Dactyl Hill Squad
Dactyl Hill Squad Series Book 1
Hardcover | Kindle | Audiobook
Written by Daniel José Older
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books | Scholastic
Release Date: September 11, 2018

Magdalys Roca, an orphan girl at the Colored Orphans Asylum, dreams of finding her scattered family, especially her brother Montez, fighting on the front lines in the Civil War. The children were on their way to the theater, when they were stopped by Magistrate Riker, who scared them with threats of paperwork, or he would have to take the children in as fugitive slaves. He does allow them to continue on, but soon after, all hell breaks loose, as the Draft Riots begin. The orphanage is burned, some children are abducted, and all hope seems lost. In the midst of it all, Magdalys seems to have a close connection to the dinosaurs – did I mention dinosaurs are ridden like horses? It’s up to her and her Dactyl Hill Squad to save the children and then go find her family.

More below on Dactyl Hill Squad by Daniel José Older.

Book Expo descended on NYC Thursday and Friday, and it was a reader’s dream. The prelude to Book Con (Saturday and Sunday), Book Expo was like having a Jacob Javitz Center sized library organized by publisher, where free books are literally thrown at you. And not only that, many of the books have not been released yet, and the authors are just hanging out ready to talk.

One of the many many publishers was Scholastic which handed out books like candy in “read-topia.” There are many lovely tomes headed our way from this kid-centric press (young adult too!) this fall.

Check them out below.

I Am Princess X
Hardcover | Kindle
Written by Cherie Priest
Illustrated by Kali Ciesemier
Arthur A. Levine Books | Scholastic
Release Date: May 26th, 2015
Cover Price: $18.99

May was a loner in a new school. One day, a girl came up to her and drew on the playground with some chalk. That was the birth of Princess X. This girl, Libby (also new to the school), became May’s best frend. They were inseperable. Together, Libby and May created notebooks upon notebooks of the adventures of Princess X. Libby drew the pictures. May wrote the stories. But they came up with the adventures together. And they didn’t need anyone else.