White Lies: How the South Lost the Civil War then rewrote the History by Ann Bausum - ESSENTIAL

White Lies: How the South Lost the Civil War then rewrote the History by Ann Bausum, 352 pages. NON-FICTION Roaring Brook Press (Macmillan), 2025. $25. 

Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence PG13 (mention of rape, description of violence against enslaved people) 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ESSENTIAL 

APPEALS TO: SOME 

After the South lost the civil war, Confederates and their descendants formed organizations like United Confederate Veterans and The United Daughters of the Confederacy. These organizations presented a biased, racist, white-centric story of what happened during that time in the South. They were politically and socially active and managed to get their version of the Civil War into textbooks, movies and popular culture. 

Ann Bausum takes 20 lies told through the Lost Cause narrative, and unwraps them, revealing the truths from the historic record. White Lies was fascinating, but hard to read, as many of the issues addressed had been part of my understanding of the Civil War growing up. It messed with my nostalgia and has made me more aware of the misrepresentations of that time. I'll never see Gone with the Wind the same way again. I hope this somehow makes it into classroom study someday, I know I'm a different person having read White Lies. Well documented and well organized. There are photos of the monuments and the propaganda throughout, as well as a timeline, author's notes, a bibliography and sources. 

Lisa Librarian 

Love, Misha by Askel Aden - ADVISABLE

Love, Misha by Askel Aden, 316 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL First Second (Macmillan), 2025 $18. 

Language: PG (10 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (peril, monsters) 

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SOME 

Misha and their mom are taking a rare trip together - Misha's mom isn't usually around much, and is having trouble accepting Misha as non-binary. Things are contentious right from the start, and when Audrey (mom) gets them lost in the woods, they find themselves in the Realm of Spirits where humans are eaten. Now they are not just lost, they have to work together in order to escape. Misha has tarot cards, and a spirit guide, and still the conflict with their mother seems to color every decision they make. 

 

I really liked this story, the graphics are muted, mostly in shades of orange and brown, with flashbacks in shades of gray. I was reminded of adventures akin to Spirited Away or Over the Garden Wall. Lots of different monsters, helpers who aren't, and a lot of self-reflection on both Misha's and Audrey's part. While I think it's better for a high school, I would still purchase a copy for my middle school - I like the long form graphic novels that have a nice story. Misha defaults white. 

Lisa Librarian 

Super Indian (Volume Three) by Arigon Starr - ADVISABLE

Super Indian (Volume Three) by Arigon Starr. 64 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL, (comic book) Wacky Productions Unlimited, 2024. $25.
Language: G (0 swears, 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (Super Powers violence i.e. fireballs, super kicks etc. Also racist language, more inappropriate than offensive) 

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SOME 

Hubert Logan ate some contaminated commodity cheese, tainted with Rezium. Now he has superpowers, and he can transform into Super Indian. He also has a superpowered dog as a sidekick, and other indigenous friends who help fight against an evil overlord, uninformed tourists, and a former rockstar celebrity set on taking the reservation for himself. 

Super Indian reads like an old fashioned comic. The bad guys are evil; they are up to some bad stuff, poisoning people, stealing things from the wild, and causing mayhem. I love that most of the action revolves around what's going on in the Bingo Hall on the reservation. It's a 3-book series so far, each containing multiple full-color comic books. The stories are great, I bought all three for my library. The characters are indigenous, from a fictional reservation. They speak Choctaw

Lisa Librarian

Girls of Dark Divine by E.V. Woods - ADVISABLE

Girls of Dark Divine by E.V. Woods, 389 pages. Random House Children's Books, 2025. $20

Language: G (0 swears, 0 ‘f'); Mature Content: PG (alcohol abuse); Violence: PG-13 (child abuse, alcoholic rages, sick torture, revenge plots of murder)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

New Kora is home base to one of the most extraordinary performing dance companies: Malcom's Marionettes.  People from around the world attend their awe inspiring performances.  How can all the dancers perform so beautifully and with such perfect precision? The secret: each dancer is under a dark curse which literally takes over their bodies every night the curtain raises on the stage.  Emberlyn is the lead dancer.  Her fellow dance mates are more than part of the performance, they are her "sisters".  Emberlyn wants to escape this torturous lifestyle of supposed glitz and glamor, but how can she leave her sisters behind to endure the abuse and alcoholic rages of Malcolm?  The curse prevents her from literally being able to voice the torture and abuse to an anyone outside the Marionettes.  Perhaps the answer is not to escape, but to actually end the reign of "The Puppet Master", Malcom, and finally put an end to this nightmare. 

