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The Librarian of Auschwitz

Antonio Iturbe

Based on the experience of real-life Auschwitz prisoner Dita Kraus, this is the incredible story of a girl who risked her life to keep the magic of books alive during the Holocaust.

Fourteen-year-old Dita is one of the many imprisoned by the Nazis at Auschwitz. Taken, along with her mother and father, from the Terezín ghetto in Prague, Dita is adjusting to the constant terror that is life in the camp. When Jewish leader Freddy Hirsch asks Dita to take charge of the eight precious volumes the prisoners have managed to sneak past the guards, she agrees. And so Dita becomes the librarian of Auschwitz. 

Out of one of the darkest chapters of human history comes this extraordinary story of courage and hope.

This title has Common Core connections.

Godwin Books

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The Reader

Traci Chee

Instant New York Times Bestseller

A stunning debut set in a world where reading is unheard-of, perfect for fans of Inkheart and Shadow and Bone

Sefia knows what it means to survive. After her father is brutally murdered, she flees into the wilderness with her aunt Nin, who teaches her to hunt, track, and steal. But when Nin is kidnapped, leaving Sefia completely alone, none of her survival skills can help her discover where Nin’s been taken, or if she’s even alive. The only clue to both her aunt’s disappearance and her father’s murder is the odd rectangular object her father left behind, an object she comes to realize is a book—a marvelous item unheard of in her otherwise illiterate society. With the help of this book, and the aid of a mysterious stranger with dark secrets of his own, Sefia sets out to rescue her aunt and find out what really happened the day her father was killed—and punish the people responsible.

With overlapping stories of swashbuckling pirates and merciless assassins, The Reader is a brilliantly told adventure from an extraordinary new talent.

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Suggested Reading

Dave Connis



 

In this hilarious and thought-provoking contemporary teen standalone that's perfect for fans of Moxie, a bookworm finds a way to fight back when her school bans dozens of classic and meaningful books.

Clara Evans is horrified when she discovers her principal's "prohibited media" hit list. The iconic books on the list have been pulled from the library and aren't allowed anywhere on the school's premises. Students caught with the contraband will be sternly punished.

Many of these stories have changed Clara's life, so she's not going to sit back and watch while her draconian principal abuses his power. She's going to strike back.

So Clara starts an underground library in her locker, doing a shady trade in titles like Speak and The Chocolate War. But when one of the books she loves most is connected to a tragedy she never saw coming, Clara's forced to face her role in it.

Will she be able to make peace with her conflicting feelings, or is fighting for this noble cause too tough for her to bear

"Suggested Reading is a beautiful reminder that there is nothing simple about loving a book." --David Arnold, New York Times bestselling author of Mosquitoland

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Players in Pigtails

Shana Corey

A winning new picture book about the All American Girls Professional Baseball League--written with sass and style by all-star Shana Corey with illustrations from promising young rookie Rebecca Gibbon.

Did you know that one of America's favorite songs, "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," was written about a girl? And that in the 1940s girls all across America were crazy for our country's favorite game?
These little known facts inspired Shana Corey to imagine a story about how one determined girl made her way to the big leagues & found a sisterhood of players in pigtails. With the same exuberant spirit that fueled the formation of the All American Girls Professional Baseball League, joyful text & jubilant pictures celebrate these brave girls' love of the game & the league they called their own.

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Ballpark Mysteries Super Special #1: The World Series Curse

David A. Kelly

It’s the BIGGEST baseball mystery yet—at the WORLD SERIES!
 
Red Sox versus Cubs. Game five. It looks like Mike and Kate are about to watch the Cubs win it all. But then someone starts messing with the team—ruining equipment, getting Cubs players in trouble, and even stirring up an old baseball curse. Now the Red Sox are coming back! Who will win the ultimate baseball trophy? And can Mike and Kate make sure it’s won fair and square?
 
Ballpark Mysteries are the all-star matchup of fun sleuthing and baseball action, perfect for readers of Ron Roy’s A to Z Mysteries and Matt Christopher’s sports books, and younger siblings of Mike Lupica fans. Each Ballpark Mystery also features Dugout Notes, with amazing baseball facts.

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All Star

Audrey Vernick

The remarkable story of Larry Doby, the first Black baseball player in the American League.

In 1947, Larry Doby signed with the Cleveland Indians, becoming the first Black player in the American leagues. He endured terrible racism, both from fans and his fellow teammates. Despite this, he became a unifying force on and off the field, and went on to become a seven-time All Star. Illustrated with Cannaday Chapman's bold, stylized illustrations, this exceptional biography tells the story of an unsung hero who not only opened doors for those behind him, but set amazing records during his Hall of Fame career. More significantly, it examines the long fight to overcome racism in sports and our culture at large, a fight that is far from over. 
 

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Flat Stanley at Bat

Jeff Brown

Stanley Lambchop, Most Valuable Player!

When Stanley plays center field for his baseball team, he gets to show off his flat-tastic abilities. None of the other players can float to catch the highest hits, or earn walks from the fastest pitchers. But when the fairness of Stanley’s flatness is questioned by the other team, Stanley has to step up to bat and prove that he is a flat-out great baseball player—even when he’s plump.

Join Flat Stanley in his third easy-to-follow I Can Read adventure, complete with stunning illustrations on every page.

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Baseball by the Numbers

Mary Elizabeth Salzmann

Baseball By the Numbers presents math standards in a cleverly disguised format. This book includes number-based facts and a brief introduction to the game of baseball. Full-page photos show the actions of both the offense and the defense. Brief story problems are matched with each photo to promote reading comprehension and math practice.

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Curious George Plays Baseball

H. A. Rey

George is curious. Can he play baseball like his friend Jimmy? George tries his hand at batting some balls but interferes with the baseball game and gets chased away by angry players. Later, George makes a catch and a rescue that none of the other players could and becomes the hero of the day.

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Who Got Game?: Baseball

Derrick D. Barnes

Celebrate the unheralded people and stories that helped shape the game of baseball!

Meet unsung pioneers, like John “Bud” Fowler, William Edward White, and brothers Moses Fleetwood Walker and Weld Walker, four African Americans who integrated white teams decades before Jackie Robinson.

Discover unforgettable moments, like the time a 17-year old girl named Jackie Mtchell struck out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.

Marvel at records. Did you know that Japanese superstar Sadaharu Oh has a whopping 113 more career homers than Hank Aaron?

And that’s just for starters! This lively illustrated collection of shiny nuggets of baseball lore will transform you into a superfan who knows the game better than anyone else. Someone who’s got game.
 

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A Big Day for Baseball

Mary Pope Osborne

Meet Jackie Robinson and solve a mystery in the #1 bestselling Magic Tree House chapter book series! 
 
PLAY BALL! Jack and Annie aren’t great baseball players . . . yet! Then Morgan the librarian gives them magical baseball caps that will make them experts. They just need to wear the caps to a special ballgame in Brooklyn, New York. The magic tree house whisks them back to 1947! 
 
When they arrive, Jack and Annie find out that they will be batboys in the game—not ballplayers. What exactly does Morgan want them to learn? And what’s so special about this game? They only have nine innings to find out!
 
Discover history, mystery, humor, and baseball in this one-of-a-kind adventure in Mary Pope Osborne’s New York Times bestselling Magic Tree House series lauded by parents and teachers as books that encourage reading.
 
Magic Tree House books, with fiction and nonfiction titles, are perfect for parents and teachers using the Core Curriculum. With a blend of magic, adventure, history, science, danger, and cuteness, the topics range from kid pleasers (pirates, the Titanic, pandas) to curriculum perfect (rain forest, American Revolution, Abraham Lincoln) to seasonal shoo-ins (Halloween, Christmas, Thanksgiving). There is truly something for everyone here!

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Baseball

Jonatha A. Brown

My Favorite Sport brims with information about six popular sports. In each book, carefully matched text and photographs of participants animate the history, objectives, and exciting plays that characterize each sport. Each book also features a clear and colorful diagram of the field, court, or arena in which the sport is played.

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Baseball

Holly Karapetkova

Introduces the sport of baseball and describes the clothing, equipment, skills, and terminology of the game. --Publisher.

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Big Nate

Lincoln Peirce

"Here come the Cream Puffs! Nate and his baseball team, saddled with the most embarrassing moniker in Little League history, want to show the world they're not just a bunch of cupcakes. But it won't be easy. Their opponents mock them. The local sports section misprints Nate's name -- THREE TIMES. And now, on the day of the big game, illness and injuries have the team facing a crushing defeat . unless the unlikeliest Cream Puff of all can come in from the bullpen and save the day."--Page 4 of cover.

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Anybody's Game

Heather Lang

In 1950, Kathryn Johnston wanted to play Little League, but an unwritten rule kept girls from trying out. So she cut off her hair and tried out as a boy under the nickname “Tubby.” She made the team—and changed Little League forever. A great story about what it means to want to do something so badly you’re willing to break the rules to do it—and how breaking the rules can lead to change.

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Pumpkin Cat

Anne Mortimer

Through the seasons, Cat and Mouse work together in the garden.

Together, they watch seeds that turn into plants in the spring,

and plants that turn into flowers in the summer,

and flowers that turn into pumpkins in the fall!

And when their pumpkins are finally ready, Mouse gives the best surprise of all to his friend, Cat!

Anne Mortimer’s charming story about friendship and discovery is perfect for any season.

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If Not for the Cat

Jack Prelutsky

A creature whispers:

If not for the cat,
And the scarcity of cheese,
I could be content.

Who is this creature?
What does it like to eat?
Can you solve the riddle?

Seventeen haiku composed by master poet Jack Prelutsky and illustrated by renowned artist Ted Rand ask you to think about seventeen favorite residents of the animal kingdom in a new way. On these glorious and colorful pages you will meet a mouse, a skunk, a beaver, a hummingbird, ants, bald eagles, jellyfish, and many others. Who is who? The answer is right in front of you. But how can you tell? Think and wonder and look and puzzle it out!

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Nobody's Nosier Than a Cat

Susan Campbell Bartoletti

Nobody's prowlier than a cat-a sneak-a-peek cat, a hide-'n'-seek cat. How do you describe the most beloved pet in America? It would take a whole new dictionary of authentic and invented words to capture their essences. Watch out, Webster's! Award-winning author Susan Campbell Bartoletti does this by penning super silly yet always acute adjectives in this vibrantly illustrated read-aloud book. Children will get a kick out of the wordplay while a cat-and-mouse team leads them to the wonderful surprise ending.

