Burn Baby Burn

Meg Medina's "Burn Baby Burn" plunges readers into the sweltering, fear-ridden summer of 1977 in New York City, where the Son of Sam killer stalks the streets. At its heart is Nora Lopez, a 17-year-old Cuban-American girl grappling with an increasingly violent younger brother, a dismissive mother, and the constant worry of rent and college applications. The novel masterfully weaves Nora's personal struggles for independence and safety with the broader historical context of the blackout, heatwave, and the pervasive fear of a serial killer, offering a gritty, poignant coming-of-age story. It's a powerful read for young adults exploring themes of resilience, family dynamics, and finding courage amidst chaos.

It is the summer of 1977, and New York is suffering under a heat wave, a massive blackout, and a killer named the Son of Sam, while seventeen-year-old Cuban American Nora Lopez wants to escape her increasingly violent younger brother and worries about college applications and paying rent to spend her days working at the deli with the cute new Colombian boy and her nights at the disco dancing with her best friend Kathleen.