Happy Lunar New Year!

Yu, Rin-rin. Goodbye, French Fry
February 17, 2026 by Nancy Paulsen Books
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Fifth grader Ping-Ping and her younger brother Xy (pronounced "she") were born in New York City and are being raised in Edgewood, so they don't understand why ignorant classmates like Lee Beaumont give them a hard time about being Chinese. Their supportive mother translates picture books, and their Baba has a high level position in the Population and Statistics Bureau at the United Nations and commutes into New York City. There are a few higher expectations for academic performance, and since both Ping-Ping and Xy have perfect pitch, they take piano lessons. Ping-Ping also studies taekwondo, and likes to hang out with her best friend, Ana. When she overhears her mother saying that her father might get a promotion to a position in Nigeria, Ping-Ping is devastated. Finding out from her cousin Pai at Thanksgiving that people often take promotions for higher pay, the siblings both try to raise money, Ping-Ping by selling friendship bracelets, and Xy by holding unsuccessful car washes. When her eyesight makes it hard for her to see the blackboard in school and read music that is too far away, Ping-Ping tries to hide this from her parents, since they believe that bad eyesight is caused by reading at night, but she has to eventually come clean. Her parents admit that since they both wear glasses, genetics might play a part. Xy has a boy, Jack, move to his class from China, and asks Baba to help him improve his Chinese language skills. Lee's bullying behavior is a thread throughout the story, and when Ping-Ping accidentally kicks him in the face while practicing a taekwondo move, she is conflicted. She eventually confesses to her mother, who calls Lee's parents, only to find that Lee has explained his injury as an accident caused by slipping on the ice. Ping-Ping is surprised when her mother includes an extra brownie in her lunch to share with Lee, and is even more suprised when this seems to improve Lee's attitude towards her. In the end, Baba gets a promotion, but the family can still stay in the New York area.
Strengths: This was an interesting slice-of-life book involving identity and family dynamics. Ping-Ping's trying out of the name "Megan" as something that would be less problematic for her made me laugh, because I remember wanting to reinvent myself as "Kay" because there were so many people named Karen in my grade! I loved that she took piano lessons, practiced taekwondo, and studied Chinese with her father. Both parents are alive, supportive, and loving in their own way (which is also explored when Ping-Ping sees her friend Ana's mother frequently hugging her and saying "I love you", which Ping-Ping's parents don't do.). Lee and his bullying behavior is realistically portrayed, and the resolution was a relief. I would be interested in seeing more books by this author.
Weaknesses: I wish that Ping-Ping's vision problems were more clearly depicted. While the parents eventually admit that genetics might be behind Ping-Ping's need for glasses, young readers might come away with the idea that bad eyesight might be caused by individual actions. I was glad to see that Ping-Ping didn't mind her glasses, but it was alarming that she felt like needing them might be her fault.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who want to explore the issues surrounding being an Asian American and who enjoyed books such as Chen's With Twice the Love, Dessie Mae, Tsong's Fake Chinese Sounds, Keller's Jennifer Chan is Not Alone, Wang's Summer at Squee, or Soontornvat and Cacao's The Tryout: A Graphic Novel. It's also a good look at the family and school activities that upper elementary students might be involved with. I'm debating this one, as it is a bit young. I would definitely buy this for an elementary library.

Veit, Helen Zoe. Picky: How American Children Became the Fussiest Eaters in History
February 24, 2026 by St. Martin's Press
E ARC provided by Netgalley and the publisher

I'm a huge fan of histories of everyday subjects, and particularly love books like Bundy's A Century in Food (2002). Veit, who has written histories of food in the Gilded Age, Civil War (North AND South), and the really intriguing sounding Modern Food, Moral Food: Self-Control, Science, and the Rise of Modern American Eating in the Early Twentieth Century (2013), doesn't set out to tell parents how to feed their picky eaters; she's here to tell us the history of the US diet and explain how changes led to children being picky eaters. Since I am not currently dealing with any small people who won't eat dinner, I found this fascinating. 

This also delves a lot into the changes in how parenting has been viewed over the years; I particularly found the idea that "good parents are nice parents" interesting. My mother, who was born in 1934 into a family of 11, thought that two chocolate chip cookies were a fine breakfast, although when the doctor told her when I was in third grade that I needed to lose weight, she cut me back to a thermos of tomato soup and a slice of baloney (no bread!) for lunch. Nutritional advice was apparently in short supply in the 1970s, when marketing snacks to children really took off. There's also an entire chapter on Overbearing Mothers. 

Even though there isn't really a prescription for dealing with picky eaters, there is a short epilogue entitles "Happy Meals" that discusses how the author has used her knowledge of food history to encourage her own children to be decent eaters. Basically, it comes down to not letting children snack, and not offering them other options is they don't like what is being served. No bribery, no arguments, just "this is what you're eating, or you're not eating". Not perfect advice, but not a bad place to start. 

This is the sort of book I eat up (sorry!). I loved reading that even in 1955, doctors were opining that maybe kids weren't eating at meals was because they were not hungry, having filled up on snacks. And the thought that if you have pie every day, it becomes less special. This book was fascinating if you love to read about everyday culture and enjoyed books like Marks' Finding Betty Crocker: The Secret Life of America's First Lady of Food (2005), Wyman's SPAM: A Biography: The Amazing True Story of America's "Miracle Meat!" (1999), or Jan and Michael's Square Meals: America's Favorite Comfort Cookbook (1984). Which I should never have gotten rid of. Reading nonfiction books like this is how I will be spending my retirement, since I won't need to read middle grade novels for five hours a day!

Stealing the Score and Europa

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Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
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Always in the Middle 

and #IMWAYR day 

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Unleashing Readers

Lost my patience AND my filter recently. 

Twenty years of reviews, one every day since 2012. Over 7,110 posts. 

Celebrate or not. No longer care. 

But I do know more about middle grade literature than anyone. 

Prove me wrong. 

