The Playmakers by Chad Morris and Shelly Brown - ESSENTIAL

The Playmakers by Chad Morris and Shelly Brown, 256 pages. Shadow Mountain Publishing, 2025. $19.

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

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

Jax (12yo) didn’t make the basketball team, Luke (12yo) didn’t make it into the musical, and if Miley (12yo) doesn’t make friends, then her parents will cut her from public school and homeschool Miley with her eye-rolling cousin. These middle schoolers are not friends, but now they each have reasons to need each other—if everyone is willing to be all in.

At first, it’s difficult for these characters to see where they could fit together, and the beauty is that their diverse team is then not confined to any one teammate’s home court. They bring together everyone’s strengths and support each other’s dreams—even when giving support means getting out of their comfort zones. I also love that Miley’s chapters are told through her notes and stick figure doodles.

Most of the characters are implied White, and Luke’s family comes from Estonians that moved to America. Also, there are a couple of characters that are described as Black or as having “dark brown” skin.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett - OPTIONAL

A Drop of Corruption (Shadow of the Leviathan #2) by Robert Jackson Bennett, 480 pages. Del Rey (Penguin Random House), 2025. $30.

Language: R (155 swears, 67 “f”); Mature Content: R; Violence: R

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - NO; ADULT - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

Dinios likes the work he does with Ana as her assistant investigator, but he longs to transfer to be a Legionnaire—like the lover he left behind. Those desires get pushed aside in favor of their newest case, though, a victim who disappeared from a tower room and ended up dead in the canals. Din and Ana are constantly five steps behind this murderer, and it could become the first case they leave unsolved.

The world building still fascinates me in this second installment of the series where readers not only get to see another part of the Empire—or soon-to-be-part of the Empire—but also the place where their augmentations are created. Din and Ana, and the other characters they work with, feel complicated and real, even as they do their work with greater-than-human abilities. They somehow straddle the line between relatable and enigmatic. While I remember Ana being crass in the first book, she becomes more so in this one, partially because of the choices Din makes to cope with his personal life.

Race is discussed, but they are not the same races as the ones in our world. The mature content rating is for drug and alcohol use, crude language, innuendo, nudity, and sex. The violence rating is for corpses, assault, blood and gore, mentions of suicide, and murder.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Finn and Ezra's Bar Mitzvah Time Loop by Joshua S. Levy - ADVISABLE

Finn and Ezra's Bar Mitzvah Time Loop by Joshua S. Levy, 256 pages. HarperCollins, 2024 $19. 

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

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

13yo Finn and Ezra don't know each other (yet) but their Bar Mitzvah weekend is about to bring the boys together. They are having their events at the same time at the same hotel, but both boys seem to be trapped in a time loop, repeating Friday through Sunday, endlessly. Finn eventually figures out how to contact Ezra and the two work together to try figure out how to end their Bar Mitzvah Time Loop. 

I loved the crazy schemes they came up with, and how naive 13 year old boys can be. Joshua Levy looks at themes of family relationships, religious practices, friend drama, and coming of age in such a clever book. Of course it's far fetched, but a delightful read - I grew to love these guys. Finn and Ezra and their families are Jewish.

Lisa Librarian 

A Song for You and I by K. O'Neill - ADVISABLE

A Song for You and I by K. O'Neill, 240 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. Random House Children's Books (Penguin Random House), 2025. $22. 

Language: G (0 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: G.

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS – ADVISABLE

  

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL

Rosie, who eventually wants to be called Rowan, is training to become a ranger, someone who is dedicated to protecting others. However, when one of Rowan’s decisions hurts their flying horse companion and as part of their restitution they have to go on a long journey by foot with laidback shepherd Leone, they are forced to reevaluate their life goals and even their identity. 

I actually really liked this graphic novel. It’s very slow, but for a reason. I loved seeing the wide landscapes and just the space for reflection that the author/artist creates for Rowan and Leone to think about things. It's a very cozy fantasy, but also just a sweet coming of age story.  

