times this goes on too long and the middle gets a little boring. Readers who are really into sustainability and global warming will likely love this length, though. This is full-color throughout and the format is a traditional novel trim, making it read really well and look really great. It’s appealing on every level and the use of images and side bars to break up text was well thought out and added, rather than detracted from, the text.

Heos goes further to offer ways for individuals to do better with their impact on the Earth. These tips aren’t hard and don’t cost money, and Heos addresses both of those issues before providing the tips, too.

It’s smart how she sets up her arguments and defends them, and it’s done in a way that would make this an excellent read for those teens looking to learn how to craft an argument and support it well. There are discussions of both sides of the issue but the counter argument is picked apart because of science, numbers, and data. For the general reader, though, it might be overwhelming to sift through.

This is another read with good backmatter, so it will work not only as a solid nonfiction read for leisure, but it also serves as a great resource for those doing research or who want to dig even further into global warming.

I read this one a few weeks back, and even though it did drag for me, I find myself returning to some of the points Heos made. In early November, I sat on the beach, here in southern Wisconsin, and realized it was absurd and terrifying to be doing such a thing. The beach was packed, people were putting their feet in the water, and everyone carried on like it was a perfect summer evening. That was why I was there, and yet, I couldn’t stop thinking about how global warming was to thank for such a gift. . . if it could be considered a gift at all.

 

last-of-the-giantsLast of the Giants: The Rise and Fall of Earth’s Most Dominant Species by Jeff Campbell, illustrated by Adam Grano

An engaging, at at times difficult, YA title to read about a number of “giant” species that have gone extinct in the last 500 years. Campbell explores the whys and hows of the extinctions, with some interesting — at times slightly judgmental — ways that humans have impacted these natural beasts. “Giant,” as Campebell explains early on in the text, not only refers to size, but it also refers to species like the passenger pigeon in the US which were abundant one day and then completely gone the next. As a reader, I found reading that section particularly difficult, as it highlighted the brutal ways humans interacted with nature.

Some of the most fascinating pieces of this book were the descriptions of islands that, while populated today, were once ecological wonders. Campbell describes an unbelievable world in New Zealand, where giant birds were abundant and wild; he also digs into the amazing ecoculture of Madagascar and how humans arriving in both islands invariably changed the natural habitats and livelihoods of many creates. Some we know the stories of and others we’ll never quite know.

The backmatter is great, and I turned to one of the videos referenced back there about the Tasmanian tiger and definitely got a little teary-eyed. I do wonder, though, if more of the backmatter could be better integrated into the text or into footnotes in instances like this, as it was not easy to flip back and find the video being referenced in text because there’s so much backmatter.

My biggest criticism, besides perhaps the book being a bit lengthy, is that the layout is bizarre. The pull quotes make no sense and take up way too much room in spaces where it was unnecessary. I’d have liked more sidebars and more “did you know” kind of things sprinkled throughout that would make the text a little more digestible — perhaps those could have been places where “check out these videos” or other round-ups to juicy backmatter could be highlighted in text.

This isn’t a book that can be read easily in one sitting for that reason, especially for those who get heated up about animal rights, climate change, or other similar natural issues.  There were times I had to stop because it made me a little weepy.  Likewise, this is a book that’s just a bit long, and readers will want to take their time to digest what they’re reading. Picking this book up prior to the Heos book in my reading pile made me appreciate both a little bit more, as it was impossible not to see how the things Heos talked about mirrored some of what Campbell talked about, especially in regards to the disappearance of some of Earth’s richest and most diverse ecosystems.

Grab Bag

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My reading has been a bit eclectic lately, so this post is a grab bag of brief reviews of a few recent reads: an adult romance novel, a YA fantasy, and an adult nonfiction book.

