Summer Reading Upper School 2024

A preparatory school known for its strict discipline is
rocked by the murder of its principal. Three students,
all boys of color, are arrested, then join forces to prove
their innocence. (14-17)

Someone has been killing aspiring actresses like
Henrietta, and she can speak to their ghosts. Can she
and her frenemy Declan bring the killer to justice? (14-17)

Four classmates who sneak into buildings for their
YouTube channel run into danger at a long-neglected
house of dead movie stars. (15-17) Mature Content

While grieving the death of her mother, 14-year-old Matiponesa shares her story with an invisible spirit guide as the family travels from England to Zimbabwe to mourn. (14-17)

With the world ending in nine months’ time, 17-year-old Aisha, along with her mother, her boyfriend and his parents, embarks on a road trip through Malaysia to find her sister June and mend the hurts of the past.

Christine feels unseen next to her best friend Landry and resolves to chronicle her own path to becoming a person with “shine.” Frank and funny. Richly illustrated with intricate, varied artwork. (16-18) Mature content

Imogen Scott may be hopelessly heterosexual, but shes got the worlds greatest ally title locked down. . . . She even has two queer best friends. There's Gretchen, a fellow high school senior, who helps keep Imogen's biases in check. And then there's Lili--newly out and newly thriving with a cool new squad of queer college friends. . . . Now that she's finally visiting Lili on campus, she's bringing her ally A game. Any support Lili needs, Imogen's all in. Even if that means bending the truth, just a little. Like when Lili drops a tiny queer bombshell: she's told all her college friends that Imogen and Lili used to date. And none of them know that Imogen is a raging hetero--not even Lilis best friend, Tessa. Of course, the more time Imogen spends with chaotic, freckle-faced Tessa, the more she starts to wonder if her truth was ever all that straight to begin with.

In the aftermath of 9/11, high school sophomore Omid grapples with finding the right words to connect with his grandfather, embrace his Iranian heritage, and express his feelings towards a girl, until he immerses himself in the rhymes and rhythms of rap music and finds his voice.

When her mother sets her up with handsome, aloof Harun, eighteen-year-old Bangladeshi American Zahra pretends to date him while she pursues her coworker, Nayim, but she quickly finds herself second-guessing her true feelings.

Yolanda Alvarez is having a good year. She's starting to feel at home at Julia De Burgos High, her school in the Bronx. She has her best friend Victory, and maybe something with José, a senior boy she's getting to know. She's confident her initiation into her family's bruja tradition will happen soon. But then a white boy, the son of a politician, appears at Julia De Burgos High, and his vibes are off. And Yolanda's initiation begins with a series of troubling visions of the violence this boy threatens. How can Yolanda protect her community, in a world that doesn't listen? Only with the wisdom and love of her family, friends, and community--and the Brujas Diosas, her ancestors and guides.

Joining a secret group called the "Minus-One Club," whose members have all suffered the tragic loss of someone they loved, fifteen-year-old Kermit finds his crush Matt's headstrong approach to life helping to relieve his constant despair.

Adopted from South Korea by white parents, Sarah is bullied and ridiculed at school. Unable to suppress her anger, she finds solace in art, anime, and manga. Bold, emotional artwork. (14-17)

Taína (aka Ty), learns about her rich family history going back several centuries in Puerto Rico, which empowers her to lift up her current-day family and community. (13-16)

As the daughter of a charismatic Black leader, 16-year-old Nigeria is expected to fill the role of her absent mother. Homeschooled, she searches for freedom at a private Quaker school. (14-17) Mature content

A gay boy and a transgender boy fall in love, contrary to mainstream expectations, while their parents choose very different paths to protect and support them. (14-17)

Writer Eliza and actor Caz—two talented seniors at an International School in Beijing—secretly share their gifts to boost college acceptance chances. Friendship, then unexpected romance, follow. (13-16)

Perry’s summer internship places her squarely in the midst of attempts to repatriate her ancestors’ remains from collectors and entangles her in the frightening disappearances of young, local Native women. (13-16) Mature content

Effie, a wheelchair user because of cerebral palsy, has always turned to her mother to help with disabilitybased issues. In senior year of high school, she begins to speak out for herself. (15-18)

In the room beneath a theater stage, the ghosts of Juliet, Ophelia, Cordelia, and other teenage girls who died tragically in Shakespeare's plays, share their experiences and trauma and get the chance to retell the stories of their lives in their own terms. Mature Content

Ánte, a Sámi reindeer herder in Northern Sweden,
finds it increasingly hard to fight his feelings for his
friend Erik. Can he overcome cultural prejudice and find
happiness? (15-17)

Sadie, a Black teen struggling with anxiety, witnesses a violent false arrest. She spirals into agoraphobia, but an online community of activists helps her find her voice. Back matter. (14-17)

The Texas law prohibiting abortion after six weeks causes 16-year-old Ivy, pregnant after a nonconsensual encounter, to travel to Oregon with her boyfriend for a legal abortion. (15-18) Mature content

Azari and her mother have fled the brutality of their homeland. Landing in Ireland, they struggle to survive among other immigrants in a new society. (13-16)

Hannah transfers to private school in senior year, solely focused on finding the dealer who sold her beloved late cousin Fentanyl-laced drugs. Will she find the truth she needs? (15-18)

