July 15, 2019: Volume LXXXVII, No 14

Featuring 466 Industry-First Reviews of Fiction, Nonfiction, Children's and YA Books

KIRKUS VOL. LXXXVII, NO.

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REVIEWS Suspenseful and mysterious, insightful and tender, Helen Phillips’ new thriller, The Need, cements her standing as a writer with a singular sense of story and style. p. 14

from the editor’s desk:

Playing Favorites B Y T O M

Chairman H E R B E RT S I M O N President & Publisher M A RC W I N K E L M A N

B EER

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Photo courtesy John Paraskevas

What is your favorite book? Wait—don’t answer too fast. For a book junkie like me, and most readers of Kirkus Reviews, choosing a favorite book is a daunting prospect. We’ve read hundreds, if not thousands, of books over the years and received joy from so many various titles; how could anyone select just one?

I recently joined the Kirkus team as editor-in-chief, and my first official duty was to select a favorite book for my business card. It felt as though I’d never face a harder challenge during my tenure at the magazine.

Tom Beer All Kirkus staffers have their favorite books listed on their business cards, and it’s the first thing you learn when we introduce ourselves to you—an easy identifier and an icebreaker. Fiction editor Laurie Muchnick’s card says Transit of Venus, the 1980 novel by the late, great Shirley Hazzard. Nonfiction editor Eric Liebetrau went for Another Roadside Attraction, the inimitable counterculture classic by Tom Robbins. Sue Townsend’s The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 ¾ was the pick of Laura Simeon, our Young Adult Editor. Children’s Editor Vicky Smith selected C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Indie editor Karen Schechner got three books for the price of one with Margaret Atwood’s MaddAddam Trilogy. I’ve read the Robbins—it’s wacky and exuberant fun, like all Robbins’ novels—and the Narnia books were childhood favorites, but I haven’t read Transit of Venus or Adrian Mole, so I have some new additions to my TBR list. You might, too.

One of the appealing things about coming on board at Kirkus Reviews is the good fortune to work with so many people who care deeply about books and never tire of discussing them. Outgoing editor Claiborne Smith, who is leaving to write his own book and to direct the San Antonio Book Festival, has In the Darkroom by Susan Faludi on his business card. In his nearly seven years at the magazine, Clay has led a crack team of editors and overseen dramatic changes. Kirkus covers more books, more thoroughly and thoughtfully, than ever before. I’m honored to pick up the baton from him and excited about changes still to come.

As for my business card, I agonized for the better part of a week over many contenders before deciding on The Line of Beauty, the 2004 Man Booker Prize–winning novel by Alan Hollinghurst. It’s a story about being gay in 1980s England and the terrible ravages of AIDS but also about the darkly seductive hold that the upper-class Fedden family holds over Nick Guest, a middle-class outsider who will have his illusions about wealth and privilege shattered. Like all of Hollinghurst’s fiction, it’s gorgeously written, full of sentences to luxuriate in.

Even as I write this, however, I am thinking of two or three other titles that might have taken its place. That’s the thing about books—there are always more to discover and new favorites to come. Check back with me again in a few months.

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Chief Executive Officer M E G L A B O R D E KU E H N mkuehn@kirkus.com Editor -in- Chief TOM BEER tbeer@kirkus.com Vice President of Marketing SARAH KALINA skalina@kirkus.com Managing/Nonfiction Editor E R I C L I E B E T R AU eliebetrau@kirkus.com Fiction Editor L AU R I E M U C H N I C K lmuchnick@kirkus.com Children’s Editor VICKY SMITH vsmith@kirkus.com Young Adult Editor L AU R A S I M E O N lsimeon@kirkus.com Editor at Large MEGAN LABRISE mlabrise@kirkus.com Vice President of Kirkus Indie KAREN SCHECHNER kschechner@kirkus.com Senior Indie Editor D AV I D R A P P drapp@kirkus.com Indie Editor M Y R A F O R S B E RG mforsberg@kirkus.com Associate Manager of Indie K AT E R I N A P A P P A S kpappas@kirkus.com Editorial Assistant CHELSEA ENNEN cennen@kirkus.com Mysteries Editor THOMAS LEITCH Contributing Editor G R E G O RY M c N A M E E Copy Editor BETSY JUDKINS Designer ALEX HEAD Director of Kirkus Editorial L AU R E N B A I L E Y lbailey@kirkus.com Production Editor C AT H E R I N E B R E S N E R cbresner@kirkus.com Website and Software Developer P E RC Y P E R E Z pperez@kirkus.com Advertising Director M O N I Q U E S T E N S RU D mstensrud@kirkus.com Advertising Associate TAT I A N A A R N O L D tarnold@kirkus.com Graphic Designer L I A N A WA L K E R lwallker@kirkus.com Controller MICHELLE GONZALES mgonzales@kirkus.com for customer service or subscription questions, please call 1-800-316-9361

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contents fiction

INDEX TO STARRED REVIEWS............................................................ 4 REVIEWS................................................................................................ 4 EDITOR’S NOTE..................................................................................... 6 ON THE COVER: HELEN PHILLIPS.................................................... 14 H.G. PARRY’S UNLIKELY DEBUT....................................................... 24 MYSTERY...............................................................................................35 SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY.......................................................... 42 ROMANCE............................................................................................46

The Kirkus Star is awarded to books of remarkable merit, as determined by the impartial editors of Kirkus.

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INDEX TO STARRED REVIEWS..........................................................49 REVIEWS..............................................................................................49 EDITOR’S NOTE................................................................................... 50 BEN FOLDS’ CHEAP LESSONS..........................................................64 THE KING TRANSFORMS LAS VEGAS.............................................. 70

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INDEX TO STARRED REVIEWS...........................................................83 EDITOR’S NOTE....................................................................................83 REVIEWS.............................................................................................. 85 PABLO CARTAYA CREATES A SPARK............................................. 100 BOARD & NOVELTY BOOKS..............................................................152 CONTINUING SERIES........................................................................159

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INDEX TO STARRED REVIEWS.........................................................161 REVIEWS.............................................................................................161 EDITOR’S NOTE..................................................................................162 DEBBIE RIGAUD GETS ROYALLY ROMANTIC................................ 168 CONTINUING SERIES....................................................................... 180

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INDEX TO STARRED REVIEWS.........................................................181 REVIEWS.............................................................................................181 EDITOR’S NOTE................................................................................. 182 INDIE Q&A: DAVID LEADBEATER................................................... 188 QUEERIES: NICOLE DENNIS-BENN............................................... 196 INDIE BOOKS OF THE MONTH........................................................ 205 FIELD NOTES.....................................................................................206 APPRECIATIONS: THE GODFATHER, 50 YEARS LATER.............. 207

In The Only Plane in the Sky, journalist Garrett M. Graff delivers wrenching, highly personal accounts of 9/11 and its aftermath.

Readers who emerge dry-eyed from the text should check their pulses: Something is wrong with their hearts. Read the review on p. 62.

Don’t wait on the mail for reviews! You can read pre-publication reviews as they are released on kirkus.com—even before they are published in the magazine.

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fiction These titles earned the Kirkus Star: NINTH HOUSE by Leigh Bardugo......................................................... 5 NIGHT BOAT TO TANGIER by Kevin Barry........................................ 6 CHANGE ME by Andrej Blatnik; trans. by Tamara M. Soban............. 8 A DANGEROUS MAN by Robert Crais................................................11 BANSHEE by Rachel DeWoskin.......................................................... 12 OUT OF DARKNESS, SHINING LIGHT by Petina Gappah............... 16 THE LIAR by Ayelet Gundar-Goshen; trans. by Sondra Silverston......17 WHERE THE LIGHT FALLS by Nancy Hale........................................ 18 THE WORLD THAT WE KNEW by Alice Hoffman............................. 20 ONCE UPON A TIME IN FRANCE by Fabien Nury; illus. by Sylvain Vallée & Delf & Haley Rose-Lyon; trans. by Ivanka Hahnenberger............................................................ 27 A SONG FOR A NEW DAY by Sarah Pinsker..................................... 28 THE STRANGER INSIDE by Lisa Unger............................................. 34 RUSTY BROWN by Chris Ware........................................................... 34 RED AT THE BONE by Jacqueline Woodson.........................................35 HEAVEN, MY HOME by Attica Locke................................................. 39 JADE WAR by Fonda Lee..................................................................... 43 GIDEON THE NINTH by Tamsyn Muir...............................................44 THE FUTURE OF ANOTHER TIMELINE by Annalee Newitz.............44 CHILLING EFFECT by Valerie Valdes................................................... 45 SAPPHIRE FLAMES by Ilona Andrews...............................................46

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A GIRL NAMED ANNA

Barber, Lizzy Harlequin MIRA (320 pp.) $15.99 paper | Sep. 3, 2019 978-0-7783-0899-7

On the 15th anniversary of her sister’s disappearance, a young woman launches her own investigation in British author Barber’s U.S. debut.

Rosie Archer was only a baby when her 3-year-old sister, Emily, disappeared at Astroland, a Florida amusement park they visited while on vacation from England. Her parents haven’t given up hope that Emily is still alive, but Rosie and her younger brother, Rob, have largely borne the brunt of the fallout. The high profile of Rosie’s famous music producer father has ensured that everyone knows who Rosie is. It’s not the kind of celebrity she wants, and her parents are understandably overprotective; Rosie chafes at this situation with risky behavior. Fifteen years haven’t blunted the guilt and blame that cycle between Emily’s parents, and while it’s obvious they’ve done their best by Rosie and Rob, the siblings’ lives have been irrevocably shaped by the sister they never knew. When Rosie finds out that the trust set up to fund the search for her sister is about to run out, she decides she’s going to find out what happened to Emily and hopefully get closure for herself and her family. Meanwhile, in Florida, 18-year-old Anna Montgomery lives with her reclusive, ultrareligious mother, Mary, and is ecstatic to be heading for the forbidden Astroland with her boyfriend, William. It’s there that she flashes on some disturbing memories, and a letter handdelivered to her mailbox calling her by another name causes Anna to question her entire existence and do a little digging (literally) of her own. Readers will quickly know the “who” of the story—it’s the “why” that’s the focus, and Rosie’s and Anna’s dual narratives lend intimacy and emotional resonance. Anna’s story often veers into Carrie territory, and Barber renders the Archers’ heart-wrenching plight with realistic emotional intensity. While it stretches credulity a bit that a teen, even a clever one like Rosie, would have more luck than all those Scotland Yard investigators and private detectives, readers willing to just go with it will find a lot to enjoy.

A page-turning look at the aftermath of a parent’s worst nightmare.

ELEVATOR PITCH

Barclay, Linwood Morrow/HarperCollins (464 pp.) $26.99 | Sep. 17, 2019 978-0-06-267828-7

NINTH HOUSE

Bardugo, Leigh Flatiron Books (448 pp.) $27.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-250-31307-2 Yale’s secret societies hide a supernatural secret in this fantasy/murder mystery/school story.

Most Yale students get admitted through some combination of impressive academics, athletics, extracurriculars, family connections, and donations, or perhaps bribing the right coach. Not Galaxy “Alex” Stern. The protagonist of Bardugo’s (King of Scars, 2019, etc.) first novel for adults, a high school dropout and low-level drug dealer, Alex got in because she can see dead people. A Yale dean who’s a member of Lethe, one of the college’s famously mysterious secret societies, offers Alex a free ride if she will use her spook-spotting abilities to help Lethe with its mission: overseeing the other secret societies’ occult rituals. In Bardugo’s universe, the “Ancient Eight”

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People in Manhattan are falling to their deaths in maliciously rigged elevators. Is it terrorism at work? And if so, are the terrorists foreign or domestic?

If anyone is going to get to the bottom of things, it’s hard-charging newspaper columnist Barbara Matheson. Overwhelmed New York Mayor Richard Headley, her favorite target, still has no idea what’s going on after the third elevator crash or what measures to take: Dare he shut down all 70,000 elevators in the Big Apple, especially on the eve of the spectacular opening of Top of the Park, the city’s second-tallest building? When a murder victim found on the popular High Line walkway with his fingertips cut off is belatedly identified as an elevator technician, the police have a possible link to the gruesome elevator deaths. But what does the subsequent bombing of a cab have to do with them?

Barclay (A Noise Downstairs, 2018, etc.) is an old hand at twisty, tantalizing plots. But as promising as the premise is, it never really goes anywhere. A combination of so-so surprises, contrived turns, and gratuitous elements take the air out of the story, which also involves Barbara’s contentious daughter, Arla, and the mayor’s belittled son and adviser, Glover. A recurring motif is characters with restrictive physical conditions being forced to climb many flights of stairs. They include police detective Jerry Bourque, whose shrink’s diagnosis that his wheezing condition is psychosomatic gets put to the test.

While there’s much to enjoy in Barclay’s latest, the book too often sells itself and the reader short.

secret societies (Lethe is the eponymous Ninth House) are not just old boys’ breeding grounds for the CIA, CEOs, Supreme Court justices, and so on, as they are in ours; they’re wielders of actual magic. Skull and Bones performs prognostications by borrowing patients from the local hospital, cutting them open, and examining their entrails. St. Elmo’s specializes in weather magic, useful for commodities traders; Aurelian, in unbreakable contracts; Manuscript goes in for glamours, or “illusions and lies,” helpful to politicians and movie stars alike. And all these rituals attract ghosts. It’s Alex’s job to keep the supernatural forces from embarrassing the magical elite by releasing chaos into the community (all while trying desperately to keep her grades up). “Dealing with ghosts was like riding the subway: Do not make eye contact. Do not smile. Do not engage. Otherwise, you never know what might follow you home.” A townie’s murder sets in motion a taut plot full of drug deals, drunken assaults, corruption, and cover-ups. Loyalties stretch and snap. Under it all runs the deep, dark river of ambition and anxiety that at once powers and undermines the Yale experience. Alex may have more reason than most to feel like an imposter, but anyone who’s spent time around the golden children of the Ivy League will likely recognize her self-doubt.

With an aura of both enchantment and authenticity, Bardugo’s compulsively readable novel leaves a portal ajar for equally dazzling sequels.

WHAT ROSE FORGOT

Barr, Nevada Minotaur (304 pp.) $28.99 | Sep. 17, 2019 978-1-250-20713-5

Barr takes a break from her bestselling series about National Park Ranger Anna Pigeon (Boar Island, 2016, etc.) for a one-of-a-kind stand-alone that follows the adventures of a woman committed to a Memory Care Unit for dementia as she fights to claw back her life.

There’s a lot of stuff Rose Dennis doesn’t know. She doesn’t know when and how she got out of Longwood or when and how she arrived there in the first place. She’s surprised and pained when people remind her that although she grew up in New Orleans, she moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, with Harley, her husband of 15 years, and that he’s died. At one point she’s not even sure whether she’s 68 years old or 103. After a pair of orderlies hustle her back to Longwood, however, Rose resolves that it’s the medications she’s being fed that are sapping her powers of mind and will and vows to stop taking them and escape again, this time for keeps. Fortunately, her second attempt takes her to the home of Melanie Dennis, Harley’s levelheaded, resourceful 13-year-old granddaughter, who’s more than ready to do whatever it takes to keep Gigi, as she calls Rose, two steps ahead of her pursuers. Unfortunately, one of those pursuers, a shadowy man armed with a knife, breaks into the old house where Rose is hiding out and tries to kill her. More adventures |

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novels about work that aren’t work to read I always enjoy reading books about work, books that introduce readers to the deep mechanics of a job—the way Stephanie Danler’s Sweetbitter (2016) brings you inside the restaurant business or The Belles Lettres Papers by Charles Simmons operates in the world of, ahem, a book review journal. (Of that novel, Kirkus said in 1987: “Brilliant tactics, piquant dialogue, a clutch of phony Shakespeare sonnets, and dry-point characterizations—all you regret is that there isn’t more.” If you’re reading this, you’ll love it.)

Lately, I’ve noticed a small spate of books about scientists and mathematicians written by women, which I find a heartening development. Not that it’s entirely new; check out Three Times Table by Sara Maitland, about a paleontologist, or Margaret Drabble’s Realms of Gold, about an archaeologist.

Catherine Chung’s The Tenth Muse (June 18) is about a mathematician named Katherine who was “one of the only female graduate students at MIT in the early 1960s,” according to our starred review. “Despite being surrounded by men who either dismiss her outright or want to use her astonishing intelligence for their own gains, Katherine never loses her ambition to have an academic career and to solve the Riemann hypothesis, one of the greatest mysteries in math.” Chung herself studied math at the University of Chicago and did research for this novel at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. Our review concludes that this is “a powerful and virtuosically researched story about the mysteries of the head and the heart.”

Lost and Wanted (April 2) by Nell Freudenberger is about Helen Clapp, a physicist at MIT who gets a text message from her dead best friend. Our starred review says “Freudenberger is good at explaining physics, but her real genius is in the depiction of relationships” and that the book is “brimming with wit and intelligence and devoted to things that matter: life, love, death, and the mysteries of the cosmos.” Sounds like everything you’d want in a novel. —L.M. Laurie Muchnick is the fiction editor.

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follow, some of them involving Rose’s hermitlike sister, Marion Bliss, who offers all the help a life spent online allows, some involving Karen Black, the hapless Longwood nurse Rose gets the better of on three separate occasions. It’s both a nuisance and a personal triumph when the media get hold of Rose’s story and label her “Gun Granny.”

A tour de force that thickens its thriller plot with a razor-sharp view of its heroine’s unreliable but perceptive mind.

NIGHT BOAT TO TANGIER

Barry, Kevin Doubleday (272 pp.) $25.95 | Sep. 17, 2019 978-0-385-54031-5 In this gifted Irish writer’s muscular, magical, and often salty prose, several lives take shape as two older men look for a young woman in a ferry terminal.

Maurice and Charles, both past 50, are “fading Irish gangsters” once involved in bringing Moroccan hashish to Ireland via Spain. As the novel opens, they’re sitting in the Algeciras ferry terminal because they’ve learned that Maurice’s daughter, Dilly, who took off three years earlier, may be coming through on her way to Tangier. As the men question young vagrant travelers about Dilly—there’s a complicated dog connection, among other things, that identifies such targets— flashbacks reveal the men’s drug-trading days, dovetailing with Ireland’s roaring Celtic Tiger economy. With wealth come poor choices, paranoia, and real threats. Maurice’s marriage to Cynthia suffers, the men fall out—marked by a brilliant barroom scene—and over this trio hangs a much larger question that helps explain the Dilly vigil at Algeciras. The daughter is revealed as a strong, intriguing character in all-too-brief appearances while the pivotal Cynthia inexplicably gets short shrift.

Mostly the two men talk, with a profligate, profane, comic splendor that mixes slang, Gaelic, artful insult, and the liturgy of long friendship. Barry (Beatlebone, 2015, etc.) delights in the sound of two voices at play. In City of Bohane (2011), the banter of a brace of thugs named Stanners and Burke winds through the main tale. In the story “Ernestine and Kit” from Dark Lies the Island (2013), two women in their 60s trade seemingly harmless insults to comic effect, barely masking their evil intentions.

Ever playful, the author titles the new novel’s opening chapter “The Girls and the Dogs,” which is also the title of a story in Dark Lies the Island that alludes to the Moroccan hash trade.

Barry adds an exceptional chapter to the literary history of a country that inspires cruelty and comedy and uncommon writing.

NOTES WITHOUT A TEXT And Other Writings Bazlen, Roberto Trans. by Andriesse, Alex Dalkey Archive (352 pp.) $19.95 paper | Sep. 20, 2019 978-1-62897-312-9

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Omnibus edition of works by an Italian writer who might have been a modernist master had he not been more intent on sowing literary confusion.

Calasso, who introduces this collection of texts by Triesteborn translator and editor Bazlen (1902-1965), gives a rather murky account of the centrifugal tendencies of a writer who wrote but did not publish: “Preparing for emptiness…is an abnormal occurrence—it always has been—and not only that: the modes of existence most prevalent at present teach us to forget even the possibility of emptiness.” Accepting Calasso’s contention that Bazlen made himself right at home in the void, the texts brought together here vary in intent and quality. The

lead work is an odd novel centering on a sea captain who is never at home in the world and especially not in his own home, where he feels untoward urges toward his wife: “I really have to hit her.” In the company of strange players with names like Peg-Leg and the One-Eyed Man, he sails from harbor to harbor, meeting other stock characters like “an Oriental,” “the Gypsy Woman,” and “the negress,” who do pretty much as they would in an old Popeye cartoon, allowing for extra helpings of surrealism and non sequitur (“the Captain was close to death, but he was awfully cultured”). Included are sketches of characters like The Cabin Boy, who says to the Captain, “It would be unfair not to take you adequately into account—and besides I’m indebted to you for a couple of pesos (and a flask of wine too).” The hallucinatory mode prevails. Bazlen’s essays and notes on writers such as Italo Svevo and Habsburg-era Triestine culture are more straightforward (“it was a musical city…where everyone sang”), and his witty editorial reports come as a relief after the unrelenting peculiarity of the more “literary” writing. All in all, though, it’s a slog.

A puzzling, incomplete set of notes toward a text; of some interest to students of postwar European literature.

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A woman starts a new life on a small island…but soon finds herself in the middle of a hurricane. no judgments

CHANGE ME

Blatnik, Andrej Trans. by Soban, Tamara M. Dalkey Archive (194 pp.) $15.95 paper | Sep. 26, 2019 978-1-62897-336-5 Global consumerism is a nightmare from which one nuclear family is trying to awaken.

This novel was published in Blatnik’s (Law of Desire, 2014, etc.) native Slovenia in 2008, making it all the more remarkable how timely, even prescient, it seems now. On the surface, it’s a love story, beginning and ending with the same note from a husband to his wife, the wife he is leaving with their two sons, without warning. “It’s here now, this story, all of it,” he writes. “It’s here to say: I love you.” Though perhaps he has been warning her all along, perhaps the whole novel is a cautionary tale, one in which nothing is as simple as it seems, and the very notions of

identity, character, free will, and choice are up for grabs. A passage referring to one character will end one chapter, and then the same passage will begin the next chapter, referring to the other, the husband and then the wife, or vice versa. (“Something had changed. Everything would have to be reorganized.

It wasn’t too late.”) The man has not only walked away from his family, but from his computers, which he had once used as a musical mixer and later as a genius advertising sloganeer, “the boy wonder of his generation,” who, according to his wife, was “so efficiently helping to maintain the smooth running of the conveyor belt of goods fetishism and consumerism.” It was he who had come up with the “brand name for the toothpaste, DissiDent.” Yet he has apparently come to revile the values that he long worked to promote, and so he has taken off while leaving his family well provided for. His wife finds herself torn between her professional obligations, running a firm that involves occupational retraining for this new globalism, and her personal fears and desires. Her life is also transformed by her husband’s decision to transform his. By the end of the story, which ends where it began, little has changed and everything has changed.

With some echoes of Kafka and Vonnegut, this novel looks for the soul of the 21st century and finds an abyss.

NO JUDGMENTS

“A superb haiku collection for readers who thought they didn’t like poetry, richly expressive and very accessible.”

—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

www.TheWonderCode.com

Publisher inquiries welcome: please contact SCMviaNet@aol.com

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Cabot, Meg Morrow/HarperCollins (384 pp.) $15.99 paper | Sep. 24, 2019 978-0-06-289004-7 A woman starts a new life on a small island…but soon finds herself in the middle of a hurricane.

Bree Beckham needs to start over.

After her boyfriend’s best friend tries to sexually assault her, no one supports her—not even her mom or boyfriend. So Bree retreats to Little Bridge Island, the site of many treasured childhood vacations.

She finds work as a waitress at the Mermaid Café and, after three months, feels like she fits in with the quirky locals. When Hurricane Marilyn heads straight toward Little Bridge, Bree decides to stay—despite everyone on the mainland encouraging her to evacuate. Like many residents, she has a good reason not to leave—her senior cat, Gary, who can’t travel. Bree and Gary ride out the storm at the large, generator-powered home of her bosses, who choose not to evacuate because last time they did, someone broke into their restaurant and stole an industrial meat slicer. Bree rides out the storm in relative luxury, but when it’s all over, she realizes that not everyone was so lucky. There’s significant property damage on the island, but worst of all, the storm took out the bridge to the mainland. When Bree finds out that many owners left their pets behind, assuming they’d be able to come back in a couple of days, she takes it upon herself to rescue them. With the help of her mother, a famous radio host, she instructs people to call her landline if they have stranded pets. But Bree doesn’t have to do it all alone—her bosses’ nephew, the hunky playboy Drew Hartwell, wants to

help. After her bad experiences with men, Bree swears she’s on a man-cation…but Drew is pretty cute and obviously interested in her. Cabot (Bridal Boot Camp, 2018, etc.) creates a story that’s full of timely issues, most notably the tendency of 24/7 news channels to sensationalize big storms. Through Bree, Cabot encourages readers to avoid judging people who stay behind in a hurricane to care for loved ones or protect their businesses.

And although animal-lover Bree is initially horrified that pets were left behind, she quickly learns that many people had good reasons for evacuating without their animals. Written in Cabot’s typically entertaining, breezy style, with tons of quirky side characters to liven up the story, this book will encourage readers to think compassionately about people who make hard decisions in the face of natural disasters.

A fun, fast, and romantic story.

THE SOUND OF THE HOURS

Chevalier, Tracy Viking (336 pp.) $27.00 | Sep. 17, 2019 978-0-525-55824-8

It’s been 14 years since the Great War ended, and Violet Speedwell is still grieving the loss of her brother and her fiance. A daring move—living on her own—will bring her a chance to breathe and love again.

Of course, life as an independent woman in 1932 is hard. A typist for Southern Counties Insurance, Violet barely makes enough money to cover her rent at Mrs. Harvey’s boardinghouse. Budgeting for one hot dinner a week and subsisting on margarine and Marmite sandwiches leaves Violet practically starving. She’s emotionally starving, too. Chevalier (New Boy, 2017, etc.) masterfully portrays the bleak lives of the “surplus women” left to carry on after a generation of young men—their

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Campbell, Karen Bloomsbury (464 pp.) $29.00 | Sep. 17, 2019 978-1-4088-5737-3

A SINGLE THREAD

Sparks fly between unlikely allies— an African American GI and an Italian girl stripped to her essence by suffering—in a World War II romance set in the harshly defended Tuscan mountains.

Eighteen-year-old Vittoria Guidi joins the Italian partisans after she has lost almost everyone—her mother shot by the Nazis; her father deported to Germany; her cousins likely massacred in a nearby village. With family and meaning torn away and her town ransacked by the retreating German army, she has, she thinks, nothing left to lose. But recently, in Lucca, she met Frank Chapel, an American soldier in the Buffaloes—a segregated troop in the U.S. Army—and a connection sprang to life between them. Frank, battle-hardened by the loss of compatriots, the sheer physical toll of routing the Germans, and the steady drip of racial prejudice, will fight his way to Vittoria’s community, and what began as a glance and a feeling will find the space to blossom. At its best, Campbell’s (Rise, 2015, etc.) impassioned, impressionistic prose infuses her lead characters’ feelings and circumstances with an intensity to match the merciless pressures of the era.

Exploring a less familiar corner of the battlefield and the conflicting politics of place and time (Vittoria’s mother supported the fascists, as did many Italians; black soldiers were the subject of intense negative propaganda), she delivers striking immediacy. It’s at the periphery, with the secondary characters, that the novel seems weaker—the cartoon Blackshirt, all sneers and “pus-laden” acne; the token Jews; the gluttonous, meaty German general. Even college-boy Frank, smart and handsome, leans toward stereotype, but the love story, though familiar in form, becomes irresistible, especially in its late, poetic, heroic blaze of selflessness.

For fans of indomitable heroines and love in the time of conflict, here’s a stirring new addition to the genre. |

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potential husbands—were killed in World War I. Telling the tale of the Lost Generation from a woman’s perspective, Chevalier fills in the outlines of these forgotten women with unending penny-pinching, mended dresses, and lonely evenings with tea and a Trollope novel. Yet a chance glimpse into a special service at her church opens the door to Violet’s healing: She finds the broderers, a group of women embroidering gorgeous, colorful seats and kneelers for the church. Led by the vibrant Louisa Pesel (and her dour assistant, Mrs. Biggins), the broderers’ guild offers Violet a chance to make something beautiful and lasting in a world that has been dark and has cut off life at its knees for too long. In Chevalier’s novel, the embroidery circle becomes a metaphorical tapestry, threading all these women together.

Soon Violet has not only joined the circle, but also made unexpected friends. Violet also discovers her own courage to try for love, a love her society would condemn, but in these days and in this author’s hands, all love is sacred.

A compelling portrait of women not lost but thriving against the odds.

THE WATER DANCER

Coates, Ta-Nehisi One World/Random House (432 pp.) $28.00 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-0-399-59059-7 The celebrated author of Between the World and Me (2015) and We Were Eight Years in Power (2017) merges magic, adventure, and antebellum intrigue in his first novel.

In pre–Civil War Virginia, people who are white, whatever their degree of refinement, are considered “the Quality” while those who are black, whatever their degree of dignity, are regarded as “the Tasked.” Whether such euphemisms for slavery actually existed in the 19th century, they are evocatively deployed in this account of the Underground Railroad and one of its conductors: Hiram Walker, one of the Tasked who’s barely out of his teens when he’s recruited to help guide escapees from bondage in the South to freedom in the North. “Conduction” has more than one meaning for Hiram.

It’s also the name for a mysterious force that transports certain gifted individuals from one place to another by way of a blue light that lifts and carries them along or across bodies of water.

Hiram knows he has this gift after it saves him from drowning in a carriage mishap that kills his master’s oafish son (who’s Hiram’s biological brother). Whatever the source of this power, it galvanizes Hiram to leave behind not only his chains, but also the two Tasked people he loves most: Thena, a truculent older woman who practically raised him as a surrogate mother, and Sophia, a vivacious young friend from childhood whose attempt to accompany Hiram on his escape is thwarted practically at the start when they’re caught and jailed by slave catchers. Hiram directly confronts the most pernicious abuses of slavery before he is once again conducted away from danger and into sanctuary with the Underground, whose members convey him to the 10

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freer, if funkier environs of Philadelphia, where he continues to test his power and prepare to return to Virginia to emancipate the women he left behind—and to confront the mysteries of his past. Coates’ imaginative spin on the Underground Railroad’s history is as audacious as Colson Whitehead’s, if less intensely realized. Coates’ narrative flourishes and magic-powered protagonist are reminiscent of his work on Marvel’s Black Panther superhero comic book, but even his most melodramatic effects are deepened by historical facts and contemporary urgency.

An almost-but-not-quite-great slavery novel.

THE BRAID

Colombani, Laetitia Trans. by Lalaurie, Louise Rogers Atria (224 pp.) $16.00 paper | Sep. 24, 2019 978-1-9821-3003-9 True to its title, this novel, which was published as La Tresse in France in 2017, weaves together the stories of three intrepid women living in different countries.

In India, Smita demands a better life for her daughter than the one she has known as a member of the Dalit caste. In Italy, Giulia must secure her family’s future after an accident befalls her father, patriarch of the last traditional hairpiece and wig workshop in Palermo. And in Canada, Sarah faces breast cancer without support. Colombani tells these stories in concise chapters that alternate among the three women’s points of view.

While most of the novel unfolds in these close third-person perspectives, a few brief interludes, including a prologue and an epilogue, punctuate the narrative with the lyrical first-person voice of a fourth woman, adding even more texture and depth to the already charming story of how these women’s lives connect. Colombani’s prowess as a film and theater writer is on full display. The prose hums along without fuss, and several chapters end with terrific suspense. Only occasionally does the story stall, as when the author shoehorns in exposition to make a point about gender inequality or when she oversteps by making too direct a comparison between characters’ lives. Smita’s, Giulia’s, and Sarah’s individual stories and how they’re interconnected are strong enough elements on their own without any false equivalencies. While the novel presents a romanticized version of globalization, it’s unapologetic about its agenda of celebrating the bonds of womanhood. The story’s masterful structure and plotting more than make up for the narrative’s rose-colored glasses.

An impeccably crafted love letter to the oft-unseen and ignored work of women across the world.

A taut, exceptional thriller. a dangerous man

A DANGEROUS MAN

Crais, Robert Putnam (352 pp.) $28.00 | Aug. 6, 2019 978-0-525-53568-3

If you’ve always wished Lee Child’s Jack Reacher had a little more balance in his life—but the same formidable talents—you’ll love Joe Pike and the latest book in this long, superb series (The Wanted, 2017, etc.).

All Joe wanted to do was go to the bank and make a deposit.

He knew Isabel Roland, the young teller, seemed a little interested in him, but he doesn’t mix romance and money. Sitting in his car shortly after leaving the bank, though, he notices Isabel walking outside and putting on a pair of sunglasses, and then he sees her talking to a man and disappearing into an SUV with him, “a flash of shock in her eyes.” Joe’s training—which includes stints in the Marine Corps, the Los Angeles Police Department,

and “various private military contractors”—makes him sit up and pay attention. He follows along in his own Jeep, and when the SUV stops for a traffic light, Isabel’s abductors don’t stand a chance. Then, when Isabel is kidnapped again, Joe feels compelled to find her. He enlists Elvis Cole, his longtime friend and private eye, whose laconic style and sharp wit are a helpful counterbalance to Joe’s terse style. As they search for answers, more dead bodies pile up, and the men wonder just how innocent this bank teller really is. Told from the alternating perspectives of Joe, Elvis, and various criminals, the story becomes multilayered while the tension builds. Crais never loses control of his clean, clear prose or his ability to sketch fully fleshed characters in a few scenes, with Joe providing the action and Elvis providing the insight.

A taut, exceptional thriller.

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DeWoskin once again finds literary gold in painful circumstances. banshee

BANSHEE

DeWoskin, Rachel Dottir Press (296 pp.) $22.95 | Jun. 4, 2019 978-1-94834-010-6 A breast cancer diagnosis kicks off a feral midlife crisis for a mild-mannered poetry professor.

Samantha Baxter, 42, has a great husband and daughter in college, a successfully published volume of poetry, a good job teaching in a college town. She also has breast cancer and is scheduled for a double mastectomy in three weeks. Almost immediately, she finds herself in a bathtub caressing the soapy hip of one of her students, a redhead named Leah, a girl about her daughter’s age. “My life dissolved like an old-fashioned slide show catching fire,” she explains. “I just got sick and wanted to burn the world down.”

For the nearly 300 pages of DeWoskin’s (Someday We Will Fly, 2019, etc.) impassioned rant of a novel, the inside of Samantha’s

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head rages like an inferno. After the stress of conducting the poetry workshop in which her new lover is a student, she wants “to hide inside Elizabeth Bishop’s letters, to stop my mind from thinking its own language and instead live in hers,” but instead she pitches herself into the affair with willfully self-destructive and self-indulgent intensity. Her kind husband, her beloved daughter, and her mother, a breast cancer survivor, watch helplessly from the sidelines. “If anyone thinks her tenancy in the land of the sane and healthy was reliable, she should probably think again, because our bodies and minds have a million shards and parts, so many in contradiction with each other that we cannot count on ourselves not to revolt against ourselves.” The narration of this book is so engaging and powerful and the confusion and despair Samantha experiences so visceral and terrifying, reading it feels like being dragged along by the hand by one’s braver best friend through a scary fun house. Surely she can get us out of here, you think, but you can’t be sure.

With X-ray-vision, empathy, and vivacity under fire, DeWoskin once again finds literary gold in painful circumstances.

DOPPELGÄNGER

Drndi�, Daša Trans. by Curtis, S.D. & Hawkesworth, Celia New Directions (160 pp.) $15.95 paper | Sep. 24, 2019 978-0-8112-2891-6

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An elderly artist meets an elderly dandy in the late Croatian writer Drndić’s (EEG, 2019, etc.) brief but potent novel, and the rest is history‚ with all its inevitable tragedy.

Born in time to witness some of the worst episodes of the 20th century, Artur and Isabella are very different people, he “the greatest wearer of hats in this country,” she a quiet photographer who fled her native Germany decades earlier. They meet on a New Year’s Eve, and after a few hours together, they depart this life, statistics for a police ledger. All that is by way of prelude to Drndić’s larger story, centering on a melancholic fellow, aging but not elderly, named Pupi, who has an unusual attachment to the rhinos at the city zoo, “wild beasts, heavy beasts.” Pupi doesn’t much like the name he bears—he thinks of himself, Drndić writes, by his formal name, Printz, —and he doesn’t much like the life he is living, caring for an elderly father, nursing a variety of complaints, and collecting an odd assortment of facts for his notebook: The year of his birth, 1946, was, he calculates, also one in which numerous Nazis met their deaths: “Joachim von Ribbentrop, German war criminal, hung; Hans Frank, German war criminal, hung; Julius Streicher, German leader, hung; Wilhelm Keitel, German field-marshal, hung.” Printz has odd little habits besides his obsessive collecting of facts, including pilfering things like food and bottles of wine from trade shows while excusing himself by noting that the French philosopher Louis Althusser did the same thing. Of course, Althusser also killed his wife, though Printz excuses him with the thought that “he helped her to kill herself because she wanted to kill herself.” That slender thread joins Isabella’s story to Printz’s, which ends as it began, in the company of rhinos—which is not necessarily a good thing.

Pensive and ponderous: a work of continental gloom that promises that no one gets out of here alive.

Elín Jónsdóttir is a woman in her late 60s living alone in Reykjavík. She makes her living creating props—severed limbs and decaying corpses, especially—for the theater and Nordic crime films. Elín crosses paths with Ellen Álfsdóttir, the 19-yearold daughter of famed playwright Alfur Finnsson and author of a new play that’s garnering a lot of buzz. This atmospheric, disorienting tale is narrated by Elín, who says “the reason I decided to write this is that if I don’t, no one will,” and that it’s “an attempt to connect signs that were conveyed in waking life and in dreams.” Elín, who had a difficult childhood, has spent her adulthood pushing others away. She claims that she “[can] see feigð, someone’s death approaching.” Long ago, she “accidentally got mixed up in the most salacious story of them all”: one involving Ellen’s philandering father, who was discovered dead halfway between his wife’s house and that of his mistress— Ellen’s mother. Elín’s work in the theater brings her close to Ellen, and she spies on the young woman and her artist mother.

“The people I wanted to get to know were far beyond my reach,” Elín confesses, and the unexpected delivery of boxes full of memorabilia from her dead grandmother’s house forces her to

A FIST OR A HEART

Eiríksdóttir, Kristín AmazonCrossing (202 pp.) $24.95 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-1-5420-4403-5 In award-winning Icelandic novelist Eiríksdóttir’s English-language debut, an older woman fixates on a young playwriting prodigy, and both women come to the realization that they are linked by shared trauma in their pasts. |

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INTERVIEWS & PROFILES

Helen Phillips

AN INTRUDER UPENDS THE LIFE OF A YOUNG MOTHER IN HER NEW THRILLER, THE NEED

By Bridgette Bates Photo courtesy David_Barry

Seven years ago, writer Helen Phillips was home alone with her baby. Naked and nursing and slightly delusional, like many new moms, she imagined hearing someone in another room. It was nothing, but the sensation of the moment stayed with her. “I just thought, Wow, what would I do, right now in this vulnerable position that I’m in, if there was an intruder in my house?” Phillips says.

Phillips’ prior works (Some Possible Solutions: Stories [2016]; The Beautiful Bureaucrat [2015], etc.) used speculative, metaphorical questions and made them literal. Her poetically subversive new Kirkus-starred novel, The Need, solidifies Phillips as a master of literary augmented reality. Fueled by the all-too-real panic and primal anxiety of being a mother, The Need opens with a disturbing scene much like what Phillips experienced herself, though 14

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in the novel, the main character, Molly, finds a bizarre masked intruder in her living room.

Molly is an overwhelmed mother of two young children. She has a loving and supportive husband, but he’s out of town for work. She’s struggling to balance her personal and professional lives as a paleobotanist at a fossil quarry where strange artifacts have recently been found.

She’s sleep deprived, burned out, and questioning her own sanity and life choices in the climactic confrontation at the beginning of the book: “When she was pregnant with Viv she had imagined having a baby, but she never imagined having a child: a child who could be a sidekick, a helpmate, a collaborator; who could follow complicated instructions. Who could fetch a weapon,” writes Phillips.

As all domestic normalcy slips away, Molly must continue with the daily toil of being a mother while also tackling a larger mysterious threat that has upended her life.

Her children not only need to be kept safe, but they need to be fed, dressed, thrown birthday parties, taken to the park, rationalized with over the unrational. The story comes alive through the mundane quotidian details that have always been indirectly about survival but now have a new urgency: The children were eating breakfast. They were having yogurt and jam. They needed things. More yogurt. More jam. Spoon flipping onto floor. Mess!

Wet washcloth. But this one reeks. So: another.

Laundry, soon. Hands white with yogurt. A handprint here. A handprint there. Wait. Stop. Don’t touch. Come here. Let me….

Under other circumstances, the same old thought might have crossed her mind: being a mother of two = ushering a pair of digestive tracts through each day.

But this morning she thought: tracts, intact.

dren knew about death, and it was pretty refreshing to be around people who didn’t know about death, but then they come to realize it when they’re about 3, and you start to see a shift of their understanding and a new darkness.”

Molly experiences her own shift of perspective as she endures the most viscerally scary thing that could happen: “The scariest dream of all is the one that takes place in the room where you’re sleeping,” writes Phillips as Molly begins to awaken to a greater empathy for all things occupying her life.

Phillips, who sold the book to Simon & Schuster after frenzied interest from multiple publishers, thinks Molly’s journey to return to her own pleasures and humanity is what resonates most with readers. “People have said it’s a sad book. People have said it’s a scary book—and I would agree with those comments—but I also have this intention that it might provide a balm or sort of joy to, say, a mother, because it’s about not taking for granted these little moments.”

Bridgette Bates’ poetry collection, What Is Not Missing Is Light, is the recipient of the Black Box Poetry Prize. The Need received a starred review in the April 1, 2019, issue.

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I talked to Phillips while she was at home, before taking cupcakes to her daughter’s school. She describes her literary influences as a mashup between Margaret Atwood and Ursula K. Le Guin with Rachel Cusk and Jenny Offill (Dept. of Speculation), an apt comparison as Phillips infuses her otherworldly premise with raw human experiences.

“Molly takes her daily grind for granted in the early part of the book, and she’s worn down by it. The reality is really challenging,” explains Phillips. “But when confronted…she comes to see the preciousness of her daily life, which is something that she had gotten overly accustomed to. So part of what I’m trying to do with the book is return to Molly her daily life in all of its glory.”

Not to give away any spoilers, but the pacing of the thriller is often escalated or interrupted by the blessings and curses of motherhood. No matter the drama of the moment, Molly’s body never forgets it’s lactating, paving a parallel battle for survival in the form of breastfeeding her baby. As her milk lets down at inconvenient times, she also pines for the bonding and intimacy with her child. This back-and-forth tension between life’s burdens and joys presses on the mother’s consciousness.

“When you have a child, you make yourself so vulnerable to the world in a new way, because if something happened to them, that is worse than something happening to you,” says Phillips. Eight weeks after giving birth to her daughter, Phillips’ older sister died. Her sister had Rett syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that was not understood by doctors at the time Phillips’ infant sister first showed signs. Her parents spent years trying to diagnose why their seemingly healthy baby stopped progressing at the age of 1. “Right as I’m falling in love with my baby, my parents were losing their baby, and I was losing my sister. It made me think a lot about different experiences of motherhood,” she says. “I felt like I was standing at this portal of life and death.”

Phillips wanted to interrogate the vulnerability of teetering on this threshold. “How do you exist when life and death are so prevalent and so close together all the time?

How do you navigate that? How do you live and deal with day-to-day realities when you know the people you love could die—and will die someday? Basically, how do you live knowing that death exists?”

These of course are heavy, existential questions that The Need explores, but filtered through the lens of a family, there’s often an innocence pulling the story back from the brink of gloom. “One thing that’s interesting about kids is that for a couple of years they don’t know that death exists—and there’s something very potent about spending all this time around people who don’t know about death,” Phillips explains. “I thought about that before my chil-

THE NEED Phillips, Helen Simon & Schuster (528 pp.) $26.00 | Jul. 9, 2019 978-1-9821-1316-2

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recall that she has obsessed over others before with traumatic and tragic results. As Ellen’s play is produced and Elín circles closer to the girl, she finally acknowledges the spell she’s under and that “trauma is, of course, nothing but an enchantment.”

A dreamlike meditation on isolation and the bone-aching desire for companionship.

NOTES ON JACKSON AND HIS DEAD

Fulham-McQuillan, Hugh Dalkey Archive (192 pp.) $17.95 paper | Sep. 20, 2019 978-1-6287-287-0

Eighteen stories that flirt with both psychological horror and philosophical speculation through the unremitting setting of the ordinary life.

Fulham-McQuillan’s debut collection introduces the reader to a cast of hapless characters embroiled in situations that are increasingly difficult to define. In the title story, the speaker is a documentary filmmaker exalting in the singular opportunity to film Jackson, a former conductor beset by a sort of viral existentialism that results in all his past selves manifesting as corpses in the wake of his every movement. In “whiteroom” a man and his late wife have reduced their lives to the eternal simplicity of their pure white room in order to enter into a fraught immortality of the mind. In “A Tourist,” a man attracted by the memory of himself standing in a place before it fell to ruin “[visits] the grief of his past,” setting up camp in a desolate valley where he is haunted by a duo of shadowy others who attempt both communication and violence.

To call these stories heady is an understatement of both their intent and form. Deeply influenced by continental philosophy (Kierkegaard is mentioned, Lacan is evoked, Simone Weil is quoted), the book also plays with the formal influence of Poe’s sensual grotesques, Dostoevsky’s tormented psychological realism, Borges’ cerebral mythos. The results are ambitious and uneven. In “Winter Guests,” for example, the staff of a resort in the off-season report on the mounting tensions between a single guest and the beautiful female caretaker of a wheelchairbound and totally bandaged patient. The story is haunting, suspenseful, and intricately detailed. Its philosophy lingers in the realization of its characters; its unanswerable questions rise organically from the setting of the winter seashore and the isolation of the nearly empty hotel. Other stories, however, are less successful and overwhelm the reader with their insistence on mingling Poe’s obsessive stylings with a more contemporary cynicism—or perhaps late-20th-century mass-produced weariness—reminiscent of Beckett or Georges-Olivier Châteaureynaud. These influences make for an uneasy pairing, one whose tremendous potential is sometimes buried beneath a miasmic stylistic expression.

An intriguing, if uneven, debut.

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OUT OF DARKNESS, SHINING LIGHT

Gappah, Petina Scribner (320 pp.) $27.00 | Sep. 10, 2019 978-1-9821-1033-8

A rollicking novel that retells the history of British colonial exploration in Africa from the perspective of historical figures who have otherwise been silenced.

Zimbabwean writer Gappah (The Book of Memory, 2016, etc.) tells the story of the black attendants who bore the Scottish explorer David Livingstone’s corpse from present-day Zambia to the African coast in the late 19th century. As the prologue says, “This story has been told many times before, but always as the story of the Doctor.” Gappah turns the tables by making Livingstone’s attendants into protagonists. Our heroes are Halima, a young slave woman Livingstone purchased as a partner for his assistant, the abusive and cruel Amoda; and Jacob Wainwright, a former slave from East Africa who was educated

by Christian missionaries in Mumbai. Halima is a jovial and headstrong young woman who speaks boisterously despite her status. “Why any man would leave his own land and his wife and children to tramp in these dreary swamps...is beyond my understanding,” she wonders about Livingstone. Jacob is Halima’s opposite, a self-serious young man who keeps a journal which he hopes will be published in the future. When Livingstone dies of malaria, his attendants decide to carry his body to the coast in a display of loyalty, so that it may be carried back to England.

After burying his heart in the village where he died, the band sets off toward Zanzibar in a show of dedication. The arduous journey through hostile terrain gradually erodes their reverence for the doctor, though. Halima begins to wonder how worthy he is of her dedication. “Was he worth it? What were we doing, taking a father to his children when he had let one of those children die?” Meanwhile, Jacob reads Livingstone’s journals and finds a man whose anti-slavery ideals clash with his actions as a colonialist explorer. The journey to the coast turns out to be an education in how the band is oppressed by colonial power.

Along the way, though, Gappah captures the diverse cultural milieu of colonial Africa with compelling detail. The result is a rich, vivid, and addictive book filled with memorably drawn characters.

This is a humane, riveting, epic novel that spotlights marginalized historical voices.

One very hot summer in an Israeli city, two lonely people discover the life-changing power of a lie. the liar

GUN ISLAND

Ghosh, Amitav Farrar, Straus and Giroux (320 pp.) $27.00 | Sep. 10, 2019 978-0-374-16739-4

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In the face of apocalyptic climate change, an Indian immigrant searches for the truth behind a Bengali legend.

Deen Datta travels each year from Brooklyn, where he works as a dealer in rare books and Asian antiquities, to his native Calcutta, “or Kolkata, as it is now formally known,” visiting family and scouting new purchases. As Ghosh’s (Flood of Fire, 2015, etc.) novel opens, a smart-alecky relative tells him the tale of a Bengali folk hero called the Gun Merchant, whose story is rooted in a shrine in the Sundarbans, “a tiger-infested mangrove forest” at the mouth of the Ganges. Another relative, an elderly woman who grew up in the islands, has more stories to tell—and so does a young marine biologist named Piya Roy, who is studying the effects of climate change on whales and dolphins, once abundant in the storm-lashed Sundarbans. Deen is a collector not just of old things, but also of interesting friends from all over the world, such as the Italian scholar Giacinta Schiavon, who makes an urgent case for taking folktales seriously as descriptions of the world and auguries of things to come, even as Deen protests that he is “a rational, secular, scientifically minded person.” There is good reason to beware of signs and portents, for even as the Sundarbans disappear beneath the rising sea and cobras strike unwary victims, places like Los Angeles are falling before a wall of fire, “a glowing snake hurtling towards me, through the flames,” while legions of displaced people are in flight, walking across continents, fleeing aboard boats “crowded with refugees.” Much of Deen’s story is a fictional rejoinder to Ghosh’s 2016 polemic, The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable, and, as with that book, blends elements of journalism, folklore, science, and history to describe a world on the verge of catastrophe—and one in which people, in the end, have nowhere to go.

Ghosh’s story, involving and intricate, speaks urgently to a time growing ever more perilous.

no one had yet tasted her, the only girl in her class still a virgin, and next summer when the fields yellowed, she would be wearing a soldier’s army green.” Nofar’s name means “water lily” but she thinks of herself as “zit face.” Her friends have dropped her, her younger sister is more beautiful and popular, and when a rude customer cruelly insults her, she loses it entirely. She rushes from the store screaming, the customer follows her, a crowd forms, the cops arrive—and a charge of attempted rape of a minor is made. Only an unhappy boy watching from his apartment knows it didn’t happen. As his attempt to blackmail Nofar turns into her first romance, she’s also becoming a national celebrity, lauded for her bravery and supplied with free designer outfits for TV appearances. Gundar-Goshen (Wak­ ing Lions, 2017) pauses Nofar’s story to introduce Raymonde, a resident of a senior citizens’ center who assumes her dead best friend’s identity so she can take a trip the other woman was about to go on. She didn’t realize this would entail becoming a speaker about her (nonexistent) experiences surviving the Theresienstadt concentration camp. Like Nofar, Raymonde’s lie brings her magical good fortune. Ah, if it were only that

THE LIAR

Gundar-Goshen, Ayelet Trans. by Silverston, Sondra Little, Brown and Company (352 pp.) $27.00 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-0-316-44539-9 One very hot summer in an Israeli city, two lonely people discover the lifechanging power of a lie.

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simple. The author unfurls her ironic fable—simultaneously timeless and contemporary—from a God’s-eye view, with captivating authority and in lush prose. “His heart had pounded furiously all night, not even letting up at dawn, as if a new branch of a twenty-four hour supermarket had opened in its chambers.”

A psychological page-turner, rich in setting, character, and wisdom.

WHERE THE LIGHT FALLS

Hale, Nancy Ed. by Groff, Lauren Library of America (336 pp.) $26.00 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-59853-642-3 Esteemed in her lifetime but largely forgotten today, short story master Hale (1908-1988) gets a welcome reintroduction in this collection of 25 astute, finely

wrought tales.

Novelist Groff, who made the judicious selections, also provides an introduction sketching the writer’s background: Born into Boston’s Yankee aristocracy, the daughter of bohemians without a lot of money, Hale was a debutante who cast a cold eye on the class she came from while enjoying its glamorous accoutrements. The early stories from the 1930s and early 1940s have backgrounds that would have been familiar to Fitzgerald: coming-out parties, jazz orchestras, Ivy League athletics, fast driving in fancy cars. Yet they paint quietly acid pictures of Southern snobbery (“That Woman”), male dominance masking fragility (“Crimson Autumn”), and ethnic tensions in summer communities (“To the North”). Hale is rarely overtly political, but two stories from the ’40s, “Those Are as Brothers” and “The Marching Feet,” stingingly make the point that fascism has home-grown versions. Long before the feminist movement was reborn, she acknowledged women’s ambivalence about having children (“The Bubble”) and the potential oppressiveness of marriage (“Sunday—1913”). Hale’s personal experience of mental illness sparks some of the collection’s best work: “Who Lived and Died Believing” expertly blends a harrowing account of electric shock treatment with a sharp portrait of a kind nurse’s romance with a callous resident; “Some Day I’ll Find You…” and “Miss August” both anatomize intricate social interactions in psychiatric sanatoriums, the former with a comic touch, the latter in a darker tone. Hale’s prose is elegant without calling attention to itself, like the well-cut dresses one is sure her female characters wear. There’s a slight slackening in some of the later stories, but not in “Rich People” (1960), a marvelously complex examination of a woman’s seething ambivalence about her “high thinking and plain living” family and herself that closes with the anguished question, “Where is my life?”

Classic examples of the art of short fiction, capturing the variety of human experience with sophisticated economy.

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A COSMOLOGY OF MONSTERS

Hamill, Shaun Pantheon (336 pp.) $26.95 | Sep. 16, 2019 978-1-5247-4767-1

A Texas family that runs a haunted house is haunted by monsters for decades.

This ambitious, grotesque debut novel is a love letter to H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos, so it may not be the easiest horror novel to parse or explain.

That said, this is a very scary coming-of-age tale that lives in the same space as Stranger Things, Stand By Me, and Stephen King’s It (1986). The story is told by Noah Turner, who matter-of-factly recounts the dark and terrible fortunes of his family. He opens with the sweet romance between his parents, Harry and Margaret, who marry and start a comic book store and a haunted house called The Wandering Dark in the small town of Vandergriff, Texas. But terrible things keep happening, including Harry’s untimely death, Margaret’s bottomless grief, the sudden disappearance of Noah’s oldest sister, Sydney, and his sister Eunice’s crippling mental illness, not to mention the increasingly frequent disappearances of children from Vandergriff.

These events would be frightening by themselves, but Hamill adds another layer by introducing a huge supernatural creature that turns up on Noah’s doorstep one night and declares it’s his friend while giving him a few magical powers to boot. But things like giant monsters always turn out to be something... else, and in Noah’s adolescence, this one does, too. The way Hamill weaves his way between the phantasmagorical elements and Noah’s everyday dramas is nimble in a way reminiscent of King, who practically invented this narrative style. Creepy interstitial entries dubbed “The Turner Sequences” flesh out the fates of Noah’s family. Eventually, an older Noah meets a group of people calling themselves The Fellowship who can also see these monsters, and Noah’s instinct is to run as far away as possible. But darkness unleashed can never really be escaped, and readers are bound to find themselves shuddering at the novel’s lurid denouement.

An accomplished, macabre horror saga and a promising debut from an imaginative new author.

THE TEN THOUSAND DOORS OF JANUARY

Harrow, Alix E. Redhook/Orbit (384 pp.) $27.00 | Sep. 10, 2019 978-0-316-42199-7

An independent young girl finds a blue door in a field and glimpses another world, nudging her onto a path of discovery, destiny, empowerment, and love.

Set at the turn of the 20th century, Harrow’s debut novel centers on January Scaller, who grows up under

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the watchful eye of the wealthy Cornelius Locke, who employs her father, Julian, to travel the globe in search of odd objects and valuable treasures to pad his collection, housed in a sprawling Vermont mansion. January appears to have a charmed childhood but is stifled by the high-society old boy’s club of Mr. Locke and his friends, who treat her as a curiosity—a mixed-race girl with a precocious streak, forced into elaborate outfits and docile behavior for the annual society gatherings. When she’s 17, her father seemingly disappears, and January finds a book that will change her life forever.

With her motley crew of allies—Samuel, the grocer’s son; Jane, the Kenyan woman sent by Julian to be January’s companion; and Bad, her faithful dog—January embarks on an adventure that will lead her to discover secrets about Mr. Locke, the world and its hidden doorways, and her own family. Harrow employs the image of the door (“Sometimes I feel there are doors lurking in the creases of every sentence, with periods for knobs and verbs for hinges”) as well as the metaphor (a “geometry of absence”) to great effect. Similes and vivid imagery adorn nearly every page like glittering garlands. While some stereotypes are present, such as the depiction of East African women as pantherlike, the book has a diverse cast of characters and a strong woman lead. This portal fantasy doesn’t shy away from racism, classism, and sexism, which helps it succeed as an interesting story.

A love letter to imagination, adventure, the written word, and the power of many kinds of love.

THE WORLD THAT WE KNEW

Hoffman, Alice Simon & Schuster (384 pp.) $27.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-1-5011-3757-0 In this tale of a young German Jewish girl under the protection of a golem—a magical creature of Jewish myth created from mud and water—Hoffman (The Rules of Magic, 2017, etc.) employs her signature lyricism to express the agony of the Holocaust with a depth seldom equaled in more seemingly realistic accounts.

The golem, named Ava, comes into being in 1941 Berlin.

Recently made a widow by the Gestapo and desperate to get her 12-year-old daughter, Lea, out of Germany, Hanni Kohn hires Ettie, a rabbi’s adolescent daughter who has witnessed her father creating a golem, to make a female creature who must obey Hanni by protecting Lea at all costs. Ettie uses Hanni’s payment to escape on the same train toward France as Lea and Ava, but the two human girls’ lives take different paths. Ettie, who has always chafed at the limits placed on her gender, becomes a Resistance fighter set on avenging her younger sister’s killing by Nazis. Lea, under Ava’s supernatural care, escapes the worst ravages of the war, staying first with distant cousins in Paris (already under Gestapo rule), where she falls in love with her hosts’ 14-year-old son, Julien; then in a convent school hiding Jewish girls in the Rhone Valley; then in a forest village not far from where Ettie has partnered in her Resistance activities with Julien’s older brother.

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While Lea’s experiences toughen and mature her, Ettie never stops mourning her sister but finds something like love with a gentle gentile doctor who has his own heartbreaking backstory.

In fact, everyone in the large cast of supporting human characters—as well as the talking heron that is Ava’s love interest and Azriel, the Angel of Death—becomes vividly real, but Ava the golem is the heart of the book. Representing both fierce maternal love and the will to survive, she forces Lea and Ettie to examine their capacities to make ethical choices and to love despite impossible circumstances.

A spellbinding portrait of what it means to be human in an inhuman world.

THE FIRST STONE

Jensen, Carsten Trans. by Mussari, Mark AmazonCrossing (588 pp.) $24.95 | $14.95 paper | Sep. 1, 2019 978-1-5420-4439-4 978-1-5420-4438-7 paper No one is sinless enough to cast the proverbial stone—but in this freighted, violence-punctuated novel by Danish journalist Jensen (We, the Drowned, 2011, etc.), the sins mount page by page.

Why are Westerners, including a detachment of Danish soldiers, in Afghanistan, especially so long after bin Laden has been done away with? Well, says a tough-as-nails commander named Schrøder, “We believe in free will, don’t we? That’s why you’re here.

That’s why I’m here. And that’s why the Americans are here. To force the Afghans to recognize the existence of free will.” That observation comes toward the end of a long, bloody tale that would do Søren Kierkegaard proud—if, that is, Kierkegaard had been a novelist. Jensen depicts a group of one-foot-in-the-grave fighters, men and women who learn in the decidedly situational arena of Afghanistan that things are never as they seem: The American mercenaries whom they fight alongside have loyalty only to their wallets, a predilection that soon enough infects members of the Danish contingent, who are quick to abandon their philosophical interests in the quest for dollars. “Are you working for the Taliban?” a senior officer asks Schrøder, who answers, “Good question….I work for myself. I take advantage of the chances I get. Today’s friends are tomorrow’s enemies.” Indeed, about the only people to be trusted in Jensen’s twist-full story are the Taliban fighters arrayed against the Americans, Danes, and Brits who populate it: They, at least, have moral clarity and a sense of purpose, as opposed to Schrøder, who had worked in civilian life as a designer of video games in which “skinhead assassins” unleashed all sorts of mayhem—good training, as it happens, for the ugliness to come.

Jensen is unflinching in describing that mayhem as it figures in the real world of his novel, from rape and torture to one particularly brutal scene in which flayed bodies line a road like so many victims on the road to Golgotha.

A grim examination of the effects of war on those who would give anything not to be waging it.

Fans of sword-and-sorcery fantasy and historical fiction alike will enjoy this hard-hitting yarn. a hero born

A HERO BORN

Jin Yong Trans. by Holmwood, Anna St. Martin’s (416 pp.) $27.99 | Sep. 17, 2019 978-1-250-22060-8

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Kung fu epic from one of the world’s bestselling authors, translated for the first time into English.

Jin Yong, the pen name of Louis Cha, was a Hong Kong–based journalist who died last year at 94. Between 1955 and 1972 he wrote 14 novels in the genre called wuxia, historical fiction with lots of martial arts brawling and “the clanging of metal.” In this book, the first of the Legends of the Condor Heroes tetralogy published in 1957, he puts all the conventions of the genre to work. A somewhat simple-minded young man named Guo Jing, raised by his mother after his father’s untimely death, grows up in a world torn apart by palace intrigues and stewing political factions behind the Great Wall. On the other side, there’s a

vast Mongol army led by none other than Genghis Khan, or Temujin, who enjoys a good massacre: “His heart quickened, and a laugh bubbled up from within. The earth shook with the shouts of his men as they withdrew from the bloody field.”

Fighting their way across the landscape with Guo are bands of Song dynasty patriots and traitors as well as legendary martial artists with names like The Eastern Heretic Apothecary Huang and Double Sun Wang Chongyang—oh, yes, and the Seven Freaks of the South (one is blind, one 3 feet tall, one deft at chopping up enemies with a butcher’s knife), who would prefer to be known as the Seven Heroes. Jin Yong draws on a body of legend, history, Taoist precepts, and various martial arts traditions to serve up a tale of stylized contests (“Nan threw a bone-piercing awl and Gilden Quan shot a concealed arrow from his sleeve”) and good/evil binaries that ends on a satisfyingly cliffhanging note. Though Jin Yong’s epics have been likened to Tolkien’s and George R.R. Martin’s, think Darth Vader’s message to Luke Skywalker, “I am your father,” as filtered through Jackie Chan and Chow Yun Fat. Fans of sword-and-sorcery fantasy and historical fiction alike will enjoy this hard-hitting yarn.

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BARON WENCKHEIM’S HOMECOMING

Krasznahorkai, László Trans. by Mulzet, Ottilie New Directions (576 pp.) $27.95 paper | Sep. 23, 2019 978-0-8112-2664-6

A daunting experimental novel by Hungarian writer Krasznahorkai (The World Goes On, 2017, etc.), who blends his trademark interests in philosophy and apocalypse.

The baron of the title is an “unspeakably elegant” member of the erstwhile Habsburg nobility of Hungary who has been living in exile in Argentina until, finally, his debts at the casino catch up to him. Nostalgic and elderly, though still given to dandyish ways, he returns to the countryside haunts of his youth, hoping along the way to rekindle a long-ago romance with a woman whom, late in the story, a factotum likens to Cervantes’ Dulcinea del Toboso. The baron is no Quixote,

though the Hungary to which he returns has no end of windmills against which to tilt—including oil derricks everywhere.

Krasznahorkai fills his pages with knowing nods to European nationalism: An Austrian train conductor, for instance, sniffs that “even they”—the Hungarians on the other side of the border—“had been trying to conform to European standards” when it came to safety, schedule, and other things train conductors are supposed to worry about. The baron cuts a memorable figure, but the real star of Krasznahorkai’s story is a philosopher who has cut himself off from society and lives in hermitage in a forest park, concerned with problems of being and nonbeing: “Everything is a kind of philosophical boxing match that leads only to non-existence, and this is, in all likelihood, the greatest error of existence.” Even the erstwhile professor has his prejudices, grumbling along with the townsfolk about the gypsies who have dared pitch their own camp nearby.

Krasznahorkai tends to long, digressive passages that build on and allude to other pieces, and the word “non-existence” turns up often enough to suggest a theme. But no matter: In the end, the worlds the philosopher, the baron, and other characters inhabit are slated to disappear in a wall of flame, an apocalypse that, as Krasznahorkai assures, is not just physical and actual, but also existential.

A challenge for readers unused to endless sentences and unbroken paragraphs but worth the slog for its wealth of ideas.

DEAD FLOWERS

Laidlaw, Alexander Nightwood Editions (200 pp.) $19.95 paper | Sep. 28, 2019 978-0-88971-355-0 Over the course of eight short stories, characters have their young lives disrupted by curious and uncanny encounters.

After she moves across the country to be with her boyfriend, a young college student’s life is increasingly unsettled by her unpredictable roommates (“On Gordon Head”). As he ages, a man continues to recount his discovery of a murder victim and yet is never quite sure how to interpret his experience (“One Time I Witnessed A Murder”). A young father’s collegial workplace environment devolves when a new manager is hired (“War Story”).

Laidlaw’s collection skillfully positions primarily 20-something characters in proximity to moments of strangeness, such as dead bodies, cars that may have disappeared into bodies of water, and car accidents, and asks how these moments are either incorporated into a sense of self or dismissed as inexplicable. As one character notes: “Really, most of my time I spend just trying to make sense of our existence. Because as far as I can tell, ours is an existence wherein not much of consequence happens…I think that in fact we spend so much of our lives waiting for something to happen, that we begin to forget we are waiting.” Set in various Canadian provinces, these stories 22

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align well within the genre of Canadian literature interested in identity. The narrative tone of the stories varies from serious but bewildered to wry and amused, and yet each main character is attempting to determine a narrative and direction for their life that transcends the day-to-day monotony of being young, broke, and in unstable living situations. Any sense of resolution is temporary at best and somehow all the more gratifying because of its precariousness.

Enigmatic ideas craftily underlie a direct style.

AFTER THE WAR

Le Corre, HervĂŠ Trans. by Taylor, Sam Europa Editions (544 pp.) $19.00 paper | Sep. 24, 2019 978-1-60945-539-2 This is a bleak tale of personal vengeance set in Bordeaux, France, where memories of the German occupation remain fresh in the late 1950s as the country faces a new conflict in Algeria.

French writer Le Corre (Talking to Ghosts, 2014, etc.), known for his crime fiction, has the basics of the genre at work here while history supplies characters and motives. Andre Vaillant has returned to his hometown in Bordeaux in 1958 seeking revenge against Police Superintendent Albert Darlac, who betrayed him during World War II. In a plot with several narrative streams and expansive psychological portraits, Le Corre gradually reveals Vaillant’s experiences at Auschwitz and during

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fictional characters come to life in this bookish debut

Photo courtesy Fairlie Atkinson

If you could have any magical power, what would it be?

In discussing this question with a class, H.G. Parry came up with the perfect power for an English major: bringing characters (or even objects) out of a book and into the real world. “We were talking about literary theory and how maybe if you brought them out you could bring out your own particular interpretation,” she says.

So if different people brought the same character out of a book, each version would look completely different.

That idea developed into Parry’s debut novel, The Unlikely Es­ cape of Uriah Heep (July 23). Narrator Rob is perfectly content with H.G. Parry his ordinary life in Wellington, but his unexciting existence is upended when his brother Charlie returns from abroad. Charlie can read characters into existence when he concentrates closely on a text.

Unfortunately, he’s an English professor, so this ends up happening rather a lot—but the trouble doesn’t really start until someone else starts summoning fictional characters and sending them out into the world.

Rob is an unusual protagonist for a fantasy novel: He’s a successful lawyer with a supportive and loving girlfriend. In other words, he pretty much has it together. Charlie, on the other hand, is brilliant but scattered, prone to working at all hours of the night and accidentally leaving his phone in the refrigerator. Those differences breed misunderstandings, which are then rewritten as facts—much in the same way we reinterpret fictional characters. “Especially with family members who we think we know really well,” Parry says, “we can sometimes read them the way we want to read them rather than the way they need to be read or the way they are.” —A.H.

Alex Heimbach is a writer and editor in California. The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep received a starred review in the June 1, 2019, issue.

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a postwar period in Paris before he comes home with plans to hurt people tied to Darlac. Vaillant’s son, Daniel, whom he was forced to leave behind during the war, copes with military life in Algeria in some of the novel’s most compelling scenes. At the center of everything is the monstrous Darlac, who controls much of Bordeaux’s illicit activities with favors and sadism, as he did during the occupation, when “all cops were collaborators.” It’s an ambitious work, and Le Corre doesn’t entirely succeed in melding the many parts into a cohesive whole, but even somewhat digressive segments enrich characters and themes.

Meanwhile, the police are busy with a string of murders, all blamed on Vaillant but not all committed by him. The other culprit is Darlac, who uses the investigation to mask killings he commits for his personal agenda: one cop, two henchmen, and two people close to home. He also beats and rapes his wife and barely controls his passion for their 15-year-old daughter. His unrelenting cruelty is excessive, as is Le Corre’s prose at times, but the writing is generally high-end noir or better and well served by the translation.

Graphic in its violence but rich in history and psychology, this novel is vivid proof that “after the war, sometimes the war continues.”

MISSING PERSON

Lotz, Sarah Mulholland Books/Little, Brown (480 pp.) $27.00 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-0-316-39664-6 A missing person case gets upgraded to murder when the members of an online forum turn to sleuthing.

For 20 years, Shaun believed his uncle Teddy was dead after he left Ireland rather mysteriously and cut ties with his siblings. So when a stranger shows up, claiming that Teddy is alive and was last heard from in New York, Shaun is nonplussed. Still, he’s curious enough to post a picture on the internet looking for information, where it’s picked up by the members of a missing person site who immediately recognize Teddy as “The Boy in the Dress,” found murdered in Minnesota nearly 20 years before, wearing a pink prom dress. The narrative follows Shaun; the website admin, Chris, who has personal reasons to want to solve these cases; website moderator Ellie, who has previously gotten in trouble for getting carried away with her sleuthing; and website enthusiast Pete, who claims to be a former cop and sets up a GoFundMe to bring Shaun to the United States.

As the group begins to bond by working the case, someone is manipulating the situation for their own protection; someone doesn’t want the truth about the boy in the dress to come to light—and might be willing to kill to keep their secrets. Lotz’s (The White Road, 2017, etc.) previous novels have hardly been short on either terror or drama; this one is curiously lacking in both. Instead, it follows the slow progress of the investigation, moving appropriately to emphasize the mundanity, perhaps,

When a skull is discovered in the lake by a manor house, a 30-year-old mystery comes to light. the nanny

but devoid in the end of true mystery or suspense. The characters form a likable band of misfits who deserve a more exciting plot. Perhaps there’ll be a second chance in a sequel?

A legitimate but hardly original moral: Be careful whom you trust on the internet.

THE NANNY

Macmillan, Gilly Morrow/HarperCollins (400 pp.) $26.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 978-0-06-287555-6 When a skull is discovered in the lake by a manor house, a 30-year-old mystery comes to light.

When Jo’s husband dies suddenly, she reluctantly brings her 10-year-old daughter, Ruby, home to Lake Hall. Despite the seeming affluence of her aristocratic family, Jo’s memories of

her childhood are mostly unhappy, especially after her beloved nanny, Hannah, left under mysterious circumstances. Despite her mother’s frosty warnings, Jo takes Ruby out on the lake one day, and they unearth a human skull. The detective who comes to investigate has a chip on his shoulder about the upper class and would like nothing better than to prove the village rumors that the Holt family has casually disposed of inconvenient bodies throughout the years. Jo’s mother knows exactly to whom the skull belongs—and she wants to keep the truth from Jo as long as possible. Jo herself suspects it might belong to Hannah, who never would have left her voluntarily—but then suddenly, out of the blue, a handsome older woman turns up on their doorstep, claiming to be Hannah. No one is quite sure what to believe, but Jo, desperately wanting to rekindle the closeness she once had with Hannah and chafing against the coldness of her mother, invites the woman into her home to help care for Ruby—a mistake, we know, of catastrophic proportions. Macmillan (I Know You Know, 2018, etc.) strives to create a gothic atmosphere, but the setting falls short of true creepiness. Her decision to switch narrators does add layers to the story, but the

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A memorable portrait of a people at war—a war that has long demanded recounting from an Ethiopian point of view. the shadow king

voices all seem to tell more than they show, and no character is sympathetic enough, or charismatic enough, to really draw the reader into the mystery.

Art forgery! False identities! Adultery! Murder! But in the end, sadly, it’s more melodrama than true thriller.

THE SHADOW KING

Mengiste, Maaza Norton (448 pp.) $26.95 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-0-393-08356-9

An action-filled historical novel by Ethiopian American writer Mengiste (Beneath the Lion’s Gaze, 2010).

The Italians who invaded Ethiopia in 1935 under the orders of the man whom the conquered people insist on calling, in quiet resistance, Mussoloni came aching to avenge a loss they

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had suffered 40 years earlier. They might have remembered how fiercely the Ethiopians fought. Certainly the protagonist of Mengiste’s story, a young woman named Hirut, does. In a brief prologue, we find her returning to the capital, where she has not been for decades, in 1974, in order to find an audience with the emperor, Haile Selassie, who is just about to be overthrown.

She has a mysterious box, inside of which, Mengiste memorably writes, “are the many dead that insist on resurrection.” The box comes from the war nearly 40 years earlier, and it is an artifact full of meaning. Hirut was nothing if not resourceful back then: A servant in a wealthy household, she becomes a field nurse, but as the war deepens, she takes up arms and becomes a fighter herself, “the brave guard of the Shadow King”—the Shadow King being a villager who bore a reasonable enough resemblance to the emperor, who has gone into hiding, to be dressed like him, taught his mannerisms, and sent out in public in order to rally the dispirited Ethiopian people. “There are oaths that hold this world together,” Mengiste writes, “promises that cannot be left undone or unfulfilled.” Such is the oath that the emperor broke by fleeing the fight. Mengiste is a master of characterization,

THE FRAGILITY OF BODIES

and her characters reveal just who they are by their actions; always of interest to watch is the Italian colonel Carlo Fucelli, who is determined to win glory for himself, and a soldato named Ettore Navarra, who has learned Amharic and wants nothing more than to live a quiet life, preferably with Hirut by his side.

Hirut herself is well rounded and thoroughly fascinating—and not a person to be crossed.

A memorable portrait of a people at war—a war that has long demanded recounting from an Ethiopian point of view.

ONCE UPON A TIME IN FRANCE

Writer Nury (Atar Gull, 2019, etc.), illustrator Vallée (Katanga, 2019, etc.) and translator Hahnenberger (The Jungle, 2019, etc.) deliver a twisty historical-epic crime saga that follows a Jewish scrap-metal salesman’s relentless dedication to staying alive—and getting ahead—before, during, and after the Nazi occupation of France.

As a child, Joseph Joanovici meets his future wife, Eva, as they hide out from a czarist pogrom in 1905 Romania. They eventually immigrate to Clichy, France, to stay with Eva’s uncle, and Joseph demonstrates an uncanny skill in sorting metal, proving himself valuable in the uncle’s scrap-metal shop. Though illiterate, the unconventionally ingenious Joseph devises a crude bookkeeping system that allows him to manage the shop’s finances—and skim off the top to support his growing family.

The extra cash enables Joseph to turn a sticky predicament for his uncle into a massive business opportunity for himself, and this ability to turn danger to his advantage raises Joseph’s fortunes and reputation, bringing stability to his family even as the Nazis come to power, with reluctant—if profitable—material support from the Jewish ironmonger. The consummate opportunist, Joseph plays all sides, soon finding himself in league with Nazis, criminals, police, politicians, gamblers, businessmen, and the French Resistance, each move and alliance calculated to keep him and his loved ones alive even if it costs his soul and alienates those he protects. A vicious personal attack against an investigator earns Joseph an enemy who lingers long after the war. Nury’s story is gripping, brutal, and morally complex, dramatizing the fleeting nature of power. The first chapter spills out a jumbled chronology, presenting this complicated man as an overturned jigsaw puzzle, and the pages that follow fill in the blanks and tighten like a noose. Vallée’s art has the cartoonish realism and cinematic verve of Steve Dillon’s.

Thrilling, haunting, superb.

Young boys from poor families in Buenos Aires are being lured into lethal games of chicken on the railroad tracks.

Investigating the story, dedicated magazine reporter Veronica Rosenthal faces

threats of her own.

The deadly games pit one boy against another. The last to jump away from the onrushing train to safety is paid 100 pesos— the equivalent of $2 American but a huge sum to these kids.

The deaths have cast a pall on train travel, traumatizing drivers. One tormented engineer who also ran over three suicidal adults violently kills himself. Other drivers, including Lucio, who becomes Veronica’s guide through this underworld, can’t put aside their hatred for the victims for messing up the drivers’ lives. Lucio, a married man who becomes Veronica’s lover and partner in punishing sex, helps her track down the families of the young victims—and potential victims, including 10-yearold Peque. Accepted into a neighborhood soccer club by a coach out to program him as a train jumper, he survives his first bout and quickly spends the money on candy, chips, and Coke. Even after the deadliness of the game sinks in, he can’t stay away—just as Veronica can’t stay away from Lucio and the emotional perils he represents. It takes a while to adjust to Olguín’s flat narrative style and neutered tone, both of which may owe something to the translation. (Published in Spanish in 2012, this is the first of Olguín’s novels to be translated into English.) But the story is so gripping and Veronica is such a fascinating departure from crime fiction convention—she’s 30, Jewish, brazen, and openly flawed—that the book becomes difficult to put down. Also a very good novel about journalism, it’s the first installment of a trilogy.

An unusual, intoxicating thriller from Argentina that casts deeper and deeper shadows.

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Nury, Fabien Illus. by Vallée, Sylvain & Delf & Rose-Lyon, Haley Trans. by Hahnenberger, Ivanka Dead Reckoning/Naval Institute Press (368 pp.) $29.95 paper | Sep. 18, 2019 978-1-68247-471-6

Olguín, Sergio Trans. by France, Miranda Bitter Lemon Press (382 pp.) $14.95 paper | Sep. 19, 2019 978-1912242-191

THE HEART AND OTHER VISCERA

Palma, Félix J. Trans. by Caistor, Nick & Garcia, Lorenza Atria (240 pp.) $17.00 paper | Sep. 17, 2019 978-1-5011-6404-0 Palma, a Spanish writer best known here for the Map of Time trilogy (The Map of Chaos, 2015, etc.), returns with a book of imaginative stories.

In “Snow Globe,” one of the stronger tales, a traveling encyclopedia salesman masquerading as the dead son of a senile and grief-stricken elderly woman describes the title item as “a toy |

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world that obeys its own laws….Everything inside it works differently.” It’s a metaphor for the story at hand, but it could also apply to the book overall. “The Karenina Syndrome” unfurls an enigmatic tale about a man’s dread of Sunday dinners with his wife’s family into a domestic thriller centered around a love letter bookmarking his in-laws’ tattered copy of Anna Karenina, deftly recalibrating the book’s themes into something new and alarmingly grotesque. “Roses Against the Wind” expands a similar premise of how little family members actually know about one another into a fantastical meditation on compassion and escapism. But the title story—about a wealthy man who gives his wife pieces of his body over the course of their marriage—is indeed the standout and is practically dripping with black comedy and potential interpretations. Are the eyes, appendages, and limbs passed across the table over lavish dinners indicative of unbridled affection or “an act of tremendous egotism...akin to giving the church the clothes you no longer wear”? In Palma’s tales, lecherous co-workers inevitably steal jilted wives waiting at the foot of a staircase with their suitcase, work crushes wind up the talismanic muses of magical figurines—all evoked with an onslaught of metaphor and simile that hits the nail so hard and so frequently that, in aggregate, they have some trouble signifying. Palma has a piercing imagination hampered only by plots that are borderline contrived and an unchanging narrative voice.

Twelve well-paced stories straddling the line between parody, magical realism, mystery, and farce.

A SONG FOR A NEW DAY

Pinsker, Sarah Berkley (384 pp.) $16.00 paper | Sep. 10, 2019 978-1-9848-0258-3 A post-apocalyptic tale about the power of art and the urgency of human connection.

Luce Cannon is on tour with her backing band when it happens. Shootings and bomb threats have already become common, but then there’s an attack on a West Coast baseball stadium just before the band is supposed to go onstage for a sold-out concert in the nicest theater they’ve ever played. The concert is canceled, and soon so are all public gatherings. Cut off from performing, and with no real home to go back to since she left her Orthodox Jewish family rather than come out to them as queer, Luce is adrift. Rosemary Laws never knew Luce’s world. She grew up after the attack and the pox. She works in virtual reality all day.

The one time she went to a bar, it was a virtual bar—with the cocktails “droned to her doorstep.” But her first “live” concert experience takes her breath away. So when she gets a job offer from the company that produces those virtual reality concerts, she takes it even though it’ll require actual travel into the real, live world. The story of how Luce’s world—our world—turns into Rosemary’s is vividly rendered and chillingly plausible.

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But it’s what happens when Luce and Rosemary collide, when Rosemary finally experiences human connection in all its messy beauty, that makes this story so unusual, and powerful, and cements Pinsker’s (Sooner or Later Everything Falls Into the Sea, 2019) status as a rising star in the world of speculative fiction.

A gorgeous novel that celebrates what can happen when one person raises her voice.

LAMPEDUSA

Price, Steven Farrar, Straus and Giroux (336 pp.) $27.00 | Sep. 17, 2019 978-0-374-21224-7 A historical novel based on the life of a revered Italian writer.

Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa only ever wrote one novel. The Leopard was based on the life of his great-grandfather and set during the Risorgimento, or the unification of Italy. The novel became a classic in Italy, but Tomasi didn’t live to see its success: He died of emphysema before the book was published. Price’s (By Gaslight, 2016, etc.) novel is based on Tomasi’s life at the time he was writing The Leopard. He was 60 years old, the last member of an aristocratic Sicilian family, and he was growing more and more ill. In Price’s telling, Tomasi is a sweet, shy, soft-spoken man. He spends his days at bookstores and cafes, reading voraciously. In the evenings, Tomasi gives informal lectures on English literature to a couple of students while his wife, a psychoanalyst (unusual for the time—it’s 1955), sees patients. The novel traces his writing of The Leopard as well as his memories of his childhood and adolescence. Price’s writing is lyrical, though he slips sometimes into a certain preciousness; some passages are overwritten, even overwrought. Other than that, this is a quiet novel without a blaring plot. Tomasi writes, thinks, and remembers and struggles to tell his wife the truth about his illness. His “student friends”—Giò; his fiancee, Mirella; and Orlando—are almost like children to him. They’re also a kind of advance guard of a new, modern age, which Tomasi recognizes his alienation from. History, he knows, is passing him by, and Price shows how Tomasi works that understanding into his own novel.

A lyrical and sensitive portrait of a man nearing the end of his life.

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AN UNORTHODOX MATCH

Ragen, Naomi St. Martin’s (336 pp.) $27.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-1-250-16122-2

In her latest novel, Ragen (The Devil in Jerusalem, 2015, etc.) asks why a secular Jewish woman might join an Orthodox community and whether it would be possible for her to find not only acceptance, but family.

The daughter of a godless single mother who ran away from her own Orthodox Jewish upbringing as a teenager, Leah (born Lola) has been searching for religious meaning most of her life.

After two serious romances end disastrously, she becomes a baalas teshuva (“possessor of repentance”) in the Orthodox neighborhood of Boro Park, Brooklyn. Her goal is to learn the customs and philosophies of her ancestors but also to find a good man and start a family—like the one of recent widower

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Yaakov Lehman, whose children she begins caring for. She doesn’t know the prejudice she’s up against. Yaakov is struggling as well. It would be frowned upon for him to leave his full-time Talmudic studies to make money, even if he had the skills to do so. Other skills he does not possess, by design, are housekeeping and child-rearing; both have fallen to his 15-year-old daughter, Shaindele. Will Yaakov and Leah find happiness? Of course. But first there must be hurdles. These come in the form of many terrible dates (for each of them) with outsized, terrible characters, courtesy of the local matchmakers. Shaindele, hurting and overburdened, throws some roadblocks at them, aided in part by Yaakov’s mother-in-law, who acts as a window into the community and the threat it feels from outsiders. Additional chapters go into too much detail about Leah’s overstuffed, overcomplicated backstory (while still leaving out entire referred-to chunks, like time spent living in Israel) but serve the purpose of delaying the inevitable until the admittedly sweet ending.

The Sound of Music meets Fiddler on the Roof, but without the singing.

A frightening fable about the watcher and the watched. five windows

FIVE WINDOWS

Roemer, Jon Dzanc (184 pp.) $16.95 paper | Sep. 24, 2019 978-1-945814-94-5

THE FOOL And Other Moral Tales Serre, Anne Trans. by Hutchinson, Mark New Directions (176 pp.) $15.95 paper | Sep. 24, 2019 978-0-8112-2716-2

In three mysterious tales, Serre explores the moral implications of selfdestructive impulses, storytelling, and sexual taboo.

Serre (The Governesses, 2018), one of France’s finest fabulists, returns in full force in this slim, freshly translated collection.

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Roemer’s debut offers a disquieting take on Rear Window set in contemporary San Francisco.

Our narrator is a workaholic book publisher who lives, post–marital breakup, in a beautiful but stripped apartment on a placid hillside. He rarely ventures out, subsisting on deliveryservice food and on the human contact provided by video calls with authors and collaborators. All day he stares out from his command post near the five high windows of the title, observing the people who come and go and—the panopticon works both ways, it turns out—being observed by them. There are sinister undertones everywhere. The novel opens as the narrator observes a nearby house fire, one in a series of them. He hears mysterious muffled explosions from across the street; his upstairs neighbor shows up bloodied, pleads for the publisher to call 911, then departs with his lover, who has, the neighbor says, injured himself in a wood-carving accident; a transit hub is about to be built nearby, and the community is tense, wary, angry. Then an international celebrity author, not the kind this small outfit publishes, submits a novel manuscript that features eerie parallels to the publisher’s situation. All the while the reader has to grapple, too, with questions about the narrator’s reliability—why do his neighbors seem to think he’s a malignant presence, this watcher who doesn’t hide behind the usual niceties (and window treatments)? Like Hitchcock, Roemer excels at establishing and then deepening the reader/viewer’s unease—but his interest is less in the plot complications that fuel Hitchcock’s film than in the psychological drama unfolding within the apartment as the publisher’s life implodes. Roemer’s achievement here is to discomfit the reader without sacrificing the story’s fundamental realism. This book reads, often, like a dystopian novel, but—disturbingly—it’s one set in a dystopia we already live in.

A frightening fable about the watcher and the watched.

In “The Fool,” an unnamed narrator considers the first card in the Major Arcana of the tarot, linking the image to her drive for self-destruction and her ability to fall in and out of love. Caught between “fear and ecstasy, ecstasy and fear,” she knows only too well how to keep this rapturous back and forth at bay—and how to call it down upon herself. In “The Narrator,” the subject of storytelling is debated by friends vacationing in a chalet. With her customary wit, Serre has created two competing narrators—the title character, who has no control over the story he’s in, and the narrator of the story itself, who dishes up metacommentary on the morality of narration: “To feel holier-than-thou with your precious images, yes, yes, that’s all very fine. But to feel smug simply because you’re alone, simply because you’re different from others and in possession of a secret—morally, that’s not so good.” As characters discover how they’ve been portrayed throughout the story, they begin to revolt, pushing the title character to give up his power as a storyteller in order to live in the world. But the crown jewel of this collection is the perverse, absurd, and affecting story “The Wishing Table,” in which a young woman looks back on her childhood as a member of an incestuous family. Although the narrator rejects the idea of sexual abuse and embraces the “moral chaos” of her upbringing, her social isolation and strangeness permeate her adult relationships. Only after the death of her parents and years of celibacy does she uncover how to marry love with desire by reconciling her past. “[You] had only—as I had always known and believed—to pay close attention for a terrible joy to be born, for a work of art to emerge from your body, your hands, your eyes, your poor broken heart,” she thinks at last.

A strange, beguiling collection about the perils of desire in all its forms.

A MISTAKE

Shuker, Carl Counterpoint (192 pp.) $25.00 | Sep. 17, 2019 978-1-64009-249-5 Where does responsibility for a mistake lie: with a system? A circumstance?

An individual?

Shuker’s staccato recounting of an operating room mishap reveals as much about the iconoclastic surgeon leading the team as the doctor herself wants anyone to know: She plays thrash metal on repeat while she works, she’s curt and demanding in the OR, and she’s a brilliant, accomplished surgeon. The complicated aftermath of the surgical error, committed by a junior colleague, seems almost inevitable given Dr. Elizabeth (Liz!) Taylor’s propensity to do things her own way despite the confines of the misogynistic medical community of the novel’s setting, Wellington, New Zealand. In a parallel to the surgical story, Shuker unfolds the events leading up to the space shuttle Challenger disaster, an event Taylor uses to illustrate the implications of “massive systems failure” to her surgical students.

Taylor tells them there can be simple problems, complicated |

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problems, complex problems…or chaos. (Her own assessment of the operating room error as a “controlled emergency,” not a chaotic one, is one example of her sangfroid.) A pending initiative to publish the results of medical outcomes lends additional drama to Taylor’s predicament; data alone is subject to misunderstanding and misinterpretation by nonphysicians, and a sole bad outcome can skew the results of years of hard-won successes. Shuker’s spare narrative leaves substantial room to theorize about Taylor’s emotional life as well as the ultimate assignment of blame for the surgical calamity. Scattered clues to Taylor’s past allow insight into her relationship status, bisexuality, and temperament, but Shuker succeeds in providing a main character whose idiosyncratic self is most fully realized in the operating room and who has only herself to rely upon to survive the repercussions of a mistake.

A character study and a morality tale wrapped up in a medical thriller.

THE NEW GIRL

Silva, Daniel Harper/HarperCollins (496 pp.) $28.99 | Jul. 16, 2019 978-0-06-283483-6 Gabriel Allon partners with a dubious ally in the Middle East.

When a 12-year-old is abducted from an exclusive private school in Geneva, Allon, head of Israeli intelligence, is among the first to know. The girl’s father is Khalid bin Mohammed, heir to the Saudi throne, and he wants Allon’s help. KBM was once feted as a reformer, ready to bring new industries and new freedoms to his country. When he makes his appeal to Allon, though, KBM is the prime suspect in the murder of a journalist. If KBM immediately makes you think of MBS, you are correct. Silva mentions Mohammad bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s real-life heir apparent, in a foreword. But anyone who recognizes KBM as a fictional echo of MBS might find this book to be more old news than fresh entertainment.

In his last few novels, Silva has turned his attention to current world affairs, such as the rise of the new Russia and the threats of global terrorism. In novels like The Other Woman (2018) and House of Spies (2017), the author was inventive enough that these works felt compelling and original. And, in The Black Widow (2016), Silva wrote much of the story from the point of view of the French-born Israeli doctor Allon recruited for an undercover mission while also expanding the roles of a few familiar secondary characters. Allon is a wonderful creation. In the first several novels in this series, he posed as an art restorer while working for Israel’s intelligence service. He adopted a variety of personas and gave readers access to people and places few of us will ever see. Now that he’s a public figure who can no longer invent alter egos, his world is smaller and less fascinating. The pacing here is slow, and any sense of urgency is undercut by the matter of what’s at stake. Ultimately, this is a narrative about removing one horrible Saudi ruler in order to reinstate a less 32

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horrible Saudi ruler. This might be solid realpolitik, but it’s not terribly compelling fiction.

It may be time for Silva’s hero to retire from the field and let his protégés take over.

AGAINST THE WIND

Tilley, Jim Red Hen Press (296 pp.) $16.95 paper | Sep. 17, 2019 978-1-59709-835-9 Tilley’s debut novel after several collections of poetry traces the connections between a disparate group of people in the United States and Canada.

It begins with Ralph, a well-off lawyer in New York City, having a health episode that prompts him to revisit a canoe trip he undertook in 1965 with several of his high school friends. Ralph’s high school girlfriend, Lynn, is a teacher; his old rival, Dieter, now works for a company with a contentious wind farm project in the works.

Jean-Pierre, Lynn’s estranged husband, also has ties to the wind farm and often ponders his younger days, when he was deeply involved in Quebecois separatist politics. Many of the characters are in late middle age, with decades of personal history and professional rivalries behind them. The main exception, generationally speaking, is Jules, the grandson of Lynn and Jean-Pierre, raised by them after the boy’s parents died in a plane crash. Jules is a high school senior with an interest in engineering, which connects him to many of Lynn’s old friends. Jules is also transgender, which leads to a few awkward moments between him and JeanPierre, who is portrayed as being less understanding of Jules’ gender than Lynn. Tilley’s novel charts the shifting balance of power, both emotional and financial, within this group. Tilley handles most of his characters with sympathy, though an early revelation about Dieter helps to establish him as the closest thing this novel has to an antagonist. It’s a slow-burning work but written with a solid attention to detail—even if its focus on quiet conflicts and interpersonal dynamics can feel too restrained at times.

Tilley handles decadeslong character arcs with empathy, resulting in a resonant and humanistic novel.

CALL UPON THE WATER

Tillyard, Stella Atria (288 pp.) $26.00 | Sep. 17, 2019 978-1-9821-2096-2

Historical fiction that deftly weaves engineering marvels, love, optimism, and tragedy against the backdrop of war and tensions in the mid-17th-century Old and New Worlds.

Jan Brunt is a Dutch engineer hired in 1649 for a mammoth project to drain 500 square miles of

Something for everyone who digs things that go bump in the night. growing things

INHERITANCE

Toynton, Evelyn Other Press (272 pp.) $16.99 paper | Sep. 17, 2019 978-1-59051-921-9 The web of unhappiness ensnaring the children of an upper-class English family fascinates a restless American visitor.

Chilly, and peopled by a cast of more or less damaged characters, Toynton’s (The Oriental Wife, 2011, etc.) third novel spins a downbeat tale exploring the destructive spiral of the Digby family, whose idyllic Devon home is also the heart of its suffering. The house is presided over by matriarch and famous scientist Helena, whose domineering, narcissistic personality has extended a profound influence over her three children. This history is uncovered slowly by an outsider, widowed American Annie Devereaux, who has fled New York after her husband’s sudden death. An unexpected encounter on a London street with Helena’s son, Julian, leads to a relationship that morphs from sex and sharing into withering cruelty, apparently Julian’s familiar pattern. But before the relationship founders, Annie is introduced to Julian’s sister Isabel, who offers another facet of the family—beautiful, intellectual, and wounded. There’s also a third sibling, math prodigy Sasha, whose mental illness is at times an effective weapon against her selfishly controlling mother. Annie, with her Anglophilia and romantic view of Devon, courtesy of her long-absent father, is magnetized by both Isabel and her home.

The text is sprinkled with references to Brideshead Revisited, Toynton’s acknowledgement of some parallels between the

two stories. But she pulls her own narrative westward, setting up contrasts between Britain and the U.S. and problematical single-family homes on either side of the Atlantic. It’s a finely phrased and observed piece of writing but doesn’t fully characterize its narrator nor break the doomed family out of the mold.

Even though the Digby secrets are exposed and Annie moves on to yet another (imperfect) relationship, little emerges in the way of resolution.

A small, brittle, not entirely focused story of class and lost illusions.

GROWING THINGS And Other Stories

Tremblay, Paul Morrow/HarperCollins (352 pp.) $25.99 | Jul. 2, 2019 978-0-06-267913-0

Nineteen eerie short stories from an award-winning writer who clearly embraces literary horror fully.

No lie: The Cabin at the End of the World (2018) was a tough read because it’s terrifying in an unusual way, so it’s not a surprise that these frighteningly imaginative slices of horror are often far more chilling than their relatively mundane inspirations. Tremblay, like Joe Hill, Chuck Wendig, Richard Kadrey, and their ilk, is among the best in the literary business but chooses to play in a fairly specific genre, which is pretty much horror taken to another plane. Well-written, yes. But scary as hell, which is an equally admirable trick to accomplish. The title story shows up first, depicting a slow apocalypse via invasive plants not as a panorama but as one family’s bitter end. It also contains the book’s most frightening line: “There are no more stories.” Next is “Swim Wants to Know If It’s as Bad as Swim Thinks,” portraying a junkie—SWIM is a cipher for “someone who isn’t me”—who’s trying to describe her addiction online even as some monster might be nearby. We get a couple of hardcore crime stories in “The Getaway,” in which a knockoff artist is struggling to escape his brother’s shadow, and “Nineteen Snapshots of Dennisport,” which might as well have been a deleted scene from Scorsese’s The Departed. The best, most challenging stories are completely meta. “Notes for ‘The Barn in the Wild’ ” details the Blair Witch Project–esque journey of someone trying to get to the bottom of a story while “Something About Birds” finds a writer launching a zine delving into the mysterious history of a famous writer, all structured in unexpected ways. The rest are creepfests inspired by everything from Poe to Lovecraft to King. There’s a little fan service as well—a character who seems to be Karen Brissette from Tremblay’s A Head Full of Ghosts waxes eloquent about the horror genre in the extended “Notes From the Dog Walkers” while the memorable Merry from the same earlier book anchors the equally creepy “The Thirteenth Temple.”

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land in England. The successful project will create wealth and riches for a group of so-called Gentlemen Adventurers by creating arable land from wetlands, or fens, where salt and fresh water compete with each other daily for mastery. But doing so means the destruction of that natural world and the livelihoods of those who live within it. As Jan begins his work on the Great Level—as it is called—Eliza arrives in his life, emerging from the fens. Jan and Eliza are two people who are perfectly complete as and by themselves, yet they find joy in each other. This book is about memories and about love: of place, of person, of things well made, of partners well cherished. It is also about survival. The locations—from the orderly streets of the Netherlands to the wild fens of England tamed by engineering, the swampy shorelines of Virginia thick with cypress trees and the burgeoning cityscape of New York–to-be—are so finely wrought by author Tillyard (Tides of War, 2011, etc.) that they will embed themselves in your mind as distant places your thoughts return to wistfully, as if you yourself have traveled there. But as much as this story is one of optimism, tragedy is still prevalent: wildlands, families, bodies, engineering marvels, all are destroyed in time. But everything can be rebuilt, and for Jan, it is in memories, hard work, and future possibilities that he finds joy.

A dense, delightful read.

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THE STRANGER INSIDE

Unger, Lisa Park Row Books (384 pp.) $26.99 | Sep. 17, 2019 978-0-7783-0872-0

This complex psychological thriller digs deep into the layers of trauma that linger long after a terrible crime.

This is the 17th novel by Unger (Under My Skin, 2018, etc.), and it revisits one of her frequent themes: the indelible impact of violence on the survivors of crimes. The survivor at its center is Rain Winter, who at age 12 was one of three friends who became the victims of a monster. At first glance, Rain seems to have overcome that nightmare. She’s happily married and reveling in motherhood, although she vacillates between the joy she finds in 1-year-old Lily and the tug of the job she left as a hard-charging radio news producer. That tug increases when she hears that a man whose murder trial she covered, a man who was acquitted of killing his pregnant wife, has been found dead—killed in just the same way his wife was. Rain was sure he was guilty, so she feels some dark satisfaction, and her investigative instincts (and maybe something else) are aroused when a dark web mole, tipster, and blogger tells her off the record that there have been other, very similar revenge murders, and they might be the work of the same person. That wakes her own worst memories: “There weren’t many people who remembered Rain’s ugly history. It was big news once, but it had faded in the bubbling morass of horrific crimes since then.” Its aftermath included the children’s attacker being released from prison— and murdered. Chapters describing Rain’s pursuit of the story of a possible vengeful serial killer are intercut with chapters narrated by a mysterious person from her past, one who is closer to her in the present than she knows. Unger skillfully peels back the layers of Rain’s emotional scar tissue to expose the truth of what happened in her childhood and the fear, rage, and guilt it left behind, with a series of shocking consequences.

