On Shelves Now: HAPPY IN OUR SKIN by Fran Manushkin, illustrated by Lauren Tobia

32 p.
Publisher: Candlewick
Ages: 2 to 5


Is there anything more splendid than a baby’s skin? For families of all stripes comes a sweet celebration of what makes us unique—and what holds us together.

Look at you!
You look so cute
in your brand-new birthday suit.

Just savor these bouquets of babies—cocoa-brown, cinnamon, peaches and cream. As they grow, their clever skin does too, enjoying hugs and tickles, protecting them inside and out, and making them one of a kind. Fran Manushkin’s rollicking text and Lauren Tobia’s delicious illustrations paint a breezy and irresistible picture of the human family—and how wonderful it is to be just who you are.

On Shelves Now: MANGO, ABUELA AND ME by Meg Medina, illustrated by Angela Dominguez

32 p.
Publisher: Candlewick
Ages: 5 to 8

Mia’s abuela has left her sunny house with parrots and palm trees to live with Mia and her parents in the city. The night she arrives, Mia tries to share her favorite book with Abuela before they go to sleep and discovers that Abuela can’t read the words inside. So while they cook, Mia helps Abuela learn English (“Dough. Masa”), and Mia learns some Spanish too, but it’s still hard for Abuela to learn the words she needs to tell Mia all her stories. Then Mia sees a parrot in the pet-shop window and has the perfectoidea for how to help them all communicate a little better. An endearing tale from an award-winning duo that speaks loud and clear about learning new things and the love that bonds family members.

On Shelves Now: MAYA'S BLANKET: La manta de Maya by Monica Brown, Ph.D., illustrated by David Diaz

32 p.
Publisher: CBP
Ages: 6 to 8

Little Maya has a special blanket that Grandma stitched with her own two hands. As Maya grows, her blanket becomes worn and frayed, so with Grandma’s help, Maya makes it into a dress. Over time the dress is made into a skirt, a shawl, a scarf, a hair ribbon, and finally, a bookmark. Each item has special, magical, meaning for Maya; it animates her adventures, protects her, or helps her in some way. But when Maya loses her bookmark, she preserves her memories by creating a book about her adventures and love of these items. When Maya grows up, she shares her book—Maya’s Blanket/La manta de Maya—with her own little daughter while snuggled under her own special blanket.

Inspired by the traditional Yiddish folk song “Hob Ikh Mir a Mantl” (“I Had a Little Coat”), this delightful bilingual picture book puts a child-focused, Latino spin on the tale of an item that is made into smaller and smaller items. Maya’s Blanket/La manta de Maya charmingly brings to life this celebration creativity, recycling, and enduring family love.

On Shelves Now: LOCKDOWN by Walter Dean Myers

272 p.
Publisher: Amistad
Ages: 13 and up

I could do detention. Sitting there in the dark, trembling as the minutes slip by. It didn't make any difference how slow it went. I was locked in and the rest of the world was locked out. I couldn't touch them, but they couldn't touch me, either.

I was all right.

Lockdown explores an unlikely friendship between fourteen-year-old Progress inmate Reese and a man he meets through his work program at a local senior citizens' home. When Mr. Hooft is finally able to open up about his harrowing past, he gives Reese a way to reenvision his own future. Imbued with the realism and authenticity that have marked Myers's prolific writing career, this story questions how complicated it can be to separate right from wrong while struggling for survival.

On Shelves Now: GAME ON by Calvin Slater

240 p.
Publisher: Dafina
Ages: 14 and up

Xavier Hunter hoped his senior year would be bad news-free. His old enemy is finally in lockdown and Xavier is out from under one mad-crazy relationship disaster. And he’s cool with his dream girl, Samantha Fox, dating other guys because fair is fair—he hasn’t been a saint. But he’s not hearing anything good about her new man, Sean. And showing Samantha the truth could be the one game Xavier can’t win. . .

