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Mini-Trends

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Here a few mini-trends in children’s and teen literature for 2020 that I’ve noticed the past few weeks.

 

Picture Books About Blue Dwellings

I wanted to do a venn diagram of these three books but it didn’t quite work. I wonder why we have this sudden spate of blue house/cottage books – maybe they’re soothing.

The Blue House by Phoebe Wahl

In the tradition of Virginia Lee Burton’s The Little House comes a heartfelt story about a father and son learning to accept the new while honoring and celebrating the old.

For as long as he can remember, Leo has lived in the blue house with his dad, but lately the neighborhood is changing. People are leaving, houses are being knocked down and shiny new buildings are going up in their place. When Leo and his dad are forced to leave, they aren’t happy about it. They howl and rage and dance out their feelings. When the time comes, they leave the blue house behind–there was never any choice, not really–but little by little, they find a way to keep its memory alive in their new home.

 

The Little Blue Cottage by Kelly Jordan

The little blue cottage waits each year for summer to arrive—and with it, the girl. Through sunny days and stormy weather, the cottage and the girl keep each other company and wile away the long days and nights together. Until one year, and then another, the cottage is left waiting and empty season after season.

In this heartfelt story about change, Kelly Jordan’s lilting text and Jessica Courtney-Tickle’s lush art captures the essence of cherishing a favorite place.

 

Little Blue House Beside the Sea by Jo Ellen Bogart

What child doesn’t love walking in the surf, feeling the water steal the sand from beneath her toes as a wave retreats? Who doesn’t love the salty smell of the air and the sight of ships far out on the horizon?

What happens in the oceans is critically important to life on Earth. That’s why the girl in her little blue house wants to believe that the children gazing back from far over the horizon love the oceans as she does and wants to keep them safe, alive, and beautiful.

 

Picture Book Biographies of 2020 Presidential Candidates

These picture books are all biographies – not autobiographies – and were published this year, either while the candidate was running or soon after they left the race. I thought it was interesting that most weren’t published during the thick of the primary season, when presumably interest would be highest, but rather after most (or all) of the voting had already taken place.

Elizabeth Warren’s Big, Bold Plans by Laurie Ann Thompson

Elizabeth Warren always has a plan. As a child, she wanted to help others by becoming a teacher. When discrimination forced her to surrender that dream, she found another path: She became a lawyer. Then life changed again, and Elizabeth became a professor of law—and she didn’t stop there. No matter her job title, Senator Elizabeth Warren has always worked to ensure that people with more power help those with less. She leads by example, inspiring young people across the nation to pursue their dreams despite obstacles like prejudice and inequality. Known for her dedication and willingness to adapt, Elizabeth Warren has persisted and become a voice for fairness and positive change.

Now a presidential candidate, Senator Warren is a role model for the young people who will one day assume the mantle of leadership. And this gorgeously written, beautifully stylized picture book provides a pitch-perfect look at all they can accomplish.

 

Kamala Harris: Rooted in Justice by Nikki Grimes

When Kamala Harris was young, she often accompanied her parents to civil rights marches—so many, in fact, that when her mother asked a frustrated Kamala what she wanted, the young girl responded with: “Freedom!”

As Kamala grew from a small girl in Oakland to a senator running for president, it was this long-fostered belief in freedom and justice for all people that shaped her into the inspiring figure she is today. From fighting for the use of a soccer field in middle school to fighting for the people of her home state in Congress, Senator Harris used her voice to speak up for what she believed in and for those who were otherwise unheard. Her dedication led to her being selected as the Democratic vice presidential nominee in the 2020 election.

Told in Nikki Grimes’s stunning verse and featuring gorgeous illustrations by Laura Freeman, this picture book biography brings to life a story that shows all young people that the American dream can belong to all of us if we fight for one another.

 

Kamala and Maya’s Big Idea by Meena Harris

One day, Kamala and Maya had an idea. A big idea: they would turn their empty apartment courtyard into a playground!

This is the uplifting tale of how the author’s aunt and mother first learned to persevere in the face of disappointment and turned a dream into reality. This is a story of children’s ability to make a difference and of a community coming together to transform their neighborhood.

 

 

Mayor Pete: The Story of Pete Buttigieg by Rob Sanders

When Pete Buttigieg announced he was running for president, he became the first openly gay candidate to run for the Democratic party’s presidential nomination and the first millennial ever to pursue the office. But before the nation knew him as “Mayor Pete,” he was a boy growing up in a Rust Belt town, a kid who dreamed of being an astronaut, and a high schooler who wondered about a life of public service. Without a doubt, no one could have imagined who Peter Paul Montgomery Buttigieg, the boy who lived in a two-story house on College Street, would become.