Although this book contains abuse, torture, alcoholism, etc, the heroine of the book, Emberlyn, teaches us all that selfless love is the highest form of love and in this novel, ultimately conquers evil. I loved the internal struggles Emberlyn finds herself in.  I loved her relationship with the other dancers and especially her romance with her hero, Etienne. The message in the end of the novel helped soften the abuse and violence.  Rising about our worst nightmares takes a lot of courage, a lot of self reflection, and a lot of support and love from others. The girls seem to be about high school aged.

S. Lewis

The Dysfunctional Family's Guide to Murder by Kate Emery - ADVISABLE

The Dysfunctional Family's Guide to Murder by Kate Emery, 296 pages. Knopf (Random House), 2024. $20 

Language: PG (20 swears, 0 "f"); Mature Content: PG (sexual allusions, inuendo); Violence: PG (murder, threats, attempted homicide, mostly off page) 

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

Ruth is a 14yo on vacation with her dad's side of the family when her step-grandmother turns up dead. As a fan of murder-mystery novels, Ruth is determined to figure out what happened, even though the family tries to keep her and her cousin Dylan out of the way. Solving a murder is a little trickier when the prime suspects are all under the same roof. 

It took me a minute to get into the book, but when I did, I really enjoyed the humor. Ruth's banter with her family is witty, and her family puts the fun in dysfunction. The characters and the house are all quirky in the best sense. There are references to Agatha Christie that younger readers might not get, and there are a lot of characters. That said, this was an enjoyable read that had interesting twists, and I enjoyed the writing style. Ruth and her family are Australian. 

Michelle in the Middle 

Dawn of the Axolotl (The Last Immortals #1) by Kit Brooks, illustrated by Brandon Dorman - ADVISABLE

Dawn of the Axolotl (The Last Immortals #1) by Kit Brooks, illustrated by Brandon Dorman, 194 pages. Christy Ottaviano Books, 2026. $9

Language: G (0 swears, 0 ‘f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (One axolotl bites the tail off of another axolotl and eats it.)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE; MS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: EL - MANY; MS - SOME

Ace, a fearful axolotl, has just hatched out of his egg with his twin brother, Jasper.  Jasper turns on Ace, bites off his tail and eats it.  Hurt and alone, Ace struggles to survive.  He finds two other axolotls that help Ace understand that axolotls need to work together because they are becoming extinct.  Will Ace have to face his brother again?

Dawn of the Axolotl was an interesting combination of fantasy and axolotl facts.  Fans of Warrior Cats would probably like this book.  I was troubled by the fact that several characters lose limbs or tails in this story.  Because axolotls can regenerate, losing a part of their body is seen as a way to become stronger or "immortal" by the characters in this book.  Axolotls are a very popular animal with elementary students, and they would probably enjoy learning more about them in this fantasy story. The characters in this book are mostly axolotls.

Tracie, Elementary School Librarian

The House No One Sees by Adina King - OPTIONAL

The House No One Sees by Adina King, 304 pages. Feiwel & Friends (Macmillan), 2025. $20. 

Language: R (36 swears 21 'f'); Mature Content: PG13 (adult substance abuse, opioid addiction, child endangerment and neglect) Violence: PG13 (verbal abuse, disturbing images described) 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL 

APPEALS TO: SOME 

16yo Penny has lived in her mother's fairy tale her whole life. The house she lives in seems to talk to her, and her mother is more often "asleep" than parenting. Her mother has an opioid addiction, so Penny takes care of herself, avoids the boyfriends and checks on her mom. She dreams about calling 911 but doesn't know what to say. Her teachers, DCFS, and even her grandparents try to help, but somehow she keeps ending up back with her mother. On the night of her 17th birthday, as she waits for a call or a text from her, she remembers being in the house that is hiding and all the terrible things associated with her troubled life. 

