List

Provides more information on Nature Centers; Hiking Trails; Day & Weekend Road Trips; Kids Activities; Camping Spots; Birdwatching Hotspots; Bicycling Trails; Kayaking/Canoeing/Boating; Picnicking Spots; Fishing; Spring Wildflower Viewing; Fall Colors Viewing; Running/Exercise; Winter Activities Such as Snowshoeing, Ice Skating, Cross-Country Skiing, Sledding, and Ice Fishing; Local History; Self-Enrichment Classes and Other Opportunities; Geocaching; and other activities in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Also includes articles that provide advice on camping with kids, enjoying a successful snowshoeing adventure, and much more, as well as personal essays about gardening, enjoying nature with one's children, savoring the fall colors, and protecting the environment. Other resources include contact information for forest preserve districts, state departments of natural resources, and environmental and other nature-focused organizations.

Explore the outdoors in a whole new way with this comprehensive guide to hiking, camping, and backpacking, from @thruhikers Renee and Tim

Renee Miller and Tim Beissinger, also known as @thruhikers, share their experiences exploring the outdoors--hiking, backpacking, canoeing, and camping--with millions of people. They break down every aspect of their adventures--trail routes, gear, recipes, and more--and share stories from their time out on the trail.

Their first book is packed with advice, techniques, gear recommendations, and troubleshooting tips for beginner and experienced outdoorsy people alike. They take you through the entire experience: before the trail, on the trail, and after the trail. Plus, they include over 20 plant-based dehydrated recipes, like Curry Rice and Cold-Soaked Shepherd's Pie, to bring on your adventures.

Learn how to plan your trip, pack your gear, deal with animals and leave no trace, eat and drink safely, avoid and care for injuries, pass the time, navigate all types of weather, get over the post-trail blues, and more. With this guide, you'll be prepared for anything.

Join the global movement and challenge your family to match screen time with outdoor time—with hundreds of fun, fresh-air ideas.

Did you know that the average American child spends 1,200 hours a year in front of a screen? And that outside play can boost children in every area of development? This book has everything you need to reset the balance and swap screen time for outdoor fun! 

Challenge your family to spend 1,000 hours outside this year with this collection of games, crafts, and activities, organized by season to help you find something you can do every day. Play leaf pile games, take a hot chocolate hike, make corn husk dolls, go on an animal home hunt, and much more with hundreds of ideas for all ages, abilities, and family types.

No matter how busy you are, this book gives you all the ideas, photos, activity instructions, and inspiration you need to get outdoors with your family all year round.

This revised and expanded second edition of the bestselling The Game Console contains brand new content, with coverage of 50 more consoles, variants, and accessories in 50 added pages. The Game Console 2.0 is a gorgeous coffee table book for geeks and gamers that brings together highly detailed photos of more than 100 video game consoles and their electronic interiors spanning nearly five decades.

Revised and updated since the first edition’s celebrated 2018 release, The Game Console 2.0 is an even bigger archival collection of vividly detailed photos of more than 100 video-game consoles. This ultimate archive of gaming history spans five decades and nine distinct generations, chronologically covering everything from market leaders to outright failures, and tracing the gaming industry’s rise, fall, and monumental resurgence.

The book’s 2nd edition features more classic game consoles and computers, a section on retro gaming in the modern era, and dozens of new entries — including super-rare finds, such the Unisonic Champion 2711, and the latest ninth-generation consoles. You’ll find coverage of legendary systems like the Magnavox Odyssey, Atari 2600, NES, and the Commodore 64; systems from the ‘90s and 2000s; modern consoles like the Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5; and consoles you never knew existed.

Get a unique peek at the hardware powering the world’s most iconic video-game systems with The Game Console 2.0 — the perfect gift for geeks of all stripes and every gamer’s must-have coffee-table book.
 

An insider’s account of the videogame industry telling how gaming can become a force for good

Everything To Play For asks if videogames can achieve egalitarian goals instead of fuelling hyper-materialist, reactionary agendas. Combining cultural theory and materialist critiques with accessible language and personal anecdotes, industry insider Marijam Did engages both novices and seasoned connoisseurs. From the innovations of Pong and Doom to the intricate multiplayer or narrative-driven games, the author highlights the multifaceted stories of the gaming communities and the political actors who organise among them. Crucially, the focus also includes the people who make the games, shedding light on the brutal processes necessary to bring titles to the public.

The videogame industry, now larger than the film and music industries combined, has a proven ability to challenge the status quo. With a rich array of examples, Did argues for a nuanced understanding of gaming’s influence so that this extraordinary power can be harnessed for good.

Video Game of the Year breaks down the 40-year history of the world’s most popular art form—one game at a time.

Pong. The Legend of Zelda. Final Fantasy VII. Rock Band. Fortnite. Animal Crossing: New Horizons. For each of the 40 years of video game history, there is a defining game, a game that captured the zeitgeist and left a legacy for all games that followed. Through a series of entertaining, informative, and opinionated critical essays, author and tech journalist Jordan Minor investigates, in chronological order, the most innovative, genre-bending, and earth-shattering games from 1977 through 2022.

Exploring development stories, critical reception, and legacy, Minor also looks at how gaming intersects with and eventually influences society at large while reveling in how uniquely and delightfully bizarre even the most famous games tend to be. From portly plumbers to armor-clad space marines and the speedy rodents in between, Video Game of the Year paints individual portraits that, as a whole, give readers a stronger appreciation for the vibrant variety and long-lasting impact of this fresh, exciting, and massively popular art form.

Illustrated throughout with retro-inspired imagery and featuring contributions from dozens of leading industry voices, including New York Times bestselling author Jason Schreier, Max Scoville, Rebekah Valentine, Blessing Adeoye Jr., and Devindra Hardawar, this year-by-year anthology is a loving reflection on the world’s most popular art form.

A Handheld History is a unique celebration of portable platforms and their iconic games.

Forty years ago, businessmen fiddling with calculators inspired Gunpei Yokoi to create the Game & Watch. Ever since then, handheld gaming has been hugely influential, spawning communities who trade Pokémon in the playground and share Miis on the subway. This introspective adventure will delve into decades of gaming memories and reconnect you to that long car journey full of discarded AA batteries before speeding ahead to the contemporary days of blockbusters in your backpack.

Handheld gaming is celebrated loudly, proudly, and across hundreds of beautifully assembled pages of art and essays. Featuring words from many incredible voices, this is an unmissable ode to the gaming device that you keep close to your heart – right in your jacket pocket.

The third book in Chris Scullion's series of video game encyclopedias, the Sega Mega Drive and Genesis Encyclopedia is dedicated to Sega's legendary 16-bit video game console. 

The book contains detailed information on every single game released for the Sega Mega Drive and Genesis in the West, as well as similarly thorough bonus sections covering every game released for its add-ons, the Mega CD and 32X. With nearly a thousand screenshots, generous helpings of bonus trivia and charmingly bad jokes, the Sega Mega Drive and Genesis Encyclopedia is the definitive guide to a legendary gaming system.

“If you didn’t grow up with an SNES and are curious to know about games like Chrono Trigger, Super Metroid and more, then this is the book for you.” —Got Game 

Following on from the previously released NES Encyclopedia, The SNES Encyclopedia is the ultimate resource for fans of Nintendo’s second home video game console, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.

Containing detailed information on all 780 games released for the SNES in the west, this enormous book is full of screenshots, trivia and charmingly bad jokes. It also includes a bonus section covering the entire twenty-two-game library of the Virtual Boy, Nintendo’s ill-fated 3D system which was released at the end of the SNES’s life.

“Without question, The SNES Encyclopedia: Every Game Released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System makes for an excellent video game library addition. It’s an economical and well-crafted book of Nintendo’s 16-bit history, and it’s sure to leave you yearning for the days of Super Mario World’s vibrant colors, Super Metroid’s intoxicating atmosphere, and Super Punch Out!!’s incredible tension. If you already own The NES Encyclopedia, you’ll know what to expect, but if you’re just starting a collection of video game-themed books, you can’t go wrong with this condense and informative offering.” —Nintendo World Report

The definitive behind-the-scenes history of video games’ explosion into the twenty-first century and the war for industry power

“A zippy read through a truly deep research job. You won’t want to put this one down.”—Eddie Adlum, publisher, RePlay Magazine

As video games evolve, only the fittest companies survive. Making a blockbuster once cost millions of dollars; now it can cost hundreds of millions, but with a $160 billion market worldwide, the biggest players are willing to bet the bank.

Steven L. Kent has been playing video games since Pong and writing about the industry since the Nintendo Entertainment System. In volume 1 of The Ultimate History of Video Games, he chronicled the industry’s first thirty years. In volume 2, he narrates gaming’s entrance into the twenty-first century, as Nintendo, Sega, Sony, and Microsoft battle to capture the global market.

The home console boom of the ’90s turned hobby companies like Nintendo and Sega into Hollywood-studio-sized business titans. But by the end of the decade, they would face new, more powerful competitors. In boardrooms on both sides of the Pacific, engineers and executives began, with enormous budgets and total secrecy, to plan the next evolution of home consoles. The PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, and Sega Dreamcast all made radically different bets on what gamers would want. And then, to the shock of the world, Bill Gates announced the development of the one console to beat them all—even if Microsoft had to burn a few billion dollars to do it. In this book, you will learn about

• the cutthroat environment at Microsoft as rival teams created console systems
• the day the head of Sega of America told the creator of Sonic the Hedgehog to “f**k off”
• how “lateral thinking with withered technology” put Nintendo back on top
• and much more!

Gripping and comprehensive, The Ultimate History of Video Games: Volume 2 explores the origins of modern consoles and of the franchises—from Grand Theft Auto and Halo to Call of Duty and Guitar Hero—that would define gaming in the new millennium.

The definitive story of the rise of Nintendo.

In 1981, Nintendo of America was a one-year-old business already on the brink of failure. Its president, Mino Arakawa, was stuck with two thousand unsold arcade cabinets for a dud of a game (Radar Scope). So he hatched a plan.

Back in Japan, a boyish, shaggy-haired staff artist named Shigeru Miyamoto designed a new game for the unsold cabinets featur­ing an angry gorilla and a small jumping man. Donkey Kong brought in $180 million in its first year alone and launched the career of a short, chubby plumber named Mario.

Since then, Mario has starred in over two hundred games, gen­erating profits in the billions. He is more recognizable than Mickey Mouse, yet he’s little more than a mustache in bib overalls. How did a mere smear of pixels gain such huge popularity?

Super Mario tells the story behind the Nintendo games millions of us grew up with, explaining how a Japanese trading card company rose to dominate the fiercely competitive video-game industry.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER

“The stories in this book make for a fascinating and remarkably complete pantheon of just about every common despair and every joy related to game development.” — Rami Ismail, cofounder of Vlambeer and developer of Nuclear Throne

Developing video games—hero's journey or fool's errand? The creative and technical logistics that go into building today's hottest games can be more harrowing and complex than the games themselves, often seeming like an endless maze or a bottomless abyss. In Blood, Sweat, and Pixels, Jason Schreier takes readers on a fascinating odyssey behind the scenes of video game development, where the creator may be a team of 600 overworked underdogs or a solitary geek genius. Exploring the artistic challenges, technical impossibilities, marketplace demands, and Donkey Kong-sized monkey wrenches thrown into the works by corporate, Blood, Sweat, and Pixels reveals how bringing any game to completion is more than Sisyphean—it's nothing short of miraculous.