Surviving a crime is the beginning of the story, not the end, in this astute, engrossing thriller.

MOCCASIN SQUARE GARDENS

Van Camp, Richard Douglas & McIntyre (160 pp.) $19.95 paper | Sep. 28, 2019 978-1-77162-216-5

An eclectic mix of stories, sometimes irreverent and occasionally scarifying, about First Nations peoples in northern Canada.

“Super Indians,” one of the strongest stories in this collection from the veteran Van Camp (Kiss by Kiss, 2018, etc.), has the wisecracking attitude of early Sherman Alexie, as its young narrator bemoans how the tribal leader, Chief Danny, siphons funds and keeps the 34

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community stuck in a rut. (“I would spend my life uncolonizing Chief Danny…save the North from him and every other loser leader out there.”) Similarly, in “Man Babies,” a man attempts to deliver some tough love to his new girlfriend’s layabout son, who’s proving that “our warriors will remain couch potatoes. That our languages and customs will die.” Van Camp can tweak this approach to make it more compassionate, as in “The Promise,” in which two boys practice pro-wrestling moves on each other to help cope with their fathers’ absences. Or he can reshape it into bleak horror, as in a pair of stories in which global warming unleashes an army of demons called the Wheetago; our neglect of the environment dooms us to having our “heads like chalices served up as offerings, full of brains mixed with blackberries.” Those two stories aside, Van Camp is mainly concerned with everyday lives in the region where he grew up in the Northwest Territories, and he can give everyday experience a Thurber-esque charm, as in “Ehtsèe/Grandpa,” in which the narrator attempts to connect with his grandparents in absurd or ill-advised ways (watching E.T. with grandpa, getting both of them stoned). The lack of an overall consistent tone can make the collection feel centerless, but Van Camp seems capable of bringing glints of humor to nearly every predicament, be it world-ending or just day-wrecking.

Straight talk and dark fantasy from an underappreciated corner of North America.

RUSTY BROWN

Ware, Chris Illus. by the author Pantheon (356 pp.) $35.00 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-0-375-42432-8 Ware (Building Stories, 2012, etc.) fans rejoice: The long-rumored and hinted-at adventures of Rusty Brown finally come to the page after years in the making.

If Ware’s Jimmy Corrigan is indeed the smartest kid in the world, Rusty Brown is perhaps among the least comfortable inside his own skin: He lives a life of quiet desperation in a snowy Midwestern suburb, obsessed with comic heroes such as Supergirl, who he’s sure would melt away the snow with her heat vision (“maybe she has problems shutting it off sometimes”); for his part, he wonders whether, in the quiet after a snowfall, he might have developed superhearing. Rusty’s dad, Woody, is no more content: A sci-fi escapist, he teaches English alongside an art teacher who just happens to be named Mr. Ware but seems happy only when he’s smoking a cigarette and drinking coffee in the teachers’ lounge even if Mr. Ware is given to bewildering him there with talk of Lacan, Baudrillard, and ennui. Joanne Cole, an African American third grade language teacher, gently empathizes with her angst-y little charges while nursing an impulse to learn how to play the banjo; it being the civil rights era, the music store owner who sells her an instrument asks, without malice, “So how’d you get interested in the banjo, anyway? Folk music? ‘Protest’ songs?” The lives of all these characters and others intersect in curious and compelling ways. As

Woodson sings a fresh song of Brooklyn, an aria to generations of an African American family. red at the bone

m ys t e r y

with Ware’s other works of graphic art, the narrative arc wobbles into backstory and tangent: Each page is a bustle of small and large frames, sometimes telling several stories at once in the way that things buzz around us all the time, demanding notice.

Joanne’s story is perhaps the best developed, but the pickedon if aspirational Rusty (“I appear as a mortal, but…I may not be…”), the dweeby Woody, the beleaguered Chalky, and other players are seldom far from view.

An overstuffed, beguiling masterwork of visual storytelling from the George Herriman of his time.

RED AT THE BONE

Woodson, Jacqueline Riverhead (208 pp.) $26.00 | Sep. 17, 2019 978-0-525-53527-0

Abdul-Jabbar, Kareem & Waterhouse, Anna Titan Books (336 pp.) $25.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-1-78565-930-0 A third round of Victorian detection and domestic friction for the imperishable Holmes brothers.

If there had been a 24-hour news cycle in 1873, every hour would have been devoted to the Fire 411 killer, whose murders would never have been identified as such if he hadn’t insisted on leaving his calling card at each crime scene, a message reading “The Fire 411!”

The eight victims to date, ranging from a boy of 7 and a girl of 10 up to a retired barrister in his 80s, have been so marginal that the case wouldn’t have enticed Mycroft, addict and sometime foreign agent, if the ninth victim, Elise Wickham, weren’t the stepdaughter of Queen Victoria’s cousin Count Wolfgang Hohenlohe-Langenburg. In fact, the Count, a bully and a swindler, had already attracted the attention of Mycroft and his Trinidadian friend, Cyrus Douglas, who now must switch gears smoothly from seeking evidence of him to solving his stepdaughter’s murder to accommodate the queen. Their novel solution is to farm the case out to Mycroft’s younger brother, who’s a student at Downing College, Cambridge. Sherlock’s eagerness to follow the crooked trail of the Fire 911 killer leaves Mycroft free to oblige shipping magnate Deshi Hai Lin, whose life he saved in Mycroft and Sherlock (2018) and who now, as if he weren’t already indebted enough, begs Mycroft’s help in seeking and recovering Bingwen Shi, the fiance of his lovely daughter, Ai Lin. The decision to assign each of the feuding brothers to a separate case is great for the family peace, but it soft-pedals a leading attraction of the series and produces enough back-andforth plotting to put most readers in serious danger of whiplash.

Against all odds, the riddle behind the kidnapping turns out to be more interesting, more surprising, and more logical than that of the Fire 411 killer.

All the usual pleasures—blood and thunder, sibling rivalry, historical walk-ons—but no great shakes as a mystery.

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Woodson sings a fresh song of Brooklyn, an aria to generations of an African American family.

National Book Award winner Woodson (Harbor Me, 2018, etc.) returns to her cherished Brooklyn, its “cardinals and flowers and bright-colored cars. Little girls with purple ribbons and old women with swollen ankles.” For her latest coming-ofage story, Woodson opens in the voice of Melody, waiting on the interior stairs of her grandparents’ brownstone. She’s 16, making her debut, a “ritual of marking class and time and transition.” She insists that the assembled musicians play Prince’s risqué “Darling Nikki” as she descends. Melody jabs at her mother, Iris, saying “It’s Prince. And it’s my ceremony and he’s a genius so why are we even still talking about it? You already nixed the words. Let me at least have the music.” Woodson famously nails the adolescent voice. But so, too, she burnishes all her characters’ perspectives. Iris’ sexual yearning for another girl at Oberlin College gives this novel its title: “She felt red at the bone—like there was something inside of her undone and bleeding.” By then, Iris had all but abandoned toddler Melody and the toddler’s father, Aubrey, in that ancestral brownstone to make her own way. In 21 lyrical chapters, readers hear from both of Iris’ parents, who met at Morehouse, and Aubrey’s mother, CathyMarie, who stretched the margarine and grape jelly sandwiches to see him grown. Woodson’s ear for music—whether Walt Whitman’s or A Tribe Called Quest’s—is exhilarating, as is her eye for detail. Aubrey and little Melody, holding hands, listen to an old man whose “bottom dentures were loose in his mouth, moving in small circles as he spoke.” The novel itself circles elegantly back to its beginning, Melody and Iris in 2001 for a brava finale, but not before braiding the 1921 Race Massacre in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to the fires of 9/11. The thread is held by Iris’ mother, Sabe, who hangs on through her fatal illness “a little while longer. Until Melody and Iris can figure each other out.”

In Woodson, at the height of her powers, readers hear the blues: “beneath that joy, such a sadness.”

MYCROFT AND SHERLOCK The Empty Birdcage

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A CUP OF HOLIDAY FEAR

Alexander, Ellie St. Martin’s (304 pp.) $7.99 paper | Sep. 24, 2019 978-1-250-21434-8

Will a murder dash holiday spirits in Ashland, Oregon?

Sometime sleuth Juliet Capshaw is too busy baking for Torte, the family bakery and coffee shop in the heart of Ashland, to think about murder. Her staff is hardpressed to keep Torte’s pastries and specialty holiday coffee drinks available as they fly out the door. The whole group is looking forward to the famed Dickens feast at the Winchester Hotel, which Emma and Jon McBeth, friends of Jules’ mother, have owned for years. Since Jules’ husband, Carlos, is away at his job on a cruise ship, her dinner date is her pal Lance. Rumor has it the McBeths are selling the hotel, but Emma says the contract limits the changes that Cami, the buyer, can make. The food is delicious, the wine a perfect complement, but it’s all spoiled by Cami, who, seated near Jules’ party, is rude and obnoxious. Her nastiness escalates when she gets into a fight over a cellphone with Francine La Roux, a talented singer who’s part of the quartet providing entertainment for the dinner, and threatens to stab her with a steak knife. Emma’s distraught over several complications that are ruining the carefully planned event, and when Jules offers to help, she finds Jon passed out in the wine cellar. The discovery of Cami with a steak knife in her chest forces Jules to start sleuthing along with the Professor, the stepfather whose advice has aided the police in several earlier cases (Live and Let Pie, 2018, etc.). Between baking night and day and cautiously meddling in her staff’s love lives, she somehow helps solve the crime.

Murder plays second fiddle to a foodie’s delight and a paean to awesome Ashland.

TIDE AND PUNISHMENT

Baker, Bree Poisoned Pen (384 pp.) $7.99 paper | Sep. 24, 2019 978-1-4926-6481-9

A gnomish murder muddles Christmas festivities on Charm Island.

Charm is a small, clannish island on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

Mayor Dunfree wants to keep it that way; Fran Swan, one of his opponents in the current election, is supported

by Charmers for Change. One such Charmer is Everly Swan, owner of the cafe Sun, Sand and Tea, who returned to Charm after a difficult breakup and gave widowed police detective Grady Hays the key to her heart. Clara and Fran, Everly’s eccentric and beloved great-aunts, own Blessed Bee, a shop that features all things bee-related. When Dunfree is bashed to death with one of Clara’s gnomes at Everly’s Christmas party, Grady 36

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must consider Fran, whom Everly found clutching a shattered gnome, his first suspect. To add to the difficulties, Charm is in the midst of a rare major snowstorm that threatens to bury evidence in drifts. The morning after Dunfree’s demise, Everly (No Good Tea Goes Unpunished, 2019, etc.) fires up her trusty golf cart and plows through the snow to town, where someone has stolen all the gnomes outside Blessed Bee. Everly is busy baking cookies night and day and planning her food for the progressive dinner, a long-standing island tradition, but she can’t resist investigating the murder, much to Grady’s dismay. Though she begins to receive threats, Everly is undeterred. Grady has his own problems with his rich and powerful mother-in-law, Sen. Olivia Denver, who’s just bought a house on Charm and plans to run for mayor. Everly learns that there are a long string of people with grievances against Dunfree. Now she just has to pick out the killer before Christmas is ruined and her aunt’s arrested.

Oodles of Christmas cheer bolster a thin mystery.

THE KILLER IN THE CHOIR

Brett, Simon Creme de la Crime (192 pp.) $28.99 | Sep. 1, 2019 978-1-78029-118-5

An unlikely accusation at a wake kicks off the latest case of murder in Fethering, that quaint little village time forgot.

Carole Seddon hadn’t known retired insurance man Leonard Mallett well enough to attend his funeral service out of a sense of personal attachment, but her sense of communal responsibility—she serves on the Committee for the Preservation of Fethering’s Seafront, which he chaired—is rewarded when she’s made privy to his daughter Alice’s passing remark that he was killed by Heather Mallett, his second wife and Alice’s stepmother. The minor scandal that erupts has no impact on the police, who stoutly continue to maintain that Mallett’s fall down his staircase was entirely accidental. Whatever Heather’s role in his decease, she’s amply punished on the night of Alice’s wedding to Roddy Skelton by someone who strangles her and dumps her body into the water, leaving it to wash up next day on that wellpreserved seafront. The evidence doesn’t point to anybody in particular, but the title suggests that the guilty party is a member of the Crown & Anchor choir, a group assembled specifically to perform at the wedding ceremony. Given their vast experience in petty homicide (The Liar in the Library, 2018, etc.), it’s inevitable that Carole and her healer friend, Jude Nicholls, would resolve to find the killer. Their insinuating queries unearth several questionable alibis, several more Christie-like red herrings, several revelations of musical misdirection and incompetence, and one serious case of PTSD. This time, though, the plot is as disjointed as this list would suggest, and the denouement comes not with a bang but a bemused shake of the head.

Minor Brett, which is very minor indeed, but still a treasure trove of microgossip.

The Brontë sisters take on their first sleuthing case—and it’s a dilly. the vanished bride

THE OFF-ISLANDER

Colt, Peter Kensington (240 pp.) $26.00 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-1-4967-2341-3

LABYRINTH

Coulter, Catherine Simon & Schuster (512 pp.) $27.99 | Jul. 30, 2019 978-1-5011-9365-1 Coulter’s treasured FBI agents take on two cases marked by danger and personal involvement.

Dillon Savitch and his wife, Lacey Sherlock, have special abilities that have served them well in law enforcement (Paradox, 2018, etc.). But that doesn’t prevent Sherlock’s car from hitting a running man after having been struck by a speeding SUV that runs a red light. The runner, though clearly injured, continues on his way and disappears. Not so the SUV driver, a security engineer for the Bexholt Group, which has

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New England police officer Colt’s first novel is a boozy pipe dream of a private eye’s search for a long-missing father during a period the narrator guilelessly describes as “a couple of years into [Reagan’s] first term.”

Geoffrey Swift, scion of the San Francisco Swift Aeronautical juggernaut, has a serious shot at becoming the first Republican senator from the Bay Area in years. So naturally Deborah Swift doesn’t want anything to stand in her husband’s gilded way. A serious potential obstacle is her father, Charles Edgar Hammond, a Korean War vet who stepped out for a pack of cigarettes while Deborah was still a child and never came back.

Since the Army had Hammond’s fingerprints on file, it’s not likely that he died unidentified, but it’s impossible to say what scandals may be lurking beneath his disappearance. Deborah’s already hired the Pinkerton agency to investigate his last known whereabouts on Cape Cod, but the locals, true to New England form, have been standoffish toward the agency operatives, who’ve generated reams of paperwork but precious few leads.

So Deborah asks Harvard-educated Boston attorney Danny Sullivan to recommend somebody local and flies Danny’s best friend, Andy Roark, from coast to coast for a brief one-on-one and an infusion of cash. Back in Massachusetts, Andy zeroes in on Hyannis, where several veterans’ benefits checks were sent to Hammond in 1968, and Nantucket, where his trail seems to lead. Throughout it all, Colt conscientiously supplies the obligatory complications of the hard-boiled formula—sexual comeons, gunplay, mob figures, betrayals—but in slow motion. It’s no wonder that Andy muses to his old friend: “This is a puzzle, almost a mystery.” Yep, almost.

Not much incident but lots of attitude.

ties to government agencies. Sherlock’s own concussion causes memory loss so severe that she doesn’t recognize Savitch or remember their son, Sean. The whole incident seems more suspicious when a blood test from the splatter of the man Sherlock hit reveals that he’s Justice Cummings, an analyst for the CIA. The agency’s refusal to cooperate makes Savitch certain that Bexholt is involved in a deep-laid plot. Meanwhile, Special Agent Griffin Hammersmith is visiting friends who run a cafe in the touristy Virginia town of Gaffers Ridge. Hammersmith, who has psychic abilities, is taken aback when he hears in his mind a woman’s cry for help. Reporter Carson DeSilva, who came to the area to interview a Nobel Prize winner, also has psychic abilities, and she overhears the thoughts of Rafer Bodine, a young man who has apparently kidnapped and possibly murdered three teenage girls. Unluckily, she blurts out her thoughts, and she’s snatched and tied up in a cellar by Bodine. Bodine may be a killer, but he’s also the nephew of the sheriff and the son of the local bigwig. So the sheriff arrests Hammersmith and refuses to accept his FBI credentials. Bodine’s mother has psychic powers strong enough to kill, but she meets her match in Hammersmith, DeSilva, Savitch, and Sherlock.

Greed, love, and extrasensory abilities combine in two middling mysteries.

THE VANISHED BRIDE

Ellis, Bella Berkley (304 pp.) $26.00 | Sep. 10, 2019 978-0-593-09905-6

The Brontë sisters take on their first sleuthing case—and it’s a dilly.

In 1845, Emily, Charlotte, and Anne Brontë lead a plain, quiet life with their father in Haworth Parsonage, with only their brilliant imaginations for company. The Yorkshire quiet is shattered when their roustabout brother, Branwell, reports a bloody killing at nearby Chester Grange and the disappearance of the body, assumed to be that of Elizabeth, the second wife of Robert Chester. The Grange has been notorious ever since Chester’s first wife threw herself out the window some years back. Following this new horror, the sisters decide to engage in the newly developing career choice of “detecting,” particularly because Matilda French, a schoolmate of Charlotte and Emily’s who’s the governess at the Grange, witnessed the blood-soaked bed in Elizabeth’s chamber. Undaunted by the chilly reception they get from the Grange’s housekeeper and their unpleasant first encounter with the master of the house, the sisters investigate a nearby gypsy camp and a place in the woods where they find a charred bone and an intact tooth. While Anne and Branwell insinuate themselves completely enough into the Grange to discover a hidden panel, a secret staircase, bloody evening gloves, and an incriminating note, Charlotte and Emily conduct wide-ranging interviews, sometimes as themselves and sometimes in disguise.

Witnessing a macabre scene of obsession and remorse gives the |

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sisters more insight into Elizabeth’s life with Chester. And the more they learn about the unfortunate woman, the more sympathetic they feel and the more they’re willing to flout convention and the more risks they’ll take to learn the truth. Along the way, Ellis, a pseudonym for Rowan Coleman (We Are All Made of Stars, 2016, etc.), drops plenty of hints about where the sisters supposedly find inspiration for their future novels.

Move over, Jane Austen, for the latest literary ladies who snoop in this improbable but lively series debut.

A DEATH IN HARLEM

Holloway, Karla F.C. Northwestern Univ. (248 pp.) $18.95 paper | Sep. 15, 2019 978-0-8101-4081-3 A beautiful young woman’s fatal fall (or was it a push?) through a hotel’s window provokes multiple investigations into all manner of secrets in New York’s African American community at the height of the Harlem Renaissance.

Called to the podium of the Ninth Annual Opportunity Awards Banquet to receive the prize for Creative Fiction for her short story “Sanctuary,” Olivia Frelon misses her cue because she’s lying in the street outside the Hotel Theresa, her body shattered by the fall. At first the officers of the 30th Precinct have little interest in her death. When they do act, it’s to arrest Vera Scott, Olivia’s dear friend, frequent hostess, and wife to Dr. Reynolds Scott, Olivia’s lover. Sadie Mathis, Vera’s maid, convinced that her employer could never have killed even such a treacherous friend, asks Officer Weldon Haynie Thomas to look into the case on his own. As he patiently explains to her, Weldon has no official standing to investigate; he’s not even a detective. But as “Harlem’s first colored policeman,” he surely has some standing in the community. Agreeing to do what he can, Weldon doesn’t know that wealthy, white entrepreneur Hughes Wellington, a frequent patron of the African American community, has already engaged private investigator Sanders Campbell to make inquiries of his own. The secrets that emerge, it turns out, are all about race: racial pride, racial identity, racial passing, and the problematic relations between a Harlem community yearning for self-expression and the white institutions determined to police it while keeping it at a safe distance. Slipping in and out of Weldon’s voice, retired Duke professor Holloway (Legal Fictions, 2014, etc.) handsomely demonstrates his self-effacing professional maxim: “If you wait, information will come get you.”

Holloway brings her period, place, and people alive and provides as a bonus a most unexpected culprit.

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LAND OF WOLVES

Johnson, Craig Viking (336 pp.) $28.00 | Sep. 17, 2019 978-0-525-52250-8

Sheriff Longmire untangles a nasty family snarl.

Back from Mexico, where his war against a drug lord (Depth of Winter, 2018) very nearly cost him his life, Walt Longmire, Sheriff of Absaroka County, Wyoming, is having trouble regaining his strength and characteristic swagger. Things at first seem fairly straightforward: A wolf designated 777M may or may not have killed a sheep. Longmire and his undersheriff, Victoria Moretti, begin to investigate—the sheep’s DNA will be analyzed, a predator—wolf or mountain lion—will be identified. Either way, 777M has rattled the populace, and wolf panic has set in. It seems inevitable that 777M will be hunted down, and much as he regrets this, Longmire cannot do much to prevent it.

Keasik Cheechoo (“Cree-Assiniboine/Young Dogs, Piapot First Nation, a Native wolf advocate,”) appears to plead the wolf ’s case, but Absaroka County’s legal structure has taken the process out of the sheriff ’s hands. Other Native characters contribute to the narrative: Henry Standing Bear, a Northern Cheyenne, offers Longmire counsel, and for a while it seems 777M may be a manifestation of the spirit of Virgil White Buffalo, who helped Longmire in the past. Henry Standing Bear is a vivid and appealing character, but the suggestion of a spiritual involvement is ultimately unrequited. As the investigation goes on, things get much more complicated. The sheep belonged to Abarrane Extepare, a second-generation Basque American and one of the richest men in Absaroka County, and was herded by a Chilean shepherd named Miguel Hernandez.

When Longmire and Moretti find Hernandez, he has been hanged, and though suicide is a possibility, a reasonable case can be made for murder. The investigation widens, and the dynamics and particulars of sheep farming, of migrant labor and shepherding, and of land use in general are ably explored through the history of the Extepare family. And it is in the family that the mystery finally finds a structure and Longmire finds a solution.

Sometimes informative and sometimes murky but overall a rewarding journey to Absaroka County.

A ghostwriter’s gig is threatened by her boss’s loutish paramour. death of a gigolo

DEATH OF A GIGOLO

Levine, Laura Kensington (304 pp.) $26.00 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-1-4967-0852-6

A GOLDEN GRAVE

Lindsey, Erin Minotaur (400 pp.) $17.99 paper | Sep. 17, 2019 978-1-250-18067-4 An Irish maid–turned–Pinkerton agent never lets being out of her depth stop her.

Rose Gallagher and her former employer and true love, wealthy Englishman Thomas Wiltshire, are working for Pinkerton’s special branch. Rose is in training, learning to shoot, ride, and defend herself, when they’re called back to New York, where Rose has been helping to find paranormal entities. Rose’s encounter with a ghost (Murder on Millionaires’ Row, 2018) left her with the ability to sense shades, and she’s learned that some people, including Wiltshire

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A ghostwriter’s gig is threatened by her boss’s loutish paramour.

Days look sunny for LA freelancer Jaine Austen (Death of a Neighborhood Scrooge, 2018, etc.). Her slacker ex-husband, Dickie Elliott, has rebooted himself as a graphic artist/fitness freak with rock-solid abs and a hankering to rekindle their romance. And her best friend, upscale shoe salesman Lance Venable, has introduced her to socialite Daisy Kincaid, who wants to write a bestselling romance titled Fifty Shades of Turquoise with just a teeny-weeny bit of help from someone who has actually written something for publication.

Any qualms Jaine might have about copyright infringement melt away when she sees the working conditions at La Belle Vie, Daisy’s Bel Air mansion, which offers scrumptious lunches prepared daily by Chef Raymond, a freezer stocked with Dove Bars that she and office mate Kate can scarf down at will, and limitless help from Solange, Daisy’s maid. Too good to last?

Of course. Enter Tommy La Salle, the nephew of Daisy’s late companion, Emma Shimmel, who worms his way into Daisy’s affections and earns the hatred of everyone else. Soon shrimp scampi is off the menu, replaced by meatball subs and tater tots.

(Jaine can barely choke down a dozen of the crunchy puffs while watching Tommy clean his nails with the platinum Swiss army knife Daisy buys him.) Raymond and Solange’s wages are cut, and Kate and Jaine have to fend off Tommy’s crude advances.

Tommy’s murder is no surprise, and Jaine’s investigation is a classic cozy confrontation: The sharp-tongued writer quizzes each suspect until somebody finally bites back.

This by-the-book cozy will delight fans who like a sharp comeback—and maybe a tater tot on the side.

and his friend Jonathan Burrows, have varied special powers called “lucks.” Sgt. Chapman, one of the few honest police officers in 1886 New York, tells Rose about the deaths of six delegates to the Republican Convention from unknown causes that the chief of detectives, who’s in thrall to Tammany Hall, is passing off as a rare form of typhoid. The case is far above Chapman’s pay grade but perfect for the Pinkertons. Since Burrows’ luck is the ability to tell where an object has been by touching it, Rose sends him to the morgue in hopes that he can sniff out a clue. The six delegates were all backing mayoral candidate Theodore Roosevelt. Is TR now in danger himself? Although the case has been hushed up, a coroner on the Pinkerton payroll thinks the cause of death is cardiac failure, suggesting a shade whose very touch can cause death. Rose and Wiltshire continue to hunt for the killer as she gingerly mingles with ultrasnobbish New York socialites and meets brilliant inventor Nikola Tesla, whose ideas lead them to seek not a shade but a man whose luck is the ability to kill with a touch.

A rousing paranormal adventure that explores the vast class differences shaping the heroine’s romance, with real historical personages adding a fillip.

HEAVEN, MY HOME

Locke, Attica Mulholland Books/Little, Brown (304 pp.) $27.00 | Sep. 17, 2019 978-0-316-36340-2

The redoubtable Locke follows up her Edgar-winning Bluebird, Bluebird (2017) with an even knottier tale of racism and deceit set in the same scruffy East Texas boondocks.

It’s the 2016 holiday season, and African American Texas Ranger Darren Matthews has plenty of reasons for disquiet besides the recent election results. Chiefly there’s the ongoing fallout from Darren’s double murder investigation involving the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas. He and his wife are in counseling.

He’s become a “desk jockey” in the Rangers’ Houston office while fending off suspicions from a district attorney who thinks Darren hasn’t been totally upfront with him about a Brotherhood member’s death. (He hasn’t.) And his not-so-loving mother is holding on to evidence that could either save or crucify him with the district attorney. So maybe it’s kind of a relief for Darren to head for the once-thriving coastal town of Jefferson, where the 9-year-old son of another Brotherhood member serving hard time for murdering a black man has gone missing while motorboating on a nearby lake. Then again, there isn’t that much relief given the presence of short-fused white supremacists living not far from descendants of the town’s original black and Native American settlers—one of whom, an elderly black man, is a suspect in the possible murder of the still-missing boy. Meanwhile, Darren’s cultivating his own suspicions of chicanery involving the boy’s wealthy and imperious grandmother, whose own family history is entwined with the town’s antebellum past and who isn’t |

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so fazed with her grandson’s disappearance that she can’t have a lavish dinner party at her mansion. In addition to her gifts for tight pacing and intense lyricism, Locke shows with this installment of her Highway 59 series a facility for unraveling the tangled strands of the Southwest’s cultural legacy and weaving them back together with the volatile racial politics and traumatic economic stresses of the present day. With her confident narrative hands on the wheel, this novel manages to evoke a portrait of Trumpera America—which, as someone observes of a pivotal character in the story, resembles “a toy ball tottering on a wire fence” that “could fall either way.”

Locke’s advancement here is so bracing that you can’t wait to discover what happens next along her East Texas highway.

BOMBER’S MOON

Mayor, Archer Minotaur (320 pp.) $27.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-1-250-11330-6

Joe Gunther, of the Vermont Bureau of Investigation, celebrates his 30th outing by handing off detective honors to a pair of women who don’t even work for him.

Nothing, it seems, could be more routine than the murder of Lyall Johnson, a nothingburger drug dealer apparently stabbed to death by his sometime buddy Brandon Leggatt in the middle of a deal gone bad. Leggatt tells Joe he didn’t kill Johnson, but then he would, wouldn’t he? Although the police miss out entirely on a second murder when someone dispatches elderly Homer Nelson so expertly that the body has been cremated before anybody thinks to question the verdict of natural death, they’re all over the shooting of Alex Robin Hale, a resourceful, ego-driven thief whose body is found in the Connecticut River. But not as all over it as private eye Sally Kravitz, who finds herself drawn to Hale by her father, who’s spent years breaking into people’s houses not to steal anything but to study their lifestyles, and Rachel Reiling, a photographer-turned-reporter at the Brattleboro Reformer whose one meeting with Hale, who’d offered to collaborate with her on a feature story on the promises and limitations of online security, turned from intriguing to sinister when he was killed shortly afterward. Eventually all these trails lead to Thorndike Academy, a tony prep school whose growing pains, already multiplied by rifts among the board members over wealthy Jonathan Marotti’s offer to spring for a new $15 million building, turn out to be only the most visible symptoms of problems that run much deeper. After spinning his wheels while Sally and Rachel dig up the dirt, Joe gets to conduct a climactic interrogation that reveals Thorndike as a cesspool just as noxious as corporate grocer GreenField in Joe’s most recent case (Bury the Lead, 2018, etc.).

Average for this venerable series, with few surprises but a nice sense of gradually deepening evil.

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MURDER IN THE CORN MAZE

McKevett, G.A. Kensington (304 pp.) $26.00 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-1-4967-1629-3

A Halloween treat turns deadly for a rural Georgia family.

In Murder in Her Stocking (2018), McKevett presented the origin story of her franchise detective, Savannah Reid, chronicling her childhood in Georgia under the watchful eye of her granny Stella Reid. Now the author pushes back even further into Stella’s past to the time when Savannah finds a corpse near the corn maze Judge Patterson has arranged as a treasured part of the annual holiday festivities. In spite of its advanced stage of decomposition, Stella recognizes the body as that of Becky Dingle, her best friend Elsie Dingle’s mother. Finding who killed Becky forces Stella to confront the death of her own mother, part-Cherokee Gola Quinn, who picked cotton alongside Becky long after Emancipation and who suffered the same abuse as other poor women of her time, often at the hands of those closest to them. Stella’s search also allows her to develop a special bond with Savannah, clearly the brightest of the unruly Reid brood, as the 12-year-old begins her journey to becoming a true detective. Without losing her sense of humor, McKevett tackles serious issues of women living in poverty. Its focus on history may keep McKevett’s second Stella Reid entry from fully developing as a puzzle, but it offers welcome insight into the woman Stella is and the woman Savannah is destined to become.

Sure to please McKevett loyalists and other fans of plucky women.

MURDER AT KENSINGTON PALACE

Penrose, Andrea Kensington (304 pp.) $26.00 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-1-4967-2281-2

A Regency lady with a hidden past joins forces with an irritable aristocrat to solve a dastardly series of crimes.

That waspish illustrator using the name A.J. Quill is really Lady Charlotte Sloan, cast off by her family for marrying her drawing master.

She’s worked on several cases with the Earl of Wrexford (Mur­ der at Half Moon Gate, 2018, etc.), but none has tested her skills or her heart as much as the one involving her cousin Cedric, Lord Chittenden, and his twin brother, Nicholas. The twins were Charlotte’s dearest childhood companions, and she’s devastated when Cedric is brutally murdered and Nicholas is arrested. The cousins were interested in scientific research, so Charlotte searches for clues among their peers. Hawk and Raven, two street urchins she’s raising as gentlemen, help her in

A library volunteer gets more than she bargained for when a body turns up in the stacks. late checkout

other ways. And Wrexford bribes his way into the prison housing Nicholas, who drops hints about the Eos Society and Cedric’s rivalries over lovely Lady Julianna Aldrich, whose wealthy guardian encourages her intellectual interests. Although the theory that electricity can be used to raise the dead has largely been disproven, Cedric has continued to experiment with the voltaic pile. A particularly promising clue is the sighting of a person with a distinctive hat and cloak at recent crime scenes.

Realizing that the killer is most likely a member of the upper crust, Charlotte makes the difficult decision to reveal herself as Lady Charlotte in order to meet more of her cousin’s friends.

Her burgeoning awareness of her love for Wrexford is just one of many unpredictable complications in the search for a clever and ruthless killer.

Science and romance meet in a high-stakes cat-andmouse game.

DEATH IN FOCUS

Perry (Triple Jeopardy, 2019, etc.) kicks off her latest series by sending an English photographer who ought to know better into Nazi Germany in 1933.

Elena Standish may be four years younger than her more worldly sister, Margot, who was widowed by the Great War only a week into her marriage, but her grandfather Lucas Standish was secretly head of MI6 during the war; her isolationist father, Charles Standish, served by turns as England’s ambassador to Germany, France, and Spain; and she learned the bitter taste of betrayal from Aiden Strother, the beau who turned on both her and her country. So you’d think she’d know a thing or two about how to deal with tricky situations—and in her own way, she does.

When Ian Newton, an attentive economic journalist she’s met in Amalfi, is stabbed to death during their train journey from Milan to Paris and alerts her as he’s dying that he’s an MI6 agent who’s learned of a plot to assassinate Hitler ally Friedrich Scharnhorst during a rally in Berlin, she instantly accepts the responsibility of passing on his warning to Roger Cordell at the British Embassy there. Elena has no way of knowing that Peter Howard, Lucas’ friend who’s still active in MI6, suspects Cordell of being a turncoat. Only after Scharnhorst is felled by a sniper’s bullet as Elena is snapping his picture and she returns to her hotel to find the murder weapon stashed in her wardrobe does she realize that whoever killed Scharnhorst intended to frame Ian and is now perfectly willing to frame her. Going on the run, she plunges into a dark world in which it’s impossible to know whom to trust, who’ll help her escape, and who’ll turn her over to the Gestapo. Although her adventures, which improbably continue after she’s placed under arrest, come fast enough to cause whiplash, most readers will figure out long before Elena who’s most directly responsible for her peril.

LATE CHECKOUT

Perry, Carol J. Kensington (384 pp.) $7.99 paper | Sep. 24, 2019 978-1-4967-1462-6 A library volunteer gets more than she bargained for when a body turns up in the stacks: a scary murder victim but a great potential research opportunity.

Though she doesn’t really need the cash from her job as a field reporter at WICH-TV, Lee Barrett is at loose ends when her hours are cut to make room for a nepotistic new hire.

Luckily, Lee’s Aunt Ibby has an excellent suggestion: Lee can volunteer at the local Salem library. Lee’s happy to help, but she’s immediately thrust into a mystery when she encounters a body that’s been surrounded by books in the back of the stacks.

What a first day! Is her discovery related to the vision of a black shoe with a maroon dress sock that Lee had in her car mirror earlier, when all she was trying to do was check her hair? It wouldn’t be the first time Lee’s had an ambiguous vision that she somehow knows is linked to a murder (Final Exam, 2019, etc.). Of course, the vision might also be connected to Larry Laraby, WICH-TV’s original sports guy, who was also recently found dead in a way that Lee thinks is definitely suspicious.

Whether because of the library setting, her new free time, or her connection to the law through her detective boyfriend, Pete Mondello, Lee decides to dig into the network’s early days to find out if there’s a connection between Larry and the library murder. After learning that the body in the library is that of former minor league ballplayer Wee Willie Wallace, Lee’s all the more convinced of a sports link to be uncovered, and she’s sure that she and O’Ryan, her sidekick cat, are the ones who can get to the bottom of it.

Great for readers who can get lost in a flood of everyday details others may find mundane.

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Perry, Anne Ballantine (320 pp.) $28.00 | Sep. 17, 2019 978-0-525-62098-3

Sturdy woman-on-the-run period intrigue with a strong rooting interest and a weak ending.

MIAMI MIDNIGHT

Segura, Alex Polis Books (352 pp.) $26.00 | Aug. 13, 2019 978-1-947993-59-4

If anyone has earned a fresh start, it’s Pete Fernandez—he’s struggled back both from a near-death injury and alcoholism. But his plan to run a little bookstore in Miami is about to go seriously off the track.

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about his partner’s engagement. He and Kathy, his best friend and business partner, had shared “a spark.” But while Pete hesitated, another man stepped in. However, when a Cuban gangster asks Pete to investigate the murder of his son and find his missing daughter-in-law, Pete realizes he still wants to work— and Kathy will work with him. What they can’t imagine is a plot involving lies, secrets, betrayals, and even a character named The Silent Death. As Pete and Kathy trace friends and suspects, they travel through Miami’s clubs, businesses, and neighborhoods; the author, a Miami native, is obviously familiar with and fond of the area. He depicts its cultural varieties with color and insight. One wishes the same could be said of Pete. Although we’re told many times how he feels, he rarely makes the leap into the kind of character we care enough about to follow.

There are several plot twists, but even the surprises don’t elevate this outing beyond the pedestrian.

KOPP SISTERS ON THE MARCH

Stewart, Amy Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (368 pp.) $26.00 | Sep. 17, 2019 978-1-328-73652-9

After losing her dream job as Bergen County deputy sheriff, Constance Kopp regroups at a Maryland Army camp for women on the eve of World War I. In the fifth installment of her feisty, fact-based series (Miss Kopp Just Won’t Quit, 2018, etc.), Stewart throws an additional real-life figure into the fictional mix: Beulah Binford, fleeing a notorious past in Richmond and thinking that training to support the troops will be her ticket to a new life in France—if only no one recognizes her. What precisely Beulah is trying to hide is the only sort-of mystery here, and her memories leading up to that revelation form a substantial part of the novel. Though her story is fairly interesting, it does give Stewart less room for the Kopp sisters. That may be just as well, since Norma’s efforts to persuade the Army of the value of carrier pigeons is neither as interesting nor as funny as Stewart seems to think, and Fleurette’s stage-struck self-absorption is a slightly shopworn trait, though it is fun to see Beulah taking tart notice of it.

Constance, who reluctantly assumes command of the camp after an injury sidelines her predecessor, dismisses the training deemed suitable for ladies as “a game” and secretly instructs a small group of equally determined women in the use of real guns. But she’s still brooding over her vanished opportunity in law enforcement, and a bit of a bore about it too, until Beulah proves the worth of her insertion into the series by forcefully (but not unsympathetically) urging Constance to make her own opportunities. A slam-bang finale mostly compensates for the fuzzy focus of this installment: Constance’s unorthodox training is triumphantly justified, and Norma wins a high-ranking ally for her pigeons. Plenty of loose ends are dangled for future volumes as Constance and Beulah both make peace with their pasts and plans to move forward.

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A bit messy, but perhaps required to recalibrate this deservedly popular series for future volumes.

science fiction and fantasy GAMECHANGER

Beckett, L.X. Tor (576 pp.) $26.99 | Sep. 17, 2019 978-1-250-16526-8

A cerebral fusion of science fiction, mystery, and apocalyptic thriller—masterfully seasoned throughout with provocative social commentary—this intricately plotted, if sometimes cumbersome, novel from Beckett (a pseudonym for the critically acclaimed Canadian writer A.M. Dellamonica) offers up a disturbingly believable glimpse into humankind’s near future.

Set in the year 2101, in a world devastated by economic and ecological collapse (thanks in part to an American president known as He Who Could Not Be Named), the story largely revolves around Cherub “Rubi” Whiting, an internationally famous virtual reality gamer and fledgling lawyer. Her current client is Luciano Pox, an accused online terrorist who could be a mastermind hacker, a malware-infested AI, an elderly human who has somehow uploaded their consciousness, or an alien scout trying to destabilize humankind before the coming of a massive invasion fleet. Meeting with the elusive Pox proves dangerous for Whiting, who must also deal with an ongoing VR feud with archenemy (and possible love interest) Gimlet Barnes as well as an infamous father who has embarked on a quest to find the mythical sanctuary of a group of billionaires who disappeared decades earlier as the world’s economy was collapsing. The mystery behind Pox’s identity is the obvious narrative accelerant, but the story’s real fuel comes from the author’s placement of backstory breadcrumbs throughout the novel. There is a lot to digest here, from humankind’s obsession with social media and their almost full immersion in cyber-reality to the brutal consequences of global warming to life extension advances to the mass consumption of printed protein as one of the only viable food sources left. A thought-provoking cautionary tale that will, hopefully, compel readers to see the condition of our civilization and our planet with more clarity and understanding.

A visionary glimpse into the future—the narrative equivalent of a baseball bat to the skull.

DARKDAWN

to master the tactics he needs to fill his late brother’s role as Pillar (clan leader). His sister, Shae, the clan’s Weather Man (chief adviser), has that tactical knowledge but lacks the clan’s complete trust; she’s also trying to juggle her clan responsibilities and her personal life, which includes a quiet romance with a nonclan professor. At the same time, their adopted brother, Anden, embarks on a new, jade-free life in Espenia but still manages to find trouble there, and Hilo’s jade-immune wife, Wen, secretly supports the clan through her own work as a spy.

If they are to prevail against the ruthless Ayt Mada, Pillar of the Mountain clan, and the various other domestic and foreign threats, terrible sacrifices will be required, made willingly or not. The first installment, Jade City (2017), leaned rather heavily, albeit effectively, on some tropes and plot points from The Godfather, and it’s pleasing to see that the author has chosen a more independent path this time around. If there’s any thematic link between this book and Godfather II, it’s a common understanding that the outside world has a way of crashing into isolated communities and forcing them to adapt, so it’s best to be on the offensive, as well as a rueful acknowledgment

Kristoff, Jay St. Martin’s (512 pp.) $28.99 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-1-250-07304-4 One girl is about to take on the world—and even the gods.

You’d think achieving the revenge you’ve sought for eight blood-soaked years would earn you a bit of a rest.

But unfortunately for Mia Corvere, Julius Scaeva, the most powerful man in the Republic, isn’t really dead. And given that Mia has kidnapped his son, who’s actually Jonnen, the brother she thought was dead, not to mention apparently killed him in front of a screaming mob at the gladiatii arena, Julius is probably more than a little annoyed. Oh, and the Red Church, the cult of assassins that trained Mia, will be after her, too. On the plus side, Mia’s former lover Tric has come back from the dead to help her... although that’s also a little awkward given that she’s currently sleeping with Ashlinn, the girl who killed him. And he seems to think Mia has a destiny to restore the balance between night and day by bringing back something called the Moon.

So, no rest for the wicked, as it turns out. This conclusion to Kristoff ’s (DEV1AT3, 2019, etc.) Nevernight trilogy picks up right from the cliffhanger ending of Godsgrave (2017) and rockets along from there. Between Jonnen and Ashlinn, Mia has people to love as well as people to kill, and that makes the stakes for our heroine feel higher than ever. Will claiming her revenge and fulfilling her destiny prevent her from ever living a peaceful life?

Fans will love the fast-paced, epic conclusion to this dark and bloody tale.

JADE WAR

Lee, Fonda Orbit (608 pp.) $26.00 | Jul. 23, 2019 978-0-316-44092-9

In the second installment of a political fantasy thriller series where “bioenergetic jade” provides magical energy, the conflict of two warlord/organized crime clans has global implications.

In the Hong Kong–like city of Janloon, the Mountain and No Peak clans have announced a public truce while each secretly tries to undermine the other for control of the city and their nation of Kekon, the only source of the jade. As jade smugglers both inside and outside the country threaten the clans’ mutual control over the mineral, political tensions rise between the neighboring nations of Espenia and Ygutan over a rebellion in Shotar, which leads both to seek more jade for their armies. Meanwhile, Hilo, the former Horn (chief enforcer) of the No Peak clan, struggles |

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that despite that understanding, relationships with those outside the community might not end well.

A strong, thoughtful, and fast-paced follow-up that bodes well for future volumes.

GIDEON THE NINTH

Muir, Tamsyn Tor (448 pp.) $25.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 978-1-250-31319-5

This debut novel, the first of a projected trilogy, blends science fiction, fantasy, gothic chiller, and classic houseparty mystery.

Gideon Nav, a foundling of mysterious antecedents, was not so much adopted as indentured by the Ninth House, a nearly extinct noble necromantic house. Trained to fight, she wants nothing more than to leave the place where everyone despises her and join the Cohort, the imperial military. But after her most recent escape attempt fails, she finally gets the opportunity to depart the planet. The heir and secret ruler of the Ninth House, the ruthless and prodigiously talented bone adept Harrowhark Nonagesimus, chooses Gideon to serve her as cavalier primary, a sworn bodyguard and aide de camp, when the undying Emperor summons Harrow to compete for a position as a Lyctor, an elite, near-immortal adviser. The decaying Canaan House on the planet of the absent Emperor holds dark secrets and deadly puzzles as well as a cheerfully enigmatic priest who provides only scant details about the nature of the competition...and at least one person dedicated to brutally slaughtering the competitors. Unsure of how to mix with the necromancers and cavaliers from the other Houses, Gideon must decide whom among them she can trust—and her doubts include her own necromancer, Harrow, whom she’s loathed since childhood.

This intriguing genre stew works surprisingly well. The limited locations and narrow focus mean that the author doesn’t really have to explain how people not directly attached to a necromantic House or the military actually conduct daily life in the Empire; hopefully future installments will open up the author’s creative universe a bit more. The most interesting aspect of the novel turns out to be the prickly but intimate relationship between Gideon and Harrow, bound together by what appears at first to be simple hatred. But the challenges of Canaan House expose other layers, beginning with a peculiar but compelling mutual loyalty and continuing on to other, more complex feelings, ties, and shared fraught experiences.

Suspenseful and snarky with surprising emotional depths.

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THE FUTURE OF ANOTHER TIMELINE

Newitz, Annalee Tor (352 pp.) $26.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-0-7653-9210-7

Time travelers battle for the future in this feminist sci-fi thriller.

We begin in 1992, where (or is it when?) “traveler” Tess has appeared at a punk concert in California. She’s on the lookout for “anti-travel activists” who want to shut down the mysterious “Machines,” structures of unknown origin that somehow facilitate time travel. Tess discovers that a group of misogynist crusaders, centered around the ideas of 19thcentury conservative moralist Anthony Comstock, are trying to change events in the past so that women are stripped of all human rights. Tess and her friends, who are diverse in both race and gender, chase these “Comstockers” through time to stop them from fulfilling their evil plans. Meanwhile, teenager Beth, who is really living in 1992, escapes her oppressive home life to revel in the California punk scene with her best friend, Lizzy.

But what is Beth supposed to do when she meets a traveler from the future who warns her to stay away from Lizzy? And why is that traveler, Tess, making detours in time to find Beth when she has a conspiracy to thwart? Newitz (Old Media, 2019, etc.) does well enough with the time-travel premise, but where this book really shines is in its page-turning plot and thoughtfully drawn characters. The Comstockers’ plan, with its rhetoric plucked straight from present-day “men’s rights” online forums, is truly terrifying. Between careful attention to Tess’ development, Beth’s chapters, and the near-constant jumps through time, the story charges along until Newitz suddenly ties it all together with breathtaking finesse. The humdinger of an ending is a perfect cherry on top.

An ambitious adventure that keeps the surprises coming.

GRAVE IMPORTANCE

Shaw, Vivian Orbit (448 pp.) $15.99 paper | Sep. 24, 2019 978-0-316-43465-2

In the conclusion to Shaw’s Greta Helsing trilogy (Dreadful Company, 2018, etc.), Greta must puzzle out the cause of a strange illness running rampant throughout the mummy community.

Mummy specialist Dr. Greta Helsing is thrilled to be asked to temporarily take the reins at Oasis Natrun, Marseille’s private and exclusive mummy spa and resort, and jumps at the chance to escape rainy London for sunny France. Greta is dazzled by the beauty of the hillside resort, not to mention its state-of-the-art medical equipment and uber

A tremendous good time and an impressive debut. chilling effect

competent nursing staff (including a mummy who used to be an Egyptian priest). Greta barely settles in before one of her patients suffers a mysterious fainting spell that drains his energy.

The episodes are spreading, and the only thing that might be able to help is an ancient and rare Egyptian artifact ensconced very securely in the Metropolitan Museum in New York. Meanwhile, during a trip to Italy with Grisaille, his new boyfriend and a master thief, the fashionable vampire Edmund Ruthven, Greta’s old friend, experiences a vicious bout of sickness and is whisked off to Oasis Natrun for treatment tout de suite, and Greta’s boyfriend, vampire Sir Frances Varney, joins her at the resort for moral support. Then there are those slightly creepy angelic creatures/fashion models that seem to be up to no good on the earthly plane. Greta has a lot on her plate, but her calm, take-charge attitude and compassionate bedside manner are a balm for her patients, and passages detailing her clever treatment practices add weight to her strange profession. Shaw’s characters, both human and supernatural (ghouls, witches, screaming skulls, oh my!), are genuinely fascinating, and her prose is just as droll and witty as ever, but it’s Greta, with her big heart and determination to do the right thing, that makes this series sparkle. Readers will be happy to be pulled along in Greta’s bustling wake—which includes an enlightening trip to hell—for as long as it takes to solve the mummy conundrum and finally spend some quality alone time with Varney.

A satisfying wrap-up to a delightfully gothic contemporary urban fantasy series.

characters, there isn’t a single dull page. Eva and her family are Latinx and often include unitalicized Spanish in their dialogue, a rare find in a genre that usually uses whiteness as the default.

A tremendous good time and an impressive debut.

CHILLING EFFECT

Valdes, Valerie Harper Voyager (432 pp.) $15.99 paper | Sep. 17, 2019 978-0-06-287723-9 The snarky captain of a small cargo ship is sent on harrowing missions through space by the frightening syndicate holding her sister hostage.

Capt. Eva Innocente and her small but talented crew traverse the galaxy in her beloved ship, La Sirena Negra, completing cargo runs for various clients. Eva may be a little rough around the edges, but who can blame her when her story begins with a shady customer ditching her with a cargo of troublemaking psychic cats (no, really) and no payment. But when Eva is contacted by a representative of the Fridge, a shadowy crime organization that has kidnapped her sister, Mari, the cats become the least of Eva’s troubles. The Fridge orders Eva to complete a series of missions, each more dangerous than the last, in order to secure Mari’s freedom. Eva is terrified for her sister’s safety, but she’s only barely in better shape herself. A sleazy alien emperor whose amorous advances she rejected will literally kill to have her, she lied to her crew about her sister’s kidnapping, and, worst of all, she might have feelings for her engineer! Valdes is a debut author, but this zany, rollicking adventure doesn’t show it.

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r om a n c e SAPPHIRE FLAMES

Andrews, Ilona Avon/HarperCollins (400 pp.) $7.99 paper | Aug. 27, 2019 978-0-06-287834-2 Catalina Baylor is called on to help two siblings, the rest of whose family members have been murdered, but the more she digs, the more things don’t add up, especially after a gorgeous playboy shows up, determined to get her to stop investigating.

After Catalina saves a boy from jumping off a building, suddenly she’s embroiled in a huge mystery that makes less and less sense the more she digs. Ragnar is despondent. He and his sister Runa have recently lost their mother and other sister in a house fire. Yet once Catalina saves him, they discover Halle may not be dead but has likely been taken captive to use her powers for nefarious purposes. From the moment Catalina starts investigating, it’s clear someone doesn’t want her asking questions, and soon she’s the target of a string of assassins. Unexpectedly, international playboy and global heartthrob Alessandro Sagredo keeps appearing when she needs help, and together they thwart the villains. She’s grateful but annoyed because he warns her to drop her probe. Catalina has had a crush on Alessandro for years, but now she’s confused as to why he’s continually underfoot and how good he is at using magic to kill enemies. She doesn’t have time to think about it too hard, though, because some powerful enemies have targeted her family, and the first order of business is to survive. It’s clear she and Alessandro share an attraction, but his attention rattles her. Then they discover the frightening secrets threatening the world as they know it. Andrews (Diamon Fire, 2018, etc.) continues the Hidden Legacy series with Catalina’s first book, which is a start as imaginative and high-octane as that found in Nevada’s trilogy.

Another creative, thrilling paranormal romance from the masterful Andrews.

FLASHED

Castile, Zoey Kensington Books (304 pp.) $15.95 paper | Aug. 27, 2019 978-1-4967-1528-9 A reclusive model falls for his new housekeeper in this contemporary romance with noticeable “Beauty and the Beast” vibes.

Patrick Halloran was on top of the world. First, he was a soccer star, then a model, and he was set to star in a Hollywood blockbuster. But 46

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then a vicious car accident changed his life forever. Scarred emotionally and physically, Pat retreats to his family ranch in Montana to live in isolation until art student Magdalena “Lena” Martel accepts the position as his new housekeeper. The rules are simple. She’ll cook, clean, and avoid certain areas of the house. Despite the unconventional circumstances, Lena needs the money. With tuition to pay and a stepmom and younger sister to keep out of debt, she’s willing to overlook her grouchy, nearly invisible boss. Slowly, Lena’s fantastic cooking and the catchy music she blasts while cleaning have Pat emerging from his self-imposed exile. Post-it notes left behind graduate to texts and even to late-night phone calls, though the ultimate test will be whether or not Lena runs from Pat’s disfigured body. Pat’s trauma and regret are very real. He hates the man he has become, but he isn’t sure the man he was before the accident was much better. Though Lena isn’t without her own baggage, it’s certainly overshadowed by Pat’s journey to even step foot outside his home. The romance is steamy and charming as a standoffish and frankly horrible first impression seamlessly morphs into a tentative friendship and more. Lena and Pat’s relationship builds at a slow and steady burn that fights against their heavy emotional insecurities. However, the turning point, when a big misunderstanding threatens to ruin their happily-ever-after, lacks the nuance of how they came together in the first place.

A sexy, modern fairy tale that caps off an entertaining series.

HEIRESS GONE WILD

Guhrke, Laura Lee Avon/HarperCollins (384 pp.) $7.99 paper | Sep. 24, 2019 978-0-06-285371-4 When a man is named guardian of his best friend’s daughter, he’s expecting a child, not a gorgeous young woman who’s ready to take life by the horns and who’ll challenge every attempt to keep her staid and respectable.

Englishman Jonathan Deverill didn’t even know his American business partner had a daughter, so it comes as a surprise when he names Jonathan the girl’s guardian.

He’s even more stunned to discover that the girl he’s visiting at New York’s Forsyte Academy is actually a beautiful young woman who’s been waiting her whole life for her father to take her away to live a life beyond the school. The fact that he never did, despite a lifetime of promises, makes Marjorie McGann angry and hurt, feelings exacerbated when she learns he’s died without ever visiting her, much less ushering her away from her boring, sheltered life. Marjorie is restless, ready to use her hefty inheritance to live an interesting life, get married, and have children. Jonathan infuriates her by telling her he needs to leave her at the school for a few more months while he gets some business settled and prepares a place for her with his family in London. Not interested in waiting one more day, she buys herself a

A woman raising her teenage brother is afraid to take a chance on love. handle with care

cabin on his ship to England. So begins a battle of wills between two people who are fighting their attraction to each other while trying to do what’s best for themselves and each other, knowing their goals are far too different for them to be together. Or are they? Guhrke continues the Deverill family saga with Jonathan’s story, which is fun and engaging, though the author does her characters some disservice. At times, Marjorie and Jonathan both furiously resist things that make perfect sense and overemphasize conflict which feels easily solved.

Effervescent and appealing despite some missteps.

HANDLE WITH CARE

Harte, Marie Sourcebooks Casablanca (352 pp.) $7.99 paper | Aug. 27, 2019 978-1-4926-7050-6 A woman raising her teenage brother is afraid to take a chance on love.

Kenzie’s parents died when she was 20, leaving her as guardian of her 2-yearold baby brother, Daniel. For the past 11 years, Kenzie has struggled with the weight of too many responsibilities: Trying to finish school while raising Daniel, taking care of the aging home they inherited, and keeping her small business alive. Evan Griffith is an accountant and partial owner of a moving company called Vets on the Go! He is burned out from the stress of working at a high-powered accounting firm and decides to help his short-staffed company by temporarily working on a moving truck. This is the third book in the Movin’ On series by Harte (Smooth Moves, 2019, etc.), and new readers might be overwhelmed by the continuing characters and plotlines from previous books. Love has not been kind to either Kenzie or Evan, and their instant physical attraction scares both of them. Kenzie was heartbroken a year earlier when her boyfriend suddenly broke up with her, leaving both her and Daniel feeling miserable and abandoned. She relies on the love and support of her two best friends to help her recover but pledges never again to trust a man with her heart. Evan hasn’t seriously dated since his fiancee died of cancer, but he feels confident that Kenzie is “the one.” There is great potential when two emotionally wounded souls meet each other, but instead their romance circles aimlessly. Kenzie is so afraid of being hurt that she pulls back after every baby step toward love, while Evan waits patiently for her to overcome her fears.

Too slow-moving to satisfy.

HANDLE WITH CARE

Hunting, Helena St. Martin’s (320 pp.) $7.99 paper | Aug. 27, 2019 978-1-250-18399-6

An independent PR consultant hired to fix the image of a highly dysfunctional family that runs a media conglomerate meets her match when a long-lost son reluctantly returns to the fold in Hunting’s (Making Up, 2019, etc.) latest romance.

Lincoln Moorehead would rather use his Ivy League education to build sustainable communities in developing countries than work for his family’s media company, but when his father dies unexpectedly, he returns to New York, where he’s talked into taking over as CEO. Only Wren, the PR consultant hired by Lincoln’s mother to keep his miscreant brother in line, keeps Linc’s interest. Wren is a straight shooter, witty, and very good at her job. In no time, Lincoln succumbs to a makeover and wardrobe refresh, as Wren drags him through the transition from building houses in the mountains of Guatemala to running meetings in the boardrooms of Manhattan. Wren has had it with the Moorehead family but hopes this gig will open doors to the funding she needs to start her own foundation. As Wren and Lincoln spend time together, their attraction grows undeniable. But family issues plague them, as Lincoln uncovers secrets about his parents that threaten to turn his family legacy into a pile of lies. Smart writing and snappy dialogue shine when Lincoln and Wren spar and circle around each other. Lincoln’s growing understanding of his family and his place within it is well done, but Wren’s troubled relationship with her mother is built on a simple misunderstanding that could have been solved with one quick conversation. The main problem is Armstrong, Wren’s charge and Lincoln’s “barbaric, vile, and demented” brother. This character is a “narcissistic egomaniac who abuses any shred of power he has,” especially over women, whom he serially harasses, demeans, and insults.

It’s difficult to root for Wren’s success when it requires shielding men from the just consequences of their actions.

A sexy story is undercut by a side character whose abusive behavior toward women is tolerated by both protagonists.

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THE PRICE OF GRACE

Muñoz Stewart, Diana Sourcebooks Casablanca (352 pp.) $7.99 paper | Sep. 24, 2019 978-1-4926-9409-0 The second installment of the sexy and suspenseful Band of Sisters series pits a vigilante computer whiz against an FBI agent with a grudge.

Bullets are flying when Gracie Parish and Leif “Dusty” McAllister meet in the middle of a covert operation to dismantle a sex-slave operation in Mexico. The attraction is instant, but the more they get to know one another, the wider the gap between them seems. Adopted as a child by the Parish family and raised to fight injustice as a member of the League of Warrior Women, Gracie is conflicted about the heavy price exacted by the vigilante lifestyle. She’s already lost a husband and child to Parish family secrets and wonders what life would be like if her front as a club owner were really her full-time profession. Dusty’s abusive childhood at the hands of a cult leader did not endear secret groups to him. He wants to take the Parish clan down, but as he comes to know and respect his “helpful asset,” he finds himself teetering on the “shaky edge of undercover morality.” Muñoz Stewart (I Am Justice, 2018, etc.) skillfully questions the difference between loyalty and subservience, enculturation and indoctrination as she weaves a tender romance around a thrill ride of a plot that will keep readers guessing until the final pages.

Layered personalities, shifting motivations, and a smart, twisty plot push this thrilling romantic suspense series into high gear.

AN ALASKAN CHRISTMAS

Snow, Jennifer Harlequin HQN (384 pp.) $7.99 paper | Sep. 24, 2019 978-1-335-04150-0

A workaholic doctor takes a forced vacation and returns to her hometown, reconnecting with the best friend she’s lost touch with and her friend’s sexy brother, a search-and-rescue Adonis whose small-town contentment makes her question some life choices.

Dr. Erika Sheraton is a talented surgeon who’s on the cusp of clinical trials for a new anti-rejection drug when she’s put on forced leave because her superiors think she’s working too much and it’s affecting her performance. She works at the Anchorage hospital run by her father, which means she’s continually under his scrutiny, which is complicated. Their relationship has been strained since her mother died when Erika was in high school and her father became emotionally distant, compelling Erika to work round the clock. Now that she has to take a vacation, 48

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she has nowhere to go, so she arranges to visit her childhood best friend, Cassie, whom she hasn’t seen since high school and who still lives in their hometown, Wild River. At first uncomfortable, they soon regain their friendship, then meet up with Cassie’s brother, Reed. Erika and Reed shared an emotionally intense event in high school, and once they meet again, sparks fly. Reed serves on the Wild River Search and Rescue, and over the next two weeks, Erika joins the team on a couple of searches. She’s falling for Reed and loving life in Wild River, but when she returns to Anchorage, she falls back into her workaholic ways and loses touch until another set of surprises forces her to reevaluate everything. Snow’s Alaska setting and searchand-rescue element are interesting twists, and the romance is generally smart and sexy. However, Erika’s father’s about-face emotional engagement feels odd, especially when he effectively takes life-changing decisions out of her hands.

An exciting contemporary series debut with a wildly unique Alaskan setting.

nonfiction THE NARROW CORRIDOR States, Societies, and the Fate of Liberty

These titles earned the Kirkus Star: THE NARROW CORRIDOR by Daron Acemoglu & James A. Robinson.................................................................................49

Acemoglu, Daron, & Robinson, James A. Penguin Press (576 pp.) $32.00 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-0-7352-2438-4

WALKING TO JERUSALEM by Justin Butcher................................... 56 THINK BLACK by Clyde W. Ford......................................................... 62

A wide-ranging survey of the conditions of liberty required to steer the world away from the Hobbesian war of

THE ONLY PLANE IN THE SKY by Garrett M. Graff........................ 62 HITLER’S LAST HOSTAGES by Mary M. Lane................................. 67 ECSTASY AND TERROR by Daniel Mendelsohn................................69 INDELIBLE IN THE HIPPOCAMPUS by Shelly Oria..........................71 AUDIENCE OF ONE by James Poniewozik......................................... 72 MEMOIR OF A RACE TRAITOR by Mab Segrest.................................75 YEAR OF THE MONKEY by Patti Smith............................................. 76 THE OUTLAW OCEAN by Ian Urbina................................................ 79 ECSTASY AND TERROR From the Greeks to Game of Thrones

Mendelsohn, Daniel New York Review Books (384 pp.) $18.95 paper Oct. 8, 2019 978-1-68137-405-5

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y o u n g a d u lt

each against all.

Why do nations fail? So Acemoglu and Robinson, economists at MIT and the University of Chicago respectively, asked in their 2012 collaboration, Why Nations Fail. Their answer is complex, but it falls largely on the absence or failure of democratic institutions. In this continuation of their previous book, they examine how liberty works: It is not “natural,” not widespread, “is rare in history and is rare today,” and is a fairly recent phenomenon that balances the competing demands of state and society while being reinforced by that balance. For instance, the Athenian constitutional reforms of Cleisthenes “were helpful for strengthening the political power of Athenian citizens while also battling the cage of norms”—that cage of norms being the informal body of customs supplanted by state institutions. Those norms in turn “constrained what the state could do and how far state building could go,” providing their own set of checks. Though somewhat fluid in its definition, liberty, as Acemoglu and Robinson show, is expressed differently under various “leviathans,” to extend the Hobbesian critique. The American Leviathan, for example, does not contend properly with inequality and racial oppression, two enemies of liberty, while the “Paper Leviathan” is a bureaucratic machine favoring the privileged class, serving as both a political and economic brake on development and yielding “fear, violence, and dominance for most of its citizens.” So it is with China, a “Despotic Leviathan” that commands the economy and coerces political conformity. The authors trace a link between democratic states and what they call “Shackled Leviathans,” the beast in restraints being the best of all possible scenarios. Though the argument is a little jargon-y, it is, as with the authors’ previous books, provocative and intuitively correct.

An endlessly rewarding book full of takeaways, including the thought that the best societies protect everyone’s rights.

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living paycheck to paycheck PROOF! How the World Became Geometrical

Photo courtesy Leah Overstreet

We have a serious wage problem in this country. Millions of Americans battle poverty while often working multiple jobs that pay an absurdly low minimum wage. As legislators ignore the calls to raise the minimum wage to a reasonable level—$15 per hour should be a starting point—countless American workers continue to barely scrape by while falling further and further into debt.

This issue is at the heart of On the Clock (July 16), the debut book from journalist Emily Guendelsberger, who chronicles her firsthand experience working low-wage jobs in Kentucky, North Carolina, and California.

The author ably shows that not much has changed in the 18 years since Barbara Ehrenreich published Nickel and Dimed.

As our reviewer notes in a starred review, after losing her newspaper job, Guendelsberger “decided to get ‘in the weeds’ with millions of blue-collar Americans Emily Guendelsberger working in the service sector”— and the weeds were thicker and thornier than the author imagined. As a fulfillment clerk at an Amazon warehouse, she encountered back-breaking labor and a demoralized workforce.

Furthermore, “the scanning gun she used to record each item also served as a countdown device to keep her perpetually on-task, and vending machines sold pain relievers for the raging body aches that came with the work.”

After her job at Amazon—a job, it should be mentioned, that has been repeatedly exposed as exploitative— she worked at a call center, where her breaks were meticulously timed and she was forced to deal with abusive callers. Then she tried a McDonald’s franchise in San Francisco, where her wage was double that of an average McDonald’s employee— but that didn’t help much in one of the country’s most expensive cities. In this humane and nuanced account of her experiences, Guendelsberger does a service by delivering an “eyeopening, unrelenting exposé that uncovers the brutal wages of modern global capitalism.” —E.L.

Alexander, Amir Scientific American/Farrar, Straus and Giroux (320 pp.) $28.00 | Sep. 10, 2019 978-0-374-25490-2

Neal SantosMichael Kienitz

A lively explanation of how geometry structures aspects of the natural and human worlds.

In this bracingly enthusiastic account of geometry’s role in shaping a variety of institutions, Alexander (History/UCLA; Infinitesimal: How a Dangerous Mathematical Theory Shaped the Modern World, 2014, etc.) turns to Euclid’s Elements and its complete world of mathematical proofs, founded on indisputable postulates and proven through impeccable logic. (The book isn’t overrun with mathematics, but when it is unavoidable, the author is clear in his language.) Geometry revealed truths stripped of anything erroneous, unessential, and transitory, truths that were deployed by such luminaries as Copernicus, Galileo, and Leon Battista Alberti, setting the scientific agenda.

Geometry is everywhere, underlying the natural and humanmade worlds, infusing even our social arrangements. Guided by the art and architectural works of Alberti, which demonstrated “that the seemingly limitless variety one encounters in nature was in fact governed by the fixed eternal laws of geometry,” Alexander applies that thought to the royal gardens of, in particular, France. Gardens were central to the monarchy’s public presentation, ideology, identity, power, and legitimacy, especially so at Versailles, where Louis XIV’s hierarchical state was reflected in the layout of the vast but tightly ordered gardens. “At the apex of this universe was, inevitably, the king in his palace, whose rule was as inescapable and unchallengeable as geometry itself,” writes the author. This modernizing state was governed by a rational and efficient central bureaucracy, which is how the story moves forward beyond the monarchy into city planning. “The geometrical ideal of an efficient rational state found expression…on the bustling streets of capital cities—the homes of state bureaucracies.” This is the case in Rome, Paris, St. Petersburg, and Berlin, where harmony and order reflect the organs of state. The stamp of Versailles can also be found in New Delhi and Washington, D.C., the latter being a fine example of geometry accommodating several nodes of power.

A deep immersion into geometric determinism at its most entertaining.

Eric Liebetrau is the nonfiction and managing editor.

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Anyone who wonders why government officials still take the Laffer curve seriously need go no further than this lucid book. the economists’ hour

WALKING WITH GHOSTS IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA Crossing the Kokoda Trail in the Last Wild Place on Earth

THE ECONOMISTS’ HOUR False Prophets, Free Markets, and the Fracture of Society

Appelbaum, Binyamin Little, Brown (448 pp.) $30.00 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-0-316-51232-9

Antonson, Rick Skyhorse Publishing (360 pp.) $24.99 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-1-5107-0566-1

New York Times editorial page writer Appelbaum recounts the hijacking of economic and public policy by rightwing adherents of the unfettered market.

The hour of which the author writes is going on five decades now. The influence of economists on government has grown exponentially since the Nixon administration, with economists convincing the president to scrap the military draft and the judiciary to shelve antitrust cases, their numbers in the federal employ tripling from the 1950s to the 1970s. Economists have taken larger roles in formulating every aspect of public policy—and, in time, leaving their disciplinary bounds to issue

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A wild and forbidding terrain reveals its dramatic history.

Vancouver-based travel writer Antonson (Full Moon Over Noah’s Ark: An Odyssey to Mount Ararat and Beyond, 2016, etc.) vividly recounts a two-week, 60-mile journey on the formidable Kokoda Trail in Papua New Guinea, a rugged terrain marked by jungle, bogs, gullies, cliffs, malarial mosquitoes, rigorous ascents, and steep, slippery descents. After accepting a neighbor’s invitation to go on the trek, the author discovered some unsettling rumors about the region: Crime was rampant, gangs marauded, and hostile native tribes were known to attack. Port Moresby, where the walk would start, had been ranked “among the world’s most unlivable cities.” But the chance to see breathtaking vistas, “awe-inspiring foliage,” and sites known only to Papuans and trekkers lured him. “If the demands of the trek didn’t kill us (as they had others in recent years),” writes the author, “we’d have the trip of a lifetime.” In preparation for the arduous demands of the hike, he and his neighbor practiced power-walking on sand and climbing steep hills in the Australian rainforest; he made sure all his vaccinations were up to date; and, to sate his curiosity, read up on Papua’s history. Papua, the world’s second-largest island, had been a critical battleground during World War II, “the lynchpin” that decisively foiled Japan’s plan to position itself to attack Australia. Although many battlefields change over time, the Kokoda Trail “was almost identical now to then” and evoked a clear sense of its violent past. Antonson and his party of trekkers and porters found unexploded bombs, rusted Japanese hand grenades, chipped helmets, and shallow foxholes. With the ghosts of Japanese, American, Papuan, and Australian soldiers always hovering, the author had a palpable sense of “the dismay their earthly beings must have felt in all of this.” As intensely as he responded to the natural surroundings, he also felt a growing disgust with “war’s inherent vulgarities.”

An absorbing account of a physically and spiritually challenging journey. (maps)

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pronouncements on matters societal and moral. Economists tend to be conservative, and truly conservative economists would in time, for example, come to blame inflation for the decline of the Protestant work ethic and a rise in corruption, fraud, and “a generalized erosion in public and private manners.” At the same time, government was generally taking Milton Friedman’s laissez-faire, free-market approach to problems rather than the Keynesian quantitative easement of old. As Appelbaum notes, one reason China has been successful compared to the austerity economies of the West is that Keynes has not been forgotten there. Writing in accessible language of thorny fiscal matters, the author ventures into oddly fascinating corners of recent economic history. For instance, a modern trope holds that actor Jayne Mansfield’s beheading in an automobile accident prompted changes in truck design (yet mass shootings have produced no comparable gun control legislation), but that turns out to be wrong: The actuarial minds of the late Nixon era put the value of a human (American, anyway) life at $200,000, did the math, and concluded that the proposed addition of safety bars “would need to save four times as many lives to justify the cost.” The larger point is that the government’s blind trust in the market is now the status quo, and “reliance on the market grants priority to people who have money.”

Anyone who wonders why government officials still take the Laffer curve seriously need go no further than this lucid book. (8-page 4-color insert)

Parkland, Columbine, Sandy Hook, Virginia Tech, and Columbine—while others may have been forgotten. The co-editors present the events in reverse chronological order, which means the final chapter is set at the University of Texas on Aug. 1, 1966, when Charles Whitman fired bullets from a campus tower, murdering 15 students, staff, tower visitors, and first responders. The final section, “Coordinating Trauma,” offers glimpses of hope, as “activists and survivor coordinators recount their paths to supporting survivors in the aftermath of school shootings.” Taken together, the pieces in this often heartbreaking collection make clear that policymakers reacting to each slaughter with “thoughts and prayers” will never suffice.

Highly difficult to read in one sitting, but we must not look away.

UNBREAKABLE The Woman Who Defied the Nazis in the World’s Most Dangerous Horse Race

Askwith, Richard Pegasus (408 pp.) $27.95 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-1-64313-210-5

Biography of a Czech countess who “confront[ed] the warrior-athletes of the Third Reich in a sporting contest so extreme in its dangers that some would question its right to be called sport.”

Askwith (People Power, 2018, etc.) does admirable literary detective work in unearthing the remarkable story of Countess Lata Brandisová (1895-1981), whose early life coincided with an era of glittering aristocratic privilege followed by the catastrophic destruction brought on by World War I. Hailing from a large noble family with Austrian roots in a sprawling inherited estate in Bohemia (now the Czech Republic), Lata was mostly home-schooled and largely “ungovernable.” With her siblings, she ran wild throughout the estate grounds, and she was passionate about the horses acquired by her father, a former cavalry officer who had “limited cash but plenty of dash.” Bohemian hunters were famous for their riding prowess, and many of the huntsmen were actually English expatriates who competed in the reckless steeplechase, a sport whose premier event was the Grand Pardubice. Yet the privilege to ride in it—or folly for the horses, 29 of which have died during over the past 145 years—fell to the men, at least until World War I shook up the “inertia of the age.” Despite the abolishment of aristocratic titles and the breakup of her family’s inherited lands, Lata grew in confidence and applied for an amateur jockey license in 1927. At the same time, her cousin was elected to the Prague Jockey Club and introduced her to her first equine partner, and she ran her first Grand Pardubice, with disastrous results. Askwith depicts suspensefully Lata’s amazing mettle and perseverance over the next few years despite the notorious difficulty of the race. In 1937, riding against the Nazi-owned top-of-the-line horses (“Himmler’s

IF I DON’T MAKE IT, I LOVE YOU Survivors in the Aftermath of School Shootings

Ed. by Archer, Amye & Kleinman, Loren Skyhorse Publishing (512 pp.) $27.99 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-1-5107-4649-7

Agonizing accounts of school shootings, amply showing that “you don’t have to be a combat veteran to be exposed to violent trauma in America.”

Co-editors Archer (Fat Girl, Skinny, 2016) and Kleinman (The Dark Cave Between My Ribs, 2014) gather all manner of writing—firsthand accounts, remembrances, interviews, even cartoons—about school shootings in the U.S. dating back to 1966.

The result is an important and horrifyingly thick anthology of mass murders that have occurred at elementary, middle, and high schools as well as colleges. For each of the 21 tragedies, one of the editors contributes an introduction, mentions the perpetrators, lists the names of the murdered individuals, and then shares one or more anguished contributions by those directly affected. Eternal optimists may view the anthology as a testament to human resilience; more pessimistic readers will see it as a necessarily searing indictment of the never-ending lethal gun culture in the U.S. Whatever the reader’s disposition, the accumulated impact makes for powerful, painful reading. Some of the massacres will be well remembered by most readers—e.g., 52

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Cavalry”), Lata won, to the astonishment of 40,000 spectators “mad with joy.”

Thanks to this intrepid author, Lata Brandisová reenters the hall of champions to inspire those who come after her. (8 pages of b/w photos)

irreverent take on Jewish life, culture, and lore. No topic is off limits for jokes that range from silly to sophomoric: the Holocaust (“there was still, in the end, a positive side of the Holocaust,” the authors declare, before abruptly changing their minds); the Arab-Israeli conflict (Israel has won all wars since 1948 “because militarily the Israeli armed forces are the Harlem Globetrotters of the Middle East”); and anti-Semitism.

“Are you an anti-Semite?” the authors ask, providing a quiz to test which of many Jewish stereotypes a responder believes.

Are Jews “opinionated, pushy, and prone to butting in?” Or are they “clannish, secretive, and reclusive”? Either answer will brand you as an anti-Semite. More Jewish stereotypes fuel jokes about Jewish customs, holidays, food, attitudes toward interfaith marriage, teachings of the Talmud, and, not least, sex: “Q. What is Jewish foreplay? A. Three hours of begging.” Of the three authors, Barry, a Presbyterian married to a Cuban-Jewish woman, is not “technically Jewish,” but he admits that he has attended many High Holiday services, “some of which lasted longer than the Korean conflict.” The authors found that they had to bone up on the Old Testament

A FIELD GUIDE TO THE JEWISH PEOPLE

Barry, Dave & Mansbach, Adam & Zweibel, Alan Flatiron Books (256 pp.) $25.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-1-250-19196-0

Three comic writers delve into what it means to be Jewish.

Barry, Mansbach, and Zweibel (For This We Left Egypt? A Passover Haggadah for Jews and Those Who Love Them, 2017) team up again in an

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A nuanced argument of interest to those who worry that nuanced arguments are no longer possible in quad or classroom. the tyranny of virtue

and the “incredibly weird shit” in the Torah to make fun of biblical stories, people, and God’s sometimes-incomprehensible commandments, such as the requirement that every male newborn be circumcised. “A surprising amount of research goes into the crafting of every single cheap dick joke we write,” Mansbach reveals. Although some readers might be offended by the repeated characterization of Jews as cheap, argumentative, and opinionated—“two Jews, three opinions” the saying goes—Barry sees self-deprecating Jewish humor as “an important psychological mechanism for coping with misfortune, and Jews have had a LOT of misfortune, especially when you compare them to the Presbyterians.”

Following their previous collaboration, this is another zany book for Jews and those who love them.

of the uncertainties and hard choices that come with modernity and the need to think.”

A nuanced argument of interest to those who worry that nuanced arguments are no longer possible in quad or classroom.

PERMISSION TO FEEL Unlocking the Power of Emotions to Help Our Kids, Ourselves, and Our Society Thrive

Brackett, Marc Celadon Books (320 pp.) $28.00 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-1-250-21284-9

THE TYRANNY OF VIRTUE Identity, the Academy, and the Hunt for Political Heresies

An analysis of our emotions and the skills required to understand them.

We all have emotions, but how many of us have the vocabulary to accurately describe our experiences or to understand how our emotions affect the way we act? In this guide to help readers with their emotions, Brackett, the founding director of Yale University’s Center for Emotional Intelligence, presents a five-step method he calls R.U.L.E.R.: We need to recognize our emotions, understand what has caused them, be able to label them with precise terms and descriptions, know how to safely and effectively express them, and be able to regulate them in productive ways. The author walks readers through each step and provides an intriguing tool to use to help identify a specific emotion. Brackett introduces a four-square grid called a Mood Meter, which allows one to define where an emotion falls based on pleasantness and energy. He also uses four colors for each quadrant: yellow for high pleasantness and high energy, red for low pleasantness and high energy, green for high pleasantness and low energy, and blue for low pleasantness and low energy.

The idea is to identify where an emotion lies in this grid in order to put the R.U.L.E.R. method to good use. The author’s research is wide-ranging, and his interweaving of his personal story with the data helps make the book less academic and more accessible to general readers. It’s particularly useful for parents and teachers who want to help children learn to handle difficult emotions so that they can thrive rather than be overwhelmed by them. The author’s system will also find use in the workplace.

“Emotions are the most powerful force inside the workplace— as they are in every human endeavor,” writes Brackett. “They influence everything from leadership effectiveness to building and maintaining complex relationships, from innovation to customer relations.”

An intriguing approach to identifying and relating to one’s emotions.

Boyers, Robert Scribner (208 pp.) $27.00 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-1-982127-18-3

A rousing call for speech on college campuses that is truly free, addressing uncomfortable issues while allowing

room for dissent.

The habit of thinking clearly about big-picture issues of politics, philosophy, ethics, identity, and other realms, the very stuff of liberal discourse, is “virtually impossible for a great many people in academic life.” So writes Salmagundi editor Boyers (English/Skidmore Coll.; The Fate of Ideas: Seductions, Betrayals, Appraisals, 2015, etc.) in this bracing—and, at turns, eminently arguable—defense of norms of free inquiry against aggrieved identity politics. He’s pretty woke, a student told him, for “an old white guy like you.” Old white guys have feelings, too—and histories that embrace centuries of struggle and survival that don’t often figure in the modern narrative. Boyers begins by examining the modern notion of privilege, recalling what would probably have been an actionable case today of one of his own professors who advised him to lose his Brooklyn accent lest he not be taken seriously. Privilege, as in white privilege, is a real thing, at least of a kind, he allows: That professor would be hauled up today for classism and put through sensitivity training, but the very idea of white privilege is now a “formula resistant to meaningful conversations, which fuels insupportable assumptions and resentments.” Boyers cites cases: a student who cannot believe that Nadine Gordimer, the South African writer, can speak with any authority of the lives of black South Africans; the novelist Viet Tranh Nguyen, whose article on the supposed hostility of writers’ workshops to people of color rouses Boyers’ vigorous objections. Coming from a clearly liberal point of view, Boyers nonetheless courts controversy—and is bound to get it—with some of his tenets, such as the thought that identity politics as such evinces “a fear 54

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THE FIRE IS UPON US James Baldwin, William F. Buckley Jr., and the Debate Over Race in America

Union on Feb. 18, 1965. Taking up the agreed-upon topic of “The American Dream is at the expense of the American Negro,” Baldwin addressed the packed audience “in the position of a kind of Jeremiah” (as a child, he was steeped in biblical teachings from the pulpits of Harlem storefront churches). He poured forth the litany of demoralization that African Americans suffer under white supremacy. It was a powerful, moving speech, and Buckley countered it by scolding Baldwin for “flogging ‘our civilization’ ” and appealing to the audience on the importance of keeping “the rule of law” and “faith of our fathers.” By a 3-1 margin, the youthful audience favored Baldwin’s speech. Yet Buccola builds his well-rendered narrative by offering alternating looks at how the two American intellectuals and writers developed their arguments up to that point. Indeed, both were deeply imprinted by their different upbringings. Throughout his entire life, Baldwin wrote about the Harlem “ghetto” of economic distress and the “moral lives of those trapped within [it].” Buckley, who hailed from a wealthy Connecticut family and attended a prep school and Yale, where he was a member of Skull and Bones, stuck to the dogma, inherited from his father,

Buccola, Nicholas Princeton Univ. (440 pp.) $29.95 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-0-691-18154-7

A study of two acclaimed American thinkers on opposite sides of the political spectrum that underscores the enormous race and class divisions in 1960s America, many of which still exist today.

Buccola (Political Science/Linfield Coll.; The Political Thought of Frederick Douglass, 2012, etc.) grounds this engaging comparison between James Baldwin, “second in international prominence only to Martin Luther King Jr. as the voice of the black freedom struggle,” and prominent conservative William F. Buckley in a debate between the two held at the Cambridge

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An urgent and impassioned plea for justice in the Middle East. walking to jerusalem

QUEEN MERYL The Iconic Roles, Heroic Deeds, and Legendary Life of Meryl Streep

of “devout Catholicism, antidemocratic individualism, hostility to collectivism in economics, and a strong devotion to hierarchy—including racial hierarchy—in the social sphere.”

An elucidating work that makes effective use of comparison and contrast. (23 b/w illustrations)

Carlson, Erin Illus. by Teodoro, Justin Hachette (288 pp.) $24.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-0-316-48527-2

WALKING TO JERUSALEM Endurance and Hope on a Pilgrimage From London to the Holy Land

Meryl Streep, actor, wife, mother, and feminist spokesperson, has had a

sensational career.

With 21 Oscar nominations and three wins, along with multiple international acting awards, Streep can aptly be called Queen Meryl, the most celebrated actor in America. Entertainment journalist Carlson (I’ll Have What She’s Having: How Nora Ephron’s Three Iconic Films Saved the Romantic Comedy, 2017) gleefully recounts Streep’s career from her earnest performance as the Virgin Mary in a family Nativity play (she was 6) to her acclaimed roles in The Devil Wears Prada, Iron Lady, and The Post.

As a student at the Yale School of Drama, Streep stood out for her ability to create complex characters, and she was often cast in Yale Repertory Theatre shows—while holding down off-campus jobs to pay her tuition. After graduating at 26, she immediately became “a Broadway starlet,” Carlson discovered, thanks to the support of Joe Papp, founder of the Public Theater. Her film career took off in 1977 when she was cast in Julia, a drama starring Jane Fonda. Fonda encouraged Streep to improvise and also “imparted an object lesson in kindness” that inspired Streep’s generosity to her less experienced co-stars. Drawing on a copious number of articles, reviews, profiles, and interviews as well as archival material and a previous biography of Streep, Carlson creates a mostly engaging, deeply admiring chronicle of Streep’s life: her long marriage to sculptor Don Gummer, motherhood, sometimes unexpected role choices, friendships, political activism and views, and the movie synopses, production anecdotes, and reviews that document Streep’s prolific acting career. Although she was highly praised for most of her work, some dissenting voices emerged in the 1980s. “Streep can come off like a piece of fine china, white, hard, perfect,” one critic wrote. She never felt perfect, she admitted, but most of the time, she felt confident. “Usually I think I can play anything,” she told an interviewer in 1980. “I have great faith in myself.”

An enthusiastic homage to a legend.

Butcher, Justin Pegasus (320 pp.) $27.95 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-1-64313-211-2

A pilgrimage to Palestine brings a message of compassion and understanding.

Actor, director, and musician Butcher makes an impressive literary debut with a vibrant, moving chronicle of a five-month, 3,300-kilometer journey from London to Jerusalem to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration, the 50th anniversary of Israel’s military occupation of Palestine, and the 10th anniversary of Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip.

Sponsored by Amos Trust, a London-based human rights organization, “A Just Walk to Jerusalem” began in June 2017 with the goal of expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people and to counter Theresa May’s public endorsement of the Balfour Declaration, which, Amos Trust asserts, “precipitated a century of dispossession, conflict and suffering.” The walk attracted some 40 participants of all ages, religious backgrounds, and nationalities, all eager to make the historic pilgrimage to protest injustice and stand for equal rights. For much of the book, Butcher recounts, in lyrical, radiant prose, sights and sounds, triumphs and discomforts as the group slogged on, blistered and sweaty, across France, Switzerland, Italy, Albania, Macedonia, Greece, Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, and finally into Palestine. Here, for example, he conveys the thrill of witnessing a lightning storm from the deck of a ferry in Ancona: “Brilliant glimmers fleeting across the sky, now and then concentrated with intense radiance in soiling forks, now diffused in yellow splashes spilling behind, along and through the clouds.” On the moors in Greece, he records “a magical potpourri of sounds—tinkling goat bells and dogs woofing, bees buzzing, cicadas trilling and the silvery sliver of wrens and thrushes singing.” The author’s purpose, though, is far more consequential than to create a travel narrative: “A Just Walk” bore witness to a century of oppression. Welcomed warmly in Palestine, Butcher talked with residents whose lives had been cruelly circumscribed by Israeli settlements, who lost their homes, who were cut off from water and medicine, whose children were shot by Israeli soldiers—and who still harbored hope for peace and goodwill.

An urgent and impassioned plea for justice in the Middle East. (maps)

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HOW TO TREAT PEOPLE A Nurse’s Notes

Competition was fierce, and families went so far as to make huge donations to coveted schools, get counselors’ help during the application process, and enroll their toddlers in “preschool prep” classes for their interviews. When her husband announced a huge promotion that would take the family to Hong Kong, they jumped at the chance to avoid the preschool mania. In Hong Kong, her boys thrived at preschool in a building so decrepit that it was nicknamed “The Prison,” a public magnet school with a socio-economically diverse student body, dedicated teachers, and curriculum that emphasized mastery. A few years later, the family moved to Shanghai, a teeming city where Clavel found an even more admirable school system. “In China,” she writes, “they truly believe education is the great equalizer: everyone can succeed if they work hard enough and all children deserve high-quality education.” Pedagogy emphasized “memorization, challenging homework, and discipline,” writes the author, noting that American parents would likely feel uncomfortable about teaching based on flash cards, speed drills, and repetition. After two years, the family moved again, this time to Tokyo. A top-down, centralized, stable curriculum;

Case, Molly Norton (272 pp.) $25.95 | Sep. 10, 2019 978-1-324-00346-5

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A journey through the variegated days and nights of a young nurse.

Combining a near dreaminess with quotidian details, both refreshingly and intimately shared (“as a last resort, we use medication to subdue patients: haloperidol, which between ourselves we call vitamin H”), London-based Case tells the story of her first steps as a nurse. She begins by discussing “last offices,” the procedures undertaken after the death of a patient. The author writes with a refreshing matter-of-factness that keeps things from becoming too opaque. She frames the narrative around the nursing checklist when first examining a patient: airway, breathing, circulation, disability, exposure. She covers each of these steps in a number of short chapters that range among compact profiles of her patients, family tales (her father was in and out of the hospital), and nursing lore and wisdom. Though Case’s writing is unaffected, that doesn’t mean it isn’t moving. When a man died alone in her ward, she writes, “I watched as the patient seemed to disappear.” Her simple explanations make for clear understanding of, for example, why a patient might try to pull out a chest drain and IV lines after an operation. Some of the most pungent passages come from what she has learned from her time on the ward. “I had become fluent,” she writes, “in the way blood moved, smelt, how its colour could signal a patient’s chances of survival.” The action takes place at an English hospital, where Case easily swings into teaching mode. We get a smattering of Galen, Aristotle, the Tzeltal Mayans, and others on their approaches to medicine, and as the author chronicles how to analyze a pulse, she reminds us that the word comes from “pulsus,” Latin for “to beat.” Each chapter is a filigree, tenderly rendered no matter what the subject.

A finely wrought delineation of the art of nursing.

WORLD CLASS One Mother’s Journey Halfway Around the Globe in Search of the Best Education for Her Children

Clavel, Teru Atria (368 pp.) $28.00 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-1-5011-9297-5

Educational consultant Clavel makes her book debut with an upbeat chronicle of her children’s school experiences in Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Tokyo and a harsh critique of American education.

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A satisfying mystery that could have been grist for Agatha Christie’s mill. five days gone

experienced, adequately paid teachers; and a shared commitment to the importance of education produced schooling that worked well in homogeneous Japan—and for Clavel’s children.

When they returned to “the land of capitalism, individuality, and freedoms,” the author was shocked by haphazard curricula, lack of oversight, thoughtless integration of technology, stunning turnover of teachers and administrators, and emphasis on sports. Finally, she opted for private schools. Clavel offers advice about vetting schools and enriching children’s education, but her evidence for praise of Asian education, mainly exam results and international ranking, is not fully convincing.

Experiences in Asian schools yields well-meant suggestions for improving students’ learning.

Crawford is reticent, too, about analyzing his subject’s needs and desires, merely paraphrasing one possibly revealing letter that Gershwin wrote to his psychoanalyst. While not delving deeply into his subject’s heart, he provides a thorough analysis of his talent.

A warm homage to a central figure in American music and theater. (8 pages of photos)

FIVE DAYS GONE The Mystery of My Mother’s Disappearance as a Child Cumming, Laura Scribner (320 pp.) $26.00 | Aug. 27, 2019 978-1-5011-9871-7

SUMMERTIME George Gershwin’s Life In Music

The art critic for the Observer explores family secrets stretching back 90 years.

In the fall of 1929, writes Cumming (The Vanishing Velázquez: A 19th-Century Bookseller’s Obsession with a Lost Masterpiece, 2016), a 3-year-old girl “was playing by herself with a new tin spade” on a Lincolnshire beach, her mother at her side—until, for a moment, the girl dropped out of her sight and was coaxed away by someone watching nearby, “so fast that she couldn’t have got anywhere near the water.” The girl, who would become the author’s mother, the artist Betty Elston, did not drown; she turned up a few days later. Cumming probes her memory and investigates family albums in an attempt to determine what happened. What she turns up is a secret betrayal on the part of her grandfather to which her grandmother must have surrendered, thinking it “her Christian duty” but likely having had no choice but to do so. The facts of the story and their resolution command attention, but in the end, they’re less interesting than the author’s process of thinking about them. As she looks at photo albums with the eye of a scholarly detective, she discerns patterns of gaps and absences, sees eyes averted, a countenance “reluctant or evasive,” and reads between the lines.

Those photographs from the past connect generations in a oneway conversation even as present-day readers, saturated in color, look at monochrome photographs as if the world of their subjects were colorless too: “The mind knows this is false,” writes Cumming, “but the optic nerve is fooled into finding these figures less real, immediate, vital. Monochrome turns the present into the past; makes the past look even more distant.” Her nuanced, pensive account restores reality and vitality to figures from out of the past, making them meaningful while uncovering their secrets.

A satisfying mystery that could have been grist for Agatha Christie’s mill.

Crawford, Richard Norton (560 pp.) $39.95 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-0-393-05215-2

How popular music of the 1920s and ’30s was indelibly influenced by one composer.

Musicologist Crawford (Emeritus, Music/University of Mich.; America’s Musical Life: A History, 2001, etc.) adds to the burgeoning number of biographies about composer and pianist George Gershwin (1898-1937) with what he calls “an academic scholar’s account of Gershwin’s life in music during the composer’s own time.” Drawing on previous studies as well as archival material, the author traces Gershwin’s musical development, analyzes technical qualities of his compositions, and highlights his critical reception. He is less interested in examining Gershwin’s personal life, character, friendships, and romantic relationships, and he barely glances at events beyond the theater and concert hall. Despite this narrow perspective, however, the author offers an engaging chronicle of a brilliant musician. The list of his compositions is stunning: Rhapsody in Blue; An American in Paris, and the folk opera Porgy and Bess as well as songs that include the memorable “I Got Rhythm,” “The Man I Love,” “Someone To Watch Over Me,” “Swanee,” and “But Not for Me.” More than his contemporaries, Gershwin embraced the verve, melodies, and rhythm of jazz and blues. Together with his lyricist brother Ira, he became a major force in musical theater, creating shows featuring a famed roster of performers, notably Fred Astaire and Astaire’s sister Adele. “I do not know whether Gershwin was born into this world to write rhythms for Fred Astaire’s feet or whether Astaire was born into this world to show how the Gershwin music should really be danced,” the critic Alexander Woollcott observed, but the match was sensational. Although Crawford describes Gershwin as gregarious, and although he was linked romantically with many women, he was emotionally reticent.

“He didn’t understand why he couldn’t get out of life what he wanted, which was a companion,” his sister once commented.

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BURN IT DOWN Women Writing About Anger

electrified Bob Dylan’s watershed performance at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival and that stung its way through his breakthrough “Like a Rolling Stone.” As the lead guitarist for the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Bloomfield brought extended, jazzlike improvisation to the form and performed with a flamboyance that charged his every gesture. In 1967, he formed a band called the Electric Flag, which added horns to the bluesrock-soul-jazz mix and would attempt to transcend musical genres. But by the early 1970s, Bloomfield walked away from the spotlight—or stumbled and staggered away, a victim of substance abuse, insomnia, insecurity, and an inability to deal with the pressures of the spotlight and the demands of touring and performance. By the time he suffered a fatal overdose in 1981, he had been all but forgotten, a footnote in rock’s progression. “The obscurity Bloomfield longed for in his last decade he achieved posthumously with stunning success,” writes Dann, who has approached his task with an archivist’s expansiveness rather than the selection of detail and stylistic grace that distinguish a biographer’s craft. The author includes every club owner, performance booker, and long-forgotten sideman as well

Ed. by Dancyger, Lilly Seal Press (272 pp.) $27.00 | Oct. 8, 2019 978-1-58005-893-3

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An editor and journalist gathers 22 essays from a diverse group of contemporary women writers about the nature of modern female rage.

Catapult contributing editor Dancyger creates a cathartic space for both well- and lesser-known writers to express the various ways in which their anger has manifested in their lives. The opening essay, Leslie Jamison’s “Lungs Full of Burning,” sets the tone for the rest of the book. For years, Jamison took pride in being “someone who wasn’t prone to anger” until she realized that the sadness she often felt was really a manifestation of a rage society would not let her own. Monet Patrice Thomas follows Jamison with a discussion of how society considers angry black women to have “an attitude” and how, in general, they are allowed to feel only one emotion: fear. Reclaiming anger—and an abused body—is at the heart of Rios de la Luz’s essay “Enojada,” which details her experiences with sexual molestation suffered at the hands of her mother’s boyfriend. In “On Transfeminine Anger,” Samantha Riedel describes the rage she felt as a gender-confused boy and then in the early years of her trans womanhood, when she railed against “the forces of misogyny and transphobia” only to end up hurting people she cared about. Destructive as anger can be, Reema Zaman shows how it can also liberate. Zaman depicts the moment she stood up to her bullying husband and told him, “I was born for life beyond you.” In “The Color of Being Muslim,” Shaheen Pasha talks about her rage at “the suffocating expectations of others,” both within and without the Pakistani American community, who saw her as being too Muslim or not Muslim enough. Powerful and provocative, this collection is an instructive read for anyone seeking to understand the many faces—and pains—of womanhood in 21st-century America.

An incisive collection of writing about how women’s anger “doesn’t have to be useful to deserve a voice.”

GUITAR KING Michael Bloomfield’s Life in the Blues

Dann, David Univ. of Texas (736 pp.) $39.95 | Oct. 15, 2019 978-1-4773-1877-5

An exhaustive biography gives the legendary Chicago blues-rock guitarist his due—and then some.

More than a half-century ago, Mike Bloomfield (1943-1981) was routinely ranked with the likes of Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix. His was the guitar that |

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A vociferous, highly motivational call to arms for the feminist movement. the seven necessary sinss for women and girls

THE SEVEN NECESSARY SINS FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS

as every recording session in Bloomfield’s slide toward obscurity.

Amid the dross, there is a compelling narrative of a young blues fanatic whose problems with drugs and mental instability predated his fame—and who continued to perform in projects for which he had indifference or even contempt because he was so deeply in debt to the manager he had once shared with Dylan.

Those with a passion for the music will enjoy revisiting a time when Bloomfield’s influence exceeded even Stevie Ray Vaughan’s.

Eltahawy, Mona Beacon (208 pp.) $24.95 | Sep. 17, 2019 978-0-8070-1381-6

A striking anti-patriarchal manifesto.

Written “with enough rage to fuel a rocket,” the second book from Egyptian American activist Eltahawy (Headscarves and Hymens: Why the Middle East Needs a Sexual Revolution, 2015) presents a platform of female empowerment and gender equality supported by seven essential traits (anger, attention, profanity, ambition, power, violence, and lust) every woman should have in her feminist arsenal. The author advises women on how to individually resist and collectively deconstruct society’s “universal and normalized” patriarchal hierarchy by employing an interlocking series of “sins,” traditionally tabooed beliefs about women’s outward expressions of contrary opinion or personal power. Eltahawy’s opening is strong, with a chapter on how anger and rage are key components in the fight alongside ambition, sexual expression “outside the teachings of heteronormativity,” and an insistence that attention be paid to female voices instead of promoting efforts to silence them. The section on power seeks to engage women in business and social leadership. Eltahawy is at her most controversial when discussing what she believes are the leveling benefits of physical violence in the face of patriarchal crimes.

Sprinkled throughout the narrative are moving personal stories, histories, and profiles that further reinforce her plan to dismantle the rampant injustices against women. The author’s prose is feverishly enthusiastic and laser-focused, powered by teenage emotional trauma from repeated sexual assaults while on pilgrimages to Mecca, where she was warned to stay silent but ultimately vocalized her outrage. She channels the rage about her violations toward the empowerment of other women in their embrace of feminism that is “robust, aggressive, and unapologetic…a feminism that defies, disobeys, and disrupts the patriarchy.” Her urgent narrative encourages women of all ages to resist classic compartmentalization and to raise their voices and demand equality within every sector of society. “Let us always tell girls they can be more than,” she writes.

