BOOK MARKED
“Brave Irene”
by William Steig
Irene Bobbin’s mother, a dressmaker named Mrs.

Bobbin, isn’t feeling well enough to deliver the gown
the duchess plans to wear that evening. So, Irene vol-
unteers to do it for her. But with a mighty snowstorm
brewing, Irene has her work cut out for her. "Brave
Irene" sends readers on a wonderful adventure as she
saves the day.

AGES 9-12
BOOKSHELF: OLENA DUMANCHUK /
ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS
“The Magic in Changing Your Stars”
by Leah Henderson
Ailey Benjamin Lane is a gifted dancer. He knows he
will be the Scarecrow in his school’s production of
“The Wiz.” But after his classmate did better than
him at auditions, Ailey tells his Grampa that he is giv-
ing up dancing. His Grampa tries to keep him from
giving by telling him how he gave up his dreams of tap
dancing even after the unofficial Mayor of Harlem,
Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, gave him a special pair of
tap shoes. Ailey tries on the shoes and is instantly
transported back to Harlem in the 1930s. He meets
the 12-year-old version of his Grampa. Ailey wants to
help his young Granpa face his fears. But what hap-
pens if the past is changed? Will he ever make his way
home? “The Magic in Changing Your Stars” time-
travel adventure shows the importance of believing
in yourself.

“Tidesong” by Wendy Xu
Sophie is a young witch whose magic could use some
improvement. Her mother and grandmother want
her to attend the Royal Magic Academy—the best
magic school—and send Sophie to relatives she’s
never met. These relatives don’t teach Sophie magic,
and her frustration gets the better of her. Sophie
attempts magic on her own, and the spell mixes her
magic with the magic of a water dragon named Lir.

Lir is skilled at magic but is trapped on land and has
no memories of home. Sophie might ace her entrance
exams with Lir’s help, but that means stopping him
from regaining his memories. Can she prove herself
with his help?
“Winterfrost” by Michelle Houts
Bettina is in charge of the house, the farm and baby
Pia when her parents have to leave. With Christmas
around the corner, Bettina doesn’t set out the tradi-
tional bowl of Christmas rice pudding for the nisse.

Bettina doesn’t believe nisse are real, so what harm
would come from forgetting? But nisse are real, and
baby Pia disappears. To find her sister and make
things right, Bettina travels to the miniature world of
these mischievous folk.

AGES 13-19
“Elatsoe” by Darcy Little Badger
Elatsoe is an Apache teen living in an alternate
version of America. The magic and knowledge of
Indigenous and immigrant groups shape it. Elatsoe
can raise the spirits of dead animals and speak with
other spirits. When her cousin dies, his ghost tells
her that he was murdered. As Elatsoe tracks down
the killers with help from her family, her best friend
Jay, and the memory of her great, great, great,
great, great great grandmother, the town’s dark
past presents a bigger mystery to unravel. Will the
secretive townsfolk and a mysterious Doctor stop
her from finding the truth?
“Black Was the Ink”
by Michelle Coles
Malcolm Williams hasn’t been okay for a while. He’s
angry and feels like nothing good ever happens to
teens like him in D.C. With violence in his neighbor-
hood increasing, his mother sends him to his father’s
family farm in Mississippi. Malcolm is not happy.

When his great-aunt tells him that the State is acquir-
ing the farm to widen a highway, he doesn’t care. But
then, one day, he nods off while drawing in the attic
and wakes up looking through the eyes of his ancestor
Cedric Johnson in 1866. As Cedric, Malcolm meets
Hiram Revels, Robert Smalls, and Black leaders who
made American history during the Reconstruction
era. Even after witnessing their bravery, Malcolm is
not convinced. He knows that the gains these states-
men made were almost immediately stripped away.

So why should he try now? Can Cedric’s experiences
help him construct a better future? Or will he resign
himself to resentment and defeat?
“Year of The Reaper”
by Makiia Lucier
Lord Cassia was an engineer’s apprentice on a
mission entrusted by the king. But an ambush by
enemy soldiers leaves him in jail for three years.

When he returns home after the war ends, he finds
that the royal court and their enemies have taken
refuge in his castle. An assassin targets those clos-
est to the queen, and Lord Cassia joins the search
for a killer. He bonds with a talented young historian
named Lena and discovers that the motive for the
attacks is more important than the assassin’s identity.

As they look through the past, they find a secret that
could send the kingdom back into war. 1
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