Books
We are currently planning the 2025 Gaithersburg Book Festival and will start listing our Featured Authors' Books this Fall.
A celebration of basketball by way of the 100 greatest players to ever grace the court in the history of the NBA—from The Athletic’s foremost basketball writers and analysts the game has to offer. With a foreword by Charles Barkley.
Over the course of 100 luminous player profiles, the best sports newsroom on the planet paints vivid portraits of the game’s most compelling characters. There’s George Mikan, who was cut from his high school team because he wore glasses, then went on to become the fledgling NBA’s first transcendent star. Gary Payton, called “The Glove” for his skintight defense, who talked as much trash to his teammates as he did to his opponents on the court. Dennis Rodman, who started playing basketball at age 20, and in a few short years went from working as a janitor at the airport to being one of the strangest superstars that sport has ever known. Allen Iverson, who drew inspiration from hip hop for his inimitable style and swagger, on and off the court. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who was so dominant in the paint that they changed the rules—and Steph Curry, who was so dominant outside it that he seemed to expand the very boundaries of the court.
The Basketball 100, edited by award-winning reporters David Aldridge and John Hollinger, also answers the game’s toughest, most important questions: How should we weight championship rings, versus statistical profiles, versus the “eye test”? Were the great players of yesteryear, like Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell, propelled by the inferior athleticism of their competition or would they have been transcendent in any era? And of course, who’s the GOAT—MJ or LeBron? Speaking of GOATs, for the book, Hollinger (inventor of the statistical metric PER) has created a new benchmark, GOAT Points.
Wonderfully written, authoritative, and full of joy, The Basketball 100 is a fitting tribute to the greatest sport in the world.
This first picture book biography of Rubik’s Cube creator Erno Rubik reveals the obsession, imagination, and engineering process behind creating an iconic puzzle.
Celebrating 50 years of the most popular puzzle in history!
In the hills of Budapest, near the banks of the Danube River, lived a quiet boy named Ernő Rubik. He loved books, art, nature, and—most of all—puzzles. And he grew up to create the most popular puzzle in history. This picture book biography explores the experience and interests that inspired the inventor of the Rubik’s Cube.
From the time he was a child, Ernő was curious about the objects around him. What did they look like on the inside? What about geometric shapes? How many ways could he fit them together? Could he combine them so they somehow became something that was greater than its components?
Ernő grew up and became a professor of architecture and design. Still fascinated with how shapes worked together, he fashioned an object, a cube made up of smaller cubes that twisted and turned without breaking. This object eventually became known as the most popular puzzle in history, the Rubik’s Cube.
Kerry Aradhya’s accessible text takes us behind the scenes of the creative process and into the mind and imagination of a remarkable inventor. Kara Kramer’s cheerful, multi-media illustrations encourage readers to think about inspiration, reflection, and the joy of puzzles—and solutions.
From the best-selling author of the Jumbies series comes an Afro-Caribbean-inspired story about three cousins who discover they are mokos–protector spirits–during carnival season in Brooklyn
Weirdness and wonders abound in this colorful celebration of Afro-Caribbean culture by the author of the beloved Jumbies series.
Twelve-year-old Misty and her mother have just moved from Trinidad to Brooklyn, New York, in time for the annual carnival celebrations over Labor Day weekend. Misty has plenty to deal with getting used to living with her cousins Aiden and Brooke in her new surroundings. On top of that, her mom is too busy trying to find a job and her aunts and uncles are too preoccupied with carnival preparations to pay any attention to her.
Then really strange things begin to happen. A ball of feathers in the basement turns into a creature that squeaks and rolls around. When Misty and her cousins eat pieces of mango anchar, flames shoot out of their mouths. Most disturbing of all, Misty begins to see visions of the future–scary visions that soon come true.
Misty discovers that she and her cousins come from a long line of mokos, people who have special powers meant to help them protect their community. Misty can see impending danger, Aiden can heal, and Brooke has crazy physical strength. The trio is just learning about their skills when Misty senses something watching her. And then each of the carnival events is disrupted by a different disaster. Some kind of evil force is clearly trying to stop the festivities. But why? And will moko magic be enough to save the day?
In this singularly powerful novel, bestselling author Louis Bayard brings Oscar Wilde’s wife Constance and two sons out from the shadows of history and creates a vivid and poignant story of secrets, loss, and love.
“Wonderfully researched, beautifully crafted, movingly told, The Wildes is a treasure to read.”
—Andrew Sean Greer, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Less and Less Is Lost
“The Wildes is a marvel of tenderness, irony, heartbreak, and reclamation that demonstrates why Bayard is among the most essential—and most entertaining—interrogators of the past.”
—Anthony Marra, author of Mercury Pictures Presents and A Constellation of Vital Phenomena
In September of 1892, Oscar Wilde and his family have retreated to the idyllic Norfolk countryside for a holiday. His wife, Constance, has every reason to be happy: two beautiful sons, her own work as an advocate for feminist causes, and a delightfully charming and affectionate husband and father to her children, who also happens to be the most sought-after author in England. But with the arrival of an unexpected houseguest, the aristocratic young poet Lord Alfred Douglas, Constance gradually—and then all at once—comes to see that her husband’s heart is elsewhere and that the growing intensity between the two men threatens the whole foundation of their lives.
The Wildes: A Novel in Five Acts takes readers on the emotional journey of this family, moving from the Italian countryside, where Constance Wilde flees from the aftermath of Oscar’s imprisonment for homosexuality, to the trenches of World War I and an underground bar in London’s Soho, where Oscar’s sons Cyril and Vyvyan must both grapple with their father’s legacy. And in a brilliant feat of the imagination, act 5 reunites the entire cast in a surprising, poignant, and tremendously satisfying tableau.
With Louis Bayard’s trademark sparkling dialogue and deep insight into the lives and longings of all his characters, The Wildes could almost have been created by Oscar Wilde himself. Lightly told but with hidden depths, it is an entertaining and dramatic story about the human condition.
Space science and shared humanity shine as the first Black head of NASA offers an up-close and thrilling account of his shuttle missions, including some of the defining moments of NASA’s history. With immersive full-color photos.
