List

Audience
Category

Comeback Catcher

Jake Maddox

Eddie Jackson loves playing catcher. But when heÕs batting and in the spotlight, heÕs a wreck. After an embarrassing strike out last summer, he thought heÕd be done with baseball for good. Now heÕs back in the game as a backup catcher. When an injury forces him to step up to the plate, will Eddie be able to overcome his nerves, or is it going to be another swing and a miss? Combining a high-stakes sports story with a dynamic full-color comic format, this Jake Maddox Graphic Novel is sure to be a win for young athletes and struggling readers alike.

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Asking for a Friend

Ronnie Riley

Eden Jones has exactly three friends. And they're all fake.

From a web of lies and anxiety to true friendship and queer joy; this is the wonderful second book from the author of the Indies Introduce and Indie Next List pick, Jude Saves the World.

Why go through the stress of making friends when you can just pretend? It works for Eden and their social anxiety . . . until their mom announces she's throwing them a birthday party and all their friends are invited.

Eden's "friends," Duke, Ramona, and Tabitha, are all real kids from school . . . but Eden's never actually spoken to them before. Now Eden will do whatever it takes to convince them to be their friends -- at least until the party is over.

When things start to go better than Eden expects and the group starts to bond, Eden finds themself trapped in a lie that gets worse the longer they keep it up. What happens if their now sort-of-real friends discover that Eden hasn't been honest with them from the very beginning?

Author Ronnie Riley creates a world full of queer joy and all the ups and downs of true friendship. This book is perfect for fans of Guts or Forget Me Not.

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Invisible Isabel

Sally J. Pla

From award-winning author Sally J. Pla comes an illustrated middle grade novel about introverted Isabel Beane, who learns to speak up to quiet her worries. This thoughtful, earnest story is perfect for fans of Elana K. Arnold and Leslie Connor.

Isabel Beane is a shy girl who lives in a home full of havoc and hubbub and hullabaloo. With five siblings, there is always too much too much-ness.

At school, there's a new girl who is immediately popular, but she's also not very nice to one person--Isabel.

Isabel has never felt more invisible. She begins to get bombarded by fears, like being abandoned by her classmates and taking the upcoming Extremely Important standardized test. Her fears feel like worry-moths that flutter in her belly. With every passing day, they seem to get stronger and stronger. How can Invisible Isabel make people listen?

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Forever and Always

Brittany J. Thurman

"This is a picture book that gives oxygen to all the unstated fears, perhaps burning them off. This book offers a reality right out of the headlines, but by leaving it child-sized has a huge impact." --School Library Journal (starred review)

"A balm for little ones grappling with harsh realities." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

In this lyrical picture book from two breakout picture book creators, a young Black child waits for--and worries about--her father while he's away from home. A sensitive, poignant portrayal of a family's worries, joys, and comforts, to sit alongside books by Jacqueline Woodson and Christian Robinson.

Every night when Daddy gets home from work, Olivia gives him a big hug and knows that the evening will be full of love--and fun. Together, she, Daddy, and Momma will make a feast for dinner, clean up, dance to old-school tunes, and read stories. But every morning when Daddy goes to work, Olivia worries, worries, worries. Be safe, she and Momma tell him. But what if he isn't? Sometimes other people aren't, like the people Olivia sees on the news. Thud, thud, thud, goes Olivia's heart. Thump, thump, thump, all through the long day, until she hears the jangle of Daddy's keys announcing he's home.

Brittany J. Thurman's poetic text deftly explores the day-to-day life of a young Black child and her family--their joys and their fears--with a rhythm and musicality perfect for reading aloud. Shamar Knight-Justice's expressive artwork sings with color, texture, and warmth. Forever and Always respects the deep emotions of young readers while offering comfort and reassurance to any child waiting for a loved one to come home. For readers of Nigel and the Moon, The Year We Learned to Fly, and Saturday.

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What Is Anxiety?

Philip Wolny

Anxiety has become one of the most commonly diagnosed mental health issues among Americans today, but what is it? This book explores that question, looking at what causes anxiety, how it is diagnosed, and how people can treat anxiety disorders.

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Mirror to Mirror

Rajani LaRocca

Rajani LaRocca, recipient of a Newbery Honor and Walter Award for Red, White, and Whole, is back with an evocative novel in verse about identical twin sisters who do everything together--until external pressures threaten to break them apart.

Maya is the pragmatic twin, but her secret anxiety threatens to overwhelm her.

Chaya is the outgoing twin. When she sees her beloved sister suffering, she wants to tell their parents--which makes Maya feel completely betrayed. With Maya shutting her out, Chaya makes a dramatic change to give her twin the space she seems to need. But that's the last thing Maya wants, and the girls just drift further apart.

The once-close sisters can't seem to find their rhythm, so they make a bet: they'll switch places at their summer camp, and whoever can keep the ruse going longer will get to decide where they both attend high school--the source of frequent arguments. But stepping into each other's shoes comes with its own difficulties, and the girls don't know how they're going to make it.

This emotional, lyrical story will speak to fans of Ali Benjamin, Padma Venkatraman, and Jasmine Warga.

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Stanley Will Probably Be Fine

Sally J. Pla

* A New York Public Library Best Kids Book of 2018 * A Kirkus Best Book of 2018 *

This funny and moving second novel from the author of The Someday Birds features comic trivia, a safety superhero, and a super-cool scavenger hunt all over downtown San Diego, as our young hero Stanley Fortinbras grapples with his anxiety—and learns what, exactly, it means to be brave.

Nobody knows comics trivia like Stanley knows comics trivia.

It’s what he takes comfort in when the world around him gets to be too much. And after he faints during a safety assembly, Stanley takes his love of comics up a level by inventing his own imaginary superhero, named John Lockdown, to help him through.

Help is what he needs, because Stanley’s entered Trivia Quest—a giant comics-trivia treasure hunt—to prove he can tackle his worries, score VIP passes to Comic Fest, and win back his ex-best friend. Partnered with his fearless new neighbor Liberty, Stanley faces his most epic, overwhelming, challenging day ever.

What would John Lockdown do?

Stanley’s about to find out.

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Drum Roll, Please

Lisa Jenn Bigelow

Melly only joined the school band because her best friend, Olivia, begged her to. But to her surprise, quiet Melly loves playing the drums. It’s the only time she doesn’t feel like a mouse. Now she and Olivia are about to spend the next two weeks at Camp Rockaway, jamming under the stars in the Michigan woods.

But this summer brings a lot of big changes for Melly: her parents split up, her best friend ditches her, and Melly finds herself unexpectedly falling for another girl at camp. To top it all off, Melly’s not sure she has what it takes to be a real rock n’ roll drummer. Will she be able to make music from all the noise in her heart?

Ami Polonsky, acclaimed author of Gracefully Grayson, raved, "Drum Roll, Please is a perfect middle-grade love story. Bigelow delivers a mighty message to turn up the volume on your inner drumbeat."

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Drum Dream Girl

Margarita Engle

Girls cannot be drummers. Long ago on an island filled with music, no one questioned that rule--until the drum dream girl.

In her city of drumbeats, she dreamed of pounding tall congas and tapping small bongós. She had to keep quiet. She had to practice in secret. But when at last her dream-bright music was heard, everyone sang and danced and decided that both girls and boys should be free to drum and dream.

Inspired by the childhood of Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, a Chinese-African-Cuban girl who broke Cuba's traditional taboo against female drummers, Drum Dream Girl tells an inspiring true story for dreamers everywhere.

This beautiful picture book was recognized with a Pura Belpré Honor. A strong option for those interested in women's history and Hispanic History topics.

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Sadiq and Hooyo's Drum

Siman Nuurali

Sadiq is looking forward to being a drummer in the school band when he's old enough. When Hooyo shows Sadiq a family heirloom--a drum called a durbaan--Sadiq can't wait to show his mother's drum to his friends at school. His new friend Gabi, who's deaf, shares his love of drums. But then a mishap occurs with Hooyo's durbaan. How will Sadiq explain it to Hooyo, and can he make things right?

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The Fastest Drummer: Clap Your Hands for Viola Smith!

Dean Robbins

Five girls played together in the Smith Sisters Orchestra: Irene on trombone, Erma on vibraphone, Edwina on trumpet, Mildred on violin, and Lila on saxophone. But what of the littlest sister? When Viola's time came, almost every instrument was taken . . . except one. When she first sat behind a drum kit, she lost the beat, made a terrible racket, and had more fun than she'd ever had before. Viola took to the road with her family, learned from the greats, formed her own band in the face of discrimination and ridicule, mastered twelve- and seventeen-piece drum kits, and played so fast she left no room for doubt: women could not only keep the beat--they could beat the odds. At one hundred years of age, Viola was still slamming her snare and socking her cymbals. Dean Robbins's affectionate portrait of one of the few female professional drummers of the early twentieth century includes an endnote with resources for discovering other female musicians. Susanna Chapman's swirling illustrations capture the joy and energy of Viola's stage presence while introducing young readers to the essential art form of jazz.

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This Is Music: Drums

Rekha S. Rajan

What do a set of bongos, a tambourine, and a cooking pot have in common? They are all drums! This first introduction to instruments in the drum family begins with a simple explanation of what defines a drum. Young readers are then invited on a global exploration of a variety of percussive instruments and are encouraged to find drums of their own in the world around them.
 
Each title in the THIS IS MUSIC series features an interactive novelty musical element that invites the reader to "play" the book!

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Drum City

Thea Guidone

A summer parade, a drummer parade, a magical bucket-and-bowl serenade!
 
What begins with one boy’s beat on a kettle soon spreads to pots and pans and cartons and cans all across the neighborhood. Wheneveryonejoins in, together they create the catchy, driving tempo of a bright, hot DRUM CITY!
 
Get ready to make some noise!

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Jasmine Toguchi, Drummer Girl

Debbi Michiko Florence

It’s talent show time at school, and eight-year-old Jasmine Toguchi is excited to show her stuff. But as she thinks about her strengths—tree-climbing, mochi making, collage—none of them feel quite right to perform on-stage. Jasmine’s friends already have a talent: Tommy yo-yo’s, Daisy dances, and Linnie plays piano. Plus, Maggie Milsap (aka Miss Perfect) is saying she'll have the best talent. 

When Jasmine’s mom introduces her to the taiko, a traditional Japanese drum, Jasmine finally finds an activity that feels just right. But will she be good enough at taiko in time to beat Maggie Milsap? 

Join Jasmine as she discovers her talent—and the difference between being the best and trying your best.

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The One-Of-a-Kind Drum Kit

Andrew Bambridge

Ba-dah-dum! Ba-dah-dum! Oops! Bo is drumming on his desk at school again, and his teacher is not happy. But Bo loves to drum! And sometimes, he doesn't even know he's doing it. It's tricky to find the time and place for his drumming passion. Just when Bo thinks he's in big trouble for drumming instead of listening, his dad has an idea that will help Bo stay on beat! Musician, educator, and actor Andrew Bambridge (Pixels) offers a charming chapter book series about a boy named Bo who, like Andrew, has achondroplasia and has always loved music.

