Mostly Void, Partially Stars: Welcome to Night Vale Vol 1.

Mostly Void, Partially Stars: Welcome to Night Vale Vol 1. is by Joseph Fink & Jeffrey Cranor. This is a collection of the scripts from the first season of the "Welcome to Night Vale" podcast, including the script for the first live show. Each episode also includes an introduction from Fink, Cranor, or someone else involved in the podcast. Fans of the science fiction podcast will love this collection which documents the start of the obsession - one which I admit to having. All Hail the Glow Cloud!

Ratings: 9th grade - 10 out of 10 - P (profanity). 

Meddling Kids

Meddling Kids is by Edgar Cantero. Wow! What a creepy, and yet funny, book. This is like the Stephen King version of Scooby Doo. Four teenagers and a dog solve mysteries in a small town in Oregon. In 1977, they "solve" their last mystery and then separate. Thirteen years later they must reunite to unlock the truth of their final case, which has haunted them and wrecked their lives ever since. The truth however, is something they have never faced before - a mystery in which the villain isn't a bad guy in a mask, but a real and terrifying force of evil. I loved Scooby Doo as a child and this book evoked the series for me, while at the same time being one of the creepiest stories I've read in a long time. A really enjoyable book, but not for the squeamish. 

Ratings: 11th grade - 9 out of 10 - P (profanity) - V (violence) - AC (mature thematic content). 

Awkward: The Science of Why We're Socially Awkward & Why That's Awesome

Awkward: The Science of Why We're Socially Awkward & Why That's Awesome is by Ty Tashiro. A very interesting book about giftedness, awkwardness, and how they are similar and different. The book also provides practical tips for the awkward among us to better understand social signals they might be missing. Tashiro also explained awkward behavior and thought well for those who are not awkward. The book was easy to read, yet was also very well researched.  

Ratings: 10th grade - 7 out of 10. 

Home: Binti

Home: Binti is by Nnedi Okorafor. The second novella in the science fiction series centered around Binti and her family. Binti returns to Earth with the Meduse Okwu so that she can complete her pilgrimage and make peace with her family. From the moment they arrive on Earth however, things do not go as planned. Her family is less than pleased to see her and when the Desert People (her father's tribe) arrive to escort her into the desert, events converge which will force Binti to chose her own future and stop an interstellar war. You won't be able to wait for the final installment. 

Ratings: 9 out of 10 - 9th grade - V (Violence). 

The Vixen Scream & Other Bible Stories

The Vixen Scream & Other Bible Stories is by Nancy Stohlman. A weird, strange, and yet entrancing selection of flash fiction. The stories are unique and at the same time are intertwined in a bizarre way. If you like bizarro fiction then this might be for you. Prepare to be perplexed and entertained. 

Ratings: 7 out of 10 - 10th grade - P (profanity) - AC (mature thematic content).

How to Read Poetry Like a Professor: A Quippy & Sonorous Guide to Verse

How to Read Poetry Like a Professor: A Quippy & Sonorous Guide to Verse is by Thomas C. Foster. An excellent primer on how to understand and read poetry. All of Foster's books are marvelous and this one is no exception. A must read for teachers, but very helpful for students and lay-people are well. 

Ratings: 9th grade - 9 out of 10. 

Cool Salsa

Cool Salsa is edited by Lori M. Carlson. A wonderful selection of poems by a variety of Hispanic authors including Sandra Cisneros, Gary Soto, Pat Mora, Oscar Hijuelos, and many others. The English version of the poem is juxtaposed with the Spanish version. A great way to introduce fun poetry and another culture to a young audience. 

Ratings: 9th grade - 9 out of 10.