To Change a Planet by Christina Soontornvat; illustrated by Rahele Jomepour Bell

Earth spins through eons of time, and then one day humans arrive and they change the planet--and it continues to change today though not in a good way, but by working together we can save it, and ourselves.

Cameron Battle and The Hidden Kingdom by Jamar Perry

Soon it will be time to “hit the books” as another school year gets underway. Teachers like to remind us that books can open doors to new ideas, new opportunities, new worlds. True enough and Cameron Battle would agree, but not for the reasons you might imagine. Cameron grew up reading The Book of Chidani, cherishing stories about the fabled kingdom that cut itself off from the world to save the Igbo people from danger. The Book is Cameron's only connection to his parents who disappeared one fateful night, two years ago. Ever since, his grandmother has kept the Book locked away, but it calls to Cameron. When he and his best friends Zion and Aliyah decide to open it again, they are magically transported to Chidani, where they find the kingdom in extreme danger. The people of Chidani have been waiting for the last Descendant to return and save them. Is Cameron ready to be the hero they need?

The Honeys by Ryan La Sala

Mars has always been the lesser twin, the shadow to his sister Caroline's radiance. But when Caroline dies under horrific circumstances, Mars is propelled to learn all he can about his once-inseparable sister who'd grown tragically distant. Mars's genderfluidity means he's often excluded from the traditions -- and expectations -- of his politically-connected family. This includes attendance at the prestigious Aspen Conservancy Summer Academy where his sister poured so much of her time. But with his grief still fresh, he insists on attending in her place. What Mars finds is a bucolic fairytale not meant for him. Folksy charm and sun-drenched festivities camouflage old-fashioned gender roles and a toxic preparatory rigor. Mars seeks out his sister's old friends: a group of girls dubbed the Honeys, named for the beehives they maintain behind their cabin. They are beautiful and terrifying -- and Mars is certain they're connected to Caroline's death. But the longer he stays at Aspen, the more the sweet mountain breezes give way to hints of decay. Mars's memories begin to falter, bleached beneath the relentless summer sun. Something is hunting him in broad daylight, toying with his mind. If Mars can't find it soon, it will eat him alive.

The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean

Truth is found between the stories we're fed and the stories we hunger for. Out on the Yorkshire Moors lives a secret line of people for whom books are food, and who retain all of a book's content after eating it. To them, spy novels are a peppery snack; romance novels are sweet and delicious. Eating a map can help them remember destinations, and children, when they misbehave, are forced to eat dry, musty pages from dictionaries. Devon is part of The Family, an old and reclusive clan of book eaters. Her brothers grow up feasting on stories of valor and adventure, and Devon--like all other book eater women--is raised on a carefully curated diet of fairy tales and cautionary stories.

But real life doesn't always come with happy endings, as Devon learns when her son is born with a rare and darker kind of hunger--not for books, but for human minds.

Philadelphia Food Crawls: Touring the Neighborhoods One Bite & Libation at a Time by Jacklin Altman

Discover hidden gems and long-standing institutions of this East Coast mecca; put on your walking shoes and your stretch pants, and dig into the City of Brotherly Love one dish at a time.