In "Making Friends Can Be Murder" by Kathleen West, six Minneapolis women, all named Sarah Jones, connect via Instagram and become friends. When a Sarah Jones who isn’t in the group turns up dead and one of their own is the prime suspect, they band together to investigate in this playful and quirky mystery.

The "Phoenix Pencil Company" by Allison King explores memory and story when a college freshman tries to reunite her grandmother with her long-lost cousin. In dual timelines, Monica journals in an online app while caring for her ailing grandparents. Meanwhile, her grandmother tells her story of espionage and betrayal when she was young in Japanese-occupied Shanghai. A luminous family saga awaits.

People often wonder at the point of studying such “silly” things as the tubercles on humpback whales, Yellowstone’s bacteria, or Gila monster venom. In "The Salmon Cannon and the Levitating Frog," Carly Anne York explains how discoveries build on discoveries and lead to important breakthroughs, such as more efficient wind turbines (the humpback whales) COVID-19 PCR testing (Yellowstone’s bacteria) and Ozempic (Gila monster venom).

From a carpet woven in the 3^rd or 4^th century BCE and discovered during an archaeological dig effected by the Russian Revolution, to one woven in 21^st century Pakistan for commercial export, "Threads of Empire" by Dorothy Armstrong examines the conditions in which these objects were made, moved and found, and the people’s lives they touched along the way. An intriguing look at history that might literally be beneath our feet.

When Esme’s friend says she’s "too intense" from chasing after her mother’s approval, Esme vows a chill summer at the pool with her swim team. But a growth spurt has made Esme really fast this season, so her mother has started to take an interest. Unfortunately, her focus on winning and being the best feels unsportsmanlike to Esme. In Wendy Wan-Long Shang’s middle-grade book "The Best Worst Summer of Esme Sun," Esme must learn to listen to her inner voice as she balances her mother's approval with being a good teammate in this heartwarming story.

Last summer, Mandy’s best friend was killed in an accident. This summer, her family is back at the same vacation spot while Mandy, a true-crime podcaster, and the police start looking back into the case. Was it really that accidental? And how much fault does Mandy have? "Now She’s Dead" by Roselyn Clarke is a dark, twisty mystery that will keep teen readers guessing right to the end.