Youth Advisory Council Recommendation: Enlighten Me

Enlighten Me by Minh Lê and Chan Chau

“Who wants to go to a silent mountain retreat? Not Binh! He was at school when someone made fun of his Vietnamese food. He not only fights back but will not tell his parents what happened after he is sent to the principal for it. He knows the retreat will not be like Disney World, but it may be better than he thought. Can he survive?” — Sylvianne D., age 9

When Bình fights back against a bully who makes fun of his Vietnamese heritage, he expects to be cheered as the hero. He defeated the bad guy, right?

Instead, it gets him a stern warning from his vice principal and worried parents. Now he’s stuck on a family trip to a silent meditation retreat. That means no talking—and no video games!—for a whole weekend. Could things possibly get any worse?

However, when a nun gathers all the kids to tell them the Jataka tales—the stories of the Buddha’s many past lives—Bình takes a fantastical dive into his imagination and starts to see himself in these stories. Will he retreat further into himself, or will he emerge from the weekend open to change?

With any luck, these next few days will prove more enlightening than he thought.

Youth Advisory Council Recommendation: The Bravest Warrior in Nefaria

The Bravest Warrior in Nefaria by Adi Alsaid

“There once was a boy named Bobert who lived in a kingdom named Nefaria. There he had two friends named Stanbert and Candelabra. When he gets stuck in a gumball machine, Candelabra and Stanbert try to rescue him. Will they get out or be stuck forever?” — Jack E., age 9

Welcome to Nefaria, where nearly every day the kingdom faces another evil scheme.

Most are harmless, though, so the citizens of Nefaria simply learn to live with the latest hijinks and go on with their lives. This includes Bobert Bougainvillea, who is much more concerned with the fact that he seems to be invisible. From the teachers in his school to his classmates, almost no one notices Bobert, no matter how visible he tries to be. Then everything changes when Bobert follows his classmates to a cursed gumball machine.

Before he knows it, Bobert is sucked into one of Nefaria’s most villainous evil schemes, a plot that has been a long time in the making—too long, in the evil wizard Matt’s opinion. And retreating into invisibility this time won’t do, not when Bobert is the only one with the drive, knowledge, and—if his newfound courage doesn’t fail him—bravery to foil Matt’s plan.

Youth Advisory Council Recommendation: When Rubin Plays

When Rubin Plays by Gracey Zhang

“This book is about a little kid who wants to join the orchestra, but he thought he wasn’t good enough. When he played in the forest, cats came near him. When he gets to play in the orchestra, a surprising thing happens. I recommend this book for all ages.” — Helen V., age 7

Rubin loves the beautiful sounds that are played by the orchestra. He wants to learn to play the violin and make his own music. But when Rubin plays, it doesn't sound like he imagines it should. Rubin goes into the forest to practice alone and despite only getting the violin to screech, he finds an unlikely audience that loves his unique style.

In another inspiring and lyrical picture book that deftly dives into the psyche and heart of a child's viewpoint and experience, the creator of Lala's Words, Gracey Zhang, offers confidence to everyone who longs to master something that can be difficult and shows that there is only one way to do something right: that is to do it your own special way.

Youth Advisory Council Recommendation: No One Leaves the Castle

No One Leaves the Castle by Christopher Healy

“This book is a mystery fantasy book. It is about a young bounty hunter, the Lilac, and her bard companion Dulcinetta. They go to a castle to solve the mystery of the theft of a priceless axe. Soon after they arrive, a bubble appears around the castle, shrinking and crushing the castle! I would rate it 8/10. For ages 10-12.” — George G., age 11

The Lilac. The bard songs say that she’s the world’s most fearsome bounty hunter. That there’s no criminal she can’t catch, no mystery she can’t solve.

None of that is true. Yet.

In reality, the Lilac is just a kid, and the bard who wrote all that is her best friend, Dulcinetta. But the Lilac has set her goals on becoming the best bounty hunter in the Thirteen Kingdoms—and when a priceless artifact goes missing from the home of famed monster hunter Baron Angbar, the Lilac and Netta are eager to apprehend the thief and make a name for themselves.

But when their investigation brings them to a dinner party at Castle Angbar, and they meet the Angbar family and their servants and guests—an unsavory group of nobles, mages, and assorted creatures, each more shady than the last—the Lilac begins to wonder if the reward is worth the trouble.

And that’s before the dead body is discovered.

Now everyone is magically sealed inside the castle—and there is a murderer among them. If the Lilac wants to make it out with her reputation intact, it’s going to be up to her to figure out who the killer is. But everyone in the castle—even the Lilac herself—has secrets to hide, and as the walls literally start to close in around them, the Lilac worries that her first job as a bounty hunter may be her last …

Youth Advisory Council Recommendation: The Revelry

The Revelry by Katherine Webber

“As Bitsy digs into the secrets of the Revelry, her life starts to unravel. Can she pull it together before it is too late? This book was a compelling story about friendship and mystery. I liked it, but it was very short for YA. Too many bad words for kids. 13+, comparable to Starlings.” — Megha M., age 13

Once a year in the woods outside Ember Grove, the Revelry occurs. Everyone knows what it is -- an exclusive, mysterious party in the woods at the school year's end. But nobody really knows what happens there. Because once you attend the Revelry, you are sworn to secrecy... forever.

Bitsy Clark knows better than to break the rules around the Revelry. But her best friend, Amy, isn't waiting for an invitation. As the night comes closer, her plan is clear -- she and Bitsy are going to sneak their way in.

Bitsy can remember being nervous about this. She can remember going to the woods. But after that: Nothing. She doesn't know what happened to her. All she knows is that her life starts to unravel, while Amy's good fortune grows stronger.

Has Bitsy been cursed?

And if so, will she be able to discover enough secrets of the Revelry in order to free herself?