Painterly illustrations track the parallel stories of two families in this picture book about the pain of leaving home and the hope of brighter days. A mother warns her son to be careful of road construction as they head to a carnival;... Read More

Essie Fox’s novel "The Fascination" is a scintillating cabinet of curiosities. Theo—whose mother died in childbirth and whose father is, for him, a question mark—grows up love-deprived, hidden on a country estate whose grandeur... Read More

In the superb autobiographical essays of "Otherwise", Julie Marie Wade illuminates sexual orientation and body image issues. Nine intricate pieces reflect on risk, bodily autonomy, gender roles, and poetry versus prose. A series of... Read More

A top-tier work of prison literature, Ahmed Naji’s poetic memoir "Rotten Evidence" follows his 2016 sentencing by an Egyptian court for “moral turpitude” over a novel excerpt. Beginning with Naji’s entry into prison, the book... Read More

In Donna Barba Higuera’s distinctive novel "Alebrijes", an impoverished boy defies a realm of fantastical totalitarianism. Leandro is a crafty, compassionate thirteen-year-old who lives with his younger sister, Gabi, outside of... Read More

After her mother’s death, a little girl is joined by Empty, a large translucent creature, in this English-Persian picture book about moving through and growing with grief. Muted gray illustrations gradually gain color as the little... Read More

Set in a dystopian near-future, Hilary Zaid’s conspiracy novel "Forget I Told You This" sets itself apart with erudite flair and heartfelt human drama. Amy specializes in writing letters by hand in an age where the act of writing is a... Read More

Visually stunning and astonishing in scope, Stephen A. Harris’s "The Beauty of the Flower" is a history of botanical illustration that has all the makings of a classic reference text. Hundreds of gorgeous images are used to trace the... Read More