Two wooden dolls rearrange wooden building blocks to form various objects.
Child fiction. The first book in the Mighty Muskrats Mystery series. Sam, Otter, Atim, and Chickadee are four inseparable cousins growing up on the Windy Lake First Nation. Nicknamed the Mighty Muskrats for their habit of laughing, fighting, and exploring together, the cousins find that each new adventure adds to their reputation. When a visiting archeologist goes missing, the cousins decide to solve the mystery of his disappearance. Age: 9-12.
"When Dean Arnault's mother decided to run for president, it wasn't a surprise to anyone, least of all her son. But still that doesn't mean Dean wants to be part of the public spectacle that is the race for the White House-at least not until he meets Dre. The only problem is that Dre Rosario's on the opposition; he's the son of the Democratic nominee. But as Dean and Dre's meet-ups on the campaign trail become less left to chance, their friendship quickly becomes a romantic connection unlike any either of the boys have ever known. If it wasn't hard enough falling in love across the aisle, the political scheming of a shady third-party candidate could cause Dean and Dre's world to explode around them. It's a new modern-day, star-crossed romance about what it really means to love your country-and yourself-from the acclaimed author of We Are the Ants and Brave Face, Shaun David Hutchinson."
"The award-winning duo of Dianna Hutts Aston and Sylvia Long team up again, this time creating a gorgeous look at the fascinating world of beetles. From flea beetles to bombardier beetles, an incredible variety of these beloved bugs are showcased here in all their splendor." Amazon
Raymond Jaffe feels like he doesn't belong. Not with his mother's new family. Not as a weekend guest with his father and his father's wife. Not at school, where he's an outcast. After his best friend moves away, Raymond has only two real connections: to the feral cat he's tamed and to a blind ninety-two-year-old woman in his building who's introduced herself with a curious question: Have you seen Luis Velez? Mildred Gutermann, a German Jew who narrowly escaped the Holocaust, has been alone since her caretaker disappeared. She turns to Raymond for help, and as he tries to track Luis down, a deep and unexpected friendship blossoms between the two. Despondent at the loss of Luis, Mildred isolates herself further from a neighborhood devolving into bigotry and fear. Determined not to let her give up, Raymond helps her see that for every terrible act the world delivers, there is a mirror image of deep kindness, and Mildred helps Raymond see that there's hope if you have someone to hold on to.
In the summer of 1969, fourteen-year-old Lucas Painter carries a huge weight on his shoulders. His brother is fighting in Vietnam. His embattled parents are locked in a never-ending war. And his best friend, Connor, is struggling with his own family issues. To find relief from the chaos, Lucas takes long, meandering walks, and one day he veers into the woods. There he discovers an isolated cabin and two huge dogs. Frightened, he runs. And the dogs run with him. Lucas finds unusual peace in running with the dogs, and eventually he meets their owner, Zoe Dinsmore. Closed off and haunted by a tragic past, Zoe has given up. She doesn't want to be saved. She wants out. But Lucas doesn't want her to go, and he sees an opportunity to bring more than one friend back into the light. It's either the best or worst idea he's ever had, but Lucas isn't giving up on Zoe or Connor.
"Ximena is the decoy Condesa, a stand-in for the last remaining Illustrian royal. Her people lost everything when the usurper, Atoc, used an ancient relic to summon ghosts and drive the Illustrians from La Ciudad. Now Ximena's motivated by her insatiable thirst for revenge, and her rare ability to spin thread from moonlight. When Atoc demands the real Condesa's hand in marriage, it's Ximena's duty to go in her stead. She relishes the chance, as Illustrian spies have reported that Atoc's no longer carrying his deadly relic. If Ximena can find it, she can return the true arist crata to their rightful place. She hunts for the relic, using her weaving ability to hide messages in tapestries for the resistance. But when a masked vigilante, a warm-hearted princesa, and a thoughtful healer challenge Ximena, her mission becomes more complicated. There could be a way to overthrow the usurper without starting another war, but only if Ximena turns her back on revenge--and her Condesa."
"Catalina Quiroga is a condesa without a country. She's lost the Inkasisa throne, the loyalty of her people, and her best friend. Banished to the perilous Yanu Jungle, Catalina knows her chances of survival are slim, but that won't stop her from trying to escape. Her duty is to rule. While running for her life, Catalina is rescued by Manuel, the son of her former general, who has spent years searching for allies. With his help, Catalina could find the city of gold that's home to the fierce Illari people and strike a deal with them for an army to retake her throne. But the elusive Illari are fighting a battle of their own--a mysterious blight is corrupting the jungle, laying waste to everything they hold dear. As a seer, Catalina should be able to help, but her ability to read the future in the stars is as feeble as her survival instincts. While on her journey, Catalina must reckon with her duty and her heart to find her true calling, which is key to stopping the corruption before it destroys the jungle completely."
Child fiction book. After twelve-year-old Annika, a foundling living in late nineteenth-century Vienna, inherits a trunk of costume jewelry, a woman claiming to be her aristocratic mother arrives and takes her to live in a strangely decrepit mansion in Germany. Grade: 5+
Learn to count with the star of Flora and the Flamingo.
In this wordless book, a friendship develops between a girl named Flora and a graceful flamingo, as they learn to dance together.
In this wordless book with interactive flaps, a little girl named Flora forms a friendship with two peacocks as the three learn to dance together.
In this wordless, lift-the-flap picture book, Flora and her new friend, the penguin, dance on the ice together and learn to treat each other with respect and kindness.
Teen fiction book, e-book, and e-audiobook. Raised in isolation, Tarisai yearns for the closeness she could have as one of the Crown Prince's Council of 11, but her mother, The Lady, has magically compelled Tarisai to kill the Crown Prince.
A bus crash gives four very different middle schoolers odd super powers, and although they wouldn't normally be caught dead together, they must pool their powers to find out what happened to them.
Book 1, Mighty Odds series
Fighting the undead is a breeze for Jane, but the fight for freedom? That's a different story. The Civil War is over, but mostly because the dead rose at Gettysburg—and then started rising everywhere else. Now the dangerous task of killing these shamblers rests on black people and Native Americans taken from their homes and forced into combat training schools at a young age. Jane McKeene, a black teen born to a white mother, is nearly finished with her training. She's fierce with a scythe but longs to find her way home to her mother. However, her plan is thwarted when she and her friends run afoul of a corrupt mayor and are sent to a Western outpost called Summerland. Sinister secrets lurk beneath the surface there, and the more Jane discovers, the more determined she is to escape, especially as the shamblers keep multiplying. All the classic elements of the zombie novel are present, but Ireland takes the genre up a notch with her deft exploration of racial oppression in this alternative Reconstruction-era America. It's no coincidence that the novel will prompt readers to make connections with today's racial climate. With a shrewd, scythe-wielding protagonist of color, Dread Nation is an exciting must-read. (Historical fiction/horror. 14-adult) (Kirkus Reviews, February 15, 2018)
YA fiction book, e-book, and e-audiobook. When families go missing in Baltimore County, Jane McKeene, who is studying to become an Attendant, finds herself in the middle of a conspiracy that has her fighting for her life against powerful enemies. Age: 14+
A version of the cumulative song "The Green Grass Grew All Around," set in Africa.
Child picture book. For one little Ugandan boy, no wish is too big. First he dreams of reaching the stars and then of riding a supernova straight to Mars. But on a rainy day at his grandfather's house, he is brought down to earth with a bump. Do adventures only happen in galaxies far away or can he find magic a little closer to home? A touching story of a grandfather's love for his grandson and the quiet pleasures of a rainy day. Age: 5-8.
Children - not rated. Though ostracized from Santa's village, the shiny-nosed reindeer and his other misfit friends save Christmas.
Adult Nonfiction:
"Many of us can recall the targeting of South Asian, Arab, Muslim, and Sikh people in the wake of 9/11. We may be less aware, however, of the ongoing racism directed against these groups in the past decade and a half. In We Too Sing America, nationally renowned activist Deepa Iyer catalogs recent racial flashpoints, from the 2012 massacre at the Sikh gurdwara in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, to the violent opposition to the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and to the Park 51 Community Center in Lower Manhattan. Iyer asks whether hate crimes should be considered domestic terrorism and explores the role of the state in perpetuating racism through detentions, national registration programs, police profiling, and constant surveillance."--publisher.
Children. On Christmas Eve, ten-year-old Goose hides his fireman father's keys to prevent him from going to work. Instead, his mother drives his dad which has tragic results. A year later, a mysterious stranger arrives with a special gift which enables a troubled Goose to find what he has lost on Christmas Past.
As her senior capstone project, Pippa Fitz-Amobi is determined to find the real killer in a closed, local murder case, but not everyone wants her meddling in the past.
YA fiction book. Biggie Smalls was right. Things done changed. But that doesn't mean Quadir and Jarrell are cool letting their best friend Steph's music lie forgotten under his bed after he is murdered—not when his rhymes could turn any Bed-Stuy corner into a party, not after years of having each other's backs. With the help of Steph's younger sister, Jasmine, who is eager to see justice for her brother, Quadir and Jarrell come up with a plan to promote Steph's music under a new rap name: the Architect. Age: 12+
Child fiction book, and e-book. Rose Lee Carter, a thirteen-year-old African-American girl, dreams of life beyond the Mississippi cotton fields during the summer of 1955, but when Emmett Till is murdered and his killers are unjustly acquitted, Rose is torn between seeking her destiny outside of Mississippi or staying and being a part of an important movement. Sequel: A Sky Full of Stars. Grade: 5+
When her friend Monday Charles goes missing and Monday's mother refuses to give her a straight answer, Claudia digs into her disappearance.
The murderous and evil Razzid Wearat and his crew of vermin are on a mission to seize Redwall Abbey for themselves, and Abbot Thibb and his Redwallers must defend their home with the help of the hares of the Longpatrol and the Rogue Crew of sea otters
"Nishat doesn't want to lose her family, but she also doesn't want to hide who she is, and it only gets harder once a childhood friend walks back into her life. Fl via is beautiful and charismatic, and Nishat falls for her instantly. But when a school competition invites students to create their own businesses, both Fl via and Nishat decide to showcase their talent as henna artists. In a fight to prove who is the best, their lives become more tangled--but Nishat can't quite get rid of her crush, especially since Fl via seems to like her back. As the competition heats up, Nishat has a decision to make: stay in the closet for her family, or put aside her differences with Fl via and give their relationship a chance."
It is the first day of third grade and sassy Sydney and the new boy Sidney are not only neighbors, they are in the same class, so mix-ups are inevitable--but they soon find they share some common interests, including a love for Halloween.
Child fiction book. Twelve-year-old Lee, an orphan, reluctantly leaves his grandparents in China for the long sea voyage to San Francisco, where he and other immigrants undergo examinations at Angel Island Immigration Station. Part of the Tales of Young Americans series. Grade: 3+
Child picture book. Text includes English and Okanagan. "Join Zoe on her quest for the deer, as she encounters animals and learns their syilx (Okanagan) names along the way."-- cover. Age: 5-8.
Homeschooled by Renaissance Fair enthusiasts, eleven-year-old Imogene has a hard time fitting in when her wish to enroll in public school is granted.
A graphic novel adventure about a girl who discovers roller derby right as she and her best friend are growing apart.
Child graphic novel, e-book, and e-audiobook. Omar and his younger brother Hassan live in a refugee camp, and when an opportunity for Omar to get an education comes along, he must decide between going to school every day or caring for his nonverbal brother in this intimate and touching portrayal of family and daily life in a refugee camp.
This title is a collection of short poems for children compiled by Paul Janeczko and illustrated by Melissa Sweet.
When Danny makes the catch, everyone seems interested in him. Girls text him, kids ask for autographs, and his highlight play even makes it on SportsCenter's Top Plays. A sports-gear executive tempts Danny with a big-money offer, and he decides to take advantage of his newfound fame. Danny agrees to wear their gear when he plays. But as his bank account gets bigger, so does his ego. Will Danny be able to keep his head in the game?
Nikki lives in West London, where she tends bar at the local pub. The daughter of Indian immigrants, she's spent most of her twenty-odd years distancing herself from the traditional Sikh community, preferring a more independent life. When her father's death leaves the family financially strapped, Nikki, a law school dropout, impulsively takes a job teaching a 'creative writing' course at the community center in the beating heart of London's close-knit Punjabi community. Because of a miscommunication, the proper Sikh widows who show up are expecting to learn basic English literacy, not the art of short-story writing. When one of the widows finds a book of sexy stories in English and shares it with the class, Nikki realizes that beneath their white dupattas, her students have a wealth of fantasies and memories. Eager to liberate these modest women, she teaches them how to express their untold stories, unleashing creativity of the most unexpected, and exciting, kind.
A little girl befriends a bee, which takes her on a journey of discovery in this wordless picture book.
When a giant octopus entangled in fishing line is washed ashore during a big storm and becomes stranded on the beach, a young boy and girl, assisted by various sea creatures, push and pull him back to sea. Includes endnotes on marine life, lighthouses, and items that wash up on beaches