| PICTURE BOOKS |
| Recommended by Hannah P.
This charming story is all about celebrating the beauty in being weird. When Millie moves to the cookie-cutter Garden Glen, her stuffy neighbors don’t approve of her strange and spooky plants. But Millie wants to share the joy of her garden with everyone! Can she show them that things can be unusual and beautiful at the same time? |
| Recommended by Chelsea
This heartfelt picture book is all about finding joy and purpose in every stage of life. Just a few words accompany Long’s detailed illustrations, and readers of all ages will delight at the hopefulness found in these pages. |
| Recommended by Rae Ann
I love the Digger series! In their latest adventure, the big machines are visited by two raccoons who are ready for a rip-roaring good time each evening, making it hard for Digger and the gang to complete their daytime tasks. A sweet display of kindness and thinking of others. |
| INDEPENDENT READERS |
| Recommended by Chloe
Tate goes to summer camp to get better at violin. Eli is a well known violinist who has stage fright. The two meet and navigate this music camp together with some friendly competition. They both aim for first chair and the solo at the big final performance. Will their friendship survive this camp or will the stress of the final performance get to them both? I can’t recommend this sweet graphic novel enough! |
| Recommended by Jordan
If you have never tried reading a novel in verse before, Kashmira Sheth’s I’m From Here Too is a great chance to explore something new and beautiful. Anoop is an 8th grader beginning a new school year and and exploring his identity as a brother, son, friend, student, and an Indian American Sikh boy. The tenets of his faith help him navigate life’s pains and pleasure in this fast-paced but emotional read. |
| Recommended by Hannah P.
I can’t express how much I loved this heartfelt mystery. Told from the perspectives of a forgotten typewriter and a word-obsessed boy searching for his missing mother, this story is brimming with wit, adventure, and emotion. It will stay with you long after you have finished! |
| YOUNG ADULT |
| Recommended by Aly
Mina and Caplan have been friends forever, but as their high school journey comes to a close, is now really the time to see if they could be something more? Daisy Garrison come out of the gate swinging with banter, and heart, and all the future nostalgia of the end of something mixed with the beginning of something else. You have to read this. |
| Recommended by Jordan
Bryce, Beatriz, and Santiago used to be inseparable as children, until high school when Santiago moved away and Bryce and Beatriz started dating. Three years later, Bryce has passed away and Santiago is back to navigate grief, love, and friendship after a heartbreaking loss. Please check the author’s note at the beginning of the book for trigger warnings. |
| CLASSICS & BACKLIST |
| Recommended by Raegyn
Daisy sees dead people, and that’s the least of her problems. She and her mom inherit the “Miracle Mansion,” but there still isn’t enough room for their skeletons. Brittney longs to expose Miracle Mansion for what it is: a lie. After all, how can a mansion be miraculous if dead bodies lurk inside? Delicious Monsters will keep you up at night with the most heinous monsters imaginable: those who hide in plain sight. |
| Recommended by Jenny
When Tana wakes up from a party with a vampire bite, she does the responsible thing and heads to a “coldtown,” a place where the infected are confined. Tana expects danger, but when she meets a strange vampire, the stakes rise. Will she survive the odds stacked against her or will her humanity twist into something else? With dark humor and even darker characters, this book has become a new favorite. |
| Recommended by Rae Ann
Holes is one of my top 10 favorite books of all time! A case of mistaken identity, a search for buried treasure, and courage to help a friend. Put this on your summer reading list today! |
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By Gordon Korman
The July 2024 Spark Book Club pick is Faker by Gordan Korman. Trey’s dad is a con artist. When Trey goes to a new school, his job is to make friends with rich kids so his dad can swindle their parents before the family makes a quick getaway. When Trey gets tired of all the lying, his sister steps in to help. Can Trey convince his father to leave their life of lies and stay in one place so he can make real friends?
Early Sparks for the novel:
“Glitzy glimpses of life on the make, lightened by a focus on alternatives rather than consequences.” – Kirkus
Spark Book Club is the first editions club for middle grade readers. Every month members will receive a first edition middle grade novel — plus a letter written by the author especially for club members. Makes a great gift for the independent reader! Sign ups are available for 3, 6, or 12 months.
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By Chatham Greenfield
The July 2024 ParnassusNext selection is Time and Time Again by Chatham Greenfield. Phoebe Mendel wakes up on August 6th, repeatedly. She’s stuck in a time loop, reliving the same boring day over and over. When Jess, the girl she has a crush on, hits Phoebe with her car, they’re stuck in the time loop together. Phoebe wonders if she’ll ever get out of the time loop and make it to the important appointment she’s been waiting for, or if she wants to stay stuck with Jess on this repeating day.
Early praise for the novel:
“An original twist on a well-grounded romantic storyline.” – Kirkus
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.
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