Highly Rated Books

Our top-rated children's books with 4.0+ stars and 50+ reviews

Showing 177 exceptional books

ACROSS SO MANY SEAS

by Ruth Behar⭐ 4.8/5(5,000)

This sweeping multigenerational saga follows four courageous girls from the same Sephardic Jewish family across five centuries of exile, tracing their journeys from 1492 Spain to 1920s Turkey, 1960s ...

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FLORA & ULYSSES

by Kate DiCamillo⭐ 4.8/5(5,000)

“Forget paranormal romance; this horror-humor-romance pastiche is where those in search of hot nonhumans should set their sights.” — Kirkus Reviews When Cynthia Rothschild’s best friend, Annie, falls head over heels for the new high-school librarian, Cyn can totally see why. He’s really young and su

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MAGNOLIA WU UNFOLDS IT ALL

by Chanel Miller⭐ 4.8/5(5,000)

In this hilarious follow-up to ChupaCarter, world-famous entertainer George Lopez delivers a spooky tale of mystery, revenge, and friendship starring 12-year-old Jorge and Carter, the fearsome but friendly Chupacabra! Inspired by his own childhood and packed with clever illustrations, George Lopez's

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NEW KID

by Jerry Craft⭐ 4.8/5(5,000)

Perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier and Gene Luen Yang, New Kid is a timely, honest graphic novel about starting over at a new school where diversity is low and the struggle to fit in is real, from award-winning author-illustrator Jerry Craft. Seventh grader Jordan Banks loves nothing more than dra

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THE AUTHOR

by Duncan Tonatiuh⭐ 4.8/5(5,000)

From the author of the award-winning Game Changer comes a new novel about two student-athletes searching for stardom, a young reporter searching for the truth, and a crosstown basketball rivalry that goes too far. The people of Walthorne love their basketball--and one of the things they love most is

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THE CROSSOVER

by Kwame Alexander⭐ 4.8/5(5,000)

Fourteen-year-old twin basketball stars Josh and Jordan wrestle with highs and lows on and off the court as their father ignores his declining health.

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THE FIRST STATE OF BEING

by Erin Entrada Kelly⭐ 4.8/5(5,000)

This time-travel adventure from Newbery Medal winner Erin Entrada Kelly masterfully blends historical fiction with contemporary middle-grade concerns, following twelve-year-old Michael as he encounte...

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THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN

by Katherine Applegate⭐ 4.8/5(5,000)

Ivan is an easygoing gorilla. Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain. He rarely misses his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all. Instead, Ivan thinks about TV shows he’s se

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THE UNDEFEATED

by Kwame Alexander⭐ 4.8/5(5,000)

Winner of the 2020 Caldecott Medal A 2020 Newbery Honor Book Winner of the 2020 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award The Newbery Award-winning author of THE CROSSOVER pens an ode to black American triumph and tribulation, with art from a two-time Caldecott Honoree. Originally performed for ESPN's Th

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THE WILD ROBOT

by Peter Brown⭐ 4.8/5(5,000)

When robot Roz opens her eyes for the first time, she discovers that she is alone on a remote, wild island. Why is she there? Where did she come from? And, most important, how will she survive in her harsh surroundings? Roz's only hope is to learn from the island's hostile animal inhabitants. When s

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WE ARE WATER PROTECTORS

by Carla Zoe LaRue⭐ 4.8/5(5,000)

Winner of the 2021 Caldecott Medal Inspired by the many Indigenous-led movements across North America, We Are Water Protectors issues an urgent rallying cry to safeguard the Earth’s water from harm and corruption—a bold and lyrical picture book written by Carole Lindstrom and vibrantly illustrated b

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WONDER

by R.J. Palacio⭐ 4.8/5(5,000)

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Millions of people have fallen in love with Auggie Pullman, an ordinary boy with an extraordinary face—who shows us that kindness brings us together no matter how far apart we are. Read the book that inspired the Choose Kind movement, a major motion picture, and the cr

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FALLING ANGELS

by Fisher, in the U.S. Freelance operative Torashi Kage, whom a senator has assigned to track down the virus, embarks on a personal vendetta against Maxx—and because Kage doesn’t know where Maxx is, he first goes after Gabby. Thomas caters this finale to readers familiar with the previous series installments. Exhilarating action opens the narrative, with multiple groups of people engaged in combat, rushing somewhere, or scheming to take someone out. Despite the series title featuring Maxx’s name, this is definitely an ensemble cast—the spotlight is shared among many characters, from Dr. Xi and Mr. Green to Maxx’s ever\u002Dreliable military friends Andres Sandoval and Glen Piper. An unexpected standout is one particular villain who struggles with an all\u002Dtoo\u002Drelatable emotional issue\u003B she’s involved in a sinister plan on a global scale but has difficulty overcoming her jealousy, feeling “second best” to the scientist who’s aligned with the man she loves. Maxx makes for a terrific hero and helps to protect Earth, but so do many other characters. The Others, at least in this installment, are mostly an ominous presence—they’re often voiced via the cube, and there’s not much beyond a hint of their specific biology. This doesn’t make them any less daunting, as there seems to be no question that they have the power to devastate the entire planet. The dialogue throughout is rife with cliches (“We’re playing with fire”\u003B “he’s already got one foot in the grave”), but it’s action that truly drives this story, and the author dishes it out in spades."⭐ 4.8/5(119)

This powerful coming-of-age novel explores the complex friendship between two girls from vastly different backgrounds in 1970s England, set against the backdrop of Queen Victoria's funeral. Through a...

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8 UNIVERSAL LAWS

by Genre⭐ 4.8/5(52)

This concise guide to universal principles offers young readers an accessible introduction to philosophical concepts that have shaped human understanding across cultures and centuries. The book disti...

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DARK SQUARES

by chess but by alcohol and drugs. Rensch detours regularly to deliver a history of chess and the contemporary game largely controlled (i.e., financed) by the USSR until the 1990s, when even celebrity grandmasters barely earned travel expenses. Then came computers, the internet, and more media attention, which produced bigger prizes, plus the rise of cell phones, which facilitated cheating. Readers will sympathize with the author’s struggles but likely perk up when in 2008 he encounters two entrepreneurs operating an early internet chess site whose knowledge of serious competitive chess remained at the amateur level. He persuaded them to add features, programs, competitions, and the technology that ultimately promoted chess.com to its dominant position. During these years, the author writes of victories in his personal life, too, overcoming marital problems and escaping the influence of the cult."⭐ 4.7/5(53)

This gripping psychological thriller plunges readers into a world where a seemingly innocent online game called "Dark Squares" begins to manipulate reality itself, blurring the lines between digital ...

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SCORCHED EARTH

by Genre⭐ 4.7/5(965)

This gripping dystopian thriller plunges readers into a future where environmental collapse has reshaped civilization, forcing a group of young survivors to navigate a treacherous, resource-scarce la...

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LIVING IN THE PRESENT WITH JOHN PRINE

by Covid\u002D19. He was 73. Piazza repurposed the materials he had gathered to produce this moving work. Equal parts profile, oral history, and on\u002Dthe\u002Droad adventure, the book recounts the artist’s working\u002Dclass background in suburban Chicago, his family connection to rural Kentucky, his early success with Atlantic Records, and the decision to co\u002Dfound the label Oh Boy Records. Often writing in the first person and present tense, Piazza recounts his time with Prine, including a spontaneous road trip from Nashville to Sarasota, Florida, in a cherry\u002Dred 1977 Coupe de Ville. Piazza also reviews Prine’s body of work, its broad influence, and his unassuming humanity. Comparing Prine to Bob Dylan, Piazza notes, “You don’t want to be him, you just want to hang out with him.” Along the way, the author gathers insights from Prine’s peers, friends, and family. One band member, for example, notes that Prine’s keen emotional intelligence easily overcame his limitations as a musician and singer. A two\u002Dtime cancer survivor, Prine was already in poor health when Piazza befriended him, but the artist’s good humor and low\u002Dkey grace shine through on every page."⭐ 4.7/5(62)

This picture book biography introduces young readers to the legendary singer-songwriter John Prine, capturing both his musical journey and his profound appreciation for everyday moments. Through lyri...

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AWAKE

by white supremacy, racism, sexism, greed, and ugly secrets. “Imagine my surprise when I began discussing white supremacy, and tons of my Christian followers lost their shit,” she writes brightly. (There’s not a lot of blue language here, but when it comes, it’s just right.) The author goes on to write of middle\u002Dage dating, “purity culture,” body shaming, and a careful kind of forgiveness while proclaiming a hard\u002Dwon feminism: “Women are the eighth wonders of the world. May we love this little life with exposed beating hearts, tender regardless, despite it all.”"⭐ 4.7/5(1,937)

This candid memoir offers modern readers a powerful exploration of complex social issues through the author's deeply personal lens, tackling difficult topics with refreshing honesty and courage that ...

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The Threads Remain

by German soldiers, which upends their lives. Postwar Germany in 1957 finds 16\u002Dyear\u002Dold Friedrich Becker grieving the recent loss of his adoptive mother, Minna. Spurred by her death to investigate the identity of his biological parents, Friedrich meets Sigrid, an orphan who works at an orphanage and joins him in his search. He remembers nothing of the time before his own adoption, but he has a crocheted bear named Bärli, which he had with him at age 4. Over the course of this layered narrative, Shapiro demonstrates an exceptional talent for storytelling as he highlights war’s capacity to separate people, but also to draw them together in common cause. Indeed, the story effectively shows how conflict can bind people together across generations and, as it happens, across time itself. As the various timelines intertwine, the author’s fine attention to detail results in a satisfying reading experience. Overall, the work ably reminds readers that although “there is no hope of creating a better past,” the future is still full of possibility."⭐ 4.7/5(217)

This gripping novel explores the complex aftermath of trauma through the interconnected stories of three teenagers whose lives were shattered by a shared tragedy. The narrative weaves between their p...

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UNSPOKEN

by 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."⭐ 4.7/5(72)

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...

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LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA

by nature, Miranda bloomed in high school, where he made movies with a camcorder and took advantage of the school’s drama program, staging ambitious plays. In his sophomore year at Wesleyan University, Miranda wrote a musical set in Washington Heights\u003B it would become the first draft of In the Heights, his first Broadway musical. Most of Pollack\u002DPelzner’s book is dedicated to the creative process behind In the Heights, which won four Tony Awards, and Hamilton, the idea for which came when Miranda took a copy of Ron Chernow’s biography on vacation. Miranda talked to Pollack\u002DPelzner for the book, and his remarkable candor is part of why it succeeds. The author’s chronicle of the musicals’ development is equally thrilling. Pollack\u002DPelzner, who writes about theater and culture for the New Yorker, the Atlantic, and the New York Times, understands the technical and creative aspects of the stage, and he proves himself to also be an astute observer of the more human side of creating art."⭐ 4.6/5(94)

This compelling biography captures the extraordinary journey of the visionary creator behind "Hamilton" and "In the Heights," tracing his path from a childhood immersed in New York City's vibrant art...

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AS A JEW

by ethical principles and care for others. The struggle to embrace a heritage has been irrevocably complicated by the struggle to embrace a Jewish nation\u002Dstate. In fluent, conversational prose, the author (a former speechwriter for the Obamas) outlines some of the major historical principles behind Judaism. In her account, Judaism is a story of survival, a constant reinventing of tradition for a changing world, and a commitment to preserving the past while living in the present. More than any specific list of laws, rules, or observances, this feature of Judaism lies at the heart of the author’s story. She writes from personal experience, from historical research, and from a truly literary perspective. Responding to the prevalence of anti\u002DJewish incidents after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, she writes: “Relying on incident counts can be like trying to measure humidity with a bucket, as if it were rain. You can wind up with an empty bucket and a lot of people proclaiming that it’s all in your head. Even as you stand before them drenched in sweat and feeling suffocated, they may still insist that you’re overreacting, even making it all up.” It may be uniquely hard to be a Jew these days. But, Jewish or not, it’s even harder to be a mensch."⭐ 4.6/5(73)

This powerful memoir offers young readers an intimate window into Jewish identity and heritage through the author's personal journey of self-discovery. The narrative weaves together family stories, c...

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CAT KID COMIC CLUB: PERSPECTIVE

by Dav Pilkey⭐ 4.6/5(15,000)

A brand-new graphic novel series by Dav Pilkey, the internationally bestselling author and illustrator of the Dog Man and Captain Underpants series. Readers of all ages will unleash their own creativity as they open the door to visual comic-book storytelling with the help of Dav Pilkey and his heart

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CHARLOTTE'S WEB

by E.B. White⭐ 4.6/5(15,000)

When he discovers that he is destined to be someone's dinner, Wilbur the pig is desolate until his spider friend Charlotte decides to help him.

