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March Books

Fiction

Count My Lies, by Sophie Stava

Sloane Caraway is a liar. Harmless lies, mostly, to make her self-proclaimed sad little life a bit more interesting. So when Sloane sees a young girl in tears in the park one afternoon, she can’t help herself — she tells the girl’s (very attractive) dad she’s a nurse and helps him pull a bee stinger from the girl’s foot. With this lie, and chance encounter, Sloane becomes the nanny for the wealthy and privileged Jay and Violet Lockhart — the perfect New York couple, with a brownstone, a daughter in private school, and summers on Block Island. But maybe Sloane isn’t the only one lying, and all that’s picture-perfect harbors a much more dangerous truth. The thing about lies is that they add up, form their own truth and a twisted prison of a world. Be careful what you lie for.

The River Has Roots, by Amal El-Mohtar

In the small town of Thistleford, on the edge of Faerie, dwells the mysterious Hawthorn family. There, they tend and harvest the enchanted willows and honor an ancient compact to sing to them in thanks for their magic. None are more devoted than the family’s daughters, Esther and Ysabel, who cherish each other as much as they cherish the ancient trees. But when Esther rejects a forceful suitor in favor of a lover from the land of Faerie, the sisters’ bond and their lives will be at risk.

Tilt, by Emma Pattee

Annie is nine months pregnant and shopping for a crib at IKEA when a massive earthquake hits Portland, Oregon. With no way to reach her husband, no phone or money, and a city left in chaos, there’s nothing to do but walk. Making her way across the wreckage of Portland, Annie experiences human desperation and kindness: strangers offering help, a riot at a grocery store, and an unlikely friendship with a young mother. As she walks, Annie reflects on her struggling marriage, her disappointing career, and her anxiety about having a baby. If she can just make it home, she’s determined to change her life.

Wild Dark Shore, by Charlotte McConaghy

Dominic Salt and his three children are caretakers of Shearwater, a tiny island not far from Antarctica. Home to the world’s largest seed bank, Shearwater was once full of researchers, but the Salts are now its final inhabitants until a woman, Rowan, mysteriously washes ashore. Long accustomed to protecting herself, Rowan starts imagining a future where she could belong to someone again, but she isn’t telling the whole truth about why she set out for Shearwater. And when she discovers sabotaged radios and a freshly dug grave, she realizes Dominic is keeping his own secrets. They all must decide if they can trust each other enough to protect the precious seeds in their care and if they can finally put the tragedies of the past behind them to create something new, together.

Nonfiction

Raising Hare: A Memoir, by Chloe Dalton

In February 2021, in the English countryside far away from her usual London life, Chloe Dalton stumbled upon a newborn hare — a leveret — that had been chased by a dog. Fearing for its life, she brings it home, only to discover how impossible it is to rear a wild hare, most of whom perish in captivity from shock or starvation. Through trial and error, she learns to feed and care for the leveret with every intention of returning it to the wilderness. Instead, it becomes her constant companion, wandering the fields and woods at night and returning to Chloe’s house by day. Though Chloe feared that the hare would be preyed upon by foxes, stoats, feral cats, raptors and even people, she never tried to restrict it to the house. Each time the hare leaves, Chloe knows she may never see it again. Raising Hare chronicles their journey together, while taking a deep dive into the lives and nature of hares, and the way they have been viewed historically in art, literature and folklore.

Children's Books

Sunrise on the Reaping,
by Suzanne Collins

The long-awaited fifth book in the runaway bestselling “Hunger Games” series, Sunrise on the Reaping, arrives this month. As the day dawns on the 50th annual Hunger Games, fear grips the district of Panem. Twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes. When you’ve been set up to lose everything you love, what is there left to fight for? (Ages 14 and up.)

Over in the Garden, by Janna Matthies

There are fun books and cute books. Then there are books that will become part of the family canon. Over in the Garden has the makings of a family classic. Counting, color and compost are rounded out with a delightful repeatable rhyme. This one is perfect for Earth Day or any nature-loving family. (Ages 2-6.)

Little Freddie Two Pants, by Drew Daywalt

First it was crayons, and now its pants. Author of The Day the Crayons Quit takes the everyday and makes it ridiculous! Perfect as a read aloud, this picture book will have young readers dreaming up all the new ways of putting on pants. (Ages 2-6.)

The Cranky-Verse: Cranky Chicken Book 4, by Katherine Battersby

Cranky Chicken, a kid favorite in the early graphic novel section, is back for another adventure with three hilariously cranky stories about Cranky Chicken, Speedy the Worm and their new friend, a little turtle. Join them on a set of illustrated adventures as they learn how to take care of each other, navigate a cranky injury, and go on a camping adventure. (Ages 6-9.)

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February Books

Fiction

This Is a Love Story, by Jessica Soffer

For 50 years, Abe and Jane have been coming to Central Park, as starry-eyed young lovers, as frustrated and exhausted parents, as artists watching their careers take flight. They came alone when they needed to get away from each other, and together when they had something important to discuss. The park has been their witness for half a century of love. Until now. Jane is dying, and Abe is recounting their life together as a way of keeping them going: the parts they knew and the parts they didn’t always want to know. Told in various points of view, these voices weave in and out to paint a portrait as complicated and essential as love itself.

Three Days in June, by Anne Tyler

Gail Baines is having a bad day. To start, she loses her job — or quits, depending on whom you ask. Tomorrow her daughter, Debbie, is getting married, and she hasn’t even been invited to the spa day organized by the mother of the groom. Then, Gail’s ex-husband, Max, arrives unannounced on her doorstep, carrying a cat, without a place to stay, and without even a suit. The true crisis lands when Debbie shares with her parents a secret she has just learned about her husband-to-be. It will not only throw the wedding into question but also stir up Gail and Max’s past.

