Tag: near future

cover of Outside
Posted in MG Novels, So Many Good Books

Outside

Posted on by Susan Uhlig

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Outside (Scholastic Press, 2025) by Jennifer L. Holm is a compelling story set in the near future. I found it difficult to put down. The story also has several surprising twists.

Since the Great Poisoning Razzi has never been Outside. Neither have the other six, I mean five, kids in the Refuge. She’s the oldest kid and the others look up to her, so Razzi always follows the rules–especially since Ollie died. But when a sprained knee turns into something else, Razzi has other strange things happen, that get her in trouble.

Scroll down on the main page of Jennifer’s website and you can watch a video teaser for this novel. Also read her bio here. You can see all her book titles by clicking on the 3 stacked lines in the upper right corner and clicking on books.

Previously, I’ve recommended two of Jennifer’s other books: Turtle in Paradise and Penny from Heaven.

cover of Internment
Posted in So Many Good Books, YA Novels

Internment

Posted on by Susan Uhlig

Internment (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, Hachette, 2019) by Samira Ahmed might be even more of an important read than it was when it first came out. Or perhaps I should say, this powerful book continues to be important.

Here are two of the lines on the first page that really give you a sense of what’s coming. “Most of the town is at the book burning, so I should be safe. Or, at least, safer.” Scary? Yes!

In a horrible near future story, 17-year-old Layla Amin and her parents are forced into an internment camp for Muslim Americans. Her boyfriend is on the outside. She, her new friends, and boyfriend, fight for their freedom.

This novel was nominated for the Goodreads Choice Awards for Young Adult Fiction Best Books 2019, chosen as a Semifinalist Best Fiction for Young Adults 2019-2020, on the Georgia Peach Book Award List 2020-2021, on the Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Awards List sponsored by the Pennsylvania School Librarians Association, was nominated for the Lincoln Award 2021, and the Winner of the Pennsylvania State Literacy Association’s Keystone to Reading Secondary Book Award for 2020-2021.

Read about this bestselling author here. Samira writes young adult, middle grade, comics, and is in and has edited anthologies. Read more here.

cover of Alone
Posted in Award Winners, MG Novels, So Many Good Books

Alone

Posted on by Susan Uhlig

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Alone (Aladdin, 2021) by Megan E. Freeman is a fascinating near future novel-in-verse that shouldn’t be missed.

Twelve-year-old Maddie wakes up in her small Colorado town and finds herself completely alone. No family. No friends. No neighbors. Not even strangers. Maddie discovers a rottweiler named George, and must keep them both alive without electricity, running water, or anyone to help.

This was a hard to put down story. I love that we along with Maddie don’t know what happened.

And it has won many awards:
Alone is a “New York Times bestseller, winner of the Colorado Book Award, the High Plains Book Award, the California, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Japan, Maine, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nebraska, and Vermont Children’s Book Awards, an NCTE Notable Verse Novel, and named on dozens of ‘best of’ book lists.” Wow!

Just this month, a companion book set in the same story universe, has come out. It’s called Away. I’m really looking forward to it.

Read about Megan here.