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http://mppl.org/services/teen-services/good-reads/?category=teens&list=2025+Teen+Book+Bingo%3A+Involving+a+Job+or+Hobby

List: 2025 Teen Book Bingo: Involving a Job or Hobby


A photo of Azar on Fire

Azar on Fire

Fourteen-year-old Azar Rossi sets out to find her voice and win her local Battle of the Bands contest.

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A photo of Better Than the Movies

Better Than the Movies

Liz Buxbaum's crush Michael never really saw her before he moved away. Now he is back in town, and Liz will do whatever it takes to get on his radar, and maybe snag him as a prom date. Attractive next-door neighbor Wes Bennett might seem like a prime candidate for romantic comedy fantasies, but he has only been a pain in Liz's butt since they were kids. But Wes and Michael are hitting it off, which means Wes is Liz's in.

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A photo of The Boy in the Black Suit

The Boy in the Black Suit

Soon after his mother's death, Matt takes a job at a funeral home in his tough Brooklyn neighborhood and, while attending and assisting with funerals, begins to accept her death and his responsibilities as a man.

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A photo of Breathe and Count Back from Ten

Breathe and Count Back from Ten

Verónica has had many surgeries to manage her disability. The best form of rehabilitation is swimming, so she spends hours in the pool, but not just to strengthen her body. Her Florida town is home to Mermaid Cove, a kitschy underwater attraction where professional mermaids perform in giant tanks . . . and Verónica wants to audition. But her conservative Peruvian parents would never go for it. And they definitely would never let her be with Alex, her cute new neighbor. She decides it's time to seize control of her life, but her plans come crashing down when she learns her parents have been hiding the truth from her--the truth about her own body.

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A photo of The Cardturner: a Novel About a King, a Queen, and a Joker

The Cardturner: a Novel About a King, a Queen, and a Joker

When his wealthy uncle, a champion bridge player who has lost his vision, asks seventeen-year-old Alton to be a cardturner for him, Alton has no idea how much he will ultimately learn from his eccentric relative. Includes appendix by Syd Fox with information about bridge.

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A photo of The Civil War of Amos Abernathy

The Civil War of Amos Abernathy

Amos Abernathy lives for history. Literally. He's been a historical reenactor nearly all his life. But when a cute new volunteer arrives at his Living History Park, Amos finds himself wondering if there's something missing from history: someone like the two of them. Amos is sure there must have been LGBTQ+ people in nineteenth-century Illinois. His search turns up Albert D. J. Cashier, a Civil War soldier who might have identified as a trans man if he'd lived today. Soon Amos starts confiding in his newfound friend by writing letters in his journal--and hatches a plan to share Albert's story with his divided twenty-first century town. It may be an uphill battle, but it's one that Amos is ready to fight.

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A photo of Clementine and Danny Save the World (and Each Other)

Clementine and Danny Save the World (and Each Other)

Clementine Chan believes in the power of the written word. Under the pseudonym Hibiscus, she runs a popular blog reviewing tea shops and discussing larger issues within her Chinatown community. She has a loyal, kind following, save for this one sour grape named BobaBoy888, who's not only annoying, but is also an insufferable tea snob. Danny Mok is allergic to change, and the gentrification seeping into Chinatown breaks his heart. He channels his frustration into his internet alter ego, BobaBoy888, bickering with local blogger Hibiscus over all things Chinatown and tea ... When a major corporation reveals plans to take over a strip mall--threatening to shut down Danny's family's beloved tea shop--Clementine and Danny find themselves working together in real life to save this community they both love. But as they fall hard for this cause--and each other--they have no clue that their online personas have been fighting for years. When the truth comes to light, can Danny and Clementine still find their happily-ever-after?

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A photo of The Counselors

The Counselors

Goldie Easton has always felt safe at Camp Alpine Lake. Her family lives close to the New England glam summer camp, and now she's back as a counselor, waiting for her friends Ava and Imogen to arrive. But Goldie is not the only person at camp keeping secrets. When a teen turns up dead in the lake one night, it couldn't have been an accident--and the danger and betrayals run deeper than Goldie ever imagined.

