Recommended Reads

From the first human settlements to today's modern metropolises, we have always relied on the sun for light, energy, and sustenance. We Carry the Sun traces the history of solar power from ancient south-facing villages to the Industrial Age and modern innovators; and from solar-powered steam engines to silicon solar panels.

Lyrical and informed, Newbery Medal winner Tae Keller's debut picture book is also a timely call to action that asks young readers to imagine a brighter, cleaner future. Illuminated by Rachel Wada's radiant, eye-catching illustrations, We Carry the Sun is a tribute to pioneering thinkers, a celebration of humankind's relationships with the natural world, and a shimmering ode to the resource that sustains us.

A bustling school bus and bus driver duo take care of their beloved riders each day in this cheerful, bouncy picture book perfect for back to school and all year round.

It’s time for school, and Trusty Bus and Driver Dee are gearing up! Trusty’s riders are coming, and his engine’s hum-humming. Trusty always takes his time, and never leaves a friend behind. When the students are safely at school, it’s time for Trusty and Dee to complete their daily clean-ups, fill-ups, and checkups before they head back to school for the journey home. Climb aboard!

This gorgeously illustrated picture book brings to full color the adventures of the #1 New York Times bestselling novel The Wild Robot.



Roz is not where she's supposed to be.



You see, the robot wasn't designed to live in the wilderness. But when she washes up on an island, she must learn from the animal inhabitants and adapt to her new, natural surroundings, and before long, the island begins to feel like home.



Filled with bestselling creator and award-winning artist Peter Brown's stunning artwork, this moving picture book is the perfect gift for readers new to The Wild Robot or for longtime fans of the middle-grade book series that sparked a global phenomenon.

In this reassuring and sweet picture book, a timid bear named Willow chases after her dreams and discovers that being brave can lead to wonderful surprises. An encouraging tale for any child who is learning to overcome a challenge.

Willow is a bear who is afraid of everything. Rarely venturing outside, she feels quite content to spend her days inside her tree stump home. So, when an invitation to the Seaside Wildflower Festival arrives, Willow is surprised that she actually wants to go. For the first time ever, Willow decides to say yes!

But getting to the wildflower fields won’t be easy and Willow must face the unknown. She will have to sail on a raft, down the winding river, past the dark forest, and even avoid a waterfall! And although she meets new friends Frog and Raccoon who offer help along the way, Willow wonders if it would have been better to stay home. Can Willow learn to overcome her fears and embrace the beautiful world around her?

Here is an uplifting story that will inspire readers to embrace new experiences, reminding them that sometimes the most rewarding journeys are ones that coax us beyond the familiar and toward the unexpected.

A trio of wandering wombats with a passion for words inspire an enthusiastic duckling to transform her town from dull to dazzling in this delectable picture book that shares with children the magic of words.

Evergreen Forest is a very nice forest, with very nice trees and very nice animals. It’s a rather dull place, but no one says a word about it. In fact, no one says very many words at all! And therein lies the problem.

Until the word-loving wandering wombats arrive.

They use words like enthusiastic and splendiferous, ready to turn ordinary into EXTRAordinary! With twinkles in their eyes and words on their minds, the word wombats come to transform Evergreen Forest. 

At first, the animals of Evergreen Forest are…confused. All except for a curious duckling who eagerly devours every noun, adjective, and verb that she hears. Slowly, the inhabitants of Evergreen Forest become mesmerized as they realize that words are not just fun, they are inspiring.

New York Times bestselling author Beth Ferry and acclaimed illustrator Lori Nichols captivate readers with this dazzling, magnificent, and triumphant tale about discovering the power of words and the ways they connect and empower us.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator of The Big Cheese, Pete Oswald, and critically acclaimed author of 7 Ate 9 and Bloop, Tara Lazar, comes a back-to-school adventure for Flat Cat!

