Short Reads for Teens

Luc Waldon always figured he knew what his passion was: football. He lives it, he breathes it--and he thinks he has what it takes to go all the way to the NFL. So when his football coach orders him to sign up for contemporary-dance classes to improve his game, Luc's less than thrilled but willing to give it a try. When he realizes that dance might actually be his true passion, he faces a tough decision. Is he willing to leave behind the field and...

"A teen tries to balance the last year of high school, a new romance and looking after her sister with mental health issues. Seventeen-year-old Penny is struggling to balance caring for Jude, her sister with mental health challenges, working part-time to help her mother with money issues and facing her final year of high school. She does not need any distractions. But then she meets Jack. The two of them click immediately. But as quickly as things...

"In this high-interest novel for teen readers, Jason is determined to find out the truth about his sister's death."-- Provided by publisher. Jason is sure his sister, Becca, was murdered, but he's the only one who thinks so. After finding a photograph Becca kept hidden, he decides to infiltrate a boxing gym to prove that she didn't die accidentally. As a transgender kid, Jason's been fighting for as long as he can remember, and those skills are going...

When Jo McNair is one minute late for her curfew, her controlling father locks her out. Wandering the streets, she has no money and nowhere to sleep. She meets someone who says they're with a group working with at-risk kids, helping them get back on their feet-- and walks into a kidnapper's trap. Now Jo and several other teens are being held prisoner; their captors drug them regularly and force them to donate their blood. When one of the teens doesn't...

"In this high-interest accessible novel for teen readers, queer trans teen Bran tries to uncover what is causing everyone around him to start acting so violently."-- Provided by publisher.

"In this high-interest accessible novel for teen readers, Tyler and his friend Mason are desperate to escape the small town they grew up in."-- Provided by publisher. "Tyler and Mason dream of escaping to the big city and getting started on their lives. One night, Mason convinces Tyler to help him steal a car and they are soon having the adventure of a lifetime. Until they run out of gas. Stranded on the side of the highway, Mason blames Tyler, Tyler...

"In this high-interest accessible novel for teen readers, Myles gets a text from someone threatening to expose a dark secret."-- Provided by publisher. Myles is popular, has an amazing girlfriend, and won a full athletic scholarship to a top university. But on the day of his high-school graduation ceremony, while struggling to write his valedictorian speech, Myles receives a text that could ruin everything. He has only six hours to discover who is...

"In this high-interest accessible novel for teen readers, Kevin makes a startling discovery that he hides from his abusive foster parents."-- Provided by publisher.

"In this high-interest accessible novel for teen readers, 17-yr-old Ichiro secretly enters a drag performance contest."-- Provided by publisher.

"In this high-interest accessible novel for teen readers, Max suspects that his friend Trace is a victim of abuse."-- Provided by publisher.