Cybils Shortlists 2021

Yes -- it's that time of year again!

Here are the Finalists from all the categories in the Cybils this year. Again, I hope to read them all, but lately I've been terrible at finishing so no guarantees. If anyone else wants to read along, feel free to leave your direction in the comments and I'll come over to cheer you along. This challenge does mean I tend to hide from the announced winners until I catch up to that category, but if I accidentally find out in February I don't worry about it.

This year I'm chairing the High School Nonfiction team, so I will probably not have much luck dodging the winner. Luckily I've read 'em all (I used my influence to put myself in as a First Round Judge). To make counting easier, I also have a Listchallenges list of the finalists. So far I've read 8 13 75!

By the way, when rank these here, I use very different criteria than I use when I'm on a committee. My blog is for my personal favorites, and I don't really worry my pretty head over what kids would think. But the whole purpose of the Cybils is to find books that work for both -- sometimes I when I'm a judge my favorite doesn't even make my proposed shortlist. I mean, for picture books, usually sharing them or wanting to share them is part of the fun, but for books aimed at actual readers, often what I want is very different from what a fifth grader really wants. So far warning!

The links in my list here take you to the Cybils pages; you have to scroll to see my progress. But from those pages you can buy many of these excellent books, and you toss a tip to the Cybils program. I'm also putting in the month I plan to order the books from the library, which sometimes have a correlation as to when I read them.

~~Board Books~~ / ~~Fiction Picture Books~~ (August)
~~Easy Readers and Early Chapter Books~~ (Jan)
~~Elementary~~/Middle-Grade Nonfiction (April)
Elementary/Middle-Grade Speculative Fiction (March)
~~Middle Grade Fiction~~ (May)
~~Poetry~~ (June)
~~Graphic Novels~~ (Feb)
~~High School Nonfiction~~ (my committee)
Young Adult Fiction (July)
Young Adult Speculative Nonfiction (September)

Board Books / Fiction Picture Books

Board Books:

Comparrotives (A Grammar Zoo Book) by Coat, Janik. I had a lot of fun with this, and I think the babies I have known would too. It has simple pictures but lots of action and chances for laughter. And grammar is always fun. Probably more fun than quantum physics for babies!
Animals Go Vroom! by Cushman, Abi. I'm a little bit leery about the pages -- these are sturdy paper, not the stiff cardboard stuff I think of for picture books. And the peek-through bits might not last through excited fingers. But for the sophisticated toddler, the tricks with the animal sounds will appeal, and then there are the little stories around the pages (the crow family, the enterprising artist) for added appeal. This is almost a picture book, but it squeaks into the board book category.
Big Bear, Little Bear by Schneider, Marine. This is sweet and cosy, and all about the love and security in a family. Big Bear and Little Bear are together, and Big Bear is there to take Little Bear places, to hold Little Bear, to make sure there are things to eat and places to sleep.
Caution! Road Signs Ahead by Buzzeo, Toni, illustrated by Birmingham, Chi. Hmm. I'm not sure my babies could actually see road signs until they moved into older child seats. But if they can see out, this would be a fun book to read before and then let them hold during car trips. Probably also for the older baby.
Turn Seek Find:Habitats Newman, Ben (Artist). On the cusp between an activity and a book, this entry is lovely and has vibrant illustrations that draw the reader in, and then there are knobs to spin and colors to match.
Circle Under Berry by Higgins, Carter. Although I like the spare white pages that concentrate attention on the shapes, I didn't feel the execution quite lived up to the presentation. The shapes into illustrations were a bit too complex, and the text seemed to concentrate on lecturing/leading rather than enthusiastic sharing.
This Is Still Not A Book Jullien, Jean (Artist). Um, this is totally a book. The images are clear and simple, but not really to my taste. I do like how the book uses different orientations and perspectives.

Fiction Picture Books:

Arlo Draws an Octopus by Mortensen, Lori, illustrated by Sayegh Jr., Rob
Bodies Are Cool by Feder, Tyler, illustrated by Feder, Tyler
Change Sings: A Children’s Anthem by Gorman, Amanda, illustrated by Long, Loren
Itty-Bitty Kitty-Corn by Hale, Shannon, illustrated by LeUyen Pham
Someone Builds the Dream by Wheeler, Lisa, illustrated by Long, Loren
The Midnight Fair by Sterer, Gideon, illustrated by Di Giorgio, Mariachiara
Watercress by Wang, Andrea, illustrated by Chin, Jason

Young Readers (Jan)

Easy Readers: (kcls)

See the Dog: Three Stories About a Cat by LaRochelle, David, illustrated by Wohnoutka, Mike. I loved this. When I finished, I rushed to my son to make him read it. (He's 23 years old.) He also enjoyed it and said it would have been fun to read with his younger half sisters. I like how it is perfect for shared reading, with an easier side but both sides get to make jokes. I like how the pictures advance the story.
Geraldine Pu and Her Lunch Box, Too!: Ready-to-Read Graphics Level 3 by Chang, Maggie P., illustrated by Chang, Maggie P.. Lots of fun and an unapologetic Graphic Novel format. I liked how Geraldine found it hard to push back when the cranky boy was teasing her, but when he also turned on a friend she found her power. Also I want to try that bao recipe in the back.
Kitty and Dragon (Volume 1) by Hashimoto, Meika, illustrated by Reid, Gillian. This is a bit tougher than the other books (so far), but it feels like a good muscle stretching easy reader. Kitty is a fun mix of kid-it-cat-disguise and an actual cat, which makes it a fun and endearing read. I liked the fearless cat demanding a home with the relatively quiet dragon, found the middle chapter adorable, and after croggling at the neat freak description enjoyed the final magic potion chapter as well. I can easily imagine handing this to a new reader and then lurking nearby to enjoy their giggles.
Fox at Night (My First I Can Read) by Tabor, Corey R., illustrated by Tabor. This was a fast and fun very easy reader, with personality powering the illustrations. It follows a repetitive and reassuring pattern to help the toddling reader, with a nice if not unexpected twist at the end. I love all the reviews that praise it for introducing little kids to all sorts of nocturnal animals because the last one they meet is an actual monster, which is perhaps not an example of zoological scientific accuracy.
Yasmin the Librarian by Faruqi, Saadia, illustrated by Aly, Hatem. Yasmin is a fun companion if a bit of a goody-goody. But I am here for any kid with enthusiasm for being library helper, and I thought Yasmin did a good job. I don't really buy the class's excitement at her book, but I liked her willingness to share something so precious.
Chicken Little and the Big Bad Wolf (The Real Chicken Little) by Wedelich, Sam, illustrated by Wedelich. The book size makes it feel a bit more like a picture book, which makes it a good way to transition from "books my parent reads to me" to "books I read to myself," perhaps by shared reading as well. For me, the moral lesson was a bit too loud for the story; almost all kid books have a strong moral or at least a positive thing they are advocating, but ideally I don't notice it because that's true of most things in real life too. In this case the mix between animals and anthropomorphizing characters had me thinking about whether the wolf will suffer nutritional deficits on a vegetarian diet rather than feeling warm thoughts about the beauty of found family. This is a me problem, not a kid problem!

Early Chapter Books: (kcls)

