Teen Scene
March 2026

Recent Releases
Bad Kid (a Graphic Memoir): My Life as a Troubled Teen by Sofia Szamosi
Bad Kid (a Graphic Memoir): My Life as a Troubled Teen
by Sofia Szamosi

When she was just thirteen-years-old, Sofia was awakened in the night by unknown men who dragged her into a car and brought her to a therapeutic wilderness program three states away. It turns out her mother, worried about Sofia's behavior, had become one of many parents taken in by promises and slick marketing from schools purporting to help reform teens and teach them important life skills. Instead, Sofia ended up spending up to a year at a time in a total of three different facilities. In each of these, she experienced verbal and physical abuse and deprivation, and was allowed only limited contact with the outside world, including her mother. Sofia is one of the lucky ones-today she is happy and healthy, and a mother herself. But not everyone comes out of this experience so well. So Sofia is sharing her story, in the hopes that relating her own experiences will save others from having to repeat them-- Provided by publisher.
Beth Is Dead by Katie Bernet
Beth Is Dead
by Katie Bernet

On New Year’s Day, Jo and Amy find their gifted musician sister Beth murdered. If anyone can figure out whether their neighbor Laurie was involved, it’s Jo. This contemporary spin on Little Women will draw fans of the classic, though it stands on its own as a propulsive whodunit.
 
16 Forever by Lance Rubin
16 Forever
by Lance Rubin

Every time Carter is about to turn 17, he loops back in time to his 16th birthday, and everyone else moves on. Maggie continues to be drawn to him, despite knowing he’ll forget her when he jumps back in time. Maybe this time they’ll find the future together. Read-alikes: Morgan Matson’s Gradchanted; Rachel Lynn Solomon’s See You Yesterday.
 
Adventure Is Out There!: A Twisted Tale by Liz Braswell
Adventure Is Out There!: A Twisted Tale
by Liz Braswell

What if it was Ellie who went UP to Paradise Falls? Adventure is out there in this tale inspired by Disney*Pixar's Up from the New York Times bestselling series that reimagines beloved Disney films in new ways Sixteen-year-old Ellie McGill is fed up. Sure, for some, life in small town Americana is idyllic. Nothing but picket fences and USO dances and holiday parades. But Ellie has long dreamed of towering mountains, tangled jungles, and most of all...traveling to the incredible South American landmark, Paradise Falls. Ellie thought these dreams made her strange, until she met her sweet best friend Carl (when he promptly broke his leg in her clubhouse). Carl is Ellie's closest confidante. He's also the only one able to talk her off a ledge. But things between them seem weird lately as Ellie grows increasingly frustrated with his quiet way of doing things. And is it just her, or are there new feelings bubbling up between them? Then Ellie begins her dream internship at the local zoo, where the flashy millionaire owner organizes an expedition to Paradise Falls to collect new specimens. But the star newcomer, a bird given to him by Charles Muntz himself, doesn't adjust well to his new home and Ellie is put in charge of its seemingly hopeless recovery. Carl advises Ellie to lay low, to not make waves. But that's not something Ellie has ever been good at. And when an opportunity comes for a last minute, emergency rescue mission, she decides to take it. Will Ellie's impulsiveness finally get the better of her? Or will she get the adventure she always wanted . . . and at what cost?
Graphic Novel Round-Up
The Deep Dark
by Lee Knox Ostertag

Mags dutifully cares for her grandmother and makes blood sacrifices to the monster in their basement. When her childhood friend Nessa returns to town and a relationship blooms, Mags must face her deadly secret. Read-alikes: David Arnold and Jose Pimienta’s Luminous Beings; Ashley Robin Franklin’s The Hills of Estrella Roja.
 
Pearl
by Sherri L. Smith; illustrated by Christine Norrie

When Japanese American teen Amy’s great-grandmother falls ill, she travels from Hawaii to Hiroshima, Japan. After Pearl Harbor is bombed, Amy cannot return home and is forced to become a translator for the Japanese army. This haunting graphic novel portrays a character finding hope during a harrowing time.
 
Brooms
by Jasmine Walls; illustrated by Teo DuVall

Although broom racing is officially banned, sisters Mattie and Emma need the money -- and freedom -- winning an underground race would yield. Luckily their cousin, who lost her magic powers at a residential school, can train them. This joyous and dramatic graphic novel is set in an alternate 1930s Mississippi.
 
Ash's Cabin
by Jen Wang

Ash told their parents they wanted one last trip to their late grandfather’s ranch before it was sold. They didn’t say they planned to find their grandfather’s secret cabin and stay in the California wilderness forever. Read-alikes: Adam De Souza’s The Gulf; Jay Martin’s Lost Boy.
 
Lunar New Year Love Story
by Gene Luen Yang and LeUyen Pham

Hoping to break her family’s curse, Valentina bargains with the spirit of Saint Valentine to find love within the year. Now she’s off to investigate that spark she felt with a lion dancer at the Lunar New Year celebration. This effervescent graphic novel blends romance with a coming-of-age story.
 
Contact your librarian for more great books for age 14 and up!
Gail Borden Public Library District


Main Library
- 270 N. Grove Ave., Elgin, IL 60120 - 847-742-2411

Rakow Branch - 2751 W. Bowes Rd., Elgin, IL 60124 - 847-531-7271

South Elgin Branch - 127 S. McLean Blvd., South Elgin, IL 60177 - 847-931-2090

http://www.gailborden.info/


If a title in this list is not available in the format you prefer, please request it online.