dead parents

Queso, Just in Time

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by Ernesto Cisneros
First sentence: “I’m at the crosswalk leading to school.”
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Release date: March 10, 2026
Review copy provided by the publisher.
Content: There is bullying, and talk of a dead parent. It will be in the Middle Grade (grades 3-5) section of the bookstore.

Quetzalcoatl Castillo – Queso for short – wishes more than anything he could have his dad – who died in an armed robbery – back in his life. He feels alone, he feels unmoored, and he just wants to spend time with his father when he was happy – before he had PTSD, before he was shot and killed. And then, one night, a set of magical circumstances happens, and Queso is sent back to 1985 to see his father when he was 13. Once there, he realizes that his father has ADHD, and isn’t being given what he needs. So, he endeavors to help his dad – and enjoys being his friend – to better his life, and maybe live out his dreams.

On the one hand, this was a silly time travel book where everything is made better and no timelines are irrevocably changed. There was a part of me that expected Queso’s dad to be alive when he went back to the present. (Spoiler: he isn’t.) There are some fun 1980s moments, and I didn’t mind all the references to games and pop culture from that time period. It also was a good reminder how much education has changed in the past 40 years.

On the other hand, I got stuck in the math. I was 13 in 1985. I would have had to have a kid at 40 for my kid to be 13 now. Not implausible, but still. I got mired down in the math of it all. I don’t like it when I can’t figure out the timeline, or it doesn’t work to my satisfaction; I’m unable to let it go to fully get behind the story.

That said, I did end up enjoying the story (even if the ending is a bit… problematic).

Audiobook: The Scorpio Races

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by Maggie Stiefvater
Read by Steve West & Fiona Hardingham
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Or listen at Libro.fm
Content: It’s violent. But, if there’s a kid, say, 11 years old or so, who is interested in dark fairy-type tales, I’d give it to them. It’s in the Young Adult Bestsellers section of the bookstore.

Because this story isn’t this story without the first sentence: “It is the first day of November, and so, today, someone will die.”

I haven’t reread this in a handful of years, but I seem to be on a Stiefvater kick this year (seven of her books and counting!) and I couldn’t pass up the chance to listen to this one. And, like it always is, it’s an excellent story. The narrators did a wonderful job with the story, and I loved being back on Thisby in the thick of things again.

I adore Stiefvater’s work, and this is absolutely no exception.

Winging It

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by Megan Wagner Lloyd and Michelle Mee Nutter
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Review copy provided by the publisher.
Release date: October 21, 2025
Content: There is talk of dead parents and some awkward situations. It will be in the Middle Grade Graphic Novel section.

Luna’s mom died when she was a baby, but she and her dad have always gotten along fine. Except now, her dad’s decided that they need to move across the country from LA to Washington DC to live with her (white) mother’s mother, someone that Luna barely knows and doesn’t have a great opinion of. But, in the months that they are there, Luna not only learns to understand her grandmother, but learns to appreciate her dead mother’s love of nature.

This one was…. nice. I like knowing that there are books out there about change and growing – especially moving and making new friends, which is hard – but I wasn’t really drawn in by Luna and her quest to find a luna moth and understand her mother. Perhaps it’s because it took place over a huge chunk of time – an entire year – but it just didn’t resonate with me.

That doesn’t mean that kids won’t love it.

Audiobook: Problematic Summer Romance

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by Ali Hazelwood
Read by Elizabeth Lamont & Eric Nolan
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Or listen at Libro.fm
Content: There is a lot of swearing, including multiple f-bombs, as well as some pretty detailed on-page sex. It’s in the Romance section of the bookstore.

Maya’s brother Eli and his fiance Rue are getting married in Italy, and everything about this is perfect. Except that Eli’s best friend, Connor, is going to be there. The Connor that Maya has been in love with for three years, and who Connor has very gently, but very firmly, discouraged. See: Connor is 38, and Maya is 23. Connor can’t get over the age difference, so even though they spent years talking daily, and they’re pretty perfectly matched, he won’t give in. Much to Maya’s dismay. She wants nothing more than to be with Connor, his imperfections and all.

First off: the book is, in fact, problematic. I’ve been thinking about it since I finished, and I’m not sure why I couldn’t get over the age gap. It’s the same as in Emma, why is that 21-to-37 age gap okay (I mean, Mr. Knightly literally saw Emma grow up!) and this one is not okay? I was talking to another friend about it, and she pointed out that if we switched the roles – Maya was older, and Connor was the younger one pining and not letting her “no” be final – then it would be really problematic. I don’t know. It could just be the way Hazelwood wrote Maya and Connor – she’s very flirty and aggressive and he is very reserved and protective. Maybe I’m not comfortable with that? (Which, yes, says more about me than the book. Maybe all of this says more about me than the book.)

That said, I adored the narrators on this one. Lamont was fantastic as Maya/the general narrator and though I don’t usually like a duet narration, I liked the way Nolan did the men. Maybe I’m just a sucker for an Irish brogue. So, even with the whole problematic part of it, I did end up enjoying the book. If only because the narrators were just amazing.

Alchemy of Secrets

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by Stephanie Garber
First sentence: “Holland St. James had been counting down the minutes until tonight.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Release date: October 7, 2025
Review copy provided by the publisher.
Content: There are some murders, and talk of deaths and killing, and some mild swearing. It will be in the Science-Fiction/Fantasy section (probably; it’s not really a romance) of the bookstore.

Holland St. James is a PhD student studying folklore and has become interested in these urban tales about the devil making deals with Hollywood actors. Then, one night, she stumbles on one of the tales – the Watch Man – who tells her she has 24 hours left to live, unless she finds the Alchemical Heart and delivers it to the devil. Thus begins a mystery and a “treasure hunt” that takes Holland through old Hollywood and into the past, uncovering truths about her parents’ deaths.

My initial reaction to this was that it’s pretty much exactly like every other one of Garber’s books. It felt like Caraval, just aged up a bit and set in the real world instead of in a fantasy world. There’s a conflicted heroine, trying to do her best; a couple of questionable love interests (though the spice level on this is basically at just kissing); a sister who has questionable motives but also the heroine’s “best interests” in mind; and several twists and turns, some of which were surprising.

It’s not a bad book, it just didn’t floor me the way I was hoping it would.

Audiobook: Return to Sender

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by Vera Brosgol
Read by Michelle H. Lee
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Or listen at Libro.fm
Content: There are some intense moments and it begins with a dead parent. It’s in the Middle Grade (grades 3-5) section of the bookstore.

Oliver has moved a lot in the past year after his dad passed away. He has desperately wanted two things: his own bedroom and to grow up and follow his dad’s dream by opening a restaurant. He gets his first wish when his mom’s great-aunt passes away and leaves the apartment to her. Except there’s something weird in the apartment: A mail slot in the wall that goes nowhere. But, when Oliver slips in an accidental “wish” (for pizza!) and it comes true, he realizes what he’s got: his own personal wish-fulfiller. But, as his wishes get more and more grand, he starts realizing that the consequences of his actions are bigger and bigger.

I’ve enjoyed Brosgol’s graphic novels in the past, and I know she’s a good storyteller, but I didn’t know what to expect out of a prose novel from her. I didn’t need to worry (I didn’t, really): she’s an excellent writer, and this has everything that a middle grade novel needs. It reaches the kids where they are at, it’s funny and fast-paced, and it’s got a huge heart. I loved that at its heart it’s about the butterfly effect – how our actions have consequences, for good or ill – and about the disparity between rich and poor, and how unfair it is that rich people don’t often see the consequences of their actions. There’s a silly villain, there’s action and tension, and it’s just a lot of fun.

This one is good whatever way you read it: in the print version, Brosgol has included illustrations; in the audio version, Lee is an excellent narrator who makes the story that propels the story forward.

I hope many kids find this one, because it’s fantastic.

The World’s Greatest Detective and Her Just Okay Assistant

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by Liza Tully
First sentence: “Aubrey Merrit opened the door.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Review copy provided by the publisher.
Release date: July 8, 2025
Content: There are dead bodies, of course, talk of an affair, and some swearing, including a few f-bombs. It will be in the Mystery section of the bookstore.

Olivia Blunt is a fact-checker but wants something more out of life. So she decides to answer the call and apply to be the assistant of the “world’s greatest detective”, Aubrey Merritt. Merritt is older, cranky, and hard to impress. After weeks of being frustrated, Olivia fields a call that intriuges her: the matriarch of the preeminent Summersworth family has fallen to her death on the eve of her 65th birthday party, and her daughter thinks it’s foul play.

As Merritt and Olivia investigate the case, Olivia is determined to prove herself to her boss, and as the case gets ever more complicated, she’s not entirely sure she can.

On the one hand, this was a fun gender-swapped Sherlock Holmes – a brilliant, cranky, master detective and her not-quite-there-yet assistant. They have a report, but Merritt is always “did you catch this Watson”-ing Olivia. (Including in the end, when Merritt throws Olivia under the bus more than once.) It was cleverly written, and I enjoyed trying to figure out who did it, along with Merritt and Olivia.

My problem was with the ending. Without being spoiler-y, it was trite and leaned into some not-great (and possibly harmful) stereotypes. I’m not entirely sure that ruined the book for me, but it did lower my estimation of it. If this ends up being a series (and I can see it going that direction), I might give the next one a try.

The Trouble with Heroes

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by Kate Messner
First sentence: “If I were a better kid, this story would begin with my seventh-grade diploma.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Content: There is PTSD and the death of a parent. (But not the dog.)

Finn Connelly is angry. So angry that he kicked over the tombstone in the local graveyard of his small town. Except, it turns out that the tombstone was the one of a locally famous mountain hiker. And her daughter offers Finn a deal: hike all 46 of the Adirondack HIgh Peaks, taking her mother’s dog, by Labor Day and she’ll dismiss the charges. Finn doesn’t have a choice: he and his mother can’t afford to replace the tombstone. So, it’s off to the mountains for reparations.

At first it’s not fun – he doesn’t like the “nannies” that have been assigned to accompany him on the hikes, he doesn’t want to wear hiking boots, he doesn’t like the dog…. but as the summer goes on, Finn finds out that maybe nature is healing. And he’s got healing to do – his father was a first responder on 9/11 and died couple years ago during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Finn has yet to process that death. And, maybe, hiking the mountains will help.

This one was absolutely stunning. I loved the verse format – it’s partially because Finn needs to finish an ELA assignment to write 20 poems on heroes – and felt that it helped with the emotional impact of the book. Because this book packs an emotional punch. It’s funny and heartwarming, and yet the grief and loss is palpable. I just hope it’s one of those books that kids will actually like.

Because I loved it.

Audiobook: That Prince is Mine

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by Jayci Lee
Read by Olivia Song
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Or listen at Libro.fm
Content: There is a lot of on-page, somewhat explicit sex as well as swearing, including many f-bombs. It’s in the Romance section of the bookstore.

Emma Yoon only wants two things to be happy: to open her culinary school and to have her godmother, a Korean matchmaker, arrange a marriage for her. She doesn’t believe in love matches – her parents had one that failed spectacularly – and she trusts that her godmother will find someone perfect for her. On the other hand, is Prince Michele Chevalier – the crown prince of some small European country – doesn’t want an arranged marriage, and so he’s in LA as a visiting professor to find someone to fall in love with so he can take her home and live happily ever after.

Of course, they have a meet-cute and of course, they fall in love despite Emma’s misgivings.

It’s a cute enough book, and the narrator does a decent job, but I found it annoying. Mostly because it was so repetitive. Lee lays out at the beginning that Emma doesn’t want a love match, that she needs to use her godmother’s matchmaking services because only Emma can help save her business and that Michele needs to find someone that he’s Compatible with and can Love Forever. That’s all fine and good. The problem is that Lee needs to tell us these facts Every. Single. Chapter. It got really old really fast. And, honestly, while I was entertained by the book, that one issue kind of dampened my enjoyment. I honestly didn’t feel any chemistry between the main characters, and it all just kind of fell flat.

I wanted to enjoy this one a lot more than I actually did, which is too bad.

Bridge to Bat City

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by Ernest Cline
First sentence: “Once upon a time down here in Texas, in part of the Lone Star State known as the Hill Country, hidden at the edge of a rolling green forest, there was this bold old beautiful cave.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Content: Some younger kids might be turned off by the references, though there are illustrations, and it’s not overly long (or dealing with crushes or puberty!). It’s in the Middle Grade (grades 3-5) section of the bookstore. 

To understand the tall tale part of this book, you kind of need to know the history (which Cline helpfully puts in the back of the book).  In 1982, the city of Austin re-did and expanded the Congress Ave bridge, so that it could expand and contract with the weather better. Soon after this, a bunch of Mexican free-tailed bats took up residence, and by 1984, the population had grown to over a million. 

This is Cline’s version of how the bats got there. It involves a girl named Opal Flats, from Lubbock, whose mother dies and whose uncle takes her in at the family farm in the Hill Country outside of Austin. The TV show Austin City Limits plays a role, as does ‘zines, former governor Ann Richards, and Willie Nelson. There’s also a pet armadillo, a flying saucer, and – oh, yeah – Opal can talk to the bats.  

The subtitle of this one is “A mostly true tall tale” and that fits perfectly. Although it’s set in the 1980s and a lot of kids won’t get the music references (who’s Buddy Holly?!), I think it would make a perfect read-aloud. Cline says in the afterward that it’s based on a tall tale he’d tell his kids when they were small, and I think that’s the best way to approach the book. It feels like someone’s telling you a story, and I think it’s meant to be read aloud. It started slow for me, but the more I read, the more I liked it. It’s kind of silly, and it’s definitely over the top (the part where the bats – who also love music – discover ZZ Top, Run DMC, Selena, and Willie Nelson is pretty hilarious). But it’s got a good heart, and in the end, is all about just accepting new things and having an open mind (oh, and corporations are bad). 

You kind of have to love a book like that. Which I did.