Mirroring his subject’s style, Nikola-Lisa cleverly utilizes his “predilection for collage technique” here; nowhere is this method, risky for an academic inquiry but fitting for Nikola-Lisa’s “celebratory exercise,” more apparent than in the structure of this book. Deep thematic analysis, rich with textual evidence, gives way to readings of Keats through “Japanese Zen Buddhism and Chinese Taoism” to a short biographical sketch to a gloss on the psychoanalytic concept of the child in children’s literature. Nikola-Lisa fails to connect a few dots, but his ambition and analytical acuity combine to yield powerful insights on race, education, and American history.
Nikola-Lisa spins gold out of even the most unremarkable-seeming threads of Keats’s work and life. The “found objects” that Keats’s heroes fashion into playthings “exist[s] as a reminder of the necessary—and often frail—relationship between concrete reality and personal fantasy” he writes, further analyzing how Keats’s own “journey into the soul” not only “led him to his own humanity,” but can “speak directly to the child within us all.” Keats’s world comes alive within Nikola-Lisa’s luminous writing, reacquainting readers with one of the great, unsung voices of children’s literature, as well as reuniting them with their own imaginations.
Takeaway: Illuminating journey through the work of a children’s lit icon.
Comparable Titles: Linda Lear’s Beatrix Potter, Bruce Handy’s Wild Things.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: B
Marketing copy: A
Jones’s juxtaposition of the delicate, stunning Birdfolk with the savage Dragonkin evokes striking imagery of caged birds and their cruel masters, none more so than when Mistress Essodel—head of the Essodel Plantation and a vicious slaver who prefers her dragon form over her human side—defeathers the Birdfolk she finds most beautiful, plucking their feathers one by one for her own pleasure. Though Minty is initially out of Mistress Essodel’s reach given her tender age, she’s soon driven into slavery’s harsh reality, sold to a neighboring plantation and forced to live with a family of harpies who steal her feathers to sell. Minty’s abuse continues, as does her unbreakable spirit and conviction that “God’s will… [wasn’t] for Birdfolk to be slaves,” sparking her transformation into the unflinching, tenacious Harriet.
This is a testament not just to Harriet Tubman’s legendary role within the Underground Railroad, but to the indomitable human spirit and power of hope. Jones's narrative prowess shines through in her expert blending of historical significance and intense fantasy, offering readers a compelling story made rich with its relevance to contemporary times. Readers will be as transfixed as Harriet’s loved ones, as they watch her hard-won transformation into “a woman seizing freedom.”
Takeaway: Fantasy reimagining of Harriet Tubman’s transformative journey.
Comparable Titles: Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad, Octavia E. Butler’s Kindred.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-
Mahmoodian’s family life is marked by her father's dual households, creating an environment of confusion and resentment, as she is raised to see her father's other family as enemies. Mahmoodian struggles to reconcile these feelings with the reality of living near her half-siblings, who are children like herself, and this emotional turmoil is compounded by the constant fear and grief brought on by the war—yet life continues with its rituals and routines. Despite mourning her family members, Mahmoodian participates in Nowruz celebrations and family trips, embodying the duality of resilience and sorrow.
The Ballet of Swallows sheds light on the plight of women in Iran during this tumultuous period, as Mahmoodian details their abusive marriages and generational trauma, highlighting how these cycles spill over into subsequent generations. The memoir builds to a crucial moment of Mahmoodian’s own trauma when she attempts suicide, ‘tired of fighting to survive in my horrible environment.” Amidst the painful personal narrative, Mahmoodian offers glimpses of Iran's beauty, describing the historical Sabzeh Meydan, majestic Alborz Mountains, and Imam Reza’s sacred shrine at Mashhad. This dynamic debut captures the essence of a young woman’s journey—and the intersection of personal and national struggles—during a pivotal era in Iran’s history.
Takeaway: Powerful account of a young woman growing up during the Iranian Revolution.
