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Readers of The Champions by Kara Thomas will enter the world of high school, where dance team and football team drama runs high. In this world, the Sunnybrook Tigers are legendary, but their legacy of winning is tainted by a shady past, and in some circles, Sunnybrook is known as the Town of Death. But the town’s identity is tied to the Tigers, so a lot of people have a vested interest in protecting the town’s reputation. Therefore, when senior Hadley Daugherty dares to write an article about “The Other Champions,” the dance team athletes that include Team Captain Alix Maroney, she is ridiculed. ButRead More →

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In much the same way that Laurie Halse Anderson with Speak in 1999 aimed to shed light on the subjects of sexual assault, mental health, and forming an identity throughout one’s teenage years, Amber Smith chronicles the challenges of Eden McCrorey in her book The Way I Am Now (2023). Raped when she was barely fourteen, Eden struggles to acknowledge compliments and accepts only the love she things she deserves. Eden is afraid she will need depression, anti-anxiety, and sleeping medication forever. Although she feels things deeply and completely, Eden disconnects herself from most of what she loves: playing the clarinet and connecting at aRead More →