Starstuff: Ten Science Fiction Stories to Celebrate New Possibilities

Alexander, William (ed.) Starstuff: Ten Science Fiction Stories to Celebrate New Possibilities 

May 20, 2025 by MIT Kids Press

Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Like the Young Adult collection by this group, Tasting Light: Ten Science Fiction Stories to Rewire Your Perceptions, Starstuff showcases middle grade authors who turn their hands to envisioning what science will look like in the future. The authors puts their own personal twists on this theme, while offering readers glimpses of the future that are timely and sometimes worrisome. Let's take a brief look at what is included. 

Jenn Reese, whose middle grade novels Every Bird a Prince and Puzzleheart lean towards magic, hands us a "To-do List for the Apocalypse". River doesn't understand why her mother needs to move her to California after divorcing her father since there is an asteroid on its way to Earth. Her mother, who got a job teaching psychology, is also a citizen scientist, and when she gets an alert while they are driving to their new home, the two stop in Colorado to set up a station to record the asteroid as it passes close to the planet. Using the backyard of Jamila and her father Rahesh (who is also divorced from his husband), River finds out the real truth about the asteroid and makes peace with her new life. 

In "Calm Down, People", Carlos Hernandez (Sal and Gabi Break the Universe) introduces us to Orquidea Bandana, who is a on a space mission to show consumers that space travel is safe even for people who might be deathly allergic to bees or possibly in the early stages of multiple sclerosis, like she is. Bandana saves the day with her knowledge of EpiPens and inhalers when the captain is stung by one of the blue orchard bees on board, and helps Spacerino Exploration Travel show that space tourism isn't dangerous. 

Zinn and Charlie break into the Athanatos research facility in "The Whistleblowers" after Zinn's grandfather needs the EternaLife medicine that Charlie's mother has developed but has since found out can cause cancer. Kekla Magoon, whose Robyn Hoodlum series was set in a dystopia future, writes a thrilling tale about medical ethics gone wrong and kids doing what they can to save the ones they love. 

With people living on space stations, there has to be a way to get supplies to them. In Alexander's "Aesop's Elevator", which is written in the second person, our narrator loves living in the tiny apartment that is part of the space elevator that his mother designed, although his sister Addy would love to return to Earth permanently. When rocket entrepreneur John Jay Jordan threatens this existence by making a bet that his rockets can provide supplies more quickly, the narrator has to step in to discover who has sabotaged the elevator. Alexander, the editor of this volume who has written a lot of books with which I am not familiar, will be known to middle grade readers for his The Kids in Mrs. Z's Class: The Legend of Memo Castillo.

Maddi Gonzalez, who has written several of the Goosebumps graphic novels, contributes the only graphic novel style story with "Zabrina Meets the Retro Club", which finds Zabrina meeting members of a group she has only known online at the M.A.L.L.: the Multimedia Augmented Liminal Location. Her friends Ada, Brandi, Carol and Dina are glad to finally see each other in real life, although Dina is joining the group as a robot, since she is sick at home. Since Zabrina wears thick glasses, the two can't enjoy the virtual reality headsets, but everyone is glad to be able to hang out together. 

Kallen and his friend Ryla are on the spaceship Whistle Pig in "The Most Epic Nap in the Universe" and are determined that they Kallen will opt out of his hibernation cycle so the two can hang out together and Ryla won't get older that Kallen is. Their plans are thwarted by Kallen's mother, who doesn't want to miss out on time with her son, but the two manage to wake Kallen up and get into trouble, some of it involving the marmots that help the hibernation process. Capetta has done some young adult books, along with the elementary fantasy novel, Hocus and Pocus and the Spell for Home. 

Eliot Schrefer, who wrote Young Adult thrillers before turning his hand to books like Endangered, offers 

an interesting look at "A Proposal to the Animal Congress". In a text message format, narrated by an AI hawk and rabbit, the animals try to find the best way to minimize suffering for all animals. 

Artificial Intelligence is used again in Robertson's "Of What We Never Were" when we see Stacy, who is clearly struggling at school, constantly texting her best friend Adam, who is not with her all day for reasons that become clear later in the story. 

Fran Wilde (Gemworld, Bone Universe, The Canarvier Files) takes us on a wild ride in Red, Right, Returning as fifth grader Ollie Vere struggles with taking her prepilot test along with her twin sister Ella and best friend Luiz. When she presses the "optimize" button too many times, complications ensue, her anxiety rises, and the test seems even more  difficult. 

Finally, Lucy's class gets to submit ideas for a Space Treaty Organization contest in 2068, and while her teacher Mr. Gupta initially has reservations about whether a time capsule is a good use of the opportunity to send an object into space, Lucy's project is chosen, and she and her teammates must work to figure out what they can include in such a small space. Years after including information on DNA cartridges, Lucy comes across her own time capsule on a mission and adds additional items. 850 million years later, the capsule is found again, and this afterthought inclusion allows a future society to bring Lucy's clone to life in "The Traveler" by Wade Roush. 

While some of these stories were more effective than others, they all included a respectable amount of scientific information, although this sometimes overshadowed the narrative flow. It's hard to find science fiction that doesn't devolve into dystopia, so these stories will be a big hit with readers who enjoy futuristic adventures that try to predict how science and technology will change and impact our existence. It's hard to find science fiction short story collection for middle grade readers, but if they enjoyed novels like Mbalia's Last Gate of the Emperor, Warga's A Rover's Story, or Rodkey's We're Not From Here, Starstuff will hit the spot. 

MMGM- Roman Soldiers: Discover the World of the Ancient Roman Army

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Evans, Tegen and Froese, Tom (illustrations).
Roman Soldiers: Discover the World of the Ancient Roman Army

20 May 2025 by Nosy Crow

Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

While this books looks like a picture book, with its vaguely cartoon style illustrations, it is packed with information not only about the soliders and army, but also about every day life in Ancient Roman times. 

Because most children don't get introduced to ancient history until middle school, this book does a great job of providing all the necessary details about Roman soldiers in a succinct way. It discusses who was able to serve, how armies were organized and equipped, how soliders trained and fought in battles, and what calvary soldiers did. There is even information about what happened during a siege (including information about not only catapults, but ballistae and onagers as well!), a bit about ancient medicine, and living conditions for soliders. There is a complete index at the end of the book, which is beautifully decorated with the same mosaic pattern found on the end papers. 

While this is a larger format book (10.25 x 0.41 x 11.48 inches), the font is still very small, since there is so much information on each page. This gives plenty of room for detailed portrayals of uniforms, equipment, and fortifications, but does require some patience and good eyesight! 

When I taught Latin years ago, one of the most popular historical topics was always anything about the Roman army. One of my students did a project that included a Romanc shield made out of a plastic sled and half a Leggs Egg! He wasn't the best student at the language, but his project was top notch. This book would have plenty of information to provide for similar projects on several different aspects of the Roman military. Even I have to admit that their fighting formations are rather clever. 

Young historians will appreciate the British Museum's wealth of information in this book, and will also enjoy Ruzicka and Tuma's Ancient Rome for Kids, Ralph's Secrets of the Dead about Ancient Egypt, and Marx's Hide and Seek History: Ancient Greece. Sasek's This is Rome is a good overview of the general time period, and there are also plenty of Dorling-Kindersley books on many Ancient Roman topics. 

Archive of the Unexplained: Area 51

Foxe, Steve and Bueno, Fran (illus.) Archive of the Unexplained: Area 51

August 5, 2025 by First Second

Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

When TJ's great uncle passes away, his parents take him to the funeral. Afterwords, he is a bit bored with the reception at the house, and wanders into his uncle's study, where he finds a file marked "CIA debriefing". Intrigued, he tells his mother he is just looking for something to read, and discovers a bookcase that opens and leads to an underground office. He finds out that his uncle was involved in the investigations into Area 51, and reads the files eagerly. In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, motivated by the Cold War, set up Project Blue Book to investigate whether or not aliens were a threat to US security. While problematic, this group lasted until 1969. Centered near Roswell, N. M, this secure area was all too close to the site of WWII era atomic bomb testing, since people didn't quite understand all of the ramifications of nuclear fallout and radiation. Many instances of "alien sightings" were investigated, but eventually the focus of the group became to get people to be less worried about the threat of aliens! From 1970-2007, the government did not investigate anything about aliens, at least on the record! TJ reads information about Bob Lazar's claims in 1989, the "weather balloons" of the 1950s, and anecdotal evidence about "Men in Black" that takes on a different feel when he is approached by real Men in Black! He hides with the files in the bathroom so he can finish reading them, but is eventually flushed out and must surrender the files. When he tries to tell his parents about his adventure, the secret door is stuck. 

This graphic novel will be a big hit with Sullivan's Unsolved Case Files or books that showcase Area 51, like Smith's Project Mercury, Murray and Smith's Alien Summer, Miller's Out There, or Fleming's Crash From Outer Space.  While this story leans a bit more towards the idea that aliens did have an active presence in mid century America, I have to side with Fleming's research that shows that Yes, Virginia, it was just a weather balloon. 

The style of illustrations looked very much like comic books; not surprising, given Foxe's body of work that includes book adaptations of X-Men stories. This goes well with the topic, and enjoyed TJ is his funeral suit finding the secret basement and hunkering down to read in the bathroom. There's a lot of historical information, even if this veers into science fiction territory when TJ is chased by the Men in Black. 

Graphic novels are a great way to get tweens reading about historical events, and this will have a lot of comic book appeal for readers who enjoyed History Comics. 

Absolutely Everything and Indoor Kid

Alexander, Damian. Absolutely Everything  
September 9, 2025 by Graphic Universe ™
Copy provided by Edelweiss Plus

Marcella has a nice life; a cozy apartment in a building where her friends Jen Chu, Nigel McNamara, and Jonah Williams live, two dads who love and support her, and a love of writing. As 6th grade starts, however, things are getting difficult. She can never remember to catch her bus at 6:45 a.m., often getting distracted by things in her room. She struggles to pay attention to class, and is embarrassed when her teachers call her out after they have asked her to participate several times. Her best friend Jen is starting to think that boys are cute, and caring about what she wears to school, instead of thinking about the books that she and Marcella liked to role play when they were younger. On top of everything else, her dads are moving the family to the apartment across the hallway because it is bigger and has better sunlight and a balcony. When a teacher she likes assigns a 500 word personal essay on any topic, Marcella can't think of a thing to write about, even though she has enjoyed making journal entries, and her teacher has been complementary about her writing. Jen is increasingly involved in ballet, and even though her friends and parents try to help her with the writing assignment, Marcella always gets distracted by something else, doesn't do the work, and gets even more stressed. She even misses Jen's ballet recital because she is trying to get work done on the project. Eventually, Ms. Kimani calls home and tells Marcella's dads what she is seeing in school. Marcella admits that she is struggling, and is lucky enough to get an appointment with a therapist, who helps her. 
Strengths: Even though middle school classwork and homework isn't that hard, students have struggled in recent years, so Marcella's experiences in this graphic novel will resonate with many readers. It was good to see that her fathers supported her, and immediately got her into counseling when a teacher brought her struggles to their attention. It's good to see portrayals of students living in apartments, and Marcella's building sounds like a great place to be. Alexander's artwork is brightly colored and similar to other artists like Telgemeier, Galligan, and Fajardo, but is different enough to be unique. The cover is very appealing and shows the mood of the book right away. 
Weaknesses: Young readers who have had to move to other states or countries will have little sympathy for Marcella's move across the hallway. It would have been informative to see Marcella prior to middle school, because her prevailing mood is so miserable. 
What I really think: An author's note states that Marcella is based on characters that Alexander has drawn over a number of years, and that her story is based on his own struggles with ADHD. He didn't see stories that reflected his experience when he was growing up. Now, every other middle grade book is about a character with anxiety, so this would be a good choice for readers who enjoyed Libenson's Invisible Emmie, Scrivan's Nat Enough, or Vivat's Frazzled. Most of the characters like Marcella are female, so it would have been nice to see another book with a male character with these struggles, like Todd's Timid.  Alexander's Other Boys is another look at his difficult middle school years. 