Sail the stars with astronaut Charlie Bolden as he recounts his amazing shuttle missions, including deploying the Hubble Space Telescope, training with Sally Ride, and leading the first US space mission that included a Russian cosmonaut as a crew member. Charlie even got to congratulate Star Wars creator George Lucas at the Academy Awards—from space! Follow Charlie’s incredible story, from watching movies as a kid about Flash Gordon flying to Mars—from the balcony where Black people had to sit—all the way to becoming the first Black NASA Administrator. From the thrill of watching lightning storms from the mesosphere to the heartbreak of the Challenger disaster, Charles’s life as a star sailor is full of adventure and discovery, told in his own words along with award-winning author Tonya Bolden. In-depth looks at how astronauts train, work, and live are complemented by diagrams, highlighted vocabulary, scientific sidebars, and incredible personal photographs. Back matter includes an author’s note and timeline.
In Fall for Him by Andie Burke, seven-hundred-fifty square feet isn’t enough for the home-renovation-fueled hatred and the building sexual tension.
Dylan Gallagher’s hot neighbor loathed him from the second he moved in, and causing a flood, falling through the floor, and landing directly onto that same neighbor’s bed probably means that’s unlikely to change. The poorly timed “It’s Raining Men” joke didn’t help.
Meanwhile, ER nurse Derek Chang’s life is a literal when-rains-it-pours nightmare. A man he hates dropped into his life along with an astronomically expensive problem originating from Derek’s own apartment’s plumbing. Also, the local HOA tyrant has been sniffing around trying to fine him for his extended, illicit banned breed dog-sitting.
Since Dylan also wants to keep the catastrophe quiet, he offers to fix the damage himself. Dylan’s sure he’s not Derek’s type, so he focuses all his ADHD hyper fixation energy on getting the repair job done as quickly as possible―avoiding doing anything stupid like acting on his very inconvenient crush. Meanwhile Derek tries to ignore that the tattooed nerd sleeping on the couch is surprisingly witty, smart, and kind, despite the long-term grudge Derek’s been holding against him. But will squeezing all their emotional baggage plus a dog into a tiny one-bedroom apartment be a major disaster…or just prove they’re made for each other?
Fall for Him combines banter, hijinks, and heart in a story of finding out what it means to fix things after your life crumbles.
A freak auto accident on a rainy night in Hawaii leaves a young man dead.
The year? 1980.
The young man? Mark David Chapman.
Eighteen years later, Paul McCartney decides to honor his wife Linda’s passing with a benefit concert. Twenty eight years after the break-up, Paul calls his three oldest friends.
“Hey lads, let’s put on a show…”
The world has been waiting a lifetime for a Beatles reunion and now it’s here. Or is it? Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr and….John Lennon, all in a room together, trying to decide if they will step out onto a stage once more.
Can these four middle-aged men get along and forget their decades-old grievances?
Will the world care?
Will the world care too much and unleash Beatlemania all over again?
Do the lads even remember the songs?
This sweet, funny, heartfelt, rock and roll fairy tale is the ultimate “what if” story for Beatle fans and music lovers alike.
A wronged wife goes toe to toe with her cheating husband at the polls in this hilarious and heart-lifting novel by the bestselling author of Don’t Forget to Write.
It’s a doozy of a bad day for Beverly Diamond when she catches her husband, Larry, in a compromising position with his secretary. What’s a DC suburban wife to do with a soon-to-be ex, two young kids, and no degree or financial support in 1962? Beat the louse at his own game, that’s what.
Larry runs the Maryland senatorial campaign for the incumbent candidate projected to win against his younger underdog opponent, Michael Landau. But Beverly has the pluck, political savvy, and sheer drive to push Landau’s campaign in a successful new direction, even if he already has a campaign manager who is less than pleased she has inserted herself into the race.
Now it’s rival against rival. She and Michael do make a great team…maybe in more ways than one. But with the election heating up, she needs to focus on one thing at a time. If Bev can convince Michael to go modern, pay attention to women’s issues, and learn how to dress himself properly, maybe she can show Larry exactly how much he has underestimated her their entire marriage―and make her own dreams come true in the process.
Set off on a magical nature adventure—and let your imagination soar—on a forest walk with the creator of Jabari Jumps.
Let’s go, let’s go! Hopping and skipping into the woods behind their house, a trio of kids and their loyal doggy companion head off into the wild world in search of fairies. Their explorations lead them across a babbling brook and through bushes and meadows of fragrant honey snowdrops and bee balm. But where are the fairies? They peer under heavy rocks and peek under fleecy carpets of moss, finding dragonlike salamanders and scampering creepy-crawlies, but no fairies. The adventurers don’t lose hope, though—if they look very closely and listen hard enough, there’s always magic to be found in the woods! Gaia Cornwall has crafted an enchanting story that celebrates flights of fancy, curiosity, and the wonder to be found in the natural world.
THE GHOSTS ARE COMING
The Kingdom Beyond is overrun with bhoot (ghosts who live in trees), and Kiya and Kinjal are the best hope of finding a solution. The ghosts are angry and dangerous―with one look they can steal your soul―so the twins must be extremely careful and use all their wits to help their flying horse friends and the rest of the inhabitants of the magical land so important to them. But what if the bhoot are angry for a reason? What if it’s their very own home trees that are being cut down, leaving them with nowhere to go?
This time, Kiya and Kinjal face danger from even those they are trying to help. Can they find out who is destroying the ghost forest?
The New York Times bestselling master of suspense returns to his beloved series, adapted for TV featuring Justin Hartley, as reward seeker Colter Shaw races against the clock to save a flooding town from a full-fledged disaster, where the culprit lurks in the plain sight.
A small town in Northern California is at risk of being destroyed by a failing levee, and Coltor Shaw has been hired to locate a family swept away by the raging water, with just mere hours to survive.
But is the levee at risk of failing from natural causes or is someone sabotaging it? With the help of his sister, Dorion, the duo must save the citizens before the old town washes out at the hands of secret conspirer.
