Margi Preus

Margi  Preus

Margi Preus’s writing career began when a kindergarten audition went horribly wrong. Since then, she has written a bazillion plays and a bunch of books, including the Newbery Honor book Heart of a Samurai, the Minnesota Book Award winning West of the Moon, and Midwest Booksellers Choice Award’s The Clue in the Trees, part of the Enchantment Lake mystery series. Her books have been honored as ALA/ALSC Notables, landed on the New York Times bestseller list, selected as an NPR Backseat Book Club pick, and have won multiple awards.

New in 2022 is the picture book Lily Leads the Way (Candlewick) and the middle grade adventure Windswept (Abrams/Amulet).

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Windswept

Windswept
Fantasy, Middle School, 9781419758249
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

In Tag’s world, children are disappearing. “Youngers” who venture Outside are windswept—vanishing in the swirling snow—Tag’s sisters among them. Many have tried to find the lost children; all have failed. And since the Other Times, the Powers That Be seem intent on keeping it that way. Little remains from those times: snippets of songs, heaps of plastic trash, and a few banned texts—including a book of fairytales. An unlikely crew of Youngers join forces—Boots, who can climb anything, Ant, who will eat anything, Ren, who will say anything, and Tag, who doesn’t appear to have any talent whatsoever. With their dubious skills, the fairytales, a possibly magic ribbon, and an unwillingness to accept “that’s impossible,” they set off to rescue their windswept siblings in this spellbinding fantasy.

Village of Scoundrels

Village of Scoundrels
Historical Fiction, Middle School, 9781419708978
Recommended for teens

Based on the true story of the French villagers in WWII who saved thousands of Jews, this novel tells how a group of young teenagers stood up for what is right. Among them is a young Jewish boy who learns to forge documents to save his mother and later goes on to save hundreds of lives with his forgery skills. There is also a girl who overcomes her fear to carry messages for the Resistance. And a boy who smuggles people into Switzerland. But there is always the threat that they will be caught: A policeman is sent to keep an eye on them, German soldiers reside in a local hotel, and eventually the Gestapo arrives, armed with guns and a list of names. As the knot tightens, the young people must race against time to bring their friends to safety.

Heart of a Samurai

Heart of a Samurai
Historical Fiction, Middle School, 9781419702006
Recommended for teens

In 1841, a Japanese fishing vessel sinks. Its crew is forced to swim to a small, unknown island, where they are rescued by a passing American ship. Japan’s borders remain closed to all Western nations, so the crew sets off to America, learning English on the way. Manjiro, a fourteen-year-old boy, is curious and eager to learn everything he can about this new culture. Eventually the captain adopts Manjiro and takes him to his home in New England. The boy lives for some time in New England, and then heads to San Francisco to pan for gold. After many years, he makes it back to Japan, only to be imprisoned as an outsider. With his hard-won knowledge of the West, Manjiro is in a unique position to persuade the shogun to ease open the boundaries around Japan; he may even achieve his unlikely dream of becoming a samurai.

Interviews

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Margi answered most likely to lose her high school yearbooks..

Other Fun Facts

  • Most of my grown up life I directed a comedy theater company.
  • Other jobs included: groom at a horse racetrack, adventure travel guide, swimming instructor in small villages in Alaska, artists' model, dance instructor, grape-picker in southern France.
  • I traveled through Europe and across a chunk of Canada on a bicycle and have paddled Glacier Bay and Lake Superior by kayak. And once hitch-hiked through the Boundary Waters Canoe area (which means I hitched rides in people's canoes)
  • I throw a 110 mph fast pitch.
  • One or more of the previous facts is not true.

Erik J. Brown

Erik J. Brown

Erik J. Brown (he/him) is a writer based in Philadelphia, PA.

He graduated from Temple University with a degree in Film and Media Arts with an emphasis in Writing for Media. When not writing, he enjoys traveling (pre-pandemic), collecting disco compilations on vinyl, remodeling his haunted house with his husband, and embarking on the relentless quest of appeasing his Shiba Inu, Charlie.

In 2021 he was selected as a Lambda Literary Emerging Writers Fellow.

His debut Young Adult novel, ALL THAT’S LEFT IN THE WORLD, was published by HarperColllins/Balzer+Bray in the US and Hachette Children’s Group in the UK Commonwealth.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

All That’s Left in the World

All That’s Left in the World
LGBTQ, Science Fiction, 9780063054974
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

When Andrew stumbles upon Jamie's house, he's injured, starved, and has nothing left to lose. A deadly pathogen has killed off most of the world's population, including everyone both boys have ever loved. And if this new world has taught them anything, it's to be scared of what other desperate people will do . . . so why does it seem so easy for them to trust each other? After danger breaches their shelter, they flee south in search of civilization. But something isn't adding up about Andrew's story, and it could cost them everything. And Jamie has a secret, too. He's starting to feel something more than friendship for Andrew, adding another layer of fear and confusion to an already tumultuous journey. The road ahead of them is long, and to survive, they'll have to shed their secrets, face the consequences of their actions, and find the courage to fight for the future they desire, together. Only one thing feels certain: all that's left in their world is the undeniable pull they have toward each other.

Videos

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Erik answered most likely to wear pajamas every day for the rest of his life...and I proved them wrong! .

Other Fun Facts

  • I was once trapped in an elevator in a Philly skyscraper with 13 other people for four hours.
  • The best concert I've ever been to is Dolly Parton
  • I wrote the first draft of my debut novel, ALL THAT'S LEFT IN THE WORLD, in 2015 and it sold in March of 2020.
  • I collect disco compilations on vinyl.
  • I've probably watched the entire series of Buffy the Vampire Slayer over ten times.

Alex Aster

Alex  Aster

I’m the award-winning author of the Emblem Island series, the Lightlark series, and a graphic novel series. I recently graduated summa cum laude from UPenn, where I studied English. I am also a digital creator with over 100 million views on my videos, and have been featured on NBC News, Bustle, Teen Vogue, Glamour, Shondaland, and Good Morning America.

My debut Emblem Island: Curse of the Night Witch received starred reviews from Kirkus & Publishers Weekly, was on Good Morning America, was named a “Most-Anticipated Book of 2020” by Seventeen Magazine, was named one of the 20 Best Books of the Year So Far by Amazon, and was selected to be Barnes and Noble’s Book of the Month.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Lightlark: Lightlark Series (Book 1)

Lightlark: Lightlark Series (Book 1)
Fantasy, 9781419760860
Recommended for teens

Every 100 years, the island of Lightlark appears to host the Centennial, a deadly game that only the rulers of six realms are invited to play. The invitation is a summons—a call to embrace victory and ruin, baubles and blood. The Centennial offers the six rulers one final chance to break the curses that have plagued their realms for centuries. Each ruler has something to hide. Each realm’s curse is uniquely wicked. To destroy the curses, one ruler must die. Isla Crown is the young ruler of Wildling—a realm of temptresses cursed to kill anyone they fall in love with. They are feared and despised, and are counting on Isla to end their suffering by succeeding at the Centennial. To survive, Isla must lie, cheat, and betray…even as love complicates everything.

Curse of the Night Witch: Emblem Island Series (Book 1)

Curse of the Night Witch: Emblem Island Series (Book 1)
Fantasy, Middle School, 9781728232447
Recommended for teens

On Emblem Island all are born knowing their fate. Their lifelines show the course of their life and an emblem dictates how they will spend it. Twelve-year-old Tor Luna was born with a leadership emblem, just like his mother. But he hates his mark and is determined to choose a different path for himself. So, on the annual New Year's Eve celebration, where Emblemites throw their wishes into a bonfire in the hopes of having them granted, Tor wishes for a different power. The next morning Tor wakes up to discover a new marking on his skin...the symbol of a curse that has shortened his lifeline, giving him only a week before an untimely death. There is only one way to break the curse, and it requires a trip to the notorious Night Witch. With only his village's terrifying, ancient stories as a guide, and his two friends Engle and Melda by his side, Tor must travel across unpredictable Emblem Island, filled with wicked creatures he only knows through myths, in a race against his dwindling lifeline.

Curse of the Forgotten City: Emblem Island Series (Book 2)

Curse of the Forgotten City: Emblem Island Series (Book 2)
Fantasy, Middle School, 9781492697237
Recommended for teens

After unwillingly inheriting all of the Night Witch’s abilities, Tor Luna is the most powerful person on Emblem Island—though he doesn’t want power at all. Fresh from their last adventure, a girl from a forgotten underwater city named Vesper, with the same water-breathing emblem as Tor, washes ashore—with a warning. Pirates are coming to attack Emblem Island. Using the Night Witch’s enchanted ship, Tor, Melda, Engle, and Vesper set off on a dangerous journey to find the only thing that can save Emblem Island from the cursed Calavera pirates—a pearl, with the power to control the sea. But just like their first, this quest won’t be easy. In a race against time, they will face giant sea creatures, explore coastal cities teeming with assassins, and make alliances with conniving pirates—but knowing who to trust could prove to be the most dangerous part of all.

Videos

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Alex answered most likely to go to an Ivy League school.

Other Fun Facts

  • I'm an identical twin!
  • I have been writing books since I was 12.
  • I have over 130 million views on my TikTok videos.
  • I wrote 6 books before I was published.
  • I live in NYC, blocks away from my twin sister.

Kacen Callender

Kacen  Callender

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Rose Szabo

Rose  Szabo

Rose is no longer able to make it to this year's TBF. Check out the other authors coming this weekend!

Queer writer from Richmond, Virginia. Obsessed with horror, tabletop games, and material culture, particularly fashion. I’ve written some short stories about monsters and some essays about the intersection of gender, sexuality, and clothes.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

We All Fall Down: The River City Series (Book 1)

We All Fall Down: The River City Series (Book 1)
Fantasy, LGBTQ, 9780374314323
Recommended for teens

In River City, where magic used to thrive and is now fading, the witches who once ruled the city along with their powerful King have become all but obsolete. The city's crumbling government is now controlled primarily by the new university and teaching hospital, which has grown to take over half of the city. Moving between the decaying Old City and the ruthless New, four young queer people struggle with the daily hazards of life―work, school, dodging ruthless cops and unscrupulous scientists―not realizing that they have been selected to play in an age-old drama that revives the flow of magic through their world. When a mysterious death rocks their fragile peace, the four are brought into each other's orbits as they uncover a deeper magical conspiracy.

What Big Teeth

What Big Teeth
Fantasy, Horror, LGBTQ, 9780374314309
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

Eleanor Zarrin has been estranged from her wild family for years. When she flees boarding school after a horrifying incident, she goes to the only place she thinks is safe: the home she left behind. But when she gets there, she struggles to fit in with her monstrous relatives, who prowl the woods around the family estate and read fortunes in the guts of birds. Eleanor finds herself desperately trying to hold the family together — in order to save them all, Eleanor must learn to embrace her family of monsters and tame the darkness inside her.

Videos

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Rose answered I did run losing campaigns for both Senior Class President and Miss Brentsville District High School..

Other Fun Facts

  • I almost got suspended in high school for running a tabloid version of the school newspaper.
  • I love coffee, and am growing a coffee plant in my home.
  • My favorite book is Moby Dick, and I have a Moby Dick tattoo.
  • My best friend from high school is now my neighbor.
  • My favorite YA author growing up was Tamora Pierce.

Michael Northrop

Michael  Northrop

My name is Michael Northrop, and I am a writer living in New York City. I am the author of 14 books for young readers, including the multi-platform adventure series TombQuest. Book 1: Book of the Dead spent three weeks on the New York Times Bestseller list and was named one of the best children’s books of the year by the Los Angeles Public Library. I have written three young adult novels: Gentlemen (2009), which earned a Publishers Weekly Flying Start citation; Trapped (2011), an Indie Next List selection; and Rotten (2013), one of the Bank Street College of Education’s Best Books of the Year. My first middle grade novel, Plunked, was named one of the best children’s books of the year by both the New York Public Library and Bank Street and was selected by NPR for its Backseat Book Club. I have also written two graphic novels for DC Comics Kids: the critically acclaimed hit Dear Justice League and its nefarious sequel Dear DC Super-Villains. Altogether, my books have now sold more than one million copies!

I am originally from Salisbury, Connecticut, a small town in the foothills of the Berkshire mountains. It was a great place to grow up (to the extent that I did), falling out of trees, shooting BB guns at soda cans (and my brother), and kicking field goals for my high school football team.

Since moving to New York to attend NYU, I have worked at The World Almanac and Sports Illustrated Kids, where I was a senior editor for eight years. I have moonlighted as a standup comedian and earned a black belt. I’ve been to the Olympics, the Super Bowl, and spring training. My writing has appeared in Sports Illustrated, Sports Illustrated Kids, People Online, The New York Times Upfront, Notre Dame Review, McSweeney’s, Weird Tales, and many other places.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Teen Titans Go!: Undead?!

Teen Titans Go!: Undead?!
Graphic Novel, 9781779507853
Recommended for teens

Jump City is full of strange, shambling creatures muttering about sales and dead-set on brains. The Teen Titans saw a comet fall from the sky and can think of nowhere better to hang out and see what happens than the mall. If their theory is correct and people start turning into zombies, they want to be prepared—and we all know zombies love the mall! But as the situation grows ever more dire, Robin and his team take to the streets, trying to save the city from the bargain-hungry undead. But those zombies really bite: the cemetery isn’t safe, the H.I.V.E. Five are not alive, and his teammates are about to succumb to shopping fever! Can Robin keep it together long enough to cancel this apocalypse?

Trapped

Trapped
Realistic Fiction, 9780545210126
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

The day the blizzard started, no one knew that it was going to keep snowing for a week. That for those in its path, it would become not just a matter of keeping warm, but of staying alive. . . . Scotty and his friends Pete and Jason are among the last seven kids at their high school waiting to get picked up that day, and they soon realize that no one is coming for them. Still, it doesn't seem so bad to spend the night at school, especially when distractingly hot Krista and Julie are sleeping just down the hall. But then the power goes out, then the heat. The pipes freeze, and the roof shudders. As the days add up, the snow piles higher, and the empty halls grow colder and darker, the mounting pressure forces a devastating decision. . . .

Dear Justice League: Dear DC Series (Book 1)

Dear Justice League: Dear DC Series (Book 1)
Graphic Novel, Middle School, 9781401284138
Recommended for teens

The greatest heroes in the DC Comics universe, the Justice League, answer mail from their biggest fans--kids!--courtesy of Michael Northrop, New York Times bestselling author of TombQuest, and artist Gustavo Duarte. Does Superman ever make mistakes? What was Wonder Woman's eleventh birthday like? Does Aquaman smell like fish? In this new middle-grade graphic novel, iconic heroes are asked questions both big and small, and when they are not busy saving the world, the Justice League even finds time to respond. Their honest and humorous answers will surprise and delight readers of any age, as it turns out that being a superhero is not too different from being a kid. Full of feats, follies, and colorful illustrations, Dear Justice League gives readers the inside scoop into everyday heroics, no matter who wears the cape!

Dear DC Super-Villians: Dear DC Series (Book 2)

Dear DC Super-Villians: Dear DC Series (Book 2)
Graphic Novel, Middle School, 9781779500540
Recommended for teens

How did Gorilla Grodd get so smart? Did Harley Quinn ever try a career in comedy? Why does Catwoman always lose to Batman? Each chapter highlights members of the Legion of Doom in a sympathetic way that is relatable to kids. But look closely and you may notice the baddies are up to something big! Will the Justice League show up in time to stop them? You’ll have to write in to the Tip-line of Evil to find out!

Videos

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Michael answered most likely to break in a strong wind.

Other Fun Facts

  • I once stepped on a Yellowjacket nest and was stung 75+ times.
  • I am supposedly related to Jonathan Swift, who wrote Gulliver's Travels.
  • I was an all-conference placekicker (football) in high school.
  • I worked at Sports Illustrated Kids magazine for 12 years, the last five of those as baseball editor.
  • I have gone to the Super Bowl three times and the Olympics once.

Katherine Locke

Katherine  Locke

Katherine Locke lives and writes in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with their feline overlords and their addiction to chai lattes. They are the author of The Girl with the Red Balloon, a 2018 Sydney Taylor Honor Book and 2018 Carolyn W. Field Honor Book, as well as The Spy with the Red Balloon, and the forthcoming This Rebel Heart (April 2022). They are the co-editor and contributor to This is Our Rainbow: 16 Stories of Her, Him, Them and Us, which had three starred reviews and made Kirkus Review’s Best Middle Grade of 2021 list, as well as It's A Whole Spiel: Love, Latkes and Other Jewish Stories. They also contributed to Unbroken: 13 Stories Starring Disabled Teens and Out Now: Queer We Go Again. They are the author of picture books Bedtime for Superheroes, What Are Your Words? A Book About Pronouns, and the forthcoming Being Friends with Dragons (February 2022).

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

This Rebel Heart

This Rebel Heart
Fantasy, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, 9780593381243
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

In the middle of Budapest, there is a river. Csilla knows the river is magic. During WWII, the river kept her family safe when they needed it most--safe from the Holocaust. But that was before the Communists seized power. Before her parents were murdered by the Soviet police. Before Csilla knew things about her father's legacy that she wishes she could forget. Now Csilla keeps her head down, planning her escape from this country that has never loved her the way she loves it. But her carefully laid plans fall to pieces when her parents are unexpectedly, publicly exonerated. As the protests in other countries spur talk of a larger revolution in Hungary, Csilla must decide if she believes in the promise and magic of her deeply flawed country enough to risk her life to help save it, or if she should let it burn to the ground.

The Girl with the Red Balloon: (The Balloonmakers Series (Book 1)

The Girl with the Red Balloon: (The Balloonmakers Series (Book 1)
Historical Fiction, 9780807529331
Recommended for teens

When sixteen-year-old Ellie Baum accidentally time-travels via red balloon to 1988 East Berlin, she’s caught up in a conspiracy of history and magic. She meets members of an underground guild in East Berlin who use balloons and magic to help people escape over the Wall—but even to the balloon makers, Ellie’s time travel is a mystery. When it becomes clear that someone is using dark magic to change history, Ellie must risk everything—including her only way home—to stop the process.

The Spy with the Red Balloon: (The Balloonmakers Series (Book 2)

The Spy with the Red Balloon: (The Balloonmakers Series (Book 2)
Historical Fiction, 9780807529348
Recommended for teens

Siblings Ilse and Wolf hide a deep secret in their blood: with it, they can work magic. And the government just found out.Blackmailed into service during World War II, Ilse lends her magic to America’s newest weapon, the atom bomb, while Wolf goes behind enemy lines to sabotage Germany’s nuclear program. It’s a dangerous mission, but if Hitler were to create the bomb first, the results would be catastrophic. When Wolf’s plane is shot down, his entire mission is thrown into jeopardy. Wolf needs Ilse’s help to develop the magic that will keep him alive, but with a spy afoot in Ilse’s laboratory, the letters she sends to Wolf begin to look treasonous. Can Ilse prove her loyalty—and find a way to help her brother—before their time runs out?

Book Talks

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Katherine answered most likely to talk to you about horses.

Other Fun Facts

  • I've been to Chernobyl!
  • I grew up in the Mushroom Capital of the World (not THOSE mushrooms).
  • I've been riding horses for 25 years. Still a horse girl.
  • I wrote 8 or 9 books before the book that got me my first literary agent.
  • I wrote my first novel in the front row of my 9th grade science class--and still got a B.

Falynn Koch

Falynn  Koch

Hi, I'm Falynn! I'm comic book artist and illustrator living in Buffalo NY. I love Star Trek, my pets, cooking, baking, cultural anthropology, mythological animals, and taking very very very long walks.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

The National Parks: Preserving America's Wild Places: History Comics Series

The National Parks: Preserving America's Wild Places: History Comics Series
Graphic Novel, Middle School, 9781250265876
Recommended for teens

In this volume, The National Parks: Preserving America's Wild Places, turn back the clock to 1872, when Congress established Yellowstone National Park as an area of unspoiled beauty for the "benefit and enjoyment of the people." Meet the visionaries, artists, and lovers of the American wilderness who fought against corruption and self-interest to carve out and protect these spaces for future generations. See for yourself how the idea of National Parks began, how they've changed, and how they continue to define America.

Plagues: The Microscopic Battlefield: Science Comics Series

Plagues: The Microscopic Battlefield: Science Comics Series
Graphic Novel, Middle School, 9781626727533
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

Writer/illustrator Falynn Koch’s Science Comics: Plagues takes readers across the microscopic battlefield to get to know the critters behind history’s worst diseases. We delve into the biology and mechanisms of infections, diseases, and immunity, and also the incredible effect that technology and medical science have had on humanity’s ability to contain and treat disease.

Bake Like a Pro!: Maker Comics Series

Bake Like a Pro!: Maker Comics Series
Graphic Novel, Middle School, 9781250150059
Recommended for teens

Today is the first day of Sage's magical internship! Her fellow wizards-in-training get to study pyromancy and transfiguration, but Sage has been assigned an internship in...baking? She doesn't think that sounds fun, or particularly magical! But her instructor, Korian, insists that baking is a tasty form of alchemy. In an enchanted kitchen where the ingredients insist that you eat them, Sage learns the simple science behind baking--and that's the best kind of magic trick! In Bake Like a Pro!, you'll learn how different combination of proteins, fats, and liquids will result in textures that lend themselves to perfect pies, breads, cookies, and more! Follow these simple recipes, and you'll be able to bake a pizza and frost a cake--no magic necessary!

Videos

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Falynn answered biggest nerd.

Other Fun Facts

  • I owned and operated a mac and cheese food truck for 2 years
  • I used to barrel race horses as a kid
  • I briefly worked on a farm where I have to pluck turkeys by hand
  • I visited over 40 national parks in one year
  • I hiked 1,400 miles of trails in that year

Vincent Tirado

Vincent  Tirado

Five fun facts about Vincent:

Vincent owns a collection of ocarina’s they don’t know how to play.

They have a dead vampire bat encased in resin.

They own a Megalodon shark tooth.

Vincent crafts their own cosplay for Comic Cons.

They are a huge fan of cryptids.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Burn Down, Rise Up

Burn Down, Rise Up
Fantasy, LGBTQ, Mystery, 9781728246000
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

Mysterious disappearances. An urban legend rumored to be responsible. And one group of teens determined to save their city at any cost. For over a year, the Bronx has been plagued by sudden disappearances that no one can explain. Sixteen-year-old Raquel does her best to ignore it. After all, the police only look for the white kids. But when her crush Charlize's cousin goes missing, Raquel starts to pay attention—especially when her own mom comes down with a mysterious illness that seems linked to the disappearances. Raquel and Charlize team up to investigate, but they soon discover that everything is tied to a terrifying urban legend called the Echo Game. The game is rumored to trap people in a sinister world underneath the city, and the rules are based on a particularly dark chapter in New York's past. And if the friends want to save their home and everyone they love, they will have to play the game and destroy the evil at its heart—or die trying.

Videos

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Vincent answered I was voted Prom King in High School.

Other Fun Facts

  • I have a collection of ocarinas I don't know how to play.
  • I have a dead bat encased in resin.
  • I make my own cosplay.
  • I have a stuffed frog plush named Blorbo.
  • I voice act in several podcasts.

Jennifer Dugan

Jennifer  Dugan

Jennifer Dugan is an avid YA and comic writer that strives to create the stories that she wishes she had growing up. Her debut novel Hot Dog Girl was released April 30, 2019 from Penguin/Putnam. She is also the author of Verona Comics and the forthcoming novel Some Girls Do and graphic novel Coven.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Melt With You

Melt With You
LGBTQ, 9780593112564
Recommended for teens

Fallon and Chloe used to be best friends, but last summer they hooked up right before Chloe left for college, and after a series of misunderstandings they are now not speaking to one another. A year later, Chloe’s back home from school, and Fallon is doing everything in her power to avoid her--which is especially difficult because their moms own a business together, a gourmet ice cream truck where both girls work. When their moms have the opportunity to make a presentation to some venture capitalists in Texas--something that could seriously expand their business and solve all their money problems to boot--it's up to Fallon to work a series of food truck festivals across the country. But she can't do it alone, and Chloe is the only one available to help. As tensions heat up again between the two, will Fallon be able to keep her cool?

Some Girls Do

Some Girls Do
LGBTQ, 9780593112533
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

Morgan, an elite track athlete, is forced to transfer high schools late in her senior year after it turns out being queer is against her private Catholic school's code of conduct. There, she meets Ruby, who has two hobbies: tinkering with her baby blue 1970 Ford Torino and competing in local beauty pageants, the latter to live out the dreams of her overbearing mother. The two are drawn to each other and can't deny their growing feelings. But while Morgan--out and proud, and determined to have a fresh start--doesn't want to have to keep their budding relationship a secret, Ruby isn't ready to come out yet. With each girl on a different path toward living her truth, can they go the distance together?

Verona Comics

Verona Comics
LGBTQ, 9780525516286
Recommended for teens

Jubilee has it all together. She’s an elite cellist, and when she’s not working in her stepmom’s indie comic shop, she’s prepping for the biggest audition of her life. Ridley is barely holding it together. His parents own the biggest comic-store chain in the country, and Ridley can’t stop disappointing them—that is, when they’re even paying attention. They meet one fateful night at a comic convention prom, and the two can’t help falling for each other. Too bad their parents are at each other’s throats every chance they get, making a relationship between them nearly impossible…unless they manage to keep it a secret. Then again, the feud between their families may be the least of their problems. As Ridley’s anxiety spirals, Jubilee tries to help but finds her focus torn between her fast-approaching audition and their intensifying relationship. What if love can’t conquer all? What if each of them needs more than the other can give?

Videos

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Jennifer answered most likely to spend my lunch in the art room .

Other Fun Facts

  • I own over seventy house plants and equally love all of them.
  • I've never had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
  • I'm obsessed with horror movies and watch one nearly every night I'm home.
  • My family is so busy that most of my books are written and/or revised in the car. At this point, I do my best work in parking lots.
  • I love to dress up my cat LuLu, and I'm not even sorry. She's so used to it, she even lifts her paws up to help. (She's a very, very, good sport.)

Haley Neil

Haley  Neil

Haley is no longer able to make it to this year's TBF. Check out the other authors coming this weekend!

Haley Neil is the author of YA Novels ONCE MORE WITH CHUTZPAH (Bloomsbury / out now!) and PLANNING PERFECT (Bloomsbury / February 2023). She graduated from The New School, where she specialized in Writing for Children and Young Adults. She previously obtained her Masters in Education while working full time as a preschool teacher. 


Haley now spends her days writing and working in the children's department at her local library (when she isn't walking her fluffball of a rescue pup through their Massachusetts town). 

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Once More With Chutzpah

Once More With Chutzpah
LGBTQ, 9781547607099
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

When high school senior Tally and her twin brother Max head off on an exchange trip to Israel over their winter break, Tally thinks it will be a good distraction for Max; he might be trying to hide it, but she knows he's still struggling in the wake of a car crash that injured him and killed the driver. Maybe this will help him get back on track and apply to college the way he and Tally always planned. But as the group travels across the country, Tally realizes her plan might not be working, and that her brother might not be the only one with a lot on his mind. When a new relationship gets complicated in the face of her own anxiety-about her future, her sexual and romantic identity, and her place within the Jewish diaspora-Tally must grapple not only with the past, but also with what life will be like when they get back home. Debut author Haley Neil offers a relatable and deeply felt story about identity on the cusp of adulthood.

Interviews

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Haley answered most likely to succeed.

Other Fun Facts

  • I spent half of undergrad outside of the US (three semesters in London and one in Florence!)
  • I have two masters degrees—one in Education and one in Writing for Children and Young Adults
  • I adopted my rescue dog two weeks before the pandemic lockdowns
  • I’m learning to knit and took on the (possibly too ambitious) project of making a rainbow blanket
  • My driver’s license road test is next week!

Katie Zhao

Katie  Zhao

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Julian Randall

Julian  Randall

Julian Randall is a Living Queer Black poet from Chicago. He has received fellowships from Cave Canem, CantoMundo, Callaloo, BOAAT and the Watering Hole. Julian is the recipient of a Pushcart Prize. Julian is the winner of the 2019 Betty Berzon Emerging Writer Award from the Publishing Triangle.

His writing has been published in New York Times Magazine, Ploughshares, and POETRY, and anthologized in Black Boy Joy (which debuted at #1 on the NYT Best Seller list), Wild Tongues Can’t Be Tamed and Furious Flower.

He has essays in The Atlantic, Vibe Magazine, Los Angeles Review of Books, and other venues. He holds an MFA in Poetry from Ole Miss.

He is the author of Refuse (Pitt, 2018), winner of the 2017 Cave Canem Poetry Prize and a finalist for a 2019 NAACP Image Award, as well as the middle grade novel Pilar Ramirez And The Escape from Zafa (Holt, Winter 2022), and The Dead Don’t Need Reminding: Essays (Bold Type Books, Spring 2023).

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Pilar Ramirez and the Escape from Zafa: Pilar Ramirez Series (Book 1)

Pilar Ramirez and the Escape from Zafa: Pilar Ramirez Series (Book 1)
Fantasy, 9781250774101
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

Twelve-year-old Pilar Violeta “Purp” Ramirez’s world is changing, and she doesn’t care for it one bit. Her Chicago neighborhood is gentrifying and her chores have doubled since her sister, Lorena, left for college. The only constant is Abuela and Mami’s code of silence around her cousin Natasha—who vanished in the Dominican Republic fifty years ago during the Trujillo dictatorship. When Pilar hears that Lorena’s professor studies such disappearances, she hops on the next train to take matters into her own hands. After snooping around the professor's empty office, she discovers a folder with her cousin’s name on it . . . and gets sucked into the blank page within. She lands on Zafa, an island swarming with coconut-shaped demons, butterfly shapeshifters, and a sinister magical prison where her cousin is being held captive. Pilar will have to go toe-to-toe with the fearsome Dominican boogeyman, El Cuco, if she has any hope of freeing Natasha and getting back home.

Videos

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Julian answered I won "Always at School".

Other Fun Facts

  • The first thing I ever felt proud of writing was a slam poem about the Old Spice Man, this was also how I asked my date to prom senior year
  • Pilar would have been my name if I had been born my mother's daughter
  • Me and Pilar are from the same block, her house in the book is a slight variation on the house that was across the street from mine
  • My favorite thing to do when not writing is listen to an audiobook and play 2k
  • I went to school with Michael Jordan's daughter for a semester of 3rd grade, we had crushes on each other but I was mostly oblivious to this fact

Sona Charaipotra

Sona  Charaipotra

Sona is no longer able to make it to this year's TBF. Check out the other authors coming this weekend!

Sona Charaipotra is author of the doc dramedy Symptoms of a Heartbreak and co-author of the YA dance duology Tiny Pretty Things, a 2020 Netflix original series. A former People reporter, she's writes for publications like the NYTimes and Cosmopolitan, and co-founded CAKE Literary, a boutique book packager focused on delicious, diverse reads. She has a masters in screenwriting from NYU and MFA in fiction from New School. Next up: How Maya Got Fierce and The Rumor Game.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

How Maya Got Fierce

How Maya Got Fierce
Realistic Fiction, 9781250762139
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

Ever since she was little, farmer's daughter Maya Gera has known what her future holds. The heiress to a mini garlic empire in the heart of Gilroy, California, she's meant to be a good Indian girl -- which means agriculture school, an MBA, and settling down with a suitable Sikh boy. So spending her 17th summer at cow camp in New Jersey is a really big deal. Farm kids nationwide convene to learn to milk cows, shuck corn, and, uh, form 'strategic alliances.' But when Maya gets kicked out of camp after an expensive accident -- yes, it involves a boy -- she scrambles to save face and keep her parents from finding out. Hard to do when she owes the school thousands of dollars. Desperate to earn enough to pay off her mistake, Maya interviews for an internship at Fierce, a fashion magazine she's been obsessed with forever. When she lands a gig as assistant features editor, it's a New York City dream come true. Especially because she rocks at it. But it might soon become her worst nightmare -- because the Fierce folks think she's 26. And just wait until her parents find out.

The Rumor Game

The Rumor Game
Mystery, 9781368014144
Recommended for teens

All it takes is one spark to start a blaze. At Foxham Prep, a posh private school for the children of DC’s elite, a single rumor has the power to ruin a life. Nobody knows that better than Bryn. She used to have it all—the perfect boyfriend, a bright future in politics, and even popularity, thanks to her best friend, cheer captain Cora. Then one mistake sparked a scandal that burned it all to the ground. Now it’s the start of a new school year and the spotlight has shifted: It’s geeky Georgie, newly hot after a summer makeover, whose name is on everyone’s lips. When a rumor ignites, Georgie rockets up the school’s social hierarchy, pitting her and Cora against each other. It grants her Foxham stardom . . . but it also makes her a target. As the rumors grow and morph, blazing like wildfire through the school’s social media, all three girls’ lives begin to unravel. But one person close to the drama has the power to stop the gossip in its tracks. The question is—do they even want to?

Tiny Pretty Things: Tiny Pretty Things Series (Book 1)

Tiny Pretty Things: Tiny Pretty Things Series (Book 1)
Mystery, Realistic Fiction, 9780062342393
Recommended for teens

Black Swan meets Pretty Little Liars in this soapy, drama-packed novel featuring diverse characters who will do anything to be the prima at their elite ballet school. From the New York Times-bestselling author of The Belles, Dhonielle Clayton, and the author of the highly anticipated Symptoms of a Heartbreak, Sona Charaipotra. Gigi, Bette, and June, three top students at an exclusive Manhattan ballet school, have seen their fair share of drama. Free-spirited new girl Gigi just wants to dance—but the very act might kill her. Privileged New Yorker Bette's desire to escape the shadow of her ballet-star sister brings out a dangerous edge in her. And perfectionist June needs to land a lead role this year or her controlling mother will put an end to her dancing dreams forever. When every dancer is both friend and foe, the girls will sacrifice, manipulate, and backstab to be the best of the best.

Shiny Broken Pieces: Tiny Pretty Things Series (Book 2)

Shiny Broken Pieces: Tiny Pretty Things Series (Book 2)
Mystery, Realistic Fiction, 9780062342423
Recommended for teens

June, Bette, and Gigi have given their all to dance at Manhattan’s most elite ballet school. Now they are competing one final time for a spot at the prestigious American Ballet Company. With the stakes higher than ever, these girls have everything to lose… and no one is playing nice. June is starting to finally see herself as a prima ballerina. However, getting what she wants might cost her everything—including the only boy she’s ever loved. Legacy dancer Bette is determined to clear her name after she was suspended and accused of hurting her rival, Gigi. Even if she returns, though, will she ever regain the spotlight she craves? And Gigi is not going to let Bette—or the other dancers who bullied her—go unpunished. But as revenge consumes her, Gigi may be the one who pays the price. After years of grueling auditions, torn ribbons, and broken hearts, it all comes down to this last dance. Who will make the cut? And who will lose her dream forever?

Videos

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Sona answered flightiest.

Other Fun Facts

  • I make really kickass adraki chai.
  • I love old Bollywood movies.
  • My favorite color is peacock blue and I have a peacock blue velvet couch. (With a chaise!) Also: Peacocks are known to be very dumb animals.
  • How Maya Got Fierce is based on my own experiences in the magazine world, where I started as an intern at 19 -- and where I still work today.
  • In the book, Maya spends a lot of her time eating -- and so do most of my other protagonists. What I've realized is that I always write hungry girls, in all the ways. They're always chasing something. But especially with their kati roll and samosa cravings.

Ellen Hagan

Ellen  Hagan

Ellen Hagan is a writer, performer, and educator. Her books include: Crowned, Hemisphere, Watch Us Rise, a YA collaboration with Renée Watson, Blooming Fiascoes, Reckless, Glorious, Girl and Don’t Call Me a Hurricane (YA novel in verse forthcoming from Bloomsbury, 2022.) Ellen's poems and essays can be found on ESPNW, Creative Nonfiction, Underwired Magazine, She Walks in Beauty (edited by Caroline Kennedy), Huizache, Small Batch, and Southern Sin. Ellen's performance work has been showcased at The New York International Fringe and Los Angeles Women's Theater Festival. She is the recipient of the 2020 New York Foundation for the Arts fellowing in poetry, the 2013 NoMAA Creative Arts Grant and received grants from the Kentucky Foundation for Women and the Kentucky Governor's School for the Arts. National arts residencies include The Hopscotch House in Louisville, Kentucky and Louisiana Arts Works. Ellen is Head of the Poetry & Theatre Departments at the DreamYard Project and directs their International Poetry Exchange Program with Japan, South Korea and the Philippines. She is on faculty in the low residency MFA program at Spalding University and co-leads the Alice Hoffman Young Writer's Retreat at Adelphi University. A proud Kentucky writer, Ellen is a member of the Affrilachian Poets, Conjure Women, and is co-founder of the girlstory collective. She lives with her partner and children in New York City. 

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Don't Call Me a Hurricane

Don't Call Me a Hurricane
Verse, 9781547609161
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

It's been five years since a hurricane ravaged Eliza Marino's life and home in her quiet town on the Jersey shore. Now a senior in high school, Eliza is passionate about fighting climate change-starting with saving Clam Cove Reserve, an area of marshland that is scheduled to be turned into buildable lots. Protecting the island helps Eliza deal with her lingering trauma from the storm, but she still can't shake the fear that something will come along and wash out her life once again. When Eliza meets Milo Harris at a party, she tries to hate him. Milo is one of the rich tourists who flock to the island every summer. But after Eliza reluctantly agrees to give Milo surfing lessons, she can't help falling for him. Still, Eliza's not sure if she's ready to risk letting an outsider into the life she's rebuilt. Especially once she discovers that Milo is keeping a devastating secret.

Reckless, Glorious, Girl

Reckless, Glorious, Girl
Middle School, 9781547604609
Recommended for teens

Beatrice Miller may have a granny's name (her granny's, to be more specific), but she adores her Mamaw and her mom, who give her every bit of wisdom and love they have. But the summer before seventh grade, Bea wants more than she has, aches for what she can't have, and wonders what the future will bring. This novel in verse follows Beatrice through the ups and downs of friendships, puberty, and identity as she asks: Who am I? Who will I become? And will my outside ever match the way I feel on the inside?

Watch Us Rise

Watch Us Rise
Verse, 9781547600083
Recommended for teens

Jasmine and Chelsea are sick of the way women are treated even at their progressive NYC high school, so they decide to start a Women's Rights Club. They post everything online—poems, essays, videos of Chelsea performing her poetry, and Jasmine's response to the racial macroaggressions she experiences—and soon they go viral. But with such positive support, the club is also targeted by online trolls. When things escalate, the principal shuts the club down. Jasmine and Chelsea will risk everything for their voices—and those of other young women—to be heard.

Videos

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Ellen answered most dramatic - and I was!.

Other Fun Facts

  • I played Rizzo in my senior class production of Grease in 1997! We had soooo much fun!
  • I direct the International Poetry Exchange Program and work with students in the United States, Japan, Korea and the Philippines.
  • I learned to swim when I was two years old and have never stopped loving being in water - pools or oceans or lakes or all!
  • I have never met a food that I didn't like. I eat all and everything.
  • I won a hula hoop contest at Tortilla Flats in New York City on my 23rd birthday.

Kathryn Rider

Kathryn  Rider
Awesome teen author!

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Our Wendy

Our Wendy
Fantasy, 9781731271735
Recommended for teens

Peter has lived in the Kielder forest for six years now. Scarred by the secrets of his cruel and buried past, he has stolen and survived with the boys around him for as long as he wants to remember. His most treasured possession is what creates his fantasy: the beloved story of Peter and Wendy. In his head, he has it all. He lives the life of the very fairytale character he looks up to, is surrounded by lost boys, and every morning awakes to a rising sun. There is only one thing missing: A Miss Wendy Darling. Ever Kingsley has lived the simple life of a wealthy, upscale 1950’s girl. It’s everything that she can remember, and everything she doesn’t want. Confined by the obsessive controlling manners of her mother, she longs for any life that isn’t hers. So when a pretty, bright-eyed girl in a blue dress stumbles into the clearing of Peter’s camp, he is determined to keep her by any means possible. His only hope is that his so-called Wendy will come to love yet another life that is forced into the palms of her hands.

Manasi Patil

Manasi  Patil
Awesome teen author!

I am Manasi Patil, a 15 year old author, blogger, reviewer, poet, space enthusiast,... you know, I could keep going on about this, 'cause I love doing so many things. 

So, to describe in two words, I'm a huge, huge astrophile and a massive ginormous bibliophile (see, that's much simpler) 

I started writing when I was about 5, and haven't stopped since. 

My journey in the writer's world is quite an unexpected one, maybe I'll share it sometime in the near future. 

I'm an avid reader and author, so I also know the art of reviewing, and I love recommending people books! 

 Keep Reading and Dreaming!

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

The Cousins Crime

The Cousins Crime
Manga, 9781648997723
Recommended for teens

This Summer, nothing is safe at the Glazer's Bakery. Not even the bakery itself! It's summer vacation for Krisha. Being selected as the 'Summer Detective', she can't wait to carry out her duties. When, on an usual visit to the bakery, the cash register is robbed, it prompts the owner, Sneha Kaur to tell Krisha about the other sinister threats and happenings going on in the bakery. Disguised as a waitress, Krisha tries to figure out who's behind the vicious accidents. And as they get more devastating, Krisha realizes that she needs to move quickly. Although it's the first real life mystery the 17-year-old will be solving, her efficiency doesn't show it at all. Will her sleuthing skills be enough to save the Glazer's Bakery from closing down? That too, within three days?

Why Ignore Them?

Why Ignore Them?
Non-Fiction
Recommended for teens

Never noticed before! People are trying to solve many global issues. But what if some major problems have just been ignored? There are some issues that are not the ones which first come to our mind when thinking of world problems. These can be solved only through right actions. What are those? Well, find out! In ‘Why Ignore Them?’ you will find- - The 9 majorly ignored problems. - Solutions to many of them. - How to avoid the issues. - Why are they a great threat to us. - Extra knowledge, which is brand new! (and who doesn’t want something new, curious and interest-piquing in today’s world?!) (In this book, I try to highlight all the dangers of how we aren’t taking care of our planet, and also include suggestions to improve the situations.)

Helpful Links

Videos

Emerson Ormond

Emerson  Ormond
Awesome teen author!

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Our Wendy

Our Wendy
Fantasy, 9781731271735
Recommended for teens

Peter has lived in the Kielder forest for six years now. Scarred by the secrets of his cruel and buried past, he has stolen and survived with the boys around him for as long as he wants to remember. His most treasured possession is what creates his fantasy: the beloved story of Peter and Wendy. In his head, he has it all. He lives the life of the very fairytale character he looks up to, is surrounded by lost boys, and every morning awakes to a rising sun. There is only one thing missing: A Miss Wendy Darling. Ever Kingsley has lived the simple life of a wealthy, upscale 1950’s girl. It’s everything that she can remember, and everything she doesn’t want. Confined by the obsessive controlling manners of her mother, she longs for any life that isn’t hers. So when a pretty, bright-eyed girl in a blue dress stumbles into the clearing of Peter’s camp, he is determined to keep her by any means possible. His only hope is that his so-called Wendy will come to love yet another life that is forced into the palms of her hands.

Gwyneth Puryear

Gwyneth  Puryear
Awesome teen author!

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Kayla Quick

Kayla  Quick
Awesome teen author!

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Jared's Path

Jared's Path
Realistic Fiction
Recommended for teens

Jared is a normal 14 year old boy- at least he was until the night he watched his father get murdered by a robber. Jared himself was shot and he when he woke up at the hospital he was very careful to avoid seeming unstable but how long could he hold it together? Jared started having flashbacks to that night and they soon were all he could think about. How long could Jared hide his flashbacks? What did they mean? Was Jared losing his mind or was this normal?

Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan

Erika Moen and Matthew  Nolan

Erika Moen is a freelance cartoonist born June 25, 1983 and graduated with an Illustrated Storytelling self-designed degree from Pitzer College in 2006. She lives in Portland, Oregon where she has been a member of Helioscope since 2008. Having created comics for well over a decade, her work has been published by Dark Horse, Image, Villard and Scholastic, among many others. In addition to creating comics, she also regularly teaches classes and guest lectures on the subject in high schools and colleges around the country. She is best known for her completed autobiographical comic DAR!

Matthew Nolan is wise beyond his years. He's been helping make sex education comics for the past five years and still looks great doing it. He lives in Portland with his wife Erika Moen, and cat Flapjack, who doesn't contribute to the comics at all, despite living off of the proceeds. Lazy, if you ask me. Matt's almost entirely grey, despite only being in his 30s!

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Let's Talk About It: The Teen's Guide to Sex, Relationships, and Being a Human

Let's Talk About It: The Teen's Guide to Sex, Relationships, and Being a Human
Graphic Novel, Non-Fiction, 9781984893147
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

Growing up is complicated. How do you find the answers to all the questions you have about yourself, about your identity, and about your body? Let's Talk About It provides a comprehensive, thoughtful, well-researched graphic novel guide to everything you need to know. Covering relationships, friendships, gender, sexuality, anatomy, body image, safe sex, sexting, jealousy, rejection, sex education, and more, Let's Talk About It is the go-to handbook for every teen, and the first in graphic novel form.

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Erika Moen and Matthew answered most likely to become a cartoonist.

Other Fun Facts

  • Matt's hair started graying at age 10.
  • Erika sneezes three times in a row.
  • Our cat is named Tig.
  • Erika was a contestant on a reality TV show in 2013 (She made it exactly halfway through).
  • Both Erika and Matt are the oldest of their siblings.

Matthew Nolan

Matthew  Nolan

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Let's Talk About It: The Teen's Guide to Sex, Relationships, and Being a Human

Let's Talk About It: The Teen's Guide to Sex, Relationships, and Being a Human
Graphic Novel, Non-Fiction, 9781984893147
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

Growing up is complicated. How do you find the answers to all the questions you have about yourself, about your identity, and about your body? Let's Talk About It provides a comprehensive, thoughtful, well-researched graphic novel guide to everything you need to know. Covering relationships, friendships, gender, sexuality, anatomy, body image, safe sex, sexting, jealousy, rejection, sex education, and more, Let's Talk About It is the go-to handbook for every teen, and the first in graphic novel form.

Kiersten White

Kiersten  White

Kiersten White is the New York Times bestselling and Bram Stoker award-winning author of the And I Darken trilogy, the Paranormalcy trilogy, The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein, Slayer, The Guinevere Deception, and many other novels. Kiersten lives with her family in sunny San Diego, California, where she perpetually lurks in the shadows. Visit her at www.kierstenwhite.com.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

The Guinevere Deception: Camelot Rising series (Book 1)

The Guinevere Deception: Camelot Rising series (Book 1)
Fantasy, 9780525581680
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

Princess Guinevere has come to Camelot to wed a stranger: the charismatic King Arthur. With magic clawing at the kingdom's borders, the great wizard Merlin conjured a solution--send in Guinevere to be Arthur's wife . . . and his protector from those who want to see the young king's idyllic city fail. The catch? Guinevere's real name--and her true identity--is a secret. She is a changeling, a girl who has given up everything to protect Camelot. To keep Arthur safe, Guinevere must navigate a court in which the old--including Arthur's own family--demand things continue as they have been, and the new--those drawn by the dream of Camelot--fight for a better way to live. And always, in the green hearts of forests and the black depths of lakes, magic lies in wait to reclaim the land. Arthur's knights believe they are strong enough to face any threat, but Guinevere knows it will take more than swords to keep Camelot free. Deadly jousts, duplicitous knights, and forbidden romances are nothing compared to the greatest threat of all: the girl with the long black hair, riding on horseback through the dark woods toward Arthur. Because when your whole existence is a lie, how can you trust even yourself?

The Camelot Betrayal: Camelot Rising series (Book 2)

The Camelot Betrayal: Camelot Rising series (Book 2)
Fantasy, 9780525581734
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

EVERYTHING IS AS IT SHOULD BE IN CAMELOT: King Arthur is expanding his kingdom’s influence with Queen Guinevere at his side. Yet every night, dreams of darkness and unknowable power plague her. Guinevere might have accepted her role, but she still cannot find a place for herself in all of it. The closer she gets to Brangien, pining for her lost love Isolde, Lancelot, fighting to prove her worth as Queen’s knight, and Arthur, everything to everyone and thus never quite enough for Guinevere–the more she realizes how empty she is. She has no sense of who she truly was before she was Guinevere. The more she tries to claim herself as queen, the more she wonders if Mordred was right: she doesn’t belong. She never will. When a rescue goes awry and results in the death of something precious, a devastated Guinevere returns to Camelot to find the greatest threat yet has arrived. Not in the form of the Dark Queen or an invading army, but in the form of the real Guinevere’s younger sister. Is her deception at an end? And who is she really deceiving–Camelot, or herself?

Interviews

Videos

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Kiersten answered always has something to say because I was known for being VERY political and would never back down from a debate. But they put it in the yearbook as Won't Shut Up....

Other Fun Facts

  • I'm 4'11.
  • I have a pet tortoise.
  • I sing alto and can sight read sheet music.
  • I could have gotten a letterman's jacket in high school from medaling in Academic Decathalon--my sport was literally taking tests.
  • Pedro Pascal, aka The Mandalorian, once blocked my car in at Comic-Con so I had to sit and stare at him while he took photos and signed autographs. It wasn't a very annoying task.

Ray Stoeve

Ray  Stoeve

They received a 2016-2017 Made at Hugo House Fellowship for their young adult fiction and were selected to attend the inaugural Tin House YA Workshop in 2019 and the 2020 Tin House Summer Workshop for adult fiction. They created the YA/MG Trans and Nonbinary Voices Masterlist, a database that tracks all books in those age categories written by trans authors about trans characters.

They are a contributor to Take The Mic: Fictional Stories of Everyday Resistance (Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic Books). Their first young adult novel, Between Perfect and Real, will be published by Amulet Books on April 13, 2021, with a second standalone novel to follow.

When they’re not writing, they can be found gardening, making art in other mediums, or hiking their beloved Pacific Northwest.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Between Perfect and Real

Between Perfect and Real
LGBTQ, Realistic Fiction, 9781419746017
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

Dean Foster knows he’s a trans guy. He’s watched enough YouTube videos and done enough questioning to be sure. But everyone at his high school thinks he’s a lesbian—including his girlfriend Zoe, and his theater director, who just cast him as a “nontraditional” Romeo. He wonders if maybe it would be easier to wait until college to come out. But as he plays Romeo every day in rehearsals, Dean realizes he wants everyone to see him as he really is now––not just on the stage, but everywhere in his life. Dean knows what he needs to do. Can playing a role help Dean be his true self?

Interviews

Videos

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Ray answered most changed..

Other Fun Facts

  • I once ate a rattlesnake.
  • I published my first poem at age 12 in my school's literary journal.
  • When I was in middle school, I had 18 Britney Spears posters on my wall.
  • In addition to being a writer, I am also a musician and film photographer.
  • I am the proud plant parent of 41 houseplants and succulents.

Joan F. Smith

Joan F. Smith

Joan F. Smith lives with her family in Massachusetts. She received her MFA in creative writing from Emerson College, and has written articles for The Washington Post and Thought Catalog on destigmatizing discussions around mental health and suicide prevention. Joan works in higher education and is a dance instructor. The Half-Orphan's Handbook is her debut novel.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

The Half-Orphan's Handbook

The Half-Orphan's Handbook
Realistic Fiction, 9781250624680
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

It’s been three months since Lila lost her father to suicide. Since then, she’s learned to protect herself from pain by following two unbreakable rules: 1. The only people who can truly hurt you are the ones you love. Therefore, love no one. 2. Stay away from liars. Liars are the worst. But when Lila’s mother sends her to a summer-long grief camp, it’s suddenly harder for Lila to follow these rules. Potential new friends and an unexpected crush threaten to drag her back into life for the first time since her dad’s death. On top of everything, there’s more about what happened that Lila doesn’t know, and facing the truth about her family will be the hardest part of learning how a broken heart can love again.

Interviews

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Joan answered the best friend.

Other Fun Facts

  • I'm a choreographer/dance teacher! I teach jazz, contemporary and hip hop to all ages, plus ballet and tap to elementary school kids.
  • I skipped a grade (half of kindergarten/half of first).
  • I have a café au lait birthmark that covers approximately 15% of my body.
  • When I was seventeen, I danced in the Probowl Halftime Show in Hawaii.
  • I have 23 "direct" aunts and uncles, NOT including their spouses/partners. (My dad was one of 15, and my mom is one of 10.) I have an unlimited number of first cousins (75+.)

Alyssa Sheinmel

Alyssa  Sheinmel

I was born in Stanford, California, and even though I moved across the country to New York when I was six years old, I still think of myself as a California girl.

I still remember the very first chapter book I ever read—The One in the Middle is the Green Kangaroo, by Judy Blume.  Before long, reading was my favorite thing in the world.  I loved it so much that when there was nothing to read, I wrote my own stories just to give myself something to read.  And when there was no pen and paper to be had, I just made up stories in my head.

When I was eleven years old, I began going to a new school in New York City.  The teachers there were very supportive of my reading and writing.  One teacher there encouraged me to read more F. Scott Fitzgerald, and another introduced me to magical realism, and another tried to convince me that there was more to Ernest Hemingway than lessons in fly fishing.  (She was right, of course!)  And still another teacher let me write a sequel to one of my favorite novels and call it a school project, even though it was the sort of thing I would have done just for the fun of it.

After high school, I attended Barnard College, where I was lucky enough to have more wonderful teachers encouraging me to write and introducing me to new authors.  One of my favorite professors told me to read Joan Didion (who quickly became one of my all-time favorite writers), and another beloved professor insisted that there was nothing more to Ernest Hemingway than lessons in fly fishing (and I argued with her a lot about that).

After college, I worked at a literary agency, and then for a long time in the marketing department at a publishing house.  I wrote my first few books—The Beautiful Between, The Lucky Kind, and The Stone Girl—in the evenings and on the weekends.  No matter how busy I was, I was lucky enough to find time to write.  I loved my old job, but eventually I knew it was time to try to be a full-time writer—and (so far!), I’ve never wanted to be anything else.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

The Castle School: For Troubled Girls

The Castle School: For Troubled Girls
Mystery, 9781728220987
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

When Moira Dreyfuss's parents announce that they're sending her to an all-girls boarding school deep in the Maine woods, Moira isn't fooled. She knows her parents are punishing her; she's been too much trouble since her best friend, Nathan, died―and for a while before that. At the Castle School, isolated from the rest of the world, Moira will be expected to pour her heart out to the odd headmaster, Dr. Prince. But she isn't interested in getting over Nathan's death or befriending her fellow students. On her first night there, Moira hears distant music. On her second, she discovers the lock on her window is broken. On her third, she and her roommate venture outside...and learn that they're not so isolated after all. There's another, very different, Castle School nearby―this one filled with boys whose parents sent them away, too. Moira is convinced that the Castle Schools and the doctors who run them are hiding something. But exploring the schools will force Moira to confront her overwhelming grief―and the real reasons her parents sent her away.

A Danger to Herself and Others

A Danger to Herself and Others
Mystery, Realistic Fiction, 9781492667247
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

Four walls. One window. No way to escape. Hannah knows there's been a mistake. She didn't need to be institutionalized. What happened to her roommate at her summer program was an accident. As soon as the doctors and judge figure out that she isn't a danger to herself or others, she can go home to start her senior year. In the meantime, she is going to use her persuasive skills to get the staff on her side. Then Lucy arrives. Lucy has her own baggage. And she may be the only person who can get Hannah to confront the dangerous games and secrets that landed her in confinement in the first place.

What Kind of Girl

What Kind of Girl
LGBTQ, Realistic Fiction, 9781492667278
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

The girls at North Bay Academy are taking sides. It all started when Mike Parker's girlfriend showed up with a bruise on her face. Or, more specifically, when she walked into the principal's office and said Mike hit her. But her classmates have questions. Why did she go to the principal and not the police? Why did she stay with Mike if he was hurting her? Obviously, if it's true, Mike should face the consequences. But is it true? Some girls want to rally for Mike’s expulsion—and some want to rally around Mike. As rumors about what really happened spread, the students at North Bay Academy will question what it means to be guilty or innocent, right or wrong.

Videos

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Alyssa answered most likely to be seen reading in between classes.

Other Fun Facts

  • I wrote my college admissions essay about Ann M. Martin's The Baby-Sitter's Club.
  • I worked in publishing before I began writing full-time.
  • The first chapter book I ever read was Judy Blume's The One in the Middle is the Green Kangaroo.
  • I'm originally from California. (Which is why so many of my books take place there!)
  • I always read at least a few pages before I write each day.

Brittney Morris

Brittney  Morris

Hi, my name is Brittney Morris. I'm the author of SLAY, THE COST OF KNOWING, MARVEL'S SPIDER-MAN: MILES MORALES  - WINGS OF FURY, and I've written for video games including The Lost Legends of Redwall and Subnautica: Below Zero. I have a BA in economics from Boston University and I spend my spare time reading, playing indie video games, and enjoying the rain from my home in Philly. I live with my husband Steven who would rather enjoy the rain from a campsite in the woods because he hasn't played enough horror games.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

The Cost of Knowing

The Cost of Knowing
Fantasy, Science Fiction, 9781534445451
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

Sixteen-year-old Alex Rufus is trying his best. He tries to be the best employee he can be at the local ice cream shop; the best boyfriend he can be to his amazing girlfriend, Talia; the best protector he can be over his little brother, Isaiah. But as much as Alex tries, he often comes up short. It’s hard to for him to be present when every time he touches an object or person, Alex sees into its future. When he touches a scoop, he has a vision of him using it to scoop ice cream. When he touches his car, he sees it years from now, totaled and underwater. When he touches Talia, he sees them at the precipice of breaking up, and that terrifies him. Alex feels these visions are a curse, distracting him, making him anxious and unable to live an ordinary life. And when Alex touches a photo that gives him a vision of his brother’s imminent death, everything changes. With Alex now in a race against time, death, and circumstances, he and Isaiah must grapple with their past, their future, and what it means to be a young Black man in America in the present.

Slay

Slay
Science Fiction, 9781534445420
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

By day, seventeen-year-old Kiera Johnson is an honors student, a math tutor, and one of the only Black kids at Jefferson Academy. But at home, she joins hundreds of thousands of Black gamers who duel worldwide as Nubian personas in the secret multiplayer online role-playing card game, SLAY. No one knows Kiera is the game developer, not her friends, her family, not even her boyfriend, Malcolm, who believes video games are partially responsible for the "downfall of the Black man." But when a teen in Kansas City is murdered over a dispute in the SLAY world, news of the game reaches mainstream media, and SLAY is labeled a racist, exclusionist, violent hub for thugs and criminals. Even worse, an anonymous troll infiltrates the game, threatening to sue Kiera for "anti-white discrimination." Driven to save the only world in which she can be herself, Kiera must preserve her secret identity and harness what it means to be unapologetically Black in a world intimidated by Blackness. But can she protect her game without losing herself in the process?

Interviews

Videos

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Brittney answered most likely to become a rapper. I wrote a few raps I'm not proud of back then..

Other Fun Facts

  • I was a barista for 7 years.
  • I've wanted to be a writer since I was 9.
  • When traveling, I pack ultralight (usually just one backpack and nothing else).
  • I'm a minimalist.
  • I love watching historical catastrophe documentaries.

Karen M. McManus

Karen M. McManus

Karen M. McManus is the #1 New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying, Two Can Keep a Secret, One of Us Is Next, and The Cousins. Her work has been translated into more than 40 languages worldwide. Karen lives in Massachusetts and holds a master's degree in Journalism from Northeastern University, which she mostly uses to draft fake news stories for her novels.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

The Cousins

The Cousins
Mystery, 9780525708018
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah Story are cousins, but they barely know each another, and they've never even met their grandmother. Rich and reclusive, she disinherited their parents before they were born. So when they each receive a letter inviting them to work at her island resort for the summer, they're surprised... and curious. Their parents are all clear on one point—not going is not an option. This could be the opportunity to get back into Grandmother's good graces. But when the cousins arrive on the island, it's immediately clear that she has different plans for them. And the longer they stay, the more they realize how mysterious—and dark—their family's past is. The entire Story family has secrets. Whatever pulled them apart years ago isn't over—and this summer, the cousins will learn everything.

Two Can Keep a Secret

Two Can Keep a Secret
Mystery, 9781524714727
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

Echo Ridge is small-town America. Ellery's never been there, but she's heard all about it. Her aunt went missing there at age seventeen. And only five years ago, a homecoming queen put the town on the map when she was killed. Now Ellery has to move there to live with a grandmother she barely knows. The town is picture-perfect, but it's hiding secrets. And before school even begins for Ellery, someone's declared open season on homecoming, promising to make it as dangerous as it was five years ago. Then, almost as if to prove it, another girl goes missing. Ellery knows all about secrets. Her mother has them; her grandmother does too. And the longer she's in Echo Ridge, the clearer it becomes that everyone there is hiding something. The thing is, secrets are dangerous--and most people aren't good at keeping them. Which is why in Echo Ridge, it's safest to keep your secrets to yourself.

One of Us is Next: One of Us Is Lying series (Book 2)

One of Us is Next: One of Us Is Lying series (Book 2)
Mystery, 9780525707967
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

Come on, Bayview, you know you've missed this. A ton of copycat gossip apps have popped up since Simon died, but in the year since the Bayview four were cleared of his shocking death, no one's been able to fill the gossip void quite like he could. The problem is no one has the facts. Until now. This time it's not an app, though—it's a game. Truth or Dare. Phoebe's the first target. If you choose not to play, it's a truth. And hers is dark. Then comes Maeve and she should know better—always choose the dare. But by the time Knox is about to be tagged, things have gotten dangerous. The dares have become deadly, and if Maeve learned anything from Bronwyn last year, it's that they can't count on the police for help. Or protection. Simon's gone, but someone's determined to keep his legacy at Bayview High alive. And this time, there's a whole new set of rules.

One of Us Is Lying: One of Us Is Lying series (Book 1)

One of Us Is Lying: One of Us Is Lying series (Book 1)
Mystery, 9781524714680

Pay close attention and you might solve this. On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention. Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule. Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess. Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing. Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher. And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High's notorious gossip app. Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of detention, Simon's dead. And according to investigators, his death wasn't an accident. On Monday, he died. But on Tuesday, he'd planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates, which makes all four of them suspects in his murder. Or are they the perfect patsies for a killer who's still on the loose? Everyone has secrets, right? What really matters is how far you would go to protect them.

Interviews

Videos

  • All the significant dogs in my life have been written into my books.
  • I have a terrible sense of direction and can get lost in my hometown.
  • The only fan letter I've ever written was to a food critic.
  • Before becoming a full-time author, I worked for a company that designs fonts.
  • I do my best writing between 9pm and 1am.

Diana Ma

Diana  Ma

I’m a Chinese American author who writes YA and MG books that feature kickass Asian American heroines. Growing up as a Chinese American girl, these were the kind of characters I hungered to find in books. I believe that it’s important for all kids to recognize themselves as the heroes of the books they read and that diverse books help us create a better world. I have two wonderful kids of my own and want them to grow up with books that represent them.

I was a 2019 We Need Diverse Books mentee with Swati Avashti, and I have an BA in Creative Writing from the University of Washington and an MA in English with a Creative Writing focus from the University of Illinois, Chicago. I’m represented by Christa Heschke and Daniele Hunter of McIntosh and Otis. I live in a suburb of Seattle and teach composition, creative writing, literature, and humanities at North Seattle College.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Heiress Apparently: Daughters of the Dynasty (Book 1)

Heiress Apparently: Daughters of the Dynasty (Book 1)
Realistic Fiction, 9781419749964
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

Gemma Huang is a recent transplant to Los Angeles from Illinois, having abandoned plans for college to pursue a career in acting, much to the dismay of her parents. Now she’s living with three roommates in a two-bedroom hovel, auditioning for bit roles that hardly cover rent. Gemma’s big break comes when she’s asked to play a lead role in an update of M. Butterfly filming for the summer in Beijing. When she arrives, she’s stopped by paparazzi at the airport. She quickly realizes she may as well be the twin of one of the most notorious young socialites in Beijing. Thus kicks off a summer of revelations, in which Gemma uncovers a legacy her parents have spent their lives protecting her from—one her mother would conceal from her daughter at any cost.

Videos

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Diana answered most likely to know the answer to a question in class--but be too shy to speak up..

Other Fun Facts

  • I am a diehard fan of Buffy, the Vampire Slayer.
  • In high school, I was the textbook definition of a nerd--we're talking mathlete, here!
  • I spent a summer walking across Kansas (long story).
  • I dressed up as Xena, Warrior Princess--not just once, but twice, for Halloween.
  • Every few years or so, I have an irresistible craving for deep-fried, cream-cheese-filled jalapeno poppers. Most of the time, I find them disgusting, but when the urge hits, I have to have them!

Trung Le Nguyen

Trung  Le Nguyen

Trung Le Nguyen, also known as Trungles, is a Vietnamese-American comic book artist and storyteller from Minnesota. He was born in a refugee camp somewhere in the Philippine province of Palawan.

Trung has contributed work for Oni Press, Boom! Studios, and Image Comics, largely in the romance genre. His first original graphic novel, The Magic Fish, is due out October 13, 2020 through Random House Graphic, an imprint of Penguin Random House.

Trung currently lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota and raises three very spoiled hens. He is particularly fond of fairy tales, kids' cartoons, and rom-coms of all stripes.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

The Magic Fish

The Magic Fish
Graphic Novel, LGBTQ, 9780593125298
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

Real life isn't a fairytale. But Tiến still enjoys reading his favorite stories with his parents from the books he borrows from the local library. It's hard enough trying to communicate with your parents as a kid, but for Tiến, he doesn't even have the right words because his parents are struggling with their English. Is there a Vietnamese word for what he's going through? Is there a way to tell them he's gay? A beautifully illustrated story by Trung Le Nguyen that follows a young boy as he tries to navigate life through fairytales, an instant classic that shows us how we are all connected. The Magic Fish tackles tough subjects in a way that accessible with readers of all ages, and teaches us that no matter what--we can all have our own happy endings.

Interviews

Videos

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Trung answered most likely to send fan mail to Guy Fieri.

Other Fun Facts

  • I have three pet chickens.
  • I find hand-vacuums very pleasing!
  • I maintained an unrequited crush on Mr. Peanut between 2016-2019.
  • I love cats, but I'm very allergic.
  • I was once air-lifted off an island I was just chilling when a volcano erupted.

Hena Khan

Hena  Khan

Like so many writers, I grew up with my nose in a book. My mother believed children should be seen reading and not heard whining about boredom, and she regularly took us to the Rockville Public Library with grocery bags to fill with books. Along with grabbing new titles each visit, I often chose the same ones over and over again. And I reread treasured personal copies of my favorites until they fell apart.

The books I connected with as a child left a bigger impression on me than almost anything I come across today. I still think of the characters, stories, and random facts that I absorbed years ago. That’s why I love writing for kids—in the hopes that they'll pick up something I write more than once, and let it become part of who they are.

Here are a few details about me: I’m a Pakistani-American Muslim who was born and raised in Maryland, and enjoy sharing and writing about my culture and religion. I've written about a bunch of other topics, from spies to space travel, that take me out of my reality and on adventures. I’ve had a few adventures of my own, managed to get to some pretty fantastic places on our planet, and met incredible people along the way. I'm slightly obsessed with Spain, ceramic tiles and pottery, food, flamenco, and good coffee. When I’m not cooking up a story, I’m often actually cooking food or baking treats for my family or friends. I also spent a good chunk of my life writing and editing for international organizations that work to improve the health of people around the world.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Amina's Song

Amina's Song
Middle School, 9781534459885
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

It’s the last few days of her vacation in Pakistan, and Amina has loved every minute of it. The food, the shops, the time she’s spent with her family—all of it holds a special place in Amina’s heart. Now that the school year is starting again, she’s sad to leave, but also excited to share the wonders of Pakistan with her friends back in Greendale. After she’s home, though, her friends don’t seem overly interested in her trip. And when she decides to do a presentation on Pakistani hero Malala Yousafzai, her classmates focus on the worst parts of the story. How can Amina share the beauty of Pakistan when no one wants to listen?

Helpful Links

Interviews

Videos

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Hena answered most likely to be off brand.

Other Fun Facts

  • I've visited 35 different countries.
  • I ran an underground bakery once called Do Goodies.
  • I studied flamenco dance and can stop my feet pretty loudly.
  • I've never read past the first Harry Potter book!
  • I've lived within the same 5 mile radius for most of my life.

Namina Forna

Namina  Forna

Namina Forna is a young adult novelist based in Los Angeles, and the author of the upcoming epic fantasy YA novel The Gilded Ones. Originally from Sierra Leone, West Africa, she moved to the US when she was nine and has been traveling back and forth ever since. Namina loves telling stories with fierce female leads and works as a screenwriter in LA.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

The Gilded Ones: Deathless series (Book 1)

The Gilded Ones: Deathless series (Book 1)
Fantasy, 9781984848697
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

Sixteen-year-old Deka lives in fear and anticipation of the blood ceremony that will determine whether she will become a member of her village. Already different from everyone else because of her unnatural intuition, Deka prays for red blood so she can finally feel like she belongs. But on the day of the ceremony, her blood runs gold, the color of impurity--and Deka knows she will face a consequence worse than death. Then a mysterious woman comes to her with a choice: stay in the village and submit to her fate, or leave to fight for the emperor in an army of girls just like her. They are called alaki--near-immortals with rare gifts. And they are the only ones who can stop the empire's greatest threat. Knowing the dangers that lie ahead yet yearning for acceptance, Deka decides to leave the only life she's ever known. But as she journeys to the capital to train for the biggest battle of her life, she will discover that the great walled city holds many surprises. Nothing and no one are quite what they seem to be--not even Deka herself.

Interviews

Videos

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Namina answered most likely to succeed.

Other Fun Facts

  • I was bitten by a chimp when I was 6 and I still have that scar.
  • One of my favorite places in the world is Tunisia cause I spent summers there as a teen.
  • I once lived in Dakar, Senegal.
  • I'm an anime buff.
  • Growing up, we rehabilitated a crocodile with a broken snout in my pool.

J. Elle

J.  Elle

J.Elle is an author and advocate for marginalized voices in both publishing and her community. Born in Houston, Texas, Jess is a first-generation college student with a Bachelor of Journalism and Master of Arts in Educational Administration and Human Development. Her passion for empowering youth dates back before writing to her first career in education. She’s worked as a Preschool Director, Middle School Teacher, and High School Creative Writing Mentor. In her spare time you’ll find her volunteering at an alternative school, providing feedback for aspiring writers, loving on her three littles, or cooking up some dish true to her Texas and Louisiana roots. Wings of Ebony is her first novel.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Wings of Ebony: Wings of Ebony series (Book 1)

Wings of Ebony: Wings of Ebony series (Book 1)
Fantasy, Science Fiction, 9781534470675
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

“Make a way out of no way” is just the way of life for Rue. But when her mother is shot dead on her doorstep, life for her and her younger sister changes forever. Rue's taken from her neighborhood by the father she never knew, forced to leave her little sister behind, and whisked away to Ghizon—a hidden island of magic wielders. Rue is the only half-god, half-human there, where leaders protect their magical powers at all costs and thrive on human suffering. Miserable and desperate to see her sister on the anniversary of their mother’s death, Rue breaks Ghizon’s sacred Do Not Leave Law and returns to Houston, only to discover that Black kids are being forced into crime and violence. And her sister, Tasha, is in danger of falling sway to the very forces that claimed their mother’s life. Worse still, evidence mounts that the evil plaguing East Row is the same one that lurks in Ghizon—an evil that will stop at nothing until it has stolen everything from her and everyone she loves. Rue must embrace her true identity and wield the full magnitude of her ancestors’ power to save her neighborhood before the gods burn it to the ground.

Interviews

Videos

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, J. answered most likely to succeed.

Other Fun Facts

  • I used to be a professional wedding photographer.
  • I can text with 99% accuracy my eyes closed.
  • I love to cook (and I'm pretty good at it).
  • The first foreign language I learned was Greek.
  • One day I hope to have like 10 dogs and 20 cats because I *LOVE* animals.

Rachelle Delaney

Rachelle  Delaney

Rachelle Delaney is the author of eight novels for young readers, including The Metro Dogs of Moscow, which was a CLA Book of the Year Honour Book, The Circus Dogs of Prague, a finalist for the Pacific Northwest Library Association’s Young Reader’s Choice Award, and Clara Voyant, a finalist for the Red Cedar Award and Joan Betty Stutchner Award for Funniest Children’s Book. Her newest novel is Alice Fleck’s Recipes for Disaster. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia and lives in Vancouver with her partner, her dog Sparrow, and her cat Poppy.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Clara Voyant

Clara Voyant
Middle School, 9780143198536
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

Clara can't believe her no-nonsense grandmother has just up and moved to Florida, leaving Clara and her mother on their own for the first time. This means her mother can finally "follow her bliss," which involves moving to a tiny apartment in Kensington Market, working at a herbal remedy shop and trying to develop her so-called mystical powers. Clara tries to make the best of a bad situation by joining the newspaper staff at her new middle school, where she can sharpen her investigative journalistic skills and tell the kind of hard-news stories her grandmother appreciated. But the editor relegates her to boring news stories and worse . . . the horoscopes. Worse yet, her horoscopes come true, and soon everyone at school is talking about Clara Voyant, the talented fortune-teller. Clara is horrified--horoscopes and clairvoyance aren't real, she insists, just like her grandmother always told her. But when a mystery unfolds at school, she finds herself in a strange situation: having an opportunity to prove herself as an investigative journalist . . . with the help of her own mystical powers.

Alice Fleck's Recipes for Disaster

Alice Fleck's Recipes for Disaster
Middle School, 9780735269279
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

Alice Fleck's father is a culinary historian, and for as long as she can remember, she's been helping him recreate meals from the past -- a hobby she prefers to keep secret from kids her age. But when her father's new girlfriend enters them into a cooking competition at a Victorian festival, Alice finds herself and her hobby thrust into the spotlight. And that's just the first of many surprises awaiting her. On arriving at the festival, Alice learns that she and her father are actually contestants on Culinary Combat, a new reality TV show hosted by Tom Truffleman, the most famous and fierce judge on TV! And to make matters worse, she begins to suspect that someone is at work behind the scenes, sabotaging the competition. It's up to Alice, with the help of a few new friends, to find the saboteur before the entire competition is ruined, all the while tackling some of the hardest cooking challenges of her life . . . for the whole world to see.

The Bonaventure Adventures

The Bonaventure Adventures
Middle School, 9780143198505
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

Sebastian Konstantinov comes from a long line of talented circus performers. Somehow, however, he has not inherited any of their acrobatic skill: he has no balance, he's afraid of heights, he can't even turn a somersault. But there's one thing he does know: his father's circus, which travels through Eastern Europe, is out of date and is fast running out of money. Seb has a solution, though: if he can somehow get into the Bonaventure Circus School in Montreal, Canada, he might be able to learn something valuable to help his father. Seb secretly writes to the Directrice (an old friend of his father's) and is accepted into the school. All he has to do is convince his father to send him away -- oh, and keep his lack of talent a secret from all his teachers and classmates. Fortunately for him, he befriends two other students, who also don't seem to quite fit in. Seb is not the only one with secrets, it turns out. The school is literally crumbling beneath the feet of its students, and the directrice may be counting on Seb's "talent" to save the day. Can he and his new friends figure out what's really going on in the school that bills itself as the World's Best Circus School?

Interviews

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Rachelle answered I was the runner-up for most likely to save the planet.

Other Fun Facts

  • I studied environmental sciences at university. Along with writing novels, I do climate change communications for an environmental organization.
  • In 2012, I went to Moscow to do research for a children's novel I was writing about stray dogs that had learned to take the subway. The Metro Dogs of Moscow was published in 2013.
  • While writing a children's novel about kids in circus school, I took lessons in acrobatics, aerial hoop and parkour.
  • I've moved 18 times in the last 20 years.
  • I have a puppy named Sparrow and a kitten named Poppy.

Alex de Campi

Alex  de Campi

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

The Backups: A Summer of Stardom

The Backups: A Summer of Stardom
Graphic Novel, 9781250153944
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

Spending an entire summer on tour as a backup singer for pop star Nika Nitro? What?! That's the DREAM, right? Especially for Jenni, Lauren, and Maggie, three misfit performing arts students with hopes of making it in the music world. But being twenty feet from fame isn't easy. Between crushes, constant rehearsals, Nika's sky-high expectations, and their own insecurities, this dream is starting to feel more like a nightmare. And that's before they accidentally start a beef with a rival band threatening to reveal a secret that could end Nika's career. Can this trio of new friends come together to save the tour, or will the Backups be kept out of the spotlight forever?

Videos

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Alex answered most artistic.

Other Fun Facts

  • I snuck across the Russian border when I was 19
  • I’ve sailed across the South China Sea several times
  • I’ve directed dozens of music videos
  • Once I took a road trip from New York City to Mexico City
  • I’ve pet a wolf (as in, I patted the wolf on his head because he was a good boy, I did not have a pet wolf. I have a pet pit bull, his name is Sarge).

Jen Calonita

Jen  Calonita

There are a few things you should know about me right from the start:

I love Walt Disney World and dream of kicking Cinderella out of her castle so I can move in.
I have two chihuahuas named Captain Jack Sparrow and Ben Kenobi
As a kid, I used to hate reading and writing.

What? I'm sure number three blew your mind. How could an author hate reading and writing? Well, it's true. When I was in elementary school I struggled to find the right books, but once my teacher helped me hone in on some of my passions (dance, funny movies, and stories about kids on big adventures), my love of reading grew. The more I read, the better I read. The better I read, the better I started writing.

Once I started writing, I couldn't stop. I got my start in entertainment journalism (where I got to interview people like Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and Zac Efron) and eventually my job inspired my first series, Secrets of My Hollywood Life. Over the last fifteen plus years, I've written more than two dozen books about young Hollywood celebrities, kids at sleepaway camp, a girl on the road with her favorite boy band and several books about kids at Fairy Tale Reform School and Royal Academy. I love fairy tales and have even been lucky enough to get to twist some of my favorite Disney versions of fairy tales (as part of the Twisted Tale series).

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Mirror Mirror: Twisted Tale (Book 6)

Mirror Mirror: Twisted Tale (Book 6)
Fairy Tales, 9781368013833
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

Following her beloved mother's death, the kingdom falls into the hands of Snow White's stepmother, commonly referred to as "the Evil Queen" by those she rules. Snow keeps her head down at the castle, hoping to make the best of her situation. But when new information about her parents resurfaces and a plot to kill her goes haywire, everything changes for Snow. With the help of a group of wary dwarfs, a kind prince she thought she'd never see again, and a mysterious stranger from her past, Snow embarks on a quest to stop the Evil Queen and take back her kingdom. But can she stop an enemy who knows her every move and will stop at nothing to retain her power... including going after the ones Snow loves?

Conceal, Don't Feel: Twisted Tale (Book 7)

Conceal, Don't Feel: Twisted Tale (Book 7)
Fairy Tales, 9781368052238
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

What if Anna and Elsa never knew each other? When a magical accident erases Anna and Elsa's memories not only of magic, but of each other the sisters are separated for protection. But when Elsa unexpectedly finds herself as a young queen mysterious magic begins to happen and questions of her past start to form. Will the sisters ever be reunited?

Go the Distance: Twisted Tale (Book 11)

Go the Distance: Twisted Tale (Book 11)
Fairy Tales, 9781368063807
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

After Hercules proves he's a true hero and regains his godship, all seems right in the world. That is, until Zeus tells Meg that she can't be with Hercules because she's, well, mortal. Luckily, Hera has a solution, offering Meg a chance to prove herself worthy of a spot on Mt. Olympus--as a god. All Meg has to do is complete a mysterious quest. The mission? Oh, just to rescue her ex's current wife from the Underworld. The ex-boyfriend she saved by selling her soul to Hades. The ex-boyfriend who immediately moved on to someone else while she was stuck in the Underworld. Can Meg put her past behind her and use her quick-wit to defeat monsters and gods alike, including the nefarious Hades? Will she finally figure out her place and contribution to the world? Or will her fear of commitment have her running away from an eternity of godhood with Herc?

Videos

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Jen answered most chatty.

Other Fun Facts

  • I'd love to live in Cinderella's Castle in Walt Disney World. (Really!)
  • I took up running, but the only half marathons I've done are at Disney where I can run in costume and take photos with characters.
  • I have two Chihuahuas who are my writing companions -- Captain Jack Sparrow and Ben Kenobi.
  • When I interviewed the High School Musical cast for a magazine, Zac Efron asked if I wanted to stay and watch him film "Scream," and I declined because I was tired.* (*I've always regretted this decision.)
  • My first-ever celebrity interview, back in my entertainment editor days was with Ashton Kutcher. I remember getting the assignment because no one at the magazine was that into a show about kids who hung out in the basement. (That show turned out to be That '70s Show.)

Rena Barron

Rena  Barron

Rena Barron grew up in small-town Alabama where stories of magic and adventure sparked her imagination. After penning her first awful poem in middle school, she graduated to writing short stories and novels by high school. Rena loves all things science fiction and fantasy, ghosts, and superheroes. When she’s not writing, she can be found reading or brushing up on her French. Rena is the author of the young adult fantasy novel Kingdom of Souls, the first in a trilogy and a 2019 Junior Library Guild Selection. Recently, film rights sold to Warner Bros. with Michael B. Jordan (“Black Panther”) producing and Misan Sagay (“Belle”) writing the screenplay. Maya and the Rising Dark is the first book in Rena’s middle grade contemporary fantasy trilogy set in Chicago.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Maya and the Rising Dark: Maya and the Rising Dark series (Book 1)

Maya and the Rising Dark: Maya and the Rising Dark series (Book 1)
Fantasy, Middle School, 9781328635181
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

Twelve-year-old Maya is the only one in her South Side Chicago neighborhood who witnesses weird occurrences like werehyenas stalking the streets at night and a scary man made of shadows plaguing her dreams. Her friends try to find an explanation—perhaps a ghost uprising or a lunchroom experiment gone awry. But to Maya, it sounds like something from one of Papa’s stories or her favorite comics. When Papa goes missing, Maya is thrust into a world both strange and familiar as she uncovers the truth. Her father is the guardian of the veil between our world and the Dark—where an army led by the Lord of Shadows, the man from Maya’s nightmares, awaits. Maya herself is a godling, half orisha and half human, and her neighborhood is a safe haven. But now that the veil is failing, the Lord of Shadows is determined to destroy the human world and it’s up to Maya to stop him. She just hopes she can do it in time to attend Comic-Con before summer’s over.

Maya and the Return of the Godlings: Maya and the Rising Dark (Book 2)

Maya and the Return of the Godlings: Maya and the Rising Dark (Book 2)
Fantasy, Middle School, 9780358106326
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

In this highly anticipated sequel, Maya and the godlings must return to the sinister world of The Dark to retrieve the one thing keeping the veil between the worlds from crumbling: her father's soul.

Videos

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Rena answered most likely to have her nose in a book.

Other Fun Facts

  • I'm obsessed with fries, but I hate ketchup.
  • I like to write in complete silence so I can hear the voices in my head.
  • My favorite Halloween costume is Michonne from the Walking Dead.
  • I love hiking; though, sometimes I forget to pay attention to the trail signs. Oops.
  • I rarely watch TV, but when I do, I binge full series.

Florence Gonsalves

Florence  Gonsalves

Florence is the author of two books of young adult fiction, Love and Other Carnivorous Plants and Dear Universe (forthcoming in May 2020).

In 2015 she graduated from Dartmouth College where she majored in Philosophy, while taking as many poetry classes as she could.

Her work experience ranges from publishing in NYC, to farming in Maine, to one really bad holiday shift at UPS. She currently lives in Portland, Maine.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Love & Other Carnivorous Plants

Love & Other Carnivorous Plants
LGBTQ, 9780316436724
Recommended for teens

Freshman year at Harvard was the most anticlimactic year of Danny's life. She's failing pre-med and drifting apart from her best friend. One by one, Danny is losing all the underpinnings of her identity. When she finds herself attracted to an older, edgy girl who she met in rehab for an eating disorder, she finally feels like she might be finding a new sense of self. But when tragedy strikes, her self-destructive tendencies come back to haunt her as she struggles to discover who that self really is.

Dear Universe

Dear Universe
Realistic Fiction, 9780316436731
Recommended for teens

Dear Universe, Sorry for interrupting you with my presence, but I'm wondering if you could have my back for once. I recently had a massive chin zit and a period stain you could see from space and my boyfriend kissed someone else and also my dad is dying faster than usual. If you could show up during my last English class so I can graduate and like achieve my potential or something, I'd appreciate it. It's senior year, and Chamomile Myles has whiplash from traveling between her two universes: school (the relentless countdown to prom, torturous college applications, and the mindless march toward an uncertain future) and home, where she wrestles a slow, bitter battle with her father's terminal illness. Enter Brendan, a man-bun- and tutu-wearing hospital volunteer with a penchant for absurdity, who strides boldly between her worlds—and helps her open up a new road between them.

Helpful Links

Interviews

Videos

Maria Scrivan

Maria  Scrivan

Maria Scrivan is an award-winning syndicated cartoonist, illustrator and author. Her comic, Half Full, is syndicated by Tribune Content Agency and appears daily on GoComics and in newspapers across the US.
 Her work has been  published in MAD Magazine, National Lampoon, American Bystander, Parade Magazine, Prospect Magazine (UK), Macmillan Books, Funny Times, Mashable.com, HuffingtonPost.com and Salon.com. 

​She also licenses her work for greeting cards to companies including Recycled Paper Greetings, NobleWorks, RSVP, Design Design, Woodmasterne (UK) and more. She is a member of the National Cartoonists Society, the Society of Illustrators and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. 

Maria's forthcoming graphic novel series, NAT ENOUGH, published by Scholastic/Graphix will be available in Spring 2020. 

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Nat Enough

Nat Enough
Graphic Novel, Middle School, 9781338538199
Recommended for teens

Natalie has never felt that she's enough -- athletic enough, stylish enough, or talented enough. And on the first day of middle school, Natalie discovers that things are worse than she thought -- now she's not even cool enough for her best friend, Lily! As Natalie tries to get her best friend back, she learns more about her true self and natural talents. If Natalie can focus on who she is rather than who she isn't, then she might realize she's more than enough, just the way she is.

Niki Smith

Niki  Smith

Artist, writer, lover of fine comics (and some pretty trashy ones too). I grew up in Kansas and now call Germany home, and I’m dedicated to filling the world with queer and diverse stories! My debut graphic novel, Crossplay, is a Lambda Literary Award nominee.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

The Deep and Dark Blue

The Deep and Dark Blue
Fantasy, LGBTQ, 9780316485982
Recommended for teens

After a terrible political coup usurps their noble house, Hawke and Grayson flee to stay alive and assume new identities, Hanna and Grayce. Desperation and chance lead them to the Communion of Blue, an order of magical women who spin the threads of reality to their will. As the twins learn more about the Communion, and themselves, they begin to hatch a plan to avenge their family and retake their royal home.While Hawke wants to return to his old life, Grayce struggles to keep the threads of her new life from unraveling, and realizes she wants to stay in the one place that will allow her to finally live as a girl.

Morgan Baden

Morgan  Baden

Morgan is an author, ghostwriter, and communications expert, with 15 years’ experience in corporate and internal communications, social media, storytelling, crisis communications, and corporate strategy. After ghostwriting several bestselling novels, her debut novel, THE HIVE, co-written with her husband (bestselling author Barry Lyga), was named a Best Book of Fall 2019 by PEOPLE Magazine!

Before becoming a full-time writer and consultant, Morgan led social media and internal communications for the world’s largest children’s book publisher and distributor, overseeing internal communications and social media for iconic and beloved children’s brands. She also taught social media marketing at New York University. Previously, she managed internal communications and events for an international news organization and financial services brand, traveling the world to uncover the firm’s internal stories and creating content for its 20,000 employees.

She graduated from The College of New Jersey (magna cum laude, English, Women’s & Gender Studies) and now resides in Maplewood, NJ, with her family. She and her husband host Writing in Real Life, a podcast series about writing, parenting, and books.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

The Hive

The Hive
Dystopia, 9781525300601
Recommended for teens

It's the near future -- the day after tomorrow -- and the government has shut down online bullying once and for all. With BLINQ, its new social media platform, users can "like" or "share," but they can also "condemn" posts -- and if condemns reach a certain level, users can exact punishment from the original poster in real life. No more anonymous trolling! Instead... hive justice. Seventeen-year-old Cassie McKinney is angry at everything. She's just lost her beloved father, a cult hero in the hacking world. She's been uprooted to a new apartment and -- worse -- a new school. Cassie is barely enduring senior year when she's drawn into a powerful group of girls and their effort to make their posts go viral. Cassie's just trying to be funny when she posts a cutting BLINQ. But when that BLINQ goes viral in all the worst ways, she becomes the target of a furious mob. Abandoned by her friends, betrayed by the system, and bristling at the injustice of it all, Cassie goes on the run. In the shadows, she finds people to help her hide. If she wants to clear her name, though, she will have to work with them to unravel a conspiracy beyond her imagination.

Daphne and Velma: The Dark Deception: Daphne and Velma series (Book 2)

Daphne and Velma: The Dark Deception: Daphne and Velma series (Book 2)
Mystery, 9781338592733
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

Despite their differences, Daphne and Velma were able to solve the mystery of The Vanishing Girl. But there are a lot of secrets buried in the town of Crystal Cove. And the biggest case of all still remains unsolved... why did the town's original settlers all disappear? What happened to them? Velma is determined to find out... especially because her family's ancestors were among the disappeared. And now that she and Daphne have started to get a reputation for solving mysteries, everyone in town is looking to them for answers. But digging up the past can be dangerous... especially when some people in town have profited from the mystery for so long. Can these two intrepid teen detectives crack the case... and escape with their lives?

Book Talks

Websites

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Morgan answered I was voted Best Artist.

Other Fun Facts

  • I'm an identical twin!
  • As a kid, I won a scholarship for my tap dancing abilities!
  • I'm the world's biggest fan of The Baby-sitters Club.
  • I collect old YA books and teen magazines from the 80s and 90s.
  • In my professional life, I've worked on brands like Harry Potter and The Hunger Games.

Kate Milford

Kate  Milford

Kate Milford is the New York Times bestselling author of Greenglass House (winner of the Edgar award for juvenile literature, long-listed for the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, and a nominee for the Andre Norton Award and the Agatha Award for Children’s/YA) as well as its sequel, Ghosts of Greenglass House, and five other books set in the same world: The Boneshaker, The Broken Lands, The Left-Handed Fate, the crowdfunded companion book, The Kairos Mechanism, and her newest release, Bluecrowne, which also began life on Kickstarter but has been reissued in a newly expanded hardcover version from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Kate has written for stage and screen, and as a contributing writer at nagspeake.com she has authored scholarly articles on subjects as varied as self-aware ironmongery and how to make saltwater taffy in a haunted kitchen. Kate grew up in Riva, Maryland, and now lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband, two children, and their dog.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Greenglass House: Greenglass House series (Book 1)

Greenglass House: Greenglass House series (Book 1)
Middle School, Mystery, 9780544052703
Recommended for teens

It’s wintertime at Greenglass House. The creaky smuggler’s inn is always quiet during this season, and twelve-year-old Milo, the innkeepers’ adopted son, plans to spend his holidays relaxing. But on the first icy night of vacation, out of nowhere, the guest bell rings. Then rings again. And again. Soon Milo’s home is bursting with odd, secretive guests, each one bearing a strange story that is somehow connected to the rambling old house. As objects go missing and tempers flare, Milo and Meddy, the cook’s daughter, must decipher clues and untangle the web of deepening mysteries to discover the truth about Greenglass House—and themselves.

Ghosts of Greenglass House: Greenglass House series (Book 2)

Ghosts of Greenglass House: Greenglass House series (Book 2)
Middle School, Mystery, 9780544991460
Recommended for teens

Welcome back to the irresistible world of Greenglass House where thirteen-year-old Milo is, once again, spending the winter holidays stuck in a house full of strange guests who are not what they seem. There are fresh clues to uncover as friends old and new join in his search for a mysterious map and a famous smuggler’s lost haul.

The Thief Knot: Greenglass House series (Book 3)

The Thief Knot: Greenglass House series (Book 3)
Middle School, Mystery, 9781328466891
Recommended for teens

Marzana and her best friend are bored. Even though they live in a notorious city where normal rules do not apply, nothing interesting ever happens to them. Nothing, that is, until Marzana’s parents are recruited to help solve an odd crime, and she realizes that this could be the excitement she’s been waiting for. She assembles a group of kid detectives with special skills—including the ghost of a ship captain’s daughter—and together, they explore hidden passageways, navigate architecture that changes overnight, and try to unravel the puzzle of who the kidnappers are—and where they’re hiding. But will they beat the deadline for a ransom that’s impossible to pay? Legendary smugglers, suspicious teachers, and some scary bad guys are just a few of the adults the crew must circumvent while discovering hidden truths about their families and themselves in this smart, richly imagined tale.

Bluecrowne: Greenglass House series (Book 3)

Bluecrowne: Greenglass House series (Book 3)
Middle School, Mystery, 9781938022876
Recommended for teens

Lucy Bluecrowne is beginning a new life ashore with her stepmother and half brother, though she’s certain the only place she’ll ever belong is with her father on a ship of war as part of the crew. She doesn’t care that living in a house is safer and the proper place for a twelve-year-old girl; it’s boring. But then two nefarious strangers identify her little brother as the pyrotechnical prodigy they need to enact an evil plan, and it will take all Lucy’s fighting instincts to keep her family together.

The Raconteur's Commonplace Book: Greenglass House series (Book 5)

The Raconteur's Commonplace Book: Greenglass House series (Book 5)
Middle School, Mystery, 9781328466907
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

The rain hasn't stopped for a week, and the twelve guests of the Blue Vein Tavern are trapped by flooded roads and the rising Skidwrack River. Among them are a ship’s captain, tattooed twins, a musician, and a young girl traveling on her own. To pass the time, they begin to tell stories—each a different type of folklore—that eventually reveal more about their own secrets than they intended. As the rain continues to pour down—an uncanny, unnatural amount of rain—the guests begin to realize that the entire city is in danger, and not just from the flood. But they have only their stories, and one another, to save them. Will it be enough?

Interviews

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Kate answered most likely to have a successful stage career playing exclusively middle-aged British ladies.

Other Fun Facts

  • I pick locks for relaxation.
  • In middle school I was determined to become a songwriter (sent some pretty bad "songs" out on submission, too) almost entirely because I wanted to meet Jordan Knight from NKOTB.
  • When I have spare time, I love doing elaborate, fiddly art projects. I paint, do elaborate paper cutting, carve wood blocks and stamps for printing, and make hand-bound books. The fiddlier the project and the more kinds of supplies it takes, the more I'll probably love it!
  • I used to train in Muay Thai (Thai kickboxing) and my former instructor is a regular character in my books.
  • I can recite basically the entire original Ghostbusters movie.

Ryan La Sala

Ryan  La Sala

Ryan La Sala is a fantasy writer rooted in the northeast United States. His first book, REVERIE, is a YA fantasy about what happens when your dreams chase you back, and yes it has a drag queen sorceress as the villain. His second book is forthcoming with Sourcebooks Fire in late 2020. It’s about arts & crafts.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Reverie

Reverie
Fantasy, LGBTQ, 9781492682660
Recommended for teens

All Kane Montgomery knows for certain is that the police found him half-dead in the river. He can't remember anything since an accident robbed him of his memories a few weeks ago. And the world feels different―reality itself seems different. So when three of his classmates claim to be his friends and the only people who can tell him what's truly going on, he doesn't know what to believe or who he can trust. But as he and the others are dragged into unimaginable worlds that materialize out of nowhere―the gym warps into a subterranean temple, a historical home nearby blooms into a Victorian romance rife with scandal and sorcery―Kane realizes that nothing in his life is an accident, and only he can stop their world from unraveling.

Len Vlahos

Len  Vlahos

I’m the author of three young adult novels: The Scar Boys (Lerner Publications), a finalist for the American Library Association’s 2014 Morris Award for best debut teen fiction; its sequel, Scar Girl (Lerner Publications); and Life in a Fishbowl, (Bloomsbury), which published in the U.S. in January 2017 and has been published in 12 languages and 18 countries. I have two more books scheduled for publication, Hard Wired from Bloomsbury (April 2020), and a book in collaboration with the awesome bestselling young adult author, Julie Halpern,  coming from Feiwel & Friends (2021) .

Before all that, I dropped out of NYU film school in the 1980s to play guitar and write songs for the punk-pop band, Woofing Cookies. My experience with the Cookies was the inspiration for The Scar Boys. I spent the next 30 years working in a variety of jobs in the book industry, and today, along with my wife and partner in all crimes and misdemeanors, Kristen Gilligan, am the owner of the Tattered Cover Bookstores in Denver.

I hardly ever gets to use my blackbelt in Taekwondo (you can still beat me up, but I’m going to look good while you do it), and spends my free time playing ice hockey. Kristen, our two sons, very energetic dog, Shea, and I live on the coolest cul-de-sac in Colorado. You can find us there making S’mores with their neighbors many summer and fall nights.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

The Scar Boys: The Scar Boys series (Book 1)

The Scar Boys: The Scar Boys series (Book 1)
Realistic Fiction, 9781606844397
Recommended for teens

A severely burned teenager. A guitar. Punk rock. The chords of a rock 'n' roll road trip in a coming-of-age novel that is a must-read story about finding your place in the world...even if you carry scars inside and out. In attempting to describe himself in his college application essay--help us to become acquainted with you beyond your courses, grades, and test scores--Harbinger (Harry) Jones goes way beyond the 250-word limit and gives a full account of his life.

Scar Girl: The Scar Boys series (Book 2)

Scar Girl: The Scar Boys series (Book 2)
Realistic Fiction, 9781606846070
Recommended for teens

When The Scar Boys ended, the band has fallen apart. Harry and Johnny are barely speaking, and Cheyenne is feeling desperate about Johnny, who has retreated into silence. It's only through their music that the group is able to rebuild their relationships, and they slowly begin to reach musical success and fame. In Scar Girl, Cheyenne, Harry, and Richie tell their own stories as they discover the ups and downs of being rock musicians—including meltdowns on stage, too much drinking, keeping secrets that should be shared, and having fights that test the limits of their friendship. The band's reputation grows and grows, but will the kids themselves survive?

Life in a Fishbowl

Life in a Fishbowl
Realistic Fiction, 9781681190358
Recommended for teens

Fifteen-year-old Jackie Stone is a prisoner in her own house. Everything she says and does 24/7 is being taped and broadcast to every television in America. Why? Because her dad is dying of a brain tumor and he has auctioned his life on eBay to the highest bidder: a ruthless TV reality show executive at ATN. Gone is her mom's attention and cooking and parent-teacher conferences. Gone is her sister's trust ever since she's been dazzled by the cameras and new-found infamy. Gone is her privacy. Gone is the whole family's dignity as ATN twists their words and makes a public mockery of their lives on Life and Death. But most of all, Jackie fears that one day very soon her father will just be . . . gone. Armed only with her ingenuity and the power of the internet, Jackie is determined to end the show and reclaim all of their lives, even in death.

Hard Wired

Hard Wired
Science Fiction, 9781681190372
Recommended for teens

Quinn thinks he’s a normal boy with an average life. That is, until he finds a trail of clues the father he barely knew left behind. After Quinn unravels his father’s puzzles, he “wakes up” ... and realizes his world was nothing more than a virtual construct. In reality, he’s the first fully-aware A.I. in the world, part of an experiment run by a team of scientists—including the man he thought was his father. As the scientists continue to study him, Quinn’s new existence becomes a waking nightmare. Determined to control his own destiny, he finds allies in other teens—including crush Shea—and plots his escape. But what does true freedom look like when you’re not human?

Rocky Callen

Rocky  Callen

Rocky Callen, the daughter of an Ecuadorian immigrant, has long lived a life of service ever since she was a 13-year-old advocating for the undocumented immigrants in her community. She interned at NASA at 12 years old, started lobbying congress at 13, and wrote and produced student radio stories at NPR at 14. She was a behavioral therapist for over ten years. She received an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts and lives outside of Washington, DC with her husband, daughter, and baby boy. Rocky founded the Bleed Ink Foundation, a creative hub and resource center for writers, and the HoldOn2Hope Project, which unites creatives in suicide prevention and mental health awareness. A Breath Too Late is her debut novel.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

A Breath Too Late

A Breath Too Late
Realistic Fiction, 9781250238795
Recommended for teens

Seventeen-year-old Ellie had no hope left. Yet the day after she dies by suicide, she finds herself in the midst of an out-of-body experience. She is a spectator, swaying between past and present, retracing the events that unfolded prior to her death. But there are gaps in her memory, fractured pieces Ellie is desperate to re-assemble. There's her mother, a songbird who wanted to break free from her oppressive cage. The boy made of brushstrokes and goofy smiles who brought color into a gray world. Her brooding father, with his sad puppy eyes and clenched fists.

Interviews

Videos

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Rocky answered most likely to succeed.

Other Fun Facts

  • I had two pet raccoons when I was a teenager (they were awesome).
  • I interned at NASA and NPR before I was 14.
  • I danced on stage and did a monologue at Reliant Stadium when I was 17.
  • I met my husband when I was 16 and our relationship could have been a trope-tastic YA novel.
  • I used to be able to do 16 front or back walkovers in a row. (Ehem, I can't do one now. Aging is so rude.)

Sandhya Menon

Sandhya  Menon

Sandhya Menon is the New York Times bestselling author of several novels with lots of kissing, girl power, and swoony boys. Her books have been featured in several cool places, including on The Today Show, Teen Vogue, NPR Book Review, Buzzfeed, and Seventeen. A full-time dog servant and part-time writer, she makes her home in the foggy mountains of Colorado.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

When Dimple Met Rishi: Dimple and Rishi series (Book1)

When Dimple Met Rishi: Dimple and Rishi series (Book1)
Realistic Fiction, 9781481478687
Recommended for teens

Dimple Shah has it all figured out. With graduation behind her, she’s more than ready for a break from her family, from Mamma’s inexplicable obsession with her finding the “Ideal Indian Husband.” Ugh. Dimple knows they must respect her principles on some level, though. If they truly believed she needed a husband right now, they wouldn’t have paid for her to attend a summer program for aspiring web developers…right? Rishi Patel is a hopeless romantic. So when his parents tell him that his future wife will be attending the same summer program as him—wherein he’ll have to woo her—he’s totally on board. Because as silly as it sounds to most people in his life, Rishi wants to be arranged, believes in the power of tradition, stability, and being a part of something much bigger than himself. The Shahs and Patels didn’t mean to start turning the wheels on this “suggested arrangement” so early in their children’s lives, but when they noticed them both gravitate toward the same summer program, they figured, Why not? Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love works hard to prove itself in the most unexpected ways.

From Twinkle, With Love

From Twinkle, With Love
Realistic Fiction, 9781481495400
Recommended for teens

An aspiring teen filmmaker finds her voice and falls in love in this delightful romantic comedy from the New York Times bestselling author of When Dimple Met Rishi. Aspiring filmmaker and wallflower Twinkle Mehra has stories she wants to tell and universes she wants to explore, if only the world would listen. So when fellow film geek Sahil Roy approaches her to direct a movie for the upcoming Summer Festival, Twinkle is all over it. The chance to publicly showcase her voice as a director? Dream come true. The fact that it gets her closer to her longtime crush, Neil Roy-a.k.a. Sahil's twin brother? Dream come true x 2. When mystery man N begins emailing her, Twinkle is sure it's Neil, finally ready to begin their happily-ever-after. The only slightly inconvenient problem is that, in the course of movie-making, she's fallen madly in love with the irresistibly adorkable Sahil. Twinkle soon realizes that resistance is futile: The romance she's got is not the one she's scripted. But will it be enough?

There's Something About Sweetie :  Dimple and Rishi series (Book 2)

There's Something About Sweetie : Dimple and Rishi series (Book 2)
Realistic Fiction, 9781534416789
Recommended for teens

Ashish Patel didn’t know love could be so…sucky. After he’s dumped by his ex-girlfriend, his mojo goes AWOL. Even worse, his parents are annoyingly, smugly confident they could find him a better match. So, in a moment of weakness, Ash challenges them to set him up. The Patels insist that Ashish date an Indian-American girl—under contract. Per subclause 1(a), he’ll be taking his date on “fun” excursions like visiting the Hindu temple and his eccentric Gita Auntie. Kill him now. How is this ever going to work? Sweetie Nair is many things: a formidable track athlete who can outrun most people in California, a loyal friend, a shower-singing champion. Oh, and she’s also fat. To Sweetie’s traditional parents, this last detail is the kiss of death. Sweetie loves her parents, but she’s so tired of being told she’s lacking because she’s fat. She decides it’s time to kick off the Sassy Sweetie Project, where she’ll show the world (and herself) what she’s really made of. Ashish and Sweetie both have something to prove. But with each date they realize there’s an unexpected magic growing between them. Can they find their true selves without losing each other?

Of Curses and Kisses: St. Rosetta's Academy series (Book 1)

Of Curses and Kisses: St. Rosetta's Academy series (Book 1)
Realistic Fiction, 9781534417540
Recommended for teens

Will the princess save the beast? For Princess Jaya Rao, nothing is more important than family. When the loathsome Emerson clan steps up their centuries-old feud to target Jaya’s little sister, nothing will keep Jaya from exacting her revenge. Then Jaya finds out she’ll be attending the same elite boarding school as Grey Emerson, and it feels like the opportunity of a lifetime. She knows what she must do: Make Grey fall in love with her and break his heart. But much to Jaya’s annoyance, Grey’s brooding demeanor and lupine blue eyes have drawn her in. There’s simply no way she and her sworn enemy could find their fairy-tale ending…right? His Lordship Grey Emerson is a misanthrope. Thanks to an ancient curse by a Rao matriarch, Grey knows he’s doomed once he turns eighteen. Sequestered away in the mountains at St. Rosetta’s International Academy, he’s lived an isolated existence—until Jaya Rao bursts into his life, but he can't shake the feeling that she’s hiding something. Something that might just have to do with the rose-shaped ruby pendant around her neck… As the stars conspire to keep them apart, Jaya and Grey grapple with questions of love, loyalty, and whether it’s possible to write your own happy ending.

Of Princes and Promises: St. Rosetta's Academy series (Book 2)

Of Princes and Promises: St. Rosetta's Academy series (Book 2)
Fantasy, 9781534417571
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

Caterina LaValle is determined to show she’s still the queen of St. Rosetta’s Academy. Sure, her crown may be slightly askew after her ex-boyfriend, Alaric, cheated on her, but she’s a LaValle. She’ll find a way to march right back in there, her hands clutching the strings to the whole puppet show. This time, she’s going to be untouchable. Rahul Chopra knows that moment he shared with Caterina LaValle at the winter formal meant something. Surely she feels it, too. He’s a little uncertain how someone like him (socially inept to a point way past “adorkable”) could fit into her world, but he’s loved Caterina for years. He knows they’ll find a way. When Caterina finds out Alaric is taking a supermodel to the upcoming gala, she knows she cannot arrive without the perfect date. But the thought of taking another superficial St. R’s boy exhausts her. The solution? Sweet-but-clueless Rahul Chopra and a mysterious pot of hair gel with the power to alter the wearer into whatever his heart desires. When Rahul tries it, he transforms instantly into RC—debonair, handsome, and charming. But transformation comes with a price: As Rahul enjoys his new social standing, the line between his two personas begins to blur. Will he give up everything, including Caterina, to remain RC? Or will this unlikely pair find their way back to each other?

Book Talks

Interviews

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Sandhya answered my group of friends wanted to vote me "most sarcastic" or "best sense of humor"! I didn't win, but I appreciated the sentiment.

Other Fun Facts

  • I recently discovered the dairy-free Halo Top ice creams and am in heaven.
  • I love working out--I even enjoy burpees! (But can only do about three before I want to die.)
  • I grew up with intense anxiety, which is one of the reasons I became a professional therapist.
  • My house burned down when I was 10 (no, I wasn't responsible!).
  • I met my husband in high school! We were best friends and then began dating senior year.

James Ponti

James  Ponti

James Ponti was born in Italy, raised in Florida, and went to college in California. After receiving a degree in screenwriting from the USC Film School, he began a career writing and producing television shows for the likes of Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, PBS, Spike TV, History Channel, and Golf Channel. James loves writing, travel, and the Boston Red Sox. He lives with his family in Maitland, Florida.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Framed!: Framed series (Book 1)

Framed!: Framed series (Book 1)
Middle School, Mystery, 9781481436304
Recommended for teens

So you’re only halfway through your homework and the Director of the FBI keeps texting you for help…What do you do? Save your grade? Or save the country? If you’re Florian Bates, you figure out a way to do both. Florian is twelve years old and has just moved to Washington. He’s learning his way around using TOAST, which stands for the Theory of All Small Things. It’s a technique he invented to solve life’s little mysteries such as: where to sit on the on the first day of school, or which Chinese restaurant has the best eggrolls. But when he teaches it to his new friend Margaret, they uncover a mystery that isn’t little. In fact, it’s HUGE, and it involves the National Gallery, the FBI, and a notorious crime syndicate known as EEL. Can Florian decipher the clues and finish his homework in time to help the FBI solve the case?

Vanished!: Framed series (Book 2)

Vanished!: Framed series (Book 2)
Middle School, Mystery, 9781481436335
Recommended for teens

After helping the FBI solve an art theft at the National Gallery and uncovering a DC spy ring, Florian’s finding life at Alice Deal Middle School a little boring. But that’s all about to change! His FBI handler, Marcus, has a job for him! Is it a bank robbery? Counterfeit ring? International espionage? Actually it’s middle school pranks… Sounds pretty ordinary except that the pranks are happening at a prestigious private school attended by the President’s daughter who may—or may not—be involved. So Florian and Margaret are going undercover to see if they can use their TOAST skills to figure out what’s going on before the media gets hold of the story. However, once the crime-solving pair arrive at the school, they discover that there’s a lot more than a few pranks going on and the conspiracy of silence reaches all the way to the top. Then a student vanishes in the middle of a concert at the Kennedy Center and things take a sinister turn! Can Florian and Margaret save the day? Or are they about to get toasted?

Trapped!: Framed series (Book 3)

Trapped!: Framed series (Book 3)
Middle School, Mystery, 9781534408913
Recommended for teens

When Florian and Margaret’s FBI supervisor, Marcus Rivers, is accused of a crime, it’s up to this mystery solving duo to jump into action and clear his name, because Marcus is more than their boss—he’s family. The case involves one of Marcus’s first investigations for the FBI and a Russian spy ring. However, when the spy they are chasing learns what they’re up to, the tables are turned, and Marcus finds himself implicated in a variety of crimes, including theft, corruption, and espionage. For Florian and Margaret, it just got personal. They’re going to catch the spy and clear Marcus’s name…even if they have to break into (and out of) the Library of Congress to do it.

City Spies: City Spies series (Book 1)

City Spies: City Spies series (Book 1)
Middle School, Mystery, 9781534414914
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

Sara Martinez is a hacker. She recently broke into the New York City foster care system to expose her foster parents as cheats and lawbreakers. However, instead of being hailed as a hero, Sara finds herself facing years in a juvenile detention facility and banned from using computers for the same stretch of time. Enter Mother, a British spy who not only gets Sara released from jail but also offers her a chance to make a home for herself within a secret MI6 agency. Operating out of a base in Scotland, the City Spies are five kids from various parts of the world. When they’re not attending the local boarding school, they’re honing their unique skills, such as sleight of hand, breaking and entering, observation, and explosives. All of these allow them to go places in the world of espionage where adults can’t. Before she knows what she’s doing, Sarah is heading to Paris for an international youth summit, hacking into a rival school’s computer to prevent them from winning a million euros, dangling thirty feet off the side of a building, and trying to stop a villain…all while navigating the complex dynamics of her new team. No one said saving the world was easy…

Golden Gate: City Spies series (Book 2)

Golden Gate: City Spies series (Book 2)
Mystery, 9781534414945
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

After thwarting a notorious villain at an eco-summit in Paris, the City Spies are gearing up for their next mission. Operating out of a base in Scotland, this secret team of young agents working for the British Secret Intelligence Service’s MI6 division have honed their unique skills, such as sleight of hand, breaking and entering, observation, and explosives. All of these allow them to go places in the world of espionage where adults can’t. Fourteen-year-old Sydney is a surfer and a rebel from Bondi Beach, Australia. She’s also a field ops specialist for the City Spies. Sydney is excited to learn that she’ll be going undercover on the marine research vessel the Sylvia Earle. But things don’t go exactly as planned, and while Sydney does find herself in the spotlight, it’s not in the way she was hoping. Meanwhile, there’s been some new intel regarding a potential mole within the organization, offering the spies a lead that takes them to San Francisco, California. But as they investigate a spy who died at the Botanical Gardens, they discover that they are also being investigated. And soon, they’re caught up in an adventure filled with rogue missions and double agents!

Interviews

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, James answered I was the runner up for several including Wittiest, which I guess means I was the second funniest in my high school class.

Other Fun Facts

  • I was born in Pisa, Italy home of the leaning tower and birthplace of Galileo. (Which means I'll never be the most famous person from my hometown.)
  • I wrote for the Mickey Mouse Club when Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, and Ryan Gosling were all mouseketeers. We all started on the same day.
  • I dressed up like Davy Crockett and told bad jokes in a canoe at Disney World every summer during college.
  • My mom took me to see my first movie the week I was born. (She couldn't get a baby-sitter.) It was Dr. Terror's House of Horrors.
  • I met my wife on a blind date and we've been married for over thirty years.

Elizabeth Lim

Elizabeth  Lim

Elizabeth Lim grew up on a hearty staple of fairy tales, myths, and songs. Her passion for storytelling began around age 10, when she started writing fanfics for Sailor Moon, Sweet Valley, and Star Wars, and posted them online to discover, "Wow, people actually read my stuff. And that's kinda cool!" But after one of her teachers told her she had "too much voice" in her essays, Elizabeth took a break from creative writing to focus on not flunking English. Over the years, Elizabeth became a film and video game composer, and even went so far as to get a doctorate in music composition. But she always missed writing, and she turned to penning stories when she needed a breather from grad school. One day, she decided to write and finish a novel -- for kicks, at first, then things became serious -- and she hasn't looked back since. Elizabeth loves classic film scores, books with a good romance, food (she currently has a soft spot for arepas and Ethiopian food), the color turquoise, overcast skies, English muffins, cycling, and baking. She grew up in Northern California, with a brief stint in Tokyo, Japan, but now lives in New York City with her husband and their daughter. Elizabeth graduated from Harvard College with a degree in music and a secondary in East Asian Studies, and completed her graduate degrees at The Juilliard School.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Reflection: Twisted Tales series (Book 4)

Reflection: Twisted Tales series (Book 4)
Fairy Tales, 9781484781296
Recommended for teens

What if Mulan had to travel to the Underworld? When Captain Shang is mortally wounded by Shan Yu in battle, Mulan must travel to the Underworld, Diyu, in order to save him from certain death. But King Yama, the ruler of Diyu, is not willing to give Shang up easily. With the help of Shang's great lion guardian ShiShi, Mulan must traverse Diyu to find Shang's spirit, face harrowing obstacles, and leave by sunrise⁠—or become King Yama's prisoner forever. Moreover, Mulan is still disguised as the soldier called Ping, wrestling with the decision to reveal her true identity to her closest friend. Will Mulan be able to save Shang before it's too late? Will he ever be able to trust her again? Or will she lose him--and be lost in the Underworld⁠—forever?

Spin the Dawn: The Blood of Stars series (Book 1)

Spin the Dawn: The Blood of Stars series (Book 1)
Fantasy, 9780525646990
Recommended for teens

Maia Tamarin dreams of becoming the greatest tailor in the land, but as a girl, the best she can hope for is to marry well. When a royal messenger summons her ailing father, once a tailor of renown, to court, Maia poses as a boy and takes his place. She knows her life is forfeit if her secret is discovered, but she'll take that risk to achieve her dream and save her family from ruin. There's just one catch: Maia is one of twelve tailors vying for the job. Backstabbing and lies run rampant as the tailors compete in challenges to prove their artistry and skill. Maia's task is further complicated when she draws the attention of the court magician, Edan, whose piercing eyes seem to see straight through her disguise. And nothing could have prepared her for the final challenge: to sew three magic gowns for the emperor's reluctant bride-to-be, from the laughter of the sun, the tears of the moon, and the blood of stars. With this impossible task before her, she embarks on a journey to the far reaches of the kingdom, seeking the sun, the moon, and the stars, and finding more than she ever could have imagined.

So This is Love: Twisted Tales series (Book 9)

So This is Love: Twisted Tales series (Book 9)
Fantasy, 9781368013826
Recommended for teens

What if Cinderella never tried on the glass slipper? Unable to prove that she's the missing princess, and unable to bear life under Lady Tremaine any longer, Cinderella attempts a fresh start, looking for work at the palace as a seamstress. But when the Grand Duke appoints her to serve under the king's visiting sister, Cinderella becomes witness to a grand conspiracy to take the king-and the prince-out of power, as well as a longstanding prejudice against fairies, including Cinderella's own Fairy Godmother. Faced with questions of love and loyalty to the kingdom, Cinderella must find a way to stop the villains of past and present . . . before it's too late.

Rachel Hartman

Rachel  Hartman

Rachel was born in Kentucky, but has lived a variety of places including Chicago, Philadelphia, St. Louis, England, and Japan. She has a BA in Comparative Literature, although she insists it should have been a BS because her undergraduate thesis was called “Paradox and Parody in Don Quixoteand the satires of Lucian.” She eschewed graduate school in favour of drawing comic books. She now lives in Vancouver, BC, with her family, their whippet, and a talking frog and salamander (who fight zombies)(really. There are a lot of zombies in the Pacific Northwest).

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Seraphina

Seraphina
Fantasy, 9780375866227
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

In a world where dragons and humans coexist in an uneasy truce and dragons can assume human form, Seraphina, whose mother died giving birth to her, grapples with her own identity amid magical secrets and royal scandals, while she struggles to accept and develop her extraordinary musical talents.

Shadow Scale

Shadow Scale
Fantasy, 9780375866579
Recommended for teens

Seraphina, half-dragon and half-human, searches for others like her who can make the difference in the war between dragons and humans in the kingdom of Goredd.

Tess of the Road

Tess of the Road
Fantasy, 9781101931288
Recommended for teens

In the medieval kingdom of Goredd, women are expected to be ladies, men are their protectors, and dragons can be whomever they choose. Tess is none of these things. Tess is. . . different. She speaks out of turn, has wild ideas, and can’t seem to keep out of trouble. Then Tess goes too far. What she’s done is so disgraceful, she can’t even allow herself to think of it. Unfortunately, the past cannot be ignored. So Tess’s family decide the only path for her is a nunnery. But on the day she is to join the nuns, Tess chooses a different path for herself. She cuts her hair, pulls on her boots, and sets out on a journey. She’s not running away, she’s running towards something. What that something is, she doesn’t know. Tess just knows that the open road is a map to somewhere else–a life where she might belong. Returning to the spellbinding world of the Southlands she created in the award-winning, New York Times bestselling novel Seraphina, Rachel Hartman explores self-reliance and redemption in this wholly original fantasy. (From the Penguin Random House Website, Release date: February 27, 2018)

Videos

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Rachel answered Most likely to live (and die) at the library.

Other Fun Facts

  • I studied ancient Greek at university.
  • I sing in a madrigal choir (medieval and Renaissance music).
  • I made worm cookies in 7th grade.
  • I once went more than twenty years without vomiting.
  • I have a whippet.
  • If I were a superhero, I would be The Iron Stomach and I would be able to eat anything without being sick. WILL eat anything...once.
  • If you can only read one of my books before TBF you should read Seraphina. All of my books are set in the same world and build on each other. You can jump in anywhere, but it's definitely easiest to begin at the beginning.

Michael Evans

Michael   Evans
Awesome teen author!

Michael Evans is the author of the novel Control Freakz and forthcoming novel Delusional. He is a sophomore at Wando High School, in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, but is originally from Long Island, New York. He loves the future, specifically trying to get humanity from messing it up! His many passions include hiking, running, reading, writing, going to the beach, nanotechnology, the environment, and walking his fluffy golden doodle Skye.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Control Freakz

Control Freakz
, 9781641110334
Recommended for teens

Control Freakz is the first novel in a YA Dystopian trilogy that follows Natalie on her journey to regaining the life and happiness that was taken away from her by the government. The novel combines the action of Divergent and the Darkest Minds with the psychological thriller narrative of the Girl on the Train. The story begins with the government kidnapping the families of both Natalie, and her two best friends, to places unknown and for reasons unbeknownst to them. The rest of the novel follows their journey in attempting to regain the life and happiness that was torn from them, all while trying to prevent the government hitmen from killing them in the present. All seems hopeless for Natalie, and it seems like she may very well be destined to live a life of poverty and mental blackness, until a turn of events leads them into the hands of the President's ex-wife. And in the process of trying to save their lives and find their families, they end up uncovering secrets and memories better left buried, and they change the entire country forever.

Helpful Links

Interviews

Videos

Websites

  • Peanut butter pie is my favorite food!
  • I frequently spill any liquid that I hold in my hands.
  • Participated in Scripps Long Island Regional Spelling Bee.
  • Nanorobots are something that I'm fascinated with.
  • My dream is to live on a private island.

Bill Konigsberg

Bill  Konigsberg

Bill is no longer able to make it to this year's TBF. Check out the other authors coming this weekend!

Bill lives in just outside of Phoenix with his longtime partner, Chuck. They have two Australian Labradoodles who complete them.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Destination Unknown

Destination Unknown
LGBTQ, 9781338618051
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

The first thing I noticed about C.J. Gorman was his plexiglass bra. So begins Destination Unknown. It's 1987 in New York City, and Micah is at a dance club, trying to pretend he's more out and outgoing than he really is. C.J. isn't just out--he’s completely out there, and Micah can't help but be both attracted to and afraid of someone who travels so loudly and proudly through the night. A connection occurs. Is it friendship? Romance? Is C.J. the one with all the answers... or does Micah bring more to the relationship that it first seems? As their lives become more and more entangled in the AIDS epidemic that’s laying waste to their community, and the AIDS activism that will ultimately bring a strong voice to their demands, whatever Micah and C.J. have between them will be tested, strained, pushed, and pulled--but it will also be a lifeline in a time of death, a bond that will determine the course of their futures.

The Bridge

The Bridge
LGBTQ, 9781338325034
Recommended for teens

Aaron and Tillie don't know each other, but they are both feeling suicidal, and arrive at the George Washington Bridge at the same time, intending to jump. Aaron is a gay misfit struggling with depression and loneliness. Tillie isn't sure what her problem is -- only that she will never be good enough. On the bridge, there are four things that could happen: Aaron jumps and Tillie doesn't. Tillie jumps and Aaron doesn't. They both jump. Neither of them jumps.

The Music of What Happens

The Music of What Happens
LGBTQ, 9781338215502
Recommended for teens

Max: Chill. Sports. Video games. Gay and not a big deal, not to him, not to his mom, not to his buddies. And a secret: An encounter with an older kid that makes it hard to breathe, one that he doesn't want to think about, ever. Jordan: The opposite of chill. Poetry. His "wives" and the Chandler Mall. Never been kissed and searching for Mr. Right, who probably won't like him anyway. And a secret: A spiraling out of control mother, and the knowledge that he's the only one who can keep the family from falling apart. Throw in a rickety, 1980s-era food truck called Coq Au Vinny. Add in prickly pears, cloud eggs, and a murky idea of what's considered locally sourced and organic. Place it all in Mesa, Arizona, in June, where the temp regularly hits 114. And top it off with a touch of undeniable chemistry between utter opposites. Over the course of one summer, two boys will have to face their biggest fears and decide what they're willing to risk -- to get the thing they want the most.

Helpful Links

Interviews

Videos

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Bill answered Most outspoken.

Other Fun Facts

  • In high school, I was part of a musical duo with Rhonda Ross, Diana Ross' daughter. We were called Shade of Gray. She was good. I was not good.
  • I am ovaphobic. I have a fear of eggs.
  • I cannot draw beyond simple stick figures.
  • Charleston Chew is my all-time favorite candy.
  • I grew up thinking that dumplings were little animals.

Erin Spencer (Audiobook Performer and Director)

Erin  Spencer (Audiobook Performer and Director)

Erin Spencer is an accomplished actress, voice talent, and dancer. She has performed across the US as well as internationally, most notably touring with the Broadway show Chicago.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

People Like Us (Audiobook)

People Like Us (Audiobook)

Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

A sharp psychological thriller that's just right for fans of Pretty Little Liars - this story will seduce, mislead, and, finally, betray you. Kay Donovan has skeletons in her closet, but who doesn't? The past is the past, and now Kay's a star soccer player whose group of gorgeous, pedigreed friends run their private school with effortless popularity and acerbic wit. But when a girl's body is found in the lake, Kay's carefully constructed life begins to topple. The dead girl has left a memento, a computer-coded scavenger hunt, which, as it unravels, begins to implicate each of Kay's friends, until Kay herself is in the crosshairs of the murder investigation. At this school, no one is quite what they seem...even Kay.

Websites

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Erin answered Most Likely to Dance Down the Halls.

Other Fun Facts

  • I've been bitten by a Black Panther.
  • I'm obsessed with 90's Hip Hop.
  • I LOVE sushi.
  • I have a Berger Picard, which is a rare French herding dog that looks like a Muppet.
  • I've traveled to New Zealand three times.
  • If I were a superhero I would be Twinkle Boudreaux - A Mississippi girl who can manipulate light and cook a darn good gumbo!
  • If you can only listen to one audiobook before TBF it should be People like us by the great Dana Mele, of course! I also narrated Arena by Holly Jennings, which was so fun because it was like I actually got to BE in a video game!

Gloria Chao

Gloria  Chao

Gloria Chao earned a bachelor’s degree from MIT and graduated magna cum laude from Tufts Dental School. To recover from endless hours of root canals, she wrote.

AMERICAN PANDA is her debut novel, coming out spring 2018 from Simon Pulse/Simon & Schuster. 

Gloria writes because she loves it, and she writes from an Asian-American point of view to show underrepresented readers they are not alone. She also hopes to show other readers a new perspective of the world and present a story relatable to all regardless of race, gender, or age. 

She is represented by Kathleen Rushall of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency. She was once a black belt in kung-fu and a dancer, but that side of her was drilled and suctioned out. Restoration in progress.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

American Panda

American Panda
Realistic Fiction, 9781481499101
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

At seventeen, Mei should be in high school, but skipping fourth grade was part of her parents' master plan. Now a freshman at MIT, she is on track to fulfill the rest of this predetermined future: become a doctor, marry a preapproved Taiwanese Ivy Leaguer, produce a litter of babies. With everything her parents have sacrificed to make her cushy life a reality, Mei can't bring herself to tell them the truth--that she (1) hates germs, (2) falls asleep in biology lectures, and (3) has a crush on her classmate Darren Takahashi, who is decidedly not Taiwanese. But when Mei reconnects with her brother, Xing, who is estranged from the family for dating the wrong woman, Mei starts to wonder if all the secrets are truly worth it. Can she find a way to be herself, whoever that is, before her web of lies unravels? From debut author Gloria Chao comes a hilarious, heartfelt tale of how unlike the panda, life isn't always so black and white.

Interviews

Websites

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Gloria answered I was voted "Most Likely to Go to Harvard" in junior high. Clearly I was very cool..

Other Fun Facts

  • I'm obsessed with board games and a few of my favorites are Takenoko, Cranium, and Pandemic.
  • Papercutting and origami are two ways I love to relax.
  • I was a dentist before I switched to writing full time.
  • I love to dance!
  • I used to be a black belt in Kung-fu.
  • If I were a superhero my name would be Panda Girl. My super power would be writing cultural jokes that make my ancestors turn in their graves, but (I hope) help teens laugh.
  • If you can only read one of my books before TBF you should read American Panda because it's my debut novel, but also because I wrote it for my teen self, for all the readers who have ever felt like they didn't belong, and for those who are struggling to communicate with their loved ones. I hope this story can help those teens feel seen and heard; you are not alone.

Sarah Young

Sarah   Young
Awesome teen author!

I just finished my sophomore year at Wellesley College but I'm originally from Syracuse. My mom is a librarian there and she and my dad (an avid reader) inspired me from a young age to read and eventually to write. I write poetry, articles for a few online organizations, and of course novels! My first novel, Nice Jewish Boys, came out in August!

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Nice Jewish Boys

Nice Jewish Boys
Realistic Fiction, 978-1684310678
Recommended for teens

Avishai Miller is your typical kid. Except that his mother is dead, he barely speaks to his father, and he's secretly dating Noah, a male classmate at his Jewish private school. Then their relationship is discovered, everything they know changes, leaving them struggling to find their feet in a new, unwelcoming reality.

Websites

  • I have a dog named Abigail Adams
  • I'm majoring in Spanish and religion
  • I saw Hamilton on Broadway a week before it officially opened
  • I am a copy editor for the Wellesley College News
  • I have a signed book by Alison Bechdel

Roshani Chokshi

Roshani  Chokshi

She grew up in Georgia, where she acquired a Southern accent but does not use it unless under duress. She has a luck dragon that looks suspiciously like a Great Pyrenees dog. Her work has appeared in Strange Horizons, Uncanny Magazine, Shimmer, and Book Smugglers. She is the 2016 finalist for the Andre Norton Award, and a 2016 Locus finalist for Best First Novel. Her short story, The Star Maiden, was longlisted for the British Fantasy Science Award.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Aru Shah and the End of Time

Aru Shah and the End of Time
Fairy Tales, Fantasy, 9781368012355
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

Best-selling author Rick Riordan introduces this adventure by Roshani Chokshi about twelve-year-old Aru Shah, who has a tendency to stretch the truth in order to fit in at school. While her classmates are jetting off to family vacations in exotic locales, she'll be spending her autumn break at home, in the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture, waiting for her mom to return from her latest archeological trip. Is it any wonder that Aru makes up stories about being royalty, traveling to Paris, and having a chauffeur? One day, three schoolmates show up at Aru's doorstep to catch her in a lie. They don't believe her claim that the museum's Lamp of Bharata is cursed, and they dare Aru to prove it. Just a quick light, Aru thinks. Then she can get herself out of this mess and never ever fib again. But lighting the lamp has dire consequences. She unwittingly frees the Sleeper, an ancient demon whose duty it is to awaken the God of Destruction. Her classmates and beloved mother are frozen in time, and it's up to Aru to save them. The only way to stop the demon is to find the reincarnations of the five legendary Pandava brothers, protagonists of the Hindu epic poem, the Mahabharata, and journey through the Kingdom of Death. But how is one girl in Spider-Man pajamas supposed to do all that?

Star-Touched Queen

Star-Touched Queen
Fantasy, 9781250100207
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

Maya is cursed. With a horoscope that promises a marriage of Death and Destruction, she has earned only the scorn and fear of her father's kingdom. Content to follow more scholarly pursuits, her whole world is torn apart when her father, the Raja, arranges a wedding of political convenience to quell outside rebellions. Soon Maya becomes the queen of Akaran and wife of Amar. Neither roles are what she expected: As Akaran's queen, she finds her voice and power. As Amar's wife, she finds something else entirely: Compassion. Protection. Desire... But Akaran has its own secrets -- thousands of locked doors, gardens of glass, and a tree that bears memories instead of fruit. Soon, Maya suspects her life is in danger. Yet who, besides her husband, can she trust? With the fate of the human and Otherworldly realms hanging in the balance, Maya must unravel an ancient mystery that spans reincarnated lives to save those she loves the most. . .including herself.

A Crown of Wishes

A Crown of Wishes
Fantasy, 9781250085498
Recommended for teens

Gauri, the princess of Bharata, has been taken as a prisoner of war by her kingdom’s enemies. Faced with a future of exile and scorn, Gauri has nothing left to lose. Hope unexpectedly comes in the form of Vikram, the cunning prince of a neighboring land and her sworn enemy kingdom. Unsatisfied with becoming a mere puppet king, Vikram offers Gauri a chance to win back her kingdom in exchange for her battle prowess. Together, they’ll have to set aside their differences and team up to win the Tournament of Wishes – a competition held in a mythical city where the Lord of Wealth promises a wish to the victor. Reaching the tournament is just the beginning. Once they arrive, danger takes on new shapes: poisonous courtesans and mischievous story birds, a feast of fears and twisted fairy revels. Every which way they turn new trials will test their wit and strength. But what Gauri and Vikram will soon discover is that there’s nothing more dangerous than what they most desire.

Interviews

Videos

Websites

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Roshani answered Most Likely to Take Over the World.

Other Fun Facts

  • I have cows named after ice cream flavors.
  • I have a fake tooth that one time did not show up at a black light party in college.
  • My Patronus is a shrew.
  • I can do the maniacal Woody the Woodpecker laugh.
  • I once posed as royalty to get into an elite nightclub.
  • If I were a superhero I would be The Unlikely Rodent and my super power would be chewing through impenetrable structures.
  • If you can only read one of my books before TBF, for young adult, read The Star-Touched Queen. The Star-Touched Queen was my debut, and it contains a little bit of everything you’ll find in my other works. I love fairytale settings, pleasantly monstrous sidekicks, aching romance and writing just this side of decadent. For middle grade, read Aru Shah and The End of Time. I love humorous middle grade where I get to wander through all the magical lands and make all the friends.

Alisa Kwitney

Alisa  Kwitney

Alisa Kwitney was an editor at DC Comics/Vertigo and is the Eisner-nominated author of graphic novels, romantic women’s fiction and urban fantasy. She was one of the authors of A Flight of Angels, which made YALSA’s Top Ten List for Great Graphic Novels for Teens, and the YA graphic novel Token, named a highlight of the Minx imprint by PW. Alisa has an MFA from Columbia University. Her thesis, Till the Fat Lady Sings, a comedy of manners about college and eating disorders, made The New York Times’ new and noteworthy in paperback list. The first issue of her latest comic book series, Mystik U, is coming out November ’17 from DC Comics. Her first YA novel, Cadaver & Queen, will be coming out with Harlequin Teen in February ’18.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Cadaver & Queen

Cadaver & Queen
Fantasy, 9781335470461
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

When Elizabeth Lavenza enrolled at Ingold as its first female medical student, she knew she wouldn’t have an easy time. From class demands to being an outsider among her male cohorts, she’ll have to go above and beyond to prove herself. So when she stumbles across what appears to be a faulty Bio-Mechanical—one of the mechanized cadavers created to service the school—she jumps at the chance to fix it and get ahead in the program.

Interviews

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Alisa answered At the end of high school, all my friends were receiving academic awards, and I was really hoping for one in English or Creative Writing. Instead, I got something like the Sidney F. Grubenstein Award for Creative Thinking. It almost seemed like the faculty had just made it up in the back room: “We need to give Kwitney something, but what?” I was quirky, both socially and academically, except back in the eighties, it was called weird..

Other Fun Facts

  • I used to have a Frida Kahlo mustache.
  • I discovered this looking at my Bat Mitzvah photographs.
  • I own a 1940's mannequin, and Edwardian day dress, and a Victorian mobcap.
  • I started doing improv last year.
  • I deal with my chronic insecurity by talking about it as casually as possible. Like this.
  • I've always identified with Rogue, who can touch you and absorb your powers, but accidentally absorbs your personality along with your powers. These are not the powers I would want the most, but probably the ones I'd end up with. So if I were a superhero, If I were a superhero, I'd be Spongia, a.k.a. the Absorbing Woman.
  • If you can only read one of my books before TBF, you should read Cadaver & Queen since it is my first YA novel. My comic book series Mystik U, from DC Comics, might also appeal.

Eric Devine

Eric   Devine

Young Adult fiction author of Look Past, Press Play, Dare Me, Tap Out, and This Side of Normal, as well as a high school English teacher. I married my high school sweetheart, and together we are raising two daughters in Upstate, NY.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Tap Out

Tap Out
Realistic Fiction, 9780762445691
Recommended for teens

Seventeen-year-old Tony is faced with domestic problems at home, and peer pressure on the streets. He's hoping a mixed martial arts class will help him balance things out and give him the courage to live his own life.

Dare Me

Dare Me
Realistic Fiction, 9780762450152
Recommended for teens

When Ben Candido and his friends, Ricky and John, decide to post a YouTube video of themselves surfing on top of a car, they finally feel like the somebodies they are meant to be instead of the social nobodies that they are. Overnight, the video becomes the talk of the school. Every dare brings an increased risk of bodily harm, and the stakes become even more complex when a mysterious donor bankrolls their dares in exchange for a cut in the online revenue the videos generate.

Press Play

Press Play
Realistic Fiction, 9780762455126
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

While making a documentary to get himself into film school, Greg accidentally captures footage of brutal and bloody hazing by the lacrosse team, and he must decide whether to release the film or keep the secret.

Look Past

Look Past
Realistic Fiction, 9780762459216
Recommended for teens

The daughter of a prominent and very conservative local pastor is murdered, and the killer is now taunting Avery, a transgender boy, with messages claiming the murder was revenge for her relationship with Avery. The killer demands Avery repent for changing his gender identity, or he will be the next one killed.

Book Talks

Helpful Links

Videos

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Eric answered It's kind of embarrassing, but I was voted "sexiest" in high school.

Other Fun Facts

  • I have a dog named Miley Cyrus.
  • I have been mistaken for G-Eazy.
  • I can still remember sobbing over the end of Where the Red Fern Grows.
  • I was a lifeguard as a teen so that I could get paid to read, but I ended up saving four people's lives.
  • I married, and am still married to, my high school sweetheart.
  • If I were a superhero I would be Doctor Devine. I would have the power to heal all wounds, but each time I do, it takes away from my own life.
  • If you are only able to read one of my books before TBF you should read Press Play. It is my wife's favorite and she is a very reluctant reader. I also love how the story uses smartphones and technology to empower the characters to have voice against adversity. I wish more teens would use their tech for good.

Dana Mele

Dana  Mele

Dana Mele writes YA novels along with all manner of short fiction and nonfiction. She is a licensed attorney as well as a writer.

Dana’s debut novel PEOPLE LIKE US is forthcoming from G.P. Putnam’s Sons in 2018 and she is currently working on her second, also to be released by Putnam.

Her short stories have appeared or are forthcoming in Buffalo Almanack, Typehouse LiteraryMagazine, Jersey Devil Press, Lunch Ticket, and Bird’s Thumb, among others.

She was nominated for the Pushcart Prize in 2015 and 2016 and she is Editor-in-Chief of Kaaterskill Basin Literary Journal and an associate editor at Luna Station Quarterly.

She has a B.A. in Theatre Studies from Wellesley College, a M.Ed. from Lesley University, and a law degree from Syracuse University. She is a disability and LGBTQ rights advocate, with a strong focus on mental health issues. She lives in the Catskills with her husband, who teaches high school students, and her toddler, who is dedicated to the proposition that glitter should be a food group. In her free time, Dana enjoys sandwiches, snow, and board games.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

People Like Us

People Like Us
Mystery, 978524741709
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

Kay Donovan may have skeletons in her closet, but the past is past, and she’s reinvented herself entirely. Now she’s a star soccer player whose group of gorgeous friends run their private school with effortless popularity and acerbic wit. But when a girl’s body is found in the lake, Kay’s carefully constructed life begins to topple. The dead girl has left Kay a computer-coded scavenger hunt, which, as it unravels, begins to implicate suspect after suspect, until Kay herself is in the crosshairs of a murder investigation. But if Kay’s finally backed into a corner, she’ll do what it takes to survive. Because at Bates Academy, the truth is something you make…not something that happened.

Websites

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Dana answered I wasn’t voted anything in high school, and I can’t think of anything I was most likely to do. I was very much a secondary player. A sidekick if you will. So maybe I would have been voted “Best Sidekick".

Other Fun Facts

  • I live in a tiny mountaintop town and the nearest grocery story is almost an hour away.
  • I used to play in several bands, and somewhere on the internet there is proof.
  • I met my husband on a reality show that featured Ludacris and Tommy Lee battling to prove which of them was more environmentally conscious.
  • My favorite ice cream flavor is peanut butter swirl, but sometimes that changes to cookies and cream.
  • When I go to any given restaurant more than once I always order the same thing.
  • If I were a superhero what would my name be? There are so many trademarked superhero names, so I'm going to stay on the safe side and dub myself Meletron. My superpower would be the ability to dazzle a room with my astounding awkwardness.
  • If you can only read one of my books before TBF you should read People Like Us because it's my only book. But aside from that, it's the first thing I write that made me really excited. Readers have compared it to some of my favorite books and movies of all time, ranging from We Were Liars and One of Us is Lying to Mean Girls and Heathers. It makes my heart happy.

Erin Forbes

Erin  Forbes
Awesome teen author!


Erin Forbes is a young author who discovered her passion for writing at a very early age.  She is known for her vivid descriptions and fantastical fiction. When Erin is not reading or writing, she enjoys art, nature, music, dance, and riding her horse. She lives on a farm in upstate New York.
 

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Fire & Ice: The Elementals (Volume 1)

Fire & Ice: The Elementals (Volume 1)
Fantasy, 978-1514644157
Recommended for teens

Welcome to Aisling, an enchanted realm where each individual is born with a unique and magical Gift. For centuries, this realm has been slowly crumbling due to an ancient curse set on the land. However, the moment that Alice and Emery Hanley step into the Academy for Gifted Youth, their lives are forever changed. Amidst the disappearance of a fellow student, the twin sisters discover a prophecy that could save the realm of Aisling from destruction.

Fire & Ice: The Lost Dreamer

Fire & Ice: The Lost Dreamer
Fantasy, 9781540460486
Recommended for teens

The Four Elementals have vanquished the creatures of the Night Oak Forest; however, a new darkness lurks in the realm of Aisling. As their family moves into the manor that once belonged to their late grandmother, the Hanley sisters must adjust to life in the enchanted countryside. Between the extravagant galas, beautiful gardens, and elegant wardrobes, the new lifestyle begs for the title of perfection. It is not long before the twin sisters are greeted by the peculiar memories that dwell in the old house. A forgotten mystery beckons for attention, and the truth threatens to reveal a series of ancient secrets. The simple answers of the previous year are countered by the complicated history of the Gifted society.

Interviews

  • I was born on Halloween.
  • I have two cats named Penelope and Nellie.
  • I have been riding horses for over ten years.
  • C.S. Lewis is one of my favorite authors, and I have always been completely obsessed with The Chronicles of Narnia books and movies.
  • I love peppermint tea!

Justina Ireland

Justina  Ireland

Justina Ireland enjoys dark chocolate, dark humor, and is not too proud to admit that she’s still afraid of the dark. She lives with her husband, kid, and dog in Pennsylvania. She is the author of Vengeance Bound and Promise of Shadows.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Dread Nation

Dread Nation
Fantasy, 9780062570604
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

At once provocative, terrifying, and darkly subversive, Dread Nation is Justina Ireland's stunning vision of an America both foreign and familiar—a country on the brink, at the explosive crossroads where race, humanity, and survival meet. Jane McKeene was born two days before the dead began to walk the battlefields of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania—derailing the War Between the States and changing the nation forever. In this new America, safety for all depends on the work of a few, and laws like the Native and Negro Education Act require certain children attend combat schools to learn to put down the dead. But there are also opportunities—and Jane is studying to become an Attendant, trained in both weaponry and etiquette to protect the well-to-do. It's a chance for a better life for Negro girls like Jane. After all, not even being the daughter of a wealthy white Southern woman could save her from society’s expectations. But that’s not a life Jane wants. Almost finished with her education at Miss Preston's School of Combat in Baltimore, Jane is set on returning to her Kentucky home and doesn’t pay much mind to the politics of the eastern cities, with their talk of returning America to the glory of its days before the dead rose. But when families around Baltimore County begin to go missing, Jane is caught in the middle of a conspiracy, one that finds her in a desperate fight for her life against some powerful enemies. And the restless dead, it would seem, are the least of her problems. Coming out 4/3/18!

Promise of Shadows

Promise of Shadows
Fantasy, 9781442444652
Recommended for teens

A teen who is half-god, half-human must own her power whether she likes it or not in this snappy, snarky novel with a serving of smoldering romance. Zephyr Mourning has never been very good at being a Harpy. She’d rather watch reality TV than learn forty-seven ways to kill a man, and she pretty much sucks at wielding magic. Zephyr was ready for a future pretending to be a normal human instead of a half-god assassin. But all that changed when her sister was murdered—and Zephyr used a forbidden dark power to save herself from the same fate. On the run from a punishment worse than death, an unexpected reunion with a childhood friend upends Zephyr’s world—and not only because her old friend has grown surprisingly, extremely hot. It seems that Zephyr might just be the Nyx, a dark goddess that is prophesied to shift the power balance: for hundreds of years the half-gods have lived in fear, and Zephyr is supposed to change that. But how is she supposed to save everyone else when she can barely take care of herself?

Interviews

Websites

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Justina answered Most talkative.

Other Fun Facts

  • I have never read the Harry Potter books.
  • My favorite food is fried okra.
  • I'm a huge Destiny (a video game) nerd.
  • Cupcakes is another favorite food.
  • I am not a cat person even though I have a cat.
  • If you can only read one of my books before TBF you should read Dread Nation.
  • If I were a Superhero I would be called The Side-Eye and I would have laser powered eyeballs.

Jennifer Castle

Jennifer   Castle

When I was a child, I spent a lot of time pecking out poems on my dad’s typewriter, making up stories on long school bus rides, and constantly lying about stuff. From that poetry-spewing, whopper-telling little kid, I took the long way around to being an author, but I don’t regret the journey. I grew up in a small town north of New York City in Westchester County and then studied English Lit and Creative Writing at Brown University. After college, I craved adventure and maybe a little glamour too, so I moved to Los Angeles and learned how to write for film and television. While I was waiting for the proverbial big break, I worked at temp jobs, a film studio, and a celebrity publicity firm before going it freelance as an advertising copywriter. Eventually I taught myself HTML and how to make stuff for the then-brand-new Internet thing, and started running the website for the PBS teen documentary series “In the Mix.” I enjoyed working in interactive media, which was a lot more rewarding than writing movie scripts that would never get made. I was fortunate to receive a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to create a website called It’s My Life, which would be a safe place on PBS Kids for young people ages 9 to 13 to explore topics like dealing with divorce, bullying, puberty, and depression. It’s My Life became an amazing community, and I loved writing about all the things that are important to tweens. Somewhere in there, I started a novel. Going back to fiction was like finding a key I’d lost at the bottom of a junk drawer. Realizing that I wanted to write for young adults was like finding the hidden door that key opened. Now I’m in the place behind that door, living and writing in New York’s beautiful Hudson Valley with my husband, two daughters, and two tabby cats/writing assistants named Angel and Squash. I still tell whoppers sometimes, but only if I have to or am really, really bored.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

The Beginning of After

The Beginning of After
Realistic Fiction, 9780061985805
Recommended for teens

The Beginning of After is a story of hope and healing from Jennifer Castle, a powerful new voice in teen fiction. When Laurel’s family dies in a horrific car accident, she struggles to put her life back together. She is now connected to David Kaufman, who lives down the block, and who lost his mother in the same crash. Both of their lives change—but not in the ways that they thought… Castle blends tragedy with romance, teen angst, and wit in The Beginning of After, a bittersweet, powerful debut novel that stands as a testament to how people can survive the unthinkable.

Together at Midnight

Together at Midnight
Realistic Fiction, 9780062250513
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

What does it really mean to be kind . . . and why does it sometimes feel like the hardest thing in the world to do? High school senior Kendall, who just returned from a life-changing semester in Europe, and Max, who is drifting his way through a gap year before college, struggle with these questions when they witness a tragic accident in New York City during the holiday season. Racked with guilt, the two accept a dare to perform random acts of kindness to strangers. The challenge pulls these two teens, who have a history together from back home, closer and closer as they explore a vibrant city filled with other people’s stories and secrets. Kendall and Max can’t deny their growing bond, even though they both have other romantic entanglements and uncertain futures. As the clock counts down on New Year’s Eve, will they find themselves together at midnight?

What Happens Now

What Happens Now
Realistic Fiction, 9780062250476
Recommended for teens

Ari Logan is battling to win her war against depression and the dark night she hurt herself on purpose. It's not easy: her best friend is drifting away, her mom's emotionally checked out, and she spends her days playing caregiver to her handful of a half-sister, Danielle. But it's summer, and anything is possible... That's when Camden Armstrong steps onto the beach of Ari's local swimming lake. At first, Ari quietly longs for Camden from afar, seeing in him everything she wants to be. When the two discover a true connection the following summer, Ari lets herself fall not just for the quirky and self-assured Camden but also his friends, tumbling into their world of independence, adventure, and shared sci-fi fandom. As Ari's romantic dreams come true, she must unlock the mysteries of the very real and troubled boy behind her infatuation, while also struggling with her own demons, obligations, and loyalties.

You Look Different in Real Life

You Look Different in Real Life
Realistic Fiction, 9780061985829
Recommended for teens

Justine charmed the nation in a documentary film featuring five kindergartners. Five years later, her edgy sense of humor made her the star of a second movie that caught up with the lives of the same five kids. Now Justine is sixteen, and another sequel is in the works. Justine isn’t ready to have viewers examining her life again. She feels like a disappointment, not at all like the girl everyone fell in love with in the first two movies. But, ready or not, she and the other four teens will soon be in front of the cameras again.

Videos

Websites

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Jennifer answered I’m pretty sure that if such a title existed, I would have been voted “Most Likely to Surprise You.” Because I was really quiet, shy, and serious...but in the right moment, with the right people, I would come out with dead-slay witty comment and make everyone laugh.

Other Fun Facts

  • I once worked as an assistant to a A-list Hollywood publicist, and I could tell you some stories.
  • When I was 10, my family visited Egypt on vacation and one night we wandered over to the Pyramids of Giza and climbed to the top of the smallest one. Pretty sure you’re not allowed to do that anymore.
  • My cats are named Angel, after the character in “Rent” because I’m a huge Broadway nerd, and Squash after the vegetable, because he came with that name but also, I like vegetables.
  • My favorite TV series of all time is “My So-Called Life.” I was literally depressed for months after it went off the air. Jordan Catalano will forever be my uber-crush.
  • I started wearing Converse hi-tops in 1984, when I was 17, and haven’t stopped since.
  • If I were a superheroine I would be "The OverThinker" - with the power to obsess over something hundreds of times more intensely than normal people.
  • If you can only read one of my books before TBF, read TOGETHER AT MIDNIGHT, and not just because it’s my most recent book. It’s a story about kindness, and why it can feel so hard to accomplish sometimes, and how it doesn’t always look the way we think it should. I think we all need to start talking about the complexities of kindness and not just say, “Be kind!” This was also the first time I wrote a story from multiple points of view, including a male character. It was challenging, but also fun, and I think the different voices in this book are voices that will resonate with a wide range of people.

Robin Benway

Robin  Benway

Robin Benway is a National Book Award-winning and New York Times-bestselling author of six novels for young adults, including Audrey, Wait!, the AKA series, and Emmy & Oliver. Her books have received numerous awards and recognition, including a 2008 Blue Ribbon Award from the Bulletin for the Center of Children's Books, 2009's ALA Best Books for Young Adults, and 2014's ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults. In addition, her novels have received starred reviews from Kirkus, Booklist, and Publishers Weekly, and have been published in more than twenty countries. Her newest book, Far From the Tree, won the 2017 National Book Award for Young People's Literature and was published by Harper Teen on October 3, 2017.

Robin grew up in Orange County, California, attended NYU, where she was the 1997 recipient of the Seth Barkas Prize for Creative Writing, and is a graduate of UCLA. She currently lives in Los Angeles, where she spends her time hanging out with her dog, Hudson, making coffee, and procrastinating on writing.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Emmy & Oliver

Emmy & Oliver
Realistic Fiction, 9780062330598
Recommended for teens

Emmy’s best friend, Oliver, reappears after being kidnapped by his father ten years ago. Emmy hopes to pick up their relationship right where it left off. Are they destined to be together? Or has fate irreparably driven them apart? Emmy just wants to be in charge of her own life. She wants to stay out late, surf her favorite beach—go anywhere without her parents’ relentless worrying. But Emmy’s parents can’t seem to let her grow up—not since the day Oliver disappeared. Oliver needs a moment to figure out his heart. He’d thought, all these years, that his dad was the good guy. He never knew that it was his father who kidnapped him and kept him on the run. Discovering it, and finding himself returned to his old hometown, all at once, has his heart racing and his thoughts swirling. Emmy and Oliver were going to be best friends forever, or maybe even more, before their futures were ripped apart. In Emmy’s soul, despite the space and time between them, their connection has never been severed. But is their story still written in the stars? Or are their hearts like the pieces of two different puzzles—impossible to fit together? Readers who love Sarah Dessen will tear through these pages with hearts in throats as Emmy and Oliver struggle to face the messy, confusing consequences of Oliver’s father’s crime. Full of romance, coming-of-age emotion, and heartache, these two equally compelling characters create an unforgettable story.

Far from the Tree

Far from the Tree
Realistic Fiction, 9780062330628
Recommended for teens

Three teenagers, biological siblings separated by adoption, explore the meaning of family in all its forms--how to find it, how to keep it, and how to love it. (National Book Award Winner)

Videos

Websites

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Robin answered I was most definitely, without a doubt, the Mom Friend.

Other Fun Facts

  • I have a spoiled Shih Tzu named Hudson.
  • I once fainted during an outdoor wedding and fell into the pool.
  • I was born on a full moon.
  • I'm terrified of heights.
  • I can't start my day without coffee.
  • I wouldn't mind being able to fly, so if I were a superhero, that would be my superpower. And since my name is Robin, like the bird, I could just keep my name!
  • If you can only read one of my books before TBF it should be Far From the Tree. It's my newest and the book I feel the most attached to.

Jon McGoran

Jon  McGoran

Jon McGoran is the author of eight novels and numerous short stories, including Spliced, a near future science fiction thriller from Holiday House Books, as well as the ecological thrillers Drift, Deadout, Dust Up, and Down to Zero from Tor/Forge Books. He is also the author of the novella, After Effectsfrom Amazon’s StoryFront imprint, and The Dead Ring, based on TV’s The Blacklist, from Titan Books. 

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Spliced

Spliced
Dystopia, Science Fiction, 978082343855
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

In this gripping sci-fi thriller, genetically altered teens fight for survival in a near-future society that is redefining what it means to be human. Sixteen-year-old Jimi knows people change, but nothing could prepare her for what’s about to happen to her best friend, Del. Del is obsessed with becoming a chimera (ki-mir-a): a person who pays back-alley geneticists, known as "genies," to illegally splice animal genes into their own. The resulting physical changes have scared lawmakers into drafting legislation declaring chimeras officially nonpersons―so when Del goes missing, Jimi is desperate to find him before he alters himself forever. As she tries to save him, Jimi must face down unscrupulous people and risk her own life―all while knowing that if getting spliced is the choice Del has made, it means he’s leaving her behind forever.

Websites

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Jon answered Funniest guy who was not class clown.

Other Fun Facts

  • I can move my eyeballs independently of each other.
  • I played bass in a rock band for ten years.
  • I was once able to operate four cash registers at the same time.
  • My parents were born, raised and married in Ireland.
  • I am bidextrous, although not ambidextrous (meaning I write left-handed, but do everything else right-handed).
  • If I were a superhero I would be Obnoman, since that's what some of my friends called me, and my superpower would be the ability to stun my enemies with the brilliance of my puns.
  • If you can only read one of my books before TBF you should read Spliced. It is my most recent book, my favorite, and my first for young adults.

Brigid Kemmerer

Brigid  Kemmerer

Brigid Kemmerer is the author of Letters to the Lost, a dark, contemporary Young Adult romance; Thicker Than Water, a New Adult paranormal mystery with elements of romance; and the YALSA-nominated Elemental series of five Young Adult novels and three e-novellas which Kirkus Reviews calls “refreshingly human paranormal romance” and School Library Journal describes as “a new take on the supernatural genre.” She lives in the Baltimore area with her husband and four sons.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Letters to the Lost

Letters to the Lost
Fantasy, 9781681190082
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

Juliet Young always writes letters to her mother, a world-traveling photojournalist. Even after her mother's death, she leaves letters at her grave. It's the only way Juliet can cope. Declan Murphy isn't the sort of guy you want to cross. In the midst of his court-ordered community service at the local cemetery, he's trying to escape the demons of his past. When Declan reads a haunting letter left beside a grave, he can't resist writing back. Soon, he's opening up to a perfect stranger, and their connection is immediate. But neither Declan nor Juliet knows that they're not actually strangers. When life at school interferes with their secret life of letters, sparks will fly as Juliet and Declan discover truths that might tear them apart.

More Than We Can Tell

More Than We Can Tell
Realistic Fiction, 9781681190143
Recommended for teens

With loving adoptive parents by his side, Rev Fletcher has managed to keep the demons of his past at bay. . . until he gets a letter from his abusive father and the trauma of his childhood comes hurtling back. Emma Blue's parents are constantly fighting, and her only escape is the computer game she built from scratch. But when a cruel online troll's harassment escalates, she not only loses confidence but starts to fear for her safety. When Rev and Emma meet, they're both longing to lift the burden of their secrets. They connect instantly and deeply, promising to help each other no matter what. But soon Rev and Emma's secrets threaten to crush them, and they'll need more than a promise to find their way out.

Videos

Websites

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Brigid answered Most likely to be an author. (Ha!).

Other Fun Facts

  • I'm adopted.
  • I rode horses for years and competed nationally until I had kids.
  • I changed schools every year when I was growing up because my father never wanted to settle.
  • I met my husband over the phone when I was working in a customer service job.
  • My closest friend in the world lives in Rochester, NY, but I've only seen her in person three times.
  • If you can only read one of my books before TBF Letters to the Lost would be my #1 recommendation. I love all the characters so much and I loved telling their story.
  • If I were a superhero, my name would be Wicked Slash and I'd be super fast with words.

Cyndy Etler

Cyndy  Etler

At 13, Cyndy was homeless. At 14, she was locked up. At 15, she was suicidal. At 30, she was teaching tough teens at an alternative school. Today Cyndy is a bestselling young adult author. Honest and raw, her memoirs bring readers into the life of a kid who will do anything to feel accepted. When she’s not writing, Cyndy is coaching teens. With humor and non-judgement, she helps kids figure out what they most want, and how to get it. Cyndy holds a Master’s degree in Secondary Education and a Bachelor’s degree in English and American Studies from the University of Massachusetts, Boston. She is a Certified Youth Life Coach via Youth Coaching Institute, and a licensed English, Special Education and English as a Second Language teacher. After years of hopscotching across the country, Etler now lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her husband and her dogs

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

The Dead Inside: A True Story

The Dead Inside: A True Story
Biographical, 9781492635734
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

At age fourteen, Cyndy Etler had escaped from her violent home only to be reported as a runaway and sent to a drug rehabilitation facility that changed her world. Behind the closed doors of Straight, Inc., the program used bizarre and intimidating methods to treat its patients. In this memoir, Cyndy recounts the living nightmare that she endured for sixteen months at Straight, Inc.

We Can’t Be Friends: A True Story

We Can’t Be Friends: A True Story
Biographical, 9781492660903
Recommended for teens

I wasn't popular before I got locked up in Straight Inc., the notorious "tough love" program for troubled teens. But when you're psychologically beaten for sixteen months, you start to absorb the lessons. The lessons in Straight were: You are evil. Your peers are evil. Everything is evil except Straight, Inc. Before long, you're a true believer. And when you're finally released, sent back into the world, you crave safety. Crave being back in the warehouse. And if you can't be there, you'd rather be dead. This is the story of my return to my high school. This is the true story of how I didn't die.

Helpful Links

Interviews

Videos

  • I'm a trained boxer.
  • My father was married to the Tootsie Roll heiress before he married my mother. I'm like, a chromosome away from being candy-rich.
  • Animals talk to me, and I understand them.
  • Years after my husband and I built our dream home in North Carolina, I visited the youth homeless shelter in Connecticut where I had stayed 30 years earlier...and realized the two places are almost twins.
  • I spent 17 years teaching struggling teens in alternative and inner city high schools.
  • If I were a superhero I would be Señora Oyente, Lady Listener, with the power to understand what kids are saying in any language they use. I'd heal whatever the kids struggle with, just by listening.
  • If you can only read one of my books before TBF you should read The Dead Inside: A True Story, because it tells the raw, real story of what many kids go through - abuse at home; trying weed to fit in; being forced to OBEY - in other words, the story the system makes sure you don't hear.

Taran Matharu

Taran  Matharu

Taran Matharu is a New York Times bestselling author. He was born in London in 1990 and found a passion for reading at a very early age. His love for stories developed into a desire to create his own during early adolescence, beginning his first book at 9 years old.

Straight after graduating with a First Class degree in Business Administration, Taran was keen to explore a new avenue and get inside the publishing world, landing an internship in Digital Sales at Penguin Random House, from June to September 2013.

Thereafter, while taking time off to travel, Taran began to write ‘Summoner’ in November 2013 at the age of 22, taking part in ‘Nanowrimo 2013’.

Thanks to Wattpad.com and updating daily, its popularity dramatically increased, reaching over 3 million reads in less than six months.

After being featured by NBC News, Taran decided to launch his professional writing career and has never looked back.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

The Novice

The Novice
Fantasy, 9781250080053
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

Fletcher is working as a blacksmith's apprentice when he discovers he has the rare ability to summon demons from another world. Chased from his village for a crime he did not commit, Fletcher must travel with his demon, Ignatius, to an academy for adepts, where the gifted are taught the art of summoning. Along with nobles and commoners, Fletcher endures grueling lessons that will prepare him to serve as a Battlemage in the Empire's war against the savage Orcs. But sinister forces infect new friendships and rivalries grow. With no one but Ignatius by his side, Fletcher must decide where his loyalties lie. The fate of the Empire is in his hands. . . . The Novice by Taran Matharu is book one in the Summoner trilogy, a stunning epic fantasy that started on Wattpad, and garnered over six million views on the site.

The Inquisition

The Inquisition
Fantasy, 9781250115213
Recommended for teens

A year has passed since the Tournament. Fletcher and Ignatius have been locked away in Pelt's dungeons, but now they must face trial at the hands of the Inquisition, a powerful institution controlled by those who would delight in Fletcher's downfall. The trial is haunted by ghosts from the past with shocking revelations about Fletcher's origins, but he has little time to dwell on them; the graduating students of Vocans are to be sent deep into the orc jungles to complete a dangerous mission for the king and his council. If they fail, the orcish armies will rise to power beyond anything the Empire has ever seen. With loyal friends Othello and Sylva by his side, Fletcher must battle his way to the heart of Orcdom and save Hominum from destruction . . . or die trying, in this sequel to The Novice by Taran Matharu.

The Battlemage

The Battlemage
Fantasy, 978125015863X
Recommended for teens

After the thrilling cliffhanger at the end of book two, we rejoin Fletcher and his friends in the ether, where they must undertake a mortally dangerous quest all the while avoiding capture by enemies and facing foes more terrifying than anything they have yet encountered. But this is nothing compared to what truly lies ahead for Fletcher, as his nemesis, albino orc Khan, is on a mission to destroy Hominum and everything and everyone that Fletcher loves. Epic battles, dramatic revelations and breathtaking drama await in the third and final book in the New York Times bestselling Summoner series.

The Outcast: Summoner series prequel

The Outcast: Summoner series prequel
Fantasy, 9781250138867
Recommended for teens

When stable boy Arcturus accidentally summons a demon and becomes Hominum's first common summoner, he becomes the key to a secret that the powerful overlords would do anything to keep hidden. Whisked away to Vocans Academy so he can be kept watch over, Arcturus finds himself surrounded by enemies. But he has little time to settle in before his life is turned upside down once again, for Hominum Empire is in turmoil. Rebellious intent simmers among the masses, and it will not be long before it boils over. Arcturus must choose a side . . . or watch an Empire crumble.

Interviews

Videos

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Taran answered I probably would have been voted most likely to marry my computer, because I carry my laptop everywhere I go.

Other Fun Facts

  • I am originally half Brazilian and half Indian, but I was born and raised in London. I have been to both countries and speak Portuguese fluently.
  • I once saved my little sister from a rampaging hippo in Kenya by picking her up and climbing up a wall before it reaches us. I can still remember the sound of it breathing below us when we got to the top!
  • I began writing my first novel at the age of 9, a story called “Wizswords” about a family of wizards and warriors who were in a constant battle with a witch called Widower.
  • The strangest things I have eaten while traveling are crocodile, kangaroo, llama, camel, zebra, piranha and firefly grubs. Interestingly enough, I caught the piranha myself when I was traveling in the Amazon. It was the same water I had been swimming in a few minutes before! They don’t taste very nice though, they are really bony!
  • I wrote the first half of my debut, The Novice, in one month, taking part in National Novel Writing Month, a.k.a. NaNoWriMo. It’s a great way to write, because you basically live in your book’s world the entire time, rather than dipping in and out every now and again.
  • If I could choose to be a superhero, I would love to reincarnate with all my memories of my previous lives, reliving the same life. Think a larger scale Groundhog Day. That would be pretty cool!
  • If you can only read one of my books before TBF you should read The Novice. It was my debut novel and the first in the Summoner series. You might describe it as Harry Potter meets Lord of the Rings meets Pokemon!

Claire Legrand

Claire  Legrand

Claire Legrand used to be a musician until she realized she couldn’t stop thinking about the stories in her head. Now she is a writer and librarian living in central New Jersey (although her heart will always live in her home state of Texas).

Her first novel is The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls, one of the New York Public Library’s 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing in 2012. She is also the author of The Year of Shadows, a ghost story for middle grade readers; and Winterspell, a young adult re-telling of The Nutcracker. Some Kind of Happiness, her middle grade novel about mental illness, family secrets, and the power of storytelling, is a 2017 Edgar Award Nominee. Claire’s latest novel, Foxheart, is a classic fantasy-adventure and a 2016 Junior Library Guild selection. She is one of the four authors behind The Cabinet of Curiosities, an anthology of dark middle grade short fiction that was a Junior Library Guild selection, a Bank Street Best Book, and among the New York Public Library’s 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing in 2014.

Her young adult horror novel, Sawkill Girls, received five starred reviews. It is also a 2018 Bram Stoker Award finalist and a 2019 Lambda Literary Award finalist. Furyborn, an epic fantasy novel for young adults, debuted at #4 on the New York Times bestseller list, and is the first book in the Empirium Trilogy. The next book in the series, Kingsbane, was also an instant New York Times bestseller. The final book in the series, Lightbringer, released October 13, 2020.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Extasia

Extasia
Fantasy, LGBTQ, 9780062696632
Recommended for teens

Her name is unimportant. All you must know is that today she will become one of the four saints of Haven. The elders will mark her and place the red hood on her head. With her sisters, she will stand against the evil power that lives beneath the black mountain--an evil which has already killed nine of her village's men. She will tell no one of the white-eyed beasts that follow her. Or the faceless gray women tall as houses. Or the girls she saw kissing in the elm grove. Today she will be a saint of Haven. She will rid her family of her mother's shame at last and save her people from destruction. She is not afraid. Are you?

Furyborn: Empirium Series (Book 1)

Furyborn: Empirium Series (Book 1)
Fantasy, 1492656623
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

When assassins ambush her best friend, the crown prince, Rielle Dardenne risks everything to save him, exposing her ability to perform all seven kinds of elemental magic. The only people who should possess this extraordinary power are a pair of prophesied queens: a queen of light and salvation and a queen of blood and destruction. To prove she is the Sun Queen, Rielle must endure seven trials to test her magic. If she fails, she will be executed…unless the trials kill her first. A thousand years later, the legend of Queen Rielle is a mere fairy tale to bounty hunter Eliana Ferracora. When the Undying Empire conquered her kingdom, she embraced violence to keep her family alive. Now, she believes herself untouchable until her mother vanishes without a trace, along with countless other women in their city. To find her, Eliana joins a rebel captain on a dangerous mission and discovers that the evil at the heart of the empire is more terrible than she ever imagined. As Rielle and Eliana fight in a cosmic war that spans millennia, their stories intersect, and the shocking connections between them ultimately determine the fate of their world—and of each other.

Kingsbane: Empirium Series (Book 2)

Kingsbane: Empirium Series (Book 2)
Fantasy, 9781492656654
Recommended for teens

Rielle Dardenne has been anointed Sun Queen, but her trials are far from over. The Gate keeping the angels at bay is falling. To repair it, Rielle must collect the seven hidden castings of the saints. Meanwhile, to help her prince and love Audric protect Celdaria, Rielle must spy on the angel Corien—but his promises of freedom and power may prove too tempting to resist. Centuries later, Eliana Ferracora grapples with her new reality: She is the Sun Queen, humanity's long-awaited savior. But fear of corruption—fear of becoming another Rielle—keeps Eliana's power dangerous and unpredictable. Hunted by all, racing against time to save her dying friend Navi, Eliana must decide how to wear a crown she never wanted—by embracing her mother's power, or rejecting it forever.

Lightbringer: Empirium Series (Book 3)

Lightbringer: Empirium Series (Book 3)
Fantasy, 9781492656685
Recommended for teens

In this epic finale to the Empirium Trilogy from New York Times bestselling author Claire Legrand, two queens, separated by a thousand years must face their ultimate destinies. Queen Rielle, pushed away from everything she loves, turns to Corien and his promises of glory. Meanwhile, whispers from the empirium slowly drive her mad, urging her to open the Gate. Separated from Audric and Ludivine, she embraces the role of Blood Queen and her place by Corien’s side, determined to become the monster the world believes her to be. In the future, Eliana arrives in the Empire’s capital as a broken shell of herself. Betrayed and abandoned, she fights to keep her power at bay—and away from Corien, who will stop at nothing to travel back in time to Rielle, even if that means destroying her daughter. But when the mysterious Prophet reveals themselves at last, everything changes, giving Rielle and Eliana a second chance for salvation—or the destruction their world has been dreading.

Helpful Links

Interviews

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Claire answered most musical.

Other Fun Facts

  • My favorite comfort show is The Great British Baking Show.
  • If I had to choose another career, I'd want to be a production designer or set decorator for films.
  • Before I decided to write professionally, I went to college to study music.
  • I'm a librarian as well as an author.
  • I'm a huge Star Trek nerd, and my favorite captain is Captain Janeway.

Dhonielle Clayton

Dhonielle  Clayton

Dhonielle is an author, a former librarian, COO of the non-profit We Need Diverse Books, and co-founder of Cake Literary, a creative kitchen whipping up decadent – and decidedly diverse – literary confections for middle grade, young adult, and women’s fiction readers.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

The Belles

The Belles
Fantasy, 9781484728499
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

Camellia Beauregard is a Belle. In the opulent world of Orleans, Belles are revered, for they control Beauty, and Beauty is a commodity coveted above all else. In Orleans, the people are born gray, they are born damned, and only with the help of a Belle and her talents can they transform and be made beautiful. But it's not enough for Camellia to be just a Belle. She wants to be the favorite-the Belle chosen by the Queen of Orleans to live in the royal palace, to tend to the royal family and their court, to be recognized as the most talented Belle in the land. But once Camellia and her Belle sisters arrive at court, it becomes clear that being the favorite is not everything she always dreamed it would be. Behind the gilded palace walls live dark secrets, and Camellia soon learns that the very essence of her existence is a lie-that her powers are far greater, and could be more dangerous, than she ever imagined. And when the queen asks Camellia to risk her own life and help the ailing princess by using Belle powers in unintended ways, Camellia now faces an impossible decision. With the future of Orleans and its people at stake, Camellia must decide: save herself and her sisters and the way of the Belles, or resuscitate the princess, risk her own life, and change the ways of her world forever.

Shiny Broken Pieces

Shiny Broken Pieces
Realistic Fiction, 9780062342430
Recommended for teens

June, Bette, and Gigi are competing one final time for a spot at the prestigious American Ballet Company. With the stakes higher than ever, these girls have everything to lose…and no one is playing nice. June is starting to finally see herself as a prima ballerina. But being the best could mean sacrificing the love of her life. Legacy dancer Bette is determined to clear her name after she was suspended and accused of hurting her rival, Gigi. And Gigi is not going to let Bette—or the other dancers who bullied her—go unpunished. It all comes down to this last dance. Who will make the cut? And who will lose her dream forever?

Tiny Pretty Things

Tiny Pretty Things
Realistic Fiction, 9780062342409
Recommended for teens

Gigi, Bette, and June, three top students at an exclusive Manhattan ballet school, have seen their fair share of drama. Free-spirited new girl Gigi just wants to dance—but the very act might kill her. Privileged New Yorker Bette's desire to escape the shadow of her ballet-star sister brings out a dangerous edge in her. And perfectionist June needs to land a lead role this year or her controlling mother will put an end to her dancing dreams forever. When every dancer is both friend and foe, the girls will sacrifice, manipulate, and backstab to be the best of the best.

Interviews

Videos

Websites

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Dhonielle answered Most likely to take over the world using books.

Other Fun Facts

  • I eat cupcakes upside down because I hate frosting.
  • I am obsessed with vintage fashion from the 1940s and 1950s.
  • I collect fortune cookie slips and my collection is nearing 5000.
  • I haven't grown since the 8th grade and I still have my Converses from then.
  • I am still afraid of getting into bed at night and leap into it because I always wonder if something - or someone - is hiding under it.
  • If I were a superhero I would be the bookworm! Here to make sure every kid finds the power of stories and can see themselves in the pages of books.
  • If you can only read one of my books before TBF you should read The Belles. I want teens to start critiquing the images they see and the beauty standards placed on them by the outside world, and this book examines that in a fantasy setting.

Brendan Kiely

Brendan  Kiely

Brendan Kiely is The New York Times bestselling author of All American Boys (with Jason Reynolds), The Last True Love Story, and The Gospel of Winter. His work has been published in ten languages, received a Coretta Scott King Author Honor Award, the Walter Dean Myers Award, the Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award, and was selected as one of the American Library Association’s Top Ten Best Fiction for Young Adults. Originally from the Boston area, he now lives with his wife in Greenwich Village. 

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

All American Boys

All American Boys
Realistic Fiction, 9781481463348
Recommended for teens

When sixteen-year-old Rashad is mistakenly accused of stealing, classmate Quinn witnesses his brutal beating at the hands of a police officer who happens to be the older brother of his best friend. Told through Rashad and Quinn's alternating viewpoints.

The Gospel of Winter

The Gospel of Winter
Realistic Fiction, 9781442484900
Recommended for teens

Managing the challenges of his fractured family by taking Adderall, sneaking drinks, and confiding in an abusive priest, Aidan finds support from new friends including a crush, a wild girl, and a swim-team captain with his own secrets.

The Last True Love Story

The Last True Love Story
Realistic Fiction, 9781481429894
Recommended for teens

Hendrix and Corrina bust Hendrix's grandfather out of assisted living, and leave LA for New York in pursuit of freedom, truth, and love.

Tradition

Tradition
Realistic Fiction, 9781481480345
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

Prestigious. Powerful. Privileged. This is Fullbrook Academy, an elite prep school where history looms in the leafy branches over its brick walkways. But some traditions upheld in its hallowed halls are profoundly dangerous.

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When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Brendan answered Most likely to relive the 1960s.

Other Fun Facts

  • In middle school, I threw up on the girl I had a crush on not once, but twice.
  • Also in middle school, I helped lead a student walkout from school, and we marched over 200 kids to city hall.
  • In high school, the Dean of Discipline kicked me off the school newspaper for writing "inflammatory articles."
  • On my first day as a teacher I accidentally sprayed water all over my khakis so I walked into the classroom looking like I'd just wet myself.
  • My wife and I met as student sitting across from each other in the same class.
  • If I were a superhero, I would be Treble Rebel: and my superpower would be that whenever things were getting out of hand, or too stressful, or too scary, or too threatening, or just too stupidly boring, I’d whistle and everybody would suddenly hear his or her own favorite music blasting and there would be a sudden dance party to ease the tension.
  • If you can only read one of my books before TBF, you should read Tradition, because it is an emotional, dual narrative novel told by one girl and one boy about the strength of women who speak up against misogyny and how men can be better feminists.

Bruce Coville

Bruce  Coville

From the Scholastic Website:

I was born in Syracuse, New York, on May 16, 1950. Except for one year that I spent at Duke University in North Carolina, I lived in and around central New York until September of 1990, when I moved to New York City. I lived there for two years. Now I am back in Syracuse.
I grew up around the corner from my grandparents' dairy farm, which was three miles outside of a small town called Phoenix. As a child I loved Mary Poppins and Dr. Doolittle, and I can remember getting up ahead of everyone else in the family so that I could huddle in a chair and read The Voyages of Dr. Doolittle. I also read lots of things that people consider junk (Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, Tom Swift, and zillions of comic books). My only real regret is the time I spent watching television, when I could have been reading instead. (After all, a mind is a terrible thing to waste!)

The first time I can remember thinking that I would like to be a writer came in sixth grade, when our teacher — Mrs. Crandall — gave us an extended period of time to write a long story. I loved doing it. I started working seriously at becoming a writer when I was seventeen.

Like most people, I was not able to start selling my stories right away. So I had many other jobs along the way to becoming a writer, including toy maker, gravedigger, cookware salesman, and assembly line worker. Eventually I became an elementary teacher, and worked with second and fourth graders.

When I was nineteen I married Katherine Dietz, who lived right around the corner from me. She was (and is) a wonderful artist, and we began trying to create books together. However it was not until 1977 that we finally sold our first book, which was called The Foolish Giant. We did two other books together — Sarah's Unicorn and The Monster's Ring.

Kathy and I have three children; a son, Orion, born in 1970; a daughter, Cara, born in 1975; and another son, Adam, born in 1981.

I feel like a very lucky person. From the time I was young, I had a dream of becoming a writer. Now that dream has come true, and I am able to make my living doing something I really love.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

The Thief of Worlds

The Thief of Worlds
Fantasy, 9780385392525
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

For Hurricane, this global disaster strikes at his core. He got his name because he was born during a hurricane, and he has always felt a strangely intense connection to the wind. And now his mother is one of the sick people in the hospital. But what can he do? He's just a kid. When all this turns out to be TRUE, Hurricane embarks on the adventure of his life: a journey to different worlds, where he will make friends unlike any people he has ever known. He will discover courage, strength, humor, and an ability to bring people together.

Aliens Ate My Homework

Aliens Ate My Homework
Fantasy, 9781416938835
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

Rod is surprised when a miniature spaceship lands in his school science project and reveals five tiny aliens, who ask his help in apprehending an interstellar criminal. (Film version coming to Netflix March 6!)

Cursed: Enchanted File Series (Book 1)

Cursed: Enchanted File Series (Book 1)
Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Humor, Middle School, 9780385392501
Recommended for teens

Angus Cairns is a brownie, a magical creature with a fastidious nature. Alex Carhart is the messiest eleven-year-old in the United States of America. Together, this unlikely pair embarks on an unforgettable adventure.

Hatched: Enchanted File Series (Book 2)

Hatched: Enchanted File Series (Book 2)
Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Humor, Middle School, 9780385392587
Recommended for teens

Gerald the griffin isn't brave enough or fierce enough to fit in with the other griffins of the Enchanted Realm. When he runs away to the human world, he finds himself up to his beak in trouble, friendship, and fun!

Trolled: Enchanted File Series (Book 3)

Trolled: Enchanted File Series (Book 3)
Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Humor, Middle School, 9780385392594
Recommended for teens

Ned Thump is a seven-foot troll who is made fun of for his love of words so he escapes from the Enchanted Realm to the human world and secretly becomes a night watchman at Grand Central Terminal.

Armageddon Summer

Armageddon Summer
Realistic Fiction, 9780152022686
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

Fourteen-year-old Marina and sixteen-year-old Jed accompany their parents' religious cult, the Believers, to await the end of the world atop a remote mountain, where they try to decide what they themselves believe.

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When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Bruce answered most likely to succeed.

Other Fun Facts

  • My favorite film is "Singin' in the Rain"
  • I used to be a gravedigger
  • I eat peanut butter every day
  • I am a total musical theater fan boy
  • I once managed to hit myself in the head with a sledgehammer.

Deena Lipomi (Author & Panel Moderator)

Deena  Lipomi (Author & Panel Moderator)
Awesome teen author!

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Sisters Don't Tell

Sisters Don't Tell
Realistic Fiction, Kindle Edition
Recommended for teens

Sixteen-year-old Mel wishes she and her little sister could be close again, but when Annie spills that she’s knocked up, Mel loses any hope of that happening. There’s just no way Mel’s life full of girl friends and cooking can compare with Annie’s world full of boyfriends and sex. Still, Mel promises she’ll keep Annie’s secret, figuring it’s the only way to save their remaining bond.

Blackout

Blackout
Realistic Fiction, Kindle Edition
Recommended for teens

When 17-year-old musician Leo and his 15-year-old scientist sister Jenny wake up in a ditch with pains in their hands, they wonder what happened on their drive home from their father's house in rural Pennsylvania. Their only memory of the past twelve hours is of bright lights flashing through their windshield. Then the blackout.

Deserted

Deserted
Realistic Fiction, Kindle Edition
Recommended for teens

Seventeen-year-old Kara is done spying on people for her father, the wealthy and morally corrupt businessman Dr. Ellison. Last summer, when her father’s project literally blew up, she fell hard for one of his victims: Leo, the hot musician who made her question her family’s rules. Now Leo’s clear across the country, and Kara’s ready to reinvent herself in Las Vegas.

  • Before my daughter was born, I read over 150 middle-grade, young adult, and adult books per year. Now I probably read that many picture books.
  • I have the best two jobs I could imagine: Young Adult Librarian and Writer.
  • My husband has a gluten allergy and I make a mean gluten-free focaccia bread.
  • I am a lifelong fan of Muppets and remember the day I heard Jim Henson died.
  • Most embarrassing moment as a teen: In sixth grade when the boy sitting behind me in math class told everyone he couldn’t see the board because my hair was too big. (I was already self-conscious about my frizzy hair.)

Eryn Flynn

Eryn  Flynn
Awesome teen author!

Eryn Flynn has always loved music, traveling, reading, and writing. Her computer is currently full with poems, as is her mind. She often travels to new places with her family, and it’s important to her to see different parts of the world. However, one of her favorite places will always be her home in Boston, Massachusetts, where she’s lived for nearly half of her fourteen years on Earth.

Eryn keeps busy by taking part in school plays, basketball, and soccer, and by studying for school. Her Christian religion is important to her, as is her family. She lives with her mother, father, and sister, who is also her best friend.

The project of Beyond the Waterfall was a four-year-long one, but Eryn completed her first dream by publishing it in eighth grade. Meanwhile, she also completed her second dream by having a poem published in the America Library of Poetry’s 2015 poetry collection, Eloquence and the 2016 poetry collection, Accomplished. She is excited to keep setting and completing more dreams in her life.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Beyond the Waterfall

Beyond the Waterfall
Fantasy, 978-1-63177-831-5
Recommended for teens

Kyla Marine has never been one to get emotional, easily trust someone, or admit she was wrong. Her life has been the same for years, confiding everything in her best friend Awanata, trapped inside school grounds, looking for an escape. What more, she wonders, is out there? Although she ignores it, deep inside of her she feels that something isn’t right. Until it just can’t be ignored anymore. And worst of all, Kyla begins to suspect that this—whatever this empty, elusive feeling is—goes beyond her personal life. She finds a secret passage that leads out of school grounds. Is this the escape she’s been searching for? Or is it the way to a new, unknown world, one she never dreamed of? Kyla enters this world and in doing so discovers things beyond her imagination, like the existence of a mystical being—who seems to be protecting her. She sees herself and her old world from a different lens. And they’re falling apart. Someone tries to kill Awanata, the school principal Dr. Artic is out to get Kyla, and the world itself is in grave danger. Kyla begins to wonder if and how she and these two worlds are connected. Can she save them both? Or will the choices she has made destroy not only them, but herself as well? And what really happens when the truth comes out, and two worlds meet?

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  • I was 8th Grade Valedictorian.
  • I'm a Canadian-American dual citizen (that rhymed! :p ).
  • I prefer dark chocolate to milk chocolate, but not too dark. Just right. :D
  • My favorite animal is an African elephant.
  • My favorite artists are the Lumineers and Adele.

Amber Denagel

Amber  Denagel

Amber loves the sights and sounds of the forest, the companion and total loyalty of her many rescue cats and 4 German Shepherds.  One of her cats, she has analyzed to be a complete psychopath, while another is an angel sent from the heavens.  The soulful eyes of each dog keeps Amber humble, yet reminds her to always be on guard.   She could create a universe based on one piece of mystical jewelry, loves antique shops, and hopes that one day soon she can experience a slow trip by car across the beautiful America.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

The Darkness Of My Love

The Darkness Of My Love
Science Fiction, Supernatural, 9781537307213
Recommended for teens

The Darkness Of My Love is a supernatural science fiction novel. By the time the first book was finished, I had decided to make it a chronicle of the main character’s life, so it’s kind of a mix of every genre a book can have. It first takes place in an airport in a fictional town placed in New York State, a few months after the main character comes across a mysterious shadow figure during a walk in the forests surrounding the small town. The story is mainly from the point of view of 16-year-old, Onyx Bellum, who's on her way down to Savannah, Georgia for a school field trip with her two friends, Topaz and Aurora. While in the airport, she notices a stranger who she later sits next to on the plane and is introduced as Ash. He’s also accompanied by his two friends, Tack and Echo, who are introduced a little later in the story. As the story continues, Onyx begins to suspect that there’s more to Ash than meets the eye, all the while slowly developing feelings for him. After a few days of being in Savannah, an unnerving event takes place, causing Ash’s secret to be revealed to everyone in the field trip. This event deeply disturbs Onyx, however, she later realizes that, despite recently finding out about Ash’s inhuman nature, her feelings towards him still continue to grow. They do not see each other again for the rest of the trip until the night before Onyx has to leave, in which case they have a bonding experience. On the flight back, the plane ends up crash landing in the middle of a forest, forcing the class to suddenly have to trust Ash and his inhuman friends to not only lead them back to humanity, but also protect them from bigger threats. The book leaves off at a cliffhanger where a being from the past is reintroduced into Ash’s life again, causing great conflict for Ash. There are also some chapters from Ash’s point of view, which makes me consider him the main male character and Onyx the main female character.

  • No adult has reviewed/edited my book before publishing (yet I received three 5-star reviews on Amazon and my mother’s friends all say that my writing is so mature).
  • My four dogs are my writing companions that help me keep my inspiration and provide me with side entertainment while I work.
  • I hope to have at least five books in this series before ending it.
  • My cats taught me how to be graceful, cunning and also allowed me to observe their personality for my character, Echo.
  • The computer I work on is a crappy old MacBook that loves to glitch around, takes forever to start up, and has a broken keyboard which forces me to work on a wireless keyboard that loves to erase my recent sentences when I press a spot it doesn’t like, yet I still use that computer to write on despite having a brand new, amazing Lenovo ThinkPad 13 Chromebook.

Sandra Uwiringiyimana

Sandra  Uwiringiyimana

Sandra is a 2013 graduate of Our Lady of Mercy School for Young Women in Rochester, NY.  Sandra attended TBF as a teen and performed with Mercy's Show Choir at TBF!

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

How Dare the Sun Rise

How Dare the Sun Rise
Non-Fiction, 9780062470140
Recommended for teens

This profoundly moving memoir is the remarkable and inspiring true story of Sandra Uwiringyimana, a girl from the Democratic Republic of the Congo who tells the tale of how she survived a massacre, immigrated to America, and overcame her trauma through art and activism. Sandra was just ten years old when she found herself with a gun pointed at her head. She had watched as rebels gunned down her mother and six-year-old sister in a refugee camp. Remarkably, the rebel didn’t pull the trigger, and Sandra escaped. Thus began a new life for her and her surviving family members. With no home and no money, they struggled to stay alive. Eventually, through a United Nations refugee program, they moved to America, only to face yet another ethnic disconnect. Sandra may have crossed an ocean, but there was now a much wider divide she had to overcome. And it started with middle school in New York. In this memoir, Sandra tells the story of her survival, of finding her place in a new country, of her hope for the future, and how she found a way to give voice to her people.

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When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Sandra answered Most Likely to Run for Office.

Other Fun Facts

  • I had a pet monkey as a kid.
  • Mascots freak me out.
  • The beach is my happy place.
  • I'm the youngest of 6.
  • My accent is only apparent when I'm nervous.

