Need something new to read? Some new and recent releases from Scholastic will surely fit the bill. From picture books to Young Adult, these titles have each earned starred reviews! Check 'em out:
Shadowshaper by Daniel José Older (third starred review!): In Older’s (Half-Resurrection Blues) YA debut, Sierra Santiago is from Bedford-Stuyvesant, parties in Park Slope, and crashes Columbia University with ease. Sierra’s roots in her neighborhood are three generations deep, but no part of the city is alien to her…What follows is a well-executed plot of the exceptional child with a mysterious history standing forth to save her world, aided by a similarly gifted romantic interest. What makes Older’s story exceptional is the way Sierra belongs in her world, grounded in family, friends, and an awareness of both history and change…Sierra’s masterful adaptability is most apparent in her language, which moves among English and Spanish, salsa and rap, formality and familiarity with an effortlessness that simultaneously demonstrates Older’s mastery of his medium. Out June 30! --Publishers Weekly
I Am Princess X by Cherie Priest and illustrated by Kali Ciesemier (third starred review!): Back in fifth grade, best friends May and Libby created Princess X, a katana-wielding heroine who wears Converse sneakers with her ball gown. Ever since Libby and her mother died in a freak accident, May’s life has been as gray as her Seattle home—until the 16-year-old spots a Princess X sticker in a store window, leading her to a Princess X webcomic that suggests that Libby might still be alive…Fresh and contemporary, this hybrid novel/comic packs a lot of plot in a relatively short book, but its strongest suit may be Priest’s keen understanding of the chasmic gap between the way teens and adults engage in the landscape of the Internet. Coming May 26! --Publishers Weekly
Pepper & Poe by Frann Preston-Gannon: Life is good for Pepper, the household's only cat, until Poe arrives—now nothing will be the same, as the new siblings navigate toys, space, and ultimately, friendship…Digital illustrations capture the warmth and texture of hand-painted collage. Like Leo Lionni, the artist uses negative space to bring her expressive and appealing characters into focus—their emotions, desires, and intentions. Preston-Gannon perfectly depicts a young sibling relationship, with respect, wit, and empathy for both sides. True to her subjects, the ending is as hilarious as it is heartwarming, and it will leave readers clamoring for more. A sparkling addition to the new-sibling bookshelf. Coming July 28! --Kirkus Reviews
Shadow of the Wolf by Tim Hall: This dark, supernatural imagining of Robin Hood opens with instructions to disregard everything the reader knows about the prince of thieves…In Hall’s account of this legendary couple, Robin Loxley and Marian Delbosque run afoul of the Sheriff of Nottingham, who pursues their ruin with a single-mindedness that results in Robin’s blindness and Marian’s facility with poison. Surrounded by vivid characters, human and other, Robin and Marian begin to execute a plot for the Sheriff’s demise, both out of revenge and to gain freedom from his persecution. Readers must discard their preconceptions to embrace Hall’s tormented, half-human Robin and his sorceress lady love, but the sacrifice admits them into a richly constructed Medieval world that is both real enough to conjure the sounds of birds and smell of wood fires, and at other times mystical in the extreme... Coming May 26! --Booklist
The Princess and the Pony by Kate Beaton (fourth starred review!): Princess Pinecone may be the smallest warrior, but that doesn’t stop her from wanting to be a champion! Her birthday is approaching, and this year she wants a horse perfect for riding into the upcoming battle. What she gets instead of stately steed, however, is a short, fat, cross-eyed pony who farts too much…Beaton’s offbeat, colorful cartoon style makes great use of expressive brows, exaggerated figures, and huge eyeballs for maximum cuteness, and she stuffs each spread with hilarious details. Little ones will surely empathize with Pinecone’s aspirations to be big and powerful, but it’s Beaton’s expert comedic timing that will rein them in for the long haul. The perfect combination of heartwarming and hilarious. Coming June 30! --Booklist
