Booklist Magazine

Editor / Publisher George Kendall Donna Seaman, Editor, Adult Books Susan Maguire, Senior Editor, Collection Management and Library Outreach Annie Bostrom, Senior Editor, Adult Books Sarah Hunter, Editor, Books for Youth Maggie Reagan, Senior Editor,

These top 10 reference books were reviewed in Booklist between May 15, 2023, and May 1, 2024, and represent useful resources for libraries of all sizes. African American Activism and Political Engagement: An Encyclopedia of Empowerment. Ed. by Angela

By Kasley Killam. June 2024. 256p. HarperOne, $28.99 (9780063289116); e-book (9780063289130). 158.1. There are plenty of studies telling you how to be physically and mentally healthy. But the missing pillar, according to Killam, is social health. Bui

Feb. 2023. Gale [gale.com/c/petersons-test-and-careerprep]. Gale has partnered with Peterson’s to provide a centralized, one-stop website of college and career readiness test preparation and career/college exploration. No section is exhaustive, but t

By RaeAnne Thayne. June 2024. 304p. Canary Street, paper, $17.99 (9781335009333); e-book (9780369748027). Madi, self-conscious about her physical differences resulting from a brain injury, is nonetheless working full speed to make the no-kill animal

By Leonard Pitts Jr. July 2024. 344p. Agate, paper, $19.95 (9781572843370). Critically acclaimed novelist Pitts returns to the characters featured in his powerful WWII tale, The Last Thing You Surrender (2019). After the war, George and Thelma Simon,

The most excellent and resonant historical fiction reviewed inBooklist over the past 12 months takes readers around the world and into lives of valiant and innovative individuals. Absolution. By Alice McDermott. 2023. Farrar, $28 (9780374610487). McD

The finest debut historical novels reviewed in Booklist over the past 12 months reimagine classics from women’s perspectives and take fresh approaches to infamous eras of tyranny and courage. The Berry Pickers. By Amanda Peters. 2023. Catapult, $27 (

By Kei Itoi. Art by the author. Tr. by Stephen Paul. 2024. 160p. Yen, paper, $15 (9781975375898). 741.5. This gentle story about grief, found family, and what it means to love another person is an excellent read-alike for those who enjoyed Waka Hirak

With 40 years of publication history, Dragon Ball is a timeless fan-favorite with an overwhelming number of volumes in print. The recent, untimely death of Dragon Ball’s dedicated and talented mangaka, Akira Toriyama, is likely to boost interest in t

By Hana Bajramovic. June 2024. 240p. illus. Holt, $24.99 (9781250225276). Gr. 9–12. 342.7302. In the second installment in her Whose Right Is It? series, Bajramovic presents a concise and accessible narrative of the creation, fluid interpretation, an

By Elle Gonzalez Rose. May 2024. 320p. Random/Joy Revolution, $19.99 (9780593705179). Gr. 9–12. It may seem like the most important event of high school, but prom can create a lot of drama between friends. This realistic story follows Ivelisse and Jo

By Grace Lin. Illus. by the author. Tr. by Carlos E. Calvo. May 2024. 16p. Charlesbridge, $7.99 (9781623544041). PreS. This vividly illustrated installment in the Storytelling Math series encourages creative thinking and problem-solving. Mei is searc

By Hope Jahren. June 2024. 464p. Delacorte, $19.99 (9780593484111). Gr. 9–12. In protagonist Mary Jane, the author has borrowed a minor character from Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Indeed, many of the characters in this nearepic advent

Covering everything from ancient Aztec civilizations to the aftermath of 9/11 in America, these historical fiction novels, reviewed in Booklist between May 15, 2023, and May 1, 2024, lay bare the human condition in times of turmoil. All You Have to D

By C. L. Miller. Read by Emilia Fox. 2024. 11hr. Simon & Schuster Audio, DD (9781797169385). In this debut mystery, listeners follow former antiques hunter Freya Lockwood, who receives a request for help from her estranged mentor Arthur and is drawn

By Amanda Montell. Read by the author. 2024. 6hr. Simon & Schuster Audio, DD (9781797175577). In her latest book, Amanda Montell—renowned for her critically acclaimed Cultish (2019) and Wordslut (2021)—delves into the numerous ways that our cognitive

This batch of great historical fiction for youth has strong families, strong kids, a little bit of magic in the plots, and a lot of magic from phenomenal narrations! Across So Many Seas. By Ruth Behar. Read by a full cast. 2024. 6hr. Listening Librar

By Yangsze Choo. Read by the author. 2024. 14.5hr. Macmillan Audio, DD (9781250329516). The author of the Reese’s Book Club pick The Night Tiger (2019) returns with a captivating story of revenge, folktales, and mystery in Manchuria in 1908. Snow, a