Brume: The Dragon Awakens and Dr. Zeus

Pelissier, Jerome and Hinder, Carine. Brume: The Dragon Awakens

September 30, 2025 by Hippo Park

Copy provided by the publisher

Brume lives in a charming village with her adoptive, father, a fisherman. He found her in the foggy forest, hence her name. Brume wants to be a witch and protect the village, but has some anger issues and when a woman bumps into her, casts a spell to turn the woman into a pig. This isn't successful, but a pig comes around the corner, and Brume assumes he is the result of her handiwork. She names him Hubert and takes him home. The pig isn't too happy, but once fed some chocolate croissants, is happy to go along with Brume's adventures. Her father gives her a spell book that he found with her, and she tries her best to learn the spells but succeeds only in casting the area into a dense fog. Along with her friend, Hugo, she tries to undo her work and finds that there is a dragon in the area who is endangering her village. Will the three would be Rescuers be able to save the village?

Brume is a typical, impulsive child who is determined to be a witch no matter how many people tell her this is unlikely. While her father tells her this isn't possible, he also provides her with a hat, cloak, and wand, and gives her plenty of freedom to try to make magic happen. My sympathies went more to the poor pig, occasionally referred to as Bacon Bit, who was highjacked by Brume but stays with her and ends up being something of a magician himself! 

This was a cute, hardbound graphic novel that is the size of a small picture book. While it seems aimed at younger readers, the text is fairly small. The artwork is attractive, and the artists' notes at the end give another interesting layer to the tale. There are three volumes to this series that have been published in French, so I imagine we will be seeing additions to this tale in the US soon. 

 Tebbets, Chris. Dr. Zeus

January 26, 2026 by jimmy patterson

E ARC provided by Netgalley

Nick Andino's relatively quiet life in Athens, Ohio is disrupted when Zeus and Hermes arrive in a Winnebago and claim that he has to fulfill a prophecy and save not only himself but his entire family line from being destroyed. Details are a bit sketchy, but since Nick's life isn't going too well, he figures he might as well investigate. In the real world, his father has passed away, and hid grandfather Pop-Pop has moved from San Diego to help out at the restaurant his father started, Dino's Dine-In. His mother owes $18,000 in back rent to bully Orson's family, so he constantly has to cater to his nemesis. On top of that, he is going to stop home schooling with Pop-Pop and start Athens Middle School in the fall. Why not get whisked off to ancient Greece and battle a Cyclops who looks suspiciously like Orson? Zeus and Hermes are invested in Nick's attention to his family legacy, and pop him back without much warning. In between shifts at the diner, Nick finds himself working with Margarita to solve a riddle involving an ogre, flower, apple, and a helm that leads him to an island called the Stadium of the Gods. In Ohio's Athens, Hermes facilitates a meeting with Nick's crush, Daisy, and he confides in her about his odd adventures. He needs a lot of help; he is starting to fade, which Hermes tells him is a definite sign of "destinitis". There are lots of adventures in Greeze, including meeting Proteus, trying to get a golden apple, and tangling with Eris, the goddess of Discord. In the end, he manages to come through to save his family's destiny, although his mother loses the restaurant. Pop-Pop decides to stay around, and Zeus and Hermes, in a real deus ex machina move, save the day by gifting the Andino's a Gyro Hero food truck. The solid gold apple in Nick's pocket also helps the family have the capital to move forward. 

This was a fun, mythology based romp from the popular Patterson franchise, and the cover is great. There hasn't been much interest in mythology books for a few years now; Riordan's Percy Jackson series is twenty years old. I found myself being much more invested in Nick's family life in Athens, and would have been quite happy to find out how he did going into middle school, hanging out with Daisy, and working on the food truck. As a former Latin teacher, I still have a TON of mythology based books like Shipton's The Pig Scrolls, Yolen's Young Heroes series, Childs' Oh. My. Gods. Calonita's Zero to Hero and Go the Distance, McCaughrean's that no longer circulate, so I may not purchase this title, but take a look if you need some fresh takes on ancient Greece. 

MMGM- Fros, Fades, and Braids and Destiny of the Diamond Princess

It's

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
 at 

Always in the Middle 

and #IMWAYR day 

at

Unleashing Readers

Qualls, Sean. Fros, Fades, and Braids: A Brief History of Black Hair in America. 

January 20, 2026 by HarperCollins

E ARC provided by the publisher

This picture book sized, 64 page book is about the only history of Black hairstyles that I have seen, and my students and I have been looking for something similar for a long time! Twelve year olds are just starting to understand that the world has not always looked the way it does now, so brief fashion histories are always popular. While this is a more artistic and poetic overview of hairstyles, it will still see a lot of circulation. 

Illustrated in a vibrant collage style, the pages offer short snippets of information about a variety of techniques for styling Black hair, as well as context for their use. I knew about Madame C.J. Walker and Annie Malone's hair product empires, but didn't know that inventor Garrett Morgan (who developed the traffic light) also had a hair straightening product! There are discussions about why straight hair was culturally considered "good" while curly hair wasn't, and there are short bios of Black women who were known for their straight hair, like Josephine Baker and Billie Holiday. The "Conk" hairstyle was explained, as was the importance of beauty shops in Black culture. 

Moving from the beehive and bouffant styles of the 1960s, we see how the "free hair" movement encouraged Black people to embrace natural styles like the Afro. Later in the 70s and 80s, the Jheri Curl took over, and was rocked by men like Rick James and Lionel Ritchie. Locs, fades, and Braids all get their  mention, as does the importance of barbershops. 

This ends with an admonition to NEVER touch anyone's hair without permission, which is always good advice. The author ends with a note about the complex relationship that Black people have with their hair. 

This is all great information, and beautifully presented, but it would be great if there were a more straightforward history of Black hair that gave more historical context and was photoillustrated. Seeing period photographs gives another level of history, since the pictures also include clothing, surroundings, etc. There are great series of clothing described by the decade, and I would love to see something similar done with this topic. This is still a must purchase book for elementary and middle school libraries. 