Liu, Sylvia. Stealing the Score

February 3, 2026 by Scholastic Paperbacks

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Ethan Yang loves soccer, and is a big fan of Luis Alamilla, aka El Botín, a player for Venezuela who is especially charismatic and charms spectators with his antics surrounding his special "magical" soccer shoes. Ethan's best friend, Sasha plays WorldFootball, a video soccer game, when she's not helping her single mother with her catering business. She's very good, and comes close to making a level where she would go to a tournament in D.C., but loses to another player named "Worminator". Mateo Flores is a social media influencer the kids know, who has 400,000 followers. His father works with the AC Miami team. All three are interested in a scavenger hunt that El Botín sets up for fans, and manage to figure out a couple of the clues and take the required selfies, although Ethan and Mateo don't get along, and try to stop the other from finding the clues. When El Botín's soccer shoes go missing, the star posts on social media that he can't play without him. This escalates after several disastrous games, and he even mentions a curse. When Ethan (who used to live in Mexico City and knows Spanish) is at the AC Miami facility to try out for their academy team and overhears some people talking, he suspects that Mateo's dad might be involved with the disappearance of the shoes. Meanwhile, Sasha's mother gets a catering job with Irina, El Botín's girlfriend, and Irina is so pleased with how Sasha interacts with her cat, Starboy, that she offers to hire her if she needs a cat sitter! Mateo's sister, Cecelia, is planning her quinceanera, which leaves Mateo without parental supervision even more than usual. When the three kids start to work together, they investigate Mateo's father and think they find a box with the shoes. Sneaking aboard Irina's boat, they end up going to El Botín's private island and talking to him. In the end, they are able to convince him to come back to the game. Sasha ends up working her way through the losers' bracket to play the Worminator in a WorldFootball tournament. 

Strengths: Who knew there were so many different facets to soccer? This book has Ethan and Sasha playing the sport, Sasha involved in an E Sport version, and Mateo covering professional soccer on social media AND his father involved in the administration of a pro team. There's also the scavenger hunt for fans, and a mystery about El Botín going missing. The three main characters were all different, but worked well together; the tension when Sasha got along with both Ethan and Mateo while the boys didn't like each other was great! I also very much enjoyed the parents being alive but busy with other things. That gave the three plenty of time to get into trouble, sneak around, and end up with their idol on his private island! The information about handmade soccer shoes was touching as well. I've read so many sad middle grade novels recently that this was an absolute delight. Should not have been surprised, since I enjoyed Liu's Near and Deer and Hanna and the Ghost Crab Nation as well. 
Weaknesses: There could have been more soccer in the book. While I'm all about a good mystery, I'm always looking for more books about playing the sport, like Layton's The Academy books or Fabbri's Back of the Net series. 
What I really think: I will definitely purchase this title, and it is a great choice for readers who loved  David A. Kelly's Ballpark Mysteries when they were younger. If you're having a Scholastic book fair, I would make sure to have extras of these on hand, as it will be very popular with kids who like soccer, humorous books, or mysteries. 

Ponti, James. Europa (City Spies #7)

February 10, 2026 by Aladdin

Copy provided by the publisher! 

After their adventures in London Calling, the City Spies find themselves lodging in a safe house in London, since their Scottish base was compromised. Tru uses this as an opportunity to brush up on the groups' skills and knowledge of history in her Tru-torial sessions, which involves visits to important MI6 sites and sometimes delicious lunches. When there is a threat that train stations may be bombed, she has the group look at the notes, and the kids are the only ones who realize that it's not London train stations that are being targeted, but rather ones in Paris. They take off to the city with Tru reluctantly posing as their grandmother. We see that Gilles Deschamps is working for Allard, who is threatening the government even from jail, telling agents that if he isn't released, bad things will happen, not that he will be responsible for them. At the last minute, the children figure out that the "train station" is actually an abandoned one that is beneath the Museum D'Orsay. They manage to get into the museum after hours, and while Sydney doesn't completely diffuse the bomb, she manages to limit the damage of the paint, and suffers a concussion. Even with her injuries, she is able to deliver a coded message to Paris when they are arrested and questioned. They are released, but can no longer remain in Paris. There are suspicions that Clementine is somehow involved in this threat, so when she and Annie show up, there are some questions. When Allard gets loose and endangers Clementine, will the City Spies be able to save her? More missions are on the way. 

Strengths: You have to love the ease with which the City Spies bop back and forth on the EuroStar and run around London and Paris on their missions. It is nice that they have supportive adults like Tru and Mother on their side, and Clementine is an interesting character, since we're never quite sure if she is completely good. Annie gets a little more coverage in this one. The recap of the different kids in the back, along with their pictures, is a fun overview. There are a lot more puzzles and clues in this one, as Tru sets up meetings with the kids via puzzles, and the train station bombing also requires them to solves some siddles. Reading a print copy of this book made me realize that even though this is 378 pages long, the print is on the large side, with lots of white space. Publishers don't seem to realize that this  makes a HUGE difference in the reading experience for middle school students. 
Weaknesses: I'm not personally a fan of the clues and riddles; to me, they slow down the story. There seem to be more of them in this book than the others in the series, so maybe actual tweens are requesting that they be included. 
What I really think: I'm always interested to see what Ponti writes next, and even though I'm not a fan of enormous series, both his work and Stuart Gibbs' still circulates well for the entire series. We'll refer to this as the Jackson Braun Conundrum, after the author of  The Cat Who Mysteries, which lasted for an inordinate amount of books. I'll continue to purchase these until the end!

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Party Pooper (#20)

Kinney, Jeff. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Party Pooper (#20)

October 21, 2025 by Harry N. Abrams

Ohio Digital Library Copy

When Greg's mother doesn't make a big deal about his birthday, he thinks it's because she is throwing him a surprise party under the guise of a pie making contest at church. Of course, when he shows up, it really IS a pie contest, and his mother has the lame excuse that the family calendar got taken away with a broken refrigerator, and she forgot. After sharing anecdotes about many, many birthday parties, Greg says that his mother is planning another one, and since he is currently obsessed with finding a Three Eyed Threeble collectible card to earn money, he asks for packs of those for gifts. He also plans to sell items at his party, like cups, and charging people to flush the toilet. He's invited a lot of people, and his mother has hired a bouncy house, so there are a ton of people, but they are all ignoring his fund raising efforts. When his mother has to redecorate the cake with expired mayonnaise and hired Heath Healthbody as entertainment, things go downhill. Collectible card thieves show up, as does the groom from a wedding down the street, creating further chaos. When a group of mothers who found out from social media that Greg's mother forgot his birthday show up with cake, it looks like things might improve, but the neighbor's overgrown yard gets mown and a deer that had been hiding there closes Greg's party down. The day is saved when Greg's Aunt Nancy, who was visiting from Hawaii and took over his room, leaves a note that has a Three Eyed Threeble card in it. Greg struggles with what to do with the card, and where to hide it, but even that supposedly good thing goes bust quickly. In the end, Greg runs into the father of a boy who heard Greg's party was so awesome that the father hires Greg to host his son't party, leading to a lucrative new business for Greg.
Strengths: It doesn't matter what the Wimpy Kid books are about; my readers have an insatiable desire for them. Since this is concerned with Greg's birthday, I think it will be especially popular, and the cake frosting cover is great. There's a tiny bit of a plot, and the story moves fairly quickly.
Weaknesses: Like the previous 19 books, there is little character development, and not enough of a plot to really mean much. Essentially, this is Greg's self-centered ramblings about his birthday. I found it hard to believe that his mother forgot his birthday, not matter how invested she was in the pie baking contest.
What I really think: I'll have to purchase a copy, and it will get read to pieces. I wonder how many more titles there will be.

Saturday Morning Cartoons- Serendipity

Benda, Gabbie. Serendipity

January 27, 2026 by Holiday House

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Serendipity is very lucky, and very active in her school. She's the captain of the girls' basketball team, President of her class, and the lead in the school play. When she wins a radio contest (yet again!), she takes her best friend Basil to the carnival with her. There, she wins a giant stuffed narwhal, but it proves her undoing when the toy crashes into a fortune telling machine, and is cursed by it after it is knocked over. Things start going wrong everywhere, starting with a bad hair day. Panicked, Serendipity tries to undo the curse by visiting another student, Evelina, who runs a business out of the janitor's closet, but the counter spell doesn't seem to work. Basil opines that maybe Serendipity is just too busy, and if she slowed down, she would be able to concentrate and wouldn't have as many problems, but Serendipity believes in the curse. She can't remember her lines, blows plays, and is challenged for class officer by someone who promises classmates free cookies every day. After assessing other things in her life that might be contributing to her bad luck, Serendipity tries to get rid of her black cat, Tuna, but ends up breaking a mirror! Eventually, she goes back to the fortune teller, and realizes that the curse isn't real. She starts to improve her life, nominates her vice president for president, and scales back her activities so she can do a better job. 

Strengths: It's always fun to read about tweens who are involved in activities, and it's not uncommon for actual tweens to get overwhelmed from time to time. Serendipity has a hard time on the basketball court playing like a good team mate and not hogging the ball, she wants to have a big role in the play but slows down production by not knowing her lines, and is conflicted about holding office. She does have a good friend in Basil, who tries to help her balance her life, and has other people involved in her activities who also try to help her. Interestingly, there is very little about Serendipity's home life; we see her cat, but I'm not sure we saw parents. Readers who like graphic novels will find the artwork appealing. 
Weaknesses: I'm still not sure whether Serendipity was really cursed, or whether she just thought she was. It's kind of like the situation in Pastis' Timmy Failure; is the polar bear real or imaginary? Young Readers won't think too hard about this. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who can't get enough of graphic problem novels like Scrivener's Nat Enough or Vivat's Frazzled. 

Making Plans for Nigel Binty

Any other librarians spending a lot of their time dealing with Chromebooks? Replacing cords in the carts. Charging devices for students who didn't charge their own. Hunting down students who take devices that others are supposed to be using. If teachers would just check carts in the morning, it would be a little better. The frustration (and conferences last night until 8:00 p.m.!) drove meet to write and record this helpful ditty. N.B. I can't sing!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wWubhTfosYChaZp1S0612iHErwh07zHH/view?usp=sharing

Stout, Shawn K. Making Plans for Nigel Binty
February 3, 2026 by Peachtree
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Nigel has just transferred to Thorpewood Academy after dealing with a lot of unsettling life changes; his grandparents have passed away, and his parents are separated. This doesn't help lessen his constant anxiety, which often results in an upset stomach. When he makes the unusual decision to pick up a dead mole on the athletic field, he thinks he is going to be in trouble when he is called to the principal's office, but it's just a check in with his mother about Nigel's frequent absences. Of course, when he drops his diorama into which the dead mole was placed, this causes him problems. It also draws him to the attention of new student Glory Bea, who is transferring to the school after her minister father, whom she calls Rev, is sent to jail on embezzlement charges. She's being raised by her Aunt Pauline, who moves Glory Bea from Tennessee to Maryland. Nigel's long time best friend is Milo, but the two aren't getting along very well now that Milo is hanging out with Jonah and Zeke. Glory is struggling in her new school, misses her father, and is getting to know her aunt and her aunt's girlfriend, Etta. When a class field trip to the Chesapeake Bay is announced, Nigel doesn't want to go, but his mother, who is deep into a self help book for "planatics", encourages him to go. He gets paired with Glory, which ends up being a good thing when he faints as he is getting on a boat. Water deeply upsets him. During the course of the trip, however, he reads something a bit mean that Glory has written in her notebook about him, and tells Milo about Glory's father. Milo doesn't keep this a secret, which causes a rift between the two new friends. Nigel is hoping to work on a compulsory cardboard boat project with Glory, but ends up having to go in the boat himself. Will the two ever be able to make up, since they did seem to get along so well? 
Strengths: Nigel and Glory Bea are two well meaning but troubled characters who have had a lot thrown at them, and also have to deal with middle school friend drama. Parents separating or being incarcerated can make life very difficult for children, and I can see how Nigel and Glory might be drawn to each other. While public schools don't have much in the way of field trips these days, I can see a private school having an adventure in nature to inspire poetry and writing. It's good to see that the children have supportive caretakers and access to some therapy. 
Weaknesses: While there are a lot of things going on, it would have helped to have a more defined plot. Since I've elected to do several language arts projects, I've paid more attention to what central conflicts and plot ARCs exist in novels. It's also difficult to pick one theme when there are so many different threads! 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed field trip stories that highlighted the problems of some of the characters, like Davis' Food Fight, Richards' Survive This Safari, Jensen's Lilac and the Switchback or Bradley's Daybreak on Raven Island.

The Ghosts Behind the Door

Wilde, Jen. The Ghosts Behind the Door
February 3, 2026 by Scholastic Press
E ARC Provided by Edelweiss Plus

When Maggie's mother and her nongendered partner, Morgan, move to Oak Grove to help out with grandmother Betty, there is a lot of tension. Maggie's mom has lost her job as a librarian in New York City, but Morgan has kept their job and commutes back to the city. Maggie is happy to be with Nana Betty, but feels like there is something very creepy in the house. Not only that, but everyone at school gives her a hard time for being a Havercroft, calling her grandmother "Batty Betty" and her mother a pyromaniac! This is tough on Maggie, who already suffers from anxiety and has an emotional support cat, Bear. At least neighbor Ivy is nice, having suffered at the hands of mean girls like Hailey and Olivia because she is the only transgender student at the school. The school librarian, Shanice, is a friend of Betty's and supportive as well. Maggie starts to investigate her family history and finds some alarming information; Charles Havercroft apparently threw his wife Abigail off the cliff near the family graveyard, and another foremother was drowned in the bathtub by her husband! Maggie occasionally has visions of these past lives, and even sees her own mother struggle with people in town who don't like that she is a lesbian. When Nana has a stroke and has to go to the hospital, the house becomes even more active and angry, and Maggie knows she needs to try to break the family curse before it it too late. With Ivy's help, she finds a spell book in the attic and tries a banishment spell, causing several of her classmates to disappear for a few days. Eventually, she figures out that she needs to banish the ghost of Charles Havercroft and finish the job her mother started when she set fire to the local history museum, trying to burn his portrait. When Nana dies, things escalate further, but help comes from Nana's "book club" ladies, including Shanice, and eventually from Maggie's mother. 
Strengths: Even though I am more of a "cottagecore" grandmother myself, I loved the representation of Nana as a "hardcore" grandmother, and her house was interesting. It's a sadly accurate representation of having to clean out a house and deal with an elderly relatives decline. The family history was unusual, and it was good that Ivy was willing to overlook it to help Maggie out. The ghosts were fairly scary, so I can see why this book is compared to the work of India Hill Brown, which also has murderous ghosts and family history. 
Weaknesses: It was a little hard to believe that there was so much bad treatment of the women in the family over such a long period, but mental health challenges can be hereditary. Since I had a relative who was subjected to a lobotomy, I can't doubt the use of "water cures" back in the day. Young Readers might need a little more explanation about the historical treatment of mental illness. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed this author's Paige Not Found, Averling's The Ghosts of Bitterfly Bay,  Van Otterloo's Cattywampus, or Talbot's Sixteen Souls. 

