Welcome to the first New Release Spotlight of 2023! I’m so excited to start the new year with a meaty list! I’ve done these Spotlights since 2016, and January is historically a big month for new book releases.
My top picks:
- The Love Match by Priyanka Taslim (YA)
- Sincerely Sicily by Tamika Burgess (middle grades)
- An American Story by Kwame Alexander (picture book)
This week’s Spotlight titles are #2957-#2976 on The Ginormous book list.
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All That It Ever Meant by Blessing Musariri
Mati’s family is reeling from the death of Mati’s mother. Her Baba has drawn into himself, her sister Chichi is rebelling, and her young brother Tana is desperate for love and normalcy.
When Chichi pulls her worst stunt yet, Baba uproots the family from their home in England for an extended camping holiday in their native Zimbabwe. Along for the trip is Meticais, a fabulously attired gender-neutral spirit–or ghost? or imaginary friend?–who only Mati can see and converse with.
Guided by Meticais’s enigmatic advice and wisdom, Mati must come to terms with her grief and with the difficulty of living between two cultures, while the family must learn to forge their way in a world without their monumental mother.
Publishers Weekly starred.
- Genre(s): realistic fiction
- Setting: England and Zimbabwe
- Recommended for: Grades 8+
- Themes: death of a parent (mother), grief, family, ghosts, siblings, camping
- Protagonist description: female, age 14, Zimbabwean-English
Song of Silver, Flame Like Night by Amélie Wen Zhao
Song of the Last Kingdom, book 1. Once, Lan had a different name. Now she goes by the one the Elantian colonizers gave her when they invaded her kingdom, killed her mother, and outlawed her people’s magic. She spends her nights as a songgirl in Haak’gong, a city transformed by the conquerors, and her days scavenging for what she can find of the past. Anything to understand the strange mark burned into her arm by her mother in her last act before she died.
The mark is mysterious–an untranslatable Hin character–and no one but Lan can see it. Until the night a boy appears at her teahouse and saves her life.
Zen is a practitioner—one of the fabled magicians of the Last Kingdom. Their magic was rumored to have been drawn from the demons they communed with. Magic believed to be long lost. Now it must be hidden from the Elantians at all costs.
When Zen comes across Lan, he recognizes what she is: a practitioner with a powerful ability hidden in the mark on her arm. He’s never seen anything like it–but he knows that if there are answers, they lie deep in the pine forests and misty mountains of the Last Kingdom, with an order of practitioning masters planning to overthrow the Elantian regime.
Both Lan and Zen have secrets buried deep within–secrets they must hide from others, and secrets that they themselves have yet to discover. Fate has connected them, but their destiny remains unwritten. Both hold the power to liberate their land. And both hold the power to destroy the world.
Now the battle for the Last Kingdom begins.
Publishers Weekly starred.
- Genre(s): fantasy, mythology
- Setting: Haak’gong, a conquered city based on Ancient China
- Recommended for: Grades 8+
- Themes: colonization, magic, living among conquerors, death of a parent (mother), scars, secrets, ancient China, Chinese mythology, Chinese history, worldbuilding
- Protagonist description: female, age 18, Asian
*The Love Match by Priyanka Taslim
Debut author! Zahra Khan is basically Bangladeshi royalty, but being a princess doesn’t pay the bills in Paterson, New Jersey. While Zahra’s plans for financial security this summer involve working long hours at Chai Ho and saving up for college writing courses, Amma is convinced that all Zahra needs is a “good match,” Jane Austen style.
Enter Harun Emon, who’s wealthy, devastatingly handsome, and…aloof. As soon as Zahra meets him, she knows it’s a bad match. It’s nothing like the connection she has with Nayim Aktar, the new dishwasher at the tea shop, who just gets Zahra in a way no one has before. So, when Zahra finds out that Harun is just as uninterested in this match as she is, they decide to slowly sabotage their parents’ plans. And for once in Zahra’s life, she can have her rossomalai and eat it too: “dating” Harun and keeping Amma happy while catching real feelings for Nayim.
But life–and boys–can be more complicated than Zahra realizes. With her feelings all mixed up, Zahra discovers that sometimes being a good Bengali kid can be a royal pain.
Kirkus and BCCB starred.
- Genre(s): romance
- Setting: Paterson, New Jersey
- Recommended for: Grades 7-12
- Themes: teens with jobs, Jane Austen, parent-arranged dating, Asian Americans, love triangles, fake dating
- Protagonist description: female, Bangladeshi American, Muslim
Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert
Debut YA novel from an adult romance writer. Bradley Graeme is pretty much perfect. He’s a star football player, manages his OCD well (enough), and comes out on top in all his classes…except the ones he shares with his ex-best friend, Celine.