Winston, Sherri. The Destiny of the Diamond Princess

January 20, 2026 by Bloomsbury Children's Books

E ARE provided by Edelweiss Plus

Zahara Grace Jones has always known that she was adopted, and she loves her single lawyer mother as well as her grandfather, G-Pop, but now that she's twelve, she has some questions about her family history. Her bright blue eyes are rather unusual with her Black skin, and she would love to know more. G-Pop gives her a DNA test kit as a gift, but her mother has an even bigger surprise; she knew Zahara's mother through work, and when Zahara's parents were both badly injured in a bicycle accident, the mother wanted Ms. Jones to adopt Zahara when they both died! She left a note as well as a statuette of the goddess Sekhmet and a necklace. The DNA test reveals that her ancestry is mainly Maliwand, with some Nigerian roots as well. Zahara is reunited with her former best friend, Persephone Drager, whose parents were also both killed, and who is now being raised by her aunt, who runs a museum. Sadly, much of the contents were collected before modern methods of keeping items in the countries where they should be, but Persephone's aunt tries to be aware of the damage that colonialistic looting did. There is an exhibit of the Tear of Amun blue diamond coming up. Zahara's biological grandfather, Zumari Babatunde shows up, and turns out to be the king of Maliwanda! There is some tension about this, since Zahara's mother was estranged from her father, but Zahara and her mother are willing to hear him out. Persephone unearths information that Zahara is descended from the wattior princess Fara, but also that there is a family curse. No wonder her mother and father perished! As the gala to celebrate the Tear of Amun diamond is being prepared, Zahara and Persephone, along with friends Tally and Aafia, must work to overturn the curse with an ancient ritual, and Zahara has to think about how invested she intends to be in her role as an African princess. 

Strengths: Do middle grade readers still harbor thoughts of being secret princesses? It is an enthralling prospect, certainly, and Zahara's past is especially intriguing. This is handled in a realistic way, with Zahara being a bit miffed at her mother for keeping secrets, even though her birth mother swore her to secrecy. There are lots of fun moments in this book (dancing at an African restaurant and eating delicious food, preparing for the art gala), and it's generally happy and hopeful, even with ALL of the dead parents. This takes a turn into the realm of fantasy that The Princess Diaries does not, and the treatment of ancient African artifacts is explained well. I enjoyed reading this one a lot. 
Weaknesses: I'm not sure how well the scenes of Zahara and G-Pop recording dances for TikTok will age, but they'll be amusing for awhile. Zahara lives a VERY posh life, befitting a princess, but my students may not quite understand a lifestyle that includes a private school as well as fencing and horse riding lessons. 
What I really think: This was generally a happy, adventurous book, and we certainly need more of those in the world! This has much more in common with Magoon's The Secret Library (which a student checked out and lost right away. Sigh.) and is really nothing like Marks' From the Desk of Zoe Washington, to which the publisher's description compares this. 

Brady Mason's Perfect Fit

Melleby, Nicole. Brady Mason's Perfect Fit
January 13, 2026 by Little, Brown BYR

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Brady Mason lives in New Jersey, not too far from the beach, in a group home with five other girls. She was put up for adoption as an infant, but her adoptive parents died in a car crash and she has never found a home that was a good fit. Ms. Randall doesn't run an unpleasant household, even though there aren't a lot of material comforts, and Brady hopes that she can spend the next six years there. She is close to Cory, and the two have plans to get an apartment in New York City together when they graduate. When the other girls notice a resemblance between Brady and social media personality turned high level editor of Veracite magazine Elena Lavigne, they post aggressively on social media about the connection. This brings spokespeople of  Lavigne's show up at Brady's door asking for a DNA sample. When this shows that Elena IS Brady's biological mother, Brady finds herself briskly swept up and taken to live on the Upper East Side of New York. Since she has fallen out with Cory over a misunderstood kiss, she isn't too sad, especially since she now has a comfortable bed, hot showers, and a very understanding nanny, Mia. She gets to go to work with Elana and finds out how invested in fashion her new mother is, although Brady doesn't particularly care about anything but comfort. She is put into a private school, where she has to deal with mean girls, but makes friends with River, the son of an actress, who understands the scrutiny that Brady now has to deal with. Things don't always go smoothly for Brady, and there are some understandable squabbles as she and Elena get to know each other. There are some highlights, like playing soccer in the park with new friend Alyssa who is more amenable to a more romantic relationship than Cory was. In the end, it helps Brady to visit her old home with Elena, and having a therapist to work through some issues also is a comfort. 

Strengths: This is a fun rags-to-riches story set against the New York City fashion scene. It's unlikely, but plausible, and Brady is an even tempered character who tries to see the best in her difficult situations. This does not mean that she doesn't speak her mind; she is photographed giving the finger to someone pestering her about her mother, often speaks out when she would be better advised to stay silent, and even punches a classmate in the face after he won't stop putting his arm around her and brushes her behind. Readers who enjoyed the LGBTQIA+ characters in Melleby's other books like Hurricane Season, The Science of Being Angry, and  In the Role of Brie Hutchins will be sympathetic to Brady's crush on Cory and her worries about how Elana will react to her. The cover is very appealing and makes this look like a very fun book. 
Weaknesses: I was hoping that Brady would come to see how important fashion was to Elana rather than having Elana write an article on Brady's alternative style, but that's just the way the world is now. I am still personally not understanding the pervasive hatred of dresses! 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who found the happier coverage of children in foster care in O'Shaughnessy's Lasagna Means I Love You and Farr's Pavi Sharma's Guide to Going Home interesting. 

