Wise, incisive, and bursting with wit and rousing conviction, this collection of tales from the life of Rabbi Yehonatan Eybeshitz, freshly translated into English, follows Reb Yehonatan (1696 –1764), the “Torah, Talmud, and Kabbalah genius” from boyhood to prominence as “one of the greatest rabbis of the last 500 years.” The stories dazzle, inform, delight, and challenge. Reb Yehonatan proves an inspiring exemplar of a “holy and righteous” life, a thinker and leader equally comfortable navigating Talmudic complexities, urging students toward breakthroughs, and addressing—and often outfoxing—kings and others with power, including a host of 18th century anti-Semites.

Barber finds contemporary—but timeless—resonance in Reb Yehonatan’s work as a master maker of amulets, especially when he served as rabbi in the French town of Metz, where Jews faced expulsion. Barber demonstrates that, while facing this crisis, Reb Yehonatan inscribed on amulets a powerful phrase whose historical origin has been the source of great comment and curiosity in the aftermath of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks. The phrase: Am Yisrael Chai, which is often translated as “The Jewish people will live for eternity.” Barber persuasively credits Reb Yehonatan with the creation of this rallying cry, and he calculates that Reb Yehonatan wrote it almost 46,000 times.

As in Barber’s indispensable earlier translations of Reb Yehonatan’s writings (Pearls of Wisdom; Sparks of Wisdom), the stories collected here have been translated with an eye for clarity of communication. They cover a wide variety of scenarios, from points of law to brilliant ripostes to why sometimes, in the face of injustice, it’s justified to bribe a judge. The prose is direct and inviting, even when the young rabbi-to-be spins marvelous, playful conclusions out of complexities of law and language. Helpful background sections provide crucial context as the stories follow Reb Yehonatan into maturity and across Europe, demonstrating not just that the Jewish people will live for eternity but invaluable guidance for how best to do so.

Takeaway: Brilliant tales of an 18th century rabbi’s life, with urgent contemporary resonance.

Comparable Titles: Yaacov Dovid Shulman’s Rashi; Rebbe Nahman of Breslov.

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

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Set in 1960s America, this breakneck historical page-turner takes on the fallout of the Second World War, as a remnant of the defeated Nazis has crept into the United States, with the intent to seize control of the country. Fascist-driven crimes and murders against Jewish people are occurring on American soil, while crowds stand by, silently watching. Enter Aleph Bet, a vigilante Jewish brotherhood, self-described as “an organization born out of the ashes of Auschwitz and committed to the discovery and punishment of all surviving Nazis,” who take the law into their own hands and repay the atrocities being committed against their people.

Rabbi Ben Zvi Kantorwicz, an Auschwitz survivor, is a leader in the Aleph Bet and a legendary protector who’s successfully hunted down each of his targets, save one—a German war colonel named Helmut Mussman, currently headquartered in Denver, Colorado, who’s managed to evade capture and is now driving the attempted takeover of the remnant Nazis. When Ben Zvi finds himself on trial in 1964 for avenging the murder of a Jewish grandfather, his Auschwitz history with Mussman crops up in more ways than one, and Shabel (author of Four Women) expertly bounces the story between the novel’s present timeline and Auschwitz in the 1940s.

The plot brims with twists and conspiracies, delivering fast-paced thrills while wrestling with themes of discrimination and the morality of revenge, as the Aleph Bet leaders seek to answer just how far they should go to protect their own—and when the killing will stop, if ever. Shabel’s experience as an attorney is evident throughout, illuminated in his believable courtroom scenes that are rich with dramatic flair and rhetoric, though the graphic violence and murders are not for the squeamish. For fans of history-driven suspense paired with intense action, this is a gripping read.

Takeaway: Breakneck Nazi-hunting page-turner in the aftermath of World War II.

Comparable Titles: Joseph Kanon’s The Accomplice, Alan Elsner’s The Nazi Hunter.

