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On her 16th birthday, Megan Elida Fay, descended from a long line of Wendy Darlings, is still haunted by her mother’s tragic death 10 years earlier. Abandoned by her father after her mother’s death, Megan moved in with her maternal aunt, the cryptic Georgia, in a clapboard cottage perched on the Maine coast, where she spends her time desperate to decipher whether her parents’ stories of Fable Island and Peter Pan were true. When Georgia informs her the magic is real—and that Meg’s expected to find the bridge to cross over to Fable Island—Meg feels trapped in someone else’s story.

Lewis (author of Restless) engraves this modern-day fairy tale with a deep sense of regret, from Meg’s debilitating grief to her aunt’s weariness at how to help to her father’s downward spiral when the magic feels impossible. Meg’s teen angst is palpable, as is her internal struggle between what she sees in the world around her and the mystery she senses hovering just out of her reach. Too practical and too wracked by grief, Meg works hard to convince herself that her mother can’t have transcended death to live on Fable Island, despite the glimmering signs that she is part of something much, much bigger than herself.

Part coming-of-age journey and part lesson in grief, Lewis’s tale encourages readers to let go while moving forward. Meg’s relationship with her father—and his failed attempt at reconciliation—is painful to watch, as is her best friend Theo’s quicker grasp of magical thinking, despite Meg’s legacy. After much effort, Meg eventually concedes: “Fable Island may not be real but it exists… It is in the hearts and minds of those who believe.” Lewis delivers a delicate balance between real life and the whisper of magic throughout, building moments of drama and whimsy that will stick with readers long after the last page.

Takeaway: A grieving teen undergoes a magical coming-of-age journey.

Comparable Titles: Liz Michalski’s Darling Girl, Alex Flinn’s Beastly.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-

Click here for more about The Faeries of Fable Island

Beamo Roamer scavenges a post-apocalyptic America one thousand years into the future in Wow’s gritty debut. When Beamo discovers a military map leading to the location of the Lost Fort Knox Gold—rumored to be the last treasure of the fallen “Merican Government”—he’s immediately captured by a gang of ruthless bikers, led by his once-friend Tee Sal and Tee’s sister Little Bit, prompting Beamo to quickly ingest the map. Rather than give up what he knows, Beamo shrewdly contracts with Tee to navigate them through the waste land known as Merica, bypassing once-thriving cities decimated by nuclear waste and fighting outlaws clothed in the literal skins of their enemies on a no-holds-barred treasure hunt.

Wow immerses readers in this jaggy, apocalyptic no-man’s-land, writing convincing characters that vibrate with appeal as they collide with all manner of monsters—both natural and human. Their tenuous hold on life is palpable throughout, and Wow bewitches with their stories before dashing hope in spectacular endings. The terrain here is deadly, no bones about it: take Roofy, who abandons her children to hunt for a better life, only to suffer a shocking attack when she’s at the cusp of controlling her own destiny. Beamo is a force to be reckoned with, winning over Tee with his cunning intellect and street-smart survival know-how, all while romancing Little Bit in an intensely passionate crescendo destined to upset the fragile balance of their alliance.

The characters here are explosive—and their interactions can be blistering even during the best of times—but that’s to be expected in a story where death breathes around every corner and “phantasms [stroll] along the edge of the grave plots in the bright daylight.” Wow draws eerie similarities to the problems plaguing contemporary American society, and the ending smashes expectations while delivering a sliver of hope for a more palatable future.

Takeaway: Brutal, no-holds-barred romp through post-apocalyptic America.

Comparable Titles: G. Michael Hopf’s Seven Days, C. Robert Cargill’s Sea of Rust.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: B
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-

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Fanning tinges this evocative portrait of 19th century Irish immigrants in Chicago with dark strokes of a quickly expanding America that often neglects, brutalizes, and abandons its newly arrived citizens. In 1880, Jimmy Farrell is just one member of a large Irish family trying to make ends meet in a freezing Chicago flat. At 12 years old, he’s granted a foray into political activism with his father, John, a staunch advocate of non-violence, and his uncle Jim, who believes in resistance through violent means. Jimmy grows up attempting to reconcile this fundamental difference, further complicated by his uncle's death during one such revolt.

