Penguin Random House Showcase

Recently, I arrived home from work to find four packages of book mail waiting for me. One of them was this great big box from Penguin with allll kinds of excellent books. I am excited to share them here with you today and to help them find new readers after I finish with them. Thank you to Penguin Young Readers for all you do!

All descriptions from the publisher.

Ex Marks the Spot by Gloria Chao (ISBN-13: 9780593692714 Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group, Publication date: 12/31/2024, Ages 12-18)

A swoony rivals-to-lovers romance . . .
Family secrets that can’t stay buried . . .
A globe-spanning treasure hunt with puzzles to solve . . .

This latest YA novel by acclaimed writer Gloria Chao takes readers on a soaring adventure through love, loss, and the lively streets of Taiwan.

For Gemma’s whole life, it has always been her and her mom against the world. As far as she knew, all her grandparents—and thus her ties to Taiwanese culture—were dead. Until one day when a mysterious man shows up at her door with two shocking things: the news that her grandfather has just recently passed, and the first clue to a treasure hunt that Gemma hopes will lead to her inheritance.

There’s just one major problem: to complete the hunt, she has to go to her grandfather’s home in Taiwan. And the only way Gemma can get there is by asking her ex and biggest high-school rival, Xander, for help. But after swallowing her pride, she finds herself halfway across the world, ready to unearth her life-changing prize. Soon Gemma discovers that the treasure hunt is about much more than money—it’s about finally learning about her family, her cultural roots, and maybe even finding true love.

Filled with ingenious puzzles, a vibrant Taipei setting, and a delicious romance, Ex Marks the Spot is an exciting adventure by award-winning writer Gloria Chao, perfect for fans of Loveboat Taipei, The Inheritance Games, and Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes.

Girls on the Rise by Amanda Gorman, Loveis Wise (Illustrator) (ISBN-13: 9780593624180 Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group Publication date: 01/07/2025, Ages 4-8)

An electrifying new picture book by #1 New York Times bestselling author and presidential inaugural poet Amanda Gorman

Who are we? We are a billion voices, bright and brave; we are light, standing together in the fight. Girls are strong and powerful alone, but even stronger when they work to uplift one another. In this galvanizing original poem by presidential inaugural poet Amanda Gorman, girls and girlhood are celebrated in their many forms, all beautiful, not for how they look but for how they look into the face of fear. Creating a rousing rallying cry with vivid illustrations by Loveis Wise, Gorman reminds us how girls have shaped our history while marching boldly into the future.

Lies on the Serpent’s Tongue by Kate Pearsall (ISBN-13: 9780593531051 Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group Publication date: 01/07/2025, Ages 12-17)

In this haunting companion to Bittersweet in the Hollow, a girl who can smell the lies of others uncovers the incendiary mysteries of her small Appalachian town.

Everybody lies. And in knowing their lies, I become the keeper of their secrets.

As Caball Hollow slowly recovers from a tumultuous summer, the James family must also come to terms with their own newly revealed secrets.

18-year-old Rowan James has spent her whole life harboring unpleasant truths—that’s what happens when you can smell lies on the teller’s breath—and building walls around herself to block them out. Like her younger sister, Linden, who can taste the feelings of others, Rowan has long struggled with her gift, which has taught her that everyone distorts the truth, and no one is who they seem to be. So when her old rival Hadrian Fitch shows up on her front porch—bloodied and bruised and asking for the kind of help only she can provide—her first instinct is distrust.

Except Hadrian’s attack isn’t the only strange occurrence. Now small items are disappearing, but rather than report the losses the owners act as if their missing things never existed. Rumors of a new monster prowling the Hollow begin to swirl. But how can Rowan smoke out the culprit in a town full of secrets? And worse, how can Rowan trust beautiful, solemn Hadrian when every other word he speaks has the distinct burnt smell of a lie?

Radiant by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson (ISBN-13: 9780593855782 Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group Publication date: 01/07/2025, Ages 10-14)

A historical middle-grade novel in verse from multiple Coretta Scott King winner Vaunda Micheaux Nelson.

As school begins in 1963, Cooper Dale wrestles with what it means to “shine” for a black girl in a predominantly white community near Pittsburgh. Set against the historic backdrop of the Birmingham church bombing, the Kennedy assassination, and Beatlemania, Radiant is a finely crafted novel in verse about race, class, faith, and finding your place in a loving family and a complicated world.

Cooper’s primary concern is navigating fifth grade, where she faces both an extra-strict teacher and the bullying of Wade Carter, the only child of a well-to-do white family, whose home Cooper’s mother cleans for extra income. How can she shine when her mother works for the meanest boy in school? To make matters worse, Cooper quietly wishes she could be someone else.

