Age Level

What do six-foot tall (and rather rowdy) praying mantises, an aspiring nature photographer, and an artist with synesthesia have in common? They can all be found within our fabulous February Stars list.

Out of this world adventures, an art mystery, and the new Polly Horvath book are reviewed in the February Grade 5-8 Fiction section.

An eye-opening book about transgender teens, two poignant and powerful memoirs, and a guide to K-Pop round out a diverse selection of titles in our February Grades 5 & Up reviews.

A delightful and inspiring debut.

The first of two volumes, this book presents six of Kipling’s timeless tales, freshly interpreted through superb mixed-media paintings.

The shortlists have been released for the 2013 Cybils (the Children and Young Adult Bloggers Literary Awards), and they should look awfully familiar to our readers—many of the nominated books in the Elementary and Middle Grade category made our list of the best graphic novels of 2013, and Hereville: How Mirka Met a Meteorite made [...]

From a comically cosmic space adventure to a rip-roaring tall tale to several in-depth looks at the lives of fascinating American figures, the January Stars offer opportunities for readers to engage in joyful escapism or intensive close reading.

Several eagerly anticipated sequels can be found in January's Grade 5-8 Fiction section including The Ghost of Tupelo Landing, Shelia Turnage's companion to the Newbery honor-winning Three Times Lucky; The Shadowhand Covenant, book 2 in Farrey's Vengekeep Prophecies series; Timmy Failure: Now Look What You've Done by Stephan Pastis; and James Ponti's Blue Moon (Book 2 in the Dead City series.)

Going far beyond mystery book conventions, this is also a well-told story of growth and self-forgiveness.