Nine-year-old Gabby Torres is the star of this new graphic novel series! Join Gabby as she navigates the inevitable disasters of fourth grade and social media, perfect for fans of Katie the Catsitter and Allergic.
Gabby Torres is nine years old and ready to conquer the world.
She’s already joined the Sea Musketeers, the environmental protection club founded by her idol, Stella Díaz, and plans to be their best (and youngest) member ever.
Gabby’s latest and greatest idea: start a social media page for her club. But her parents think she’s too young! Nothing stops Gabby though… until some online meanies get her in some serious trouble!
But she’s totally got everything under control all on her own.
Right?
This heartwarming series is written and illustrated by Angela Dominguez, the New York Times bestselling illustrator who created the beloved Stella Díaz series. Gabby Torres is tenacious, bold, relatable, and hilarious, reminiscent of favorite characters like Junie B. Jones, Clementine, and Ramona Quimby.
After surviving a school shooting, English professor Megan Doney was traumatized and adrift. Rather than hardening her heart and life, she wrote Unarmed: An American Educator’s Memoir. An insightful response to American gun violence and illusions of public and private safety, this memoir is about how to live with an open heart, alive to luck, learning, and love.
This short, literary memoir is a personal response to a school shooting at New River Community College in Christiansburg, Virginia. Even more so, Unarmed: An American Educator’s Memoir is a must-read for educators at all levels, for college students, for parents, and for all of us who think deeply and widely about American society.
Winner of the 2024 Nonfiction Prize from the Washington Writers’ Publishing House.
As a presidency unravels and the fight for women’s rights intensifies, a teen girl’s future will be determined by her willingness to seek the truth, in this stunning work of historical fiction perfect for fans of Monica Hesse and Malinda Lo.
Patty Appleton is making history. As one of the Senate’s first female Congressional Pages, she’s not only paving the way for other politically minded girls, she has a front-row seat to debates dividing the nation, especially around women’s rights and roles. The battle between the old ways and the new polarizes the women in Patty’s life, and she finds herself torn between traditional expectations—to be anobedient daughter aspiring to become a perfect wife—and questions new friends like fiercely feminist Simone encourage her to ask.
But the questions don’t stop at women’s rights: The Watergate scandal is intensifying. As evidence mounts that the White House engaged in crimes, smears, and cover-ups to manipulate an election, Patty worries her dad, a fundraiser for President Nixon, could somehow be involved. Determining truth from lies becomes ever more essential for the nation’s future—and for Patty’s as well.
Illustrated throughout with remarkable real-life images and headlines, this timely exploration of 1973—the year of Watergate hearings, the Equal Rights Amendment, and Roe v. Wade—unfolds through the story of a young woman driven to question everything as she learns to think for, and rely on, herself.
Discover a stunning middle grade fantasy about a boy hurled into the Ghanaian underworld to help his grandmother save humanity, perfect for fans of Tristan Strong and Amari and the Night Brothers.
Twelve-year-old Kwame Powell isn’t ready to deal with losing his grandmother, even as he and his family head to Ghana for her celebration of life.
He’s definitely not ready when he’s sucked into a magical whirlpool that leads straight to Asamando, the Ghanaian underworld. There, he comes face to face with his grandmother, who is very much alive, and somehow still…a kid? Together with his best friend, Autumn, and a talkative aboatia named Woo, Kwame must battle angry nature gods, and stop the underworld from destroying the land of the living.
But there’s an even bigger problem: Only living souls can leave Asamando. In order to save the mortal world and return home, Kwame will need to find the courage to do the bravest thing of all — learn how to say goodbye.
***
Praise for Kwame Crashes the Underworld:
★ “A grand tale, funny and terrifying in turns, steeped in Ghanaian spirituality and folklore, and wrapped around themes of identity, obligation, true friendship, and devastating loss.” ― Kirkus Reviews, starred review
★ “This swashbuckling, supernatural adventure into the land of Ghanian mythology will have all readers (and especially fans of Rick Riordan Presents titles) craving more. Highly recommended.” ― School Library Journal, starred review
“Brimming with laughter, joy, and beautiful messages about grief, hope, lost loved ones, identity, and the ancestors, Kwame Crashes the Underworld rattles the spirit. Kwame Powell is a much-welcomed hero to the canon of children’s books.” ― Dhonielle Clayton, New York Times-bestselling author of The Marvellers and The Memory Thieves
“Craig Kofi Farmer brings to life the myths of Ghana with heart, humor, and cinematic flair. I wish this book had existed when I was a child. I dare readers not to let Kwame Powell into their hearts.” ― Roseanne A. Brown, New York Times-bestselling author of Serwa Boateng’s Guide to Vampire Hunting
The bestselling and award-winning author of The Skin I’m In and The Life I’m In returns with a novel that explores the complex relationships between Black boys and their fathers, and what it truly means to be a man.
Sharon G. Flake’s groundbreaking novel The Skin I’m In ushered in a new voice that lit up the literary landscape and became a modern classic, passed down through generations. The Life I’m In, its sequel, furthered the power of unmistakable voices, opening the hearts and minds of teens everywhere. Now The Family I’m In presents John-John and Caleb, friends since childhood who have come face-to-face with the struggles and triumphs of growing into young men. They’re living in a world where many Black boys are up against generational expectations, fears of the future, and how to navigate being “nice” kids who just want to be seen for who they are. Together, Caleb and John-John work through family illness, divorced parents, teachers who ask hard questions, and girls who think they have all the answers.
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
“A spirited defense of this important, odd and odds-defying American retail category.” —The New York Times
“It is a delight to wander through the bookstores of American history in this warm, generous book.”
—Emma Straub, New York Times bestselling author and owner of Books Are Magic
An affectionate and engaging history of the American bookstore and its central place in American cultural life, from department stores to indies, from highbrow dealers trading in first editions to sidewalk vendors, and from chains to special-interest community destinations
Bookstores have always been unlike any other kind of store, shaping readers and writers, and influencing our tastes, thoughts, and politics. They nurture local communities while creating new ones of their own. Bookshops are powerful spaces, but they are also endangered ones. In The Bookshop,we see the stakes: what has been, and what might be lost.