Comparable Titles: Maryam Rostampour and Marziyeh Amirizadeh’s Captive in Iran, Azadeh Moaveni’s Lipstick Jihad.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
Cruelest of all, it seems, is Charles, whose attentions—“a few rough jabs later and he was finished”—eventually prove worse than his indifference. Giordano spins the tale with rich detail and much yearning, charting Eliza’s introduction into island society, her disastrous attempts to treat the enslaved with kindness, and the thrill and freedom she finds swimming in the ocean. Charles quickly forbids that last pleasure, and as discord grows (“This is not matrimony! This is Abaddon!”), Eliza attracts the notice of a pair of men of questionable loyalties: Captain Hiram Bruin, a rogue turned gentleman trader, and Jean Charles de Longchamp, reputed to be disloyal to the crown.
Giordano writes strong scenes, full of feeling and mysteries, though readers expecting any resolution of key storylines will have to wait for the second book. Despite its hefty length, this volume ends abruptly. The pacing is often slow, and some scenes of Eliza’s misery meander, but readers looking for an old-fashioned gothic with contemporary insight into colonial injustices will find much to savor.
Takeaway: Epic-length tropical gothic of an Englishwoman facing the horror of colonial life.
Comparable Titles: Karen Barrow’s Palmyra, Isabel Cañas’s The Hacienda.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A
From there, Dhar swiftly raises the stakes—personal, spiritual, global—as Abhay and Ira, facing loss and terrifying visions, find themselves on a quest to “the gateway between Heaven and Earth on Mount Kailash,” guided by the riddling text on the tablet and pursued by the deadly forces of Kali Asura. Helping them along is each teen’s prophetic role as an incarnation of Kalki—Abhay has powers of destruction, and Ira has inherited powers of illusion, eventually discovering, in a clever inversion, that dispelling can be as powerful as conjuring.
As they master these skills, the action is fast, inventive, touched with poetry (“the time was ripe for unleashing her primal beast, her inner vigor and wrath and restlessness”) and occasional convoluted prose (the eyes of a parrot who is more than just a bird “whirl like a cyclone, before spiraling into a furious rotation like a spiral galaxy.”) But there’s much inventive vigor here, a deep engagement with demons both mythological and interior, and a rousing spiritualism. The characters burst with heart, and the storytelling is clear and exciting.
Takeaway: Epic fantasy of Hindu mythology, bursting with heart and invention.
Comparable Titles:Shveta Thakrar, Shiulie Ghosh
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: B+
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A
This is an endlessly delightful romp packed with rich characterization, transportive period details, and plenty of important life lessons for middle-grade readers. The authors nimbly weave explorations of homelessness, the death and betrayal of parents, and the dangers of radicalization into a fun and fast-paced detective plot—a winning formula that could support plenty of follow-ups. Playful writing pops the characters off the page and enlivens the book’s graver stretches, as when Pearl whispers to Lewis about a real Nazi rally held in New York City in 1934.
The heart of this promising start to the Flash Gang series is the bond between Lewis and Pearl. Downing and Waugh make the enemies-to-allies tropes their own by rooting their cast in the terra firma of an authentically rendered steel-belt metropolis at the pinnacle of production. The “hot, sludgy, ashy, and gritty” surroundings add depth and specificity to the characters’ desperate situations—parentless but perseverant, with an inner pride that, at the very least, they aren’t orphans (Lewis boasts that “whether they worked in groups or operated alone, all streeters preferred to pinch a meal, to sleep under the stars with frost chewing their fingertips, than to be lost to a grim institution”). Readers will root for a triumph over the forces of very real evil in this entertaining offering.
Takeaway: Plucky Depression-era street kids uncover vast conspiracy.
Comparable Titles: Lauren Wolk’s Beyond the Bright Sea, Sheila Turnage’s Three Times Lucky.
Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
Spector crafts a world in peril, beset by nanobots in the bloodstreams of political leaders (altering gene expression and affecting their decision making), a terror group named LMNOP who purportedly possesses stolen nuclear weapons, and powerful nations warring against each other. Against this looming apocalypse is a lighthearted subplot of romance between culturally diverse characters, complicated by conflicting spiritual beliefs, that transforms what might be perceived as heavy science into intriguing subject matter through their vibrant discussions. While David is convinced that “God coded Himself into our genes,” his love interest, Ayla, believes in cosmic divinity, asserting the universe itself is God, while Kirby, David's student of Apache descent, believes in lesser gods, which puts him at odds with his love interest, Amber, who remains strictly Catholic.