A Scar Like a River

Graff, Lisa. A Scar Like a River

February 3, 2026 by Christy Ottaviano 

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Fallon Little has two good friends in Cedar Haven, California. Neither Trent nor Kiara care about the significant scar that Fallon has had since she was five years old, but they don't know the secret of how she got it, either. There's a lot going on in Fallon's life, especially since her mother is struggling with the after effects of a virus and can barely get out of bed some days. After Fallon's Uncle Geebie dies, feelings from the past resurface and cause problems, especially when Fallon's Aunt Claire (aka Lune) comes to live with the family to help out. Claire gets a job at the local newspaper. When Fallon auditions for the school production of Hello, Dolly!, she is surprised to win the leading role, since Stella Brymer usually stars in the plays. She even asked the director, Mr. Castiglioni, if her scar won't distract people from her performance, but he assures her that she has talent enough that no one will care. Fallon is in therapy, and is surprised to see Stella at the office. The two talk, and Fallon shares her opinion that the message of Hello, Dolly! is problematic, but Mr. Castiglioni says that play can't be changed. This bothers Fallon, but she's also dealing with doctors who are dismissive of her mother's condition, the fact that Kiara and Trent are dating and haven't told her, and Aunt Claire being around the house. When she finds that Stella is attending a Survivors of Sexual Assault Group, secrets from Fallon's past surface. After she protests the play and writes a letter to the newspaper, she is surprised that her aunt doesn't support her. She finds old news articles of her aunt's and reads them to try to find ammunition to fight her, and finds that her aunt has secrets of her own. These anger Fallon, and she finally decided to tell her parents what really happened in the past. 

Strengths: Fallon is dealing with a variety of very serious issues, so it is good to see that she has access to a therapist. Even with her own challenges, it was good to see that she was willing to advocate for her mother at a doctor's appointment! It is also good to see that she has good friends, and that she is involved in school activities. I really enjoyed her developing friendship with Stella, whom she thought was stuck up at first. Aunt Claire's presence in the home was unsettling, and it turns out there was a good reason for that feeling! I really wish that schools would look more critically before they choose plays; our local community children's theater put on Oklahoma several years ago and I was absolutely appalled at how completely inappropriate it was. Surely, there are other plays out there, despite what Mr. Castiglioni says about most plays having some issues of not aging well! 
Weaknesses: There is quite a lot going on in this book, and since there is a fairly graphic description of inappropriate touching, this might be a better choice for readers who are in middle school. It's done very sensitively, but you might want to be aware of this if it is in your library. 
What I really think: I read this right after Haydu's The Ordinary and Extraordinary Auden Greene, and there are some similarities in those two books; school plays, mothers with debilitating conditions, and being at odds with friends! The two stories will always be connected in my brain! Graff, who deals with a chronic illness of her own, has written a wide variety of middle grade novels. A Scar Like a River is more like her Lost in the Sun than her more upbeat Rewind, and is comparable to Brubaker Bradley's Fighting Words. 

The Ordinary and Extraordinary Auden Greene

Haydu, Corey Ann. The Ordinary and Extraordinary Auden Greene
January 13, 2026 by Quill Tree Books

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Denny Greene and her best friend Runa have spent years making up stories about an imaginary world, Sorrowfield, and have even written a book about it, The Tales of Dragons True. As their twelfth birthday approaches, however, Runa wants to distance herself from this imaginary pursuit, and wants Denny to grow up. Denny is struggling for several reasons; she isn't interested in clothes or makeup like Runa is, and she has to deal with her mother's alcoholism. Runa's friend Sadie is quite mean to Denny, even after Denny wins the role of Dorothy in the school production of The Wizard of Oz. We also meet Princess Auden, who lives in Sorrowfield. Her parents and two older sisters were taken by dragons, and when she turns twelve, Duke Verdon and Duchess Dutton expect her to solve the dragon problem. Their daughter, Lady Genevive, is the Sorrowfield counterpart for Runa. When presents of birthday mirrors cause the two girls to venture into each other's worlds, the problems become more difficult. Auden has to navigate middle school, and Denny has to figure out how to fight dragons... in a ball gown! While Denny is in danger of having her entire kingdom taken over by another ruler if she can't solve the dragon problem, Auden has to perform in the play, figure out arguments with Runa, and watch as her mother's drinking problem culminates with her getting behind the wheel of a car and crashing. Eventually, Denny manages to fight the dragons by looking them in the eye, which she is told is NOT the thing to do, but manages to save the day. After she comes back from Sorrowfield, she has a lot to catch up on, and work to do on her relationships. 

Strengths: Readers who enjoy Haydu's different worlds and allegorical stories, like The Widely Unknown Myth of Apple & Dorothy, will find Denny's adventures in the kingdom she made up fascinating. There are a fair number to tween friendships that break up when one friend matures more quickly than the other, and Denny and Runa's rift makes perfect sense. There aren't a lot of stories involving alcoholic parents (although Petro-Roy's Life in the Balance and Zarr's Kyra, Just for Today are quite good), so that was an interesting inclusion. 
Weaknesses: This was a bit repetitive. We hear over and over that being twelve changes everything, and that princesses "know what to do". The mother's alcoholism runs parallel to the problems with dragons in a way that may not make sense to younger readers. 

What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who want a portal fantasy like Trehan's Snow, Durst's Even and Odd, or Short's The Legend of Greyhallow, but want a side of problems and allegory with it. 
 