A vociferous, highly motivational call to arms for the feminist movement.

WHAT THEY MEANT FOR EVIL How a Lost Girl of Sudan Found Healing, Peace, and Purpose in the Midst of Suffering

Deng, Rebecca with Kolbaba, Ginger FaithWords (304 pp.) $22.00 | Sep. 10, 2019 978-1-5460-1722-6

A memoir from one of the Lost Girls of Sudan.

Deng was born in South Sudan, and the first few years of her life were relatively peaceful. She enjoyed her grandmother’s cooking, the ghee she made from the cows they owned, and the lush vegetation that grew around her village. When she was 6, the civil war that had been raging in other parts of the country arrived at her doorstep, and Deng became a refugee of the Bor Massacre of 1991. Her village was destroyed, and she fled on foot with other family members to safety. She spent the next few years living in refugee camps, eating tasteless maize paste donated by the U.N. It was difficult to find joy under these circumstances, but Deng’s strong Christian faith and community of churchgoers she prayed with helped her through her struggles. She also was able to attend school in the refugee camp, an act that ultimately led her on a path to the United States, where she was adopted in 2000 by a family living in Michigan. In this chronicle of her early childhood and subsequent years as an immigrant in the U.S., Deng shares, in mostly straightforward prose, the significant moments that changed her life. Not only did she suffer deprivation and hardship as a young child in the refugee camps; she also faced prejudice as an immigrant, struggling to maintain her Dinka heritage while assimilating to her new culture. Her difficult journey to adulthood and calling as an advocate for other victims of war makes for difficult, sometimes violent reading, but her story is important. In particular, Deng exposes the devastation of war on the innocent, especially women and children, who often bear the brunt of the brutality.

A powerful story of determination and strong faith that brought a child out of the wreckage of war.

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A GUEST OF THE REICH The Story of American Heiress Gertrude Legendre’s Dramatic Captivity and Escape From Nazi Germany

THE LIFE AND LOVES OF E. NESBIT Victorian Iconoclast, Children’s Author, and Creator of The Railway Children

Finn, Peter Pantheon (256 pp.) $27.95 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-1-5247-4733-6

Fitzsimons, Eleanor Abrams (400 pp.) $35.00 | Oct. 8, 2019 978-1-4197-3897-5

Fast-paced account of an American woman working with military intelligence who was captured by the Nazis.

Washington Post national security editor Finn (co-author: The Zhivago Affair: The Kremlin, the CIA, and the Battle Over a Forbidden Book, 2014) follows the story of a rich and adventurous American woman who joined the OSS, the predecessor of the CIA, after Pearl Harbor. Born to a wealthy family, Gertrude “Gertie” Legendre (1902-2000) was more interested in outdoor life than socializing, and she became a world-traveling big-game hunter who collected specimens for top museums. But when her husband, Sidney, joined the war effort, she took a job with the OSS, first in Washington, D.C., and then in London. After the liberation of Paris, she found her way to the city and then to the front. However, Allied troops had fallen back from where she thought they were, and she and her companions found themselves under enemy fire and were forced to surrender. She was the first American woman in uniform to be captured by the Germans. From the start, Gertie was suspected of being a spy, kept under close guard, and faced with hard questioning, though never with torture. Finn chronicles her ordeal as she was moved around Germany based on original documents, including Gertie’s own letters and diaries as well as official OSS archives. The result is a fascinating look at the treatment of POWs during the final year of the war—e.g., the hotel reserved for important French hostages where Gertie spent her last few weeks in captivity or the general availability of wine for upperclass prisoners even when there was not enough clean water for washing. The author provides added interest with his profiles of several other figures of historical note, including war photographer Margaret Bourke-White and OSS chief “Wild Bill” Donovan. Finn combines solid research and good storytelling skills to bring Gertie and her era to life for contemporary readers.

A little-known chapter of World War II history with an intriguing American intelligence agent in the leading role.

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Fitzsimons (Wilde’s Women: How Oscar Wilde Was Shaped by the Women He Knew, 2017) explores the controversial life and groundbreaking contributions of iconic Victorian children’s author and social activist Edith Nesbit (1858-1924).

Relying on letters, memoirs, poetry, stories, and archival materials, the author reveals familiar as well as unexpected details and anecdotes from Nesbit’s tempestuous, bohemian life. She documents how Nesbit’s father’s death, her sister’s illness, and subsequent family upheavals shaped her into an anxious child with a fertile imagination who began writing poetry at age 11. A life-changing marriage to ardent womanizer Hubert Bland when she was seven months pregnant forced Nesbit to “muster what resources, determination, and ingenuity she had to support her family” through her writing. Throughout their unorthodox marriage, Nesbit tolerated her husband’s many flaws. Attractive and vivacious, Nesbit was “always surrounded by adoring young men” and had “intensely romantic friendships with several,” including George Bernard Shaw. Delving into Nesbit’s formative involvement in the Fabian Society and ardent campaigning to alleviate poverty, Fitzsimons suggests Nesbit’s socialist views influenced her children’s books. Favoring unconventional loose-fitting dresses and short hair, Nesbit’s attitude toward women’s rights and suffrage was surprisingly “hostile.”

Frequent quotes from Nesbit’s children’s books illustrate how she “populated her stories with people and events from her past,” recasting herself and her siblings as the Bastable children in The Story of the Treasure Seekers. Fitzsimons ably demonstrates how Nesbit’s singular ability to write from the perspective of a child, weaving magic and fantasy into everyday life in a colloquial style, became the prototype for modern children’s fiction. She shines a welcome spotlight on a life “as extraordinary as anything found in the pages of her books.”

A fascinating, thoughtfully organized, thoroughly researched, often surprising biography of the enigmatic author of The Railway Children.

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Readers who emerge dry-eyed from the text should check their pulses: Something is wrong with their hearts. the only plane in the sky

THINK BLACK A Memoir

strong reporting skills and empathetic writing in this collection of pieces previously published in Guernica, McSweeney’s, Oxford American, and the Virginia Quarterly Review, among other publications. The timeliest piece is about the persecution of undocumented immigrants that has ramped up significantly since the election of Donald Trump. In a brief news story, the author learned about Sixto Paz, a Mexican man forestalling deportation by living in a church that “offered sanctuary to undocumented migrants.” Garcia traveled to Phoenix to meet Paz in person; as he has done so well in previous books, the author manages to extrapolate from this one individual’s story greater truths about a large down-and-out population. Garcia helps readers understand how the daily struggles that define and change his real-life protagonists are relevant to them. At times, the author inserts himself into the narratives, showing readers how his research and reporting affects him. Garcia closes the book with a story on Reynaldo Leal, a U.S. military veteran who completed two tours of duty in Iraq and began to realize, years later, that “most of the country has allowed the war to fade from its consciousness.” This piece is another in a long line of the author’s impressive stories about military veterans, their traumatic nightmares, and their less-than-adequate treatment by government agencies. Garcia also frequently investigates the broken U.S. criminal justice system, evident here in “What Happens After Sixteen Years in Prison?” The book’s subtitle rings true for each piece. One shortcoming: The anthology provides no value-added content, such as contextualizing sections or updates on the stories.

Compassionate, memorable tales from a journalist who understands the significance of revealing the inner lives of marginalized individuals.

Ford, Clyde W. Amistad/HarperCollins (320 pp.) $25.99 | Sep. 17, 2019 978-0-06-289056-6 A memoir/social history of a trailblazing father, his headstrong son, and their struggles with racism in the tech industry.

In 1971, Ford (Whiskey Gulf, 2009, etc.) followed his pioneering father’s footsteps through the doors of IBM. Nearly three decades earlier, the elder Ford had become the company’s first black systems engineer, handpicked by the president and founder of the company, Thomas J. Watson Sr. But where his father was a conformist, seemingly unwilling to challenge the racism at the ultraconservative company, the rebellious author, then 19, showed up for work with “a ballooned Afro, pork chop sideburns [and] a blue zoot suit with red pinstripes.” Ford chronicles both his and his father’s careers, from the dawn of the digital age that his father’s expertise helped usher in. Frequently at odds, the two men disagreed about Clyde’s future, the war in Vietnam, and the civil rights movement. A masterful storyteller, Ford interweaves his personal story with the backdrop of the social movements unfolding at that time, providing a revealing insider’s view of the tech industry. IBM’s storied past is not without blemish. Ford details the company’s involvement with the Nazis during the Holocaust and with the South African government under apartheid. Whether recounting the domestic drama that played out between his parents or how his father taught him to program IBM’s first computer as a kid, Ford provides a simultaneously informative and entertaining narrative. He delves into historical and contemporary intersections of race, history, and technology to show that technical advancements are never completely bias-free because they are driven by humans, who are inherently biased. Ultimately, Ford learned that his father did challenge the system at IBM in covert but lasting ways. He also gives a call to action to readers to challenge the current lack of diversity in tech as well as the racism that technology is used to perpetuate in society at large.

A powerful, engrossing look at race and technology.

THE ONLY PLANE IN THE SKY An Oral History of 9/11

Graff, Garrett M. Avid Reader Press (416 pp.) $30.00 | Sep. 10, 2019 978-1-5011-8220-4

Wrenching, highly personal accounts of 9/11 and its aftermath.

Former POLITICO and Washingtonian editor Graff (Raven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Government’s Secret Plan To Save Itself—While the Rest of Us Die, 2017, etc.) returns with an impressive feat of organization, editing, and balance. He begins the story early in the morning of 9/11, proceeds through the entire day, and then follows up with comments from people about the ensuing weeks, months, and years.

He spent three years collecting stories from a wide variety of people—survivors, responders, politicians, witnesses, family members—and then assembled the pieces into a coherent and powerful re-creation of the attacks on the twin towers, the Pentagon, and (perhaps) the Capitol, an attack that failed when the passengers aboard Flight 93 fought back, their plane crashing in a Pennsylvania field. Some of the storytellers’ names are well

THE FRUIT OF ALL MY GRIEF Lives in the Shadows of the American Dream Garcia, J. Malcolm Seven Stories (320 pp.) $21.95 paper | Sep. 10, 2019 978-1-60980-953-9

Chronicling “the lives lurking beneath the surface of the everyday.”

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known—e.g., Katie Couric, Dick Cheney, Condoleezza Rice, Laura Bush—but most of them are not. Graff also does an admirable job of maintaining focus on the personal stories and does not drift off into political commentary—or engage in placing blame—or arrange the material so that some of his interviewees look good and some bad. Pretty much everyone emerges looking good, from President George W. Bush on down the political ladder—not to mention the stunning heroism of the fire and police departments and the unnumbered, and sometimes nameless, others who rushed to help. Graff excels at re-creating the anxiety and terror of that day: What is happening? What’s next?

Who did this? Most affecting of all, of course, are the accounts of those who survived, the responders who struggled to help (and who lost so many of their colleagues), and the families who learned a loved one would never be coming home. Pair this with Mitchell Zuckoff ’s Fall and Rise for a full, well-rounded perspective on this monumental tragedy.

Readers who emerge dry-eyed from the text should check their pulses: Something is wrong with their hearts.

others—i.e., social cognition. It works pretty well but not perfectly. Graziano also provides an excellent history of brain evolution beginning with the first nerve cell 700 million years ago.

Since consciousness is complex—but not confined to humans; other animals have it—understanding it requires a knowledge of brain function. The author delivers a lucid account, but once he focuses on his specialty, few readers will doubt that the phrase “hard problem” is no exaggeration.

A fine popular introduction to the brain and an earnest if difficult attempt to explain how it generates consciousness. (7 illustrations)

THOSE WHO WANDER America’s Lost Street Kids Ho, Vivian Little A (220 pp.) $24.95 | Sep. 1, 2019 978-1-5039-0373-9

Graziano, Michael S.A. Norton (256 pp.) $28.95 | Sep. 17, 2019 978-0-393-65261-1

Graziano (Psychology and Neuroscience/Princeton Univ.; The Spaces Between Us: A Story of Neuroscience, Evolution, and Human Nature, 2018, etc.) continues to probe the mysteries of consciousness.

Explaining how our physical brain generates consciousness is officially labeled the “hard problem,” and readers of this admirable attempt to solve it will not disagree. A thermostat registers temperature; a computer can evaluate information and make decisions. The assembly of neurons in the brain does the same, and neuroscientists are working out the mechanism.

However, brains not only do stuff; their possessors also know that they are doing stuff. They are having mental experiences.

Brain cells detect color, but how do we experience redness? “A modern computer can process a visual image,” writes the author, “but engineers have not yet solved how to make the computer conscious of that information.” Although their numbers are diminishing, some scholars insist that something as amorphous as consciousness can never be explained scientifically. Graziano points out that plenty of theories exist, including one he favors, which “can apply equally to biological brains and artificial machines.” He opts for what he calls the attention schema, which emphasizes that the brain is an information-processing machine that generates a conscious experience but has no way to relate this to reality. As a result, we construct a rich internal model that we consult to assure us that our perceptions are correct. We also use this model to predict the behavior of |

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A portrait of homeless children in America.

Former San Francisco Chronicle criminal justice reporter Ho takes to the streets of the Bay Area and other urban regions of the country to show readers how children are surviving on the streets without parental supervision, housing, or employment. She begins by discussing the 2015 murders of Audrey Carey and Steve Carter by three homeless youths, examining what led the three perpetrators, Haze, Lila, and Sean, to the moments when they shot each of the victims. It’s a sad yet eye-opening story of physical and sexual abuse, rampant drug use, mental illness, and botched stays in foster homes. Although Ho focuses the narrative on these three youths, she does share the stories of several other homeless kids she met, which gives readers a wider view of the day-to-day existence of a homeless youth. Even though they often watch out for each other, they are also known to harm each other. They also lie, steal, abuse drugs, and are on the move constantly to avoid the police. Some have chosen this lifestyle and enjoy the freedom it gives them; others know that life at home is worse than on the streets despite the fears of being raped, drugged, or robbed. “After that first burst of freedom and escape,” writes the author, “their lives become one prolonged dehumanizing fight for survival, and with each day spent on the streets, they drift farther and farther away from being able to leave this existence when they come to the decision to do so.” Ho provides clear descriptions of this lifestyle via her interviews with the homeless, yet she sometimes repeats small details, particularly about Haze and Lila, which makes some of the book repetitive. On the whole, though, she provides sufficient information and shows compassion to her interviewees. The lingering question—how to keep these kids off the streets and in stable homes—goes unaddressed.

An empathetic overview of life as a homeless youth in America.

RETHINKING CONSCIOUSNESS A Scientific Theory of Subjective Experience

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INTERVIEWS & PROFILES

Ben Folds

THE MUSICIAN’S MEMOIR OF SEX, DRUGS, AND ROCK ’N’ ROLL IS LONG ON WRY HUMOR AND SHORT ON —WELL, SEX, DRUGS, AND ROCK ’N’ ROLL

By Gregory McNamee Photo courtesy Joe Vaughn

humorous anecdotes and ribald wisdom, as when he writes, “It’s one thing to work shit jobs in high school, when there’s a theoretical life ahead. It’s another to realize the shitty job is your life.”

Folds allows that his life has been a bit more fortunate than most, and he’s an altogether thoughtful fellow who recounts his long musical education throughout the pages of his book. “I wanted to know if Gene Simmons ever went to band camp,” he says of one centrally important experience in his teenage life. “Where did he learn how to make a G chord?” Band camp was a nerdy sort of place, to be sure, but it was also where Folds began to explore the subtle blend of jazz, pop, and rock that characterizes his work. Granted, he recalls, the cool kids there were “a little mean to me,” but he takes quiet revenge by imagining that they’re playing in cocktail bars somewhere now, earning their keep with—well, the kind of job he described earlier.

As for Folds, he’s got a busy touring schedule ahead, promoting his book as if it were another album, playing concerts, and doing interviews around the country.

“Overall,” he says, “I’m pretty pleased with the balancing act. I’m caught up now in picking out things from the book to read from and talk about—sort of like having to pick my singles when a new real album is out. I’m picking my singles and getting ready to go out on the road.”

“Yes, I could have been a lot of things besides being a musician, but I’ve always been a writer,” the 53-year-old Folds says. “I write songs, of course, but I’ve also written stories, all kinds of things. I thought maybe I was a little too young to write a memoir, but then I realized how old I am and decided I might have something to say. For one thing, I want to give some honest encouragement to people who are interested in music and creative work, to urge them to pursue it while they’re selling insurance

“I didn’t have to be a musician.” So says the popular pianist, songwriter, and bandleader Ben Folds, talking to me from his home in Nashville. In fact, as he recalls, he was once so torn about his future that when his father asked him about college plans, Folds answered that he was thinking about joining the military. His father responded, “You’re fucking high.”

It’s a marvelous, funny anecdote that figures in Folds’ song “Army,” from his third album, The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner, released in 1999. He recasts it at more leisure in his new memoir, A Dream About Lightning Bugs (July 30), a book steeped in his North Carolina boyhood and teendom, with plenty of 64

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and whatnot during the day. But I also wanted to curate my own life a little bit, look back and figure out what’s been important. I decided not to pass up the chance.”

He adds, laughing, “Still, I just recorded the audiobook, and there were moments when I thought, like when you stick a dog’s nose in an accident, ‘Look what you’ve done!’ ” Readers and music fans alike will find what he’s done to be a treat.

IF YOU LIVED HERE YOU’D BE HOME BY NOW Why We Traded the Commuting Life for a Little House on the Prairie

Gregory McNamee is a contributing editor. A Dream About Lightning Bugs was reviewed in the July 1, 2019, issue.

Ingraham, Christopher Harper/HarperCollins (288 pp.) $24.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 978-0-06-286147-4

Five Musical Works That Changed Ben Folds’ Life “Wichita Lineman” by Jimmy Webb. “It starts off ordinary, about an ordinary life. Then comes that ‘I need you more than want you’ line, and it gets me every time.”

“Marie” by Randy Newman. “Nobody tells a story better, and always with a twist.”

“Common People” by Pulp. “I had William Shatner sing it. Great.”

Exile in Guyville by Liz Phair. “That whole album inspires me.”

“The Last Time I Saw Richard” by Joni Mitchell. “Essential. But how do you pick just one Joni Mitchell song?” —G.M.

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A Washington Post data reporter debuts with an account of his move from the D.C. area to a rural county in northwestern Minnesota.

In 2015, Ingraham published a dismissive comment about Red Lake County, Minnesota, and the immediate social media reactions from some people there prompted him to visit. When he got there, he realized that he was falling for the place. He convinced his wife that they should move there for a while. It was a great place, he thought, to bring up their twin sons, still of preschool age—not to mention quite a bit less expensive than D.C. So they packed up and moved, where they were, again, surprised to discover how comfortable they felt—even though Red Lake “is a place so lacking in superlatives that proclaiming itself ‘the only landlocked county…that is surrounded by just two neighboring counties’ is the closest thing to a boast that you’ll find on the county’s website.” Seldom is heard a discouraging word in Ingraham’s text; the only time he really complains, which he does in a light, even ironic way, is about the local food, especially the pizza (barely edible). The family quickly adapted to the entirely new small-town culture and found everyone welcoming and even sort of Mayberry-ish. Ingraham deals with a number of fundamental issues: health care (things were farther away than in the densely populated East), schools (he had a great experience with the local school dealing with one of his sons), social life (his wife won a seat on the town council; he went deer hunting), and, of course, the extreme cold of northern Minnesota. The author devotes a small section to politics, registering his belief that mass-media portrayals of small-town rural America are not sufficiently nuanced. Throughout, Ingraham writes with the conviction of one who has found—as least for him—tranquility and truth.

A simple, warmhearted celebration of small-town living.

FROM THE PERIPHERY Real-Life Stories of Disability

Justesen, Pia Lawrence Hill Books/Chicago Review (336 pp.) $18.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-64160-158-0

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In championing a critically important part of the natural world, Kurlansky sounds an urgent alarm that commands our attention. salmon

Justesen settled in Chicago in 2014 after a career in Denmark as a human rights lawyer advocating for physically and mentally disabled men and women. Almost all the case studies here derive from oral histories she compiled in Chicago, inspired in part by the work of Studs Terkel. As the author shows, disabilities stretch far beyond those that are visible, such as blindness or the use of a wheelchair. Many of the disabilities of those she profiles may not be immediately apparent or constitute a condition generally outside widespread societal consciousness—e.g., deafness, autism, diabetes, dwarfism, severe arthritis, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, depression, and more. For Justesen, negative treatment of individuals with disabilities constitutes a human rights violation. Throughout the text, she amplifies the repeated pleas of her interviewees: Please don’t treat me as a person to be pitied or as someone who cannot perform a high-level job; please don’t tease me or bully me, and please don’t pretend I am invisible when you encounter me. The book suggests that people of color who are disabled are often treated worse than white men and women. Justesen wisely includes oral histories of her subject’s paid caretakers as well as family members. As she clearly shows, poor treatment of the disabled yields negative ripple effects throughout society. The author opens the collection by illuminating the anger displayed by those who feel that they are considered “less than.” In the next section, Justesen explains the reality of disability entering the realm of “social construct,” akin to discrimination based on skin color or gender orientation.

“Disability is not miserable,” she writes. “But not being regarded, not being respected, being seen as less than, not being treated with dignity, all this is miserable. Barriers in the world can make living with a disability miserable.”

A mind-expanding collection of important stories. (20 b/w photos)

living as easy as possible for her workaholic husband. His dual interest in both medical care and anthropology led them around the globe, with emphases on China and Taiwan. Eventually, Joan also developed expertise in Chinese language and culture. Given her sterling example of winning trust from almost every person who entered her life, Kleinman developed deep empathy and excellent listening skills, making him a holistic practitioner who understood the intricate connections among mind, body, and the stresses of the larger culture. When Joan started failing physically before age 60 due to what finally got diagnosed as early-onset Alzheimer’s, Kleinman felt compelled to learn how to serve as a caregiver within what he came to understand as a dysfunctional American health care bureaucracy. In addition to providing a detailed account of Joan’s decline and death during 2011, he also offers case studies of his nonfamily patients.

As he clearly shows, his patients informed his care of Joan, and his arduous caregiving for Joan informed his medical practice.

The second half of the book, focused on the author’s dedication to his wife’s care, is more compelling than the scattered, often repetitious first half.

An uneven but poignant memoir that will be useful to caregivers of all ages and occupations.

SALMON A Fish, the Earth, and the History of a Common Fate Kurlansky, Mark Patagonia (416 pp.) $30.00 | Sep. 17, 2019 978-1-938340-86-4

Having written about milk, salt, oysters, and frozen food, Kurlansky (Milk!: A 10,000-Year Food Fracas, 2018, etc.) turns his pen to an iconic fish on the brink of extinction.

“How many species do we lose when we lose a salmon?” asks the author toward the end of this handsomely illustrated work of natural history and environmental advocacy. The answer is that we do not know for certain, but the salmon is part of a chain of life that ranges from tiny insects to large mammals and birds. Every species, then, unlocks the door to many other species, and allowing any species to diminish is to threaten the whole web of life. So it is with the salmon. Kurlansky covers all the bases, from life cycle and reproductive history to the fact that the salmon is particularly vulnerable precisely because it spends part of its life in salt water, part in fresh water. The author observes that ideal salmon habitat includes rivers that run clear and clean and that are undammed, which are increasingly rare except in very remote places such as the Kamchatka Peninsula of Russia, which may turn out to be where salmon make their last stand. Certainly it won’t be on the Columbia River, where Lewis and Clark saw a horizon of flashing fins two centuries ago, whereas “by 1975, a total of 14 dams were blocking the main Columbia River, 13 were on the Snake [River],” numbers that don’t begin to take into account the thousands of smaller dams along the tributaries. Kurlansky offers a dauntingly long list of

THE SOUL OF CARE The Moral Education of a Husband and a Doctor

Kleinman, Arthur Viking (272 pp.) $27.00 | Sep. 17, 2019 978-0-525-55932-0

A renowned psychiatrist and anthropologist mixes a memoir of his adolescence and professional training with a detailed account of his decade as a caregiver for his wife, who was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease.

Born in 1941, Kleinman (Anthropology/Harvard Univ.; What Really Matters: Living a Moral Life Amidst Uncertainty and Danger, 2006, etc.) gravitated toward medical studies after a difficult family life and a streak of “waywardness.” He relates his love-atfirst-sight relationship with Joan. They met in college; she was two years his elder, from a more stable family and a worldlier background. For many years, she placed her professional desires in the background to care for the home, rear their children, take the lead in developing their friendships, and make day-to-day 66

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TRANSACTION MAN The Rise of the Deal and the Decline of the American Dream

things that need to happen if the salmon is to be saved, ranging from dismantling dams to checking climate change, restoring forests and apex predators, ending the use of pesticides, and removing homes and roads from riverbanks in favor of galleries of trees. “If we can save the planet,” he writes, “the salmon will be all right.” And if not, we must conclude, not.

In championing a critically important part of the natural world, Kurlansky sounds an urgent alarm that commands our attention.

Lemann, Nicholas Farrar, Straus and Giroux (320 pp.) $28.00 | Sep. 10, 2019 978-0-374-27788-8

HITLER’S LAST HOSTAGES Looted Art and the Soul of the Third Reich

Lane, Mary M. PublicAffairs (336 pp.) $28.00 | Sep. 10, 2019 978-1-61039-736-0

Nazi looting of European art is old news, but this expert, disheartening account reveals that Germany still possesses a great deal and refuses to give it up.

Lane, the former chief European art reporter for the Wall Street Journal, writes that in 2011, German tax authorities raided the apartment of elderly bachelor Cornelius Gurlitt and found more than 1,200 precious artworks piled in every corner. They kept the news secret until a magazine revealed it in 2013 and then proceeded to stonewall the authorities, insisting that this was a tax matter and that the government had no obligation in other areas. Since then, aggressive claimants have received a few works, but most are housed at a Swiss museum following Gurlitt’s bequest. Having delivered this news, Lane turns back the clock to recount the dismal yet captivating story, centered on Hitler, who, she reminds readers, grew up as an artist and remained obsessed by cultural matters throughout World War II. Another ongoing figure is satirical artist George Grosz, who immigrated before Hitler took power and saw his work reviled, confiscated, and never returned. Hitler’s taste in art received enthusiastic cooperation from dealers including Cornelius’ father, Hildebrand Gurlitt. Readers will gnash their teeth as Lane engagingly recounts how dealers who formerly represented avant-garde artists quickly adapted and dumped their “degenerate” modernist clientele, except for purchases at knockdown prices for their private collection. They happily accepted works that they knew were confiscated from Jews. After 1939, many dealers, led by Hildebrand, toured conquered countries collecting for Hitler’s mythical future Führermuseum. When necessary, Hildebrand purchased works with an apparently unlimited national budget, although many ended up in his own collection, and most of them he successfully concealed after the war. Aware of art looting, the victorious Allies devoted modest effort to an investigation, but violent crimes took priority. Hildebrand and colleagues were cleared and resumed their careers.

A gripping, original contribution to a still-unresolved Nazi crime. (color photo insert) |

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A fresh account of the magnitude of inequality in America and how it came to be.

New Yorker staff writer Lemann (Emeritus, Dean/Columbia Journalism School; Redemption: The Last Battle of the Civil War, 2006, etc.) turns to complex theory to explain why income inequality has deepened in conjunction with the fracturing of social bonds between and among the ultrawealthy, middle-class residents, and those struggling with poverty. The author posits that three phases, dating back about 100 years, explain much of the upheaval: the era of powerful institutions, including government, political parties, massive corporations, massive labor unions, and affinity groups based on ethnicity; the era of transactions that often bypassed those institutions, mostly through Silicon Valley and Wall Street; and now, the era of internetenabled entities such as Google, Apple, and Facebook. Lemann chooses one individual to explicate each phase: New Deal economist Adolf Berle as “Institution Man,” Harvard Business School professor Michael Jensen as “Transaction Man,” and LinkedIn co-creator Reid Hoffman as “Network Man.” Though the author’s high-level theorizing is confusing at times, he wisely offers general readers a solid foundation by discussing the impact of each era on citizens in specific neighborhoods, especially a neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago called Chicago Lawn. In that setting, he provides sharp portraits of a white male automobile dealer, an African American woman who migrated from the Deep South to fend off virulent racism in the neighborhood, and other residents struggling to make sense of the increasing economic inequality plaguing much of the country. The desires of Berle, Jensen, and Hoffman to create an orderly, prosperous society allowed a small slice of the citizenry to thrive beyond their wildest dreams but left the vast majority to struggle consistently with poverty.

Lemann relies on his well-developed skills as a longtime journalist to weave the specific and the abstract into a narrative that is intellectually challenging.

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MAOISM A Global History

THE MERITOCRACY TRAP How America’s Foundational Myth Feeds Inequality, Dismantles the Middle Class, and Devours the Elite

Lovell, Julia Knopf (624 pp.) $37.50 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-0-525-65604-3

Markovits, Daniel Penguin Press (448 pp.) $30.00 | Sep. 10, 2019 978-0-7352-2199-4

Richly detailed, occasionally ponderous study of a political ideology that, while often disastrous, endures in many guises today.

Lovell (Modern China/Birkbeck Coll., Univ. of London; The Opium War: Drugs, Dreams and the Making of Modern China, 2014, etc.) dissects a strain of political thought that rests on Marxism, Leninism, and Stalinism while partaking of Chinese traditions stretching back thousands of years. As she writes, Mao “assembled a practical and theoretical toolkit for turning a fractious, failing empire into a defiant global power,” one that turned a huge population to the service of a machine that was part utopian experiment and part totalitarian nightmare. Maoist thought, by Lovell’s incisive, sometimes-dry account, was a confusion of terms, propaganda, and pragmatics. As a man of rural origins, Mao held the peasantry in higher regard than the urban sophisticates who helped modernize the Chinese economy. He “acclaimed the brilliance of the (rural) masses,” holding that only their ideas were correct, then led from the top all the same, turning Marxist thought into crude, blunt messages that boiled down to class struggle and yielded calamitous famines and the nightmare of the Cultural Revolution. So how did the ideas of the Red Emperor spread as widely as they did in the West? One was his devotion, on paper if not always in reality, to feminist ideals; the Maoist formulation “women hold up half the sky” is a standard of T-shirt slogans today. Just so, Maoist political movements have long outlived their creator—Shining Path in Peru, guerrilla groups in India and Nepal, offshoots everywhere, including, to no small extent, Trumpism in America, which hinges on the same cult of personality. Even in China, which had plenty of experience with the disasters of Maoism, the ideology is, if not openly encouraged, officially tolerated. The government of Xi Jinping may have declared the Cultural Revolution “utterly wrong,” but Maoism is evident everywhere, “caught between official oppression and ambivalence, commercial kitschification and inchoate grassroots sentiment.”

A useful key to understanding the role of China in the modern world, a role that is increasingly influential. (24 pages of b/w photos)

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How the myth of achievement through merit alone has created a schism between the wealthy and the middle class.

Markovits (Law/Yale Univ.; Contract Law and Legal Methods, 2012, etc.), founding director of the Center for the Study of Private Law, responds to the much-debated issues of income inequality, middle-class discontent, and the rise of angry populism by mounting an impassioned and well-argued attack against meritocracy: the belief that talent and ambition lead to wealth and status. “The meritocratic ideal—that social and economic rewards should track achievement rather than breeding—anchors the self-image of the age,” writes the author. But that ideal, he counters, championed by progressives as a solution to inequality, is “a sham,” creating “aristocratic distinctions” that separate the rich from the increasingly frustrated middle class. Nor does meritocracy serve the rich, instead consigning elite workers to the “strained self-exploitation” of long hours at relentless, inhumane overwork that leads to an impoverished “inner life” and “destruction of the authentic self.” Markovits, who was educated and has taught at elite institutions, offers compelling evidence that despite gestures toward diversity, wealthy students make up the majority of admissions, producing “superordinate workers, who possess a powerful work ethic and exceptional skills.” These workers, who take “glossy” jobs, have displaced mid-skilled, middle-class workers, who are relegated to dismal, “gloomy” jobs that lead to income stagnation.

Meritocracy, asserts the author, “debases an increasingly idled middle class, which it shuts off from income, power, and prestige.” He offers two far-reaching solutions: taking away private institutions’ tax-exempt status unless they expand opportunities for higher education to a broad public, making admission open and inclusive; and payroll tax reform and wage subsidies that would impel businesses, including the health care industry, to hire the “surging supply of educated workers” coming from newly accessible colleges. In medicine, for example, hiring nurses and nurse practitioners could make health care more accessible than hiring a few specialist doctors. Sure to be controversial, the author’s analysis and proposals deserve serious debate.

Bold proposals for a radical revision of contemporary society.

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THE SLOW MOON CLIMBS The Science, History, and Meaning of Menopause Mattern, Susan Princeton Univ. (360 pp.) $29.95 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-0-691-17163-0

A celebration of menopause as a life stage vital to our species’ survival, but one that has now been trivialized as a disease to be treated.

Mattern (History/Univ. of Georgia; The Prince of Medicine: Galen in the Roman Empire, 2016, etc.) begins by noting that menopause—the end of the reproductive phase of female life and the beginning of an extended period of aging—is rare outside of humans. Most female animals die within a few years of their last birth, including our primate relatives. The author elaborates on the “grandmother hypothesis.” Older women are more experienced, and, freed from giving birth themselves, they can assist daughters in childbirth and child-rearing. In Paleolithic times, when roving bands survived by foraging, these elders knew where to find the good plants. They also added to the number of adults as resources as opposed to dependent children. Menopausal women continued to be important in agrarian times when families settled on farm plots and society became patriarchal, with fathers owning the land and ruling the family. There were booms and busts over that 10,000-year period, and Mattern discusses the forces that kept population levels relatively stable. Everything changed with the Industrial Revolution and the advent of modern medicine, ushering in the modern era of massive population growth and lowered mortality. While menopause has been recognized as a stage of life for thousands of years, it was only in the early 18th century that the term began to incorporate negative ideas of excess blood, hysteria, irritable nerves, and so on. By the time hormones were discovered, menopause was considered an estrogen deficiency disease. The last third of the book embodies Mattern’s wellargued case that menopause could be considered a “cultural syndrome”: a set of symptoms, largely unclear in origin, that reflect psychological, social, and physiological factors that can create real problems and suffering.

A wise history of a subject that is “deeply…implicated in the human condition.”

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Growing up in suburban Syracuse, McGough was shy, gay, and frequently bullied. In high school, he found refuge in the art room, peopled by “artists and outcasts” like himself, and he became recognized for his talent. After graduating in 1978, he headed eagerly to New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology, hoping to find sexual freedom at last. In his candid debut memoir, the author vividly conveys the turbulence and seediness of the “dirty and dangerous” West Village and of Times Square, “a mess of dirty old theaters” showing horror movies and pornography. “It was everything I dreamed of and more,” he admits, and he spent his tuition money in nightclubs, including the infamous Studio 54, and on rent for squalid rooms. When his money ran out, he took odd jobs illustrating, sketching, and, at one point, painting Danceteria, a new nightclub, where he also worked as a busboy. McGough’s life changed when he met David McDermott, an eccentric, charismatic artist who rejected the modern world as “cheap and vulgar,” claimed he was a genius (and, sometimes, Jesus), and carefully curated environments for himself filled with Victoriana. McDermott’s world, McGough writes, “became immediately alluring, and I felt safe and cut off from a world I thought harsh and cruel.” Soon he, too, was wearing shirts with highly starched detachable collars, frock coats, and homburg hats: “We felt we were making a statement by our very existence.” The two became lovers and artistic collaborators, signing their works with both surnames and eventually gaining a reputation among dealers, collectors, curators (they showed twice at Whitney Biennales), and fellow artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Andy Warhol, and Julian Schnabel. In a world filled with narcissists, grifters, and assorted lost souls, Schnabel and his wife, cleareyed and compassionate, stand out.

Bitterness and anger sometimes surface as the author recounts betrayal, severe financial hardship brought about by McDermott’s wanton spending, and years of suffering from AIDS. An intimate portrait of personal struggles and artistic triumphs.

ECSTASY AND TERROR From the Greeks to Game of Thrones

Mendelsohn, Daniel New York Review Books (384 pp.) $18.95 paper | Oct. 8, 2019 978-1-68137-405-5 Erudite essays on classical and contemporary culture.

The role of a critic, writes Mendelsohn (Humanities/Bard Coll.; An Odyssey: A Father, a Son, and an Epic, 2017, etc.), is “to educate and edify in an engaging and, preferably, entertaining way.”

The author has used his classical training not for rebarbative academic papers but for “getting readers to love and appreciate the works that I myself loved and appreciated.” The pieces in this collection, most of them written for the New Yorker and the New York Review of Books, demonstrate how brilliantly he has succeeded. Some of them focus on the ancient

I’VE SEEN THE FUTURE AND I’M NOT GOING The Art Scene and Downtown New York in the 1980s McGough, Peter Pantheon (304 pp.) $29.95 | Sep. 17, 2019 978-1-5247-4704-6

A frank memoir reveals life, art, and death in 1980s New York. |

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how the king reinvented the las vegas show After writing a critically praised biography of film star Bob Hope (Hope: Entertainer of the Century), entertainment journalist Richard Zoglin turned to Las Vegas as the subject of his next book. Zoglin wanted to write a history of Vegas entertainment, a subject that, surprisingly enough, has received scant coverage.

“There are plenty of books on the mob, the gambling, the hotels, the architecture in Vegas,” Zoglin says. “But there were almost no books on the shows, outside of a few picture books. The Vegas shows are a really distinctive form of American entertainment. Vegas was the place to be in the ’50s Richard Zoglin and ’60s. Everybody played Vegas.

Every singer, every comedian. If you got a call, you went.”

And the capstone of the Vegas show of that time was Elvis Presley’s. Zoglin writes about the Presley-Vegas phenomenon in Elvis in Vegas: How the King Reinvented the Las Vegas Show (July 23), but by his account, Presley first had to defy the man who groomed his career, Col. Tom Parker, before performing there. Parker didn’t want Presley performing live. After Presley insisted on doing the show, Parker stepped aside, sticking to the business side of Presley’s career.

“Presley reasserted his autonomy as an artist,” Zoglin says. “He wanted to do the biggest Vegas show ever seen.

He and his musicians made all the creative decisions. He put a rhythm group behind him along with two backup groups and probably the biggest orchestra—40 pieces—ever assembled in Vegas.”

When he began work on the book, Zoglin admits he was “not a huge Presley fan.” But by the time he finished, he fully appreciated the King’s greatness. “Presley took rhythm and blues and synthesized it into something new, “ he says. “He was really a great, revolutionary artist.” —G.B.

Photo courtesy Howard Schatz

Greek poets and tragedies he loves, such as Sappho and Antigone. Mendelsohn invokes the classics to offer perspectives on modern-day events, as when he compares the Kennedy family curses to Oresteia and its assumption that there is “a connection between the sins of the fathers and the sufferings of the children and their children afterward.” Astute observations populate essays on topics from Brideshead Revisited and Ingmar Bergman films to George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire, which he calls a “remarkable feminist epic.” Readers might challenge some points—e.g., when Mendelsohn writes that Hanya Yanagihara’s novel A Little Life is “about a subject that is too rarely explored in contemporary letters: nonsexual friendship among adult men,” one might cite works by Richard Russo, Denis Johnson, Raymond Carver, and many others.

However, Mendelsohn’s points are always passionately argued.

He strikes the perfect balance between learned and playful, as when he wonders what 46th-century archaeologists, sifting through the ruins of 21st-century America, will make of building inscriptions such as Condé Nast and Michael Kors or whether the “presence of mysterious symbols—in particular, an apple with a bite taken out of it—will raise the vexed question of whether the site was sacred or secular.”

One fascinating essay after another from one of America’s best critics.

OUT LOUD A Memoir

Morris, Mark & Stace, Wesley Penguin Press (384 pp.) $30.00 | Oct. 22, 2019 978-0-7352-2307-3

A celebrated American choreographer looks back on his life.

“I can be demanding, even mean,” admits Morris, a boss so tough that members of his company once staged “a power coup, an organized boycott” to voice their grievances. Yet he is supportive of talent he admires. Readers see both sides of him in this memoir, co-written by musician and novelist Stace (Wonderkid, 2015, etc.). Morris begins with his Seattle childhood, when he would wedge his feet into Tupperware juice glasses to imitate older sister Marianne, who took ballet, “by walking on pointe in the front room.” From there, the author describes his early years in New York, his male lovers, his stint as Director of Dance at the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels, and his creation of some of the finest modern dances of the past 40 years, including Dido and Aeneas. Morris devotes much of the book to taking pot shots at people who have wronged him. He names a ballet teacher from his first days in New York and writes, “I couldn’t stand her,” but he doesn’t say why. As a young dancer, he studied with a dance company “run by a creep called Charles Bennett.” Derek Walcott, who wrote the libretto for the Paul Simon musical The Capeman, which Morris choreographed, was “ham-fisted, bigoted, lecherous”; he “started as an asshole, ended as a monster, and finally disowned the whole thing.” Some of

Gerald Bartell is a freelance writer in Manhattan. Elvis in Vegas was reviewed in the May 1, 2019, issue.

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Amplifying the voices of survivors, the collection offers humor and power alongside trauma and pain. indelible in the hippocampus

this opprobrium may be deserved, but the cumulative effect feels petty. Morris is equally generous with praise, however, as when he refers to the “founding women—the goddesses, the pillars” of the Mark Morris Dance Group. He also describes the geneses of his major dances and offers laudatory anecdotes about such collaborators as Yo-Yo Ma, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Lou Harrison, and others. Morris once described his philosophy of dance as, “I make it up and you watch it. End of philosophy.” That philosophy yielded marvelous results. If only the book contained more dance and less score-settling.

An uneven, sometimes bitter, yet always revealing portrait of one of America’s most innovative artists.

conversations. Other contributors include Melissa Febos, Kaitlyn Greenidge, and Karissa Chen.

Not just candid and clear revelations of abuse, but powerful demands for justice.

FOR THE LOVE OF MEN A New Vision for Mindful Masculinity Plank, Liz St. Martin’s (336 pp.) $27.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 978-1-250-19624-8

INDELIBLE IN THE HIPPOCAMPUS Writings From the Me Too Movement Ed. by Oria, Shelly McSweeney’s (192 pp.) $16.99 paper | Sep. 10, 2019 978-1-944211-71-4

Fierce voices and muscular writing help contextualize the diversity of the #MeToo movement.

Edited by Oria (Fiction/Pratt Institute, New York 1, Tel Aviv 0: Stories, 2014), this short collection of essays, poems, and stories provides deeply personal perspectives on sexual harassment and gender-based violence. All of the contributors challenge assumptions and expose what Hafizah Geter calls “the bruises of patriarchy.” Amplifying the voices of survivors, the collection offers humor and power alongside trauma and pain. Samantha Hunt delivers a harrowing assessment of inherent dangers women face; Caitlin Donohue pens a letter of warning offered to her younger self (“Keep hold of your physical form. It is tangible proof of that which they say is theirs and must never be”); Honor Moore offers 17 brief entries exploring pervasive violence and a journey toward empowerment; Elissa Schappell chronicles an editor’s uncomfortable emails attempting to elicit a rape story. Throughout, thoughtful interrogations address how intersecting oppressions impact sexual violence and how behavior, from hinted threats to actual harm, may cumulatively wreak havoc, twist perceptions, and haunt survivors. Readers will connect with these narratives from trans women, women of color, and queer women, among others, confronting the invasive, cruel edges of misogyny and multiple forms of oppression.

The contributors leave nothing unexamined, picking up complex themes of trust, self-destruction, forgiveness, and evolving notions of sexual assault. Examining the complicity of silence, internalized sexism, negotiated safety, childhood abuse, repeat offenders, and other issues, the pieces describe moments that add up to a potent cultural portrait of systemic, gendered hostility. As awareness of sexual violence continues to grow, this anthology functions as an empowered testament and treatise, a book for anyone interested in social justice. This important feminist work belongs on campuses and in community |

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Journalist and video blogger Plank’s spirited first book addresses the problems men face in trying to live up to outmoded concepts of masculinity.

While the author considers in passing the effects of what she calls “toxic masculinity” on women who often experience its unfortunate side effects, her main emphasis is on the men whose lives it damages. Writing in staccato bursts and frequently citing experts she has interviewed as well as written sources, Plank makes the case that what we consider masculine traits are socially determined rather than innate and that men at this point in time may be more limited by gender expectations than women are. “We updated what it means to be a woman, but we didn’t update what it meant to be a man,” she writes.

For example, she suggests, women are beginning to feel free to express anger, while men are less apt to express fear or sadness.

Women can comfortably wear the kind of clothing traditionally reserved for men, while men don’t have the luxury of wearing women’s clothing without comment. At the heart of the male dilemma, writes the author, is the “male shame spiral” in which men feel guilty about not being able to live up to the traditional macho ideal and then feel increasingly ashamed because they have to hide their feelings. Plank intersperses her longer chapters with short sections she labels “amuse-bouche,” most of which introduce men who are defying conventional definitions of masculinity. At times, she can be glib and given to metaphors that try to be folksy. “Freedom is like pancakes at IHOP: you can’t run out,” she writes. While persuading the target male audience to read the book may be a challenge, those who take the leap will find plenty to think about.

A canny appeal to the self-interest of men in reforming gender roles. (first printing of 75,000)

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AUDIENCE OF ONE Donald Trump, Television, and the Fracturing of America

the Dunk: A Modest Defiance of Gravity, 2015, etc.), was a force of nature on the field, “a modern John Henry, the heroic and tragic figure of a hard-working, plow-straight-ahead man who worked himself into a broken-down condition by giving it his all—his body an atlas of the brutality of the game.” Born in small-town Texas, Campbell always had “country manners” that led some to think of him as a bumpkin, which he answered with a stiff arm and phenomenal moves on the field that led many students of the game to consider him one of the greatest players ever. Campbell was a fearsome player who graced the campus of the University of Texas, once a bastion of segregation, at a time when Austin was emerging as a perhaps unlikely capital of hippiedom. Price’s portrait of a town where “on game days in the parking lot of Mother Earth, a club not far from campus, you could barter football tickets for weed” is nicely detailed, and it’s telling that as part of his rookie hazing on the roster of the Houston Oilers, Campbell sang “Mamas, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow up To Be Cowboys.”

Price knows his sports, and he writes well about such things as the Landry Shift—“a beat after taking their stance…the offensive linemen, in unison, would stand and reset”—and Campbell’s considerable skills as a running back. More than that, he discusses Campbell’s college and pro careers against the backdrop of racism that accompanied the “shift from crew cuts to Afros” of which he was a part, considering himself to be a champion of racial reconciliation who had the outward demeanor of a “smiling athlete” but was altogether serious.

A well-crafted life of a man who, though now largely out of the spotlight, enjoyed a storied career.

Poniewozik, James Liveright/Norton (304 pp.) $27.95 | Sep. 10, 2019 978-1-63149-442-0

The chief TV critic of the New York Times sums it up: “Without TV, there’s no Trump.”

In his stellar debut, Poniewozik demonstrates how Trump, over a period of four decades, “achieved symbiosis” with the TV medium: “Its impulses were his impulses; its appetites were his appetites; its mentality was his mentality.” As TV evolved from America’s homogenizer (the three major networks) to fragmenter (cable TV), Trump “used the dominant media of the day—tabloids, talk shows, reality TV, cable news, Twitter—to enlarge himself, to become a brand, a star, a demagogue, and a president.” Recounting how Trump, who was born in 1946, grew up with TV, the author details how he cultivated a famous image and leveraged celebrity, becoming a reality TV star in the 2000s and a politician in the 2010s. “Playing ‘Donald Trump’ became his full-time job.” His telling analyses of Trump’s appearances on The Apprentice, Fox & Friends, and The Howard Stern Show will come as revelations to readers unfamiliar with those programs, on which Trump emerged as an antihero, known for “being real” rather than honest, in the manner of the not “conventionally likeable” people on reality TV. As Poniewozik writes, he “spent a lifetime in symbiosis with television, adopting its metabolism, learning to feed its appetites.” For Trump, cable TV news, with its “constant fear and passion” and need to “agitate their viewers, not settle them,” was a perfect fit. His daily tweeting is based on careful study of his most popular tweets—those provoking “shock, insult, rage.”

The author chronicles Trump’s actions against a deeply insightful history of vast changes in the media and popular culture during the period. TV, he writes, proved “the perfect medium for his sensibility, for picking fights, for whipping up people’s hatred and fear and resentment, for taking the express lane around logic.”

This intelligent eye-opener belongs on the small shelf of valuable books that help explain how Trump created his base.

THE GREEN NEW DEAL Why the Fossil Fuel Civilization Will Collapse by 2028, and the Bold Economic Plan To Save Life on Earth

Rifkin, Jeremy St. Martin’s (288 pp.) $27.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 978-1-250-25320-0

A noted activist elucidates the program of environmental and economic reform that is being largely ignored on Capitol Hill.

According to Rifkin (The Zero Marginal Cost Society: The Internet of Things, the Collaborative Commons, and the Eclipse of Capitalism, 2014, etc.), the president of the Foundation on Economic Trends, we are within a degree or two of temperature rise before we see the cataclysm of “runaway feedback loops and a cascade of climate-change events that would decimate the Earth’s ecosystems.” The possibility of such devastation, he argues, is not lost on heartland voters who, though perhaps otherwise conservative, are increasingly alarmed by severe weather events and other clear signs of a changing climate regime, manifest in expensive destruction of life and property. Against this, Rifkin notes trends among younger citizens to participate in a so-called sharing economy, with shared housing, office space, vehicles, tools, and the like, “allowing the human race to use far

EARL CAMPBELL Yards After Contact Price, Asher Univ. of Texas (320 pp.) $27.95 | Sep. 5, 2019 978-1-4773-1649-8

Thoughtful portrait of the 1977 Heisman Trophy Winner and 1991 inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Earl Campbell (b. 1955), writes Austin American-Statesman reporter Price (Year of 72

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With this installment...the impressive scope and scale of the series becomes clearer. the arab of the future 4

less of the resources of the Earth while passing on what they no longer use to others and, by doing so, dramatically reducing carbon emissions.” It will take more than that, of course: Infrastructure must be overhauled, which would add jobs to the economy, and old ways of doing things must be cast aside.

There’s not much time to do so. Rifkin projects that without change, “fossil-fuel civilization” has less than 10 years of life; he adds that this change “is inevitable, despite any efforts by the fossil fuel industries to forestall it.” The author then enumerates a 21-point program around Democratic proposals spearheaded by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Ed Markey, closing with the fond hope that a “biosphere consciousness” is emerging. A little hectoring alternating with wishful thinking goes a long way, but Rifkin’s point that something needs to be done—immediately—is well taken. Better a Chicken Little than a Pollyanna any day of the week.

An urgent endorsement of efforts to remake a doomed fossil-fuel economy before it’s too late.

later, Rushin’s account captures many slices of life in a time fast receding into the depths of nostalgia.

Survivors and fans of the era will find this to be a pleasing book of meaningful touchstones, from beer jingles to Porky’s, love, and baseball. (8-page 4-color insert)

THE ARAB OF THE FUTURE 4

Sattouf, Riad Illus. by the author Metropolitan/Henry Holt (288 pp.) $30.00 paper | Nov. 5, 2019 978-1-250-15066-0

NIGHTS IN WHITE CASTLE A Memoir Rushin, Steve Little, Brown (320 pp.) $28.00 | Aug. 20, 2019 978-0-316-41943-7

Building on Sting-Ray Afternoons (2017), Sports Illustrated writer Rushin continues his account of growing up in the 1980s heartland.

“To be in high school in the 1980s is to see yourself depicted in countless movies,” writes Rushin, enumerating such now-classic films as Fast Times at Ridgemont High and The Breakfast Club before closing the thought: “confirming your place at the center of the culture.” Sure enough: If the 1950s saw the birth of the teenager as concept and construct, the ’80s saw its apotheosis. Rushin, with a light touch of the bittersweet, recounts that he wasn’t quite the teenager of those films or of celebratory songs by the likes of the Stray Cats and Heaven 17. Instead, he writes, on the brink of adulthood, he was engrossed in books, jazz, and sports, longing not for a muscle car but for a muscle typewriter, an IBM Selectric II, “all that power in your right pinkie.” The author faced most of the usual disappointments but also a couple of unusual victories, including praise from a tough-minded feature-writing teacher who sported “a wardrobe of shirts and ties evidently acquired on the newsroom set of All the President’s Men” and, eventually, publication in Sports Illustrated, his home ever since. Rushin’s account of a sibling-crowded, busy youth in suburban Minneapolis is affectionate and often funny. For example, he writes about resisting his parents’ call to move out via the siren call of newly born cable TV, which urged instead that he lash himself to the basement and stay put, and of the other blandishments of junk culture, including processed-food sandwiches “tasting of salt and moist paper towel.” Though without the gritty depth of Chuck Klosterman’s Fargo Rock City, situated a few years |

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The fourth and penultimate volume in Sattouf ’s epic graphic memoir.

With this installment, which follows The Arab of the Future: The Circumci­ sion Years: A Childhood in the Middle East, 1985-1987 (2018), the impressive scope and scale of the series becomes clearer. It has taken three volumes for the author to get to his 10th birthday, and the opening pages of this book find him living with his mother and siblings in her native France while his father pursues his fantasies of wealth, financial independence, and early retirement as a professor in Saudi Arabia.

Here, Sattouf ’s father seems more determinedly Muslim than ever, convinced that the family’s future lies in the Middle East, where he finds both the morals and the prospects for a future higher. “We’ll live like lords,” he insists. However, the author’s mother remained resistant, seeing a better life for herself and a better education for her children in the West, and specifically in France. Meanwhile, the young Sattouf shuttled between the cultures; he found his father’s religion strange and forgot how to speak his native tongue while immersed in the French school system. On one visit to his father, he was told, “You’re a French kid with an Arab name. You’re not a real Arab.” He also endured homosexual epithets, partly because others found the way he spoke effeminate and partly because of his predilection for drawing—the art that may well provide the key to his identity across cultures. It’s clear this was an awkward time, as early adolescence is for most. During the five years of this narrative, Sattouf will reach his midteens, experience some sexual confusion and awakening, see his hair turn from blond to brown, develop an ungainly body with an oversized head, and go from being “pretty cute” to “the ugliest boy in the class.” Nor can he find any stability outside himself, as the center of his parents’ marriage cannot hold, and international relations find the West and Middle East in mortal combat.

Stay tuned for the finale.

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PAT CONROY Our Lifelong Friendship

INCONSPICUOUS CONSUMPTION The Environmental Impact You Don’t Know You Have

Schein, Bernie Arcade (288 pp.) $25.99 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-1-948924-13-9

Schlossberg, Tatiana Grand Central Publishing (288 pp.) $28.00 | Aug. 27, 2019 978-1-5387-4708-7

An educational consultant and writer recalls his friendship with the late novelist.

Schein (Famous All Over Town, 2014, etc.) first met Pat Conroy (1945-2016) in early 1961 when both were students in Beaufort, South Carolina. Schein was a self-professed cheater who hated school while Conroy was the social and athletic star everyone adored. Yet both were also outsiders. Though a South Carolina native, Schein was a Jew in a majority Christian South, and Conroy was a “military brat” who, until arriving in Beaufort, had moved every year he had been in school.

The pair bonded in high school and then deepened their attachment after college when they returned to Beaufort “to dodge the draft and to teach, in that order.” They soon discovered that their anti-racist beliefs and civil rights activism put them at odds with the conservative white power structure in Beaufort, including the board of education. In 1970, the year Schein went to graduate school at Harvard, Conroy lost his job as a teacher at an all-black school for daring to change a curriculum that emphasized obedience to authority rather than learning. While Schein continued his professional pursuits in education, Conroy left teaching to write. His autobiographical first novel, The Great Santini (1976), about the relationship between a son and his abusive military father, made Conroy a household name. But fame and the repressed rage he harbored against his father transformed the mild-mannered Conroy into an alcoholic “word-sniper” and “verbal hitman” who took cruel shots at everyone, including Schein. In 1990, Schein refused to publish a story in a school magazine by Conroy’s stepdaughter that discussed the sexual abuse she had endured from her birth father. Their friendship ended, but the two continued to talk “about each other all the time.” The men reconciled 15 years later and remained close until Conroy died.

Honest in its portrayal of both Conroy and Schein’s own conflicted feelings toward the novelist, the lucid narrative deftly explores the complexities of a lifelong friendship.

A thoughtful, poignant, and candid memoir perfect for Conroy fans. (16-page color insert)

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An environmental journalist pens an informative, practical guide to understanding and acting on climate change.

To many, the climate change crisis often seems so overwhelming and intimidating that they try to avoid thinking about it altogether. As former New York Times reporter Schlossberg relates, before becoming informed, “I didn’t like reading about climate change and its effects—it filled me with dread and made me feel powerless. The problems seemed too big and too inevitable for me to do anything about, so it felt like it was probably best to look away.” But as she demonstrates in her debut book, climate change is not just a remote problem about California wildfires and superhurricanes that is only relevant to scientists and legislators. “There are trade-offs and consequences for almost everything we buy and use and eat,” she writes; our personal choices and daily activities have a direct impact on the planet’s overall health and future. Breaking the narrative into four categories—Technology and the Internet, Food, Fashion, and Fuel—Schlossberg follows and connects the dots between our habits and the far-reaching consequences they may have.

Although the thrust of the book is climate change, this is more a volume about cause and effect that tackles a broad scope of topics. Whether visiting a Connecticut apple orchard to flesh out the current definition of “organic food,” exploring microplastic pollution caused by sweat-wicking microfiber athletic wear, or weighing the environmental advantages of e-commerce versus traditional retail shopping, Schlossberg brings a variety of current conversations on environment together in down-to-earth, easily understood terms. Avoiding dense technical language and writing in a highly personalized style laced with humor and asides, the author provides much-needed clarifications about climate change and pollution that not only empower average consumers with the ability to act and make informed decisions, but also encourage and inspire that action.

If fighting climate change can be engaging, fun, and fulfilling, this is the road map.

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Twenty-five years later, in the shadow of increasing worldwide white nationalism and hyperpredatory capitalism, Segrest’s reflections areexceptionally chilling, fresh, and urgent. memoir of a race traitor

MEMOIR OF A RACE TRAITOR Fighting Racism in the American South

LIFESPAN The Revolutionary Science of Why We Age―and Why We Don’t Have To

Segrest, Mab New Press (304 pp.) $17.99 paper | Sep. 24, 2019 978-1-62097-299-1

Sinclair, David with LaPlante, Matthew Atria (416 pp.) $28.00 | Sep. 10, 2019 978-1-5011-9197-8

An uplifting review of the science suggesting that “prolonged healthy lifespans are in sight.”

According to Sinclair (Genetics/Harvard Medical School), scientists have discovered what causes aging. They’ve also discovered how to treat it because, despite what doctors and philosophers have claimed throughout history, aging is not inevitable. It’s a disease. Throughout the book, the author’s enthusiasm jumps off the page. Scientifically inclined readers may be occasionally turned off by his affection for dramatic stories of individuals who defy aging, but they cannot deny that he is an acclaimed, award-winning scientist who works hard to explain his groundbreaking research and that of laboratories around the world. Beginning at the beginning, he writes that “way back in the primordium, the ancestors of every living thing on this planet today evolved to sense DNA damage, slow cellular growth, and divert energy to DNA repair until it was fixed—what I call the survival circuit.” In the 1950s, scientists discovered that DNA damage occurs throughout life. Since it’s disastrous for a cell to divide with broken DNA, repair mechanisms suppress growth and reproduction until they’re finished.

Cells that don’t divide live longer. Insects and mice mature quickly, reproduce, and soon die. Elephants and whales grow slowly and live much longer lives. Cells of the bristlecone pine, the oldest of which is nearly 5,000 years old, show no signs of aging. Researchers have discovered the mechanism of growth suppression in hormones and also in genes that produce such specific enzymes. These longevity enhancers respond to stress but also to exercise, intermittent fasting, low-protein and low-calorie diets, and several pharmaceuticals that, the author assures readers, will soon emerge from the laboratory. Also in the works are DNA monitoring and reprogramming, already well advanced in animals, that can detect malfunctions and reset the aging clock.

A highly optimistic review of anti-aging science that may persuade older readers that they were born too soon.

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A reprint of the author’s account of her work as a white lesbian “thinking race, feeling race, acting against racism” in the American South.

First published in 1994, this memoir tells the highly topical story of how Segrest (Emeritus, Gender and Women’s Studies/ Connecticut Coll.; Born to Belonging: Writings on Spirit and Jus­ tice, 2002, etc.) developed intersectional feminist consciousness and struggled against far-right extremism in North Carolina. As a member of a conservative Alabama family, the author began questioning white privilege when she witnessed the intense struggles black students faced during forced integration in the early 1960s. A decade later, she came face to face with her own minority status when she realized she was gay. During the 1970s, Segrest gravitated to feminism but quickly saw that its ideologies were as classist as they were racist and heterosexist. The author then evolved a socialist consciousness that regarded misogyny, homophobia, and racism as byproducts of capitalism, and she eventually realized that liberation movements “separate people as much as bring them together.” This understanding became the cornerstone of her work at the intersection of race, class, and gender. Her “race traitor” activism during the 1980s and ’90s led her to forge fraught but necessary alliances with black activists in North Carolina while speaking out against the Ku Klux Klan for its acts of white supremacist violence. Segrest also worked for justice in hate crimes against members of the gay community, but the extreme homophobia she encountered in the more conservative parts of North Carolina sometimes meant having to keep her sexual orientation hidden. She presciently concludes that unless Americans understand and take action against the legacy of “racism…homophobia…hatred of Jews and women [and] greed,” it will “sicken us all.” Twenty-five years later, in the shadow of increasing worldwide white nationalism and hyperpredatory capitalism, Segrest’s reflections are exceptionally chilling, fresh, and urgent.

A passionate, lucid, and necessary memoir, then and now.

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YEAR OF THE MONKEY

world today. In a series of sharp pieces, the author dissects a variety of timely topics, especially the sexual harassment and discrimination of women and the #MeToo movement as well as Native American rights, the anti-gun movement, white nationalism, Black Lives Matter, and climate change. Solnit argues that we live in a transformative time: “You can see change itself happening, if you watch carefully and keep track of what was versus is.” She wants to build “new cathedrals for new constituencies.” The names may have changed, but for Solnit, the stories remain the same. After recalling being sexually harassed by a cook when she was a busgirl, she goes on to discuss Harvey Weinstein and how some men in power can go to “extraordinary lengths to make somebodies into nobodies,” noting “that truth, like women, can be bullied into behaving.” In “Voter Suppression Begins at Home,” Solnit recounts personally observing how husbands can “bully and silence and control their wives,” even with mail-in ballots. She takes on Brett Kavanaugh and Jian Ghomeshi, formerly with CBC, over the “long, brutal tradition of asserting that men are credible but women are not.” She praises Christine Blasey Ford as a “welcome earthquake” for speaking out at the Kavanaugh hearing. The author also praises Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for her Green New Deal and those who helped remove Confederate statues around the country— though she bemoans the fact “that there are only five statues of named women in New York City.” Donald Trump, that “dirtbag dragon,” is often held up for scorn.

Despite some repetition, Solnit’s passionate, shrewd, and hopeful critiques are a road map for positive change.

Keep these collections coming.

Smith, Patti Photos by the author Knopf (192 pp.) $24.95 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-0-525-65768-2

This chronicle of a chaotic year filled with deep losses and rich epiphanies finds the writer and performer covering a whole lot of ground.

In terms of the calendar, Smith’s latest memoir has a tighter focus than its predecessors, M Train (2015) and Just Kids (2010), which won the National Book Award.

The titular year is 2016, a year that would begin just after the author turned 69 and end with her turning 70. That year, Smith endured the death of her beloved friend Sandy Pearlman, the music producer and manager with whom she would “have coffee at Caffé Trieste, peruse the shelves of City Lights Bookstore and drive back and forth across the Golden Gate listening to the Doors and Wagner and the Grateful Dead”; and the decline of her lifelong friend and kindred spirit Sam Shepard. She held vigil for Pearlman at his hospital deathbed, and she helped Shepard revise his final manuscript, taking dictation when he could no longer type. Throughout, the author ponders time and mortality—no surprise considering her milestone birthday and the experience of losing friends who have meant so much to her.

She stresses the importance of memory and the timeless nature of a person’s spirit (her late husband remains very much alive in these pages as well). Seeing her own reflection, she thinks, “I noticed I looked young and old simultaneously.” She refers to herself as the “poet detective,” and this particular year set her on a quixotic quest, with a mysterious companion unexpectedly reappearing amid a backdrop of rock touring, lecture touring, vagabond traveling, and a poisonous political landscape. “I was still moving within an atmosphere of artificial brightness with corrosive edges,” she writes, “the hyperreality of a polarizing pre-election mudslide, an avalanche of toxicity infiltrating every outpost.”

A captivating, redemptive chronicle of a year in which Smith looked intently into the abyss. (35 photos)

RENIA’S DIARY A Holocaust Journal

Spiegel, Renia with Bellak, Elizabeth & Durand, Sarah Trans. by Blasiak, Anna & Dziurosz, Marta St. Martin’s (336 pp.) $27.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-1-250-24402-4

Personality and hope abound in this diary by a teenage Polish Jewish girl who was murdered by the Nazis in 1942.

Presented by her younger sister, Elizabeth (b. 1930), the diary freezes the life of Renia (b. 1924), who began writing in 1939, in a specific moment in time. “In the end,” writes Elizabeth, “I know my words are the legacy of the life my sister didn’t get to have, while Renia’s are the memories of a youth trapped forever in war.” Much like the better-known diaries of Anne Frank and Hélène Berr, Renia’s entries are filled with day-today schoolgirl details, but the war consistently looms in the background. Stuck in a small city in southeastern Poland, Renia and her sister were shunted off to live with their grandparents while her mother was separated from them in German-occupied Warsaw. Bomb raids, sirens, attacks, and rumors about her town; food in short supply; worry about when she will see her mother again—these pepper her entries. “I still live in fear of

WHOSE STORY IS THIS? Old Conflicts, New Chapters

Solnit, Rebecca Haymarket (150 pp.) $15.95 paper | Sep. 3, 2019 978-1-64259-018-0

Clarion calls for social and political activism.

Readers familiar with Solnit’s most recent collections of essays, Call Them

by Their Names, the winner of the 2018 Kirkus Prize for Nonfiction, will find more of the same here, laced with even more scathing and harsh assessments of our 76

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An invigorating polemic against tactics the news media use to manipulate and divide their audiences. hate inc.

HATE INC. Why Today’s Media Makes Us Despise One Another

searches, of violence,” she writes in January 1940; by June, when her birthday arrives, she is writing miserably of France’s capitulation and how “Hitler’s army is flooding Europe. America is refusing to help. Who knows, they might even start a war with Russia.” A new boyfriend fills many of her subsequent entries and poems, and her young love often disguises what is really going on, namely the herding of her community into a Jewish ghetto and the subsequent roundups. In an epilogue, Elizabeth explains her attempts to hide and eventual exposure to the Germans. Renowned Holocaust scholar Deborah Lipstadt provides the introduction.

A terribly poignant work that conveys the brutal reality of the time through intimate connection with a young person.

Taibbi, Matt OR Books (272 pp.) $24.95 | Oct. 8, 2019 978-1-949017-25-0

DOUBLE CROSSED The Missionaries Who Spied for the United States During the Second World War Sutton, Matthew Avery Basic (416 pp.) $30.00 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-0-465-05266-0

The little-known history of the “sometimes comic, sometimes tragic, and sometimes profound ways that the founders of the United States’ pioneering foreign intelligence service tried to use humans’ deep spirituality as a tool for war.”

The subjects of this military history were missionaries during World War II, sent by their houses of worship to spread the word of God throughout the world. But they also were American spies, charged by their handlers with all sorts of clandestine work that even included assassination plots. Though there were dozens of them, including Protestants, Catholics, and Jews, Sutton (History/Washington State Univ.; American Apocalypse: A History of Modern Evangelicalism, 2014, etc.) focuses on four of them—William Eddy, John Birch, Stephen Penrose, and Stewart Herman Jr.—who served in a variety of arenas, from major embassies to the front lines. (One even led an air raid that killed scores of Japanese fighters.) Most of the missionaries agreed to their missions because they thought of America as the classic city on the hill. Sutton’s research is impressive, his writing is clear, and his account is exhaustive—but also occasionally exhausting.

It seems the author couldn’t bear to leave any of his research in his notes; as a result, the primary narrative often gets buried beneath an avalanche of detail. Still, Sutton rescues a crucially important story that raises profound questions regarding the relationship between God and country. Even the missionaries, whose work helped win the war and led to the founding of the CIA, ended their careers wondering whether they had served God or mammon (as the author notes, they “sometimes served their god and the gods of war at the same time”)—and whether they could ever be trusted again by anyone, even themselves.

Scholars will appreciate the thoroughness and lucidity.

General readers may want to skim certain sections. (24 b/w illustrations) |

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Rolling Stone contributing editor Taibbi (I Can’t Breathe: A Killing on Bay Street, 2017, etc.) spares neither rightnor left-leaning pundits as he inveighs against cable TV and other media that treat news as a form of entertainment.

After nearly three decades as a journalist, the author reconsiders the message of one of his earliest professional touchstones, Noam Chomsky’s Manufacturing Consent, in which Chomsky argued that censorship in the United States wasn’t overt but covert—that news companies simply failed to promote people who opposed their aims. Taibbi saw the self-censorship in newscasts that courted the widest possible audiences with a bland approach he sums up as, “Good evening, I’m Dan Rather, and my frontal lobes have been removed. Today in Libya.…” The explosion of cable news channels helped to change that, but the author argues convincingly that many outlets have traded one sin for another. Media companies now shunt viewers into “demographic silos” and treat news like pro wrestling, fomenting conflict by encouraging people to take sides. Prime examples include the Sean Hannity Show on Fox News and the Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC. “Maddow defenders will say she’s nowhere near as vicious and deceptive as Hannity and therefore doesn’t belong in the same category,” writes Taibbi.

“But she builds her audience the same way,” by fostering an us vs. them mentality. This binary approach narrows debate, discourages the pursuit of complex stories, and leads journalists into blunders such as believing that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction or implying that the Mueller Report might topple the president by the next commercial break. First published in online installments, this book—which ends with a spirited interview with Chomsky—is less polished than recent works by Taibbi that arrived by a more traditional path. But his mordant wit is intact, and his message to journalists is apt and timely: Not everyone has to win a Pulitzer or Edward R. Murrow Award, but, please, have some pride.

An invigorating polemic against tactics the news media use to manipulate and divide their audiences.

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FASHIONOPOLIS The Price of Fast Fashion— and the Future of Clothes

WILDING Returning Nature to a Farm

Tree, Isabella New York Review Books (384 pp.) $19.95 paper | Sep. 17, 2019 978-1-68137-371-3

Thomas, Dana Penguin Press (320 pp.) $28.00 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-0-7352-2401-8

Let land lie fallow, and things begin to happen. Let 3,500 acres lie fallow, and the world is remade.

The lands around Knepp Castle, in the English district of West Sussex, have been farmed intensively for centuries, and the estate was exhausted and was losing money. Enter the aptly named Tree (The Living Goddess: A Journey Into the Heart of Kathmandu, 2015, etc.) and her husband, Charles Burrell. Three decades ago, they came to the land with a pronounced fondness for mycorrhizae—the invisible, microbial life that teems in healthy soil, fed by decaying plant life, sheltered by tree snags, and the like—and a commitment to do something about the declining populations of species such as the turtledove, whose numbers are “an almost vertical dive” thanks to the wholesale industrial remaking of the British countryside. Tree describes the long, laborious process of turning back time, abandoning deep plowing and mass production in the effort to allow the land to regain some of its former health.

And how it does: As she writes, triumphantly, just one sign is the “sixty-two species of bee and thirty species of wasp” that now buzz around locally as well as 76 species of moths and battalions of birds, including herons that “deserted their tree-top roosts in the heronry and were nesting a few feet above the water.” The author writes without fear of binomials and with long asides into hard science and deep descriptions of things like soil types and the characteristics of heritage pig species, and fans of Roger Deakin, Robert Macfarlane, Nan Shepherd, and other British naturalists will follow right along. Tree describes a success that she began to chart nearly two decades ago but that has been flourishing since: “The land, released from its cycle of drudgery, seemed to be breathing a sigh of relief. And as the land relaxed, so did we.”

A fine work of environmental literature that demands a tolerance for detail and should inspire others to follow suit. (color photos)

An educated update on the current state of fashion, how it got there, and a prognostication on its precarious future.

Paris-based fashion journalist Thomas (Gods and Kings: The Rise and Fall of Alexander McQueen and John Galliano, 2014, etc.) offers informed, fair-minded, passionate, and cautiously optimistic scrutiny of “fast fashion,” which entails “the production of trendy, inexpensive garments in vast amounts at lightning speed in subcontracted factories, to be touted in thousands of chain stores.” The author focuses on the negative ramifications of this rampant consumerism, which gives little regard to garment quality or manufacturing origins. Among the “casualties” of this trend are underpaid, exploited, and often underage factory workers in developing countries; labor forces in developed economies; and the environment, as microfibershedding synthetic fabrics and fertilizers commingle to pollute water supplies. Thomas interweaves details on sartorial workmanship, designer profiles, and fashion history into her discourse, creating a distressing yet intriguing story of the textile industry and how the global explosion of “furious fashion” hijacked a uniquely creative economic market. She reveals how this grand-scale industry seized control over impulsive buyers and greedy profiteers, setting in motion a “hamster-wheel cycle” of overmanufactured garments, indifferent consumers, and billions of pounds of waste. In her travels to Bangladesh, five years after the deadly Rana Plaza garment factory collapse, she uncovered somewhat improved working conditions, but there still remained a sweatshop subculture rife with sexual and physical abuse. But Thomas isn’t hopeless, and her engrossing report is leavened with uplifting accounts of brands using organic indigo for blue jeans and a force of designers, merchants, and manufacturers eager to revolutionize the garment industry’s aggressive tide of overproduction through “slow fashion.” In her conclusion, Thomas notes the evergreen conundrum (and “epic-sized mess”) that exists regarding high fashion’s rubric of seasonal production and the recyclers and eco-engineers aiming to recalibrate its production output and repurpose its leftovers.

Convincing, responsible, and motivational fashion industry reportage.

IMAGINED LIFE A Speculative Journey Among the Exoplanets in Search of Intelligent Aliens, Ice Creatures, and Supergravity Animals Trefil, James & Summers, Michael Smithsonian Books (240 pp.) $29.95 | Sep. 17, 2019 978-1-58834-664-3

Are we alone in the universe? Two well-known astronomers tackle the possibilities in this tour of exoplanets.

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A swift-moving, often surprising account of the dangers that face sailors and nations alike on the lawless tide. the outlaw ocean

We know of only one planet on which life exists—Earth— but is life an everyday chemical and physical reaction in the universe or a unique fluke? We have a pretty good idea of some of the steps that led to life on Earth and a firm understanding of how it evolved since then. So how does this apply to the types of exoplanets we may encounter? Would life develop there as it did on Earth? How different could it be? Given the complexity and diversity of exoplanets we have found, will the answers be correspondingly complex and diverse? These are some of the questions approached by George Mason University physics and astronomy professors Trefil and Summers (co-authors: Exoplan­ ets, 2018, etc.) in this sober yet enervating examination of possible life scenarios on a variety of exoplanet settings. First, the authors define life, which can be handled as a list (adaptation, growth, homeostasis, metabolism, organization, reproduction, responsiveness), a process (the NASA definition is “a self-sustaining chemical system capable of Darwinian evolution”), or in terms of thermodynamics. The authors then take these definitions and apply them to a variety of possible planets: one with a rocky mantle and a metallic core overlaid with ice; one with an ocean beneath ice; in another, a land-and-water combination, etc. They probe each scenario to imagine how life could have taken shape given the opportunities and constraints. Trefil and Summers try their best to keep the language geared to a lay audience, but they can’t avoid some formulas: “Galileo’s argument rests on the fact that the volume, and hence the mass, of a structure depends on the cube of its dimensions, while the size of the support area depends on the square.” Overall, though, the prose is straightforward, and the authors make the potentialities of exoplanet life intriguingly real. Finally, they consider nonorganic life forms, for instance silicon chemistry replacing carbon-based life forms.

A curiosity-whetting investigation of imagined life beyond our world. (15 color and 15 b/w images)

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“He struck me as an older Tintin,” writes the author. The good guys in the story are beleaguered, outnumbered, and often outmaneuvered. As Urbina writes of Palau’s efforts to halt maritime poaching, a former captain of an interdicted pirate ship arrested in 2016 was back as an ordinary deckhand six months later, making the effort “more myth of Sisyphus than David and Goliath.” If there are villains in the story, they are perhaps the unnamed owners of fishing fleets that put out to sea for long periods of time, for they are inspected and policed only in port.

Urbina engagingly chronicles his travels from one trouble spot to another: oil rigs erected on continental shelves, just outside the territorial zones of neighboring nations and subject to little governance; pirate-rich Somalia, where he became a persona non grata; and Djibouti, one of the places where ship owners— in this case of a Thai fleet—“shop around for the most lax registries with the lowest prices and fewest regulations.” Urbina’s book ranks alongside those by Mark Bowden and Sebastian Junger, fraught with peril and laced with beer, the smell of sea air, and constant bouts of gaming an inept system.

A swift-moving, often surprising account of the dangers that face sailors and nations alike on the lawless tide.

(73 illustrations; 16 pages of full-color photos)

PROGNOSIS A Memoir of My Brain

Vallance, Sarah Little A (284 pp.) $24.95 | Aug. 1, 2019 978-1-5420-4302-1

A cathartic chronology of one woman who, rather than being defined by her disability, resolved to live by her own design.

In 1995, while visiting a friend’s farm, Sydney, Australia, native Vallance was thrown from a horse, striking her head against a rock. Feeling no worse for the wear, she wrote it off as a freak accident and returned home with a splitting headache. The next morning, everything seemed fine aside from the mystery of how her toaster ended up in the freezer. However, after a battery of hospital tests, the author was told that she suffered a traumatic brain injury. Going from a well-paying position in government and pursuing a doctorate in public administration to having an IQ of 80 and rapidly worsening memory loss, her new condition threw Vallance into depression and emotional turmoil, with which she has struggled since. Discovering the promise of neuroplasticity, the ability of the brain to change throughout a person’s life, she was determined to finish her doctorate. Then she met Laura, a charming extrovert who became her first longterm lesbian partner and primary source of encouragement. In addition to introducing her many dog and cat companions, the author thoroughly explores the “lifetime of resentment” shared with her mother and pores over the dynamics of her other relationships. After winning a fellowship at Harvard, Vallance’s career pursuits carried her across continents, with stints in Singapore and Hong Kong, and then back to Australia, where she eventually

THE OUTLAW OCEAN Journeys Across the Last Untamed Frontier Urbina, Ian Knopf (560 pp.) $30.00 | Aug. 20, 2019 978-0-451-49294-4

Anarchy reigns on the high seas as a New York Times investigative reporter travels the world’s oceans.

Early on, Pulitzer Prize and George Polk Award winner Urbina (Life’s Little Annoyances: True Tales of People Who Just Can’t Take It Anymore, 2005) writes that the stories he turned up while roaming from port to port “felt less like journalism than an attention deficit disorder,” so bewildering and untidy did they seem, so without unalloyed heroes and villains. One figure in the narrative, for instance, is a law-trained, poetry-writing sailor whose job is to sneak into ports where ships have been impounded and, on behalf of their owners, steal those ships away; the work is dangerous and utterly demanding. |

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LAST LETTERS The Prison Correspondence Between Helmuth James and Freya von Moltke, 1944-45

met Louise, whom she eventually married. While certain sections of the narrative stray into a diarist’s minutiae, the book is powerful in its depiction of the author’s will to rise above the limitations of her disability rather than succumb to the obstacles and fears that encompass it.

With a mission of giving voice to the voiceless, Vallance shares the little-understood experience of surviving a traumatic brain injury.

von Moltke, Helmuth James & von Moltke, Freya Ed. by von Moltke, Helmuth Caspar & von Moltke, Dorothea & von Moltke, Johannes Trans. by Frisch, Shelley New York Review Books (380 pp.) $18.95 paper | Sep. 17, 2019 978-1-68137-381-2

BETRAYAL IN BERLIN The True Story of the Cold War’s Most Audacious Espionage Operation

The son and grandchildren of Helmuth and Freya von Moltke, anti-Nazi leaders, present the last letters their parents exchanged as he was awaiting trial in Berlin in 1944.

Their letters and the explanatory footnotes reveal a deep love bolstered by a building religious devotion. “These are love letters in extremis,” write the editors. “They testify to the profound openness with which Helmuth and Freya confront their fears, declare their love, articulate their hopes, and find faith.”

Helmuth consistently demonstrated unwavering trust in Freya’s abilities, and their mental, physical, and spiritual devotion only increased as the letters continued. Both were attorneys, and Helmuth was conscripted as an attorney for the Wehrmacht in 1940. Both opposed Hitler from the very beginning, and their active resistance became known as the Kreisau Circle, a dedicated faction of Germans working to break with top-heavy authoritarian political tradition. They devised detailed political and economic plans for a postwar democratic Germany. In early 1944, Helmuth was unexpectedly arrested for alerting a friend that Gestapo had infiltrated secret meetings. At first, they expected him to be released—until the failed attempt on Hitler’s life that summer. Some of Helmuth’s co-conspirators were arrested in that plot, and the Nazis worked tirelessly to find a connection to him. Helmuth’s and Freya’s letters show their remarkable optimism and unvarnished grasp on the reality of the outcome of the trial. Eventually, Helmuth was transferred from Ravensbrück to Berlin’s Tegel prison. The chaplain at the prison, Harald Poelchau, was a Kreisau member, and he smuggled the letters contained in this book. Knowing the trial would likely end in a death sentence, Helmuth and Freya exhausted every political and social connection to find help.

His family, descended from one of Prussia’s greatest heroes, was their strongest weapon as they worked toward a clemency plea.

On Jan. 23, 1945, Helmuth was executed.

A compelling, profoundly emotional Nazi-era story that also serves as a reminder of the power of letter writing.

Vogel, Steve Custom House/Morrow (544 pp.) $29.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-0-06-244962-7

It’s spy vs. spy in Khrushchev-era Berlin, and countless lives are in the balance.

As the Cold War began to grind its way through the 1950s, notes former Washington Post military reporter Vogel (Through the Perilous Fight: Six Weeks That Saved the Nation, 2013, etc.), British and American intelligence agencies began to look for ways to intercept Soviet signals. The telephone was obvious, and British agents had already used the tunnel network of Vienna to tap into Soviet lines. But Berlin was the better locale: “Just as all roads led to Rome, all calls—including to and from Moscow—were routed through Berlin.” Thus, an ambitious tunneling project was put into motion only for the Allies to be thwarted when the Soviets learned of the tunnel, a discovery that afforded the possibility of “a big propaganda splash” when Khrushchev made a state visit to London. Why hadn’t the tap been detected when it was first made? “Everyone must have been quite drunk,” commented an East German technician after taking a look at the alien cables. For all that, Khrushchev kept mum, knowing that if he revealed that the Soviets knew about the tunnel, they would provide clues as to who had made them aware of the project—that source being an overly confident British double agent named George Blake. In time, Blake was discovered and jailed only to break out of prison and make his way across the Iron Curtain in a daring escape. Combing through declassified documents and intelligence archives and drawing on interviews with Blake, Vogel delivers a swiftly moving, richly detailed, and sometimes improbable narrative, surpassing an earlier study of the tunnel affair, David Stafford’s Spies Beneath Berlin (2003).

As well paced as a le Carré novel, with deep insight into the tangled world of Cold War espionage. (16-page b/w photo insert)

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FREEDOM The Overthrow of the Slave Empires

HOW TO BE AN EPICUREAN The Ancient Art of Living Well

Wilson, Catherine Basic (304 pp.) $30.00 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-1-5416-7263-5

Walvin, James Pegasus (320 pp.) $27.95 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-1-64313-206-8

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How an ancient art of living well is no less applicable—and broadly beneficial—today.

Wilson (Epicureanism: A Very Short Introduction, 2016, etc.), British-born visiting professor of philosophy at the CUNY Graduate Center, explores the ideas of Greek philosopher Epicurus, whose writings have come to us largely through the verse of his Roman follower Lucretius. A fundamentally optimistic philosophy, one of the five major schools of thought of the ancient Greek and Roman world, Epicureanism concerns living well and justly, and it was unique for the time in opening its doors to women. But as Wilson shows, the emphasis on pleasure is largely misunderstood. Far from the hedonism with which Epicurus’ philosophy is mistakenly associated, and which diminishes a far more comprehensive body of thought, it is his concept of a life of virtue and inquiry that serves as a foundation. After explaining how Epicurus viewed the world, the author applies her concept of the modern Epicurean philosopher to suggest the most constructive approaches to bring to complex sociopolitical problems of our day. Both her assessments of the issues and arguments against contemporary foolhardiness are, in the main, unassailable. However, there is also a large helping of wishful thinking concerning remedies and a decidedly left-leaning scaffolding. Such analyses harbor both strengths and weaknesses. Some statements are much too sweeping, and some assertions are surprisingly oversimplified.

Wilson contrasts Epicurean philosophy with its traditional rival, Stoicism, and finds areas of accord as well as divergence. But she contends that ethical and political values are grounded in particular ways of seeing the world, and Epicureanism seems at once to be the most appealing and (ultimately) responsible of precepts. She is a proponent of Epicureanism but not to the extent of ignoring its shortcomings and seeming contradictions.

Wilson’s writing style varies from lively and lucid to pedestrian, but her intelligence and command of her subject are compelling.

A British historian charts the rise and collapse of the slave empires of Europe’s New World colonies.

There is irony in the fact that Toussaint L’Ouverture, the leader of the slave revolt that established the free state of Haiti, was himself an owner of slaves. The revolt that he led resulted in a wholesale replacement of characters but not of social structures, as former lieutenants became estate holders and former slaves became forced laborers—and sometimes even slaves again. So observes Walvin (Sugar: The World Corrupted: From Slavery to Obesity, 2018, etc.), a scholar who has done extensive work on the Caribbean slave economy.

Here, he widens his view to embrace enslavement throughout North and South America, with all its grim specifics—for instance, he writes that “Africans often spent longer on board a slave ship anchored off the coast of Africa than in crossing the Atlantic,” those ships serving as horrific floating prisons until they were full enough for the captain to make a profitable trip across the ocean. Brazil is an important case study. As the author notes, 2.8 million Africans embarked as slaves from Angola alone, most bound for Brazil, joining millions of other Africans, and there they took roles in every sector of society. As with L’Ouverture, there were bewildering intersections: “most perplexing of all to modern eyes, we know of Brazilian slaves who themselves owned slaves.” Walvin also documents Britons who never set foot in slaveholding territories but yet owned slaves at long distance. For all its puzzles, the slave economy lasted for three centuries but then disappeared over the course of a few decades as abolitionist and liberation movements arose in the 19th century. Even so, notes the author in closing, slavery has never disappeared. In fact, he observes, given the lamentably massive number of impoverished people around the world, “present-day slaves cost only a fraction of the price of slaves bought in the US South before 1860.”

A solid contribution to studies of slavery in the Americas, providing useful rejoinders to other more comprehensive accounts.

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A unique approach to the continuing deconstruction of the Trumpian edifice. plaintiff in chief

THE DOG WENT OVER THE MOUNTAIN Travels With Albie: An American Journey

PLAINTIFF IN CHIEF A Portrait of Donald Trump in 3,500 Lawsuits

Zirin, James D. All Points/St. Martin’s (288 pp.) $28.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-1-250-20162-1

Zheutlin, Peter Pegasus (336 pp.) $27.95 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-1-64313-201-3

Another searing exposé of the current president.

Former federal prosecutor Zirin, a “middle-of-the-road Republican,” pieces together a highly damning portrait of Donald Trump as a serial abuser of the law, lifelong liar, perjurer, business fraudster, tax evader, racist, and serial perpetrator of sexual assault. The book is so incriminating not only because of the author’s credentials, but also because the details are grounded in approximately 3,500 lawsuits filed by Trump, against Trump, or, in some instances, cross-filed by the opposing parties. Because litigation generally includes sworn affidavits attesting to accuracy and testimony given under oath if a trial occurs, the author is able to accurately document, page after page, the unbelievably long list of Trump’s exaggerations and outright falsehoods. In fact, the documentation provided by Zirin is impossible to refute, by Trump or anybody else who might take exception to this book (most of whom will ignore the facts anyway). The author began his painstaking research in 2015, soon after Trump announced he would seek the presidency on the Republican Party ballot. Because Zirin had spent his decadeslong law career in New York, he had already formed an impression of Trump as a businessman who lacked respect for the Constitution and the courts. Among other topics, the author focuses on Trump’s ties to organized crime; his business frauds related to hotels, casinos, and residential rental properties; and his phony Trump University. An entire chapter covers litigation related to Trump’s mistreatment of women, including physical assault. In every chapter, Zirin explains how Trump abuses the court system, which is funded by American taxpayers, by filing lawsuits in bad faith. He also targets Trump’s lawyers for their unethical behaviors. Though the author’s writing is not always easy to follow, as he sometimes lapses into lawyerly jargon, his overall message is achingly clear: “All this aberrant behavior would be problematic in a businessman….But the implications of such conduct in a man who is the president… are nothing less than terrifying.”

A unique approach to the continuing deconstruction of the Trumpian edifice.

Meanderings around America in the company of an obliging yellow Lab. “Not every trip we take is life-altering or results in a profound epiphany,” writes freelance journalist Zheutlin (Rescued: What Second-Chance Dogs Teach Us About Living With Purpose, Loving With Abandon, and Finding Joy in the Little Things, 2017, etc.), who demonstrates the truth of that statement. Closing in on retirement age, he and Albie hit the road in homage to John Steinbeck’s Travels With Charley. Zheutlin travels wide but seldom deep, gathering anecdotes over 9,000 miles from New England to the West Coast and back. He notes that Vicksburg, Mississippi, “even with its rich Civil War history, seemed forlorn” and hastens on to Natchez, which “was prettier and seemed more prosperous.” If he’d lingered for a moment in Vicksburg, he might have learned why that might be the case and why residents of that city still nurse hard feelings for their neighbors downriver. Some of his stories have more weight to them. A nice moment comes early on, when he describes the so-called Jackson Whites, “a race living in the Ramapo Mountains” who were probably a mixed population of runaway slaves, Native Americans, Hessian deserters, and other people who had good reason to want to be left alone. Albie is definitely the star of the show; like all Labs, he can be growly at times but is otherwise an amiable presence. It doesn’t help his case that Zheutlin uses Albie to sentimental, sometimes-cloying ends, as when he writes of a homeless woman he encounters, “Albie, of course, cannot make judgments about people’s circumstances, which may be why meeting a dog that cannot and will not discriminate against you based on your circumstances, your race, or your religion must be…a lesson for us all.” Nostrums notwithstanding, the narrative is unchallenging and easygoing, like something Charles Kuralt might have delivered in his TV travelogues of old.

Pleasant enough but a soufflé that leaves Steinbeck with nothing to worry about. (24 pages of color photos)

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children’s These titles earned the Kirkus Star:

SAVING THE TASMANIAN DEVIL by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent.... 127

AKISSI by Marguerite Abouet; illus. by Mathieu Sapin; trans. by Marie Bédrune.......................................................................85

OSCAR SEEKS A FRIEND by Pawel Pawlak; trans. by Antonia Lloyd-Jones.............................................................128

DARWIN’S TREE OF LIFE by Michael Bright; illus. by Margaux Carpentier...............................................................91

I AM A THIEF! by Abigail Rayner; illus. by Molly Ruttan............... 131 ONE FOX by Kate Read...................................................................... 131

DOUGLAS by Randy Cecil.................................................................. 94

AT THE STROKE OF GOODNIGHT by Clay Rice............................. 132

THE RETURN by Natalia Chernysheva...............................................95

16 WORDS by Lisa Rogers; illus. by Chuck Groenink......................134

THE HIKE by Alison Farrell............................................................... 104

ASTRONUTS MISSION ONE by Jon Scieszka; illus. by Steven Weinberg....................................................................139

A SLIP OF A GIRL by Patricia Reilly Giff.........................................108

SMALL IN THE CITY by Sydney Smith..............................................141

RED HOUSE, TREE HOUSE, LITTLE BITTY BROWN MOUSE

by Jane Godwin; illus. by Blanca Gómez...........................................109

HOBGOBLIN AND THE SEVEN STINKERS OF RANCIDIA

by Kyle Sullivan; illus. by Derek Sullivan.........................................143

MIGHTY JACK AND ZITA THE SPACEGIRL by Ben Hatke............ 111

ONE IS A LOT (EXCEPT WHEN IT’S NOT) by Muon Thi Văn; illus.

by Pierre Pratt.................................................................................... 149

RABBIT AND THE MOTORBIKE by Kate Hoefler; illus. by Sarah Jacoby.......................................................................... 113

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RIVER by Elisha Cooper.......................................................................97

STARGAZING by Jen Wang................................................................150

SUNNY ROLLS THE DICE by Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm................................................................................... 113

A PLACE TO LAND by Barry Wittenstein; illus. by Jerry Pinkney......................................................................... 151

REDWOOD AND PONYTAIL by K.A. Holt...................................... 113

X-RAY ME! by Felicitas Horstschäfer; illus. by Johannes Vogt; trans. by Elizabeth Lee....................................................................................... 155

ROAR LIKE A DANDELION by Ruth Krauss; illus. by Sergio Ruzzier....................................................................... 117

BLUEBERRY PATCH / MAYABEEKAMNEEBOON

BLUEBERRY PATCH / MAYABEEKAMNEEBOON by Jennifer Leason & Norman Chartrand; illus. by Jennifer Leason; trans. by Norman Chartrand.............................................................. 118

Leason, Jennifer & Chartrand, Norman Illus. by Leason, Jennifer Trans. by Chartrand, Norman Theytus Books (32 pp.) $19.95 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-1-926886-58-9

THE BOOK RESCUER by Sue Macy; illus. by Stacy Innerst............. 121 FRY BREAD by Kevin Noble Maillard; illus. by Juana Martinez-Neal........................................................... 121 BIG BREATH by William Meyer; illus. by Brittany Jacobs............... 123 SATURDAY by Oge Mora...................................................................124 THE WOLF WILL NOT COME by Myriam Ouyessad; illus. by Ronan Badel...........................................................................126

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the coretta scott king book awards: 50 years of love “Just feel all the love that’s in this room,” said Deborah Taylor, honorary co-chair of the Coretta Scott King Book Awards’ 50th anniversary gala. “If we could bottle it, we wouldn’t have any problems. Let’s get on that.”

The gala was held at the Library of Congress on Friday, June 21, during the American Library Association’s annual conference. And she was right: The room brimmed with love and pride as the world of African American children’s literature gathered to celebrate the institution that has successfully elevated black artists and writers to rightful positions of prominence on the shelves of schools, libraries, and homes across America for the past half-century.

The event was glorious, with speeches from such lights as Dr. Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress, Jacqueline Woodson, National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, Andrea Davis Pinkney, vice president and editor at large of Scholastic Trade Publishing, multiple Coretta Scott King Award– winning authors, and the event’s other honorary co-chairs. Vocalist Jewell Booker sang; a troupe of dancers performed an original piece choreographed and led by Dobbin Pinkney. The room sat in remembrance of those honored previously who have joined the ancestors; it stood in celebration of those honored previously who gave us their presence. Threaded through it all was the unshakeable commitment shared by these creators and practitioners to give African American children books that allow them to see themselves and to be seen.

The gala celebrated 50 years of the awards; the awards themselves were presented on Sunday, June 23, at what Kwame Alexander called “First Baptist ALA” in the celebratory poem he read at the gala. There again the love overflowed. And as it is every year, it was no ordinary award ceremony but was imbued with a sense of common mission rather than individual achievement.

In accepting a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor for Let the Children March, written by MonPhoto courtesy Leah Overstreet

ica Clark-Robinson, Frank Morrison related a story of a Father’s Day outing gone terribly wrong when his children were rousted from a swimming hole and then ticketed by the warden as white families were sent off with a stern warning. This, he said, is why those children marched and why he does what he does. Varian Johnson, accepting a Coretta Scott King Author Honor for The Parker Inheritance, addressed his two young daughters: “Because I am your dad I get so scared. The world is against you....I know I cannot protect you from the world, but I can help to prepare you for it. That is why we create and publish books. That is why the Coretta Scott King Award exists. You’ve got 50 years of books. Consider them your inheritance.”

To create a book that takes its place in a heritage of literature dedicated to lifting up and inspiring generations of children who find themselves in a world that is against them takes a special sense of responsibility and obligation. The Coretta Scott King Award is, as Ekua Holmes, winner of the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award for The Stuff of Stars, written by Marion Dane Bauer, said, a “[monument] made of people and purpose.”

And love. —V.S.

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Akissi is absolutely, hilariously uncontainable. akissi

AKISSI More Tales of Mischief

introduce each animal in several short paragraphs (main text and callouts with additional interesting facts) about the musical performances, how they are made, and the different sounds the creature can make—its repertoire, as it were. “Production credits” include the concert title, venue, time, length, and purported composer; for the superb lyrebird, for instance, these are: “Rainforest Remix,” the Rainforest Disco Club, winter, 20 minutes, and DJ Lyrebird. Cartoonlike animal images printed on staff-paper backgrounds support the theme. The image of the imagined recording, shown, usually, as a 45rpm disc, will likely be meaningless to today’s readers, the translation has awkward moments, and the layout can be confusing, but readers who figure out the premise will find their ears opened to a new way of appreciating the natural world. Actual recordings of the animal songs will be available on the publisher’s website.

Slightly out of tune but worth a listen nonetheless.

(Informational picture book. 8-12)

Abouet, Marguerite Illus. by Sapin, Mathieu Trans. by Bédrune, Marie Flying Eye Books (144 pp.) $14.95 paper | Jul. 16, 2019 978-1-912497-17-1

More previously untranslated Akissi tales arrive in the United States, featuring the adventurous, one-of-a-kind heroine causing a ruckus in her Ivory Coast village.

This anthology corresponds to volumes 4, 5, and 6 in the Akissi series by veteran graphic-novel author Abouet, whose breakout YA comic Aya de Yopougon, illustrated by Clément Oubrerie (2005; first published in English as Aya in 2007), helped draw her international recognition. In her tales about Akissi, Abouet re-creates “the happy memories of being a young Ivorian girl,” when “the whole neighborhood was my playground and the people that lived in it were my family.” Akissi is absolutely, hilariously uncontainable in her home village, and that means that no one is safe from her impulsive curiosity and fearless missions. This spells trouble for the teenage neighborhood bully, Akissi’s sadistic schoolteacher Mr. Adama, and of course Akissi’s older brother and rival, Fofana. Walk with caution, because as Akissi knows all too well, “courage has nothing to do with age or height!” Or gender. Just as much as she enjoys a good barnyard laugh, she is determined to step in when a friend is in need. Sapin’s playful illustrations drive home the warmhearted levity in these stories, offering U.S. readers a rare glimpse into growing up beloved and meddlesome in an intergenerational, tightknit, actual day-to-day West Africa.

Outrageously fun—this indomitable little girl is simply incomparable. (Comics anthology. 6-9)

MY FRIEND

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Amado, Elisa Illus. by Ruano, Alfonso Groundwood (40 pp.) $18.95 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-55498-939-3 An unnamed upper-elementary–age Latinx girl meets an unnamed white girl on her first day at a new school, and an instant rapport is formed.

