The steamy city, the packed streets, the specter of back-to-school that hovers ominously over the middle of August… leave it all behind with some escapist YA picks that transport readers to faraway lands.

Let’s Get Lost by Adi Alsaid
Hit the road with Leila, who’s driving from Louisiana to Alaska to see the Northern Lights in Alaska and meeting four compelling strangers along the way.

 

 

 

 

 

Mermaid in Chelsea Creek by Michelle Tea
Witches and mermaids are made real in this dark-magic tale that starts in a bleak, dirty, urban creek. Tea’s newly released sequel, Girl at the Bottom of the Sea, takes the mermaids from Massachusetts to Poland.

 

 

 

 

The Clockwork Scarab by Colleen Gleason
Sherlock Holmes meets vampires meets turn-of-the-century London in this tale of two detective heroines.

 

 

 

 

A Book of Spirits and Thieves by Morgan Rhodes
When two sisters open a package that arrived at their family’s bookstore, they release an ancient magic and a dangerous secret that sends readers on a suspenseful, fantastical journey.

 

 

 

 

Wildlife by Fiona Wood
Two 16-year-olds take turns narrating their summer adventures at a mandatory outdoor-education program in this U.S. debut from a popular Australian author.

 

 

 

 

 

Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman
The follow-up to the popular Seraphina features a desperate race to find more halflings—half-humans and half-dragons—like Seraphina herself.  

 

 

 

 

 

The Kiss of Deception by Mary Pearson
After Princess Lia escapes her own wedding, she tries to disappear into a new life as a common barmaid… until two strangers find her. Hunger Games fans will find much to love in this tricky romance.

 

 

 

 

Staff picks are chosen by NYPL staff members and are not intended to be comprehensive lists. We'd love to hear your picks! Leave a comment and tell us what you’d recommend.