“Nothing is as it seems” is a repeated refrain in this Christian political thriller that pits Satan’s and God’s plans against each other. When Jimmy’s mother was murdered her unforgettable last words to 11-year-old Jimmy were: “This is not the end.” Now 17-year-old Jimmy is asked out on a date by classmate Sasha whose senator father is a presidential hopeful. The pair visit a carnival where they consult a fortune teller who’s more than what he at first seems to be—and perhaps offers the key to understanding Jimmy’s mother’s dying words. Jimmy and Sasha’s relationship progresses rapidly and the pair spark a chain of events that places their lives in danger and puts them in a position to find out the truth behind the lies of religious and government leaders that have kept people from following Jesus Christ. Will Jimmy and Sasha who present white believe Satan’s lies or will they trust Jesus’ assurances that they can “trample on serpents and scorpions” and reveal the truth? Written in the third person the book which would have benefited from being trimmed down contains repetitive sermons and political screeds interspersed with a fantasy storyline that’s weakened by stilted dialogue and an overabundance of outdated pop-culture references.

Maudy Lorso is the head park ranger at Stone’s Throw State Park in Michigan. She loves her job and she loves living in the town of Stone’s Throw which is on the shore of Lake Michigan. Maudy’s life isn’t without complications: She’s running for a seat on the Village Council but her opponents are wealthy and influential and they make no secret of their scorn for her. If she’s elected she can help protect the town and park she loves but if she loses her rivals will funnel more money into tourist attractions that will negatively affect residents and the land. On top of that her friend and neighbor Eli has recently confessed his love for her. Maudy hasn’t reciprocated because she doesn’t want to ruin their friendship but it seems like it might be ruined anyway. Eli’s acting tense around her (“The cloud of awkwardness is so thick it could choke someone”) and it only gets worse when his old high school friends come to town to attend their class reunion and celebrate Halloween. On the day after Halloween one of Eli’s friends is found poisoned. Eli seems to be the prime suspect but Maudy can’t believe he’s the culprit. She and her beloved dog Martin Short (aka Marty) put the detective skills they learned in the Stone’s Throw Mystery series’ first installment to use to pursue the real murderer. This is a cozy mystery par excellence. While the issues raised in the story—including murder addiction and corporate greed versus environmental protection—are serious the narrative always feels endearing even joyful. Maudy is a lovable character simultaneously competent and a bit of a bumbler—it’s easy to root for her and her friends. The language is a little cliched at times but it doesn’t interfere with the agreeable atmosphere. Readers who like their mysteries with a little bit of romance will especially enjoy this entry.

Anthropologist Reese (Black Food Geographies 2019) immerses herself in the subject of how present-day Black families and churches mostly in the South use the sharing of food to build and preserve communities and family structures. Reese grew up in rural East Texas watching a beloved grandmother “stooped over tomatoes and her uncooperative collard greens while talking to the plants or humming a hymn.” Now based in Austin Texas she reached out to find people who were growing food to share planning family reunions and holding memorial services and visited and reported with affection and gratitude on as many as she could. Even though the book is short it still occasionally feels padded. It’s not clear for example what a chapter on “Mutual Aid”—which features a breakdown of an essay by 19th-century Russian anarchist Peter Kropotkin and an analysis of how students and professors engaging in a pro-Palestinian protest at the University of Texas took care of each other—has to do with her theme. But when she anchors herself in her central subject she moves with fluid grace between close observation of and emotional bonding with her subjects as well as a more detached but never cold discussion of the cultural and social implications of seemingly simple and personal gatherings. While pointing out that the food served at the events she attended may not be the most heart-healthy and nutritious she also celebrates its importance in bringing people together. The book is full of warmly memorable vignettes of impromptu tug-of-wars afternoons of joyful dancing (Reese includes an extensive playlist in case you want to join in) and touching descriptions of post-funeral meals that “allow[ed] grief to make room for other feelings.”

