I’m baaaacckkkk! Well, I’m trying to be anyway.
As I mentioned in a Facebook post a few weeks ago, I have a lot going on at the moment. My family and I will be moving back to Texas this spring. We currently live in Mexico, and the move is going to take a couple of trips back and forth to Dallas to finalize details.
Going with us are our two dogs, the famous Cisco and Maya, who are about to live in their third country! We adopted both pups when we lived in China. Originally street dogs, these babies have traveled a very long way from being homeless in Shanghai.
I’ve had so many of you reach out about the Spotlight that I have decided to make it a priority again. It may be shorter some weeks, especially until we get settled in Dallas, but I’m going to do my very best to make it AWESOME for you and your students!
I didn’t do a Spotlight blog post in January, but I did make a Canva presentation of the new January books I featured on my Facebook and Instagram pages. You can click the link above, make a copy in your own Canva account, and edit as needed for your library.
I will continue posting new titles to the MrsReaderPants Facebook and Instagram pages as well.
On to this week’s Spotlight!
Looking for the Canva presentation? I’ve started a new one for February 2025. The YA version is here. Just click the link, make a copy in your Canva account, and edit as needed for your library. The presentation will grow as we go through February.
Author: Neal Shusterman
Genre: science fiction, dystopia, thriller, post-apocalypse
Setting: San Francisco, California, USA, in a post-pandemic world
Themes: pandemics, viruses, privilege, consent, vaccines, moral dilemmas, political instability, inequality, mental health, homelessness, natural immunity
Recommended for: Grades 7-12
Protagonist: three diverse teens: a white female, a Chinese and white female, and a Latino male
Starred reviews: Publishers Weekly
A new dystopia from Neal Shusterman! Need I say more? This is one of my favorite YA authors, especially for dystopian fiction.
SUMMARY: In a post-pandemic world, three teens’ lives intersect during the outbreak of Crown Royale, a virus that causes euphoria in survivors. As they navigate ethical dilemmas, power struggles, and a potential cure, their choices could reshape the future in unexpected ways.
Author: Libba Bray
Genre: historical fiction, mystery
Setting: Germany in 1939, West Berlin in 1980, and Brooklyn, New York, USA in 2020
Themes: Cold War, WWII, Covid-19, pandemics, intertwined stories, multiple historical timelines
Recommended for: Grades 7+
Protagonist: three generations of teens: Sophie, 1939 Kleinwald, Germany; Jenny, 1980 West Berlin, West Germany; Miles, 2020 Brooklyn, Filipino American
Starred reviews: Kirkus
At nearly 500 pages, this historical fiction novel from Libba Bray is probably best for a more advanced reader. Give this to students (and adults!) who loved Alan Gratz’s middle grade novel Refugee or Sepetys’ Salt to the Sea.
SUMMARY: Three generations of teens – Sophie and Hanna in 1940s Germany, Jenny and Lena in 1980s Berlin, and Miles and Chloe in 2020 Brooklyn – become linked through a decades-old mystery. As they navigate war, rebellion, and pandemic isolation, they uncover hidden secrets and fight for justice.
Author: Sasha Peyton Smith
Genre: fantasy, romance, romantasy, regency
Setting: London, England, 1848
Themes: sisters, family scandals, immortal fae, traditional gender roles, arranged marriages, regency, marriage season, making magical bargains, princes, marriage competitions, classism, gender inequality
Recommended for: Grades 8-AD
Protagonist: female, age 18, white
Starred reviews: Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, and SLJ
This new romantasy title set in a fae world will appeal to fans of Kiera Cass’ The Selection, Holly Black’s The Cruel Prince, or Rebecca Yarros’ The Fourth Wing (adult book). This one is on my own TBR!
SUMMARY: In an alternate Victorian London ruled by an immortal faerie queen, Ivy must secure a husband to save her family’s reputation. Entering a deadly competition for the prince’s hand, she uncovers dark secrets and unexpected alliances.
