Hansen, James. Sophie’s Planet: A Search for Truth About Our Remarkable Home Planet and Its Future. Bloomsbury. May 2024. 256p. ISBN 9781632868947. $28.99. MEMOIR

Climate scientist James Hansen (Columbia; NASA) returns after his warning in Storms of My Grandchildren to pen a set of letters to his granddaughter Sophie about the fight to save the planet. His optimistic hope is that her generation will do so.

Kagan, Robert. Rebellion: The Antiliberal Tradition Tearing America Apart—Again. Knopf. May 2024. 272p. ISBN 9780593535783. $25. POL SCI

Historian Kagan (The Ghost at the Feast), senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and Washington Post columnist, provides an in-depth analysis of the threats to democracy in the current political climate and the historical events that have led to such dangers.

Khan, Salman. Brave New Words: How AI Will Revolutionize Education (and Why That’s a Good Thing). Viking. May 2024. 288p. ISBN 9780593656952. $30. ED

The founder of Khan Academy considers AI and education, urging parents and teachers to embrace it and use it to help students—as well as addressing how it can be used by administrators, guidance counselors, and HR. Along the way, Khan points out AI’s limits and imperfections.

Miranda Jr., Luis A. Relentless: My Story of the Latino Spirit That Is Transforming America. Hachette. May 2024. 272p. ISBN 9780306833229. $30. BIOG

Connected to national and local politics, from NY to TX, Miranda is a key voice in social and political circles and the subject of HBO documentary Siempre, Luis. He pens a memoir about Latino culture, immigration, building community, and changing the world. With a 75K-copy first printing and a foreword by his son, Lin-Manuel.

Quiñones, John & María Elena Salinas. One Year in Uvalde: A Story of Hope and Resilience. Hyperion Avenue. May 2024. 320p. ISBN 9781368107013. $29.99. SOC SCI

Two award-winning journalists write about their work embedded in Uvalde after the community was devastated by a mass shooting at their elementary school. Following several families and individuals caught in the wake of the tragedy, the book documents a year-long reporting project.