Fresh Reads, Honest reviews, Educator-approved
What if you woke up in the woods with no memory of the past few days and discovered your best friend was dead? Kara Thomas’s That Weekend is a fast-paced psychological thriller filled with twists, secrets, and an unreliable narrator whose missing memories keep readers guessing until the final pages.
Pawcasso follows a lonely eleven-year-old who gets swept into a massive neighborhood misunderstanding over a grocery-buying, basket-toting dog. Balancing funny town debates with authentic lessons on honesty and connection perfect for young art enthusiasts, and animal lovers alike.
A motivating and authentic guide to navigating uncertainty! In The Light We Carry, former First Lady Michelle Obama shares empowering stories of resilience, leadership, and public service. Blending personal vulnerability with actionable advice on race, identity, and building community, a thoughtful memoir.
Award-winning creators Minh Lê and Dan Santat deliver a sweetly funny, superhero origin story tracking a child’s warp-speed growth from infancy to graduation. Framed with vivid, comic-style illustrations that hilariously mirror parent struggles, The Blur is a fast-paced picture book.
Sonora Reyes’s debut, The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School, is a brilliantly witty and deeply moving novel about identity, family, and self-acceptance. Subverting classic tropes with uniquely lovable, nuanced characters, this story handles heavy themes like homophobia and suicidal ideation with incredible tenderness and care. It is a highly recommended, essential contemporary realistic addition for any high school library collection or diverse young adult display.