Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell - ADVISABLE

Impossible Creatures (Impossible Creatures #1) by Katherine Rundell, 334 pages. Knopf Books (Random House), 2024. $20.

Language: PG (4 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

APPEAL TO: MANY

When his dad has to go on a work trip, Christopher ends up visiting his grandfather in Scotland until his father returns. Christopher is finally entrusted with the family legacy from his mother’s side and is immediately called upon to fulfill his duties. The invisible islands keeping every mythical creature safe from humankind is losing magic, and Mal needs Christopher’s help to save it all.

Heartfelt in every way—from laughter to tears—readers are caught up in the magical quest to save the Archipelago with Christopher and Mal. No obstacle will stand in their way as they push forward to their goal one step at a time. Also, the illustrations are beautifully done, bringing both familiar and unfamiliar mythical creatures to life.

Christopher is British, Mal is described as having “olive” skin, and Irian is described as having “brown” skin. The mature content rating is for alcohol use. The violence rating is for blood, assault, fantasy violence, and murder.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen 

Giga Town: The Guide to Manga Iconography by Fumiyo Kouno - OPTIONAL

Giga Town: The Guide to Manga Iconography by Fumiyo Kouno, 132 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. Udon Entertainment, 2024. $13.

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

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

Kouno has put together a collection of short manga comic strips, like newspaper comics, that give examples of different visual cues used in manga to convey additional information. Some of the symbols give clues to the readers about what a character is feeling or what time of year it is. Laugh at these cute personified animals and learn something along the way.

If I’m being embarrassingly honest, I didn’t understand all of the jokes made in the cute little comic strips. Some of them were funny, but mostly I was looking for context for the symbols being used. Kouno explains the different nuances of symbols used if they have multiple meanings, and it was fun to learn some of the cultural reasons why the visual cues are what they are. This guide is intended for a very niche audience and is a quick read for anyone interested.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

So True a Love by Joanna Barker - OPTIONAL

So True a Love by Joanna Barker, 256 pages. Shadow Mountain Publishing, 2024. $17.

Language: PG (2 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL, ADULTS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Three months ago, everything changed for Verity (21yo) and she put the work she loved as a private investigator behind her. But then Verity is with her best friend, Elizabeth, when her family is robbed at gunpoint. Elizabeth is overly distressed and begs Verity to help her, so, despite her reservations, she takes on one last case.

Maybe Verity gets a little sidetracked from the investigation, and maybe readers do too, because of the adorable romance that runs into her when she least expects it. The heart of the book is that Verity is afraid to go after the things that she wants because wanting something opens her up to vulnerability, which is a struggle everyone can relate to. Her story is a reminder that, while everything may not go according to plan, ruined plans do not mean that there is no happy solution. Keep trying.

The characters are British. The mature content rating is for alcohol use, illegal activity, innuendo, mild sexual harassment, and kissing. The violence rating is for assault and gun use.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Lady Flyer by Heather B. Moore - ADVISABLE

Lady Flyer by Heather B. Moore, 416 pages. Shadow Mountain Publishing, 2024. $28.

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

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Nancy Harkness fell in love with flying at a young age and got her pilot’s license when she was 16 years old. A few years later, she became the 54th woman in the United States of America to have a commercial pilot’s license, and Nancy continued to work hard for a career in aviation. When WWII started, Nancy passionately started lobbying for female pilots to help with flying jobs in America to free up the men to go to war, but opposition arose at every step.

With our modern-day freedoms, it’s easy to forget that we stand upon the shoulders of people like Harkness who fought for equality. It is also fascinating to see how these pilot pieces fit into the history of WWII and shaped our ability to win that war. I never knew that these pieces were part of the puzzle, but Harkness and those who worked with her were key players. The story is bittersweet with all the losses felt even amidst the celebration of the end of the war, and the happy ending comes when we recognize that the reality of women in the workforce today, especially in regard to aviation, owes credit to Harkness’s determination.

Nancy is depicted as White on the cover, and the majority of characters are implied White. The mature content rating is for alcohol use, innuendo, and mentions of sexual harassment. The violence rating is for death and for mentions of war and suicide.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Between Two Sounds by Joonas Sildre - OPTIONAL

Between Two Sounds by Joonas Sildre, 224 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL, BIOGRAPHY. Plough Publishing House, 2024. $26.