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Rum Pum Pum

David Lee Harrison

"Rrrrh!" means "Let's be friends" in tiger talk, but the other animals don't understand him and run away! Maybe the gentle "rum-pum-pum" of the drum can help him. The lonely tiger finds a drum. He strikes it with his tail--and friends start to follow: a monkey who says "chee-chee-chee" which means "I will come too" in monkey talk, a rhino who says "ouggh" which means "I will come too" in rhino talk, a parrot that says "scree-awk," a chameleon, an elephant, and eventually a child--who is now reunited with the drum he lost. Because of the drum, the tiger is no longer lonely and friendless. Fun animal sounds in a story about friendship, communication, and music. A perfect story time read-aloud! Information about tiger conservation is included in the back.

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Drummer Girl

Hiba Masood

Year after year in the blessed month of Ramadan, little Najma has happily arisen to the drum beat of her neighborhood's musaharati. He walks through the streets of her small Turkish village, waking each family for the pre-dawn meal before the long day of fasting. Najma wants nothing more than to be a musaharati herself one day, but no girl has ever taken on the role before. Will she have what it takes to be the drummer girl of her dreams? Find out in this inspirational story of sincerity, determination, and believing in yourself

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Danni the Drum Fairy

Daisy Meadows

The Music Fairies need Rachel and Kirsty's help! Jack Frost and his goblins have stolen the fairies' magic musical instruments. They're going to use them to win a national talent contest! But this time, the stakes are higher than ever. If Jack Frost wins the contest, everyone in the human world could find out about Fairyland. Can the girls track down the instruments and help protect their fairy friends?Rachel and Kirsty have the chance to be in a music video! But everything goes wrong when Danni the Drum Fairy's instrument ends up on set--played by a mischievous goblin.

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Drums, Girls, & Dangerous Pie

Jordan Sonnenblick

Thirteen-year-old Steven has a totally normal life: he plays drums in the All-Star Jazz band, has a crush on the hottest girl in the school, and is constantly annoyed by his five-year-old brother, Jeffrey. But when Jeffrey is diagnosed with leukemia, Steven's world is turned upside down. He is forced to deal with his brother's illness and his parents' attempts to keep the family in one piece. Salted with humor and peppered with devastating realities, DRUMS, GIRLS, AND DANGEROUS PIE is a heart warming journey through a year in the life of a family in crisis.

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Ali the Great and the Dinosaur Mistake

Saadia Faruqi

Ali Tahir is a dinosaur expert! Or is he? Ali and his classmates are excited for their field trip to the natural history museum. Ali brags to his friends that he's a dinosaur pro! But when Ali gets his facts wrong, he's really embarrassed. Some dino pro he is! Then, Ali learns that mistakes can also be opportunities... Ali the Great, by Yasmin author Saadia Faruqi, is a charming chapter book series about Pakistani American second grader Ali Tahir. Ali's big ideas will resonate with young readers who believe that every problem has a creative solution--you just have to find it!

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Freestyle

Gale Galligan

From New York Times bestselling author Gale Galligan, a fun, high-energy graphic novel about friendship, family, and the last hurrahs of middle school.

Cory's dance crew is getting ready for a major competition. It's the last one before they graduate eighth grade and go their separate ways to high schools all over New York City, so they have to make it count! The group starts to have problems as their crew captain gets increasingly intense about nailing the routine, and things go from bad to worse when Cory's parents ground him for not taking his grades seriously. He gets stuck with a new tutor, Sunna, who he dismisses as a boring nerd... until he catches her secretly practicing cool yo-yo tricks. Cory wants to learn the art of yo-yo, and as his friendship with Sunna grows, he ends up missing practice and bailing on his crew -- and they are not happy about it. With mounting pressure coming from all sides, how is Cory supposed to balance the expectations of his parents, school, dance, and his new friend?

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Desert Queen

Jyoti Rajan Gopal

STONEWALL BOOK AWARD HONOR

BEST OF THE YEAR

Booklist - BookPage - Kirkus - BCCB

In a kaleidoscope of desert sands and swirling skirts, Queen Harish takes flight. This picture book biography, spun in vibrant verse by Jyoti Gopal, traces the journey of a beloved Rajasthani drag performer who defied tradition and dazzled the world.

Fueled by an inner fire, young Harish yearns to join the captivating desert dancers, their music pulsing through his veins. But societal constraints paint a narrow path, one that clashes with his vibrant spirit. Through lyrical stanzas and Svabhu Kohli's evocative art, Harish's story unfolds, a tapestry woven with resilience and the transformative power of dance.

From village gatherings to Bollywood stages, Queen Harish twirls her way into hearts, leaving a trail of shattered stereotypes and empowering others to embrace their true selves. This is a celebration of courage, finding your inner queen, and dancing to your own rhythm.

6 STARRED REVIEWS

★ "With art as shiny and glittery as the goddess herself, this picture book is nothing short of brilliant. An essential purchase."

--School Library Journal (starred)

★ "Both a celebration of art and a manifesto for living on one's own terms... Kohli's vibrant, kaleidoscope-like illustrations duet in harmony with Rajan Gopal's lyrical, rhythmic language."

--Publishers Weekly (starred)

★ "This one-of-a-kind picture book paints a stirringly intimate and reverential portrait of the late drag performer known as Queen Harish, the Whirling Desert Queen of Rajasthan... As gorgeous and indefinable as Queen Harish herself, this book belongs on every shelf."

--Booklist (starred)

★ "A fearlessly triumphant depiction of the wonder, magic and sparkle of dance."

--BookPage (starred)

★ "Celebratory... striking."

--Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred)

★ "Vibrant, kaleidoscopic illustrations inspired by the desert environs and the textiles, architecture, and artwork of the city of Jaisalmer capture the joyful dancer's whirling and swirling movements... Lyrical poetry mirrors the sounds and beats of the local folk music and complements the dreamlike visuals. Evocative and electrifying."

--Kirkus Reviews (starred)

"A love letter to gender fluidity, accompanied by stunning art full of vibrancy and warmth."

--Betsy Bird, Fuse8

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The Chaos Monster

Sayantani DasGupta

EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED TO EVERYTHING, AND IT'S UP TO TWINS KIYA AND KINJAL TO SAVE IT ALL

Ten-year-old Kinjal knows something strange is going on. But he does not expect his dog, Thums-up, to disappear before his eyes in the middle of the night! Even stranger, two enormous flying horses appear and insist on taking Kinjal and his twin sister, Kiya, to a place they have never heard of: the Sky Kingdom. The twins have no choice but to go if they want to see their dog again, even if that isn't why the winged pakkhiraj horses showed up in the first place. They have come to this dimension to seek help -- bees are disappearing, along with the nectar the horses need to survive.

Whisked away to a magical realm, the twins must use Kiya's scientific skills and Kinjal's love of books and language to help the horses. Once there, they discover that the disappearance of the bees is more nefarious than they thought, and the plot goes all the way to the top.

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Fight Back

A. M. Dassu

Amina's Voice meets A Good Kind of Trouble in this story about 13-year-old Aaliyah, who feels alone after putting on a hijab for the first time, but finds friends and allies through organizing a protest at her school.

Thirteen-year-old Aaliyah can't wait for a concert by her favorite K-pop boy band, 3W. She isn't too concerned with stories on the news about the rise of the far right--after all, it doesn't affect her--until a terrorist attack at the concert changes everything.

Local racists are emboldened and anti-Muslim rhetoric starts cropping up at school and on the street. When Aaliyah starts getting bullied, she knows she has to do something to stand up to the hate. She decides that, instead of hiding who she is, she will begin wearing a hijab for the first time, to challenge how people in her community see Muslims.

But when her school bans the hijab and she is attacked and intimidated for making her choice, Aaliyah feels alone. Can she find allies--friends to stand beside her and help her find ways to fight back?

Acclaimed author A. M. Dassu's follow-up to Boy, Everywhere is an essential read to encourage empathy, challenge stereotypes, and foster positive action.

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The Boy Who Met a Whale

Nizrana Farook

A Sri Lankan fisherboy is swept up in a thrilling seafaring adventure, complete with kidnapping, missing treasure, and a huge blue whale! From the author of The Girl Who Stole an Elephant.

Razi, a local fisherboy, is watching turtle eggs hatch when he sees a boat bobbing into view. With a chill, he notices a small, still hand hanging over the side.

Inside is Zheng, who's escaped a shipwreck and is full of tales of mutiny, sea monsters, and hidden riches. But the villains who are after Zheng are soon after Razi and his sister, Shifa, too. And so begins an exhilarating escapade in the shadow of the biggest sea monster of them all.

Author Nizrana Farook has crafted another briskly paced, action-packed quest that swells with empathetic heroes, peril on the open sea, and a great beast lurking beneath. Set against a vibrant landscape inspired by Sri Lanka, this delightful caper will thrill young fans of adventure and fantasy.

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Ohana Means Family

Ilima Loomis

Join the family, or ohana, as they farm taro for poi to prepare for a traditional luau celebration with a poetic text in the style of The House That Jack Built.

An American Library Association Notable Children’s Book

"This is the land that's never been sold, where work the hands, so wise and old, that reach through the water, clear and cold, into the mud to pick the taro to make the poi for our ohana's luau."

Acclaimed illustrator and animator Kenard Pak's light-filled, dramatic illustrations pair exquisitely with Ilima Loomis' text to celebrate Hawaiian land and culture. 

The backmatter includes a glossary of Hawaiian terms used, as well as an author's note.

A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year
A New York Public Library Best Book of the Year
A Bank Street Best Childrens Book of the Year!
A Booklist Editor's Choice

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Aru Shah and the End of Time (Graphic Novel)

Roshani Chokshi

Best-selling author Rick Riordan Presents the graphic novel adaptation of the New York Times best-selling fantasy adventure by Roshani Chokshi, inspired by the great Hindu epics she grew up on.

Named one of 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time by Time magazine!

Twelve-year-old Aru Shah has a tendency to stretch the truth in order to fit in at school. While her classmates are jetting off to family vacations in exotic locales, she'll be spending her autumn break at home, in the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture, waiting for her mom to return from her latest archeological trip. Is it any wonder that Aru makes up stories about being royalty, traveling to Paris, and having a chauffeur?

One day, three schoolmates show up at Aru's doorstep to catch her in a lie. They don't believe her claim that the museum's Lamp of Bharata is cursed, and they dare Aru to prove it. Just a quick light, Aru thinks. Then she can get herself out of this mess and never ever fib again.

But lighting the lamp has dire consequences. She unwittingly frees the Sleeper, an ancient demon whose duty it is to awaken the God of Destruction. Her classmates and beloved mother are frozen in time, and it's up to Aru to save them.

The only way to stop the demon is to find the reincarnations of the five legendary Pandava brothers, protagonists of the Hindu epic poem, the Mahabharata, and journey through the Kingdom of Death. But how is one girl in Spider-Man pajamas supposed to do all that?

This hilarious and inventive fantasy is perfect for the graphic novel format.

Endorsed by Rick Riordan, author of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, soon to be a series on Disney+.

Enjoy the entire Aru Shah Pandava series!

