Fiction

Forge written by Laurie Halse Anderson (Atheneum)

A patriot and a slave, Curzon enlists in the Continental Army and spends a bitter winter encamped at Valley Forge. This riveting, character-driven sequel to Chains provides a vivid account both of Revolutionary War soldier life and of the harsh realities and injustices of slavery. Review 11/10. (Intermediate, Middle School)

Incarceron written by Catherine Fisher (Dial)

In Incarceron, a sentient prison, Finn dreams of escape to Outside, which he claims to remember (Claudia suspects that her ruthless father, the Warden of Incarceron, may have had a hand in the death of her childhood fiancé Prince Giles. These parallel mysteries merge with masterful pacing in a brilliantly original dystopian world. Review 1/10. (Middle School, High School)

Happy Birthday, Sophie Hartley written by Stephanie Greene (Clarion)

Things get complicated for impulsive, prone-to-enthusiasms middle-child Sophie when her whole fourth grade class finds out she’s getting a baby gorilla for her birthday — which she definitely isn’t. A lively chapter book exemplary for its humor, believable family dynamics, and characters who talk and act like real people. Review 7/10. (Primary, Intermediate)

Ling & Ting: Not Exactly the Same! written and illustrated by Grace Lin (Little, Brown)

Confident beginning readers who follow the adventures of twin sisters through five linked chapters will be equally confident that Ling and Ting are certainly not exactly the same. The illustrations are as bold and colorful as the twins, and the engaging text makes generous, humorous use of repetition. Review 7/10. (Primary)

The Sky Is Everywhere written by Jandy Nelson (Dial)

Devastated by her sister’s sudden death, Lennie seeks comfort in the arms of new boy Joe — and in those of Bailey’s bereaved boyfriend. Passionate, heartbreaking, and enchantingly hopeful, Lennie’s journey of self-discovery is as exquisite as the “great big beautiful love” she ultimately finds. Review 3/10. (High School)

Big Nate: In a Class by Himself written and illustrated by Lincoln Peirce (Harper/HarperCollins)

Nate is a sixth-grade slacker well versed in the art of sarcasm, but his intentions are mostly good and always believable. Text and cartoon illustrations combine to great effect — rarely have backtalk and louche behavior been as attractive. Review 7/10. (Intermediate, Middle School)

As Easy as Falling Off the Face of the Earth written and illustrated by Lynne Rae Perkins (Greenwillow)

When his summer plans go spectacularly awry, teenage Ry, one of life’s consummate passengers, finds himself stranded with no money, a useless cellphone, and only one shoe. Perkins’s take on chaos and the element of chance is refreshingly optimistic in this quirky, closely observed road-trip novel. Review 5/10. (Middle School, High School)

The Dreamer written by Pam Muñoz Ryan, illustrated by Peter Sís (Scholastic)

Although terrified by his autocratic father, Neftalí Reyes grows up with a voracious love of words, books, nature, and ideas. Sís’s imaginative illustrations and the Chilean rainforest-green type are striking complements to Ryan’s perceptive fictional account of poet Pablo Neruda’s early life. Review 3/10. (Intermediate, Middle School)

Revolver written by Marcus Sedgwick (Roaring Brook)

While Sig keeps vigil over his father’s corpse, a stranger arrives at their remote Arctic cabin. Good thing Sig has a gun — or is it? With the precision of a meticulously maintained revolver, this historical mystery inexorably sights, aims, and explodes. Review 3/10. (Middle School, High School)

The White Horse Trick written by Kate Thompson (Greenwillow)

This final volume of the Irish-mythology-based fantasy trilogy takes readers from world’s end to world’s beginning, as the ravages of global warming spill into the timeless land of Tír na n’óg. Thompson has outdone herself here, with droll humor, nimble plotting, and rich characterization overlaying an ambitious, all-too-relevant theme. Review 9/10. (Middle School, High School)

A Conspiracy of Kings written by Megan Whalen Turner (Greenwillow)