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DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: NO BRAINER

by Jeff Kinney⭐ 4.6/5(15,000)

From award-winning creator Felicita Sala comes a whimsical adventure about a child who's determined to recover all his misplaced belongings, wherever they may be A baseball cap. A special sweater covered in dogs. A marble collection. The baseball cap, again. Pablo just can't stop losing his things:

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DOG MAN: THE SCARLET SHEDDER

by Dav Pilkey⭐ 4.6/5(15,000)

Our canine superhero returns in DOG MAN: THE SCARLET SHEDDER, the suspenseful and hilarious twelfth graphic novel in the #1 worldwide bestselling series by award-winning author and illustrator Dav Pilkey! P.U.! Dog Man got sprayed by a skunk! After being dunked in tomato juice, the stink is gone but

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FRONT DESK

by Kelly Yang⭐ 4.6/5(15,000)

"Inside Out and Back Again" meets "Millicent Min, Girl Genius" in this timely, hopeful middle-grade novel with a contemporary Chinese twist.

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GUTS

by Raina Telgemeier⭐ 4.6/5(15,000)

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.

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HATCHET

by Gary Paulsen⭐ 4.6/5(15,000)

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

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PERCY JACKSON: THE CHALICE OF THE GODS

by Rick Riordan⭐ 4.6/5(15,000)

Demigods Nico di Angelo and Will Solace must endure the terrors of Tartarus to rescue an old friend in this thrilling adventure co-written by New York Times #1 best-selling author Rick Riordan and award-winning author Mark Oshiro. Percy Jackson fans, rejoice! Nico and Will have a book of their own!

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SMILE

by Raina Telgemeier⭐ 4.6/5(15,000)

An autobiography in graphic novel format describes how the author lost two of her front teeth in an accident when she was twelve, and her subsequent struggles with various corrective dental techniques throughout adolescence.

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THE BABY-SITTERS CLUB: KRISTYS GREAT IDEA

by Raina Telgemeier⭐ 4.6/5(15,000)

Adapted by the Eisner Award-winning creator of Smile, a graphic novel rendering of the first entry in the best-selling series introduces the original members of the Baby-Sitters Club when one of them suggests that they organize their efforts into a business. Simultaneous.

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THE HATE U GIVE

by Angie Thomas⭐ 4.6/5(15,000)

8 starred reviews ∙ William C. Morris Award Winner ∙ National Book Award Longlist ∙ Printz Honor Book ∙ Coretta Scott King Honor Book ∙ #1 New York Times Bestseller! "Absolutely riveting!" —Jason Reynolds "Stunning." —John Green "This story is necessary. This story is important." —Kirkus (starred re

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THE WILD ROBOT ESCAPES

by Peter Brown⭐ 4.6/5(15,000)

This captivating sequel continues the story of Roz the robot as she navigates the complexities of civilization while yearning for her wild island home, blending science fiction with heartfelt themes ...

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WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING (YOUNG READERS EDITION)

by Delia Owens⭐ 4.6/5(15,000)

This young readers adaptation of the bestselling novel brings the atmospheric mystery of the North Carolina marshes to a new generation, following Kya Clark's journey from abandoned child to resilien...

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WINGS OF FIRE: HOPE

by Tui T. Sutherland⭐ 4.6/5(15,000)

The #1 New York Times bestselling series continues! A wall can't protect them anymore . . . Snowfall didn't expect to be queen of the IceWings at such a young age, but now that she is, she's going to be the best queen ever. All she has to do is keep her tribe within IceWing territory, where it's saf

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THE DEVIL REACHED TOWARD THE SKY

by Genre⭐ 4.6/5(432)

This gripping novel plunges readers into a high-stakes supernatural conflict where the line between good and evil is terrifyingly blurred. The story masterfully builds a world where celestial forces ...

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GRAY DAWN

by Genre⭐ 4.6/5(168)

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...

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THE ELEMENTS

by inflicting her pain on new victims. And her former resident–turned–child psychologist, Aaron Umber, seeks to heal his own damaged psyche by embarking on a life\u002Dchanging journey back to Ireland with his teenage son. Originally published in the U.K. as separate novellas (Water, Earth, Fire, Air), these four interconnected stories pack a wallop when combined in one volume. If the format at times feels too tidy and contrived (especially in the final section), it doesn’t lessen the emotional impact of deeply wounded characters struggling to overcome their guilt and find redemption in the wake of catastrophic trauma. "⭐ 4.6/5(1,036)

This comprehensive guide to the periodic table transforms abstract chemical concepts into an accessible visual journey, making atomic structure and elemental properties come alive for curious minds. ...

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SILENCED VOICES

by the raging war—but everything changed with the arrival of the Guatemalan army and their brutally violent “full\u002Dblown scorched\u002Dearth operation.” Thanks to her fierce queer sister, Elena, Clara escaped, but the girls were forced to separate. Clara eventually headed to the U.S. alone. Deeply affected by their mother’s story, José and Charlie reflect on their family roots, embarking on a mission to determine their long\u002Dlost aunt’s fate. Split into four chapters that share the perspectives of the central characters, Leon’s testament to the power of historical memory movingly explores how the echoes of trauma continue to reverberate across the Guatemalan and Indigenous diasporas, often spanning generations. The unflinching, grounded artwork, which emphasizes the characters’ expressions and emotions, offers a few moments of levity amid the mostly unseen acts of violence. "⭐ 4.6/5(66)

This powerful young adult novel tackles the urgent issue of censorship through the eyes of high school students whose literary magazine faces administrative shutdown over controversial content. The n...

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ALCHEMISED

by any means necessary, the two polar opposites—Helena and Kaine, healer and killer—end up discovering much more as they begin to understand each other through shared trauma. While necromancy is an oft\u002Dtrod subject in fantasy novels, the author gives it a fresh feel—in large part because of their superb worldbuilding coupled with unforgettable imagery throughout: “[The necromancer] lay reclined upon a throne of bodies. Necrothralls, contorted and twisted together, their limbs transmuted and fused into a chair, moving in synchrony, rising and falling as they breathed in tandem, squeezing and releasing around him…[He] extended his decrepit right hand, overlarge with fingers jointed like spider legs.” Another noteworthy element is the complex dynamic between Helena and Kaine. To say that these two characters shared the gamut of intense emotions would be a vast understatement. Readers will come for the fantasy and stay for the romance."⭐ 4.5/5(2,547)

This young adult fantasy novel weaves together magical world-building and simmering romance in a way that will captivate readers seeking immersive escapism. The story follows characters navigating a ...

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THE FARAWAY FOREST

by Genre⭐ 4.5/5(74)

This enchanting middle-grade fantasy transports readers to a magical woodland where ancient trees whisper secrets and mythical creatures guard hidden realms. The story follows a young protagonist's j...

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A FLOWER TRAVELED IN MY BLOOD

by Jorge Rafael Videla in 1976 forever reset the country’s history. Under Videla’s direction, a violent military junta kidnapped, tortured, and murdered thousands of Argentines (by some estimates as many as 30,000 who were deemed “subversives”). Centering the saga of the Roisinblits and their matriarch Rosa, journalist Gilliland, in her first book, approaches this brutal period through the eyes of the Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo, a scrappy, courageous group of mothers of desaparecidos who had infants or were pregnant when they were disappeared. Over decades of instability that followed the junta’s rule, the Abuelas were at the forefront of calls for accountability and justice, anchoring their grief in the search for grandchildren who had been born in detention centers and adopted—appropriated—by new families, often with connections to Videla’s government. The author conveys the complicated, heart\u002Dwrenching fullness of her characters’ individual stories and shades their backdrop with compulsively readable history of geopolitical tension and the emerging DNA science that fueled the Abuelas’ fight. Gilliland’s work, exhaustively and compassionately researched, offers a crucial counterbalance to the dark legacy of Argentina’s desaparecidos, injecting the light of a model resistance movement that lay the groundwork for future international human rights investigations. Her humility and respect for the fraught journeys her subjects made toward each other and for the vital questions their journeys raised—about power, identity, family, and collective memory and healing—ensure the text will resonate for generations the world over."⭐ 4.5/5(602)

This powerful poetry collection explores the complex journey of identity, heritage, and self-discovery through vivid, lyrical verse that speaks directly to the teenage experience. The poems navigate ...

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IN MOURNING

by 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."⭐ 4.5/5(312)

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...

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SPACE CASE THE GRAPHIC NOVEL

by Genre⭐ 4.5/5(61)

This graphic novel adaptation brings space camp adventures to life with vibrant illustrations and witty dialogue that will immediately hook middle-grade readers. The story follows a group of young as...

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Book Review The Hunger Games (Book 1)

by Suzanne Collins⭐ 4.5/5(332)

By winning the Hunger Games, Katniss and Peeta have secured a life of safety and plenty for themselves and their families, but because they won by defying the rules, they unwittingly become the faces of an impending rebellion. |

children-books

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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

by J.K. Rowling⭐ 4.5/5(323)

Turning the envelope over, his hand trembling, Harry saw a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, an eagle, a badger and a snake surrounding a large letter 'H'. Harry Potter has never even heard of Hogwarts when the letters start dropping on the doormat at number four, Privet Drive. Address

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Number the Stars

by Lois Lowry⭐ 4.5/5(225)

The unforgettable Newbery Medal–winning novel from Lois Lowry. As the German troops begin their campaign to "relocate" all the Jews of Denmark, Annemarie Johansen’s family takes in Annemarie’s best friend, Ellen Rosen, and conceals her as part of the family. Through the eyes of ten-year-old Annemari

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Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book One: The Lightning Thief

by Rick Riordan⭐ 4.5/5(201)

The #1 New York Times Bestseller | Now a series on Disney+ 12-year-old Percy Jackson discovers he is the son of Poseidon in the opener to the hilarious, fast-paced adventure fantasy series for young readers ages 10 and up The eBook edition of the first book in Rick Riordan’s thrilling series, filled

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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

by J.K. Rowling⭐ 4.5/5(180)

'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

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The Heroes of Olympus, Book One: The Lost Hero

by Rick Riordan⭐ 4.5/5(142)

Jason has a problem. He doesn't remember anything before waking up on a school bus holding hands with a girl. Apparently she's his girlfriend Piper, his best friend is a kid named Leo, and they're all students in the Wilderness School, a boarding school for "bad kids." What he did to end up here, Ja

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Book Review Where the Wild Things Are A Caldecott Award Winner

⭐ 4.5/5(135)

In the forty years since Max first cried "Let the wild rumpus start," Maurice Sendak's classic picture book has become one of the most highly acclaimed and best-loved children's books of all time. Now, in celebration of this special anniversary, introduce a new generation to Max's imaginative journe

children-books

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Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book Five: The Last Olympian

by Rick Riordan⭐ 4.5/5(93)

All year the half-bloods have been preparing for battle against the Titans, knowing the odds of victory are grim. Kronos's army is stronger than ever, and with every god and half-blood he recruits, the evil Titan's power only grows. While the Olympians struggle to contain the rampaging monster Typho

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Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

by J.K. Rowling⭐ 4.5/5(83)

'There will be three tasks, spaced throughout the school year, and they will test the champions in many different ways ... their magical prowess - their daring - their powers of deduction - and, of course, their ability to cope with danger.' The Triwizard Tournament is to be held at Hogwarts. Only w

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Best Behavior(r) Series (Board Books) 14-Book Set by Multiple Authors

by Multiple Authors⭐ 4.5/5(78)

This 8-book set helps to guide kids to learn good behaviors. The award-winning books include relatable stories for young kids and helpful tips for parents. Help kids learn about screen time, loud voices, using their words, and more!

picture-bookschildren-books

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Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

by J.K. Rowling⭐ 4.5/5(76)

There it was, hanging in the sky above the school: the blazing green skull with a serpent tongue, the mark Death Eaters left behind whenever they had entered a building... wherever they had murdered... When Dumbledore arrives at Privet Drive one summer night to collect Harry Potter, his wand hand is

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Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book Four: The Battle of the Labyrinth

by Rick Riordan⭐ 4.5/5(69)

Percy Jackson isn't expecting freshman orientation to be any fun. But when a mysterious mortal acquaintance appears on campus, followed by demon cheerleaders, things quickly move from bad to diabolical. In this latest installment of the blockbuster series, time is running out as war between the Olym

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Because of Winn-Dixie

by Kate DiCamillo⭐ 4.5/5(67)

Ten-year-old India Opal Buloni describes her first summer in the town of Naomi, Florida, and all the good things that happen to her because of her big ugly dog Winn-Dixie.

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Fablehaven

by Brandon Mull⭐ 4.5/5(63)

Kendra and Seth find themselves in the midst of a battle between good and evil when they visit their grandparents' estate and discover that it is a sanctuary for magical creatures.

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Warriors #3: Forest of Secrets

by Erin Hunter⭐ 4.5/5(63)

Allegiances are shifting among the Clans of warrior cats that roam the forest. With tensions so delicately balanced, former friends can become enemies overnight, and some cats are willing to kill to get what they want. Fireheart is determined to find out the truth about the mysterious death of brave

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Kane Chronicles, The, Book Two: The Throne of Fire

by Rick Riordan⭐ 4.5/5(59)

In this exciting second installment of the three-book series, Carter and Sadie, offspring of the brilliant Egyptologist Dr. Julius Kane, embark on a worldwide search for the Book of Ra, but the House of Life and the gods of chaos are determined to stop them.

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Inheritance Boxed Set

by Christopher Paolini⭐ 4.5/5(57)

WITH THE HIGHLY anticipated publication of Book Three in the Inheritance cycle, the hardcover editions of all three books will be available in a handsome boxed set!

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Book Review Emergency Jobs (Emergency Jobs Dash! Leveled Readers 2)

by Julie Murray⭐ 4.5/5(54)

This series is a thank you to emergency workers! Each title will look into an emergency worker job, the training it takes, and what a day in the life looks like. This series is at a Level 2 and is written specifically for emerging readers. Aligned to Common Core standards & correlated to state stand

children-books

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LIFE, AND DEATH, AND GIANTS

by Genre⭐ 4.5/5(607)

This powerful YA novel explores the raw edges of grief and survival through the eyes of a teenager grappling with a devastating family loss. The narrative masterfully balances the crushing weight of ...

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UNICO

by 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. "⭐ 4.5/5(171)

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...

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MARSEILLE 1940

by France’s collapse, most Americans opposed helping refugees. Running for reelection in November, Franklin D. Roosevelt knew that supporting immigration was a sure loser at the polls. Some readers will recognize Wittstock’s hero, Varian Fry, a young New York journalist: He is at the heart of Julie Orringer’s 2019 novel The Flight Portfolio, which inspired the Netflix series Transatlantic. Together with a few activists, Fry raised money and founded the Emergency Rescue Committee. Carrying a list of names, including 200 German\u002Dlanguage authors provided by Thomas Mann, he traveled to Marseille in August 1940, assigned to spend a few weeks organizing an office to aid refugees. He remained for more than a year. On arriving, Fry realized that thousands needed help to survive as well as navigate absurd procedures for obtaining paperwork to live, travel, and leave France. Fiercely idealistic, he did what had to be done, much of which was illegal and expensive\u003B this offended the ERC, which demanded his return, and the State Department, which refused to renew his passport and denounced him to the Vichy government. Fry finally returned in the fall of 1941\u003B declared persona non grata, he received little thanks. Wittstock detours regularly for accounts of refugees. Readers may recognize names like Max Ernst, Hannah Arendt, Marc Chagall, and Heinrich Mann, but most will be as unfamiliar as they were to Fry, who rescued more than 1,000 people, a lifesaving feat because, of course, death in concentration camps awaited many who were left behind."⭐ 4.5/5(595)

This gripping historical novel plunges readers into the tense, occupied streets of Marseille during the darkest days of World War II, following a young protagonist whose world is upended by the Nazi ...

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HISTORY MATTERS

by 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.”"⭐ 4.5/5(161)

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 ...

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APHMAU

by adding a little magic to Aphmau’s birthday cake. Once consumed, the cake transforms Aphmau into a wolf\u002Dgirl. More birthday wishes backfire, cueing video game–inspired hijinks all over town. But can Aphmau right the wrongs in time? The author, a successful online content creator who shares a name with her protagonist, delivers a Minecraft\u002Dinspired graphic novel that successfully brings her brand to a new format. Cacciatore’s adorable, candy\u002Dcolored art incorporates video game conventions like status bars to effortlessly meld mediums. The fast pace and quick cuts are delightfully chaotic, echoing the original YouTube format. Age\u002Dappropriate tween romance elements especially stand out. Character bios provide a helpful entry point to those new to Aphmau’s world. Aphmau has brown skin and purple hair\u003B other cast members vary in skin tone."⭐ 4.5/5(128)

This vibrant guide dives deep into the expansive universe of a beloved online gaming and role-play series, offering fans a comprehensive look at its characters, story arcs, and the creative mind behi...

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QUEST FOR THE TRUE DRAGON

by Genre⭐ 4.5/5(85)

This middle-grade fantasy adventure follows a young protagonist's perilous journey to find the last remaining dragon in a world where the mythical creatures have nearly vanished. The narrative blends...

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A THOUSAND WAYS TO DIE

by police and seven times more likely to be shot dead by another civilian with a gun.” Lee traces this pattern to America’s beginnings, when “an uncleavable relationship between the trade of humans and the trade of guns” contributed to the nation’s bloody foundation. After this historical background, Lee moves around the country, describing how Southern gun traffickers illicitly arm Chicagoans despite the state’s stringent gun control laws, fueling the city’s uncontrollable violence. In New Orleans, he notes how, while reporting during Hurricane Katrina, at least one of his white colleagues makes excuses for police shootings aimed at some of the city’s poorest Black residents. In Massachusetts, he interviews a worker at the Smith \u0026amp\u003B Wesson factory who loses his job after publicly questioning the company’s ethics. Throughout these stories, he weaves in his own personal history, recounting how his grandfather’s and stepbrother’s murders left lasting, traumatic impressions on his extended family. Lee’s experience reinforces one of the book’s key messages—that gun violence is both a byproduct and cause of “the systemic, institutional, and structural racism that feeds it.” At best, Lee’s work is empathetic, analytical, and insightful, drawing subtle connections in clean and conversational prose. Some chapters hold together better than others: “(G)un\u002DCivil Rights,” for example, is cohesive, while “Gigglebox” tends to meander. All in all, the book is a provocative and informative read that expertly blends memoir with hard\u002Dhitting reporting. "⭐ 4.5/5(64)

This gripping survival guide presents a comprehensive catalog of lethal scenarios, from natural disasters to urban emergencies, delivering practical life-saving knowledge through vivid, accessible sc...

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107 DAYS

by the urgency of the book’s title. If not entirely sanguine about the future, she maintains a clear\u002Deyed view of the damage already done: “Perhaps so much damage that we will have to re\u002Dcreate our government…something leaner, swifter, and much more efficient.”"⭐ 4.4/5(1,697)

This gripping survival narrative chronicles the incredible true story of a young person's 107-day ordeal in a remote wilderness, testing the limits of human endurance and resilience. The author maste...

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THE PEOPLE'S PROJECT

by self\u002Dabandonment, she meant pretending “you don’t know what you know, don’t hear what you hear, don’t see what you see.” And not abandoning others, as well. Several contributors consider forms of resistance. “I think the act of resistance I take the most pleasure in is raising my sons to be good men,” writes illustrator Aubrey Hirsch. For Chase Strangio, simply being a transgender person signifies resistance: “Part of what makes trans people so central in this small and toxic moment is the power we wield by being insistently ourselves.” Disability justice activist Alice Wong considers the challenge of countering fascism: “The fear, chaos, and danger many of us live in changes our relationship with time. To fight, to provide mutual aid, to listen, care for, and love our people, to nourish and sustain yourself—all of these things take time and energy. We must give ourselves space, grace, and time if we are to fight fascism.” Some pieces exude anger\u003B others, sadness\u003B all face the future with more questions than answers. As scholar Imani Perry puts it, “Today I ask: How do we raise the young in the face of deportations, expulsions, captivity, abandonment and targeted cruelty? How do we feed those writhing with hunger pangs for freedom?” All underscore the crucial power of community."⭐ 4.4/5(148)

This timely narrative follows a diverse group of young activists as they mobilize their community to save a beloved local park from commercial development, offering a powerful look at grassroots orga...

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THE LACK OF LIGHT

by suicide 20 years earlier—a fact we learn in the first chapter but come to fully understand only 700 eagerly turned pages later. The narrator is Keto, who grows up in a delightfully quirky household with two battling grandmothers, a widowed physicist father, and a beloved older brother\u003B the story follows her friendships with brilliant Ira, daring Dina, and beautiful Nene, the darling daughter of a mobster family, from their schoolyard beginnings, through young loves, emerging talents, and life\u002Dchanging decisions, everything thrown into high relief by the unfolding disaster around them. Ferrante lovers will find many echoes of the Neapolitan novels here, the plot similarly featuring almost mythic levels of intensity in love and grief, centering the importance of women’s friendship. An unexpectedly moving translators’ note says that the novel, while not autobiographical, is probably Haratischwili’s \u0022most personal work to date,\u0022 a history strongly felt in myriad gorgeously written summary passages like this one: “We, the children of the nineties, who swapped our childhood and youth for Kalashnikovs and heroin—we, of all people, listened to Barry White and longed for nothing more than eternal love and the ecstatic fruits of that love, for fun and excitement. We, of all people, let the music play. And how! We played it right to the bitter end.”"⭐ 4.4/5(7,371)

This haunting young adult novel plunges readers into a world where darkness has become permanent, following a group of teens navigating a society stripped of electricity and hope. The narrative maste...

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THE CONJURING OF AMERICA

by tracing the transformations of the conjure woman from the Negro Mammy during slavery to the Candy Lady, a revered elder in Black communities during the Civil Rights Movement. Powerful figures in Blacks’ battles against racism and sexism, conjure women have inhabited many roles, among them, healers, spiritual guides, midwives and abortion providers, weavers and quilters, hairdressers, and cooks. Enslaved African women brought their ancestors’ use of natural medicine to the plantation, where Negro Mammies applied methods that were noninvasive and boosted the immune system, far different from medical doctors’ bloodletting and purging. Among one Negro Mammy’s remedies was a salve containing turpentine, which cleared airways so effectively it was sought after by whites, including one Southern man who made a fortune marketing it as Vicks VapoRub. In antebellum New Orleans, the Voodoo Queen was central to a community of free women of color who worshiped mermaids. Associated with rebellion and vengeance, Voodoo Queens inspired fear in their white neighbors. Stewart traces the connections of conjure to Aunt Jemima (whose image derived from a minstrel act), the invention of the blues, and even the creation of blue jeans, first made and worn by enslaved people and sewn from “negro cloth,” dyed with the West African plant indigo. Conjure emerges in the art of hairdressers, in cooks whose soul food has the power to bring good luck, and in quilters who designed “busy patterns” in their blankets to distract spirits that brought bad luck. Stewart melds personal reflections, African mythology, and abundant primary sources, most notably interviews conducted by the Federal Writers’ Project, to create a brisk, spirited narrative."⭐ 4.4/5(90)

This gripping historical fantasy novel reimagines America's founding through a supernatural lens, blending authentic colonial history with magical elements that will captivate young adult readers. Th...

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ROYAL GAMBIT

by turning into trees and stegosauruses and unusual modes of death involving energetically implanted brain cubes. The occasional borrowed tiara on her head, Alix moves through an environment where nothing is ever quite what it seems. The closer she comes to finding Edmund’s killer, the more Alix uncovers about the secrets surrounding her position within both the Checquy Group and the royal family."⭐ 4.4/5(989)

This gripping fantasy novel plunges readers into a deadly world of court intrigue and magical tournaments, where a young commoner must master forbidden powers to survive. The story weaves political m...

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THE SHATTERING PEACE

by Genre⭐ 4.4/5(1,159)

In a world where silence has been forcibly imposed, a young protagonist discovers that sound itself is a revolutionary act. This gripping dystopian novel plunges readers into a society where music, l...

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THE RAVEN BOYS

by Academy. While he can’t always escape the perception of being a condescending rich boy, Gansey, influenced by a near\u002Ddeath experience seven years earlier, throws himself fully into finding the sleeping king, Owain Glendower. Searching for ley lines that will lead them to Glendower, Gansey, Blue, and the others get swept up in a race to activate the lines before those with dark motives can seize the ancient magic for themselves. Though some of the illustrations don’t convey the full gravitas of some moments in the original, others adroitly capture the humor, dread, and camaraderie that made the novel so intriguing and endearing. Newcomers to the story may not catch the significance of certain developments, but other elements, like the town of Henrietta and Gansey’s journal, gain extra life and added dimensions thanks to Milledge’s expressive and nostalgic artwork, which is enhanced by Ko’s luminous colors. Blue has brown skin and dark curly hair, and the boys present as white. "⭐ 4.4/5(4,326)

This paranormal fantasy follows Blue Sargent, the only non-psychic in a family of clairvoyant women, whose lifelong prophecy warns that she will cause her true love to die. Her fate becomes dangerous...

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THE BOOK OF GUILT

by German conspirators in 1943\u003B since then, British scientists have had access to studies “of immense scientific value” made in “the camps,” as they are called with pointed vagueness. In 1979, this history is taught to 13\u002Dyear\u002Dold triplet brothers—mercurial William, softhearted Lawrence, and thoughtful, watchful Vincent, who narrates most of the book. They live in a group home for boys, part of the Sycamore Homes program established by the government in 1944 to raise parentless children. Doted on by a threesome of Morning, Afternoon, and Night mothers, taught from the encyclopedic Book of Knowledge (an actual publication) and in weekly ethics discussions, the Sycamore boys have had happy if isolated childhoods marred only by incessant sickliness. Those who recuperate from “the Bug” get to move to “the Big House in Margate,” which, according to the brochure, is a wonderful place next to an amusement park. Only the triplets still remain when a new Conservative government decides to discontinue the Sycamore program to cut costs. Soon the Prime Minister puts the well\u002Dmeaning but clueless Minister of Loneliness in charge of rehoming the triplets. But where? That these children have been part of a creepy scientific experiment is obvious early on, but one shocking, horrifying surprise follows another in what is, at its most basic, a cat\u002Dand\u002Dmouse thriller. Meanwhile, Chidgey forces readers to delve into moral questions concerning science (and by extension, technology), pragmatism, personal responsibility, and institutional evil. Then there’s the novel’s unavoidable, disquieting contemplation of just who is given equal right in any given society (including ours). Chidgey, a New Zealander, borrows elements from Philip Roth’s The Plot Against America and Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go, but the character Vincent most resembles is Pinocchio. Broad themes and issues become deeply personal as his coming\u002Dof\u002Dage becomes a monumental struggle toward self\u002Ddiscovery."⭐ 4.4/5(2,123)

This psychological thriller plunges readers into the suffocating world of a teenager grappling with a life-altering secret, masterfully weaving suspense with the raw emotional turmoil of adolescence....

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NAGASAKI

by Genre⭐ 4.4/5(52)

This powerful historical account transports readers to the final days of World War II through the eyes of Japanese civilians, offering a deeply personal perspective on the atomic bombing and its deva...

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FLIP

by Genre⭐ 4.4/5(197)

This innovative picture book transforms the traditional reading experience into an interactive adventure, inviting young readers to physically engage with the story by flipping the book upside down t...

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CONFRONTING EVIL

by Judeo\u002DChristian standards, Genghis was the devil incarnate, but the Mongols apparently liked him just fine. O’Reilly holds that Mao Zedong was history’s worst mass murderer, “although his evil role model, Genghis Khan, might have surpassed him.” Naturally, while ticking down a rogue’s gallery that includes a few Judeo\u002DChristian figures, O’Reilly tries to own liberals: The Obama administration “does little to halt the Crimea aggression,” encouraging Vladimir Putin to invade Ukraine, while Ayatollah Khomeini makes Jimmy Carter his plaything, and so on."⭐ 4.3/5(324)

This powerful exploration of evil's nature and manifestations offers young readers a thoughtful framework for understanding darkness in the world, from historical atrocities to contemporary moral cha...

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NOBODY KNOWS YOU'RE HERE

by one of the callous “goons” who occasionally drop off kidnap victims or, scarier still, take them away (“Maybe They would kill us all”). Beatrice, with no access to a cellphone or the internet, is ostensibly in the middle of nowhere. That, however, doesn’t stop her from contemplating escape, or attempting it when she has the chance. Greenwood’s novel is steeped in mysteries beyond Beatrice not knowing where she is\u003B for example, she can’t be sure her indifferent father, or anyone else, is even looking for her. Aiden and Isabel are likewise unpredictable—they also seem to be victims of whatever organization is behind the kidnappings, but how much of what they tell Beatrice is the truth? Beatrice, who narrates, makes for a laudable hero\u003B she’s bright, empathetic, patient when it counts the most, and a mental powerhouse. Some of what she endures is vicious, though the author implies much of the violence and consistently lets suspense drive the narrative. All of this begets a sublime final act that focuses on the enigmatic characters and their complicated relationships. "⭐ 4.3/5(457)

This gripping thriller plunges readers into the dark underbelly of a city where a determined photographer and a reluctant detective hunt a serial killer targeting young women. The narrative masterful...

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AURORA

by the Collector, who has light skin, green eyes, and black hair. Wounded blue\u002Deyed Kendal, who’s born from Vash’s remaining essence, is left for dead but saved by purple\u002Dskinned, pink\u002Dhaired Alinua, a self\u002Dexiled cloud elf with a curse—or maybe a gift. With no way of knowing which she bestowed on Kendal, the two decide to travel together to rescue Vash’s soul. Meanwhile, a great mage, who’s light\u002Dskinned and brown\u002Dhaired and has power over all the elements, accidentally springs a trap that was millennia in the making. Fighting for control of his body, he’s saved by Kendal and Alinua and agrees to assist them—if they help him find a means to expel the malevolent spirit before it implements its plans. The plot\u002Ddriven story balances action sequences with intriguing plot developments and extensive worldbuilding. Red renders her full\u002Dcolor illustrations in a clean style that effectively conveys dynamic moments. However, information is too often introduced well in advance of its relevance, interrupting the pacing and creating information overload. This disjointed approach makes it difficult to ground oneself within the story or fully connect with the characters. "⭐ 4.3/5(76)

This middle-grade novel follows a young protagonist navigating the complexities of identity and belonging against a backdrop of magical realism, blending everyday challenges with extraordinary circum...

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VICTORY '45

by 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."⭐ 4.3/5(316)

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...

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HUSK

by 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. "⭐ 4.3/5(96)

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...

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KINGDOM OF WATER

by confronts family secrets." />⭐ 4.3/5(85)

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...

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LION HEARTS

by Genre⭐ 4.3/5(397)

This gripping novel follows a young protagonist navigating the treacherous landscape of high school while grappling with a family secret that threatens to upend everything. When ancient family docume...

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IF ANYONE BUILDS IT, EVERYONE DIES

by 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."⭐ 4.3/5(311)

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...

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CROOKS

by the rules.” So says small\u002Dtime criminal Raymond “Buddy” Mercurio as he rises through the ranks of the Vegas mob and courts and marries Lillian Ott, a glamorous salesgirl and nimble pickpocket. Ten years and four kids later, they’re on top of the world when Buddy gets a midnight phone call: “Go.” They escape a shootout and retreat to Lillian’s hometown of Oklahoma City. With another baby on the way, it seems like a place where they can lie low “till [they] get back on [their] feet.” Then, a comedy of errors during a restaurant robbery elevates Buddy as a local hero, and he capitalizes on his celebrity by opening up a disco that becomes a surprising hit. Gangsters be gangsters, though, and when one of his investors discovers Buddy’s skimming from the profits, it looks like it could be time to cut and run—until he realizes it’s his wife behind the takedown. After a chase, a gunshot, and a heavy kiss in the freezing rain, they make up (in full view of the children). The rest of the novel follows each of the five children and the effect of their unconventional upbringing on their own choices and paths in life. From beautiful idiot hustler Jeremy to restless adrenaline chaser Tallulah to staid and earnest mob enforcer Ray to tight\u002Dlaced strategic planner Alice and lonely writer Piggy, they’re all shaped by their criminal parents in different ways. They also move in and out of each other’s stories in appealing ways, emphasizing their loyal bonds even as they keep getting pulled back into their own versions of criminality. As is almost always true in anthology\u002Dstyle works, some stories are more engaging and effective than others, but Berney continues to expand the genre of Western noir with style, humor, and a deep understanding of human frailty and flaw."⭐ 4.3/5(204)

This gritty crime thriller plunges readers into the high-stakes world of professional heists and the complex moral codes of those who operate outside the law. The narrative follows a crew of skilled ...

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THE GHOST OF WRECKERS COVE

by their father’s tales of fictional girl detectives, Cristina and Martha form their own secret sleuthing society and set out to solve the mystery. Their search takes them to the village library, a forgotten museum, and even a crumbling cliffside cave, uncovering clues that tie together ghostly sightings, legendary land pirates called “wreckers,” and a priceless jewel lost at sea. The pair begin to suspect that they may need to help Ida accept the truth of what happened so many years ago—a fitting task for two girls who are also quietly processing the recent loss of their mother. Despite its ghostly apparitions and dark themes, Del Campo’s story is more sweet than spooky, and Liniers’ illustrations employ a muted palette and watercolor texture that matches the quietly emotional story. “I will always believe in fairies and magic,” Martha announces to dismissive Cristina at one point, and this tale of sisterly bonding does indeed feel like a fairy tale, at times. As such, slightly older readers may wish that there were more swashbuckling, ghostly adventure, Still, its quiet pace and subtle tone will resonate with younger, reflective readers who are drawn to atmosphere over action. "⭐ 4.3/5(84)

This gripping middle-grade mystery plunges readers into a windswept coastal adventure where a young protagonist uncovers a century-old shipwreck legend while staying with relatives for the summer. Th...

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TO CLUTCH A RAZOR

by Genre⭐ 4.3/5(805)

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...

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A DARK AND DEADLY JOURNEY

by the duo’s nonstop banter as they ricochet from one Portuguese destination to the next. One might almost forget the wartime backdrop were it not for the occasional reference to Nazis and Hitler. Unraveling the mysteries is far less important than enjoying the duo’s badinage. Meanwhile, an ominous figure whose identity is never discovered looms over all. This, and Kelly’s cliffhanger ending, indicate more adventures to come."⭐ 4.3/5(185)

This gripping survival thriller plunges readers into a treacherous wilderness expedition where a group of teens must navigate both the unforgiving landscape and the dangerous secrets among them. The ...

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MILLIE OF THE MANOR

by Genre⭐ 4.3/5(99)

This charming middle-grade novel introduces readers to Millie, a clever and resourceful twelve-year-old who takes on the responsibility of managing her family's sprawling, slightly dilapidated manor ...

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THE HIROSHIMA MEN

by Japan’s unexpectedly sudden surrender, Americans accepted the official story that ordinary superbombs had won the war. Stories of gruesome injuries and agonizing deaths that continued to occur months afterward were censored or officially denied. By 1946 Hersey was a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist, chafing at Time\u002DLife’s reluctance to let him travel. More amenable, New Yorker editors sent him to Asia, where he returned traditional stories before traveling to Hiroshima, which, despite a year’s passage, smelled of death. Interviewing widely, he concentrated on stories from half\u002Da\u002Ddozen survivors. The result, filling the Aug. 31, 1946, issue, was a jolt, and the later book a worldwide bestseller. Both gave rise to the belief, still popular if not unanimous, that the bomb must never be used again."⭐ 4.3/5(93)

This powerful historical account examines the devastating aftermath of the atomic bomb through the eyes of the Hiroshima Maidens—young women who survived the blast only to face severe burns and socia...

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THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY

by a well-published scholar of that movement." />⭐ 4.3/5(94)

This scholarly work offers a comprehensive examination of the modern mindfulness movement, tracing its philosophical roots from ancient Buddhist practices to its contemporary therapeutic applications...

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TICK TOWN

by Genre⭐ 4.3/5(62)

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...

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DEATH AT A HIGHLAND WEDDING

by the boorish Austrian gamekeeper and his mantraps, which, to Mallory’s fury, have wounded a Scottish wildcat and killed its mother. During a walk, Mallory, Gray, and McCreadie find part of a butchered deer and then the body of Cranston’s friend Ezra Sinclair wearing Cranston’s coat. When the inexperienced and opinionated local constable arrests Cranston, the investigative trio intervene. Was Sinclair or Cranston the target for murder? And is the killer a disgruntled local or one of their own friends?"⭐ 4.3/5(3,835)

When a wedding guest turns up dead at a lavish Scottish estate, the picturesque celebration transforms into a high-stakes investigation where ancient clan rivalries and buried secrets refuse to stay ...