Reviewer: Kiera Beddes, ELA teacher, #bookswithbeddes

Murray Out of Water by Taylor Tracy - ADVISABLE

Murray Out of Water by Taylor Tracy, 400 pages. HarperCollins, 2024 $20 

Language: PG (0 swears 0 'f' however, pervert and groomer are used to describe a character); Mature Content: G; Violence: G (mild bullying). 

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

12yo Murray has a special relationship with the ocean. She lives near the beach on the Jersey shore and has a magical power - she can manipulate the water, bringing toys back for children or make the perfect wave for surfing. But when a hurricane hits her family must relocate to Goshen, to stay with her Aunt and Uncle.  Murray is no longer near the ocean, and worries she will lose her powers. Murray and her siblings have a difficult relationship with their parents. Her oldest brother Patrick went away to college and didn't return. Murray suspects she may be non-binary and fears her parents will have a similar reaction to her life choice. 

Murray out of Water is a magical novel in verse. I was grateful she could find support at the home of her aunt and uncle. The magical realism was just right, and I liked how the right person could seem to amplify their powers. Murray and her family default white 

Lisa Librarian 

Our Wicked Histories by Amy Goldsmith - OPTIONAL

Our Wicked Histories by Amy Goldsmith, 367 pages. Delacorte Press (Random), 2024. $20

Language: R (23 swears, 30 ‘f'); Mature Content: PG-13 (Sex is off the page, but a lot of talk about it); Violence: PG (Fighting, death and paranormal activity)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

This story follows Meg, a 16yo who joins her old friends for a Halloween weekend at a crumbling estate full of secrets, tension and eerie local legends.  Things start to get weird fast.  The townspeople say there is a haunted lake, Meg has some disturbing visions, and her chilling past refuses to stay buried.  The twin siblings, Lottie and Seb, are rich, intense and totally unpredictable, keeping both Meg and readers guessing.  As friendships crack and the supernatural creeps in, the line between what is real and imagined starts to blur.  It is suspenseful, mysterious and full of drama in the best ways.  This book is perfect for fans of ghost stories, elite schools, and slow-burn thrillers that mess with your head.

My favorite part about this book was the setting, with the crumbling mansion, creepy woods and an eerie lake.  It was a little bit of a slow start but as the tension built between characters and the supernatural, I was hooked. I liked the dynamic between Meg, Lottie and Seb.  I just couldn't decide who was deceiving who, and I was a little frustrated with Meg's passive behaviors.  If you are wanting a fast-paced horror with a lot of twists, you may be disappointed.  But if you are up for a gothic, moody story with unsettling secrets, you will enjoy this book.

The characters in this story are all assumed to be white.  This book focuses more on class than ethnicity.

Jessica Nelson CTHS Librarian

Joined at the Joints by Marissa Eller - OPTIONAL

Joined at the Joints by Marissa Eller, 330 pages. Holiday House, 2024. $20. 

Language: R (45 swears 8 'f'); Mature Content: PG (kissing, talk of birth control and a sexually active character); Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL 

APPEALS TO: SOME 

17yo Ivy was diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis at the end of her freshman year. She struggles with chronic pain and the effects of the medication, she also has social anxiety. Her mother has Lupus and her older sister Caroline has celiac's disease so the family talks about feeling bad regularly, however, Ivy hasn't told anyone outside her family, not even her best friend. When her mom sees a support group for teens with chronic illness, she encourages the sisters to join. Ivy tries to avoid it, because of her social anxiety, but there's a boy there, Grant, he also has RA and he is cute, and nice and understanding. Maybe it's time Ivy faced this a different way. 

Much of Ivy's behavior in the first few chapters was so irritating - not admitting, even to her mother and sister, what her pain levels were like; wearing heels to a dance because she didn't want to not look normal and then spending most of the night on the floor in the girl's restroom because she could hardly walk. I would say it's more of a disability book than a romance. She and Grant click right away and there's not a lot of tension in their relationship - he's her voice of reason because he understands. I suppose it would be a good empathy read, if you have someone who needs to look at chronic illness. The characters are white 

Lisa Librarian 

Last One to Die by Cynthia Murphy - ADVISABLE

Last One to Die by Cynthia Murphy, 275 pages. Delacorte Press (Random), 2021. $13