Harlem Rhapsody, by Victoria Christopher Murray

In 1919, a high school teacher from Washington, D.C., arrives in Harlem excited to realize her lifelong dream. Jessie Redmon Fauset has been named the literary editor of The Crisis. The first Black woman to hold this position at a pre-eminent Negro magazine, Jessie is poised to achieve literary greatness. But she holds a secret that jeopardizes it all. W.E.B. Du Bois, the founder of The Crisis, is not only Jessie’s boss, he’s her lover. And neither his wife nor their 14-year age difference can keep the two apart. Amid rumors of their tumultuous affair, Jessie is determined to prove herself. She attacks the challenge of discovering young writers with fervor, finding 16-year-old Countee Cullen, 17-year-old Langston Hughes, and Nella Larsen, who becomes one of her best friends. Under Jessie’s leadership, The Crisis thrives. When her first novel is released to great acclaim, it’s clear that Jessie is at the heart of a renaissance in Black music, theater and the arts. She has shaped a generation of literary legends, but as she strives to preserve her legacy, she’ll discover the high cost of her unparalleled success.

Nonfiction

Fearless and Free, by Josephine Baker

Published in the U.S. for the first time, Fearless and Free is the memoir of the fabulous, rule-breaking, one-of-a-kind Josephine Baker, the iconic dancer, singer, spy and Civil Rights activist. After stealing the spotlight as a teenage Broadway performer during the height of the Harlem Renaissance, Josephine then took Paris by storm, dazzling audiences across the Roaring ’20s. In her famous banana skirt, she enraptured royalty and countless fans — Ernest Hemingway and Pablo Picasso among them. She strolled the streets of Paris with her pet cheetah wearing a diamond collar. With her signature flapper bob and enthralling dance moves, she was one of the most recognizable women in the world. When World War II broke out, Josephine became a decorated spy for the French Résistance. Her celebrity worked as her cover, as she hid spies in her entourage and secret messages in her costumes. She later joined the civil rights movement in the U.S., boycotting segregated concert venues, and speaking at the March on Washington alongside Martin Luther King Jr. First published in France in 1949, her memoir will now finally be published in English. Through her own telling, we come to know a woman who danced to the top of the world and left her unforgettable mark on it.

Children's Books

Ten-Word Tiny Tales of Love,
by Joseph Coelho

Some go on and on expressing their love, but what if you had to condense your adoration into just 10 words? This stunningly illustrated coffee table-worthy picture book is filled with simple 10-word expressions of love to make your heart sing. Includes illustrations from Jon Klassen, Ken Wilson-Max, Sydney Smith and more! (Ages 7-10.)

Akeem Keeps Bees! by Kamal Bell

Knowing, growing, and flowing . . . a read-together title featuring the humans and bees from Sankofa Farms in Durham, North Carolina. The perfect choice for a nature lover, foodie or a young one who might BEE curious about where honey comes from. (Ages 4-7.)

Your Farm; Your Forest; Your Island, (three books)
by Jon Klassen

Who hasn’t dreamed of having an island, a forest, or a farm all your own? Klassen is that rare author who can create a board book that’s poignant for babies and adult readers alike. This tiny trio is a must for any bedtime bookshelf. (Ages 2-4.)

American Wings, by Sherri L. Smith and Elizabeth Wein

In the years between World Wars I and II, auto mechanics Cornelius Coffey and Johnny Robinson, nurse Janet Harmon Bragg, and teacher and social worker Willa Brown created a flying club, flight school and their own airfield south of Chicago. This incredible true story reads like an “I Survived” novel, telling the story of a few brave and daring individuals who followed their dreams, teaching both Black and white students to fly in an era of strict segregation. (Ages 12 and up.) 

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January Books

FICTION

The Stolen Queen, by Fiona Davis

Annie Jenkins is fed up with living in the shadow of her mother, a former fashion model who never tires of trying to revisit her glory days. She is ready to forge her own life. So when an opportunity to work for iconic former Vogue fashion editor Diana Vreeland falls into her lap, Annie jumps at the chance. Diana wants her to help organize the famous Met Gala, known across New York City as the “Party of the Year,” hosted by the Metropolitan Museum of Art and renowned for its star-studded guest list. Charlotte Cross, leading a quiet life as the associate curator of the museum’s celebrated Egyptian art collection, wants little to do with the upcoming gala. Never much for socializing, she’s consumed with her research on Hathorkare — a rare female pharaoh dismissed by most other Egyptologists as a vicious usurper, one who was nearly erased from history. That is, until the night of the gala, when one of the Egyptian art collection’s most valuable artifacts goes missing . . . and there are signs Hathorkare’s legendary curse might be reawakening. As Annie and Charlotte team up to search for the missing antiquity, a desperate hunch leads the unlikely duo to a place Charlotte swore she’d never return to — Egypt — placing them both directly in danger.

Rosarita, by Anita Desai

Away from her home in India to study Spanish, Bonita sits on a bench in El Jardin de San Miguel, Mexico, basking in the park’s lush beauty, when she slowly becomes aware that she is being watched. An elderly woman approaches her, claiming that she knew Bonita’s mother — that they had been friends when Bonita’s mother had lived in Mexico as a talented young artist. Bonita tells the stranger that she must be mistaken; her mother was not a painter and had never traveled to Mexico. Though the stranger leaves, Bonita cannot shake the feeling that she is being followed. Days later, haunted by the encounter, Bonita seeks out the woman, whom she calls the Trickster, and follows her on a tour of what may or may not have been her mother’s past. As a series of mysterious events brilliantly unfolds, Bonita is unable to escape the Trickster’s presence, as she is forced to confront questions of truth and identity as well as specters of familial and national violence.

The Heart of Winter, by Jonathan Evison

Abe Winter and Ruth Warneke were never meant to be together — at least if you ask Ruth. Yet their catastrophic blind date in college evolved into a 70-year marriage and a life on a farm on Bainbridge Island with their hens and beloved Labrador, Megs. Through the years, the Winters have fallen in and out of lockstep, and out of their haunting losses and guarded secrets, a dependable partnership has been forged. But when Ruth’s loose tooth turns out to be something much more malicious, the beautiful, reliable life they’ve created together comes to a crisis. As Ruth struggles with her crumbling independence, Abe must learn how to take care of her while their three living children question his ability to look after his wife. And once again, the couple has to reconfigure how to be there for each other.

NONFICTION

Beyond Anxiety: Curiosity, Creativity, and Finding Your Life’s Purpose, by Dr. Martha Beck

We live in an epidemic of anxiety. Most of us assume that the key to overcoming it is to think our way out. And for a while it works. But there is always something that sends us back into the anxious spiral we’ve been trying to climb out of. In Beyond Anxiety, Beck explains why anxiety is skyrocketing around you, and likely within you. Using a combination of the latest neuroscience as well as a background in sociology and coaching, she explains how our brains tend to get stuck in an “anxiety spiral,” a feedback system that can increase anxiety indefinitely. To climb out, we must engage different parts of our nervous system — the parts involved in creativity. Beck provides instructions for engaging the “creativity spiral” in a process that not only shuts down anxiety but also leads to innovative problem solving, a sense of meaning and purpose, and joyful, intimate connection with others and the world.

