Special Collections
California Department of Education Recommended Literature List 2024
Description: The California Department of Education (CDE) coordinates the development of Recommended Literature List with the assistance of teachers, teacher librarians employed by schools and public libraries, administrators, curriculum planners, and parents.#CDE
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Save the...Blue Whales
by Christine Taylor-Butler and Chelsea ClintonBlue whales have swum and sprayed their ways into kids' hearts. With this book, readers can become blue whale experts and learn how to save the animals they love. Featuring an introduction from Chelsea Clinton!
Did you know that the tongue of blue whale can weigh as much as an elephant? How about that blue whales’ songs can be louder than the engine of a jet plane? Or that, with the right equipment, you can hear a blue whale’s heartbeat two miles away?
Perfect for all animal lovers—and blue whale fans in particular—this book is filled with all the facts you need to know to become a blue whale expert! Where are blue whales found? What's it like to be a blue whale? Why are blue whales endangered, and who has been working hard to save them? Read this book and find out how you can help save the blue whales!
Complete with black-and-white photographs, a list of fun blue whale facts, and things that kids can do right this very moment to help save blue whales from extinction, this book, with an introduction by animal advocate Chelsea Clinton, is a must for every family, school, and community library.
Hot Pot Night!
by Vincent ChenHot pot, hot pot!Hits the right spot!What's for dinner? A Taiwanese American child brings his diverse neighbors together to make a tasty communal meal. Together, they cook up a steaming family dinner that celebrates community, cooperation, and culture. Includes a family recipe for hot pot!
Advisory: Bookshare has learned that this book offers only partial accessibility. We have kept it in the collection because it is useful for some of our members. Benetech is actively working on projects to improve accessibility issues such as these.
The Many Masks of Andy Zhou
by Jack ChengCreative and brave sixth grader Andy Zhou faces big changes at school and at home in this new novel by the award-winning author of See You in the Cosmos, for fans of When You Trap a Tiger and The Stars Beneath Our Feet.
Andy Zhou is used to being what people need him to be: the good kid for his parents and, now, his grandparents in from Shanghai, or the helpful sidekick for his best friend Cindy’s plans and schemes. So when Cindy decides they should try out for Movement on the first day of sixth grade, how can Andy say no? But between feeling out of place with the dancers after school, being hassled by his new science partner Jameel in class, and sensing tension between his dad and grandfather at home, Andy feels all kinds of weird. Then over anime, Hi-Chews, and art, things start to shift between Andy and Jameel, opening up new doors—and new problems. Because no matter how much Andy cares about his friends and family, it’s hard not to feel pulled between all the ways he’s meant to be, all the different faces he wears, and harder still to figure out if any of these masks is the real him.
What Happened to You
by James CatchpoleA Schneider Family Book Award Honor book! This accessible, funny, and groundbreaking story addresses the questions children often ask, as well as a disabled child's choice not to answer. What happened to you? Was it a shark? A burglar? A lion? Did it fall off? A boy named Joe is trying to play pirates at the playground, but he keeps being asked what happened to his leg. Bombarded with questions and silly suggestions, Joe becomes more and more fed up...until the kids finally understand they don't need to know what happened. And that they're wasting valuable playtime! Based on the author's real childhood experiences, this honest, funny, and authentic picture book is an empowering read for anyone with a disability, and for young readers learning how best to address differences.
How to Survive History
by Cody CassidyA detailed guide to surviving history’s most challenging threats, from outrunning dinosaurs to making it off the Titanic alive
History is the most dangerous place on earth. From dinosaurs the size of locomotives to meteors big enough to sterilize the planet, from famines to pandemics, from tornadoes to the Chicxulub asteroid, the odds of human survival are slim but not zero—at least, not if you know where to go and what to do.
In each chapter of How to Survive History, Cody Cassidy explores how to survive one of history’s greatest threats: getting eaten by dinosaurs, being destroyed by the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs, succumbing to the lava flows of Pompeii, being devoured by the Donner Party, drowning during the sinking of the Titanic, falling prey to the Black Death, and more. Using hindsight and modern science to estimate everything from how fast you’d need to run to outpace a T. rex to the advantages of different body types in surviving the Donner Party tragedy, Cassidy gives you a detailed battle plan for survival, helping you learn about the era at the same time.
