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Something is bothering Russel Susskit. He hates waking up to the sound of his father’s coughing, the smell of diesel oil, the noise of snow machines starting up. Only Oogruk, the shaman who owns the last team of dogs in the village, understands Russel’s longing for the old ways and the songs that celebrated them. But Oogruk cannot give Russel the answers he seeks; the old man can only prepare him for what he must do alone. Driven by a strange, powerful dream of a long-ago self and by a burning desire to find his own song, Russel takes Oogruk’s dogs on an epic journey of self-discovery that will change his life forever.

Liliana Cruz is a hitting a wall — or rather, walls. There’s the wall her mom has put up ever since Liliana’s dad left — again. There’s the wall that delineates Liliana’s diverse inner-city Boston neighborhood from Westburg, the wealthy — and white — suburban high school she’s just been accepted into. And there’s the wall Liliana creates within herself, because to survive at Westburg, she can’t just lighten up, she has to whiten up. But then light is shed on some hard truths: It isn’t that her father doesn’t want to come home — he can’t…and her whole family is in jeopardy. And when racial tensions at school reach a fever pitch, the walls that divide feel insurmountable. But sometimes a wall can be a foundation for something better. And Liliana must choose: Use this foundation as a platform to speak her truth, or risk crumbling under its weight. ALA/YALSA Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults List.

A drug deal goes south and a cop has been shot. Lil J’s on the run. And he’s starting to get dope sick. He’d do anything to change the last twenty-four hours, and when he stumbles into an abandoned building, it actually might be possible. Elements of magical realism intensify this harrowing story about drug use, violence, perceptions of reality, and second chances.

When the Hatchers visit Washington D.C. so that money-obsessed Fudge can see where it is printed, they run into distant cousins who then invite themselves to stay with their relatives in New York City. Chaos ensues when the families share close quarters, all creating lots of laughs for readers.

Thirteen-year-old Black best friends Simp and Rollie find their friendship threatened by the pressures of basketball, upcoming auditions, middle school, and their growing involvement in the local drug ring.

Gene understands stories — comic book stories, in particular. Big action. Bigger thrills. And the hero always wins. But Gene doesn’t get sports. As a kid, his friends called him “Stick” and every basketball game he played ended in pain. He lost interest in basketball long ago, but at the high school where he now teaches, it’s all anyone can talk about. The men’s varsity team, the Dragons, is having a phenomenal season that’s been decades in the making. Each victory brings them closer to their ultimate goal: the California State Championships. Once Gene gets to know these young all-stars, he realizes that their story is just as thrilling as anything he’s seen on a comic book page. He knows he has to follow this epic to its end. What he doesn’t know yet is that this season is not only going to change the Dragons’ lives, but his own life as well.

The murder of a young knight, a white wolfhound, and a faithful page in medieval France all come together to create a fast-paced, gripping mystery.

German author Funke is best known in the U.S. for The Thief Lord and Inkheart. Here, a heroic dragon and his boy sidekick fight Nettlebrand, a man-made dragon, and his spy, Twigleg.

This unique dragon tale features strong heroine Creel, who is allowed to choose a pair of slippers from a dragon’s hoard. The slippers she chooses have an unusual power, and Creel must be careful to not let them fall into the wrong hands (or feet!)

Yep’s sweeping fantasy tells of Shimmer, an exiled dragon princess, who must team up with a boy to try to restore her dragon clan’s lost home.

This was the first in the popular “ology” series, now featuring Wizardology, Pirateology and Egyptology. A study guide to dragon knowledge, the book is attractive to reluctant readers, with its many foldouts and 3D illustrations.

The Pern series is arguably the most famous collection of dragon tales. This version collects the initial trilogy of humans and their flying companions set in a beautifully realized magical world.

In Brooklyn, nine-year-old Jax joins Ma, a curmudgeonly witch who lives in his building, on a quest to deliver three baby dragons to a magical world, and along the way discovers his true calling.

Moon Shadow joins his father, traveling from China to San Francisco in the early 20th century. Together father and son confront harsh prejudice as well as kindness, and ultimately follow a dream to build a flying machine in this Newbery Honor novel.

Sarah lives in small Ohio town and spends most of her time as a “theater geek” with her best friend, Demi. This summer, everything heats up when they audition (and get into) a summer camp for theater kids. Though sexual orientation is discussed, the book is quite chaste.

Caldecott Medalist, Allen Say, tells his own story in words and a variety of images both rendered and photographic. This is more authentic than Say’s fictionalized but equally sophisticated, highly engaging account entitled The Ink-Keeper’s Apprentice.

Dream Freedom is based on a real-life teacher and her students who worked to make a difference in the lives of Dinka slaves in modern day Africa. After reading a newspaper article to her class about atrocities in Sudan, Miss Hazel’s class wants to help. Their research uncovers a way to buy back slaves and the students work to raise money to purchase liberty for as many slaves as they can and to educate others about human rights and freedoms.

The Lee family, first introduced in Star Fisher (HarperCollins, 1997), is Chinese. Living in Clarksburg, West Virginia, in 1927, they stand out in the community. Joan Lee and her siblings want to fit in and celebrate a non-Chinese holiday, Christmas. The children’s parents agree, but only if the children behave according to the parents high standards. Understanding and friendship gradually emerge in this touching novel based on the experiences of the author’s mother.

In 1994, Yuyi Morales left her home in Xalapa, Mexico and came to the US with her infant son. She left behind nearly everything she owned, but she didn’t come empty-handed. She brought her strength, her work, her passion, her hopes and dreams and her stories. 

“Dreaming In Indian will shatter commonly held stereotypes and challenge readers to rethink their own place in the world. Divided into four sections, ‘Roots,’ ‘Battles,’ ‘Medicines,’ and ‘Dreamcatchers,’ this book offers readers a unique insight into a community often misunderstood and misrepresented by the mainstream media. Emerging and established Native artists, including acclaimed author Joseph Boyden, renowned visual artist Bunky Echo Hawk, and stand-up comedian Ryan McMahon, contribute thoughtful and heartfelt pieces on their experiences growing up Indigenous, expressing them through such mediums as art, food, the written word, sport, dance, and fashion…Whether addressing the effects of residential schools, calling out bullies through personal manifestos, or simply citing hopes for the future, Dreaming In Indian refuses to shy away from difficult topics. Insightful, thought-provoking, and beautifully honest, this book will to appeal to young adult readers.” — Birchbark House

When seventeen-year-old biracial Rowan Chase discovers a skeleton buried on her family’s Tulsa, Oklahoma, property, her investigation reveals a murder and a racially-charged violent historical event.

Landis showcases 100 years of Hollywood’s most memorable costumes and the characters they helped bring to life as she reveals a behind-the-scenes look at the evolution of the costume designer’s art.

Self-proclaimed fat girl Willowdean Dickson (dubbed “Dumplin’” by her former beauty queen mom) has always been at home in her own skin. Her thoughts on having the ultimate bikini body? Put a bikini on your body. With her all-American-beauty best friend, Ellen, by her side, things have always worked … until Will takes a job at Harpy’s, the local fast-food joint. There she meets Private School Bo, a hot former jock. Will isn’t surprised to find herself attracted to Bo. But she is surprised when he seems to like her back. 

Instead of finding new heights of self-assurance in her relationship with Bo, Will starts to doubt herself. So she sets out to take back her confidence by doing the most horrifying thing she can imagine: entering the Miss Teen Blue Bonnet beauty pageant—along with several other unlikely candidates—to show the world that she deserves to be up there as much as any girl does. Along the way, she’ll shock the hell out of Clover City—and maybe herself most of all.

Chad is a Jersey Shore native who decides that becoming a boardwalk dunk-tank bozo is the best way to release his stresses. Hilarity ensues, along with some poignant moments about the real man behind the bozo.