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

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

Arvo Pärt, world-famous Estonian composer, studied and wrote in a Soviet environment. Those circumstances hindered his ability to be heard, but did not change his ability to compose according to the ways he felt inspired. Ignoring those who would silence him, Pärt continued to chase his dreams to create.

In this graphic novel biography, readers get to see the sounds that affected Pärt and how his compositions affected his audiences in a way that teased my eyes into hearing the music throughout the book. The illustrations and overall message are inspiring, though the story itself feels choppy as readers jump through scenes of highs and lows in Pärt’s life.

Most of the characters are Estonian. The violence rating is for mentions of war and bombs.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

This Book Kills by Ravena Guron - OPTIONAL

This Book Kills by Ravena Guron, 368 pages. Sourcebooks Fire, 2024. $12.

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

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Hugh (17yo) and Millie are the it couple of their private school, which makes their public breakup even more of a spectacle. But then Hugh ends up dead—the exact same way that Jess (16yo) imagined the murder in her short story for a class assignment. As questions and accusations fly, Jess’s scholarship is put on the line, and she goes digging for the truth herself.

The whole murder mystery is a convoluted mess for the characters trying to solve the case, which was enjoyable as the reader trying to put the pieces together with them. Guron made the scenario feel pretty realistic with all the red herrings that have to be waded through and with the ways real life and biases get in the way of teenagers attempting to investigate murder. My only disappointment is that the perpetrator seems to come out of left field instead of being revealed in an aha moment that makes everything click.

Jess is Indian-British, and Lucy is undefined but also non-White, with the rest of the characters implied British. Summer is gay, and Hattie is bi. The mature content rating is for kissing, underage drinking, partial nudity, and illegal activity. The violence rating is for assault and murder.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

runDisney: The Official Guide to Racing Around the Parks by Scott Douglas - GIFT

runDisney: The Official Guide to Racing Around the Parks by Scott Douglas, 136 pages. Disney Editions, 2024. $20

BUYING ADVISORY: GIFT - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

Douglas, a professional runner and avid Disney fan, gives us the low down on running in general and about all of the Disney events in particular. The running advice is very practical and useful, and takes up most of the book. Sprinkled in are photos from Disney events - to keep up the Disney interest. You definitely have to plan way ahead to attend a Disney event, so knowing which races are available at what time of year is a big help. Then you can spend time on the event website to know when tickets are available and how much you need to budget! If you are or know a Disney fan and runner, this is a A+ gift for any occasion.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS 

Reckless by Lauren Roberts - OPTIONAL

Reckless by Lauren Roberts. 400 pages. Simon & Schuster, 2024. $15

Language: R (111 swears, 0 f'); Mature Content: PG-13 (kissing); Violence: R (bloody deaths)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS – OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL

17 yo Paedyn is on the run after killing the king. She’s hiding in the home of the resistance when 19yo Kai shows up with his guards. He sets the house on fire, throws a dagger and cuts Paedyn’s leg as she’s scrambling across the rooftops to escape. She heads to the desert and walks for days. Kai chases her even though he’s thoroughly conflicted about what he’s going to do if he catches her. He finds her disguised as a man, fighting to earn money and as the two of them fight each other, Paedyn rips Kai’s bandana off of his face so the crowd sees he’s the prince. They travel far to return Paedyn to the palace per King Kitt’s orders, facing danger the whole way while an unknown future looms over them.

Typos were here and there throughout the book. A large chunk of the book was spent on highlighting banter between Kai and Paedyn. Finally, on page 152, more characters arrived to help move the story along. The prose is nice, for example: “Wind combs its cool fingers across my scalp, and I almost sigh at the feeling. The open air is freeing, tempting me to stretch out my arms and embrace it.” The ending was a good cliffhanger. Paedyn and Kai have fair skin. Residents of Dor have dark skin.

LynnDell Watson, DHS Librarian, Delta, Utah 

The Mirror of Beasts by Alexandra Bracken - OPTIONAL

The Mirror of Beasts (Silver in the Bone #2) by Alexandra Bracken, 427 pages. Knopf (Random House), 2024. $19

Language: R (68 swears, 0 ‘f'); Mature Content: PG-13 (undescribed sex); Violence: R (bloody deaths)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS – OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL

17yo Tamsin and Cabell continue on their mission but they seek different paths. Tamsin is with a group of like-minded and strong individuals searching for the Mirror of Beasts while Cabell is following Lord Death in the deadly and violent Wild Hunt. The Mirror of Beasts is not what they expected; it’s more remarkable than they ever imagined. Cabell faces the decision of leaving all he knows behind, including his sister Tamsin, to follow Lord Death. Tamsin discovers secrets about Emrys, Nash and herself that are shocking and completely change everything.

