New Releases

New Releases

Posted onAuthorK. Imani Tennyson

A lovely variety of new releases this week. We have a sequel to a fun fantasy, a book of poetry, and a collection of stories of resistance and change which is what we need right now.

Illustrated cover that shows a young brown skinned person in purple shorts and a hot pink short sleeved shirt kneeling with one knee on the ground and a hand up near their mouth as if they are yelling the title which is in large letters out in front of them. Their other hand is resting on their thigh and has a large star covering the fingers.Make Good Trouble: Discover Movements That Sparked Change by Jamia Wilson, illustrated by Devon Blow & Ashley Lukashevsky
DK

Read real stories about moments that changed history, and find out what you can do to make a difference!

“Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year, it is the struggle of a lifetime. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble.”
– John Lewis, Twitter 2018

Inspired by civil rights activist and congressman John Lewis’s call to challenge injustice, explore famous moments of global activism throughout history with more than 70 narrative stories.

A young woman with glowing green eyes and a hibiscus behind here ear is featured on this cover. There is a snake rising up from behind her neck under her long dark hair.A Touch of Blood (Venom #2) by Sajni Patel
Rick Riordan Presents

Read the Persephone myth like never before in this companion to A Drop of Venom by Sajni Patel, where Greek mythology meets Indian lore.

Gods are made, not born.

Before Manisha, the youngest of three sisters, was sent to hide on the floating mountain, her eldest sister, Eshani, made a deal with the shades. In order to save her people in the midst of a tragic war, she exchanged her life for theirs. Now, years later, the shades claim their due, dragging Eshani into the Nightmare Realm where she must find the Gatekeeper to fulfill her end of the bargain.

Nothing is as it seems in a land filled with ravenous monsters, ghoulish residents, and a river full of the dead. But most terrifying of all is the Shadow King, who intends to use Eshani to obtain immortality. As it turns out, Eshani—nicknamed “little goddess of spring”—is the key to fulfilling the Nightmare Realm’s prophecy. There’s only one person who can help Eshani escape, and he has his own problems.

Hiran has spent most of his life hiding, but destiny beckons, and he can no longer resist the call of the realm. But how can a stowaway, long thought to be dead, save an entire world?

Nothing will stop the Nightmare Realm from getting what it wants. Except maybe a king in the making and a goddess rising.

Cover for KNUCKLEHEAD. A Black boy with short hair sits in a metal folding chair with his back to the viewer. He has a backpack on the ground beside him, and the bottom of the cover is washed in blue. The cover looks like it is ripped so that it cuts off the top of his head. The rip reveals a white page with multicolored scribbles all over it, including black scribbles where the top of the boy's head should be. The handwritten title is centered above him, with the first e inserted, as if to correct the spelling.Knucklehead by Tony Keith Jr.
Quill Tree Books

dear Knucklehead,
perhaps you are like me:
always figuring out if your soul and your skin
are thick enough to protect your body from sticky stones
thrown from the mouths of those who know
that spoken words have the power to spit out freedom
and break-in bones. 
While society often assigns the label “knucklehead” to kids with attitude problems, this brilliant and electric poetry collection by spoken word poet and hip-hop educator Tony Keith Jr. subverts that narrow way of thinking and empathizes with young people who are misunderstood and unheard.
There are poems about the power of language to transcend the racist and homophobic constructs of a society prejudging Black boys. There are poems that serve as a salve for a world that inflicts hurt, poems that offer a beacon of hope for the curious and questioning, and poems that transform the way people love Black gay boys and men.
This is a journey of self-discovery through history, family, friendship, and falling in love. Knucklehead is a breathtaking work, full of black-and-white illustrations and unforgettable poetry that will heal, provoke, and inspire