New Books

Ecofiction for Readers of All Ages

Heatwave

Heatwave By Lauren Redniss

A picture book from an award-winning artist that uses vibrant reds and blues to stunningly evoke the intensity of a heatwave and the refreshing relief that comes with an unexpected downpour of a cooling rain.

Sweltering. Sweating. It’s 100 degrees… even in the shade.
Games are canceled, temperatures reach record highs. The sun is hot.

Finally, a wind picks up. One rain drop. Then another. A downpour. The sun sets and the moon rises, Relief at last.

Heatwave is a book that vividly evokes a universal feeling--when the air is so hot and heavy you can barely move, when the sun is so bright your eyes play tricks on you. Renowned artist, writer and MacArthur genuis grant recipient, Lauren Redniss’s choice to use just two vibrant and contrasting colors in her artwork and spare text makes for a bold and interesting exploration of extreme weather. Even the book itself is saturated in red as if the book itself is burning up.

Tate's Wild Rescue

Tate's Wild Rescue By Jenny Turnbull; illustrated by Izzy Burton

A sweet, funny picture book about an animal-loving girl who invites wild animals to live in her house and be her best friend—with mixed results! A tale told through letters that is perfect for all animal enthusiasts!

Tate loves animals, but she worries about the ones who live in the wild—aren’t they cold? Hungry? Lonely?

She is determined to help and comes up with the perfect plan: she’ll offer one a better life and they will be best friends! To her surprise, none of the wild animals she invites to live with her are impressed with her offerings—Orca is not interested in the kiddie pool, and Tiger would rather hunt than settle for cookies. Maybe Tate will have to look a bit closer to home to find her pawsitively perfect match. 

Told through letters, Tate’s heartfelt hope to rescue a wild animal combined with the blunt hilarity of their responses makes this charming story perfect for anyone wild about animals! Fans of Can I Be Your Dog by Troy Cummings will enjoy this “tail”! The back of the book also offers ideas for children on how they can help both wild and companion animals!

The Secret Language of Birds

The Secret Language of Birds By Lynne Kelly

An instant USA Today bestseller! From the award-winning author of Song for a Whale comes a poignant and heartwarming tale about a girl who discovers a pair of endangered birds about to lay eggs in the marshes of her summer camp...and the secret plan she hatches to help them.

Nina is used to feeling like the odd one out, both at school and in her large family. But while trying to fit in at summer camp, she discovers something even more peculiar: two majestic birds have built a nest in the marsh behind an abandoned infirmary. They appear to be whooping cranes, but that’s impossible—Nina is an amateur bird-watcher, and all her resources tell her that those rare birds haven’t nested in Texas for over a hundred years.

When Nina reports the sighting to wildlife officials, more questions arise. Experts track all the endangered birds, but they can’t identify the female bird that Nina found. Who is she, and where did she come from?

With the help of some fellow campers, Nina sets out to discover who the mystery bird really is. As she gets closer to the truth, will she find a flock of her own?

This instant classic captures the coming-of-age moment of learning to spread your wings in a way you'll never forget.

Turtles of the Midnight Moon

Turtles of the Midnight Moon By María José Fitzgerald

When poachers threaten the island they love, two girls team up to save the turtles—and each other. An eco-mystery with an unforgettable friendship story at its heart from a fresh new voice in middle grade.

Twelve-year-old Barana lives in a coastal village in Honduras, where she spends every spare minute visiting the sea turtles that nest on the beach.

Abby is feeling adrift in sixth grade, trying to figure out who she is and where she belongs after her best friend moved away from New Jersey.

When Abby’s papi plans a work trip to Honduras, she is finally given the opportunity to see his homeland—with Barana as her tour guide. But Barana has other plans: someone has been poaching turtle eggs, and she’s determined to catch them! Before long, Abby and Barana are both consumed by the mystery, chasing down suspects, gathering clues, and staking out the beach in the dead of night. . . . Will they find a way to stop the poachers before it’s too late?