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If You Give a Cat a Cupcake

Laura Numeroff

If you give a cat a cupcake, he'll ask for some sprinkles to go with it. When you give him the sprinkles, he might spill some on the floor. Cleaning up will make him hot, so you'll give him a bathing suit . . . and that's just the beginning!

The lovable cat who first appeared in If You Give a Pig a Party now has his very own book! Written in the tradition of the bestselling If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond's newest story will show everyone that Cat is where it's at!

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Mama Cat Has Three Kittens

Denise Fleming

Some kittens march to the beat of a different drummer.

Mama Cat has three kittens, Fluffy, Skinny, and Boris. Where Mama Cat leads, Fluffy and Skinny follow. But what about Boris-- will he ever stop napping and join the fun?

Young children will love Mama Cat and her three kittens. They'll also enjoy looking for three other creatures hidden in every scene. But they'll have to count carefully -- Mama Mouse has a surprise.

Using her own cats as models, Denise Fleming has captured the moods, expressions, and antics of a mother cat and her kittens. But there is a rebel in every crowd, and Boris is sure to charm readers who will recognize themselves in his contrary ways.

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Cleo the Cat

Stella Blackstone

Cleo the Cat is a perfect picture book for the youngest audiences. Illustrator Caroline Mockford has included a simple, yet ingenious, array of clues about the "story behind the story" that run through each scene of the book. As they follow Cleo on her adventures through the garden and into her new home, young listeners will relish talking about what is happening in each illustration and learning the brief, rhyming text by heart.

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Home Is Where the Cat Is

Bryan Woolley

Anyone who lives in the same house with a cat knows who owns the place-the cat! He knows every nook and cranny and inhabits a home more completely than his people can. A touching poem in free verse that explains the essence of home for the cat lover: the cat is the soul of the house.

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The First Cat in Space Ate Pizza

Mac Barnett

"Ridiculously fun and brilliantly illustrated." --Dav Pilkey, creator of Dog Man and Captain Underpants

As seen on The TODAY Show! New York Times bestselling Mac Barnett and Caldecott Honor award-winning illustrator Shawn Harris turn their massively popular The First Cat in Space Ate Pizza live cartoon into an action-packed and hysterical graphic novel series--perfect for fans of Dav Pilkey, Raina Telgemeier, and Jeff Kinney. A Kids' Indie Next List Pick, an Indie Bestseller, and a Junior Library Guild Selection!

Something terrible is happening in the skies! Rats are eating the MOON!

There's only ONE hero for the job, a bold and fearsome beast bioengineered in a secret lab to be the moon's savior and Earth's last hope! And that hero is . . . a cat. A cat who will be blasted into space!

Accompanied by the imperious Moon Queen and LOZ 4000, a toenail clipping robot, the First Cat in Space journeys across a fantastic lunar landscape in a quest to save the world. Will these unlikely heroes save the moon in time? Can a toenail-clipping robot find its purpose in the vast universe? And will the First Cat in Space ever eat some pizza?

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Pete the Cat: Five Little Pumpkins

James Dean

New York Times Bestseller!

Bestselling author and artist James Dean brings us a groovy rendition of the classic favorite children’s song “Five Little Pumpkins,” sung by cool cat Pete and perfect for Halloween.

Pete the Cat: Five Little Pumpkins is in a sturdy paper-over-board format and filled with vibrant, engaging illustrations for even the youngest of Pete fans.

Young Halloween fans will enjoy chanting along with Pete:

Five little pumpkins

Sitting on a gate. The first one said,

"Oh my, it’s getting late."

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The Little Grumpy Cat that Wouldn't (Grumpy Cat)

Golden Books

The most famous cat in the world stars in her very own Little Golden Book!
 
Grumpy Cat has 8 million Facebook followers, her own TV movie, and now . . . a Little Golden Book! In this story featuring an all-new iconic art style, Grumpy Cat’s friends and admirers try to get her to try new things and have fun, and each time she is even more resolved to say NO. In the end, she is right. Having fun is awful.

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Kitty Cat, Kitty Cat, are You Waking Up?

Bill Martin

Kitty Cat should be getting ready for school, but instead, she's practicing her purr, looking for her socks, chasing a little mouse, and more. Will Kitty Cat make it out of the house in time for school? Adorable pastel illustrations rendered in watercolor paints and colored pencil bring Kitty Cat so close you'll want to reach out and touch her!

The author and illustrator of Kitty Cat, Kitty Cat, Are You Waking Up? have donated this book to the Worldreader program.

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Big Cat, Little Cat

Elisha Cooper

A 2018 Caldecott Honor book

There was a cat 
who lived alone.
Until the day
a new cat came . . . 

And so a story of friendship begins, following the two cats through their days, months, and years until one day, the older cat has to go. And he doesn’t come back.

This is a poignant story, told in measured text and bold black-and-white illustrations about the act of moving on.

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Cat the Cat, Who Is That?

Mo Willems

Cat the Cat sure likes her friends. You will too! Join this spunky feline as she introduces the very youngest readers to her world, where a surprise is waiting in every book!

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Pete the Cat: Scaredy Cat!

James Dean



 

A scary story spooks Pete the Cat in this Level 1 I Can Read from New York Times bestselling creators Kimberly and James Dean.

When Bob tells Pete the Cat a spooky, creepy, scary story about a monster, Pete is a little scared. The monster seems to be everywhere he looks! What will help Pete overcome his fear

Find out in this Level 1 I Can Read book complete with original illustrations from the creators of Pete the Cat, Kimberly and James Dean. Pete the Cat: Scaredy Cat! is perfect for children learning to sound out words and sentences. Whether shared at home or in a classroom, the short sentences, familiar words, and simple concepts of Level One books support success for children eager to start reading on their own.



 

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Old-Time Kentucky Farmsteading Ways and Means

Louis S. DeLuca

Descended from a long line of homesteaders in Shelby County, Kentucky, Herbert Lee Clark lived his entire life near Harrisonville. A stone mason by trade, he was a well-known fiddle player, handyman, and farmer who stuck to the "old ways" of self-sufficiency and hard work. Old-Time Kentucky Farmsteading Ways and Means is an instruction manual for old-fashioned farmsteading, taken from his journals recorded in the 1970s-80s. Included are tips for working the land and building construction, animal food and health, agriculture and natural medicines, and other solutions for every day tasks passed down for generations. This is the perfect book for anyone who wants to work for themselves using the same tools and methods taught throughout rural communities for hundreds of years, assembled from a lifetime of knowledge and practice from Herbert Lee Clark.

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Kentucky Frontiersmen

Joseph Alexander Altsheler

Young Henry Ware helps to establish a pioneer settlement in early Kentucky, joins in defending it against the attack of hostile Shawnee Indians, and spends some time among the Shawnee as a somewhat willing prisoner.

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Stage-Coach Days In The Bluegrass

J. Winston Coleman, Jr.

When Stage-Coach Days in the Bluegrass was first published in 1935 by the Standard Press in Louisville, the New York Times reviewer described "this charming work" as "an interesting example of that very useful class of books, local histories, which so rarely get the attention they deserve."

Along with his focus on the development of stage-coach travel, Coleman covers details such as pioneer roads, taverns, travelers' experiences, mail carriers, and the coming of the railroad. This fascinating look at an age gone by is truly a work of regional culture.

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The Taking of Jemima Boone

Matthew Pearl

"A rousing tale of frontier daring and ingenuity, better than legend on every front." -- Pulitzer Prize-winning author Stacy Schiff

A Goodreads Most Anticipated Book

In his first work of narrative nonfiction, Matthew Pearl, bestselling author of acclaimed novel The Dante Club, explores the little-known true story of the kidnapping of legendary pioneer Daniel Boone's daughter and the dramatic aftermath that rippled across the nation.

On a quiet midsummer day in 1776, weeks after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, thirteen-year-old Jemima Boone and her friends Betsy and Fanny Callaway disappear near the Kentucky settlement of Boonesboro, the echoes of their faraway screams lingering on the air.

A Cherokee-Shawnee raiding party has taken the girls as the latest salvo in the blood feud between American Indians and the colonial settlers who have decimated native lands and resources. Hanging Maw, the raiders' leader, recognizes one of the captives as Jemima Boone, daughter of Kentucky's most influential pioneers, and realizes she could be a valuable pawn in the battle to drive the colonists out of the contested Kentucky territory for good.

With Daniel Boone and his posse in pursuit, Hanging Maw devises a plan that could ultimately bring greater peace both to the tribes and the colonists. But after the girls find clever ways to create a trail of clues, the raiding party is ambushed by Boone and the rescuers in a battle with reverberations that nobody could predict. As Matthew Pearl reveals, the exciting story of Jemima Boone's kidnapping vividly illuminates the early days of America's westward expansion, and the violent and tragic clashes across cultural lines that ensue.

In this enthralling narrative in the tradition of Candice Millard and David Grann, Matthew Pearl unearths a forgotten and dramatic series of events from early in the Revolutionary War that opens a window into America's transition from colony to nation, with the heavy moral costs incurred amid shocking new alliances and betrayals.

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Venerable Trees

Tom Kimmerer

When the first settlers arrived in the Bluegrass region of Kentucky, they found an astonishing landscape of open woodland grazed by vast herds of bison. Farmers quickly replaced the bison with cattle, sheep, and horses, but left many of the trees to shade their pastures. Today, central Kentucky and central Tennessee still boast one of the largest populations of presettlement trees in the nation, found in both rural and urban areas.

In Venerable Trees: History, Biology, and Conservation in the Bluegrass, Tom Kimmerer showcases the beauty, age, size, and splendor of these ancient trees and the remaining woodland pastures. Documenting the distinctive settlement history that allowed for their preservation, Kimmerer explains the biology of Bluegrass trees and explores the reasons why they are now in danger. He also reveals the dedication and creativity of those fighting to conserve these remarkable three-hundred- to five-hundred-year-old plants -- from innovative, conscientious developers who build around them rather than clearing the land to farmers who use lightning rods to protect them from natural disasters.

Featuring more than one hundred color photographs, this beautifully illustrated book offers guidelines for conserving ancient trees worldwide while educating readers about their life cycle. Venerable Trees is an informative call to understand the challenges faced by the companions so deeply rooted in the region's heritage and a passionate plea for their preservation.

