DECEMBER NEWSLETTER
DVDs:
After seventy years with best friend, Eleanor moves to New York City for a fresh start. Making new friends at ninety proves difficult. Longing for connection, she befriends a 19-year-old student.
Tess’s daughter Anna now has a daughter of her own and soon, a stepdaughter. As they navigate the joys and challenges when two families merge, lightning just may strike twice.
Only one man has the particular set of skills…to lead Police Squad and save the world! Lt. Frank Drebin Jr. follows in his father’s footsteps in The Naked Gun. From director Akiva Schaffer and producer Seth MacFarlane. Pamela Anderson and Danny Huston also star in the film critics are calling ‘a fully loaded, gut busting comedy
ADULT FICTION
It’s New Year’s Day in Tasmania and the life Lexi Villiers has carefully built is working out nicely: she’s in the second year of her medical residency, she lives on a beautiful farm with her two best friends Finn and Jack–and she’s about to finally become more-than-friendly with Jack–when a helicopter abruptly lands. Out steps her grandmother’s right-hand-man, with the tragic news that her father and older brother have been killed in a skiing accident. Lexi’s grandmother happens to be the Queen of England, and in addition to the shock and grief, Lexi must now accept the reality that she is suddenly next in line for the throne–a role she has publicly disavowed.
ATKINS-EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD
“It’s 1985, what will soon become known as “The Year of the Spy,” and fourteen-year-old Peter Bennett is convinced his mom’s new boyfriend is a Russian agent. “Gary” isn’t in the phone book, has an unidentifiable European accent, and keeps a gun in the glove box of his convertible Porsche. Peter thinks Gary only wants to get close to his mom because she works at Scientific Atlanta, a lab with big government contracts. But who is going to believe him? He’s just a kid into BMX and MTV. But after another woman who works at the lab is killed, Peter recruits an unlikely pair of allies–a has-been pulp writer and muckraker named Dennis Hotchner and his drag performer buddy and heavy, Jackie Demure. Both soon become the target of an unhinged Russian hitman (Is it Gary? Maybe!) with a serious Phil Collins obsession. Meanwhile, Sylvia Weaver, a young, Black FBI agent, investigates Scientific Atlanta in the wake of the employee’s murder and discovers a nest of Russian spies in the Southern “city too busy to hate.” Little does she know her investigation is being thwarted by a seriously compromised colleague in Washington, D.C., who is in league with a lovesick, hypochondriac KGB defector who is playing both sides of the Cold War to his benefit. As Ronald Reagan and Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev prepare for a historic nuclear summit in Geneva, what happens in Atlanta might change the course of the Cold War, the twentieth century, and Peter Bennett’s freshman year of high school
BEST AMERICAN SHORT STORIES 2025
A collection of the year’s best American short stories.
BIVALD-JUST ANOTHER DEAD AUTHOR
When mystery author Berit Gardner agrees to attend a writer’s conference in the idyllic French countryside, she dreams of basking in the sun and nurturing budding talent. But her vacation takes a dark turn when the keynote speaker, a notorious literary titan known for his biting critiques, drops dead at the end of her lecture. As whispers of foul play swirl, Berit quickly realizes she’s stepped into a tangled web of jealousy, betrayal, and long-held grudges. Enter the French commissaire, who is less than thrilled to have a curious author meddling in her investigation. But as the suspects pile up, each with their own motive for wanting the egotistical writer dead, she reluctantly recognizes Berit’s sharp instincts could crack the case wide open. With a colorful cast of authors, agents, and aspiring writers all hiding secrets, the stakes rise higher with every clue uncovered. To make matters worse, a tenacious young journalist vows to outsmart Berit and solve the mystery first, placing herself in the killer’s sights. Now, Berit must navigate a maze of deceit and danger while trying to keep the ambitious reporter safe. With time running out and the killer lurking in the shadows, can Berit unravel the truth before her own story ends in tragedy?
It’s a promise of better things to come… With its colorful history, and miles of sand, tide, and windswept oaks, North Carolina’s Outer Banks is a paradise for locals and tourists alike. For Curtis Gage, returning after nineteen years to be the new assistant manager of a 5-star, ocean-front resort, it’s a chance to start a new life and come to terms with an old one. This is where his father, a revered police chief, died in the line of duty. Whisked away by his mother when he was just a child, Curtis always yearned to come back and reclaim this magnificent necklace of islands as home. But he never imagined the risks… This coastal haven is in attorney Rae Alden’s blood, and the resort’s expansion is encroaching on precious Fortunate Harbor. For Rae and the old-town families she represents, their generations-old heritage is not for sale for all the money in the world. Who’d have guessed that the ordeal would tie Rae to Curtis, a childhood sweetheart whose family tragedy once converged, fatefully, with her own past? The landgrab is reuniting them in more ways than one, because the property is more valuable than even Rae believed–the proof is in a secret deed and a long-lost map to a bona fide buried treasure. If pirate legends, rekindled romance, and real-life adventure aren’t enough to make the heart pound, Curtis and Rae discover they aren’t the only ones hunting. In love and in danger, they have each other, and are finding a place to call home. That alone is a fortune worth fighting for.
CHRISTOPHER-STAR WARS: MASTER OF EVIL
In the wake of Emperor Palpatine’s rise to power, the true nature of his most sinister enforcer remains a mystery. Darth Vader is a dominant yet illusive figure: the shadow cast by a malignant Imperial regime, unknowable to even its top officials. But even as his humanity gives way to myth, Vader remains haunted by the promises of the dark side, seeking the ultimate power that his master has hinted at but withheld–the power to conquer death itself. On the volcanic world of Mustafar, Vader undertakes a dark ritual, bleeding a kyber crystal to forge his lightsaber. This act unleashes a power far greater than he anticipated, giving him a glimpse into the limitless potential of the Force. Vader is determined to follow this vision, even if it means defying his master’s orders. Yet he finds the Emperor suspiciously supportive of his mission, even sending Vader to the Diso system to investigate rumors of a Force-wielding shaman able to raise the dead. At his side are a cadre of the Emperor’s scarlet-robed Royal Guard, led by Colonel Halland Goth–a decorated soldier with a very personal interest in Vader’s mission. Even as the Emperor’s true motivations reveal themselves, Vader falls deeper into obsession. His journey takes him far across the galaxy, chasing rumors and phantoms. But no matter how far he travels, he cannot escape the shadows within his own soul. Haunted by the echoes of his past, Vader circles the true resolution to his quest: only once all weakness is purged can he become a master of evil
An international incident may fracture the Ryan family in the latest entry in this #1 New York Times bestselling series. Even in a family of strong individualists like the Ryans, Kyle has stood out as a lone wolf. For years he’s gone his own way, joining the DIA rather than the CIA, and disagreeing with his father’s politics. Now he’s missing in an African country on the brink of a coup. His last message to his handlers, “We’re on the wrong side of history.” His father, the President of the United States, is about to discover which is more important to him: the interests of his country or the life of his son?
Forty years ago, the Gather family–James, his daughter Beau, and his son Billy–vanished during a whitewater rafting trip and were presumed dead. Five years later, Billy reappeared on the far side of the world, telling an impossible tale of a primordial valley populated by dinosaurs, aliens, Neanderthals, and androids. Little Billy became the punchline of so very many jokes, until he finally faded from the public eye. Now, a group of graduate astronomy students follow their professor, Noah Barnes, up a mountain for what they believe is a simple stargazing trip. But they’re about to travel a lot farther than they planned … Noah–the now grown Billy Gather–has finally figured out how to get back to the valley. Accidentally bringing his students along with him, he’s confident he can get everyone back home, safe and sound. But the valley is a puzzle–one it turns out Noah hasn’t figured out–and they’ll need to solve it together if there’s any chance of making it out alive
From the “master of the medical thriller” (The New York Times), Robin Cook, fan favorites Jack and Laurie return in another fast-paced story about a deadly bioweapon that could disrupt the world order as they know it. When Laurie Montgomery temporarily steps down from her position as Chief Medical Examiner at the OCME to get a break from office politics, she and Jack decide to embark on a weekend getaway. And the timing couldn’t be better when they receive a call from Jack’s old peer, Robert Neilson MD, about two strange deaths and their potential association with the upswing in Alzheimer’s cases in Essex Falls. Deciding this is just what the doctor ordered, Laurie and Jack agree to help, and head upstate. But Essex Falls is far from the rural idyllic town of their imagination. It’s apparent that most of the residents are earnest in their undying wish to return America back to the 1950s. Robert tells them the deaths are of two troublemakers, known to be white extremists, in their late twenties. Prior to their deaths, their behavior had been somewhat bizarre with both complaining of muscle spasms, nausea, and off-the-charts anxiety. As Jack and Laurie get to work, they are led to believe that a dangerous bioweapon might be at play, which, in the wrong hands, could threaten the lives of the entire town… and maybe all of America.
Karl and Molly were never together. There was a time, right after high school, where it seemed like they might finally cross the line from friends to lovers…but instead, a foolish misunderstanding meant they never spoke again. Molly went to LA and got married. Karl stayed in Harlot’s Bay and bought a bakery. The only connection the pair has shared over the years is painfully one-sided: Now divorced, Molly narrates monster romance audiobooks, and Karl is an ever-diligent listener, clinging to his only piece of the one that got away. Still, Molly hasn’t totally left Harlot’s Bay behind. When she hears that Karl’s obituary has run in the local paper, unexpected grief prompts her to hop on the next flight to Maryland…where she finds Karl very much alive,the victim of nothing but an accidental obituary. As the pair reunite, they finally hash out their missed connection. True, Molly isn’t quite ready to trust again, but Karl is determined to prove himself worthy of her faith and devotion. And as her remaining time in Harlot’s Bay ticks down, Molly, the habitual cynic, just might find that Karl, the cranky town curmudgeon, is impossible to leave behind a second time.
DARA-A GRIM REAPER’S GUIDE TO CHEATING DEATH
When a determined killer targets her brother, a grim reaper risks everything to save him in this delightful cozy mystery. Nora Bird works for S.C.Y.T.H.E., which might seem odd for someone as terrified of death as she is. But ever since her parents died in an accident when she was six, she’s been obsessed with avoiding risk, and what better place to learn how to cheat death than the company that employs the nation’s grim reapers? The work enables Nora to learn all about the myriad ways you can kick the bucket, which is comforting…until one day, a file crosses her desk with a name she recognizes. Her twin brother’s. The twins haven’t spoken in six months, but Charlie is all Nora has left. Completely against her cautious nature, Nora steals the file and flees, racing to her brother’s house. She begs him to trust her that his death is imminent, and they hit the road (with his parrot, Jessica, who has plenty to say) in an attempt to evade both death and S.C.Y.T.H.E., whose sole mission of collecting souls has been disrupted by Charlie’s continued existence. Alas, every time Nora saves him, a new cause of death appears in his file. Someone is determined to take Charlie out, and Nora will have to use everything she’s ever learned about death to discover the culprit.
