Everyone at Parnassus goes wild for a good story, canine staff included! Read on for recs from shop dog Roxy and all your favorite booksellers.
| PICTURE BOOKS |
| Recommended by Roxy, shop dog
What do I have in common with Otto? We both like our beds! His friends want to sleep there too. He can’t say no…but it gets crowded! Otto reminded me of the importance of friends and sharing my comfy bed! I will share mine too! |
| Recommended by Jenness
An adorable trio of wombats spend a delightful day meandering through the woods and sharing their love of words with every animal they meet, including an exuberant young duckling. A splendiferous way to broaden any vocabulary! |
| Recommended by Aly
Yesterday is great at remembering the good times. Tomorrow can’t wait for what happens next! But, on their first day of school, they make a new friend who shows them how great it is to live in the moment sometimes. |
| INDEPENDENT READERS |
| Recommended by RJ
A perfect summer murder mystery for young readers, this book follows a young girl forced to summer in Martha’s Vineyard with family friends who seem less and less friendly all the time. With secrets and sharks all around, Kaylani has to discover the truth about her hosts if she ever wants to make it home again. |
| Recommended by Rae Ann
Margot is determined to become a real songwriter. If she does, her dad may come home. When she finds an abandoned synthesizer, she’s sure her songs will sound better with it than her ukulele. But the instrument may be haunted by a pop star from the 1980s! |
| Recommended by Aly
Sofia is tired of being seen as the childish friend at school, especially in front of her crush. In steps the class clown, Holden, who has a lot of money and nothing to lose by helping her out. This book is so cute and funny. Think She’s All That, but for middle school. |
| Recommended by Cheryl
Lottie starts 6th grade at the secondary school without her best friend who moved to Australia. She is gawky with her body, her clothes, her first crush, plus there are the popular girls who are perfect. Funny and cringeworthy! |
| YOUNG ADULT |
| Recommended by Rachel
A sapphic retelling of Swan Lake that bursts from the page with new life! The complex world and magic system worked perfectly with the beautiful prose and slow burn yearning. Whatever A.B. Poranek is doing, I want more of it. |
| Recommended by Chelsea
Albertalli’s wit and humor shine throughout this cinnamon roll of a novel. I particularly loved the chaotic mind of Amelia, who realizes that her romantic feelings may not be for the YouTube famous teen she’s driving to meet but instead her newly-single best friend who is in the passenger seat. Anything by Albertalli is an auto-read for me! |
| CLASSICS & BACKLIST |
| Recommended by Naomi
When six children pass a test and are chosen to go undercover at a special school for gifted students, they soon find that there is more to their mission — and the school — than meets the eye. Full of puzzle solving, inventive solutions, and mind-bending mysteries, fans of Lemony Snicket and Roald Dahl will love this book! |
Sprout Book Club: July SelectionThe July 2025 Sprout Book Club selection is Hazel Is All That by Chad Otis. Hazel is all that. She has things figured out. When she sees a dog in the park, she announces good, bad, sad, and so on. Until she takes a second look and realizes we are all a mix of many emotions. We are all that, and more. Early praise for the book: “A child-friendly affirmation that we all contain multitudes.” – Kirkus Sprout Book Club is the book subscription box for picture book lovers. Every month members will receive a first edition picture book. Set up a subscription for yourself or buy a gift membership for your favorite picture book lover for 3, 6, or 12 months. |
Spark Book Club: July SelectionThe July 2025 Spark Book Club selection is Bubblegum Shoes: The Case of the Contraband Closet by Goldy Moldavsky. When the legendary Contraband Closet at Marlowe Middle School is robbed of all contents, self-appointed investigator Maya Mendoza is on the case. She needs to get out of after-school detention and finding everyone’s confiscated property might be the best way to do it. Early Sparks for the novel: “A witty story full of humor, mystery, and friendship.” – 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. |
ParnassusNext: July SelectionThe July 2025 ParnassusNext selection is The Great Misfortune of Stella Sedgwick by S. Isabelle. Stella Sedgwick is a young black woman in late 19th century England. She wants to be a writer and an independent woman. When a surprise inheritance brings her into London society, she resurrects her mother’s newspaper advice column anonymously in this fun YA historical romance. Early praise for the novel: “Isabelle crafts a compelling lead in Stella; her dissatisfaction with her society’s gender norms chafes against her secret desire to experience true love in this sweeping period romance.” – Publisher’s Weekly 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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