Evan Friss’s history of the bookshop draws on oral histories, archival collections, municipal records, diaries, letters, and interviews with leading booksellers to offer a fascinating look at this institution beloved by so many. The story begins with Benjamin Franklin’s first bookstore in Philadelphia and takes us to a range of booksellers including the Strand, Chicago’s Marshall Field & Company, the Gotham Book Mart, specialty stores like Oscar Wilde and Drum and Spear, sidewalk sellers of used books, Barnes & Noble, Amazon Books, and Parnassus. The Bookshop is also a history of the leading figures in American bookselling, often impassioned eccentrics, and a history of how books have been marketed and sold over the course of more than two centuries—including, for example, a 3,000-pound elephant who signed books at Marshall Field’s in 1944.
The Bookshop is a love letter to bookstores, a charming chronicle for anyone who cherishes these sanctuaries of literature, and essential reading to understand how these vital institutions have shaped American life—and why we still need them.
The story of Flaco, the Eurasian eagle-owl who escaped from Central Park Zoo and captured the hearts and imaginations of millions of followers around the world, with 32 pages of stunning color photographs.
This is a parable of freedom, wildness, and our urban ecosystems. Flaco has been dubbed “the world’s most famous bird.” From the night in February of 2023 when vandals cut a hole in his cage until his death a year later in a courtyard on the Upper West Side, his is a story full of adventure and unexpected turns.
Nature writer David Gessner chronicles the year-long odyssey of Flaco and the human drama that followed the owl who captured the imaginations of New Yorkers and people around the world. Though he’d spent his life in a cage, Flaco learned to survive in New York City by eating rats, squirrels, and birds. He was an immigrant coming from elsewhere to make it in the big city. Central Park, the island of green in an urban sea, was his new home territory.
Flaco’s urban adventure brought controversy, pitting those who felt he should be returned to the safety of the zoo against those who created the “Free Flaco” movement. The birding world was fractured over the ethics of the online sharing of his location that brought scores of enthusiasts to view him each day. And his end—with a grim necropsy revealing Flaco had suffered a viral infection from eating pigeons and had multiple rodenticides in his system—serves as a Rachel Carson-esque warning about the harm we’ve done to our urban environments, inspiring the passage of long-sought legislation protecting urban birds and regulations meant to reduce the use of rodenticides in New York City.
InvestiGators fans, rejoice! Get ready to dive into the third volume of Agents of S.U.I.T., featuring the weird and wacky coworkers of everyone’s favorite sewer-sleuthing super-agents, Mango and Brash! With more than two million copies of InvestiGators in print, readers are primed for more GatorVerse action!
The first two volumes of AGENTS OF S.U.I.T., the long-awaited spinoff of John Green’s smash-hit INVESTIGATORS series, turned the spotlight to eager rookie agent Cilantro and the un-B-lievably B-loved B-Team of Bongo and Marsha. Now, in the globetrotting third book, new recruit Zeb the sheep joins the flock to help crack the greatest mystery of all! But, uhh…just what is the greatest mystery of all?
Pondering that conundrum is what has kept the dearly departed General Inspectre tethered to Earth long after he should have moved on to the great super-spy base in the sky. Having a ghost haunting the halls of S.U.I.T. wouldn’t be so bad…except he’s possessed Monocle to serve as his Earthly form! Zeb–along with Cilantro, Bongo, Marsha, and cameos from everyone’s favorite Gators–must decipher the series’ biggest mystery EVER to free their pal and finish the Inspectre’s unfinished business!
In a funny and suspenseful debut, Christine Gunderson explores the myth of the perfect mother, the bonds of female friendship, and the haunting impact of secrets.
What you see isn’t always what you get.
Take Ainsley. The gorgeous mother of two lives a picture-perfect life with her husband, Ben―aspiring politician and heir to a candy fortune―in suburban Washington, DC. But in reality, Ainsley has no idea what she’s doing and is terrified someone will figure out who she really is and where she came from.
Nikki’s fighting to keep afloat as a stay-at-home mother of four, subsisting on chicken nuggets and very little sleep. She’s a mess on the outside, and inside yearns for the validation―and the paycheck―of the television news career she left behind.
When a dangerous figure from Ainsley’s past becomes a coach at her kids’ school, she fears the worst and confides in Nikki, spilling every detail of her former life.
Together, they devise a plan to expose the coach and safeguard their kids. But can they protect their own lives―and their new friendship―in the process?
How states are making their legal systems more equitable, seen through the story of a Black man falsely imprisoned for thirty years for murder.
In 1987, Ben Spencer, a twenty-two-year-old Black man from Dallas, was convicted of murdering white businessman Jeffrey Young—a crime he didn’t commit. From the day of his arrest, Spencer insisted that it was “an awful mistake.” The Texas legal system didn’t see it that way. It allowed shoddy police work, paid witnesses, and prosecutorial misconduct to convict Spencer of murder, and it ignored later efforts to correct this error. The state’s bureaucratic intransigence caused Spencer to spend more than half his life in prison.
Eventually independent investigators, new witness testimony, the foreman of the jury that convicted him, and a new Dallas DA convinced a Texas judge that Spencer had nothing to do with the killing, and in 2021 he was released from prison.
As Spencer’s fight to clear himself demonstrates, our legal systems are broken: expedience is more important than the truth. That is starting to change as states across the country implement new efforts to reduce wrongful convictions, and one of the states leading the way is Texas.
Award-winning journalist Barbara Bradley Hagerty has spent years digging into this issue, and she has immersed herself in Spencer’s case. She has combed police files and court records, interviewed dozens of witnesses, and had extensive conversations with Spencer, and in Bringing Ben Home she threads together two narratives: how an innocent Black man got caught up in and couldn’t escape a legal system that refused to admit its mistakes; and what Texas and other states are doing to address wrongful convictions to make the legal process more equitable for everyone.
By turns fascinating and enraging, personal and provocative, Bringing Ben Home is the powerful story of one innocent man who refused to admit that he was guilty of murder, and how his plight became part of a paradigm shift in how the legal system thinks about innocence as it institutes new methods to overturn wrongful convictions to better protect people like Ben Spencer.
