YA – Isles of the Gods

Kaufman, Amie. Isles of the Gods. Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2023. 978-0-593-47928-5. $19.99. 464 p. Grades 9-12.

Selly is a sailor and always has been. Although she has instructions from her father to stay where she is, she decides to board a ship to join him on the open seas. When her ship is commandeered by Prince Leander, she discovers he must complete a ritual and sacrifice on the Isles of the Gods to prevent one of two ancient sleeping Gods from awaking and starting a war. While Selly reluctantly agrees to help Leander along with his former schoolmate, Keegan, who was a stowaway aboard, they embark on a dangerous journey across the sea so the Prince can fulfill his task. There are some, however, who want to see Leander fail. Laskia is on a mission to find the Prince to prevent his sacrifice. Some, like her older sister Ruby, want to start a war, and with the help of Jude, a fighter and former acquaintance of the Prince, they set off after him. Prince Leander has one advantage: he’s an extremely powerful magician, and when he teaches Selly to harness her powers as well, they do their best to outrun their enemies in a thrilling and dangerous race against time.

THOUGHTS: Isles of the Gods is the first book I have read by Amie Kaufman, and I found this story to be wonderfully adventurous. I’d recommend this one to readers looking for action and peril with just a touch of romance. Told from multiple points of view, Kaufman creates an original mythology which adds to the mystery and magic on the high seas within this thrilling novel.

Fantasy

YA – Foul Heart Huntsman

Gong, Chloe. Foul Heart Huntsman. Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2023. 978-1-665-90561-9. $21.99. 560 p. Grades 9-12.

It’s 1932 in Shanghai. Rosalind Lang, also known by her code name Lady Fortune, has been exposed. As an immortal assassin, she had a purpose, and she had her missions. Now, she has nothing. Orion, her mission partner who posed as her husband, has been taken by his mother and his mind is now fully under her control. Although their marriage was only a ruse, her feelings for him were not, and she sets off on a new mission to find him and bring him home, even with an impending attack from Japan looming over her every move. With the help of Orion’s sister, Phoebe, who is an agent herself; her ally Alisa Montagova; and her sister, Celia, Rosalind encounters many dangers and ghosts from her past on her journey to save Orion, but she’s determined to find him, no matter the cost.

THOUGHTS: This novel brings the Foul Lady Fortune duology to an end. Based on Shakespeare’s As You Like It, Foul Heart Huntsman is a continuation of Gong’s These Violent Delights, and I would advise readers to start with that series before reading this one. The book is equal parts science fiction, fantasy, action, espionage, and romance in an alternate, historical setting. The series as a whole features diverse and LGBTQ+ characters, and readers will love the reunion scenes between all characters in Gong’s Secret Shanghai world.

Fantasy

Elem./MG – The Eyes and the Impossible

Eggers, Dave. The Eyes and the Impossible. Illustrated by Shawn Harris. Knopf. 2023. 978-1-524-76420-3. 249 p. $19.99. Grades 3 and up. 

Meet Johannes. A dog who lives on an island with all sorts of friends, various types of birds, raccoons, squirrels, and buffalo. Johannes is free and lightning fast, but the buffalo are not. He is the eyes of the island who works with the other helpers to report back to the buffalo nightly. Johannes loves beauty. He is mesmerized by the rectangles that are being brought into the new building and appreciates all of the natural beauty he is surrounded by. When a large herd of goats are brought onto the island to clean up weeds, Johannes’ world expands in a way he never thought possible. Would his life be forever changed by meeting a new friend? The art in this book is existing landscapes that Shawn Harris added Johannes to in a seamless manner.

THOUGHTS: This Newbery winning title is interesting. Very thought provoking, funny at times, heart wrenching at others. The altered illustrations are fascinating. Harris has added Johannes to each landscape, and it seems like he has always been there!

Fantasy

Elem. – The Girl Who Lost a Leopard

Farook, Nizrana. The Girl Who Lost a Leopard. Peachtree, 2023. 978-1-682-63581-0. 196 p. $16.99. Grades 3-5.

Selvi is a twelve year old girl who lives on the island of Serendib with her widowed mother. Until recently, she was home-schooled and enjoyed her solitary life exploring the mountains that were full of wildlife. One day, the girl observes some hunters trying to capture a leopard. This was a special leopard with a beautiful coat that she often observed on her mountain journeys. Selvi managed to prevent Jansz from killing the big cat, but he threatened her if she told others about his poaching attempt, because hunting leopards was against the law. The leopard, which she called Lokka, was her mountain companion and hid his wild nature around her, allowing her to be near him as he rested in a tree. A boy at school called Amir finds out about the girl’s secret rendezvous with Lokka and teams up with her to save the leopard. In addition to the poachers, Selvi has to deal with her overbearing rich uncle who disapproves of the girl’s free spirited ways. Things come to a head when Lokka is captured, and Selvi realizes that enemies can be closer than imagined. With help from unexpected sources, the girl is determined to rescue her beloved animal friend, despite the danger. This story is set in Serendib, which is a fictional island inspired by the author’s home country of Sri Lanka. The text has an attractive cover and a map of the island is found in the front pages.

THOUGHTS: This adventure story, with its short chapters, is a real page turner. Readers who enjoy this one may want to check out the author’s other two books: The Girl Who Stole An Elephant and The Boy Who Met a Whale. Highly recommended for elementary collections and a great choice for those who love animal or adventure stories.

Adventure

Elem./MG – Silverwing

Oppel, Kenneth. Silverwing. Simon & Schuster, 2023. 978-1-665-93848-8. $23.99. Unpaged. Grades 3-7.

Shade is the smallest bat in his silverwing colony, and while his size may be small, his curiosity looms large. He wants to know why he is not allowed to see the sun. Of course, he knows about the law established by the owls millions of years ago: bats may only rule the skies at night while birds rule during the day. One day, he stays out at sunrise, hoping to catch a glimpse of the sun. An owl catches him and later comes to his colony to tell the silverwing leader that retribution must be made since Shade broke the rules. The leader refuses, and the owls burn down their roost. The colony has no choice but to migrate south to their Hibernaculum a bit earlier than expected. Shade sticks close to his mother during the beginning of the journey, but he gets blown off course by a strong storm. He finds himself lost and alone until he meets Marina, a brightwing bat who vows to help him get back to his colony. Together, they journey to Hibernaculum but not before many dangerous encounters with cannibalistic jungle bats, sewer rats, and vengeful birds. 

THOUGHTS: The graphic adaptation of Oppel’s novel by the same name is sure to be a hit with readers who love animal stories filled with adventure. The illustrations are detailed and colorful and the story, while action-packed, also weaves in details about bat life, including diet and echolocation. 

Graphic Novel

Elem./MG – Project F.

DuPrau, Jeanne. Project F. Random House, 2023. 978-0-593-64380-8. $17.99. 213 p. Grades 3-7.

Keith is thirteen and living in a world where fossil fuels are no longer used for power and electricity. After all, fossil fuels destroyed the Earth, and now, hundreds of years later, Keith and his friends and family enjoy the simple pleasures of life without the destructive conveniences fossil fuels afforded their ancestors long ago. Keith learns that his aunt and uncle have passed away and his cousin, Lulu, is coming to live with his family. His parents cannot get away from work, so Keith takes the train to meet her and plans on accompanying her back to his home. On the train, he meets a man named Malcolm who gets off at a station before the stop where Lulu is waiting for him. Later, Keith realizes he has accidentally switched bags with Malcolm. Inside Malcolm’s bag, he finds written pages about something called Project F. Once he picks up Lulu, he decides to take a quick detour at Malcolm’s stop to return his bag… and possibly find out what Project F is all about. Once there, he and Lulu find out that Project F might allow people to fly! Keith is certain this will change the world. Imagine if people could fly from place to place! Seeing Keith’s enthusiasm for the invention, Malcolm decides to do a special demonstration of Project F in Keith’s hometown. Once Keith and Lulu get home, they keep Project F a secret so as not to ruin the special demonstration. But then, Keith learns what Project F uses as fuel for flying, and suddenly he is not sure if the progress of this invention is worth the destruction it may bring.

THOUGHTS: This cautionary tale about climate change and the cost of modern conveniences is timely. Students who are fans of DuPrau’s City of Ember will enjoy this book. It is a must-buy for librarians serving upper elementary and middle grade patrons.

Science Fiction

Elem. – The Wild Robot Protects

Brown, Peter. The Wild Robot Protects. Little Brown and Company, 2023. 978-0-316-66941-2. 277 p. $17.99. Grades 3-5.

