MADreads for Teens

This sensitive and empowering middle grade graphic novel focuses on changes associated with adolescence. Set in modern-day Montreal, Adèle is enjoying her winter break when she discovers something new about herself: she can see and hear ghosts. Adèle first hears voices in the backseat of the car while her sister is driving her to the Mile End Library. Then she sees the same elderly man waiting outside her family's convenience store, the Blue Goose Dépanneur, several days in a row.  

Valentina Tran's favorite day of the year is Valentine's Day. She is named after the holiday and it's no wonder that her imaginary friend is Cupid. Val and Cupid are cuddly and sweet buddies when Val is younger, planning out hand decorated cards and heartfelt messages for friends and family. As Val grows older and learns more about her family history she starts to hate Valentine's Day. Her pal Cupid takes a dark turn and manifests as a terrifying spirit version of the martyred Saint Valentine. No matter what she does, Val cannot shake the haunting.

June Hur's debut novel is a police procedural set in 1800 Joseon, Korea. Seol grew up in rural Korea but because of the family's poverty was sent by her sister to serve an indenture for the police bureau in Joseon. As an indentured servant she's to keep her mouth shut and her thoughts to herself as she cleans and runs errands. The monotony of that work is occasionally broken when she's asked to help in crimes involving women. Males in 19th century Korea aren't allowed to touch non-familial women, thus Seol is called upon.

Sarah Weinman has been in and about the crime writing world for years. She's written for the New York Times and Vanity Fair as well as for more genre connected publications like Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine and for the CrimeReads site (highly recommended if you're a crime/mystery fan). Her first full length book was about the connection between the book Lolita and the real life kidnapping of Sally Horner in 1948.