Dreamer Part 4 // Group Projects, Annoying Partners, and Zoning Out

We have a test. On the second week of school. Like just WHY? We also had to do math on the first day… seriously, people?!

Heya! So yeah, I have been sorta temporarily missing, but I’m sure it’s fine since I’ve been off and on for the past like 2 months and nobody’s gotten super mad at me yet. So that. I mean, in my defense SCHOOL EXISTS and literally just started so I might be scarce for a little longer. But anywho. Speaking of school…

Previously on The Dreamer (because if I wasn’t writing this I’d forget parts of this story over the long periods of time I’m making you wait between sections): Kurota feels this weird connection to one of her classmates, Nova, and she’s not sure why. So far, she continues to be an annoying non-magic-believer and tells her best friend Orenda that all Orenda’s theories (including but not limited to dream visits and soulmates) are wrong. Meanwhile, Nova’s dealing with losing her sister and grandparents to a fire.

Kurota’s been observing Nova from a distance for the past few months and then, in a stroke of fate (or just pure luck), Kurota and Nova are partnered for an English project.

Get Caught Up: Prologue (The Dream) | Part One (Soulmates, Dreams, and Homework) | Part Two (Sisters, Grandparents, and Other Lost Things) | Part Three (Observations, Awkwardness, and an English Assignment)

Nova used to love group projects
She also used to love talking to people.
Used to be popular.
Used to always know exactly what to say.
Used to be loud.
Used to be confident.
Used to be someone who got As and the occasional B.
She used to be a lot of things. But that was before Eli died. Before everyone decided that she was to be handled with care, and before she decided that she hated people for what they’d done to her sister. To her world. 
And so now she hates group projects. Especially the kind where she didn’t get to pick a partner who cares about the project just as little as she does. Especially this one, because Kurota Nadir is not the partner she would’ve picked. At all. Kurota had probably gotten honor roll her entire life.
Well, actually, correction, she’d probably gotten distinguished honor roll for her entire life. And she was not going to let Nova do nothing for this assignment. Which was unfortunate, because that was exactly what Nova planned on doing. 
As all this races through Nova’s mind, their English teacher is explaining the assignment, and Kurota (who’s now sitting at the desk next to her) is, of course, listening intently. Because it’s Kurota.
Nova, being the opposite of her partner, zones out for almost all of it, and the only part she catches is “So you can complain about your pairings and slack off on this project all you want, but it will still count as a grade for two classes and get two of your peers to a national contest. So start working.” 
And, well, the entire class is still silent. Awkward.
“It’s a little hard to do partner work silently, so unless you all want this to be very, very difficult, you better start talking now.” Their teacher’s voice sounds like it could snap at any moment, and Nova wonders what would happen if the entire class went on strike and didn’t talk. Maybe they’d get out of this stupid assignment with these stupid assigned partners. Like the one who had just started talking to Nova.
“Um, what do you think we should choose? Would it be better to do something more well-known like climate change, or something less well-known like water pollution?” Oh gosh. Nova had no clue what Kurota was talking about.
“Well, before we talk about that could you maybe explain exactly what we’re supposed to be doing?” Kurota rolled her eyes at that (or tried to at least – Kurota was not good at rolling her eyes and it just looked like she was glancing at the ceiling) and Nova could tell that this project was going to be a nightmare.

And that’s all for this part! We’re only like halfway through the actual story, but I’m very much looking forward to doing some extra Dreamer posts, so… what would you like to see? How I actually wrote it (like, you know, behind the scenes), deleted things/weird ramblings (the majority of which makes absolutely no sense), the things I based this off of (because it’s, ya know, cli-fi so I need to have some sort of a factual base… right?), a book trailer, or character aesthetics and a tad more about them? Or, like, something else that I can’t think of and you can would be cool too.

Anywho, bye for now!

Dreamer Part 2 // Sisters, Grandparents, and Other Lost Things

So school starts in a month, right? And do you know what the school has done about it? NOTHING. AT. ALL. I mean like, they’ve PROBABLY been preparing in ways that don’t involve sending us our schedules because that’s PROBABLY not the only thing that they do, but THEY SHOULD STILL SEND THE SCHEDULES RIGHT THIS INSTANT. And I should probably write this post right this instant too… I guess.

