List: 2023 Teen Reading Challenge: Has a Non-Human Character
Illuminae
The planet Kerenza is attacked, and Kady and Ezra find themselves on a space fleet fleeing the enemy, while their ship's artificial intelligence system and a deadly plague may be the end of them all.
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Glowing Bunnies!?: Why We're Making Hybrids, Chimeras, and Clones
Bioengineering has the potential to solve a range of urgent, global problems. Why Are We Making Glowing Bunnies?! introduces teen readers to the possibilities, dangers, and ethical issues involved in bioengineering.
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The Cruel Prince
Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King. To win a place at the Court, she must defy him--and face the consequences. In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. As civil war threatens, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.
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City of Ghosts
Ever since her near-fatal drowning, Cassidy has been able to pull back the "Veil" that separates the living from the dead and see ghosts, not that she wants to, and she was really looking forward to a ghost-free summer at the beach; however her parents are going to start filming a TV series about the world's most haunted places, starting with Edinburgh with its graveyards, castles, and restless phantoms--and Cass and her personal ghost companion, Jacob, are about to find out that a city of old ghosts can be a very dangerous place indeed.
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Dread Nation
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. Now laws like the Native and Negro Education Act require certain children attend combat schools to learn to put down the dead. Jane is studying to become an Attendant, trained in both weaponry and etiquette to protect the well-to-do. But it's not a life Jane wants. When families around Baltimore County begin to go missing, Jane is caught in the middle of a conspiracy... and the restless dead are the least of her problems.
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Rogue Princess
Princess Delia's duty is to choose a prince to marry, secure an alliance, and save her failing planet. She secretly dreams of true love, and feels there must be a better way. So she steals a spaceship to avoid the marriage, only to discover a handsome stowaway. Aidan just wanted to 'borrow' a few palace trinkets to help him get off the planet. He never expected to be kidnapped by a runaway princess! When they uncover a rebel conspiracy that could destroy their planet forever, everything changes. -- adapted from jacket
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The Radium Girls: The Scary but True Story of the Poison that Made People Glow in the Dark
Now adapted for young readers! The incredible true story of the young women exposed to the "wonder drug" radium and their struggle for justice.
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Scythe
In a world where disease has been eliminated, the only way to die is to be randomly killed (gleaned) by professional reapers (scythes). Citra and Rowan are teenagers who have been selected to be scythe's apprentices, and despite wanting nothing to do with the vocation they must learn the art of killing and come to understand the necessity of what they do. Only one of them will be chosen as a scythe's apprentice. And when it becomes clear that the winning apprentice's first task will be to glean the loser, Citra and Rowan are pitted against one another in a fight for their lives.
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A Court of Thorns and Roses
Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from stories, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin, a High Lord of the faeries. As her feelings toward him transform from hostility to a fiery passion, the threats against the faerie lands grow. Feyre must fight to break an ancient curse, or she will lose Tamlin forever.
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The Book Thief
Trying to make sense of the horrors of World War II, Death relates the story of Liesel--a young German girl whose book-stealing and story-telling talents help sustain her family and the Jewish man they are hiding, as well as their neighbors.
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Moonstruck: Magic to Brew
Werewolf barista Julie and her new girlfriend go on a date to a close-up magic show, but all heck breaks loose when the magician casts a horrible spell on their friend Chet. Now it's up to the team of mythical pals to stop the illicit illusionist before it's too late.
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Scorched
Sixteen-year-old Trinity Foxx does not believe her grandfather's latest treasure is a real dragon's egg until soldiers invade trying to steal it, a strange boy tells her she must work with him to stop an impending dragon war, and the dragon inside the egg begins telling her what to do.
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The Storm Crow
In the tropical kingdom of Rhodaire, magical, elemental Crows are part of every aspect of life. Then the Illucian empire invades, destroying everything. Princess Anthia and her sister Caliza are running the kingdom after their mother's death, but all Thia can do is think of all she has lost. Then Caliza is forced to agree to a marriage between Thia and the crown prince of Illucia. When Thia stumbles upon a hidden Crow egg in the rubble of a rookery, she and her sister devise a dangerous plan to hatch the egg in secret -- and get back what was taken from them.
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The Endless Skies
Sixteen-year-old Rowan is about to become one of the famed Leonodai Warriors--the elite shapeshifting fighters who protect the floating city Heliana from the world of Men--but when disaster strikes the city's children, Rowan sets out on her own, risking everything to save her beloved city.
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Girl, Serpent, Thorn
Soraya, a princess cursed to be poisonous to the touch, has lived eighteen years in the shadows but as her twin brother's wedding approaches, she faces choices with unimaginable consequences.
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Queer Ducks (and Other Animals): The Natural World of Animal Sexuality
A research-based exploration of queer behavior in different animal species is interspersed with personal anecdotes and interviews with scientists.
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Elatsoe
Imagine an America very similar to our own. It's got homework, best friends, and pistachio ice cream. There are some differences. This America has been shaped dramatically by the magic, monsters, knowledge, and legends of its peoples, those Indigenous and those not. Some of these forces are charmingly everyday, like the ability to make an orb of light appear or travel across the world through rings of fungi. But other forces are less charming and should never see the light of day. Seventeen-year-old Elatsoe ("Ellie" for short) lives in this slightly stranger America. She can raise the ghosts of dead animals, a skill passed down through generations of her Lipan Apache family. Her beloved cousin has just been murdered, in a town that wants no prying eyes. But she is going to do more than pry. The picture-perfect façade of Willowbee masks gruesome secrets, and she will rely on her wits, skills, and friends to tear off the mask and protect her family.
