Review

Le, Vanessa. Last Bloodcarver, The. Roaring Brook, 03/2024. 384pp. Fiction. Trade $19.99. 978-1-2508-8152-6. Paper $12.99. 978-1-2503-6269-8. GRADES 8–12. LOW ADDITIONAL.       Nhika lives on society’s margins, isolated by prejudice and personal loss. Captured and sold to a wealthy family, she finds herself at the center of a [continue reading]

Donnelly, Jennifer. Beastly Beauty. Scholastic, 05/2024. 336pp. Fiction. Trade $18.99. 978-1-3388-0944-2. GRADES 9–12. HIGH ADDITIONAL.          A young thief, trapped inside a cursed castle, is the unwilling guest of a beautiful, yet distant noblewoman, her creepy ladies-in-waiting, and her loyal servants. Confident in his good looks [continue reading]

Compestine, Ying Chang. Growing Up Under a Red Flag: A Memoir of Surviving the Chinese Cultural Revolution. Xinmei Liu, Illus. Rocky Pond, 05/2024. 40pp. Picture Book. Trade $19.99. 978-0593533987. GRADES 1–4. HIGH ADDITIONAL. A young girl’s account of how the Cultural Revolution transformed her life. Striking, full-page, [continue reading]

Anderson, Ferin Davis. Wildfire: The Culture, Science, and Future of Fire. Addl. Creator Stephanie Sammartino McPherson. Twenty-First Century, 04/2024. 144pp. Nonfiction. PLB $38.65. 978-1-7284-2400-2. GRADES 7–12. HIGH ADDITIONAL.           Catastrophic fires grab the headlines, but the villainization of fire ignores indigenous and scientific knowledge of its [continue reading]

Rose, Elle Gonzalez. Caught in a Bad Fauxmance. Random House/Joy, 12/23. 320pp. Fiction. Trade $18.99. 978-0-593-64579-6. GRADES 8–12. ADDITIONAL.             Two feuding families gear up for high-stakes competition during winter break at their lakeside homes in Florida. Trouble ensues when their teen sons enter into [continue reading]

Torrubiano, Susana. A Different Kind of Fairy. Giulia Orecchia, Illus. Translated from the Spanish by Cecilia Ross. NubeOcho, 05/2024. [32]pp. Picture Book. Trade $17.99. 978-84-19607-90-4. GRADES Preschool–1. ADDITIONAL.       Rose, the Pink Fairy, has grown tired of granting children’s wishes after thousands of years. Now she delights in scaring children, [continue reading]

Cline-Ransome, Lesa. Fighting with Love: The Legacy of John Lewis. James E. Ransome, Illus. Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman, 01/2024. [48]pp. Biography. Trade $18.99. 978-1-5344-9662-0. GRADES Preschool–3. OUTSTANDING.    Guided by John Lewis’ own words to “hold only love, only peace in your heart,” this poignant [continue reading]

Anganuzzi, Clara. Ocean Gardener, The. Clara Anganuzzi, Illus. Tiger Tales, 02/2024.[32]pp. Picture Book. Trade $18.99. 978-1-6643-0027-9. GRADES Preschool–2. HIGHADDITIONAL. Amidst the vibrant reefs of the Seychelle Islands, Ayla and her mother develop both a sense [continue reading]