A heart-pounding mystery with a hint of magic, María José Fitzgerald’s debut novel explores the power of friendship, community, and compassion to unite all living creatures.

Snowglobe

Snowglobe By Soyoung Park; translated by Joungmin Lee Comfort

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The groundbreaking Korean phenomenon that Entertainment Weekly called “The Hunger Games meets Squid Game”—now in English for the first time!

“An immersive and utterly addictive dark dystopian thriller . . . with the eerie, desperate, and exhilarating vibes of Snowpiercer and The Hunger Games.” —Susan Lee, author of Seoulmates

In a world of constant winter, only the citizens of the climate-controlled city of Snowglobe can escape the bitter cold—but this perfect society is hiding dark and dangerous secrets within its frozen heart.

**The gorgeous first edition hardcover of Snowglobe features two covers in one (a beautifully illustrated hardcover underneath the stunning jacket) and foil-stamped interior papers at the beginning and end of the book!**


Enclosed under a vast dome, Snowglobe is the last place on Earth that’s warm. Outside Snowglobe is a frozen wasteland, and every day, citizens face the icy world to get to their jobs at the power plant, where they produce the energy Snowglobe needs. Their only solace comes in the form of twenty-four-hour television programming streamed directly from the domed city.

The residents of Snowglobe have everything: fame, fortune, and above all, safety from the desolation outside their walls. In exchange, their lives are broadcast to the less fortunate outside, who watch eagerly, hoping for the chance to one day become actors themselves.

Chobahm lives for the time she spends watching the shows produced inside Snowglobe. Her favorite? Goh Around, starring Goh Haeri, Snowglobe’s biggest star—and, it turns out, the key to getting Chobahm her dream life.

Because Haeri is dead, and Chobahm has been chosen to take her place. Only, life inside Snowglobe is nothing like what you see on television. Reality is a lie, and truth seems to be forever out of reach.

Translated for the first time into English from the original Korean, Snowglobe is a groundbreaking exploration of personal identity, and the future of the world as we know it. It is the winner of the Changbi X Kakaopage Young Adult Novel Award.

Fresh Voices: Q&A with Amanda Linsmeier, author of Six of Sorrow

“Christopher Pike and Riverdale vibes will entice readers looking for subtle supernatural romance and small-town drama, all topped with a face-off against a menacing secret from the past.” Booklist

What inspired you to create SIX OF SORROW?

I was just coming off of writing STARLINGS which has some pretty heavy themes of generational trauma and sacrifice, lots of death, etc, and I wanted to create something light and fun! The funny thing is, this always happens—my stories begin as a response to a previous story that went darker than I anticipated and has left me *slightly* emotionally exhausted. So, I start the new, shiny ideas and inevitably, through the process of drafting and revisions, end up in the exact position I was trying to crawl my way out of! Now, there is lots of fun in SIX OF SORROW—it’s got a kind of nostalgic lightheartedness of 90s teen horror/thriller novels that I loved growing up—but there are certainly some more serious threads woven throughout as well. There are girls fighting an evil entity, witchy magic, sickly cheerleaders, a dramatic school dance scene, and more—those are some “fun” elements that carried over. And I’m so glad they stayed! But personally, I think one of the best things about it is the contrast between those elements and the other side—the eerie atmosphere, the lurking villain, the body horror. Those ideas combined is what makes this book what it is. And the cover is such a perfect representation of the story. That gorgeously-girly hot-pink—complete with a little blood.

What was the most difficult part about writing the book? What part was the easiest? 

The most difficult? Loaded question! I definitely suffered from “second book syndrome” like a lot of authors. I had this idea in my mind of what the story was, not just the tone of it, but the plot points. Through revisions—many, many rounds—I realized a lot of things had to change. My first few drafts were too complicated, too many elements. Multiple villains, multiple layers that didn’t quite melt together. It didn’t feel cohesive and I had a ton of worldbuilding issues. I couldn’t answer important questions, and that weighed down the believability. With the help of my editor, I was able to unravel these threads and simplify. It was all worth it in the end! But of course, during the process, my self-confidence and my confidence in the story took a big hit. I kind of doubted we would ever see the end of the process, so to be here, just two weeks out of publication, feels pretty amazing. I’m really proud of this book.