Too Small Tola by Atinuke, illustrated by Iwu, Onyinye. I nominated this, so of course I think it's great. I liked the glimpse into a different country, and the family connections between Tola and her siblings, grandparents, parents. The chapter lengths were just right, and the illustrations supported the reading.
A Long Road on a Short Day by Schmidt, Gary D. and Stickney, Elizabeth. Quiet and delicately written, this timeless book shows a family that doesn't voice their emotions but trusts each other for support without question. The parents respect the child, and the kid knows that he can't ask for much but his family will make sure he gets what he needs. And the complicated trading up is fun to watch.
Sydney and Taylor Explore the Whole Wide World by Davies, Jacqueline, illustrated by Hocking, Deborah.These two friends are a great pair -- supportive while not losing sense of their own boundaries. I guess a skunk is a bit OP next to a timid hedgehog. (OP is overpowered, which I use because I am hip to the cool people gaming lingo.) I loved the diagram of their underground home, and the map they use (and Taylor's appalled realization of what scale means and how long a trip he has signed up for). I'm a bit suspicious that the human is a secret responsible adult stand in, which is the last thing I like to see in an adventure story, although she is really good at it.
Yasmin the Scientist by Saadia Faruqi. This is the easiest kind of chapter book, or maybe the hardest early reader? I liked that Yasmin forgot about the project, as she was a bit too eager to please for me. And then I also liked that she shooed her dad away to work on things herself. And now I want to try her science experiment for myself, mainly to see how well the saltiness of the baking soda is hidden by the sugar.
Audrey L and Audrey W: Best Friends-ish: Book 1 (Audrey L & Audrey W, 1) by Higgins, Carter, illustrated by Mann, Jennifer K. This does a good job showing how intensely even placid kids are living their lives, and Audrey is very worried about her life and her worthiness, and her parents have no idea. Reading this was actually very stressful for me, and I'm quite worried about how Audrey will navigate middle school. I hope her new friendship lasts!

Young Nonfiction

Elementary Nonfiction:

Mimic Makers: Biomimicry Inventors Inspired by Nature by Nordstrom, Kristen, illustrated by Boston, Paul. I'm a sucker for science picture books, and this one shows a great variety of inventors inspired by nature to fix problems from submarine skin to one winged drones. The after bit on how to do this at home was encouraging but not didactic.
Sakamoto’s Swim Club: How a Teacher Led an Unlikely Team to Victory by Abery, Julie, illustrated by Sasaki, Chris. I want to go find out more about this team and this guy. Lots of neat history that I had never heard of this year! The illustrations captivated me completely, which I was not expecting, as did the rhyming text.
Code Breaker, Spy Hunter: How Elizebeth Friedman Changed the Course of Two World Wars by Wallmark, Laurie, illustrated by Smart, Brooke. History I didn't know! I had no idea Americans also managed to crack the Enigma machine, and that Britain and American had such separate decoding teams. I liked hearing about what she worked on and how she combined work and family, which was shown as an aside.
The Leaf Detective: How Margaret Lowman Uncovered Secrets in the Rainforest by Lang, Heather, illustrated by Christy, Jana. History I didn't know! Science history! Margaret Lowman is a name I didn't know, but I had heard about the revolution in tree science that she helped start with her insistence of getting in the canopy layer to study. Pictures and texts work well together to give me the highlights of her career.
Bartali’s Bicycle: The True Story of Gino Bartali, Italy’s Secret Hero by Hoyt, Megan, illustrated by Bruno, Iacopo. History I didn't know before! I like learning new things, but of course, it means ignore me as to its accuracy. I liked the Italian flavor and the Jewish family, but thought it assumed a lot of knowledge of World War II. It would work for reading at home or at school.
The Elephants Come Home: A True Story of Seven Elephants, Two People, and One Extraordinary Friendship by Tomsic, Kim, illustrated by Hooper, Hadley. Sweet and feel-good story about a guy who helps some elephants find a home. The pictures are enticing and the story of their rescue in heart-warming. It's very specific. I'm slightly curious about how this guy ended up with so much land in Africa (the Zulu ruler's private hunting preserve?) but that is far out of the scope of this book.
We Are Still Here!: Native American Truths Everyone Should Know by Sorell, Traci, illustrated by Lessac, Frane. I wanted to push at the borders of this book a bit, to give it a bit more narrative. The frame is children presenting their classroom projects, but that disappears and we just see spreads about various important events or issues affecting Native Americans, with additional information in the backmatter to specify what exactly is depicted. I wanted some personality -- which kid presents this, why is it important now to these kids, the ones who are still here? But as a classroom overview, this is a good education in basic facts about Native Americans and their history and present in America.

