Ariel Crashes a Train by Olivia Cole - OPTIONAL

Ariel Crashes a Train by Olivia Cole, 464 pages. Random House Children's Books (Penguin Random House), 2024. $20.

Language: R (72 swears, 27 “f”); Mature Content: PG-13 (some examples of underage drinking, quite a bit of sexual content - most of it imagined as part of the main character’s OCD, but some mentions masturbation in public places by background characters); Violence: PG 13 (not real, but frequent pervasive violent intrusive thoughts)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SOME

17-year-old Ariel finds herself struggling with isolation in a small Midwestern town. Her older sister has left for college, and her best friend is away for a summer internship in DC, leaving Ariel feeling alone. Her mind becomes a maze of endless, violent "what if" scenarios that trap her in a cycle of fear and anxiety. Before she reaches a breaking point, Ariel finds solace in two new friends she meets at her summer job at the local carnival: Ruth, a Black girl, and Rex, a teenage trans man. Through their friendship, Ariel begins to navigate her mental health challenges and discover her own identity.

Fascinating first person depiction of living with Harm OCD and intrusive thoughts. A novel written in verse, it was beautiful and painful at the same time. I was impressed with the breadth of topics it was able to address - mental health, religious trauma, police violence, gender identity, feminism, & queerness. It shows how intersectional our world is and yet how strikingly singular our individual lived experience is. I’m not sure how much use it could be in a school setting, considering some of the language and mature content, however, I do think it could be valuable purely for its honest representation of OCD and how it affects Ariel’s life.

Kiera Beddes, #bookswithbeddes

Heart-Shaped Lies by Elizabeth Agyemang - OPTIONAL

Heart-Shaped Lies by Elizabeth Agyemang, 384 pages. Random House Children's Books (Penguin Random House), 2024. $20.

Language: R (43 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG-13 (several instances of underage drinking and drug use); Violence: PG 13 (several instances of physical intimidation or violence, and one on-page death)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL

During a senior trip to Sunny World (a Walt Disney World dupe) in modern-day Florida, three students - Kiara (18yo, Black, 4.0 student), Priscilla (18yo, Black, beauty queen influencer), and Nevaeh (17yo, Black, pastor’s daughter) find out that they are all involved with the same social media prank star & classmate Tommy Harding (18yo, white, truly awful human). When a senior prank he is planning goes awry and Tommy ends up dead, internet sleuths are quick to point out how each of the girls had motive. How are they going to find out what really happened that night?

With lots of twists and turns, this is a murder mystery for the social media age that teenage students will eat up with a spoon. Since Tommy was awful, I couldn’t really muster up a lot of sympathy for his demise, and thus, wasn’t terribly interested in the outcome. However, the book moved at a pretty quick pace and I loved seeing the diversity in the main characters, as a majority of the characters are BIPOC.

Kiera Beddes, #bookswithbeddes

On the Bright Side by Anna Sortino - OPTIONAL

On the Bright Side by Anna Sortino, 305 pages. Putnam (Penguin), 2024. $20.

Language: R (33 swears 1 'f'); Mature Content: PG13 (Making out, some clothing removal); Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

18yo Ellie has been at a boarding school for deaf students since middle school. But at the end of her junior year, it shuts down and she has to attend a regular high school and live at home. Ellie's parents never embraced her deafness, they didn't learn sign language, insist she wears her hearing aid and cochlear implant all the time, and have made no accommodations for her. Living at home, and being the only deaf student at the high school is really hard. 18yo Jackson is one of the best players on his soccer team, but his body is acting strangely, his legs feel numb, and he's so tired. When he misses an important goal and loses the state championship, he becomes the team outcast. One of the guidance counselors asks Jackson to show the new girl (Ellie) around changes his focus. Maybe these two need each other more than they know. 

This is the cutest romance! Both kids are full of self doubt and anger because of their past experiences, have difficult parents (opposites - Jackson's parents are over involved and over protective.) but are smart and resilient. I love the community Ellie gets involved in, as well as the group Jackson turns to after his diagnosis. A Schneider Award teen honor book, Sortino's depiction of the disability experience is spot on, as she is deaf. I finished On the Bright Side wanting to take up sign language lessons again. Both Jackson and Ellie are white. 

Lisa Librarian 

One Wrong Step by Jennifer A. Nielsen - ESSENTIAL

One Wrong Step by Jennifer A. Nielsen, 336 pages. Scholastic, 2025. $18

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

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS, HS - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

After 14yo Atlas’s mother dies while he and his father are climbing a peak in Utah,  Atlas and his father throw themselves into mountain climbing and end up in Nepal to climb Mt. Everest. They join a team set to reach the unreachable, the Summit of Mt. Everest. Atlas will face the fight of his live and must make the toughest of choices.

I like how the author includes a definition at the beginning of each chapter. The setting is extremely interesting with the threat of World War II hanging over the story. The characters are believable.

The ethnicity is predominantly white.

LynnDell Watson, DHS Librarian, Delta, Utah

Warrior of Legend (Heromaker #2) by Kendare Blake - ADVISABLE

Warrior of Legend (Heromaker #2) by Kendare Blake, 512 pages. HarperCollins, 2024. $11

Language: PG-13 (15 swears, 0 ‘f'); Mature Content: PG-13 (off page sex and implied sex); Violence: PG-13 (attempted sexual assault, off page murder, bloody violence and bloody deaths)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

After losing her hero, 16yo Reed has thrown herself head first into serving the Aristene. She has sent three heroes to their glorious death in less than a year. When her fellow Aristene, Lyonene, is called to help a hero, she begs Reed to take her place. Lyonene wants to stay with her hero, prince, and husband Alsander. What Reed and Lyonene don’t know is how much this one decision will change their lives.

I liked the dynamic between Reed, her mentor, her hero and her fellow Aristene. This series will have more than two books. The story doesn’t end on a cliffhanger but it left me wanting to know what’s to come.

The ethnicity mentions white, tan, and olive skintones.

LynnDell Watson, DHS Librarian, Delta, Utah

Shark Teeth by Sherri Winston - ADVISABLE

Shark Teeth by Sherri Winston, 304 pages. Bloomsbury, 2024. $18. 

Language: PG (3 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G Violence Rating: PG (a physical fight, neglect, bullying) 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

12yo Sharkita is worried. Her mama is back, and she and her siblings are out of foster care, but for how long? She knows it's just a matter of time until Mama messes up again, starts drinking, and leaves Sharkita in charge of the "littles".  Kita's little brother is disabled, and his behavior can be unpredictable, especially with Mama gone, and her 6yo sister is worried too. But things might be better this time. Mama is home after school, she has a job and has even given Kita permission to join the drill team at school. But with so many family secrets to keep, Kita is on edge all the time. 

This is a lot for a 12-year-old. I wonder if any of the students at my school are in a similar crisis - and how could we tell? Kita's mama is terrible, always asking her to cover for her, disappearing for days and blaming Sharkita when things go wrong. I felt so badly for her. Winston tells a great story, which drew me in right away. Shark Teeth won a middle-grade Schneider honor, given to books that embody the disability experience. Sharkita has hyperdontia, which means she has 2 rows of teeth. While not the focus of the novel, it certainly adds to Kita's troubles as she is always worried someone will say something. Kita and her family are Black 

Lisa Librarian 

I Will Never Leave You by Kara A. Kennedy - OPTIONAL

I Will Never Leave You by Kara A. Kennedy, 343 pages. Delacorte Press (RandomHouse), 2024. $20

Language: R (17 swears, 19 ‘f'); Mature Content: PG-13 (Lesbian relationship, drinking); Violence: PG-13 (death, verbal abuse)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

18yo Maya finally decides to end her toxic relationship with her manipulative girlfriend, Alana, during a hike in California's Antelope Valley.  Soon after, Alana goes missing and Maya becomes the prime suspect while battling guilt over what happened.  But when Alana's ghost begins haunting her, Maya realizes their connection is far from over.  The vengeful spirit demands Maya's help in possessing their friend Rowan, or face terrifying consequences.  As Maya fights to break free from Alana's grip, she must confront the lingering effects of abuse and trauma.  

Kennedy explores love, control and the struggle to reclaim one's identity. This book was very frustrating and compelling to read.  Maya and Alana's relationship was extremely toxic, and it was frustrating to see Maya remain trapped in Alana's influence, even after her death. The novel definitely portrays the type of relationship to avoid. I really enjoyed the supernatural elements as well as the bond Maya eventually develops with her sister. The mystery kept me engaged and the twist at the end genuinely caught me by surprise.

The characters in this book are white.