“Without clear thinking we only accomplish the wrong things faster” writes Nugent co-founder and CEO of a sports-focused tech advisory company. “A Phillips-head screwdriver will never be a hammer no matter how fervently you swing it.” In these pages the author lays out a program specific to sports franchises to help them develop productive plans for innovation select the right tools and use them wisely. He urges readers to look at the nature of their sport review their organizational priorities and consider their approach in light of the inevitable march of technological innovation. Nugent looks at various examples such as NASCAR which faced questions about digital media rights; advances in technology made it possible for the organization to engage with fans in unprecedented ways but “it would be costly.” From such examples the author derives some basic principles foremost of which is that rather than haplessly chasing after the latest innovations in order to shape goals businesses should first clarify their goals and then adopt the latest technology to achieve them. Drawing on his experience deploying tech across a variety of sports Nugent presents readers with a road map to reach their desired outcomes. The material is broken down into short sections with numerous bulleted points. The thinking is clearly and forcefully expressed and the author’s extensive experience is evident throughout. But the book’s main strength is its surprisingly empathetic humanity. Nugent’s advice is crisp and tough but it’s always softened with understanding. (“Every company on earth is made up of people” he writes “and people make mistakes.”) While his advice is specifically tailored to the sports world the principles he outlines can easily be adapted by any organization: Tech in all cases should produce revenue create great fan (read: customer) experiences attract advertisers and so on. Good basics for any organization to review.

Middle schooler Mary Seaver is prone to energetic outbursts and offbeat behavior and she’s filled with imaginative ideas. Her teenage sister Allison who goes by Al is her polar opposite and wants nothing more than a typical high school experience filled with sports and school dances. When an alien presence reveals itself to Mary and Al the girls must put aside their differences to save their town of Pleasant Valley. Al finds herself torn between supporting her younger sister’s mission to protect their friends and family from evil aliens and managing the everyday pressures of teenage life including complicated friendships budding romance and a tough teacher. As if that weren’t enough the girls must also confront the reemergence of a long-buried secret that could help stop the aliens—but at a potentially life-altering cost. The story blends science-fiction action with coming-of-age themes and high school drama. Mary’s humor and younger sibling perspective provide comic relief that keeps the story from becoming too heavy. The illustrations are engaging and vividly bring the alien characters to life. Mary Allison and their family present white while their friends and teachers represent a racially diverse supporting cast. This is a compelling choice for middle-grade readers who enjoy adventure family stories and relatable teen struggles.

Artificial intelligence is transforming industries and daily life at dizzying speed. In this broad tour of AI’s effects Diamandis (entrepreneur and XPRIZE founder) and Kotler (author journalist and head of the Flow Research Collective) urge readers to retool their minds for radical change. They call out a growing mismatch between ancient brains and modern technologies: “We built tools of mythic power—AI robotics synthetic biology planetary-scale networks—but we’re steering them with software tuned to life on the savanna.” The authors contend that humans can “tune the brain to keep pace with an accelerating world without losing our minds in the process.” Drawing on psychology cognitive science biology and computer science they propose a toolkit of brain-enhancement and consciousness-expanding practices intended to help readers adapt as the global economy shifts toward abundance—an evolution they present as both wondrous and destabilizing. Warnings about AI are hardly new. Arthur C. Clarke cautioned in the 1960s that computers might eclipse humanity as they “start to think and eventually they will completely outthink their makers.” Contemporary critics including Geoffrey Hinton and Elon Musk reprise these fears joining the chorus of voices predicting an “intelligence explosion” that could doom humanity. Diamandis and Kotler acknowledge these anxieties but maintain an optimistic tone championing increasing human–machine collaboration through thought experiments and neuroscience-based exercises. Skeptical readers may balk at the authors’ conclusions their sanguine treatment of surveillant data collection or the conspicuously absent question of who will control these technologies. Nonetheless brisk prose punchy rhetoric and thought-provoking charts mapping global trends make this a lively and worthwhile journey through human–AI co-creation.

The truck is packed and the fly-fishing duo jump in and make their way along the river as craggy mountains loom. Step by step we see Papa and the child connect their rods add flies then they walk the trail to the water’s edge. They take in the sights and sounds all around them and finally they catch and release a trout. The child narrates this simple story with vocabulary as rich as the stunning illustrations. The connection between adult and youngster is close and special—these two are teacher and student a guide to life and an eager learner. The pair are appreciative and mindful of the world around them; this is a story as lulling as their peaceful outing. Readers will feel as though they’re right there beside the characters. Varied perspectives give the tree-covered mountains height and presence. A standout image shows the fish below the river vivid and writhing as sunlight filters through the surface. Capped by a glossary of fishing terms the narrative is as informative as it is tender a gentle demonstration of a close relationship between adult and child—and the passing of knowledge from one generation to another.

