Here’s what the Adaptation staff has been consuming this month:

The Lie Tree, by Frances Hardinge

I recently read The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge. It was the first YA book to win the Costa Book Award in twenty years, and it’s easy to see why! It’s about the daughter of a reverend archaeologist whose family moves to a remote island to escape some scandal involving her father’s work, only for her father to die under mysterious circumstances shortly after they arrive. In trying to find out what happened to him, she discovers that he had in his possession a tree that reveals truth, but only if you feed it lies. It’s creepy and haunting and absolutely spine-tingling!

-Jess

Switched at Birth, 4 seasons so far on Freeform

I’m only part way through the third season, but I got that far in only a few weeks because I could not stop watching. The premise is that two girls find out at 16 that the hospital switched them at birth. Daphne, who is deaf, was raised by a a single Latina mother in the humbler part of town while Bay grew up in a rich, private school life that she never felt comfortable in. The families have to navigate how to raise the girls together. It’s a really great show, particularly for how it deals with deaf culture (at least to my knowledge of it) and other progressive perspectives on various issues.

-Kendyl

The Queen’s Poisoner by Jeff Wheeler

I am currently reading The Queen’s Poisoner (thanks, Kendyl!) I’m only halfway finished with it, but I’m really enjoying it so far. The main character is an 8-year-old boy named Owen, who was taken as ‘ward’—i.e. hostage—to the king when his father refused to fight on the king’s behalf during a recent war. As I said, I’ve only gotten halfway at the moment, but I highly recommend it! There is mystery, political intrigue, and some definite magic!

-Jenn

Zootopia

We’ve pretty much been singing Zootopia’s praises to everyone we talk to lately. If you didn’t see it already, seriously, it’s one of those must see children’s movies for all ages. It’s about Judy Hopps, the first bunny ever to be a cop in Zootopia, who upon arrival gets stuck with parking duty where she meets con-man fox Nick Wilde. She leverages some info on him to force him to help her solve a case of multiple missing predators. The case unfolds in a great metaphor for racism, stereotyping, and sexism that is simple enough for any and all to understand.

–Ryan and Kendyl

That’s it for us this month, but be sure to leave your own recommendations in the comments!