Staff Picks: May 2025 (All Ages!)

Movies | Adult Books | Teen Books | Kids Books

Find out what Denver Public Library staff are reading and watching this month!

Movies

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A woman must come to terms with the death of her 17-year-old son and her past when she seeks out her son's father.

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America, 1976. The last day of school. Bongs blaze, bell-bottoms ring, and rock and roll rocks. Eavesdrop on a group of seniors-to-be and incoming freshman.

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In 2008, during the last month of summer before high school begins, an impressionable 13-year-old Taiwanese-American boy learns what his family can't teach him: how to skate, how to flirt, and how to love your mom.

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A timeless, hopeful and ultimately satisfying love story about two lonely souls' path to happiness--and the numerous hurdles they encounter along the way. Set in contemporary Helsinki

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A brave unicorn and a magician fight an evil king who is obsessed with attempting to capture the world's unicorns.

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Inflicted with a deadly curse, a young warrior named Ashitaka sets out to the forests of the west in search of the cure that will save his life. Once there, he becomes inextricably entangled in a bitter battle that matches Lady Eboshi and a proud clan of humans against the forest's animal gods, who are led by the brave Princess Mononoke, a young woman raised by wolves, who will stop at nothing to prevent the humans from destroying her home and the forest spirits and animals gods who live there.

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At 11:30pm on October 11, 1975, a ferocious troupe of young comedians and writers changed television, and culture, forever. Based on the true story of what happened behind the scenes in the 90 minutes leading up to the first broadcast of Saturday Night Live. Full of humor, chaos, and the magic of a revolution that almost wasn't, we count down the minutes in real time until we hear those famous words.

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A mild mannered man from Iowa travels to San Francisco for a convention and ends up in a screwball situation in which he must recover four identical bags.

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Season One: A thriving high school girls soccer squad is left stranded in the northern wilderness after a plane crashes and descends into savage clans, where survival becomes even more important than the team. Watch every intense episode of the psychological thriller in this 4-disc set, including never-before-seen special features. Season Two: The Yellowjackets barely made it through summer in the woods, but now as winter begins to bite, we'll see hunger and desperation turn into full-on psychosis. While there may or may not be a dark and powerful force inhabiting the wilderness, their survival could depend upon what they choose to believe. Meanwhile, twenty-five years later, each survivor must ask themselves is the darkness coming for them, or is it coming from them?

Adult Books

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You Are Here features fifty previously unpublished poems from some of the nation’s most accomplished poets, including Joy Harjo, Diane Seuss, Rigoberto González, Jericho Brown, Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Paul Tran, and more. Each poem engages with its author’s local landscape—be it the breathtaking variety of flora in a national park, or a lone tree flowering persistently by a bus stop—offering an intimate model of how we relate to the world around us and a beautifully diverse range of voices from across the United States.

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Alkhatib, Rawaan

The first comprehensive cookbook on an ancient superfood and the cultures that revere it. Mesmerizing and art-packed, Hot Date! features 99 mouthwatering, date-centered recipes that are the perfect mix of traditional favorites and inspired new creations.

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Awad, Mona

In her brilliant, hilarious, and at times shocking debut, Mona Awad skewers the body image-obsessed culture that tells women they have no value outside their physical appearance. Brilliant, hilarious, and heartbreaking, 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl introduces a vital new voice in fiction.
 

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Berry, Tamara

Amber Winslow's life has taken a serious turn for the worse. When an impulsive decision forces her to flee her former life carrying nothing but the clothes on her back, she heads to the sunny state of Arizona--and to the luxury accommodations of her grandmother's retirement community. But as soon as she sneaks her things into Seven Ponds--a place she technically doesn't qualify for and definitely can't afford--she finds that her Grandma Jade is about to be arrested for murder. With the help of the other retirees and her grandma's true crime podcast friends, Amber must work to find the real killer.

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Chambers, Becky

Becky Chambers' new series asks: in a world where people have what they want, does having more matter?

 

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Chu, Jeff

A profound meditation on nature, heritage, and belonging, from an accomplished journalist who left New York City for life on a working farm.

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Conover, Ted

From Pulitzer Prize finalist and National Book Critics Circle Award-winning author Ted Conover, a fascinating portrait of a group of Americans living off-grid.

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Dochartaigh, Kerri ní

Cacophony of Bone is an ode to a year, a place, and a love that changed a life; it is a book about home-the deepening of family, the connections that sustain us.

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Doocy, Maiga

From debut author Maiga Doocy comes the charming tale of an impulsive sorcerer and his curmudgeonly rival as they venture deep into a magical forest in search of a counterspell that can break the curse between them—only to discover that magic might not be the only thing pulling them together. 
 

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Feito, Virginia

In Grim Wolds, England, Winifred Notty takes on the role of governess at Ensor House, where she must navigate the twisted dynamics of the dysfunctional Pounds family while suppressing her own violent past; as Christmas approaches, she plans sinister gifts for her charges, revealing her true nature.

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Hoke, Henry

A novel narrated by a queer and hungry mountain lion living in the drought-devastated land beneath the Hollywood sign.

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Jemisin, N. K.

At the end of the world, a woman must hide her secret power and find her kidnapped daughter in this "intricate and extraordinary" Hugo Award winning novel of power, oppression, and revolution. (The New York Times)

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Jimenez, Simon

Two warriors shepherd an ancient god across a broken land to end the tyrannical reign of a royal family in this new epic fantasy from the author of The Vanished Birds.

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Johnson, Micaiah

NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW EDITORS’ CHOICE • An outsider who can travel between worlds discovers a secret that threatens the very fabric of the multiverse in this stunning debut, a powerful examination of identity, privilege, and belonging.
 

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Kawamura, Genki

The postman's days are numbered. Estranged from his family, living alone with only his cat Cabbage to keep him company, he was unprepared for the doctor's diagnosis that he has only months to live. But before he can tackle his bucket list, the Devil appears to make him an offer.

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Kelly, Vanessa

First in a captivating new series, Jane Austen’s Emma Knightley entertains a different role in Highbury—going from clever matchmaker to Regency England’s shrewdest sleuth.
 

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Kuang, R. F.

What’s the harm in a pseudonym? Bestselling sensation Juniper Song is not who she says she is, she didn’t write the book she claims she wrote, and she is most certainly not Asian American—in this chilling and hilariously cutting novel from R.F Kuang, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Babel.

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Kushner, Rachel

Written in short, vaulting sections, Rachel Kushner’s rendition of “noir” is taut and dazzling. Creation Lake is Kushner’s finest achievement yet—a work of high art, high comedy, and unforgettable pleasure.

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Leede, CJ

A provocative and unforgettable debut that is both a blood-soaked love letter to Los Angeles and a gleeful send-up of iconic horror villains.

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Lubchansky, Mattie

A WASHINGTON POST AND NPR BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR • From the award-winning cartoonist and editor at The Nib, a hilarious trans-"final girl" horror graphic novel about a bachelor party gone very, very wrong.
 

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Madievsky, Ruth

Rachel Kushner meets David Lynch in this fever dream of an LA novel about a young woman who commits a drunken act of violence just before her sister vanishes without a trace.

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Millstein, Becca

Take your tinned fish game to the next level with 80 recipes for meals for one, picnics in the park, sunny breakfasts, and more, from the trailblazing brand, Fishwife Tinned Seafood Co.

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Morrison, Toni

In this 1983 short story about race and the relationships that shape us through life, Twyla and Roberta, friends since childhood who are seemingly at opposite ends of every problem as they grow older, cannot deny the deep bond their shared experience has forged between them.

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Murray, Paul

Paul Murray’s exuberantly entertaining new novel, The Bee Sting, is a tour de force: a portrait of postcrash Ireland, a tragicomic family saga, and a dazzling story about the struggle to be good at the end of the world.

 

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Newell, Brittany

A young woman’s madcap search for her missing ex-boyfriend takes her into the sexual underground in Brittany Newell’s savage, tender Soft Core.

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Newman, Catherine

The instant New York Times bestseller from the beloved author of We All Want Impossible Things, a moving, hilarious story of a family summer vacation full of secrets, lunch, and learning to let go.

 

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Patel, Shameez

The game is on for two competitive nerds in this “sweet, swoony, and utterly adorkable” romantic comedy, perfect for fans of Olivia Dade and Jen DeLuca (Jo Watson).
 

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Pedersen, Kailee

In this rich and atmospheric supernatural horror novel comes a groundbreaking new voice to offer a vision into a dark and vengeful mythology rooted in Chinese folklore.
 

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Rabagliati, Michel

An affecting exploration of the ways our roles as parents and children change over a lifetime.

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Randall, Julian

This “inventive, poetic, vulnerable, and sincere” book from an acclaimed author and poet weaves two wrenching personal narratives of recovery and reclamation, spliced with a dazzle of pop-culture (Kirkus).
 

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Sathian, Sanjena

A biting examination of millennial adulthood, the often fraught conversations around fertility and reproduction, and the painful quest to forge an identity.

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Smith, Ian K.

Shows readers the steps they need to take in their 30s, 40s, 50s, and beyond to increase longevity and stave off future illnesses and ailments. By eating the right foods, keeping tabs on the right numbers, moving the right way, and sleeping better, we can slow the hands on the proverbial clock. Since food is medicine, this book will teach you what to eat at every age to prevent life-threatening diseases.

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Sosa, Mia

Crashing the wedding of complete strangers who don't belong together, Solange agrees to be the former groom's pretend girlfriend to make up for her interference, and as they fake date for the benefit of his colleagues, they form an undeniable connection.

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Thomas, Elisabeth

A “delicious literary gothic debut” (New York Times Book Review, Editors’ Choice), set within a secluded, elite university and following a dangerously curious, rebellious undergraduate who uncovers a shocking secret about an exclusive circle of students . . . and the dark truth beneath her school’s promise of prestige.

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Tsukiyama, Gail

From the New York Times bestselling author of Women of the Silk and The Samurai's Garden comes a gorgeous and evocative historical novel about a Japanese-American family set against the backdrop of Hawai’i's sugar plantations.

 

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Weiner, Cynthia

A dazzling debut novel set in 1980s New York, when cocaine is as easy to get as ice cream, about one young woman’s summer of infinite possibility—and looming danger.

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Weston, Gabriel

Intimate, penetrating and original, Alive is about our bodies and bonds, the richness and brevity of existence, and the thread of mortality that connect us all.

 

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White, E. B.

Perceptive, funny, and nostalgic, E. B. White's stroll around Manhattan remains the quintessential love letter to the city, written by one of America's foremost literary figures. The New York Times has named Here is New York one of the ten best books ever written about the metropolis, and The New Yorker calls it "the wittiest essay, and one of the most perceptive, ever done on the city.
 

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Whittall, Zoe

A dazzling debut collection of short stories from bestselling author, Zoe Whittall.

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Yatsuda, Teki

A yakuza enforcer becomes the gang world's biggest K-pop stan in this cult comedy manga that went from webcomic to sleeper hit in Japan! Perfect for fans of Way of the Househusband, Phantom of the Idol, or Spy x Family.
 

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Yŏn, So-min

Yeon Somin's English-language debut about the art of making things by hand in a fast-paced world and the healing power of finding community.

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Zigmont, Jay

For childfree people, the standard rules for financial planning do not apply. THE CHILDFREE GUIDE TO LIFE AND MONEY offers the most comprehensive manual for designing your future without kids, maximizing your time, money, and freedom to live your best life.

Teen Books

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Chhibber, Preeti

This laugh-out-loud debut romance introduces perfectly imperfect Payal Mehta, whose plan to get her longtime crush to finally notice her is destined for success, but only if she ignores her budding feelings for her arch nemesis

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Faizal, Hafsah

Arthie Casimir, a criminal mastermind, transforms her tearoom into an illegal bloodhouse for vampires, but when her establishment is threatened, she forms an unlikely alliance and assembles a misfit crew to infiltrate vampire society and uncovers a world-threatening conspiracy.

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Lim, Elizabeth

The exiled Princess Shiori must unravel the curse that turned her six brothers into cranes, and she is assisted by her spurned betrothed, a capricious dragon, and a paper bird brought to life by her own magic.

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MacGregor, Maya

Follows 17-year-old Will as they struggle with the aftermath of parental abuse and learn to a forge a new life for themself.

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Marie, Racquel

Seventeen-year-old Valentina jeopardizes her future when she gets into an altercation with her rival, Leticia, during a soccer game, so the two girls must co-captain a soccer team to redeem themselves and what starts as a shaky alliance of necessity blossoms into something more.

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Muñoz, Gloria

In a near-future Florida ravaged by climate catastrophe, seventeen-year-old Julieta Villarreal is recruited by a space exploration program for immigrant teens after her twin sister is killed in a car crash.

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Nguyen, Trung Le

Real life isn't a fairytale. But Tié̂n still enjoys reading his favorite stories with his parents from the books he borrows from the local library. It's hard enough trying to communicate with your parents as a kid, but for Tié̂n, he doesn't even have the right words because his parents are struggling with their English. Is there a Vietnamese word for what he's going through? Is there a way to tell them he's gay?

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Ostertag, Molly Knox

High school senior Magdalena Herrera already has adult responsibilities and a deadly secret hidden in the dark of the basement, one that drains her of energy and leaves her bleeding--until the return of her childhood friend, Nessa, forces her to face her secrets.

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Price, Tirzah

Seventeen-year-old aspiring lawyer Lizzie Bennet seeks to solve a murder before her rival Mr. Darcy beats her to it.

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Searle, Sarah Winifred

From the creator of The Greatest Thing, comes a YA graphic novel about a boy dealing with a chronic illness who finds a new friend in a vampire classmate perfect for fans of Vampire Academy.

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Stevenson, ND

In a collection of personal comics that span eight years of her young adult life, author-illustrator Noelle Stevenson charts the highs and lows of being a creative human in the world.

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Tirreno, Lisa

Shy Prince Edmund, gifted with rare magic and burdened by his nation's expectations, finds unexpected love with the Seer Lord Aubrey Ainsley, and together they must overcome war and dark sorcery to save their homeland.

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Wang, Jen

The Prince and the Dressmaker author Jen Wang spins a sensitive narrative about an alienated teen who leaves modern society for the California wilderness to start a new life away from human kind.
 

Kids Books

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Abtahi, Olivia

A sharp and heartfelt picture book about a young soccer-loving girl who's an interpreter for her Spanish-speaking parents.

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Bell, Kamal E.

This vibrantly illustrated book for kids aged 6 to 10 traces a year in the real-life apiary of Sankofa Farms as a father (the author) teaches his young son, Akeem, the basics of beekeeping. Told from Akeem's perspective, Akeem Keeps Bees! begins with the arrival and installation of a package of bees and follows the sequence of beekeeping tasks throughout the year, as Akeem and his dad inspect the hive, find the queen, deal with a swarm, harvest honey, and prepare for winter.

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Chan, Aaron

A young girl goes to all the places her brother Cody and his ex used to go in an attempt to collect the pieces of Cody's broken heart, as she learns how to support a loved one.

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Cuevas, Adrianna

Set in 1950s Texas, Pineda Matlage hides an alien in his family's barn, and with the help of friends and townspeople, tries to reunite her with her family despite the disruptive presence of soldiers using the town for a covert operation to capture and study aliens.

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Eagleton, Ian

Far out to sea and deep below the whispering waves lives a merman called Nen. Nen spends his days exploring his underwater kingdom, but something is missing: his heart is empty. So, Nen ventures to the forbidden world above and it is here that he meets Ernest, a lonely fisherman. But can two people from different worlds be together and what will happen when a terrifying storm gathers? A lyrical, beautiful celebration of love, acceptance and faith, with a gentle message about how we treat our oceans, and each other,

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Fleming, Candace

Author Candace Fleming uses all of her nonfiction tools and storytelling prowess to investigate the enduring mystery surrounding the existence of the Loch Ness Monster. Put on your detective hat and prepare all your investigative tools, because you've been assigned a new case to solve: the mystery of the Loch Ness Monster!

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Gonzales, Chuck

In this thrilling sequel to the heartwarming journey of Carlos Gomez, we dive back into the action with even more zest and charisma!
 

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Hardinge, Frances

When his father is killed unexpectedly, Milo must take over the Ferryman's role and guide his father's spirit on the dangerous journey to the Island of the Broken Tower.

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Holliday, Kit

For fans of My Little Pony, Sparkleton, or guinea pigs in fancy costumes (who isn’t?)—Sparkle Pigs kicks off an impossibly fun new chapter book series, featuring adorably hilarious black-and-white illustrations, about two guinea pigs who discover a magical, glittery world called Piggie-Town right outside their cage.

 

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McKinnon, Kate

Three orphaned siblings become the pupils of the mysterious Professor Millicent Quibb and enter the world of mad science.

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Miedoso, Andres

When supernatural things start happening in the house timid Andres and his parents just moved into, next-door-neighbor Desmond Cole, eight, comes to the rescue.

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Pau Preto, Nicki

Unable to control her powers, twelve-year-old Lavinia finds herself at a last-resort magical school where she teams up with her misfit classmates to save the school from danger.

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Rouanzion, Taylor

New parents invite their baby to express themselves through whatever color feels right to them.

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Salerni, Dianne K.

When twelve-year-old Garnet finally gets to meet her magical extended family she discovers they're all trapped in the ruins of their crumbling manor and Garnet must break a curse that has decimated three generations of Carrefours.

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Savage, Sarah

Benjamin educates his cousin on transitioning and gender identity.

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Sharp, Sid

From the acclaimed author of The Wolf Suit comes another weirdly hilarious, masterfully thought-provoking, and lushly painted early reader graphic novel.

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Thayer, Mike

Seventh grader Tiffany Tudwell tries not to attract attention, but when she gains the ability to steal others' talents, Tiffany suddenly finds herself in the spotlight as she uses her powers to help save her dad's failing planetarium.

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Weatherford, Carole Boston

From scribbling words on the page to spitting rhymes on the mic, a joyful narrator guides readers through the emotions, literary techniques, structures and motifs that help make rap so amazing.

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West, Wallace

In this western reinvention of the classic tale "Cinderella," Cinda participates in a rodeo and wins the attention of the nonbinary rider hosting the competition.

Summaries provided by DPL's catalog unless otherwise noted. Click on each title to view more information.