April 2021

With the pandemic starting to subside (let’s pray it’s over!), it looks like families can finally start going out again. This light-hearted “trip down memory lane” chronicles the informal history of the family road trip with hysterical and painstaking accuracy.

Nearly thirty years ago, while Claire and her brother slept upstairs, a brutal crime was committed in their grand London home. The next morning, her father's car was found abandoned, with bloodstains on the front seat. The first lord accused of murder in more than a century, he has been missing ever since. Now a doctor living under an assumed name, Claire learns the police may have found him, and her carefully calibrated existence begins to fracture.

Subtitled “The Illustrated Guide to Improving Business Deals and Family Meals,” this takes its place in my growing library of great reads by Duke behavioral economics professor Ariely. Along with illustrator Matt R. Trower, they present a playful graphic novel guide to better decision-making, based on Ariely’s groundbreaking research in behavioral economics, neuroscience and psychology.

With drug education for children more important than ever, this nonfiction book draws on the experiences of the New York Times best-selling father/son team, and inspiration behind the film Beautiful Boy – David and Nic Scheff – to provide all the information teens need to know about drugs, alcohol and addiction.

In the sequel to the best-selling novel Hope Never Dies, Obama and Biden reprise their roles as BFFs-turned-detectives, as they chase Obama's stolen cell phone through the streets of Chicago – and right into a vast conspiracy. My teenage students can’t get enough of these books. They never stop talking about them!

Nima doesn’t feel understood. By her mother, who grew up far away in a different land. By her suburban town, which makes her feel too much like an outsider to fit in and not enough like an outsider to belong somewhere else. At least she has her childhood friend Haitham, with whom she can let her guard down and be herself. Until she doesn’t. As the ground is pulled out from under her, Nima must grapple with the phantom of a life not chosen in this coming-of-age exploration of family, friendship, truth, identity, love, loss, and belonging.

Good tweener. Jorge seems to have it all together. He's big enough that nobody really messes with him, but he's also a genuinely sweet guy with a solid, reliable group of friends. The only time he ever really feels off his game is when he crosses paths with a certain girl. But when the group dynamic among the boys starts to shift, will Jorge be able to balance what his friends expect of him versus what he actually wants? Fans of Raina Telgemeir’s books (Smile, Drama) might enjoy this even more.

When Ben reads his fortune-cookie fortune, he's alarmed and inspired. Immediately, he begins drafting a bucket list of unfinished tasks and lifelong dreams. As Ben marches himself in and out of trouble, takes useful risks and helps both his parents to see the bigger picture, readers discover how something that seems scary can instead be empowering. Picked it up because I liked the title and was delighted to read such a fun graphic novel with great illustrations by Robbi Behr.

Princess Pinecone knows exactly what she wants for her birthday this year. A BIG horse. A STRONG horse. A horse fit for a WARRIOR PRINCESS! But when the day arrives, she doesn't quite get the horse of her dreams in this laugh-out-loud story of brave warriors, big surprises and falling in love with one unforgettable little pony.

Gorgeously illustrated by Loren Long, this is an eye-opening exploration of the many types of work that go into building our world – from the making of a bridge to a wind farm, an amusement park and even the very picture book that you are reading.