  • Rick Riordan Presents: Aru Shah and the End of Time (Book 1)
  • Rick Riordan Presents: Aru Shah and the Song of Death (Book 2)
  • Rick Riordan Presents: Aru Shah and the Tree of Wishes (Book 3)
  • Rick Riordan Presents: Aru Shah and the City of Gold (Book 4)
  • Rick Riordan Presents: Aru Shah and the Nectar of Immortality (Book 5)
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Once There Was

Kiyash Monsef

A New York Times bestseller!
A Morris Award Finalist

Impossible Creatures meets Neil Gaiman in this “striking and heartfelt” (Kirkus Reviews) novel about an Iranian American girl who discovers that her father was secretly a veterinarian to magical creatures—and that she must take up his mantle, despite the many dangers.

Once was, once wasn’t.

So began the stories Marjan’s father told her as a little girl—fables like the story of the girl who sprung a unicorn from a hunter’s snare, or the nomad boy who rescued a baby shirdal. Tales of mythical beasts that filled her with curiosity and wonder.

But Marjan’s not a little girl anymore. In the wake of her father’s sudden death, she is trying to hold it all together: her schoolwork, friendships, and keeping her dad’s shoestring veterinary practice from going under. Then, one day, she receives a visitor who reveals something stunning: Marjan’s father was no ordinary veterinarian. The creatures out of the stories he told her were real—and he traveled the world to care for them. And now that he’s gone, she must take his place.

Marjan steps into a secret world hidden in plain sight, where magical creatures are bought and sold, treasured and trapped. She finds friends she never knew she needed—a charming British boy who grew up with a griffon, a runaway witch seeking magic and home—while trying to hide her double life from her old friends and classmates. 

The deeper Marjan gets into treating these animals, the closer she comes to finding who killed her father—and to a shocking truth that will reawaken her sense of wonder and put humans and beasts in the gravest of danger.

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Keep Dancing, Lizzie Chu

Maisie Chan

A girl tries to cheer up her grieving, forgetful grandfather by taking him on a rollicking road-trip adventure in Keep Dancing, Lizzie Chu, a charming and poignant middle-grade novel from award-winning author Maisie Chan.

Twelve-year-old Lizzie Chu has lived with her wai gong (grandfather) in Glasgow since her parents died when she was a baby. But Wai Gong has been acting different lately. He spends a lot of time talking to his Guan Yin statue--the Chinese goddess of compassion, kindness, and mercy--at his altar and seems to be becoming more forgetful. Even the shared passion he and Lizzie have for their favorite show, Strictly Come Dancing, seems to be tailing off.

Then one day Lizzie's friend Chi visits dressed as Princess Leia for Comic Con, and Wai Gong mistakes her for Guan Yin. He's delighted--and Lizzie gets an idea. She and Chi (dressed as the goddess) can take Wai Gong to a ballroom dance at the Tower Ballroom, where he'd always dreamed of going with his late wife. If only she can get her granddad there, she thinks, he'll find some peace, and perhaps things will be OK at home again. After all, one of the myths around Guan Yin is that she brings order and harmony, so it's got to work out--right?

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On the Tip of a Wave

Joanna Ho

2024 Bank Street Children's Book Committee Best Books of the Year

2023 IA Iowa City Public Library Best Books of the Year

2023 CA Eureka! Nonfiction Children's Book Award Silver Medal

2024 NCTE Orbis Pictus Award Recommended Title

Starred Review from Kirkus Reviews

Starred Review from Publishers Weekly

Starred Review from School Library Journal

Starred Review from Booklist

From New York Times bestselling author of Eyes That Kiss in the Corners, Joanna Ho, and critically acclaimed illustrator, Cátia Chien comes a moving, powerful picture book about the life and work of activist and artist, Ai Weiwei.

He [Ai Weiwei] felt the life jackets and an idea curled and crested through his fingertips. The way it always did.

Told in Joanna Ho's signature lyrical writing, this is the story that shines a light on Ai Weiwei and his journey, specifically how the Life Jackets exhibit at Konzerthaus Berlin came to be. As conditions for refugees worsened, Ai Weiwei was inspired by the discarded life jackets on the shores of Lesbos to create a bold installation that would grab the attention of the world. Cátia Chien masterfully portrays the intricate life of Ai Weiwei with inspirations from woodblock printing and a special emphasis on the color orange, the same color of the life jackets that became a beacon of hope. Through Cátia's dynamic and stunning illustrations, we see how Ai Weiwei became the activist and artist he is today while proving the power of art within humanity.

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Amy Wu and the Ribbon Dance

Kat Zhang

When Amy Wu learns about Chinese ribbon dancing, she can’t wait to try it out herself in this charming and brightly illustrated fourth installment in the Amy Wu picture book series.

Amy Wu loves to move. From wriggling to shimmying to toe-tapping, she just can’t keep still, not when there’s music all around her! So when Amy sees Chinese ribbon dancing for the first time, she has to try it out. Only, how can she throw the perfect dance party when she doesn’t have the perfect ribbon for her dance?

A special story from Mom may be just the thing to get Amy moving to the music again.

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Alterations

Ray Xu

For fans of Gene Luen Yang's American Born Chinese and Svetlana Chmakova's Awkward, this funny yet poignant middle-grade coming-of-age story highlights the struggle of feeling invisible while yearning to be seen by all. 

Kevin Lee is having a really bad week. Although he lives in a crowded Toronto apartment above the family's alterations and dry-cleaning store, he mostly goes unnoticed. School isn't exactly an oasis either--being one of the few Asian kids makes for some unwelcome attention. But when Kevin's class plans a trip to Thrill Planet, a spectacular theme park, will he finally have a chance to turn his life around, or will it just be another day for Kevin Lee?

Fans of middle school graphic novels exploring identity and self-esteem will appreciate the poignant yet humorous journey of finding one's place in the world, and readers who are looking for Asian representation in books will connect with Kevin's story of racism, bullying, and the immigrant experience. With its mix of family relationships, friendships, and a thrilling amusement park climax, this inspiring read is perfect for fans of humorous middle grade fiction with diverse characters overcoming obstacles.

Praise for Alterations

"A funny and heartfelt story that beautifully communicates the honest and awkward relationships we have with life and our immigrant parents." 

--Dan Santat, Caldecott Medal winner and creator of A First Time for Everything 

"A busy, evocative slice of school life and the trials of a second-generation immigrant." 

--Kirkus

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A Long Pitch Home

Natalie Dias Lorenzi

A sensitive and endearing middle grade novel about a young Pakistani immigrant adjusting to his new life in contemporary America
 
Ten-year-old Bilal liked his life back home in Pakistan. He was a star on his cricket team. But when his father suddenly sends the family to live with their aunt and uncle in America, nothing is familiar. While Bilal tries to keep up with his cousin Jalaal by joining a baseball league and practicing his English, he wonders when his father will join the family in Virginia. Maybe if Bilal can prove himself on the pitcher’s mound, his father will make it to see him play.
 
But playing baseball means navigating relationships with the guys, and with Jordan, the only girl on the team—the player no one but Bilal wants to be friends with.

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Ava Lin, Best Friend!

Vicky Fang

Brand-new first grader Ava Lin is determined to find a best friend--even if she's a bit unclear on how to go about it--in this launch of a funny, super relatable chapter-book series.

Ava Lin is six and a half years old, and she loves bubble tea, finding treasures, and animals (note the 117 varieties of pets on her wish list). She's very good at drawing and balancing pasta on her nose. And there's a Very Exciting Thing happening in her life right now: tomorrow is her first day of first grade! Which means she gets a new backpack, new pencils, and a new lunch box. But what she really wants to get in first grade is a best friend, which isn't as easy as she thought.

Ava's quest has her navigating some confusing social rules, with unintentionally comical results--but she always manages to wriggle out of her mishaps in ways young readers will find very familiar. With an engaging text, humorous graphic panels, and black-and-white illustrations, Vicky Fang draws on her Chinese American family's experience to create a heroine kids will instantly love.

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Halal Hot Dogs

Susannah Aziz

Musa has the perfect idea for his special Jummah treat, but things don't go according to plan. Will Musa be able to get a yummy Jummah treat for his family?

Included in USA Today's 12 books for kids to read during Ramadan!

"Musa's enthusiasm for halal hot dogs is infectious, and this portrait of a family and community that takes joy and pride in their identity and traditions is refreshing . . . . A joyful celebration of street food and Muslim American culture."--Kirkus Reviews

"An enjoyable tour of food, faith, and family."--School Library Journal

Every Friday after Jummah prayer at the masjid, Musa's family has a special Jummah treat. They take turns picking out what the treat will be, but recently the choices have been . . . interesting. Week one, Mama made molokhia. It's perfect for sharing, but gives us molokhia teeth for days! Week two, Baba burned the kufte kebabs on the grill. Week three, Seedi made his favorite riz b'haleeb-creamy rice pudding with pistachio sprinkled on top with an unexpected ingredient. Last week, Maryam brought jellybeans. . . . Finally, it's Musa's turn to pick, and he picks his favorite-halal hot dogs! But actually getting to eat this deliciousness turns into a journey riddled with obstacles. Will he ever get his favorite tasty treat?

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Continental Drifter

Kathy MacLeod

Winner of the American Library Association's Asian/Pacific American Award for Children’s Literature 

With a Thai mother and an American father, Kathy lives in two different worlds. She spends most of the year in Bangkok, where she’s secretly counting the days till summer vacation. That’s when her family travels for twenty-four hours straight to finally arrive in a tiny seaside town in Maine.

Kathy loves Maine’s idyllic beauty and all the exotic delicacies she can’t get back home, like clam chowder and blueberry pie. But no matter how hard she tries, she struggles to fit in. She doesn’t look like the other kids in this
rural New England town. Kathy just wants to find a place where she truly belongs, but she’s not sure if it’s in America, Thailand . . . or anywhere.

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The Girl and the Ghost

Hanna Alkaf

* Chosen as a 2020 Kirkus Prize Finalist for Young Readers' Literature! *

A Malaysian folk tale comes to life in this emotionally layered, chilling middle grade debut, perfect for fans of The Book of Boy and The Jumbies.

I am a dark spirit, the ghost announced grandly. I am your inheritance, your grandmother's legacy. I am yours to command.

Suraya is delighted when her witch grandmother gifts her a pelesit. She names her ghostly companion Pink, and the two quickly become inseparable.

But Suraya doesn't know that pelesits have a dark side--and when Pink's shadows threaten to consume them both, they must find enough light to survive . . . before they are both lost to the darkness.

Fans of Holly Black's Doll Bones and Tahereh Mafi's Furthermore series will love this ghostly middle grade debut that explores jealousy, love, and the extraordinary power of friendship.

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Ruthless Vows

Rebecca Ross

The epic conclusion to the intensely romantic and beautifully written story that started in Divine Rivals.

Two weeks have passed since Iris Winnow returned home bruised and heartbroken from the front, but the war is far from over. Roman is missing, and the city of Oath continues to dwell in a state of disbelief and ignorance. When Iris and Attie are given another chance to report on Dacre’s movements, they both take the opportunity and head westward once more despite the danger, knowing it’s only a matter of time before the conflict reaches a city that’s unprepared and fracturing beneath the chancellor’s reign.

Since waking below in Dacre’s realm, Roman cannot remember his past. But given the reassurance that his memories will return in time, Roman begins to write articles for Dacre, uncertain of his place in the greater scheme of the war. When a strange letter arrives by wardrobe door, Roman is first suspicious, then intrigued. As he strikes up a correspondence with his mysterious pen pal, Roman will soon have to make a decision: to stand with Dacre or betray the god who healed him. And as the days grow darker, inevitably drawing Roman and Iris closer together...the two of them will risk their very hearts and futures to change the tides of the war.