MMGM- The Star of Moon Village and Some Biographies

It's

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
 at 

Always in the Middle 

and #IMWAYR day 

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Unleashing Readers

Richter, Jennifer Ann. The Star of Moon Village

January 27, 2026 by Holiday House

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus 

 Priscilla Cobb of Walnut Grove, PA is very excited to be chosen to travel to Moon Village in 2079, especially since her late mother was a participant in the program when it first started. Her father is going along as an adult supervisor and focus group member opining on the tourist portion of the project. While she's sad to leave behind her best friend Doria, grandma Nin and Gram Nicole (who is almost 100), she excited to live in space and also to show off her newest invention, a robot that can create complicated hairstyles, inspired by her uncle's work as a hairdresser. While Priscilla is glad to connect with fellow student Hoshiko, she is dismayed that famous actor Orion Prett and dancer/singer/acrobat Starletta, also from Walnut Grove, are attending the school program but also planning a concert. Priscilla had an unpleasant interaction back home with Starletta, and doesn't like the emphasis on entertainment that is taking away from the scientific aspect of Moon Village. Priscilla is excited to be assigned to a horticulture and botany unit, and is eager to learn about growing plants and fungus in space. Life in on the moon is very different, and Priscilla is eager to experience it all, even when a walk to a lunar crater ends with Starletta and Priscilla plummeting to the bottom of the crater and needing to be saved. As the preparation for the concert ramps up, Priscilla asks the head of the interns, Dr. Petrova, if she agrees with the emphasis on tourism, and what the group might be able to do to protest it. The two decide that sabotage is a bad idea, but agree that well placed signs stating "Keep the science going", and consistent comments by everyone interviewed by Earth media underlining the importance of the science missions, will be helpful. Priscilla has an altercation with Starletta that gets her kicked out of dancing at the concert, but the two eventually talk and make amends. After a key staffer becomes I'll right before the concert, Priscilla's hair styling robot saves the day by doing Starletta's hair, and Starletta makes a public announcement that learning and discovering should take precendence over tourism. 

Strengths: Books depicting girls with an interest in STEM always go right to the top of my list, and I loved that Priscilla was interestested in horticulture and mycoculture. Even though I live in Ohio, I have more students interested in marine biology than agronomy, and that's a shame! Food science is an interesting field. We get just enough of a glimpse of Priscilla's life at home before taking off into space, and the details about preparing for the journey are great. When the tourism aspect was first introduced, with the fancy resort and boutique shops, I had an immediate visceral dislike of it, so was glad to see that Priscilla chose to fight against it. The drama with Starletta will appeal to tweens on a lot of levels, especially when the two tumble into the lunar crater! This had a lot to recommend it, and is a necessary purchase for middle school libraries.

I've read too much middle grade speculative fiction, so kept waiting for something terrible to happen. You know, all the parents get blown up in a space shuttle and Priscilla has to work with Earth to get the kids back. The village looses power. Space aliens wanting a vacation invade the resort. I'm always asking for upbeat novels, and this was really perfect in that regard, just surprising considering the gloom and doom speculative fiction already out there. The biggest problems were the tiff with Starletta, and frenemy drama is always a hit with my readers. Can't argue at all with the idea that the village should be dedicated to science rather than tourism.

Weaknesses: Somehow, I had trouble connecting to this book, but I think I'm going to have to blame this on my current bad mood rather than any faults with the writing. Priscilla also mentions her deceased mother quite a lot, which doesn't really add to the plot and is just one of my least favorite tropes in middle grade literature, recently eclipsing even talking animals. I rarely reread books, but I may pick this up again when I get a library copy. If I still have a job after the November 2025 election. (Hence, bad mood.)

What I really think: Why does the blurb compares this to Stacy McAnulty’s The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl? The two books are not similar at all! While most similar to Danziger's 1986 This Place Has No Atmosphere, it also reminded me of Holm's Lion of Mars, Gibbs' Moon Base Alpha, Anderson's Stowaway, King's The Incredible Space Raiders From Space, or other middle grade speculative fiction novels that showcase living in space. I did very much like that this concentrated on being on the moon rather than traveling around space, and appreciated that it was mostly upbeat. I'm definitely purchasing this, and love the cover.

Yasmin, Seema and Habaieb, Noha (illus.) 

Maysoon Zayid, the Girl Who Can Can
February 10, 2026 by Salaam Reads / Simon & Schuster BFYR
Copy provided by the publisher

Maysoon Zayid, author of the graphic novel Shiny Misfits, was born in 1974. Because of difficulties with her birth, she has lived with cerebral palsy. This manifests itself, in her case, by tremors that she can control sometimes. When she wanted to enroll in the same elementary school with her sisters, the principal said that she could not because of her disability, and sent her and her father to the superintendent. It was even mentioned that she should enroll in a school for children with Down Syndrome. This was before the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. She made her case successfully, as was able to enroll. Her parents, who immigrated from Palestine, couldn't afford physical therapy, so her father worked with her for two hours a day at home. To help, she did enroll in dance classes. Since she was young, Mayson wanted to be a famous actress and appear on the television soap opera General Hospital, so she loved dancing. She attended Arizona State University to major in dance and drama. Despite a lot of negativity from teachers, she persevered. She took comedy classes as well, and eventually got an audition for her dream job, General Hospital, and won a role. She continues to perform and to serve as a good example for fighting through difficulties and not giving up on dreams.
Strengths: This is the first book in the Muslim Mavericks series, and is a short (72 pages) book with large print and great illustrations that would be perfect for elementary school students. Since I was absolutely obsessed with the Childhood of Famous Americans series when I was in elementary school (right about the time Zayid was born!), I would have adored this book as a child. There is a good mix of family background, personal dreams, and challenging reality that is very appealing. The story moves quickly, and has a positive, upbeat feel to it. Since Zayid's book, Shiny Misfits, will have a good number of readers, seeing how see strove for her dream in real life despite obstacles will make this biography a good companion to the graphic novel. It's becoming easier to find biographies of people with Islamic backgrounds, but there are still not enough books. I'm looking forward to seeing what other titles Salaam produces.
Weaknesses: There are no dates listed in the book, which makes it hard to place Zayid in a historical context. I hope that further Muslim Mavericks books also include people whose dreams included more practical fields like technology, science, and medicine.
What I really think: Elementary libraries will want to include this series in their collections. It is a little young for my middle school collection, but I would love to see something similar for older readers that is around 100 pages and includes dates, a bibliography, and an index.