Taking some of the most popular, bestselling recent games, Schreier immerses readers in the hellfire of the development process, whether it's RPG studio Bioware's challenge to beat an impossible schedule and overcome countless technical nightmares to build Dragon Age: Inquisition; indie developer Eric Barone's single-handed efforts to grow country-life RPG Stardew Valley from one man's vision into a multi-million-dollar franchise; or Bungie spinning out from their corporate overlords at Microsoft to create Destiny, a brand new universe that they hoped would become as iconic as Star Wars and Lord of the Rings—even as it nearly ripped their studio apart.

Documenting the round-the-clock crunches, buggy-eyed burnout, and last-minute saves, Blood, Sweat, and Pixels is a journey through development hell—and ultimately a tribute to the dedicated diehards and unsung heroes who scale mountains of obstacles in their quests to create the best games imaginable.

Now a documentary on CBS All Access. 

Following the success of The Accidental Billionaires and Moneyball comes Console Wars—a mesmerizing, behind-the-scenes business thriller that chronicles how Sega, a small, scrappy gaming company led by an unlikely visionary and a team of rebels, took on the juggernaut Nintendo and revolutionized the video game industry. 
 

In 1990, Nintendo had a virtual monopoly on the video game industry. Sega, on the other hand, was just a faltering arcade company with big aspirations and even bigger personalities. But that would all change with the arrival of Tom Kalinske, a man who knew nothing about videogames and everything about fighting uphill battles. His unconventional tactics, combined with the blood, sweat and bold ideas of his renegade employees, transformed Sega and eventually led to a ruthless David-and-Goliath showdown with rival Nintendo.

The battle was vicious, relentless, and highly profitable, eventually sparking a global corporate war that would be fought on several fronts: from living rooms and schoolyards to boardrooms and Congress. It was a once-in-a-lifetime, no-holds-barred conflict that pitted brother against brother, kid against adult, Sonic against Mario, and the US against Japan.

Based on over two hundred interviews with former Sega and Nintendo employees, Console Wars is the underdog tale of how Kalinske miraculously turned an industry punchline into a market leader. It’s the story of how a humble family man, with an extraordinary imagination and a gift for turning problems into competitive advantages, inspired a team of underdogs to slay a giant and, as a result, birth a $60 billion dollar industry.

A best book of the year: NPR, Slate, Publishers Weekly, Goodreads

The Last of Us meets The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes in this stand-alone dystopian romance about survival, sacrifice, and love that risks everything.

By encouraging massive accumulations of debt from its underclass, a single corporation, Caerus, controls all aspects of society.

Inesa lives with her brother in a half-sunken town where they scrape by running a taxidermy shop. Unbeknownst to Inesa, their cruel and indolent mother has accrued an enormous debt—enough to qualify one of her children for Caerus’s livestreamed assassination spectacle: the Lamb’s Gauntlet.

Melinoë is a Caerus assassin, trained to track and kill the sacrificial Lambs. The product of neural reconditioning and physiological alteration, she is a living weapon, known for her cold brutality and deadly beauty. She has never failed to assassinate one of her marks.

When Inesa learns that her mother has offered her as a sacrifice, at first she despairs—the Gauntlet is always a bloodbath for the impoverished debtors. But she’s had years of practice surviving in the apocalyptic wastes, and with the help of her hunter brother she might stand a chance of staying alive.

For Melinoë, this is a game she can’t afford to lose. Despite her reputation for mercilessness, she is haunted by painful flashbacks. After her last Gauntlet, where she broke down on livestream, she desperately needs redemption.

As Mel pursues Inesa across the wasteland, both girls begin to question everything: Inesa wonders if there’s more to life than survival, while Mel wonders if she’s capable of more than killing.

And both wonder if, against all odds, they might be falling in love. 

Fans of Rachael Lippincott, Elise Bryant, and Dahlia Adler will love this joyful debut novel, a sapphic enemies-to-lovers romance between a hotheaded hockey player and the ice princess at the figure skating rink next door.

Charlie Porter is a force to be reckoned with, both on and off the hockey rink. When she accidentally starts a brawl after a game, she’s suspended from school, meaning no hockey this season—and no chance to play in front of college scouts.

Alexa Goldstein’s pairs skating partner was hurt in the fight, and with only four months until their next competition, pickings for a replacement are slim. So she strikes a deal with Charlie—skate with her at the competition well enough to place, and her Olympian mother will use her formidable connections to get Charlie in front of scouts at D-1 schools, even without her team.

It seems impossible, and not just because Charlie has never figure skated before. Where Charlie is powerful, Alexa is elegant; where Charlie is quick to blow up, Alexa is cold as ice. But as the frostiness between them starts to thaw, they begin to wonder if they’ve found a partner for more than just skating.

“Clever and intricate, with sizzling chemistry both on and off the ice. Charlie is a brash, endearing heroine who finds the perfect foil in ice queen Alexa.” —Kelly Quindlen, bestselling author of She Drives Me Crazy  

"With characters who are easy to root for, nail-biting competitions, and a gorgeous slow-burn romance, Carli J. Corson has written a book deserving of a gold medal. Grab your skates and swish on over to the bookstore to get It's a Love/Skate Relationship!" —Jason June, New York Times bestselling author

"Fiercely competitive and fantastically fun, It's a Love/Skate Relationship has enough sparks in its enemies-to-lovers romance to melt an entire ice rink. A definite winner of a sports romance, with high marks for great banter and a delightful cast!" —Dahlia Adler, award-winning author of Home Field Advantage

"This is the sapphic skating story I’ve been waiting for! Corson beautifully tackles the raw emotions and chaos of teen life with humor, compassion, and charm. It's a Love/Skate Relationship shows the power of teaming up to win gold and the magic of winning each other’s hearts along the way." —Jenna Miller, author of We Got the Beat

“An utterly charming rom-com bursting at the seams with heart and humor. You’ll be rooting for Charlie and Alexa—on and off the ice—from the very first page.” —Alex Crespo, author of Saint Juniper's Folly and Queerceañera 

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Two teen girls fall in love and fight for survival in an abandoned bookstore weeks before another cataclysmic storm threatens to bring about the end of the world in this unforgettable YA debut. Perfect for fans of Station Eleven and The Last of Us.

“A thoroughly original, intimate, and sometimes harrowing meditation on survival, forgiveness, and learning how to love again at the almost end of the world.”—Nicola Yoon, #1 New York Times bestselling author

The world is about to end. Again.

Ever since the first Storm wreaked havoc on civilization as we know it, seventeen-year-old Liz Flannery has been holed up in an abandoned bookstore in suburban New Jersey where she used to work, trading books for supplies with the few remaining survivors. It’s the one place left that feels safe to her.

Until she learns that another earth-shattering Storm is coming . . . and everything changes.

Enter Maeve, a prickly and potentially dangerous out-of-towner who breaks into the bookstore looking for shelter one night. Though the two girls are immediately at odds, Maeve has what Liz needs—the skills to repair the dilapidated store before the next climate disaster strikes—and Liz reluctantly agrees to let her stay.

As the girls grow closer and undeniable feelings spring up between them, they realize that they face greater threats than the impending Storm. And when Maeve’s secrets and Liz’s inner demons come back to haunt them both, they find themselves fighting for their lives as their world crumbles around them.

“A hauntingly beautiful story of love, loss, and the raw fight for survival.” —Jarrod Shusterman, New York Times bestselling author of Dry

“Hopeful, thrilling, and twisty…the snarky sapphic dystopian of our dreams.” —Jennifer Dugan, author of Some Girls Do

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Rediscover the worlds of Emberfall and Syhl Shallow in this irresistible return to Brigid Kemmerer's New York Times bestselling Cursebreakers series.
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The King's Courier Tycho has made a treacherous bargain. Now beholden to the magical scraver who saved King Grey's life, one false move could end everything.

Jax escaped his life in Briarlock and traveled with Tycho to Emberfall. But life outside his small village brings unexpected challenges – and unlikely adversaries.

After years of hating the royal family and their magic, Callyn never expected to be at the Queen's side, with magic at her fingertips. But at the royal court, she can't trust anyone – including the man she thought she loved.

Cast apart, Tycho, Jax, and Callyn must learn to wield the magic that is dividing their kingdom. As the magical scravers attack from the north and the king's rivals gain strength, time is running out.

War is looming. Love is tested. And magic could be the only answer ...

An undeniably fierce, unforgettably funny, unapologetically queer feminist romp through the England of medieval legend. Bestselling and acclaimed authors Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner bring readers along on an epic quest for valor, freedom, and, above all, love. A Knight’s Tale meets the Lady Jane series, with a dash of The Great!

Gwen is sick of hiding—hiding the fact that she’s taken over her father’s blacksmithing duties, hiding her attraction to girls, hiding her yearning for glory as a knight.

Meanwhile, Lady Isobelle of Avington, queen bee of the castle, has never once considered hiding who she is—until now. She’s been chosen as the grand prize in the Tournament of Dragonslayers, to be given to whichever knight can claim her hand. And for the first time in her life, she can’t talk her way out of trouble.

When Isobelle discovers Gwen’s knightly ambitions, they hatch a scheme together—Gwen will joust in the tournament, disguised as Sir Gawain. Winning means freedom for Isobelle, and glory for Gwen. Losing means… well, let’s not go there.

One thing’s for sure: Falling in love was never the plan.

But the best laid plans…are often trampled all over by dragons.

"A sapphic delight, full of jousts, jaunts, and courtly love. Lady's Knight sparkles with wit and charm and has lady knights to swoon over. Kaufman and Spooner will leave you breathless." —C. S. Pacat, New York Times bestselling author of Dark Rise

“Kaufman and Spooner are auto-buy authors for me, always guaranteed to get my heart pumping with their page-turning romance and high-stakes adventure.” —New York Times bestselling author Susan Dennard

"There are a lot of damsels in Lady's Knight, but none of them need a man to fix their problems. (Men seem to be the source of the problems, in fact.) Wholesome, heartfelt, and more fun than cheesecake on a stick, Kaufman and Spooner's latest book is all about women's work. You know, jousting, dragonslaying, and saving the kingdom—all while looking fabulous." —Jodi Meadows, coauthor of the New York Times bestselling novels My Lady Jane and My Plain Jane

“Clever, funny, thrilling, and romantic—Lady’s Knight will inspire readers to take up their swords to fight dragons and the patriarchy. Perfect for fans of A Knight’s Tale and anyone who loves a romantasy with wit, charm, and the occasional comedic fourth wall break.” —F. T. Lukens, New York Times bestselling author of So This Is Ever After

"You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll be ready to fight any dragon after reading this delightful tale full of swoony romance, heart-racing action, and the very best banter in the realm!" —Beth Revis, New York Times bestselling coauthor of Night of the Witch

"Writing that is above all else marvelously warm and at the same time witty, adventure and romance that will sweep you off your feet—a double sweep, and a triumph!" —Sarah Rees Brennan, #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of Long Live Evil

"Sparkles with wit and romance! So many quotable lines. Not to mention the sexiest gown-lacing scene in modern literature. Like its characters, Lady's Knight is endlessly clever and resourceful." —Ellen Kushner, award-winning author of Swordspoint

From acclaimed author Edward Underhill comes a trans rom-com about serendipity, chance encounter, and the ultimate missed connection. This joyful celebration of queer love and found family is perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli, Emery Lee, and Julian Winters.

Arden isn’t excited about moving. Los Angeles was an easy place to fit in and find a supportive queer community. But Winifred, Michigan? That sounds like a much more difficult place to exist.

Pasadena, California, is the perfect city for Gabe’s reinvention. Everyone knew everything about him in small-town Shelby, Illinois. Gabe, who wants to be out and proud, can’t wait to relocate.

When Arden and Gabe randomly meet in the lobby of a motel in Nebraska, it feels like fate. Both are trans, but more importantly, both are huge fans of the band Damaged Pixie Dream Boi. Clearly, the universe is trying to tell them something. Right?

But after an incredible evening of hanging out, the pair part ways only knowing the other’s first name. And as both boys struggle to adjust to their new homes, their thoughts keep being drawn back to their time together. Is one perfect night enough to bring Arden and Gabe back to each other, or will the boys need some help to find each other again? 

In this emotional novel in verse by the Stonewall Award–winning author of The Black Flamingo, a queer biracial teen confronts issues of race, privilege, class, and sexuality on his journey to falling in love.

Kai knows who he is to others: The good grandson, the reliable best friend, the romantic backup. But he doesn’t quite know who he is to himself.

Kai wants to come out at school, but his best friend there, Matt, stays closeted for fear of getting kicked out by his conservative parents—and wants Kai to do the same. Kai unhappily agrees, but when a rumor goes around that Kai and Matt are dating, Matt starts acting differently anyway.

Kai’s other best friend, Vass, is proudly nonbinary and thinks Matt is a negative influence—though maybe that’s just their crush on Kai talking. Kai has always turned to writing to express his emotions, but when his on-page emotions erupt into the real world, he might just be putting the delicate balance of his life at risk.

Told with Dean Atta’s signature lyricism and candor, this deeply feeling story explores the complexities of crushes, navigating identity, and coming out.

dear Knucklehead,

perhaps you are like me:

always figuring out if your soul and your skin

are thick enough to protect your body from sticky stones

thrown from the mouths of those who know

that spoken words have the power to spit out freedom

and break-in bones. 

While society often assigns the label “knucklehead” to kids with attitude problems, this brilliant and electric poetry collection by spoken word poet and hip-hop educator Tony Keith Jr. subverts that narrow way of thinking and empathizes with young people who are misunderstood and unheard.

There are poems about the power of language to transcend the racist and homophobic constructs of a society prejudging Black boys. There are poems that serve as a salve for a world that inflicts hurt, poems that offer a beacon of hope for the curious and questioning, and poems that transform the way people love Black gay boys and men.

This is a journey of self-discovery through history, family, friendship, and falling in love. Knucklehead is a breathtaking work, full of black-and-white illustrations and unforgettable poetry that will heal, provoke, and inspire.

Perfect for fans of Raybearer and Fourth Wing, this astonishing sequel to the bestselling novel So Let Them Burn doesn't hold back. After all, there are no easy endings in war—especially when sisters are forced to fight on opposite sides.
 
Faron Vincent was once the saint of San Irie. Now, she’s done the unthinkable: betrayed her country. Alone, disgraced, and kidnapped, Faron is forced to help Iya grow his bloody empire. With her soul bonded to a ruthless killer, Faron has become an enemy to her people… and she fears they might be right.
 
Elara Vincent—the new Empyrean—must undo the damage her sister has caused. San Irie has been brought back to the brink of war as Iya proclaims that no nation will be safe from his brutal invasion. But how can Elara save her sister, her best friend, her country, and her world when she’s already cracking under the pressure?
 
This heart-pounding conclusion to the Divine Traitors duology pushes these unforgettable heroines to their breaking point and beyond. Because when the lines between hero and villain are blurred, deadly sacrifices must be made.

"Both a brilliant sequel and an epic finale, This Ends in Embers is a gut punch of a novel that will stay with you long after its ending. Cole balances breathtakingly high stakes with poignant character moments to craft a narrative so passionate it will burn a path straight to your heart." —Chelsea Abdullah, award-winning author of The Stardust Thief
 

Perfect for fans of Angie Thomas and Jason Reynolds, this highly anticipated sequel to Lambda Literary Award finalist Pritty finds Jay and Leroy togetha again as they fight to save not only their home but themselves from the powerful Bainbridge family’s treacherous endgame to retake Savannah for themselves, no matter the cost.

After finally reuniting, Jay and Leroy have never been in more danger. Caught in the crosshairs of the affluent Bainbridge family, who they’ve learned is determined to reshape Savannah in their own image, the duo has only just survived a series of near-death experiences before reaching the safety of the Black Diamonds. But the BDs’ ability to protect the Black neighborhoods of their city is slipping….

Missing the key piece of evidence that could have broken the Bainbridges’ hold over Savannah, everyone is scrambling for options. But when one of their own is kidnapped, Jay and Leroy realize they can’t rely on anyone but themselves to save them. Recruiting old friends, former enemies, and their most risky ally, Jay’s once-upon-a-time crush, Will, they set out to do the impossible: find the evidence they lost in order to finally expose the Bainbridges’ corruption to the world, by any means necessary.

But even as their plans bring them closer to revealing the Bainbridges’ treacherous endgame, Jay and Leroy’s own secrets from each other threaten to pull their love apart, just as old feelings between Jay and Will begin to blossom again. And as the battle for a brighter future boils over into the streets, to save their homes—and everyone they love—Jay, Leroy, and Will must decide: When the cost of justice might be each of their happiness, will they be able to make the sacrifice togetha? 

An enthralling, dishy novel about ambition, sexuality, and the rise of a capitalist empire in post-Gilded Age New York.

“Hernan Diaz's Trust but make it gay? Narrated in the sly-eyed style of Plain Bad Heroines? I am absolutely buying what this book is selling, an epic and intimate tale of three secretly queer aspiring business titans who band together-and in the case of two of them, marry-to build an empire.” -Electric Literature, Most Anticipated Queer Books for Spring 2025

At the turn of the 20th century, Vivian Lesperance is determined to flee her hometown of Utica, New York, and live a life worthy of the society pages she writes for. When she meets Oscar Schmidt, a queer middle manager at a soap company, Vivian finds a partner she can guide to build the life she wants--not least because Oscar will leave Vivian to tend to her own romances with women.

But Vivian's plans require capital, so they approach Oscar's old-money rival, Squire Clancey. Together they found Clancey & Schmidt, a preeminent manufacturer of soap, perfume, and candles. When Oscar and Squire fall in love, the trio form a new kind of partnership.

Vivian reaches the pinnacle of her power building Clancey & Schmidt into an empire of personal care products while operating behind the image of both men. But exposure threatens, and all three partners are made aware of how much they have to lose.

For people who loved The Gilded Age and fans of Succession “who wished the show was both kinder and gayer” (Jessie Wright, Copper Dog Books), Mutual Interest is a brilliant, beguiling story of desire and power.

A “one-sitting-read" (Laurie Frankel, New York Times bestselling author) about two very different sisters, and a love letter to childhood, growing up, and the power of imagination—from the bestselling author of Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead and Interesting Facts About Space.

Sigrid hates working at the Dollar Pal but having always resisted the idea of growing up into the trappings of adulthood, she did not graduate high school, preferring to roam the streets of her small town with her best friend Greta, the only person in the world who ever understood her. Her older sister Margit is baffled and frustrated by Sigrid’s inability to conform to the expectations of polite society.

But Sigrid’s detachment veils a deeper turmoil and sensitivity. She’s haunted by the pains of her past—from pretending her parents were swamp monsters when they shook the floorboards with their violent arguments to grappling with losing Greta’s friendship to the opioid epidemic ravaging their town. As Margit sets out to understand Sigrid and the secrets she has hidden, both sisters, in their own time and way, discover that reigniting their shared childhood imagination is the only way forward.

“A must read” (Haley Jakobson, New York Times Editor’s Choice author), We Could Be Rats is an unforgettable story of two sisters finding their way back to each other, and a celebration of that transcendent, unshakable bond.

An Autostraddle and Electric Literature Most Anticipated Queer Book

“We’re calling it… Lotte Jeffs’ novel is the new One Day.” —Sunday Times Style Magazine

An utterly charming and modern debut novel spanning ten years of extraordinary friendship, about soulmates, unconventional families, and the limitless, ever-changing forms love can take.

When Mae and Ari meet outside a crowded gay bar during their final year of university, their connection is instant, sparking a lifetime friendship. Stubborn and no stranger to breaking hearts, Mae needs Ari's bright light to guide her out of her self-centered ways. Reeling from a scandal in New York, vibrant, charming Ari sees Mae as an anchor keeping him grounded.

Though they are young, ambitious, and queer, both Mae and Ari secretly daydream about settling down somewhere with a garden, children, and dogs, building a life that feels like home. They make a pact: somehow, some day, they will have a child together.

In the decades that follow, Ari and Mae realize that fulfilling their promise will not be as simple as they once hoped. Navigating toxic partners and hidden secrets, combatting the heavy weight of grief, and relishing the spoils of flashy media careers, the two struggle to reconcile their ever-diverging paths. Although nothing goes quite to plan, Ari and Mae—alongside their dearest friends and lovers—come to realize that the messy, devoted, tight-knit family they could build together might be better than anything they could have ever imagined.

Page-turning, emotionally evocative, and bursting with wit and charm, This Love is a testament to the power of friendship and a love letter to family—however it’s formed.

REESE’S BOOK CLUB PICK!
“This story swept me away with its big dreams, love, and unexpected twists.” —Reese Witherspoon (Reese’s Book Club January ’25 Pick)

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo meets First Lie Wins in this electric, voice-driven debut novel about an elusive bestselling author who decides to finally confess her true identity after years of hiding from her past. 

Cate Kay knows how to craft a story. As the creator of a bestselling book trilogy that struck box office gold as a film series, she’s one of the most successful authors of her generation. The thing is, Cate Kay doesn’t really exist. She’s never attended author events or granted any interviews. Her real identity had been a closely guarded secret, until now.

As a young adult, she and her best friend Amanda dreamed of escaping their difficult homes and moving to California to become movie stars. But the day before their grand adventure, a tragedy shattered their dreams and Cate has been on the run ever since, taking on different names and charting a new future. But after a shocking revelation, Cate understands that returning home is the only way she’ll be a whole person again.

A Sunday Times (London) bestseller. Named a Most Anticipated Book by Vogue, Vulture, and ELLE UK.

"Uncommonly wise and honest. Love in Exile flooded me with a sense of continuity and hope. A masterpiece from start to finish." —Maggie Nelson, author of Like Love

"Should be required reading for anyone who wants to join a dating app, love ethically, or experience true partnership with other humans." —Melissa Febos, author of Girlhood and The Dry Season

A disarmingly wry treatise-cum-memoir on love in a lonely age by a celebrated thinker and columnist for Vogue.

Love is supposedly attainable for us all. But for most people, especially women, success with “love”—the yardstick we use to measure our value across romance, parenthood, sex, religion, and friendship—can feel out of reach, an experience frequently ascribed to a personal failing. This sense of unworthiness is, according to Shon Faye, “a form of exile: an intentional, punitive banishment that serves political ends.” Faye, a trans woman in her thirties, has felt isolated from love for as long as she can remember. So after the devastation of her first heartbreak, she figured it was time to find out why.

The subsequent investigation, Love in Exile, boldly reframes love’s elusiveness as a collective question. Conversationally frank and intellectually ambitious, these eight voice-driven essays unpack the norms governing love in our time with the insight of a shrewd outsider. Here, Faye examines her breakups with cis men alongside lessons from Lana Del Rey and Alain de Botton, explores the lovelessness that fueled her time as an addict, tackles the relationship between feminine self-worth and motherhood, and finally attempts to discover genuine self-acceptance.

