Pitts pulls from the biblical books Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—using primarily the World English Bible version—to deliver a comprehensive, yet surprisingly simple and concise, chronicle of the life of Jesus. Intended as an introductory text for young readers, “with the hope that readers will more easily be able to grasp what the story of Jesus is about,” Pitts’s narrative highlights Jesus’s birth, mission on Earth, and, above, all, “the love of God” that Pitts counts as the uniting thread weaving together the different events of the Bible. From Jesus turning water into wine to healing and casting out demons, there is much here for middle grade readers to ponder.

Starting with the concept of dreams as “powerful tools… [that] often lead us to areas in our lives to which we might not otherwise venture,” Pitts first retells Jesus’s earthly mother Mary’s dream, in which the angel Gabriel informed her that she would “conceive and bring forth a son, and you shall call his name Yeshua.” From there, Pitts launches into Jesus’s childhood, young adulthood, and early miracles, eventually moving on to his crucifixion and resurrection. He recaps the stories in chronological fashion, deviating somewhat from the order of their biblical presentation, to offer a narrative “more readily understood by novice readers.”

Pitts’s writing is easy to follow, showcasing an uncomplicated message with illustrations of the stories’ events sprinkled throughout. Specific Bible verses kick off each section, and Pitts recommends anyone who wishes to “delve deeper into the story” follow up with a biblical volume of the New Testament. Pitts is careful to maintain a welcoming tone throughout, and he includes stories that consider the other people in Jesus’s life—his earthly parents, disciples, and the people he was sent to teach and lead. This is an appealing introductory Christian debut that captures Jesus’s teachings of kindness, love, and fellowship.

Takeaway: Illustrated life of Jesus for young readers, emphasizing love.

Comparable Titles: Marc Olson's The World Jesus Knew, Sally Lloyd-Jones's The Jesus Storybook Bible.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: B
Illustrations: A-
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-

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In near future Atlanta, self-driving aircars, invasive government surveillance, and the NeuroNet—a system that allows dying humans to upload their consciousness into a synthetic android shell—are cutting-edge technology. NeuroNet’s artificial intelligence mirrors human-like responses but also prevents its androids from evolving, to assure predictability. When NeuroNet’s cofounders—Teagan McKenna and her childhood friend Carter Smith, head engineer Tito Ngata, and Aya Wakahisa—discover some of their androids have died by suicide, they’re stunned, prompting Teagan to wonder “why would someone who was saved from death want to take their own life?”

Casey (author of Song of Lyran) delivers snappy storytelling and an intelligent, persistent hero in Teagan, who undergoes several events that test her resolve, including her cancer-stricken wife, Em, whose insistence to be uploaded into NeuroNet troubles Teagan. Together, the team must quickly uncover why the androids are killing themselves, a quest that poses philosophical questions on the nature of humanity and its need to evolve. As the characters ruminate on the ethics of keeping loved ones around versus letting them go in a natural way, they come across a hint of something deeper at play: some of the androids seem to be exhibiting potentially homicidal intent as well.

Casey’s characters are a satisfying mix of flawed and honorable, commendable for their good-hearted intentions, as Teagan—struggling with her devotion to her wife despite their frequent arguments and disheartened at her role as Em’s “guardian” once she’s uploaded into an android—reveals she “created NeuroNet so that you’d never have to say goodbye to the ones you love.” When Teagan undergoes a tragic event, a frank and emotional discussion of death, grief, and loyalty ensues. Readers will appreciate this sympathetic and forward-thinking consideration of humanity’s future, made all the more enjoyable by Casey’s dramatic and shocking twists.

Takeaway: Smart—and humane—scientists probe human evolution vs. AI.

Comparable Titles: Piers Furney’s Alkaline Dawn, Kazuo Ishiguro’s Klara and the Sun.

Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about NeuroNet

Therapist Partington brings Dialectical Behavioral Therapy into the self-help arena in this emotionally sensitive, entertaining guidebook. Through composite stories highlighting different DBT skills and how to implement them, Partington offers readers a toolbox of resilient approaches—and a way to practice DBT as an intuitive part of everyday life. The guidance is broken into four units—Mindfulness, Interpersonal Effectiveness, Emotion Regulation, and Distress Tolerance—and structured in a modular fashion, allowing readers to access the area of their highest need. Each character’s story is correlated to psychologist and creator of DBT Marsha Linehan’s DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets, a text Partington recommends using in tandem with this creative debut.

Teeming with bright, colorful illustrations by Nilufer Ustuner and Nataliia Mazepa, Partington’s straightforward teaching style and enthusiastic tone give the material an accessible, workbook feel, always welcoming and never overwhelming in its attempt to help readers “feel deeply accepted and understood.” Partington’s array of practice techniques—ranging from walking meditation to helpful acronyms to journaling prompts—are particularly helpful, as is her own disclosure of using DBT skills as a past therapy client, to work through her depression and suicidality. “Going through DBT as a patient, I found my toolbox and learned skills to change my life, my behavior (most of the time), and how I experience the world. For me, it was like being reborn . . . and just in time” she candidly shares.

Partington’s composite protagonists will be easy for readers to empathize with, but triggering material—like teen rape—makes for some potentially challenging reading. Still, the advice is comprehensive and articulate, with plenty of appealing exercises sprinkled throughout. Readers looking for a supplement to DBT therapy, or those who are curious to learn more about the approach, will find this articulation of its core concepts well worth their time.

Takeaway: Accessible and encouraging guide to DBT skills.

Comparable Titles: Marsha M. Linehan’s DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets, Matthew McKay, Jeffrey C. Wood, and Jeffrey Brantley’s The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

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Cantafio’s arctic ballad is a forlorn romance set in a land of glacial splendor, aurora-smeared skies, and unsullied landscapes: “Alyeska,” commonly known as Alaska, where life is “civil, wild, intoxicating” and nature commands respect. Two stories intertwine within Cantafio’s narrative: one recounts the idyllic romance of star-crossed scientists Octavia and Roen, while the other centers on the vibrant life of “an arctic queen // Fox, indigo-eyed and full of cheer... in the snowbanks of the last frontier.” Alternating between simple, sugary pantoums and terser cinquains, the poet’s dual forms, voices, and perspectives harmonize to create a complex song of love, curiosity, failure, and revenge.

Two “flowers that bloom in low light,” Octavia and Roen are drawn to each other’s inward natures and passion for the mysteries in the natural world around them. An agro-scientist, Octavia is on the precipice of discovering Alaskan wildflowers’ medicinal abilities, while Roen’s research on an advanced hearing aid requires him to test animals, including a certain “thriving, inquisitive, and keen” arctic fox. Roen subdues the ethical conundrum of his work by assuring himself that “it’s for science, though, right?” while Fox, “unwell in the metal crate... is desperate to flee.”

As Octavia and Roen sew their lives together, they tear the fox’s life apart, and in the space between the three, Cantafio (author of My Stay with the Sisters) brews a complex tension amid the moral quandary of the couple’s careless treatment of natural life and the fox’s feral revenge. It reads like a dark fairytale, “a fantasy marred by // testing nature,” and its lessons resonate in today’s climate crisis created and perpetuated by the same motives Roen has when he captures Fox: progress, no matter the means or the cost. At the mournful dirge’s conclusion, readers are left questioning what humanity’s responsibility is to the world they inhabit.

Takeaway: Cautionary romance depicting the consequences of mistreating nature.

Comparable Titles: Robert W. Service’s “The Spell of the Yukon,” Mark Perlberg’s “The Dead Fox.”

Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about A Place No Flowers Grow

Blending a new theory of cognition with advice about mastering one’s own mind, engineer Thomas posits a neuronally-centered, epigenetic pattern recognition process, dubbed the xCode, as the center of human intelligence and the source of what we experience as intuition. Though grounded in some old-school evolutionary biology, Thomas’ treatment is largely philosophical, taking on topics such as free will, the nature of knowledge, and the possibility of cosmic intelligence in short chapters, alongside a brain-region centered anatomical approach. Thomas challenges readers to think of our intelligence as mediated on something of a whole-brain level rather than centered in conscious, cortical thoughts, while still urging them to lean toward the intentional when making choices.

Thomas does a good job of articulating the idea of xCode and proposing plausible biological underpinnings of this computational mechanism. However, he begins in little contemporary research in computational neurobiology, brain chemistry, or neuronal morphology, and mentions few specific studies. Instead, he leans heavily into older ideas such as the tripartite mind (Freud’s id, ego, and super-ego) and morphological-functional brain areas (such as the roles of the amygdala and claustrum), an approach somewhat at odds with the hypothesis’s emphasis on the individual neuron as a primary functional unit.