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Cold-Hearted Rake by Lisa Kleypas

Any romance reader worth her salt knows Lisa Kleypas. For the past several years she’s been writing contemporary romances (which I’ve just started getting into), but she started in historicals, and Cold-Hearted Rake marks her very welcome return to them. Like her many other fans, I was highly anticipating this one; unfortunately, I felt a little disappointed by it. Kleypas works with a few common historical romance tropes: the heroine is a young widow whose husband died in an accident, leaving the estate to his cousin; the hero is this cousin who wants nothing to do with the estate, its tenants, or the widow and her three sisters-in-law who occupy it; they fall in love after overcoming their initial mutual dislike. Kleypas is normally very good at using these tropes to create characters whose relationships with each other are complex and believable, but I feel like she fell a bit short here. I never believed that the two leads should have ever truly liked each other, much less loved each other, and the secondary storyline (which is a lead-in for this book’s sequel, Marrying Winterborne) featuring one of the sisters was pretty repellent to me – the hero seems awful and a bad kisser to boot. So not only was I not in love with this book, I don’t really have a desire to pick up the second one. Too bad. Still, it’s a Kleypas book, and even her mediocre ones are often worth checking out. Your mileage may vary.

Riverkeep by Martin Stewart

I think this title will be very hit or miss with readers. It was mostly a miss for me, though the concept is intriguing. Wulliam is 16 years old and about to inherit the job of Riverkeep from his father, which entails making sure the Danek River is free of ice and other debris, keeping the lamps lit so travelers can see at night, and fishing the occasional dead body out. It can be very challenging, lonely, and macabre, so Wull is not thrilled about it. Then one day his father falls out of the boat and is possessed by a creature from the river that can only be removed with something found in the body of a mormorach, a Moby Dick-like beast at the other end of the river. So Wull sets off to kill it, picking up a few acquaintances with their own motives along the way. Stewart’s world-building is strong in parts (the job of the Riverkeep in particular is interesting), but it often relies on lazy ideas: names of people and words for invented animals are very similar to our own names and words, just with a letter or two changed. And the characters and their adventures are really strange, like later Wizard of Oz novels to the eleventh degree, with a generous dose of gross. It felt a little like weirdness for the sake of weirdness, not for the story and its characters. It’s slowly paced and includes a lot of made-up dialect, which can be off-putting for some readers and a draw for others. What I wrote on Goodreads is a good summation for this book: “Extreme weirdness punctuated every so often by sex jokes.” More than a little incongruous and just not for me.

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt

I am over two decades late to this, but it’s riveting pseudo-nonfiction and I can see why it was such a sensation. The main thrust of the story is the murder of a young man (rumored to be a prostitute) in Savannah, Georgia, and the (closeted gay) man accused of it, who was tried four different times before finally being acquitted. But Berendt also focuses much of his story on everyone else who lived in Savannah in the mid-90s, including most famously the Lady Chablis, a drag queen who became famous after the book was published and played herself in the movie version (she recently passed away just last month). There’s a scene where she crashes a debutante party and carefully and deliberately makes everyone there uncomfortable, including Berendt; with her actions, she completely indicts the area’s racism, homophobia/transphobia, and classism. All aspects of this book – the murder, the trials, the social and racial politics of Savannah, the odd people you’d love to meet (Chablis) and the odd people you’d run from (the man who was rumored to be planning to poison the water supply) – are fascinating. I call this pseudo-nonfiction because in Berendt’s author’s note, he acknowledges that he moved around the order of some events, placing himself in Savannah before the murder, when in fact he didn’t decide to visit the town until it had already happened and was making news. He also admits that he inserted himself into some scenes that were actually just described to him by others, making it seem like he was a part of certain conversations that he wasn’t. So the complete veracity of the dialogue and specific actions are suspect, but the book itself is fascinating, both for true crime lovers and general nonfiction readers.

Cybils MG/YA Nonfiction Reviews: THE BORDEN MURDERS by Sarah Miller & TEN DAYS A MADWOMAN by Deborah Noyes

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I haven’t written many reviews this year, so it’s been interesting to try to get back into that mindset with these books (in a genre I generally do not review so much as consume!). But I want to be better at talking about the strengths and weaknesses of nonfiction, so expect a handful of reviews over the next few months as Cybils season rolls on. Some will be stand-alone reviews, while others, like this one, will pair up books for shorter reviews.

 

the-border-murdersConfession time: I know nothing about Lizzie Borden or the entire field of study and obsession with the murder case involving her father and stepmother. Her name is familiar, as is that song you sing as a kid, but otherwise, I am ignorant about it. And I think in a lot of ways, that was the ideal mindset to have while going into Sarah Miller’s excellent true crime book The Borden Murders: Lizzie Borden and the Trial of the Century.