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Watch with Me

Wendell Berry

In these seven interrelated stories, the reader is again invited to Port William, Kentucky, the fictional community in which Wendell Berry has set his vivid characters over the entire course of his thirty-year career. Readers familiar with Nathan Coulter, A Place on Earth, The Memory of Old Jack, Remembering, and Fidelity will welcome the chance to revisit this countryside and its cast of lively characters. Newcomers are in for a particular treat. Never has Wendell Berry seemingly had so much fun as he does in telling the seven tall tales of Ptolemy Proudfoot, "a member of a large clan of large people". Tol Proudfoot is a farmer, a longtime bachelor at war with his clothes. The work of arriving in a presentable fashion at the harvest festival in order to court Miss Minnie, Port William's schoolmarm, is an epic battle: . After all his waiting and anxiety, his clothes were damp and wrinkled, his shirttail was out, there was horse manure on one of his shoes. His hat sat athwart his head as though left there by somebody else... he came in wide-eyed, purposeful and alarmed... He'd made, he thought, a serious mistake. But Miss Minnie is actually delighted to have "Mr. Proudfoot", as she always calls him, bid on her cake at the bake auction for a princely sum, and pleased, too, to have him see her home. The other stories in Part One lovingly tell of their long married life together from 1908 through the Second World War. Part Two consists of the single, startlingly beautiful title story "Watch with Me", in which the depth of affection and tolerance for eccentricity that is borne by these neighbors toward one of their own is movingly explored. Each of the stories shows the changes that thetwentieth century is visiting upon rural Port William and its interwoven community of family and friends. This collection is rich with humor and wisdom.

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History of Harrodsburg, A: Saratoga of the South

Bobbi Dawn Rightmyer

Established in 1774 by the famed pioneer James Harrod, the city of Harrodsburg was the first European heritage town west of the Allegheny Mountains. With the discovery of a number of mineral springs in the area, several local residents thought that the springs could be turned into a tourist attraction. During the early nineteenth century, Greenville Springs, Harrodsburg Springs and Graham Springs became some of the most popular spas and hotels in the South, and Harrodsburg became known as the "Saratoga of the South." These springs offered rest, relaxation and accommodations for the entire family. Join historian Bobbi Dawn Rightmyer as she revisits the stories behind how simple mineral springs turned a small town into a nationwide vacation hotspot.

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Heirs of the Founders

H. W. Brands

From New York Times bestselling historian H. W. Brands comes the riveting story of how, in nineteenth-century America, a new set of political giants battled to complete the unfinished work of the Founding Fathers and decide the future of our democracy

In the early 1800s, three young men strode onto the national stage, elected to Congress at a moment when the Founding Fathers were beginning to retire to their farms. Daniel Webster of Massachusetts, a champion orator known for his eloquence, spoke for the North and its business class. Henry Clay of Kentucky, as dashing as he was ambitious, embodied the hopes of the rising West. South Carolina's John Calhoun, with piercing eyes and an even more piercing intellect, defended the South and slavery.
Together these heirs of Washington, Jefferson and Adams took the country to war, battled one another for the presidency and set themselves the task of finishing the work the Founders had left undone. Their rise was marked by dramatic duels, fierce debates, scandal and political betrayal. Yet each in his own way sought to remedy the two glaring flaws in the Constitution: its refusal to specify where authority ultimately rested, with the states or the nation, and its unwillingness to address the essential incompatibility of republicanism and slavery. 
They wrestled with these issues for four decades, arguing bitterly and hammering out political compromises that held the Union together, but only just. Then, in 1850, when California moved to join the Union as a free state, the immortal trio had one last chance to save the country from the real risk of civil war. But, by that point, they had never been further apart.
Thrillingly and authoritatively, H. W. Brands narrates an epic American rivalry and the little-known drama of the dangerous early years of our democracy.

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The Frontiersman's Daughter

Laura Frantz

Lovely but tough as nails, Lael Click is the daughter of a celebrated frontiersman. Haunted by her father's former captivity with the Shawnee Indians, as well as the secret sins of her family's past, Lael comes of age in the fragile Kentucky settlement her father founded. Though she faces the loss of a childhood love, a dangerous family feud, and the affection of a Shawnee warrior, Lael draws strength from the rugged land she calls home, and from Ma Horn, a distant relative who shows her the healing ways of herbs and roots found in the hills. But the arrival of an outlander doctor threatens her view of the world, God, and herself--and the power of grace and redemption.

This epic novel gives readers a glimpse into the simple yet daring lives of the pioneers who first crossed the Appalachians, all through the courageous eyes of a determined young woman. Laura Frantz's debut novel offers a feast for readers of historical fiction and romance lovers alike.

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Footsteps of the Cherokees

Vicki Rozema

The presence of the once-powerful Cherokees is still evident throughout the southeastern United States in names like Chickamauga, Hiwassee, Chattahoochee, Unicoi, Oconee, and Tuscaloosa. For those interested in learning more about the rich heritage of the Cherokees by visiting their historic sites, the second edition of Vicki Rozema's Footsteps of the Cherokees: A Guide to the Eastern Homelands of the Cherokee Nation is an excellent guide.

In the early 1800s, the Cherokee Nation reached from western North Carolina to middle Tennessee, and south to northern Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina. Then, in 1838, thousands of Cherokees were forced to leave their farmlands, homes, and sacred sites during that infamous trek to Oklahoma, the "Trail of Tears." Rozema traveled over 4,000 miles and spent four years and close to 2,500 hours visiting, researching, and photographing the sites of the Cherokee Nation. Footsteps of the Cherokees is a guide to these scenic, cultural, and historic locations. The book is divided into two sections. In the overview, Rozema traces the history of the Cherokees from their prehistoric ancestors to their interaction and conflict with white explorers and settlers to stories of the few who remained behind after the forced march west. This information puts the 190 sites listed in the book into historical perspective. The second section focuses on the sites themselves. The sites are divided into nineteen areas named after central locations. The starting locations include Chattanooga, Knoxville and Maryville, Atlanta, the Blue Ridge Parkway, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Northeast Georgia, Northwest Alabama, and South Carolina. The coverage of each site includes a discussion of the area's history, background information, detailed directions, hours of operation, entrance fees, and important phone numbers. The book includes over 200 black-and-white photographs.

Take an afternoon or weekend and travel back in time to the glory days of the Cherokee Nation. Whether in your car or favorite armchair, Footsteps of the Cherokees will take you to the great tribe's hunting grounds, battlegrounds, sacred lands, homelands, birthplaces, and burial sites.

Vicki Rozema is the author of Cherokee Voices: Early Accounts of Cherokee Life in the East and Voices from the Trail of Tears and Voices from the Trail of Tears. The first edition of Footsteps of the Cherokees received an Award of Merit from the Tennessee Historical Commission in 1996. Also an acclaimed photographer, she is a history professor at the University of Tennessee.

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Follow the River

James Alexander Thom

For use in schools and libraries only. Captured by the Shawnee Indians, Mary Ingles escapes and follows the Ohio River for a thousand miles back towards her home in Virginia

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The Complete Guide to Kentucky State Parks

Susan Reigler

The Complete Guide to Kentucky State Parks is the one-stop resource for information on great places to view Kentucky's natural beauty, tour historical sites, golf, camp, fish, hike, backpack, swim, ride horseback, rock climb, and enjoy almost any other type of outdoor recreation. Whether you are a day tripper, weekend escapee, or weeklong camper, this unique guide is ideal for any one of the seven million visitors who enjoy Kentucky state parks each year. Author Susan Reigler showcases all forty-nine state parks and historical sites, as well as the Kentucky Horse Park, the Breaks Interstate Park, and the Falls of the Ohio State Park. The book contains vivid details and numerous lush photographs and is organized geographically to help with planning trips around the state. A comprehensive map is included for each region. For every park, the essential information is provided: • Natural or historical attractions of the park • Types of recreation available • Camping and lodging facilities, museums, and gift shops • Addresses and phone numbers • Magnificent color photographs -- 170 in allIf you want to see the moonbow at Cumberland Falls, one of only two in the world, to listen for a ghostly bugle at Perryville Battlefield, or to explore the longest cave system in the world, let this book be your guide. Don't be without it when planning your vacation in Kentucky.

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The Buzzel About Kentuck

Craig Thompson Friend

Touted as an American Eden, Kentucky provides one of the most dramatic social histories of early America.

In this collection, ten contributors trace the evolution of Kentucky from First West to Early Republic. The authors tell the stories of the state's remarkable settlers and inhabitants: Indians, African Americans, working-class men and women, wealthy planters and struggling farmers. Eager settlers built defensive forts across the countryside, while women and slaves used revivalism to create new opportunities for themselves in a white, patriarchal society. The world that this diverse group of people made was both a society uniquely Kentuckian and a microcosm of the unfolding American pageant. In the mid-1700s, the trans-Appalachian region gained a reputation for its openness, innocence, and rusticity- fertile ground for an agrarian republic founded on the virtue of the yeoman ideal.

By the nineteenth century, writers of history would characterize the state as a breeding ground for an American culture of distinctly Anglo-Saxon origin. Modern historians, however, now emphasize exploring the entire human experience, rather than simply the political history, of the region. An unusual blend of social, economic, political, cultural, and religious history, this volume goes a long way toward answering the question posed by a Virginia clergyman in 1775: "What a buzzel is this amongst people about Kentuck?"

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Boone

Robert Morgan

The story of Daniel Boone is the story of AmericaÑits ideals, its promise, its romance, and its destiny. Bestselling, critically acclaimed author Robert Morgan reveals the complex character of a frontiersman whose heroic life was far stranger and more fascinating than the myths that surround him. 

This rich, authoritative biography offers a wholly new perspective on a man who has been an American icon for more than two hundred yearsÑa hero as important to American history as his more political contemporaries George Washington and Benjamin Franklin. Extensive endnotes, cultural and historical background material, and maps and illustrations underscore the scope of this distinguished and immensely entertaining work.

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Bewildered for Three Days

Andrew Glass

When Papa returns from Chicago with a special present for his two young boys, they can't contain their excitement. The tiny, wondrous whirligig spins and shoots through the air until it falls, plop!, on the parlor floor. The whirligig has stopped spinning, but the two boys' heads are churning with big ideas. Why not build a life-size whirligig that can carry people way up into the sky? With Mama urging them on, that's what the Wright brothers attempt to do. This lively, insightful introduction to Wilbur and Orville Wright is in time for the one hundredth anniversary of the Wright brothers' first flight.