Guess what? I’m not dead! I’ve been working on a bunch of posts (and I ACTUALLY WATCHED Kiss The Ground, which I’ve been saying I’ll watch for like the last billion years, and so you all should be proud of me) and re-writing this chapter a million billion times. And well, I’m just going to publish it because like if I don’t, I’m not sure that I’ll ever get it done…

So, well, enjoy!

Get Caught Up: Prologue (The Dream) | Part One (Soulmates, Dreams, and Homework)

Joyce Acheson
Herbert Alderman
Teresa Ammons
Rafaela Andrade
Carol Arrington
Julian Binstock
David Bradburd
Cheryl Brown
Larry Brown
Richard Clayton Brown
Andrew Burt
Joanne Caddy
Barbara Carlson
Vincent Mario Carota
Denis Clark
Evelyn Cline
John Arthur Digby
Gordon Dise 
Eliane Dodge
Nova doesn’t keep reading. She can’t. After her sister’s name would be her grandmother’s, her grandfather’s. But maybe if she doesn’t read further, she won’t have to acknowledge… what happened. That her sister’s not coming back from her trip, that she’ll never eat her grandmother’s cookies or hear her grandfather’s stories again. 
Maybe if she doesn’t keep reading, she won’t have to acknowledge that their names are on a list titled “Deaths in Butte County’s Camp Fire”. Maybe if she doesn’t keep reading, the truth won’t settle in. Maybe if she doesn’t keep reading, she can keep living in denial. 
That’s not what Eli would want, says that tiny voice in the back of her head that’s been bothering her about the fire for the past 8 months. She pushes the thought out, out, out. But, in the way that bothersome thoughts often do, it keeps coming back. 
Looking at this list had been a bad idea in the first place. Her mom had suggested it, said that when Nova was ready, maybe learning more would help her to heal. 
Unless helping Nova heal meant making her feel like the world was falling apart, she was pretty sure that reading that list was not doing what her mom had said it might. So she closes the tab. What she should do right now is pick up her homework and do it. Because she has to be a normal kid. The world didn’t stop moving when Eli died. She doesn’t know if anyone really noticed her sister’s death, apart from a few friends and, of course, Nova’s family. 
It sure doesn’t seem like anyone does. In sixth grade, her teachers had been gentle with her because of the loss, taking her aside and asking how she was doing, if they could do anything. But now, in seventh grade, her teachers don’t know. Or at least they don’t know yet. 
So she has no reason not to get her homework done. She’s pretty sure that telling her teachers that she was reading through a list of names that included her dead sister instead of doing homework would probably not be the best way to start the school year. 
So she forces herself to stand up, walk over to her backpack, unzip it, and get out her homework. Forces her mind to focus on those actions, and those actions only. 
Because if she let her mind wander, she would start thinking of Eli, of her grandmother, of her grandfather. And she couldn’t let that happen. 
So she does her homework, and doesn’t think of a fire. 
Of a sister.
Of grandparents.
Of everything she lost.

And that’s that! I’m not sure if it’s the best version of the chapter, but it’s FIIINE.

Anywho, encounter you next time (I want to say “see you next time” but because I never actually see you, it doesn’t really work…)!

Also, update: WordPress is being very mean and won’t let me upload the correct featured image so uh… I guess we’ll deal with it?
Update #2: Correct featured image is up! Yay?

The Dreamer Part 1 // Soulmates, Dreams, and Homework

I am currently dying because I have a lot to do and I can’t read my book. Because you know, I should just be able to read and that should just take up my entire existence. Please?

Heya earthlings (and non-earthlings, hi to you too)! ‘Tis yours truly, and yep, I’m not dead. And also, yep, I didn’t find anything cool like Narnia or Hogwarts. I DID find a lot of really amazing books, but that’s irrelevant. This is not a book blog (although I’ve really been wanting to start a book blog cause like BOOKS ARE LIFE).

