Octopus Moon by Bobbie Pyron - ESSENTIAL

Octopus Moon by Bobbie Pyron, 310 pages. Novel in Verse Nancy Paulsen (Penguin), 2025. $19.

Language: G; Mature Content: G; Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ESSENTIAL,  MS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

10yo Pearl should be excited to start 5th grade, but she's not. Her friends Mia and Rosie certainly are, but something is different this year, and Pearl can't tell what's going on. It seems she's not 4th-grade Pearl, who loved to sing in the choir, tell jokes, and was a good student. This year, she pretends to sing, is sad for no reason, and isn't turning in her homework. Her parents talk to her teachers, and soon Pearl (unwillingly) visits a therapist. Pearl has depression. 

A well-written story with age-appropriate situations. I loved Pearl's connection with the Octopus at the aquarium, an animal that is completely connected to its environment, while Pearl struggles to make connections. It was heartbreaking to see Pearl, so young, experiencing depression. 5th graders need to see themselves or build empathy for their classmates in Pearl's shoes. I hope I can get my middle schoolers to read Octopus Moon as there are so many valuable lessons and life connections. Pearl is white. 

Lisa Librarian  

Jo Jo Makoons: The Super-Scary Sleepover (Jo Jo #5) by Dawn Quigley and Tara Audibert - OPTIONAL

Jo Jo Makoons: The Super-Scary Sleepover (Jo Jo #5) by Dawn Quigley, illustrated by Tara Audibert, 63 pages. CHAPTER BOOK Heartdrum, 2025. $7. 

Content: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL 

APPEALS TO: SOME 

Jojo Makoons is a precocious 1st grader. She lives with her mom and her kokum (grandmother). Jojo has been invited to her first sleepover, and she doesn't know what to expect. Her friend Ferris scares her when he tells her to be careful of puppets at the sleepover because at night they try to steal children's eyes. Now Jojo is really worried! 

Book 5 in a fun series, Jojo is a bit too much for me, but I bet readers her age find her adorable. She has big feelings, big ideas and wants everyone to play along. Jojo is Ojibewe, and I'm sure Indigenous children will see themselves.  Many of Jojo's antics are universal, so other children will enjoy her as well. 

Lisa Librarian 

The Greatest Heist in Joviala by Adi Alsaid - OPTIONAL

The Greatest Heist in Joviala by Adi Alsaid, 277 pages. Aladdin (Simon), 2024. $9 (pb)

Language: G (1 swears, 0 ‘f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (danger, peril, fighting)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

Four 12yo kids travel from their kingdom of Nefaria to the cheerful kingdom of Joviala for a school trip. In Nefaria, they’re used to dealing with constant evil schemes, but Joviala is a land of happy, trusting people who rarely expect trouble. While there, the four meet Shmebecca, who is devastated to learn that a company plans to move her favorite mountain, Mount Saint Helenhunt, and replace it with an amusement park. She’s especially worried that relocating a volcanic mountain could lead to serious consequences. Determined to protect it, Shmebecca teams up with the Nefarian kids and enlists her friends Shmayden and Shmelix to help stop the project and save the mountain.

Will they be able to stop the plan and save Mount Saint Helenhunt in time?

The goofy names and quirky characters didn’t quite land for me—maybe it’s just been too long since I was in middle school. At times, the story felt wordy and dragged a bit. That said, it was still a fun adventure-heist with some meaningful lessons woven in. It explores how the line between good and evil can be complicated, highlights the importance of protecting natural resources, and emphasizes the value of friendship and forgiveness.

None of the characters were described.

Reviewer: A. Snow, Librarian

How to Get Away with Murder by Rebecca Philipson - OPTIONAL

How to Get Away with Murder by Rebecca Philipson, 368 pages. Minotaur Books (St. Martin’s Press), 2026. $30.

Language: R (75 swears, 36 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: R

BUYING ADVISORY: ADULTS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL

Suspended detective Samantha from Scotland Yard has declined to follow the suggestion of both her therapist and her boss to start going back to work part time. Until she comes across the murder scene of a 14-year-old in the park on her way home, and Sam changes her mind. On scene, a book titled How to Get Away with Murder is found with the victim, a clue that could lead to the killer—or reveal that there is more than one killer walking free.

Sam’s story is told side by side with chapters from How to Get Away with Murder, mostly in time with how much Sam herself has read at the time. The careful combing of clues from the murder scene and the book is exciting and distressing as theories—suggested by the characters and by readers’ own minds—suggest bad guys lurking everywhere. The clever twists made by Sam and her enemies blew me away, making the last third of the book impossible to put down.