Jessica Nelson Librarian

A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle , Crystal S. Chan (Adaptor) and Julien Choy (Illustrator) - ADVISABLE

A Study in Scarlet (Manga Classics Sherlock Holmes Vol. 1) by Arthur Conan Doyle , Crystal S. Chan  (Adaptor) and Julien Choy  (Illustrator), 200 pages. MANGA. Manga Classics, 2025. $20

Language: PG (2 swears, 0 f'); Mature Content: PG-13 (smoking); Violence: PG (off page death)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

I struggle reading Manga because it takes me a moment to adjust to reading the opposite direction of what I'm used to but I enjoyed this rendition of Sherlock Holmes' book, "A Study in Scarlet".  The art is done well and the story is true Sherlock Holmes!  A delightful mystery and it was fun to tag along with Sherlock and Watson as they solved the case.  The suspense was perfect.  The illustrations were eye-catching and pulled me into the story.  

I love the artwork!  This is a manga that I thoroughly enjoyed.  I'm impressed with this rendition of "A Study in Scarlet"!

The characters are white

LynnDell Watson, DHS Librarian, Delta, Utah

The Totally Not Boring Book of Feelings by Julie Taylor and Brandon Dorman - ADVISABLE

The Totally Not Boring Book of Feelings by Julie Taylor and Brandon Dorman, 128 pages. SHORT STORIES. Shadow Mountain, 2024. $23

Content: G

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

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

The book contains short graphic novels like stories and poems interspersed with hilarious drawings. The stories and poems are all about feelings but written in a way that makes you laugh. I loved this book.

At first glance I didn't think I would like this book, no color illustrations and it looked just kind of “blah.” How wrong I was. It is my 2 year old grandson's absolute favorite book! We read from it every day and he sits down and “reads” out loud from it every day. The book has become a special friend in our family the last several weeks while my grandson has stayed with us. I highly recommend this book for preschool aged children up through 3rd grade, maybe even all through elementary school. The illustrations are just darling and funny and a 2 year old laughs out loud at them. Enjoy this book for years to come.

Ellen-Anita. Librarian

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst - ADVISABLE

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst, 384 pages. Tor, 2024. $15

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

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS, ADULT - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Kiela, an adult, lives in Alyssium and loves her job as a librarian. The only social interaction she gets is with Caz, the sentient spider plant that resides in the library too. When the library is burned, Kiela and Caz take as many magical books as they can and sail away to Kiela’s birthplace, Caltrey, which she hasn’t been to for too long a time. They move into her parents’ abandoned cottage and hope that they won’t be found hiding the restricted magical books. Kiela has always enjoyed being alone and antisocial but her new neighbors see things differently and will try to break down her barriers any way they can.

This is a sweet book. Charming, innocent and full of fantasy. The book was so relaxing to read and it truly was comforting.

The ethnicity is a variety of races, species and colors.

LynnDell Watson, DHS Librarian, Delta, Utah

Cruzita and the Mariacheros by Ashley Granillo - ADVISABLE

Cruzita and the Mariacheros by Ashley Granillo,  248 pages Lerner, 2024. $20.

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

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ADVISABLE

 APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

The summer between 6th and 7th grade is supposed to be the most fun ever. Cruzita has plans to go to Encore Island - an amusement park in California - with her best friend, Kelli. But her Tio Chuy, the baker at the family panaderia, has passed away, and the family struggles to keep the bakery profitable. There's no money for an expensive day at Encore Island, so she must spend the summer helping at the family business. Her grandmother has arranged violin lessons, which turn out to be Mariachi lessons, and Cruzita is unhappy - although her family is Mexican, neither she nor her parents speak Spanish, and she wants to be a pop star someday, not part of a mariachi band. 

Cruzita is certain she can become famous and save her family. I think a lot of kids can relate; they believe if they can just achieve their dreams, everything will be better. I liked Cruzita's journey, from knowing little about her family's Mexican culture to gaining the ability to sing in Spanish, learn an instrument, and show pride in her heritage. There's a good bit of Spanish, in context - Cruzita doesn't speak it either so English only readers won't need a glossary. I did love that Granillo included a play list - which I'm listening to as I write this review, as well as book club or class discussion questions. 

Lisa Librarian 

Light Enough to Float by Lauren Seal - OPTIONAL

Light Enough to Float by Lauren Seal, 352 pages. Penguin, 2024 $20.

Language: R (10 swears 5 'fs'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG13 (self harm, suicide attempt) 

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - OPTIONAL 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

14yo Evie has an eating disorder. When her parents take her to the doctor, she's diagnosed with anorexia and quickly placed in a residential program at a psychiatric hospital. She is required to consume an ever-increasing amount of daily calories, attend group and private counseling, and reshape her relationship with food and with her body. 