A novel in verse, The House No One Sees was a hard read - full of emotional content - I felt so bad for Penny and wished for better outcomes for her all along the way. While I don't think it would be good to teach, this would certainly be a book to talk about in a book club or among friends reading it together. Neither Penny's race nor culture is described, but she doesn't default white, either. Penny is a mirror of the young adult reading the book. 

Lisa Librarian  

Lovely Recipe written and illustrated by Myra Rose Nino - ADVISABLE

Lovely Recipe written and illustrated by Myra Rose Nino, 240 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. Random House Children's Books (Penguin Random House), 2026. $25.

Language: G (2 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: PG (some kissing on page); Violence: G

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Sofia is in her last year of high school and she doesn’t know what she wants to do with her life post-graduation. What she does know is that her workaholic mother has been emotionally absent since her beloved grandmother’s death. If Sofia can learn to recreate some of her grandmother’s cherished recipes, maybe she can reconnect with her mother, and figure out her life plan. So Sofia enlists the help of her serious & studious classmate, Anna Marie, to teach her how to cook better. As the weeks fly by, Sofia and Anna Marie get closer together, but will the looming life changes tear them apart before they have a chance to even get started?

This is a very sweet, relatable YA graphic novel, perfect for anyone who has ever felt 'left behind' while the rest of the world moves on. I thought Sofia's desire to learn how to cook to recapture fond memories of her deceased grandmother helped give the story some necessary emotional depth. I also liked seeing their relationship develop authentically over the months cooking together in Anna Marie's family restaurant. Most readers are going to love the opposites-attract trope, but overall, this is a darling, slow burn sapphic romance, perfect for high school readers. While ethnicity is never explicitly addressed in the book, Sofia looks biracial in the illustrations.

Reviewer: Kiera Beddes, ELA teacher, #bookswithbeddes 

The Ink Witch by Steph Cherrywell - OPTIONAL

The Ink Witch by Steph Cherrywell, 288 pages. Little, Brown, 2025. $9. 

Language: PG (2 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (witch kicks her unconscious sister, mildly disturbing images described) 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME 

12yo Becca is tired of her boring mother not letting her do anything, she can't even try for the role of the Wicked Witch in The Wizard of Oz because her mom really doesn't like witches. She makes 3 wishes: that something would happen; that she would meet where her "being interesting" genes come from; and that her mom would shut up and do what Becca asks her to do. Well, she gets her wishes right away when an aunt she never met shows up, and she's a witch, and she puts a spell on Becca's mom. Now Becca doesn't like to have to tell her mom what to do, and she has to use her newly discovered witch powers to find the ingredients she needs to break the spell. Good thing she has her mom's familiar (a spider) and a monster who used to live in the ice maker. 

Very funny in parts, other times I feel the author was writing like a child instead of for a child, using excessively silly names, talking about things that would be gross, and unexpected resolutions to situations. I liked how the trans child's story was easily woven into the plot, and their journey wasn't about being trans but learning to be a witch. That felt normal and nice. Becca is a transgender girl. 

Lisa Librarian 

Deathly Fates by Tesia Tsai - ADVISABLE

Deathly Fates by Tesia Tsai, 368 pages. Wednesday Books (St. Martin’s Press), 2026. $20.

Language: PG (5 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13 (mentions of alcohol, kissing, scary elements, and innuendo); Violence: PG13 (corpses, assault, fantasy violence, blood and gore, mentions of suicide, and murder)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

As a priestess, Siying has special privileges to cross borders, despite the war, to reanimate corpses and guide them home. Her most recent client has offered significantly more than her usual rate to bring back a fallen soldier, giving only his first name and picture for identification. Upon locating the body, Siying does everything as usual, but, instead of getting the mindless, walking corpse she expected, this corpse comes back to life!

The Chinese folk practice of necromancy that this story draws inspiration from created a beautiful, simple, and limited magic system based on qi. Amidst the search for qi to keep this not-quite-dead client alive, Siying’s story includes unhappy spirits and exorcisms, intrigue and betrayal, and the relationship of duty and sacrifice with love. The majority of characters, including Siying, are implied Chinese.

