Children's Books for 9–12 Year Olds

1039 children's books for 9–12 year olds, sorted by rating — page 5 of 11.

Good Night, Good Night

Sandra Boynton

With the help of several animal characters, this picture book takes a look at the bedtime ritual.

Good Rosie!

Kate DiCamillo

Beloved storyteller Kate DiCamillo and cartoonist Harry Bliss introduce some delightfully doggy dogs in a warm, funny tale of a timid pup who needs a friend. Rosie is a good dog and a faithful companion to her owner, George. She likes taking walks with George and looking at the clouds together, but

Goodnight, My Love! (English Haitian Creole Bilingual Children's Book)

Shelley Admont

English Haitian Creole kids' book. Perfect for kids studying English or Haitian as their second language. Alex finds it hard to go to sleep.

Gooney Bird on the Map

Lois Lowry

Gooney Bird Greene returns for another rollicking classroom adventure in this fifth installment of two-time Newbery Award Winner Lois Lowry's Gooney Bird series.

Goose and the Mountain Lion

Marian Harris

The other animals in the barn suspect a mountain lion of stealing Goose's eggs, but when they stand guard, the eggs keep disappearing anyway.

Grace Hopper

Laurie Wallmark

“If you’ve got a good idea, and you know it’s going to work, go ahead and do it.” The inspiring story of Grace Hopper—the boundary-breaking woman who revolutionized computer science—is told told in an engaging picture book biography. Who was Grace Hopper? A software tester, workplace jester, cherish

GRACE PERIOD

selling the house, Mateus has the opportunity to leave the past behind, but the re\u002Demergence of the much denuded Graça in his life, along with his introduction to her chaotic, sensualist daughter, Natália, and Alberta’s steady, phlegmatic decline forces Mateus to confront the fact that the past may be the only time in his life that still feels worth living. Through prose that is both melancholy and brutally keen, this midcentury master’s eye for the scintillating detail at the heart of even the most mundane observation loses nothing in its translation from its original language, culture, or time."

This gritty contemporary novel follows a high school senior navigating the complex aftermath of a family tragedy while trying to secure her college future. The narrative masterfully captures the over...

GRAND FINALES

religion, the Civil Rights Movement, and social injustice to find new outlets for their talents and new ways to engage with the world. Gubar cites many other aging women—artist Faith Ringgold and designer Iris Apfel, and writers Grace Paley, Ursula K. Le Guin, Margaret Atwood, and Annie Ernaux, among others, to ring in on the lively possibilities—of productivity, connection, and reinvention—in one’s last years."

This collection of book reviews offers young readers and their parents a curated guide to contemporary children's literature, providing thoughtful analysis of plot, character development, and age-app...

Grandpa Green

Lane Smith

A child explores the ordinary life of his extraordinary great-grandfather, as expressed in his topiary garden.

GRAY DAWN

Genre

This gripping dystopian thriller plunges readers into a world where color has been systematically erased, creating a stark, gray existence that serves as a powerful metaphor for conformity and contro...

Great Joy (midi edition)

Kate DiCamillo

"Newbery Medalist DiCamillo spins a tale of compassion and holiday warmth." — Publishers Weekly (starred review) A New York Times Bestseller A Time Magazine Top 10 Book of the Year Four starred reviews (Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal) It is just before Christmas

Greenwitch

Susan Cooper

The Drew siblings must face a powerful creature from the ocean depths to reclaim the golden grail in this third installment of Susan Cooper’s epic and award-winning The Dark Is Rising Sequence, now with a brand-new look! The priceless golden grail that Simon, Jane, and Barney Drew worked so hard to

Gregor and the Marks of Secret (The Underland Chronicles #4)

Suzanne Collins

Follow Gregor in fourth gripping adventure in Suzanne Collins's masterful New York Times bestselling Underland Chronicles! Now, in the fourth book in Suzanne Collins's New York Times bestselling series, Gregor is drawn into a crisis. For generations, rats have run the mice--or "nibblers"--out of wha

Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane

Suzanne Collins

Spies have reported the sighting of a Rat King in the Underland, a character who has been legendary since the Middle Ages. Recognizable by its tremendous size and snow-white coat, the Rat King is destined to bring a World War to the Underland.

GUEST PRIVILEGES

Genre

This provocative young adult novel explores the complex dynamics of privilege and power through the lens of an exclusive boarding school, where social hierarchies dictate every interaction. The narra...

GUTS

Raina Telgemeier

In a semi-autobiographical graphic novel, the author describes her childhood anxiety, in a story about growing up and gathering the courage to face and conquer her fears.

H. G. Wells

Dennis Abrams

The early life of Herbert George Wells was filled with poverty, injuries, failed apprenticeships, brief periods of schooling, and the breakdown of his parents' marriage.;Yet, somehow he overcame it all to become one of the worl.

Half a World Away

Cynthia Kadohata

The new novel from a Newbery Medalist and National Book Award winner. Eleven-year-old Jaden, an emotionally damaged adopted boy, feels a connection to a small, weak toddler with special needs in Kazakhstan, where Jaden's family is trying to adopt a "normal" baby.

HALF PASS SIX

the naturalist William Beebe to study ocean life—first in the Sargasso Sea, and then off the coast of the Galápagos Islands. After the voyage ended, Beebe, with co\u002Dauthor Ruth Rose, published a bestselling account of the journey. Rohrbein was aware of this fact, but it wasn’t until more than 30 years later, when his teenage daughter gave him a handsome hardcover edition of the book, that he gave it much thought. “He was not the kind to read books,” his now\u002Dadult daughter, Lockhart, writes. “The Daily News was enough.” Rohrbein had watched Beebe excitedly dredge specimens from the depths of the ocean, but he’d never understood the meaning of the work. In this blend of history and biography, Lockhart records her father’s firsthand experiences of the expedition, informed by the written account of Beebe, whom the young Rohrbein saw as a sort of parental figure\u003B Rohrbein’s father died years before the expedition. The narrative proves to be an investigation not only into Beebe’s revolutionary nautical discoveries aboard the Arcturus but also into the author’s family history, as Lockhart seeks to understand her taciturn parent, who, in turn, plumbs the depths of his younger years. Lockhart, a novelist, writes with measured lyricism: “Maybe all his life he’s wanted to be back at sea and not be connected to any land at all,” she wonders about her father. “The sea was a new beginning, an introduction to the world between the lands, the world with depths so infinite that it stayed hidden from view.” With its ruminations on migration and finding life in unlikely places, this is a book that will sink deep into the reader’s consciousness."

This compelling narrative weaves together marine biology exploration and personal history, chronicling a young man's transformative journey aboard the Arcturus expedition with naturalist William Beeb...

