Looking for a book that’ll blow your mind (in a good way)? Check out the latest ParnassusNext pick, selected by our manager of books for young readers, Stephanie:
Author Laini Taylor signing books. Could this copy be yours?
Two hundred years ago, cruel gods descended on a beautiful city, and the city was lost to the world. Even the name of the city itself vanished from minds and from dreams. Though the gods were vanquished by a mighty warrior, their mysterious floating citadel remains, stealing the sky from the denizens of Weep. Now the orphaned dreamer Lazlo Strange will try to reclaim the sky above his beloved city. Unbeknownst to Lazlo, however, five godspawn, the magically gifted children of gods and humans, have been living in secret on the citadel for years. The godspawn will do anything to stay hidden — and to stay alive.
Strange the Dreamer is a lyrical, wildly imaginative, epic fantasy as only Laini Taylor could write. Its sentences drip with gorgeous, evocative language. In Taylor’s world, the sublime and the terrifying exist as two sides of the same coin. Her characters are haunted: By the past, by their dreams, and above all, by stories. The story of the lost city of Weep, a story both beautiful and full of monsters, will linger long after its last page, as all the best stories do.
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Here are a few more books our resident story-lovers are wild about for young readers:
Imagine coming back from near death. After Eden spent months in a coma, that’s exactly what she did, and now nothing is the same. She doesn’t fit anywhere. She longs for the safety and rest she experienced while comatose. When she meets Joe, who visits another coma patient named Jasmine, she becomes convinced she’s the only one who can really reach Jasmine. After all, she saw Jasmine while she was under… didn’t she? Perfect for lovers of lush, gorgeous language, this book explores love, life, death, and that murky place in between.
Love is love is love is love. But when tall, muscular Dylan — nicknamed “Beast” at his school — falls for a transgender girl, will he see it that way? This book is perfect for fans of Meredith Russo’s If I Was Your Girland explores the nature of love and identity, as well as the complicated bonds with childhood friends and parents.
Jade, a sophomore in a prestigious private school, navigates the systems of race, class, and privilege, while simultaneously piecing together her own identity, which culminates in her finding her own voice. I loved seeing pieces of myself represented in the characters both physically and socially, but I most appreciate learning with Jade and drawing from the experiences I am unfamiliar with.
“Hello, I hope someone is listening…” Welcome to Universe City. Welcome to Frances and Aled and Carys and Daniel. Let this book draw you into its mysteries — you will be utterly delighted you did.
For independent readers (older elementary / middle school):
Steffy has lived with her aunt since she was 3, when her mom moved to The Place after an accident and her dad left. Now he’s back. She uses her cooking skills and her mom’s old cookbook for a big school project that may help her understand her unusual family and unravel their secrets.
13-year-old Genevieve makes a rash decision and doesn’t board the train to start her journey home to America in 1939. Life with her grandmother in the Nazi-occupied village is full of danger, betrayal, and glimmers of hope as Gen works in the Resistance movement.
Meet Spork! He’s a utensil who just can’t seem to find his place at the table with the other forks and spoons. Read this with kids who loved Not Quite Narwhal and enjoy the ways we can celebrate being different.
Beast 
Radio Silence 
One Hundred Spaghetti Strings 
Musing 