A writer friend and I were talking at ALA one year when she said that she was worried that she hadn't been able to write for some time. (Life got in the way, which it often does)
I patted her on the back and reminded her that at this point she was simply inputting experiences into her brain and eventually the brain will do things with it and out will come another writing project or story.
Some years ago a writer friend challenged us to read 100 books in a year. Well, since I retired, I've been reading more -- this year I actually counted and it was over 300 books.
Here's the list of the Adult books I read in 2024:
ADULT FICTION
Aaronovitch, Ben. Midnight Riot. NY: Del Ray, 2011.
…. Moon over Soho, magic and murder to a jazz beat. Book 2. NY: Del Ray, 2011.
…. Whispers underground. The rivers of London, book 3. NY: Del Ray, 2012.
…. Broken Homes. The rivers of London, book 4. NY: Del Ray, 2013.
Braun, Lilian Jackson. The cat who could read backwards. NY: G P Putnam & sons, 1966.
(I found 5 paperback books on a FREE BOOKS shelf, which caused
me to want to re-read this series.)
…. The cat who ate Danish modern. NY: G P Putnam & sons, 1967.
…. The cat who turned on and off. NY: G P Putnam & sons, 1968.
(These were her first 3 books, then she disappeared and returned in1985)
…. The cat who saw red. NY: A Jove book / Berkley Publishing group
/Penguin, Putnam, 1985.
…. The cat who played Brahms. NY: A Jove book / Berkley Publishing group
/Penguin, Putnam, 1987.
…. The cat who played post office. NY: A Jove book / Berkley Publishing group
/Penguin, Putnam, 1987.
…. The Cat who knew Shakespeare, the captivating series featuring mystery’s most
extraordinary detective team. NY: A Jove book / Berkley Publishing group
/Penguin, Putnam, 1988.
…. The cat who sniffed glue. NY: A Jove book / Berkley Publishing group
/Penguin, Putnam, 1988.
…. The cat who went underground, NY: G.P Putnam’s sons, 1989.
…. The cat who talked to ghosts. NY: G.P Putnam’s sons, 1990.
…. The cat who lived high. NY: G.P Putnam’s sons, 1990.
…. The cat who knew a cardinal. NY: G.P Putnam’s sons, 1991.
…. The cat who moved a mountain. NY: A Jove book / Berkley Publishing group
/Penguin, Putnam, 1992.
…. The cat who wasn’t there. NY: G.P Putnam’s sons, 1992.
…. The cat who went into the closet. NY: A Jove book / Berkley Publishing group
/Penguin, Putnam, 1993.
…. The cat who came to breakfast. NY: G.P Putnam’s sons, 1994.
…. The cat who blew the whistle. NY: G.P Putnam’s sons, 1995.
…. The cat who tailed a thief. NY: G.P Putnam’s sons, 1997.
…. The cat who sang for the birds. NY: G.P Putnam’s sons, 1998.
…. The cat who saw stars. NY: G.P Putnam’s sons, 1998.
…. The cat who robbed a bank. NY: G.P Putnam’s sons, 1999.
…. The cat who smelled a rat. NY: G.P Putnam’s sons, 2001.
…. The cat who went up the creek. NY: G.P Putnam’s sons, 2002.
…. The cat who brought down the house. NY: Jove books, 2004.
…. The cat who talked turkey. NY: G.P Putnam’s sons, 2004.
…. The cat who went bananas. NY: G.P Putnam’s sons, 2004.
Cass, Laurie. A troubling tail, a Bookmobile cat mystery. Thorndike, ME: Centerpoint large
print, 2023.
…. No paw to stand on, a Bookmobile cat mystery. Thorndike, ME: Centerpoint large
print, 2024. (They finally get married. Cat approves. )
Child, Lee. Killing Floor, the first Jack Reacher novel. NY: Berkley, 1997.
(I was inspired to read these by seeing the Jack Reacher movie)
…. Never go back, a Jack Reacher Novel. NY: Delacorte Press, 2013.
