The Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Fall Tradeshow took place earlier this week in Portland, Ore., on the Columbia riverfront, which, ABA CEO Allison Hill noted, had a view that couldn't be beat. According to PNBA executive director and marketing director Brian Juenemann, the three-day event had "our largest number of exhibits and individual exhibitors, booksellers, and librarians since 2019." He added, "So, the recovery is real. And we have more member bookstores represented than at any point since 2013."

From Ballast Book Company in Bremerton, Wash.: Kate Larson (l.), a member of the PNBA education committee, with first-time attendee Karina Dominguez.

That energy was represented by the 456 badged attendees, up from 394 last year. The number included 237 booksellers from 86 stores, 196 exhibitors, and 14 librarians. More than 70 authors were also part of the various events. Many attendees expressed how much they were looking forward to author appearances, education sessions, and meeting fellow booksellers and librarians. As one bookseller said, "I'm excited to see other people from other shows and check in with fellow booksellers to hear how their stores are doing."

PNBA board members Dan Ullon (Brick & Mortar Books, Redmond, Wash.); Cassie Clemans (Roundabout Books, Bend, Ore.); president Sarah Hutton (Village Books & Paper Dreams, Bellingham, Wash.); Marty Brown (Univ. of Washington Press, Seattle); v-p Christine Longmuir (Two Rivers Bookstores, Portland); secretary/treasurer Melissa DeMotte (The Well-Read Moose, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho); Rosa Hernandez (Third Place Books, Seattle); Katie Hartmann (Macmillan rep, Bellevue, Wash.); Katherine Morgan (Grand Gesture Books, Portland).

In her opening remarks for the association's annual meeting, PNBA board president Sarah Hutton (Village Books, Bellingham and Lynden, Wash.) acknowledged the challenges that booksellers have faced for "doing what we do and celebrating how we celebrate in sharing information in community"--challenges that have been even more in consideration in light of coming off of Banned Books Week. But she added that "being here rejuvenates that fight in me."

Another item discussed at Sunday's PNBA membership meeting was the vision for PNBA's Spring Pop-up, which Juenemann called a "fantastic way to fill that long void in between trade shows so that people can get together." Juenemann shared that he was currently putting together the pieces for the Bend to Sisters, Ore., area.

Hutton announced that the PNBA is raising its rates modestly for the first time in "at least 15 if not 20 years." She prefaced the statement by asking the room to envision the time of "the movies Twilight and Juno. The songs 'Irreplaceable' by Beyoncé and 'Poker Face' by Lady Gaga" as that was the last time the rates had been raised.

From Third Place Books in Seattle: Zac Fletcher and Spencer Ruchti.

New for PNBA this year was the live unveiling of the Pacific Northwest Book Awards Shortlist on the first night. Nathaniel Hattrick (Saltwater Bookshop, Kingston, Wash.) who is serving his second year as the awards committee chair, said that 295 books were submitted for consideration, and Tiffany LaSalle, PNBA program support, said that although authors and publishers usually are notified beforehand, as this was a live reveal, she will start notifying them this week. Up to six winners will be selected from the shortlist and will be announced in January 2025.

Also new for PNBA was the Reps Behind the Desk program, sponsored by Shelf Awareness. Reps Behind the Desk was the brainchild of Juenemann, who envisioned a dynamic setting to allow reps to expound on titles. The format of the session allowed participating reps to hold court as if they were hosts of their own late-night show, with book pitches and special guests. Juenemann said it was a wonderful opportunity to show "how funny or how passionate or deeply read some of these reps are. They're not reading the blurb off the back; they're emoting about how they felt about like six books in a row." The well-attended and lively event is expected to return the next year.

Charlie Hunts and Rosa Hernandez

Education sessions included Autism & ADHD as Bookselling Strengths and Local Authors and You. In their Marketing and Branding session, Rosa Hernandez (Third Place Books, Lake Forest Park, Wash.) and Charlie Hunts (Charlie's Queer Books, Seattle, Wash.) defined marketing as the relationship between the bookstore and the customer, and compared it to a dating relationship. But in terms of engagement, Hunts encouraged booksellers to keep posting, and that "it doesn't have to be perfect; it's better if it's not."