The majority of characters are English, and there are a couple of minor characters in homosexual relationships. The mature content rating is for alcohol use; kissing; illegal activity; innuendo; nudity; groping; and mentions of drugs, abortion, condoms, genitalia, pornography, incest, and sex. The violence rating is for assault; blood and gore; domestic violence; sexual assault; mentions of guns, animal cruelty, torture, and rape; suicide; and murder.

Reviewer: Carolina Johnson

On the Wings of la Noche by Vanessa L. Torres - ADVISABLE

On the Wings of la Noche by Vanessa L. Torres, 352 pages. Knopf Books for Young Readers (Random House), 2025. $20

Language: G (4 swears, 0 ‘f'); Mature Content: PG ( kissing, partial nudity); Violence: PG (death scenes)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

17yo Noche Villanueva  lives in Duluth, Minnesota and secretly shifts into an owl-like being known as a Lechuza, escorting souls of the dead to the afterlife. After her girlfriend Dante drowns, Noche refuses to release Dante’s spirit, creating emotional and supernatural consequences. As she navigates grief, friendship, cultural identity, and a new romantic connection with Jax, a boy awaiting a heart transplant, Noche must confront whether love means holding on or letting go.

I liked the way this author handles love and loss in this book. Torres doesn’t treat grief as something simple or quick to fix, instead, she shows how messy and confusing it can be. The mix of Mexican folklore and modern teen life makes it feel unique, and the Lechuza mythology adds a cool supernatural layer.  I also appreciated how all of the relationships felt genuine and layered, not just surface-level drama. That said, the pacing slows down in the middle, and some of Noche’s inner thoughts repeat before the story really moves forward. I also would have liked a little more explanation about how the supernatural rules work. Still, for high school readers who enjoy emotional stories with romance, identity struggles, and a touch of magical realism, this book offers something meaningful and memorable.

Noche and Dante are Latina/Mexican American.

Jessica Nelson CTHS Librarian

The Big Mess and other stories by Greg Pizzoli. - ADVISABLE

The Big Mess and other stories by Greg Pizzoli. (Earl and Worm #2) CHAPTER BOOK Random House, 2025 $11.00 9780593649701 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

Worm loves to clean so she helps Earl with his big mess - but many things he doesn't want, she does, and soon her house is messy again. Earl finds a lucky penny which seems to bring him anything but, and Worm wants Earl to stay up all night with her so she can finally see a sunrise. 

Oh, such cute stories and adorable illustrations. The friends are so nice to each other, even with things are not going their way (see The Lucky Penny). A good amount of text, it will be a fun book that young readers will enjoy and re-read. 

Lisa Librarian 

The Revenant Games (The Revenant Games #1) by Margie Fuston - OPTIONAL

The Revenant Games (The Revenant Games #1) by Margie Fuston, 416 pages. Simon and Schuster, 2024. $12

Language:  R (9 swears, 6 ‘f'); Mature Content: PG (gentle, sweet kissing); Violence: PG-13 (bloody fighting, beheading, bloody death)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

17yo Bly loves her sister Elise and appreciates how Elise does the things Bly doesn’t want to do, like helping their parents with their work. When Elise is trapped by a witch’s spell, Bly will do whatever it takes to get her sister back. The sister’s mutual and lifelong friend Emerson is willing to help. They enter the Revenant Games to win Elise back and become entangled in the witches’ and vampires’ play for power. Emerson has a witch acquaintance who he believes will help but she may have an agenda of her own. When Bly is surrounded by a group of dangerous vampires, a mysterious vampire saves her and she later learns that his name is Kerrigan, a vampire prince. Will Bly and Emerson get lost in the midst of the violent Revenant Games?

I noticed a few typos and also an incorrect use of the word waste, should have been waist and I wondered about the editing process. I liked the journey of Bly discovering what she truly wants in life as she matures. Kerrigan is an interesting character and I enjoyed learning about his background and reasons for his actions.

Emerson has dark brown skin. Bly has pale skin.

LynnDell Watson, Delta High School Librarian, Delta, Utah

The Red Car to Hollywood by Jennie Liu - OPTIONAL

The Red Car to Hollywood by Jennie Liu, 245 pages. Carolrhoda (Lerner), 2025 $20. 

Language: R (5 swears 1 'f'); Mature Content: PG13 (escalating dating intimacy including rumpled clothing) Violence: PG13 (sexual violence) 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL 

APPEALS TO: SOME 

It's 1924 Los Angeles, and 16yo Ruby feels more American than Chinese, but her parents have traditional Chinese rules, so when Ruby is caught dating, and he's a white boy, her father is ashamed and feels this disgrace will affect the family and his business. He enlists a matchmaker and vows to marry her off, even if it means sending her to China. 