Flat Cat was born flat. He wasn't squashed under the lunch lady's rolling pin. He wasn't smushed by an avalanche of library books. He was just flat. And most of the time, Flat Cat liked it just like that. 

Until one day, when Flat Cat, in the mood for a change of scenery, slips into his friend Willow's backpack and accompanies her to school, where he gets folded into a paper airplane, passed as a secret note, and used as a bathroom pass. Will Flat Cat be able to escape the chaos? Or will he realize he is keen to be loved and adored?

From acclaimed author Tara Lazar and brought to life by #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator Pete Oswald, this is a hilariously quirky and irreverent story that is sure to appeal to fans of Pete the Cat!

Praise for Flat Cat:

*"This amusing picture book is fun for reading aloud." --Booklist (starred review) on Flat Cat

"Whimsy, wonder, and wacky humor in just the right proportions." --GeekMom on Flat Cat

"An amusing and memorable story for cat ­lovers." --School Library Journal on Flat Cat: The Class Pet

"Perfect for cat lovers who wonder how their feline escape artists seemingly walk through doors." --BCCB on Flat Cat

Go to Hammerbarn with Bluey and Bingo in this storybook based on the wildly successful animated series Bluey, as seen on Disney+

The Heeler family are shopping at Hammerbarn for a new pizza oven, and Bluey and Bingo play Neighbors with their gnome husbands, Gerald and Hecuba. Will neighbors Bluey and Bingo get along? Read along to find out!

BABY BERENSTAIN BEARS board books—a new series perfect for snuggle time with your little cub! Help little ones learn how to use the potty with Honey Bear and her cousin, Teddi!

Cousin Teddi is still wearing diapers, but it's time for her to start using the potty. When she spots Honey using the toilet like a big girl, she decides to try the potty and ditch the diapers! With adorable illustrations and gentle humor, this Berenstain Bears potty book is the perfect way to introduce potty training to your little cub!

Set in the world of New York Times bestseller Seraphina, a boy on the run from a dragon—among other dangers—seeks refuge in a haunted abbey in this wholly original ghost story about what haunts us, and what connects us.

A few things to know about the town of St. Muckle’s: It’s too out-of-the-way to interest greedy lords, and too damp and muddy for marauding dragons to burn. And anyone, from a humble serf to a runaway nun, may earn their freedom by living for a year and a day within the town walls. Seven years ago, Charl and his mother fled to St. Muckle’s and made it their safe-haven, building a new life in this so called Peasant’s Paradise. But when Charl sees something impossible—a ghost—soon the embers of his past are threatening to engulf his world in flame. A tragic accident is quickly followed by murder, a deadly plague, and a mercenary dragon. 

Charl manages to escape to an abandoned abbey outside of town, but finds no safety within those ruined walls. A treacherous nun, a chorus of murdered girls, and the fearsome Battle Bishop await, ready to ensnare him in a complex web of history, magic and fate. For some things should never be forgotten, however much they haunt us, and Charl will need all his wisdom and resiliency if he is to fight for the world he knows…and the people he calls home.

Discover more critically-acclaimed fantasy from Rachel Hartman!
Seraphina
Shadow Scale
Tess of the Road

The Walking Dead meets Yellowjackets in If We Survive This, a tense and emotional young adult horror novel from award-winning author Racquel Marie about a teen girl leading a group of survivors on a perilous journey during the apocalypse.

Flora Braddock Paz is not the girl who survives. A colorful creative who spends as much time fearing death as she does trying to hide that fear from her loved ones, she’s always considered herself weak. But half a year into the global outbreak of a rabies mutation that transforms people into violent, zombielike "rabids," she and her older brother, Cain, are still alive. With their mom dead, their dad missing, and their Los Angeles suburb left desolate, they form a new plan: venture out to the secluded Northern California cabin they vacationed in growing up—their best chance at a safe haven and maybe even seeing their dad again.

The dangers of the world have changed, but so has Flora. Still, their journey up the state is complicated by encounters with familiar faces, hidden truths, new allies, and painful memories of the whole family’s final time making this trip the previous year. And for Flora, one thing inevitably remains: No matter how far you run, death is never far behind.

★ "Marie delves into the genre with resounding success: alternating chapters titled “Now” and “Then” juxtapose Flora’s life in survival mode with society pre-apocalypse. Introspective portrayals of OCD and steadfast siblinghood combine with standout depictions of classic horror tropes bursting with sci-fi zombie gore in this tightly paced novel." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

This is the kind of love story that starts with a lie.

John Paul Reyes wants to escape the worst truths in his life-other people's pity since his dad died, and everyone else's expectations about what he should do with his life now that he's graduated high school. When he arrives at the Majestic Mountain resort with his Tita Abrigo's wealthy family, he sees a way to escape-he can be JP Abrigo, rich and set, and he can lie his way to feeling fine.

Mia Malik is trapped in this town, working hard at the resort, trying to escape her broken family and to make her way to the prestigious art program she was accepted into. She's desperate to afford her way there, and she's sick of the privileged guests who have the whole world open to them, who don't really even see her.

But then another staffer dares Mia to make one of the guests fall for her. If she can, she'll collect enough money to get out. Mia knows this is dangerously against the rules, and doesn't even want to pretend to like an entitled rich kid, but then she meets JP. Lying to him starts off easy, but then there's more to him than she expected. And the way JP feels about Mia? So real. As their week together runs out, Mia and JP will have to dig themselves out from the lies they tell to see if there's any truth in the feelings they have for each other.

A moving, layered young adult novel in two voices about finding truth in the lies we tell ourselves.

Stealing from her rich family was supposed to be a fun winter getaway for teen mastermind Olivia Owens, but when a rival thief, a love triangle, and a murder suspect interfere, she'll have to decide how far she's willing to go for the vault full of gold-and for the boy she loves.

When teen heiress and heist leader Olivia Owens receives an invitation for her cold-hearted grandmother's seventieth birthday at the family's inherited Swiss castle, only one thing entices her to accept: the vault full of gold waiting in the castle's frigid dungeons. Assembling her old crew of high school criminals, now including her boyfriend Jackson, Olivia feels more prepared than ever for grand theft.

But not everything is what it seems when they arrive. For starters, the reunion turns out to be less of a party and more of a wake. Her grandmother announces that she's dying ... and plans to be buried with her fortune. Suddenly the entire greedy Owens clan turns their eyes toward Olivia's target. It's hard enough to steal something everyone's looking at, but an old backstabber, a new suitor, and an uninvited guest add fuel to the fire until Olivia is desperately trying to hold the pieces of her plan-and her crew-together.

As Olivia faces her family's dark legacy of deceit, grift, and maybe even murder, she's forced to weigh how deeply she loves Jackson with how her love might destroy him. She didn't choose her family, but now she has to choose-who she loves, who she trusts, and who she's willing to risk to get what she wants. In a family of thieves, this might cost her everything.

Perfect for fans of...
★ The Inheritance Games
★ Jessica Goodman
★ Knives Out
★ Oceans 11
★ Succession
★ Gossip Girl

Don't miss the revenge heist that started it all: Heiress Takes All.

Praise for Heiress Takes All

"A perfectly delicious tale of greed, family, vengeance, and revenge." -Kathleen Glasgow, New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Pieces and The Agathas

"Riveting, swoony, and so much fun." -Jessica Goodman, New York Times bestselling author of The Legacies and The Counselors

"An edge-of-your-seat thrill ride the whole way through." -Rachel Griffin, New York Times bestselling author of Bring Me Your Midnight

Trilobite and his friends are back, and the hunt for fame and fortune continues in this hilarious graphic novel series from the bestselling cartoonist behind the Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales series



The beloved team of prehistoric--and hysterical--creatures is back! This wacky, hilarious, and totally unique graphic novel series is perfect for fans of Dog Man and InvestiGators.