Sixteen-year-old Soledad, who has American
citizenship, crosses the border into the U.S. weekly to work to help support her Tijuana family and to attend school. How to shoulder great burdens while carving out one’s identity? (14-16)

Dylan Tang wants to win a Mid-Autumn Festival mooncake-making competition for teen chefs--in memory of his mom, and to bring much-needed publicity to his aunt's struggling Chinese takeout in Brooklyn. Enter Theo Somers: charming, wealthy, with a smile that makes Dylan's stomach do backflips. Their worlds are sun-and-moon apart, but Theo keeps showing up. He even convinces Dylan to be his fake date at a family wedding in the Hamptons. In Theo's glittering world of pomp, privilege, and crazy rich drama, their romance is supposed to be just pretend . . . but Dylan finds himself falling for Theo. Then Theo's relatives reveal their true colors--but with the mooncake contest looming, Dylan can't risk being sidetracked by rich-people problems. Can Dylan save his family's business and follow his heart--or will he fail to do both?

Ian Gray isn't supposed to have a dog, but a lot of things that shouldn't happen end up happening anyway. And Gather, Ian's adopted pup, is good company now that Ian has to quit the basketball team, find a job, and take care of his mom as she tries to overcome her opioid addiction. Despite the obstacles thrown their way, Ian is determined to keep his family afloat no matter what it takes. And for a little while, things are looking up: Ian makes friends, and his fondness for the outdoors and for fixing things lands him work helping neighbors. But an unforeseen tragedy results in Ian and his dog taking off on the run, trying to evade a future that would mean leaving their house and their land. Even if the community comes together to help him, would Ian and Gather have a home to return to?

After Papi’s death, senior Alejandra Kim doesn’t feel as if she belongs at her Manhattan prep school or her immigrant Queens neighborhood. Can she escape to her dream college? (13-16)

As BFFs Christine, Brit, Abby, and Sasha begin their junior year in high school, they must deal with various challenges, such as grades, boyfriends, girlfriends, and sexuality. Clear, focused panels. (14-17)

Brothers Max and Jay, of Costa Rican Bribri descent, each struggle to process the aftermath of violence in their small Minnesota town. Alternating perspectives told in prose and verse. (15-17)

Piddy is having a difficult time adjusting to
teenagerhood and a new high school. Bullying and violence from a girl gang threaten to derail her goals. Blue, grey, black, and white pastel panels. (14-17)

Ren is a talented scholarship student at an exclusive wizarding school. A spell goes awry, trapping her and five others in unknown territory. Ren’s survival depends on trusting them. (14-17)

When Selly’s ship is boarded by a prince on a secret diplomatic mission, events lead to danger, treason, and romance. Can Selly learn to control her magic? (14-17)

In Simta, where magic is publicly forbidden but
privately embraced, three girls with magical power learn they are not alone and can change their world. Detailed maps. (14-17)

Following the sudden death of her Iranian father,
Marjan inherits his veterinary clinic, discovering his patients included mythical animals. She resolves to uncover the mystery surrounding his life. (13-16)

Fourteen stories drawn from folklore and legends of South Asia are reimagined to create powerful female characters and critique imperialism. (13-16)

Raised in a family of weavers in ancient Greece,
Arachne transforms from a simple peasant girl into the woman who challenges goddess Athena in a lifechanging contest. Free verse. Black-and-white spot art.
(13-16)

Whimsy, a Black teen, has been hospitalized again for severe clinical depression. When her friend Faerry becomes lost in the Forest, she must face the truth that has been buried all along. (15-18) Mature content

Isa, desperate for money, decides to sell the Nazis a fake Rembrandt drawn by her father. Can his forgeries be put to other uses? Based on historical figures. (13-16)

Multiple narrators tell the heart-wrenching story of a Black family in 1930s Jackson, Mississippi, where an interracial friendship leads to tragic consequences. (14-17) Mature content

Stuck in a tunnel during the Korean War, book-loving 16-year-old Myung-gi looks back on his life with harrowing and touching ruminations on family, love, and death. (16-18)

A young Jewish German girl’s lifelong dream of
becoming a photographer is realized when she travels to Spain to document the Spanish Civil War. Free verse. Back matter. (14-17)

Stella, 17, is the only female pilot in a 1937 air race of European teens. When one of the pilots is killed in midair, could Stella be next? Bibliography, notes. (14-17)

A mysterious singer draws lovers together throughout time, most recently aspiring actress Shosh, gutted by her sister’s death, and Evan, son of an absentee father. (14-17)

Priscilla is first-generation Korean American, a former high school cheerleader who expects Sam to want the same all-American nightmare. Meanwhile, Sam is a girl of the times who has no energy for clichéd high school aspirations. After a huge blowup, Sam is desperate to get away from Priscilla, but instead, finds herself thrown back. Way back. To her shock, Sam lands in the '90s . . . alongside a 17-year-old Priscilla. Now, Sam has to deal with outdated tech, regressive '90s attitudes, and her growing feelings for sweet, mysterious football player Jamie, who just might be the right guy in the wrong era. With the clock ticking, Sam must figure out how to fix things with Priscilla or risk being trapped in an analog world forever.