The Teacher of Nomad Land A World War II Story by Daniel Nayeri - ADVISABLE

The Teacher of Nomad Land A World War II Story by Daniel Nayeri, 192 pages. Levine Querido, 2025 $19. 

Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (Peril) 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

During WWII, Russian and British soldiers invaded Iran in order to protect British owned oil wells. In the process, 13yo Babak and 8yo Sana lost their father when he was killed while teaching nomadic shepherds on a hillside. Essentially orphans, they are separated. After a year of working for their keep, Babak and Sana run away together to join the nomads as they are moving their flocks to winter pastures. But when the leader sends them away they find themselves on their own, trying not to starve, interacting with soldiers - from both sides - and remembering lessons their father taught about understanding people and keeping each other safe. 

I did not know about this part of the war at all! Nayeri weaves a tale of two smart, brave and desperate kids just trying to stay together. I really loved Sana, she was such a great positive force for her brother, always willing to do whatever she could, including scavenging, looking for water and even mediating between her brother and an angry German soldier. Historical Fiction is a hard sell these days, but Nayeri’s name may carry enough recognition to get Teacher of Nomad Land picked up, and then kids who read it will definitely talk about it. 

Lisa Librarian 

Queso, Just in Time by Ernesto Cisneros - ADVISABLE

Queso, Just in Time by Ernesto Cisneros, 272 pages. HarperCollins, March 2026. $20. 

Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: PG (Boys going into the shower, reference to cracks and dangling bits); Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

12yo Queso Castillo is mourning his dad's death. More than anything, he wishes he could spend more time with him. Then, making a wish on a cool looking moon, Queso wakes up the next morning to find it's 1985 and he's at his dad's childhood home. His grandparents are young and his dad is 12. He makes up some pretty believable lies, and soon, he's enrolled at Pancho's school (as his cousin from Mexico) and he begins to see the dad he never knew. 

A thoughtful story about family and grief. I really liked the premise, however, I guess in the 80's it was OK to take a random runaway into your home for a week or so? Queso's grandparents were good people. I loved that Cisneros didn't focus too much on pop culture - music, movies, clothes, but more on the changes (hopefully for the better) in teaching styles, educational expectations, and recognition of diversity. I liked that Queso tried to encourage his dad to do better, and have more faith in himself. I can certainly recommend. Contains some brief conversations in Spanish - not translated but context is provided. The characters are Mexican American 

Lisa Librarian  

Moonleapers by Margaret Peterson Haddix - OPTIONAL

Moonleapers by Margaret Peterson Haddix, 320 pages. HarperCollins, 2025. $20

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

Maisie is SO not happy about spending the summer away from her friends and at her Great-Aunt Hazel’s home instead.  It is a bland house in a bland subdivision and Hazel isn’t even home - she’s in a nursing home and Maisie doesn’t get to see her. Her mother has given her Hazel’s old cell phone, though - that could be a plus.  Maisie starts receiving odd texts - turns out Maisie has the potential to be a Moonleaper - a connection between past and present, with the power to change lives for the better.

This looks to be the first in a series - it felt like a lot of set up to get to a place I wasn’t sure I wanted to get to. When Haddix is on, she is brilliant. But by 300 pages, I was kind of done. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

War Games by Alan Gratz - ADVISABLE

War Games by Alan Gratz, 368 pages. Scholastic, 2025. $19

Content: PG (danger, tense situations, betrayal) 

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Evie is so excited to be a gymnast in the 1936 Olympic Games in Germany. She quickly realizes that the facade of the games hides dark secrets and that the Olympic dream, or even the dream of freedom, is not for everyone in Germany. She gets approached by a mysterious stranger who wants her help in stealing a treasure trove of gold right from under Hitler’s nose. With even a bit of that gold, Evie could change her own family’s fortunes for the better. Danger abounds - not just from all of Hitler’s loyal followers and the military, but from someone within.