Heagerty, Mat, and Dubois-Thompson, Lisa. Indoor Kid

October 28, 2025 by Oni Press

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Arnie lives in Muscletown with his athletic parents and sister Lily. Sports are everything in Muscletown, and Arnie doesn't have much luck with them, although he is good at board and video games. The popular kids are known as the Brohemians, and they wield such power that they can challenge other students to "Muscle Matches", and if they lose, ban them from the local Boyle Park and make them wear pale blue ball caps embroidered with "Loser". Arnie has suffered this fate several times, along with his friends Kayle and Chris. When he stands up to Benton, the ringleader, he is banned from the park for life. When a game piece falls into the yard of his downstairs neighbor, Arnie goes to retrieve it. While he doesn't do well at sports, he loves them, and realizes the neighbor is the elusive Mort Cohen, who disappeared after a short but stellar career that ended when he played poorly at the Super Bowl in 1985. Mort admits to his identity, and tells Arnie the story of a magical medal that will grant sports prowess to its owner, but only for six months. When Arnie explains his current dilemma, Mort gives him the medal, making him promise to use it for good. Arnie is soon showing off his new skills, but Mort doubts Arnie's motives when he posts videos on a MeTube channell. Once he does well in dodgeball, he becomes popular, and ditches Kayla. After Kayla and Chris try to steal the medal, Arnie understands how he has gone wrong, and offers to give it to them. Instead, they suggest that he challenge all five Brohemians to a Muscle Match. If they lose, they will no longer be able to ban people from the park or make them wear a hat. Will Arnie be able to win against all five of the super sports players? And what will happen to the medal?

Strengths: This was a goofy graphic novel with bright illustrations and an interesting premise. A medal which bestows athletic super powers on its owner would be something that a lot of middle school students would appreciate. There are many sports shown; the Brohemians all have one sport in which they excel, and there are basketball games, baseball, field hockey, and a number of other sports. It's difficult to find graphic novels that involve sport, other than the Jake Maddox graphic novels. Readers who like somewhat goofy books about struggling characters may enjoy this. 
Weaknesses: Muscletown lets five children ban people from a public park and the school lets them force classmates to wear a hat that says "loser"? If this were set in the 1970s, I would believe it, but it's hardly acceptable behavior for the 2020s. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed the magical realism and underdog character in Mercado's Chunky or Bycel, Korson, and Scott's Sports Heroes: Stephen Curry. I'm not sure it's the graphic novel that my sports fans want to read. 

Ruby René Always Gets Her Way

Iman, Ashley and Jose, Gladys (illus.) Ruby René Always Gets Her Way

June 24, 2025 by Kokila

Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

In Ruby René Had So Much to Say, Ruby finds out that it is all too easy to get in trouble, even when you're just trying to do the right thing. She's finally harnessed her energetic questions and love of trivia and is the voice of the school announcements, where it is great to share her fun fact of the day. When she gets sick and has to miss a couple of days of school, she is flabbergasted to find that another student has been announcing in her absence. Yanin has done a good job, and keeps showing up for announcements even though Ruby is back. The two girls warm to each other and are soon finishing each other's sentences. They get along well, until Ruby referes to Yanin as her sidekick, and doesn't give her a chance to do anything but listen to Ruby's great ideas. Yanin avoids Ruby, and then ignores her entirely. Hurt, Ruby is sad when the principal tells her that Yanin wants the girls to take turns doing the announcements rather than doing them together. Neither girl is as good alone, and eventually Ruby realizes that she hasn't really taken an interest in Yanin or asked her any questions. The two are able to reconcile and continue to work on the morning announcements together. 

It's not just elementary students who need to learn to listen to others and work collaboratively; there are adults who only want to talk about themselves and their own ideas! It's easy to get caught up in wanting to share what's in our own heads, and hard to cede the floor to the ideas of other's. Ruby doesn't do anything malicious; she just doesn't always THINK. This is definitely something that need help navigating. 

There are a lot of words on each page, but this makes it perfect for third graders (as well as younger children), who seem to be the hot spot for troublesome relationships. The illustrations will appeal to this demographic, and the text is helpful without talking down to young readers. 

There's no shortage of books about friendships, but this look at Ruby's relationship with Yanin definitely is more instructive and timely than many other titles. I can't think of any books from my own childhood that address issues of getting along with others, but there are now a lot of books on this topic, including Horáček's A Best Friend for Bear, Hest and Denton's Billy and Rose: Just the Way We Are, and Agee's George and Lenny are Always Together. 

North for the Winter

Merry Christmas! My students, no matter what their religious background, often start requesting titles about this holiday right after Halloween, and it's hard to keep up with demand. I still have an extremely worn copy of the first graphic novel I ever bought, the 2006 Manga Claus, and North For Winter will be a good follow up for readers who enjoyed the odd mix of holiday themed characters and action. 

Podesta, Bobby. North for the Winter
September 2, 2025 by First Second
E ARC provided by Netgalley

In 1955, Virginia Kay and her father move from Arizona to Denver, Colorado. On the trip, the father (who was a pilot during the war) narrowly misses an animal on the road, and has to change a flat tire. Virginia goes off into the woods in search of the animal, and encounters a flying reindeer. When the animal sniffs her, she accidentally grabs a medallion of its collar. Her father isn't happy that she ran off, since they have recently lost her mother. Arriving at Aunt Frances' apartment, Virginia doesn't feel at home, but soon comes to terms with her cozy bedroom in the pantry, and makes friends with neighbor Benny Alvarez. In alternating scenes, we also see the men working at the Continental Air Defence Command Center (CONAD). Benny takes Virginia on a tour of Denver, including Gisser's Department Store, where his sister Gloria works in the toy department. Virginia is obsessed with the reindeer, and talks Benny into investigating the woods with her, and he even gets Gloria to drive them. The medallion is a compass, and Virginia ends oup flying with the reindeer. They show up on the CONAD radar, and almost get hit by a plane. Arriving back at the department store, they are met by manager Mr. Albright, who along with workers Joy and Noel are actually elves. Mr. Albright knows Donner, and tells Virginia that since she has the compass, Donner doesn't know where to meet up with his team to pull Santa's sleigh. If Santa doesn't make his deliveries, children will stop believing in Santa, so it's important that Virginia fix things. Unfortunately, she has to deal with a man they call the Tracker, who is trying to capture Donner. It's a tricky situation, and Virginia and Benny drive Benny's family car to the cabin (even though they are about 12!). Things escalate with the Tracker, and get pretty dark. With CONAD on high alert because of the odd radar sightings, will Virginia be able to save Christmas?
Strengths: In my mind, the 1950s are the Golden Years of Christmas, so it makes perfect sense to set the story during this time. I loved the note at the end about the serendipity of Colonel Harry Shoup and CONAD tracking Santa! The illustrations, including the color palette, have enough details from that time period to really sell the setting; the clothing, the cars, and the decorations at the department store. This gets a little dark, which is perfect for middle school readers; the Tracker seems like a real threat, and at one point Virginia jumps of the roof of the department store, just trusting that Donner would magically arrive and safe her. (He does. Whew.) Virginia and Benny, aided by a reluctant Gloria, are a wonderful detective team. The mix of history and fantasy reminds me a bit of Walsh's Red Scare: A Graphic Novel. My favorite part has got to be the description Joy and Noel give about Santa's marketing, brand strategy, and decentralization of manufacturing and staff! 
Weaknesses: This is one book where the mother REALLY didn't need to be dead. Couldn't the entire family have just moved to Denver for someone's job? I loved Aunt Frances, but can't we even have HOLIDAY books without all the middle grade parents dying?
What I really think: I'll probably buy this one because the demand for Christmas books is high, and this one had a cinematic, quirky middle grade approach to Santa and his reindeer. You could not pay me enough to have this in an elementary library. Another reviewer thought it would be great for grades 2-4, but I think the dark tone of this one better suits children who have already decided that Santa does not exist. Because I told my daughter from a young age that I didn't believe in Santa, she was crushed to find out that I was right all along. When she was in 6th grade! Not my fault, but I wouldn't want to have to explain this one to any tender youth. 

Howe, Harriet and Christians, Julia (illus.) The Street Where Santa Lives
September 2, 2025 by Tiger Tales
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

When an older man with a long white beard and red jacket and hat moves onto her street, a little girl is determined that he is Santa, even though her sister Liv thinks it's embarassing to call him that! The little girl spends time with the man (after he tells her parents she's no bother), and the two talk and plant things in the local garden. When the man fixes the girl's bicycle bell, this leads to the creation of "Santa's Workshop" where neighbors can bring in small things for the man to repair. The girl helps out. As the weather turns colder, Santa doesn't show up at the workshop, and the girl is concerned. With her parents, she knocks on the door and finds out that Santa is ill. Posting flyers, the girl alerts the neighbors that Santa needs help, and they all descend with soup, food, and medicine to take care of their friend. Santa feels better just in time for Christmas. 

I loved this because years ago, when my daughters were young, there was an older, portly man with a beard in our town who drove a red pick up truck and wore a red jacket and stocking cap. The girls were convinced that he must be Santa Claus! It's good to see the girl and Santa interact with so many people in their neighborhood; in addition to the garden, the neighborhood has parks, a restaurant, and a lot of folks out and about. That feeling of community is especially fun for young readers who might live in suburban neighborhoods where people are never outside!

Christians' artwork is delightful, and gives a certain European feel to the pages, with great use of light and attention to detail. The use of dark blue gives the pages set at night a very cozy ambiance. 

There's a fine line between believing in Santa and not, and books that "explain" different aspects of Santa's life can help youngsters explore the reality of this gift giving jolly old elf. Pop this fun title under the tree with Sharff and Kaban's When Santa Came to Stay, Barnett and Smith's Santa's First Christmas, or Stewart and Beckett's How the North Pole Works for readers who are looking forward to Christmas. 

12 Strays of Christmas and Candy Corn Christmas

McKearin, Natalie. 12 Strays of Christmas
October 7, 2025 by Scholastic Inc.
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Holly Bell has had a bad year; there has been a trifecta of bad things occur in her life. Her father has died, her dog Ginger has died, and her mother has moved her and her brother Nick from Michigan to Chicago for her new job. Nick has settled in okay, and has a new best friend, Nick, but Holly still misses her friend Cara and hasn't really made any new friends. When she is forced to do a service learning project, Alex suggests that she come to the animal shelter where he volunteers. She meets another girl from school there, Angelina, who seems to hate her, and a tussle involving giving a dog a bath ends with her cell phone being ruined. Not wanting to bother her stressed out, rarely home mother about it, she takes her savings and buys a flip phone. She tries to find a job, but since she isn't 14, she can't find anything. Alex, whose mother has a Christmas shop in the mall, says that they always need help, but Holly finds Alex annoying. Holly, who is desperately grieving so many things in her life, finds just about everything annoying, with the exception of her father's old record player, which she uses to listen to a wide array of rather old music since she can't use her phone. She eventually connects with Angelina, only to find that her Dad and Alex's mom are getting married. Holly also finds a dog at the shelter who reminds her of Ginger, but again, she doesn't want to bother her mother. As Christmas and the wedding approaches, Holly begins to realize that it is too hard to do try to deal with everything on her own, and eventually asks her mother for help with processing the difficult move. 