Miller’s book begins by exploring how little is actually known about Lizzie Borden nor the murders of her family members, and it continues through its pages by setting up the scene, discussing what is known, and talking about how a number of missteps and missing pieces of the puzzle have created a flurry of conspiracy theories and questions surrounding Borden’s involvement in (or non-involvement in) the crime.

The book attempts to be even-handed, though savvy readers will understand that Miller’s portrait of Borden is quite sympathetic. Since little information exists about Borden’s demeanor — and little consistency exists even about her appearance — Miller wants readers to feel as though Borden’s entire experience was one that would make today’s general public rightfully angry. This angle was one that helped the book be more than a courtroom drama. We get to “know” Borden through Miller’s depiction.

The Borden Murders does an excellent job in terms of design and layout, though one small thing bothered me a bit: the photos in the book are not in the order of the text. A few photos which fell in the first collection were not written about until later in the book, making looking at them while reading a bit jarring. Likewise, Miller talks in depth about the gruesome murder photos at length, and when we finally get to see it, it’s really not at all gruesome. For the time period, it sure was, but by the buildup of the image and today’s standards, I can see teen readers going “what’s the big deal?”

It was a smart packaging decision to create this in the trim size of a novel. For readers who aren’t familiar with the printing side of things, this can mean making a lot of compromises in terms of how photos are included in the book. In this particular title, they’re in two 8-page spreads on glossy paper. A few reviews I’ve read criticized this, wishing instead the images were interspersed. This would have taken the quality down significantly, as well as made them tiny.

Readers who love true crime and who are fascinated with the legends of history, like Lizzie Borden, will absolutely devour Miller’s book. It’s well-written, compelling, and leaves a nice open door at the end for consideration of what it is that makes a person guilty — or innocent. I can see this being an easy sell to readers who love mysteries, too, and who enjoy procedural television shows like Law & Order.

A small nugget that stayed with me and I think was a great takeaway from this read: Borden was NOT a girl when this all happened. She was in her 30s. Many readers may know this, but knowing how she’s rendered in pop culture, it may also come as a surprise she was a fully mature adult woman.

 

ten-days-a-madwomanWhere I knew little about Lizzie Borden before diving into Miller’s book, I’m able to say quite the opposite of my knowledge of Nellie Bly. I’m having the hardest time remembering whether it was a film I watched or a book I read, but my familiarity with Bly and her stint at Blackwell Island was good when I began Deborah Noyes’s middle grade title Ten Days a Madwoman.

That said, after coming out of reading the book, I loved Bly even more than I already had.

Noyes traces through the early part of Bly’s life, and she does so in a way that doesn’t depict Bly as a woman with everything made for her to succeed — that was an image I had, not knowing her young upbringing — but rather, she’s shown to be a grit-fueled, hard-edged girl who came from little. Her mother, widowed when Bly was young, remarried because she needed help financially after Bly’s father’s death, but she ended up marrying a violent alcoholic. Her mother then divorced him, causing the cycle of money challenges to continue; Noyes does an excellent job of painting an image of being a woman in this time period and the sorts of challenges making a decision like divorce had, not just in terms of finances, but on social standing and more.

At age 23 (!!) after dropping out of school and working in Pittsburgh for a number of years, Bly decided she was going to go to New York City and get a newspaper job. It wasn’t a successful idea immediately, and she struggled to get work that was beyond the socially acceptable women’s reporting jobs. Until she busted down the doors of the World newspaper and was given the assignment of investigating the conditions of the public mental institution on Blackwell Island. This would, of course, be Bly’s break into the newspaper world.

Noyes balances this period of time in Bly’s life well with the actual conditions of Blackwell Island. We get a sense of what it was like to be there, but we’re not given the blow-by-blow. The focus remains on Bly and how she did her reporting.

This isn’t the whole of the book, and Noyes continues by highlighting many of the other important pieces of work Bly did. She’d interviewed — and was one of the first to offer sympathy for — women like Emma Goldman, who she interviewed whole Goldman was in prison. Although logically, I knew many famous individuals were alive during this time, it was still fascinating to see names referenced throughout as Bly’s contemporaries, including Susan B. Anthony and Charles Dickens.