She watches her new best friend’s favorite TV programs; the blonde girl’s favorite book is now her own: “cross my heart and hope to die…now it’s my favorite book, too.” After the Latinx child invites her friend over for a special dinner, it is extremely awkward; the resulting embarrassment and anger make the child yearn to return to her country. She wonders, if her friend really doesn’t know her at all, what will happen to her if no one in the entire school understands her either? Yet despite the disaster, when she sees the blonde girl waiting for her in front of the school, she realizes that they are still best friends. Amado’s portrayal of the special bond between an immigrant and a white North American is disturbingly unbalanced. The new girl, presumably from Mexico due to Ruano’s illustrations highlighting Otomí folk art in her home, absorbs the friend’s interests without any reciprocity. The invited girl has trouble finishing her dinner. “But that was okay. You’d never eaten our kind of food before.” The blonde laughs when the Latinx girl and her father sing a song that reminds them of home. “That was so weird!” There appears to be no real communication throughout the story—almost the entire relationship is inside the Latinx protagonist’s head.

An unsuccessful attempt to showcase the bridging power of friendship between cultures. (Picture book. 8-11)

ANIMAL MUSICIANS

Alcade, Pedro Illus. by Blasco, Julio Antonio Trans. by Fearon, Lucina The Secret Mountain (56 pp.) $14.95 | Sep. 1, 2019 978-2-924774-54-0 Fourteen animal species—insects, frogs, birds, and mammals—are celebrated for their particular musical abilities.

From gibbons who sing at dawn in Southeast Asian treetops to club-winged manakins who strum their feathers in the Andean mountain forests, from humpback whales in ocean depths to male St. Andrews Cross spiders crossing the webs of potential mates, animals of all sorts make musical sounds with various parts of their bodies. The author of this intriguing title is a Spanish composer, conductor, and musicologist whose understanding of music and musicianship opens a whole new window into the animal world. Presented as a series of imagined album notes, two successive double-page spreads |

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Wide-angle perspectives effectively emphasize emotional scale. across the bay

SO YOU WANT TO BE A VIKING?

this leopard, readers also get to witness her unsuccessful hunt for ibex and her reunion, further along the trail, with her young cub; a charming spread shows mother and offspring snuggled together. The main narrative, jam-packed with interesting facts about the leopard, is expressed in a clear, conversational manner and presented in large type; text in a smaller faux hand-lettered type provides additional information. Benson’s endearing watercolor illustrations capture the leopard’s furry, pale, goldand-gray coat, with the black rosettes that offer excellent camouflage in her mountainous habitat. (They depict the author as white as he moves through the Ladakh village with his local guide.) The narrator marvels at his luck to see two snow leopards; readers will feel fortunate to have followed along.

An informative, gentle, awestruck look at a mysterious big cat. (author’s note, index, websites) (Informational picture book. 5-9)

Amson-Bradshaw, Georgia Illus. by Akiyama, Takayo Thames & Hudson (96 pp.) $14.95 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-0-500-65184-1 Series: So You Want To Be a A handy guide for young readers thinking that life on a longship in pursuit of plunder might be for them.

Prospective Vikings will want to know something of the history and rewards of their calling, and so in this much simplified and newly illustrated version of John Haywood’s Viking, a 2011 title in the Unofficial Manual series, Amson-Bradshaw offers useful features aplenty. These range from thumbnail portraits of Olaf Tryggvason and other renowned Viking leaders to travel articles such as “5 Epic Places To Plunder Before You Die (Violently).” Along the way she also deals out short but rousing disquisitions on battle tactics and berserkers, weapons and gear, seagoing navigation, Viking “healthcare,” and other relevant topics. Akiyama illustrates it all in occasionally gory cartoon drawings with green and gray highlights featuring three modern children—timorous Angus, bloodthirsty Kate (both white), and Eddie, dark skinned and gung-ho—who travel back in time and are squired about by mighty warrior Bjorn and scowling shield maiden Hervor. The same modern trio tries out the life of legionaries in So You Want To Be a Roman Soldier?, which is also recast for younger audiences from an earlier, longer work (Legionary, by Philip Matyszak, 2009) and likewise well stocked with historical people (only slightly more diverse than in …Viking), places, and facts. Both make a career in, say, librarianship, look far more enticing.

Salutary reading for armchair berserkers and shield maidens. (map, index, glossary) (Nonfiction. 8-10) (So You Want To Be a Roman Soldier?: 978-0-500-65183-4)

ACROSS THE BAY

Aponte, Carlos Illus. by the author Penguin Workshop (32 pp.) $17.99 | Sep. 17, 2019 978-1-5247-8662-5 Carlitos’ yearning for his father takes him on a clandestine solo trip to Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, to find him.

In the town of Cataño, across the titular bay from the capital, Carlitos lives with his mother, his abuela, and their cat, Coco.

Carlitos’ “family didn’t look like the others.” The neighborhood children play basketball, learn to ride a bike, or do housework with their fathers while Carlitos goes to the barbershop with only his mother. When Carlitos asks about Papi’s whereabouts, his mother reassures him that his father is across the bay—that “sometimes things don’t work out.” Even though he is happy with his family, a desire for more sets Carlitos on a ferry with Papi’s photo in hand. Vibrant illustrations with an inviting tropical palette draw readers in as Carlitos searches high and low for Papi. A refreshingly varied spectrum of brown shades of skin abounds in colorful city scenes. Wide-angle perspectives effectively emphasize emotional scale: the vastness of San Juan Bay, Carlitos’ sense of his own smallness as he searches for his father in the “maze” of the old capital, and his despair at his journey’s end. Aponte’s decision to leave Carlitos’ quest unresolved is an honest one, and readers will respond to this beautiful depiction of a young boy’s physical and emotional journey within a deeply cultural setting.

Shining with palpable pride for family and home. (Pic­ ture book. 3- 7)

SNOW LEOPARD Ghost of the Mountains

Anderson, Justin Illus. by Benson, Patrick Candlewick (32 pp.) $16.99 | Oct. 8, 2019 978-1-5362-0540-4

Following the trail of a beautiful, elusive animal.

Narrating in the first person, Anderson leads readers on a trek through the Himalayas to seek out the snow leopard, which villagers call the “gray ghost.” The journey turns suspenseful as the slopes become steeper and more icily treacherous. The narrator describes his feelings of awe upon first encountering tracks in the snow. Then, to his utter astonishment, he actually sees the magnificent creature. Readers will also marvel as she stares out from the page. Thanks to the author’s proximity to 86

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the “Fortress of Doom” they just built while the other Mac goes to get something to eat. When one brother returns, he finds the other brother far from the fortress—but not the door.

Fascinating information on tale types and folklore motifs used in each chapter is found in the authors’ notes, and adults can point these out and find other examples of tales about people doing foolish things. The last chapter features a “lying contest” with old frenemy Meatball, who tells a tall tale. A generous font, amusing comic-book–style artwork, the stories themselves, and excellent notes add up to a book that can be thoroughly enjoyed by one child or easily acted out in a readers’ theater activity.

Very old, very funny stories made evergreen thanks to the graphic format and inventive casting. (Graphic early reader. 6-8)

Arnold, Tedd & Hamilton, Martha & Weiss, Mitch Illus. by Arnold, Tedd Holiday House (48 pp.) $15.99 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-0-8234-4001-6 Series: Noodleheads, 4

Back for the fourth time, the pastaheaded duo keeps up the fun with their literal way of thinking.

In an introduction, the pair visits the library and borrows some books. The brothers admit that they don’t understand the joke in one of their books: “What is the tallest building in the world?” The answer: “The library. It has the most stories!”

Young readers of this three-chapter graphic novel will pride themselves on being smarter than Mac and Mac. They will “get it.” They’ll chuckle when one Mac is left to guard the door of

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THE PENCIL

complex sea animals; another, the dinosaurs’ world; and a third, the catastrophic arrival of an asteroid and the dark world that followed. Earth is repopulated with dark-furred apes learning to walk upright; lighter skinned cave artists; then farmers, herders, travelers, and finally astronauts of varied skin tones. First published in 2018 in the Netherlands, this was translated by the Canadian publisher for this English edition.

A simple, effective introduction to some big ideas for curious young readers. (Informational picture book. 5-9)

Avingaq, Susan & Vsetula, Maren Illus. by Chua, Charlene Inhabit Media (36 pp.) $16.95 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-1-77227-216-1 When their mother leaves to help a neighbor, siblings Susan, Rebecca, and Peter are surprised when their father opens his wife’s wooden box of special things.

With Anaana gone from their iglu, the children play all their usual games: a jumping contest, blindfolded hide-and-seek, drawing on the ice window, and playing with the dolls their grandmother has made for them, but soon all three become bored.

However, Ataata surprises them by opening Anaana’s wooden box and taking out her pencil! He hands it and a piece of paper to Susan, the oldest and narrator, so she can draw. Soon, the other children each have a turn with the pencil, but with the paper full, they draw on the back of an empty tea box. Ataata must sharpen the pencil with his knife, making the pencil much smaller; Susan wonders what will happen when Anaana returns. Authors Avingaq and Vsetula understand life in Nunavut, Canada, and embed in the story the importance of being responsible for belongings and caring for them wisely. A helpful glossary of the Inuktitut words (italicized on first reference within the story) is included in the backmatter. Chua depicts a close, loving Inuit family dressed in furs; a traditional ulu and seal-oil lamp can be seen along with a European kettle in the cozy interior.

A breath of warmth from the far north. (Picture book. 5- 7)

SUPERMAN OF SMALLVILLE

Baltazar, Art & Aureliani, Franco Illus. by Baltazar, Art DC Zoom (128 pp.) $9.99 paper | Sep. 3, 2019 978-1-4012-8392-6 day.

Thirteen-year-old farm boy Clark Kent has always shown hints of his special abilities: strength, flight, speed, and an innate sense of right and wrong. Clark uses them to patrol his hometown of Smallville to help those in need, flying off before anyone can get a good look at him. The townsfolk are all abuzz: Who is Superman? Clark is delighted to be helping people, but his parents want him to keep his powers under wraps. Clark juggles his powers, his chores, and his schooling in this brightly colored graphic novel. Longtime fans of the last son of Krypton will be a bit bored by the proceedings (10 seasons of the Small­ ville TV show covered similar territory quite effectively), but newcomers will find plenty to enjoy. The action is smartly rendered and the humor is good natured. Other characters from the Superman comics and mythos make appearances here, all of them presented with respect to all the history that comes with them. With a long-running property like Superman, it may be daunting for some looking for an entry point, particularly for younger readers. This is a good one.

A beginner-friendly introduction to the Man of Steel.

(Graphic novel. 8-12)

IT STARTED WITH A BIG BANG The Origin of Earth, You and Everything Else Bal, Floor Illus. by Van Doninck, Sebastiaan Kids Can (34 pp.) $17.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-5253-0255-8

From nothing to “a big tangled web” of life, the origin of the universe and everything in it.

Science journalist Bal pares the most commonly accepted models for the origin of the universe and development of life down to bare essentials, presenting them as accepted fact and gliding over some obvious questions. (Where did the stuff that fills the universe come from?) Nevertheless, this is an appealing addition to a small shelf of titles about cosmic beginnings for the very young. Unlike Marion Dane Bauer’s The Stuff of Stars, illustrated by Ekua Holmes (2018), it stops with the accomplishments of humans as a group, ending with the moon landing rather than with the individual reader. Unlike Karen Fox’s Older Than the Stars, illustrated by Nancy Davis (2010), there’s no supplemental backmatter. Special to this version of the vast history are Van Doninck’s sinuous illustrations, which explode with playful detail, swirls of color in the darkness of space, and surprising landscapes. One spread shows a wave of increasingly 88

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Clark Kent gets his start saving the

MEGABUGS And Other Prehistoric Critters That Roamed the Planet Becker, Helaine Illus. by Bindon, John Kids Can (32 pp.) $17.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-77138-811-5

Up-close introductions to seven Paleozoic monsters, with some outsized modern survivors added for good measure.

Writing with crowd-pleasing vivacity—Arthropleura “was bigger than a basketball player. And with up to 80 quick-moving, |

Stojic infuses sun-drenched skies with deep reds and yellows. polar bear’s story

I’M BRAVE! I’M STRONG! I’M FIVE!

grasping legs, it could have easily gripped and smothered one too!”—Becker profiles a set of humongous arthropods that, in Bindon’s exactly detailed scenes, crawl, slither, glide, swim, or fly past with all-too-convincing realism. All come with (fossil) range maps and human silhouettes for size comparisons, and most are placed in natural settings, with other fauna of the period visible in the backgrounds. In her descriptive notes, the author maintains a proper caution, following current thinking in suggesting that heightened levels of atmospheric oxygen made such uncommon mass possible but noting that “fave snacks,” life cycles, and causes of extinction are speculations.

Following the prehistoric parade, a select set of today’s biggest creepy-crawlies bring up the rear, capped by a menacing science-fictional megabug that looks like an ant-scorpion hybrid.

Though no replacement for Timothy Bradley’s (sadly out of print) Paleo Bugs (2008) for those lucky enough still to have it, the art here has more of a dramatic flair, and the resource lists at the end are fresher.

Enticing fare for fans of all things Paleo. (glossary, timeline, index) (Informational picture book. 7-10)

Best, Cari Illus. by Kulikov, Boris Margaret Ferguson/Holiday House (32 pp.) $18.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 978-0-8234-4362-8

ALL THE WAYS TO BE SMART

Bell, Davina Illus. by Colpoys, Allison Scribe (32 pp.) $16.99 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-1-947534-96-4

“Smart is not just being best / at spelling bees, a tricky test. / Or knowing all the answers ever… / Other things are just as clever.”

Simple, flowing words coupled with fluorescent illustrations (created from ink, charcoal, and pencil, then digitally assembled) give young readers a book brimming with examples of how they are smart all day, every day. Smart at making—like gluing wings on Halloween bats, concocting slime, and “building boats from boxes.” Smart at understanding people—like offering sympathy, “saying hi and bye / to people when they feel all shy,” and “being sorry when you’re naughty.” Smart at “growing, throwing, / bubble blowing,” “crazy dances! Horsey prances! / Feeling scared but taking chances,” and even “sitting still and quiet for ages.” Realistic illustrations show children of varying racial presentations joining sentient animals and benign, hairy monsters to confidently explore their world, real and imagined.

There is no narrative throughline as such, but double-page spreads are thematically unified. Children soar on dragons, lecture dinosaurs, play with pirates, show off in a circus, and explore space while always receiving the message that “every hour of every day, / we’re smart in our own special way. / And nobody will ever do… / the very same smart things as you.”

Affirming. (Picture book. 4-8)

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A feisty 5-year-old wants to prove to herself that she can handle the nighttime terrors in her room alone.

At first, Sasha’s just not tired after “Mama’s stories and Papa’s jokes and coffee kisses on both my cheeks.” In a fantastical double-page spread, the little girl grows wings, the ears and legs of an Australian marsupial, and a scaly body as she declares, “I wave like a bird and swim like a fish and bounce on my bed like a girl kangaroo that doesn’t want to sleep. A phone rings like a marching parade, a baby cries, and a piano plays.” There is an explanation for the noises: It’s the neighbors. But then things start to get worrisome, and as Sasha looks around, she notices some things that are truly frightening: a “giant eye staring down” from the moon, a shadow “with six arms,” and more. The young white girl figures out how to cope with these strange occurrences, chanting the title words several times and turning on her flashlight to reveal the commonplace sources of these manifestations. The multimedia illustrations, with their interesting lighting effects, crosshatching that creates a rich surface effect, and deep nighttime colors, provide an appropriate setting for this engaging bedtime story.

Just creepy enough to validate both fears and bravery.

(Picture book. 4-6)

POLAR BEAR’S STORY

Blackford, Harriet Illus. by Stojic, Manja Boxer Books (32 pp.) $16.95 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-1-912757-10-7

A young polar bear learns how to hunt and survive during seasonal changes.

In this fourth in her observational documentary-style series (Tiger’s Story, 2007, etc.), Blackford turns her attention toward a polar bear cub struggling to find food. When Polar Bear first tumbles out of her mother’s den, all she wants to do is play. But Polar Bear’s mother is hungry. She teaches her young cubs how to hunt. Polar Bear grows and begins to hunt more on her own. But it is difficult. With temperatures warming, the ice melts, and she cannot find any seal breathing holes.

Walruses are too big for Polar Bear to tackle, and even another predator’s leftovers have many others staking their claim. Suspenseful moments heighten the drama, urging readers to feel Polar Bear’s plight. Tight, close-up perspectives further create an emotional connection. Predictably, large swathes of Arctic white cover most of the pages, but Stojic infuses sun-drenched skies with deep reds and yellows and varies the shades of blue |

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Theatrical lighting, stunning perspectives, and arresting close-ups convey the intensity of Blondin’s feats. king of the tightrope

to diversify the palette. While Polar Bear’s specific story ends hopefully, an author’s note briefly discusses global warming and the effects on polar regions.

A science primer for the youngest environmentalists.

(Informational picture book. 3- 7)

Performing with his family throughout France, Jean-François twirled, flipped, leaped, and skipped across the high wire, inventing extreme balancing feats. Calling himself “the Great Blondin,” he traveled to America in 1851, pushing his act to be ever more “merveilleux.” Viewing Niagara Falls in 1858, Blondin imagined a tightrope stretched across it. Crossing “those roaring waters” became his life’s ambition. Peppered with French words and phrases, Bowman’s well-researched documentary text re-creates the energy, tactics, skill, engineering, unflinching optimism, and sheer grit of Blondin’s preparations to cross Niagara as well as the skepticism and wonder of all who witnessed his legendary endeavor.

Bold, colorful watercolor-and-gouache illustrations capture Blondin’s high-wire escapades, from tottering childhood steps through his sure-footed Niagara crossing, with a dramatic, almost photographic realism. Theatrical lighting, stunning perspectives, and arresting close-ups convey the intensity of Blondin’s feats, either high above the viewer on a rope spanning both pages or below the viewer perched over Niagara’s turbulent waters. Historical notes, timeline, and photos complete the experience.

Awesome, astounding, death-defying. (author’s notes, photos) (Informational picture book. 6-10)

RUNNING WILD

Bledsoe, Lucy Jane Margaret Ferguson/Holiday House (224 pp.) $16.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 978-0-8234-4363-5 Twelve-year-old Willa must get her 10-year-old twin brothers safely through the Alaskan wilderness.

Five years ago, Willa’s widowed father uprooted their family to escape his grief by living out his survivalist, live-completely-off-the-land fantasies in rural Alaska. Since then, he’s gotten meaner and abusive, and he has relapsed into alcoholism. A combination of her father’s stubborn unwillingness to admit that they don’t have enough food for the winter, escalating physical abuse, and Willa’s fear that something’s wrong with her (she doesn’t know about periods) lead her to take the boys and flee to Fort Yukon on a rickety raft. They navigate wildlife (from bears to an orphaned wolf pup that one twin smuggles along), rough rivers, and supply problems, all while avoiding detection, as Willa’s afraid they’ll be returned to their father before she can contact their aunt in New York for help. Additionally, Willa has to continually persuade her brothers that they want to leave the only life they can remember, that there is something better out there. The survival elements are entertaining and informative, and there’s a good balance between self-sufficiency and reliance on adults for appropriate help at the novel’s climax. While not all is resolved by the end, the story concludes on a hopeful note. Willa’s family is white while the Fort Yukon population introduces mainly Gwichyaa Gwich’in people.

The acknowledgements thank a wolf expert and a board member of the Gwich’in Council International.

Nuanced, character-driven action. (Adventure. 8-12)

THE QUEST FOR THE GOLDEN FLEAS

Boyer, Crispin Illus. by Elkerton, Andy Under the Stars (192 pp.) $12.99 | Oct. 22, 2019 978-1-4263-3547-1 Series: Zeus the Mighty, 1

A center for rescued pets becomes the stage for adventures of literally mythical import in this series opener.

Convinced that they’re the gods after whom they’ve been named by the Mount Olympus Pet Center’s myth-loving owner (and Boyer drops hints that they’re not wrong), Zeus, a rescued hamster, and allies Demeter, Athena, and Ares—respectively a cricket, a tabby cat, and a scene-stealing pug of big stomach but little brain—get out at night to face such challenges as the deadly whirlpool of Charybdis (a stuck toilet). After listening (not very attentively) to a podcast version of “Jason and the Argonauts,” Zeus decides to settle a long-standing rivalry with a pufferfish named Poseidon by returning in triumph with the “Golden Fleas.”

Little does he know that the quest will take him into Uncharted Territory (the empty store next door) where shrieking harpies (bats) lurk….While all of this doesn’t map very closely on the original yarn, it does offer opportunities aplenty for displays of courage, cleverness, and loyalty…as well as lots of comical byplay.

Elkerton adds to both the comedy and the drama with vignettes and larger scenes of partly anthropomorphic animals in chitons and divine regalia, often looking dismayed or, in Ares’ case, ever on the lookout for Mutt Nuggets. A closing section includes further information on the source story and Greek myths in general.

A treat for proto–Percy Jackson fans. (map, floor plan) (Animal fantasy. 8-10)

KING OF THE TIGHTROPE When the Great Blondin Ruled Niagara

Bowman, Donna Janell Illus. by Gustavson, Adam Peachtree (48 pp.) $17.95 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-56145-937-7

How famous French funambulist Jean-François Gravelet daringly traversed a tightrope spanning Niagara Falls in 1859.

Born into a family of acrobats, gymnasts, and funambulists, or tightrope walkers, Jean-François learned to balance on a thick board at age 4 and “took to the rope like a spider takes to its web.”

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DARWIN’S TREE OF LIFE

readers know that this child lives well. The story is illustration-heavy with one to two sentences per double-page spread, encouraging readers to carefully view each page to understand the characters’ emotions. Both parents have pale skin, he with brown hair and she with black; one double-page spread in which they speculate about the child they have not yet met depicts pictures of children of many different races, but the “you” of the text is a pale-skinned child with a black pageboy. Though this is an adoption book, the focus of the book is not always on the child’s homecoming; at times it is about how much she is loved and what her childhood experiences are, illustrating that an adoption is an event that happens, not an ongoing process.

A tender, beautifully illustrated picture book depicting adoption as a way to grow a family. (Picture book. 4-6)

Bright, Michael Illus. by Carpentier, Margaux Crocodile/Interlink (48 pp.) $18.95 | Sep. 19, 2019 978-1-62371-919-7 Both an introduction to Darwinian concepts and an exploration of the

Earth’s life.

Even before explanations of natural selection and species origin, there is a helpful “Geological Time Chart” that explains eon, era, period, and epoch. Following these, double-page spreads show examples of animals, plants, and protists (which are neither) both extant and extinct on the branches of a tree that begins with one-celled organisms and moves into and beyond the category called “Skillful Mammals.” The illustrations and layout are spectacular. Stylized animals and plants are solid blocks of color against gradated blue backgrounds. Each spread is headed in sinuous display type; a vibrantly hued tree branch snakes across the page, creating spaces for flora and fauna and fascinating facts about them. Who knew that tardigrades can live for 30 years without eating? And how sly to note that both rats and humans have conquered the world with their generalized diets. The graceful, accessible text respects its readers. Early on, it asserts that “the first living things were simple cells, which were different from non-living things because they could make copies of themselves.” Words not defined within the text are captured in an appropriate glossary. There are several references to climate change, the first noting how green plants cooled the planet about 450 million years ago. The text strikes an excellent balance between upholding scientific research and noting its limits as well as its ongoing, self-correcting, nature.

Darwin would approve. (index) (Informational picture book.

8-12)

WE REALLY DO CARE

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Brown, Tami Lewis Illus. by de Regil, Tania Philomel (32 pp.) $17.99 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-1-9848-3630-4

A tale of empathy and inclusion.

A white child and a brown-skinned child, both nameless and with button eyes and simply drawn facial features, cross paths in a peaceful city park. Initially, the white child emphatically claims ownership in bold phrases familiar to young ears: “My ball belongs to me,” and “You can’t have my mom.” In a turnkey double-page spread, a park scene on the left shows green grass, a gentle tree trunk, and the white child’s family on a picnic blanket, while across the gutter is vast negative space as the white child notices the brown-skinned child, alone, on the ground end of a seesaw. The negative space creates the pause. “Wait.” What unfolds is a series of broad questions about fear of loneliness and loss. The brown-skinned child plays and shares with the formerly possessive white child but never says a word. It is assumed the brown-skinned child does not have a family, and while the white family welcomes the lonely child, why that child is alone in the park is never resolved. While a lot can be said for unspoken understanding, the brown-skinned child’s voicelessness makes all the interactions feel one-sided and assumptive. A “we” narrative about caring unfurls, stretching to include families, nature, and animals across the world.

While micro-interactions are inevitably connected to global networks of caring, the leap from sharing toys to global togetherness is preachy and contrived.

One-sidedness sinks this well-meaning tale. (Picture book. 4- 7)

THE DAY OF YOUR ARRIVAL

Brown, Dolores Illus. by Dalvand, Reza nubeOCHO (36 pp.) $15.95 | Oct. 8, 2019 978-84-17673-02-4 Series: Égalité

An adoption story told from the point of view of two parents about the love they have for their adopted child.

As this father and mother prepare a room and toys for their child, readers learn through words and detailed pictures that their child will be loved. Once the child is home, the parents learn what treats the child likes, introduce the child to the extended family, take the child to preschool. Throughout the book, it is evident that the characters live in an affluent community. Thanks to details such as multistory houses, massive amounts of plants and decorations, clothing, and accessories, |

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HI, I’M NORMAN The Story of American Illustrator Norman Rockwell

play it safe, or does he join with his real friends in standing up to Parker and proving to everyone, even the principal, that Parker is a bully? Gracefully folded into this tale are themes of friendship, accountability, engineering, and cooperation, and there is even a discussion on what life was like for Leonardo da Vinci.

Even with a wide range of topics, Burt keeps the plot lively and focused as the very believable kids work to solve their own problems through both empathy and logic. The book adheres to the white default, with one of Bell’s friends described as having dark skin and another with an Asian name.

A satisfying tale of bullying redemption with a STEM twist. (Fiction. 10-14)

Burleigh, Robert Illus. by Minor, Wendell Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster (48 pp.) $17.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-4424-9670-5

The iconic American illustrator welcomes readers into his home and life.

“Hi, I’m Norman. Norman Rockwell. Come on in.” The creator of over 320 covers for the Saturday Evening Post speaks directly to readers, inviting them into his studio and on to a tour of other studios in his life—his dining room when he was young, neighborhood streets, classroom blackboards, and art school. He tells how he sold his first works, how he got his ideas, and how he used models—adult, child, and even a turkey!

Rockwell is known for painting the “ideal aspects” of life, “life like I’d like it to be,” he said, and he received criticism for being old-fashioned and nostalgic, but Burleigh’s Rockwell claims he did change to face the times he lived in. During World War II, he painted his iconic series “The Four Freedoms,” based on President Franklin Roosevelt’s famous speech. And after Ruby Bridges integrated an all-white public school in the 1960s, Rockwell painted the famous, enigmatically titled The Problem We All Live With. Minor uses watercolor, gouache, and pencil to effectively render many of Rockwell’s sketches and paintings and, except for Ruby Bridges, Rockwell’s all-white world.

An inviting and admiring introduction to an important American artist. (further biography, author’s note, illustrator’s note, list of paintings rendered, timeline, reproductions) (Picture book/biography. 5-10)

HOME, SWEET HOME

Butterfield, Moira Illus. by Rossiter, Clair Kane/Miller (32 pp.) $12.99 | Sep. 1, 2019 978-1-61067-886-5

Treehouses, apartment buildings with rooftop beehives, tents, houseboats: All

are homes.

Starting with a scene that pictures many houses found throughout the book and ending with the same scene, now filled with people from many places, this volume will help kids think about similarities and differences in living arrangements.

Each double-page spread features a different topic. First there are spreads on homes in urban places versus country living; roofs (steep ones for snowy countries, green roofs, flat roofs); doors, like the special orange wooden doors of Mongolian gers and the absence of them in North African or Bedouin tents; and the issue of walls or no walls. Then, there is a focus on the various different spaces in- or outside homes. Each spread features amusingly detailed paintings with different layouts, some complete scenes: The dining-space spread features a Western-style table and diners from different countries and eras adjacent to a Vietnamese family eating on a bamboo mat. Another spread contrasts four gardens: Bangladeshi floating gardens, the White House lawn, a Japanese garden path, and the “Vertical Forest,” in Milan. The people are diverse, cartoonish in style but with individual personalities. The book does not discuss homelessness, and everyone looks happy with their own situation. There are neither sources nor bibliography.

Children will find many answers to the question: “So what makes a home a wonderful place?” (Informational picture book. 6-9)

THE TORNADO

Burt, Jake Feiwel & Friends (256 pp.) $16.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-250-16864-1 What do you do when the school bully is also the principal’s son?

For fifth grader Bell Kirby, the answer involves devising many systems and routes to help him avoid crossing paths with the bully, Parker Hellickson. He keeps them all in the notebook that’s never far from his arms.

And he’s had plenty of time to work these systems out—Parker has been bullying him since the beginning of fourth grade, ever since Bell accidentally broke Parker’s toe and kept him out of a soccer tournament. Bell’s systems mostly work—until Daelynn Gower, a former home-schooler with multicolored hair, moves to town. Daelynn refuses to change herself to avoid trouble, and she soon becomes a target. But when Parker expects Bell to join in on the torment, Bell has a choice to make. Does he 92

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THIS BOOK JUST STOLE MY CAT!

purples, pinks, and blues that (a bit stereotypically) reinforce the girl-power aesthetic. The primary characters are all white, but there are diverse background characters.

A cool blast of colorful energy. (Graphic adventure. 10-13)

Byrne, Richard Illus. by the author Godwin Books/Henry Holt (32 pp.) $17.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-1-250-20667-1

THE THANK YOU LETTER

Cabrera, Jane Illus. by the author Holiday House (32 pp.) $17.99 | Oct. 8, 2019 978-0-8234-4250-8

Can Ben get his cat back?

While playing “tickle and chase across the page” with Ben, the boy’s rather large gray tabby cat vanishes into the gutter between pages even though Ben has presumably just run across it without incident. The string of the cat toy Ben was holding appears stuck in the break between pages. Bella happens along with her hula hoop and, claiming to have seen this before, goes in to investigate. A search-and-rescue truck that specializes in cats goes in next…then a rescue dog and a helicopter. At this point Ben decides he’ll have to do the job himself—and the book sneezes out the “book-tickling fluffy mouse” even as he disappears. Ben sends out instructions for readers to tickle the book and then turn the page, and the book eventually sneezes almost everyone out—but Ben’s cat it is now held aloft by its rapidly spinning tail. Clearly it’s the book’s fault. This outing is an unnecessary feline companion to This Book Just Ate My Dog (2015). Not only is it unclear why Ben can cross the gutter and others can’t, but it’s also hazy as to why the book sneezes the mouse toy out when it’s had it inside for several pages. Far better interactives are available. Ben and Bella are both white.

A metafictive miss. (Picture book. 2- 7)

BLACK CANARY Ignite

Cabot, Meg Illus. by McGee, Cara DC Zoom (160 pp.) $9.99 paper | Oct. 29, 2019 978-1-4012-8620-0 The Black Canary takes flight.

Dinah Lance is a typical white 13-year-old girl: She’s got a band, she’s got great friends, and she has great parents. A resident of Gotham City, Dinah is eager to join the Gotham City Junior Police Academy to learn how to fight crime like her detective father. There’s one unusual thing about Dinah: her vocal prowess that’s just newly emerged. Dinah can use her voice with such intensity that glass shatters and people are bowled over. While Dinah explores her newfound powers, she also digs in to the mysteries of her mother’s past and the identity of the shadowy figure threatening her family. The Black Canary has been enjoying a renaissance of late thanks to the popular Arrowverse TV shows and a prominent placement in the current world of DC comics. Newcomers to the character will find just as much to enjoy here as those already familiar with her. Cabot does well by Dinah Lance, embracing the spunky attitude Dinah fans adore.

McGee’s artwork is kinetic and broad, brightly colored with

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Young Grace gives and then receives letters of love and gratitude.

After an exuberant birthday party filled with diverse kids in elaborate costumes, Grace sits down to write thank-you letters for her gifts, depicted in Cabrera’s trademark, childlike style. There’s always a bit of dissonance when an adult approximates children’s art, but these are reasonable, not-too-cloying facsimiles. Grace’s messages are just right, especially when acknowledging that while a gift might not have been perfect (she receives a toy dog rather than a living pup; gloves are too large), she’s thankful nonetheless. Upon finishing, she carries on, sending gratitude to teachers, pets, and members of her diverse community. (Grace herself has light skin and straight, dark hair.) Cabrera’s books tend to feel satisfyingly cohesive, and this is no exception. Grace returns home to dozens of love letters sent back to her pinned inside her brand-new play tent, and the whole thing cozily wraps with Grace holding a metafictive sign thanking the readers of this book. At times, the book tries too hard to be positive—where’s the whining about completing what many children regard as a chore?—and Grace’s ever present grin and dotted pink cheeks make her appear excessively dolllike, even cutesy. But the animated art style, with deeply textured acrylic colors in invitingly warm colors and cheery scrapbook paper collage, buoys the effort.

It’s sentimental to be sure, but who can’t use a gentle nudge to remember manners? (Picture book. 4-8)

THE MEMORY KEEPER

Camiccia, Jennifer Aladdin (352 pp.) $17.99 | Oct. 15, 2019 978-1-5344-3955-9

Not-quite-13-year-old Lulu uncovers family secrets as she struggles to compensate for—and cover up—her beloved grandmother’s mental decline.

With parents who are often (understandably) emotionally unavailable, Lulu is grateful for the constant love and support of her paternal grandmother. But Gram is beginning to be forgetful in frightening ways. Lulu hopes that her own extraordinary memory will help her to figure out how to reverse her grandmother’s |

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Cecil’s playful language and shifting third-person narration create contexts within contexts. douglas

THE BALCONY

decline. Despite the serious subject matter, Lulu’s first-person narration is light and conversational. Each chapter opens with the description of a different part of the human brain, helping to foreshadow the plot’s twists and turns. Over the course of several days and with help from friends Max and Olivia, Lulu attempts to figure out why her allegedly French grandmother has a journal written in Russian—and two different passports.

Max and Olivia are convinced that espionage is involved. The subsequent investigation is engaging but not always believable, and Lulu’s insights occasionally make her seem older than her years. The eventual reveal of Gram’s hidden history does not, as Lulu hopes, precipitate a miraculous cure, but it does serve to bring the family closer together. Lulu, her family, and Olivia present white; Max is presumably Latinx (he has a Spanish surname and “speaks Spanish fluently”).

There’s so much going on readers might find it hard to get to know Camiccia’s appealing characters. (Fiction. 9-12)

Castrillón, Melissa Illus. by the author Simon & Schuster (48 pp.) $17.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-1-5344-0588-2 A child gardener makes a new place feel like home.

The young protagonist, whose skin is the pale cream of the book’s paper, enjoys the lush garden of their country home, serenely having tea with animal friends. Then a job change for their parents means goodbye. Saddened, they move to an apartment in the city, from which they gaze longingly at the distant country from their third-story balcony. They plant seeds in a pot, and, seemingly overnight, an asparaguslooking bloom sprouts. It grows steadily, eventually becoming even taller than the child’s parents. With more plants, the balcony soon becomes an overflowing oasis of flora, attracting friendly animals, until the whole neighborhood is teeming with vegetation. The plants form connections among the community, including the protagonist’s friendship with a next-door– neighbor child who has dark skin and wears their hair in braided knots. The occasional text provides some plot developments (a posted letter inviting the mother to take a job in the city) and conveys strong moods (“Hope” appears next to the child as they pot their initial plant). Digitally colored pencil illustrations are classically styled, with hatchings, strong lines, playful spatial distortions reminiscent of Wanda Gág, and a vintage-feeling tricolor palette. The organic elements have especially enchanting forms. Elegant drawings and sparse, emotive text make this story accessible to readers of a wide age range.

A charmingly verdant tale in classic style. (Picture book.

4-8)

VERY LULU The (Mostly) True Story of a Training School Dropout Campisi, Stephanie Illus. by Gibson, Jessica Sourcebooks Jabberwocky (32 pp.) $17.99 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-1-4926-7321-7

Lulu’s a fun-loving dog who flunks out of police-dog school only to discover that being herself is the greatest achievement of all.

Though Lulu is shunted into police-dog training because of her good sniffing skills, it quickly becomes clear that she is not a good fit for the work, despite well-meaning intervention and persistent effort. The “free spirit” is simply unable to perform the required doggy tasks. Lulu’s true place is in a home with a family—her handler’s, as it turns out. Throughout, the author is careful not to refer to the playful, happy Lulu in the pejorative— and this may seem a small point at first, but it is really the most important part of this joyful story. The one mention of “failure” is handled carefully: When the police-dog trainer exhorts Lulu to “be more like other dogs? You don’t want to fail, do you?” Lulu despairs, as she “had not known a dog could fail at anything.”

Children weighed down by the conformist pressures of school, sports, and other activities will see that there are other ways to find one’s place in the world. The artwork is bright and dynamic, with lots of frenetic doggy movement; Lulu’s handler and her family present black; the police-dog trainer presents white.

Children will cheer for Lulu and learn the importance of being themselves. (Picture book. 4-8)

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DOUGLAS

Cecil, Randy Illus. by the author Candlewick (120 pp.) $19.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 978-0-7636-3397-4 In this superb companion tale to Cecil’s Lucy (2016), the worlds of a moviegoing girl, an audacious mouse, and a crafty cat mingle and clash in Bloomville.

It’s a Saturday afternoon. Drawn by the scent of popcorn, Iris Espinosa heads to the cinema, passing by a big cat “with six toes on each paw” and a stoop kid on her walk. Taking her place in “her usual seat” in the front row, the young girl sits enthralled

by Robin Hood when a mouse with a popcorn-stuffed stomach approaches the adjacent seat. The mouse snuggles up to Iris— burrowing into Iris’ pocket—and ends up going home with her; she dubs the mouse Douglas in honor of her favorite actor. (Iris |

MY HEAD IN THE CLOUDS

does not know that Douglas is, like her, female.) Now Douglas must brave the long journey—relatively speaking—back home to the cinema while eluding the hungry, terrible Six-Toed Cat, a master of patience “after so many years” of mouse-hunting experience. Similar to its beguiling predecessor, this adventure comes together in four acts full of quiet cliffhangers and thrilling mouse heroics. Cecil’s playful language and shifting third-person narration create contexts within contexts; each numbered chapter assumes the viewpoint of a character, major or minor, in ways readers might need rereads to fully appreciate.

The artist’s duotone-spun, vintage artwork recalls the quaint splendors of yesteryear, peppered with minor visual gags and worldbuilding details. Primary human characters present white.

A splendiferous wowzer. (Picture book. 5-8)

Chaperon, Danielle Illus. by Bisaillon, Josée Trans. by Watson, Sophie B. Orca (32 pp.) $19.95 | Oct. 8, 2019 978-1-4598-2178-1

ELBOW GREASE VS. MOTOZILLA

Cena, John Illus. by McWilliam, Howard Random House (40 pp.) $17.99 | $20.99 PLB | Oct. 8, 2019 978-1-5247-7353-3 978-1-5247-7354-0 PLB Who needs sanity when you’ve got family?

The title character of Elbow Grease (2018) and his family of Demolition Derby trucks return to face an all-new competitor.

Once again, ’Bo is feeling inadequate next to his fan-favorite brothers. Despite Mel the Mechanic’s encouragement—he’s “the best at getting better”—he wants to be noticed. But instead, he notices someone unavoidable. Motozilla, the monster machine that turns trucks “into crunch sandwiches,” is currently undefeated. Trouble is, you’d need a truck with an array of skills to take him down. Thinking fast, ’Bo makes the wild and somewhat improbable suggestion that he and his brothers join together to form a single supertruck. Will it be enough to take down this bully? Quips, jests, and teamwork are the name of the game as pro wrestler Cena improves on his writing in this second outing, which demonstrates that individual glory falls in the face of concentrated cooperation. Rollicking, radical art portrays the battle in all its gritty glory, mud and twisted metal galore. Human crowds show a diverse range of races and genders, and the trucks’ keeper, Mel, has light-brown skin and wears glasses.

Engines won’t be the only thing roaring their approval when this book hits storytime. (Picture book. 3-6)

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A child embarks on an imaginary international journey, using many conveyances, in recalling all the items lost on previous trips.

The text, originally French, is in four-line stanzas, mostly in an aabb rhyming pattern, that are occasionally awkward in English: “In the deep, black waters of Loch Ness, / my mind wandered off and I forgot my address! / When I saw a yeti trying to get a fishy bite, / my stomach floated off and I lost my appetite.” In the accompanying spread, the child helms a yellow submarine, a green Nessie swims nearby, and a large white creature on a boat tries to grab fish with a net. Two fish have some writing on their bodies: the forgotten address? Happily, there appears to be no image of the stomach or the appetite that has floated off. Although the last page, with its short list of facts about some places mentioned, instructs readers to look for the lost items, some ephemeral items seem impossible to find. Concrete objects can be found with close looking: a jacket at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, a scarf around the neck of the Statue of Liberty, both mentioned in the accompanying text. Some items are more metaphorical. Can readers “find my mind” as the girl requests, when she ventures into outer space?

Although the whimsical multimedia illustrations are often engaging, this world journey offers little engagement with people and a very cursory view of iconic sights.

This is one journey to skip. (Picture book. 5- 7)

THE RETURN

Chernysheva, Natalia Illus. by the author Groundwood (36 pp.) $17.95 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-77306-209-9 A young adult comes home in Chernysheva’s uplifting wordless picture book.

A lone house stands beside an outstretched tree in a vast, empty field. The light-skinned traveler boards a yellow bus, its driver just a mere shadow. The yellow bus makes its way through the crowded streets of Moscow as buildings and churches loom overhead in a mishmash of lines and blank spaces. On and on the bus goes until it deposits the traveler onto that vast, empty field to make the way to the house, where a small figure tends the garden. The gardener—a parent or grandparent, perhaps— looks up. The giant traveler towers over the minuscule gardener in a series of double-page spreads that play with space and perspective in unusual ways. Chernysheva’s plain, mostly colorless artwork maintains a focus on the long journey and eventual reunion thanks to the book’s languid pace. Color (primarily |

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red and yellow) emerges during seemingly minor yet significant moments, drawing attention to each character’s love for the other. A deep embrace and a sweet kiss to the cheek cement the relationship between the two adults. The old gardener stirs up a pot of warm stew, and the traveler (now the size of a child) sits down amid the garden.

As comforting as a home-cooked meal. (Picture book. 4- 7)

accessible. Well, there are four until one finds a sandwich that lures four of the dispersed birds to return. That adds up to eight.

And there they are, that now gray and cloudy morning, when it starts to rain and six pigeons fly away to seek shelter. Again, readers can count the birds to arrive at the new number, or they can work the equation that is provided: “Let’s see…eight minus six is…”? On the counting game goes via interruptions into the twilight, when the narrator gives up—these pigeons won’t stay still long enough to introduce them—until it comes time to go to bed and end the story. Citro’s exasperated text works hand in glove with Watson’s comical birds to make this counting game a joy rather than a task. The narrative text expresses equations in words, and corresponding number sentences are tucked into the scenes.

Good fun for early counters. (Picture book. 4-8)

SHADOW

Christopher, Lucy Illus. by Suvorova, Anastasia Lantana (40 pp.) $17.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-911373-83-4 A child finds a new playmate, but troubles hang like a cloud over the house.

After a move, the narrator discovers Shadow, a spectral boy, under the bed. They spend days together, although the narrator’s perpetually distracted mother does not perceive Shadow even as his shape changes. Eventually, the two leave and wander into the woods, where Shadow goes off, leaving the child alone in a visually arresting spread that isolates the muffler-clad child on a nearly all-black page. After “a while, a very long while,” the child reunites with Ma when they recognize each other’s shadows. The white-presenting pair play and invite diverse new friends over for tea, including a cat that could be Shadow, who is not unwelcome. The digital artwork strategically uses grayscale with red and navy accents. The tale is definitely uncanny, featuring a doppelgänger (“In the dark, Shadow and me were the same”), and the characters’ washed-out eyes have an eerie look. Rest assured, there is a happy ending, with the mother present for multiple pages after the woods. Dappled edges and scratched textures embellish the dreamlike atmosphere.

Whether seen as a metaphor for fear, grief, depression, or something else, this story professes that denial is not the way to deal with one’s troubles; it is better to communicate and be together.

Sensitively shines a metaphorical light onto scary but nonetheless real emotions. (Picture book. 3-8)

THE HAIRDO THAT GOT AWAY

Coelho, Joseph Illus. by Lumbers, Fiona Andersen Press USA (32 pp.) $17.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-5415-7841-8

When Dad leaves, a young child is left to deal with roiling emotions and a headful of overgrown, tangled hair.

The story is told from the point of view of an unnamed child with an ambiguous gender presentation who’s used to going regularly with Dad to the barbershop for a haircut. One day, the child’s father leaves. The child’s blond hair starts growing out of control. The longer Dad is gone, the longer the child’s hair grows, until teacher Miss Clarke can’t recognize her student and Mom, hidden under her own hair, can’t hear her child.

Young readers will recognize the feeling of tangled, unmanageable emotions represented by the child’s hair. Yet the effect of this metaphor is limited by the author’s seeming unwillingness to commit to details and to develop the metaphor fully. Did the parents go through a separation, then reconcile? Was the father in a psychiatric hospital? The lack of specificity means that adults should be cautious when choosing this book for a struggling child. It could either be a tool to spark discussion and self-reflection or a vehicle of false hope that a parent will return and troubles will disappear. Lumbers’ illustrations are lively and effective when portraying the child in the wild mop, adding detail to the narrative, though the adults seem static in comparison. Child, parents, and teacher all present white; classmates are diverse.

A tender story that fails to realize its full potential. (Pic­ ture book. 3- 7)

PIGEON MATH

Citro, Asia Illus. by Watson, Richard The Innovation Press (40 pp.) $16.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-1-943147-62-5 A one-to-10 counting book featuring a cast of active pigeons.

“One bright and sunny morning, ten pigeons” sit on a wire when along come some bees and throw them all into a tizzy. A handful of the pigeons take off—readers can count their tails in the margins of the pages—so “OK. Let’s try that again. Um, ten minus six is… …four.” Readers can see right on the wire there that if six pigeons fly off, that leaves four—math at its most 96

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At the conclusion of this beautiful book, readers will feel they have traveled a journey themselves. river

THE BEAST

to some of the simplest principles of the technology at play and are well varied. Some involve building, some are manual replications of the base idea of the tech, some can be done solo while others need friends (and one in particular is designed for large groups and has classroom potential), and only a few need specialized materials. The cautionary-tale segments range from science-fiction story prompts to current, real-world issues.

Anecdotal sidebars and panels add humor, trivia, and texture.

The illustrations include black-and-white photography and twocolor cartoons that serve to illustrate the experiments and offer lighthearted amusement (such as villainous household appliances). While final art was unseen, the cartoon people, with black line art and page-white skin, have a good gender balance.

Kids will have fun while building a solid foundation in how technologies work. (Nonfiction. 9-14)

Condie, Ally & Reichs, Brendan Bloomsbury (272 pp.) $16.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-5476-0203-2 Series: Darkdeep, 2 This Halloween is not about trick-ortreating for the Torchbearers.

A team forged during their original adventure at Still Cove in series opener The Darkdeep (2018), Opal, Emma, Tyler, Nico, and Logan are not quite done with the creatures of that terrifying place. Along with the gremlins and other wild “figments” causing havoc in the small, Pacific Northwest town of Timbers, new apparitions are on the loose, and it is the team’s job to catch whatever escapes the Darkdeep. Validating what was thought to be a harmless local legend, there’s been a sighting of an actual Beast, a demon that has crossed from another dimension. With their parents conveniently absent, these seventh graders decide to investigate. The peculiar green blob in the jar has been speaking to both Opal and Nico psychically.

This disembodied being from another realm, whom the kids call Thing, tells the story of the origins of the Darkdeep and the connected realm of the Rift and offers to help the Torchbearers seal the Rift. Now that the series is underway, this second installment offers more actualized characters and a darker backstory than the first book, setting a more engaging pace. With an early October release date, this will make a rousing Halloween read. Tyler has dark skin and Opal and Logan, ambiguous black hair, but the book adheres to a white default.

With Volume 2, this series hits its stride. (Paranormal suspense. 10-12)

RIVER

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Cooper, Elisha Illus. by the author Orchard/Scholastic (48 pp.) $18.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-338-31226-3 A woman travels the length of the Hudson River by canoe in Cooper’s (Train, 2013) latest, a 12-inch-square picture book.

“Morning, a mountain lake. A traveler, a canoe.” Cooper’s text is spare in style yet detailed and lengthy: Paragraphs on each spread compete with pencil-and-watercolor illustrations that alternate among double-page panoramic landscapes of impressive views, smaller scenes against white space, and miniature vignettes of the faceless traveler in motion. The 300-mile solo journey itself begins with a question: “Can she do this?” A rock rises out of the water—no, “a moose.” There are rapids to brave, thunder, cold, a bear cub to avoid, a dam around which to portage (such vocabulary is made clear in context), and many more challenges to face. There are also the peaceful joys of “paddling, sketching, eating, camping, paddling again,” friendly faces at stops along the way, and the assurance that “she is strong, and she knows what she’s doing.” The myriad details about the journey will interest slightly older, outdoorsy children interested in adventure and travel. At the conclusion of this beautiful book, when the water-weary traveler ends her journey in the arms of her loved ones, ready to turn her sketches and words into paintings and a story, readers will feel they have traveled a journey themselves, and they just may wonder if they would ever have the strength, endurance, bravery and know-how to undertake such an endeavor themselves.

Expansive content impressively and beautifully presented. (author’s note, note on the Hudson River, sources, further reading, map) (Picture book. 6-12)

THE BOOK OF TERRIFYINGLY AWESOME TECHNOLOGY 27 Experiments for Young Scientists

Connolly, Sean Illus. by Baczynski, Kristyna Workman (256 pp.) $14.95 | Sep. 17, 2019 978-1-5235-0494-7

An overview of technologies— including holograms, GPS, electric cars, and more—offering applications

and experiments.

Before each of the 26 topical chapters culminates in an experiment, it follows a structure that gives an overview of the technology, tells how it is improving life, its related applications, and the “terrifying” potentials should the technology go bad or fall into the wrong hands. The text nicely contextualizes the technologies, both explaining the science and connecting it to the real world (especially in technology’s potential for solving looming global problems). The experiments introduce readers

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A touching and well-told story of the heartbreak of memory loss. the day abuelo got lost

THE HIPPO AT THE END OF THE HALL

premise is unlikely (inside a museum, flying objects are discouraged, by guards if not by caregivers). Worse, when the child is inadvertently separated from mom, dad, and sib, a great moment of panic arises when the child stands alone between a brown-skinned family and a family of Orthodox Jews. A sweet double-page spread of multicultural bonding with the Muslim family in the butterfly garden does not diminish disturbing undercurrents.

A thousand mixed messages at the museum. (Picture book.

3- 7)

Cooper, Helen Illus. by the author Candlewick (352 pp.) $17.99 | Oct. 8, 2019 978-1-5362-0448-3

A young boy tries to preserve a mysterious natural history museum.

Ben Makepeace has lived with his single mom in a basement apartment since his dad was lost at sea when Ben was 3. Receiving a cryptic invitation to “come now or come never” to the Gee Museum, Ben ignores his mother’s advice and bikes to the museum, which he finds closed. In a nearby cafe, Ben overhears Julian Pike, an unscrupulous real estate developer, and Tara Snow, a predatory museum director, plotting to ruin the Gee if its elderly owner refuses to sell to them. Returning to the Gee, Ben senses he’s been there before with his father and learns from exhibit animals—a shrew, a hippo, an owl, and a chameleon—how his future depends on preventing the Gee’s sale.

When Pike and Snow take desperate measures, Ben unleashes dangerous “wild magic” within the museum and discovers his immutable connection to the Gee family. This supernatural tale of self-discovery in a setting of rare natural history specimens delivers a credible hero, folktale threads, memorable characters, and family bonds. Cooper’s worldbuilding seems endlessly inventive, the characters that inhabit the museum fully realized, up to and including the storytelling bees. Delicate, detailed pencil drawings track the drama and depict the principals as white.

Unusual, fascinating, fast-paced. (author’s note) (Fan­ tasy. 8-10)

THE DAY ABUELO GOT LOST Memory Loss of a Loved Grandfather

de Anda, Diane Illus. by Harris, Alleanna Whitman (32 pp.) $16.99 | Sep. 1, 2019 978-0-8075-1492-4

Family love in the face of loss is poignantly shared by de Anda and Harris.

Luis, Mama, Papi, their dog, Sancho, and beloved Abuelo are one tight familia. When Luis gets home from school he spends the afternoons with Abuelo building models, learning to paint, and sharing stories alongside tasty snacks. As time passes, things begin to change. When Abuelo can no longer remember how to fit the models together, he and Luis can still paint side by side. When he forgets to turn off the stove, quesadillas transform into tasty PB&Js instead. But when Abuelo goes missing one day, it is clear things are changing quickly and will never be the same. What afflicts Abuelo is never explicitly identified as the story unfolds, tenderly told in simple first person from Luis’ innocent and loving perspective as he slowly confronts new symptoms of his grandfather’s progressive dementia. His mother gives Luis sage advice that even though Abuelo’s memory is slipping he will always feel Luis’ love. Though this is certainly a sweet sentiment, many dementia patients experience apathy and changes in personality along with their memory loss, so the truth of Mama’s words is somewhat in doubt. This is nevertheless a touching and well-told story of the heartbreak of memory loss through the lens of family-oriented Latino culture.

A lovely and needed story of familia in which love conquers loss. (Picture book. 4- 7)

EXPLORERS

Cordell, Matthew Illus. by the author Feiwel & Friends (40 pp.) $18.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-1-250-17496-3 In this almost wordless book, a family of four encounters cultural diversity in the exhibits and the patrons of an urban museum.

None of the text issues from people’s mouths; it is found either on signs or exhibition labels, or it expresses actions. In several pages of frontmatter, readers see the nuclear family—a white dad, a beige-skinned mom, a perhaps school-age child, and a younger child, both white-presenting—meet a scruffy sidewalk vendor advertising “magic.” He creates flying birds from paper and scissors, and, at the older child’s urging, the father buys one. Throughout the book, the child sends the bird flying inside the museum, each time releasing it with a “ksssshhh.” The masterful cartoons convey a dinosaur skeleton with the same ease as the protagonist’s scowling face when a little boy in a brown-skinned Muslim family (mom and sister wear hijab) catches the bird. Although the protagonist’s father appropriately reprimands his offspring for this rudeness, the 98

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TRINI’S BIG LEAP

de Wit, Alexander & Kephart, Beth Illus. by Sulit, William Penny Candy (32 pp.) $17.95 | Aug. 13, 2019 978-0-9996584-5-1 Trini can do everything, or so she thinks, until she discovers she can’t.

In her flowery green dress, yellow boots, and red superhero cape, Trini can |

MY BIG BEAR, MY LITTLE BEAR AND ME

do anything. “She was the highest flyer, the strongest gripper, the most spectacular cartwheeler at Bounce and Build.” But one day she finds her friends are not around her as she “leaps and twirls and swirls and curls”; they are instead playing with blocks. When she tries to build “a castle with a tower,” Trini finally finds something she cannot do. After initial frustration she accepts help from her friends, and together they have a wonderful time building a castle. The next day Trini is back and ready to help her friends perform all the gymnastics that she is so good at, “And in their own ways, with Trini’s help, they did.”

Trini is depicted with black hair and olive skin; of her friends, two are white and two are darker-skinned, one possibly black.

In a lengthy afterword directed at parents, co-author de Wit explains the importance of exposing children to a variety of experiences both challenging and easy in order to promote their development, teach them to overcome obstacles, and maybe awaken a life calling.

Partly a parenting book, partly aimed at children, best read and discussed together. (Picture book. 4- 7)

del Mazo, Margarita Illus. by Bonilla, Rocio Trans. by Dawlatly, Ben nubeOCHO (36 pp.) $16.95 | Oct. 22, 2019 978-84-17123-50-5 Series: Somos Ocho

MAYBE HE JUST LIKES YOU

Dee, Barbara Aladdin (304 pp.) $17.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-5344-3237-6

A seventh grader copes with sexual harassment organized and perpetrated by several boys in her class.

Mila’s conversational first-person narration makes her experiences immediate and her emotions clear. Confused, frustrated, angry, and scared, Mila feels even worse because she can’t count on her usual circle of friends. Zara seems weirdly envious of the boys’ attention. Quiet Omi hates confrontation.

And Max is busy with new student (and his new crush) Jared.

He’s also disappointed that Mila won’t take his advice to report the harassment. Meanwhile, Mila’s divorced mom just lost her job, and looking after her younger sister takes more time and energy than Mila has sometimes. Adding in band practice, karate classes, and making some new friends creates a story that feels almost as overstuffed as the typical middle schooler’s life.

Dee’s smooth writing style and short chapters, however, keep the action moving briskly. The topic—and the boys’ actions—is potentially upsetting but never described in a graphic or gratuitous way. Mila’s reluctance to involve her mother or other adults feels believable, if unfortunate, and her internal dialogues about what is happening and why ring true. The eventual, hard-won resolution does require adult intervention, and it’s satisfying to see the adults own up to their own shortcomings. Mila and Max present white; Omi is Latinx (from the Dominican Republic), and Zara presents black.

This timely exploration of a depressingly common experience should begin some useful conversations. (Fiction. 10-14)

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Two bears are decidedly better than one.

The little protagonist puts a hat on a stuffed bear, then bends forward a bit so that a big bear in a woolly green coat can perform the same service. The two walk hand in hand out into the snowy day. The big bear hoists the child and stuffed bear onto broad shoulders. The stuffed bear rests against a toadstool while the child makes a snowman. Later, both child and stuffed bear are wrapped in the big bear’s coat for warmth. The stuffed bear helps the child make friends with several animals, including a rabbit and a squirrel. Child and toy sled joyfully down a snowy hill before the trio heads home. “If you have a big bear and a little bear, you’ll never lose your way.” Up to this point, readers have seen the big bear only from the back; at this point they discover that the furry ears and head are only a hat. It’s not a bear at all but evidently the child’s caregiver, white like the protagonist. The stark, wintertime illustrations and minimal, repetitive text introduce a sweet premise but ultimately add up to very little. Only the youngest will be surprised by the reveal—and they may be disappointed that that nurturing bear is not ursine after all. This import from Spain publishes simultaneously with the Spanish-language original.

Two bears but not much there. (Picture book. 3-5)

THE HOUSE THAT CLEANED ITSELF The True Story of Frances Gabe’s (Mostly) Marvelous Invention

Dershewitz, Laura & Romberg, Susan Illus. by Rader, Meghann The Innovation Press (40 pp.) $17.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-1943147-65-6

What should you do when a house gets dirty?

An idea began to percolate in Frances Gabe’s mind after she hosed off a jam-spotted kitchen wall. An avowed hater of housework during a time when women were questioning their roles as homemakers, Frances wondered how she could create a house that would clean up after itself. This unusual biography, with chatty text and appealing, retro-styled illustrations, has a distinctive focus; it depicts the development of an idea that—at least so far—has not been embraced. Through innovative thinking, resilience, a feminist sensibility, and a touch of zaniness, Frances— who had only a high school education—did succeed in making a house that washed itself, but despite the attention the house |

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INTERVIEWS & PROFILES

Pablo Cartaya

THE PURA BELPRÉ HONOR–WINNING WRITER’S NEW NOVEL IS ABOUT A NEURODIVERSE PRETEEN’S POLITICAL AND SOCIAL AWAKENING

By Joshunda Sanders Photo courtesy Leah Wharton

has ADHD, but that’s not what defines her.” I talked to Cartaya recently about the new novel.

How did you decide to tackle PTSD and ADHD or neurodiversity in the book?

In many ways it’s just a love letter to my kid. She’s often in a battle with how she processes information and the way that she thinks. Oftentimes, especially father figures have a tendency to say, “Let me be a dad and try to fix it for you.”

I wanted to step away from that and let this girl dictate the terms and how she navigates it. The tackling of the issues is more a function of where the story took me and what manifested itself to me when I was writing. Including PTSD is a really personal story element too—some close friends and even my own father were in the military. Throughout my life I’ve been close to people who were in the wars in Iraq, and their return has always been this quiet return to civilian life that many service people don’t talk a lot about.

Did you intentionally put the adults in the novel on the periphery?

Twelve and a half is an age when kids are still holding on a little to their childhood and heading into their teenage years trying to find who they are and who they are trying to be. I’ve had my daughter say, “I don’t want you to tell me; I just want you to listen.” That was profound for me, and I wanted to honor that in this character. I always write with a lot of adults in my books. Even though kids this age don’t want adults around, they’re still pretty reliant on them. I populate my books with a lot of adults because that’s reality, but the kids are very much navigating their relationships with adults. But letting these kids—especially Emilia—say, “This is my voice, this is my identity, this is what I believe about myself,” that’s going to carry her to the next phase of being an adult.

In Each Tiny Spark (Aug. 6), award-winning author Pablo Cartaya introduces us to Emilia Rosa Torres, a preteen with ADHD who has to learn to navigate multiple complex relationship dynamics when her mother leaves on a business trip. Her father returns again from deployment, this time grappling with PTSD. Her abuela hovers constantly, and, from afar, via video calls, her mother tries to do the same.

But ultimately Emilia Rosa learns to trust herself and how to connect with her father through their welding work on an old car that deepens their bond. “I’ve wanted to write this book my whole life,” Cartaya says. “I have a 12 1/2–yearold daughter and [Each Tiny Spark] was kind of my way of just listening to the way that she navigates the world. She 100

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I noticed that you don’t italicize the Spanish language words in the book. Tell me about that choice.

My first language was Spanish. I didn’t speak English until I was 5. Little by little I lost my Spanish. I spoke with my |

abuelos in Spanish, but in school we were made to speak only in English. When I was growing up, I couldn’t read in Spanish anymore, I couldn’t write in Spanish, and I lost it. At one point, I had finished college and I spoke to someone from Peru, and he called me Gringo. That really affected me. Because here I was very proud of my Cuban heritage, but now I was defined by my lack of my birth language and having any command over it. When I set out to write my stories, at first, it was a way to reclaim that language or identity for myself. Then when kids started reading my books, they said things to me like, “Gracias, Señor Pablo, I’ve never seen myself in a book before,” or, “I know, my abuela is just like that.”

Something really profound happened to me that this is beyond reclaiming my language or my dual language; this is about giving a voice to a lot of young people who share my experience, who are native-born Spanish speakers and they go to school and it’s erased but their abuela speaks Spanish. This is for them. I personally don’t italicize Spanish—I don’t have anything against people who do—but it’s because of the historical erasure of that and fighting to reclaim it. It’s taken a long time for me to feel like my voice matters and bringing that voice into my books includes Spanish. That was the language of my abuelos. Erasing that or making an obvious translation is erasing my abuelos and my history.

garnered, it was deemed impractical (indoor raincoats and multiple machines were seen as too much). Still, her enthusiasm, purpose, and originality shine through in this gently humorous selection, showing that effort is worthwhile, and besides, “maybe one day a young inventor will figure out how to build on Frances’s ideas—and go out and do something about it.” Frances was white, but the young girl staring determinedly at building blocks opposite this statement is a child of color.

This quirky selection shows the lively inner life of a less-than-successful inventor who followed her dreams. (author’s note, bibliography) (Picture book/biography. 5-10)

COMPUTER DECODER Dorothy Vaughan, Computer Scientist

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Diehn, Andi Illus. by Mazeika, Katie Nomad Press (32 pp.) $16.95 | $9.95 paper | Sep. 10, 2019 978-1-61930-556-4 978-1-619305765-0 paper Series: Picture Book Biographies This simple biography of African American NASA computer Dorothy Vaughan contrasts her intelligence and initiative with the nonsensical rules of segregation in her time.

Vaughan is introduced as a woman who worked as a human computer during the 1940s and 1950s. Her “unusual” accomplishment of attending college as an African American woman was followed by a job teaching in segregated schools, which didn’t pay much. When she saw that the Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory was hiring human computers, she applied and got the job. At Langley, the engineers who were testing airplanes were mostly men (depicted as white in the illustrations), and they needed the help of human computers, who were mostly women.

In the middle of the story, segregation is introduced as “one thing that didn’t make sense” at Langley and throughout Vaughan’s life. But “Dorothy didn’t let this stop her. She worked hard. She worked smart.” After becoming a supervisor, she decided to learn about the new mechanical computer. She became an expert in computer code and taught others. Vaughan’s accomplishments are truly impressive, and this is one of the first picture books to focus on this mathematician, one of those featured in Hidden Figures. Unfortunately, the text relates her story as a recitation of facts, and the pictures lack variety and appear static. This book is one of four introducing young readers to women in STEM; simultaneously publishing are Fossil Huntress (about paleontologist Mary Leakey), Human Computer (about engineer Mary Jackson), and Space Adventurer (about astronaut Bonnie Dunbar).

While this book gets the job done, here’s hoping livelier titles on this fascinating personality will appear soon. (activities, timeline, glossary) (Picture book/biography. 5-8) (Fossil Huntress: 978-1-61930-770-4, 978-1-61930-773-5 paper; Human Computer: 978-1-61930-774-2, 978-1-61930-777-3 paper; Space Adventurer: 978-1-61930-766-7, 978-1-61930-769-8 paper) (Note: Diehn is a freelance contributor to Kirkus.)

Joshunda Sanders is the author of the children’s book I Can Write the World. Each Tiny Spark received a starred review in the May 15, 2019, issue.

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A wickedly funny allegory for today’s post-truth era. the rabbits’ rebellion

ADORABULL

rabbits peeking slyly from the margins. Even as the Wolf King goes to ever crueler lengths to assert his kingly authority and to have grander and tougher-appearing photos of himself circulated, the rabbits in the photos become more numerous and bolder. The exhausted monkey, bullied by the King’s counsellor, tries vainly to erase all the rabbits. The adults in the story obey in fear, but the daughter of the elderly monkey speaks the truth about rabbits: “Everybody knows they exist.”

A wickedly funny allegory for today’s post-truth era.

(Fantasy. 4-10)

Donald, Alison Illus. by Willmore, Alex Maverick Publishing (32 pp.) $17.99 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-1-84886-412-2 A perplexed bull ponders the secret of being cute.

Human Tom and bull Alfred have grown up together on a farm, forming a tight friendship. When Tom starts school, Alfred is bored. Then, betrayal: Tom announces he needs a pet that is “absolutely, totally… / …adorable!” Alfred, with his shaggy brown fur and boulder of a body, immediately takes offense. He looks up “adorable” on the farmer’s borrowed phone and finds pictures of fluffy animals in aww-inspiring escapades. Alfred tries to imitate them, with destructive success. Sill stumped, Alfred takes a trip to the hair salon (where readers can see some racial diversity beyond Tom’s white family) for “a new look” that involves lots of curls and bows, but he receives laughter for his troubles. Then Tom offers the discouraged bull a gift: a white kitten! It turns out that Tom’s intention was to give Alfred a friend so he wouldn’t be lonely. As a pair, the animals are “adorable.” The unaffected text never overwhelms the pictures and could offer a transition into independent reading with mostly easily decoded vocabulary. Intentionally juvenile-looking pictures are as rough as Alfred’s temper and as unrefined as his perception of the situation. The characters’ small hands and hooves as well as simplified facial features (small black dots and lines) make them all nonthreatening, matching the book’s sentiment.

Like its protagonist, this book tries hard to be endearing. (Picture book. 3- 7)

THE THINGS

Dostalova, Petronela Illus. by the author Child’s Play (32 pp.) $16.99 | Sep. 1, 2019 978-1-78628-190-6 Two Things overcome mistrust to become friends.

A red Thing—smiley, bean-shaped, and bespectacled—lives a solitary existence. It has two friends, a cactus and a moose shadow puppet. The cactus is nice, if a bit hard to hug, and Moose is friendly but prone to disappear. Thing also apparently doesn’t know what it looks like: “Am I red all over?” it asks Cactus. “I wish I could see in the broken mirror.” But one day Thing looks out the window to the beach and sees an Other Thing, identical except for its sea-green tint. Thing is immediately concerned, deciding that “Other Thing doesn’t look like us. Other thing has big floppy ears like these. Other Thing wears silly clothes. Just like these.” (Thing points to its own floppy ears and silly clothes.) Thing decides that “It is definitely a most dangerously dangerous Other Thing!” But when Moose disappears again, Thing goes in search of it, and Other Thing offers comfort. That’s all it takes for the two to become lifelong friends. The Things have a certain strange cuteness about them, but this is an extremely rudimentary and uneven attempt to explore xenophobia and prejudice. The lack of significant character development and the absurdly simple resolution to an almost nonexistent conflict mar its success, especially with the undeveloped broken-mirror metaphor.

Clumsy but not charmless. (Picture book. 3-6)

THE RABBITS’ REBELLION

Dorfman, Ariel Illus. by Riddell, Chris Triangle Square Books for Young Readers (64 pp.) $12.95 | Nov. 19, 2019 978-1-60980-937-9

A narcissistic Wolf King insists that rabbits don’t exist in this allegory.

Originally published in England in 2001 and in North America for the first time with this edition, author/playwright/poet/essayist Dorfman’s story speaks clearly today. The book’s small trim and the abundant, adroit blackand-white illustrations throughout point to an audience of children. But the story, that of a ruthless, ignorant, vain Wolf King, who, after conquering the “land of the rabbits,” announces that rabbits have ceased to exist (even though they haven’t), works on a second level as well. On the surface, the story is amusing.

Despite the King’s insistence that there are no rabbits, the photographs that he has hired an elderly monkey photographer to take in order to record “each important act in my life” (“and all my acts…are supremely important,” he states) turn out to have 102

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WACKO

Durham, Ali Illus. by the author Starfish Bay (36 pp.) $16.95 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-76036-073-3 A young mouse shows Grandpa all of the skills he learns and the activities he loves to do throughout the first few years of life.

Grandson and Grandpa spend a lot of time together. From taking his first steps through eating porridge all by himself to |

EVELYN THE ADVENTUROUS ENTOMOLOGIST The True Story of a WorldTraveling Bug Hunter

learning to swim, the little mouse experiences all of it with his beloved grandfather. He not only shows Grandpa all the things he learns to do, but also all of the activities that bring him joy. Together the two of them dance, read about dinosaurs, and make art. All the while, readers see how proud the young mouse is of all of his accomplishments, and Grandpa reinforces this, telling him how appreciative he is to be present for all of the youngster’s childhood milestones. The title word, considered by many Americans a slur, is defined as “an old Australian expression which describes amazement and delight,” and Grandpa uses it often. Simple but colorful illustrations of these anthropomorphic mice make the book feel light and delightful.

The abab rhyme scheme provides a musical element to the story, engaging readers. Typical age and gender assumptions depicted range from Grandpa’s naps and use of a cane to the grandson’s blue clothing and dinosaur books.

From Down Under, a celebration of the uniqueness of the child-grandparent relationship. (Picture book. 3-6)

Evans, Christine Illus. by Imamura, Yasmin The Innovation Press (40 pp.) $17.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-1-943147-66-3

COMMON THREADS Adam’s Day at the Market Essa, Huda Illus. by Tous, Mercè Sleeping Bear Press (32 pp.) $16.99 | Aug. 15, 2019 978-1-53411-010-6

In this nearly wordless picture book, young Adam wanders away from his parents at the busy outdoor market, but diverse strangers help him find them again.

Brown-skinned Adam wanders through Eastern Market with his mom, a dark-skinned woman wearing a blue hijab and long tunic, and his dad, a light-skinned man wearing a kufi and shalwar kameez. When he spots a scavenging blue jay, he follows it to watch it eat peanuts. He taps a woman from behind, asking, “Isn’t it neat, Mama?” But he is surprised when the woman turns around: Although her hair is covered and she wears a long, blue dress, it’s a kindly stranger, not his mom. Small vignettes show Adam wandering through the crowd at the adults’ waist level, repeatedly mistaking other grown-ups for his parents, often based on similar styles of dress whose variations indicate other cultures (for example, a habit, a head wrap, and a sari). As he keeps searching, the strangers begin searching for his parents too, resulting in a reunion in which all of the adults greet each other warmly. The colorful illustrations invite basic seek-andfind fun as well as offering meaning at a deeper level for readers who want to identify the cultures represented. An afterword titled “Becoming a Cultural Detective” asks readers to consider clothing as just one indication of identity and encourages cultural curiosity but does not identify the clothing and cultures in the book.

A visual feast filled with food for thought. (Picture book.

3-9)

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A picture-book biography of Englishwoman Evelyn Cheesman emphasizes her perseverance in a man’s world during a particularly male-oriented era.

The first verso shows three light-skinned girls in pinafores, their activities demonstrating that girls in the 1880s were expected to be “quiet, clean, and covered with lace.” As with all the art, color and composition are appealing, but the humans are bland and one-dimensional. The text goes on to say that girls were certainly banned from “bug hunts.” On the facing page, a soiled little girl kneels in a forest glade, dragonfly on forefinger. The text reads, “But Evelyn went anyway.” That mantra is repeated when, years later, she becomes the first woman to run the London Zoo’s insect house; the third time involves world travel as an insect-collecting woman. Its fourth repetition unabashedly introduces the uncomfortable fact of colonialism. On the Pacific island of Nuku Hiva, the white woman stands in her standard outfit of crisp white shirt and safari hat, facing “villagers”—five brown-skinned people with grass skirts and spears—who tell her not to climb a steep cliff. “But Evelyn went anyway.” She is eventually recognized by Queen Elizabeth II for, among other things, “discover[ing] new species” in other populated parts of the empire. Perhaps it is by way of apology that further notes on Cheesman appear after an interview with contemporary female entomologist Alexandra Harmon-Threatt, who is African American.

Too glib for comfort. (endnotes, bibliography.) (Biography. 6-8)

THE COLLECTED WORKS OF GRETCHEN OYSTER

Fagan, Cary Illus. by the author Tundra (176 pp.) $16.99 | Sep. 17, 2019 978-0-73526-621-6

Hartley, floundering at home and school from a family trauma, finds a strange artistic postcard—and then another, and another.

Ever since Hartley’s older brother, Jackson, ran away, his parents are breaking down and his older sister’s become insufferable. Only baby brother George, a sweet and funny kid, seems to be thriving. In his discombobulated state of mind, how can Hartley come up with a topic for the big (extremely undirected and undersupervised) middle school final project? |

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ASTRID AND THE SKY CALF

But amid Hartley’s eighth grade disorientation, he finds a quirky, collaged postcard. It bears a picture of fish and an offbeat, typewritten phrase, is numbered “1,” and is signed “g.o.” in the corner. Not long after, he finds a second postcard, equally quirky, numbered “2.” Thus begins Hartley’s quest to find all the postcards in the series as well as the artist, the mysterious g.o.

Interwoven between some of Hartley’s chapters are interludes from the point of view of one Gretchen Oyster, a blue-haired, skateboarding high school girl with an artistic project. Despite choppy prose characterized by a plethora of one-sentence paragraphs and a setting that ranges from humorously absurd to simply implausible, the spare text and compelling illustrations of the postcards combine to make an appealing whole. Hartley’s white; Gretchen was adopted from China as a baby and is subject to racist and anti-adoption bullying.

A charmingly eccentric tale of briefly intersecting lives making meaning from art. (Fiction. 11-13)

Faragher, Rosie Illus. by the author Child’s Play (32 pp.) $16.99 | Sep. 1, 2019 978-1-78628-354-2

A young physician learns a valuable lesson about emotional care.

Dr. Astrid, a blue-haired white girl in a yellow lab coat, tends to her Magical Beasts and makes sure they’re always in the best of spirits. One day a sky calf (a substantial-looking young bovine with yellow wings) flies in through her window and stands there, gazing at the young physician with a worried expression. Dr. Astrid asks what’s wrong, but the sky calf doesn’t hint to any illness. Dr. Astrid checks the sky calf ’s temperature and heartbeat. She then uses her handy sticky tape to fix the problem, but the sky calf doesn’t respond to the treatment. Instead of trying to treat the sky calf physically, Dr. Astrid decides to spend time with the sky calf: playing games, coloring, and just keeping the calf company. The ensuing picture book is a pleasant ode to the understated delight of just spending time with a friend.

The illustrations are drawn with thick scratchy lines and colored with broad strokes; Astrid is the white of the paper. The style evokes the hand-drawn art many little ones bring home from school to put upon the fridge. The book’s pace is calmly measured, best read on a lazy sunny day—the kind when readers might find sky calves flying through their own windows.

An imaginative, leisurely paced tale. (Picture book. 3-5)

MR. TEMPKIN CLIMBS A TREE

Fagan, Cary Illus. by Arbat, Carles Kar-Ben (32 pp.) $17.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-5415-2173-5

A young boy and his elderly neighbor bond during the summer months.

When school is out, Marky enjoys helping Mr. Tempkin with his garden. While watering the flowers and pulling weeds, Marky listens to Mr. Tempkin impart his philosophy on aging well: Walk every day to synagogue, enjoy the flowers and birds in the garden, and, most of all, value friendship. When the elder falls and gets hurt because he decides to climb a tree to hang a bird feeder, Marky is there to get help. Once Mr. Tempkin is back from the hospital, in a wheelchair with a sprained ankle, Marky is even more willing to be there for his friend; it’s a mitzvah, after all, to wheel Mr. Tempkin to synagogue and do the work in the garden. By summer’s end Mr. Tempkin’s ankle is healed and the affinity between the two neighbors has blossomed into a very special relationship. Detailed, realistic paintings in bright, sunny, summer colors portray a largely white suburban community (although a final school-bus scene reflects a diverse group of kids). The fluid narrative arc extends main themes of friendship and the Jewish value of mitzvah: doing good through genuine caring.

A gentle story with minimal intrigue and plenty of compassion highlights the beauty of intergenerational relationships. (Picture book. 5-8)

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THE HIKE

Farrell, Alison Illus. by the author Chronicle (56 pp.) $17.99 | Oct. 8, 2019 978-1-4521-7461-7 Three children hike up a mountain together, enjoying the process in different ways.

Wren, a brown child with an afro puff and glasses, brings a sketchbook and a flag. El, an Asian-presenting child, brings a poetry notebook. Hattie, the smallest, with tan skin and a mop of reddish-brown hair, brings feathers and holds Bean the dog’s leash. Hiking is their “favorite thing to do”—and no wonder.

They start out running “like maniacs” through the forest until they reach “a ripe patch of thimbleberries,” which they eat until they’re full. El teaches the others to make little leaf baskets.

They get lost and Hattie uses maps to find their way. They draw wildlife, spot deer tracks, and, in a magic moment, actually see a deer before it startles and disappears. The children tire, but they help one another persevere, and finally, as the sky turns yellow-pink, they reach the top, where the flag, a poem, and the feathers make for a simple celebration. After a satisfied moment of rest, they return to their small, apparently adult-free home as the stars come out (constellations are depicted). The flora and fauna of their Western woodland are labeled on each spread, |

Forsythe’s smudgily glowing paintings alternate Rousseau-esque forest forms with cozy interiors. pokko and the drum

and views of the children’s sketches share more of the experience with readers. Well-designed pictures create a depth and fullness that immerse readers in the forest. Endmatter makes clever use of Wren’s sketch pad to offer additional information about things seen in the woods.

Utterly satisfying. (Picture book. 3-9)

girls and soccer for boys. When his female classmate Andrea “Andi” Carillo shows up for soccer tryouts, he’s impressed by her skill on the field. Others, however, are upset and even angry that she’s attempting to join the team. When Andi is unjustly excluded by a disgruntled coach, Jeff and Andi reach out to the media to pressure him into letting her on the team. Andi grapples for playing time and soon proves her strength on and off the field, but the team is still fractured by huge disagreements over Andi and even bigger egos. The team will have to learn to work together to reach their goal of winning the conference title. Feinstein includes detailed play-by-play of the middle school soccer matches that will be thrilling for soccer buffs but less exciting for the casual reader. Andi’s grit and refusal to back down in the face of sexism are inspirational and reflect the real challenges facing student athletes today. It is mentioned briefly that one soccer teammate is Jewish and two are black; other characters are assumed white.

Soccer fans will get a kick out of the game-day action in this straightforward series opener. (Fiction. 8-14)

EMBER AND THE ICE DRAGONS

Fawcett, Heather Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins (368 pp.) $16.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-0-06-285451-3 Twelve-year-old Ember tries to save ice dragons and learns her own strength along the way.

Infant fire dragon Ember is discovered in Wales by Lionel St. George, a brilliant but error-prone Stormancer and Magician, near the bodies of her slain, fire-dragon parents, hunted down for their valuable scales. To protect her, Lionel casts a spell to disguise Ember as a human child, and she grows up at Chesterfield University, where Lionel teaches. In human form, Ember has the fire dragon’s ability to create fire, but she can’t control it. Distraught after she burns Lionel’s office, Ember decides to live in Antarctica at the research station Lionel’s sister runs. Fawcett’s story starts out slowly, with a tad too much explanation, but the plot picks up intriguingly as Ember, homesick in Antarctica, is befriended by Nisha, the child of one of the station’s scientists, and the mysterious orphan Moss. When Ember learns that there is to be a Winterglass Hunt to kill ice dragons for their scales, she is horrified and determines to sabotage it. Neatly sidestepping tropes and templates, Fawcett’s story is full of original details that add depth to the fairly straightforward plot (Montgomery, the enchanted, cantankerous doorknob, is a hoot). But it is the richly nuanced primary and secondary characters, as well as the evenhanded inclusion of females as intelligent scientists, that give the story its richness. The cast is racially varied; Ember, her adoptive family, and Moss read as white while Nisha has brown skin.

Fresh and original. (Fantasy. 9-12)

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POKKO AND THE DRUM

Forsythe, Matthew Illus. by the author Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster (64 pp.) $17.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-4814-8039-0 Pokko’s parents give her a drum— biggest mistake ever—and she makes a thoroughgoing racket.

Her father suggests taking her drum outside. “But don’t make too much noise. We’re just a little frog family that lives in a mushroom, and we don’t like drawing attention to ourselves.”

Pokko sets off quietly into the too-quiet forest. She taps her drum “just to keep herself company.” When a banjo-playing raccoon follows her, she plays louder. A trumpet-playing rabbit’s next, then a wolf, ostensibly there for the music. In a plot twist evocative of Jon Klassen, the wolf eats the rabbit, earning Pokko’s stern rebuke: “No more eating band members or you’re out of the band.” Soon, many animals—some making music, others enjoying it—are following Pokko. When her father calls her to dinner, he hears faint music, growing louder. The crowds sweep in, carrying off Pokko’s parents. (Comically, her mother’s still engrossed in the book she’s been reading throughout.) Her father thinks he spies Pokko down in front. “And you know what?…I think she’s pretty good!” Pokko’s a self-possessed marvel, brave enough to walk alone, face down a wolf, and lead a band. Forsythe’s smudgily glowing paintings alternate Rousseau-esque forest forms with cozy interiors; stripes and harlequin diamonds decorate clothing.

Celebrating both community and individuality, this droll, funny offering will tickle kids and adults alike. (Picture book. 4-8)

BENCHWARMERS

Feinstein, John Farrar, Straus and Giroux (320 pp.) $16.99 | Aug. 27, 2019 978-0-374-31203-9 Series: Benchwarmers, 1 An all-boys soccer team is put to the test when a talented girl wants to join their ranks.

Jeff Michaels is excited to learn that his middle school will now be offering sports teams for sixth graders in the fall: field hockey for |

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Gabriel consistently places Sam’s feelings at the center and emphasizes that his boyhood isn’t determined by how he dresses or plays. sam!

HOW TO CODE A ROLLERCOASTER

and an atypical happy ending. After each tale, Funke explains why she loves it or how it shaped her novels. Giving context to the periods and countries of the tales, she critically analyzes and reflects on their conveyed social values.

Denouncing past social norms, these tales are bewitching. (Folktales. 10-14)

Funk, Josh Illus. by Palacios, Sara Viking (44 pp.) $17.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-0-425-29203-7

SAM!

Pearl and her robot, Pascal, take their coding skills for a spin at the amusement park in this Girls Who Code picture book, a follow-up to How To Code a Sandcastle (2018).

The park has many rides to choose from, and Pearl has 10 tokens to last her the day. But her favorite ride, the Python roller coaster, looks busy. Pearl decides to do something else fun, using code concepts such as variables to keep track of the length of the line and her remaining tokens and a conditional statement to decide when to return to the Python. Throughout, computer science terms are defined crisply in the text and vividly illustrated in the pictures, which use images such as popcorn bags for variables and the Ferris wheel for loops (keeping track of ice cream flavors seems somewhat contrived). The backmatter explains these ideas more fully. Pascal’s too-literal interpretations of Pearl’s statements make for several amusing moments along the way. When Pearl runs short of tokens (a missed opportunity to talk about checking for more than one condition?), she’s undaunted by the disaster, taking readers on a fun hunt for a secret hidden password, in a nod to the importance of proper sequencing. Pearl has brown skin and black curls; others at the park have a variety of skin tones.

Despite minor bumps, a ride that’s worth returning to.

(Picture book. 4-8)

Gabriel, Dani Illus. by Liu-Trujillo, Robert Penny Candy (52 pp.) $16.95 | Sep. 10, 2019 978-0-9996584-3-7 A 9-year-old trans boy comes out to his family members, who show their love and support for him.

Sam, a boy “filled with dreams and spirit and laughter,” isn’t sure how he feels about his older sister, Maggie. She bosses him around a lot, but sometimes they have fun together riding their bikes. No one but Sam knows that he is a boy called Sam, including his sister. Everyone treats him like a girl, which makes him feel sad. When one of the kids at school upsets Sam, he confides in Maggie about who he is. With her help, he tells his family and finds happiness. Palely hued illustrations with the look of watercolor depict Sam and his family as people of color, and the characters who appear in the background at Sam’s school reflect a racially and culturally diverse world. Gabriel consistently places Sam’s feelings at the center and emphasizes that his boyhood isn’t determined by how he dresses or plays. While Gabriel acknowledges that Sam’s parents, teachers, and classmates take time to feel comfortable with Sam’s identity, the story concentrates on Sam’s emotional journey through sadness and anger to, ultimately, happiness that he can be himself rather than on the learning process of those around him. Even though Sam and his sister don’t always get along, her support for her brother is unflinching and heartening, and their relationship becomes closer because of it.

A coming-out story radiating warmth and joy. (author’s note) (Picture book. 5- 7)

THROUGH THE WATER CURTAIN

Ed. by Funke, Cornelia Pushkin Press (224 pp.) $20.00 | Oct. 8, 2019 978-1-78269-200-3

An anthology of diverse tales that stray away from the norm.

This collection of 13 lesser-known fairy tales from Europe and Asia begins with the Japanese tale of a boy who continually draws cats, emphasizing a hero who finds his artistic ability and the life it creates. From Germany, the tale of six brothers who turn into swans and their sister who saves them by not speaking for years presents a different kind of heroine, with patience and quiet strength. “The One-Handed Murderer,” from Italy, is a tale of a strong, independent woman who saves herself from the titular villain. The words of these tales create enthralling images, transporting readers to earlier times and enchanted worlds. Editor Funke introduces the collection, explaining her attraction to the darker, unorthodox stories. Refreshingly, many of these tales differ from the more famous ones that follow a patriarchal, middle-class view. Each story has its rebellious hero or heroine 106

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PATIENCE, MIYUKI

Galliez, Roxane Marie Illus. by Ratanavanh, Seng Soun Princeton Architectual Press (32 pp.) $17.95 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-61689-843-4 Sometimes the surprises come when you slow down and look around you.

In this follow-up to Time for Bed, Miyuki (2018), the title character is up with the sun to greet colorful blossoms and experience the transformative magic of spring. The little Japanese girl cajoles Grandfather to hurry and join her so as not to miss a single |

THE PARIS PROJECT

event. But one bloom remains closed and, despite Grandfather’s assurance that the flower just needs time, Miyuki runs off to find water and help it open. Her determination soon becomes a quest, as she encounters a frog in a well, a cloud, and a waterfall, many of which admonish Miyuki to “Be patient.” When at last Miyuki’s plan goes awry and she finally does slow down, she falls asleep in a floating origami swan, returning to Grandfather just in time for Day 2 of spring and a pleasant surprise.

Galliez’s lively, descriptive text pairs nicely with Ratanavanh’s bright, graphic illustrations that feature bold floral patterns in red, yellow, and green as well as iconic Japanese objects such as the swan. Throughout, natural elements such as flowers, rushing water, insects, birds, and more appear prominently both in the foreground and the background, and Ratanavanh plays a bit with perspective as well—sometimes Miyuki appears quite small next to a giant frog and a big white rabbit.

Eager young readers will find a kindred spirit in eager Miyuki. (Picture book. 5-8)

Gephart, Donna Simon & Schuster (288 pp.) $17.99 | Oct. 8, 2019 978-1-5344-4086-9

THE MONSTER SISTERS AND THE MYSTERY OF THE UNLOCKED CAVE

Gaudin, Gareth Illus. by the author Orca (160 pp.) $19.95 paper | Sep. 17, 2019 978-1-4598-2226-9

Two sisters try to solve the mystery behind monster attacks on their Canadian home.

In this graphic offering, siblings Enid Jupiter and Lyra Gotham’s beloved city of Victoria is plagued by such destructive creatures as a hairy squid, a giant yellow reptile, and mysterious Mirror Masons. Aided by a cache of clever mystery-solving tools, the girls swing around Vancouver Island on magical vines and find clues alongside interesting historical facts, as when Enid and Lyra see Gyro Park’s large statues roar to life while readers learn about the actual landmarks. This middle-grade graphic novel has expressive and bright illustrations, housed in large and tidy panels laid out with easy-to-read text bubbles.

Gaudin offers what should be a fascinating mix of intriguing elements: imaginative monster battles, fun historical facts, a gently spooky mystery, and a warm emphasis on sisterhood. Unfortunately, it has an overall scattershot feel. The girls’ investigations lack clear endpoints, with one monster mystery tenuously dissolving into the next without any definitive resolution. Enid and Lyra both present white; there are few other human characters in their adventures, although the ones they encounter are exclusively white. While a nod is given to using the Indigenous names of British Columbia’s landmarks, no visual representations of these peoples are shown.

A quirky mystery that does not quite hit its mark.

(Graphic fantasy. 7-10)

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A small-town Francophile dreams big in this story of economic hardships and parental incarceration.

Cleveland Potts has one goal in life: move to Paris, France. Her plan consists of taking ballet lessons (for culture), cooking French cuisine, viewing impressionist art, then applying to the American School of Paris. She already studies French vocabulary with language CDs from the public library, and she’s sure the other steps are within her reach. However, Sassafras, Florida, isn’t a bastion of culture, and her first ballet class ends in disgrace. What’s more, she recently lost all the money from her Paris fund (earned by walking dogs); her father took it after stealing from his boss to feed a gambling addiction. Now he’s in jail, and Cleveland struggles to reconcile her anger for his transgression with how desperately she and the rest of the family want him home. She’s also starting seventh grade with only one friend from her trailer park, an aspiring chef who’s slowly coming out as gay. Gephart once again compassionately creates complex characters, including the members of Cleveland’s presumed-white family, who are profoundly earnest in their collective and individual dreams. Readers won’t “pity” Cleveland (she wouldn’t want any), but they’ll be rooting for her all the way.

Includes a glossary of Cleveland’s French phrases, a recipe, and notes on incarcerated parents.

Une histoire d’espoir—a story of hope. (Fiction. 8-12)

LITTLE CREATURES An Introduction to Classical Music Gerhard, Ana Illus. by Gómez Morin, Mauricio Trans. by Connolly, Guy The Secret Mountain (62 pp.) $16.95 | Sep. 1, 2019 978-2-924774-55-7

Pianist and author Gerhard (Simply Fantastic, 2014) returns with a new picture book exploring classical music through the sounds and movements of such “little creatures” as bees, fleas, and frogs, as interpreted by composers all over the world.

Translated from Spanish, this book may help demystify the creepy-crawlies kids encounter and perhaps spark a youngster’s love of nature and observation. An engaging assortment of facts about small animals and insects accompanies acclaimed Mexican illustrator Gómez Morin’s whimsical, surreal, and slightly creepy artwork. Each full-bleed spread echoes characters or themes from its coordinating piece of music: The “Wasp” overture from Ralph Vaughan Williams’ “Aristophanic Suite” is paired with illustrations that resemble ancient Greek art, for |

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A SLIP OF A GIRL

instance. The featured composers span several hundred years, from the early 1500s (Josquin des Prez) to early 2000s (Kaija Saariaho), and they are predominantly male. An audio CD containing two-minute clips of each piece is included. The CD, combined with the visual components of the book, is somewhat accessible to younger audiences, but the complexity and formatting of the text itself (especially the small font) seem best suited for older readers. It’s a thorough resource for classrooms and homes alike; extensive backmatter includes a listening guide featuring short analyses of each piece, composer biographies, a glossary of classical music terminology, and a timeline.

An ambitious feast for the senses. (Informational picture book/audio CD. 7-10)

Giff, Patricia Reilly Holiday House (240 pp.) $16.99 | Aug. 13, 2019 978-0-8234-3955-3 Young Anna narrates in lilting, free verse her trials, tribulations, and triumphs during the 1881 Land War in Drumlish, Ireland.

“Sounds,” the first of 31 short chapters in the book’s first section, starts with high drama. While outside pulling up chickweed for tea, Anna hears screams and a crashing sound. “Dust rises up: / the house of five girls / and a mam is gone. / They’re forced out on the road, / maybe to starve.” Readers soon learn that English aristocrats have seized Irish properties, feeling empowered to arbitrarily raise rents and raze dwellings. However, what compels further reading is an immediate bond with Anna. Giff has the rare gift of using few words—but exactly the right ones—to evoke strong and varied images and feelings. Readers will be riveted as Anna tries her hardest to live up to her dying mam’s requests: that Anna take care of her developmentally disabled little sister, Nuala; keep the family’s home safe; and learn to read. There are several episodes of gripping suspense, including Anna and Nuala’s fugitive flight to Aunt Ethna’s house and encounters between a bailiff and a justifiably angry crowd. There are also tender and humorous moments. Traditional customs and language are woven into the tale as deftly as Aunt Ethna weaves at her loom. Despite the value attached to reading, it is a different skill that enables Anna to earn money—a welcome, realistic plot point. Characters all present white.

Lovely. (glossary, photographs, author’s note) (Historical verse fiction. 10-14)

PALEONTOLOGISTS With STEM Projects for Kids

Gibson, Karen Bush Illus. by Shululu Nomad Press (112 pp.) $19.95 | $14.95 paper | Sep. 24, 2019 978-1-61930-790-2 978-1-61930-793-3 paper Series: Gutsy Girls Go for Science

As one of a new series that offers information on science careers for girls who aspire to one, this effort explores the field of paleontology, focusing on women who worked or are working in that discipline.

Via brief biographies of five groundbreaking, white, female paleontologists—Mary Anning, Mignon Talbot, Tilly Edinger, Zofia Kielan-Jaworowska, and Mary Leakey—Gibson also delivers both a short history of the study of fossils and a smattering of information on the related science. There’s a feel of overcompensation to the busily designed pages, which feature an overabundance of exclamation points. Even though all of these women made enormous (often unrecognized) contributions to paleontology, the sweeping claim that early paleontologists William Smith and Georges Cuvier “owed much of their success to the great fossil finder Mary Anning” goes largely unsubstantiated. Most sections include a timeline of the biographee’s life, a “Wonder Why?” section—questions for readers to reflect upon—and a quiz or science experiment, some better than others. Scattered throughout are numerous QR codes linking to websites; for those young readers without smartphones, a “QR code glossary” in the backmatter provides URLs. Numerous photographs and Shululu’s stylized illustrations round out the presentation. Readers will note that though Leakey and Kielan-Jaworowska are shown in photos to be dark-haired, Shululu depicts them in adulthood as blondes. Publishing simultaneously are Astronauts, Engineers, and Programmers.

The subjects may have been gutsy, but the book is only average. (Nonfiction. 8-11) (Astronauts: 978-1-61930-778-0, 978-161930-781-0 paper; Engineers: 978-1-61930-782-7, 978-1-61930-785-8 paper; Programmers: 978-1-61930-786-5, 978-1-61930-789-6 paper)

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MY WINTER CITY

Gladstone, James Illus. by Clement, Gary Groundwood (32 pp.) $19.95 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-77306-010-1

A father and child enjoy a frigid day together in the city.

In first-person narration, with a definite sense of ownership, a youngster describes winter in an urban setting. “My winter city holds early light / around us, / a moment before sunrise, / silent, / still.” Nothing is plowed, nothing is touched. There is just the young tot peering out the window, looking at the snow. Then, with toboggan firmly in tow, the duo (along with a pup) sets off outside. The serene silence has changed. “My winter city is a soup of salty slushes, full of sliding buses / splashing, spraying, sploshing, soaking walkers on the sidewalk.” They squeeze into the bus with other damp riders, all fogging up the windows. Then they emerge into a new scene—a park. “My winter city is a deep-freeze / vision of big icy sled hills |

Clean-lined, colorful illustrations in Gómez’s signature style lead readers along. red house, tree house, little bitty brown mouse

/ and towers that rise up through / far-away skies.” The buildings loom large behind trees and newly cut sledding tracks. Snowflakes continue to dot the sky throughout the adventure, all the way until home again. This specific setting may be unfamiliar to some readers, but the narrator opens the end to varied possibilities: “That’s my winter city. // What’s yours?” Clement surprises readers with unexpected compositions, crowding them into the bus with all the passengers then pulling back and up for a bird’s-eye view of the city street. Father and child both present white, but the community they inhabit is a diverse one.

A delicious, snow-filled slice of life. (Picture book. 3-6)

RED HOUSE, TREE HOUSE, LITTLE BITTY BROWN MOUSE

Godwin, Jane Illus. by Gómez, Blanca Dial (40 pp.) $16.99 | Aug. 27, 2019 978-0-525-55381-6

Preschoolers can follow a little brown mouse on its traveling adventures in this engaging color concept book.

As the book starts, a little mouse can be seen packing up her equally itty-bitty suitcase. Rhyming text with a wonderful readaloud rhythm introduces readers to the little mouse’s street: “Red house / Blue house / Green house / Tree house! / See the tiny mouse / in her little brown house?” Clean-lined, colorful illustrations in Gómez’s signature style lead readers along: into a flower-filled garden; on a ride on a red city bus; in a potted windowsill plant attended by a child; on the curb where a group of people wait to cross a street; in an underwater scene with “one gigantic whale!”; and on a jolly ride that employs a string of vehicles. The little mouse is not mentioned again, making it easy for readers to forget it as they get caught up in the myriad delightful details of each illustration. No problem there. The book ends with “and did you spot that mouse?” This should send children back to the beginning, this time in earnest search of the little mouse and her itty-bitty suitcase. Should children need further enticement to read the book again, travel patches on the endpapers invite readers to match them to the relevant part in the story. The people depicted are diverse both racially as well as in physical ability.

Delightful and engaging. (Picture book. 3-5)

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The unrest continues, and his mother decides it is too dangerous for them to stay. Idriss and his mother leave their village.

Dramatic illustrations with strong, brushy black outlines and daubs of color portray their struggle. Mother and son endure a tenuous journey, walking through the desert, riding on crowded buses, crawling beneath barbed wire, and finally getting on a flimsy boat to cross the sea. Along the way, Idriss hangs on tight to his marble, protecting the only thing he took with him from home. The precious marble almost gets lost, as does the dream of reaching safety, but the family is very lucky. As an object of affection to a young child, the marble plays an important role in fostering connections among people—both on the road and at Idriss’ new home, which is likely in Europe. The story portrays some reasons why people could become refugees and the struggles they may experience while seeking refuge. However, the combination of artistic choices—the outsized preciousness of the single marble, the stark, impoverished landscape of Idriss’ village, the easy authority of a new white friend, and Idriss’ lack of linguistic skills, among others—does not disrupt stereotypes about Africa.

This doubtless well-intentioned story about refugees unfortunately reinforces a primitive image of Africa and its peoples. (Picture book. 6-10)

THE GREAT TOMB ROBBERY

Greenfield, A.B. Illus. by Horne, Sarah Holiday House (256 pp.) $16.99 | Oct. 8, 2019 978-0-8234-4240-9 Series: Ra the Mighty, 2

The Pharaoh’s pampered cat loves his snacks, his naps, and many other royal privileges.

Ra the Mighty is also lazy, vain, and entirely self-centered. He once solved a mystery and is exceedingly proud to have done so, considering himself a Great Detective (Ra the Mighty: Cat Detective, 2018). But he has no burning desire to become involved in a case now, especially if it would interfere with those naps and snacks. But a Great Mystery is thrust upon him when he travels to Thebes to be measured for his place in Pharaoh’s planned tomb. The tomb of Pharaoh’s ancestor—and of Ra’s own forebear—has been robbed. Reluctantly, Ra and his more-eager cohorts, Miu the kitchen cat and Khepri the scarab beetle, narrow their list of suspects and discover clues amid daring deeds and dastardly betrayals. To add insult to injury, Ra is mistaken for an ordinary cat when the evil Vizier sends a substitute to Pharaoh, and he must make do with ordinary food and a great deal of dirt and discomfort, complaining all the way. Of course innocents are saved, guilty ones are punished, and the Great Detectives triumph. Greenfield keeps the action fast-paced, seamlessly weaving in much information about ancient Egypt, and the interactions among the distinctive and delightful characters are hilarious. Horne’s elongated and exaggerated black-and-white illustrations add to the fun.

IDRISS AND HIS MARBLE

Gouichoux, René Illus. by Zaü StarBerry Books (48 pp.) $17.99 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-1-63592-132-8

Idriss, who comes from an unidentified African country, loves his marble. One day, there is an explosion and people start fighting. |

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An essential springboard for further meaningful discussion of this relevant and divisive topic. todos iguales / all equal

May Ra the Mighty (and friends) solve many more ancient mysteries. (glossary of names, note, author’s note) (Historical fantasy/mystery. 7-10)

Spanish printed above English, accompanies her illustrations and describes how the school’s white principal disobeyed the board’s orders and alerted the families. The Latino community boycotted the inferior school and sought legal recourse with the help of the Mexican consul. The board members argued that a separate education was necessary in order “to give special attention to students who spoke poor English and had other ‘deficiencies.’ ” The plaintiff, 12-year-old Roberto Álvarez, responded to the white judge’s questions in perfect English—and the judge ruled in favor of the 75 Mexican American students. Hale bases much of her account of this important but little-known case on primary sources and interviews with many of the principal participants. However, the backmatter regarding the history of Mexican immigration and the mass deportations of the 1930s is both inaccurate and oversimplified, so educators should seek out additional information when using this text. (A revision to this backmatter will appear in the book’s second printing.)

An essential springboard for further meaningful discussion of this relevant and divisive topic. (Informational picture book. 8-12)

LIVI & NATE A Winter’s Night

Hakkola, Kalle & Ahokoivu, Mari Illus. by the authors Trans. by Witesman, Owen F. Owlkids Books (72 pp.) $16.95 | Sep. 17, 2019 978-1-77147-372-9 Series: Livi & Nate

Nighttime dreams ward off the pull of deep sleep in Hakkola and Ahokoivu’s jubilant graphic novel.

Amid the thick snow, Livi and Nate play, sled, toss snowballs, and tease. Grandpa struggles to continue shoveling, so Mom calls everyone in from the cold. After a bit of tidying up, some hot cocoa, and a bath, it’s time for bed. Noises from outside frighten Livi, who wakes up an annoyed Nate. Could it be the snow animals they made earlier? Mom reassures them that everything will be OK (cue Livi: “Make sure you check!”), and Livi falls asleep and dreams of a tea party. Oh no! A snow bear named Teddy interrupts the tea and cakes, asking for Livi and Nate’s help! Using some quick wits and a very long scarf, Livi saves Daphne the dragon from incoming spring. The dream rolls happily along until a “BLING” wakes Livi up. What could it be this time? The ensuing narrative follows a similar pattern: sleep, dream, noise, and investigation. The Finnish creators’ words convey a certain degree of playfulness that cements the bond between Livi and Nate above everything else. Similarly, their artwork—saturated with sheets of colors, arranged in spreads of sequential actions with occasionally dissonant frames—exemplifies the pale-skinned pair’s nervy energy, even if readers may get lost among the hijinks at times.

Raucous fun at the sound of midnight. (Graphic novel. 6-9)

THE STAR SHEPHERD

Haring, Dan & Connolly, MarcyKate Illus. by Haring, Dan Sourcebooks (320 pp.) $17.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 978-1-4926-5820-7 Stars are falling, and the people who usually send them back up aren’t able.

Kyro’s father, Tirin, works as a Star Shepherd. He watches the skies all night.

When a star falls to Earth nearby, Kyro and Tirin run outdoors, scoop it up, and catapult it back to the sky before dawn. Each star is different: One’s a “strange, molten thing, with light leaking out over its curves”; another “shimmer[s] like liquid silver but [i]s as light as a handful of feathers.” But something’s wrong: Stars are falling in daylight and in clusters, the gaps they leave in the dark sky allowing ancient, evil creatures into the world. When Tirin disappears, Kyro, with pal Andra (a girl who’s more supportiveness trope than person), embarks on a desperate journey to find his father.

The plot begins as a wondrous celestial fable with some steampunk elements—cogs and gears; clockwork; star cases of “glass and metal with hooks built into the design and angled just right to catch on the edges of the sky.” But it morphs surprisingly and disappointingly into a story of combat featuring sentient, mechanical giants and fire-breathing spiders with slimy black webbing. The final battle slogs, and the plot’s reveals are reported listlessly. However, the star premise shines throughout. Kyro, Tirin, and Andra seem white or light-skinned.

A mixed bag: Fights and reveals are lackluster, but the stars and steampunk glow. (map) (Fantasy. 8-12)

TODOS IGUALES / ALL EQUAL Un corrido de Lemon Grove / A Ballad of Lemon Grove Hale, Christy Illus. by the author Children’s Book Press (40 pp.) $18.95 | Aug. 13, 2019 978-0-89239-427-2

Twenty-three years before Brown v.

Board of Education, the first successful desegregation case in the United States, Roberto Álvarez v. the Board of Trustees of the Lemon Grove School District, was decided in California in 1931.

In 1930, Lemon Grove school board members secretly decided to provide a segregated education to U.S. citizens of Mexican descent who had, up to that time, enjoyed equal education with the “Anglo” children. Hale’s bilingual text, 110

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page-turner, seamlessly blending dragons, giants, robots, and portals to other worlds, creating instant appeal for almost any young fan of graphic novels, fantasy, fairy tales, or science fiction. In an artistic style that is delightfully consistent and utterly recognizable, the illustrations are both alluring and cinematic, jumping to life off their pages through the vivid hues added by colorists Alex Campbell and Hilary Sycamore. For those who worry this may be the end of the line for their beloved heroes, fear not: Hints are left that further adventures may arise in the future. Most of the main characters present white; Jack’s sister, Maddy, has autism, as readers of Jack’s previous adventures will know.

Perfection. (Graphic science fiction/fantasy. 7-12)

Harrington, Kim Aladdin (256 pp.) $17.99 | Oct. 22, 2019 978-1-5344-3572-8

Riley and her female classmates protest the stigmatization of menstruation and middle school–handbook rules that target their gender.

Eighth grader Riley Dunne is not only her middle school’s lead investigative journalist, but a leader in the Red Club, a weekly, informal, after-school support group in which girls can discuss their periods. Whether it’s cramps, tampons vs. pads, or pooping, no issue is off limits! When students and parents complain about one of Riley’s articles, the lax enforcement of school dress code, and the Red Club, the principal shuts down the newspaper and club and cracks down on the handbook rules. Riley’s breezy yet sharply accurate narration depicts body-image anxiety, the taunting and shame girls experience during menstruation, and the double standards associated with dress codes that vilify girls. When her investigative skills fail to turn up the complainers, Riley, who’s white, and her friends, a multicultural group, plan a series of protests instead to win back their autonomy and dignity. Throughout their efforts, Riley also considers the dynamics of female friendships and a male ally (who may have boyfriend potential, too). With unauthorized leggings, tampons carried openly, and period-speak that—ahem, flows in the hallways, this middle school #MeToo movement will educate and inspire budding feminists. The experiences of those who do not identify as girls and do have periods are not explored, however.

A real and necessary read, period! (Fiction. 9-13)

THE DARK AND THE LIGHT

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Hau, Kerstin Illus. by Völk, Julie NorthSouth (40 pp.) $17.95 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-0-7358-4385-1

Two creatures venture out of their respective realms, one of complete darkness and the other all sunshine, as their friendship grows.

Shaggy (twiggy, tall, and bristled) sadly peers through the darkness to the “place of shining colors,” wishing he could visit; Sparkle (egg shaped, with lop ears and pink cheeks) takes a sunbath and wonders about the “dark and gloomy” across the way. When the two eventually meet in the “band of gray-blue— [the] half light and half dark” middle space, a friendship forms, one that emboldens them to cross borders. Children will enjoy exploring both territories, mysterious, airy, otherworldly places drawn in what looks like pencil and crayon atop cyanotype backgrounds. Cyanotype illustrations make use of solar paper to create saturated exposures of midnight blue, with objects and etchings appearing in a ghostly white. Backmatter explains this unusual process (and also provides step-by-step DIY directions) in clear, accessible language for children keen to learn.

How clever to harness a medium dependent upon light and dark, one that renders exquisite artwork in both the inkiest blues and most luminous whites! This moving picture book offers many metaphors and connections, allowing young readers to see how friends help us navigate happy and sad times, worlds of darkness and light manageable only with a lantern of friendship to light the way.

An unusual, tender, and emotional journey in and out of the shadows. (Picture book. 6-10)

MIGHTY JACK AND ZITA THE SPACEGIRL

Hatke, Ben Illus. by the author First Second (272 pp.) $22.99 | $14.99 paper | Sep. 3, 2019 978-1-250-19172-4 9781-250-19173-1 paper Heroes Jack and Zita return to meet in an epic comics crossover.

In an exciting convergence between Hatke’s two successful middle-grade graphic-novel series Mighty Jack and Zita the Spacegirl, the titular protagonists team up to save Earth once again. The giants from Jack’s storylines along with the Screed from Zita’s are determined to seize Earth for their own nefarious purposes. The heroes are flawed in ways readers will understand, and these imperfections appear to work against them: As the opposition mounts, it seems as though they may not prevail.

As the action culminates in an extraordinary and unforgettable battle, they find that unity rather than force will ultimately save the day. Hatke’s latest adventure is a wonderful and exciting |

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FEARLESS MIRABELLE & MEG

and a resounding “Meow!” The story, translated into rhyming couplets from Hebrew, is told in cartoon panels with line drawings and people presenting in shades of white, orange, and blue.

Readers may be left with questions. Is this simply an entertaining story about irksome quarreling, or is there a deeper issue that can be applied to humankind? The cats are mute on that.

This silly tale of two cats of two colors finding both self and joint happiness may well provoke conversations. (Pic­ ture book. 4-6)

Haworth, Katie Illus. by Aye, Nila Templar/Candlewick (40 pp.) $16.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-5362-0811-5

Identical twins find their individuality at the circus.

Mirabelle and Meg Moffat have grown up traveling with their circus-acrobat parents. While the twins resemble each other, with elongated, oval heads; rosy cheeks; and large, expressive black dots for eyes, their personalities are nothing alike.

From a young age, Mirabelle, always dressed in blue, has liked action, much to her parents’ delight. Meg, always dressed in yellow, has preferred talking—and staying on the ground. When their parents decide it’s time they join the family business, Mirabelle takes to acrobatics with ease. Deemed “fearless,” she becomes the headliner for the next show. But as Meg takes her turn on the trapeze platform, she becomes speechless for the first time, and her parents realize that she is afraid of heights.

On the day of Mirabelle’s grand debut, action verbs describe her amazing feats and the crowd’s response. But when the press demands interviews afterward, she finds herself speechless and afraid. Meg finally recognizes her own fearless talent, becoming the spokesperson and announcer for the circus. While the finale highlights individualism, wise caregivers will also note the common pitfall of expecting children to follow in their footsteps. The twins’ yellows and blues set against the reds of the circus tent give the story a pleasing primary palette and retro style befitting the circus theme. While the girls and their parents are white, the audience is diverse.

Big top fun. (Picture book. 3- 7)

HELLO, SUN! A Yoga Sun Salutation To Start Your Day Hinder, Sarah Jane Illus. by the author Sounds True (32 pp.) $17.95 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-1-68364-283-1

Page by page, young readers are guided through a sun salutation, one of the most recognizable sequences in contemporary Western yoga.

Hinder’s exuberant style radiates a color palette warm as the morning sun. Subtle details seem to shimmer on the page.

The text opens with wonderful simplicity, providing movement instruction and inviting readers to notice what they experience. It quickly becomes overworked, however, abandoning simplicity in favor of forced rhyme. The text alone does little to explain the movements, and the accompanying images are problematic as models. Like many yoga-themed picture books published recently, this work falls prey to the trap of presenting yoga sequences that are recognizable to adults without adapting the poses for young bodies. The plank and knee-chest-chin poses depicted, for example, require an inappropriate degree of core strength for the target audience.

The single child depicted is overtly feminine in appearance. A contemplative, closed-mouth smile graces a tan-skinned face framed by flowing dark hair. While this version of feminine serenity will certainly appeal widely to yoga teachers and practitioners, it simultaneously reinforces stereotypical notions that yoga is an activity for “girls”—one limited to a certain kind of girl at that. Chipper animals flock to the child at every turn; one nearly expects the cast of characters to burst into song. Backmatter presents the flow of the salutation and discusses both the practice and meditation.

The Disney-princess version of a yoga picture book; undoubtedly marketable and predictably flawed. (Picture book. 4-8)

A TALE OF TWO CATS

Hillel, Ayin Illus. by Elkanati, Shimrit Trans. by Kurshan, Ilana Fantagraphics Books (28 pp.) $12.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 978-1-68396-266-3 Who is handsomer, the white cat or the black cat?

In a waterfront vacation spot with outdoor cafes for tourists as the setting, two cats appear who are good friends. The black cat is “black as tar,” while the white cat is “white as whitewash.” Each then claims to be the better-looking one, resulting in a petty quarrel and a parting of the ways. But then each cat is filled with doubt. Maybe the disputed claims are correct and the other cat is truly more handsome. The cats then come up with a solution to the quandary, the white cat immersing itself in tar while the black cat whitewashes itself. This is in no way a resolution, of course, and it’s achieved with the obvious difficulties of maintaining the new colorations. Back to their original states they go, sharing a rekindling of their camaraderie over drinks 112

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A glowing, heartfelt addition to the middle-grade LGBTQ genre. redwood and ponytail

RABBIT AND THE MOTORBIKE

a fighter character, so cool). The storytelling is predominantly visual in this episodic outing, with just occasional snatches of dialogue and pithy labels to fill in details or mark the passage of time; frequent reaction shots deftly capture Sunny’s feelings of being pulled this way and that. Tellingly, in the Holms’ panels (colored by Pien), Sunny’s depicted as significantly smaller than Deb, visually underscoring her developmental awkwardness.

Deb’s comment that “we’re too old to be playing games like that” leads Sunny to drop out of the D&D circle and even go to the school’s staggeringly dull spring dance. Sunny’s mostly white circle of peers expands and becomes more diverse as she continues to navigate her way through the dark chambers and misty passages of early adolescence. Lev is an Orthodox Jew, Arun is South Asian, and Regina, another female friend, has brown skin.

The dice are rolling readers’ way in this third outing.

(Graphic historical fiction. 10-12)

Hoefler, Kate Illus. by Jacoby, Sarah Chronicle (48 pp.) $17.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 978-1-4521-7090-9

A fearful rabbit finds the courage to broaden his horizons in this picture book.

Rabbit, anthropomorphically attired in overalls, lives in a wheat field that he never leaves. Instead, he waits for Dog— more sartorially adventurous in a black leather-fringed jacket, appropriate for motorbike travel—to visit and tell him stories of the road. But one day Dog dies, an event touchingly illustrated with an image of Rabbit sitting on his porch steps with drooping ears and drooping flowers. Rabbit is surprised that Dog leaves his motorbike to him, and he stores it away, admitting that he is too scared to use it. Author Hoefler takes a wellused theme and infuses it with a graceful poetic cadence that reads like a firelight tale as she relates how, yes, Rabbit does eventually work up the courage to travel on the motorbike, and yes, does come home again, enriched and changed. Illustrator Jacoby’s smudgy, delicate illustrations depict these changes— both in Rabbit’s appearance and demeanor and in the story’s landscape—with an evocative, textural style that heightens the story’s emotion. One illustration, a double-page spread of a beach from an overhead perspective, is initially disorienting, then exhilarating. The book adroitly combines spot illustrations and double-page spreads to establish and control the story’s elegant, thoughtful pace.

Graceful text and evocative illustrations combine in this story about the rewards of facing fears and trying something new. (Picture book. 3- 7)

REDWOOD AND PONYTAIL y o u n g a d u lt

Holt, K.A. Chronicle (424 pp.) $18.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-4521-7288-0

Two middle school girls grapple with their blossoming feelings for each other in this verse novel.

Tam is a volleyball player sometimes mistaken for a boy. Kate is a popular cheerleader. When they notice each other at seventh grade registration, Tam sees a walking cliché with a perfect ponytail, while Kate sees a girl as “tall as a palm tree.” When they meet face to face, they strike an immediate rapport. Soon the two are having lunch together every day and linking pinkies in the halls. As they grow closer, each finds herself questioning who she thought she was. Tam doesn’t know how she fits into Kate’s seemingly perfect world. Kate, who has spent her life trying to live up to her shallow, perfectionist mother’s expectations, wants to go her own way, a process that includes deciding whether or not to admit her feelings for Tam. Tam and Kate share the first-person narration, which keenly conveys each girl’s joys and inner turmoil. The dual narratives play off of each other, sometimes in a call-and-response manner that clearly communicates the shyness, awkwardness, and confusion of first love. A trio of unseen watchers, identified as Alex, Alyx, and Alexx, collectively represent the observant school-hallway bystanders, providing commentary and speculation in the manner of a Greek chorus. Their verses can be read vertically or horizontally, resulting in multiple meanings. Characters are racially ambiguous.

A glowing, heartfelt addition to the middle-grade LGBTQ genre. (Fiction. 8-14)

SUNNY ROLLS THE DICE

Holm, Jennifer L. & Holm, Matthew Illus. by the authors with Pien, Lark Graphix/Scholastic (224 pp.) $12.99 paper | $24.99 PLB | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-338-23314-8 978-1-338-23315-5 PLB Series: Sunny, 3 Sunny, in seventh grade, finds her score on the Groovy Meter taking some wild swings as her friends’ interests move in different directions.

In a motif that haunts her throughout, Sunny succumbs to a teen magazine’s personality quiz and sees her tally seesaw radically. Her BF Deb has suddenly switched focus to boys, clothes, and bands such as the Bee Gees (this is 1977)—dismissing trickor-treating and wearing galoshes on rainy days as “babyish.”

Meanwhile, Sunny takes delight in joining nerdy neighbors Lev, Brian, and Arun in regular sessions of Dungeons and Dragons (as |

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After luring readers in with wordplay and humor, the plot takes an emotionally rich thematic turn. the dark lord clementine

THE DARK LORD CLEMENTINE

haunted houses because they’re expecting strange things to happen”) and in other cases, clear-cut, as in the photograph of the Loch Ness Monster that turned out to be a hoax (but not before gaining plenty of traction). The book touches down all over the map of mysteries, from telepathy, clairvoyance, and telekinesis to Mu and Atlantis, Yeti and Bigfoot, the kraken and the Bermuda Triangle. The tone is respectful of both the mystery and the conclusions, of which not all are the last word. “The truth is that the natural world is an amazing place.”

Science rules the day, but “at the same time, keep an open mind”: wise words. (Nonfiction. 10-14)

Horwitz, Sarah Jean Algonquin (336 pp.) $17.95 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-61620-894-3

A daughter must fill in for her indisposed Dark Lord father.

Twelve-year-old Clementine’s father has been cursed by the Whittle Witch and is being slowly whittled into a wooden puppet. While he locks himself away in his laboratory to try to find a way to stop and reverse the curse, it’s up to Clementine to keep their farm running, a task that becomes harder as her father’s magic begins to fail. Helping her are a talking black sheep (who used to be a boy and isn’t so sure he wants to be human again) and a local boy who dreams of heroic knighthood. More worryingly, letters start arriving from the Council of Evil Overlords, instructing Clementine to carry out and report Dastardly Deeds to fulfill their family’s Dark Lord obligations. Shifts in viewpoint reveal the dangerous witch to be after the Dark Lord’s title and their mountain’s unicorn; also after the unicorn is a huntress named Darka, who neglects to give her true motivation when befriending Clementine. After luring readers in with wordplay and tongue-in-cheek, genre-savvy humor, the plot takes an emotionally rich thematic turn, dwelling on community and forgiveness—all the while building toward a mythical, mystical arc involving the unicorn.

The few action sequences are mined for utmost impact, as are the slice-of-life scenes and flashback vignettes. The characters seem to default to white.

Absolutely delightful. (Fantasy. 8-14)

TRUCKS ZOOMING BY

Jane, Pamela Illus. by Gott, Barry StarBerry Books (32 pp.) $17.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-63592-130-4

A second-generation truck lover indulges in a favorite pursuit.

“It’s time to get up now. / We’re ready to load. / Goodbye to the city. / Hello to the road!” A ponytailed kid climbs aboard their parents’ truck to accompany them on a haul. Along the way, a plethora of fellow vehicular travelers catch the narrator’s eye: fire engines, trailers, flatbeds, and more. Finally the delivery is made (mom and dad trade off driving, which makes for a nice touch), and the protagonist is left to dream of having a truck of their own someday. Backmatter includes two pages of different types of trucks accompanied by additional information. While young enthusiasts who devour all things truck related will be appeased, there is not much to distinguish this book from the scads already on the market. The rhymes are unexciting (“A trucker will haul things / A very short way / Or far across country / In one single day”), and there is the occasional odd illustration choice, as in the image of two Dalmatians sticking their heads up into the air from the body of a fire engine. Dad presents white while mom and child have a slightly darker skin tone.

Ten-four, good buddy; there are plenty of trucks to ogle, but unless you’re a fanatic, just drive on by. (Picture book. 3-6)

STRANGE BUT TRUE 10 of the World’s Greatest Mysteries Explained

Hulick, Kathryn Illus. by Wright, Gordy Frances Lincoln (128 pp.) $22.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-78603-784-8

PUMA DREAMS

Scientific explanations for mysteries that have given rise to fantastical stories.

Encounters with aliens and haunted houses, quests for lost worlds and monsters of the deep, mysteries of ancient tombs and those returned from the dead—all sparkle here both as stories and as targets for scientific examination in Hulick and Wright’s terrific collection of creepy events. “Every mystery has an explanation. Getting to the bottom of it is what science is all about,” writes Hulick. But that doesn’t keep her from giving full voice to the mysteries at the beginning of each episode. Having set the folkloric or legendary scene, and accompanied by transportingly spooky artwork from Wright, Hulick puts on her scientist’s cap and seeks to make sense of the mysteries. In some cases the answers are circumstantial (“people experience strange things in 114

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Johnston, Tony Illus. by LaMarche, Jim Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster (48 pp.) $17.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-5344-2979-6 A young girl is fascinated by pumas, and after months of waiting and watching, she sees a puma near her home.

The unnamed narrator of the lyrically told story lives with her grandmother on a remote ranch in an unspecified location with mountains and canyons. The girl is fascinated with puma lore and legends, and her dream is to see a puma, even |

A CRAZY-MUCH LOVE

just once. She uses her allowance money to purchase a salt lick with hopes of luring a puma close enough for observation. After over a year of watching and dreaming, she finally sees a puma through the window as it circles the salt lick. The first-person story is told with evocative descriptions as the girl observes the environment around her with a dreamy, imaginative style enlivened by Gram’s pithy country sayings. An oversized format and expansive double-page–spread format showcase the striking, realistic illustrations done in a glowing, golden palette.

The accomplished paintings capture the beauty of the natural surroundings and help create a real world for the rather lonely child. The girl and her grandmother present white. An author’s note offers more information about pumas as well as puma-conservation organizations, although exactly where pumas can be found in the U.S. is not made clear enough. The unlikely but real danger posed by pumas to humans is also not addressed.

A lovely, beautifully illustrated story of a child’s dream fulfilled. (Picture book. 4-8)

Jordan-Lake, Joy Illus. by Sánchez, Sonia Two Lions (32 pp.) $17.99 | Sep. 17, 2019 978-1-5420-4326-7

OURS TO SHARE Co-existing in a Crowded World

Jones, Kari Orca (48 pp.) $19.95 | Oct. 8, 2019 978-1-4598-1634-3 Series: Orca Footprints

How are 8 billion people going to share the world?

This latest title in the Orca Footprints series takes on the challenge of overpopulation. Jones (A Fair Deal, 2017) looks back at prehistory to demonstrate how the human population has grown; describes current efforts to share resources effectively; discusses the effect of the spread of human population on the natural world, including animal extinctions; and suggests actions young people can take. Her exposition is full of anecdotes from her personal life as well as recent news events. The lively design includes plentiful photographs (whose captions include their sources) and “Density Facts” in the sidebars. In her opening chapter, “Shaping the World,” she compares the numbers of humans to single drops of water, a simile that may help young readers fathom the astonishing growth in population, and shows how humans have related to animals from the beginning. “Sharing the World” talks about fair sharing among humans: clean water, acceptance of refugees, treatment of Indigenous peoples, and the importance of libraries and education. “Whose World Is This?” focuses on animal relationships, including campers who share with wolves on a Canadian island and a Maasai teen’s invention that allows his cattle-farming family to coexist with lions. “Sharing our Lives” concludes with many specific examples of young people taking action around the world.

A strongly felt and convincingly argued case for more attention to fairness in the allocation of resources. (acknowledgments, resources, glossary, index). (Nonfiction.

9-12)

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A child learns how she was adopted and how much she is loved in this story told from the point of view of her adoptive parents.

From the beginning of the story, readers see how much the parents already love their child, who is not even in their arms.

From anxiously deciding on the right color to paint the child’s room and filling it with stuffed bears to “count[ing] the hours” until they can get on a plane and fly across oceans to meet her, these adoptive parents make it clear how they feel about their child. Once home, the child discovers her first bath, her first word, and her first day of school, all with “crazy-much love” from her parents. The baby changes as she grows, but nothing about that love does. Boldfaced type and capitalized words throughout the book emphasize the emotions of joy and love. Sánchez uses energetic lines and bold splashes of color to effectively mirror how the parents feel about their child. Multicolored circles filling the pages like so much buoyant confetti visually symbolizes the love between parents and child. This baby’s father is white, the mother has olive skin and black hair, and the child is Asian; the illustrations feature a supporting cast of extended family, friends, and neighbors of a wide variety of races and ethnicities.

An honest and encouraging story about a transracial adoption. (Picture book. 4-6)

THE AWESOME, IMPOSSIBLE, UNSTOPPABLE GADGET

Kelly, Kevin Illus. by Kelly, Rebecca Imprint (40 pp.) $17.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 978-1-250-19511-1

Letters written home from a futuristic camp record big doings.

Bold animation-style illustrations bring Camp C.R.E.A.T.E. and its Gadgets Galore Competition to life. One camper nicknamed Professor von Junk “gets an idea for a gadget so clever / that everyone wants to help put it together.” Everyone, that is, except the letter writer, who thinks “helping is nice, but I want to come up / with my own cool device.” Once the competition begins, the protagonist can’t even get into the crowded lab. Discouraged but resilient, the kid creates a separate lab and develops an invention that, sadly, seems only to work in reverse.

But Professor von Junk’s invention has a major flaw, too, creating chaos. Luckily, the letter writer’s invention saves the day. On the final page, the victor is honored with the name Professor O’Toole. Readers might notice O’Toole’s stylized pigtails, but |

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MYTHOLOGICA An Encyclopedia of Gods, Monsters and Mortals From Ancient Greece

only by reading the jacket flap will readers confirm the narrator is a female named Trixie (O’Toole). Is this a subtle book about girl power? In the future, could scientific ability be viewed without regard to gender? Perhaps, but this story has only one other implied female camper (a ponytailed kid named Lovelace) plus stereotypical references to Trixie’s “cute little cabin” and glitterdecorated invention. Bafflingly, the rhyming text is not consistently set as such. All the campers are green humanoid children.

An action-packed story for young inventors with troubling gender treatment. (Picture book. 5-8)

Kershaw, Stephen P. Illus. by Topping, Victoria Wide Eyed Editions (112 pp.) $30.00 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-1-78603-193-8

With its bold artwork in attention-grabbing, intense colors, this large-format collection of Greek myths and gods begs to be made into posters.

The fantastical images could come straight from 1960s album covers, mixing reality and symbolism, with a diversity of skin colors and some hint at gender fluidity—it’s definitely a mythology collection for a new generation. Full-page images fill one half of each spread on a particular personality while opposite are a few paragraphs and some smaller visual vignettes.

Each entry includes a terse “Where” and What” section and the name of the figure in Greek, a unique feature of this enticing volume. The stories are told in a matter-of-fact, contemporary style. Writing about Ares, part of the description reads: “His most famous partner was the goddess of love Aphrodite. Even though she was married to Hephaestus they had lots of kids together.” Four stories are singled out for greater focus: those of Heracles, Odysseus, the Trojan War, and Jason and the Argonauts. Occasionally the visuals don’t correlate with the text.

“The Fates were ugly, lame, old women,” it claims, but the artist depicts them as three handsome, brown-skinned women. This mythological encyclopedia should certainly encourage readers to find the new graphic-novel adaptations of the myths or Homer’s epic poems themselves, although the book lacks sources or a bibliography.

A visually over-the-top paean to stories that still resonate today. (Cosmology. 11-15)

CLEAR SKIES

Kerrin, Jessica Scott Groundwood (192 pp.) $16.95 | Aug. 6, 2019 978-1-77306-240-2 Increasingly severe symptoms of claustrophobia threaten to derail 11-yearold Arno’s dreams of becoming an astronomer.

It’s 1961, the space race is on, and it seems everyone has stars in their eyes.

Being a confirmed sky watcher with an eye-rolling habit of rattling off astro-facts at the drop of a hat, Arno is at first over the moon when he wins an invitation to the opening of a new observatory nearby. But then the thought of the dark and the crowds—and a panic attack in a movie theater—dim all the claustrophobic boy’s hopes. At the same time Arno’s friend Buddy finds his own hopes of becoming an astronaut dashed after he realizes why he can’t see that Mars is red. Though their personalities clash by day, a confessional nighttime meeting in Arno’s backyard brings out their better natures, as Arno offers Buddy telescopic views of astronomical wonders, and Buddy suggests coping techniques for Arno drawn from the astronauttraining program. Budding chemist Mindy leads a supporting cast that, like the protagonist and his family, defaults to white.

Writing in a believably childlike third-person, Kerrin adds period details and handwritten pages of “Deep Thoughts” from Arno’s astronomy notebook to her low-key tale, and she closes with notes on the space program’s later history…including a mention of Roger Crouch, a colorblind payload specialist.

A quiet reminder that the stars are not out of reach, with work and well-timed help. (Fiction. 9-11)

THE LITTLE SNOWPLOW WISHES FOR SNOW

Koehler, Lora Illus. by Parker, Jake Candlewick (40 pp.) $16.99 | Oct. 8, 2019 978-1-5362-0117-8

Mother Nature doesn’t always play fair when it comes to hopes and dreams.

After having proven his worth in The Little Snowplow (2015), the titular hero returns to face a hitherto unforeseen challenge.

While he’s perfectly happy to aid the Mighty Mountain Road Crew during the warm months, this snowplow yearns endlessly for the return of frozen precipitation. As the months grow colder and the temperature plummets, he gazes at weather reports, drives to the tops of mountains, and celebrates the winter solstice, desperate for big wet flakes. But by the time his March birthday approaches, it looks like a thick snowfall may 116

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Where Krauss rejoiced in children’s irrepressible sense of self, Ruzzier’s art recapitulates that feeling. roar like a dandelion

never happen. Then, on the day in question, the miraculous occurs. But can it be possible to have too much of a good thing?

Luckily, the snowplow has his friends to help him out. Any child who has ever gazed longingly at a steely winter sky will identify with this snowplow’s ceaseless expectations. Parker’s illustrations give the snowplow an expressive grille, capable of conveying hope as well as crushing disappointment. The jollity is palpable, although the book may serve as a depressingly timely tale in this era of global warming.

Best suited for those who scan the winter skies. (Picture book. 3-6)

the Japanese translation in parentheses: “belt (obi).” Karate Kid then goes through the positions, each given its own two-page layout that describes and illustrates the move. Some, such as a position the text labels the “Horse-Riding Stance,” have clear explanations; others, like the “Back Kick,” are harder to follow due to missing details or the simple challenge of depicting a moving action on the page. Chambers’ illustrations show Karate Kid against a plain, bold background, donning his uniform and showing the moves. While he’s certainly a cute character with his headband and beard, it’s hard to make sense of moves that describe things like pinched fingers when goats have hooves. A very helpful note for caregivers expanding on the martial art comes on the last page of the book, which means that the explanations of the words, moves, and concept of karate come after readers have largely finished making sense of the book. Due to the occasionally unclear explanations and illustrations, this is best for readers who are already familiar with the sport.

A nice homage to karate but not a worthy teaching tool.

(Picture book. 4- 7)

ROAR LIKE A DANDELION

Krauss, Ruth Illus. by Ruzzier, Sergio Harper/HarperCollins (48 pp.) $17.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-0-06-268007-5

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ALPACA PATI’S FANCY FLEECE

Who says unpublished Sendaks get to have all the fun?

This unpublished manuscript from the creator of A Hole Is To Dig (which was illustrated by said Sendak in 1952) follows in very much the same vein as that classic. It’s ostensibly an alphabet book, and each letter is represented by a clear-cut command to child readers. They are urged in no uncertain terms to attempt short, simple acts (“Nod YES”), to make grand declarations (“Yell, ‘Good morning, big fat world!’ ”), and to attain moments of distilled poetry (“Open your eyes, see the sea / Shut them fast, lock it in”). Ruzzier’s ink-and-watercolor illustrations meet, with great command, the challenge of making sense of Krauss’ more esoteric urgings. Thus, “Go like a road” is illustrated with a (possibly) benign python a trail of mice walk along, and “Eat all the locks off the doors” features a pig, with a door stretched before it, screwdriver and wrench gripped like a fork and knife.

Where Krauss rejoiced in children’s irrepressible sense of self, Ruzzier’s art recapitulates that feeling, and, with his cast of cats, rats, bugs, and birds, he is unafraid to bring a little surrealism into the mix. Ultimately, this work adroitly bridges the morethan–half-century gap between two accomplished artists.

An abecedarian catalog of delights. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kyle, Tracey Illus. by Sanchez, Yoss Running Press (32 pp.) $17.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 978-0-7624-9414-9

A young alpaca learns how important her fleece is to humans.

“High up in the Andes, on a mountain in Peru, / Pati the alpaca gussied up for her debut.” Pati is off to meet her classmates by a lake. And right away the problems with this book present themselves. The story is a two-pronged one. On the one side is a story with a puritanical lesson that finds fault with Pati’s wanting to look her best, and Pati soon learns that she will be a better being if she willingly gives up her fleece to help humans keep warm. The second intent of the story seems to be to introduce children to Spanish words.

Unfortunately, the meanings of the Spanish words sprinkled through the text are not obvious, forcing readers to flip back and forth between the story and the glossary at the end. For example: “One day, cría Carmen whispered, “Pati, ¡no te creas! / In the spring we lose our fur and then we’ll all be feas!” The illustrations are also problematic. With an emphasis on the cute and colorful, the images represent an Andean scenery of lush, fresh greens. Nothing could be more removed from the harsh environment that exists at these high altitudes.

Skip it. (glossary, author’s note, additional facts) (Picture book. 5- 7)

KARATE KID

Kurstedt, Rosanne L. Illus. by Chambers, Mark Running Press Kids (40 pp.) $14.99 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-0-7624-9343-2 A series of karate moves is described and demonstrated by a goat kid.

Before laying out the stances, kicks, punches, and blocks, Karate Kid opens with the beginning steps of a karate class. All of the English karate-specific vocabulary is accompanied by |

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The crisp memory of a now-long-ago childhood is recalled with sensory specificity. blueberry patch / mayabeekamneeboon

IT’S THE END OF THE WORLD AS I KNOW IT

by Exclamation, who, according to B, “promised to put us all in the movies.” Exclamation’s explanation is a subtle dig at overuse of this symbol: As he says, “Capital letters are always calling me…

YES, HA, OMG!” Exclamation is arrested by the Grammar Police and put away for a “short sentence.” MacDonald’s illustrations, with classic typesets and hints of the Manhattan skyline, perfectly capture the retro mood and comedy of the concept.

Both a hilarious spoof of a noir novel and a clever comment on modern punctuation misuse. (Picture book. 6-10)

Landis, Matthew Dial (320 pp.) $16.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-0-735-22801-6

A year after the death of his mother, a major in the Air Force, eighth grader Derrick preps for doomsday.

If it weren’t for the Apocalypse Soon! blog, Derrick wouldn’t know that the supervolcano under Yellowstone National Park will go off in just three weeks, on Sept. 21. He wouldn’t know how to prepare for the “big one” by reinforcing his family’s shed, practicing pushups, and laying in survival supplies such as MREs and fish amoxicillin.

His friends only humor him, but preparing for the end helps calm Derrick’s buzzing skin and panicked sweats. If only the weird neighbor girl didn’t keep poking her nose into everything. Misty’s nice and funny, but why is she throwing hatchets in the yard, for goodness’ sake? Not to mention her sewer spelunking and pigeon training. Derrick’s focused only on his apocalypse anxiety and is detatched from everything else: from family and friends, from vague memories of Misty’s recent kidney transplant, and, most of all, from grief. Misty, ever plucky, however, is determined to befriend Derrick and become his “apocalypse assistant.” With her persistent empathy and philosophical kookiness, she sometimes borders on manic pixie dream girl, but this is overall a sympathetic and even sometimes funny look at anxiety disorders and the complexity of grief. Derrick and Misty both seem to be white.

The terrifying allure of survivalism makes this journey through trauma a compelling one. (author’s note) (Fiction.11-13)

THE PERFECT SEAT

Lê, Minh Illus. by Gordon, Gus Disney-Hyperion (32 pp.) $16.99 | Nov. 12, 2019 978-1-368-02004-6 Reading aloud is a wonderful shared activity for a father and child. But what or where is the best chair?

Dapper papa moose, dressed in a fedora and sweater, agrees to read a story to his young one. But then the quest begins for the best setting. Size, condition, texture, type, and location all present problems. They are about to give up when a picture-perfect location is found under a tree in an urban park. Lê’s little story, a sort of metafictive prequel to the act children and caregivers are engaging in in reading this very book, is delightfully presented.

Gordon’s watercolor, pencil, crayon, and collage illustrations in soft shades of greens, browns, and grays illustrate each of the possibilities with gentle humor. Each opposing possibility is presented on a page or sometimes two, subtly controlling the pacing: “Too Funky. / Too Fancy” or “Too Old. / Too New.” Readers will find themselves lingering over the choices. Some of the options are familiar: “Too Big. / Too Small” (an imposing and farfrom-cozy sofa; a fire hydrant). Some are less so: “Too Rough. // Too Slippery” (a bumpy bicycle ride; a slide in the park). A street map of the town on the endpapers, including its trees and lakes, along with a music-loving squirrel add to the fun.

There’s more to storytime between a parent and child than book selection. Closeness and comfort certainly count. (Picture book. 3-6)

THE UPPER CASE Trouble in Capital City Lazar, Tara Illus. by MacDonald, Ross Disney-Hyperion (32 pp.) $17.99 | Oct. 15, 2019 978-1-368-02765-6

BLUEBERRY PATCH / MAYABEEKAMNEEBOON

Lazar and MacDonald continue the relentless puns and fun with letters of 7 Ate 9 (2017), framed, like its predecessor, in the style of a mid-20th-century detective novel.

Private I, an actual letter I with little arms and legs, is dozing in his office when Question Mark and a rather shifty-looking Exclamation rush in to inform him that all the uppercase letters are missing, a surprising event in Capital City (geddit?!). No half-wit, I realizes that he is the “last capital letter standing” and resolves to take on the case. Chaos has erupted in the city, and random lowercase letters and punctuation run riot. I discovers that his favorite waitress, B has not shown up for work in the Café Uno—now known as “afé no” due to the dearth of uppercase letters. I takes the train out to Cursive Loop and finds the missing capitals all stuck up on a movie theater’s marquee, placed there 118

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Leason, Jennifer & Chartrand, Norman Illus. by Leason, Jennifer Trans. by Chartrand, Norman Theytus Books (32 pp.) $19.95 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-1-926886-58-9

An elder from Manitoba, Canada, shares his memories of a traditional Salteaux summer event.

When he was a boy in the 1940s, co-author Chartrand looked forward to packing most of their belongings onto the |

THROWBACK

horse-drawn wagon and then taking the two-day journey to the blueberry patch. Other wagons joined them, traveling in a line.

The boy’s family had a stubborn mule, Dick, and a horse called Socks due to its white legs to pull the family’s wagon. At the end of the first day, the wagons stopped to rest overnight by a creek where nighthawks swooped above them, making funny farting noises. After a meal of bannock, the narrator and his brothers fell asleep to the sounds of the grown-ups’ storytelling.

The next day’s travel took them to their destination, where they stayed for a month, picking blueberries to take home. Leason and Chartrand’s (both Salteaux-Métis Anishinaabek) bilingual text shares a look at an important traditional custom of the Salteaux people. The recounting is intimate, the crisp memory of a now-long-ago childhood recalled with sensory specificity that places readers in the moment. Leason, Chartrand’s greatniece, contributes vibrant, stylized illustrations that emphasize organic forms; circles and ovals within leaves, flowers, birds creating harmonious visual connections. A recipe for bannock and suggested activities for readers are included in the backmatter.

Acutely joyful. (Picture book. 4-8)

Lerangis, Peter Harper/HarperCollins (352 pp.) $17.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-0-06-240638-5 Series: Throwback

ORCAS EVERYWHERE The Mystery and History of Killer Whales Leiren-Young, Mark Orca (160 pp.) $24.95 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-1-4598-1998-6

Leiren-Young explores basic facts about orcas as well as the sobering history of continued human maltreatment of these whales.

The documentary filmmaker (The Hundred-Year-Old Whale) shares his extensive knowledge of orca culture and history with plentiful photographs. The book is approachable, the design maintaining a nice balance of text to sidebar to photograph. It is visually consistent: All callouts are called “Orca Bites,” photographs are labeled clearly, and chapters are designed similarly.

The biggest struggle for readers is making sense of the order in which information is presented. A very helpful section about the different types of orcas with an illustrated guide doesn’t appear until Chapter 15, for example, even though several of those different ecotypes (classification of orcas into different species has proven difficult, hence the term) are referred to prior. Some of the “Orca Bites” are not aligned with their relevant photographs or are otherwise distracting. The narrative dips in and out of first person, which makes for an unbalanced tone. Disappointingly, Leiren-Young takes liberties by explaining what historical figures thought and felt without any direct citations or quotations. Readers should be prepared for the (rightfully included) gruesome and upsetting history of human treatment of whales. It’s a call to action for animal rights even if, as nonfiction, it’s uneven.

A fascinating subject related with passion—but also with poor organization. (glossary, resources, acknowledgements, index) (Nonfiction. 9-12)

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A fledgling time traveler learns that changing the past—or even just visiting— can have…disturbing consequences.

In a tale that twists its way to an unexpectedly light ending after a string of wrenching incidents, young New Yorker Corey Fletcher discovers that, like his beloved grandfather and a small community of others, he can travel in time. Better yet, Corey just might be one of the legendarily rare Throwbacks who can actually alter the fixed past…albeit at a cost of unpredictable changes up the line. Nevertheless, he recklessly slips back to 2001 to watch Papou Gus repeatedly fail to steer his wife away from her job in the World Trade Center, then tries his hand at it—and finds himself temporarily stranded in Lower Manhattan in 1917. Lerangis gives Corey two redoubtable female foils. In 1917, “Quinn Roper” has disguised herself as a cowboy, causing Corey to reflect, rather clumsily, on changing attitudes toward gender assumptions and presentation. In the 21st century, fellow time traveler Leila also gives the 9/11 rescue a go. The author crafts a white default cast but ably evokes the stews of old New York’s Bowery and, while leaving his biracial protagonist’s Puerto Rican mom in the background, does slip in markers for Corey’s Greek American ancestry.

A trilogy opener with all the makings of a grand tale…in time. (Fantasy. 11-13)

PAPER SON The Inspiring Story of Tyrus Wong, Immigrant and Artist Leung, Julie Illus. by Sasaki, Chris Schwartz & Wade/Random (40 pp.) $17.99 | $20.99 PLB | Sep. 24, 2019 978-1-5247-7187-4 978-1-5247-7188-1 PLB

As the boat sailed from China to America, Wong memorized the minutiae of another boy’s life.

In 1919, the Chinese Exclusion Act allowed only high-status immigrants into the U.S. So 9-year-old Wong became a “paper son,” taking on the identity of a merchant’s son. Luckily, Wong passed the grueling immigration interview. After art school, bored by the tedium of “in-betweener” work at Disney Studios, Wong saw his chance to prove himself when Walt Disney announced his next movie, Bambi. Drawing on Felix Salten’s novel, his own personal experiences, and his training in both Eastern and Western artistic styles, Wong created lush, impressionistic landscapes inspiring the look of the entire movie.

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IN THE CITY

he never stopped making art, exploring many media. Digital illustrations emphasize precise details and shape repetition, creating a geometric counterpoint to organic washes of color and loose, impressionistic backgrounds inspired by Wong’s work on Bambi. The brief narrative moves swiftly, lingering on just two key moments: Wong’s immigration and the making of Bambi. The author’s note provides more information about the Chinese Exclusion Act, the proliferation of paper sons and daughters, and additional details about and photos of Wong.

Unfortunately, neither text nor backmatter share contextual information about the reasons for immigration, benefits and sacrifices of immigration, or the racial prejudice Wong faced both personally and professionally.

A visually engaging introduction to a little-known yet influential American artist (Picture book/biography. 7-12)

Lipniewska, Domenika Illus. by the author Button Books (48 pp.) $17.99 | Sep. 1, 2019 978-1-7870-8031-7 A day in the life of a metropolis.

“The city wakes up slowly” as the sun rises, but soon “the hustle and bustle” bring on multiple sights and chances to explore. Spreads focus on different-sized buildings, various modes of transportation, noisy versus quiet spaces, different jobs, entertainment opportunities, and green nature spaces.

The final pages depict the city’s nightlife, with some people awake while others sleep, before the narrative comes full circle as the city wakes to a new day. The tour comes with invitations for reader participation (“What a lot of sounds! Which one do you think is the loudest?”) and a hearty dose of consumerism: Several pages show malls, boutiques, and produce markets. In a decidedly modern, abstract style à la Piet Mondrian, Lipniewska composes her cityscape and its inhabitants from many interlocking and overlapping geometric shapes in primary colors against stark white or gray backgrounds. She signals different races and ethnicities by variations in hair, clothes, head shapes, and skin tones (white, gray, blue, peach, green). The author encourages harmonious thinking by depicting crowds of visually heterogeneous people coexisting in the same place, such as enjoying the wares of a food truck: “The people are all very different / but they often like the same things.” There is much to visually revisit and discover anew on rereads.

An absorbing, multifaceted visit to the city. (Picture book.

2-9)

A BIG BED FOR LITTLE SNOW

Lin, Grace Illus. by the author Little, Brown (40 pp.) $18.99 | Oct. 15, 2019 978-0-316-47836-6

At the beginning of winter, Little Snow’s mother fills his big, sky-blue bed with feathers and reminds him that it is “for sleeping, not jumping.”

Of course, Little Snow cannot resist, and whenever Mommy isn’t around, he jumps and jumps. Each time, some feathers fall from his cloud-shaped bed. At one point, he jumps extra high and the bed tears, releasing a sky full of feathers that falls in a blizzard of snow upon a city’s rooftops. In what is clearly a companion to Lin’s Caldecott Honor book A Big Mooncake for Little Star (2018), this book’s color palette consists of a solid white negative space instead of black, and light-blue snowflakes adorn Little Snow’s white pajamas. As before, a mischievous little protagonist with Asian features is the cause of a natural phenomenon that readers will recognize with satisfaction. The story is clever but simple, without the extra layers of cultural and natural complexity that made Lin’s previous book so exceptional. Lin’s gouache illustrations are an echo of that book as well, with Little Snow’s pajama edges similarly bleeding into the background. It’s still visually intriguing, but this time around, everything feels more stark than luminous. The most delightful spread is the most colorful one, as the snow falls over city buildings full of diverse children peering out the windows, enchanted.

A sweet and clever modern myth that may send readers back to its lauded companion. (Picture book. 4-8)

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ENCOUNTER

Luby, Brittany Illus. by Goade, Michaela Little, Brown (40 pp.) $18.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-0-316-44918-2 How might Indigenous and European people have connected if non-Native explorers had visited First Nations territories instead of colonizing them?

Shared humanity is at the center of this Indigenous author and illustrator team’s alternative history. Fisher, an Indigenous person with rich brown skin and long black hair, notices a stranger rowing into the bay—Sailor, a white-skinned redhead who “came from away” in search of “unknown lands.” Quickly challenging this settler narrative that frames Europeans as discovering Indigenous territories, Sailor spots Fisher from a distance and shifts his thinking: “Perhaps these lands are not so new.” Fisher and Sailor’s ensuing friendship is tender but brief, as Sailor’s excursion to Fisher’s homeland ends in his eventual “journey home.” Under the affirming gaze of nearby animals, who emphasize Fisher and Sailor’s similarities through their |

With buoyant, heartfelt illustrations that show the diversity in Native America, the book tells the story of a postcolonial food. fry bread

FRY BREAD A Native American Family Story

anthropomorphic commentary, Fisher and Sailor observe their differences respectfully. Luby’s (Anishinaabe) creative reimagining of historical events is brought to life by Goade’s (Tlingit) vibrant multimedia illustrations, which weave Fisher and Sailor brilliantly into their jewel-toned surroundings. Encounter’s most valuable aspect is its backmatter: Both an author’s reflection and a historical note offer crucial context to this spirited revision. “This peaceful encounter does not forgive…violent actions,” Luby notes. “Instead, it reminds us…that everyday people, like Sailor, can participate in systems that hurt others.”

Without this addendum, this story runs the risk of obscuring legacies of violence rather than “learn[ing] from our history and tak[ing] the opportunity to map a better future.”

An uplifting, #ownvoices vision for what could have been and what we are responsible for now. (Picture book. 6-11)

Maillard, Kevin Noble Illus. by Martinez-Neal, Juana Roaring Brook (48 pp.) $18.99 | Oct. 22, 2019 978-1-62672-746-5

THE BOOK RESCUER How a Mensch From Massachusetts Saved Yiddish Literature for Generations To Come Macy, Sue Illus. by Innerst, Stacy Simon & Schuster (48 pp.) $17.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-4814-7220-3

One young man seeks out a unique collection of Yiddish books to preserve them and their lost world.

Growing up, Aaron Lansky remembered the story of his grandmother’s immigration to America. She had just one worn suitcase, filled with books in Yiddish and Sabbath candlesticks—which her brother tossed into the water upon greeting her. It was of the Old World, and she was in the New World.

Lansky loved reading but realized that to pursue his interest in Jewish literature he would have to study Yiddish, his grandmother’s language. His search for books in Yiddish led to one rabbi about to bury a pile, which led to years of rescuing books from dumpsters and then building a depository for them and for the thousands of subsequent donations. Lansky visited many of the donors and heard their emotional stories. Now a wellestablished resource in Amherst, Massachusetts, his Yiddish Book Center is digitized, with free downloads, and conducts educational programs. Macy’s text beautifully and dramatically tells this story while noting the powerful influence of Yiddish writing in the lives of Jews. Innerst’s acrylic and gouache artwork, with the addition of digitized fabric textures, is stunning in its homage to Marc Chagall and its evocation of an Eastern European world that has physically vanished but is alive in these pages of beautifully realized imagery.

For lovers of books and libraries. (afterword by Lansky, author’s note, illustrator’s note, Yiddish glossary, further resources, source notes, photographs) (Picture book/biography.

7-10)

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A bright picture book invites kids to cook with a Native American grandma.

Kids of all races carry flour, salt, baking powder, and other supplies into the kitchen to make dough for fry bread. Flour dusts the counter as oil sizzles on the stove. Veggies, beans, and honey make up the list of toppings, and when the meal is ready, everyone is invited to join the feast. Community love is depicted in this book as its characters gather on Indigenous land across the continent—indoors, outdoors, while making art or gazing at the night sky. This is about more than food, referencing cultural issues such as the history of displacement, starvation, and the struggle to survive, albeit in subtle ways appropriate for young children. With buoyant, heartfelt illustrations that show the diversity in Native America, the book tells the story of a postcolonial food, a shared tradition across the North American continent. Broken down into headings that celebrate what fry bread is, this story reaches readers both young and old thanks to the author’s note at the back of the book that dives into the social ways, foodways, and politics of America’s 573 recognized tribes. Through this topic that includes the diversity of so many Native peoples in a single story, Maillard (Mekusukey Seminole) promotes unity and familiarity among nations.

Fry bread is much more than food, as this book amply demonstrates. (recipe) (Picture book. 3-8)

GEEKS AND THE HOLY GRAIL

Mancusi, Mari Disney-Hyperion (368 pp.) $16.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-368-01477-9 Series: The Camelot Code, 2

Following series opener The Once and Future Geek (2018), 21st-century video gamers Sophie and Stu dive into another time-travel misadventure in Arthurian legend.

The newly crowned King Arthur is sick, and only a sip from the enchanted Holy Grail can cure him. Morgana attacks the cup’s protectors, leaving Nimue, the young druid of Avalon, to seek refuge in Merlin’s cave. Unfortunately, only his apprentice, Emrys, is there. Green in magic skills, Emrys accidentally turns the Grail into an extremely flatulent baby dragon. Uh-oh.

It’s just Sophie’s luck that her first mission as a Companion, pledged to guard “the once and future king throughout the annals of time,” would come during a bridesmaid’s-dress fitting for her dad’s imminent remarriage—and that her soon-to-be |

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Young firefighting aficionados looking to self-identify will find lots to work with here. firefighters’ handbook

LEGACY AND THE QUEEN

stepsister, Ashley, a glitter-obsessed cheerleader, is pulled along for the ride. Stu joins them later, agonizing over “the right moment” to tell Sophie about his upcoming move across the country. On their quest to restore the Grail and heal the king, the kids travel to both an Arthurian-themed resort in Las Vegas and the fabled land of Faerie. Nimue’s braided black hair and brown skin are a break from the otherwise default-white cast.

Retrograde appeals for boys to aid “damsels in distress,” especially if they’re pretty, sound sour notes. Witty quips, copious pop-culture references, and the occasional snatch of gamerspeak aim this effort at novice genre readers.

A Volume 2 for readers who like their fantasy light. (Fan­ tasy. 8-13)

Matthew, Annie Granity Studios (208 pp.) $18.99 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-1-949520-03-3

A 12-year-old girl living in a kingdom ruled by a mysterious queen dreams of attaining her sport’s highest prize.

Legacy Petrin lives and works in the financially strapped orphanage in the provinces run by her father and rises early every day to practice tennis with her old racket. After her best friend, Van, excitedly tells her about a scholarship competition for a spot at an esteemed academy and the opportunity to try out for the national championships, Legacy runs away to the city to compete. After winning, she learns there is still much she doesn’t know: The players are not just proficient in tennis, but also have magical skills that they use to their advantage. Legacy befriends Pippa, a knowledgeable girl from an elite tennis family, and acquires a builder, or coach, Javi. With Pippa and Javi at her side, Legacy makes her way through the competition, despite sabotage attempts, learning secrets about her own family along the way. Legacy is a strong character, and the secondary characters also have interesting backstories. The storyline is reminiscent of other dystopian stories, but centering tennis—with lively descriptions of matches that give a strong sense of the sport—is an unusual touch. Most characters are white, although Javi is brown-skinned, and some other characters of color are mentioned.

Magic, tennis action, and family secrets are woven into an original coming-of-age tale. (Fantasy. 9-12)

GET UP, STAND UP

Marley, Bob Illus. by Cabuay, John Jay Chronicle (36 pp.) $16.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 978-1-452-17172-2

A simple modification of famous lyrics to spread an anti-bullying message that is as necessary today as on the day the song that inspired it was released.

In her third picture book offering that uses one of her father’s songs as inspiration, Cedella Marley (Every Little Thing, illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton, 2012, etc.) touches on the topics of bullying and ostracism and on the courage it takes to combat them. She delivers a statement about social justice and bravery in an appropriately simple style that children can grasp. The result is a message of empowerment and unity: that standing up for yourself inspires others to do the same and may help to bring people together rather than continue a practice of exclusion and belittling. It is very much in keeping with the import of Bob Marley’s words in the song of the same name.

Vibrant illustrations from Cabuay show a diverse cast of children, which will certainly help with accessibility to children from all walks of life. He depicts children getting up and standing up at the bus stop and on the bus, on city streets, and in parks. The final joyous double-page spread finds a joyous, multiracial crowd joining a neighborhood festival above which flies a flag depicting the late musician and the legend “One Love.”

Moral: It’s never too early to learn to stand up for yourself or others in the face of injustice. (afterword) (Picture book. 3-8)

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FIREFIGHTERS’ HANDBOOK

McCarthy, Meghan Illus. by the author Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster (48 pp.) $17.99 | Sep. 17, 2019 978-1-5344-1733-5

A pictorial guide for fostering future firefighters.

With a friendly “welcome!” the book ushers young readers into their training as fledgling firefighters. They are shown what is expected of them physically, from general exercises like running or pullups to more specific tasks such as climbing stairs with a weighted vest or dragging a hose long distances.

McCarthy includes diagrams and simple explanations of personal protective equipment like axes, helmets, and self-contained breathing apparatus facepieces and cylinders as well as cutaways of rescue vehicles showing where these materials are stored. Also shown are types of firefighters and descriptions of related professionals like paramedics. McCarthy’s trademark bright and lovely painted illustrations are clear and expressive.

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BIG BREATH A Guided Meditation for Kids

along the way, bringing them into the book in a way that works well read aloud or independently. Aftermatter consists of an author interview with a (white, older, male) firefighter and questions for him from children and a smattering of websites to find additional information. Young firefighting aficionados looking to self-identify will find lots to work with here, as persons of multiple races and gender identities are shown.

An informative offering that is both appropriately accessible and comprehensive. (Informational picture book. 5-8)

Meyer, William Illus. by Jacobs, Brittany New World Library (32 pp.) $16.95 | Aug. 27, 2019 978-1-60868-633-9

CHARCOAL BOYS

Mello, Roger Illus. by the author Trans. by Hahn, Daniel Elsewhere Editions (46 pp.) $20.00 | Oct. 8, 2019 978-1-939810-19-9 The lives of a hornet and a boy unexpectedly intertwine in this vividly illustrated, unusual glimpse of child labor at a coal yard.

Translated into English from its original Portuguese by Hahn, Brazilian Hans Christian Andersen Award–winning author/illustrator Mello’s enigmatic text addresses the humanitarian and environmental stakes of charcoal production. A primarily black-and-white color palette sets a somber tone, while die-cut pages shaped to resemble tongues of orange, pink, and red flame echo the collaged endpapers evoking clusters of embers and ashes. Told in distinct, titled fragments from the hornet’s perspective, the sometimes frustratingly abstruse text offers readers just enough visual and verbal information to construct meaning. The hornet, who guards a larva in its mud nest on a charcoal mound, addresses readers in deceptively plain language peppered with descriptive words and repeated phrases. Skin color is mentioned only in reference to an albino boy, depicted with bright white skin, who struggles to hide from the labor inspectors among the charcoal while the first boy, depicted with dark skin does not. The only named character is the albino boy, whom the hornet christens, unoriginally and somewhat insensitively, “Albi.” The book’s format and Mello’s professional background suggest children are its intended audience, but it’s difficult to envision any child engaging with this book without adult scaffolding. The text is more poetic than informational, and it does not include references for further reading. Still, for those readers who wrestle with it, it’s an unforgettable experience.

An ambiguous ending makes this book truly haunting— and vital. (Picture book. 8-12)

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Step by step, Meyer and Jacobs offer a straightforward and age-appropriate mindfulness meditation practice.

This title’s greatest asset is its simplicity. Each page invites readers to notice the present moment without judging what is or changing it to something else. This is mindfulness. “Can you hear your breath? Can you feel it? What does it sound like?” The illustration is similarly simple, showing three people diverse in skin tone, gender, and age. They practice along with the text, and the imagery is demonstrative and uncluttered. Ample white space allows the illustration to breathe along with readers. The depiction of meditators at varying points across the life span provides a subtle reminder that mindfulness is a lifelong practice rather than a task to be accomplished or a goal to be achieved. A misstep is the suggestion of how one may feel at the end of meditation: “lighter, more relaxed, maybe a little calmer?”

This creates an unnecessary expectation of what one “should” feel, which the rest of the text actively eschews. However, it is a small and forgivable gaffe in an otherwise well-crafted resource.

A wonderful read-aloud meditation for the beginner—or the practitioner of beginner’s mind—of any age. (author’s note) (Picture book. 6-10)

ANXIOUS CHARLIE TO THE RESCUE

Milne, Terry Illus. by the author Candlewick (32 pp.) $16.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-5362-0916-7

Milne brings “a story of a small dog facing a BIG challenge” in this short and sweet adventure.

Charlie is a wiener dog with worries. His daily routines upon waking—“One, two three…Hop like a flea”—and taking the same route around the neighborhood fire hydrant and oak tree help Charlie feel in control of his anxieties. After checking under the bed and behind the curtains and getting his plushies all in a row, Charlie can rest with the ease of knowing that “I REMEMBERED EVERYTHING TODAY, AND THINGS TURNED OUT OK!” But one day, Charlie’s routines are thrown for a loop when his friend, the bull terrier Hans, is stuck in a pipe! With his friend in trouble, there is no time to count his plants nor to worry about the proper route through the neighborhood. The event becomes accidental exposure therapy, demonstrating that things can “turn out OK” even when routines do not go to plan. Astute adults may quickly recognize Charlie’s daily routine as likely compulsions related to a canine |

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version of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Though compulsions are rarely so easily conquered in real life, the simple story may encourage young readers who have their own habits and patterns in an attempt to ease their worry.

Charming; readers will hope for more adventures for Charlie and his friends. (Picture book. 3-6)

various actions in a circle of repeated figures (clearly intended to convey the passage of time), preparing for their day. Discerning readers may spy something left behind as they head out.

Things start to go awry almost immediately, but Ava’s mother is full of reassurances, and they have a strategy for dealing with disappointment: pause, close their eyes, breathe deep, and move on. But after the biggest disappointment comes at the end of a daylong string of them, it’s Ava who brings comfort to her mother in a touching moment that may bring tears to readers’ eyes. Though not a preachy book, it offers lessons that are both beautiful and useful. Ava and her mother are black, with skin of different hues of browns, while other characters are an array of skin tones. How wonderful: a book with both racial diversity and class diversity that feels authentic.

Special and splendid. (Picture book. 4-9)

THE LIFE OF A COAT

Molodowsky, Kadya Illus. by Kolton, Batia Trans. by Kurshan, Ilana Fantagraphics Books (28 pp.) $12.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 978-1-68396-267-0 In this variant of the popular tale of a coat that grows smaller and smaller while never losing its usefulness, a tailor, his wife, his several children, and his goat all participate in the stitchery.

Rhyming couplets follow the family as the father fashions a coat for his son. The son grows too big for the coat, and it is passed on to another son. With its sleeves now torn, the garment goes to a daughter but loses its lining. Another daughter gets to wear it, but the pockets are lost. A mischievous son tears it apart with his wild behavior. Finally, the remnants find a home on various pets and the goat. The text is translated from the Yiddish of a poet and teacher who wrote it in 1931 in her native Poland. The lengthy poem is presented primarily as captions to the graphic panels with occasional speech bubbles within the illustrations. The multisyllabic Yiddish proper names may be a challenge for those not familiar with the language, but an enthusiastic reader can have fun conveying the antics. Kolton’s illustrations have an early-20th-century comics aesthetic. The humans have exaggerated comic features and hairstyles, and the setting has an Old World feel.

Those who like their stories full of larger-than-life expression will find an outlet for their efforts. (Picture book.

4- 7)

MY SINGING NANA

Mora, Pat Illus. by Bermudez, Alyssa Magination/American Psychological Association (32 pp.) $16.99 | Oct. 15, 2019 978-1-4338-3021-1 Mora pens a story about a boy concerned about Nana’s memory loss.

After dinner, Billy, his two young siblings, mom, dad, and grandmother make the final preparations on their patio for their annual neighborhood show, which will be staged the following evening. “Tomorrow will be our best show ever, right Nana?” asks Billy. But Nana, uncertain, says: “Remind me Billy, what are we doing this year?” After Billy and his siblings, Becky and Chris, remind Nana, they rehearse. Later, Nana tells him, “Billy, sometimes your Nana forgets things, but we help each other, don’t we?” That evening, Billy confides in his mom that he’s worried about Nana. The next morning, Becky, the singer in the show, wakes with a sore throat and cough, and Billy worries—but all goes well when Nana joins Billy for the grand finale.

Set against a desertlike landscape, Bermudez’s colorful, vibrant scenes offer a window and a mirror to culture and custom, as when the brown-skinned Latinx family bow heads and hold hands around the table; cherry empanadas rest on decorated plates. After dinner, guests arrive, and the show commences. In Billy’s narration, simple Spanish phrases appear unapologetically and without translation. An author’s note delves into her grandparents’ experience with dementia and offers useful tips in talking to young children about Alzheimer’s.

A tender tribute to families who have loved ones suffering from dementia. (recipe) (Picture book. 4-8)

SATURDAY

Mora, Oge Illus. by the author Little, Brown (40 pp.) $18.99 | Oct. 22, 2019 978-0-316-43127-9 Caldecott Honoree Mora (Thank You, Omu!, 2018) returns in this sophomore offering about a mother and daughter’s special Saturday.

Young protagonist Ava and her mother love their Saturdays together. Ava’s mother works, “Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday,” so Saturday is their special day. The pairs’ smiles and Ava’s outflung hands convey excitement, while realistic details such as Ava’s mother’s sleep scarf add authenticity. In vignettes, Mora’s collage art chronicles some of their past adventures and shows them performing 124

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Characters earn their happily-ever-after resolutions by learning lessons about dedication, justice, and love. high-five to the hero

LINTANG AND THE PIRATE QUEEN

cartoon illustrations of racially and culturally diverse characters who wear modern attire apart from the occasional wizard robe or suit of armor. Along with promoting representations of sensitive, nurturing men who are unafraid to express themselves, Murrow expands beyond cis-heteronormativity with casual queer representation. Jack, from “Jack and the Beanstalk,” has two moms. The title character of “The Snow Man” falls in love with another Snow man (even if they both melt at the end). Anansi’s child Golden Silk uses they/them pronouns, as does the postal carrier’s partner in “The Pied Piper” (although the binary language of “hardworking men and women” slips in directly after their appearance). Forcefully optimistic—sometimes in defiance of a tale’s original ending—the characters earn their happily-ever-after resolutions by learning lessons about dedication, justice, and love.

An inclusive compilation permeated with strong values.

(Fantasy. 6-10)

Moss, Tamara Clarion (368 pp.) $16.99 | Oct. 15, 2019 978-1-328-46030-1 Series: Lintang, 1

It’s a pirate’s life for Lintang.

For Lintang, humans and “mythies,” magical powerful creatures, tensely coexist. (A creature profile foreshadows some chapters.) Inspired by legends, Lintang yearns for adventure beyond her home island of Tolus. However, she only manages to make trouble despite good intentions and warnings from best friend Bayani. Her fortune turns when the infamous pirate captain Shafira appears, offering to rid the island of a deadly Night Terror in exchange for a child from the village—a necessity for a ship’s safe passage past Nyasamdra, the island’s sea guardian.

Impressed by Lintang’s spunk, Shafira takes the girl onboard, promising a safe return and a priceless necklace to Lintang’s mother as collateral. The all-female pirate crew prepares to hunt sirens when attacks from mythies and a stowaway Bayani— as a boy, vulnerable to sirens’ calls—reveal a more complicated history. A bigger adventure ensues. Lintang’s impulsive tendencies push the plot along, at times frustratingly so. Moss models characters and worldbuilding after aspects of Southeast Asian cultures and Indonesian myths in addition to Western folklore and her own imagination. Inconsistencies coupled with the lack of a cohesive cultural system lead to disjointed details that detract from the story. Several twists provide a peak in intrigue and possibilities but in the end generate more questions than answers, hinting at a sequel.

An imaginative premise ill-served by its execution.

(Fantasy. 10-12)

CREATE A COSTUME

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Myer, Sarah Illus. by the author First Second (128 pp.) $12.99 paper | Aug. 6, 2019 978-1-250-15208-4 Series: Maker Comics Comic book fans Bea and Parker decide to attend their first comic con in cosplay, dressing as their favorite comic

book characters.

The Costume Critter, a hamster that lives in Bea’s bedroom, introduces this graphic novel as an instructional manual for creating self-made costumes. Within the story, each chapter offers illustrations, starting with all of the tools needed to sew, along with sewing safety tips. Following this introduction, there’s a primer on patternmaking, then on how to use a sewing machine.

In each chapter, Bea and Parker come up with various theme ideas for costumes, including witches and wizards, superheroes, and space travelers and astronauts. This guide extends from gathering materials for a costume to step-by-step sewing instructions, seeing the cosplay outfit from conception to fully made garment. A nice touch is the addition of body empowerment that recognizes that cosplayers don’t need to look exactly like comic-book characters in order to enjoy the experience.

Myer also offers comic con attendance tips as well as smart rules of cosplay to help young people stay safe while enjoying the event. The level of detail empowers a young cosplayer to create a costume, though there is the suggestion that an adult may be needed to assist at times. Bea is fat and has beige skin, and Parker presents black.

This user-friendly DIY cosplay guide is just the ticket for creating a fantastic cosplay persona. (Informational graphic novel. 9-13)

HIGH-FIVE TO THE HERO 15 Classic Tales Retold for Boys Who Dare To Be Different

Murrow, Vita Illus. by Bereciartu, Julia Frances Lincoln (96 pp.) $19.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-78603-782-4

This collection reimagines 15 fairy tales with modern touches and community-minded heroes.

At the request of King Midas, Pied Piper, Geppetto, and Anansi, Murrow (Power to the Princess, 2018, etc.) returns with a new set of stories that rethink the roles of heroes, kings, and princes. A young Arthur discovers his talent for solving disputes by listening instead of doing battle. Pinocchio learns a real boy’s heart “gives and receives and loves bravely.” Despite his fears, Quasimodo stands up for what he believes in to save the community center from demolition. Each tale includes bright |

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Badel’s loose, humorous cartoons extend Ouyessad’s all-dialogue exchange with opposing tongue-in-cheek scenes. the wolf will not come

HOW I MET MY MONSTER

excerpt from the Homerooms & Hall Passes rule book, capturing the spirit of their tabletop role-playing game and foreshadowing upcoming encounters. Each adventurer learns a different lesson and grows through their humorous attempts at embodying their game personas. The villain is satisfyingly over-the-top, and his defeat befits the book’s silly sense of humor.

A rollicking, affectionate parody of fantasy role-playing. (Fantasy. 8-12)

Noll, Amanda Illus. by McWilliam, Howard Flashlight Press (32 pp.) $17.95 | Nov. 1, 2019 978-1-947277-09-0 Series: I Need My Monster

In a tardy prequel to I Need My Monster (2009), candidates for that coveted spot under the bed audition.

As the distressingly unflappable young narrator looks on, one monster after another gives it a go—but even with three mouths, the best roar Genghis can manage is a puny “blurp!” silly shadow puppets by shaggy Morgan elicit only a sneeze, and red Abigail’s attempt to startle by hiding in the fridge merely leaves her shivering and pathetic. Fortunately, there’s Gabe, who knows just how to turn big and hairy while lurking outside the bathroom and whose red-eyed stare and gross drooling sends the lad scrambling into bed to save his toes. “Kid, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship,” the toothy terror growls. Right he is, the lad concludes, snuggling down beneath the covers: “His snorts and ooze were perfect.” As usual, the white-presenting child’s big, bright, smiling face and the assortment of bumbling monsters rendered in oversaturated hues keep any actual scariness at tentacle’s length. Moreover, Monster, Inc. fans will delight in McWilliam’s painstaking details of fang, claw, hair, and scales.

Frightful and delightful: a comforting (to some, anyway) reminder that no one sleeps alone. (Picture book. 5-8)

THE LOST HOMEWORK

O’Neill, Richard Illus. by Beautyman, Kirsti Child’s Play (32 pp.) $16.99 | Sep. 1, 2019 978-1-78628-346-7 Series: Travellers’ Tales

So busy is a young Traveler’s weekend that he doesn’t realize until too late that he’s misplaced his homework book.

In the latest of a string of episodes richly infused with Traveler culture, O’Neill (Polonius the Pit Pony, 2018, etc.) pitches bitti mush (little man) Sonny into preparations for a cousin’s wedding that begin with cleaning the special cart and continue through watching a farrier make a new shoe for the driving gry (cart horse) to planning the road trip, dancing after the wedding, telling stories, and more. Afterward, he helps an older neighbor send an email message and makes popovers for Sunday dinner, among other activities. The next day, after fruitlessly searching for his book, Sonny glumly recounts the events of the weekend to the teacher and his class—who point out that his weekend’s included science (with the farrier), “food tech,” music, English, and every other subject too. The author slips Romani words into the narrative without italicizing them but does provide a glossary. Though Sonny lives in a kushti atchin tan (settled community) Beautyman evokes the Traveler way of life by tucking campers or motor homes into the backgrounds of several scenes. Sonny, olive-skinned and dark-haired, joins neighbors and relatives who display a range of skin tones; his classmates reflect the vigorous diversity of today’s British Isles.

The difference between homework and home work?

Nothing, in this case! (Picture book. 6-8)

HOMEROOMS & HALL PASSES

O’Donnell, Tom Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins (352 pp.) $16.99 | Oct. 8, 2019 978-0-06-287214-2 Five heroes face their most trying quest yet: surviving middle school.

In the real world of Bríandalör, Albiorix and his band of fellow adventurers thwart evil forces, but, once a week, on Thursday nights, they meet at the local tavern for a game of Homerooms & Hall Passes, their fantasy role-playing escape.

With dice and their imaginations, they transform into students who worry about class elections, algebra tests, spirit week, and the dreaded five-paragraph essay instead of magic, traps, and treasure. However, even with all his dedication to the game, Albiorix never could have predicted he and his friends would end up transported by a curse into the world of J.A. Dewar Middle School. Now they must struggle through the final two months of the semester in the lives of their characters or risk disappearing forever. Apart from remarks about pointy ears, shiny hair, and muscles, O’Donnell doesn’t give the characters much physical description, but the cover illustration and naming conventions suggest that both the Bríandalörians and middle schoolers are fairly diverse. Every chapter opens with an 126

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THE WOLF WILL NOT COME

Ouyessad, Myriam Illus. by Badel, Ronan Schiffer (28 pp.) $16.99 | Aug. 28, 2019 978-0-7643-5780-0 In a bedside conversation originally published in French, a bunny frets about a wolf ’s coming while Mom tallies all the obstacles that will keep it away. |

SAVING THE TASMANIAN DEVIL How Science Is Helping the World’s Largest Marsupial Carnivore Survive

Badel’s loose, humorous cartoons extend Ouyessad’s alldialogue exchange with opposing tongue-in-cheek scenes of two very long-eared rabbits—one huddled anxiously beneath the sheets, the other puttering about the cozy bedroom—on verso and a feral-looking wolf on recto. The latter can be seen evading hunters blasting away at random, sneaking into the city by pretending to be just a large dog, adroitly avoiding traffic, creeping into a certain building…but “he would not get to our apartment.” “How can you be sure?” “We live on the fifth floor, and wolves do not know how to take the elevator!” “Mom! Do you really think that a wolf who has already managed to do all this will stop because of an elevator?” Finally a firm “Goodnight, my rabbit,” would seem to settle the matter…until there comes a knock at the door followed by the revelation that it was all a setup; the little bunny hurtles across a living room where a birthday party has plainly just taken place, throws open the door, and gives the gift-bearing wolf standing there a mighty hug: “I was sure you would come!” Young audiences sure that the young bunny was about to become a menu item will happily request repeat readings.

This mischievous bit of topsy-turvy is a thoroughgoing delight. (Picture book. 5- 7)

Patent, Dorothy Hinshaw HMH Books (80 pp.) $18.99 | Aug. 20, 2019 978-0-544-99148-4 Series: Scientists in the Field

NYA’S LONG WALK A Step at a Time Park, Linda Sue Illus. by Pinkney, Brian Clarion (32 pp.) $17.99 | Sep. 2, 2019 978-1-328-78133-8

Calamity strikes when two sisters take a trek outside of their village in South Sudan to fetch water in this picture-book adaptation of the bestselling A Long Walk to Water (2010).

Nya, the elder, notices that Akeer is becoming uncharacteristically tearful, then listless. On the titular long walk back, Nya realizes her sister is gravely ill and must struggle to carry both Akeer and the water, going step by step, landmark by landmark.

When they return, Nya learns that Akeer must be taken to the clinic, a journey of two to three days on foot, because she “has the sickness that comes from drinking dirty water.” Exhausted but determined, Nya sets off on the journey with her mother and sister—and that is where the story ends. The three pages that follow combine the fictional story of Nya and Akeer with the true story of Salva Dut and his organization, Water for South Sudan. It explains what’s happened to Akeer and that clean-water wells eventually come to Nya’s village, but it is not an adequate conclusion for this story that began so full of compassion, sacrifice, and love. Curious readers will wonder what the journey was like for the mother and her daughters and what Akeer felt as she recovered, but that is left to their imaginations.

Pinkney’s swirling brush strokes, dominated by brown, terra cotta, and gold, indicate the desert landscape, focusing on the children’s tired, stoic faces.

Compelling characters in a story that’s too short for them. (Picture book. 5-8)

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Scientists from different disciplines, career stages, and parts of the world work toward saving the Tasmanian devil, an Australian carnivore threatened with extinction due to the devil facial tumor disease.

When Patent began working on her investigation of the story of this rapidly advancing, apparently communicable cancer, scientists feared it was soon going to wipe out the species except in captivity. But progress in several fields, the work of both caretakers of captive populations and those who reintroduce some to the wild, and the adaptations and evolution of the animals themselves give hope for a different outcome. The author’s long experience writing for young readers is evident.

She organizes this complex account in ways that make it clear and provides background that middle school readers will need: introducing this secretive and often maligned mammal; explaining the disease and its effects on the animals’ genes; describing rescue efforts in the field; and showing lab work toward developing an effective vaccine. She interviews and accompanies four featured white scientists, male and female, as well as others involved in this work, and ends each chapter with a short summary note headed “What I learned.” Photographs show the Tasmanian landscape, other wildlife, researchers at work, spacious areas for captive devils, and the animals themselves, which are dog-sized, furry, and reasonably appealing when their mouths are closed and their threatening teeth are hidden.

A message of hope from Scientists in the Field. (acknowledgments, glossary, further information, sources, photo credits, index) (Nonfiction. 11-15)

THANKU Poems of Gratitude

Ed. by Paul, Miranda Illus. by Myles, Marlena Millbrook/Lerner (40 pp.) $19.99 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-1-5415-2363-0

An anthology of diverse voices united by the theme of giving thanks.

In her editorial debut, Paul (Nine Months: Before a Baby Is Born, 2019, etc.) pairs over 30 poems with Myles’ (Spirit Lake Dakota/Mohegan/Muscokee Creek) spirited illustrations capturing favorite things for which the nearly three-dozen poets represented here are thankful. Motivated by the sentiment that gratitude should be expressed year-round, Paul collects poems |

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FIGHTING FOR THE FOREST How FDR’s Civilian Conservation Corps Helped Save America

as varied in form as content. The poets not only select a wide array of objects inspiring gratitude—including dimples, “Deep indents in my brown skin / Inspired by the smile bouncing upward from my toes”; an alluring “ocean rock” too perfect for skipping across the water; and the rich experience behind “each scar”—but employ incredibly varied lyric forms such as acrostic, ballad, tricube, even “math poems” (“family + friends + love = a thankful heart”). Myles’ colorful digitally rendered illustrations help contextualize the poems, saturated, often abstract backgrounds complementing neatly outlined, diverse figures. While Paul’s choice of contributors and Myles’ depictions of characters are refreshingly inclusive, the collection succeeds more in its individual poetic efforts than an anthology as a whole.

Backmatter includes a guide to the forms and devices on display, thumbnail bios of each contributor, and an author’s note complicating simplistic perceptions of Thanksgiving.

Lovely lyric lessons in appreciating the ordinary. (resources) (Picture book/poetry. 6-10)

Pearson, P. O’Connell Simon & Schuster (208 pp.) $17.99 | Oct. 8, 2019 978-1-5344-2932-1

A history of the Civilian Conservation Corp, one of President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal projects that put hundreds of thousands of Americans back to work during the Great Depression.

In just a little over a month after the president’s inauguration, the CCC was conceived, created, and already at work, a model of government interagency cooperation and collaboration involving the departments of Agriculture, Interior, Labor, and War. Pearson highlights the essential role of Labor Secretary Frances Perkins, the first female Cabinet secretary, in securing funding for the CCC from Congress and recruiting and enrolling young men for the program. The CCC constructed or improved hundreds of state and national parks, restored nearly 120 million acres of land, and planted some 3 billion trees. The latter part of the narrative is focused through the experiences of several of those who served. The story of Houston Pritchett, an African American from Detroit, allows Pearson to explore how CCC director Robert Fechner segregated the corps despite an anti-discrimination amendment attached to its funding. A great deal of helpful background information about the Great Depression and Roosevelt’s New Deal programs is provided in boxed featurettes in such profusion that they frequently interrupt the narrative.

An informative, inspiring look at desperate times and how government can achieve great things through cooperation and good leadership. (photos, bibliography, endnotes) (Nonfiction. 10-14)

OSCAR SEEKS A FRIEND

Pawlak, Pawel Illus. by the author Trans. by Lloyd-Jones, Antonia Lantana (40 pp.) $17.99 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-1-911373-79-7 “It’s hard for a small, ugly skeleton to make friends.”

Skeleton Oscar is sad when he loses a tooth—he looks “so dreadful” without it—but at least he has his skeleton dog, Tag, to play with. One day, he sees a little girl burying a tooth; she seems to be a possible friend. When she sees Oscar’s missing tooth, she laughs out loud and offers him the tooth she is about to bury. A moment later, she takes him by the hand, and their adventure begins. The minimal text lets the collaged pictures tell the story. Oscar and the girl look at a rainbow and smell the scent of wet grass and visit her house, where they meet her ma.

They also frolic at the seaside and share their biggest secrets.

Oscar takes her by the hand to return the favor. He takes her to his favorite places: the park and the library and up a tree to look for sleeping butterflies. Readers will note that the backgrounds of her world are vivid and bright while his are black with hints of brown and warm reds. Both are richly textured and fanciful, the gutter serving as permeable demarcation between worlds.

At day’s end, Oscar gives her back the tooth; what he’s found is much more valuable.

Color and composition combine to beautifully express friendship and the wonders of the world. (Picture book. 3-12)

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WHAT IF MY DOG HAD THUMBS?

Perry, Mike Illus. by the author Dottir Press (48 pp.) $19.95 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-1-948340-09-0

The titular question is explored in rhyming verse.

Visually, this book screams for attention with its illustrations in intense neon colors and striking contrasts (think dandelion yellow and magenta highlighted with cherry red or royal blue, magenta, and dandelion yellow accented with gold). Dog fans will love the main character—a shaggy canine that oozes personality and thrives on an adventure-filled, if imaginary, life. Word lovers will jump into the fun and ponder the question: “Would she walk around town |

Each page turn reveals artwork that perfectly matches the text’s ability to combine serious wondering, humor, and grace. thank you!

FROGGY DAY

shaking hands with all of her chums?” A spotted dog’s paw and the protagonist’s clasp across the gutter. “Would she go to the store, just to explore / what she could wear on the dance floor?”

She boogies in blue jeans beneath a disco ball. The possibilities are endless, and each one is just a bit more complicated and unlikely than the one before. The rhyme isn’t always perfect, but the wordplay, always fun and sometimes philosophical, just asks to be read aloud. “Would she pick apples and make a pie? / Would she close her eyes and try to touch the sky?” The unstudied, playful aesthetic encourages readers to embrace the looniness and have fun creating their own imaginative rhymes. No possibility is too silly.

Creative concept and wordplay with playful illustration you can enjoy with your thumbs. (Picture book. 5-8)

Pindar, Heather Illus. by Bakos, Barbara Maverick Publishing (32 pp.) $17.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-84886-411-5

CATASTROPHE BY THE SEA

Peterson, Brenda Illus. by Young, Ed West Margin Press (32 pp.) $16.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-1-5132-6234-5

A lost Siamese cat learns about life on an ocean beach and in a tide pool.

Catastrophe the cat has wandered too far from home, ending up alone on a beach. He is befriended by several sea creatures who speak kindly to him. These characters include a sea anemone named Naimonee and a barnacle named Buddy. Dancing crabs and sand dollars join Buddy and pals in a “barnacle band” as they click their shells like castanets.

Catastrophe survives being sucked into the tide pool by the undertow, and he is eventually rescued by two brown-skinned children who recognize him from lost-cat posters they have seen in the area. Caldecott Medalist Young’s collage illustrations are intriguing but mysterious, as it is sometimes difficult to identify characters, and the text often feels out of sync with the illustrations. Buddy the barnacle in particular is problematic, as he is a main character but is seldom shown and difficult to spot. Many of the torn-paper collage illustrations of the cat are compelling, and the variety of textures and effects achieved with the combination of different papers is fascinating when perused closely. As explained in an afterword, the fanciful story was developed in partnership with the Seattle Aquarium as an effort to increase empathy for sea life.

A well-intended, unusual, but not entirely successful story bringing sea creatures into focus. (Picture book. 4-9)

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A boisterous concept book offers opportunity for wordplay, vocabularybuilding, and audience participation.

When it’s froggy, it’s just froggy everywhere! A weather announcement introduces the primary wordplay concept: It’s just “froggy” today. A tour through the town bears witness to what happens when greatly enthusiastic, anthropomorphic frogs overrun the streets, bus, park, shops, construction sites, and more. Bright, warm applications of blue, yellow, and green along with round, simplified faces and cartoony frogs invite young eyes to the page. Reds, browns, and blues are added to balance the truly busy and “froggy” nature of some full spreads. Layered silhouettes bring depth to some spreads. The printed text meanders or tucks itself into negative space, with “frog” or “froggy” printed in boldface to stand out. Working on the premise that repetition is a building block for learning, the persistent frogs urge readers to hop from page to page. Each scene offers a chance to point out new and unfamiliar vocabulary along with chances to make a honking boat sound or perhaps count the number of frogs that can fit into a teacher’s hair (at least three). The majority of the unnamed characters are white and fairly slender, with no visible disabilities. Thin on plot and thick with frogs, this book would pair well with an old favorite like Deborah Bruss and Tiphanie Beeke’s Book! Book! Book! or David Shannon’s Duck on a Bike (both 2001).

A picture book true to its name. (Picture book. 3-5)

THANK YOU!

Pita, Charo Illus. by Allepuz, Anuska Trans. by Manley, Pip Eerdmans (32 pp.) $16.99 | Aug. 20, 2019 978-0-8028-5524-4 Instead of getting specific answers to each of her many questions, Isabella learns from Grandma that, often, gratitude is enough The sole characters in the book first appear on the cover: light-skinned and rosy-cheeked and smiling at each other. The opening double-page spread is more dramatic: The pair’s dark silhouettes huddle at the top of an equally dark bluff, near a wildly crashing sea of broad, blue brush strokes. After asserting that her grandmother knows everything, Isabella asks her first question: “Tell me, why does the sea stop at the sand, instead of swallowing up the whole town with its watery mouth?” Grandma is silent, but with each page turn, Isabella asks further questions, which will resonate with most children—questions about our world that have been pondered for generations. Each page turn also reveals artwork that perfectly matches the text’s ability to combine |

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Long, layered smears of white create a satisfying illusion of a blizzard. snowy race

serious wondering, humor, and grace. When Grandma finally speaks, she lets Isabella know that there is a way to deal with “all of these mysteries.” Together, the two of them shout thank-you’s to the sea, the wind, and other natural wonders. The sun sets over their Mediterranean-looking village (this is a Spanish import), and they head home. At bedtime, Isabella asks another unanswerable question, but this time, she has a ready response to the mystery. Too many grandparent-grandchild books are mawkishly sentimental. This one is reverent and transcendent.

The title says it all. (Picture book. 3-6)

A cowgirl finds herself in quite a pickle when she feels the urge to take care of some necessary business. Trouble is, all the critters she encounters give her bad advice. A hound dog suggests she go in a grassy pasture, but a horse dispels that myth right quick (“This is where a pony goes potty!”). The horse suggests a canyon, but the coyotes rebuff her intentions, saying that’s their potty place. On and on it goes, each animal suggesting a location only to have another lay claim to the spot. The poor cowgirl is fit to burst when at long last she spies the rancher’s well-appointed indoor toilet. The animals are aghast, but clearly that is the right place to go. While some potty trainees may enjoy the malarkey, this book is clearly aimed at the older set, for whom toilet misadventures are the height of humor.

Alas, the book lacks a satisfying ending, choosing to merely finish with a “Thank you” Post-it left in the cowgirl’s wake. Souva’s art gets the job done and somehow avoids any actual depiction of excrement or urine along the way. The cowgirl presents white.

Potty humor—not instruction—with goofs and gaffes galore. (Picture book. 3-6)

SNOWY RACE

Prince, April Jones Illus. by Davenier, Christine Margaret Ferguson/Holiday House (40 pp.) $18.99 | Nov. 26, 2019 978-0-8234-4141-9 A young child rides along in the snowplow to complete a very special errand.

Chronicling the breathless moment when a child will “finally get to help!” and be included in the adult world of work, a child protagonist (with car seat!) loads into Dad’s oversized plow truck to zoom off through a snowstorm. Conveyed in expressive couplets, the well-paced rhymes admirably evoke a sense of urgency about their trip and vividly paint a scene of the worsening wintry weather: “Frosty crystals chase and spin. / Snowplow shifts and tunnels in.” When the pair finally reaches their destination, readers see what made this particular journey so important—it’s Mom waiting for them at the train station! Swift, impressionistic sketches filled with soft pastel-hued washes create pastoral snowy scenes that contrast with the warmer, more saturated domestic scenes and with the thick-lined, cherry-red snowplow.

Long, layered smears of white create a satisfying illusion of a blizzard, and Davenier utilizes various interesting perspectives, such as the view into the snowy woods from behind the windshield.

Gender is handled refreshingly here, with Dad capably handling child care and chores, and while the flap copy refers to the child as female, the long-haired child appears in neutral primary colors, and bedroom decor includes trucks and elephants, with nary a pink toy in sight. All three family members have pale skin, Dad with brown hair and Mom and child with straight, black hair.

A winning winter race. (Picture book. 3- 7)

WILLY’S WORLD OF WONDERS

Puchner, Willy Illus. by the author Trans. by Wilson, David Henry NorthSouth (64 pp.) $17.95 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-0-7358-4383-7

Tiny visits to wonderful locations.

Avian weddings, Jurassic comparisons, and minuscule whispers populate this book as Austrian artist Puchner invites readers to embark on an imaginative adventure. Bizarrely peculiar and wonderful, the surrealist journey keeps them tethered to reality as it incorporates sly references to popular culture, such as Salvador Dalí and Star Trek. The narrator often directly addresses the audience, using the second person. Prompting philosophical thoughts about paradise or praising readers’ existence, the narrative invites constant thought and examination between reality and dreams. With active ambiguity, the narrator seems to morph through the different creatures portrayed as the perspective switches from a cat receiving presents to a rabbit perusing photographs, for instance. With no clear narrative or story progression, the book requires diligence to persevere in its reading. Offering a smorgasbord of creatures and locations, Puchner plunges readers into the depths of the ocean and elevates them to the highest reaches of the cosmos from one page to the next. It’s dizzying. However, the sequence of spreads invites patient reading as it displays a visually enticing set of illustrations and begs for the deciphering of meaning.

An adventurous exploration into the deepest recesses of imagination. (Picture book. 5-10)

WHERE DOES A COWGIRL GO POTTY?

Prochovnic, Dawn Babb Illus. by Souva, Jacob West Margin Press (32 pp.) $16.99 | Oct. 8, 2019 978-1-5132-6238-3

Privy privations lead a desperate cowhand on a wild goose chase.

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BEWARE!

clear colors. Human figures—beginning with Adam and Eve in leafy garb and ending, except for a few vignettes, with an evolutionary line leading up to the white-bearded scientist himself— default to white.

Cogent review of some landmark ideas, now seemingly obvious but once revolutionary. (author’s note, bibliography, glossary) (Informational picture book. 8-11)

Raczka, Bob Illus. by Day, Larry Charlesbridge (32 pp.) $15.99 | Oct. 8, 2019 978-1-58089-683-2 The five letters in the title—two vowels and three consonants—spell out all the words necessary to tell the story of two animals usually at odds but who become steadfast friends.

A young bumblebee named Bree and a young bear named Abe are each cautioned by their parents to beware the other.

Of course, they do not listen to this advice as they are each gathering flowers and have a painful encounter marked with a “RRRRR!” and an “EEEEE!” And it is a somewhat achy meeting at that, with each animal bemoaning its sore “rear” over several pages. Happily, this leads to mutual introductions, and, with the presentation of a flower, an endearing friendship. “Aww….”

Day’s watercolor and pen-and-ink illustrations present two cuddly critters in a woodland setting with lots of close-ups of their facial expressions. White space effectively showcases the antics of Bree and Abe, allowing readers to easily follow their adventures. Children may enjoy pointing out each of the delimited letters in every word of the tale.

A cautionary tale that adults can take on one level but that children will enjoy at its most basic. (Picture book. 3-5)

I AM A THIEF!

Rayner, Abigail Illus. by Ruttan, Molly NorthSouth (40 pp.) $17.95 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-0-7358-4289-2

CHARLES DARWIN’S ON THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES

Adapt. by Radeva, Sabina Illus. by Radeva, Sabina Crown (64 pp.) $18.99 | Oct. 29, 2019 978-1-9848-9491-5

An introduction for younger readers to the major ideas in a seminal work of science.

Radeva, a graphic designer with a background in molecular biology, uses a combination of simply phrased statements and short quotes to boil down Darwin’s main notions about variety among both wild and domesticated animals, the struggle for existence that drives the process of natural selection, the development of instinct and of complex organs over long spans of time, and the anatomical resemblances in seemingly disparate species that point to common ancestries. Studiously avoiding mention of religion (“For most of human history, many people believed that everything on the world was created all at once”), she sketches out the genesis of Darwin’s thesis with nods to Buffon and Lamarck, brings his theories up to the present with discussions of epigenetics and other recent evolutionary insights, then closes with rebuttals to select “Misconceptions” about Darwinism’s precepts. Opening and closing with dozens of labeled butterflies and other insects on the endpapers, the illustrations feature gatherings of naïve-style flora and (mostly) fauna, drawn in minimal but precise detail and lit with bright,

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Eliza is appalled to discover that she is a thief; can she ever redeem herself?

It all starts when Eliza—Line Leader, Caring Friend, Captain of the Worm Rescue Team—swipes a sparkly stone from the table in her classroom. It wasn’t her fault. The stone made her do it. But as soon as it’s hers, Eliza becomes a thief. Her reflection looks back at her through a bandit’s mask, and the stone, wearing devilish horns and a pointy tail, oppresses her all day. As the entire class searches for the stone, Eliza agonizes about putting it back. What if someone sees? She goes home and asks the adults in her life if they have ever stolen anything. Her father hasn’t, but nearly everyone else admits to having stolen something. Still, Eliza goes to bed in tears, thinking of her disappointed classmates. The next day, she returns the stone to Ms. Delano. And rather than judge her harshly, Ms. Delano calls her…“BRAVE?” Eliza realizes that “nobody is just a thief. Everyone is a lot of things!” This humorous story speaks to anyone who has made a regrettable mistake, rounding it out with a gently ironic surprise final spread. The playful illustrations feature textured shading and expressive lines highlighting Eliza’s active imagination. Eliza and her family present as white; Ms. Delano has brown skin, and Eliza’s classmates are multiracial.

Hilarious and sweet, with a gentle, affirming moral.

(Picture book. 4-9)

ONE FOX A Counting Book Thriller

Read, Kate Illus. by the author Peachtree (32 pp.) $16.95 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-68263-131-7

A hungry, sneaky fox silently approaches a henhouse and gets the surprise of its life.

A farmyard serves as the setting for a counting book, with each number—one per double-page spread—depicting how a ruddy, crimson fox with a long, flowing tail closes in on its prey. “1 / One famished fox.” The fox curls on recto, pupils directed at the page |

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WHY?

turn. “2 / Two sly eyes.” The fox’s face dominates the verso, eyes focused on a single feather on recto. “3 / Three plump hens.” The fearsome action builds and darkens as the fox’s proximity increases until it is inside. “8 / Eight beady eyes” presents the shadowy outlines of three large hens with white worrying eyes looking at the fox’s head, also shadowed, with white menacing eyes and sharp fangs. “9 / Nine flying feathers // 10 / Ten sharp teeth” gives the impression of a fatal conclusion. But turn the page, and amid the scurry and scuffle of feathers flying and hens running, strength in numbers prevails. “100 / One hundred angry hens” startle and chase away “1…one frightened fox.” In a manner reminiscent of Pat Hutchins’ Rosie’s Walk (1967), the intrigue and story arc are communicated visually while the counting progresses. Lovely, potent, brightly colored illustrations in a combination of textured collage and paint against white space transition to a dark, moonlit backdrop. Little ones will eagerly count in subsequent readings as they also learn new descriptive vocabulary and cheer for the brave hens.

A classic scenario flips the script in this engrossing adventure. (Picture book. 3-5)

Rex, Adam Illus. by Keane, Claire Chronicle (60 pp.) $17.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-4521-6863-0 Doctor X-Ray, a megalomaniac with an X-ray blaster and an indestructible battle suit, crashes through the ceiling of the local mall.

Innocent patrons scatter to safety. But one curious child gazes directly at the bully and asks: “Why?” At first, Doctor X-Ray answers with all the menace and swagger of a supervillain.

The curious child, armed with only a stuffed bear and clad in a bright red dress, is not satisfied with the answers and continues asking: “Why?” As his pale cheeks flush with emotion, Doctor X-Ray peels back the onion of his interior life, unearthing powerful reasons behind his pursuit of tyranny. This all sounds heavy, but the humorously monotonous questions coupled with freewheeling illustrations by Keane set a quick pace with comical results. At 60 pages, the book has room to follow this thread back to the diabolical bully’s childhood. Most of the answers go beyond a child’s understanding—parental entertainment between the howl of the monosyllabic chorus. It is the digital artwork, which is reminiscent of Quentin Blake’s, that creates a joyful undercurrent of rebellion with bold and loose brush strokes, patches of color, and expressive faces. The illustrations harken to a previous era save for the thoroughly liberated Asian child speaking truth to power.