The cover of this is adorable, and Christmas books are always in demand. I was hoping that this would be like Taylor Garland's Secret Snowflake or The Twelve Pets of Christmas, but be aware that this is more in line with the current trends in middle grade literature to make as many books as possible deal with the grieving process. That said, it's likely I will buy a copy of this because it's so hard to find Christmas books. I was a bit surprised at how old some of the music was; if Holly is 13, her father was likely in his mid 40s, so must have had very eclectic tastes in music. 

Fenske, Jonathan. Candy Corn Christmas
September 9, 2025 by Little Simon
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

A leftover bunch of candy corn lingers in a plastic pumpkin in the pantry with baking supplies. They are all rather sad until they realize that Christmas cheer is in the air. They venture out and find a winter wonderland of snowflakes, trees, and reindeer, and meet a sugarplum who tells them that it is Christmas. Let loose from their confines, the candy corn take full advantage of the delights of the season and cause a lot of chaos, sliding down the roof of the gingerbread house and crawling up the tree. A bossy candy cane takes umbrage at their antics and tells them to scream. Disheartened, the corn prepare to leave, but Santa comes down the chimney just in time! He reminds the Christmas candy that there is room enough for everyone, and after a frightening nibble at one of the candies, declares that they are sticky, striped, and sweet just like candy canes. Feeling welcome, the candy corn participate in the holiday activities a bit more calmly, and help their new friends decorate the tree. 

Told in well crafted verse, this is an absolutely delightful book that will bear multiple rereadings between Halloween and Christmas. I am super picky about poetry, and this absolutely passed the "read out loud" test. There are clever rhymes, fun word choices, and phrases that are destined to become family favorites. Even though I enjoy a bit of seasonal candy corn, I can see "They were the candy time forgot. They did not mold. They did not rot." working it's way into my grandchildrens's parlance. Especially when they find out that I have a bag of Thanksgiving Dinner flavored candy corn from 2021 in my freezer! 

Fenske has illustrated many books, including Perl's Carrot and Cookie books and his own I Will Race You Through This Book, so the illustrations are rich with details that will make young readers giggle. From the Muffin Man mix on the pantry shelves to the candy corn cannon balling into a cup of eggnog, there are all sorts of amusing gags and references. The candy corn all have expressions on their face, and it's necessary to look at all of them to see what other stories are unfolding. 

Clearly, there should be more Christmas books about sentient candy. Lacking those, you can read this along with Scarry's classic The Sweet Scent of Christmas or edgier, humorous holiday themed books like Sharff's When Santa Came to Stay or Ardagh's Bunnies in a Sleigh. 

How to Make a Bedtime

McKinlay, Meg and Blair, Karen. (Illustrator)
How to Make a Bedtime
Published January 28, 2025
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

It's time for bed, and a little boy and his parents (who is portrayed as a bear) poetically discuss the elements of what make a bedtime. A sloshy bath, followed by cozy pajamas, leads to looking for a teddy bear to take to bed. After some searching, the boy and his bear are tucked up tight, but it's still not time. Some songs, a hug and a kiss, and even a story are necessary. The sleepy little boy makes no objection to putting his head down and falling asleep as the parent bear trundles away.

Books about bedtime often involve some youngsters that aren't too keen on turning in, like Alves' Time for Bed, Little Owls, Strasser's So Tired, So Wide Awake, Shea's Oh, Are You Awake, and Cummins' Sleepy Sheepy and the Sheepover, so it's refreshing to see a clearly tired child (who can barely keep his eyes open!) patiently put up with the parent's protracted ritual. Of course, it's awfully hard to say no to a lullabye or a couple of bedtime books!

The text is in rhyming verse that flows smoothly. The language is somewhat more poetic than many picture book, with lines like "cloud-soft" pajamas, "purpling sighs", and "snuggly slumbery snory", but is otherwise fairly simple and calm, which will make for a nice bedtime read.

The pictures have a definite chalk pastel feel to them, which makes the pages look as cozy as the text makes the story sound. The little boy looks a tiny bit like Sendak's Max in Where the Wild Things are; something about his nose, perhaps, although he acts nothing like him. The story is just long enough to make this book a frequent entry into a nighttime line up.

I'm a little confused as to why the parent was a bear. I had come to terms with that, but then the final page shows the bear walking down the stairs like a human, then getting down on all fours to cross the room.

MMGM- Black Diamond Kings and Welcome to Kittyville

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Smith, Charles R. and Brandon, Adrian (illus.)

Black Diamond Kings: Heroes of Negro League Baseball

May 6, 2025 by Candlewick

Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Very few authors pair sports with poetry, but Smith has several titles that do this very things. His other Sports Royalty books, including Hoop Queens, Hoop Kings, and Soccer Queens follow a similar winning format. Luminaries of the game are given beautiful two page spread illustrations and a poem that encapsulates what makes the player special. These would be fantastic for read aloud, since Smith's free verse poems are full of motions, images, and sounds that lend themselves to being heard. 

There are several players from the Negro Leagues of whom readers may have heard, like Satchel Paige and Cool Papa Bell, but many others that are all too close to being forgotten. The poems don't give a lot of information about the players' lives, so it's good to see short biographical paragraphs at the end of the book. These are complete with the years when they were active, positions, and whether they were right or left handed. Oddly, the years of birth and death are not included, nor are teams for which they played always mentioned. 

There is some additional information on the Negro Leagues, including why they were called that, and the disparities in treatment. As of 2024, Negro League players have been added to Major League Baseball statistics, so that was good to see. 

It is very hard to find books on sports for any age level, but especially for younger readers. This is a good addition to books like David A. Kelly's Ballpark Mysteries, Barnes' Who Got Game: Baseball,  or picture books like Sorrell's Contenders. 

Martin, Paul and Roy, Camille (illustrations)

Welcome to Kittyville (The Agatha Case Files)

September 9, 2025 by Twirl

Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Young Agatha has come to Kittyville with the dream of becoming a detective. She is thrown right into her first case when she happens upon Dr. Poodle, who has had her suitcase with the plans for her latest invention inside it. Agatha starts her investigation, and the format of each case is innovative and fun. When we turn the page, there is a two page spread of the train station with lots of characters and details. Opening the left hand side, there are instructions for things to look for that give some clues as to who the culprit may be. On the right hand page, there are four possible suspects who give statements, as well as an eyewitness. Next, we have some help to "Crack the Case Open". Three clues focus on who the culprit might be, but for those readers who still need help, there is a page number where the answer is located. 

There are eight cases altogether, including finding out why Dr. Poodle's robots on the loose, investigating a missing painting, a mess at a museum, and a break in at the bank. Agatha also hones her skills at a carnival caper, circus antics, and even at the awards ceremony that the mayor holds for Agatha to thank her for solving so many of the town's mysteries. Someone thinks she is not that great a detective and steals one of her presents, but of course Agatha is able to identify the culprit. Now that Agatha has several cases under her belt, I'm sure we will see more of her adventures. 

The illustrations remind me a bit of Richard Scarry's Busy town, with cityscapes full of details and different animal characters. While many of the primary colors are used (a very Scarry trait), there is also a smattering of more trendy color, like the turquoise on the cover and a particularly interesting dark teal for grass and foliage, which gives the book a very modern feel. Agatha, with her bright red hair and blue overalls, is easy to find. The cutaways of the buildings are fascinating, and we get to see the underground and sewers as well as apartments and stores. My favorite scene is probably Agatha's party at the museum, even if the turkey , duck, cow, and poodle are all the same size! 

Readers who are not quite ready for Sobol's Encyclopedia Brown mysteries will find Agatha's cases a good warm up for those stories. I appreciated the instructions for what to look for, and was able to solve most of the cases, although I don't have a lot of patience for figuring out mysteries. While some of the clues were obvious (a bird's feather at the scene means the culprit is probably a bird), some of the other clues took a bit more thought (looking at the types of shoes characters were wearing or determining what tools were used in a break in). This would be a great way to encourage critical thinking in a young child. 

This would make a great gift for a budding young detective along with a magnifying glass and fingerprint kit, as well as some more traditional early reader mysteries like Roy's A to Z Mysteries, Kelly's Ballpark Mysteries, Butler's Kayla and King books, or Random House's Time to Read The Boxcar Children series.

Elena Camps

Medina, Juana. Elena Camps
June 17, 2025 by Candlewick
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Elena has just gotten a tent, and is so excited that she attempts to construct it without first consulting the instructions. Things don't go particularly well, as she gets tangled up in the flaps, forgets the poles, and generally struggles to get her structure upright. Elena gets very angry and stomps around, but her friend, the little red bird, gently suggests that the instructions might help. Elena, who didn't want any help in the previous book featuring her exploits, Elena Bikes protests at first, but eventually heeds the advice. After studying the schematics, Elena manages to get her tent set up, and is prepared with her teddy bear print pajamas and bunny slippers to spend the night in her new hideout.

Young readers will laugh as Elena disappears into an ocean of tent fabric again and again with an exuberant "Ga-BUNK" and "Ga-BOING" and giggle as Elena's predicament worsens. Will the average three year old see a mirror of their own meltdowns? Perhaps not, but the adults certainly will. This would be an excellent reminder for such times. I can see saying to my grandson "Remember when Elena forgot to read the instructions, but they ended up being really helpful?"

This is a very short beginning reader book, and it has just the right amount of large, clear text accompanied by simple, bright illustrations. The words are not always at the bottom of the page, which I think is a good choice; it's easier to associate the words with specific illustrations that way. 

Stylistically, this reminds me a big of LeSieg's In a People House, illustrated by Roy McKie. It even has the same sort of slapstick humor, which is always amusing to the very young. 

I've been collecting a number of camping books, and deserves a place in your backpack next to books books like Hedviga Gutierrez's Hiking 101, Paprocki's C is for Camping board book, Watt's Scaredy Squirrel Goes Camping, Gamble and Jasper's Goodnight, Campsite, and Sadler and Bollan's P.J. Funnybunny Goes Camping, which should have more attention than the more popular It's Not Easy Being a Bunny by these authors! 

Time for Bed, Little Owls

Alves, Katja.Time for Bed, Little Owls

May 20, 2025 by Floris Books 
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Ten little owls live in a tree and have a delightfully cosy bedroom with a triple decker bunk bed, baskets on the floor, and even a hammock on the wall. When bedtime comes around, they aren’t very sleepy, especially when the Mama Owl has to take Hugo the bat home. She leaves a note for the reader to put the owls to bed. The owls hop and flap, and even hide, but come out when they hear clapping. We’re also instructed to call them in our softest voice, and they come inside to brush their teeth. Eventually, they all go to bed, except for Wide-Awake Owl, who is looking for his blanket. Once that is found, Mama Owl is home, and everyone drifts off to sleep.

I’ve had a soft spot for owl picture books since Waddell and Benson’s 1992 Owl Babies. This German import (I love the original title: 10 Kleine Eulen Wollen Nicht Schlafen), offers up an entire family of adorable owls who frolick across the pages, defying our attempts to get them to sleep. Their tree house home is cozy and full of items to find; it’s especially fun to look for the owls when they are hiding. I do have some questions about the size of the bathroom; it looks bigger than the bedroom for the ten siblings!