Trilobite and his friends hope to strike it rich making a documentary about an Ice Age super pig called the Entelodont. This mega pig is a cross between a hippo, a razorback, and a bag of chainsaws. A dangerous creature feature is sure to be a big hit with their audience. What could go wrong?



Their quest for a viral video takes a chaotic turn when they accidentally create the Hog-Rocket--a flying Entelodont with a love for destruction.



Now Trilobite and company have no video, no money--and no way to stop the mayhem they set in motion.

In the magical city of Nevermoor, long-buried secrets are coming to light, and Morrigan Crow's life is about to turn upside down.



When Morrigan is invited into Nevermoor's wealthy Silver District, she discovers a world of extravagance and a family mystery she's eager to unravel. She could never imagine where it will lead: a white wedding, a golden dragon and a red pool of blood.



Embroiled in suspicion and danger, Morrigan leaps head first into a murder investigation, while also grappling with her ever-growing Wundersmith powers. And although her friends are there to help, she fears that could change if they learn she's keeping a terrible secret of her own.



As shadowy forces awaken in Nevermoor, can Morrigan find a killer and solve the mystery in her own past ... before the clock strikes midnight?



Jessica Townsend weaves a spellbinding tale of magic and mystery in this thrilling new installment of the Nevermoor series.

An exciting and twisty middle-grade debut mystery novel--perfect for fans of From the Desk of Zoe Washington and The Parker Inheritance--about the disappearance of a famous magician, and one boy's quest to find the truth



Spending the summer with his aunt as the only Black kid in a small Midwestern town was bad enough, but now Andy Carter's summer has been effectively ruined.



His dad's parole hearing is postponed, he misses his friends, and--when an old barn burns down--he's stuck taking the blame. Andy is sentenced with helping the barn's owner, a cantankerous old man, renovate his crumbling mansion--a mansion that hides a mystery.



It was once owned by the famous magician the Red Knave. In 1954, the Knave was a wanted suspect in the town's most infamous murder before disappearing without a trace.



The whole town is sure the Red Knave is guilty, but to Andy, things just don't add up. Investigating a mystery from the '50s isn't the same as spending time with his dad, but Andy can't help but be drawn into the Red Knave's exciting world of magic and illusion. To solve the Knave's final vanishing act, Andy teams up with another boy he doesn't quite trust. Secret by secret, they try to uncover the Red Knave's identity and learn why his last performance came to such a tragic end.



With a gripping combination of hidden doors, shocking twists, and deep emotional heart, Smoke & Mirrors asks the question: How much of the truth is what you can get people to believe?

Nine and the other inhabitants must find a way to stop their magical house from uncontrollably bouncing from world to world in this wacky and whimsical follow-up to the middle grade adventure The House at the Edge of Magic.

Nine and her friends have broken the curse on their marvelous, magical house and are free to travel the worlds once more! Their first stop: the Wizarding Hopscotch Championships. There’s only one problem: the house is nervous about traveling and gets the hiccups!

Bouncing from world to world with every hic!, they finally land at the championships, only for Flabberghast to have an unfortunate run-in with square number nine that leaves them all faced with the terrible Tower at the End of Time.

But their sinister new location may be just the place to cure the house’s hiccups and even uncover who left Nine her beloved music box as a baby and who Nine really is…

"This thrilling mashup of boarding school, supernatural, and scary story tropes is the latest addition to the Choose Your Own Adventure series ... A page-turning, spine-tingling addition to a perennially popular series." - Kirkus Reviews

Break an impossible curse or die trying in this interactive book where YOU decide what happens next! Packed with 19 possible endings!

Choose Your Own Adventure books-the 4th bestselling children's series of all time-are now available with even more pages, choices, and mystery for 10- to 12-year-old readers.