With graduation and college coming up fast, Samantha has been thinking hard about her future. Maybe she and Xavier have too much baggage to get back together. And Sean is a chance to see things fresh and figure out what she really wants. So she doesn’t need Xavier telling jealous lies—especially when the drama he’s lighting up could crash and burn their futures for good. . .

On Shelves Now: THE YOUNG ELITES by Marie Lu

384 p.
Publisher: Speak
Ages: 12 and up

In a Renaissance-like world where magic is new and misunderstood, three rival societies of young people with supernatural abilities clash with one another for power and dominance. Sixteen-year-old Adelina Amouteru is marked from the blood plague. Feared and shunned throughout her nation, some call her, and other children like her, abominations and children of demons. But another term has emerged for such survivors: they are called the Young Elites. To some, they are heroes, here to save innocents in desperate situations. To others, they are seasoned killers, mysterious masked figures intent on manipulating, seducing, and assassinating targets that seek to destroy them. So Adelina joins a group of others like her with special powers, and is thrown into a dangerous world where politics and magic clash.

On Shelves Now: BECOMING MARIA: Love and Chaos in the South Bronx by Sonia Manzano

272 p.
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Ages; 12 and up

Set in the 1970s in the Bronx, this is the story of a girl with a dream. Emmy Award-winning actress and writer Sonia Manzano plunges us into the daily lives of a Latino family that is loving--and troubled. This is Sonia's own story rendered with an unforgettable narrative power. When readers meet young Sonia, she is a child living amidst the squalor of a boisterous home that is filled with noisy relatives and nosy neighbors. Each day she is glued to the TV screen that blots out the painful realities of her existence and also illuminates the possibilities that lie ahead. But--click!--when the TV goes off, Sonia is taken back to real life--the cramped, colorful world of her neighborhood and an alcoholic father. But it is Sonia's dream of becoming an actress that keeps her afloat among the turbulence of her life and times.

Spiced with culture, heartache, and humor, this memoir paints a lasting portrait of a girl's resilience as she grows up to become an inspiration to millions.

On Shelves Now: SHADOWS OF SHERWOOD by Kekla Magoon

368 p.
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Ages: 8 to 12

The night her parents disappear, twelve-year-old Robyn Loxley must learn to fend for herself. Her home, Nott City, has been taken over by a harsh governor, Ignomus Crown. After fleeing for her life, Robyn has no choice but to join a band of strangers—misfit kids, each with their own special talent for mischief. Setting out to right the wrongs of Crown's merciless government, they take their outlaw status in stride. But Robyn can't rest until she finds her parents. As she pieces together clues from the night they disappeared, Robyn learns that her destiny is tied to the future of Nott City in ways she never expected.

Kicking off a new series with an unforgettable heroine, readers will be treated to feats of courage and daring deeds as Robyn and her band find their way in this cruel, new world.

On Shelves Now: HARLEM SUMMER by Walter Dean Myers

176 p.
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Ages: 9 to 14

It's 1925 and Mark Purvis is a 16-year-old with a summer to kill. He'd rather jam with his jazz band (they need the practice), but is urged by his parents to get a job. As an assistant at THE CRISIS, a magazine for the "new Negro," Mark rubs shoulders with Langston Hughes and Countee Cullen. He's invited to a party at Alfred Knopf's place. He's making money, but not enough, and when piano player Fats Waller entices him and his buddies to make some fast cash, Mark finds himself crossing the gangster Dutch Schultz.

On Shelves Now: MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED by Jennifer Echols

352 p.
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Ages: 14 and up

As vice president of Student Council, Kaye knows the importance of keeping order. Not only in school, but in her personal life. Which is why she and her boyfriend, Aidan, already have their lives mapped out: attend Columbia University together, pursue banking careers, and eventually get married. Everything Kaye has accomplished in high school—student government, cheerleading, stellar grades—has been in preparation for that future.

To his entire class, Sawyer is an irreverent bad boy. His antics on the field as school mascot and his love of partying have earned him total slacker status. But while he and Kaye appear to be opposites on every level, fate—and their friends—keep conspiring to throw them together. Perhaps the seniors see the simmering attraction Kaye and Sawyer are unwilling to acknowledge to themselves…

As the year unfolds, Kaye begins to realize her ideal life is not what she thought. And Sawyer decides it’s finally time to let down the facade and show everyone who he really is. Is a relationship between them most likely to succeed—or will it be their favorite mistake?

On Shelves Now: KIZZY ANN STAMPS by Jeri Watts

192 p.
Publisher: Candlewick
Ages: 9 to 12

In 1963, as Kizzy Ann prepares for her first year at an integrated school, she worries about the color of her skin, the scar running from the corner of her right eye to the tip of her smile, and whether anyone at the white school will like her. She writes letters to her new teacher in a clear, insistent voice, stating her troubles and asking questions with startling honesty. The new teacher is supportive, but not everyone feels the same, so there is a lot to write about. Her brother, James, is having a far less positive school experience than she is, and the annoying white neighbor boy won’t leave her alone. But Shag, her border collie, is her refuge. Even so, opportunity clashes with obstacle. Kizzy Ann knows she and Shag could compete well in the dog trials, but will she be able to enter? From Jeri Watts comes an inspiring middle-grade novel about opening your mind to the troubles and scars we all must bear — and facing life with hope and trust.

On Shelves Now: BOYS WITHOUT NAMES by Kashmira Sheth

320 p.
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Ages: 9 to 12

For eleven-year-old Gopal and his family, life in their rural Indian village is over: We stay, we starve, his baba has warned. So they must flee to the big city of Mumbai in hopes of finding work and a brighter future. Gopal is eager to help support his struggling family until school starts, so when a stranger approaches him with the promise of a factory job, he jumps at the offer.

But Gopal has been deceived. There is no factory, just a small, stuffy sweatshop where he and five other boys are forced to make beaded frames for no money and little food. The boys are forbidden to talk or even to call each other by their real names. In this atmosphere of distrust and isolation, locked in a rundown building in an unknown part of the city, Gopal despairs of ever seeing his family again.

Then late one night, when Gopal decides to share kahanis, or stories, he realizes that storytelling might be the key to the boys’ holding on to their sense of self and their hope for any kind of future. If he can make them feel more like brothers than enemies, their lives will be more bearable in the shop—and they might even find a way to escape.

On Shelves Now: BRIGHT LIGHTS, DARK NIGHTS by Stephen Emond

384 p.
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Ages: 12 to 18

Walter Wilcox has never been in love. That is, until he meets Naomi, and sparks, and clever jokes, fly. But when his cop dad is caught in a racial profiling scandal, Walter and Naomi, who is African American, are called out at school, home, and online. Can their bond (and mutual love of the Foo Fighters) keep them together?

With black-and-white illustrations throughout and a heartfelt, humorous voice, Bright Lights, Dark Nights authentically captures just how tough first love can be...and why it's worth fighting for.

On Shelves Now: OF DREAMS AND RUST by Sarah Fine

288 p.
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Ages: 14 and up

In the year since the collapse of the slaughterhouse where Wen worked as her father’s medical assistant, she’s held all her secrets close. She works in the clinic at the weapons factory and sneaks away to nurse Bo, once the Ghost, now a boy determined to transform himself into a living machine. Their strange, fragile friendship soothes some of the ache of missing Melik, the strong-willed Noor who walked away from Wen all those months ago—but it can’t quell her fears for him.

The Noor are waging a rebellion in the west. When she overhears plans to crush Melik’s people with the powerful war machines created at the factory, Wen makes the painful decision to leave behind all she has known—including Bo—to warn them. But the farther she journeys into the warzone, the more confusing things become. A year of brutality seems to have changed Melik, and Wen has a decision to make about him and his people: How much is she willing to sacrifice to save them from complete annihilation?