Jorjeana Marie (Audiobook Performer)

Jorjeana  Marie (Audiobook Performer)

With a clear focus on children's literature,

Jorjeana has worked for a variety of publishers including Scholastic, Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Harper Collins and independent publishers and authors.  Favorite books she's narrated:  Goosebumps, The New Nancy Drew Diaries and The Poe Estate.  

You may have heard Jorjeana's voice on Final Fantasy, Star Guardians with Jim Belushi, or in a multitude of other popular video games and animated projects-maybe even as the lead role in Steven Spileberg's LMNO Project!  Perhaps in the videos that went viral as dozens of classic cartoon caharacters for Cartoon Fails"  Or, perhaps most recently the voice of Knolly Nibbles!!

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

We are Okay (Released 2/17)

We are Okay (Released 2/17)
Realistic Fiction, 9781524749927
Recommended for teens

Marin hasn’t spoken to anyone from her old life since the day she left everything behind. No one knows the truth about those final weeks. Not even her best friend Mabel. But even thousands of miles away from the California coast, at college in New York, Marin still feels the pull of the life and tragedy she’s tried to outrun. Now, months later, alone in an emptied dorm for winter break, Marin waits. Mabel is coming to visit and Marin will be forced to face everything that’s been left unsaid and finally confront the loneliness that has made a home in her heart.

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Jorjeana answered Funniest Laugh and Least Likely to Grow Up.

Other Fun Facts

  • I can balance upside down.
  • My clown name was Gittel.
  • My cat's name is Mojo.
  • I love spinach, kale, and seaweed.
  • Silly hats make me happy.

Nina LaCour

Nina  LaCour

Nina LaCour is the author of three critically acclaimed young adult novels published by Dutton Books: Hold Still, The Disenchantments, and Everything Leads to You. You Know Me Well, a novel written in collaboration with David Levithan, is forthcoming from St. Martin's Griffin in June, 2016.

She has tutored, taught, and guest lectured in various places, including Berkeley City College, Maybeck High School, Stanford University, and Mills College, where she received an MFA in Creative Writing in 2006. Her novels have been Junior Library Guild selections, ALA Best Books for Young Adults, and have appeared on many state and regional lists. Nina won the 2009 Northern California Book Award for Children’s Literature, was featured in Publishers Weekly as a Flying Starts Author, and was a finalist for the William C. Morris award. She loves teaching, reading work by emerging and established writers, and talking about the craft of fiction.

She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her wife, photographer Kristyn Stroble, and their daughter.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

We Are Okay (Released 2/17)

We Are Okay (Released 2/17)
Realistic Fiction, 9780525425892
Recommended for teens

"You go through life thinking there’s so much you need. . . . Until you leave with only your phone, your wallet, and a picture of your mother." Marin hasn’t spoken to anyone from her old life since the day she left everything behind. No one knows the truth about those final weeks. Not even her best friend Mabel. But even thousands of miles away from the California coast, at college in New York, Marin still feels the pull of the life and tragedy she’s tried to outrun. Now, months later, alone in an emptied dorm for winter break, Marin waits. Mabel is coming to visit and Marin will be forced to face everything that’s been left unsaid and finally confront the loneliness that has made a home in her heart. An intimate whisper that packs an indelible punch, We Are Okay is Nina LaCour at her finest. This gorgeously crafted and achingly honest portrayal of grief will leave you urgent to reach across any distance to reconnect with the people you love.

You Know Me Well

You Know Me Well
LGBTQ, Realistic Fiction, 9781250098641
Recommended for teens

Who knows you well? Your best friend? Your boyfriend or girlfriend? A stranger you meet on a crazy night? No one, really? Mark and Kate have sat next to each other for an entire year, but have never spoken. For whatever reason, their paths outside of class have never crossed. That is until Kate spots Mark miles away from home, out in the city for a wild, unexpected night. Kate is lost, having just run away from a chance to finally meet the girl she has been in love with from afar. Mark, meanwhile, is in love with his best friend Ryan, who may or may not feel the same way. When Kate and Mark meet up, little do they know how important they will become to each other -- and how, in a very short time, they will know each other better than any of the people who are supposed to know them more. A book told in alternating points of view by Nina LaCour, the award-winning author of Hold Still and The Disenchantments, and David Levithan, the best-selling author of Every Day and co-author of Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (with Rachel Cohn) and Will Grayson, Will Grayson (with John Green), You Know Me Well is a deeply honest story about navigating the joys and heartaches of first love, one truth at a time.

Everything Leads To You

Everything Leads To You
LGBTQ, Realistic Fiction, 9780525425885
Recommended for teens

A wunderkind young set designer, Emi has already started to find her way in the competitive Hollywood film world. Emi is a film buff and a true romantic, but her real-life relationships are a mess. She has desperately gone back to the same girl too many times to mention. But then a mysterious letter from a silver screen legend leads Emi to Ava. Ava is unlike anyone Emi has ever met. She has a tumultuous, not-so-glamorous past, and lives an unconventional life. She’s enigmatic…. She’s beautiful. And she is about to expand Emi’s understanding of family, acceptance, and true romance.

Hold Still

Hold Still
Realistic Fiction, 9780525421559
Recommended for teens

An arresting story about starting over after a friend’s suicide, from a breakthrough new voice in YA fictiondear caitlin, there are so many things that i want so badly to tell you but i just can’t. Devastating, hopeful, hopeless, playful . . . in words and illustrations, Ingrid left behind a painful farewell in her journal for Caitlin. Now Caitlin is left alone, by loss and by choice, struggling to find renewed hope in the wake of her best friend’s suicide. With the help of family and newfound friends, Caitlin will encounter first love, broaden her horizons, and start to realize that true friendship didn’t die with Ingrid. And the journal which once seemed only to chronicle Ingrid’s descent into depression, becomes the tool by which Caitlin once again reaches out to all those who loved Ingrid—and Caitlin herself.

The Disenchantments

The Disenchantments
Realistic Fiction, 9780525422198
Recommended for teens

Colby and Bev have a long-standing pact: graduate, hit the road with Bev's band, and then spend the year wandering around Europe. But moments after the tour kicks off, Bev makes a shocking announcement: she's abandoning their plans - and Colby - to start college in the fall. But the show must go on and The Disenchantments weave through the Pacific Northwest, playing in small towns and dingy venues, while roadie- Colby struggles to deal with Bev's already-growing distance and the most important question of all: what's next? Morris Award–finalist Nina LaCour draws together the beauty and influences of music and art to brilliantly capture a group of friends on the brink of the rest of their lives.

Helpful Links

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Nina answered Most Likely to Move to San Francisco.

Other Fun Facts

  • My favorite chore is washing dishes.
  • When I was a small child I named my pet goldfish Sushi.
  • My first job, at age 14, was in an independent bookstore.
  • My first novel, Hold Still, was my grad school thesis.
  • I met my future wife in a Virginia Woolf class.

Renée Ahdieh

Renée   Ahdieh

Renée Ahdieh has written for Condé Nast Traveler and Seen Magazine, and is an honors graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In her spare time, she likes to dance salsa and collect shoes. She is passionate about all kinds of curry, rescue dogs, and college basketball. The first few years of her life were spent in a high-rise in South Korea; consequently, Renée enjoys having her head in the clouds. She lives in Charlotte, NC, with her husband and their tiny overlord of a dog. The Wrath and the Dawn was her debut novel.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Wrath and the Dawn (The Wrath and the Dawn, book 1)

Wrath and the Dawn (The Wrath and the Dawn, book 1)
Fairy Tales, 9780147513854
Recommended for teens

Every dawn brings horror to a different family in a land ruled by a killer. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at sunrise. So it is a suspicious surprise when sixteen-year-old Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid. But she does so with a clever plan to stay alive and exact revenge on the Caliph for the murder of her best friend and countless other girls. Shazi's wit and will, indeed, get her through to the dawn that no others have seen, but with a catch...she's falling in love with the very boy who killed her dearest friend. She discovers that the murderous boy-king is not all that he seems and neither are the deaths of so many girls. Shazi is determined to uncover the reason for the murders and to break the cycle once and for all.

The Rose & the Dagger (The Wrath and the Dawn, book 2)

The Rose & the Dagger (The Wrath and the Dawn, book 2)
Fairy Tales, 9780399171628
Recommended for teens

In a land on the brink of war, Shahrzad has been torn from the love of her husband Khalid, the Caliph of Khorasan. She once believed him a monster, but his secrets revealed a man tormented by guilt and a powerful curse—one that might keep them apart forever. Reunited with her family, who have taken refuge with enemies of Khalid, and Tariq, her childhood sweetheart, she should be happy. But Tariq now commands forces set on destroying Khalid's empire. Shahrzad is almost a prisoner caught between loyalties to people she loves. But she refuses to be a pawn and devises a plan. While her father, Jahandar, continues to play with magical forces he doesn't yet understand, Shahrzad tries to uncover powers that may lie dormant within her. With the help of a tattered old carpet and a tempestuous but sage young man, Shahrzad will attempt to break the curse and reunite with her one true love.

Flame in the Mist

Flame in the Mist
Fairy Tales, 9780399171635
Recommended for teens

The daughter of a prominent samurai, Mariko has long known her place—she may be an accomplished alchemist, whose cunning rivals that of her brother Kenshin, but because she is not a boy, her future has always been out of her hands. At just seventeen years old, Mariko is promised to Minamoto Raiden, the son of the emperor's favorite consort—a political marriage that will elevate her family's standing. But en route to the imperial city of Inako, Mariko narrowly escapes a bloody ambush by a dangerous gang of bandits known as the Black Clan, who she learns has been hired to kill her before she reaches the palace. Dressed as a peasant boy, Mariko sets out to infiltrate the ranks of the Black Clan, determined to track down the person responsible for the target on her back. But she's quickly captured and taken to the Black Clan’s secret hideout, where she meets their leader, the rebel ronin Takeda Ranmaru, and his second-in-command, his best friend Okami. Still believing her to be a boy, Ranmaru and Okami eventually warm to Mariko, impressed by her intellect and ingenuity. As Mariko gets closer to the Black Clan, she uncovers a dark history of secrets, of betrayal and murder, which will force her to question everything she's ever known. (Coming May 2, 2017)

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When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Renée answered Most Creative.

Other Fun Facts

  • English is not my first language.
  • I have an almost-black belt in Taekwondo.
  • I set fire to my kitchen making Persian rice.
  • My dog's name is Mushu.
  • I believe good shoes are important because good shoes take you to good places.

Aaron Starmer

Aaron  Starmer

Aaron Starmer was born in northern California, raised in the suburbs of Syracuse, New York, and educated at Drew University in Madison, New Jersey. His novels for young readers include Dweeb and The Only Ones, and his travel writing has appeared in numerous guidebooks. He lives with his wife in Hoboken, New Jersey.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Spontaneous

Spontaneous
Realistic Fiction, 9780525429746
Recommended for teens

A darkly funny and spectacularly original exploration of friendship, goodbyes--and spontaneous combustion.

The Riverman: Riverman Trilogy (Book 1)

The Riverman: Riverman Trilogy (Book 1)
Fantasy, 9781250056856
Recommended for teens

The first book in a trilogy about a girl who claims she is visiting a parallel universe where a nefarious being called The Riverman is stealing the souls of children and the boy she asks to write her biography because she fears her soul may be next

The Whisper: Riverman Trilogy (Book 2)

The Whisper: Riverman Trilogy (Book 2)
Fantasy, 9781250073365
Recommended for teens

Twelve-year-old Alistair continues his quest to find his missing friend, Fiona, in Aquavania, a world where wishes can nearly come true, but he learns that the Whisper, once a boy named Charlie from his own world, has plans for Alistair and has used Fiona to try to get to him.

The Storyteller: Riverman Trilogy (Book 3)

The Storyteller: Riverman Trilogy (Book 3)
Fantasy, 9781250104182
Recommended for teens

Along with stories, Keri Cleary records in her diary the strange and terrifying events surrounding the disappearance of Fiona Loomis and Alistair Cleary's efforts to find her in Aquavania, a world where wishes can nearly come true, as well as the repercussions of the shooting of Kyle Dwyer.

Book Talks

Videos

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Aaron answered Most Likely to be Arrested for Making Prank Phone Calls.

Other Fun Facts

  • When he was in sixth grade, he watched the movie Better Off Dead approximately twenty-one times. If you haven’t seen it, it’s the inspiring, yet tragic story of an intrepid paperboy who’s just trying to do his job.
  • He has run the New York Marathon, rafted the Grand Canyon, hiked the Milford Track, and eaten two pounds of gummy bears in a single sitting.
  • If you ask him to sing karaoke, he will probably sing George Michael's "One More Try" and you will probably cry.
  • He lives in a state that is home to more cows than people and - if internet is to be believed - the methane found in cows' digestive tracts makes them more likely to spontaneously combust.
  • Since he was five years old, he's had a jagged scar on his forehead. Too bad he was born in the 1970s. Growing up, there were no Harry Potter comparisons. Only Frankenstein.

Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Benjamin Alire  Sáenz

Benjamin Alire Sáenz is an author of poetry and prose for adults and teens. He is the winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award and the American Book Award for his books for adults. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universewas a Printz Honor Book, the Stonewall Award winner, the Pura Belpre Award winner, the Lambda Literary Award winner, and a finalist for the Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award. His first novel for teens, Sammy and Juliana in Hollywood, was an ALA Top Ten Book for Young Adults and a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. His second book for teens, He Forgot to Say Goodbye, won the Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award, the Southwest Book Award, and was named a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age. He teaches creative writing at the University of Texas, El Paso.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

The Inexplicable Logic of My Life (Released 3/17)

The Inexplicable Logic of My Life (Released 3/17)
LGBTQ, Realistic Fiction, 9780544586505
Recommended for teens

Sal used to know his place with his adoptive gay father, their loving Mexican American family, and his best friend, Samantha. But it’s senior year, and suddenly Sal is throwing punches, questioning everything, and realizing he no longer knows himself. If Sal’s not who he thought he was, who is he?

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Universe

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Universe
LGBTQ, Realistic Fiction, 9781442408937
Recommended for teens

Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship--the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.

He Forgot to Say Goodbye

He Forgot to Say Goodbye
Realistic Fiction, 9781416994343
Recommended for teens

Two teenaged boys with very different lives find that they share a common bond--fathers they have never met who left when they were small boys--and in spite of their differences, they become close when they each need someone who understands.

Sammy and Juliana in Hollywood

Sammy and Juliana in Hollywood
Realistic Fiction, 9780060843748
Recommended for teens

As a Chicano boy living in the unglamorous town of Hollywood, New Mexico, and a member of the graduating class of 1969, Sammy Santos faces the challenges of "gringo" racism, unpopular dress codes, the Vietnam War, barrio violence, and poverty.

Interviews

Videos

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Benjamin Alire answered I would have been voted the guy who talked the fastest to get out of trouble. Once, when I got a tardy slip, I had to write down the reason why I was late, and I wrote: “I was walking by the auto-mechanics building and I got hit by a runaway car.” Or I might have been awarded: “The guy most likely to read all the books he wasn’t supposed to read.” I was reading The Exorcist in history class and the teacher confiscated my book and asked me if I wasn’t afraid of winding up in hell .

Other Fun Facts

  • I tell everybody I don’t like to eat fast food. But I love Big Macs and French fries and I like to sit in the parking lot and eat my Big Mac in private.
  • I like chic flicks more than I like adventure movies. And speaking of movies, I get very interactive while I watch movies and my friends have to nudge me and remind me that it’s only a movie. And yes, I cry during moves. But I laugh too.
  • Maybe this isn’t such a fun fact, but I suffered from having a lot of acne when I was in high school. But it cleared up.
  • I helped take up signatures in our high school to change the dress code and helped organize a sit down strike. We got the dress code changed.
  • I was elected vice-president of Lynn Junior High School. I ran against two of the most popular students in the school. I was a nobody. But I won. It gave the best speech and the first time I ever spoke in public. I was terrified but I pretended not to be.

Sarah J. Maas

Sarah J.  Maas

Sarah J. Maas is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Throne of Glass series and A Court of Thorns and Roses series, as well as a USA Today and international bestselling author. Sarah wrote the first incarnation of the Throne of Glass series when she was just sixteen, and it has now sold in thirty-five languages. A New York native, Sarah currently lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and dog. Empire of Storms, the fifth Throne of Glass novel,is available now.

She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Hamilton College in 2008 with a degree in Creative Writing and a minor in Religious Studies.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

A Court of Thorns and Roses: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series (Book 1)

A Court of Thorns and Roses: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series (Book 1)
Fantasy, 9781619635180
Recommended for teens

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world. As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

A Court of Mist and Fury: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series (Book 2)

A Court of Mist and Fury: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series (Book 2)
Fantasy, 9781619635197
Recommended for teens

Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court—but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people. Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms—and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future—and the future of a world cleaved in two.

A Court of Wing and Ruin:  A Court of Thorns and Roses Series (Book 3)

A Court of Wing and Ruin: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series (Book 3)
Fantasy, 9781619634480
Recommended for teens

Feyre has returned to the Spring Court, determined to gather information on Tamlin's maneuverings and the invading king threatening to bring Prythian to its knees. But to do so she must play a deadly game of deceit-and one slip may spell doom not only for Feyre, but for her world as well. As war bears down upon them all, Feyre must decide who to trust amongst the dazzling and lethal High Lords-and hunt for allies in unexpected places.

Throne of Glass: Throne of Glass Series (Book 1)

Throne of Glass: Throne of Glass Series (Book 1)
Fantasy, 9781619630345
Recommended for teens

fter serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for four years and then be granted her freedom. Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilarating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her ... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best. Then one of the other contestants turns up dead ... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

Crown of Midnight: Throne of Glass Series (Book 2)

Crown of Midnight: Throne of Glass Series (Book 2)
Fantasy, 9781619630642
Recommended for teens

From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil. Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart. Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena's world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie... and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for.

Heir of Fire: Throne of Glass Series (Book 3)

Heir of Fire: Throne of Glass Series (Book 3)
Fantasy, 9781619630673
Recommended for teens

Celaena has survived deadly contests and shattering heartbreak―but at an unspeakable cost. Now, she must travel to a new land to confront her darkest truth . . . a truth about her heritage that could change her life―and her future―forever. Meanwhile, brutal and monstrous forces are gathering on the horizon, intent on enslaving her world. Will Celaena find the strength to not only fight her inner demons, but to take on the evil that is about to be unleashed?

Queen of Shadows: Throne of Glass Series (Book 4)

Queen of Shadows: Throne of Glass Series (Book 4)
Fantasy, 9781619636064
Recommended for teens

Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she’s at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past… She has embraced her identity as Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen. But before she can reclaim her throne, she must fight. She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die for her. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen’s triumphant return.

Videos

Websites

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Sarah J. answered Most Likely to Move to New Zealand to Live Out a Lord of the Rings Lifestyle.

Other Fun Facts

  • I had my name used for a Goosebumps character in The Curse of Camp Cold Lake. (My parents were at a school fundraiser, and having your kid’s name in the next Goosebumps book was one of the items.)
  • I am the biggest Lord of the Rings nerd, and was the founding member/president of the Lord of the Rings club in High School. I still have my life-size standees of Legolas, Frodo, and Eowyn, and occasionally wear my Leaf of Lorien pin.
  • I am a TV addict. No, really.

Maggie Thrash

Maggie  Thrash

Maggie Thrash grew up in the south. She is the author of the graphic memoir, Honor Girl, and the YA mystery We Know It Was You. Her short stories and non-fiction articles can be found on Rookie. She attended Hampshire College and the Sewanee School of Letters. Maggie Thrash is represented by Stephen Barr of Writers House.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

We Know It Was You: Strange Truth Series (Book 1)

We Know It Was You: Strange Truth Series (Book 1)
Realistic Fiction, 9781481462006
Recommended for teens

Twin Peaks meets Pretty Little Liars in acclaimed author Maggie Thrash’s new Strange Truth series. It’s better to know the truth. At least sometimes. Halfway through Friday night’s football game, beautiful cheerleader Brittany Montague—dressed as the giant Winship Wildcat mascot—hurls herself off a bridge into Atlanta’s surging Chattahoochee River. Just like that, she’s gone. Eight days later, Benny Flax and Virginia Leeds will be the only ones who know why.

Honor Girl: A Graphic Memoir

Honor Girl: A Graphic Memoir
Graphic Novel, 9780763673826
Recommended for teens

Maggie Thrash has spent basically every summer of her fifteen-year-old life at the one-hundred-year-old Camp Bellflower for Girls, set deep in the heart of Appalachia. She’s from Atlanta, she’s never kissed a guy, she’s into Backstreet Boys in a really deep way, and her long summer days are full of a pleasant, peaceful nothing . . . until one confounding moment. A split-second of innocent physical contact pulls Maggie into a gut-twisting love for an older, wiser, and most surprising of all (at least to Maggie), female counselor named Erin. But Camp Bellflower is an impossible place for a girl to fall in love with another girl, and Maggie’s savant-like proficiency at the camp’s rifle range is the only thing keeping her heart from exploding. When it seems as if Erin maybe feels the same way about Maggie, it’s too much for both Maggie and Camp Bellflower to handle, let alone to understand.

Interviews

Videos

Websites

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Maggie answered I was actually voted Most Likely to be Famous, which is kind of a lot of pressure..

Other Fun Facts

  • I am a descendant of President Martin Van Buren (the one with the mutton chops).
  • I host a Dawson's Creek podcast.
  • My first kiss was a dare.
  • I love Twilight.
  • I am Team Edward.

Shaun David Hutchinson

Shaun David  Hutchinson

I’m Shaun David Hutchinson, you can call me Shaun. Or Hutch.  I’ll respond to anything. I was born in West Palm Beach, FL, and grew up in Jupiter, FL where I’ve lived most of my life save for a couple of adventures in Atlanta and Rhode Island.  I always knew I wanted to be a writer but it took me a long time to figure out I could be one.  I’ve been a database developer, managed a wine company, slung coffee at Starbucks, and once spent a creepy month working in a statuary.  Luckily, that was before I’d seen the Weeping Angels on Doctor Who.  I studied literature in college where I fell in love with Beowulf and Chaucer and gothic literature.  I also studied emergency medicine at one time and insurance at another.  Currently, I work in IT and fill my remaining hours with freelance web design, database design, and editing.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

A Complicated Love Story Set in Space

A Complicated Love Story Set in Space
LGBTQ, Science Fiction, 9781534448537
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

When Noa closes his eyes on Earth and wakes up on a spaceship called Qriosity just as it’s about to explode, he’s pretty sure things can’t get much weirder. Boy is he wrong. Trapped aboard Qriosity are also DJ and Jenny, neither of whom remember how they got onboard the ship. Together, the three face all the dangers of space, along with murder, aliens, a school dance, and one really, really bad day. But none of this can prepare Noa for the biggest challenge—falling in love. And as Noa’s feelings for DJ deepen, he has to contend not just with the challenges of the present, but also with his memories of the past. However, nothing is what it seems on Qriosity, and the truth will upend all of their lives forever. Love is complicated enough without also trying to stay alive.

The State of Us

The State of Us
LGBTQ, Realistic Fiction, 9780062950314
Recommended for teens
Recommended to read before TBF

When Dean Arnault’s mother decided to run for president, it wasn’t a surprise to anyone, least of all her son. But still that doesn’t mean Dean wants to be part of the public spectacle that is the race for the White House—at least not until he meets Dre. The only problem is that Dre Rosario's on the opposition; he’s the son of the Democratic nominee. But as Dean and Dre’s meet-ups on the campaign trail become less left to chance, their friendship quickly becomes a romantic connection unlike any either of the boys have ever known. If it wasn’t hard enough falling in love across the aisle, the political scheming of a shady third-party candidate could cause Dean and Dre’s world to explode around them.

At the Edge of the Universe

At the Edge of the Universe
LGBTQ, Science Fiction, 9781481449663
Recommended for teens

From the author of We Are the Ants and The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley comes the heartbreaking story of a boy who believes the universe is slowly shrinking as things he remembers are being erased from others’ memories. Tommy and Ozzie have been best friends since the second grade, and boyfriends since eighth. They spent countless days dreaming of escaping their small town—and then Tommy vanished. More accurately, he ceased to exist, erased from the minds and memories of everyone who knew him. Everyone except Ozzie. Ozzie doesn’t know how to navigate life without Tommy, and soon he suspects that something else is going on: that the universe is shrinking. When Ozzie is paired up with new student Calvin on a physics project, he begins to wonder if Calvin could somehow be involved. But the more time they spend together, the harder it is for him to deny the feelings developing between them, even if he still loves Tommy. But Ozzie knows there isn’t much time left to find Tommy—that once the door closes, it can’t be opened again. And he’s determined to keep it open as long as it takes to get his boyfriend back.

We are the Ants (Available in Spanish through Hipocampo Booksellers)

We are the Ants (Available in Spanish through Hipocampo Booksellers)
LGBTQ, Science Fiction, 9781481449632
Recommended for teens

Abducted by aliens periodically throughout his youth, Henry Denton is informed by his erstwhile captors that they will end the world in 144 days unless he stops them by deciding that humanity is worth saving.

The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley

The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley
LGBTQ, Realistic Fiction, 9781481403115
Recommended for teens

Convinced he should have died in the accident that killed his parents and sister, sixteen-year-old Drew lives in a hospital, hiding from employees and his past, until Rusty, set on fire for being gay, turns his life around. Includes excerpts from the superhero comic Drew creates.

FML

FML
Realistic Fiction, 9781442432871
Recommended for teens

At a party near the end of senior year, seventeen-year-old Simon Cross imagines his life with and without Cassie, the girl he has yearned for since they were freshman, and begins to discover the unpredictable wonders of life his best friends, Ben and Coop, have urged him to explore.

The Deathday Letter

The Deathday Letter
Realistic Fiction, 9781416996088
Recommended for teens

After receiving the letter that says he will be dead within twenty-four hours, fifteen-year-old Ollie and his two best friends, Shane and would-be girlfriend Ronnie, set out to fulfill as many of Ollie's hopes as they can.

Brave Face

Brave Face
Non-Fiction, 9781534431515
Recommended for teens

Shaun David Hutchinson was nineteen. Confused. Struggling to find the vocabulary to understand and accept who he was and how he fit into a community in which he couldn’t see himself. The voice of depression told him that he would never be loved or wanted, while powerful and hurtful messages from society told him that being gay meant love and happiness weren’t for him. A million moments large and small over the years all came together to convince Shaun that he couldn’t keep going, that he had no future. And so he followed through on trying to make that a reality. Thankfully Shaun survived, and over time, came to embrace how grateful he is and how to find self-acceptance. In this courageous and deeply honest memoir, Shaun takes readers through the journey of what brought him to the edge, and what has helped him truly believe that it does get better.

The Past and Other Things That Should Stay Buried

The Past and Other Things That Should Stay Buried
LGBTQ, 9781481498579
Recommended for teens

Dino doesn’t mind spending time with the dead. His parents own a funeral home, and death is literally the family business. He’s just not used to them talking back. Until Dino’s ex-best friend July dies suddenly—and then comes back to life. Except not exactly. Somehow July is not quite alive, and not quite dead. As Dino and July attempt to figure out what’s happening, they must also confront why and how their friendship ended so badly, and what they have left to understand about themselves, each other, and all those grand mysteries of life.

The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza

The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza
LGBTQ, Science Fiction, 9781481498548
Recommended for teens

Sixteen-year-old Elena Mendoza is the product of a virgin birth. This can be scientifically explained (it’s called parthenogenesis), but what can’t be explained is how Elena is able to heal Freddie, the girl she’s had a crush on for years, from a gunshot wound in a Starbucks parking lot. Or why the boy who shot Freddie, David Combs, disappeared from the same parking lot minutes later after getting sucked up into the clouds. What also can’t be explained are the talking girl on the front of a tampon box, or the reasons that David Combs shot Freddie in the first place. As more unbelievable things occur, and Elena continues to perform miracles, the only remaining explanation is the least logical of all—that the world is actually coming to an end, and Elena is possibly the only one who can do something about it.

Interviews

Videos

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Shaun David answered most likely to take a nap.

Other Fun Facts

  • I'm left-handed.
  • I've never broken any bones.
  • I love to bake.
  • My favorite musical is Little Shop of Horrors.
  • I get terribly seasick and hate boats.

Danielle Paige

Danielle  Paige

Danielle Paige is the New York Times bestselling author of the Dorothy Must Die series, and the upcoming  Stealing Snow series (Bloomsbury, 2016). In addition to writing young adult books, she works in the television industry, where she’s received a Writers Guild of America Award and was nominate d for several Daytime Emmys. She is a graduate of Columbia University and currently lives in New York City.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Dorothy Must Die (Book 1)

Dorothy Must Die (Book 1)
Fantasy, 9780062280671
Recommended for teens

Amy Gumm, the other girl from Kansas, has been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked to stop Dorothy who has found a way to come back to Oz, seizing a power that has gone to her head -- so now no one is safe!

The Wicked Will Rise (Dorothy Must Die: Book 2)

The Wicked Will Rise (Dorothy Must Die: Book 2)
Fantasy, 9780062280701
Recommended for teens

Amy's job as assassin didn't work out as planned. Dorothy is still alive. The Order has vanished. And the home she couldn't wait to leave behind might be in danger.

Yellow Brick War (Dorothy Must Die: Book 3)

Yellow Brick War (Dorothy Must Die: Book 3)
Fantasy, 9780062280732
Recommended for teens

To fight for Oz and save Kansas from power-hungry dictator Dorothy's latest plot, Amy teams up with the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked and finds herself working alongside the Wicked Witch of the West.

The End of Oz (Dorothy Must Die: Book 4)(Released 3/17)

The End of Oz (Dorothy Must Die: Book 4)(Released 3/17)
Fantasy, 9780062423771
Recommended for teens

Stealing Snow (Book 1)

Stealing Snow (Book 1)
Fairy Tales, Fantasy, 9781681190761
Recommended for teens

Seventeen-year-old Snow escapes a mental hospital by racing into the woods where she finds herself in icy Algid--her true home--with witches, thieves, an alluring boy named Kai, and she discovers her royal lineage.

Interviews

Websites

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Danielle answered Most Likely to Anchor the Evening News. (I was editor of my school paper)..

Other Fun Facts

  • I used to write for soaps.
  • I was President of my 4-H club just so I could use the microphone in 6th grade.
  • I once dressed as a dairy maid and gave away cereal in Times Square.
  • I wrote a pilot for MTV.

Zoraida Córdova

Zoraida  Córdova

Zoraida Córdova is the author of The Vicious Deep trilogy, the On the Verge series, and Labyrinth Lost. She loves black coffee, snark, and still believes in magic. She is a New Yorker at heart and is currently working on her next novel.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Labyrinth Lost

Labyrinth Lost
Fantasy, 9781492620945
Recommended for teens

A gorgeous fantasy in the spirit of Pan's Labyrinth and John Connolly's The Book of Lost Things. Set in a world similar to our own, during a war that parallels World War II, A Green and Ancient Light is the stunning story of a boy who is sent to stay with his grandmother for the summer in a serene fishing village. Their tranquility is shattered by the crash of a bullet-riddled enemy plane, the arrival of grandmother's friend Mr. Girandole--a man who knows the true story of Cinderella's slipper--and the discovery of a riddle in the sacred grove of ruins behind grandmother's house. In a sumptuous idyllic setting and overshadowed by the threat of war, four unlikely allies learn the values of courage and sacrifice.