The Great Winter Academy for the Extraordinarily Talented is made up of students with paranormal and fantastical abilities. This year, YOU are one of three students who receive the impossible curse-- retrieve a long lost heirloom stolen by the rival school, or die trying. Nobody has successfully broken the curse before, and many have met grisly ends. Will you try to find a way out of your curse? Or will you infiltrate the ranks of your rivals?

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A devoted mother outrunning a troubled childhood and adapting to an empty nest is tested in ways she never expected in this suspenseful novel by #1 New York Times bestselling author Danielle Steel.

On the occasion of her daughter Valerie’s wedding and her upcoming fiftieth birthday, bestselling author Halley Holbrook finds herself reflecting. Raising twins Valerie and Olivia is her proudest accomplishment. Halley has been able to give them the loving and safe home she never had, having survived a childhood so traumatic she’s never talked about it with her girls. Long ago, Halley decided to live in the sunlight of the present, not the dark shadows of the past.

After Valerie moves to Los Angeles with her producer husband, and Olivia follows to remain close to her sister, Halley is empty-nesting in her Fifth Avenue apartment. Facing her first holiday alone in years, she books a trip to Paris.

On the flight over, she meets charming Bart Warner, and the two become fast friends. Halley hasn’t dated since her partner died three years ago, yet she quickly begins to feel more like herself. But when a cunning thief makes off with her handbag and then begins to harass her, it reawakens old ghosts from her past. Vowing not to be a victim, and with Bart’s help, she chooses a bold course of action.

The moving story of a woman determined to give her daughters what she never had—a mother’s love—Danielle Steel’s gripping novel is a story of emotional resilience and truly letting go.

“Southern bestselling sensation” (Katie Couric Media) Kristy Woodson Harvey returns with a “heartfelt and dramatic” (Lisa Scottoline, New York Times bestselling author) novel about mother-daughter relationships, small-town drama, and the unexpected strength that comes from leaning on a community of women when life gets turned upside down.

When Charlotte Sitterly’s husband is arrested for a white-collar crime, she and her daughter Iris are locked out of their house by the FBI and—what’s potentially even worse—thrust into the spotlight of @JuniperShoresSocialite, the town’s snarky anonymous Instagram account. Desperate and cut off from her bank accounts, Charlotte moves to a former beachfront bed-and-breakfast that’s home to a community of single mothers and draws plenty of gossip in the small coastal North Carolina town.

Charlotte and Iris find solace and are surprised by how much fun they’re having with the other families despite their circumstances. But when the women discover a secret link between them, it changes everything they thought they knew about the unconventional family they’ve created and leaves them wondering whether their coming together was a coincidence at all. Will the skeletons in the closets help Charlotte and Iris reclaim their place in the Juniper shores community—or shatter the sisterhood forever.

“Perfect for fans of Elin Hilderbrand and Jennifer Weiner” (Country Living), Beach House Rules is a charming and uplifting exploration of the bonds of friendship, the true meaning of family, and reclaiming the power to reshape our own destiny.

“Cowan has combined the best parts of classic legal thrillers, with an unexpected new lead character that brings the genre into a new generation.” —JAMES PATTERSON

From a writer and executive producer of Suits comes a riveting and gritty legal thriller about murder, cover-ups, redemption, and Los Angeles—perfect for fans of #1 bestselling authors John Grisham and Scott Turow.

As a disgraced lawyer with a drinking problem that he doesn’t view as a problem, Jake West is coasting on what’s left of his charm and money. He used to be the kind of lawyer who could convince anyone of anything—until he decided to take on his father’s biggest client and prove his dad was corrupt. Now Jake finds himself almost at rock bottom, and that’s before his ex-best friend is murdered and Jake is accused of the crime.

In a desperate bid to save himself, Jake must sober up and search for the real killer, whom he suspects might be hidden in one of the case files of his father’s illustrious law firm. As he delves into a labyrinth of lies and corruption, Jake teams up with an eclectic group of equally broken people as they all must skirt the law in order to find the proof he needs…no matter the personal or professional cost.