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All True Not a Lie in It

Alix Hawley

The story of pioneer Daniel Boone’s life, told in his voice—a tall tale like no other, startling, funny, poignant, romantic and brawling—set during the American Revolutionary War

Here is Daniel Boone as you’ve never seen him: debut novelist Alix Hawley presents Boone’s life, from his childhood in a Quaker colony, through two stints captured by Indians as he attempted to settle Kentucky, the death of a son at the hands of the same Indians and the rescue of a daughter. The prose rivals Hilary Mantel’s and Peter Carey’s, conveying that sense of being inside the head of a storied historical figure about which much nonsense is spoken while also feeling completely contemporary.

Boone was a fabulous hunter and explorer, and a “white Indian,” perhaps happiest when he found a place as the captive, adopted son of a chief who was trying to prevent the white settlement of Kentucky. Hawley takes us intimately into the life-and-death survival of people pushing away from security and into Indian lands, despite sense and treaties, just before and into the War of Independence.

The love story between Boone and his wife, Rebecca, is rich and tangled, but mostly it’s Boone who fascinates, pushing into places where he imagines he can create a new “clean” world, only to find death and trouble and complication. He is a fabulous character, unrivaled in North American literature, and a prime candidate for the tall tale. The storytelling is taut and expert, the descriptions rich and powerful, the prose full of feeling, but Boone is what drives this outstanding debut.

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A Quiet Teacher

Adam Oyebanji

A teacher trying to hide in the shadows finds himself embroiled in a murder investigation in this compelling and fresh read from a new unique, contemporary voice.


 

"Imagine John le Carré attempting an Agatha Christie mystery. Or the other way around. In any case, that mix is at the heart of this stunning novel" Booklist Starred Review 

Greg Abimbola is a language teacher at the prestigious Calderhill Academy in Pittsburgh. Only that's not his real name . . . or the only secret he's hiding.

When the murder of a wealthy parent on school premises shines an unwanted spotlight on Calderhill Academy, Greg is determined to avoid attention.

That is until the closest person to a true friend Greg has is arrested for the murder. To prove her innocence, Greg will reluctantly emerge from the shadows. But doing so will put him in danger. His past is determined to find him . . . and his past is full of bad things.

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You've Been Volunteered

Laurie Gelman

In the eagerly anticipated follow-up to Laurie Gelman’s "irreverent and hilarious" (The New York Post) hit Class Mom, brash, lovable Jen Dixon is back with a new class and her work cut out for her

If you’ve ever been a room parent or school volunteer, Jen Dixon is your hero. She says what every class mom is really thinking, whether in her notoriously frank emails or standup-worthy interactions with the micromanaging PTA President and the gamut of difficult parents. Luckily, she has the charm and wit to get away with it—most of the time. Jen is sassier than ever but dealing with a whole new set of challenges, in the world of parental politics and at home.

She’s been roped into room-parenting yet again, for her son Max’s third grade class, but as her husband buries himself in work, her older daughters navigate adulthood, and Jen’s own aging parents start to need some parenting themselves, Jen gets pulled in more directions than any one mom, or superhero, can handle. 

Refreshingly down-to-earth and brimming with warmth, Dixon’s next chapter will keep you turning the pages to find out what’s really going on under the veneer of polite parent interactions, and have you laughing along with her the whole way.

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My Oxford Year

Julia Whelan

Major Motion Picture Already in Development with Temple Hill Entertainment

One of the Best Books of April for Brit + Co and Liz and Lisa!

Set amidst the breathtaking beauty of Oxford, this sparkling debut novel tells the unforgettable story about a determined young woman eager to make her mark in the world and the handsome man who introduces her to an incredible love that will irrevocably alter her future—perfect for fans of JoJo Moyes and Nicholas Sparks.

American Ella Durran has had the same plan for her life since she was thirteen: Study at Oxford. At 24, she’s finally made it to England on a Rhodes Scholarship when she’s offered an unbelievable position in a rising political star’s presidential campaign. With the promise that she’ll work remotely and return to DC at the end of her Oxford year, she’s free to enjoy her Once in a Lifetime Experience. That is, until a smart-mouthed local who is too quick with his tongue and his car ruins her shirt and her first day.

When Ella discovers that her English literature course will be taught by none other than that same local, Jamie Davenport, she thinks for the first time that Oxford might not be all she’s envisioned. But a late-night drink reveals a connection she wasn’t anticipating finding and what begins as a casual fling soon develops into something much more when Ella learns Jamie has a life-changing secret.

Immediately, Ella is faced with a seemingly impossible decision: turn her back on the man she’s falling in love with to follow her political dreams or be there for him during a trial neither are truly prepared for. As the end of her year in Oxford rapidly approaches, Ella must decide if the dreams she’s always wanted are the same ones she’s now yearning for.

 

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Come and Get It: A GMA Book Club Pick

Kiley Reid

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
National Bestseller

A Good Morning America Book Club Pick

An Indie Next Pick 
A LibraryReads Pick

Acclaimed author Kiley Reid’s fresh and provocative story about desire, consumption, and bad behavior.

It's 2017 at the University of Arkansas, and Millie Cousins—a super-senior resident assistant at Belgrade Dormitory—just wants to graduate, get a job, and buy a house. So when Agatha Paul, a writer and visiting professor itching for her next big topic, offers Millie an easy yet unusual opportunity for them to help each other further their own interests, Millie naturally jumps at the chance.

But Millie's starry-eyed hustle quickly becomes jeopardized by a lonely transfer student, unruly residents, and illicit intrigue. Both Millie and Agatha are forced to question just how much of themselves they are willing to trade to get what they want.

Sharp and intimate, Come and Get It, the new thought-provoking, singular novel by the bestselling and critically acclaimed author Kiley Reid, explores the choices we make, particularly for the things that can and cannot be paid for.

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Speech Team

Tim Murphy

“A tender-hearted novel and a dream to read. I loved this book.” -- Matt Haig #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Midnight Library

“so so so so good…[Speech Team] is a MUST…It has all the feels and brilliant writing to boot.”  -- Elin Hilderband (on Instagram) #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Five Star Weekend

A funny, gossipy and ultimately poignant novel about four Gen X teen friends turned 21st-century adults who awkwardly come back together to confront an influential teacher whose brutal remarks have haunted them all for years.

In his early forties, nonprofit writer Tip Murray is just getting past the wreckage of his youth and settling into semi-humdrum married New England domesticity. Things take an unusual turn when he receives shocking news from his high school best friend, hippie farmer Natalie, that one of their former teammates from speech team, Pete, has committed suicide. Surprisingly mentioned in Pete’s final Facebook post?  A devastating comment made to him by their speech team coach, Gary Gold.

Feeling nostalgic for their 80s adolescence, Tip and Nat decide to reconnect with two long lost friends from the team, haughty menswear designer Anthony and tightly wound college professor Jennifer. The reunited quartet quickly discover an unsettling thread: all were quietly wounded by Mr. Gold’s deeply cutting remarks. The silver lining? Gold is still alive, and a quick Google search shows that he has retired to Florida. There’s only one thing left to do: fly down to a posh resort to confront him. What happens next is far from what any of them could have imagined.

Fueled by cringe-y confrontations and 80s nostalgia, a literary mashup of The Breakfast Club and The Big Chill, Speech Team explores what it means to take account of the pain that can suffuse a life and what it means, years on, to move forward.

"Tim Murphy is a genius at sweeping, character-driven stories that suck you in until the very last page, and Speech Team is no exception." —Andy Cohen

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Regrets Only

Kieran Scott

"Paige Lancaster, single mom and prodigal daughter, has returned to the East Coast from her prestigious, well-paid job in LA, writing for the smartest detective series on television. Something terrible happened to her back in Hollywood. Okay, two terrible things, one featuring a misplaced tire iron -- and now she's broke and homeless and living with her widowed mother and eight year old daughter, Izzy, in her hometown of Piermont, Connecticut: land of safe streets, good public schools, and a kick-ass Parent Booster Association. Paige can make this work, she's sure of it. Her dad, may he rest in peace, was Piermont's beloved police chief before he died two years ago. All she needs to turn her life around is to buckle down and concentrate on getting a new writing gig. But first, she has to get Izzy to school on time -- the very same school that she herself attended, back in the day. That's Fail #1. Then she runs into John Anderson, the boy she loved in high school, now a wealthy hedge-funder, still as gorgeous as ever, and (shoot) very married -- to gorgeous blond PBA president Ainsley Anderson.

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Greek Lessons

Han Kang

FROM HAN KANG, WINNER OF THE 2024 NOBEL PRIZE IN LITERATURE
 
“[Han Kang’s] intense poetic prose . . . exposes the fragility of human life.”—The Nobel Committee for Literature, in the citation for the Nobel Prize
 
NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS’ CHOICE • A dazzling novel about the saving grace of language and human connection, from the “visionary” (New York Times Book Review) author of the International Booker Prize winner The Vegetarian

“Both a disquieting journey about the loss of sense and a return to the sensorium of touch and intimacy, Greek Lessons soars with sensuous and revelatory insight.”—Cathy Park Hong, author of Minor Feelings

A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The New Yorker, Time, Chicago Public Library, Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal

"Now and then, language would thrust its way into her sleep like a skewer through meat, startling her awake several times a night."

In a classroom in Seoul, a young woman watches her Greek language teacher at the blackboard. She tries to speak but has lost her voice. Her teacher finds himself drawn to the silent woman, for day by day he is losing his sight. 

Soon the two discover a deeper pain binds them together. For her, in the space of just a few months, she has lost both her mother and the custody battle for her nine-year-old son. For him, it's the pain of growing up between Korea and Germany, being torn between two cultures and languages, and the fear of losing his independence.

Greek Lessons tells the story of two ordinary people brought together at a moment of private anguish—the fading light of a man losing his vision meeting the silence of a woman who has lost her language. Yet these are the very things that draw them to each other. Slowly the two discover a profound sense of unity—their voices intersecting with startling beauty, as they move from darkness to light, from silence to breath and expression.

Greek Lessons is the story of the unlikely bond between this pair and a tender love letter to human intimacy and connection—a novel to awaken the senses, one that vividly conjures the essence of what it means to be alive.