The result is a dive into universal, deeply felt questions about love, reframed through a radical, revolutionary perspective. Written with the humor and rigor that made Faye an internationally bestselling writer, Love in Exile is a thrilling reckoning with love in our time.

A USA TODAY BESTSELLER

A coven of trans witches battles an evil AI in the magical coming-of-middle-age romp about love, loss, drag shows, and late capitalism. ​

On a morning much like any other, 30-something queer Brooklynite Wilder makes a miraculous discovery: suddenly, as if by magic, they can understand every language in the world. Dazed and disconnected, Wilder is found and taken in by a small coven of trans witches who have all become Awakened with mystical powers of their own. Quibble, a handsome portal traveler, Artemis, the group’s caretaker and seer, and Mary Margaret, a smart-ass teen with telekinetic powers all work to make the cagey and suspicious Wilder feel at home, both within their group and with the knowledge that magic is, in fact, real.   

Just as Wilder is finding their footing, a malicious AI threatens to dismantle the delicate balance of the coven and the world as they know it. The group scrambles to stay united as they question whether any consciousness—be it artificial, material, or magical—is too dangerous to exist.

Awakened is a hilarious, thought-provoking reflection on the ways that we are responsible for creating our own realities, a story of finding community, and a meditation on what it means to have a body.
 

A stunning debut novel from the acclaimed young Irish poet Seán Hewitt, reminiscent of Garth Greenwell and Justin Torres in the intensity of its evocation of sexual awakening

Set in a remote village in the north of England, Open, Heaven unfolds over the course of one year in which two teenage boys meet and transform each other’s lives.

James—a sheltered, shy sixteen-year-old—is alone in his newly discovered sexuality, full of an unruly desire but entirely inexperienced. As he is beginning to understand himself and his longings, he also realizes how his feelings threaten to separate him from his family and the rural community he has grown up in. He dreams of another life, fantasizing about what lies beyond the village’s leaf-ribboned boundaries, beyond his reach: autonomy, tenderness, sex. Then, in the autumn of 2002, he meets Luke, a slightly older boy, handsome, unkempt, who comes with a reputation for danger. Abandoned by his parents—his father imprisoned, and his mother having moved to France for another man—Luke has been sent to live with his aunt and uncle on their farm just outside the village. James is immediately drawn to him "like the pull a fire makes on the air, dragging things into it and blazing them into its hot, white centre," drawn to this boy who is beautiful and impulsive, charismatic, troubled. But underneath Luke’s bravado is a deep wound—a longing for the love of his father and for the stability of family life.

Open, Heaven is a novel about desire, yearning, and the terror of first love. With the striking economy and lyricism that animate his work as a poet, Hewitt has written a mesmerizing hymn to boyhood, sensuality, and love in all its forms. A truly exceptional debut.

"The banter zings. The steam rises off the pages and the chemistry is sapphic rom-com perfection. These two not only steal each other’s hearts. They’ll steal yours too! Jasmine Guillory delivers one of your favorite books of the year!"—Kennedy Ryan, New York Times bestselling author of This Could Be Us

A captivating and sizzling new sapphic romance by New York Times bestselling author Jasmine Guillory.

Avery Jensen is almost thirty, fresh off a breakup, and she’s tired of always being so uptight and well-behaved. She wants to get a hobby, date around (especially women), flirt with everyone she sees, wear something not from the business casual section of her closet—all the fun stuff normal people do in their twenties. One problem: Avery doesn't know where to start. She doesn't have a lot of dating experience, with men or women, and despite being self-assured at work, she doesn't have a lot of confidence when it comes to romance.

Enter Taylor Cameron, Napa Valley's biggest flirt and champion heartbreaker. Taylor just broke up with her most recent girlfriend, and her best friend bet her that she can't make it until Labor Day without sleeping with someone. (Two whole months? Without sex? Taylor?!?!) So, she offers to give Avery flirting lessons. It should keep her busy and stop her from texting people she shouldn't. And it might take her mind off how inadequate she feels compared to her friends, who all seem much more settled and adult than Taylor.

At first, Avery is stiff and nervous, but Taylor is patient and encouraging, and soon, Avery looks forward to their weekly lessons. With Taylor’s help, Avery finally has the life she always wanted. The only issue is: now she wants Taylor. Their attraction becomes impossible to ignore, despite them both insisting to themselves and everyone else that it isn't serious. When Taylor is forced to confront her feelings for Avery, she doesn't know what to do—and most importantly, if she's already ruined the best thing she's ever had.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Mostly Dead Things, a sparkling and funny new novel of entertainment, ambition, art, and love.

A TODAY SHOW SPRING PICK

"Sweet, sexy, sad, articulate, and funny." - Vogue
"As much heart, humor, and gritty realness as can fit between two covers." - People
"A funny and heartfelt tale of one woman grappling with grief, love and how to move forward.” - New York Times

Cherry Hendricks might be down on her luck, but she can write the book on what makes something funny: she’s a professional clown who creates raucous, zany fun at gigs all over Orlando. Between her clowning and her shifts at an aquarium store for extra cash, she’s always hustling. Not to mention balancing her judgmental mother, her messy love life, and her equally messy community of fellow performers.

Things start looking up when Cherry meets Margot the Magnificent—a much older lesbian magician—who seems to have worked out the lines between art, business, and life, and has a slick, successful career to prove it. With Margot’s mentorship and industry connections, Cherry is sure to take her art to the next level. Plus, Margot is sexy as hell. It’s not long before Cherry must decide how much she’s willing to risk for Margot and for her own explosive new act—and what kind of clown she wants to be under her suit. 

Equal parts bravado, tenderness, and humor, and bursting with misfits, magicians, musicians, and mimes, Stop Me If You've Heard This One is a masterpiece of comedic fiction that asks big questions about art and performance, friendship and community, and the importance of timing in jokes and in life.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • “This inventive, boundary-pushing follow-up to Detransition, Baby . . . [takes] on gender, transness and lives on the margins in all of their gorgeously complicated glory.”—People

“Hot, heartbreaking, and thrillingly victorious.”—Miranda July, New York Times bestselling author of All Fours

NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW EDITORS’ CHOICE • A VULTURE BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR (SO FAR)

In this collection of one novel and three stories, bestselling author Torrey Peters’s keen eye for the rough edges of community and desire push the limits of trans writing.

In Stag Dance, the titular novel, a group of restless lumberjacks working in an illegal winter logging outfit plan a dance that some of them will volunteer to attend as women. When the broadest, strongest, plainest of the axmen announces his intention to dance as a woman, he finds himself caught in a strange rivalry with a pretty young jack, provoking a cascade of obsession, jealousy, and betrayal that will culminate on the big night in an astonishing vision of gender and transition.

Three startling stories surround Stag Dance: “Infect Your Friends and Loved Ones” imagines a gender apocalypse brought about by an unstable ex-girlfriend. In “The Chaser,” a secret romance between roommates at a Quaker boarding school brings out intrigue and cruelty. In the last story, “The Masker,” a party weekend on the Las Vegas strip turns dark when a young crossdresser must choose between two guides: a handsome mystery man who objectifies her in thrilling ways, or a cynical veteran trans woman offering unglamorous sisterhood.

Acidly funny and breathtaking in its scope, with the inventive audacity of George Saunders or Jennifer Egan, Stag Dance provokes, unsettles, and delights.

Cloud Puppy—part puppy, part cloud, and all adorable—explores the immersive world of video games with her friends in this second book in a delightful graphic chapter book series that’s Narwhal and Jelly meets The Amazing World of Gumball!

Cloud Puppy loves playing Valley of Runes, a cozy farming video game. But when Jack says that his favorite games are better, Cloud Puppy begins to feel badly about the things that she likes…until she learns that Jack has never even played Valley of Runes!

Cloud Puppy challenges her picky pal to a trade to share their favorite games. But Jack has other plans: he thinks it will be fun to surprise Cloud Puppy with a scary simulator. But it’s his first time playing it, too, and it’s more frightening than he thought! Can the friends find a game they both enjoy without getting too spooked?

Frank and Joe are on a mission to track down a thief in the first book in an all-new, interactive Hardy Boys chapter book mystery series. Includes space for readers to jot down their own ideas and solutions to the case!

Bayport Elementary is throwing a fundraiser so they can go on an end-of-the-year trip. Ellie Freeman’s parents have volunteered their house for the event, and neighbors have donated all sorts of prizes to be raffled off including movie tickets and gift certificates to Fun World. But the best prize of all is a brand-new ZCross50000, a video game system that every kid has been drooling over.

But sometime during the event, the ZCross goes missing. Can Frank and Jo figure out who took the prize before it’s too late to save the big school trip?

Can you escape from what James Patterson calls “the coolest library in the world”? Follow along and solve the clues in this interactive adventure! From the co-author of Murdle Jr.: Sleuths on the Loose…

“A worthy successor to the original madman puzzle-master himself, Willy Wonka.” —Booklist, starred review 

When Kyle Keeley learns that the world’s most famous game maker, Luigi Lemoncello, has designed the town’s new library and is having an invitation-only lock-in on opening night, he’s determined to be there! But the tricky part isn’t getting into the library—it’s getting out. Because when morning comes, the doors stay locked. Kyle and the other kids must catch every clue and solve every puzzle to find the hidden escape route!

Get ready to solve the mystery at the heart of this captivating new middle grade adventure about family—and a house with a mind of its own—from the award-winning author of Game of Fox & Squirrels and Every Bird a Prince, Jenn Reese. 

Twelve-year-old Perigee has never met a problem they couldn’t solve. So when their Dad’s spirits need raising, Perigee formulates the Plan: a road trip to Dad’s childhood home to reunite him with his estranged mother. There's something in it for Perigee, too, as they will finally get to visit “Eklunds' Puzzle House,” the mysterious bed & breakfast their grandparents built but never opened.

They arrive ahead of a massive storm and the House immediately puts Perigee’s logical, science-loving mind to the test. Corridors shift. Strange paintings lurk in the shadows. Encoded messages abound. Despite Perigee’s best efforts, neither the House nor Grandma will give up their secrets. And worse, prickly Grandma has outlawed games and riddles of any kind.

Even the greatest of plans can crumble, and as new arguments fill the air, the House becomes truly dangerous. Deadly puzzles pop up at every turn, knives spin in the hallways, and staircases disappear. The answer lies at the heart of the House, but in order to find it, Perigee and their new friend Lily will need to solve a long-lost, decades-old riddle... if the House itself doesn’t stop them first.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • This official Minecraft novel is an action-packed thriller! When a new virtual-reality version of the game brings her dreams—and doubts—to life, one player must face her fears.

Bianca has never been good at following the plan. She’s more of an act-now, deal-with-the-consequences-later kind of person. But consequences can’t be put off forever, as Bianca learns when she and her best friend, Lonnie, are in a terrible car crash.

Waking up in the hospital, almost paralyzed by her injuries, Bianca is faced with questions she’s not equipped to answer. She chooses instead to try a new virtual-reality version of Minecraft that responds to her every wish, giving her control over a world at the very moment she thought she’d lost it. As she explores this new realm, she encounters a mute, glitching avatar she believes to be Lonnie. Bianca teams up with Esme and Anton, two kids who are also playing on the hospital server, to save her friend.

But the road to recovery isn’t without its own dangers. The kids are swarmed by mobs seemingly generated by their fears and insecurities, and now Bianca must deal with the uncertainties that have been plaguing her: Is Lonnie really in the game? And can Bianca help him return to reality?