Saturday Morning Cartoons- Run Home: A Graphic Memoir

Bermudez, Alyssa. Run Home: A Graphic Memoir
January 27, 2026 by Roaring Brook Press
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

In this sequel to her Big Apple Diaries, a memoir of her middle school years leading up to 9/11, Bermudez recounts her experiences starting high school in New York City. Her new school is all girls and requires uniforms. She struggles a bit to make friends, and isn't happy that her parents are insisting that she participate in a sport. She would rather draw, but starts running for the cross country team, even though she has neve really run. She's done a lot of biking with her father, who is divorced from her mother and remarried to a woman who has a daughter a little older than she is, but running is different. Her father, who has suffered from kidney issues for quite some time, hasn't been doing well, and it's hard to watch someone who has been so active be unable to catch his breath after mild exertion. The cross country season (which starts in mid October) goes fairly well, and Alyssa throws herself into indoor track, doing better and feeling more confident in her abilities. In the summer, she goes off to camp again, where she reconnects with her boyfriend from the previous summer, Nick. When her father passes away, she has to go home, but chooses to return to camp rather than sitting alone at home. Her family is supportive, and her father's three wives are all able to get along and reminisce about her father, but Alyssa is devastated by her loss and takes some time to find a comfortable new normal. 

Strengths: Readers who enjoyed finding out about Bermudez' early 2000s life will want to catch up with her further adventures. I'm always looking for books about cross country, and appreciated that while Bermudez didn't initially want to run, she eventually took some pleasure and pride in the sport, and running helped her process her grief over her father's loss. The artwork is attractive, and the details about life at this time are good. There are so many young people today dealing with blended families, so it is always good to see these portrayed. 
Weaknesses: Because this is a memoir, there isn't as much of a plot as my students usually prefer, and the book is on the contemplative, sad side, despite the vibrant cover. 
What I really think: The family issues reminde me a bit of MacLeod's Intercontinental Drifter, and readers who enjoyed seeing how graphic novel artists started out with their  Chang's How to Draw a Secret, Rodriguez's Doodles from the Boogie Down. 

I Survived: The Dust Bowl, 1935

Tarshis, Lauren. I Survived: The Dust Bowl, 1935
December 2, 2025 by Scholastic Inc.

Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central
 

Ray lives on a farm in the Texas Panhandle in 1935, during the Great Depression. His best friend, Dolly, frequently accompanies him on his adventures, but things are changing in their small town. The bakery where the two occasionally buy cookies has closed, and many of their classmates in their one room school house have moved to California to pursue better opportunities. Still, there are some boys who show up in the two, having ridden on freight trains away from their own homes. When dust storms arise, Ray and Dolly know to seek shelter, but these storms seem to be becoming more frequent, and the two get caught in town, at school, and at home, where they have to ride out the dust and spend hours cleaning up afterwards. At one point, Ray's father ventures out to check on the chickens, and it is a tense time until he returns. Even with all of the precautions like Vaseline to line their nostrils, wet cloths and even surplus WWI era gas masks to block particulates, and protocols for sheltering in place, many people, including Dolly's brother Skippy, develop "dust pneumonia" and have trouble breathing. When Dolly's family leaves for California and Ray's family is in danger of losing their farm to the bank, Ray decides to strike out on his own, but runs into complications. There is historical information as well as period photographs at the end of the book. 

As we approach the 100th anniversary of the 1929 stock market crash, I am glad to see new books on the Great Depression such as Colman's Where Only Storms Grow and Ruiz-Flores' The Pecan Sheller. The books written shortly after this era don't delve as much into the health implications of the dust storms, or the environmental issues that led to the soil erosion and subsequent dust storms. Both of these issues interest my students. 

While there were many topics that are frequently covered, like children riding the rails, farms being foreclosed, and the suffocating terror of being caught in a storm. I did learn some new and surprising things, such as the fact that World War I surplus gas masks were distributed to children so that they could breathe somewhat more freely, and the odd occurrence of rain clouds meeting with dust clouds and producing showers of MUD! 

The best part of the I Survived books are the historical back matter, which includes period photos and much discussion of a variety of topics. I would have avidly saved my allowance to purchase these titles in elementary school! I always encourage students to further their investigations with nonfiction titles, which in this case would include Brown's The Great American Dust Bowl and Sandler's Picturing a Nation. 

 

Mo and the Crow: The Mystery of the Lost Locket

Louise, Scout and Flores, Kat (illus.) 

Mo and the Crow: The Mystery of the Lost Locket

January 27, 2026 by Andrews McMeel Publishing

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Rising 8th grader Morissa Tan is not happy that her mother is moving her from Santa Clara, California to Chinatown in New York City, even though it is because her mother got a tenure track job in the Asian/Pacific American studies department at NYU. Morissa, who used to go by Rissa, but now wants to be called Mo to better express her anger, is angry about leaving her father and her older sister Clarice back home, and doesn't like the crowded, noisy city or the fact that she is separated from her two best friends, Milan and Malachi. Her mother is very busy at work, so leaves Mo alone in the apartment everyday, checking in with neighbor Mrs. Peng if she ventures out. Her mother would like her to explore their neighborhood, but Mo is a bit reluctant, although she manages to get out to buy some sponge cake at a local bakery, and finds a cool bookstore. To ease her loneliness (and to avoid unpacking), Mo starts to feed a crow who appears outside her window, and eventually the crow (whom she names Jo) brings her a gold locket. On an outing to the Metropolitan Museum of Art with her mother, Mo meets another kid her age, Sujes (they/them), who is visiting the museum with neighbor Amos Richardson, who is taking care of them while parents are in Puerto Rico. The two get along, and Amos and Mo's mother exchange phone numbers, which is good, since Marin and Malachi haven't always been answering Mo's texts. Mo's mother would like her to participate in some volunteer activities, but Mo is still angry that she isn't able to work at an animal shelter back in Santa Clara, although attending an intergenerational dinner called Heart of Dinner appeals to her, since she misses her own grandparents. When she gets together with Sujes, the two look into the mystery of the locket. Narrowing it down to a piece from about 1950, with a picture of a soldier in it, the two reach out to Amos, who has an older friend who is a veteran from the Korean war. The locket's owner is found, and Mo and her mother enjoy visiting Mrs. Tom and hearing her story, and Mo starts to think that living in New York City might not be completely terrible.
Strengths: Young readers will empathize with Mo as her plans for the summer and the upcoming school year are completely derailed. Despite this, New York offers a lot of interesting venues and experiences, as well as plenty of yummy food vendors! Mo's reaction to moving is realistic, and the fact that she can still text friends back in Santa Clara is both comforting and irritating in turn. She does eventually get out in the community, and there is a lot of history delivered within the lost locket story. The cast reflects modern times; Sujes is nonbinary and Nuyorican, and an aunt has a husband who has transitioned to female. Mo's mother's family came from China to build the railways in the 1800s, and her father is Chine-Filipino. It is good to see some intergenerational friendships as well.
Weaknesses: A tenure track job at a university is a very good reason to move. My friends in academia would move just about anywhere in the world for that opportunity. Mo's parents have been divorced since she was a toddler, but get along well. It seemed odd that she wouldn't live with her father. I would have enjoyed this more if Mo had been positive about the move, but modern tweens are not as keen to embrace adventures and will look more kindly at her complaining. The illustrations add some appeal.
What I really think: Books about moving to a new location is a perennial middle grade topic, with both realistic AND fantasy versions (moving into a haunted house), and this is a good choice for readers who enjoyed Hickey and Murphy's Ginny Off the Map, Galligan's Fresh Start, Benway's The Girls of Skylark Lane, or Stecher's A Field Guide to Broken Promises.