History may be the most dangerous place on earth, but that doesn’t mean you can’t visit. You can, and you should. And with a copy of How to Survive History in your back pocket, you just might make it out alive.
Save Steve
by Jenni Hendriks and Ted CaplanSteve Stevenson is a jerk. That might not be a cool thing to say about someone with cancer, but it’s true. Yeah, he throws legendary parties and is the most popular guy in school, but he also loves humiliating pranks and Cardi B, and he doesn’t recycle. Worst of all, he’s dating Kaia—the girl of nice guy Cam’s dreams.
But when a desperate Kaia asks Cam to help her raise money to pay for Steve’s experimental treatment, Cam offers to organize the biggest, most viral fundraising campaign. Maybe then Kaia will finally see Cam as the perfect, thoughtful, altruistic, good guy for her.
But Steve’s no fool. He’s totally on to Cam’s plan. And to stop him from stealing his girlfriend, he’s going to do whatever it takes to make Cam’s life as miserable as his own.
From Jenni Hendriks and Ted Caplan, authors of Unpregnant, comes a quirky, funny story about living up to other people’s expectations and what it really means to do the right thing.
Gather
by Kenneth M. CadowA resourceful teenager in rural Vermont struggles to hold on to the family home while his mom recovers from addiction in this striking debut novel.
Ian Gray isn’t supposed to have a dog, but a lot of things that shouldn’t happen end up happening anyway. And Gather, Ian’s adopted pup, is good company now that Ian has to quit the basketball team, find a job, and take care of his mom as she tries to overcome her opioid addiction. Despite the obstacles thrown their way, Ian is determined to keep his family afloat no matter what it takes. And for a little while, things are looking up: Ian makes friends, and his fondness for the outdoors and for fixing things lands him work helping neighbors. But an unforeseen tragedy results in Ian and his dog taking off on the run, trying to evade a future that would mean leaving their house and their land. Even if the community comes together to help him, would Ian and Gather have a home to return to?
Told in a wry, cautious first-person voice that meanders like a dog circling to be sure it’s safe to lie down, Kenneth M. Cadow’s resonant debut brings an emotional and ultimately hopeful story of one teen’s resilience in the face of unthinkable hardships.
Honeybee Rescue
by Loree BurnsFans of the Scientists in the Field series will love discovering ways to save and protect bees through the eyes of a honeybee rescuer. Follow honeybee rescuer Mr. Nelson as he expertly removes a colony of bees from Mr. Connery's barn (with a vacuum!) and helps it relocate back to a hive. Photographs of Mr.Nelson’s relocation of the colony help bring the honeybee rescue to life.
Nature lovers and scientists-to-be will be abuzz as they learn all the ways to keep honeybees (and our ecosystem) safe.
Advisory: Bookshare has learned that this book offers only partial accessibility. We have kept it in the collection because it is useful for some of our members. Benetech is actively working on projects to improve accessibility issues such as these.
Promise Boys
by Nick BrooksPromise Boys is a blockbuster, dark academia mystery about three teens of color who must investigate their principal’s murder to clear their own names. This page-turning thriller is perfect for fans of Karen McManus, Jason Reynolds, Angie Thomas, and Holly Jackson."Thrilling, captivating, and blade-sharp." —Karen M. McManus, #1 New York Times bestselling author of One of Us Is LyingThe prestigious Urban Promise Prep school might look pristine on the outside, but deadly secrets lurk within. When the principal ends up murdered on school premises and the cops come sniffing around, a trio of students—J.B., Ramón, and Trey—emerge as the prime suspects. They had the means, they had the motive . . . and they may have had the murder weapon. But with all three maintaining their innocence, they must band together to track down the real killer before they are arrested. Or is the true culprit hiding among them?Find out who killed Principal Moore in Nick Brooks's murder mystery, Promise Boys—The Hate U Give meets One of Us Is Lying."A brilliant pulls-no-punches mystery." —Adam Silvera, #1 New York Times bestselling author of They Both Die at the EndA Boston Globe-Horn Book Award 2023 Honoree. A New York Public Library and Kirkus Best Book of the Year!
They Call Her Fregona
by David BowlesA companion to the Pura Belpré Honor book They Call Me Güero.
“You can be my boyfriend.” It only takes five words to change Güero’s life at the end of seventh grade. The summer becomes extra busy as he learns to balance new band practice with his old crew, Los Bobbys, and being Joanna Padilla’s boyfriend. They call her “fregona” because she’s tough, always sticking up for her family and keeping the school bully in check. But Güero sees her softness. Together they cook dollar-store spaghetti and hold hands in the orange grove, learning more about themselves and each other than they could have imagined. But when they start eighth grade, Joanna faces a tragedy that requires Güero to reconsider what it means to show up for someone you love.
Honoring multiple poetic traditions, They Call Her Fregona is a bittersweet first-love story in verse and the highly anticipated follow-up to They Call Me Güero.
Ancient Night
by David BowlesPublishers Weekly Best of the Year BookPage Best of the Year Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Evanston Library Best of the Year Horn Book 2023 Summer Reading List "Vivid and vibrant." —NPR Weekend Edition At the start of things, the elders say, the universe was hushed and still. The moon alone shone bright and round in the star-speckled dark of the sky. David Álvarez is one of the most extraordinary artists working today. His black-and-white illustrations have gained fame in his home country of Mexico and around the world. Here, in Ancient Night (Noche Antigua), David displays his immense talent with full-color illustrations for the first time. Ancient Night is a twist on two Nahuatl traditions: the rabbit which the Feathered Serpent placed on the moon, and Yaushu, the Lord Opossum who ruled the earth before humans came, and who stole fire from the gods to create the sun. Award-winning author David Bowles has written a poetic text – and carefully researched backmatter – to accompany David’s lush illustrations and story. Published simultaneously in English and Spanish editions, Ancient Night offers young readers everywhere the chance to savor this ancient tale in its most beautiful format possible. P R A I S E A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard ★ "Bolstered by the ethereal, whimsical text, the plush, incandescent acrylic and oil paint artwork gathers the subtleties and splendors of nighttime and the plant life that surrounds Rabbit and Opossum. Together words and images tug readers along at a measured pace. An excellent authors’ note underscores how common strands and crucial differences from wide-ranging Mesoamerican legends and myths furnish the inspiration at the roots of this tale. Like a mighty dream recalled from time gone by." —Kirkus (starred) ★ "Luminous acrylic and oil illustrations bring the night to life... Enchanting text presents the tale in short, clear sentences that convey a sense of timeless mystery and beauty... An excellent choice for picture book collections that uniquely explores traditional Mesoamerican tales and is sure to inspire the wish for further discovery and appreciation." —School Library Journal (starred) ★ "Bowles’ spare, evocative text flows like poetry… Álvarez’s compositions are sophisticated and uncluttered… beautifully crafted, gently stylized figures so remarkably textured that you can almost count the number of hairs on Rabbit’s body. Ancient Night is wondrous, sparkling and easily one of the best picture books of 2023." —BookPage (starred) ★ "Bowles’s unhurried lines offer a playfully elegant feel to the telling, while Álvarez’s saturated digitized paintings use a limited palette to imagine long-eared, gray Rabbit and pointy-nosed, rust-hued Opossum against luminous leafy landscapes. Together, the collaborators create a dreamlike story variation that truly shines." —Publishers Weekly (starred) ★ "Unmissable… The breathtaking illustrations exude light themselves…" —Foreword Reviews (starred) ★ "Stunning illustrations by acclaimed Mexican artist Álvarez feature a velvety black backdrop of a sky, stars providing only pinpricks of light...spellbinding, poetic text is lyrical but crisp." —Horn Book (starred) "A calming selection for evening lap reads and storytimes." —BCCB "A perfect bedtime read aloud. This Mesoamerican-inspired fable borrows from old tales for a larger-than-life yet soothingly illustrated picture book." —Shelf-Awareness "Exquisite." —Melissa Taylor, Imagination Soup "Álvarez’s illustrations alone are enough to make this stunning picture book a winner—the dreamy feel of the milky moonlight against the deep-dark night and the crisp simplicity of the animals and their world is masterful. When paired with interwoven traditional Mesoamerican tales of the magic and power of our lunar companion, the story sings, enchanting readers with its mystery and beauty. Don’t miss this one!" —Southe
Simon Sort of Says
by Erin BowSimon O’Keeffe’s biggest claim to fame should be the time his dad accidentally gave a squirrel a holy sacrament. Or maybe the alpaca disaster that went viral on YouTube. But the story the whole world wants to tell about Simon is the one he’d do anything to forget: the one starring Simon as a famous survivor of gun violence at school.
