Category Archives: perseverance

Butler Bookshelf

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The teenage years are a challenging and exhilarating whirlwind of change. As teens take on new responsibilities and define who they are, they may discover that their personal values do not align with their family’s values. Through authentic portrayals of this complex stage, books can offer guidance while creating opportunities to practice empathy and conflict resolution skills. This week, we included titles from our teen fiction collection featuring teenage protagonists navigating generational trauma, immigration, teen parenthood, grief, and estranged family members. Our Pick of the Week, Like Glass by Jen Ferguson, follows the journey of sixteen-year-old Tatum “Tate” Nova Lambert as she travels to Chamonix, France to reconnect with her father, whom she hasn’t spoken to since her sister’s death. When he fails to pick her up at the airport, Tate quickly realizes that healing her family won’t be easy. As she confronts painful memories, forms new relationships, and experiences new waves of grief, Tate must decide if she can forgive her father and let go of the past.

Check out more family-focused teen fiction books below:

Like Glass
Jen Ferguson
HarperCollins Children’s Books/Heartdrum
Available now!

Foreigners
E.L. Shen
HarperCollins Children’s Books/Quill Tree Books
Available now!

My Killer Family Reunion
Dinesh Thiru
Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing/Atheneum
Available now!

In the Country I Love
Alaa Al-Barkawi
Peachtree Publishing Co/Peachtree Teen
Available now!

The Lovers, The Liars, and Me
DeAndra Davis
Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing/Atheneum
Available now!

Superb for the Job: A Review of Sheba the Alley Cat

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Sheba the Alley Cat 
Lauren Fornoles 
Illustrated by Natalia Gubanova 
Little Leaflet Press 
Ages: 4+  
Available: October 6, 2026 

When Sheba, a black cat, sees a job opening in the Meow Times for a ‘friend and travel companion’ for Hilda Broomwick (who seems nice and is totally not a witch), she finds an opportunity to see the world outside her humdrum alley. She packs her things and makes her way to the address listed in the paper: a house covered in cobwebs and has only one lit window. Despite her lack of travel experience, Sheba’s enthusiasm and bone-collecting skills might land her the job of a lifetime. Natalia Gubanova’s use of dark blue sky, pumpkins outside Hilda’s house, bats flying all over the place, and Hilda’s overall witchy appearance create a gentle Halloween theme. The hand-drawn look of Gubanova’s digital illustrations and muted colors generate a serene and charming atmosphere. Lauren Fornoles’s positive phrasing about Sheba’s excitement for the job complements Gubanova’s cute-spooky drawings. When Sheba reads “Welcome” near the front door, she fails to see the bottom text that reads, “if you dare,” creating depth to the story’s humor. The underlying message of being appreciated for one’s unique traits adds an emotional layer to the otherwise whimsical text. Sheba feels discouraged when she tells Hilda she hasn’t had a lot of travel experience. However, when Hilda mentions she needs special bones for her spells, Sheba realizes she can make a personal contribution, and her confidence returns stronger than ever. In short, Sheba the Alley Cat is a sweet seasonal story with a dash of social emotional learning, great for a Halloween collection or story time.