DINNIMAN-THE EYE OF THE BEDLAM BRIDE
Coast Guard vet Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s cat, Princess Donut, have survived longer and leveled up higher than anyone ever thought they could in the galaxy’s most popular reality show, but after the shocking conclusion of the seventh level, it’s now anyone’s game. A pantheon of forgotten gods. An old grudge between a talk show host, an heiress, and the man they shattered along the way. A rapidly deteriorating AI system. An inconvenient tiara upon the head of a friend. It is bedlam on the eighth floor. The crawlers are given a new task: Find and capture six monsters, each of which will be turned into a card. The stronger, the deadlier, the better. At the end of the floor, the bad guys will also have decks, made of some of the most powerful cards available. So it’s crucial for crawlers to assemble the toughest squad possible. But, like always, there is a catch. There’s always a catch. If Carl and Donut want a winning hand, they’ll have to capture the most lethal and terrifying monster of them all: Shi Maria. She was once married to a now-missing god. Her special attack is known to drive one insane. They call her the Bedlam Bride. But even if Carl and Donut can capture her, they know all too well that just because someone has been captured, it doesn’t mean they have been tamed. Welcome, Crawlers. Welcome to the eighth floor of the dungeon.
Carl and Princess Donut prepare for war in the zany and unpredictable seventh book in the New York Times bestselling Dungeon Crawler Carl series-now with bonus material exclusive to this print edition. The ninth floor. Nine armies, each led by rich and powerful aliens from across the galaxy. Each team has one objective: to capture and hold the castle at the very center of the battlefield. Strategy, alliances, pitched battles, and, of course, betrayal…It all makes for great fun and even greater television. After all, none of these powerful aliens really die when they’re playing war. Except this time. This time, winner takes all. Those who fall, stay in the ground. As the AI continues its rapid decline, Carl and company take advantage of the chaos. For the first time ever, the crawlers are fighting back. They are now one of the nine teams. And this season, there’s a tenth army on the playing field. The NPCs, who are normally used as nothing but cannon fodder, have become fully self-aware and formed a team of their own. For Donut and Katia, the stakes are even higher. Only one of them will be allowed to leave this level. If they all want to survive, they’re going to need a little help from a veteran or two. This is it. This is what they’ve been fighting toward. This is war.
A young mother haunted by war, determined to make a fresh start. But sometimes, the sins of the past aren’t so easy to escape. Recent Afghan refugee Sabera Ahmadi was last seen exiting her place of work three weeks ago. The local police have yet to open a case, while her older, domineering husband seems unconcerned. Sabera’s closest friend, however, is convinced Sabera would never willingly leave her three year old daughter. At her insistence, missing persons expert Frankie Elkin agrees to take up the search through the broiling streets of Tucson. Just in time for a video of the young mother to surface, showing her walking away from the scene of a brutal double murder. Frankie quickly realizes there’s much more to the Ahmadi family than meets the eye. The father Isaad is a brilliant mathematician, Sabera a gifted linguist, and their little girl Zahra, she has an uncanny ability to remember anything she sees. Which given everything that has happened during the girl’s short life, may be a terrible curse. When Isaad also disappears under mysterious circumstances and an attempt is made on Zahra’s life, Frankie realizes she must quickly crack the code of this family’s horrific past. Someone is coming for the Ahmadis. And violence is clearly an option. When everything is on the line, how far would you go to protect the ones you love? Frankie is about to find out.
After a brutal year battling what should have been a terminal cancer diagnosis, mystery author Joe Penvale and his twin sister Meredith decide to celebrate this new beginning with a holiday on the famed Orient Express. Joining them in carriage 16 are a medically retired French police detective, a female British detective inspector, a travel blogger and her husband, two true crime podcasters who are seeking an interview with Joe, a widowed duchess, two little old ladies from Lower Slaughter in pursuit of a thief they know is aboard, and an obnoxious man in a green plaid suit. Joe and Meredith’s elusive neighbor in 16G keeps to his cabin the first night after an early dinner-and the next morning his cabin is found soaked in blood, with no sign of his body anywhere. Also aboard is a virulent new strain of coronavirus, which leaves an entire carriage under quarantine and the train itself prohibited from disembarking in Venice. Busy dealing with this crisis, the train’s CEO cobbles together an investigative committee comprising seven passengers with backgrounds in law or law enforcement to look for clues. But when the steward guarding the crime scene is killed, and then another who’d been sent to fetch the traveler’s passports, the accusations and in-fighting begin and Joe and Meredith begin snooping about on their own, risking their newly reclaimed lives in a desperate attempt to stop a killer before they strike again.
The Library of Fates was designed to show you who you are and who you could become. Its rarest book, The Book of Dark Nights, holds a secret: when you write an intimate confession on its pages, you’ll receive a prediction for your future, penned in your own handwriting. For Eleanor, whose childhood was defined by a senseless tragedy, the library offers a world where everything makes sense. She’s spent most of her life there as an apprentice to the brilliant librarian, showing other people how to find the meaning of their lives in stories. But when her mentor dies in a freak accident and The Book of Dark Nights goes missing–along with the secrets written inside–Eleanor is pulled out of the library and into a quest to locate it with the last person she expects: the librarian’s estranged son, Daniel, who Eleanor once loved. Together, as they hunt down clues from Harvard to Paris, Eleanor and Daniel grow closer again, regaining each other’s trust. But little do they know that they’re entangled in a much larger web. Someone else wants the book, and they’ll go to dark lengths to get it…
A funny, heartfelt, late coming-of-age story that examines the role of memory in holding us back-and in moving us forward-for fans of The Collected Regrets of Clover and Maame. Call it inertia. Call it a quarter-life crisis. Whatever you call it, Cricket Campbell is stuck. Despite working at a zeitgeisty wellness company, the 26-year-old feels anything but well. Still adrift after a tragedy that upended her world a decade ago, she has entered early adulthood under the weight of a new burden: her father’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis. When Cricket’s older sister Nina announces it is time to move Arthur from his beloved Adirondack lake house into a memory-care facility, Cricket has a better idea. In returning home to become her father’s caretaker, she hopes to repair their strained relationship and shake herself out of her perma-funk. But even deeply familiar places can hold surprises. As Cricket settles back into the family house at Catwood Pond-a place she once loved, but hasn’t visited since she was a teenager-she discovers that her father possesses a rare gift: as he loses his grasp of the past, he is increasingly able to predict the future. Before long, Arthur cements his reputation as an unlikely oracle, but for Cricket, believing in her father’s prophecies might also mean facing the most painful parts of her history. As she begins to remember who she once was, she uncovers a vital truth: the path forward often starts by going back. With laugh-out-loud humor and profound grace, Before I Forget explores the nuances of family, the complexities of memory, and how sometimes, the people we know the best are the ones who surprise us the most
This novel follows Margo Miyake, a prospective homebuyer in the Washington, D.C. suburbs who, after a series of unsuccessful offers, becomes increasingly fixated on acquiring a particular house before it goes on the market. Her efforts to secure the property lead her to intrusive and escalating behavior as she attempts to influence the current owners. The story combines humor and suspense while addressing themes related to ambition, relationships, and the pressures of a competitive housing market.
KIM-UNDER THE OAK TREE: VOLUME 2
As her first winter in Anatol turns to spring, Lady Maximilian finds herself confronting an unfamiliar feeling: hope. Her voice and her magic strengthen every day; the only parts of Calypse Castle left to refurbish are its gardens, which she plans to fill with blooming flowers; and the way her husband, the recalcitrant war hero Sir Riftan, looks at her from across their bedroom makes her feel, for the first time in her life, that she might be worthy of love and affection.However, Maxi’s life is never that easy. Just as she begins to feel at home with Riftan, Maxi receives a surprise visit from Princess Agnes, the renowned sorceress who might have become Riftan’s wife if he’d decided to divorce Maxi after the Dragon Campaign. Not at all what Maxi expected, the princess stirs up complicated emotions and politics that could lead to monumental changes in Maxi and Riftan’s relationship.
KING-SPIT BACK THE BONES
Something dreadful is festering in the old Thomas Bog. For years, it’s done what it has been taught to do-it swallows. But it’s done following orders. It’s been three years since Mila Thomas’ brother Jed went missing and his case went cold. Since then, Mila has fled town, running from the voices of the dead that reach her from the depths of the old family bog, afraid she would hear her brother’s among them. But when her younger sister, Agatha, calls her back home to celebrate her graduation, Mila can’t help but return to her old haunts. When she arrives, Mila comes face to face with the town reverend, who informs her that Agatha is now also missing. Finding her mother and the local police utterly useless, Mila opens herself up to the voices of the bog in the hopes that they can tell her where her sister is. But something else lurks beneath the bog’s waters, something that would sooner hunt her than help her. As more bodies turn up on the sandy shores, Mila must overcome her complicated history with the reverend’s estranged son-the boy she never quite got over-to unearth the fate of the town’s missing members and the family secrets that may be behind everything.
LAFFERTY-THE ONCE AND FUTURE QUEEN
Outlander-meets-The Princess Bride plus Camelot in a fresh, big-hearted, feminist, timeslip adventure reimagining the epic saga of King Arthur, as told from the perspective of his spunky and surprising queen, Vera – complete with time travel and good running shoes!
LEVINE-ROAD TRIP WITH A VAMPIRE
A vampire who can’t remember his past and a witch with secrets of her own hit the road in this zany, cross-country romantic comedy. Reformed bad witch Grizelda ‘Zelda’ Watson had hoped to never see another vampire again when she slipped away to sunny California for a fresh start. She’d grown tired of them and their nonsense ages ago. But when a vampire with amnesia unexpectedly shows up on her doorstep with a letter from her old friend Reggie and asks for her help, she can’t say no. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Peter Elliott is tall and gorgeous, looks great in yoga shorts, and has the kind of dark hair and surly expression that for hundreds of years Zelda’s been a sucker for. Peter isn’t completely harmless, he is fanged, after all, but he’s harmless enough, and soon becomes the only person in Zelda’s new life who knows the truth about what she is. If she can help him decipher the cryptic notes in his journal, the only clues to his lost memories, she might as well try before sending him on his way. But when an alarming message from Peter’s past coincides with a clear sign that Zelda can’t keep running from her own, they embark on a cross-country road trip for answers, only to find what they’re looking for in each other.
LUPICA-ROBERT B. PARKER’S SHOWDOWN
Spenser lends a hand to a controversial figure who might not be as he seems, in this latest installment of Robert B. Parker’s beloved series. Vic Hale is the biggest podcaster in the nation; he hates everybody, but is loved by millions. Susan and Hawk can’t stand him but Spenser goes way back with Vic’s father Tommy, and he believes it’s all an act. So when Vic comes to Spenser for help, Spenser can hardly deny him. After all, he still owes Tommy for saving his life. But as Spenser unearths secrets from Vic’s past, he realizes Vic isn’t who he thought he was. And when he discovers that someone’s life is at risk, Spenser might have no choice but to form an alliance with Vic . . . if only he can be trusted?
Madeline Brimley, new owner of a bookstore in a small Georgia town, finds herself playing sleuth when a friend is charged with the murder of a much-disliked woman. Madeline Brimley recently inherited a bookstore in Enigma, Georgia, is embarking on her second career, after her first one (acting) founders upon the metaphorical rocks. Settling in, Madeline recruits her friend Gloria Coleman, the local Episcopal priest, to help her plant azaleas in the front yard of the old Victorian that houses the bookstore. Turning the soil, however, uncovers the body of one Beatrice Glassie, a troublesome woman who has been missing for the past six months. When her friend Gloria is arrested for the murder, Madeline is determined to prove her innocence and, as she quicklyfinds out, there aren’t many people in town who hadn’t wanted to kill Bea Glassie at one point or another. And the very expensive and rare first edition of a particular volume of Grimm’s Fairy Tales-ordered by the victim and her sister is somehow tied tothe grim death. With the help of her not-quite-boyfriend, a local lawman, and her deceased aunt’s best friend, Madeline plans to set a trap to catch the real murderer-before she becomes the next victim.
As a professional cleaner, Abi Mariano never thought her apartment would have any sort of infestation, but because of a floor-wide outbreak (thanks, Apartment 2B), she now needs somewhere to stay for a week. As a part-time student with two jobs, she doesn’t have many options. Then the solution presents itself: the owner of the penthouse she cleans is out of town for the week. She normally wouldn’t consider it, but he’s literally never around (she’s never even met him). It goes great until she comes out of the bedroom one morning to find two strangers in the kitchen. They’re the parents of the penthouse owner and they seem to think they’ve heard all about Abi-not as their son’s maid, but as his girlfriend. Declan Powell has always put his career first, working his way up to executive vice president at Hathaway Holdings, but he still has his eyes set on the next level. When his parents mention they met his girlfriend Abi, he all but chokes on his escargot. As great as it sounds that she was just darling, he doesn’t actually have a girlfriend-he made her up to get everyone off his back. When Dex finds out who Abi really is, he makes her a proposition: pretend to date him, and he’ll provide everything she needs during their little arrangement. What harm would it do? It’s purely business, no pleasure, right?
Steph Harper is on the run. When she was five, her mother fled an abusive husband–with Steph and her younger sister in tow–to Cherokee Nation, where she hoped they might finally belong. In response, Steph sets her sights as far away from Oklahoma as she can get, vowing that she will let nothing get in the way of pursuing the rigorous physical and academic training she knows she will need to be accepted by NASA, and ultimately, to go to the Moon. Spanning three decades and several continents, ‘To the Moon and back’ encompasses Steph’s turbulent journey, along with the multifaceted and intertwined lives of the three women closest to her: her sister Kayla, an artist who goes on to become an Indigenous social media influencer, and whose determination to appear good takes her life to unexpected places; Steph’s college girlfriend Della Owens, who strives to reclaim her identity as an adult after being removed from her Cherokee family through a challenge to the Indian Child Welfare Act; and Hannah, Steph and Kayla’s mother, who has held up her family’s tribal history as a beacon of inspiration to her children, all the while keeping her own past a secret.
RANEY-WHO TOUCHES THE MOUNTAINS
Traveling all across the country is exciting…until it isn’t anymore. Liesl Bachman enjoys success as a travel writer, but that success comes at a price. Now she feels isolated and stuck in a way she never expected in the “cool” job she always wanted. Zach Freylan is bound by an unspoken promise he made to his beloved wife before her death in a mysterious one-car crash. For two years, he’s run The Inn at Rosebud Lane that belonged to Jenny’s grandparents, but he finds little joy in maintaining what was always her dream. From the moment Liesl checks in for an extended stay at the inn, something begins to shift inside Zach, letting him dare to hope that his life could be different. Liesl feels that same promise of hope, but the clock is ticking for them both as circumstances only grow more complicated. Is thirty-seven days enough to know for sure that this is God’s yes?
World-champion bull rider Sonny Bluejacket was bucked off a bull and critically injured. He died twice on the operating table and then survived. Now retired from the rodeo circuit, Sonny is living with his brother and family in Oklahoma when he inherits a horse ranch outside of a little town in West Texas called Crossroads. The first person he meets upon arrival is an intriguing waitress named Magnolia “Maggie” Brennen, who works in a cǎf called The Yellow Rose. Their attraction is instant. But it isn’t until much later that Sonny discovers Maggie’s secret talent for painting, and a whole new opportunity for Maggie opens up as a result of Sonny’s supportive urging. Their relationship grows as Sonny wades through taking over the inherited ranch, horses, truck and property. He’s finally finding his place within the surrounding community, only to be accosted by his no-good father who comes looking for a handout, or to destroy everything, including Maggie. But Sonny isn’t about to let that happen.
Once a promising alchemist, Helena Marino is now a prisoner of war and of her own mind. Her Resistance friends and allies have been brutally murdered, her abilities suppressed, and the world she knew destroyed. In the aftermath of a long war, Paladia’s new ruling class of corrupt guild families and depraved necromancers, whose vile undead creatures helped bring about their victory, holds Helena captive. According to Resistance records, she was a healer of little importance within their ranks. But Helena has inexplicable memory loss of the months leading up to her capture, making her enemies wonder: Is she truly as insignificant as she appears, or are her lost memories hiding some vital piece of the Resistance’s final gambit? To uncover the memories buried deep within her mind, Helena is sent to the High Reeve, one of the most powerful and ruthless necromancers in this new world. Trapped on his crumbling estate, Helena’s fight, to protect her lost history and to preserve the last remaining shreds of her former self, is just beginning. For her prison and captor have secrets of their own, secrets Helena must unearth, whatever the cost.
- Cybil Harding is a First Daughter. Cursed to bring disaster to those around her, she is trapped in a house with a mother paralyzed by grief and a father willing to sacrifice everything in pursuit of magic. Miriam Richter is a creature of shadow. Forged by the dark arts many years ago, she is doomed to exist for eternity and destined to be alone–killing mortals and consuming their souls for sustenance. Everything changes when she meets Cybil, whose soul shines with a light so bright, she must claim it for herself. She offers a bargain: she will grant Cybil reincarnation in exchange for her soul.
SLOLEY-THE ISLAND OF LAST THINGS
Camille has always preferred animals to people. The wild has nearly disappeared, but as a zookeeper at the last zoo in the world, on Alcatraz Island, she spends her days caring for playful chimpanzees, gentle tree frogs, and a restless jaguar. Outside, resistance groups and brutal cartels fight to shape the world’s future, but Camille is safe within her routines. That is, until a new zookeeper, Sailor, arrives from Paris. From their first meeting, Camille is drawn to Sailor, who seems to see something in Camille that no one has before. They bond over their shared passions and dream up ways to improve their lives. When Sailor whispers the story of an idyllic, secret sanctuary where wild animals roam free, Camille begins to imagine a new kind of life with Sailor by her side. Sailor knows all too well the dangers beyond Alcatraz, but she increasingly chafes at the zoo’s rigid rules. She hatches a reckless plan to smuggle one of the most prized animals off the island to freedom, and invites Camille to join her. The consequences if they fail would be catastrophic, and Sailor’s contacts at the sanctuary go dark just as the threats from the cartels grow more extreme. Camille must decide if she’s ready to risk everything for the promise of a better world. Propulsive and fiercely hopeful, with a heart-stopping final twist, The Island of Last Things is an elegy for a disappearing world and a gorgeous vision for the future.
Norwegian immigrant Amalia Gunderson and her ward, Ruth Forsberg, arrive in Iowa to claim the boardinghouse Ruth has inherited, despite opposition from a difficult cousin. While Amalia looks for her long-lost brother, her relationship with an attorney unfolds as she and Ruth navigate through love, loss, and unexpected friendships.
In 1890 Norway, newlywed Maya’s dreams are crushed when a fierce winter storm steals her husband away before their voyage to America. Though anguish and grief engulf her, she travels to Iowa, where her new neighbor, Eben Miller, seeks to help mend her broken heart. Can they weather these trials together and overcome the difficulties this land holds?
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Scarlett St. Clair comes a beautiful hardcover bind-up of the first two novellas in the Fairy Tale Retellings series, Mountains Made of Glass and Apples Dipped in Gold, with exclusive new art. Full of spellbinding romantasy, high heat, broody princes, and familiar fairy-tale stories, these novellas are perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Katee Robert, and Laura Thalassa.
Radclyffe, New York, is an idyllic upstate town, nestled in the hills and complete with artisanal bakeries, pottery studios, and hidden swimming holes. Ruth and her wife, Wyn, are living the dream (or Wyn’s dream, at least) with their four children on their small farm, which is also the bucolic gathering place for their circle of friends. It’s a sweet life, but there’s a secret at its center, one that not even Ruth’s best friend, Caroline, knows. What Caroline does know is that she loves and depends on Ruth, and on the bond between their families. More than anything, she wants her tender-hearted son not to grow up lonely the way she did. Unfortunately, no one can assure her of that, especially not her husband. He just wants things to be easy, drama-free–which is impossible, as he has donated his sperm to his cousin Tobi and her wife so that they could have kids of their own. Now those children are asking unanswerable questions. After an unexpected death in their community, all three couples are forced to confront the tensions that have long been buried beneath the surfaces of their lives.
Teddy Fay whisks away to join Peter and Hattie Barrington in Palm Springs. But his hope for a relaxing vacation vanishes when he attends a prominent actor’s annual birthday party, where he witness a heated squabble between two women, only for one of them to turn up dead the next day. Teddy investigates who might be lurking in the shadows and uncovers a web of intrigue involving a sinister plan to take over a cutting-edge energy company. If he doesn’t act fast, valuable secrets risk falling into the wrong hands–and, more importantly, innocent lives could be in jeopardy
A heartbreaking letter from a fallen soldier begs his best friend to care for his sister and her twins, revealing a devastating family secret.
ADULT NON-FIC:
For thirty-eight years, The Best American Poetry series has won widespread acclaim as the nation’s most influential and vital poetryanthology pickhich has inspired similar ventures abroad, has garnered plaudits for its ability to capture the zeitgeist of American poetry. This year’s anthology is guest edited by the esteemed poet andsongwriter Terence Winch, who brings to the task his work as a musician and poetry editor as well as his many years of experience as head of publications at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian. Winch, known for his inspired selections on the Best American Poetry blog, curates a vibrant array of compelling voices.The Best American Poetry 2025 is a landmark edition that not only showcases the finest contemporary American poetry but also honors David Lehman’s achievement as the anthology’s founding editor. “The list of editors is a who’s who of US poetry elites,” writes Oxford professorof poetry A. E. Stallings. “And behind it all, the poet David Lehman, the series editor, has labored quietly and diligently ensuring its continuity and continued relevance.
FISHER-TRUST YOUR GUT: ANTI-INFLAMATORY RECIPES FOR FEELING UNSTOPPABLE
From Jennifer Fisher, the cult-favorite jewelry designer and creator of Jennifer Fisher Kitchen, a cookbook with 100 recipes designed to maximize your energy, stay clear-headed, and look hot at any age Since being diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease in high school and learning how to listen to her body as an adult, jewelry, pottery, and custom salts designer Jennifer Fisher has completely transformed her life through what she consumes. She now has more energy. Her body feels more efficient, and it’s easier to think—and move. Through her journey, Fisher found that it wasn’t just eliminating one thing or following one diet, as she had tried so many times before, but practicing all of these things in tandem. She has made it her mission to demystify how to live healthfully—it’s not by following a diet but instead discovering a holistic approach to changing your life through food. Fisher knows firsthand how daunting it is to live with chronic illness, and Trust Your Gut offers quick and easy recipes that are simple but always deliver on flavor. The book is filled with recipes that include easy swaps to fit anybody’s dietary needs as well as ideas for how to eat out while still understanding what your body needs. Trust Your Gut is a cookbook designed for anyone wanting to eat healthily but not compromise on taste.
GIBNEY-PATCHWORK GRANNY SQUARE BLANKETS: LEARN TO CROCHET QUILT-INSPIRED THROWS, HOME DÉCOR & MORE
Patchwork Granny Square Blankets combines classic granny square motifs with quilt block design to create colorful and unique patchwork blankets for every home.
Discover the incredible achievements and inspiring stories of record breakers from around the world…and how you can become one of them. With all new content–from high-end hotels to deserted ghost towns and talented pets to global sports superstars–the new edition of Guinness World Records once again shows how record breaking is for everyone, everywhere.
GRAHAM-THE PROJECT: HOW PROJECT 2025 IS RESHAPING AMERICA
When President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, news spread about his implementation of Project 2025, a nearly 1,000-page document published by the conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation. The debates–and anxiety–surrounding this initiative have only increased as authors of the Project assume positions of power in the second Trump administration. So, what is Project 2025, exactly? Who wrote it, and what does it mean for everyday Americans, across the political spectrum, now and in the years to come? In The Project, award-winning journalist David A. Graham offers much-needed context and distills the essential elements of this sprawling document. Breaking down the Project’s strategy for transforming–and radically empowering–the executive branch, Graham then explains what the architects behind Project 2025 are doing with that power: enforcing traditional gender norms, decimating the civil service, performing mass deportations, reducing corporate regulation and worker protections, and more. Project 2025 is the intellectual blueprint for the new administration, Graham argues, and its tenets should not be legible only to policy wonks. Authoritative yet highly accessible, The Project demystifies it for those whose lives it will affect most.
MCCRACKEN-A LONG GAME: NOTES ON WRITING FICTION
From bestselling and award-winning author and professor Elizabeth McCracken comes an irresistible look at the art of writing. Writing can feel like an endless series of decisions. How does one face the blank page? Move a character around a room? Deal with time? Undertake revision? The good and bad news is that in fiction writing, there are no definitive answers to such questions: writers must come up with their own. Elizabeth McCracken, author of bestselling novels, National Book Award long-listed story collections, and a highly praised memoir, has been teaching for more than thirty-five years, guiding her many students through their own answers. In A Long Game, she shares insights gleaned along the way, offering practical tips and incisive thoughts about her own work as an artist. ‘Writing is a long game,’ she notes. ‘What matters is that you learn to get work done in the way that is possible for you, through consistency or panic. Through self-recrimination or self-forgiveness: every life needs both.’ As much a book about the life of a working artist as it is a guide to thinking about fiction, A Long Game is a revelatory and indispensable resource for any writer
NGUYEN-THE OVERTHINKER’S GUIDE TO MAKING DECISIONS
our brain is wired to overthink decisions – not because something’s wrong with you, but because you care deeply about making the right choice. If you’ve ever found yourself trapped in endless loops of ‘what if,’ analyzing every option to exhaustion, or seeking everyone’s advice while still feeling lost… this book is your way out. The Overthinker’s Guide to Making Decisions breaks new ground where ‘just trust your gut’ advice has failed you. Unlike traditional approaches that leave you stranded between endless analysis and vague intuition, this book provides a counterintuitive system that bypasses the overthinking loop entirely. This isn’t about making perfect choices. It’s about making aligned ones from a place of clarity instead of chaos.
PEARLMAN-READ YOUR MIND: PROVEN HABITS FOR SUCCESS FROM THE WORLD’S GREATEST MENTALIST
Drawing on over thirty years of experience captivating audiences and accruing psychological insights, Oz Pearlman reveals the techniques and habits that have propelled his extraordinary career and shares the ingenious secrets behind his craft to teach you how to unlock your full potential. You’ll build confidence, sharpen your memory, connect more authentically with others, and eliminate your fears-all through simple, easy-to-master strategies that can be learned in minutes and applied for a lifetime. Read Your Mind helps you turn your focus inward, teaching you how to identify and overcome the mental blocks that hold you back, building habits that stick. Through compelling stories and practical tips, you’ll learn how to: Master the art of influence to read people, win trust, and shape outcomes Sharpen your mental edge Overcome rejection, procrastination, and self-doubt Unlock the psychology of connection You don’t need to be a mentalist to create real, lasting change-you just need to think like one
Alison Roman gives you a collection of simple, smart, timeless recipes that rely on a home cook’s best kept secret: a well-stocked pantry. Making the most of your shelf-stable bottles, bags, jars and cans, Alison shows you how to cook as she does-loosely, intuitively, and with maximum flavor. With each recipe you’ll fall deeper in love with the magic of pantry cooking by using flavorful, hardworking ingredients, leaving you to ask, “How did something so wonderful come from basically nothing?”. In this book, you’ll find warm, opinionated writing coupled with classic recipes, both with signature Alison flair.
SIEGEL-THE MIRACLES AMONG US: HOW GOD’S GRACE PLAYS A ROLE IN HEALING
Dr. Marc Siegel’s The Miracles Among Us presents accounts of recoveries that challenge medical explanation. Through patient stories—such as a rabbi foreseeing a child’s heart issue and an NFL player surviving rare cardiac arrest—the book examines the intersection of faith and medicine, highlighting moments beyond scientific understanding.
SINYKIN-CLOSE READING FOR THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY
Close reading–making an argument based in close attention to a text–is the foundation of literary studies. This book offers a guide to close reading, treating it as a skill that can be taught and practiced. It first explains what close reading is, what it does, and how it has been used across theoretical schools ranging from affect studies to Black studies to queer theory to Marxism. It then presents a series of master classes in the practice, with original contributions by scholars from a range of different institutions. Finally, it provides practical materials, worksheets, and suggested activities for instructors to use in the classroom. The tone throughout is encouraging and accessible, inviting readers of all backgrounds to hone their craft. The book divides the practice of close reading into five steps, coining a term for each step: scene setting, noticing, local claiming, regional argumentation, and global theorizing. It traces the roots of close reading, showing how it has spread far beyond its origins in practical criticism and New Criticism. In twenty-one short chapters, contemporary scholars discuss close readings by such prominent literary critics as Erich Auerbach and Helen Vendler, describing how their arguments work and how to achieve similar results. An essential resource for instructors and students at the undergraduate level and beyond, this book shows how understanding close reading can make us better readers, thinkers, and writers.
THE TRAVELER’S ATLAS OF THE WORLD
The ultimate traveler’s reference, this gorgeous volume features beautifully photographed entries for every country in the world.
WARD-THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION: AN INTIMATE HISTORY
From the award-winning historian and filmmakers of The Civil War, Baseball, Jazz, The Roosevelts, and others: a richly illustrated, human-centered history of America’s founding struggle-expanding on the landmark, six-part PBS series to be aired in November 2025″From a small spark kindled in America, a flame has arisen not to be extinguished.” -Thomas PaineIn defeating the British Empire and giving birth to a new nation, the American Revolution turned the world upside down. Thirteen colonies on the Atlantic coast rose in rebellion, won their independence, and established a new form of government that radically reshaped the continent and inspired independence movements and democratic reforms around the globe.The American Revolution was at once a war for independence, a civil war, and a world war, fought by neighbors on American farms and between global powers an ocean or more away. In this sumptuous volume, historian Geoffrey C. Ward ably steers us through the international forces at play, telling the story not from the top down but from the bottom up-and through the eyes of not only our “Founding Fathers” but also those of ordinary soldiers, as well as underrepresented populations such as women, African Americans, Native Americans, and American Loyalists, asking who exactly was entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.Enriched by guest essays from lauded historians such as Vincent Brown, Maya Jasanoff, and Alan Taylor, and by an astonishing array of prints, drawings, paintings, texts, and pamphlets from the time period, as well as newly commissioned art and maps-and woven together with the words of Thomas Paine- The American Revolution reveals a nation still grappling with the questions that fueled its remarkable founding.
ABKs:
YOUNG ADULT:
Told in two parts, rulers Grim and Oro share their perspective in the battle for Isla’s love amidst the turmoil in their kingdoms.
High school senior Terra Slater, a golem crafted from magic, must master the power that binds her while forming an unexpected alliance with Thorne, a magical bounty hunter, to save herself, her fellow golems, and the warlock who created them.
The Infinite Glade is the final book of The Maze Cutter series, resolving long-unanswered questions of The Maze Runner world … The group of descendants along with Old Man Frypan are forced to choose between risking their lives to share the painful truth of the evolving maze trials with the world, or escape the chaos with their lives and let the deepest darkest of secrets of the maze stay buried in the glade forever.
Two sisters went missing on their class trip– Grace, the outgoing athlete who is friends with just about everyone, and Maddy, the wallflower wilting in her sister’s shadow who’d rather absorb herself in her journal than talk to her classmates. But when Grace is found–injured, with no memory of what happened–everybody thinks she’s lying. It’s hard not to look guilty with Maddy’s blood on her clothes. Desperate to save her sister–and prove her own innocence–Grace must piece together what happened on that school trip with the help of her sister’s notebook and classmates who may not be telling the police everything that about that tragic night. She will discover her sister’s secrets can’t stay quiet…but what if her own are the most terrifying of all?
Noelle Perrault has felt drawn to the tales her glassmaker father told of the four Firefly artisans since she was a child. But when her mother falls under a curse, Noelle suspects the stories are more than mere fables. Their last hope is for her father to embark on a desperate journey to another realm, where he must seek a miracle. Alone but not defenseless, Noelle is forced to navigate battles that rise against her beloved home, while her dearest friend, the prince, vows to help her father.