Through victories and defeats, and the changes that the seasons bring, the young boy from South Bend grew into a man devoted to helping others. Mayor Pete: The Story of Pete Buttigieg celebrates the life of an American who dared to be the first and who imagined a better world for everyone.

 

Joey: The Story of Joe Biden by Jill Biden

Joey is the first ever picture book about the young life of Joe Biden, the 47th Vice President of the United States, and includes never before told family stories about the presidential candidate and former vice president’s childhood—written by Jill Biden, his spouse.

Joe Biden grew up in Scranton, Pennsylvania, the oldest of four children. His parents always encouraged him and his siblings to be independent and strong. The family moved to Wilmington, Delaware, where at twenty-nine, Biden was elected one the youngest United States Senators ever elected. This is his story.

 

Witchcraft for Tweens and Teens

These nonfiction books are about witchcraft as a serious spiritual practice. For young people who are interesting in exploring paganism and non-mainstream belief systems, 2020 has provided some great resources.

Secrets of the Witch by Elsa Whyte and Julie Légère

Since ancient times, magic and witchcraft have inspired both fear and fascination. More recently, witchcraft has become a popular symbol for feminist empowerment. Everything a young witch needs to know is contained in Secrets of the Witch . Uncover the meaning and history behind magical tools and symbols such as cauldrons and pentagrams, find out the truths of the Salem Witch Trials and learn about witches in popular culture, from the ancient figure of Circe to Hermione Granger.

Part history, part spellbook, this magical compendium gives a fascinating insight into the lives and practices of witchesthroughout time and from all over the world. Initiates to the ways of the witch will learn the stories of legendary and real-life witches, as well as how to make their own talisman, how to use magical crystals and plants, which familiar is right for them and so much more. Aspiring witches 9 years and older will find this an invaluable and empowering guide, filled with authentic detail and strikingly illustrated.

With the supernatural wisdom of modern-day witches Elsa Whyte and Julie Légère and Laura Pérez’s rich artwork, step into your dark sisterhood and discover the Secrets of the Witch.

 

The Little Witch’s Book of Spells by Ariel Kusby

The Little Witch’s Book of Spells is an enchanting compendium of spells, potions, and activities for kids 8 to 12 years old. Young witches-in-training will discover spells to resolve problems, foster friendship, and engage with the natural world.

This spellbinding book guides readers on how to craft a magic wand, befriend a fairy, and read tea leaves, as well as glossaries of magical terms and symbols.

• A playful and immersive guidebook to all things magical
• Filled with simple activities using easily found ingredients
• Complete with lush illustrations

The Little Witch’s Book of Spells harnesses magic and the imagination to help little witches feel powerful, tap into creative energy, and practice self-love. Spells and activities include Best Friends Forever Spell, Jump Rope Protection Spell, Get Well Soon Elixir, Blanket Fort Magical Fortress Spell, How to Make a Magical Fairy Garden, and Mermaid Bath Spell.

 

The Young Witch’s Guide to Crystals by Cassandra Eason

A comprehensive and beautifully illustrated introduction to using crystals in magick, geared specifically to young adults.

Young witches, welcome to the school of crystals! In Young Witch’s Guide to Crystals you’ll discover what can be an exciting and beautiful addition to your life. It provides a basic introduction to magickal practice with information on using crystals for everything you can possibly imagine: healing your body and broken heart, fortunetelling, keeping away bad dreams, creating a lucky charm, and so much more. There’s also advice on choosing your crystals, keeping a crystal journal, and making a special altar and treasure box for your stones.

 

The Young Witch’s Guide to Magick by Cassandra Eason

Welcome to witch school, where renowned author Cassandra Eason teaches her magickal secrets! In this introduction geared especially to young adults, Eason targets teen issues like figuring out a future career path, dealing with bullies, changing bad luck, building self-confidence, and handling problems at school. Her spells use astrology, candles, crystals, colors, flowers, and moon power, and she also explores coven rituals and seasonal celebrations. Whether you’re trying to get your crush’s attention, pass your driver’s test, or simply let your natural beauty shine through, you’ll find the path to making your world better and your dreams come true. 

Here are spells to help you:
Pass a tough test: use six dice, a photo of yourself looking happy, and dried mint for luck in a drawstring bag.
Relieve shyness and anxiety about moving or changing schools: Put a green plant on your altar, along with ribbons and small bells.
Follow your dream: go outdoors and shoot power into the cosmos by blowing bubbles.
Prevent nosy siblings from messing with your private things by creating a fragrant psychic barrier.
Call people back into your life with a beeswax candle.
Also: learn how to choose your witch name, set up an altar, make a spell book, and more!

 

The Junior Witch’s Handbook: A Kid’s Guide to White Magic, Spells, and Rituals by Nikki Van De Car

An empowering guide for young witches about the kinds of magic they can create for themselves every day.

