Once Upon a K-Prom by Kat Cho - ESSENTIAL

Once Upon a K-Prom by Kat Cho, 327 pages. Hyperion (Disney), 2022. $19. 9781368064644 

Language: PG (13 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ESSENTIAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Seven years ago Robbie, Elena’s best friend, moved to Korea and out of her life. Now he is a famous K-pop star and back to ask her to prom!? Unhappy with his over the top and social media hunting promposal, 12th grader Elena says no. But Robbie is not willing to give up – and Elena doesn’t really want him to. She may not understand his motivation, may not understand the pressures of life as a star, but she feels that her Robbie is still there. 

K-pop romances are the cutest! Add this one to your stack of must reads. The main characters are all Korean with a variety of minor support characters.

 Cindy Mitchell, Library Teacher, MLS 

The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera - HIGH

The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera, 550 pages. Quill Tree (Harper), 2022. $20. 9780063240803 

Language: R (100+ swears, 50+ ‘f’); Mature Content: R (brief, descriptive sex scene, condoms, dick); Violence: PG (shootings mentioned) 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

Tonight at midnight Death Cast goes online. Orion and his best friend have signed up and will attend the celebration in Times Square. Valentino has just arrived in NYC – finally escaping the emotional abuse of his parents; his sister will join him in the morning. A chance encounter has Valentino also signing up for Death Cast. At Death Cast itself, the callers seem to be ready for their first announcements – but the first call is made by Joaquin, the creator, to - - - Valentino. And mistakes have been made – a few calls were not placed. Valentino and Orion band together for that first last day – and someone doesn’t yet know that they also will die today. 

Silvera weaves together another masterpiece of 24 hours. Just like book #1, you don’t want the main character to die, even though the title already tells the truth. While I appreciate how important Orion and Valentino become to each other – I did not enjoy the sex scene. If I want to read descriptive sex I can find it in any dedicated romance book. 

 Cindy Mitchell, Library Teacher, MLS 

The Ice Swan by J’Nell Ciesielski - OPTIONAL

The Ice Swan by J’Nell Ciesielski, 400 pages. Thomas Nelson, 2021. $17. Narrated by Senn Annis 

Content: G (mild danger) 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

As the Russian Revolution rages, Princess Svetlana, her sister, and her mother flee to Paris for safety. They land, however, in dire straits – existing in the basement of a dank Parisian church with other, common refugees. When Svetlana’s mother extravagance and gambling brings Svetlana to the attention of a Russian gangster, Svetlana agrees to a marriage of convenience to a very handsome Scottish duke – Edwynn MacCallan. Will the two be able to find solace – even love – with each other, or will misunderstandings and evil keep them apart? I was expecting historical fiction, which I kind of did in the historical setting, but mostly I got a slow build-up to a romance (not a descriptive romance book). It was a lot of work for a mild payoff. Should you have a need for a proper romance, though, The Ice Swan is a good call. The audiobook was provided by Libro.fm in exchange for an honest review. 

Cindy Mitchell, Library Teacher, MLS 

The Secret Letters by Margaret Peterson Haddix - ADVISABLE

 The Secret Letters (Mysteries of Trash and Treasure #1) by Margaret Peterson Haddix, 360 pages. Katherine Tegen (Harper), 2022. $17 

Content: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

12 yo Colin is spending his summer helping his mom at her organizing business. When he finds a shoebox of letters, he decides to rescue them. 12yo Nevaeh is also working with a parent this summer – her father, the Junk King. While their parents aren’t friends, Colin and Nevaeh come together to read the letters from the 1970’s and solve the mystery of why two fast friends suddenly stopped speaking to each other. Then Nevaeh also finds a letter – but one that hints at a modern mystery – did Colin’s mother sabotage her father’s business? 

The interplay between the two new friends is a nice echo of the mystery from the 1970’s. I enjoyed watching the modern kids as they tried to juggle their families and perhaps reunite two former friends. While not Haddix’s strongest writing, still satisfying. Nevaeh does continually bring up the differences between women’s choices in the 1970’s and now. The characters default to white. 

 Cindy Mitchell, Library Teacher, MLS 

The Wretched Waterpark by Kiersten White - ADVISABLE

The Wretched Waterpark (Sinister Summer #1) by Kiersten White, 232 pages. Delacorte (Random), 2022. $20 

Content: G (mild danger) 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

Twins Alex and Theo have been left with their older sister Wil at their Aunt Saffronia’s when their parents leave on an extended trip. Distracted and/or down-right strange, their aunt buys them a week’s pass for the local waterpark – Fathoms of Fear. Things at the park are even weirder than at Aunt Saffronia’s. While the gothic motif is pretty awesome, the creepy proprietess, Mrs. Widow, whose husband seems to be missing, is not. And what waterpark doesn’t have churros! While Wil seems to be glued to her phone, Alex and Theo decide that they are going to solve the mystery on their own. 

White has begun what is sure to be an epic summer of mystery for the Sinister-Winterbottom siblings. While the comparisons to Lemony Snickett are inevitable, I see this more as getting younger students ready for White’s books for older readers. 

Cindy Mitchell, Library Teacher, MLS  

On Her Wings: the story of Toni Morrison by Jerdine Nolen and James E. Ransome - OPTIONAL

On Her Wings: the story of Toni Morrison by Jerdine Nolen, illustrated by James E. Ransome. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK BIOGRAPHY. Simon & Schuster, 2022. $19. 9781534478527 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Before she was Toni, she was Chloe – a daughter of a loving family that shared tales and stories of all sorts. Yet it wasn’t until she was 39 that she published her first book – The Bluest Eye. 

Nolen and Ransome bring us the story of Chloe Woffard, who became known as Toni Morrison. Ransome’s illustrations sing, as always. I’m not sure how applicable the book is to elementary readers – although Morrison has a few picture books, the novels are where she really shines. Perhaps a high school or college ELA teacher who is building a collection of author picture books? The whole part about people not being to say “Chloe”, so she accepts “Toni” as a nickname I also found odd. Beautiful end papers and a separate case cover illustration. 

 Cindy Mitchell, Library Teacher, MLS 

The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux - ADVISABLE

The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux, 304 pages. Poisoned Pen Press, 2020. $16.

Language: PG (9 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG13

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

The narrator has gathered the facts and is writing to put forth the true story of the Opera Ghost – who surely was real. Madame Giry knew him as generous. Management knew him as a curse. Christine knew him as the Voice, her Angel of Music. Raoul knew him as a rival.

Originally published in French in 1909, this classic is one that the Horror Writers Association (HWA) wants to keep alive in their horror genre reprints, though reading it didn’t feel like how I imagined a horror would. Leroux includes footnotes throughout the book, and the HWA have added notes in the introduction and after the epilogue to expound on the context of this story and its author. While the text can be difficult to work through at a few points, I enjoyed reading the original story behind the beloved musical.

Christine and her father are Swedish, Daroga is Persian, and Carlotta is Spanish. Raoul, his brother, and all the other characters are French. The mature content rating is for mention of alcohol. The violence rating is for gun use, mentions of hanging and murder, and attempted suicide.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Come, Gentle Night by Stephanie Black - ADVISABLE

Come, Gentle Night (Natalie Marsh #5) by Stephanie Black, 296 pages. Covenant Communications, 2022. $17

Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG-13 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Natalie and Gideon are simply enjoying a fundraising gala for a women’s domestic violence shelter, but, when a cop gets pepper sprayed at the event and two boys get taken as suspects, they somehow get tangled up in the mess. Again. So much for their “this many days since our last entanglement with the police” chart. 

Natalie is a psychologist, and each book in this series is about how she inexplicably gets involved in police dealings, generally homicide cases. Black does a great job of making the mysteries complicated enough to stay engaged while still allowing for clues that point readers in the right direction. I love figuring out what’s going on, and I didn’t put this book down until I had finished 

The majority of characters are implied white. The mature content rating is for mention of alcohol and groping as well as for illegal activity. The violence rating is for mentions of domestic violence and suicide, gun use, assault, and murder. 

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

She’s Gone by David Bell - OPTIONAL

She’s Gone by David Bell, 360 pages. Sourcebooks Fire, 2022. $11.

Language: R (118 swears, 22 “f”); Mature Content: PG13: Violence: PG13

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Hunter (17yo) and Chloe went to the Homecoming dance together, of course. But Chloe hasn’t been seen since. With Chloe’s car crashed into a tree and Hunter’s memory missing due to a concussion, the questions on everyone’s mind are where is Chloe, and is Hunter the one who made her disappear?

I enjoyed the mystery, though there were a few points in the story where I thought something was suspicious before Hunter did. The explanation of everything in the end was mostly satisfactory, and Hunter’s final thoughts to close the book gave it a better ending than the close to the mystery itself. Overall, it was a bit dramatic, but the mystery is solvable for the reader, which makes it more interesting to read.

Hunter and his family and Chloe and her family are implied white. Gabriela is Mexican, and Detective Haley is Black. The mature content rating is for mentions of drugs, alcohol, masturbation, and sexual harassment, as well as for discussions of sex and condoms. The violence rating is for gun use and murder.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Kakashi’s Story: The Sixth Hokage and the Failed Prince by Jun Esaka - ADVISABLE

Kakashi’s Story: The Sixth Hokage and the Failed Prince (Naruto Retsuden #1) by Jun Esaka, 184 pages. VIZ Media, 2022. $11.

Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG13

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

On a mission for the Seventh Hokage, Naruto, Kakashi goes to the land of Redaku. He finds the people suffering from lack of food and water and overhears the prime minister and the queen talking about going to war. In order to get closer to the castle politics, Kakashi pretends to be the prince’s new tutor – the prince whose hero happens to be the Sixth Hokage.

I was surprised to find myself reading an actual novel rather than manga when I picked up this book. While I miss seeing the characters I love, I also enjoyed being closer to the thoughts of those characters, gaining insights that are easier to express through prose. With both old and new characters, this new series has a lot to offer, and I’m excited to see where it goes.

Kakashi is depicted with fair skin on the cover, though skin tones are not discussed in the book. The mature content rating is for alcohol use and vague innuendo. The violence rating is for description of corpses, mention of murder and suicide, child abuse, and weapon use in battle.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

The Okay Witch and the Hungry Shadow by Emma Steinkellner - ADVISABLE

The Okay Witch and the Hungry Shadow (The Okay Witch #2) by Emma Steinkellner, 255 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. Aladdin (Simon & Schuster), 2021. $21.

Language: PG (4 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Moth has had it hard as an 8th grader – it doesn’t help that she accidentally twinned outfits with the dorkiest teacher in school. As she navigates the real world and the hidden realm with her magical family members, Moth wonders if magic can fix all her problems. Sometimes it can. And sometimes magic comes with a price.

Trying to be comfortable with ourselves and not worry about popularity and bullies is one of the most difficult parts of growing up. This message of being okay with being ourselves never gets old because we need the constant reminder: being you is better than being someone else. Steinkellner’s story is simple but powerful, and her expressive illustrations bring it to life.

Moth and her family are depicted as Black. Moth describes her community as primarily white, but there are various skin tones depicted in the illustrations. The violence rating is for bullying.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Diamonds and Deceit by Leila Rasheed - OPTIONAL

Diamonds and Deceit (At Somerton #2) by Leila Rasheed, 420 pages. Hyperion (Buena Vista Books), 2014. $11.

Language: PG (12 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Rose is struggling to navigate life as a lady and overcome her below stairs upbringing, especially on display as she is during her first season. Ada is determined to forget Ravi and uphold her family’s reputation, even as the rest of her siblings are starting to act as if reputation doesn’t matter. But everyone has ulterior motives in high society where a smile to your face is no indication for what goes on behind your back.

Rasheed tells several stories from the points of view of nearly every character – or so it felt in the beginning. Once all the characters were sorted in my mind, the stories moved quickly. In the beginning, every character seems to be out for themselves in their cutthroat world, but they gradually grow to learn that secrets, resentment, and strict social lines are not the most important parts of life. With multiple characters’ stories being told, prepare for both joy and tragedy.

Rose, Ada, Charlotte, Laurence, Alexander, and their families are English. Ravi and Priya are Indian. Celine is French. The mature content rating is for alcohol use, kissing described as “passionate,” and implied sexual assault. The violence rating is for mention of murder (that occurred in the prequel).

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

All He Knew by Helen Frost - ADVISABLE

 All He Knew by Helen Frost, 254 pages. Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers, 2020. $18

Language: G (0 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: PG (abuse, death of children) ; Violence: PG (threats, talk of war, child slapped)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Due to a high fever, Henry has been deaf since the age 4. Economically stressed from both the Great Depression and now the start of World War II, Henry’s family doesn’t have the means to educate a deaf child, so Henry is sent to a state institution for “unteachable” children. Conditions here are terrible, but Henry makes friends and learns to survive. After several years a young man named Victor comes to work at the facility. He can see Henry’s intelligence and doesn’t just stand by to allow conditions to stay the same.

This story is loosely based on actual events in the author’s family’s past. Frost writes a beautiful novel-in-verse of a child who never loses hope, and of the family that continues to love him. The abuse, death, and violence that are part of the plot are handled delicately and without a lot of detail, as seen through the eyes of young Henry, who doesn’t fully understand what’s going on around him. While the setting is dark, Henry’s innocence and spirit never dim. This is a quick yet powerful read that sheds light on actual events from U.S. history, and includes themes of kindness, acceptance, hope, and choosing peace over violence. The characters in this novel are implied to be white.

Tammie H., Librarian 

African Town by Irene Latham and Charles Waters - ESSENTIAL

African Town by Irene Latham and Charles Waters, 438 pages. G.P. Putnam’s Sons (Penguin), 2022. $13

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

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

In 1860, the Clothida was last slave ship to ever land on American soil. Follow the slaves through the horrific events of the Middle Passage, their attempts at creating community and normalcy once arriving despite the inhumanity shown to them, and finally, after the Civil War, their creation of a unique township that still exists today.

The novel in verse format makes an overwhelming and painful topic a bit more digestible. Told through the voices of 14 individual characters, the horrors that occur and the progression of the story are even more personal. Latham and Walters do not pull any punches. Humans are abducted in the middle of the night at knifepoint. A village is massacred and families are separated. Slavers intimidate with “severed heads hanging like ornaments from de soldiers’ belts.” Later, in America, a character alludes to a rape by her traitorous uncle (who sold her and others to the slavers) saying, “He laid on tops of me He did what bad men do.” Still, the story is one of strength, triumph, hope, and community. We are left with a clear understanding of the horror of the time, but also admiration for all those who persevered.

Reviewer: Bridget Rees, MS Librarian, Utah 

The Heart of the Storm by Sharon Mentyka and Ellen Rooney - ADVISABLE

 The Heart of the Storm by Sharon Mentyka, illustrated by Ellen Rooney. NON FICTION PICTURE BOOK BIOGRAPHY. Little Bigfoot (Sasquatch Books), 2022. $19. 9781632172884

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Sue Bird an active fun loving girl who loves to run, jump, and climb all over everything. As she grows she finds that she is naturally gifted at almost any sport she tries. She also discovers a gift that she can see or hear something once and repeat it verbatim. Basketball ends up being her favorite. She is a natural leader on and off the court helping her teammates to stay focused and win. She excels in high school and college basketball and pushes herself to excellence. She achieves her dream and is drafted in the WNBA as well as competing in many Olympic games. This story reminds us that hard things create winners and leaders. I highly recommend this book.

Mentyka writes extremely well. She does a beautiful job of keeping things concise for a picture book and yet give wonderful details to expand on the story. However, the illustrations felt a little off to me. It's like the people were anatomically off just a little bit. The people almost seemed to be floating on the page instead of on the background. As a motivational story, though, it is great for elementary up to high school. I loved reading this charming story.

Emilee-Librarian 

Kingdom of the Feared Kerri Maniscalco - NO

Kingdom of the Feared (Kingdom of the Wicked #3) by Kerri Maniscalco, 401 pages. Little Brown, 2022. $20

Language: R (32 swears, 19 ‘f’); Mature Content: NC-17 (explicit and described sex scenes; Violence: R (Very bloody with a high death count)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - NOT RECOMMENDED

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Reality is turning upside down for 18yo Emilia. Everything she thought she knew is turned on its head with the discovery of each new revelation including that of who she and her twin really are. Exploring the mysteries of curses, identities, and murders, Emilia must work find answers for her questions in not only the Seven Circles and princes that rule them, but more importantly her past.

This book was obscenely steamy and I found myself unable to read a number of parts as they were a little too sexy for me. These scenes were frequent and explicit as well as the occurrence of graphic instances of violence. Aside from that, I love the way Maniscalco fabricates her mysteries, managing to tie up all the loose ends in impressively satisfying ways, including details that seem insignificant throughout the rest of the trilogy. Her characters are brilliantly built and she skillfully manages a plot where everyone seems to play a bit of the villain and nobody all of it.

Sierra Finlinson 

Talk Santa To Me by Linda Urban - OPTIONAL

Talk Santa To Me by Linda Urban, 195 pages. Atheneum Books for Young Readers (Simon), 2022. $13

Language: G (3 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: PG-13 (teens drinking); Violence: G

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

15yo Francie helps her family with their Christmas business and all of the ups and downs that go with it. She’s trying to overcome her horrible, mistaken kiss and outlive the teasing that’s occurred ever since the boy shared the details with his friends. He told everyone it was like kissing a stick. A few people have offered ways to overcome the bad kissing problem and only one person truly helps her, and helps her without judgment, by kissing her and offering sincere and honest critiques. Once that’s over, Francie gains some confidence and is able to go after her crush. 

A cutesy Christmas story! I liked the mixed ethnicities, the cute Christmas setting and the light humor. I didn’t like the length of time it took for the romance parts to appear in the book. I enjoy the service that the Christmas interns give by offering to buy books for a girl who only wants to finish reading Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White, since the copy she had didn’t have the ending; it was missing. That’s her request in the letter she wrote to Santa.

 LynnDell Watson, Delta High School Librarian

Kingdom of the Cursed by Kerri Maniscalco - OPTIONAL

Kingdom of the Cursed (Kingdom of the Wicked #2) by Kerri Maniscalco, 433 pages. Little Brown and Co., 2021. $19

Language: R (23 swears, 6 ‘f’); Mature Content: R (described sex, sex talk); Violence: PG-13 (blood and violence)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Welcome to Hell. As one might expect, deception, lies, and manipulation flow seemingly the lifeblood of the underworld and as she navigates through these unpleasant, although not unexpected, obstacles, Emilia finds herself encountering clue after clue that points her to unforeseen truths. More than just the question of her twin's murderer, she must unravel the mystery of herself. Who is Emilia di Carlo? And when all is said and done, will her strengthening alliance with Wrath impact her duty to her mission?

This novel was leaps and bounds better than the first. The character development as well as worldbuilding was exceptional and time after time I am wildly impressed by Maniscalco's talent at weaving the threads of an intricate mystery. At the core of it, that is truly what this book is and the execution there of was magnificent. However, one must be aware going into this of some of the mature content: there are many sexual encounters with rather explicit descriptions with both our main characters and unnamed characters in select settings. There are also many sexual comments made in conversation.

Sierra Finlinson 

Pretty Dead Queens by Alexa Donne - OPTIONAL

Pretty Dead Queens by Alexa Donne, 336 pages. Random House, 2022. $19

Language: R (100+ swears, 100+ ‘f’); Mature Content: PG-13 (sex mentioned, drug use mentioned; Violence: PG-13 (dead bodies, strangulation mentioned, serial killer murder)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Cecilia’s mom recently passed away and now she is moving into her grandmother’s house. Her grandmother, Maura, happens to be a famous author and lives in a large home with four floors. Maura has brought fame to the town after writing a fictionalized book about the murder of a classmate that occurred during homecoming, when she was in high school. Maura continues to write mysteries and her fandom holds yearly conventions in town. 17yo Cecilia makes friends and ends up on the sidelines of their drama then she finds the body of another homecoming murder victim and it’s eerily similar to the murder all those years ago. She throws herself into trying to discover the killer as a way to distract herself from losing her mother. She ends up in the middle of trouble and has to fight for her life.

The swearing was too much. The main character, Cecilia, is wishy washy with her new friends. She expects them to immediately divulge their secrets to her because she wants to know but she’s completely disregarding their rights to privacy and gets upset if they ask her questions about her life. I was enthralled by the two mysteries, past and present, and wanted Cecilia to expose the twisted actions of the townspeople.

LynnDell Watson, Delta High School

Out Of This World by Sally M. Walker and Mathew Trueman - ADVISABLE

 Out Of This World by Sally M. Walker, illustrated by Matthew Trueman. PICTURE BOOK/NON FICTION. Candlewick Press, 2022. $19. 9781536203561

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Galileo ponders space. The Hubble telescope photographs deep space. A minuscule speck grows into the universe. Galaxies, nebulas, planets and flaming stars are born. Space fuels our curiosity. Astronauts land on the moon and scientists search for life on Mars. There are many wonders in the heavens such as comets, shooting stars, and eclipses.

Out Of This World is a delightful sensory experience. It is a wonderful union of art and science. The illustrations are fascinating and luminously beautiful. The Haiku's are fun and instructive adding another layer of beauty to the book. The illustrations will speak to a younger audience while the haikus are enjoyable to an older audience.

PGPowers