In a stunning reimagining of Greek myth for fans of Circe and Lore, Nikita Gill showcases the underworld and its chthonic deities in all their glory in this first book in an exciting trilogy, weaving a gripping story about the young goddess coming of age within their midst. Hekate sings the story of its eponymous heroine. Born into a world on fire and at war, she and her mother are left behind by the menfolk of their Titan family as the battle against the new Gods–the Olympians–begins. Soon, Hekate and her mother are forced to flee their home as the Olympians overpower and enslave the Titans, including Hekate’s father, Perses, and gain dominion over the universe. In a bid to protect Hekate from the clutches of Zeus and Poseidon, her mother leaves her in the underworld with the goddess Styx and king of the underworld, Hades, where she must make a life for herself and discover her divine purpose. Here begins Nikita Gill’s beautiful and propulsive reimagining of Hekate’s myth which unfolds into a coming-of-age adventure story and quest in which our young protagonist – not yet a goddess – sets out to discover what has happened to her parents, heal from the trauma of her separation from them, make a new home for herself in the underworld, and, eventually, step into her true power as a woman and goddess, before it’s too late.
Something strange is happening at Wisteria Gardens, the manor that Blythe and Aris call home. All they want is a peaceful holiday season with their family, but a group of restless spirits is determined to threaten their festivities. With a new mystery to solve, Signa, Death, Blythe, and Fate must uncover what happened to Wisteria’s ghostly inhabitants and help the spirits move on … before it’s too late.
In the cursed Kingdom of Aragoa, the punishment for magic is death. Even the students at Vandenberghe Academy aren’t spared. When Viola Sinclair’s deadly shadow magic is discovered, the queen gives her assassin a new assignment and a new cursed tattoo: seven-thorned rose on his arm for the seven days he has to hunt Viola down and kill her. If he doesn’t, he will be the one to die. The assassin is Roze Roquelart–entitled prince, arrogant fellow student, and the one person Viola hates more than anyone. Roze should revel in the chance to end her life, but he desperately needs something from Viola and her magic. And he’s willing to spare her life–and fake their engagement–to get it. Forced to work together, Viola and Roze must contend with deadly threats, dangerous secrets, and an impossible attraction. Will they give in to their deepest desires, even if it means destroying Aragoa–and risking both their lives?
HARLOW-ALL WE LOST WAS EVERYTHING
After the tragic loss of her father in a house fire, eighteen-year-old River Santos feels stuck, but when new revelations about the fire emerge, she must confront painful truths about her past, relationships both new and old, and a dangerous revenge plot that may be lurking closer than she thinks.
Deep in the forgotten city of the Deathless Kings, an ancient relic of untold power waits–for one bold enough to steal it. When seventeen-year-old Sparrow joined the Thieves Guild she made a vow of binding loyalty to their cause. So when a mission comes along from The Circle, a group of mysterious, dangerous beings who control the Thieves Guild from the shadows, Sparrow is determined to cement her place in the guild. What ensues is a death-defying adventure that has Sparrow and her band of thieves venturing into the heart of the forgotten city of the Deathless King. The fate of Sparrow, her companions, and Raithe, the enigmatic yet alluring assassin Sparrow is forced to join forces with during their quest, all hang in the balance as they find themselves battling ancient forces within the tombs and facing the unwavering hold of fate.
The Kingdom of Noctis is plagued by Corruption: a curse that spreads through dreaming. The Shadow Bringer rules from his castle in the Dream Realm, stealing souls one dreamer at a time. Only an elixir, taken every night before sleeping, can ward off the dreams and halt Corruption. But for some, the allure of the Dream Realm proves too strong. Esmer Havenfall desperately wants to escape her dreadful village. When her sister, Eden, succumbs to Corruption and their elixir-dealing parents are accused of a horrific crime, Esmer’s life unravels into a nightmare. Then she dreams of the Shadow Bringer and learns that his sinister magic might be a part of her, too. Enticed by the prospect of ending her kingdom’s curse and avenging her family, Esmer follows him deeper within the Dream Realm. But the prince of darkness has a haunted past, one that might change the fate of Esmer’s kingdom-and her heart-forever.
When mankind’s attempts to control nature backfire, Texas descends into a wasteland. Storms rage and ravenous beasts roam the Outer Grid. The only safe havens rest inside the tech-obsessed domed cities. But when her parents are murdered inside the Plex City dome, seventeen-year-old Juniper Conway wants revenge. Ties to her extended family threaten to pull her back as she runs from city to city. The Plex is endangering its citizens by legalizing a deadly nano drug, and Juniper’s family needs her help to deliver the counteragent. Saving the city who orphaned her goes against everything she stands for. The only way out is to brave the wasteland. Juniper joins a shipping crew fearless enough to transport food across the Outer Grid. But when a string of bad luck turns lethal, she fears something, or someone, is dragging her back to the Plex. As her world sinks into chaos, Juniper must decide if revenge is worth the lives of the crew she has come to love.
Mirabella Owens grew up with legends of wolves that traveled to her midwestern town to protect humans from vampires. Of a werewolf that fell in love with one of the undead, unraveling a blood-soaked history. But Mira stopped believing in those fairy tales years ago. She stopped believing in a lot of things after her mom left without a trace when she was only thirteen. As Mira begins her freshman year at Lakeland University, she’s ready to leave the past behind her. Only the past isn’t finished with her yet. Strange animal attacks are occurring around campus, reopening cold cases tied to her mother’s disappearance. And the only person who seems to know anything is Julian Santos, the boy who is hell-bent on getting Mira to leave campus for reasons she can’t begin to understand. But Mira refuses to let him keep his secrets, not when the truth is the difference between life and death. Mira will have to accept that there is much more to the old town myths, and her growing feelings for Julian, than she ever could have anticipated. And as the Blood Moon rises, she will come to know a world that will shatter her past and change her future.
At long last, the wedding day has arrived. The Jinn queen and the enigmatic ruler of Tulan are to be married in a magical, enchanted ceremony–but Cyrus, tethered by a blood oath to his bride-to-be, can find nothing to celebrate in this union. He’s falling ever more deeply in love with the one person oathbound to kill him. Sworn to an ancient, unbreakable magic, Alizeh can only fulfill the prophecy to free her people by ensuring Cyrus dies by her own hand. And Cyrus is forced to await his end all while Prince Kamran inches closer, ready to take his place by Alizeh’s side. The countdown to murder coils tensions ever tighter, but the historic wedding has already drawn deadly attention. To prepare for war and protect her people, Alizeh must finally discover her magic–and outrun the enemies trying to stop her. Alizeh and Cyrus, along with Kamran and their friends from Ardunia, must flee on dragon-back to begin the perilous journey into the legendary mountains of Arya, where a firestorm of revelations, magical discoveries, and fresh allies awaits them. Every allegiance will be tested, every darkness uncovered, and when the shattering secrets of the Tulanian king are finally revealed . . . Nothing, and no one, will be the same.
In the post-apocalyptic domed city of Seattle, disabled seventeen-year-old Fox must navigate a ruthless society where healthcare is currency in search of her younger sister, Rabbit.
Told through intertwining points of view and timelines, five teens each protect their secrets and truths about the night a fire destroyed their high school, and a classmate died.
“A terrible accident. A horrible loss. A regrettable tragedy. That’s all anyone in Fenix can talk about when a fire consumes the local high school, taking the life of a student. The town mourns, except who really knew–let alone cared about–Eden when she was alive? And why was she in the building that night? Five teens each hold a piece of the truth about what happened. They also have their own secrets, secrets they will fight to protect with the same fury as the blaze that killed Eden. But silence is meant to be broken, and their story can’t be extinguished…
With the help of her friends and allies, Ren managed to topple the general’s insurrection, but the Floating World and its terrorists are still under threat of attack from the rival Volmaran empire. And far worse, she was powerless to save Sunho from being overcome by the monstrous power in his blood. Now he’s gone, transformed into a feral, deadly creature that doesn’t even recognize her anymore, and her heart aches for the sweet boy she’s grown to love. But the escalating war will not pause for her grief. Seen by some as a heavenly savior and by others as merely a figurehead to be manipulated, Ren must use all her courage and cunning to survive the royal court’s game long enough to find Sunho and bring him home before he loses himself to the Demon forever.
From playdates on the playground to sneaking into movie theaters, Dani and Alec were inseparable. Until Dani moved away. Flash forward years later, and Dani back in Minnesota after her parents’ devastating divorce. Dealing with the fallout of her parents’ breakup, Dani attempts to rekindle her friendship with the cozy and comforting Alec she has missed–and who has been strangely MIA since Dani moved away. But teenage Alec is NOTHING like the kid Dani remembers. He is the hockey star in a town where hockey players are worshipped like gods. Instead of little Dani following him around, Alec now has a line of fans drooling all over him. And he LOVES it. But when one thing leads to another and Dani and Alec find themselves thrown together to play the roles of boyfriend and girlfriend, “complicated” becomes an understatement. Their fake relationship forces the duo to face their true feelings toward each other, along with the real reasons why they have been absent from each other’s lives for so long.
What Emma Caroline Blake is planning at New Hampshire’s Ridgemont Academy is shocking. Her school blames a heartbreaking tragedy in her family. Her best friends point to her most recent social media posts. Her teachers, even her father, say it’s a drastic cry for help. But Emma doesn’t want help. She wants to make a difference. Now. Today. Not tomorrow. She’s going to walk through fire to change the world.
Rap. Rap. Rap. The eerie sound was first heard in March of 1848 at the home of the Fox family in Hydesville, New York. The family’s two daughters, Kate and Maggie, soon discovered that they could communicate with the spirit that was making these uncanny noises. This strange incident, and the ones that followed, generated a media frenzy beyond anything the Fox sisters could have imagined.
There’s one building on her island that Halley has never visited: the Mercenary House. Perched atop a mountain, surrounded by unnaturally evergreen foliage, the House is rumored to be a breeding ground for criminals. Mercenaries are liars, cheats, spies . . . and maybe, depending on who you ask, killers. At the Warsafe headquarters in Seattle, Roscoe is beta testing the company’s new video game. It’s her job to track down glitches–but something is different about this one. Lurking behind the lines of malfunctioning code is a secret that threatens to drag her deeper into the game, forcing her to put her life on the line if she ever wants to come home. Worlds collide as Roscoe teams up with Halley to uncover the island’s secret and expose Warsafe’s designs. But some mysteries are better left unsolved. As traitor after so-called traitor is revealed to be on their side, they begin to wonder: Could Warsafe’s mission be critical enough to justify its cruelty?
She never belonged in his world. He never thought he’d leave it. When Weslie Fleet wins a golden ticket aboard the Boundless, humanity’s most opulent starliner, it’s a dream–and a danger. Raised in the dust-ridden ruins of Earth, she is thrust into the gleaming luxury of Mars’s elite, where every whispered word carries weight and every glance is a silent judgment. And none watch her closer than Jupiter, the golden boy of Mars’s high society, bound by duty, legacy, and a future he never chose. Their reluctant partnership was supposed to be a one-off assignment. Instead, it becomes a battle of wills, a spark that ignites, and a love neither of them anticipated. But fate is cruel as it is unpredictable, and when the Boundless veers off course, love won’t be enough to save them. The ship is failing. The odds are impossible. And in the darkness of space, survival is the only thing that matters. But some loves are worth defying the stars for.