Intended for children between the ages of eight and twelve, who are curious about the possibility of “something more” in their lives, this handbook focuses on three major areas of the witch’s life: friendship, personal fulfillment, and family. Each section includes spells, rituals, potions, and other useful information, such as tables about crystals, chakras, and herbs.

 

Graphic Novels About Donuts

This is my favorite of them all. What a weird and delightful mini-trend.

Norma and Belly: Donut Feed the Squirrels by Mika Song

Two squirrels–and best friends–meet their match: a donut food truck! A hilarious young graphic novel perfect for fans of Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea and anyone who would do ANYTHING for a donut.

Norma and Belly plan to start the day with some pancakes, but when Norma accidentally burns them, these two best friends set out to find a new treat. Chestnuts might be nice . . . but what is that delicious smell in the distance? A new food truck has parked near their tree, and these two squirrels are going to figure out how to get their hands on these “donuts” that it seems to be selling.

Mika Song gives readers something to laugh at as these squirrels try their hardest to get some donuts while just about everything goes wrong. A fun “donut caper” graphic novel that focuses on madcap action, problem-solving, and the power of working together.

 

Donut the Destroyer by Sarah Graley and  Stef Purenins

Donut (middle name: The; last name: Destroyer) has a heart of gold and incredible strength. She lives in a world where everyone is born with a special ability and can choose whether to develop it for good or evil.

Donut has just received the best news of her life — she’s been accepted to Lionheart School for Heroes! But her parents are the most infamous villains around, and her best friend, Ivy, can’t understand why Donut would choose a life of boring heroism and ruin their plans to cause chaos. Donut is determined to prove that, despite her last name, she’s meant to go her own way and be a hero. Meanwhile, Ivy cooks up a plan to get Donut kicked out of Lionheart — and back on track to villainy!

The Fandom Flurry: A YA Reading List

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I haven’t talked a whole lot about trends in YA this year. I talked about the dream trend last fall, which is still holding strong this year thanks to books like the upcoming Dreamology by Lucy Keating and Places No One Knows by Brenna Yovanoff. I’ve also talked about how one of this year’s cover trends is teenagers falling, which has seen more books added to the collection since I wrote the post.

But there’s been a big trend this year that’s been impossible not to notice: fandom.

We’re talking books where the feels are unashamed, where the fandom lingo is loud and proud, and where fangirls get to be unabashedly fannish. I thought I’d do a round-up of the recent and forthcoming YA fandom titles. I’ve only read one of these so far, so I cannot vouch for how well they do many things in them, but for readers who want to indulge in fandom and fan culture, these are books to keep an eye out for, for sure.

 

Know others hitting shelves in 2016? Leave the title in the comments, since I’d love to make this a nice, big trend resource. All descriptions are from Goodreads, as some of these titles didn’t yet have WorldCat entries.

 

Fandom

 

 

 

Kill The Boy Band by Goldy Moldavsky (Point, available now)

Okay, so just know from the start that it wasn’t supposed to go like this. All we wanted was to get near The Ruperts, our favorite boy band.

We didn’t mean to kidnap one of the guys. It kind of, sort of happened that way. But now he’s tied up in our hotel room. And the worst part of all, it’s Rupert P. All four members of The Ruperts might have the same first name, but they couldn’t be more different. And Rupert P. is the biggest flop out of the whole group.

We didn’t mean to hold hostage a member of The Ruperts, I swear. At least, I didn’t. We are fans. Okay, superfans who spend all of our free time tweeting about the boys and updating our fan tumblrs. But so what, that’s what you do when you love a group so much it hurts.

How did it get this far? Who knows. I mean midterms are coming up. I really do not have time to go to hell.

 

Scarlett Epstein Hates It Here by Anna Breslaw (Razorbill, April 19)

Meet Scarlett Epstein, BNF (Big Name Fan) in her online community of fanfiction writers, world-class nobody at Melville High. Her best (read: only) IRL friends are Avery, a painfully shy and annoyingly attractive bookworm, and Ruth, her pot-smoking, possibly insane seventy-three-year-old neighbor.

When Scarlett’s beloved TV show is canceled and her longtime crush, Gideon, is sucked out of her orbit and into the dark and distant world of Populars, Scarlett turns to the fanfic message boards for comfort. This time, though, her subjects aren’t the swoon-worthy stars of her fave series—they’re the real-life kids from her high school. Scarlett never considers what might happen if they were to find out what she truly thinks about them…until a dramatic series of events exposes a very different reality than Scarlett’s stories, forever transforming her approach to relationships—both online and off.

