Giraffe Is Too Tall for This Book

As a tall person whose head has been cut out of more than one photo, I loved this fun story of Giraffe’s friends working together to make sure everyone is included (and in frame!).

How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney?

Barnett’s words and Klassen’s art are the perfect pair, and readers will delight in fresh Santa speculation. My favorite illustration is Santa washing his laundry while the cat peers on. This is an instant holiday classic that will capture the hearts of kids (and adults) for a long time.

The King Penguin

Percival (a King Penguin) is tired of his subjects (other penguins) constantly questioning his rightful rule. He decides to seek out other animals to rule over, but quickly finds out that many of them would rather just eat him. Featuring everyone’s favorite flightless bird and a great story about discovering community, The King Penguin is a delight.

The Apartment House on Poppy Hill

This delightful chapter book features a curious apartment home, a precocious 9-year-old, and a whimsical bunch of neighbors. Parents and young readers alike will love this charming story!

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Chalice of the Gods

This book is a wonderful return to form to what made the first five Percy Jackson books so great. This book has all the spirit of the adventure book that you’d expect from Rick Riordan, and most of it takes place locally in Manhattan.

The Puppets of Spelhorst

As always, Kate DiCamillo has written another must read for ALL ages!! Puppets of Spelhorst follows a troupe of five puppets who face the darkest parts of life together and come out on the other side. Their story holds core truths that will connect with all readers and sweep them away on an epic and hopeful adventure.

Artifice

The daughter of an artist attempts to learn the secrets of an art forger to create a painting that could save innocent lives in this compelling WW2 story.

A Curse for True Love (Once Upon a Broken Heart #3)

The last installment on the Once Upon a Broken Heart series, Evangeline Fox returns, but her memories have not. Does she trust the dashing Prince Apollo or the mysterious Archer? Full of fantastical twists and turns, this is a fast and fun read.

Bittersweet in the Hollow

Small West Virginia community has murders past and present that relate to a Mothman folk story. Add four sisters with witchlike powers and you have a darn good tale.

I Loved You in Another Life

This book is a lyrical love story across the ages.

Check & Mate

If you binged The Queen’s Gambit on Netflix, Check & Mate is a must-read. Ali Hazelwood’s YA debut is cheeky, empowering, and not to be missed!

What the River Knows: A Novel 

I love mysteries, Egypt and Inez. After hearing of her parents’ death and her inheritance of their fortune, Inez travels to Egypt alone to find out what happened. Witty and independent, she sets her own path, evident in ongoing banter with her uncle’s assistant. In Cairo, she realizes the complexity: a larger game means her life is in danger. A magical ring from her father sends her down mysterious paths.

By Any Other Name

A teen actor out of his job teams up with a wealthy stranger to solve a murder. The twist? It’s set in Shakespearean England, plus there’s pirates and traitors and Queen Elizabeth I. This is historical fiction at its finest, and I loved every minute of it. If you loved The Song of Achilles or Anatomy, make this your next read.

The Fall of Whit Rivera

After a challenging summer and a diagnosis of PCOS, Whit Rivera is looking forward to fall, her favorite season. When she’s assigned to plan the school’s Fall Fest with her nemesis Zay, Whit has doubts about the entire season not being a disaster. This book beautifully tackles themes of chronic illness, fatphobia, sexuality, and class. It will also have you laughing out loud!

The Rosewood Hunt

This debut YA novel is a fast-paced treasure hunt. Following her grandmother’s death and the reading of her will, Lily and her friends are left cryptic messages that lead them all over town even as they are hunted. Treasure maps must be pieced together alongside characters that must be as well. Broken relationships are mended as clues lead the friends to the solution. I couldn’t stop until I finished it.

The War That Saved My Life

Ada has never left her London apartment. When her brother is sent away to safety during the war, he carries her with him. They find a new life in the country where they learn to ride horses, and watch for spies. Pick up the sequel, too!

The Naturals

The Naturals centers around a group of teenagers with a unique skill set that helps the FBI solve cold cases in an elite school that is reminiscent of the X-Men School for Mutants . It it felt like a mashup of Dexter and X-Men and I literally could not put it down.

Sprout Book Club: November Selection

Wintergarden

Spark Book Club: November Selection

Jawbreaker

ParnassusNext: November Selection

What the River Knows: A Novel

ParnassusNext is the book subscription box for YA lovers. Every member of ParnassusNext receives a first edition hardcover of each month’s selected book, signed by the author. There is no membership fee to join — and no line to stand in for the autograph. Not only will you have one of the best YA books of the month when it comes out, you’ll have it straight from the author’s hands, with an original, authentic signature! Set up a subscription for yourself or buy a gift membership for your favorite YA reader for 3, 6, or 12 months.