I enjoyed the alternating narrative between Tamsin and Cabell. Beautiful prose. The mystery of Nash is fun to see unravel. This story is full of great characters! Ethnicities are fair skinned, blue-gray and leaf-green skin, brown skin, and tan skin.

LynnDell Watson, DHS Librarian, Delta, Utah 

Such Charming Liars by Karen McManus - OPTIONAL

Such Charming Liars by Karen McManus. 400 pages. Delacorte Press (Random House), 2024. $16

Language: R (172 swears, 26 f'); Mature Content: PG (kiss); Violence: PG-13 (bloody death)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS – OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: MANY

16yo Kat and her grandmother Gem are in disguise at a posh store, scouting items that Gem can make at fractions of the cost with cubic zirconia. Little does Kat know, but Gem steals a real diamond ring. Kat’s mom is furious about Gem involving Kat in theft so she decides to travel to Maine for a job away from Gem. Meanwhile, elsewhere, 17yo Liam halts a con that his father is on by setting up a fake lunch date and explaining what his father is up to. Liam’s dad and Kat’s mom are con artists who were married for two days twelve years ago. They haven’t seen each other since until they both end up at the very same place in Maine. They’re both furious and are worried that the other one is going to ruin their plans. Unbeknownst to them, other crimes and cons are being committed in secret and these cons will change their lives forever.

I enjoyed the humor and sarcasm of Augustus (a side character). The layers of mystery are interesting and fun to see unravel. Kat, Liam and Augustus are great characters. Ethnicity falls to white

LynnDell Watson, DHS Librarian, Delta, Utah 

Our Deadly Designs by Kalyn Josephson - OPTIONAL

Our Deadly Designs by Kalyn Josephson. 432 pages. Roaring Brook (Macmillan), 2024. $21

Language: PG-13 (17 swears, 0 ‘f'); Mature Content: PG (kissing); Violence: R (bloody deaths)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL

17yo Mikira, 20yo Damien, Reid, and Ari have growing problems in Enderlain. The community is searching for the lost heir while Damien seems to be pushing his friends away. Mikira is interested in joining the rebels, Reid keeps scientifically investigating enchanted cells, and Ari struggles to control her building power that’s becoming even more dangerous. The friends seem to be going their separate ways while they try to find their own paths. A darker force is growing in Enderlain. Will the group pull together and fight or be defeated separately?

The dynamics of the relationships are so different from the first book of this series. Even with their struggles, the characters learn to appreciate each other more. The story takes a different turn from what the series originally had but character development is still good. The mixed ethnicity includes olive, golden brown, white, and bronze skin tones.

LynnDell Watson, DHS Librarian, Delta, Utah

Beneath These Cursed Stars by Lexi Ryan - OPTIONAL

Beneath These Cursed Stars (These Hollow Vows #2) by Lexi Ryan. 432 pages. HarperTeen, 2024. $18

Language: R (29 swears, 1 ‘f'); Mature Content: PG-13 (fondling); Violence: PG-13 (bloody stabbing)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL

17yo Jasalyn is scarred inside and out by the torture and imprisonment she endured from Mordeus. 19yo Felicity is an Echo who has been prophesied as the killer of her birth father, Erith. Jasalyn needs to heal but also move forward with her princess duties so she’s sent to the Wild Fae King Misha to learn to protect herself. Felicity needs to find a portal to defeat Erith before he kills her. Jasalyn trades places with Felicity. Jasalyn will stay with Hale Kendrick, Felicity’s adopted brother while Felicity stays with King Misha and looks for the portal and pretending to be Jasalyn the entire time with her Echo abilities. Lives become even more complicated when romantic feelings arise.

I enjoyed the fact that this book is the beginning of a new series but set a few years later in the same realm as These Hollow Vows duology by Lexi Ryan. The complexity of the two characters of Jasalyn and Felicity taking each other’s places is written well. The ending made me want the next book immediately. Ethnicity includes fair, olive, brown, ebony, pale, dark, golden, ivory, and light brown skin tones.