Find this month’s Middle Grades Canva presentation of new releases here. Click the link, make a copy in your Canva account, and edit as needed for your library.
Author: Lindsay Currie
Genre: scary stories, thriller, mystery, horror
Setting: Bachelor's Grove Cemetery, a famously haunted spot in suburban Chicago, Illinois, USA
Themes: friendship, detectives, ghosts, grief, healing, cemeteries, journalism, haunted places, Halloween
Recommended for: Grades 3-7
Protagonist: two females and one male, all age 12, all cue as white
Starred reviews: SLJ
This is a new middle grade horror novel from the author of Scritch, Scratch.
The setting is very interesting for this one because it’s a real cemetery in Chicago that is rumored to be haunted. There are also local legends that Al Capone dumped murder victims’ bodies in a nearby pond.
Adding to the reader-appeal…there are ghost tours of this spot, which is considered one of the most haunted places in Illinois. This practically booktalks itself!
SUMMARY: Josie, Alison, and Jackson venture into a haunted cemetery on Halloween to investigate a ghostly legend. After encountering a terrifying spirit, they receive ominous messages and must uncover the mystery before the countdown on their phones runs out.
Author: Síne Quinn
Illustrator: Dermot Flynn
Genre: fairy tales, folklore, mythology, short stories
Setting: Ireland
Themes: faeries, selkies, mermaids, leprechauns, storytelling, moral lessons
Recommended for: Grades 2-8
Protagonist: various Irish folk characters, including humans and magical folk
Starred reviews: Kirkus and Booklist
This collection of Irish folk and fairy tales is just in time for St. Patrick’s Day in March!
SUMMARY: Josie, Alison, and Jackson venture into a haunted cemetery on Halloween to investigate a ghostly legend. After encountering a terrifying spirit, they receive ominous messages and must uncover the mystery before the countdown on their phones runs out.
This collection of Irish myths and legends introduces readers to the “good folk” of Irish folklore—mischievous and often dark fairies, shape-shifters, and creatures like leprechauns and mermaids.
With folklore-based stories and lush illustrations, it’s perfect for those seeking a mix of mystery and cautionary tales.
Author: Jules Bakes
Illustrator: Niki Smith
Genre: graphic memoir
Setting: tropical setting, on a sailboat in the Caribbean Sea, 1993
Themes: friendship, self-awareness, tropics, vacations, family problems, sailing, life at sea, exploring new places, life before the internet and smartphones, alcoholic parent, 1990s American cultural references
Recommended for: Grades 3-7
Protagonist: female (the author), rising fourth grader, white
Starred reviews: Kirkus, SLJ, and Booklist
Want to give your students a glimpse of life before the internet and smartphones? This graphic memoir is set in the mid-1990s on a sailboat in the Caribbean Sea. It also got three starred professional reviews!
SUMMARY: Janey sails the Caribbean with her parents aboard a houseboat in the 1990s. Along the way, she befriends Astrid, an older girl with a complicated life. This graphic novel explores friendship, self-awareness, and the challenges of growing up while living a transient life.
Author: Bibi Dumon Tak
Illustrator: Annemarie van Haeringen
Genre: animal stories, nonfiction, humor
Setting: classroom of anthropomorphic animal students
Themes: animals, school presentations, animal facts, challenging human interpretations on the world
Recommended for: Grades 3-7
Protagonist: multiple anthropomorphic animals
Starred reviews: Booklist, Publishers Weekly, and Kirkus
SUMMARY: Animals take over storytelling in this witty, animal-centered book of oral presentations. From cleaner fish to zebras, each creature shares fun facts from their perspective – without boring human biases.
Author: Kyle Lukoff
Genre: supernatural, paranormal
Setting: post-COVID world
Themes: conversion therapy, homelessness, suicide, LGBT+, demons, transgender people, golems, anti-trans legislation, systemic bigotry
Recommended for: Grades 5-8
Protagonist: transgender boy, age 14, white, Jewish
Starred reviews: SLJ, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, and Kirkus
SUMMARY: A, a trans teen, is forced to attend SOSAD, a support group run by a demon feeding on pain and bigotry. When his friend vanishes, A must fight back – if he even believes the world is worth saving.
Author: Renée Watson
Genre: realistic fiction, novel in verse
Setting: Harlem, New York, USA
Themes: grief, death of a friend, counseling, mental health, guilt, healing, divorced parents, coming-of-age, hit-and-run accidents
Recommended for: Grades 5-8
Protagonist: female, Black, age 13
Starred reviews: Booklist, SLJ, and Kirkus
SUMMARY: Thirteen-year-old Sage struggles with grief after her best friend’s death on her birthday. Through school counseling, new friendships, and romance, she navigates guilt and healing.
The picture book Canva presentation is here. Click the link, make a copy in your Canva account, and edit as needed for your library.
Author: Travis Jonker
Illustrator: Ruth Chan
Genre: picture book, humor, animal stories
Setting: elementary school with anthropomorphic animal students and teachers
Themes: classroom jobs, line leaders, bullying, overcoming adversity, responsibility, hippos, how one's actions affect others, classroom behavior, empathy
Recommended for: PreS-Grade 3
Protagonist: anthropomorphic hippopotamus, no gender specified
Starred reviews: Kirkus and Publishers Weekly
A cute picture book from the author of Just One Flake, which was one of my Mock Caldecott picks last year. I think many students (and their teachers) will identify!
SUMMARY: Cedric loves being first in line and has plenty of tricks to get there, but when his antics go too far, he’s sent to the very back. As the new caboose, he discovers a whole new set of mischievous moves to shake things up.
Author and Illustrator: Julia Kuo
Genre: picture book
Setting: airline flight over an ocean; clues in text and illustrations indicate a Taiwan to Seattle, USA flight
Themes: home, moving to a new country, accepting change, optimism
Recommended for: PreS-Grade 3
Protagonist: young girl, East Asian (based on text clues, she is Taiwanese)
Starred reviews: Kirkus and Publishers Weekly
Students who have relocated to a new country will love this introspective and optimistic look at embracing change.
SUMMARY: A young girl leaves her home in Taiwan to fly to her new home in the USA. This picture book explores the emotions of leaving home and finding belonging in a new place.
Author: Beth Anderson
Illustrator: Sally Wern Comport
Genre: informational picture book, picture book for older readers
Setting: various USA locations, 1861-1965
Themes: US presidents, President Abraham Lincoln, US history, US Civil War, assassination attempts, Women's History Month, Presidents Day, detectives, presidential inaugurations, disguises, trains, Pinkerton Detective Agency
Recommended for: Grades 2-5
Protagonist: Kate Warne (c. 1833-1868), the first female detective in the US
Starred reviews: Booklist
Notes: Includes afterword, bibliography, illustrator's note, archival photographs, picture credits
A fun choice for Presidents Day in a few weeks, or for Women’s History Month in March!
SUMMARY: Kate Warne, the first female detective in the U.S., uncovered a plot to assassinate Abraham Lincoln in 1861. Disguised as a Southern loyalist, she orchestrated his secret escape to Washington. This suspenseful picture book highlights her daring mission with engaging storytelling and rich, historical illustrations.
Title: A Pocket Full of Rocks (Kristin Mahoney)
Author: Kristin Mahoney
Illustrator: E.B. Goodale
Genre: picture book
Setting: outdoors during all four seasons
Themes: collecting things, nature, playing outside, seasons, rocks, imagination, persistence despite family skepticism, determination
Recommended for: PreS-Grade 3
Protagonist: child with light brown skin
Starred reviews: Booklist and Publishers Weekly
SUMMARY: A child collects nature’s treasures – rocks petals, seashells, and acorns – and finds magic and comfort in each season. Though family members dismiss their habit, the child’s imagination thrives. In the end, they turn their collections into thoughtful gifts, showing the beauty in small, simple things.