While occasional scientific jargon may prove daunting to readers unfamiliar with genetic terminology, the message remains intact: unifying belief systems and eliminating deeply rooted prejudices may be the key to saving the world. With this in mind, Spector extrapolates the far-reaching breadth of advanced genetics and its moral implications, probing a world where humanity is both predator and prey, teetering on the edge of extinction.
Takeaway: Innovative kidnapping mystery blending science and spirituality.
Comparable Titles: A.G. Riddle's The Atlantis Gene, Richard Morgan's Altered Carbon.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A
A trained psychotherapist, Pelletier describes with precision the alienation and confusion he experienced as he navigated the conflict between his desires and his family. He's also candid about what he wanted and didn't get—from his mother and stepfather (and their church), from social services, and from his early lovers—and how that lack affected his decisions. This informative transparency will prove valuable to teens grappling with their own sexual orientation and will be helpful to their families, who should especially note the importance of LGBTQ+ community spaces.
Pelletier openly describes his challenges with intimate relationships, a by-product of being raped and his early life rejection, writing that “it was both comforting and suffocating to belong to someone. Part of me felt a sense of pride in my fight for independence, but the other part questioned if it was all for nothing. Maybe true independence was just an illusion.” Throughout, his honesty and even-handed sense of perspective, ability to frankly discuss his mistakes, and knack for vividly capturing the seamier side of hook ups, sex work, and drugs without resorting to lurid details or shrill judgment make this a thoughtful, searching, and ultimately inspiring work.
Takeaway: Open, optimistic memoir of coming out and perseverance.
Comparable Titles: Garrard Conley's Boy Erased, Scott Terry's Cowboys, Armageddon, and The Truth.
Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-
Touchingly, the act of writing at times here offers a brief respite from daily life—“I cast no shadow // as i slowly // close my eyes // and fade // into words”—while some poems, like “whiskey” and “adoration,” favor playfulness over depth. Those same offerings also demonstrate Conway’s poetic range, from the lofty intellectual verses to drinking songs, delivering moments of levity amid the earnest, leaden poems that speak of the grave as a temptation or last hope. “The citrus pain of recollection” is too much to bear in “empty canvas,” and in “whisper me to sleep,” the speaker begs “o, lord,... lay me down in juniper // whisper me to sleep.”
Conway begins with a nod to “light transitioning to dark,” a thoughtful contemplation that threads throughout the collection, as themes such as grief and longing ricochet across the pages. In “fragrant memories,” the speaker is “left haunted by the ghost of // lonely fragrant memories // …as the light flickers,” yet that grief is born of an enduring love, proof of a life well-lived. Conway resurrects that powerful imagery while striving to cross the threshold of life, through entropy uniting, once again, with nature, “grasping for meaning or a lack thereof // reminded of that dream i once called love.”
Takeaway: Searching, metaphor-rich collection plumbing cycles of life, death, love, and grief.
Comparable Titles:Pierra Calasanz-Labrador’s Dear Universe, Donald Hall.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-
The novel charts not just a twisty and convincingly detailed mission into the heart of the Rebel South. Early on, Hannah discovers it’s easy for her to pass as a boy—as long as she remembers to limp, as otherwise a boy her age would have been conscripted. In this guise, she discovers surprising comfort, with Singer deftly tying Maddie’s ability to slip between identities with something still unsettled within her. That sense of humanity shines through the tale even in scenes of action, skullduggery, and violence. Maddie has no illusions about the Rebels, the viciousness of slavery, or just how far the Confederacy will go to achieve victory, but she is always aware of the cost of war in the lives of everyday people.
Singer never shies away from depicting racism, including the use of historical slurs, and the ex-slave Oliver Washington proves a compelling spy in his own right, forging an engaging connection with Maddie. The plot, involving a Confederate training camp and a dastardly scheme that the heroes eventually catch wind of, moves with purpose, despite the richness of milieu and character.