 

Maraniss, Andrew and Hodge, DeAndra (illus.)
Beyond the Game: Jordan Marie Brings Three White Horses Whetstone
June 3, 2025 by Viking Books for Young Readers
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Jordan was born in 1988 to Terra Beth, a nurse from the Lakota Nation, and David Daniel, a teacher. She lived on a Sioux reservation in South Dakota, where she enjoyed visiting with her grandfather Nyal, who had been forcibly sent to a boarding school and was the first in his family to attend college. Both he and Terra Beth were strong runners, a sport which Jordan also embraced. While her grandfather and mother were Olympic hopefuls who sustained injuries which crushed their dreams, Jordan did well. After the family moved to Maine, where she had a hard time with her classmates, many of whom were racist, she ran track and cross country, and eventually got a scholarship to the University of Maine. She struggled with some eating disorders, but was eventually able to move to D.C. for work and earn money through sponsorships for her running. Her job with the National Indian Health Board opened her eyes to even more injustices, such as the Standing Rock Oil Pipeline. Qualifying for the Boston Marathon in 2019, she decided to bring attentiong to the plight of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women by racing with red body paint and handprints. She inspired other young activists, like Rosalie Fish. Today, running the Rising Hearts nonprofit that helps races acknowledge that they are being held on Native lands and supports the relatives of people who were forced into boarding schools.

There is a lot of good information in this book, and there are appendices at the end. There are tips for getting involved, a number of resources, a glossary, a map of Native words, and a list of other influential Native athletes.

Hodge's illustrations support the text and will make this more appealing to young readers. They depict various scenes and people from Jordan's life.

Maraniss' other Beyond the Game titles cover LeBron James, Pat Tillman, and Maya Moore, and do a good job of covering not only the subject's athletic career, but also the social activism that drives and inspires their work. These are great books for reader who like Penguin's Who Was biographies but are looking for individuals involved in sports.

One for the Dogs

Weisfeld, Brian, Bader, Bonnie, and Hsieh, Nadia. 

One for the Dogs (Start Up Squad Graphic Novels #1)

February 3, 2026 by Philomel Books

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

In this graphic novel, Resa, who appears in the Start Up Squad novels, is excited to visit her Abuela in Brooklyn, especially since she is allowed to bring her friends Harriet, Amelia, and Didi! After a day of sight seeing, Resa is feeling a little jealous of her friends, and when Abuela falls and sprains her ankle, she is alarmed that her friends know how to take care of her grandmother while she freezes. Resa decides to go help at Abuela's store the next day, and after talking to Parker and Nicole, whose grandmothers know Abuela, loans the girls money out of the store's till to start a dog bandana business. She thinks this is what her grandmother would do, and Resa loves to start new businesses. When she meets with Parker and Nicole, however, she isn't happy with the quality of their bandana production, and has a disagreement with them. She does meet them in the park to try to sell the bandanas, and not surprisingly, this doesn't go well. Resa's aunt brings the girls tickets to a Broadway show, and the four set off on the subway to see it. Things go well until Harriet gets off the subway on the way home to try to get a cell phone signal, but Resa had put a plan in place, and the group is soon reunited. Parker and Nicole want help, and the Start Up Squad meets with them to make some more bandanas, which sell. Resa is able to pay her grandmother back, although they have to talk about why it is wrong to borrow money without asking. The group also gets to go to a fashion show  before heading home. 

Strengths: There seem to be very few tweens with an entrepreneurial spirit, so it's good to see this sort of story written by someone who has been very involved in a variety of businesses. Resa has good business skills, even if she needs some work on her interpersonal ones. Visiting a grandparent always makes for a fun book, and I loved the little tour of New York City the girls got. The business aspect of this made sense, even if it was a bit suspicious that Resa gave two girls she didn't really know money! The business details were good, and the girls worked out their problems. Resa also is able to talk to her grandmother critically about her choices. The illustrations are cute, and I can see this being a big hit in elementary schools. 
Weaknesses: This seems to be the fourth tale of the Start Up Squad, since it mentions their work selling t shirts, lemonade, and planning a wedding, but is the first graphic novel. I bought the first two novels, but they haven't circulated as much as I would like, perhaps because the girls seem younger. I don't remember Resa being so anxious or having troubles getting along with people. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who like the Cupcake Diaries graphic novels or Vargas and Yovaniniz's The Do-Over .

Saturday Morning Cartoons- Camp Monster

Messner, Kate and Koch, Falynn (illus.) Camp Monster
February 3, 2026 by Bloomsbury Children's Books
ARC provided by the publisher 

Tasha, a young Yeti, writes to her grandfather about the fact that her parents are reopening his summer camp. Because of the decline in the population of Yetis, they have decided to open the camp to other types of monsters. Tasha's cousin, Kami, will be attending, but so are twin goblins Tom and Zelbawog, werewolf Lup, vampire Vera, ogress Isabelle and Griffin Claude. The counselors are also diverse, with a mermaid life guard and sphinx camp cook, among others. There are some tensions; Isabelle doesn't get along well with Vera, and also struggles with the common perception of ogres, since she is all about glitter, pink tutus, and dramatic acting. Tom and Zelbawog use their magic to create a sentient robot, which causes some trouble. There is a constant threat from humans, and the campers are told to alert the staff if they see anything. Of course, when Tasha finds hoofprints, she assumes they are from horses, and tries to investigate. The camp sign listing rules is damaged, Lupo is reluctant to swim, and the cook is constantly harassing the campers and making the guess riddles before they can eat. In the end, a culprit outside the camp is found to be responsible for damaging the sign, and the camp experience has been so successful that the campers all decide to come back for another session in two weeks. 

This was an interesting graphic novel that will appeal to young fantasy lovers who also want a dash of humor. There are some nice twists on the different types of monsters, and it's nice to see Tasha's family working together to resurrect the grandfather's camp while also changing it slightly to appeal to a wider variety of campers. There's even some excitement when the campers have to work together to ward off a threat from humans. I would have liked to see Gramp Abominable show up at camp, but I wouldn't be surprised if this became a series, so we may yet see him.