Clement, Blaise. Cat sitter on a hot tin roof, a Dixie Hemingway Mystery. NY: Minotaur Books/
St. Martins, 2008.
Crichton, Michael and James Patterson. Eruption. NY: Little Brown and Co., 2024.
(Wow! Every time you think things can’t get worse, they get worse.)
Day, Maddie. Flipped for Murder, a country store mystery. NY: Kensington publishing group,
2015.
…. Grilled for Murder, a country store mystery. NY: Kensington publishing group,
2016.
…. When the grits hit the fan, a country store mystery. NY: Kensington publishing group,
2017.
…. Biscuits and slashed Browns, a country store mystery. NY: Kensington publishing group,
2018.
…. Death over easy, a country store mystery. NY: Kensington publishing group,
2018.
…. Strangled eggs and ham, would you like them murdered? a country store mystery. NY:
Kensington publishing group, 2019.
…. Nacho Average Murder, a dangerous dip into the past…, a country store mystery. NY:
Kensington publishing group, 2020.
… Candy slain murder, it’s beginning to look a lot like foul play… a country store mystery.
NY: Kensington publishing group, 2020.
…. No Grater crime, someone won’t make the cut… a country store mystery. NY:
Kensington publishing group, 2021.
…. Batter off dead, add murder to the mix… a country store mystery. NY:
Kensington publishing group, 2022.
…. Four leaf cleaver. a country store mystery. NY: Kensington publishing group, 2023.
…. Murder uncorked. NY: Kensington publishing group, 2023.
…. Deep fried death, a country store mystery. NY: Kensington publishing group, 2024.
Day, Maddie and Alex Erickson and Carlene O’Connor. Christmas cocoa murder. NY:
Kensington publishing group, 2019. (three short stories)
Day, Maddie and Peggy Ehrhart, and Carlene O’Connor. Christmas scarf murder. NY:
Kensington publishing group, 2022. (three short stories)
Gramazio, Holly. The Husbands, a novel. NY: Doubleday, 2024.
(a bit long and slightly/ or very repetitive, but with a satisfying ending)
Lackey, Mercedes. The Valdemar Companion, the authorized guide to Valdemar with an
original novella by Mercedes Lackey. Edited by John Helfers and Denise Little.
NY: Daw books, 2001.
…. Foundation, a novel of Valdemar, Volume 1 of the Collegium Chronicles. NY: Daw
books, 2008. (yes, I’m re-reading the Mags books.)
…. Intrigues, Volume 2 of the Collegium Chronicles. NY: Daw books, 2010.
…. Changes, Volume 3 of the Collegium Chronicles. NY: Daw books, 2011.
…. Redoubt, Volume 4 of the Collegium Chronicles. NY: Daw books, 2012.
…. Bastion, Volume 5 of the Collegium Chronicles. NY: Daw books, 2013.
…. Valdemar, the founding of Valdemar: book 3. NY: Daw books, 2023.
813.54 Anything with Nothing. A fiction collection edited by Mercedes Lackey. NY: Daw
books, 2023.
Lamb, Wally. Wishin’ and Hopin,’ A Christmas Story. NY: Harper, 2009.
Mamatrs, Nick and Hiroshi Sakurrzaka. All you need is Kill. Illus. Lee Ferguson. Canada: Viz
media, LLC, 2004. (The graphic novel based on the Japanese book with the same name.
The movie based on these books, starring Tom Cruise is called – The Edge of Tomorrow -- and is slightly different.)
Moriarty, Jaclyn. The extremely inconvenient adventures of Bronte Melltestone. NY: Arthur A.
Levine Books/ Scholastic, 2018. (wonderful fantasy adventure)
Osman, Richard. The Thursday murder club, a novel. NY: Pamela Dorman books/ Viking, 2020.
…. The man who died twice, a Thursday murder club mystery. NY: Pamela Dorman books/
Viking, 2021.
…. The bullet that missed, a Thursday murder club mystery. NY: Pamela Dorman books/
Viking, 2022.
