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THREE STARRED REVIEWS! - The Times Children's Book of the Year - Nominated for the 2025 Governor General's Literary Award -- Young People's Literature

From award-winning author Kenneth Oppel comes a startling, can't-wait-to-talk-about-it-with-someone novel that defies genre to create a teen survival thriller unlike any you've read before. For fans of Leave the World Behind, A.S. King, M.T. Anderson, and Margaret Atwood.

Xavier Oaks doesn't particularly want to go to the cabin with his dad and his dad's pregnant new wife, Nia. But family obligations are family obligations, and it's only for a short time. So he leaves his mom, his brother, and his other friends behind for a week in the woods. Only . . . one morning he wakes up and the house isn't where it was before. It's like it's been lifted and placed . . . somewhere else.

When Xavier, his dad, and Nia go explore, they find they are inside a dome, trapped. And there's no one else around . . .

Until, three years later, another family arrives.

Is there any escape? Is there a reason they are stuck where they are? Different people have different answers -- and those different answers inexorably lead to tension, strife, and sacrifice.

In this masterpiece, award-winning author Kenneth Oppel builds a heart-stopping story that feels very much of our moment, where our very human choices collectively lead to humanity's eventual fate.

Award-winning author Wendy Wan-Long Shang dives in to the deep end of sportsmanship, prejudice, and the power of friendship in this funny, heartfelt story about two very different girls and one shared passion: swimming.

Esme Sun absolutely does not care about winning shiny trophies or finally receiving some of the praise her mother bestows so lavishly on her three older, brilliant sisters. But, actually... it would be nice to be good at something. So when Esme discovers on the first day of summer, opening day at the community pool, that her growth spurt over the winter has made her a really fast swimmer, she wonders if she just might have found that thing.

After Esme has an uncomfortable encounter at the pool with a new girl, Kaya, Esme worries she may have hurt Kaya's feelings. Then, embarrassed by Esme's awkwardness, her friend Tegan, the cool girl at school who seems to do everything perfectly, makes Esme promise that from now on, she'll be chill, not act so babyish and intense about things--especially not swim team.

But when their swim competitions begin, and Esme starts winning, she finds that she actually cares a lot. In fact, she wants to break the pool's freestyle record. That doesn't mesh so well with her promise to Tegan. And as Esme tries to navigate swimming and her friendships, she searches for a way to apologize and make things right with Kaya.

Esme's mom's focus on winning confuses her, though, and she begins to wonder: Is winning really as important as she thinks, even if it means being unkind to your friends and teammates? Or is there another way to compete, to be a good sport and a good friend?

Wendy Wan-Long Shang, the award-winning author of The Great Wall of Lucy Wu and The Secret Battle of Evan Pao, dives in to the deep end of sportsmanship, prejudice, and the power of friendship in this funny, sweet, and wonderfully moving story.

Reimagining a classic nursery rhyme, Over in the Mangroves is an enchanting and multilayered picture book about the interconnected animals of the Sundarbans Mangrove Forest.

Over in the mangroves by the river in the sun, slinks a fierce mama tiger and her little tiger one.

Inspired by the classic nursery rhyme, Over in the Mangroves is a fresh take that layers counting and social emotional moments into a beautiful interactive tale. From dawn to dusk, this enchanting story follows forest animals as they fish, swim, dig, and bask before a storm sends them all searching for shelter among the mangrove trees.

Set in the Sundarbans Mangrove Forest -- a UNESCO World Heritage site straddling India and Bangladesh -- Over in the Mangroves uses lyrical rhyming text to explore the interconnected creatures who call this forest their home. Lavish illustrations will draw readers in, and children will love searching for more creatures hiding among the trees. Extensive back matter includes an author's note and more information on the Sundarbans Mangrove Forest and the animals found inside the book!

A delightful read-aloud that kids are sure to turn to again and again.

Pig the Pug celebrates Halloween in this picture book from #1 New York Times bestselling author-illustrator Aaron Blabey.

Pig was a pug

and I'm sorry to say,

on Halloween night

he'd get carried away...

Pig, the world's greediest pug, is on the rampage for TREATS! TREATS! TREATS! But don't even think about being stingy with the goodies, because this candy-fueled glutton has some terrible tricks up his sleeve...

Rich with author-illustrator Aaron Blabey's signature rhyming text and unforgettable illustrations, Pig the Monster is a laugh-out-loud story that follows the eight previous books in the series (Pig the Pug, Pig the Winner, Pig the Elf, Pig the Star, Pig the Fibber, Pig the Stinker, Pig the Tourist, and Pig the Slob).

