“A haunting meditation on family, grief, migration, trauma, and survival, Wandering Souls is a gorgeous tribute to Vietnamese refugees and the healing power of storytelling. Poetic, harrowing, and hopeful.”
- Alyssa Raymond, Copper Dog Books, Beverly, MA
An Indies Introduce Winter / Spring 2023 Pick
“An enthralling, kaleidoscopic, and bold vision of girlhood unlike anything I’ve read before. With exhilarating lyricism, a unique ‘we’ perspective, and an atmospheric blend of longing, humor, vulnerability, and beauty, Brutes kept me spellbound from start to finish.”
- Alyssa Raymond, Copper Dog Books, Beverly, MA
An Indies Introduce Winter / Spring 2023 Pick
“The Survivalists tackles our divisive sociopolitical climate with dark humor, irony, absurdity, and understanding. A fun, thought-provoking, and revelatory novel about Doomsday prepping and our capacity for love and acceptance.”
— Alyssa Raymond, Copper Dog Books, Beverly, MAAn Indies Introduce Winter / Spring 2023 Pick
“Melding a post-9/11 genderqueer artist’s coming-of-age story with a historical mystery of forbidden romance, Endpapers is an intimate, raw, and profoundly messy quest for authenticity, belonging, and empowerment.”
- Alyssa Raymond, Copper Dog Books, Beverly, MA
An Indies Introduce Winter / Spring 2023 Pick
“A complex, moving, and timely debut. This lyrical, immersive tale of queer romance in Victorian England explores questions of liberty and justice that are still relevant today. Tom Crewe is a groundbreaking new voice in historical fiction for fans of Colm Tóibín and Sarah Waters.”
- Alyssa Raymond, Copper Dog Books, Beverly, MA
An Indies Introduce Winter / Spring 2023 Pick
I loved everything about this book: from the supernatural murder mystery in a spooky small rural town, to the family drama, queer romance, and coming-of-age quest to find home and true belonging in a cruel world. The Dead and the Dark is a stunning debut.
Ayana Gray's Pan-African inspired fantasy debut lures readers into a magical jungle, enchanting but deadly, in pursuit of the Shetani — a murderous monster who has terrorized the bordering city of Lkossa for nearly a century. Bringing together two teens from conflicting worlds in a dangerous alliance, and brimming with magic, mythology, and intrigue, Beasts of Prey is perfect for fans of Children of Blood and Bone, A Song of Wraiths and Ruin, An Ember in the Ashes, and Witches Steeped in Gold.
In Jackson's twisty, suspenseful debut, Fairview High student Pippa Fitz-Amobi reinvestigates a closed local murder case for her senior project. Five years ago, pretty and popular 17-year-old Andie Bell disappeared, her body never found, and the main suspect, Andie's boyfriend Sal Singh, committed suicide a few days later. Everyone believes Sal abducted and murdered Andie -- everyone but Pip and Sal's younger brother, Ravi. They refuse to ignore the holes in the case or give up on finding new evidence to prove Sal's innocence -- even though their sleuthing puts them in more and more danger as they get closer to figuring out the truth. Fans of Veronica Mars and authors Karen McManus and Kara Thomas will enjoy this well-plotted mystery and will be clamoring for the next book in the series.
“This 1890s historical fantasy about a half British Reaper, half Japanese Shinigami soul collector is delightfully fresh, dark, thrilling, and immersive, seamlessly weaving magic, mythology, and adventure with a profound exploration of biracial identity, racism, belonging, resilience, and courage. Sequel now, please!”
— Alyssa Raymond, Copper Dog Books, Beverly, MA
"A captivating and complex exploration of family, friendship, and queer love that takes us deep into a southern town's dark history of racial violence and the legacy of trauma and secrecy."