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Crown of Feathers
In a world ruled by fierce warrior queens, a grand empire was built upon the backs of Phoenix Riders--legendary heroes who soared through the sky on wings of fire--until a war between two sisters ripped it all apart. Sixteen years later, Veronyka is a war orphan who dreams of becoming a Phoenix Rider from the stories of old. After a shocking betrayal from her controlling sister, Veronyka strikes out alone to find the Riders--even if that means disguising herself as a boy to join their ranks. Just as Veronyka finally feels like she belongs, her sister turns up and reveals a tangled web of lies between them that will change everything. And meanwhile, the new empire has learned of the Riders' return and intends to destroy them once and for all. Crown of Feathers is an epic fantasy about love's incredible power to save--or to destroy. Interspersed throughout is the story of Avalkyra Ashfire, the last Rider queen, who would rather see her empire burn than fall into her sister's hands.
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The Beast Player
Erin's family cares for the fearsome water serpents that form the core of their kingdom's army. When some of the beasts mysteriously die, Elin's mother is sentenced to death as punishment. With her last breath she manages to send her daughter to safety. Alone, far from home, Elin discovers that she can talk to both the terrifying water serpents and the majestic flying beasts that guard her queen. This skill involves her in deadly plots that could cost her life. Can she save herself and prevent her beloved beasts from being used as tools of war?
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Tess of the Road
In the medieval kingdom of Goredd, women are expected to be ladies, men are their protectors, and dragons can be whomever they choose. Tess speaks out of turn, has wild ideas, and can't seem to keep out of trouble. When Tess's family decides the only path for her is a nunnery, she chooses a different path for herself. She cuts her hair, pulls on her boots, and sets out on a journey. The open road is a map to somewhere else-- a life where she might belong.
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Red Wolf
The village of Oakvale has been surrounded by a dark forest filled with terrible monsters. Like every person who grows up in Oakvale she has been told to steer clear of the woods unless absolutely necessary. But she has a good reason for going into the woods: Adele is one of a long line of guardians, women who are able to change into wolves and who are tasked with the job of protecting their village while never letting any of the villagers know of their existence. When following her calling means abandoning the person she loves, the future she imagined for herself, and her values, Adele must decide how far she is willing to go to keep her neighbors safe. --
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Sue & Tai-chan
Sue is an aging housecat who's looking forward to living out her twilight years in peace. But suddenly her human surprises her, and their quiet, happy home is invaded by an interloper, a little black kitten Tai-chan! Sue doesn't have time to cat-sit this mischievous little ball of fluff, but at least he's only visiting for the day. Right ...?
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Squad
Becca moves to an upscale Silicon Valley suburb and is surprised when she develops a bond with girls who belong to the popular clique-and even more surprised when she learns their secrets.
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Mooncakes
Nova Huang knows more about magic than your average teen witch. She works at her grandmother's bookshop, where she helps them loan out spell books and investigate any supernatural occurrences in their New England town. One fateful night, she follows reports of a white wolf into the woods, and she comes across the unexpected: her childhood crush, Tam Lang, battling a horse demon in the woods. As a werewolf, Tam has been wandering from place to place for years, unable to call any town home. Pursued by dark forces eager to claim the magic of wolves and out of options, Tam turns to Nova for help. Their latent feelings are rekindled against the backdrop of witchcraft, untested magic, occult rituals, and family ties both new and old in this enchanting tale of self-discovery.
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The Okay Witch
Thirteen-year-old Moth Hush loves all things witchy. But she's about to discover that witches aren't just the stuff of movies, books, and spooky stories. When some eighth-grade bullies try to ruin her Halloween, something really strange happens. It turns out that Founder's Bluff, Massachusetts, has a centuries-old history of witch drama. And, surprise: Moth's family is at the center of it all! When Moth's new powers show up, things get totally out-of-control. She meets a talking cat, falls into an enchanted diary, and unlocks a hidden witch world. Secrets surface from generations past as Moth unravels the complicated legacy at the heart of her town, her family, and herself.
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The Scorpio Races
Nineteen-year-old returning champion Sean Kendrick competes against Puck Connolly, the first girl ever to ride in the annual Scorpio Races, both trying to keep hold of their dangerous water horses long enough to make it to the finish line.
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The Well
Known to friends and family as Lizzy, she takes care of her grandfather and their goats, she flirts with the woman who helps row the ferry, and she stays away from the fog that comes in the night -- and the monsters hiding within it. But Lizzy's life comes apart when she steals a handful of coins from a sacred well to cover a debt. The well requires repayment, but it doesn't deal in coins. It needs wishes, and its minions will drown Lizzy in its depths if she doesn't grant them. Lizzy finds herself on a quest to uncover hidden memories, bestow great wealth, and face the magical secrets that nearly destroyed her family -- and are now returning to threaten everything she has ever known. In this breathtaking graphic novel, Jake Wyatt and Choo have created a modern fable based on magic and family secrets, exploring the power -- and limits -- of wishes.
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Penguin & House
Pen the Penguin lives with his most favorite keeper in the world: Hayakawa the Human. But Pen's no ordinary penguin... He's a neat penguin! A proper penguin! A doting penguin! Pen loves to daydream of Hayakawa's smile as he flips pancakes and folds the laundry with his teeny-tiny flippers. If only his beloved Hayakawa would notice! It's too bad Pen's human keeper is a hopelessly lazy university student, but with a little nap and some helpful friends, Pen is ready to tackle the day!
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Mamo
Orla O'Reilly, the youngest in a long line of hedge witches, is compelled to return home after the death of her grandmother, Mamo. In the wake of her Mamo's passing, seas are impossible to fish, crops have soured, even Jo Manalo's attic is taken over by a poltergeist! And to make matter worse it appears that the cause is Mamo, or her mislaid bones that is. Can Orla shoulder the responsibility of quieting her Mamo's spirit, saving her hometown, and will she have to step up as the new witch of Haresden like Mamo always wanted?
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