Celine Bangura is conspiracy-theory-obsessed. Social media followers eat up her takes on everything from UFOs to holiday overconsumption–yet, she’s still not cool enough for the popular kids’ table. Which is why Brad abandoned her for the in-crowd years ago. (At least, that’s how Celine sees it.)
These days, there’s nothing between them other than petty insults and academic rivalry. So when Celine signs up for a survival course in the woods, she’s surprised to find Brad right beside her.
Forced to work as a team for the chance to win a grand prize, these two teens must trudge through not just mud and dirt but their messy past. And as this adventure brings them closer together, they begin to remember the good bits of their history. But has too much time passed…or just enough to spark a whole new kind of relationship?
Kirkus starred.
- Genre(s): romance, rom-com
- Setting: England and Scotland
- Recommended for: Grades 7+
- Themes: OCD, conspiracy theories, social media, Tik Tok, exes, rivalry, teamwork, camping, survival, enemies-to-lovers, competition
- Protagonist description: female, age 17, Black, British
16 & Pregnant by LaLa Thomas
Debut author! Erykah was looking forward to junior year at East Prep High. She has a cute boyfriend, gets good grades, and has the best bestie. Money is tight, though that’s nothing new in her world. But everything changes when she gets pregnant. Having a baby at sixteen was definitely not part of the plan.
Kelly’s plan was to dominate junior year–grade-wise and on the basketball court–and eventually get an athletic scholarship. It did not include helping her best friend through a pregnancy. But that’s what best friends do, right? Besides, Kelly has every intention of being a good auntie.
As the two girls navigate the pregnancy, they’ll learn some harsh realities about the world and be forced to make some huge decisions. They’ll also discover a deep reserve of strength and compassion…for each other and themselves.
Based on the MTV show 16 & Pregnant. Perspectives alternate between Kelly and Erykah, with facts about teen pregnancy and Black maternal healthcare interspersed between the characters’ voices.
- Genre(s): realistic fiction
- Setting: Lynwood Heights, Nevada
- Recommended for: Grades 9-12
- Themes: teen pregnancy, best friends, basketball, poverty, social class, unreliable boyfriends, character-driven novels, alternating perspectives
- Protagonist description: two female best friends, both age 16, both Black, both HS juniors
Rebel of Fire and Flight by Aneesa Marufu
Debut author! Khadija loves the ancient tales of jinn and renegade princesses…but real life is closing in and her destiny as a ghadæan girl is marriage and boredom. When her father arranges a match, Khadija leaps at the chance of escape–a rogue hot air balloon fighting its ropes for the sky. Soon, Khadija is flying over the desert sands, away from everything she knows. Khadija finds an unlikely ally in a poor young glassmaker’s apprentice, Jacob.
But soon, a deadly revolution threatens their friendship and their world. The oppressed, pale-skinned hāri are restless–their infamous terrorist group, the Hāreef, have a new, fearsome leader. And the ruling ghadæans are brutal in their repression. As the Hāreef exploit forbidden magic–summoning jinn to aid their fight–Jacob and Khadija must choose what kind of a world they want to live in and how to make it a reality.
- Genre(s): dark fantasy, fantasy
- Setting: fictional country of Ghadaea
- Recommended for: Grades 7+
- Themes: jinn, princesses, arranged marriage, revolution, terrorism, conflict, oppression, forbidden magic, caste system, South Asian lore, prejudice, social class, traditional gender roles
- Protagonist description: female, age 16, brown skin, South Asian
The Stranded by Sarah Daniels
Stranded, book 1 of a planned duology. Debut author! Welcome to the Arcadia. Once a luxurious cruise ship, it became a refugee camp after being driven from Europe by an apocalyptic war. Now it floats near the coastline of the Federated States–a leftover piece of a fractured USA.
For forty years, residents of the Arcadia have been prohibited from making landfall. It is a world of extreme haves and have nots, gangs and make-shift shelters.
Esther is a loyal citizen, working flat-out to have the rare chance to live a normal life as a medic on dry land. Nik is a rebel, planning something big to liberate the Arcadia once and for all.
When events throw them both together, their lives, and the lives of everyone on the ship, will change forever…
- Genre(s): dystopia, thriller
- Setting: ocean, onboard a former luxury ship, now a floating quarantine zone
- Recommended for: Grades 8-12
- Themes: living on a ship, quarantine zones, biological warfare, deadly viruses, refugees, alternating perspectives, medical training, rebellion, mutiny, police
- Protagonist description: split among 4 teens; three cue white, one is British-Punjabi
Take a Bow, Noah Mitchell by Tobias Madden
Seventeen-year-old gaymer Noah Mitchell only has one friend left: the wonderful, funny, strictly online-only MagePants69. After years playing RPGs together, they know everything about each other, except anything that would give away their real life identities. And Noah is certain that if they could just meet in person, they would be soulmates. Noah would do anything to make this happen―including finally leaving his gaming chair to join a community theater show that he’s only mostly sure MagePants69 is performing in. Noah has never done anything like theater―he can’t sing, he can’t dance, and he’s never willingly watched a musical―but he’ll have to go all in to have a chance at love.
With Noah’s mum performing in the lead role, and former friends waiting in the wings to sabotage his reputation, his plan to make MagePants69 fall in love with him might be a little more difficult than originally anticipated.
And the longer Noah waits to come clean, the more tangled his web of lies becomes. By opening night, he will have to decide if telling the truth is worth closing the curtain on his one shot at true love.
- Genre(s): romance, realistic fiction
- Setting: Ballarat, Victoria, Australia
- Recommended for: Grades 9-12
- Themes: online gaming, role-playing games, LGBT+, school theater, drama, bullying, jealousy, online relationships vs. real friends
- Protagonist description: male, age 17, white, queer, Australian
The Wrong Kind of Weird by James Ramos
Cameron Carson, member of the Geeks and Nerds United (GANU) club, has been secretly hooking up with student council president, cheerleader, theater enthusiast, and all-around queen bee Karla Ortega since the summer. The one problem–what was meant to be a summer fling between coffee shop coworkers has now evolved into a clandestine senior-year entanglement, where Karla isn’t intending on blending their friend groups anytime soon, or at all.
Enter Mackenzie Briggs, who isn’t afraid to be herself or wear her heart on her sleeve. When Cameron finds himself unexpectedly bonding with Mackenzie and repeatedly snubbed in public by Karla, he starts to wonder who he can truly consider a friend and who might have the potential to become more…
Kirkus starred.
- Genre(s): realistic fiction, romance, rom-com
- Setting: high school
- Recommended for: Grade 8+
- Themes: dating, teens with jobs, being oneself, commitment problems in relationship, school theater, geek culture, coming-of-age, school clubs
- Protagonist description: male, HS senior, self-professed nerd; most of cast is Black and/or Latine and includes diverse identities
My Selma: True Stories of a Southern Childhood at the Height of the Civil Rights Movement by Willie Mae Brown
Debut author! As the civil rights movement and the fight for voter rights unfold in Selma, Alabama, many things happen inside and outside the Brown family’s home that do not have anything to do with the landmark 1965 march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge.
Yet the famous outrages which unfold on that span form an inescapable backdrop in this collection of stories. In one, Willie Mae takes it upon herself to offer summer babysitting services to a glamorous single white mother–a secret she keeps from her parents that unravels with shocking results. In another, Willie Mae reluctantly joins her mother at a church rally, and is forever changed after hearing Martin Luther King Jr. deliver a defiant speech in spite of a court injunction.
Infused with the vernacular of her Southern upbringing, My Selma captures the voice and vision of a fascinating young person–perspicacious, impetuous, resourceful, and even mystical in her ways of seeing the world around her–who gifts us with a loving portrayal of her hometown while also delivering a no-holds-barred indictment of the time and place.
- Genre(s): memoir
- Setting: Selma, Alabama; 1965
- Recommended for: Grades 5+
- Themes: civil rights, 1960s, US history, marches, Martin Luther King Jr, speeches, siblings, community, Jim Crow Laws, American South
- Protagonist description: female, African American
Mr. Lincoln Sits for His Portrait: The Story of a Photograph That Became an American Icon by Leonard S. Marcus
On February 9, 1864, Abraham Lincoln made the mile-long walk from the Executive Mansion to photographer Mathew Brady’s Washington, DC, studio, to be joined there later by his ten-year-old son, Tad. With a fractious re-election campaign looming that year, America’s first media-savvy president was intent on securing another portrait that cast him in a favorable light, as he prepared to make the case for himself to a nation weary of war.
At least four iconic pictures were made that day. One was Lincoln in profile, the image that later found its way onto the penny; two more would be adapted for the 1928 and 2008 five-dollar bills. The fourth was a dual portrait of Lincoln and Tad. The pose, featuring Lincoln reading to his son, was a last-minute improvisation, but the image that came of it was–and remains–incomparably tender and enduringly powerful.
