Book Mail: Voting, Secrets, Witchcraft, an Intergalactic Rescue, and more!

Oh, fall. So many things to like—cooler temperatures, the smell of bonfires, the return of cardigans—but a few things to dislike too—less sunny hours and school starting up again. Don’t get me wrong: I like my job. But it really cuts into my reading time. As does the increasing dark. I come home most days to book mail and have to sort it into piles, some of which are hidden in my office closet, just to keep from feeling anxious about how many books are here knowing I can’t read them all. Also? After nearly twenty years and 5 dogs, we’re trying to actually TRAIN this round. Little Spot loves to bark in my face while I read, which then requires me to put down my book and do a whole thing with him. Spot hates reading, I guess. He’ll come around—he’s new here.

Get out your TBR lists, your order lists, your library card, and be ready to dive into lots of new and interesting books!

All descriptions from the publishers.

The Heart of the Storm: A Biography of Sue Bird by Sharon Mentyka, Ellen Rooney (Illustrator) (ISBN-13: 9781632172884 Publisher: Sasquatch Books Publication date: 03/01/2022 Series: Growing to Greatness Series, Ages 5-9)

“[Sue Bird] is the W.N.B.A,” said Crystal Langhorne, who converted 161 of Bird’s passes into buckets. This picture book biography of Sue Bird follows her journey from an energetic yet shy young girl to one of the most versatile and inspirational athletes of our time and a leader whose legacy extends off the court.

As a little girl, Sue Bird couldn’t stop moving. As soon as she could walk, she ran, jumped, or climbed instead. Sue love all kinds of sports as a child, but the rhythm, energy, and grace of basketball quickly won her heart. The Heart of the Storm follows Sue Bird’s journey from her childhood, full of energy and determination, to becoming one of the most versatile, inspirational athletes of all time and a leader on and off the court.

From her championship high school team to two NCAA titles with the UConn Huskies to four WNBA championships with the Seattle Storm and five Olympic gold medals, Sue Bird’s grit, authenticity, and heart fuel her growing into greatness and accomplishing her dreams.

Surely Surely Marisol Rainey by Erin Entrada Kelly (ISBN-13: 9780062970459 Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Publication date: 08/09/2022 Series: Maybe Marisol #2, Ages 8-12)

“Anyone who has ever had trouble feeling brave will be empowered by Marisol.”—NBC News

Everyone loves sports . . . except Marisol! The stand-alone companion to Newbery Medal winner and New York Times–bestselling Erin Entrada Kelly’s Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey is an irresistible and humorous story about friendship, family, and fitting in. Fans of Clementine, Billy Miller Makes a Wish, and Ramona the Pest will find a new friend in Marisol.

Marisol Rainey’s two least-favorite things are radishes and gym class. She avoids radishes with very little trouble, but gym is another story—especially when Coach Decker announces that they will be learning to play kickball.

There are so many things that can go wrong in kickball. What if Marisol tries to kick the ball . . . but falls down? What if she tries to catch the ball and gets smacked in the nose? What if she’s the worst kickballer in the history of kickball? Marisol and her best friend Jada decide to get help from the most unlikely—and most annoying—athlete in the world: Marisol’s big brother, Oz.

Told in short chapters with illustrations by the author on almost every page, Erin Entrada Kelly’s stand-alone companion novel to Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey celebrates the small but mighty Marisol, the joys of friendship, the power of being different, and the triumph of persevering. Surely Surely Marisol Rainey is ideal for readers of Kevin Henkes, Meg Medina, Judy Blume, and Beverly Cleary.  

Beguiled by Cyla Panin (ISBN-13: 9781419752674 Publisher: Amulet Books Publication date: 08/23/2022, Ages 14-18)

A dark and enthralling story about a young woman who makes a deal with a spirit to try and gain her independence—and the twisted price she has to pay for it

Ella is a 17-year-old weaver whose entire livelihood depends on her loom. She dreams of opening her own shop, but when her father died in debtor’s prison, she had to support herself by taking whatever clients she could get. In order to buy her supplies she goes into debt of her own, and when her loom breaks, Ella realizes she needs more help than a repairperson can give her. She, like everyone, has heard about the old washerwoman spirit called the Bean-Nighe who will grant any one wish—for a price.

But Ella is desperate, so she asks the Bean-Nighe to fix her loom. And it works. The loom is fixed, and she creates beautiful pieces she could have never imagined before. All she has to do is feed the loom a drop of blood each time she weaves—a small price to pay for such magnificent silks. And when she brings two bolts to a rich client, she meets a mysterious young man named Callum and bargains for an invitation to his exclusive party. At that party, he’s so mesmerized by her talent, he offers Ella a place to live and patronage for her art. It seems like Ella’s fortune is finally turning for the better . . . until she begins to notice the loom taking more from her than she offered.

As she becomes entangled in the lives of the city’s rich, swept into Callum’s allure, and trapped by the Bean-Nighe’s magic, Ella must figure out a way to secure her future while she still has a future at all.

Indigenous America by Liam McDonald, Jennifer Sabin (Created by), Doug Kiel (Introduction) (ISBN-13: 9780593386088 Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group Publication date: 08/30/2022 Series: True History, Ages 10-13)

“A powerful series that fills in the cracks and illuminates the shadows of the past.” –Sherri L. Smith, award-winning author of Flygirl
 
Introducing a new nonfiction series that uncovers hidden histories of the United States.