Based on the author's experiences, Seal tells an authentic, engaging, heart wrenching story. She begins with trigger warnings, so it's not for everyone. While most of the others at the hospital are adults, with just a small group of teens, the focus is on Evie. Despite the swear count, Light Enough to Float would certainly appeal to the older students at my middle school and, unfortunately, may relate to some of the younger ones as well. Includes resources for readers struggling with disordered eating and mental health challenges. Evie and her family are white. 

Lisa Librarian 

Solving for the Unknown by Loan Le - OPTIONAL

Solving for the Unknown by Loan Le, 336 pages. Simon & Schuster, 2025. $20. CENTERING ME, stand by me

Language: R (47 swears, 2 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Coming in as a first-year in college, Việt (18yo) is worried about making friends and about leaving his parents in the house alone without him as a buffer. After a rocky encounter with his roommate’s friends, Việt changes his mind about accepting a party invitation. He might not remember most of the night, but Việt is grateful for the people he meets in the morning, especially Evie—third-year Evie who has a jerk boyfriend.

Việt struggles with depression, and Evie struggles with self-worth. Even with their support system of loving friends and family, their problems are not slain with a one-time defeat. These characters have to figure out how to not get discouraged when their trials resurface and how to be comfortable sharing the burden by accepting help. Not all problems go away, but they can become smaller. While this is the companion to a previous book by Le, Việt and Evie’s story can stand alone.

Việt, Evie, and their families are Vietnamese American. The majority of active characters in the story are Asian, and the majority of supporting cast characters are implied White. The mature content rating is for kissing and for  alcohol use, including underage drinking. The violence rating is for mentions of blood and murder in fake crime scenes.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

I Am Made of Death by Kelly Andrew - OPTIONAL

I Am Made of Death by Kelly Andrew, 368 pages. Scholastic Press (Scholastic Inc), 2025. $20.

Language: R (84 swears, 18 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

College dropouts paying for their mother’s medical bills are beggars, not choosers, which is why Thomas (18yo) is living the Farrow household as an interpreter for Vivienne (18yo). Vivienne chooses not to speak, but she doesn’t need an interpreter-slash-babysitter. Once she finds a way to ditch Thomas, she can continue with her plans to fix herself—or else die trying.

The occult aspects of this story are not explained very clearly. The vagueness adds an element of horror in the beginning but distracts from the action the deeper readers go, turning mystery into confusion. In the end, the forces of evil somehow collapse, causing the antagonists to somehow face consequences while the protagonists drive hopefully into the dawn of a new day. A happy ending, if not a very disclosing conclusion.

The majority of characters are implied White, and Frances, Hudson, and Reed are part of the LGBT community. The mature content rating is for alcohol use, illegal activity, scary elements, mentions of prostitution, kissing, and innuendo. The violence rating is for assault, gun use, blood and gore, mentions of suicide, and murder.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Confessions of a Junior Spy by Rosaria Munda - ADVISABLE

Confessions of a Junior Spy by Rosaria Munda, 224 pages. Feiwel and Friends (Macmillan), JUNE 2025. $20.

Content: G (some danger)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

12yo Bea has lived in the hotel Pangean her entire life.  Her dad is the Chef, while her mom appears once in a while to recuperate between spy jobs. Bea is waiting for her Knack to manifest.  Bea wants a Knack that will help her be a spy like her mom- fighting the good fight. But Mom seems to have a different idea - she wants Bea to be a Normie? 

Munda has packed in adventure and danger into this middle grade version of The Gallagher Girls or Alex Rider.  A fun, fast read with danger around each corner.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang and Leuyen Pham - ESSENTIAL

Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang and Leuyen Pham. 352 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL First Second (Macmillan), 2024. $18. 

Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: PG (a couple of kisses) Violence: PG (a fight, no blood but a ruined wedding cake) 

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ESSENTIAL 

APPEALS TO: MANY 

Valentina loves everything about Valentine's Day. Since she was a little girl, she's been making Valentines for everyone. Now that she's in high school, her friends find it a bit weird. But her freshman year Valentine's Day is terrible, she finds out some family secrets, and her imaginary friend, a cupid looking St. Valentine, becomes the actual ghost of the actual St. Valentine. He threatens to take her heart if she doesn't find love in just 1 year. Seems impossible, but she happens to meet a really nice boy, and he might be the true love she's hoping for! 

Gene Luen Yang and LeUyen Pham have teamed up to write a great romance. Full of Asian culture, an hilarious interfering grandmother, lots of family drama and a cute love story, I couldn't put it down. The magical realism, being haunted by St. Valentine, was perfect, oh the illustrations! Plot twists ensured we never knew if they would or would find true love. Recommending to middle and high school and buying a couple of copies for my library. Valentina is Vietnamese, Jae is Korean and Chinese, Leslie is Chinese. 