Reviewer: Carolina Johnson 

Where Wolves Don't Die by Anton Treuer, - ADVISABLE

Where Wolves Don't Die by Anton Treuer,  320 pages. Levine Querido, 2024. $19. 

Language: PG (5 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: PG (reference to sex) Violence: PG (hunting violence, bullying, fighting, bear attack with expected injuries) 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

15yo Ezra is living in Minnesota with his dad when an altercation between Matt Schroeder and Nora, a girl Ezra likes, causes him to injure his hand defending her. That evening Matt's home catches fire, and Ezra is blamed. Although he knows he's innocent, Ezra's dad sends him to the reservation in Canada to spend the rest of the winter running traplines with his Ojibwa grandfather. 

I thought this was going to be a murder mystery. Although the whodunit was always there, it was more a premise to get Ezra into the wilderness with his grandfather to learn the Ojibwa ways of hunting, setting traps, and caring about nature. Gently told, the hunting violence was mild. I loved witnessing Ezra's ceremonies. While certainly written for the indigenous teen, the story is universal and could be enjoyed by readers of any culture. Most of the characters are Ojibwe. 

Lisa Librarian 

Everything She Does Is Magic by Bridget Morrissey - ADVISABLE

Everything She Does Is Magic by Bridget Morrissey, 288 pages. Random House Children's Books (Penguin Random House), 2025. $13.

Language: PG-13 (19 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG (repeated kissing on page); Violence: PG (intentional life-threatening allergic reaction)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

17 yo Darcy is a realist who wants to experience life outside of Fableview, a small town that is obsessed with Halloween. 17 yo Anya is a real witch-in-training who also wants a normal life. To become a full-fledged witch, Anya needs to ask someone to be a mortal “protector,” so she lies to her family coven, and says Darcy is willing to do it. However, both of their future plans might be derailed by their new feelings in development. Oh, what’s a girl (or two) to do?

I loved reading this book! It is the perfect cozy Halloween read. I loved the opposites-attract trope between Darcy and Anya. I loved the charming town of Fableview and its quirky cast of characters. I thought it was a delightful sapphic romcom perfect for any high school library.

Reviewer: Kiera Beddes, ELA teacher #bookswithbeddes 

Aarzu All Around by Marzieh Abbas - ADVISABLE

Aarzu All Around by Marzieh Abbas, 384 pages. NOVEL IN VERSE Salaam Reads Simon and Schuster, 2025 $19.

Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (verbally abusive uncle, reference to marks of physical violence.) 

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

12yo Aarzu and her sister were orphaned a year ago when their parents were buried in the rubble of an earthquake in Pakistan. Now they are living with their mother's sister and her family. Aarzu has 2 boy cousins who are treated very differently because they are boys; they get to eat first, and do not help around the house. Aarzu even does the older boy's homework for him. She dreams of being a cricket player like her father, but her uncle is strict, she's not allowed to play outside, and must work around the house - cooking, cleaning, laundry, anything she is told to do. Aaru's sister is gravely ill, born with only one kidney, which is not functioning properly. The 5-year-old is in constant pain, and the doctor appointments are pricey, so Aarzu is determined to find a way to make money to pay for her medications, and hopefully, eventually, a transplant. 

Aarzu All Around is a novel in verse. Some are creatively poetic, but most of the poems are free verse. There's a lot of cricket - Abbas was aware that readers might need some help, so the first several pages are all about the sport. I then expected Aarzu All Around to be about a girl who plays cricket or wants to, but it was so much more. A social commentary on the difference between the wealthy and the struggles of those who live in poverty; a look at the desperation faced by a family with a sick child; the way boys are treated and educated differently from girls. All in all, I don't think this may be enjoyed by a general audience, however, I'm sure my Islamic students would love it. The characters are Islamic 

Lisa Librarian  

Charmed and Dangerous by Shelly Page - ADVISABLE

Charmed and Dangerous by Shelly Page, 288 pages. Random House Children's Books (Penguin Random House), 2026. $13.