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The Prisoner's Throne

Holly Black

Prince Oak is paying for his betrayal. Imprisoned in the icy north and bound to the will of a monstrous new queen, he must rely on charm and calculation to survive. With High King Cardan and High Queen Jude ready to use any means necessary to retrieve their stolen heir, should Oak attempt to regain the trust of the girl he's always loved, or remain loyal to Elfhame and hand over the means to end her reign-even if it means ending Wren, too. With war looming and treachery lurking in every corner, neither Oak's guile nor his wit will be enough to keep everyone he loves alive. He will have some terrible choices to make.

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Defiant

Brandon Sanderson

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson comes the final book in an epic series about a girl who will travel beyond the stars to save the world she loves from destruction.

Spensa made it out of the Nowhere, but what she saw in the space between the stars has changed her forever. She came face to face with the Delvers, and finally got answers to the questions she's had about her own strange Cytonic gifts. 

The Superiority didn't stop in it's fight for galactic dominance while she was gone, though. Spensa's team, Skyward Flight, was able to hold Winzik off, and even collect allies to help with the cause, but it's only a matter of time until humanity--and the rest of the galaxy--falls. 

Defeating them will require all the knowledge Spensa gathered while in the Nowhere. But being Cytonic is more complicated than she ever could have imagined. Now, Spensa must ask herself: how far is she willing to go for victory, if it means losing herself--and her friends--in the process.

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Where the Library Hides

Isabel Ibañez

Where the Library Hides is Isabel Ibañez's stunning conclusion to the story that started in What the River Knows. A lush immersive historical fantasy set in Egypt filled with adventure, and a rivals-to-lovers romance like no other!

Inez Olivera traveled across the world to Egypt, seeking answers into her parents' recent and mysterious deaths. But all her searching led her down a perilous road, filled with heartache, betrayal, and a dangerous magic that pulled her deep into the past. 

When Tío Ricardo issues an ultimatum about her inheritance, she’s left with only one option to consider.

Marriage to Whitford Hayes.

Former British soldier, her uncle’s aide de camp, and one time nemesis, Whit has his own mysterious reasons for staying in Egypt. With her heart on the line, Inez might have to bind her fate to the one person whose secret plans could ruin her.

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Wisteria

Adalyn Grace

The sensational conclusion to the deathly and decadent Belladonna trilogy, with dramatic twists and a seductive new romance that will set readers' hearts ablaze--from #1 New York Times bestselling author Adalyn Grace!



Blythe Hawthorne has never let anyone tell her what to do--not society, not her overprotective father, and certainly not the man she's bound herself to, no matter how rude and insufferable he is. In fact, she's determined to be a thorn in his side for the rest of her days, even as he ensures that her life in his palace is anything but a fairytale. But as Blythe discovers a new side of herself linked to his past, she'll have to decide if she's willing to let an unexpected spark ignite...and to discover the truth about who she really is.

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Heir

Sabaa Tahir

**A Good Morning America YA Book Club Pick**

"Heir is a tour de force of fantasy that will leave readers breathless and boneless and aching for more." – Stephanie Garber, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Once Upon A Broken Heart

Prepare for a ruthless and romantic new fantasy from #1 New York Times bestselling and National Book Award winning author Sabaa Tahir that introduces a new generation of characters set in the same world as the unforgettable An Ember in the Ashes series.

An orphan.
An outcast.
A prince.
And a killer who will bring an empire to its knees.

Growing up in the Kegari slums, AIZ has seen her share of suffering. An old tragedy fuels her need for vengeance, but it is love of her people that propels her. Until one hotheaded mistake lands her in an inescapable prison, where the embers of her wrath ignite.

Banished from her people for an unforgivable crime, SIRSHA is a down-on-her-luck tracker who uses magic to trace her marks. Destitute, she agrees to hunt down a killer who has murdered children across the Martial Empire. All she has to do is carry out the job and get paid. But when a chance encounter leads to an unexpected attraction, Sirsha learns her mission might cost her far more than she’s willing to give up.  

QUIL is the crown prince of the Empire and nephew of a venerated empress, but he’s loath to take the throne when his aunt steps down. As the son of a reviled emperor, he, better than anyone, understands that power corrupts. When a vicious new enemy threatens the survival of the Empire, Quil must ask himself if he can rise above his tragic lineage and be the heir his people need.

Beloved storyteller Sabaa Tahir interweaves the lives of three young people as they grapple with power, treachery, love, and the devastating consequences of unchecked greed, on a journey that may cost them their lives—and their hearts. Literally.

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All This Twisted Glory

Tahereh Mafi

A New York Times bestselling series!

The highly anticipated third novel in the This Woven Kingdom series, full of powerful magic, searing romance, and heartbreaking betrayal, from the award-winning and bestselling author of the Shatter Me series. Perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Sabaa Tahir, and Tomi Adeyemi.

As the long-lost heir to the Jinn throne, Alizeh has finally found her people--and she might've found her crown. Cyrus, the mercurial ruler of Tulan, has offered her his kingdom in a twisted exchange: one that would begin with their marriage and end with his murder.

Cyrus's dark reputation precedes him; all the world knows of his blood-soaked past. Killing him should be easy--and accepting his offer might be the only way to fulfill her destiny and save her people. But the more Alizeh learns of him, the more she questions whether the terrible stories about him are true.

Ensnared by secrets, Cyrus has ached for Alizeh since she first appeared in his dreams many months ago. Now that he knows those visions were planted by the devil, he can hardly bear to look at her--much less endure her company. But despite their best efforts to despise each other, Alizeh and Cyrus are drawn together over and over with an all-consuming thirst that threatens to destroy them both.

Meanwhile, Prince Kamran has arrived in Tulan, ready to exact revenge...

Layered with exquisite tension and heart-stopping romance, All This Twisted Glory is the explosive third book in the captivating, bestselling Woven Kingdom series.

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Immortal Dark (Standard Edition)

Tigest Girma

An Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller! 
An Instant Indie Bestseller! 
A USA Today Bestseller!

"Entirely irresistible. Immortal Dark takes the best parts of vampire lore and brings the undying, violent enmity to full throttle. Tigest Girma pushes morally gray fantasy exactly where it needs to go, and you won't be able to look away." ―Chloe Gong, #1 New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights

The Cruel Prince meets Ninth House in this dangerously romantic dark academia fantasy, where a lost heiress must infiltrate an arcane society and live with the handsome vampire she suspects killed her family and kidnapped her sister. 

It began long before my time, but something has always hunted our family.

Orphaned heiress Kidan Adane grew up far from the arcane society she was born into, where human bloodlines gain power through vampire companionship. When her sister, June, disappears, Kidan is convinced a vampire stole her--the very vampire bound to their family, the cruel yet captivating Susenyos Sagad.

To find June, Kidan must infiltrate the elite Uxlay University--where students study to ensure peaceful coexistence between humans and vampires and inherit their family legacies. Kidan must survive living with Susenyos--even as he does everything he can to drive her away. It doesn't matter that Susenyos's wickedness speaks to Kidan's own violent nature and tempts her to surrender to a life of darkness. She must find her sister and kill Susenyos at all costs.

When a murder mirroring June's disappearance shakes Uxlay, Kidan sinks further into the ruthless underworld of vampires, risking her very soul. There she discovers a centuries-old threat--and June could be at the center of it. To save her sister, Kidan must bring Uxlay to its knees and either break free from the horrors of her own actions or embrace the dark entanglements of love--and the blood it requires.

Perfect for fans of:

  • Enemies to Lovers
  • Romantasy
  • Vampires
  • Sentient Houses
  • Morally Gray Characters
  • Villainous Romantic Leads
  • Dark Academia
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Where the Dark Stands Still

A. B. Poranek

A New York Times bestseller

A girl with dangerous magic makes a risky bargain with a demon to be free of her monstrous power in this “dark, devastating, and gothic” (Kirkus Reviews) young adult fantasy perfect for fans of An Enchantment of Ravens and House of Salt and Sorrows.

Liska knows that magic is monstrous, and its practitioners are monsters. She has done everything possible to suppress her own magic, to disastrous consequences. Desperate to be free of it, Liska flees her small village and delves into the dangerous, demon-inhabited spirit-wood to steal a mythical fern flower. If she plucks it, she can use its one wish to banish her powers. Everyone who has sought the fern flower has fallen prey to unknown horrors, so when Liska is caught by the demon warden of the wood—called The Leszy—a bargain seems better than death: one year of servitude in exchange for the fern flower and its wish. 

Whisked away to The Leszy’s crumbling manor, Liska soon makes an unsettling discovery: she is not the first person to strike this bargain, and all her predecessors have mysteriously vanished. If Liska wants to survive the year and return home, she must unravel her taciturn host’s spool of secrets and face the ghosts—figurative and literal—of his past. Because something wakes in the woods, something deadly and without mercy. It frightens even The Leszy…and cannot be defeated unless Liska embraces the monster she’s always feared becoming.

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Dragonfruit

Makiia Lucier

  • One of NPR's 2024 "Books We Love"
  • A New York Public Library Best Book of 2024

From acclaimed author Makiia Lucier, a dazzling, romantic fantasy inspired by Pacific Island mythology.

In the old tales, it is written that the egg of a seadragon, dragonfruit, holds within it the power to undo a person’s greatest sorrow. But as with all things that offer hope when hope had gone, the tale came with a warning.

Every wish demands a price.

Hanalei of Tamarind is the cherished daughter of an old island family. But when her father steals a seadragon egg meant for an ailing princess, she is forced into a life of exile. In the years that follow, Hanalei finds solace in studying the majestic seadragons that roam the Nominomi Sea. Until, one day, an encounter with a female dragon offers her what she desires most. A chance to return home, and to right a terrible wrong.

Samahtitamahenele, Sam, is the last remaining prince of Tamarind. But he can never inherit the throne, for Tamarind is a matriarchal society. With his mother ill and his grandmother nearing the end of her reign. Sam is left with two choices: to marry, or to find a cure for the sickness that has plagued his mother for ten long years. When a childhood companion returns from exile, she brings with her something he has not felt in a very long time—hope.

But Hanalei and Sam are not the only ones searching for the dragonfruit. And as they battle enemies both near and far, there is another danger they cannot escape…that of the dragonfruit itself.

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The Darkness Within Us

Tricia Levenseller

#1 New York Times Bestseller
USA Today Bestseller
Indie Bestseller
Goodreads Choice Award Nominee 

“A delicious fantasy full of tension, treachery, and highly addictive romance.” ―Stephanie Garber, # 1 New York Times bestselling author of Caraval

Chrysantha Stathos has won. 
By hiding her intelligence and ambition behind the mask of a beautiful air-headed girl, she has become a wealthy duchess. And, once her elderly husband dies, she will have all the freedom, money, and safety she’s ever wanted.

Or so she thought. 
A man claiming to be the estranged grandson of Chrysantha’s lecherous late husband has turned up to steal her inheritance. To make matters worse, her little sister is going to be queen and is rubbing it in her face.