While set against the backdrop of the Olympic Games, very little of the book is about the Olympics. I was personally very disappointed by that, especially because of how hard the book was sold to me for being about the Olympics. Plenty of danger abounds - students will enjoy that.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS 

The Nine Moons of Han Yu and Luli by Karine Yan Glasser - OPTIONAL

The Nine Moons of Han Yu and Luli by Karine Yan Glasser, 432 pages. HarperCollins, 2025. $20

Content: G (some danger)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

Han Yu lives in ancient China at one end of the Silk Road. WHen his family is quarantined for sickness, he must embark on the dangerous journey on his own to deliver the silk and other goods that could save his family during the crisis. Luli lives in 1930s San Francisco. The economic downturn threatens to close her family’s restaurant and their dream of owning the building outright, unless Luli can be brave and come up with a great idea.

As much as I enjoyed reading about Han Yu, especially, I know that historical fiction is a hard sell for the general student body. A few students will be intrepid enough to enjoy it, though. The idea of how long Han Yu’s journey took is just staggering to me. Some will probably compare it to Samir, Seller of Dreams, but I liked Nine Moons so much more.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS 

Mindworks by Neal Shusterman - ADVISABLE

Mindworks by Neal Shusterman, 571 pages. Simon, NOVEMBER 2025. $29 (hard) $20 (Paper). 9781665990783

Language: PG (23 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (while there is no blood or limb loss or such in the stories, each story is dark and twisted)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - OPTIONAL; HS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SOME

Back in the 1990’s, Neal Shusterman released four books of short stories, each with about 8 stories to really shake your brain. I wish I still had those books in my library! Now he has taken most of those stories and added a couple of new stories from the Scythe-dom for 43 stories. While he has updated the technology and some of the writing, the old stories are just as mind-bending as they were when I first read them.

Our current students won’t have read those stories before. The cover and the bricked up page edges will catch their eye. But at over 500 pages it is a chunk of a book to read. I took it a couple of stories a day. Most of them had me sitting at the end just trying to figure out how he manages to create such interesting, if dark, looks at all kinds of people and worlds. The stories are still so Shusterman. I would love to have a reading group read one story at a time and talk about each of them in turn.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS 

Sabrina Carpenter by Selena Fragassi - ESSENTIAL

Sabrina Carpenter by Selena Fragassi, 199 pages. Epic Ink (Quarto), 2025. $20

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

Though appearing on TV and film since she was 12, Sabrin Carpenter’s first love has always boon music. With 6 albums under her belt, 2025 was the summer of Sabrina and her hit “Espresso” - but what came before that fabulous time? Fragassi gives us a look at Carpenter’s rise to fame.

Because she started her career at such a young age, there is little about her home life. And everything is framed around her career. Fans will love it. Though the book refers frequently to her later innuendo-laden speech and lyrics, plus her body-con outfits, nothing is explicit in the book itself.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS 

Chappell Roan by Harbert Day - ESSENTIAL

Chappell Roan by Harbert Day, 198 pages. Epic Ink (Quarto), 2025. $20 

Language: G (1 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: PG-13 (said once each: suicide, smoking, bare-breast); Violence: G (bullying said) 

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

From her early days as a little girl in a farm town in Missouri through her early struggles to break into the business to the present day success, meet the woman known as Chappell Roan and visit her highlights and low times on her road to where she is now. Chappell Roan is unabashedly LGBT and is an icon in the community. Day gives us an exuberant look at her life and career, filled with lots of photographs and side bars. Fans of the singer will enjoy reading all about her. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS 

When We Were Monsters by Jennifer Niven - SEVERAL

When We Were Monsters by Jennifer Niven, 400 pages. Knopf (Random House), 2025. $18

Language: R (92 swears, 54 ‘f'); Mature Content: PG-13 (on-page, vaguely detailed sex and teen drinking) Violence: PG-13 (death and bloody violence)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Seven teens are chosen for the opportunity to be taught writing by the famous author Meredith Graffam. They arrive at Moss, not having a clue of what to expect. Graffam seems to be excited to bestow her knowledge on these young minds. She also seems a bit eccentric. As the term goes on, Meredith expects crazier and more dangerous acts of daredevil behavior from her students and she kicks out the ones she doesn’t want, one at a time, until four are left. Only one student will be chosen at the end of the competition. The four can help each other survive or sacrifice each other to win.

