Winter Reading 2023: Recommended reads for teens this holiday season!

There’s still some holiday time left and we're rounding out our Winter Reading series with some suggested books for secondary students to enjoy this season.

Check out recommendations for Grade 8-12 students from Semiahmoo Secondary teacher-librarian Maureen McDonough!

Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon

Evie isn't planning on falling in love with a boy named X, but the ballroom dancing competition forces them together and sparks fly! A romantic page-turner that will have you waltz, tango and fox-trot out of your seat, anxiously wondering if the two will find lasting love after the last dance.

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert

Former friends and academic rivals Bradley Graeme and Celine Bangura are used to being in competition with each other. But surprise, surprise, the two get paired up and have to compete as a team to win a survival course! Will they outlast the other teams? And more importantly, will they still be enemies, or is there a chance of becoming friends again?

The Brave by James Bird

Collin has OCD, making him a target for bullies while putting a strain on his relationship with his father. Struggling in school, Collin is sent to live with his estranged mother, who is Ojibwe, on a reservation, finding his new home to be warm and welcoming. This novel is a story about the collision of magic and reality, following his journey to find his cultural identity, acceptance and love after finding his true family.

One of Us Is Lying by Karen McManus

Five students are sitting in detention when one of them dies, and according to investigators, it wasn't an accident. Was it one of them, or are they being framed? This thriller is the perfect combination of romance, suspense and mystery. Plot twists at the turn of every page make it hard to put down!

There are lots of great books to choose for intermediate readers this holiday season! See also some primary reads recommended by Hazelgrove Elementary teacher-librarian Jennifer McLean and intermediate books from Lena Shaw Elementary teacher-librarian KD McArthur.

Thanks for checking out our Winter Reading series -- see you at school on Jan. 8th!