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

Click here for more about The Aleph Bet Conspiracy

Francisco thrills with a coming-of-age debut set among the stars. Sixteen-year-old Val Vega from New Jersey worries about her SATs and hangs out with BFFs Kate and her nonbinary crush, Will. Her Uncle Umberto, adored by Val for being understanding and easy to talk to, has just returned from his work in Istanbul, where he negotiates for the rights of marginalized territories around the world. But when Umberto dies—reportedly of a heart attack—shortly before he’s scheduled to arbitrate an important negotiation, Val’s life is turned upside down.

At Umberto’s wake, Val discovers the true nature of his work: he was Earth’s ambassador for the interstellar council of planets, his co-workers are space aliens, and he was most likely murdered. On top of those otherworldly revelations, the Interstellar Assembly is coming up, and Val’s been named as Umberto’s successor—and she’s urgently needed to negotiate a treaty between the Etoscans and the Levinti, alien colonists who are fighting for control of the planet Hosh. As Val finds her footing in the interstellar world of politics, her confidence slowly grows, a much-needed shift given her suspicions about her uncle’s death.

Readers will relish being swept into Val’s efforts to find the traitor amongst her uncle’s alien co-workers: is it Johnny, a Synthetic who used to be a war machine; Pash-Ti, an arrogant seven-foot-tall stick insect and Levinti sympathizer; or Wasala, a Hoshan exile and telepath, who resembles a six-legged raccoon? To aid with her search, Val confides in and enlists the help of Timoteo, her older brother and Harvard poli-sci major, who happens to have the hots for Johnny. Francisco’s writing is fast-paced and heartfelt, with diverse characters and a charming blend of politics, momentous space negotiations, and murder mystery—along with a crucial message that people can work through their differences without resorting to violence.

Takeaway: Teenager steps up as Earth’s ambassador to negotiate interstellar peace.

Comparable Titles: Marissa Meyer’s Cress, Jina S. Bazzar’s Imperial Stardust.

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

Click here for more about Val Vega: Secret Ambassador of Earth

In this intriguing small-town murder mystery, the first of her Anderson Chronicles, Karson opens with Peter Elliott's role as sheriff in Anderson, Montana, as he’s forced to settle a clash in the Sapphire Pit, a local tourist attraction, over accusations made by a frantic mother that sapphires are being stolen from her son by the local octogenarian patriarch, David Howard. Things start going haywire from there: Peter is startled awake by a phone call at dawn reporting a body’s been found at a bakery, assumed to be the baker himself, and later, David is found hanging by the spiral staircase in his mansion, a questionable suicide with curious timing.

Anderson is quaint, boasting a rich history as a ranching outpost as well as the occasional hunting ground for gold and silver—and now sapphires, as the Sapphire Pit has grown an influx of outsiders. The crime rate is low, and residents pride themselves on having a "high code of ethics," but for a place where "most disagreements could be solved with a few phone calls from the sheriff’s office," the town is suddenly thrust into a maelstrom of turmoil with murder, missing persons, poisoned pies, disturbing letters, threatening calls, and suspected land disputes. Peter muses in distress, "Every law enforcement officer has those cases. The ones that hit them in the gut, and the heart, and mess with their heads."

Karson introduces—albeit overwhelmingly in the first chapter—a broad set of characters, and narrowing down the suspects becomes harrowingly difficult as the story progresses. Though the emotional investment in Karson’s characters feels minimal, the unresolved case of Peter's murdered parents and the story’s international intrigue (following the involvement of Russian mafias and land ownerships) create high-stakes power struggles that surpass the typical concerns of a small community, enough to entice readers to stick around for the next treat in the series.

Takeaway: Intriguing whodunnit mixed with politics and mafia crimes.

Comparable Titles: Dennis Lehane's Mystic River, Tana French's In the Woods.

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

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Blanchard delivers a twisty thriller and memorable cast in this spirited debut. After Emma Harnett suffers a car accident that kills three people and leaves her with a permanent brain injury, her guilt is overwhelming, despite the fact that the police ruled it all an accident. Fast forward eight years and Emma, now the bookkeeper and occasional artist’s model for Stonefall Art Center, has established a new rhythm in her life—a rhythm that falls apart when her abrasive cousin Lucy returns to town, dredging up the pair’s destructive history and throwing Emma into chaos.

Lucy, who has now reinvented herself as Lyssa Morales, is quick to pledge love for her family as the reason she’s come back, but it soon becomes obvious to Emma that Lyssa is short on money and willing to do anything to get it. The stakes increase even more when vandals attack the art center and Emma receives threatening mail, sparking a worry that the two incidents are somehow connected. As Emma races to connect the dots, Blanchard skillfully layers suspense and red herrings throughout, keeping the story humming with muscular prose and deft characterizations.

Readers will sympathize with Emma—whose brain injury often causes her to utter unintended malapropisms—and love the supportive group of people in her life, including her former physical therapist, Jonah, her father, Frank (who is dealing with the effects of long COVID), and handyman Chaz, whose devotion to Emma and relationship to her accident comes as an explosive surprise. Emma’s essential goodness shines through as she tackles her guilt, misguided as it may be, and readers will love to hate Lyssa, whose questionable moral compass powers the story, resulting in a satisfying—and jolting—dénouement. Blanchard’s prowess in storytelling and expert delivery of suspenseful set ups will delight thriller buffs.

Takeaway: Expertly plotted thriller powered by twisty suspense and memorable characters.

Comparable Titles: Mary Higgins Clark, Ashley Farley.

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

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Melby (author of Music City Madness) generates an unsettling thriller centered on wealthy psychiatrist Faith Galloway, left legally blind and with traumatic partial amnesia after a tragic skydiving accident a decade earlier. Adding to her troubles, Faith is being stalked by a violent former patient, Ronald Neyman, recently escaped from a mental hospital and responsible for a murderous rampage. Neyman’s killing frenzy sets off a frantic search, with burned out FBI Agent Mark Brannigan and his inexperienced partner Paulan Nehnja leading the charge, while a parallel storyline follows Steven Jenkins, a ruthless, unethical scientist who’s obsessed with reviving coma patients through experiments with a dangerous new drug.

Faith is a vulnerable hero, constantly fighting for her independence, whether she’s attempting to purchase a gun out of fear for her life or bonding with Zeus, her ferociously protective Seeing Eye dog. Both she and Neyman portray the duality of obsession: she’s desperate to stop him, while he has his own reasons for his relentless pursuit. Mark’s desire to catch Neyman is a slow burn, and, though he initially hesitates when informing Faith of Neyman’s escape, the assignment quickly becomes his preoccupation as well. Throughout, Zeus is a shoo-in for the story’s true hero as he repeatedly rescues Faith, including from Jenkins’s sleazy partner in crime, Marvin Tibbs, while her own patronizing boyfriend, Julian, carelessly dismisses her fears.

Though brisk and suspenseful, Faith’s story is hijacked at times by Melby’s lengthy descriptions of the medical processes involved in Jenkins’s work, as he rashly moves forward with a presumptive miracle treatment that’s untested and delivering unsafe side effects, fixated on continuing its use—even with his own wife. Melby probes questions of morality on several levels, and readers should be prepared for graphic descriptions and gruesome crime scenes. The romance that blossoms between Faith and Mark adds welcome buoyancy to this sinister thrill ride.

Takeaway: Graphic thrill ride packed with obsession, corruption, and greed.

Comparable Titles: Frederick Knott’s Wait Until Dark, Freida McFadden’s The Inmate.

