“I was captivated by this story when my 5th-grade teacher read it to our class during our lunch hour. As a shy 10-year-old, I was drawn to Meg and all that she could do when she trusted herself.” – Cheryl, Circulation

Travel through space and time with Meg Murry, an awkward high school teen, her outcast younger brother, Charles Wallace, and their friend, Calvin O’Keefe as they face evil forces while trying to rescue her scientist father, who is being held prisoner on a newly discovered planet. Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which are there to assist Meg, but, ultimately, she will need to rely on her own abilities to save her father, her brother, and herself.

“I absolutely loved listening to Van Ness’ audiobook. I could not get enough of him in the series, Queer Eye. His joy for life just radiates and his quippy lines stick with you. I am really just amazed by his ability to turn his pain into passion. With humor and inspiration, his story is a must-listen!” – Kira, Adult & Teen Services

Van Ness, one of the stars in the Netflix series “Queer Eye” shares his story of how he transformed pain into strength. Through years of endured trauma and abuse, he turned his story around to inspire and inform others about the true meaning of self-love.

“I loved how layered and complex the characters and relationships are.  This short book packs a powerful punch, taking readers on a funny, weird, and poignant ride!” – Van, Adult & Teen Services

Lillian, who has no experience taking care of children, is called upon by a former roommate to take care of twin ten-year-olds for the summer. The kids are easily bored, perpetually hungry, and happen to burst into flames when they get upset.

“This book is fun, action-packed, filled with adventure, sweet, and a little creepy…just like middle-grade boys. Perfect for those of us who still get worried about those monsters under the bed.” – Gracie, Kids Room

Clark just finished 4th Grade but he still sleeps with stuffed animals every night, a lot of them, and always arranged in a particular way. He thinks of them as his protectors and as it turns out…he’s absolutely right. His MDA (monster defense army) comes into play in a big way after a mysterious package arrives for his father. It’s all up to Clark to protect his dad despite his mom’s attempt to break him of his stuffed animal obsession.

“Amos! And Avasarala. The characters are all pretty great; nobody is perfect and they all have their own personal issues. The series (books 1-8 so far) is sort of like a space-based A Song of Ice and Fire (George R. R. Martin), with the chapters following different characters – but don’t worry, the books are released at a much quicker pace. If you enjoy TV adaptations, we’ve been enjoying that as well.” – DGPL Staff

It’s the space-future, and the human residents of Earth, Mars, and The Belt in space are totally at odds with each other. Then things take a hard turn for the even-worse, as some sort of unimaginable and terrifying alien weirdness is re-awoken. And the humans STILL can’t get along.

“The perfect light-romantic read for nerdy Renaissance Faire fans. Simon is your everyday English teacher hero who is very much the guy next door, and Emily is a lovely relatable heroine.” – Joy, Adult & Teen Services

Emily is just in town to take care of her older sister who’s a single mom recovering from a car accident when she gets wrangled into volunteering for the local Renaissance Faire with her 14-year-old niece. Local English teacher Simon is the grumpy leader of the troupe, who dresses up as a pirate to Emily’s tavern wench character. Hilarious in-character flirty dialogue ensues.

“With a strong female protagonist and great character development, this book reminded me of Outlander. I’m not normally a fan of fantasy, so I didn’t think I would like the book, but I ended up loving it.” – Amy, Adult & Teen Services/Kids Room

The main character is an auto mechanic who also happens to be a shapeshifter. Other characters include werewolves, vampires, witches, and gremlins

“An absolutely fascinating look at why it’s so difficult to know the ‘other’” – Julie, Administration

Why are we so bad at making sense of the words and actions of people we don’t know? Malcolm Gladwell has a well-researched, engrossing answer that includes scientific studies and historical events that illustrate the tools and strategies we use to understand strangers – and why they don’t work. More like a well-produced podcast than a traditional audiobook, it includes a theme song, interviews with scientists and researchers, and recordings of events.

“I love Nancy Bilyeau’s ability to show a beautiful story, peppered with a few thrills that keep the reader guessing until the last few pages. Her evocative setting of early 20th century New York is a perfect escapist read!” – Joy, Adult & Teen Services

Peggy Battenberg is more known for her famous last name than for her love of books and independent streak. Born into a high society New York family at the beginning of the 20th century, Peggy falls in love with a humble artist, but her family may behind the mysterious murders that keep happening at the new amusement park of Coney Island, attempting to drive her and her lover apart.

“I happened upon this book, thought “well, this looks weird”, and set it aside to look at later. It turns out that the entire thing is a brain game, and I love puzzles! It’s clever and unique and totally new to me, and the code even follows a format similar to actual Chinese writing.” – DGPL Staff

At first glance, this book is filled with fancy Chinese calligraphy strangely accompanied by artistic images of traditionally American themes (baseball games, apple trees, and cowboys?). But look closer, and it turns out it’s all written in code, and in English!

“This book was recommended to me by one of our patrons, and it was fantastic. The author does an excellent job of creating real characters in this very timely story about immigration. This book is a hidden gem.” – Nancy, Adult & Teen Services 

Solimar is an undocumented Mexican immigrant who crosses the border and arrives in Berkeley, California exhausted and pregnant. Kavya is an American living a comfortable life in Berkeley who struggles to get pregnant. Their lives intersect when Solimar is placed in immigrant detention and Solimar’s son is placed in Kavya’s care.

“Very engaging book from the start with two very well developed characters” – DGPL Staff

An amazing story of two very different 5th grade girls during the Chernobyl Power Station Disaster and how that one night changed their lives forever. The book also covers part of the grandmother’s life during WWII.

“The tagline sold me immediately, “Mix between Lord of the Rings and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” Don’t let the horrible cover keep you away from this fantasy series.” – Traci, Kids Room

Magiere and her partner, the half-elf Leesil, are ready to hang up their weapons and settle down in a place they can finally call home. But their newfound peace will not last—for Magiere has come to the attention of a trio of powerful and dangerous vampires who know her true identity and they will stop at nothing to keep Magiere from fulfilling her destiny.

“This book has unicorns and rainbows, both literally and figuratively. Not only is this book fun and super cute, but it also has a wonderful message about love and acceptance. Just thinking about this book makes me want to read it all over again!” – Van, Adult & Teen Services

An adorable unicorn named Kelp is born to a family of narwhals.

“The illustrations are beautiful!” – Traci, Kids Room 

Gorgeously illustrated picture book put to the lyrics of “With a Little Help from My Friends.”