Since no one can see our staff pick shelves in person, here they are virtually. Enjoy!
Alex's pick. First sentence: "When Marvin Gaye sang the National Anthem at the 1983 NBA All-Star Game, he knew he was going to die soon."
Alex's pick. First sentence: "The night Effia Otcher was born into the musky heat of Fanteland, a fire raged through the woods just outside her father's compound."
Alex's pick. First sentence: "This story began, as all writing must, in failure."
Alex's pick. First sentence: "People think blood red, but blood don't got no color."
Alex's pick. First sentence: "My mother's eyes: that's the 1st thing eye can remember. "
Brown won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for this collection, which wrestles with the terror and violence in our daily lives. If you’re looking for poetry that meets this moment, you need this book. - Josh
Abrams’ newest offers a path to ending voter suppression and empowering the citizens in our democracy. The accomplished leader and entrepreneur (and Vice Presidential frontrunner) combines inspiration and practical solutions as few can. - Josh
One of my favorite novels of the last few years, We Cast a Shadow imagines a near-future Southern city that reads as a logical extension of the racial issues and police violence our country has long grappled with. As Roxane Gay put it, it’s a novel we should all “read and heed.” - Josh
Greta (aged 3) can't get enough of any and all Kevin Henkes, but particularly his Penny series. Cozy and quick tellings of a little mouse and her daily doings. Simple and sweet, yet engaging. - Becca
Also featured in this series: Penny and her Doll and Penny and her Sled
A family favorite for instant kid giggles. You can't go wrong with Mo Willems. - Becca
Theo (aged 5) just discovered Zoey and Sassafras. A kid scientist who helps magical creatures that come to her barn for help? Count us in. Even better, Asia Citro details proper use of the scientific method in all of Zoey's experiments. - Becca
Also featured in this series: Monsters and Mold, Merhorses and Bubbles, Caterflies and Ice, The Pod and the Bog, Unicorns and Germs, Grumplets and Pests
Ada Twist, Rosie Revere, Iggy Peck, and Sophia Valdez are back in Andrea Beaty's new Questioneers chapter book series and they do not disappoint! - Becca & Theo (age 5)
Also in this series: Rosie Revere and the Raucous Riviters and Iggy Peck and the Mysterious Mansion
The cover alone was enough to sell me on this dystopian novel where women have turned into fungus. Fungus! - Gracie
If you haven't gotten into Amy Stewart yet, this is a treat you must add to your quarantine reads. - Gracie
Essex Serpent was one of my favorites, and Sarah Perry's following two books have not disappointed! - Gracie
I can't believe I haven't read this yet, but now that I have *more time* it is at the top of my pile! - Gracie
A perfect summer mystery for middle grade readers about new friendship, redemption, and exposing the racist history a town would rather forget. - Steph
Millie Quint is the embodiment of all my childhood dreams of running away to a fancy boarding school in a foreign country to find yourself and find true love, and I adored every moment of her journey in HER ROYAL HIGHNESS. Every small nod to PRINCE CHARMING brought a smile to my lips, and yet Millie and Flora stand entirely on their own--a complex and developing romance trying to figure itself amidst the international pressure of crowns and tabloids. - Steph
This is one of those graphic novels that I would periodically shout at whoever was closest "OH MY GOD THEY DID THIS AND SAID THAT AND AHHHH!" as I rolled around the floor in an overabundance of feelings. Everyone needs to pick it up, and I can't wait to check out Alice Oseman's YA novels soon. - Steph
A riveting family saga perfect for fans of Celeste Ng. Over the course of several decades, we follow the Sorenson family: Marilyn, David and their four daughters. A long-held secret comes to the surface in the early chapters and as novel moves forward we go back-and-forth in time to discover how we got there. It's a beautiful exploration of love and family and my words here don't even come close to doing it justice. It's simply marvelous. - Emily
Two sisters in Philly. One's a cop, the other is suffering from the opioid epidemic. The sisters haven't spoken in months, but as bodies of known women struggling with addiction start to surface, Mickey (the cop) risks everything to find her sister. This is a really meaty mystery, great for fans of Tana French. - Emily
I love Emma Straub. Similar to The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo, it's a sweeping family saga about secrets, the mistakes we make, misperceptions, and devotion. - Emily
If you're looking for something like THE VEGETARIAN or FEVER DREAM, this is your next book. Jia Jia finds her husband in the bathtub, dead, and in a compromising position. He's clutching a drawing of a creature, half man/half fish that Jia Jia (an artist) becomes obsessed with finding the origins of. -Emily