But my favorite part of the whole book was a tiny part: Willa Cather wrote a scathing letter about Bly’s style of journalism. Despite breaking barriers for women reporters, many, like Cather, believed stunt journalism wasn’t valuable or groundbreaking, either. Seeing what Cather wrote about Bly mirrored so much of what happens in contemporary times: one person does a thing, gets recognition for it, and then also sees criticism from those who don’t agree with their work. I loved that push and pull and think Noyes does a huge service in showing how feminism and women in America struggled with representation, with work conditions, and more.

Ten Days a Madwoman is formatted with a bigger trim size and utilized double columns of text, just like many newspapers do. There are a lot of boxes and images scattered throughout, all of which are laid out smartly and make the work of stopping to read them easy on readers. There is excellent back matter, as well.

Hand this book to middle graders who are writers or who love stories about women breaking down boundaries. Bly was daring and full of grit, and it’s a story so many readers will relate to in terms of their desires to pursue their dreams, no matter how they have to get there. Noyes’s exploration of working conditions at the turn of the century, especially in the ever-industrializing city of New York, will appeal to readers who love history. It’s neat to see the parallels of this era in time with our contemporary times.

The most interesting takeaway from this: when Bly took her infamous round-the-world-by-ship trip, she decided on only one souvenir. It was a monkey she named McGinty. Nellie Bly owned a pet monkey. I’m not going to be over this for a while because I cannot think of anything more fitting to her after reading this book. (Also, if you’re interested, the first thing the monkey did when they got back home was break her dishes).

 

 

Both of these books are available now. Both copies were picked up from my local library. 

 

Cybils 2016: The Non-Fiction Edition

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cybils-2016-logo

 

As Kimberly mentioned last week, both of us are back on this year’s Cybils Awards committees. After doing the YA fiction panel for two years back-to-back, I needed some time off to recover from all of that reading. I decided instead of going for fiction this year, though, I wanted to try my hand at middle grade and young adult non-fiction. While I don’t read or review as much work in those categories as I do YA fiction, my background in writing non-fiction, as well as my extensive reading in adult non-fiction makes me feel like it’s an area I should spend some more time in. I want to write more about this growing area in YA and be able to talk more about it because of having read quite a bit. Upper middle grade non-fiction is a bonus to this reading, as it will be an awesome way to rework some of my thinking and approach to reading. I’m excited!

Because non-fiction isn’t an area we write about a whole lot, I thought I’d do like Kim and offer up a big list of titles you could nominate for my category. I’m pretty sure these are all eligible as either upper middle grade (5-8th grade publication age range) or YA, but do double check when you nominate that they are; I’ve gone by Amazon standards, which I believe is what Cybils organizers use. This post is going up Monday, and award nominations open on Saturday, so the chances of some of these titles already being nominated is pretty good.

But that’s why it’s such a huge list! I’ll absolutely be missing titles, so feel free to note others or nominate others that have been published between October 16, 2015 and October 15, 2016. I discovered while trying to compile this list that finding good resources for recent and forthcoming non-fiction is difficult. I put myself in the category of being bad about keeping up with it, but I’m determined now to be much better about it, knowing that the information is really hard to come by. If you know of sold resources outside of searching Edelweiss or Kirkus reviews, do let me know. My standbys for fiction don’t seem to offer the same depth for nonfiction.

I haven’t forgotten about the monthly debut round-up I do, so keep an eye out for that to tackle more than one month in my next post. I wanted to hop on the Cybils train first to ensure that there’s a huge selection of books for me to read over the next three months.

All of the information for how to nominate books for the Cybils — and again, anyone can nominate — is up on their website. Seriously: give Kimberly and I piles of books to read and write about. Or, well, give them to me, as Kim’s work will be much more secretive in the second round for graphic novels than mine will be in the first. Links on the titles below go to their Goodreads pages.

 

From Social Media Stars to Authors

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Before I started my job as the youth selector at my library just under a year ago, I had no idea how huge social media stars were in the publishing world. I would come across a book about a person I didn’t recognize and think “huh,” not having the slightest idea who they were and why so many people were clamoring for their books.

