Fresh Reads, Honest reviews, Educator-approved
In this haunting 4-star debut, two Bribri American brothers fight to escape the shadow of their father’s violence. Written in accessible verse and vignettes, Saints of the Household is a raw, realistic look at trauma, brotherhood, and Indigenous identity. It’s a powerful recommendation for young men and reluctant readers, offering a hopeful model for navigating mental health crises and reclaiming one’s future from a turbulent past.
Katherine Rundell’s Impossible Creatures is a 5-star masterpiece that feels like an instant classic. When Christopher saves a baby griffin, he is pulled into the Archipelago—a hidden world of fading magic and ancient legends. This lyrical, high-stakes adventure explores the bravery required to protect a dying world. Perfect for fans of Narnia or His Dark Materials, it’s a breathtaking tribute to the mythical and the courageous heart.
Get ready for a “heady” and serpentine mystery with the K Team! In Good Dog, Bad Cop, Corey Douglas and his K-9 partner Simon Garfunkel take on a cold case to clear a mentor’s name. This 4-star procedural is witty, complex, and skillfully woven. While the human characters take center stage, the canine hero Simon Garfunkel is the true star of this Paterson, NJ investigation. Perfect for fans of complex puzzles.
Why do we overpay for “free” items? Dan Ariely’s Predictably Irrational is a 4-star deep dive into the quirky, systematic biases that drive our decisions. From the placebo effect to the hidden cost of “zero,” this book reveals that our mistakes aren’t random—they are predictable. A must-read for high schoolers and educators alike, it offers fascinating insights into economics and psychology that will forever change how you shop, study, and think.
Can a novel be a standardized test? Alejandro Zambra’s Multiple Choice is a 4-star experimental masterpiece that mimics the Chilean Academic Aptitude Test to critique conformity and authoritarianism. Moving from playful to political, it challenges readers to find answers in a world where the “correct” choice doesn’t exist. An essential, thought-provoking tool for high school ELA and Social Studies classes exploring rhetoric, history, and the power of compliance.