Ollie In Between by Jess Callans - ADVISABLE

Ollie In Between by Jess Callans, 256 pages. Feiwel & Friends (Macmillan), 2025. $19. 

Language: PG (4 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: PG-13 (lots of maturation talk, Ollie's period is a big part of the plot, reference to boobs, nipples etc.); Violence: G; 

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SOME 

12yo Ollie does not want to become a woman. She's not afraid of growing up, she's just certain that she's not a girl. But she also doesn't think she's a boy. Ollie is somewhere in between. But this is the age where everything starts happening to your body. The boys won't let her play hockey with them anymore because she's too much of a girl, and her girl friends are embarrassed by her for acting too much like a boy. But when she's invited to join the LGBTQIA book club, she finds a group of friends who understand what she's going through. 

A well-written coming of age story, it's got all the stuff - Ollie's mother has passed away, and sister moved in with her boyfriend, so no one really expects dad to help her navigate puberty, which, because she is questioning her gender, makes this whole thing terrifying and extra awkward. She's seeing the trouble Stella, a trans girl in her book group, is having with parents objecting to which bathroom she uses and feels both fear for herself and guilt for not standing up better for her new friend. A good window or mirror if your library needs more LGBT titles, particularly with a non-binary main character. Ollie is Persian and White and non-binary 

Lisa Librarian 

Unforgotten by Jessica Brody - OPTIONAL

Unforgotten (Unremembered #2) by Jessica Brody, 399 pages. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2014. $18.

Language: PG (2 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13 (implied alcohol use, illegal activity, kissing, and nudity); Violence: PG13 (assault, torture, blood and gore, and mentions of suicide and murder)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Having narrowly escaped the clutches of Diotech, Sera (16yo) and Zen (18yo) are living the lives they dreamed of by traveling back in time to 1609. Zen is a natural at fitting in, but Sera sees suspicion in the eyes of those around them who can sense that she’s different. In 2013, Sera was called a miracle; in 1609, she’s called a witch.

The progression of the story was logical without being overly predictable, and it continued to be fast-paced. Brody introduced a host of problems as Sera learned more about the transession gene and Diotech—and the consequences of letting both continue unrestricted. With everything going wrong for Sera at the end of this book, it will be interesting to see what kind of solutions Brody comes up with in the next book. Sera and Zen are implied White.

Reviewer: Carolina Johnson

The Escape Game by Marissa Meyer and Tamara Moss - OPTIONAL

The Escape Game by Marissa Meyer and Tamara Moss, 403 pages. Putnam (Penguin), 2026. $23.

Language: R (98  swears,  8 ‘f’); Mature Content: PG-13 (affairs mentioned, light kiss); Violence: PG-13 (cow heart in fridge, body in coffin, fighting with sword, gun shot)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

17yo Carter is excited and is dreading her time on the Escape Game,  popular escape room game show; her online persona is much more confident than the IRL Carter ever has been. Disaster though - one of her team members is Sierra Angelos, the sister of Alicia Angelos who was murdered during the last season - and Sierra is still the prime suspect. Sierra is determined to hunt down the true killer and someone else on the show, calling themselves The Real Gamemaster, also seems determined to expose the killer. But the killer is determined to keep the truth from being revealed.

The descriptions and inner workings of the escape games were more fun than I first thought they might be - the authors did a great job of detailing the rooms and giving clues that the reader could also use to solve the puzzles if desired. They also We kept the mystery tight and interesting - not easy to solve, but also a bit of a surprise for the reader.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

The Danger Files: Real Life Disasters by Anna Crowley Redding, illustrated by Robbie Cathro - ADVISAB:E

The Danger Files: Real Life Disasters by Anna Crowley Redding, illustrated by Robbie Cathro, 198 pages. NON-FICTION Candlewick, 2025. $18 

BUYING ADVISORY EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

Readers can follow five major disasters from the Great Chicago Fire to the Hindenburg. As they do so, they will find eye-witness accounts, clues and facts, and experiments to conduct. 

This is a great way to get five major disasters in a succinct and interesting way. The illustrations make it accessible for young readers, and the experiments look like a lot of fun. The clues and facts are set off in gray tones with graphic art, making the format easy to follow and inviting. This is a quick read that will keep you engaged. 

Michelle in the Middle

Love at Full Tilt by Jenny L. Howe - OPTIONAL

Love at Full Tilt by Jenny L. Howe, 369 pages. Delacorte (Random), 2025. $13 (pb)

Language: R (72 swears, 1 ‘f’); Mature Content: PG-13 (kissing, mentions of sex and of lost virginity; stranger grabs her butt); Violence: PG (zombie walkthrough attraction)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

18yo Lia has landed her dream trip to Fableland as a participant in their 50th anniversary scavenger hunt. Her two best friends are along, but they are there for the park, not for the hunt, so rearrangements have to be made. Lia meets Mason, who is pretty dreamy and also in the contest, but has a hard time believing he is into her, as Lia is a plus-sized girl. As the game goes on, their chemistry seems to be getting hotter - can she trust Mason with the game and with her heart?

Howe does a great job of writing Lia as a big girl, but not letting her being big be the only “interesting” thing about her. And Fableland doesn’t feel like a Disney ripoff, either; I wanted to understand Fableland so that I could figure out the clues too. 

Characters cue white; Lia’s best friends are LGBT.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Murray the Pirate (Murray and Bun! #3) by Adam Stower - ADVISABLE

Murray the Pirate (Murray and Bun! #3) by Adam Stower, 192 pages, Random House, 2025. $17 

Language: G (0 "F"); Mature Content: G; Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: MANY 

Murray and Bun go through a magical cat flap and find themselves in a band of pirates, thanks to the wizard's magic gone awry. The pirates are sad that no one likes them, and they aren't particularly fond of pirating. In an effort to make things right, they are off on a dangerous quest to find treasure. 

Murray and Bun are fun characters, and the drawings are delightful. I like that the pirates want to be nice. Nice themes of change and redemption. Great book for young readers. Murray is a cat and Bun is a rabbit. 

Michelle in the Middle 

Hail Mariam by Huda Al-Marashi - OPTIONAL

Hail Mariam by Huda Al-Marashi, 188 pages. Kokila (Penguin), 2026. $18. 

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

Mariam is not excited to be starting at a new middle school - a Catholic middle school!  She, a Muslim, is going to a Catholic school!  Full of depictions of Jesus! And her only skill is doing what she thinks the teacher wants her to, so she doesn’t have anything to talk to the other girls about. Slowly she tries to find a place for herself and a couple of friends.  But the Christmas Nativity production is coming up.

Mariam is as judgmental of her family as she thinks other people are of her.  She is sure that she is smarter than every adult around her and her attitude was quite grating. For a sixth grader she is quite self-assured and secretive - about a year ahead of when that behavior really starts happening. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Poisoned by Jennifer Donnelly - ADVISABLE

Poisoned by Jennifer Donnelly, 303 pages. Scholastic Press (Scholastic Inc), 2020. $13.

Language: PG13 (17 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13 (alcohol use, scary elements, kissing, and innuendo); Violence: PG13 (animal cruelty, assault, corpses, fantasy violence, blood and gore, suicide, and murder)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Princess Sophia (16yo) is not strong enough to be a ruler— she’s too soft, too trusting, too compassionate. If Sophia receives the crown, everything her stepmother, the queen, has built will fall, so the queen tells her huntsman to kill the princess and bring back her heart. And thus begins the princess’s quest to reclaim her heart.

The narrator of the story breaks the fourth wall and switches randomly through first, second, and third person perspectives. Some of the chapters feel only loosely connected to the story, and I can’t tell if the epilogue is meant to lead to a sequel or not. And yet, with all those technical issues, I liked the story itself. Donnelly sometimes gets more caught up in painting pictures of the mood more than in explaining what’s going on, like adding a dash of poetry to the book. I love her spin on Snow White and the connections she makes between fear, love, pain, courage, and heart.

Reviewer: Carolina Johnson

Every Reason to Stay by Lane Clarke - OPTIONAL

Every Reason to Stay by Lane Clarke, 305 pages. JULY 2026. $20.

Language: R (78 swears, 7  ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: G

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO:SEVERAL

For 16 years, Skylar and her rock star dad have been best friends together - until the day Dad dies. Then, Skylar finds herself not only grieving losing her father, but she has been whisked away from Austin, Texas to Washington, D.C. to live with the mother, Mona, who Sky thought was dead. And with Mona’s wife and their young son. As Sky tries to come to grips with her new life, she finds a diary written by Mona in the months before Sky was born. 

Clarke thankfully did not give as an evil mother/stepmother here - the book is about Sky processing her grief and learning that hearing someone else's story can go a long way to building bridges. While some may feel everything worked out too easily, I did enjoy the soothing story and the bit of romance.  The only thing I did not like was a bit of magical realism - or schizophrenia - you decide which it is when you find the twist. Almost every character is LGBT of some sort.

Skylar and her family are Black.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Cope Field by T.L. Simpson - OPTIONAL

Cope Field by T.L. Simpson, 272 pages. Flux 2025 $15.00 

Language: R (200+ swears 19 'f'); Mature Content: PG (some kissing); Violence: R (physical abuse, murder (described), injuries detailed) 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

17yo Crawford is the star pitcher of his high school baseball team in Arkansas. Of course he is! His dad pitched for the Royals! But Craw is in trouble, he has anger management problems - brought on by abuse, and he has hit his dad in the head with a bat. Any other kid would have gone to juvie, but Craw's dad knows lawyers and the sheriff and the judge, so they were lenient. Craw has been sentenced to 300 hours of community service. This is where he meets Hannah, also serving community service. Craw has a lot going on at home, and a lot of secrets he's been keeping his whole life. Hannah likes to talk, she'd love to help Craw by getting him to talk too. 

Right from the beginning, I was into the story and on Craw's side. What would make a kid hit his father in the head with a bat, and why would the judge act like it was no big deal? Good sports action and a sweet love story. Lots of swears, there is violence against children but is mostly off page (the worst of it), except for a cold-blooded murder that is described. Worth addng to the Sports Fiction - baseball boys will love this. The characters default white. 

Lisa Librarian  

The Moss by Lisa Lueddecke - OPTIONAL

The Moss by Lisa Lueddecke, 304 pages. Simon & Schuster, 2025. $21

Language:  PG-13 (26 swears, 0 ‘f'); Mature Content: PG (Grief); Violence: PG-13 (Murder, attempted murder)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

After her mother and sister Eve went missing, Emma moved to California for a year. Now, 17yo Emma returns home where she and her father try to work through their grief. But that is difficult when the town suspects that her father had something to do with the disappearances. Their house is also located right next to the Moss, a bog where they suspect Eve and her mother disappeared. Emma can see ghosts, including The Sedge Man. Before she disappeared, Eve left a note warning Emma to stay away from the Sedge Man and the Moss, but the Moss is where Emma feels she can find answers. And the Moss keeps calling her in. 

I found the pacing slow with some of the horror elements becoming repetitious. Secondary characters including potential love interest Jordan and Emma's father are static characters who don’t see much development. For a gothic horror novel, it doesn’t offer much new in the genre. However,  it could act as an introduction into the genre for students, and it has a good representation of grief and a thoughtful depiction of the relationship between Emma and her father.

Main characters read white. 

Ms. Megan, High School Librarian

Extraordinary Quests for Amateur Witches by Kayla Cottingham - OPTIONAL

Extraordinary Quests for Amateur Witches by Kayla Cottingham, 416 pages. Random House Children's Books (Penguin Random House), 2025. $20.

Language: R (49 swears, 12 “f”); Mature Content: PG-13 (repeated underage drinking, repeated kissing on page, and a couple of sexual innuendos); Violence: R (repeated bloody, graphic (fantasy & human) violence, with the on-page death of a dozen mercenaries)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: MANY

In order to complete his magical training and undo an accidental/illegal curse on his ex, Kieran takes on an impossible quest to find a magical cure-all. In true Hero’s Journey fashion, he encounters three trials, each more dangerous than the last. Along the way, he picks up a familiar and maybe a new love interest. Will Kieran find the cure or be doomed to failure and a life without magic?

In general, I enjoyed reading this book. It is the second in the series, the first being Practical Rules for Cursed Witches, so there I experienced some confusion trying to get into the novel initially, but I eventually got caught up in the story. There were some things that I thought were odd. It couldn’t figure out what kind of fantasy it wanted to be. There were parts that were steampunk, there were parts that were contemporary modern day, and obviously parts were magical. In general, it was a textbook example of the hero’s journey, albeit with some incongruencies that kind of took me out of the story. I think high school students will love the action & adventure, along with the sweet queer romance at the heart of the story.

Diversity note: all the main characters are white and LGBTQIA.

Reviewer: Kiera Beddes, ELA teacher #bookswithbeddes 

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

Legendary Frybread Drive-In: Intertribal Stories by Cynthia Leitich Smith et.al. - ADVISABLE

Legendary Frybread Drive-In: Intertribal Stories by Cynthia Leitich Smith et.al. 352 pages. SHORT STORY COLLECTION HarperCollins, 2025. $20.

Language: PG13 (18 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: PG (a couple of kisses, not passionate, mention of hooking up); Violence: G

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

Sandy June's Legendary Frybread Drive-In is a magical place - popping up all over, just when an indigenous teen needs to taste perfect rez food, get advice from the Legendary Elders and Grandparents, or just needs a safe place that feels like home. Stories include friend drama, dating, parent trouble, problems with home, school, life - the stories run the gamut. 

17 different indigenous authors, including Angeline Boulley, Kate Hart, Christine Hartman Derr, Darcie Little Badger, and Cynthia Leitich Smith have contributed to this collection. Some of the stories are interconnected, and it's well edited. Although each story has a unique author, the feel and purpose of the drive-in stay the same. While the intended audience is indigenous kids, the stories are universal. I was thoroughly engaged, and sad to get to the end. The characters are a mix of intertribal teenagers. 

Lisa Librarian

The Cost of Secrets by Tyson Abaroa - OPTIONAL

The Cost of Secrets by Tyson Abaroa, 213 pages. Covenant Communications, 2021. $12.

Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13 (alcohol use, illegal activity, and mentions of drugs, prostitution, and trafficking); Violence: PG13 (corpses, mentions of gangs and terrorism, assault, gun use, and murder)

BUYING ADVISORY: ADULTS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

Myths and legends help keep some of Ramon’s family’s secrets, but he could do without adding more secrets to his cache. Unfortunately, his mother doesn’t care, and she stops by to drop a dead body at his house and leave. Again. Ramon (38yo) calls his detective friend for help, but this one incident is about to stir up a lot more than Ramon wants to cover up. Again.

For more than half the book, everything felt too vague. It was as if I had started in the middle of a series rather than at the beginning of the story. Advertised as a suspense novel, I assume that was the vibe Abaroa was going for, but I felt more out-of-the-loop than in-suspense. Despite having as many questions at the end as I had at the beginning, I enjoyed the reading well enough, though I’m not going to chase down the sequel. Ramon is half Native American.

Reviewer: Carolina Johnson

From Memen to Mori by Shinsuke Yoshitake - ADVISABLE

From Memen to Mori by Shinsuke Yoshitake, 136 pages. CHAPTER BOOK Yen Press, 2025. $20. 9798855417401 

Content: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

Mori's older sister Memen talks to him about some really important things. When he accidentally breaks a plate, she talks about doing good things in your life and making choices because you can. When they build a snowman, Mori hears a story about a dirty snowman who wishes to be a photographer. And finally, Mori learns about perspective when they watch a boring movie. 

Memen to Mori is a sweet story. I loved the life lessons - Memen is wise. The page count reflects a longer book than it is - it's a large-format book with fun pictures and not a lot of text. I can see a new reader quickly able to read this on their own. I also loved the simple illustrations. I hope the readers try to draw the characters themselves. Originally published in Japan, the assumption is that the characters are Japanese, but there is nothing cultural or stated that says so. 

Lisa Librarian 

A Deal with a Debutante by Chelsea Bobulski - OPTIONAL

A Deal with a Debutante (London’s Most Eligible #1) by Chelsea Bobulski, 304 pages. Haven (Baker Publishing Group), 2026. $19.

Language: PG (7 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13 (alcohol use, kissing, innuendo, and mentions of prostitutes); Violence: PG (mentions of guns and brief discussion of violent historical events)

BUYING ADVISORY: ADULTS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SOME

American heiress Calliope is only in England because her mother wants her to marry a titled gentleman. Edward is titled and, like many of his generation, his estate is in desperate need of an influx of money—and the quickest fix would come from marrying an heiress. But Calliope doesn’t care about a title, so Edward must make her care about his land or, possibly, his heart.

While the book starts with the main characters meeting on the wrong foot and, of course, includes some miscommunication issues, the real conflict is internal. Calliope must decide whether she wants to take a risk to give up the life she had expected to have or continue to fight to go home. It was interesting to read because there is not a right or wrong answer to this choice, making her confusion that much more relatable. The majority of characters, including Edward, are English, and Calliope and her family are American.

Reviewer: Carolina Johnson 

Angry Girls Will Get Us Through by Rebecca Traister - ADVISABLE

Angry Girls Will Get Us Through by Rebecca Traister, 240 pages. NON-FICTION. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (Simon & Schuster), 2026. $18.

Language: PG-13 (15 swears); Mature Content: PG (historical references to sexual abuse of enslaved peoples, rape, and abortion); Violence: PG-13(historical references to the genocide of American Indians, the enslavement of African peoples, and the domestic violence, one graphic description of Emmett Till’s mutilated body)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS – ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW

In her first book for young adults, Traister draws on material from her other books for adults (Good and Mad, All the Single Ladies and Big Girls Don’t Cry), as well as her magazine articles, to illustrate how historic and revolutionary change has always depended on women’s anger. Rage at injustice is deeply patriotic, and it is not only for wealthy white men. Traister takes the reader on a quick journey of women’s fury throughout American History from the colonial period to the election of 2016, and beyond.

This is the feminist history lesson I wish I’d had sooner! I think Traister does a good job of providing context without getting too bogged down by the details, thus keeping the reader engaged. I loved how the author traces the cyclical patterns of progress and backlash, ultimately helping readers find a constructive place for their own rage regarding current events. If I were still teaching, I would definitely consider using this as a mentor text for literary criticism. That being said, I think it will appeal to adults more than kids, but could be perfect for the right young adult reader. 

Kiera Beddes, ELA teacher, #bookswithbeddes 

Staged Evidence by Traci Hunter Abramson - ADVISABLE

Staged Evidence (Pen and Dagger #2) by Traci Hunter Abramson, 304 pages. Shadow Mountain Publishing, 2026. $28.

Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG (kissing and illegal activity); Violence: PG13 (assault, gun use, blood and gore, mentions of bombs, and murder)

BUYING ADVISORY: ADULTS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL

Just running a late-night errand for her boss, Tessa (25yo) doesn’t expect to end up finding a murdered woman and fleeing from the scene. Parker (28yo) gets inspiration for his new mystery play from the woman who shows up on his uncle’s doorstep in the middle of the night. And Detective Murray is determined to apprehend Tessa quickly to clear away all the negative publicity from his last case.

With the first book being about Tessa’s sister and love interest, I expected this sequel to focus on Tessa and Parker in the same way, but Kimber and Brandon have large roles to play in this second book. I enjoyed being part of the action on all sides as the points of view switched between the sisters, those trying to help prove Tessa’s innocence, and those trying to prove Tessa’s guilt. Nothing about the case is straightforward, which puts readers right where they want to be, searching through the clues with everyone else before it’s too late.

Reviewer: Carolina Johnson

You and Me on Repeat by Mary Shyne - OPTIONAL

You and Me on Repeat by Mary Shyne, 224 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL Henry Holt (Macmillan), 2025. $18 

Language: R (35 swears 9 'f'); Mature Content: PG13 (Illustration of girls intimately touching, kissing) Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL 

APPEALS TO: SOME 

High school senior Chris is reliving his graduation day every day - he can't get past it, he's caught in a time loop. Good thing, too, because he hasn't yet kissed his girlfriend and now he has the ability to keep trying new things to achieve his goal - but to no avail. Then he realizes Alicia, a girl he has history with - they used to be friends - is also caught in the same time loop, in fact it's her fault he's there. 

I liked the story, discovering along with Chris - and also Alicia - what their truths were and what needed to be resolved. Interesting use of the color palate which I have only figured out some rationale for - (the past is blue) - it begs a re-read if only for that. Alicia is Mexican, Chris is white. 

Lisa Librarian

Three Blue Hearts by Lynne Kelly - ADVISABLE

Three Blue Hearts by Lynne Kelly, 282 pages. Delacorte (Random), 2025. $18 

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

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

12yo Max is hoping for a fresh start. His politician dad has high hopes for him, that Max can't seem to measure up to. During his summer stay at a Texas beach town, Max discovers an injured octopus washed up on the shore. With the help of some local kids he becomes friends with, he rescues it and names her Ursula. As he bonds with Ursula at the rescue center, he thinks he may finally be in the right place at the right time. He also realizes he is not the only one with problems. 

Well written, Max captures the angst of finding yourself and the things that are important to you. There are themes of friendship, loss, and community. You will want to go to a small beach town where everyone pulls together and has history. There were also some great octopus facts. I had no idea how smart they are. Nice read, especially if you like animals. Has environmental themes without hitting you over the head with it. The characters default white. 

Michelle in the Middle