Immediately after the president’s murder the following year, the picture of Lincoln reading to his son became a mass-produced icon–a cherished portrait of a nation’s fallen leader, a disarmingly intimate record of a care-worn father’s feeling for his child, and a timeless comment on books as a binding force between generations.
Kirkus starred.
- Genre(s): nonfiction
- Setting: 1864; Washington, D.C.
- Recommended for: Grades 5-8
- Themes: US history, Abraham Lincoln, US presidents, 19th Century, portraits, presidential elections, assassinations, propaganda
- Protagonist description: most people in the photos are white
Extra Life (Young Readers Adaptation): The Astonishing Story of How We Doubled Our Lifespan by Steven Johnson
Humans live longer now than they ever have in their more than three hundred thousand years of existence on earth. And most (if not all) of the advances that have permitted the human lifespan to double have happened in living memory.
Extra Life looks at vaccines, seat belts, pesticides, and more, and how each of our scientific advancements have prolonged human life. This book is a deep dive into the sciences–perfect for younger readers who enjoy modern history as well as scientific advances.
Includes photos, charts, recommended reading, endnotes, bibliography, index, and photo credits.
- Genre(s): nonfiction
- Setting: worldwide
- Recommended for: Grades 5-9
- Themes: human life, science, STEM, vaccines, safety, pesticides, modern history, health, disease, medicine, pasteurization, poverty, overcrowding, economic inequality
*Sincerely Sicily by Tamika Burgess
Debut author! Sicily Jordan’s worst nightmare has come true! She’s been enrolled in a new school, with zero of her friends and stuck wearing a fashion catastrophe of a uniform. But however bad Sicily thought sixth grade was going to be, it only gets worse when she does her class presentation.
While all her classmates breezed through theirs, Sicily is bombarded with questions on how she can be both Black and Panamanian. She wants people to understand, but it doesn’t feel like anyone is ready to listen—first at school and then at home. Because when her abuela starts talking mess about her braids, Sicily’s the only one whose heart is being crumpled for a second time.
Staying quiet may no longer be an option, but that doesn’t mean Sicily has the words to show the world just what it means to be a proud Black Panamanian either. Even though she hasn’t written in her journal since her abuelo passed, it’s time to pick up her pen again—but will it be enough to prove to herself and everyone else exactly who she is?
Kirkus and Publishers Weekly starred.
- Genre(s): realistic fiction
- Setting: San Diego, California
- Recommended for: Grades 3-8
- Themes: colorism, racism, Panama history, starting a new school, bullying
- Protagonist description: female, sixth grader, Black, Panamanian American
Sisters of the Lost Marsh by Lucy Strange
On a poor farm surrounded by marshlands, six sisters–Grace, Willa, Freya, and triplets Deedee, Darcy, and Dolly–live in fear of their father and the superstition that haunts him: The Curse of the Six Daughters. Their beloved grandmother tries to protect them, but the future seems bleak.
When the Full Moon Fayre makes a rare visit to Hollow-in-the-Marsh, the girls slip out to see the famous Shadow Man, an enigmatic puppeteer. Afterwards, oldest sister Grace is missing.
Following the Full Moor Fayre and into the Lost Marsh, Willa will have to battle her inner doubts and the legends that have haunted her family. Can she save her sister from one fate, and yet outrun her own?
Kirkus starred.
- Genre(s): fantasy, mystery, scary stories
- Setting: a poor farm surrounded by marshlands
- Recommended for: Grades 3-8
- Themes: sisters, grandmothers, missing persons, superstition, magic, abusive father, forced betrothal, curses
- Protagonist description: female, age 12, white
Beaky Barnes Egg on the Loose by David Ezra Stein
All the inspector wanted was an egg to go in his sandwich, so he heads to the cafe. The problem? The town is entirely out of eggs, and the local chef is panicked.
Luckily, he spots a lovely duo having lunch: a woman and a chicken named Beaky Barnes. It’s his lucky day. But when the woman and Beaky have a fight over an offensive business arrangement (chicken-pulled coach service, anyone?), chaos ensues. With a chicken on the run, and an inspector and woman in hot pursuit, three stories emerge with hilarious results!
Kirkus starred.
- Genre(s): graphic novel, humor
- Setting: a small town called Simpleton
- Recommended for: Grades 1-5
- Themes: chickens, chasing, eggs, inventions, farce
- Protagonist description: human characters are light-skinned
Holding Her Own: The Exceptional Life of Jackie Ormes by Traci N. Todd
Jackie Ormes made history. She was the first Black woman cartoonist to be nationally syndicated in the United States. She was also a journalist, fashionista, philanthropist, and activist, and she used her incredible talent and artistry to bring joy and hope to people everywhere.
But in post-World War II America, Black people were still being denied their civil rights, and Jackie found herself in a dilemma: How could her art stay true to her signature “Jackie joy” while remaining honest about the inequalities Black people had been fighting?
Kirkus starred.
- Genre(s): picture book biography
- Setting: USA, post-WWII
- Recommended for: Grades 2-5
- Themes: cartoonists, artists, civil rights, inequalities, social issues, journalism
- Protagonist description: female, African American
*An American Story by Kwame Alexander (Author) and Dare Coulter (Artist)
From the fireside tales in an African village, through the unspeakable passage across the Atlantic, to the backbreaking work in the fields of the South, this is a story of a people’s struggle and strength, horror and hope.
This is the story of American slavery, a story that needs to be told and understood by all of us. A testament to the resilience of the African American community, this book honors what has been and envisions what is to be.
FOUR starred reviews! Could this be a very early 2023 Caldecott contender?
- Genre(s): picture book, poetry, picture book for older readers
- Recommended for: Grades 1-6
- Themes: struggles, overcoming adversity, African slavery, hope, world history, civil rights, Black History
We Are Here by Tami Charles (Author) and Bryan Collier (Illustrator)
We Are Here is a story about Black and brown heritage and community. Full of assurance, tenderness, and triumph, this much-anticipated follow-up to the New York Times bestselling picture book All Because You Matter offers an equally inspirational and arresting ode to all of the Black women and men throughout history who have made momentous contributions from the beginning of time.
Tami Charles shares the beauty and excellence in the history of the Black community, assuring Black and brown children of the extraordinary legacy from which they come. Charles’s powerful and empowering text is accompanied with illustrations by renowned artist Bryan Collier, a four-time Caldecott Honor recipient and a nine-time Coretta Scott King Award winner or honoree. We Are Here celebrates readers with pride, joy, and love, reminding them of their roots, inviting readers to imagine a future that shines ever bright, and strengthening them for their triumphant days to come!
Kirkus starred.
- Genre(s): picture book
- Setting: worldwide
- Recommended for: PreS-Grade 3
- Themes: Black History, community, strength, Martin Luther King, Jr., blues music, activism, astronomy, inventors, artists
- Protagonist description: various Black leaders, artists, musicians, inventors, etc. throughout world history
Dim Sum, Here We Come! by Maple Lam
Today is Sunday and that means its dim sum time with my whole family! I can’t wait to see everyone, especially Grandma.
I’m going to eat lots of shrimp dumplings, rice noodle rolls, egg tarts, and my favorite–char siu buns. We will have to order enough for us all to share.
So what are you waiting for? Dim sum, here we come!
Kirkus starred.
- Genre(s): picture book
- Setting: Chinese restaurant on a Sunday
- Recommended for: PreS-Grade 3
- Themes: family, Chinese food, traditions, tea, restaurants
- Protagonist description: multigenerational Chinese family
Chloe’s Lunar New Year by Lily LaMotte (Author) and Michelle Lee (Illustrator)
It’s almost Lunar New Year, and Chloe can’t wait to celebrate! But first, Chloe and her family must prepare for the new year. They buy new shoes, lay out good-luck oranges in a bowl, decorate the red envelope, and make a crispy turnip cake.
Everyone comes together to cook a fantastic feast, saving a plate for A-má, of course. Chloe enjoys the festive celebration and yummy food, but most of all, she loves spending time with her family.
Lily LaMotte and Michelle Lee have created a tender, warm, and uplifting holiday story about tradition and the importance of being with those you love.
The backmatter contains educational facts about the Lunar New Year celebration in Taiwan and a fun recipe for a yummy fortune cake!
Kirkus starred.
- Genre(s): picture book
- Setting: Taiwanese American household during Lunar New Year celebrations
- Recommended for: PreS-Grade 2
- Themes: Lunar New Year, food, family, tradition, celebrations, holidays
- Protagonist description: Taiwanese American family
THIS WEEK’S SEQUELS (YA):
THIS WEEK’S SEQUELS (MIDDLE GRADES):
THIS WEEK’S SEQUELS & FAVORITE CHARACTERS (ELEMENTARY):
ABOUT THE SPOTLIGHT
The New Release Spotlight began in May 2016 as a way to help librarians keep up with the many new children’s and YA books that are released each week. Every Tuesday, school librarian Leigh Collazo compiles the New Release Spotlight using a combination of Follett’s Titlewave, Amazon, Goodreads, and Barnes and Noble. Titles with a * by them received two or more starred professional reviews. Recommended grade levels represent the range of grade levels recommended by professional book reviewers.