The Wild Robot Protects takes the reader back to the island with Roz and her family. Everything is going well when a seal comes to the island and warns the creatures of a “poison tide” that is headed towards the island. Many of the animals leave the island, some such as Roz’s son Brightbill decide to stay as this island is their home. Roz decides that she is going to figure out where the “poison tide” is coming from and she will stop it as well. She learns that she  needs to find an ancient shark and ask them for help, so off she goes. The reader follows Roz as she goes off on this adventure, and they will wait with anticipation to find out whether Roz was able to save the island and stop the “poison tide”.

THOUGHTS: The Wild Robot series is so fun, whether being used for a read aloud with a group of students, or just read by one student for pleasure. This addition is as wonderful as the rest of them! This would be a great book to use with a climate change unit, or just as a read aloud (as long as the class is familiar with the other Wild Robot books). Highly recommended for any elementary school collection.

Science Fiction

YA – Thieves’ Gambit

Lewis, Kayvion. Thieves’ Gambit. Nancy Paulsen Books, 2023. 978-0-593-62536-1. 384 p. $19.99. Grades 8-12.

Ross Quest is about to pull off the biggest heist of her life in order to save her kidnapped mother in this action-packed YA thriller. Ross and her mother have planned many robberies together—as one of the most notorious thief-families in North America, they have a reputation to uphold. When a robbery goes awry, Ross reluctantly must enter into the mysterious and dangerous Thieves’ Gambit, a high-stakes game made up of the best young criminal minds from around the world. If Ross wins, she’ll have one wish granted: in her case, it’s the wish to rescue her mother by paying her mother’s billion dollar ransom. All goes according to plan until feelings for one of the contestants, the handsome British Devroe, threatens to throw Ross off of her game. Filled with twists and turns right until the end, this one will keep your students reading the whole way to the last page.

THOUGHTS: A high-stakes heist must-read title. For teens who love lots of action, twists, turns, and a fast-paced plot, this is the ideal story. Thieves’ Gambit reads like a heist movie on paper as it takes readers on a wild adventure around the world. Ross is a likable and realistic character trying to fulfill quests before time runs out. There is enough romantic tension between Ross and Devroe that will keep romance readers loving this book, too. Ideal for fans of series like The Inheritance Games. Strong diversity and character development.

Mystery

Elem. – One Cool Duck: King of Cool

Petrik, Mike. One Cool Duck: King of Cool. Hippo Park, 2023.  978-1-662-64018-6. unpaged. $11.89. Grades 1-3.

King of Cool is the first book in the One Cool Duck graphic novel series written for developing readers. The series also includes The Far Out Fort and Summer Games. The first chapter centers on Duck interacting with his family and friends, showing how Duck is the best at everything from skateboarding, to the arcade, to biking. That is, until Cat Zooms down the hill and into Duck’s friends at lightning speed. In Chapter 2, Duck and his friends invite Cat to hang out with them…but over time, realize that Cat is just a show-off who doesn’t treat friends well. The story reaches its climax when Duck has to rescue Cat whose showing-off has gotten him stuck in a tree. The book ends with an apology from Cat for his behavior and the friends heading off to new adventures.  

THOUGHTS: I tested this book out on my first and second grade students, and they LOVED it! The illustrations are saturated with color and work with the author’s dialog to create a unique animal world that engages the reader in the story.  The dialog is snappy and cool and delivers its message about being a good friend without being heavy-handed. Recommended for ANY library looking to grab the attention of developing readers with a book that has just the right balance of fun and social messaging for young readers!

Graphic Novel

Elem. – How to Ride a Dragonfly

Donohoe, Kitty. How to Ride a Dragonfly. Illustrated by Anne Wilsdorf. Anne Schwartz Books, 2023. 978-0-593-17564-4. $18.99. Unpaged. Grades PreK-2.

A young girl explains how to ride a dragonfly, beginning with how to shrink in size. Once she has managed to shrink down, lasso a dragonfly, and climb on, she goes on several adventures with the dragonfly. They fight a bumblebee, attend a picnic, escape a hungry frog, dance with the Beetle Band, and do some trick riding. As the sun sets behind the mountain, the narrator ends up back where she began and returns to her full size. Beautiful watercolor and ink illustrations add magic to this fanciful, imaginative tale.

THOUGHTS: Young children will delight in the mishaps experienced by the narrator throughout the story. They will also love the many lifelike creatures featured throughout the book. While not necessarily an educational story, the narrator alludes to some interesting tidbits throughout her adventure that students might enjoy researching further. For example, the narrator claims that bees can’t fly straight, dragonflies eat a lot, and honey cures itches.

Picture Book