I love this time period, early Hollywood, and the addition of Anna May Wong into the plot was fantastic. I loved the culture clash, the generational and racial issues, and Ruby's independent spirit. The mature content doesn't go too far, which I appreciated. The author has placed a trigger warning at the beginning that there is sexual violence, and it is violent and scary, but not explicit. 

Ruby is Chinese American 

Lisa Librarian 

Oppenheimer and the Atomic Bomb by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, adapted by Eric S. Singer. - ADVISABLE

Oppenheimer and the Atomic Bomb by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, adapted by Eric S. Singer. 336 pages. NON FICTION, BIOGRAPHY. Penguin Random House, 2025. $19.

Language: PG-13 (25 swears, 0 ‘f'); Mature Content: PG-13 (Mentions rape and an affair - non-descriptive); Violence: PG-13 (war, brief descriptions of radiation exposure)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SOME

From discussing his early love of science to the later accusations of communist involvement, this young-reader adaptation of American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer describes Oppenheimer’s life, career, and impact on the scientific community. It also covers the Manhattan Project, the Bikini Atoll nuclear tests, the development of the hydrogen bomb, the Cold War, and the McCarthy Era. 

Nonfiction books are not very popular in my library, but this text does its best to appeal to students with an attention-grabbing opening, pictures, quoted text, and an easy-to-read layout. I enjoyed learning more about Oppenheimer and the United State’s nuclear testing program even after having watched the movie which was based on the adult version of this book. It left me pondering ethical considerations such as keeping or sharing scientific advancements, the impacts of weapons testing, and developing weapons vs potentially destroying humanity.

Megan, HS Librarian 

Whale Eyes: A Memoir About Seeing and Being Seen by James Robinson and Brian Rea - ADVISABLE

Whale Eyes: A Memoir About Seeing and Being Seen by James Robinson and Brian Rea, 304 pages. NON-FICTION Penguin, 2025. $10. (paperback)  

Content: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS, ADULT - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SOME 

Documentary filmmaker James Robinson was born with Strabismus. His eyes are misaligned, and his brain adapts by helping James see differently. Whale Eyes is an interactive book that gives the reader an idea of some of the visual challenges James faced, especially as a reader.  

I was fascinated with the early chapters about Robinson's difficulties reading and playing baseball, and what that looked like. Some of the pages invite the reader to fold the page, turn the book upside down, or follow along and try to read impossible text. I loved that there's a link to his documentary so that we can see him, experience his skill as a documentary filmmaker, and learn the lessons his book so eloquently teaches. I will recommend that the reading teachers (and others) read Whale Eyes so we can better respond to disabilities. A marvelous book. James Robinson is white 

Lisa Librarian 

Dead Girls Don't Say Sorry by Alex Ritany - OPTIONAL

Dead Girls Don't Say Sorry by Alex Ritany, 400 pages. Knopf Books for Young Readers (Random), 2024. $20

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

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

High school senior, Nora, is struggling after the sudden death of her lifelong best friend Julia. Everyone expects her to be devastated, but their relationship was not what it seemed. As Nora deals with grief, guilt and the pressures of senior year, she starts uncovering secrets, lies and the toxic side of a friendship she thought would last forever. With the help of Dillan by her side, Nora discovers the twisted truth behind her lost friendship.

This book bounces from before and after the accident.  At first it was a bit hard to keep track but once into the story it worked.  It was hard to read about the toxic relationship between Nora and Julia with Nora so oblivious.  It was frustrating to read about Julia continually manipulating Nora in so many different ways but then saying a few nice comments and they were best friends again. Students will be able to connect with Nora if they have ever been involved in a toxic relationship like this.  

Nora and Julia are Caucasian.

Jessica Nelson CTHS Librarian

American Spirits: The Famous Fox Sisters and the Mysterious Fad That Haunted a Nation by Barb Rosenstock - ADVISABLE

American Spirits: The Famous Fox Sisters and the Mysterious Fad That Haunted a Nation by Barb Rosenstock, 304 pages. NON-FICTION Calkins Creek (Astra), 2025. $25. 

Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (peril, spiritualism, description of causes of death, some violent) 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS, ADULT - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SOME 

19th Century New York: Even as children, Kate and Maggie Fox knew they could communicate with spirits who answered their questions with raps (for yes) and silence (for no). The first was a murdered peddler who was supposedly buried beneath the floor in the cellar of their home. Before long Kate and Maggie, and their sister Leah, who organized their appearances, became the most famous, and maybe the first mediums, holding seances and helping people contact their dead family members - for a price. But along with fame comes detractors, trying to prove they are fakes, and even angry mobs. Are they some sort of witches, frauds, what kind of tricks are they playing? But with so many dead in the civil war, grieving families want to connect and are willing to suspend their disbelief. 

A fascinating examination of the Fox sisters and their part in the rise of Spiritualism in America. Well written with lots of captioned photographs, many of the sisters, but plenty of others to build context of the time period. Includes extensive source notes, a bibliography, and index. If you have readers into this sort of thing, this is a must-have. Would be nicely paired with Spirit Sleuths by Gail Jarrow.

The Fox sisters are white. 

Lisa Librarian No 

The Grandest Game (The Grandest Game #1) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes - OPTIONAL

The Grandest Game (The Grandest Game #1) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, 384 pages. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2024. $11

Language: R (47 swears, 0 ‘f'); Mature Content: G (gentle kissing); Violence: PG-13 (bloody death)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

Avery and three Hawthorne brothers, Nash, Jameson and Xander, create a game together with seven players. The winner gets a million dollars. The players are forced into teams as they are locked into different escape rooms, securing teammates. Gigi, Knox and Brady become a team; Savannah and Rohan are a team; Grayson, Lyra and Odette are a team. They must work together to escape their rooms and make it to the dock by dawn the next morning. Avery and the Hawthornes know how to figure out riddles and they know how to create difficult ones. Who will make it to the dock first?

 I thoroughly enjoyed the riddles that the contestants had to solve. The mysterious watcher creates suspense and an added tension! Wonderful character development.

Rohan has light brown skin. Knox is white. Brady has ebony skin.  Lyra has golden tan skin.

LynnDell Watson, DHS Librarian, Delta, Utah

The Strongest Heart by Saadia Faruqi, - ADVISABLE

The Strongest Heart by Saadia Faruqi,  384 pages. HarperCollins, 2025. $20. 

Language: PG (11 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (Bullying, threats) 

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

13yo Mo has recently moved to Texas with his father to live with his aunt and cousin. Mo's mom is working in Greece, and Mo's dad is, according to Mo, a monster. In reality, Mo's dad has paranoid schizophrenia, doesn't regularly take his medication, and is more than difficult to live with. Mo and his cousin Rayyan are the same age and in most of their classes together, and when Rayyan is a bully's target, Mo becomes his champion. But Rayyan doesn't want Mo interfering, and it's Mo who needs someone. Someone to interfere with his dad, as his dad needs help, and he won't help himself. 

Reading The Strongest Heart, I couldn't help but wonder if there are kids at my school in a similar situation to Mo. This is a great book to show them they are not alone. The author grew up in a similar situation in Pakistan, where there were few mental illness resources, and has managed to write a book that is hopeful and supportive. I would like to have seen back matter with resources for readers to get help or learn more. Mo is complicated, mixed race, attends an Islamic center with his cousin.

Lisa Librarian  

Monster Tree by Sarah Allen - ADVISABLE

Monster Tree by Sarah Allen, 258 pages. Farrar Straus Giroux (Macmillan), 2024. $18

Language: G (0 swears, 0 ‘f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (attacks from tree monster, animals brutally killed, kidnapping, peril, danger)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE; MS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: EL - SEVERAL; MS - SOME

Following the death of his father, 11yo Linus and his mother move across town for a fresh start. Almost immediately, Linus becomes fixated on a strange, sinister tree in his neighbor’s backyard. When pets begin to go missing and he finds deep scratch marks on the back of his bedroom door, he knows something is terribly wrong.

Teaming up with his best friend Spencer and a new friend, Abby, Linus sets out to uncover why his neighbor seems to have a vendetta against the town—and how she may be using terrifying tree monsters to carry out her plans. Can the three friends stop her before she goes too far?

We see a young boy trying to process the grief and anger of losing his father. Linus, like his father, is an artist, but since his dad’s death he has struggled to return to his art. He also lives with asthma and color blindness, while Abby wears hearing aids. The three friends are kind, loyal, and supportive of one another. I enjoyed both the story and the writing style. Although the book has some scary moments, it’s an overall strong and satisfying read.

Linus and Abby are white and Spencer is black.