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A photo of Dear Haiti, Love Alaine

Dear Haiti, Love Alaine

After an incident at school, seventeen year-old Alaine is spending spring break in a "volunteer immersion project", toiling away under the ever-watchful eyes of Tati Estelle and her eagle-eyed mother at a new nonprofit in Haiti. Although it is meant as punishment, Alaine is still able to flirt with Tati's distractingly cute intern, get some actual face time with her mom and experience her family's history in Haiti for the first time.

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A photo of Down and Across

Down and Across

His friends know what they want to do with the rest of their lives, but Scott Ferdowsi can hardly commit to a breakfast cereal, let alone a passion. With his parents pushing him to settle on a "practical" career, Scott sneaks off to Washington, DC, seeking guidance from a famous psychologist who claims to know the secret to success. He meets Fiora Buchanan, a ballsy college student whose life ambition is to write crossword puzzles. Now Scott is sneaking into bars, attempting to pick up girls at the National Zoo, and even giving the crossword thing a try. Will he be able to find out who he is-- and who he wants to be?

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A photo of The Downstairs Girl

The Downstairs Girl

1890, Atlanta. By day, seventeen-year-old Jo Kuan works as a lady's maid for the cruel Caroline Payne, the daughter of one of the wealthiest men in Atlanta. But by night, Jo moonlights as the pseudonymous author of a newspaper advice column for 'the genteel Southern lady.'

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A photo of Dungeons and Drama

Dungeons and Drama

Musical lover Riley has big aspirations to become a director on Broadway... but when Riley takes her mom's car without permission, she's grounded and stuck with the worst punishment: spending her after-school hours working at her dad's game shop. Riley can't waste her time working...so she convinces Nathan--a nerdy teen employee--to cover her shifts and, in exchange, she'll flirt with him to make his gamer-girl crush jealous... Soon, Riley starts to think that flirting with Nathan doesn't require as much acting as she would've thought.

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A photo of Jackpot

Jackpot

Rico, a high school senior and afternoon-shift cashier at the Gas 'n' Go, then races home to take care of her younger brother. When Rico sells a jackpot-winning lotto ticket, she thinks maybe her luck will finally change, but the ticket holder hasn't claimed the prize. With some assistance from her popular and wildly rich classmate Zan, Rico sets out to find the winner--and find a lot of hidden resentments, shared struggles, and maybe even friendship.

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A photo of Nimona

Nimona

Nimona is an impulsive young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta. As sidekick and supervillain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc. Their mission: prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his buddies at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren't the heroes everyone thinks they are. But as small acts of mischief escalate into a vicious battle, Lord Blackheart realizes that Nimona's powers are as murky and mysterious as her past. And her unpredictable wild side might be more dangerous than he is willing to admit.

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A photo of Okay, Cupid

Okay, Cupid

As a cupid, Jude thinks they understand love a little bit more than the average human. It makes sense - Jude's been studying love their whole teen life. And, yes, there have been some bumps in the road, and they're currently on probation for doing something that they absolutely, definitely shouldn't have done... but they're ready to prove they can make matches without ever getting involved. Only... Jude's next assignment isn't about setting up two adults. No, this time Jude has to go to high school, with kids their own age. And the assignment is a tough one: two best friends who are meant to be more than just best friends... but who aren't currently speaking to each other after a huge falling out. Jude thinks they've got this one all under control, and that they won't get involved whatsoever. Which proves that maybe Jude hasn't learned the first lesson of humans and love ... It’s complicated.

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A photo of Okay for Now

Okay for Now

As a fourteen-year-old who just moved to a new town, with no friends, an abusive father, and a louse for an older brother, Doug Swieteck has all the stats stacked against him until he finds an ally in Lil Spicer--a fiery young lady. Together, they find a safe haven in the local library, inspiration in learning about the plates of John James Audubon's birds, and a hilarious adventure on a Broadway stage.

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A photo of On the Come Up

On the Come Up

When sixteen-year-old Bri, an aspiring rapper, pours her anger and frustration into her first song, she finds herself at the center of a controversy.

