PowellsBooks.Blog
Authors, readers, critics, media − and booksellers.

Wow. This NYT's Best Illustrated Book of the Year immediately took hold of my heart. The gritty yet warmly nostalgic illustrations lead us along a narrative that changes course to give way to new meaning toward the end. An unforgettable classic in the making, it felt quietly powerful and moved me nearly to tears. I absolutely loved it. — Heather A.

“Jamie and the sea are friends. Jamie hums. The waves swish.” With quiet, spare prose, children’s book artist Matt Myers proves that he writes as beautifully as he illustrates in Hum and Swish, his first solo picture book. The art is luminous and expansive. The story is subtle and elegant. And that combination, along with Myers’s many lovely added details, makes for the perfect storybook tribute to introversion, creativity, and just being yourself. — Gigi L.

I’ve been in awe of Kathrine Switzer ever since I first saw the now iconic photos of a race official attempting to physically remove her from the course. Her run challenged the belief that women were too frail for sports, leaving a path for others to follow in her footsteps. This is a beautiful and inspirational biography honoring an amazing woman. — Elizabeth H.

This beautiful picture book by local Portland author Alison Farrell reminds me so much of my own hikes in the Pacific Northwest. The burst of excitement at the beginning when you can’t help but run, crossing bridges, bird watching, even getting lost and getting so very tired only to be rewarded with a breath-taking view! — Kim T.

Spencer's New Pet is so much fun! With an old-timey style, thoughtful details, and a super clever story line, it's surprising and suspenseful (yes, really!) and just generally a joy to read. — Emily F.

Told primarily from the point of view of the building, this book provides a good introduction, scaled down for a younger audience, to this important historical event. Beautifully illustrated and a good starting point for important discussions. — Elizabeth H.

This book is an absolute delight! I'm totally obsessed with Rumple Buttercup and his underground trash lair and his banana-peel disguise and his BFF made of garbage. This is a story about being a weirdo, and it's also a story about how you might not be as big a weirdo as you think you are. — Emily F.

This book is honest, raw, and very important. It deals with poverty, a parent's addiction, and both external and internalized racism in ways that feel true to life and which are good for kids to see depicted in fiction (either because they can relate to those things, or because they can't.) Genesis Begins Again will break your heart, then put it back together again. — Jaye N.

Planet Earth Is Blue
by Nicole Panteleakos

It’s 1986, and Nova is eagerly awaiting the launch of the space shuttle Challenger. She loves astronomy — plus, her sister Bridget promised she’d be back for the launch, no matter what. Nova is autistic and nonverbal, and navigating a new foster family and a new school alone is extra tough; no one but Bridget has ever fully understood that she’s a whole, intelligent person. As Nova counts down to the launch, we share in her excitement, her worries, her grief, and her joys. Panteleakos (who herself is on the spectrum, and who has been an instructor in an autism school) has crafted a compelling, compassionate debut. — Madeline S.

Willow escapes to the woods with her sweet dog Chicory when she feels upset. Along the way she meets a lost forest spirit named Pilu and together they find their way home. Pilu is an adorable and important graphic novel for all ages because it addresses how to process feelings (which manifest for Willow in the form of little monsters) which can grow and take over if we don’t confront them. — Kim T.

With excitement, humor, sweetness, and a beautiful, imaginative voice full of innocence, exuberance, and downright wolfiness, A Wolf Called Wander is the incredible tale, based on a true story, of one young wolf’s coming-of-age during his adventurous 1,000-mile trip in search of a new home. — Gigi L.

Jen Wang’s newest graphic novel for the 8+ crowd is so good! It’s about a new friendship and the ups and downs that come with it. Christine and Moon have a lot of differences, but they grow close when Moon and her mother move into Christine’s family’s guest house. This one hits all the emotional notes of childhood friendship perfectly. — Jennifer H.

This funny and heartwarming tearjerker of a book depicts something many LGBTQ adolescents struggle with: the pressure to be or to act straight. Sunny's eventual realization and acceptance of her sexuality and herself is so beautiful. If I'd had this book at 12, it would have made a huge difference to me. — Jaye N.

This is a fabulously creepy, dark, and Gothic retelling of “The Twelve Dancing Princesses” wrapped up in curses and gods. Full of death and mystery: Can you really believe what you see? Dance if you dare. I cannot recommend this book enough! — Mecca A.

A. S. King is known for stories that defy categorization (save for categorically bowling me over with their brilliance), and Dig is no exception. Her immersive writing meanders between a handful of teenagers and the retired couple that eventually connects them, like tangled roots climbing back to their source. (That source is a potato. It will make sense later.) — Madeline S.

I loved Mary H. K. Choi's debut Emergency Contact, but I loved her second book Permanent Record even more. In it, Choi tackles fame, social media and that moment between childhood and adulthood where so many of us tend to be lost — and she also takes on debt and the way young people are preyed upon by the credit card and loan industry. Permanent Record should be required reading for teens in high school and college. It wouldn't hurt if their parents read it too. — Erin K.

I’m so excited that two of my favorite creators have come together to create Pumpkinheads! Deja and Josiah have been partnered up at work every fall, but now they are looking at their last shift together. Instead of sticking to the usual plan, Deja wants to make this last shift the best one ever. Exploring the pumpkin patch and the friendship between these two was a ton of fun. — Jennifer H.

Full of heartfelt laughs and swoon-worthy banter, this book is a MUST! Sweetie is just such a force of nature. She accepts and embraces all of herself in a world that overly focuses on flaws that people have. Ashish and Sweetie are hopelessly adorable as they navigate their new relationship, standing up for what they need to succeed in their lives, both individually and as a couple. Sandhya Menon excels with stories that you just can't help but smile and gush over, both while reading and months later. Everyone needs to get on board for the “Sassy Sweetie Project”! — Mecca A.

The intricate, character-driven plotting of Graceling, the world-building of Rebel of the Sands, and the boundary-defying heroines of Tamora Pierce collide in this fierce debut from Hafsah Faizal. The Hunter is renowned in Arawiya, for he alone can enter the deadly magical forest of the Arz and return with food to spare. Prince Nasir is spoken of too, but in whispers, for he is his father’s best and cruelest assassin. But there are things the rumor mill gets wrong: the Hunter is a young woman, Zafira, who would be accosted by her caliphate if it were known she has been doing what her leaders insist is a man’s duty. And while what they say of Nasir is true, it isn’t true by choice. When Zafira and Nasir are pushed together on a quest to return magic to Arawiya and heal their hurting land, they may embolden each other to be the best versions of themselves — if they don’t kill each other first. — Madeline S.