It’s not all bad, though. Cooper and her beloved older sister have fallen for the Beatles, and Cooper is thrilled to have something special they can share. And what she learns about her British idols adds new complexity to Cooper’s feelings about race.

Sharing the Dream by Shelia P. Moses, Keith Mallett (Illustrator) (ISBN-13: 9780593617298 Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group Publication date: 01/07/2025, Ages 3-7)

An inspiring portrait of a monumental day in US history, seen through a child’s eyes

Agnes can hardly contain her excitement! She’s headed to the March on Washington. Sitting on her father’s shoulders, she’s awed by the sea of people—people of every color, gathered together to be a part of the fight for equal rights for Black people. She soaks in the words of John Lewis and Josephine Baker and is mesmerized by Mahalia Jackson’s singing. Then Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gives a speech about his dreams for his children—for all children. On the bus ride home, Agnes has her own dream: that the words of Dr. King would be heard and embraced by the whole world.

Unstoppable John: How John Lewis Got His Library Card–and Helped Change History by Pat Zietlow Miller, Jerry Jordan (Illustrator) (ISBN-13: 9780593524909 Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group Publication date: 01/07/2025, Ages 4-8)

A poignant picture book biography on how John Lewis got his library card and helped change history.

All John Lewis wanted was a library card, but in 1956, libraries were only for white people.

That didn’t seem fair to John, and so he spent a lifetime advocating for change and fighting against unfair laws until the laws changed. Finally, black people could eat at restaurants, see movies, vote in elections, and even get library cards. With an in-depth author’s note, a timeline of John Lewis’s life, and a lengthy list of resources, Unstoppable John, illustrated by Jerry Jordan and written by New York Times bestselling author Pat Zietlow Miller, explores the profound impact John had on the world and that books had on him.

Everything Is Poison by Joy McCullough (ISBN-13: 9780593855874 Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group Publication date: 01/14/2025, Ages 14-17)

This historical novel in prose and verse tells the story of a deadly secret hiding in plain sight and of the women who risk everything to provide care for those with nowhere else to turn, perfect for fans of Blood Water Paint and The Lost Apothecary.

Early Seventeenth-Century Rome
For as long as she can remember, Carmela Tofana has desperately wanted one thing: to be allowed behind the counter of her mother’s apothecary in Campo Marzio, Rome. When she turns sixteen, she’s finally allowed into the inner sanctum: the workroom where her mother, Giulia Tofana, and two assistants craft renowned remedies for their customers. But for every sweet-smelling flower extract in the workroom, there’s another potion requiring darker ingredients. And then there’s Aqua Tofana, the apothecary’s remedy of last resort for husbands who are just as deadly as any disease. In all Carmela’s years of wishing to follow in her mother’s footsteps, she never realized one tiny vial could be the death of them all.

First Love Language by Stefany Valentine (ISBN-13: 9780593750964 Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group Publication date: 01/14/2025, Ages 12-17)

For fans of Frankly in Love and Tokyo Ever After comes a romantic dramedy about finding love and reconnecting with your culture in the most surprising ways.

Taiwanese American Catie Carlson has never fit in with her white family. As much as she loves her stepmom and stepsister, she yearns to understand more about her culture and find her biological mother.

So Catie is shocked when an opportunity comes knocking on her door: Her summer spa coworker, Toby, says he’ll teach her Mandarin. In exchange, she needs to teach him how to date so he can finally work up the courage to ask out his crush. The only problem is that Catie doesn’t actually have any dating experience. But she can fake it.

With her late father’s copy of The Five Love Languages and all his annotated notes, Catie becomes the perfect dating coach. Or so she thinks. As she gets dangerously close to Toby and to finding out what really happened to her biological mom, she realizes that learning the language of love might be tougher than she thought.

Stefany Valentine’s debut novel is both a fresh, fun romance as well as a profound, luminous story about grief, family, transracial adoption, and what it means to truly follow your heart.

Let’s Fly!: Barrington Irving’s Record-Breaking Flight Around the World by Barrington Irving, Chana Stiefel, Shamar Knight-Justice (Illustrator) (ISBN-13: 9780593532133 Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group Publication date: 01/14/2025, Ages 3-7)

The true story of Barrington Irving, who broke records as the youngest person and first Black man to fly solo around the world—co-authored by Barrington and award-winning author Chana Stiefel, with art by New York Times bestselling illustrator Shamar Knight-Justice

As a kid, Barrington Irving moved from Jamaica to Miami and played football—his ticket to success, he thought. But then Captain Gary Robinson’swooped into his life. Barrington had never seen a Black pilot before. Captain Robinson’showed Barrington a jet, a cockpit, and what it was like to actually fly a plane—
WHOAAA!

