Battle of the Books 2026

The 57 Bus

Slater, Dashka,


"One teenager in a skirt. One teenager with a lighter. One moment that changes both of their lives forever. If it weren't for the 57 bus, Sasha and Richard never would have met. Both were high school students from Oakland, California, one of the most diverse cities in the country, but they inhabited different worlds. Sasha, a white teen, lived in the middle-class foothills and attended a small private school. Richard, a black teen, lived in the crime-plagued flatlands and attended a large public one. Each day, their paths overlapped for a mere eight minutes. But one afternoon on the bus ride home from school, a single reckless act left Sasha severely burned, and Richard charged with two hate crimes and facing life imprisonment. The case garnered international attention, thrusting both teenagers into the spotlight. --" Monday November 4, 2013 -- Oakland California -- Sasha -- Richard -- The fire -- Justice.
Date Published:

"One teenager in a skirt. One teenager with a lighter. One moment that changes both of their lives forever. If it weren't for the 57 bus, Sasha and Richard never would have met. Both were high school students from Oakland, California, one of the most diverse cities in the country, but they inhabited different worlds. Sasha, a white teen, lived in the middle-class foothills and attended a small private school. Richard, a black teen, lived in the crime-plagued flatlands and attended a large public one. Each day, their paths overlapped for a mere eight minutes. But one afternoon on the bus ride home from school, a single reckless act left Sasha severely burned, and Richard charged with two hate crimes and facing life imprisonment. The case garnered international attention, thrusting both teenagers into the spotlight. --" Monday November 4, 2013 -- Oakland California -- Sasha -- Richard -- The fire -- Justice.

Date Published:

All the Light We Cannot See

Doerr, Anthony


"When the Nazis occupy Paris, a museum curator is sent away with one of the museum's most valuable jewels. He runs to a small village with his daughter where they blend in. Meanwhile, a young man with a fascination for radio is conscripted by the Nazis, and is sent out to hunt down illegal broadcasts. The paths of the daughter, and the young German soldier are destined to cross; winner of The Pulitzer Prize."
Date Published:

"When the Nazis occupy Paris, a museum curator is sent away with one of the museum's most valuable jewels. He runs to a small village with his daughter where they blend in. Meanwhile, a young man with a fascination for radio is conscripted by the Nazis, and is sent out to hunt down illegal broadcasts. The paths of the daughter, and the young German soldier are destined to cross; winner of The Pulitzer Prize."

Date Published:

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder

Jackson, Holly,


"As her senior capstone project, Pippa Fitz-Amobi is determined to find the real killer in a closed, local murder case, but not everyone wants her meddling in the past."
Date Published:

House of Salt and Sorrows

Erin A. Craig



Date Published:

Legendborn

Paolini,


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Sword Catcher

Clare, Cassandra,


"Two outcasts find themselves caught in a web of forbidden love, dangerous magic, and dark secrets that could change the world forever in the start of an epic fantasy series from the author of The Shadowhunter Chronicles"--
Date Published:2023

Walking In Two Worlds

Kinew, Wab


"Bugz is caught between two worlds. In the real world, she's 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 on the Rez. Meeting each other in real life, as well as in the virtual world, Bugz and Feng immediately relate 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. But betrayal threatens everything Bugz has build in the virtual world and outside of it. It will take all her newfound strength to reconcile the parallel aspects of her life: the traditional and the mainstream, The East and the West, the real and the virtual."
Date Published:

"Bugz is caught between two worlds. In the real world, she's 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 on the Rez. Meeting each other in real life, as well as in the virtual world, Bugz and Feng immediately relate 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. But betrayal threatens everything Bugz has build in the virtual world and outside of it. It will take all her newfound strength to reconcile the parallel aspects of her life: the traditional and the mainstream, The East and the West, the real and the virtual."

Date Published:

Words on Bathroom Walls

Walton, Julia, 1986-,


Adam, a recently-diagnosed schizophrenic, writes a journal to his therapist about family, friends, and first loves as he undergoes a new drug trial for the mental illness that allows him to keep his secret for only so long.
Date Published:2018