Chrysantha decides that the only thing to do is upstage Alessandra at her own wedding. And as for this grandson, he has to go. Never mind that he’s extremely handsome and secretive with mysterious powers . . . No, Chrysantha wants Eryx Demos dead, and in the end, a Stathos girl always gets what she wants.

Featuring spray-painted and stenciled edges, a metallic foil case stamp, detailed map endpapers, a deleted scene and a ribbon, The Darkness Within Us is a wickedly delightful companion novel to Tricia Levenseller's The Shadows Between Us.

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The Invocations

Krystal Sutherland

From the author of New York Times bestseller House of Hollow comes a darkly seductive witchy thriller where, though both men and demons lurk in shadows, girls refuse to go quietly into the night.

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Three girls, one supernatural killer on the loose . . .

Zara Jones believes in magic because the alternative is too painful to consider—that her murdered sister is gone forever and there is nothing she can do about it. Rather than grieving and moving on, Zara decides she will do whatever it takes to claw her sister back from the grave—even trading in the occult.

Jude Wolf may be the daughter of a billionaire, but she is also undeniably cursed. After a deal with a demon went horribly wrong, her soul has been slowly turning necrotic. It’s a miserable existence marred by pain, sickness, and monstrous things that taunt her in the night. Now that she’s glimpsed what’s beyond the veil, Jude’s desperate to find someone to undo the damage she’s done to herself.

Enter Emer Byrne, an orphaned witch with a dark past and a deadly power, a.k.a. the solution to both Zara’s and Jude’s problems. Though Emer lives a hardscrabble life, she gives away her most valuable asset—her invocations—to women in desperate situations who are willing to sacrifice a piece of their soul in exchange for a scrap of power. Zara and Jude are willing, but they first have to find Emer.

When Emer’s clients start turning up dead all over London, a vital clue leads Zara and Jude right to her. If a serial killer is targeting her clients, Emer wants to know why—and to stop them. She strikes a tenuous alliance with Zara and Jude to hunt a killer before they are next on his list, even if she can’t give them in return what Zara and Jude want most: a sister and a soul.

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The Poisons We Drink

Bethany Baptiste

An Indie Bestseller!

In a country divided between humans and witchers, Venus Stoneheart hustles as a brewer making illegal love potions to support her family.

Love potions is a dangerous business. Brewing has painful, debilitating side effects, and getting caught means death or a prison sentence. But what Venus is most afraid of is the dark, sentient magic within her.

Then an enemy's iron bullet kills her mother, Venus's life implodes. Keeping her reckless little sister Janus safe is now her responsibility. When the powerful Grand Witcher, the ruthless head of her coven, offers Venus the chance to punish her mother's killer, she has to pay a steep price for revenge. The cost? Brew poisonous potions to enslave D.C.'s most influential politicians.

As Venus crawls deeper into the corrupt underbelly of her city, the line between magic and power blurs, and it's hard to tell who to trust...Herself included.

The Poisons We Drink is a potent YA debut about a world where love potions are weaponized against hate and prejudice, sisterhood is unbreakable, and self-love is life and death.

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A Fragile Enchantment

Allison Saft

January

In this romantic fantasy of manners from New York Times bestselling author Allison Saft, a magical dressmaker commissioned for a royal wedding finds herself embroiled in scandal when a gossip columnist draws attention to her undeniable chemistry with the groom.

Niamh Ó Conchobhair has never let herself long for more. The magic in her blood that lets her stitch emotions and memories into fabric is the same magic that will eventually kill her. Determined to spend the little time she has left guaranteeing a better life for her family, Niamh jumps at the chance to design the wardrobe for a royal wedding in the neighboring kingdom of Avaland. 

But Avaland is far from the fairytale that she imagined. While young nobles attend candlelit balls and elegant garden parties, unrest brews amid the working class. The groom himself, Kit Carmine, is prickly, abrasive, and begrudgingly being dragged to the altar as a political pawn. But when Niamh and Kit grow closer, an unlikely friendship blossoms into something more—until an anonymous gossip columnist starts buzzing about their chemistry, promising to leave them alone only if Niamh helps to uncover the royal family’s secrets. The rot at the heart of Avaland runs deep, but exposing it could risk a future she never let herself dream of, and a love she never thought possible.

Transporting readers to a Regency England-inspired fantasy world, A Fragile Enchantment is a sweeping romance threaded with intrigue, unforgettable characters, and a love story for the ages.

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A Tempest of Tea

Hafsah Faizal

February

A #1 New York Times Bestseller

From the New York Times–bestselling author of We Hunt the Flame comes the first book in a hotly-anticipated fantasy teeming with romance and revenge, led by an orphan girl willing to do whatever it takes to save her self-made kingdom.

On the streets of White Roaring, Arthie Casimir is a criminal mastermind and collector of secrets. Her prestigious tearoom transforms into an illegal bloodhouse by night, catering to the vampires feared by society. But when her establishment is threatened, Arthie is forced to strike an unlikely deal with an alluring adversary to save it—she can’t do the job alone.

Calling on some of the city’s most skilled outcasts, Arthie hatches a plan to infiltrate the sinister, glittering vampire society known as the Athereum. But not everyone in her ragtag crew is on her side, and as the truth behind the heist unfolds, Arthie finds herself in the midst of a conspiracy that will threaten the world as she knows it. Dark, action-packed, and swoonworthy, this is Hafsah Faizal better than ever.

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Where Sleeping Girls Lie

Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

March

In Where Sleeping Girls Lie — a chilling mystery by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, the New York Times-bestselling author of Ace of Spades a girl new to boarding school discovers dark secrets and coverups after her roommate disappears.

It’s like I keep stumbling into a dark room, searching for the switch to make things bright again...

Sade Hussein is starting her third year of high school, this time at the prestigious Alfred Nobel Academy boarding school, after being home-schooled. Misfortune has been a constant companion throughout her life, but even Sade doesn’t expect her new roommate, Elizabeth, to disappear after Sade’s first night. Or for people to think she had something to do with it.

With rumors swirling around her, Sade catches the attention of the girls collectively known as the Unholy Trinity and they bring her into their fold. Between learning more about them—especially Persephone, who Sade is inexplicably drawn to—and playing catchup in class, Sade already has so much on her plate. But when it seems people don't care enough about what happened to Elizabeth, it's up to her and Elizabeth's best friend, Baz, to investigate. 

And then a student is found dead.

As Sade and Baz keep trying to figure out what’s going on, Sade realizes there’s more to Alfred Nobel Academy and its students than she thought. Secrets lurk around every corner and beneath every surface...Secrets that rival even her own.

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Song of the Six Realms

Judy I. Lin

April

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!

Judy I. Lin, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Magic Steeped in Poison, weaves a dreamy standalone romance about a talented musician swept away to the Celestial Realm by a handsome duke in Song of the Six Realms.

Xue, a talented young musician, has no past and probably no future. Orphaned at a young age, her kindly poet uncle took her in and arranged for an apprenticeship at one of the most esteemed entertainment houses in the kingdom. She doesn’t remember much from before entering the House of Flowing Water, and when her uncle is suddenly killed in a bandit attack, she is devastated to lose her last connection to a life outside of her indenture contract.

With no family and no patron, Xue is facing the possibility of a lifetime of servitude playing the qin for nobles that praise her talent with one breath and sneer at her lowly social status with the next. Then one night she is unexpectedly called to the garden to put on a private performance for the enigmatic Duke Meng. For a young man of nobility, he is strangely kind and awkward, and surprises Xue further with an irresistible offer: serve as a musician in residence at his manor for one year, and he’ll set her free of her indenture.

But the Duke’s motives become increasingly more suspect when he and Xue barely survive an attack by a nightmarish monster, and when he whisks her away to his estate, she discovers he’s not just some country noble: He’s the Duke of Dreams, one of the divine rulers of the Celestial Realm. There she learns the Six Realms are on the brink of disaster, and incursions by demonic beasts are growing more frequent.

The Duke needs Xue’s help to unlock memories from her past that could hold the answers to how to stop the impending war... but first Xue will need to survive being the target of every monster and deity in the Six Realms.

Also by Judy I. Lin:
A Magic Steeped in Poison
A Venom Dark and Sweet

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Thirsty: A Novel

Jas Hammonds

May

A Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee
A Junior Library Guild Selection

From Jas Hammonds, the award-winning author of We Deserve Monuments, comes an electric, heart-wrenching novel about a teen whose desperation to fit in leads to a dizzying relationship with alcohol—and a poignant journey of self-discovery. 

"Sensitively wrought and gorgeously written." —Courtney Summers, New York Times bestselling author of Sadie and I’m the Girl 

It’s the summer before college and Blake Brenner and her girlfriend, Ella, have one goal: join the mysterious and exclusive Serena Society. The sorority promises status and lifelong connections to a network of powerful, trailblazing women of color. Ella’s acceptance is a sure thing—she’s the daughter of a Serena alum. Blake, however, has a lot more to prove.

As a former loner from a working-class background, Blake lacks Ella’s pedigree and confidence. Luckily, she finds courage at the bottom of a liquor bottle. When she drinks, she’s bold, funny, and unstoppable—and the Serenas love it. But as pledging intensifies, so does Blake’s drinking, until it’s seeping into every corner of her life. Ella assures Blake that she’s fine; partying hard is what it takes to make the cut . . .

But success has never felt so much like drowning. With her future hanging in the balance and her past dragging her down, Blake must decide how far she’s willing to go to achieve her glittering dreams of success—and how much of herself she’s willing to lose in the process.

A powerful exploration of the lengths we go to feel seen, and the devastating consequences of an unquenchable thirst.

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Children of Anguish and Anarchy

Tomi Adeyemi

June

INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * INSTANT USA TODAY BESTSELLER * INSTANT INDIE BESTSELLER

"A phenomenon." ―Entertainment Weekly 

Featuring gorgeous designed edges, dazzling metallic foil designs on the jacket and case, and an exclusive endpaper map that reveals new unexplored territories, Tomi Adeyemi’s #1 New York Times-bestselling Legacy of Orïsha series comes to an earth-shaking conclusion.

New allies rise.
The Blood Moon nears.
Zélie faces her final enemy.
The king who hunts her heart.

When Zélie seized the royal palace that fateful night, she thought her battles had come to an end. The monarchy had finally fallen. The maji had risen again. Zélie never expected to find herself locked in a cage and trapped on a foreign ship. Now warriors with iron skulls traffic her and her people across the seas, far from their homeland.

Then everything changes when Zélie meets King Baldyr, her true captor, the ruler of the Skulls, and the man who has ravaged entire civilizations to find her. Baldyr’s quest to harness Zélie’s strength sends Zélie, Amari, and Tzain searching for allies in unknown lands.

But as Baldyr closes in, catastrophe charges Orïsha’s shores. It will take everything Zélie has to face her final enemy and save her people before the Skulls annihilate them for good.

-

The Complete Legacy of Orïsha Series:

Children of Blood and Bone (Book 1)
Children of Virtue and Vengeance (Book 2)
Children of Anguish and Anarchy (Book 3)

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Such Charming Liars

Karen M. McManus

July

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The newest mystery from the author One of Us Is Lying, the Queen of thrillers, Karen M. McManus! When mother-daughter grifters set out on their final job, the heist gets deadly and dangerously personal.

