William C. Morris Award

All the Noise at Once by DeAndra Davis. S. & S./Atheneum. ISBN 9781665952651.
 Gr 8 Up–Despite a disastrous summer football tryout, when fall arrives, star quarterback Brandon convinces the coaches to let his younger autistic brother Aiden join the team. Aggravated by the updated roster, some players turn a post-game hangout into a fight, and when the cops are called, chaos ensues. In the aftermath, the white players walk away unscathed, Aiden is shaken up, and Brandon is wrongly charged with assaulting a police officer. As everything Brandon worked for begins slipping away, Aiden is determined to prove his brother’s innocence before the impending trial destroys their family. Davis’s debut novel beautifully tackles race, social justice, and disability through direct, candid character interactions. Aiden’s experience as a Black autistic teen will leave many people feeling seen while exposing neurotypical readers to an acute awareness of life they have never journeyed through. Aiden and Brandon’s relationship is dynamic, vulnerable, and healthy, leaning into the messy reality of love and guilt colliding. The resolution comes with the knowledge that sometimes there is no apology, even when warranted, and all one can do is move forward while hoping for better. Aiden and Brandon are Black. VERDICT A stellar debut about ignorance and privilege and the abuse of it that resonates beyond the final page.-Emily Walker

William C. Morris Award Finalists

First Love Language by Stefany Valentine. Penguin Workshop. ISBN 9780593750964. 
Gr 9 Up–A lie spirals out of control as a teen balances first love with searching for who she is. Catie Carlson, who is biracial (white and Taiwanese), has felt disconnected from her culture since her parents divorced and she moved with her late father to the United States, losing contact with her birth mother. Now, Catie has to move with her white adoptive mother and stepsister, Mavis, to Salt Lake City, UT, where Catie and Mavis are dreading having to live with their aunt, who is a devout member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Catie’s summer starts to look up after she gets her dream job at a salon and has a meet-cute moment with the salon owners’ son, Toby (who describes himself as Korean and “Blackanese.”) But a lie about having a boyfriend forces Catie into a tight spot: Toby will give Catie Mandarin lessons in exchange for dating lessons based on the book The Five Love Languages. As Catie’s lies pile up and her attraction to Toby grows, she has to decide if she should tell Toby the truth and risk of losing him and the culture she is finally beginning to reclaim. Catie and Toby’s growing relationship adds levity and sweetness to the story, balancing depictions of grief. Catie’s hesitancy to confide in her mother about relearning Mandarin and searching for Taiwanese relatives reflects a struggle that many transracial adoptees face when choosing to connect with their birth cultures. Her mother’s reaction and desire to support Catie, while admitting her insecurity around not knowing how to provide that support, is refreshing. VERDICT This heartwarming debut is recommended for all libraries.-Karyn Hladik-Brown 

Love, Misha Askel Aden (text) & illus. by Askel Aden. First Second. ISBN 9781250866226.
Gr 9 Up–In Aden’s debut graphic novel, Misha’s mom Audrey has practically waltzed back into Misha’s life after abandoning them for years. Now, Audrey wants to take Misha on an obligatory road trip. With one wrong turn, Misha and Audrey find themselves in the Realm of Spirits, meeting otherworldly characters and experiencing peculiar events. They soon find that they can only make it back to the Material Realm if they work through their differences and disputes, learn to forgive and accept, and come to a true understanding of each other. Misha has felt lost and left behind by Audrey and holds on to that resentment, while Audrey struggles with accepting that Misha is non-binary and the choices that they’ve made thus far in their life. Aden expertly weaves together dual story lines of past and present alongside engaging illustrations, and readers will yearn to see what Misha and Audrey’s future holds. Both Misha and Audrey are realistic characters dealing with genuine emotions of still caring for someone who has done and said hurtful things. Though the culmination of the story wraps up rather succinctly, the emotions run deep to the core. Fans of Mai K. Nguyen’s Anzu and the Realm of Darkness and Molly Knox Ostertag’s The Deep Dark will find this title to be a strong addition to their collection. VERDICT An emotionally realistic, situationally fantastic, and vibrantly illustrated graphic novel about a non-binary teen struggling to connect with their estranged mom.-Cat Miserendino

Red Flags and Butterflies by Sheryl Azzam. DCB. ISBN 9781770868069.
Gr 9 Up–A toxic familial relationship shows that “abuse is more than bruises” in this emotionally resonant and nuanced look at pressure, expectations, and manipulation. Canadian 10th grader Lexie dreams of going to a high school focusing on fine arts but doesn’t know how to get her dad to approve. Cold, judgmental, and unsupportive, Lexie’s father, who doles out love and kindness as rewards, forces her to put his priorities above her own. She juggles school, swimming, work, volunteering, and a new relationship with cute lifeguard Rhys, but trying to stay on top of it all becomes impossible when her dad demands she also work for his new renovation business. Lexie tries hard to keep everyone happy and be who they expect her to be, but she constantly devalues her self-worth and thinks of herself as sensitive, selfish, and a disappointment—thoughts her dad has spent years implanting in her. Only after a friend helps her understand that her father is abusive is Lexie able to start to comprehend, with the help of her therapist, how unhealthy their relationship is. Azzam has a keen ear for realistic dialogue, which helps move the largely introspective story along. The characters make mistakes, hurt one another’s feelings, and can be inconsiderate and blunt, all behaviors that make them feel authentic. Though the plot is quiet, the constant emotional tension that exists between Lexie and nearly everyone around her will keep readers engaged and rooting for her to figure it all out. Includes an afterword by a friend of the author, details of the late author’s advocacy work, a list of red flags, and a Canadian help line resource. Most characters are cued white. VERDICT An important and educational exploration of emotional abuse.-Amanda MacGregor

You and Me on Repeat by Mary Shyne (text) & illus. by Mary Shyne. Holt. ISBN 9781250851857.
Gr 10 Up–When Chris wakes up and realizes he’s reliving his high school graduation day, he shrugs it off as a dream, but as the cycle repeats again and again, he begins to believe something strange is happening. The alarm, the texts from his friends, eating breakfast—it’s all familiar. He starts to change the details to get different outcomes. His main goal is to win a first kiss from his girlfriend Andy, who’s been mysteriously postponing intimacy. Enter his old friend Alicia, who reveals that she’s traveling in this time loop alongside him. The two had been close friends as children, but once middle school started, Chris left her behind. Now, as Alicia gives her valedictorian speech loop after loop, she helps Chris confront his fears. While trapped in this perpetual graduation day, Chris and Alicia navigate life’s uncertainties. Their exploration of time, regrets, and love eventually leads them to a place they never expected to be. Shyne has created a delightful story that highlights both the anxiety of adolescence and the joy of being young. Though the time loop trope is not new, the author pumps fresh life into it with quirky characters, humorous pranks, and realistic drawings. There are also meaningful lessons about grief, gratitude, and identity. The characters include LGBTQIA+ and immigrant representation. The handful of profanities throughout the text may make this inappropriate for younger teens. VERDICT A fast-moving coming-of-age tale that will appeal to teens who enjoy realistic graphic novels with a touch of science fiction.-Karin Greenberg