So you want to know why I didn’t post for like the entire month (yeah, I know that’s an exaggeration, but it’s fine)? Well, ya see, there’s not really a good explanation for that. Or, actually, the explanation is a long story involving fingers and cars (they’re not compatible), boredom (yes, boredom means being less productive. Don’t ask why.), and beaches. So you can just be glad I’m back (or not glad, but if you’re not glad, then I’m not sure why you’re reading this post so there.).

The OTHER thing that’s probably important to tell you is that I’m gonna be away for 10 days. I’m working on scheduling a few posts, but I won’t be reading your posts or responding to your comments ’till I return. Sorry.

*sits there awkwardly for a few minutes*

Oh, right, the actual post! I’ve just written a 5-paragraph-long intro and I haven’t said one word about The Dreamer. Whoops. Well, the 5 paragraphs were important, ok? Or at least 3 of them were. ANYWHO, today I’m bringing you the first “chapter” of The Dreamer, and if you’re not sure what that is, go check out this post (especially since that post also contains the prologue, which is important. So.).

I present to you…

Kurota’s 7th-grade future wasn’t looking super good. She couldn’t even get the easy first-day-of-school homework done because she couldn’t stop thinking that she knew the blonde girl sitting in the corner of homeroom. Nova, that was her name. Kurota was sure she’d never had a class with this girl, but there was something achingly familiar about her. 
And this was distracting Kurota from finishing her “My Life in Numbers” homework from Math 7. The easiest homework she’d get all year. If she couldn’t finish this, how could she be expected to get the hard stuff done? 
She exchanged her homework for her phone and made a mental note to try it again in an hour. Maybe her brain would be less foggy once she’d texted with her best friend.
Kurota: This might sound weird, but I feel like I know Nova somehow.
Kurota’s phone said that Orenda replied a minute after her text, but the phone must have been wrong because Kurota waited for an eternity.
Orenda: Why is that weird? She moved here last year. You probably saw her around.
Kurota: Well, maybe. But Orenda. I feel like we were close and I can’t remember how.
Orenda: Oooooooh! Maybe she’s your soulmate!
Kurota: Stop being your weird magic-obsessed self. You know I don’t believe in that stuff.
Orenda: Just ‘cause you don’t believe doesn’t mean it’s not real. People didn’t believe that the earth was round. Doesn’t change the fact that it is.
Kurota: And people believed the earth was flat. Doesn’t change the fact that it isn’t.
Orenda: Point taken. But Kurota, how else am I SUPPOSED to explain it? Oh, new idea! Maybe she visited you in a dream!
Kurota: Orenda, I love you like a sister, but a DREAM? You think she visited me in a DREAM?
Orenda: Hey, it’s possible. You have a better idea?
Kurota: Hmph.
Orenda: Well hmph back to you. 
Kurota doesn’t know how to reply, so she turns off her phone and gets her homework out. It hasn’t been an hour and her brain’s not any less foggy, but she doesn’t know what else to do, so it’s easy homework and racing thoughts.
Thoughts of a girl she just met.
Thoughts of a girl she feels like she knew. 

And there you have it! This chapter isn’t as good as the prologue because I’m much better at climax-writing than normal-life writing, but it’s fine. The story must go on!

Anywho. I’m going to go read now. Because like. That’s important.

My Climate Change Summer TBR, TBW, and TBL // Phewf That’s a Confusing Title

Who came up with the concept of summer vacation? Like, let’s make kids go to school for 5 days a week for 180 days and burn themselves out by learning so much and getting up early, and then let’s give them a many week break on which they lose about half of the knowledge they gained? It. Makes. Zero. Sense. Zero.

Heya! ‘Tis Naomi, and welcome to the SSCC!

Alright, I need to explain the title, don’t I? Alright, so for those who don’t know, a TBR (To-Be-Read) is a list of books that you want to read. So I was like, I should make a climate change TBR for summer! And then I was like, well, I want to watch and listen to things to. Hence, “TBW” (To-Be-Watched) and “TBL” (To-Be-Listened(-To)). Got it? Ohkay, great. Let’s get into this post!