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

To See an Owl,
by Matthew Cordell

To hear an owl takes patience. To see one, well, that’s magical. Caldecott-winning author/illustrator Cordell brings the magic of the woods to life in this stunning picture book just perfect for nature lovers. (Ages 3-7.)

Teapot Trouble: A Duck and Tiny Horse Adventure,
by Morag Hood

Sometimes the best read-alouds are the most ridiculous ones, and any time Duck and Tiny Horse are around, giggles are sure to follow! Join our heroes as they determine the very best way to extricate a crab from a teapot and have a grand adventure along the way. (Ages 3-7.)

On Our Way! What a Day!,
by JaNay Brown-Wood

A birthday! A gift? Hmmm . . . just what would make Gram happy??? A delightful journey ends with a group effort, a celebration of found things and a very happy Gram. This sweet story is a perfect read for families who delight in the joys of nature, music and time together. (Ages 3-7.)

Wings of Fire: Escaping Peril,
by Tui T. Sutherland

Not since Harry Potter has a series had such a wide following of dedicated readers as Wings of Fire. Fantasy, adventure, dragons, intrigue — this series has it all. Now the story evolves through graphic novels. Grab a copy of No. 8 for the Wings of Fire superfan in your life. (Ages 8-14.)

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December Books

FICTION

The Paris Novel, by Ruth Reichl

When her estranged mother dies, Stella is left with an unusual inheritance: a one-way plane ticket and a note reading Go to Paris. But Stella is hardly cut out for adventure — a childhood trauma has kept her confined to the strict routines of her comfort zone. When her boss encourages her to take time off, Stella resigns herself to honoring her mother’s last wishes. Alone in a foreign city, Stella lives frugally until she stumbles across a vintage store where she tries on a fabulous Dior dress. The shopkeeper insists that this dress was meant for her and, for the first time in her life, Stella does something impulsive. She buys the dress, and together they embark on an adventure. Her first stop: iconic brasserie Les Deux Magots, where Stella tastes her first oysters, and then meets an octogenarian art collector who decides to take her under his wing. Introduced to a veritable who’s who of the 1980s Paris literary, art and culinary worlds, Stella begins to understand what it might mean to live a larger life. 

Bel Canto: The Annotated Edition, by Ann Patchett

First published in 2001, Bel Canto may be Patchett’s most beloved novel. Set in an unnamed South American country, at the home of the vice president, it is the story of a lavish birthday party honoring Mr. Hosokawa, a powerful Japanese businessman. Roxanne Coss, opera’s most revered soprano, has enthralled the international guests with a mesmerizing performance. The evening is perfect — until a band of gun-wielding terrorists takes the entire party hostage. What begins as a panicked, life-threatening scenario slowly evolves into something quite different, a moment of great beauty, as terrorists and hostages forge unexpected bonds, and people from different continents become compatriots. Now, more than two decades after this artistically daring novel’s debut, Patchett revisits her early work in this special annotated edition.

NONFICTION

Julia Child’s Kitchen, by Paula J. Johnson

Julia Child’s kitchen was a serious workspace and recipe-testing lab that exuded a sense of mid-century homey comfort. It has been on display at the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., for most of the past 20 years, and museum-goers have made it a top destination. Between lively narrative, compelling photography and detailed commentary on Julia’s favorite kitchen gadgets, Julia Child’s Kitchen illuminates the stories behind the room’s design, use, significance and legacy, showing how deeply Child continues to influence food today.

Every Valley: The Desperate Lives and Troubled Times that Made Handel’s Messiah, by Charles King

George Frideric Handel’s Messiah is arguably the greatest piece of participatory art ever created. Adored by millions, it is performed each year by renowned choirs and orchestras, but this work of triumphant joy was born in a worried age. Britain in the early Enlightenment was a place of astonishing creativity but also the seat of an empire mired in war, enslavement and conflicts over everything from the legitimacy of government to the meaning of truth. Every Valley presents a depressive dissenter stirred to action by an ancient prophecy; an actress plagued by an abusive husband and public scorn; an Atlantic sea captain and penniless philanthropist; and an African Muslim man held captive in the American Colonies and hatching a dangerous plan for getting back home. At center stage is Handel himself, composer to kings but, at midlife, in ill health and straining to keep an audience’s attention.

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

A Dragon for Hanukkah, by Sarah Mlynowski

Filled with holiday fun, exciting (and unusual!) gifts, family traditions and even a little bit of history, A Dragon for Hanukkah is the perfect book to celebrate the holiday or introduce new friends to old traditions. Grab your dreidel and join the celebration. (Ages 3-7.)

A City Full of Santas, by Joanna Ho

Is there a kid anywhere who hasn’t wanted to meet the “real” Santa? With that peppermint-chocolatey smell, sunny bright laugh, glittery-glowy presence, what could be more delightful? This sweet Santa story is for any child on your list who is determined to meet St. Nick himself. (Ages 3-7.)

Frostfire, by Elly MacKay

Those etchings you see on frozen windows? That’s frostfire — Snow Dragon breath. Snow Dragons, as you must know, live in snowbanks and dine on pine cones. And, if you’re quiet and truly believe, maybe you’ll see one. Any young dreamers or nature lovers will love this magical, snowy title. (Ages 4-7.)

Still Life, by Alex London

Of course, just when you finish creating your still life, a dragon is sure to stir things up. Art meets fantasy in this laugh-out-loud picture book with seek-and-find potential, a treat for that kid who loves jokes, riddles and a little silliness. (Ages 5-7.)

The Sherlock Society, by James Ponti

Action, adventure, cooperation, historical fiction and a grandpa with an awesome car named Roberta. For mystery lovers or anyone looking for a family read-together, The Sherlock Society has it all. (Ages 9-13.)