A Year Without Home

Bidania, V.T. A Year Without Home

January 13, 2026 by Nancy Paulsen Books

ARC provided by Follett First Look

In this novel in verse, Gao Sheng is the oldest of five children living an idyllic life with their parents, grandmother, and extended family in a how in Pa Kao, Laos in 1975. The father has been involved in the Vietnam war, but isn't on active duty anymore. When Gao Sheng's school releases students abruptly, the children find out that the communists are threatening to take over their area. Gao Sheng's father comes home, and tells the family that they will be leaving. The family horse and dog are set free, the family packs meager supplies, and takes off in a taxi for an air base. Sadly, they miss the two planes, so go to Vientiane to stay with the mother's cousin and regroup. Since the officials are checking identification on the main roadways, the father disguises himself and goes through the jungle, since he could be arrested for having been in the army. While in the city, the mother is arrested, the police having been tipped off by a taxi driver. Luckily, she is released. Eventually, the family crosses the river into Thailand, where they stay at the Nam Phong refugee camp. The accomodations are basic, but there is food, and the children are able to play soccer. Gao Sheng does needlework with the women, and eventually there is a school set up. Gao Sheng makes a friend, Choua, who leaves to go to live in Tennessee with her family. The family has a short but successful stint of selling moon cakes before the camp authorities shut them down over health concerns. An uncle and his family get sponsors in the US and leave, taking Gao Sheng's brother Yia with them because he is considered very important, being the only boy in the family. The family is transferred to the Ban Vinai refugee camp, where they have to build their own shelter. About a year after leaving g their home, the family eventually makes it to Sparta, Wisconsin, in 1976, not too far from Yia. 

Strengths: While Gao Sheng was losing her home, I was finishing fourth grade, wearing Hee Haw overalls and wondering what 5th grade at the middle school would be like. This put the history into perspective for me. While there weren't as many Hmong refugees in Ohio as there were in Wisconsin or Minnesota, there were a few, and looking back to the history 50 years later after so many people left the country is important. It was interesting that the author was so young that she didn't remember her family's journey very well, so she set it from the point of view of her oldest sister, and interviewed family members to get details. This might be why the journey doesn't seem quite as fraught as it no doubt was. This was a fascinating look at a period in history that many readers might not know about. 
Weaknesses: While this is a beautifully written novel in verse with a lot of poetic descriptions and palpable longing for a lost home, I'm not sure how many of my students will make it past the detailed descriptions of small events and feelings. The authors note at the end was helpful in explaining the history behind the family's experience, but it would have been good to see more of that in the text. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who are interested in tales of displacement such as Lai's Inside Out and Back Again, Athaide's Wings to Soar, or Dobbs' The Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna. 

The Nightmares of Finnegan Quick

Hayes, Larry. The Nightmares of Finnegan Quick

August 5, 2025 by Bloomsbury Children's Books

Copy provided by the publisher

Finnegan's life has been oddly and silently tragic. When he was four, his dog Biscuit was dragged away by a pale hand dripping blood, and before too long his mother, and then his father, were gone. No one seems to notice any of these absences but him! They always occurs after months of dreaming about horrible things, so when he starts to dream about his Gran being attacked by a goblin, he knows things are dire. In his dreams, he's also met a girl with whom he has adventures, so when he meets her at school at the beginning of 8th grade, he knows he needs to talk to her. Cass' father is a paranormal investigator, and it turns out that Finnegan was born on the day Cass' mother died. Along with Finnegan's best friend, Squid, the two start to investigate dreams and try to figure out why they are able to travel in them. This takes them to a tomb near a country church, where they see the woman who took Biscuit, and she's not happy! Squid has done some research, and thinks she is a maere, a demon who sucks out souls. Armed with a crucifix, prayer book, holy water, and a peanut, the three manage to destroy a demon, but it's not enough. Cass' reveals that her father is in a state of sleep paralysis, and is currently in a coffin at the creepy former psychiatric hospital where they two are living, having come from the US. It looks like Finnegan will be able to settle things and destroy the demon, but when secrets are revealed, not everyone is safe. We need another book to find out what happens to Cass and her father, and especially to Finnegan's Gran! 

Strengths: This reminded me a bit of Currie's X Marks the Haunt, but with a very British setting. There are plenty of creepy graveyards and crypts, as well as evil demons and creatures. The best part of the book for me was Squid, who took his research very seriously, and was just very exuberant. At one point, a bully is about to beat up Finnegan, and Squid shows up, playing a flute and dancing a jig. Everyone records his antics, but he silences the bully and sends him on his way. He calls this an "irrational behavior strategy", which I absolute loved! Gran is a fantastic character, and I was amused when she gets a little vague at one point, and this is explained by her possibly having an infection. So true, but not something most young readers would know. There are some good twists and turns that I don't want to ruin as well. 
Weaknesses: Cass' father is paralyzed rather suddenly, and it's treated very casually. Just an odd inclusion, especially since he could be very useful in a subsequent book. Also, this is only available in paperback and is NOT in the Tales from Cabin 23 series, even though the font made me think it was. 
What I really think: This feels very much like a British Goosebumps book, and will be a popular choice with readers who like scary tales Jreije's Bashir Boutros and the Jewel of the Nile or Fournet's Brick Dust and Bones. 

