List: 2023 Teen Reading Challenge: A Humorous Book
Boy Meets Hamster: Dream Holidays and Other Disasters
Fourteen-year-old Dylan Kershaw's idea of a dream holiday includes at least three things: beaches to bask on, cosmopolitan culture, and a chance for romance (or at least his first kiss) with another boy. Unluckily for Dylan, his mum's treating the family to the least dreamy holiday ever: a £9.50 break at Starcross Sands, Cornwall's Crummiest Caravan Park. But Starcross Sands might not be so bad after all, especially if Dylan can win the heart of Jayden-Lee, the gorgeous boy in the caravan next-door. There's only one thing standing in true love's way: the park's massive hamster mascot, Nibbles, who seems to have it in for both Dylan and his romantic chances. Dylan's best friend, Kayla, claims that appearances can be deceptive: so is Jayden-Lee just as lovely beneath the surface, and what could be lurking under Nibbles' furry face? Boy Meets Hamster is the laugh-out-loud funny debut novel from Birdie Milano.
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Live, Laugh, Kidnap
Three teen girls get caught up in a real estate battle between a commune and an exploitative megachurch in their small Montana town, and they devise a plot to exact revenge and make a profit by kidnapping the pastor's son and demanding ransom money.
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Mere Mortals
This hilarious, fresh take on a classic vampire tale follows a pair of hundred-year-old teenage vampires who are turned mortal and must face the greatest nightmare of all--high school. Charlie and her brother, Reg, have been vampires for...a very long time. For a century, they enjoyed the glitz and glamour of life as members of the wealthiest vampire clan. But now, after one careless mistake, they've been expelled from the vampire community and dumped in the middle of Nowhere, Iowa, to live as mortals. Suddenly Charlie has to deal with zits, tears, and--worst of all--high school. But things start to change when she and Reg find a group of friends, including the deliciously good-looking Dexter. And though Charlie would give anything to be vampire again, she begins to appreciate some of the new experiences that humanity brings too. But nothing could make them forget the life they've left behind. When they're offered a second shot at immortality, Charlie is desperate to seize it. It'll just mean a total betrayal of all her new friends, who will have their minds wiped of their memories of her. She can handle that if it means she can live forever...right?
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Spy x Family
Master spy Twilight is the best at what he does when it comes to going undercover on dangerous missions in the name of a better world. But when he receives the ultimate impossible assignment--get married and have a kid--he may finally be in over his head! Not one to depend on others, Twilight has his work cut out for him procuring both a wife and a child for his mission to infiltrate an elite private school. What he doesn't know is that the wife he's chosen is an assassin and the child he's adopted is a telepath!
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Rabbit & Robot
Stranded aboard the lunar cruise ship Tennessee, Cager Messer and his best friend, Billy, both sixteen, are surrounded by insane robots while watching thirty simultaneous wars turn Earth into a toxic wasteland.
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The Comedienne's Guide to Pride
Wicked funny and hella gay, it's time for Taylor Parker to come out about a lot of things. Taylor Parker has always been a funny girl--but when she is accepted as a finalist for a diverse writers' internship at Saturday Night Live, it turns her life upside down. If she wants a shot at winning in a little more than a month, Taylor will have to come out about both of her secrets: She wants to be a comedian...and she's a lesbian. With a mom who gave up a career in comedy to raise her, and a comedian dad who left for a younger woman, working in comedy is a sore subject in Taylor's house. To keep her secret under wraps, she sneaks out to do improv and hides her sketches under the bed, and to distract from her anxiety about the competition, Taylor frequents Salem's Museum of Witchcraft to pine for Abigail Williams from the back row. It's at the Museum of Witchcraft where Taylor falls deeper in love with the girl who plays Abigail Williams--Charlotte Grey, an out and proud lesbian at Nathaniel Hawthorne High. Charlotte radiates so much confidence in her acting and queerness that Taylor can't resist her. So when Charlotte reaches out for help on a school project, Taylor readily agrees. As they spend more time together, Taylor sees what living her truth and pursuing her dreams could bring her, but Charlotte can't understand why someone as funny as Taylor wouldn't go all out to make the most of her opportunities. To live up to her own comedy dreams and become the person she wants to be, Taylor will have to find the confidence to tell everyone exactly who she is and what she wants.
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Debating Darcy
A life-long speech competitor, Leela loves nothing more than crushing the competition, all while wearing a smile. But when she meets the incorrigible Firoze Darcy, a debater from an elitist private school, Leela can't stand him. Unfortunately, he'll be competing in the state league, so their paths are set to collide. But why attempt to tolerate Firoze when Leela can one-up him? The situation is more complicated than Leela anticipated, though, and her participation in the tournament reveals that she might have tragically misjudged the debaters -- including Firoze Darcy -- and more than just her own winning streak is at stake...her heart is, too.
