Animal Crossing: Reading Recommendations

In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, players pack their bags and head to their very own deserted island. On your island, you’ll develop your town, fish, catch bugs, and meet new villagers. The island has everything you could want — except a librarian. The Teen Services staff members at Fairfield Area Library have stepped in to fill that void. Here’s what we would recommend for some of our favorite villagers to read.

Blathers

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsberg – Twelve-year-old Claudia needs a change. Why not run away somewhere beautiful and comfortable? Somewhere like New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art! Claudia saves up her allowance to take the train from the suburbs to the city with her younger brother in tow. They spend a few nights living comfortably and avoiding the security guards. Before they know it, a new statue arrives, and it’s rumored to be a Michelangelo piece. It’s so beautiful Claudia has to know who made it. To solve the mystery Claudia tracks down the statue’s original owner — the elderly Mrs. Basil. E Frankweiler. Can Claudia solve the mystery before the experts?

Strange Birds: A Field Guide to Ruffling Feathers by Celia C. Perez – Three very different girls receive a mysterious invite for a meeting at a lavish mansion. After the three of them — Ofelia (budding journalist), Aster (foodie), and Cat (birding enthusiast)-meet Lane, the person behind the invite, they don’t exactly all get along right away. But they put aside their differences to tackle the same goal: getting a local scouting group to end an outdated tradition. In the quest for justice, the newfound group makes their own scouts troop and learn some valuable information.

Science Comics: Coral Reefs: Cities of the Ocean by Maris Wicks – Learn all about the ecosystems of the coral reef in this Science Comics issue. This volume covers everything from the science behind reefs, the many animals that call reefs home, as well as the ecological importance of coral reefs.

Celeste

The Star Thief by Lindsey Becker – Honorine lives a boring life as a maid, spending her days cleaning the mansion and dreaming of adventure. Her wish suddenly comes true when she observes something she shouldn’t and is whisked away into a battle between a band of constellations and the crew of a starship seeking to harness their powers. Honorine is the key to peace, and she’ll have to resolve this fight before an even greater evil awakens.

Reaching for the Moon: The Autobiography of NASA Mathematician Katherine Johnson by Katherine Johnson – As a girl, Katherine Johnson loved math, and her parents supported her talents. She confronted sexism and racism and landed a job at NASA, where she worked on many exciting projects, including the Apollo 11 mission, and helping put men on the moon.

Convergence by Stan Lee, Stuart Moore, and Andie Tong – Steven’s tour of Hong Kong has gotten off to a rough start. A wrong turn leads him to discover a plot to control the world using the zodiac powers. Somehow, Steven acquires the power of the Tiger and finds himself thrown into a life-or-death fight to save the world. First in a series. Also available on Hoopla. 

Coco

The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding by Alexandra Bracken – Enjoy this delightfully dark and spooky adventure featuring Prosper, a self-described unremarkable boy, and Alastor, a demon with a grudge against his family. This book feels like autumn and tastes like candied apples. A perfect read for a rainy day.

Sabriel by Garth Nix – Sabriel’s father has gone missing, lost across the Wall in the Old Kingdom, a place where magic still runs free. Her father is also the Abhorsen, the most recent in a long line of magic users who guide the undead back into Death. With her bells of binding, Sabriel will traverse the line between life and death and confront the dangerous forces that threaten to overtake it.

Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White – A new and surprising take on a gothic horror classic: in this retelling, follow the perspective of Elizabeth Frankenstein as she plots her survival in a world that has been all too unkind and in the home of Victor Frankenstein and family.

Gayle

Summer of a Thousand Pies by Margaret Dilloway – Cady Bennett’s life changes abruptly when she moves in with her estranged Aunt Shell. The quaint town of Julian, the apple pie capital of the area, is drastically different from her life with her dad living homeless on the streets of San Diego. Cady makes friends and begins to feel like she belongs, but when the pie shop is threatened, it will take everything Cady has to save it! Fans of The Great British Baking Show will enjoy this heartfelt book full of friendship, family, and pie.

BabyCakes Covers the Classics: Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes from Donuts to Snickerdoodles by Erin McKenna – Get ready to bake, snacky! This cookbook covers classics from the NYC and LA-based Babycakes bakery. Learn how to make thin mints, chocolate chip waffles, five types of donuts, and more.

Sadie by Courtney Summers - Part diary, part true-crime podcast: Follow the story of 19-year-old Sadie as she seeks justice and closure after the death of her 13-year-old sister Mattie. Fans of true crime, mysteries, and the podcast Serial will enjoy this intense thriller.

Orville

Flight Risk by Jennifer Fenn – Robert Jackson Kelly stole, and then crashed, three different airplanes. He survived unscathed. Inspired by true events, the book weaves emails, official records, and interviews together in an attempt to figure out who exactly Robert Jackson Kelly is.

The Floating Islands by Rachel Neumeier – Trei comes to the Floating Islands to join his family after a personal tragedy, but after he sees the kajurai, people who soar the skies with their own wings, he is obsessed with the idea of joining them.

Going Postal by Terry Pratchett – A conman is granted clemency if he agrees to rebuild the now defunct Postal Service of Ankh Morpork in this comedic fantasy. Part of a series.

Rowan

Necessary Roughness by Marie Lee – After his family moves to an entirely new environment in the Great Lakes area, young Chan and his twin sister have to adapt to the lack of diversity and xenophobic treatment they rarely saw before. While the family attempts to build a family store, the old world Korean values of the Kim family clash with what the children encounter every day. And when tragedy strikes, Chan has to find a way to come to terms with everything in his life, including his new focus: football.

Positively Teen: A Practical Guide to a More Positive, More Confident You by Nicola Morgan –Nicola Morgan is an expert on teen health sharing excellent and strategic methods with overcoming daily adolescent challenges. From questions regarding parental relationships, dating, and self-confidence, Morgan writes in a pleasantly encouraging and optimistic tone that is sure to brighten a teen’s day and give them sage advice.

Running with Lions by Julian Winters – Heading into the summer before his senior year, Sebastian is excited to head to soccer camp and dive head first into camaraderie and teamwork for the sport he loves. The new recruit is an ex-close friend with a bad attitude. Sebastian has to learn how to bridge the gap with this former ally, and bond him with the team. The bigger question is if Sebastian can get over his attraction to this old friend.

Tom Nook

The Complete Guide to Personal Finance for Teenagers and College Students by Tamsen Butler – Learn how to stick to a budget, manage your credit, and invest your money in this easy-to-read guide.

The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora by Pablo Cartaya – Arturo plans to spend his summer playing hoops and working the occasional shift at his Abuela’s restaurant. That all changes when a swanky real estate developer swoops in and threatens to replace the restaurant with fancy condos. Arturo and his friends won’t go down without a fight.

Camp by Kayla Miller – In this graphic novel, Olive and Willow are best friends and can’t wait to go to camp together. When Olive quickly makes friends with the other campers, Willow feels left behind. Will the two girls still be friends at the end of camp?