The complexities of Irish identity in America during this transformative period take center stage in Fanning’s fiction debut, and through the Farrell family, Fanning showcases the struggles and resilience of immigrant communities as they pursue a fixed identity in a new land. At work, Jimmy navigates the changing dynamics of his community as he transitions from a store clerk to a position on the police force, finding solace in his personal life through Mary Ann, his boss’s daughter. Despite her wealthy upbringing and different worldview, the pair discover inspiration in their shared passion for the arts as a way to navigate life's injustices and tragedies.

Jimmy's eternal love for music serves as his source of comfort throughout the narrative—and the means through which he expresses his identity within the Irish American community. Fanning’s storytelling is introspective and observant, allowing readers to experience firsthand the characters' struggles and triumphs as they navigate a harsh, unforgiving world: early on, John imparts responsibility to Jimmy with a reminder of the sacrifices made for their freedom, stating “ye must know something of the years—aye, and the generations—of pain that stretch out behind us.” This is a skillful and rich rendering of early Irish American life.

Takeaway: Rich narrative of 19th century Irish American life.

Comparable Titles: Kate Kerrigan’s Ellis Island, Kristina McMorris’s The Edge of Lost.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-

Click here for more about The Music of What Happens

The title of Griffith’s rousing treatise introduces the book’s central metaphor and argument: that a powerful “theater of lies” has corrupted contemporary life, distracting us, stressing us out, encouraging our biases and hatreds, diminishing trust in institutions and expertise, even—with hate crimes and science denialism—killing us. For Griffith, the “theater” is key to the lies’ success, and he makes a persuasive case for mis- and disinformation as deliberately crafted narratives in the Aristotelian and Hollywood traditions, with story hooks and villains chosen to grip the minds of target audiences. His analysis of the beats of Die Hard, and how they reflect the techniques of media propagandists, is especially illuminating. “The Theater of Lies is a provider of addictive substance,” he writes. “We, the audience, keep demanding more.”

Theater of Lies urges individuals and institutions to demand and defend something else: truth. Griffith opens with a sweeping—perhaps too much so—history of lies and the manipulation of the public, stretching back to the Garden of Eden, the origins of race as a concept, and Kipling’s insistence on a “white man’s burden.” This material is impassioned and sometimes illuminating, but the discussions are brief for such epochal subjects. More immediately compelling are examples from recent decades, mostly from the U.S. and Canada, and many fresh accounts of events readers might not know about, showcasing how “purpose-driven lies and misinformation are produced, staged, and presented.”

With sharp insights, clear and inviting prose, and an upbeat belief in humanity’s capacity to do better, Griffith lays bare the craft and reach of those who lie for profit and power and the failures of mind that inspire their targets not just to believe propaganda but to spread it. Refreshingly, he seems unconcerned with being accused of bias when discussing, say, the “wrecking ball” that is Donald Trump. Instead, he models the healthy habits of thinking and analysis that he urges readers toward in the book’s last third, which encourages standing up for truth, acknowledging one’s own assumptions, and rebuilding trust.

Takeaway: Incisive history of lies and misinformation, and a call to action.

Comparable Titles: Lee McIntyre’s Post-Truth, Barbara McQuade’s Attack From Within.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Theater of Lies

Veteran director Little (known for movies like Marked for Death, Rapid Fire, Free Willy 2, Murder at 1600, and Halloween 4) offers an insightful, often funny account of his up-and-down career, sharing close-ups of how he made his own way in a devilishly difficult industry. On-set anecdotes reveal not just the nuts-and-bolts of movie-making but what it takes to maintain control on set, from an untested Little brandishing a one-way ticket back to L.A. to call the bluff of the money men considering replacing him during a location shoot, to legendary cinematographer László Kovács giving Little a movie-saving sign of support in front of meddling producers.

A movie-mad Midwesterner-gone-Hollywood, Little writes in a refreshingly straight-forward style, telling the story of achieving success, first in indies and then at studios, while managing to raise a family and maintain his values. He demystifies the glamor of directing: on a shoot in India, he dealt with lost equipment, a case of dysentery, a hotel room invaded by ravenous feral monkeys, and a sudden flood that nearly destroyed their set and equipment. His accounts of tight deadlines, the pressure to score a hit in three “at bats,” the pressures of financing, and encounters with the likes of Mel Gibson, Sally Kellerman, and Clint Eastwood sparkle with surprise and authenticity. (Tommy Lee Jones turns down a submarine thriller because, Little is told, he always thought of subs “as bathtub toys.”)