Keynote speakers included authors Brian Selznick and TJ Klune. Selznick opened the last morning at a breakfast as he talked about his latest book, Run Away with Me (Scholastic, April 1) for the first time publicly. He said that in many ways the book--his first YA--is a departure for him, but the main question he asks himself when working on any story is: "What's the point?" Run Away with Me is about "Roman history, bookbinding, obelisks, and the shocking, beautiful discovery of queer love." Although he doesn't want to discount the long history of violence and homophobia, he wanted to focus on the joy.

Elizabeth Whiting (v-p trade sales, Scholastic); Brian Selznick; Chris Satterlund (district sales manager, Scholastic); Tegan Tigani (Queen Anne Book Company, Seattle, and ABA president)

Selznick went on to talk about his time as a bookseller at Eeyore's Books for Children in New York City and the "thrill of handing the right book to the right reader at the right time. We know as booksellers that one of the ways we can offer some help is new stories." In light of censorship and recent book banning, he talked about the importance of offering and making available information for young people, for people to "see ourselves in books and... to learn about others through books." In conclusion, he thanked booksellers for "all the help you offer by bringing books to the people who want them, and even more to the people who need them. That, I think, is the point."

Next year's PNBA fall tradeshow will be held September 28-30 in Spokane, Wash. --Elaine Cho

To help bookstores, comic stores, and their employees who have been affected by Hurricane Helene, Macmillan Publishers will match all gifts made to Binc up to $10,000, regardless of size. As of yesterday, Binc had already received 15 calls for help from book and comic people in the path of destruction--more than 500 miles across six states. An estimated 200 bookstores and comic shops and thousands of store employees have been impacted.

"We are already hearing from book and comic people who are traumatized, unable to find friends and family, and without water and electricity," said Binc executive director Pam French, "and we know there will be more stores in need of disaster relief as the waters recede, the cleanup begins, and cell phone signals return. We are grateful for our friends at Macmillan for their willingness to partner with us in support of bookstores and comic shops."

The foundation receives requests every day from bookstore and comic store employees and owners experiencing unforeseen emergency financial, medical, and mental health hardships, and has helped stores around the country recover after natural disasters like hurricanes, wildfires, floods, and the Covid-19 pandemic. Donations can be made here.

Kudos to Binc and Macmillan!

Main Street Books, along with many other indies, is collecting supplies for areas hard-hit by Helene.

Many affected areas in Hurricane Helene's deadly path of destruction across the Southeast over the weekend are still in recovery mode. Independent bookstores in the storm's path continue to check in on social media with updates, including:

Highland Books, Brevard N.C.: "THANK YOU so much to everyone who has been checking in on us. Verizon brought in a mobile tower yesterday and I have cell connection for the first time since Friday. I'll be posting an update on the store accounts today, hopefully. The staff are I are all safe and well.... Some without electricity or water, but I am so touched by how everyone has come together to help one another. We have electricity at the store so we are open this week from 10am-7pm if you want to come by and use our electricity to charge devices. We can only take cash (although might have a work-around for that today, stay tuned), but we also have a cart of free books for anyone, and the City is dropping off regular updates if you want to pick up information. This is all so heartbreaking and we feel very fortunate to be ok. Please reach out if we can support you in any way."

Main Street Books, Davidson, N.C.: "Y'all filled 14 pickup trucks and SUVS with supplies for WNC! We had donations arriving for 6 hours straight. We are thinking about everyone who is waiting for rescue, food, water, and shelter. This collection wouldn't have happened without @katebarrcantwin who inspired and paved the way for us to put these donations in the right place for the right orgs.

"These loads are in Statesville at the Iredell County Democratic Party HQ. Davidson College students are preparing the supplies to go out tonight on planes with Operation Airdrop and tomorrow on a tractor trailer truck with Red Cross. Over the course of the day on the sidewalk, we met several families who have taken refuge in Davidson from areas including Asheville. They say THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to all the folks making donations."