The owls are all very differently portrayed, and have different names; these are shown at the beginning and at the end of the book. It would be fun to assign an owl to a young reader and see if the bird could be located in every scene. I was especially fond of the owls bedroom, and loved that they are cozied up together.

Apparently, animals have as much trouble sleeping as toddlers do, if we look at Teague’s You Are Not Sleepy, Lacasa’s Sheep Number 19, and James’ Nana Loves You, Sleepyhead, and even Burton’s similarly themed Hey Little Night Owl. Time For Bed, Little Owls has a fresh approach to the trope of not getting to sleep by involving the readers in getting the owls to settle down.

Just One Wave

Jonker, Travis. Just One Wave

April 15, 2025 by Harry N. Abrams

Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Liam and his two sisters go to the beach, and he is determined to find a Wave. The ocean, however, does not cooperate, and is completely still. He waits and waits, and eventually decides to ask the birds for help. He even tries to "scare" up a wave. When that doesn't help either, he uses his best magical thinking and builds a huge sand castle, hoping to tempt a wave to knock it over. Nothing works, so he decides that he will create his own wave, and at least his little Sonja will have a good experience. 

The simple text is large and makes for quick page turns. Young readers will find it easy to discuss what Liam hopes to accomplish, and why his plans don't really work. It's good that he finally takes some initiative and manages to give his sister a splashy beach experience. 

The artwork is digitally created, and has simple shapes highlighted by bold black outlines. The colors include a lot of sandy tan and watery blue, with nice bright pops of red. 

Get ready for a trip to the beach by spreading a beach towel on the floor and imagining that you are at the beach with Liam, then continue your day of (virtual) sand and sun by reading Doerrfeld's Nellie's Big Splash, Ree's Sora's Seashells, Brown's A Boy, His Dog, and the Sea, Elmquist and MacKay's Beach Baby, and Roosa and Smith's Beach Day. No sun screen needed, and no sand or wet towels to deal with! 
 

Does anyone go to the beach ONLY for the waves? It seemed a bit odd that Liam would just wait for a wave instead of playing in the sand or walking and splashing in the water with his sisters. I feel like this would make more sense if I had read Just One Flake. 
 

Barry Timms

Timms, Barry. This is NOT a Polar Bear!
January 7, 2025 by Nosy Crow
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

A little girl is playing in the snow and introduces us to her friend. He looks suspiciously like a polar bear, but she insists that he is not, and proceeds to inform us of all the things that he is. He roller skates, skis, drives, discos, and makes her laugh again and again. The two have many adventures, proving the bear is a save-the-world-together bear and a tunnel-deep-down-under bear, NOT a polar bear. She feels that the bear needs a special name, and decides to give him one based on his best quality-- a never-let-you-go-lar bear whose hugs are the best.

This is the third book in Timms’ series, which includes This is NOT a Dinosaur! and This is NOT a Unicorn! Young readers will be drawn to the repetitive nature of the story, and the fast paced rhymes that propel it. There are some clever liberties taken with language that make this an interesting look at identity. The little girl doesn't care that her friend is a polar bear; she loves him for who he is, and for the fun times together that they share.

The color palette is one of the most unusual and eye popping that I have seen. The use of fluorescent orange (which is evident on the bear's scarf on the cover of the book) for the little girl's hair is especially striking, and there are bright purple skies, neon pink sweaters, and bright yellow bumper cars. These are set against white backgrounds, which really make the colors pop, and almost vibrate. The winter wonderland with the fluorescent orange sled with snow covered Christmas trees with very bright ornaments alongside a pale purple castle is particularly vibrant.

It's good to have a funny, go-to picture book when little ones have a hard day, and I can see this being a big hit for fans of silly stories like Hale and Pham's Itty-Bitty Kitty-Corn, Border's Peanut Butter and Cupcake, and Shea and Jarvis' Oh, Are You Awake?

Timms, Barry. The Sleepiest Sleep

August 19, 2025 by Nosy Crow

Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Patterpaw, a young tiger cub, is having a sleepover with his grandtigers! Grandpa is very worried when Patterpaw starts to yawn that the ground will be too lumpy for his little sweetheart, but Grandma smiles and has the birds put together a soft bed. Grandpa is also afraid that Patterpaw will be afraid of the dark, but Grandma summons fireflies. An even bigger worry emerges when a storm blows up, but all of the animals in the jungle sing a song to lull Patterpaw back to sleep. The storm passes, and all of the animals snuggle down to "the sleepiest sleep", just like the listener is encouraged to do. 

Told in rhyming verse, this is a good story to allay fears when young children are sleeping in new places, hopefully one that are more prepared for their arrival. It's nicely rhythmic and repetitive, with comforting phrases like "croakiest croaks" and "squeakiest squeaks". This alone would go a long way toward negating questions about more drinks of water or blankets. 

Kukhtina's illustrations also encourage slumber, with their dark blue color palette and soothing yellow fireflies. The tigers are a great contrasting shade of orange. The text is sometimes a light purple or blue on darker shades, which might require some grandparents to turn up the lights a bit, but this book will probably be reread enough that it is memorized, so that shouldn't be a problem for long. 

It's good to scaffold new experiences by reading about them, so this would be a great gift for a new grandparent, perhaps along with a soft blanket. After several readings, little grand tigers should be ready to spend the night, especially since human grandparents are going to be more prepared with actual beds and a roof overhead in case of storms. This is a perfect choice for fans of Cummins and Oswald's Sleepy Sheep and the Sheepover or Ferneyhough's Nana, Nenek & Nina.

Most grandparents are more sentimental than I am and will find this to be delightful, but The Sleepiest Sleep didn't pass the Oma Test. The verse was a bit twee, and I expect my grandchildren to be a bit tougher than this. Also, after reading this, I would feel compelled to research where tigers really do sleep when it storms. I'm imagining it's not right out in the open with bears, mice, turles, and snakes gathered around. 

