Children’s books

“A Spoonful of Frogs,”

by Casey Lyall, illustrated by Vera Brosgol

Spread a bit of magic with this silly, seasonal tale. On this episode of “Bewitching Kitchen,” a beautiful witch demonstrates how to cook a hearty soup, but the most important ingredient — frogs — refuse to cooperate. The increasingly frustrated chef is forced to chase them across bold, enchantingly illustrated full-page spreads and brief vignettes as they hop, leap, jump and hide from her spoon. Empathy for the frustrated witch gives way to support for the frogs as the artistic point of view shifts, and cinematographic close ups of amphibian faces are revealed.

Eagle-eyed readers will notice the foreshadowing of an ending even the most tenderhearted will approve of. Minimal, repetitive text encourages the participation of emerging readers. Recommended for preschoolers and children in kindergarten through 3rd grade.

“Llama Rocks the Cradle of Chaos,”

by Jonathan Stutzman, Illustrated by Heather Fox

Married author and illustrator Stutzman and Fox are back with a third installment in the chaotic and food-obsessed llama series. This time, Llama dons his time travel pants and journeys back to yesterday to eat his birthday donut again. Unfortunately, chaos ensues when Llama accidentally travels back to long ago and eats the wrong donut, changing the past and creating a paradox in the space-time continuum. There are now two of him — Llama and Baby Llama. The absurdity increases when cave llamas, Viking pigs and barbarian bunnies follow the duo to the present. How will Llama correct this ripple in time? Fox’s colorful, and attention-grabbing illustrations add anthropomorphic flair to each of the animal characters and heighten the absurdity and drama. Repeated readings offer an opportunity to enjoy previously unnoticed visual details hidden in lengthy text. Recommended for children in kindergarten through 3rd grade, as are books one and two.

— Roxanne M. Renteria, Deschutes Public Library community librarian

Teen books

“The Sunbearer Trials,”

by Aiden Thomas

Welcome to the Sunbearer Trials, where every decade 10 semidioses are chosen to compete in the tournament that ensures the safety of Reino del Sol. The competitors are almost always Gold semidioses, who train for the honor their entire lives. Teo, the son of Quetzal and a Jade semidios, never imaged he would be chosen. But Teo is not the only Jade chosen, and now he must fight to ensure that he and his friends survive. Because at the end of the Trials, one semidios will be crowned Sunbearer and one will be sacrificed. Full of enchanting world-building and fierce friendships, this action-packed Mexican-inspired fantasy is a perfect series starter that will leave readers wanting more.

“The Weight of Blood,”

by Tiffany D. Jackson

Maddy Washington is a biracial teen in a small Georgia town, about to graduate high school. Maddy has a secret though — she has been passing for white at the insistence of her prejudiced and abusive father. When a surprise rainstorm reveals this truth, right before the school’s first integrated prom, the town’s racist history begins to seep out.

But after a popular white classmate convinces her Black quarterback boyfriend to take Maddy to the prom, she is hopeful for a normal life.

Not all her classmates are ready to accept Maddy though, and she still has one more secret, one that will cost nearly everyone their lives. This “Carrie”-inspired horror tale examines the legacy of racism while delivering bloody, suspenseful thrills that will keep the pages turning.

— Meagan Looney, Deschutes Public Library community librarian

Adult books

“The Gatekeeper,”

by James Byrne

Dez is the best gatekeeper in the world. When bank heists, paramilitary, or other dangerous and illegal operations are put together, he’s the guy assigned to opening doors, keeping them open, then shutting them with a bang when the mission is complete. Now, it’s time to retire to California. Of course, as in any action movie, the retirement of the main character never lasts long.

While looking out a hotel window, he sees the flash of a sniper scope. Without a second thought, Dez saves the target of the attack and launches the story at a breakneck pace that never stops as Dez unravels a conspiracy.

As Dez rushes through his journey, he crashes cars, boats and his fists into scores of baddies as he breaks noses and arms on his way to saving the U.S. This is an action-packed read with a funny and likable main character written by a local Portland author.

“Golden State,”

by Ben H. Winters

In the odd dystopia Golden State, people greet one another with irrefutable and knowable facts. Lies and half-truths are illegal. You collect stamps when you talk to someone, keep all receipts, keep a daily journal, and store everything from your day safely in sealed boxes so that the truth of existence can be verified.

In this future, in which people don’t know about California or their history, lives Laszlo Ratesic. A member of the Speculative Service, he is tasked with rooting out lies and arresting liars. In fact, Laszlo is allergic to lies, and his body itches when he is near someone fibbing. After a man falls off a roof and dies, Laszlo is assigned to the case and soon senses something is off. If the man fell in a routine accident, why was the Service called out? What was the man or the house’s inhabitants hiding? The deeper he digs for the truth, the stranger the facts become, until Laszlo is set to question the truth that forms society’s foundation. Winters is a master of world building and unique novel concepts, and this science fiction novel is no exception.

— Graham Fox, Deschutes Public Library community librarian