Language: PG-13 (12 swears, 0 ‘f'); Mature Content: PG (Kissing); Violence: PG-13 (girls are violently attacked, murder)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: MANY

16yo Niamh has just arrived in London from Ireland for a summer drama course. She is excited to be out of her small town and in the big city. But the first two girls she befriends are attacked, and one of them dies. She is beginning to wonder if she made the right decision to come to London. She decides to stay. She starts a volunteer job at a museum, meets a gorgeous guy, and makes some new friends. She begins to feel that she is being followed, and girls that look like her keep getting attacked. She and her friend start to realize the attacks are similar to those from Victorian times by a serial killer named Spring-Heeled Jack. Niamh will have to learn to trust herself and her new friends to stay alive and figure out who is after her.

The book was the right amount of horror and suspense. A little of the supernatural is worked into the storyline as well. I liked the spunky character of Niamh. The plot is a little predictable but overall a very enjoyable read.

Niamh is from Ireland.

Reviewer: A. Snow, Librarian

What if You Fall For Me First? by G.F. Miller - ESSENTIAL

What if You Fall For Me First? by G.F. Miller, 368 pages. Aladdin (Simon), JUNE 2025. $20

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

All Sophia ever wants is for Mark Chen to notice her - to see her and like her as much as she likes him. While is hiding herself behind the coats at the school Glow Night, who does notice her -- Holden! The school rich kid bad boy, who loves and leaves girls all over the place. But Holden sees something in Sophia that no one has noticed and gradually Sophia sees something in Holden, too. Even if her friends warn her to stay far away.

I admit it - I didn’t think Miller could continue with a second book that is as heartfelt and lovely as the first.  I was SO WRONG! Not only does she start off where the first book ends, but she weaves a new story that is as good (maybe better) than Not if You Break Up With Me First. Like Not If, What if shows us both Sophia’s point of view and Holden’s.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

The Forest King's Daughter (Thirstwood 1) by Elly Blake - ADVISABLE

The Forest King's Daughter (Thirstwood 1) by Elly Blake, 382 pages. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2025. $18

Language: PG (3 swears, 0 ‘f'); Mature Content: PG (gentle kissing); Violence: PG-13 (bloody hitting)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

17yo Zeru is from the underground.  17yo Cassia is a princess from the forest.  Their kingdoms are enemies. When Zeru and Cassia were seven, they accidentally found each other in the forest and became friends. Zeru took a ring from a family jewelry box and gave it to his new friend Cassia, inadvertently creating a bond between the two of them. He also unknowingly started a war between their kingdoms. Ten years later, the battles continue and Cassia is captured by Zeru, so he can recover the ring for the queen of the Cryptlands.

I like how the author placed mythological statements at the beginning of each chapter, giving insight into what would happen during that chapter. I love Cassia with her gentle personality and loving kindness. The realm of Welkincaster was fun to “see” change and grow into a beautiful sanctuary. The ethnicity is full of fantasy creatures.

LynnDell Watson, DHS Librarian, Delta, Utah

Prince of Fortune by Lisa Tirreno - ADVISABLE

Prince of Fortune by Lisa Tirreno, 416 pages. Atheneum (Simon), 2024. $20

Language: PG (11 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG (fade to black intimate scenes); Violence: PG-13 (many people dead in battle scenes and murders)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Lord Aubrey Ainsley had no idea that it would be love at first sight when he first met Prince Edmund, the future king of Saban.  When Saban is attacked by their neighbors, who wield dark magic and evil to control their world, both Aubrey and Edmund know that their desires take second place to the needs of the kingdom. Aubrey’s foresight as a Seer could be what is needed to turn this war in Saban’s favor.

You should know that I dislike romance books disguising themselves as fantasy. Tirreno has managed to avoid that trap all together.  You will definitely be rooting for Aubrey and Edmond, but their romance takes second place to saving their country.  I hope this book performs so well that other first fantasy writers will follow her lead - if I never hear the word “romantasy” again, it will be too soon!

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

The Bitter End by Alexa Donne - OPTIONAL

The Bitter End by Alexa Donne, 352 pages. Random House, 2024. $20

Language: R (100+ swears,  49 “f”); Mature Content: PG-13 (off page sex, drinking, drugs); Violence: R (multiple deaths, dead bodies sometimes described)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

Eight students have a history - eight students are trapped during their senior trip in a luxury cabin high in the mountains during a snowstorm. Their chaperone heads down the mountain to contact help - then the bodies start piling up. Is there one murderer? A conspiracy? A dangerous stranger? The body count won’t wait for them to unmask the secrets.

Donne takes twisted ulterior motives and then twists them again, leaving the reader breathless - and still highly suspicious at the end. I listened to the audiobook and couldn’t stop listening. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Zero: the number that almost wasn’t by Sarah Albee and Chris Hsu - ESSENTIAL

Zero: the number that almost wasn’t by Sarah Albee, illustrated by Chris Hsu. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Charlesbridge, 2025. $18. 9781623544324

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS, HS - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Follow the timeline and take a trip around the world as you explore the history of the number zero.

Albee does a great job of simplifying zero’s history, letting us see the scope of the concept throughout history and at many different places around the world - including the time when CHristian leaders said that zero was the work of the devil. I showed this to my math teachers and they love it. This might convince a middle school or high school math teacher that picture books are worth reading to their students.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

The House No One Sees by Adina King - OPTIONAL

The House No One Sees by Adina King, 304 pages. Feiwel & Friends (Macmillan), 2025. $19

Language: R (53 swears, 21 ‘f'); Mature Content: PG (mother using drugs); Violence: PG (death by drug overdose)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

When 16yo Penny arrives at her mother’s place and finds her overdosed, she’s thrown back to when her mother was a good parent, before her accident and the opioid addiction that followed. Penny remembers the teasing from classmates when she didn’t have clean clothes or a decent lunch from home. She remembers being taken from her mother and living with her loving grandparents and seeing them giving her mother a chance to do better. Penny’s mother didn’t kick the addiction; it took over her life and Penny’s. Penny learned that she has a light inside that has helped her throughout her life and she meets a kind teen boy and makes good friends. She is finally seen.

Emotionally cleansing. Hotlines for help of many kinds at the end of the book. Words of affirmation, hope and encouragement.

Ethnicity includes white and brown skin characters.

LynnDell Watson, DHS Librarian, Delta, Utah

The Forest Grimm (#1) by Kathryn Purdie - ADVISABLE

The Forest Grimm (#1) by Kathryn Purdie, 352 pages. St. Martin's Press, 2023. $15

Language: PG (3 swears, 0 ‘f'); Mature Content: PG (kissing); Violence: PG (death)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

17yo Clara is determined to save her lost mother from the Forest Grimm where she wandered into three years ago. Her best friends Axel and Henni join Clara and they want to save Henni’s lost sister also. The Forest Grimm changed when a curse happened in Grimm Hollow and twisted the magic that used to be helpful to the villagers. The three are in danger of becoming lost themselves because the Forest moves and changes. They are surrounded by creatures who want to cause them harm. They can only trust each other and hope that trust is enough to save them.

Axel’s gift for finding silver linings in any situation is charming. I enjoyed the story of the young ghost, Ollie. It adds a bit of spookiness and melancholy. The author wove a creepy tale of twisted magic.

Ethnicity cues white.

LynnDell Watson, DHS Librarian, Delta, Utah

Smash, Crash, Topple, Roll! The Inventive Rube Goldberg by Catherine Thimmesh and Shanda McCloskey - ADVISABLE

Smash, Crash, Topple, Roll! The Inventive Rube Goldberg by Catherine Thimmesh, illustrated by Shanda McCloskey. 50 pages. NON-FICTION., Chronicle, MAY 2025. $20. 9781452144221

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS, HS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SOME

While formatted to look like a picture book, Thimmesh has actually written a very dense book that is not a book you will want to read aloud - at least not in one sitting. Any teacher who covers simple machines will find plenty of information within to support teaching and illustrating the concepts. I learned a lot - i had no idea that a broom is a lever, for example! While there is biographical info about Goldberg interspersed, I wouldn’t call this a biography. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

The Meadowbrook Murders by Jessica Goodman - OPTIONAL

The Meadowbrook Murders by Jessica Goodman, 336 pages. Penguin Young Readers, 2025. $17

Language: R (66 swears, 19 ‘f'); Mature Content: PG-13 (implied sex and underage drinking); Violence: PG-13 (bloody death)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

At the Meadowbrook Boarding School, 17yo Amy is enjoying the senior week before the underclasses arrive on campus. She’s looking forward to spending time with her best friend Sarah and her boyfriend Joseph, who attends school in town. After a party the night before, Amy wakes up and knocks on Sarah’s door. When there’s no answer, Amy opens up the door to find Sarah and her boyfriend Ryan dead in a bloody bed. The school is shocked to the core and every student is terrified that they’re going to be the next victim. Amy is moved to room with Liz, the school newspaper journalist, who has high ambitions for reporting the news, on and off campus. Will the killer be found? Will the killer be stopped?

I like how the characters each found a true friend when they didn’t expect to at all. It just shows that you never know where you’ll find a friend. Liz meets her journalistic hero and she learns quite a lot from her. Great character development.

The ethnicity includes Jewish, Black and white.

LynnDell Watson, DHS Librarian, Delta, Utah

Me?! Interviewed?!

 

I was privileged recently to interviewed by Ellen Myrick of Publisher's Spotlight.  She has interviewed many authors over the years, so I was very surprised and pleased when she asked to interview me about what we do at Kiss the Book. I hope you get a chance to listen/watch and learn more about our history and background. Let me know what you think!

Rising from the Ashes Los Angeles, 1992 by Paula Yoo - OPTIONAL

Rising from the Ashes Los Angeles, 1992. Edward Jae Song Lee, Latasha Harlins, Rodney King, and a City on Fire by Paula Yoo, 368 pages. NON-FICTION Norton Young Readers. 2024. $20. 

Language: R (11 swears 3 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: R (shootings, people killed, photos of dead people) 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

In Los Angeles in 1992, Rodney Glen King was filmed as he was beaten by police officers, Latasha Harlins was shot and killed buy a store owner who thought she was stealing orange juice, and Edward Jae Song Lee was killed as he came to help fellow Koreans protect their shops during the civil unrest and fires that were a response to the not guilty verdict of the police officers, and the light sentence of the store owner. 

Told through the voices of dozens of witnesses, family members, police officers, reporters and others involved in what was a violent 5 days. Yoo narrates the events through the stories of the three victims and their families, and through the eyes of the Korean American community. I was an adult in 1992 and remember listening to the radio and watching the violence and fires on tv, but was not aware of the impact on the Korean Community, and the racism that let to the eruption of the city of LA. Full of first hand accounts, and lots of photographs City on Fire was an engaging read, and a well documented account. Includes a list of the names of all those killed, the numbers of individuals involved as well as the number of fires and buildings destroyed. A fantastic read. 

Lisa Librarian

Not Nothing by Gayle Forman - ESSENTIAL

Not Nothing by Gayle Forman, 282 pages. Aladdin (Simon and Schuster), 2024. $18. 

Language: PG (5 swears, 0 F); Mature Content: PG (boobs mentioned twice, one sexual referrence); Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ESSENTIAL 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

Alex is twelve and he is in big trouble. A judge has sentenced him to spend his summer volunteering at the Shady Glen retirement home. Alex thinks the geriatric residents are like zombies, and he doesn't like the bossy other teen he works with. But his home life isn't any better. Alex is living with his aunt and uncle who don't want him because his mother has abandoned him.

Josey is a 107 year old resident of the home and hasn't spoken in years. He is a Holocaust survivor, thanks to his ability to sew and an intrepid woman named Olka. He is waiting to die until he meets Alex and the two form an unlikely bond. Alex keeps coming back to hear Josey's story because at times, they both feel like nothing. " This is a multi-generational story of hope, compassion, and forgiveness. The characters explore how they can rise to the occasion of their lives, which is a great concept to contemplate. The characters are believable and endearing, and the writing is beautifully crafted. There is a level of tension to find out what will happen to Alex and what really bad thing he did. I got emotional while reading because I was totally invested. This is a must read. Josey is Jewish, and Alex's race is not specified. 

Michelle in the Middle