YOUNG ADULT NON-FIC:
GRAPHIC NOVELS:
APPLEGATE-ANIMORPHS THE GRAPHIC NOVEL: THE CAPTURE
Attempting to get more information about the Yeerks, Jake is suddenly taken over by one of the parasitic aliens and becomes one of them, and the Animorphs launch a rescue mission.
THE BABY-SITTERS CLUB-JESSI RAMSEY, PET-SITTER
The Mancusis don’t have any kids… but they sure do have a lot of pets! So when they’re desperate for a sitter, who do they call? The Baby-sitters Club! Kristy feels pretty sure that the BSC does not pet-sit. But Jessi has always liked animals, and she talks Kristy into being okay with her taking the job. With snakes on the loose and sick hamsters, Jessi’s got plenty of pet-sitting troubles, and things don’t get any easier when she and her friends get into a big fight. Will Jessi be able to handle her pet-sitting job when things are going wrong with the baby-sitters, too?
BEMIS-RODEO HAWKINS AND THE DAUGHTERS OF MAYHEM
When Sidney Poblocki runs away from his troubled home life, he winds up in a whole new world of trouble. Why are interdimensional assassins after him along with every other kid named Sidney Poblocki throughout the multiverse? Will he ever see his best bud Walt again now that Walt’s memory of Sidney has been erased? And what the heck is the deal with Rodeo Hawkins and her ragtag gang of mischief-making girls, the Daughters of Mayhem? They claim they’re trying to keep him safe, but Sidney isn’t so certain ‘safe’ is even in their vocabulary. As Sidney is swept into a series of misadventures that will change the multiverse forever, one thing is for certain: with Rodeo Hawkins around, his life is about to be filled with a lot more mayhem
The three youngest Wilson siblings-who have formed a club of their own called Sib Squad-embark on new adventures that take them to the sea and the sky.
Bruce Banner, AKA the Hulk, is a genius scientist and superhero whose rage-outs have led him to damage way too much public property. After his latest meltdown, Tony Stark arranges a PR move to smooth things over. Hulk will perform community service–by teaching. Can Banner make it through the school year without destroying everything? And can middle school kids really learn anything when the HULK is their teacher?
CAMPBELL-CABIN HEAD AND TREE HEAD
Whether drawing portraits or hiding out, Cabin Head and Tree Head are an irresistibly charming pair who support one another’s ideas (digging for treasure without a map) and help one another overcome challenges (bad haircuts). They have no shortage of friends in a fascinating world full equally memorable characters with minds (and heads) of their own. These are the lighthearted tales of two pals who think differently – and entirely embrace it.
GRATZ-REFUGEE: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL
Although separated by continents and decades, Josef, a Jewish boy livng in 1930s Nazi Germany; Isabel, a Cuban girl trying to escape the riots and unrest plaguing her country in 1994; and Mahmoud, a Syrian boy in 2015 whose homeland is torn apart by violence and destruction, embark on harrowing journeys in search of refuge, discovering shocking connections that tie their stories together.
GREEN-INVESTIGATORS: CASE FILES
Tackle tricky cases in this solve-along Investigators adventure, along with everyone’s favorite sleuths Mango and Brash! Special agents Mango and Brash are back again, and this time they’ll be asking their readers for help in cracking the case! The gators have been given a brand new add-on for their V.E.S.T.s to help with gathering evidence and making sense of clues–the G.R.I.D. (Gator Reasoning, Inquiry, Deduction)–and with that powerful tool in hand, kids can follow along as they solve six brand-new mysteries! Featuring plenty of familiar faces from investigations past, as well as a few brand new suspects, Mango and Brash and YOU (the reader) will get to the bottom of cases big and small!
HICKS-HOCKEY GIRL LOVES DRAMA BOY
It should have been a night of triumph for Alix’s hockey team. But her mean teammate Lindsay decided to start up with her usual rude comments and today Alix, who usually tries to control her anger, let it finally run free. Alix lashes out and before she knows it, her coach is dragging her off Lindsay, and the invitation to the Canada National Women’s U18 Team’s summer camp is on the line. She needs to learn how to control this anger, and she is sure Ezra, the popular and poised theater kid from her grade is the answer. So she asks for his help. But as they hang out and start get closer, Alix learns that there is more to Ezra than the cool front he puts on. And that maybe this friendship could become something more.
HUNTER-WARRIORS: THE PROPHECIES BEGIN. GRAPHIC NOVEL 3
In the heart of the forest, the uneasy harmony between the four warrior cat Clans is in graver peril than ever before. ShadowClan has chosen Tigerclaw – now Tigerstar – as their new leader, and Fireheart fears that he still harbors dark plans for vengeance on his old clan. With the forest on the brink of battle, in which all the warriors must fight for their home and clan, the time has come for Fireheart to face his destiny.
Twelve-year-old Luna never wanted to move from California to Virginia, even if it is near historic Washington, DC, and no matter how excited her dad is to introduce her to the area where her late mother grew up. And she definitely doesn’t want to live with a very formal grandmother she barely knows. But during a visit to the National Museum of Natural History, the rarely seen luna moth for which Luna was named sparks her curiosity. Using her mother’s old naturalist notebooks as a guide, Luna, who has always preferred the indoors, endeavors to see a real luna moth with her own eyes. Learning more about nature just might help her make a new friend, figure out how to feel at home in her new life, and understand the mother she never got the chance to know. Megan Wagner Lloyd and Michelle Mee Nutter have again teamed up to tell a charming and funny story of family, friendship, adventure, and appreciating all life has to offer.
MADDEN-SHELLEY FRANKENSTEIN! COWPIGGY
Shelley Frankenstein is a little girl with a rather infamous family heritage! She loves to be scared and assumes all other kids feel the same. To prove her theory, Shelley and her assistant brother, Iggy, set about creating new toys to horrify their playground peers. But all of their experiments backfire in a completely unexpected way. What a disappointment! Then one day, they stumble upon a pretty spooky place–the Frankenstein family graveyard–which gives Shelley an idea for the ULTIMATE monster… CowPiggy! Will this new creation send everyone running in terror, like a proper monster should? Or will love and silliness triumph?
MYER-MONSTROUS: A TRANSRACIAL ADOPTION STORY
Bullied by her classmates, Sarah, a Korean American girl growing up in a rural community with few Asian neighbors, channels her rage into her art and cosplay until it threatens to explode.
Following the smash-hit Olympians series, George O’Connor embarks on a new graphic novel saga about the Norse gods. This third volume tells the story of Loki, the trickster god! As night falls on Asgard there is one who does not dream. Loki, a trickster of epic proportions, has much to think on. He hearkens back to his challenge to the wolf Fenrir to break the strongest Dwarf-made chains. He remembers Thjazi, the jotunn in monstrous eagle form, and his pursuit of the apples of youth. And he worries he has fallen out of favor with his blood brother, Odin. Can he use his cunning and wiles to worm his way back in? Or, feeling spurned, will Loki choose to burn it all down?
OSBORNE-MAGIC TREE HOUSE THE GRAPHIC NOVEL: MUMMIES IN THE MORNING
The magic tree house has whisked Jack and Annie to ancient Egypt. Inside a pyramid, Jack and Annie find a long-dead queen who needs their help solving a centuries-old riddle. If only they can find their way through the pyramid’s maze!
PARK-JUNIE B. JONES AND A LITTLE MONKEY BUSINESS
Through a misunderstanding, Junie B. thinks that her new baby brother is really a baby monkey, and her report of this news creates excitement and trouble in her kindergarten class.
PAULINO-THE EXTRAORDINARY ORBIT OF ALEX RAMIREZ
Alex, a neurodiverse seventh grader, works to convince his teachers and parents that he is ready to leave his self-contained classroom and join his grade’s mainstream science class.
Tate Tuber is a potato who wants to be an astronaut, but when he gets his chance to go on a mission, it is not what he expected.
SUTHERLAND-WINGS OF FIRE: ESCAPING PERIL
Peril has been loyal to Queen Scarlet, who used her fatal firescales to kill countless dragons in the SkyWing arena. Now, Peril is loyal to Clay, the only dragonet who has ever been her friend. So when Scarlet threatens Jade Mountain Academy, Peril sets off to find her former queen, stop her, and save the day, no matter what it takes. There’s just one problem: a strangely persistent SeaWing, Turtle, insists on coming along, too. Turtle is worried about his friends, who left to search for Scarlet and haven’t returned. Peril is worried that she might accidentally burn Turtle – or burn him on purpose, for being so annoying – and frustrated that she keeps saying and doing the wrong things. She can’t escape her firescales, and she can’t escape her reputation as the deadliest dragon in Pyrrhia. So when she’s offered a chance to trade everything for a new life, Peril has to decide who she’s really loyal to … and whether her own scales might actually be worth saving. The #1 New York Times bestselling Wings of Fire series soars to new heights in the eighth graphic novel adaptation, with art by Mike Holmes.
SUTHERLAND-WINGS OF FIRE THE GRAPHIC NOVEL: LEGENDS. DARKSTALKER
Three dragons. One unavoidable, unpredictable destiny. This is the beginning of the end. In the SeaWing kingdom, a young prince learns he is an animus, capable of wonderful magic that comes with a terrible price. In the mind of a NightWing dragonet, a thousand futures unfold and almost all of them, she knows, lead to disaster and destruction. And under three full moons and the watchful eyes of his NightWing mother and IceWing father, the most powerful dragon Pyrhhia will ever know is clawing his way out of his egg: Darkstalker, the dragon who will change the world forever. Long before the SandWing war, lifetimes before the Dragonet Prophecy, darkness is born
TARSHIS-I SURVIVED: THE JAPANESE TSUNAMI, 2011
A massive earthquake and devastating tsunami hit Japan while Ben is visiting his late father’s hometown, pulling Ben’s family apart and leaving him stranded in a strange country during an epic disaster.
Something strange is happening to Peanut…But Mira and Rosie can handle it! These two perfectly ordinary, capable sisters are fully confident they can study for their school’s upcoming combat trials and care for their adorable baby sister, Peanut. So what if she cries so hard she floods the entire house? Or randomly breathes fire? Or transforms into a (very soft) menacing creature? Mira and Rosie will just hide Peanut’s powers until their parents come back, and they’ll know what to do. Right? To make matters worse, rumors of a werebeast attract the attention of a monster hunter. And there’s something unusual about their seemingly quiet town…
WALLACE-CASE FILES: MURDER AND MEANING. 1
Nearing retirement as a sworn peace officer in Los Angeles County, Detective Michael “Murph” Murphy knows that his singleminded devotion to his work has cost him his marriage and alienated him from his children. Twenty-five years of investigating homicides has turned him cynical and jaded. But now, his work is all he has left. While training a new generation of inexperienced detectives on a murder in Palos Verdes, Murph receives a mysterious phone call, hinting that the murder has something to do with him. A second, and then a third killing, leads the team to suspect a serial killer is on the loose–and he’s striking at one-week intervals, giving Murph and his rookies only a few days to prevent him from striking again. From the real-life detectives behind Cold-Case Christianity and the renowned creators of The Chosen graphic novel, this highly engaging graphic novel fuses action, intrigue, and powerful questions about what we believe and why.