LynnDell Watson, DHS Librarian, Delta, Utah 

Two Sides to Every Murder by Danielle Valentine - OPTIONAL

Two Sides to Every Murder by Danielle Valentine. 288 pages. Penguin, 2024 $15 

Language: R (75 swears, 0 f') Mature Content: PG (kissing) Violence: PG-13 (bloody deaths) 

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: MANY 

16yo Olivia is curious about who her biological father is after she finds out her parents have been keeping secrets from her. 16yo Reagan continues to move with her mother who is a suspect in the Camp Lost Lake murders of 2008. Olivia and Reagan both end up at Camp Lost Lake looking for answers and meet by accident. Little do they know that they’re walking into another murdering rampage as the Witch of Camp Lost Lake returns. They will get answers but will they survive? 

Creepy, twisty, mysterious fun! I couldn’t put the book down after chapter 5! The ending was intense and a shocker and left me wanting more to read! "The ethnicity is predominantly white and Jack is Asian. Hazel is a Jewish Jamaican. Sawyer has tan skin.

LynnDell Watson, DHS Librarian

The Fixer Upper (Lost Legends) by Jen Calonita - ADVISABLE

The Fixer Upper (Lost Legends) by Jen Calonita. 183 pages. Disney Hyperion, 2023 $8 Language: G (0 swears, 0 f') Mature Content: G Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL 

12yo Kristoff is happy living with his adoptive troll family, learning their ways, and being part of a group. He had spent many years as an orphan and he liked finally feeling like he was part of something. But when he turns 12 his adoptive parents decide it is time for him to go to human school so that he can have some human interactions. Kristoff is not so sure he wants to reenter a world where humans are often unkind. He was right to be nervous, the same boy who bullied him at the orphanage, Gustav, is a student at Kristoff's new school. At school, Kristoff learns that there will be an ice harvesting contest. He is excited that he can return to his first love of ice harvesting. Gustav also wants to win the contest and he will stop at nothing to win. 

To be honest, I did not have high hopes for this spin-off story based on a Disney movie. I, however, was pleasantly surprised. This is a sweet story about an orphan boy who with some trepidation, is willing to step out of his comfort zone to learn new things, make new friends and push through life's difficulties. He takes the lessons of kindness and friendship that he learned from his troll family into the human world. He chooses to be kind and look out for others. I would recommend this book. All of the character are assumed to be white. 

Reviewer: A. Snow 

Tangled Up in You by Christina Lauren - OPTIONAL

Tangled Up in You by Christina Lauren. 320 pages. Hyperion (Disney), 2024. $25 

Language: R (54 swears, 0 f') Mature Content: PG (kissing) Violence: PG-13 (Kidnapping, abuse) 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS, ADULT - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL 

22yo Ren has dreamed of going to college since she was little and now she’s finally going! She’s leaving parents that treat her like a slave and they’ve manipulated her into believing she should feel guilty about leaving and living her dream. Fitz attends the same college and he has secret plans for his future and he works hard to be at the top of the class. They attend a class together and when the students are given an assignment to take a genetics test, Ren is surprised at her results. She discovers that a man on the eastern side of the country is her real father, not the man she’s been living with for decades. Ren bums a ride with Fitz when he drives to see his loved ones but he has no clue that Ren has no money, hasn’t contacted her unknown father and has no way of returning to Spokane.

I love Ren’s gentle heart and high intelligence. She’s genuine in all she does. Fitz is somewhat of a mystery and his story is interesting. I enjoyed reading this story and getting to know the characters and their backgrounds.

Ethnicity falls to white. LynnDell Watson, DHS Librarian

The Sticky Note Manifesto of Aisha Agarwal by Ambika Vohra - ADVISABLE

The Sticky Note Manifesto of Aisha Agarwal by Ambika Vohra, 368 pages. Quill Tree Books (HarperCollins), 2024. $20.

Language: PG-13 (15 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG-13; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: MANY

Aisha is plagued by the essay question for her Stanford college application asking how she has gotten out of her comfort zone. A question she can’t answer because everything about her life has been about staying in her comfort zone of studying and school extracurriculars, like crochet club. But then Aisha ends up crying in another student’s car and convinces him to help her cross things off her new manifesto list of things outside her comfort zone.

Full of funny scenarios and brilliant metaphors, Aisha’s story captures a piece of every reader that struggles to find a place to belong. It’s easy to think that everything will be better if we are better, if we are more, if we could just be like so-and-so. But just because something isn’t on your manifesto list doesn’t mean it isn’t a good thing—and something being on the list doesn’t mean it is the only absolutely right thing. Aisha’s story is about learning to be happy with being the best version of yourself who can weather the storms of life and find joy in both rain and sunshine.

Aisha is Indian, Brian is Chinese, Quentin is Filipino-Italian, and Kevin is Black. Also, Marcy is bi. The mature content rating is for underage drinking, mentions of drugs and nudity, kissing, and mild innuendo. The violence rating is for a joke about murder.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

The Fort by Gordon Korman - ADVISABLE

The Fort by Gordon Korman, 256 pages. Middle Grade, Scholastic, 2022. $18 

Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (bullying, abuse) 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

Five 8th grade boys go exploring after a hurricane tears through their town. The new kid, Ricky, discovers a hidden trapdoor in the woods, unearthed by the hurricane. The trapdoor leads to a swanky bomb shelter complete with electricity, food, and a TV. The hideout becomes their secret hideout. Older bullies and an abusive father make keeping their secret imperative, especially when the hideout may be their only safe place. 

The chapters switch points of view between the various boys, which reveals their personalities, challenges, and how they come together. Addressing serious issues of abuse, trust, fitting in, and friendship, it is timely and engaging. Reading it will make you want to go looking for your own bomb shelter to hole up in. Culture is never specified, though one of the boys has OCD. 

Michelle in the Middle 

The Legend of Last Library by Frank L. Cole - ADVISABLE

The Legend of Last Library by Frank L. Cole, 288 pages. Shadow Mountain Publishing, 2024. $19.

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

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

When scavenging for paper can pay for her grandfather’s medical bills, Juni (13yo) is willing to go anywhere to find a scrap of it. After Juni convinces her two friends to check the off limits buildings in Harker’s Village, Quaze (14yo) hits the jackpot: ten entire pages. But Quaze keeps the pages for herself and abandons the group, not knowing that the plastic Juni takes will lead to more paper than they could ever dream of.

Cole plays with the effects of having little to no paper in a post-apocalyptic world. Juni’s story offers one possibility while the roles of technology and paper in the book invite readers to think about their importance in our own lives. The adventure is wrought with emotional pitfalls, physical danger, and the temptation to help oneself instead of mankind as a whole. The only negative is that the story felt too short.

The majority of characters, including Juni, are implied White. Kobyn is implied Latino, and Lutz is described as having “dark” skin. The mature content rating is for illegal activity, and the violence rating is for assault.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Under the Surface by Diana Urban - OPTIONAL

Under the Surface by Diana Urban, 354 pages. G.P. Putnam’s Sons (Penguin Group), 2024. $20.

Language: R (144 swears, 10 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

On the best senior trip ever to Paris, Ruby is determined to take advantage of the opportunity to film travel content videos—and to not get sent home on day one. But Val sneaks out, and Ruby has to get her back, which leads to an unplanned trip to the catacombs under the city. An unplanned trip that quickly takes a wrong turn.

Ruby’s story took some dark turns that I wasn’t expecting, ramping up from a curfew breaking adventure to a serious life-or-death situation. On the surface of this story are lessons about consequences, friendship, and learning to give voice to “I’m sorry” and “I love you;” but Urban also puts in a plug about awareness in our real world about the thousands of people who go missing every year.

Ruby, Sean, Val, and Olivia are White; Julien is French; and Selena is implied Hispanic. Also, Selena and Aliyah are part of the LGBT community. The mature content rating is for underage drinking, illegal activity, kissing, mentions of drugs and human trafficking, partial nudity, and scary elements. The violence rating is for knife and gun use, blood and gore, corpses, assault, and murder.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

A Proper Facade by Esther Hatch - OPTIONAL

A Proper Facade by Esther Hatch, 248 pages. Covenant Communications, 2024. $17.

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

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Deciding that it might be time to look for a wife, Nicholas (25yo) sets out to find a political partner, not a distraction that will tempt him to return to the man he was before joining the army.  On the other hand, Mercy (20yo) is determined to only marry for love—even if that means foisting this dispassionate duke on someone else.

Nicholas and Mercy’s story is built upon the avoidable drama of miscommunication. The antics were slightly more cringey than entertaining because of what readers knew about how much the actions were going to hurt the other—unwitting—party involved. There were also a lot of references to the couples in the previous books, though this story is technically a standalone. But the ending is perfectly cheesy and swoony, so all's well that ends well.

The majority of characters are either British or Irish. The language rating is for British swears. The mature content rating is for mild innuendo and kissing. The violence rating is for mentions of war conflict and murder.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen