With an anti-littering message, this slight, eco-aware mermaid myth from Lucas brings awareness to ocean pollution. When some “naughty squirrel sailors” drop their trash overboard, the Ocean—personified with fish-shaped eyes and expressive brows—tosses the detritus back, inadvertently shattering glass, which sinks to the sea floor. After blue-skinned young mermaid Heart at first mistakes the now-frosty glass for a gummy-like comestible, she confusingly dubs the beautiful fragments “Mermaid Candy” while acknowledging “that the clear candied gems, although lovely, had no place in the Ocean.” And when the mermaid’s cove pal Urch becomes sick from a polluted tidal pool, Heart and some merbunny friends undertake a cleanup that sees the shards deposited oceanside for discovery by animalian beachcombers. Closing pages pull the tale together with a muddled takeaway, “Sea glass is a gift from the Ocean,” that reminds beachgoers of possibilities for recycling and reusing. Peppered with images of hearts, stars, and bubbles, watercolor images incorporate photographs of sea glass. Includes tips for finding sea glass. Ages 4–8. (Mar.)

Reviewed on 12/05/2025 | Details & Permalink

Insistent verse by Bauer urges care for Earth as confident artwork from Diao emphasizes the planet’s fragility in this bracing picture book wake-up call. Similes keenly draw out humankind’s oneness with the natural world (“We are as alive,/ as night-sprouting mushrooms,/ as worms gobbling their way/ through the living soil”) even as text simultaneously narrates a story of how humans, with their “big brains” and their “trusted companion./ Fire,” have carelessly wrought destruction. The lines crescendo into an accounting of alarming consequences (“Wildfires kill./ Grasslands become desert./ Oceans die./ Plastics fill land and sea”) before suggesting ways that people can still change course. There’s a sandy tactile quality to soft-contoured digital renderings that aptly match the poem’s cumulative tone, which darkens before eventually brightening. Includes extensive back matter. Ages 4–8. (Mar.)

Reviewed on 12/05/2025 | Details & Permalink

Tentler-Krylov spotlights global eco-innovation in this stimulating set of city profiles. Many examples showcase verdant, plant-filled spaces, such as Milan’s greenery-covered Bosco Verticale towers and Melbourne’s increasingly green-planted laneways. Waterway management unites other instances of environmental design, as in Bangkok, where Centenary Park is “designed so the sloping lawn diverts the floods away from the surrounding streets,” and in Rotterdam, where ocean-bound trash has been repurposed into the foundation of a floating park. Employing watercolor and digital techniques, architectural-sketch-like depictions of the innovations typically present the locale populated by people, portrayed with various skin tones; occasional captions draw particular attention to a place’s unique climate-aware engineering (“Rainwater tanks store and filter rainwater for future use”). The combination of bite-size summaries and delicately stylish artwork make this an ideal launchpad for further exploration. Back matter includes an author’s note. Ages 4–8. (Mar.)

Reviewed on 12/05/2025 | Details & Permalink

Drawing attention to a keystone species, this hopeful, science-led picture book traces the work of human volunteers who look out for “lost” cold-stunned sea turtles. Alternating first-person narration by Becker proceeds step-by-step from the discovery of a turtle beached in winter to its medical care, rehabilitation, and eventual transport back to the wild. At each point, a different person describes their role (“One morning when rivers and lakes shimmer with ice, I welcome the lost turtle into a room full of pools and people”), drawing a connection between the part chelonians play in the larger ecosystem and the efforts of their human protectors (“Turtles have been sustaining the ocean for millions of years. Now it is my turn to sustain the turtles”). Lane’s blurred-edge, digitally finished watercolors luminously fill spreads as they depict the volunteers, portrayed with various skin tones. The effect is a heartening portrait of interspecies care and protection. Back matter includes an author’s note. Ages 3–6. (Mar.)

Reviewed on 12/05/2025 | Details & Permalink

Energetic rhymes describe a youth pursuing dreams of ocean exploration in this buoying story from Fliess and Cooper. During a beach cleanup, an idea hits brown-skinned Greta Green “like a wave”: she’ll make a submarine out of the gathered materials. Construction happens in a flash (“radar, cameras, captain’s chair,/ rudders, periscope”), and the budding eco-explorer is soon “descending, slow and steady.” When the submersible becomes stuck on a wrecked ship housing gold and rare artifacts, Greta donates the find in support of ocean conservation for an ending that’s as fanciful as the rest of the story. With mottled coloring, action-packed animation-style scenes underscore the text’s themes by presenting Greta with alternating expressions of awe and determination as she navigates an ocean teeming with aquatic creatures and found resources. Back matter includes notes about female pioneers of the sea. Ages up to 7. (Mar.)

Reviewed on 12/05/2025 | Details & Permalink

A gay Muslim teen forced to join his school’s soccer team navigates parental pressure, internalized prejudice, and bullying in Saber’s touching debut. Ramin Abbas’s post-graduation plans involve leaving Toronto to attend NYU, where he hopes to explore his sexuality without feeling pressured by his Muslim parents, who insist that Ramin model traditional values. Though Ramin’s realization that the only way to obtain his required PE hours is to play in the last few games of the soccer team’s season initially inspires fear, he’s shocked to find that his teammates, including his crush Fahad, are welcoming, and Ramin’s father is similarly thrilled. Ramin’s stress compounds, however, when teammate Assim witnesses him watching a coming-out video and uses the knowledge to blackmail him into sabotaging the team. As Ramin struggles to reconcile his faith and his sexual identity, he becomes convinced that Fahad is sending him romantic signals, and discovers that his athletic ability isn’t as dire as he feared. But with the championship game approaching, Assim doubles down on his scheme, threatening everything Ramin has worked to gain. Punchy dialogue brightens sensitive portrayals of religious identity and its intersection with queerness, resulting in a fresh and compassionate read. The cast is of South Asian heritage. Ages 14–up. Agent: Daniel Lazar, Writers House. (Mar.)

Reviewed on 12/05/2025 | Details & Permalink

A teen born with a lethal power struggles to live a fulfilling life in debut author Beasi’s action-packed romantic dramedy. Nonbinary 17-year-old Charlie Ford knows more about death than most teens: they can siphon away seconds of a person’s lifespan with a single touch. To keep the people around them safe, including their fraternal twin Sam and transgender best friend Ravi, Charlie keeps their distance and avoids social gatherings. Only Lou, a snarky teen ghost who feeds on the stolen time, knows their secret. When interference from Lou derails Ravi’s attempt to confess his romantic feelings for Charlie, subsequently revealing Lou’s existence, Sam and Ravi refuse to allow Charlie to shut them out. The pair instead join Charlie on a mission to uncover the origins of their deadly gift and stop Lou’s haunting for good. The trio’s search leads them on a road trip from Massachusetts to New York, along which they uncover hidden family legacies and encounter eerie twins with similar powers. Titillating romantic tension between Charlie and Ravi further complicates the group’s perilous journey. Charlie’s first-person narration highlights the protagonist’s emotionally vulnerable and intense persona, while motifs of seeking—and accepting—support freely given imbue this supernatural adventure with tenderness. Charlie and Sam are white; Ravi has brown skin. Ages 14–up. Agent: Lee O’Brien, Looking Glass Literary. (Mar.)

Reviewed on 12/05/2025 | Details & Permalink

Teens seeking a fresh start contend with adolescent pregnancy, financial insecurity, parental absence, and substance reliance in Adjoa’s introspective debut. After placing her baby for adoption, high school junior and poet Jae determines to keep her past private, leaving her mother behind in Atlanta to move into her stern uncle’s house in Delray Beach, Fla. Joining her new school’s poetry club nets Jae promising friendships—and an unwelcome reintroduction to Derek, a popular soccer player she clashed with on her first day. Forced into the club as punishment following a breaking-and-entering incident, Derek is desperate to keep his participation—as well as the reason behind his B&E—secret. In preparation for the club’s upcoming open mic night, Derek and Jae are partnered to search for an event space. Despite their initial reluctance, the pair’s attraction for each other grows with every venue they visit. But their hesitance to share their secrets for fear of social ostracization jeopardizes their relationship. Sharply rendered poems by various characters are interspersed throughout the protagonists’ compelling and unique alternating narration, and Jae and Derek’s electric chemistry leaps off the page. Jae is of Ghanaian heritage; Derek is half Indian and half white. Ages 14–up. Agent: Lindsey Auld, Writers House. (Mar.)

Reviewed on 12/05/2025 | Details & Permalink

A dirigible carrying dangerous cargo crashes, inciting a bid for survival in this swashbuckling fantasy from Reintgen (the Dragonships series). When armed soldiers board the Grand Gesture, young smuggler Pearl tries not to panic about the contraband dragon she and her aunt Hath snuck aboard. If they’re lucky, the men will be too focused on the prisoner they’re transporting—powerful teen wizard and accused murderer Marken—to pay Pearl and Hath any mind. Then the Grand Gesture is blown off course and shipwrecks on an uncharted desert island. Upon discovering that the dragon has escaped her enchanted crate, Hath tells Pearl to keep quiet and hope for a speedy rescue; warning people will just make the two women targets. After the creature starts hunting castaways, however, Pearl pleads with the soldiers to unbind Marken’s magic, reasoning that the wizard’s powers would give them a fighting chance, but the soldiers refuse, forcing Pearl to ponder mutiny. Worldbuilding takes a backseat to breathless pacing and high-stakes action. The lean plot features some seismic twists, and the shy attraction that sparks between Pearl and Marken injects a healthy dose of heart. Characters cue as racially diverse. Ages 14–up. Agent: Kristin Nelson, Nelson Literary. (Mar.)

Reviewed on 12/05/2025 | Details & Permalink

Chong blends family drama, supernatural suspense, and teen angst with Malaysian folklore in this arresting debut. For five years, 18-year-old Caroline Chua has been living in New York City, learning to hone her magical skills. But when her older brother, Aaron, disappears, she is forced to return home to Penang. As the Hungry Ghost Festival—during which spirits become more powerful—approaches, it’s imperative that Aaron is found so that he can take on his duty as Malaysia’s next High Protector. Upon discovering that vengeful ghosts with a grudge against the Chua family have kidnapped Aaron to seize control of the island, Aaron’s rescue becomes Caroline’s top priority. To succeed, she must reconnect with the friends she lost contact with after leaving for N.Y.C., including JJ, her former love interest, who still sets her heart aflutter. An experience of forging one’s own path while managing expectations is sensitively rendered alongside propulsive action sequences, dynamic plot twists, and affecting interpersonal conflict involving forgiveness, friendship, and self-advocacy. Ages 12–up. Agent: Larissa Melo Pienkowski, Azantian Literary. (Mar.)

Reviewed on 12/05/2025 | Details & Permalink