Middle Grade Nonfiction:

Welcome to Your Period! by Stynes, Yumi and Kang, Dr. Melissa, illustrated by Latham, Jenny. I nominated this -- I think it's great.
The Curse of the Mummy: Uncovering Tutankhamun’s Tomb (Scholastic Focus) by Fleming, Candace. This book splits the difference between factual descriptions and gossip about curses. It engagingly covers the search for, discovery, and method of excavation of the tomb, with some added details on the political tensions between English and Egyptian people as well as class tensions. And each chapter ends with a clearly roped off peek into the curses and magic ascribed to the tomb, which the final factual chapter debunks.
Mightier Than the Sword: Rebels, Reformers, and Revolutionaries Who Changed the World Through Writing by Melander, Rochelle, illustrated by Ontiveros, Melina
The World’s Most Pointless Animals: Or are they? by Bunting, Philip. An encyclopedia of nifty creatures, written in two modes -- dry facts and gossipy observations and commentary. It was engaging and fun.
Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre by Weatherford, Carole Boston, illustrated by Cooper, Floyd. I would have put this in elementary, not middle grade. The subject is harsh, but it's handled in a way that works as a picture book. I liked how the illustrations centered the people who lived in Tulsa before the massacre, the regular people living their lives.
Classified: The Secret Career of Mary Golda Ross, Cherokee Aerospace Engineer by Sorell, Traci, illustrated by Donovan, Natasha. I was glad to learn about this engineer, but I thought the book presented the material without really amazing me. I liked how her Cherokee values were integrated into her career choices, and the illustrations and text were fine.

The Genius Under the Table: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain by Yelchin, Eugene, illustrated by Yelchin, Eugene

Elementary/Middle-grade Speculative Fiction

Cece Rios and the Desert of Souls by Rivera, Kaela. This is a sweet spot in middle grade fantasy for me. Cece has to deal with an unsupportive family (the dad is a jerk but the mom means well) but she is determined to save her sister. Yet she understands that having a good goal does not excuse doing evil -- she has to decide on a case by case basis what she will do and when she will refuse. She is afraid but pushes on. The magic is interesting and reinforces the themes.
Ophie's Ghosts by Ireland, Justina. Ireland did a great job of giving Ophie agency in a believable and historically justified way. The responsibility of talking to ghosts worked well with her need to step up in responsibility after her father's murder. I liked the mystery and how it was affected by (and therefor illustrated) the racism of the day in both obvious and subtle ways.
Amari and the Night Brothers (Supernatural Investigations, 1) by Alston, B. B. This is a great contemporary fantasy, where Amari struggles to live up to her big brother's legacy while also managing to rescue him from whatever has befallen him. The parallels between the racism she experiences in regular school as a Black child and the prejudice she faces in the supernatural summer camp as a muggle are clear but not heavy. I did wish for more abstract thinking -- Amari is aware when people are unjust, but she thinks about it in personal terms and how it relates to her, but in middle grade I like kids to also think about more universal implications.
The Last Cuentista by Higuera, Donna Barba. This is an exciting tale of a vestige of humanity escaping a doomed planet, only to be tripped up by their inherent faults. Our heroine wants to be a story-teller, but her parents push her to learn science. When she faces the new dystopia at the end of the voyage, neither works the way she expects. I had some problems relating to the kid, and I found a lot of the science rather flaky. But the intended readers shouldn't have those problems.
Kiki Kallira Breaks a Kingdom by Mandanna, Sangu. A fun and exciting portal fantasy, where the metaphor of Kiki creating the fantasy world isn't too heavy handed. I would have preferred that the dealing with anxiety plot was a bit smaller, because it had a whiff of problem-of-the-week and the fantasy was working with the same themes in a subler manner. But it was also a bit interesting to see how she saw her problem and how she dealt with it.
Too Bright to See by Lukoff, Kyle. This was a great common of age book showing how difficult it can be to navigate the transition between elementary and middle school, and it's also a good example of grief -- Bug's beloved uncle, a father figure, dies right before the start and a lot of time is spent dealing with this. The uncle is also presumably the ghost that propels Bug into dealing with the identity issues that complicate relationships with friends, parents, and new acquaintances. But I really wish the paranormal aspects had been left vaguer, to leave me unsure if they had no other explanation. For one thing, the idea that the kid could go to the library and expect to find detailed information about how long a spirit could linger puts this into an alternative world.