MMGM- Just Like Home and Winnie-the Pooh

It's

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
 at 

Always in the Middle 

and #IMWAYR day 

at

Unleashing Readers

Downing, Erin Soderberg. Love Rolls In (Just Like Home #1)

January 6, 2026 by Scholastic Press

E ARC Provided by Edelweiss Plus

Twins Ruby and Henry live on a small farm right outside of town. Their mother is a veterinarian, and their father does "something in an office", and the family has a menagerie of three chickens, two goats, a dog, a cat, a pig, and a llama! Their mother has declared that there are to be no more animals, but when a puppy with a severe spinal injury is dropped off at her clinic in the middle of the night, she softens long enough to let the children foster the dog and prepare him for adoption. Ruby, who does the morning chores, would rather skip school and get right to work, but her mother firmly states that school is more important. Henry enjoys school because there are no chores, and he has a lot more friends than Ruby does. Harriet, a neighbor, was a good friend until the girls hit fifth grade, and their interests started to diverge. The puppy, whom they name Arlo, is a sweet guy who manages to drag himself from place to place, since he can't walk. The twins try to help him by putting him in a shirt so the rough ground doesn't hurt his tender stomach, and unearth an old cart in the barn that they try to fit to one of the other pets so that Arlo can be part of the pack. This has limited success, so Ruby (who likes to build things) fashions a cart. She is grouped with Harriet during a school program on planting seeds, and finds out that Harriet's dog, Zippy, has passed away from cancer. Near the end, Zippy had to have both back legs amputated, and used a cart, so Harriet is interested in meeting Arlo. Henry isn't happy that Arlo will find a new home, since most of the animals seem to prefer Ruby, so he tries to remember to do his chores so that perhaps his mother will consider keeping Arlo. This isn't in Arlo's best interest, but luckily Harriet, her younger brother Will, and her mother decide that Arlo would be a good fit in their home. Ruby and Henry's parents agree that because the kids both stepped up to help with Arlo's care and training, they are open to having more rescues in the future.
Strengths: I would have loved this book as a child! Ruby and Henry both have fairly positive attitudes, are willing to work hard, and are given a lot of autonomy (but plenty of supervision when needed) to help Arlo. There's lots of good information about caring for a dog with special needs, but also some good life lessons about getting along with others. These things are so much more interesting than the current trend of having problems and thinking through how to deal with them-- Ruby and Henry DO things. Their farm is an interesting setting, especially with a llama and a pig with a large personality! The friend drama with Harriet is spot on. I would have saved up my 25 cent a week allowance to buy this series, and would definitely buy it for an elementary library. The cover is great, and I wish the artist had been mentioned in the publication data.
Weaknesses: There could have been slightly more description about the barn and surrounding enclosures for animals. While I could see everything clearly in my mind, both of my grandparents all lived on farms when I was young. Most of my students don't have this background knowledge.
What I really think: Mills' The Puppy Place is the series to which this title is compared, but Peters' Jasmine Green Rescues is much more similar. It should be popular with fans of Liu's Near and Deer, or graphic novel series like Fairbairn's PAWS or Epic Reads' Animal Rescue Friends. It's great for readers who need something a little shorter than Cameron's Dogs with Purpose books. If you are having a Scholastic book fair, make sure you request extras of this as well as the sequel, Kitten Delivery.

Downing, Erin Soderberg. Kitten Delivery (Just Like Home #1)

January 6, 2026 by Scholastic Press

E ARC Provided by Edelweiss Plus

Now that their foster puppy, Arlo, has a good home with their neighbors, Henry isn't as eager to do his after school chores taking care of the animals. When Ruby finds SEVEN kittens near their home in the country, the twins ask their mother if they can try their hand at fostering them. Since the kittens appear to be six weeks old and can't be adopted until they are eight, their veterinarian mother agrees. With the help of neighbors Harriet and Will, the siblings clean up that barn and create a "kitten camp". They name the kittens after the Seven Dwarves, although one particularly pretty kitten is named Snow White. The kittens are a LOT of work. They need baths, feeding, and an environment with things to climb and toys to play with so that they can release their copious kitten energy. Henry is glad when Grumpy, who has some health issues, is willing to take a bottle from him. The family's cat, Smudge, and pig, Big Mill, step up to try to channel the kitten's energy in appropriate ways, and Smudge helps with litter box training. The family plans a "kitten convention" so that the kittens can be matched with suitable adoptive homes, but right before it is to begin, Grumpy goes missing! The event can't be canceled, since the other kittens really need homes. The event is a success, and the twins feel good about all of their hard work. Henry even learns to rethink his approach to "chores", and thinks that he might feel differently if he frames his work as something he does to support the pets that he loves. Grumpy shows up, having been hidden away by Smudge and Big Mill, and the parents allow the twins to keep the cat. Another book seems to be in the works!
Strengths: Kittens are adorable, and the cover (whose artist I could not find) will insure that this book sees steady circulation. I loved that Will and Harriet have worked with Ruby and Henry to clear a path between their houses so that Arlo can visit, and that they all band together to spiff up the barn so that it can be used in the future for fostering other animals. Downing does a great job at realistically portraying learning experiences for both twins; Ruby at first just wants the kittens to be adopted, but realizes that the animals' personalities need to be matched up with those of appropriate adopters to secure a good outcome, and Henry decides that he needs to make lists of jobs that he must do in order to remember them. He's also open to Ruby's reframing of the purpose for doing chores. I'd love to see more of this kind of instructive coping skills incorporated into other middle grade titles, especially in such a natural and engaging way. I'm looking forward to another book in the series.
Weaknesses: Would Smudge and Big Mill really hide Grumpy? While this reinforces my bias that cats are evil, I'm not sure that they would be able to anticipate the adoption and stow their favorite kitten out of view. Still, it makes for a great crisis, and a happy ending, so that is just a quibble.
What I really think: It's harder to find books about cats than it is about dogs, so feline fans will be glad to see that Henry and Ruby have a whole gang of kittens to care for. Mills' The Puppy Place sometimes has cats show up at the rescue, as does Peters' Jasmine Green Rescues, which also has a pig! Scholastic must have a soft spot for cats, since they also published Yamile Saied Méndez' Random Acts of Kittens and Wish Upon a Stray. If you have a lot of Warriors fans and are having a book fair, make sure you request extras of these books as well as the first Just Like Home book, Love Rolls In.

