Due to uncertainty about large public gatherings this fall, the Battle of the Books (BOB) competition has been postponed until October 2021. We (librarians and BOB coaches Lauren and Kat) are glad this decision has been made in the interest of safety… but we worry we’ll miss our BOB team too much!

So, we’re excited to begin a monthly virtual book club for teens. Each month, we’ll read and discuss a book that’s available with unlimited copies on Hoopla. We’ll also keep our BOB skills sharp with Jeopardy games, trivia questions, and maybe even drills to improve our speed on the buzzers. This book club is open to all teens in grades 6-12, whether you’re interested in BOB or not.

This month’s selection is The June Boys by Court Stevens, a mystery with enough suspense to keep me (Kat) awake reading way past my bedtime. In rural Tennessee, the Gemini Thief kidnaps three boys every year on June first. This year, Thea’s cousin Aulus has gone missing, and she’s determined to unmask the Gemini Thief and rescue Aulus. But Thea’s detective work takes an unpleasant turn when her own father is arrested as a suspect in the case. Keep track of your guesses about the Gemini Thief’s identity along the way, and we’ll compare notes at our meeting: Friday, June 5th, at 6:30 p.m. To attend, access Zoom with this link on 6/5.

The June Boys is available in both eBook and digital audiobook format on Hoopla and in eBook and digital audiobook format on OverDrive.