Silent Spring by Rachel Carson

I have this book and really want to read it (especially after Kaashvi reccomended it). It’s a nonfiction book (I’m a fiction person) and not super climate changey, but it’s an environmental book that people say started the environmental movement. Seems like something I should read, right?

Goodreads | Amazon

Not my image

Not my image

The Overstory by Richard Powers

My mom read this book a while back and liked it, but that was when I was younger and not so interested in all this. But then I saw it on a list of “eco-fiction”, and thought that, whoah, it looked really good. Trees, activists, and artists? Say no more. This one is on the top of my list.

Goodreads | Amazon

Be More Vegan by Niki Webster

OrdinaryFabGirl recommended this one to me (I asked for book / movie / show / podcast recs in one of my last posts), and it looks so amazing! If anyone feels like getting me a gift for no reason, this is what you should get. Recipes AND information about how eating less meat helps the environment? I need this book!

Goodreads | Amazon

Not my image

Kiss the Ground (Netflix, Vimeo)

This is kinda how I got my mom to get Netflix, and we still haven’t watched it. But it’s fine. I’m sure it’s fine. We’ll get to it, and hopefully we’ll get to it this summer. Oh, I’m supposed to be talking about the movie? Well, in a sentence, it’s apparently a very hopeful climate change documentary and I’ve heard tons of good things about it, so there’s that.

Trailer | Website

Not my image

Not my image

Chasing Coral (Netflix)

I found this one in my list of movie reccomendations from Animation Day, and thought it looked amazing! This one is more ocean-y, centering around coral bleaching (which is when coral basically dies because of the rising temperature of the water).

Trailer | Website

Not my image

How To Save A Planet (Gimlet)

The TBL is a little different since most of these podcasts are ones I’ve LISTENED to before, but just wanna listen to more. How To Save A Planet is an awesome podcast about… well… how to save a planet, and I really need to listen to more episodes!

Trailer | Website | Spotify

Iowa Chapman and The Last Dog (Gen-Z Media)

I’m relistening to a bunch of Gen-Z Media podcasts right now because I binged through literally all of them and now I only get around 90 minutes of new podcasts each week, which isn’t enough. I really wanna relisten to this movie-length audio drama about a girl and a dog in a climate-change-ruined world.

Trailer | Website | Spotify

Not my image

And that’s that! This post was a bit lengthy, but whatevs. See ya Monday!

Hogwarts Houses + Cli-Fi Books! // This is Bound to Be Interesting…

I know bookish posts aren’t everyone’s favorite posts, but like, erm. I really wanted to do this post, so deal with it. Please? *tries to smile sweetly but probably ends up looking like a maniac but whatever that’s fine*

Heya people! ‘Tis me (aka Naomi), and today I’m popping into your reader or email or… whatever you’re reading this on with a post about… well… exactly what the title says. I’ll be “sorting” cli-fi books into Hogwarts Houses!

And welp, that’s it for my intro. Here we go!

I’ve always wondered why Ravenclaw isn’t called, like, Eagleclaw or something… anyone have an explanation?

Can I just say that ALL books are for Ravenclaws? No? Ok, ok, I’m THINKING.

Am I putting my favorite book in my house? Uh, maybe. Seriously though, this is such a good book! The writing might not be for everyone, but it was so poetic and descriptive and the whole mystery of this book required me to use my brain power so much and OMG IT WAS JUST SO GOOOD!

The whole world (a climate change destroyed world with houses in the sky) was just so creative, so Ravenclaw.

My review || Goodreads

I actually have a good book to put in this one! Here we go!

Ah this book was so good. Yeah, yeah, it’s kind of a middle grade book and for younger people, but I think it’s (one of) the most climate change-ey cli-fi books I’ve come across! It’s got really good themes, and… just read it.

But anywho, I’m putting it on the list as a Hufflepuff-y book because, like, ANIMALS AND KINDNESS and just so many Hufflepuff vibes.

Goodreads

Yeeeah I know I’m kind of stretching on this one. I’m in the middle of The Marrow Thieves, but so far I’d say it’s giving me some brave people vibes. I mean, seriously. The main character’s brother literally gives up his life so that the main character can survive. I think that’s brave in a way. So. There. Totally good reasoning.