On Shelves Now: OF METAL AND WISHES by Sarah Fine

352 p.
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Ages: 14 and up

Sixteen-year-old Wen assists her father in his medical clinic, housed in a slaughterhouse staffed by the Noor, men hired as cheap factory labor. Wen often hears the whisper of a ghost in the slaughterhouse, a ghost who grants wishes to those who need them most. And after one of the Noor humiliates Wen, the ghost grants an impulsive wish of hers—brutally.

Guilt-ridden, Wen befriends the Noor, including the outspoken leader, a young man named Melik. At the same time, she is lured by the mystery of the ghost. As deadly accidents fuel tensions within the factory, Wen is torn between her growing feelings for Melik, who is enraged at the sadistic factory bosses and the prejudice faced by his people at the hand of Wen’s, and her need to appease the ghost, who is determined to protect her against any threat—real or imagined. Will she determine whom to trust before the factory explodes, taking her down with it?

On Shelves Now: THE ENTROPY OF BONES by Ayize Jama-Everett

224 p.
Publisher: Small Beer Press
Ages: 14 and up

Chabi doesn't realize her martial arts trainer may not be on the side of the gods. She does know she's gone from being an almost invisible girl to . . . deadly. When he disappears Chabi is devastated and vulnerable to those who wish to use her. She must choose sides quickly: people are dying.

On Shelves Now: ANOTHER KIND OF HURRICANE by Tamara Ellis Smith

336 p.
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade
Ages: 9 to 12

A hurricane, a tragic death, two boys, one marble. How they intertwine is at the heart of this beautiful, poignant book. When ten-year-old Zavion loses his home in Hurricane Katrina, he and his father are forced to flee to Baton Rouge. And when Henry, a ten-year-old boy in northern Vermont, tragically loses his best friend, Wayne, he flees to ravaged New Orleans to help with hurricane relief efforts—and to search for a marble that was in the pocket of a pair of jeans donated to the Red Cross.

Rich with imagery and crackling with hope, this is the unforgettable story of how lives connect in unexpected, even magical, ways.

On Shelves Now: THE SILENCED by James DeVita

448 p.
Publisher: Milkweed Editions
Ages: 12 and up

Marena struggles to remember the past: a time before the Zero Tolerance Party murdered her mother and put her father under house arrest. A time before they installed listening devices in every home and outlawed writing. A time when she was free. But it feels like the only thing the new, repressive government wants is to have Marena forget. When the Minister of Education, Helmsley Greengritch, cracks down on Marena’s youth training facility, she knows she has to fight back. In the spirit of her revolutionary mother, she forms her own resistance group—the White Rose. With nothing but words and a hunger for freedom, Marena fights for what she knows is right, only to discover the ZT Party's horrifying plans for the country. A thrilling story of resistance and the power of art, The Silenced draws upon the true story of Sophie Scholl and the White Rose group's resistance to the Nazi party.

On Shelves Now: ENCHANTED AIR Two Cultures, Two Wings: A Memoir by Margarita Engle, illustrated by Edel Rodriguez

208 p.
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Ages: 12 and up

Margarita is a girl from two worlds. Her heart lies in Cuba, her mother’s tropical island country, a place so lush with vibrant life that it seems like a fairy tale kingdom. But most of the time she lives in Los Angeles, lonely in the noisy city and dreaming of the summers when she can take a plane through the enchanted air to her beloved island. Words and images are her constant companions, friendly and comforting when the children at school are not.

Then a revolution breaks out in Cuba. Margarita fears for her far-away family. When the hostility between Cuba and the United States erupts at the Bay of Pigs Invasion, Margarita’s worlds collide in the worst way possible. How can the two countries she loves hate each other so much? And will she ever get to visit her beautiful island again?