The Vicious Deep: Vicious Deep Series (Book 1)

The Vicious Deep: Vicious Deep Series (Book 1)
Fantasy, 9781402274411
Recommended for teens

After being sucked out to sea in a tidal wave, Tristan Hart returns ashore on Coney Island with no memory of what happened to him--yet he can sense the emotions of others and dreams of a terrifying silver mermaid with razor-sharp teeth.

Savage Blue: Vicious Deep Series (Book 2)

Savage Blue: Vicious Deep Series (Book 2)
Fantasy, 9781492601241
Recommended for teens

Teenaged Tristan battles pirates, sea dragons, and mutant creatures of the deep in his quest for the Sea Throne.

The Vast and Brutal Sea: Vicious Deep Series (Book 3)

The Vast and Brutal Sea: Vicious Deep Series (Book 3)
Fantasy, 9781492608677
Recommended for teens

As Kurt and Tristan battle for the Sea King's throne, sea witch Nieve kidnaps Layla and raises an army of mutant sea creature to overthrow the crown.

Interviews

Websites

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Zoraida answered Most Artistic.

Other Fun Facts

  • I love Hawaiian pizza.
  • I can recite most Disney songs by heart.
  • I have more books than I can read in a lifetime.
  • I can't swim, but live vicariously through the mermaids.
  • My favorite show is still Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Sara Shepard

Sara  Shepard

For as long as she can remember, Sara Shepard has been writing. However, when she was young she also wanted to be a soap opera star, a designer for LEGO, a filmmaker, a claymation artist, a geneticist, and a fashion magazine editor when she grew up. She and her sister have been creating joint artistic and written projects for years, except they’re pretty sure they’re the only ones who find them funny.

She got her MFA at Brooklyn College and now lives outside Philadelphia, PA with her husband and dogs. Her first adult novel is called The Visibles/ All The Things We Didn’t Say.

Sara’s bestselling young adult series, Pretty Little Liars, is loosely based on her experiences growing up on Philadelphia’s Main Line…although luckily she never had any serious stalkers. The series has also inspired the ABC Family television series of the same name.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

The Amateurs: Amateurs Series (Book 1)

The Amateurs: Amateurs Series (Book 1)
Mystery, Realistic Fiction, 9781484742273
Recommended for teens

Four teens who met on an online cold-case solving forum attempt to solve another teen's murder.

Lying Game: Lying Game Series (Book 1)

Lying Game: Lying Game Series (Book 1)
Mystery, Realistic Fiction, 9780061869716
Recommended for teens

Seventeen-year-old Emma Paxton steps into the life of her long-lost twin Sutton to solve her murder, while Sutton looks on from her afterlife.

The Perfectionist: Perfectionist Series (Book 1)

The Perfectionist: Perfectionist Series (Book 1)
Mystery, Realistic Fiction, 9780062074504
Recommended for teens

Ava, Caitlin, Mackenzie, Julie, and Parker are all driven to be perfect--no matter the cost. At first the girls think they have nothing in common, until they discover that they all hate the same person: handsome womanizer Nolan Hotchkiss, who's done things to hurt each of them. They come up with the perfect plan to murder Nolan--jokingly, of course. They'd never actually go through with it. But when Nolan turns up dead in the exact way they'd discussed, the girls suddenly become prime suspects in his murder. Only, they didn't do it. So who did? Unless they find the real killer, and soon, their perfect lives will come crashing down around them.

Pretty Little Liars: Pretty Little Liars Series (Book 1)

Pretty Little Liars: Pretty Little Liars Series (Book 1)
Mystery, Realistic Fiction, 9780060887303
Recommended for teens

When one of their tightly-knit group mysteriously disappears, four high school girls find their friendship difficult to maintain when they begin receiving taunting messages from someone who seems to know everything about their past and present secrets.

Websites

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Sara answered I was sort of voted "Renaissance Woman" because I was into science, art, writing, and on the track team. But I so wasn't a Renaissance Woman. I couldn't hang pants on a hanger..

Other Fun Facts

  • I love to knit stuffed animals.
  • When I was young my worst words were "spine" and "packet".
  • I have a secret regret that I didn't go to medical school. I love reading medical mysteries and watching shows like "Mysteries of the ER".
  • I am terrible at wrapping gifts and seriously cannot fold a t-shirt.
  • The first time I did a cameo on "Pretty Little Liars", it took me about ten takes to get my lines right. The second time I did a cameo, they had me sit on an old box to read my lines (I was a reporter), and I wore ugly, comfy sneakers. But you can't see it in the shot!

Tamara Ireland Stone

Tamara Ireland  Stone

TAMARA IRELAND STONE is the author of the New York Times bestseller, Every Last Word, a story about a teen with OCD who discovers a secret poetry club that changes her life in unexpected ways.

Stone is also the author of Time Between Us, which has been published in over twenty countries, and its companion novel, Time After Time. The series follows a teen time traveler from present day and a girl in 1995 he can’t seem to leave in his past.

A former Silicon Valley marketing executive, she enjoys skiing, traveling, and going to concerts. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and two children.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Every Last Word

Every Last Word
Realistic Fiction, 9781484705278
Recommended for teens

Consumed by a stream of dark thoughts and worries that she can't turn off, a girl coping with Purely-Obsessional OCD learns to accept herself and take control of her life through her experiences in poetry club

Time After Time

Time After Time
Realistic Fiction, 9781423159810
Recommended for teens

Told from his point of view, continues the love story of Bennett, a time traveler from 2012 San Francisco, and Anna, sixteen, of 1995 Evanston, Illinois, as they try to make their relationship work despite his fear that it is not meant to be.

Time Between Us

Time Between Us
Realistic Fiction, 9781423159773
Recommended for teens

In 1995 Evanston, Illinois, sixteen-year-old Anna's perfectly normal life is turned upside-down when she meets Bennett, whose ability to travel through space and time creates complications for them both.

Interviews

Websites

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Tamara Ireland answered Future Katie Couric.

Other Fun Facts

  • My first job was building Atari game systems in my parent's garage.
  • When I was a freshman, I worked at Taco Bell where I learned how to shoot a sour cream gun with near-perfect precision (at my co-workers, not at the food).
  • I put myself through college.
  • I was on the launch team for the first iMac and got to work closely with Steve Jobs.
  • Before I wrote books, I spent twelve years running a marketing strategy firm that I co-founded with two incredible women. I wish I could do both jobs.

A.G. Howard

A.G.  Howard

International and NYT best-selling author, Anita Grace Howard, lives in the Texas panhandle. She is most at home weaving the melancholy and macabre into settings and scenes, twisting the expected into the unexpected. She’s inspired by all things flawed, utilizing the complex loveliness of human conditions and raw emotions to give her characters life, then turning their world upside down so the reader’s blood will race.

Married and mother of two teens (as well as surrogate mom to two Guinea pigs and one Labrador retriever), Anita divides her days between spending time with her family and plodding along or plotting on her next book.

When she’s not writing, Anita enjoys rollerblading, biking, snow skiing, gardening, and family vacations that at any given time might include an impromptu side trip to an 18th century graveyard or a condemned schoolhouse for photo ops.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

RoseBlood

RoseBlood
Fantasy, 9781419719097
Recommended for teens

Shortly after arriving at RoseBlood conservatory, Rune starts to believe something otherworldly is indeed afoot. The mystery boy she’s seen frequenting the graveyard beside the opera house doesn’t have any classes at the school, and vanishes almost as quickly as he appears. When Rune begins to develop a secret friendship with the elusive Thorn, who dresses in clothing straight out of the 19th century, she realizes that in his presence she feels cured. Thorn may be falling for Rune, but the phantom haunting RoseBlood wants her for a very specific and dangerous purpose. As their love continues to grow, Thorn is faced with an impossible choice: lead Rune to her destruction, or save her and face the wrath of the phantom, the only father he’s ever known.

Splintered Series: Splintered

Splintered Series: Splintered
Fantasy, 9781419709708
Recommended for teens

This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence. Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now. When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, A.G. answered Most Likely to Become a Fashion Designer.

Other Fun Facts

  • In my childhood, I had a vivid imagination. One night, after watching an episode of The Twilight Zone where a doll comes to life and wreaks havoc on a middle-class family, I had a staring contest with one of my dolls while lying in bed. Her lips twitched on a sneer (most likely an anomaly caused from the shadows and my eyes clouding-up due to lack of moisture). After much screaming, crying, and trembling, I gathered my wits and crammed her and every other miniature human-esque figurine into my closet beneath old shoes and dusty comic books so I could go to sleep.
  • In high school, I drove a sun-faded, rusty 1975 Datsun B210. During some “routine maintenance," my dad accidentally spliced the dome light wires with the left turn signal which caused the interior light to blink each time I flipped the turn signal on. Even on the darkest nights my classmates could recognize me driving around the neighborhood in my disco-dome-light car.
  • When I first started writing novels, I couldn’t listen to music during my writing stints unless the songs were instrumental. Any lyrics would distract me. Now, I can’t write unless I have music in the background, and I prefer songs with lyrics. I have playlists for every book I’ve published on my website, as proof.
  • I used to bake and decorate cakes and cookies for profit. What started off as fancy birthday cakes for my kids' parties ended up becoming a side business: "Anita's Creative Confections". I even entered a "bird house" cake in the tri-state fair once and won first place and best of show ribbons.
  • I’m a huge Lord of the Rings geek. So much so that the first time I ever took a trip outside of the U.S. in my life was last year to visit New Zealand, just so I could go on a LotR tour with my husband and see Hobbiton and the Green Dragon Inn in person.

Scott Bergstrom

Scott  Bergstrom

Scott Bergstrom is a traveler, photographer, and writer who lives in Colorado with his wife and daughters. The Cruelty is his fiction debut.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

The Cruelty (Released 2/17)

The Cruelty (Released 2/17)
Mystery, Suspense
Recommended for teens

When her diplomat father is kidnapped and the U.S. Government is unable to help, 17 year-old Gwendolyn Bloom sets off across the sordid underbelly of Europe to rescue him. Following the only lead she has—the name of a Palestinian informer living in France—she plunges into a brutal world of arms smuggling and human trafficking. As she journeys from the slums of Paris, to the nightclubs of Berlin, to the heart of the most feared crime family in Prague, Gwendolyn discovers that to survive in this new world she must become every bit as cruel as the men she’s hunting.

Helpful Links

Videos

Websites

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Scott answered Most Likely to Hurt Himself in a Stupidity-Induced Accident..

Other Fun Facts

  • My first, and favorite, job was working in a library.
  • Cats are my favorite animal.
  • My goal for 2017 is to improve my cursive penmanship.
  • I don't understand the rules of football.
  • I tell people my favorite color is orange, but really, I don't have one.

Kim Savage

Kim  Savage

I was born and raised in Massachusetts, on the South Shore, which sounds beachy, even luxe. Think Winnebagos and chicken coops. My three brothers, 16, 10, and 8 years older, were teens by the time I became a person. Happiest around adults, who often forgot I was there, I spent days eavesdropping on gossipy moms in lawn chairs and nights listening under the table during tipsy Scrabble parties. My dad read to me nightly. Eventually and early, I read to myself, everywhere. On top of an enormous freezer chest stuffed with meat. On drives until I grew nauseous. In bed until my eyes gave out. I read anything I could get my hands on. V.C. Andrews and Dickens. Black Beauty and the Bible. The Economist. Madeline L’Engle and Margaret Atwood. National Geographic. I got a bachelor’s degree in English from Stonehill College and a Master’s in Journalism from Northeastern University. For a while, I worked as a business journalist. Instead of waiting for the Federal Reserve to release the Beige Book, I pitched story ideas along the lines of “Stigmatized Properties: When Murder Kills Property Values”. You see where things were headed. Today, I live with my family northwest of Boston in a town a lot like Shiverton, near the real Fells reservation of AFTER THE WOODS. Born with dysgeographica—I’m directionally challenged—the fear of getting lost in that lovely, dark forest lives close to my skin.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Beautiful Broken Girls (Released 2/17)

Beautiful Broken Girls (Released 2/17)
Mystery, 9780374300593
Recommended for teens

Mira and Francesca Cillo were beautiful, overprotected by their father, and, frankly, odd. To the neighborhood boys they seemed untouchable. But one boy, Ben, touched seven parts of Mira: her palm, hair, chest, cheek, lips, throat, and heart. After the sisters drown themselves in the quarry lake, a post-mortem letter from Mira arrives in Ben's mailbox. The letter sends Ben on a quest to find notes in the places where they touched. Note by note, Ben discovers the mystical secret at the heart of Mira and Francesca's strange world, and he discovers that some things are better left untouched.

After the Woods

After the Woods
Mystery, 9780374300555
Recommended for teens

On the eve of the year anniversary of the Shiverton Abduction, two former best friends grapple with the consequences of that event

Videos

Websites

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Kim answered Best Eyes. Funny and mildly tragic at the same time, because my dirty little secret is that I've been incredibly nearsighted since fifth grade. My prescription is minus 10, which means I cannot see anything without contacts or glasses. Anything. At all. Best, and...ineffective..

Other Fun Facts

  • I have a double-jointed baby toe.
  • I am renown for my klutziness, yet my cousin is one of the most fabulous ballerinas of our time.
  • I'm afraid of sharing soap.
  • I had my path to a national spelling bee cut short in sixth grade when I caught the chicken pox and am still bitter.
  • My childhood pet was a chicken named Shorty.

Matthew Loux

Matthew  Loux

Matthew Loux Was born in eastern Connecticut. He attended college At the School of Visual Arts in New York City where he majored in illustration. His first published comic was the graphic novel F-Stop, written by Antony Johnston and published by Oni Press. Matthew then Wrote and illustrated the graphic novel Sidescrollers, also by Oni Press. Sidescrollers was placed as one of the top ten 'Great Graphic Novels For Teens' in 2008 by the American Library Association's YALSA list. Matthew Is currently working on the Oni Press All ages series Salt Water Taffy, of which Three volumes are currently available in stores with the forth and fifth due out in 2011. Salt Water Taffy was listed on the Texas Library Association's prestigious Maverick list of 2009. Matthew does all his cartooning in Brooklyn NY.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Time Museum (Released 2/17)

Time Museum (Released 2/17)
Graphic Novel, 9781596438491
Recommended for teens

The internship program at the Time Museum is a little unusual. For one thing, kids as young as twelve get to apply for these prestigious summer jobs. And as for the applicant pool . . . well, these kids come from all over history. When Delia finds herself working at the Time Museum, the last thing she expects is to be sent on time-traveling adventures with an unlikely gang of kids from across the eons. From a cave-boy to a girl from the distant future, Delia's team represents nearly all of human history! They're going to need all their skills for the challenge they've got in store . . . defending the Time Museum itself!

The Legend of Old Salty: Salt Water Taffy Series (Book 1)

The Legend of Old Salty: Salt Water Taffy Series (Book 1)
Graphic Novel, 9781932664942

Eleven-year-old Jack Putnam and his eighth-year-old brother Benny are being dragged against their will on a summer-long vacation with their family. And not to somewhere cool like Disney World, but to a little port town in Maine named Chowder Bay, far away from anyplace fun. But what promises to be a very bleak summer quickly becomes a series of exciting adventures in one of the most mysterious places on earth! Warring Seagulls! Giant Lobsters! Kleptomaniac Eagles! Ghosts from the Civil War! Chowder Bay has far more adventures and mysteries in store than these two boys could have ever imagined!

A Climb up Mt. Barnabas: Salt Water Taffy Series (Book 2)

A Climb up Mt. Barnabas: Salt Water Taffy Series (Book 2)
Graphic Novel, 9781934964033

Eleven-year-old Jack Putnam and his eight-year-old brother Benny are being dragged against their will on a summer-long vacation with their family. And not to somewhere cool like Disney World, but to a little port town in Maine named Chowder Bay, far away from anyplace fun. But what promises to be a very bleak summer quickly becomes a series of exciting adventures in one of the most mysterious places on earth! This second volume finds the boys scaling a nearby mountain to confront a giant kleptomaniac eagle with an obsession with fancy hats!

Interviews

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Matthew answered Most Artistic.

Other Fun Facts

  • I'm left-handed.
  • I've been to Japan six times.
  • I can watercolor.
  • I went to art school in Manhattan.
  • I can make picture frames.

e.E. Charlton-Trujillo

e.E.  Charlton-Trujillo

I’m from Mathis, Texas.  It’s a small south Texas town of about 5,000 people where we drove in circles around the Pizza Hut for fun on Friday nights after football games. Even though I was adopted at birth, I’ve always known my heritage was Mexican American. I am proud of the narrative I carry into the world though it has not always been an easy one.

As an author, I garnered the Delacorte Dell Yearling Award in 2004 for Prizefighter En Mi Casa. What followed was: the Parents’ Choice Silver Honor, a Flamingnet Top Choice Award,
a National Council for the Social Studies Notable Book and made the NYC Public
Library Teenage List. Check out the Reviews on Amazon.com

My second novel Feels Like Home released April 2007 to critical praise and award
nominations. I was pretty bummed it didn’t get more attention, but those are the breaks.

My third novel, Fat Angie, released through Candlewick in March 2013, and won the American Library Association’s  Stonewall Award in 2014. Fat Angie was also the foundation for a unique book tour to empower at-risk youth via writing and discussion and the catalyst for the feature documentary At-Risk Summer. From that experience, I co-founded a non-profit to bridge the gap between at-risk youth and artists called Never Counted Out.

Currently, I’m directing my second feature documentary, writing three novels plus a trilogy and a Fat Angie sequel! It’s a busy, busy life, but one I’m honored to live because it is always about empowering readers to know they are not alone. They are part of a human story and that matters every single day.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Fat Angie

Fat Angie
Realistic Fiction, 9780763680190
Recommended for teens

Fat Angie's sister was captured in Iraq, she's the resident laughingstock at school, and her therapist tells her to count instead of eat. Can a daring new girl in her life really change anything?

Interviews

Videos

Websites

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, e.E. answered Most Likely to Question The Knowledge.

Other Fun Facts

  • I build a soundtrack for every book, play, or screenplay I write.
  • I read magazines backwards.
  • Sometimes I walk around with a giant panda head.
  • I have an original copy of The Outsiders movie magazine.
  • I traveled to 42 states in one year and have lived in seven of them during my life plus Belgium.

Don Calame

Don  Calame

Don Calame is an accomplished screenwriter and the award-winning author of four novels, Swim the Fly (Candlewick Press, 2009), Beat the Band (Candlewick Press, 2011), Call the Shots (Candlewick Press, 2013) and Dan Versus Nature (Candlewick Press, 2016).

Don has written screenplays for Universal Studios, Marvel Entertainment, Paramount Pictures, Lions Gate Entertainment, Village Roadshow Pictures and the Disney Channel. He was the screenwriter for Employee of the Month (Lions Gate Films, 2006) and Hounded (Gaylord Films/Disney Channel, 2001). In 2009 the film rights for Swim the Fly were optioned by Paramount Pictures and Don was hired to write the screenplay based on his novel.

Don’s writing awards and nominations include the American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults, the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Book Award, the Nevada Young Reader’s Award, the Michigan Library Association Thumbs Up! Award, IndieBound Kids Next List, and the YALSA Popular Paperbacks Top Ten.

Don lives with his wife and dogs in the Pacific Northwest.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Dan Versus Nature

Dan Versus Nature
Humor, 9780763670719
Recommended for teens

Shy and scrawny Dan Weekes spends his time creating graphic novels inspired by his dream girl and looking out for his mom as she dates every man in the state of California. Then his mom drops a bomb: she and her latest beau, Hank, are engaged, and she's sending her "two favorite men" on a survivalist camping trip to "bond." Determined to trick Hank into showing his true flawed colors on the trip, Dan and his nerdy germaphobe best friend, Charlie, prepare a series of increasingly gross and embarrassing pranks. But the boys hadn't counted on a hot girl joining their trip or on getting separated from their wilderness guide not to mention the humiliating injuries Dan suffers in the course of terrorizing his stepdad-to-be. With a man-hungry bear on their trail, no supplies, and a lot of unpleasant itching going on, can Dan see his plan through now that his very survival depends on Hank?

Call the Shots

Call the Shots
Humor, 9780763664541
Recommended for teens

Coop is cooking up another sure-misfire scheme (big surprise), and this time the comedy plays out from Sean's point of view. What's the new master plan? Making a cheapo horror movie guaranteed to make Coop, Sean, and Matt filthy rich! It's a terrible idea, and Sean knows it. But he actually is desperate for cash -- and for a way to wipe that big fat L off his girlfriend-less forehead. But when he agrees to write a script about the attack of zombie-vampire humanzees, he has no idea just how powerful a chick magnet this movie will be. Suddenly Sean is juggling not one but three interested ladies. Will any of them wind up as Sean's true leading lady? Will Sean stop being a doormat and finally start calling the shots?

Beat the Band

Beat the Band
Humor, 9780763656638
Recommended for teens

Paired with the infamous "Hot Dog" Helen for a health class presentation on safe sex, tenth-grader Coop tries to regain his "cool" by entering his musically challenged rock group in the "Battle of the Bands" competition.

Interviews

Videos

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Don answered I probably would have been voted Most Likely To...Wait. Who is That?.

Other Fun Facts

  • I went to University for guitar for one year based solely on the fact that I was in a band that won the Battle of the Bands in high school. I don't recommend this. It did not turn out well.
  • I am a crazed, obsessive hockey fan and I collect game worn NHL hockey jerseys. And yes, sometimes you can get them and they still smell.
  • I've trained both my dogs to do tricks and perform in my book trailers. Scooter, our border terrier, is much more willing to work for food than Anna, our Maltipoo mutt mix, who is more happy to nudge the iPad off your lap so she can settle in for a nap.
  • I also collect Marvel/DC/Star Wars action figures. They have started taking over my office and compete with the hockey jerseys for display space. It's quite possible I've never actually grown up.
  • I have had to stop playing hockey because I nearly lost an eye, separated my shoulder and ruptured my bicep tendon. Though not all at the same time. Now the only hockey playing I get in is on my PS4.

Zac Brewer

Zac  Brewer

His name is Zac Brewer…but you can call him Z.

Zac is the NYT bestselling author of The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod series, as well as The Slayer Chronicles series, Soulbound, The Cemetery Boys, The Blood Between Us, and more short stories than he can recall.

He grew up on a diet of Twilight Zone and books by Stephen King. He chased them down with every drop of horror he could find—in books, movie theaters, on television. The most delicious parts of his banquet, however, he found lurking in the shadowed corners of his dark imagination. When he’s not writing books, he’s skittering down your wall and lurking underneath your bed. Zac doesn’t believe in happy endings…unless they involve blood.

He lives in Missouri with his husband, two children, and four furry overlords that some people refer to as “cats”.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

The Blood Between Us

The Blood Between Us
Realistic Fiction, 9780062307910
Recommended for teens

Growing up, Adrien and his sister, Grace, competed viciously for everything. It wasn’t easy being the adopted sibling, but Adrien tried to get along; it was Grace who didn’t want anything to do with him. When their scientist parents died in a terrible lab fire, there was nothing left to hold them together. Now, after years apart, Adrien and Grace are forced to reunite at the elite boarding school where their parents were teachers. Being back around everyone he used to know makes Adrien question the person he’s become, while being back around Grace makes him feel like someone he doesn’t want to be. For as much as Adrien wants to move on, someone seems determined to reopen old wounds. And when Adrien starts to suspect that Grace knows more about their parents’ deaths than she let on, he realizes there are some wounds no amount of time can heal. If Adrien isn’t careful, they may even kill him.

Cemetery Boys

Cemetery Boys
Horror, 9780062307897
Recommended for teens

When Stephen moves to the small Midwestern town where his father grew up, he quickly falls in with punk girl Cara and her charismatic twin brother Devon. But the town has a dark secret, and the twins are caught in the middle of it.

First Kill: The Slayer Chronicles Series (Book 1)

First Kill: The Slayer Chronicles Series (Book 1)
Horror, 9780803737419
Recommended for teens

While Vlad was busy with eighth grade and figuring out his vampire powers, Joss McMillan was discovering powers of his own. Ever since his baby sister Cecile was murdered by a cruel vampire, Joss has sworn to spend his life as a Slayer, finding vampires around the world and killing them in whatever way he can. Finally Joss's training begins, and the Slayer Society quickly realizes that Joss is not like other Slayers.

Eighth Grade Bites: The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod Series (Book 1)

Eighth Grade Bites: The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod Series (Book 1)
Horror, 9780525478119
Recommended for teens

Junior high really sucks for thirteen-year-old Vladimir Tod. Bullies harass him, the principal is dogging him, and the girl he likes prefers his best friend. Oh, and Vlad has a secret: his mother was human, but his father was a vampire. With no idea of the extent of his powers, Vlad struggles daily with his blood cravings and his enlarged fangs. When a substitute teacher begins to question him a little too closely, Vlad worries that his cover is about to be blown. But then he faces a much bigger problem: he's being hunted by a vampire killer.

Videos

Websites

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Zac answered Most Likely to Wear Pants.

Other Fun Facts

  • I have 11 tattoos, including one inspired by Spirited Away.
  • I share a birthday with Stephen King.
  • I have 4 cats (but only because my husband won't let me have any more).
  • My favorite bands are My Chemical Romance and Green Day.
  • I'm obsessed with all things Disney.

Victoria Brooks

Victoria   Brooks

Victoria Brooks is a Rochester native. She is currently a senior at Our Lady of Mercy High School. She plans to go to Canisius College and major in Psychology and Creative Writing.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Sarah Hamilton

Sarah   Hamilton

Sarah Hamilton was only seventeen when she published her first novel, "The Enchantress (a Royalty Status novel)". She is a student, filmmaker, photographer, blogger, actress and writer. Originally from Webster, New York, she currently studies film and television production at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California. She also regulates her teen website, www.LockerStyler.com and her YouTube channel on a weekly basis. 

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

The Enchantress (a Royalty Status novel)

The Enchantress (a Royalty Status novel)
Fairy Tales
Recommended for teens

When Scarlette makes a wish on her sweet sixteen, her entire world changes. Casted into the Enchanted realm, she must seek out the last remaining portal to get back home. As the adventure continues, Scarlette learns about an evil queen’s dark curse that swept over the land. The only remains of humanity lies in the hope that the Enchantress returns, but with complications, that seems like a fantasy in itself. As her eyes open to the realm and its secrets, Scarlette must come to a decision that changes fate and destiny.

The Lies We Tell

The Lies We Tell
Realistic Fiction
Recommended for teens

Everyone makes mistakes, but when Cody seeks revenge on his former girlfriend and his sister, Cassie, reluctantly joins him, things quickly go from bad to worse. What was supposed to be a simple prank turns out fatal and Cassie and Cody are to blame. At first, they just have to try to deal with their own secrets, but when evidence turns up against them, they become trapped in a web of lies. However, they are not the only ones keeping secrets and they must unite to fight the blame that is forced upon them.

Hannah Olin

Hannah  Olin
Awesome teen author!

Hannah Olin is a senior at Fairport High School and author of the Ezio Ferrari series. She began writing at the age of seven, when her older brother introduced her to the world of short stories. She published her first book, Ezio Ferrari: Blood of an Assassin in November 2013, when she was a sophomore in high school. The second installation of the series, Ezio Ferrari: Family of Crows, was released a year later.

Inspired by the works of authors such as John Green, Eoin Colfer and Anthony Horowitz, Hannah writes in the genre of young adult fiction, and is continuing to grow and mature as a writer. Her favorite books include Looking for Alaska by John Green, The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke. In her free time, Hannah likes to watch Syracuse basketball, hang out with her friends, listen to music, and make subs at her local Wegmans sub shop.

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Ezio Ferrari (Volume 1): Blood of an Assassin

Ezio Ferrari (Volume 1): Blood of an Assassin

Recommended for teens

Ezio's simple errand of delivering a letter to his grandmother begins this action-packed adventure as he and his friends unravel the mystery of his family's past. Having relocated to Rome, Ezio's journey takes him to the northern towns of Italy - Rimini, Alessandria, and Verona - as he tries to stop a deadly threat on his favorite uncle, Samuele. At the end of his journey, Ezio and his friends come face to face with a dead man. Will Ezio fulfill his family's promise to become a world-class assassin? Or can he find a way to escape what some call his destiny? Follow Ezio and his friends' adventure as they try to control his future in this four-part series.

Ezio Ferrari (Volume 2): Family of Crows

Ezio Ferrari (Volume 2): Family of Crows

Recommended for teens

Ezio Ferrari thought he controlled his life. He was wrong. After challenging his fatherʼs pact with the Hône Order of Assassins to induct him into their society, Ezio discovers his friends, family, and some unlikely allies will help him no matter what. Faced with a difficult set of options, the teen must hunt down a notorious killer known as Arcangelo Della Morte. Complications arise when Ezio inadvertently stops an assassination attempt, drawing the attention of an obsessive police detective determined to find out the truth about the boy. As he fights to regain control of his life and change his destiny, Ezio must make tough decisions to protect not only himself, but also those he loves. What can be done to return Ezio to the normal life he once lived?

Kory Merritt

Kory  Merritt

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Poptropica (Book 1): Mystery of the Map

Poptropica (Book 1): Mystery of the Map

Oliver, Mya, and Jorge take a ride in a hot-air balloon, only to crash-land on an unknown island filled with extinct animals and a horde of angry Vikings. Welcome to Poptropica, an uncharted group of islands whose existence is hidden from the rest of the world. As the three friends embark on a perilous search for a way home, they quickly discover the shocking reason they were brought there—something that threatens the very existence of Poptropica and their ability to ever make it off the island!

The Dreadful Fate of Jonathan York

The Dreadful Fate of Jonathan York

Jonathan York has led a boring life – a pointless degree from the community college, a lackluster job at the General Store, and never any desire for something more exciting. But when fate leaves him stranded in a sinister land, he finds himself seeking an adventure of his own. Along the way he encounters ghoulish thieves, ravenous swamp monsters, a dastardly ice cream conspiracy, and a necromancer bent on human sacrifice.

When we asked our authors what they were or might have been voted in HS, Kory answered In HS I was voted “quietest.” I’m no longer quiet.

Other Fun Facts

  • Im a SUNY Brockport grad (local).
  • Ive been a Pre K-6 public school art teacher for the last six years (in Hammondsport, NY).
  • My favorite authors are Terry Pratchett, Stephen King, and George RR Martin.
  • Although I love George RR Martin, I stubbornly refuse to watch the Game of Thrones TV show because it will never live up to the books.
  • Im a wildlife nut, especially fish, amphibians, and aquatic invertebrates.

Melissa De La Cruz

No photo available of Melissa  De La Cruz
Teen Book Festival in Rochester is one of the most enjoyable and well-run programs I've ever been lucky enough to experience. Authors - prepared to be treated like rock stars! It's a literary love fest! Melissa De La Cruz

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Chris Yambar

No photo available of Chris  Yambar
GRTBF was a blast! Not only were the hosts great caretakers of we motley guests but the enthusiasm from the attendees was overwhelmingly warm and aggressive. Stephanie and her crew went out of their way to make this one of the most enjoyable events of the year...and they succeeded with flying colors. In all my travels as a speaker, pop artist, and writer for Bart Simpson Comics I can't say that I've had a better time. This is one event that I didn't have to say "D'OH!" after! Who knew that librarians could be this much fun! Or this hot! Chris Yambar

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

Ellen Wittlinger

No photo available of Ellen  Wittlinger
If the idea of a teen book festival doesn't strike you as uproariously fun, you haven't been to the Rochester Teen Book Festival. This is the Woodstock of YA lit! Ellen Wittlinger

Not sure which books to read? Let our TBF authors tell you which ones they recommend! Visit our Resources page, then scroll down to "TBF One Book Recommendations". You will also find a more complete list of books by each author under TBF Book List.

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