TWEEN FICTION:
In order to rescue his friends back in London, thirteen-year-old Tom accepts an offer to attend an elite, international school for thieves run by the most powerful criminals in the world.
After a devious computer hacker pulls off the CIA’s worst-case scenario, shutting down power networks all over the world, Ben and his fellow spies-in-training are forced to make a harrowing emergency landing of their plane in Indonesia. While chaos begins to erupt around the planet, Ben deduces that his team is closer to the mysterious hacker’s base than anyone else. But with all computers and phones down, there’s no way to communicate with anyone at the CIA. On their latest mission to save the world, Ben and his friends face a conniving villain, assassins, pirates, sharks, and very big lizards in the most remote – and deadly – location of any spy school yet!
On another harrowing mission, survival training comes in handy when Ben Ripley is stranded in the wilderness with his nemesis, Murray Hill”
In 1936 Berlin, nothing is what it seems…Evie Harris can’t believe her luck: She’s competing in the Olympics, along with fellow American athletes like Jesse Owens. True, there’s something creepy about Germany’s leader, Adolf Hitler, who watches over the games with his Nazi henchmen. But Evie’s just here to win a gold medal in gymnastics. Until she discovers a horrible secret. Behind all the Olympic fanfare, the Nazis have Berlin in an iron grip of terror and violence–and war is brewing. When Evie becomes embroiled in a mysterious plot to help steal Nazi gold, she must navigate the city’s darkest corners and hidden passageways, never knowing who she can trust. With lives on the line and her family’s future at stake, Evie has to choose between following her Olympic dreams and standing up to evil…before it’s too late.
After a devastating batttle with Te Kåa, Moana’s worst fears are realized: the heart of Te Fiti is in ruins, Maui is frozen in volcanic rock, and darkness threatens to envelop her beloved home. Desperate to fix things, Moana stumbles upon an island already crumbling under the blight. All life is gone, save one sole survivor–a young woman named Noe. Moana is relieved to find another wayfarer, even if this stranger is more than a little intimidating. Better still, Noe has an idea how to fix the heart: using the tears of Te Fiti, gems infused with the goddess’s essence. The catch? The tears are said to be scattered throughout the realm of monsters. Banded together, Moana and Noe set a course for an impossible mission to find the powerful lost tears. Will Moana be able to restore the heart amid secrets and monsters? Or will the blight overtake everything Moana holds dear?
KINNEY-DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: PARTY POOPER
You’re invited–RSVP for fun! Expect gobs of fun and over-the-top antics as Greg throws an epic birthday party for none other than himself. So come celebrate and laugh alongside Greg, his family, and the entire world of Wimpy Kid fans.
Jenna Chen has spent her life in the shadow of her flawless cousin. Jessica Chen is so smart she gets the top score on every test. Jessica Chen is so beautiful people stop in the hallway to stare at her. Jessica Chen is so perfect she got into Harvard. And Jenna Chen will only ever be a disappointment. So when Jenna makes a desperate wish to become her cousin, the last thing she expects is for it to come true, literally. All of a sudden she gets to live the life she’s always dreamed of, but being the model student at cutthroat Havenwood Private Academy isn’t quite what she’d imagined. Worse, people seem to be forgetting that someone named Jenna Chen ever existed. But isn’t it worth trading it all away, her artistic talent, her childhood home, even the hope of golden boy Aaron Cai loving her back, to be Jessica Chen?
Trini Kwan is trying to get through high school unnoticed. Nobody knows that she has trained for years in martial arts, and she prefers to let her classmates think she’s just the shy Asian girl. But Trini’s world turns upside down when the homecoming game is attacked by an otherworldly winged beast with an army of clay soldiers. Unable to sit by while innocent people get hurt, Trini springs into action–alongside science genius Billy, her childhood best friend Zack, popular jock Jason, and new girl Kimberly. In the aftermath, the five teenagers are recruited by an alien warrior named Zordon to become the new Power Rangers, charged with protecting the planet from an evil sorceress who recently escaped imprisonment. Suddenly thrust in the middle of a millenniums-long intergalactic war is hard enough, but getting her new teammates to work together proves to be a difficult task. Can Trini help the others move past their rocky first impressions–and her own complicated history with Zack–to protect their home from destruction? And will she be able to finally accept her full self–and this new role?
There is a secret world of dragons that lurks at the edges of our own. But dragons also live among us. These Slumberers have been human for so long they have forgotten their true selves – until something awakens the dragon within. Twelve-year-old Alex Evans is about to wake up. Ever since her father’s death, Alex’s overprotective mother has smothered her with unbreakable rules and unspoken fears. Feeling trapped, Alex’s frustration has become too big to hide away. Burning inside, she erupts into a fierce, fiery roar. A new school and anew life await Alex on the legendary island of Skralla, one of the last surviving dragon havens. There, she will train alongside other young dragons who are wild, untamed, and – unlike Alex – skilled at transforming and embracing their dragons within. As dark factions begin to rise, Alex finds herself in a race to unlock her long-dormant power before Drak Midna, the greatest dragon of all, rises again to wage war against the human world
RUTHERFORD-A CURIOUS KIND OF MAGIC
Everyone in Ardmuir knows that Willow Stokes is a charlatan, including Willow herself. Her father’s shoppe hasn’t sold anything magical in decades, and it’s only hanging on by the skin of the fake dragon’s teeth Willow sells as charms, along with “enchanted” ostrich eggs, taxidermied chimeras, and talismans made of fools’ gold. Until outlander Brianna Hargrave appears and turns Willow’s fakes into exactly what they’re purported to be. But try as Willow might to enlist Bri’s help, she wants nothing to do with Willow and her curiosities. Because Brianna is harboring a secret of her own: everything she touches turns to magic, and the consequences have chased her all the way to Ardmuir. All she wants to do is find a particular missing grimoire, which contains a spell that can finally put an end to her curse. Desperate to keep her father’s shoppe, Willow proposes a bargain that could save them both. Together with the frustratingly handsome printer’s assistant, the girls will uncover a plot that goes far deeper than either could have imagined. But when Willow is forced to participate in an ambitious collector’s quest for the rarest magical object in the world, a quest that risks almost-certain death, she learns that not all treasure is for sale, and that true magic is closer than she ever could have imagined.
STEADMAN-SKANDAR AND THE SPIRIT WAR
The Island is at war. Skandar, now an outlaw, is in hiding after Rex Manning revealed a game-changing secret at the Chaos Cup. But as Rex prepares to invade the Mainland, the Islanders are not sure who to trust. With one of Skandar’s closest friends now fighting for the enemy, Skandar must build new alliances – including an uneasy truce with Kenna. To defeat Rex, Skandar and his friends will need to look back to the origins of the Island and harness the full power of their elemental magic. Can Skandar become the leader he needs to be – to save the Mainland, and the heart of the Island itself?
Viola and Wilmur have been waiting for their parents for fifteen boring years in the colourless town of Caveat. Their lives are a drudge of salt, trash, pirate stories, and what-ifs – until one very stormy night, when Captain Cadence Chase breaks down their door. They cut a deal with the captain: Chase can take their most prized possession, a mysterious book, but only if she takes them, too. After all, if their parents aren’t coming, Viola and Wilmur might as well have a grand adventure to find them. Setting sail into the treacherous and beautiful world beyond Caveat, the two inseparable friends must uncover the facts behind legend – and the key to saving all of Dickerson’s Sea from obliteration – before the truth tears them apart.
WOLF-JUNIUS LEAK AND THE SPIRALING VORTEX OF DOOM
Thirteen-year-old Junius Leak is doomed to ten days of boredom on a houseboat on Lake Peigneur with his uncle while his parents “work on” their marriage. Caught up in a mystery involving pirates, a buried treasure, and a hundred-year-old family feud, he is determined to learn why his mom left Delcambre, Louisiana, when he was a baby and to conquer his fear of water. But the lake has other plans for him. When disaster strikes, Junius must dive deep within to emerge an unlikely hero.
TWEEN NON-FIC:
LEVINSON-WHO OWNS THE MOON? AND OTHER CONUNDRUMS OF EXPLORING AND USING SPACE
Are you ready for your first trip to the Moon? Today’s teens may travel to multiple planets and moons in their lifetimes. This book is a primer on what to know for a future in space. It combines technology and science with law and policy for a fascinating look at a very timely subject
CHILDREN’S EASY CHAPTER:
Thimble-born from tip to toe, Pocket Bear remembers every moment of his becoming: the glimmering needle, the silken thread, the tender hands as each careful stitch brought him closer to himself. Born during the throes of WWI, he was designed to fit into the pocket of a soldier’s jacket, eyes sewn a bit higher than normal so that he always gazed upward. That way, glancing at his pocket, a soldier would see an endearing token of love from someone back home, and, hopefully, a good luck charm. Now, over a century later, Pocket serves as unofficial mayor of Second Chances Home for the Tossed and Treasured, where stuffed toy animals are refurbished and given a fresh opportunity to be loved. He and his best feline friend Zephyrina, known far and wide as “The Cat Burglar,” have seen it all, and then some. An unforgettable tale of bravery, loyalty, and kindness, Pocket reminds us all that love comes in many forms (sometimes filled with fluff), and that second chances are always possible
A story about a girl who, with the help of the dog of her dreams, discovers that family doesn’t always have to be related–they are simply people who love you for who you are.
PONTI-THE SHERLOCK SOCIETY: HURRICANE HEIST
A hurricane unearths a decades-old mystery when a bell captain’s body is discovered at a historic Miami Beach hotel, leading twelve-year-old Alex and the other members of the Sherlock Society to uncover the truth behind a long-lost million-dollar jewel heist.
PRIOR-EMMA JUST MEDIUM: THE BEACH DILEMMA
Even though her family calls her Emma Bemma, Emma knows she is really just Medium. That’s because she’s the middle kid between her two brothers, who everyone calls Big and Little. Big thinks he’s the coolest kid on the planet now that he’s 10. And everyone thinks Little is just adorable even when he picks his nose and eats it! What if she could get out of being the middle by taking on a new role? What if she acted BIG? Or even bigger than that?
CHILDREN’S EASY CHAPTER NON-FIC:
LAVELLE-BUTT OR FACE? SUPER GROSS BUTTS
Are you ready for round three of the hilarious guessing game picture book? Discover fascinating facts about disgusting animals while guessing if you’re looking at a butt or a face! This picture book continues the entertaining challenge with a new set of (nasty!) animals from all over the world. Examine a close-up photo of an animal and then guess whether you’re looking at the top or the…um…bottom. The answer is revealed on the next page with a photo of the complete animal. Readers will discover animals like a horned lizard that shoots blood from its eyes, a tongue-eating louse, a caterpillar that ejects poop, and many more gross, amazing animals. Fun animal facts and information about camouflage and other sneaky animal tricks are included.
