coming of age

Outrage surges through the community when EJ White, sixteen-year-old son of the wealthy and powerful District Attorney, is accused of raping his childhood friend, Kendra Daniels. When new evidence surfaces that appears to contradict Kendra?s testimony, EJ takes the chance to get his conviction overturned. Sent to live with his aunt until the public controversy dies down, EJ recreates himself as Eric Madison, planning to keep his head down and just get through his senior year without discovery. Soon enough though, surprising friendships and even a budding romance draw him deeper into the persona. He discovers that being Eric allows him to play out a better version of himself, one without a guilty past to haunt him. But when news about Kendra forces him back into reality, will EJ choose to finally take responsibility for the damage he?s done, even if it means sacrificing the happiness he?s found as Eric? When so many perpetrators of sexual violence have been allowed to deny their actions, deflect blame, and avoid the consequences, what does it look like to ?do the right thing?? Is atonement or redemption even possible? If so, what might it require? Alternating between EJ?s past and Eric?s present, Open at Rock Bottom explores how one young man navigates these largely uncharted waters.

"Tommy Browning is hopelessly trapped in his baseball dream. Wallowing in Single A with the Macon Peaches, he doesn't know if he'll ever make The Show--the major leagues--or if his dream of a professional career is even worth pursuing. But fate steps in and the 21-year-old pitcher is launched on a roller-coaster ride that he can't control, much less understand. He has 'The Gift,' but can he keep it?"--OCLC.

Seventeen-year-old Griff has grown up in the shadow of his twin brother, Leo, and their prepper community, but hearing a radio broadcast of strange, beautiful music compels Griff to decide if surviving is truly living.

"Yuriel's poor neighborhood in Monterrey, Mexico, isn't a place where fairy tales happen. Yuriel and his cousin Azul work each day doing laundry to help their family make a living. So when Azul, a trans teen, decides she wants to mark her transition to womanhood with a quincea?era, Yuriel is sure it's an impossible dream. They don't have the money, and besides, Azul's father would never support her transition. But as an openly gay artist in a traditional family, Yuriel sees how important this rite of passage is for Azul. As Yuriel risks everything to play fairy godmother to Azul, he realizes it's going to take a little bit of magic to pull off this once-in-a-lifetime quincea?era"--Provided by publisher.

"A wordless graphic novel in which twelve-year-old Marisol must adapt to a new life 1960s Brooklyn after her parents send her to the United States from Cuba to keep her safe during Castro's regime"--Provided by publisher.

When two Black siblings, Reed and Olivia, are accused of crimes they didn't commit, they must find a way to prove their innocence, in this novel exploring the pain, truths, and hopes that come with growing up as a person of color in America.

"Pretending to be someone they're not, Delilah, who is unable to open up, and Reggie, a D&D Dungeon Master who is role-playing someone confident, fall for a version of each other that doesn't really exist when fate keeps throwing them together"--Provided by publisher.

When a mysterious assault lands the brother of his mother's late boyfriend in the hospital, Brian, a twenty-something Indigenous reporter, must pick up the threads of a life he's abandoned, returning to the Tuscarora reservation to discover the truth.

"Dan's always been a good kid. The kind of kid who listens to his teachers, helps his mom with grocery shopping, and stays out of trouble. But being a good kid doesn't stop him from being bullied and feeling like he's invisible, which is why Dan has low expectations when his parents send him on a class trip to Europe. At first, he's right. He's stuck with the same girls from his middle school who love to make fun of him, and he doesn't know why his teacher insisted he come on this trip. But as he travels through France, Germany, Switzerland, and England, a series of first experiences begin to change him--first Fanta, first fondue, first time stealing a bike from German punk rockers... and first love"--From the publisher's web site.

"Nothing is going right for Nayra Mansour. There's the constant pressure from her strict family, ruthless bullying from her classmates, and exhausting friendship demands from Rami--the only other Muslim girl at school. Nayra has had enough. Just when she's considering transferring schools to escape it all, a mysterious djinn named Marjan appears. As a djinn, a mythical being in Islamic folklore, Marjan uses their powers and wisdom to help Nayra navigate her overwhelming life. But Marjan's past is fraught with secrets, guilt, and trouble, and if they don't face what they've done, Nayra could pay the price"--Provided by publisher.