A funny David-versus-Goliath story with a one-word question serving as the slingshot. (Picture book. 3-5)

THE BOY WHO INVENTED THE POPSICLE The Cool Science Behind Frank Epperson’s Famous Frozen Treat Renaud, Anne Illus. by Pavlović, Milan Kids Can (40 pp.) $16.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-5253-0028-8

Boxing is known as the sweet science, but the inventor of the Popsicle, might disagree.

Born in 1894, Frank William Epperson always seemed to know he wanted to be a great inventor when he grew up. He was an inquisitive young boy, always pondering big questions: “Do goldfish sleep? Do ants have ears? Do woodpeckers get headaches from pecking all day?” Frank’s back porch was his laboratory, where he “tinkered and tested. Analyzed and scrutinized.” When he was 10, he built a handcar with two handles and zipped around the neighborhood. But it was his interest in liquids, flavored soda waters in particular, that led to his great invention. One unusually cold San Francisco night in 1905, he left one of his drinks outside, and by morning it had frozen. “He had invented a frozen drink on a stick!” But it wasn’t until years later that the adult Epperson acted on the memory. He created a box in which he could freeze several test tubes filled with fruit juice and created the Ep-sicle to sell at shops, county fairs, and beaches. Pavlović’s exuberant mixed-media illustrations are the perfect complement to Renaud’s lively text. They even intersperse science experiments to help young readers understand the science behind Frank’s procedures. Epperson, his family, and his environs were white; the final double-page spread offers a diverse cast of characters united in their love of Epperson’s invention, now called Popsicles.

Sweet. (Picture book. 4-8) 132

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ON THE STROKE OF GOODNIGHT

Rice, Clay Illus. by the author Familius (32 pp.) $16.99 | Aug. 1, 2019 978-1-64170-144-0

A lyrical poem fit for any bedtime ritual.

Rice captures the soothing rhythms of the night in an ode to bedtime that will please any toddler. Using what appear to be cut-paper silhouettes on solid and gradient-color backings, Rice fills each page with images of evening repose: ducks napping, deer browsing, a squirrel sleeping, and so on. The silhouettes are touched with buff highlights, giving them shape and suggesting feathers, fur, and a fawn’s spots. In many of the pictures, the image of a clock can be seen with its hands pointing to the late-night/early-morning hours to further suggest the lateness of the day. Often superimposed on tree trunks, the clock takes on many forms—a duck’s home, a birdhouse, a shed, and so on— to better blend into the scenery of the night. The poem centers on a rural family of unknown ethnicity with chickens, sheep, and farming equipment, but urban and suburban children will |

Ford’s stylings blend seamlessly with previous illustrator Tom Lichtenheld’s creations. three cheers for kid mcgear!

respond to the story as well based on the easy flow of the rhyme, the titular line acting as a refrain. “A calf in the barn. A sheep in her stall. / A colt casts a shadow on the weathered wall. // A hen warms her eggs. Rooster waits for first light. / And all is quiet at the stroke of goodnight.” The story should also find a place of honor in pajama storytimes in schools, preschools, and libraries.

Simply sublime. (Picture book. 2-6)

as hard as ever. When a peppy skid steer is delivered on-site, she’s not quite like the others. Small, energetic, and ready to learn, the little loader is pooh-poohed by our heroes. However, when an accident occurs and traps the excavator and the bulldozer, guess who’s quick and able to change to meet every new situation? Using wit and grit (literally), the newest member of the team is able to figure out how to save the two machines, obliterating every obstacle in her path. Child fans of the series may appreciate the combination of construction tools with a good old-fashioned rescue attempt. Their caregivers may appreciate the presence of a heroic vehicle that is identified as female.

While Rinker’s text occasionally strains the tensile strength of her rhyme schemes (“With a scoop on her front end, / she gives a turn, a twist, a bend”), Ford’s stylings blend seamlessly with previous illustrator Tom Lichtenheld’s creations.

Expect series fans to give three beeps for joy. (Picture book. 3-6)

THE LAST DRAGON

Riley, James Aladdin (384 pp.) $18.99 | Oct. 8, 2019 978-1-5344-2572-9 Series: The Revenge of Magic, 2 Nightmarish visions prompt desperate gambles for young magic-wielder Fort as he continues his efforts to rescue his father from the mysterious Old Ones.

Showing no inclination to pick up the opener’s plodding pace, Riley marches his preteen spellcaster through wordy reveries and exposition, conveniently overheard conversations, and recurrent dream encounters with a foe given to ALL-CAPS bombast as one ill-starred rescue scheme gives way on the fly to others. Doing his best to shuck annoyed friends and allies who insist on saving his bacon anyway, Fort eventually finds himself in a subterranean realm facing dwarves, elves (one elf, anyway), huge monsters—and an Old One who turns out to be a dragon willing to help subdue his three repressive kindred elementals before laboriously “fathering” an egg. (Just to muddy the waters a bit more, the titular dragon turns out to be another one altogether, hiding back on Earth and remaining offstage throughout this episode.) Magic, mostly teleportation and telepathy with admixtures of mind control and the occasional exploding fireball, gets brisk workouts, but in the end, the dark is still rising. Fort seems too colorless to inspire the sort of loyalty he gets from his supporting cast, which is well stocked with firecrackers and wild cards. Again, Fort’s circle isn’t entirely white, but the default is in operation.

A muddled middle, with little sign of movement toward a final conflict or resolution. (Fantasy. 10-13)

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JOIN THE NO-PLASTIC CHALLENGE! A First Book of Reducing Waste

Ritchie, Scot Illus. by the author Kids Can (32 pp.) $16.99 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-1-5253-0240-4 Series: Exploring Our Community

Nick and his friends demonstrate that even young children can reduce their reliance on single-use plastics.

Four friends, a dog, and a cat join Nick to celebrate his birthday with a single-use-plastics–free picnic. Spread by spread, Ritchie introduces the ubiquity of plastics in our world, the availability of alternatives to single-use plastics, the problem of plastic waste in waterways and ocean gyres, and how it harms animals—and the people who eat them. On the ferry to the island where they will picnic, the children notice trash in the water, the lack of recycling bins, and the sale of drinks with straws (text reminds readers that some people with disabilities need straws). One spread offers a step-by-step diagram of plastic manufacture; another suggests ways to avoid plastics. Finally, the five partygoers help with a beach cleanup (wearing gloves).

Engaging digital artwork may remind readers of the ink-andwatercolor illustrations of Bob Graham. There are even occasional shifts in perspective. Like his ponytailed mother, Nick is white; he wears glasses; his friends have names and appearances of varying ethnicities. Another ferry passenger is using a wheelchair. A simple, two-level text tells the story of their day, with further explanations from the author in a different type. At a time of heightened awareness of plastic pollution in the ocean, adults will welcome this introduction.

Sweetly packaged, simple steps we all can take. (glossary) (Informational picture book. 4-8)

THREE CHEERS FOR KID MCGEAR!

Rinker, Sherri Duskey Illus. by Ford, A.G. Chronicle (40 pp.) $17.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-1-4521-5582-1 Series: Good Night, Good Night, Construction Site Look out, look out, construction site. There’s a new kid in town.

The latest entry in the Good Night, Good Night, Construction Site series sees the five core construction vehicles working |

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Rogers saves this compact, kid-friendly poem as the finale to her clever, biographically rooted close reading.

16 words

QUEEN OF PHYSICS How Wu Chien Shiung Helped Unlock the Secrets of the Atom

all come out. She tries subduing them with a lasso, an eye patch, and a sombrero, but she is defeated. Next, she tries “sashes and sequins and bows,” throwing the fashion pieces on the monsters, who… “begin to pose and primp and preen.” After that success, their fashion show becomes a nightly ritual. Clever Pippa’s transformation from scared victim of her own imagination to leader of the monster pack feels fairly sudden, but it’s satisfying nonetheless. The cartoony illustrations effectively use dynamic strokes, shadow, and light to capture action on the page and the feeling of Pippa’s fears taking over her real space. Pippa and her parents are brown-skinned with curls of various textures.

A delicious triumph over fear of night creatures. (Picture book. 4- 7)

Robeson, Teresa Illus. by Huang, Rebecca Minhsuan Sterling (48 pp.) $16.95 | Sep. 17, 2019 978-1-4549-3220-8 Series: People Who Shaped Our World Societal limits cannot extinguish talent.

When Wu Chien Shiung is born, her parents worry, “What would become of her?” Due to sexist mores, “in those days, girls were not sent to school.” But Chien Shiung was lucky, as before she was born both parents had opened a school for girls, encouraging families in their town of Liuhe to educate their daughters.

“Soon enough, Chien Shiung [has] learned everything she could from her parents’ school,” leaving for the city of Suzhou, miles away from home and family. There she finds her passions for physics, reading (or “self-learning”), and politics. Her extraordinary talent takes her to bigger opportunities and further away from home. Eventually she ends up at Columbia University in New York. Because of her expertise in beta decay, three groups of scientists enlist her help with their research. From her work, all three groups win the Nobel Prize, but she is overlooked every single time. And “because she [is] a woman, because she [is] Asian,” Chien Shiung is passed over for jobs. Yet her advocacy and sheer talent cannot be ignored for much longer. Huang utilizes spirited mixed-media images with a neutral palette to illuminate Shiung’s journey. Robeson is seemingly engrossed in the details, giving the longer-than-usual text the feel of a recitation of facts.

The fascinating life of the subject compensates for a somewhat dry and lengthy narration. (Picture book/biography.

6-9)

HOW DO YOU FEEL?

Rockwell, Lizzy Illus. by the author Holiday House (32 pp.) $18.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-0-8234-4051-1

Rockwell explores a wide array of emotions.

The book’s playground setting provides an ideal backdrop for this close look at common emotions children feel every day. Beginning with a wide perspective, Rockwell shows a smattering of kids, all different races, playing on the playground. By looking at the vignettes surrounding the various play structures, readers can begin to guess how each child may be feeling. Rockwell then zooms in to focus on one emotion per spread. “Do you feel happy?” A gleeful tot cuddles a puppy. “Do you feel sad?” A youngster sees a dead bird on the ground. “Do you feel sorry?” An apologetic kid mops up a mess. By highlighting each emotion separately and giving appropriate focus to the face of the child feeling the emotion, with the corresponding circumstantial scene on the opposite page, Rockwell gives space for readers to talk about why the characters are feeling that way.

Facial clues such as blushed cheeks, tears, and furrowed brows help readers learn to infer emotions from expressions.

Important work for children learning empathy and to validate their own feelings. (Picture book. 2-6)

PIPPA’S NIGHT PARADE

Robinson, Lisa Illus. by Fleming, Lucy Two Lions (32 pp.) $17.99 | Oct. 8, 2019 978-1-5420-9300-2

16 WORDS William Carlos Williams and “The Red Wheelbarrow”

Pippa conquers a fear of the creatures that emerge from her storybooks at night.

Pippa’s “wonderfully wild imagination” can sometimes run “a little TOO wild.” During the day, she wears her “armor” and is a force to be reckoned with. But in bed at night, Pippa worries about “villains and monsters and beasts.” Sharp-toothed and -taloned shadows, dragons, and pirates emerge from her storybooks like genies from a bottle, just to scare her. Pippa flees to her parents’ room only to be brought back time and again. Finally, Pippa decides that she “needs a plan” to “get rid of them once and for all.” She decides to slip a written invitation into every book, and that night, they 134

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Rogers, Lisa Illus. by Groenink, Chuck Schwartz & Wade/Random (40 pp.) $17.99 | $20.99 PLB | Sep. 24, 2019 978-1-5247-2016-2 978-1-5247-2017-9 PLB The fictionalized backstory behind William Carlos Willams’ most famous poem. |

In her picture-book debut, Rogers teams up with Groenink to offer a glimpse of William Carlos Williams’ intriguing life and to imagine what may have inspired his signature poem, “The Red Wheelbarrow”: “so much depends / upon / a red wheel / barrow / glazed with rain / water / beside the white / chickens.”

Written in 1923 in suburban northern New Jersey, this 16-word free-verse lyric helped establish the family physician/poet as a beacon of 20th-century American imagist poetry. Here Rogers saves this compact, kid-friendly poem as the finale to her clever, biographically rooted close reading, in which she explores what exactly depends upon that wheelbarrow: namely the livelihood of gardener Thaddeus Marshall, Williams’ neighbor, and those fed by the vegetables the wheelbarrow helps him deliver—and Williams’ yearning to create art. Rogers not only calls attention to the objects included in the poem, but pointedly notes what was omitted: “Those sixteen words…do not describe Mr. Marshall’s life of work or caring or love. But somehow they say just that.” Groenink’s richly layered, chalky illustrations expressively realize in muted earth tones the all-important everyday elements of Williams’ world. They reveal Marshall to be black— one of few people of color living alongside the mostly white population of Rutherford, New Jersey.

At once spare and lush: a gorgeous introduction to the power of poetry. (author’s note, further reading) (Picture book/poetry. 3-8)

feature “wood-grained” blocks; trees are drawn with rounded leaves and sticklike trunks. Characters default white. A spread in the backmatter includes photos of some of Wright’s most famous structures.

A competent introduction to a master whose ideas still influence today’s buildings. (author’s note, sources) (Picture book/biography. 7-10)

BLUE CAT

Ryan, Charlie Eve Illus. by the author StarBerry Books (32 pp.) $17.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-63592-134-2

PRAIRIE BOY Frank Lloyd Wright Turns the Heartland Into a Home

Rosenstock, Barb Illus. by Neal, Christopher Silas Calkins Creek/Boyds Mills (32 pp.) $17.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 978-1-62979-440-2

An American master builder was inspired by basic geometry and the Midwestern prairie.

In boyhood, Frank Lloyd Wright was entranced by the land around him. To help him cope with frequent family moves that take him far from his beloved Wisconsin home, Wright’s mother gave him sets of wooden blocks; he loved the myriad ways he could arrange their shapes. Recognizing that the multicolored, European-style homes popular at the time didn’t meld with the landscape’s natural contours nor suit contemporary American lifestyles, the adult Wright envisioned “a new kind of house.” He opened his own firm and, using the plains’ own shapes and colors as templates, designed long, rectangular “Prairie Houses” that blended organically into their surroundings. The text is serviceable as it provides a simple blueprint of the life and career of this 20th-century visionary, but there is no glossary for the many architecture-related terms used.

Wright quotes appear throughout. Readers will be interested in how Wright’s fascination with shapes and nature informed his work and should be encouraged to create their own “building designs.” Dynamic mixed-media illustrations are replete with shapes: Many pages emphasize verticals and horizontals; some

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A cat engages in typical feline behavior before settling in for a snuggle.

Blue Cat smiles out from the cover. Blue Cat’s fur has a textured, almost stuccolike look, and the character’s edges are slightly blurred, creating a sense of softness. Inside, the illustrations have a collage-style appearance and folk-art feel. Some items in the pictures are textured like Blue Cat, others have crosshatching, both fine (the floor) and coarse (yarn balls). Still others, such as the wallpaper and curtains, are smooth, with small repeating patterns. These echo the designs on the front (floral) and back (hearts and cherries) endpapers. The brief text consists of short declarative sentences, most starting with “Blue Cat” and including just one other word: “Blue Cat lounges… stretches…swats,” etc. After taking a flying leap at the fish bowl and spending some time being petted (as the fish gives Blue Cat serious side-eye), Blue Cat hears something and takes off again.

Readers will likely be surprised to discover that Blue Cat should more accurately be called Blue Kitten, as is clear in comparison with the much larger (bright red) Mama Cat. The brevity and predictability of the text suggest that this would be most suitable for toddlers. Older listeners might be happier with Kathi Appelt and Penelope Dullaghan’s more energetic and equally blue Max (Max Attacks, 2019).

Appealing illustrations and minimal, repetitive text make this ideal for toddlers. (Picture book. 2-5)

TYAJA USES THE THINK TEST

Ryden, Linda Illus. by Malone, Shearry Tilbury House (32 pp.) $16.95 | Aug. 13, 2019 978-0-88448-735-7

Mindfulness teacher Ms. Snowden begins this book by saying, “Let’s talk about the power of words,” and that is exactly what it accomplishes.

This is an easy-to-understand book about the importance of consciously selecting words that are True, Helpful, Necessary, and Kind. When Ms. Snowden writes the acronym THNK on the board, she explains that the missing “i” represents the |

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WHAT’S COOKING AT 10 GARDEN STREET? Recipes for Kids From Around the World

thinker in the THiNK Test. Later that day, Tyaja, a little black girl with kinky-curly hair, decides to tell her friend Rosie, a little white girl, that she does not like Rosie’s new haircut. Suddenly “four tiny winged people” appear, each representing one of the words in the THiNK Test acronym. These wee advisers give Tyaja enough information about the words they represent to help her determine whether what she wants to tell Rosie passes the THiNK Test. “Isn’t there a difference between an opinion and the truth?” asks Mr. True. Miss Helpful suggests that, since Rosie can’t do anything about her haircut anyway, Tyaja’s offering that opinion is anything but. This book is part of a series (Sergio Sees the Good, 2019, etc.) that features children of different races and abilities in various social learning situations. In this particular offering, the skin tones and facial features of some of the characters change significantly from page to page, which may distract readers.

A great book to share with children for social-emotional learning. (author’s note) (Picture book. 5-10)

Sala, Felicita Illus. by the author Prestel (48 pp.) $14.95 | Sep. 10, 2019 978-3-7913-7397-3

A compendium for curious budding cooks of every stripe.

Multicultural residents living in an apartment block on Garden Street are cooking up a global smorgasbord. Mr. Ping (who appears Asian) stir-fries some broccoli, or “little trees” as his nephew Benjamin calls them. “Across the hall, Maria mashes avocados with a fork.” Maria and her mother (they have olive skin, black hair, dark eyes and appear to be Latinx) are making guacamole. Mr. Melville (who appears to be white) raises his knife to fillet a fish for sole meunière. Elsewhere in the building, Josef (a white boy with light brown hair) and Rafik (who presents black) together prepare meatballs with turkey, zucchini, and feta. Other neighbors are making coconut dal, miniquiches, and baba ganouj. For each spread, author/illustrator Sala renders delightful full-bleed pictures that showcase residents in action on the left and a visual recipe on the right. Each of these has detailed drawings of ingredients followed by easy-to-follow written instruction. With no more than six main ingredients each, the simple recipes feature global culinary traditions and fresh flavors. From kid favorites such as spaghetti al pomodoro and peanut-butter–and–chocolate-chip cookies to dishes with ingredients not as common in many North American kitchens (think tahini and fresh ginger), there are recipes for every palate.

Finally, “everything is ready. It’s time to go downstairs.” In the final spread, the diverse community—of families, single parents, elderly folks, millennials, etc.—all gather in the garden for delicious food and fun company.

Part cookbook, part picture book, 100% delicious.

(Cook/picture book. 5-10)

1001 ANTS

Rzezak, Joanna Illus. by the author Thames & Hudson (32 pp.) $16.95 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-0-500-65208-4 A line of ants marches toward an unknown destination against a background of successive double-page spreads featuring the various flora and fauna encountered during the journey.

The initial double-page spread, like all the others, has a stark white background, broken by stylized, black-inked, plantlike designs. The foreground of this spread shows a large, cross-sectioned, brown anthill. Its white tunnels and chambers—some containing ants and others with such ant necessities as seeds and aphids—branch out from the book’s center, accompanied by accessible text with brief explanations. The scores of black ants have a realistic body shape, with crescent-moon negative space creating comical eyes. From the start, red ink urges readers to “keep an eye out” for a “little ant in red socks hiding in every picture in this book.” This offers two advantages: extra fun along the way, and a cushion of relief at the unexpected, nature-can-be-harsh ending. The ant in red socks sometimes makes comments and often gets distracted. Facts about different animals and plants have been well chosen to spark curiosity, with sentences arranged informally around the colorful, engaging, and often comical plants and animals. Reading in this random order works well until the penultimate page, where an unfinished sentence along a thin, pink road leads to the next page’s dark punchline. This comes as something of a narrative sucker punch after this lighthearted journey that’s allowed readers to become fond of these insect characters.

Natural selection lite? (Picture book. 4- 7)

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BANJO

Salisbury, Graham Wendy Lamb/Random (224 pp.) $16.99 | $19.99 PLB | Oct. 8, 2019 978-0-375-84264-1 978-0-375-94069-9 PLB Budding cowboy Danny is faced with a crushing moral dilemma.

His border collie, Banjo, feral when adopted seven years ago, has been accused by a neighboring rancher’s sons of joining wild dogs in attacking their flock. They say they had to shoot at Banjo to stop him. Now the neighbor wants Banjo to be euthanized, claiming he’s dangerous. Danny knows Banjo wouldn’t attack livestock, but his dog has clearly been winged |

The dark nature of the tale is mitigated by the style of illustration. the owl and the two rabbits

OAK LEAF

by a bullet. His earnest father allows the 13-year-old two days to find Banjo another home. When no one will agree to take the dog, Danny and his older brother bring him into the mountains and drive him away with gunfire, hoping he’ll recall his feral background and survive—then claim to have shot him.

But Danny knows Banjo’s chances are uncertain, and he suffers agonizing guilt: He’s failed Banjo and deceived his father.

Meanwhile, talented horse-whisperer Meg finds Banjo and cares for him but is determined to discover who would abandon such a good dog. Although Banjo’s placement is eventually resolved and his innocence proven, the moral ambiguity of the teen’s situation not only dominates the narrative, but will leave many readers wondering what other course he could have taken.

White-default characters are carefully drawn, and the sustained suspense makes for an engaging tale set in rural Oregon.

A page-turner that doesn’t offer all the answers. (Fiction.

10-14)

Sandford, John Illus. by the author Cameron + Company (40 pp.) $16.95 | Sep. 17, 2019 978-1-944903-73-2

THE OWL AND THE TWO RABBITS

Sammurtok, Nadia Illus. by Cutler, Marcus Inhabit Media (40 pp.) $16.95 | Sep. 17, 2019 978-1-77227-236-9

A cautionary tale about rabbit sisters who disobey their parents and find trouble as a result.

Even though their parents told them not to play out in the open tundra, two rabbit sisters climb atop rocks on a hillside.

Trying to outdo each other in a jumping game, the rabbits soon see a large white owl land in front of them. Its talons are sharp and its belly grumbling. He grabs the two rabbits and won’t let go even as he is unable to take flight due to the way they squirm and fight. A comical scene follows as the rabbits work together to throw the owl off balance. The owl’s wife coaches her partner from the sky, telling him to let go of one of the rabbit sisters. Luckily for young readers who might be distressed at the thought that the protagonists might be eaten, the owl’s greed is overwhelming, and he will not listen to her advice. By sticking together, and believing in themselves, the rabbit sisters hatch an escape plan and learn an important lesson. The dark nature of the tale is mitigated by the style of illustration: Bright pastel colors cover each page, and the soft features of the owl and pink-eared rabbits alleviate some of the tension in the lifeand-death struggle.

This traditional Inuit story from Nunavut teaches children the importance of parental guidance—with a dash of excitement. (Picture book. 3- 7)

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Autumn’s arrival sends an oak leaf on a windswept adventure against dappled, pointillist-style paintings.

A leaf appears, distinct and crisp against the gauzy background. It’s an eye-catching burst of gold and umber that contrasts with the lovely, if unexpectedly spring-y, Monet-inspired pastel colors. As the text catalogs the leaf ’s travels through settings both natural (“over freezing lake waters”) and built (blown about by a freight train), it’s odd that there are so few autumnal references. Some of the leaf ’s adventures, such as wafting through a vividly crimson maple tree or glimpsing geese migrating, are topically seasonal, but others, like a visit to a calf or a momma fox, don’t feel as germane. As the oak leaf floats lower over the city, it’s caught and pressed in a book by a white girl, a pleasant conclusion that gives the leaf ’s journey a feeling of completion, though the ending is hampered slightly by the child’s somewhat unfinished-looking face—the illustrator is clearly more adept at capturing sweeping natural scenes than portraits. Written with a quiet poeticism, concise lines such as “Up through the mist, away from the earth, up” establish a pensive tone that neatly matches the quiet tale, though the text isn’t exactly bursting with personality either.

It’s pretty to look at, but it’s too generic to be an essential addition to an autumnal-themed book collection. (Picture book. 5-7)

THE LIZARD

Saramago, José Illus. by Borges, J. Trans. by Caistor, Nick & Caistor, Lucia Triangle Square Books for Young Readers (24 pp.) $17.95 | Oct. 22, 2019 978-1-60980-933-1 Panic ensues when an unwelcome guest arrives.

A lizard appears in the Chiado neighborhood of Lisbon, Portugal. It stops in the middle of the street, halting cars and causing an old woman to scream. People scatter in fear, planes fly overhead, all while the lizard remains mostly unperturbed.

Finally, the people launch an attack, and, “thanks to the fairies,” the lizard “was transformed into a crimson rose.” The rose blooms, turns white, then becomes a dove. The narrator claims in the opening that “this is a fairy tale,” for “in what other kind of story would a lizard appear in Chiado?” Semantic arguments aside, this tale is high-concept fiction. With political-leaning overtones, the 1998 Nobel Prize–winning Saramago integrates overriding realism akin to Aesop with Carrollian exaggeration. |

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Little Blue Truck has been chugging along since 2009, but there seems to be plenty of gas left in the tank. good night, little blue truck

Young non-Portuguese readers may need an older reader to help interpret the tale’s meaning (and the older reader may also need some outside help). Borges contributes bold, rustic woodcuts that leave plenty of room for symbolic interpretations. There is a visual lack of continuity between pages, with the described “green” lizard alternatively appearing in black and red shades while its head and number of legs also changes. Like the story itself, the translation challenges readers with sophisticated vocabulary.

A pensive, allegorical fairy tale for readers ready to sit with perplexity. (Picture book. 5-8)

nervous barnyard friends (Goat, Hen, Goose, Cow, Duck, and Pig) squeeze into the garage. Blue explains that “clouds bump and tumble in the sky, / but here inside we’re warm and dry, / and all the thirsty plants below / will get a drink to help them grow!”

The friends begin to relax. “Duck said, loud as he could quack it, / ‘THUNDER’S JUST A NOISY RACKET!’ ” In the quiet after the storm, the barnyard friends are sleepy, but the garage is not their home. “ ‘Beep!’ said Blue. ‘Just hop inside. / All aboard for the bedtime ride!’ ” Young readers will settle down for their own bedtimes as Blue and Toad drop each friend at home and bid them a good night before returning to the garage and their own beds. “Blue gave one small sleepy ‘Beep.’ / Then Little Blue Truck fell fast asleep.” Joseph’s rich nighttime-blue illustrations (done “in the style of [series co-creator] Jill McElmurry”) highlight the power of the storm and capture the still serenity that follows. Little Blue Truck has been chugging along since 2009, but there seems to be plenty of gas left in the tank.

A sweet reminder that it’s easy to weather a storm with the company and kindness of friends. (Picture book. 3-6)

HELLO, CROW!

Savage, Candace Illus. by O’Byrne, Chelsea Greystone Kids (32 pp.) $17.95 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-1-77164-444-0 With patience and persistence, Franny befriends a crow.

Franny’s father calls her a “featherhead,” but what she’s paying attention to is the natural world. Savage, who has written extensively about nature for adult audiences, both tells and shows us an antidote to Richard Louv’s “naturedeficit disorder” in this satisfying picture book. Her nature-loving protagonist leaves a mess inside but finds endless entertainment out of doors. Seated on a rock with her sandwich, she drops crumbs that attract a crow. The next day she purposefully brings food, and soon the crow begins to bring her small gifts. Eventually, her father recognizes that the crow is not imaginary; their friendship is real. The illustrations celebrate the wonders nature offers this resourceful protagonist, especially in a spread illustrating “a dozen different ways to pass the time while she waited” for the crow to appear—climbing trees, swinging on a tire swing, reading in a hammock, looking through binoculars, drawing, making a daisy chain, even helpfully trimming a bush. O’Byrne’s illustrations show an appealingly freckle-faced white girl living with an indulgent, if distracted, father, also white. These images are relatively flat and childlike, and the effect is very child friendly.

In an afterword, the writer tells readers a bit more about crows and poses an unanswered question: “Do they actually like or love their human helpers?”

A gift for the nature shelf. (Picture book. 4-8)

BRAVE WITH BEAUTY A Story Of Afghanistan

Schur, Maxine Rose Illus. by Grush, Patricia, & Dewitt, Robin & Yaghoobi, Golsa Yali Books (44 pp.) $19.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-949528-97-8 An illustrated profile of an ancient queen.

Seven hundred years ago, a 14-year-old girl named Goharshad married the powerful ruler Shah Rukh and became a queen.

After moving to Herat, the stunning seat of her new husband’s empire, Goharshad dreamed of transforming her kingdom into something even more beautiful than it already was. For the rest of her reign, Goharshad funded and oversaw artistic projects ranging from the creation of a mosque to the construction of a library and a college intended to include women and girls.

Goharshad persisted despite doubts about her decisions, creating a legacy that lasted until war and time destroyed her most impressive creations. This text-heavy book walks an uncertain line between fiction and nonfiction: Many passages that are presented as facts feel rooted in speculation, such as the musings of an “old man” who gathers the jeweled tiles that are all that remains of a building the queen constructed in Herat. Since the author provides no historical sources, it is hard to say what genre this is meant to be. The unnecessarily flowery language—which is, equally unnecessarily, printed in a stylized typeface—and the highly embellished illustrations are troubling and exoticizing. Furthermore, the tragic tone of the final pages renders this story one of loss, leaving readers with a deficit perspective of a troubled region with a rich and vibrant past. A classroom guide on the publisher’s website provides extension activities but no further documentation for the story itself.

An unsuccessful foray into Persian history and legend.

(Picture book. 8-10)

GOOD NIGHT, LITTLE BLUE TRUCK

Schertle, Alice Illus. by Joseph, John HMH Books (32 pp.) $17.99 | Oct. 22, 2019 978-1-328-85213-7

Is it a stormy-night scare or a bedtime book? Both!

Little Blue Truck and his good friend Toad are heading home when a storm lets loose. Before long, their familiar, now very 138

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ASTRONUTS MISSION ONE The Plant Planet

out to learn more about how to harness his superpowers and what the men in black are looking for. The blend of storytelling media and punny humor carry moments of needed exposition, keeping the pacing of the story from feeling bogged down with details, and hilarious plays on words will land with the target audience. In addition to Russell, who is vines and cellulose, his classmates and teachers are fairly diverse, and his adoptive parents are an interracial couple: a black Christian mother and a white Jewish father.

A comedic win with appeal for fans of Tom Angleberger and DC’s Teen Titans Go! (Graphic/science-fiction hybrid. 7-11)

Scieszka, Jon Illus. by Weinberg, Steven Chronicle (220 pp.) $14.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 978-14521-7119-7 Series: AstroNuts, 1

Science and silliness intersect when four animal friends research a planet.

The Not the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (also known as NNASA) has sent its four superpowered AstroNuts—bubblegum-pink fearless leader AlphaWolf, sunny tangerine SmartHawk, cool blue LaserShark, and lively limegreen StinkBug—into outer space to explore faraway planets. In their top-secret ship, which doubles as Thomas Jefferson’s nose on Mount Rushmore, they snot-rocket their way 39 light-years to the Plant Planet. Brimming with verdant vegetation, it looks like an ideal place to relocate Earth’s population due to climate change. But upon further investigation, they discover that the sentient, vegetal inhabitants have their own nefarious plans for the AstroNuts. Narrated by Earth, the tale treats middle-grade readers to a hearty dose of science facts that blend seamlessly with a hilarious narrative propelled by booger and fart jokes, making this a fun read-alike for fans of Aaron Blabey’s Bad Guys series. Climate change is presented accessibly, as is information about plant cell structure and basic chemistry, making this a must-have for those looking to boost STEM-related titles.

The graphic-hybrid design is lively, blending varied typefaces and vivid colors alongside collage illustrations that incorporate images from the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

A winning mix of fun and fact—readers will be eager for the next mission. (Graphic/science fiction hybrid. 7-11)

THE BRAIN IS KIND OF A BIG DEAL

Seluk, Nick Illus. by the author Orchard/Scholastic (40 pp.) $17.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-338-16700-9

THE SECRET SPIRAL OF SWAMP KID

Scroggs, Kirk Illus. by the author DC Zoom (152 pp.) $9.99 paper | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-4012-9068-9

Swamp Kid enters the DC Universe in this humorous adventure/mystery.

Part plant, part humanoid, middle schooler Russell Weinwright, aka Swamp Kid, shares his origin story through his illustrated journal, which moves between handwritten text and comics-style sequencing. Uncertain of his beginnings, other than that he was found near the swamp as a baby, Russell questions his ancestry after he begins to discover superpowers and mysterious men in dark suits and glasses start following him. He and his friends— Charlotte, a white girl who is smart and fearless, and Preston, a black videographer always trying to get a good story—set |

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An introduction to the lead guitar and vocalist for the Brainiacs—the human brain.

The brain (familiar to readers of Seluk’s “The Awkward Yeti” webcomic, which spun off the adult title Heart and Brain, 2015) looks like a dodgeball with arms and legs—pinkish, sturdy, and roundish, with a pair of square-framed spectacles bestowing an air of importance and hipness. Other organs of the body— tongue, lungs, stomach, muscle, and heart—are featured as members of the brain’s rock band (the verso of the dust jacket is a poster of the band). Seluk’s breezy, conversational prose and brightly colored, boldly outlined cartoon illustrations deliver basic information. The brain’s role in keeping the heart beating and other automatic functions, directing body movements, interpreting sights and sounds, remembering smells and tastes, and regulating sleep and hunger are all explained, prose augmented by dialogue balloons and information sidebars. Seluk points out, importantly, that feelings originate in the brain: “You can control how you react…but your feelings happen no matter what.” The parodied album covers on the front endpapers (including the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Green Day, Run DMC, Queen, Nirvana) will amuse parents—or at least grandparents— and the rear endpapers serve up band members’ clever social media and texting screenshots. Backmatter includes a glossary and further brain trivia but no resources or bibliography.

A good overview of this complex, essential organ, with an energetic seasoning of silliness. (Informational picture book.

6-8)

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KITTEN LADY’S BIG BOOK OF LITTLE KITTENS

meditate and remain calm until he locates Patti. Lively illustrations throughout portray superfriendly animals, Sloth in particular, interacting with charmed children at a school that clearly has great liability insurance. Backmatter explains some of the behaviors of animals and people that inspired the book, ending with a useful plug for animal-rescue centers. For all its charm, however, the story stops a little short and feels lightweight overall, without adding much to the current vogue of sloths as cuddly spirit animals for the unrushed or perpetually late.

Agreeable animal fun but weightless as a too-brief visit to the zoo. (Picture book. 4- 7)

Shaw, Hannah Photos by Shaw, Hannah & Marttila, Andrew Aladdin (56 pp.) $18.99 | Oct. 8, 2019 978-1-5344-3894-1

Animal advocate and Kitten Lady blogger Shaw shares facts and her experiences fostering kittens.

As an animal foster parent, Shaw provides a temporary home and special care to vulnerable kittens until they find an adopter. Most of the kittens she shelters are orphans, often found in “unexpected places” like trash cans and the side of the highway without their mothers. Neonatal kittens, those with their eyes still closed and ears folded, are the most defenseless. In order to grow up healthy, kittens need help regulating their body temperature, receiving nutrients, learning to groom themselves, and getting appropriate amounts of rest and activity. Shaw celebrates every adoption. Her home is never empty because there are always more kittens in need. Photographs with playful embellishments accompany the first-person, informational narrative. The prose is full of cutesy language (“li’l peanuts”; “snuggle-dumplings”), but the casual conversational style fits the undeniable sweetness of the kittens and doesn’t detract from the educational aspect of the text. Words set in bold, green text are defined in the glossary. Shaw adds a personal touch by naming many of the kittens depicted in the photographs and using them as examples as she describes the details of kitten care. Although she emphasizes the dedication and hard work required for raising kittens, she encourages readers to get involved and suggests creative ways to help.

Inviting and informative, with charming purrsonality. (author’s note) (Informational picture book. 7-12)

WHO NAMED THEIR PONY MACARONI? Poems About White House Pets

Singer, Marilyn Illus. by McAmis, Ryan Disney-Hyperion (48 pp.) $17.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-4847-8999-5

“Along with children, First Ladies, and presidents, / the executive mansion had notable residents.”

The veteran versifier offers new stanzas on select animals who occupied the White House (often only briefly) or were at least associated with the chief executives. Readers are likely to be impressed by the sheer variety—not just horses, cats, and dogs in abundance, but a mockingbird that Thomas Jefferson “bought from a slave for five shillings,” John Quincy Adams’ alligator and his wife’s silkworms, Benjamin Harrison’s possums, Teddy Roosevelt’s wild menagerie, and more. Singer writes in casual but controlled metrics that lend each poem a fresh, individual character. She also broadens her general theme both by frequently commenting on the experiences or characters of the animals’ presidential owners (“In the White House, / a mouse is not a welcome resident. / Occasionally, neither / is the sitting president”) and adding observations at the end that will resonate with pet owners far from the nation’s capital and several years away from voting age. In lengthy endnotes she adds still more. McAmis uses clipped bits of paper and found materials to create low-relief collages for each poem. Though he depicts Calvin Coolidge’s pair of lion cubs as tigers, the animals and human figures throughout (the latter all white) have homey, domesticated looks.

A popular topic explored with humor and respect for its furred, feathered, and four- (more or less) legged cast. (bibliography) (Picture book/poetry. 6-9)

SLOTH TO THE RESCUE

Shirtliffe, Leanne Illus. by McClurkan, Rob Running Press Kids (32 pp.) $17.99 | Oct. 15, 2019 978-0-7624-9159-9

When a girl leaves her school project at the zoo, it’s up to Sloth and his fastermoving friends to deliver the notebook back to her.

Patti’s been spending her summer working on a set of drawings to turn in at the beginning of school. Sloth, who looks like a fuzzy gray log with an expressive, wide face, adores Patti, who, like Sloth, never seems in any rush. When Sloth notices she’s left her notebook, he calls to action Peccary, Boa, Capuchin, and Ocelot to give him some assistance. Slowly, of course: “Let’s. go. on. a. field. trip…” he suggests. Shirtliffe cleverly assigns tasks according to the animals’ strengths. When they arrive at Patti’s school, Peccary is great at lining up, skin-shedding Boa fits right in in the coat room, and so on. Sloth, for his part, can 140

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Incisive language distills the hardest part of childhood: the precarious hold small people have on their own agency. small in the city

SNOW MUCH FUN!

their new kid friends find and rescue the rodents of the town in time for the 32nd International Rodent Games? Who is Dr. Mesmero, and what is her diabolical plan? And will Mr. Penguin ever see Cityville again…or get another fish finger sandwich? Mr. Penguin’s second caper is as silly as the first, and as disappointing in its casting of the only apparent human of color—Edith— as a thief. Pages from Dr. Mesmero’s journal, black-and-white illustrations with pops of orange, and occasional orange pages break up the short chapters.

Fans will be happy more adventures are in the offing.

(Adventure. 6-11)

Siscoe, Nancy Illus. by Gibson, Sabina Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins (40 pp.) $17.99 | Oct. 29, 2019 978-0-06-274112-7 Three animal friends enjoy winter activities such as sledding, skating, and ice hockey as well as baking cookies and creating garlands of popcorn and apple slices for birds.

The anthropomorphic characters are a white bear named Berry, a beige squirrel named Ginger, and a timid, pale blue bunny named Willow. The bear and squirrel are excited to play outdoors in the snow, but Willow prefers staying indoors with cocoa and marshmallows. Berry and Ginger encourage Willow, and she finds she enjoys ice hockey when she scores a goal.

Intriguing photographic illustrations use small fabric sculptures for the animals with tiny props and relevant costumes such as felt skates and knitted sweaters and hats. The animals are photographed in miniature scenes of snowy outdoor settings and inside the cozy, pink house the friends share. A loosely rhyming text uses different rhyme schemes on each page, with evocative rhyming word pairs describing the activities of the animals.

The language includes rich vocabulary such as “squooshed,” “whoosh,” “whirling,” and “shimmering,” and a running gag uses puns with the word “snow” substituted for “so” as in the title.

This tale of friends enjoying wintry activities at home and out in the snowy world is downright charming. (Picture book. 4- 7)

SMALL IN THE CITY

Smith, Sydney Neal Porter/Holiday House (40 pp.) $18.99 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-0-8234-4261-4

MR. PENGUIN AND THE FORTRESS OF SECRETS

Smith, Alex T. Illus. by the author Peachtree (288 pp.) $16.95 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-68263-130-0 Series: Mr. Penguin, 2

Mr. Penguin and his intrepid band face adventure once more following series opener Mr. Penguin and the Lost

Treasure (2019).

Adventurer Mr. Penguin is once again joined by Colin the kung fu spider, the handy Edith Hedge (a human with an elastic definition of borrowing), and silent pigeon Gordon on a mysterious mission. While attempting to recover the Enigma Stone for Professor Stout-Girdle, the group crash-lands their—urm, borrowed plane on a mountaintop near the tiny snowbound town of Schneedorf-on-the-Peak. Siblings Dieter and Lisle Strudel rescue them from a certain snowy demise and then ask their assistance. There are strange goings-on in the village (all the rodents are vanishing), and the abandoned fortress built

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A child navigates the city’s relentless sights and sounds.

The child, light-skinned but with race and gender ambiguous under layers of winter outerwear, pulls the stoprequest string inside the bus and trundles into the midtown maw. A savvy kid, but so small within the double-page spread of skyscrapers, commuters, stoplights, and construction. Text appears in the white space between buildings, “I know what it’s like to be small in the city.” Young readers will feel their hearts constrict, as they all know what it’s like to confront a towering, intimidating world. Hand-drawn frames, presented in quadrants, contain both powerful close-ups and wider scenes (taxi taillights, crosswalks, chain fencing, the child’s bobbing pompom) that mark time and distance. A page turn delivers fullpage pictures of the looming city, with dizzying linework and detail. Cinematic scenes feel at once atmospheric and photorealistic. With snow accumulating and light dwindling, the narrator gives voice to the reader’s concern: “People don’t see you and loud sounds can scare you, and knowing what to do is hard sometimes.” This incisive language distills the hardest part of childhood: the precarious hold small people have on their own agency. A brilliant narrative twist reveals itself at the end of this tender picture book, which stretches readers’ concern painfully as the voice begins warning of dark alleys and dogs, and points to warm churches and free food.

Extraordinary, emotional, and beautifully rendered.

(Picture book. 6-10)

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The highly stylized illustrations are spectacular. you ’re strong with me

HUNGRY JIM

families as well as a person using a wheelchair). As an entry on the holidays shelf, it breaks little new ground, but North American shelves hardly overflow with Diwali titles. An author’s note explaining the regional and religious differences in the celebration of Diwali across South Asia and the diaspora and a glossary of common terms provide readers with additional scaffolding.

A solid introduction to a holiday celebrated by millions.

(Picture book. 4-8)

Snyder, Laurel Illus. by Groenink, Chuck Chronicle (56 pp.) $17.99 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-1-4521-4987-5 When Jim wakes up as a lion with a “beastly” appetite, it takes him a while to learn impulse control.

Rightly and properly dedicated to Maurice Sendak, the tale takes Jim—waking at his mother’s invitation to pancakes and thinking that “she sound[s] delicious”—on a rampage that has him gobbling down his parent (“She was delicious”) and everyone he meets. Even as he does this, however, he feels worse and worse about it and finally remorsefully coughs his victims back up one by one, becoming a boy again hungry only for pancakes (plus perhaps a large bear for an appetizer). Enhanced by familiar lighting, angles, and stagey perspectives, Groenink’s illustrations have a similarly psycho-Sendakian cast, centering on a magnificently leonine protagonist with lightly anthropomorphized features who bounds down a street of antique, neatly drawn shops and into a gloomy forest. He discreetly does his chowing down (aside from the occasional glimpse of ankle or empty shoe) and urping up out of sight (except for one delighted child who emerges, smiling, on the sidewalk following a “braap”). Upon returning to his bedroom, Jim is transformed into a small but jaunty white lad in pajamas. Aside from the bear, his similarly light-skinned provender ends up sprawled on the ground, disheveled and astonished but unharmed.

A reassuring promise that it’s OK to be beastly: The pancakes will still be there, and they’ll be hot. (Picture book. 6-8)

YOU’RE STRONG WITH ME Soundar, Chitra Illus. by Mistry, Poonam Lantana (40 pp.) $17.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-911373-75-9

A mother giraffe gently instructs her child in the proper techniques for adapting to her grassland environment.

She teaches the baby giraffe to become aware of other animals, both friends and foes, and how to drink from a creek. She tells her baby about fire, both its dangers and its positive qualities. The baby giraffe complains when an oxpecker (a bird that often has a symbiotic relationship with giraffes) lands on her back, saying “But it hurts!” The mother soothingly answers: “As you grow older, your coat will get thicker and this will be just a tickle. Until then, you’re strong with me.” This phrase serves as a refrain throughout the book, just as similar comforting phrases were woven into the partnering author and illustrator’s previous books You’re Safe With Me and You’re Snug With Me (both 2018). Soundar and Mistry create an entirely original work here, shifting to a different world region and finding just enough danger and new experiences for a baby animal to encounter, with a mother always nearby to make sure her little one carefully learns what she needs to in order to feel secure as she grows up. Many shades of brown and gold evoke the hot African grasslands where these giraffes roam. The highly stylized illustrations are spectacular, full of repeating triangle and diamond shapes that are reminiscent of African textiles from various countries.

A book to excite children about animal life and reassure them of the lasting love from elders. (Picture book. 4- 7)

SHUBH DIWALI!

Soundar, Chitra Illus. by Chua, Charlene Whitman (32 pp.) $16.99 | Sep. 1, 2019 978-0-8075-7355-6 Soundar’s rhyming picture book gives readers an overview of the Hindu celebration of Diwali as it is celebrated in large parts of North India and by the North Indian diaspora.

Diwali is celebrated on the night of the new moon, and so after “Grandpa watches the waning moon” and notes that “the festival is coming soon,” an Indian boy and girl help their family clean and decorate the house. Then they all don new clothes, sing hymns and light lamps together, and exchange gifts and sweets with their neighbors, all in celebration of the holiday.

Family members wear a combination of traditional Indian and Western attire; the suburban setting looks Western. It ends with a joyful greeting: “Shubh Diwali, to one and all. / We wish you joy, big and small!” Soundar’s use of “Shubh” in the title—meaning “auspicious” or “holy”—instead of “Happy” is welcome, as is Chua’s inclusion of neighborhood diversity (white and black 142

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WHAT CATS THINK

Spray, John Illus. by van Hout, Mies Pajama Press (44 pp.) $19.95 | Sep. 26, 2019 978-1-77278-087-1

Colorful, expressive pictures of cats are accompanied by brief text.

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HOBGOBLIN AND THE SEVEN STINKERS OF RANCIDIA

red, and orange, 20 different cats are featured. The vivid artwork dominates. Bright hues, scribbly lines, and high-contrast backgrounds combine to create pictures that pop, and the relatively large trim size adds to their impact. The accompanying words, unfortunately, fail to match the illustrations’ intensity. They are written in a repeating pattern that includes the title, four lines/ phrases, and (usually) a single word as the fifth and final line.

Some are convincingly catlike. One cat’s angry diatribe over a thrown-away scratching post and another sly cat’s plan to pin the pet fish’s demise on the dog both seem believable and offer a hint of humor. Others depict situations that feel predictable, preachy, or even confusing: Why does one hearth-loving old cat claim to have 20 lives? Changes in type and font size as well as multiple exclamation points and ellipses are presumably meant to indicate emphasis but make for a too-busy read. The paintings were apparently originally published with poems by five different authors in the book’s original, Dutch edition; Spray’s text is original to this Canadian import.

Arresting illustrations and prosaic observations don’t quite make a coherent whole. (Picture book. 5-9)

Sullivan, Kyle Illus. by Sullivan, Derek Hazy Dell Press (180 pp.) $15.95 | Sep. 17, 2019 978-1-948931-04-5 Series: Hazy Fables, 1

THIBODEAUX TURTLE AND BOUDREAUX BUNNY The Tortoise and the Hare With a Louisiana Twist St. Pierre, Todd-Michael Illus. by Randall, Lee Brandt Pelican (32 pp.) $16.99 | Oct. 15, 2019 978-1-4556-2450-8

Aesop’s familiar fable gets a Cajun twist.

Thibodeaux Turtle might be slow but she’s well mannered and unassuming. Boudreaux Bunny, on the other hand, knows he’s fast, and he’s not shy about letting everyone know it (in fact he can be quite rude). Boudreaux teases Thibodeaux about her speed, saying mockingly that her garden won’t get planted

by Christmas. One day he’s mercilessly harassing her about her turtle’s pace, saying there’s no way she could beat him in a race: “You’re not just a slowpoke, you’re a girl!” Her friends, Louisiana creatures one and all, urge her to accept the challenge, and when she does, they train her. The fable plays itself out in the traditional way, of course. In the backmatter, St. Pierre adds a song for each main character as well as a recipe for pralines.

Randall’s naïve-style illustrations have the look of colored pencil; they are adequate in reflecting the story if a bit stagey at times. St. Pierre neatly weaves local details into the narrative, but his choice of the folkloric surnames from a tradition of country-bumpkin jokes in Louisiana doesn’t quite fit the characters, since both Boudreaux and Thibodeaux are usually men and none too bright. Boudreaux’s blatant sexism may serve as a conversation starter for little listeners.

A pleasant-enough regional retelling. (Picture book. 3-8)

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A “Snow White” parody—substituting smelling grossest for fairest—about taking down a tyrant.

The seven districts of Rancidia once existed in harmony, the people enjoying the blend of everyone’s individual odors and governed by democracy. This putrid peace was shattered when ogre Fiddlefart conquered Rancidia and declared himself both king and Grossest Smelling in the Land. When Fiddlefart’s magical Burping Bullfrog sees a new challenger for stinkiest— the humble Hobgoblin, a bean farmer from the neighboring Unincorporated Mucklands—the outraged ogre sends his top scent-assassin, Huntress, to scrub Hobgoblin so clean he’ll never stink again. Instead of de-odorizing Hobgoblin, Huntress whiffs him into hiding with the Seven Stinkers, the ousted elected former government of Rancidia, who invite him into the resistance. Amiable but essentially an isolationist who tries “to stay out of politics,” Hobgoblin initially takes action only for self-preservation (while Huntress warns: “Anytime a creature is treated unjustly—no matter who they are or where they’re from—it’s everyone’s business”), but the fairy-tale plot trajectory pulls him in so he can join the effort to liberate Rancidia.

The bodily functions and other stinky-things–based humor amp the kid-friendliness, frequently put the “pun” in pungent, and occasionally dip into parody musical numbers and sly selfawareness. Happy, rounded, nonthreatening cartoon illustrations make Hobgoblin’s delighted tooting downright charming.

Some of the Seven Stinkers are female, and one has two mothers.

As the stench-loving Rancidians would say: It stinks!

(Fantasy. 7-12)

NO ROOM FOR A PUP!

Suneby, Elizabeth & Molk, Laurel Illus. by Molk, Laurel Kids Can (32 pp.) $16.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-5253-0029-5 At least when it comes to puppies, there’s always room for one more.

Mia lives in a tiny apartment in a big city. One day, she and her grandmother visit a neighbor who’s giving away puppies.

Mia immediately falls in love with a little pup that has white fur and black spots. Despite her mother’s assertions that there is “NO ROOM” for even “one pint-sized pup,” Mia comes up with a mischievous plan. With the help of her grandmother and fellow neighbors, Mia fills the small apartment with all sorts of animals, including Roger the parrot, Sprinkles the bunny, and |

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KATIE COMMA

Tigger the kitty. In a whirlwind of mayhem, humor, and alliteration, Mia’s many guests nearly destroy the apartment, but when they leave, her mother admits that their space “doesn’t feel so small anymore.” Seeing Mia’s clever plan unfold and the chaos that ensues is sure to entertain. In this spin on a Yiddish folktale about appreciating what one has, diversity abounds, with Mia and her family depicted with brown skin and dark hair while their neighbors are of varying ages and races. Molk’s soft yet expressive watercolor illustrations wonderfully complement her and Suneby’s story and bring all characters, both human and non-, to life. A final, wordless page showing Mia curled up with her now-grown Great Dane offers a humorous and satisfying coda.

Perfect for young ones yearning for a pet. (Picture book.

4- 7)

Swann, B.B. Illus. by Andersen, Maja Pelican (32 pp.) $16.99 | Oct. 15, 2019 978-1-4556-2461-4 A comma searches for her place in the wide classroom-world.

Whisked away by a breeze, a punctuation mark wearily laments a repeated refrain: “I’m Katie Comma. / I feel so alone. / I must start searching / to find my way home.” She hops into different books but is perfunctorily dismissed from the ends of sentences when there should respectively be a period, a question mark, and an exclamation mark (where the accurate punctuation has gone is never addressed). Finally, she “tumble[s] into the middle of a sentence” in the teacher’s book, which is conveniently open to instructions on when to use commas. This, at long last, is “where she belong[s].” No other examples of proper usage appear within the narrative before the final page of story text. The author’s note stresses the importance of the character’s determination and how that relates to readers more than it does grammar. Tracing Katie’s path via her footsteps may provide some extra amusement for young ones. The pictures’ straightforward, bold designs serve to reinforce the content.

Katie and her comma family look like many anthropomorphized characters from grade school cartoons. Since the grammar instruction is so slight and other offerings much stronger, the book’s existential quandary rather mirrors Katie’s.

Belying its title, this uncomplicated journey of discovery barely scratches the grammatical surface. (Picture book.

4-8)

MIGHTY MOE The True Story of a Thirteen-Year-Old Running Revolutionary Swaby, Rachel & Fox, Kit Farrar, Straus and Giroux (320 pp.) $19.99 | Oct. 15, 2019 978-0-374-31160-5

A story lost to history illuminates the unique way sports support feminism.

In 1967, the longest distance women could run in the Olympics was 800 meters. Doctors feared running long distances would destroy women’s reproductive organs; sports officials thought running was unladylike and set age limitations and capped distances females could run. But for Maureen Wilton, a white girl, running was how she felt most like herself and how she found her people. After three years of training, Maureen ran a marathon—and set a world record—at the age of 13. In her hometown of Toronto and beyond, Maureen became known as Mighty Moe, seen as part of the future of women’s competitive running. But with the growing pressure and the crumbling of her running community, Maureen stopped running. Shifting storylines sidetrack Maureen’s life to explain running techniques and history and explore how sports were another front in the battle for equality, which unfortunately undercuts the power of Maureen’s story and her eventual return to running. For when Maureen began running again in 2003, she rediscovered the community she had lost—the community that has seen people run races for fun and more women completing races than men.

A story about what running really is: competing with other runners and not against them. (Biography. 12-16)

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SAVE THE CRASH-TEST DUMMIES

Swanson, Jennifer Illus. by Grooms, TeMika Peachtree (144 pp.) $19.95 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-68263-022-8

This jaunt through the history of car safety engineering reveals that we have both human and mechanical crash-test dummies to thank for making driving much safer than it was a century ago, when cars first became ubiquitous.

The now-familiar crash-test dummy has its origins in Sierra Sam, an anthropomorphic test device invented in 1949 to test aircraft ejection seats for the Air Force. In 1968, a new ATD was created to meet car companies’ needs, designed to enable engineers to see how humans move during a crash. Before ATDs, engineers had to use live animals, human cadavers, and live human volunteers in safety tests. The Hybrid III used for the last 30 years is the type of crash-test dummy designed to survive a frontal impact crash. Hybrid III is full of electronics, including “accelerometers, potentiometers, and load cells,” which |

Fields’ drawings are both powerful and graceful, just as French would have wanted. monument maker

HOW THE CRAYONS SAVED THE UNICORN

convey information to engineers that aids them in designing safer cars. In addition to discussing such car safety developments as bumpers, brakes, seat belts, and air bags, Swanson fills her narrative with other fascinating nuggets of automotive history and explanations of how cars work, with helpful accompanying diagrams. She concludes with a look at autonomous cars.

Grooms’ illustrations add both touches of humor and visual clarity; they are complemented by archival images.

Attractively designed and engagingly written—sure to appeal to readers with a taste for the scientific and technical. (Nonfiction. 8-12)

Sweeney, Monica Illus. by Thomas, Feronia Parker Sky Pony Press (32 pp.) $16.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-5107-4819-4

MONUMENT MAKER Daniel Chester French and the Lincoln Memorial

Sweeney, Linda Booth Illus. by Fields, Shawn Tilbury House (64 pp.) $19.95 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-0-88448-643-5

The environment that nurtured Daniel Chester French is given loving treatment by Sweeney and Fields.

Sculptor French was a largely self-taught artist when he fashioned the embattled farmer that stands in Concord, Massachusetts, to commemorate the opening salvoes of the American Revolution. The work made French’s name a household word, but he had plenty of experience with art before that. As Sweeney ably tells his story, French loved the outdoors, where he would sketch birds and the like. He tended the family farm, working his artistry into the plowing of the fields and repairs to the fences and outbuildings. Having grown up during the Civil War, he was influenced by the event and its idealistic aspects, especially those espoused by his Transcendentalist neighbors.

As Sweeney traces French’s way in the world, French goes on to create numerous statues of Civil War heroes, including the epic sculpture of Abraham Lincoln enshrined in his memorial.

A timeline and author’s note fill in various gaps in the text, and Fields’ drawings are both powerful and graceful, just as French would have wanted, depicting a largely white cast but including some figures of color, including one of the two modern children who observe the story. They are modeled in color while French and his times are represented in vigorously crosshatched black and white.

Both bracing and winning, a fine tribute to the sculptor and his world. (Picture book biography. 8-12)

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A quest for friendship and confidence with crayons and a unicorn at the helm.

A lonely unicorn looks for friends but is rejected by fish, birds, and butterflies all in one morning! The unicorn’s splashing and peering and the butterflies’ fluttering make for fantastic read-aloud opportunities, and similar opportunities for action, sounds, and conversation are sprinkled throughout the story. The unicorn searches for friends on spreads with negative space as background, his rainbow mane popping against them in the line-and-color illustrations, which have an unschooled look. But his rainbow tail fades to a dusty gray as his confidence wanes. Enter a band of seven anthropomorphic crayons on a double-page spread that introduces their distinct personalities via speech-bubble exclamations. The speech bubbles with hand-lettered text, a gentle black italicized type for the narrative text, and the unsophisticated illustration style combine to invite readers into the unicorn’s world. The crayons and unicorn embark on joyous adventures, with continued chances to promote phonological awareness, vocabulary-building, and social-emotional learning. Despite the contributions of his newfound friends, the unicorn’s colors fade again, and he must draw strength from within to restore them. This reminder that friends do not solve all problems is a welcome complexity. The no-frills attitude of this book makes it ripe for entertainment or for deeper discussion.

What’s not to like? (Picture book. 4- 7)

WHOSE NOSE?

Tarsky, Sue Illus. by Garton, Michael Whitman (24 pp.) $15.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-0-8075-9046-1 Series: Whose Are These?

Partial views of several animals highlighting noses ask readers to guess the name of each based on a singular descriptive word.

Opposite concepts are presented for each pair of noses, as in the opening pages: “big nose / tiny nose.” The rather substantial nose of a proboscis monkey is on the left page, and the wee snout of a mouse is on the right. The full animal is never revealed in the black-outlined full-bleed paintings, requiring a guess of the animal’s name. So for the proboscis monkey, a portion of its face and body are shown, while for the mouse, just its whiskered nose peeks out from behind a rounded mouse hole.

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Reading the book backward, readers find a story of welcoming using the same text in reverse. room on our rock

THERE WAS AN OLD WOMAN WHO LIVED IN A BOOK

sizes, and other nose-related features. The simplicity of each two-word phrase with its hidden picture provides opportunities for discussion. The familiar animals will be easily identified, while the lesser known, such as the “narrow nose” of a shrew or the “red nose” of a mandrill, will need some contemplation.

Similarly, Whose Tail employs the same strategy; tails are drawn from a fairly easy mixture of farm and zoo animals except, perhaps, for the meerkat. Both end with human portrayals, Nose showing a man’s mustachioed nose and a child’s freckled one (both are white) while Tail depicts children of color, one with no tail and the other wearing a fox costume with a big bushy tail.

A fun and interactively informative introduction to the animal kingdom. (Informational picture book. 2-4) (Whose Tail: 978-0-8075-9045-4)

Tejido, Jomike Illus. by the author Jimmy Patterson/Little, Brown (32 pp.) $17.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-0-316-49305-5

Fairy-tale and nursery-rhyme characters work together to solve a mystery of disappearing belongings and missing children.

The story’s clever concept references that famous Old Woman who lived in a shoe, but here the woman lives in a book-shaped house on a bookshelf along with many other wellknown children’s-story characters such as Jack and Jill and the Three Bears. The Old Woman is actually a busy mother of six with springy, gray hair and a lively demeanor. When she discovers her children are missing, she visits the other book houses on the shelf to ask for help. Each of the characters is missing something, and they all follow along as a group to search for their items and the children. The Big Bad Wolf is the culprit, predictably, and the children are found hiding from him in the branches of surrounding trees along with their father, the Old Man of “knick-knack paddywhack” fame. The characters celebrate at a concluding party with treats provided by the Wicked Witch from her candy-covered cottage. Bright, cartoon-style illustrations are filled with amusing details from all the nurseryrhyme and fairy-tale settings. Though the buoyant illustrations and plot move along in a sprightly fashion, however, the dialogue (conveyed in speech bubbles) is rather pedestrian. The Old Woman and her children present white; some of the other human characters seem to be diverse.

A fun-filled fractured-fairy-tale frolic. (Picture book. 3- 7)

LIBRA Decisions, Decisions

Tea, Michelle Illus. by Perry, Mike Dottir Press (56 pp.) $18.95 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-948340-14-4 Series: Astro Pals

Scorpio is throwing a Halloween party, but Libra gets so fussed about what to wear that she decides not to go.

The creators of Astro Baby (2019) kick off a more-extended trip around the zodiac with a cast that exaggeratedly embodies each sign’s supposed characteristics. Writing at rather than for children in a mix of laborious explanations and wooden dialogue, Tea pushes her narrator past an introduction (“I like to keep things balanced and equal to harmonize the vibes”) and then into a tizzy when Scorpio crawls up with an invitation. What costume to wear? Cinderella? “But then I’d have to marry a prince or something.” How about Coco Chanel? “I don’t even speak French!” Finally fellow air signs Aquarius and Gemini transform Libra into a “French fairy mermaid princess who just won the gold medal in the Olympics!” Now Libra needs no help deciding that it’s the “best Halloween party ever!”

Perry’s illustrations, most of which are dizzy tangles of unfilled, autumnal-orange line drawings, are printed, like the hand-lettered narrative, on starry black backdrops. Between Scorpio’s long, segmented body and dripping fangs and Libra, who looks like a diapered adult with scales for ears, the effect is more than a little weird. Scorpio in Berry Intense publishes simultaneously, and signs point to 10 further sequels on the way.

Weighed in the balance, found wanting. (Picture book.

8-12) (Scorpio in Berry Intense: 978-1-948340-15-1)

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ROOM ON OUR ROCK

Temple, Kate & Temple, Jol Illus. by Baynton, Terri Rose Kane/Miller (32 pp.) $12.99 | Sep. 1, 2019 978-1-61067-902-2

This poetic picture book reads forward and backward, revealing two narratives about sharing and welcoming.

“This rock is ours,” declares a trio of seals. But what does “ours” really mean? Washy, blue and gray illustrations of a watery landscape span full spreads as a group of gently anthropomorphized seals confronts an outsider seal and its pup. Pops of color include green sprigs, pink sea stars, and yellow beaks and feet on observing sea gulls. The seals’ facial expressions feel a little mismatched with the text in the first read—perhaps as a result of the challenge of creating two narratives with one set of illustrations and words. The initial front-to-back reading witnesses the group of seals shooing the seal-and-pup pair away even though the duo has nowhere to go. The final page reads: “No room on this rock? Can it be true? / Read back to front for another point of view.” Reading the book backward, readers find a story of welcoming using the same text in reverse. For |

one-on-one sharing or a read-aloud with an engaged group of children, the chance to re-explore the book from back to front to derive different meaning is an opportunity for playful reflection. Large, simple black text throughout employs italics for direct emphasis. The narrative around sharing and welcoming can be scaled for diverse age groups.

Gently clever. (Picture book. 4- 7)

THERE’S ROOM FOR EVERYONE

Teymorian, Anahita Illus. by the author Trans. by Ghanimifard, Delaram Tiny Owl (32 pp.) $16.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-910328-53-8 An intimate musing on the nature of space.

A child marvels that at each stage of life, while growing, there always seems to be enough room: in the womb, for many stuffed animals squeezed into bed, for all the books in the library, and even for all the stars in the sky. Life may be crowded at times (the tot’s parents playfully curl around the perimeter of the frame with hopelessly long limbs), but there is always intentional space kept around the child. However, when the child grows up, space becomes a commodity. People begin to fight, whether that be for personal space on a bus, vocational space (to find one’s place in a company), over bathroom use, or in the geopolitical sphere—two tanks face off. The narrator poses a solution: “If we are kinder, and if we love each other then, in this beautiful world, there’s room for everyone.” Here, Iranian author/illustrator Teymorian’s characters are no longer stooped and curled but instead stand upright and happy. With so many people forcibly displaced from their homes throughout the world, one can only hope this message of kindness is heard.

Such a strong global wish is in stark contrast to the lack of racial diversity in the illustrations. A few shades of skin are offered, but the majority present white.

Gentle political commentary reminds everyone about the power of kindness but is itself incomplete. (Picture book.

4-8)

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reliable tractors from spare car parts. The Depression exacerbated existing troubles. Ford already recycled and repurposed nearly everything at his factory and thought that he could find new uses for farm crops as well. He created a laboratory and hired scientists to study grains, fruits, and vegetables, and they finally determined that soybeans were the answer. The team developed soybean-based paint, fabric, and lightweight plastic that could form most of the parts for his cars. The vast amount of soybeans needed kept hundreds of farmers solvent and even prosperous. After Ford’s death, the soybean continued to be converted into dozens of products way beyond his initial plan.

Thomas presents the facts as if in direct conversation with readers, with clear and accessible explanations. Fotheringham’s boldly hued, action-packed digital illustrations are bright and cheery; they depict an all-white cast. Extensive backmatter includes further information on Ford and soybeans, two recipes, a timeline, and further resources. Absent from both it and the primary story is any reference to Ford’s virulent anti-Semitism.

A fascinating if focused look at an inventor and innovator who changed America. (notes, bibliography) (Informa­ tional picture book. 7-10)

DEEP BREATHS

Thompson, Carol Illus. by the author Rodale Kids (32 pp.) $14.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-9848-9397-0 Dolly and Jack are a pig and a rabbit whose lives are immensely enriched by their friendship.

Dolly and Jack love playing together. They bolster each other with continual giggles and compliments. When a day comes that they have an emotionally charged misunderstanding, it is devastating to them both. They go their separate ways and are shown individually processing their feelings of anger and hurt. They each use their own self-care strategies to return to a place of calm; Dolly takes deep breaths and a warm bath while Jack counts slowly and visualizes something that makes him happy. These individual practices allow each character to return to the friendship and start anew. The story is immensely in tune with young readers and does a wonderful job depicting the full process of self-regulation: Big feelings are identified and named, and known calming strategies are selected and implemented. The childlike illustrations are delightfully messy, with bold lines and colorful shading. Upon return to the friendship, the two friends are shown expressing their care through appropriate, gentle touch. The yoga poses thrown in at the end are more of a distraction than a meaningful addition, but it’s a minor flaw.

Though originally published in Australia nearly 10 years ago, it’s a fresh, relevant exploration of social-emotional regulation. (Picture book. 3- 7)

FULL OF BEANS Henry Ford Grows a Car

Thomas, Peggy Illus. by Fotheringham, Edwin Calkins Creek/Boyds Mills (48 pp.) $18.99 | Oct. 15, 2019 978-1-62979-639-0 Henry Ford is well known for the Model T and the assembly line, but he made many other contributions to the economic health of the nation.

He was also concerned with finding ways to improve farming methods and ease the heavy burdens of farmers. He built |

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THE 12TH CANDLE

rewriting Troll’s challenge song. Watercolor, colored pencil, and ink illustrations enhance the emotional subtext to this revised fairy tale.

A harmonious twist on an old favorite with bonus action songs. (Picture book. 3- 7)

Tomsic, Kim Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins (336 pp.) $16.99 | Oct. 8, 2019 978-0-06-265497-7 Middle school years are hard enough without an actual curse ruining your life!

Sage knows this firsthand. Sage’s narration is plucky, if a bit one-note, through most of the story as she describes how the Contrarium Curse negatively affected her mother and Mrs. Petty when they were students, turning friends into adversaries. It’s preordained that Sage and schoolmate Priscilla Petty won’t get along. Priscilla makes fun of Sage, and she’s had more darts in her arsenal ever since Sage’s daddy was imprisoned for trying to rob a bank. Given a magic candle, Sage wishes for a reversal of the curse, but it doesn’t work as she had hoped. The consequences are disastrous, as expected. Magical thinking can’t hold a candle to the true solution, which includes forgiveness, reconciliation, and acts of kindness. These discoveries, as well as finding the courage to confront Daddy’s crime, allow Sage to grow. Primary characters seem to be default white, while some secondary characters are people of color. The feel-good ending satisfies, although Sage’s father’s appeal is realistically left pending.

A thoughtful look at curse versus choice and an encouragement to youngsters to make their own paths. (Fiction.

8-12)

THE FIRST CHRISTMAS SWEATER (AND THE SHEEP WHO CHANGED EVERYTHING)

Tubridy, Ryan Illus. by Judge, Chris Walker US/Candlewick (144 pp.) $14.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 978-1-5362-1132-0

An Irish sheep called Hillary plays a pivotal role in establishing a sartorial Christmas tradition.

Hillary is just a regular sheep…except for one thing: She has multicolored fleece! While the rest of the flock are content on the farm, Hillary dreams of life beyond Farmer Jimmy’s field.

This life of pastoral idleness is turned upside down when Santa arrives, looking for the best wool for the “first-ever Christmas sweater.” Initially, he’s not impressed by all the plain white fleece, but then Farmer Jimmy introduces Santa (who looks like a cross between Jerry Garcia and a lumberjack) to Hillary, and the rest is history. Judge’s thick-lined black-and-white sketches add visual irony: Santa’s naughty list includes “Donald Lump” and “Pears Morgen,” and Mrs. Claus wears a tool belt and hightop sneakers. Varied facial expressions and shapely sheep hairdos distinguish Hillary’s ovine brethren and sistren from one another. Sheep puns galore liven up the text, from chapter titles such as “Ewe Wish!” to Hillary’s favorite action movie, Dye Hard, and rock band, the Bleatles. The conversational narration is peppered with sheep facts. Backmatter includes guffawinducing sheep jokes and a brief history of the real Christmas sweater. The illustrations present all characters, human and sheep—except Hillary, of course—as white.

A punny holiday-themed romp for any time of year.

(Animal fantasy. 8-12)

VOLE AND TROLL

Trapani, Iza Illus. by the author Charlesbridge (32 pp.) $15.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 978-1-58089-885-0

Readers will need to tune their voices before meeting Troll, who guards the bridge leading to “the tastiest grass in the valley.”

When Vole arrives to cross, Troll sings a challenge in his clear, deep voice: “Troll-dee-roll, I’m a troll, / And my favorite food is vole. / With a knick-knack, paddywhack, / Better pay the toll, / or you’ll end up in my bowl!” But hungry Vole can’t pay, and the battle of wits begins. Luckily, Troll knows only one song, so Vole teaches him a new one. Three times, Troll gets so caught up in each new action song—children will recognize these storytime standards and join in—Vole teaches him that the anthropomorphic creature successfully sneaks over the bridge for “a feast of grassy greens.” But on Vole’s fourth visit, Troll snatches him by the tail. Knowing he is destined for Troll’s bowl, Vole begs for one last Troll song. In an unexpected twist, Vole joins “in with a sweet, high harmony,” and together they fill “the valley with music so enchanting that fish [spring] from the creek, flapping their fins with pleasure….Even the songbirds [hush] to listen.”

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ADVENTURES ON EARTH

Tyler, Simon Pavilion/Trafalgar (96 pp.) $19.95 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-1-84365-427-8

A companion to Adventures in Space (2018) commemorating feats of exploration and discovery while harking back to the grand old days of Eurocentric colonialism.

In serigraphic-style illustrations that, like Lynn Curlee’s, privilege strong forms and monumentality over specific detail, Tyler depicts stylized locales beginning with “Polar Regions” and running from “Mountains” and “Volcanoes” through “Oceans,” |

The thoughtful, minimalist text offers subtle insights into perceptions from different viewpoints. one is a lot (except when it’s not)

ONE IS A LOT (EXCEPT WHEN IT’S NOT)

“Deserts,” “Jungles,” and “Caves and Chasms.” These serve as backdrops for brief accounts of select “pioneering adventurers,” nearly all white Europeans, which feature lines such as “Samuel and Florence [Baker] followed the White Nile beyond Lake Albert and, in doing so, discovered an impressive waterfall,” and “[Alfred Russell Wallace] traveled through previously unexplored forests,” while offering patronizing nods to early Polynesian explorers and Indigenous Canadians. The author does highlight some modern adventurers including marine biologist Sylvia Earle and ill-fated volcanologist/filmmaker Katia Krafft but fails even to mention (for instance) early Muslim travelers or the 15th-century expeditions of Zheng He. The author also veers off topic in one chapter to plead for the conservation of forest ecosystems. Moreover, the final chapter’s black-on-black color scheme renders human and other forms nearly invisible, and elsewhere the narrative is printed in a small typeface on, all too often, dark blue or green backgrounds that render it barely legible. Armchair explorers can easily do better.

A strain for eyes and sensibilities alike. (glossary) (Infor­ mational picture book. 4-6)

Văn, Muon Thi Illus. by Pratt, Pierre Kids Can (32 pp.) $16.99 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-5253-0013-4

FINDING KINDNESS

Underwood, Deborah Illus. by Chan, Irene Godwin Books/Henry Holt (32 pp.) $17.99 | Oct. 29, 2019 978-1-250-23789-7 “Kindness is sometimes / a cup and a card.” Wait! What?

Yes, kindness is a cup and a card—when someone uses them to gently trap a ladybug inside and release it outside. With a simple rhyming text and softly colored illustrations of community scenes, each page shows neighbors, professionals, and strangers modeling simple acts of kindness toward people and animals. A child rakes leaves for an older neighbor, another brings soup to someone who is “sneezy,” and one even shares a book via a clever bucket delivery system. As neighboring businesses, a flower seller swaps a bouquet for peaches with a grocer.

A fireman rescues a cat from a tree, park security helps a lost child, and an ice cream vendor gives a cone to a young skater who has fallen. Even strangers act with kindness and return a dropped key, snap a picture for a vacationing family, and adopt a dog that “others ignore.” From infants to grandparents, people in this busy and diverse community come together to enjoy one another and their common interests. Illustrations show a girl wearing a hijab, a child in a wheelchair playing badminton with friends, and interracial families.

Simple acts of kindness that warm the heart. (Picture book. 3-6)

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This Canadian import creatively explores concepts of a lot and a little, enough and not enough, through a seemingly simple story set in a lush, green park in summertime.

Each page or spread of the story includes a brief, declarative sentence beginning with a numeral: 0, 1, or 2. For example, “1 sun is a lot.” A frisky squirrel finds that one huge oak tree or one acorn is a lot. But two acorns can be too much to hold onto.

For two children walking their dogs in the park, two leashes are too much when those leashes become tangled. This pair of children meet and become friends, sharing one umbrella and playing with a ball. One has brown skin and black, curly hair; the other has light skin and brown hair swept back in an unusual style. One acorn falls into a puddle as the children play, and over the concluding pages, that acorn sprouts and grows into an oak tree. In the final spread, the two children are now a grown-up couple with a child and dog of their own, having a family picnic under the tree that grew from just one acorn. Other people in the park include children and adults of different races. The thoughtful, minimalist text offers subtle insights into perceptions from different viewpoints as well as opportunities for discussion and interpretation. Appealing illustrations with the look of watercolors capture the humor of the situations in the park and smoothly convey multiple secondary plotlines.

One unique picture book with much to say equals quite a lot. (Picture book. 4-9)

OCTOPUS STEW

Velasquez, Eric Holiday House (40 pp.) $17.99 | Sep. 17, 2019 978-0-8234-3754-2 When Ramsey’s grandma, who is just a wee bit grumpy, sees his painting of an octopus, she’s inspired to make pulpo guisado—octopus stew—and adventure ensues.

Ramsey and Grandma, both Afro-Latinx, head to the store, where they find an octopus with wide and expressive eyes— Ramsey suspects it is still alive. He searches his phone for information about octopuses and gets a warning he tries to share with his grandmother, but she is too annoyed at the interruption to listen. Once home, Grandma cleans the octopus, but shortly after the creature is dropped into boiling water, noises come from the kitchen they can’t explain. In the kitchen, they see the octopus has escaped the pot. It is now a giant monster Ramsey must fight |

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It is so very rare and refreshing to see diversity within the Asian American community authentically portrayed. stargazing

in order to save Grandma, who is being squeezed by the octopus’s arms. At the height of the action, the story is interrupted

by Ramsey’s father, who declares disbelief in a double gate-fold revealing that Ramsey is telling this story to his rapt family, making it both an entertaining tale in itself and a comment on the power of storytelling. This narrative is related primarily in English with some accompanying, unitalicized Spanish phrases. The backmatter includes an author’s note, a Spanish glossary with pronunciation key, and a recipe for octopus stew.

A delightful modern tall tale sure to entertain and inspire readers to share (and embroider) their own stories.

(Picture book. 4-8)

“Someday, Charles, you’re going to be an artist!” said Charles Schulz’s teacher after he had drawn an odd snow scene with a palm tree in a snowbank. Charles, nicknamed Sparky by an uncle, always liked to draw, and his family always read the comics together. Sparky would copy his favorite characters for practice, and he even submitted a drawing of his dog, Spike, for the Believe It or Not cartoon, and it was accepted! After high school, he began submitting cartoons to popular magazines and piled up many rejection letters. Eventually, though, the Saturday Evening Post started buying his single-panel cartoons, and the United Feature Syndicate offered Schulz a five-year contract if he would develop his characters further: “Peanuts” was born.

And there the volume ends, with Schulz on the verge of great success as a cartoonist, information about the “Peanuts” gang— Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus, and others—reserved for the backmatter. The illustrations were created with pen and ink, colored pencil, and gouache paint, and frequent use of paneled illustrations appropriately suggests Schulz’s future comic-book world. It’s a largely white world; the only reference to a character of color is in the backmatter, with Franklin in the dramatis personae of the “Peanuts” strip.

An appealing but oddly truncated biography. (author’s note, artist’s note, places to visit, sources, notes) (Picture book/biography. 4-8)

MEPHISTO

Villiot, Bernard Illus. by Guilloppé, Antoine Minedition (32 pp.) $17.99 | Sep. 1, 2019 978-988-8341-86-3 Do you know your worth?

Villiot and Guilloppé tackle issues of perception and self-respect in this melancholy story of a black cat unaware of his own value. The story of Mephisto follows the titular feline across several seasons. In the beginning, city cat Mephisto believes himself to be “worthless” in both the eyes of the human residents and his own. Stealing away one night, the cat spends the warm months in the countryside, “where the honeysuckle and juniper bushes met, / a piece of heaven that [he’d] been looking for.”

In those carefree months away from the hardships of city life, Mephisto finally learns to relax, returning to his original home only when the winter chill became too cold to bear. After his return, Mephisto is welcomed warmly and thus learns of his value to the village as a rat-catching master as the city folk celebrate his importance. Although the story’s tone is somber, it may find an audience among deep-thinking children who ponder the value of everything—themselves included. The illustrations, made of black and white laser-cut-paper, are bold, mirroring the austere tones of the story and the chill of the winter season. This intriguing story may require additional conversation to be fully appreciated, and it leaves many openings for that kind of interaction.

A melancholy conversation starter. (Picture book. 6-12)

STARGAZING

Wang, Jen Illus. by the author First Second (224 pp.) $21.99 | $12.99 paper | Sep. 10, 2019 978-1-250-18387-3 978-1-250-18388-0 paper Friendships can be complicated— sometimes in the best way possible.

Following The Prince and the Dressmaker (2018), Wang takes bits of inspiration from her own life in her new graphic novel. Christine is a Chinese American girl living in an Asian suburb who’s focused on her music and grade school work. Change comes when her parents offer the in-law apartment her grandpa used to live in to a struggling Chinese American mother and child from church, encouraging Christine to befriend Moon, the daughter. The only thing is, they are complete opposites. Moon is vegetarian, rumored not afraid to use her fists, does not attend Chinese class, and certainly is “not Asian” according to Christine’s standards. Despite all that, the two become fast friends, stretching each other’s interests with K-pop, art, and the like. Moon later shares a deep secret with Christine: She receives visions from celestial beings that tell her she belongs with them. Trouble soon follows, with struggles with jealousy, social expectations, and devastating medical news for Moon. Wang is a master storyteller, knowing when to quietly place panels between each moment to sharpen the emotional impact or to fill it with life. It is so very rare and refreshing to see diversity within the Asian American community authentically portrayed; Wang allows each character

BORN TO DRAW COMICS The Story of Charles Schulz and the Creation of Peanuts

Wadsworth, Ginger Illus. by Orback, Craig Henry Holt (40 pp.) $18.99 | Sep. 17, 2019 978-1-250-17373-7

The story of how Charles Schulz became a cartoonist and created the “Peanuts” comic strip.

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complete ownership of their identity, freeing their truths and, in the process, allowing readers to do the same.

A shining gem of a book. (author’s note) (Graphic novel.

8-12)

prepared text and into a stirring sermon. “Martin was done circling. / The lecture was over. / He was going to church, / his place to land, / and taking a congregation / of two hundred and fifty thousand / along for the ride.” Although much hard work still lay ahead, the impact of Dr. King’s dramatic words and delivery elevated that important moment in the struggle for equal rights.

Wittenstein’s free-verse narrative perfectly captures the tension leading up to the speech as each adviser urged his own ideas while remaining a supportive community. Pinkney’s trademark illustrations dramatize this and the speech, adding power and further illuminating the sense of historical importance.

Gives readers a fresh and thrilling sense of what it took to make history. (author’s note, lists of advisers and speakers, bibliography, source notes) (Informational picture book.

7-10)

THE GAYBCS

Webb, M.L. Illus. by the author Quirk Books (32 pp.) $14.99 | Oct. 8, 2019 978-1-68369-162-4 Twenty-six gay and gay-adjacent topics arranged alphabetically.

In sometimes-rhyming stanzas, Webb introduces a variety of LGBTQ terminology for young people. Some are only theoretically queer, such as “M is for MOUNTAIN / The peaks that you’ll move / with courage and strength / found deep inside you.” Others are more specific: “L is for LESBIAN / It’s love and affection / between two special girls / who share a connection.” It’s immediately clear that scansion and rhythm are not particularly important to the author of this text. Accuracy also takes a hit in some cases, especially with “I is for INTERSEX / Some are born with the parts / of both a boy and a girl; / bodies are works of art!” The simplistic, narrow focus on “girl and boy parts” both misleads readers about intersex conditions and fails to honor trans identities. Other complex ideas with lengthy histories in particularly racialized or gendered LGBTQ communities, such as “kiki” and “vogue,” are similarly flattened. The juvenile, artless illustrations show four unidentified children, two with darker skin and two with lighter skin, playing, dancing, cooking, and brushing their teeth. Letters of the alphabet are boldly featured in the background illustrations.

With LGBTQ topics becoming more common in books for the youngest audiences, this attempt can be safely passed over. (glossary) (Picture book. 4-8)

SNOW FUN!

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Wohnoutka, Mike Illus. by the author Bloomsbury (40 pp.) $17.99 | Oct. 8, 2019 978-1-68119-637-4 Series: Croc & Turtle Winter fun…inside or out?

Friends and neighbors Croc and Turtle each make a list of snowy-day amusements. Turtle’s are all inside activities; Croc’s are all outside. Like the true friends they are, they compromise and decide to do everything on both lists. They start with ice skating, but Turtle’s never skated. It ends with a scary spin and a face-plant for Turtle. They switch to an indoor activity: making snowflakes. Turtle’s are beautiful; Croc’s are a confetti-and-tape mess. Sledding is terrifying (for Turtle), and a puzzle is boring (for Croc). The two have a falling out and go their separate ways. But a snowball fight and skiing are no fun for Croc without Turtle, and drawing and playing cards are equally joyless for Turtle…so the two apologize to each other, and Turtle has an idea. While Turtle makes cookies and cocoa inside, Croc builds an igloo outside; and the duo enjoys their warm treat in a frosty fort. Wohnoutka’s second chronicle of this reptile relationship is as charming and sunny (despite the wintry setting) as the first.

The text consists entirely of dialogue, with each critter’s colorcoded. Neither character has an assigned gender. Listeners and young readers will identify with the conflict and hopefully learn from the creative solution.

Should win this pair more friends and fans. (Picture book.

2- 7)

A PLACE TO LAND

Wittenstein, Barry Illus. by Pinkney, Jerry Neal Porter/Holiday House (48 pp.) $18.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-0-8234-4331-4 The backstory of a renowned address is revealed.

Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream Speech” is one of the most famous ever given, yet with this book, Wittenstein and Pinkney give young readers new insights into both the speech and the man behind it. When Dr. King arrived in Washington, D.C., for the 1963 March on Washington, the speech was not yet finished. He turned to his fellow civil rights leaders for advice, and after hours of listening, he returned to his room to compose, fine-tuning even the day of the march. He went on to deliver a powerful speech, but as he closed, he moved away from the |

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PREHISTORIC Dinosaurs, Megalodons, and Other Fascinating Creatures of the Deep Past

colorful illustrations feature diverse babies and both male- and female-presenting adult characters with a variety of skin tones and hair colors, effectively demonstrating that engineers can be any race or either gender. (Nonbinary models are a little harder to see.) The story ends with a reassurance to the babies in the book that “We believe in you!” presumably implying that any child can be an engineer. The end pages include facts about different kinds of engineers and the basic process used by all engineers in their work. Although the book opens with a rhythmic rhyming couplet, the remaining text lacks the same structure and pattern, making it less entertaining to read. Furthermore, while some of the comparisons between babies and engineers are both clever and apt, others—such as the idea that babies know where to look for answers—are flimsier. The book ends with a text-heavy spread of facts about engineering that, bereft of illustrations, may not hold children’s attention as well as the previous pages. Despite these flaws, on its best pages, the book is visually stimulating, witty, and thoughtful.

A book about engineering notable mostly for its illustrations of diverse characters. (Board book. 1-3)

Zoehfeld, Kathleen Weidner Illus. by Csotonyi, Julius What on Earth Books (48 pp.) $18.99 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-1-912920-05-1

An illustrated overview of life’s history on Earth, moving backward from now to its beginnings 3.5 billion years ago.

Zoehfeld begins with the present epoch, using the unofficial Anthropocene moniker, then skips back 12,000 years to the beginning of the Holocene and so back by periods to the Ediacaran and its predecessors, with pauses along the way to marvel at the widespread End-Cretaceous and End-Permian extinctions. Along with offering general observations about each time’s climate and distinctive biota, she occasionally veers off for glances at climate change, food webs, or other tangential topics. In each chapter she also identifies several creatures of the era that Csotonyi illustrates, usually but not always with photographic precision in scenes that are long on action but mostly light on visible consumption or gore. If some of the landscape views are on the small side, they do feature arresting portraits of, for instance, a crocodilian Smilosuchus that seems to be 100% toothy maw and a pair of early rodents resembling fierce, horned guinea pigs dubbed Ceratogaulus. Though largely a gimmick—the chapters are independent, organized internally from early to late, and could be reshuffled into conventional order with little or no adjustment to the narrative—the reversetime arrangement does afford an unusual angle on just how far deep time extends.

Nothing to roar over but a pleaser for fans of all things big, toothy, and extinct. (glossary, index) (Nonfiction. 9-11)

TURNABOUT SHAPES

Baruzzi, Agnese Illus. by the author Minedition (30 pp.) $11.99 paper | Sep. 1, 2019 978-988-8341-82-5

In this cutaway book, every shape is more than it appears.

In each double-page spread of Baruzzi’s board book, a creatively cut hole looks onto the adjacent image. As a consequence, flipping through the book provides readers with ideas of the many visual possibilities inherent in each shape. A set of evergreen trees becomes feathers on an owl’s belly; a salad bowl becomes a turtle’s shell, and a wilted daisy becomes a rooster’s comb. While the rhyming text does not aim to tell a story, there is a harmony to the couplets that gives the whole book a kind of arc and flow. The bold colors and clean illustrations are appealing, easy to decipher, and they focus on items that are both familiar to Western readers and developmentally appropriate. While the book’s design is clever and engaging, not all of the cutaways are equally successful: The cover cutout of a whale’s flukes, for example, is something that readers will have to flip back to in order to remember, and the triangle pattern that forms both evergreen trees and the owl’s feathers may be difficult for very young children to recognize. Overall, though, the book is a well-designed invitation to both recognize visual similarities and imagine the many different manifestations that a shape can take.

A fun, mostly successful set of visual riddles for young readers. (Board book. 1-3)

b o a r d & n o v e lt y b o o k s FUTURE ENGINEER

Alexander, Lori Illus. by Black, Allison Cartwheel/Scholastic (24 pp.) $8.99 | Sep. 17, 2019 978-1-338-31223-2 Series: Future Baby Babies and engineers have more in common than you think.

In this book, Alexander highlights the unlikely similarities between babies and engineers. Like engineers, babies ask questions, enjoy building, and learn from their mistakes. Black’s bold, 152

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A useful lesson in the principle that “this too shall pass.” grumpy tortoise

ILLUMINIGHTMARE

Brownridge, Lucy Illus. by Carnovsky Wide Eyed Editions (64 pp.) $30.00 | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-78603-547-9

GRUMPY TORTOISE

Buxton, Michael Illus. by the author Kane/Miller (18 pp.) $7.99 | Sep. 1, 2019 978-1-61067-890-2 Series: First-Time Feelings A tortoise who wakes up on the wrong side of the bed finds plenty of reasons to smile in the course of one day.

The titular tortoise starts the day with an easily recognized scowl, but each successive double-page spread shows it enjoying an array of pleasing activities and feeling progressively “a little less grumpy.” It’s a useful lesson in the principle that “this too shall pass,” rather than an exploration of crankiness or its impact on others. The blurb on the back suggests that “friends have a way of making things better.” Each scenario does include other creatures watching the tortoise smell flowers, listen for his echo, eat ice cream in the desert, enjoy the breeze on the ocean, and roller skate, but it’s only clear that they’re socializing |

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PANDA OPPOSITES

Eszterhas, Suzi Photos by the author Owlkids Books (24 pp.) $9.95 | Aug. 13, 2019 978-1-77147-330-9

The antics of a series of fluffy panda cubs provide the perfect opportunity to learn opposites.

On each double-page spread of this book, mischievous, fuzzy panda cubs demonstrate a different set of opposites. Each page is designed simply, featuring photographs of pandas shot in their natural habitats paired with simple, bold words set in capital letters. Nature photographer Eszterhas (Baby Animals Playing, 2017) has curated a set of images that are both perfectly illustrative and delightfully tongue-in-cheek, rendering this book both educationally sound and a pleasure to read. The pictures alternate between filling the page and having a black or white border, depending on the concept being presented, and the changing designs break up what could otherwise feel like a monotonous repetition of similar images. The simple color scheme and clean design make it visually appealing to very young children, and the clear, capital letters make it an ideal text for children who are learning how to read. While the majority of the photographs are easy to interpret, a few—including the panda demonstrating “full” and the pandas demonstrating “asleep” and “awake”—are not as intuitive and may require a caregiver to provide an explanation. Luckily, the photographs will appeal to all ages, making it easy to read the book over and over again, no matter how old—or young—readers may be.

An adorable, beautifully designed book that will make children and adults giggle. (Board book. 1-4)

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Colored filters transform 10 haunted world sites from “Earthly” to “Supernatural.”

As in earlier outings from the Milanbased design collective Carnovsky (Illuminatlas, 2018, etc.), a chromatic layering technique makes the illustrations semiabstract tangles to the naked eye. They become three different scenes when viewed through the small squares of green, red, and cyan acetate provided. Though the gimmick doesn’t work all that well—there is considerable spillover from the red scene (which shows actual people and artifacts) into the green (buildings and architectural details), and the cyan collage of ghosts and horrors is murky even in very bright light—still, it does add distinct atmosphere to the mix of history and mystery at each stop, from the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg to San Juan Chamula Cemetery in Mexico’s Chiapas highlands and Bhangarh Fort in Rajasthan. The assorted images assembled in each superimposed picture are laid out and identified individually on subsequent pages with commentary that varies from eerie to tongue in cheek. Though Rasputin is misplaced in the “Supernatural” category and a claim that Howard Carter’s ghost haunts the Great Pyramid at Giza seems to be an invention, readers will find chills and chuckles alike, whether meeting the Black Forest’s “badly behaved monks and pagan witches” or paying a visit to Dracula’s Bran Castle, where “centuries of spirits linger, waiting to tell their tales of medieval megalomaniacs, bloodthirsty ghouls, heartbroken queens and socialist revolutionaries.”

Not exactly seamless but spooky fun nonetheless.

(Informational novelty. 7-12)

in the last two scenes—enjoying a pizza party and watching the sunset. The conclusion is unambiguously positive, however: “What a wonderful day! It was time for bed, and Tortoise didn’t feel grumpy at all!” The artwork is colorful, and the animals are expressive and charming. This is part of a four-book series exploring feelings, and it is one of the more successful.

Companion volumes are Careful Chameleon, Scaredy Cat (both muddled), and Steady Sloth, who perseveres while others quit in frustration. Stick with the tortoise and the sloth.

A cogent reminder that grumpiness is fleeting. (Board book. 1-4) (Careful Chameleon: 978-1-61067-892-6; Scaredy Cat: 9781-61067-893-3; Steady Sloth: 978-1-61067-891-9)

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Grover’s rhyming text soars, and reading the words aloud almost feels like singing a song. i love all of me

ANIMALS AT NIGHT

of thorns starfish produces a ringing noise through “an electrical signal from its eyes” that really needs more explanation. Furthermore, the animals are not drawn to scale, and land dwellers such as the poison dart frog (included in a spread about Brazilian coastal waters) and the Sumatran tiger (Indonesian island waters) are, at best, outliers in a cast of marine creatures. The sound chip is powered by three replaceable button batteries; there is no on/off switch.

A lackadaisical series also-ran with a poorly produced gimmick. (Informational novelty. 7-10)

Flint, Katy Illus. by Li, Cornelia Wide Eyed Editions (24 pp.) $19.99 | Jul. 16, 2019 978-1-78603-540-0 Series: Glow in the Dark Select galleries of nocturnal and crepuscular creatures in 11 settings, with a 12th on a detachable, glow-in-the-dark

foldout poster.

The whole production has a slapdash air, as the dusk-todawn scenes shift arbitrarily from a generic cityscape with five animal foragers (plus the sole human figure here, a dark-skinned child staring at an outsized raccoon opening a garbage can) to an unnamed tropical rainforest, then an Australian beach, the “Outback,” a woodland vaguely located in North America, and on…finishing with a small poster labeled “Deep Sea” and teeming with unidentified creatures. Elsewhere the animals (and a few plants, which may confuse readers who take the title literally) are named—some in the narrative, some with a bare label in the illustration, some with a label and descriptive comment: “Badgers,” as Flint ungrammatically observes, “have an excellent sense of smell, sight, and hearing.” Though the author makes frequent mention of predators and prey, there is no chasing or eating to be seen in Li’s static, neatly painted scenes. Recent and more illuminating ventures into night life include Anne Jankélowitch and Delphine Chedru’s Animals at Night (2017), which also has glow-in-the-dark art, and Linda Stanek and Shennen Bersani’s Night Creepers (2017).

Careless, bland, superficial work unlikely to light or nourish interest in the topic. (Informational picture book. 6-8)

I LOVE ALL OF ME

Grover, Lorie Ann Illus. by Búzio, Carolina Cartwheel/Scholastic (24 pp.) $9.99 | Sep. 17, 2019 978-1-338-28623-6 Series: Wonderful Me A bevy of babies celebrate self-love.

In this gorgeously illustrated board book, diverse babies celebrate their bodies by using them to explore the world.

Each page features one or two different body parts accompanied by images of smiling children using that body part in fun and, at times, silly ways. Whether smelling a flower, reading a book, chasing a pet, or doing a dance, the children on the pages of this lyrical book burst with radiant joy. On the final page, a child without a clear gender presentation hugs themself, squeezing their eyes closed and smiling, clearly delivering the message that all of our bodies are beautiful and worthy of love. Búzio’s bold and textured illustrations feature children with diverse skin colors, hair, and gender presentation. When coupled with these pictures, Grover’s rhyming text soars, and reading the words aloud almost feels like singing a song. Unfortunately, despite its racial and gender diversity, the book features only children without visible disabilities—with the possible exception of a child wearing glasses—all of whom have similar body types. Given that the text is about loving all kinds of bodies, the lack of children with disabilities and the uniformity in body types seems like a missed opportunity.

A vibrant and lyrical ode to bodies ideal for those learning to explore their own. (Board book. 6 mos.-3)

WORLD OF OCEANS

Grace, Claire Illus. by Hunter, Robert Wide Eyed Editions (24 pp.) $22.99 | Jul. 9, 2019 978-1-78603-793-0 Series: Sounds of Nature Profiles of 10 saltwater environments, with portraits of select wildlife and audio soundscapes.

Washing up in the wake of World of Forests (2019), this equally flaccid effort surveys, in no particular order, marine settings, including the depths of the Marianas Trench, a Cornish “rockpool,” and the fresh/saltwater mix of Florida’s Everglades. For each locale Grace and Hunter offer a general description, six to eight recognizable if not finely detailed images of local wildlife crowded together, and notes on sounds that each one might make. These are supposedly reproduced in a quick sequence of fragmentary and only rarely distinctive hoots, howls, scrapes, clicks, grunts, and splashes activated by pressing a designated spot on the page. The notes range from perfunctory filler (sea gulls have “lots of different calls”) to a bald claim that the crown 154

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GOODNIGHT, STARRY NIGHT

Guglielmo, Amy & Appel, Julie Cartwheel/Scholastic (26 pp.) $9.99 | Oct. 15, 2019 978-1-338-32498-3 Series: Peek-a-Boo Art

Art, poetry, and peekaboo are a winning combination in this bedtime board-book diversion.

Authors Appel and Guglielmo present six great works of art accompanied by rhymed text that sounds like Goodnight Moon |

X-RAY ME! Look Inside Your Body

Horstschäfer, Felicitas Illus. by Vogt, Johannes Trans. by Lee, Elizabeth Greenwillow (22 pp.) $12.99 paper | May 28, 2019 978-0-06-288996-6

Life-sized images formatted to be held against the body offer refreshingly low-tech revelations.

There are no flaps or pop-ups, but this oversized book printed on board pages invites full-body participation. Highly simplified but properly arranged and with at least some parts labeled (“Trachea,” “Lung,” “Bronchial tree”), Vogt’s illustrations highlight select organs in 10 body-shaped segments from skull to lower legs and feet—the idea being to hold each spread at its appropriate level to get a sense of what’s inside. Users have the option of viewing themselves in a mirror (through a die-cut hole for the front and side views of the skull) or just holding the “X-ray” in place and peering down. In either case, a small side image of a silhouetted body indicates where readers should hold the picture; die-cut handles in each margin make this easy.

