A nice variety this month, with standouts in every category.

Picture Books

• Claydate by Dev Petty and Lauren Eldridge: Nearly ten years after Claymates comes a brilliant companion book – a delightful surprise!
• The Whale’s Tale and the Otter Side of the Story by Kate Messner and Brian Biggs
• Nice Work by Nicholas Day and Hala Tahboub

Middle Grade

• Princess Academy by Shannon Hale and Victoria Ying (graphic novel): It’s been a while since I read the original Princess Academy novel, but this adaptation seems fairly flawless. (It got top marks from the 10yo as well.)
• Seeing Stars (Batcat #4) by Meggie Ramm
• The Endless Game by J.D. Amato
• Opting Out by Maia Kobabe and Swati “Lucky” Srikumar
• The Ordinary and Extraordinary Auden Greene by Corey Ann Haydu

YA

• Holloway by Elana K. Arnold: A fall-back-in-time from 2021 to 1946, set in France? Yes, please. Unexpected and wonderful, with a neurodiverse, artistic, deeply empathetic main character.

Adult

• American Fantasy by Emma Straub: excellent delineation of setting, but I wanted more transformation for each of the three point-of-view characters.
• Star Shipped by Cat Sebastian
• A Suit or a Suitcase: Poems by Maggie Smith
• Adult Braces by Lindy West
• Mother Tongue: A Memoir by Sara Novic