From National Book Award finalist and Printz Award winner Laura Ruby comes an epic alternate history series about three kids who try to solve the greatest mystery of the modern world: a puzzle and treasure hunt laid into the very streets and buildings of New York City.

It was 1798 when the Morningstarr twins arrived in New York with a vision for a magnificent city: towering skyscrapers, dazzling machines, and winding train lines, all running on technology no one had ever seen before.

Fifty-seven years later, the enigmatic architects disappeared, leaving behind for the people of New York the Old York Cipher—a puzzle laid into the shining city they constructed, at the end of which was promised a treasure beyond all imagining. By the present day, however, the puzzle has never been solved, and the greatest mystery of the modern world is little more than a tourist attraction.

Tess and Theo Biedermann and their friend Jaime Cruz live in a Morningstarr apartment—until a real estate developer announces that the city has agreed to sell him the five remaining Morningstarr buildings. Their likely destruction means the end of a dream long held by the people of New York.

And if Tess, Theo, and Jaime want to save their home, they have to prove that the Old York Cipher is real. Which means they have to solve it.

Can Lawrence figure out how to get on the board, even though the odds are stacked against him?

Nothing’s gone right for Lawrence since he had to move from Charlotte to Larenville, North Carolina, to live with his granny. When Lawrence ends up in one too many fights at his new school, he gets expelled. The fight wasn’t his fault, but since his pop’s been gone, it feels like no one listens to what Lawrence has to say.

Instead of going to school, Lawrence starts spending his days at the rec center, helping out a neighbor who runs a chess program. Some of the kids in the program will be picked to compete in the Charlotte Classic chess tournament. Could this be Lawrence's chance to go home?

Lawrence doesn’t know anything about chess, but something about the center—and the kids there—feels right. Lawrence thought the game was over . . . but does he have more moves left than he thought?

At DJ’s old school, he was the go-to guy for all kinds of tricky problems that needed creative solutions. But at his new school, Ella Fitzgerald Middle, he’s just trying to blend in.

Well, he was, anyway, until his best friend, Conor, got himself transferred to the Fitz too. Now Conor owes 100,000 arcade tickets to the biggest bully around―and he only has two weeks to make it happen. Impossible? Not with DJ’s head in the game.

New York Times bestselling author Kami Garcia has returned with a middle grade graphic novel about the struggles of a game-loving girl who gets diagnosed with dyslexia and her loving support network that help her along in the journey.

Stella knows fifth grade will be the best year ever. Her closest friends, Emiko and Latasha, are in her class and they all got the teacher they wanted. Then their favorite television show, Witchlins, announces a new guidebook and an online game!

But when the classwork starts piling up, Stella struggles to stay on top. Why does it take her so long to read? And how can she keep up with friends in the Witchlins game if she can’t get through the text-heavy guidebook? It takes loving teachers and her family to recognize that Stella has a learning difference, and after a dyslexia diagnosis she gets the support and tools she needs to succeed.

Bestselling author Kami Garcia was inspired to write this special book by her daughter’s dyslexia journey; her own neurodivergent experience; and the many students she taught over the years. With subtle design and formatting choices making this story accessible to all readers, Mixed-Up shows that our differences don’t need to separate us.

Mixed-Up has been lettered in Dyslexie to make reading as comfortable as possible for dyslexic readers.

Six competitive cubers face off at the Speed Cubing national championships in this graphic novel that's perfect for fans of Roller Girl and the Last Kids on Earth series.

Despite qualifying for the Speed Cubing National Championships in Las Vegas, twelve-year-old Tyler Goodman and his mom don’t have the money to get him there. That is, until the retailer CubeMania offers him one of their coveted all-expenses-paid sponsorships! But getting to Vegas is just the beginning: There are hundreds of speed cubers from around the country, and each has something to prove. Like Dirk, who's certain he's about to nab his third straight National Championship trophy. Lizzy and Izzy Peterson, twins who crush cubing competitions with the exact same moves and times—until one of them decides to break the mold. Renowned eight-year-old prodigy Eli Newton solved his first puzzle cube at five, yet his dad seems much more excited about the sport and there’s something . . . off about his cubes. And then there’s Miles Oldman, the first American to solve the cube in under 40 seconds, who’s back decades later to set some new records. As Lucky Scramble moves with lightning speed between the stories of these six contestants—plus that of CubeMania’s founder and CEO Victor Chen—puzzle cube devotees and fans of graphic novels alike won’t be able to resist racing through the pages until the very last cube has been solved.

A Kirkus Best Book of the Year (Middle Grade)
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year (Middle Grade)
An ALA Best Graphic Novel for Children

Four adorable dogs are tail-waggingly excited to play their favorite role-playing game in DnDoggos: Get the Party Started, the middle grade graphic novel debut from online comic creator Scout Underhill.

They've picked their characters and favorite dice, and are ready to set off on the adventure their game master Magnus has created for them.

Pickles, a rough and tumble fighter; Tonka, a playful and fun-loving bard; and Zoey, a wise and caring cleric, are given a quest to fetch a magical dog collar from a nearby swamp. But when they triumphantly return, they soon find that the collar isn't the only thing that has gone missing from Tail's Bend. All the squeaky toys in town have disappeared and Squish, the mayor's young son, has set off on his own to find them.

It's up to the Doggos to rescue Squish, track down the missing toys, and save the day!

Growing pains, game-play adventure, and 20-sided dice abound in this new graphic novel series about a middle school Dungeons & Dragons club from an Eisner and Harvey Award-winning cartoonist.

Valeria Winters has an easier time finding trouble than making friends. A fantasy-obsessed nerd with the legendary confidence—and temper—of a Valkyrie, Val promises her mom that things will be different at her new school. “No more fighting!”

As if by fate, she meets the Table Titans right away—Alan, Andrew, and Darius, who run the school’s tabletop gaming club. Finally, Val has found her own adventuring party! And even better . . . a place where she belongs.

So when the future of the club is threatened, Val makes it her personal quest to save the Table Titans. She’ll have to face the fire-breathing wrestling coach and popular girl Kate, who seems out for revenge. Revenge for what? Val has no clue.

As the quest grows more and more complicated, Val wishes she was like her peaceful druid Lulani from the Table Titans' campaign, whose calm voice always prevails. If she loses her cool in real life, Val might lose more than the Table Titans club. She'll have to roll a natural 20 in charisma to keep her new friends together. 

Set in the same universe as the Eisner Award-winning webcomic PvP, Scott Kurtz’s artwork blends zany, fantastical visuals with slice-of-life humor. For fans of fantasy and coming of age stories alike, Table Titans finds humor, heart, and adventure in a tale of friendship and finding your people.

Valentina loves playing video games, and she's really good at them. When a local esports team asks her to join them for an upcoming tournament, she's thrilled. There's just one problem--Valentina has great skills in first-person action games, but winning Kings and Castles relies on teamwork and strategy. During her practice matches, Valentina keeps trying to win the game on her own. But she's quickly overwhelmed and defeated each time. If she wants to win, she can't try to be the hero and take out all of the enemies herself. Will Valentina learn to hold back and work together with her teammates to achieve ultimate victory?

From graphic novel superstar (and high school computer programming teacher) Gene Luen Yang comes a wildly entertaining new series that combines logic puzzles and basic programming instruction with a page-turning mystery plot!

Welcome to Stately Academy, a school which is just crawling with mysteries to be solved! The founder of the school left many clues and puzzles to challenge his enterprising students. Using their wits and their growing prowess with coding, Hopper and her friend Eni are going to solve the mystery of Stately Academy no matter what it takes!

Two best friends in a town taken over by video games have to outsmart digital dinosaurs in the first book in the Arcade World graphic novel chapter book series.

Life in Normal used to be, well, pretty normal. Kids went to school. Kids did their homework and chores after school. And then kids met up at the local arcade, called Arcade World. Arcade World was the weirdest, coolest place. It had a collection of video games that no one had ever heard of, like Dino Trouble or Hot Dog Time.

And no one held more high scores than Travis Better and Journey West. But one day, the video games in Arcade World came alive.

Now, there’s a whole new normal in town—as Normal becomes a dangerous Arcade World.

Join Travis and Journey as they race dinosaurs to school, survive bottomless pit falls, and battle aliens to level up and solve mysteries like what’s going on, who really owns Arcade World, and whether this video game takeover is a glitch or part of a larger, evil plan.

A boogie-down picture book about a shy boy named Manolo who overcomes his fears and insecurities to become part of a new innovative dance style called breaking.

In the 1970s, many said the Bronx was just a pile of rubble, but for a shy kid like Manolo, it was alive with rhythm and music. He grew up with salsa dance parties at home and DJs battling on turntables on the street. Inspired by these new beats and the moves of James Brown, neighborhood boys and girls started dancing with a mix of twists, slides, and shuffles. The rhythm of the Toprock. Drop of the Six-step. Wiggle of the Worm. A new dance style called breaking was on the rise, and Manolo wanted to be a part of it.

This picture book will delight every Spider-Man fan with its vibrant illustrations and heartfelt story about self-discovery.

Miles Morales is captivated by the murals in his neighborhood, bursting with color and life. Each one tells a story about the artist who created it, and as an aspiring artist himself, Miles dreams of making his own one day. 

But Miles isn’t just an artist—he’s Spider-Man! When he makes friends with fellow artist Mr. Arty, Miles learns even more about his passions, his Puerto Rican heritage, and the importance of his neighborhood.

From the best-selling author of the Jumbies series comes a magic-and-mythology-filled novel for 8-12-year-olds that celebrates Afro-Caribbean culture and Black history.

Twelve-year-old Misty and her mother have just moved from Trinidad to Brooklyn, New York, in time for the annual carnival celebrations over Labor Day weekend. Misty has plenty to deal with getting used to living with her cousins Aiden and Brooke in her new surroundings. On top of that, her mom is too busy trying to find a job and her aunts and uncles are too preoccupied with carnival preparations to pay any attention to her. 

Then really strange things begin to happen. A ball of feathers in the basement turns into a creature that squeaks and rolls around. When Misty and her cousins eat pieces of mango anchar, flames shoot out of their mouths. Most disturbing of all, Misty begins to see visions of the future--scary visions that soon come true.

Misty discovers that she and her cousins come from a long line of mokos, people who have special powers meant to help them protect their community. The trio is just learning about their skills when Misty senses something watching her. And then each of the carnival events is disrupted by a different disaster. Some kind of evil force is clearly trying to stop the festivities. But why? And will moko magic be enough to save the day?

The creepy middle grade debut from USA Today bestselling author Amalie Howard in which a girl stays with her grandmother in Trinidad for the summer and discovers that she comes from a long line of powerful witches.

Darika “Rika” Lovelace is in trouble. The kind of trouble that sends her to her grandmother’s estate in Trinidad for the whole summer. But something about the island feels…different. As soon as she steps off the plane, strange things start happening!

Rika meets a group of kids called Minders, who seem to have elemental powers. Even worse, she can sense jumbies lurking in the shadows. Needless to say, she wants a ticket home. But when the Minders let slip that her long-lost mom is in danger, she knows she can’t leave.

Thrust into a magical adventure involving bloodcurdling monsters, a supernatural silk cotton tree, and an endless maze, Rika must defeat the fearsome jumbie king to save her family and new friends. But unless she learns to believe in herself, she’ll never beat him or escape his twisted maze.

The story of a Cuban refugee and her joy in an unexpected encounter that connects her beloved home in Havana with her new home in Atlanta.