The true story of the United States’ Indigenous beginnings.

American schoolchildren have long been taught that their country was “discovered” by Christopher Columbus in 1492. But the history of Native Americans in the United States goes back tens of tens of thousands of years prior to Columbus’s and other colonizers’ arrivals. So, what’s the true history? 
Complete with an 8-page color photo insert, Indigenous America introduces and amplifies the oral and written histories that have long been left out of American history books.

A New History of Immigration by Jaclyn Backhaus, Jennifer Sabin (Created by), Christopher Sebastian Parker (Introduction) (ISBN-13: 9780593386125 Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group Publication date: 08/30/2022 Series: True History, Ages 10-13)

“A powerful series that fills in the cracks and illuminates the shadows of the past.” –Sherri L. Smith, award-winning author of Flygirl
 
Introducing a new nonfiction series that uncovers hidden histories of the United States.

The true story of a nation of immigrants and its dreamers.

The United States has long been touted as a place where anyone with a little grit and determination could come to pursue the American Dream. But as more walls are erected and borders are closed, is that dream still alive today? 
Complete with an 8-page color photo insert, A New History of Immigration introduces young readers to alternative histories of immigration beyond Ellis Island and amplifies the voices of marginalized immigrants and their stories of success.

Drawing the Vote: A Graphic Novel History for Future Voters by Tommy Jenkins, Kati Lacker (Illustrator), Martha Jones (Introduction) (ISBN-13: 9781419739996 Publisher: Amulet Paperbacks Publication date: 08/30/2022, Ages 12-18)

How the history of American voting rights have shaped the way we vote today, the perfect primer for future voters—now in paperback!

An updated edition of Tommy Jenkin’s Drawing the Vote aimed at educating young readers.

​Originally published in the lead-up to the 2020 US presidential election, Drawing the Vote: A Graphic Novel History for Future Voters looks at the history of voting rights in the United States and how it has affected the way we vote today. Author and educator Tommy Jenkins was inspired by his students to trace this history from the earliest steps toward democracy during the American Revolution, to the upheaval caused by the Civil War, the fight for women’s suffrage, the civil rights movement, the election of an African American president, and beyond. Along the way, Jenkins identifies events and trends that led to the unprecedented results of the 2016 presidential election that left many Americans wondering, “How did this happen?” At a time when many citizens are experiencing apathy about voting and skepticism concerning our bitterly divided political parties, Drawing the Vote seeks to offer some explanation for how we got here and how every American, young and old, can take action.

The expanded paperback edition features an additional 32 pages of comics that cover the results of the 2020 presidential election and the factors that shaped it, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the January 6 insurrection.

Amari and the Great Game by B. B. Alston (ISBN-13: 9780062975195 Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Publication date: 08/30/2022 Series: Supernatural Investigations (Amari Peters) Series #2, Ages 8-12)

Sequel to the New York Times bestseller Amari and the Night Brothers!

Artemis Fowl meets Men in Black in this magical second book in the New York Times and Indie bestselling Supernatural Investigations trilogy—perfect for fans of Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, the Percy Jackson series, and Nevermoor.

After finding her brother and saving the entire supernatural world, Amari Peters is convinced her first full summer as a Junior Agent will be a breeze.

But between the fearsome new Head Minister’s strict anti-magician agenda, fierce Junior Agent rivalries, and her brother Quinton’s curse steadily worsening, Amari’s plate is full. So when the secretive League of Magicians offers her a chance to stand up for magiciankind as its new leader, she declines. She’s got enough to worry about!

But her refusal allows someone else to step forward, a magician with dangerous plans for the League. This challenge sparks the start of the Great Game, a competition to decide who will become the Night Brothers’ successor and determine the future of magiciankind.

The Great Game is both mysterious and deadly, but among the winner’s magical rewards is Quinton’s last hope—so how can Amari refuse?

Winona Forever part 4 by Shawn Patrick Boyd and illustrated by Elijah Henry (learn about purchasing options here)

On Halloween 1987, The Outcasts (Darby, Boots, Sci-Fi and Pretty Boy) join up with three popular kids to hunt down a supernatural relic in a haunted priory. As they unlock clues to its location, they find unexpected first loves, surprising heroes and a cutthroat secret society out to claim the relic for its own dark purposes.

Winona Forever is a suspenseful mystery-thriller for anyone who loves the 80s but doesn’t have a time machine to get there.

Hero for the Hungry: The Life and Work of Norman Borlaug by Peggy Thomas, Sam Kalda (Illustrator) (ISBN-13: 9781948898096 Publisher: Feeding Minds Press Publication date: 09/01/2022, Ages 10-15)

A moving and informative biography of the 20^th-century American agriculture scientist whose innovations in crop varieties founded the Green Revolution and fed hundreds of millions of people around the world – with full-color chapter illustrations and STEM – and history-themed text features throughout.

Can a quiet Iowa farm boy grow up to change the world? Norman Ernest Borlaug did.

