Bright Red Fruit by Safia Elhillo - ESSENTIAL

Bright Red Fruit by Safia Elhillo, 368 pages. Young Adult, Book in Verse Make Me a World, Penguin Random House, 2024. $20.

Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: PG (kissing) Violence: PG13 (sexual assault attempt) 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ESSENTIAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

16yo Samira has an unearned bad reputation. When she was younger, a boy she knew bragged a lie, and now adults and others in her community believe the worst. She's not yet even kissed a boy, but who she's with, and what she's wearing are reported to her mother, who doesn't believe Samira. So she's closely watched. Samira is a poet, and wants to go to college and New York where her life can be different. She meets a poet "Horus" online, and although he's much older she agrees to meet him IRL when he comes to D.C. for a reading. 

I love that Samira's story was told in verse, although I know they aren't for everyone. Samira is young and naive, but trying to break free of the strict rules of her culture, so it's no wonder she gets caught up in the excitement of this older man. Considering the topic, I was pleasantly surprised that the story is told without swears or adult content. Elhillo has woven the Persephone myth throughout which was genius. Oh, I loved this so much. Highly recommended.

Samira is Sudanese, many of her friends attend Arabic school with her. 

Lisa Librarian 

The Eternal Ones by Namina Forna - OPTIONAL

The Eternal Ones by Namina Forna, 432 pages. Random House Children's/Delacorte Press, 2022. $12 

Language: PG-13 (23 swears 0 'f');  Mature Content: G; Violence: R (bloody deaths, implied Sexual Assaut) 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

16yo Deka is worried that her blood is impure in a society that shuns those that are different. The village holds a ritual to know if a person is impure or not and it’s time for Deka’s participation. She lives alone with her weakened father who had an illness a few months ago; the illness that killed her mother at the same time. When her true nature shows itself while she’s protecting her village, everyone turns on her thinking she’s a demon. An emperor’s helper saves her and takes her to the capital to receive training to fight off death shrieks who wreak havoc on villages. Deka will discover more than her fate and the truth of who she is.

I love the cover of this book. Deka's strength is inspiring. Deka and Keita have a cute romance. "Deka has dark skin and her father is pale with blonde hair. The Emperor has bluish black skin. People with dark brown skin, golden skin, pink skin, and every shade from deep brown to eggshell are mentioned.

LynnDell Watson, DHS Librarian

The Summer She Went Missing by Chelsea Ichaso - MANY

The Summer She Went Missing by Chelsea Ichaso, 384 pages. Sourcebooks Fire, 2024. $9 

Language: R (61 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: PG-13 (underage drinking); Violence: PG-13 (bloody death and abuse)

BUYING ADVISORY:  HS - OPTIONAL 

APPEALS TO: MANY

16yo Paige and 16yo Audrey are summertime best friends. Paige is looking forward to seeing Audrey and 18yo Dylan, Paige’s long time crush, this summer when they all arrive at Clearwater Ridge. Audrey starts off the summer by talking about jobs and her goal to save enough money to buy her own horse, since she’s always wanted one and spends so much time at the equestrian club. Since Audrey is busy and growing distant, Paige and Dylan get to spend more time together. One summer night, Audrey never returns home and she becomes a missing person case and a year later there’s still no evidence or help in finding her. Dylan and Paige take it upon themselves to find Audrey and the deeper they dig, the more dangerous the situation becomes. 

I enjoyed reading the mystery’s journey as it built up and unfolded. The alternating points of view added intrigue and suspense. I highly recommend this mystery for young adults. The ethnicity is predominantly white. 

LynnDell Watson, DHS Librarian

Kendrick Lamar Platinum Rap Artist by Heather E. Schwartz - OPTIONAL

Kendrick Lamar: Platinum Rap Artist by Heather E. Schwartz, 48 pages. CHAPTER BOOK BIOGRAPHY Lerner Publications, 2024. $10. 9781728491745

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

The story of hip hop artist Kendrick Lamar from his childhood in Compton, California to the fame and fortune he found through his music. The book highlights how he made a name for himself, his awards and honors, how he tries to be a role model, and how he uses his platform for good. 

An interesting biography. It is filled with photographs that add interest. There is a timeline and bibliography at the end of the book. The writing is clear and easy to understand. 

Reviewer: A. Snow

The Heartbeat of the Universe by Emily Hockaday - OPTIONAL

The Heartbeat of the Universe by Emily Hockaday, 110 pages. POETRY. Interstellar Flight Press, 2024. $18.

Language: PG (1 swear, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW

Hockaday believes that poetry is not limited by reality or literalness, and the poems in this collection illustrate her belief. With facts and emotions meeting over topics of identity, love, discrimination, hope, family, time, and more, there is a poem for everyone.

I loved the meeting point between science and creativity that these poets embrace, though overall only a couple of the poems spoke to me. The concept was enjoyable. The mature content rating is for mentions of alcohol and sexual harassment. The violence rating is for mentions of assault.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen 

One Last Breath by Ginny Myers Sain - OPTIONAL

One Last Breath by Ginny Myers Sain, 384 pages. Penguin, 2024. $18 

Language: R (164 swears 52 'f'); Mature Content: R (sexual related nudity); Violence: R (bloody deaths) 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

18yo Tru doesn’t know what she wants for her future, not even whether or not she wants to leave her hometown of Mount Orange, Florida. She feels stuck until 18yo Rio shows up in town. Rio is a female diver like Tru and they instantly become friends. They both want to solve the twenty year old cold case murders of Bailey and Celeste , who were teenagers when they were killed. Tru and Rio feel a deep connection to Bailey and Celeste and when they dig into the evidence and ask questions, their lives become endangered. 

I love that there’s more than one mystery inside this story. The suspense was great and kept me riveted. Tragic and scary and such a good read. The ethnicity is white. 

LynnDell Watson, DHS Librarian

Otherworldly by F. T. Lukens - OPTIONAL

Otherworldly by F. T. Lukens, 352 pages. Margaret K. McElderry Books (Simon and Schuster), 2024. $20.

Language: R (22 swears, 9 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Winter began five years ago and then never turned to spring. With the farm failing, Ellery (17yo) had to move and work in the city while her parents continued to foolishly petition the goddess. When a regular at the diner Ellery works at runs her over, he introduces himself as Knox, a magical familiar that serves the goddess Ellery no longer believes in—and he needs her help.

The magic and mythological creatures are the most interesting parts of the story. Most of the characters are flat, and the story was more about Ellery and Knox’s growing relationship than about solving the winter issue. While I was expecting more from the story than fluff romance, Lukens did the fluff romance well, and the conclusion was satisfying.

Ellery and Knox are described as “pale,” Zada is described as having “dark brown” skin, Lorelei is described as having “golden brown” skin, and the goddess is described as having “olive” skin. Charley and Zada are part of the LGBT community. The mature content rating is for mentions of alcohol, innuendo, and sexual harassment. The violence rating is for blood, assault, and fantasy violence.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

The Perfect Guy Doesn’t Exist by Sophie Gonzales - OPTIONAL

The Perfect Guy Doesn’t Exist by Sophie Gonzales, 304 pages. Wednesday Books (St. Martin’s Press), 2024. $20.

Language: R (101 swears, 15 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Living across the street from her ex-best friend, Mack, is made impossible when 16yo Ivy’s parents ask Mack’s family to check in on Ivy while they’re out of town. On her first night alone, a huge storm comes, and all Ivy wants is to not be alone—so she writes a short fanfic about her favorite TV character being with her. And, when she wakes up, he is.

Honestly, the whole situation with the TV character appearing in Ivy’s life is as disorienting for the reader as for Ivy and her friends—maybe more so because they accepted the situation faster than I did. The creativity involved in crafting this story astounds me, and I laughed out loud several times. Furthermore, Gonzales writes about struggling friendships and trying to get a grip on how to life in a way that makes readers happier with imperfect reality.

Ivy is White on the cover, and Mack is Black on the cover. Also, Ivy is bi, Mack is lesbian, and Henry describes himself as “aroace.” The mature content rating is for innuendo and mentions of sex. The violence rating is for assault and for mentions of murder and fantasy violence.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

What Was the Children's Blizzard of 1888? by Steve Korté and Dede Putra - ADVISABLE

What Was the Children's Blizzard of 1888? by Steve Korté, illustrated by Dede Putra, 106 pages CHAPTER BOOK NON-FICTION Penguin Workshop, 2023. $8. 9780593520710  

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

On January 12, 1888, a surprise blizzard hit the Great Plains which lasted several hours. Many people were caught unaware and unprepared. Especially hard hit were the teachers and students stranded in their schools. They had to make the hard decision to wait out the storm in the school without heat or food or to brave the blinding snow and try to make it home. Many children and adults died. But there were also amazing stories of survival and bravery. 

I enjoyed this book. It was well-written and easy to understand, and I learned a lot. The book tells the story of the blizzard and what happened to the people caught in it. It also provides insight, context, and background information about other things happening during this time in history. There are small illustrations throughout the book to add interest. A timeline and bibliography are included at the end of the book. 

A. Snow

Guts for Glory by Joanna Lapati - ADVISABLE

Guts for Glory: the story of the Civil War soldier Rosetta Wakeman by Joanna Lapati. PICTURE BOOK NON-FICTION Eerdmans, 2024 $20 9780802854643 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

At 19yo, Rosetta Wakeman left her family farm and headed out to join a unit fighting in the Civil War. Throughout the war she sent letters home - the only known existing letters from a disguised female soldier. 

Lapati's scratch board illustrations are quite vivid and interesting to look at. The story is very simple. Wakeman's gender was never discovered, in fact her youngest sister thought that "Lyons" was her older brother. Those are the most intriguing parts of the story - the rest is pretty typical and simple. Rosetta is white.

Cindy, MS Librarian, MLS

One Last Breath by Ginny Myers Sain - OPTIONAL

One Last Breath by Ginny Myers Sain, 384 pages. Penguin Young Readers Group, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, 2024. $18 

Language: R (164 swears 52 'f') Mature Content: R (sexual-related nudity); Violence: R (bloody deaths) 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

18yo Tru doesn’t know what she wants for her future, not even whether or not she wants to leave her hometown of Mount Orange, Florida. She feels stuck until 18yo Rio shows up in town. Rio is a female diver like Tru and they instantly become friends. They both want to solve the twenty-year-old cold case murders of Bailey and Celeste , who were teenagers when they were killed. Tru and Rio feel a deep connection to Bailey and Celeste and when they dig into the evidence and ask questions, their lives become endangered. 

I love that there’s more than one mystery inside this story. The suspense was great and kept me riveted. Tragic and scary and such a good read. The ethnicity is white. 

LynnDell Watson, DHS Librarian

Snowglobe by Soyoung Park - OPTIONAL

Snowglobe by Soyoung Park 384 pages. Delacorte Press 2024 $16 

Language: R (49 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: PG-13 (underage drinking) Violence: PG (death) 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

17yo Jeon lives with her twin brother, mother, and grandmother in the extremely harsh environment surrounding Snowglobe. The main job for residents is producing power by running on giant hamster wheels for ten hours each day. Jeon is asked to leave her home and family to be a replacement for the Snowglobe star Goh Haeri. Jeon is thrilled because this means her family will be taken care of and her mother will no longer have to work but can stay home with her grandmother instead. Jeon arrives in Snowglobe excited and happy but things aren’t adding up and when she discovers secret passages by accident, her existence is threatened.

Strange concept that’s hard to grasp and become engrossed in. I enjoyed the mystery behind Goh Haeri. The story has an interesting and unique concept. The ethnicity is predominantly Korean. 

LynnDell Watson, DHS Librarian

Saint Juniper's Folly by Alex Crespo - OPTIONAL

Saint Juniper's Folly by Alex Crespo, 295 pages. Peachtree Teen, 2023. $13 

Language: R (94 swears 8 'f'); Mature Content: PG-13 (Passionate kissing); Violence: PG (a spell gone wrong causes animals to die and a boy's hands to bleed uncontrollably, a boy is struck by lightning and almost dies, a ghost cuts a boys hands with glass) 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

It is the summer before senior year for Theo and Jaime. Theo is feeling stuck in his small town and is wondering how he will measure up to his parents' expectations. Jaime returns to town hoping to find a fresh start after spending a few years in the foster care system. One day Jaime wanders into a haunted house in the woods and soon finds himself stuck in the house with no way to get out. Taylor just graduated from high school and is trying to figure out her next step while at the same time mourning the recent death of her mother. Even though her father forbids it, Taylor is trying to learn the magic and which craft her mother started teaching her before her death. Theo finds Jaime stuck in the house and enlists Taylor's help to get him out before the house is demolished. As the teens try to work out the mystery of the house, the ghost that haunts it, and how to release Jaime from the house Jamie and Theo begin to fall for each other. 

The book is about three teenagers each feeling lonely and that they don't fit in and each dealing with family issues and trauma of their own. Through the experience of saving Jaime, they develop friendships and acceptance and learn how to rely on each other so that they can take on the things they need to do. I liked the layers of mystery that are revealed as the story progresses. I liked how each chapter was told from the different points of view of one of the three main characters. I liked the character development. The spooky, paranormal, horror aspects are present but minimal. I did feel like the story dragged at times and the timeline was a little choppy and disjointed. Overall a good horror book that is not too scary. Taylor has Puerto Rican heritage. Jamie has Mexican heritage. Theo is white. 

A. Snow 

Tender Beasts by Liselle Sambury - OPTIONAL

Tender Beasts by Liselle Sambury, 416 pages. Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2024. $15 

Language: R (165 swears 54 'f's); Mature Content: PG-13 (Mention of sex. Underage smoking. Mention of drug use); Violence: R (bloody deaths) 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

After 17yo Sunny’s mother dies, her family seems stretched to the breaking point. Her father and siblings have all followed the mom’s lead in keeping up appearances and keeping secrets. On the surface, Sunny sees that her 15yo brother Dom has always been shunned by the family and left alone, now he’s suspected of killing his girlfriend. She knows that her mother wanted her to take care of Dom, so she befriends him and the two siblings start to investigate information their mother left behind. When murders occur at their school, Sunny is frantic to clear Dom’s name. What she discovers changes her life forever. 

I like the unique storyline with a mix of mystery that includes horror and supernatural elements. Alternating between past and present made the story more interesting. The author showed how loyalty can be good but also twisted. The ethnicity is predominantly black with some white side characters. 

LynnDell Watson, DHS Librarian

Snowglobe by Soyoung Park - MANY

Snowglobe by Soyoung Park, 384 pgs. Delacorte Press, 2024. $21

Language: PG (23 swears, no ‘f’); Mature Content: PG-13 (alcoholism, mention of suicide throughout, enslaved people); Violence: PG-13 (assault, on-page death: not gory)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS-ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: MANY

After the Warring Age, which resulted from extreme climate change, the world has become an icy tundra. Snowglobe is the only place left that means warmth, comfort, and a life those outside the dome only dream of. However, this dream life comes at a price. Residents of Snowglobe must consent to their lives being broadcast to the people outside the dome as 24/7 television programs. When one of the most popular actors dies, instead of letting her adoring fans know, a plot is devised to replace her with a lookalike and keep her show going. Chobahm, who lives a brutal existence in one of the outside settlements, is given this opportunity, but is this chance at the good life really a dream come true or the beginning of a nightmare?

Fast-paced and captivating, the engaging character development and action scenes makes for an enjoyable read. The book has a clever plot twist that is fully explained before a cliffhanger is served up at the end that sets up the next book nicely. Necessary trigger warning for continual mention of suicide should be in place for potential readers. 

Reviewer: AEB

Blood Debts by Terry J. Benton-Walker - PUBLIC ONLY

Blood Debts by Terry J. Benton-Walker, 416 pgs. Tor Teen, 2023. $19

Language: R (100+ swears, 138 'fs'); Mature Content: R (racism, underage drug and alcohol use, homophobia, underage on-page sex); Violence: R (off-page murder, on-page murder: gory, traumatic car accidents, sexual assault, and domestic violence)

PUBLIC ONLY

In New Orleans, a woman was murdered, a family was lynched, and a throne was stolen. This tragedy of the magical community is still reverberating thirty years later when on the anniversary of these events, 16-year-old twins, Clement and Cristina Trudeau, find themselves fighting to regain their magical destiny. 

The premise of the book sounds intriguing, however, the book does not deliver. The world building is non-existent; the characters are many and underdeveloped; the twins, whose ages are given as 16, read more like they are in their mid-twenties; and the scenes of violence are many and gory. There are also subplots that go nowhere and characters that are introduced only to be dropped without explanation. There will be more books to follow, so perhaps these flaws will be rectified with further reading.

Reviewer: AEB

The Witch in the Woods by Michaelbrent Collings - ADVISABLE

The Witch in the Woods (Grimmworld #1) by Michaelbrent Collings, 320 pages. Shadow Mountain Publishing, 2024. $19.

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

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

When their parents get new jobs, 10yo Willow and Jake reluctantly move to New Marburg. The technological advances in the town are exciting, but none of their pictures will stay on the walls, their new teacher hates them, and some guy with gold eyes keeps appearing out of thin air to yell at them in gibberish before disappearing again. Strange things are going on in New Marburg, and Willow and Jake’s mom won’t even listen to them!

Collings’ narration style feels like he’s constantly joking with the reader. Almost everything that can be made over-the-top is, and parentheses mark Collings’ asides that aren’t relevant to the story except for a laugh. With riddles, fairy tale retellings, and impossible things made possible, this story has a little bit of everything. I can’t wait to find out which Grimm’s story is retold in the next book.

Willow and Jake are implied white, and Froggy is described as having “brown” skin. The mature content rating is for illegal activity. The violence rating is for assault, fantasy violence, murder, and mentions of cannibalism.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Planting Hope by Philip Hoelzel and Renato Alcarao - ADVISABLE

Planting Hope: a portrait of photographer Sebastian Salgado by Philip Hoelzel, illustrated by Renato Alcarao. PICTURE BOOK BIOGRAPHY Atheneum (Simon), 2024. $19. 9781534477650 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS, HS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Sebastiao Salgado grew up on a huge farm in Brazil, but left to be educated and then traveled the world with his wife to study. Once he discovered the camera, his life was taken with photography, and using photos to show the world the ills caused by war and by inequity. When returned to his family farm, he discovered a land ravaged by indiscriminate clear cutting. He and his wife had a new project to embrace - restoring the forest ecosystem and spreading that restoration as far as possible. 

Hoezel gives a good example of what a picture book biography can look like. For Middle schools and High schools I would recommend this if a teacher has a biography unit. The text is dense - not suitable for a read-aloud with younger students. While Salgado is from Brazil, he is portrayed as a white blond in the book - he probably comes from the white upper social class. 

Cindy, MS Librarian, MLS

Bird is Dead by Tiny Fisscher and Herma Starreveld - MANY

Bird is Dead by Tiny Fisscher, illustrated by Herma Starreveld. PICTURE BOOK Greystone Kids, 2024. $19. 9781778401176 

Content: PG (Did you read the title? Shows a dead bird and its burial) 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - OPTIONAL; MS, HS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: MANY

When the other birds find Bird, who is dead, they gather to grieve and to decide what they need to do. 

I LOVE what Fisher and Starreveld have done. From the gorgeous collage birds to the succinct, matter-of-fact text, the creators have composed a work that fascinates and helps turn death from a macabre mystery to a part of life that deserves time and care. Pair with The Dead Bird by Margaret Wise Brown  and The Funeral by Matt James both also about birds dying. Elementary librarians - if you have either of the other books on your shelf, add this one - it is a delight (in a totally respectful way). Middle school and High schools - buy this either for the content or for the beautiful collages - some of my students saw me showing the book to their teacher and they want to read it immediately. 

Cindy, MS Librarian, MLS 

Wren Martin Ruins it All by Amanda DeWitt - OPTIONAL

Wren Martin Ruins It All by Amanda DeWitt,  400 pages. PeachTree Teen, 2023.  $19.

Language:   R  (100+ swears, 18 “f”); Mature Content: PG ; Violence: G

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

17yo senior asexual Wren Martin wants to make his mark on his small, beachside town of Rapture, Florida. For his first act as the student council president, he wants to abolish the Valentine’s Day Dance, an expensive rite of passage that Wren would rather use that money elsewhere in the school. ​​His vice president, annoyingly perfect Leo Reyes, suggests partnering with a viral social media app to pay for the school dance and thus, pay for Wren’s fix-it list for the school. So now, Wren is juggling planning the year's biggest party, fixing the school, flirting with an anonymous match, and managing inconveniently changing feelings for one student council VP. Nothing will go wrong, right?

I thoroughly enjoyed this YA rom-com, appreciating its snarky narrator and a predictable, yet engaging anonymous flirtation, reminiscent of "You’ve Got Mail" for the TikTok generation. However, the unrealistic portrayal of the main character and the high school setting took me out of the story a little. Additionally, the book missed an opportunity to fully explore and explain the asexuality end of the LGBTQIA spectrum, despite the main character's identification with it. Regardless, these are things that an average high school reader isn't going to notice or care about. The biggest red flag is the amount of language in the book, making it optional for school libraries.

Reviewer: Kiera Beddes, #bookswithbeddes