Two years after the infamous event, twelve-year-old Simon and his family move to the National Quiet Zone—the only place in America where the internet is banned. Instead of talking about Simon, the astronomers who flock to the area are busy listening for signs of life in space. And when Simon makes a friend who’s determined to give the scientists what they’re looking for, he’ll finally have the chance to spin a new story for the world to tell.
Simon Sort of Says, the Newbery Honor-winning novel by Erin Bow, is a breathtaking testament to the lasting echoes of trauma, the redemptive power of humor, and the courage it takes to move forward without forgetting the past.
Warrior Girl Unearthed
by Angeline BoulleyAn Instant New York Times bestseller! A #1 Indies Bestseller! Six Starred Reviews! #1 New York Times bestselling author of Firekeeper's Daughter Angeline Boulley takes us back to Sugar Island in this high-stakes thriller about the power of discovering your stolen history.Perry Firekeeper-Birch has always known who she is - the laidback twin, the troublemaker, the best fisher on Sugar Island. Her aspirations won't ever take her far from home, and she wouldn't have it any other way. But as the rising number of missing Indigenous women starts circling closer to home, as her family becomes embroiled in a high-profile murder investigation, and as greedy grave robbers seek to profit off of what belongs to her Anishinaabe tribe, Perry begins to question everything.In order to reclaim this inheritance for her people, Perry has no choice but to take matters into her own hands. She can only count on her friends and allies, including her overachieving twin and a charming new boy in town with unwavering morals. Old rivalries, sister secrets, and botched heists cannot - will not - stop her from uncovering the mystery before the ancestors and missing women are lost forever.Sometimes, the truth shouldn't stay buried.Angeline Boulley's award-winning canon of books puts compelling characters and fast-paced action at the center of narratives rich in historical context. Read Firekeeper's Daughter, Warrior Girl Unearthed, and the soon-to-be-released Sisters of the Wind in any order, but like the world itself, there are echoes within each for the other stories.Pick this up if you love:● high stakes heist● will-they-won't-they romance● family secrets spanning decades
The Wild River and the Great Dam
by Simon BoughtonDiscover the complicated history behind the construction of Hoover Dam—one of the country’s most recognizable and far-reaching landmarks—and its lasting political and environmental effects on the Colorado River and the American West.
At the time of its completion in 1936, Hoover Dam was the biggest dam in the world and the largest feat of architecture and engineering in the country—a statement of national ambition and technical achievement. It turned the wild Colorado River into a tame and securely managed water source, transforming millions of acres of desert into farmland while also providing water and power to the fast-growing population of the Southwest. The concrete monolith quickly became a symbol of American ingenuity; however, its history is laden with contradiction. It provided work for thousands, but it was a dangerous project that exploited desperate workers during the Depression. It helped secure the settlement and economies of the Southwest, but at the expense of Indigenous peoples and the environment; and it created a dependency on the Colorado River’s water, which is under threat from overuse and climate change.
Weaving together elements of engineering, geography, and political and socioeconomic history, and drawing heavily from unpublished oral histories taken from dam workers and their families, Simon Boughton’s thoughtful and compelling debut—featuring historical photographs throughout—follows the construction and impact of Hoover Dam, and how its promise of abundance ultimately created a river in crisis today.