HAND IN HAND

the handsome, enigmatic luminary. He is 33, married, and the father of five children, all of whom he left (but still supports) for the love of another woman…whom he has also left. Miriam and Nyezhiner meet at a gathering where a collection of poets, essayists, and novelists are exchanging ideas. Later, the two take a walk across the Williamsburg Bridge in a gentle interlude that signals the beginning of what will become a 30\u002Dyear love affair. Although drawn to the moody poet, Miriam is cautious. Still a teenager when she married and had her daughter Dinaleh, she now needs to find her own path. Nyezhimer, on the other hand, quickly becomes obsessed with her. After a painful confrontation with her husband David (“he came closer, very close, then raised his hand and gave her face a hard slap”), Miriam moves in with her brother, sister\u002Din\u002Dlaw, and mother. A distraught Nyezhimer searches for her, occasionally waiting through the night in the street outside her brother’s house. Veprinski’s dramatic autobiographical novel traces the first tumultuous year of the relationship between the author (Miriam in the novel) and the lyric poet Mani Leyb (Nyezhiner). Ellen Cassedy and Anita Norich have translated the melancholy narrative, first published in Yiddish in 1971\u003B they have beautifully captured the rhythms, humor, and intimacy of the original text. The story is a detailed portrait of a time, place, and culture. Populated by a large cast of Yiddish writers of the day (all of the names have been changed), the novel engages readers with an intriguing variety of artistic personalities and temperaments. "

This counting book offers a fresh approach to early math concepts through rhythmic text and vibrant illustrations that follow children's daily activities. Each number from one to ten is introduced th...

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

J.K. Rowling

'Give me Harry Potter,' said Voldemort's voice, 'and none shall be harmed. Give me Harry Potter, and I shall leave the school untouched. Give me Harry Potter, and you will be rewarded.' As he climbs into the sidecar of Hagrid's motorbike and takes to the skies, leaving Privet Drive for the last time

HATCHET

Gary Paulsen

This award-winning contemporary classic is the survival story with which all others are compared—and a page-turning, heart-stopping adventure, recipient of the Newbery Honor. Hatchet has also been nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read. Thirteen-year-old Bri

HATE REVISITED!

Genre

This collection of critical essays offers a raw, unflinching examination of contemporary hatred across social, political, and cultural landscapes. The author dissects the mechanisms of animosity with...

HEARTBEATS

1980, atop his sport, fame and media scrutiny fed “a creeping sense of panic.” He retired at 26, a decision he regrets, for he “sank” even lower. He got “hooked” on cocaine, made some business mistakes, and now regards the 1990s as a “lost” decade. Though Borg was drug\u002Dfree during his career, his “memories are fewer” about his biggest wins. When you play well, he explains, it’s “like you’re in a trance.” Accordingly, his accounts of his 11 major tournament titles are sometimes terse. He declines to explain, for instance, how he transcended his relative struggles on Wimbledon’s “fast grass” to eventually win five times. He divulges no hard feelings about his great rivalry with John McEnroe, instead sharing an Odd Couple\u002Desque anecdote about pausing a match to counsel the high\u002Dstrung American: “John, it’s only a game.” Borg is forthright about his failings as a father, insightful about the elite competitor’s mindset, and funny on puny 1970s paydays. He was so focused on the next challenge that he’d leave just\u002Dwon trophies in hotels. He lugged a “Santa sack” containing $1 bills on a flight. Borg recently had prostate cancer surgery. He intends “to beat” the disease. As this likable book shows, he’s still a battler. "

This powerful collection of poetry explores the complex emotional landscape of adolescence, giving voice to the turbulent feelings, first loves, and identity questions that define the teenage years. ...

HEIRESSES

virtue of their wealth, became sought\u002Dafter wives by men of all classes. These heiresses owned, managed, or had financial interests in plantations that depended on slave labor, which the women were well aware of and condoned. All, Kaufmann asserts, willfully disregarded the suffering their fortunes depended on. Drawing on family papers, letters, diaries, and portraits, Kaufmann offers richly detailed biographies of the women, along with many of the men and women whom they enslaved. She depicts the back\u002Dbreaking labor required of plantation workers, their degrading living conditions, and the abuse they suffered at the hands of owners, overseers, lawyers, and governors. She depicts, as well, those who rebelled: Betsy Newton, for example, one of 400 enslaved people on a sugar plantation in Barbados, who traveled to London to petition for freedom for herself and her children. The heiresses profiled, Kaufmann reveals, are only a small number of at least 150 other women whose marriages brought wealth to Britain. And plantation owners were only part of the nation’s profiteering from slavery: Britons “invested in slaving voyages, either through direct ownership or by becoming shareholders. Some insured the ships.” Others provided manacles and guns. Importers bought sugar, rum, coffee, and tobacco produced by enslaved workers. Kaufmann discovered that some of her own ancestors were involved in trafficking Africans\u003B two family members were Liverpool slavers. She hopes, through this examination of Caribbean women, to raise awareness of the web of connections to slavery throughout Georgian Britain—connections that persist into the present—and to begin a process of making amends."

This gripping novel plunges readers into the glittering, cutthroat world of ultra-wealthy teenage girls, where immense fortunes and family legacies dictate every friendship and rivalry. The story fol...

HEKATE

Genre

This gripping YA fantasy introduces readers to the powerful goddess of magic and crossroads, weaving ancient mythology into a modern coming-of-age narrative. The story follows a young protagonist's d...

HELLO SUNSHINE

a change in color scheme, can disrupt the flow as readers pause to figure out what’s going on. Most central characters present white, and Izzy and Skylar are Asian."

This vibrant picture book offers a joyful introduction to weather patterns and seasonal changes through the eyes of a curious child exploring their backyard. Young readers will delight in spotting th...

Hello, Universe

Erin Entrada Kelly

Winner of the Newbery Medal “A charming, intriguingly plotted novel.”—Washington Post Newbery Medalist Erin Entrada Kelly’s Hello, Universe is a funny and poignant neighborhood story about unexpected friendships. Told from four intertwining points of view—two boys and two girls—the novel celebrates

Henry and Beezus

Beverly Cleary

Includes an excerpt from Henry and Ribsy.

Henry Bobbity Is Missing

Mark Childress

Aimed at children aged 4 to 8, this fantasy tale has Billy Bobbity banishing his brother from their messy room. But, he soon regrets his action and begins the search for the missing Henry.

