Elizabeth Acevedo - Clap When You Land
Teen 11-14.
432 pages.
Camino Rios lives for the summers when her father visits her in the Dominican Republic. But this time, on the day when his plane is supposed to land, Camino arrives at the airport to see crowds of crying people.
In New York City, Yahaira Rios is called to the principal's office, where her mother is waiting to tell her that her father, her hero, has died in a plane crash. Separated by distance - and Papi's secrets - the two girls are forced to face a new reality in which their father is dead and their lives are forever altered.
Tomi Adeyemi - Children of Blood and Bone
Teen.
544 pages.
Zelie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orisha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zelie's Reaper mother summoned forth souls. But everything changed the night magic disappeared.
Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were targeted and killed, leaving Zelie without a mother and her people without hope. Now Zelie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zelie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good. Genre and content: Fantasy, romance, racial identity, swearing, violence.
David Almond - Skellig
Teen 11-14.
170 pages.
When a move to a new house coincides with his baby sister's illness, Michael's world seems suddenly lonely and uncertain. Then, one Sunday afternoon, he stumbles into the old, ramshackle garage of his new home, and finds something magical.
A strange creature - part owl, part angel, a being who needs Michael's help if he is to survive. With his new friend Mina, Michael nourishes Skellig back to health, while his baby sister languishes in the hospital. But Skellig is far more than he at first appears, and as he helps Michael breathe life into his tiny sister, Michael's world changes forever.
David Almond - The Colour of the Sun
Teen.
240 pages.
One hot summer morning, Davie steps boldly out of his front door. The world he enters is very familiar - the little Tyneside town that has always been his home - but as the day passes, it becomes ever more dramatic and strange.
A boy has been killed, and Davie thinks he might know who is responsible. As he turns away from the gossip and excitement and sets off roaming towards the sunlit summit at the top of the town, where the real and imaginary world begin to blur.
Themes: coming to terms with loss, coming of age.
Alex Bell - Frozen Charlotte
Teen 14+.
342 pages.
Sophie's quest to discover the truth about her best friend's death takes her to a remote Scottish island and the home of a family with secrets to hide. If she can't unravel the mystery soon, her best friend won't be the only person who meets an early grave.
Genres: Horror and the supernatural.