For all of Kat’s life, it’s just been her and her mother, Jamie—except for the forty-eight hours when Jamie was married and Kat had a stepbrother, Liam. That all ended in an epic divorce, and Kat and Liam haven’t spoken since.

Now Jamie is a jewel thief trying to go straight, but she has one last job—at billionaire Ross Sutherland’s birthday party. And Kat has figured out a way to tag along. What Kat doesn’t know, though, is that there are two surprise guests at the dazzling Sutherland compound that weekend. The last two people she wants to run into. Liam and his father—a serial scammer who has his sights set on Ross Sutherland’s youngest daughter.

Kat and Liam are on a collision course to disaster, and when a Sutherland dies, they realize they might actually be in the killer’s crosshairs themselves. Somehow Kat and Liam are the new targets, and they can’t trust anyone—except each other.

Or can they? Because if there’s one thing both Kat and Liam know, it’s how to lie. They learned from the best.

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Under the Surface

Diana Urban

August

An epic survival-thriller about four teens who get lost in the Paris catacombs for days—a gripping and propulsive story of love, danger, betrayal, and hope… even when all seems lost.

"Tense and fast-moving, with a unique setting and compelling characters, Under the Surface is Diana Urban’s best yet."—Karen M. McManus, #1 New York Times bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying


Ruby is terrified to cave to her feelings for Sean and risk him crushing her heart. 

Sean is pumped to spend a week with Ruby in Paris on their senior class trip, and he’ll wait however long until she’s ready to take things further.

But when Ruby’s best friend sneaks out the first night to meet a mysterious French boy, Ruby goes after her with two classmates, but caves to another temptation: attending mystery boy’s exclusive party in the Paris catacombs, the intricate web of tunnels beneath the city, home to six million long-dead Parisians. Only they never reach the party.

Underground, as something sinister chases them, they get lost in the endless maze of bones, uncovering dark secrets about the catacombs…..and each other. And if they can’t find a way out, they’ll die in the dark beneath the City of Light. 

Aboveground, Sean races to find the girl he loves as a media frenzy over the four missing teens begins.

From award-winning author and rising YA star Diana Urban comes a twisty tale of four teens lost in the dark beneath the City of Light and the race to find them.

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Don't Let the Forest In

CG Drews

October

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!

As alluring as it is unsettling, award-winning author CG Drews' debut YA psychological horror will leave readers breathless and hesitant to venture deeper into the woods.

Once upon a time, Andrew had cut out his heart and given it to this boy, and he was very sure Thomas had no idea that Andrew would do anything for him. Protect him. Lie for him. 

Kill for him.

High school senior Andrew Perrault finds refuge in the twisted fairytales that he writes for the only person who can ground him to reality—Thomas Rye, the boy with perpetually ink-stained hands and hair like autumn leaves. And with his twin sister, Dove, inexplicably keeping him at a cold distance upon their return to Wickwood Academy, Andrew finds himself leaning on his friend even more.

But something strange is going on with Thomas. His abusive parents have mysteriously vanished, and he arrives at school with blood on his sleeve. Thomas won't say a word about it, and shuts down whenever Andrew tries to ask him questions. Stranger still, Thomas is haunted by something, and he seems to have lost interest in his artwork—whimsically macabre sketches of the monsters from Andrew's wicked stories.

Desperate to figure out what's wrong with his friend, Andrew follows Thomas into the off-limits forest one night and catches him fighting a nightmarish monster—Thomas's drawings have come to life and are killing anyone close to him. To make sure no one else dies, the boys battle the monsters every night. But as their obsession with each other grows stronger, so do the monsters, and Andrew begins to fear that the only way to stop the creatures might be to destroy their creator...

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Games Untold

Jennifer Lynn Barnes

November

OVER 4 MILLION COPIES SOLD OF THE #1 BESTSELLING SERIES!

Romance, luxury, and secrets abound in this thrilling new collection that takes readers deeper into the world of the #1 bestselling Inheritance Games series

There is nothing frivolous about the way a Hawthorne man loves.

An amnesiac playboy and the woman with every reason to hate him. A daredevil, his favorite heiress, and three nights in Prague. An unlikely pairing between a cowboy and a goth. Four brothers with an inescapable bond, strengthened by the family they chose, in a house of wonders that promises to always deliver one more secret.

Discover their stories of love and loss, power, puzzles, and life-and-death secrets in this mind-blowingly romantic collection that proves that when you love the way Hawthornes love, there is no going back.

This collection includes:

  • That Night in Prague (novella)
  • The Same Backward as Forward (novella)
  • The Cowboy and the Goth
  • Five Times Xander Tackled Someone (and One Time He Didn't)
  • $3CR3T $@NT@
  • One Hawthorne Night*
  • What Happens in the Treehouse*
  • Pain at the Right Gun

*previously published in limited release

**Don't miss a moment of The Inheritance Games Saga, including the Grandest Game, the thrilling new series set in the world of the Inheritance Games

Reading them all? The ideal reading order is: The Inheritance Games, The Hawthorne Legacy, The Final Gambit, The Brothers Hawthorne, The Grandest Game, Games Untold, and Glorious Rivals. 

Looking for more unputdownable reads from Jennifer Lynn Barnes? Check out The Naturals series (The Naturals, Killer Instinct, All In, Bad Blood, and the enovella, Twelve), The Debutantes duet (Little White Lies, Deadly Little Scandals), and The Lovely and the Lost.

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What the Woods Took

Courtney Gould

December

“A visceral, unflinching, and emotionally powerful horror novel...this is Gould at her most poignant and most electric.” –Ava Reid, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Study in Drowning

Yellowjackets meets Girl, Interrupted when a group of troubled teens in a wilderness therapy program find themselves stranded in a forest full of monsters eager to take their place.

Devin Green wakes in the middle of the night to find two men in her bedroom. No stranger to a fight, she calls to her foster parents for help, but it soon becomes clear this is a planned abduction—one everyone but Devin signed up for. She’s shoved in a van and driven deep into the Idaho woods, where she’s dropped off with a cohort of equally confused teens. Finally, two camp counselors inform them that they've all been enrolled in an experimental therapy program. If the campers can learn to change their self-destructive ways—and survive a fifty-days hike through the wilderness—they’ll come out the other side as better versions of themselves. Or so the counselors say.

Devin is immediately determined to escape. She’s also determined to ignore Sheridan, the cruel-mouthed, lavender-haired bully who mocks every group exercise. But there’s something strange about these woods—inhuman faces appearing between the trees, visions of people who shouldn't be there flashing in the leaves—and when the campers wake up to find both counselors missing, therapy becomes the least of their problems. Stranded and left to fend for themselves, the teens quickly realize they’ll have to trust each other if they want to survive. But what lies in the woods may not be as dangerous as what the campers are hiding from each other—and if the monsters have their way, no one will leave the woods alive.

Atmospheric and sharp, What the Woods Took is a poignant story of transformation that explores the price of becoming someone—or something—new.

“Unsettling, raw, and absolutely terrifying. Gould tears open the tender, angry heart of teenage friendship and what happens when our loved ones fail us.” -Trang Thanh Tran, New York Times bestselling author of She is a Haunting
 

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The Language of Butterflies

Wendy Williams

In this fascinating book from the New York Times bestselling author of The Horse, Wendy Williams explores the lives of one of the world’s most resilient creatures—the butterfly—shedding light on the role that they play in our ecosystem and in our human lives.

Butterflies are one of the world’s most beloved insects. From butterfly gardens to zoo exhibitions, they are one of the few insects we’ve encouraged to infiltrate our lives. Yet, what has drawn us to these creatures in the first place? And what are their lives really like? In this groundbreaking book, New York Times bestselling author and science journalist Wendy Williams reveals the inner lives of these “flying flowers”—creatures far more intelligent and tougher than we give them credit for.

Monarch butterflies migrate thousands of miles each year from Canada to Mexico. Other species have learned how to fool ants into taking care of them. Butterflies’ scales are inspiring researchers to create new life-saving medical technology. Williams takes readers to butterfly habitats across the globe and introduces us to not only various species, but to the scientists who have dedicated their lives to studying them.

Coupled with years of research and knowledge gained from experts in the field, this accessible “butterfly biography” explores the ancient partnership between these special creatures and humans, and why they continue to fascinate us today. Touching, eye-opening, and incredibly profound, The Language of Butterflies reveals the critical role they play in our world.

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Birdhouses & More

A.J. Hamler

Make Your Yard a Home for Creatures Great and Small!

Imagine filling your backyard with birds, bees, butterflies, chipmunks, deer, toads and more. That's all possible with the beautiful, yet practical, projects in this book.

Birdhouses & More offers easy-to-follow plans for 25 projects--from feeders, to houses, to birdbaths and beyond. You can make each one quickly with basic materials and a simple set of tools. And the actual construction steps are a breeze, thanks to the thorough instructions, clear photos of key steps and detailed cutting lists that make it easy to plan the materials you'll need.

If you've dreamed of watching wildlife right outside your door, you need this book.

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Attracting Birds, Butterflies, and Other Backyard Wildlife

David Mizejewski

From renowned National Wildlife Federation naturalist and TV host David Mizejewski comes a new book to show you how to create a magical ecosystem right in your backyard! Invite beautiful songbirds, colorful butterflies, buzzing bees and other fascinating wildlife by nurturing a wildlife habitat garden. With more than 200 high-quality photographs, lists of the best native plants to support wildlife and 17 gardening projects the whole family can enjoy, from building bird houses to creating garden ponds, Attracting Birds, Butterflies, and Other Backyard Wildlife, Expanded Second Edition is a must-have resource for nature enthusiasts, gardeners, and animal lovers.

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The Butterfly Handbook

Jacqueline Y. Miller

This magnificently illustrated volume does double-duty as a field guide and a handsome reference volume. It shows more than 500 butterfly species and instructs nature lovers on how to identify each of them. Organized into the major butterfly family groups, the book's easy-reference format points out the key characteristics that identify each butterfly type, and describes its habitat, life cycle, and migration season. Every entry is presented with an at-a-glance guide to the butterfly's size, location of origin, and conservation status. A detailed color photo of each specimen clearly shows its unique, intricate markings. Nature lovers and butterfly collectors will find practical tips for locating and studying these beautiful and fragile insects in the wild. More than 500 magnificent color photos and reliable descriptive text combine to make this a must-own reference guide for butterfly enthusiasts everywhere.

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Monarchs and Milkweed

Anurag Agrawal

The fascinating and complex evolutionary relationship of the monarch butterfly and the milkweed plant

Monarch butterflies are one of nature's most recognizable creatures, known for their bright colors and epic annual migration from the United States and Canada to Mexico. Yet there is much more to the monarch than its distinctive presence and mythic journeying. In Monarchs and Milkweed, Anurag Agrawal presents a vivid investigation into how the monarch butterfly has evolved closely alongside the milkweed—a toxic plant named for the sticky white substance emitted when its leaves are damaged—and how this inextricable and intimate relationship has been like an arms race over the millennia, a battle of exploitation and defense between two fascinating species.

