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BAREFOOT BOOKS SO MANY THINGS

The title says it all: Several hundreds of things are on display here, divided into 17 categories, among them “School Time,” “Sports and Recreation,” and “Household Items.” Each section of this Chilean import contains 30 to 40 items over one or two double-page spreads. Hanisch’s mixed-media depictions are clear, simple, and immensely appealing, each object […]

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WRITTEN IN STARLIGHT

Della Farley embodies the classic fairy-tale heroine of a working-class woman whose dreams stretch far beyond her responsibilities of scrubbing floors and dusting shelves. When she discovers a mysterious book lying in the street, she’s captured by the tale of an intergalactic bounty hunter named Ansel Tulzok. In the next chapter, Ansel himself finds a […]

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DAUGHTERS OF YANGTZE

In 1938, more than 10 years before “the great leader had announced to the world the founding of the new China, the People’s Republic of China,” young sisters Mingyan and Shuyan lead the simple and careless lives that children so often do—until the threat of war draws too close for comfort. When their father, in […]

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MY SALTY MARY

This clever mashup includes actual 18th-century women pirates Mary Read and Anne Bonny, not to mention Blackbeard’s son, Tobias, legendary pirate Calico Jack, and a whole host of captains (Ahab! Crunch! Hook!). Woebegone mermaid Mary falls in love with a boy she rescues and becomes human to be with him. Alas, he turns out to […]

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FOUND

In humanity’s space-colonizing future, would-be Mars settler Michelle Arensen tries to put the suicide of her father behind her, working with her husband and brother to build a lasting Red Planet base. Suddenly, a bizarre phenomenon engulfs Michelle and other women on the expedition who find themselves held prisoner by faceless, noncommunicative humanoids. After a […]

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PARTISAN NATION

Noted political scientists Pierson, author of Winner-Take-All Politics, and Schickler, author of Racial Realignment, draw on their extensive scholarship to examine various periods of American history during which polarization was particularly virulent, yet held largely in check until the 1960s by the regional diversity of political mechanisms and institutions of state political parties, media, and […]

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COURAGE, EVERY DAY

Tomorrow marks a momentous occasion for an East Asian–presenting child with pale skin and straight black hair: a musical performance in front of a crowd of people. “But there are thousands of butterflies fluttering in my tummy,” the child tells us. White-outlined butterflies surround the youngster. “I believe in you,” Papa says as he hands […]

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DEADLY CHOICE

Patricia is a middle-aged, single mother whose newlywed only daughter, Ashley, died after being denied a medically necessary abortion. Ashley’s husband, David, is suing Ashley’s doctor, the hospital, and the hospital’s lawyer, Brenda Phillips, who plans to run for office on a conservative, pro-life platform. Patricia plans a more drastic action: murder. But when she […]

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NAUGHTY NOEL NO, NO, NO!

Grandma Patsy adopts a “fluffy white kitten with big blue eyes” from an animal shelter near her Florida home. It’s almost Christmas, so she names the kitten “Noel.” The two become great friends, and Grandma Patsy gives him food, treats, and lots of cuddling—but Noel wants to find other furry companions. He meets his neighbor […]

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BOG MYRTLE

Living together in a drafty house, pale-skinned siblings Beatrice and Magnolia are opposites in many ways. Short, wide Beatrice is happy and curious, whereas lanky Magnolia is cranky and tyrannical. One day Beatrice ventures into the nearby forest and meets Bog Myrtle, a giant, gray-skinned spider woman who’s deeply committed to protecting the forest and […]