Together We Swim
by Valerie BollingA joyful, encouraging ode to a mother and son's relationship and the unforgettable experience of a child's first swimming lessons.Jumping into the water can be more than a little scary! But with Mom's steady arms there's no fear of sinking. With a kick, a splash, and his family's cheers of encouragement, one determined boy finds his groove, making waves in this fun-filled day at the pool.Embrace the feeling of accomplishment in this joyous, reassuring story about perseverance and new experiences. With lyrical rhyming text and vibrant illustrations, Together We Swim is destined to become a family read-aloud favorite!VIBRANT & JOYFUL: Rhythmic text paired with dynamically illustrated kicks, flutters, and splashes against a palette of deep blue create a bright portrait that is both encouraging and warm for any child learning to swim. A HELPFUL GUIDE FOR NEW SWIMMERS: The perfect book for any child facing nervous excitement or trepidation about learning to swim!THE JOY OF A FIRST SWIM LESSON: Who can forget the first time they learned how to swim? This book is a nostalgic nod for parents and one they will be eager to share with their young one learning how to swim. A GREAT READ ALOUD: This lyrical, upbeat text is a great fit for story time in any household. PERFECT GIFT FOR MOM: If you're looking for a Mother's Day gift or a birthday gift for mom, look no further! She will love the child/parent relationship portrayed in these pages!Perfect for:Mother's Day gift givingGoing-to-the-pool book for little ones approaching the big milestone of learning to swimParents, grandparents, and caregivers looking for books about swimming for kidsTeachers, educators, and librariansReaders who enjoyed Jabari Jumps, Llama Llama Learns to Swim, and Hair Love
No Place Like Home
by James BirdA middle-grade novel by James Bird about homelessness and hope.
When home is a car, life is unpredictable. School, friends, and three meals a day aren't guaranteed. Not every town has a shelter where a family can sleep for a night or two, and places with parking lots don't welcome overnight stays.
Opin, his brother Emjay, and their mother are trying to get to Los Angeles, where they hope an uncle and a new life are waiting. Emjay has taken to disappearing for days, slowing down the family's progress and adding to their worry.
Then Opin finds a stray dog who needs him as much as he needs her, and his longing for a stable home intensifies, as his brother's reckless ways hit a new high. Opin makes a new friend in the shelter, but shelters don’t allow dogs…
Will anything other than a real home ever be enough?
Tumble
by Adriana Hernández BergstromThis gorgeous, poetic story follows the unexpected journey of a lone tumbleweed making its way across the desert.
Wind blows.
Tumble goes.
Fence stops.
Tumble hops.
Cactus waves.
Tumble stays, and stays, and stays.
Using simple, succinct text and richly colored art, Adriana Hernández Bergstrom follows one tumbleweed on its journey across a desert unexpectedly teeming with life.
Tumble is an incredible read-aloud perfect for storytime or newly independent readers. Extensive backmatter identifies every plant and animal featured in the book and provides more information on the misunderstood tumbleweed and its ecosystem.
Advisory: Bookshare has learned that this book offers only partial accessibility. We have kept it in the collection because it is useful for some of our members. Benetech is actively working on projects to improve accessibility issues such as these.
Tía Fortuna's New Home
by Ruth BeharA poignant multicultural ode to family and what it means to create a home as one girl helps her Tía move away from her beloved Miami apartment.When Estrella's Tía Fortuna has to say goodbye to her longtime Miami apartment building, The Seaway, to move to an assisted living community, Estrella spends the day with her. Tía explains the significance of her most important possessions from both her Cuban and Jewish culture, as they learn to say goodbye together and explore a new beginning for Tía.A lyrical book about tradition, culture, and togetherness, Tía Fortuna's New Home explores Tía and Estrella's Sephardic Jewish and Cuban heritage. Through Tía's journey, Estrella will learn that as long as you have your family, home is truly where the heart is.