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I Have Some Questions for You

Rebecca Makkai

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER 

Named a Best Book of 2023 by The Washington Post, People, USA Today, NPR, Esquire, Good Housekeeping, Real Simple, The Boston Globe, CrimeReads and more

“A twisty, immersive whodunit perfect for fans of Donna Tartt’s The Secret History.” —People 

"Spellbinding." —The New York Times Book Review

"[An] irresistible literary page-turner." —The Boston Globe

The riveting new novel — "part true-crime page-turner, part campus coming-of-age" (San Francisco Chronicle) — from the author of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award finalist The Great Believers 

A successful film professor and podcaster, Bodie Kane is content to forget her past—the family tragedy that marred her adolescence, her four largely miserable years at a New Hampshire boarding school, and the murder of her former roommate, Thalia Keith, in the spring of their senior year. Though the circumstances surrounding Thalia’s death and the conviction of the school’s athletic trainer, Omar Evans, are hotly debated online, Bodie prefers—needs—to let sleeping dogs lie.

But when the Granby School invites her back to teach a course, Bodie is inexorably drawn to the case and its increasingly apparent flaws. In their rush to convict Omar, did the school and the police overlook other suspects? Is the real killer still out there? As she falls down the very rabbit hole she was so determined to avoid, Bodie begins to wonder if she wasn’t as much of an outsider at Granby as she’d thought—if, perhaps, back in 1995, she knew something that might have held the key to solving the case.

In I Have Some Questions for You, award-winning author Rebecca Makkai has crafted her most irresistible novel yet: a stirring investigation into collective memory and a deeply felt examination of one woman’s reckoning with her past, with a transfixing mystery at its heart. Timely, hypnotic, and populated with a cast of unforgettable characters, I Have Some Questions for You is at once a compulsive page-turner and a literary triumph.

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The Banned Books Club

Brenda Novak

"A sharply plotted, emotionally intense novel of family secrets, fresh starts and community" --Jayne Ann Krentz



She left her hometown following a scandal--but family loyalty is dragging her back...



Despite their strained relationship, when Gia Rossi's sister, Margot, begs her to come home to Wakefield, Iowa, to help with their ailing mother, Gia knows she has no choice. After her rebellious and at-times-tumultuous teen years, Gia left town with little reason to look back. But she knows Margot's borne the brunt of their mother's care and now it's Gia's turn to help, even if it means opening old wounds.



As expected, Gia's homecoming is far from welcome. There's the Banned Books Club she started after the PTA overzealously slashed the high school reading list, which is right where she left it. But there is also Mr. Hart, her former favorite teacher. The one who was fired after Gia publicly and painfully accused him of sexual misconduct. The one who prompted Gia to leave behind a very conflicted town the minute she turned eighteen. The one person she hoped never to see again.



When Margot leaves town without explanation, Gia sees the cracks in her sister's "perfect" life for the first time and plans to offer support. But as the town, including members of the book club, takes sides between Gia and Mr. Hart, everything gets harder. Fortunately, she learns that there are people she can depend on. And by standing up for the truth, she finds love and a future in the town she thought had rejected her.

 

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It's Elementary

Elise Bryant

A fast-paced, completely delightful new mystery about what happens when parents get a little too involved in their kids' schools, from NAACP Image Award nominee Elise Bryant.

Mavis Miller is not a PTA mom. She has enough on her plate with her feisty seven-year-old daughter, Pearl, an exhausting job at a nonprofit, and the complexities of a multigenerational household. So no one is more surprised than Mavis when she caves to Trisha Holbrook, the long-reigning, slightly terrifying PTA president, and finds herself in charge of the school’s brand-new DEI committee.

As one of the few Black parents at this California elementary school, Mavis tries to convince herself this is an opportunity for real change. But things go off the rails at the very first meeting, when the new principal's plans leave Trisha absolutely furious. Later that night, when Mavis spies Trisha in yellow rubber gloves and booties, lugging cleaning supplies and giant black trash bags to her waiting minivan, it’s only natural that her mind jumps to somewhere it surely wouldn’t in the light of day.

Except Principal Smith fails to show up for work the next morning, and has been MIA since the meeting. Determined to get to the bottom of things, Mavis, along with the school psychologist with the great forearms (look, it’s worth noting), launches an investigation that will challenge her views on parenting, friendship, and elementary school politics.

Brilliantly written, It's Elementary is a quick-witted, escapist romp that perfectly captures just how far parents will go to give their kids the very best, all wrapped in a mystery that will leave you guessing to the very end.

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Pick-Up

Nora Dahlia

Harkening to the witty and swoon-worthy rom-coms of Christina Lauren and Kate Clayborn, a new enemies-to-lovers romp whisking us from the stress of city life to lush Caribbean beaches.

Sasha Rubinstein is not on her game. Parenting with an absent (and objectively douchey) ex has never been easy, but, lately, the judgmental side-eye from people at school pick-up feels extra. It doesn’t help that some entitled dad—with his perfect t-shirts and perfectly punchable (yet adorable) face—keeps stealing the last after-school spots and school hoodies out from under her.

Ethan Jones is not trying to trip Sasha up… at school or otherwise. In fact, ever since they met (which she promptly forgot), he’s been hoping for the exact opposite…or at least to stop thinking about her.

When a game-changing job lands them trapped together on an exclusive private island, they resolve to stop sniping at each other and keep things professional. But with tension building between them and the permeating intoxication of island time, temptation blows in on every tropical breeze.

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The Teacher

Freida McFadden

INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

"Superb...[The Teacher] rivets." Publishers Weekly, starred review

A mind-bending, psychological thriller from Freida McFadden, the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Housemaid!

Lesson #1: trust no one

Eve has a good life. She gets up each day, gets a kiss from her husband Nate, and heads off to teach math at the local high school. All is as it should be. Except...

Last year, Caseham High was rocked by a scandal involving a student-teacher affair, with one student, Addie, at its center. But Eve knows there is far more to these ugly rumors than meets the eye.

Addie can't be trusted. She lies. She hurts people. She destroys lives. At least, that's what everyone says.

But nobody knows the real Addie. Nobody knows the secrets that could destroy her. And Addie will do anything to keep it quiet.

From the New York Times bestselling author Freida McFadden comes a story of twisting secrets and long-awaited revenge.

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Knife Skills for Beginners

Orlando Murrin

The Maid meets Knives Out with a dash of Top Chef in the debut locked room culinary mystery set in a London cooking school by MasterChef semi-finalist and cookbook writer Orlando Murrin.

“Some people are natural dancers, others marvelous in bed, but—not wishing to boast—I’m good with a knife. Most chefs are.”

The Chester Square Cookery School in the heart of London offers students a refined setting in which to master the fine art of choux pastry and hone their hollandaise. True, the ornate mansion doesn’t quite sparkle the way it used to—a feeling chef Paul Delamare is familiar with these days. Worn out and newly broke, he’d be tempted to turn down the request to fill in as teacher for a week-long residential course, if anyone other than Christian Wagner were asking.

Christian is one of Paul’s oldest friends, as well as the former recipient of two Michelin stars and host of Pass the Gravy! Thanks to a broken arm, he’s unable to teach the upcoming session himself, and recruits Paul as stand-in. The students are a motley crew, most of whom seem more interested in ogling the surroundings (including handsome Christian) than learning the best ways to temper chocolate.

Yet despite his misgivings, Paul starts to enjoy imparting his extensive knowledge to the recruits—until someone turns up dead, murdered with a cleaver Paul used earlier that day to prep a pair of squabs. Did one of his students take the lesson on knife techniques too much to heart, or was this the result of a long-simmering grudge? In between clearing his own name and teaching his class how to perfectly poach a chicken, he’ll have to figure out who’s the killer, and avoid being the next one to get butchered . . .

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All the Other Mothers Hate Me

Sarah Harman

A mom will do anything to save her kid. Anything.

"The missing boy is 10-year-old Alfie Risby, and to be perfectly honest with you, he's a little shit."

Florence Grimes is a thirty-one-year-old party girl who always takes the easy way out. Single, broke and unfulfilled after the humiliating end to her girl band career, she has only one reason to get out of bed each day: her ten-year-old son Dylan. But then Alfie Risby, her son’s bully and the heir to a vast frozen food empire, mysteriously vanishes during a class trip, and Dylan becomes the prime suspect. Florence, for once, is faced with a task she can’t quit: She’s got to find Alfie and clear her son’s name, or risk losing Dylan forever.

The only problem? Florence has no useful skills, let alone investigative ones, and all the other school moms hate her. Oh, and Florence has a reason to suspect Dylan might not be as innocent as she’d like to believe...

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As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust

Alan Bradley

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Flavia de Luce—“part Harriet the Spy, part Violet Baudelaire from Lemony Snicket'sA Series of Unfortunate Events” (The New York Times Book Review)—takes her remarkable sleuthing prowess to the unexpectedly unsavory world of Canadian boarding schools in the captivating new mystery fromNew York Times bestselling author Alan Bradley.

Banished! is how twelve-year-old Flavia de Luce laments her predicament, when her father and Aunt Felicity ship her off to Miss Bodycote's Female Academy, the boarding school that her mother, Harriet, once attended across the sea in Canada. The sun has not yet risen on Flavia's first day in captivity when a gift lands at her feet. Flavia being Flavia, a budding chemist and sleuth, that gift is a charred and mummified body, which tumbles out of a bedroom chimney. Now, while attending classes, making friends (and enemies), and assessing the school's stern headmistress and faculty (one of whom is an acquitted murderess), Flavia is on the hunt for the victim's identity and time of death, as well as suspects, motives, and means. Rumors swirl that Miss Bodycote's is haunted, and that several girls have disappeared without a trace. When it comes to solving multiple mysteries, Flavia is up to the task—but her true destiny has yet to be revealed.