Anyhow, this book took me forever to decide to read, but I finally have and I’m liking it so far!

Goodreads

Oh Slytherin. Let’s see…

I dub this one Slytherin because, well, vibes. But also, well, I’m trying to keep this spoiler-free, but like there’s a lot of Slytherins in this book, ok? I think you pretty much HAVE to be Slytherin to survive in a world where everyone is sick. Ya know?

I have no idea whatsoever how I feel about this book, but you should give it a try if you think it might be a good book!

Goodreads

All done! I’ve been wanting to write this post for forever, so thanks for humoring me. Welp, I’ll see you Monday!

QOTD (question of the day): Have you read Harry Potter? If so, what’s your house?

AOTD (action of the day): Read one of these books and share it with a friend!

Book Review: Midnight At The Electric

So hi! Naomi again, popping into your reader with my first book review! I apologize in advance if this review isn’t the best one ever, I have 0 experience… but I’m going to try my best!

Anyway, I’ve been reading some of HOW TO CHANGE EVERYTHING (a climate change nonfiction book), and trying to get some of the cli-fi books that Maeve recommended in one of her posts (check those out here 😉 ), but I was looking through the website of one of my favorite authors, Jodi Lynn Anderson, and discovered this book. Midnight at the electric is cli-fi, multiple POVs, AND by Jodi Lynn Anderson? YES PLEASE. So anyway, I hurried over to overdrive (my library’s system for getting ebooks) and searched this up. It was there! So, I began reading. And well… since it IS cli-fi, I thought maybe I’d do a review on here. So, hope you enjoy!

Title: Midnight At The Electric
Author: Jodi Lynn Anderson
Format: Ebook

Synopsis:
Divided by time. Ignited by a spark.
Kansas, 2065. Adri has secured a slot as a Colonist—one of the lucky few handpicked to live on Mars. But weeks before launch, she discovers the journal of a girl who lived in her house over a hundred years ago, and is immediately drawn into the mystery surrounding her fate. While Adri knows she must focus on the mission ahead, she becomes captivated by a life that’s been lost in time…and how it might be inextricably tied to her own.
Oklahoma, 1934. Amidst the fear and uncertainty of the Dust Bowl, Catherine fantasizes about her family’s farmhand, and longs for the immortality promised by a professor at a traveling show called the Electric. But as her family’s situation becomes more dire—and the suffocating dust threatens her sister’s life—Catherine must find the courage to sacrifice everything she loves in order to save the one person she loves most.
England, 1919. In the recovery following the First World War, Lenore struggles with her grief for her brother, a fallen British soldier, and plans to sail to America in pursuit of a childhood friend. But even if she makes it that far, will her friend be the person she remembers, and the one who can bring her back to herself?
While their stories spans thousands of miles and multiple generations, Lenore, Catherine, and Adri’s fates are entwined.
–Goodreads

*I’ve done my best here to make this review spoiler-free, so you can read it before reading the book*

The book’s idea is pretty amazing. The main narrative is of Adri, a girl from the future, who discovers writings from 2 girls from the past. She finds the journal of Catherine, a 16-year-old farm girl living during the dust bowl, and letters from Lenore to Beth, two friends separated by WW1. The 3 girls are related in a familial way, and it’s really interesting. Adri’s journey is very much affected by the other 2, and all of the girls are really relatable! Plus, I mean, it’s split- POV, and I LOVE split-POV writing.

*ahem* AND GALAPAGOS! Galapagos is a tortoise, who was past down from each of these families. She makes an appearance in all the narratives.

Anywho, I want to give each of the stories a section in this review, so that I can rant about each one! 😉

“I think all my life my heart’s been broken,” Adri whispered, “and I didn’t even notice. And I don’t even know by what”

Midnight At The Electric

Adri is a girl (I’m not sure her age) living in the future, where climate change has destroyed her home, for the most part. The future aspect isn’t touched on as much, it’s mostly about ADRI. She’s an orphan, and grew up in community homes. She’s going to stay with a 105-year-old cousin whom she had no idea existed until now, until she leaves for Mars in 30 days.