The monarch life cycle begins each spring when it deposits eggs on milkweed leaves. But this dependency of monarchs on milkweeds as food is not reciprocated, and milkweeds do all they can to poison or thwart the young monarchs. Agrawal delves into major scientific discoveries, including his own pioneering research, and traces how plant poisons have not only shaped monarch-milkweed interactions but have also been culturally important for centuries. Agrawal presents current ideas regarding the recent decline in monarch populations, including habitat destruction, increased winter storms, and lack of milkweed—the last one a theory that the author rejects. He evaluates the current sustainability of monarchs and reveals a novel explanation for their plummeting numbers.

Lavishly illustrated with more than eighty color photos and images, Monarchs and Milkweed takes readers on an unforgettable exploration of one of nature's most important and sophisticated evolutionary relationships.

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Attracting Birds and Butterflies

Barbara Ellis

A quick-reference guide to attracting birds and butterflies for gardeners with little experience and time.

In the eye of a bird or butterfly, the typical suburban landscape resembles an unfriendly desert. Closely mowed lawns, tightly clipped shrubs, raked-up borders, and deadheaded flowers mean no place to nest, no food to eat, and nowhere to hide. To the humans who live there, this means no bird songs, no colorful butterflies, no dazzling hummingbirds, no night-sparkling fireflies.

Creating a garden that welcomes these creatures may seem like a confusing and complicated task, but the principles involved are relatively simple. Essentially, wildlife needs food, water, and shelter, just like we do, and this lavishly illustrated guide shows which plants attract which creatures, and how to plant and care for them.
 

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The Family Butterfly Book

Rick Mikula

- Raise your own butterflies!

- Create a butterfly habitat with 15 projects and activities

- Close-ups of 40 favorite North American butterflies

Everyone enjoys seeing butterflies flitting about on a warm summer day, but few people realize that many species are endangered. Without help, nine out of ten caterpillars won't survive long enough to become butterflies. The "grandfather of butterfly farming," Rick Mikula, wants to improve these odds. In The Family Butterfly Book, Rick shares his vast knowledge, contagious enthusiasm, and deep respect for these fascinating creatures.

Though many of us know that caterpillars turn into butterflies, Rick explains the transformation from start to finish - egg to caterpillar to chrysallis to butterfly - and reveals where each stage can be found in the wilds of our own backyards. With stunning color photographs and detailed illustrations, Rick explains how to attract, safely catch and handle, and raise and support butterflies. He also discusses how to make irresistible habitats for butterflies and emphasizes the importance of basking sites, water sources, and shelter. Did you ever want to hand-feed a butterfly? Have a live-butterfly tree? Feature butterflies in special celebrations? Rick explains all that and more.

Features many do-it-yourelf projects that can be completed for under $10 and 2% of net profitswill be donated to the a butterfly survival fund.

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Ground Rules

Kate Frey

100 rules to garden by

Gardening doesn’t have to be difficult, and Kate Frey—expert gardener and designer—makes it easier than ever with her new book, Ground Rules. Frey distills the vital lessons of gardening into 100 simple rules that will yield a gorgeous, healthy, and thriving home garden. Discover tips on garden design, care and maintenance, healthy soil, and the best ways to water. You’ll also learn how to create a garden that encourages birds and butterflies, how to choose healthy plants at the garden center, how and when to re-pot a container, and much more. With bite-size chunks of expert information and inspiring photographs, Ground Rules is your new go-to resource.

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The Ultimate Wildlife Habitat Garden

Stacy Tornio

This beginner-friendly handbook helps homeowners create a beautiful garden that attracts birds, bees, butterflies, and more.

In The Ultimate Wildlife Habitat Garden, Stacy Tornio makes it easy to attract birds, bees, and butterflies to your home garden by sharing details about which plants attract specific creatures. Entice birds with black-eyed susans, attract bumblebees by planting bee balm, and more. Choose from ten garden plans, including a hummingbird garden, a birdseed garden, and options that are low-maintenance and drought-resistant. You'll also get advice on finding the right feeder, avoiding pesticides, and choosing native plants. This beautiful, photo-filled guide will enable you to create the earth-friendly garden of your dreams.

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Bicycling with Butterflies

Sara Dykman

“What a wonderful idea for an adventure! Absolutely inspired, timely, and important.” —Alistair Humphreys, National Geographic Adventurer of the Year and author of The Doorstep Mile and Around the World by Bike

Outdoor educator and field researcher Sara Dykman made history when she became the first person to bicycle along­side monarch butterflies on their storied annual migration—a round-trip adventure that included three countries and more than 10,000 miles. Equally remarkable, she did it solo, on a bike cobbled together from used parts. Her panniers were recycled buckets.
 
In Bicycling with Butterflies, Dykman recounts her incredible journey and the dramatic ups and downs of the nearly nine-month odyssey. We’re beside her as she nav­igates unmapped roads in foreign countries, checks roadside milkweed for monarch eggs, and shares her passion with eager schoolchil­dren, skeptical bar patrons, and unimpressed border officials. We also meet some of the ardent monarch stewards who supported her efforts, from citizen scientists and research­ers to farmers and high-rise city dwellers.
 
With both humor and humility, Dykman offers a compelling story, confirming the urgency of saving the threatened monarch migration—and the other threatened systems of nature that affect the survival of us all.

 

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Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

Bill Martin

A told B,
and B told C,
“I’ll meet you at the
top of the coconut tree”


In this lively alphabet rhyme, all the letters of the alphabet race each other up the coconut tree. Will there be enough room? Oh, no—Chicka Chicka Boom! Boom!

Countless children—and their parents—can joyfully recite the familiar words of this beloved alphabet chant. Bill Martin, Jr., and John Archambault’s rhythmic text keeps the beat with Caldecott Honor illustrator Lois Ehlert’s bold, cheerful art. This winning combination has made the Chicka Chicka series an enduring classic.

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Z Is for Moose

Kelly Bingham

Z is for Zebra.

Zebra is absolutely certain he’ll be able to direct everyone to appear on the correct page, at the appropriate time, without any mishaps, unnecessary drama, or hurt feelings. It’s the ABCs, for goodness’ sake. How difficult can it be?

Oh, dear.

Zebra forgot about moose.

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Paper Peek: Alphabet

Chihiro Takeuchi

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.

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What about X? an Alphabet Adventure

Anne Marie Houppert

From A to Z, the students of the Alphabet Academy are heading on a camping trip in this playful picture book, What About X?

All the letters of the alphabet know exactly what to pack for their big camping trip. B is bringing binoculars. C is collecting canteens. But X can't think of a thing to bring!

In her picture book debut, author Anne Marie Houppert combines the excitement of a first field trip with the magic of collaboration and friendship. Illustrator Daniel Wiseman paints maximum personality into each character, underlining the idea that everyone is special and necessary--just like every letter of the alphabet!

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An African Alphabet

Eric Walters

From aardvark to zebra and all that's in between, little ones will love learning their alphabet with these colorful creatures.

An African Alphabet is a vibrant ABC book that introduces babies and toddlers to the unique variety of animals found in Africa. An alphabet for all ages, the stunning linocut-influenced artwork brings an uncommon selection of critters to life in this lively concept book.

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LMNO Peas

Keith Baker

Get ready to roll through the alphabet with a jaunty cast of extremely cute and busy little peas in this Classic Board Book edition of Keith Baker’s hit concept book. This fresh and fun alphabet book features bright colors, bouncy rhyming text, and silly pea characters who highlight the wide variety of interests, hobbies, and careers that make the world such a colorful place!

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Dr. Seuss's ABC

Dr. Seuss

Letters come alive on the page, as Dr. Seuss fills the alphabet with his classic colorful characters, from dreaming David Donald Doo to itchy Ichabod to the quick Queen of Quincy, and of course the Zizzer-Zazzer-Zuzz. Starting with the most basic building blocks of language, Dr. Seuss makes reading FUN!

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B Is for Brownies

Caroline Wright

Baking is as easy as A-B-C with this brownies-themed alphabet board book that features a kid-friendly recipe!

Little bakers everywhere will love reading this catchy rhyming story and discovering everything that's involved in baking brownies--from A to Z--and then joining adults in the kitchen to practice measuring, mixing, decorating, and tasting!

Featuring irresistibly bright and bold art and a kid-friendly brownies recipe, this sturdy board book is perfect for story time and snack time.

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Beautiful Birds

Jean Roussen

In this stunningly illustrated introduction to the world's most beautiful birds, Jean Roussen and Emmanuelle Walker pay homage to an alphabet of birds in all their feathery fancies. From Warblers to Blue-tits and Kakapos to Owls, Roussen's playful, melodic poem is complemented beautifully by Walker's delicate illustrations.

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Alphabet Family Band

Sarah Jones

Grab your congas, flutes, and xylophones--it's an Alphabet Family Band! Bright, colorful illustrations feature members of a family playing a host of different musical instruments in a warm island setting. Harmoniously combining two concepts (letters and music), this lively board book will soon become a family favorite!

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ABC Universe

American Museum of Natural History

From an astronaut in space to Voyager, yellow dwarf, and zenith, this ABC board book opens up the entire universe to children! Created in tandem with the American Museum of Natural History, it takes kids on a photographic journey through comets, flares, and planets like Jupiter, and introduces them to black holes, supernovas, telescopes, and more. Perfect for the youngest astronomers.

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F is for Fiesta

Susan Middleton Elya

From adornos (decorations) going up all over the house, biscochitos (cupcakes) baking in the oven, and a special treat of churros (doughnut sticks) for breakfast, this can only be the beginning of a fabulous cumpleaños (birthday)! As the alphabet continues, the story highlights fun elements of a boy's never-ending birthday celebration, including entries for ch, ll, ñ, and rr that make this a truly Latino ABC fiesta.

Clever verse and exuberant illustrations make the meaning of each Spanish word clear, and an author's note explains the difference between the English and Spanish alphabets.

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Letter Town: a Seek-And-Find Alphabet Adventure

Darren Farrell

Beep! Beep! Follow Bus Driver B from A to Z in an alphabet adventure full of humor, suspense, and heart. It's never a dull day in Letter Town!

Follow Bus Driver B through the jam-packed pages full of letters at work and play in a town unlike any other. From Avenue A to Zoo Z, there's always something to spot and see in Letter Town. Each bus stop reveals a new part of the town, while the bouncy rhyming narrative uncovers sneaky Detective D's mission to capture Robber R, who is causing mischief throughout the neighborhoods. And don't forget to be on the lookout for more hilarious letter characters and creatures on every page! In Letter Town, author-illustrator Darren Farrell takes up the rhyming seek-and-find mantle, applying his own singular charm and humor through the vast and varied wonders of the alphabet. Also included is a reverse jacket alphabet poster for little ones to proudly display and exercise their own letter-seeking and writing abilities.

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ABCs on Wheels

Ramon Olivera

Buckle up for an alphabetical road trip in Ramon Olivera’s ABCs of Wheels! In this book, kids will learn their ABCs in the fast lane. From A is for axl to Z is for zoom, young children will be introduced to taxis, hot rods, moon rovers, stagecoaches, racecars, ice cream trucks, and more in a celebration of where the wheels meet the road.

Refreshing and unique, this concept book is filled with bold, graphic illustrations that race off the page!

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Noodles, Please!

Cheryl Yau Chepusova

Here’s an alphabet book to set your taste buds aflame. Noodles are a universally loved food, from Ash Reshteh in Iran to Zaru Soba in Japan. In this board book shaped to mimic bowls, readers will discover 26 different varieties as they eat their way through the alphabet. Who knew noodles could be served so many ways: long and short, hot and cold, spicy and sweet, in broth and baked, paired with vegetables, meat and fish.

Noodles, Please! provides a culinary tour of the world, highlighting cuisines from over a dozen different countries. With each new letter, a new dish is introduced identifying its country of origin and name written in both English and the country’s native language. Whether learning about Tallarines Verdes for the first time, or a Naengmyeon aficionado, readers young and old are sure to slurp this one right up.

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Letters from Cuba

Ruth Behar

Pura Belpré Award Winner Ruth Behar's inspiring story of a young Jewish girl who escapes Poland to make a new life in Cuba, while she works to rescue the rest of her family

The situation is getting dire for Jews in Poland on the eve of World War II. Esther's father has fled to Cuba, and she is the first one to join him. It's heartbreaking to be separated from her beloved sister, so Esther promises to write down everything that happens until they're reunited. And she does, recording both the good--the kindness of the Cuban people and her discovery of a valuable hidden talent--and the bad: the fact that Nazism has found a foothold even in Cuba. Esther's evocative letters are full of her appreciation for life and reveal a resourceful, determined girl with a rare ability to bring people together, all the while striving to get the rest of their family out of Poland before it's too late.

Based on Ruth Behar's family history, this compelling story celebrates the resilience of the human spirit in the most challenging times.

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3 2 1 Awesome!

Eva Chen

Instagram superstar and New York Times bestselling author of Juno Valentine and the Magical Shoes Eva Chen shines a spotlight on 20 amazing women—including Megan Rapinoe, Sonia Sotomayor, Shirley Chisholm, Greta Thunberg and more!—in 3 2 1 Awesome! a sassy and fun counting board book, perfect for the youngest of budding feminists.

Why stick to counting on fingers and toes when you can count:

3 straight sets for Billie Jean King's historic win...

2 groundbreaking suffragettes named Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton...

1 singular, sensational YOU!

With Derek Desierto's bold and vibrant art, Eva fans and readers of all ages will be transported through "herstory."

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The Death of Jane Lawrence

Caitlin Starling

***AN INSTANT BESTSELLER!***
Best Books of 2021 ·
NPR
ALA/The Reading List Best Horror 2021 Pick
Longlisted for the Bram Stoker Awards for Superior Achievement in a Novel, 2021


From the Bram Stoker-nominated author of The Luminous Dead comes a gothic fantasy horrorThe Death of Jane Lawrence.

"A jewel box of a Gothic novel." —New York Times Book Review

“Delicious.... By the time the book reached that point of no return, I was so invested that I would have followed Jane into the very depths of hell.” —NPR.org

“Intense and amazing! It’s like Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell meets Mexican Gothic meets Crimson Peak.” —BookRiot

Practical, unassuming Jane Shoringfield has done the calculations, and decided that the most secure path forward is this: a husband, in a marriage of convenience, who will allow her to remain independent and occupied with meaningful work. Her first choice, the dashing but reclusive doctor Augustine Lawrence, agrees to her proposal with only one condition: that she must never visit Lindridge Hall, his crumbling family manor outside of town.

Yet on their wedding night, an accident strands her at his door in a pitch-black rainstorm, and she finds him changed. Gone is the bold, courageous surgeon, and in his place is a terrified, paranoid man—one who cannot tell reality from nightmare, and fears Jane is an apparition, come to haunt him. By morning, Augustine is himself again, but Jane knows something is deeply wrong at Lindridge Hall, and with the man she has so hastily bound her safety to.

Set in a dark-mirror version of post-war England, Caitlin Starling crafts a new kind of gothic horror from the bones of the beloved canon. This Crimson Peak-inspired story assembles, then upends, every expectation set in place by Shirley Jackson and Rebecca, and will leave readers shaken, desperate to begin again as soon as they are finished.

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Batman: The Killing Joke

Alan Moore

A NEW YORK TIMES Bestseller!

Presented for the first time with stark, stunning new coloring by Brian Bolland, BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE is Alan Moore's unforgettable meditation on the razor-thin line between sanity and insanity, heroism and villainy, comedy and tragedy.
 
According to the grinning engine of madness and mayhem known as the Joker, that's all that separates the sane from the psychotic. Freed once again from the confines of Arkham Asylum, he's out to prove his deranged point. And he's going to use Gotham City's top cop, Commissioner Jim Gordon, and the Commissioner’s brilliant and beautiful daughter Barbara to do it.

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Something is Killing the Children Vol. 1

James Tynion IV

When children begin to go missing in the town of Archer’s Peak, all hope seems lost until a mysterious woman arrives to reveal that terrifying creatures are behind the chaos - and that she alone will destroy them, no matter the cost.

IT’S THE MONSTERS WHO SHOULD BE AFRAID.

When the children of Archer's Peak—a sleepy town in the heart of America—begin to go missing, everything seems hopeless. Most children never return, but the ones that do have terrible stories—impossible details of terrifying creatures that live in the shadows. Their only hope of finding and eliminating the threat is the arrival of a mysterious stranger, one who believes the children and claims to be the only one who sees what they can see.

Her name is Erica Slaughter. She kills monsters. That is all she does, and she bears the cost because it must be done.

GLAAD Award-winning writer James Tynion IV (The Woods, Batman: Detective Comics) teams with artist Werther Dell’Edera (Briggs Land) for an all-new story about staring into the abyss.

Collects Something is Killing the Children #1-5.

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Romeo and Juliet

William Shakespeare

Romeo and Juliet is the classic tragedy of western literature. Created by William Shakespeare, it is tale of two very young lovers from Verona, Italy who defy the wishes of their feuding families, get married then, and tragically, end their own lives in the name of love. It is their deaths that ultimately help the rival families of the Capulet's and Montague's find reconciliation. Manga Classics brings an incredible new reading experience with this adaptation of Shakespeare's most popular and frequently performed plays: Romeo and Juliet.

 

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In the Middle of Fall

Kevin Henkes

“This exquisite picture book will inspire youngsters to get outdoors and observe the world around them.”—School Library Journal (starred review)

From Caldecott Medalist and Newbery Honor author Kevin Henkes and acclaimed painter Laura Dronzek, the bestselling and award-winning creators of Birds and When Spring Comes, In the Middle of Fall is perfect for the very youngest readers.

In the middle of fall, it takes only one gust of wind to turn the whole world yellow and red and orange. Caldecott Medalist and award-winning author Kevin Henkes’s striking text introduces basic concepts of language and the unique beauty of the fall season. Laura Dronzek’s expressive paintings illuminate pumpkins, apples, falling leaves, busy squirrels, and the transformation from colorful autumn to frosty winter.

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Diary of a Young Naturalist

Dara McAnulty

A BuzzFeed Best Book of June 2021

From sixteen-year-old Dara McAnulty, a globally renowned figure in the youth climate activist movement, comes a memoir about loving the natural world and fighting to save it.

Diary of a Young Naturalist chronicles the turning of a year in Dara's Northern Ireland home patch. Beginning in spring--when "the sparrows dig the moss from the guttering and the air is as puffed out as the robin's chest"--these diary entries about his connection to wildlife and the way he sees the world are vivid, evocative, and moving.

As well as Dara's intense connection to the natural world, Diary of a Young Naturalist captures his perspective as a teenager juggling exams, friendships, and a life of campaigning. We see his close-knit family, the disruptions of moving and changing schools, and the complexities of living with autism. "In writing this book," writes Dara, "I have experienced challenges but also felt incredible joy, wonder, curiosity and excitement. In sharing this journey my hope is that people of all generations will not only understand autism a little more but also appreciate a child's eye view on our delicate and changing biosphere."

Winner of the Wainwright Prize for UK nature writing and already sold into more than a dozen territories, Diary of a Young Naturalist is a triumphant debut from an important new voice.

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Fearless Gardening

Loree Bohl

Fearless Gardening encourages you—exhorts you—to boldly go forth and claim your garden as a space of joy and creativity.” —Jennifer Jewell, creator and host of public radio’s Cultivating Place

Embrace your inner rebel and create the garden you want—even if it breaks the rules. Loree Bohl, the voice behind the popular blog The Danger Garden, shows how it’s done in Fearless Gardening, with zone-busting ideas and success stories. Bohl’s own gorgeous home garden inspires, with agaves that shrug off ice storms, palms that thrive in the rain, and planting risks that are beautifully rewarded.

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Splish, Splash, Splat!

Rob Scotton

Splat does not want to have a playdate with Spike. Spike will break his toys and eat all of his candy fish! And he does not want to learn how to swim—water is horrible, scary, and wet! He's sure that this is going to be the worst day ever. But when the rest of their classmates rush straight into the pool, Splat and Spike find that they may have more in common than they thought. Will Splat overcome his fear of water and get into the pool? And how can he help Spike to do the same?

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The Greek Diet

Maria Loi

Science and sensuality meet in The Greek Diet, your guide to losing weight while looking and eating like a deity, from the “Martha Stewart of Greece,” world-famous chef Maria Loi, and health journalist and former Olympic athlete Sarah Toland.

Grounded in the Mediterranean lifestyle and developed by world-renowned Greek chef Maria Loi, The Greek Diet combines classic Mediterranean ingredients like olive oil, yogurt, and honey in delicious, healthy recipes that satisfy the soul and the palete. New research shows that the Mediterranean diet is the healthiest food plan in the world, and is especially noted for its positive effects on heart health. With The Greek Diet, you eat to enjoy yourself, just like the ancient Greek gods. There is no starving, no long, grueling hours at the gym, and no restrictive plans eliminating carbs, dairy, caffeine, or alcohol.

Structured around the 12 food pillars of the traditional Greek diet, The Greek Diet includes 100 healthy, authentic, sensual Greek recipes that use delicious unprocessed ingredients, as well as tips for incorporating easy exercises and improved sleep—both metabolism boosters—into your Greek lifestyle. Sprinkled throughout the book are charming and insightful anecdotes from the authors that add flavor and fun. There are also several different meal plans to personalize your journey and help you lose the weight you need while enjoying the foods you love, including a kick-start plan to shed pounds quickly and safely and jumpstart your journey to a slimmer, healthier, happier you.

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A Black Women's History of the United States

Daina Ramey Berry

A vibrant and empowering history that emphasizes the perspectives and stories of African American women to show how they are--and have always been--instrumental in shaping our country

In centering Black women's stories, two award-winning historians seek both to empower African American women and to show their allies that Black women's unique ability to make their own communities while combatting centuries of oppression is an essential component in our continued resistance to systemic racism and sexism. Daina Ramey Berry and Kali Nicole Gross offer an examination and celebration of Black womanhood, beginning with the first African women who arrived in what became the United States to African American women of today.

A Black Women's History of the United States reaches far beyond a single narrative to showcase Black women's lives in all their fraught complexities. Berry and Gross prioritize many voices: enslaved women, freedwomen, religious leaders, artists, queer women, activists, and women who lived outside the law. The result is a starting point for exploring Black women's history and a testament to the beauty, richness, rhythm, tragedy, heartbreak, rage, and enduring love that abounds in the spirit of Black women in communities throughout the nation.

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