…. The last ‘devil’ to die, a Thursday murder club mystery. NY: Pamela Dorman books/
Viking, 2023.
Rowley, Steven. The Guncle. NY: PG Putnam’s Sons, 2021.
…. The Guncle abroad, a novel. NY: PG Putnam’s Sons, 2024.
(two novels about a retired gay uncle who finds himself first raising his sister’s children
and then in the second book taking them to their father’s wedding, which turns out not
to be their father’s wedding. Humorous actives ensue.)
Scalzi, John. Starter Villain. NY: Tor, 2023. (Humorous - He inherited a villain empire/
can he keep it? P.S. the cats run it.)
Smith, Cynthia Leitich. Sisters of the Neversea, Lily and Wendy are taking their story back.
NY: Heartdrum/ HarperCollins, 2021. (Being a Wendie who was named after the original
book, naturally I had to read this one)
Swann, Leonie. The sunset years of Agnes Sharp, a murder mystery, translated from the German
by Amy Sojans. NY: Soho Crime, 2023 translation date. (staring Hettie, the turtle)
Thomson, Victoria. Murder on Astor Place. NY: Berkley Prime Crime/ Penguin, 1999.
…. Murder on St. Mark’s Place, a gaslight mystery. NY: Berkley Prime Crime/ Penguin,
2000.
…. Murder on Marble Row a gaslight mystery-6. NY: Berkley Publishing group, 2004.
…. Murder on Lenox Hill, a gaslight mystery. NY: Berkley Publishing group, 2005.
…. Murder in Little Italy. a gaslight mystery. NY: Berkley Prime Crime/ Penguin,
2006.
…. Murder in Chinatown, a gaslight mystery. NY: Berkley Prime Crime/ Penguin,
2007.
…. Murder on bank street, a gaslight mystery. NY: Berkley Prime Crime/ Penguin/
Thorndike, MA: Center Point Publishing, 2008.
…. Murder on Waverly Place, a gaslight mystery. NY: Berkley Prime Crime/ Penguin.
2009. (murder at a séance)
…. Murder on Lexington Avenue, a gaslight mystery. NY: Berkley Prime Crime/ Penguin.
2010.
…. Murder on Sisters’ Row, a gaslight mystery. NY: Berkley Prime Crime/ Penguin.
2011.
…. Murder on Fifth Avenue, a gaslight mystery. NY: Berkley Prime Crime/ Penguin.
2012.
…. Murder in Chelsea, a gaslight mystery. NY: Berkley Prime Crime/ Penguin.
2013.
…. Murder in Murry Hill, a gaslight mystery. NY: Berkley Prime Crime/ Penguin.
2014.
…. Murder on Amsterdam Avenue, a gaslight mystery. NY: Berkley Prime Crime/ Penguin.
2015.
…. Murder on St. Nicholas Avenue, a gaslight mystery. NY: Berkley Prime Crime/ Penguin.
2015.
…. Murder in Morningside heights, a gaslight mystery. NY: Berkley Prime Crime/ Penguin.
2016.
…. Murder in the bowery, a gaslight mystery. NY: Berkley Prime Crime/ Penguin.
2017.
…. City of Lies, a counterfeit lady novel. NY: Berkley Prime Crime/ Penguin.
2017.
…. Murder on Union Square, a gaslight mystery. NY: Berkley Prime Crime/ Penguin.
2018.
…. Murder on Trinity Place, a gaslight mystery. NY: Berkley Prime Crime/ Penguin.
2019.
…. City of Scoundrels, a counterfeit lady novel. NY: Berkley Prime Crime/ Penguin.
2019
…. Murder on Pleasant Avenue, a gaslight mystery. NY: Berkley Prime Crime/ Penguin.
2020.
…. Murder on wall street, a gaslight mystery. NY: Berkley Prime Crime/ Penguin.
2021.
…. Murder on Madison Square, a gaslight mystery. NY: Berkley Prime Crime/ Penguin.
2022.
