Class 203 is “in a braiding CRAZE,” which poses a problem for Noah (white). “Noah has short hair. All the ponies are taken. His shoes don’t have laces.” Intrepid Ms. Morena has an idea: She cuts up a whiteboard rag, and Noah gets to braiding. “Left over center. Right over center. Left over center.”
Starred Review of the Week
And Then We Saw the Bag…
Two siblings return home from a weekend away with Grandpa. Their parents are happy and relaxed, which immediately unsettles the children. Mom and Dad are pleased that the clutter has been tidied and that there is a fresh smell in the home. But the siblings are suspicious. And then they see it: a big black plastic bag in the corner.
Starman: The Cosmic Voyage of David Bowie
A dazzling homage to David Bowie presents him as a traveler exploring vastly varied worlds of creative expression throughout his career as “a cosmic, celestial, musical artist.” Unlike the static sound of most musicians, Bowie “embraced change,” trying on different personas and shifting his musical style—often radically—whenever he grew restless.
Beyond Seven Forests
This slim, taut novel set in occupied Galicia during the thick of World War I wastes no words and packs a powerful punch. The only remaining member of her immediate family, 18-year-old Polish countess Renia lives alone in her family’s partially destroyed mansion and treats wounded soldiers at a nearby hospital. Her recent actions—harboring two escaped Russian POWs—have led to her arrest; now Renia is giving her testimony of events at her military tribunal.
The Secrets Below (The Whispering Sea Mysteries)
This moody and atmospheric thriller follows twelve-year-old Tuva (white) in the aftermath of a missing classmate in the forest of her small island school.
Same Time, Next Week?
This offbeat and quietly tender picture book about star-gazing friends is a nocturnal ode to expectations and acceptance.
Hometown
Shaun Tan’s brilliance as an artist and storyteller is on full display in this illustrated work of fiction. Hometown has a straightforward construct: a visual tour of a girl’s hometown as she sees it. But while the meaning of home and belonging might be universal, this place is utterly unique and unforgettable.
Suffer a Witch: A Memoir
Author and playwright Joy McCullough recounts her experience of the abuse she endured by her youth pastor in the church led by her father, the senior pastor, when she was a 15-, 16-, and 17-year-old girl. McCullough’s memories are told chronologically through raw, sharp poems. Her precise, insightful, and informative writing is a masterpiece in verse. Yet the reckoning of her truth, brilliantly executed, is also a horrifying marvel of power and pain.
Kaleidoscope of Hope: How Butterfly Life Cycles Reflect Our World
The word “kaleidoscope” likely brings to mind symmetrical, psychedelic patterns; less commonly known is that “kaleidoscope” is also the collective noun for a group of butterflies. This fantastically illustrated account makes use of both definitions as it explores the life cycle of butterflies.
The Unlikely Tale of Chase and Finnegan
An unlikely pair of animals finds healing, companionship, and courage in this touching novel inspired by a real-life animal-rehabilitation program. Chase, a baby cheetah, is devastated when her mother dies during a visit to the veterinarian at the zoo where she was rehabilitated after being injured in the wild.