Review: The Lovers, the Liars, and Me by DeAndra Davis

The Lovers, the Liars, and Me by DeAndra Davis

The Lovers, the Liars, and Me
DeAndra Davis
Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Published June 23, 2026

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About The Lovers, the Liars, and Me

A teen travels to Jamaica hoping to answer questions about her absent mother, only to discover more about her identity than she could have ever expected—and find herself caught up in an unexpected love triangle—in this dazzling young adult coming-of-age novel.

Jaliya Powell has never had a real adventure, a real boyfriend, or spoken up for herself. She’s never even been kissed. … Continue reading

Review: Better Catch Up, Krishna Kumar by Anahita Karthik

Better Catch Up, Krishna Kumar

Better Catch Up, Krishna Kumar
Anahita Karthik
HarperCollins
Published January 27, 2026

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About Better Catch Up, Krishna Kumar

“Come for the road trip of a lifetime. Stay for the kissing!”— Meg Cabot, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Princess Diaries series.

Buckle up for a wild ride with this cheeky and charming rom-com where one girl’s quest across India to seal her first kiss turns into finding first love in the most unexpected places. Perfect for fans of Axie Oh, Ann Liang, and Jenny Han!

Eighteen-year-old Krishna Kumar may have gotten into her dream college, … Continue reading

Review: Cousins in the Time of Magic by Emma Otheguy

Cousins in the Time of Magic by Emma Otheguy

Cousins in the Time of Magic
Emma Otheguy
Aladdin
Published February 25, 2025

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About Cousins in the Time of Magic

Three cousins get transported back to 1862 to play an important role in the Battle of Puebla, the reason we celebrate Cinco de Mayo today, in this enchanting middle grade fantasy adventure.

History is alive with magic. That’s what zany Tía Xia is always telling cousins Jorge, Camila, and Siggy. Daredevil Jorge couldn’t be more different than his cousins: Camila is a dreamer who adores animals and Siggy is an aspiring influencer who has an exclusive … Continue reading

Review: HoverGirls by Geneva Bowers

HoverGirls by Geneva Bowers

HoverGirls
Geneva Bowers
Bloomsbury
Published August 6, 2024

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About HoverGirls

The web comic sensation about magical girls by acclaimed illustrator Geneva Bowers, now in a beautiful print edition, featuring an expanded storyline and revised art!

Jalissa and Kim Vasquez are cousins who move to the city of Los Aguaceros together. Kim dreams of becoming a famous model and fashion designer, while Jalissa is just trying to hold herself together after a breakdown the year before.

When a curious incident on the beach leaves them with supernatural powers and monsters start attacking the city, Kim decides that using their powers … Continue reading

Review: Three Summers by Amra Sabic-El-Rayess with Laura L. Sullivan

Three Summers by Amra Sabic-El-Rayess with Laura L. Sullivan

Three Summers: A Memoir of Sisterhood, Summer Crushes, and Growing Up on the Eve of War
Amra Sabic-El-Rayess with Laura L. Sullivan
Farrar, Straus, & Giroux
Published April 9, 2024

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About Three Summers

An epic middle-grade memoir about sisterhood and coming-of-age in the three years leading up to the Bosnian Genocide.

Three Summers is the story of five young cousins who grow closer than sisters as ethnic tensions escalate over three summers in 1980s Bosnia. They navigate the joys and pitfalls of adolescence on their family’s little island in the middle of the … Continue reading

Review: The Lost Year by Katherine Marsh

The Lost Year by Katherine Marsh

The Lost Year: A Survival Story of the Ukranian Famine
Katherine Marsh
MacMillan
Published January 17, 2023

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About The Lost Year

From the author of Nowhere Boy – called “a resistance novel for our times” by The New York Times – comes a brilliant middle-grade survival story that traces a harrowing family secret back to the Holodomor, a terrible famine that devastated Soviet Ukraine in the 1930s.

Thirteen-year-old Matthew is miserable. His journalist dad is stuck overseas indefinitely, and his mom has moved in his one-hundred-year-old great-grandmother to ride out the pandemic, adding to his stress and isolation.

But when Matthew finds a tattered black-and-white photo … Continue reading