In 1955, a Black family passes for white and moves to a “Whites Only” town in the suburbs. Caught between two worlds, a teen boy puts his family at risk as he uncovers racist secrets about his suburb. A new social justice thriller from the acclaimed author of This Is My America!
Calvin knows how to pass for white. He’s done it plenty of times before. For his friends in Chicago, when they wanted food but weren’t allowed in a restaurant. For work, when he and his dad would travel for the Green Book.
This is different.
After a tragedy in Chicago forces the family to flee, they resettle in an idyllic all-white suburban town in search of a better life. Calvin’s father wants everyone to embrace their new white lifestyles, but it’s easier said than done. Hiding your true self is exhausting — which leads Calvin across town where he can make friends who know all of him…and spend more time with his new crush, Lily. But when Calvin starts unraveling dark secrets about the white town and its inhabitants, passing starts to feel even more suffocating–and dangerous–than he could have imagined.
Expertly weaving together real historical events with important reflections on being Black in America, acclaimed author Kim Johnson powerfully connects readers to the experience of being forced to live a life-threatening lie or embrace an equally deadly truth.
The hilarious hit Webtoon is now a graphic novel! Join Saphie the One-eyed Cat and her fellow house cat siblings as they zoom, scratch, and nap their way through life.
What exactly does a one-eyed cat do all day? Well, there’s running, knocking things over, scratching things you’re not supposed to, terrorizing your brothers, messing with your owner, stealing food, and generally causing mayhem left, right, and center!
Saphie the One-Eyed Cat is a hilarious look at the life of a cat that knows what she wants — and what she wants is to mess around!
The first comprehensive biography of unjustly forgotten war hero Ben Kuroki, a Japanese American farm boy from Nebraska who flew fifty-eight combat missions, fighting the Axis Powers during World War II and battled racism, injustice, and prejudice on the home front.
Foreword by Naomi Ostwald Kawamura of Densho
Introduction by William Fujioka of JANM Afterword by Jonathan Eig
Ben Kuroki was a twenty-four-year-old Japanese American farm boy whose heritage was never a problem in remote Nebraska—until Pearl Harbor. Among the millions of Americans who flocked to military stations to enlist, Ben wanted to avenge the attack, reclaim his family honor, and prove his patriotism. But as anti-Japanese sentiment soared, Ben had to fight to be allowed to fight for America. And fight he did.
As a gunner on Army Air Forces bombers, Ben flew fifty-eight missions spanning three combat theaters: Europe, North Africa, and the Pacific, including the climactic B-29 firebombing campaign against Japan that culminated with the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He flew some of the war’s boldest and bloodiest air missions and lived to tell about it. In between his tours in Europe and the Pacific, he challenged FDR’s shameful incarceration of more than one hundred thousand people of Japanese ancestry in America, and he would be credited by some with setting in motion the debate that reversed a grave national dishonor. In the euphoric wake of America’s victory, the decorated war hero used his national platform to carry out what he called his “fifty-ninth mission,” urging his fellow Americans to do more to eliminate bigotry and racism at home.
Told in full for the first time, and long overdue, Ben’s extraordinary story is a quintessentially American one of patriotism, principle, perseverance, and courage. It’s about being in the vanguard of history, the bonding of a band of brothers united in a just cause, a timeless and unflinching account of racial bigotry, and one man’s transcendent sense of belonging—in war, in peace, abroad, and at home.
Remember…
“Take Me Out to the
Ballgame”
and
“I’ve Been Working on the
Railroad”?
Songwriter and comedy writer extraordinaire Alan Katz has turned those and other old favorites on their ears and created new nonsense songs kids will love. With zany, spirited pictures by illustrator and cartoonist David Catrow, this kooky collection guarantees laughs and plenty of silly dillyness for kids everywhere!
The Office meets Six Feet Under meets About a Boy in this coming-of-middle-age tale about having a second chance to write your life’s story.
Bud Stanley is an obituary writer who is afraid to live. Yes, his wife recently left him for a “far more interesting” man. Yes, he goes on a particularly awful blind date with a woman who brings her ex. And yes, he has too many glasses of Scotch one night and proceeds to pen and publish his own obituary. The newspaper wants to fire him. But now the company’s system has him listed as dead. And the company can’t fire a dead person. The ensuing fallout forces him to realize that life may be actually worth living.
As Bud awaits his fate at work, his life hangs in the balance. Given another shot by his boss and encouraged by his best friend, Tim, a worldly and wise former art dealer, Bud starts to attend the wakes and funerals of strangers to learn how to live.
Thurber Prize-winner and NYTimes bestselling author John Kenney tells a funny, touching story about life and death, about the search for meaning, about finding and never letting go of the preciousness of life.
SWISH! Cheer courtside for a Muslim teen as she joins an all-girls, hijab-wearing basketball team and learns that she’s much more than a score. This energetic graphic novel is inspired by a true story!
“A slam dunk!” —Minh Lê
Aliya is new to Wisconsin, and everything feels different than Florida. The Islamic school is bigger, the city is colder, and her new basketball team is…well, they stink.
Aliya’s still excited to have teammates (although the team’s captain, Noura, isn’t really Aliya’s biggest fan), and their new coach really understands basketball (even if she doesn’t know much about being Muslim). This season should be a blast…if they could just start to win. As they strengthen their skills on the court, Aliya and the Peace Academy team discover that it takes more than talent to be great–it’s teamwork and self-confidence that defines true success.
For fans of The Crossover and Roller Girl, this graphic novel goes big with humor and heart as it explores culture and perceptions, fitting in and standing out, and finding yourself, both on and off the court.
In a hilarious interactive picture book, the Geisel Award–winning creators of See the Cat challenge kids to answer every question with “NO”—even when their brain keeps insisting “YES.”
Can you beat Mr. Fox at his Game of No? The rules are simple: every time he asks a question, you must respond with “NO.” If you accidentally say “YES,” then it’s back to the beginning of the book for you, where you must start all over again. Are you ready? (Oops!) Do you live on planet Earth? Are you stronger than a baby? What does Y-E-S spell? (Argh!) Kids will giggle uncontrollably as they gamely aim to avoid Mr. Fox’s clever traps—but just ask them if they’d like to read this book again, and they won’t be able to resist: “YES!”