HERE WE GO

and Sandy Hazelip “met at a medical mission conference in Dallas” just a few months after Sandy was widowed. The two hit it off and realized that they made not only great friends but also ideal traveling companions. They write, “Traveling together—relying on each other in new thrilling and challenging situations\u003B sharing the intense pleasures of discovery, as well as the humdrum hassles of the journey—has cemented what was already a profound and sustaining friendship.” In this book, they reminisce on their past travels—always on a budget—and their ambitious plan to travel around the world in 80 days at the age of 81. The women not only document their journeys but also make meaning out of their experiences through lessons learned along the way. Braving the “Drake Shake” on board a ship to Antarctica and a three\u002Dhour camel ride across the desert to a Bedouin encampment—and dodging the Russian secret police on the Trans\u002DSiberian Railway—the women reinforce the idea that “aging doesn’t have to mean inertia.” The ebullient narratorial voice, inspirational chapter headings, and well\u002Dchosen anecdotes make the book feel less like a text and more like a conversation between friends. Occasionally, the women’s naïveté of their white privilege tests the reader’s empathy, as when they find themselves stranded in Syria and straining the resources of their hosts, or when they treat sleeper cars, which are common among many socioeconomic classes in the global south, as potentially dangerous. "

This vibrant counting book takes young readers on a lively journey through numbers 1 to 10, using rhythmic text and bold illustrations to build early math skills. The simple, repetitive structure mak...

HEROBEAR AND THE KID VOL. 1

Genre

This charming graphic novel introduces a young boy who inherits a magical teddy bear that transforms into a heroic protector, blending everyday childhood experiences with extraordinary superhero adve...

HIDE & SEEK WITH CLYDE & MONIQUE

Genre

This engaging picture book transforms the classic game of hide-and-seek into an interactive counting adventure, following two playful characters as they search for their hidden friends throughout vib...

HIGH HOPES

Genre

This vibrant picture book offers young readers an inspiring journey through the power of determination and resilience, following a young protagonist who refuses to give up on their ambitious dream. T...

Hispanic Heritage Coloring Book

Carole Marsh

Kids learn Hispanic heritage facts as they color in this educational coloring book. NEW! NUEVO! FREE! GRATIS! Hispanic Activities! CLICK HERE!

HISTORY MATTERS

me.” Some of McCullough’s appreciations here are of writers who are not much read these days, such as Herman Wouk and Paul Horgan\u003B a long piece concerns a president who’s been largely lost in the shuffle too, Harry Truman, whose decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan McCullough defends. At his best here, McCullough uses history as a way to orient thinking about the present, and with luck to good ends: “I am a short\u002Drange pessimist and a long\u002Drange optimist. I sincerely believe that we may be on the way to a very different and far better time.”"

This comprehensive history resource offers young readers an engaging journey through pivotal moments that shaped our world, presenting complex historical events with remarkable clarity and narrative ...

HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES

Genre

This comprehensive volume offers young readers an engaging journey through America's past, from indigenous civilizations through modern times, presenting historical events with clarity and vivid stor...

Hogwash!

Karma Wilson

When his stubborn pigs refuse a sudsy cleaning, a determined farmer learns that mud baths can be just as fun.

Holes

Louis Sachar

20 Years in Print Winner of the National Book Award TIME Magazine's 100 Best YA Books of All Time “Dazzling” —Publishers Weekly, starred review “Heartrending” —The Horn Book, starred review “Brilliant” —School Library Journal, starred review “Engrossing” —Kirkus Reviews “A joyful, eerie tour de forc

HOLLYWOOD HIGH

extension, the American teenager." />

This vibrant novel offers an unflinching look at the high school experience through the lens of Hollywood's competitive performing arts scene, where ambitious teens navigate auditions, friendships, a...

Homemade Fun

Rae Grant

Homemade Fun is Rae Grant's third charming family activity book. Like the previous books in the series, Homemade Fun offers a generous collection of classic activities for kids and families who enjoy making creative projects at home, paired with delightful vintage art throughout. Parents, especially

HONEY AND HEAT

her father, Rich, for years. Instead, Rich hires Rohit because he reminds the older man of himself—a hard\u002Dworking Indian Canadian immigrant financially supporting his family in India—and hopes Rohit will assume the role of CEO when Rich eventually retires. But when a local newspaper prints an article about the hostile work environment of Kumar Construction, Rich tasks them both with improving employee morale and creating lasting change within the company. After an initial power struggle, Cynthia realizes that Rohit is on her side and allows herself to trust him—in the boardroom and the bedroom. But when Rich fails to see Cynthia’s contributions and announces that he’ll be retiring and leaving the company to his new protégé, all their teamwork can’t erase the hurt it creates in Cynthia. There’s plenty of heat and tension in this rivals\u002Dto\u002Dlovers workplace romance. Cynthia’s black cat energy is an excellent foil to Rohit’s golden retriever adoration, and both characters are given the space to grow and show up for one another. While the secondary characters are a little one\u002Ddimensional, the complicated family dynamics, snappy banter, and spicy sex scenes more than make up for it. Readers will appreciate the empowering Desi representation, a feminist heroine, and a love interest more interested in uplifting and supporting her than challenging her."

This fiery romance follows a young chef who returns to her small hometown to save her family's struggling restaurant, only to clash with the ambitious farmer whose organic honey operation threatens h...

HOOVES OF DEATH

a magical herd of unicorns who happen to be immune to their plague. When food runs scarce, unicorn sergeant Glitter is sent on a scouting mission and stumbles upon Kate, a fierce blond, blue\u002Deyed girl who’s living on her own. The pair team up with two other strong unicorns, but it seems the undead aren’t their only enemy—Kate is being hunted by a Grim, a black wolflike henchman of Death himself. During their quest to unravel the cause of humanity’s downfall, they encounter mischievous sirens and their beefy boyfriends (who are being held hostage), zombie gnomes, a band of Bigfoots, and even a vampire. Though the creatures aren’t the biggest fans of humans, it becomes clear through the nefarious involvement of the horsemen of the apocalypse that Kate just may be the key to ending all the suffering. The violence and general despair balance the cuteness. Bragg’s unicorns are deceptively adorable, even with grenades hanging around their necks and rainbow blood dripping from the zombie bites on their bodies. A sinister cliffhanger will leave readers neighing for the next installment of these heroes’ quest. "

This gripping thriller plunges readers into a high-stakes world where a deadly equine virus, engineered as a biological weapon, threatens to decimate global food supplies and trigger societal collaps...

HOT WAX

Genre

This gritty coming-of-age novel plunges readers into the raw, fluorescent-lit world of a late-night roller rink, where a teenage protagonist navigates the complex social hierarchies and personal betr...

