Emill, Jumata. The Black Queen. New York: Delacorte Press, 2023. 400pp. Ages 15 and up.    A community is thrown into chaos after Nova Albright, the first Black homecoming queen at Lovett High, is murdered. Tinsley McArthur, a rich white girl, school queen bee, and heir of the homecoming queen legacy, becomes suspect number one after a video is released of her drunkenly claiming she should have killed Nova. The Black members of the community demand justice but Tinsley isn’t arrested. Duchess Simmons, Nova’s best friend, embarks on a journey to figure out who murdered her, even if it ..read more

Gibney, Shannon. The Girl I Am, Was, and Never Will Be. New York: Dutton Books for Young Readers, 2023. 256pp. Grades 9-12.  A brilliant story of what one experiences while growing up as a mixed-Black transracial adoptee. This memoir describes how the author was adopted and grew up with a middle-class white family. Part documentary, Shannon discovers her biological parents with the aid of letters and documents given to her adoptive mother by her birth mother. The author questions her personal identity and blending in with her adopted family. The struggle and desire to connect with one's ..read more

  Buckmire, Brian. Come Home Safe. Nashville, TN: Blink, 2023. 208pp. Ages 13 and up. This is a gripping page-turner that shines a light on police brutality and racial profiling in a way that is lacking in media coverage. The novel tells the story of two biracial children, each accused of crimes they didn't commit and made the targets of weaponized police forces. In each case, the two siblings remember the advice their father gave them about how to handle such situations with poise and calmness—based on legal and practical advice—yet they are still targets. Buckmire uses his knowledge as ..read more

Daniels, Sarah. The Stranded. Naperville, Illinois: Sourcebooks Fire, 2023. 464pp. Ages 14 and up. In 2094, thousands of people are trapped between sea and land. When biological warfare broke out in Europe decades before, some of the only people who escaped were those on a ship at the time. Once the ships arrived in the U.S., they were refused access due to the Virus and were quarantined offshore for generations. On one such ship, rebel Nik and his partner May work to prepare the ship’s metaphorical underbelly for an uprising; May’s younger sister, Esther, trains to become a medic in hopes of ..read more

Shukairy, Ream. The Next New Syrian Girl. New York: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2023. 416pp. Ages 13 and up. This story skillfully weaves a heart-wrenching and healing journey of two teen girls and what it means to be Syrian while navigating the sociocultural expectations placed upon them. Written in alternating first person, readers follow the story of Khadija and Leene. Khadija, born and raised in a privileged Detroit Muslim community, has it all. But behind closed doors, she’s struggling with a distant family and her mother’s pressure of being the “perfect Syrian daughter.” Leen ..read more

Brown, Tameka Fryer. That Flag. Illus. by Nikkolas Smith. New York: HarperCollins, 2023. 40pp. Ages 6-10. Keira and Bianca are best friends, but only at school because of "that flag." Keira's parents believe the Confederate flag is a "symbol of violence and oppression," while Bianca's parents say it is a "celebration of courage and pride." After a field trip to a museum and a discussion with her family about racism, Keira decides she no longer wants to be friends with Bianca; the two argue over the meaning of the flag with no resolution. A few days later, a news event happens in their communi ..read more

Wenjen, Mia. Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World. Illus. by Robert Sae-Heng. Concord, MA: Barefoot Books, 2023. 40pp. Grades PreK-3. From Chile to Italy to Australia, Wenjen uses examples from several cultures to introduce the concept of sustainable farming. Pairs of rhyming sentences and colorful illustrations highlighting sustainable farming practices from all over the world are presented in this picture book. The illustrations show diverse people happily harvesting their food, while the sentences give simple facts about the location. Helpful definitions for words like ..read more

  McManus, Karen M. One of Us Is Back. New York: Delacorte Press, 2023. 368pp. Grades 9-12.  Welcome back to Bayview in the third installment of the One of Us Is Lying series! The Bayview Crew has returned for the summer, but not all of it is a relaxing vacation. There are kidnappings, new murders, and town secrets that still need to be spilled. What better town to get revenge in than Bayview, and who better to get into the middle of it than the Bayview Crew themselves? Overall, this series is a great introduction into the murder mystery genre for teens. However, this book specifica ..read more

Schwartz, Dana. Immortality: A Love Story. New York: Wednesday Books, 2023. 400pp. Ages 13 and up. Against all odds, high-born Lady Hazel Sinnett is fulfilling a dream that seemed all but impossible only a few months before; working as a surgeon and saving the lives of the poor and underserved citizens of Edinburgh. But for all the good she’s doing for the community, she’s lonely, empty, and still haunted by the events of the prior year, when she lost the man she loved, quick-witted Jack, her partner in crime, sent to the gallows for murders he did not commit. Did she manage to save his life ..read more

  Hatzopoulou, Kika. Threads That Bind. New York: Razorbill, 2023. 352pp. Grades 9-12. One to weave, one to draw, and one to cut. The descendants of the Fates are always born in threes and the Ora sisters are like one soul divided into three bodies. Feared for her ability to sever the threads that bind people to what they love and life itself, youngest sister Io does her best to navigate the prejudiced, post-apocalyptic, half-sunken city of Alante as a private investigator. However, when women start being abducted, their life-threads mutilated turning them into terrifying murderous wrait ..read more