Takeaway: Gripping novel of teen spy for the Union facing danger and herself in the Civil War.
Comparable Titles: Seymour Reit’s Behind Rebel Lines, Marissa Moss’s A Soldier's Secret.
Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-
Starting with the concept of dreams as “powerful tools… [that] often lead us to areas in our lives to which we might not otherwise venture,” Pitts first retells Jesus’s earthly mother Mary’s dream, in which the angel Gabriel informed her that she would “conceive and bring forth a son, and you shall call his name Yeshua.” From there, Pitts launches into Jesus’s childhood, young adulthood, and early miracles, eventually moving on to his crucifixion and resurrection. He recaps the stories in chronological fashion, deviating somewhat from the order of their biblical presentation, to offer a narrative “more readily understood by novice readers.”
Pitts’s writing is easy to follow, showcasing an uncomplicated message with illustrations of the stories’ events sprinkled throughout. Specific Bible verses kick off each section, and Pitts recommends anyone who wishes to “delve deeper into the story” follow up with a biblical volume of the New Testament. Pitts is careful to maintain a welcoming tone throughout, and he includes stories that consider the other people in Jesus’s life—his earthly parents, disciples, and the people he was sent to teach and lead. This is an appealing introductory Christian debut that captures Jesus’s teachings of kindness, love, and fellowship.
Takeaway: Illustrated life of Jesus for young readers, emphasizing love.
Comparable Titles: Marc Olson's The World Jesus Knew, Sally Lloyd-Jones's The Jesus Storybook Bible.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: B
Illustrations: A-
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-
Giantopia’s giants may be cruel and foolish, but the realm itself is stunningly beautiful, with vibrant colors, jumbo-sized flora and fauna, and magical waters. Skyward’s attention to the physical characteristics of the story’s setting occasionally slows down its action, but the lush descriptions of Giantopia’s many wonders—edible golden sunlight, tree-sized flowers, snowy white butterflies that you can ride, and musical, multicolored stars—will transport readers into a world of enchantment. The animals of Giantopia, despite their dire circumstances, add to its charms, with pink kangaroos, a giant beagle named Montesquieu, rainbow-striped zebras, and a host of others who treat the children with warmth, compassion, and a sprinkling of light-hearted humor.
The animals also assist Jaeya and team with the spiritual challenges they encounter during their ordeal. As they face the evil giants and the threat they represent, the trio must also face their individual fears, sorrows, and uncertainties. Along the way, Montesquieu teaches them a sacred code—“do to others as you would have them do to you”—and Christian principles, including prayer and “peace that passes understanding,” make an appearance. Readers will feel a deep affection for these intelligent, appealing characters, as they trudge through difficult decisions and forge a way forward—with the promise that more of Giantopia is to come.
Takeaway: Imaginative adventure blending fantasy elements and Christian principles.
Comparable Titles: Roald Dahl’s The BFG, Andrew Peterson’s The Wingfeather Saga.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
Casey (author of Song of Lyran) delivers snappy storytelling and an intelligent, persistent hero in Teagan, who undergoes several events that test her resolve, including her cancer-stricken wife, Em, whose insistence to be uploaded into NeuroNet troubles Teagan. Together, the team must quickly uncover why the androids are killing themselves, a quest that poses philosophical questions on the nature of humanity and its need to evolve. As the characters ruminate on the ethics of keeping loved ones around versus letting them go in a natural way, they come across a hint of something deeper at play: some of the androids seem to be exhibiting potentially homicidal intent as well.
Casey’s characters are a satisfying mix of flawed and honorable, commendable for their good-hearted intentions, as Teagan—struggling with her devotion to her wife despite their frequent arguments and disheartened at her role as Em’s “guardian” once she’s uploaded into an android—reveals she “created NeuroNet so that you’d never have to say goodbye to the ones you love.” When Teagan undergoes a tragic event, a frank and emotional discussion of death, grief, and loyalty ensues. Readers will appreciate this sympathetic and forward-thinking consideration of humanity’s future, made all the more enjoyable by Casey’s dramatic and shocking twists.