To rebuild their broken family, a pair of audacious tween cousins must confront the long-buried secrets that destroyed it in this upper middle grade novel told from dual perspectives.

Twelve-year-olds Alice and Bee are practically strangers when their grandparents' anniversary party reunites their estranged families and ignites their own fast friendship.

But their reunion doesn't last long--Bee's mother and grandfather are dead set on keeping the liberal Seattle faction of the family away from the conservative Minnesota crew. "It's complicated," the grown ups tell them over and over (and over!) again.

Bee and Alice grow closer despite their geographical distance, determined to keep their friendship going--and to uncover the big family secret. What happened all those years ago, and why did it tear their family apart?

Just when they've started to make progress, the COVID pandemic strikes. Bee and Alice watch as the world shuts down and their loved ones grow further divided along their fractured lines. Somehow, it's up to the twelve-year-olds to clean up the mess that the grown ups have made.

This powerful, timely story cuts deep, touching on recent historic events and intimate family details alike. With an age-appropriate approach, Rabbit Rabbit tackles religion, sexuality, bodily autonomy, and other juicy stuff you're not supposed to talk about at Thanksgiving.

Readers will fall headfirst for Alice and Bee as the unforgettable tweens make space for their friendship and shifting identities while standing up to their far-from-perfect family, with all the love and grace they can muster.

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

After a panic attack prevents Florencia from performing as Clara in The Nutcracker and her best friend takes the lead, a new dance style helps her face her anxiety as well as a troubled friendship.

Ballet is Florencia del Lago's entire world. After years of hard work, she is chosen as Clara in the winter production of The Nutcracker. Not only is she the youngest dancer to receive such an honor but also the first Latina. She's on track to be recruited by the best ballet companies.

Unfortunately, she suffers a panic attack on opening night--on stage, in front of everyone. And then Selena, Florencia's best friend, steps right into the role to replace her. Just like that, Florencia's whole world falls apart--the ballet studio expels her, and her best friend turns on her, tormenting her on social media and in real life.

But even though the one thing she was driven toward has come to an end, therapy and family support help Florencia open up to new experiences. She notices people at school she's never paid attention to before, and she even stumbles upon an Irish dance school and decides to give it a try. Can a new passion for Irish dance help Florencia find the joy of performing on the stage that she lost that fateful winter night?

This is the first comprehensive biography of Cecil Rhodes in a generation. This critical work elaborates the life and times of Rhodes, showing how his racist politics impacted mining, industry, transportation, warfare, and society, while discussing how his controversial policies fueled a lasting white-dominated colonial society and had an enduring influence on modern South Africa.

Cecil John Rhodes became one of the most influential people in the history of the British Empire. He made a fortune in South Africa by leading the world's most important diamond mining company, De Beers, as well as a gold-mining concern called Consolidated Gold Fields. While he was a busy entrepreneur, he was also a member of the Cape Colony's legislature and served as prime minister from 1890 to 1896, a key period for the development of racial discrimination. His British South Africa Company was given a charter to govern what is today Zambia and Zimbabwe. His most famous legacy is the Rhodes Trust, which funds the Rhodes Scholarships at Oxford University.

A complex figure, admired and detested in his own time, Rhodes dreamt to unite Southern Africa's colonies and republics into one state, dominated by white settlers, with labor provided by Black people who were constrained and pressured by discriminatory laws. He built his wealth on the backs of African migrant laborers, for whom he had little regard. His British South Africa Company was accused of fraud. And in 1895 and 1896, he famously encouraged a failed plot to overthrow the independent Boer republic in the Transvaal. Rhodes' coup helped to precipitate the South African War, which started in 1899 and ended in 1902, the year of Rhodes' death.

This authoritative biography focuses on the relationship between Rhodes' well-known activities in business and politics and the development of Southern Africa's infrastructure, most famously his plan for a Cape-to-Cairo railway. Rhodes envisioned a region where racism became embedded in the mining, farming, communication, and transportation industries. He pursued this vision in the face of opposition from many quarters. Understanding the extent of Rhodes' activities helps us to understand the challenges of modern Africa and the recent Rhodes Must Fall movement. A critical analysis of this contested figure, The Colonialist offers an original portrait of a crucial figure of his era.

A girl and her dad move to a new town. And she's determined to keep their traditions, no matter how busy Daddy is! A fun story about family, food, and good neighbors!

Every Friday, Emi and her Papi made churros for the entire familia. Now in their new apartment in the big city, Papi is always working, and there are no churros, and no familia, on Fridays. Until, Emi smells something sweet and delicious coming from her neighbor Señora Luisa's apartment.

Emi has an idea! Maybe she can make churros after all, with a little help. From Señora Luisa, she can borrow flour. Tomas in 312 has sugar. Marisol in 512 has a piping tip. Soon Emi's apartment is filled with the scent of fresh churros, new foods, and new friends!

A story of food and community, Fridays Are for Churros celebrates old traditions becoming new, and strangers becoming friends.

Forest school meets sensory play in this cozy picture book about a grandparent and grandchild on an exploratory walk through the woods.

Smooth and wet is a stone in a creek. Slippery and cold is the splash on your cheek.

A boy and his grandfather travel through a scenic forest on a sensory adventure written in soothing rhyme. Everywhere they look, there are fascinating things to see and feel. The boy is naturally curious... and in the woods, it's okay to touch!

Some things are sticky. Some things are firm. Some are oozy or crumbly or coarse. The boy delights in using his sense of touch to explore the natural world--made even sweeter by grandpa as his companion.

With soft, velvety illustrations, this sumptuous story is just right for kids who learn by doing, and makes an ideal read-aloud for preschools with sensory awareness on the curriculum. Back matter features an author's note about the five senses, as well as an interactive sensory treasure hunt for curious young readers (with adult supervision).

Fun, accessible concrete poems and bold, vibrant artwork celebrate the many shapes and forms of our planet Earth. Perfect for National Poetry Month and Earth Day!

The Earth's crust shakes, water swells, lava flows, and glaciers advance. In this ingenious picture book, the landforms created by Earth's powerful forces are examined through compelling concrete poetry. From canyons to volcanos, archipelagoes to hoodoos, take a tour of the many fascinating forms and features of our awesome planet.

Rich back matter includes more about landforms, a glossary, and additional resources for readers, caregivers, and educators.

Calling all kid collectors! Julia Mills, the acclaimed creator of I Am Stuck, spins a funny new adventure about Robinson the raccoon, who loves to collect things. But when he meets a new friend, he discovers that memories and experiences make for the best collection of all. Perfect for fans of Memory Jars and In a Jar.

Robinson the raccoon loves to collect things--big and small. His collection is amazing. One day he collects a shell that turns out to be . . . Rosie the snail! Rosie is not impressed by Robinson's stuff, and she takes him to see what she collects: breezes on the hilltop, the bubbles in the stream, and the magnificent northern lights. Robinson soon realizes that the best things to hold on to aren't always things--instead, experiences with friends will last a lifetime.

A story about a little troublemaker with a big heart who must defend her name from a class bully, from the New York Times bestselling author and noted speaker Luvvie Ajayi Jones.

Little Luvvie is ready for her first day at a new school!

But immediately things do not go well. First, a kid in class makes fun of her name. How dare he! But Luvvie's instant response gets her scolded. Then she forgets her lunch. And worst of all, her teacher sees a private note Luvvie had written to herself where she talked about how much she doesn't like her new school. What a day! But this little troublemaker figures out how to turn things around.

In this remarkably relatable picture book, Little Luvvie, the star of Little Troublemaker Makes a Mess, learns that she can be kind even as she stands up for herself, and that learning from mistakes can open her up to making new friends who respect and appreciate her.

Written by the New York Times bestselling author Luvvie Ajayi Jones, with bright, bold art by Joey Spiotto, this funny, sweet story is dedicated to all the kids whose names might feel too different. It reminds us that our names are worth getting right and celebrating.

Kirkus Best Book - School Library Journal Best Book - Chicago Public Library Best Book - Children's Book Review Best Book - ALA Notable Book

"Storytelling at its most brilliant--and whimsical." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Everything is on the line for crabby, cranky Crow. But why, exactly, is Crow so moody? The reason will delight readers in three-time Geisel Medal and Caldecott Honor winner Corey R. Tabor's funny and surprising twist on friendship, science, and saving the world.
Cranky, crabby Crow does not want to play with Squirrel or do loop-de-loops with Hummingbird. He doesn't have time for Rat or Bat. From high atop a telephone pole, Cat warns Crow that he will soon be all alone if he turns his friends away with his very cranky "kaw!" one more time. But, unbeknownst to all, Crow has bigger, world-saving fish to fry--he must protect planet Earth from an asteroid headed our way!
With playful illustrations and a classic "Tabor twist," Cranky, Crabby Crow is an excellent choice for readers who love Mo Willems and Jon Klassen. Kirkus Reviews calls Corey R. Tabor "a master of the early reader" with good reason, and here he once again proves himself an innovative and unforgettable storyteller. Cranky, Crabby Crow explores perennial, age-appropriate social and emotional themes through Corey R. Tabor's signature subtlety and silliness. Includes a secret code.