The Secret Library

Magoon, Kekla. The Secret Library. 2024. 384p. ISBN 9781536230888.

Since her grandpa's death, eleven-and-a-half-year-old Dally's life has become dull and restricted, with her exacting single mother already preparing her to take over the family business. Craving adventure, Dally uncovers a mysterious envelope her grandpa had left for her, containing a map. This map leads her to an ancient vault—a library of secrets where each book acts as a portal to a specific moment in time. Dally eagerly "checks out" various adventures, including an exhilarating outing with pirates, which soon leads her to delve into her family's hidden history.

As Dally escapes the demands of her present life by visiting this magical library daily, she discovers that the library itself harbors its own secrets and intentions, which could shape her future as profoundly as her mother's meticulous plans. This masterful middle-grade fantasy skillfully blends mystery and adventure, exploring a biracial child's journey to understand her identity alongside the legacy of the past. The narrative is praised for its crackling prose, playful plot twists, and timeless themes, offering a satisfying read that revolves around Dally's pivotal choice between her pre-ordained path and the allure of the unknown.

Poor Girls

Whitfield, Clare. Poor Girls. 2025. 416p. ISBN 9781837930869.

It is 1922 in London. Twenty-year-old Eleanor Mackridge chafes against the limited future society has prescribed for her: serving the upper classes or a conventional marriage. Having experienced the independence and better pay of working in a munitions factory during the war, Eleanor rejects the post-war societal push to put women back "in their place." Her encounter with a member of the infamous female-led Forty Elephants gang opens her eyes to a different path, one of boldness, luxury, and taking what she desires, embodying the belief that men will only let you down. Diamonds are forever.

Eleanor transforms into "Nell" and joins a cell of the Forty Elephants, embracing a life of sophisticated thievery alongside Effie, Lily, and Charlie. Poor Girls vividly exposes the criminal underbelly of 1920s London, offering not a morality tale but an adventure for the willingly wicked."Through richly drawn, albeit fictionalized, characters, the book provides an authentic portrayal of how this real-life gang operated, shedding light on the social and economic constraints faced by women in the 1920s and celebrating the resilience, wit, and complex nature of women who defied societal expectations.

Economics in America: : An Immigrant Economist Explores the Land of Inequality

Deaton, Angus. Economics in America: An Immigrant Economist Explores the Land of Inequality. 2023. 280p. ISBN 9780691247625.

In Economics in America, Nobel Prize-winning economist Angus Deaton offers candid reflections on his profession and his experiences as a naturalized U.S. citizen. Upon immigrating to the United States in the early 1980s, Deaton was struck by both America's strengths and its profound societal inequalities. The book clarifies how economics addresses contemporary issues, from poverty and retirement to healthcare, while weaving in Deaton's personal narrative as an academic navigating this new landscape.

Deaton's witty and incisive reflections delve into the daily lives of economists, sharing both their successes and failures. He provides an insider's account of the Nobel Prize journey that led to his own recognition and critically examines the persistent tensions between economics and politics, questioning whether the field transcends the political biases of its practitioners. Ultimately, Deaton explores the extent to which economists might be accountable for America's increasing despair and rising populism, offering a disarmingly frank critique of his own discipline alongside illuminating observations on his adopted country's policy triumphs and shortcomings.

Fans of economics will enjoy Deaton's descriptions of our society, and will appreciate how he constructs a critique of the current system and ways in which we can improve on wealth building in this country.

How to Eat Well for Adults with ADHD: A Practical, Non-Diet Guide to Feeding Your Body & Mind When You Have ADHD

King, Rebecca. How to Eat Well for Adults with ADHD: A Practical, Non-Diet Guide to Feeding Your Body & Mind When You Have ADHD. 2025. 192p. ISBN 9780760392096.

It can be overwhelming to figure out how to properly nourish your body and mind when you have ADHD. Challenges related to executive function, impulsivity, and dopamine regulation often lead to issues with finding the motivation to cook, remembering to eat, or overeating for stimulation. These struggles can have serious consequences for both physical and mental health. How to Eat Well offers a comprehensive approach to navigating these difficulties by providing practical, shame-free solutions for common problems that adults with ADHD experience regarding food, cooking, and nutrition.

How to Eat Well is not a diet plan, but a solutions-oriented guide rooted in an intuitive eating philosophy. It offers strategies for managing emotional eating, sensory issues, and other common challenges. The guide includes practical ADHD-friendly hacks for shopping, meal-planning, and food prep, as well as simple formulas for creating easy meals and snacks. With 40 delicious and straightforward recipes, this resource aims to help adults with ADHD build a better, thriving relationship with food without shame or pressure.

Fire Escape: How Animals and Plants Survive Wildfires

Stremer, Jessica. Fire Escape: How Animals and Plants Survive Wildfires. 2024. 128p. ISBN 9780823454426.

In a surprising look at an escalating global problem, Fire Escape explores how a variety of seemingly unconnected elements are crucial tools in the fight against wildfires. From using goats and beavers for prevention to deploying drones and parachutes for fighting fires, and even understanding the role of pinecones and beetles in adaptation, humans have come up with innovative and often unexpected ways to tackle this growing threat. The traditional wildfire season has been extended due to factors like droughts and warming weather, making this an urgent matter of life and death for global wildlife.

Fire Escape takes a unique approach to this "hot topic" by focusing on compelling and lesser-known angles. It explores injury rehabilitation efforts for animals caught in fires and examines species that have evolved to use wildfires to their advantage. Furthermore, it highlights practical ways to aid area repopulation after a fire and details the specific animals that actively help to prevent and fight wildfires, offering a fresh perspective on a critical environmental issue.

Bleach, Vol. 10: Tattoo on the Sky

Kubo, Tite. Bleach, Vol. 10: Tattoo on the Sky. 2005. 200p. ISBN 9781421500812. Available in the graphic novels section of the library. 

With the assistance of Kūkaku, whom they met in Bleach, Vol. 9, Ichigo and his companions are now closer to their goal of infiltrating the Soul Society to save Rukia from execution. To successfully execute Kūkaku's plan, Ichigo faces a critical challenge: he must gain control over his immense spiritual energy, a task that comes with the significant risk of causing extensive collateral damage during their entry. This obstacle underscores the difficulty of their mission and the potential consequences of his powerful, yet volatile, abilities.

While Ichigo's team prepares, the Soul Society is far from idle. They have quickly assembled and dispatched a delegation of captains to meet the incoming "unwanted visitors." This formidable welcoming committee is poised to provide the rudest possible reception, setting the stage for a series of intense and dangerous confrontations that Ichigo and his allies must overcome to reach Rukia.

The story continues in Bleach, Vol. 11.

His Face is the Sun

Corpora, Michelle Jabès. His Face is the Sun. Book 1 of the Throne of Khetara series. 2025. 525p. ISBN 9781464224584.

The kingdom of Khetara is simmering with unrest, mirroring the intense heat of the Khamsin winds. When the pharaoh's wife gives birth to not one but three children, she receives help from three strange ladies who each bless a child. The eldest son becomes the crown prince. The middle child, the daughter Sita, becomes a princess becomes a bargaining chip to marry to another kingdom to support Khetara. The youngest son joins the temple. 

Karim, a tomb robber from the Red Lands, spends time with a group called the Jackals. When plundering an ancient tomb, Karim inadvertently awakens an ancient evil, a pharaoh who was stricken from history more than a thousand years ago. Now Karim is on the run, pursued by a malevolent monster. 

Neff is the only child of the local scribe. When she experiences a powerful vision from a goddess, she is noticed by the high priestess and brought back to the capital's temple where she can train. But her visions are very powerful and prove true. She connects with the young prince who now lives in the temple, but she's unaware that other, more sinister magic is at work within the grand temple.

Raetawy is a farmer's daughter who keenly feels the burden of the pharaoh's exploitation of her people and land. Wondering who will dare challenge the pharaoh, Rae finds that she might be the best suited person to do so after all.

The pharaoh's unexplained illness fuels whispers of rebellion, creating a volatile atmosphere throughout the land. Concurrently, a long-forgotten oracle in the quiet desert begins to manifest, unleashing a dark prophecy that intricately connects the destinies of Sita, Neff, Rae, and Karim. With an ancient evil now roaming the land, and with a corrupt and murderous crown prince claiming the throne of Khetara, bloodsheed looms over the land! Can these four strangers discover what prophecy binds them together and save Khetara before it is too late?