…. Murder on Bedford Street, a gaslight mystery. NY: Berkley Prime Crime/ Penguin.
2023.
…. City of Betrayal, a counterfeit lady novel. NY: Berkley Prime Crime/ Penguin.
2023. (based on the true happenings when Tennessee was the last state to finally pass the
19th Amendment of the US Constitution – Women’s Right to Vote, and all the
skullduggery that took place during the vote for it.)
…. Murder in Rose Hill, a gaslight mystery. NY: Berkley Prime Crime/ Penguin.
2024. (and now I have to wait a year for the next one to come out.)
Thorogood Robert. The Marlow murder club, a novel. Poisoned Pen press. 2021.
…. Death comes to Marlow, a Marlow murder club mystery 2. Naperville, IL:
Poisoned Pen press. 2023.
…. The Queen of poisons, a Marlow murder club mystery 3. Naperville, IL:
Poisoned Pen press. 2024.
Weir, Andy. Artemis. NY: Crown, 2017. (wow – just when the protagonist gets out of one
disaster, they’re hit with another one. And another one. Etc.)
Winspear, Jacqueline. The comfort of Ghosts, a Masie Dobbs Novel. NY: SOHO Crime, 2024.
(She says this is the last of the Masie Dobbs books, which have taken her from
World War I through World War II and beyond. She ties up a some loose threads in this
last novel.)
ADULT BIOGRAPHY
Dench, Judi And furthermore. As told to John Miller. NY: St. Martin’s press, 2010.
…. Behind the scenes with an intro by John Miller. NY: St. Martin’s press, 2014.
(It’s best to read And furthermore before checking out Behind the scenes because
Behind the scenes is mostly a scrapbook of pictures of the performances she talks
about in And furthermore.)
Fauci, Anthony, M.D. On Call, a doctor’s journey in public service. NY: Viking, 2024.
Patterson, James. James Patterson by James Patterson, the stories of my life. NY: Little
brown & Co., 2022. (a great read)
Velshi, Ali Small Acts, a legacy of endurance and the fight for democracy. NY: St. Martin’s
press, 2024.
Winkler, Henry. Being Henry, the Fonz … and beyond. Celadon books, 2023.
ADULT NONFICTION
292.211 Haynes, Natalie. Pandora’s Jar, women in the Greek myths. NY: HarperCollins,
2020. (I was overwhelmed at the amount of research she did for this book, not only
reading books, but attending multiple versions of the Greek plays.)
302.321 Klein, Naomi. Doppelganger, a trip into the mirror world. NY: Farrar,
Straus and Giraux, 2023. (She has a living doppelganger who has totally different
political views – and how this has affected her life.)
320.533 Maddow, Rachel. Prequel, and American fight against fascism. NY: Crown,
2023. (This record of the rise of fascism before, during, and after WW2 helps us to
understand what the far right is doing in our modern time as they follow in Hitler’s footsteps.)
328.73 Cheney, Liz. Oath and Honor, a memoir and a Warning. NY: Little Brown &
Co., 2023. (Focuses on the January 6th Committee and their decisions and why. A great
read and it matches what we saw happen during that time, with inside details that we
didn’t know. Highly recommend.)
355.0217 Jacobsen, Annie. Nuclear War, a scenario. NY: Dutton, 2024.
(a MUST read. In 72 minutes, our world and most of the life on it is destroyed.
That’s all it takes. Also, she notes that during the Cuban missile Crisis in 1962 those of
us who lived through it and were so relieved that no nuclear missiles had been detonated – we were wrong. FOUR went off! Two Russian and two from the USA! )
352.748 Psaki, Jen. Say more – lessons from work, the White House and the world. NY:
Scribner, 2024. (I had thought it would be autobiography of her work and it is, partially,
but it is actually advice about how to best communicate to groups and individuals.)
338.973 Hogeland, William. The Hamilton Scheme, an epic tale of money and power in
the American founding. NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2024. (Less about Hamilton and
more about his work with the US Treasury, tracing it through the centuries. A bit
repetitive and I lost the intention of several sentences/ paragraphs. Reads more like an
adaption of a college thesis.)