HOTBLOOD! VOL. 1

a sinister sphinx, Elen. Evander’s task is to kill Asa Langley, who’s the director of central west operations for Wakefield Steel and “crazy enough to eat the devil with horns on.” Instead of murdering Asa, Evander works for him, and a turbulent romantic entanglement develops. The pair travels through the United States. After first meeting in Iowa, they make a stop in Davidson, “a shithole town in Wyoming” that has a mine, and the Colorado territory Lynd, where Asa wants to build a railroad connecting to Denver. Evander and Asa consider living in Deseret, a provisional Western state that the inhabitants believe was Jesus’ final resting spot\u003B it’s also a place rich in uranium, copper, and iron. After the duo’s plans are disrupted, Evander eventually gains information about some puzzling questions, helping him make an important decision about his life and relationship with Asa. Using minimal and muted color tones reminiscent of sepia photographs, Orlesky skillfully renders images of an older America, though one inhabited by both humans and nonhumans. In this engrossing series opener, the engaging drawings depict multiple intriguing angles. One frame zooms in on Evander’s hooves crossing a railroad bridge while the next pulls back to show the centaur and a man as small shapes silhouetted against a panoramic sky. Marred by inner pain, Asa and Evander conceal it with laconic language. Their psychological battle, as they struggle not to kill or be killed, can get intense (and confusing), but wordlessly touching each other seems to bring them relief. Through Orlesky’s haunting illustrations of the uninhabited Western landscapes, wide open and natural, readers will get the sense of a land filled with promise and possibility that men like Asa exploit for personal gain."

This high-octane manga debut plunges readers into a world where supernatural creatures secretly live among humans, centering on a hot-headed young man who discovers his own fiery powers aren't just f...

HOTEL MELIKOV

the People’s Party—its deputy leader is a former colleague of his in the fish business—and then by royalists to spy on the other side. Back and forth he goes, double\u002Dtalking his way out of trouble. As part of a group of government officials who disguise themselves in nun’s habits to make it safely to the convent, he is exposed to shocking realities. The actual Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrow are not what they seem (the guns are a dead giveaway) and all of the fake nuns don’t seem to be on the same page with each other. The king, who was outfitted as “Sister Karla” to evade detection, is befuddled by the situation. “So, the prisoners are dressed as nuns and the nuns are dressed as prisoners?” he asks. Seeming pumped with helium, ever light on its feet, the novel keeps springing satirical delights and hilariously absurd scenes. It’s a flawlessly entertaining read that raises expectations for the third installment in the series."

A sophisticated mystery unfolds within the opulent, yet decaying, walls of the Hotel Melikov, where a young protagonist must navigate a labyrinth of family secrets and spectral whispers. This atmosph...

HOUSE OF SMOKE

becoming the director of the Southern Foodways Alliance. That brought him into an ever\u002Ddeepening appreciation for Black food traditions, and out of that grew the aim of sponsoring “honest conversations about slavery and its legacies” with food as an instrument of healing. Results didn’t quite work out as hoped: Edge found himself challenged by activists such as the Nigerian\u002Dborn chef Tunde Wey, who told him, “You have endorsed and celebrated the appropriation of Black Southern food without consequence.” The denouement finds Edge recognizing the justice of that statement without self\u002Dpity and committing himself to “my ongoing reconstruction.”"

This gritty urban fantasy plunges readers into a world where ancient magic smolders beneath the streets of a modern metropolis, following a young protagonist who discovers a hidden society of smoke-w...

HOUSE OF THE BEAST

her outcast single mother in the countryside, doesn’t know of her station, and has a lonely and isolating childhood, often conjuring an imaginary friend for comfort. When her mother falls terminally ill, Alma manages to send word to her unknown father begging for help, and is met with a powerful vessel of the Dread Beast—the god of death. In exchange for her mother’s healing, Alma agrees to serve House Avera in support of her father’s ascension to First Hand of the Beast, and the girl is whisked away by her father while her mother lies dying. Unaware of nearly everything about the gods and the families bound to them, she discovers the first step in service to the House and its deity is severing her arm in sacrifice to the Beast. Despite her actions, her mother dies, but Alma is forced to continue serving her father’s ambitions anyway. As her grief rages and her father’s betrayal is palpable everywhere in the Avera estate, the flames of revenge are fanned by her once\u002Dimaginary friend, Aster, who reveals himself to be so much more—a spirit that’s taken on human form. With Aster as proof of her strong connection to the Dread Beast, together they devise a plan to prove her worthiness as a vessel of the Beast and challenge her father’s rank. All that’s required is that she train for a Pilgrimage to the umbral plane—a twisted alternate dimension filled with monsters and terror—to kill a star and rise in rank to become the First Hand of the Beast herself. From the opening pages, with Alma’s arm strapped to a fountain and her father standing overhead with a sword ready to give her limb as an offering, the prose strikes hardest when Wong writes visceral body horror. This page\u002Dturning epic continually exposes the monster within each character, pushing them to confront it head\u002Don and fight relentlessly for the good they possess deep within."

This chilling horror novel plunges readers into a decrepit mansion where ancient evil awakens, delivering a masterclass in atmospheric dread and supernatural suspense. The narrative expertly builds t...

Houseboat Girl

Lois Lenski

DIVDIVWhat would it be like to live on a houseboat on the Mississippi River with two parents, four kids, eight chickens, several turtles, a dog, and a cat? Patsy and her family are about to find out! /divDIVAt first, Patsy is upset when her parents decide to move from their home in River City, Illin

How to Analyze the Works of J. K. Rowling

Victoria Peterson-Hilleque

This title explores the creative works of famous novelist J.K. Rowling. Books analyzed include Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Clear, comprehensive text gives background biog

How to Analyze the Works of Suzanne Collins

Sheila Griffin Llanas

This title explores the creative works of famous author Suzanne Collins. Works analyzed include The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay. Clear, comprehensive text gives background biographical information of Collins. The "You Critique It" feature invites readers to analyze other creative wor

How to Be God's Little Princess

Sheila Walsh

A fun guide book for God’s little princesses. What does it take to be a princess? Sheila Walsh has some important answers to share for every little girl. This trendy design features black & white line art and a two-color pink and black interior. The art will tie to each how-to topic in the book—how

How to Pee

Dr. Todd Spector

Family physician Dr. Todd Spector presents a fresh and outrageously fun way to encourage little boys to give up their diapers. Peeing in the potty is a lot more fun if you do it rocket style, cowboy style, or superhero style!

HOW TO SURF A HURRICANE

the company\u003B Miki, a former oil worker who desperately needs money to help his sick father\u003B and Victoria Wood, an innovator in the brand\u002Dnew sport of hurricane surfing, in which pilots of small, specially built watercraft attempt to set speed records in potentially deadly weather conditions. Is it the perfect team to pull off the riskiest corporate heist of all time? Maybe—but only if the weather cooperates. Medema weaves imaginative climate\u002Drelated technologies into his story, from the luxury ski habitats that Miki builds on top of snowdrifts in Alaska to the hurricane seeding that Moro undertakes to ensnare the Pyxis Cloud: “It’s about applying a small amount of leverage and waiting,” he explains. “The government’s been experimenting with this technology since 1947. I’m just the first private citizen to seed one. For all we know.” Hurricane surfing is a particularly inspired creation, as well. Despite some early pacing issues, the premise is a winning one, and readers will quickly find themselves caught in the cyclone of Medema’s story."