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

Click here for more about Psychopathic

The surprising, emotionally resonant third entry in Lahey’s near-future Heartless Series blends thoughtful, inventive science fiction with romance, family drama, and a heartwarming commitment to love and family, even for hard-working scientists, time-traveling cyborgs, and Super AI-Plus meerkats. In 2053, Quinn Buyers, a climate scientist living in a boat outside the floating equatorial city of Usus, finds that her “every kilowatt of energy, every joule of motivation” is going to Molly, her young daughter, while her work and her marriage suffer. Her husband, Tig, is a complicated man/machine—they met on time-travel adventures earlier in the series, and he just might be the ancient Sumerian king Gilgamesh. His government work takes him away too often, and he’s also caught up in some personal missions he won’t tell Quinn about.

But she’s off on missions of her own, raiding a government lab to track down a friend and later infiltrating TechCom, Earth’s biggest technology fair, where her now-sentient AI meerkat companion Mori—"the most advanced machine on the planet”—has escaped to after expressing a deep desire for love. That’s just a few of the heady, inventive threads tangling up Quinn and her friends and family in a novel that pulses with both ideas, humanity, and (at its start and ending) adventure. Lahey’s storytelling circumnavigates a fascinating Earth of heat surges, advanced tech, dark secrets, and deeply human connection—a capacity shared even by some non-human characters.

Future politics power elements of the plot, as the increasingly militant Authentic Human Association, outraged at “Transhumans,” crashes TechCom. Action involving HOTRODs (the “mean machines”), mercs, komodo dragons, and more is crisp and exciting, but what’s most engaging is Quinn’s connections with others and the world Lahey is still revealing. Accounts of TechCom’s splendors and horrors are marvelous, and Lahey, in inviting prose, deftly binds the conceptual to the emotional. The richness of relationships, backstories, and worldbuilding mean readers new to the series should start with the first book.

Takeaway: Richly emotional and inventive near-future SF drama of a heat-choked Earth.

Comparable Titles: Cassandra Rose Clarke’s The Mad Scientist’s Daughter,, Annalee Newitz’s Autonomous.

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

Click here for more about Time Is Heartless: The Heartless Series: Book Three

The worlds of biotech and stealth assassins for hire converge in this fast-paced, jet-setting thriller, Ebert’s debut and the kickoff to a series. The trouble starts in Boston, where unscrupulous hedge fund trader George Henniker is betting the farm based on planted information from biotech exec Anna Monteiro—but he doesn’t know that the company for which she works is on its last legs due to failed clinical trials. Anna’s friend and boss, Liz Walker, advises her of the company’s impending doom, and while they’re drowning their sorrows, George arrives making threats—he’s lost millions. Meanwhile in Rome, Chris and Michelle, sibling assassins trained in “silentcide,” find their attempts to enjoy any semblance of normalcy are interrupted by their tyrannical boss/handler, Irene Shaw, who entered their world at a critical point in their abusive childhood in Philadelphia.

With an emphasis on crisp action and geographical precision, Ebert ties these threads together as Anna embarks on a get-away-from-it-all cruise, and the killer siblings, who have been given reason to believe there might be an escape from Irene, receive a new assignment: the silentcide of Anna. The traumatized orphan-turned assassin plot feels familiar, but it’s a durable setup that invites the reader to root for these likable killers’ success in securing freedom from their handler—and for their failure in their mission—especially as Chris and Michelle begin to ask the questions that assassins are trained not to: who actually wants this target dead and why.

A dash of romance and a well-drawn cast spices the spy games, as Anna and Chris experience a mutual attraction, and he recklessly allows himself to pursue it. His determination to save Anna compromises Michelle’s safety and puts him at direct and dangerous odds with Irene, who gives the siblings one last chance to save their own lives. The result will please fans of humane but twisty thrillers with deep personal stakes. QR codes throughout the text connect readers to photos online of the novel’s locations, though checking them diminishes a key quality of a thriller: narrative momentum.

Takeaway: Sibling assassins face hard choices when one falls for their biotech exec target.

Comparable Titles: Barry Eisler’s John Rain series, Greg Hurwitz’s Orphan X series.

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

Click here for more about Silentcide

“I heard stepmoms are evil,” a bespectacled young girl declares at the start of Bolla’s humorous, wholesome picture book, which finds its narrator grappling with frightening rumors and myths. She’s heard that stepmothers have propensity for greed, use excessive hot water in the shower, and could possibly be “witches in disguise.” Though the girl has enjoyed a warm relationship with Via, the girlfriend of her father’s who has now become her stepmom, she’s worried that Via’s new status will not just mark an end to their days of “epic” dance parties and make-believe hair salon fun. She’s worried Via will turn into “Momzilla”—and that she’ll lose the Via she’s come to love. But then the child’s father does the unthinkable, leaving her alone with Via for a whole day. The kid is determined to figure out exactly what kind of stepmom she’s up against.

Like Bolla’s other picture books (Finding Bunny and Imagine That), The Truth About Stepmoms takes a lighthearted approach to serious difficulties children face, but it also distills the complex, emotional dynamics of blended families into an accessible narrative for kids and adults alike. Jack Button’s bright, expressive illustrations add a cozy warmth and soft-edged glow to Bolla’s story, and they also illuminate the child’s thriving imagination and sunny home life, which includes an exceptionally loyal (and charmingly designed) house cat and a stepmom who isn’t nearly as bad as the fairytales would have the child believe.

In fact, Via proves to be the kind of stepmom who makes pancakes with extra chocolate chips for dinner, leaves funny notes in lunch boxes, and is “always there to give [...] a tight hug” whenever the child is feeling down. Families seeking a gentle, silly, and well-illustrated tale introducing the concept of stepparents will find this an excellent choice. Rather than a witch, the truth is that stepmoms “will be here to add a little extra love … every step of [the] way.”

Takeaway: Gorgeously illustrated story that busts myths about stepmoms

Comparable Titles: Suzanne Lang’s Families, Families, Families!, Elizabeth Blake’s Greenbean.

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

Click here for more about The Truth About Stepmoms

Lemmert’s sweeping science fiction adventure, after Life, Unedited, finds biologist Nick and his girlfriend Aurora in a desperate race to save Earth from certain destruction. Building on their adventures from the prequel, Nick is now fully healed from his heart transplant, and the couple are working to expand “the sanctuary,” Earth’s last natural preserve. But Nick is being set up by the extremist Animal Protection Organization (APO), who plan to replace Nick as head of the sanctuary in a bid to stop his work, painting his romantic relationship with Aurora as taboo.

Aurora’s position as an outsider brings to light the limits often placed on love; she muses that Earthlings think of her as “a genetically edited creature from a foreign world – a genetic freak,” and bemoans the harsh treatment of their love affair, observing that “a relationship with a freak from Mitis was simply not something a normal man from Earth should consider.” As the two dig into the sinister motives of the APO, Earth is hit with a devastating virus that threatens to end all life on the planet. Soon, Nick and Aurora are drawn into a deadly race against the clock to uncover the virus’s origins—and to find a way to stop it from exterminating humankind.

Lemmert pens a fully immersive story rich with science, intergalactic travel, and the classic journey of a hero with a conflict between duty and love. Nick and Aurora face seemingly insurmountable odds in their fight to uncover the truth behind Earth’s devastating pandemic, particularly when the virus causing it is revealed to have alien origins. The journey disrupts the deep connection they share, but their paths back to each other are compelling to watch. Throughout, Lemmert plumbs the deeper meaning behind what it truly means to be human—and the sacrifices that come with it.

Takeaway: Sci-fi romance that examines what it truly means to be human.

Comparable Titles: Lauren James's The Loneliest Girl in the Universe, M.R. Carey's The Girl with All the Gifts.

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

Click here for more about Life, Undiminished.

Dunsche continues her Brave Mermaids series (after Shell of Magic) with this playful tale of shipwrecks, hidden treasure, and working together. Mermaid sisters Livi and Lexa are back, exploring the deep blue with their merpup, Finn, when Livi zeroes in on a shipwreck she spotted one day while playing—a discovery so impressive that Lexa declares it to be “splashtastic!” Even the resident shark can’t dampen their spirits as the bubbly pair set about exploring, in the process uncovering a sparkling golden treasure chest.

The loot proves irresistible, but the sisters soon realize it won’t be an easy task to open the chest; after several attempts, Lexa gives up, while Livi vows to unseal the treasure at any cost (and calls Lexa a “seapooper” for losing interest). The girls eventually call in the help of several sea-dwelling friends, including familiar faces from the first in the series. Soon, it’s all hands on deck as the group works to crack open the chest: seacorn Aria tries tickling it with a pirate’s feather, and when that doesn’t work, Sparkles the dolphin insists a pirate polka will do the trick. That’s delightful, of course, but after their attempts fail, Livi, true to form, still refuses to give up, suggesting the friends band together to try their ideas all at the same time—a breakthrough that will please readers.

De Zoysa’s luminous illustrations are splashtastic themselves, evoking an ocean teeming with life; whether it’s the sisters’ iridescent mermaid tails, flashy fish swarming around the ship’s wreckage, or the treasure in all its glittering glory, younger readers will find a torrent of eye-catching visuals in this cheerful tale. Ultimately, the friends’ decision to work together pays off: Livi finally gets her treasure, and, as a thank you to her friends for their help, everyone gets their own piece. Dunsche includes a treasure-themed maze for younger readers at the end.

Takeaway: Mermaid sisters rely on their friends’ help to uncover shipwrecked treasure.

Comparable Titles: Kim Ann’s Where Do Mermaids Go on Vacation?, Rachel Bright’s The Squirrels Who Squabbled.

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

Click here for more about Brave Mermaids: The Treasure

Inspired by a notorious real 19th century case, Morrissey (author of the Antlands science-fiction series) delivers an engrossing murder mystery set in 1830s New England and thoughtfully tethered to the faith, expectations, and marital customs of the era. In Milltown, a mill girl named Mary Hale is found hanged and, mysteriously, pregnant. While her death initially is deemed “a clear case of self-murder,” the town gossips suggest there’s a darker truth, and soon enough the sheriff arrives at the home of Rachel Woodley, eager to question her husband, the Reverend Josiah Woodley, who fits a witness’s description of "a tall man, in a long coat, with a fur hat.” With Josiah behind bars, Rachel steels herself to discover the truth, including what he meant when he said, "It is on my conscience."

That premise grabs attention, but what sets Morrissey's novel apart is its deep dive into 1830s life, from the miserable and dangerous conditions endured by mill workers to Rachel’s disappointment that her marriage, even before the accusation, is cold and distant. (Rachel knows that if she were to ask local notables for advice, she would be encouraged only to “prayer, patience, and womanly submission.”) With that richness of milieu, the pacing is deliberate but steady, as Rachel’s investigation offers Morrissey opportunity to examine matters of belief, morality, and the suppression of women’s individuality, especially among the mill girls, whose independence is treated by society as something improper.

Deeply grounded in early American Christianity, the narrative highlights the low regard that institutions held for women—Rachel is forbidden to testify on behalf or against Josiah. As she and her maid, Kitty, work the case, Rachel balances a laid-back amiability with a shrewd doggedness. The mystery itself proves gripping, with Morrissey deftly teasing revelations and then showing her cards at the perfect moment. Readers will be privy to gossip, occasional prison rendezvous, undercover investigations, and an ending that satisfies but finds Rachel facing an uncertain future.

Takeaway: This deft historical New England mystery digs deeply into women’s lives.

Comparable Titles: Robert Brighton's The Buffalo Butcher, R. J. Koreto's The Turnbull Murders.

