COOKING UP CHANGEby Michael Platt, illustrated by Alleanna Harris (On sale May 27; ISBN: 9781419778889; Ages 8-12) In the eagerly awaited sequel to teen chef and food justice advocate Michael Platt’s Recipes for Change, Platt journeys through a year in Black history with a little help from his beloved grandmother as he retells 12 important historic events and shares a recipe inspired by each one.
Liza Tully channels the perfect mix of feel-good vibes and suspense in her newest mystery, THE WORLD’S GREATEST DETECTIVE AND HER JUST OKAY ASSISTANT (Berkley | Hardcover | July 8), a delightful whodunit following a famous detective and her new and possibly less-than-ideal assistant—but before they can unravel the latest murder, they’ll need to solve the mystery of why they can’t seem to work together.
Tully combines the humorous cross-generational workplace antics of Hacks with the enigmatic familial dysfunction of Knives Out in this uniquely clever, twisty murder mystery. The novel is laugh-out-loud funny, with a protagonist in Olivia Blunt who is at once quirky and relatable as she juggles bold career aspirations with “real life.”
Olivia doesn’t want to be an assistant detective for the rest of her life, and after weeks of admin work, investigator Aubrey Merritt, renowned as much for her professional prowess as her breezy, pragmatic attitude, finally agrees to bring Olivia along on her new case. Victoria Summersworth, a wealthy, healthy, happy woman, fell to her death on the evening of her sixty-fifth birthday party, and the police have ruled it a suicide—but Victoria’s daughter thinks it was murder.
Olivia realizes she might be in over her head with this whole detective thing, but she’s resolved to prove her investigative skills to her boss. Still, Summersworth family drama is complicated, to say the least, and Olivia quickly realizes she’s unraveling a mystery far more complicated than anyone anticipated.
Author Liza Tully is an alternate pen name for Elisabeth Elo (for dark thrillers) and Elisabeth Panttaja Brink (for literary fiction).
Through all moments of the day, both large and small, a boy prepares for a Day of the Dead celebration, in this picture book from Pura Belpré Honor–winning author-illustrator John Parra.
A single day in a boy’s life is filled with family, love, and inspiration as he prepares for the Día de Muertos celebration and remembers that all moments are special. Each moment reminds us of our family and those who have gone before us. Today holds a special promise, una promesa especial.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR
John Parra’s illustrations for Frida Kahlo and Her Animalitos, written by Monica Brown, earned the book a New York Times Best Illustrated Book designation. He also illustrated Green Is a Chile Pepper: A Book of Colors by Roseanne Thong, which received a Pura Belpré Honor and the Américas Book Award: Commended; Marvelous Cornelius: Hurricane Katrina and the Spirit of New Orleans by Phil Bildner, which won the Golden Kite Award for Picture Book Illustration and was a Bank Street Best Book of the year; and Hey, Wall, by Susan Verde, which School Library Journal called “a must-purchase” in a starred review. Learn more at JohnParraArt.com.
For the first printing only! This hardcover features sprayed edges while the special edition supply lasts.
A stunning debut middle grade fantasy about a girl caught between the realms of the living and the dead who gets lost in the Underworld—perfect for fans of Greenwild and Rick Riordan.
Senka lives between the realm of the Living and the realm of the Dead. As ward to Charon, the Ferryer of the Underworld, Senka assists in ferrying recently departed souls across the river and into their afterlife. Although Charon has taught her many Rules about life in the Underworld, there is much he avoids telling her. Though she doesn’t understand why the Rules are so important, she listens—she must heed them in order to become an official Ferryer, just like Charon.
Then a Living girl, Poppy, enters the Underworld to plead for help in finding the ghost of her brother. Poppy’s grief tugs at Senka’s heart—but helping Poppy goes against the very Rules Senka is so desperate to follow. When Poppy is yanked away by the river’s current, Senka leaps to save her, and she and Poppy are swept downriver, far from everything Senka has ever known.
Lost in the Underwild, Senka and Poppy encounter malevolent spirits of lore and eccentric ghosts—and not all are willing to let souls slip through their grasp. Senka knows the Living can’t stay in the realm of the Dead for long, and if Poppy isn’t returned home soon, she will risk becoming lost to the Underworld forever. But as Senka travels deeper into the Underwild, she discovers there are secrets her guardian has kept from her, including the mystery surrounding her own existence. As Poppy and Senka dodge angry demigods, hungry wraiths, and terrifying dragon chimera, Senka gets closer to learning the truth of her own past. Soon, Senka won’t just need to save Poppy’s life—she’ll also need to save her own.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shana Targosz writes about magical girls, budding friendships, ghosts who may or may not be friendly, and fiercely held hope. She is an Oregon Literary Fellow and the 2021 recipient of the Edna L. Holmes Fellowship in Young Readers Literature. River of Spirits is her debut novel. When not writing or reading through a stack of books, she spends her time playing Zelda with her son, designing solo journaling games, walking her domesticated monster disguised as a Labradoodle, and dreaming up different worlds.
It’s August 1994, and Charlie Stewart begins his final year at St. Mark’s Episcopal School, a prestigious all-boys school in Richmond, Virginia. Charlie, an undistinguished student by St. Mark’s standards, faces tough odds as he seeks to rekindle his relationship with Katy Hendricks, a beautiful tennis star, and gain admission to a highly selective state university.
Through it all, Charlie relies on Beau Miller, his best friend and the top student athlete in their class. Despite Beau’s movie-star looks and infectious charm, he has a darker side, which becomes more apparent as the year progresses.
Charlie endures his trials with wry determination and ultimately emerges with a renewed sense of purpose. Charlie-Man is both a heartrending but hopeful story and a lyrical homage to the classic coming-of-age novels of years past.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Thomas Cullen is a federal trial judge and former U.S. attorney in Virginia. He is also an accomplished writer, regularly publishing op-eds and essays for national and regional media outlets over the past decade. Thomas graduated near the top of his class from William & Mary Law School and was recently honored as its 2024 Carter O. Lowance Fellow. A native of Richmond, Virginia, Thomas studied history and ran track at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, which recently awarded him an honorary doctorate. Charlie-Man is his first novel.
The book to look for! When You Go To Dragon School.
In this hilarious debut picture book, the human school is full, but don’t worry — a spot at the local dragon school is waiting for you! This is a wonderful book about diversity and about accepting differences in others!
Self Disclosure: I received free copies of the above books to feature as weekly book options, and all are recommended. Images were provided.