Born at the end of the 1930s depression, New Zealander John Broomfield began a lifetime of travels as an infant that took him to every corner of his rugged homeland and ultimately around the world. Readers of his first memoir, Carried on Great Winds, admire his capacity to combine radical political

HUMAN HISTORY ON DRUGS

professing that he’s obsessed by the past—and that, being on the autism spectrum, “I develop an almost physical compulsion to know everything there is to know on a subject.” This lively book is proof positive, a whole warren of rabbit holes that lead to unexpected vignettes about the mind\u002Daltering habits of the likes of George Washington (laudanum), Queen Victoria (ganja), Elvis Presley (the whole medicine cabinet), and Adolf Hitler (“coked out of his mind”). Kelly reaches deep into the past, reckoning that people have enjoyed various means of bending reality since there have been people: One early case is Marcus Aurelius, the brilliant Roman emperor whose Meditations Kelly likens to “The Art of the Deal [if it] had been written by Jesus Christ instead of Donald Trump” and whose chronic pain was relieved by goodly doses of opium prescribed by his physician, none other than the famed medical encyclopedist Galen. Young Judy Garland was prescribed mounds of pills at the behest of studio executives who “preferred to get her addicted to drugs and ruin her life than give her a reasonable work schedule.” The Beatles, of course, famously got so ripped that, as the comedian Bill Hicks used to quip, they let Ringo sing—but, Kelly notes, even though they were fairly open about their drug use (John Lennon: “I’ve always needed a drug to survive”), they also denied being proselytes, about which Kelly brightly remarks that if simply mentioning drugs brings down the (silver) hammer, “well, then, frankly, I’m in a lot of trouble.” And Shakespeare? As Kelly notes, “pipes with cannabis residue” have been found in the Bard’s garden—and besides, “his plays are filled with characters who ingest all manner of fantastical pharmaceutical concoctions.”"

This provocative exploration of psychoactive substances throughout civilization offers a bold, unflinching look at how drugs have shaped human culture, religion, and society from ancient rituals to m...

HUSK

a “collapse,” and the city of Epsilon, which was once a university. Isaac proves to be an engaging protagonist who rolls with the punches, enduring physical threats, betrayals, and his world being thrown into a tailspin. The supporting cast is equally compelling\u003B with the exception of Sophie, the characters sow doubt as Isaac questions whether he can trust people he’s long known and any number of individuals he encounters for the first time. There are a few action scenes, but much of this opening installment is devoted to exposition as Isaac uncovers information along with the reader (there are copious secrets tied to Meru). This leads to a string of wonderfully staggering revelations all the way to the cliffhanger ending. "

This gritty survival thriller plunges readers into a desolate, post-apocalyptic world where a group of teenagers must navigate a landscape ravaged by a mysterious blight. The protagonist's journey is...

I AM NOT YOUR ENEMY

contrast, Edward Snowden leaked 1.5 million pages.) Winner’s crime was to send those printed pages to an online site that specialized in national security matters. As she writes, astonishingly, a staffer described the pages to a source who in turn notified the FBI\u003B meanwhile, the staffer also called the NSA and sent photographs of the printed pages, violating “standard Reporting 101 protocols for journalists who need to confirm the authenticity of leaked documents.” Traced to her by virtue of a printer code, the document occasioned her arrest and conviction under the terms of the Espionage Act of 1917, meant as a legal tool against German secret agents during World War I. After 15 months in jail, a plea bargain earned her a spot in federal prison, “a vacation, filled with activities and amenities,” compared to where she’d been. Winner writes candidly about the hellish nature of incarceration in America, from constant violence to boredom and the challenge of contending with conflicting and arbitrary rules, with her fellow prisoners more often than not less dangerous than the staff: “These weirdos, outcasts, and criminals loved me, and I loved them back.”"

This powerful young adult novel tackles the complex realities of racial prejudice and police violence through the eyes of a white teenager whose worldview shatters after witnessing a violent arrest i...

I Can Draw Goblins

Jane Yates

It doesn't always take a professional artist to create high-quality drawings. With the help of this book, young artists of all levels will learn to draw a variety of goblins and learn about the roles they play in mythology. Readers will learn to draw different styles of goblins, including manga, car

I Love My Dad (Czech English Bilingual Children's Book)

Shelley Admont

Czech English Bilingual book for children. Perfect for kids learning English or Czech as their second language. Jimmy doesn't know how to ride a two-wheeler bike. Dad shows Jimmy how not to be afraid to try something new.

I WANNA BE YOUR GIRL

big ideas and big feelings. The shōjo manga–style art is cute and expressive. The translation feels slightly unpolished, however, relying heavily on footnotes rather than conveying the original more loosely. At times, understanding the original Japanese vocabulary is critical, but elsewhere Procter uses the original Japanese, defined in a footnote (e.g., “a derogatory slang term for an effeminate male”) when simply using an equivalent English term would have led to a smoother reading experience. But overall this series opener is an earnest and enjoyable beginning to Hime and Akira’s story."

A raw and resonant coming-of-age story follows a transgender teen navigating the treacherous waters of high school, first love, and self-discovery with heartbreaking honesty. This powerful narrative ...

I WISH I DIDN'T HAVE TO TELL YOU THIS

Genre

This powerful young adult novel tackles the complex emotional landscape of a teenage girl navigating her mother's mental health crisis with unflinching honesty. When her mother's depression becomes o...

I, ROBOT ALIEN

the author are generated via AI."

This young adult science fiction novel explores the complex relationship between a sentient robot and an extraterrestrial being, blending artificial intelligence themes with interstellar adventure. T...

I'd Know You Anywhere, My Love

Nancy Tillman

With over five million books sold, Nancy Tillman again proves that celebrating the love in families strikes a chord with parents and children everywhere.

I'M NOT TRYING TO BE DIFFICULT

accompanying his father, a liquor inspector who “would make a buck on the side by taking a restaurant’s application from the bottom of the pile and moving it to the top” and dined free to boot at storied places like Dubrow’s Cafeteria and Paul \u0026amp\u003B Jimmy’s. Lacking the money and the academic record to go to a top\u002Dflight hotel school in Europe, he enrolled at Cornell—but not before logging time at a McDonald’s, of which he writes, “To this day, it’s one of the greatest gigs I’ve ever had.” Other great gigs followed, from waiting tables on a Scandinavian cruise ship to founding the legendary Nobu chain of restaurants. Along the way, very much in the spirit of Anthony Bourdain (albeit with fewer hangovers and parallel lines), Nieporent dishes out secrets of the trade: If you have a small kitchen, then have a small menu, which allows you to “control food costs, prep work, and the timing of cooking and service”\u003B don’t ask a customer whether everything is all right, which “implies that something might be wrong”\u003B don’t do a deal with Donald Trump (“I could barely get a word in edgewise”)\u003B and, above all, “Just do your job, and do it well.” A bonus in this lively memoir, which pairs well with a robust red or an egg cream, is some well\u002Dplaced name\u002Ddropping, with the likes of Robin Williams, Ruth Reichl, partner Robert De Niro, Bruce Springsteen, and Spike Lee popping up at turns. The takeaways are many, but perhaps the most memorable is one that anyone who’s worked on the line will know: If you’re in the restaurant business, your life is not your own."

This candid exploration of adolescent identity and family dynamics follows a young protagonist navigating the turbulent waters of growing up while feeling constantly misunderstood by the adults in th...

I'm Still Scared

Tomie dePaola

The latest installment in the Newbery Honor-winning series from Tomie dePaola First-grader Tomie dePaola experiences uncertainty in the weeks following the attack on pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941. What are the grown-ups talking quietly about at home and even at school? why does his class have to go

IF ANYONE BUILDS IT, EVERYONE DIES

their alarming title, Yudkowsky and Soares issue a stark warning: Unless we act now to contain powerful superintelligent AI systems, humanity may not survive. Yudkowsky, co\u002Dfounder of the Machine Intelligence Research Institute, and Soares, its president, target politicians, CEOs, policymakers, and the general public in their urgent plea. The book opens with an accessible breakdown of what AI is, how it’s built, and why even its creators often can’t comprehend the accelerating complexity of their own systems. Through parablelike vignettes, the authors expose the underlying realities of AI algorithms—advanced AIs are not engineered so much as grown, operating with opaque and unpredictable results, untethered from human values. The most chilling passages describe how AIs could escape computers and manipulate the physical and financial worlds, eventually repurposing Earth’s resources to serve alien objectives or replacing humanity with their own “favorite things.” The authors warn, “Nobody has the knowledge or skill to make a superintelligence that does their bidding,” arguing that world governments must cooperate to restrict or ideally halt AI research. Policymakers have not yet grasped the full implications of these advanced systems, and the public hasn’t felt the impact in their lives, but the authors caution they must be persuaded to act immediately. While some scenarios seem extreme or unrealistic, including hoping global leaders can agree on defining the problem or collaborating on solutions, the book’s arguments that the risks are elevated and time is short are persuasive. There is excellent information and food for thought here, including links to resources for readers motivated to join the fray."

This explosive thriller plunges readers into a high-stakes technological nightmare where a brilliant but reckless inventor creates a device with catastrophic potential, forcing a race against time to...

If I Were a Lion

Sarah Weeks

A little girl pleas her innocence from her time-out chair by contrasting her behavior with that of wild and ferocious animals.

Illustrated Greek Mythology

Baby Professor

How many Greek gods, goddesses and heroes do you know of? Which of their stories do you like best? This book is a collection of Greece’s mythology, which is said to be their living stories. Myths are interesting tales because they are reflective of the collective belief and customs of a nation. Thes

IN MOURNING

the author’s depictions of her mother holding, praising, and arguing with her\u003B working as an ER nurse\u003B or volunteering at the dog shelter. Throughout, the memoir avoids sentimentality as it depicts destabilizing loss (“The only times that came to mind were when we fought. Something we did a ton of”) and tells a story that lingers long after the final page."

This stark exploration of grief and loss provides young readers with an unflinching look at the emotional landscape of mourning, offering a raw and honest portrayal of how different individuals proce...

INNER CLARITY

many motivational quotes, both familiar and less well\u002Dknown. River’s tone throughout is upbeat and reassuring\u003B his text gives readers the strong impression that he has experienced some of the things they might be coming to his book to explore. He’s consistently clear\u002Deyed about detecting possible abusive elements in seemingly positive things\u003B “people pleasing may look like generosity on the outside,” he writes in a typical passage, “but it often comes with a cost—resentment, burnout, loss of identity, and even emotional manipulation.” The most refreshing aspect of the work is the author’s encouragement to readers to take an active part in their own personal renewals."

This guide to mindfulness and self-awareness offers young readers practical tools for navigating the complex emotions and social pressures of adolescence. The book breaks down abstract concepts like ...

International LGBTQ+ Literature for Children and Young Adults

B.J. Epstein

This edited collection explores LGBTQ+ literature for young readers around the world, and connects this literature to greater societal, political, linguistic, historical, and cultural concerns. It brings together contributions from across the academic and activist spectra, looking at picture books,

INTO THE BEWILDERNESS

Genre

This middle-grade fantasy adventure plunges readers into a world where ancient forests conceal magical creatures and long-forgotten secrets, following siblings who discover a hidden portal behind the...

INTO THE FIRE

other characters, forcing Freya into a passive role, though the ending suggests she may come into her own in the upcoming final installment."

This gripping survival thriller plunges readers directly into a raging wildfire, following a group of teens whose wilderness camping trip becomes a desperate fight for their lives. The author masterf...

INTO THE WEEDS

revealing the experiences or ideas that evoked several of her stories. The death of an elderly friend, for example, resulted in a story about Davis’ lifelong project of improving her German, even though her knowledge of German will die with her. When it comes to why she writes, she finds it easier to talk about why she doesn’t write: “I don’t write to convey a message, and I don’t write stories to achieve any particular purpose,” she asserts. Nor does she write for any particular audience, or to move someone. Instead, she writes “for the pleasure of it”: the discovery of material, shaping it, seeing it in print, and sharing it. Admitting that her stories are inspired by “something outside coming in,” she writes “to figure out something I don’t understand.” As she circles around the question of motivation, she turns to other writers: George Sturt, for one, author of the richly detailed The Wheelwright’s Shop\u003B Knut Hamsun for his memoir On Overgrown Paths\u003B and poets John Ashbery, John Clare, Walter Raleigh, and Russell Edson. She considers writers who risk being tedious or strange, such as Gertrude Stein, Laura Riding, Robert Musil, and Walter Benjamin. Finally, she reaches a conclusion: She writes, she says, to relieve herself “of the burdens of strong feelings, by taking them out of myself and putting them in an objective form, a form that can also be shared by others out in the world.”"

This field guide to common weeds transforms ordinary backyard exploration into a thrilling botanical treasure hunt, inviting young naturalists to see the often-overlooked plants in their environment ...

Introduction to YouTube Kids

Gilad James, PhD

YouTube Kids is a video streaming platform that is specialized for children under the age of 13, providing a safe and age-appropriate environment to explore videos, channels, and playlists. The app was launched in 2015, offering a tailor-made interface that is more intuitive and easy-to-navigate tha

IOSI, THE REMORSEFUL SPY

Iosi himself. We get a story of recruitment and seduction as subtle and as disturbing as anything in a novel by John le Carré. We get a vision of a democratic country that monitors its citizens. We hear the voices of Argentinians trapped between a love of their country and a duty to their heritage. The story of Iosi exposes duplicity and defiance in a modern nation. In the process, it makes us ask whether the United States is capable of such deceit."

This gripping historical novel plunges readers into the morally complex world of a young Jewish man, Iosi, who makes the devastating choice to become an informant for the Argentine secret police duri...

ISABELA'S WAY

a murderous priest." />

This unsettling psychological thriller follows a young woman's dangerous obsession with a charismatic priest who hides violent secrets behind his clerical collar. As Isabela becomes increasingly enta...

IT WAS THE WAY SHE SAID IT

taking in boarders she’s not supposed to have. There are also characters struggling with love and its fallout—pregnancy scares, anger, regret, loneliness and loss—proving that McMillan has never shied away from frank assessments of sex and its power. In one of the best stories, “Can’t Close My Eyes to It,” a young girl spends time with her beloved grandmother and learns hard lessons about life. Even McMillan’s quick sketches are so immediately absorbing that you wish she’d fleshed them out into full\u002Dblown stories. You won’t want to skip the nonfiction pieces, which range from essays to a commencement speech, because the author’s voice is always engaging. But it’s through her fiction that McMillan shines brightest. “She reads the times we’re living through,” author Ishmael Reed writes in the foreword, a truth evident on every page."

This powerful novel explores the lasting impact of words through the story of a teenage girl navigating complex family dynamics and social pressures. When a single thoughtless comment threatens to un...

IT WILL LAST LONGER

Katz is an intrepid reporter dispatched by the LA Times to profile the hard\u002Dpressed young photographer. Just what makes her tick? And why did she do what she did? Though conflicted about her actions in the back alley, Viv nevertheless decides that a weird job offer to photograph a wealthy man’s recently deceased mother is just too lucrative to pass up. After all, she’s told, death masks go back to King Tut’s time and even became a proto\u002Dsocial media phenomenon in the 19th century when good folks felt that using the novel invention of photography was a great way to preserve their dearly departed loved ones at the moment of death. (“The Victorians got all creepy about it when photography became more affordable, and they would take death portraits of their children staged with their families. Disturbing, I know.”) The creep factor is, indeed, off the charts (the proceedings are chilling long before additional bodies start hitting the floor), but Sanders Brooks’ steady and clear\u002Deyed approach to the ghastly photo shoots makes them seem entirely plausible. The author keeps her energetic narrative tightly focused on the lead characters, along with a few other supporting players, in a continuously revolving POV storytelling arc that manages to evoke both intimacy and urgency throughout. As the dark but familiar world Viv and Abby inhabit grows increasingly perilous, the danger feels uncomfortably palpable. Brooks explores heavy questions about the morality of social media with a light, mordant touch. Narrative shifts to a detached Discord chat between true\u002Dcrime enthusiasts trying to puzzle out what’s going on and news accounts about the diabolical deeds allow readers to zoom out and get their bearings before being plunged back down the claustrophobic LA streets where Viv plies her stock in trade."

A young photographer's desperate financial situation leads her into the morally murky and historically rooted world of death portraiture in this chilling contemporary thriller. Viv's acceptance of a ...

IT'S ME THEY FOLLOW

Genre

This chilling psychological thriller follows a high school student whose life unravels when she becomes convinced she's being stalked by an unseen presence, only to question her own sanity as the evi...

It's Not Easy Being a Bunny

Marilyn Sadler

P.J. Funnybunny did not like being a bunny.

iWAR

Tim Sweeney, publisher of the wildly popular video game Fortnite. Sweeney charged that Apple was a monopolist, an argument, Higgins writes, that had some merit: “With the advent of the iPhone, in order for other businesses to gain access to its marketplace, Apple had set up a drawbridge for all of the companies that wanted to make money through it.” That drawbridge was largely monetary: Apple took 30% of revenues for the sale of every app, “akin to a tax for breathing their air,” protecting its practice inside a “Walled Garden” that other entrepreneurs longed to storm. It didn’t help that throughout the app sales ecosystem, favorable rates were being extended to some app makers but not others, with Sweeney stating, “We’re all in for a prolonged battle if Apple tries to keep their monopoly and 30% by cutting backroom deals with big publishers to keep them quiet.” To complicate matters, after the Capitol insurrection of January 6, 2021, Apple removed the conservative social media app Parler, Amazon dropped Parler from its servers, and Facebook and Twitter shut down Donald Trump’s account\u003B then tech magnate Elon Musk entered the fray, pushing the argument that the Big Four were not only monopolizing markets but also controlling free speech, and in doing so he was “able to do something that Tim Sweeney…failed to do: frame Apple’s power in terms that resonated beyond the business.” Though, as Higgins chronicles, Apple survived most legal challenges, the debate continues as to whether the company and other giants are true monopolies—and just how much control over speech they exert."

This gripping techno-thriller plunges readers into the high-stakes world of digital warfare where a teenage hacker discovers a shadowy cyber conspiracy that threatens global security. The narrative m...

Jake Is Not Stupid

Melissa Digenova

Jake is a six-year-old boy who has "high-functioning" autism. He is intelligent and talks, but has been greatly misunderstood by his peers. His sister, who is five, understands her brother and loves him very much. She wants to tell others about Jake so they will understand him too. Young readers wil

Jan Brett's Christmas Treasury

Jan Brett

A festive treasury featuring seven of Jan Brett's classic Christmas titles, a perfect gift that will be the center of family holidays for years to come! This deluxe Christmas collection is the perfect holiday gift! It includes seven of Jan Brett's most beloved Yuletide titles: The Night Before Chris

January's Sparrow

Patricia Polacco

Patricia Polacco's most powerful book since Pink and Say. In the middle of the night, The Crosswhites?including young Sadie?must flee the Kentucky plantation they work on. Dear January has been beaten and killed by the plantation master, and they fear who may be next. But Sadie must leave behind her

JAZZY THE WITCH IN BROOM DOOM

Genre

A young witch named Jazzy faces her greatest fear—flying on a broomstick—in this charmingly illustrated early chapter book. When a school-wide flying competition looms, Jazzy must overcome her anxiet...

Jed and the Hens

Carl Sommer

When Ted and Jan take a trip to the farm, their pet dog, Jed, goes with them. Havoc ensues, as Jed tosses his food around in the car and chases the chickens at the farm. Detailed, brightly colored illustrations lead new readers through the lively story with context clues. Similar beginning and endin

Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth

E. L. Konigsburg

Two fifth-grade girls, one of whom is the first black child in a middle-income suburb, play at being apprentice witches.