Born in 1914, raised on a small farm, and educated in a one-room schoolhouse, Norman Borlaug learned to work hard and excelled in sports, and later studied forestry in college, eventually becoming a plant scientist.

Readers will discover how even from a young age Norman Borlaug dedicated his life’s work to ending world hunger. Working in obscurity in the wheat fields of Mexico in the 50s and 60s, Norm and his team developed disease-resistant plants, and when widespread famine threatened India and Pakistan, Norm worked alongside poor farmers, battled bureaucracy, and fearlessly stood up to heads of state to save millions of lives from mass starvation.

Often called the “Father of the Green Revolution,” Norm helped lay the groundwork for agricultural technological advances that alleviated world hunger, and he went on to win the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1970. He was a true hero for the hungry.

Text features throughout the book include:

• Sidebars on the science of plant hybridization and pathology Norman was using to produce new and better wheat varieties
• Information on a range of agriculture and plant life concepts, including agronomy, wheat genes, photoperiodism, stem rust, nutrients and more
• Back matter including a timeline of events and discoveries, and a call to action for readers to think about how they can use science to solve problems and how they can do small things to help with hunger and food waste

Hero for the Hungry is excellent for a science class learning about genetics, an agriculture class studying agronomy, or a history or English class looking for a well-written biography on a hero scientist.

The Other Side of the River by Alda P. Dobbs (ISBN-13: 9781728238449 Publisher: Sourcebooks Publication date: 09/06/2022, Ages 8-12)

From the award-winning author of Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna, Alda P. Dobbs, comes a compelling new novel about building a new life in America. Strong and determined, Petra Luna returns in a story about the immigrant experience that continues to be relevant today.

Petra Luna is in America, having escaped the Mexican Revolution and the terror of the Federales. Now that they are safe, Petra and her family can begin again, in this country that promises so much. Still, twelve-year-old Petra knows that her abuelita, little sister, and baby brother depend on her to survive. She leads her family from a smallpox-stricken refugee camp on the Texas border to the buzzing city of San Antonio, where they work hard to build a new life. And for the first time ever, Petra has a chance to learn to read and write.

Yet Petra also sees in America attitudes she thought she’d left behind on the other side of the Río Grande—people who look down on her mestizo skin and bare feet, who think someone like her doesn’t deserve more from life. Petra wants more. Isn’t that what the revolution is about? Her strength and courage will be tested like never before as she fights for herself, her family, and her dreams.

Petra’s first story, Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna, was a New York Public Library Book of the Year and a Texas Bluebonnet Master List Selection.

Don’t Let In the Cold by Keely Parrack (ISBN-13: 9781728256764 Publisher: Sourcebooks Publication date: 09/06/2022, Ages 14-18)

A claustrophobic, high-stakes thriller that will have you fearing what waits out in the cold.

It was supposed to be just one night in the cabin: one night for Lottie and her brand new stepsister, Jade, to try to get along. When a solar flare causes a massive blackout—no power or cell signal—Lottie knows they’ve got a long night ahead of them.

Then, in the dark, someone else shows up at the cabin—a stranger named Alex, claiming to be lost and needing shelter from the coming snowstorm. But later that night, Lottie spies him in the driveway talking to two mysterious men in a pickup truck, and she’s sure he’s lying about why he’s here.

Before Lottie can find out more, a fire forces her, Jade, and Alex out into the blizzard, where they must rely on one another to get to safety—wherever that is. In the remote, freezing Tahoe wilderness, they have to survive more than just the elements. Soon it becomes clear that Alex’s accomplices are hunting for all three of them, in a scheme that’s gone too far and taken a chilling, deadly turn.

Dinged: (A Game Changer companion novel) by Tommy Greenwald (ISBN-13: 9781419755156 Publisher: Amulet Books Publication date: 09/06/2022 Series: Game Changer, Ages 10-14)

A star football player watches his father deteriorate from injuries he suffered playing the very same sport

Caleb Springer is the up-and-coming star freshman quarterback on the high school football team, which isn’t a surprise considering his dad, Sammy Springer, was an NFL superstar and is now the town celebrity. College scouts are already snooping around Caleb, and his future seems set.

But just as Caleb’s glory days begin, his dad starts to change. He’s forgetting things and getting angry at random times. Caleb is forced to confront a bleak possibility: The sport that gives him so much status and self-worth might be the cause of his dad’s strange behavior. Will Caleb keep playing the sport of his dreams, even if he knows how dangerous it can be?

What We Saw: A Thriller by Mary Downing Hahn (ISBN-13: 9780358414414 Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Publication date: 09/06/2022, Ages 8-12)

A chilling murder mystery lies at the heart of this page-turning thriller about a missing teacher, small town secrets, and turbulent tween friendships from master of middle grade horror Mary Downing Hahn.

When best friends Abbi and Skylar witness a clandestine meeting between a mysterious woman and someone in a dark van, they’re thrilled. Finally, a mystery to spice up the summer!

Who could these people be? Why are they meeting? Are they spies? Criminals? The two girls are determined to find out. But then a local woman goes missing and is found dead in the woods. And Abbi and Skylar realize that their detective work could hold the keys to solving her murder. Suddenly, sleuthing isn’t so fun anymore.

As tensions rise and their friendship frays, the girls find themselves in increasing danger, and must choose between keeping a secret or exposing a life-altering truth.