Arlo, the teenage boy main character, gives us some profound statements. Wonderful writing advice given to the students by the teacher is dropped throughout the story. I was pulled into the mystery and suspense and I was rooting for the students the whole time. The ethnicity is mixed.

LynnDell Watson, DHS Librarian, Delta, Utah 

The Dagger and the Flame (The City of Fantome #1) by Catherine Doyle - OPTIONAL

The Dagger and the Flame (The City of Fantome #1) by Catherine Doyle, 512 pages. Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2024. $11

Language: R (153 swears, 35 f'); Mature Content: PG-13 (petting); Violence: PG-13 (bloody violence, deaths)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Is lightfire legend or truth? In Fantome, Shade magic rules all. Daggers use Shade to destroy and rule.  Cloaks use Shade to protect and steal.  When a man kills Sera's mother and burns down their home, she runs to the only place she’s been told to go if she’s in danger, the Cloaks guild in the city of Fantome. Sera’s mother told her to flee to the Cloaks if anything ever happened to her and she was no longer able to protect 18yo Sera. Sera’s sure a Dagger killed her mother and set their house on fire, destroying everything, and she swears to seek revenge. Monsters with unknown origins are taking over Fantome and no one knows where they came from or how to get rid of them.  Sera's mother left her a teardrop charm on a necklace and Sera thinks it’s only a token until it explodes into light and saves her life when a monster corners her.  Could her mother's gift be the answer to all?

The twists are so good! My library patrons will love the enemies to lovers theme, with the charming and cute flirting that goes along with it.  I love the mystery behind the whole story. Sera has spunk and perseverance. The interesting legend and backstory are fun to dive into.

Sera is white; Sera's friends have a variety of skin tones.

LynnDell Watson, DHS Librarian, Delta, Utah

Fireborne by Rosaria Munda - ADVISABLE

Fireborne (The Aurelian Cycle #1) by Rosaria Munda, 432 pages. G. P. Putnam’s Sons (Penguin Random House), 2019. $14.

Language: PG13 (26 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Living in the post-revolution world that killed his father, Lee (17yo) is fighting for the position of Firstrider that has used to be called his birthright. Given chances she never would have been allowed to dream of under the old regime, Annie (16yo) fights for the chance to become Firstrider. She is proud to be a dragonrider, despite the fact that dragonfire killed her family.

With secrets, imminent war, questions of whether a post-revolution world really is better than the rulers overthrown only nine years ago, Munda gives readers everything they need—plus dragons! The victories are the highest of highs, and the disappointments are the lowest of lows as these teenagers struggle to understand the political demands of their positions and reconcile duty with morality. I enjoyed every page, and I have no doubts that the sequel is just as good.

Lee is described as pale, Duck is described as having a tan complexion, Rock has fair skin, and Miranda has a warm brown complexion. The mature content rating is for alcohol use, innuendo, and kissing. The violence rating is for assault, fantasy violence and fantasy terrorism, blood and gore, mentions of suicide, and murder.

Reviewer: Carolina Johnson

The Rise of Neptune (Dragonship #2) by Scott Reintgen - ADVISABLE

The Rise of Neptune (Dragonship #2) by Scott Reintgen, 415 pages. Aladdin (Simon), 2025. $19. 

Language: G (0 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (some fighting, stabbing)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Lunar has stepped up and becomes the Mars dragon’s knight. THere is no rest for the weary, however.  The threat from Neptune, or Neptune’s moon Triton, actually, is real and someone is on their way to help and someone is on their way to betray - ready to do whatever they must to conquer the galaxy.

