dear mr. hemingway’s 2019 holiday books & pairings
Cedar Nooks & YA Books
Elon Musk: A mission to save the world by Anna Crowley Redding (Feiwel & Friends)
Is it me, or are YA books getting better and better each year. YA lovers rejoice!!!!! Anna Crowley Redding has done it again with another YA gem. Talk about cutting edge and relevant! This Author knows what she is doing. Our kids are so lucky.
From the Publisher: “Elon Musk is the visionary behind SpaceX and CEO of the electric car company Tesla. He is working on unique and daring improvements to both public transit and solar energy. And then, there’s his highly-publicized plans for colonizing Mars…
But behind the mind-blowing headlines and legendary drive is the story of a bullied and beaten school boy, who through creativity and determination decided to rewrite his story and find his own way to make the world a better place. And to do so with a sense of fun and style.
From hosting raves to pay for college to re-writing the rules on space travel, Elon Musk has always gone his own way. And now, award-winning investigative journalist, Anna Crowley Redding takes readers on a well-researched trip through Elon’s life and accomplishments.”
the fountain of silence by Ruta Sepetys (Philomel Books)
A Young Adult (YA) historical fiction book filled with twists and turns, love, and a whole lot more. This book was a YA Book of the Month Pick and on The Indie Next List! Check this out for the voracious reader in your life.
From the Publisher: “Madrid, 1957. Under the fascist dictatorship of General Francisco Franco, Spain is hiding a dark secret. Meanwhile, tourists and foreign businessmen flood into Spain under the welcoming promise of sunshine and wine. Among them is eighteen-year-old Daniel Matheson, the son of an oil tycoon, who arrives in Madrid with his parents hoping to connect with the country of his mother’s birth through the lens of his camera. Photography–and fate–introduce him to Ana, whose family’s interweaving obstacles reveal the lingering grasp of the Spanish Civil War–as well as chilling definitions of fortune and fear. Daniel’s photographs leave him with uncomfortable questions amidst shadows of danger. He is backed into a corner of difficult decisions to protect those he loves. Lives and hearts collide, revealing an incredibly dark side to the sunny Spanish city.”
the poet x by Elizabeth Acevedo (HarperTeen)
When your teenage son recommends a book… it definitely makes the cut…and you definitely read it.!!!!!! He enjoyed the story and liked how it read more like poetry. Perfect book for the teen in your life. Take a look!!
From the Publisher: “Xiomara Batista feels unheard and unable to hide in her Harlem neighborhood. Ever since her body grew into curves, she has learned to let her fists and her fierceness do the talking.
But Xiomara has plenty she wants to say, and she pours all her frustration and passion onto the pages of a leather notebook, reciting the words to herself like prayers—especially after she catches feelings for a boy in her bio class named Aman, who her family can never know about.
With Mami’s determination to force her daughter to obey the laws of the church, Xiomara understands that her thoughts are best kept to herself. So when she is invited to join her school’s slam poetry club, she doesn’t know how she could ever attend without her mami finding out. But she still can’t stop thinking about performing her poems.
Because in the face of a world that may not want to hear her, Xiomara refuses to be silent.”
P.S. A bedside pocket to keep your current read in is great for any teen’s bed.
pumpkin heads by Rainbow Rowell and faith Erin Hicks (First Second)
WARNING…Reading this book will make you happy. This is THE YA Graphic Novel of the year for me. It is a feel good, make you grin story with illustrations that scream fabulous!!!!!! Read this before bed and you are sure to dream of pumpkin patches, candy apples and warm cozy flannel shirts. This is an absolute treat for our Young Adults (adults too). I loved this and one of my boys did as well!
From the Publisher: “Deja and Josiah are seasonal best friends. Every autumn, all through high school, they’ve worked together at the best pumpkin patch in the whole wide world. (Not many people know that the best pumpkin patch in the whole wide world is in Omaha, Nebraska, but it definitely is.) They say good-bye every Halloween, and they’re reunited every September 1.
But this Halloween is different—Josiah and Deja are finally seniors, and this is their last season at the pumpkin patch. Their last shift together. Their last good-bye.
Josiah’s ready to spend the whole night feeling melancholy about it. Deja isn’t ready to let him. She’s got a plan: What if—instead of moping and the usual slinging lima beans down at the Succotash Hut—they went out with a bang? They could see all the sights! Taste all the snacks! And Josiah could finally talk to that cute girl he’s been mooning over for three years…
What if their last shift was an adventure?”
P.S. Pair this book with my favorite socks of all time (they give back too).
let it snow by John Green, Lauren Myracle, Maureen Johnson (Penguin books)
This is not a new book, but is gaining popularity again now that it was made into a NETFLIX movie. Three short stories that have a common thread make up this holiday read. Perfect for the holidays and snowy days ahead. Read the book first please!
From the publisher: “An ill-timed storm on Christmas Eve buries the residents of Gracetown under multiple feet of snow and causes quite a bit of chaos. One brave soul ventures out into the storm from her stranded train, setting off a chain of events that will change quite a few lives. Over the next three days one girl takes a risky shortcut with an adorable stranger, three friends set out to win a race to the Waffle House (and the hash brown spoils), and the fate of a teacup pig falls into the hands of a lovesick barista.
A trio of today’s bestselling authors—John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle—brings all the magic of the holidays to life in three hilarious and charming interconnected tales of love, romance, and kisses that will steal your breath away.”
Dear Mr. Hemingway’s 2019 Holiday Books & Pairings
This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. My links are not affiliate links. I do not make compensation from my links. Some links may be in collaboration with a book store solely for exposure.