At the age of 18, in 1940, Juliet Armstrong is recruited by an obscure department of MI5. Her job is to transcribe meetings of Nazi sympathizer groups infiltrated by top British spies. Later, after having been vetted by her spy bosses, she assists in several covert and often terrifying activities. Ten years later, while working for the BBC, she is confronted by persons from her past and realizes that though the war is over espionage is still very much alive. This is Atkinson at her very best!  If you loved Women in the Castle, All the Light We Cannot See or any of the Masie Dobbs stories, Transcription will provide even more insight into the bravery and intelligence the young women of Britain applied to the war effort.   ~ Susan

Buy Now

Thanks, Obama: My Hopey, Changey White House Years, by David Litt  

Witty and insightful, Thanks, Obama merges an account of the Obama White House with a truly entertaining coming-of-age story. As someone who doesn't normally read memoirs, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself drawn into this book. A rarity in political literature, I was left with a feeling of hope - that maybe things can get better. ~ Katie 

Buy Now

Buy Now

Upstream: Searching for Wild Salmon From River to Table, by Langdon Cook

Upstream opens with the author standing on the Seattle waterfront, observing a ferry embark for Bainbridge Island, while on his way to Pike Place Market to witness the season's first Copper River salmon and the pandemonium it creates. Throughout the book, Cook traces the history of this iconic fish from the extinct runs of Europe and the Atlantic to the remaining few wild runs from Alaska to Puget Sound, and down the coast of Oregon. He explores the significance of salmon to Native Americans, the reliance of more than one hundred species of animals that rely on salmon as a food source, and the imperiled future that awaits not just those species, but the entire ecosystem should we lose this critical source of nutrients for our forests and streams. Cook presents a thorough, timely reminder of how much we have to lose and what we have to gain by restoring habitat that both salmon and humans need to thrive.  ~ Rebecca

Buy Now

Atlas Obscura Explorer's Guide for the World's Most Adventurous Kid, by D ylan Thuras, Rosemary Mosco

For curious children, here is a book that will broaden their view of the world. With full color spreads of fascinating cultural, geographical, and man-made wonders on every continent, this book is sure to amaze and enchant. It is fun for kids to explore on their own, and for you to read and discuss together with the youngsters in your life. Get ready to experience the world in a new way!  ~ Jane

Buy Now

The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge, by M.T. Anderson

What a weird and wonderful book! Elfin historian Brangwain Spurge is sent (by catapult) to the seemingly wicked goblin court of Ghohg the Evil One to deliver a gift as a peace offering. His host, the goblin archivist Werfel, is happy and excited to show Brandon all the wonderful things his kingdom has to offer. But things don't go well for anyone and they are both caught up in an international crisis that could mean war. Told both with incredible illustrations by Eugene Yelchin and the narrative of Anderson, this is my favorite kind of middle grade book - one that can be read as an amazing adventure but also with so many more elements such as politics, prejudice and who gets to write history. Ages 10+  ~ Alison

Buy Now

From studies the world over of people in every economic strata, one in every six people suffered at least four "Adverse Childhood Experiences" (ACE) when they were young, with the result that they are 10 times as more likely to attempt suicide and significantly more at risk of heart disease, cancer, and any of the auto immune disorders. After reading Dr. Nadine Burke Harris' The Deepest Well, I learned how wrong I was to assume childhood trauma caused only psychological difficulties. It helps us to understand why effectively fighting obesity, diabetes, and ADHD to name a few may first require an understand of the underlying causes. Even if one believes the issue doesn't personally resonate, the science of how early trauma fundamentally alters the brains of its victims is fascinating. ~ Dave

Buy Now