After that, Barrington had big plans, and two words:
Let’s Fly!

Barrington Irving worked hard to become a pilot, and even harder to inspire other people to think big too. How big? A flight around the WORLD big. Climb aboard for the true story of how Barrington Irving went from tinkering kid to towering pilot and flew solo around the world—breaking records as the youngest person and first Black man ever to do it. With maps, labels, lists, and cool backmatter, including news of what Barring Irving is doing today, this book soars.

Buckle up! Sky-high dreams ahead.

PAWS: Hazel Has Her Hands Full: A Graphic Novel by Nathan Fairbairn, Michele Assarasakorn (Illustrator) (ISBN-13: 9780593695807 Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group Publication date: 01/14/2025 Series: PAWS #4, Ages 8-12)

More heartwarming and humorous adventures await in the fourth book of this graphic novel series that is the Baby-Sitters Club for pets!

Summer break is just around the corner, and the PAWS team is gearing up for a busy season full of dog-walking, travel, and fun! Gabby’s got a packed schedule with about a hundred different camps plus playing host to her mysterious cousin visiting from out of town. Meanwhile Mindy is headed to her dad’s house for a month-long stay. With so much going on, the girls are looking forward to scaling back and taking it easy this summer. . . with one exception.
When the opportunity to cat-sit two new fur babies arises, Hazel jumps at the chance. Their new client’s house is even wheelchair accessible! But when everyone’s hectic summer plans mean she would have to take on the job alone, Hazel knows her overprotective mother would never approve. On the other hand, managing a side business all on her own could prove that she is much more capable than her mom might think…
Hazel soon learns that juggling multiple cats and dogs along with her own physical therapy—while also keeping a big secret—is no easy task. When disaster strikes, will she have the energy to make everything right by herself, or will she be forced to reach out for help and risk getting into even more trouble?

Prince Among Slaves: The Remarkable True Story of an African Prince Enslaved in Mississippi, and His Journey Home by N. H. Senzai, Anna Rich (Illustrator) (ISBN-13: 9781984816986 Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group Publication date: 01/14/2025, Ages 7-10)

The extraordinary and consequential biography of Abdulrahman Ibrahim Ibn Sori, a Muslim West African prince turned enslaved plantation worker, and his lifelong fight to be free and return home.

In 1762, Prince Abdulrahman Sori was born in West Africa’s prosperous kingdom of Futa Jallon. His name meant “servant of God,” and as a child, he was fascinated by the stories of the great prophets Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad. Each had faced great challenges, and each had accepted their fate as determined by God, no matter how difficult.

Always curious, Abdulrahman grew up to become a scholar, fluent in five languages. He was also a warrior, a husband, a father, and an instrumental leader in his father’s court.

But that happy life was cruelly ripped away the day Abdulrahman and his men were ambushed while on patrol by a rival tribe and sold to English traders. Forced aboard a ship, Abdulrahman was taken across the Atlantic to Natchez, Mississippi, and enslaved.

Resistant at first, Abdulrahman ran away, but ultimately, like the prophets he revered, Abdulrahman accepted his fate as determined by God. So with a heavy heart, he began a new life helping the plantation owner prosper, and after some time, though risky, Abdulrahman found love and became a father again. Then, by virtue of an incredible coincidence, Abdulrahman’s life changed once more, setting into motion a series of events that would not only free Abdulrahman, but return him to African shores after forty years of enslavement.

Incredibly well-researched, N. H. Senzai chronicles Prince Abdulrahman’s remarkable life and journey to freedom with extraordinary grace and care, illuminating not only the horrors of slavery, but how one Muslim man relied on his faith in God to persevere. Anna Rich’s striking art makes each scene of Abdulrahman’s life sing with emotion and meaning.

She Persisted: Kamala Harris by Raakhee Mirchandani, Chelsea Clinton, Alexandra Boiger (Illustrator), Jessica W. Clark (Illustrator) (ISBN-13: 9798217039593 Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group Publication date: 01/14/2025 Series: She Persisted Series, Ages 6-9)

Inspired by the #1 New York Times bestseller She Persisted by Chelsea Clinton and Alexandra Boiger, a chapter book series about women who spoke up and rose up against the odds—including Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris!

Kamala Harris always wanted to help people and solve problems. Even as a young girl, she helped her community create changes that would impact all their lives for the better. When she grew up, Kamala wanted to continue helping people, so she worked hard and became a lawyer and a senator to do just that. Then she went on to become the first woman to ever be vice president of the United States—and possibly the first woman to become president too! Through it all, Kamala continues to do her best to help as many people as she can, and she inspires people everywhere to help others as well.