Milne, A.A and Shepard, Ernest H. (illus.) Winnie-the-Pooh

January 6, 2026 by Aladdin

Copy provided by the publisher

Happy Winnie-the-Pooh Day, which is celebtrated on A.A. Milne's birthday, January 18. Born in 1882, Milne created When We Were Very Young (1924) in which Pooh was a character, and went on to feature this bear of very little brain in a total of four books. Disney started animating these tales in 1961, so Pooh and his friends featured largely in my childhood. My brother had a large stuffed version, complete with red velvet vest, and Pooh would often narrate his stories at bedtime. 

This 100th anniversary edition is not only bound in Pooh yellow, but is vaguely fuzzy as well. There was a missed opportunity to have a red slipcover for this, but that is more of a Disney interpolation. For a book that came out so long ago, it holds up surprisingly well. The writing still feels crisp and modern, and Pooh's antics are not treated in an overly moralistic way. The 1920s really are the start of the modern era, when children started to be treated as individuals in their own right who made mistakes but were able to learn from them. 

This volume includes several favorites, like the heffalump and woozle tales, as well as stories about Eeyore losting his tale, Pooh getting stuck, and Christopher Robin leads an expedition to the North Pole (which makes sense, since Peary and Amundsen were either in recent memory or currently trying to reach that location). Kanga and Roo come to the forest, and there is a birthday party. These stories are all told with a gentle good humor, and are quick enough that each story can probably be read in one or two sittings, depending on the patience of the people involved. 

I'm a big fan of original illustrations, so it was good to see Shepard's original illustrations reproduced. There's something reassuring about the gentle pencil drawings that are comforting. Both timeless and nostalgic, the depictions of the woods, the animals, and Christopher Robin goes perfectly with the text. 

I'm not sure how many middle school students will be interested in these tales, but I'm sure my daughter will enjoy this copy to read to my grandson. I recently referenced the fact that the copyright had expired on this book and that it was now in the public domain; this is why there is now a slasher flick entitled Blood and Honey with Pooh as the main character! Pooh has appeared in other works through the years, including Hoff's Tao of Pooh (1982), which I received as a high school graduation gift and Leonards' 1958 Winnine-ille-Pu, the only title in Latin ever to make the New York Times Best Seller list. I may also have owned a copy of that in my previous life as a middle school Latin teacher. 

Given the amount of nursery decorations still available in both classic Shepard illustrations as well as the Disney versions, there are still fans out there. If you want to revisit Piglet, Roo, and Eeyore to find out what exciting things are happening, this new edition is a perfect one to pick up to snuggle and read. 

Going Viral

Berne Emma Carlson. Going Viral (Tween Era)

January 1, 2026 by Stone Arch Books

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Hannath Roth is spending the summer with her Aunt Susan and Uncle Dale, who run the Gentle Barn horse rescue. After a disastrous summer at a sleep away camp, Hannah's social anxiety has been so bad that she doesn't feel she can go back, which is why her two mothers have sent her to visit relatives. She is a bit apprehensive about hanging out with Kiera, who helps out at the farm in return for boarding her horse, Ranger, at the facility. Her single mother struggles to support the family by working double shifts at the Clam Shack. Hannah starts to realize that the rescue is having a lot of financial difficulties; the buildings are falling down, and the handyman and vet no longer will provide services because Uncle Dale hasn't paid their bills. Kiara is supportive and understanding of Hannah's anxiety, and is eager to help when Hannah decides that what the rescue needs it a social media presence that will go viral and raise funds. The posts raise a little bit of money, but Hannah's moms encourage her to be brave and post about how important the rescue is to her. It's hard, but with Kiara's help, she films a video. It goes viral, and enough money is raised to keep the rescue going. There is a glossary, notes on dealing with anxiety, and prompts for discussion and writing. 

Strengths: At just 72 pages, this short book packs a big punch for younger readers. There's the malady du jour of 2025, social anxiety, realistic financial strain for an aid organization, and social media, which tweens seem to love. There are some illustrations that add to the appeal. This Tween Era series from Capstone also has Carlson's Playing Up and Deen's Crush It and The Makeup Cover-Up. I would definitely purchase this for an elementary school library. 
Weaknesses: I always have a hard time buying that social media accounts can raise money, although they must from time to time. This is a short book, so things happen quickly; in real life, there would be a lot more nuance to saving a horse rescue organization from financial ruin! 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who want shorter titles like Gallagher's Monica series or Pla's Invisible Isabel, which also has an anxious character. 