Praise for As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust

“Eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce [is] perhaps contemporary crime fiction's most original character—to say she is Pippi Longstocking with a Ph.D. in chemistry (speciality: poisons) barely begins to describe her.”Maclean's

“Another treat for readers of all ages . . . [As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust] maintains the high standards Bradley set from the start.”Booklist

“Exceptional . . . [The] intriguing setup only gets better, and Bradley makes Miss Bodycote's a suitably Gothic setting for Flavia's sleuthing. Through it all, her morbid narrative voice continues to charm.”Publishers Weekly(starred review)

“Even after all these years, Flavia de Luce is still the world's greatest adolescent British chemist/busybody/sleuth.”The Seattle Times

“Plot twists come faster than Canadian snowfall. . . . Bradley's sense of observation is as keen as gung-ho scientist Flavia's. . . . The results so far are seven sparkling Flavia de Luce mysteries.”Library Journal

“A rattling good 'girls' own adventure' yarn with an extensive cast of characters and suspects . . . When all is revealed, the links, misunderstandings and secrecy have a satisfying click.”Winnipeg Free Press

“A delightful installment in the series!”LibraryReads

Acclaim for Alan Bradley's beloved Flavia de Luce novels, winners of the Crime Writers' Association Debut Dagger Award, Barry Award, Agatha Award, Macavity Award, Dilys Winn Award, and Arthur Ellis Award

“If ever there were a sleuth who's bold, brilliant, and, yes, adorable, it's Flavia de Luce.”USA Today

“This idiosyncratic young heroine continues to charm.”The Wall Street Journal

“Delightful . . . a combination of Eloise and Sherlock Holmes.”The Boston Globe

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Accomplished

Amanda Quain

Georgiana Darcy gets the Pride & Prejudice retelling she deserves in Amanda Quain's Accomplished, a sparkling contemporary YA featuring a healthy dose of marching band romance, endless banter, and Charles Bingley as a ripped frat boy.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that Georgiana Darcy should have been expelled after The Incident with Wickham Foster last year – at least if you ask any of her Pemberley Academy classmates. She may have escaped expulsion because of her family name, but she didn’t escape the disappointment of her big brother Fitz, the scorn of the entire school, or, it turns out, Wickham’s influence.

But she’s back for her junior year, and she needs to prove to everyone – Fitz, Wickham, her former friends, and maybe even herself – that she’s more than just an embarrassment to the family name. How hard can it be to become the Perfect Darcy? All she has to do is:

- Rebuild her reputation with the marching band (even if it kills her)
- Forget about Wickham and his lies (no matter how tempting they still are), and
- Distract Fitz Darcy — helicopter-sibling extraordinaire — by getting him to fall in love with his classmate, Lizzie Bennet (this one might be difficult...)

Sure, it's a complicated plan, but so is being a Darcy. With the help of her fellow bandmate, Avery, matchmaking ideas lifted straight from her favorite fanfics, and a whole lot of pancakes, Georgie is going to see every one of her plans through. But when the weight of being the Perfect Darcy comes crashing down, Georgie will have to find her own way before she loses everything permanently—including the one guy who sees her for who she really is.

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Daughter of Smoke & Bone

Laini Taylor

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

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Again Again

E. Lockhart

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the TikTok sensation We Were Liars comes a wildly inventive and romantic novel about a summer of infinite possibilities—and infinite ways to fall in love.

Again Again will leave readers breathless. This one is another knockout.”—Gayle Forman, #1 New York Times bestselling author of If I Stay

If you could live your life again, what would you do differently?

After a near-fatal family catastrophe and an unexpected romantic upheaval, Adelaide Buchwald finds herself catapulted into a seemingly impossible summer, during which she will fall in and out of love a thousand times. Navigating a tangled web of different timelines, Adelaide must finally confront the secrets she keeps, her ideas about love, and the weird grandiosity of the human mind.

A raw, funny, lyrical story that will surprise you over and over, Again Again gives us an indelible heroine grappling with the terrible and wonderful problem of loving other people.

Don’t miss the We Were Liars series
WE WERE LIARS • FAMILY OF LIARS • WE FELL APART (Coming in November!)

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Confessions: The Private School Murders

James Patterson

In the sequel to the #1 New York Times bestseller Confessions of a Murder Suspect, James Patterson keeps the confessions coming breathlessly as Tandy Angel delves deeper into her own tumultuous history-and proves that she can rise above the sordid Angel legacy.

Wealthy young women are being murdered on Manhattan's exclusive Upper West Side, and the police aren't looking for answers in the right places. Enter Tandy Angel. The first case she cracked was the mystery of her parents' deaths. Now, while she's working to exonerate her brother of his glamorous girlfriend's homicide, she's driven to get involved in the West Side murder spree. 

One of the recent victims was a student at Tandy's own elite school. She has a hunch it may be the work of a serial killer, but the NYPD isn't listening to her...and Tandy can't ignore the disturbing fact that she perfectly fits the profile of the killer's targets. Can she untangle the mysteries in time? Or will she be the next victim?

 

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Touch of Frost

Jennifer Estep

My name is Gwen Frost, and I go to Mythos Academy -- a school of myths, magic and warrior whiz kids, where even the lowliest geek knows how to chop off somebody's head with a sword and Logan Quinn, the hottest Spartan guy in school, also happens to be the deadliest.

But lately, things have been weird, even for Mythos. First, mean girl Jasmine Ashton was murdered in the Library of Antiquities. Then, someone stole the Bowl of Tears, a magical artifact that can be used to bring about the second Chaos War. You know, death, destruction and lots of other bad, bad things. Freaky stuff like this goes on all the time at Mythos, but I'm determined to find out who killed Jasmine and why – especially since I should have been the one who died . . .

"Touch of Frost is an intriguing start to an exciting new series!" --Award-winning author Jeri Smith-Ready

". . .surviving high school means staying alive!" --New York Times bestselling author Kerrelyn Sparks

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The Name of the Star

Maureen Johnson

The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it's the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper in the autumn of 1888.

Soon "Rippermania" takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police now believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was with her at the time, didn't notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities.

 

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This May End Badly

Samantha Markum

“The bitingly hilarious, heartfelt This May End Badly takes your favorite fake dating trope and adds plenty of downright delightful shenanigans that’ll have readers tearing through the pages.” - Emma Lord, New York Times bestselling author of You Have a Match

Pranking mastermind Doe and her motley band of Weston girls are determined to win the century-long war against Winfield Academy before the clock ticks down on their senior year. But when their headmistress announces that The Weston School will merge with its rival the following year, their longtime feud spirals into chaos.

To protect the school that has been her safe haven since her parents’ divorce, Doe puts together a plan to prove once and for all that Winfield boys and Weston girls just don’t mix, starting with a direct hit at Three, Winfield’s boy king and her nemesis. In a desperate move to win, Doe strikes a bargain with Three’s cousin, Wells: If he fake dates her to get under Three’s skin, she’ll help him get back his rightful family heirloom from Three.

As the pranks escalate, so do her feelings for her fake boyfriend, and Doe spins lie after lie to keep up her end of the deal. But when a teacher long suspected of inappropriate behavior messes with a younger Weston girl, Doe has to decide what’s more important: winning a rivalry, or joining forces to protect something far more critical than a prank war legacy.

This May End Badly is a story about friendship, falling in love, and crossing pretty much every line presented to you—and how to atone when you do.

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Stealing Infinity

Alyson Noël

Paste Magazine Pick for Best New YA Books of June 2022

An Amazon Best Book of the Month 

“An unputdownable, clever, modern fantasy!” —#1 New York Times bestselling author Tracy Wolff

"Alyson Noel is the queen of the supernatural romance thriller, and her latest is a can’t-miss read—it’s a Da Vinci Code meets Riverdale page-turner!" —#1 New York Times bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz

“Addictive, dangerous, sexy, and magical, I couldn’t turn the page fast enough! Alyson Noël is a mad genius.” —Mary Pearson, New York Times bestselling author of The Remnant Chronicles

“A sizzling story of opulent adventure, forbidden love, and impossible choices, Stealing Infinity is unputdownable.” —New York Times bestselling author Kristin Harmel

Stealing Infinity is a brilliantly conceived time-travel adventure full of twists and turns, with a romance that had me hooked. A must-read!” —Alexandra Monir, international bestselling author of The Final Six

These days, I’ve been killing it when it comes to letting people down. Now I’ve been kicked out of high school, arrested, and accepted into a remote, off-the-grid school owned and operated by an inscrutable billionaire tech guru.

Gray Wolf Academy is looking for a certain kind of student. Ones that no one will miss. Like me.

Then there’s Braxton. The beautiful, oddly anachronistic guy who showed up right when the trouble started. And he’s a total enigma—which means that I definitely can’t trust him, even if there’s something about him that makes me want to.

They all tell me I have a gift. A very rare gift. And Gray Wolf Academy wants me to learn it. To use it. Because if what they say is true, I have all the time in the world.

And that makes me the most dangerous high school student you’ll never know...

The Stealing Infinity series is best enjoyed in order.
Reading Order:
Book #1 Stealing Infinity
Book #2 Ruling Destiny
Book #3 Chasing Eternity

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Orphan Monster Spy

Matt Killeen

Her name is Sarah. She's blonde, blue-eyed, and Jewish in 1939 Germany. And her act of resistance is about to change the world.

After her mother is shot at a checkpoint, fifteen-year-old Sarah meets a mysterious man with an ambiguous accent, a suspiciously bare apartment, and a lockbox full of weapons. He's part of the secret resistance against the Third Reich, and he needs Sarah to hide in plain sight at a school for the daughters of top Nazi brass, posing as one of them. If she can befriend the daughter of a key scientist and get invited to her house, she might be able to steal the blueprints to a bomb that could destroy the cities of Western Europe. Nothing could prepare Sarah for her cutthroat schoolmates, and soon she finds herself in a battle for survival unlike any she'd ever imagined. But anyone who underestimates this innocent-seeming girl does so at their peril. She may look sweet, but she's the Nazis' worst nightmare.

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In the Wild Light

Jeff Zentner

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New York Times • Buzzfeed • Kirkus Reviews • Publishers Weekly Chicago Public Library

“Redefines friendship as something that must be protected, sacrificed for, and tended to with wisdom, patience, and love.” —Ocean Vuong, New York Times bestselling author of On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous

A poignant coming-of-age novel about two best friends whose friendship is tested when they get the opportunity to leave their impoverished small town for an elite prep school. For fans of Looking for Alaska.

Life in a small Appalachian town is not easy. Cash lost his mother to an opioid addiction and his Papaw is dying slowly from emphysema. Dodging drug dealers and watching out for his best friend, Delaney, is second nature. He's been spending his summer mowing lawns while she works at Dairy Queen. But when Delaney manages to secure both of them full rides to an elite prep school in Connecticut, Cash will have to grapple with his need to protect and love Delaney, and his love for the grandparents who saved him and the town he has to leave behind. Jeff Zentner's new novel is a beautiful examination of grief, found family, and young love.

