A woman returns to her roots in Zilla Jones’s entrancing historical novel "The World So Wide", about lost love amid a revolution. In 1983, Felicity—half Black, half white—is a renowned Canadian opera singer. Her success doesn’t... Read More

Natalie Lawrence’s work of cultural inquiry, "Enchanted Creatures", analyzes fabled and mythical beasts across human history, folklore, and literature, asking why monsters persist in human imaginations. Organized into sections on... Read More

L. Annette Binder’s sensitive, grounded, and hopeful memoir "Child of Earth and Starry Heaven" is about the family impact of Alzheimer’s disease. Binder taps into a range of literary and scientific sources to reflect on her mother... Read More

In Kelly Ann Jacobson’s retelling of Pinocchio, "Lies of a Toymaker", a girl embraces heroism and self-discovery. Paige is the daughter of a traveling toymaker who’s always on the move. Her loyalty to her mother keeps her secluded... Read More

Moving to a cottage in the countryside unsettles a boy in Maggie O’Farrell’s fantasy story "The Boy Who Lost His Spark". Jem misses the city. He struggles with school: A learning disability is hinted at, and he’s prone to... Read More

In this picture book, the life and work of Pauline Baynes, the iconic illustrator of the worlds of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, receive overdue credit. Though Pauline brought magical worlds to life, her own story was less fantastical... Read More

In Pamela Reitman’s bittersweet historical novel "Charlotte Salomon Paints Her Life", the German Jewish artist struggles to express herself and survive in the shadow of the Third Reich. In 1939 in Berlin, Kristallnacht shatters... Read More

In Antti Tuomainen’s dark comedic thriller "The Burning Stones", competition for the CEO position at a Finnish sauna company heats up when someone begins killing off the potential applicants. Anni is Steam Devil’s top salesperson,... Read More