Teen Scene
January 2023
New and Recently Released
At Midnight: Fifteen Beloved Fairy Tales Reimagined
by Dahlia Adler, editor

At Midnight is an anthology of classic fairy tales reimagined by popular authors including Anna-Marie McLemore, Malinda Lo, and Meredith Russo. Don't miss Darcie Little Badger's "Coyote in High-top Sneakers," a clever spin on the trickster tale "Puss in Boots;" and "Mother's Mirror," H.E. Edgmon's "Little Snow White" retelling with a self-affirming trans boy overcoming parental rejection. Whether you're seeking something creepy, whimsical, or romantic, there's a story for everyone in this genre-spanning collection.
Reader, I Murdered Him
by Betsy Cornwell
 
Adele grew up in the shadows—first watching from backstage at her mother’s Parisian dance halls, then wandering around the gloomy, haunted rooms of her father’s manor. When she’s finally sent away to boarding school in London, she’s happy to enter the brightly lit world of society girls and their wealthy suitors. Yet there are shadows there, too. Many of the men that try to charm Adele’s new friends do so with dark intentions. After a violent assault, she turns to a roguish young con woman for help. Together, they become vigilantes meting out justice. But can Adele save herself from the same fate as those she protects? With a queer romance at its heart, this lush historical thriller offers readers an irresistible mix of vengeance and empowerment.
We Deserve Monuments
by Jas Hammonds

Seventeen-year-old Avery Anderson is convinced her senior year is ruined when she's uprooted from her life in DC and forced into the hostile home of her terminally ill grandmother, Mama Letty. The tension between Avery’s mom and Mama Letty makes for a frosty arrival and unearths past drama they refuse to talk about. Every time Avery tries to look deeper, she’s turned away, leaving her desperate to learn the secrets that split her family in two. While tempers flare in her avoidant family, Avery finds friendship in unexpected places: in Simone Cole, her captivating next-door neighbor, and Jade Oliver, daughter of the town’s most prominent family―whose mother’s murder remains unsolved. As the three girls grow closer―Avery and Simone’s friendship blossoming into romance―the sharp-edged opinions of their small southern town begin to hint at something insidious underneath. The racist history of Bardell, Georgia is rooted in Avery’s family in ways she can’t even imagine. With Mama Letty's health dwindling every day, Avery must decide if digging for the truth is worth toppling the delicate relationships she's built in Bardell―or if some things are better left buried.
A Million to One
by Adiba Jaigirdar
 
Josefa is an unapologetic and charismatic thief, who loves the thrill of the chase. She has her eye on her biggest mark yet—the RMS Titanic, the most luxurious ship in the world. But she isn’t interested in stealing from wealthy first-class passengers onboard. No, she’s out for the ultimate prize: the Rubiyat, a one of a kind book encrusted with gems that’s worth millions. Josefa can’t score it alone, so she enlists a team of girls with unique talents: Hinnah, a daring acrobat and contortionist; Violet, an actress and expert dissembler; and Emilie, an artist who can replicate any drawing by hand. They couldn’t be more different and yet they have one very important thing in common: their lives depend on breaking into the vault and capturing the Rubiyat. But careless mistakes, old grudges, and new romance threaten to jeopardize everything they’ve worked for and put them in incredible danger when tragedy strikes. While the odds of pulling off the heist are slim, the odds of survival are even slimmer…
The Do-Over
by Lynn Painter

After living through a dumpster fire of a Valentine’s Day, Emilie Hornby escapes to her grandmother’s house for some comfort and a consolation pint of Ben & Jerry’s. She passes out on the couch, but when she wakes up, she’s back home in her own bed—and it’s Valentine’s Day all over again. And the next day? Another nightmare V-Day. Emilie is stuck in some sort of time loop nightmare that she can’t wake up from as she re-watches her boyfriend, Josh, cheat on her day after day. In addition to Josh’s recurring infidelity, Emilie can’t get away from the enigmatic Nick, who she keeps running into—sometimes literally—in unfortunate ways. How many days can one girl passively watch her life go up in flames? And when something good starts to come out of these terrible days, what happens when the universe stops doling out do-overs?    
Retro Reads
Check out these awesome books from the not-so-distant past.
 
Last Bus to Everland
by Sophie Cameron

Brody Fair feels like nobody gets him: not his overworked parents, not his genius older brother, and definitely not the girls in the projects set on making his life miserable. Then he meets Nico, an art student who takes Brody to Everland, a "knock-off Narnia" that opens at 11:21pm each Thursday for Nico and his band of present-day misfits and miscreants. Here Brody finds his tribe and a weekly respite from a world where he feels out of place. But when the doors to Everland begin to disappear, Brody is forced to make a decision: He can say goodbye to Everland and to Nico, or stay there and risk never seeing his family again.
The Witch King
by H.E. Edgmon

In Asalin, fae rule and witches like Wyatt Croft…don’t. Wyatt’s betrothal to fae prince Emyr North was supposed to change that. But when Wyatt lost control of his magic one devastating night, he fled to the human world. Now a coldly distant Emyr has hunted him down. Despite transgender Wyatt’s newfound identity and troubling past, Emyr claims they must marry now or risk losing the throne. Jaded, Wyatt strikes a deal with the enemy, hoping to escape Asalin forever. But as he gets to know Emyr again, Wyatt realizes the boy he once loved may still exist. And as the witches face worsening conditions, he must decide what’s more important—his people or his freedom.
Walking in Two Worlds
by Wab Kinew