Reviewer: A. Snow, Librarian

Pilgrim Codex by Vivian Mansour, Emmanuel Valtierra, and Carlos Rodrigues Cortez - OPTIONAL

Pilgrim Codex by Vivian Mansour, Emmanuel Valtierra, and Carlos Rodrigues Cortez. Levine Querido, 2025. $19. 9781646145157 

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - OPTIONAL 

APPEALS TO: SOME 

The Vargas family embarks on a dangerous journey from their home across a desert. Aided by their own wits and bravery, and Coyotes to get them past the hardest part - the family is desperate to leave their situation and come to a land where they can dream. 

Told from the perspective of a young boy and written as a nod to the ancient Mesoamerican codex - the illustrations are reminiscent of the art of the Aztec and Mayan people. The initial pages read as though partially in code, like a poetic beginning of an odyssey. I was afraid I wouldn't connect, but soon the story made itself clear, and I joined the family on their journey. Although the size of a child's picture book, the intended audience is more appropriately set at upper elementary. The characters are from Central America or Mexico 

Lisa Librarian 

The Peach Thief by Linda Joan Smith - NO

The Peach Thief by Linda Joan Smith, 356 pages. Candlewick, 2025. $20

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: NOT RECOMMENDED

13yo Scilla wants one of the peaches she can smell behind the earl’s impressive stone fence.  Instead, mistaken for a boy, she is caught and made to work off the cost of her damages by scrubbing massive amounts of clay pots for the head gardener.  After her penance, Scilla, or Seth as she is known, is taken on as a lowly gardener’s apprentice and finds that she really enjoys the work.  She also enjoys the friendship of Phin, another apprentice.

Unfortunately a perfectly pleasant tale is marred by Scilla’s constant mooning over Phin. I got sick and tired of it very quickly but still had to endure more. While I might have recommended this as an optional choice for those that enjoy historical fiction, it is best just to pass on this one. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

The Same Backward as Forward by Jennifer Lynn Barnes - OPTIONAL

The Same Backward as Forward by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, 280 pages. Little Brown, 2026. $21

Language: R (100+ swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: PG-13 (sex implied); Violence: murders and deaths mentioned, man thrown to dogs mentioned

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

20yo Hannah is waiting for the day that her sister Kaylie turns 18 and the two of them can leave their hometown forever. Before that day, however, Tobias Hawthorne and his entourage sweep into town and now Kaylie and the entourage are dead from the fire that also destroyed the Hawthorne island mansion.  Hannah is summoned by her friend Jackson, a hermit fisherman.  Jackson has rescued Tobias and Hannah is determined to nurse him back to health if only to make him live with his guilt the rest of his life. Tobias wakes up with amnesia and only knows what Hannah tells him - which includes a new name. As “Henry” and Hannah spend more time together, they are drawn closer.  But what will happen to their intimacy when “Henry” regains his memories?

Barnes gives as part of the story from Hannah’s point of view and then the reader flips the book over to get the same story, plus more, from Tobias’s point of view.  You should definitely read them in that order. While I am an un-fan of enemies to lovers, I did like the backstory about Henry and about Avery’s mother - and the events leading up to Avery inheriting the Hawthorne fortune.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Tidespeaker by Sadie Turne - NO

Tidespeaker by Sadie Turner, 372 pages. Delacorte (Random House), 2026. $20

Language: G (5 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: G (mild danger)

BUYING ADVISORY: NOT RECOMMENDED

A month ago 18yo Corith’s best friend, Zennia, was given a prestigious position on the coast as the Floodmouth to a wealthy family.  Now Zennia is dead and Corith is headed to take her pace, having barely passed her own examination.  Intrigue abounds on the remote island and Corith’s lfe may hang in the balance.

I am 222 pages into this book and I am absolutely bored! Corith is wishy-washy and weak, having leaned on Zennia her whole life. The supposed intrigues of the book are not interesting and the family members are not either. The only positive thing I can say is - great cover.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Three Weeks in the Rainforest by Jennifer Swanson - ADVISABLE

Three Weeks in the Rainforest by Jennifer Swanson. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Charlesbridge, 2025. $21. 9781623543167

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SOME

Three Weeks in the Rainforest follows the Field Museum's Rapid Inventory 30 team in Columbia as they race to gather data over three short weeks in the field.  Biologists trek through mud and rain, counting every animal and plant they see.  Social scientists visit villages, speaking with people about their goals for the land.  Based on this evidence, the team makes a case of conservation.  So far their teams have helped conserve almost 30 million acres of Amazon rainforest.

Swanson gives us a glimpse into real-life fieldwork in the rainforest.  This is not a detailed book about animals and plants that live in the rainforest. I liked the pictures of the scenery and the animals they were able to capture.

PGPowers