 

 

Gena/Finn by Hannah Moskowitz and Kat Helgeson (Chronicle, May 17)

Gena (short for Genevieve) and Finn (short for Stephanie) have little in common. Book-smart Gena is preparing to leave her posh boarding school for college; down-to-earth Finn is a twenty-something struggling to make ends meet in the big city. Gena’s romantic life is a series of reluctant one-night-stands; Finn is making a go of it with long-term boyfriend Charlie. But they share a passion for Up Below, a buddy cop TV show with a cult fan following. Gena is a darling of the fangirl scene, keeping a popular blog and writing fan fiction. Finn’s online life is a secret, even from Charlie. The pair spark an unlikely online friendship that deepens quickly (so quickly it scares them both), and as their individual “real” lives begin to fall apart, they increasingly seek shelter online, and with each other.

 

 

All The Feels by Danika Stone (Swoon Reads, June 7)

College freshman Liv is more than just a fangirl: The Starveil movies are her life… So, when her favorite character, Captain Matt Spartan, is killed off at the end of the last movie, Liv Just. Can’t. Deal.

Tired of sitting in her room sobbing, Liv decides to launch an online campaign to bring her beloved hero back to life. With the help of her best friend, Xander, actor and steampunk cosplayer extraordinaire, she creates #SpartanSurvived, a campaign to ignite the fandom. But as her online life succeeds beyond her wildest dreams, Liv is forced to balance that with the pressures of school, her mother’s disapproval, and her (mostly nonexistent and entirely traumatic) romantic life. A trip to DragonCon with Xander might be exactly what she needs to figure out what she really wants.

 

 

Girls Like Me by Lola St.Vil (HMH Books, October 4 — there’s a fat girl on this cover!)

Fifteen-year-old Shay Summers is trying to cope with the death of her father, being overweight, and threats from a girl bully in schooll.  When she falls in love with Blake, a mysterious boy online, insecure Shay doesn’t want to tell him who she is.   But with the help of her two best friends, as well as an assist by Kermit and Miss Piggy, ultimately Shay and Blake’s love prevails.

2015 YA Book Cover Trends: Part I

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Every year when the end of December is in sight, I like to spend a little time looking through the covers for books coming out in the new year. It’s always interesting to spot trends going on in design. Covers are a big part of the marketing of a book, and this is especially try in YA — trends for book cover design tend to come and go in waves, hoping to capitalize off what looks are doing particularly well.

As interesting to me is seeing what sorts of design trends or micro-trends or similarities are similar to those which have come in years past. For 2015, as seen in the last couple of years, there’s an abundance of birds appearing on covers, either as the main image of the cover or as part of a bigger image. I’ve skipped including a section on font-driven covers or covers where the title takes up more than have the cover real estate because not only has it been a trend for the last two years or so, but it’s so common that pulling them together would take a long, long time.

This is a two-part post, with part two coming on Thursday, as there are a lot of interesting and unique trends and commonalities worth looking at and thinking about. Some covers fall into only one category, while others have found themselves across multiple trend groups.

I’d love to know if you are aware of other covers fitting any of these categories. Because this would otherwise be too long a pair of posts, I’m not including book descriptions, but rather, links to the titles on Goodreads so you can check them out for yourself and, if you want, add them to your to-be-read lists. Hopefully, some of these books will be new ones to get on your radar.

Put a Bird on It


I feel like I’ve made the same Portlandia joke in a few posts, but it still stands. Birds continue to be popular on covers of YA books.

Because You’ll Never Meet Me by Leah Thomas

All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

The Conspiracy of Us by Maggie Hall

Dearest by Althea Kontis

Delicate Monsters by Stephanie Kuehn

Fig by Sarah Elizabeth Schantz

Hold Tight, Don’t Let Go by Laura Rose Wagner

If You Were Me by Sam Hepburn

Little Bit by Alex Wheatle

Magonia by Maria Dahvana Headley

Paperweight by Meg Haston

Positively Beautiful by Wendy Mills (I’m not sure why I can only find a draft cover for this)

Save Me by Jenny Elliott

A Sense of the Infinite by Hilary T. Smith

The Summer After You and Me by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski

Tether by Anna Jarzab

The Last Leaves Falling by Sarah Benwell

Things I’ll Never Say edited by Ann Angel

Three Day Summer by Sarvenaz Tash
Tracers by J. J. Howard (Which uses the same stock image seen in this post)

Until the Beginning by Amy Plum

When My Heart Was Wicked by Tricia Stirling

Legs


One body part there’s a lot of in 2015? Legs. Some of them are covered and some of them aren’t. But legs!

All The Rage by Courtney Summers

Jesse’s Girl by Miranda Kenneally

Joyride by Anna Banks

One of the Guys by Lisa Aldin

Seriously Wicked by Tina Connolly

Tracers by J. J. Howard

The Truth About My Success by Dyan Sheldon

Tunnel Vision by Susan Adrian

Wrong About The Guy by Claire LaZebnik

Post-It Notes


I’m fond of using post-its, almost to a fault, and I think they make for a nice look on a book cover.