#2 in the series is very exciting, full of danger, and crammed with unforeseen twists and shocks. I have enjoyed all of Reintgen’s YA science fiction and fantasy. There is a little bit of middle novel syndrome (think of the Back to the Future movies) - where the novel at the end seems to exist to propel us to the third novel, but the action is enough to carry us beyond that feeling. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

The Village Beyond the Mist by Sachiko Kashiwabi - ADVISABLE

The Village Beyond the Mist by Sachiko Kashiwabi, translated from Japanese by Avery Fischer Udagawa, 146 pages. Restless Books (Yonder) 2025 $18. 

Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SOME 

6th grader Lina travels alone to a rural village (at her fathers request) to spend the summer. She expects to be met by someone, but only finds her destination, Absurd Avenue, through a series of strange circumstances, then finds that the boarding house she lives in requires her to work for her board - Mrs. Picotto won't accept Lena's father's money. So Lina takes jobs assigned to her, helping out in several shops, learning about the people on the village and how to be a real friend. 

Originally published in Japan in 1975, it feels very Pippi Longstocking to me. I love the stories of Sachiko Kashiwabi (see Temple Alley Summer) and I was delighted with each new quest. I love Lina's attitude and the characters she comes in contact with. The bits of magic are fun as well. As with most books originally published outside the US, it's not for everyone, however, if you have readers that are Studio Ghibli fans, this is the text Hayao Miyazaki used as inspiration for Spirited Away. The characters are Japanese. 

Lisa Librarian 

Blackout (Spy School #13) by Stuart Gibbs - ESSENTIAL

Blackout (Spy School #13) by Stuart Gibbs, 352 pages. Simon, 2025. $19

Content: PG (danger, violence mentioned)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

After their last mission, the spy school core has been invited to visit Orion on his mansion estate in Indonesia.  As they approach, however, the whole country goes black.  Could someone, someone evil, have unleashed a Birthday Cake (lights out) on the country.  Its worse than they even imagined - someone has turned off the whole world. The kids are left behind by the adults who go charging off to save the world.  But you and I know who is going to really save the day. 

I love that Gibbs is letting his characters grow and show vulnerabilities and doubts as they go. I do wish the author would give them a breather before they launch into the next mission to save the world, but I already know that isn’t going to happen. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

The Terrible Trio: The (Not so) Superheroes by Swapna Haddow and Minky Stapleton, - OPTIONAL

The Terrible Trio: The (Not so) Superheroes by Swapna Haddow, illustrated by Minky Stapleton, 188 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL Scholastic, 2025. $7 

Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content: G; Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL - OPTIONAL 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

Zeb the zebra, Marge the penguin, and Barry the Lemur, stood in line forever to get a superpower from the ministry of superpowers. By the time they get to the front, the superpowers seem to be gone and they get the worst ones of all. Zeb is especially unhappy, and he convinces his friends to take on a quest to become heroes, though it may put them in danger. 

 

The animals are fun, and who wouldn't want the superpower of stirring anything to make mac'n'cheese? The pictures add to the story and the quirkiness, making it an easy and quick read. Nice little life lesson at the end. 

Michelle in the Middle 

When Beavers Move In by Alison Pearce Stevens and Natasha Donovan - ESSENTIAL

When Beavers Move In by Alison Pearce Stevens, illustrated by Natasha Donovan. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Godwin (Macmillan), MARCH 2026. 9781250339447

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

WHen beaver build dams near human homes, the people get worried.  In Washington state, people can call the members of the Tulalip tribes, who will relocate the beavers to places where the beavers can do their thing and protect not only the environment, but also help rebuild other species in their wetlands.

