Belonging: A German Reckons with History and Home

Written by: Nora Krug

First line: Hansaplast is a brand of bandage developed in 1922.

Why you should read this book: Meticulous and emotional, this graphic memoir seeks to solidify evanescent memory, combining the author's own recollections with painstakingly acquired material artifacts and oral histories, as she comes to terms with her German family's experiences in the Third Reich. As a child, Krug learned in school of the Nazi regime and the Holocaust, a carefully constructed narrative of national culpability relegated to the past, but after coming to America as a young woman, she begins to wonder about the particulars of guilt: what were her own grandparents doing during the rise and power of National Socialism? Through trips to Germany, deep dives into bureaucratic records and resources, thrift shop finds, photographs, letters, and interviews, she begins to create a picture of her own ancestry and the roles of ordinary Germans in a time of great tragedy. 

Why you shouldn't read this book: Cowardice.

Penny and Her Song

Written by: Kevin Henkes

First line: Penny came home from school with a song.

Why you should read this book: Penny, a school-aged mouse girl, wants to share her song with her family, but her mother is afraid that singing will wake the babies, and doesn't allow singing at the dinner table, and the song must stay unsung. However, Penny is patient and persistent and eventually finds a time when it is appropriate to sing her song, to the great enjoyment of her entire family. Penny's song spreads joy and delight and shows the importance of self-expression, especially at the right time, in the right place, for the right audience.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You don't see why you should have to wait your turn and you don't care about the babies.

Wise Child

Written by: Monica Furlong

First line: Juniper was different from us.

Why you should read this book: Wise Child's mother abandoned her long ago, her father is always away at sea, and her grandmother dies when she is nine, so by the customs of her medieval Scottish village, the community gathers to determine who will care for her, and the best candidate for the job is Juniper, the unmarried woman who lives outside of town, never attends mass, is quite obviously a witch. With some apprehension, Wise Child begins a new life, learning Latin and the healing arts and cleaning up after herself and a whole host of skills she could not imagine in her old life, until she finds that she loves her new foster mother and might even want to follow in her footsteps. But there are dangers in her new life—her biological mother, who is a very different kind of witch, wants her back, and the village priest doesn't want any kind of witches alive anywhere—and Wise Child must learn to solve problems and make fast, grown-up decisions while she is still a little girl.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You are one of those completely humorless Christians who believe that anyone who doesn't attend your particular church must be in league with the devil,

Cuentos: The Bilingual Latinx+ Illustrated Mythology Anthology

Edited by: Andres D. Bravo

First line: I grew up in a house decorated with Aztec warrior and gods. 

Why you should read this book: This ambitious volume showcases the work of a number of Latinx artists from around the world, featuring full color illustrations in a variety of styles, most of which are paired with short stories, written in both Spanish and English. These run the gamut from old religious myths like Xipe Tótec to newer urban legends like chupacabra, and every kind of legend in between, some told like fairy tales, others like personal narratives or encyclopedia entries. A creepy little book that will appeal to fans of mythology, horror, Spanish cultures, and deviant art. 

Why you shouldn't read this book: You never once listened to any warning given to you by an adult who had your best interests in mind and was leaving you home alone for some reason.

The Wild Robot Returns

Written by: Peter Brown

First line: Our story begins in a city, with buildings and streets and bridges and parks. 

Why you should read this book: Roz, the wild robot, who learned from the animals and adopted an orphan goose and then was reclaimed by her creators in The Wild Robot finds herself physically refurbished (but with her memories intact) and confined to a dilapidated farm where she fixes machines and cares for cows, who are surprised to meet a robot who speaks Animal. Roz can't let any humans know that she is different from other robots, but she finds companionship with the farmer's motherless children, Jad and Jaya. Despite the children's love for her, she wants nothing more than to go home to her island and her old family, and when her son, Brightbill, finally finds her, she must learn more lessons about humans and herself.

Why you shouldn't read this book: It's not quite as magical as the first one, but it's still a satisfying sequel.

Healer and Witch

Written by: Nancy Werlin

First line: On a warm April morning, a week after the terrible day on which Grand-mère Sylvie died, Sylvie walked away from her home.

Why you should read this book: Sylvie grandmother warned her to be cautious with her new healing powers, but Sylvie was only trying to help, and her failure was so terrible that she's decided her only option is to run away from home and try to find a more powerful healer to teach her how to fix her mistakes. But the year is 1531 and life is dangerous enough for a girl on her own (or even accompanied by an annoying little boy who refuses to go home), let alone one who might be accused of witchcraft if the wrong people catch wind of what she can really do. What I loved most about this book is that it was never predictable, and always went in a surprising direction with every step.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You literally believe in the devil.

The One and Only Bob

Written by: Katherine Applegate

First line: Look, nobody's ever accused me of being a good dog

Why you should read this book: Sequel to the heartbreaking and uplifting The One and Only Ivan, this book shows us the world from the eyes of Bob, the scrappy stray mutt who now has a comfy home with a little girl and gets to regularly visit his friends Ivan the gorilla and Ruby the elephant at the animal sanctuary down the street. Everything seems copacetic until Bob, Ruby, and Ivan find themselves swept up in a natural disaster that threatens to bring tragedy to all creatures, human and otherwise, in the animal sanctuary and the town. With more grace than anyone could imagine, Bob proves himself equal to the task and perhaps a better dog than he'd like to admit.

Why you shouldn't read this book: Trigger warning for really bad weather.

Thirst

Written by: Varsha Bajaj

First line: Sanjay and I sit on the top of the hill and stare out at the huge, never-ending Arabian Sea.

Why you should read this book: In the poorest parts of Mumbai, where Minni lives with her parents and older brother, so much depends on access to the communal water source, which is limited to certain hours and requires long waits in line to collect this precious resource. Even worse, although the poor people in Minni's neighborhood use less water than anyone else, criminals are stealing their water, and, worse still, Minni's brother witnesses the theft and has to leave town to protect his own life. Then her mother gets sick and has to leave as well, and now Minni has to balance all her mother's work, including fetching water, with the life she wants to have, going to school and taking extra-curricular computer classes.

Why you shouldn't read this book: This is a harsh reality.

Babymouse Queen of the World

Written by: Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm

First line: Are you getting up, Babymouse?

Why you should read this book: Babymouse dreams of glamour, excitement, and adventure, but instead she has to go to school with a broken locker and daydream about living a more interesting existence in more interesting worlds, and and contemplating how great her life would be if she could just be friends with the most popular girl in her class, Felicia Furrypaws. Babymouse does everything she can think of to earn a coveted invitation to Felicia's slumber party, and finally achieves her coveted goal, by compromising herself. In the end, Babymouse realizes the true meaning of friendship, which does not involve debasing herself to go places where she isn't really welcome.

Why you shouldn't read this book: Babymouse's compromise involves aiding and abetting plagiarism.

The Absolutely True Story...

Written by: Willo Davis Roberts

First line: My mom thoughts the Rupes were a nice, normal middle-class family.

Why you should read this book: It's got all of Roberts's trademark themes: normal "good" kids, messed up "bad" kids who lack adult supervision or guidance, adults who are so ridiculously oblivious/caught up in their own psychological problems that they don't even notice the horrible things that are going on right in front of their eyes, and really horrible things going on right in front of adults' eyes. Normal, "good" siblings Lewis and Alison are invited to go on a fantasy road trip with the Rupes, to serve as companions/babysitters for the Rupes "bad" kids while the parents basically ignore the children, and the rules of the road, and of common decency, and the fact that they're being stalked across the country by actually bad men, and everything else. Includes some nice descriptions of Yellowstone National Park.

Why you shouldn't read this book: It is a little bit silly.