The Lion's Run and Time for Courage

Pennypacker, Sara. The Lion's Run

February 3, 2026 by Balzer + Bray

ARC provided by the Publisher

Lucas lives in Lamorlaye, France in 1944. He is being raised at the local abbey, since his parents have died. There are other boys there, including Marcel and Claude, who bully him mercilessly and even drown a bag of kittens in front of him. After they leave, he rescues them, but one has died. He takes the rest out to a barn in the woods, where he find Alice and her horse, Bia. Alice's father is a British trainer who is trying to work with the Nazis for his own safety, but since horses are being conscripted for the military, she hides Bia. She is not happy to see Lucas and tells him not to come back, but he says he needs to find the kittens mother and will bring her back. Lucas works for the Lamars and delivers groceries. One of the places he delivers groceries is to a maternity hospital run by Mme. Garnier. She is kind to Lucas and allows him to do odd jobs for money. When Alice tells Lucas that the facility is a Lebensborn hospital where the Nazis put young women who are pregnant by Nazi soldiers, he is appalled. The girls are treated well, but forced to give up their babies, who are then adopted by German couples. After talking to one resident, Claire, he knows this is true. Claire claims that she will be able to find her son, Felix, after the war is over, but that seems unlikely. Lucas ends up running notes between members of the resistance, like Father Gustave at the abbey and Mme. Garnier. Mme. Garnier lost her husband and son to the war, and tells Lucas she would like to adopt him, but the war makes things difficult. Soon, Lucas is drawn into Alice's plan to get Bia out of the country by faking documents and saying she is another horse. Bia and the groom will travel to Spain, and then to Kentucky, where Alice has contacted a horse breeder who will care for Bia. When the Nazis arrive earlier than planned to take the babies away, Lucas makes a rash decision to steal Felix, sending him on a perilous journey with Bia. Will they both be able to leave France?
Strengths: There are so many facets to World War II that it is not a surprise that I learned something new with this book. I had a vague idea of the German eugenics program, but didn't know that they had hospitals for young women who were having babies with German soliders. Alice's predicament reminded me of Kerr's The Winter Horses or Hopkinson's They Saved the Stallions, and will appeal to readers who like horse stories. Lucas was a great character with a lot of resilience despite his self doubt. Alice was at turns imperious and empathetic, and I loved that she saved the day even though she didn't really want to. Mme. Garnier was also a heart warming character, and there are indications that maybe she and Lucas would reconnect after the war. This is probably my favorite of Pennypacker's titles.
Weaknesses: A warning for sensitive readers: This starts with the drowning death of a kitten, and the mother cat's body is later found. Combined with the depictions of war and the discussion about why the girls are at the Lebensborn hospital, this might be best suited to middle school readers.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who were interested in Marsha Skrypuch or Carol Matas' World War II titles. While I liked the Jon Klassen cover, it does look a bit like it might be connected to this author's Pax, but it is not. 

Currie, Rob. Time for Courage (Hunger Winter #2)
January 6, 2026 by Tyndale Kids
E ARC provided by Netgalley

In this sequel to Hunger Winter, we rejoin the Ingelse family as they settle in to life at a farmhouse outside of Utrecht, Netherlands so that the father can continue to work with the Resistance. Els has finally allowed Dirk to join the efforts as well, and the book starts with a daring heist of food coupons for the orphans in the care of their Aunt Cora, as well as a harrowing chase scene. Dirk still doesn't always make good choices but is slowly starting to fully grasp the extent of how careful he must be after a Finnish girl, Enny, pulls him away from an elderly woman at a train station who is asking him for personal information. Dirk's six year old sister, Anna, is constantly asking for a younger brother (even though the mother has died), so when Dirk is unable to take three year old Isaac to his foster family, she is thrilled that he will be living with them. The Nazis soon attack the farmhouse, and Isaac's safety is in jeopardy. The father is on the run, as are the children. Will the Ingelse family be able to survive the war?

This was an excellent sequel, and I'll definitely purchase it for my fans of World War II, but it was a tense read filled with constant danger. There were some more lighthearted moments, such as when the group releases a bunch of cats in the train station to throw the Nazi dogs off the scent so that food parcels could be retrieved for delivery, but even that was a very serious and dangerous situation. The father's refrain that he won't tell his children what was happening "Not until after the war" was heartbreaking.

My main take away from this book was that the world should have learned valuable lessons from World War II, and yet many did not, and the world has once again plunged into endless cycles of conflict that are killing and displacing so many people. It's good to see the indomitable spirit of the Dutch, but given the current global climate, this just made me sad. 

They All Had a Reason

Leathers, Michele. They All Had a Reason 
October 7, 2025 by Sourcebooks Fire

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Charlotte's nemesis is Bellany Silverfield, a popular, pretty girl who is also very mean. Ever since Charlotte's mother dated Bellany's father, the two have been at odds, even though Bellany's twin, Bridger, is Charlotte's best friend. At a party at the Silverfield house to celebrate the twin's 17th birthday, Charlotte overhears some compromising information about Bellany cheating on her boyfriend, Quentin, and Bellany locks her in the basement. Charlotte manages to get out, and tries to help Quentin look for Bellany, who has gone missing. Charlotte finds Bellany some ways from the house... bluedgeoned to death, with her phone at her feet. Shocked, Charlotte returns to the party as though nothing has happened. When the cops break up the festivities, she goes home. At the funeral, her best friend Vivy is ready to gossip, and Wade is flirting with Charlotte, but the shocker is that Bellany has signed her own funeral guest book and there's not a body in the coffin! Charlotte tries to get information from Bridger, but he doesn't know anything. Later, Wade and Charlotte go to the cemetery and try to ask the gravediggers if they can put a "family heirloom" in the coffin, but there is a scuffle and they find themselves pursued by one of the workers whom they call "Tattoo Face". The official line is that Bellany was cremated and half of the ashes went to her mother in Europe and half were buried, but Charlotte doesn't believe this. When she becomes a prime suspect when pictures of her car near the scene surface, Charlotte knows she must solve the mystery or end up in jail. She makes a list of suspects, tries to return to school, where she is ostracized, and makes a series of risky decisions when her mother is out of town. Will she be able to solve the mystery, or will she be arrested for murder? The ending is more surprising than you could imagine.
Strengths: Imagine you are seventeen and you want to write a murder mystery. This is the book you would write. The evil character is pretty and popular, so of course she is murdered. At the funeral, the teens are more concerned with smoking and conspiracy theories about the body. Even though Charlotte is eventually questioned about the murder, her mother is absent most of the book. There are midnight chase scenes in the cemetery. Not only that, but the ending was quite the surprise. This is sensational, and rather like a slasher film. Not too much blood and gore, but just enough, and very little swearing or drinking, which I appreciated. The flirting is mild; there might have been one kiss. The cover is fantastic. Middle grade readers who ask me for Karen McManus titles will adore this one.
Weaknesses: If we apply standard measures of novel writing to this, it falls short. The characters are flat and stereotypical. The dialogue is stilted. There are huge plot holes, as well as many things that seem unlikely, from Charlotte carrying a handkerchief at the funeral to Quentin's mother having poisoned his father but being back after serving jail time. There's a weird sub plot with Wade's stepbrother Coop. The whole book reminded me a bit of 1990s Christopher Pike stories like The Midnight Club that just felt... icky. This is bound to be super popular.
What I really think: While I prefer April Henry's work, or even Natasha Preston's more mild stories, I may end up buying this one. It might not be great, but it's exactly what my students want. Sigh. I'm not sure I can read They All Had A Secret, which is the sequel even though the blurb lists different characters.

**WARNING**

If you read the review for the next book, it will spoil some of the twists of the first book. 