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A photo of Once There Was

Once There Was

When fifteen-year-old Iranian American Marjan discovers her murdered father was secretly a veterinarian to magical creatures, she realizes she must take up his mantle, despite the many dangers.

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A photo of Once Upon a Quinceañera

Once Upon a Quinceañera

Eighteen-year-old Carmen takes on a summer internship that has her reuniting with estranged family for an over-the-top quinceañera, reluctantly reconnecting to a long-lost ex-boyfriend, and finding happiness in the chaos.

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A photo of Pumpkinheads

Pumpkinheads

Deja and Josiah are seasonal best friends. Every autumn, all through high school, they've worked together at the best pumpkin patch. They say good-bye every Halloween, and they're reunited every September 1. But this Halloween is different. Josie and Deja are finally seniors. It's their last season at the Patch, their last shift together--their last good-bye. Josie's ready to spend the whole night feeling melancholy about it. (He's the melancholy type.) But Deja has a plan: What if, instead of moping and instead of the usual ... they went out with a bang? They could see all the sights! Taste all the snacks! Maybe Josie could even talk to that cute girl he's been mooning over for three years... What if their last shift was an adventure?

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A photo of The Raven Boys

The Raven Boys

Though she is from a family of clairvoyants, Blue Sargent's only gift seems to be that she makes other people's talents stronger, and when she meets Gansey, one of the Raven Boys from the expensive Aglionby Academy, she discovers that he has talents of his own--and that together their talents are a dangerous mix.

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A photo of Slay

Slay

An honors student at Jefferson Academy, seventeen-year-old Keira enjoys developing and playing Slay, a secret, multiplayer online role-playing game celebrating black culture, until the two worlds collide.

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A photo of Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet

Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet

Told in two voices, Pen, whose dream of taking over her family's restaurant has been destroyed, and Xander, a new, undocumented, employee seeking his father, form a bond.

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A photo of Stars and Smoke

Stars and Smoke

When nineteen-year-old international pop sensation Winter Young is recruited by a covert organization to take down a criminal tycoon, he is paired with Sydney Cossette, a fierce and unpredictable secret agent, but suspicions soon turn to sparks as the two are drawn into a tangled web of secrets and deception.

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A photo of Stars in Their Eyes

Stars in Their Eyes

Maisie is on her way to her first fancon and she can't wait to meet her idol, an action star who had an above-the-knee amputation, just like Maisie. But then she meets Ollie. Ollie is a cute volunteer working the show, and they geek out about nerd culture, just as much as Maisie does. After spending the day together, Maisie notices feelings for Ollie that she's never had before. Could Ollie feel the same way?

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A photo of The Summer of Jordi Perez: (and the Best Burger in Los Angeles)

The Summer of Jordi Perez: (and the Best Burger in Los Angeles)

Seventeen, fashion-obsessed, and gay, Abby Ives has always been content playing the sidekick in other people’s lives. While her friends and sister have plunged headfirst into the world of dating and romances, Abby’s been happy to focus on her plus-size style blog and her dreams of taking the fashion industry by storm. When she lands a great internship at her favorite boutique, she’s thrilled to take the first step toward her dream career. Then she falls for her fellow intern, Jordi Perez. Hard. And now she’s competing against the girl she’s kissing to win the coveted paid job at the end of the internship. But really, nothing this summer is going as planned. She also unwittingly becomes friends with Jax, a lacrosse playing bro-type who wants her help finding the best burger in Los Angeles, and she’s struggling to prove to her mother—the city’s celebrity health nut—that she’s perfectly content with who she is. Just as Abby starts to feel like she’s no longer the sidekick in her own life, Jordi’s photography surprisingly puts her in the spotlight. Instead of feeling like she’s landed a starring role, Abby feels betrayed. Can Abby find a way to reconcile her positive yet private sense of self with the image others have of her?