Like
by Annie BarrowsFrom bestselling author Annie Barrows and Pura Belpré Honor award recipient Leo Espinosa, this funny yet thought-provoking picture book offers a sequence of outlandishly fun compare-and-contrasts that show how humans are much more like each other than we are different.
A NEW WAY OF SEEING: The use of comparison and contrast gives readers a new lens through which to see themselves and others.
HUMOR WITH HEART: Annie Barrows uses her trademarked humor to get readers laughing and thinking.
GREAT READ-ALOUD: The silly and surprising text is the perfect read-aloud for homes and classrooms.
Advisory: Bookshare has learned that this book offers only partial accessibility. We have kept it in the collection because it is useful for some of our members. Benetech is actively working on projects to improve accessibility issues such as these.
And Don't Look Back
by Rebecca BarrowAfter her mother&’s death, a teen pieces together the truth of her family&’s past and what her mom was hiding from in this &“hauntingly atmospheric and utterly engrossing&” (Jas Hammonds, award-winning author of We Deserve Monuments) thriller that&’s perfect for fans of Courtney Summers and Tiffany D. Jackson.Harlow Ford has spent her entire life running, caught in her mother&’s wake as they flit from town to town, hiding from a presence that Harlow isn&’t even sure is real. In each new place, Harlow takes on a new name and personality, and each time they run, she leaves another piece of herself behind. When Harlow and her mom set off on yet another 3 a.m. escape, they are involved in a car accident that leaves Harlow&’s mother fatally wounded. Before she dies, she tells Harlow two things: where to find the key to a safety deposit box and to never stop running. In the box, Harlow finds thirty grand in cash, life insurance documents, and several fake IDs for both herself and her mom—an on-the-run essentials kit. But Harlow also finds a photograph of her mom as a teenager with two other girls, the deed to a house in a town she&’s never heard of, and a handful of newspaper clippings discussing the disappearance of a woman named Eve Kennedy, Harlow&’s grandmother…relics of a part of Harlow&’s life she never knew existed. With these tantalizing clues about her mother&’s secrets and the power to choose her own future for the first time, Harlow realizes she has two choices: keep fleeing her mom&’s ghosts or face down the nebulous threat that&’s been hanging over her for her entire life.
Eb & Flow
by Kelly J. BaptistA ten-day suspension has tweens De’Kari and Ebony seeing the world with a fresh perspective. Don’t miss this poignant novel in verse from the award-winning author of Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero.
Two kids. One fight. No one thinks they’re wrong.
Flow
I don’t even hit girls . . . is what I’m thinking.
I roll my eyes, turn them to my shoes.
Shoes I’ma wear every day till they fall off my feet.
Eb
It was all just an accident!
Nobody was trying to mess up
his Stupid Ugly Shoes.
Now I’ve got my third suspension of seventh grade.
Ebony and De’Kari (aka Flow) do not get along. How could they when their cafeteria scuffle ended with De’Kari’s ruined shoes, Ebony on the ground, and both of them with ten days of at-home suspension? Now Eb and Flow have two weeks to think about and explain their behavior—to their families, to each other, and ultimately to themselves.
Award-winning author Kelly J. Baptist delivers a novel in verse that follows Eb and Flow as they navigate their parallel lives. Single-parent homes, tight funds, and sibling dynamics provide a balancing act for the growing tweens. And whether they realize it or not, these two have a lot more in common than they think.
Forgive Me Not
by Jennifer BakerIn this searing indictment of the juvenile justice system, one teen in detention weighs what she is willing to endure for forgiveness.All it took was one night and one bad decision for fifteen-year-old Violetta Chen-Samuels&’ life to go off the rails. After driving drunk and causing the accident that kills her little sister, Violetta is incarcerated. Under the juvenile justice system, her fate lies in the hands of those she&’s wronged—her family. With their forgiveness, she could go home. But without it? Well . . .Denied their forgiveness, Violetta is now left with two options, neither good—remain in juvenile detention for an uncertain sentence or participate in the Trials. The Trials are no easy feat, but if she succeeds, she could regain both her freedom and what she wants most of all: her family&’s love. In her quest to prove her remorse, Violetta is forced to confront not only her family&’s grief, but her own—and the question of whether their forgiveness is more important than forgiving herself.