Lisa Librarian 

Let the Fur Fly (Grimwood #2) by Nadia Shireen - ADVISABLE

Let the Fur Fly (Grimwood #2) by Nadia Shireen. 240 pages. Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2023. $12. 9781524882273

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Fox siblings Ted and Nancy are enjoying living in Grimwood. But when a smooth talking fox named Sebastian Silver shows up, their home is threatened. Silver wants to level Grimwood to build an amusement park and mall. Can the eclectic residents of Grimwood work together to save their home?

A fun story filled with jokes, mystery and adventure. The cast of characters are interesting and quirky. The illustrations throughout add to the overall appeal of the book.

Reviewer: A. Snow, Librarian

All Better Now by Neal Shusterman - OPTIONAL

All Better Now by Neal Shusterman, 528 pages. Simon & Schuster BFYR, 2025. $18.

Language: R (65 swears,  6 ‘f'); Mature Content: PG (kissing); Violence: PG (undescribed death)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

The Crown Royale virus seems to be everywhere and it either becomes fatal or creates a happy mindset in survivors. Teenager Mariel and her mom are homeless and she believes that the virus would make life great but her mother doesn’t. 16yo Ron, the youngest of six children, hosts his rich father’s Airbnb and welcomes people to stay for four nights at the beautiful penthouse for a very cheap price. This will be the last stay before the penthouse closes. His father is wanting to live in isolation so they don’t catch the virus and give all their money to charity because they’re out of their right minds, all caused by the Crown Royale virus. Morgan reaches her internship meeting, where she meets with a very rich woman who has recently been diagnosed with Crown Royale and wants to bequeath everything to Morgan to eradicate the virus.  Ron becomes an alpha-spreader, Mariel is immune, Morgan wants to do everything possible to eradicate the virus and after inheriting tons of money and partnering with Ron’s extremely rich father, she has the means to.

I love the inclusion and representation of several different ethnicities and cultures. The stories of random people and encounters intrigued me and helped cement the nature of the virus and its effect on people. I enjoyed how the author explored the choices people made and their actions. Interesting story.

Ron is of Spanish descent. Morgan is Eurasian, Mariel is white.

LynnDell Watson, DHS Librarian, Delta, Utah

The Secret of Moonrise Manor by Stephanie Bearce - ADVISABLE

The Secret of Moonrise Manor by Stephanie Bearce, 256 pages. Shadow Mountain Publishing, 2025. $20.

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

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: MANY

Knocking a hole in the local hotel’s wall was honestly an accident, but Raven (12yo) isn’t sorry when it reveals a mummified body. Spunky Raven and her eclectic group of friends dive recklessly into solving the mystery of Mummy Man, working around working for family businesses and being grounded. Even so, they’re sure to figure out the whos and whys of the murder before the adults do.

Bearce has imbued her characters with big personalities that, at times, both help and hinder their goals as they clash over opinions of science versus paranormal activity and possible truths that hurt more than lies. This group of determined kids can accomplish much good if they’re willing to learn lessons of forgiveness along the way. In order to find the answers to one mystery, Raven and her friends find several other buried secrets, promising future adventures.

The majority of characters are implied White; Eric is implied Asian. The mature content rating is for mentions of alcohol, illegal activity, and mild scary elements. The violence rating is for corpses and mentions of suicide and murder.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen 

Champion of Fate (Heromaker #1) by Kendare Blake - ADVISABLE

Champion of Fate (Heromaker #1) by Kendare Blake, 480 pages. HarperCollins, 2023. $10.

Language:  PG-13 (10 swears, 0 ‘f'); Mature Content: PG (kissing); Violence: PG-13 (deaths and bloody fighting)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Reed was eight years old when raiders arrived in her village and killed everyone except her. The raiders find Reed hiding in the wreckage and take her to be a sacrifice to their god for their safe journey home, but she is rescued by two strong women who take her to live among their warrior kind, the Aristenes. Now 16yo, Reed was raised to believe she will become a great warrior and find a hero that will die a glorious death so she can become an Aristene also. Reed learns that life isn’t black and white or easy.

Reed is a strong character who believes in right and wrong. Reed has a great relationship with the two other girls being raised to become Aristene warriors alongside her, Gretchen and Lyonene. The story shows the importance of love, loyalty, strength and friendship. Ethnicity is mixed with many skin tones. Reed has tan skin.

LynnDell Watson, DHS Librarian, Delta, Utah