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A photo of Those Pink Mountain Nights

Those Pink Mountain Nights

Overachievement isn't a bad word--for Berlin, it's the goal. She's securing excellent grades, planning her future, and working a part-time job at Pink Mountain Pizza, a legendary local business. Who says she needs a best friend by her side? Dropping out of high school wasn't smart--but it was necessary for Cameron. Since his cousin Kiki's disappearance, it's hard enough to find the funny side of life, especially when the whole town has forgotten Kiki. To them, she's just another missing Native girl. People at school label Jessie a tease, a rich girl--and honestly, she's both. But Jessie knows she contains multitudes. Maybe her new job crafting pizzas will give her the high-energy outlet she desperately wants. When the weekend at Pink Mountain Pizza takes several unexpected turns, all three teens will have to acknowledge the various ways they've been hurt--and how much they need each other to hold it all together."

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A photo of Tilly in Technicolor

Tilly in Technicolor

Tilly Twomley is desperate for change. White-knuckling her way through high school with flawed executive functioning has left her burnt out and ready to start fresh. Working as an intern for her perfect older sister’s start up isn’t exactly how Tilly wants to spend her summer, but the required travel around Europe promises a much-needed change of scenery as she plans for her future. The problem is, Tilly has no idea what she wants. Oliver Clark knows exactly what he wants. His autism has often made it hard for him to form relationships with others, but his love of color theory and design allows him to feel deeply connected to the world around him. Plus, he has everything he needs: a best friend that gets him, placement into a prestigious design program, and a summer internship to build his resume. Everything is going as planned. That is, of course, until he suffers through the most disastrous international flight of his life, all turmoil stemming from lively and exasperating Tilly. Oliver is forced to spend the summer with a girl that couldn’t be more his opposite―feeling things for her he can’t quite name―and starts to wonder if maybe he doesn’t have everything figured out after all. As the duo’s neurodiverse connection grows, they learn that some of the best parts of life can’t be planned, and are forced to figure out what that means as their disastrously wonderful summer comes to an end.

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A photo of Tweet Cute

Tweet Cute

"Meet Pepper: swim team captain, chronic overachiever, and all-around perfectionist. Her family may be falling apart, but their massive fast-food chain is booming--mainly thanks to Pepper, who is barely managing to juggle real life while secretly running Big League Burger's massive Twitter account. Enter Jack: class clown and constant thorn in Pepper's side. When he isn't trying to duck out of his obscenely popular twin's shadow, he's busy working in his family's deli. His relationship with the business that holds his future may be love/hate, but when Big League Burger steals his grandma's iconic grilled cheese recipe, he'll do whatever it takes to take them down, one tweet at a time"-- Provided by publisher.

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A photo of We Can't Keep Meeting Like This

We Can't Keep Meeting Like This

A wedding harpist disillusioned with love and a cater-waiter who's a hopeless romantic flirt and fight their way through a summer of weddings in this effervescent romantic comedy.

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A photo of We Don't Swim Here

We Don't Swim Here

Bronwyn is only supposed to be in rural Hillwoods for a year. Her grandmother is in hospice, and her father needs to get her affairs in order. And they're all meant to make some final memories together. Except Bronwyn is miserable. Her grandmother is dying, everyone is standoffish. All she hears are warnings about going in the water, despite a gorgeous lake. And a pool at the abandoned rec center. And another in the high school basement. Anais tries her hardest to protect Bronwyn from the shadows of Hillwoods. She follows her own rituals to avoid any unnecessary attention--and if she can just get Bronwyn to stop asking questions, she can protect her too. She doesn't get that the lore is, well, truth. The living ones aren't the only ones who seek retribution when they're wronged. But when Bronwyn does more exploring than she should, they are both in for danger they couldn't expect.

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A photo of You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight

You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight

Charity has the summer job of her dreams, playing the "final girl" at Camp Mirror Lake. Guests pay to be scared in this full-contact terror game, as Charity and her summer crew recreate scenes from a classic slasher film, Curse of Camp Mirror Lake. The more realistic the fear, the better for business. But on the last weekend of the season, Charity's co-workers begin disappearing. And when one ends up dead, Charity's role as the final girl suddenly becomes all too real. If Charity and her girlfriend, Bezi, hope to survive the night, they'll need figure out what this killer is after. As they unravel the bloody history of the real Mirror Lake, Charity discovers that there may be more to the story than she ever suspected.

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