The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy by Ursu, Anne. Good but not great, since my expectations of Ursu are so high. I expected more twists on the “girl power is denied by patriarchy but actually rocks, and ultra-toxic-masculinityis bad for the world” theme. Yes, there were good characters and a great goat, but the girls spent a really long time believing the diminishing lies the MAN was telling them, which is believable but not fun.

Middle Grade Fiction

A Place to Hang the Moon by Albus, Kate. This is an old fashioned kind of book that I adored in my childhood. It's still around -- it's the British evacuee in World War II, and how the kids Find a Home. I still love it. These are three siblings who care about each other and try to be a family. And they are now looking for adults to take care of them. As an adult myself, I had some questions -- what happened to their boarding school? How rich are they? But kid me embraced the Preposterous Idea and thoroughly enjoyed myself.
Thanks a Lot, Universe by Lucas, Chad. Despite the issues I could list: foster children, coming out to friends, parent with mental health problems, school bullying, this is not an "issue book." It's a book about two boys navigating middle school, adjusting to changing friendships, and figuring out what kind of people they are growing into. I'm delighted to suspect that Lucas is returning to this school for another book.
Linked by Korman, Gordon. Kids do bad stuff in a small town. Why? How does the community react? How do the kids react? What does regret mean? We get the viewpoints of a variety of kids, and they all feel authentic.
Flight of the Puffin by Braden, Ann. A kaleidoscope book, with a handful of viewpoints who start unexpectedly interacting throughout the book. All are kids who are struggling with big issues -- community, grief, bullying, homelessness, unsympathetic parents. And all are kids who push through to try to do the right thing, even when they have to figure out what that means in a complex situation. It kinds of sneaks up on you in its strength.
Finding Junie Kim by Oh, Ellen. Really enjoyed this one! The mental health issues were handled well, and the focus on how she dealt with her friends really worked. I liked how her grandparents were supportive, loving, and also willing to have high expectations -- their confidence helped Junie do hard things. And the framing of the flashbacks to the grandparents' experiences in the Korean War as stories told to Junie really worked; the book was a thematic whole even with the different narratives.
Violets Are Blue by Dee, Barbara. I really liked Ren's voice, and her dedication to her unusual art; the world of cosplay and imaginative make-up is pretty unknown to me. Her efforts at navigating the social minefields of middle school felt very real, especially the way kid romance kept messing up her friendship with the nerdy boy. But it also had the feel of a problem book, since the mom's growing addiction to narcotics was obvious to me from the beginning. It's a *good* problem novel, but that's not my favorite genre.
Many Points of Me by Gertler, Caroline. Grief makes people selfish. We see this in the loneliness the protagonist feels and also in the way she treats her best friend, the boy who also loved her father and who she now feels got some of the love she needed. It's a melancholy book as she avoids compassion while moving into the popular girl group, and how she is afraid to tell her mom about the sketches she's been hoarding. As I kid I liked adventure stories, not stories about a kid making moral errors along her way to becoming a compassionate adult.