Takeaway: Smart—and humane—scientists probe human evolution vs. AI.
Comparable Titles: Piers Furney’s Alkaline Dawn, Kazuo Ishiguro’s Klara and the Sun.
Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
Two “flowers that bloom in low light,” Octavia and Roen are drawn to each other’s inward natures and passion for the mysteries in the natural world around them. An agro-scientist, Octavia is on the precipice of discovering Alaskan wildflowers’ medicinal abilities, while Roen’s research on an advanced hearing aid requires him to test animals, including a certain “thriving, inquisitive, and keen” arctic fox. Roen subdues the ethical conundrum of his work by assuring himself that “it’s for science, though, right?” while Fox, “unwell in the metal crate... is desperate to flee.”
As Octavia and Roen sew their lives together, they tear the fox’s life apart, and in the space between the three, Cantafio (author of My Stay with the Sisters) brews a complex tension amid the moral quandary of the couple’s careless treatment of natural life and the fox’s feral revenge. It reads like a dark fairytale, “a fantasy marred by // testing nature,” and its lessons resonate in today’s climate crisis created and perpetuated by the same motives Roen has when he captures Fox: progress, no matter the means or the cost. At the mournful dirge’s conclusion, readers are left questioning what humanity’s responsibility is to the world they inhabit.
Takeaway: Cautionary romance depicting the consequences of mistreating nature.
Comparable Titles: Robert W. Service’s “The Spell of the Yukon,” Mark Perlberg’s “The Dead Fox.”
Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
Teeming with bright, colorful illustrations by Nilufer Ustuner and Nataliia Mazepa, Partington’s straightforward teaching style and enthusiastic tone give the material an accessible, workbook feel, always welcoming and never overwhelming in its attempt to help readers “feel deeply accepted and understood.” Partington’s array of practice techniques—ranging from walking meditation to helpful acronyms to journaling prompts—are particularly helpful, as is her own disclosure of using DBT skills as a past therapy client, to work through her depression and suicidality. “Going through DBT as a patient, I found my toolbox and learned skills to change my life, my behavior (most of the time), and how I experience the world. For me, it was like being reborn . . . and just in time” she candidly shares.
Partington’s composite protagonists will be easy for readers to empathize with, but triggering material—like teen rape—makes for some potentially challenging reading. Still, the advice is comprehensive and articulate, with plenty of appealing exercises sprinkled throughout. Readers looking for a supplement to DBT therapy, or those who are curious to learn more about the approach, will find this articulation of its core concepts well worth their time.
Takeaway: Accessible and encouraging guide to DBT skills.
Comparable Titles: Marsha M. Linehan’s DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets, Matthew McKay, Jeffrey C. Wood, and Jeffrey Brantley’s The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
Thomas does a good job of articulating the idea of xCode and proposing plausible biological underpinnings of this computational mechanism. However, he begins in little contemporary research in computational neurobiology, brain chemistry, or neuronal morphology, and mentions few specific studies. Instead, he leans heavily into older ideas such as the tripartite mind (Freud’s id, ego, and super-ego) and morphological-functional brain areas (such as the roles of the amygdala and claustrum), an approach somewhat at odds with the hypothesis’s emphasis on the individual neuron as a primary functional unit.
Thomas challenges orthodoxies about what we think we know about intelligence, and asks provocative questions about our understanding of memory and thinking, though readers with backgrounds in contemporary neurobiology will likely require more rigorous refinement and testing of the hypothesis before signing on to this “profound rethinking of the neuron itself.” Occasional side topics like the idea of transplanted organs holding memories run counter to the brain-centered thesis, and ideas like trusting your intuition but fighting the urges of the lizard brain sometimes seem to be in conflict. Thomas overall takes a collegial and inviting teaching tone, but doesn’t often address readers’ likely questions or objections.
Takeaway: A call to rethink what we know about thinking, rooted in philosophy and neurobiology.
Comparable Titles: Andy Clark’s Mindware, Samuel J. Gershman’s What Makes Us Smart.
Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: B+
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: B-
Marketing copy: B