Lightlark
by Alex AsterSúmate a la ola #Lightlark, el éxito bestseller que ha revolucionado #BookTok. Seis reinos malditos. Una vez cada cien años,sus líderes compiten a muertepara liberar a su pueblo. Isla Crown es la joven soberana de Wilding, un reino de mujeres guerreras que no conocen el amor y que confían en ella para ganar el Centenario. Para sobrevivir, Isla está preparada para mentir y traicionar. Aunque no cuenta con algunos lazos que la unirán a sus rivales, ni tampoco con enamorarse de quien puede ser su peor enemigo... Críticas:«Un soplo de aire fresco. Repleta de secretos y de magia fascinante, Lightlark te hechizará y te dejará con la boca abierta con estos audaces líderes luchando por romper sus maldiciones».Chloe Gong, autora de Placeres violentos, bestseller del New York Times. «Lightlark es el tipo de fantasía que mima los sentidos: primero te seduce y luego te sorprende con sus giros. No querrás dejarlo».Marie Lu, autora de Los jóvenes de la élite. «Si Los juegos del hambre fuera un oscuro cuento de hadas, tendrías la adictiva y encantadora Lightlark. Prepárate para adentrarte en un mundo deslumbrante donde el amor es una sentencia de muerte».Adam Silvera, autor de Al final mueren los dos, número 1 del New York Times. «Una fantasía ágil y efervescente, con un mundo que rebosa intriga, romance y tensión. No podía pasar las páginas más rápido».Sabaa Tahir, autora de Una llama entre cenizas, número 1 del New York Times.
Lightlark
by Alex AsterWelcome to the Centennial. Every 100 years, the island of Lightlark appears to host the Centennial, a deadly game that only the rulers of six realms are invited to play. The invitation is a summons—a call to embrace victory and ruin, baubles and blood. The Centennial offers the six rulers one final chance to break the curses that have plagued their realms for centuries. Each ruler has something to hide. Each realm’s curse is uniquely wicked. To destroy the curses, one ruler must die.
Isla Crown is the young ruler of Wildling—a realm of temptresses cursed to kill anyone they fall in love with. They are feared and despised, and are counting on Isla to end their suffering by succeeding at the Centennial.
To survive, Isla must lie, cheat, and betray…even as love complicates everything.
Filled with secrets, deception, romance, and twists worthy of the darkest thrillers, Lightlark is a must-read for fans of legendary fantasy writers Marie Lu, Marissa Meyer, and Leigh Bardugo.
New York Times Bestseller
The Blood Years
by Elana K. ArnoldFrom Michael L. Printz honoree & National Book Award finalist Elana K. Arnold comes the harrowing story of a young girl's struggle to survive the Holocaust in Romania.
Frederieke Teitler and her older sister, Astra, live in a house, in a city, in a world divided. Their father ran out on them when Rieke was only six, leaving their mother a wreck and their grandfather as their only stable family. He’s done his best to provide for them and shield them from antisemitism, but now, seven years later, being a Jew has become increasingly dangerous, even in their beloved home of Czernowitz, long considered a safe haven for Jewish people. And when Astra falls in love and starts pulling away from her, Rieke wonders if there’s anything in her life she can count on—and, if so, if she has the power to hold on to it.
Then—war breaks out in Europe. First the Russians, then the Germans, invade Czernowitz. Almost overnight, Rieke and Astra’s world changes, and every day becomes a struggle: to keep their grandfather’s business, to keep their home, to keep their lives. Rieke has long known that she exists in a world defined by those who have power and those who do not, and as those powers close in around her, she must decide whether holding on to her life might mean letting go of everything that has ever mattered to her—and if that’s a choice she will even have the chance to make.
Based on the true experiences of her grandmother’s childhood in Holocaust-era Romania, award-winning author Elana K. Arnold weaves an unforgettable tale of love and loss in the darkest days of the twentieth century—and one young woman’s will to survive them.