On the morning of the dedication of the new children's library in Belle Beach, Long Island, eleven-year-old Julie Sweet and her six-year-old sister, Martha, find a baby in a basket on the library steps. At the same time, twelve-year-old Bruno Ben-Eli is on his way to the train station to catch the 9:15 train into New York City. He is on an important errand for his brother, who is a soldier overseas in World War II. But when Bruno spies Julie, the same Julie who hasn't spoken to him for sixteen days, heading away from the library with a baby in her arms, he has to follow her. Holy everything, he thinks. Julie Sweet is a kidnapper. Of course, the truth is much more complicated than the children know in this heartwarming and beautifully textured family story by award-winning author Amy Hest. Told in three distinct voices, each with a different take on events, the novel captures the moments and emotions of a life-changing summer -- a summer in which a baby gives a family hope and brings a community together. Read a review by Debra Blunier:![]()
Dewdrop is an easygoing, gentle axolotl who enjoys naps, worm pie, and cheerleading. When the yearly sports fair nears, he and his friends—Mia the weightlifting turtle, Newman the musical newt, and three minnows who love to cook—get ready to showcase their skills to the whole pond! However, as the day of the fair gets closer, Dewdrop's friends can't help putting pressure on themselves to be the best. It's up to Dewdrop to remind them how to be mindful, go at their own pace, and find joy in their own achievements. Read a review by Gennifer King:![]()
Broaching the subject of mental health. It’s not easy to discuss mental health, even though it affects everyone. We want to believe we can handle anything that comes at us, but the reality is we all have good days and bad days. Because of this, it is important to check in with our mental health. Through guided illustrations, author Kate Allan opens the door to discussion about mental health in an approachable and unassuming manner. Pep talks for any occasion. Whether you deal with social anxiety, depression, or are simply going through a rough patch, Allan is here with her friendly animals to help. Negative thoughts can keep us from reaching our full potential, not to mention hold us back from attaining happiness. This book is a source of validation and encouragement for those moments when we need a reminder of our worth. A journey to wellness. The focus of this book is personal growth, both the reader’s and the author’s. With her beautiful illustrations, Allan guides us through how she went from rock bottom to managing her mental health quite well. By zooming in on mindfulness and prioritizing self-care, Allan expresses how we can get through the hardships we face and come out stronger. Read a review by Gennifer King:![]()
Blending pop culture iconography with the existential threat of technological creations turning on their creators, Emotional Robots is a compulsively readable graphic novella set in an all-too presciently depicted world in which advanced robots successfully compete with humans—in sports, music, and art—in pursuit of emotional intelligence. Displaced by the robots' technological triumph, humans abandon Earth in search of a new planet to call home. But what happens to the robots when newer, faster, smarter, better robots replace them? What happens when civil unrest grows between robot generations? An astute take on the human condition and the illusory promises of technology, Emotional Robots is captivating fable for the modern age. With keen wit and dark humor, it artfully tackles universal themes urgently relevant to our time, asking readers the question faced by each new generation of humans (and robots): Is history condemned to repeat itself? Read a review by Gennifer King:![]()
Once there was a library which opened only at night... When we are fast asleep in bed, the Midnight Library opens its doors to all the night-time animals. Inside the library the little librarian and her three assistant owls help each and every animal find the perfect book. But tonight is a very busy one... Read a review by Gennifer King:![]()
Take a tour of America's great outdoors and discover the beauty and diversity of its most iconic and majestic national parks. Explore Florida's river-laced Everglades, travel down the white water rapids of the Grand Canyon, trek across the deserts of Death Valley and scale the soaring summits of the Rocky Mountains with this book that brings you up close to nature's greatest adventures. Packed with maps and fascinating facts about the flora and fauna unique to each park, this fully-illustrated coast-to-coast journey documents the nation’s most magnificent and sacred places—and shows why they should be preserved for future generations to enjoy. With maps and information about flora and fauna found in each of the 21 icon parks portrayed, this is a fantastic celebration of the great outdoors. Parks include: Acadia, Badlands, Big Bend, Biscayne, Bryce Canyon, Channel Islands, Death Valley, Denali, Everglades, Glacier, Glacier Bay, Grand Canyon, Great Smoky, Mountains, Hawaii volcanoes, Isle Royal, Mesa Verde, Olympic, Sequoia and Kings Canyon, Virgin Islands, Yellowstone and Yosemite. Read a review by Jill Martin:![]()
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February 2025
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