Those days are long past. Kids, teens, and 20-somethings who have gained huge followings on their social media platforms (Youtube, Vine, Instagram) have transitioned into the book world, and their books are popular and well-loved. Simon & Schuster even has an imprint dedicating to publishing Youtubers’ books, Keywords Press. Most interestingly (to me at least) is that a few of them have been writing fiction – though of the six authors on my list, at least two work with a previously published YA author with a long track record and at least one of them has a ghostwriter.

The lists of fiction nonfiction are below. They are very, very white lists; do you know of any Youtubers of color who have gotten books deals? Let me know – I want to buy their books for the library!

Descriptions are abridged from Goodreads.

Fiction

youtubers fiction

Dream House: A Novel by CutiePieMarzia by Marzia Bisognin

From YouTube sensation Marzia “CutiePieMarzia” Bisognin comes a debut young adult paranormal thriller about a girl whose dream house quickly becomes a nightmare. When Amethyst stumbles upon the house of her dreams, she can’t help but be enchanted by it, even if there’s something a little…off about the place. It’s everything she’s ever wanted in a home, so when the Blooms invite her to stay the night to avoid an impending storm, she instantly accepts. Yet when she awakes the next morning, alone and unable to bring herself to leave, Amethyst comes face-to-face with unexpected twists and turns. Will she be able to break free of the house’s allure, or will its secrets keep her trapped forever?

Beneath the Glitter by Elle and Blair Fowler

From internet stars Elle and Blair Fowler comes a scintillating new novel that takes readers Beneath the Glitter of the glitzy L.A. social scene. After their make-up and fashion videos went viral on YouTube, sisters Sophia and Ava London are thrust into the exclusive life of the Los Angeles elite. Here fabulous parties, air kisses, paparazzi and hot guys all come with the scene. Sophia finds herself torn between a gorgeous bartender and a millionaire playboy, and Ava starts dating an A-list actor.  But as they’re about to discover, the life they’ve always dreamed of comes with a cost.

Action Movie Kid by Daniel Hashimoto and Mandy Richardville

Meet Action Movie Kid, whose adventures began on YouTube and continue in his first book, a thrilling tale of the heroic acts and daring deeds that fill his day and follow him to bedtime—and beyond! James may look like a regular boy, but in his imagination he is Action Movie Kid, defender of his own tiny universe. Monsters, aliens, and robots are no match for James’s super strength and infinite cleverness. Though his superpowers sometimes get him into trouble—especially when others can’t see the dangerous foes that prowl the school yard, and his home—you can always rely on Action Movie Kid to save the day, even if he does need his parents’ help from time to time.

The Haunting of Sunshine Girl by Paige McKenzie with Alyssa B. Sheinmel

Something freaky’s going on with Sunshine’s new house…there’s the chill that wraps itself around her bones, the giggling she can hear in the dead of night, and then the strange shadows that lurk in her photographs. But the more weird stuff that happens, the less her mom believes her. Sunshine’s always had a quirky affiliation with the past, but this time, history is getting much too close for comfort. If there is something, or someone, haunting her house, what do they want? And what will they do if Sunshine can’t help them? The first in a frighteningly good new series based on the popular YouTube sensation The Haunting of Sunshine Girl Network, created by Paige McKenzie.

The Awakening of Sunshine Girl by Paige McKenzie with Alyssa B. Sheinmel

Having passed her test in Book One, Sunshine’s Luiseach powers are now fully awakened: for months now, Sunshine has felt spirits everywhere: heard voices, felt emotions – intense and sometimes overwhelming. She tries to ignore them, but it is impossible. Hoping to get her powers under control – and hoping for answers to her never-ending questions – she agrees to undergo training with her Luiseach mentor, even though she still hopes to give up her powers someday. The sequel to The Haunting of Sunshine Girl.

Surviving High School by Lele Pons with Melissa de la Cruz

Vine superstar Lele Pons teams up with #1 New York Times bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz in this lovable debut novel about the wilds and wonders of high school that’s as laugh-out-loud addictive as Lele’s popular videos. Lele is a bulls-eye target at her new school in Miami until, overnight, her digital fame catapults the girl with cheerleader looks, a seriously silly personality, and a self-deprecating funny bone into the popular crowd. Now she’s facing a whole new set of challenges—the relentless drama, the ruthless cliques, the unexpected internet celebrity—all while trying to keep her grades up and make her parents proud.