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The Field Guide to the North American Teenager
Norris Kaplan is clever, cynical, and quite possibly too smart for his own good. A Black French Canadian whose family just moved to Austin, Texas, Norris finds himself cataloging everyone he meets: the Cheerleaders, the Jocks, the Loners, and even the Manic Pixie Dream Girl. He's amusing himself until it's time to go back to Canada. But soon those labels soon become actual people: loner Liam, who makes it his mission to befriend Norris; Madison the beta cheerleader, who is so nice that it has to be a trap. And Aarti the Manic Pixie Dream Girl might be a real love interest in the making. When Norris screws everything up royally on prom night, will he be able to stop hiding behind his snarky opinions, and start living his life?
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The First Thing About You
When fifteen-year-old Harris moves with his family from California (home of beautiful-but-inaccessible beaches) to New Jersey (home of some much-hyped pizza and bagels), he's determined to be known as more than just the kid in the powered wheelchair. Armed with his favorite getting-to-know-you question ("What's your favorite color?"), he'll weed out the incompatible people--the greens and the purples, people who are too close to his own blue to make for good friends--and surround himself with outgoing yellows, adventurous oranges, and even thrilling reds. But first things first: he needs to find a new nurse, stat, so that his mom doesn't have to keep accompanying him to school. Enter Miranda, a young nursing student who graduated from Harris's new high school. Beautiful, confident, and the perfect blend of orange and red, Miranda sees Harris for who he really is--funny, smart, and totally worthy of the affections of Nory Fischer, the cute girl who's in most of his classes. With Miranda at his side, Harris soon befriends geeky Zander (yellow) and even makes headway with Nory (who stubbornly refuses to reveal her favorite color). But Miranda is fighting her own demons, and Harris starts to wonder if she truly has his best interests at heart.
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Hot Dog Girl
A lovesick teenager schemes to win the heart of her crush at her amusement park summer job, all while dressed as a hot dog.
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Kings of B'more
Propelled by his best friend's impending move out of state and inspired by Ferris Bueller's Day Off, sixteen-year-old Harrison plans a farewell through Baltimore that includes a road trip, their first Pride, and a rooftop dance party.
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Frankly in Love
High school senior Frank Li is caught between his parents' traditional expectations and his own Southern California upbringing. His parents have one rule when it comes to romance: Date Korean. But Frank falls for Brit Means, who is smart, beautiful-- and white. Joy Song is in a similar predicament, and they make a pact: they'll pretend to date each other in order to gain their freedom. It seems like the perfect plan, until their fake-dating maneuver leaves Frank wondering if he ever really understood love -- or himself -- at all.
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One True Loves
A star artist and style icon at her high school, Lenore Bennett is a master in the subtle art of not giving a... well, you know what. But now that graduation is here, she's a little less sure. Heading to NYU in the fall with a scarlet U (for "undeclared") written across her chest, she is always reminded that Black kids don't have the luxury of figuring it out as they go. But Lenore is not even sure what her dreams are yet. When her family embarks on a post-graduation Mediterranean cruise, she meets Alex Lee. Their parents bond over the Cupid Shuffle, and she ends up stuck with a hopeless romantic and a golden boy with a ten-year plan for the remainder of the cruise. But as they get to know each other, he may be able to help her find something else she's been looking for: love. --
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This Time It's Real
Eliza Lin's essay about meeting the love of her life unexpectedly goes viral, she gains the approval of her classmates at her new international school in Beijing, and a career-launching internship opportunity at her favorite magazine. Unfortunately, Eliza's essay is completely fiction. All good writing is lying, right? To hide the truth, Eliza strikes a deal with an actor in her class, the charming but aloof Caz Song. She'll help him write his college applications if he poses as her boyfriend. When her face relationship with Caz starts feeling a little too convincing, it will threaten her plans--and may break her own heart.
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Eat Your Heart Out
Vivian Ellenshaw is none too happy to find herself forced into a weight-loss camp's van with her ex-best friend, Allie, a meathead jock who can barely drive, and the camp owner's snobby son. When they arrive at Camp Featherlite at the start of the worst blizzard in the history of Flagstaff, Arizona, it's clear that something isn't right. A camper goes missing down by the lake, and something not human is spotted out in the snow. The camp's supposed "miracle cure" for obesity just seems fishy, and Vee and her fellow campers know they don't need to be cured of anything. When Camp Featherlite's bungalows are overrun with zombies, what starts out as a mission to unravel the camp's secrets turns into a desperate fight for survival-- and not all of the Featherlite campers will make it out alive.
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Gideon Green in Black and White
Gideon's short-lived run as a locally famous boy detective ended when middle school started, and everyone else--including his best friend, Lily--moved on while Gideon kept holding on to his trench coat, fedora, and his treasured film noir collection. Now he's sixteen and officially retired. That is, until Lily shows up suddenly at Gideon's door, needing his help. He might be mad at her for cutting him off with no explanation, but Gideon can't turn down a case. As a cover, Gideon joins Lily on the school paper. Surprisingly, he finds himself warming up to the welcoming, close-knit staff ... especially Tess, the cute, witty editor-in-chief. But as the case gets bigger than Gideon or Lily could have anticipated, Gideon must balance his black-and-white quest for the truth with the full colors of real life--or risk a permanent fade to black.