The Bluest Sky by Christina Diaz Gonzalez (ISBN-13: 9780593372791 Publisher: Random House Children’s Books Publication date: 09/06/2022, Ages 10-12)

A boy and his family must decide whether to remain in Cuba under a repressive government or risk everything for the chance of a new beginning in this gripping story from the award-winning author of The Red Umbrella.

There are two versions of Héctor: the public and the private. It’s the only way to survive in communist Cuba—especially when your father was exiled to the U.S. and labeled an enemy of the people. Héctor must always be seen as a fierce supporter of the regime, even if that means loudly rejecting the father he still loves.

But in the summer of 1980, those two versions are hard to keep separate. No longer able to suppress a public uprising, the Cuban government says it will open the port of Mariel to all who wish to leave the country—if they can find a boat. But choosing to leave comes with a price. Those who want to flee are denounced as traitors by family and friends. There are violent acts of repudiation, and no one knows if they will truly be allowed to leave the country or not.

So when Héctor’s mother announces that she wants the family to risk everything to go to the United States, he is torn. He misses his father, but Cuba is the only home he has ever known. All his dreams and plans require him to stay. Can he leave everything behind for an unknown future?

In a summer of heat and upheaval, danger and deadly consequences, Héctor’s two worlds are on a collision course. Will the impact destroy him and everything he loves?

Christina Diaz Gonzalez’s great-grandmother, great-uncle, and extended family came to the U.S. through the Mariel boatlift. She vividly remembers meeting them all for the first time in the summer of 1980 and is proud to share this part of her family’s history.

The Epic Story of Every Living Thing by Deb Caletti (ISBN-13: 9780593485507 Publisher: Random House Children’s Books Publication date: 09/13/2022, Ages 14-17)

From the award-winning author of A Heart in a Body in The World comes a gorgeous and fiercely feminist young adult novel. When a teen travels to Hawaii to track down her sperm donor father, she discovers the truth about him, about the sunken shipwreck that’s become his obsession, and most of all about herself.

Harper Proulx has lived her whole life with unanswered questions about her anonymous sperm donor father. She’s convinced that without knowing him, she can’t know herself. When a chance Instagram post connects Harper to a half sibling, that connection yields many more and ultimately leads Harper to uncover her father’s identity.

So, fresh from a painful breakup and still reeling with anxiety that reached a lifetime high during the pandemic, Harper joins her newfound half siblings on a voyage to Hawaii to face their father. The events of that summer, and the man they discover—a charismatic deep-sea diver obsessed with solving the mystery of a fragile sunken shipwreck—will force Harper to face some even bigger questions: Who is she? Is she her DNA, her experiences, her successes, her failures? Is she the things she loves—or the things she hates? Who she is in dark times? Who she might become after them?

The Gingerbread Witch by Alexandra Overy (ISBN-13: 9781335426864 Publisher: Inkyard Press Publication date: 09/13/2022, Ages 8-12)

Maud has grown up in a house made of gingerbread, wanting nothing more than to be a witch like Mother Agatha. But just like all of Agatha’s creations—from the magical house made of sweets to the chocolate mousse squirrel, right down to the little sugar mice—Maud will turn back into gingerbread if anything ever happens to Agatha. After a terrible fight, Maud storms off only to return home to learn that Hansel and Gretel, a pair of witch hunters, have pushed Agatha into the cottage’s oven.

To save herself and the other gingerbread creations, Maud will have to go into the dangerous forest of the Shadelands to find the First Witch’s spellbook. But with witch hunters on her trail and other people interested in the book for their own means, it’ll be far from easy. Can Maud claim the book and bring back the only mother she’s ever known…or will witch hunters capture her before she can save her gingerbread family?

Monster Club by Darren Aronofsky, Ari Handel (ISBN-13: 9780063136632 Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Publication date: 09/13/2022 Series: Monster Club #1, Ages 8-12)

From the award-winning screenwriter-director Darren Aronofsky and his screenwriting partner, Ari Handel, comes Monster Club. Their debut novel is the first book in a thrilling, new adventure series about growing up, letting go, and facing down your monsters.

Like almost everything in eleven-year-old Eric “Doodles” King’s life, King’s Wonderland—the amusement park his great-great grandfather founded—was seriously damaged when a hurricane hit his beloved Coney Island neighborhood. Now hungry property developers are circling the wreckage of the once-awesome King’s Wonderland, and Eric’s family is falling apart from the threat of losing it all.

If it weren’t for Monster Club—the epic roleplaying game that Eric and his friends created—Eric’s life would be pretty terrible. Drawing his favorite monster battling with his best friends’ creations is the one thing that still gets Eric excited. So when his friends start to think of Monster Club as a kid’s game and get more interested in other things, Eric just can’t deal. But then Eric happens across a long-lost vial of magic ink that brings their monster drawings to life, and suddenly, Monster Club isn’t just for fun anymore.

The monsters Eric and his friends created are wreaking havoc across Coney, and it’s on the Monster Club to save their city, the amusement park, and maybe, just maybe, Eric’s family, too. It’s a hilarious, heartfelt adventure from the creative minds of Darren Aronofsky and Ari Handel that fans of Last Kids on Earth and Spy School are sure to love. 