Heir-to-the-Sounis-throne Sophos is kidnapped, enslaved, and forced to yield sovereignty to erstwhile friend and rival royal Eugenides — and that’s just the beginning of a journey that will transform him from callow youth to king. A page-turner both cerebral and emotionally involving, chockful of intrigue, military strategy, adventure, and romance. Review 3/10. (Middle School, High School)

One Crazy Summer written by Rita Williams-Garcia (Amistad/HarperCollins)

Eleven-year-old Delphine and her two younger sisters visit their estranged and far-from-welcoming mother for the summer in 1969 Oakland, California, where change, both political and personal, is in the air. A poignant, funny, memorable celebration of community, family, and self-discovery. Review 3/10. (Intermediate, Middle School)

Folklore

Pocketful of Posies: A Treasury of Nursery Rhymes illustrated by Salley Mavor (Houghton)

Mavor’s stunning hand-sewn fabric relief collages illustrate sixty-five familiar (and not so) nursery rhymes, capturing their timelessness and adding intricate detail. Every home deserves a good Mother Goose, and this vibrant collection is one of the best. Review 11/10. (Preschool)

Poetry

Dark Emperor & Other Poems of the Night written by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Rick Allen (Houghton)

With delicate, evocative language, Sidman’s poems celebrate wildlife that flourishes in the night woods; a paragraph of information about the relevant organism accompanies each poem. Just as eyes gradually adjust to the dark, readers will slowly pick out the nocturnal creatures in Allen’s skillful night-toned linocut prints. Review 9/10. (Primary, Intermediate)

Mirror Mirror:  A Book of Reversible Verse written by Marilyn Singer, illustrated by Josée Masse (Dutton)

Exceedingly well-wrought two-stanza poems Singer dubs “reversos” (the second stanza repeats the first, backwards) each look at a fairy tale from two different points of view. Similarly bifurcated paintings cleverly reflect the dual nature of these insightful and ingeniously devised poems. Review 3/10. (Primary, Intermediate)

Nonfiction

They Called Themselves the K.K.K.: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group written by Susan Campbell Bartoletti (Houghton)

Southern reaction to Reconstruction period laws prompted six men to start a secret club that evolved into the still-active Ku Klux Klan. Relying upon personal accounts and primary source documents, Bartoletti’s detailed look at the origins of this brutal and pervasive homegrown terrorist organization is a powerfully moving cautionary tale. Review 9/10. (Middle School, High School)

The War to End All Wars: World War I written by Russell Freedman (Clarion)

Freedman’s account of the origins, major players, battles, trench warfare, senseless carnage, and consequences of the First World War is clear, concise, and succinct without being in the least condescending to young readers. An abundance of historical photographs enriches a characteristically lucid text. Review 7/10. (Intermediate, Middle School)

Ballet for Martha: Making Appalachian Spring written by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan, illustrated by Brian Floca (Porter/Flash Point/Roaring Brook)

A fascinating look at the remarkable collaboration between dancer-choreographer Martha Graham, composer Aaron Copland, and artist Isamu Noguchi. Greenberg, Jordan, and Floca’s own joint effort is spare and immediate, reflecting the very nature of the classic American performance they so stunningly evoke. Review 7/10. (Primary)

Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World’s Strangest Parrot written by Sy Montgomery, photographs by Nic Bishop (Houghton)

On a remote island in New Zealand, scientists struggle to revive a dying parrot species. Delving into history, environmentalism, and the scientific process as it examines the human contribution to the kakapo’s demise and rehabilitation, Montgomery’s narrative creates an emotional resonance that augments the scientific information. Bishop’s crisp photos juxtapose the romance and reality of field work. Review 7/10. (Intermediate, Middle School)

The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism, & Treachery written by Steve Sheinkin (Flash Point/Roaring Brook)

Even history’s villains have their reasons, and it’s to Sheinkin’s great credit that he manages to humanize America’s most notorious traitor. Even better, he creates a rousing adventure narrative from Arnold’s courage and treachery that brings the man and Revolution to life. Review 1/11. (Middle School, High School)