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AMONG THE BURNING FLOWERS

by Genre⭐ 4.3/5(1,919)

This gripping fantasy novel plunges readers into a world where beauty and danger are inextricably linked, following a young protagonist's journey through a land of perpetual twilight and lethal flora...

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THE GODS OF NEW YORK

by his perceived mismanagement on numerous fronts. Corruption scandals undermined his administration. Homelessness surged, due in part to federal funding cuts, reductions in mental health in\u002Dpatient care, and local government failures. AIDS was killing thousands of New Yorkers. With City Hall slow to act on the latter, playwright and activist Larry Kramer tried to out the closeted mayor and lambasted federal health officials like Anthony Fauci. Conservative writer William F. Buckley Jr. said people with HIV should be tattooed to prevent its spread. Meanwhile, crack decimated poor neighborhoods, as “an inherently biased law” imprisoned many Black users and spared white users of powder cocaine. Violent crime and racial conflict stoked by tabloids made Al Sharpton famous and fueled international interest in Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing. Rudy Giuliani’s profile rose as he prosecuted Wall Street crooks. And Donald Trump, after making some bad business deals, “was now refashioning himself into the city’s white id,” Mahler writes. When Trump made inflammatory statements after five Black and Latino teens were accused—falsely, it turned out—of raping a woman in Central Park in 1989, famed columnist Jimmy Breslin wrote that he had “destroyed himself” as “all demagogues ultimately do.”"⭐ 4.3/5(323)

This urban fantasy adventure plunges readers into a New York City where ancient deities walk the streets disguised as ordinary citizens, blending mythic stakes with contemporary city life. The narrat...

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DAYBREAK

by Cog’s inhaling his homemade cornets, Marcus offers to make them lunch the next day—and soon, he’s making them lunch every Thursday. The two start spending more time together. Clueless about Marcus’ interest, candid, sincere Cog inadvertently stokes his affection. Cog’s best friend, Toma, however, is not so clueless and encourages Cog to set a firm boundary. But it turns out that Cog doesn’t really mind Marcus’ attention. This slice\u002Dof\u002Dlife rom\u002Dcom explores the feeling of being in the throes of a first crush. The fun, colorful, and dynamic artistic style suits the lighthearted vibe. However, the plot consists of a series of cute, loosely connected moments, resulting in underdeveloped characters and thin worldbuilding\u003B the latter is exemplified by the book’s unclear setting. The Black\u002Dpresenting leads are surrounded by a racially diverse cast at a school that has Japanese influences, but without a cultural anchor, some of the characters’ behavior and reactions feel unclear. Rather than the characters themselves driving the narrative, the need to maintain the tension of their unrevealed feelings is central, making the story sometimes feels contrived. Nevertheless, those seeking a straightforward, queer cotton\u002Dcandy romance likely won’t mind. Readers familiar with manga iconography will notice clues to the leads’ feelings."⭐ 4.3/5(254)

This powerful young adult novel follows a diverse group of teens navigating the complexities of identity, friendship, and self-discovery during a transformative summer experience. The narrative weave...

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GHOSTS OF HIROSHIMA

by survivors, include the sight of a cart falling from the sky with the hindquarters of the horse pulling it still attached\u003B a young boy who put his hands over his eyes as the bomb hit—and “saw the bones of his fingers shining through shut eyelids, just like an X\u002Dray photograph”\u003B “statue people” flash\u002Dfossilized and fixed in place, covered in a light snowfall of ashes\u003B and, of course, the ghosts—people severely flash\u002Dburned on one side of their bodies, leaving shadows on a wall, the side of a building, or whatever stood nearby. The carnage continued for days, weeks, and years as victims of burns and those who developed various forms of cancer succumbed to their injuries: “People would continue to die in ways that people never imagined people could die.” Scattered in these survivor stories is another set of stories from those involved in the development and deployment of the only two atomic weapons ever used in warfare. The author also tells of the letter from Albert Einstein and Leo Szilard to Franklin D. Roosevelt that started the ball rolling toward the formation of the Manhattan Project and the crew conversations on the Enola Gay and the Bockscar, the planes that dropped the Little Boy on Hiroshima and the Fat Man on Nagasaki. We have to find a way to get along, one crew member said, “because we now have the wherewithal to destroy everything.”"⭐ 4.3/5(294)

This gripping historical novel plunges readers into the immediate aftermath of the atomic bomb, following a young survivor's harrowing journey through the ruins of his city. The narrative masterfully...

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MIDNIGHT ON THE POTOMAC

by superior resources and persistence, not battlefield victories, so he was not discouraged after a year of bloody stalemate, although Union morale plummeted. Departing from tradition, Ellsworth gives John Wilkes Booth more attention than Abraham Lincoln and Grant. America’s most admired matinee idol, Booth hated Black people and fervently supported the Confederacy. Ellsworth turns up evidence that he secretly met with Confederate agents. No one knows what they discussed, but the idea that Wilkes was carrying out a devilish Confederate plot has never lacked supporters. Despite remaining skeptical, Ellsworth devotes much of his book to the South’s energetic secret service, whose members engaged in espionage, propaganda, and terrorism throughout the Union and Canada. His breathless account takes the service more seriously than most scholars but can’t conceal its mostly ineffectual schemes, among which were plans to kidnap the president. Booth approved and volunteered his services, but by 1865 efforts had fizzled\u003B the Confederacy was on its last legs, but the plot to kill Lincoln, the vice president, and the secretary of state proceeded under Booth’s leadership. Ellsworth tells the familiar story, followed by the victory that the Union greeted ecstatically despite the shadow cast by Lincoln’s assassination. He extols Black freedom yet admits that persistent racism left a shameful pall over American exceptionalism, which lifted somewhat over the following century but is, of course, still with us."⭐ 4.3/5(709)

This gripping political thriller plunges readers into the high-stakes world of Washington D.C. intrigue, where a young intern stumbles upon a conspiracy that reaches the highest levels of government....

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SCHOOLBOT 9000

by Genre⭐ 4.3/5(62)

This middle-grade sci-fi adventure delivers a thrilling cautionary tale about artificial intelligence in education, following students who discover their new high-tech learning assistant has develope...

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COFFIN MOON

by Name (2024), Rosson returns with an even grungier throwback, dressed up as a vampire\u002Dinfested road novel. In December 1975, just outside Portland, Oregon, roughneck bartender Duane Minor knows he’s on thin ice. His wife, Heidi, a college student who dreams of becoming a writer, is none too pleased with his PTSD and burgeoning drinking problem. Duane is managing to just hold down his in\u002Dlaws’ bar, the Last Call Tavern, but he knows something funny is going on with the business. Meanwhile, Heidi and Duane are both trying to connect with Heidi’s 13\u002Dyear\u002Dold niece, Julia, who was reluctantly sent to them after her mother murdered her stepfather. It’s a rough scene made worse when Duane has a bad run\u002Din at the bar one night with a bunch of bikers led by one John Varley. After the century\u002Dold Varley viciously dismembers both Heidi and her parents, Duane and Julia hit the road seeking vengeance. For horror fans, this is closer to crime fiction than loftier vampire fare—think Richard Lange’s terrific outlier Rovers (2021) or From Dusk Till Dawn in lieu of tortured immortals in velvet capes. Julia’s character takes a dramatic turn after they encounter a sanctuary dubbed the Children’s Museum, led by an ancient, lonely creature called Adeline. Even as he and Julia navigate this bizarre subculture, Duane’s defining characteristic remains the conflict between his inner demons and his outer ones. “You want that man to come forward, that killer I was, but I’ll drown if I do it. I’ll die,” he swears. Meanwhile, John Varley and his psychotic “thrall” leave a bloody trail across the country, chased by one broken man and a little girl with nothing but half a dozen silver bullets to their names."⭐ 4.3/5(863)

This chilling YA thriller plunges readers into a world of ancient prophecies and modern-day peril, where a lunar cycle dictates the fate of a small town gripped by supernatural forces. The narrative ...

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BORN IN FLAMES

by deregulation and accompanying shifts in the economic system, which spurred disinvestment in cities and reshaped the insurance industry, with companies making much of their money by investing customer premiums in stock, bond, and money markets. The 1970s Bronx fires were frequently blamed on tenants, a relatively small number of whom did commit arson, Ansfield writes. But this excellent book delivers the truth about “the burning years.”"⭐ 4.2/5(60)

This powerful debut novel follows a young woman's journey through a dystopian society where she must navigate oppressive systems while discovering her own revolutionary potential. The narrative blend...

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SHROUD

by a disaster that strands humans among dangerous aliens, concerns a repressive government whose strong resistance to an equitable first contact is met by potentially stronger resistance from the alien contactee(s). As such, it is more than a little reminiscent of the author’s Hugo\u002Dnominated Alien Clay (2024), even if the government and the alien are quite different. While it reads like a meditation on the same theme, especially in the relevance of its socioeconomic and political milieu to contemporary circumstances, it is also well crafted and full of tense moments, building up to an emotional gut punch. "⭐ 4.2/5(5,030)

This gripping supernatural thriller plunges readers into a world where ancient secrets and modern danger collide, following a protagonist who discovers they're connected to a mysterious burial cloth ...

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THE VANISHING PLACE

by Genre⭐ 4.2/5(457)

This gripping psychological thriller plunges readers into the chilling world of a small town haunted by disappearances, where the protagonist must unravel a web of secrets before becoming the next vi...

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A SLOWLY DYING CAUSE

by Inspector Beatrice Hannaford, with Lynley and Havers not turning up until 120\u002Dodd pages in, and with a handy excuse for heading to Cornwall: Lynley, it turns out, is heir to a crumbling estate there, “the country pile that accompanied the cringe\u002Dworthy title he’d inherited from his father.” The fuzz put their heads together to sort out poor Lobb’s situation, and, as ever, the solution emerges in a perp who’s been there all along but has been overlooked. The book is, also as ever, too long by a quarter, but it’s got plenty of intriguing twists and turns that will leave the reader guessing."⭐ 4.2/5(157)

This powerful memoir offers an unflinching look at the realities of activism and social justice work through the eyes of a young person discovering their voice. The narrative captures both the passio...

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THE TRAGEDY OF TRUE CRIME

by Genre⭐ 4.2/5(112)

This gripping exploration of true crime cases offers young readers a thoughtful examination of criminal justice, forensic science, and the human stories behind notorious investigations. The author pr...

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HEKATE

by Genre⭐ 4.2/5(751)

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...

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THIEF OF NIGHT

by 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."⭐ 4.2/5(683)

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...

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REPLACEABLE YOU

by shooting himself in the afflicted foot) for an amputation and refitting with a prosthetic that allowed him to walk more easily. Roach wanders through the hallways of eldritch laboratories where pigs are grown to provide organs that are transplantable to humans, and she visits cadaver labs to look at another source of carefully inventoried parts (“As much time is spent on documentation and shipping of a donor’s tissues as on their removal. You’re expecting The Jeffrey Dahmer Story but it’s closer to UPS”). She interviews researchers on cures for type 1 diabetes and advances in “in vitro gametogenesis” and generally has a grand time looking into areas where few writers—especially squeamish ones—have ventured."⭐ 4.2/5(462)

This powerful YA novel explores the complex world of teenage identity in an age of artificial intelligence, following a high school student whose life is upended when a sophisticated AI replica of he...

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SUGAR SHACK

by Genre⭐ 4.2/5(407)

This vibrant picture book transports young readers to the heart of a bustling maple sugar farm, capturing the entire process from tapping the trees to pouring the sweet, sticky syrup. The narrative f...

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DARK RENAISSANCE

by dint of brains and energy, moved to Cambridge, where he distinguished himself in Latin learning, found himself recruited into a network of intelligence officers for Queen Elizabeth, and then, at age 29, was mysteriously murdered in a bar fight. At the heart of Greenblatt’s book, though, is not just a familiar story but a new argument: that it was really Marlowe, rather than Shakespeare, who lit the flame under the literary Renaissance of Elizabethan England and, furthermore, that it was Marlowe’s brilliant schooling (rather than any lived experience) that fed his verbal imagination. Acting and action were everywhere in Marlowe’s world, and Greenblatt implies that it was his work as a spy that gave him an added sense of what it meant to perform. Marlowe “entered a world in which virtually everyone was in disguise, and it was fantastically difficult to know whom to trust. These professional role\u002Dplayers, operatives supremely gifted at inspiring confidence, whispered what one most hoped to hear and made one want to relax, open up, and reveal the truth.” Greenblatt is describing the world of Elizabethan espionage, but he could well be talking about the power of the theater to make us open up, relax, and reveal the truth. In the end, Marlowe “made it possible to write in a new way about violence, ambition, greed, and desire. He offered poetic liberation.” In his hands, “the expressive power of the English language took a great leap forward.” In Greenblatt’s hands, literary scholarship, too, has taken a great leap forward."⭐ 4.2/5(111)

This gripping historical fantasy plunges readers into a shadowy alternate Europe where alchemy works, forbidden knowledge lurks in forgotten libraries, and the great artists of the era wield powers f...

