Coming-of-Age Archives - Plugged In

Island of Whispers

Bob Hoose — Tue, 28 May 2024 15:12:21 +0000

On the misty island of Merlack, the lingering dead will cause great harm if they’re not carried to a place where they can move on. And with his father’s murder, young Milo must take on the job … of the ferryman.

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Fog & Fireflies

Bob Hoose — Tue, 30 Apr 2024 17:07:59 +0000

In Ogma’s world, only children can fend off a foul fog that threatens everyone over a certain age. And now this 14-year-old girl must also face an even larger danger: an all-powerful wizard.

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Once a Queen

Bob Hoose — Mon, 08 Jan 2024 20:19:55 +0000

American Eva Joyce has never met her English grandmother. But when she spends the summer at the family’s mysterious manor house, she finds hidden secrets of a fantastic world behind magic portals.

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A First Time for Everything

Bob Hoose — Wed, 27 Dec 2023 17:11:41 +0000

Dan Santat would rather stay home for the summer. But his parents insist that he travel to Europe with some of his classmates. He does so, and as the days go by, Dan makes new friends and experiences a whole new world. When the end of the trip comes, Dan finds it harder to say goodbye than he ever thought possible.

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The Labors of Hercules Beal

Bob Hoose — Mon, 11 Dec 2023 17:22:39 +0000

After Hercules Beal’s life comes crashing down, he finds himself living under the watchful eye of his brother and adjusting to a new school. To make matters worse, his teacher gives him a yearlong project: reenact the 12 labors of Hercules from Greek mythology. As the year goes on, Hercules makes new friends, accomplishes impossible feats and discovers that his life might not be over after all.

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Mountains of Our Own: A Teen’s Journey to Find Her Gift

Bob Hoose — Tue, 17 Oct 2023 16:35:03 +0000

Fifteen-year-old Faith has struggled with the daily agonies of epilepsy for a decade now. Still, she’s been able to gain dear friends and enjoy life with them. But they all have special gifts while she … doesn’t seem to have any. Did God overlook her?

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The Infinity Particle

Bob Hoose — Mon, 02 Oct 2023 14:01:09 +0000

The Infinity Particle is a science-fiction graphic novel that dives into the idea of human/AI romance, but it has some harsh language and other elements to consider as well.

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The Windeby Puzzle

Bob Hoose — Mon, 18 Sep 2023 15:21:05 +0000

Estrild wants to break free from what people expect her to be in this Iron-Age society and show women that there is more to life than children and chores. Varick wants to prove he isn’t as disabled as everyone believes him to be. But to reach those goals, both discover that courage is vital.

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The Kate in Between

Bob Hoose — Mon, 11 Sep 2023 15:59:29 +0000

Twelve-year-old Kate is lauded online as a hero for saving her best friend’s life. But when she thinks about everything she’s done, she’s not so sure she’s even a very good friend.

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David Copperfield

Bob Hoose — Mon, 07 Aug 2023 12:00:00 +0000

They say, “Write what you know.”

It seems Charles Dickens used this advice in his semi-autobiographical novel, David Copperfield. Both Charles and his fictional creation, young Davey, overcome childhood adversity using it to inspire their works as prolific authors.

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