Hollywood is a rough-and-tumble town that is not for the faint of heart: “When you’re young, you are invincible and play to win,” he notes, describing risk-taking as an up-and-coming director of action. “When you’re older, you play not to lose.” That’s also true in the executive suites where promises are broken almost as quickly as they are made. A captivating page-turner alive with surprising detail and jolts of wisdom, Still Rolling comes highly recommended for anyone eager to understand how the dream factory actually operates.

Takeaway: A director’s page-turning Hollywood, alive with insight and surprises.

Comparable Titles: Ed Zwick’s Hits, Flops and Other Illusions, Hal Needham’s Stuntman!

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Still Rolling

Retired Air Force veteran Amelia Garcia works for her uncle, piloting remotely operated vehicles off the U.S. coast, and pacifies her guilt, left over from previous AF Reaper drone missions, with the refrain that “she had killed for her country to protect those who couldn’t protect themselves.” The job leaves space for small pleasures, like collecting fascinating objects from the ocean floor, but when Amelia retrieves a strongbox emblazoned with a Nazi symbol, she can’t shake the feeling that something’s off. That sense escalates when, after sharing the find with her uncle, he winds up dead the next day, along with his wife and an influential justice department friend.

Hadden’s second Ike Rossi novel (after The Victim of the System) dives headfirst into forgotten history from the Second World War, thoughtfully investigating the price of truth and meditating on what it means to be a contemporary American patriot. Despite her training, Amelia knows this mission is over her head; she seeks out the help of Ike Rossi, a long-ago football star now turned private investigator, to sleuth her artifact’s importance—and uncover who’s willing to kill to get it. Thus ensues a brutal game of keep away, with Amelia and Ike pitted against dark forces that will stop at nothing to keep the enigmatic box’s contents hidden.

Hadden writes with noir flair, though Ike’s compassion, no matter the personal cost, forms him into a much different hero than those pulpy PIs of the past. Amelia holds her own—a fierce warrior sworn to protect her country from all enemies, both foreign and domestic. That resolve is tested at every turn, as Amelia and Ike quickly discover a conspiracy being nurtured by the upper echelons of American politics. Hadden deftly probes the limits of patriotism, leaving readers teetering on a knife edge of right vs. wrong—and eager for more Ike Rossi adventures.

Takeaway: Air Force vet and PI race to solve a dangerous conspiracy.

Comparable Titles: Robin James’s Burden of Proof, Iain King’s Secrets of the Last Nazi.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about The Secret That Killed You

Schwartz’s playful, wholesome debut picture book is a rhyming bedtime love letter to children and childhood as a fleeting, blissful state of being: “Please slow down time and keep it this way... I want to embrace this moment, forever and a day.” Rather than a narrative, Schwartz’s illustrated poem speaks to the parental urge to preserve childhood, its innocence, laughter, and joy, while still appreciating the present, including endings. Towards the book’s conclusion, as preparations for bedtime commence, Schwartz offers a series of reflective, adoring couplets, like “in its perfectly imperfect way, life seems to know what we need[ed] today.”

Wrapped in the curl of a giraffe’s neck in summer, tucked into the nest of a dove in spring, or sleeping against a polar bear cub in winter, the children in Sophia Riley’s surreal, whimsical illustrations are coddled by a gentle menagerie that loves and protects them as a parent would. Riley also includes scenes of children swinging with monkeys, holding hands with penguins, and hammocking with owls, which create a visual atmosphere of peace and play that aptly complements the idealized childhood Schwartz imagines in her time-capsule poem. Against Riley’s rosy-cheeked digital renderings, Schwartz’s nostalgic, yearning poem comes to life.

Though Riley’s illustrations and Schwartz’s doting rhymes are engaging for young readers, This Day I Hold Dear sends a message that seems intended more for the adults in Schwartz’s audience than the children. “When I think of the times that have come and gone,” Schwartz writes, “I take a deep breath and try to hold on.” Though comforting for parents, that sentiment may not hit home for kids, but Schwartz’s final words reach the heart of readers of all ages: “Whatever you dream, I want you to know you are loved from your head to the tip of your toe.”

Takeaway: Wholesome story of parents’ desire to preserve their children’s youth.

