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