Wrong Friend

Harper, Charise Mericle. Wrong Friend

January 20, 2026 by First Second

E ARC provided by Netgalley

This semi-autobiographical graphic novel by the author of Bad Sister is once again set in the 1970s. Charise's best friend, Casey, lives next door to her in Vancouver, British Columbia, and the two spend lots of time together. When Casey starts high school while Charise is still in 8th grade, Casey completely ignores her former best friend, going as far as not even acknowledging  her presence if they meet on the street! This makes middle school even harder. Charise is a talented clarinet player, so she now has more time to practice. She knows she needs to make new friends, but it has been so long since she has had to do this that she feels out of practice. To complicate matters, her grandmother who doesn't speak English has moved from France to live with Charise's family. Charise actively searches out people with whom she might be friends, but doesn't come up with the perfect person. As much as she likes her school librarian, Mrs. Lee, adults don't make good best friends. Paul's parents are no longer friends with her parents, making thins tough. She gets a long with Nicole, but she lives three hours away. She likes the same books as Susan (I recognized the 1970s cover for L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time), but when Susan invites Charise to her house, Charise ends up being VERY allergice to Susan's hamster! Charise doesn't like to invite people to her house, since she is embarrassed by the laundry hanging outside, bargain snacks, and her grandmother. When she makes the Pacifi-Tones ensemble, she meets Eva from school, and the two spend lots of time together. Charise is reluctant to let Susan and Eva hang out together, perhaps afraid that the two will want to be friends with each other and exclude her. Will Charise ever be able to find the right balance to have another best friend? 
Strengths: Friend drama is a tremendously popular topic, especially in graphic novels. Even though Charise was definitely struggling with finding a comfortable friendship, this book was much more upbeat and less whiny than most graphic novels. Even though the friendship was the biggest part of this book, I really enjoyed the family dynamics as well, and Charise's developing relationship with her grandmother. The drawings indicate that the book is set in the 1970s, but it seems fairly universal, with only a few other touch points dating this to a different time (K.C. and the Sunshine Band's Shake Your Booty plays at one time). There's a touch of sibling rivalry, some good activities, and a feeling of forward motion as the book goes on, which many books lack. I'll definitely purchase this one, if only for the great illustrations of plaid pants! 
Weaknesses: It seemed a bit odd that Charise didn't want more than one best friend and that she kept Susan and Eva apart. It would have been nice to have a little more information about that. As a survival mechanism, it's better to have as many friends as possible in middle school because you just don't know when someone will stop speaking to you! 
What I really think: Comparisions to the graphic novels of Telgemaier, Hale, and Miller are apt, but this will also be a big hit with readers who enjoyed Montague's Camp Frenemies or Beka and Maya's Love Report books. 

Guy Friday- Sole Survivor

Ollestad, Norman and Kiely, Brendan. Sole Survivor
October 28, 2025 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

This book is based on the true life experiences of the author. In 1969, Norman Ollestad is involved with lots of outdoor adventures with his father, Norm, who encourages his son to ski, surf, hike, and generally get outside for regular rushes of adrenaline. After winning a slalom race, the two, a long with dad's girlfriend, Sandra, have to go back home, but since the trophy is being awarded the next day, plan on renting a small plane in order to go back. Norman, whose parents are divorced, used to live on the beach in Topanga, California, with his mother, a school teacher, and her boyfriend Nick, but now lives in Palisades. He doesn't like his new town, which isn't as edgy and exciting, and Nick is sometimes abusive. Setting off with pilot Rob Arnold, the group runs into a storm, and the plane crashes in the cold and snowy mountains. Coming to, Norman realizes that the pilot is dead, and he looks for his father and Sandra. He hears Sandra's voice, and sees his father, who is very still. When he finds Sandra, she confirms that his father has died, and the two try to stay warm while they decide whether to stay put or to try to come down off the mountain. Sandra was badly injured, but the two make their way down. With no boots or even gloves, it's tough going, and Sandra eventually falls to her death. In flashbacks, we see glimpses of Norman's life before the accident as he continues his grim journey. Eventually, he makes it to a meadow, and is found by a teenager near Mt. Badly Village. A brief epilogue set a year after the accident discusses Norman's insistence that he be allowed to surf, as it is the only way he can process the tragedy and feel like himself.
Strengths: Survival stories are always popular with my students, with books like Tarshis' I Survived and Johnson's Survivor Diaries seeing frequent circulation. It's was easy to put myself in Norman's well worn Vans and imagine how hard it would have been to navigate the treacherous terrain of the mountains while processing grief. The inclusion of Norman's other pursuits like surfing and skiing make it clear that he had more skills than most to make this journey, and flashbacks to his troubled home life point out a root cause of his grit and resilience. His warm relationships with most of the adults in his life, especially his mother's friend, Eleanor, were nice to see. The book reads quickly, and would be an interesting choice for a school book project. (Three different teachers have assigned these in my school, so I have been thinking a lot about books that would be enjoyable for this task.)
Weaknesses: There were many, many flashbacks, and they slowed down the pace of the story in an odd way. My students often struggle to understand this narrative style, and the jumps in time were especially hard to follow in this story. This seems to be based on Ollestad's 2009 Crazy for the Storm, and I'm curious as to how that title was adapted for young readers. Kiely's background in writing young adult fiction is evident; middle grade writing is just very different.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoy Tod Olson's Lost In series, especially the Lost in the Amazon, which is based on a real life plance crash in the early 1970s. 

The Claiming (The Last Resort #2)

Warga, Jasmine. The Claiming (The Last Resort #2)
January 6, 2026 by Scholastic Press
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Teddy and his Castle Hill, Ohio neighbors Lila and Caleb defeated the Fire Maiden in The Last Resort... or did they. Teddy is excited to be starting seventh grade with an actual friend, since no one at school has really talked to him after the tragic drowning death of his friend Ethan, for which he blames himself. Lila seems to make friends with popular girls Mackenzie and Aubrey easily, although she admits that people at her previous school considered her prediliction for drama "a lot". After picking out a JAWS themed t shirt (rather than a creepy one with Jack Nicholson in The Shining), Teddy has a decent first day, but notices to his alarm that Lila is flickering. She becomes briefly invisible, and is drawn into the Land of the Dead, which is certainly alarming. Doing more research, the trio find that the ghosts they have been seeing in the hotel that Lila and Caleb's parents now own were all somehow related to the devastating circus fire that occurred nearby. Teddy reaches out to a trusted source on the online horror forum, Rosteen, and arranged to meet in person. Rosteen confirms that it is likely that the Fire Maiden is trying to pull Lila back in to the Land of the Dead. When Mackenzie and Aubrey decide that it would be a good idea to have a séance at the hotel, Lila agrees, even though Teddy thinks it is a horrible idea. It is, of course, and the group summons the Fire Maiden. This is particularly horrible, since Mackenzie is also a descendant of a performer incolved in the circus fire. Rosteen suggests getting herbs from a nearby lady, Debra, and putting them on the Fire Maidens grave, but visiting the cemetery reveals shocking information about Rosteen. At a big Halloween Party, things get very dicey, but most everyone survives. Teddy doesn't think the Fire Maiden has been laid to rest, and he's probably right! 