All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

The Last Time We Say Goodbye by Cynthia Hand

The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things by Ann Aguirre

That “Instagram” Look


A number of cover images are being filtered in a very Instagram-style way, not to mention they’re styled either like selfies or the kind of pictures you’d see scrolling through a teen’s Instagram account. I’m pretty sure there are more covers that would fit this Instagram-y trend, but I’m limiting to the obvious ones.

Anything Could Happen by Will Walton

Faking Perfect by Rebecca Phillips

Finding Paris by Joy Preble

First There Was Forever by Juliana Romano

The Law of Loving Others by Kate Axelrod

Like It Never Happened by Emily Adrian

Love is in the Air by A. Destiny and Alex Kahler

Making Pretty by Corey Ann Haydu

Stand Off by Andrew Smith

We All Looked Up by Tommy Wallach

Devils


There may only be 2 of them, but I find this cover commonality amusing and enjoyable. I think the Schreiber cover is especially clever.

Con Academy by Joe Schreiber

Hellhole by Gina Damico

Thorns and Vines


There’s something crawling along the sides or centers of these covers, be they thorns or vines or flowery twigs.

About A Girl by Sarah McCarry

Blood Will Tell by April Henry

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey

The Glass Arrow by Kristen Simmons

Poppy in the Field by Mary Hooper

The Ruby Circle by Richelle Mead

Tear You Apart by Sarah Cross

The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma

Willowgrove by Kathleen Peacock

Light-up Place Signs


I can’t wait for two of these three covers to be continuously confused next year because they’re so similar.

Finding Paris by Joy Preble

I’ll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios

Kissing in America by Margo Rabb

Fingerprints


While there are a couple of noteworthy covers featuring hands, I think the fingerprints on covers is more interesting to look at.

Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway

If You Were Me by Sam Hepburn

Soulprint by Megan Miranda

Cityscapes


This has been a trend for a while, probably because having a nice cityscape on a cover feels like it’s action-adventure or a good post-apocalyptic/dystopian story.

After the Red Rain by Barry Lyga, Peter FAcinelli, and Robert DeFranco

All Fall Down by Ally Carter

Bright Lights, Dark Nights by Stephen Emond

City 1 by Greg Rosenblum

City Love by Susane Colasanti

The Conspiracy of Us by Maggie Hall

Deceptive by Emily Lloyd-Jones

Feral Pride by Cynthia Leitich Smith (I love that this is the Austin skyline — I’ve never seen that on a book cover before!)

Fire Fall by Bethany Frenette

Firefight by Brandon Sanderson

If You Were Me by Sam Hepburn

Infected by Sophie Littlefield

Invasion by Galaxy Craze

One Stolen Thing by Beth Kephart

Quake by Patrick Carman

Rook by Sharon Cameron

Shadowshaper by Daniel Jose Older

Skyscraping by Cordelia Jensen

The Rise and Fall of a Theater Geek by Seth Rudetsky

Tracers by J. J. Howard (When your cover is made up of a ton of images collaged together, you’re going to fit into a ton of trends)

The Wrong Side of Right by Jenn Marie Thorne

We’re on a Boat


The popular mode of transportation on YA covers in 2015 is the boat.

The boat.

Love, Fortunes, and Other Disasters by Kimberly Karalius

The Nightmare Charade by Mindee Arnett

Tangled Webs by Lee Bross

The Trouble with Destiny by Lauren Morrill

Planes Aren’t Disappearing Though


Maybe it’s just popular to have a mode of transportation on a cover, since it seems as though planes are doing well, too. When you don’t want a bird, why not use a plane?

Black Dove, White Raven by Elizabeth Wein

Breakout by Kevin Emerson

Deceptive by Emily Lloyd-Jones

Promposal by Rhonda Helms

Sophomore Year is Greek to Me by Meredith Zeitlin

Floating Heads on a Blue Background

Let’s end the first post in this two-part series with one of the weirder commonalities. This isn’t a trend, per se, but it caught my eye as I was looking through covers. I can’t wait to see how quickly these two become confused by readers and those who work with readers because they’re both weird and weirdly similar.

Playlist for the Dead by Michelle Falkoff

In A World Just Right by Jen Brooks

Microtrends in YA Fiction

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I’ve written a couple times about “microtrends” in YA fiction (here and here). What’s a microtrend? It’s an element that has popped up in more than one novel in recent memory that is strange enough to stand out but not a big enough component of multiple stories to be a proper trend. They’re interesting coincidences that stand out because they’re just odd enough to be memorable. 

Here’s a look at a few microtrends I’ve noticed recently. Some of them have made me scratch my head and others aren’t necessarily weird but interesting commonalities. I’m only looking at books published in 2014, and I’m positive I might miss additional titles that could fall into any of these mini trends, so if you can think of others published or publishing this year that fit, I’d love to know. All descriptions are from WorldCat unless otherwise noted.