At the beginning, Adri is just a standoffish character who wants to go to Mars, and do her best to get there. But as the launch grows nearer, she starts to doubt going, as she grows closer to Lily (her cousin), and discovers the letters and journal. I love how she changes, how she WANTS to change nearer to the end. While her end of the narrative took me a while to get into, in the end I was really invested in Adri.

*the following quote has a sorta-spoiler, but not really*

“Do you think I can change?” She finally asked.
Lily looked at her, curious and thoughtful. “Well,” She replied, “Are you dead?”

Midnight At The Electric

“I wonder if sometimes you can miss something so much it breaks you, and still be happy you left”

Midnight at the electric

Catherine’s story was probably my favorite. I personally think it was the most quotable part, and her story and character were pretty amazing.

Catherine lives during the dust bowl, on a farm with her family. But her little sister, Beezie, has dust pneumonia, and her mom refuses to leave. Worried, she has to choose between her farm and the boy she loves (Ellis) and leaving to spare her sister’s life. Catherine is such a strong and sweet character, and the bond that she has with Beezie is amazing.

All of the 3 are leaving, or choosing between leaving and staying: Adri is (probably) going to leave earth for Mars, Catherine is thinking about leaving her farm, family, and the dust. And Lenore is leaving England for America so she can live with her friend.

But, I think that Catherine probably has the hardest choice, and her leaving (or not leaving) is a really good plot line. I admire Catherine, and I love her character! 🙂

HowEVER, this section of the book, to me, read a bit too… historical-fiction ish, if that makes sense? The way that Catherine speaks, it’s just not my style of reading. I did like it though!

“When you’re trying to protect someone you love, you’ll do anything. Try any little trick that would possibly work,”

Midnight at the electric

“I can’t promise you I’m unaltered. And I’m not sure anymore that I want to be.”

Midnight At The Electric

Lenore’s. Story. Is. AMAZING.

I love her character development. Lenore’s brother died fighting in WW1, and her best friend Beth moved to America. She seems to be, throughout her letters, trying to be the same person she was before WW1. But she’s not, and her character gets deep, and a little dark, as she realizes maybe she IS changed, and maybe she doesn’t want to be the same.

I don’t have much else to say about her story, other than that I truly loved it!

“It’s easy to judge people for their sadness when it hasn’t happened to you”

Midnight At The Electric

“I think our big mistakes are not about having bad intentions, just bumbling along, a little self absorbed.”

Midnight At The Electric

Adri is living in the future, where climate change has flooded cities, made polar bears go extinct… lots of things. And of course, part of the reason Adri is going to Mars is because they need a new place for some of the population. But also, in this future, there are electric cars, carbon capture, etc. etc… which is really cool! Adri and Lily, also have a couple conversations about the way we destroyed our planet, which are amazing and SO QUOTABLE.

Also, Catherine is living during the dust bowl, another instance of humans making a mistake that hurt the earth… and there are some amazing quotes from that, as well.

Other than that, climate change isn’t touched on as much, but still!

How could we have such power to destroy? And how could we ever fix it?

Midnight At The Electric

This book was not my favorite book ever, because it was a little slow paced and took me a bit to get into, but I did overall enjoy it! I would recommend it to someone looking for something with a touch of cli-fi, and a lot of… um how do I say this? A lot of feeling.

My rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Well, hope you enjoyed! Have you read any good cli-fi? Any good books in general? Let’s chat in the comments!

Bye for now!

Cli-Fi Books For Tweens And Teens

Hi! It’s Maeve, back with another list. As you may now, I run another blog called Books By Maeve and it’s all about books (wasn’t that hard to guess)! I thought I’d take these two passions and put them into one blog post.

In case you didn’t know, Cli-Fi is a book genre that stands for Climate Fiction. MG stands for Middle Grade and is generally for people 8-12, and YA stands for Young Adult and is generally for people 13+. Though the ages can change (I started reading some YA when I was 11), check websites like Common Sense Media to see if you’re okay with reading it. All of these synopses are taken directly from goodreads.

