Tag Archives: Texas

Review: Finish Lines by Sarah Broyles

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Finish Lines by Sarah Broyles

Finish Lines
Sarah Broyles
First Second
Published June 16, 2026

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About Finish Lines

Miranda needs something to write about in her college application essays. But what?

Miranda has a plan: ace her junior year, get into an Ivy League school, and skip anything that doesn’t look good on a college application. But the pressure is getting to her, and now her parents have cut her off from every club, competition, and committee she’s a part of.

Desperate to get back on track, Miranda sets her sights on the Texas Water Safari—a 260-mile canoe race her mom was set to do with her granddad. With her mom sidelined … Continue reading →

Review: Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Pérez

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Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Perez

Out of Darkness
Ashley Hope Pérez
Holiday House
Published September 10, 2019

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About Out of Darkness

“This is East Texas, and there’s lines. Lines you cross, lines you don’t cross. That clear?” New London, TX. 1937. Naomi Vargas is Mexican American. Wash Fuller is Black. These teens know the town’s divisive racism better than anyone. But sometimes the attraction between two people is so powerful it breaks through even the most entrenched color lines. And the consequences can be explosive.

Naomi and Wash dare to defy the rules, and the New … Continue reading →

Review: Some of Us Are Brave by Saadia Faruqi

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Some of Us Are Brave by Saadia Faruqi

Some of Us Are Brave
Saadia Faruqi
Quill Tree Books
Published February 10, 2026

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About Some of Us Are Brave

From the acclaimed author of The Strongest Heart comes a stirring new novel from the perspectives of three very different kids who are navigating the waters of fear and friendship through the devastating effects of Hurricane Harvey in Texas.

It’s a humid summer in Houston, Texas, and Yasir is dreaming of being soccer team captain—if only he could get the team bully, Cody, off his back, and maybe impress his sort-of-crush, Mona. Meanwhile, Mona is turning her nightmares into art, and Cody’s home life … Continue reading →

Review: Hurdles in the Dark by Elvira K. Gonzalez

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Hurdles in the Dark by Elvira K. Gonzalez

Hurdles in the Dark: My Story of Survival, Resilience and Triumph
Elvira K. Gonzalez
Roaring Brook Press
Published May 28, 2024

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About Hurdles in the Dark: My Story of Survival, Resilience and Triumph

A Mexican-American teen girl dreams of winning an athletic scholarship against all odds in a Texas border town. This true story of survival, strength, and triumph is perfect for fans of Educated and Athlete A.

Twenty-four that’s how long fourteen-year-old Elvira Gonzalez is given to come up with the $40,000 she needs to save her kidnapped mother from a drug cartel. … Continue reading →

Review: Northranger by Rey Terciero and Bre Indigo

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Northranger by Rey Terciero and Bre Indigo

Northranger
Rey Terciero
Illustrated by Bre Indigo
HarperTeen
Published June 6, 2023

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About Northranger

In this swoony and spooky teen summer romance graphic novel set on a Texas ranch, sixteen-year-old Cade Muñoz finds himself falling for the ranch owner’s mysterious and handsome son, only to discover that he may be harboring a dangerous secret.

Cade has always loved to escape into the world of a good horror movie. After all, horror movies are scary–but to Cade, a closeted queer Latino teen growing up in rural Texas–real life can be way scarier.

When Cade is sent … Continue reading →

Review: Elatsoe by Darcy Little Badger

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Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger

Elatsoe
Darcy Little Badger
Levine Querido
Published August 25, 2020

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About Elatsoe

Imagine an America very similar to our own. It’s got homework, best friends, and pistachio ice cream.

There are some differences. This America has been shaped dramatically by the magic, monsters, knowledge, and legends of its peoples, those Indigenous and those not. Some of these forces are charmingly everyday, like the ability to make an orb of light appear or travel across the world through rings of fungi. But other forces are less charming and should never see the light of day.

Elatsoe lives in this slightly stranger America. She can raise … Continue reading →