First Chapter Fridays

Episodes

1. 20

   First Chapter Fridays - Anger is a Gift

   “[this is a ] Powerful and timely debut novel. Oshiro deftly captures the simmering rage that ultimately transforms Moss from a quiet teenager to a committed activist against a brutal, menacing system,” (Publishers Weekly)

   Apr 16, 2020

   21m
2. 19

   First Chapter Fridays - The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet

   “I totally, untragically LOVE Hamlet. She deals with the insanity of her life in a way that is hilarious and painful...Huzzah for Hamlet Kennedy!”

   Apr 13, 2020

   11m
3. 18

   First Chapter Friday - As Brave As You

   “With subtlety and warmth, Reynolds offers a new definition of bravery.”

   Apr 8, 2020

   22m
4. 17

   First Chapter Fridays - Love Like Sky

   “Brims with charm and compassion. Readers will immediately be rooting for G-Baby, a girl with the biggest heart trying to help everyone around her.”

   Apr 7, 2020

   13m
5. 16

   First Chapter Friday - The House on Mango Street

   “Cisneros draws in her rich [Latino] heritage...and seduces with precise, spare prose creating unforgettable characters we want to lift off the page.”

   Apr 3, 2020

   5m
6. 15

   First Chapter Friday - Pieces of Why

   Jump in on Tia’s journey. “Singing was the answer, until the question changed.”

   Apr 2, 2020

   7m
7. 14

   First Chapter Fridays - For Everyone

   This novel in verse by Jason Reynolds is an excellent installment to our LitLiterature shelf. This book will “undoubtedly inspire, comfort, and validate anyone aspiring to make or do,” (SLF starred review).

   Apr 1, 2020

   6m
8. 13

   First Chapter Fridays - The Marrow Thieves

   A dystopian novel that I think you’ll all enjoy. “Powerful and endlessly smart, a crucial work of fiction,” Quill and Quire started review. “It’s about caring, about love, about how people can continue, and will continue...I highly recommend the Marrow Thieves,” Debbie Reese, American Indians in...

   Mar 31, 2020

   13m
9. 12

   First Chapter Friday - Crossover

   This novel in verse is sure to leave you on the edge of your seat! Alexander’s words are music. And beautiful. And gripping. A downright BEAST of a book!

   Mar 30, 2020

   6m
10. 11

    First Chapter Friday - So B. It

    Come hear the super short, but full of amazing craft, first chapter of this story. A story about a young girl’s search for the truth in her unconventional life.

    Mar 27, 2020

    4m
11. 10

    First Chapter Friday - I Am Malala

    “I am Malala. This is my story.” Malala Yousafzai was a young girl, only a freshman in high school, living in Pakistan. She always dreamed of changing the world. And she did.

    Mar 26, 2020

    12m
12. 9

    First Chapter Friday - Dear Martin

    You can’t get more real, current, raw and gripping than Dear Martin. With ties between the history of racism and today, Nic Stone presents the story of Justyce McAllister. A story you should all read.

    Mar 25, 2020

    11m
13. 8

    First Chapter Friday - Internment

    “A poignant and powerful exploration of a nightmare made real. It’s a testament to (the author’s) writing, then, that the heart of the story is one of hope. Read Internment by Samira Ahmed. Raise a fist.”

    Mar 24, 2020

    21m
14. 7

    First Chapter Friday - Other Words for Home

    This is “a hope-filled story that doesn’t pander but instead peels back layers of culture and identity, fear and prejudice, exile and belonging, all wrapped around a young Syrian girl - Jude. Checked with equal parts fear and moxie, Jude is a heart trying to figure out how to beat outside the…

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    Mar 23, 2020

    4m
15. 6

    First Chapter Friday - With the Fire on High

    This is the story of Emoni, a high school student with a talent in the kitchen. She’s also a teen mom and lives with her abuela (grandmother). This is “a dazzling story of a girl with talent, pride, and a drive to create that keeps her fire burning bright,” (Harper Teen).

    Mar 20, 2020

    8m
16. 5

    First Chapter Friday - The Help

    NPR.org said, “This could be one of the most important pieces of fiction since to kill a Mockingbird...If you read only one book...let this be it.” “The Help is about something. That is, something real. Something that matters,” (Huffington Post).

    Mar 19, 2020

    25m
17. 4

    First Chapter Fridays - The Westing Game

    This mystery is sure to be full of twists and turns! At the end of chapter one, I was left full of questions and begging for more!!!!

    Mar 18, 2020

    9m
18. 3

    First Chapter Friday - The Phantom Tollbooth

    This adventure novel is such a great story and has some real “Alice In Wonderland” vibes. I know you’ll enjoy it and the author’s great sense of punny humor! A classic...Humorous, full of warmth and real invention.” - The New Yorker

    Mar 18, 2020

    8m
19. 2

    First Chapter Friday - The Benefits of Being an Octopus

    I’m pumped to share this debut novel by Ann Braden with you all! “This is a compassionate look at poverty, hard choices, and defending one’s right to be treated humanely. A very fine first novel...” Karen Hesse

    Mar 17, 2020

    11m
20. 1

    First Chapter Friday - Never Caught: The Story of Ona Judge

    I’m so excited to share a non-fiction book with you! “Born into a life of slavery, Ona Judge grew up in the shadows, both at the Washingtons’ residence and in the first few decades of our new country...Readers will learn more about this little-known but powerful figure in history and Ona’s...

    Mar 17, 2020

    15m