Meet some of the world’s very smallest mini-mammals in this adorable and informative picture book with actual-size illustrations from Sibert Honoree Melissa Stewart and Caldecott Honoree Brian Lies.
Big mammals like elephants, hippos, and giraffes get a lot of press, but what about the little guys? From pint-sized flying squirrels to itty bitty chipmunks and teeny tiny mouse lemurs, learn all about the mini-est mammals from around the world, depicted at their real-life size.
Why did Itsy Bitsy make his famous journey? With a dose of warmth and whimsy, Steve Light’s remarkable, intricate artwork spins a backstory of unexpected friendship.
Itsy Bitsy sits at home,
drinking tea, all alone . . .
Everyone knows the rhyme “The Itsy Bitsy Spider.” We know about the climb up the waterspout, the washout, the return of the sun, and the determined climb back up the spout—again. Generations of children have sung this beloved verse and mastered its accompanying twisty finger play. But what sent the tiny spider on his upward trek to begin with? What happened along the way—and where is Itsy now? Steve Light—with his meticulously rendered, highly detailed pen, ink, and watercolor illustrations and an endearing cast of insect characters—riffs on a classic as he offers some surprising answers, ushering us into a charming tale of perseverance, kindness, and community. And it all starts when a branch falls from a tree . . .
From award-winning and bestselling author of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon Grace Lin comes a gorgeously full-color illustrated story about a lion cub and a girl who must open a portal for the spirits, based on Chinese folklore.
Jin is a Stone Lion—one of the guardians of the Old City Gate who is charged to watch over humans and protect the Sacred Sphere. But to Jin, those boring duties feel like a waste of time.
What isn’t a waste of time? Perfecting his zuqiu kick, scoring a Golden Goal, and becoming the most legendary player of all the spirit world.
But when Jin’s perfect kick accidentally knocks the Sacred Sphere out through the gate, he has no choice but to run after it, tumbling out of the realm he calls home and into the human world as the gate closes behind him.
Stuck outside the gate, Jin must find help from unlikely allies, including a girl who can hear a mysterious voice and a worm who claims he is a dragon. Together, they must find the sphere and return it to the world beyond the gate…or risk losing everything.
Award-winning and bestselling author Grace Lin returns with another gorgeously illustrated adventure story about duty, love, and balance—expertly written in the vein of the Newbery Honor winner and modern classic Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. Based on Chinese Folklore, this beautiful novel features ten full-page pieces of stunning full-color art, as well as intricate chapter header illustrations.
In this beautiful and dramatic story, bestselling author Carole Lindstrom and illustrator Aly McKnight show readers how life was lived by Indigenous communities, offering the true history of life on the prairie.
Before there was a little house on the prairie, there was a tipi on the prairie.
Rose is a young Métis-Ojibwe girl who has traveled far with her family for the biannual buffalo hunt made up of hundreds of other Métis families. The ritual of the hunt has been practiced for generations, and each hunt must see the community through the next six months. But in recent years, the buffalo population has dwindled, and after days on the hunt, there are no buffalo to be found. Can Rose help her family find the herd that will enable them to survive the long winter?
A must-read investigation of reproductive health under fire in Post-Roe America.
More than a million people lose a pregnancy each year, whether through miscarriage, stillbirth, or termination for medical reasons. For most, the experience often casts a shadow of isolation, shame, and blame. In the aftermath of the 2022 decision to overturn Roe v Wade, 25 million people of childbearing age live in states with laws that restrict access to abortion, including for those who never wanted to end their pregnancies. How did we get here?
Rebecca Little and Colleen Long, childhood friends who grew up to be journalists, both experienced late-term loss, and together they take an incisive, deeply reported look at the issue, working to shatter taboos that have made so many pregnant people feel ashamed and alone. They trace the experience of pregnancy loss and reproductive care from America’s founding to the present day, exposing the deep impact made by a dangerous tangle of laws, politics, medicine, racism, and misogyny. Combining powerful personal narratives with exhaustive research, I’m Sorry for My Loss is a comprehensive examination on how pregnancy loss came to be so stigmatized and politicized, and why a system of more compassionate care is critical for everyone.
“A must-read for booklovers.” —Chanel Cleeton, New York Times bestselling author of Next Year in Havana
A heartwarming story about a mother and daughter in wartime England and the power of books that bring them together, by the bestselling author of The Last Bookshop in London.
In Nottingham, England, widow Emma Taylor finds herself in desperate need of a job. She and her beloved daughter Olivia have always managed just fine on their own, but with the legal restrictions prohibiting widows with children from most employment opportunities, she’s left with only one option: persuading the manageress at Boots’ Booklover’s Library to take a chance on her with a job.
When the threat of war in England becomes a reality, Olivia must be evacuated to the countryside. In the wake of being separated from her daughter, Emma seeks solace in the unlikely friendships she forms with her neighbors and coworkers, and a renewed sense of purpose through the recommendations she provides to the library’s quirky regulars. But the job doesn’t come without its difficulties. Books are mysteriously misshelved and disappearing and the work at the lending library forces her to confront the memories of her late father and the bookstore they once owned together before a terrible accident.
As the Blitz intensifies in Nottingham and Emma fights to reunite with her daughter, she must learn to depend on her community and the power of literature more than ever to find hope in the darkest of times.
When a team of brilliant kids-turned-astronauts find themselves in serious trouble in outer space, they must work together to get back home. This is the first book in an incredible middle-grade graphic novel series created by real life astronaut, Leland Melvin!
Launch into action in T-Minus 3, 2, 1…
When Tia Valor takes a test on a whim for an exclusive NASA program for middle schoolers, she never thought she’d pass. After all, she never really fit in at school. In fact, she’s been skipping school most days to work at her brother’s auto shop instead. But Leland Melvin, a famed astronaut, sees potential in Tia, and before she knows it, she’s part of a team of other talented kids training to launch to an advanced space station orbiting the earth. But the perils of space are unpredictable and Tia finds herself with only half her crew and no adults around to help. Now she must rely on her instincts and the quick thinking of her fellow kid astronauts to save the space station and their lives!