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November Books

Fiction

Eurotrash, by Christian Kracht

The eponymous narrator “Christian” has arrived in Zurich to care for his 80-year-old mother after her discharge from a mental institution. Reckoning with his family’s dark history — his long-dead grandfather was intimately associated with and unapologetically supportive of the Nazis — and struggling to navigate the emotionally wrenching terrain of his relationship with his mother, Christian sets off on a road trip with her. As they traverse Switzerland in a hired cab, mother and son attempt to give away her vast fortune, which they’re carrying in a large plastic bag, to random strangers. By turns disturbing, disorienting, hilarious and poignant, Eurotrash tells an intensely personal and unsparingly critical story of contemporary culture.

Pony Confidential, by Christina Lynch

Pony has been passed from owner to owner for longer than he can remember. Fed up, he busts out and goes on a cross-country mission to reunite with Penny, the little girl he was separated from and hasn’t seen in years. Now an adult, Penny is living an ordinary life when she gets a knock on her door and finds herself in handcuffs, accused of murder and whisked back to the place she grew up. Her only comfort when the past comes back to haunt her is the memory of her precious, rebellious pony. Hearing of Penny’s fate, Pony knows that Penny is no murderer. So, as smart and devious as he is cute, Pony must use his hard-won knowledge of human weakness and cruelty to try to clear Penny’s name and find the real killer.

Nonfiction

Ghosts of Panama: A Strongman Out of Control, A Murdered Marine, and the Special Agents Caught in the Middle of an Invasion, by Mark Harmon

The once warm relationship between the United States and Gen. Manuel Noriega has eroded dangerously. Newly elected President George H.W. Bush has declared the strongman a drug trafficker and a rigger of elections. Intimidation on the streets is a daily reality for U.S. personnel and their families. The nation is a powder keg. Naval Investigative Service Special Agent Rick Yell has worked the job in Panama since 1986, and lives there with his wife, Annya, and infant child. Like most NIS agents, he’s a civilian with no military rank with a specialty in working criminal cases. The dynamic changes suddenly when Yell inadvertently develops an intelligence source with unparalleled access to the Noriega regime. The powder keg is lit on December 16, 1989, when a young U.S. Marine is gunned down at a checkpoint in Panama City. Yell and his cadre of trusted agents deploy immediately to investigate the killing, and what they determine will decide the fate of two nations. When President Bush hears the details they uncover, he orders an invasion that puts Yell’s family, informants and fellow agents directly in harm’s way. 

How Women Made Music: A Revolutionary History,
from NPR Music by National Public Radio, Inc.

NPR Music’s Turning the Tables launched in 2017 and revolutionized recognition of female artists. How Women Made Music: A Revolutionary History brings this impressive reshaping to the page in a must-have book for music fans, songwriters, feminist historians and those interested in how artists think and work. In it Joan Baez talks about nonviolence as a musical principle; Dolly Parton identifies her favorite song and explains the story behind it; Patti Smith describes art as her “jealous mistress”; Nina Simone reveals how she developed the edge in her voice as a tool against racism; and Taylor Swift talks about when she had no idea if her musical career might work. This incomparable hardcover volume is a vital record of history destined to become a classic.

Children's Books

Alfie Explores A to Z, by Jeff Drew

When Alfie’s pet dust bunny Betty disappears, his search for her leads him to Dee’s Diner, through Ice Cream Island, and more. I Spy meets Where’s Waldo with a poetic alphabetical twist in this gorgeous picture book. (Ages 3-7.)

Best in Show, by David Elliott

Perfectly positioned petite poems pronouncing praise for perfect pets, this collection of short poems of beloved dog breeds also includes factual history and details. A perfect pick for dog lovers of any age. (Ages 3-7.)

When We Gather: A Cherokee Tribal Feast,
by Andrea L. Rogers

In the fall we gather for Thanksgiving but in the Cherokee culture the communal feast happens in the spring with the emergence of the green onion shoots. Family, community and the harvest are all celebrated in this lovely read-together that gives a nod to respecting the Earth by leaving more than you take and sharing what you have to give. (Ages 4-8.)

Sylvia Doe and the 100-Year Flood, by Robert Beatty

Sylvia Doe doesn’t know where she was born or the people she came from. She doesn’t even know her real last name. When Hurricane Jessamine causes the remote mountain valley where she lives to flood, Sylvia must rescue her beloved horses. But she begins to encounter strange and wondrous things floating down the river. Glittering gemstones and wild animals that don’t belong — everything’s out of place. Then she spots an unconscious boy floating in the water. As she fights to rescue him — and their adventure together begins — Sylvia wonders who he is and where he came from. And why does she feel such a strong connection to this mysterious boy?

Known for his Serafina series, Beatty will be donating 100 percent of his earned royalties from Sylvia Doe and the 100-Year Flood — a story he’s been writing for several years — to the people impacted by the catastrophic floods caused by Hurricane Helene in Asheville, North Carolina, where he lives. The real-life 100-year flood struck at the same time the book was scheduled to launch. (Ages 8 -12.) 

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October Books

FICTION

Brightly Shining, by Ingvild Rishoi

Christmas is just around the corner, and Ronja and Melissa’s dreamer of a father is out of work again. When 10-year-old Ronja hears about a job at a Christmas tree stand near where the family lives in central Oslo, she thinks it might be the stroke of luck they all need. Soon, the fridge fills with food, and their father returns home with money in his pocket and a smile on his face. But one evening he disappears into the night under the pretense of buying Christmas gifts — and his daughters know he has gone to his favorite local pub, Stargate. Melissa decides to take his place at the Christmas tree stand, working before and after school in the December dark, and brings along Ronja, who quickly charms all the middle-class customers. The sisters dream of a brighter place of kindness and find help from some of those around them in this story that has all the markings of a magical modern classic.

The Library of Heartbeats, by Laura Imai Messina

On the peaceful Japanese island of Teshima there is a library of heartbeats, a place where the heartbeats of visitors from all around the world are collected. In this small, isolated building, the heartbeats of people who are still alive or have already passed away continue to echo. Several miles away, in the ancient city of Kamakura, two lonely souls meet: Shuichi, a 40-year-old illustrator who returns to his hometown to fix up the house of his recently deceased mother, and 8-year-old Kenta, a child who wanders like a shadow around Shuichi’s house. Day by day, the trust between Shuichi and Kenta grows, until they discover they share a bond that will tie them together for life. Enchanting, touching and emotionally riveting The Library of Heartbeats is a story about loss and hope, pain and joy, reality and imagination, and the promise of healing and overcoming the odds.

NONFICTION

Trails & Treats: A Hiker and Runner’s Guide To Great Trails and Good Eats In North Carolina, by Palmer McIntyre and Hollis Oberlies

Want to step out of the old routine and discover the beautiful landscapes of North Carolina? Trails & Treats describes 30 trails across the state, broken down into four geographical areas: the Triad, Triangle, Mountain and Charlotte regions. Not only does the book provide the distance of each trail and level of difficulty for hikers or runners, in it are recommendations for the restaurants, coffee shops, local markets and picnic areas that are worth a visit before or after the workout. A great read for seasoned hikers and runners or first-time explorers.

The Name of This Band is R.E.M: A Biography, 
by Peter Ames Carlin

In the spring of 1980, an unexpected group of musical eccentrics came together to play their very first performance at a college party in Athens, Georgia. Within a few short years, they had taken over the world with smash records like Out of Time, Automatic for the People, Monster and Green. Raw, outrageous and expressive, R.E.M.’s distinctive musical flair was unmatched, and a string of mega-successes solidified them as generational spokesmen. In this rich, intimate biography, Carlin looks beyond the sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll to open a window into the fascinating lives of four college friends —Michael Stipe, Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Bill Berry — who stuck together at any cost, until the end.

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Still Life, by Alex London

Of course, just when you finish creating your still life, a dragon has to jump in to stir things up! Art meets fantasy in this laugh-out-loud picture book. This one is perfect for that kid who loves jokes, riddles and a little sarcasm. (Ages 4-6.)

Name That Thing! by Gareth Moore

How many sports can you name with just the balls as clues? How many dinosaurs from just their nicknames? How many buildings from only the shape? How many dogs from their original jobs? Name That Thing! is a fun-fact quiz book for that inquisitive kid — and equally interested grownup — to investigate together. (Ages 6-12.)

The Café at the Edge of the Woods,
by Mikey Please

Fans of Julia’s House for Lost Creatures will delight in this charming, offbeat foodie tale with a sprinkle of adventure, a side order of friendship and — oh, yeah — ogres. This one is sure to be a hit with kids who want to giggle, and adults who are game to try pickled bat and slug fondue. (Ages 4-8.)

When We Flew Away, by Alice Hoffman

The ’40s gave us the Diary of a Young Girl, written by Anne Frank. In the ’50s, it became a movie, and in the 2000s a Netflix adaptation. Each succeeding generation searches for more of Anne’s story. When We Flew Away imagines Anne before the diary — the apple of her daddy’s eye, a girl with friends and a sometimes-pesky little sister, but mostly, just a girl. This important book is sure to be on the top of readers’ stacks this fall. (Ages 12 and up.)

The Last Dragon on Mars, by Scott Reintgen

Danger, fast-paced chases, secret underground military agencies, and an unexpected dragon named Doom — what more do you need? A classic adventure story, The Last Dragon on Mars is the book we’ve been waiting for. (Ages 12 and up.) 

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September Books

FICTION

The Wildes: A Novel in Five Acts, by Louis Bayard

In September of 1892, Oscar Wilde and his family have retreated to the idyllic Norfolk countryside for a holiday. His wife, Constance, has every reason to be happy: two beautiful sons, her own work as an advocate for feminist causes, and a delightfully charming and affectionate husband and father to her children, who also happens to be the most sought-after author in England. But with the arrival of an unexpected houseguest, the aristocratic young poet Lord Alfred Douglas, Constance gradually — and then all at once — comes to see that her husband’s heart is elsewhere, and that the growing intensity between the two men threatens the whole foundation of their lives. The Wildes: A Novel in Five Acts takes readers on the emotional journey, moving from the Italian countryside to the trenches of World War I and an underground bar in London’s Soho, where Oscar’s sons, Cyril and Vyvyan, grapple with their father’s legacy.

The Life Impossible, by Matt Haig

When retired math teacher Grace Winters is left a run-down house on a Mediterranean island by a long lost friend, curiosity gets the better of her. She arrives in Ibiza with a one-way ticket, no guidebook and no plan. Among the rugged hills and golden beaches of the island, Winters searches for answers about her friend’s life, and how it ended. What she uncovers is stranger than she could have dreamed. But to dive into this impossible truth, she must first come to terms with her own past. Filled with wonder and wild adventure, this is a story of hope and the life-changing power of a new beginning.

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Puppy Talk: How dogs tell us how they feel and Cat Chat: How cats tell us how they feel, by Jess French

Kids raised with pets in the home just instinctively know how to interact with animals. For others, there’s a bit of a learning curve, and these fabulous new books are simple enough for the youngest readers while detailed enough to remind anyone that animals do talk, if people know how to listen. (Ages 2-6.)

The Tryout, by Christina Soontornvat

It’s the new school year and the start of eighth grade, and the most important thing for Christina and her best friend, Megan, is trying out for the cheer squad. Making the squad is more than just playing a sport; it means being part of a team, working together, and surviving all the challenges that come with friends, families and fans. (Ages 12 and up.)

When We Flew Away: A Novel of Anne Frank Before the Diary, by Alice Hoffman

Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl has captivated and inspired readers for decades. Written while she and her family were in hiding during World War II, it has become one of the central texts of the Jewish experience during the Holocaust, as well as a work of literary genius. With the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, the Frank family’s life is turned inside out. In the midst of impossible danger, Anne, audacious and creative and fearless, discovers who she truly is. With a wisdom far beyond her years, she will become a writer who will go on to change the world as we know it. Hoffman weaves a lyrical and heart-wrenching story of the way the world closes in on the Frank family from the moment the Nazis invade the Netherlands until they are forced into hiding, bringing Anne to bold, vivid life.

NONFICTION

Building Material: The Memoir of a Park Avenue Doorman, by Stephen Bruno

As an academically gifted Latino kid growing up in the Bronx, Bruno’s family had high aspirations for his future, but those dreams were derailed when he followed a girlfriend to Minnesota and a dead-end job. Languishing and unable to get it together, Bruno eventually moved back home. Broke and eager to make a way for himself — and away from the oppressively religious father wreaking havoc on his love life — the affable, easygoing, quickwitted Bruno lands a much-coveted job as a doorman at a highend building on Park Avenue. Hilarity and drama soon abound as he learns the dos and don’ts of being a doorman for the rich and famous, and witnesses the antics going on behind the front entrance of this swanky building.

The Witching Wind, by Natalie Lloyd

Two unlikely friends live in a town with a mysterious magical wind that usually steals things, but this time it has stolen people — two people who are very important to the friends. From the author of the beloved A Snicker of Magic comes this story of friendship and family, and how things that are just a little bit weird can be quite wonderful. (Ages 10 and up.)

Popcorn, by Rob Harrell

Andrew is having a day. It’s picture day, of course, and his new shirt got ripped by the class bully, his glasses broken by a rogue basketball — and we won’t even talk about the ketchup rocket in the cafeteria — but now his grandma is missing, and Andrew’s stress meter is justabout to pop. Lots of kids deal with anxiety in different ways, but for some, it takes over. This funny, real, honest book is for them. Do an anxious kid a favor and put Popcorn in their hands. (Ages 10 and up.)

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Villa E, by Jane Alison 

Along the glittering coast of southern France, a white villa sits atop an earthen terrace — a site of artistic genius, now subject to bitter dispute. Eileen Gray, a new architect known for her elegant chair designs, poured the concrete herself; she built it as a haven for her and her lover, and called it E-1027. When the famed Swiss architect Le Corbusier, a founder of modernist architecture, laid eyes on the house in 1929, he could see his influence in the sleek lines. Impassioned, he took a paintbrush to the clean white walls. Thirty years later, Eileen has not returned to Villa E and Le Corbusier has never left — his summers spent aging in a cabin just feet away. Mining the psyches of two brilliant, complex artists and the extraordinary place that bound them, Alison turns a now-legendary act of vandalism into a lushly poetic and mesmerizing novel of power, predation and obsession.

A Sorceress Comes to Call,
by T. Kingfisher 

In a dark reimagining of “The Goose Girl” fairytale, Cordelia knows her mother is . . . unusual. Their house doesn’t have any doors between rooms — there are no secrets in this house — and her mother doesn’t allow Cordelia to have a single friend, unless you count Falada, her mother’s beautiful white horse. The only time Cordelia feels truly free is on her daily rides with him. But more than simple eccentricity sets her mother apart. Other mothers don’t force their daughters to be silent and motionless for hours, sometimes days, on end. Other mothers aren’t evil sorcerers. When her mother unexpectedly moves them into the manor home of a wealthy older squire and his kind but keen-eyed sister, Hester, Cordelia knows this welcoming pair are to be her mother’s next victims. But Cordelia feels at home for the very first time among these people, and as her mother’s plans darken, she must decide how to face the woman who raised her to save the people who have become like family.

NONFICTION

Dinosaurs at the Dinner Party: How an Eccentric Group of Victorians Discovered Prehistoric Creatures and Accidentally Upended the World,
by Edward Dolnick

In the early 1800s a 12-year-old farm boy in Massachusetts stumbled on a row of fossilized three-toed footprints the size of dinner plates — the first dinosaur tracks ever found. Soon, in England, Victorians unearthed enormous bones that reached as high as a man’s head. No one had ever imagined that creatures like three-toed giants had once lumbered across the land. And, even if someone had somehow conjured up such a scene, they would never have imagined that all those animals could have vanished hundreds of millions of years ago. The thought of sudden, arbitrary disappearance from life was unnerving and forced the Victorians to rethink everything they knew about the world. In Dinosaurs at the Dinner Party, Dolnick leads us through a compelling true adventure as the paleontologists of the first half of the 19th century puzzled their way through the fossil record to create the story of dinosaurs we know today.

Billionaire, Nerd, Savior, King: Bill Gates and His Quest to Shape Our World, by Anupreeta Das

Few billionaires have been in the public eye for as long, and in as many guises, as Bill Gates. At first heralded as a tech visionary, the Microsoft co-founder next morphed into a ruthless capitalist, only to change yet again when he fashioned himself into a global do-gooder. Along the way, Gates forever influenced how we think about tech founders, as the products they make and the ideas they sell continue to dominate our lives. Through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, he also set a new standard for high profile, billionaire philanthropy. But there is more to Gates’ story, and here, Das’ revelatory reporting shows us that billionaires have secrets, and philanthropy can have a dark side. Drawing upon hundreds of interviews with current and former employees of the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, academics, nonprofits and those with insight into the Gates universe, Das delves into Gates’ relationships with Warren Buffett, Jeffrey Epstein, Melinda French Gates and others, to uncover the truths behind the public persona.

I Heard There Was a Secret Chord: Music as Medicine, by Daniel Levitin

Music is one of humanity’s oldest medicines. From the Far East to the Ottoman Empire, Europe to Africa and the pre-Colonial Americas, many cultures have developed their own rich traditions for using sound and rhythm to ease suffering, promote healing and calm the mind. In his latest work, Levitin explores the curative powers of music, showing us how and why it is one of the most potent therapies today. He brings together the results of numerous studies on music and the brain, demonstrating how music can contribute to the treatment of a host of ailments, from neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, to cognitive injury, depression and pain.

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Tiny Jenny, by Briony May Smith

In one of the great opening lines in a picture book, Tiny Jenny begins: “Mr. and Mrs. Wren were very surprised when a baby fairy hatched from one of their eggs.” Just as readers fell in love with Smith’s Margaret’s Unicorn, they’ll fall equally in love with this quirky, wise, clever baby fairy, Tiny Jenny. (Ages 2-7.)

The Quacken, by Justin Colón

Every summer camp has legendary creepy campfire tales, but this tale just might quack you up in addition to creeping you out just a little bit. Read the book, tell the story, but whatever you do, don’t feed the ducks. Silly scariness for fans of the Creepy Carrots! series. (Ages 4-7.)

Prunella, by Beth Ferry

Instead of ferns, she grew fungi. This alone should have alerted Prunella’s green-thumbed parents to the idea that their girl was different in a wonderful way. Both a celebration of amazing children and unusual plants, Prunella is the perfect book for woods wanderers and summer celebrations. (Ages 3-7.)

The Yellow Bus, by Loren Long

Trucks, tractors, yellow buses, they all have jobs to do and they just might have stories to tell. In the hands of the amazing creator of the beloved Otis the Tractor series, those stories just might surprise you. Perfect for back-to-school tables and for an anytime read-together, The Yellow Bus might just leave readers wondering what other vehicles have surprising stories to share. (Ages 4-7.)   PS

Compiled by Kimberly Daniels Taws and Angie Tally.

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The Briar Club, by Kate Quinn

Everyone keeps to themselves at Briarwood House, a down-at-the-heels all-female boardinghouse in the heart of Washington, D.C., where secrets hide behind white picket fences. When the lovely, mysterious widow Grace March moves into the attic room, she draws her oddball collection of neighbors into unlikely friendship — the English beauty Fliss, whose facade of perfect wife and mother covers gaping inner wounds; the policeman’s daughter Nora, who finds herself entangled with a shadowy gangster; the frustrated baseball star Beatrice, whose career has come to an end along with the women’s baseball league of World War II; and the poisonous, gung-ho Arlene, who has thrown herself into McCarthy’s Red Scare. Grace’s weekly attic room dinner parties and window-brewed sun tea become a healing balm on all their lives, but she hides a terrible secret of her own.

NONFICTION

Women in the Valley of the Kings: The Untold Story of Women Egyptologists in the Gilded Age, by Kathleen Sheppard

The history of Egyptology is often told as yet one more grand narrative of powerful men striving to seize the day and the precious artifacts for their competing homelands. But that is only half the story. During the so-called Golden Age of Exploration, before men even conceived of claiming the story for themselves, women were working in Egypt to lay the groundwork for all future exploration. In Women in the Valley of the Kings, Sheppard brings the untold stories of these women back into this narrative, beginning with some of the earliest European women who ventured to Egypt as travelers: Amelia Edwards, Jenny Lane and Marianne Brocklehurst. Their travelogues, diaries and maps chronicled a new world for the curious. In the vast desert, Maggie Benson, the first woman granted permission to excavate in Egypt, met Nettie Gourlay, the woman who became her lifelong companion. They battled issues of oppression and exclusion and, ultimately, are credited with excavating the Temple of Mut. As each woman scored a success in the desert, she set up the women who came later. Emma Andrews’ success as a patron and archaeologist helped pave the way for Margaret Murray to teach. Murray’s work in the university led to the artists Amice Calverley’s and Myrtle Broome’s ability to work on-site at Abydos, creating brilliant reproductions of tomb art, and to Kate Bradbury’s and Caroline Ransom’s leadership in critical Egyptological institutions.

The Talented Mrs. Mandelbaum: The Rise and Fall of an American Organized-Crime Boss, by Margalit Fox

In 1850, an impoverished 25-year-old named Fredericka Mandelbaum came to New York in steerage and worked as a peddler on the streets of Lower Manhattan. By the 1870s she was a fixture of high society and an admired philanthropist. How was she able to ascend from tenement poverty to vast wealth? In the intervening years, “Marm” Mandelbaum had become the country’s most notorious receiver of stolen goods — and a criminal mastermind. By the mid-1880s as much as $10 million worth of purloined luxury goods (nearly $300 million today) had passed through her Lower East Side shop. Called “the nucleus and center of the whole organization of crime,” she planned robberies of cash, gold and diamonds throughout the country. The Talented Mrs. Mandelbaum paints a vivid portrait of Gilded Age New York — a city teeming with nefarious rogues, capitalist power brokers and Tammany Hall bigwigs, all straddling the line between underworld enterprise and “legitimate” commerce.

The Secret History of Sharks: The Rise of the Ocean’s Most Fearsome Predators, by John A. Long

Sharks have been fighting for their lives for 500 million years and today are under dire threat. They are the longest-surviving vertebrate on Earth, outlasting multiple mass extinction events that decimated life on the planet. How did they thrive for so long? By developing superpower-like abilities that allowed them to ascend to the top of the oceanic food chain. Led by Long and dozens of other extraordinary scientists, The Secret History of Sharks showcases the global search to discover the largely unknown evolution of sharks. They embark on digs to all seven continents, using cutting-edge technology to reveal never-before-found fossils and the clues to sharks’ singular story.

 

 

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Beach Hair, by Ashley Woodfolk

Bed hair? Don’t care! It’s time for a day at the beach. This celebration of fun, frivolity and a little frizz is the perfect read for a summer day at the beach, the lake, or even just a sprinkler in the backyard. (Ages 2-6.)

Ursula Upside Down, by Corey R. Tabor

Toh-may-toh, toh-mah-toh; po-tay-to, po-tah-to. We’ve all got our own way of interpreting the world, and for Ursula, well, her way is to see the world upside down. Or, maybe, we’re upside down and Ursula is right after all. However you look at the world, you’ll love looking at it through Ursula’s eyes in this charming picture book from the author of the Fox versus Fox learning to read series. (Ages 3-7.)

How to Catch a Polar Bear, by Stacy DeKeyser

The summer of 1948 is heating up, and 12-year-old Nick is looking forward to hanging out with his best pals, Ace and Penny. When the two of them decide to share a paper route, Nick is left to find other ways to fill his days. Lucky for him, his uncle opened a custard stand and needs help. It just so happens the custard stand is at the zoo, where a polar bear has escaped and some very unusual hijinks keep happening. Nick decides to volunteer to be close to the action — and score some free custard. This delightful romp of a historical novel rounds out the summer with a little mystery. It’s the perfect read for fans of Stuart Gibbs’ Belly Up and Katherine Applegate’s The One and Only Ivan. (Ages 8-12.)  PS

Compiled by Kimberly Daniels Taws and Angie Tally.

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FICTION

Husbands & Lovers, by Beatriz Williams

Two women — separated by decades and continents, and united by an exotic family heirloom — reclaim secrets and lost loves in this sweeping novel from The New York Times bestselling author of The Summer Wives. New England, 2022: Single mother Mallory Dunne receives the telephone call every parent dreads — her 10-year-old son Sam has been airlifted from summer camp with acute poisoning from a toxic mushroom, leaving him fighting for his life. In a search for the donor kidney that will give her son a chance for a normal life, Mallory is forced to confront two harrowing secrets from her past: her mother’s adoption from an infamous Irish orphanage in 1952, and her own all-consuming summer romance 14 years earlier with her childhood best friend, Monk Adams, a fairytale cut short by a devastating betrayal. Cairo, 1951: After suffering tragedy beyond comprehension in the war, Hungarian refugee Hannah Ainsworth has forged a respectable new life for herself — marriage to a wealthy British diplomat and a coveted posting in glamorous Cairo. A fateful encounter with the enigmatic manager of a hotel bristling with spies leads to a passionate affair that will reawaken Hannah’s longing for everything she once lost. Timeless and bittersweet, Husbands & Lovers draws readers on an unforgettable journey of heartbreak and redemption, from the revolutionary fires of midcentury Egypt to the moneyed beaches of contemporary New England.

A Happier Life, by Kristy Woodson Harvey

The bestselling author of The Summer of Songbirds presents a tender and touching novel about a young woman who discovers the family she has always longed for when she spends a life-changing summer in North Carolina. Present day: Keaton Smith is desperate for a fresh start, so when her mother needs someone to put her childhood home in Beaufort, North Carolina, on the market — the home that Keaton didn’t know existed until now — she jumps at the chance to head south. The moment she steps foot inside the abandoned house, she’s confronted with secrets about grandparents who died in a car accident before she was born. And as she gets to know her charming next-door neighbor, his precocious 10-year-old son and a flock of endearingly feisty town busybodies, she soon finds she has more questions than answers. 1976: After meeting her adoring husband, Townsend, Rebecca “Becks” Saint James abandoned the life she knew and never looked back. Forty years later, she’s made a name for herself as the best hostess North Carolina has ever seen. Her annual summer suppers have become the stuff of legend, and locals and out-of-towners alike clamor for an invitation to her stunning historic home. Becks strives to make the lives of those around her as easy as possible, but this summer she is facing a dilemma that even she can’t solve. As both Keaton and Becks face new challenges and chapters, they are connected through time by the house on Sunset Lane, which has protected the secrets, hopes and dreams of the women in their family for generations.

Summer Romance, by Annabel Monaghan

The bestselling author of Nora Goes Off Script pens this romantic and hilarious story of a professional organizer whose life is a mess, and the summer she gets unstuck with the help of someone unexpected from her past. Ali Morris is a professional organizer whose own life is a mess. Her mom died two years ago, then her husband left, and she hasn’t worn pants with a zipper in longer than she cares to remember. No one is more surprised than Ali when the first time she takes off her wedding ring and puts on pants with hardware she meets someone. Or rather, her dog claims a man for her . . . by peeing on him. Ethan looks at Ali as if she’s a younger, braver version of herself. The last thing the newly single mom needs is to make her life messier, but there’s no harm in a little summer romance. Is there?

Swan Song, by Elin Hilderbrand

The New York Times bestselling author brings her Nantucket novels to a brilliant finish when rich strangers move to the island and social mayhem — and a possible murder — follow. Can Nantucket’s best locals save the day and their way of life? Chief of police Ed Kapenash is about to retire. Blonde Sharon is going through a divorce. When a $22,000,000 summer home is purchased by the mysterious Richardsons (how did they make their money, exactly?), Ed, Sharon and everyone in the community are swept up in high drama. The Richardsons throw lavish parties, flirt with multiple locals, flaunt their wealth with not one but two yachts, and raise the impossible hopes of everyone they meet. When their house burns to the ground and their most essential employee goes missing, the entire island is up in arms.

Not In Love, by Ali Hazelwood

Rue Siebert might not have it all, but she has enough: a few friends she can always count on, the financial stability she yearned for as a kid, and a successful career as a biotech engineer at one of the most promising startups in the field of food science. Her world is stable, pleasant and hard-fought — until a hostile takeover and its offensively attractive front man threatens to bring it all crumbling down. Eli Killgore has his own reasons for pushing this deal through, and he’s a man who gets what he wants — with one burning exception: Rue, the woman he can’t stop thinking about. Torn between loyalty and an undeniable attraction, Rue and Eli throw caution out the lab and the boardroom windows. Their affair is secret, no-strings-attached, and has a built-in deadline: the day one of their companies will prevail. A forbidden, secret affair proves that all’s fair in love and science.

The First Ladies, by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray 

The daughter of formerly enslaved parents, Mary McLeod Bethune refuses to back down as white supremacists attempt to thwart her work. She marches on as an activist and an educator, and as her reputation grows she becomes a celebrity, revered by titans of business and recognized by U.S. presidents. Eleanor Roosevelt herself is awestruck and eager to make her acquaintance. Initially drawn together because of their shared belief in women’s rights and the power of education, Mary and Eleanor become fast friends, confiding their secrets, hopes and dreams — and holding each other’s hands through tragedy and triumph. When Franklin Delano Roosevelt is elected president, the two women begin to collaborate more closely, particularly as Eleanor moves toward her own agenda separate from FDR’s, a consequence of the devastating discovery of her husband’s secret love affair. Eleanor becomes a controversial first lady for her outspokenness, particularly on civil rights. And when she receives threats because of her strong ties to Mary, it only fuels the women’s desire to fight together for justice and equality.

 

 

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

The Pelican Can! by Toni Yuly

Pelicans: lovely to watch and just as lovely to read about. This rhythmic picture book shares the beauty of a pelican’s day with scientific facts and delightful illustrations, making it the perfect read-together at the end of a long beach day. (Ages 2-6.)

Chloe and Maude, by Sandra Boynton

Adventures await with best friends Chloe and Maude. Art! Hiking! Even a tiny disagreement — everything is more fun with a friend. A perfect choice for fans of Elephant & Piggie or Frog and Toad who are looking for short chapter books. (Ages 5-8.)

If You Spot a Shell,
by Aimée Sicuro

Conch, whelk, scallop, moon snail . . . who hasn’t, on a beach day, seen hats and boats and spiraling wheels while looking at these stunning shells? If You Spot a Shell celebrates the beauty and creativity of beach art and is a great read-together after a long sun-washed beach day. (Ages 3-8.)

Trouble at the Tangerine, by Gillian McDunn

All Simon Hyde wants to do on the day his family moves into Tangerine Pines is settle into his forever home. But a fire alarm, a stolen necklace and a missing bracelet may send the Hydes on a path to seek a new home sooner rather than later. This charming mystery is the perfect summer story for animal lovers, adventure seekers and budding foodies. (Ages 9-12.)  PS

Compiled by Kimberly Daniels Taws and Angie Tally.