On Shelves Now: STRANGE FRUIT, Vol. I: Uncelebrated Narratives from Black History by Joel Christian Gill

176 p.
Publisher: Fulcrum Publishing
Ages: 12 and up

Strange Fruit, Volume I is a collection of stories from African American history that exemplifies success in the face of great adversity. This unique graphic anthology offers historical and cultural commentary on nine uncelebrated heroes whose stories are not often found in history books. Among the stories included are: Henry "Box" Brown, who escaped from slavery by mailing himself to Philadelphia; Alexander Crummel and the Noyes Academy, the first integrated school in America, established in the 1830s; Marshall "Major" Taylor, a.k.a. the Black Cyclone, the first black champion in any sport; and Bass Reeves, the most successful lawman in the Old West. Written and illustrated by Joel Christian Gill, the diverse art beautifully captures the spirit of each remarkable individual and opens a window into an important part of American history.

On Shelves Now: AMERICAN BORN CHINESE by Gene Luen Yang

240 p.
Publisher: Square Fish
Ages: 12 to 18

Jin Wang starts at a new school where he's the only Chinese-American student. When a boy from Taiwan joins his class, Jin doesn't want to be associated with an FOB like him. Jin just wants to be an all-American boy, because he's in love with an all-American girl. Danny is an all-American boy: great at basketball, popular with the girls. But his obnoxious Chinese cousin Chin-Kee's annual visit is such a disaster that it ruins Danny's reputation at school, leaving him with no choice but to transfer somewhere he can start all over again. The Monkey King has lived for thousands of years and mastered the arts of kung fu and the heavenly disciplines. He's ready to join the ranks of the immortal gods in heaven. But there's no place in heaven for a monkey. Each of these characters cannot help himself alone, but how can they possibly help each other? They're going to have to find a way--if they want fix the disasters their lives have become.

On Shelves Now: DOPE SICK by Walter Dean Myers

208 p.
Publisher: Amistad
Ages: 14 and up

A drug deal goes south and a cop has been shot. Lil J's on the run. And he's starting to get dope sick. He'd do anything to change the last twenty-four hours, and when he stumbles into an abandoned building, it actually might be possible. . .

Elements of magical realism intensify this harrowing story about drug use, violence, perceptions of reality, and second chances.

On Shelves Now: FINDING SOMEPLACE by Denise Lewis Patrick

224 p.
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.
Ages: 8 to 12

Reesie Boone just knows that thirteen is going to be her best year yet-this will be the year she makes her very first fashion design on her Ma Maw's sewing machine. She'll skip down the streets of New Orleans with her best friends, Ayanna and Orlando, and everyone will look at her in admiration.

But on Reesie's birthday, everything changes. Hurricane Katrina hits her city. Stranded at home alone, Reesie takes refuge with her elderly neighbor, Miss Martine. The waters rise. They escape in a boat. And soon Reesie is reunited with her family. But her journey back home has only begun.

This is a story of a family putting itself back together, and a young girl learning to find herself.

On Shelves Now: BEHIND THE MOUNTAINS by Edwidge Danticat

176 p.
Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks
Ages: 12 and up

It is election time in Haiti, and bombs are going off in the capital city of Port-au-Prince. During a visit from her home in rural Haiti, Celiane Espérance and her mother are nearly killed. Looking at her country with new eyes, Celiane gains a fresh resolve to be reunited with her father in Brooklyn, New York. The harsh winter and concrete landscape of her new home are a shock to Celiane, who witnesses her parents' struggle to earn a living, her brother's uneasy adjustment to American society, and her own encounters with learning difficulties and school violence.

On Shelves Now: X: A Novel by Ilyasah Shabazz with Kekla Magoon

384 p.
Publisher: Candlewick
Ages: 14 and up

Malcolm Little’s parents have always told him that he can achieve anything, but from what he can tell, that’s a pack of lies—after all, his father’s been murdered, his mother’s been taken away, and his dreams of becoming a lawyer have gotten him laughed out of school. There’s no point in trying, he figures, and lured by the nightlife of Boston and New York, he escapes into a world of fancy suits, jazz, girls, and reefer. But Malcolm’s efforts to leave the past behind lead him into increasingly dangerous territory. Deep down, he knows that the freedom he’s found is only an illusion—and that he can’t run forever.

X follows Malcolm from his childhood to his imprisonment for theft at age twenty, when he found the faith that would lead him to forge a new path and command a voice that still resonates today.

On Shelves Now: STELLA BY STARLIGHT by Sharon M. Draper

336 p.
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Ages: 9 to 13

Stella lives in the segregated South—in Bumblebee, North Carolina, to be exact about it. Some stores she can go into. Some stores she can’t. Some folks are right pleasant. Others are a lot less so. To Stella, it sort of evens out, and heck, the Klan hasn’t bothered them for years. But one late night, later than she should ever be up, much less wandering around outside, Stella and her little brother see something they’re never supposed to see, something that is the first flicker of change to come, unwelcome change by any stretch of the imagination. As Stella’s community—her world—is upended, she decides to fight fire with fire. And she learns that ashes don’t necessarily signify an end.

On Shelves Now: I'M NEW HERE by Anne Sibley O'Brien

32 p.
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Ages: 5 to 8

Maria is from Guatemala, Jin is from Korea, and Fatima is from Somalia. All three are new to their American elementary school, and each has trouble speaking, writing, and sharing ideas in English. Through self-determination and with encouragement from their peers and teachers, the students learn to feel confident and comfortable in their new school without losing a sense of their home country, language, and identity.

On Shelves Now: Voice of Freedom: FANNIE LOU HAMER: The Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Ekua Holmes

56 p.
Publisher: Candlewick
Ages: 9 to 12

“I am sick and tired of being sick and tired.”

Despite fierce prejudice and abuse, even being beaten to within an inch of her life, Fannie Lou Hamer was a champion of civil rights from the 1950s until her death in 1977. Integral to the Freedom Summer of 1964, Ms. Hamer gave a speech at the Democratic National Convention that, despite President Johnson’s interference, aired on national TV news and spurred the nation to support the Freedom Democrats. Featuring vibrant mixed-media art full of intricate detail, Voice of Freedom celebrates Fannie Lou Hamer’s life and legacy with a message of hope, determination, and strength.

On Shelves Now: A STORM CALLED KATRINA by Myron Uhlberg, illustrated by Colin Bootman

40 p.
Publisher: Peachtree Publishers
Ages: 6 to 10

A moving story of the effects of Hurricane Katrina on the people of New Orleans, as seen through the eyes of a ten-year-old boy. Louis Daniel hates it when Mama treats him like a baby. But when Hurricane Katrina blows through the Gulf Coast on a fateful August night, Louis feels like a little kid again. With no time to gather their belongings—except Louis’s beloved horn—Daddy leads the family from their home and into an unfamiliar, watery world of floating debris, lurking critters, and desperate neighbors heading for dry ground. Taking shelter in the already-crowded Superdome, Louis and his parents wait…and wait. Conditions continue to worsen and their water supply is running out. When Daddy fails to return from a scouting mission within the Dome, Louis knows he’s no longer a baby. It’s up to him to find his father—with the help of his prized cornet.

On Shelves Now: BAYOU MAGIC by Jewell Parker Rhodes

256 p.
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Ages: 8 to 12

If only Maddy sees the mermaid, can it be real?

It's Maddy's turn to have a bayou summer. At first she misses life back home in the city, but soon she grows to love everything about her new surroundings -- the glimmering fireflies, the glorious landscape, and something else, deep within the water, that only Maddy sees. Could it be a mermaid? As her grandmother shares wisdom about sayings and signs, Maddy realizes she may be only the sibling to carry on her family's magical legacy. And when a disastrous oil leak threatens the bayou, she knows she may also be the only one who can help. Does she have what it takes to be a hero?