Each evening Coqui waits for the familiar cry of the Peanut Man—"¡Mani! Peanuts!”—and watches for him to appear on the street below her window. They always greet each other in their own special way—Coqui tucks her thumbs in her ears and sticks out her tongue at Emilio. And Emilio, to her great amusement, does the same in return. 

One evening, Coqui sadly announces, “Nos vamos.” She tells him that they have to leave Cuba. They are going to the United States. Emilio tries to assure her that she will like many things about los Estados Unidos, especially beisbol, her favorite sport. “But don’t forget your friend Emilio,” he says as he walks away. “¡Nunca!” she calls out through tears. She could never forget him.

Several years pass, she learns wobbly English, and becomes a devoted Atlanta Braves fan. She forgets her beloved Peanut Man. Then one day her father surprises her with the perfect birthday gift—two tickets for a Braves game to see their favorite player Hammerin’ Hank Aaron. As they settle into their seats amid the cheering crowds, Coqui hears a man yelling “Peanuts! Get your peanuts!” The delicious smell of roasted peanuts reaches her and memories of home and Emilio rush into her head.

With luminous illustrations by the award-winning artist Raúl Colón, this story of immigration, of being displaced and finding a connection to home, reminds us how much alike we humans are, regardless of culture, color, or creed.

In this magical middle grade novel, ten-year-old Gabrielle finds out that America isn't the perfect place she imagined when she moves from Haiti to Brooklyn. With the help of a clever witch, Gabrielle becomes the perfect American--but will she lose herself in the process? Perfect for fans of Hurricane Child and Front Desk.

It's 1985 and ten-year-old Gabrielle is excited to be moving from Haiti to America. Unfortunately, her parents won't be able to join her yet and she'll be living in a place called Brooklyn, New York, with relatives she has never met.

She promises her parents that she will behave, but life proves to be difficult in the United States, from learning the language to always feeling like she doesn't fit in to being bullied. So when a witch offers her a chance to speak English perfectly and be "American," she makes the deal.

But soon she realizes how much she has given up by trying to fit in and, along with her two new friends (one of them a talking rat), takes on the witch in an epic battle to try to reverse the spell.

Coupled with Sayada Ramdial’s bright and colorful artwork, Julie and the Mango Tree by Sadé Smith will have readers of all ages giggling—and craving a mango of their own!

Julie loves all kinds of fruit, but mangoes are her absolute favorite. One sticky summer afternoon, Julie goes to the big mango tree in her yard to ask for a snack.

But no matter how nicely she asks or how patient she tries to be, the tree just won’t drop a single sweet, juicy mango! Will Julie ever be able to convince the tree to let her have just a taste of her favorite treat?

An Edgar Award winning middle grade mystery by Adrianna Cuevas—author of the Pura Belpré Honor Book The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez—perfect for fans of Claribel Ortega's The Ghost Squad and Louis Sachar's Holes.

Rafa would rather live in the world of The Forgotten Age, his favorite fantasy role-playing game, than face his father’s increasing restrictions and his mother’s fading presence. But when Rafa and his friends decide to take the game out into the real world and steal their school cafeteria's slushie machine, his dad concocts a punishment Rafa never could’ve imagined—a month working on a ranch in New Mexico, far away from his friends, their game, and his mom’s quesitos in Miami. 

Life at Rancho Espanto isn’t as bad as Rafa initially expected, mostly due to Jennie, a new friend with similarly strong opinions about Cuban and Korean snacks, and Marcus, the veteran barn manager who's not as gruff as he appears. But when Rafa's work at the ranch is inexplicably sabotaged by a man (or a ghost) who may not be what he seems, Rafa and Jennie explore what's behind the strange events at Rancho Espanto—and discover that the greatest mystery may have been with Rafa all along.

Pura Belpré Honor Book for Children's Illustration

Abuelo, the Sea, and Me is a tender, heartwarming picture book that vividly explores intergenerational connections, family history, and the immigrant experience. 

When this grandchild visits her abuelo, he takes her to the ocean. In summer, they kick off their shoes and let the cool waves tickle their toes. In winter, they stand on the cliff and let the sea spray prick their noses and cheeks. No matter the season, hot or cold, their favorite place to spend time together is the beach.

It’s here that Abuelo is able to open up about his youth in Havana, Cuba. As they walk along the sand, he recalls the tastes, sounds, and smells of his childhood. And with his words, Cuba comes alive for his grandchild.

Join the celebration in the kitchen as a family makes their traditional New Year’s soup — and shares the story of how Haitian independence came to be.

Every year, Haitians all over the world ring in the new year by eating a special soup, a tradition dating back to the Haitian Revolution. This year, Ti Gran is teaching Belle how to make the soup — Freedom Soup — just like she was taught when she was a little girl. Together, they dance and clap as they prepare the holiday feast, and Ti Gran tells Belle about the history of the soup, the history of Belle’s family, and the history of Haiti, where Belle’s family is from.

Miguel Rosado wants nothing more than to see and draw the world... or, at least anywhere beyond the four walls of his family’s bodega in Washington Heights. Too bad his mami and papi have him working long hours after school, hoping he’ll appreciate the sacrifices they’ve made to keep the store afloat. For street-savvy and newly-adopted cat Lolo, that sounds just perfect if it means he’s far, far away from the hungry, lonely nights he once spent in the freezing cold outdoors.

But when Miguel ditches his responsibilities and lies to his parents about joining art club, his dream of juggling it all comes crashing down. Lolo will have to decide if he's willing to be there for his new friend Miguel through anything—even venturing back into the frightful outdoors and busy New York City sidewalks. Can they trust each other enough to take on this adventure together?

A young Dominican girl navigates middle school, her strict mother, shifting friendships, and her dream of being an artist in this debut coming-of-age graphic novel inspired by the author's tween years.

Eighth grade in New York City means one thing: It’s time to start applying to high schools! While her friends are looking at school catalogs and studying for entrance exams, Steph is doodling in her notebook and waiting for art class to begin. When her art teacher tells her about LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, Steph desperately wants to apply. But she’s in the Bronx, and LaGuardia is a public school in Manhattan—which her mom would not approve of. Steph comes up with a plan that includes lying to her mom, friends, and teachers. Keeping secrets isn’t easy, and Steph must decide how far she’ll go to get what she wants.

Doodles from the Boogie Down is a sparkling semi-autobiographical middle grade graphic novel debut set in the early aughts that's perfect for fans of Sunny Side Up by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm and Real Friends by Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham.

Winner of the Pura Belpré Award for Children's Text
Winner of the Eisner for Best Publication for Kids 
Indie Bestseller

New York Times-bestselling author Claribel A. Ortega and star debut artist Rose Bousamra's Frizzy is about Marlene, a young Dominican girl whose greatest enemy is the hair salon! Through her struggles and triumphs, this heartwarming and gorgeous middle-grade graphic novel shows the radical power of accepting yourself as you are, frizzy curls and all.

Marlene loves three things: books, her cool Tía Ruby and hanging out with her best friend Camila. But according to her mother, Paola, the only thing she needs to focus on is school and "growing up." That means straightening her hair every weekend so she could have "presentable", "good hair".

But Marlene hates being in the salon and doesn't understand why her curls are not considered pretty by those around her. With a few hiccups, a dash of embarrassment, and the much-needed help of Camila and Tia Ruby—she slowly starts a journey to learn to appreciate and proudly wear her curly hair.

A quiet girl overwhelmed by her rambunctious family finds a magical land of solitude only to discover what truly makes a home a home in this lively and magical bilingual picture book that reimagines the beloved Caribbean folktale “La Cucaracha Martina.”

Martina does not like parties. Parties are full of tías with their flashy fashions and boom-and-bellow laughter that’s too much for quiet Martina. At least with all that noise, no one notices when she slips away. She finds herself in a magical place: a warm, familiar island where she can finally play in peace and quiet. Martina is home at last—or is she?

During Carnival, Ana & Andrew travel to visit their family on the island of Trinidad. They love watching the parade and dancing to the music. This year, they learn how their ancestors helped create the holiday!

Super Rabbit Boy is the strongest, bravest, fastest animal in all the land. . .and he's also the star in a video game!

Uh-oh, Animal Town is in trouble! Meanie King Viking has created a dreaded robot army to spread No Fun across the land. On top of that, he has stolen the happiest and most fun animal ever, Singing Dog. There is only one person who can save the day -- Super Rabbit Boy! Super Rabbit Boy is super fast and super brave, but he's also a video game character living in a video game world. What will happen when Sunny, the boy playing the game, loses each level? Will it be game over for Super Rabbit Boy and all his friends?

It’s playtime! Did you know that basketball was invented in the United States? Or that chess originated from India? Or that hopscotch is played all over the world? Whether you’re on the field or on the playground, sports and games bring everyone together. Read and learn about these fun activities, and then play them with friends!

Camila wants to buy a camera, camera stand, and a microphone to record for her WeTube channel, and her brother suggests that an uncoming video game tournament might be the way to get the money she needs; but Camila does not play video games, and though her family supplies what she will need to practice she only has a month to perfect her gaming skills--and that may not be enough to win. Includes discussion questions, glossary, and related activity.

Can you find the one thing that doesn't match?

Britta Teckentrup, creator of the best-selling The Odd One Out and Where's the Pair?, returns with another gorgeously illustrated spotting book. In One Is Not a Pair, each patterned page contains a set of pairs . . . but one thing does not match any of the others. Can you find it?

I hope you’re wearing your BATTLE PANTS!

You’ve played the game. Now read the legend of the three great warriors who started it all . . .

A vibrant and playful seek-and-find picture book by the acclaimed Swedish artist and designer Laura Ljungkvist, in which the reader uncovers cars, trucks, and all kinds of things that go hidden in a dazzling array of patterns and colors. The artwork, inspired by a European aesthetic, gives this work a simple but sophisticated look that appeals to both children and adults. Things to find are cleverly concealed as each page provides a new challenge for the reader to discover. An artful and unique book for children who love Where''s Waldo and Walter Wick.

Do you ever wonder how video gaming was invented? What came before your PlayStation or Xbox? This is the story of Ralph Baer, a refugee from Nazi Germany, who used his skills--and a lot of ingenuity and persistence--to make life a little more fun. 
 
Television was new when Ralph returned from serving in World War II, but he didn't settle for watching TV. He knew it could be even more fun if you could play with it. He tinkered and tested, got help and rejected, but with perseverance and skill, he made his vision come true! This is the inspiring story of a fearless inventor who made TV video games a reality.

All I want to do on a rainy day like today is play my game. My mom says it’s a waste of time, but without my game, nothing is fun! On the other hand, maybe I’m wrong about that…

While reading On a Magical Do-Nothing Day, one gets the sense that the illustrator became lost in her drawings, and as a reader, you'll want to do the same. Perfect for fans of picture books by Julie Morstad, Carson Ellis, Jon Klassen, and Tomi Ungerer.

“Hands down, Beatrice Alemagna is my favorite contemporary illustrator," said the Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator of Last Stop on Market Street, Christian Robinson.

On a Magical Do-Nothing Day has been recognized with a Gold Medal from the Society of Illustrators. Don't miss this picture book that beautifully encourages unplugged exploration.

The game under the tree looked like a hundred others Peter and Judy had at home. But they were bored and restless and, looking for something interesting to do, thought they'd give Jumanji a try. Little did they know when they unfolded its ordinary-looking playing board that they were about to be plunged into the most exciting and bizzare adventure of their lives. Bestselling Polar Express creator and Caldecott Medal winning Chris Van Allsburg explores the ever-shifting line between fantasy and reality with this story about a game that comes startlingly to life.

