
Our collection of picture books featuring Black and Indigenous Peoples and People of Color (BIPOC) is available to the public.
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Rick Riordan Presents: It Waits in the Forest
“Unlike the other residents of the small Caribbean Island of St. Virgil, Selina DaSilva does not believe in magic. With a logical mind and a knack for botany, Selina used to dream of leaving the island to study Pharmacology—until a vicious, unsolved attack left her father dead and her mother in a coma. Now her guilt over her mother’s condition keeps her tethered to the island, relegated to conning gullible tourists with useless talismans and phony protection rituals. But when one of those tourists ends up at the center of a string of strange murders, the truth that Selina has been denying can no longer be avoided: there is evil lurking in the forests that surround St. Virgil. Another thing that can’t be avoided? Selina’s ex-boyfriend Gabriel, newly employed at the local newspaper and eager to put his investigative skills to use. Desperate to put an end to the killings and claim justice for Selina’s family, these two former lovers race to find answers. But evil bides its time. And as long-buried feelings and long-hidden secrets about Selina’s family’s past begin to reveal themselves, only one answer remains—and it waits in the forest.” — publisher

A Crane Among Wolves
“To save her sister, a teen girl becomes entangled in a political conspiracy with an enigmatic prince in this fiery new YA novel from the bestselling author of The Red Palace. Joseon (Korea), 1506. The people suffer under the reign of the tyrant King Yeonsan, powerless to stop him from kidnapping and abusing women and girls. Iseul has lived a sheltered life. When her sister becomes the king’s latest prey, Iseul leaves her village in hopes of stealing her sister back. But the king’s power is absolute, and to challenge his rule is certain death. Prince Daehyun lives in the shadow of his despicable half brother, the king, and aches to find a way to dethrone the king once and for all. When staging a coup, failure is fatal, and he’ll need help to pull it off—but there’s no way to know whom he can trust. When Iseul’s and Daehyun’s fates collide, their contempt for each other is transcended only by their mutual hate for the king.” — publisher

Forest Fighter: The Story of Chico Mendes
“Chico Mendes lived in the depths of the Amazon rainforest where trees grew tall and strong and wildlife roamed freely. From the age of 8, Chico worked with his father collecting sap from trees that could be sold to make rubber. Rubber tappers were very poor and the rainforest was increasingly being destroyed by burning and logging, threatening their livelihoods. Chico knew he had to take a stand. He became a spokesperson for the community, fighting hard to preserve the Amazon rainforest, and speaking up for the rights of other rubber tappers. He won several international awards for his campaigns, but the loggers still wouldn’t stop. At the age of 44, Chico was murdered by one of the loggers.” — publisher

We Deserve Monuments
“What’s more important? Knowing the truth or keeping the peace? Seventeen-year-old Avery Anderson is convinced her senior year is ruined when she’s uprooted from her life in DC and forced into the hostile home of her terminally ill grandmother, Mama Letty. The tension between Avery’s mom and Mama Letty makes for a frosty arrival and unearths past drama they refuse to talk about. Every time Avery tries to look deeper, she’s turned away, leaving her desperate to learn the secrets that split her family in two. While tempers flare in her avoidant family, Avery finds friendship in unexpected places: in Simone Cole, her captivating next-door neighbor, and Jade Oliver, daughter of the town’s most prominent family—whose mother’s murder remains unsolved. As the three girls grow closer—Avery and Simone’s friendship blossoming into romance—the sharp-edged opinions of their small southern town begin to hint at something insidious underneath. The racist history of Bardell, Georgia is rooted in Avery’s family in ways she can’t even imagine. With Mama Letty’s health dwindling every day, Avery must decide if digging for the truth is worth toppling the delicate relationships she’s built in Bardell—or if some things are better left buried.” — publisher

The Getaway
“Jay is living his best life at Karloff Country, one of the world’s most famous resorts. He’s got his family, his crew, and an incredible after-school job at the property’s main theme park. Life isn’t so great for the rest of the world, but when people come here to vacation, it’s to get away from all that. As things outside get worse, trouble starts seeping into Karloff. First, Jay’s friend Connie and her family disappear in the middle of the night and no one will talk about it. Then the richest and most powerful families start arriving, only… they aren’t leaving. Unknown to the employees, the resort has been selling shares in an end-of-the-world oasis. The best of the best at the end of days. And in order to deliver the top-notch customer service the wealthy clientele paid for, the employees will be at their total beck and call. Whether they like it or not. Yet Karloff Country didn’t count on Jay and his crew–and just how far they’ll go to find out the truth and save themselves. But what’s more dangerous: the monster you know in your home or the unknown nightmare outside the walls?” — publisher

I Am Not Alone
Alberto’s life isn’t easy: He’s an undocumented immigrant from Mexico who lives with his sister’s abusive boyfriend—but he’d always accepted his place in the world. Until he starts hearing the voice of a man called Captain America, a voice that wants him to achieve more, no matter the cost. Grace has it all: She has a supportive boyfriend, she’s on track to be valedictorian, and she’s sure to go to the college of her dreams. Still, nothing feels right to her any more after the divorce of her parents, and feels she needs something more. When Alberto and Grace meet, they have an immediate and electric connection. But when Alberto is present at the scene of a terrible crime, he becomes a suspect. And with his developing schizophrenia, he’s not even sure he believes in his own innocence. Can Grace find a way to prove Alberto’s innocence to himself and the world?

Going Dark
A white-knuckle YA thriller about a beautiful young influencer who vanishes after going on vacation with her boyfriend. Told through a mixture of social media posts, diary entries, and firsthand accounts, Going Dark is a gripping, suspenseful thriller about all the missing girls who fall off the radar, perfect for true crime fans.

Somewhere in the Deep
“Krescent Dune is buried under the weight of her dead parents’ debt and the ruinous legacy they left behind. The only way she can earn enough money to escape her unforgiving island is by fighting monstrous amphibians in underground fighting pits. She’s never lost a match, until now. Desperate, Krescent is offered a deal. Her debts will be erased if she joins a hunting party for a dangerous rescue mission deep beneath the island. With no other choice, Krescent is forced to play nice as the group’s bodyguard, even though every step that brings them deeper underground means she must face the terrifying truth that she is trapped with her childhood enemy and people who would gladly kill her if they knew who her parents were. As the group journeys down beyond where their maps end with creatures never seen before, Krescent begins to suspect there’s more to their rescue mission than first meets the eye. Soon enough, they are abandoned in the deep dark underground, with only monsters seen and unseen for company.” — publisher

Wild Poppies
“Since the passing of their father, Oscar has tried—and in his little brother Sufyan’s eyes, failed—to be the man of his family of Syrian refugees. As Oscar waits in line for rations, longing for the books he left behind when his family fled their home, Sufyan explores more nontraditional methods to provide for his family. Ignoring his brother’s warnings, Sufyan gets more and more involved with a group that provides him with big rewards for doing seemingly inconsequential tasks. When the group abruptly gets more intense—taking Sufyan and other boys away from their families, teaching them how to shoot guns—Sufyan realizes his brother is right. But is it too late for Sufyan to get out of this? It’s left to the bookish Oscar to rescue his brother and reunite his family. He will have to take charge and be brave in ways he has never dared to before.” — publisher