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THE WOMEN'S ORCHESTRA OF AUSCHWITZ

by the Shoah Foundation. Crucially, she tells the story not only of the players, but also of their audience of fellow prisoners. “How could we play light music here, against the background of the flames and black smoke that billowed day and night from the crematoria chimneys?” reflects one survivor. The author leaves open the question of whether the music helped prisoners or intensified their suffering. She makes clear, however, that the orchestra did not play during the “selection” of poor souls sent to the gas chambers. The players’ musical skills saved at least their own lives, exempt from the work squads, though they themselves were exhausted and starving, and Jewish orchestra members were always vulnerable to “selection” for gassing. Their resident block was mere meters from a crematorium, and human ashes settled inside some of their instruments. They experienced the “scandal of music at Auschwitz on a daily basis,” as the Nazis’ abuse of music was itself “a form of torture.” Their playing was an “effort to claw back something of what it meant to be human.”"⭐ 4.2/5(179)

This powerful historical account chronicles the true story of female musicians forced to play for their survival in the Auschwitz concentration camp, offering young readers a profound look at resilie...

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EXTREMITY

by the roads not taken. An SF novella about the ultrawealthy and their clones could reasonably be assumed to be in conversation with Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go, but Extremity as a title is a bit of a red herring. It’s not about the clones being extensions of their prime selves, but rather about humanity reaching too far in its greed and Earth ultimately paying the price. The narrative framework is engaging but underused as the three stories basically line up, failing to generate sufficient tension about the evening’s outcome. While Binge’s longer works like Ascension are stunning in their scope, this tonally uneven adventure stumbles before it really gets started."⭐ 4.2/5(107)

This gritty graphic novel plunges readers into a brutal, post-apocalyptic world where survival hinges on prosthetic augmentation and sheer will. The story follows a young scavenger navigating treache...

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THE MISSION

by the Senate Intelligence Committee of the Torture Report, which described in horrible detail the interrogation methods used in the battle against al\u002DQaida. The book also describes the shocking effectiveness of Russian and Chinese cyberattacks. Weiner pegs the difference between the two foes: “China wanted to know their enemies. The Russians simply want to screw them.” Still, the CIA directed the multilateral decade\u002Dlong intelligence operations that enabled NATO and Ukraine to prepare for and react quickly to the Russian invasion in 2023. The CIA is the most studied and misunderstood of any U.S. government agency. Weiner’s book is a balanced and nuanced account that should change that."⭐ 4.2/5(440)

This gripping YA thriller plunges readers into a high-stakes world of espionage and moral complexity, following a team of teenage operatives on a critical assignment that blurs the line between duty ...

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BIRTH OF A DYNASTY

by a tyrannical dynasty and largely follows two characters as they struggle to survive in a viper pit of political intrigue while also trying to find a way to attain vengeance for atrocities done to their families." />⭐ 4.2/5(396)

This gripping historical narrative chronicles the dramatic rise of a powerful ruling family, tracing their journey from humble origins to the pinnacle of political influence through meticulous resear...

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ACCOMPLICE TO THE VILLAIN

by Genre⭐ 4.2/5(44,849)

This sharp-witted fantasy adventure follows a clever young woman who unexpectedly finds herself serving as the reluctant assistant to a notorious villain, navigating a world of magical schemes and mo...

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DREAM ON

by winning a contest." />⭐ 4.2/5(274)

This compelling novel explores the powerful intersection of ambition and reality when a teenager's life is transformed by an unexpected contest victory. The narrative delves deep into the emotional w...

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DEEPWATER CREEK

by Genre⭐ 4.2/5(51)

A gripping survival story unfolds when a group of teenagers on a camping trip find their idyllic weekend shattered by a catastrophic flash flood, forcing them to rely on their wits and each other to ...

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POEMS & PRAYERS

by an 18\u002Dyear\u002Dold (Rimbaud excepted) should read: “Ignorant minds of the fortunate man / Blind of the fate shaping every land.” McConaughey is fearless in his commitment to the rhyme, no matter how slight the result (“Oops, took a quick peek at the sky before I got my glasses, / now I can’t see shit, sure hope this passes”). And, sad to say, the slight is what is most on display throughout, punctuated by some odd koanlike aperçus: “Eating all we can / at the all\u002Dwe\u002Dcan\u002Deat buffet, / gives us a 3.8 education / and a 4.2 GPA.” “Never give up your right to do the next right thing. This is how we find our way home.” “Memory never forgets. Even though we do.” The prayer portion of the program is deeply felt, but it’s just as sentimental\u003B only when he writes of life\u002Dchanging events—a court appearance to file a restraining order against a stalker, his decision to quit smoking weed—do we catch a glimpse of the effortlessly fluent, effortlessly charming McConaughey as exemplified by the David Wooderson (“alright, alright, alright”) of Dazed and Confused. The rest is mostly a soufflé in verse. McConaughey’s heart is very clearly in the right place, but on the whole the book suggests an old saw: Don’t give up your day job."⭐ 4.2/5(570)

This collection of spiritual verses and reflective poetry offers young readers a gentle introduction to contemplative literature, blending accessible language with meaningful themes that resonate acr...

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ODDITY WOODS

by town of Perdita, where he worked with the police. But the town’s police are dismissive, saying they’re too busy to follow up on a “silly ghost story.” To keep children out, people say that “deep in the woods, a ghost train appears, which steals your soul if you ride it.” Trusting her instincts, Marietta runs directly into those storied woods. Upon crossing a mystical threshold that disappears behind her, she finds herself in an otherworldly realm. A boy named Wyatt with a mysterious past appears to be the only living human in a landscape otherwise populated with monsters and ghosts. After escaping a terrifying encounter with the conductor of the ghost train, the two team up, working together to find Marietta’s father and get Wyatt home. Originally released as a webcomic, this series opener features luminescent and evocative artwork reminiscent of chibi\u002Dstyle manga. The illustrations effectively convey threats, movement, and emotions. Though the latter half of the book gets a bit complicated by added characters and side quests, the magical gadgets, compelling characters, and exciting twists give the story strong appeal for young fantasy fans. Most human characters are white presenting."⭐ 4.2/5(121)

This gripping supernatural thriller plunges readers into a mysterious forest community where strange occurrences are the norm and a young protagonist must uncover the town's dark secrets. The atmosph...

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NORTH FOR THE WINTER

by Podesta"⭐ 4.2/5(59)

This middle-grade survival adventure follows a determined young protagonist's perilous journey through the harsh northern wilderness after becoming separated from their family. The narrative masterfu...

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A RESISTANCE OF WITCHES

by Genre⭐ 4.1/5(7,187)

This gripping urban fantasy plunges readers into a world where modern society conceals a brewing magical war, following a group of young witches who must unite disparate covens against a shadowy, pow...

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THREE SHATTERED SOULS

by 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.”"⭐ 4.1/5(4,937)

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...

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DEADWOOD

by Genre⭐ 4.1/5(135)

This gritty western thriller plunges readers into the lawless world of a 19th-century mining town where survival depends on quick wits and faster triggers. Genre masterfully captures the raw atmosphe...

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The Robin on the Oak Throne

by Genre⭐ 4.1/5(5,332)

This enchanting middle-grade fantasy introduces readers to a woodland kingdom where a young robin unexpectedly inherits the royal throne, challenging the forest's traditional hierarchy and sparking p...

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MORE AND MORE AND MORE

by a new one. In this model, wood gives way to coal, which gives way to oil, then electricity, nuclear, and eventually renewable energy become the dominant forms. The book argues that the transition model was originally created by industrialists touting their products as the wave of the future. The idea especially took off after World War II, with the “atomic age” promoted as a new era of clean, cheap energy. Historians as well as the popular press adopted the idea without looking closely at all the ways it simplified what was really happening. Fressoz, a French historian of science and technology, rejects this model, supplying abundant evidence that instead of earlier forms being replaced as newer ones came online, they remained in use, often supplementing the new forms. For example, the rise of coal was accompanied by an increase in the use of wood, for braces in the coal mines, railroad ties, and construction of railroad cars. A similar dynamic followed each of the later “energy transitions,” with coal usage increasing as oil became the dominant energy source\u003B more coal is being used today than ever before, notably to generate electricity in Asian countries but also to make steel and other metals. Most recently, “transition” has become a mantra for those responding to the climate crisis—all the bad, polluting energy sources will be replaced eventually by something greener. Fressoz does not dispute the severity of the climate crisis. Instead, he points to “the need…for a new understanding of energy and material dynamics” instead of reliance on “bad history.”"⭐ 4.1/5(150)

This vibrant counting book transforms early math concepts into an engaging visual adventure, using bold illustrations and clever repetition to build number recognition skills. Each page introduces ne...

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THE FAIRY TALE FIXERS

by Genre⭐ 4.1/5(76)

This clever middle-grade fantasy introduces a secret society of magical repair specialists who work behind the scenes to fix classic fairy tales when they go wrong. When a technical glitch causes sto...

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LADIES IN HATING

by thoughts of each other." />⭐ 4.1/5(1,011)

This provocative collection of interconnected narratives explores the complex dynamics of female relationships through a series of raw, unflinching vignettes about women navigating friendship, rivalr...

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THE AFTERLIFE PROJECT

by day. Great vees of migrating geese fill the air with their throaty honking.” The final act takes a noticeable but not entirely drastic turn, culminating in an extraordinary and befitting denouement. "⭐ 4.1/5(291)

This gripping young adult novel plunges readers into a high-stakes scientific mystery when a brilliant teen coder discovers her late father's secret research: a project capable of digitally preservin...

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TALL WATER

by Genre⭐ 4.1/5(183)

This compelling coming-of-age novel plunges readers into the turbulent world of a teenager navigating the treacherous currents of high school, family secrets, and first love. The narrative flows with...

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ENGINES OF WAR

by master-class worldbuilding, the third volume of Ford’s Age of Uprising trilogy concludes an epic fantasy narrative chronicling an empire torn apart by war." />⭐ 4.1/5(119)

This action-packed military science fiction novel plunges readers into the heart of interstellar conflict, where young pilots and mechanized warriors clash in epic battles for survival. The narrative...

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THREADS OF EMPIRE

by 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."⭐ 4.1/5(109)

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...

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WISH I WAS A BALLER

by 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." />⭐ 4.1/5(81)

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...

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JOHN HANCOCK

by 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.”"⭐ 4.1/5(113)

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...

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BETWEEN TWO RIVERS

by young students learning cuneiform, the Mesopotamian writing system. The author, an honorary fellow in Assyriology at Oxford, puts each of the objects in the context of the daily life of the era when they were made. So we learn about a young scholar who left his toothmarks on the clay tablet he was using for his assignment, or a barkeeper whose furniture budget included a suspiciously large number of beds. The hundreds of thousands of surviving cuneiform documents include not only royal decrees and official documents but letters between ordinary people—two mentioned here are a wife asking her husband to come home and a merchant planning his route to dodge tax collectors. The Sumerians, Babylonians, and other peoples who lived in the era were highly conscious of history, drawing connections between themselves and their predecessors—sometimes more than 1,000 years earlier. Their literary achievements include the Epic of Gilgamesh (which the author tells her young daughter as a bedtime story). The era’s advances in astronomy and mathematics contradict any notion that these were primitive, unenlightened times. Still, as the chapter on a stone mace found in the museum makes clear, brutal warfare was a too\u002Dcommon part of life, then as now. A final chapter on the priestess in whose palace the museum was located shows the important and varied roles played by women in Mesopotamian society."⭐ 4.1/5(424)

This powerful novel explores the complex journey of a teenage girl navigating cultural identity and family expectations while caught between her immigrant parents' traditions and her American upbring...

