Table of contents for Booklist, Vol. 119, No. 15, 4/1/23 in Booklist

Booklist|Booklist, Vol. 119, No. 15, 4/1/23

Adult Nonfiction

Journalism & Publishing Speak Up: Breaking the Glass Ceiling at CBS News. By Linda S. Mason. May 2023. 180p. Rowman & Littlefield, $25.50 (9781538176405). 070.431. Buried within an abundance of “behind-the-curtain” stories, Mason, former Senior Vice President at CBS News, delivers three rock-solid strategies for overcoming obstacles in a tough profession: work hard, ask questions, and speak up. In a recounting that does not duck a few scandals, Mason shows how the implementation of these foundational strategies kept her moving up the organizational ladder. From Dan Rather to Charles Kuralt, from Watergate to 9/11, decades of major news events bring lessons beyond the obvious. With a standout chapter recounting Walter Cronkite’s funeral, the lessons learned shine a light on the personal and emotional side of journalism. Looking at our history…

52 min

Booklist|Booklist, Vol. 119, No. 15, 4/1/23

Adult Fiction

General Fiction Atalanta. By Jennifer Saint. May 2023. 304p. Flatiron, $28.99 (9781250855572). Countless tales have been told of Jason and his Argonauts and their quest to procure the Golden Fleece. But not nearly enough tales tell of the woman among their number, Atalanta, a woman raised first by bears and then by the nymphs of the grove of Artemis. Famous for her speed and her abilities with a bow, Atalanta is doubted and disdained by the men she meets, but she’s okay with that—her loyalty is with Artemis. But can the world of men and uncaring gods threaten her hopes of triumph? In her latest retelling, Saint tackles this story of a fearless warrior woman confronting a world mired in patriarchal assumptions and threats. The second half of the novel…

88 min

Booklist|Booklist, Vol. 119, No. 15, 4/1/23

Spotlight on Series Nonfiction

Older Readers The Native American Experience. By Stuart A. Kallen. 2023. 64p. illus. ReferencePoint, lib. ed., $32.95 (9781678204723). Gr. 6–12. 305.897. This timely entry in the Who We Are series (4 titles) reflects on how the historical and contemporary lives of Native Americans have shaped and continue to shape American culture. An opening “By the Numbers” section offers graphics with quick facts on total population, largest reservation, etc. The straightforward, thorough text begins with an overview of Native American cultural regions before Europeans arrived, emphasizing the varied differences among Indigenous people. Accompanied by archival and modern photos, subsequent chapters discuss such tragedies across Indian nations as forced relocation, boarding schools, and termination of rights as well as as well as such positives as rebuilding Native communities. While a final chapter…

40 min

Booklist|Booklist, Vol. 119, No. 15, 4/1/23

Spanish Series Nonfiction: Spring 2023

The following nonfiction series, both new and continuing, mark the season’s newest releases available in Spanish. New Series Animales asiáticos (Asian Animals). ABDO/Kids Jumbo. Individual titles, lib. ed. $32.79. PreS–Gr. 2. (6 titles) Búsquedas del tesoro con los sentidos (Senses Scavenger Hunt). ABDO/Kids Junior. Individual titles, lib. ed. $31.36. PreS–Gr. 2. (6 titles) Las cosas que me gustan (Things I Like). Focus/Little Blue Readers. Individual titles, lib. ed. $25.64. PreS–Gr. 1. (8 titles) Criptología (Cryptology). ediciones Lerner. Individual titles, lib. ed. $29.32. Gr. 3–6. (6 titles) Héroes de la Segunda Guerra Mundial (Heroes of World War II). ediciones Lerner. Individual titles, lib. ed. $29.32. Gr. 3–6. (6 titles) Invenciones increíbles (Amazing Inventions). Lerner/Graphic Universe. Individual titles, lib. ed. $29.32. Gr. 3–6. (4 titles) Little People, BIG DREAMS en Español. Quarto/Frances…

1 min

Booklist|Booklist, Vol. 119, No. 15, 4/1/23

Focus on Summer Reading

The Braid Girls. By Sherri Winston. June 2023. 272p. Little, Brown, $16.99 (9780316461610). Gr. 4–7. Maggie has been best friends with Daija ever since she moved from her previous home in Japan. Daija and Maggie just click, and they’re so close that they don’t really need any other friends. But when Maggie discovers that her father has another daughter, named Callie, and that Callie is going to have to come live with her family, she has mixed feelings. Daija’s feelings, however, aren’t mixed at all: she doesn’t trust Maggie’s new sister, and she definitely doesn’t like having to share her best friend. When the three girls start a hair-braiding business together, they find that they must navigate the ups and downs of friendship, family, and rivalries. Winston’s newest novel explores…

9 min

Booklist|Booklist, Vol. 119, No. 15, 4/1/23

Audio

Adult Age of Vice. By Deepti Kapoor. Read by Vidish Athavale. 2023. 19.5hr. Books on Tape, DD (9780593612019). Covering more than a decade of 21st Century India, Deepti Kapoor’s action-packed Age of Vice centers the powerful and corrupt Wadia family. The story is told from many perspectives of the Wadias and associates. Vidish Athavale delivers an impressive performance that immerses the listener into Kapoor’s world. Athavale excels at a wide range of authentic accents, especially for the male characters. Characters from playboy Sunny to servant Ajay are so distinctively voiced that the differentiating chapter subheadings are many times not needed. Several passages are written in Hindi and, fittingly, a wide range of non-English terms and names appear throughout. Athavale’s correct pronunciation and delivery of these terms enriches the audio…

10 min

Booklist|Booklist, Vol. 119, No. 15, 4/1/23

Classics Corner

Twelfth Night. By William Shakespeare. Performed by a full cast. 2022. 2hr. L.A. Theatre Works, DD (9781682661659). In this immersive audio play from LATW, a full cast of talented actors brings Shakespeare’s classic comedy about mistaken identity and misplaced love to vibrant life. Each actor puts a unique spin on their given role, but they all maintain the kind of over-the-top drama that makes a play like this so much fun. The stellar sound effects make it feel as if you’re right there in the theater. The duke Orsino and his cronies laughing in the background while they play practical jokes; lots of music, both vocal and instrumental; many sighs, giggles, and snickers—it all creates an atmosphere of frivolity that highlights just how bawdy and silly Twelfth Night really is.…

1 min

Booklist|Booklist, Vol. 119, No. 15, 4/1/23

High-Demand Hot List

If you have trouble remembering what month it is, welcome to Booklist. These books are all coming out in the future, making them perfectly ripe for pre-order now. —Annie Bostrom Cutting Teeth. By Chandler Baker. Flatiron, $27.99 (9781250839787). Jul. The prime suspects in a teacher’s murder are her darling, four-year-old students in Baker’s satirical, vampire-toddler thriller. Flags on the Bayou. By James Lee Burke. Atlantic Monthly, $27 (9780802161697). Jul. In Union-occupied Louisiana, 1863, an enslaved woman accused of a terrible crime goes on the run, accompanied by an abolitionist schoolteacher, in this historical stand-alone from crime king Burke. The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store. By James McBride. Riverhead, $28 (9780593422946). Aug. McBride’s first book since the Carnegie Medal–winning Deacon King Kong (2020) is a 1970s-set literary mystery taking place in…

2 min

Booklist|Booklist, Vol. 119, No. 15, 4/1/23

To Beach T‌heir Own

We here at Booklist believe that a beach read is in the eye of the beholder. Any engrossing book that transports the reader to anywhere but where they are qualifies as a quality beach read. To that end, we present a selection of off-the-beaten-path beach reads for all kinds of readers who just want to take a little vacation in their minds. Big Books There’s nothing quite like getting lost in the narrative of a good, long book. These titles, each over 500 pages, will entice readers with an Africa-set fantasy quest; the lyrically tumbling thoughts of a fortysomething mother of four; an extensive, unique biography of an exceptional first lady; the story of an opera singer whose shadowy past is revealed in a new opera; and a corrective history…

3 min

Booklist|Booklist, Vol. 119, No. 15, 4/1/23

Top 10 Series Nonfiction

American Slavery and the Fight for Freedom (Lerner; 6 titles) Gr. 4–8. Part of Lerner’s Read Woke brand, this series uses direct but easy-to-digest text and primary-source, online recordings to examine slavery in America through the lens of the enslaved themselves and those taking action to end its practice and resultant injustices. Before They Were Famous (Crabtree; 6 titles) Gr. 3–5. With profiles of Clara Barton, Nellie Bly, Thomas Edison, and more, these attractive biographies focus on the lives well-known historical figures lived prior to finding fame. Multilayered collages give these books a fresh, appealing look. Core Library US States (ABDO; 52 titles) Gr. 4–7. Puerto Rico and Washington, DC, are included in this introductory series to our country’s states. Expected topics are joined by important cultural histories, critical-thinking questions,…

2 min

Booklist|Booklist, Vol. 119, No. 15, 4/1/23

Youth Fiction

Older Readers Alondra. By Gina Femia. Apr. 2023. 320p. Farrar, $19.99 (9780374388454). Gr. 7–10. In Femia’s debut, Alonda watches an amateur wrestling group outside her window and dreams of joining them. Alonda has lived with her older sister, Teresa, since her mom passed away, and she also wrestles with her grief. One day, a chance encounter gives Alonda an in, and she joins the wrestling group. As the group gets more serious, filming live shows that they upload to YouTube, Alonda creates Alondra, a wrestling alter ego that exemplifies the best, most fearless part of herself. She also deals with her complicated feelings for both her new boyfriend, King, and Lexi, the girl she can’t stop thinking about. Femia tackles friendship, love, sexuality, and grief deftly in this capture of…

50 min

Booklist|Booklist, Vol. 119, No. 15, 4/1/23

While You Wait

A new book from Julie Murphy is practically guaranteed to bring plenty of buzz, and you can expect the same from Camp Sylvania (review adjacent), out in June, even though it’s a bit of a departure for the best-selling author. In this middle-grade summer-camp romp, Murphy’s fans will recognize her well-honed, sensitive writing about fat kids navigating a world where they’re constantly told to change. But they’ll also find a mostly comical, sometimes-eerie vampire plot, which cleverly skewers the wellness industry. Kids who can’t wait to get their hands on this one can find similar themes and moods in the books below, which will hopefully tide them over till summer. Camp Murderface. By Josh Berk and Saundra Mitchell. 2020. Harper, $16.99 (9780062871633). Gr. 4–7. Scoff if you dare, but this…

2 min

Booklist|Booklist, Vol. 119, No. 15, 4/1/23

Podcast Connection

I Have Some Questions for You. By Rebecca Makkai. Read by Julia Whelan and JD Jackson. 2023. 14hr. Books on Tape, DD (9780593670699). Bodie Kane, a successful podcaster and professor of film, goes back for a two-week stint to her old private high school in New Hampshire to teach classes on podcasting and film history. Her return awakens memories of friends—particularly her roommate, Thalia, who was murdered in her senior year. When one of her students decides to base her podcast on the crime, Bodie is forced to re-examine the facts. Reader Whelan is once again in top form as she spins this increasingly complex web. Her characters are each believably distinct and her reading is flawless. Bodie’s thoughts are directed at a former teacher, the head of the music…

1 min

Booklist|Booklist, Vol. 119, No. 15, 4/1/23

Booklist Backlist

College applications: the stuff of stress and heartache, and an annual rite of passage for millions of teens. Outplacement isn’t a cookie-cutter experience, and YA literature doesn’t shy away from the grittier sides of the decision-making process. For students looking to find solace or distraction, the following fiction titles offer a range of college-search experiences with all of the complicated friendships, family dynamics, and romantic dalliances you might expect from teens. Admission. By Julie Buxbaum. 2020. Ember. Gr. 10–12. The academically disinterested daughter of a B-list celebrity never questions her unusual application process until the FBI arrives, arresting her mother and threatening to charge Chloe, too. Ripped from the headlines, this is a deft exploration of moral culpability and willful obliviousness to the privileges of affluence. Finding Yvonne. By Brandy…

2 min

Booklist|Booklist, Vol. 119, No. 15, 4/1/23

Read-alikes

Brave the Wild River chronicles a daring 1938 scientific expedition in the Grand Canyon conducted by two women botanists who faced the challenges of nature and sexism. These gripping works portray other against-all-odds women scientists and chronicle other Colorado River explorations. The Discovery of Jeanne Baret: A Story of Science, the High Seas, and the First Woman to Circumnavigate the Globe. By Glynis Ridley. 2010. Crown, $15.99 (9780307463531). Expert “herb woman” Baret was chosen by botanist Philibert Commerson to assist him on France’s first expedition to circumnavigate the globe, but she had to dress as a man since women were forbidden. Ridley recounts Baret’s brutal outing and remarkable discoveries as a pioneering botanist. The Exceptions: Nancy Hopkins, MIT, and the Fight for Women in Science. By Kate Zernike. 2023. Scribner,…

2 min

Booklist|Booklist, Vol. 119, No. 15, 4/1/23

Youth Nonfiction

Older Readers Men of the 65th: The Borinqueneers of the Korean War. By Talia Aikens-Nuñez. May 2023. 136p. illus. Lerner/Zest, paper, $17.99 (9781728479149). Gr. 7–10. 951.904. This action-packed account introduces readers to the U.S. Army’s 65th Infantry Regiment, a military unit consisting of native Puerto Ricans. Initially created in 1898 at the end of the Spanish-American War, the unit originally acted as the police force in Puerto Rico. They’ve also fought in overseas American conflicts, including WWI and II and through the War in Afghanistan. The majority of this offering concentrates on their contributions during the Korean War, and extensive background information, numerous sidebars, maps, and archival photos help make the action historically and politically accessible. Chapters describe the rigorous training the men received and document the continuing racism and…

11 min

Booklist|Booklist, Vol. 119, No. 15, 4/1/23

INSIDE SERIES NONFICTION SPANISH-LANGUAGE SERIES

While most publishers don’t yet automatically offer Spanish editions of their new releases, strides are being made to create more resources for Spanish-speaking readers. I spoke with a few series nonfiction publishers who regularly put out series translations about this aspect of the publishing landscape and how they tackle the challenge of creating quality nonfiction titles in another language. Across the board, publishers have been seeing an increased demand for Spanish titles. Anna Erickson, Vice President of The Creative Company, noted a “fourfold increase in demand over the last three years,” while Lerner Publishing’s Executive Vice President and Editor in Chief, Andy Cummings, highlighted that this demand extends to all age groups, reading levels, and book formats, from series nonfiction to graphic novels. This might not be considered breaking news,…

5 min

Booklist|Booklist, Vol. 119, No. 15, 4/1/23

High-Demand Hot List for Youth

Always Isn’t Forever. By J. C. Cervantes. Razorbill, $18.99 (9780593404485). Gr. 7–12. June. Romance, reincarnation, and the paranormal combine in this YA romance from best-selling Cervantes. House Party. Ed. by Justin A. Reynolds. Random/Joy Revolution, $18.99 (9780593488157). Gr. 7–11. June. All of the 10 interconnected stories by blockbuster YA authors in this collection take place during one raging party on the eve of high-school graduation. The Isles of the Gods. By Amie Kaufman. Knopf, $19.99 (9780593479285). Gr. 7–12. May. A high-seas adventure touched with magic and political intrigue is the latest from Kaufman, one half of the authorial team behind the popular Illuminae Files series. Magic Has No Borders. Ed. by Samira Ahmed and Sona Charaipotra. HarperTeen, $19.99 (9780063208261). Gr. 8–12. May. This anthology of short stories, inspired by South Asian…

2 min

Booklist|Booklist, Vol. 119, No. 15, 4/1/23

Focus on Spanish Language Books

Día de Muertos, Números: A Day of the Dead Counting Book. By Duncan Tonatiuh. Illus. by the author. May 2023. 24p. Abrams/Appleseed, $15.99 (9781419764462). PreS–K. Count from one to ten in Spanish and English with award-winning author-illustrator Tonatiuh in this bilingual book about Día de Muertos / Day of the Dead. Exploring the tradition of building an altar, the book begins by counting one portrait, two incense burners, three beverages, four tamales, and so on, until reaching a round of ten family members and friends around the elaborate scene. Spanish, followed by the English translation, appears in every spread, and the depiction of each character is celebratory in its own form, featuring a wide range of shades of brown skin tones in Tonatiuh’s signature art style. An author’s note offering…

4 min

Booklist|Booklist, Vol. 119, No. 15, 4/1/23

Listen Up

Summer is a great time for leisure listening; sometimes that listening is better if it gives you something to talk about. This list emphasizes storytelling frames that are enhanced by great narration and lets audiobook fans choose their own summer-listening adventures and find connection points for conversation. Southern Families There’s more to the South than sweet tea and sun porches. Here, accents convey a sense of place. How to Sell a Haunted House. By Grady Hendrix. Read by Jay Aaseng and Mikhaila Aaseng. 2023. 13hr. Books on Tape (9780593591840). Robert E. Lee and Me: A Southerner’s Reckoning with the Myth of the Lost Cause. By Ty Seidule. Read by the author. 2021. 10.5hr. Macmillan (9781250790026). Well Traveled. By Jen DeLuca. Read by Brittany Pressley. 2022. 9.5hr. Books on Tape (9780593628591).…

2 min