Strengths: Creepy, four story houses are always a great setting for a middle grade novel, and it's a bit rare to have a horror series. Readers will enjoy catching up with Teddy, Caleb, and Lila and learning more about the circus fire and the long term effects this had on people associated with that event. Starting back to school is a good call, since this brings in more characters. The Halloween party was just about as epic as the the one in Russell's new Down Came the Spiders. I loved that they passed it off as a publicity stunt!
Weaknesses: I'm still not sure that readers will access the interactive features; mine didn't for the Thirty Nine Clues series back in 2008. Since this series is by multiple authors, I'll shelve it under F LAS. The writing was oddly choppy; maybe Warga had trouble transitioning back from novels in verse. I also got a little tired of hearing how Teddy struggled to make friends. 
What I really think: Spooky books always do well, and the Fire Maiden is a good murderous ghost. Fans of Monahan's Mary: The Summoning  or Richardson's The Devil's Footsteps will be tempted to have a séance of their own, but they absolutely SHOULD NOT! 

Hattie Mae Begins Again

Flake, Sharon. Hattie Mae Begins Again
January 13, 2026 by Knopf Books for Young Readers
E ARC provided by Netgalley

In this novel in verse, Hattie Mae Jenkins leaves her home and family in rural Seed County, North Carolina to go to her cousin’s private school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1938. Attending Miss Abigail’s School for Exceptional Young Ladies will give her the education to have many more opportunities as a young Black woman, but she realizes right away that some of the other students hold her rural background against her. Lisa, whose father is a major contributor to the school, looks down her nose at everything about Hattie Mae. Fortunately, Hattie Mae’s roommate, Bert, is very supportive, even clipping the article in the society page about Hattie Mae’s enrollment and giving it to her. There is also Alabaster, the “school pet”, a boy who does odd jobs around the neighborhood and whose mother runs a shoe repair shop. Hanging out with him reminds Hattie Mae of the good times she spent with her twin brother, James. Cousin Abigail doesn’t want anyone to know that she and Hattie Mae are related, lest she be accused of favoritism. After losing her temper, Hattie Mae learns the hard way that she will not be spared punishment. It’s clear that Lisa’s family is not supportive, which might lead to her bitter attitude, since her father and step mother are always too busy to visit. When Lisa takes a necklace that belongs to Hattie Mae, she threatens to throw it in the river unless Hattie Mae acts as her maid, hanging up her clothes and cleaning her room. This problematic relationship casts a pall over the education Hattie Mae receives and the support she gets from cousin Abigail’s associates. When Lisa finds out that Hattie Mae is related to the school headmistress, she tells her father, who pulls funding from the school. Hattie Mae and Lisa come to an understanding about a secret that Lisa has been hiding, but the school is thrown into chaos nonetheless. Will the students at Miss Abigail’s be able to get donors from their community to keep the school running, and to open the doors to less privileged members of the surrounding Black community?

Strengths: This is a bit of a departure for Flake, but I definitely think she has a flair for historical fiction! An author’s note at the end explains her life long involvement in Philadelphia, and that the character of Bert is based on her own mother, so there is a great long for this topic. There are not as many books about the Great Migration as I would like, and this was a great combination of typical tween school drama and historical details. Boarding school tales are always interesting, and it was intriguing to see Bert and Hattie Mae’s experiences out in the neighborhood as well. Bert’s picketing of a movie theater that wouldn’t hire Black workers reminded me of Shabazz’s Betty Before X. My favorite part of the book was probably the woman who wrote Hattie Mae a list of all of the careers that would be possible; what a great way to highlight the idea that “If you can see it, you can be it.” There are useful notes and reading lists at the end of the book.
Weaknesses: The novel in verse format always leaves me wanting more details about daily life, especially in historical fiction. I was hoping that there would be more information about the employment opportunities for Black women at the time, but the story focused more on the problems with Lisa and the possible closing of the school.
What I really think: Readers of historical fiction like Cline-Ransom’s Finding Langston (and the companion volumes), Ireland’s Ophie’s Ghosts, and Jackson’s Midnight Without a Moon will enjoy this look at what life was like for people who moved from the South to the North during this time period. Binns’ Unlawful Orders: A Portrait of Dr. James B. Williams, Tuskegee Airman, Surgeon, and Activist and Taylor’s Overground Railroad (The Young Adult Adaptation): The Green Book and the Roots of Black Travel in America are good nonfiction companions to add as well.

I did a project on this for one of the language arts classes!

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/15SiI9lFNO-e4YswbTO8GD-YA9NC7KYfR1w_kJSN844E/edit?usp=sharing

Bad Sister

Alexander, K. R. Bad Sister

January 6, 2026 by Scholastic Inc.

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

In this sequel to Identikill, Angelica (who died some time ago) has come back from the Underside and assumed her sister Chelsea's identity after terrorizing her and her friend Janette. Chelsea is trapped with Riley, but the two are unsure about who is taking Riley's place in the "real" world. Angelica (as Chelsea) is bullying Janette, publically embarassing her, and trying to align herself with Pia and Riley, who had always given Chelsea a hard time. Eventually, Janette manages to talk to Chelsea in Underside by going to her house at night with a pocket mirror. Janette isn't too surprised that Angelica is on the loose, especially after she posts an unflattering article about her all around school. There is an escalation of meanness, but eventually Chelsea and Riley figure out that there is a portal to Underside at the cemetary. They have Janette invite Angelica there, but can they figure out how to restore the balance and get everyone to their proper places?

Strengths: Alexander does a gerat job at balancing realistic horror (your former best friend stops speaking to you and spreads rumors about you) with supernatural elements, like your dead sister luring you into an alternative reality and trapping you there while she takes your place! This is a quick read, and has plenty of scary moments that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. A creepy cemetery make perfect for Halloween! 
Weaknesses: Even with the different fonts when perspective changed from Chelsea to Angelica, this was a bit confusing. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who like the idea of people being haunted or stalked by ghosts in books like Brown's The Forgotten Girl or Strong's The Secret Dead Club.