Shackled: A Tale of Wronged Kids, Rogue Judges, and a Town that Looked Away by Candy J Cooper - ADVISABLE

Shackled A Tale of Wronged Kids, Rogue Judges, and a Town that Looked Away by Candy J Cooper, 192 pages. NON-FICTION Astra, 2024. $20 

Language: PG (8 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (reference to sexual assaults and abuse/mistreatment of children) 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS, ADULT - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SOME 

In the early 2000s, 2 corrupt judges in Pennsylvania enriched themselves by sending children to for profit detention centers. Capitalizing on the No Tolerance feelings after Columbine, Judge Mark Ciavarella sent children (as young a 10) to detention for even minor mistakes, like arguing with a teacher, throwing rocks and vandalism. 

A heartbreaking account of the scandal, complete with mob ties, bribery, money laundering and luxury condos. It read like a podcast, and was so shocking, I could hardly believe it was true. Well researched with an extensive author's note and sources. Length and content shows a publisher's recommendation of 14-17, but I would find it more appropriate and interesting for adults. The judges, victims and their families are white.

Lisa Librarian

Manny by Nic Stone - ESSENTIAL

Manny by Nic Stone, 224 pages. Random House, 2025. $20. 

Language: PG13 (94 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: PG13 (Kissing, frat party, public intoxication) Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ESSENTIAL 

APPEALS TO: MANY 

19yo Jared is running for junior class president at his university, running on an antiracism platform. White, and raised by wealthy parents, Jared has had a privileged life, but after the death of his best friend, Manny, Jared has examined his priorities, and is planning to become a civil rights lawyer. But when Dylan, a black transfer student, enters the race for president, Jared must look past how pretty she is, and do his best to win the election, his other opponent is a racist, outspoken white boy whose platform is to take the college back to the 1800s (practically). 

Nic Stone's final installment in the trilogy is moving and introspective. Jared has reappeared from Dear Martin as a bit different, but still with flaws, which I like. A few of the characters, particularly the racist ones, were a bit over the top. I liked the discussions the class had in the Constitutional Law class - Stone does a good job of bringing in different voices. An important trilogy to have in your school library. I loved the author's notes (throughout) and highly recommend reading along with the audiobook. Jared is white, many of his friends are ethnically diverse. 

Lisa Librarian

The Playmakers by Chad Morris and Shelly Brown - ESSENTIAL

The Playmakers by Chad Morris and Shelly Brown, 256 pages. Shadow Mountain Publishing, 2025. $19.

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

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

Jax (12yo) didn’t make the basketball team, Luke (12yo) didn’t make it into the musical, and if Miley (12yo) doesn’t make friends, then her parents will cut her from public school and homeschool Miley with her eye-rolling cousin. These middle schoolers are not friends, but now they each have reasons to need each other—if everyone is willing to be all in.

At first, it’s difficult for these characters to see where they could fit together, and the beauty is that their diverse team is then not confined to any one teammate’s home court. They bring together everyone’s strengths and support each other’s dreams—even when giving support means getting out of their comfort zones. I also love that Miley’s chapters are told through her notes and stick figure doodles.

Most of the characters are implied White, and Luke’s family comes from Estonians that moved to America. Also, there are a couple of characters that are described as Black or as having “dark brown” skin.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett - OPTIONAL

A Drop of Corruption (Shadow of the Leviathan #2) by Robert Jackson Bennett, 480 pages. Del Rey (Penguin Random House), 2025. $30.

Language: R (155 swears, 67 “f”); Mature Content: R; Violence: R

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - NO; ADULT - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

Dinios likes the work he does with Ana as her assistant investigator, but he longs to transfer to be a Legionnaire—like the lover he left behind. Those desires get pushed aside in favor of their newest case, though, a victim who disappeared from a tower room and ended up dead in the canals. Din and Ana are constantly five steps behind this murderer, and it could become the first case they leave unsolved.

The world building still fascinates me in this second installment of the series where readers not only get to see another part of the Empire—or soon-to-be-part of the Empire—but also the place where their augmentations are created. Din and Ana, and the other characters they work with, feel complicated and real, even as they do their work with greater-than-human abilities. They somehow straddle the line between relatable and enigmatic. While I remember Ana being crass in the first book, she becomes more so in this one, partially because of the choices Din makes to cope with his personal life.

Race is discussed, but they are not the same races as the ones in our world. The mature content rating is for drug and alcohol use, crude language, innuendo, nudity, and sex. The violence rating is for corpses, assault, blood and gore, mentions of suicide, and murder.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen