Non-Fiction
Discover 902 amazing non-fiction books in our collection — page 9 of 10
All Non-Fiction Books
The Worlds of Tomie dePaola
Barbara Elleman
Barbara Elleman’s insightful biography on Tomie dePaola captures the essence of the beloved author-illustrator through engaging stories, childhood photos, countless illustrations, and thoughtful analysis of decades of celebrated books. Tomie dePaola is one of the best-known and most beloved creators
The Young Adult's Guide to Stop Bullying
Rebekah Sack
FORTY PERCENT OF U.S. STUDENTS VOLUNTARILY REPORT BEING INVOLVED IN BULLYING — as bullies or as victims — according to a national study. In this book, you will learn why bullying occurs. We’ll get at the root causes for it as well as why some students are victimized and why others are vicious. You w
The Youth Guide to the Ocean
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
This Ocean Guide was jointly developed by FAO and PML, with contributions from many other institutions. It is designed as an educational resource for schools, youth groups and other curious young learners. This fact-filled Guide explores the ocean from the coastal zones to the frozen poles, the deep
THICK WITCH TRAVELS
a seeming unscrupulous magic-wielder in Ives’ YA fantasy sequel to Fat Witch Summer (2023)." />
A seemingly unscrupulous magic-wielder navigates treacherous alliances and complex moral landscapes in this YA fantasy sequel, where magical travel between realms forces difficult choices about power...
THIEF OF NIGHT
a Blight, and he doesn’t want the Cabals to face the blowback if the truth becomes public. Mr. Punch could do terrible things to Charlie if she fails, but if she succeeds, he’ll help Charlie and Red be free of the Cabals for good. The sophomore novel in a series is always tough, but this sequel proves that the second book can be even better than the first. Black turns the screws on the magical world she set up in Book 1, creating complicated political motives between Charlie and the Cabal leaders and making the question of what it means for a shadow, like Red, to have their own consciousness more interesting. Veteran con artist Charlie makes some truly brilliant moves, especially toward the end, where the last few chapters have one terrific surprise after the other."
A teenage thief with a rare gift for manipulating shadows finds her skills pushed to the limit when she's forced to pull off an impossible heist from the city's most fortified fortress. This fast-pac...
Third Grade Geometry Success (Sylvan Workbooks)
Sylvan Learning
Success in math includes mastery of geometry skills and requires children to make connections between the real world and geometry concepts in order to solve problems. Successful problem solvers will be ready for the challenges of mathematics as they advance to more complex topics. The activities in
THIS IS FOR EVERYONE
“monopolistic players,” isn’t “in such great shape.” The British computer scientist explains complex technology in accessible language, leaving room for ample self\u002Dpuffery. Berners\u002DLee was working at CERN, the celebrated Swiss physics lab, in the 1980s when he sought “to encourage new and unexpected relationships between pieces of information.” A version of the internet already existed, and “by layering hypertext links onto” it, “we could connect” people everywhere, he realized. He was celebrated for persuading CERN to publish his source code instead of patenting it, part of his decades\u002Dlong effort to make information “accessible and open.” The book’s first third is excellent. Along with his web breakthroughs, Berners\u002DLee lovingly describes how his mathematician\u002Dparents nurtured his creativity. He built a “homebrew” computer in high school and an intercom for his family’s house. The web made Berners\u002DLee famous—Time magazine dubbed him one of the 20th century’s most influential people—and his book doesn’t skimp on the fruits of his renown. He writes of being name\u002Dchecked by Bono during a U2 show and lunching with Queen Elizabeth II: “Her Majesty seemed to enjoy my presence.” He won awards, enough that “I was used to giving acceptance speeches.” Quoted at length, Berners\u002DLee’s wife calls him “open\u002Dminded, fair, resourceful and very kind,” an “obviously brilliant” person who has “complete respect for humans and nature.” Canonization awaits, evidently. Today, Berners\u002DLee works on initiatives to make the internet more humane, to protect users’ privacy, and to urge governments to be more transparent. Artificial intelligence will be “transformative,” and it’s up to citizens to help “define the terms that will govern” the future of technology."
This vibrant picture book delivers a powerful message of inclusion and belonging through simple, direct language and bold, expressive illustrations. The narrative celebrates diversity in all its form...
THIS PLACE KILLS ME
Kita is trying to adjust to life at Wilberton, an all\u002Dgirls boarding school. Her roommate, Claire, barely acknowledges her, and Abby spends most days trying to ignore the unkind whispers of her classmates. The members of the Wilberton Theater Society stage a successful run of Romeo and Juliet—then the body of Elizabeth Woodward, who played Juliet, is found after a raucous cast party. Rumors run rampant, and Abby’s tragic past seems to be coming back to haunt her as the other girls begin to speculate about her involvement in Elizabeth’s death. Abby gradually builds a tenuous friendship with Claire. Together, can they find out not only the truth but its connection to a dark, shocking secret buried in Wilberton’s history? With its stunning two\u002Dtoned gray and pink illustrations that cue a 1980s setting through images such as a Walkman, phone booth, and clunky desktop computer, this collaboration between Tamaki and Goux isn’t just a clever and heartbreaking mystery but a deeper examination of bullying, homophobia, and belonging. The central puzzle is certain to leave readers breathlessly enthralled, turning pages as quickly as possible to get to the shocking truth behind Elizabeth’s demise. Abby presents Japanese American, and most other characters read white. "
A troubled teen is sent to a remote boarding school where students keep disappearing under mysterious circumstances, forcing her to uncover the institution's dark secrets before she becomes the next ...
Thoughts and Feelings: Identifying Emotions
Rachael Morlock
In the English language alone, there are over 550 words for describing the emotions we feel. Emotions are multilayered, variable, and sometimes overwhelming. Identification is a crucial step in understanding and responding to emotions in a healthy way. Young readers learn about the big and little em
THREADS OF EMPIRE
nomads. From earliest times, Armstrong asserts, carpet weavers have been women, honing their skills in carding, spinning, dyeing, knotting, setting warps and wefts, and designing or reproducing patterns. Considerable skill, as well, Armstrong has found, is involved in rug restoration and repair. For centuries, rugs have been associated with the rich and powerful: Potentates, chieftains, robber barons, and collectors considered the acquisition of prized rugs as a reflection of their own status. Attribution of a rug’s creation and provenance also connects to power. The startling beauty of a particular rug in the collection of the Victoria \u0026amp\u003B Albert Museum led to the assumption that it was made by a team of men. That conclusion, Armstrong asserts, “suited a nineteenth\u002Dcentury Western view which held that if an object was art then it was created by men, and that what women practised was a lesser form of creativity described in the West as craft.” Armstrong reveals the exploitation of rug makers that continues to the present. Twenty\u002Dfirst\u002Dcentury rugs sold in department stores are often crafted by “weary refugees in makeshift encampments” who create products for international trade to design and color specifications and are marketed through export houses. Nevertheless, as Armstrong’s richly detailed history shows, even modern rugs can shimmer with glamor and mystique."
This sweeping historical epic plunges readers into the heart of a crumbling empire, weaving together the fates of a defiant street thief, a reluctant heir, and a scholar guarding dangerous secrets as...
THREE REVOLUTIONS
Genre
This timely examination of transportation's past, present, and future charts the course of three pivotal shifts: the rise of automobiles, the ongoing electrification of vehicles, and the emerging aut...
THREE SHATTERED SOULS
a common goal of ending the treacherous rule of King Joon of Yusan, regroup after a bloody battle claims the life of one of their own—the banished Yusanian prince, Euyn. However, there’s little time for Mikail, Aeri, Sora, and Royo to mourn. Bounty hunters and assassins are after them, in part because they now possess three of five legendary Relics of the Dragon Lord. Mikail, who’s just found out that he’s the last surviving member of a royal family, wields the Water Scepter of Wei, while Aeri, King Joon’s daughter, holds the Sands of Tim and the Golden Ring of Khitan. The remaining relics—the Flaming Sword of Gaya and the Immortal Crown—remain with King Joon, who’s desperate to have all five to wield a great deal more power. Meanwhile, the cruel Count Seok, who once indentured Sora, has usurped the throne of Yusan. The group has two goals: overthrow the king and liberate the Yusanian colony of Gaya—Mikail’s homeland—so that it can again be a thriving, independent realm. The relics are powerful tools in combat, but using them is adversely affecting Aeri and Mikail’s health. They need allies, but trusting strangers is a dangerous gamble. Corland’s final book in her Broken Blades trilogy is a relentlessly thrilling and action\u002Dpacked dark fantasy featuring memorable characters, intense battle scenes, romance, and a satisfying conclusion. Alternately narrated by Aeri, Mikail, Sora, Royo, and their long\u002Dlost friend, Tiyung, readers benefit from watching the story unfold through the perspectives of each compelling, well\u002Ddrawn character. The author’s passion for the fantasy genre shines through in the novel’s richly detailed worldbuilding, including vivid descriptions of landscapes and palace layouts, as well as its exploration of magic. Readers will also delight in the sardonic humor sprinkled throughout, as when Mikahil narrates, “Rune thinks he fathered Seok’s son. Truly, the nobility of Yusan has too much time on their hands.”"
This gritty young adult novel plunges readers into a world fractured by supernatural trauma, following three distinct protagonists whose broken psyches are inextricably linked by a shared, devastatin...
TICK TOWN
Genre
This charming picture book transforms the abstract concept of time into a tangible adventure through the bustling world of Tick Town, where every clock and watch has a personality and a purpose. Youn...
TO CLUTCH A RAZOR
Genre
This gritty urban thriller plunges readers into the dangerous world of gang violence and survival, following a protagonist who must navigate treacherous alliances while questioning the very codes tha...
TO LOSE A WAR
the Taliban. Basing his accounts on numerous sojourns in the country over that two\u002Ddecade stretch of the American war, Anderson is particularly good with the small, revealing details of daily life, such as the interaction of the citizens of Kabul with the Taliban: “For the most part, they seemed to ignore each other, as if they came from different worlds but were forced to coexist.” Early in the war, he notes, the one man who knew where bin Laden might be hiding was assassinated. That would be a common theme, as tribal leaders across the nation were targeted by rivals\u003B even so, Anderson observes, the government of Hamid Karzai, “built on uneasy alliances, accommodated a range of aggressive warlords and corrupt officials.” Much of Afghanistan is “preindustrial,” governed by the rhythms and mores of rural life in small towns and villages where, the author writes memorably, “lambs are tethered next to men with long knives who slaughter them and hang the carcasses from hooks, hacking them into a steadily diminishing mess of blood and meat and bone and fat by day’s end.” One of the many flaws in American strategy there, it seems, was to assume that the country was more modern and ready for democracy than it was. Indeed, he remarks at the end of the book, “there is now no place on earth that is more oppressive for women than Afghanistan.”"
This powerful historical novel plunges readers into the immediate aftermath of World War II through the eyes of German teenagers grappling with their nation's defeat and the staggering moral collapse...
TOGETHER IN MANZANAR
neighbors, were never returned. In 1988, President Reagan signed a bill apologizing for the internment. Each survivor received $20,000. Caucasians, including Elaine, were excluded."
This powerful historical novel transports readers to the Manzanar internment camp during World War II, following a Japanese American family's struggle to maintain their dignity and unity under the ha...
Tomie DePaola
Eric Braun
Simple text and photographs present the life of Tomie dePaola.
TOMORROW IS YESTERDAY
Jordan.” While looking ahead, the authors offer a riveting insiders’ account of high\u002Dstakes statesmanship. Then–Secretary of State John Kerry brought unequaled “passion and enthusiasm” to the negotiations, but his work was for naught, in part because his boss—President Obama—didn’t leverage the billions of dollars in U.S. military aid that goes to Israel to forge lasting peace. Past Palestinian leaders were often chided for “never miss[ing] an opportunity to miss an opportunity,” but the authors, looking closely at peace talks since the 1990s, demonstrate that this is a major oversimplification."
This thought-provoking novel explores the complex emotional landscape of a teenager grappling with time, memory, and the weight of personal history through an inventive narrative structure that moves...
TOUR DE FORCE
the loss of his right arm\u003B Helen Rodd, the wealthy wife who continues to support him\u003B spinster Edith Trapp, whose wardrobe Mr. Cecil openly admires\u003B introverted Vanda Lane, who enjoys gaining power over other people\u003B and Odyssey Tours guide Fernando Gomez. Soon after their arrival, Vanda is stabbed to death in her hotel room as everyone else lounges on the beach, their alibis attested by the watchful Cockie himself, though they can’t extend the same courtesy to him. The investigation demanded and at first directed by El Exaltida, the suavely tyrannical Grand Duke of San Juan el Pirata, who’s determined to arrest one of the interlopers, reveals that every one of the vacationers is harboring some dark secret ranging from adultery to masquerade to embezzlement. Fending off his own arrest, Cockie eventually figures out which of those secrets is most toxic en route to half a dozen false climaxes and a remarkably well\u002Dtimed unmasking. Along the way, Brand (1907\u002D88) distributes puzzle pieces as dexterously as a Las Vegas dealer and wisely springs her biggest and most jaw\u002Ddropping surprise halfway through in order to give dazed readers plenty of time to accommodate themselves to its messy implications."
This exhilarating novel follows a young cyclist's grueling journey through the world of competitive racing, capturing both the physical demands of endurance sports and the psychological battles of el...
TOWN COLLEGE CITY ROAD
the time he drives through a winter landscape to a family gathering, he’s on the brink of a crisis or a revelation—even if he hasn’t quite figured that out."
This innovative picture book transforms everyday environments into engaging learning landscapes, using familiar settings like college campuses and city streets to teach fundamental concepts. Young re...
TRIGGER WARNING
a police officer neighbor. Chapters from the perspectives of different characters, including Myron, Enix, and Ruth’s childhood friend Clarisse, who’s bipolar, slowly reveal background—not for readerly suspense, but to demonstrate how distanced Ruth is from her past. She and her family live in Louisville, Kentucky, where Enix attends an all\u002Dgirls private school that they chose but now loathe. The author highlights constant microaggressions the family faces partly through the lens of Myron’s best friend, Anthony, a white fellow lawyer who tries way too hard to seem Black—and whose friendship to both Myron and Ruth matters to the deliberately tangled plot. After Ruth and Myron’s house burns down, she files for divorce and takes Enix on a cross\u002Dcountry car trip so poorly planned and executed that the teen chooses to fly home to her father rather than meet her unknown aunt, Wendy, in Sacramento. Whether it’s Myron’s skepticism about his new girlfriend, Paulina\u003B Clarisse’s boredom with a psych ward’s activities\u003B or the loving welcome Wendy offers Ruth, each character’s attitudes and actions resonate with authentic observation that speaks to the author’s dedication page which lists several dozen names (including that of Breonna Taylor) “and the incalculable number of others who’ve suffered and died under the heel of state\u002Dsponsored terrorism since the very inception of the state. And for their families, and their communities, and all of us who struggle to heal.”"
This collection of short stories ventures into unsettling territory, exploring the dark corners of human nature and the supernatural with unflinching prose. The author masterfully blends elements of ...
TRIPPING OVER YOU
Genre
This raw and authentic YA novel explores the tender, tumultuous journey of two teens navigating first love and mental health struggles. The story follows a high school romance that blossoms between t...
TRUMPETS OF DEATH
Genre
This gripping thriller plunges readers into a high-stakes world of espionage and ancient conspiracies, where a young protagonist stumbles upon a secret that could alter global power structures. The n...
TWITCHLAND
Pyrink perfectly complement the story’s thematic impact (their utilization of contrasting color, in particular, is noteworthy). Scenes in the local doughnut shop, for example, are depicted in vibrant yellows, pinks, and oranges while sequences at the nuclear reactor site and in shadowy back alleys feature unnatural greens and purples. Lastly, the (timely) subject of the country’s drug overdose epidemic was woven into the storyline with an interesting supernatural twist, and Richland itself was based on the real city of Richland with its dark history."
THE BEHIND: PAINED MASK is a remarkable collection of poems that has been thoughtfully crafted over an impressive span of eighteen years. Life, in its myriad forms, doesn't always unfold in an uplifting manner when we are deeply affected by the repercussions of our own actions. However, it is precis
ULTRAWILD
chickens that recycle food scraps to create nutrient\u002Drich poo collected by robotic dung beetles, and flying bicycles lifted by “biogas booster pants.” “Everything in this book,” Mushin writes, “is THEORETICALLY POSSIBLE” and if implemented would not only save vanishing species, but would “CRUSH CLIMATE CHANGE like a Matchbox car in a vise.” Readers may find some of his proposals hard to absorb, since he insists on cramming every oversize page with Rube Goldberg–style diagrams or cutaway views of zany factories and devices, and the work is rife with dense bursts of hand\u002Dlettered narrative. Still, the urgency of his message that we are teetering on the brink of catastrophe comes through loud and clear—as does his fundamental optimism that we can still pull off a save. Urging readers to work on “ludicrously brilliant new ideas” of their own, he closes with a flurry of “Invention Starter” prompts. The small line\u002Ddrawn cartoon figures in his illustrations have skin the color of the page."
An innovative guide to reconnecting with the natural world through radical thinking and hands-on projects, this book challenges young readers to see their urban environments as ecosystems teeming wit...
UNCOMFORTABLE EITHER WAY
steps that readers may take to change their current course. A Life Inventory exercise particularly stands out for its usefulness, as it guides readers to assess where they are now, where they want to be, and what’s standing in the way of their goals. Eaton makes his advice relatable\u003B for instance, a story about “Eighty Percent Brett,” a version of the author who held back, helps to ground the work. By reflecting on his own decisions, the author drives home the book’s central theme of choosing reality over safety, in a way that feels personal, rather than sermonlike. Some ideas will be familiar to seasoned readers of motivational literature, but Eaton’s energy, earnestness, and easygoing style gives them renewed weight. His writing is brisk and unpretentious, and the book’s digestible format and consistent pacing make for an engaging read. "
This powerful novel explores the raw emotional landscape of teenage identity through a protagonist caught between two worlds, unable to find solid ground in either. The narrative delves into the inte...
UNCONVENTION
friends that “Big businesses always win. Scale always wins,” Kaza found himself wondering, “Are small businesses really destined to fail when faced with bigger competitors?” Pondering this question led him to develop what he calls “Underdog Principles” built around “positioning, proximity, and purpose” and designed to help small businesses compete with their larger rivals by embracing their differences and using them to craft innovative marketing strategies. He focuses his chapters on the stories of small businesses and the entrepreneurs who build them, people who are often “not just CEOs, they’re also the janitors, receptionists, accountants, and HR managers all rolled into one.”Running through all of Kaza’s advice and examples is a refreshingly sincere empathy, a genuine interest in the stories and needs of small businesses that one might not expect to find in money managers and loan officials. Whether it’s “a quality place to eat” or “I need my 5,000 psi hydrostatic drive to be rated for both high and sub\u002Dzero temperatures,” the author always tries to put himself in the shoes of the customers. “Don’t worry about matching your cost analysis exactly to the customer decision journey stages,” he advises his readers. “Focus instead on where you can track concrete numbers, such as how many clicks your ads get or how many trials convert to sales.” Most of this advice revolves around his “Underdog Principles,” which are winningly simple: positioning (having a well\u002Ddefined customer base), purpose (sometimes focusing on a problem that needs solving rather than “conventional business metrics”), and, perhaps most important of all, proximity (knowing your customers well enough to understand what motivates their decisions). The homespun quality of Kaza’s business anecdotes helps to underscore the viability of these principles. For instance, the author tells of meeting body shop owner Mike because his own car needed work, and Mike’s Yelp reviews were superb because he’d taken to asking satisfied customers to leave reviews. “Sharing your personal story or business challenges with your customers can feel a little risky,” Kaza writes, but “The trust you build as a small business owner is your most valuable asset.” This consistently personal tone fills the book with a sense of optimism that will be much appreciated by entrepreneurs and small business owners at all stages of the game."
This YA novel plunges readers into a high-stakes world of political intrigue and teenage rebellion, where a single decision can shatter the established order. The story follows a young protagonist na...
UNDER
his neighbor’s newly raised Gadsden flag—the kind that says “Don’t Tread on Me”—and decides to confront him. A couple enacts a scheme to prevent a man from parking his truck in front of their house. These are some premises of Pourciau’s fourth collection of short stories, mostly depicting the first\u002Dperson perspectives of aggrieved, suspicious, emotionally isolated people obsessing over others’ hidden thoughts. Pourciau’s oeuvre focuses almost exclusively on minor disruptions to our daily routines that have the potential to drive us mad. The longest story—one of the best and most complete entries, “Invade”—describes a woman incessantly pestering her new neighbors for an invitation to help them redecorate, eliciting increasingly curt and hostile evasions. Averaging around four pages each, most of the entries are incredibly slight and largely absent of closure, suspending readers in emotional purgatory. Trying to read just one at a time has the addictively insubstantial effect of eating a single potato chip. But beware: Attempting to ease the irresolution by binging a bunch in quick succession can be downright nauseating from ingesting such unrelenting paranoia. Steeping oneself in Pourciau’s world of lunatic anxiety and claustrophobic discourtesy can be overwhelming, but the cumulative impact is hard to dismiss—and the familiarity of the situations he explores is a sign of the times. One character summarizes a core truth connecting the vignettes: “Society is based on the premise that we remain civil and make the best of our proximity to others.” And another adds a corollary: “Liberating suppressed thoughts can stress the veneer that holds us together.”"
This immersive picture book plunges young readers into the mysterious world beneath the ocean's surface, exploring marine biology and underwater ecosystems with stunning visual detail. The narrative ...
UNDER THE DRAGON'S SHADOW
Genre
This gripping fantasy novel plunges readers into a world where ancient prophecies and simmering political tensions threaten to shatter a fragile peace, following a young protagonist who discovers a d...
UNDERSPIN
the dizzying number of characters introduced and not a lot of action. But patient readers will be rewarded as stray details from the opening return with new resonance and seemingly minor characters step into more important roles later on. Midway through the book, it becomes apparent that Zhao is a master of careful plotting and mystery—the real kind that cottons to morally complex situations. Kristian excels at coaching because he’s both kind and cruel, distant from his athletes and too intimate with them, wounded himself and wounding. It’s almost impossible to like him until he appears in his own voice in one of the final chapters. A poet of table tennis, Zhao turns this underappreciated sport into a nimbly described choreography of Tomahawk serves, switch\u002Dhanded chops, and forehand and backhand loops."
This gripping science fiction adventure plunges readers into a hidden subterranean world where a young protagonist discovers a civilization thriving beneath the Earth's crust. The narrative masterful...
UNFOLDING
a division of CCAR Press—the publishing arm of the Central Conference of American Rabbis (the Reform movement’s rabbinical association)—Kedar’s book is a broad\u002Dbased Judaism\u002Dspecific resource that doesn’t subscribe to a particular denominational path. The book doesn’t explore every High Holiday concept, and its selections and essays appear intended to appeal primarily to liberal, as opposed to more traditional, Jewish audiences. Still, Kedar’s book could potentially reach a wide readership, as the sources are wide\u002Dranging and engagingly venture beyond traditional religious interpretations of High Holiday themes."
This visually striking exploration of paper engineering and geometric design transforms the simple act of folding into a sophisticated art form, offering readers a tactile journey through mathematica...
UNICO
Mother. Meanwhile, the evil goddess Venus covets Unico’s horn for her own purposes and summons Iver, a reptilian interstellar hunter from the “deathly garden,” where she’s stored beings who might be useful to her. She sets Iver free to seek Unico across space and time and “make him and those around him suffer.” The storyline is highly energetic, and the bright, dynamic frames and varied layouts will sustain readers’ interest. The characters and intriguing settings are nicely detailed, and the rich colors and effective use of light and dark contribute to the atmosphere. "
This graphic novel adaptation of Osamu Tezuka's classic manga brings the magical world of Unico to a new generation of readers, following the adventures of a tiny unicorn blessed with the power to br...
UNSPOKEN
Lee Becker is only 10 years old in 1935 when she sits at the double funeral for her grandmother, Alma, and baby sister, Nell, both of whom succumbed on the same day to the deadly dust plague. Ruby’s mother, Willa Mae, is frozen with grief. Just days later, Ruby falls ill with “dust pneumonia” and is hospitalized. When she recovers, her father and older brother, Will, pick her up, but they drive her the train station, not home\u003B Will is taking her to Waco, where the air is clear. He gives her $20 and leaves her with Granny Alma’s widowed cousin, Bess, with whom she is to live until the air in Hartless, Texas, is once again safe for breathing. Angry and frightened, Ruby decides the only thing in her control is her voice, and she decides to stop speaking. She hears nothing from her family, and in 1936, shortly after her 11th birthday, Cousin Bess dies. Ruby’s next stop is the Waco State Home for Dependent and Neglected Children, where she remains for seven years, despite repeated escape attempts. Playing out in tandem with Ruby’s story is that of her mother\u003B unbeknownst to Ruby, Willa Mae has been placed in the state mental facility. The mother and daughter poignantly narrate alternating chapters in Alexander’s coming\u002Dof\u002Dage Dust Bowl narrative. In vivid, graphic prose, enhanced by dialogue that reflects the dialects and linguistic patterns of the period and social station of the characters (“A red sun augurs a bad day”), the author limns the chilling cruelty of the treatment of mental patients as well as the abuses that take place at the children’s home. There are also delightful interludes, as when Eleanor Roosevelt rescues Ruby during a dust storm, or when the school nurse gives her special (marijuana) cigarettes to help her asthma. Most appealing are the tender friendships that develop at the home and on the road as Ruby gradually learns that families can be created in all sorts of ways."
This powerful wordless picture book tells a haunting Civil War-era story through exquisite pencil illustrations that follow a young girl's discovery of a hidden runaway slave in her family's barn. Th...
UNVEILED
Genre
This gripping novel explores the complex world of online identity and digital deception through the eyes of a teenager who discovers her popular classmate's secret life. The narrative masterfully ble...
UNWORLD
a single question: Was his death an accident or suicide? Through the four voices that tell the story, novelist Greene reveals that the answer is as complex as the future world in which this novel is set. The story opens with Anna grappling with the death of her son and the loss of Aviva, the digital entity that shared her consciousness and then asked for emancipation to claim “upload personhood.” Unknown to Anna, Cathy, a professor at a local college with a specialty in upload rights, becomes Aviva’s next host and the person who learns—and experiences—the pain that the self\u002Dcontained Anna is unable to fully express. The third narrator, Samantha, offers her perspective on Alex as the best friend who not only witnessed his fall but also the disturbingly close relationship he had with Aviva. The last voice in the novel’s quartet of narrators is that of Aviva herself. Intended as a version of Anna that would help her get “on with [her] life in ways that [she] couldn’t,” Aviva finds herself evolving into the emotionally involved parent her host was not and inspiring Alex to explore digital existence through his computer. As it explores love, loss, and memory, this brilliantly imaginative story speculates on the ways technology may not only enhance but potentially change the nature of human consciousness."
This gripping science fiction adventure plunges readers into a meticulously crafted universe where reality itself is unraveling, following a young protagonist who discovers their world is not what it...
USA: WHERE DOGS HAVE MORE RIGHTS THAN YOU DO
Genre
Eight dogs hold a political meeting together to change the lives of dogs for their convenience. There are twenty-three amendments that go the dogs' way. Things may sound funny, but to us dogs, it's very true. At the end, we trick humans into giving us a steak.
Valentine's Day Mad Libs
Dan Alleva
Mad Libs is the world’s greatest word game and a great gift for anyone who likes to laugh! Write in the missing words on each page to create your own hilariously funny stories all about Valentine’s Day. With Mad Libs, love is always in the NOUN! With 21 “fill-in-the-blank” stories about roses, Cupid
Vault Career Guide to Book Publishing
Matt Manning
This Vault guide offers the inside scoop on publishing jobs and how to get them.
Vault Guide to the Top Media & Entertainment Employers
Laurie Pasiuk
With this new Guide created for the many job seekers drawn to the glamorous and exciting world of media and entertainment.
VERN
Genre
This middle-grade novel offers a fresh take on the classic coming-of-age story, following a young protagonist navigating the complex social dynamics of middle school while discovering unexpected cour...
VIA WONDERMENT
virtue of its friendly, approachable style. The author maintains an encouraging, playful tone, which motivates readers to try new things rather than follow strict rules. The book places more emphasis on intuitive connections than scientific evidence—readers who require empirical proof or structured methods for change might be disappointed by the guide’s abstract nature. Those who welcome spiritual and psychological elements along with self\u002Dhelp principles will find that Gottlieb’s heartfelt guidance leads them to rediscover their creative power and innate abilities."
This vibrant collection of poetry invites young readers on a lyrical journey through the wonders of the natural world, exploring themes of curiosity, discovery, and the magic found in everyday moment...
VICTORY '45
the spring of 1945 huddled in his Berlin bunker directing imaginary armies and planning his suicide. A few aides stuck by, but most were planning to save themselves. The most successful was SS General Karl Wolff, in Italy, who managed to impress OSS chief Allen Dulles\u003B fend off rival (and perhaps nastier) competitors, Heinrich Himmler and Ernst Kaltenbrunner\u003B persuade leading Wermacht generals to surrender with absolutely no conditions\u003B and protect himself against prosecution for his crimes. Wolff took enormous risks (visiting a deeply suspicious Hitler during his final weeks) but succeeded eventually in testifying for the prosecution at Nuremburg. British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery handled the surrender of German forces in north Germany on his own with a nod to his superior, Supreme Allied Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower, who preoccupied himself with the iconic May 7, 1945, official German government surrender. The authors precede that with accounts reminding readers of Nazi awfulness: a teenage Jewish boy’s years in concentration camps, a young American soldier’s experience encountering his first camp, and the chaos that engulfed Germany during and after the war. On the Pacific front, Japanese leaders, aware by 1943 that they were losing, worked to convince America that every Japanese man, woman, and child would fight to the death before surrendering. They assumed that the U.S., faced with this threat and lacking Japanese fortitude, would negotiate a compromise peace. By cruel irony, American leaders were indeed convinced of Japan’s resolve, but they did not negotiate\u003B they proceeded by unleashing an almost genocidal firebombing and two atomic bombs that, aided by the massive Soviet invasion, produced the desired surrender."
This gripping historical novel plunges readers into the final, chaotic months of World War II through the eyes of a determined teenage girl. As Allied forces push toward victory, she navigates a land...
Virginia Christmas Trivia
Carole Marsh
I spent one winter researching the holiday history, folklore, legend, and more of each and every state,' says Carole marsh. A great coffee-table book or classroom read, this book-in an edition for each U.S. state-shares a wealth of fascinating historical material and trivia about everything from hol
WAGNIFICENT
a wolf at his side) is larger and fiercer than Thunder’s. The minuscule Byron encroaches on Thunder’s territory: He urinates indoors, sleeps in Thunder’s bed, and demands that Thunder give him her bone. Furious, Thunder barks and growls until the smaller dog scurries out through a hole in the fence. Though Thunder’s initially elated to have her home to herself, Sage is devastated to discover Byron gone, and the two set out to find the runaway. With a clearer understanding of their household roles (and a happy ending for everyone), the pets and people alike grow in awareness of the finer points of inter\u002Dcanine interactions. The conflict in this volume adds intrigue and momentum to the previously established episodic chapter structure. Murguia’s upbeat cartoon illustrations are occasionally interrupted by “Thunder’s Rules” interludes, which highlight what behaviors are more acceptable for dogs to exhibit with one another vs. with humans. Sage is light\u002Dskinned and purple\u002Dhaired\u003B other humans vary in skin tone."
This vibrant counting book transforms early math concepts into an engaging canine adventure, where young readers learn number recognition through playful pups and their antics. Each page introduces a...
Waiting
Carol Lynch Williams
As the tragic death of her older brother devastates the family, teenaged London struggles to find redemption and finds herself torn between her brother's best friend and a handsome new boy in town.
WATCHING STARS
Genre
This astronomy guide for young readers brings the cosmos down to Earth with stunning celestial photography and accessible explanations of stellar phenomena. The book masterfully balances scientific a...
WATER MIRROR ECHO
Genre
This immersive fantasy novel plunges readers into a world where water serves as a portal to other realms, blending elements of magical realism with a gripping coming-of-age quest. The protagonist dis...
We Love Harry Potter!
Sharon Moore
Children and grownups talk about the Harry Potter books and what they like about them.
WE LOVE YOU, BUNNY
Genre
This charming picture book offers a gentle exploration of unconditional love through the daily adventures of a child and their beloved stuffed bunny. The simple, repetitive text creates a comforting ...
WE MET LIKE THIS
Genre
This emotionally resonant novel explores the complex terrain of teenage relationships through a series of interconnected stories about how people meet and connect. The narrative weaves together multi...
WE THE PEOPLE
Lepore’s lights, the Founders intended for the document to be changed in order to meet the needs of the day, trusting in the Enlightenment premise that “the human mind is driven by reason.” Article V, Lepore continues, is “a sleeping giant”: In it the Founders specified that change could come in one of two ways, the first being a congressional proposal, the second a convention of the states, with a “double supermajority” of votes for approval, two\u002Dthirds of Congress and three\u002Dquarters of the states. Although there have been flurries of amendments—including the first 10, yielding the Bill of Rights—it has been nearly 40 years since the last constitutional convention was held, even as, Lepore calculates, members of Congress proposed 2,100 amendments between 1980 and 2000. Part of the problem is congressional gridlock, a feature of government since the days of President Reagan\u003B another is what Lepore considers the false doctrine of originalism—which, she writes provocatively, “arose from the failure of conservatives to change the Constitution by democratic means.” Lepore presses her argument with numerous case studies, including the difficult passage of an amendment to allow direct election of senators (formerly appointed by governors), the argument over an income tax (and one that progressively taxed the rich more than the poor), the failed adoption of the Equal Rights Amendment, and a longtime favorite that has yet to come about: the abolition of the aristocratically inspired Electoral College."
This timely exploration of American civics and government offers young readers an accessible introduction to the foundations of democracy, from the Constitution's creation to modern civic engagement....
WELCOME TO THE FOREST
a hearty feast."
This vibrant nature guide invites young readers to explore the complex ecosystem of the forest, from the towering canopy down to the rich soil, introducing the diverse plants and animals that call it...
WES ANDERSON: ALL THE FILMS
the theater of Sam Shepard. Like all books of this type, this one has stills and behind\u002Dthe\u002Dscenes photos, along with synopses, critical reactions, and technical details, such as the various lenses Anderson has used, from the “rare short focal length: 27 mm” he used for the 1996 feature\u002Dlength Bottle Rocket to the “wide\u002Dformat anamorphic lenses and a strong color palette” he has employed on every film since Rushmore (1998). Narbonne tries too hard to intellectualize Anderson’s cinema, as when he writes, “Symmetry is the ideal backdrop for the characters’ psychorigidity” or notes Anderson’s use of “visual pleonasm.” Fans probably won’t mind, however, and will enjoy stories such as that in the Rushmore scene where the protagonist releases bees into a hotel room, “Anderson insisted that real insects be released into the room and that no one wear face protection.”"
This comprehensive guide offers a deep dive into the distinctive cinematic universe of Wes Anderson, meticulously reviewing every feature film from *Bottle Rocket* to his most recent works. Readers a...
What a Year!
Tomie dePaola
The author relates memories from one year of his childhood, including his sixth birthday, trick-or-treating for Halloween, a bout of chicken pox, and the Christmas holiday.
What Every Child Should Know About Climate Change
Baby Professor
Climate change affects everyone, regardless of age, status, gender and nationality. It is a worldwide problem so kids needs to know exactly what it is and what can be done to minimize its effects. This book of climate change knowledge is rich with kid-friendly information and vibrant pictures to tic
WHAT FURY BRINGS
currying favor with the wealthy nobles, Olerra decides on a different tactic, the time\u002Dhonored Amarran tradition of kidnapping a husband. Her target is a good\u002Dlooking younger prince from the neighboring country of Brutus, but she accidentally and unknowingly nabs Sanos, the king’s eldest son and heir to the throne. She drags Sanos back to Amarra, where he’s treated with all the contempt for men that is normal in her society: He’s dressed as a sexual plaything, forced to shave his beard and body hair, leashed and restrained for bad behavior. Olerra can’t understand Sanos’ objections to this treatment, and the ensuing power struggle makes up most of the plot. Marketed as romantasy, Levenseller’s first adult novel falls flat as both romance and fantasy. There is little connection or chemistry between Olerra and Sanos, and since both are more caricature than character, neither experiences the kind of growth that creates challenging or interesting romantic relationships. In addition, the worldbuilding is paper thin. Amarra is a world built on reverse misogyny, but the motifs, imagery, and scenes often read more like a brainstormed list (a penis guillotine!) than a fully realized attempt to say something meaningful about women’s rage."
This gritty urban fantasy plunges readers into a world where supernatural forces collide with the raw struggles of modern adolescence, blending high-stakes action with deeply personal turmoil. The na...
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE NAKED MOLE RAT?
Genre
This clever picture book tackles the mysterious disappearance of a beloved classroom pet, weaving scientific facts about naked mole rats with an engaging mystery that will captivate elementary school...
What Happens During An Eclipse? Astronomy Book Best Sellers
Baby Professor
Everybody gets thrilled when hearing about an eclipse happening. It gets broadcasted in the news and people actually look up at the sky, waiting. But for children to better appreciate what an eclipse is, proper introduction needs to be in place first. The purpose of this book is to give your child t
WHAT IS FREE SPEECH?
Genre
This timely examination of free speech rights provides young readers with a clear framework for understanding one of America's most fundamental constitutional protections. The book breaks down comple...
WHAT REMAINS AFTER A FIRE
and Kaki hide their Christian faith and move to a Muslim neighborhood, where Ruby falls in love with a man named Samuel and begins working for a wealthy widow named Tanya. Kaki begins to feel at home among these people, along with a new friend, Fatima. However, Kaki must grapple with the fact that this new iteration of her mother is a woman who primarily looks out for herself, and that financial security and friendships can shatter at any time. There are several chilling moments in the book—Javed does not shy away from tragedy and the darker sides of human nature—but the ending of this story is by far the most haunting. This collection is one to be admired, particularly for how it powerfully depicts Pakistani women (both in Pakistan and the U.S.) yearning for lives they have had ripped from them by patriarchy or prejudice. “We are catacombs of trauma,” Javed writes, “reservoirs of hurt.” Even so, these stories uplift the idea that we will all come upon an opportunity to be purified, whether in life or death."
This powerful novel explores the aftermath of a devastating house fire that leaves a teenage girl grappling with loss, trauma, and the painful process of rebuilding her life. The narrative delves int...
WHAT WE CAN KNOW
climate change, the subject of a course he teaches, “The Politics and Literature of the Inundation.” Nuclear war has irradiated the planet, while “markets and communities became cellular and self\u002Dreliant, as in early medieval times.” Nonetheless, the archipelago that is now Britain has managed to scrape up a little funding for the professor, who is on the trail of a poem, “A Corona for Vivien,” by the eminent poet Francis Blundy. Thanks to the resurrected internet, courtesy of Nigerian scientists, the professor has access to every bit of recorded human knowledge\u003B already overwhelmed by data, scholars “have robbed the past of its privacy.” But McEwan’s great theme is revealed in his book’s title: How do we know what we think we know? Well, says the professor of his quarry, “I know all that they knew—and more, for I know some of their secrets and their futures, and the dates of their deaths.” And yet, and yet: “Corona” has been missing ever since it was read aloud at a small party in 2014, and for reasons that the professor can only guess at, for, as he counsels, “if you want your secrets kept, whisper them into the ear of your dearest, most trusted friend.” And so it is that in Part 2, where Vivien takes over the story as it unfolds a century earlier, a great and utterly unexpected secret is revealed about how the poem came to be and to disappear, lost to history and memory and the coppers."
This philosophical exploration invites young readers to question the very foundations of knowledge, guiding them through the fascinating terrain of epistemology with accessible language and relatable...
What's Your Favorite Animal?
Eric Carle
Fourteen children's book artists share their favorite animals and why they love them.
What's Your Favorite Color?
Eric Carle
Fifteen beloved children's book artists draw their favorite colors and explain why they love them.
WHEN EVERYONE KNOWS THAT EVERYONE KNOWS . . .
way of shared media and then move together to punish transgressors. The swiftest way to be misunderstood, he notes, is to use irony or indirect speech, much as they help disguise our intentions. Pinker writes fluently, though there’s plenty of arcana from neuroscience, linguistics, and other fields floating around here. While it’s not necessary to have read Noam Chomsky, Antonio Damasio, Daniel Kahneman, and other cognitive scientists to follow Pinker’s arguments, it helps."
This sophisticated exploration of social dynamics and shared knowledge dives deep into the psychological phenomenon of common knowledge, where not only does everyone know something, but everyone know...
WHEN PEOPLE WERE THINGS
many others in his decision to champion the freeing of enslaved people, and they will gain a greater understanding of his declaration, on January 1, 1863, when he signed the Proclamation and stated, “If my name ever goes into history, it will be for this act, and my whole soul is in it.”"
This powerful memoir explores the devastating legacy of human ownership through the author's deeply personal account of their family's history with slavery. The narrative traces the journey of ancest...
WHEN YOU COME AT THE KING
Nixon, to be succeeded by another counsel\u003B with support from the Supreme Court, which rejects Nixon’s assertion of executive privilege, the counsel turns up enough smoking\u002Dgun evidence that Nixon is forced to resign. Even so, because that Nixon\u002Dera special counsel enjoyed no protections, one staffer said, “We were fighting an enormously powerful president, and we were getting signals that something bad was going to happen,” leading her to squirrel away evidence in case the investigation was shut down and redacted into oblivion. Since that time, various laws to protect special counsels have been enacted, but just as many have been allowed to expire, with politicians—especially Republicans like Robert Bork—worried that they occupied “an office whose sole function is to attack the executive branch.” Later successful investigations included the Valerie Plame affair, in which a member or members of George W. Bush’s team disclosed that she was a deep\u002Dcover CIA agent. Honig examines numerous cases through six criteria, including the necessity of an investigation, its duration and scope, and its results. One Trump 1–era investigation, in that regard, took three years to dismiss Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, then was contradicted by the contemporaneous Mueller report. An unexpected villain of the piece is President Biden’s attorney general, Merrick Garland, who, by Honig’s account, dawdled for two years before allowing Jack Smith to investigate the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, so that “Smith had only a handful of months to get from indictment to trial—a difficult task in any federal case, let alone in two sweeping, unprecedented indictments of a former president.”"
This gritty urban thriller plunges readers into a high-stakes world where a young protagonist must navigate treacherous alliances and brutal street politics after a local kingpin's power is threatene...
WHERE LIGHT DOES NOT REACH
Earth-shaking enigmas in Night’s SF novel." />
This young adult science fiction thriller plunges readers into a future metropolis where the sun has become a distant memory and society is stratified by access to artificial light. The protagonist, ...
WHILE ISRAEL SLEPT
dismissing the idea that the Hamas\u002Dled incursion of Oct. 7, 2023, was akin to 9/11. Instead, they liken it to the Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor as a sequence of misread indicators that something bad was about to happen. So lax was the monitoring of the Gaza border, they note, that Hamas “didn’t use even a single tunnel,” even as Israeli Defense Forces intelligence assumed that Hamas wouldn’t dare cross the border openly. Another missed sign was the removal of protective fabric from rocket\u002Dlaunch pits within Gaza, a prelude to a rocket attack, although Hamas said that it was a drill. “Israel possessed all the intelligence to piece together Hamas’s plans, but the IDF never connected it into a comprehensive picture to understand what was happening right before their eyes,” the authors charge. One proximate cause of the failure, they hold, was the IDF’s complacency about the “iron wall” that divided Gaza and Israel, “believed to be impenetrable,” but the larger issue was that different agencies weren’t talking to each other and sharing intelligence that might have been stitched into a coherent whole. An interesting point, if untestable, is that the division in Israeli society wrought by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s effort to reduce the power of the nation’s judiciary revealed a weakness that lent itself to attack. Controversially, the authors insist that the IDF’s response to the attack took great pains to spare civilian lives and “refrain from preemptive action that could lead to a wider war.” They close with a set of policy recommendations, including taking care not to alienate the U.S., as happened during the Biden presidency, and enlisting Mossad, which operates internationally, to aid with internal intelligence."
This gripping historical account chronicles the tense days leading up to the Yom Kippur War, when Israel faced an unprecedented surprise attack from neighboring nations. The narrative masterfully bui...
WHISPERS IN THE GLEN
spreads through town. As Nell hurries to help the lone survivor, he hands her a photo of a woman before he\u0027s taken away. It’s not long before Nell discovers the woman in the picture, Mathilde, has arrived in Glen Clova to mourn the passing of her sweetheart, one of the crew members who died in the crash. As Nell begins to learn Mathilde’s story, the book flashes periodically back to the years between 1908 and 1917, showing how events during the first World War, including Nell’s work as an ambulance driver and Effie’s secret teen pregnancy, led inevitably to the complex family dynamics through which they are both trying to muddle in the 1940s. Gradually, the sisters discover many secrets and coincidences that help them understand who they are and what sort of lives they want to lead. Told in close third person throughout, the book alternates perspectives between Nell and Effie, also shifting briefly to their mother, Manon, and Mathilde. Full of interesting details about female ambulance drivers at Royaumont Abbey and life in rural Scotland during both world wars, the book offers an unhurried examination of the way secrets can burden their carriers over time. While this emotionally evocative novel would have benefitted from additional setting details to bring the village of Glen Clova more to life, the characters are drawn with depth and nuance. Similarly, although there are too many coincidences to feel entirely credible, the outcome is both satisfying and uplifting."
This atmospheric middle-grade mystery follows a young protagonist's summer in the Scottish Highlands, where ancient legends and family secrets intertwine with the misty landscape. The narrative maste...
Whispers of Calm, A Child's Meditation Guide
Manon Doucet
"Nurturing Mindfulness in Children: A Compassionate Guide" In this essential guide, we delve into the heart of raising mindful children, emphasizing the importance of a compassionate understanding of emotions. Recognizing the unique developmental stages of every child, we offer tailored techniques t
Whitetails for Kids
Tom Wolpert
Describes the characteristics and behavior of the white-tailed deer and follows a fawn through its first year of development.
Who Is Eric Carle?
Stephanie Sabol
Celebrate the 50th birthday of The Very Hungry Caterpillar with a closer look at its creator! Eric Carle's collage technique; his bright, bold, colors; and his love for the natural world are distinctive--and instantly recognizable to children. Stephanie Sabol tells the story of how this German-educa
Who Is Judy Blume?
Kirsten Anderson
Learn how Judy Blume went from a stay-at-home mother to one of the most beloved American authors of the twentieth century. Readers adore Judy Blume for her personal stories about the journey from childhood to adolescence. She has always been an imaginative person and an avid reader. As a child, Judy
WHO NUKED SILICON VALLEY?
Katie, will prove vital to unpacking what’s behind a violent movement to push a constitutional amendment for AI personhood—although there’s clear pushback, as well: “Don’t cede to those who can’t bleed. Vote ‘NO’ to Personhood!” reads some acid\u002Detched graffiti. Donoghue unfolds the narrative via the perspectives of these characters (along with a smattering of others), weaving a complex yet deeply intimate vision of a quickly emerging future in which capitalism and artificial intelligence conspire to rob both humans and bots of any remaining control over their own lives. The SF conceits merge with worldbuilding that’s revealed slowly but inexorably, resulting in what emerges as a memorable entry in the growing genre of AI thrillers. The clearly drawn characters, complex sociopolitical discourse, and, especially, Donoghue’s deep empathetic imagination for both humans and AIs makes the work feel like far more than the sum of its parts. Other novels have played in this high\u002Dtech sandbox, to be sure, but few have done so in a way that makes a reader think and care for both people and artificial entities in such strong and equal measure."
This explosive techno-thriller plunges readers into a high-stakes mystery where the world's tech capital is suddenly thrown into chaos by a catastrophic, unexplained event. The narrative follows a gr...
Who Was Roald Dahl?
True Kelley
Just in time for Roahl Dahl Month! Roald Dahl is one of the most famous children's book authors ever. Now in this Who Was . . . ? biography, children will learn of his real-life adventures. A flying ace for the British Air Force, he was married to an Academy Award-winning actress. He also wrote book
Why Do We Call Pluto A Dwarf? Astronomy Book Best Sellers
Baby Professor
Is Pluto the new member of the Seven Dwarves? Nah, not really. Scientists call it a dwarf for a special reason and you’ll know what that is if you open this astronomy book for kids. Introducing children to astronomy can be pain-free if you use the right reference tools that your child can appreciate
Why? The Human Body
National Geographic Kids
Why can kids hear better than grown-ups? Why can’t humans spit like llamas? This brainy and zany Q&A book answers the serious and silly questions kids have about the human body. Put on your lab coat and grab hold of your stethoscope as you embark on a scientific mission to boost your brainpower on a
WILD FOR AUSTEN
the insights offered here, but as was the case in her biography of Austen’s contemporaries and fellow authors Jane and Maria Porter (Sister Novelists), Looser aims her work at the general public with a breezy, conversational tone, even as she flourishes her credentials as an Austen expert. Part 1 retells the plots of each novel, including unfinished ones and unpublished juvenilia, spotlighting Austen’s use of “wild,” “wildly,” and “wildest” and carefully explaining different connotations. Elizabeth Bennet’s muddy appearance after a brisk walk is described by the censorious Mrs. Hurst as “almost wild” (i.e., savage), while its more common use is as a synonym for “eager”\u003B the young people in Persuasion are all “wild to see Lyme.” “Wildly” and “wildest” turn up most often in Sense and Sensibility to underscore Marianne’s dramatic nature. The focus on word use gets tedious, but in Part 2 Looser applies the notion of wildness more broadly to describe the adventures of Austen’s relatives—an aunt was tried for a capital felony, a cousin was married to a French count executed during the Reign of Terror—to make the point that, however quiet the writer’s life was, she had plenty of secondhand knowledge of the wider, wilder world. Part 3, “Shambolic Afterlives,” gets weird with chapters on Austen’s ghost, Austen erotica, and Austen films that were never made, but Janeites of an undemanding nature will enjoy it all."
This clever YA romance cleverly reimagines the world of Jane Austen for a modern audience, transplanting the wit and social machinations of Regency England to a chaotic wilderness survival reality sh...
WILD GIRL
a young “Wild Man” who’s “one of the forest dwellers, devoted to the old gods, guardians of the wandering unicorn herd.” Soon, they’re joined by his unicorn companion. As it turns out, legends about virgins being able to lure unicorns are true\u003B the next day, Helaine summons the unicorn to cleanse contaminated water, and her thankful father proclaims the forest safe for unicorns and Wild Men. But his adviser, Father Robert, has other plans for the girl, whom he needs to facilitate a unicorn hunt. Spicer’s novel is a captivating, folkloric tale about freedom, loyalty, betrayal, trauma, and religious zealotry. Over the course of the story, Helaine proves to be a compelling protagonist as she forms a mutual friendship with and attraction to the Wild Man\u003B she also realizes that Father Robert is an abusive hypocrite and reclaims her agency. The narrative can feel slow and unfocused at times, but many readers are sure to enjoy Spicer’s dreamy, evocative prose: “The unicorn appeared to glide along, at one moment part of the darkness, the next a pale wraith, blending against the silvered tree trunks.”"
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
WILDCATS
their teacher Ms. Benitez, who informs them that they’re part of a group known as the Hunters of Chaos, the girls become embroiled in an apocalypse\u002Daverting conflict with villains who also have ties to Temple Academy. A straightforward adventure with solid pacing and strong, stylish characters exuding girl power with every step, this is an accessible and fun graphic novel for less\u002Dseasoned comics consumers. After all, it’s pretty tough to resist a crew of friendly\u002Dfaced big cats splashing around in ponds, exploring a centuries\u002Dold temple, and lunging at bad guys with pointy\u002Dclawed paws. Mina’s flirtations with a boy she likes, her clashes with members of a snooty clique, and her insecurities about belonging (though her parents are alumni, they struggled to scrape up the money for her tuition) add further dimension. "
This action-packed sports novel follows a high school basketball team's journey from underdogs to championship contenders, capturing the intensity of teenage athletics with authentic play-by-play act...
WILDERNESS OF MIRRORS
Tamsin, a psychology Ph.D. student who like him is a child of ambivalent privilege, and they get entangled, erotically and otherwise. They soon encounter an enigmatic quasi\u002Dprotege of Bolling, Braeem Shaka, leader of an upstart Creole political movement that seeks reparations and is viewed as a threat by the governor. Eventually, Shaka becomes a hunted outlaw, and Emil finds that he has been drafted by the absent Bolling into being Shaka’s protector—a role into which he recruits Tamsin. The result is a novel of dreamy indolence and big ideas: When and where will Emil find himself when at last he emerges from the haze of uncertainty, when he decides who and what and where he’s going to be? Novels of passivity and bewilderment are hard to make work, but Terry does a nice job of dramatizing the lives of young intellectuals adrift in a chaos of possibilities."
This gripping espionage thriller plunges readers into the morally complex world of Cold War intelligence, where every ally could be a double agent and truth is the most dangerous weapon of all. The n...
WILL EISNER
Irish toughs for being Jewish, Will Eisner found refuge in books. “There are ways to escape,” read the words above cartoonist Mazur’s sepia\u002Dtone illustration of a New York Public Library bookmobile. “Places where the new kid is always welcome.” A youthful dreamer, Eisner soaked up classic adventure stories set in far\u002Doff lands. “And then there’s the kind of literature they don’t have at the library,” writes comics historian Weiner. “You want this old pulp book? I’m done with it,” says a neighbor in the Bronx, handing the boy a copy of Black Mask magazine, a man on the cover menacingly pointing a gun. Young Will was dazzled by the action. In little time, he fell in love with drawing, taking after his father, Sam, a set painter who worked at, among other venues, the Yiddish Art Theatre in Manhattan. Thus began a fascination with cartooning that ultimately made Eisner a legend in the field—the comic industry’s annual Eisner Awards are named in his honor. Not that Eisner didn’t struggle to achieve success. Early on, his mother, Fannie, wasn’t thrilled that there would be two struggling artists under one roof. “Can you buy groceries with art?” she asks. Eventually, the answer, for Eisner, was yes. He got a job at the New York American newspaper, published his first professional work in 1936, opened a studio with Jerry Iger, and achieved great popularity with his masked detective hero the Spirit, whose dark style was inspired by German cinema. Comics aficionados also remember Eisner for Joe Dope, a character he created for the Army during World War II. The “bumbling private,” Weiner writes, taught soldiers proper procedure “by doing everything wrong.” There was little, it seems, that Eisner did wrong in his storied life, and fans of his—old and new—are all the richer for his captivating work."
This graphic biography offers young readers a vibrant introduction to the pioneering creator who transformed comic books into a respected art form. Through dynamic illustrations and accessible storyt...
WILL THERE EVER BE ANOTHER YOU
Genre
This poignant exploration of identity and legacy invites young readers to ponder their unique place in the world through lyrical prose and thoughtful questions. The narrative gently guides adolescent...
Wings of Fire: A Guide to the Dragon World
Tui T. Sutherland
Dive into the world of Wings of Fire like never before! The #1 New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling Wings of Fire series soars to even greater heights with an all-new collection of stories and art from readers' favorite dragon world! Tui T. Sutherland and Wings of Fire cove
WISH I WAS A BALLER
sports journalist Shah, a ninth grader pursues his passion in the face of familial expectations pushing him toward a medical career, while also navigating the perils of high school social life." />
This energetic picture book captures the universal childhood dream of athletic stardom through rhythmic, basketball-inspired verse that will have young readers bouncing along. The narrative follows a...
WITH STARS IN HER EYES
her family as a child performer on the Christian music circuit, as well as her divorce from a blackmailing manipulator from the same community. The two women start bonding over romance novels and art, with their chemistry strengthening over months of intimacy. But Courtney is hiding her past, which eventually spills out as expected. The novel is conscious of its own genre, and as the two women talk books, they make references to plot elements like the slow burn and the third act breakup, which Burke then dramatizes, not always well. We also get the requisite assortment of best friends and small\u002Dtown quirky characters as well as the villainous ex and some charming episodes, such as a date in a field at night. The adherence to rom\u002Dcom tropes and types could make for easy reading, but a narrative that alternates between Thea and Courtney’s first\u002Dperson points of view, plus Courtney’s many names and personas, can be difficult to follow. "
This powerful coming-of-age novel follows a teenage astronomy prodigy navigating the complex constellations of first love, family expectations, and her own brilliant future. The protagonist's passion...
