Picture Book
Recommended by: Mylisa Larsen is the author of Ho Ho Homework. Imagine coming to school one day and finding a substitute teacher who looks a whole lot like Santa. Rumors fly and most of the class is convinced, but Jack isn't so sure.
Mylisa loved this book because: It’s hard to put a fresh spin on a color book, but this almost wordless book manages to do so with an age-appropriate narrative and an ending that lets the little pup be the hero of the book.

Picture Book
Recommended by: Anne Marie Pace is the author of ten picture books, including the Vampirina Ballerina series. Her newest release is Sunny’s Tow Truck Saves The Day, a romping rhymer about a picnic postponed by a flat tire.
Anne Marie loved this book because: Kristy's lyrical language gives us a beautiful glimpse into a part of history not well known. Yes, the astronauts were brave--but it took thousands of other people to do their own jobs, quietly and without fanfare, to ensure the astronauts could do theirs.

Middle Grade
Recommended by: Leah Henderson whose novel The Magic in Changing Your Stars (April 2020), follows a boy back in time to 1930s Harlem to meet his young grandfather in order to help them both change their stars.
Leah loved this book because: It is a beautifully told coming of age story that weaves in so much more about the complexities of life.

Young Adult
Recommended by: Kristin Bartley Lenz, author of the YA novel, The Art of Holding On and Letting Go, about a teen rock-climber girl, the power of nature, love and loss, and discovering that home can be far from where you started.
Kristin loved this book because: This story pulled me out of a reading rut within the first few pages and never let go. The characters are deeply drawn and the multi-layered plot explores biracial identity and inequality, but it's also full of humor, sweetness, and snappy dialogue.

Adult Romance
Recommended by: Heather Demetrios. How do we do right by the miracle? In Heather’s upcoming novel Little Universes, her characters are trying to figure out what it means to be human in this confusing, sometimes painful, often beautiful world.
Heather recommended this book because: It is deliciously romantic and a perfect read for the 2020 election.

Adult Fiction
Recommended by: Shari Becker is the founder of Whale Rock Workshops and the author of the critically-acclaimed YA sci-fi adventure The Stellow Project.
Shari recommended this book because: This book is not new, but I just read it for the first time. As we writers work to hone our skills, Snow Hunters is a reminder that small can be beautiful. This tiny story contemplates the passage of time, memory, identity, loss, loneliness and love with prose that is compact, poetic and memorable.