780.92 Wilson, Meredith. But he doesn’t know the territory. NY: J.P. Putnam’s Sons,
1959. (The story of how Broadway show -- The Music Man – was created. Side note:
I played in the orchestra for the West Virginia University’s production in the 1960s)
791.45 Fitzgerald, Melissa and Mary McCormack. What’s Next – a backstage pass to The West Wing, it’s cast and crew, and its enduring legacy of service, with an introduction by Allison Janney, also known as CJ. NY: Dutton/ PenguinRandomHouse, 2024. (If you are a West Wing fan-this is for you)
791.45 Setoodeh, Ramin. Apprentice in Wonderland, how Donald Trump and Mark
Burnett took America through the looking glass. NY: HarperCollins, 2024.
792.028 Dench, Judi with BrendanO’Hea. Illus. Judi Dench. Shakespeare – the man who
pays the rent. NY: St. Martin’s Press, 2023. (a conversation about various plays)
818.8 Guisewite, Cathy. Fifteen things that aren’t my fault – essays from the grown-up
years. NY: Putnam Sons, 2019. (Written as if from her cartoon character Cathy.)
973.933 Karl, Jonathan. Tired of winning, Donald Trump and the end of the Grand Old
Party. NY: Dutton, 2023.
Some years ago a writer friend challenged us to read 100 books in a year. Well, since I retired, I've been reading more -- this year I actually counted and it was over 300 books.
Here's the list of Children's books I read in 2024:
PICTURE BOOKS
Bingham, Winsome. The Walk. Illus. E.B. Lewis. NY: Abrams BFYR, 2023.
Brown, Tameka Fryer. That Flag. Illus. Nikkolas Smith. NY: Harper, 2023.
Cohen, Tziporah and Yaara Eshet. Afikomen. Toronto, Canada: Groundwood Books, 2023.
Frazee, Marla. In Every Life. NY: Beach Lane Books, 2023. (2024 Caldecott Award)
Genhart, Michael. Spanish is the language of my family. Illus. John Parra. NY: Neal Porter
books/ Holiday House, 2023.
George, Karen. What happened to you? NY: Little Brown and Co, 2021.
(2024 Schneider Book Award. This has an excellent page in back that helps an adult
handle it when their child asks that question)
Giddens, Rhiannon. We could Fly. Illus Briana Mukodiri Uchendu. Sommerville, MA:
Candlewick Press, 2023. (2024 Corretta Scott King Award)
Gilbert, Frances. Can you hug a forest? Ills. Amy Heuron. NY: Beach Lane books, 2003.
Harrison, Vashti. BIG. NY: Little Brown and Co, 2023.
(2024 Corretta Scott King Illus. honor, Corretta Scott King Illus. author Award,
Caldecott Award.)
Hedlund, Julie. Song after song – the musical life of Julie Andrews. NY: Little Bee books, 2023.
HO, Richard. Two New Years. Illus. Lynn Scurfield. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2023.
(2024 Sydney Taylor Award)
Hopkinson, Deborah. Cinderella and a mouse called Fred. NY: Anne Swartz books/ Random
House, 2023.
Lazar, Tara. Flat Cat. Illus. Pete Oswald. NY: Flamingo/ Penguin, 2023. (2024
Leung, Julie. The Truth about Dragons. Illus. Hanna Cha. NY: Henry Holt and Co, 2023.
(2024 Caldecott honor book & Asian American Picture Book Award)
Que, Joanna and Charina Marquez. Dancing Hands, a story of friendship in Filipino sign
language. Illus. Fran Alvarez. Translated by Karen Llagas. San Francisco: Chronicle
books, 2023. (2024 Schneider Book Award)
Reynolds, Jason. There was a party for Langston, king o’ Letters. Illus Jerome and Jarrett
Pumphrey. NY: Atheneum Books for young readers, 2023. (2024 Corretta Scott King
honor award for illustrators, 2024 Caldecott honor award.)
Rogers, Kim. A letter for Bob. Illus: Johathan Nelson. NY: Heartdrum/ HarperCollins, 2023.
(2024 American Indian Youth Honor Book. Bob is the family car)
…. Just like Grandma. Illus. Julie Flett. NY: Heartdrum/ HarperCollins, 2023.
(2024 – Ezra Jack Keats Award)
Sotomayer, Sonia. Just ask! Be different, be brave, be you. Illus. Rafrel Lopez. NY: Philomel
books/ Penguin, 2019. Each disadvantaged child talks a bit about their disability with
their last sentence leading into the next child’s part.
Subramaniam, Suma. The runaway Dosa. Illus Parvati Pillal. NY: Little Bee books, 2023.
Tabor, Corey R. Simon and the better bone. NY: Balzer + Bray/ HarperCollins, 2023.
(unusual placement of words and pictures. Based on Aesop’s ‘The dog and his reflection”
by holding the book sidewise you realize that the bottom page actually shows a
reflection of the dog on each double page spread.
Thompkins-Bigelow, Jamilah. Salat in secret. Illus. Hatem Aly. NY: Random house studio,
2023. (2024 Golden Kite)
Trejo, Jesus. Papa’s magical water-jug clock. Illus. Eliza Kinkz. (no address): Menerva/ Astra
BFYR, 2023. (2024 Pura Bel Pre Award)
Wallmark, Laurie. Rivka’s presents. Illus. Adelina Lirius. NY: Random house, 2023
Weissman, Elissa Brent. Hanukkah upside down. Illus. Omer Hoffmann. NY: Abrams Books for
young readers, 2023. (2024 Sydney Taylor Award)
Wynter, Anne. Nell plants a tree. Illus. Daniel Miyares. NY: Balzer + Bray/ HarperCollins,
2023. (2024 Ezra Jack Keats Award)
NONFICTION PICTURE BOOKS
J 306.362 Alexander, Kwame. An American story. Illus. Dare Coulter. NY: Little Brown &
Co, 2023. (2024 Corretta Scott King picture book award)
J 551.09 Fox, Janet. Volcano Dreams a story of Yellowstone. Illus. Marlo Garnsworthy. Berkeley, CA: Web of Life Children’s Books, 2018.
J595.77 Heavenrich, Sue. 13 ways to eat a fly. Illus. David Clark. Watertown, MA:
Charlesbridge, 2021. (too many spiders for me)
J595.78 Burns, Loree Griffin. One long line, marching caterpillars and the scientists who
followed them. Illus. Jamie Green. Sommerville, MA: MIT kids press/ Candlewick press,
2024.
J597.92 Montgomery, Sy and Matt Patterson. The book of turtles. NY: Harper Collins,
2023. (2024 Robert F. Sibert award.)
J598.42 Salas, Laura Purdie. Finding Family, the duckling raised by Loons. Illus.
Alexandria Neonakis. Minneapolis, MN: Millbroook Press/ Lerner, 2023.
(2024 Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book.)
J813.54 Kunkel, Angela Burke. Make Way – the story of Robert McCloskey, Nancy Schon,
and some very famous ducklings. NY: Random house studio, 2023.
(2024 SCBWI Golden Kite award finalist) Although the book does mention several other
places in the world where Schon’s sculptures of the famous ducklings march, it doesn’t mention my favorite – Just outside the Westview Mall in Baltimore County, MD, near the White Marsh branch of Baltimore County Public Libraries.
J940.548 Boxer, Elisa. Hidden hope, how a toy and a hero saved lives during the
Holocaust. Illus. Amy June Bates. NY: Abrams BFYR, 2023. (2024 Sydney Taylor
Honor book award, 2024 Junior Library Guild)
I CAN READ
Bailey, Jenn. Henry, like always. Illus. Mike Song. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books, 2023.
(2024 Theodor Seuss Geisel Award, 2024 Schneider Book Award.)
Tabor, Corey R. Fox has a problem. NY: Balzer & Bray, 2023. (2024 Theodor Seuss Geisel
Award)
Windness, Kaz. Worm and Caterpillar are friends. NY: Simon Spotlight, 2023.
(2024 Theodor Seuss Geisel honor book)
J – FICTION :
Anderson, M.T. (Tobin) Elf Dog & Owl Head. Illus. Junyi Wu. Sommerville, MA: Candlewick
Press, 2023. (2024 Newbery Honor Book)
Bow, Erin. Simon sort of says. NY: Disney/ Hyperion, 2023. (2024 Newbery Honor book,
Schneider Book Award)
Bell, Cece. El Deafo, superpowered edition. NY: Amulet books, 2023.
(Graphic novel. Won the 2015 Newbery honor medal and Eisner Award. Also 2024
Odyssey Recordings Award)
Bradley, Kimberly Brubaker. The Night War. NY: Dial books/ PenguinRandom House, 2024.
(Two times Newbery honor winner – and this one might get her a third.)
Brockenbrough, Martha. To catch a thief. NY: Scholastic press, 2023. (2024 Sid Fleischman
Award for humor. Unfortunately, it’s not funny, It’s a good read. It’s a good mystery,
but it’s not funny. I really don’t understand what humor the committee saw in this.)
Choldenko, Gennifer. The tenth mistake of Hank Hooperman. NY: Alfred A Knopf, 2024.
(excellent, although it ends positively, it made me cry = twice.)
Clayton, Dhonielle. The memory Thieves, a conjuror novel. (book 2) NY: Henry Holt & Co.,
2023.
Coe, Victoria. Fenway and the loudmouth bird, Make way for Fenway series. Illus. Joanne
Lew-Vriethoff. NY: Putnam/ Random, 2023. (2024 Golden Kite)
Durst, Sarah Beth. The spellshop, it takes a village to open a heart, and just one man to steal it.
NY: Bramble Book/ Tor, 2024. (Catalogued as Adult Fiction in San Diego, but it read
like a nice, clean young romance/ fantasy and I would have put it in either Youth (middle
school) or YA)
…. Spy Ring, can two friends find the treasure hidden by George Washington’s female spy?
NY: Clarion Books/ HarperCollins, 2024. (Catalogued as J Fiction)
Ecton, Emily. The great vandal scandal, companion to the Great pet heist. Illus. David Mottram.
NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2023. (2024 Golden Kite)
Eggers, Dave. The eyes & the impossible. NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 2023.
(2024 Newbery honor Award)
Hopson, Nasugraq Rainey. Eagle drums. NY: Roaring Brook Press, 2023. (2024 Newbery Honor
Book, American Indian in youth literature Award Honor, Notable book for a global
society, and more. Based on an Alaskan folktale by a Native American Inuplaq)
Magoon, Kekla. The Secret Library. Sommerville, MA: Candlewick, 2024.
(I predict lots of awards for this book, along with some controversy from the book
burners.)
Nayeri, Daniel. The many assassinations of Samir, the seller of dreams. Illus. Daniel Miyares.
Montclair: Levine Querido, 2023. (2024 Newbery Honor book)
Noah, Trevor. Into the uncut grass. Illus. Sabina Hahn. NY: One World/ Random House, 2024.
Phlean, Matt. A snow day for Plum! NY: Greenwillow books/ HarperCollins, 2023.
Pla, Sally. The fire, the water, and Maudie McGinn. NY: HarperCollins childrens, 2023.
(2024 ALA Schneider Book Award, and The One Book San Diego 2024)
Springer, Nancy. The case of the peculiar pink fan, an Enola Holmes Mystery. NY: Philomel
books, 2008. (now a movie along with the other Enola movies)
Strange, Lucy. Sisters of the lost marsh. NY: Chicken House/ Scholastic, 2021.
Valentine, Nicole. A time traveler’s theory of relativity. Minneapolis, MN: Carolrhoda Books,
2019. (A great read for time traveling fans)
Yee, Lisa. The Misfits – a royal conundrum. (book 1) NY: Random House, 2024.
YA FICTION:
Boyce, Kristy. Dungeons and Drama. NY: Delacourt Press/ Random House, 2024.
(Even if you never have played D&D and never have participated in running a Play,
you’ll love this.)
J and Y NONFICTION
J 152.14 Perron, Lisa Varchol. Patterns everywhere. Minneapolis, MN: Millbrook Press,
2023. (2024 Golden Kite award, finalist)
J 364.16 Day, Nicholas. The Mona Lisa vanishes - a legendary painter, a shocking heist,
and the birth of a global celebrity. Illus. Brett Helquist. NY: Random House Studio,
2023. (2024 Robert F Sibert Informational book award, Notable Children’s Books
award, Boston Globe/ Horn Book Award.)
J 614.518 Hopkinson, Deborah. The deadliest diseases then and now (true stories in focus).
NY: Focus/ Scholastic, 2021.
J 910.452 Sandler, Martin. Shipwrecked! Diving for hidden time capsules on the ocean
floor. Astra Young Readers, 2023. (2024 Robert F Sibert Informational book award)
J 940.64864 Fleming, Candace. The Enigma girls, how ten teenagers broke ciphers, kept
secrets, and helped win World War II. NY: Scholastic Focus, 2024.
(2024 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, Robert F. Sibert honor book, Los Angeles Times book prize for Young Adult literature.)
PICTURE BOOK BIOGRAPHIES:
JB Abzug Aronson, Sarah. Abzuglutely! Battling, bellowing Bella Abzug. NY: Calkins
Creek/ Astra Books for young readers, 2024.
JB Baker. McDaniel, Breanna. Go forth and Tell – the life of Augusta Baker, librarian and
master storyteller. Illus. April Harrison. NY: Dial Books/ PenguinRandom, 2024.
JB Bartali Hoyt, Megan. Bartali’s Bicycle, the true story of Gino Bartali, Italy’s secret hero.
NY: Quill Tree Books / HarperCollins, 2021.
JB Cage Rogers, Lisa. Beautiful Noise, the music of John Cage. Illus. Ill Sung Na.
NY: Anne Schwartz books/ Penguin Random, 2023. (2024 Golden Kite Honor)
JB Caldecott Markel, Michell. Tomfoolery! Randolph Caldecott and the rambunctious
coming-of-age of children’s books. Illus. Barbara McClintcock. San Francisco:
Chronicle books, 2023. (2024 Golden Kite Award)
JB Child, Prudhomme, Alex. Julia Child becomes ‘The French Chef.’ Illus. Sarah
Green. NY: Calkins Creek/ Astra BFYR, 2022.
JB Cox Weatherford, Carole Boston. How do you spell Unfair!, MacNolia Cox and the national spelling bee. Sommerville, MA: Candlewick, 2024.
(2024 Coretta Scott King author honor book)
JB Kumar Gopal, Jyoti Rajan. Desert queen. Illus. Svabhu Kohli. Montclair: Levin Querdo,
2023.
JB Mitchell. Wallmark, Laurie. Her eyes on the stars, Maria Mitchell, Astronomer.
Illus. Liz Wong. Minneapolis, MN: Creston Books, 2023.
(backmatter extends onto the endpapers. NSTA-CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book.)
JB Ormes. Todd, Traci N. Holding her own, the exceptional life of Jackie Ormes.
Illus. Shannon Wright. NY: Orchard/ Scholastic, 2023.
(2024 Corretta Scott King Award.)
JB Polgar. Wallmark, Laurie. The Queen of Chess, how Judit Polgar Changed the Game. Illus. Stevie Lewis. NY: Little Bee Books, 2023.
JB Valdovinos. Salazar, Aida. Jovita wore pants, the story of a Mexican freedom fighter.
Illus. Molly Mendooza. NY: Scholastic Press, 2023. (2024 Caldecott Honor)