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Gallant

Victoria Schwab

AN INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

A KIRKUS BEST BOOK

A USA TODAY BESTSELLER

A NATIONAL INDIE BESTSELLER

"A bone-chilling standalone . . . which fuses Shirley Jackson's gothic horror sensibilities with the warmth and dark whimsy of Neil Gaiman."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Gripping worldbuilding, well-rounded characters, and fantastic horror."--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Unsettling and intriguing."--Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)

Everything casts a shadow. Even the world we live in. And as with every shadow, there is a place where it must touch. A seam, where the shadow meets its source.

#1 New York Times-bestselling author V. E. Schwab weaves a dark and original tale about the place where the world meets its shadow, and the young woman beckoned by both sides. The Secret Garden meets Crimson Peak in this stand-alone novel perfect for readers of Holly Black and Neil Gaiman.

Olivia Prior has grown up in Merilance School for Girls, and all she has of her past is her mother's journal--which seems to unravel into madness. Then, a letter invites Olivia to come home to Gallant. Yet when Olivia arrives, no one is expecting her. But Olivia is not about to leave the first place that feels like home; it doesn't matter if her cousin Matthew is hostile, or if she sees half-formed ghouls haunting the hallways.

Olivia knows that Gallant is hiding secrets, and she is determined to uncover them. When she crosses a ruined wall at just the right moment, Olivia finds herself in a place that is Gallant--but not. The manor is crumbling, the ghouls are solid, and a mysterious figure rules over all. Now Olivia sees what has unraveled generations of her family, and where her father may have come from.

Olivia has always wanted to belong somewhere, but will she take her place as a Prior, protecting our world against the Master of the House? Or will she take her place beside him?

New York Times-bestselling author V. E. Schwab crafts a vivid and lush novel that grapples with the demons that are often locked behind closed doors. An eerie, stand-alone saga about life, death, and the young woman beckoned by both. Readers of Neil Gaiman, Holly Black, Melissa Albert, and Garth Nix will quickly lose themselves in this novel with crossover appeal for all ages.

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When the Ground Is Hard

Malla Nunn

Edgar Award nominee stuns in this heartrending tale set in a Swaziland boarding school where two girls of different castes bond over a shared copy of Jane Eyre.

A Kirkus Reviews Best Young Adult Book of the Century

Adele Joubert loves being one of the popular girls at Keziah Christian Academy. She knows the upcoming semester at school is going to be great with her best friend Delia at her side. Then Delia dumps her for a new girl with more money, and Adele is forced to share a room with Lottie, the school pariah, who doesn't pray and defies teachers' orders. 

But as they share a copy of Jane Eyre, Lottie's gruff exterior and honesty grow on Adele, and Lottie learns to be a little sweeter. Together, they take on bullies and protect each other from the vindictive and prejudiced teachers. Then a boy goes missing on campus and Adele and Lottie must rely on each other to solve the mystery and maybe learn the true meaning of friendship.

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Truly Devious

Maureen Johnson

New York Times bestselling author Maureen Johnson weaves a delicate tale of murder and mystery in the first book of a striking new series, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie and E. Lockhart.

Ellingham Academy is a famous private school in Vermont for the brightest thinkers, inventors, and artists. It was founded by Albert Ellingham, an early twentieth century tycoon, who wanted to make a wonderful place full of riddles, twisting pathways, and gardens. “A place,” he said, “where learning is a game.”

Shortly after the school opened, his wife and daughter were kidnapped. The only real clue was a mocking riddle listing methods of murder, signed with the frightening pseudonym “Truly, Devious.” It became one of the great unsolved crimes of American history.

True-crime aficionado Stevie Bell is set to begin her first year at Ellingham Academy, and she has an ambitious plan: She will solve this cold case. That is, she will solve the case when she gets a grip on her demanding new school life and her housemates: the inventor, the novelist, the actor, the artist, and the jokester. But something strange is happening. Truly Devious makes a surprise return, and death revisits Ellingham Academy. The past has crawled out of its grave. Someone has gotten away with murder. 

The two interwoven mysteries of this first book in the Truly Devious series dovetail brilliantly, and Stevie Bell will continue her relentless quest for the murderers in books two and three.

Publishers Weekly Best Books of 2018 * Junior Library Guild Selection * 2019 YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Nomination * 2019 ALA's Best Fiction for Young Adults Nomination * Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books 2018 * Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Young Adult Fiction 2018 * 2018 Nerdy Book Club Young Adult Winner * Seventeen Best YA Book of 2018

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Jessica

Kevin Henkes

"There is no Jessica", said Ruthie's parents. But Ruthie knows there is. She eats with Jessica, plays with her, and reads their favorite books together. When the first day of school arrives, Mom and Dad hope Ruthie finds a real friend. They're in for a big surprise! Full color. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.

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Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus

Barbara Park

Hurray! Hurray! Celebrate 20 years of Junie B. Jones!
Meet Junie B. Jones! The B. Stands for Beatrice. Except Junie B. doesn't like Beatrice. She just likes B and that's all. It's the first day of kindergarten. But Junie B. did not like riding the bus to school. Only guess what? Junie B. is an excellent hider. So, at the end of the day—when everyone lines up to go—home . . . Junie B. doesn't. With over 50 MILLION copies in print and translated into more than a dozen languages, the New York York Times Bestselling Junie B. Jones series has kept kids laughing—and reading—for 20 years! Now, for the first time ever, the book that started it all, Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus, is available in a full-color jacketed hardcover edition. With original, never before seen material—including full color artwork, photographs, a behind the scene peek at illustrator Denise Brunkus's sketch pad, and a conversation between Barbara Park and Junie B. Jones herself—this special collector's edition is a treat for both new readers and Junie B. fans of all ages!

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Mr. S

Monica Arnaldo

Prepare for plenty of giggles as a kindergarten class arrives for their first day of school but can't find their teacher--only a delicious-looking sandwich and the words "Mr. S" scribbled on the chalkboard. Chaos ensues as the kids argue whether the sandwich must be their teacher. A comical first-day-of-school book of mayhem and chaos by Monica Arnaldo, perfect for fans of Miss Nelson Is Missing.

"This might be the funniest first-day-of-school book I've ever read." --Adam Rex, New York Times bestselling author of School's First Day of School

It was the first day of school.

But even the kindergarteners of room 2B could tell something was seriously wrong. . . . Where was the teacher? Who left this sandwich on the desk?

The only clue, written on the chalkboard, were three simple letters: Mr. S

Praise for Mr. S:

"Confusion, mystery, and laughs are on the menu in Arnaldo's deliciously goofy back-to-school tale." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"The tale's genuinely absurd situation, the mystery of the teacher's identity, and the deadpan storytelling make this a memorable read-aloud choice." --ALA Booklist (starred review)

"Mysteries for young readers are few and far between and this one is fun and entertaining." --School Library Journal (starred review)

An Amazon Best Book of the Month * A Junior Library Guild Selection * Indigo Staff Pick of the Month * Governor General's Literary Award Finalist * Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year * Indigo Best Book of the Year * Chicago Public Library Best of the Best List * New York Public Library Best Book of the Year * School Library Journal Best Book of the Year * Booklist Editor's Choice

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Ramona the Pest

Beverly Cleary

At last Beverly Cleary has given Ramona Quimby a book of her own. No longer is she the shy nemesis of Henry Huggins or the exasperating responsibility of Beezus. Instead she is a five-year-old with spirit'and a rare opportunity to explain her side of things.

The story deals with Ramona's entrance into kindergarten, a memorable event for all concerned. Whether Ramona is proving what a good rester she is by snoring delicately during quiet time or whether she is pulling Susan's tempting curls, she makes her presence known. Most of the time Ramona loves her teacher, Miss Binney, wholeheartedly. How Miss Binney feels is anyone's guess. Mrs. Quimby tells her daughter, "She will never forget you as long as she lives."

Nothing seems quite so funny to children as the tales of what they did when they were little. Here then is an account of kindergarten days for readers who have passed that awkward stage. Many will find that Ramona's escapades hilarious; others will be moved by her struggles to make a place for herself in an uncomprehending world.

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The Best Seat in Kindergarten

Katharine Kenah

On the first day of kindergarten, everyone is new at school—including Sam!

Beginning readers will love this warm introduction to all the excitement and uncertainty of starting kindergarten. From the team who wrote and illustrated The Best Seat in Second Grade, this prequel is a heartfelt story that's perfect for all children getting ready for kindergarten and other big early steps.

It's Sam’s first day of kindergarten, and he's not so sure what to expect. Sam’s teacher, Ms. Tate, takes the class on a nature walk, and at the very end, everyone gets to show off what they found! Sam makes new friends when he helps everyone find interesting things for show-and-tell.

The Best Seat in Kindergarten is a My First I Can Read book, which means it’s perfect for shared reading with a child.

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Ready for Kindergarten, Stinky Face?

Lisa McCourt

It's time to go to kindergarten, but Stinky Face has a question . . . But, Mama, what if the sink in my classroom pours grape juice instead of water? As the situations grow stranger, Stinky Face's mama always has just the right answer to make him feel better. With Lisa McCourt's zany ideas and Cyd Moore's motion-filled illustrations, this reader is sure to make every worried kindergartner-to-be a little less nervous.

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Mom, It's My First Day of Kindergarten!

Hyewon Yum

It's a child's first day of kindergarten, but who is worried about all the new people and the different things he'll meet--the child? No! The mother. In a refreshing reversal of roles, the child takes it upon himself to comfort and reassure his mother that everything will be fine, she'll get used to him going to big-kid school, and yes, he is ready for the first day of kindergarten. Utterly charming in its simplicity, Yum playfully uses size and color to reveal emotions of this milestone beginning.

Mom, It's My First Day of Kindergarten! is a Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Book of 2012

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Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten

Joseph Slate

This rhyming, brightly illustrated book is the perfect way to practice the alphabet and to introduce young children to kindergarten.

It's the first day of kindergarten and Miss Bindergarten is hard at work getting the classroom ready for her twenty-six new students. Meanwhile, Adam Krupp wakes up, Brenda Heath brushes her teeth, and Christopher Beaker finds his sneaker. Miss Bindergarten puts the finishing touches on the room just in time, and the students arrive. Now the fun can begin! 

"Multifaceted and appealing, this book can be enjoyed in many ways, at home and at school." --The New York Times Book Review

For readers of Kindergarten, Here I Come and The Night Before Kindergarten.