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

Click here for more about Marriage and Hanging

In this heart-warming middle grade novel, Zoe Richards, a new fourth grader at West End Elementary, learns a lot about herself and her classmates when they’re all assigned an autobiography project. While pondering what she will share about herself, Zoe befriends a fellow classmate, Joshua, who eats lunch alone and is considered weird and hard to deal with at times—at least according to her friend Victoria—due to having autism. With the help of her neighbor, Felix, Zoe puts in the time and care to learn about Joshua and autism, and she and Joshua become closer. Through Zoe’s empathetic story, readers will get to meet Joshua, to, and learn about his boundaries and the way he sees the world.

Stauffer approaches the topic of being an outsider amongst peers with sensitivity and insight through the inviting figures of Joshua and Zoe, a new student distinguished by her compassionate spirit and inquisitive nature. Set in 2006, Meet Zoe Richards pulses with an undercurrent of nostalgia for a simpler time before social media upended young lives and relationship dynamics. For her autobiography project, Zoe reviews old VHS tapes of her childhood and learns the valuable lesson—still resonate today—that time stands still for no one. Zoe comes to terms with missing her old home and neighborhood, while adjusting and finding new ways to enjoy her current home and school life.

Filled with themes of family, friendship, and diversity, this story will touch the hearts of young readers with real world situations such as learning disabilities, the complexity that comes with growing older, and facing school bullies. Meet Zoe Richards is a feel-good children's story that will teach middle grade readers empathy, compassion, and the realistic nature of what Zoe herself identifies as the "bittersweet transition" into adulthood. “I thought growing meant getting bigger and stronger. Instead, I feel like the world is getting smaller, and I’m just getting old,” she declares, the words sure to strike older readers, too.

Takeaway: Touching story of friendships among outsiders and facing adulthood.

Comparable Titles: Meg Eden Kuyatt's Good Different, Kereen Getten's When Life Gives You Mangos.

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

Click here for more about Meet Zoe Richards

Genesis “Gen” Isherwood is back in the thrilling fourth installment of Howard’s spiritual adventure Footnail Series. As nail bearer and protector of the footnail—as in, the nail that staked Jesus to the cross—Gen is gifted with visions of Jesus possessing a mysterious white slab presumed to be the Holy Grail. The Grail, it seems, was split into three pieces, and with this information her mission becomes clear: find the splintered pieces, reunite them, and keep them out of the hands of evildoers. Gen leans on her trusted and familiar teammates to carry out the daunting, dangerous task, but old foes and new conspiracies hinder their success. The team must divide and conquer if they are to achieve victory, but Gen fears the close-knit group of vigilantes are becoming fractured in more ways than one.

Magic, action, and mystery unite to set an immersive stage perfect for battling evil. Two timelines dominate the story: the ancient past, from early 300 A.D. to the12th century, and the present that past has shaped and shaken. While the past offers tense skirmishes and useful insights, some contemporary readers may feel the present timeline provides more engaging, fast-paced drama. The large cast ensemble find themselves in nail-biting clashes where their lives are often on the line. Combined with secret portals, teleportation, and time reversal, Howard takes readers on a wild high-stakes ride packed with mystical fanfare.

Readers jumping head-first into the series with the fourth book may wish to pause and visit the earlier novels to get a stronger sense of the characters’ prior relationships and to better understand the historical elements of the footnail; however, those eager to dive in will appreciate Howard’s interludes, which provide ancient context about Gen’s visions. In addition, readers can browse the “Historical Context'' endnotes to assist filling any gaps in knowledge about Jesus, the Holy Grail, and the footnails.

Takeaway: Thrilling fantasy of holy relics, ancient adventure, and wild tech and magic.

Comparable Titles: Mark E. Fisher’s Days of the Apocalypse Series, D.L. Hennessey Neirgel Chronicles Series

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

Click here for more about Genesis: The Grail Knight (Footnail)

This potent novel of growing up and facing the world delves into the intersection of democracy and everyday life in the small town of Pennacook, introduced in Giroux’s Ring on Deli, where challenges such as floods and roaming boars upend lives, with citizens mired in a state of fear and resignation. Amidst this backdrop we meet Wendy Zhou, a middle schooler, who emerges as the protagonist to confront the stagnant status quo of water-filled roads. Her journey to Pennacook follows the death of her father, with her mother consumed by apathy, distant and uninvolved. Despite this, Wendy’s sharp observations and budding writing skills lead her to volunteer at the Beat, the town’s weekly newspaper under the haphazard leadership of Graham A. Bundt. Bundt’s journalistic approach leaves her searching for tangible evidence and a newsworthy mentality. The amusingly drawn Beat staff—a “piccolo playing snot named Delmore,” Denise, and Sall—struggle to work as a team.

As Wendy’s curiosity ignites a mission to unravel the mysteries behind the town’s plight. Giroux weaves a gripping narrative, laced with humor, that interrogates and encourages reflection on individuals’ susceptibility to the influence of those in power. As Wendy navigates the complexities of middle school relationships, or in her case the lack thereof, she becomes increasingly aware of the townspeople’s unquestioning acceptance of their situation without question, a classic coming-of-age discovery—adults don’t always actually know what they’re doing!—that here is developed with incisive power.

This quest persists into Wendy’s college years. As a senior, she digs deeper into the reasons behind Pennacook’s decline and seeks companionship with Lena whose tendencies mirror Wendy’s suicidal father. The story serves as a poignant reminder of how easy it is to succumb to the status quo, relinquishing our responsibility in the process. Through Wendy’s eyes, readers see how unquestioning acceptance can lead to our own undoing, making this a compelling and thought-provoking read.

Takeaway: Resonant novel of a young journalist digging at hard truths about her hometown.

Comparable Titles: Paul Murray’s The Bee Sting, Brandon J. Wolf’s A Place for Us.

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

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Set in a near future where the DSM 7 includes a diagnosis of “climate anxiety,” the first entry in the Steep Climes Quartet, Guenette’s pointedly realistic thriller series, opens with a bang, as Cynthia Wainwright witnesses the murder of the boss, apparently at the hands of a police officer, amid the scrub of the Mojave Desert. Cynthia had been scheduled to meet him to drive to a meeting with the head of an investor group interested in their company Carbon’s End, which is committed to “fossil fuel divestiture.” When Cynthia, stunned, gets a text from the boss she has just seen get killed—a boss with whom she has been sharing a sexual relationship—she flees the scene in a panic. She’s hunted (by a killer, by PIs she’s not sure she can trust) but eventually finds possible security with young Jimmy, a recent college grad she encounters on a train leaving a Chicago roiled by brownouts and climate riots.

Jimmy’s heading to the Berkshires to see his father, Davin Caine, an artist/farmer/consultant and “COVID divorcee” currently applying his skills to helping a local news startup survive. The mystery of who wants Cynthia dead will upend both men’s lives, as they uncover a conspiracy involving oilmen, lobbyists, PACs, and a powerful effort to protect fossil fuel profits. Guenette demonstrates a sure hand throughout for step-by-step investigations and how the world actually works: tracking, hacking, oil business shenanigans, how contract killers communicate, and even the struggles of raising sweet corn and running an Airbnb.

Despite the crackerjack opening, the novel is chatty and fitfully paced, especially in a first half that alternates Cynthia’s flight (and sensitively handled mental struggles) with Davin’s gardening, consulting, and property management. In these, Guenette explores, with a convincing edge of reportage, the realities of climate change, and plants seeds for this long novel’s strong final third. It’s all convincing and plausible, but thriller readers will be eager to get back to Cynthia.

Takeaway: Pointedly realistic thriller of murder, the fossil fuel industry, and climate activism.

Comparable Titles: Brooks B. Yeager’s Chilly Winds, Joel Burcat’s Amid Rage.

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

Click here for more about Kill Well: The Steep Climes Quartet: Book One