Language: PG-13 (25 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG (main character took their shirt off to clean it, the other characters didn’t look; repeated kissing on page); Violence: PG (minor injuries due to magical objects misfiring, one injury due to chasing a fugitive)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Fair Glen, Illinois is a formerly magical place and the Bureau of Mystical Affairs helps regulate the use of the magical charm dust that is leftover (think of OHSA meets the FBI). Monroe is a Black high school senior, who is interning for the Bureau. She is tasked with hunting down a love charm that has gone rogue in her high school. As a part of her investigation, she gets involved in a fake dating scheme with the Bureau Director‘s daughter Iris. But as they get to know one another more, Monroe has to figure out what is more important to her, her future with the Bureau, or her burgeoning romance with Iris?

This was a very sweet sapphic YA rom-com and I had such a fun time reading it. I felt like it was a cozy alternative to most urban fantasy (which is very similar to film noir, dark and gritty, but with ✨magic✨), whereas this was light, fluffy, and fun, but with ✨magic✨. I thought the worldbuilding was solid, the magic system was easy to understand, and the who-dun-it mystery kept me guessing until the very end. I would easily recommend this for any high school library. 

Reviewer: Kiera Beddes, ELA teacher #bookswithbeddes

A World Without Summer by Nicholas Day - ADVISABLE

A World Without Summer by Nicholas Day, 304 pages. NON-FICTION Random House, 2025 $20. 

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

In the early 1800s, on an island in Indonesia, a volcano called Tambora erupted, burying villages, killing thousands and changing the climate all over the world for years to come. But in 1815, the science of weather wasn't a thing yet, and no one (except Benjamin Franklin, who was then deceased) even considered that a volcano could change things so drastically. It rained constantly in Europe, snowed continually in America and famine became the norm, people were starving. It was from this bleak time that Mary Shelly wrote Frankenstein. 

Nicholas Day, who also wrote The Mona Lisa Vanishes is a great recontour - this story was engaging from the very first page, and making it a mash-up with the timing and world of Frankenstein was brilliant. This is one of those books I was talking about while I was reading it. I know non-fiction is a hard sell to many of my middle school kids, but with the release of a new Frankenstein film and a resurgence of interest in Shelly's novel, I will also be recommending A World Without Summer to those same readers, as it puts so much into perspective - even our current climate change. 

Lisa Librarian 

Wallflower by Iasmin Omar Ata - OPTIONAL

Wallflower by Iasmin Omar Ata, 256 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. Penguin Young Readers Group (Penguin Random House), 2026. $14.

Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (one physical altercation/shove)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS – OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SOME

Marlena is a middle school girl who can see different flowers on people, but no one else can see them. Until one day when a new transfer student, Ashe, who is nonbinary, reveals that they also can see these flowers. Thus, prompting Marlena and Ash to figure out why they both see flowers and what exactly their families are not telling them about their shared past.

This was such a weird read. I thought the premise was interesting, but the execution left much to be desired. The ending felt unresolved as everyone went to therapy (yay!) but didn't actually address the incident that started the whole problem to begin with. In general, the book could be an interesting way to teach how trauma affects individuals and families, but really, I was just confused the whole time. The art style also didn’t really help tell the story as the dark colors actually muddied the plot further. 

Kiera, ELA Teacher, #BookswithBeddes

Exile by Shannon Messenger, adapted by Celina Frenn, illustrated by Valeria Tenaga Romanazzi - ESSENTIAL

Exile (Keeper of the Lost Cities 2) by Shannon Messenger, adapted by Celina Frenn, illustrated by Valeria Tenaga Romanazzi, 336 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL Aladdin (Simon and Schuster), 2025. $28 

Language: G (0 swears), Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (kidnapping, mild violence) 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL 

APPEALS TO: MANY 

Sophie is a 12yo elf who has left the human world to study at Foxfire, the premier Elvin academy. She is worried about making the grades to get fully accepted at school, and hopes to be adopted by her guardians. On top of that, she has memories of things she shouldn't be able to understand, which threaten her life. Sophie seems to be caught between warring factions much bigger than herself. 

