Books

From a star of the climate justice movement, a fresh, radical perspective for real climate action and “an indispensable toolkit for a new generation of activists” (Naomi Klein). 

For too long, representations of climate action in the mainstream media have been white-washed, green-washed and diluted to be made compatible with capitalism. In It’s Not That Radical, Loach addresses head-on the issues at the root of the climate crisis.

As Loach shows, we are living in an economic system which pursues profit above all else; harmful, oppressive systems that heavily contribute to the climate crisis, and environmental consequences that have been toned down to the masses. Tackling the climate crisis requires us to visit the roots of poverty, capitalist exploitation, police brutality, and legal injustice. Climate justice offers the real possibility of huge leaps towards racial equality and collective liberation as it aims to dismantle the very foundations of these issues.

Written with candor and hope, It's Not That Radical will galvanize readers to take action, offering a practical and transformative appraisal of our circumstances to help mobilize a majority for the future of our planet.

By: James Baldwin (Author), 2014, Paperback

AN INDIE NEXT PICK!

A novel of ghosts, grief and the friends who make it all ok by #1 New York Times bestselling co-author Mark Oshiro!

"Heartfelt, funny, fast-paced, and spooky―this book will indeed haunt you in all the best ways. I was hooked from page one!"
―Rick Riordan, New York Times #1 best-selling author of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series

Jasmine Garza has a problem: a ghost has been following her for years, ever since her Papi died. Not that Mami will admit anything supernatural is going on. But even the ghost she won’t acknowledge makes real trouble, so Jasmine and her mami are moving (again) to a new apartment in East Hollywood. This time Jasmine is committed to living a normal life with normal friends.

Enter: Bea Veracruz and Jorge Barrera. They’re the only two members of Jasmine's middle school's Gay Straight Alliance and they’re already obsessed with all things supernatural. Bea wants to prove herself to her paranormal investigator parents and Jorge is determined to overcome his fear of the beyond. And when Jasmine confesses she’s been tormented by a ghost for years, they not only believe her, they’re thrilled!

Together they set out to prove that Jasmine’s not just acting out after her father’s death–ghosts are real and Jasmine is haunted. But not everyone agrees how to deal with the departed. As Jasmine’s hauntings increase in intensity, her resentment builds. Why is her Mami so secretive about her past? Why is she the center of such a terrible vortex of supernatural activity? And why hasn’t her Papi ever reached out to her since he passed?

In order to face her ghosts―both internal and external―Jasmine must come to terms with her own history.

WINNER, Lambda Literary Award

“You’re gonna need a rock and a whole lotta medicine” is a mantra that Jonny Appleseed, a young Two-Spirit/Indigiqueer, repeats to himself in this vivid and utterly compelling novel.

Off the reserve and trying to find ways to live and love in the big city, Jonny becomes a cybersex worker who fetishizes himself in order to make a living. Self-ordained as an NDN glitter princess, Jonny has one week before he must return to the “rez,” and his former life, to attend the funeral of his stepfather. The next seven days are like a fevered dream: stories of love, trauma, sex, kinship, ambition, and the heartbreaking recollection of his beloved kokum (grandmother). Jonny’s world is a series of breakages, appendages, and linkages—and as he goes through the motions of preparing to return home, he learns how to put together the pieces of his life.

Jonny Appleseed is a unique, shattering vision of Indigenous life, full of grit, glitter, and dreams.

By:  Jessica Love, 2020, Hardcover, Picture Book

The star of Julián Is a Mermaid makes a joyful return—and finds a new friend—at a wedding to be remembered.

Julián and his abuela are going to a wedding. Better yet, Julián is in the wedding. Weddings have flowers and kissing and dancing and cake. And this wedding also has a new friend named Marisol. It’s not long before Julián and Marisol set off for some magic and mischief of their own, and when things take an unexpected turn, the pair learns that everything is easier with a good friend by your side. Jessica Love returns with a joyful story of friendship and individuality in this radiant follow-up to Julián Is a Mermaid.

“A powerful affirmation of individuality, creative expression, and unconditional acceptance.” —Shelf Awareness (starred review)

While riding the subway home from the pool with his abuela one day, Julián notices three women spectacularly dressed up. Their hair billows in brilliant hues, their dresses end in fish tails, and their joy fills the train car. When Julián gets home, daydreaming of the magic he’s seen, all he can think about is dressing up in his own fabulous mermaid costume: a butter-yellow curtain for his tail, the fronds of a potted fern for his headdress. But what will Abuela think about the mess he makes—and even more importantly, what will she think about how Julián sees himself? Mesmerizing and full of heart, this 2019 Stonewall Book Award winner is a jubilant picture of self-love and a radiant celebration of individuality.

By: Ashley Molesso (Author), Chess Needham (Author), 2024, Hardcover, Picture Book

Celebrate all types of families in this inclusive picture book that breaks down gender stereotypes while offering aspirational messages to young readers.

Whether a child wears pearls just like their daddy, grills with their mommy, braids hair like their baba, bakes yummy treats with their grandpa, sashays like their zaza, dresses up like their bibi, or decorates their room like their brothers, all families love spending time together! Delight in all that makes a family unique and special—including what makes you you—in this empowering and affirming picture book by the author-illustrator team and queer stationery company, Ash + Chess. BONUS: includes one sheet of vibrant, colorful, celebratory stickers!

Dante’s Inferno meets Susanna Clarke’s Piranesi in this all-new dark academia fantasy from R. F. Kuang, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Babel and Yellowface, in which two graduate students must put aside their rivalry and journey to Hell to save their professor’s soul—perhaps at the cost of their own. 

Katabasis, noun, Ancient Greek:

The story of a hero’s descent to the underworld

Alice Law has only ever had one goal: to become one of the brightest minds in the field of Magick. She has sacrificed everything to make that a reality: her pride, her health, her love life, and most definitely her sanity. All to work with Professor Jacob Grimes at Cambridge, the greatest magician in the world.

That is, until he dies in a magical accident that could possibly be her fault.

Grimes is now in Hell, and she’s going in after him. Because his recommendation could hold her very future in his now incorporeal hands and even death is not going to stop the pursuit of her dreams….

Nor will the fact that her rival, Peter Murdoch, has come to the very same conclusion.

With nothing but the tales of Orpheus and Dante to guide them, enough chalk to draw the Pentagrams necessary for their spells, and the burning desire to make all the academic trauma mean anything, they set off across Hell to save a man they don’t even like.

But Hell is not like the storybooks say, Magick isn’t always the answer, and there’s something in Alice and Peter’s past that could forge them into the perfect allies…or lead to their doom.

A joy-filled cheer of appreciation for loud, trouble-making, outrageous kids.

Katerina Cruickshanks is a wild child, a trickster, and a ringleader. But when they wreak some serious chaos, their friends decide their shenanigans have gone too far and say, “No more!”

Brimming with humor and warmth, Katerina shows us that there’s no such thing as being too much; it’s just a matter of finding the friends who will love you as you are.

By: Julie Schanke Lyford & Robert A. Schanke (Author); Illustration par Marie Luzina; 2022; Paperback

L’école de Katy célèbre la Journée des grands-parents, et Katy a le trac. Elle ne veut pas présenter ses papys devant la classe parce qu’elle craint que personne ne comprenne son zozotement. Pour aggraver les choses, lorsque Katy dit à son professeur qu’elle invite ses “papys” mariés, son enseignante pense qu’elle veut dire “mamie et papy” au lieu de “papy et papy”. Katy aura-t-elle la confiance nécessaire pour parler devant la classe et défier les stéréotypes ?

Katy a Deux Papys s’inspire d’une histoire vraie à propos de l’amour et du soutien au sein d’une famille moderne, avec des illustrations dynamiques et colorées, une classe variée et une petite-fille TRÈS fière.

Get ready for a purr-fectly hilarious and therapeutic coloring experience with this book, where cute cats express your innermost frustrations in a uniquely colorful way.

Unleash your creativity with this hilarious coloring book, filled with the cutest cats saying the rudest swear words

Stressed out after a long day? Wish you could release a volley of swear words at the world? Channel your frustrations through coloring in and let your creativity loose in this funny adult coloring book.

Combining the therapeutic benefits of coloring with colorful language, this sweary book turns purr-fectly innocent cats and kittens into feisty foul-mouthed furballs. Whether you are a coloring novice or a seasoned artist, these felines filled with cat-titude are guaranteed to give you hours of laughter and brighten your day.

In this side-splitting collection of playful and profanity-filled patterns, you will find:

- Elaborate and beautiful designs for you to color in however you like

- Charming illustrations of cats of all shapes and sizes

- Every filthy swear word you can imagine ready for you to color

Brilliant for cat fans and anyone needing to let off some steam, this coloring book is a perfect way to practice mindfulness in a fun and silly way.

By Arden Joy: Paperback; 352 pages / English

[Rising Action] A vibrant LGBTQIA+ rom-com, where Shakespearean sparks ignite a contemporary lesbian love story, perfect for fans of Rachel Lynn Solomon and Casey McQuiston." "Readers will delight in watching these sparring hearts lay down their weapons." - Publisher's Weekly Abigail Meyer and Freya Jonsson can’t stand one another. But could their severe hatred be masking something else entirely? From the moment they locked eyes in high school, Abby and Freya have been at each other’s throats. Fifteen years later, when Abby and Freya cross paths again, their old rivalry doesn’t take more than a few minutes to begin anew. And now Naomi, Abby’s best friend, is falling for Freya’s producer and close pal, Will. Both women are thrilled to see their friends in a happy relationship – except they are now only a few degrees of separation from the person they claim to despise… and they can’t seem to avoid seeing one another. After their encounters repeatedly devolv

Meet the environmentally-minded kids who are coming up with ways to save the planet in this fascinating nonfiction Level 3 Ready-to-Read, part of a series of biographies about people “you should meet!”

Have you ever wondered what you could do to help the planet? Find out how kids are helping the environment by selling lemonade to save the honeybees, starting a petition to bring attention to climate change, raising awareness through an original comic book hero, and more! Learn all about how their ideas are preserving the environment in this story of five amazing kids everyone should meet!

A special section at the back of the book includes extras such as biographies of famous young environmental activists plus interesting ideas for other ways that kids can save the environment. With the You Should Meet series, learning about amazing people has never been so much fun!