Thomas challenges orthodoxies about what we think we know about intelligence, and asks provocative questions about our understanding of memory and thinking, though readers with backgrounds in contemporary neurobiology will likely require more rigorous refinement and testing of the hypothesis before signing on to this “profound rethinking of the neuron itself.” Occasional side topics like the idea of transplanted organs holding memories run counter to the brain-centered thesis, and ideas like trusting your intuition but fighting the urges of the lizard brain sometimes seem to be in conflict. Thomas overall takes a collegial and inviting teaching tone, but doesn’t often address readers’ likely questions or objections.

Takeaway: A call to rethink what we know about thinking, rooted in philosophy and neurobiology.

Comparable Titles: Andy Clark’s Mindware, Samuel J. Gershman’s What Makes Us Smart.

Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: B+
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: B-
Marketing copy: B

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Rotundo creatively probes the white knight archetype through the life of writer Eris Clemens, whose relationship with her older husband, Stan, is accented by “benign marital acts of indifference,” and a parallel storyline following distinguished MIT scientist Daniel Graf and his stay-at-home partner Julianah, a “woman behind the man… always ready to serve.” Stan and Julianah’s inability to meet their partners’ needs creates a growing rift in their relationships, driving Eris and Daniel to pursue forbidden romance. “He liked his woman, but his head heavy with dreams,” Rotundo writes of Daniel, “dreams that now had a map… To her door. In his active imagination, [Eris] opened the door to new universes.”

Rotundo exposes the flawed nature of her characters as they strive for rescue from mundanity, balancing moments of humor and fantasy with deeply emotional, dramatic scenes. When the pandemic confines Rotundo’s couples to their homes, readers watch Daniel wrestle with intense longing for Eris amid a sense of duty towards Julianah, as he wonders “until when does he need to tend to this perpetual child?” Likewise, Eris fantasizes about Daniel, while Stan whispers in her ear, feeling “this immense love and devotion more like a burden.” Those longings become a catalyst, forcing Eris and Daniel to confront their deepest fears and desires while driving the realization that their attraction transcends mere romance.

As the pair defy the lockdown to be together, Rotundo trims their initial euphoria, transporting them to the harsh reality where, unlike their “fire that’s slowly burning everything around it,” their relationships with Stan and Julianah are as comfortably secure as they are routine, forcing a choice between fighting for their love or returning home to mend what’s broken. Rotundo’s descriptive passages and psychological complexities bring a rich life to this debut, offering a thought-provoking reflection on whether the rescuing is sweetest when it’s done by a hero—or by yourself.

Takeaway: Compelling reflection on desire, rich with psychological complexity.

Comparable Titles: Mona Awad’s Bunny, Camille Bordas’s The Material.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-

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Seeley (author of McHorn and His Hidden Spots) crafts a visually lush alphabet picture book featuring the poetic Shadow, a cosmic entity who uses his magical, starlit shadowboxes to teach young readers their ABC’s. Each shadowbox features one letter of the English alphabet and a mix of people, objects, and hidden words that begin with that letter—a mishmash of beautifully illustrated, letter-centered fun. “Leaves and a ladybug start with an L,” Shadow intones, later encouraging readers to “look for lemons and limes” on that page, while at the bottom edge, he sits on his windowsill in front of a twinkling night sky, licking a lollipop.

Though the alliterative poems are only a few stanzas long, Seeley’s pages teem with letter-related excitement. Each poem is bordered with “Look For” guides, instructing readers on concealed words to search for in that poem’s related shadowbox—an interactive activity that kids and the adults reading to them will treasure working on together. Seeley’s hidden words open up a whole new world of learning, featuring terms that many young readers may not yet know: in the shadowbox for the letter “I,” the picture of an island features the word “icon” shimmering in the water, while “idol” is barely visible in the background of Seeley’s iris portrait. At the end of each poem, Shadow asks readers to find a special item hidden in plain sight (“can you find my drum?” he queries on the page for “D”), increasing the entertainment value for young readers experiencing the newfound joy of language.

Seeley’s illustrations exude a vintage feel with a touch of surrealism, and most of the book’s inanimate objects—eggs, balls of yarn, seashells—feature endearing human faces. The distinctive art and poetry combine to create a multilayered, engaging picture book—one that young readers will likely revisit many times over.

Takeaway: Gorgeously illustrated alphabet book teeming with interactive activities.

Comparable Titles: Neil Gaiman’s The Dangerous Alphabet, Oliver Jeffers’s Once Upon an Alphabet.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about The Search & Find World of SHADOWBOXES

Biochemist Callaghan delves into the history of the cosmetics business—and cosmetic claims development—in hopes of demystifying an industry where, she writes, “selling hope” reigns supreme. Aimed at consumers, influencers, and journalists, Callaghan’s informative guide delivers a glimpse into the inner workings of the business, covering modern technology’s impact on cosmetic product development, ethical beauty standards, the research that goes into substantiating cosmetic claims, and more. Callaghan also confronts "fundamental questions about our relationship with cosmetics and the pursuit of beauty," with a heavy emphasis on the science driving the industry.

Callaghan’s guide is enlightening, as she addresses how to differentiate between fact and fiction and “make informed decisions about… skincare regimen[s].” Her goal with this updated edition is to “[bridge] the gap between the cosmetic Counter and the laboratory,” and she accomplishes that objective with flying colors. From a breakdown of the different types of cosmetic claims—ranging from lifestyle to ingredient to sensory—to instruction on the anatomy of skin, Callaghan’s easy-to-read text covers all the bases, teaching consumers the ins and outs of an admittedly complex business. She consistently revisits safe and ethical product development, asserting that “product development pathways have to be turned on their head and re-drawn,” and is a staunch advocate for rigorous scientific standards, arguing that “time and money to build a body of evidence has to be a first priority.”

In peeling back the layered expectations that consumers (and regulating authorities) have for the cosmetics industry, Callaghan offers readers a refreshing backstage pass to creating a successful —and safe—cosmetic product and campaign. She covers the history of cosmetics (dating back to Ancient Rome), the four main culprits of misinformation in the field (influencers, consumers, journalists, and the industry itself), and offers readers a slew of valuable resources, all in hopes of helping consumers clarify their “actual and uniquely individual skin needs.”

Takeaway: Inside track on the complex world of cosmetics production.

Comparable Titles: Martha Laham's Made Up, Mary Lisa Gavenas's Color Stories.

Production grades
Cover: C+
Design and typography: B+
Illustrations: B-
Editing: B
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Help! I'm Covered in Adjectives

Gonzalez, an educator who lived and taught in South Korea for five years, along with South Korean born Young Lee, offer this intriguing, second edition look at the cultural makeup of South Korea, highlighting its “rich traditions [that] coexist with a vibrant, modern, youthful, economically strong, highly industrialized, and technologically advanced society.” The authors acknowledge their unique perspectives—Gonzalez was born in Mexico and immigrated to the United States at age 13, and Lee immigrated to America at age 20—while making a case for how South Korea’s passion for efficiency and competitiveness have both helped and hindered its whirlwind economic growth.

“This book is meant not as a criticism but as an observation from an outsider’s perspective about culture and its role in the evolution of economic progress” the authors write, and their love for South Korea is reflected throughout. They consider the country’s rebound from the Korean War to become “one of the top 20 economies in the world” and delve into a host of South Korean cultural markings—education, food, social hierarchies, and more—that make it a powerhouse internationally. From insights on why food sharing is important to the nation’s celebrated work ethic (the government only recently limited work weeks to 52 hours) to the changing attitude of youth toward their elders, Gonzalez and Lee paint a compelling, persuasive, and illuminating portrait.

A surplus of space spent analyzing how national disasters, including the Sewol ferry catastrophe and several Seoul metro accidents, were possibly influenced by the country’s pali pali (hurry, hurry) culture and “failure to follow the rules” distracts somewhat, but the authors’ musings on South Korea’s societal structure—and how “to raise the nation’s consciousness regarding public safety”—are absorbing. They close with “obstacles” the country is experiencing, such as high youth unemployment and an aging population, that “may signal the ripe conditions for a perfect storm.”

Takeaway: Revealing analysis of South Korean culture, emphasizing efficiency and competitiveness.

Comparable Titles: Grace M. Cho’s Haunting the Korean Diaspora, DK Eyewitness’s Hello, South Korea.

Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about South Korea

As Grandpa Pat and his inquisitive granddaughter Eva embark on a golden-hour stroll through a picturesque forest full of sights, sounds, and creatures, Eva is a darling profusion of childhood curiosity, questioning her grandfather on nearly everything they encounter. “What is this? And what is that?” she queries “for the hundredth time today,” as Grandpa Pat tirelessly encourages her sense of wonder—and inspires imagination in every observation the pair make. A scampering mouse in the yard holds Eva’s attention for a time, along with a babbling brook and a curious curve emerging from the water’s surface, but the most dazzling mystery is the large shape the pair spots through the sunlit trees.

An Hryvtsova’s glittering, gleaming illustrations offer young readers a forest with a warm, vibrant mystique that transforms into a sanctuary for fancy and imagination. Eva’s world sparkles, and every sunbeam is a pathway to revealing something thrilling for her to investigate. Hryvtsova takes care with the intricate details, too, from elaborately drawn water lilies to textured streamside boulders to Grandpa Pat and Eva’s evocative facial expressions, deftly conjuring a world from the pure perspective of a young child, where magic still exists and every shimmer and shadow are worthy of examination.

Younger readers will relish the opportunity to share what they see hidden in Miller’s mind-boggling world, whether it’s Eva’s shark “playing in a brook,” a “giant ball” in the trees, or a creature of their own concoction. Grandpa Pat’s continual stoking of his granddaughter’s excitement is the driving force behind this charming debut, as he intuitively recognizes Eva’s inquisitive nature for what it is—a gift—and chooses to adopt her attitude of fascination. That loving choice nets Grandpa Pat a once-in-a-lifetime experience with Eva at the story’s conclusion. This is the perfect choice for fans of childhood wonder.

Takeaway: Vibrant, joyful celebration of youthful curiosity.

Comparable Titles: Bernard Waber’s Ask Me, Joseph Kuefler’s Beyond the Pond.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: B+
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about What is This?

From her birth, Smith’s family expected she would grow up to be “a wealthy, conservative, Christian, medical doctor who trained up North” but returned to Alabama, where her debutante training would “attract a White male of appropriate social and financial standing.” As the title of her debut memoir suggests, Smith chose her own path, sometimes frustrating those who preferred her to be the “equivalent of wet cement—able to be molded.” With graceful prose and hard-won insight, Smith explores the roots of a mid-life crisis and lack of satisfaction. Smith eventually wills herself to “figure out what I learned from each ghost that haunts me,” finding both comfort and challenges in her Christian faith, and seeking a way to live a life of “radical generosity and meaning,” a desire that sometimes jolts those she loves most.

Smith’s own brilliant mother left work and schooling behind to become a traditional Southern woman and mother—and then seemed to expect to live vicariously through her daughter. Smith’s father, an orthopedic surgeon, provided a life of privilege—“The word my family uses is ‘blessed,’” Smith notes. She contemplates this with a sense of awareness and responsibility as she reflects on a life spent “always moving toward something”: pursuing a career in teaching instead of medicine; missionary work in Nigeria; tough but rewarding time teaching in Boston’s Southie neighborhood. But Smith still sought the source of her angst, even after marriage and becoming a mother to four children. After a breast cancer diagnosis at age 43, Smith turns to writing to answer core questions about who she is.

Readers who, like Smith, found guidance and wisdom in the works of Glennon Doyle and Elizabeth Gilbert will enjoy this journey and its inviting life lessons as Smith learns which dreams to keep, which to let go, and how to learn from the past and accept people for who they are.

Takeaway: Searching memoir of finding one’s own path and living for something more.

Comparable Titles: Glennon Doyle’s Untamed, Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-

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House invites readers into a richly imagined world where the mundane meets the magical, as young trainee Rain Barynd—who dreams of becoming a Council Guard in his serene town of New Haven on the continent of Rega—works to secure a future away from farming and active combat. Rain’s primary concerns revolve around impressing his girlfriend's skeptical parents, dealing with a few bullies among the trainees, and managing the stern demeanor of his trainer, Master-at-Arms Ileom Mystrevan, a distinguished war hero from the East. But when a rare and brutal bandit attack shatters the peace of his hometown, Rain embarks on a path filled with unimaginable adventure.