Sassafras on Sutton, Black Mountain, N.C.: "Waynesville, N.C. was hit hard. We currently have no cell service or internet. I was just told it might be a month before the internet is fixed. We do have power. Our stores are intact, and all staff are safe. Not all can make it to the store, but enough can that we are trying to be open today.... The downtown of Waynesville was spared. There are still many people trapped and so many who have lost everything. We were very lucky, and I'm so grateful.

"Black Mountain is another story. It was one of the hardest hit towns. Sassafras on Sutton is still there. We just got power on last night from what I've been told by Duke Energy. However, there is no running water and won't be for several weeks. There is no cell service, internet, food or gas. All employees are safe, but none can make it to the store.... It's such a helpless feeling to not know how the people you love are doing. My staff is like family. Some have worked for me for years. I'm so thankful all are okay. There is help on the ground. Most people can't get to it. There has been substantial loss of life and property. Because of the lack of communication, we don't really know the extent of the disaster in Black Mountain. It will take months, if not years, for the community to be repaired. Entire neighborhoods washed away. Businesses are gone. Road are broken or not there anymore. The river moved. It's heartbreaking. But we carry on....

"Thank you so much for your support. I was overwhelmed by the love and well wishes from my social media post. You all love Sassafras as much as I do! It really is the most special place. We will do our best to reopen and offer the same level of wonderful merchandise, big smiles and amazing coffee as we always have. Until we see you in person, stay safe and well!"

Duck's Cottage Coffee & Books, Duck, N.C.: "Please continue to keep our fellow tarheels in your hearts and if you are able to help please give. We can't wait to get back out to the great western part of our state."

Tombolo Books, St. Petersburg, Fla.: "We're several days into Hurricane Helene's aftermath and still awaiting responses from friends as far away as North Carolina. The extent of the devastation is staggering. Tombolo made it through the storm without any damage, but so many other businesses, families and individuals are in crisis and in need of aid. If you are in Pinellas County and in need of help, there are many disaster relief resources @pinellasgov If you have money or time to offer, please consider donating through @volunteerflorida.... Please continue to stay safe. We're looking forward to sunnier days and seeing you at the bookstore!"

Spencer & Co., Gaffney, S.C.: "Hey everyone! We found some milk and ice and made an emergency pickup from the patisserie so we will be fully stocked tomorrow! 10% of ALL sales and ALL tips tomorrow will be donated to Samaritans Purse and The United Cajun Navy who have active boots on the ground for our neighbors in western N.C. Along with a personal donation from my family. If you're like my family we have made some amazing memories in Asheville, Hot Springs, Lake Lure, Chimney Rock etc. We might not have power but at least we have our homes and lives. We will do what we can to help our community and theirs." 

Page & Flame Bookshop, Landrum, S.C.: "We hope everyone is safe. We are okay. We will post when we have power & are able to reopen."

Blacksburg Books, Blacksburg, Va.: "There's a stereotype that bookworms are in their own little worlds--heads stuck in a book, oblivious to the world around them, dreamy and lost in thought... but ya'll came through STRONG for your neighbors. On Saturday, so many of you came out for our impromptu fundraiser--we were able to donate several hundred dollars to Red Cross flood relief efforts in Appalachia. And today, with just a couple of hours' notice, we filled up an employee's car with donations that we drove straight to the donation center. This community is the best. Blacksburg, we see you, we appreciate you, we love you. Now go boil some water (for at least one minute), make some tea, and get back to your reading."

The Stacks Bookstore, Savannah, Ga.: "We can't wait to see you, neighbors! Back open with regular hours AND power starting Tuesday! After a flood and then a hurricane, we can't wait to get back to just books."

M. Judson Booksellers, Greenville, S.C.: "Shelter from the storm: today and always."

Molly Waxman

Molly Waxman has been promoted to v-p, executive director of marketing--adult fiction and nonfiction at Sourcebooks. The company said that she has been "a pivotal force" behind its growth since she joined Sourcebooks in 2020, beginning as the marketing leader for the adult fiction imprints Landmark, Poisoned Pen Press, and Sourcebooks Casablanca. From there she steadily expanded her role to lead marketing efforts for all adult imprints, both fiction and nonfiction. Waxman will continue to oversee the development and execution of Sourcebooks' marketing initiatives, expanding on her approach to drive deeper engagement with readers, amplify authors' voices, and create bigger opportunities for books in the rapidly evolving publishing landscape.