Girl Online: The First Novel By Zoella by Zoe Sugg and Siobhan Curham (ghostwriter)

Penny has a secret. Under the alias GirlOnline, she blogs about school dramas, boys, her mad, whirlwind family – and the panic attacks she’s suffered from lately. When things go from bad to worse, her family whisks her away to New York, where she meets the gorgeous, guitar-strumming Noah. Suddenly Penny is falling in love – and capturing every moment of it on her blog. But Noah has a secret too. One that threatens to ruin Penny’s cover – and her closest friendship – forever.

Girl Online on Tour by Zoe Sugg

When Noah invites Penny on his European music tour, she can’t wait to spend time with her rock-god-tastic boyfriend. But between Noah’s jam-packed schedule, less-than-welcoming bandmates and threatening messages from jealous fans, Penny wonders whether she’s really cut out for life on tour. She can’t help but miss her family, her best friend Elliot and her blog, Girl Online. Can Penny learn to balance life and love on the road, or will she lose everything in pursuit of the perfect summer? Sequel to Girl Online.

Nonfiction

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Hello Life! by Marcus Butler

Marcus Butler’s irreverent YouTube channel has long combined laughs and comedy sketches with thoughts on more serious issues. What sets him apart from the rest is his ability to mix light-hearted banter with a deep empathy for the problems facing young people today. Thanks to his experiences of family illness, his parents’ divorce, weight issues and catastrophic hair days, Marcus is in a unique position to share everything he has learned about healthy living, relationships and dealing with the daily pressures life throws at us all. Working with journalist and writer Matt Allen, in HELLO LIFE! his part-autobiography, part-self help guide Marcus shares his trademark big-brotherly advice and unveils his roadmap to success for anyone navigating the trickier aspects of modern living.

I Hate Myselfie by Shane Dawson

Shane steps away from his larger-than-life Internet persona and takes us deep into the experiences of an eccentric and introverted kid, who by observing the strange world around him developed a talent that would inspire millions of fans. Intelligent, hilarious, heartbreaking, and raw, I Hate Myselfie is a collection of eighteen personal essays about how messy life can get when you’re growing up and how rewarding it can feel when the clean-up is (pretty much) done.

iJustine by Justine Ezarik

Justine Ezarik has been tech-obsessed since unboxing her family’s first Apple computer. By sixth grade she had built her first website. A decade later, she became one of the Internet’s first—and most popular—“lifecasters,” inviting people around the world to watch her every move, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. These days, iJustine is a one-woman new media phenomenon: The popular techie, gamer, vlogger, and digital influencer has an army of nearly 3.5 million subscribers across multiple YouTube channels, with total views approaching half a billion. Now, Justine is giving friends and fans a look behind the scenes, sharing never-before-told stories about the hilarious (and sometimes heartbreaking) reality of sharing your life online.

A Work in Progress by Connor Franta

In this intimate memoir of life beyond the camera, Connor Franta shares the lessons he has learned on his journey from small-town boy to Internet sensation so far. Exploring his past with insight and humor, his present with humility, and his future with hope, Connor reveals his private struggles while providing heartfelt words of wisdom for young adults. His words will resonate with anyone coming of age in the digital era, but at the core is a timeless message for people of all ages: don’t be afraid to be yourself and to go after what you truly want.

In Real Life by Joey Graceffa

Twenty-three year old Joey Graceffa has captured the hearts of millions of teens and young adults through his playful, sweet, and inspirational YouTube presence (not to mention his sparkling eyes and perfect hair). Yet, Joey wasn’t always comfortable in his skin, and in this candid memoir, he thoughtfully looks back on his journey from pain to pride, self-doubt to self-acceptance.