Wednesday is for Wiggling and Hazel the Handful

Nava, Eva Wong and Sterling, Holly (illus.). Wednesday is for Wiggling 

July 1, 2025 by Candlewick
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

A little girl has her week all mapped out, as she spends time with different caregivers doing different activities. She is in day care on Mondays with her friends, and her babysitter takes her to dance class at the end of the day on Tuesday. Her mother's day off is Wednesday, so the two spend lots of quality time together. On Thursday she goes to the library with her babysitter and thinks about lots of things, and hangs out with friends on Friday. Saturdays are set aside for her grandmother and grandfather, and she visits with her father on Sundays, and the two go to the park with their dog. The girl likes all of the days, and finds it hard to pick a favorite, and at the end, encourages readers to think about what they do every day.

The multicultural cast is shown having fun in lots of different settings. Adults will know that the girl's mother has put a lot of thought into who will care for the girl when the mother is at work, but young readers will just enjoy the variety of outings the girl gets to take. It was nice to see that the girl was happy with her situation for each day, with the possible exception of Monday. She starts the day with moping because the weekend is over, but soon warms up and enjoys playing with her friends.

Sterling's pencil illustrations are digitally colored, and have a lot of detail. It's fun to look at the background and see all of the little details, like flowers growing on the roof of the school or different books in the library, like Jarvis' The Boy with Flowers in His Hair.

One of my favorite books as a child was Fiedler's My Special Day, mainly because it offered a simple look at one girl's activities during an ordinary day. This is a similar slice of life tale that also reminded me a bit of LaRocca's Mauntie and Me, which also details time spent with a variety of relatives and friends in routine settings.

Michalak, Jamie and Myers, Matt (illus.) Hazel the Handful
April 1, 2025 by Candlewick Press

Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Hazel is a tiny dog who loves to hang out with her girl, Bea, and be the center of attention, as is the right of all adorable tiny dogs. As the two go through their day, going on walks, taking twenty-four naps, having photo shoots, and sharing meals, Hazel is well aware that she is living her best life. This wonderful existence comes to a halt when a screeching baby is introduced to the mix. The baby cries, stinks, and worst of all, becomes the new center of attention. From capturing everyone's complements to commandeering Hazel's favorite toys, the new baby changes Hazel's everyday life in ways that are just not okay. The worst part is that Bea seems to like the baby, perhaps more than Hazel! When a family picture ends in disaster, Hazel runs away and hides, sure she is in trouble. When she hears Bea crying, upset that her beloved pet is gone, Hazel runs out to rejoin her girl, and starts to realize that perhaps the new baby isn't so terrible. After all, he does leave a trail of food in his wake!

Hazel is a very tiny dog who looks to be at least part Yorkshire Terrier, and Myers' illustrations are quite adorable, which immediately made me sympathetic to the dog who has to deal with a stinky new baby. Young readers who might be struggling with an interloper of their own will understand Hazel's objections, but will perhaps see that these are not as horrible as the seem at first. Hopefully, this will soften their feelings for a new sibling as well.

The watercolor and ink illustrations give this a warm, autumnal feeling, and I loved all of the details about the pleasures in Hazel's life. Comfy chairs and blankets, a strong routine, and lots of supportive family members make Hazel and Bea feel loved. Bea's grandmother even knits boots for Hazel when she is knitting things for the baby! Hazel has some favorite toys, although I'm not entirely sure that sharing her stuffed frog and pig with the baby is the best idea, beneficial dog bacteria not withstanding!

There are a number of books that combine new siblings and animals, so it's not hard to find a book to help older children accept a new family member. Hazel's antics, however, are particularly clever, so this is a fun book to add to the mix along with Nelson's Dog's First Baby, Bright's My Sister is an Alien, Nichols and Taylor's No, Baby, No, and Harper and McQuillan's It's Not Fair.

Mustafa's Mithai

Rafi, Sana and Ali, Nabi H. (illus.) Mustafa's Mithai

June 17, 2025 by Viking Books for Young Readers

Copy provided by the publisher

Mustafa loves the sweet treats that come under the category of mithai, and he's sad that there aren't any celebrations coming up where his mother might serve some more. When he complains to his mother, she reminds him that there is always a reason to celebrate, which gives him the idea to invite his friends over for a special mithai party. His friends are enthralled with the variety of treats, but don't know what to choose. Mustafa plays "dessert matchmaker" to ensure that his friends get a sweet that they will enjoy. After a play date that includes plenty of outdoor activities and pizza for dinner, the mithai are served. Kent gets a jelly and ice cream dish, Pooja a ladoo, Beau an orange jalebi to match his shirt, and Chrissy gets a chum-chum. For himself, Mustafa chooses a gulab jamun. The children like their new foods so much that they want seconds, and Mustafa and his mother are glad to share their cultural traditions. There is an author's note at the end explaining more about mithai. 

Ali's illustrations would be right at home in a PBS cartoon; the pictures are bright, and the lines crisp. There's a lot of movement on the page, and the children's eyes clearly show their emotions. The drawings of the food made me hungry! 

While there is plenty of information about Mustafa's favorite treats, as an adult I found myself wanting a lot more information, and maybe some recipes. Also, why does Mustafa's mother have "leftover" deserts. Was this her secret stash? Clearly, Mustafa was surprised that these were in the house! I'm always glad of a book that makes me ask more questions! 

Be prepared to find a good Pakistani bakery near you after you read this book so that you can find some Badusha and Rasmalai for your own mini celebration! This is a great choice to include with other books about the important of foods in cultural celebrations, like Shum's Mooncakes Mean Family, Gilmore and Valiant's Cora Cooks Pancit, Wang and Yum's Luli and the Language of Tea, and Lucido and Demirag's Pasta Pasta Lotsa Pasta.