Interestingly, some of these novels fit more than one microtrend. 

Stuck In An Elevator

Elevator romances seem to be popping up. It’s a trend I’m surprised hasn’t been seen more frequently. In each of these books, it’s a chance meeting in an elevator that allows a pair of characters to develop a relationship that may have otherwise never happened.

Elevated by Elana Johnson: The last person seventeen-year-old Eleanor Livingston wants to see on the elevator—let alone get stuck with—is her ex-boyfriend Travis, the guy she’s been avoiding for five months. Plagued with the belief that when she speaks the truth, bad things happen, Elly hasn’t told Trav anything. Not why she broke up with him and cut off all contact. Not what happened the day her father returned from his deployment to Afghanistan. And certainly not that she misses him and still thinks about him everyday. But with nowhere to hide and Travis so close it hurts, Elly’s worried she won’t be able to contain her secrets for long. She’s terrified of finally revealing the truth, because she can’t bear to watch a tragedy befall the boy she still loves. (Description via Goodreads). 

The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith: Sparks fly when sixteen-year-old Lucy Patterson and seventeen-year-old Owen Buckley meet on an elevator rendered useless by a New York City blackout. Soon after, the two teenagers leave the city, but as they travel farther away from each other geographically, they stay connected emotionally, in this story set over the course of one year. 

Like No Other by Una LaMarche (July 24): Devorah is a consummate good girl who has never challenged the ways of her strict Hasidic upbringing. Jaxon is a fun-loving, book-smart nerd who has never been comfortable around girls (unless you count his four younger sisters). They’ve spent their entire lives in Brooklyn, on opposite sides of the same street. Their paths never crossed . . . until one day, they did. When a hurricane strikes the Northeast, the pair becomes stranded in an elevator together, where fate leaves them no choice but to make an otherwise risky connection. Though their relation is strictly forbidden, Devorah and Jax arrange secret meetings and risk everything to be together. But how far can they go? Just how much are they willing to give up? (Description via Goodreads). 

The Name Lucy

I think I’ve only ever known one person in my life named Lucy. But it appears Lucy is quite the name in YA this year. And it’s not like it’s only been this year, either — Sara Zarr’s The Lucy Variations, published in 2012, also featured a main character named Lucy. 

#Scandal by Sarah Ockler (June 17): When pictures of Lucy kissing her best friend’s boyfriend emerge on the world of social media, she becomes a social pariah after the scandal rocks the school.

The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith: Sparks fly when sixteen-year-old Lucy Patterson and seventeen-year-old Owen Buckley meet on an elevator rendered useless by a New York City blackout. Soon after, the two teenagers leave the city, but as they travel farther away from each other geographically, they stay connected emotionally, in this story set over the course of one year. 

Love, Lucy by April Lindner (January 2015): While backpacking through Florence, Italy, during the summer before she heads off to college, 17-year-old Lucy Sommersworth finds herself falling in love with the culture, the architecture, the food…and Jesse Palladino, a handsome street musician. After a whirlwind romance, Lucy returns home, determined to move on from her “vacation flirtation.” But just because summer is over doesn’t mean Lucy and Jesse are over, too. Inspired by E.M. Forster’s A Room with a View. (Description via Goodreads). 

Chantress Alchemy by Amy Butler Greenfield (sequel to Chantress): Lucy, a chantress who works magic by singing, is called to court to find a lost instrument of Alchemy. But her magic isn’t working properly. 

In A Handful of Dust by Mindy McGinnis (September 23): In a barren land, teenage Lucy is taken away from the community she has grown up in and searches the vast countryside for a new home. 

Sublime by Christina Lauren (October 14): Lucy and Colin discover they have a connection on the grounds of the private school they attend, but Lucy has a startling secret. 

How to Meet Boys by Catherine Clark: Best friends Lucy and Mikayla are ready for the best summer of their lives, but when Mikayla falls for a boy from Lucy’s past they realize their perfect summer might be over before it starts. 

Quarantine: The Burnoutsby Lex Thomas (third in the “Quarantine” series): In this final installment of the Quarantine trilogy, David and Will are alive, but on the outside of McKinley High, while Lucy is the last of the trinity left inside to deal with Hilary, who will exact revenge before taking over McKinley High

The Nickname Noodle/s


It’s been a slower reading year for me, but this one caught me because it’s been in two books I’ve read this year: a character who has been nicknamed Noodle or Noodles. 

When I Was The Greatest by Jason Reynolds: Ali lives in Bed-Stuy, a Brooklyn neighborhood known for guns and drugs, but he and his sister, Jazz, and their neighbors, Needles and Noodles, stay out of trouble until they go to the wrong party, where one gets badly hurt and another leaves with a target on his back.