Leathers, Michele. They All Had a Secret #2

January 20, 2026 by Sourcebooks Fire

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus 

Bellany is not living in Chehallis, Washington, working as a maid in a motel and living in a room there. She is also working as a waitress. Her plan is to get the grandson of the owner, Roy, to break up with his girlfriend and marry her, so that she can have access to money and renovate the motel. She has made up a sad story that she was in foster care and has no one concerned about her, when in reality we find that Bellany was psychologically abused by her mother, who expected her to do chores, while her twin, Bridger, did not. We hear from the perspectives of a lot of different people who are involved in the town, and at one point Bellany (who goes by the name Charity), puts ExLax in Roy's girlfriend Samanta's drink while she is waiting on their table. 

This had a bit of a Flowers in the Attic vibe, in that every single character was unpleasant, and the writing was just not as good as it could have been. This will make it popular with readers who like Natasha Preston and other teen suspense authors, but I don't think I will buy it. It doesn't have the murder mystery element that the first book did, and just had an odd feel to it, with Samantha wanting to marry Roy, and Bellany being evil right and left. I'll stick with buying multiple copies of April Henry's books for my middle school library. 

Eureka!

Chang, Victoria. Eureka

January 27, 2026 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Set in 1884, this novel in verse follows the journey of Mei Mei from San Francisco to Eureka, California. Mei Mei's parents run a grocery store in the city, but are increasingly concerned about their daughter's welfare, as other young Chinese girls have been kidnapped. They send her 300 miles north to live with her aunt and uncle, who have told them that Eureka has schools where Chinese students attend with white students. Since Mei Mei has been attending a small school held in a church basement, she is very excited about this new opportunity, although she doesn't want to leave home. Her best friend, Hua Hua, also leaves, but Her entire family goes to live in Arcata. Her aunt, however, lets her know that she will be working as a servant in the home of the wealthy Bobbitt family. The father is a local banker, the mother and young son are very mean, and the daughter, Sara, is kind and offers to teach Mei Mei how to read. The cook, Mrs. Yu, and the kitchen boy, Tom, help Mei Mei navigate life in the new town. There are many problems between the white and Chinese population, and the Chinatown area is at the end of a sewer line, so always smells like garbage. The homes are ramshackle, and the local tongs frequently clash with each other. Mei Mei's uncle is heavily involved in this activity, so her aunt is very concerned. Both Mei Mei's mother and aunt had their feet bound as children, so find it hard to walk. Mei Mei's mother never leaves the home, but her aunt is able to get around with some help. When the tong activity escalates and two white people are shot, the town tells the Chinese population that they must leave or be forcibly removed. Sara manages to get a wagon for Mei Mei so that she can get her aunt to San Francisco, but when she arrives home with Mrs. Yu and Tom, her aunt and uncle have fled. As the group leaves, they can tell that the Chinatown has been burnt. The journey to San Francisco is treacherous, but Mei Mei's parents welcome all three travelers and settle them into life in the city.
Strengths: Historical fiction is a great way to learn about what life was like in different places and times, and I was not familiar with the details of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 or the impact that it had on Chinese American society at the time. Viewing this time from the point of view of a young girl was a good choice, and young readers will be appalled at how Mei Mei is treated. I loved that she was interested in education, and it was a bright spot to see Sara helping her to learn to read. Later in the book, it comes out that she taught Tom as well, and this small act of humanity made life seem a tiny bit less bleak. The details about bound feet were interesting as well. Thank goodness the practice was banned in 1912, although it was enforced until 1949.
Weaknesses: This is a really interesting topic, but I could have used more details about the general politics and events at the time. Novels in verse are more poetic, and often lack the details needed for readers who may not have background knowledge. Since I can't think of any nonfiction books for middle grade readers that could be used to scaffold this knowledge, more information would have been helpful.
What I really think: It's hard to find fictional books about this period of US history, so this is a good choice for readers who enjoyed stories about the Chinese American experience like Ingold's 2010 Paper Daughter or Yee's Maizy Chen's Last Chance Yep's 2013 The Journal of Wong Ming-Chung: A Chinese Miner, California, 1852.

The Aftermyth

Wolff, Tracy. The Aftermyth. 

February 3, 2026 by Aladdin

ARC provided by the Publisher

Penelope Weaver has been looking forward to attending Anaximander’s academy, and being in the Athena house like her parents. Things start to go wrong from the very beginning; her parents can’t drive her and her twin brother, Paris, right to the dorm, and she is attacked by snakes on her way to the school. She’s late for the assembly, and arrives in front of the 500-600 students disheveled and muddy. When Anastasia Themis, the headmistress, has the students hunt for coins in the Hall of Legends, Penelope again has trouble. Using her coin in a giant gumball machine to find out her house, she is appalled to learn that she is assigned to Aphrodite instead. Luckily, fellow student Fifi befriends her, even though she calls Penelope “Ellie”. Anaximander’s has an unusual campus, in that the buildings are in different places everyday, and students each have a muse assigned to them. Penelope has Calliope, who is rather reluctant to help at all, although Fifi’s muse, Frankie, gives her 75 gumballs that she can chew to summon him. Aphrodite’s students have an epic party to welcome students, with amazing food, and they also have weekly movie and video game nights as well as a candy room and cookie baking times. Still, Penelope can’t help but yearn for the more staid, regimented life of Athena’s students. In Dr. Minthe’s class, the students find out about the myth for the year; Pandora’s Box. They are challenged to find symbols of the seven evils that were released, and Penelope manages to find the emerald key representing envy. She then convinces her house to participate in the year long competition, which they normally ignore. Penelope continues to have problems, which often include being attacked by snakes, and having odd things happen to her. She meets a boy from Hades house, Kyrian, who helps her get the second symbol, a book written in Attic Greek. Dr. Minthe’s is surprised that Penelope was able to travel into the Underworld to retrieve the tome, and more secrets come out about her abilities. I would not be surprised if this were the first book in a series. 

Strengths: The world of Anaximander's academy has some good touches, such as the moving buildings, the awesome candy room, and the frequent parties. The Greek mythology is an always popular topic, and the houses uphold the standard perceptions of gods like Poseidon, Zeus, Hades, Athena, and Aphrodite, although there are some twists. Penelope's frequent problems, like her shoes getting dirty or Fifi calling her "Ellie" will speak to middle grade readers who frequently have their own days go wrong. While this could be a stand alone, the fact that there are still Pandora's symbols to be found and the year is not over could propel this story into several more books.
Weaknesses: It took Penelope almost 100 pages to get to the amphitheater for the welcome assembly. This pacing made me think that Wolff might be a young adult author, and sure enough, she has also penned the Crave series, where book one comes in at 575 pages.
What I really think: At 448 pages, this will be a hit with readers who like long fantasy books like O’Hearn’s Flames of Olympus or Messenger’s Keeper of Lost Cities.