In Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer, twelve year old criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl discovers the existence of fairies living below the Earth's surface. Driven by a desire for the fairy peoples' gold, he hatches a dastardly plan to kidnap a fairy to exchange to said gold. However, the fairies, reluctant to part with their gold, are willing to go head to head with the teenage genius to save their friend, and protect their species from exposure. In this middle grade fantasy novel, Colfer spins together an exciting tale like never before. With insane plots, dastardly rescue missions, and youthful humor, the reader will be glued to the pages of this book until the end. (Which, as the series is eight novels long, may be quite some time.)

In Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer, twelve year old criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl discovers the existence of fairies living below the Earth's surface. Driven by a desire for the fairy peoples' gold, he hatches a dastardly plan to kidnap a fairy to exchange to said gold. However, the fairies, reluctant to part with their gold, are willing to go head to head with the teenage genius to save their friend, and protect their species from exposure. In this middle grade fantasy novel, Colfer spins together an exciting tale like never before. With insane plots, dastardly rescue missions, and youthful humor, the reader will be glued to the pages of this book until the end. (Which, as the series is eight novels long, may be quite some time.)

What do you do when your family's expectations for you are different that what you want for yourself? Frank Li is a Korean American teenager living in Southern California. Due to his parent's traditional upbringing, they have a set of cultural expectations for him that don't correspond with modern America. For example, Frank is allowed to date exclusively Korean girls. With an older sister who was disowned for marrying a Black man, Frank doesn't want to defy his parents wishes. . . until he he falls hard for Brit Means. Quirky, intelligent, and beautiful, Brit is Frank's dream girl. Except that Brit is white, making her a non-ideal match for Frank's parents. Desperate not to let Brit slip through his fingers, Frank becomes ensnared in a delicate web of lies. But the longer he's trapped, the harder it is to break out without losing everything. Passionate, hilarious, and unique, "Frankly in Love" will pull you in and never let you go.

What do you do when your family's expectations for you are different that what you want for yourself? Frank Li is a Korean American teenager living in Southern California. Due to his parent's traditional upbringing, they have a set of cultural expectations for him that don't correspond with modern America. For example, Frank is allowed to date exclusively Korean girls. With an older sister who was disowned for marrying a Black man, Frank doesn't want to defy his parents wishes. . . until he he falls hard for Brit Means. Quirky, intelligent, and beautiful, Brit is Frank's dream girl. Except that Brit is white, making her a non-ideal match for Frank's parents. Desperate not to let Brit slip through his fingers, Frank becomes ensnared in a delicate web of lies. But the longer he's trapped, the harder it is to break out without losing everything. Passionate, hilarious, and unique, "Frankly in Love" will pull you in and never let you go.

Yes No Maybe So by Aisha Saeed and Becky Albertalli is a YA romance novel about two teenagers on a mission. In a mostly Republican town in Georgia, Jamie Goldberg and Maya Rehman are volunteering to secure votes for the upcoming senate election's Democratic candidate, Jordan Rossum. While Rossum isn't the ideal senator, he's better than his opponent, GOP incumbent Senator Newton, who is the ultimate white supremacist. As members of oppressed religious communities, Jamie and Maya are set to be severely affected by the election if Newton wins. As discriminatory bills are passed, and anti Jewish vandalism is found around town, Jamie and Maya become increasingly invested in helping the campaign, while simultaneously becoming increasingly invested in each other. Sparks will fly in this activist romance novel, which allows the reader to reflect upon some of the injustices in the world today while reading about a heartwarming romance between two teens making the best of their lives.

Yes No Maybe So by Aisha Saeed and Becky Albertalli is a YA romance novel about two teenagers on a mission. In a mostly Republican town in Georgia, Jamie Goldberg and Maya Rehman are volunteering to secure votes for the upcoming senate election's Democratic candidate, Jordan Rossum. While Rossum isn't the ideal senator, he's better than his opponent, GOP incumbent Senator Newton, who is the ultimate white supremacist. As members of oppressed religious communities, Jamie and Maya are set to be severely affected by the election if Newton wins. As discriminatory bills are passed, and anti Jewish vandalism is found around town, Jamie and Maya become increasingly invested in helping the campaign, while simultaneously becoming increasingly invested in each other. Sparks will fly in this activist romance novel, which allows the reader to reflect upon some of the injustices in the world today while reading about a heartwarming romance between two teens making the best of their lives.

Six of Crows is a fantasy/action/adventure story about a group of misfits set on a dangerous heist. Seventeen year old Kaz Brekker is a hardened criminal who has made a life for himself in the dangerous city of Ketterdam, the uglier equivalent of Earth's Las Vegas. Kaz is hired by a rich merchant by the name of Jan Van Eck, who wants Kaz to steal a scientist with secrets regarding a coveted drug. The only catch is that the scientist in question, Bo Yul-Bayur, is currently being held captive by the Fierdans, a nation in the North that is not on good terms with the rest of the world. The job is dangerous, nearly impossible, and would likely end up in Kaz's utter demise, so naturally he accepts. Kaz puts together a team of 5 other misfits: Inej the silent acrobat, Nina the magical waffle lover, Matthias the uptight soldier, Jesper the sharpshooter, and Wylan the demolitions expert. The six crazy teenagers embark on the dangerous heist that may claim all of their lives. This book was a fascinating read that kept me guessing until the very end. It consisted of strong female characters, minority representation, and incredible LGBTQA+ characters. While Six of Crows is a sequel series to the Shadow and Bone books, they are not required to enjoy Six of Crows. In fact, I personally believe that the Six of Crows books outshine the Shadow and Bone books completely. I would recommend this book for middle and high school readers, for it consists of several gruesome scenes, some sexual content, and light swearing. Overall, Six of Crows was an outstanding book that fantasy and action adventure lovers should read as soon as possible.

Skyward, by Brandon Sanderson is a science fiction novel about a girl who exceeds expectations and claims the stars. The protagonist, Spensa Nightshade is a 17 year old girl living the underground city of Igneous on the planet Detritus. Spensa's ancestors crashed on the planet after Earth became uninhabitable, and they have lived on Detritus ever since. The most coveted job on the planet is the job of pilot, and dangerous job that consists of flying into the air and fighting the Krell, aliens who have been attacking Detritus for decades. Spensa's dream is to fly with the pilots, and protect her people, however some dreams are not meant to be. Spensa's father, Zeen Nightshade, is a notorious pilot who fled during one the most important battles of the history of the planet. No one will let the daughter of a coward into the ranks of flights school, no one sane that is. When an unexpected meetup with her father's old colleague lands her a spot in flight school, Spensa is plunged into a world of possibility. Spensa is determined that her father was not a coward, and will stop at nothing to prove it. Faced with secrets, and ploys, and uptight flightleaders, Spensa will fly among the stars and become the hero her people need . . . or die trying. This was a fast paced and well written book with excellent character development, crazy plot twists, and humor. Spensa is a strong and independent female lead who doesn't hold back on her thoughts. While I normally don't enjoy science fiction, I loved this one. It was an incredible mix of AI, coming of age, and friendship. I'd recommend this for late elementary school and middle school. There are some non descriptive deaths, with the aftermath of grief being described in detail. I highly recommend Skyward for those who want a fast paced book to read.