Poetry

Starfish Fipps, Lisa. I was won over by the voice and spirit of the girl in this book. The mom did so much damage, not only to her youngest daughter but also to the entier family, especially the other siblings who were taught to despise their tubby little sister.
Me (Moth) by McBride, Amber. I was quietly enjoying this when the end snuck up and wacked me. I'm still unclear on some of the plot, but the throbbing of grief and the growing connection worked for me.
Snow Birds by Hall, Kirsten, illustrated by Desmond, Jenni. Short and evocative poems highlight the beauty of winter and the fascinating nature of these birds. I really liked it but I'm not sure I could have sold my kids on it. Lovely book to read, listen to, and look at.
Red, White, and Whole by LaRocca, Rajani. The title lead me a bit astray -- I thought this would be a book about coming to terms with being an immigrant American, and it is, but it's mostly a story about loss and grief; red white and whole are the types of blood, not descriptions of a flag. I was distracted by the historical placement, which is of course two years off my own childhood.
Call Me Athena: Girl from Detroit by Smith, Colby Cedar. I like the family history vibe, which is reinforced by the switch between stories of the depression age grandparent and the great-grandparents' letters. The poetry format didn't really add much; I think I would have preferred a prose story to get more details about the lives of the young people.
Everywhere Blue by Fritz, Joanne RossmasslerDysfunctional families is a big poetry theme this year! In this case, it takes the youngest daughter's attempts to connect to start healing the family as a whole.
You Don’t Have to Be Everything: Poems for Girls Becoming Themselves
Diana Whitney(Editor). I liked some of the poems but overall I just felt old.

Graphic Novels

Elementary / Middle Grade:

Chunky by Mercado, Yehudi, illustrated by Mercado, Yehudi. I liked the art and the characters, and I thought the use of the imaginary friend worked really well. The ending was a bit weak; Hudi makes some hard choices to try to toughen up, including chasing away his friend and deciding to become a hard-hitting football player. But then he walks them all back in about a page and half, leaving me wondering what had happened.
Salt Magic by Hope Larson; illustrated by Rebecca Mock. A gripping suspense story, that weaves the anger at seeing your family grow away from you as child ends, danger from moonshiners, and a curse from a witch in ways that emotionally support and enhance each other. At first I thought the sugar witch was just an excuse for a colorful drawing, but she is integral to the plot.
The Legend of Auntie Po by Khor, Shing Yin. Auntie Po gave me a lot -- historical view of an old mining camp, with the various tensions and dangers associated with that. The various prospects of different young people, affected by their race, social class, and interests. How the girls interpret their gender and sexual roles. How stories help inspire and define emotions and ambitions, and what happens when they are inadequate.
Borders by King, Thomas, illustrated by Donovan, Natasha. This was an interesting short story about tensions in a family, and tensions with a country, and the combination really worked. The sister is showing independence, and the mom refuses to conform to the boxes the border people want to sort her into. The kid just enjoys shopping at the duty free.
Jukebox by Chanani, Nidhi, illustrated by Chanani, Nidhi. Another fun read that left me a bit hungry. The colors give a sense of the emotions music brings, but I wanted more details about their magic jukebox journeys, and I felt a lot of the emotional connections were more gestured at than depicted. But those are complaints of the "it was so good I want more" category -- this was a very enjoyable read.
Measuring Up by LaMotte, Lily, illustrated by Xu, Ann. This read like a memoir -- the girl's adjustment to life in Seattle after growing up in Taiwan, her relationship with her grandmother, the other kids and her uncertainty about their friendship. The cooking parts were also really fun.
Cranky Chicken by Battersby, Katherine, illustrated by Battersby, Katherine. Cute, but more a picture book than a graphic novel. Also, I kept expecting the chicken to eat the worm, but no? Fun friendships and I really enjoyed the chicken's unibrow.

Young Adult:

Across the Tracks: Remembering Greenwood, Black Wall Street, and the Tulsa Race Massacre by Ball, Alverne, illustrated by Robinson, Stacey, Anderson, Reynaldo (Contributor), Yellow Robe, Colette (Contributor). This got a huge boost from me because this is the first year I've learned about the Tulsa massacre of 1922, so I know enough to appreciate the perspective but not enough to find it stale. I liked the focus on what the city was doing and the opportunities it created, as well as the disturbingly horrific violence that destroyed the community. Well, not quite destroyed, because people rebuilt, but it could never have the same sense of safety and community again.
In the Shadow of the Fallen Towers: The Seconds, Minutes, Hours, Days, Weeks, Months, and Years after the 9/11 Attacks by Brown, Don. I'm terrible at knowing where kidlit ends and young adult starts. This was a good overview of this attack, with the colors evoking the emotions I remember sharing with my country. It didn't give me much new information, and the bits I learned mostly made me want more; it's a better book for kids born after 9/11 than for old person me.
Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms by Frasier, Crystal, illustrated by Wise, Val, Jupiter, Oscar O. (Letterer). This was a fun slice of life story -- two girls reignite their friendship on the cheer team, and then start dating. One has problems with being a social recluse, one has problems with being trans, but both muddle through. Very modern teens, with casual acceptance of changing gender roles, except for the baddies. Not too angsty, but I did like the glimpse into the importance of projecting gender for some trans girls -- the need to get the make-up and look just right so they aren't misgendered or even noticeable.
Nubia: Real One (Nubia: Real One (2021)) by McKinney, L.L., illustrated by Smith, Robyn, Smith, Robyn (Artist). This probably would have nudged out Cheer Up if the print had been a bit larger. Hmm. I really liked the story, but the comic book conventions threw me out a bit, and it felt like the text expected me to know a lot more about comic book Wonder Woman than I do. The connections to other comics just distracted me. The terrible white boy also was very closely following the script for Evil White Boy, but his whole purpose was to let Nubia blossom into greatness so who cares if the villain's arc was dull.
My Body in Pieces by Hébert, Marie-Noëlle, illustrated by Hébert, Marie-Noëlle, Tanaka, Shelley (Translator). This read like a good short story, pushing through the emotions and sense of being too fat to matter. The graphite pencil made for blurry images, sometimes almost fading away, which evoked the emotions felt by the girl as her weight increased and she felt her worth decreasing.
My Last Summer with Cass by Crilley, Mark, illustrated by Crilley, Mark. A powerful story with a protagonist I found unlikeable. I was actually a little disconcerted by the ending; it felt like enabling an abuser. Cass wasn't perfect, but nobody is. The narrator did something really awful and I don't think I would have been as willing to let her back into my life. Luckily this list is how much I enjoyed a story, not how good the story is!
The Girl from the Sea by Ostertag, Molly Knox. Again I struggled with how badly the protagonists behaved. There are so many excuses -- she's so young, she afraid of coming out, she worries about losing her friends, her family is already dealing with a divorce, but the result is that the protagonist is a terrible girlfriend and I kept hoping the Selkie would walk away from the abuse. But luckily there's some growth in strength and courage (and dealing with the obnoxious brother's outing of her relationship) so that the ending is not an unmitigated release. I still think the seal girl needs to work on her boundaries before she's ready to try being human.

High School Nonfiction

I was on the committee, so I'm just going to list these and not tell you my favorites. They are all great!

Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask: Young Readers Edition by Treuer, Anton
In the Shadow of the Moon: America, Russia, and the Hidden History of the Space Race by Cherrix, Amy
Punching Bag by Ogle, Rex
The Power of Style by Allaire, Christian
The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks: Adapted for Young People by Jeanne Theoharis, adapted by Brandy Colbert and Jeanne Theoharis

Young Adult Fiction

Firekeeper’s Daughter by Boulley, Angeline
The Girls I’ve Been by Sharpe, Tess. Lots of great competence from the kids, even as I blink at the trauma that built up some of these capabilities. It's suspenseful and the flashback work to remind us why our heroine can handle this, serving to build the tension rather than drain it. Really cool.
A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Namey, Laura Taylor
In the Wild Light by Zentner, Jeff. I found the emotions real but the situations pushed my suspension of belief too hard.
Concrete Rose by Thomas, Angie
Why We Fly by Jones, Kimberly and Segal, Gilly

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Lo, Malinda. Great book but also depressing because it’s true. I’m old enough that hearing the high schooler’s very hot thoughts was a little uncomfortable for me, which is a terrible sign of my aging self.

Young Adult Speculative Fiction

Iron Widow by Zhao, Xiran Jay. A bloody minded heroine, a fascinating tech/magic system, and a full-on confrontation with society's misogyny and heteronormativity. The heroine doesn't accept the need to sacrifice girls and ends up digging up even more of the lies her world has built itself on.