In this chapter book biography by acclaimed author Raakhee Mirchandani, readers learn about the amazing life of Kamala Harris—and how she persisted. 

Complete with an introduction from Chelsea Clinton, black-and-white illustrations throughout, and a list of ways that readers can follow in Kamala Harris’s footsteps and make a difference! A perfect choice for kids who love learning and teachers who want to bring inspiring women into their curriculum.

And don’t miss out on the rest of the books in the She Persisted series, featuring so many more women who persisted, including Sonia Sotomayor, Deb Haaland, Patsy Mink, Rachel Levine, and more!

The Interpreter by Olivia Abtahi, Monica Arnaldo (Illustrator) (ISBN-13: 9780593620441 Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group Publication date: 01/21/2025, Ages 5-8)

A sharp and heartfelt picture book about a young soccer-loving girl who’s an interpreter for her Spanish-speaking parents.

Some kids have one job: to be a kid! Cecilia has two. When she isn’t on the soccer field scoring goals, she’s accompanying her parents to all kinds of grown-up places, like the DMV, the accountant’s office, and the auto shop. She helps them translate from Spanish to English and from English to Spanish. It’s an important job, and it can even be fun. It’s also hard work. 

Sometimes Cecilia’s second job is so much responsibility, it feels like she’ll split in two! Is it time for Cecilia to blow her whistle and call for a time-out?

Olivia Abtahi’s clever text and Monica Arnaldo’s charming illustrations capture a common aspect of life for immigrant and bilingual families while offering a model for teamwork that helps everyone feel understood.

Safe Harbor by Padma Venkatraman (ISBN-13: 9780593112502 Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group Publication date: 01/21/2025, Ages 10-12)

An uplifting novel in verse about an immigrant girl adjusting to life in the US through her love of nature, music, and poetry, by the award-winning author of The Bridge Home

When Geetha and her mom move from India to Rhode Island after her parents’ divorce, they leave everything Geetha loves behind—her family, her friends, her dog, and all that’s familiar. As if that’s not hard enough, Geetha is bullied at her new school for her clothes, her food, and her English (who knew so many English words could be spelled or pronounced differently in the US—or just be altogether different!). She finds some solace in playing her flute and writing poetry, and even more when she meets Miguel, a kid with whom she has a lot in common, and the two of them help rescue an injured harp seal stranded on the beach. But Geetha can feel her anger building over lots of things—careless people who pollute the sea and hurt animals, and her mom for making her move. She’s never been so sad and angry. She can see a lot of her fears mirrored in the injured seal when she visits it at the Marine Mammal Rehabilitation Center, and this broadens her understanding of survival skills. And when she and Miguel start a beach-clean-up venture, she’s surprised to find how many kind kids are out there. Geetha is torn as the time comes to let the seal go, knowing she’ll miss him, but wanting the best for him. She’s learning to live with mixed feelings and accept that while there will always be rough waters, there are plenty of safe harbors too.

The Adventures of Invisible Boy: Zeroes to Heroes: A Graphic Novel by Doogie Horner (ISBN-13: 9780593532706 Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group Publication date: 01/28/2025 Series: Invisible Boy #2, Ages 8-12)

In the second installment of this hilarious unlikely-superhero adventure, Stanley and Gene master their invisibility powers and face a mysterious new villain bent on their destruction!

“Can’t be missed!” —Max Brallier, #1 NYT bestselling author of The Last Kids on Earth

Being invisible comes with great responsibility . . . and great fun!

Stanley and Gene have joined forces and finally figured out how to control their invisibility. It’s obvious to Stanley what the duo should do with this newfound control—fight crime of course! Gene, on the other hand, is not so sure. When the only crime around is stealing a pen from the bank, fighting it isn’t all that exciting.

But when a new pair of villains rob Stanley’s family store, things get personal. Can Stanley and Gene track down the thieves and recover the stolen goods before his family is forced to sell their home? And who is the mysterious supervillain boss instigating all of this trouble?

These enemies-turned-partners will have to use all their powers and creative problem-solving to face these foes.

Jollof Day by Bernard Mensah, Annalise Barber-Opp (Illustrator) (ISBN-13: 9780593406441 Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group Publication date: 01/28/2025, Ages 4-8)

A picture book bursting with life and flavors about a son and his father cooking up a beloved dish that originated in West Africa—jollof recipe included!

Early in the morning while the sun is still rising, a young boy wakes his father for something special—it’s Jollof Day!

With clanging pots and pans, lots of chopped tomatoes and onions, and a secret blend of spices, this father and son dance to the music of kitchen noise while something delicious burbles on the stove.

With bouncing text that begs to be read aloud and exuberant illustrations full of momentum, Jollof Day is a celebration of the dishes that bring a family together.

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