Shortly after Beatrice and Maxine Clark moved to Los Angeles at 19 and 18 respectively Beatrice made her music debut as Blue Velour inspired by a couch the sisters found on the street. As Dorn’s novel opens in 2019 the rebellious artist has just released her seventh album Blue’s Beard and is finally interviewed by the New York Times. The conversation hits its stride when the reporter accepts a cigarette and characterizes the album as “a shout out to your LGBTQ+ fan base.” The album’s title is indeed a reference to the subreddit BlueBeards dedicated to proving that Blue and her producer Sasha are a couple. (Actually Blue is bi—she has indeed had a long affair with Sasha but when on tour seeks one-nighters with older men “who used bar soap for shampoo and had no idea who she was.”) When 19-year-old fangirl Rose Lutz applies for the job of personal assistant she doesn’t mention that she’s the founder of this subreddit and continues to keep it hidden as she assumes her new duties. Then the pandemic shuts everything down and Blue Rose and Sasha move to the redwood forest for a three-woman festival of songwriting and betrayal. The music writing in this book is outstanding including intriguing real-world references and annotated playlists that will make you grateful for your streaming service. Dorn has a profound understanding of the relationship between an artist and her work: Blue “was in love with her music. Her audience. The celestial voice God had given her. And a different God from the punishing intolerant God her mom loved so much. Blue’s God was benevolent and accepting and merciful and beautiful and probably a woman and definitely a Gemini.”

Ladybugs play an important role in our world as eco-friendly pest controllers and plant pollinators—and they bring us good luck according to lore. This Czech import opens as spring rolls in and a “loveliness” of seven-spot ladybugs wake from their winter slumber and stretch. One of them Mariella launches into an account of one year in the life of the species; our peppy guide points out their main body parts (elytra are the outer wings) notes where they like to live (everywhere except the polar regions) and covers the variety of ladybugs in the world how they help humans’ gardens (by eating aphids) and the ways they defend themselves (by emitting a bad smell). Sekaninová folds in facts through Mariella’s cheery narration discussing courtship egg laying hatching and young ladybugs’ subsequent pupation and metamorphosis all of which spans roughly a year. In Dao’s whimsical heavily anthropomorphic illustrations ladybugs roast aphids over a fire push baby carriages tussle over food and settle into leaf hammocks for the night; with their dark faces bright-red lips and large eyes with prominent whites some of these depictions inadvertently suggest racial stereotypes common throughout U.S. history. One spread called “Miracle of Nature” lays out the ladybug life cycle each phase surrounded by a frame featuring joyous and quizzical insect faces ideal for budding entomologists and garden aficionados.

Lucie—the narrator of NDiaye’s surreal portrait of a woman’s identity in flux—is a witch. Unfortunately she’s not very accomplished at her craft which has been passed down through generations of women in her family. When she begins to instruct her 12-year-old twin daughters Maud and Lise about the mysterious powers she possesses they dutifully absorb her lessons. One of them remarks “No offense Mama but really it’s all just so lame” but soon both girls far surpass her in the occult arts. While Lucie sheds pale tears only tinged with red the girls manifest their powers by crying actual tears of blood. Lucie’s moody unhappy salesman husband the aptly named Pierrot—French for clown—flees the family home with funds entrusted to Lucie by her father. Her efforts to recover the money and reunite her parents whose own marriage has dissolved are conveyed in NDiaye’s trademark dreamlike style. (Some episodes might better be called nightmares.) Lucie grapples with her uneven relationship with Pierrot’s mother and a visit to her home provides Maud and Lise with an eerie macabre opportunity to practice their developing supernatural skills on Pierrot’s pregnant sister their hapless aunt. A relationship with a repulsive conniving neighbor results in an opportunity for Lucie to teach divination at Isabelle O.’s Women’s University of Spiritual Health where the spurious curriculum includes an Introduction to Therapeutic Colors. (In NDiaye’s ironic twist on Lucie’s tenure there Lucie has to defend herself against charges of fraud by asserting her status as a “sort of witch.”) Originally published in France in 1996 NDiaye’s concise tale of female power maternal identity and family secrets has been ably translated by Stump a frequent collaborator.

A capybara and a big-eyed bird set out together and from the beginning the comedic tension is established: The capybara is essentially a water-loving tank; the bird is decidedly not. As the day progresses the two take part in a series of activities—a leafy lunch a comfortable wallow a sunbaked rest—until the capybara’s exuberant splashing drenches its companion. The bird’s irritation is palpable and the capybara promises not to splash its pal for a week. But when a gator zeroes in on the unsuspecting bird all promises are cheerfully abandoned. Enter: one very large rodent one dramatic leap and a splash heard round the river. Harper’s text is a master class in minimalism single words and punchy phrases ricocheting across the page like the action itself. “COMFY Capybara” gives way to “TOO HOT Capybara!” which gives way to “SUPER SPLASH”—the rhythm builds with the inevitability of a drumroll. Onomatopoeia abounds: Pages practically drip and crash and whoosh as the capybara plunges in and out of the river. The art reinforces every beat: flat minimal shapes in bright blue tan and green with spare compositions that work adeptly with the text to balance the emotional weight: “WORMY STRUGGLE” “DOUBLE BUBBLE” “SCARY TROUBLE.” The final “ME AND YOU” lands with quiet earned sweetness.

Due to urgent circumstances Nash has bulked himself up to become the “muscled and tatted fighting machine” now known as Dillon Hope. His antagonist is Victoria Steers a global drug dealer who wants him dead. Not realizing his new identity she enlists Hope to free her mother Masuyo from a prison in Myanmar. As an incentive she shoots one of her associates and threatens to frame Hope for the murder unless he complies. She also wants him to find Nash. He in turn wants to kill Victoria to avenge the death of his innocent daughter Maggie. “If I go down” he muses “I’m taking others with me. Starting with Victoria Steers.” He learns that Victoria had killed all her siblings to eliminate business competition. But as heartless as Victoria is her mother Masuyo is even worse. In league with the Chinese government in a perverse plan to kill as many Americans as possible through fentanyl overdose she shows contempt for Victoria for her perceived weaknesses. Readers won’t find many happy family relationships here: mother-daughter father-son husband-wife—all fraught. Hope’s employer who accompanies him to Myanmar is a billionaire chief executive with a dodgy past (i.e. probably killed his father). And there’s a mega-billionaire with an astronomical IQ and ditch-deep morals who putting it mildly does not have America’s best interests at heart. As a teenager he’d defeated two world chess champions; as an adult he regards his dealings with the world in terms of master chess moves. Only one character seems truly decent and credible—Hiroko Victoria’s former nanny and lifelong companion who provides Hope with valuable insights into the Steers’ background which is partly Chinese. Searing grudges simple evil and not-so-simple misunderstandings carry the cast through this complex action-packed plot. This sequel ties out the loose ends dangling in Nash Falls which would be helpful to read first. To get to the requisite ending though Baldacci takes pains to surprise the reader. It works but often feels forced.

It’s 1816. The Right Honorable Bayard Wilcox 13th Lord Wilcox awakens in the middle of the night to the smell of smoke and a fuzzy memory on London’s Primrose Hill. After he barely escapes the fire that engulfs the body he presumes to belong to Marcus Toole son of the eminent Sir Samuel Toole Bayard turns to his uncle Sebastian St. Cyr for help. Fortuitously Sebastian aka Viscount Devlin is an esteemed and experienced investigator. Both familial duty and deep curiosity fuel Sebastian’s probe. Instead of dallying to wait for confirmation of the corpse’s identity he wonders whether there’s a link to the recent death of another nobleman Gilbert Keebles two weeks ago. St. Cyr’s 21st case is brimming with members of the nobility so many of them suspects that readers may feel challenged just to keep them all straight. The investigation spreads a wide net featuring interviews by both Sebastian and his best friend Sir Henry Lovejoy; Lovejoy’s wife Hero; and others. Harris’ style and deeply researched details give her whodunit a sense of historical authenticity that’s bolstered by a culminating historical note. The location of the fatal fire Primrose Hill—north of Regent’s Park in present-day London—figures prominently in Druidic practices and the novel offers a deep dive into Celtic legends figured by the wolves of the title.

After much asking Penelope’s parents finally agree: Penelope (who wears an eye patch on her right eye under her glasses to help her “less-strong eye catch up”) can get a dog. Mom wants the most obedient candidate while Dad hopes for a dog that fits his artistic vibe but Penelope knows finding the right match takes time. Her best friend Gus encourages her to trust her instincts yet as shelter visit follows shelter visit Penelope begins to worry her perfect pup doesn’t exist. But Penelope’s fashionista grandmother who lives with the family in their cozy apartment and whose funky eyewear rivals Penelope’s own offers gentle words of wisdom: “You see things other people don’t see....When the time is right you’ll see your dog too.” With this chapter book the first in a new series Cotugno has created a thoughtful well-rounded protagonist whose willingness to look carefully rather than choose impulsively feels refreshing. Penelope’s friendship with Gus is natural and warm and Hodgson’s colorful illustrations bring tremendous personality to every character human and canine alike. The shelter dogs display wonderfully expressive faces from eager hopefulness to confused bewilderment while Penelope’s determined concentration shines through. Penelope and her family present white while Gus is brown-skinned.