I love this look at the importance of beavers to create robust habitats and ecosystems. Everything is explained simply, but well. The back matter adds a little more information. A must for most science programs. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Deepwater Creek by Michael Regina - ADVISABLE

Deepwater Creek by Michael Regina, 252 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL Putnam (Penguin), 2025. $14 

Language: G (0 swears);  Mature Content: G; Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

Wade and his younger brother, Andrew, and their two friends love going fishing with Wade's dad. They hear about a place on the river that has plentiful fish, though it's farther than they've ever been up river. When they get there, heavy fog rolls in, and while reeling in a giant fish, Andrew falls in. When Wade jumps in to save him, they think they see a monster in the water. Andrew takes a turn for the worse, and Wade and his friends determine to take Andrew back out to see if they can help him but find themselves facing something far more sinister than they were prepared for. 

The plot is sufficiently creepy enough to keep kids engaged without scaring them. The watercolor graphic art works to help create the creepy tone of the piece, and is beautifully rendered. Themes of brotherly love and friendship elevate the story, and you'll be rooting for the brothers and their friends. The brothers are Latino, with one black friend and one white. 

Michelle in the Middle 

The Party by Natasha Preston - OPTIONAL

The Party by Natasha Preston, 352 pages. Delacorte Press (Random House), 2024. $11

Language: R (155 swears, 6 ‘f'); Mature Content: PG-13 (kissing and teen drinking); Violence: R (bloody deaths)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

A group of teens plan a weekend adventure at the family castle of twins, 17yo Allegra and Fergus. They keep it a secret from their parents because it’s meant to be a party with no chaperones. Protestors want the development to stop in the area and seem to have vandalized the castle but not all of the graffiti seems to be about the development. The teens are excited to have a weekend without supervision. When one of them gets hurt, they try to blow it off. When more violent things happen, they can’t ignore the fact that they’re in danger and they wish they had help to save them from the party.

The author did a good job of creating an ominous setting in the castle. I enjoyed the twists and the mystery. The last sentence of the book is a great ending!

The ethnicity is mixed. 

LynnDell Watson, DHS Librarian, Delta, Utah

Danilo was Here by Tamika Burgess, - ADVISABLE

Danilo was Here by Tamika Burgess, 304 pages. HarperCollins, 2025. $20. 

Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (flashback to Danilo's experience during the Panama invasion) 

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

Danilo is an amazing baseball player and has been the star of his team in Panama. He's been scouted by a coach who trains little league players in America and has invited him to come to San Diego and train with him for a couple of months. However, Danilo has been going through a lot lately; his neighborhood was hit during the US Panama invasion a few months earlier and now his mom and sister are living in tents on an airfield. His dad, a former ball player himself, has gone to America but has stopped sending money, or even calling. Danilo doesn't even like baseball anymore, but thinks this might be an opportunity to find his dad who lives in California, too. 

Burgess has infused just enough history about 1989 Panama for the reader to understand Danilo's situation without all the political stuff. The tension surrounding meeting his father as well as his difficulty connecting with the team and playing his best made for an engaging read. Not completely full of sports action although we see the goings on at a few games. Danilo is Panamanian 

Lisa Librarian 

Falling Like Leaves by Misty Wilson - OPTIONAL

Falling Like Leaves by Misty Wilson, 333 pages. McElderry (SImon), 2025. $21.

Language: R (61 swears, 4 ‘f’); Mature Content: PG (passionate kissing); Violence: G

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

17yo Ellis has worked hard to follow in her father’s NYC advertising footsteps, but her plans blow up when her mother announces that she is taking Ellis and going back to Bramble Falls to live with her sister for a while to have “some space”. Ellis goes, kicking and screaming, enrolling in a common high school instead of her NYC private school, angry at every one.  Except - there is something wonderful about a small town in the fall - especially one that embraces fall celebrations so whole-heartedly.  And there is something wonderful about a boy that Ellis spent a great summer with three years ago. Will Ellis make her way back to NYC, or has a small town and a small town boy captured her heart?

I really like that Ellis and Cooper don’t fall into insta-love and that they have issues to deal with right up to the end. It is a winner in my book - especially because the romance is limited to kissing, not two kids instantly falling into bed. Anyone who likes sweet romance and pumpkin spice everything will enjoy.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS