Children’s
“Lost Things,” by Carey Sookochef
Sometimes things are lost. A hair ribbon. A pencil. A dog on a leash. But when someone loses a thing, another person may find it, sometimes with surprising results. In this thoughtful and deceptively simple story, several things are lost, and then each is found — not always by the person who lost it, but always by someone who can use it. Though for most young children — and their grownups! — losing something is a cause for stress, Carey Sookocheff's delightful picture book presents the experience in a calm, matter-of-fact tone and invites readers to consider things from a different perspective. The subtle message is one we can all learn from --- while you can't always control what happens, you can manage how you respond. A charmingly simple story. quillandquire.com/review/lost-things/
“Rhinos in Nebraska: the amazing discovery of the Ashfall Fossil Beds,” by Alison Pearce Stevens
Twelve million years ago, rhinos, elephants, and camels roamed North America. They would gather at nearby watering holes--eating, drinking, and trying not to become someone else's lunch. But one day, in what we now know as Nebraska, everything changed. The explosion of a super volcano a thousand miles away sent a blanket of ash that buried these animals for millennia. Buried until 1953, when a seventeen-year-old farm worker made an unbelievable discovery.
The author tells the story of the Ashfall Fossil Beds, where more than two hundred perfectly preserved fossils have been found. Step into the past and uncover the mysteries of Ashfall.slj.com/review/rhinos-in-nebraska-the-amazing-discovery-of-the-ashfall-fossil-beds
“Amelia Erroway: Castaway Commander,” From the imagination of B.C. Peterschmidt
Being lost can sometimes be the first step toward finding your destiny. Forbidden to become a pilot by her overprotective father, Amelia Erroway yearns to command her own airship. To prove her worth, she sets off alone on her father's prized craft. But disaster strikes. A fierce storm crashes her ship in uncharted lands and Amelia, now a castaway, must use her wits to survive. With the help of Rastor and Fynley, brothers who live deep in the Juniper rainforest, Amelia is determined to repair her airship and, with her newly formed crew, fly home. An exciting graphic novel. schoollibraryjournal.com/review/ amelia-erroway-castaway-commander
“Sky Pioneer: a Photobiography of Amelia Earhart,” by Corinne Szabo
The legendary spirit and inspiring determination of Amelia Earhart takes wing in this wonderful National Geographic photobiography. The author uses quotes from Earhart's own writings, duotone photos, and superb maps to transport us back to the world of the sky pioneer who changed the history of women's aviation. We meet the woman behind the legend and experience her short, eventful life through a series of amazing photos. With her grace and daring Amelia Earhart has always been a role model for young women. This soaring biography brings her story to a new generation in this century. kirkusreviews.com/bookreviews/corinne-szabo/ sky-pioneer/
Adult
“The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward,” by Daniel H. Pink - Regrets are a healthy and universal part of being human, according to Daniel Pink. In this book, packed with true stories as well as practical takeaways, Pink shows how understanding your regret can work to help you in making smarter decisions, bring greater meaning to your life and help you perform better at work and school. “The Power of Regret shows how all of us can live richer, more engaged lives.” You can read a review of this title, available in print and on Overdrive, at kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/ daniel-h-pink/the-power-of-regret/
“Eating to Extinction: the World’s Rarest Foods and Why we Need to Save Them,” by Dan Saladino – in this New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice title, Saladino writes about how globalization has homogenized what we eat with such ruthlessness over the past several decades that only nine of the original six thousand different plants once consumed by humans are still consumed today. The individuals that he profiles in this book are “essential guides to treasured foods that have endured the face of rampant sameness and standardization. “You can read a review of this title, available in print or on Overdrive, at kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/ dan-saladino/eating-to-extinction/
“Box 88,” by Charles Cummings – This espionage thriller, written by New York Times bestselling author Cummings, follows Lachian Kite who is a member of Box 88, an elite transatlantic black ops unit that are even a mystery to MI6 and the CIA. This book is a “pulse-pounding narrative” that spans two eras – 1989 and 2020. It is a modern spy thriller that will introduce you to compelling characters and a “captivating international storyline.” You can read a review of this title, available in print or on Overdrive, at publishersweekly.com/978-1-61316-273-6
“In the Full Light of the Sun,” by Clare Clark – This novel, based on a true story, follows the fortunes of three Berliners during the rise of the Nazi party to power in Germany. Newly discovered paintings by artists Vincent van Gogh, are discovered. This art scandal rocks Germany during a politically turbulent time when Berlin was filled with “seedy night clubs and sumptuous art galleries.” This novel is a “suspenseful, atmospheric portrait of Berlin during Hitler’s rise.” You can read a review of this title, available in print and on hoopla, at kirkusreviews.com/bookreviews/clare-clark/inthe-full-light-of-the-sun/
Young Adult
“The Prison Healer,” by Lynette Noni – Seventeen-year-old Kiva Meridan has spent the last ten years fighting for survival in the notorious death prison, Zalindov, working as the prison healer. When the Rebel Queen is captured, Kiva is charged with keeping the terminally ill woman alive long enough for her to undergo the Trial by Ordeal: a series of elemental challenges against the torments of air, fire, water, and earth, assigned to only the most dangerous of criminals. Then a coded message from Kiva's family arrives, containing a single order: "Don't let her die. We are coming." Aware that the Trials will kill the sickly queen, Kiva risks her own life to volunteer in her place. If she succeeds, both she and the queen will be granted their freedom. But no one has ever survived. With an incurable plague sweeping Zalindov, a mysterious new inmate fighting for Kiva's heart, and a prison rebellion brewing, Kiva can't escape the terrible feeling that her trials have only just begun.
Publishers Weekly Book Review-publishersweekly. com/9780358434559
“Year of the Reaper,” by Makiia Lucier:
Three years ago, young Lord Cassia disappeared in the midst of war. Since then, a devastating illness has swept the land, leaving countless dead and a kingdom forever altered. Having survived war and plague, Cas, now eighteen, wants only to return to his home in the mountains and forget past horrors. But home is not what he remembers. His castle has become a refuge for the royal court. And they have brought their enemies with them. An assassin targets those closest to the queen, drawing Cas into a search for a killer. With the help of a historian-in-training named Lena, he soon realizes that who is behind the attacks is far less important than why. Cas and Lena must look to the past, following the trail of a terrible secret--one that could threaten the kingdom's newfound peace and plunge it back into war.
School Library Journal Book Reviewslj.com/ review/year-of-the-reaper
“Seven Dirty Secrets,” by Natalie D. Richards: A New York TimesBestseller
From the New York Timesbestselling author of Five Total Strangersand "master of suspense" (BCCB), Natalie D. Richards, comes a pulse-pounding YA thriller about a girl who goes on a mysterious scavenger hunt, only to discover that someone knows her worst secret... and is out for blood. I know seven dirty secrets: One caused the fall. One did nothing. One saw it all. One didn't care. One used their head. One played the hero. One was left for dead. On her eighteenth birthday, Cleo receives a mysterious invitation to a scavenger hunt. She's sure her best friend Hope or her brother Connor is behind it, but no one confesses. And as Cleo and Hope embark on the hunt, the seemingly random locations and clues begin to feel familiar. In fact, all of the clues seem to be about Cleo's dead boyfriend, Declan, who drowned on a group rafting trip exactly a year ago. A bracelet she bought him. A song he loved. A photo of the rafting group, taken just before Declan drowned. And then the phone calls start, Declan's voice taunting Cleo with a cryptic question: You ready? As the clock on the scavenger hunt ticks down, it becomes clear that someone knows what really happened to Declan. And that person will stop at nothing to make sure Cleo and her friends pay. Can they solve the hunt before someone else winds up dead?
Kirkus Book Review kirkusreviews.com/bookreviews/natalie-d-richards/seven-dirty-secrets/
“You’ve Reached Sam,” by Dustin Thao:
Seventeen-year-old Julie has her future all planned out: move out of her small town with her boyfriend Sam, attend college in the city, spend a summer in Japan. But then Sam dies. And everything changes. Heartbroken, Julie skips his funeral, throws out his things and tries everything to forget him and the tragic way he died. But a message Sam left behind in her yearbook forces back memories. Desperate to hear his voice one more time, Julie calls Sam's cellphone just to listen to his voicemail. And Sam picks up the phone. In a miraculous turn of events, Julie's been given a second chance at goodbye. The connection is temporary. But hearing Sam's voice makes her fall for him all over again and, with each call, it becomes harder to let him go. However, keeping her otherworldly calls with Sam a secret isn't easy, especially when Julie witnesses the suffering Sam's family is going through. Unable to stand by the sidelines and watch their shared loved ones in pain, Julie is torn between spilling the truth about her calls with Sam and risking their connection and losing him forever.
Publisher’s Weekly Book Review-publishersweekly. com/9781250762030