What are the odds that Pomona Afton heiress and tabloid royalty would find herself embroiled in a second murder mystery? Apparently very high! A year after discovering her grandmother slain by a stiletto pump Pomona has ditched her clubbing lifestyle for a biopic-worthy philanthropic journey culminating in her very first charity gala. Hoping to gather donations for her nonprofit which provides scholarships to disadvantaged students Pomona has invited only the most generous—and glamorous—guests to her event at the New York Public Library. The night sours however when Pomona’s primary donor Conrad Phlume is found pushed over a second-story railing and impaled on a peacock statue. It turns out that Phlume wasn’t well liked with enemies including his wife Bibi and Pomona’s own parents along with several gala attendees who had reason to want the real estate developer dead. The press is having a field day with Pomona's connection to another high-profile murder; to make matters worse Pomona’s best friend Vienna is the prime suspect. What's a girl to do but put on her detective fedora—courtesy of Pomona’s boyfriend Gabe—and start sleuthing? As Pomona’s investigation ramps up taking her to an art gallery in an abandoned warehouse a private island and terrifyingly Queens her newfound maturity and relationship with Gabe hang in the balance. Can Pomona solve Conrad’s murder without risking everything she cares about? The second Pomona Afton novel from Rose (aka author Amanda Elliot) is a charming combo of wonderful and wacky. Pomona is an entertaining protagonist resembling Alexis Rose from Schitt’s Creek and the mystery only adds to the fun. With a hint of nuptials to come readers can only hope for a third star-studded killing to make its way to our shelves.

Lucy Richard (that’s “Ree-SHARD” from her French Canadian forebears) calls Edin Massachusetts home again after more than two decades in happy exile while her husband Michael Mancini taught at Columbia and she worked in the university’s communications office. Their return to Edin goes as badly as Adam and Eve’s: Michael begins to exhibit signs of dementia and Lucy learns that running her father’s farm requires reserves no one person has. As a year passes joys and troubles ebb and flow like the nearby Connecticut River: The goats freshen and kid Michael requires more care Lucy’s friend Alexandra “Sandy” Stevens moves to the area to sell solar-power packages and they tumble into the passionate love they’d shied away from as teenagers. Since Acker edits a literary magazine The Common celebrating the importance of place it’s fitting that her novel derives so much heft from descriptions of everything from asparagus beds to frozen winter soil to the annual joy of new baby goats. Astute readers may guess how Lucy moves forward but that matters very little. This is a novel about the journey; Lucy and her chosen family face relationships ending corporate takeovers homophobia debilitating illness elder abuse and financial precarity while pitching in to repair fences rescue sick animals give each other business ideas and occasionally relax for a few hours of laughter and good locally sourced food. Amid all this activity is a tale about where the truest love and loyalty lies for a woman in her late 40s. At one point frustrated by many things Lucy tries to start a fire. “I have better wood downstairs” she thinks “but I’m terribly defiantly determined to succeed with what I have wood I never should have brought upstairs in the first place.” It’s the perfect metaphor to illustrate both Lucy herself and the pioneer spirit of the Pioneer Valley.

Wheeler draws on interviews and abundant archival sources to offer a balanced portrait of historian memoirist and intrepid travel writer Jan Morris (1926-2020)—an authorized biography that Morris’ eldest son asked Wheeler to write. Morris’ works include a three-volume history of Britain an account of Edmund Hillary’s ascent of Everest and a memoir Conundrum about transitioning from male to female in 1972. James Morris had been virile handsome and “something of an action man” writes Wheeler a fellow travel writer. Morris reveled in the camaraderie and structure of army life but left to pursue journalism to which he brought an uncommon talent for analysis and observation. Writing Wheeler asserts became an addiction a way to quell inner turmoil. As a writer for the Guardian and a freelance reporter Morris became—as James and later as Jan—“the most famous journalist in the world.” Even though he knew he was essentially female he married in 1949 and he and his wife Elizabeth had five children. (Morris continued to use he/him pronouns when referring to her pre-transition self.) “There were three people in the marriage” Wheeler notes “and two of them were Elizabeth’s husband.” Meanwhile Morris for five years on either side of turning 40 “effectively led a double life” with two residences and two public identities. Wheeler recounts the psychiatric and medical attitudes toward transgender people that led Morris to take experimental drugs with sometimes harsh side effects. Finally James had surgery in Morocco and emerged as Jan. Family life was fraught not solely because of sexual issues. “An unapologetic egotist” Morris was in Wheeler’s words a mix of “contradictions and anomalies.” For one “She preached the virtues of kindness but after she died her daughter revealed unspeakable parental cruelty.” A trailblazing transgender figure Morris also had Wheeler wondering this: “Why did she dress like a Walmart version of the Queen?”

An eclectic musician Gibbs has performed with jazz legend Sonny Sharrock the pioneering alt-funk act Defunkt the punk-metal ensemble Rollins Band Brazilian-inflected experimental groups led by Arto Lindsay and more. Each genre has made its own demands on his skills and while the book’s title is a bit of a misnomer—it’s not a history as such—he thoughtfully explores how most popular music styles are rooted in African and African American approaches to rhythm. Each chapter is a kind of clinic on each style featuring an anecdote from his own history as a musician—discovering Afro-Cuban music growing up in New York City weathering an intimidating audition with experimental-jazz legend Ornette Coleman touring the world with the demanding and hyperphysical punk veteran Henry Rollins—before exploring the fine points of a genre’s history and structure. To do so he uses a “frame” a clock-like image to visualize how each genre approaches multilayered beats. One point he stresses is that the concept of syncopation in its Western definition of being “off-beat” is a fundamentally Western concept that treats many Black-rooted genres as “wrong.” Many of the examples he shares of that are engrossing particularly the “ring shout” and Pattin’ Juba a cappella styles developed by enslaved people who had their instruments stripped of them. (Another theme Gibbs returns to is that Black musicians have often had to do more with less prompting innovative approaches.) Sometimes this gets messy—his discussion of various rhythmic frames can get convoluted and his use of scientific (especially genetic) metaphors feels like overreaching. But his passion comes through consistently and his discussion of his own versatility is winning and never boastful.

When Miss Kitty goes missing her humans Evelyn Pond and daughter Bitty turn to Bernie and Chet for help. Chet who narrates the story is a K-9 school dropout who adores detective Bernie an ex-cop West Point graduate and war hero who’s solved many cases with his help. Bitty’s 6 million followers on the social media app Slickety love the black-and-white cat and an impending sponsor deal will fall through unless she’s located. Chet quickly finds the broken window in Evelyn and Bitty’s garage that was Miss Kitty’s likely escape route. For his part Bernie considers Evelyn’s ex-husband Phillips Pond a likely suspect. Visiting Phil’s house out in the Arizona desert they find a large pig in the backyard along with Phil his girlfriend Yolanda and a shotgun. Phil who mistakes Bernie for a bill collector denies knowing anything about Miss Kitty. And that’s the last they’ll hear from him because their next visit to Phil’s place reveals him shot dead at his kitchen table. While Bernie and Chet rescue the escaped Señor Piggy from coyotes and leave him with food and water Phil’s body vanishes. Despite being in his friend Fritzie’s police district Bernie does some sleuthing instead of reporting the crime. The desert is full of secrets surprises and tough characters some of whom may be helpful. Bud Stiles Phil’s partner in a new rare earth enterprise ends up dead alongside Phil’s body in a setup that makes it look like they killed each other turning the search for Miss Kitty into a dangerous manhunt.

Fourteen-year-old Ivy Vicar who loves family traditions and her 12-year-old sister Dahlia an artist who gets help from a therapist to manage her anxiety arrive with their parents in Missouri where they’re staying with family friends the Forwanders. Ivy and Dahlia accompany 14-year-old Remy Forwander as he distributes bequests for his late honorary aunt Jess who included letters that express her feeling of guilt over the park’s demise when it was rapidly subsumed by a forest. But the kids realize that—as in Tales of the Marchen Wood the book of folklore Rialto Park was based on—this isn’t the whole story. This mystery drives the book through its powerful final section in which the quality of ferly “a mix of the uncanny the strange the wondrous” really takes flight. The book is divided into three parts and character development and worldbuilding are initially foremost while the mystery and fantasy elements gain in prominence in the middle section setting up for a magical resolution. This stand-alone work includes many references to characters from Milford’s The Raconteur’s Commonplace Book which reward loyal readers along with nods to Narnia and Winnie-the-Pooh. Ivy and Dahlia present white and Remy is Black.