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If You Change Your Mind
Harry wants nothing more than to write Hollywood screenplays. He knows the first step toward achieving that goal is winning a screenwriting competition that will seal his admission into the college of his dreams, so he's determined to spend his summer free of distractions--also known as boys--and finish his script. After last year, Harry is certain love only exists in the movies anyway. But then the cause of his first heartbreak, Grant, returns with a secret that could change everything--not to mention, there's a new boy in town, Logan, who is so charming and sweet, he's making Harry question everything he knows about romance. As he tries to keep his emotions in check and stick to his perfect plan for the future, Harry's about to learn that life doesn't always follow a script.
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How You Ruined My Life
Rod's life is going well until his rich, prankster cousin, Blake, moves in for three months--moving into his room and moving in on his girlfriend and band--ruining everything.
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The Disasters
Nax's one-way trip back to Earth is cut short after the school is hijacked by terrorists. Now he and a handful of other space Academy washouts are the only surviving pilots. In order to spread the truth about the attack, Nax and his fellow failures must execute a dangerous heist.
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I Was Born for This
The Ark, a boy band, is the center of life for super-fan Fereshteh (A.K.A Angel) Rahimi. Transgender front man Jimmy Kaga-Ricci owes everything to The Ark, even if fame only amplifies his severe anxiety. The fans accept that he's trans, but keep matching himn with his friend and bandmate Rowan. When Jimmy and Angel are unexpectedly thrust together, they find out how strange and surprising facing up to reality can be.
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Laughing at My Nightmare
With acerbic wit ... Shane Burcaw describes the challenges he faces as a twenty-one-year-old with spinal muscular atrophy. From awkward handshakes to having a girlfriend and everything in between, Shane handles his situation with humor and a 'you-only-live-once' perspective on life. While he does talk about everyday issues that are relatable to teens, he also offers an eye-opening perspective on what it is like to have a life-threatening disease.
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Dumplin'
Sixteen-year-old Willowdean wants to prove to everyone in her small Texas town that she is more than just a fat girl, so, while grappling with her feelings for a co-worker who is clearly attracted to her, Will and some other misfits prepare to compete in the beauty pageant her mother runs.
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Lifetime Passes
Sixteen-year-old Jackie Chavez loves her local amusement park, Kingdom Adventure, maybe more than anything else in the world. The park is all she and her friends Nikki, Daniel, and Berke--although they aren't always the greatest friends--talk about. Kingdom Adventure is where all Jackie's best memories are, and it's where she feels safe and happy. This carries even more weight now that Jackie's parents have been deported and forced to go back to Mexico, leaving Jackie in the United States with her T̕a Gina, who she works with at the Valley Care Living seniors' home. When Gina tells Jackie that they can't afford a season pass for next summer, Jackie is crushed. But on her next trip to Kingdom Adventure, she discovers a strictly protected secret: If a member of their party dies at the park, the rest of their group gets free lifetime passes. Jackie and her friends hatch a plot to bring seniors from Valley Care Living to the park using a fake volunteer program, with the hopes that one of the residents will croak during their visit. The ruse quickly gets its first volunteer--a feisty resident named Phyllis. What starts off as a macabre plan turns into a revelation for Jackie as Phyllis and the other seniors reveal their own complex histories and connections to Kingdom Adventure, as well as some tough-to-swallow truths about Jackie, her friends, and their future.
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Love is for Losers
While her mother builds a clinic in Syria and her best friend abandons her for a boyfriend, fifteen-year-old Phoebe lives with her godmother and discovers her own sexuality and vulnerability.
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Rainbow in the Dark
You find yourself alone in the dark, and you can't remember your name.... Rainbow is trapped with three other teens in a game-like world that may or may not be real. Together they must complete quests and gain experience in order to access their own forgotten memories, decode what has happened to them, and find a portal home. Rainbow remembers the loneliness, the depression. A brother named CJ, the divorce, the move. The think with CJ and the cat... the night on the beach.... The more Rainbow remembers, the darker it gets....
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Sunny Song Will Never Be Famous
When Sunny Song accidentally films a PG-13 cooking video that goes viral (#browniegate), she is shipped off to a digital detox farm camp in Iowa for a whole month. She's traded in her WiFi connection for a butter churn, and if she wants any shot at growing her social media platform this summer, she'll need to find a way back online. Thanks to some unexpected friendships, Sunny might be surprised by the connections she makes when she is forced to disconnect.
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Sway with Me
Arsalan Nizami has learned all he knows from his 100-year-old great-grandfather, but when Beenish Siraj asks him to be her partner in a dance she's been forbidden to perform at her sister's wedding, Arsalan's world opens up in more ways than he could have imagined.
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Phantom of the Idol
Yuya, one half of the boy pop duo ZINGS, may be the laziest performer in the Japanese music industry. His partner is out there giving 110% every night, but Yuya's sloppy dancing and his frankly hostile attitude toward the audience has the fans hating him and his agent looking for any excuse to cut him loose. The career of a pop idol just isn't the path of easy leisure Yuya expected... After a particularly lifeless concert appearance, Yuya meets a girl backstage. All she wants from life is to perform. There's just one problem: She's been dead for a year.
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