MESSNER-HISTORY SMASHERS: ANCIENT EGYPT
Myths! Lies! Secret mummy curses? Grab your head lamp, the award-winning History Smashers are headed to Ancient Egypt to dig up the truth about this incredible early civilization-and the many myths that will be buried once and for all.
CHILDREN’S EASY:
In this imaginative and interactive book, Ploof, a friendly, puffy cloud full of feelings, helps little readers learn social-emotional skills like empathy, encouragement, and kindness–and how to be a fantastic friend.
DABARERA-QUIET TIME WITH MY SEEYA
Sometimes, the moments that Sona spends with her Sinhalese grandfather, her seeya, are quiet. They speak different languages and don’t always use words. But they do communicate in other ways. Sometimes, they’re loud. They play dress-up, stomp in puddles, and pretend to be puppies. They cook pittu, tease each other when they’re messy, and read to each other, even though they might not understand what the other is saying. Any time that Sona and Seeya share is special, whether quiet or loud, because they get to spend it together
DAYWALT-THE DAY THE CRAYONS QUIT
Poor Duncan just wants to color. But when he opens his box of crayons, he finds only letters, all saying the same thing: His crayons have had enough! They quit! Beige Crayon is tired of playing second fiddle to Brown Crayon. Black wants to be used for more than just outlining. Blue needs a break from coloring all those bodies of water. And Orange and Yellow are no longer speaking — each believes he is the true color of the sun. What can Duncan possibly do to appease all of the crayons and get them back to doing what they do best?
Every weekend Bea goes to visit her grandmother, and Granny treats her to an afternoon of special things, like going to the movies and shopping. Bea is always sad to leave at the end of the weekend because she worries that Granny will be lonely without her.So Bea comes up with a plan to keep Granny company during the week: a cat! Granny is a little confused because she doesn’t remember mentioning that she likes cats, so she asummes that Bea must want a cat around when she visits. And in doting grandmother fashion, “what’s better than one cat?” she reasons—more cats!Suddenly Granny’s apartment is overcrowded, smelly, and worst of all–the cats tear apart Bea’s stuffed animal. It’s a pure CATastrophe and Bea has got to put a stop to it to get her special weekends with Granny back.Maddie Frost’s new picture book is a hilarious set of miscommunications but will remind readers that good old-fashioned quality time is the purrfect way to show your loved ones that they’re more than enough.
Warning! This book contains a monster. A really angry, really scary, really bad monster…or so the monster says. And Monster has a very important question: are you a monster too? A fun interactive read-aloud picture book that will have children of all ages roaring and stomping along, as Monster encourages them to be the scariest monster possible.
KOSTER-OVERDUE: THE MISADVENTURE OF BOB THE BOOK
Bob is a favorite library book at Wisdom Hill Elementary School, but his current borrower, Sebastian, has completely forgotten him, and Bob finds himself lost and alone on a kitchen shelf
KRAAN-BUFFALO FLUFFALO AND PUFFALO
Every day, Buffalo Fluffalo likes to do things his usual way. He munches all the grass he can eat, frolics and rollicks and plays with his friends, and then sets off alone for his quiet buffalo roaming and pondering. Except one morning, Fluffalo wakes up to a loud wailing cry. To his surprise, he finds a little buffalo named Puffalo, with the tiniest, shiniest eyes! At first, Fluffalo does not like this new yelly and squigglish Puffalo. He is too loud and too noisy, and Fluffalo has had quite enuffalo! But as Puffalo grows and learns how to trip, trot, and gallop, Fluffalo realizes that his new little sibling might be a tiny bit cute.
Our young narrator doesn’t like itchy hats or cold wind, and she especially doesn’t like going places she’s never been before. But she reluctantly agrees to join her mom at an ice festival, where they watch sculptors chisel and drill until it’s too cold to watch anymore. The next night, they return to see what the artists have created: sparkling, glorious sculptures that feel a little like magic. The ice art will stay with her long after it has melted away. This tender and lovely read-aloud is an exhilarating story of pushing past your comfort zone and finding inspiration in art and natural beauty
KURTZ-THE BAKERY GRADON AND THE FAIRY CAKE
It’s Ember’s first time running the bakery, and this little dragon is excited to show what he can do! When an opinionated fairy princess swoops in demanding a cake, he eagerly agrees. So what if he’s only baked bread before? How hard can it be?
Flat Cat likes being flat–roaming anywhere and happy to be unseen–until one day he becomes fluffy, he learns to enjoy the attention it brings–and grows to love being seen.
In the warm, late afternoon sunlight, a girl sits on the couch reading a book. Her kitten dozes nearby. But when Kitten notices a mouse and dives after it, an epic chase through time, art, and history ensues. Is it a dream? That’s up to the reader to decide, but for the kitten, every leap and bound is full of suspense and makes for a masterpiece. Caldecott Honor-winning and New York Times bestselling author-illustrator Brian Lies creates a truly unique picture book journey that invites young readers through the galleries of an art museum as well as through time, space, and history. As the cat and mouse leap from one page to the next, they are portrayed in the style of masterful artworks from history–an ancient Egyptian relief, an illuminated manuscript, a stained-glass window, a ceramic dog–each painstakingly and lovingly re-created in its original media by Brian Lies. When the sly mouse gets away, Kitten finds himself lost and alone. Will art help him find his way home?
LUCIANOVIC-ZOMBIE AND BRAIN ARE FRIENDS
Zeb comes from a family of farmers–zombie farmers. Each week they pickle, bake, fry, and sell their grain-fed, free-range brains to be enjoyed by the masses. Zeb understands that brains are food, not pets–until one day he comes across the tiniest, pinkest, squishiest brain he ever did see. Can he convince his parents that his brainy bestie is better off as a member of the family than family dinner?
Written in lyrical verse, this story follows one sun-seeking child who discovers a meadow illuminated by fireflies: ‘fallen constellations’ that dance like stars among the summer grasses, setting fears to flight. Enchanting to read aloud and exquisite to hold in the hand, each scene is rendered in spellbinding detail, showing the power of hope in a world steeped in darkness.
Ms. Rachel and Bean go through a bedtime routine.
O’CONNOR-FANCY NANCY: BESTIES FOR ETERNITY
For Nancy, a long weekend means fun, fun, and more fun with her best friend, Bree. But, alas! Bree will be away visiting her grandmother, leaving Nancy forlorn – that’s a fancy way of saying sad and lonely. Then, at the park, Nancy meets Lily, who is older, fearless, and – ooh la la! – from Paris! Nancy can hardly believe such a glamorous girl wants to be friends. They spend the weekend together, and everything seems parfait (French for perfect)….at least until Bree returns. What will Nancy do?! Will she have room in her heart for two true friends?
ROCKLIFF-ALL AT ONCE UPON A TIME
Fairy Tale land experiences a topsy-turvy transformation where classic stories become mixed up and makes Prince Charming climb a beanstalk, Cinderella kiss a frog, and Rapunzel’s nose grow every time she tells a lie.
King penguin Percival is off to find subjects who will listen to him, as long as they do not eat him first.
RYLAND-GIRAFFE IS TOO TALL FOR THIS BOOK
Furry, feathered, and scaled – all our animal friends are ready to read. But there’s just one big problem: Giraffe is too tall! (Or, rather, the book is too short.) Come along for a special story time featuring six friendly animals and one puzzling predicament.
Why, dear reader, must you NEVER EVER trust fish? 1) They spend all their time in the water where we can’t see them. 2) Some are as big as a bus–that is not okay. 3) We don’t know what they’re teaching in their “schools.” 4) They are likely plotting our doom. This nature-guide-gone-wrong is a hilarious, off-the-rails exploration of the seemingly innocent animals that live in the water.
STERER-IF YOU MAKE A CALL ON A BANANA PHONE
A love letter to making friends from unexpected places, If You Make a Call on a Banana Phone is silly, wise, and surprising all at once. If you make a call from a banana phone, who will answer? What will you talk about? Will you share secrets or ask questions? No one knows what will happen, really. This very silly story is full of the joy and wisdom that comes from making new friends from unexpected places. Go ahead, pick up a banana and make a call. You’ll be glad you did.
Mavis is NOT like her adventurous friend, Marge. Mavis is a chicken who finds EVERYTHING scary. But when a sneaky thief steals Sandra the sheep, will Mavis be able to find her bright spark of braveness and save her woolly friend?
CHILDREN’S EASY NON-FIC:
HANSON-THE ESCAPE ARTIST: A TRUE STORY OF OCTOPUS ADVENTURE
The true story of Inky the octopus, who slipped out of his tank at the National Aquarium in New Zealand and into the world’s imagination
MCDANIEL-HELLO, OPPORTUNITY: THE STORY OF OUR FRIEND ON MARS
Humans wanted to soar through the sky, and we did. We wanted to go to the moon, and we did. Then we set our sights on a little red planet, so far out we couldn’t go ourselves. Instead, we sent a friend. We named her Opportunity because it means ‘a good chance’ and feels like hope. With nine eyes, three ears, one arm, and six wheels, Oppy explored the mysterious terrain of Mars, gathering samples, snapping photos, and discovering vast craters. Everywhere held new and exciting surprises! Until one day, a storm came, and it was time to say goodbye…for now. We still hope Oppy may wake up someday. Kids will [learn of] . . . Opportunity’s groundbreaking Mars mission as they see the red planet through her eyes, and the eyes of the scientists who loved her.
PATTERSON-THE TRUE AND LUCKY LIFE OF A TURTLE
The bestselling and Sibert Honor-winning creators of The Book of Turtles brings us the true story of a snapping turtle’s extraordinary journey – and the amazing conservationists who helped give him a second chance. This feel-good, gorgeously illustrated story about beating the odds is complete with inspiring back matter and photos. Here is the true story of a very lucky turtle. His story began long ago when he was hatched from a very small egg on an autumn day. After decades of traveling between his summer pond behind the firehouse and his winter pond across the street, he never could have guessed that on one October day he would become unlucky…The amazing friends and challenges he met along the way are all chronicled by the Sibert Honor-winning duo behind The Book of Turtles in this tribute to the resilience and good luck of their dear friend, a very lucky turtle indeed.
Every spring, frogs and salamanders must travel from wooded uplands to vernal pools where they were born, now to mate. Unfortunately, roads constructed through their habitats have made the journey dangerous for these slow-moving animals. Many never reach their destinations. But with the help of the Amphibian Migration Team, there is hope for a safe crossing! Playful and informative, Safe Crossing offers an empowering example of how even the youngest individuals can raise awareness about a meaningful cause, drive change, and unite people in a community, as well as globally.
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