We love young library visitors and helping them discover just the right book that sparks a lifetime of reading. There’s something for every child, middle schooler, and teen, and our Youth Services team is here to help you find it! Check out these titles loved and recommended by Grove City Youth Services staff. Want more? Stop by, give us a call at 614-875-6716 or visit www.swpl.org.
Snowglobe (teen fiction)
by Soyoung Park
The glitz and glam of K-Pop meets the apocalypse in this new dystopian sci-fi novel by Soyoung Park. In a world frozen solid, the city of Snowglobe, populated by celebrities and maintained by the workers at a power plant out in the icy wastelands, is the last green place around. Jeon Chobahm, one of the plant workers, is desperate for her chance to join the stars in Snowglobe, and when the biggest star of all ends up dead, Jeon may just have her chance. Is Snowglobe all that it seems, or is there something dark hiding in all that green space?
49 Miles Alone (teen fiction)
by Natalie D. Richards
Written by Columbus native, Natalie D. Richards, 49 Miles Alone follows Katie and Aster as they try to survive freak storms, injuries and other unfortunate events backpacking in the deserts of Utah. A chance encounter with couple Riley and Finn saves them from starvation right before throwing them into a bid to save Riley from Finn. With little food and even less time, can the girls find Riley before Finn does?
Impossible Creatures (middle-grade fiction)
by Katherine Rundell
Do you love reading about magical creatures? Have you read Wings of Fire and found yourself on the lookout for something fresh? Impossible Creatures may just be the book for you! It follows Christopher and Mal as they set out on an epic adventure to explore the Archipelago, a hidden series of islands filled with just about every magical creature imaginable. The magic of their world is fading, and the pair are in a race against time to find the cause somewhere on those dangerous isles.
Slouch (juvenile fiction)
by Christina Wyman
Stevie is tall for her age, and being 5’10” in the seventh grade isn’t for the faint of heart. Everyone wants to comment on her height, and all Stevie wants to do is disappear into the background. When playing basketball just manages to highlight how tall she is, she has to find a different school activity, finally finding the debate team…and Cedric. Join her on her journey to self-acceptance with the debate team and Cedric at her side.
The Bakery Dragon (picture book)
written and illustrated by Devin Elle Kurtz
Poor Ember is different from all of the other dragons. Instead of being a big, strong, fiery powerhouse, he’s small and quiet, and his flames are more like sparks. He fears that he might never be able to be a proper dragon with a proper horde of gold until he discovers…pastries! When he befriends a baker, he finds out that friendship and flour might be more important than gold.
My Daddy is a Cowboy (picture book)
written by Stephanie Seales, illustrated by C.G. Esperanza
Explore the world on horseback with a young girl and her father as they ride through their city, enjoying the early morning scenery. Along the way, our young friend learns that anyone can be a cowboy, as long as you have faith in yourself.
Spooky Lakes: 25 Strange and Mysterious Lakes that Dot Our Planet (middle-grade non-fiction)
by Geo Rutherford
Geo Rutherford of Spooky Lake Month TikTok fame brings all of her formidable knowledge of haunted hydrology to the published page. From the nearby perfectly preserved mummy sailors at the bottom of Lake Superior to the deep, nearly alien depths of Lake Baikal, enjoy this creepy look at water from all around the world.
Detective Beans & the Case of the Missing Hat (first chapter book/juvenile graphic novel)
by Li Chen
What’s better than cats and detective stories? Cats in detective stories! Follow Detective Beans as he hits the streets to search for his missing detective hat. Mystery, action and hilarious jokes abound in this journey through Cat Town with Beans on the case!