Comparable Titles: Patrick McDonnell’s Thank You and Good Night, Emily Winfield Martin’s The Wonderful Things You Will Be.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about This Day I Hold Dear

In Gil’s uproarious but informative middle grade graphic novel, five adults trapped in kids’ bodies rollick through S.T.E.M. based adventures, conducting scientific research while completing top-secret projects for the government. Known as the Whiz Kids of D.A.R.P.A (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), physicist Isaac, computer scientist Cody, mechanical engineer Quentin, Wade—a biologist and behavioral scientist trapped inside a bear’s body—and linguist Rosie escape tornadoes, study animals’ body chemistry as a form of communication, visit the “Spacecraft Cemetery” Point Nemo, and more in their pursuit of scientific quests tasked by the U.S. Space Force.

The unique blend of sarcasm and intellectual wit with complex science makes this graphic novel, the first in the series, stand out. Gil’s characters are deliciously diverse—both in their personalities and fields of expertise—and their tasks, from freezing mud to prevent a building cave-in to harnessing soundwaves when fighting a forest fire, create a no-holds-barred scientific adventure that never slows down. “Science Check” components at the end of every section sum up the facts and spell out the history behind each lesson, like how Leonardo DaVinci influenced propeller blades or the background of satellites, and Gil (author of graphic novel Last Knight in the City, among others) includes QR codes for more information.

The Whiz Kids definitely have their work cut out for them, but Gil’s fun, inviting text makes the job as entertaining as it is important. Whether it’s investigating reported alien sightings in Arkansas or the group helping Wade navigate how to be a talking bear and a scientist at the same time, readers will find much to love here. Serious moments dot the landscape as well, particularly Cody’s experience with gender dysphoria, which Gil handles respectfully, stirring powerful emotions for readers as Cody bravely tells his parents “I have a second chance to live my life truer to how I feel inside!”

Takeaway: Fun-filled, S.T.E.M-heavy graphic novel for middle grade readers.

Comparable Titles: Matthew McElligott's Mad Scientist Academy series, Otis Frampton's Oddly Normal series.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about The Whiz Kids from DARPA: Book One (First Printing)

Seventeen-year-old Jason Krabb is desperate to escape his small Idaho town and leave his mark on the 1990s rock world. He spends his time dallying with the local high school girls and doling out cash for music tapes from the mall, jamming with his best friend Doug in their band. Enter Betsy Aarsdrager, a junior at a rival high school, who “guzzle[s] beer [and] smoke[s] pot” while hanging out with her crew of rag-tag pipeliners, currently working on gas lines in the Idaho desert. Betsy’s unusual background is an immediate turn-on for Jason, who quickly inserts himself into her crowd.

Jason’s three-boy grunge band and their high hopes for fame form the backdrop of Hartje’s debut, making this edgy romance a paradise for music fans. Musical references pop throughout, from the newly discovered Stone Temple Pilots to Guns N’ Roses tracks buoying up a party scene awash with sexual tension and coke lines. There’s an unpretentious innocence to the plot and dialogue that aptly mirrors a teenager’s way of thinking, periodically scattered with idiosyncratic outbursts that are all part of growing up. Hartje bounces the narrative between Jason and his mother, Leah, a jarring change initially, but one that soon makes sense, as readers glimpse how a concerned mother sees things very differently from her troubled 17-year-old.

Though they feel suitable within the storyline, Jason’s preoccupations with the opposite sex have a juvenile slant, particularly his fixation on any teenage girl who strolls into his vicinity. As he sharpens his guitar skills—and branches into some seriously rad songwriting—he slowly comes into his own, gaining confidence in his band’s sound while yearning for the superficial markers of ‘90s adulthood—like his ultimate wish for just “one night with Betsy in some high-rise hotel, sexing up the sheets, eating room service hot dogs, and falling asleep to VH1.”

Takeaway: Edgy ‘90s romance that blossoms amid the grunge rock scene.

Comparable Titles: Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Patti Smith’s Just Kids.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-

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Inspired by Frank Bramley’s evocative painting that shares the same name, George’s series starter captures life in the fog-laden, rugged backdrop of 19th century Cornish harbor town Port Quin, chronicling the life of fisherman’s daughter Effy and her unsettling ability to foresee events. Caught in a tumultuous love triangle between Cade, the boy she grew up with, and charming new resident William, Effy feels torn. Outsider William is mistrusted by many in the village, including Effy’s own father, but, despite her familiarity with Cade, she can’t quite ignore his calculating personality. Effy quickly discovers her world harbors secrets she never guessed—and her visions are hinting at dark affairs that could threaten the entire town.