How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon (October 21): When sixteen-year-old Tariq Johnson dies from two gunshot wounds, his community is thrown into an uproar. Tariq was black. The shooter, Jack Franklin, is white. In the aftermath of Tariq’s death, everyone has something to say, but no two accounts of the events line up. By the day, new twists and turns further obscure the truth. Tariq’s friends, family, and community struggle to make sense of the tragedy, and of the hole left behind when a life is cut short. In their own words, they grapple for a way to say with certainty: This is how it went down. (Description via Goodreads). 

Audrey Hepburn


A pair of books are coming out this year that are inspired by or feature Audrey Hepburn. Maybe she’s this year’s Jane Austen? Both titles are fiction. 

Being Audrey Hepburn by Mitchell Kriegman (September 16): Lisbeth comes from a broken home in the land of tube tops, heavy eyeliner, frosted lip-gloss, juiceheads, hoop earrings and “the shore.” She has a circle of friends who have dedicated their teenage lives to relieve the world of all its alcohol one drink at a time. Obsessed with everything Audrey Hepburn, Lisbeth is transformed when she secretly tries on Audrey’s iconic Givenchy. She becomes who she wants to be by pretending to be somebody she’s not and living among the young and privileged Manhattan elite. Soon she’s faced with choices that she would never imagine making – between who she’s become and who she once was.

Oh Yeah, Audrey! by Tucker Shaw (October 14): Months after the death of her mother, sixteen-year-old Gemma Beasley and friends she met through her Tumblr page meet in New York City to celebrate the life and style of Audrey Hepburn and her famous character, Holly Go Lightly. 

Genies


The magical/mythical element of choice this year is the genie. I know very little about genies nor their historical and cultural contexts, so I can’t say much to what it might mean, if anything. I just know it’s an element of at least three books this year. 

Exquisite Captive by Heather Demetrios (October 14): Nalia, a gorgeous, fierce eighteen-year-old jinni, is pitted against two magnetic adversaries, both of whom want her–and need her–to make a their wishes come true. 

The Fire Artist by Daisy Whitney (October 14): As an elemental artist, Aria can create fire from her hands, stealing her power from lightning–which is dangerous and illegal in her world–but as her power begins to fade faster than she can steal it she must turn to a modern-day genie, a Granter, who offers one wish with an extremely high price.

The Fire Wish by Amber Lough (July 22): When a princess captures a jinn and makes a wish, she is transported to the fiery world of the jinn, while the jinn must take her place in the royal court of Baghdad. 

Estate Sales


I can say I never knew anyone as a teen who went to estate sales. I also lived in the suburbs where there were no such things as estates to go to sales at. Garage sales? Sure. Rummaging? Sure. But estate sales? Not so much. But this year at least two YA novels feature the estate sale. 

Everything Leads To You by Nina LaCour: While working as a film production designer in Los Angeles, Emi Price finds a mysterious letter from a silver screen legend which leads her to Ava, who is about to expand Emi’s understanding of family, acceptance, and true romance.

To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han: Lara Jean writes love letters to all the boys she has loved and then hides them in a hatbox until one day those letters are accidentally sent. 

Perks of Being A Wallflower Comparisons

I’ll do another round up of “meets” pitches in a future post, but I mentioned to a friend recently that I think comparisons to Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being A Wallflower will be the next trend after the comparisons to TFIOS and Eleanor & Park. 

The comparisons or the note that the book would be ideal for fans of Perks come from Edelweiss descriptions. This is a small sampling of the titles I’ve seen with this comparison. I know there are others. 

The Anatomy of a Misfit by Andrea Portes (September 2): Outside, Anika Dragomir is all lip gloss and blond hair—the third most popular girl in school. Inside, she’s a freak: a mix of dark thoughts, diabolical plots, and, if local chatter is to be believed, vampire DNA (after all, her father is Romanian). But she keeps it under wraps to maintain her social position. One step out of line and Becky Vilhauer, first most popular girl in school, will make her life hell. So when former loner Logan McDonough shows up one September hotter, smarter, and more mysterious than ever, Anika knows she can’t get involved. It would be insane to throw away her social safety for a nerd. So what if that nerd is now a black-leather-jacket-wearing dreamboat, and his loner status is clearly the result of his troubled home life? Who cares if the right girl could help him with all that, maybe even save him from it? Who needs him when Jared Kline, the bad boy every girl dreams of, is asking her on dates? Who? (Description via Goodreads).  

Play Me Backwards by Adam Selzner (August 26): A promising and popular student in middle school, Leon Harris has become a committed “slacker” but with graduation approaching and his middle school girlfriend possibly returning to town, Leon’s best friend Stan, who claims to be Satan, helps him get back on the right track–for a price.

