FOR CHILDREN: “The Mountain of Dempsey Molehill” by Julie Stroebel Barichello

Residents of Pickettstown live by the status quo. When the Picketts family founded the town, they had one vision in mind: sameness. But when Bo Jasper paints his house a vibrant shade of green, it creates an uproar that divides the community. Narrated by 12-year-old Dempsey Molehill, this middle-grade novel takes readers through a year in the life of Pickettstown and the Molehill family. The Molehills make it their personal mission to let Bo have his green house. Their chief strategy is Dempsey’s dad running for mayor against domineering Mayor Jim Picketts. Even though Dempsey and his four siblings do their best to support their dad’s bid for mayor, they have an unintentional knack for causing mischief. Whether it’s a campaign dinner’s combusting meatloaf, a Halloween “curse potion,” a bully-catching pit trap or accidentally terrorizing classmates with Scrap the one-eared cat, the Molehill kids are always at the center of the chaos — and it has a ripple effect throughout the election year. “The Mountain of Dempsey Molehill” is a gateway to talk to middle schoolers about civic involvement and municipal elections, while being masked in a humorous, big-family comedy of manners. Written in a nostalgic voice similar to Richard Peck’s “A Long Way from Chicago,” it’s a good pick for fans of “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” and “The Penderwicks.”

FOR ADULTS: “Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery” by Gerald Brom

The death of Abitha’s husband leaves her on precarious footing in her Colonial New England town. She desires to remain widowed and continue working her late husband’s farm, but the patriarchal Puritan community frowns on her choice to stay independent and unmarried. Meanwhile, her brother-in-law sets his sights on seizing her land and questions the circumstances of her husband’s death. Then there’s Samson: a part-human, horned beast who embodies an ancient forest spirit. When Samson awakens with no memory of who or what he is, a trio of Wild Folk try to convince him he is a blood-lusting deity here to enact revenge upon humans who harm nature. However, he believes himself to be a benevolent god and focuses his attention on serving Abitha in exchange for her prayers and offerings.

“Slewfoot” is a dark story of self-discovery for both Samson and Abitha. Set against a backdrop of the American witch trials, author Gerald Brom plays with the binary of good and evil, exploring both inner nature and external forces that drive characters to action. Brom is a skilled craftsman of folk horror as well as an accomplished artist – “Slewfoot” includes eight of Brom’s moody original paintings of book characters.