Windswept by Margi Preus, Armando Veve (Illustrator) ( ISBN-13: 9781419758249 Publisher: Amulet Books Publication date: 09/13/2022, Ages 10-14)

From Newbery Honor–winner Margi Preus, a gripping middle-grade fantasy about a girl who must save the children of her world from being “windswept”

In Tag’s world, children are disappearing. “Youngers” who venture Outside are windswept—vanishing in the swirling snow—Tag’s sisters among them. Many have tried to find the lost children; all have failed. And since the Other Times, the Powers That Be seem intent on keeping it that way.

Little remains from those times: snippets of songs, heaps of plastic trash, and a few banned texts—including a book of fairytales.

An unlikely crew of Youngers join forces—Boots, who can climb anything, Ant, who will eat anything, Ren, who will say anything, and Tag, who doesn’t appear to have any talent whatsoever. With their dubious skills, the fairytales, a possibly magic ribbon, and an unwillingness to accept “that’s impossible,” they set off to rescue their windswept siblings in this spellbinding fantasy from Newbery Honor winner Margi Preus.

Each Night Was Illuminated by Jodi Lynn Anderson (ISBN-13: 9780062393579 Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Publication date: 09/20/2022, Ages 14-17)

With writing that sparks off the page, New York Times bestselling author Jodi Lynn Anderson tells a story of saints and floods, secrets and truths, rage and love—and the bravery it takes to bet your whole life on a new kind of hope.

The day the train fell in the lake, Cassie stopped believing in much of anything, despite growing up in a devout Catholic family. Then she set her mind to forgetting the strange boy named Elias who was with her when it happened.

When Elias comes back to town after many years away, Cassie finds herself talked into sneaking out at night to follow him ghost-hunting—though she knows better than to believe they will find any spirits.

Still, the more time she spends with Elias—with his questions, his rebelliousness, his imagination that is so much bigger than the box she has made for herself—the more Cassie thinks that even in a world that seems broken beyond repair, there just may be something worth believing in.

An unmissable novel for fans of Nina LaCour and Jandy Nelson!

Front Country by Sara St. Antoine (ISBN-13: 9781797215631 Publisher: Chronicle Books LLC Publication date: 09/20/2022, Ages 10-14)

My Side of the Mountain meets Greta Thunberg in this heartfelt, exciting novel about one girl’s growing awareness of herself, the world, and the relationship between the two.

The world is not okay. Now what?

Ginny Shepard is glad to be in Montana for a month of backcountry camping before she starts high school. The world is on fire. That’s the awful truth. And Ginny would much rather be hiking in the mountains than doing the summer college prep classes her parents think will help her future. Because, the future? Who even knows what that is anymore.

But once Ginny gets to camp, things get complicated fast. She meets her tripmates: five challenging, rebellious, tech-addicted boys. And she finds out TrackFinders is designed for kids who need extra “support.” Instead of feeling free as a bird, Ginny feels trapped . . . and betrayed.
As her friendships with her fellow campers deepen on the trail, though, Ginny starts to see new sides of them—and of herself. Maybe out here in the backcountry she’ll actually find what she needs to face the front country again.
Set in Montana’s sweeping alpine wilderness, this epic adventure captures the tremendous heartbreak of realizing the world isn’t okay at all and shows how that knowledge, and what we choose to do with it, shapes us into who we are.

How To Succeed in Witchcraft by Aislinn Brophy (ISBN-13: 9780593354520 Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group Publication date: 09/27/2022, Ages 12-17)

A talented witch competes for a prestigious scholarship at her cutthroat high school in this contemporary YA fantasy for fans of Never Have I Ever and Sabrina the Teen Witch.

“Captivating, romantic, and deeply powerful” —Aiden Thomas, New York Times bestselling author of Cemetery Boys

Magically brilliant, academically perfect, chronically overcommitted—

Shay Johnson has all the makings of a successful witch. As a junior at T.K. Anderson Magical Magnet School, she’s determined to win the Brockton Scholarship—her ticket into the university of her dreams. Her competition? Ana freaking Álvarez. The key to victory? Impressing Mr. B, drama teacher and head of the scholarship committee.

When Mr. B asks Shay to star in this year’s aggressively inclusive musical, she warily agrees, even though she’ll have to put up with Ana playing the other lead. But in rehearsals, Shay realizes Ana is . . . not the despicable witch she’d thought. Perhaps she could be a friend—or more. And Shay could use someone in her corner once she becomes the target of Mr. B’s unwanted attention. When Shay learns she’s not the first witch to experience his inappropriate behavior, she must decide if she’ll come forward. But how can she speak out when her future’s on the line?

The Keeper by Tananarive Due, Steven Barnes, Marco Finnegan (Illustrator) (ISBN-13: 9781419751554 Publisher: Abrams ComicArts – Megascope Publication date: 09/27/2022)

A young Black girl finds herself trapped between desperation and her family’s dark history in this horror graphic novel

Aisha has suffered a devastating loss. Her parents were killed in a car crash, and now she must move to decrepit and derelict Detroit to live with her ailing grandmother. However, shortly after moving in, Aisha’s grandmother’s health rapidly deteriorates. With her dying breath, she summons the dark spirit that has protected their family for generations to watch over Aisha.

At first it seems that this spirit, whom Aisha refers to as the Keeper, is truly doing as her grandmother asked, caring for Aisha and keeping her safe; however, it soon becomes clear that this being can only sustain itself by stealing life from others. As the Keeper begins to prey on the apartment building’s other residents, Aisha and her friends must come together to destroy it . . . or die trying.

Written by masters of horror Tananarive Due and Steven Barnes and illustrated by Marco Finnegan, The Keeper reflects on the horror Black Americans face every day, while still staying true to the genre.

Nothing Interesting Ever Happens to Ethan Fairmont by Nick Brooks (ISBN-13: 9781454945574 Publisher: Union Square Kids Publication date: 10/04/2022 Series: Ethan Fairmont, Ages 8-12)

Something cool happening in Ferrous City? Not a chance.
 
Until one day . . . when self-proclaimed genius inventor Ethan Fairmont runs into an abandoned car factory to avoid a local bully and accidentally stumbles across his ex-best friend Kareem, new kid Juan Carlos, and an extraterrestrial visitor. Cheese (the alien) is stuck on Earth in need of some serious repairs, spicy snacks—and absolute, total secrecy. That’s easier said than done when mysterious agents descend on Ferrous City to search for Cheese. With time running out and their family and friends in potential danger, can Ethan, Kareem, and Juan Carlos pull off an intergalactic rescue before they’re all found out?
 
E.T. meets Stranger Things in the kickoff to Nick Brooks’s middle-grade series that weaves contemporary issues of racial profiling, industrial community struggles, and everyday life in a fast-paced out-of-this-world adventure.

A Different Kind of Normal: My Real-Life COMPLETELY True Story About Being Unique by Abigail Balfe (ISBN-13: 9780593566480 Publisher: Random House Children’s Books Publication date: 10/04/2022, Ages 8-12)

In this joyfully illustrated memoir, author-illustrator Abigail Balfe recounts her journey growing up autistic and the challenges of navigating the “normal” world around her.

Hi! My name is Abigail, and I’m autistic. But I didn’t know I was autistic until I was (kind of) an adult. This is my true story of growing up in the confusing “normal” world, all the while missing some Very Important Information about myself.

There’ll be scary moments involving toilets and crowded trains, heartwarming tales of cats and pianos, and funny memories including my dad and a mysterious tub of ice cream. Along the way, you’ll also find some Very Crucial Information about autism.

Important, funny, and completely unique, this book is for anyone who has ever felt different.

We the People! (Big Ideas that Changed the World #4) by Don Brown (ISBN-13: 9781419757389 Publisher: Amulet Books Publication date: 10/04/2022 Series: Big Ideas That Changed the World, Ages 8-12)

Award-winning author Don Brown explores the history of democracy in the United States in this installment of the Big Ideas That Changed the World series

The Greek word democracy comes from demos (people) and kratos (rule)—meaning “the people hold power.” In this timely graphic novel, acclaimed author-illustrator Don Brown explores the history of democracy—from civilization’s beginnings as hunter-gatherers to the birth of monarchies and vast empires, and from the earliest republics to our present-day government.

Narrated by Abigail Adams, We the People! explores how Athenian and Greek assemblies inspired our legislative and judiciary branches; how Enlightenment ideals of reason, toleration, and human progress shaped our founding fathers’ thinking; how Mali’s Manden Charter and England’s Magna Carta influenced our Bill of Rights; and how the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy directly shaped the US Constitution. Explaining the fundamentals of democracy—liberty, equality, and justice for all—in a kid-friendly way, We the People! is a powerful reminder that power rests in the people’s hands.

Big Ideas That Changed the World is a graphic novel series that celebrates the hard-won succession of ideas that ultimately changed the world. Humor, drama, and art unite to tell the story of events, discoveries, and ingenuity over time that led humans to come up with a big idea and then make it come true.

The Antidotes: Pollution Solution by Patty Mechael (ISBN-13: 9781954805248 Publisher: Bold Story Press Publication date: 10/04/2022, Ages 8-12)

Just when a group of fifth-grade friends is returning to normal life and to school after a global pandemic, the waters of the Chesapeake Bay have become polluted by a plastic-eating bacteria experiment gone wrong-and both fish and kids are getting sick!

Izi, Gir, and their friends go to science club and discover a fishy cover-up. The school has to close down again! These climate warriors who call themselves the Antidotes join forces with public health activists to find clean water solutions. The friends use STEM strategies to help save the earth from a potential disaster-they also have secret meetings, do a little spy work, and make some useful discoveries.

The Antidotes race against the clock to get out the word to kids around the world about how to stay safe. But-will the Antidotes be able to get enough kids to achieve zero plastic use before it makes any more fish or children sick? Join the Antidotes in their first science adventure, and stay tuned for more stories to come!

The Edge of Being by James Brandon (ISBN-13: 9780525517672 Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group Publication date: 10/11/2022, Ages 12-17)

A tender and heartfelt queer YA novel about the multiplicities of grief, deeply held family secrets, and finding new love.