JOHN HANCOCK

paragraphs, until every member shall have had opportunity fully to express his sentiments,” after helping offset contending state interests in the fight over the Articles of Confederation. Randall reminds readers that the years immediately after the war ended were fraught: Frontier rebellions broke out over taxations and pensions for military service, and, briefly, “Pennsylvania and Connecticut had actually gone to war” over territorial issues. A Federalist but also a pragmatist, Hancock championed nine “Conciliatory Amendments” that led to the Bill of Rights, to which he added the 10th, which reserved to the states any “powers not expressly delegated to Congress.” As well, apart from serving as a well\u002Dliked governor of Massachusetts, Hancock—serving his own interests to be sure, but also with an eye on the larger U.S. economy—helped restore postwar trade with Britain. For all that, Randall notes, Hancock weathered numerous controversies, mostly financial\u003B he was also the subject of a possible canard that Randall corrects—namely, that he wished to be commander of the Continental Army and resented George Washington for being selected for the post, when in fact, Randall writes, Hancock suffered so badly from gout that it is unlikely that he “would have accepted a position that would require long days on horseback.”"

This biography brings to life the fascinating story of the Founding Father whose flamboyant signature became an American icon. Young readers will discover the man behind the famous autograph, from hi...

JOY GODDESS

her mother, Lelia adopted Mae Bryant, a fatherless girl who served as a hair model and assistant for the company. While Mae at first considered the adoption a great privilege, Lelia proved as domineering as Madam had been, leaving Mae—Bundles’ biological grandmother—feeling “indebted and cornered.” Lelia could be difficult, to be sure, but Bundles captures her energy, her drive, and her commitment to the creative community that she nourished."

This vibrant guide to cultivating happiness offers young readers practical tools for navigating the emotional landscape of adolescence, blending mindfulness techniques with accessible psychology. The...

Judy Blume Chapter Book Collection (Boxed Set)

Judy Blume

Rediscover Judy Blume’s beloved classic chapter books—The Pain and the Great One, The One in the Middle Is a Green Kangaroo, and Freckle Juice—now available together in a collectible boxed set! No one knows more about growing up than Judy Blume. And in her classic chapter books, full of humor and he

Julia Donaldson Reads the Gruffalo and Other Stories

Julia Donaldson

This audio collection brings Julia Donaldson's beloved woodland tales to life through the author's own warm, expressive narration, creating an immersive storytelling experience for young listeners. C...

Julia Donaldson's Book of Names

Julia Donaldson

Julia Donaldson celebrates her readers in this delightful and imaginative picture book, inspired by the children she has met at hundreds of book signings over the years. I've signed for boys called Romeo and girls called Juliet . I've signed for Roman, Saxon, Dane- Though not for Norman yet. From mo

Jumanji

Chris Van Allsburg

Roll the dice, make your move, and plunge into one of the most imaginative stories of our time! The game under the tree looked like a hundred others Peters and Judy had at home. But they were searching for something interesting to do, so they decided to give Jumanji a try. Little did they know when

Jurassic World Dinosaur Field Guide (Jurassic World)

Dr. Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.

Jurassic World is the long-awaited next installment of the groundbreaking Jurassic Park series. T. rex’s, velociraptors, triceratops—as well as some all-new dinosaurs—will roar across the screen in this epic action-adventure directed by Colin Trevorrow starring Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ty S

Just Plain Fancy

Patricia Polacco

A charming picture book set in an Amish community, by the beloved storyteller Patricia Polacco. Naomi lives with her farming family in an Amish village in Pennsylvania. As part of her household chores, Naomi looks after the chickens with her little sister, Ruth. One day Naomi and Ruth find an abando

KATABASIS

Peter Murdoch, one of Grimes\u0027 other students—\u0022He was simply born brilliant…Alice couldn\u0027t stand him\u0022—and she reluctantly agrees to join forces. Despite the accounts of Dante and the like, Hell is full of surprises, including (sometimes) a remarkable resemblance to a college campus. As Alice and Peter journey deeper, they encounter nefarious deities\u003B twisted, once\u002Dhuman enemies\u003B and Shades from Grimes’ past with their own agendas. Hell will test Alice and Peter in ways their academic careers have not, dredging up their pasts at Cambridge, their messy relationships with their advisor, and their distrust of each other—after all, academia is a cutthroat game. The stakes are high, with mortal souls on the line, as Alice grapples with the question of whether academia even matters. Kuang melds a fantasy adventure (don’t look too closely at the magic—that’s not the point) with a rumination on academia’s problems to create a new take on the journey through the underworld. Alice is deeply flawed but also deeply understandable, stuck in a system that damages her while making questionable choices that feed into the same system\u003B this is a tightly constructed novel that aims a clear lens on academia, with both its faults and its virtues. The heady draw of discovery is ever\u002Dpresent, even if what Alice is discovering is Hell."

This gripping young adult novel plunges readers into a modern retelling of the classic katabasis myth—a harrowing descent into an underworld—where a teenage protagonist must navigate treacherous real...

Kill Train

the end of the ride. The odds of being on a Kill Train are 1 in 10,000, so most of the populace are willing to take the chance when traveling throughout the city. Enter Vanessa Crow, a struggling single mother with a teenage daughter who is on the precipice of a mental breakdown. When circumstances force her onto a subway train, she knows the odds are in her favor as 580 passengers were just slaughtered on a Kill Train the day before. She fatefully meets an old college friend, Corwin, who reminds Vanessa of the badass woman she used to be. But when the two friends discover that they’re on a Kill Train, Vanessa is forced to battle much more than a group of psychotic killers. Powered by an intriguing, albeit absurd, concept and complemented by visually stunning (and potentially traumatizing) illustrations by Martina Niosi—dismembered and decapitated bodies, intestines hanging like party streamers, etc.—it’s Vanessa’s inner journey through past trauma that makes this graphic novel so memorable. Her problematic relationship with her mother, her unstable financial situation, and her tumultuous but intimate bond with her daughter make her a character that readers can not only understand and identify with but also root for as she fights for her life. Ass\u002Dkicking motherly characters like Terminator’s Sarah Connor and Alien’s Ellen Ripley have nothing on Cuartero\u002DBriggs’ Crow."

This gritty survival thriller plunges readers into a high-stakes scenario where a group of teens must navigate a sabotaged high-speed train hurtling toward certain destruction. The relentless pacing ...

KINGDOM OF WATER

confronts family secrets." />

This gripping YA fantasy plunges readers into a submerged world where a teenage protagonist must navigate treacherous underwater politics while confronting long-buried family secrets that threaten th...

Knuffle Bunny Free

Mo Willems

Trixie and her family are off on a fantastic trip to visit her grandparents—all the way in Holland! But does Knuffle Bunny have different travel plans? An emotional tour de force, Knuffle Bunny Free concludes one of the most beloved picture-book series in recent memory, with pitchperfect text and ar