A coming-of-age tale rich with folk magic, set in the wake of the Gulf oil spill, Bayou Magic celebrates hope, friendship, and family, and captures the wonder of life in the Deep South.

On Shelves Now: GRANDDADDY'S TURN by Michael S. Bandy & Eric Stein, illustrated by James Ransome

32 p.
Publisher: Candlewick
Ages: 6 to 9

Life on the farm with Granddaddy is full of hard work, but despite all the chores, Granddaddy always makes time for play, especially fishing trips. Even when there isn’t a bite to catch, he reminds young Michael that it takes patience to get what’s coming to you. One morning, when Granddaddy heads into town in his fancy suit, Michael knows that something very special must be happening — and sure enough, everyone is lined up at the town hall! For the very first time, Granddaddy is allowed to vote, and he couldn’t be more proud. But can Michael be patient when it seems that justice just can’t come soon enough? This powerful and touching true-life story shares one boy’s perspective of growing up in the segregated South, while beautiful illustrations depict the rural setting in tender detail.

On Shelves Now: SWEET WHISPERS, BROTHER RUSH by Virginia Hamilton

224 p.
Publisher: Amistad
Ages: 13 and up

Why had he come to her, with his dark secrets from a long-ago past? What was the purpose of their strange, haunting journeys back into her own childhood? Was it to help Dab, her retarded older brother, wracked with mysterious pain who sometimes took more care and love than Tree had to give? Was it for her mother, Vy, who loved them the best she knew how, but wasn't home enough to ease the terrible longing?

Whatever secrets his whispered message held, Tree knew she must follow. She must follow Brother Rush through the magic mirror, and find out the truth. About all of them.

On Shelves Now: FOR THE RIGHT TO LEARN: Malala Yousafzai's Story by Rebecca Langston-George, illustrated by Janna Bock

40 p.
Publisher: Capstone Press
Ages: 9 to 12

She grew up in a world where women were supposed to be quiet. But Malala Yousafzai refused to be silent.Discover Malala's story through this powerful narrative telling, and come to see how one brave girl named Malala changed the world.

On Shelves Now: ALL THE RIGHT STUFF by Walter Dean Myers

240 p.
Publisher: Amistad
Ages: 13 and up

How will Paul DuPree know who's on top of the social food chain? Or how people get ahead? Who makes the rules? Who needs to follow them?

Paul DuPree is working at a soup kitchen in Harlem the summer his father dies, just trying to get by. But Elijah, the soup man, won't stop talking about the social contract and asking Paul questions about heavy-duty things. As the talk of what-ifs turns into reality, Paul realizes the talk is about more than getting by-it's about taking charge of your life.

In one of his most thought-provoking novels to date, Myers weaves together political philosophy, basketball, and making soup in Harlem with the depth that continues to define his writing career.

On Shelves Now: YAQUI DELGADO WANTS TO KICK YOUR ASS by Meg Medina

272 p.
Publisher: Candlewick
Ages: 14 and up

One morning before school, some girl tells Piddy Sanchez that Yaqui Delgado hates her and wants to kick her ass. Piddy doesn’t even know who Yaqui is, never mind what she’s done to piss her off. Word is that Yaqui thinks Piddy is stuck-up, shakes her stuff when she walks, and isn’t Latin enough with her white skin, good grades, and no accent. And Yaqui isn’t kidding around, so Piddy better watch her back. At first Piddy is more concerned with trying to find out more about the father she’s never met and how to balance honors courses with her weekend job at the neighborhood hair salon. But as the harassment escalates, avoiding Yaqui and her gang starts to take over Piddy’s life. Is there any way for Piddy to survive without closing herself off or running away? In an all-too-realistic novel, Meg Medina portrays a sympathetic heroine who is forced to decide who she really is.