Rain is a likable hero, forced to make up for his family’s lower status as farmers with hard work and determination, and his fears of failing beat a steady refrain throughout his journey, driving him to overwork and overachieve compared to his peers. When the attack on New Haven grants Rain an immediate promotion—and leads him to a strange woman who gifts him a magical talisman—he discovers his own latent magic, shocked at his ability to now travel between worlds and encounter mythical creatures like griffons and dragons. House (author of Amulek: Revenant) envisions an astonishing expanse of elves, dwarves, and strange metal beasts, skillfully melding fantasy with reality, as Rain encounters not just magic but “a strange planet” called Earth.

This is an accomplished narrative of chaos and doubt, where Rain must collaborate with an ancient order to unravel a series of long-foretold prophecies—and help determine what Earth’s role is in saving Rega. As he grapples with the growing complexity of his situation, he faces the challenge of understanding his place within the unfolding madness. House’s lush descriptions, coupled with the very real inner turmoil of the story’s central hero, make this unique fantasy a truly epic read.

Takeaway: Fantastical realm where personal growth and epic quests intertwine.

Comparable Titles: Christopher Paolini’s Eragon, Patrick Rothfuss’s The Name of the Wind.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Crossroads of Awakening Memory

Three’s hefty third Gable & McLaren finds his Chicago sleuths roped into trouble on a Louisiana ranch known for breeding champions. The chatty duo, down on their luck, are brought in by classic noir femme fatale Angela Larqué, a beauty who early on entices Gable, the younger of the detective duo, by brandishing a riding crop and saying things like “There’s nothing like the hard action of a powerful animal under you.” The mission: investigating the theft of a frozen horse, a thoroughbred stud put into cryogenic freeze before word of its lameness could jeopardize the business of the breeding operation. Angela’s savvy—she catches when Gable paraphrases Thoreau and uses an Ava Gardner line when telling him to cool his jets—but Gable can’t assume she’s innocent as the twisty, surprising investigation heats up.

Complicating matters are a cartel bigwig, a Russian thug from the detectives’ past, a massive insurance payout, and Gable’s tendency to stir trouble of his own. Within days of arriving at Les Trois Ls Ranch, he’s kissed Angela, punched her right-hand man, and agreed to a boxing match. Roll eventually builds to a bodycount, but Three’s approach to the investigation, like Gable’s, is leisurely, allowing ample time for comic chatter between the leads, tense tête-à-têtes between PI and client, asides musing on Sade, Batman, and Spaghetti Westerns, and even a Choctaw spirit journey and a second romantic interest. The novel’s length comes not from its scope—the action is centered on the Louisiana coast—but from its unhurried attitude, as Gable and McLaren learn much about the nuts and bolts of horse breeding.

High-end ranch life is presented with convincing power. Readers who enjoy mysteries as hard-boiled hang-out comedies (the final scene's entendres are worthy of The Naked Gun) will be rewarded with a strong sense of place, much playful banter, an amusing 1999 setting, and a second half with some real surprises that find the author taking advantage of Louisiana wildlife.

Takeaway: Chill mystery of chatty PIs, a high-end ranch, and a long-gone frozen horse.

Comparable Titles: Joe R. Lansdale’s Hap & Leonard series; Stephen Spotswood.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A

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“Something exceptional inside of us is waiting to be unlocked” writes Ogle in this functional debut, as he offers readers simple steps to release their full potential. He starts with the power of our thought patterns, teaching “sustained intentional thinking” as a strategy to channel energy and take action, encouraging readers to reframe the way they view stress and daily obligations. Meditation is the first step, Ogle asserts, in learning to divert our focus to the present, and, rather than teach readers to override their inner drives, he instead counsels them to “use the energy from our drives to power us forward.”

The material feels simple, but Ogle is onto something in this straightforward guide. “Don’t seek to eliminate stress,” he advises, “instead, put it under your superintendence.” Though basic, that’s a refreshing approach to handling life’s ups and downs, and one that reverberates throughout Ogle’s writing. He advises that readers can learn how to manage their response to fear and master self-discipline—which he calls “persistent developmental resolve”—as well, encouraging his followers to pour their energy into creating a vision for the near future. Once that vision is solidified, Ogle suggests a “future map,” or detailed calendar, with “places to be, activities to do, and cues for thoughts and feelings you want to have.”

To help drive his advice home, Ogle includes step by step exercises throughout, though some of his techniques may seem unusual (he recommends cold-water immersion to develop a tolerance for pain and suggests psychotropic trips as a key step in awakening, for starters). Intimate relationships are a huge plus, he writes, as is rewarding yourself for a job well done—though he cautions readers to make the focus on the “anticipation and challenges themselves as the primary reward.” Those willing to put in the hard work required for change will appreciate Ogle’s approach.

Takeaway: Unconventional approach to creating the future you want.

Comparable Titles: Brianna Wiest’s The Mountain Is You, Benjamin Hardy’s Be Your Future Self Now.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: B-
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about WE AREN'T WHO WE ARE

Mitropoulos continues her Harmony Lane Adventures series (after Ready…Set…Frog!) with this bright tribute to the power of working smarter—not harder. When a group of animal friends gather at the local farmers market, they have one goal in mind: to raise enough money to overhaul their playground. Thanks to their record sales, the group meets that goal, excitedly purchasing the supplies they need to “make the playground nice again.” From there, Mouse organizes the friends into teams to get started, but there’s one big problem: no matter how hard the animals work, they just can’t seem to make any headway with their tasks.

This is a darling reminder that sometimes, it’s not the amount of work you do but the type that really makes a difference. As the animals bemoan their lack of progress—Mole, Cheetah, and Grasshopper can’t believe cleaning up a sandbox takes so long, and the paint crew keeps messing up their background—Mouse thoughtfully observes, reflecting that “they had been going since breakfast, but they didn’t seem any closer to being finished.” Mitropoulos transforms Mouse’s wise assessment into an inspiring speech during the animals’ lunch break, with Mouse teaching his friends that “Working smarter means using our clever brains to find new ways to do things… “It’s like solving a puzzle!”

Younger readers will love Watson’s flashy illustrations, spotlighting the animal group engaged in all sorts of lively goings-on; whether it’s Bear painting colorful swirls on the fence before Giraffe has a chance to layer the white background, Frog in his eyeglasses taking over the watering for the planting crew, or Mouse himself—sporting a construction hat and binoculars as he keeps a watchful eye on the group, the graphics are a twirling, spinning montage of fun. Mitropoulos closes with activities adults and kids can do at home and school to practice “work[ing] smarter, not harder.”

Takeaway: Animal friends learn smart ways to organize their work for better results.

Comparable Titles: Adam Rex’s Unstoppable, Diane Alber’s A Little SPOT of Teamwork.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

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Exploring family, friendship, acceptance, lies, and obsession in small-town Texas, this surprising coming-of-age science-fiction story from McCall (author of Thickets) centers on preteen Mickey Forman and his friendship with his mysterious classmate, Heidi Jones, and her eccentric family who are hiding a big secret. Mickey makes two discoveries: first, accidently seeing his neighbor Mrs. Jane Robinson in an intimate moment with the also-married Police Chief Winston Dunaway. Second: that the Joneses are space aliens. After gossiping about the affair with his friends, Mickey unexpectedly finds himself juggling secrets, friendships, and a shaky romance with his insecure girlfriend Kristi, all along with his schoolwork and the possibility of violent retribution for revealing the assignation. Meanwhile, Jane is obsessed with Dunaway, ruthlessly pressuring him to go public about their relationship, not caring if her vicious husband, Jim, attacks Chief Dunaway.

Between the science-fiction elements and the shocks of encountering adult infidelity, McCall captures preteen anxieties and expectations and the complexities of yearning for romance while still enjoying younger kid interests. The story also underlines the importance of acceptance, especially through Mickey’s older sister Jan, who mocks the Joneses before being impressed by their alien powers and calm personalities. Mickey, by contrast, feels more relaxed with the Joneses, who pleasantly insist “We are not what you would refer to as dangerous aliens,” but even as he finds comfort in their inability to be judgemental he sometimes worries if he can fully trust them.

Readers may be frustrated by the uneven pacing, as the story, told in sometimes quite-lengthy sentences, often takes too long to reveal secrets. But there’s power and charm in the lyric storytelling, which targets the heart but never forgoes suspense or unexpected laughs, including aliens’ unexpected affection for Lawrence Welk. The siblings growing closer throughout the book is uplifting, and an evening flight above Dallas, the Grand Canyon, and Las Vegas is breathtaking. The ending is abrupt but sweet.

Takeaway: Small-town coming-of-age adventure with aliens, secrets, and life lessons.

Comparable Titles: Ellen Conford’s And This is Laura, Willo Davis Roberts's The Girl with the Silver Eyes.

Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-

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