What element of the story do you identify with the most and why? 

There really is so much of me in this story. So many of my loves threaded into it. My editor said it feels like “an ode to being a teenage girl” which I just had to repeat in the acknowledgments (and now here too, I guess), but really, to me, it feels like an ode to being teenage me. So many things that helped form me, so many past (and current) obsessions, made their way into the story. It’s like a dash of this old book, and this old book, and this old book. The vibes of this movie and that movie. The feeling I had while reading/watching/singing/listening to that, that, that. The ache of first love and the complexities of growing up. It’s all kinds of experiences and loves and delights rolled up into one and wrapped in some of my fears, too. And so much of it wasn’t even intentional! I am still discovering moments within it that light up a bulb in my memory. It is the kind of book that would have delighted me at fourteen—and still does at forty-one!

What do you want kids to take away from this story? 

I’d love them to fall in love with the friend group, to find them as precious as I do. To champion the sweet queer love story. To find a favorite character that they resonate with. Mostly, I hope that teen readers enjoy the book. I hope they have a good time with the story. And I wouldn’t be mad if they got goosebumps once or twice.

What are you currently reading? 

Last night, I finished I WISH YOU WOULD by Eva Des Lauriers, a fellow Writing With the Soul alumni—a perfectly-angsty summer YA second-chance romance. So that means today I get to start LEGENDBORN by Tracy Deonn, which has been on my TBR forever. I just know I’ll love it!

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

In the end, I hope I’ve captured the complexities of friendships, particularly those we develop as adolescents. I hope I’ve portrayed these girls authentically—because they sure feel real to me. None of them are perfect, and their relationships with each other certainly haven’t always been. But we know humans aren’t perfect. That’s why we are interesting. That’s why we want to read stories about other humans. If everyone made the right decisions all the time, the smartest decisions all the time, there’d be no growth. No story. Nothing worth fighting for or reaching toward. Their history is messy and full of mistakes, which I think a lot of readers will resonate with, but it’s also full of love. I hope that shines through the pages.

The Fresh Voices series is in coordination with the RHCB DEI Book Club committee.

Fresh Voices: Q&A with Rukhsana Khan, author of Rabia’s Eid!

"Rahmalia’s bright and cheery illustrations beautifully capture the cultural aspects of Eid." —School Library Journal

What inspired you to write Rabia’s Eid? 

I wanted to see if I could explore this new genre of early reader books with an Eid story that says something new. I remember my learning to read journey. Back then the books were very limited! I never saw anyone in them that looked like me or celebrated Eid!

Right now, there are a plethora of lovely Eid books out there and I wondered if I could come at it from a new perspective. I think this is the first early-to-read book about the subject.

Click here to watch a Youtube video for Rabia’s Eid.

What was the most difficult part about writing the book? What part was the easiest? 

What was the most difficult? The format! With easy readers you can’t overwhelm the reader with too much text. There are all kinds of specifications that I wasn’t aware of. And fitting a story within those line breaks etc. was challenging. It’s really given me an even greater respect for these types of books!

What part was the easiest?

Remembering how a little girl like Rabia would experience Ramadan!

What element of the story do you identify with the most and why?

The moment I identify most with is when Rabia’s father asks Rabia to put the ‘Fitr’ (the mandatory charity of feeding one poor person for each person in your family) in the box, she looks out at the crowd and realizes all of them gave enough to feed a poor person for the day. That was the moment that I realized it, too.

I’ve been going to Eid prayer for over fifty years, and I witnessed thousands of people gathered. It never occurred to me that our very presence meant thousands of poor people had been fed. The focus was always on the end of the month of fasting, but that’s not what the holiday is called! In fact, Eid ul Fitr is the first day of the month AFTER Ramadan, Shawwal. And it’s called Eid ul Fitr because of that mandatory charity we give.

What do you want kids today to take away from this story?

I want them to know there’s a time for fun stuff (the henna and pretty dresses) and there’s a time to do good stuff (give charity to help others). The best times in our life do both!

What are you currently reading?

I am currently reading about the idea of pride and honor in the antebellum South.

If you could share one aspect of being an observant Muslim with young children, what would it be?

When I first started practicing Islam it looked like it would be so hard. I find Islam to be simple and easy. If you pray five times a day, fast for one month in a year, help feed the poor, dress modestly, be honest and nice to people—God will love you and you’ll go to heaven.

The Fresh Voices series is in coordination with the RHCB DEI Book Club committee.

Fresh Voices: Q&A with Gabe Cole Novoa, author of The Diablo’s Curse

"A fast-paced tale full of demons, queer kids, and pirate treasure." —The Bulletin

"A tumultuous and romantic adventure." —Kirkus Reviews

What are you currently reading?

I’m currently reading The Will Darling Adventures by KJ Charles! It’s a queer Adult Historical series and I’m on the third book, Subtle Blood. It’s been a lot of fun to listen to while I work on my latest crochet and knit projects. 

 

What inspired you to write The Diablo’s Curse?

I had so much fun writing Dami in The Wicked Bargain that writing them as the star of their own book felt like a natural next step. I’d left some loose ends for Dami at the end of The Wicked Bargain that gave me material to work with, but it wasn’t quite enough for a full plot I was happy with. At the same time, I’d wanted to write some kind of heist or adventure book in which the protagonist badly needs help from someone they’ve wronged—and it occurred to me this kind of setup would work well with Dami, given the number of demon deals they’ve made. With those two elements in place, the rest of the plot fell into place! 

 

What was the most difficult part about writing the book? What part was the easiest?

The Diablo’s Curse was one of the most difficult books I’d written in a long time, which really took me by surprise! I don’t have a definite explanation, but some books flow really easily while you’re writing while others you have to fight for every word—and The Diablo’s Curse was the latter (which isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy writing it—it was just a challenge!). I think one of the more difficult elements was getting the balance of what exactly happened on the island right. There were a lot of changes from first draft to last there, from characters removed, to scenes fully re-written, to other elements cut entirely and replaced with new ones. Ultimately, I’m very happy with where we landed, but it took a lot of careful revisions to get it right.

As for the easiest…somewhat hilariously, one of the very first scenes I wrote was the short scene where Dami meets a horse named Carrot. I don’t know why this scene came to me so vividly (and before I’d really even started drafting!) but it came out near-perfectly and went through very few changes, if any, from first draft to last!  

 

What element of the story do you identify with the most and why?

At the beginning of The Diablo’s Curse, Dami is someone who has been made to feel monstrous and undeserving of love. Sadly, this is an experience shared by a lot of queer people, particularly during eras where queerphobia is on the rise in mainstream media and politics, like it is today. As a trans person surrounded by truly horrifying dehumanization of trans people from politicians and waves of online trolls alike, the experience of feeling undeserving of good things because of internalized toxic messaging was one I was all-too familiar with when I began writing The Diablo’s Curse. In many ways, Dami’s story in which they overcome the lies they’ve heard about who they are, and accept that they’re worthy of love, friendship, and loyalty was healing to write. 

 

What do you want kids today to take away from this story?

I love writing marginalized characters as heroes of an adventure where their queerness isn’t called into question because all types of people can be heroes! Whether it’s a search for cursed pirate treasure, a world with magic and dragons, a futuristic adventure on a spaceship, or a cozy love story, there isn’t any genre in which queer people don’t belong. I hope The Diablo’s Curse helps more queer, trans, and Latinx kids see themselves as heroes capable of having adventures—and I hope it helps present a world they deserve, a world in which who they are isn’t a source of conflict, and instead is accepted as a beautiful and intrinsic part of them. 

 

Why did you choose to write historical fiction for both THE DIABLO’S CURSE and THE WICKED BARGAIN? What about this time period is important to these stories?

One of my favorite parts of writing queer historical fiction is I get to help rewrite the incorrect—but common—narrative that queer people are a “new phenomenon.” Though historical queer people have often been erased and straightwashed, queer people have been here since the beginning of time, and I love writing stories that highlight that reality. There isn’t a single time period where queer people don’t belong—because we have always existed, and we always will. 

The Fresh Voices series is in coordination with the RHCB DEI Book Club Committee.

2024 New and Noteworthy YA Titles

New Fall Highlights

Darkly

Darkly By Marisha Pessl

A must-read thriller that will keep you guessing until the very last page from  the New York Times bestselling author of Night Film.
 
There’s nothing special about Dia Gannon. So why was she chosen for an opportunity everyone would kill for?
 
“Pessl is gargantuan: wildly smart, extremely surprising, a wordsmith, a queen. Read her.” —E. Lockhart, #1 New York Times bestselling author of We Were Liars

Arcadia “Dia” Gannon has been obsessed with Louisiana Veda, the game designer whose obsessive creations and company, Darkly, have gained a cultlike following. Dia is shocked when she’s chosen for a highly-coveted internship, along with six other teenagers from around the world. Why her? Dia has never won anything in her life.

Darkly, once a game-making empire renowned for its ingenious and utterly terrifying toys and games, now lies dormant after Veda’s mysterious death. The remaining games are priced like rare works of art, with some fetching millions of dollars at auction.

As Dia and her fellow interns delve into the heart of Darkly, they discover hidden symbols, buried clues, and a web of intrigue. Who are these other teens, and what secrets do they keep? Why were any of them really chosen? The answers lie within the twisted labyrinth of Darkly—a chilling and addictive read by Marisha Pessl.

 This summer will be the most twisted Darkly game of all.  


"Complex and captivating." —Erin A. Craig, #1 New York Times bestselling author of House of Salt and Sorrows

The Dividing Sky

The Dividing Sky By Jill Tew

Serpent & Dove meets Arcane in this dystopian romance debut that follows a cunning memory merchant who deals a little extra happiness on the side and the handsome rookie officer on her tail!

In 2364, eighteen-year-old Liv Newman dreams of a future beyond her lower-class life in the Metro. As a Proxy, she uses the neurochip in her brain to sell memories to wealthy clients. Maybe a few illegally, but money equals freedom. So when a customer offers her a ludicrous sum to go on an assignment in no-man’s-land, Liv accepts. Now she just has to survive.

Rookie Forceman Adrian Rao believes in order over all. After discovering that a renegade Proxy’s shady dealings are messing with citizens’ brain chemistry, he vows to extinguish the threat. But when he tracks Liv down, there’s one problem: her memories are gone. Can Adrian bring himself to condemn her for crimes she doesn’t remember?

As Liv and Adrian navigate the world beyond the Metro and their growing feelings for one another, they grapple with who they are, who they could be, and whether another way of living is possible.

The Glass Girl

The Glass Girl By Kathleen Glasgow

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Pieces comes a raw, heart-wrenching novel about a teenager facing down her struggles with alcohol—and the journey she must take to heal.

“A must-read.” —Laura Nowlin, #1 New York Times bestselling author of If He Had Been with Me

“Everyone needs this book.” —Sloan Harlow, New York Times bestselling author of Everything We Never Said

Everyone in fifteen-year-old Bella’s life needs something from her. Her mom needs her to help around the house, her dad needs her to not make waves, her ex needs her to not be so much. The only person who never needed anything from her was her grandmother—and now she’s dead.

There’s only one thing that dulls the pressure: alcohol. Vodka, beer, peppermint schnapps—alcohol smooths the sharp edges of Bella’s life. And what’s the big deal? Everyone drinks. Besides, Bella can stop whenever she wants. But after she gets blackout drunk at a Thanksgiving party and wakes up in the hospital, it’s time to face reality. And for Bella, reality means rehab.

Gorgeously written and deeply compassionate, Kathleen Glasgow’s The Glass Girl is a candid exploration of the forces pushing young women toward addiction—and what it really takes to help them get better.

HappyHead

HappyHead By Josh Silver

A bold new dystopian thriller about an experimental mental health retreat center for young adults where everything is not what it seems—and one boy who will risk everything to escape.

Seb has been selected for a new experimental mental health center called HappyHead, designed to solve the national crisis of teenage unhappiness. There he and fellow participants will complete in a series of assessments meant to test them, so they can better face the challenges of the real world. Seb is determined to win so he can change how people see him and make his parents proud. 

But then Seb meets a mysterious participant named Finn who has drawn unwanted attention to himself by resisting the program’s rules. The leaders want everyone to believe Finn is mentally unstable but as Finn exposes cracks in the system around them, Seb is left questioning the true nature of the challenges--and wondering if Finn is actually the only one he can really trust. 

Something sinister is at play…and as the assessments take a dark turn, it becomes impossible to ignore the voice in his head telling him that even if he wins, there might be no way out.

The Monstrous Kind

The Monstrous Kind By Lydia Gregovic

An atmospheric, haunting, romantasy inspired by Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, set in Regency era England about two sisters fighting to hold on to their manor while deadly monsters prowl along its perimeters—perfect for fans of House of Salt and Sorrows and Anatomy: A Love Story.

Merrick Darling’s life as daughter of the Manor Lord of Sussex is better than most. Unlike the commoners, she is immune to the toxic fog that encroached on England generations earlier. She will never become a Phantom—one of the monstrous creatures that stalk her province’s borders—and as long as the fires burn to hold them back, her safety is ensured. She wants for nothing, yet she will never inherit her family’s Manor. She must marry smartly or live at the kindness of her elder sister, Essie.

Everything is turned on its head, though, when Merrick’s father dies suddenly. Torn from her New London society life of ball gowns and parties, Merrick must travel back to her childhood home, the Darling estate of Norland House, and what she finds there is bewildering. Once strong and capable, Essie is withdrawn and frightened—and with good cause. A recent string of attacks along the province’s borders has turned their formerly bucolic countryside into a terrifying and unpredictable landscape. The fog is closing in and the fires aren’t holding, which makes Merrick and Essie vulnerable in more ways than one. Because the Phantoms are far from the only monsters in Merrick’s world, and the other eleven Manor Lords are always watching for weakness.

Revealing her and her sister’s current state to the rest of the Manors is out of the question, but when Essie goes missing, it’s clear that Merrick needs help. Only, who can she trust when everyone seems to be scheming, and when all she holds true feels like it’s slipping right out of her grasp?

Old Wounds

Old Wounds By Logan-Ashley Kisner

Two transgender teens end up in a small, isolated town, where they must escape the locals who plan to sacrifice one of them to an ancient monster that only eats girls. A pulse-pounding thriller perfect for fans of Midsommar and Hell Followed with Us!

Erin and Max are two transgender teens trying to get to California. Max is desperate to finally transition, and Erin is longing to understand why she’s on this trip to begin with. The last she spoke to Max was when he suddenly broke up with her two years ago.

But when they find themselves stranded in the middle of the woods in a small Kentucky town, they realize they have much bigger problems. The locals need a female sacrifice for the monster that lives in the woods—according to them, the sun won’t come up again until the monster eats a girl . . . and it only eats what it kills. Fighting back is futile; no one selected as the offering has ever survived the night. 

When the two strangers show up, the locals believe they have the perfect candidate. The irony of the situation is almost too much to fathom.

The thing is, the locals don’t know who they just trapped as their sacrifice. They don’t know Erin’s and Max’s secrets, which could be a death sentence on a good day. And the monster that lives in their woods has never faced prey who have already fought so hard to live.

A Queen's Game

A Queen's Game By Katharine McGee

The New York Times bestselling author of the American Royals series invites you to visit 19th-century Europe amid the glamour and intrigue of the Victorian era. In this historical romance inspired by true events, three princesses struggle to find love—and end up vying for the hearts of two future kings.

In the last glittering decade of European empires, courts, and kings, three young women are on a collision course with history—and with each other. 

Alix of Hesse is Queen Victoria’s favorite granddaughter, so she can expect to end up with a prince . . . except that the prince she’s falling for is not the one she’s supposed to marry.

Hélène d’Orléans, daughter of the exiled King of France, doesn’t mind being a former princess; it gives her more opportunity to break the rules. Like running around with the handsome, charming, and very much off-limits heir to the British throne, Prince Eddy.

Then there’s May of Teck. After spending her entire life on the fringes of the royal world, May is determined to marry a prince—and not just any prince, but the future king.

In a story that sweeps from the glittering ballrooms of Saint Petersburg to the wilds of Scotland, A Queen’s Game recounts a pivotal moment in real history as only Katharine McGee can tell it: through the eyes of the young women whose lives, and loves, changed it forever.

The Thirteenth Child

The Thirteenth Child By Erin A. Craig

An instant #1 New York Times and USA Today bestseller! • Drawing on the Grimm Brothers’ dark fairytale, “Godfather Death,” this new novel from the bestselling author of House of Salt and Sorrows is a sweeping, fantastical saga of actions and consequences.

The stunning “Hazel” special edition first printing features exclusive printed endpapers and a beautiful gold-and-red foil-stamped case.


All gifts come with a price.

Hazel Trépas has always known she wasn’t like the rest of her siblings. A thirteenth child, promised away to one of the gods, she spends her childhood waiting for her godfather—Merrick, the Dreaded End—to arrive.

When he does, he lays out exactly how he’s planned Hazel’s future. She will become a great healer, known throughout the kingdom for her precision and skill. To aid her endeavors, Merrick blesses Hazel with a gift, the ability to instantly deduce the exact cure needed to treat the sick.

But all gifts come with a price. Hazel can see when Death has claimed a patient—when all hope is gone—and is tasked to end their suffering, permanently. Haunted by the ghosts of those she’s killed, Hazel longs to run. But destiny brings her to the royal court, where she meets Leo, a rakish prince with a disdain for everything and everyone. And it’s where Hazel faces her biggest dilemma yet—to save the life of a king marked to die. Hazel knows what she is meant to do and knows what her heart is urging her toward, but what will happen if she goes against the will of Death?

From the astonishing mind of Erin A. Craig comes the breathtaking fairy tale retelling readers have been waiting for— what does a life well-lived mean, and how do we justify the impossible choices we make for the ones we love? The Thirteenth Child is a must-read for fans of dark fairy tales, romantasy, and epic fantasy alike.

Zodiac Rising

Zodiac Rising By Katie Zhao

Magic meets dark academia at a New York boarding school that’s hidden from mortal eyes. When a student is killed over priceless treasure, the Descendants of the Zodiac assemble a crew to avenge their classmate's murder and heist back what's rightfully theirs. Perfect for fans of A Deadly Education and Legendborn.

At a secret Manhattan boarding school, the Descendants of the Chinese zodiac have hidden away since the source of their magic—the twelve zodiac statues—was vandalized and lost to time. Thus, a curse befell the Descendants, and they’ve lived as creatures of darkness . . . until now.

When the lost statues suddenly resurface and a powerful classmate is found dead, all signs point to foul play from the fae. The Descendants finally have the chance to take back what's rightfully theirs and break the curse. To pull this deadly heist off, though, they must assemble an elite crew:

THE VAMPIRE: After a century of burning hunger, Evangeline is out for blood.

THE SHAPESHIFTER: Nicholas yearns to restore justice to his people—and make peace with his past.

THE MORTAL: Alice seeks the truth of her mysterious heritage, and this mission may be the key.

THE WEREWOLF: Tristan will do anything to break free from the monstrous wolf inside.

Only these four have the power to save the Descendants, but the wrath of the fae waits at every turn. One wrong move and the fate of their kind will come crashing down. . . .

2024 Noteworthy Young Adult Titles

Random House Teachers and Librarians