Created by real-life astronaut Leland Melvin, Eisner-Award nominated comic creator Joe Caramagna, and brought to brilliant life by Alison Acton, SPACE CHASERS is a space adventure like no other.
From New York Times Bestselling Author of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
The special bond between a mother and son, and a fun-filled day from beginning to end.
Max and Mama are spending the day together! A delicious breakfast, a game of hide-and-seek, and a picnic at the park. But as they ride their bikes home, one of Max’s training wheels falls off—suddenly, this special day has a whole new adventure for Max and Mama to tackle!
“Wow, I loved this one so much! I didn’t want it to be over because I was enjoying it so much, but I couldn’t stop turning pages! House of Glass is a gripping thriller that was packed with surprises and compelling characters.” — Freida McFadden
The next thrilling novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah Pekkanen, House of Glass.
On the outside they were the golden family with the perfect life. On the inside they built the perfect lie.
A young nanny who plunged to her death, or was she pushed? A nine-year-old girl who collects sharp objects and refuses to speak. A lawyer whose job it is to uncover who in the family is a victim and who is a murderer. But how can you find out the truth when everyone here is lying?
Rose Barclay is a nine-year-old girl who witnessed the possible murder of her nanny – in the midst of her parent’s bitter divorce – and immediately stopped speaking. Stella Hudson is a best interest attorney, appointed to serve as counsel for children in custody cases. She never accepts clients under thirteen due to her own traumatic childhood, but Stella’s mentor, a revered judge, believes Stella is the only one who can help.
From the moment Stella passes through the iron security gate and steps into the gilded, historic DC home of the Barclays, she realizes the case is even more twisted, and the Barclay family far more troubled, than she feared. And there’s something eerie about the house itself: It’s a plastic house, with not a single bit of glass to be found.
As Stella comes closer to uncovering the secrets the Barclays are desperate to hide, danger wraps around her like a shroud, and her past and present are set on a collision course in ways she never expected. Everyone is a suspect in the nanny’s murder. The mother, the father, the grandmother, the nanny’s boyfriend. Even Rose. Is the person Stella’s supposed to protect the one she may need protection from?
INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER
A Kirkus Reviews Most Anticipated Book of the Fall
A moving celebration of the history of American football from the New York Times bestselling author of Why We Love Baseball
After his bestselling home run books Why We Love Baseball and The Baseball 100, Joe Posnanski turns from the national pastime to the number one sport in America. Why We Love Football is Posnanski’s newest must-have deep dive into the archives and legends of the sport, and the result is a rousing tale of the 100 greatest moments in football lore.
This is the best kind of sports writing. Entertaining, enlightening, heartbreaking, hilarious, and always fascinating, these stories of the sport offer a panoramic look across its history. From hidden gems and classic tales to famous moments told from previously unheard perspectives, this book is the football book for even its most ardent fans.
From Patrick Mahomes’s magic to the Ice Bowl, from Doug Flutie’s Hail Mary pass to a plethora of football “miracles,” Why We Love Football is an unforgettable, conversational masterpiece you won’t ever want to end, and a can’t-miss take on football from one of the greatest sportswriters of our time.
A gorgeous debut, laced through with magic, following four generations of women as they seek to chart their own futures.
Evangeline Hussey has made a home for herself on Nantucket, though she knows she is still an outsider to the island’s small, close-knit community, one that by 1849 has started to feel the decline of a once-thriving whaling industry. Her husband, Hosea, and the life they built together, was once all she needed―but now Hosea is gone, lost at sea. Evangeline is only able to hold on to his inn, and her place on the island, by employing a curious gift to glimpse and re-form the recent memories of those who would cast her out.
One night, an idealistic sailor appears on her doorstep asking her to call him Ishmael. He seeks only a warm bed and a bowl of chowder, and yet suddenly, unsettlingly, her careful illusion begins to fracture. He soon sails away with Ahab to hunt an infamous white whale, and Evangeline is left to forge a new life from the pieces that remain.
Her choices ripple through generations, across continents, and into the depths of the sea, in a narrative that follows Evangeline and her descendants from mid-nineteenth century Nantucket to Boston, Brazil, Florence, and Idaho. Moving, beautifully written, and elegantly conceived, Wild and Distant Seas takes Moby-Dick as its starting point, but Tara Karr Roberts brings four remarkable women to life in a spellbinding epic all her own.
Go on a magical journey with this quirky, young reader’s graphic novel about a boy who sprouts a unicorn horn and uses his newfound powers to help those in need!
The first few years of Brian Reyes’ life were unremarkable―nothing weird about this kid, no sir. Then, one day, a bump appeared on his head, and it grew…and grew…and grew until it was a full-blown, sparkling, SINGING unicorn horn. That’s absolutely the last thing a shy kid like Brian wants, but destiny waits for no unicorn boy.
Luckily, Brian has his reassuring pal Avery to keep him grounded as weird occurrences start stacking up, like Brian’s breakfast muffin talking to him, or a bizarre black cat offering him a business card. But when shadowy creatures from another realm kidnap Avery, Brian has to embrace his fate to rescue his best friend.
In the pages of Unicorn Boy, Dave Roman has created a cast of charming oddballs reckoning with normal, every day problems―like heroic destinies and the fate of all magic in the universe. Readers of Narwal and Jelly, Grumpy Unicorn, and InvestiGators will endear themselves to these lovable characters.
Rover and Speck are loose on an unknown gas giant planet. Will they survive? And what’s so funny about ”gas“ anyway?
Rover and Speck have found a new kind of planet to explore – a gas giant! The pair don’t know what to expect when they launch themselves from their spaceship, so they’re thrilled when they find life there. That is, until shark-like creatures start shooting sparks at them! And things only get worse when Rover is zapped out of commission by one of their bolts, leaving Speck to save the day on his own! Thankfully, Speck makes a new friend, Jelli, who’s happy to help him try to avoid the Spark Sharks and get Rover back to their spaceship for a reboot. But will they be able to do it in time?