Sparkly friends Unicorn and Yeti play all sorts of fun games together in this magical book perfect for beginning readers!

Unicorn wants to play a board game. Yeti wants to play a card game.

Unicorn and Yeti play hide-and-seek. But Unicorn is not good at hiding.

They work on a puzzle together. Could there be more than one way to do a jigsaw puzzle?

It's all fun and games in these sparkly, laugh-out-loud stories. With full-color artwork, speech bubbles, and easy-to-read text throughout, this adorable book is perfect for new readers!

Peek through an ant-shaped opening to see an intricate pattern made of colorful objects, animals, and graphic shapes. Turn the page, and the letters ABC emerge, as the pattern expands to include many more components. Can you find one armadillo hidden among them? Two bicycles? Three camels? With an equally jam-packed spread for every three letters of the alphabet, this search-and-find concept book promises a mesmerizing activity for children—and a satisfying visual experience for fans of graphic design.

Journey into the Nether (if you dare) in this Step into Reading Step 3 Leveled Reader and the only official leveled reader series based on Minecraft, the world's best-selling video game!

Minecraft is the best-selling video game of all time! And now learning to read has never been more fun for fans of the game ages 4 to 7. They'll get a great introduction to the game's most mysterious biomes when two players, Emmy and Birch--and their tame wolf Byte--set out on an epic adventure into the mysterious Nether! 

Can you beat Mr. Fox at his Game of No? The rules are simple: every time he asks a question, you must respond with "NO." If you accidentally say "YES," then it's back to the beginning of the book for you, where you must start all over again. Are you ready? (Oops!) Do you live on planet Earth? Are you stronger than a baby? What does Y-E-S spell? (Argh!) Kids will giggle uncontrollably as they gamely aim to avoid Mr. Fox's clever traps--but just ask them if they'd like to read this book again, and they won't be able to resist: "YES!"

Join the LEGO© City Stunt Team in this Step 3 Step into Reading leveled reader!

Children ages 4 to 8 will love reading about the LEGO© City Stunt Team as they compete to be in a racing video game in this Step 3 Step into Reading leveled reader!

Step 3 readers feature engaging characters in easy-to-follow plots about popular topics. For children who are ready to read on their own.

I spy a reader with brand-new riddles that's perfect for spring!

All-new, easy-to-read riddles by Jean Marzollo are paired with fun photographs culled from previously published I Spy books to create the ninth I Spy reader. With rhythm, rhyme, and picture clues, this book is written to support the newest reader.

Sadiq and his friends are starting a video game club at school. They have fun playing together and planning a tournament for the whole school to participate in. But when their club needs a service project, the club members are stumped. How can they help people with video games? Then, during a visit to a retirement home called Harmony House with his mother, Sadiq meets a man named Mr. Soto who could use some cheering up. Sadiq begins to form an idea. Could gaming be a way to help the residents at Harmony House?

In this interactive video-game-inspired picture book perfect for fans of Press Here and Tap the Magic Tree, Blip needs to reach the bar to win his game—but he needs the reader’s help. If he wins, he gets a surprise!

Tap, tickle, and shake Blip.

Tilt, turn, and bounce Blip.

Help Blip win the game in this spirited interactive book, perfect for reading—and playing—again and again!

Teach young children the basic programming skills and concepts necessary to code, including sequencing and loops, without a computer.

It's never too early to learn computer coding! With innovative, interactive paper engineering, My First Coding Book is a playful, hands-on introduction to offline coding and programming that will give children ages 5 to 7 a head start. Filled with puzzles, mazes, and games to teach the basic concepts of sequences, algorithms, and debugging, this book will help children develop critical thinking, logic, and other skills to cement lifelong computer literacy.

With its unique approach and colorful and creative imagery, My First Coding Book makes learning and fun one and the same and will have children playing their way to programming proficiency.

Supporting STEM and STEAM education initiatives, computer coding teaches kids how to think creatively, work collaboratively, and reason systematically, and is quickly becoming a necessary and sought-after skill. DK's computer coding for kids books are full of fun exercises with step-by-step guidance, making them the perfect introductory tools for building vital skills in computer programming.

Cohost of The Chew and celebrated Iron Chef and restaurateur Michael Symon returns to a favorite subject, meat, with his first cookbook focused on barbecue and live-fire grilling, with over 70 recipes inspired by his newest restaurant, Mabel's BBQ, in his hometown of Cleveland.

In preparing to open his barbecue restaurant, Mabel's BBQ, Michael Symon enthusiastically sampled smoked meat from across America. The 72 finger-licking, lip-smacking recipes here draw inspiration from his favorites, including dry ribs from Memphis, wet ribs from Nashville, brisket from Texas, pork steak from St. Louis, and burnt ends from Kansas City--to name just a few--as well as the unique and now signature Cleveland-style barbecue he developed to showcase the flavors of his hometown. Michael offers expert guidance on working with different styles of grills and smokers, choosing aromatic woods for smoking, cooking various cuts of meat, and successfully pairing proteins with rubs, sauces, and sides. If you are looking for a new guide to classic American barbecue with the volume turned to high, look no further.

"Here's how to grill absolutely everything--from the perfect steak to cedar-plank salmon to pizza--explained in Mark Bittman's trademark simple, straightforward style. Featuring more than 250 recipes and hundreds of variations, plus Bittman's practical advice on all the grilling basics, this book is an exploration of the grill's nearly endless possibilities. Recipes cover every part of the meal, including appetizers, seafood, meat and poultry, vegetables (including vegetarian mains), and even desserts."-- Provided by publisher.

After picking up a few tricks for 2007's Barbecue Nation, Thompson presents another volume aimed at backyard cooks ready to sweat a little for their meal. Few arcane ingredients or lengthy preparations are called for; Thompson's cornbread requires only six ingredients, his New York Strip just five. Geared for gas, many of Thompson's dishes require little grilling time, and are in general an easy transfer to charcoal. While it's easy to throw some wood chips on a charcoal fire to add smokiness, Thompson offers a handful of easy gas grill work-arounds that diners will never suspect are substitutes. The recipe deck is stacked with favorites like burgers (including lamb, salmon and tuna variations), steaks and sides like baked beans, cole slaw and potato salad, making this ideal for cooks still in their honeymoon stage with the new grill. More adventurous palates should enjoy flavorful riffs on North African Grilled Shrimp (topped with a burst of lemon and crunchy pine nuts) and Cornish game hens, which get a lift from a blueberry, garlic, thyme and vinegar marinade. Finished with sound advice on everything from buying a grill to choosing the right cut of steak, Thompson's book should prove as useful as an extra set of tongs. Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

For state-of-the-art outdoor cooking and entertainment, who better to turn to than the foremost authority on grills? With the experts from Weber taking you through the basics and beyond, you'll be sizzling in no time. Over 250 recipes show you the way with mouth-watering photography, simple-to-follow directions, can't miss techniques, and even substitution cheats. Flag your favorites-and there'll be plenty-with the handy enclosed Post-It notes. And yes, once they've sampled the savory results of your newfound grill skills, friends and family will be begging for your secrets. Just nod and say, 'It's all in the technique.'

The man who got America fired up about grilling shares 75 flavor-packed, healthy recipes so you can have food that’s chock-full of flavor and nutrition and big, bold flavor. 

Grilling is the most basic method of cooking there is. It dates back to the time of cavemen—food plus fire equals good. But when it comes to healthy food from the grill, evolution has been slow, producing lots of nutritionally sound but incredibly bland recipes.

Until now. Bobby Flay's Grilling for Life is, first and foremost, about getting the biggest, boldest flavor possible from food and fire while making healthy choices all the way. Imagine a lifetime of Espresso Rubbed BBQ Ribs with Mustard-Vinegar Basting Sauce; Bricked Rosemary Chicken with Lemon; Chinese Chicken Salad with Red Chile-Peanut Dressing; Grilled Beef Filet with Arugula and Parmesan; Grilled Salmon with Lemon, Dill, and Caper Vinaigrette; and Garlic-Red Chile-Thyme-Marinated Shrimp.

For food that is good for you and full of his signature big style and big flavor, Bobby Flay will teach you how to use herbs, spices, heart-healthy oils, citrus zests and juices, honey, and vinegars in place of sugary commercial sauces and marinades. He'll show you how to enhance flavor by toasting nuts, seeds, and spices on the grill; roasting garlic in a covered grill to add to vinaigrettes and marinades; and grilling slices of lemon, lime, and grapefruit to serve on the side.

Bobby believes that we all need a full and balanced diet to be happy and healthy, so the book has everything you need to keep grilling for life: veggies chock-full of fiber; delicious complex carbohydrates (the right carbs) that not only fight heart disease but break down slowly, leaving you feeling fuller longer; fish rich in omega-3 oils; and, of course, the full range of proteins.

To sharpen your skills by the fire, Bobby Flay's Grilling for Life includes the sections “Equipment” (a very short list); “Fahrenheit 101,” a temperature chart that helps you navigate rare, medium, and well-done; “Meals in Minutes,” offering suggestions for the time-challenged; and “Party Foods,” great party menus for everything from a cocktail party to an Italian feast.

JAMES BEARD AWARD FINALIST • A casual and practical guide to grilling with Korean-American flavors from chef Bill Kim of Chicago's award-winning bellyQ restaurants, with 80 recipes tailored for home cooks with suitable substitutions for hard-to-find ingredients.

Born in Korea but raised in the American Midwest, chef Bill Kim brings these two sensibilities together in Korean BBQ, translating Korean flavors for the American consumer in a way that is friendly and accessible. This isn't a traditional Korean cookbook but a Korean-American one, based on gatherings around the grill on weeknights and weekends. 

Kim teaches the fundamentals of the Korean grill through flavor profiles that can be tweaked according to the griller's preference, then gives an array of knockout recipes. Starting with seven master sauces (and three spice rubs), you’ll soon be able to whip up a whole array of recipes, including Hoisin and Yuzu Edamame, Kimchi Potato Salad, Kori-Can Pork Chops, Seoul to Buffalo Shrimp, BBQ Spiced Chicken Thighs, and Honey Soy Flank Steak. From snacks and drinks to desserts and sides, Korean BBQ has everything you need to for a fun and delicious time around the grill.

Over the past 100 years, the New York Times has published thousands of articles on barbecuing and grilling, along with mouthwatering recipes--and this unique collection gathers the very best. These essential pieces are worth savoring not only for their time-tested advice and instruction, but also for the quality of the storytelling: even non-cooks will find them a delight to read. Almost all of the newspaper's culinary "family" weighs in here, along with both renowned chefs and everyday tailgaters. The famous names include bestselling author Mark Bittman (How to Cook Everything), who contributes the foreword as well as several essays and recipes; pioneer food critic Craig Claiborne ("French Thoughts on U.S. Barbecue"), Pierre Franey (Loin Lamb Steaks with Rosemary), the beloved Florence Fabricant (Raspberry Chocolate Mousse Cakes), Jacques Pépin (Grilled Tabasco Chicken), Molly O'Neill ("Splendor in the Lemongrass"), Alfred Portale, Mimi Sheraton, Sam Sifton, and many more. With everything from barbecue basics to expert tips, from healthy vegetarian fare to heart-attack-inducing meaty indulgences, this fun, surprising, and enlightening book is a treat for everyone. So pick out a recipe, or three or four or ten, and fire away!

American grilling, Japanese flavors. In this bold cookbook, chef Tadashi Ono of Matsuri and writer Harris Salat share a key insight: that live-fire cooking marries perfectly with mouthwatering Japanese ingredients like soy sauce and miso. 
 
Packed with fast-and-easy recipes, versatile marinades, and step-by-step techniques, The Japanese Grill will have you grilling amazing steaks, pork chops, salmon, tomatoes, and whole chicken, as well as traditional favorites like yakitori, yaki onigiri, and whole salt-packed fish. Whether you use charcoal or gas, or are a grilling novice or disciple, you will love dishes like Skirt Steak with Red Miso, Garlic–Soy Sauce Porterhouse, Crispy Chicken Wings, Yuzu Kosho Scallops, and Soy Sauce-and-Lemon Grilled Eggplant. Ono and Salat include menu suggestions for sophisticated entertaining in addition to quick-grilling choices for healthy weekday meals, plus a slew of delectable sides that pair well with anything off the fire. 
 
Grilling has been a centerpiece of Japanese cooking for centuries, and when you taste the incredible dishes in The Japanese Grill—both contemporary and authentic—you’ll become a believer, too.

Nothing says summer more than a feast hot off the barbecue. Grilling Vegan Style serves up backyard cooking and entertaining like never before. Running the gamut from plant-based appetizers, salads, sides, kabobs, and burgers to main dishes, desserts, and, of course, cocktails, John Schlimm also demonstrates the art of grilling faux meats, with key info on everything you need for proper heat and the best taste. With color photographs throughout, this cookbook ensures that the magic of a summer barbecue or a night around the campfire can ignite your taste buds all year long.

“This beautiful book makes one of America’s favorite culinary pastimes accessible to anyone. The recipes are easy to follow yet refined.” —Marcus Samuelsson

Now home cooks will discover their ideal grilling companion and coach in The Grilling Book. Offering more than 350 foolproof recipes, dozens of luscious full-color photographs, crystal clear illustrations, and plenty of plainspoken, here’s-how-to-do-it guidelines, The Grilling Book welcomes you to everything that is sensational (and sensationally simple) about grilling.

Here are thick, juicy steaks that need no more than salt and freshly cracked pepper to create an unforgettable meal; baby back ribs rendered succulent and fall-apart tender with flavor-rich rubs and a shellacking of barbecue sauce (plus the secret cheat method that makes them ridiculously easy to prepare); moist fish, seasoned and grilled quickly over a hot fire; irresistible grilled flatbreads, crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, creating the perfect canvas for every topping you crave. Not to mention the salads, slaws, sides, and drinks that complete the perfect grilled meal.

Whether you’ve been grilling for years or have never bought a bag of charcoal in your life, The Grilling Book is the only book you’ll need in your backyard this summer—or any summer.

“Indispensable. Chock-full of recipes tested and approved by the trusted editors of Bon Appétit, it’s sure to make you a master of all things grilling.” —Tom Colicchio

“Bon Appétit’s new bible on live-fire cooking is one you’ll want to keep close at hand every summer. If you’re new to the grill, the easy-to-follow recipes, protein- specific technique tips, and time-saving tricks will help you get started.” ––Matt Lee and Ted Lee

Cooking fish and other seafood at home is much easier than you think! Fresh Fish offers simple step-by-step instructions for all of the essential cooking methods, including baking, pan-frying, braising, broiling, steaming, poaching, roasting, marinating, and grilling — along with 175 mouthwatering recipes that bring out the best in everything from fish fillets and whole fish to shrimp, mussels, lobster, clams, calamari, and more. You’ll also learn how to buy fish (even whole fish) with confidence, how to serve fish raw, how to clean freshly dug clams, and much more. Beautiful photography celebrates both the food and the lazy charm of summers at the beach; this is a delightful read as well as the cookbook you need to easily enjoy your favorite seafood at home.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Now a Hallmark Mystery Curious Caterer Original Movie

“Davidson is today’s foremost practitioner of the culinary whodunit.”—Entertainment Weekly

Caterer Goldy Schulz has been hired to host a hockey party. But the proceedings won’t be all fun and games. Unfortunately, her client won’t be satisfied until Goldy adds a hefty serving of revenge.

Patricia McCracken is certain that her obstetrician and her penny-pinching HMO are responsible for the loss of her baby. Now she is suing both, and she wants Goldy’s advice on coming out on top. For Dr. John Richard Korman, aka the Jerk, is none other than Goldy's abusive ex-husband. Goldy knows all about John Richard’s secret life—but even she is shocked when he’s arrested for the murder of his latest girlfriend.

As much as Goldy would like to see her ex get his just desserts, could he really be a killer? Soon she will find herself sifting through a spicy mix of sizzling gossip for clues to a mystery that threatens her catering deadline, her relationship with her son and new husband . . . and even her life.
 
Includes recipes!

With more than 100 recipes from the trusted editors at Martha Stewart Living, this indispensable guide to grilling has everything you need to create delicious, inviting meals for everyday dinners and backyard feasts.

There's nothing like the satisfaction of cooking over a live fire, whether a weeknight meal or outdoor entertaining. Martha Stewart's Grilling captures this spirit, while providing essential tips and techniques for both experienced outdoor cooks and those brand-new to the grill. Longtime favorites like pulled-pork sandwiches and bacon-and-turkey burgers are alongside foolproof dishes such as Korean short ribs and mojo-marinated shrimp. Crowd-pleasing appetizers, burgers, tacos, and kebabs join colorful cocktails to allow for easy entertaining, while smart strategies make grilled classics like pork chops and butterflied whole chicken a snap. Friends and family alike will love diving right into beautiful platters of grilled meats and vegetables, followed by grilled or chilled sweet treats--the perfect ending to a simply delectable meal.

This innovative collection of recipes will have you grilling deeply flavorful dishes for lunch, dinner, or any time.

In Food52’s Any Night Grilling, author (and Texan) Paula Disbrowe coaches you through the fundamentals of cooking over fire so the simple pleasure of a freshly grilled meal can be enjoyed any night of the week—no long marinades or low-and-slow cook times here. Going way beyond your standard burgers and brats, Disbrowe offers up streamlined, surprising recipes for Crackly Rosemary Flatbread, Grilled Corn Nachos, and Porchetta-Style Pork Kebabs, alongside backyard classics like Sweet & Smoky Drumsticks, Gulf Coast Shrimp Tacos, and Green Chile Cheeseburgers. You’ll also be charring fruits and vegetables in coals for caramelized sweetness, bringing day-old bread back to life, and using lingering heat to cook ahead for future meals. Filled with clever tips, lush photography, and what will surely become your favorite go-to recipes, Any Night Grilling is the only book you and your grill need.

From the experts at Weber, the must-have guide for total grill mastery, with 100 all-new recipes and more than 800 inspiring and instructive photos

This is your new go-to companion from the most trusted name in grilling. Much more than just a recipe collection, Weber's Ultimate Grilling is an entirely new take on grilling today, with every recipe step visually depicted in full-color photography. With these extensively tested recipes, anyone--from amateur to ace--can be a barbecue genius. Foundational recipes for popular grilled foods--steak, burgers, pork chops, ribs, chicken breasts and wings, and salmon fillets--are masterfully explained in this keepsake classroom-in-a-book. "Flavor Bomb" spreads offer inspiring, weeknight-friendly recipe ideas for how to create wonderful variations of the most-loved grilled foods. And fun food science facts, along with infographics, illustrations, and tips, help you get the absolute best results every time.

A joyful coming-of-age middle-grade graphic novel by debut Indigenous creator Cameron Mukwa about the journey of a two-spirit kid who wants to create a ribbon skirt for the upcoming powwow.

Ten-year-old Anang wants to make a ribbon skirt, a piece of clothing typically worn by girls in the Anishinaabe tradition, for an upcoming powwow. Anang is two-spirit and nonbinary and doesn't know what others will think of them wearing a ribbon skirt, but they're determined to follow their heart's desire. Anang sets off to gather the materials needed to make the skirt and turns to those around them -- their family, their human and turtle friends, the crows, and even the lake itself -- for help. And maybe they'll even find a new confidence within themself along the way.

★ "An indispensable and celebratory primer on the ongoing fight for LGBTQ+ rights. An excellent resource that is as thorough as it is visually appealing." --School Library Journal, starred review

Like the original version, this new edition of Pride: The Celebration and the Struggle celebrates the LGBTQ+ community's diversity and the incredible victories of the past 50 years--but it also has a larger focus on activism, the need to keep fighting for equality and freedom around the world and the important role that young people are playing. The new edition has been updated and expanded to include many new Proud Moments and Queer Facts as well as a profile of LGBTQ+ refugees from Indonesia, a story about a Pride celebration in a refugee camp in Kenya and profiles of young activists, including teens from a Gender and Sexuality Alliance organizing Pride in Inuvik and a trans girl from Vancouver fighting for inclusion and support in schools. There is also a section on being an ally, a profile of a family with two gay dads (one of them trans) and much, much more!

Praise for the first edition, Pride: Celebrating Diversity & Community

"LGBTQ culture and rights are covered through the prism of Pride in this timely work...This attractive work will be welcomed by readers searching for guidance and hope."--Kirkus Reviews

"Informative...Positively festive in its attitudes and outlook, this book more than lives up to the word celebrating in its subtitle."--Booklist

"Upbeat and matter-of-fact...These stories, sad and happy, are where vulnerable preteen kids may see themselves."--Quill & Quire

"An excellent and necessary addition for all collections."--School Library Journal

Oprah's Book Club Pick for Summer 2024

"An extraordinary journey that brilliantly interweaves history, philosophy, adventure, and mysticism to explore the meaning of love, friendship, and living your life's true purpose."--Oprah Winfrey

The follow-up to the beloved #1 New York Times bestselling modern classic The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, Familiaris is the stirring origin story of the Sawtelle family and the remarkable dogs that carry the Sawtelle name.

It is spring 1919, and John Sawtelle's imagination has gotten him into trouble ... again. Now John and his newlywed wife, Mary, along with their two best friends and their three dogs, are setting off for Wisconsin's northwoods, where they hope to make a fresh start--and, with a little luck, discover what it takes to live a life of meaning, purpose, and adventure. But the place they are headed for is far stranger and more perilous than they realize, and it will take all their ingenuity, along with a few new friends--human, animal, and otherworldly--to realize their dreams.

By turns hilarious and heartbreaking, mysterious and enchanting, Familiaris takes readers on an unforgettable journey from the halls of a small-town automobile factory, through an epic midwestern firestorm and an ambitious WWII dog-training program, and far back into mankind's ancient past, examining the dynamics of love and friendship, the vexing nature of families, the universal desire to create something lasting and beautiful, and of course, the species-long partnership between Homo sapiens and Canis familiaris.

When a local fisherman is mauled to death, it seems like the only possible cause is a mythical creature in the latest puzzling entry in this USA Today bestselling series.

An ice fisherman is savagely mauled to death in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, and an eyewitness claims the man was attacked by a hodag. There's just one problem with that: it's well known that the creature is not real and was created by a local hoaxer. So how could an imaginary creature be chomping on local sportsmen? 

The suggestion that a hodag killed someone isn’t well received by the townsfolk because of its beloved ties to the town and the money it generates from tourist dollars. Due to this, people begin to suspect the witness is the real killer, especially when it’s discovered he has a tangled past with the victim. 

The witness to the attack happens to be the nephew of Morgan Carter’s bookstore employee, Rita Bosworth, who convinces the professional cryptozoologist to travel to Wisconsin to prove that a hodag not only exists but killed the victim. 

Clues may be hard to come by, but one thing's for sure: something killed that man, and that something now has its eyes focused on Morgan.