YA Book of The Day:
Hollow Fires
This powerful, gripping thriller from a New York Times bestselling author shows the insidious nature of racism, the terrible costs of unearthing hidden truths—and the undeniable power of hope.
Safiya Mirza dreams of becoming a journalist. And one thing she’s learned as editor of her school newspaper is that a journalist’s job is to find the facts and not let personal biases affect the story. But all that changes the day she finds the body of a murdered boy.
Jawad Ali was fourteen years old when he built a cosplay jetpack that a teacher mistook for a bomb. A jetpack that got him arrested, labeled a terrorist—and eventually killed. But he’s more than a dead body, and more than “Bomb Boy.” He was a person with a life worth remembering.
Driven by Jawad’s haunting voice guiding her throughout her investigation, Safiya seeks to tell the whole truth about the murdered boy and those who killed him because of their hate-based beliefs.
This gripping and powerful book uses an innovative format and lyrical prose to expose the evil that exists in front of us, and the silent complicity of the privileged who create alternative facts to bend the truth to their liking.
Today’s Book of The Day is sponsored by this week’s Kids’ eBook of The Week:
Girl Code: Gaming, Going Viral, and Getting It Done
“Brilliantly funny . . . Readers seeking [non-fiction] about . . . teens creating solutions to social problems will find Andrea and Sophie’s story inspirational.” —Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
A New York Public Library Best Book
Perfect for aspiring coders everywhere, Girl Code is the story of two teenage tech phenoms who met at Girls Who Code summer camp, teamed up to create a viral video game, and ended up becoming world famous. The book also includes bonus content to help you start coding!
Through the success of their video game, Andy and Sophie got unprecedented access to some of the biggest start-ups and tech companies, and now they’re sharing what they’ve seen. Their video game and their commitment to inspiring young women have been covered by the Huffington Post, Buzzfeed, CNN, Teen Vogue, Jezebel, the Today show, and many more.
Get ready for an inside look at the tech industry, the true power of coding, and some of the amazing women who are shaping the world. Andy and Sophie reveal not only what they’ve learned about opportunities in science and technology but also the true value of discovering your own voice and creativity.
A Junior Library Guild selection
A Children’s Book Council Best STEM Trade Book for Students K–12
“[Andrea and Sophie’s] intelligence, humanity, creativity, seriousness of purpose, and humor will stick with readers, and inspire them.” —Publishers Weekly
“Tech-centered empowerment for those who feel voiceless.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Gonzales’s and Houser’s writing styles are conversational and work well to dispel the aura of inaccessibility that often surrounds works on technology . . . Inspiring and hopeful; a great addition to libraries with novice and expert coders alike.” —School Library Journal