bildungsromans

"Follow the journey of two young adults, Joshua and Claire, each individually shaped by the day the sky went dark, but drawn to each other because of it. Coming of age in this new landscape, they will be forced to confront and challenge notions of identity, guilt, and survival as the darkness grows around them. When fear threatens to envelop all hope they have left, the two discover that love, family, and finding the true light in a world seemingly robbed of any, will guide their way forward"--Back cover.

"Growing up in Aleppo, Yara's childhood has long been shadowed by the coming revolution. But when the Arab Spring finally arrives at Yara's doorstep, it is worse than even her Nana imagined: sudden, violent, and deadly. When rescuers dig Yara out from under the rubble that was once her family's home, she emerges to a changed world. Her parents and Nana are gone, and her brother, Saad, can't speak--struck silent by everything he's seen. Now, with her friend Shireen and Shireen's charismatic brother, Ali, Yara must try to find a way to safety. With danger around every corner, Yara is pushed to her limits as she discovers how far she'll go for her loved ones--and for a chance for freedom. Crafted through the focused lens of Jamal Saeed's own experiences in Syria and brought to life with acclaimed author Sharon E. McKay, Yara's Spring is a story of coming of age against all odds and the many kinds of love that bloom even in the face of war. Black-and-white interior drawings by award-winning illustrator Nahid Kazemi lend vivid detail to the novel"--From the publisher's web site.

"In the wake of the police shooting of a black teenager, Los Angeles is as tense as it's been since the unrest of the early 1990s. But Grace Park and Shawn Matthews have their own problems. Grace is sheltered and largely oblivious, living in the Valley with her Korean-immigrant parents, working long hours at the family pharmacy. She's distraught that her sister hasn't spoken to their mother in two years, for reasons beyond Grace's understanding. Shawn has already had enough of politics and protest after an act of violence shattered his family years ago. He just wants to be left alone to enjoy his quiet life in Palmdale. But when another shocking crime hits LA, both the Park and Matthews families are forced to face down their history while navigating the tumult of a city on the brink of more violence"--From the publisher's web site.

Claudia Jones has returned to Blithedale High School, but rumors about her possible alien abduction persist as everyone begins to feel the strange effects of her presence.

"Tchaiko has always been an enigma, but when he goes to visit his partner in the hospital, his story is finally revealed. Meanwhile, Saki's biggest secret is thrust out in the open--despite her desperate attempts to keep it under wraps"--Back cover.

"When Tasuku attends a workshop organized by Cat Clutter, the last person he is expecting to see there shows up: his crush, Tsubaki! Is this the beginning of a dream come true?"--Back cover.

"Tasuku is starting to feel at home at the drop-in center--just in time for him to help a younger student who also hangs out there. Misora Shuji likes to wear girls' clothing but is unsure about their gender identity. Will Tasuku's guidance offer Shuji some clarity or just make things harder?"--Back cover.

Louise dumps her popular, jock boyfriend after he makes some insensitive remarks about his brother's Native American fianc?e without regard for the fact that she is also Native American. As a reporter for her school newspaper, she finds herself working on the story of the year alongside Joey. A story that involves racism, blackmail, and bullying centered around the cast of the school play--a cast that includes Louise's younger brother.

Even though Amal Shahid is an artist and poet, he's still viewed as disruptive and unmotivated at his diverse art school. One fateful night at a local park, a fight breaks out between Amal and his friends and a group of white boys from a nearby gentrified neighborhood, leaving one of the white boys in a coma. Amal is convicted of the attack and sent to prison, even though he's not the one who put the boy in a coma. His despair and rage at having his bright future destroyed threaten to overcome him until he discovers the refuge and hope that his words and art give him.

Fifteen-year-old Ari Mendoza is an angry loner with a brother in prison, but when he meets Dante and they become friends, Ari starts to ask questions about himself, his parents, and his family that he has never asked before.