Under Waxman's leadership, Sourcebooks has expanded its marketing strategy into what it calls a "full 360-degree" model with eight points of impact for authors. This approach ensures that every touchpoint--from in-person tours to social media to influencer collaborations--maximizes visibility and reader engagement. In the case of Bloom Books, it results in custom marketing campaigns that deepen relationships with authors, media, influencers, and readers.

Dominique Raccah, publisher and CEO of Sourcebooks, said, "Molly has helped us build a rock-solid marketing team that drives impact for authors, customers, and readers in such exciting ways. I can't wait to see how our marketing strategy continues to evolve as she steps into this new role."

Finalists have been selected for the 2024 National Book Awards. The five category winners will be announced at the 75th National Book Awards Ceremony & Benefit Dinner in New York City on November 20. The winners receive $10,000, a bronze medal, and statue; finalists get $1,000 and a bronze medal. Winners and finalists in the translated literature category split the prize evenly between author and translator. This year's finalists are:

Fiction
Ghostroots by 'Pemi Aguda (Norton)
Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar (Knopf)
James by Percival Everett (Doubleday)
All Fours by Miranda July (Riverhead Books)
My Friends by Hisham Matar (Random House)

Nonfiction
Soldiers and Kings: Survival and Hope in the World of Human Smuggling by Jason De León (Viking Books)
Circle of Hope: A Reckoning with Love, Power, and Justice in an American Church by Eliza Griswold (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
Unshrinking: How to Face Fatphobia by Kate Manne (Crown)
Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder by Salman Rushdie (Random House)
Whiskey Tender by Deborah Jackson Taffa (Harper)

Poetry
Wrong Norma by Anne Carson (New Directions)
[…] by Fady Joudah (Milkweed Editions)
mother by m.s. RedCherries (Penguin Books)
Modern Poetry by Diane Seuss (Graywolf Press)
Something About Living by Lena Khalaf Tuffaha (University of Akron Press)

Translated Literature
The Book Censor's Library by Bothayna Al-Essa, translated from the Arabic by Ranya Abdelrahman & Sawad Hussain (Restless Books)
Ædnan by Linnea Axelsson, translated from the Swedish by Saskia Vogel (Knopf)
The Villain's Dance by Fiston Mwanza Mujila, translated from the French by Roland Glasser (Deep Vellum)
Taiwan Travelogue by Yáng Shuāng-zǐ, translated from the Mandarin Chinese by Lin King (Graywolf Press)
Where the Wind Calls Home by Samar Yazbek, translated from the Arabic by Leri Price (World Editions)

Young People's Literature
Buffalo Dreamer by Violet Duncan (Nancy Paulsen Books)
The Great Cool Ranch Dorito in the Sky by Josh Galarza (Holt Books for Young Readers)
The First State of Being by Erin Entrada Kelly (Greenwillow Books)
Kareem Between by Shifa Saltagi Safadi (Putnam Books for Young Readers)
The Unboxing of a Black Girl by Angela Shanté (Page Street Publishing)

Authors Alex Erickson (The Cat Yoga Mysteries), Lynn Cahoon (The Kitchen Witch Mysteries), and Vicki Delany (The Tea by the Sea Mysteries) signed books during a cozy mystery afternoon tea party at Aaron's Books in Lititz, Pa. (photo: Alex Faccibene/Aaron's Books)

"We were stunned to have a very special group of readers come by the store for a visit today! Vice Presidential candidate @timwalz, his wife Gwen, & daughter Hope stopped by the store to peruse our shelves," McLean & Eakin Booksellers, Petoskey, Mich., posted on Instagram. "Tim talked with Matt about some of his favorite reads which included Andy Weir's Project Hail Mary, and Adrian Tchaikovsky's Children of Time. And in return, Matt suggested he pick up Recursion by Blake Crouch and Reilly shared her passion for Red Rising by Pierce Brown! Hope found our vinyl section and picked up Dope Lemon and TSwift's 1989.

"Thank you to the Walz family for taking the time to come by the store and making this a moment we will never forget. It was an honor to meet ALL of you! PS: Of course it was Taylor's Version and yes, Governor Walz is reading True Gretch!"

From My Shelf Books & Gifts, Wellsboro, Pa., shared a photo of the shop's latest sidewalk chalkboard message: "Do not read the next sentence. You little rebel... I like you. Come in."

At Macmillan Children's Publishing Group:

Alexandra Quill has been promoted to associate director, school & library marketing from senior manager, school & library marketing.

Morgan Rath has been promoted to senior publicity manager from publicity manager.

Chantal Gersch has been promoted to publicity manager from senior publicist.

---

In Ingram Content Group's New York sales team supporting Lightning Source sales:

Kay Makanju joined the strategic sales team as a key account sales manager. Her most recent role was with Abrams as a senior trade and educational sales manager. She is responsible for managing key accounts such as Cognella, Scholastic, and W.W. Norton as well as assisting with the trade enterprise segment.

Christian Westermann joined the inventory solutions sales team as a key account sales manager. His most recent role was with Abrams as a senior manager for indie and ingram sales and retail marketing. He is responsible for growing the Two Rivers and Publishers Group West print-on-demand business.

Dayna Weintraub joined the enterprise sales team as a key account sales manager. Her most recent role was with Penguin Random House as an associate sales manager. She is responsible for managing large accounts including PRH.

Brianna Madrigal joined the enterprise sales team as a key account sales manager. Her most recent role was with Viz Media as an animation sales associate. She is responsible for managing large accounts such as Simon & Schuster.

Getting Us to Grandma's by Nadia L. Hohn, illustrated by TeMika Grooms (Groundwood Books/Anansi Press).

Tomorrow:
CBS Mornings: Mellody Hobson, author of Priceless Facts about Money (Candlewick, $19.99, 9781536224719).

Today Show: Yotam Ottolenghi, author of Ottolenghi Comfort: A Cookbook (Ten Speed Press, $37.99, 9780399581779). He will also appear on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

Drew Barrymore Show: Kate McKinnon, author of The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, $17.99, 9780316554732).

Tamron Hall: Ina Garten, author of Be Ready When the Luck Happens: A Memoir (Crown, $34, 9780593799895).

Late Show with Stephen Colbert: Chris Wallace, author of Countdown 1960: The Behind-the-Scenes Story of the 312 Days that Changed America's Politics Forever (Dutton, $35, 9780593852194).

Mercury Filmworks (Hilda, The Lion Guard) and Trustbridge Entertainment have teamed up to develop, produce, and distribute Gustavo, a 2D animated comedy series based on Mexican author/illustrator Flavia Z. Drago's The World of Gustavo book series, which includes bestseller Gustavo, The Shy Ghost.

Emmy Award-nominated Robert C. Ramirez (Mickey's Tale of Two Witches, Minnie's Bow-Toons, Clifford's Really Big Movie) is the showrunner for the animated series, which will debut in October to the international marketplace at MIPCOM/MIPJunior in Cannes.

"We are excited to work with Trustbridge to adapt Flavia's zany, offbeat world of Gustavo into this new preschool series that we like to describe as the 'paranormal Peanuts gang meets My Little Ghoulish Pony,' " said Chantal Ling, v-p, original series & co-productions, Mercury Filmworks. "We aim to incorporate the elements that helped make the book series so popular for young children by gently combining the spooky aspects with a sweet, humorous storyline filled with heart that also delves into feelings of bravery and loneliness with the theme of friendship always at its core." 

Bob Higgins, president, Trustbridge Entertainment, added: "We can't wait to introduce Gustavo to fans who already know and love Flavia's books as well as those who will be meeting Gustavo and his friends for the first time. We are delighted to be working with Mercury Filmworks and Robert C. Ramirez on this special series full of hilariously haunted adventures that will help kids discover and celebrate their own unique talents." 

Drago commented: "The amazing teams at Trustbridge and Mercury have truly outdone themselves, capturing the heart of the books and characters and bringing them to life in such a brilliant way! I'm beyond proud and thrilled to be part of this project filled with kindness, fun, and spookiness--of course. I can't wait for more people to feel the same excitement that I do."

Jorge Cham is author of the Oliver's Great Big Universe series, including Volcanoes Are Hot! (Abrams, September 17, 2024). Originally from Panama, Cham holds a Ph.D. in robotics from Stanford University and was an instructor and researcher at Caltech before becoming a full-time cartoonist. He is the creator of the popular online comic "Piled Higher and Deeper" (or PHD Comics) and the co-creator of Elinor Wonders Why, an animated show that airs on PBS Kids and in dozens of countries around the world.

Handsell readers your book in 25 words or less:

It's Carl Sagan's Cosmos meets Diary of a Wimpy Kid: fun, hilarious, has a heart-warming story AND it's packed with awesome science for ages six to 99.

On your nightstand now:

I don't do a lot of reading in bed because I like to draw and write before going to sleep, but I have two books on my nightstand: A Farewell to Gabo and Mercedes: una despedida, which is a memoir of Gabriel García Márquez's last few days written by his son, Rodrigo Garcia; and A Promised Land by Barack Obama.

Favorite book when you were a child:

My favorite books as a kid were Archie Comics. My father worked in the Panama Canal, and he would often stop at the garage sales of American families that were moving back to the U.S. One day, he brought home a few boxes of old Archie Comics digests, and my brother and I devoured them and re-read them over and over for years. It's partly how I learned English, which helps to explain why I use expressions like, "egad!" and "yikes!" all the time.

Your top five authors:

Bill Watterson: I grew up in Panama, so I only read Calvin and Hobbes in book collections, not the newspaper. I vividly remember that it was the first time reading a book made me laugh out loud.

Charles Schulz: Among the treasure trove of comics that my father brought home from the garage sales were also collections of Peanuts comics. I admire Charles Schulz's dedication, work ethic, and the fact that he oversaw a huge empire, yet remained humble, empathic, and dedicated to his craft.

Hayao Miyazaki: although he is known for his animated film masterpieces, he also drew a long-running epic saga called Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, which is one of my favorite comic works of all time.

My two kids! I love reading anything they write (or draw, my daughter likes to write comics).

Book you've faked reading:

A Promised Land by Barack Obama.

Books you're an evangelist for:

For families with kids, I always recommend the Land of Stories audiobooks, written and narrated by Chris Colfer. They are great stories and he does an excellent job acting out all the characters. It's a treat for long car rides, as the whole family can get into it.

Books you've bought for the cover:

Basically, all the thousands of comic books I've bought in my lifetime.

Book you hid from your parents:

I don't think I ever hid a book from my parents. I either had awesome parents, or I wasn't reading the right books.

Book that changed your life:

Maus by Art Spiegelman. I read it when I was a teenager, and it's the first book that ever made me cry.

Favorite line from a book:

"Surprise is the essence of humor, and nothing is more surprising than the truth." Written by Bill Watterson in the introduction of the 10-year Calvin and Hobbes anniversary book. It's been one of the guiding principles in all my writing.

Five books you'll never part with:

Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud: A must for comic and visual artists.

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind by Hayao Miyazaki: The most epic comic series ever created, in my opinion.

The Achievement Habit by Bernard Roth: A book written by one of my Ph.D. mentors, who taught as much about life as he did about theoretical kinematics. It's based on a class he's taught at Stanford for many years, which hundreds (if not thousands) of students--myself included--say changed their lives.

Chikibeans by my daughter. This is a short book my daughter wrote during the pandemic when she was seven years old. It chronicles the hilarious adventures of four of her plushies, all of whom are named Chikibeans.

Book you most want to read again for the first time:

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell. I had no idea what to expect when I started the book, and when the structure of the book started to reveal itself, it blew my mind.