The Amazing Book is Not on Fire: The World of Dan and Phil by Dan Howell and Phil Lester

We are Dan and Phil and we invite you on a journey inside our minds! From the stories of our actual births, to exploring Phil’s teenage diary and all the reasons why Dan’s a fail. Learn how to draw the perfect cat whiskers, get advice on what to do in an awkward situation and discover which of our dining chairs represents you emotionally. With everything from what we text each other, to the time we met One Direction and what really happened in Vegas…

Really Professional Internet Person by Jenn McAllister

Jenn McAllister, better known as JennxPenn, has been obsessed with making videos since she found her parents video camera at the age of eight. A shy child, Jenn turned to film because, unlike life, there can always be a do-over. Really Professional Internet Person offers both an insider’s guide to building a successful YouTube channel and an intimate portrait of the surreality of insta-fame and the harsh reality of high school. Brimming with honesty, heart and Jenn’s patented sense of humor, Really Professional Internet Person features top ten lists, photos, screenshots, social media posts and never-before-posted stories chronicling Jenn’s journey from an anxious middle-schooler just trying to fit in, to a YouTube sensation unafraid to stand out.

Kid President’s Guide to Being Awesome by Robby Novak and Brad Montague

From YouTube sensation (75 million views and counting!) to Hub Network summer series star, Kid President—ten-year-old Robby Novak—and his videos have inspired millions to dance more, to celebrate life, and to throw spontaneous parades. In his Guide to Being Awesome, Kid President pulls together lists of awesome ideas to help the world, awesome interviews with his awesome celebrity friends (he has interviewed Beyoncé!), and a step-by-step guide to make pretty much everything a little bit awesomer.

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Binge by Tyler Oakley

Pop culture phenomenon, social rights advocate, and the most prominent LGBTQ+ voice on YouTube, Tyler Oakley brings you his first collection of witty, personal, and hilarious essays written in the voice that’s earned him more than 10 million followers across social media.

This Book Loves You by PewDiePie

This Book Loves You by PewDiePie is a collection of beautifully illustrated inspirational sayings by which you should live your life. If you follow each and every one, your life will become easier, more fabulous, more rewarding. Imagine what a chilled-out and wonderful human being people would think you were if you lived by the simple principle “You can never fail if you never try.” Your wasted life would be an inspiration to others. Think of all the pointless, unhappy striving you could simply give up. Throw away that guitar! Give up on your dreams! Embrace your astounding mediocrity. This Book Loves You has something for everyone–or at least everyone willing to give up and stop caring. If all else fails, remember: “Don’t be yourself. Be a pizza. Everyone loves pizza.”

Make Up: Your Life Guide to Beauty, Style, and Success – Online and Off by Michelle Phan

Michelle Phan has believed in makeup since the first time she was allowed to try eyeliner. When she looked in the mirror and saw a transformed version of herself looking back, she fell in love with the sense of confidence that makeup could give her. Ever since she posted her first makeup tutorial on YouTube, she has dedicated herself to inspire millions by using makeup as a tool for transformation and self expression. Now, Michelle has compiled all of her best wisdom into Make Up. From creating a gorgeous smoky eye to understanding contouring to developing an online persona, Michelle has advice to help you transform every facet of your life. Make Up is packed with Michelle’s trademark beauty and style tutorials, stories and pictures from her own life, and advice on the topics she is asked about most, including etiquette, career, entrepreneurship, and creativity. From the everyday (such as how to get glowing skin) to the big picture (such as how to turn your passion into a profession), Make Up is a practical and empowering resource to help anyone put their best face forward.

Selp-Helf by Miranda Sings

Over six million social media fans can’t be wrong: Miranda Sings is one of the funniest faces on YouTube. As a bumbling, ironically talentless, self-absorbed personality (a young Gilda Radner, if you will), she offers up a vlog of helpful advice every week on her widely popular YouTube channel. For the first time ever, Miranda is putting her advice to paper in this easy-to-follow guide, illustrated by Miranda herself. In it, you’ll find instructions on everything: how to get a boyfriend (wear all black and carry a fishing net), to dressing for a date (sequins and an orange tutu), to performing magic (“Magic is Lying”), and much, much more! Miranda-isms abound in these self-declared lifesaving pages, and if you don’t like it…well, as Miranda would say…“Haters, back off!”

Color Me Creative by Kristina Webb

From Instagram sensation Kristina Webb (@colour_me_creative) comes a completely original and unique book to inspire and unlock your creativity. Color Me Creative gives readers a firsthand look into Kristina’s personal life, including her exotic upbringing and the inspirational story of how, at nineteen years old, she has become one of the most popular artists of her generation, with a following in the millions. Readers can then go on their own journey by completing the fifty creative, art-inspired challenges designed by Kristina herself.