Teen Boys

A host of the smartest young adult authors come together in this collection of scary stories and psychological thrillers curated by Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea's April Genevieve Tucholke. Each story draws from a classic tale or two - sometimes of the horror genre, sometimes not - to inspire something new and fresh and terrifying. There are no superficial scares here; these are stories that will make you think even as they keep you on the edge of your seat.

Thirteen-year-old Butterball doesn't have much going for him. He's teased about his weight. He hates the Long Island suburb his mom moved them to so she could go to nursing school and start her life over. He wishes he still lived with his dad in New York City - where there's always something happening, even if his dad doesn't have much time for him. Still, that's not why he beat up Maurice on the playground....

Devaney Diamond's summer is shaping up to be the best one ever. Her longtime crush is finally interested. Just when their relationship is getting started, she finds out she's leaving on a three-week vacation. She's not thrilled about being gone for that long, but she is looking forward to spending time doing nothing but getting a killer tan and hanging out with her lifelong best friend, Chase.

Devaney Diamond and Chase Mackenzie’s relationship has been like a Taylor Swift song. Best friends in elementary school. First loves in high school. Friends with benefits while Dani was away at college. But deep down, they have always loved each other. Have always been drawn to each other. And after much drama, they have managed to work things out and are now in college together as a couple. But dating in college isn’t what either of them expected. Dani and Chase have always talked about their forever, but now, they wonder if they’ll even make it through the semester.

Beautifully and authentically rendered by actor and playwright Adrian Vargas, these twelve stories tell of the almost unendurable journey most migrant campesinos undertake to find the "American Dream."

This practical look at sexual purity is written directly to teens in a frank, accessible, and totally honest style to help them make decisions for sexual integrity. When Young Men Are Tempted discusses factors surrounding sexual temptation and presents a strategy to encourage and assist young men to lead morally pure lives. Author Bill Perkins offers success stories as well as testimonies of false solutions.

When Abdi's family is kidnapped, he's forced to do the unthinkable: become a child soldier with the ruthless jihadi group Al Shabaab. In order to save the lives of those he loves and earn their freedom, Abdi agrees to be embedded as a spy within the militia's ranks and to send dispatches on their plans to the Americans. The jihadists trust Abdi immediately because his older brother, Dahir, is already one of them, protégé to General Idris, aka the Butcher. If Abdi's duplicity is discovered, he will be killed.

Two years ago Riley Young fled from Lawton, Alabama. After accusing the oldest Lawton son, Rhett, of rape, everyone called her a liar, and she had no option but to leave. Now she's back, but she's not at Lawton High finishing up her senior year. She's at home raising the little girl that no one believed was Rhett's.

Micah is rich, dreamy, and charming. As the “Prince of Chicago”—the son of local celebrity sports radio host known as the King of Chicago—he has everything going for him. Unfortunately, he’s also the prince of imaginary meet-cutes, since he’s too nervous to actually ask boys out. Instead, Micah draws each crush to share on Instagram with a post about their imaginary dates. Ninety-nine “boyfriends” later, his account is hugely popular, and everyone is eagerly awaiting Boy 100. So is Micah. This time, Micah will sweep the boy off his feet, for real!

Will West is playing a dangerous game. Months after uncovering the sinister Paladin Prophecy plot, Will continues to work with the mastermind behind the project - none other than his own grandfather, Franklin Greenwood. Will cooperates in order to keep his friends safe. But are they really secure in the hands of a madman? Under constant surveillance, Will and his friends secretly devise a plan to defeat Franklin Greenwood and his Knights of the Charlemagne.

After exposing the sinister underground society of students known as the Knights of Charlemagne, Will West stays at the Center over the summer to explore his newly developing physical and mental abilities. Meanwhile, his roommates investigate the Knights' shadowy purpose and discover unsettling information about their own backgrounds. Will and his friends must quickly figure out what's going on and separate friend from foe as they prepare for the coming fight.

Closeted high school sophomore Charlie Creevey's quiet life in the Sierra Nevada Foothills is shattered one day when a menacing stranger invades his home, forcing him to flee to the Pacific Northwest. Barely escaping with his life, Charlie is whisked away to Seattle to take refuge with an aunt and uncle he doesn't know. There, he discovers he hails from a family of witches, and will soon be initiated into the craft and must face the reality that he is a gay witch.

It’s the summer before senior year. Gabriel, Reese, Sal, and Heath are best friends, bonded in their small, rural town by their queerness, their good grades, and their big dreams. But they have plans for the summer, each about to embark on a new adventure. Gabriel is interning at an environmental nonprofit in Boston. Reese is attending design school in Paris. Sal is volunteering on Capitol Hill for a senator. Heath is heading to Florida, to help out at his aunt’s boardwalk arcade.

Grandma's house was a magical place, and in this vivid memoir, Donald Davis makes it possible for each of us to go back to our own grandma's kitchen, clutter room, living room, and to that immeasurable bed that seemed to swallow us whole. This selection also contains a traditional story Davis learned from his grandmother, one handed down through his family from generations who once lived in Scotland before coming to the Appalachian mountains, about the time that fortune-seeker named Jack made the king mad.

"Between the pages of this book lies the secret to the best-tasting chocolate in all the world. I promise, your taste buds will tingle. Your palette will sing! Oh no, have I accidentally tempted you to read this book? I will warn you, however, the most delicious things are never good for you...and this story is particularly scrumptious!"

This rhythmic, read-aloud title is an unbridled celebration of the self-esteem, confidence, and swagger boys feel when they leave the barber's chair - a tradition that places on their heads a figurative crown, beaming with jewels, that confirms their brilliance and worth and helps them not only love and accept themselves but also take a giant step toward caring how they present themselves to the world. Crown is a high-spirited, engaging salute to the beautiful, raw, assured humanity of black boys and how they see themselves when they approve of their reflections in the mirror.

The gorgeous engagement ring on my finger mimics my happiness. I feel so sparkly, glittery, and full of promise, because I absolutely know he's that boy. The boy I want to marry. My prince. My happily ever after. But then our pastor starts asking lots of questions. His parents say I haven't dealt with my past. I have horrible wedding disaster dreams. I can't find the perfect dress. I have to manipulate him to get my way. An old boyfriend asks me to run away with him.

Okay, so just know from the start that it wasn't supposed to go like this. All we wanted was to get near The Ruperts, our favorite boy band. We didn't mean to kidnap one of the guys. It kind of, sort of happened that way. But now he's tied up in our hotel room. And the worst part of all, it's Rupert P. All four members of The Ruperts might have the same first name, but they couldn't be more different. And Rupert P. is the biggest flop out of the whole group.

Clearly the universe has a sick sense of humor. That's the only explanation Celia can come up with when she finds herself alone on a train with her crush since second grade. Maybe some girls would call this fate. Destiny, even. But Celia knows better. This is cruel and unusual punishment, because Heath is also the one boy who turns her into a stammering, incoherent fool. And that's before he kisses her senseless.

Meet Beatrix Plumb. Sixteen. Smart. Budding idealist, full-fledged romantic, chronic self-doubter and divinely equipped to have a regular junior year. But Bee’s on the outs, wavering between invisible and miserable because her best friend Kate (sixteen, budding Jungian analyst) now has a serious boyfriend and Bee realizes she has nothing. Hopeful dreamer that she is, Bee takes control of her life with a personal Junior Year Manifesto: 1) Be awesome enough to like herself and her life; and 2) Get Owen to notice her. Owen's the high school quarterback she's been in love with since kindergarten.