One thing you want readers to know about Oliver's Great Big Universe: Volcanoes Are Hot!:

That it's funny! And that kids (and curious adults) will learn a lot of great science reading it. It covers the Earth (volcanoes, earthquakes, plate tectonics), so it gives readers a better sense of the giant ball of rock we're all standing on. Like the rest of the series, the book is based on my son, Oliver, and to write it, I just imagined how a funny and earnest kid like him would explain complex topics to other kids.

Garth Nix's We Do Not Welcome Our Ten-Year-Old Overlord is highly believable, edge-of-your-seat science fiction, perfectly crafted for a middle-grade audience, in which one boy's too-smart-for-her-own-good 10-year-old sister finds an alien object capable of mind control in "an alternate version" of 1975 Canberra, Australia.

Most evenings, 12-year-old Kim Basalt and his best friend, Bennie Chance, along with their younger sisters Eila and Madir, ride bikes to a nearby lake. One night, after the sun disappears "for a fraction of a second," Eila wades into the water and pulls out a perfectly round, golden globe covered in mud. Kim tries to wrestle the object away from Eila, but he's zapped by the "horrible sensation that something was entering his brain," at the same time a voice in his head insists "let me in." Kim resists ("heck no!") and breaks free, but Eila, bossy and "super, super smart," pronounces the object to be a friend, and Madir worshipfully agrees it's "perfectly safe." Kim knows the globe is dangerous and threatens to tell their parents, but the globe disguises itself as a "harmless and ordinary" basketball by the time the kids get home.

Kim can't stop worrying about the globe, but Eila assures him Aster--"she is a person, not a 'globe thing' "--will listen to her and "can help." Eila sneaks out of the house one night and Kim follows to find Eila illuminating a massive ant nest with the globe; the next morning, the ants that had been touched by the light are dead. Later, Kim notices a "thin, perfectly circular layer of cloud directly above them, covering the city." When Bennie's parents start getting along, a sick neighbor is suddenly healed, and Kim's parents buy the color TV they never wanted, Eila finally admits to Kim that Aster is interfering with minds.

Nix (The Old Kingdom Series; The Lefthanded Booksellers of London) brings his consummate skill with speculative fiction to this captivating piece of alternate history. His introduction of a seemingly innocuous object with the potential to throw the known world into chaos is a familiar device, but in Nix's hands it's particularly effective. The ever-increasing tension should keep readers mesmerized, as they struggle with the question at the heart of this clever book: whether mind control is ever okay, even if it brings about "good" changes. --Lynn Becker, reviewer, blogger, and children's book author

Shelf Talker: This tense yet believable work of science fiction features a boy who must save the world from his 10-year-old sister and an alien object capable of mind control.

The bestselling Libro.fm audiobooks at independent bookstores during September:

Fiction
1. Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune (Macmillan Audio)
2. The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (Penguin Random House Audio)
3. We Solve Murders by Richard Osman (Penguin Random House Audio)
4. The Wedding People by Alison Espach (Macmillan Audio)
5. James by Percival Everett (Penguin Random House Audio)
6. Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout (Penguin Random House Audio)
7. Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty (Penguin Random House Audio)
8. Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner (Simon & Schuster Audio)
9. All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker (Penguin Random House Audio)
10. The Life Impossible by Matt Haig (Penguin Random House Audio)

Nonfiction
1. The Third Gilmore Girl by Kelly Bishop (Simon & Schuster Audio)
2. Lovely One by Ketanji Brown Jackson (Penguin Random House Audio)
3. Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer (Tantor Media)
4. The Small and the Mighty by Sharon McMahon (Penguin Random House Audio)
5. Nexus by Yuval Noah Harari (Penguin Random House Audio)
6. Something Lost, Something Gained by Hillary Rodham Clinton (Simon & Schuster Audio)
7. The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt (Penguin Random House Audio)
8. Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten (Penguin Random House Audio)
9. How the Word Is Passed by Clint Smith (Hachette Audio)
10. Over the Influence by Joanna "JoJo" Levesque (Hachette Audio)