Isaac Griffin has always felt something was missing from his life. And for good reason: he’s never met his dad. He’d started to believe he’d never belong in this world, that the scattered missing pieces of his life would never come together, when he discovers a box hidden deep in the attic with his father’s name on it.

When the first clue points him to San Francisco, he sets off with his boyfriend to find the answers, and the person he’s been waiting his whole life for. But when his vintage station wagon breaks down (and possibly his relationship too) they are forced to rely on an unusual girl who goes by Max—and has her own familial pain—to take them the rest of the way.

As his family history is revealed, Isaac finds himself drawing closer to Max. Using notes his dad had written decades ago, the two of them retrace his father’s steps during the weeks leading up to the Compton’s Cafeteria Riot in San Francisco, a precursor to the Stonewall Riots a few years later. Only to discover, as he learns about the past that perhaps the missing pieces of his life weren’t ever missing at all.

The Night Eaters: She Eats the Night (The Night Eaters Book #1) by Marjorie Liu, Sana Takeda (Illustrator) (ISBN-13: 9781419758706 Publisher: ABRAMS Publication date: 10/11/2022 Series: The Night Eaters)

The first volume in a new graphic novel horror trilogy from Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda—the creative team behind the New York Times bestselling series Monstress

Chinese American twins, Milly and Billy, are having a tough time. On top of the multiple failures in their personal and professional lives, they’re struggling to keep their restaurant afloat. Luckily their parents, Ipo and Keon, are in town for their annual visit. Having immigrated from Hong Kong before the twins were born, Ipo and Keon have supported their children through thick and thin and are ready to lend a hand—but they’re starting to wonder, has their support made Milly and Billy incapable of standing on their own?

When Ipo forces them to help her clean up the house next door—a hellish and run-down ruin that was the scene of a grisly murder—the twins are in for a nasty surprise. A night of terror, gore, and supernatural mayhem reveals that there is much more to Ipo and her children than meets the eye.

Eisner Award–winning and bestselling author Marjorie Liu and illustrator Sana Takeda have crafted a wild and wicked tale that will leave readers hungry for more. She Eats the Night is the perfect start to The Night Eaters trilogy, which is a combination of Monsters by Barry Windsor-Smith and Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan.

We Are Here: 30 Inspiring Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Who Have Shaped the United States by Naomi Hirahara, Illianette Ferandez (Illustrator), Smithsonian Institution (ISBN-13: 9780762479658 Publisher: Running Press Book Publishers Publication date: 10/18/2022, Ages 8-12)

A stunning anthology licensed in partnership with the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, We Are Here celebrates 30 of the most inspiring Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in U.S. history.

There are more than 23 million people of Asian and Pacific Islander descent living in the United States. Their stories span across generations, as well as across the world. We Are Here highlights thirty Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and the impact they’ve had on the cultural, social, and political fabric of the United States.

Profiles include: Amanda Nguyen * Bruno Mars * Grace Lee Boggs * Lakshmi Singh * Naomi Osaka * Philip Vera Cruz * Vishavjit Singh * Shirin Neshat * Thenmozhi Soundararajan * Schuyler Miwon Hong Bailar * Channapha Khamvongsa * Lydia XZ Brown * Etel Adnan * Chien-Shiung Wu * Jerry Yang * Carissa Moore * Craig Santos Perez * Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson * Eddie Aikau * John Kneubuhl * Kathy Jetñil-Kijiner * Keanu Reeves * Hinaleimoana Kwai Kong Wong-Kalu * Manny Crisostomo * Momi Cazimero * Teresa Teaiwa * Mau Piailug * Taimane Gardner * Calvin and Charlene Hoe * Dinah Jane

The Last Huntress: Mirror Realm Series Book I by Lenore Borja (ISBN-13: 9781684631735 Publisher: SparkPress Publication date: 11/01/2022, Ages 15-18)

Alice Daniels has a problem. Her reflection keeps misbehaving when she looks in the mirror—and the longer she ignores it, the harder it tries to get her attention. On her eighteenth birthday, she learns why: she is a huntress, someone gifted with the power to enter mirrors and the magical world that exists beyond. But with this power comes immense responsibility, for in the Mirror Realm lurks an evil that has infected the human race for centuries: demons. It is up to her and her three huntress sisters—with the help of one handsome and overbearing protector—to hunt and banish this evil one demon at a time, thereby keeping the chaos in check. But when an ancient god pays Alice a visit that turns deadly, it is clear the Mirror Realm is more than it seems, and she soon finds herself in a race against time to save the life—and soul—of the one man the gods are determined to never let her have.

The Last Huntress is a story of redemption and sacrifice, the bonds of true sisterhood, and the impossible, sometimes frightening, things we’ll do for love.

Wait for Me by Sara Shepard (ISBN-13: 9781454945772 Publisher: Union Square & Co. Publication date: 11/01/2022, Ages 14-18)

Drowning in déjà vu . . .
 
Who is Casey Rhodes? Is she a no-nonsense realist or a hopeless romantic? A just-getting-by scholarship student or a sometimes-Cinderella dating the cool, cultured heir to a media empire and New York City’s most eligible? At seventeen years old and already in her sophomore year at NYU, Casey sheds disguises effortlessly. It’s how she navigates school and avoids the second-guessing that’s plagued her since she and her boyfriend Marcus got together. 
 
