Trans History: From Ancient Times to the Present Day by Alex Combs & Andrew Eakett - OPTIONAL

Trans History: From Ancient Times to the Present Day by Alex Combs & Andrew Eakett, 384 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. Candlewick Press, 2025. $25.

Language: R (2 swears, 6 ‘f’); Mature Content: PG-13 (repeated objective references to sexual anatomy, repeated references to sex work & sexual abuse, repeated references to different types of body modifications throughout history, one trans man portrayed without a shirt); Violence: PG-13 (repeated references to physical violence & abuse towards trans people throughout history, but nothing graphic or on-page, and two specific references to suicide of a trans person).

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SOME

Trans History is a graphic nonfiction book that offers an engaging and deeply researched introduction to trans history, spanning from ancient times to the present. The five chapters of the book highlights stories, historical profiles, and conversations with modern activists, to explore the diversity of trans experiences and tracks the evolution of the concepts of gender and sexuality across cultures and eras.

As someone who has studied and taught world history, I found this text incredibly helpful for illustrating how history is shaped and how voices are often excluded from the historical record based on past and present cultural norms and values. Even though I have read a lot of LGBTQIA+ literature, there is still so much that I didn’t know about the trans experience. I felt like this book taught me a lot and gave me more to think about every time I stepped away from it. It is not a “how-to become trans” book, merely a well-researched and easily digestible history of trans people. I don’t see it as something that will be widely circulated, but for those that need it, it will be incredibly valuable.

Reviewer: Kiera Beddes, ELA teacher, #bookswithbeddes

Love on Paper by Danielle Parker - OPTIONAL

Love on Paper by Danielle Parker, 320 pages. Penguin, 2025. $20

Language: R (56 swears, 11 ’f'); Mature Content: PG-13 (References to underage drug and alcohol use; 23 mentions of kissing); Violence: G

BUYING ADVISORY: HS, ADULT - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

17yo Macy wants to be a writer--well, maybe. But her own kind of writer, not the same as her famous novelist mom or picture book author dad. Even though her mom might have pulled some strings to get her in, Macy is determined to find her voice at Berkeley’s prestigious Penovation writing retreat. This summer’s focus: Romance. While searching for inspiration, Macy finds a few other things: the swoon-worthy son of her family’s enemies and a tantalizing mystery left behind by a famous romance writer. As the story progresses, Macy and boyfrienemy Caleb try to figure out their feelings in the face of their families’ ancient grudge and their own complicated relationships with their parents. Everyone at the retreat, Macy and Caleb included, is trying to write a story to win a spot in a published anthology. And when introspection, budding love, and writing sprints fail to inspire, the clues leading to Betty Quinn’s unfinished manuscript are the perfect distraction. This is a lot of ground to cover in four weeks--but of course, Macy is about to discover that all of these paths are connected.

This was a fun, sweet, swoon-worthy read, but the characters still had complexity and depth. The writing was engaging and full of current lingo and pop culture references, and the story had a satisfying ending. While I wish the language were cleaner, the profanity use felt natural and was used with humor.

Main character Macy is mixed race Black and Korean, love interest Caleb is Black, and roommate Fern is nonbinary and Latinx.

Lindsay Blowers, ELA Teacher

The Extraordinary Disappointments of Leopold Berry (Sunderworld #1) by Ransom Riggs - OPTIONAL

The Extraordinary Disappointments of Leopold Berry (Sunderworld #1) by Ransom Riggs, 336 pages. Dutton BYR (Penguin), 2024. $12

Language: R (100+ swears, 15+ f'); Mature Content: PG-13 (brief underage drinking); Violence: PG (Fantasy violence)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS, ADULT - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Since his mom died, 17yo Larry’s life hasn’t been easy. He’s nothing but a disappointment to his motivational-speaker father--”average in every way”--and he keeps having “episodes” where he sees things from his favorite childhood TV series about a fantasy land called Sunderworld. The only one who kind of gets Larry is his best friend, Emmett--but they’re seniors in high school now, and while Emmett has become popular and well-adjusted, Larry has... not. Finally Larry can no longer ignore the visions, and it turns out Sunderland was real all along. He and Emmett find a way in together, and they realize Sunderland is in trouble. Their efforts to help, however, cause more harm than good, leaving Emmett with a damaged memory. Eventually, Larry forces his way back into Sunderworld and, with a little help from a girl named Isabel and her hippie-genius uncle, makes a plan to help Emmett get back to normal. Of course, larger forces are at work, including the plans laid in place by Leopold’s late mother, who knew a lot more about Sunderland than Leopold ever guessed.

Fans of Ransom Riggs and gritty fantasy will enjoy this book if they are prepared for a more mature read. It was a fun page-turner with a well-developed fantasy world, but it's for a more mature audience than Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children--the main characters are 17 and sweary. There are some cheesy tropes, but they're mostly tongue-in-cheek--Riggs knows what he's doing.

Larry reads white, Emmett is Black, and love interest Isabel is Latinx.

Lindsay Blowers, ELA Teacher

The No-Girlfriend Rule by Christen Randall - OPTIONAL

The No-Girlfriend Rule by Christen Randall, 324 pages. Atheneum (Simon), 2024. $20

Language: R (85 swears,  1 ‘f');  Mature Content: PG (some kissing); Violence: G

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

17yo Hollis is just starting her senior year. She knows that there are a lot of changes on the horizon, but she does not want her boyfriend Chris to be one of those changes. She would like to be able to connect more by playing the RPG Secrets and Sorcery with him, but his friends have a no-girlfriend rule. So Hollis finds her own game to play with a group of all girls. She is nervous about stepping outside of her comfort zone. However, the group is welcoming, and she is able to keep her anxiety in check. Over time, the girls become close friends. But when a crush begins to develop between Hollis and one of the other girls, Hollis is confused, unsure, and maybe a little excited. Is this a change that she would be willing to accept?

I enjoyed this coming-of-age book, with a message about having a good friend group that supports and encourages you to be yourself. Hollis found that with her new friends, there was a place for her, and she was a valued part of the group. This support helped Hollis find the confidence she needed to gain self-acceptance and start doing things for herself. The slowly developed love story between Hollis and Aini is gently handled. Hollis struggles with both her weight and anxiety, and both are addressed inclusively. The book dragged at times and ran a little long.

Hollis is white; her friends are a variety of races.

Reviewer: A. Snow, Librarian

This Close to Home by Beth Turley - ADVISABLE

This Close to Home by Beth Turley, 212 pages. Simon & Schuster BYR, 2023. $18

Language: G (0 swears, 0 ‘f'); Mature Content: G (one brief kiss); Violence: G

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

12yo Brooke and her family are struggling to move forward following the accidental death of their mother. They are each working through their grief in different ways. The dad is working a lot. Brooke's older sister Calla (17) is busy with multiple clubs and school work and trying to fill in the gaps at home by cooking, cleaning, and shopping. Brooke is distracted. She is making mistakes in her favorite sport, softball, and is forgetting to do her homework. Then Brooke comes up with a plan to help everyone. With the help of her best friend Derek (whom she is also starting to have romantic feelings towards) and her new friend Marley, they decide to bring back the annual town picnic, Lakefest, something her mother used to put on every year. Brooke is certain that Lakefest will bring joy back to her family, help them heal, and make new memories. Can she and her friends pull it off in less than two weeks?

I enjoyed this sweet story of a girl trying to work through her grief and help her family to heal. She is not perfect; she procrastinates. She tries to be perfect at softball but ends up making mistakes instead. But in the end, she finds ways to honor the memory of her mother while still moving forward with her family. She also learns that people are not who they appear to be on the surface, once you get to know them.

Brooke and her family present white. Derek is Hispanic.

Reviewer: A. Snow, Librarian

Sky's End by Marc J. Gregson - OPTIONAL

Sky's End (Above the Black #1) by Marc J. Gregson, 416 pages. Candlewick, 2024 $19.00 

Language: R (193 swears, 0 'f'); Mature Content: PG13 (Innuendo, insults); Violence: R (Physical violence, fights to the death, murder, attempted murder, monster violence, monster hunting, lots of gore, many injuries) 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL 

APPEALS TO: SOME 

16yo Conrad spent his childhood in luxury. His father was the Archduke. But when his Uncle takes the throne, and exiles Conrad and his mother to the Low, Conrad spends his early teens fighting for his life, and trying to earn enough money for his mother's medicine. At 16 he joins the Selection, and is accepted as a Hunter; Sky warriors who fight giant steel armored monsters called gorgantauns. But when Pound, his archenemy is put on the same ship, and Conrad find himself in the worst job possible - the Scabbie - he is desperate to rise to the position of Captain, and maybe win the chance of commanding his own airship. 

I gotta say - I had a hard time enjoying Sky's End. The Riches to Rags to Riches plot wasn't helped by Conrad's sullen and "trust no one" and "I can do this all myself" attitude. I don't love books where children kill each other and there is a lot of this - everyone is taught to fight, there are some senseless killings and the gore is a lot. Conrad gets beat up by Pound just before an important duel and fights with broken ribs. There are no adults directly supervising these kids. 16 is too young to be sent into the skies on a death mission to hunt monsters. An optional read, certainly because of the violence and swears, and the last 100 pages would have been better as the first 100 pages of the next book. The characters are humans. 

Lisa Librarian 

The Bard and the Book by Ann Bausum, illustrated by Marta Sevilla - ADVISABLE

The Bard and the Book: How the First Folio Saved the Plays of William Shakespeare From Oblivion by Ann Bausum, illustrated by Marta Sevilla, 103 pages. NON-FICTION Peachtree, 2024. $20.

Content: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SOME 

Shakespeare didn't publish his plays - that wasn't a thing in the 1600's, yet. But after his death, various printings of his works appeared - some better than others. Then, the First Folio was published. A carefully curated and researched collection of his plays. 

Not what I expected but so much better! There's some brief biography of William Shakespeare, but this book is about everything that went into the publication of the folio, including the source gathering, the research and the actual printing - down to the type setting even. I learned so many things I never knew. 

Larger type on the pages and great illustrations make this non-fiction very accessible. I'm showing my copies to my ELA teachers as well as my drama teacher. I'm sure I enjoyed it more than the average middle schooler, but the right kid picking it up will find it a fun read. 

Lisa Librarian

Escape From the USS Indianapolis by Andy Marino - ESSENTIAL

Escape From the USS Indianapolis by Andy Marino, 192 pages. Scholastic, SEPTEMBER 2025. $9 (pb)

Language: G (0 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG-13 (many deaths mentioned, some described shark attack deaths)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

12yo Albie was supposed to wait in Guam for his older brother Joe to return from his tour on the USS Indianapolis during World War II.  Instead, Albie sneaks aboard and is discovered just before a Japanese submarine splits two holes in their side - sending the ship to the depths.  Now Albie and Joe are clinging to a potato crate - hoping they can still survive this nightmare. 

Marino dumps us right into the middle of the Pacific Ocean near the Japanese battleground. THen he dumps into the water to battle dehydration madness, and multiple, persistent shark attacks, among other dangers. You will barely have time to breathe before the next danger arrives.  All of it is very plausible - you can tell Marino was careful with his research and found the right experts to guide on the historical events. And I like these because they are just a little longer than the I Survived series.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Secret Stories of Lost Beasts by Sashia Gwinn and Vasilisa Romanenko - ADVISABLE

Secret Stories of Lost Beasts: A Field Guide to Uncover Earth's Ancient Animals by Sashia Gwinn, illustrated by Vasilisa Romanenko. 63 pages. NON-FICTION CHAPTER BOOK. Wide Eyed Editions  (Quarto Group), 2025. $25. 9780711296978

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: MANY

Secret lives and amazing adaptations of past creatures are revealed in this beautifully illustrated collection of long gone beasts.  Lost in time, but not forgotten are stories about dinosaurs, sea beasts, giant bugs, birds, and ice age mammals.  It also touches on animals once thought to be extinct that have been rediscovered, and how to help protect creatures that are critically endangered.

Secret Stories of Lost Beasts is fascinating, and I really enjoyed the gorgeously detailed, vintage-style artwork.

PGPowers

Standoff by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch - ESSENTIAL

Standoff (Kidnapped from Ukraine #2) by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch, 288 pages. OCTOBER 2025. $26

Language: G (0 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG-13 (single and mass war deaths, some described, mentions people forced to strip)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

When Russia starts the war with Ukraine by bombing the major cities, 12yo Rada and her Dad are separated from Rada’s twin Dariia and their Mom. While Rada and Dad make it to the safety of the Azovstal steel plant, Rada huddles in a bunker while Dad is off fighting for Ukraine’s freedom.  As bombing continues for months, life in the bunker goes from desperate to dire.  Rada has formed a family of sorts, but she won’t find happiness until she can find Dariia and Mom and a new life.

Skrypuch brings us the other side of a family caught in Russia’s most recent war against Ukraine.  Reading this book is better than any news story you could see, especially as the war continues today. And remember - Russia started it.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Liar’s Kingdom by Christine Callela - ESSENTIAL

Liar’s Kingdom by Christine Callela, 384 pages. Page Street, 2025. $19.

Language: PG-13 (31  swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: PG (kisses); Violence: PG (2 deaths)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ADVISABLE; HS - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Ell is on her way to the palace to wed the prince after he appears at her home and she fits the glass slipper.  She is so happy to be out from under her evil stepmother’s iron-fisted rule that she doesn’t even care that she wasn’t even at the ball. But someone knows that she is not the girl who danced at the ball.  And her stepmother is not ready to give up Ell so easily.  And the king is a volatile tyrant who wants to eliminate every fairy from existence. Turns out that Ell was only in the pan - the fires raging around her are oh so worse.

The ferocity of Callela’s Cinderella reminds me of Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron - the Cinderella is going to have to save herself. Readers who enjoy complex fairy tale reworks will have a great time.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Brielle and Bear: Volume 1 by Salomey Doku - ADVISABLE

Brielle and Bear: Volume 1 by Salomey Doku, 176 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. Random House Children's Books (Penguin Random House), 2025. $25.

Language: G (1 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: G.

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS – ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL

Brielle and Bear are two students at Once Upon a Time University, the center of a charmingly picturesque fictional British village of Rosebridge. Brielle is a Portuguese Brit who is studying English as a first-year university student. Atohi “Bear” Yonas is a Mexican/Puerto Rican American rugby star in his last year at university. Volume 1 covers the Fall & Winter of their initial meeting and developing friendship.

A cozy and cute graphic novel is beautifully illustrated, however the story itself is slightly confusing. It’s supposed to be a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, and there are some references to the original story, but it feels a little forced. If you are going to name a school “Once Upon A Time University”, I would expect more fantasy than it had. In general, it was a cute story and has wide appeal for the casual teen reader, but I wouldn’t use it in the classroom.

Reviewer: Kiera Beddes, ELA teacher, #bookswithbeddes

When the Mapou Sings by Nadine Oinede - OPTIONAL

When the Mapou Sings by Nadine Oinede, 432 pages. Candlewick, 2024. $20

Language: PG-13 (10 swears,  0 ‘f'); Mature Content: PG-13 (Description of a young girl beginning her period); Violence: PG-13 (A secondhand account of an alleged rape)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

16yo Lucille lives in the countryside of Haiti with her father and aunt, as her mother died in childbirth. She communicates with trees and, like her father, is a talented wood carver. Her closest friend, Fefina, is abducted by the Station Chief and made to be his outside wife. After Fefina disappears, Lucille begins a quest to find her and creates a stir when she confronts the community and her disappearance. Her father sends her to Port-au-Prince to be a servant in a wealthy household. When the family’s son returns from Europe, he and Lucille begin a friendship which develops into something more. The head household servant doesn’t like their friendship and coaxes the wealthy employer to send Lucille away. Lucille again sent away and employed as a servant to Zora Neale Hurston, author of Their Eyes Were Watching God. Lucille helps Zora acclimate and navigate Haitian culture.

When the Mapou Sings is especially notable for its exploration of the journey through a young womanhood experience. Pinede gives voice felt by those living between different classes and, skillfully portrays the longing for home and the search for belonging. Her language is poetic and vivid, joining landscapes and inner worlds with equal intensity. Pinede’s work is both a tribute and a reminder that the past is never truly past, and that the roots we carry shape our thinking. Written in three parts, the story construction is at times loose and episodic. When the Mapou Sings is not for everyone and the reader will have to have a strong desire to read and finish.

Bryant Baird, Librarian

With Love, Echo Park by Laurie Taylor Namey - OPTIONAL

With Love, Echo Park by Laurie Taylor Namey, 320 pages. Atheneum BYR (Simon), 2024. $20

Language:  R (63 swears, 8 ‘f'); PG-13 (Appropriate age level kissing); Violence: G (none)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

17yo Clary and Emilio are lifelong residents of Echo Park in Los Angeles, CA. Their Cuban families migrated to Echo Park in the 1960s and set up businesses: a floral shop and bicycle shop, two of the last Cuban owned businesses in the area. Both Clary and Emilio are hard workers and huge assets to their family businesses. Clary is steadfast and looking forward to inheriting La Rosa Blanca. Emilio feels trapped at the thought of taking over Avalos Bicycle Works. A prominent Echo Park resident dies and at his funeral a visitor arrives who will shake up and perhaps alter things for determined Clary.

Namey’s depiction of Echo Park is alive with music, food, and cultural richness. The neighborhood is more than a setting - it’s a living memory of love, loss, and heritage. The story’s Latino representation feels deeply authentic, and the weaving of family dynamics, cultural identity, and healing adds depth to the story.With Love, Echo Park is a story about reconnection—both with others and with oneself. The romance is tender and believable, but it never overshadows the protagonist’s internal journey. Instead, it tells about building trust, navigating grief, and learning to hold joy and sorrow together.Namey’s writing is thoughtful yet realistic showing the vulnerability of teenage emotion with moments of happiness. Fans of her previous work will appreciate her continued ability to portray young women with depth, strength, and emotional honesty.Perfect for fans of Latina stories/novels, With Love, Echo Park is a quietly powerful novel about the spaces we live in and the people who help us navigate life and home.

Bryant Baird, Librarian

Artifice by Sharon Cameron - ADVISABLE

Artifice by Sharon Cameron, 464 pages. Scholastic, 2023. $14

Language: PG13 (46 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: PG (Romance, kisses); Violence: PG (Occupation of Nazi's, violence toward Jewish people, peril for Dutch citizens)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

18yo Isa is in Amsterdam during WWII. Her mother is dead and her father, a painter and art dealer is addicted to morphine, so paying the taxes on the gallery and making enough money to meet their basic needs falls to her. She sells a painting to the Germans. It is a forgery, but they don't know it, at least she thinks they don't. But when Michel, one of the Nazi soldiers shows up at her door, and remembers her from when he visited from Vienna with his father, her world starts to crumble and she finds herself meeting Michel's demands, as well as helping her friends who work with the Dutch resistance.

An exciting historical fiction, based on actual people. I liked Cameron's author notes at the end, giving us the rest of the story of the real people, and more about the pieces of art that were hidden, forged or sold.  There isn't any war action (except for a couple of night air attacks on the city of Amsterdam), but there is lots of danger and scary door banging.  A nice read, but a bit long for middle school.

Characters are Dutch, Austrian or German. 

Lisa Librarian 

The Burning Season by Caroline Starr Rose - ADVISABLE

The Burning Season by Caroline Starr Rose, 228 pages. NOVEL IN VERSE. Nancy Paulsen Books (Penguin), 2025. $18. 

Content: G (some danger)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

12yo Opal has lived with her Gran and her mom in a firetower in the Gila National Forest of New Mexico all of her life - she is the fourth generation of female firewatchers in her family. But four years ago all three women almost died when a wildfire swept to the tower and since that day, Opal has been hiding her fear of fire. Then Mom is stuck in town after rain washes out the trail when she is in town loading up on supplies. Then Gran is missing. Then Opal spots that tell-tale wisp of smoke. Opal has only herself to rely on and she must get close to the fire in order to contain it until the firejumpers can arrive to help.

I am so disappointed that Opal only rates a novel in verse.  No literary devices used here.  But the story is swift and interesting. Opal is white.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Into the Rapids by Ann Braden - ESSENTIAL

Into the Rapids by Ann Braden, 165 pages. Nancy Paulsen Books (Penguin), 2025. $18. 

Content: G (some danger)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

On the day that her family signed the papers for their new house, Addy’s Dad died in the river.  Since that day, 12yo Addy and her mom have kept to themselves, staying apart from their mountain community; Mom’s grief has been too much to bear and she has only slowly learned coping skills.  Now a new monster storm has come and swept away the bridge. As Addy tries to get her mom the help she needs, she keeps running into Caleb, their nearest neighbor, intruding on her space.  But Addy is slowly realizing that her neighbors are kind and welcoming. With the help of Caleb Addy may even be able to make it to her wilderness camp program that she has been looking forward to all her life - even if it means braving the river.

I love that Addy is not dealing with anxiety - it is her mother instead, but Mom is not catatonic, just withdrawn and protective. Caleb is a great side character - steady and welcoming.  Includes a nice nod to Hatchet and Brian’s Winter. Addy is white.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Ballpark: the story of America’s baseball fields by Lynn Curlee - OPTIONAL

Ballpark: the story of America’s baseball fields by Lynn Curlee. NON-FICTION. Atheneum (Simon), 2025. $20. 9781665968867

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

Though it looks like a picture book, Curlee’s look at the history of baseball and its parks is actually extremely text-dense - each full page of text accompanies a full-page illustration. Occasionally there is a two-page illustration, but thankfully no double pages of text. Baseball fans will love the information and older fans will love sharing memories with young friends. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

The House on the Canal: the story of the house that hid Anne Frank by Thomas Harding, illustrated by Britte Teckentrup. - OPTIONAL

The House on the Canal: the story of the house that hid Anne Frank by Thomas Harding, illustrated by Britte Teckentrup. PICTURE BOOK. Candlewick, 2025. $20. 9781536240702

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

Harding takes us through the history of a house in Amsterdam - from the empty and then the building, to Otto Frank and his family in hiding during WWII and to its present day as a museum and learning center about the Holocaust. 

If anyone teaches about Anne Frank at your school, I would buy this in a heartbeat. I love the work that was done to let us know the full history of the house - not just the few years Anne and her family hid there. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

What Beauty There Is by Cory Anderson - OPTIONAL

What Beauty There Is by Cory Anderson, 362 pages. Roaring Brook Press (Macmillan), 2021. $19. 

Language: R (23 swears 1 'f'); Mature Content: PG13 (teens sleeping in the same bed, creepy night behavior by adult); Violence: R (death, suicide, murders, graphic shootings, violent kidnapping, torture, adult assaulting a minor, graphic violent content) 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL 

APPEALS TO: SOME 

17yo Jack discovered his mother's suicide, and fearful that he and his little brother Matty will be placed in foster care, buries her behind their barn in rural Idaho. His father is in prison for a robbery. The money was never found, and the drug dealers he stole it from, as well as his accomplice, think Jack knows where it is hidden. They are willing to kill to get that money. 

A gripping and terrible story I had to finish once started. Oh things are so bad for Jack, just when you think it can't get worse it does. A well-written debut novel that kept this reader on the edge of my seat. A lot of violence, but the swear count was low as was mature content which is mostly implied or alluded to. Most of the characters are adults, except for Ava and Jack (17yos) and Matty who is in 2nd grade. I loved Ava's chapter introductions and her perspectives which helped build suspense. The characters are white. 

Lisa Librarian