WITHOUT FEAR
William Lloyd Garrison in 1831, advocating equality for all. Aretha B. McKinley, at the time the only Black female lobbyist on Capitol Hill, organized an “avalanche” of letters in 1960 to prove to skeptical lawmakers that Blacks supported civil rights legislation. And Mary Church Terrell, the daughter of formerly enslaved parents, traveled to Zurich in 1919 for the International Congress of Women. Many of these women merit a book of their own."
This gripping thriller plunges readers into a high-stakes world of espionage and survival, following a resourceful protagonist who must outwit a shadowy organization. The narrative moves at a relentl...
WOLF BELLS
this responsibility. James is nonverbal, requires diapers, and has specific dietary needs, which is to say, he needs a lot of support. Understanding this, the residents of the Island of Misfit Toys that is Caz’s community offer Nola and James safe harbor as best they can. From the first sentence, you know you’re in the hands of a novelist with the ear of a very good poet. More than that, Zumas seamlessly balances the novel’s lyricism with character building, backstory, and forward momentum. Sometimes the bickering among the residents devolves from comic relief into schtick, but other than that, this novel is a delight to read. It stands out as a book that features the interior voices of children, middle\u002Daged women, and an elderly woman with equal verve. Zumas also finds a way to capture the way James experiences the world with creativity and care. The ensemble comes together to great effect."
This supernatural mystery plunges readers into a world where ancient family secrets and the chilling call of the wolf collide, blending coming-of-age drama with pulse-pounding paranormal suspense. Th...
Women Who Broke the Rules: Coretta Scott King
Kathleen Krull
A biography of the life and career of Coretta Scott King and her work for equal rights for African-Americans.
Women Who Broke the Rules: Judy Blume
Kathleen Krull
A new biography series complete with full color illustrations that celebrates amazing women, from acclaimed author Kathleen Krull.
Women's Quick Facts
STEMconnector®
Women’s Quick Facts is the indispensable resource on the status and contribution of women. The only resource of its kind, it is a book that will be highly sought after for multiple uses, both in the US and globally. It is unique with more than 310 sources and resources cited. It is about the game ch
World of Eric Carle: My First Sight Words Box
ERIC. CARLE
This sight words box of twelve books is perfect for young fans of Eric Carle! The World of Eric Carle meets sight words in this twelve-book boxed set just right for young, emergent readers. Sight words, or "high-frequency words," are words that appear often in written text. The more easily that youn
World Of Science (Set 6)
Peck Yong Ngoi
The World of Science series engages, educates and entertains children, imparting scientific facts, while nurturing the love of Science through dynamic, full-colour comics. All topics covered are in line with the Singapore primary Science syllabus and the Cambridge primary Science curriculum, and als
WOUND MAN
multiple associations with contemporary writings, characters, and their associated visual culture.” After the creation and popularization of the printing press, Wound Man found further life in the print sphere and was often simply used as an aesthetic illustration “for mass appeal as a pan\u002DEuropean visual phenomenon.” Hartnell’s revelatory research and plethora of macabre illustrations make the book an unexpected treasure: It shines as both a morbid medical history and a curious record of the early years of information graphics."
This chilling medical history book explores the fascinating and gruesome world of medieval and Renaissance surgery through the lens of its most iconic teaching tool. Young adult readers with a taste ...
Writer's Guide to Book Editors, Publishers, and Literary Agents, 1997-1998
Jeff Herman
This book contains the names and addresses of acquisitions editors at top publishing houses, as well as their area of expertise and information on top literary agents. First time and experienced authors will find the information they need to get their big break in the writing business instead of hav
Writers' & Artists' Guide to Writing for Children and YA
Linda Strachan
The W&A Guide to Writing for Children and YA provides informed, practical advice from a successful and experienced writer of children's books across all ages. Its coverage includes picture books through middle grade and young adult; fiction and non-fiction; books for reluctant readers and books for
Writing, Grades 5 - 8
Barden
Write on! Write with students in grades 5 and up using Writing: Fundamentals for the Middle-School Classroom. This 128-page book helps students learn how to express themselves through writing. It provides open-ended lessons of personal writing, descriptive writing, short stories, poetry, and reports
YOU ARE THE DETECTIVE
threatening anonymous letters to 19 Tootley Row, the Mayfair house of “artist and sometimes poet” Ambrose Belvoir, another letter urges a neighboring tailor to summon the police immediately to a murder scene. That’s quite a surprise to Belvoir and his guests, who suddenly realize that one of their number, American novelist Roy Peterson, hasn’t just dropped off to sleep\u003B he’s been stabbed to death by an icepick. But every one of the remaining guests—actress Vita Simpson, naturalist Lord Alfred Chomley, race car driver Felix Darlington, telephone operator Mabel Hickney, and cook Cloris Adder—swears that they didn’t approach the famously antisocial Peterson and that they didn’t see anyone else approach him, either. If no one laid a hand on him, how did he meet his end, and why? The novelty here is that instead of unfolding their whodunit in straightforward prose, the authors present a scrapbook of floor plans, black\u002Dand\u002Dred drawings of the crime scene and the suspects, newspaper clippings, transcripts of interviews with DCI Harold Jensen, and a climactic confession that makes the impossible murder look so easy that readers who haven’t figured it out already are likely to feel cheated. The forgettable characters are little more than cartoon types, but that’s entirely appropriate to their mode of presentation. A more serious criticism is that all those pictures contain remarkably few clues."
This interactive mystery book plunges young readers directly into the action, casting them as the primary investigator tasked with solving a series of cleverly constructed cases. Each puzzling scenar...
YOUR NAME HERE
Helen DeWitt? I was talking to Johnny Depp and he loves it, he’d love to work with you, what are you waiting for?”), and on DeWitt and Gridneff’s attempts via email to wrestle down whatever the hell their collaboration is supposed to yield. Call it high\u002Dpomo hijinks, where the story gives way to layered language, graphics, and meta\u002Dreferences (“And then there’s the engagement of the characters with Arabic, something that would have been unthinkable fifty, even ten years ago”)\u003B though, as if in a nod to traditional form, there is a surprise plot twist that relieves Rachel of her preoccupations. To call the book experimental is to understate, however, as Gridneff brightly notes late in the text, only if one isn’t up on “those 18th\u002Dcentury prepostmodernist time travellers Sterne and Diderot.”"
This interactive guide offers young readers a creative toolkit for exploring identity and self-expression through the simple yet profound act of naming. The book cleverly uses the concept of a name a...
YVES SAINT LAURENT AND PHOTOGRAPHY
art historians, curatorial specialists, and museum staff testify to Saint Laurent’s intimate relationship with photography. “My greatest asset,” he once remarked, “has been the eye I have for the time I live in and for the art of my time.” As Christoph Wiesner, director of the Arles Photography Festival, observes, for Saint Laurent, “working with photographers was a means of exploring his own limits, of giving his clothes another life beyond the purely material one.” Saint Laurent had been assistant to Christian Dior at the time of Dior’s sudden death in 1957\u003B immediately, he was thrust into the public eye, with critics and fashion doyennes alike anticipating his creations. From his first show, in 1961, his evolution as a designer was documented by photographers who included some of the most famous names in the field: Irving Penn, Helmut Newton, Richard Avedon, William Klein, Lord Snowdon, Horst P. Horst, Inge Morath, Cecil Beaton, and Annie Liebovitz, all represented here. His models, too, were renowned: Audrey Hepburn, Twiggy Lawson, Jean Shrimpton, Paloma Picasso, Catherine Deneuve, among many others. He was much photographed himself, with portraits revealing a well\u002Dcurated “cool masculinity” as well as changes in dress, hair style, and affect—most notably in 1971, for the launch of his men’s fragrance, when he posed nude, his long hair tousled, wearing nothing but his signature black glasses."
This visually stunning exploration of Yves Saint Laurent's relationship with photography offers young fashion enthusiasts an intimate look at how the legendary designer collaborated with photographer...