But then Casey starts hearing voices that terrify her so badly she flees to the remote beach town of Avon where she can sort through her thoughts and reset. But the voices only get more intense and are now accompanied by visions of places she’s never been and people she’s never met, like Jake who’s lived in Avon his whole life. There’s no way Casey could know him, yet she feels an immediate connection. And, crazier still: he feels it too. Together they search for answers, finding only questions—about their connection, Avon, Casey’s memories . . . And whose voice is she hearing inside her head?

The Wicked Remain by Laura Pohl (ISBN-13: 9781728228907 Publisher: Sourcebooks Publication date: 11/01/2022 Series: The Grimrose Girls #2, Ages 14-18)

At Grimrose Académie, the fairy-tale deaths continue. And unless the curse is broken, one of the girls could be next.

Nani, Yuki, Ella, and Rory have discovered the truth about the curse that’s left a trail of dead bodies at Grimrose. But the four still know nothing of its origins, or how to stop the cycle of doomed fates.

And each girl harbors her own secret. One is learning why she was brought to the school. One struggles to keep her new and deadly power under control. One knows exactly how much time she has left.

And one, trying to escape her dark destiny, will come even closer to fulfilling it.

Can the girls change their own stories and break the curse? Or must one of them die to end it forever?

Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn (ISBN-13: 9781534441637 Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers Publication date: 11/08/2022 Series: Legendborn Cycle #2, Ages 14-18)

The powerful sequel to the instant New York Times bestselling and award-winning Legendborn—perfect for fans of Cassandra Clare and Margaret Rogerson!

The shadows have risen, and the line is law.

All Bree wanted was to uncover the truth behind her mother’s death. So she infiltrated the Legendborn Order, a secret society descended from King Arthur’s knights—only to discover her own ancestral power. Now, Bree has become someone new:

A Medium. A Bloodcrafter. A Scion.

But the ancient war between demons and the Order is rising to a deadly peak. And Nick, the Legendborn boy Bree fell in love with, has been kidnapped.

Bree wants to fight, but the Regents who rule the Order won’t let her. To them, she is an unknown girl with unheard-of power, and as the living anchor for the spell that preserves the Legendborn cycle, she must be protected.

When the Regents reveal they will do whatever it takes to hide the war, Bree and her friends must go on the run to rescue Nick themselves. But enemies are everywhere, Bree’s powers are unpredictable and dangerous, and she can’t escape her growing attraction to Selwyn, the mage sworn to protect Nick until death.

If Bree has any hope of saving herself and the people she loves, she must learn to control her powers from the ancestors who wielded them first—without losing herself in the process.

Spell Bound by F.T. Lukens (ISBN-13: 9781665916226 Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books Publication date: 04/04/2023, Ages 14-18)

Two rival apprentice sorcerers must team up to save their teachers and protect their own magic in this lively young adult romantic adventure from the New York Times bestselling author of In Deeper Waters and So This Is Ever After.

Edison Rooker isn’t sure what to expect when he enters the office of Antonia Hex, the powerful sorceress who runs a call center for magical emergencies. He doesn’t have much experience with hexes or curses. Heck, he doesn’t even have magic. But he does have a plan—to regain the access to the magical world he lost when his grandmother passed.

Antonia is…intimidating, but she gives him a job and a new name—Rook—both of which he’s happy to accept. Now all Rook has to do is keep his Spell Binder, an illegal magical detection device, hidden from the Magical Consortium. And contend with Sun, the grumpy and annoyingly cute apprentice to Antonia’s rival colleague, Fable. But dealing with competition isn’t so bad; as Sun seems to pop up more and more, and Rook minds less and less.

But when the Consortium gets wind of Rook’s Spell Binder, they come for Antonia. All alone, Rook runs to the only other magical person he knows: Sun. Except Fable has also been attacked, and now Rook and Sun have no choice but to work together to get their mentors back…or face losing their magic forever.

Never Vacation with Your Ex by Emily Wibberley, Austin Siegemund-Broka (ISBN-13: 9780593326909 Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group Publication date: 04/04/2023, Ages 12-17)

The Summer I Turned Pretty meets People We Meet on Vacation in a YA second chance romance from fan-favorite author couple #Wibbroka!

Seventeen-year-old volleyball star Kaylee Jordan lives a life of player rankings, constant training, and a carefully curated social media full of followers watching to see if she’ll go pro out of high school like her famous mom. Her one refuge, and the thing she looks forward to every summer? The vacation her family spends in Malibu with the Freeman-Yus. This year, there’s only one problem: Kaylee and their son, Dean, dated for the past three months, and Kaylee just unceremoniously dumped him. Hoping to spare them the worst summer ever, Kaylee comes to Dean with her unconventional solution: she’s going to walk him through her rules for getting over an ex. When Dean grudgingly cooperates, Kaylee’s got her work cut out for her. But helping Dean follow her own rules starts becoming difficult when the pressures of Kaylee’s family legacy and perfect life start to feel less like a plan and more like a prison…and amid warm California nights and stolen laughs, Kaylee feels herself falling for Dean for the same reasons and some new ones. With their trip coming to an end, Kaylee has to make the complicated choice between doing what’s expected and taking a (second) chance on love.

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