George (Illuminating Darwin) meticulously lays out the history behind this enigmatic story, blurring the line between fact and fiction as she weaves a tale of passion and predestination amid a web of ancient customs and supernatural lore. The ornate descriptions of village life and its economy transfix, as George paints with stunning metaphor and dramatic imagery, from the townspeople’s dependence on fishing, that “silvery lifeblood of their very existence,” to the coastal storms that ravage the village with “wild, darkening majesty.” The saga races forward with escalating tension and stakes that surge, as Effy grapples with one threat after the other, ensuring a compelling and suspenseful read.

Harnessing the power of her prophetic sight is just one of Effy’s many challenges amid her quest to survive, and her efforts are rooted in the time period’s socio-cultural context, including her yearning for knowledge and agency in a community that views women as inferior. Female solidarity and Effy’s bid to break away from the clutches of abusive and strained relationships form important subtexts, transforming this gothic romance into a discerning survey of the hope and resilience that can break through even the most terrifying of circumstances.

Takeaway: Suspenseful gothic romance with a formidable female lead.

Comparable Titles: Rosamunde Pilcher’s The Shell Seekers, Buck Turner’s The Keeper of Stars.

Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about A Hopeless Dawn

Contemplative and penetrating, Luidens’s debut examines her lifelong relationship with the concept of God, from her childhood as a minister’s daughter to an adult studying abroad in France. She begins with a lyrically beautiful retelling of her childhood, christened by her family’s deep belief in a God who celebrates with them, watches over them, and engages in long, intimate conversations that probe Luidens’s youthful musings. But as she grows, Luidens’s understanding of God transforms; when her reflections on what happens after death lead her to difficult questions, she discovers, in the absence of answers, a growing unease with the religion she grew up with.

Luidens writes with a philosophical hand, gently—but passionately—rifling through the religious precepts she was taught as a youth and sifting their weight against the reality she observes in the world around her. Her time spent attending a Christian college is recounted with fresh and frank power, revealing indecision, mistrust, and, above all, desperate yearning to hear God speak directly to her as he did when she was a child. When that fails—“I couldn’t hear his voice or sense his love. I couldn’t feel God. I used to, didn’t I? Not anymore” she laments—Luidens is plagued with a black, questioning cloud that eats at everything she’s ever known, eventually leading her to ruminate about her own death.

The last section of the memoir rebounds with hope, as Luidens travels to France to study abroad. Her time there is spent lapping up the local culture while holding conversations with long gone philosophers (David Hume characterizes her belief in God as a consequence of what she was taught growing up), wading through her anger, disappointment, and, in many ways, heartbreak at being failed by organized religion. The memoir closes, fittingly, on an intangible note, mirroring Luidens’s ongoing struggle to reconcile her newfound awakenings with those “past versions of myself.”

Takeaway: Contemplative reflections on religion, philosophy, and mortality.

Comparable Titles: Barbara Brown Taylor’s Leaving Church, Rachel Held Evans’s Wholehearted Faith.

Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: B+
Marketing copy: A

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An epic SF political noir set on a generation ship as humanity faces perhaps the most consequential decisions in its history, Generations proves as brisk and engaging as it is ambitious. Eight generations after its launch, the Thetis is facing two crucial decision points: first, a once-every-quarter-century election for primo, “the number one citizen” on a ship of equals. Second: the question of whether to land at the original target planet, two generations away, or to press on in search of someplace possibly more habitable. Sandrine Liet, a “Gen7” traveler, is proud to have achieved the role of Senior Archivist despite not yet being 30, though she’s chagrined at the bureaucratic nonsense that denied her and her ex-partner the right to participate in a Birthing Year. But her world will be shaken by what she uncovers when she’s asked to look into the presiding primo’s report of an attempt at extortion.

Primo Sebastian Anderson (motto: “Stability and Unity”) insists that Sandrine file and forget the charge—and when she pokes around, discovering a coverup and a potential threat to all life on the ship, Anderson’s team threatens her with possibly missing all future Birthing Years, too. Josephides (author of Tuichi) honors expectations of multiple genres—the unsettling paranoia of political thrillers, the awe and invention of science fiction, the shoe-leather investigation of the procedural—as Sandrine chases down leads, interviews a host of shipmates who reveal fascinating detail about ship life, and faces accusations, hard choices, and danger.

Sandrine proves a compelling hero, one driven by duty and belief in the principles behind the mission—principles that Anderson seems all-too-eager to exploit. She’s driven but human (“Speak Thetan, please,” she snaps to a long-winded scientist), and her investigation offers a memorable tour through the ship’s people, culture, tech, and secrets. Seasoned mystery readers may find the identity of the villain obvious, but the civilizational stakes, lived-in worldbuilding, and assured storytelling all satisfy.

Takeaway: Satisfying generation ship mystery, with strong worldbuilding.

Comparable Titles: Patrick S. Tomlinson’s Children of a Dead Earth series, Nick Harkaway’s Titanium Noir.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Generations

In this smart, multi-layered debut, Joseph constructs a thoughtful dystopian near-future adventure complete with genetic screening, international thrills, playful wit, and a welcome touch of romance. A global war 25 years ago between the Allied Nations and the Federation Regime resulted in a dirty bomb that forced Allied forces into Central Asia where a devastating virus killed a billion people. Those inoculated with a gene therapy carry a trace in their DNA that shows up on g-screens. People detected with the marker in their DNA, called refusés, are deported or shot. Indian-Swedish Nations TaskForce academic Alex Tashen carries the DNA marker, which despite her adoptive father and doctor, Patrick, manipulating her DNA, will still trigger a positive in one in ten g-screens. Confined to San Francisco, Alex is hindered in her ability to travel because every checkpoint requires a g-screen.

But the personal and political compel her to action when Patrick, a Nations prisoner, is threatened after exposing the torture refugee refusés endure when deported. Joseph touchingly dramatizes Alex’s courageous choice to risk detection and save him by accepting her Kommandant’s offer to be an analyst on a security assessment Commission to the Nepal Protectorate. Throughout, Joseph’s vivid worldbuilding and her scarifying descriptions of an oppressive state never detract from the psychological drama of these convincing, complex characters. Alex surprises herself in being attracted to her Commission teammates—Viking-sized Eric Burton, the TaskForce Security Operations Director and math and science genius, and Eric’s adoptive brother Strav Beki, a Mongolian linguist.

The tension mounts as the trio navigates the peculiar specifics of diplomacy and Alex fights the clock in her endeavor to save her father. Survival amid draconian societal laws, questions of privacy, advances in science, and issues of refugee status and treatment provide careful readers with rich material for contemplation as they follow Alex, Eric, and Strav’s adventures through political intrigue, suspense, twists, and affairs of the heart.

Takeaway: Dystopian SF thriller of complex science, relatable characters, and romance.

Comparable Titles: Malka Older; Annalee Newitz’s Autonomous.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Edge of the Known World

A young boy discovers that helping others leads to a happy life in this mystical picture book by Moulton, the first in her Magic Moon series. In a small village nestled against an imposing mountain, a young boy lives with his mother and sister. But their village is no ordinary place: the Magic Moon hangs just above the mountaintop, granting two requests to any villager during the full moon. The catch? The first request can only be “to find a lost treasure,” while the second must “be for something good,” as long as it hurts no one.

Moulton renders her young protagonist both innocent and heartfelt, willing to do whatever it takes to help those around him. After bravely venturing into the Magic Moon’s territory (no small feat, either, as the trek up the mountainside is dangerous, and the moon is intimidating), he sacrifices his own wants for those of his sister, using up his first request to find her lost Dolly. The payoff is worth it, he decides, thanks to that warm feeling he gets when she’s reunited with her favorite toy. From there, he spreads good cheer into his schoolyard, offering to play with the new boy who’s been bullied and left alone. Those acts of kindness inspire him to make his final request of the Magic Moon that very night.

Moulton’s message—that kindness is the best path—reverberates throughout, and younger readers will pick up on that meaning quickly, as the young boy asks the moon for the secrets to happiness, only to be told that he already knows. Marilyn Whitchurch’s simple, comforting illustrations illuminate nighttime scenes that will soothe, as the Magic Moon is painted in glowing, amber tones with a wise face. That wisdom comes with a reminder that challenges are usually worth it, as the moon advises “The difficult journey makes the happiness found at the end sweeter!”

Takeaway: Mystical tale depicting kindness as the key to happiness.

Comparable Titles: Pat Zietlow Miller’s Be Kind, Corinna Luyken’s My Heart.

Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: B+
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: B+

Click here for more about Magic Moon: A Young Boy's Journey (Vol. 1)