In the real world, Bugz is a shy and self-conscious Indigenous teen who faces the stresses of teenage angst and life on the Rez. But in the virtual world, her alter ego is not just confident but dominant in a massively multiplayer video game universe. Feng is a teen boy who has been sent from China to live with his aunt, a doctor on the Rez, after his online activity suggests he may be developing extremist sympathies. Meeting each other in real life, as well as in the virtual world, Bugz and Feng immediately relate to each other as outsiders and as avid gamers. And as their connection is strengthened through their virtual adventures, they find that they have much in common in the real world, too: both must decide what to do in the face of temptations and pitfalls, and both must grapple with the impacts of family challenges and community trauma. But betrayal threatens everything Bugz has built in the virtual world, as well as her relationships in the real world, and it will take all her newfound strength to restore her friendship with Feng and reconcile the parallel aspects of her life: the traditional and the mainstream, the east and the west, the real and the virtual.
The City Beautiful
by Aden Polydoros

Chicago, 1893. For Alter Rosen, this is the land of opportunity, and he dreams of the day he’ll have enough money to bring his mother and sisters to America, freeing them from the oppression they face in his native Romania. But when Alter’s best friend, Yakov, becomes the latest victim in a long line of murdered Jewish boys, his dream begins to slip away. While the rest of the city is busy celebrating the World’s Fair, Alter is now living a nightmare: possessed by Yakov’s dybbuk, he is plunged into a world of corruption and deceit, and thrown back into the arms of a dangerous boy from his past. A boy who means more to Alter than anyone knows. Now, with only days to spare until the dybbuk takes over Alter’s body completely, the two boys must race to track down the killer—before the killer claims them next.
Cursed
by Karol Ruth Silverstein

As if her parents' divorce and sister's departure for college weren't bad enough, fourteen-year-old Ricky Bloom has just been diagnosed with a life-changing chronic illness. Her days consist of cursing everyone out, skipping school--which has become a nightmare--daydreaming about her crush, Julio, and trying to keep her parents from realizing just how bad things are. But she can't keep her ruse up forever. Ricky's afraid, angry, alone, and one suspension away from repeating ninth grade when she realizes: she can't be held back. She'll do whatever it takes to move forward--even if it means changing the person she's become. Lured out of her funk by a quirky classmate, Oliver, who's been there too, Ricky's porcupine exterior begins to shed some spines. Maybe asking for help isn't the worst thing in the world. Maybe accepting circumstances doesn't mean giving up.
Upcoming @ Your Library!
For Youth
 
Weekly Wednesday Storytime
Every Wednesday at 11:00 a.m.
Join Ms. Laura for stories, songs, and fun Wednesdays at 11:00 a.m. in the children's room.
 
 
Thursday Crafternoon
Thursdays, 3:15 - 4:30 p.m.
 
Get your creative juices flowing and drop by the library's Maker Space after school every first Thursday of the month for a new craft! Any supplies left over will be made available for Take-and-Make crafts the following Thursdays of the month.
 
Second Saturday Storytime
Saturday, January 14 at 11:00 a.m.

 
Join us in the Children's Area every second Saturday of the month for stories, play and more for kids of all ages!  
 
 
For Adults
Introduction to Mobile Wallets and Digital Payments
Tuesday, January 10 at 11:00 a.m.
 
Have you ever wondered how payments can be made so easily? Do you normally pay for things in cash? Are you covering the bill at a restaurant and then not getting paid back? Welcome to the world of mobile payments and digital wallets! Register Here
 
iPhone 101 Basics
Tuesday, January 24 at 11:00 a.m.
 
Learn all about how to use your iPhone or iPad!  In this workshop we will discuss all the new features and benefits of iOS 16 along with the general uses of an iPhone! No experience is  necessary but it is recommended to have an Apple iPhone or Apple iPad to attend this workshop.  Register Here
 
 
Regular Events
 
Spinning Yarns
Tuesdays, January 3 and January 17 at 6:30 p.m.
 
Join us for an hour of knitting, crocheting, crafts and conversation. All levels welcome. This group will meet in person in the new library. 
 
 
Evening Book Discussions
Tuesday, January 24 at 7:00 p.m.
 
This month we are discussing  Horse by Geraldine Brooks.  This discussion will be in person in the new library.
 
 
Interfaith Book Discussion
Thursday, January 19 at 11:00 a.m.
 
Join this new interfaith book group to discuss spiritual reads, memoirs and similar books. The discussion will be led by Rev. Hannah Lovaglio, Senior Pastor at the First Presbyterian Church of Cranbury.  The group will be reading authors from a variety of faith traditions and meet once a month on the third Thursday at 11:00 a.m.  Register Here
 
 
Tech Talk @ the Library
Call to make an appointment
Learn how to use our online catalog, download digital materials, and more! Call the library (609-722-6992) and speak to Dean at the Information Desk.  
 
Library Hours and Closings
Monday thru Thursday - 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Friday - 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday - 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Library Closed January 16, 2023
 
Cranbury Public Library
30 Park Place West
Cranbury, New Jersey 08512
609-722-6992

www.cranburypubliclibrary.org/