Onwards to the list!

MG:

The Line Tender. Wherever the sharks led, Lucy Everhart’s marine-biologist mother was sure to follow. In fact, she was on a boat far off the coast of Massachusetts, preparing to swim with a Great White, when she died suddenly. Lucy was eight. Since then Lucy and her father have done OK—thanks in large part to her best friend, Fred, and a few close friends and neighbors. But June of her twelfth summer brings more than the end of school and a heat wave to sleepy Rockport. On one steamy day, the tide brings a Great White—and then another tragedy, cutting short a friendship everyone insists was “meaningful” but no one can tell Lucy what it all meant. To survive the fresh wave of grief, Lucy must grab the line that connects her depressed father, a stubborn fisherman, and a curious old widower to her mother’s unfinished research. If Lucy can find a way to help this unlikely quartet follow the sharks her mother loved, she’ll finally be able to look beyond what she’s lost and toward what’s left to be discovered. 

Hoot. Unfortunately, Roy’s first acquaintance in Florida is Dana Matherson, a well-known bully. Then again, if Dana hadn’t been sinking his thumbs into Roy’s temples and mashing his face against the school-bus window, Roy might never have spotted the running boy. And the running boy is intriguing: he was running away from the school bus, carried no books, and-here’s the odd part-wore no shoes. Sensing a mystery, Roy sets himself on the boy’s trail. The chase introduces him to potty-trained alligators, a fake-fart champion, some burrowing owls, a renegade eco-avenger, and several extremely poisonous snakes with unnaturally sparkling tails.

Fuzzy Mud. Fifth grader Tamaya Dhilwaddi and seventh grader Marshall Walsh have been walking to and from Woodbridge Academy together since elementary school. But their routine is disrupted when bully Chad Wilson challenges Marshall to a fight. To avoid the conflict, Marshall takes a shortcut home through the off-limits woods. Tamaya reluctantly follows. They soon get lost, and they find trouble. Bigger trouble than anyone could ever have imagined. 

In the days and weeks that follow, the authorities and the U.S. Senate become involved, and what they uncover might affect the future of the world.

YA:

The Marrow Thieves. In a futuristic world ravaged by global warming, people have lost the ability to dream, and the dreamlessness has led to widespread madness. The only people still able to dream are North America’s Indigenous people, and it is their marrow that holds the cure for the rest of the world. But getting the marrow, and dreams, means death for the unwilling donors. Driven to flight, a fifteen-year-old and his companions struggle for survival, attempt to reunite with loved ones and take refuge from the “recruiters” who seek them out to bring them to the marrow-stealing “factories.”

War Girls. The year is 2172. Climate change and nuclear disasters have rendered much of earth unlivable. Only the lucky ones have escaped to space colonies in the sky. In a war-torn Nigeria, battles are fought using flying, deadly mechs and soldiers are outfitted with bionic limbs and artificial organs meant to protect them from the harsh, radiation-heavy climate. Across the nation, as the years-long civil war wages on, survival becomes the only way of life. 

Two sisters, Onyii and Ify, dream of more. Their lives have been marked by violence and political unrest. Still, they dream of peace, of hope, of a future together.

And they’re willing to fight an entire war to get there. 

The Water Knife. In the American Southwest, Nevada, Arizona, and California skirmish for dwindling shares of the Colorado River. Into the fray steps Angel Velasquez, leg-breaker, assassin, and spy. A Las Vegas water knife, Angel “cuts” water for his boss, Catherine Case, ensuring that her luxurious developments can bloom in the desert, so the rich can stay wet while the poor get dust. When rumors of a game-changing water source surface in drought-ravaged Phoenix, it seems California is making a play to monopolize the life-giving flow of the river, and Angel is sent to investigate. There, he encounters Lucy Monroe, a drought-hardened journalist, and Maria Villarosa, a young refugee who survives by her wits in a city that despises everything she represents. For Angel, Lucy, and Maria, time is running out and their only hope for survival rests in each other’s hands. But when water is more valuable than gold, alliances shift like sand, and the only thing for certain is that someone will have to bleed if anyone hopes to drink. 

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