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Kitty Vs. Kindergarten

Martha Freeman

Kitty knows three things. He is the center of the universe. He likes it that way. Nothing should ever change. But to Kitty's everlasting surprise and annoyance, things continue to change around him!

Kitty has everything he could ever want--breakfast at 7:00, supper at 4:00, and his favorite raggedy mouse toy. When Kitty goes to sleep, he dreams of a so-cozy life exactly the same as his own because same is what Kitty likes. But Kitty's world is rocked when his good, nice boy announces that Kitty will be going to kindergarten.

At kindergarten, Kitty is not able to do the things he usually does. He can't watch his nature shows, sharpen his claws, or hunt for snacks. But with the help of his good, nice boy and the teacher, Kitty learns that he can enjoy trying new things...and still get home in time for supper.

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The King of Kindergarten

Derrick Barnes

A New York Times bestseller!

A confident little boy takes pride in his first day of kindergarten, by the Newbery Honor-winning author of Crown.

The morning sun blares through your window like a million brass trumpets.It sits and shines behind your head--like a crown. Mommy says that today, you are going to be the King of Kindergarten!

Starting kindergarten is a big milestone--and the hero of this story is ready to make his mark! He's dressed himself, eaten a pile of pancakes, and can't wait to be part of a whole new kingdom of kids. The day will be jam-packed, but he's up to the challenge, taking new experiences in stride with his infectious enthusiasm! And afterward, he can't wait to tell his proud parents all about his achievements--and then wake up to start another day.
     Newbery Honor-winning author Derrick Barnes's empowering story will give new kindergarteners a reassuring confidence boost, and Vanessa Brantley-Newton's illustrations exude joy.

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The Queen of Kindergarten

Derrick Barnes

A confident little Black girl has a fantastic first day of school in this companion to the New York Times bestseller The King of Kindergarten.

MJ is more than ready for her first day of kindergarten! With her hair freshly braided and her mom's special tiara on her head, she knows she’s going to rock kindergarten. But the tiara isn’t just for show—it also reminds her of all the good things she brings to the classroom, stuff like her kindness, friendliness, and impressive soccer skills, too! Like The King of Kindergarten, this is the perfect book to reinforce back-to-school excitement and build confidence in the newest students.

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Kindergarten, Here I Come!

D.J. Steinberg

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • MORE THAN A MILLION COPIES SOLD • Get ready for kindergarten with this picture book of rhyming poems that shows kids what to expect from their first year in school—includes a sticker sheet for interactive fun!

“Kindergarten, here I come…
I’m checking off the list
Of everything I need for school.
Let’s see… what have I missed?”

Celebrate all the familiar moments of kindergarten with this adorable picture book, perfect for back-to-school! Whether it's the first-day-of-school jitters, recess recklessness, field trip excitement, or the hundredth-day-of-school party, this book introduces every aspect of the kindergarten experience through light and funny poems. Complete with charming illustrations and a sticker sheet for immersive play, Kindergarten, Here I Come! is the perfect way to prepare children for an important milestone.

The fun continues with First Grade, Here I Come!

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Amelia's 6th-Grade Notebook

Marissa Moss

Amelia writes all about the 6th grade in this sweet and silly installment of the bestselling Amelia series!

It’s time to open the door to middle school and Amelia can’t wait. There’s only one bad thing, but it is a big bad thing: her sister, Cleo, who thinks she’s better than everyone else is in the same school now. But she’s in 8th grade, so Amelia can try to ignore her just like at home. But what Amelia didn’t count on was her history teacher, Mr. Lambaste—grumpy and mean and a BIG BULLY. But he’s the teacher so what can Amelia do?

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Bear's Big Day

Salina Yoon

Geisel Honor-winning author/illustrator Salina Yoon's beloved duo Bear and Floppy head to school in Bear's Big Day--a charming picture book about embracing new experiences.

It's Bear's very first day of school! He wants to be grown up, so he leaves his stuffed bunny Floppy at home along with all his familiar things. But being away from his best friend is hard--and the first day doesn't turn out quite how like Bear wanted it to. Bear learns that the first day of school might not always be perfect, and being grown up doesn't have to mean giving up the things he loves.

This third book in the Bear and Floppy series from beloved, bestselling author-illustrator Salina Yoon tackles big themes like starting school and being independent, even in scary new situations.

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Dinosaur vs. School

Bob Shea

From the popular Dinosaur vs. series comes another rambunctious read-aloud that will tickle toddlers, teachers and parents at back-to-school time and every day after!



Dinosaur is starting preschool today. ROAAAR! There are new friends to meet, dress-up outfits to wear, glitter and googly eyes to paste, musical instruments to play, and snacks to eat. What's not to like? But then... oh, no! It's Dinosaur vs. Clean-up Time! Fortunately, when friends work together, everyone wins! With all the bright colors, bold lines, and toddler-like exuberance that have made the previous Dinosaur vs. books irresistible, DINOSAUR VS. SCHOOL will both amuse and reassure anyone going off to school for the first time.



"Shea's Dinosaur titles will never fail to be read-aloud hits!" --Kirkus Reviews



Don't miss the other Dinosaur vs. books:

Dinosaur Vs. Bedtime

Dinosaur Vs. Mommy

Dinosaur Vs. the Potty

Dinosaur Vs. the Library

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Owen

Kevin Henkes

Owen had a fuzzy yellow blanket. "Fuzzy goes where I go," said Owen. But Mrs. Tweezers disagreed. She thought Owen was too old for a blanket. Owen disagreed. No matter what Mrs. Tweezers came up with, Blanket Fairies or vinegar, Owen had the answer. But when school started, Owen't mother knew just what to do, and everyone -- Owen, Fuzzy, and even Mrs. Tweezers -- was happy.

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Lola and the New School

Keka Novales

When Lola is accepted to a new school, Mama thinks it's an "excellent opportunity." Lola isn't so sure, especially since it means changing schools--in the middle of the school year! She'll have to say goodbye to her old school and her old friends. Abuelita tries to convince Lola that she can conquer anything, but can Lola handle a new school and a bully all on her own?

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Chrysanthemum

Kevin Henkes

Chrysanthemum is a funny and honest school story about teasing, self-esteem, and acceptance to share all year round.

Written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes, the nationally bestselling and celebrated creator of Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse, Owen, and Kitten's First Full Moon, Chrysanthemum is a don't-miss classic, especially for back to school.

Chrysanthemum thinks her name is absolutely perfect--until her first day of school. "You're named after a flower!" teases Victoria. "Let's smell her," says Jo. Chrysanthemum wilts. What will it take to make her blossom again?

This popular picture book has sold more than a million copies and was named a Notable Book for Children by the American Library Association. "Perfectly executed in words and illustration, Chrysanthemum exemplifies Henkes's talent for creating true picture stories for young audiences."--The Horn Book

This is an ideal break-the-ice book for the first week of school. It get children thinking about and bonding with their own names and the names of everyone else in the class, and it's the perfect vehicle for starting a discussion about treating classmates with tolerance, kindness, and compassion.

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Maple & Willow Apart

Lori Nichols

Funny, relatable sibling dynamics make this story a wonderful way to address navigating big changes. Lori Nichols’s expressive artwork beautifully portrays Maple and Willow’s strong bond, and children will love the creative, kid-powered solution.
 
Maple and Willow have always been inseparable. So what happens when Maple starts big-girl school and Willow stays behind? Well, of course, both girls have marvelous adventures of their own, but the truth is, they miss each other. And when they see that the missing is mutual, they find a unique way to feel connected even when they have to be apart.

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Polly and the Puffin: The New Friend

Jenny Colgan


The third children's book featuring Polly and her puffin Neil, from bestselling adult novelist Jenny Colgan. With gorgeous two-color illustrations throughout, Polly is perfect for reading aloud.

Polly and her puffin friend, Neil, have wonderful adventures by the sea. 

But now the time has come for Polly to go to the place she calls 'Big School'. It might be fun, it might be exciting, and it's definitely a little bit scary. 

Making new friends can be harder than it sounds . . . join Polly on her quest and find out if there might be a new feathered friend for Neil too!

Ideal for bedtime stories and early readers. From the author of The Little Beach Street Bakery.

Contains lots of fun recipes and activities in addition to the story.

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Being Small Isnt So Bad After

Lori Orlinsky

A little girl is afraid to go to school because she is the shortest kid in class. But her mother gives her self-confidence by describing all the ways her height makes her unique. -- Adapted from back cover.

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Pizza and Taco: Too Cool for School

Stephen Shaskan

New backpacks? Check! Besties Pizza and Taco are ready to head back to school, but are they ready to meet the cool new kid?

B.L.T. wears sunglasses--even in school! He's not even worried about being late to class. SO COOL! I mean, "whatever." Pizza and Taco quickly pick up on what's cool--and what's not--by watching B.L.T.'s every move. Will that spell t-r-o-u-b-l-e for Pizza and Taco with their teacher, Mr. Apple? 

This hilarious young graphic novel--with chapters--will tickle the funny bones of kids ages 5-8 and bolster their reading confidence. Young graphic chapter books are a great step on the way to graphic novels and longer chapter books.

Readers will devour all the books in the series:
Pizza and Taco: Who's the Best?
Pizza and Taco: Best Party Ever!
Pizza and Taco: Super-Awesome Comic!
Pizza and Taco: Too Cool For School
Pizza and Taco: Rock Out!

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Grumpy Monkey School Stinks!

Suzanne Lang

An original graphic novel based on the #1 New York Times bestselling Grumpy Monkey picture books, perfect for children who are ready for longer storylines and hilarious dialogue. This time, Jim Panzee is going back to school. And he is NOT pleased.

During a game of hide-and-seek, Jim Panzee causes a real stink. Literally. He walks right into Polecat’s log to hide and instead gets covered in Polecat’s smelly spray. His friends remind Jim that if he’d paid attention in class, he’d have learned to identify animals by their footprints. So it’s back to school for Jim!

Guess what! School can be fun—once you get into the swing of it! But when Jim finds himself failing, his best friend, Norman, helps him understand that learning doesn’t only happen when you get everything right—you can learn from your mistakes, too.

This silly back-to-school graphic novel will engage even the most reluctant readers and will keep kids laughing from the first page to the last.

Also inside: A Primate Primer from Jim’s mom! A trail mix recipe from Jim’s dad!

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