Twerp by Mark Goldblatt (which is, interestingly, a middle grade book, not young adult): In Queens, New York, in 1969, twelve-year-old Julian Twerski writes a journal for his English teacher in which he explores his friendships and how they are affected by girls, a new student who may be as fast as Julian, and especially an incident of bullying.

Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira: When Laurel starts writing letters to dead people for a school assignment, she begins to spill about her sister’s mysterious death, her mother’s departure from the family, her new friends, and her first love.

Are there other microtrends you’ve noticed this year worth noting? 

Mini-trend: Circuses

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I’ve noticed that circuses have become a bit of a thing in YA fiction lately (two of the seven Cybils finalists feature a circus). While I was never one of those kids who dreamed about running away to the circus, I get the appeal for characters (and readers) who feel like they’ve never quite fit in the “normal” world. Perhaps the circus, traditionally seem as a place that showcases outcasts, would provide a more welcoming home.

It’s possible that the Night Circus is the forerunner to this trend, though I didn’t include it here on this list. Darren Shan’s Cirque du Freak may also be a predecessor. All descriptions are from Worldcat. What other recent or upcoming YA titles feature circuses heavily?

Conjured by Sarah Beth Durst
Haunted by disturbing dreams and terrifying visions, a teenaged girl in a
paranormal witness protection program must remember her past and why
she has strange abilities before a magic-wielding serial killer hunts
her down. [This description is no good for this post, so I’ll elaborate: the terrifying visions are of a circus.]

Pantomime by Laura Lam (plus its sequel, Shadowplay)
Gene, the daughter of a noble family, runs away from the decadence of
court to R.H. Ragona’s circus of magic, where she meets runaway Micah,
whose blood could unlock the mysteries of the world of Ellada. [This description is terrible in general. I’ll talk more about this book in a week or so.]

That Time I Joined the Circus by J. J. Howard
After her father’s sudden death and a break-up with her best friends,
seventeen-year-old Lexi has no choice but to leave New York City seeking
her long-absent mother, rumored to be in Florida with a traveling
circus, where she just may discover her destiny.

Fever by Lauren DeStefano
In a future where genetic engineering has cured humanity of all diseases
and defects but has also produced a virus that kills all females by age
twenty and all males by the age twenty-five, teenaged Rhine escapes her
forced marriage and journeys back to New York to find her twin brother. [Another description that’s not particularly useful for this post. On her journey, Rhine is captured by the head of a sinister circus/carnival.]

 
Wonder Show by Hannah Barnaby
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, step inside Mosco’s Traveling
Wonder Show, a menagerie of human curiosities and misfits guaranteed to
astound and amaze! But perhaps the strangest act of Mosco’s display is
Portia Remini, a normal among the freaks, on the run from McGreavy’s
Home for Wayward Girls, where Mister watches and waits. He said he would
always find Portia, that she could never leave. Free at last,
Portia begins a new life on the bally, seeking answers about her
father’s disappearance. Will she find him before Mister finds her? It’s a
story for the ages, and like everyone who enters the Wonder Show,
Portia will never be the same.

Tiger’s Curse by Colleen Houck
Seventeen-year-old Oregon teenager Kelsey forms a bond with a circus
tiger who is actually one of two brothers, Indian princes Ren and
Kishan, who were cursed to live as tigers for eternity, and she travels
with him to India where the tiger’s curse may be broken once and for
all.

Middle grade is also experiencing the trend: 

 
Circus Galacticus by Deva Fagan

Trix’s life in boarding school as an orphan charity case has been
hard, but when an alluring young Ringmaster invites her, a gymnast, to
join Circus Galacticus she gainss an entire universe of deadly enemies
and potential friends, along with a chance to unravel secrets of her own
past.
The Boundless by Kenneth Oppel
Aboard “The Boundless,” the greatest train ever built, on its maiden
voyage across Canada, teenaged Will enlists the aid of a traveling
circus to save the train from villains.
 

The Boy Who Swam With Piranhas by David Almond
Stanley Potts’s uncle Ernie has developed an over-the-top fascination
with canning fish in the house, and life at 69 Fish Quay Lane has turned
balmy. But there’s darkness in the madness, and when Uncle Ernie’s
obsession takes an unexpectedly cruel turn, Stan has no choice but to
leave. As he journeys away from the life he’s always known, he mingles
with a carnival full of eccentric characters and meets the
legendary Pancho Pirelli, the man who swims in a tank full of perilous
piranhas. Will Stan be bold enough to dive in the churning waters
himself and choose his own destiny?
 
Chained by Lynne Kelly
To work off a family debt, ten-year-old Hastin leaves his desert village
in India to work as a circus elephant keeper but many challenges await
him, including trying to keep Nandita, a sweet elephant, safe from the
cruel circus owner.