This is the third installment in Jonathan Roth’s popular graphic novel series about an endearingly mismatched pair of space-traveling rover friends: organized and careful Rover, and impulsive, excitable Speck. It features classic, colorful comic-style art and a fast-moving character-driven plot, and is packed with jokes, including kid-perfect riffs on how funny it is to say ”gas“. Illustrated sidebars supplement the story with accessible information about gases and space, and a built-in drawing activity is included at the end of the story, making this book an engaging tool to augment lessons on gases as well as earth and space systems.
Clue meets Knives Out in this twisty-turny middle grade mystery-comedy with delightfully dry humor and impeccable plotting.
Eleven-year-old orphan Nico Lombardi has been unfairly indentured at a remote mountain inn for five years now.
Just as he gathers the courage to escape, the inn gets booked by the remaining members of a “tontine,” an investment scheme where a cash prize is awarded to whomever lives the longest. In other words, every guest wants access to the fortune. Preferably as soon as possible.
During their stay, a chaotic race to control the fate of the tontine takes over the normally sleepy inn. Nico watches in horror as a series of comically disastrous events unfolds—some of which might aid his escape, and some of which might get him in big trouble. Before he can even put the right clues together, three unexpected revelations change the course of everyone’s future!
Arch humor and an incredible cast of strange and calculating characters keep the pages turning in this Wes Anderson-esque mystery filled with funny mishaps and misunderstandings. Perfect for fans of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library and The 39 Clues series.
Come Paint the World with Rainbow Bear — One Color at a Time
In the latest addition to Bill Martin Jr and Michael Sampson’s beloved children’s collection, Rainbow Bear is sure to delight both old fans and new with its vivid illustrations and charming characters. Young readers can learn the names of every color of the rainbow while following Little Bear as he wakes up from his hibernation and fills his hungry belly with berries!
New York Times bestseller John Scalzi flies you to the moon with his most fantastic tale to date: When the Moon Hits Your Eye
The moon has turned into cheese.
Now humanity has to deal with it.
For some it’s an opportunity. For others it’s a moment to question their faith: In God, in science, in everything. Still others try to keep the world running in the face of absurdity and uncertainty. And then there are the billions looking to the sky and wondering how a thing that was always just there is now… something absolutely impossible.
Astronauts and billionaires, comedians and bank executives, professors and presidents, teenagers and terminal patients at the end of their lives — over the length of an entire lunar cycle, each get their moment in the moonlight. To panic, to plan, to wonder and to pray, to laugh and to grieve. All in a kaleidoscopic novel that goes all the places you’d expect, and then to so many places you wouldn’t.
It’s a wild moonage daydream. Ride this rocket.
Fall in love with a turtle wearing a bear suit—determined to prove that he’s a “for-real” bear—in this laugh-out-loud silly friendship story from the award-winning Bob Shea, author-illustrator of the popular Dinosaur VS. series and Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great
When a turtle in a bear suit claims he is a “for-real” bear, he must prove himself to another turtle who just so happens to be a for-real bear expert. Hilarity ensues as Bearsuit Turtle proves he can climb trees, hibernate, and do other for-real bear stuff . . . like riding bikes, eating ice cream, and smashing pumpkins.
But when Bear-Expert Turtle reveals a secret, Bearsuit Turtle has to admit a truth of his own. Whether or not these two turtles are for-real bears or experts, they just might become for-real friends.
With a fabulously endearing, offbeat, and memorable new character; playful, true-to-life child dynamics; and a goofy, kid-perfect sense of humor, Bearsuit Turtle Makes a Friend is sure to charm readers everywhere. Includes a page of “for-real bear facts” at the end.
A People Best Book for Kids of 2020
A KirkusReviews Best Children’s Book of 2020
A Booklist Editor’s Choice Book of 2020
A School Library Journal Best Book of 2020
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2020
A Shelf Awareness for Readers Best Book of 2020
A New York Public Library Best Book of 2020
A Chicago Public Library Best Book of 2020
An Indigo Best Book of the Year 2020
An Evanston Public Library Great Kids Book of 2020
Wallace and Gromit meets Winnie-the-Pooh in a fresh take on a classic odd-couple friendship, from Newbery Honor author Amy Timberlake with full-color and black-and-white illustrations throughout by Caldecott Medalist Jon Klassen.
No one wants a skunk.
They are unwelcome on front stoops. They should not linger in Important Rock Rooms. Skunks should never, ever be allowed to move in. But Skunk is Badger’s new roommate, and there is nothing Badger can do about it.
When Skunk plows into Badger’s life, everything Badger knows is upended. Tails are flipped. The wrong animal is sprayed. And why-oh-why are there so many chickens?
“Nooooooooooooooooooooo!”
Newbery Honor author Amy Timberlake spins the first tale in a series about two opposites who need to be friends.
New York Times bestselling author/illustrator and Caldecott Medalist Jon Klassen completes the book with his signature lushly textured art. This beautifully bound edition contains both full-color plates and numerous black-and-white illustrations.
Skunk and Badger is a book you’ll want to read, reread, and read out loud . . . again and again.
In this beautiful and haunting fantasy, an imprisoned princess needs the help of a girl from the modern world to undo a wish gone wrong and save her snowy kingdom.
Every day, a lonely princess digs through the snow in search of a way to undo the terrible wish she made—one that has left her with an empty kingdom and a heart full of guilt. But one day, a mysterious girl named Ela tumbles through the kingdom’s protective mist barrier. The princess is determined to bring Ela to her father, the harsh king, as proof that her wish can be undone, even if it means keeping Ela against her will. Meanwhile, Ela, who has grown up a regular kid in what she thought was a regular Indian American family, is shocked to discover she’s stumbled upon the very snow princess whose picture graces the cover of the locked book that Ela’s mom won’t let her read. In this elegant fantasy, author Meera Trehan conjures a story of loneliness, family secrets, science, and remarkable snow as two girls from different worlds come together to set things right—and maybe even become friends.