We suggest: 2021 fall reads for teens

by Alexander Gutierrez, Teen Services Librarian

With summer coming to an end and classes back in session, it’s a great time to fall into a fresh new read! 

These titles aren’t pumpkin spice-flavored or apple cider-infused, but they are a pretty sweet pick-me-up for the upcoming chilly weather that will hopefully chase away this tedious heat. Get them while they’re hot but please don’t sprinkle cinnamon on them!

Below are just a few upcoming titles; copies are limited, so place your holds now!

Fresh fall reads for teens



Not Here to be Liked by Michelle Quach

Expected publishing date: September 14

Description: When her essay about sexism goes viral, Eliza Quan finds herself at the helm of a feminist movement she never meant to start and forced to work side-by-side against her enemy to demonstrate civility, which leads to something unexpected.

Find it in the catalog »

White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson

Published: August 17

Description: A captivating take on a classic haunted house story, this multilayered modern tale is about a teenage girl named Mari and her newly blended family who move from California into an old house in a run-down Midwestern neighborhood.

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Beasts of Prey by Ayana Gray

Expected publication date: September 28

Description: In this series opener, fate binds two Black teenagers together as they strike a dangerous alliance to hunt down the ancient creature menacing their home—and discover much more than they bargained for.

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Before We Disappear by Shaun David Hutchinson

Expected publication date: September 28

Description: The Prestige meets What If It’s Us, this queer ahistorical fantasy is set during the 1909 Seattle Alaska–Yukon–Pacific Exposition, where the two assistants of two ambitious magicians find themselves falling in love amidst a bitter rivalry designed to tear them apart.

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Time Will Tell by Barry Lyga

Expected publishing date: September 28

Description: Alternating between present-day and 1986, this gripping novel follows four teens as they dig up a time capsule that their parents buried and unearth a secret that someone is willing to kill for.

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Revolution in Our Time: The Black Panther Party's Promise to the People by Kekla Magoon

Expected publishing date: September 28

Description: With passion and precision, Kekla Magoon relays an essential account of the Black Panthers—as militant revolutionaries and as human rights advocates working to defend and protect their community.

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You'd Be Home Now by Kathleen Glasgow

Expected publishing date: September 28

Description: After she and her stoner older brother are involved in a car accident that killed Candy MontClaire, Emory, who has always been told who she is, must decide for herself who she wants to be in a town riddled with secrets. Inspired by the American classic Our Town, this is the modern story of a town and the secret lives people live there. And the story of a girl, figuring out life in all its pain and beauty and struggle and joy.

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Kneel by Candace Buford

Expected publishing date: September 14

Description: When his best friend is unfairly arrested and kicked off the team, Russell Boudreaux kneels during the national anthem in an effort to fight for justice and, in an instant, falls from local stardom to become a target of hatred.

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Alexander Guiterrez

About Alex

Teen Services Librarian Alexander likes science fiction novels and the occasional graphic novel. He also enjoys discussing literary criticisms of classic literature, his favorite being Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger.