Non-Fiction/Travel Memoir: A Walk in the Park: The True Story of a Spectacular Misadventure in the Grand Canyon by Kevin Fedarko

An epic adventure, action-packed survival tale, and a deep spiritual journey, A Walk in the Park gives us an unprecedented glimpse of the crown jewel of America’s iconic landscape framed by ancient rock whose contours are recognized by all, but whose secrets and treasures are known to almost no one, and whose topography encompasses some of the harshest, least explored, most awe-inspiring terrain in the world. This book is perfect for fans of writers like Bill Bryson and Adam Shoalts.

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Biography/True Crime: Liliana’s Invincible Summer: A Sister’s Search for Justice by Cristina Rivera Garza

Winner of a Pulitzer Prize for Memoir or Autobiography, this is a haunting, unforgettable story about a beloved younger sister and the painful memory of her tragic murder, from one of Mexico’s greatest living writers. In the early hours of July 16, 1990, Liliana Rivera Garza was murdered by her abusive ex-boyfriend. A life full of promise and hope, cut tragically short, Liliana’s story instead became subsumed into Mexico’s dark and relentless history of domestic violence. In luminous, poetic prose, Rivera Garza tells a singular yet universally resonant story: that of a spirited, wondrously hopeful young woman who tried to survive in a world of increasingly normalized gendered violence.

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Fiction: Sandwich by Catherine Newman

While on her family’s yearly escape to Cape Cod, Rocky, sandwiched between her half-grown kids and fully aging parents, relives the tenderness and sorrow of a handful of long-ago summers, coming face-to-face with her family’s history and future and accepting she can no longer hide her secrets from the people she loves.

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Fiction: God of the Woods by Liz Moore

When a teenager vanishes from her Adirondack summer camp in 1975, two worlds collide. As a panicked search begins, a thrilling drama unfolds. Chasing down the layered secrets of the Van Laar family and the blue-collar community working in its shadow, Moore’s multi-threaded story invites readers into a rich and gripping dynasty of secrets and second chances.

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Mystery/Thriller: One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware

Harkening to Agatha Christie’s classic And Then There Were None, this high-tension and ingenious thriller follows five couples trapped on a storm-swept island as a killer stalks among them. This latest from best-selling British author, Ruth Ware is perfect for fans of reality tv shows and disaster thrillers.

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Romance: Let the Games Begin by Rufaro Faith Mazarura

Set against a sizzling-hot Greek summer filled with sunshine and souvlaki, Rufaro Faith Mazarura’s Let the Games Begin is a page-turning debut rom-com about two strangers at the top of their game falling in love during a fictional 2024 summer Olympics in Athens.

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Young Adult Novel in Verse: The Lightning Circle by Vikki VanSickle; illustrations by Laura K. Watson

After having her heart broken, 17-year-old Nora Nichols decides to escape her hometown and take a summer job as a counsellor at an all-girls’ camp in the mountains of West Virginia. There, she meets girls and women from all walks of life with their own heartaches and triumphs. But when a letter from home comes bearing unexpected news, Nora finds inner strength in her devastation with the healing power of female friendship. Presented as Nora’s camp journal, including Nora’s sketches of camp life, scraps of letters, and spare poems, The Lightning Circle is an intimate coming-of-age portrait and a great look at summer camp life.

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Juvenile Fiction: There’s a Skunk in my Bunk by Dan Gutman; illustrations by Jim Paillot

School’s out for summer! A.J. can’t wait to spend his days playing video games, watching TV, and forgetting everything he learned during the school year. But when his parents announce they’ve signed him up for sleepaway camp, his great plans slip away right before his eyes. A humorous middle grade story about summer camp perfect for fans of authors like Gordon Korman.

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Juvenile Graphic Novel: Gamerville by Johnnie Christmas

A video gamer’s championship aspirations are dashed when his parents send him to Camp Refresh, where electronics are forbidden and you’re forced to socialize, eat healthy, and spend time outside. Gamerville is a timely and vulnerable exploration of the importance of human connection and what it means to run in a pack, brought to you by award-winning Canadian author Johnnie Christmas.

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Picture Book: Mama’s Library Summers written by Melvina Noel; illustrations by Daria Peoples

Mama takes her two daughters to the library every summer to pick out books about Black people so they can see the struggles, strength, and hope of people who look like them.

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Juvenile Non-fiction: Swimming Toward a Dream: Yusra Mardini’s Incredible Journey from Refugee to Olympic Swimmer written by Reem Faruqi; illustrations by Asma Enayah

Growing up in Damascus, the pool was Yusra Mardini’s happy place. She learned to swim before she could walk. And with swimming came a dream–to compete in the Olympic games. But when war came to Syria, Yusra’s home–and her pool–were no longer safe. Yusra and her sister set out on a harrowing journey, crossing the sea in search of safety. Young readers will dive into this courageous tale of an athlete, refugee, and hero who inspired the world with her resolve to pursue her Olympic dream.

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