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KULEANA

by the last king of Hawai‘i. Arriving at an equitable solution to this bureaucratic problem is just one thread of Goo’s narrative, whose larger story is really one of homecoming: Born and raised in California, an East Coast resident for decades, Goo must learn or relearn key points of the people’s traditional lifeways. The title of the book speaks to one such point, one’s obligation to both place and culture, less a burden, she explains, than a privilege: “For example, certain people had kuleana for growing taro or crops in a certain part of the island, or for taking care of a fishpond or teaching hula.” She explores many other concepts as she travels in the company of relatives, who take her, in one instance, to a heiau, or temple, whose purpose is lost to time\u003B says her uncle, “Some people say dey did these tings there like human sacrifice and dat stuff, but we don’t know.” What is clear is that humans are sacrificed, at least metaphorically, for profit in a Hawai‘i made for wealthy outsiders\u003B as Goo laments in closing, “Our culture won’t remain unless each generation—grandparent to parent to child to grandchild—­keeps it burning.”"⭐ 4.1/5(423)

This powerful coming-of-age story set in contemporary Hawaii follows a young native Hawaiian boy as he navigates the complex intersections of family legacy, cultural identity, and environmental activ...

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THE SPACE CAT

by that harsh reality. But ultimately, Periwinkle puzzles out his place in Nigeria’s feline society and enjoys a disaster\u002Daverting adventure, with help from the curious cast of animals who slink around the local marketplace. Okorafor’s storytelling is intuitively episodic, blurring the realities of everyday pet life with gleeful fantasy. Ford’s sci\u002Dfi comic illustrations, rich with cosmic blues, purples, and oranges, bring a dynamic energy to this eccentric escapade. Periwinkle’s particular syntax (“When I come here, I reminded all things possible,” “Yes, I winning!”) may distract or amuse, depending on the reader."⭐ 4.1/5(147)

This action-packed space adventure follows a clever feline astronaut on a mission to save the galaxy from an intergalactic threat, blending science fiction excitement with genuine heart. Young reader...

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THE ROMA

by the almost universal hatred that greeted the Roma, who maintained their own culture and traveled in caravans at a time when almost no one traveled. They were attacked, expelled, imprisoned, and even enslaved. The first enslaved people taken to America—by Columbus—were Roma. During World War II, from several hundred thousand to a million Roma were murdered or transported to extermination camps, including Auschwitz. Today most Roma are settled, but they do not have it easy. Their children in Sweden were not permitted in public schools until 1959. Although caravans are uncommon, stronger British trespassing laws were directed at them in 2022. Traveling widely, Potter is perhaps too focused on recording unpleasant encounters, but she is not shy about pointing out Romani celebrities and cultural achievements. Spanish flamenco is one, as are, despite the names, Franz Liszt’s Hungarian rhapsodies and Johannes Brahms’ Hungarian dances."⭐ 4.1/5(94)

This powerful nonfiction work offers young readers an immersive journey into the rich cultural heritage and complex history of the Roma people, tracing their migration from ancient India across conti...

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ALL THAT DIES IN APRIL

by the village healer, Octavia, makes up her mind to follow the mountain streams in the direction they flow, hoping to come to the sea. Relicario is stunned by Lina’s absence and soon decides to follow her. Accompanied by a wise donkey named Jumento and the bones of his mother and father—all of his family he could fit in the cart—Relicario begins a long, arduous journey, guessing Lina’s course at every turn, while his wife forges on before him, entering into worlds and ways of living that Relicario cannot begin to imagine. Meanwhile, a series of coincidences conspires to create a reunion no one in the Ramos\u002DCruz clan could have anticipated, all as the destructive torrents of April begin their seasonal scouring of the land. Spare and yet echoing with voices, Travacio’s English\u002Dlanguage debut captures the haunting cycles of death and displacement but also of life, joy, and the succor of community in a place where “families come together and break apart…as easily as storm clouds in the sky.”"⭐ 4.1/5(1,605)

This gripping young adult thriller plunges readers into a small town unraveling under the weight of a mysterious death that occurs every April. The atmospheric narrative masterfully blends elements o...

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THE LONELINESS OF SONIA AND SUNNY

by leaving home, coming back, connecting, disconnecting, and swimming in the ocean at Goa." />⭐ 4.1/5(206)

A poignant exploration of adolescent isolation, this novel traces the parallel journeys of two teens grappling with profound loneliness in their respective worlds. Sonia navigates the treacherous soc...

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DEATH OF A POP STAR

by Genre⭐ 4.1/5(64)

This gritty YA thriller plunges readers into the high-stakes world of fame, following the shocking murder of a beloved pop icon and the dark secrets that surface in its wake. The narrative masterfull...

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SOFTLY, AS I LEAVE YOU

by Genre⭐ 4.1/5(177)

This poignant novel explores the complex emotional landscape of terminal illness through the eyes of a teenager grappling with a parent's decline. The narrative balances raw honesty with moments of u...

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ETERNALLY ELECTRIC

by her “ballbuster” mother\u002Dturned\u002Dmanager. Her early fame came at a cost to her mental health, she writes, leading to a string of anxiety attacks: “If anyone out there has experienced them, you’ll know what it’s like: you literally think you are dying, unsure where your next breath is coming from.” Gibson writes candidly about her health struggles—she also has Lyme disease—as well as her fraught relationship with her mother, who once said (perhaps jokingly, but revealingly), “My worst nightmare has come true. She has become her own person.” Gibson’s later career saw her appearing on The Celebrity Apprentice and in films such as Mega Shark Versus Giant Octopus—perhaps not the life she had envisioned, but, as she writes, “I love that, though the world has kicked my arse a bit, I’m not bitter.” The writing here is bubbly if unexceptional, and structurally, it’s a by\u002Dthe\u002Dnumbers celebrity memoir, complete with motivational aphorisms and occasional non sequiturs (“I think Mozart would approve of Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club”). This is strictly for Gibson’s fans, but they’ll find it a treat."⭐ 4.1/5(123)

This high-voltage adventure plunges readers into a world where the very energy that powers our cities is also the source of life for a hidden society. When a teenage protagonist discovers they can ma...

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THE PRINCESS AND THE P.I.

by an unsolved case involving Fiona’s father’s megachurch. Is Maurice bailing Fiona out to help her or to find dirt on her dad? Payne’s foray into romantic suspense starts with a high\u002Dstakes tech event and a backstory about Fiona’s family dynamics and the cultish church she has been serving. Add to it Maurice’s demons about his failure to help a young woman escape that church, plus the ugly end of his police career, and the narrative feels like it’s being pulled in several different directions. The plot gets further crowded with other characters and connections between the corporate espionage plot and the religious Mafia one. Villains abound, including Fiona’s sister, her brother’s former lover, the publicist for the tech firm, a second\u002Din\u002Dcommand at the church who keeps leering at Fiona, and Maurice’s ex–best friend on the force. There is also a scene at a sex party, a break\u002Din at the tech office, a fight on a yacht, and a confrontation during a church service. The sequence and timeline of the scenes is confusing and the trail of murders, suspects, and motives hard to follow."⭐ 4.1/5(122)

A teenage princess flees an arranged marriage and finds herself under the protection of a rugged private investigator in this modern royal romance. The unlikely pair navigates a world of paparazzi, p...

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PLAY NICE

by a demon. In So Thirsty (2024), Harrison wrote a book about vampires that was also a novel about best friends trying to figure out what to do with their lives. Here, Harrison mines the potential of the haunted house to excavate the abuse that Clio and her sisters suffered as children. Clio is a terrific protagonist. She’s sharp and funny and a little less self\u002Daware than she thinks she is. As she tries to reconcile her own memories with those of her family—including her mother, who left behind an annotated copy of the book she wrote about living in a demon\u002Dplagued split\u002Dlevel in the suburbs—and questions her own sense of reality, Clio unravels. But it’s a necessary unraveling, the kind of annihilation that makes real change possible. This novel delivers truly chilly scenes while also exploring the emotional depths that make horror meaningful. There’s a climactic scene at a family barbecue where Clio sees echoes of her mother in herself, Leda, and Daphne and thinks, “Her ghost is us.” There are many emotionally devastating moments in this novel, but this one captures the essence of them all. Harrison knows that we are, all of us, haunted."⭐ 4.1/5(8,587)

This middle-grade novel tackles the complex social dynamics of school friendships with raw honesty and emotional depth, exploring how playground politics evolve into something much more serious as ki...

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THE POTENCY OF UNGOVERNABLE IMPULSES

by this third installment, as charming and even action\u002Dpacked as it is, the construction of this science fantasy might be pushing the boundaries of implausibility too far. Older has degrees and experience in economics, politics, and disaster response\u003B she clearly knows that a society with limited resources would be unlikely to produce the luxurious food and drinks she describes, and understanding people as she does, it seems equally unlikely that a society that also produces murderers wouldn’t have at least one prison and a stricter judicial system than is presented here. There’s a point being made, but it’s not entirely clear what it is."⭐ 4.1/5(903)

This psychological thriller explores the dangerous intersection of impulse control and criminal behavior through the lens of a forensic psychologist's most challenging case. The narrative follows a s...

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BUFF SOUL

by cops, Moa’s debauchery starts to look less like youthful exploration and more like a serious problem. When Åsa disappears from her band duties, Moa recalls a time when she was part of a search party for a woman named Sofia who was found dead. When she finds Åsa and they go home, there’s no glamour left in the tour for Moa. She tries to address Åsa’s out\u002Dof\u002Dcontrol behavior, but Åsa turns it back around on her friend. For Moa, it was less about the drugs and more about indulging in the chaos and inoculating herself from the consequences. Åsa and Moa reaffirm their commitment to their friendship and vow to regain stability. Though the characters skirt up to the edge of the addiction\u002Drelated horror, they manage to help each other through sticky situations and get home mostly unscathed."⭐ 4.1/5(677)

This powerful collection of poetry and prose explores the complex emotional landscape of modern adolescence with raw honesty and lyrical precision. The author crafts verses that tackle identity, ment...

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LADY LIKE

by Emily Sergeant, who has arrived in London desperately looking for a husband who can outrank the odious man to whom her family has betrothed her. When their separate pursuits of the duke bring the two women together, after a few days of bickering both become more interested in each other’s company than anything, or anyone, else. The worldly Harriet is well aware of the nature of her developing feelings for Emily, but it takes Emily longer to understand her emotions. When she finally learns what a Sapphist is, the women connect emotionally and physically. However, society hasn’t changed, nor have the expectations of their families. Lee’s delightful adult debut will please fans of her YA historical fiction as well as romance readers encountering her for the first time. The story, which centers queer and theatrical Regency life alongside the familiar tropes of the London Season, is well\u002Dpaced, with entertaining side characters and rich detail. The clever ending, moving and satisfying on its own, is enhanced by Lee’s extensive, thoughtful notes sharing historical background and revealing that much of her plot is less fantastic than readers might assume."⭐ 4.1/5(309)

This empowering guide for young women tackles the complex transition from girlhood to adulthood with refreshing honesty and practical wisdom. The book addresses everything from personal values and he...

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DRACULA'S BRUNCH CLUB

by the towering, glowering vampire Constantine, who’s banned people. Worse, Dracula’s entire store of “the crimson\u002Dred, blood orange jelly all vampires crave” has been raided. Local farmers have no blood oranges—a blight has destroyed the crops. This proves disastrous even as Dracula tries to regain his brunch\u002Dhosting ground—kale is no substitute for delicious, energizing fruit jelly. The shortage also jeopardizes his standing with his crush, the human Elena, since he’s promised to donate a year’s supply of jelly donuts to her charity auction to help sick children. Something must be done—and it might just involve blood. After all, Count Dracula is a vampire. This book will greatly appeal to young readers looking for comics with a little edge: The gore is mild and cartoon\u002Dsilly, and there are plenty of jokes to lighten the mood. The story moves at a measured pace, and the fun, kid\u002Dfriendly artwork adds depth to the narrative. Gaybba’s color palette predominantly contains cool, moody tones that make the occasional spots of red—mostly jelly and blood—pop. Human and vampire characters have skin in varying shades of blue and purple."⭐ 4.1/5(224)

This clever twist on vampire lore follows a group of young monsters who would rather host a trendy brunch than hunt for their next meal, serving up a story that is equal parts spooky and sweet. The n...

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ALL CONSUMING

by Tandoh"⭐ 4.1/5(141)

This raw, unflinching memoir explores the complex relationship between food, identity, and mental health, charting a deeply personal journey through disordered eating and the path toward healing. Tan...

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GOAT MAGIC

by good fortune, Trill’s magic power is the ability to communicate with goats. Alya, in her goat form, hides from her assailants among Trill’s herd. The girls get off to a rocky start—sheltered Alya has some high\u002Dhanded ways that make Trill bristle—but ultimately, Trill agrees to help the princess. The girls must move quickly, however: Aunt\u002DU, a friend of Trill’s mother whom they seek out for help, informs them that if they don’t destroy the talisman used to place the curse within a month, Alya will remain a goat forever. This fantasy story reads like a classic fairy tale and explores themes of trust in oneself and greater awareness of others. The friendship and love that blossom between Alya and Trill feel natural and endearing. The cartoonlike illustrations employ warm colors that match the tone of the story. Wheeler’s worldbuilding emerges organically from interactions between the characters, sustaining a fast pace and avoiding lengthy explanations. Alya has tan skin, and Trill has medium\u002Dbrown skin."⭐ 4.1/5(138)

This middle grade novel delivers a thrilling sports fantasy that will captivate young readers who dream of athletic stardom, blending competitive soccer action with unexpected supernatural elements. ...

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A MURDER MOST FOWL

by the time Seth, a lawyer with no interest in the food truck, gets his sister sprung from jail, she’s met the hunky police officer she dubs Officer Pretty Boy (to the amusement of his fellow cops). What’s more, an email informs Beth that she’s been selected to compete in The Food Truck Showdown, a popular Cooking Channel show with a $50,000 prize. Bringing along Seth and her assistant, Rylie, who usually wears the chicken costume, she arrives at the rented warehouse where the show’s being filmed and meets the other contestants, who include Benji, and the show’s host, famous chef Bobbi Taylor. The first challenge is marked by disappearing ingredients and a threatening note that seems aimed at Benji. When Benji’s found dead, the showrunners suggest that he’s had a heart attack, but the police are suspicious—and since everyone knows that Beth despised him, she’s their favored suspect. More threatening notes arrive. And there’s definitely something fishy about the showrunners. You’d think that with all those camera crews, there’d be video, but the ancient system at the rental is glitchy, leaving Beth to team up with Rylie and Seth to prove her innocence."⭐ 4.1/5(85)

This cleverly titled mystery serves up a delightful blend of suspense and humor, perfect for young readers who crave a good whodunit without the grimness of adult crime fiction. The story centers on ...

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THE SECRET OF SECRETS

by Genre⭐ 4.0/5(11,234)

This compelling middle-grade mystery plunges readers into a world where ancient riddles and modern-day friendships collide, delivering a puzzle-box narrative that keeps pages turning late into the ni...

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MERCY

by his own tragedy when readers first meet him hunting fugitives. Later, he allies himself with Alevist. “So much of the history was filled with deceit and manipulation, but also sacrifice,” Erevayn realizes at one point. “So much of what he had learned, now revealed to be false.” In the book’s “About the Author” section, a mention is made that some of Dillon’s writing influences include Steven Erikson’s Malazan Book of the Fallen series and Joe Abercrombie (presumably his First Law trilogy). Readers familiar with those authors will see them all over this fast\u002Dpaced series opener. The usual trappings of epic fantasy are present—maps, glossaries, etc.—but they’re amply augmented by some of the hallmarks of grimdark fantasy, including bouts of gory violence and the liberal deployment of expletives. The characters wield magic in a world of supernatural beings, but most of them sound distinctly contemporary in language and attitude. The novel is also characterized by a great deal of the cynical nihilism that fills the books of the author’s storytelling predecessors. Dillon takes the risk of front\u002Dloading his narrative with the intricate vocabulary and proper names of his story, and despite the presence of glossaries at the front and back of the novel, this gamble doesn’t entirely pay off. Readers unfamiliar with the shotgun\u002Dstyle worldbuilding of the Dungeon Master’s Guide may find themselves swamped by the tale’s arcane terminology. But the author usually overcomes this lack of punchy exposition by keeping readers hooked the old\u002Dfashioned way, with well\u002Ddeveloped characters and smoothly realized dialogue. Alevist dominates the bulk of the story so completely that it’s fortunate he’s drawn as compellingly as he is, a deeply wounded man who’s nonetheless emotionally honest. But even the tale’s main villain, Harglon, often manages to be more than a simple, one\u002Ddimensional bad guy. In his first novel, Dillon accomplishes the crucial feat of making his readers want to move on to his next book."⭐ 4.0/5(126)

This gritty fantasy debut plunges readers into a morally complex world where fugitive hunters and reluctant allies navigate landscapes of deceit and violent magic. Drawing clear inspiration from grim...

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A LIGHT IN THE NORTHERN SEA

by Genre⭐ 4.0/5(78)

This gripping maritime adventure plunges readers into the treacherous waters of the North Sea, where a young lighthouse keeper's apprentice confronts violent storms, mysterious shipwrecks, and long-b...

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THE SHORTEST HISTORY OF ANCIENT ROME

by contemporaries—not unlike today’s polarized biases—underscores just how unreliable is much of the tradition we have of Rome specifically and the ancient world in general. However, the author does his best to parse the probable from the improbable and rarely takes things at face value."⭐ 4.0/5(74)

This concise yet comprehensive volume delivers exactly what its title promises: a remarkably efficient journey through the colossal sweep of Roman history, from its mythical founding by Romulus and R...

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CIRCLE OF DAYS

by Genre⭐ 4.0/5(417)

This imaginative novel weaves together elements of time travel and magical realism to create a captivating journey that explores the cyclical nature of time and the power of imagination. Young reader...

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ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING

by Genre⭐ 4.0/5(55)

This sweeping narrative history takes readers on an extraordinary journey through the story of our world, from the Big Bang to the present day, weaving together science, history, and archaeology into...

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BURY OUR BONES IN THE MIDNIGHT SOIL

by Genre⭐ 4.0/5(88,584)

This haunting debut novel plunges readers into a world where ancestral magic and environmental collapse collide, following a young protagonist who discovers her family's power to communicate with the...

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GOOD AND EVIL AND OTHER STORIES

by an eerie threat (a ghostly cat, a telepathic neighbor, a violent guest), we realize we have been party to a central human truth. Some revelations come in the form of body horror, and the gore can be hilariously goofy—a welcome lightness to the more somber scenes of tender caretaking (or unapologetic cruelty). Schweblin and veteran translator McDowell trace the slim barrier between perception and reality with masterful narration, piercing dialogue, stealthy wit, and psychological precision."⭐ 4.0/5(4,314)

This collection of moral tales thoughtfully explores the complex interplay between right and wrong through a series of compelling narratives that will resonate deeply with young adult readers. Each s...

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AFTER HAPPILY EVER

by true love. In this novel, the author imagines past that point, catching up with Neve (Snow White), Bry (Sleeping Beauty), and Della (Cinderella) when they are middle\u002Daged. On the surface, their lives seem like a dream, with a serene, unchanging kingdom, marriages to princes, and the enviable stability of their royal status. However, cracks soon begin to show: Della struggles with her waning beauty, questioning her worth beyond the physical charms that once defined her. Bry, the ever\u002Dgracious peacekeeper, feels smothered under the weight of pleasing everyone but herself. And Neve, haunted by her stepmother’s attempt on her life, dreads the power and vulnerability that come with the throne (“she had sometimes wondered what it would be like to experience a day or two that didn’t dawn with the reminder of her death”). The sudden passing of the king sends each woman on a transformative journey, revealing the kingdom’s perfection as a fragile facade masking inequality and decay. The novel deftly balances plot and character, offering nuanced portrayals of each princess’ growth. The traumas of their original tales—Neve’s poisoning, Della’s abuse, and Bry’s forced exile—are examined with sensitivity, shaping their struggles and triumphs in compelling ways. While readers will be familiar with the characters’ origin stories, these new threads in their tales create a fresh and engaging narrative to follow. The plot is well paced, with character development offset by action. Each woman’s journey is distinct, with Neve’s confrontation with fear, Della’s pursuit of self\u002Dworth, and Bry’s embrace of authenticity each resonating deeply. In centering older women as powerful, multifaceted protagonists, the story is both feminist and empowering, demonstrating that value and agency do not diminish with age."⭐ 4.0/5(153)

This clever anthology of fractured fairy tales offers a fresh perspective on classic stories, exploring what happens long after the traditional "happily ever after" ending. Through a series of interc...

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HUMAN HISTORY ON DRUGS

by 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.”"⭐ 4.0/5(270)

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...

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SCHOOL DANCE

by a self\u002Dinduced hex: Every time he dances, disaster follows. After mortifying experiences at a friend’s bar mitzvah and a group dance lesson, Milo is utterly dejected when he hears about the upcoming Snowball Soiree. Luckily, Abue, his beloved abuela, has moved into the Castillo home. Even though she’s been warned against driving, Abue whisks Milo and his friends off to experience live Tejano music, which he enjoys both musically and aesthetically. The experience leaves him with a stronger connection to his heritage as well as more self\u002Dconfidence in his dancing—but Milo feels guilty for lying to his parents about Abue’s driving and conflicted about where to draw the line when trying to please others. When Abue’s failing eyesight catches up with her clandestine drives, Milo must make a hard choice. This latest entry maintains the high standards of Sax’s series. Milo is wholly relatable and accessible, adroitly portraying the ups and downs of adolescence. Sposto’s vibrantly alluring colors and Sax’s gift for highlighting facial expressions and emotions imbue Milo’s journey of self\u002Dacceptance and confidence with deeper levels of nuance that are certain to resonate with readers long after the last page is turned."⭐ 4.0/5(111)

This vibrant collection of school dance poetry captures the electric energy and social complexities of this pivotal adolescent rite of passage. Through sharp, contemporary verse, the poet explores ev...

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JOY GODDESS

by 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."⭐ 4.0/5(101)

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...

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MY DEAR ILLUSION

by the mist rising off the black water and the droplets falling in a raindrop symphony over the moonlit night that it almost missed the trickster slipping through the front door of the Night Den.”) The story, despite its bulk, maintains tension. The frenetic, unpredictable final act makes checking out the forthcoming sequel a virtual necessity."⭐ 4.0/5(85)

This collection of literary criticism and essays offers a sophisticated exploration of literary theory and textual analysis that will challenge advanced high school readers and college-bound students...

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THE BEWITCHING

by a haunting of her own." />⭐ 4.0/5(10,400)

This supernatural thriller delivers a chilling exploration of grief and the lingering power of memory, wrapped in a ghost story that will keep readers turning pages long past bedtime. The narrative m...

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Mockingjay (Hunger Games, Book Three)

by Suzanne Collins⭐ 4.0/5(2,572)

The greatly anticipated final book in the New York Times bestselling Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. The greatly anticipated final book in the New York Times bestselling Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins.The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for

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The Hunger Games Trilogy

by Suzanne Collins⭐ 4.0/5(1,463)

The stunning Hunger Games trilogy is complete! The extraordinary, ground breaking New York Times bestsellers The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, along with the third book in The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, Mockingjay, are available for the first time ever in e-book. Stunning, gripping,

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The God Delusion

by Richard Dawkins⭐ 4.0/5(425)

A preeminent scientist—and the world's most prominent atheist—asserts the irrationality of belief in God and the grievous harm religion has inflicted on society, from the Crusades to 9/11. With rigor and wit, Dawkins examines God in all his forms, from the sex-obsessed tyrant of the Old Testament to

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Book Review Coraline

by Neil Gaiman⭐ 4.0/5(114)

"Coraline discovered the door a little while after they moved into the house. . . ." When Coraline steps through a door to find another house strangely similar to her own (only better), things seem marvelous. But there's another mother there, and another father, and they want her to stay and be thei

children-books

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A Wrinkle in Time

by Madeleine L'Engle⭐ 4.0/5(94)

NEWBERY MEDAL WINNER • TIME MAGAZINE’S 100 BEST FANTASY BOOKS OF ALL TIME • NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE FROM DISNEY Read the ground-breaking science fiction and fantasy classic that has delighted children for over 60 years! "A Wrinkle in Time is one of my favorite books of all time. I've read it so o

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Diary of a Wimpy Kid

by Jeff Kinney⭐ 4.0/5(84)

Greg Heffley finds himself thrust into a new year and a new school where undersize weaklings share the corridors with kids who are taller, meaner and already shaving. Greg is happy to have his sidekick, Rowley, along for the ride. When Rowley's star starts to rise, Greg tries to use his best friend'

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Bud, Not Buddy

by Christopher Paul Curtis⭐ 4.0/5(71)

Hit the road with Bud in this Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Award-winning classic about a boy on a journey to find his father—from Christopher Paul Curtis, recipient of the Coretta Scott King–Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement. It’s 1936, in Flint Michigan. Times may be hard, an

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WHILE ISRAEL SLEPT

by 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."⭐ 4.0/5(58)

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...

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