Along with simple descriptions of the anatomical features in each “view,” Horstschäfer suggests a relevant demonstration or activity, such as feeling for a heartbeat, listening to a friend’s stomach, or tallying what feet can do. Younger readers aren’t going to get anything close to a comprehensive gander at their insides, but this definitely personalizes human anatomy in a way that more-conventional “inside stories” don’t.

Clever and effective, requiring no rays aside from the visible sort. (Informational novelty. 5-9)

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ANIMALS

Illus. by Kim, Sejung Trans. by Bradley, MaryChris Auzou Publishing (16 pp.) $11.95 | Aug. 20, 2019 978-2-7338-6741-9 Pictures of animals clustering in a variety of characteristic settings offer toddlers chances to identify one by sight and another (with the push of a button) by sound on each spread.

Kim poses six to 10 smiling, infantilized animals with dot eyes and rounded foreheads in each of eight appropriate locales, beginning with livestock in a farmyard and going on to house pets in a domestic interior, a variety of “Mountain Animals” (including a rescue Saint Bernard with a cask of spirits) on piney slopes, and meerkats and more on an African plain—occasionally with children or other members of an all-white human cast in attendance. Along with visual cues to prompt picking out a particular animal from each group, a repetitive instruction (“PRESS THE BUTTON”) directs attention to eight pictorial buttons on the audio panel mounted next to the block of sturdy board leaves to help in spotting another. Though the lion just emits a dispirited grumble and the wolf sounds startlingly ghostly, the calls at least faintly resemble natural ones. Confusingly, there is no “tiger” button to go with the prompt on the final page…leaving it, deliberately or otherwise, to caregivers to chime in with a live roar. The audio panel, which includes three replaceable button batteries, does not have an on/off switch.

Similar galleries with better sound tracks abound—but a (probable) flub at the end allows some extra interactivity.

(Novelty/board book. 1-5)

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outtakes, organized around themes of nighttime and sleep. The titular Starry Night in question, for example, is Vincent van Gogh’s famous explosion of luminescent yellows against a field of swirling blues and black: “Goodnight glowing moon up high… / Goodnight stars. Goodnight sky.” Subsequent rhymes and artwork are presented in four-page increments—one line of verse against a constellation-filled background facing a solid field of color with a die-cut hole and an inviting “Peek-a-boo, baby,” for example, or “Peek-a-boo, moon!” Turning the page reveals the second half of the rhyme on verso and, on recto, the full painting previewed in the peekaboo frame a page earlier. Other featured works are Berthe Morisot’s The Cradle, Henri Rousseau’s The Sleeping Gypsy, Franz Marc’s The White Cat, Diego Rivera’s Delfina and Dimas, and van Gogh’s The Bedroom. The peekaboo pages break the flow of the rhyme scheme a bit, and one could argue the relative merits of less peekaboo and more artwork, but children will no doubt enjoy the game of preview-andreveal. Less sophisticated and ambitious than Shana Gozansky’s My Art Book of Sleep (2019) but well worthwhile.

Because putting a toddler to bed isn’t just an art—it’s fine art. (Board book. 2-4)

BATHTIME

Le Hénand, Alice Illus. by Bedouet, Thierry Trans. by Hardenberg, Wendeline A. Twirl/Chronicle (14 pp.) $12.99 | Aug. 6, 2019 978-2-40801-282-3 Series: Pull and Play A pull-the-tab book about the trials and tribulations of bathtime.

On each page of this English translation of a French board book, an animal parent prepares their child to take a bath in a Western-style bathroom. On many pages, the child resists the bath, but with one pull of a sliding tab, readers see the parent-child couple overcoming whatever hesitation may have originally existed. While the book’s back cover claims that the text’s goal is to “reassure” children about taking a bath, the book itself is too simplistic to accomplish this goal on its own, presenting only one conflict per page and leaving it up to caregivers to help readers understand how the character’s fear, doubts, or stubbornness were allayed. Some of the strategies—such as making a hat out of bubbles to counteract fears of getting one’s |

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ALL ABOARD! THE AIRPORT TRAIN

hair washed—are useful for young families, while others—such as splashing water on each other to test the temperature—are unlikely to translate to real life. Furthermore, while the book alternates between mothers and fathers giving baths, the animals being bathed are all referred to using male pronouns, thereby limiting what could have been a wide array of gender diversity. For children, however, the tabs are fascinating and fun, and the colorful illustrations and simple dialogue-driven text lend themselves to an entertaining read-aloud.

When separated from its purported goals, the book is a fine addition to toddler shelves. (Board book. 2-4)

Mara, Nichole Illus. by Kolb, Andrew abramsappleseed (10 pp.) $9.99 | Aug. 6, 2019 978-1-4197-3678-0 Series: All Aboard

There’s so much to see on the airport train.

One of the passengers on the airport train has lost her ticket! In this lift-the-flap concertina book, readers travel from car to car of the aforementioned train, searching for both the missing ticket and for other objects hidden within the pictures.

Each illustration requires a different preschool skill, including recognizing shapes, counting, and matching. The images feature diverse humans and quirky creatures, not to mention skillfully drawn, child-friendly objects such as instruments and balls.

The clean design separates the text from the illustrations, which are busy and teeming with life. Once they have completed the activities within the train cars, readers can flip to the backs of the pages to see what passengers are viewing out of the windows and to do more counting and identification. The pages of the book pull out into a full train, and it lacks any kind of narrative throughline, making it unwieldy for group read-alouds. It is, however, a wonderful option for one-on-one learning sessions and for children who are independent enough to manipulate the pages on their own—although it should be noted that the design, while clever, can be confusing and, at times, frustrating for the youngest readers.

A fun and useful educational tool for preschoolers, particularly beginning readers. (Board book. 4-6)

CASTLES MAGNIFIED

Long, David Illus. by Bloom, Harry Wide Eyed Editions (48 pp.) $22.99 | Oct. 15, 2019 978-1-78603-325-3 Series: Magnified

With roofs and walls cut away, medieval castles and related settings teem with tiny figures to spy out and on.

Packaged with a 3x magnifying glass that younger eyes, at least, probably won’t need, this companion to Egypt Magnified (2018) offers panoramic views of gore-free battles, sieges, and jousts along with feasts, festivals, and bustling markets—all aboil with hundreds of light-skinned microscopic figures. With a few exceptions, most notably a Syrian castle and a Polish one, the presentation is quite Anglocentric. Aside from Windsor Castle, seen under construction, and a cutaway billed as “like Carrickfergus” in Northern Ireland (a particular highlight, being riddled with dungeons and alive with prisoners escaping or being nondisturbingly tortured), the structures are generic and depicted without much regard for realistic architecture or perspective. The accompanying commentary likewise seldom goes beyond generic descriptions of knightly training, references to distinctive occupations (the “gong farmer” was responsible for cleaning castle “lavatories”), or such patronizing observations as “many people believed prayers could work like magic spells.” There is a key at the end for the dozens of specific items or people viewers are urged to locate throughout; it joins a picture gallery of renowned knights to cap an amiable, if far from authoritative, seek-and-find ramble.

Unvarnished infotainment for sharp-eyed Where’s Waldo fans. (glossary, timeline) (Informational picture book.

6-9)

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NUMBER CIRCUS

Misslin, Sylvie Illus. by Brocoli, Steffie Trans. by Rosinsky, Lisa Barefoot (22 pp.) $19.99 | Mar. 31, 2019 978-1-7828-5765-5

At the Number Circus, learning is fun.

Welcome to the Number Circus, where every numeral has a fun and exciting role: 2 is a clown, 6 is an acrobat, and 8 is an animal trainer. On each page of this fanciful and fairly sturdy lift-the-flap book, one simple, cleanly written line of text introduces readers to an anthropomorphized numeral participating in a circus performance. On the bottom or the top of each spread is a series of flaps that have questions on them that guide the reader through literacy and numeracy exercises that are both entertaining and developmentally appropriate. These include counting objects (“How many ribbons is this dancer twirling?”), identifying objects and numerical symbols (is 6 or 4 “at the bottom of the pyramid?”), and understanding relational concepts such as “fewer” and “taller.” |

Hammer’s two-dimensional cartoons are gleefully toddler friendly. all kids are good kids

The illustrations are busy without feeling crowded, and the palette is soft and inviting. The text—which is mostly questions— is clear and direct, making it easy for children to understand what is being asked of them and to find the answers. It should be noted that this is not a traditional storybook and, until children become familiar with the concepts inside, requires more extensive adult participation than a narrative or nonfiction book might.

An enjoyable way to build pre-K literacy and numeracy skills. (Novelty. 2-5)

ALL KIDS ARE GOOD KIDS

Nevin, Judy Carey Illus. by Hammer, Susie Little Simon/Simon & Schuster (26 pp.) $7.99 | Mar. 12, 2019 978-1-5344-3204-8

LITTLE FISH

Rand, Emily Illus. by the author Thames & Hudson (10 pp.) $24.95 | Sep. 17, 2019 978-0-500-65162-9 A reef in the round provides both home and hazards for a small orange goby.

Furnished with a ribbon to tie the covers back, Rand’s five-sided marine setting offers multilayered views of brightly colored coral in an array of cutout forms and thick fronds of waving greenery along with glimpses of jellyfish and other sea life. It seems an idyllic place for a very small golden fish…until the goby is left alone when a playmate is swept away in a shoal of other fish. It goes on after an encounter with a friendly sea turtle to hide first from a “grumpy grouper” and then, well: “In the |

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HIDE ’N’ SHEEP

Sattler, Jennifer Illus. by Shum, Benson Little Simon/Simon & Schuster (24 pp.) $7.99 | Jul. 30, 2019 978-1-5344-0397-0

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With skin tones ranging from deep brown to paper white, a diverse group of children represents a wide range of temperaments, interests, and characteristics.

The text follows a repeated rhyming pattern for each line: “Calm kids, mad kids / Hugs from mom or dad kids.” Each couplet spans a double-page spread that’s illustrated with a fullbleed illustration or is made up of a collection of smaller panels.

Children enjoy outdoor adventures, art activities, and building pillow forts in the scenes. While there doesn’t appear to be a narrative thread that binds these episodes together and there is a new batch of kids with each page turn, Hammer’s two-dimensional cartoons populated with stocky, round figures in medium hues are gleefully toddler friendly. The project ends with the query: “What kind of kid are you?”—and the group of five tykes depicted looks invitingly and cheekily at readers for a reply.

A playful celebration of childhood. (Board book. 1-3)

vast and empty ocean, / where the water’s deep and dark, / some white and shiny teeth appear… / Quick, little fish! A SHARK!” In the final scene all is serene once again, as the goby’s playmate returns and the two fish play under the watchful gaze of the turtle and other larger, smiling denizens. It’s a lot of drama for such a compressed format, highlighted by a deliciously shivery shark with outsized teeth and an avid stare. Still, the other scenes are benign enough to allow even very young audiences to enjoy the frisson. The layering of the die-cut characters against their environment makes for pleasingly three-dimensional if rather fragile tableaux.

A dramatic and decorative marine miniadventure, best for those graduated from board books. (Pop-up/picture book.

4-6)

A playful counting book about a sheep who is a master of disguise.

The ovine protagonist is ready to play hide-and-seek, but watch out—this woolly friend is a master of disguise! Every page of this counting book features cartoon illustrations of a sheep hiding with groups of animals around the farm, each time donning a disguise that is sure to make both older toddlers and adults giggle. For example, the sheep hides with the cows by painting spots on itself and hides with the ducks by wearing a fake beak. Sattler’s narration is sprinkled with silly puns and turns of phrase that are perfectly attuned to young children’s sense of humor. The book charmingly begins in the second person, with the sheep asking readers to come play. Unfortunately, though, in the ensuing pages the voice shifts away from the sheep to third-person statements expressed in rhyming couplets, a choice that misses the opportunity to continue to tease readers, not to mention to inject additional humor into the storytelling. Furthermore, children who are learning to count may be confused about whether or not to count the disguised sheep on each page. Overall, though, the rhyming text is rhythmic, clever, and fun to read aloud, especially when accompanied by Shum’s laugh-out-loud illustrations.

A humorous introduction to counting and farm animals. (Board book. 2-4)

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Visually, the permutations are vastly amusing. what’s going on here?

WHAT’S GOING ON HERE? A Tell-Your-Own-Tale Book

connect dots of a certain color or particular relationship; turn dots into fruit, cars, fish, faces, and more; or mark everything up in some other way. Along the way motor skills get a workout too, as the interactions tend to progress from simple to less so: “Make these dots the same. / Now make them as different as can be!”

Who knew there was so much one could do with red, yellow, and blue dots? Once they start, primary grade Picassos are going to find it hard to stop before the end, and as the pages aren’t erasable, do-overs aren’t in the picture.

Brilliant as usual—but best suited for the shelves of personal libraries rather than public ones. (Novelty. 4-6)

Tallec, Olivier Illus. by the author Chronicle (28 pp.) $15.99 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-1-4521-7317-7

Split pages work comical twists on the clothes and actions of a cast of (mostly) animals.

Tallec (Who Was That?, 2018, etc.) invites viewers to giggle at silly headwear, flip to pair it with a character and a plot element, and then do something at least tangentially related such as sing a favorite song or, more often, answer a personal question: “Everywhere we go, / Carter puts on funny clothes. / What’s something new you want to try?” The questions range from innocuous (“What superpower do you wish you had?”) to provocative: “What sneaky things did you do today?”; “Do you have any secrets?”

Except for brown-skinned Marc and an unnamed white cheerleader, the dozen two-sided cartoon figures posing on the fronts and backs of the central segments are grave- or annoyed-looking animals with anthropomorphic bodies clad in a variety of children’s wear, from saggy swimming trunks to overalls. Visually, the permutations are vastly amusing. A grumpy-looking green duck might wear a backward baseball cap while sitting on the shoulders of a much-smaller, stressed-looking red creature clad only in a bow tie and tighty whities. “At the end of every book, / we feel a little sad,” the outing concludes. “What should we do next?” More than a few readers will be tempted to flip back in search of further juxtapositions and scenarios.

Mix-and-match storysmithing, more subtle and therefore more evergreen than it seems at first glance. (Novelty picture book. 6-8)

HALLOWEEN KITTY

Yoon, Salina Illus. by the author Little Simon/Simon & Schuster (12 pp.) $7.99 | Jul. 23, 2019 978-1-5344-4342-6 Series: Wag My Tail Kitty wants to play with someone—but this Halloween, everyone is busy!

Kitty is looking for a playmate, but no one has time to play with her. Although she entreats a series of creepy-crawly creatures fit for Halloween—including a bat, a spider, and a crow—everyone is occupied doing what they do best. As the story proceeds, the side characters flap, spin, and caw their excuses, as Kitty’s face gets increasingly disappointed. Finally, Kitty asks a ghost—who, luckily, is always ready for a game of peekaboo, pun very much intended. Yoon’s endearing illustrations make use of a dark, rich palette appropriate for Halloween. The artfully placed text is set in a creatively spooky type, adding to the book’s holiday feel. The story itself is written in simple, playful language that makes excellent use of movement and onomatopoeia and invites children to respond to the illustrations well before they are able to decode words. The tab that moves the kitten’s sturdy, felt-covered tail at the top of the cleverly designed book is easy to use and will make both kids and adults giggle. The kitten’s increasingly sorrowful reactions are also a useful tool for talking to children about empathy and persistence, both evergreen lessons.

A playful and interactive introduction to Halloween.

(Board book. 1-3)

DRAW HERE An Activity Book Tullet, Hervé Illus. by the author Chronicle (140 pp.) $14.99 | Sep. 17, 2019 978-1-4521-7860-8

From the Press Here! (2011) panjandrum, a high-energy invitation to break out pens, pencils, and crayons for an instructive rumpus.

A brisk, directed tutorial in following instructions while having a barrel of fun, this workbook opens with a visual flex in the form of a flap of die-cut holes placed interestingly over a diverse set of patterns, then presents a hefty block of 140 drawing pages.

These range from totally blank at the outset to busy spreads teeming with dots, circles, or other shapes in primary colors, and each comes with a prompt: to add dots or loops of specified size or in specified places; carefully color inside, or outside, the lines; 158

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continuing series PLANET EARTH

Alexander, Heather Illus. by Lozano, Andres Wide-Eyed Editions (16 pp.) $14.99 | Aug. 6, 2019 978-1-78603-458-8 Series: Life on Earth (Informational novelty. 4-7)

SLAPDASH SCIENCE

Brockington, Drew Illus. by the author Little, Brown (192 pp.) $18.99 | Aug. 27, 2019 978-0-316-45124-6 Series: CatStronauts, 5 (Graphic science fiction. 6-10)

ANCIENT ROMANS AND THEIR NEIGHBORS An Activity Guide Carr, Simonetta Illus. by the author Chicago Review (208 pp.) $18.99 | Aug. 6, 2019 978-0-914091-71-4 Series: Cultures of the Ancient World (Nonfiction. 9-12)

THINGS THAT GO

Alexander, Heather Illus. by Lozano, Andres Wide-Eyed Editions (16 pp.) $14.99 | Aug. 6, 2019 978-1-78603-455-7 Series: Life on Earth (Informational novelty. 4-7)

TRIP TO THE PUMPKIN FARM

NOTHING BUT NET

Aro, David West 44 (88 pp.) $18.95 | $11.70 paper | Aug. 1, 2019 978-1-5383-8214-1 978-1-5383-8213-4 paper Series: Alton Heights All-Stars, 2 (Fiction. 8-12)

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Elliott, Rebecca Illus. by the author Branches/Scholastic (80 pp.) $4.99 paper | $15.99 PLB | Jul. 30, 2019 978-1-338-29864-2 paper 978-1-338-29865-9 PLB Series: Owl Diaries, 11 (Fiction. 5-7)

JAVI TAKES A BOW

Gordon, Elizabeth West 44 (88 pp.) $18.95 | $11.70 paper | Aug. 1, 2019 978-1-5383-8246-2 978-1-5383-8245-5 paper Series: The Club, 2 (Fiction. 8-12)

STANLEY’S TRAIN

Bee, William Illus. by the author Peachtree (32 pp.) $14.95 | Aug. 1, 2019 978-1-68263-108-9 Series: Stanley (Picture book. 3-7)

CATS Nature and Nurture

I WISH I WAS A MONARCH BUTTERFLY

Hirsch, Andy Illus. by the author First Second (128 pp.) $19.99 | $12.99 paper | Aug. 13, 2019 978-1-250-14313-6 978-1-250-14312-9 paper Series: Science Comics (Graphic nonfiction. 9-13)

Bové, Jennifer Harper/HarperCollins (32 pp.) $16.99 | $4.99 paper | Jul. 23, 2019 978-0-06-243223-0 978-0-06-243222-3 paper Series: Ranger Rick (Informational early reader)

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HIDE AND SQUEAK!

A FIST FOR JOE LOUIS AND ME

Ingalls, Ann Illus. by Ceolin, André Sleeping Bear (32 pp.) $9.99 | $4.99 paper | Aug. 1, 2019 978-1-53411-008-3 978-1-53411-009-0 paper Series: Tip and Tucker (Early reader. 4-6)

Noble, Trinka Hakes Illus. by Tadgell, Nicole Sleeping Bear (40 pp.) $17.99 | Aug. 15, 2019 978-1-53411-016-8 Series: Tales of Young Americans (Picture book. 7-8)

LULU & ROCKY IN DETROIT

Sánchez Vegara, Isabel Illus. by Bustos, Miguel Frances Lincoln (32 pp.) $14.99 | Jul. 30, 2019 978-1-78603-789-3 Series: Little People, BIG DREAMS (Picture book. 4-7)

A PINCH OF PHOENIX

Lang, Heidi & Bartkowski, Kati Aladdin (384 pp.) $17.99 | Jul. 16, 2019 978-1-5344-3709-8 Series: The Mystic Cooking Chronicles, 3 (Fantasy. 8-12)

Sánchez Vegara, Isabel Illus. by Arosio, Eleonora Frances Lincoln (32 pp.) $14.99 | Jul. 30, 2019 978-1-78603-791-6 Series: Little People, BIG DREAMS (Picture book. 4-7)

THE TIME TRAP

ADDISON COOKE AND THE RING OF DESTINY

BRUCE LEE

Joosse, Barbara Illus. by Graef, Renée Sleeping Bear (32 pp.) $16.99 | Aug. 15, 2019 978-1-53411-017-5 Series: Our City Adventures (Picture book. 4-8)

RUDOLF NUREYEV

Mara, Wil West 44 (88 pp.) $18.95 | $11.70 paper | Aug. 1, 2019 978-1-5383-8359-9 978-1-5383-8364-3 paper Series: Twisted, 3 (Horror. 8-12)

Stone, Jonathan W. Philomel (384 pp.) $17.99 | Jul. 16, 2019 978-0-399-17379-0 Series: Addison Cooke, 3 (Mystery. 8-12)

ADHD EMOTION EXPLOSION But I Triumph, Big Time

Melmed, Raun with Larsen, Caroline Bliss Illus. by Kriembonga, Arief Familius (116 pp.) $12.99 | Aug. 1, 2019 978-1-64170-136-5 Series: Marvin’s Monster Diary, 2 (Fiction. 7-11)

NIGHT OF SOLDIERS AND SPIES

Messner, Kate Illus. by McMorris, Kelley Scholastic (160 pp.) $17.99 | Jul. 9, 2019 978-1-338-13402-5 Series: Ranger in Time, 10 (Fiction. 7-10)

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young adult THE COLOR OF THE SUN

These titles earned the Kirkus Star:

Almond, David Candlewick (224 pp.) $16.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 978-1-5362-0785-9

BECOMING BEATRIZ by Tami Charles.............................................165 PET by Akwaeke Emezi......................................................................166

RED SKIES FALLING by Alex London.............................................. 171 WHITE BIRD by R.J. Palacio.............................................................. 174 WHO PUT THIS SONG ON? by Morgan Parker............................... 175 THERE WILL COME A DARKNESS by Katy Rose Pool.................... 175 PUMPKINHEADS by Rainbow Rowell; illus. by Faith Erin Hicks....................................................................176 SNOWFLAKE, AZ by Marcus Sedgwick...........................................176 FRANKLY IN LOVE by David Yoon...................................................179 FRANKLY IN LOVE

Yoon, David Putnam (432 pp.) $18.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 978-1-984812-20-9

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The blurred boundaries between life and death, love and hate, joy and sorrow, wild and tame form the heart of this dreamlike story.

Tyneside boy Davie sets off a few weeks after his father’s death to wander aimlessly through town on a hot, sunny summer’s day. He encounters a friend who shares the titillating news of his discovery of a dead body—a slightly older boy apparently killed in a knife fight with a young man from a rival family. Short chapters describe Davie’s conversations as he rambles about, seeking the chief suspect. Along the way he stops for conversations with a disillusioned priest, two little girls playing an imaginative game of fairies, an old man who lost a leg in a mining accident, a woman who shares a fantastical story of a baby lost and found, and a veteran who gently nurtures his flourishing garden, among others. Dreamy, artistic Davie loses himself in his imagination and in the contradictions of the untamed beauty of his surroundings: larks and buzzards, buttercups and abandoned coal pits. Touches of humor, pithy words of Northern common sense, and moments of heightened tension and mystery provide grounding elements in the midst of the reverie. All characters in this English town appear to be white.

A haunting tale of embracing transformation and finding beauty in an imperfect world. (Fiction. 12-adult)

THE GRACE YEAR by Kim Liggett................................................... 170

THE DARK OF THE SEA

Baksh, Imam Blouse & Skirt Books (216 pp.) $12.99 paper | Sep. 15, 2019 978-976-8267-23-8 Magic and mayhem meet adolescent angst in this gripping Caribbean tale set in Guyana.

Fifteen-year-old Danesh navigates life as a dyslexic student in a high school where he receives little support and in a community overrun with alcoholism and hopelessness.

Despite being raised Hindu, Danesh is disconnected from his parents’ religion thanks to his irreligious grandfather. Seen as a |

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celebrating excellence: 50 years of the coretta scott king book awards The mood at the American Library Association’s Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., in late June was a joyous one, as several events and sessions focused on the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Coretta Scott King Book Awards and their impact on literature for young people. These celebrations followed, in turn, on the heels of commemorative exhibits and programs that have been taking place in libraries, museums, and schools all around the country.

The significance of these awards and all they represent cannot be underestimated. As noted scholar Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop says in her essay “Let Our Rejoicing Rise” (Horn Book, May/June 2019), the awards “originated as a response to the failure of the children’s literature establishment to acknowledge the talents and contributions of African American writers and illustrators.” While prestigious awards such as the Newbery and Caldecott are intended to recognize superlative achievement, the fact that they routinely overlooked African American creators was indicative not of an absence of deserving materials but, I would argue, of biases in the selection criteria and processes that juries today should still confront, query, and challenge.

Shining a light on African American authors and artists through the prestigious Coretta Scott King Book Awards amplifies voices that represent the tre162

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mendous cultural diversity that exists within the African American community and the many stories there are to tell. A brief glance at the list of winner and honor books demonstrates that far from representing a niche, these titles encompass a vast range of genres and subject matter. They are a potent reminder to African American youth that their lives matter, their history matters, their future matters—that they are seen and valued by African American adults who pour heart and soul into creating works to entertain, uplift, and guide them. Non–African American young people need and deserve to be enriched by these books too.

The Coretta Scott King Awards breakfast every year is a deeply emotional, even spiritual, event, with many tears being shed, and it was even more so during this landmark year. Varian Johnson, in his profoundly moving acceptance speech for the 2019 Author Honor for The Parker Inheritance, spoke directly to his two small daughters, sitting in the audience. He urged them to look for books with the black Coretta Scott King seal on them. Which is excellent advice for each and every one of us.

In tribute to decades of outstanding creativity, I urge you to pick up some winning titles you may not yet have read. Not sure where to start? Here is a small sampling of my favorites, in no particular order: Jason Reynolds’ When I Was the Greatest (2015 Steptoe Award), Rita Williams-Garcia’s One Crazy Summer (2011 Author Award), Patricia Hruby Powell and Christian Robinson’s Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker (2015 Illustrator Honor), David Barclay Moore’s The Stars Beneath Our Feet (2018 Steptoe Award), and Ntozake Shange and Kadir A. Nelson’s Ellington Was Not a Street (2005 Illustrator Award). —L.S. Laura Simeon is the young adult editor. |

THE BRILLIANT DARK

troublemaker, Danesh finds comfort in his relationships with his grandfather, best friend, and the ocean, where he once experienced a surreal moment that he is unsure even happened. While seeking solace in the company of the ocean, Danesh encounters an ethereal creature and discovers an entire underwater world that he traverses better than his real life. Thrilled and curious, Danesh finds he has a mission, one which may see him become the hero he’s always dreamed of being and which may help him uncover his life’s purpose. With writing that gives an authentic voice to its Creolese-speaking protagonist, carefully describing internal struggles as well as physical landscapes, Baksh (Children of the Spider, 2016) creates a complex world with an inclusive cast of black and East Indian characters. The descriptions of authentic cultural symbols and practices of Guyanese people, some of whom are Hindu or Muslim, make Danesh’s exploration of a nearby—yet unseen—mystical aquatic land shrouded in stories of Greco-Roman mythology more believable.

Magical realism done well: a whirlpool of adventure that will suck readers right in. (Fantasy. 15-adult)

Beiko, S.M. ECW Press (544 pp.) $18.95 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-1-77041-359-7 Series: The Realms of Ancient, 3

COLD GRAB

Barwin, Steven James Lorimer (192 pp.) $8.99 paper | Aug. 1, 2019 978-1-4594-1379-5 Series: SideStreets Uprooted from the Philippines to Canada, 16-year-old Angelo struggles to connect with his mother and resist toxic pressure from friends.

For almost 10 years, Angelo’s mother, Yvonne, has been working overseas to provide for their family, but that doesn’t stop him from resenting her for her absence. Struggling with homesickness and trying to navigate his new life, Angelo finds acceptance with a group of Filipino boys who make a hobby out of stealing. Warring with the good and bad influences in his life, Angelo must decide what path he’ll take. The other titles in this series also focus on troubled teens confronting the ramifications of their reckless actions. In Locked Up by Cristy Watson (Room 555, 2019, etc.), 17-year-old Kevin is offered early probation but is weighed down by the guilt of harming another person during a joyride. In Push Back by Karen Spafford-Fitz (Unity Club, 2018, etc.), 16-year-old Zaine’s anger over his mother’s abandonment leads him to lose control and break the law. On the Run by debut author Marilyn Anne Holman features 17-yearold Ryan, who gets caught up in a crime scene and bolts to avoid returning to juvie. Each of these stories focuses on remorse, forgiveness, and change. Most of the titles feature ethnic diversity.

While the plots may be predictable, character growth is present and the stories highlight important subjects such as treatment within youth detention centers and difficulties experienced by immigrants.

High-action, high-concept stories for reluctant readers who want grit. (Fiction. 12-18) (Locked Up: 978-1-4594-1403-7; On the Run: 978-1-4594-1399-3; Push Back: 978-1-4594-1375-7; )

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The Realms of Ancient trilogy concludes as fractured factions stare down an imminent apocalypse.

In the seven years since Children of the Bloodlands (2018), the mass unveiling of the Denizens, the open appearance of monsters, and the looming Darkling Moon have radically altered society. Now Mundanes oppress Denizens while the Elemental Task Guard, overseen by the United Nations and operating under the guise of unification, seeks to eliminate the threat of Denizen magic through their mysterious, sinister-sounding programs. Large amounts of exposition are interwoven with Saskia’s storyline, both refreshing readers on the sprawl of the previous books and illuminating societal changes. Now a rebellious teenager raised by Phae, she’s a talented Mundane hacker in the service of Denizens until the Task Guard catches her and offers her a job. The Moth Queen, the personification of Death, also has an eye on Saskia. Saskia must play all sides while sifting through the increasingly complicated mythologies to find a way to get Roan and Eli—and the Ancient—back in time to save the world in a storyline with twists aplenty. The cast is multiracial and multicultural, with Scottish and Japanese lead Saskia, returning supporting characters such as Inuit Natti (who explicitly sees the intersectionalities at play in the new order), and other minor characters; both straight and lesbian romances are represented, and there’s a genderqueer character.

Highly sophisticated and fully immersive. (Fantasy.

12-adult)

STORMRISE

Boehme, Jillian Tor Teen (320 pp.) $17.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 978-1-250-29888-1 War has come to the country of Ylanda.

The northern nomads have breached the border, and each family must send one male to fight. Seeking to protect her twin brother, Storm, disabled by a childhood illness, Rain adopts his identity—even though discovery would mean death for her and dishonor for her family. Having trained in the art of Neshu fighting with her father, Rain is confident about battle, but the practical matter of hiding her female body remains. She consults Madam S’dora for something to make her periods stop, even dragon magic. Like most, Rain believes dragons are the stuff of legend, but when she-king dragon Nuaga begins to visit her dreams, Rain recognizes not |

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only that dragons are real, but that they offer hope for winning the war. While the premise is nothing new, solo debut author Boehme makes the story exciting: The world is well thought out, and the dragons are distinctive, with clear rules for magic that will draw readers in. The northern nomads and their leader, Tan Vey, are more a faceless evil than fully developed in their own rights, but the main characters are strong and well rounded, and readers will feel invested in their survival. Characters are described as having olive or golden skin and dark hair.

Mulan with dragons for added fun: Be prepared to break out into “I’ll Make a Man out of You.” (Fantasy. 13-16)

Chance, Kim Flux (352 pp.) $14.99 paper | Sep. 10, 2019 978-1-63583-038-5 Series: Keeper, 2 Fledgling witch Lainey Styles must harness her magic to defeat a diabolical foe in Chance’s follow-up to Keeper (2018).

Lainey is the Keeper of the powerful DuCarmont Grimoire, a book of powerful spells, and she just accidently burned down the Georgia plantation of the Master, an evil warlock who murdered the last of her family. The Grimoire contains a spell that will allow the Master to extract magic from other Supernaturals. Now Lainey and her best friend, Maggie, are helping the rebels in their fight against the Master. Rebel leader Zia sees Lainey as their ultimate weapon, but they must unite the various Supernatural factions. It won’t be easy, and Lainey must first come to terms with her own wild power while comic-book superfan Maggie, who was bitten by a Shifter, hopes her new powers will give her a higher purpose. Meanwhile, Lainey’s protector and betrayer, Ty, puts his own risky plan in motion. Chance significantly expands her world of magic and Supernaturals (Shifters, Fae, witches, etc.) with Lainey’s, Ty’s, and Maggie’s alternating narratives, and getting to know the funny, good-hearted, and superhero-obsessed Maggie is a particular delight. Chance has upped her game with this solid sequel. Lainey and Ty are white, and Maggie is black, and there are a variety of skin tones in the Supernatural community.

A fun, high-stakes, often surprising thrill ride. (Fantasy.

14-18)

MINOR PROPHETS

Cajoleas, Jimmy Amulet/Abrams (368 pp.) $18.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 978-1-4197-3904-0 After his mother’s death in a car accident, a lonely and introspective teen’s unusual gift leads him down a winding road of startling revelation.

Poet Lee Sanford, no stranger to visions, had a vision of his mother’s death before it happened, and he and his snarky younger sister, Murphy, suspect their tyrannical stepfather, Horace (aka the county sheriff), might be responsible. In a panic, they knock him down, steal his Trans Am, and head to the Farm, their estranged grandmother’s remote homestead and former commune in blighted Benign, Louisiana. Grandma welcomes them and encourages Lee to explore his visions and commune with the Spirit that exists in the natural world. Murphy thinks Grandma is hiding something (the barn is locked up tight), but Lee is filled with new purpose. Questions arise from Lee’s visions of his deceased uncle, the blond, blue-eyed Jeremiah, who was a revered evangelist, and Lee is captivated

by Jeremiah’s tape-recorded sermons, which he finds hidden.

He also develops feelings for his Grandma’s tenant, Cass. Soon, however, events take an ominous turn, a rift grows between Lee and Murphy, and he faces shattering choices. Cajoleas’ (The Good Demon, 2018, etc.) atmospheric, often bloody, tale, steeped in mysticism and the occult, raises questions of fate, belonging, acceptance, and spirituality, and Lee’s narrative will resonate with anyone who has ever felt left out. All characters are assumed white.

Harrowing and hypnotic. (Horror. 13-adult)

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VERIFY

Charbonneau, Joelle HarperTeen (320 pp.) $18.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-0-06-280362-7 Series: Verify, 1 An alluring young man gives teenage Meri a slip of paper that changes everything she knows about the world and sets her on a quest for the truth.

The paper says only “VERIFY,” a word Meri has never seen before. As it turns out, there is a lot about the world that Meri does not know. Following clues left by her late mother, Meri begins to learn the truth behind the clean, eco-friendly, safe society in which they live. Charbonneau (Eden Conquered, 2018, etc.) imagines an America where years of banned word lists, travel restrictions, and censorship through digitization have made truth meaningless. The fast-paced story hits all the expected beats as the author sets up Meri’s dystopian world, one that is interesting but will feel familiar to readers experienced with the genre. Meri is hurriedly |

A necessary portrayal of a young Afro-Latina woman who makes her own path. becoming beatriz

BATTLE BORN Meridian Divide

inducted into a secret resistance group, all while dealing with friendship, romance, her father’s alcoholism, and pursuit by the secret police. A strong thread of anxiety about technological advancement runs through the book, from the untrustworthiness of e-books to the dangers of recycling paper books. Many threads are left dangling in obvious preparation for a series, but the abrupt ending will leave dystopia-loving young adult readers eager to find out what happens next. Meri is white, and two important secondary characters have brown skin.

Hard to put down but easy to forget. (Dystopian. 13-18)

Clarke, Cassandra Rose Scholastic (272 pp.) $9.99 (paper) | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-338-28099-9 Series: HALO, 2

BECOMING BEATRIZ

Charles, Tami Charlesbridge Teen (272 pp.) $17.99 | Sep. 17, 2019 978-1-58089-778-5 In a city where “cocaine is king,” can a teenage gang leader dare to dream of another life?

Newark, New Jersey. 1984. Beatriz Mendez and her older brother, Junito, lead the powerful Latin Diablos gang.

Everything changes on Beatriz’s 15th birthday when a Haitian gang leaves Junito for dead and Beatriz badly injured. A Like Vanessa (2018) spinoff, this page-turner opens dramatically with a visceral fight scene that introduces a fierce protagonist. Beatriz is a Spanglish-speaking Puerto Rican badass with “a blade tucked inside [her] cheek…to use on anybody who tries to step.”

In the aftermath of Junito’s death, Beatriz struggles to maintain her standing as a Diabla, raise her grades (mostly D’s and F’s), and support her grief-stricken zombie of a mother. Though “dancing ain’t gonna pay the bills,” she allows her childhood dream of becoming a dancer to glimmer through her tough exterior each week when watching her favorite TV show, Fame. Told in the first person, this narrative is full of passion and humor, with flashbacks rooted in Beatriz’s beloved salsa music. Realistic newsprint clips effectively add context. A friendship/romance with a new boy contributes depth while avoiding predictability. As Beatriz transcends her trauma and self-doubt—“No such thing as a gangbanger turned famous dancer”—readers experience a necessary portrayal of a young Afro-Latina woman who makes her own path, one that isn’t straightforward, told in an extremely realistic voice.

Inspiring and fresh. (historical notes) (Fiction. 12-18)

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Three months after their home planet, Meridian, was attacked by the alien organization known as the Covenant, Evie, Victor, Dorian, and Saskia finish up their training with the Office of Naval Intelligence at Tuomi Base.

ONI assigns the teens to return to Meridian to act as guides for the militia team based there. The teens know the terrain and the underground tunnels that run through the town of Brume-sur-Mer, making them a major asset. With the help of Spartan supersoldier Owen-B096 they manage to sabotage the Covenant’s digging equipment and retrieve the artifact that originally brought the Covenant to Meridian. It reveals a map leading to the northern city of Annecy. Once they arrive, woefully unprepared, they discover what the artifact was leading them to—and it produces more questions than answers. In the end, the group has to make a drastic decision in order to stay alive. Clarke’s (HALO, 2018 etc.) second installment is another adventure story full of twists and turns, best for readers familiar with the previous title. Some character growth provides an added layer of interest to this plot-driven suspense story. As before, diversity is indicated through names. Fans of “Halo” will enjoy seeing the world come to life.

Readers who enjoy guns-blazing action will fly through this book. (Science fiction. 12-18)

MAYHEM AND MADNESS Chronicles of a Teenaged Supervillain

Dauber, J.A. Holiday House (304 pp.) $18.99 | Aug. 13, 2019 978-0-8234-4255-3

An average teen unravels the mystery of his missing father.

High school junior Bailey’s father disappeared seven years ago without any clues as to where he went. There were no warning signs, his parents were happy together, and his father loved him. So where did Dad go? Bailey’s spent the time without his dad trying to suppress his abandonment issues and move forward, but when he discovers a secret basement under his house that contains an Iron Man–esque supersuit, Bailey starts to piece the puzzle together. The suit is identical to the one worn by the long-forgotten villain Mayhem, a domestic terrorist who’d smash up banks, steal the money, and deliver it to orphanages and other downtrodden folks via wire transfers and anonymous donations.

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Shoots for the stars and explodes the sky with its bold brilliance. pet

PET

father’s shoes, looking for more answers to his questions. The mystery unravels at a steady pace, never letting readers get too far ahead or moving too quickly so that they become lost. There are some clever twists and turns here along with strong character work. Bailey is a compelling protagonist, and the author smartly shades his parents enough to make their relationship just as interesting. The novel’s end points to a possible sequel, but the emotional arcs have a solid conclusion that will leave readers feeling satisfied. Characters are assumed white.

A nifty mystery with pleasant superhero twists. (Adven­ ture. 12-16)

Emezi, Akwaeke Make Me a World (208 pp.) $17.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 978-0-525-64707-2 Teenager Jam unwittingly animates her mother’s painting, summoning a being through a cross-dimensional portal.

When Pet, giant and grotesque, bursts into her life one night, Jam learns it has emerged to hunt and needs the help of a human who can go places it cannot. Through their telekinetic connection, Jam learns that though all the monsters were thought to have been purged by the angels, one still roams the house of her best friend, Redemption, and Jam must uncover it. There’s a curious vagueness as to the nature of the banished monsters’ crimes, and it takes a few chapters to settle into Emezi’s (Freshwater, 2018) YA debut, set in an unspecified American town where people are united under the creed: “We are each other’s harvest. We are each other’s business. We are each other’s magnitude and bond,” taken from Gwendolyn Brooks’ ode to Paul Robeson. However, their lush imagery and prose coupled with nuanced inclusion of African diasporic languages and peoples creates space for individuals to broadly love and live. Jam’s parents strongly affirm and celebrate her trans identity, and Redemption’s three parents are dedicated and caring, giving Jam a second, albeit more chaotic, home. Still, Emezi’s timely and critical point, “monsters don’t look like anything,” encourages our steady vigilance to recognize and identify them even in the most idyllic of settings.

This soaring novel shoots for the stars and explodes the sky with its bold brilliance. (Fantasy. 14-18)

WE ARE LOST AND FOUND

Dunbar, Helene Sourcebooks Fire (304 pp.) $17.99 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-1-4926-8104-5

Teens in 1980s New York City navigate adolescence in the wake of the AIDS crisis.

When Michael’s older brother, Connor, came out to their Catholic parents, their father kicked Connor out. At 16, Michael keeps his sexuality secret in fear of the same fate.

Michael could move out and go drinking and dancing every night with his friends at The Echo and “forget, forget, forget.”

But, in the shadow of the “gay plague,” he asks: “How do I live my life without becoming a statistic?” As people around Michael get sick, he struggles to balance his desire for liberation and the consequences that may come with it. Dunbar (Boomerang, 2018, etc.) painstakingly populates the narrative with 1980s references—particularly to music—creating a vivid historical setting.

However, occasional contemporary phrases like “All the things” do slip in. With characters that veer toward archetypes, the text seems more history- than character-driven. Nonetheless, the racially and religiously diverse cast, emphasis on safe sex practices, and careful maneuvering around queer plot tropes offer a compelling, teen-movie–esque portrait of the times. Dunbar’s lack of quotation marks in dialogue augments Michael’s strong first-person voice, matching the sense of immediacy brought by the author’s vignette style. The afterword with reflections from three activists provides real-life historical context. Michael and his family are coded as white.

A painful but ultimately empowering queer history lesson. (afterword) (Historical fiction. 13-18)

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THE DECEPTION

Gallier, Laura Wander (304 pp.) $19.99 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-1-4964-3392-3 Series: Delusion, 2

The war between good and evil rages on in this sequel to The Delusion (2017).

After surviving a deadly school shooting, 19-year-old Owen Edmonds has devoted his life to saving the town of Masonville from the dark demon Molek and the unearthly creatures who carry out his sinister bidding. Together with his bubbly, beautiful girlfriend, Ray Anne, Owen looks for clues that will explain a rash of mysterious disappearances as well as why Masonville is still plagued by a dark presence. Owen and Ray Anne use their supernatural sight to visualize the shackles and chains of personal bondage that burden anyone who hasn’t surrendered to God. This ability helps them discern who’s on their side as they race to root out the source of the evil in their town. To complicate matters, a shadowy figure has begun |

OBVIOUSLY Stories From My Timeline

paying visits to Owen’s apartment, and, despite warnings from his girlfriend and pastor, he’s intrigued by what the entity has to say. Owen often feels conflicted over what he knows the Bible teaches and what his heart desires, which causes friction with loved ones and undermines his mission. Some secondary characters are black, but most main characters are assumed to be white. Troublingly, there are several negative and stereotypical mentions of Africa that reference witch doctors, human sacrifice, and suffering.

A literal writing style and underdeveloped characters detract from an otherwise compelling concept. (Christian supernatural fiction. 12-18)

Hughes, Akilah Razorbill/Penguin (288 pp.) $17.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-1-10199-890-8

SIX GOODBYES WE NEVER SAID

Ganger, Candace Wednesday Books (320 pp.) $18.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-1-250-11624-6 Two teens maneuver painful routes through profound grief as well as the complex quagmire of severe mental illness.

Seventeen-year-old biracial (Latinx and white), bristly Naima is spending the summer with her grandparents in Indiana. She never forgave her father for leaving on multiple military tours, but now that he’s given his life in service of his country, she’s angrier than ever. Fifteen-year-old sweet-tempered, Latinx Dew lives next door with his adoptive parents following his parents’ deaths. He prefers communicating via tape recorder and is convinced that he and Naima can help each other. They’re both adrift in their devastating new realities. The teens’ mental illnesses—Dew’s social anxiety; Naima’s OCD, depression, generalized anxiety disorder, and PTSD—are conveyed in a realistic and poignant manner. Naima is fat and pansexual while Dew has severe food allergies, and the protagonists’ multilayered, intersectional identities make them all the more believable. Dew’s fixation on and out-loud narration of his observations of Naima are intrusive and border on inappropriate, and others join Naima in deeming such behavior disrespectful while supporting her in setting boundaries. The teens benefit from an unflagging support system, which also provides alternate reflections for navigating grief. The novel is ultimately hopeful, and readers will connect with the messy, visceral lives simmering on the page.

Profoundly emotional and truthful. (author’s note) (Fic­ tion. 14-adult)

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Comedian and YouTube celebrity Hughes takes readers on a hilariously intimate journey into her world.

Beginning with her childhood in Kentucky and ending in New York City as she conquers the world of YouTube, Hughes shares stories of spelling bee successes, raccoon infestations, and a cheerleading fail, none of which she allowed to deter her from her dreams of one day becoming as famous as Oprah, someone she admires for what she does to support others. Sprinkled throughout these laugh-out-loud accounts, Hughes keeps it real with autobiographical essays that touch on her absent father and the pain of being a child in a classroom taught by a hostile, racist teacher.

Many teens will relate to everything she shares about acne, eating disorders, self-esteem, and body positivity, not to mention tales of besties and breakups, as she leaves childhood behind and barrels toward the world of adulthood. When things go badly as Hughes overcomes a serious health scare, readers will want to fight right alongside her. These essays read like warm conversations with an older cousin. The readable format provides helpful advice—sandwiched between love and laughter— on growing up. Whether they have heard of her before or not, young people will root for this young African American comedian as she navigates life’s challenges. The short chapters and chatty style make this an appealing choice for reluctant readers.

Engaging. (Memoir. 13-adult)

A DARK IRIS

Jones, Elizabeth J. Blouse & Skirt Books (240 pp.) $12.99 paper | Sep. 10, 2019 978-976-8267-25-2 Set in Bermuda in 1972, this novel tells the story of 13-year-old Rebekah Eve, a talented black artist whose visions hold keys to the past.

Rebekah has tested into Meridian, the best school on the island, to the delight of her ambitious mother. But Rebekah finds it hard to focus in class, especially when people and scenes appear in her mind that demand to be drawn. Her best friend, Wanda, is growing apart from her; her parents have separated; and her mother is dating a white man—all of which are additional distractions. But Rebekah’s father supports her art, and when the mysterious Lady of the Library tells him to bring her to the island’s eminent black artist, Mr. Stowe, for private lessons, he does so. This mentorship helps her understand that people from the past are revealing their stories through her art. While |

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INTERVIEWS & PROFILES

Debbie Rigaud

HER NEW ROM-COM NOVEL IS AN ENTERTAINING TALE THAT ALSO ADDRESSES SERIOUS REAL-WORLD TOPICS

By Megan Labrise Photo courtesy Greg James

says, “but being from communities that have always said, ‘You are a princess, you come from king and queen,’ it felt right, it felt fun to explore this, but for teens.”

In Rigaud’s sparkling YA rom-com, Truly Madly Royally (July 30), 16-year-old community organizer Zora Emerson attends a prestigious summer program at Halstead University, a short train ride but a world away from her beloved hometown of Appleton, New Jersey.

Zora loves Halstead, but she’s not feeling the general air of privilege and pretension that fills its hallowed halls. A chance encounter in the library leads her to pour out her frustrations to a boy she can’t see through the stacks. Unlike her pretentious classmates, “Library Boy” willingly (and wittily) attests to his privilege: “Sorry I’m privileged,” he confesses. “And not only just because I’m a straight white male. I’m a straight white male from a long lineage of privileged people in power—with the ridiculous bank accounts to prove it.” “ ‘Whoa, that’s like coming straight out the womb Beyoncé,’ I say with my eyebrows practically at my hairline. ‘Beyoncé didn’t even come straight out the womb Beyoncé!’ ” “That’s like coming straight out of the womb Beyoncé, but without any of her talent or hard work, yet people are throwing EGOTs at you, following you in droves, and waiting with bated breath for you to do something amazing.”

When Meghan Markle married Prince Harry on May 19, 2018, Debbie Rigaud rejoiced.

“At the time I was saying, ‘It’s like a real-life rom-com, and here we all are in the story!’ ” Rigaud says by phone from her home in Ohio, “meaning women of color.” The young adult writer, who began her writing career reporting news and entertainment for Seventeen, Twist, and CosmoGIRL!, is the Manhattan-born, New Jersey–raised daughter of Haitian immigrants.

“For our inner children, who’ve grown up reading about princesses and not recognizing ourselves,” she 168

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When “Library Boy” turns out to be Owen Whittelsey, the youngest prince of the white royal family of a small European country in the Celtic Sea, Zora must weigh the public and private costs of a high-profile sweet summer romance with her responsibilities to her family, her community, and herself. |

“I feel like every good story has a love story in it,” says Rigaud, who classifies Truly Madly Royally as a rom-com but not necessarily a full-on romance. “But I always wanted to establish that Zora’s life is already in progress. Obviously, she’s not half a person—she’s not one of those ‘you complete me’ types—she’s not like that at all. She has a whole life, and how will this fit along with that? It’s more of introducing [a love interest] to a very goal-oriented, focused person and seeing if it will throw her off, if she will say, ‘You know what, I’m still a kid, why can’t I take this on and have a little fun? It’s summertime!’ ” With snappy dialogue, good humor, and a propulsive plot, Truly Madly Royally is “a light and entertaining tale that also addresses serious real-world topics,” Kirkus writes—one that joyfully emphasizes the power and importance of representing black and interracial love in YA literature.

“I just want to invite readers into Zora’s world, invite them into Zora’s community, and just feel the love that’s there,” Rigaud says. “Come along for the ride, laugh along, and maybe cry along, but definitely come with compassion, come with an open heart, and see why Zora is, in her own right, a hometown princess.”

some abrupt transitions occasionally make the story difficult to follow, the novel is fast-paced and sprinkled with recognizable growing pains and cultural realities. The historical events Rebekah’s art uncovers are inspired by real historical events.

The blurred line between imagination and truth-telling in artistic expression is intriguingly portrayed in this ode to art and to the silenced, condemned voices of the past.

With elements of mystery and history, emotion and thrill, this is a worthwhile addition to any collection. (author’s note) (Historical fiction. 12-18)

CRISIS ON THE BORDER Refugees and Undocumented Immigrants

Kallen, Stuart A. ReferencePoint Press (80 pp.) $30.95 | Aug. 1, 2019 978-1-68282-737-6

Megan Labrise is the editor at large and co-hosts the Fully Booked podcast. Truly Madly Royally was reviewed in the May 15, 2019, issue.

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An examination of the humanitarian crisis at the U.S.–Mexico border.

Divided into four chapters, with plentiful color images and informative sidebars, this broad dive into recent immigration issues looks at Latin American migrants who risk everything in an attempt to start over in the U.S. and the Trump administration’s efforts to curb and deter the flow of refugees. Readers first learn about the much publicized 2018 migrant caravan from Central America: Hondurans and others braved a dangerous journey to the border near Tijuana in search of asylum in the U.S. and an escape from the violence ravaging Central America. The sheer size of the migrant caravan led to the failure of an ill-equipped U.S. response that exposed an aggressive anti-immigration agenda, exemplified by President Donald Trump’s zero tolerance policy and the administration’s subsequent response to the widespread backlash against the separation of parents and children.

Despite the comprehensive inclusion of differing perspectives, including an enlightening passage by an immigration judge, the author falls short of condemning the Trump administration’s policies, possibly normalizing some of the rhetoric coming out of the White House. This accessible overview excels by dedicating space for words from migrants, refugees, and Dreamers stuck in a stifling bureaucratic limbo. A final chapter on potential paths for change offers some glimmer of hope.

A generous, if flawed, survey of a complex, knotty issue. (source notes, resources, further research, index, picture credits) (Nonfiction. 14-19)

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easy. Poachers, who trade in the body parts of grace-year girls, surround the camp, and paranoia, superstition, and mistrust rule. Not everyone will make it home alive. The bones of Liggett’s (The Unfortunates, 2018, etc.) tale of female repression are familiar ones, but her immersive storytelling effortlessly weaves horror elements with a harrowing and surprising survival story. Profound moments lie in small details, and readers’ hearts will race and break right along with the brave, capable Tierney’s. The biggest changes often begin with the smallest rebellions, and the emotional conclusion will resonate. All characters are assumed white.

Chilling, poignant, haunting, and, unfortunately, all too timely. (Dystopian. 14-18)

Kress, Adrienne Scholastic (304 pp.) $9.99 paper | Sep. 3, 2019 978-1-338-34394-6 Series: Bendy and the Ink Machine, 1 Kress (The Quest for the Kid, 2019, etc.) creates a hair-raising tale based on the popular survival horror video game “Bendy and the Ink Machine.”

She capitalizes on its survivalist plot and creepy ambience by setting her story—like the video game—largely on the premises of Joey Drew Studios, a New York City–based production house dedicated to creating “Bendy” cartoons. Emulating the shifting perspective of this genre, in which players have less control than in a typical action video game, the 16-year-old Jewish protagonist, Daniel “Buddy” Lewek, begins his story by ominously looking back to the summer of 1946, warning readers that while dreams may come true, nightmares do as well. Though somewhat cagey as a narrator, Buddy is an extremely likable character, having dropped out of school to help support his recently widowed mother. He’s now dealing with the unannounced arrival to their Lower East Side tenement of his Polish grandfather, who speaks little English, is pale and shockingly thin, and has strange numbers tattooed on his arm. Buddy thinks his dreams of financial solvency and becoming an artist are about to become a reality when Mister Drew hires him to be an errand boy and art apprentice, but he soon discovers something as dark as the ink that animates the Bendy figures lurks in the Drew Studios halls, forcing him to reexamine his entire worldview.

Sinister and twisted, this Faustian page-turner enlightens as it frightens. (Fiction. 12-18)

THE BONE HOUSES

Lloyd-Jones, Emily Little, Brown (352 pp.) $17.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-0-316-41841-6

Ever since the dead have started coming back to life, gravedigger Ryn has been out of work.

Desperate to protect her younger siblings and clear her family’s debts to a greedy landlord, Ryn connects with Ellis, a lost mapmaker who will pay her to guide him into the mountains. Raised in Caer Aberhen after being found in the woods by a prince, Ellis now searches for any trace of his parents, though chronic shoulder pain from a mysterious injury slows him down.

Through a forbidden forest teeming with monsters, together they look for a mythical cauldron that will end the curse of the risen dead. Lloyd-Jones (The Hearts We Sold, 2017, etc.) gruesomely describes the undead, called bone houses, with their rotting flesh and unseeing eye sockets—yet the mood never gets too dark thanks to a tenacious and strangely adorable undead goat along with some mild romantic tension. The journey is slow to get started, the numerous attacks and fight scenes with bone houses grow tedious, and the twists are predictable, but nonetheless this Welsh-inspired story is haunting and compelling. Apart from a dark-skinned villager depicted as an outsider, all characters are presumed white.

A stand-alone dark fantasy that readers will want to sink their teeth into despite its flaws. (Fantasy. 14-18)

THE GRACE YEAR

Liggett, Kim Wednesday Books (416 pp.) $18.99 | Sep. 17, 2019 978-1-250-14544-4 A rebellious 16-year-old is sent to an isolated island for her grace year, when she must release her seductive, poisonous magic into the wild before taking her proper place as a wife and child bearer.

In gaslit Garner County, women and girls are said to harbor diabolical magic capable of manipulating men. Dreaming, among other things, is forbidden, and before girls embark on their grace year, they hope to receive a veil, which promises marriage. Otherwise, it’s life in a labor house—or worse. Strong, outdoorsy, skeptical Tierney James doesn’t want to be married, but a shocking twist leaves her with a veil—and a dangerous enemy in the vindictive Kiersten.

Thirty-three girls with red ribbons symbolizing sin woven into their braids set out to survive the island, but it won’t be 170

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A YA Game of Thrones. red skies falling

RED SKIES FALLING

where he befriends enigmatic inmate Madeleine, a Nightwalker with a dark past. Like most Batman tales, the lines between good and evil are nebulous, and as Bruce struggles with issues like economic inequality, he learns he must define those boundaries himself. With electric pacing and dynamic black-and-white illustrations punctuated with bright splashes of yellow, Moore’s (The Zodiac Legacy, 2017, etc.) adaptation of Lu’s (Wildcard, 2018, etc.) novel is a visual delight with all the cinematic panache one would expect from the superhero franchise. Focusing upon Wayne before he fully adopted his Batman persona, this makes for a fine jumping in point for both seasoned fans and newcomers alike.

Wayne presents as white, but secondary characters are ethnically diverse.

A worthy addition to the expansive Batman corpus.

(Graphic fiction. 12-adult)

London, Alex Farrar, Straus and Giroux (480 pp.) $18.99 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-0-374-30684-7 Series: Skybound Saga, 2

Stakes soar in this sequel to Black Wings Beating (2018).

In their war of feathers and blood, the Kartami extremists seek to eradicate the Uztari’s sinful “cult” of falconry forever. Only the ghost eagle’s power—“death and fear incarnate”—can turn the tide toward victory. With a natural gift for the Hollow Tongue (the ancient language of birds), teen Kylee may be the only one who can communicate with the giant bird of prey. As she studies the language in the Sky Castle, Kylee becomes a pawn in the political machinations of the Uztari elite. Back in their home of the Six Villages, her gay twin brother, Brysen, has his own target on his back as he readies for an impending attack.

Many nestlings will die, but which flock will survive? London skillfully maneuvers omniscient third-person narration around the various players, with special focus on the twins.

Though the main driving force of the novel is the preparation for war, he takes care to preen the budding romance between Brysen and Jowyn and deepen the already strong characterization of the majority brown-skinned cast. However, London’s masterful plotting and battle sequences are the true feathers in his authorial cap. Readers clamoring for a YA Game of Thrones will easily fall prey to this trilogy and await the final installment.

Arresting. (Fantasy. 13-adult)

WE SPEAK IN STORMS y o u n g a d u lt

Lund, Natalie Philomel (464 pp.) $17.99 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-0-525-51800-6

Three outcast teens come together when a tornado stirs up literal and figurative ghosts in their small Midwestern town.

In 1961, a tornado touched down at a drive-in movie in Mercer, Illinois, killing almost all of the town’s teenage population. Half a century later, that loss still haunts Mercer’s residents, and when another tornado strikes the same location, the current batch of teens are especially rattled. There have always been rumors that those killed in the old tragedy remain in Mercer as Storm Spirits, and three misfit high school students think they might be starting to receive the spirits’ messages. Joshua, who feels invisible at school due to his weight and sexuality, teams up with Brenna, whose contentious relationships with her family and a toxic ex-boyfriend compound the loneliness she feels as a Latina in a predominantly white community, and Callie, who has slid into an eating disorder as her mother’s terminal illness progresses. The three share alternating point-of-view narration interspersed with a Greek chorus of the Storm Spirits’ collective voices. Joshua, Brenna, and Callie are all sympathetic characters, but their slow-burn story is smothered under the weight of ponderous, self-serious narration. An incest survivor is deeply othered. All three teens’ “Very Special Issues” are too tidily swept away when their drawn-out conclusion finally arrives. What starts as a delicate ghost story ultimately collapses under its own slow weight.

Too much dead calm, not nearly enough storm. (Paranor­ mal. 12-18)

BATMAN Nightwalker (The Graphic Novel)

Lu, Marie Adapt. by Moore, Stuart Illus. by Wildgoose, Chris DC Ink (208 pp.) $16.99 (paper) | Oct. 1, 2019 978-1-4012-8004-8

A pre-Batman Bruce Wayne takes his first strides toward becoming the

Caped Crusader.

In this graphic adaptation of the novel by the same name, 18-year-old newly minted billionaire Wayne wrestles with increasingly adult issues: how to control his newfound power in managing his deceased parents’ fortune, facing the unknown once high school ends, and an intense call to defend the city he loves.

When a nefarious group known as the Nightwalkers descends upon Gotham City, reigning terror upon the rich, Bruce begins his first foray into vigilantism. Unimpressed by his attempts, he is reprimanded by the GCPD and sent to work at Arkham Asylum, |

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A fresh take on loving yourself. the other f word

SERPENT & DOVE

eventually they get around to sharing that it’s OK to be fat, and fat people deserve love, respect, and happiness. The strongest chapters present a fresh take on loving yourself: the hilarious honesty in Lily Anderson’s (The Undead Girl Gang, 2018, etc.)

“How to Be the Star of Your Own Fat Rom-Com,” the evocative language of Miguel M. Morales’ “Does this poem make me look fat?” and the inspiring advice in Saucyé West’s “Your Journey to Being #fatandfree.” While a list of plus-size fashion resources in the backmatter feels like an unfinished afterthought, nevertheless fat adults will wish they’d had this book growing up, and fat teens will finally feel seen.

Frank and fabulous. (fat fashion resources) (Anthology.

12-adult)

Mahurin, Shelby HarperTeen (528 pp.) $18.99 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-0-06-287802-1 Series: Serpent & Dove, 1 A stealth witch and a devout witch hunter are forced to marry.

In this French-flavored fantasy world, witches are hunted down by the Church’s Chasseurs and burned at the stake; they retaliate against this genocidal crusade through vicious terrorist attacks. Thief Louise le Blanc wants none of that—she’s left her witch life behind. But Lou ends up on Chasseur captain Reid Diggory’s radar when a heist goes bad; his attempt to catch her lands them in a situation so compromising that the archbishop suggests marriage to save face. Lou’s initial priority is self-protection—wanting to avoid both fallout from the heist and a dangerous figure from her past—and she’s fine with using Reid. The slow-burn, opposites-attract romance between crass, irreverent Lou and prim and proper Reid gets very hot and sexy once it ignites. Lou sees firsthand the damages some witches do to innocents, has her presumptions about individual Chasseurs challenged, and also sees up close the horrors Chasseurs perpetrate. Despite occasional pacing hiccups and an easily guessed twist, the secondary characters will charm readers, and the story picks up when Lou’s past dangerously catches up to her, revealing the true stakes. Though at heart a romance, rich second-tier characters round out the shades-of-gray, moralityand-empathy themes. Witches, Chasseurs, and some secondary characters come in all colors; the leads appear white. The ending screams sequel.

Will cast a spell on romance fans. (Fantasy. 15-adult)

THE QB BAD BOY AND ME

Marley, Tay Wattpad Books (416 pp.) $10.99 paper | Aug. 13, 2019 978-0-9936899-4-9

Peppered with dirty jokes and sentimental moments, this risqué debut follows a quixotic quarterback and a selfpossessed cheerleader through their torrid romance.

Headstrong and vaguely anti-social, high school senior Dallas Bryan knows who she is and what she wants: She’s a dancer masquerading as a cheerleader who wants out of Castle Rock, Colorado, by way of CalArts. Uninterested in dating, she nevertheless finds herself embroiled with Drayton Lahey, Archwood High’s superhot, superrich star quarterback. Can their tenuous pairing survive past high school? The book is driven by two major commitment-related conflicts: Drayton battles with his parents over pressure to continue a family legacy of playing for Baylor University while Dallas must come to terms with her aversion to serious relationships. A forthright narrator, Dallas shares the always horny, often boozy highlights of the adventures enabled by Drayton’s bottomless wallet and selectively permissive parents. In one episode, an away-game liaison leads to a jaunt in California; in another, a CalArts campus tour guide shows up in Colorado and forces the not-quite-couple to acknowledge their bond—which, as an outcome of their ongoing romantic tension, will not come as a surprise to readers. Occasional narrative omissions prove disappointing, and linguistic slips by the New Zealand author are distracting. Most characters are assumed white; Dallas’ best friend is cued as black.

Despite its enjoyable characters and palpable passion, sloppy execution and overall predictability make this one to skip. (Romance. 15-adult)

THE OTHER F WORD A Celebration of the Fat & Fierce

Ed. by Manfredi, Angie Illus. by Tegtmeier, Lisa Amulet/Abrams (224 pp.) $18.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-1-4197-3750-3

Body positivity and fat acceptance take center stage with this anthology of prose, poems, lists, and art.

Featuring authors, artists, models, entrepreneurs, and influencers, the 30 contributors to this collection represent a dazzling multiplicity of voices from different gender identities, ethnicities, and sexual orientations. The work ranges from serious to lighthearted, from academic cultural analysis to intimate personal essays and letters to the authors’ teen selves. Many pieces focus on the struggles, self-loathing, and shame of living in a fat body—at odds with the joyful, bright, cartoon illustrations of round bodies dancing throughout the book—but 172

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A LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS Janusz Korczak, His Orphans, and the Holocaust

happened and how it may be related to the real Lucy. The setup is slow and complicated, with many diverse characters, relationships, and supernatural rules. While normally something to be celebrated, this diverse cast feels forced and inauthentic, like moons orbiting the main white protagonist, Sara (Becca is Asian—her ethnicity is never specified—and adopted). When the plot eventually picks up its pace, the story becomes quite engrossing and cleverly moves between its many narrators, characters, and plot twists. If readers can move past the longwinded and complicated setup, they will enjoy this mashup of The X-Files and the The Blair Witch Project, but those seeking a handy conclusion will likely be disappointed.

A mixed bag for patient older teens. (Mystery. 15-18)

Marrin, Albert Knopf (400 pp.) $19.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 978-1-5247-0120-8

Janusz Korczak’s dedication to orphaned children during World War II serves as a reminder of the good one person can do in a world gone dark.

Henryk Goldszmit, known by his pen name, Janusz Korczak, was a quiet, unassuming doctor, veteran, respected author, director of a children’s home—and a Jew in Poland at a time when Nazi ideology was on the rise in neighboring Germany.

Considered a pioneer in child psychology, Korczak and his chief assistant, Stefania Wilczyńska, operated Dom Sierot, a home for orphans in Warsaw, guided by the philosophy that children were worthy of respect as whole beings, not just future adults, and deserving of autonomy and self-determination. Unfortunately, the nurturing environment of Dom Sierot was no match for the Nazi war machine and Korczak, Wilczyńska, and their beloved children died in the gas chambers of Treblinka in 1942.

Marrin (Very, Very, Very Dreadful, 2017, etc.) uses Korczak’s life to explore 20th-century Germany’s path to extremism and brutality. Going beyond simple biography, the book focuses on eugenics and the Nazi’s molding of youth, the roots of anti-Semitism and racism, and their modern legacies. The readable tone makes the long text accessible and engaging. Disappointingly, more attention is paid to Wilczyńska’s perceived lack of beauty than to her intellectual accomplishments as a rare woman able at that time to complete a science degree.

Meticulous research supports a Holocaust book worthy of attention. (notes, selected sources, index) (Nonfiction.

14-adult)

THE LIARS OF MARIPOSA ISLAND

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Mathieu, Jennifer Roaring Brook (352 pp.) $17.99 | Sep. 17, 2019 978-1-62672-633-8

A moving historical novel about Texan siblings Elena and Joaquin Finney and their alcoholic, controlling mother, Caridad.

It’s 1986, and Elena is excited about the summer, the only time of the year her mother allows her some degree of freedom, as she gets to babysit for the holidaying Callahans. It’s the summer after high school graduation for Joaquin, and his future is wide open if only he can find the courage to leave Mariposa Island—and his family—behind. The narrative alternates between Elena and Joaquin in 1986 with flashbacks to Caridad’s past as the daughter of wealthy white Cubans living through the Cuban revolution and, later, life as a lonely teen refugee in Texas. Having lost her family, her language, and her history, Caridad struggled to adapt to a new life with a working-class foster family. Meanwhile, in 1986, Joaquin and Elena find different strategies to survive in a household of fear and manipulation. The daughter of a Cuban refugee, Mathieu (Moxie, 2017, etc.) empathetically delves into thorny questions of identity, trauma, abuse, choices, family bonds, and the lengths people will go to keep a measure of control in their lives. With a touch of romance, this gentle, multilayered novel comes with a dash of the unexpected thanks to the deeply unreliable nature of its narrators.

A beautiful portrayal of a Cuban American family during a crossroads summer. (author’s note) (Historical fiction.

14-adult)

RULES FOR VANISHING

Marshall, Kate Alice Viking (416 pp.) $18.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-1-984837-01-1

What happened to Becca Donoghue?

Sara Donoghue never believed the rumors that her sister, Becca, simply ran away from home with her boyfriend.

Becca had been obsessed with Lucy Gallows, the ghost from the 1950s who allegedly haunts their town, and the mysterious road that Lucy traveled on before she disappeared. Before Becca vanished too, the last thing Sara overheard her say was “We know where the road is. We’ve got the keys. That’s all we need to find her. I’m not backing down now. Not after everything we’ve done to get this close.” As the one-year anniversary of Becca’s disappearance approaches, Sara becomes desperate to discover what |

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THE HEARTWOOD CROWN

black men and hold them back from success. When a dispute in SLAY spills into the real world and a teen is murdered, the media discovers the underground game and cries racism. Kiera has to fight to protect not only her identity, but the online community she has developed. Despite some one-dimensional characters, especially Kiera’s parents, debut author Morris does a fantastic job of showing diversity within the black community.

Nongamers might get bogged down in the minutiae of the game play, but the effort is well worth it.

Gamers and black activists alike will be ready to SLAY all day. (Fiction. 13-18)

Mikalatos, Matt Wander (416 pp.) $24.99 | Aug. 6, 2019 978-1-4964-3175-2 Series: Sunlit Lands, 2

A dying girl, a failing world.

In this sequel to The Crescent Stone (2018), Madeline has returned to Earth still sick after rejecting the Elenil magic that allowed her to breathe freely at the cost of another. However, the crumbling magic system and unfolding secrets draw her back to the Sunlit Lands. Though Madeline is key, the story focuses on Shula Bishara, a Syrian refugee and ex-Elenil soldier; Jason Wu, the boy who pledged never to lie; and Darius Walker, Madeline’s ex and a Black Skull. The main plot points are blatantly laid out—no need to guess who will die at the end—but it is the journey and the choices made along the way that make this story shine. Despite prophecies, fire powers, a magical sword, and the silliness of a kitten-sized rhinoceros, these are sympathetic teens who struggle to make hard decisions in lives complicated by revenge, guilt, and sacrifice. More so than in the previous book, this volume focuses on parallels with current race relations and considers modern history and literature from the viewpoint of the disenfranchised and oppressed. Madeline is white, and there is ethnic diversity in the rest of the cast. Navigating this world and its characters may be daunting for those seeking a quick read, but others will find much to delve into and unpack.

A fantasy for thoughtful readers. (notes, cast of characters, appendix, lexicon, legends, poem, excerpts, stories) (Fantasy. 13-17)

WHITE BIRD A Wonder Story

Palacio, R.J. Illus. by Palacio, R.J. with Czap, Kevin Knopf (224 pp.) $24.99 | $27.99 PLB | Oct. 1, 2019 978-0-525-64553-5 978-0-525-64554-2 PLB A grandmother shares her story of survival as a Jew in France during World

War II. As part of a homework assignment, Julian (Auggie’s chief tormentor in Wonder, 2012) video chats with Grandmère, who finally relates her wartime story. Born Sara Blum to a comfortable French Jewish family, she is indulged by her parents, who remain in Vichy France after 1940. Then, in 1943, after the German occupation, soldiers come to Sara’s school to arrest her and the other Jewish students. Sara hides and is soon spirited away by “Tourteau,” a student that she and the others had teased because of his crablike, crutch-assisted walk after being stricken by polio. Nonetheless, Tourteau, whose real name is Julien, and his parents shelter Sara in their barn loft for the duration of the war, often at great peril but always with care and love. Palacio begins each part of her story with quotations: from Muriel Rukeyser’s poetry, Anne Frank, and George Santayana. Her digital drawings, inked by Czap, highlight facial close-ups that brilliantly depict emotions. The narrative thread, inspired by Palacio’s mother-in-law, is spellbinding. In the final pages, the titular bird, seen in previous illustrations, soars skyward and connects readers to today’s immigration tragedies. Extensive backmatter, including an afterword by Ruth Franklin, provides superb resources. Although the book is being marketed as middle-grade, the complexities of the Holocaust in Vichy France, the growing relationship between Sara and Julien, Julien’s fate, and the mutual mistrust among neighbors will be most readily appreciated by Wonder’s older graduates.

A must-read graphic novel that is both heart-rending and beautifully hopeful. (author’s note, glossary, suggested reading list, organizations and resources, bibliography, photographs) (Graphic historical fiction. 12-16)

SLAY

Morris, Brittney Simon Pulse/Simon & Schuster (336 pp.) $18.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-1-5344-4542-0 A high school senior secretly creates a massively multiplayer online role-playing game dedicated to black culture but is attacked in mainstream media after a player is murdered.

Frustrated by the rampant racism in the online multiplayer game universe and exhausted by having to be the “voice of Blackness” at her majority white high school, honors student Kiera creates SLAY—a MMORPG for black gamers. SLAY promotes black excellence from across the African diaspora as players go head-to-head in matches grounded in black culture. Although Kiera is proud of the game and the safe space it has become for hundreds of thousands of participants, she keeps her identity as lead developer a secret from everyone, including her black boyfriend, Malcolm, who believes video games are a tactic on the part of white people to undermine 174

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This epic fantasy novel deftly plays with genre expectations. there will come a darkness

WHO PUT THIS SONG ON?

to some, and it will appeal to those interested in subjects such as Charles Manson and the Branch Davidians. As readers follow Piper through therapy, they learn that while memories can be unreliable, they can trust their feelings and listen to their instincts. Piper finds that while time might not heal all wounds, supportive friends, family, medication, and therapy will help.

Characters are assumed white.

An intriguing look at a young woman adjusting to life outside a cult. (Fiction. 13-adult)

Parker, Morgan Delacorte (336 pp.) $18.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-0-525-70751-6 Seventeen-year-old Morgan is determined to live her truth as a quirky black girl in a predominantly white, small town in Southern California while struggling with depression and anxiety.

Morgan has more than her fair share of teen angst. She’s regularly the only black person in the room, frequently told that she’s “not really black.” She takes medication for depression and anxiety. Her history teacher is clueless about black history and idolizes Ronald Reagan. For a Goodwill clothes–wearing “emo” girl in a sunny Southern California suburb, Christian school is “like going to high school inside a church inside a PacSun.” And Morgan is tired of having to act like she’s religious. She has doubts about faith and her ability to handle life, and if she were white, she’d be cool in a late-’90s teen film kind of way. But a black manic pixie dream girl is not something her peers embrace as cool. With music as a solace and constant companion, Morgan and her motley crew of friends navigate love, bullying, and an uncertain future. Poet Parker offers readers a heart-filled, laugh-out-loud hilarious YA fiction debut. Morgan’s pain and passion electrify every page. Her life feels like a mess, but faced with racism, rejection, and everyday growing pains, her hope and determination still shine through.

A funny, clever, wild ride of a story about growing up and breaking free. (Fiction. 12-adult)

THERE WILL COME A DARKNESS

Pool, Katy Rose Henry Holt (496 pp.) $18.99 | Sep. 3, 2019 978-1-250-21175-0 Series: Age of Darkness, 1

THE LIAR’S DAUGHTER

Peterson, Megan Cooley Holiday House (304 pp.) $17.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 978-0-8234-4418-2

An angst-y version of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

Piper believes in the Community: Mother and Father have established strict rules that keep everyone safe.

Even if all the rules do not make sense— bleaching hair, digging graves, being told whom you will marry— Piper faithfully believes. When government agents enter their compound and she and the others are taken to the Outside against their will, she will do anything to go back. However, she has been sent to live with a woman who tells her that she is her real mother and that Piper was taken from her as a child.

Peterson (The Angry Alien, 2017, etc.) weaves a lush novel full of cryptic scenes divided into “before” chapters showing Piper’s life in the cult and “after,” when she is set free, which readers fit together for a thrilling ending. The novel presents an accessible look at what makes cults (especially religious ones) attractive |

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“The Age of Darkness is almost upon us.”

One hundred years ago the Seven Prophets disappeared from the world, leaving one last secret prophecy predicting an Age of Darkness, the end of the Graced, the destruction of all civilization, and a Last Prophet who will know how to prevent it all. The Order of the Last Light has been lying in wait ever since for the harbingers to appear: The rise of the Deceiver (the Hierophant, a man bent on destroying the Graced) and the murders committed by the Pale Hand signal that the time has finally come. And then the Last Prophet is found. Five young people who share the narrative—a prince, a murderer, a dying sister, a warrior, and a gambler—have roles to play as the Last Prophecy unfolds and the world starts to change. This epic fantasy novel revels in rich worldbuilding, deftly plays with genre expectations, and thoughtfully examines the power dynamics between those born with abilities and those without as well as the friction between free will and prophecy. A cast of fully developed, flawed, and endearing characters whose actions are genuinely unpredictable are present and accounted for in a world full of brown and queer people in this story that continually walks the fine line between darkness and hope.

A well-crafted, surprising, and gripping start to a new trilogy. (Fantasy. 14-adult)

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The art enhances this endearing picture of teenage love. pumpkinheads

TRANS+ Love, Sex, Romance, and Being You

part ways for college. Deja encourages Josie to take a chance and talk to the girl of his dreams instead of pining for her from afar. Not to be dissuaded by his reticence, Deja leads Josie to multiple stops in the Patch in search of the almost-impossibleto-find Fudge Girl, with every stop taking them in a new direction and providing a new treat. As they journey through the Patch—chasing a snack-stealing rascal, dodging a runaway goat, and snacking their way through treats from fudge to Freeto pie—they explore the boundaries of their friendship. Visually bright and appealing in autumnal reds, oranges, and yellows, the art enhances this endearing picture of teenage love. Deja is a beautiful, plus-sized black girl, and Josie is a handsome, blond white boy.

A heartwarming, funny story filled with richness and complexity. (Graphic fiction. 14-18)

Rayne, Karen & Gonzales, Kathryn Illus. by Rayne, Nyk & Passchier, Anne Magination/American Psychological Association (304 pp.) $16.99 | Aug. 27, 2019 978-1-4338-2983-3 A comprehensive guide for transgender teens.

Without access to resources, growing up as a transgender person can feel isolating. However, the authors emphasize that transgender people exist as “part of a strong, important global history.” In this handbook for navigating young adulthood as a transgender person, debut author Gonzales and Rayne (Girl, 2017, etc.) organize the chapters into six sections: an introduction to gender, dysphoria, and coming out; body development and reproduction; paths for transitioning; strategies for dating, building healthy relationships, and identifying unhealthy patterns; sexual activity and health; and confronting challenges in other aspects of life like school and work. Each chapter includes diary entries from trans people of varying identities and backgrounds. The authors also chime in with their own personal reflections. Quirky portraits of each contributor accompany the diary entries and author reflections. A conversational tone makes the content more engaging and approachable. Along the way, Gonzales and Rayne stress that certain topics may be triggering or exacerbate dysphoria for readers, so they encourage skipping parts or replacing terminology that feels uncomfortable with more affirming words as a means of self-care. Every chapter ends with additional trans-centered resources. While the guide covers a broad range of topics, a central theme unites them: Transgender people of all identities have their own valuable narratives to share that are deserving of respect.

Honest, inclusive, and essential. (dictionary, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 14-18)

SNOWFLAKE, AZ

Sedgwick, Marcus Norton (320 pp.) $18.95 | Sep. 17, 2019 978-1-324-00441-7

Ash travels to the desert highlands of Snowflake, Arizona, to look for his older stepbrother, Bly, who has disappeared to this rural enclave for reasons unknown.

Ash, 18 and assumed white, succeeds in finding Bly, but what he discovers in Snowflake keeps him there far longer than expected, and for reasons he couldn’t have predicted. Here he finds an odd community of white, mostly middle-aged misfits who are all sick, their bodies ravaged by chemicals ubiquitous to daily life. The canaries, as they call themselves, are a warning of what is to come to broader society, yet their suffering is dismissed by the medical establishment. To survive, they’ve created a community of mutual care far from the toxins of city living. The novel turns the post-apocalypse genre on its head, forgoing extremes to instead focus on the subtleties of pre-apocalyptic days. It takes time to sink into Sedgwick’s (The Monsters We Deserve, 2018, etc.) odd cadence, which may put off some readers, but the payoff for those who push through is tremendous. Expert foreshadowing pulls readers along to unavoidable disaster; when the blows arrive, they land with a visceral punch. Sedgwick’s restraint is remarkable, and he achieves something special with the raw, vulnerable humanity he reveals through these characters. Their relationships are deep yet fraught; their suffering and humor equally sincere.

An ominous, relevant, and uniquely compelling read. (author’s note) (Fiction. 15-adult)

PUMPKINHEADS

Rowell, Rainbow Illus. by Hicks, Faith Erin First Second (224 pp.) $17.99 paper | Aug. 27, 2019 978-1-62672-162-3 Autumn loving, they had a blast; autumn loving, it happened too fast.

Having worked together in the Succotash Hut at the pumpkin patch for years, best friends and co-workers Deja and Josiah, who goes

by Josie, ditch work and find love on their last night, heading out in search of Josie’s unrequited love, the girl who works in the Fudge Shoppe. Deja, a witty and outgoing girl who attracts— and is attracted to—boys and girls alike, is set on helping the shy, rule-following Josie move out of his comfort zone before they 176

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THE SURVIVAL LIST

debut novel is a fluttery, insightful teen romance told in both boys’ voices, filled to the brim with feelings but sidestepping melodrama and coming-out angst. The author gives emotions form, texture, and color, taking readers along on Adam’s and Caleb’s journeys while remembering that a boyfriend is not an antidote to life’s supernatural—or mundane—problems.

Though the author touches on several unresolved plotlines from her science-fiction podcast, The Bright Sessions, especially in the second half, the novel is strong enough to stand alone for those who have never listened to it. Caleb is white; darkskinned Adam’s father is Jewish.

A warm, satisfying love story with depth. (Science fiction.

13-adult)

Sheinmel, Courtney Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins (320 pp.) $17.99 | Sep. 17, 2019 978-0-06-265500-4 A 17-year-old Jewish girl seeks answers after her sister dies by suicide.

Sloane laments missing critical signs after her beloved older sister, Talley, takes her own life, leaving only a list bearing a California phone number, the initials “TSL,” and cryptic references to names and places. Determined to decipher Talley’s code, Sloane embarks on a road trip across California with Adam, the phone number’s handsome, evasive owner. As clues fall into place via an implausible series of coincidences, Sloane learns that Talley was keeping a painful secret. Unfortunately, Talley is portrayed as one-dimensionally “special”: brilliant, kind, and universally admired. However, Sheinmel’s (Let’s Mooove!, 2019, etc.) painfully realistic depiction of depression sensitively emphasizes that “it’s a medical condition, a potentially fatal one.” Though the author intricately portrays Sloane’s grief and guilt, her poignant take on the butterfly effect— including thought-provoking references to the Holocaust and its legacy—explores not only suicide and its aftermath, but survivors’ capacity to heal. The bond between Sloane and her fiercely supportive best friend, Juno, lightens the mood, their chats about boys and babysitting gently reassuring readers that life goes on. With few physical descriptions, the book seems to follow a white default. Juno is deaf, and two of Sloane’s friends are gay.

Contrivances notwithstanding, this is a sympathetic, thoughtful exploration of depression, suicide, grief, and healing. (author’s note) (Fiction. 14-18)

EXILE FROM EDEN Or, After the Hole

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Smith, Andrew Simon & Schuster (368 pp.) $18.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-1-5344-2223-0 A grotesque, post-apocalyptic exploration of story, reality, and adolescent boyhood.

Sixteen years after the end of Grass­ hopper Jungle (2014), when the Midwest was decimated by an apocalypse of 10-foot praying mantises, a handful of survivors are living in an underground bunker in Iowa. Sixteen-year-old Arek, born in the bunker, is increasingly feeling stifled, particularly by his grandmother, the “SPEAKER OF LAWS in the hole,” and his mother, whose “sadness and anger became a stormy ocean inside the hole, drowning me.”

He’s in love with and lusts after his only peer, biracial (Chinese/ white) Amelie Sing Brees. When his fathers, Austin and Robby, venture aboveground and don’t return, Arek is determined to seize the moment to explore the wider world and discover what has happened. Arek’s first-person narrative is an intentionally crafted meditation on art, truth, reality, reproduction (both abstract and biological), and meaning-making. The only brown character falls into disturbingly racist tropes: a 12-yearold boy named Breakfast who is “completely wild,” constantly “scratch[ing] his balls,” obsessed with money, hates wearing clothes, and has “wild dreadlocks.” Breakfast’s companion is a chimpanzee named Olive, whom Breakfast is convinced is just a very hairy human girl who never talks. Smith’s (The Size of the Truth, 2019, etc.) trademark portrayal of women characters, which at its most generous can be described as a lack of attention, continues here.

“I am my father’s son,” the protagonist notes early on; this couldn’t be truer—for better and, quite arguably, for worse. (Science fiction. 14-18)

THE INFINITE NOISE

Shippen, Lauren Tor Teen (336 pp.) $17.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-1-250-29751-8 Series: Bright Sessions, 1

High school football player Caleb is drawn to his sad, bookish classmate Adam, who is an island of calm in an ocean of other people’s emotions.

Caleb is the quintessential handsome, popular athlete, but he’s dealing with an unusual problem: He has the supernatural power of feeling others’ emotions.

Sure enough, high school is a stressful place for someone with such a power, and Adam is the only person at school whose emotional presence helps Caleb bear the onslaught of teenage feelings. Adam, who is Jewish, has a huge crush on Caleb but doesn’t dare hope that Caleb feels the same way about him. Meanwhile, Caleb understands everyone’s feelings but his own. Shippen’s |

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THE SUICIDE EPIDEMIC

opportunity after a chance encounter with the girls. Meanwhile, a bloody coup is brewing at Big Daddy’s compound.

D’s, Spider’s, and Min’s friendship and grief are painted in realistic strokes, and Ariel’s own heartbreaking narrative reveals an all-too-believable place where women and girls are cogs in a madman’s extremist vision. Treggiari (Blood Will Out, 2018, etc.) offers chills both subtle and shocking, and readers won’t be able to turn the pages fast enough. All characters are assumed white.

Jaw-dropping twists and a distinct Deliverance vibe elevate this riveting thriller. (Thriller. 14-adult)

Steffens, Bradley ReferencePoint Press (80 pp.) $30.95 | Aug. 1, 2019 978-1-68282-741-3

An abbreviated but data-packed overview of a burgeoning health crisis.

The numbers are appalling—over 47,000 suicides in the U.S. in 2017—and it’s growing worse. Through both statistics and anecdotes, this slim volume hammers home the dramatic rise in U.S. suicide rates across all demographic groups, regions, ages, and occupations. The causes are multifarious and not well understood: They range from immediate contributors like easy access to means; proximate factors such as bullying and mental illness; and broader cultural trends, including increasing economic anxiety and social isolation. An entire chapter zeroes in on teen suicides; another examines the often overlooked impacts (sometimes life-threatening) on the bereaved. The work concludes with a brief discussion of prevention and postvention, with heavy emphasis on diagnostic rubrics. The writing style is dry and data intensive, aimed more at report writers than at those seeking emotional help or closure. Still, the inclusion of affecting personal stories and tangential boxed inserts does help break the numbing effect of the constant barrage of dire statistics. All examples and citations are recent, most from the last two years. The phrase “commit suicide” or variations are used multiple times. Color photographs show individuals of various ages and ethnicities.

Best for libraries updating resources on an issue that (alas!) isn’t going away anytime soon. (source notes, appendices, resources, index, picture credits) (Nonfiction. 12-16)

ARE YOU LISTENING?

Walden, Tillie Illus. by the author First Second (320 pp.) $17.99 paper | Sep. 10, 2019 978-1-250-20756-2

Two women on the run from their pasts travel across west Texas.

Eighteen-year-old Bea runs away from home without a plan except escaping—until she crosses paths with 27-year-old Lou at a gas station on the way out of town. They share the same need to get away from all the people they know. Together, they embark on a road trip to Lou’s great-aunt’s house in San Angelo and then to return a lost cat to a mysterious town called West. However, the dark and foreboding Office of Road Inquiry pursues them in search of the cat in their possession. Walden (On a Sunbeam, 2018, etc.) crafts a story rich in metaphor about two gay women on a journey through trauma and grief. The unpredictable, shifting landscape in which lakes appear and roads change course encapsulates the treacherous and nonlinear path of healing. Complex panel layouts in dark tones and moody reds often bleed together, and stretches of silent art fit the heaviness of the tone. Background characters whose eyes are hidden add to the rising sense of anxiety throughout the story. In the midst of this intense atmosphere, Lou and Bea develop a moving bond and deep trust that allow Bea to open up to Lou. The resolution offers hope that both characters will continue to heal. Characters appear to be white.

A tsunami of emotions—sharp and heavy. (Graphic novel.

14-adult)

THE GREY SISTERS

Treggiari, Jo Penguin Teen (256 pp.) $17.99 | Sep. 24, 2019 978-0-7352-6298-0

Three teenage girls encounter much more than painful memories when they travel to the mountainside site of the plane crash that killed their loved ones.

It’s been two years since a small plane went down near a mountain peak formation called The Grey Sisters. Now, 11th graders D and Spider and their friend Min are heading to the site where D’s twin sister, Kat, and Spider’s younger brother, Jonathan, died. D seeks closure for the loss of her other half, the girl whom Spider loved—but Spider, whose self-destructive streak since the tragedy has caused friction, isn’t convinced they’ll find it. What they do find is a clash with Big Daddy, the leader of a survivalist group. Ariel is one of Big Daddy’s teen “soldiers.” She’s desperate to get fellow soldier Aaron to a doctor after he’s viciously mauled by a bear, and she sees an 178

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Illuminates weighty issues by putting a compassionate human face on struggles both universal and particular. frankly in love

SHATTER CITY

self-proclaimed Flying Opera Company, in hopes of taking revenge on Jianzhu. As with the original, a mix of East Asian cultures provides the template for character profiles and worldbuilding. Yee (The Epic Crush of Genie Lo, 2017) artfully weaves in political entanglements as well as complex cultural identities to fully immerse readers in Kyoshi’s world. The pace strikes a careful balance between page-turning conflicts and revelations of Kyoshi’s past. Each page is efficient in its storytelling, furthering the plot without lessening the suspense.

Knowledge of the original series is ideal for full enjoyment An action-packed tale that answers some long-awaited questions; fans will look forward to the promised sequel.

(Fantasy. 12-16)

Westerfeld, Scott Scholastic (416 pp.) $18.99 | Sep. 17, 2019 978-1-338-15041-4 Series: Impostors-Westerfeld, 2 Frey will do anything to find her twin sister as their father works to conquer more unsuspecting cities.

After once again assuming the role of her sister, Rafi, Frey toils in her father’s tower, easily fooling him and playing up the drama of her engagement to Col Palafox for the feeds. But she’s a prisoner; both she and Col wear bomb collars that will explode if they attempt escape. Meanwhile, Rafi has taken on the mantle of Frey, working with rebels in the wild who are demanding their father’s punishment. But their father has plans: He’s set his focus on the destruction of the city of Paz, the last place Rafi was seen. But once Frey and Col set out on their mission, it becomes clear that Rafi doesn’t want to be found. Even so, Frey will do anything to locate her, though she’ll have to confront the fact that maybe she doesn’t know her sister at all, and she certainly doesn’t know herself. Propelled by intricate worldbuilding and heart-pounding action, there’s never a dull moment. Frey’s journey to self-discovery takes the forefront, and it’s hard-won, thoughtful, and complex. Readers will jones for the next installment, eager to witness their heroine take on more thrilling adventures. As before, race is not defined in this European-inflected fantasy world. A nonbinary character has a larger presence in this book.

Page-turning action made even more engrossing by a rare emotional core. (Science fiction. 12-18)

FRANKLY IN LOVE

Yoon, David Putnam (432 pp.) $18.99 | Sep. 10, 2019 978-1-984812-20-9

THE RISE OF KYOSHI

Yee, F.C. Amulet/Abrams (448 pp.) $18.99 | Jul. 16, 2019 978-1-4197-3504-2 Series: Avatar, The Last Airbender, 1 The origins of Kyoshi, from the beloved television series Avatar: The Last Airbender, have been shrouded in mystery—until now.

Orphaned Kyoshi is treated as an outcast in the small coastal village of Yokoya. To survive she works in the mansion of Avatar Yun as his servant and companion. When she accompanies Yun to a treaty negotiation, violence breaks out, unleashing Kyoshi’s hidden earthbending capabilities and throwing doubt on Yun’s legitimacy. Yun and Kyoshi engage in a ritual to find out who the true Avatar is only to be betrayed by one of his mentors, Jianzhu, forcing Kyoshi to flee. With the help of Rangi, a Firebender warrior and friend, they now must evade Jianzhu and his extensive network. Kyoshi receives tutelage from a group of bandits, the |

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A senior contends with first love and heartache in this spectacular debut.

Sensitive, smart Frank Li is under a lot of pressure. His Korean immigrant parents have toiled ceaselessly, running a convenience store in a mostly black and Latinx Southern California neighborhood, for their children’s futures. Frank’s older sister fulfilled their parents’ dreams—making it to Harvard—but when she married a black man, she was disowned. So when Frank falls in love with a white classmate, he concocts a scheme with Joy, the daughter of Korean American family friends, who is secretly seeing a Chinese American boy: Frank and Joy pretend to fall for each other while secretly sneaking around with their real dates.

Through rich and complex characterization that rings completely true, the story highlights divisions within the Korean immigrant community and between communities of color in the U.S., cultural rifts separating immigrant parents and American-born teens, and the impact on high school peers of society’s entrenched biases. Yoon’s light hand with dialogue and deft use of illustrative anecdotes produce a story that illuminates weighty issues by putting a compassionate human face on struggles both universal and particular to certain identities.

Frank’s best friend is black and his white girlfriend’s parents are vocal liberals; Yoon’s unpacking of the complexity of the racial dynamics at play is impressive—and notably, the novel succeeds equally well as pure romance.

A deeply moving account of love in its many forms. (Fic­ tion. 14-adult)

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A darkly humorous, rapid-fire read. now entering addamsville

continuing series

NOW ENTERING ADDAMSVILLE

Zappia, Francesca Illus. by the author Greenwillow (432 pp.) $18.99 | Sep. 11, 2019 978-0-06-293527-4

SHADOW & FLAME

Arnett, Mindee Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins (496 pp.) $17.99 | Jun. 4, 2019 978-0-06-265269-0 Series: Rime Chronicles, 2 (Fantasy. 14-18)

Her family has been a target of slurs—“trailer dogs,” “rednecks”—but she may still save the town.

Eighteen-year-old Zora Novak is down two parents and two fingers, living in a trailer on the town outskirts with her sister, Sadie, because their mom’s missing and father’s in jail. Deceptively quaint Addamsville, Indiana, relies on a thriving ghost-tourism industry, although Zora’s the only person who can see the departed. But the ghosts (thankfully gloomy, not gruesome) are restless, and there’s a shape-shifting, ghost-eating firestarter on the loose, destroying property and possibly possessing people. Like a profane, brunette Buffy, Zora has a gift but needs a Scooby gang to help her save Addamsville. Reluctantly allying with reformed (maybe) firestarter Bach and insufferably perfect cousin Artemis, Zora attempts to dispatch the firestarter, sabotage a ghost-hunting TV crew, solve mysteries, survive high school…and avoid maiming, death, or serious jail time.

Abrasive, defensive, and secretly sentimental, Zora doesn’t let social pariahdom stand in the way of fulfilling her paranormal duties. Zappia (Eliza and Her Monsters, 2017, etc.) both invokes and subverts poverty porn, dark tourism, and small-minded small-town life in this arch look at social inequalities that doesn’t skimp on supernatural spookiness, slapstick, or teenage snark. Main characters follow a white default, but there is some ethnic diversity in secondary characters.

A darkly humorous, rapid-fire read in which the living are sometimes scarier than the dead. (Paranormal. 14-18)

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IMMUNITY

Bowman, Erin HarperTeen (448 pp.) $17.99 | Jun. 12, 2019 978-0-06-257417-6 Series: Contagion, 2 (Science fiction. 13-18)

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indie THE DAUGHTER OF PATIENCE

These titles earned the Kirkus Star:

Alkheder, Hussin Lulu (262 pp.) $13.48 paper | $9.99 e-book Apr. 8, 2019 978-1-4834-9916-1

FIRE DANCER by S.A. Bolich........................................................... 183 FROM CINDERS TO BUTTERFLIES by Richard B. Fratianne......... 187 UNLIKELY FRIENDS by Judith Moffett............................................195 BOOTH’S CONFEDERATE CONNECTIONS by Sandy Prindle.......199

Fratianne, Richard B. Franklin Street Books (196 pp.) $15.95 paper | Jun. 3, 2003 978-1-59299-018-4

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FROM CINDERS TO BUTTERFLIES A Spiritual Journey to Healing

A debut mystery tells the story of a crime-solving imam looking for answers in the shadowy underworld of Damascus.

On a January day in 2010, the police arrive at a crowded Damascus apartment building—one that the Syrian authorities rarely visit. A dead woman, Hadiya Kishat, lies on a couch watched over by her five shellshocked children while the woman’s husband and father-in-law assure the police that nothing is amiss. An envelope is passed to the lead detective, and the case all but disappears. A few weeks later, Hadiya’s brother, Mustafa, approaches the imam of the Al-Shagoor Mosque, confused as to the circumstances of his sister’s death and why her children live in poverty despite her husband’s lucrative career in Dubai. The idiosyncratic Mullah Abdullah Al-Allab, an “unofficial private detective, who took advantage of his religious position to help people and solve their problems,” agrees to look into the matter, and when he is next in Dubai, he pays a visit to Hadiya’s widower, the wealthy but evasive Mazen Mis’ed. The mullah gets few answers, but when he flies home to Syria, he is arrested at the airport, held for several weeks, and tortured for reasons he does not understand. When he is finally released back to his family, he discovers that his favorite student at the mosque, Salah Almawazly, has disappeared without a trace. Unknown to Mullah Abdullah, Salah had become involved with a secretive religious organization committed to re-creating an Islamic caliphate, and he has already recruited Hadiya’s disabled son, Khaled—who suffers from a congenital bone disorder—as a member. Now the mullah, who likes to play detective, will have to become a real investigator in order to discover the true fates of Hadiya and Salah and the secret that connects them.

Alkheder’s detailed prose, though sometimes choppy, is often quite funny, as here when he describes Mullah Abdullah’s unique career choices: “His father had told him a detective’s career was not suited for faithful people, and had reminded him the hereafter was our final destination….He’d promised his father he would study the Islamic Sharia, but never promised that he wouldn’t work as a private detective.” The humor cuts against the larger sense of unease that characterizes the novel, which is full of dark alleys, secret agents, and people attempting to mind their own business. The mullah is a charming character—naturally curious, occasionally sanctimonious, 181

on mental illness Indieland often receives well-considered titles on the subject of mental illness, something 20% of adult Americans face annually, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. These reviewer-recommended titles cover the topic from various angles: the disastrous effects of lobotomy, memoirs on mental confusion and recovery, and the misunderstood condition of catatonia.

Examined Lives by Roberta Reb Allen: “The author not only sheds light on the disturbing mid-20thcentury practice of lobotomy (which was mostly performed on female patients), but also thoughtfully examines the ramifications of such practices—and mental illness generally—on subsequent generations.”

Shift Happens: Breakdowns During Life’s Long Hauls by Margot Genger: Genger captures the palpable effects of her mental illness: “I sat there, miserably uncomfortable, on the sticky plastic seat, unable to move, feeling sick with all the visuals whizzing by. Telephone poles hit my eyes, bushes blurred like tripping on acid.” Our reviewer calls her account “an emotionally intuitive memoir and a rip-roaring American road story in the Jack Kerouac tradition—one with a valiant protagonist that readers will root for.”

The Madness of Fear: A History of Catatonia by Edward Shorter and Max Fink: “Shorter and Fink offer a probing, well-informed, and very readable account of the arcane theorizing and factional struggles by which psychiatrists hashed out a consensus on catatonia, schizophrenia, and other psychic ailments, one that’s enriched with dozens of intriguing case studies.” —K.S. Karen Schechner is the vice president of Indie.

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KILLING VINCENT The Man, the Myth, and the Murder

Arenberg, I. Kaufman CreateSpace (350 pp.) $19.95 paper | $6.95 e-book Oct. 17, 2018 978-1-72950-757-5

I Could Almost Touch the Devil by Dawn Rodger: This memoir about a teacher’s mental disintegration and recovery “should be highly valuable for those seeking to make sense of mental illness, either their own or a loved one’s.”

The author also outlines her process of improving her self-regard, “from considering herself a ‘psycho’ to simply realizing that her mind, like any other organ, was subject to illness.”

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and often completely tactless. The women who surround him— his wife and daughters and also the daughters of Hadiya—provide illuminating foils to his conservative worldview while also revealing a major societal fault line. The mystery, which branches off in many twisting tentacles, is captivating enough, but the book is most successful in the ways that its conflicts speak to the larger issues of life in contemporary Syria and elsewhere. Though the pacing occasionally lags, the author’s wellconstructed characters and inherently noirish setting—which should make the audience want to immediately find more mysteries set in Damascus—will keep readers engaged to the end.

A deliberative, Syria-set detective tale that manages to address intriguing modern issues.

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A debut work of historical investigation argues that the famous painter of The Starry Night was murdered.

Most historians believe that the clinically depressed Vincent van Gogh died in 1890 of wounds he had sustained when he shot himself in the abdomen with a revolver. Physician and amateur sleuth Arenberg feels differently. The great artist, the author argues, was the victim of a murder and coverup so devious that they have gone largely unsuspected for well over a century. “This intriguing and epic cold case of the death of Vincent van Gogh involves multiple theories and scenarios of what happened on July 27, 1890,” writes Arenberg. “With almost no agreed-upon facts, it remains one of the most enduring legends and enigmatic unsolved mysteries of art history.” Using modern forensic analysis, documents from van Gogh and his associates, and the most recent theories of experts, the author meticulously examines the case for suicide and accident, attempting to show the ways in which the record has been misinformed, misinterpreted, or ignored. He then chases down the various suspects that might have been involved, landing finally on those who he believes actually killed the man, offering their reasons for doing so and the ways in which they were able to keep the truth from the public. Arenberg’s prose is exact and excited, making it clear just how much fun he has had trying to solve the puzzle. “She was there and saw and heard everything!” he writes, defending the credibility of Adeline Ravoux, the subject of one of van Gogh’s paintings. “She has no obvious or nefarious agenda.” As with many conspiracy-minded books, this one sometimes gets lost in the weeds, slowing momentum and diffusing tension. The audience will likely think a tighter, less shaggy work would have been a better read. Even so, there is much to be learned about the artist’s milieu and his final days, and the author enjoyably transforms some of the famous faces

FIRE DANCER Masters of the Elements

in van Gogh’s portraits into whodunit suspects. Fans of the revisionist theory genre should enjoy this earnest work in which the pleasure lies not in the truth but in the uncertainty.

While not completely persuasive, this alternative theory on van Gogh’s death manages to provoke doubt as to what actually happened.

A CHAMELEON FROM THE LAND OF THE QUAGGA An Immigrant’s Story

Bismillah, Joan FriesenPress (396 pp.) $30.90 | $29.99 paper | $8.99 e-book Apr. 1, 2019 978-1-5255-3176-7 978-1-5255-3177-4 paper

In this debut novel, a talented but anguished master of fire must overcome her past failures and rally the inhabitants of a beleaguered village.

Jetta is a Firedancer, the youngest ever Third Rank master.

She can tame and vanquish fire with the power of dance—from infant flames to cunning hysths and even raging outbreaks of The Ancient itself. But Jetta’s reputation is tarnished. A year ago, fire claimed the village she was assigned to protect. Her life mate was killed and Jetta herself, injured. Although recovered physically, she has lost the unshakable confidence necessary to keep The Ancient at bay. Why then has the Circle of the Fire Clans sent her and her childhood friend Setti (a mere Second Rank journeyman) to investigate outbreaks of fire in Annam Vale? Annam is home not only to Stone Delvers—a clan of giants who mine the mountains for fire-dousing containment stone—but also now to Windriders, whose presence could easily fan the flames of The Ancient. Tensions run high. Many of the Delvers welcome Jetta, but others distrust her, believing her to be incompetent or even the cause of the conflagrations that she and Setti subdue. What’s worse, The Ancient grows shrewd. Fire has evolved and no longer bows to the traditional forms of the dance. If Jetta is to save Annam, she must unite its inhabitants and overturn an entire worldview. Bolich’s impressive novel captures the best elements of fantasy writing while avoiding most of the pitfalls. This series opener, though promising further development, is self-contained, its worldbuilding unobtrusive yet substantial. The characters are complex: Jetta with her impetuous, strong will; faithful, lovelorn Setti; the ethereal Windrider Sheshan (Jetta’s romantic interest); and down through the minor players. Their conversations, though stylized to an extent, are not stilted, and the conflicts and dangers at Annam arise naturally from the scenario, not from authorial trickery or incongruous decision-making. Readers will feel Jetta’s frustrations and uncertainty (“Those tunnels full of fire haunted her. The Delvers knew nothing of fire, had no concept of the danger in leaving The Ancient fretting behind a makeshift barrier of dirt. She pictured the Old Man patting at his prison with hands of fire…searching restlessly for a way out”) and her resolve. As the dance against The Ancient grows ever more perilous, the audience will gladly journey with her.

A gripping fantasy full of magic and heart.

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In Bismillah’s debut memoir, she discusses growing up in South Africa under apartheid, encountering prejudice toward mixed-race relationships, and escaping oppression through immigration.

“This multi-hued society” of South Africa “should have adopted the quagga, that extinct beast with its varicoloured body, as an emblem for the country,” writes the author. In this book, Bismillah looks back on a life affected by racial segregation, and her remembrance has a sense of urgency: “Alzheimer’s, lurking in a recess of my brain, threatened to distort my recollections to a deconstructed, Picasso-like abstraction,” she discloses. She was born in Johannesburg in 1928 to an Italian father and a mother of “Scottish and Anglo-Indian descent.” Her family was considered privileged, but her formative years were by no means sheltered; she was raised by a tyrannical grandmother with Victorian values, her mother died during her childhood, her father was severely wounded during World War II, and her brother was killed in a car accident. Her life changed again in nursing school, where she met Abdul Haq “Bis” Bismillah, an Indian medical student and the man she would later marry. Their relationship faced ugly prejudice in South Africa, and they escaped to raise a family, first in London, England, then in Fergus, Ontario. Bismillah’s prose is characterized by elegant, vivid flourishes; for example, she discusses how “pictures of places and people, both living and dead, tumbled like acrobats across the screen of my mind.” Of a date in Johannesburg with Bis, she writes, “I recall the susurrus breeze that rustled through the branches…and the chirping cicada’s nocturnal song to the accompaniment of Debussy’s hauntingly beautiful and melodic ‘Clair de Lune’ over on the radio.” Along with evocative imagery, the memoir presents an enduring message about racial awareness. At one point, the author recounts how Bis described South Africa’s train carriages: “second-class… reserved for Indians…and third class with its un-upholstered and bare wooden seats for black people.” As a European always traveling first class, she says, she’d never encountered such discrimination before. Overall, this is a historically rich chronicle of 20th-century South Africa by an inspirational woman.

Tender, romantic recollections interlaced with a biting appraisal of apartheid.

Bolich, S.A. B Cubed Press (383 pp.) $13.99 paper | $3.99 e-book Mar. 6, 2019 978-0-9989634-7-1

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MOTHER MAY I? A Post-Floydian Folly

SEVEN STEPS TO YOUR BEST LIFE The Stage Climbing Solution for Living the Life You Were Born to Live

Boxer, Sarah Illus. by the author International Psychoanalytic Books (188 pp.) $17.95 paper | May 17, 2019 978-1-949093-17-9

In Boxer’s (In the Floyd Archives, 2001) satirical graphic-novel sequel, a group of animals searches for a new psychoanalyst after Freudian Dr. Floyd abandons them.

Bunnyman, Mr. Wolfman, Rat Ma’am, and Lambskin are all former patients of Dr. Floyd. Sadly, the bird psychoanalyst has flown away and left the four in the woods, their therapy incomplete. Rat Ma’am suggests performing a sacrifice or burning an effigy of Dr. Floyd, which eventually becomes a much tamer “weenie roast.” For more structure, the group may simply need, as Rat Ma’am puts it, “a really watchful psychoanalyst.” Bunnyman, who has an Oedipal complex, nominates Lambskin, his surrogate mother, whose wool he often gingerly strokes. Kids’ games, such as the titular “Mother May I?” become the animals’ new form of therapy. But when that’s not enough, Lambskin produces a little black sheep from her pocket: Melanin Klein.

Melanin treats Bunnyman, Mr. Wolfman, and Rat Ma’am as her children—and treats her kids as patients, including kids from her own pocket: Melittle Little, Little Hans, and Squiggle Piggle. Her brand of psychoanalysis is decidedly different than Dr. Floyd’s; for instance, she believes that everyone, even her children, is “strangely attracted” to her. But, with luck, Melanin will still be able to help the neurotic animals. Boxer’s previous book spoofed Sigmund Freud, but this follow-up concentrates primarily on psychoanalysts Melanie Klein and D.W. Winnicott. The delightful story is generally surreal, with objects appearing out of nowhere (such as a toy train) and Bunnyman having apparent hallucinations involving Dr. Floyd. Nevertheless, the comedy is abundant and perhaps best appreciated after perusing the author’s historical notes at the end. For example, Melanin asks the animals to create squiggles out of Squiggle Piggle’s pliable tail, which, Boxer explains, is based on a therapeutic drawing game that Winnicott created for kids. As in her preceding book, Boxer offers clear, simple artwork that suitably resembles children’s drawings, and it includes moments of praiseworthy visual humor, such as Rat Ma’am pointing to her own thought balloon: “Those are my little black thoughts.”

A kooky and witty illustrated tale that’s full of intelligence and educational value.

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Broder, Michael S. G&D Media (304 pp.) $19.95 paper | $14.98 e-book Jan. 23, 2019 978-1-72251-013-8

A psychologist explains how “Stage Climbing” can result in a happier life.

Formulaic approaches for achieving maximum potential are common in self-help books. Broder (Positive Attitude Train­ ing, 2019, etc.) offers one, as well, but his seven-stage concept is a memorable one. This often engaging book begins with an overview of these self-actualizing stages (“Overcoming Dependency,” “Taming Your Primitive Self,” “Living Life by Your Rules,” “Becoming Fearless,” “Taking Charge of Your Life,” “Follow Your Passion” and “When Benevolence Takes Over”) as well as a description of the “hooks” that “can propel you forward or hold you back.” Chapters fully explore each stage, using numerous anonymized examples from the author’s practice or counsel in the form of “action steps” designed to lead the reader through self-examination. Many steps require serious thought and even deep reflection, such as the third-stage advice to “Examine what you have always wanted to do with your life but have resisted because you were afraid to leave behind that comfortable state of discomfort.” Each stage logically builds upon the others, culminating in the final one in which “the forces of gratitude and passion work together.” The stages generally progress from birth through adolescence and adulthood to old age, but they’re not exactly related to chronology, the author says; people may go through stages at different times, he asserts, and not everyone will go through all the stages. This explanation may cause confusion for some readers, but Broder aims to clarify his formula in the last chapter, in which he focuses on how stages relate to such areas as conflict management and problem-solving. Broder aptly describes this final chapter as “a calibration” of the stages, suggesting that readers can employ the Stage Climbing system in different ways depending on the goal. This chapter effectively acts as a road map of sorts, but it’s entirely up to the reader to implement it, which some may find to be a challenge.

An approach that may be overly complex for some but life-affirming for others.

Burleson’s story celebrates creativity while offering the message that someone loved is never really gone. my brother’s lion

MY BROTHER’S LION

Burleson, Joshua Illus. by the author Self (32 pp.) $15.99 | $2.99 e-book | Jan. 1, 2019 978-1-73277-850-4

TEARS OF WINTER Light From Aphelion

THE GREAT CONNECTING The Emergence of Global Broadband and How That Changes Everything

Carlsson, Martine Self (711 pp.) $5.40 e-book | Feb. 16, 2017

When a plague begins killing the citizens of a kingdom, the king, queen, and others embark on a quest to find a cure in this fantasy sequel.

Lissandro, prince of the Frozen Mountains, is visiting the kingdom of Trevalden just in time for the winter solstice. It’s a time to celebrate with his friends Louis, the king, and Selen, who’s likely the only male queen in the neighboring countries. But sudden deaths from a mysterious sickness halt the festivities in the kingdom’s capital of Nysa Serin. It’s quickly apparent that further ailing citizens indicate a plague that, based on an autopsy, isn’t one Louis or anyone has seen before. Lissandro suggests traveling to the Ebony Forest, where there’s a magical place that may have answers—and a cure. He and the royal couple join a small group and head north. But their journey proves much longer and more treacherous than they had envisioned. Bodies along the way seem to point to a murderer within the group. This may be the same person who’s possibly feeding information to

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A young boy and his stuffed lion go on an outer-space voyage in this picture book from debut author/illustrator Burleson.

The narrator recollects a time when his older brother told him a story about how he fixed a broken constellation with the help of his magical toy lion. The lengthy, rhyming couplets reveal how, “when a glowing thread…cut loose from a constellation” came into the older brother’s window, he and the lion turned a bed into a sailing ship and set off, rescuing several creatures (such as a “banana man” and a mechanical dragon) along the way. When the pair was about to reconnect the thread, they faced the “dangerous villain” Scissorat; later, the lion stayed behind to protect the constellation, and the boy said goodbye, knowing the lion would watch over him. Each miniadventure could easily have been its own tale; the locations and characters are intriguing and imaginative, and Burleson’s cartoonish illustrations with gorgeous backgrounds invite readers into the fictional world. The couplets are long enough that the poetry isn’t obvious, but the rhymes are solid and consistent.

Burleson’s story celebrates creativity while offering the message that someone loved is never really gone.

A touching and whimsical rhyming bedtime adventure with engaging images.

bandits who have the travelers in their sights. Back in Trevalden, Lords Pembroke and Josselin, both ministers, try to retain order, which is a decidedly arduous task, as someone essentially stages an uprising. Louis hopes that he, Selen, or another can survive with a traitor in the group’s midst. Even if most of them perish, it only takes one individual to return to Trevalden with the cure.

Though Carlsson’s (Rising From Dust, 2017) novel has all the ingredients of a fantasy, such as dragons and hints of magic, it’s the interaction between the humans that propels the story. For example, distrust slowly emerges within the traveling group, and there’s a betrayal in Trevalden. It’s an engrossing approach that leads to myriad dynamic characters, all with their own flaws.

This includes the royal couple, two men who are unquestionably in love, as evidenced by their few prolonged, occasionally explicit dalliances. But they’re not immune to friction since Selen’s worry about being unable to birth an heir for Louis makes the king believe the queen is unhappy with their relationship.

The author’s descriptions are solid but especially vibrant when lingering on the environment: “The melancholic landscape of fields and copses stretched from a vale to the other. Here and there, bound to the sky by their columns of smoke, homesteads curled in the shade of a forest. Brown, hunched figures hustled around like ants on an anthill.” But there’s an unfortunate lack of female characters, with Kilda, part of Louis’ group, the only notable woman. Adding to that is Louis’ insulting the gender by implying Kilda isn’t “respectable” due to her manner of speech and dress and saying her place, as a wife, is at home. Nevertheless, with quite a few deceitful characters in the mix, Carlsson’s tale revolves around ever changing perceptions, and Kilda’s strength is evident before the end.

While mystical elements befit the genre, the relatable human characters make this story indelible.

Cashel, Jim Radius Book Group (224 pp.) $11.48 | $11.56 paper | Jun. 11, 2019 978-1-63576-645-5 978-1-63576-646-2 paper

A researcher assesses both the challenges and the potentially transformative power of global internet access.

As ubiquitous as the internet may seem, debut author Cashel observes, a considerable swath of the world—its poorest parts— remains without access to it, “locked out” of one of the most significant technological inventions of this era. But there are good reasons to believe that will change soon, in particular the plummeting costs associated with satellite technology, which effectively delivers faster and higher quality broadband service.

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internet access. Facebook has been using drones as instruments of delivery, and Google has been harnessing balloons. Moreover, governmental institutions are making a contribution as well; in 2010, the United Nations established the Broadband Commission for Digital Development and considers the general adoption of broadband access central to the achievement of its other developmental goals for poorer nations. The author astutely raises an important question: How will the widespread promulgation of broadband—what Cashel calls the “Great Connecting”—affect otherwise disadvantaged populations? He provides a searching discussion of the many ways—financial, medical, political, and communicative, just to name a few—in which broadband will positively alter the socio-economic landscapes of the beneficiaries. In addition, the author assesses the challenges, particularly the use of the internet as a tool of extremist hate and political oppression. Finally, he presents a series of thoughtful solutions to these impediments and a kind of road map for governments and investors alike to accelerate the process and clear inevitable hurdles. Cashel is a researcher and visiting fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and so it is unsurprising his study is impressively exacting.

At the same time, it’s an exceedingly practical work and draws heavily not only on theory and data, but also on the author’s travels to the developing world. Unfortunately, his optimism can be excessive; for example, especially after the last year of revelations about Facebook’s business, it is remarkable he can write: “The good news is that Facebook does have in its mission statement—and undoubtedly in its corporate DNA—the idea of making the world a better place.” Still, this remains an incisive tour of a complex set of issues.

A thorough and concise look into the technologically saturated future.

AMONG THE MAASAI A Memoir Cutler, Juliet She Writes Press $16.95 paper | Sep. 10, 2018 978-1-63152-672-5

A woman recounts her two decades dedicated to educating Massai girls in Tanzania in this debut memoir.

Many teachers have said that they learned as much from their students as their students learned from them. When the pupils are the girls of Maasailand, the lessons learned are a bit different than those gleaned by other teachers. When the 24-year-old native of Billings, Montana, arrived in the country in the late 1990s to teach at the Maasai Secondary School for Girls, Cutler met teenagers whose experiences had already included the threat of arranged marriages, early motherhood, polygamy, and genital mutilation in addition to rampant gender discrimination and severe poverty. “Helping others and empowering others are not always the same thing,” writes the author in her introduction, recalling her idealistic motivations. “Neither are simple matters, particularly 186

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for outsiders, but I didn’t know this yet. If I had, I might never have gone.” Using her own experiences as well as those of some of her students—including a teen whose father was ordered by village elders to educate one of his 23 children and a pupil who, at the age of 13, escaped an arranged marriage to a 30-yearold—Cutler presents a picture of the joys and challenges faced by this first generation of educated Maasai girls. Following her two-year stint in Tanzania, the author continued to support the school from afar for 20 years. Cutler’s prose is considered and often lyrical, as when she describes the physical conditions of the Great Rift Valley: “During the dry season, it is a dusty, radiating cauldron of cracked earth. In the wet season, it is a verdant miracle rising from the very brink of despair.” The author is sensitive to the traditions of Maasai culture but is unafraid to criticize those aspects that she feels are damaging for girls. The book is a valuable record, showing both the successes and limitations of education and Western assimilation of native cultures.

At its heart, though, it is an education memoir—alternatingly moving and tedious, as they frequently are—to which anyone who has spent time in a classroom will likely relate.

A sometimes-slow but often enlightening account of teaching in East Africa.

BELLA, THE WILDLIFE AMBASSADOR Protecting Piping Plovers

Dolan, Katie Illus. by Oksner, Judith Self (40 pp.) $15.00 paper | Jan. 5, 2019 978-1-79320-097-6

In this children’s book, a dog explains the reasons why piping plovers are endangered and the measures being taken to protect them.

Nine-year-old Bella narrates that she’s a black Newfoundland whose retirement mission is “to help wildlife” with her son Blue, and “my human,” Katie. (Bella’s a former journalist who wrote for such magazines as “BONE APPETIT” and “DOG’S DIGEST.”) Newfoundlands make good “Ambassador” animals, she says, because they’re gentle as well as protective. And many species need protecting, she notes, due to factors such as habitat loss, pollution, the climate crisis, and “human-wildlife conflict,” as when piping plovers and humans want to share the same beach: “shorebirds are one of the most threatened bird families in the world,” notes Katie. In Little Compton, Rhode Island, Goosewing Beach is the site of a salt-marsh nature conservancy that protects plovers’ nests during breeding season.

One plover, Hercules, has a damaged wing feather and gets left behind when the other birds head south for the winter, so Bella and Blue stand guard, allowing Hercules to rest, undisturbed by predators. After speaking with a red fox drawn to the beach by humans’ garbage, Bella thinks of an appropriate slogan: “People, Predators, Pets, and Piping Plovers: we’re all connected.” She convinces local cats “to cut back on evening forays” at the beach and finishes by listing ways humans can help protect plovers,

The religious elements of the memoir are skillfully interwoven with stories of the impressive achievements of the burn unit. from cinders to butterflies

such as by picking up beach garbage and keeping felines indoors.

In her debut, Dolan presents her ecological message with an effective mix of facts and anthropomorphic storytelling. She clearly explains what’s at stake and how humans can contribute to rescuing endangered birds. Bella has an appealing personality; her protectiveness is touching, and as an “Ambassador,” she’s even polite to cats. The author also straightforwardly explains the scientific material, such as how an ecosystem is thrown out of balance when “apex predators” disappear and “mesopredators” thrive. She’s convincing without hammering the points home, making it more likely that kids will be inspired to make their own environmental contributions. Oksner’s (Barking, 2017, etc.) softly shaded watercolor illustrations are lovely and capture the animals’ distinctive charms.

An engaging environmental message from an endearing canine character.

OH NO! REINDEER FLU!

An adorable team of enthusiastic huskies helps Santa Claus in this picture book from debut author Egar and illustrator Campeau (Mon guide nature, 2019, etc.).

Santa just doesn’t know what to do when the elves tell him the reindeer are sick. Rudolph pledges to pull the sleigh himself, but he has a fever, so Santa needs another plan. First, a “famous daredevil pilot,” a woman with windblown black hair, offers to transport Santa, but the plane won’t fit all the toys. Then local huskies Romeo and Sheba call for their friends to help. Several other boisterous huskies arrive to pull Santa’s sleigh, and one irrepressible pup, Frost, is determined to be the most helpful dog of all. The mission goes smoothly despite one small hiccup when Frost tries to catch a falling star, and Santa’s very grateful. The ending here is no surprise—Christmas is saved once again—but the dogs steal the show. Campeau’s action-packed, painterly color images show the pups in energetic states, whether they’re playing with polar bears or engaging in a game of tag. The few slightly challenging vocabulary words (“halted,” “harnesses”) are clear from context, and the simply structured sentences will help newly independent readers feel confident.

A lively holiday tale that may make youngsters wonder why Santa ever used reindeer in the first place.

Fratianne, Richard B. Franklin Street Books (196 pp.) $15.95 paper | Jun. 3, 2003 978-1-59299-018-4

A burn unit doctor’s account of healing and transformation.

Fratianne, an emeritus professor of surgery at Case Western Reserve University and the founder of the burn center at Cleveland’s MetroHealth Medical Center, combines his experiences as a physician with his unfolding faith journey as a Christian in this debut, crafting a narrative that centers on the concept of personal development: “Most of us never fully know or appreciate the person we can become,” he writes. “We do not fully explore our potential; our gifts and our talents or our qualities as human beings.” Fratianne and his team, which he calls his “extended family,” have treated many patients with pain and long-term trauma from serious burn injuries. In some ways, he says, the most challenging injuries are those to a victim’s sense of self. He notes how patients with scarred skin or deformed features felt afraid that they would be objects of pity or ridicule when they rejoined society. The stress of dealing with this brought Fratianne to the edge of quitting his job, but at this point in his story, he recounts a personal spiritual awakening—a sense that God was urging him to love his patients despite the enormity of their needs. His first response to God, he writes, was “I can’t. I can’t. They need too much; much more than I can give.” The author employs a highly effective blend of autobiography and spiritual manifesto in these pages, revealing how transforming the lives of others became possible by using what he calls the “supernatural gifts” of faith, hope, and love.

The religious elements of the memoir are skillfully interwoven with stories of the impressive achievements of the burn unit; specifically, he tells how the team worked wonders by always treating patients as beautiful people and by affirming every bit of progress that they made in their arduous journeys back to their everyday lives. Fratianne’s own health scare at the book’s climax only underscores the lessons that he so touchingly conveys throughout.

A straightforward and uplifting story of helping others through earnest Christian faith.

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Egar, Valerie L. Illus. by Campeau, Tamara Whistle Oak $17.99 | Oct. 3, 2019 978-1-73359-330-4

FROM CINDERS TO BUTTERFLIES A Spiritual Journey to Healing

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INTERVIEWS & PROFILES

David Leadbeater

THE INAUGURAL WINNER OF THE AMAZON KINDLE STORYTELLER AWARD TALKS ABOUT HIS SUCCESSFUL CAREER

By Rhett Morgan Amazon Kindle Storyteller award in 2017, which secured him a publication deal with Amazon imprint Thomas & Mercer for subsequent releases in the series. I talked to Leadbeater recently about his career.

What have been some of the biggest influences on your writing?

Growing up, I devoured as many books as I could, from the works of Stephen King to Tolkien. More recently, I’ve loved series by Robert Crais and Matthew Reilly. The most influence on my writing probably came from King and Crais.

Why did you decide to give the character Alicia Myles her own series?

Alicia became a very important, much-loved character in the first eight or nine Drakes. I was getting so many requests for her to be in a series of her own that I thought I’d give it a try!

With 2012’s The Bones of Odin, U.K.-based writer David Leadbeater introduced readers around the world to Matt Drake, a retired Special Air Service officer who finds himself chasing after the “Tomb of the Gods,” supposedly the greatest archaeological find of all time. After self-publishing Odin through Kindle Direct, Leadbeater rose to the top of bestseller charts in the U.K. and built an international following for his humorous and exciting series of modern-day treasure hunts. His success has since led to 20 more entries in the Drake series, a spinoff series dedicated to the adventures of Alicia Myles (Drake’s female counterpart), and 2017’s The Relic Hunters, the beginning of a fresh new series following a group of relic smugglers. Hunters quickly expanded Leadbeater’s fan base and his appeal once it received the inaugural

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When did you first decide to release your novels on your own?

I’ve been writing short stories and novels since I was 15 years old; that’s 38 years now! In 2011 my wife brought the Amazon Kindle to my attention, where by using Kindle Direct, authors could publish their own work. I sat down at that point to plan and write a new series especially for the Kindle, which turned out to be the Matt Drake series.

You’ve had a lot of success releasing directly to Kindle; what do you think helped your books to find readers?

The Drake series started to get popular in 2012, at which time I was heavily involved on social media, releasing a book every four months despite working a full-time job as well and getting involved in everything I could find.

What would be your advice to writers considering self-publishing?

Be prepared to adapt and change your strategies. First, plan and write your novel in a genre you are comfortable with. Consider that you may want this book to become a series in the future. Start using social media steadily, building a base for your brand and interacting with potential readers and allies. Make sure your book is properly edited and has a professional cover and blurb. Before release, understand your brand, your ad campaign strategies, and your budget. Start to build a mailing list.

What will your next release be?

Coming next, later this year, will be Four Sacred Treasures (Matt Drake, 22).

Rhett Morgan is a writer and translator living in Paris.

Greenblatt, James & Lee, Winnie FriesenPress (396 pp.) $34.99 | $24.99 paper | Mar. 18, 2019 978-1-5255-4189-6 978-1-5255-4190-2 paper

A comprehensive, personalized approach to the treatment of depression that uses an individual’s unique “biochemical signature.”

According to Greenblatt (Finally Focused, 2017), who coauthored this book with debut author Lee, the psychiatric community has a tendency to treat depression as a monolithic phenomenon, a one-size-fits-all approach that encourages a heavy reliance upon pharmacological cures. There are many different types of depression, however, and a dizzying array of potential root causes. As a consequence, the author avers, each case must be treated singularly. In fact, everyone is “biochemically unique”—a dynamic organization of hormonal, genetic, neurophysiological, and psychological factors. As an alternative to the regnant models of conventional psychiatry, Greenblatt advocates for “integrative psychiatry,” a holistic approach that considers the full panoply of depression’s causes as well as possible cures, including spiritual responses like yoga and meditation, nutritional programs, exercise, and of course, psychotherapy.

The author soberly presents a mountain of data to support his position and confirm his commitment to supporting only “evidence-based medicine.” Greenblatt powerfully argues that pharmacological treatments are far less effective than typically reported and not well understood. He presents a discomfiting picture of traditional psychiatry that is financially beholden to a pharmacological industry and dogmatically attached to empirically untenable theories. “Traditional psychiatry is in crisis,” he writes. “The ideas as to what causes depression are not based on strong science, and our current treatments are not working nearly as well as they should.” Greenblatt’s expertise on the subject is irreproachable. He’s a psychiatrist who has been successfully using integrative medicine for more than 30 years and has been inducted into the Orthomolecular Medicine Hall of Fame. At each stage of his argument, he supplies a bevy of experimental support, and he lucidly, concisely explains remarkably technical subjects like epigenetics: “the study of trait variations caused by external or environmental variables… that may turn genes on or off or may change the ways in which cells ‘read’ DNA, but which do not involve any alterations to DNA sequences.” Also, the entire study radiates intellectual moderation. Greenblatt never rejects the use of drugs in treatment; he thoughtfully recommends a far more judicious use of them—and only as part of a therapeutic regimen that addresses the full medical profile of each patient.

A scientifically scrupulous and impressively accessible introduction to integrative psychiatry.

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What do you think has drawn readers to the character of Matt Drake?

I think it’s the personable, dented, approachable character of Drake and all the other main characters that has endeared the series to my readers. There are actually 6 or 7 main characters working together, developed gradually through the entire series, and I often receive messages from readers saying how they enjoy seeing what happens in each character’s developing storyline just as much as each book’s plot.

INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE FOR DEPRESSION A Breakthrough Treatment Plan That Eliminates Depression Naturally

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FIGHTING FOR YOU

ADAPTIVELY RADIANT

Hagen, Layla Self (226 pp.) $11.82 paper | Jun. 19, 2019 978-1-09-972808-2 Sparks fly when a star soccer player meets his team’s sponsorship manager in this fifth installment of a series.

As a top player for the LA Lords soccer team, Jace Connor is accustomed to a fast-paced lifestyle and plenty of attention from the media and adoring female fans. Love is the last thing on his mind until he meets Brooke Derringer, the team’s new sponsorship business development manager. Brooke needs a fresh start after weathering the breakup of a long-term relationship and leaving her job at a fashion magazine. She is excited about the position but nervous because the LA Lords’ coach is her father, Stephen.

She wants to prove that she was hired for her business experience and not because of family connections. Jace is immediately attracted to Brooke, but she is wary of getting involved with him because she does not want to mix her personal and professional lives as she did at the magazine. While working with Jace on endorsement opportunities, Brooke discovers another side of him, one devoted to his family and community.

Jace is determined to win Brooke’s heart, and their impromptu dinners and workout sessions at the gym blossom into a passionate romance. Jace and Brooke want a future together. But when Jace’s dispute with a jealous teammate spirals into a public relations nightmare, the couple must decide whether their love is worth fighting for. This installment of Hagen’s (Only With You, 2019, etc.) Connor Family series is a briskly paced and satisfying contemporary romance that builds on the author’s talent for creating endearing characters and heartfelt and deeply passionate love stories. Hagen sticks with the engaging narrative style found throughout the series. The lively and fast-moving chapters alternate between Jace’s and Brooke’s first-person perspectives. This technique allows the author to fully develop the characters and their motivations, particularly Brooke’s initial desire to establish personal and professional boundaries between her and Jace. Their romance develops at a gradual pace as they navigate the dynamics of a workplace relationship. While Jace and Brooke’s bond is the primary focus of the novel, a well-developed subplot involving the athlete’s teammate Levi provides the tension that leads to a crisis for the nascent couple. Fans of the series should also enjoy return appearances from members of the Connor family.

A sizzling, sexy romance and a rewarding continuation of a family series.

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Henning, Joseph E. Self (248 pp.) $14.95 paper | $6.99 e-book May 28, 2019 978-1-73306-172-8

A Pacific-leaping fantasy debut tells the story of two relatives on a journey to discover a magical family secret.

Cousins Justin and Kaito arrive on the Japanese island of Yakushima to visit their grandparents. Justin grew up in Hawaii but now lives in California, and this is his first trip to Japan to visit his relatives.

Kaito was orphaned 10 years ago and subsequently raised by his aunt and uncle in Japan. Each has received a family heirloom as a 21st birthday gift: Justin a pocket watch and Kaito a pocket knife. They discover that the knife unlocks a secret compartment in the watch containing a map, which they follow into the forest until they discover a jar containing nine small stones: “The grayish-blue river rocks are flat, smooth, and roughly two inches across. Each one has an animal engraved on one side and kanji etched on the other.” There is also a note from their greatgrandfather Kuro Saito, who writes that they will discover the meaning of the stones in due time. So begins a scavenger hunt that will take them across Japan, Hawaii, and California as they have nine supernatural encounters and uncover nine amazing objects. They will eventually unlock the ability to take an even grander odyssey—but first Justin and Kaito will have to collaborate to put their great-grandfather’s puzzle together. Henning’s prose is simple—sometimes to the point of blandness—but his images are often wonderfully surreal: “The pixies begin to interact with one another in an unusual manner, and all nine marine animals in the twenty-five-gallon tank form a single-file line and start swimming in unison. They stop just in front of the glass near Justin’s nose and spread out to form a perfect circle.” Saito and his migrant history provide a colorful backstory, but on the whole the characters are not terribly complex, and the checklist aspect of the quest is the plot’s primary engine. Even so, the mix of traditional Japanese and Hawaiian folklore with some contemporary sci-fi and fantasy elements makes for a fresh and distinctive read.

A mostly enjoyable supernatural tale that embraces the Japanese diaspora.

The author soundly balances his own story with information about abuse and treatment, offering numerous lists of symptoms and resources. resilient people

RESILIENT PEOPLE A Journey From Childhood Abuse to Healing & Love Huttner, Rick Lioncrest Publishing (236 pp.) $14.99 paper | $6.99 e-book May 3, 2019 978-1-5445-0309-7

James, Victoria Entangled: Amara (320 pp.) $7.99 paper | $3.99 e-book Mar. 26, 2019 978-1-64063-541-8 New York Times–bestselling author James’ (A Christmas Miracle for the Doctor, 2018, etc.) latest is a second-chance romance between a rogue cowboy with an ailing parent and a hardworking small-town girl with artistic dreams.

Ty Donnelly has reluctantly returned to his hometown of Wishing River, Montana, after eight years of competing in rodeos and working as a ranch foreman. His father, Martin, is recovering from a stroke and unable to run the Donnelly ranch on his own—but neither father nor son has forgotten the conflict between them that drove Ty away. Meanwhile, Lainey toils away in the town diner, fulfilling a promise that she made to her late grandmother Tilly to keep the restaurant going. She also brings Martin dinner every night, and she finds her former crush on Ty rekindling. As Ty navigates his fraught relationships with his father and his former friends Dean and Cade, Lainey harbors a secret about a hefty loan that Martin granted her just before his stroke. She and Ty begin a tentative courtship built on attraction and respect, bonding over new ideas to put the ranch in the black once again. Eventually, Lainey confesses her dream to study art in Florence, Italy, which she’s deferred twice. But when she and Ty learn that their priorities may be very different, each must decide whether love really can conquer all. James builds a vibrant world in the fictional Montana town, featuring believable supporting characters, such as Lainey’s naturopath best friend, Hope Martin, and physician Dean, who naturally hate each other—sowing the seeds for a future book, no doubt. There are no wacky misunderstandings here, though; instead, Ty and Lainey must learn to be honest with each other—about everything from premarital sex to family relationships—before the predictable ending. Sick parent Martin seems to appear and disappear at the convenience of the plot, and the secondary conflicts seem overly numerous. That said, the dialogue is sharp, the setting is clear, and the protagonists are compelling throughout.

A lovingly written modern-day fairy tale with complex characters and a well-earned, satisfying ending.

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Huttner guides the reader toward overcoming their childhood abuse in this debut motivational work.

When Huttner was just 6 months old, he was sent away to live briefly with relatives. He later found out that this was due to the fact that his mother, reeling from the recent death of her own mother, had suffered a nervous breakdown and tried to hurt him. Later, at age 13, he was sexually abused by a friend of the family—a police officer. Huttner suffered from nightmares and many other symptoms, eventually developing a destructive drinking habit in adulthood. Even once he began seeking treatment for his trauma, he was unable to find relief. “I kept looking to be healed, not to heal,” writes Huttner in his introduction.

“Finally, I started examining some of the hard issues of my past, looking at the patterns of abuse and my patterns of self-destruction. Once I began to look inside, true healing began.” This book is a record of the lessons he learned, a tumultuous process of trial and error that he hopes other abuse survivors can benefit from. Though the experience is different for every survivor, the author shares his own stories of abuse and treatment along with universal strategies to help the reader forgive themselves and let go of their pain. Huttner’s prose displays confidence but also vulnerability: “I developed a stutter and could no longer introduce myself as ‘Freddy’; I ended up switching my name to ‘Rick.’ I wet the bed for years. I was afraid of other boys. If a fight threatened to break out, I was paralyzed; I couldn’t defend myself.” The author soundly balances his own story with information about abuse and treatment, offering numerous lists of symptoms and resources for the reader’s easy consultation.

Most of this information is available elsewhere, but the presentation here is clean and kind, and those who need it will likely find solace in this work.

A polished, empathetic mix of memoir and advice for childhood abuse survivors.

THE TROUBLE WITH COWBOYS

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YOUR MOVE What Board Games Teach Us About Life Kay, Jonathan & Moriarity, Joan Sutherland House (180 pp.) $12.16 paper | Sep. 11, 2018 978-1-9994395-4-5

A nonfiction work explores society and culture through the lens of tabletop games.

Board games have undergone a resurgence in recent years—perhaps partly, debut author Moriarity argues, as a rejection of the ubiquity of digital entertainment—but they have been with us for centuries.

They often replicate some aspect of real life: war, wealth accumulation, resource management. In this way, they provide an intriguing mirror of the society in which they are created. “This is not a book of strategy tips or game reviews,” writes Moriarity at the beginning of this volume. “It is about the things games can teach us about ourselves. Each chapter focuses on one or two game titles…and draws out a revealed lesson in history, psychology, philosophy, society or culture.” Moriarity, a gamer-turned-writer, and Kay (Among the Truthers, 2017, etc.), a writer-turned-gamer, take turns, chapter by chapter, pulling at those threads that they find most interesting. Kay uses Settlers of Catan—the first European title to become highly popular in the United States—to examine how European board games in the postwar years tended to focus on peaceful, creative themes in contrast to the conflict- and competition-driven American ones like Risk. Moriarity reveals how The Game of Life—the 1960 reimagining of Milton Bradley’s original 1860 game The Checkered Game of Life—dispensed with its predecessor’s concept of moral choice and replaced it with a deterministic quest to gain material wealth. In addition to providing a window into society, games offer players an opportunity to learn (sometimes unwittingly) about other segments of society. Kay discovers how two games—Greenland and 1812: The Invasion of Canada—made him think about and even identify with different cultures. Moriarity (in a chapter called “Horrible People”) confronts her prejudices about the sort of people who love Cards Against Humanity.

Kay and Moriarity are both skilled writers and elucidators, and their voices are distinct enough to provide the book with a pleasing yin and yang. Their dueling chapters on Monopoly skillfully illustrate their various interests. Kay comments on how the game’s poor-get-poorer, rich-get-richer mechanic is “characteristic of a certain dynamic observed in nature, engineering, and human relationships, one that mathematicians sometimes describe as unstable equilibrium.” Moriarity, meanwhile, focuses on the psychological benefits—and worsened gameplay—of the popular but noncanonical Stupid Free Parking Rule: “I am using the word ‘rule’ in the loosest possible sense because there is, in fact, no such rule—which is a big part of the problem.” The authors include a mix of classic titles that most readers will know (Scattergories, Scrabble, Dungeons & Dragons), with more-complex offerings from the tabletop world (Pandemic, Dead of Winter, Legend of the Five Rings). It’s a far more perceptive and intriguing book than it appears at first 192

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blush, particularly for those readers who have never thought of games as an artistic medium—at least not one that comments on society. Regular gamers will enjoy these takes on familiar titles. And readers just discovering the tabletop renaissance will likely want to play some of these games themselves.

An illuminating book that both introduces and critiques an often overlooked art form.

STEP LIGHTLY Stories

Klym, Kendall Livingston Press (198 pp.) $12.34 paper | Jun. 30, 2019 978-1-60489-224-6 978-1-60489-223-9 paper This debut collection of short fiction

by Klym, a former professional ballet dancer, explores the lives of expert and novice dancers to reveal how the art form channels the power of self-expression.

In a brief introduction, the author describes his background as a dancer (he studied at New York City’s School of American Ballet) and tries to articulate how dancing and composing stories intersect for him: “When I write, I dance,” he states. He describes the relationship between writer and reader as a partnership—one that’s aided by growing familiarity. In “The Ballet Class,” an amateur ballerina in her 40s observes that her classmates are a motley but lovable crew. In “The Belly Dance,” Karla, a woman faced with a stalled marriage, turns to a belly dancing class, which teaches her the moves that she needs to spark a new sexual rapport with her husband. As a writer, Klym is clearly drawn to formal variance; as a result, these stories feature braided narratives, bulleted lists, step-by-step guides, a faux product disclaimer, and a dessert recipe. The author also freely uses section titles, which provide crisp packaging for vignettes that, read quickly, create a sense of swift movement through time and theme. The story “Pavlova,” for instance, unfolds in newspaper clippings, diary entries, and a mysterious, aforementioned recipe to tell the story of a dessert dish so potent that it summons the ghost of its namesake—legendary Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova—and physically transforms any dancer who eats it.

Klym has an accomplished command of narrative voice.

In “A Professional Male Ballet Dancer in Twelve Steps,” he succinctly captures the tone and diction of a child: “your parents took the leaves you collected and ironed them between pieces of waxed paper. You said you loved the smell.” The book runs into trouble with its dialogue, however, which is often too wooden and prosaic to seem believable: “You put body, mind, and soul into the entire process,” Karla’s husband in “The Belly Dance” says, “but cooking and eating are not the same thing as loving.” The author’s clear passion for dance enlivens the 15 tales, but he sometimes bends over backward to coin a new phrase that expresses its importance, as in the story “Origin”: “A state of eloquence encased in a spark of spontaneity, Dance

The author slyly packs in quite a bit of information, including an explanation of moonquakes. the shadows moving in the moon’s skull eyes

set the world in motion.” Klym frequently mentions the difficulties that dancers face, such as stereotypes regarding sexuality, problems of body image, and the physical and mental tolls of performance and training. Despite this, some of the stories here lack any tension at all. In “The Ballet Class,” for instance, the climax occurs when a character’s ex-girlfriend unexpectedly shows up, but the end still fizzles. In “The Belly Dance,” Karla lies in order to join a class for pregnant women, but this complication never transforms into something interesting. And “Origin,” a creation myth of cartoonish grandiosity, never allows readers to access the emotion at its core.

An uneven set of tales but one with plenty of bright spots.

THE SHADOWS MOVING IN THE MOON’S SKULL EYES A Vision of Apollo XI

Lago (Grand Canyon, 2015, etc.) imagines the moon landing from the moon’s perspective in this work of creative nonfiction.

The cratered surface of the moon may seem alien to people who are used to the landscapes of Earth, but in the grand scheme of things, its appearance represents the norm: “The whole universe is like the moon, chaotic and lifeless and mindless,” writes Lago in his prologue. “This is a universe of craters, of planets and moons saturated with craters, craters within craters, craters atop craters, craters ruining other craters.” Lago had this realization while watching a lunar eclipse in Verdun, France, where the craters made by World War I ordnance still pockmark the landscape—proof, perhaps, that mankind has internalized some universal forces of destruction. What follows is a meditation on what Earth looks like from the moon, particularly that strange time when an “asteroid” from our planet landed on the lunar surface—and two astronauts got out of it and began walking around. What must the moon have made of this strange encounter as it was presented with such oddities as symmetrical objects, gaseous oxygen, artificial light, and living organisms? How odd was it for its dust, which had sat undisturbed for millions of years, to suddenly take the shape of human footprints?

Lago uses the moon to dislocate readers and ask them to consider everything from a new and remote perspective—from the effect of the moon’s gravity on water in the astronauts’ bodies to the moon’s relationship to calcium, gold, and glass to its role in the lives of owls and luna moths and its distinctly inhuman sense of silence and time. “Through the moon’s grey, cratered mirror,” he writes, evoking the epiphanies of Apollo XI astronauts, “we might finally be able to see ourselves clearly.”

Lago’s prose is as controlled as a lunar module, and it often becomes quite lyrical: “The astronaut breathed deeply, deep into time, deep into Earth, deep into life, breathed with the

SMART, SUCCESSFUL & ABUSED The Unspoken Problem of Domestic Violence and the High-Achieving Female

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Lago, Don Livingston Press (158 pp.) $11.09 paper | May 31, 2019 978-1-60489-230-7 978-1-60489-229-1 paper

lungs of whales, the throats of giraffes, the mouths of Rex, the noses of elephants, the voices of wrens, tapping the holy, cosmic winds that had given life to the gods themselves.” The author also slyly packs in quite a bit of information, including an explanation of moonquakes, a look at magnesium’s functions on Earth and on the moon, and an accounting of various lunar goddesses in human mythologies. Lago appears less interested in specific facts, however, than he is in capturing larger, less comprehensible properties of the moon and of existence in general.

He divides the book into short chapters, each one a riff on a specific idea, such as what the concept of zero might mean on the moon; some are closer to poetic meditations. As such, the book’s style may not be every reader’s cup of tea, but it is successful in making the moon feel simultaneously alien and tactile.

One can almost feel the moon dust between one’s fingers.

An original, impressionistic take on man’s first brief, off-world encounter.

Mailis, Angela Sutherland House (178 pp.) $17.95 paper | Sep. 25, 2019 978-1-9994395-7-6

A scientist combines research and personal experience to advise women in

abusive relationships.

In this self-help book, Mailis (co-author: Beyond Pain, 2003) opens with an account of her physician colleague’s murder of his wife, also a doctor. The guide then moves to the author’s recollections of her verbally and emotionally abusive marriage.

She details the many years of difficulty and denial she faced before leaving her husband, eventually broadening the narrative to incorporate stories from many of her acquaintances who have experienced turbulent relationships. The women’s tales look at the abuse, the decisions to abandon partners—or, in some cases, to stay with them—and the recovery process. Their testimony provides a wide range of experiences with common threads throughout. The author concludes that low self-esteem is the main reason women endure abuse (“It was never the professional part of us that felt deficient. It was our feminine selves who felt small, weak, timid, insecure, and unwomanly, allowing our abusers to control us”), although codependency, naïveté, and excessive empathy also appear to be factors. The final chapter is based on responses to a survey Mailis distributed to younger women in her network to measure their attitudes toward domestic violence. (The survey text is included in an appendix, though the author acknowledges that her sample is interesting but not statistically rigorous.) She is surprised to find that the shift she anticipated is not revealed in the survey results, which indicate that the younger women are not less likely to endure abuse and do not flee troubled relationships more quickly than |

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those of Mailis’ generation. Half her respondents shared their own stories of abuse, suggesting that it continues to be widespread. The manual concludes with an analysis of the factors that may drive the prevalence of abuse in younger generations.

The book, published in Canada, profiles Canadian women and gathers statistics primarily from that population. The women who provide the anecdotes include immigrants like the author and native-born Canadians, although they tend to be from similar socio-economic backgrounds. Drawing on the work of psychologist Joan Lachkar, Mailis focuses on “highfunctioning women” who are “well-educated, successful, and career oriented.” Although the author incorporates published research (references are included in the volume’s backmatter), the narrative chiefly concentrates on the abused women’s anecdotes. The text is competently written and highly readable, with little psychological jargon or technical language. But some parts would benefit from further review. Chapter 5 examines how the women’s actions contributed to failed relationships in language (“maladaptive behaviors and denial”) that seems to hold them responsible for allowing abuse to occur. And the negative comments about overweight people are off-putting. While Mailis’ analysis of factors leading to abuse in younger women’s relationships is generally solid, there is a touch of pearl-clutching in describing the “scanty outfits with camera angles hyping their sexuality” of Madonna, Britney Spears, and Beyoncé. Still, most of the guide is filled with useful information for women seeking to determine if they are experiencing abuse, attempting to leave violent relationships, and trying to understand the characteristics of healthy partnerships.

A valuable blend of research and anecdotes that explores why successful women experience abuse.

THE ART OF HUNTING HUMANS A Radical and Confronting Explanation of the Human Mind

Mazzi, Sidney Self (221 pp.) $15.50 paper | $9.50 e-book | Feb. 7, 2019 978-1-79196-075-9

A work with a preposterous premise offers a look at humans.

What if an alien were to write a manual that instructs compatriots how to “hunt a human”? This fantastical, fictional concept forms the basis of a story by Mazzi (Tainted by Fire, 2016), who maintains the charade until the very last page, wherein he reveals his rationale for writing the book. This is the kind of creative exercise that is likely to split its audience; some will be taken with the prose and play along while others will dismiss it as nonsense. The objective, though, is to expose the many foibles humans share and assess them as if viewed through an alien lens. The introductory chapter sets up the strangely insightful volume nicely by summarizing “some of the weaknesses” of humans that “we will explore.” These include emotions, fear, 194

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vanity, and widespread ignorance. The six short parts of the work provide an intriguing take on what generally makes humans tick.

The titles of the parts, such as “DIGGING DEEPER INTO YOUR PREY’S REALITY” and “WHAT DRIVES THE ANIMAL,” are clearly constructed to reinforce the text of the simulated guide. The content is cleverly written, if forced at times, describing elements of humanity like language (“Just a system of codes and symbols that are ripe for misinterpretation”), critical thinking (“It’s the emotions inside their heads that matter to humans”), and feelings (“Humans can suffer and feel better— they can take pleasure from sacrifice”). The most intriguing aspect of the book is the way the alien observes human behavior, as if it is being evaluated from an outsider’s perspective. This can be amusing, disconcerting, perceptive, or bizarre depending on how readers process the material. If nothing else, it is an exercise that serves to point out the absurdities of the species.

At the end, the author explains that his purpose for the novel format “is to raise attention to the importance of self-reflection and the pursuit of wisdom.” Hopefully, those who plow through this unusual work will be enlightened—or perhaps chagrined.

An offbeat, unconventional, and imaginative exploration of the human race.

NEON EMPIRE

Minh, Drew Rare Bird Books (220 pp.) $16.00 paper | Sep. 17, 2019 978-1-947856-76-9 In Minh’s (Nomad X, 2012) sci-fi novel set in the near future, a filmmaker’s missing wife is accused of terrorism, and he searches for her at the adults-only resort she envisioned—a Las Vegas–style city governed by social media.

Cedric Travers’ directing career faded when YouTubers made Hollywood movies obsolete. Now, circa 2027, he seems more dispirited than dismayed that his estranged wife, Mila Webb, has vanished. She masterminded Eutopia, a resort metropolis built on Native American land and re-creating, with high-tech kitsch, the ambiance of a past Europe; the real, war-torn Europe no longer gets many tourists. Visitors and transient inhabitants of Eutopia include leading social media “influencers” and wannabe celebrities who monetize their stays by livestreaming their experiences—including outbreaks of crime and violence that seem suspiciously staged. Mila’s disappearance has a connection to a brutal bombing of the local, fake Louvre. Travers enters the city to find answers and plunges into its intrigue and artifice. He also dallies with social media femmes fatales, such as Sacha Villanova, a snooping investigative reporter, and A’rore, a cyborg supermodel who’s Eutopia’s “main influencer.” There are cameos of real-life figures, such as former boxer Floyd Mayweather and Donald Trump’s son, Barron, but the author’s sure, steady voice seldom ventures into satire. However, the missing-Mila plotline, which seems tailor-made for cybernoir, evaporates into a clickthru world obsessed with ads, emojis, analytics, fame, youth, and

Noe’s book celebrates one sector of a compassionate network of caregivers with empathy, appreciation, solidarity, and immense pride. fag hags, divas and moms

FAG HAGS, DIVAS AND MOMS The Legacy of Straight Women in the AIDS Community

materialism. This bracing story is a great ride, overall, even if the ending offers little resolution. But the cutting-edge tech has a short sell-by date; time will tell whether this novel ages as well as, for example, past futuristic narratives about incredible secrets hidden on floppy disks.

Sci-fi fans will want to read this story of #SocialMediaDystopianism before it becomes a reality.

UNLIKELY FRIENDS James Merrill and Judith Moffett: A Memoir

Moffett, Judith Self (544 pp.) $21.00 paper | $6.99 e-book Jan. 23, 2019 978-1-79298-040-4

Public speaker and activist Noe (Friend Grief and Men, 2016, etc.) chronicles the sometimes-overlooked efforts of women who helped battle the AIDS epidemic.

In 2014, the author attended a panel discussion that featured gay and straight women who played prominent roles in the fight against AIDS. She felt that their impassioned stories needed more widespread attention. In this book, she informatively writes about tireless support workers, such as Terri Wilder, who dedicated her life to AIDS activism and awareness, and the late activist Iris De La Cruz, as well as more famous public figures, such as Elizabeth Taylor and Princess Diana. Other chapters focus on other women who were hospice volunteers, caregivers, mothers, pioneering researchers, and medical educators who were trained on the front lines of the epidemic. Many of these women were HIV-positive themselves and found that the system, with its consistent “lack of accurate, stigma-free sex education,” failed them, as it had the gay male community in the 1980s and ’90s. Noe writes proudly and engagingly of her own social and political advocacy and activism, including her work at a residential program for AIDS survivors, lobbying on Capitol Hill for the Ryan White Care Act in 1990, and joining ACT UP/NY in 2013. She remembers being known as a “fag hag” then, but she tells of how she learned to embrace that moniker.

This essential book is most poignant when Noe channels the pain, loss, and helplessness of the 1980s, when AIDS-related hospital programs “did not have unanimous workplace support” and half of most primary care physicians refused to treat AIDS patients. Instead, she points out, men and women with AIDS had to rely on the kindness of strangers—people who nursed the ill, defended them, and, above all, loved them unconditionally. Noe’s book celebrates one sector of this compassionate network of caregivers with empathy, appreciation, solidarity, and immense pride.

An obvious labor of love for the author and a moving tribute to the unsung heroes of the AIDS crisis.

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Poet and science-fiction writer Moffett (The Bear’s Baby and Other Stories, 2017, etc.) recalls decades of friendship and correspondence with the Pulitzer Prize–winning poet James Merrill.

As a doctoral candidate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1967, Moffett took Merrill’s poetry class and found him to be exotic and unique. It led to a nearly three-decade friendship, here preserved in letters and extensive journaling. Moffett went to Sweden to translate poetry, returned to America, and spent years in frenzied activity—writing, teaching, and moving from place to place—all the while sending her poems to Merrill for review. Their friendship was warm, if somewhat anxious on her part, and full of Merrill’s self-styled mystery (“the person who puzzles + fascinates us needn’t be a puzzle at all, so much as a key...to the unsolved puzzle of ourselves,” he wrote to Moffett in 1970. The closeted, gay Merrill didn’t let Moffett get too close when it came to discussions of sexuality, but she addressed it through literary criticism. A who’s who of the poetry world appeared at various conferences and readings, including Elizabeth Bishop, Allen Ginsberg, and Robert Bly, and Moffett provides color commentary. Her Merrill scholarship is exhaustive, as she spent years writing a book about his work while finding success with her own poetry. She and Merrill were rarely in the same place, but she lovingly describes a 1973 trip to Greece and moments at his New York City apartment. Both eventually struggled with serious health problems, but they remained close due to their obvious reliance on each other’s intellect and their lifelong dedication to their crafts. Moffett’s painstaking memoir is epic in length but remains consistently engrossing.

Particularly noteworthy is her desire to get to the root of her own fascination with Merrill, and she reaches some surprising conclusions about herself. She tells her own life story of struggle and success with undying fervor, and Merrill’s letters show him to be urbane, witty, a bit fussy, and generous when it mattered.

The two were different in many ways, but Moffett’s account of what they shared is authentic and impressive.

An absorbing, indispensable portrait of poets.

Noe, Victoria King Company Publishing (226 pp.) $16.99 paper | $4.99 e-book Mar. 29, 2019 978-0-9903081-9-5

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QUEERIES

Nicole Dennis -Benn, author of Patsy

By Karen Schechner Photo courtesy Jason Berger

Nicole Dennis-Benn’s latest book, Patsy, revisits some of her previous novel’s themes—intergenerational conflict, race, secrecy, sacrifices, and queer identity. The title character, a lesbian and single mother, immigrates to Brooklyn from Jamaica to reunite with a lost love and build a better future for herself and her young daughter, Tru, whom she leaves behind.

Our reviewer writes, “It’s a marker of Dennis-Benn’s masterful prowess at characterization and her elegant, nuanced writing that the people here—even when they’re flawed or unlikable—inspire sympathy and respect.” I talked recently with Dennis-Benn about motherhood, the loneliness of sentences, and queer fiction.

Both Patsy and your previous novel, Here Comes the Sun, address troubled mother-daughter relationships.

What is it about the dynamic that drives your interest?

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Mother-daughter relationships are complex. I’ve always been fascinated by how generational traumas and gendered expectations are passed on through these relationships. Also, as much as we deny this in our youth, as adults we realize how similar we are to the people who nurtured us. We also realize that they are human beings, not gods. While writing Patsy, I had to consider our realm in our society, where we put mothers on a pedestal, completely disregarding them as women with flaws, desires, sexuality, yearnings, and dreams of their own. Once we begin to see our parents as humans, we become more forgiving and empathetic toward them.

In Patsy, my hope was for Tru to learn this about her mother. To the reader, it’s obvious that both characters are more alike than they know. In fact, both Tru and Patsy struggle with depression and are existing in parallel realms as queer. In the beginning of the book, Patsy tells Tru to “be a good girl” in an attempt to steer Tru out of what Patsy understands as “her tomboy ways.” Similarly, in Here Comes the Sun, Delores tells Thandi, “Nobody loves a black girl, not even herself.” It goes to show that while we may feel alone in our struggle and identity, there might be someone else—perhaps the very person who brought us into the world—who might have struggled with the same things.

Patsy, and her child, Tru, have identities that aren’t accepted by their Jamaican community. As a lesbian, did you have similar struggles with the acceptance of your own identity?

I was never an out lesbian in Jamaica. Homosexuality was taboo with the majority of the country being Christian.

Therefore, I felt like I was the only one who harbored those feelings. Not many Jamaicans dared to come out of the closet. If they were found out, they could be beaten and killed.

At least, that was what I grew up seeing around me. I was raised to fear people like me—gays and lesbians. We didn’t even have a name for it then. People just referred to them as “funny.” If it was ever speculated that someone was “funny” in my community, people would shun the person and snatch their children, since, in their minds, homosexuality was synonymous with pedophilia. I waited until I moved to America to come out. I, like Patsy, came to America to live out loud.

In your work, there are many fantastic lean sentences that speak volumes, like, “Jesus is the only viable excuse a young woman can use to deny the penis.”

What goes into a good sentence for you?

I labor over all my sentences. I would spend an entire day obsessing over a sentence, sometimes forgetting to eat.

Gary Lutz was right when he wrote about the sentence being a very lonely place. I’m very particular about the words I use. The sentence you mentioned served as an epiphany as I wrote it. It never occurred to me how much resentment I carried for religion and its oppression of women and our bodies until I wrote it.

In Patsy, there’s an ongoing sense of longing.

Is tone something you’re consciously creating as you’re writing?

What I’m more conscious of is voice. Patsy’s voice came to me first, and I wrote the story with that voice in mind.

Tru’s voice followed. All my fictions start with a voice that leads me into the story.

What do you look for in queer fiction?

What are you working on now?

I’m currently working on my third novel. I don’t want to give away what the story is about. Like Patsy, it’s set in Jamaica and Brooklyn, New York. This story is really a challenge since I have never written anything like it before, but I like challenging myself!

Karen Schechner is the vice president of Kirkus Indie. Patsy was reviewed in the April 1, 2019, issue.

Pattison, Darcy Mims House (232 pp.) $15.99 paper | Jul. 9, 2019 978-1-62944-123-8

This second volume of a YA series focuses on a teenage girl, her gyrfalcon, and a promise made to her grandfather.

At the age of 11, Brittney Eldras stole a gyrfalcon egg from a nest. She raised the bird to be her friend in her lonely home valley of the Heartland. Two years later, Britt has lost her parents in an avalanche. She and her gyrfalcon, Tatty Mog, are partners in life, hunting and growing up together. One day, her grandfather Winchal Eldras, who is a Wayfinder and able to locate anything, claims that he no longer hears the Finder’s Bell. It should be in the city of G’il Rim, to the south. Granfa, as Britt calls him, passes the Finding on to her, beginning her apprenticeship. She must now venture to G’il Rim and search for the Bell. Increasing her challenges are the Zendi, conquerors who hold the Heartland in an economic death grip. They’re a society that worships albinism and has outlawed any but themselves from owning a gyrfalcon. Britt must also beware the Zendi’s intense superstitions and a prophecy revolving around the deaths of seven court ravens. Should the ravens die, war would recommence in the Heartland. In this sequel, Pattison (Pollen, 2019, etc.) delivers a charismatic YA fantasy that features striking worldbuilding centered on the bond between people and animals. She includes veterinary facts, including details about bumble foot, which occurs when a bird cuts itself with an overlong talon and becomes infected. There are also the Tazi hounds, “a breed of royal and telepathic dogs,” like Lady Jetje. The Zendi prince, Oran Ziggmaccus, is a fabulous villain whose code keeps him from cheating at cards yet he has no problem whipping whomever offends him. These elements (and many more) come together in a visionary palette over which the author executes fine control. In one subtly ominous scene, “albinos enter the middle door” of a shrine while “everyone else goes to a side door.” As the drama crescendos, a key component from the previous volume comes into play. A gorgeous finale illustrates the depths of humanity’s companionship with animals.

An impressive fantasy sequel featuring a brave apprentice.

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Complexity. I like stories and characters with layers. But then again, this perspective is coming from a black lesbian Jamaican immigrant woman. There’s more to a person than their sexuality. Similarly, there is more to a person than their race, class, culture, and gender. Fiction should reflect that.

THE FALCONER A Heartland Tale

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ARISE FROM THE DUST

NOTABLE WOMEN OF PORTLAND

Polson, Michol Self (319 pp.) $4.99 e-book | Feb. 3, 2019

A member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints fights in the Civil War after being conscripted against his will.

In this debut historical novel and series opener, Myscal Taylor is on his way to England in 1863, planning to share his “Mormon faith,” when his estranged grandfather has him kidnapped and impressed into the Union Army as a substitute for a more favored relative. Taylor, who feels little affinity for the United States government—he considers himself a citizen of Utah Territory, where his church’s community has been at odds with federal and military officials— actively resists becoming a soldier until he is physically abused into compliance. As he goes through military training, he faces open resentment from some of his fellow recruits but also develops allies and impresses his colleagues with his marksmanship skills (“Handling firearms proficiently was as natural for him as pulling on his boots in the morning. He had target practiced, hunted, and engaged in numerous competitive shooting matches common to frontier life”). And soon the new soldier learns about the horrors of war. Although the novel opens with Taylor at the 1864 Battle of the Wilderness, this volume concludes well before that, leaving his full story to be told in future books. Polson does an excellent job of establishing Taylor’s character and his outsider status in the conflict between the North and South, providing readers with a wealth of information about the early members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Life in the military camp is presented with a similar level of detail, and readers will be left with no doubt about Polson’s extensive knowledge and research. (Backmatter includes a notes section and an array of sources.) The writing is less polished; characters often speak in awkwardly rendered dialect (“Ye will learn to stand in line and git shot with the rest of them like all good soljers do in a righteous fight”). But Taylor is an intriguing and compelling protagonist capable of sustaining readers’ interest. While this volume is generally effective by itself, with a coherent plot and character development, it is also clearly designed to lead readers to later books in the series, with a conclusion that is more of a segue than an ending.

A well-researched war novel that leaves many plot points open for sequels.

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Prince, Tracy J. & Schaffer, Zadie Arcadia Books (128 pp.) $26.99 | $12.99 e-book | Jun. 5, 2017 978-1-4671-2505-5 Two historians offer a brief look at the role women have played in the evolution of Portland, Oregon.

Prince (Culture Wars in British Literature, 2012, etc.) and debut author Schaffer highlight the many notable ways women have shaped Oregon’s largest city in this informative book, part of Arcadia Publishing’s Images of America series. The authors’ aim was “to do our part to mend the telling of Portland’s history,” which has traditionally focused on men. In particular, they draw attention to the lives of Native Americans and other women of color. They begin with the “forgotten history” of the city before the arrival of white settlers in the 1840s and continue through the post–World War II era into the present. Separate chapters cover women in the arts from the 1890s onward (such as noted children’s author Beverly Cleary) and women in politics from the 1920s to today. As with other volumes in this series, the emphasis is on historical photographs, newspaper clippings, and other documents, which are accompanied by short captions. The result is a visually interesting but necessarily scattershot history. Still, the authors have wisely chosen to concentrate on certain themes, such as the fight for women’s suffrage or women’s work on the homefront during World War II, which helps to provide an overarching context to the text and images. In some cases, more details would have been helpful in understanding the broader historical events that provided the backdrop to the women’s actions.

For example, a number of African American women who fought for civil rights are admirably profiled, but a statement that Oregon’s 1953 law banning discrimination in public accommodations put it “a decade ahead of the nation in passing civil rights laws” downplays the state’s troubling history of racial exclusion.

Yet the authors are to be commended for their efforts to document the experiences of a diverse group of Portland women.

Many of them seem ripe for a more in-depth exploration, such as Lucy A. Mallory, a suffragist and writer whom Tolstoy once called the “greatest woman in America.”

While its visually focused approach doesn’t dig deep, this book deftly spotlights lesser-known figures from Portland’s past.

Prindle displays fluent storytelling, rendering familiar history as a page-turner. booth’s confederate connections

BOOTH’S CONFEDERATE CONNECTIONS

Prindle, Sandy Pelican Publishing Company, Inc. (256 pp.) $24.95 | Mar. 20, 2019 978-1-4556-2473-7

Rew, Juliana Sophont Press (272 pp.) $14.99 paper | Jul. 1, 2019 978-1-73392-071-1 A novel sees a woman shunted through time and space as two universes go to war.

Virginia Sun-Jones, a Korean American who goes by Gin, is enjoying Christmas with her family in Nags Head, North Carolina. Unseasonable warmth has allowed Gin; her husband, Alan; their daughter, Grace; and her son-in-law, Eric, to visit the beach for a picnic. When Gin catches an antique newspaper blowing in the wind, she notes the publication date of March 28, 1827. She then proposes a toast, but it’s interrupted by a thunderstorm, during which she finds herself mysteriously alone. She eventually meets a woman named Hope and learns that she’s been transported to 1827. Strangely, Gin still possesses a pearl that she found on the beach before the picnic. This legendary Cintamani pearl grants her desires for dry, clean clothes and much more when she asks to leave 1827 in search of her family. A sentience known as the Quantum Opposable Singularity provides Gin with a dragon called Hangul to travel further in time. Gin, despite a limited understanding of the cosmos, has been chosen to combat a disastrous Unwinding of the universe. Entities like Golaeth, who oversees the cosmic nursery, and Emperor Calaneris XXIII, who believes the cosmos is a labyrinth to be pruned, strive to control the chaos as two universes clash. In this sci-fi series opener, Rew (Erenarch Academy, 2018, etc.) fans her fiery imagination consistently throughout this time- and dimensionhopping adventure. Lines like “I have no eyes, but I can see wavelengths pulsing as if I still had an optic nerve they could travel” challenge readers to keep pace with genuinely alien tableaux. Strange characters, such as alien physicists Benrus and Ralff, have brightly sketched backstories that could carry their own novels, contributing to the tale’s episodic feel. And while “whole areas of space-time are being deleted,” Gin’s pearl and other MacGuffins that can do virtually anything lessen the plot’s overall tension. Grounded revelations regarding Alan, Grace, and Eric provide the emotional signal that cuts through lots of Dr. Who–style noise.

A sci-fi romp that’s vast in scale yet thoroughly playful.

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This thorough appraisal of President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination addresses the theory that John Wilkes Booth was part of a multifaceted conspiracy directed by Confederate Secretary of State Judah Benjamin.

Prindle (Revolution II, 2012, etc.) begins with the 1864 Dahlgren affair. After a failed Union raid on Richmond, Southerners published documents found on Union Army Lt. Col. Ulric Dahlgren’s corpse that mentioned a plan to destroy the city and kill Confederate President Jefferson Davis and his Cabinet. Prindle sets aside the enduring debate over their authenticity but asserts that Benjamin, who directed the Confederate Secret Service, believed them to be genuine. Prindle argues that Confederates were involved in a plot to kidnap Lincoln, spirit him to Richmond, and ransom many prisoners, which then led to retributive schemes to decapitate the Union government.

Through 17 brisk chapters, the author sketches the Confederate officials, undercover operatives, and civilians who advanced the conspiracy. He tracks clandestine activities from Virginia to Maryland to Canada, connecting dots while adding detailed context. Prindle effectively captures the complexity and chaos of the war’s final months: Battlefield losses mounted, Lincoln won reelection, Confederate desperation grew, and after Richmond fell, a kidnapping plot became untenable. Booth found his own plot competing with another to blow up a portion of the White House during a Cabinet session. Prindle identifies the only official who could have authorized either plan, other than Davis himself: Benjamin, who escaped to England with a fortune from the Confederate treasury. Prindle, an author of three novels, displays fluent storytelling, rendering familiar history as a page-turner. His abundant endnotes and synthesis of obscure details ably reflect his 30-year avocation of studying and lecturing about the Civil War as an independent scholar.

A retired justice of the peace, Prindle’s granular accounting of the military tribunal, the executions of the conspirators, and the legal aftermath showcases his full skill set and typifies his discerning approach. Throughout, he gives competing views their due and carefully supports his own. Prindle’s conclusion relies on an “unbroken chain of circumstantial evidence,” as he admits, but readers need not be wholly persuaded to find it worthwhile reading.

A strong argument that deserves a spot in every Civil War buff’s library.

THE UNWINDING Gin’s Story

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YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE Planning for Life After the Sale of Your Business

Rowe, Marshall & Fitts, Jim & Weeks, John Lioncrest Publishing (182 pp.) $14.99 paper | $6.99 e-book May 2, 2019 978-1-5445-0214-4

Three financial advisers discuss the opportunities and challenges that arise when selling a business.

In this debut business book, colleagues Rowe, Fitts, and Weeks guide readers through the process of selling a privately owned business and transitioning to the next phase of life. The guide asks readers to make the process a multiyear one, beginning to evaluate options and set expectations five or more years before the target sale date. While the book addresses the practical aspects of selling a business—communicating with employees, building a transition team, managing cash flow—much of it covers the emotional and psychological questions prospective sellers should consider: How will family members respond? Are you selling in order to retire or to pursue new interests? How do you stay happy and engaged when the business no longer demands your energy and attention? Excerpts from interviews with financial and legal professionals, as well as stories from the authors’ practice, illustrate the concepts presented here.

The authors also discuss broader questions of intergenerational wealth transfers, and they urge readers to discuss financial realities and expectations with children and other family members who are likely to benefit from the sale. (This section is addressed primarily to readers with considerable wealth; the families used as examples are distributing millions of dollars to their children.) Each chapter concludes with a series of questions to guide the reader’s decision-making process. The guide is concise but informative, with useful recommendations and suggestions for further exploration, and the writing is unflashy and easily comprehensible. Readers are left with a significant number of actionable takeaways—in particular that selling a business is a long process involving self-knowledge and collaboration with many stakeholders and should be approached thoughtfully. Even readers whose businesses will not provide multimillion-dollar inheritances will find the book’s framework a useful tool for approaching transition planning for a business of any size.

A thoughtful, informative guide to selling a business; reminds readers to weigh both the emotional and financial impacts.

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LOVE IS TOO HARD The Dating (Mis)Adventures of a Man With Autism Scarantino, Louis Self (116 pp.) $13.98 paper | $6.99 e-book Jan. 31, 2019 978-1-79544-021-9

An autistic man shares dating lessons and advice.

In this often moving memoir and advice book, dedicated to his “soul mate,” debut author Scarantino shares his unique perspective as a person with a disability trying to find love. His frustration is palpable in the book’s touching, succinct introduction, in which he reflects on the time before he was in a steady relationship: “I look at guys everywhere with their girlfriends and wonder if that’ll ever be me,” he writes. Yet borne from his exasperation, loneliness, and trial-and-error searching came illumination on the do’s and don’ts of dating with autism. In straightforward, declarative text that’s devoid of decoration or extraneous exposition, the 20-something author combines stories of personal encounters with sage advice about dealing with shyness and depression, differentiating between flirting and platonic friendliness, managing others’ perceptions of autistic people, and understanding inappropriate behaviors and social cues. Scarantino admits that he made errors during his first relationship in college, which he says was hastily initiated: “I bought her some things that some boyfriends wouldn’t buy for their girlfriends right away,” he notes. He counsels readers seeking romance to look for someone who “will love you for you,” and he also talks about proactively managing one’s own hypersensitivity (or marked indifference) regarding sexual conversations or interpersonal contact. Overall, Scarantino bares his soul with integrity and humor throughout this book. Along the way, he encourages readers to approach dating, both online and in person, with careful confidence and to appreciate both good and bad experiences, as “You never know where they can lead you.” Although some of the commentary is repetitive, the author’s heartfelt guidance is consistently well-intentioned, and this book will make an essential addition to autism-related libraries.

Earnest and realistic romantic advice for readers on the autism spectrum.

Simpson has an eye for naturally occurring patterns and structures, and he presents vivid mineral deposits and rock formations. earthforms

THRIVERS An LP Novel

Sheridan, Tom Streets Creations (240 pp.) $11.99 paper | $7.99 e-book | Jun. 6, 2019 978-1-73217-582-2

EARTHFORMS Intimate Portraits of Our Planet

Simpson, Joel Photos by the author JSS Books (168 pp.) $39.95 | Jan. 1, 2019 978-0-578-21122-0

An impressive collection of geological photographs accompanied by essays by the photographer and environmental activists.

Simpson (Blues—By You, 1997) has collected more than 100 of his images of landforms from around the world. His book, which is dedicated to the “Water Protectors of Standing Rock,” opens with essays from attorney Daniel Sheehan, activist Chase Iron Eyes, British author John Farndon, and photography critic Lyle Rexer as well as Simpson’s own introduction. Sheehan reviews the history and context of the 2016-2017

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A retired mixed martial arts fighter and his college-student son independently strive to pull their family out of debt in the second installment of Sheridan’s (The Streets, 2018) series.

Tonio Franco Sr., a former MMA champ, now coaches hopefuls at his gym, Brawlers, in New Jersey. But Brawlers can’t keep Franco, wife Julie, and their kids from being perpetually broke.

That’s why 21-year-old Tonio Jr. abandons his plan to teach and, instead, majors in finance at Jersey State University. TJ also interns on Wall Street, but a plum job opportunity doesn’t quite pan out. Around the same time, Franco worries the gym will be even worse off after his star trainee loses another match. But when Franco’s rival, Umar “The Beast” Basayev, boasts of having once defeated Franco, the 41-year-old retiree agrees to a rematch.

It could finally mean big money for his family, provided Franco wins. TJ, meanwhile, starts dating fellow university student Kamara Day. She wants to be a famous singer, which dovetails with TJ’s dream of someday owning the stage as a rapper. But he may have to abandon that dream in order to earn a whitecollar salary. As in his earlier novel, Sheridan displays a knack for what he dubs “lyrical prose”—a narrative rife with wordplay and rhymes. TJ, for example, muses: “So then why did T…as he drank at the bar with G…think something even more uncouth?

Was there an even deeper Truth? TJ’s eyes started going REM as he heard REM.” The author’s distinctive writing, however, doesn’t outshine the plot or cast. And while the novel contends with multigenerational anxieties, it’s consistently amusing.

Creative, poetic prose enhances an already potent family drama.

Dakota Access Pipeline protests while Iron Eyes’ contribution has a more poetic format (“Humanity’s dark legacy is hubris, greed, folly / Yet we all possess an unconquerable spirit even if we do not know it”), and Farndon’s words link art and activism.

Simpson explains his approach to art (“I take special delight in exploring closer and smaller-scale formations that offer rich possibilities of compositions untethered to the formal, skyabove-earth/water-below, landscape paradigm”) before presenting his images, which feature titles only; captions providing more information are collected in the final pages. The photos are almost exclusively of the natural environment, although a few humans appear, as in one picture of a Hawaiian beach and another of Sardinia. The images include scenes from California, Quebec, Turkey, Mongolia, New Mexico, and Ireland. Simpson has an eye for naturally occurring patterns and structures, and he presents vivid mineral deposits and eye-catching rock formations. He compares a particularly notable formation to Edvard Munch’s painting The Scream, and it’s hard to deny the resemblance. The captions are informative and will help geological novices understand how the shapes developed. They also offer references to the works of other artists, and their placement in the book’s final pages effectively allows readers to process the images separately. Although the environmentalist message is strong in the opening essays, Simpson’s later commentary emphasizes natural beauty without reiterating the threat that it faces, letting readers draw the connection themselves.

A compelling collection of nature photography that conveys a clear message.

STILL LIFE A Personal Story of Loss and Recovery Sutherland, Jeff Sutherland House (250 pp.) $17.68 | Oct. 2, 2018 978-1-9994395-6-9

A debut memoir recounts the difficulties of paralysis and grief.

Written using software that tracks the movement of Sutherland’s eyes— essentially the only part of his body he can still control—this book tells the story of the massive, unanticipated, and seemingly intolerable changes that the author’s life underwent beginning in the fall of 2007. It was then that Sutherland, a 41-year-old obstetrician with a wife and three sons, decided to see a specialist about his left arm. The loss of strength and muscle twitching had led him to suspect it was amyotrophic lateral sclerosis but hearing it confirmed by a neurologist made it terrifyingly real.

He suddenly had an 80% probability of dying within the next five years, and even if he lived, he would lose the ability to move and speak. With time to prepare for the inevitable, he spent the next two years taking trips with his family and retiring from his medical practice, making beautiful memories that were nevertheless dampened by the looming disease. Then came the loss of more and more abilities until Sutherland could no longer |

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walk, eat, or even breathe on his own. Even so, he elected to continue living: to learn to accommodate the effects of the disease and not let them rob him of a fruitful existence on Earth.

“This book deals with all kinds of change but it focuses on that which we would prefer” to avoid: “change that occurs against our will,” writes Sutherland in his preface. “No one wants these changes and still they come. When a negative change occurs, we have to choose how we will face it.” Then, in the spring of 2016, a second unimaginable tragedy struck the author’s family: His oldest son and his girlfriend drowned while kayaking in the river behind the Sutherland home. The loss took the author—who had already given up so much—to the very edge of his endurance.

Sutherland’s prose is measured and thoughtful, and his accounts of fleeting moments are made all the more heartbreaking by his understated appreciation of them: “I remember the last time I cradled a newborn baby, and my last week in the hospital, strolling through the medical unit with a walker to keep my balance—recognizing the irony that my life expectancy was now shorter than that of most of the patients in my charge.” The author is such a sympathetic narrator, and his story is so mortifyingly tragic that readers will undoubtedly be persuaded by the wisdom he draws from his experiences. The work is by no means a fun read, but there is a serenity to his

This Issue’s Contributors # ADULT Maude Adjarian • Paul Allen • Mark Athitakis • Colette Bancroft • Joseph Barbato • Sarah Blackman Amy Boaz • Jeffrey Burke • Catherine Cardno • Tobias Carroll • Lee E. Cart • Kristin Centorcelli • Ben Corbett • Perry Crowe • Amanda Diehl • Bobbi Dumas • Daniel Dyer • Lisa Elliott • Chelsea Ennen Kristen Evans • Mia Franz • Judith Gire • Amy Goldschlager • Michael Griffith • Janice Harayda Peter Heck • Natalia Holtzman • Jessica Jernigan • Skip Johnson • Tom Lavoie • Louise Leetch Judith Leitch • Peter Lewis • Elsbeth Lindner • Karen Long • Georgia Lowe • Michael Magras Don McLeese • Gregory McNamee • Clayton Moore • Karen Montgomery Moore • Sarah Morgan Ismail Muhammad • Jennifer Nabers • Sarah Neilson • Liza Nelson • Therese Purcell Nielsen • Mike Oppenheim • Heather Partington • Deesha Philyaw • Jim Piechota • Margaret Quamme • Justin Rosier • Michele Ross • Lloyd Sachs • Leslie Safford • E.F. Schraeder • Gene Seymour • Polly Shulman Rosanne Simeone • Linda Simon • Wendy Smith • Leena Soman • Margot E. Spangenberg • Bill Thompson • Jessica Miller • George Weaver • Steve Weinberg • Joan Wilentz • Kerry Winfrey Marion Winik CHILDREN’S & TEEN Lucia Acosta • Maya Alkateb-Chami • Autumn Allen • Alison Anholt-White • Elizabeth Bird Marcie Bovetz • Linda Boyden • Nastassian Brandon • Christopher A. Brown • Jessica Brown Timothy Capehart • Ann Childs • Jeannie Coutant • Cherrylyn Cruzat • Dave DeChristopher • Elise DeGuiseppi • Lisa Dennis • Andi Diehn • Luisana Duarte Armendáriz • Eiyana Favers • Amy Seto Forrester • Ayn Reyes Frazee • Omar Gallaga • Sally Campbell Galman • Laurel Gardner • Judith Gire • Carol Goldman • Melinda Greenblatt • Vicky Gudelot • Tobi Haberstroh • Julie Hubble Shelley Huntington • Kathleen T. Isaacs • Darlene Sigda Ivy • Elizabeth Leanne Johnson • Danielle Jones Deborah Kaplan • Angela Leeper • Peter Lewis • Kyle Lukoff • Meredith Madyda • Pooja Makhijani • Joan Malewitz • J. Alejandro Mazariegos • Jeanne McDermott • Kathie Meizner • Mary Margaret Mercado • J. Elizabeth Mills • Cristina Mitra • Sabrina Montenigro • Lisa Moore • Katrina Nye • Tori Ann Ogawa • Sara Ortiz • Hal Patnott • Deb Paulson • Rachel G. Payne • John Edward Peters • Susan Pine • Melissa Rabey • Rebecca Rabinowitz • Asata Radcliffe • Kristy Raffensberger Amy B. Reyes • Christopher R. Rogers • Erika Rohrbach • Leslie L. Rounds • Katie Scherrer • Dean Schneider • Stephanie Seales • John W. Shannon • Lenny Smith • Rita Soltan • Mathangi Subramanian Edward T. Sullivan • Jennifer Sweeney • Deborah Taffa • Pat Tanumihardja • Deborah D. Taylor Renee Ting • Lavanya Vasudevan • Angela Wiley • Bean Yogi INDIE Alana Abbott • Kent Armstrong • Darren Carlaw • Charles Cassady • Michael Deagler • Stephanie Dobler Cerra • Steve Donoghue • Jacob Edwards • Megan Elliott • Eric F. Frazier • Justin Hickey • Ivan Kenneally • Mandy Malone • Jim Piechota • Matt Rauscher • Sarah Rettger • Walker Rutter-Bowman Jerome Shea • Barry Silverstein • Lauren Emily Whalen

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grief—a literal one—that is unexpectedly reassuring. He comes off not as a prisoner of his own body but rather as a monk in a cell who has been granted a rare opportunity to observe a world that few readers have the patience to see. With immense humility, he questions many of the things that people assume are necessary aspects of the human experience, digging toward a deeper, kinder understanding of life.

An affecting account remarkable both in its content and execution.

DADDY DEAD

Van Middlesworth, Julia Serving House Books (322 pp.) $15.00 paper | $9.99 e-book Feb. 26, 2019 978-1-947175-11-2 Young Zoe charms all in Van Middlesworth’s debut novel about a very dysfunctional clan.

Van Middlesworth gives her readers a memorable cast. Zoe King is a tough, scarily perceptive kid through whose eyes we take in the story.

“Knife” is her punk Revlon Doll who rides in her holster and gives advice. She is protective of her little brother, Willy, who is addled but a genius of sorts. “Daddy Dead” and “Mother Blind” tells us what Zoe thinks of her parents—Daddy is especially no bargain—and then there is “Aunt Oink,” Mother Blind’s younger sister, whom Daddy impregnates. He divorces Mother Blind, marries Oink, then splits after their baby, Zuzu, falls to her death out a window. And this is just a small sampling of the characters and the chaos they generate. Things are a bit hard to follow because we are never sure what really happens and what—like an impromptu flight to Paris—comes from Zoe’s surreal imagination. We watch Zoe grow up while trying to deal with all this. Eventually she gets into enough trouble that she winds up in The New Jersey Training School for Girls (one of only three white girls there, an eye-opener). After a year or so, she earns parole. The End. Call it a story of survival. Van Middlesworth, a much published writer, has undeniable gifts. Zoe is wise and naïve and mesmerizing. Startling lines and imagery are on every page: “I want to shrink into my hand and run down all the paths on my palm.” Zuzu’s death causes “something invisible like a blade of sad slicing us together.” There is love here, but hardly the tidy Hallmark kind. Zoe is a kid who works with what she’s got, having little choice. No surprise, she dreams of getting a pilot’s license. Maybe she will. We hope she will. And fly away with Willy.

An unforgettable kid narrates this cracked, acerbic novel.

Wisniewski’s tone throughout draws on an engaging mix of Christian spirituality and pet-owner optimism. trouble with a capital l- u-k-e

TROUBLE WITH A CAPITAL L-U-K-E

FUTURE PROOF Reinventing Work in the Age of Acceleration

Wisniewski, Lisa A. Westbow Press (172 pp.) $30.95 | $13.95 paper | $3.99 e-book Nov. 7, 2017 978-1-973606-55-0 978-1-973606-53-6 paper A memoir about a woman, her dog, and her God. Wisniewski (Nikki Jean, 2016, etc.) continues her series of faith-based remembrances that center on beloved dogs in her life. This tale recounts her adventures with a black Labrador retriever mix named Luke. She first saw the dog’s picture on a shelter website, right before Christmas 2005, when she was living with her grandmother and her beloved dog Nikki, and she felt an instant connection.

She met the dog and brought him home with her—and she tried her best to navigate her grandmother’s initial resistance to the idea of adding a new canine to the household. That resistance was strong, at times, because Luke quickly proved to be difficult: “He did everything a dog should not do, was not good at listening, and certainly gave a different meaning to the words canine companion.” He was afraid of thunderstorms and firecrackers, but he was fearless and persistent when it came to slipping out of the house and running around the neighborhood or stealing food from tables, counters, and even the refrigerator. When the author embarked on an ambitious do-it-yourself program of home renovations, Luke was a constant source of disruption—chewing on glass, dry wall, oak trim, wood splinters, and part of a how-to book. These misadventures will be very familiar to any readers who’ve ever had an active dog or who have read classic canine-centered books, such as John Grogan’s 2005 memoir Marley & Me. Wisniewski’s tone throughout draws on an engaging mix of Christian spirituality and pet-owner optimism. For example, as she looks back on her time with Luke, she also reflects on the wisdom of their pairing: “God knows what we need, how to deliver what we need, and when to deliver what we need to us.” This belief comes to the fore when Luke helps the author through grief following Nikki’s death. Most dog lovers will find such moments to be relatable and cheering.

A heartwarming tale of how owning a rascally dog can teach deep lessons.

Wu David, Diana Lioncrest Publishing (220 pp.) $15.99 paper | $9.99 e-book Jan. 11, 2019 978-1-5445-1360-7

A forward-looking blueprint for a more gratifying work life.

Entrepreneur Wu David’s (Hong Kong ABC, 2011) business book offers sound strategies for coping with the inevitability of change. The text targets senior professionals, but it’s also appropriate for people just starting on their career paths. The author divides her discussion into three parts (“Learn,” “Cultivate,” and “Maximize”) and first examines how globalization, disruption, and increased longevity are transforming “the way people see the future of work.” Some content in Part I is futuristic, but it’s also grounded in realism, noting that, although workers may not be able to decelerate change, they can become more agile, adaptive, and resilient. In Part II, Wu David concentrates on experiential learning, urging people to experiment, reinvent, collaborate, and find focus in various ways. She provides numerous examples of people (including herself) who’ve pursued experimentation and reinvention. A key underlying theme of this part is the importance of being willing to take risks; for example, Wu David writes engagingly about strategies for pursuing new opportunities, as when she discusses the notion of “Slashers” (such as a “violinmaker/psychologist,” a “pro-athlete/investor,” or a “CFO Company A/ CFO Company B”). As a networker herself, the author is committed to the idea of collaboration, and she writes about the subject authoritatively; her collaborative “exercises and action steps” should be particularly helpful for those looking to find greater value in teamwork. Part III considers the impact that one’s actions can have on one’s long-term career. Here, Wu David proposes a new way of defining success, emphasizing the idea of finding one’s purpose. This is the most philosophical portion of the book and should inspire self-reflection. In closing, the author asks a most intriguing question: “What would life…look like if we spent more time on what mattered most?”

Her encouragement to do an “audit” of one’s personal and professional lives may be intimidating to some, but the idea has merit. Overall, she offers compassionate advice, relevant examples, and involving exercises.

A thoughtful, insightful book that offers a calm voice in a turbulent business world.

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ENTREPRENEUR WEALTH MANAGEMENT MADE EASY Building Wealth Beyond Business and Life Beyond Work

Zhuang, Michael Lioncrest Publishing (214 pp.) $14.99 paper | $6.99 e-book May 14, 2019 978-1-5445-0307-3

A guide targets entrepreneurs who not only want to amass wealth, but also keep it.

According to Zhuang (Physician Wealth Management Made Easy, 2017), entrepreneurs, given their characteristic overconfidence, obsessive desire for control, and willingness to embrace risk, are exceptionally vulnerable to the pitfalls of wealth management. Most business owners fall into the category of “lifestyle entrepreneurs,” Type A strivers who have mastered a marketable set of skills—like doctors and lawyers—but not the very different tasks of either managing a firm or wealth with a view to the long-term. The author’s principal goal is to explain what it takes to become an “enterprise entrepreneur” who establishes a comprehensive wealth management strategy that includes preparation for eventualities like retirement, incapacitation, and death. The part of the book devoted specifically to wealth management is subdivided into six sections covering key issues: wealth preservation, tax mitigation, asset protection, heir protection, charitable planning, and exit planning, an approach that spans the full life of an entrepreneur. Zhuang’s relentless focus is not only on the anticipation of challenges, but also the road from “labor to capital,” the path to comfortable, secure self-sufficiency. The author, an experienced financial adviser, strongly recommends hiring one and provides thorough instructions on how to find a suitable one, including how to conduct an

K I R K US M E DI A L L C # Chairman H E R B E RT S I M O N President & Publisher M A RC W I N K E L M A N Chief Executive Officer M E G L A B O R D E KU E H N # Copyright 2019 by Kirkus Media LLC. KIRKUS REVIEWS (ISSN 1948- 7428) is published semimonthly by Kirkus Media LLC, 2600Via Fortuna, Suite 130, Austin, TX 78746.

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interview. He covers an impressive run of instructional territory, from inheritance planning to the basic principles of investment strategy. Zhuang certainly accomplishes his aim to produce an “easy-to-read book,” one that supplies a valuable primer not only on wealth management, but also on the entrepreneurial big picture that encompasses life beyond work. Occasionally, his counsel is a touch banal: “You need to get the sense that an advisor is genuinely concerned about your well-being.” In addition, this is an introductory work, furnishing a general overview of the subject, versus an analytically exhaustive account. Still, the lucidity of the treatment and its reassuring tone of sobriety are sure to appeal to entrepreneurs in search of guidance, especially those just starting their careers.

A clear and expertly concise manual perfect for busy entrepreneurs.

INDIE

Books of the Month SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST

THE GIRL PUZZLE Kate Braithwaite

Jacqui Murray

A story of grit and perseverance that will appeal to readers interested in the history of women in journalism.

A lavish historical epic that balances details and emotional impact.

Bruce W. Perry

Bryna Butler

A diverting whodunit bolstered by a laudable, complex detective.

An ardent supernatural tale with a bundle of appealing, electric characters.

VALLEY OF SPIES

THE PYONGYANG OPTION

Keith Yocum

A.C. Frieden

A taut, thoughtful thriller; third in a series but also works as a stand-alone.

An exhilarating third installment of a consistently unpredictable and entertaining thriller series.

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ATOMIC NIGHT

WRONG SIDE OF THE STORM

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Fi e l d No t e s Photo courtesy Getty Images

By Megan Labrise Photo courtesy Getty Images

“I just thought, it’s time, I owe it to my beloved readers. I can’t keep up this facade.”

—E. Jean Carroll, author of the memoir What Do We Need Men For? in which she accuses President Donald Trump of sexually assaulting her in the mid-1990s, in the New York Times Photo courtesy Getty Images

“It’s such an honoring for Native people in this country, when we’ve been so disappeared and disregarded.

And yet we’re the root cultures, over 500-something tribes and I don’t know how many at first contact.

But it’s quite an honor. I bear that honor on behalf of the people and my ancestors. So that’s really exciting for me.”

—U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo, a member of the Muscogee Creek Nation, is the first Native American Poet Laureate in the honor’s 82-year history (on NPR)

Submissions for Field Notes?

Email fieldnotes@kirkus.com.

In memoriam, Judith Krantz, 1928-2019: “One thing about writing a book is that everything is under your control. You can’t be unpopular with your characters because you are their God. You decide if they live or die. You decide if they get married or don’t. You decide if they are attractive or not attractive. And it would be an oversimplification to say that this is my vindication for my years of being unpopular. But it certainly helps a little.”

—in conversation with the Los Angeles Times in 1990

“There’s this discussion that always goes on in speculative fiction about whether you write optimistic or pessimistic stories. Or whether we can have the optimism of the old days of Star Trek—this idea that we’re going to build a better future. And have we lost that? Can we get that back?...I always say that optimism and pessimism about the future really boil down to optimism and pessimism about human nature. Are we going to destroy ourselves? Or are we going to be able to work together and fix some of the problems that we’ve caused?”

—Charlie Jane Anders, author of The City in the Middle of the Night, says she personally believes, “It’s a little of column A, and it’s a little of column B,” at Huffington Post

“There are parts of our success stories that we always leave out. When we do that, we do a disservice to the people who come up behind us who are counting on us to tell the truths that make their path a little less confusing….I don’t want to be called a trailblazer unless I am leaving signposts along the way—that make it easier, less daunting, less isolating to the next generation of young women of color who are coming up through the ranks.”

—Elaine Welteroth, author of More Than Enough: Claiming Space for Who You Are (No Matter What They Say), in Entertainment Weekly 206

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Appreciations: Mario Puzo’s The Godfather, Half a Century Later

B Y G RE G O RY MC NA MEE

Photo courtesy Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images

In the 1920s and 1930s, when the heat from Prohibition-era police crackdowns proved uncomfortable and the lingering effects of the Depression cut into the formerly staggering profits of old, crime syndicate figures from New York, Chicago, and other Eastern cities began to make their way west. One was a Sicilian-born New Yorker named Joseph Bonanno, who, in the 1940s, settled down in Tucson, Arizona, after having tried his hand at dairy farming in upstate New York and cheese making in Wisconsin.

In Tucson, Bonanno—“Joey Bananas,” in the tough-guy lingo of organized crime—puttered around in his garden, growing tomatoes, providing grandfatherly advice to the neighborhood kids, acting for all the world like a respectable citizen. It was an open secret what he had done on the other side of the country, all murder and mayhem, but Bonanno would have none of it. He said that he Mario Puzo in 1979 in Malibu came west because his son Salvatore suffered from ear infections, though, as a local journalist put it, the move was really made “to avoid dying in New York of lead poisoning.” There was something to that thesis, since the peace that Bonanno had brokered among the Mafia’s contending families was beginning to fray around the edges even as Bonanno protested loudly and angrily that there was no such thing as the “Mafia.” He did allow that there was something sort of like it, to which he gave the dignified name “The Tradition” in his 1983 memoir A Man of Honor, its very title an exercise in self-congratulation.

A mob war broke out, whatever he wanted to call it, and Bonanno got out just about the time a New Yorker named Mario Puzo returned from World War II. Puzo landed work as a staff writer for smutty men’s magazines like True Action and Swank, churning out genre dreck, but he aspired to something more. Drawing on his own family’s past and his knowledge of what went on behind the scenes in Little Italy and on Long Island, he crafted a mob family saga called The Godfather, which appeared in March 1969 and, that summer, climbed its way onto the bestseller charts, where it remained for a very long time.

Puzo’s book went on to sell 21 million copies, and a couple of years later it became an iconic film, with Marlon Brando in the title role, launching a franchise—and, not only that, providing a template for every Mafia tale attempted ever since, The Sopra­ nos notable among them. Hollywood found just the right director for the film in Francis Ford Coppola, who had experiences of his own to bring to it. The best thing that he did, it has to be said, was to lose parts of Puzo’s story that drifted off from the rat-tat-tat of Tommy guns into other matters, some clinically gynecological, where Puzo entertained a significant and strangely obsessive tangent.

Joe Bonanno, on whom Don Vito Corleone was very closely mapped, wasn’t happy. Audiences were, and The Godfather, half a century on, is a central work of American popular fiction and, gravelly voice and all, a hallmark of our popular culture. kirkus.com

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THE LBYR RAVE REVIEW AND INTERVIEW LBYR: After more than five years, what made you want to return to The Mysterious Benedict Society?

“A welcome return full of the right stuff.”

—Booklist

TRENTON LEE STEWART: A bunch of kids made me do it.

The Mysterious Benedict Society books are all about kids who can accomplish anything they set their minds to, so I suppose it shouldn’t be surprising that when young readers who enjoyed these books insisted—in letter after letter, year after year—that I write another one, they eventually accomplished their goal.

They also had help from four especially gifted children: Reynie, Kate, Sticky, and Constance remained close to my heart and were often on my mind. I wondered how things were going for them as time passed. I had some ideas, and I wanted to write about them, but I was reluctant to send the Society on another dangerous adventure.

Like Mr. Benedict, I wanted these special kids to enjoy the rest of their childhood in safety.

ISBN 9780316452649

Still, the more time passed, the more I missed them. And one day it hit me: the passage of time was exactly the solution. They could

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enjoy years of relative peace and safety and then embark on another perilous mission. In the meantime they would naturally have grown even more accomplished —Reynie would be even more adept at solving the most difficult problems; Sticky’s vast knowledge would have grown even, well, vaster; Kate’s physical prowess would now rival that of her secret-agent father; and Constance—well, Constance would still be very, very contrary.

They would all need one another more than ever. They would need to go on one more exciting adventure. And they would just need me to write it down.

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9780316491068 HC READY TO READ 9.17.19 The Fosters meets The Great Gilly Hopkins