As the graphic novel version of the popular Lost Cities novels, I hoped it would be on par with the original text. I was not disappointed. I love both versions. The art on this one is stellar and captures the feelings and mood of the characters. It's nice to get a visual on the Elvin universe. This series is worth the investment and the graphic novel may reach readers the novel version does not. Action packed, along with plenty of teenage angst and universal feelings, this book has it all. 

Michelle in the Middle 

Stream by Aida Salazar - ADVISABLE

Stream by Aida Salazar, 336 pages. Scholastic Press, 2026.  $19.

Language: PG (4 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG-13 (adolescent sexual development - both male & female, body dysmorphia, addiction to online gaming, minor character was catfished online and sexually extorted); Violence: PG (mentions cockfighting, mild peril during a flood)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SOME

Written in verse, Stream is a novel in two voices serving as a combined sequel for Elio’s (Ultraviolet) and Celi’s (The Moon Within) stories from prior books. Elio and Celi are disconnected from the real world in different ways: Elio is addicted to online gaming, while Celi is chasing the unattainable status of social media influencer. When an awful catfishing incident happens to a fellow classmate, parents begin to take a closer look at their kids' online habits. As a result, Elio and Celi are both sent to unplug in the tiny off-grid Mexican village of Atoyec during the summer after their 8th grade year.

I had high hopes for Stream after enjoying Ultraviolet, but this one missed the mark for me. The 'social media/technology is bad' theme felt less like a poetic exploration and more like harping on a trend for the duration of the book. While Elio and Celi have some great moments of depth, their relationship felt incredibly hasty by the final chapters. Most importantly, the ending lacked credibility; it’s hard to buy into a plot where eighth graders are single-handedly saving a village from a natural disaster and performing emergency medical rescues. It just didn't feel like an authentic representation of being fourteen.

Kiera, ELA teacher #BookswithBeddes   

One of the Boys by Victoria Zeller - OPTIONAL

One of the Boys by Victoria Zeller, 336 pages. Levine Querido, 2025. $20. 

Language: R (100+ swears, 78 'f') includes coarse language about Grace's body and transition 

Mature Content: R (Making out, intimacy - touching and kissing, reference to sex - not on page, mentions of tucking, also teen drinking, vaping, marijuana, parties) Violence: PG13, (Bullying, both physical and verbal, football injuries (detailed, not gory or graphic), targeted onfield roughness, transphobic slurs.) 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL 

APPEALS TO: SOME

17yo Grace is in her senior year of high school, and is a recently out trans girl. Last football season, she was the star kicker of the football team, and has been invited back by team members and one of the coaches as they can't find anyone with her skills. The coach hasn't bought in 100% and hopes that having the first trans girl player in the history of the state doesn't distract the team. But Grace is still navigating her new self, and everything is different, especially her relationship with her ex-girlfriend. 

I really liked the premise of One of the Boys. I loved that Grace's experiences weren't all bad, that the team, for the most part, was not only accepting, but encouraging and supportive. Yes, there were also horrible people, no surprise. A lot of football action, games, practices, scouts, all the good stuff. Much too mature for middle grade. 

Grace is white and trans 

Lisa Librarian  

Forbidden Mountain by Brandon Mull - ESSENTIAL

Forbidden Mountain (Guardians #1) by Brandon Mull, 528 pages. Labyrinth Road (Penguin Random House), 2026. $23.

Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG (illegal activity and mentions of alcohol and kissing); Violence: PG13 (assault, blood and gore, battle scenes, mentions of suicide, and murder)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ESSENTIAL, HS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Everything for Mako (13yo) depends on passing his tests for a good apprenticeship and on who he receives as his guardian in three days. Arden (13yo) might not have abilities like those who live on the forbidden mountain, but her knack for reading people goes beyond average skill. While intending to do good, these teens feel lost after making mistakes and have to decide who they can trust to guide them out of it.

At first, Mako and Arden both seem to be stuck on slippery slopes due to their choices. However, their reactions to their respective consequences contrast greatly, making their similar circumstances diverge even as their stories start to intersect by ending up in the same camp. Both of them want to do good, and their examples invoke questions of whether doing something wrong for the right reasons can still be good. Expect high anticipation for the sequel!

Reviewer: Carolina Johnson