—Alyssa, Copper Dog Books (Beverly, MA)
"Avery Anderson’s senior year takes a sharp turn when her family moves from DC to Bardell, GA in order to care for her terminally ill grandmother, Mama Letty, a mean and bitter woman who resents their presence in her home. Even if her family can’t stop fighting, at least there are new friends - and the potential for something more - in Simone and Jade and - as Mama Letty slowly softens - stories about her grandfather. But the more Avery learns about her family’s history in this small southern town and the rot of racism that covers everything, the more complicated her new relationships become. We Deserve Monuments is a tightly woven novel about deeply buried secrets, generational wounds, queer Black girls falling in love and finding themselves, and so so much more. Jas Hammonds' stunning debut is one that will stay with you."
— Kinsey, High Five Books (Florence, MA)
A Windows & Mirrors 2022 Pick
An Indies Introduce Summer / Fall 2022 Pick
"Every time I think about Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston I find myself loving it more. When I talk about it to someone I feel my own enthusiasm bubble up in unexpected places as I bring up a detail or a theme I hadn’t even realized I had been thinking about, but the moment the words are out of my mouth I recognize their truth. This book has some emotionally challenging scenes around identity and abuse but never loses its understanding of its audience and its focus on love, support, and adventure. A true spiritual successor to Tamora Pierce's The Song of the Lioness series, this book will be a cultural touchstone for a generation of young readers in need of a safe harbor to discover themselves and the communities that will cherish them."
— Stephanie, Print: A Bookstore (Portland, ME)
A Windows & Mirrors 2022 Pick
Hazel, a whip-smart seventh grader, is much more interested in winning her school’s speech competition (and beating last year’s champion Ella) than having friends or following relationship drama (especially about Ella and Tyler). But when Hazel discovers that Tyler is harassing Ella and some of the other girls, she reevaluates her rivalry with Ella as they team up to try to stop Tyler. Balancing seriousness and humor, bravery and vulnerability, this powerful debut is an entertaining, relatable, and inspiring tale of new friendship and empowerment that doesn’t shy away from showing the challenges the girls face as they fight for justice. This book — and heroes like Hazel — are essential in addressing the all-too frequent reality of sexual harassment and bullying in middle school and beyond.
— Alyssa, Copper Dog Books (Beverly, MA)
A Kids Indies Introduce Summer / Fall 2022 Pick
A November / December Indies Next List Pick
A 2022 Windows & Mirrors Pick
"When Pilar sets out to discover the truth about her relative Natasha's disappearance during the Dominican Republic's Trujillo regime (1930-1961), she falls through a portal that transports her from Chicago to a magical island called Zafa, where El Cuco, the legendary Dominican boogeyman, holds Natasha captive. Will Pilar be able to free Natasha and get back home? Blending humor and heart, tragedy and hope, Julian Randall's fantasy debut celebrates Dominican culture, history, mythology, and colloquial Spanish, while bringing the horrors of the Trujillo reign to life."
— Alyssa, Copper Dog Books (Beverly, MA)
A Windows & Mirrors 2022 Pick
"What is in a color? Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond and Daniel Minter beautifully expand on the history of the color blue. Stunning illustrations and powerful words take us from Egypt, to the indigo fields of India, Bangladesh, and America where countless people were enslaved to farm it, to creating a chemical dye that made the color more accessible. A beautiful and important book for all ages to step back and consider a color for all its parts - the history, the cultural significance, and even its place in language."
— Kimi, Buttonwood Books and Toys (Cohasset, MA)
A Windows & Mirrors 2022 Pick
"Career Day is on the horizon, and Nigel is scared. What if the other kids in his class say when they learn his parents don’t have a “fancy job”? How will he answer his teacher’s question about what he wants to be when he grows up? There’s too many things to be! Maybe a dancer? But he’s never seen one that looks like him. Nigel shares his fears with the moon, and dreams of himself as a dancer, an astronaut, and a superhero. Gracey Zhang’s illustrations beautifully capture Nigel’s journey. This book is great for kids who feel uncertain or overwhelmed by figuring out who they want to be, or for kids whose dreams feel “off limits” to them, for one reason or another."
— Read, Harvard Book Store (Cambridge, MA)
A Windows & Mirrors 2022 Pick