A Bunch of Stuff

Bemis, John Claude and Miles, Nicole (illustrator).
Rodeo Hawkins and the Daughters of Mayhem: A Graphic Novel
Published September 9th 2025 by Holiday House
ARC provided by Young Adult Books Central

Sidney Poblocki has finally found a foster care placements where he has a friend, Walt, but things go bad quickly when a group identifying themselves as Paladins appear out of thin air and tell him that they have to take him away to train with them! He ends up in their world, but is relegated to a dungeon, which doesn't seem quite right. Sure enough, Rodeo Hawkins, who identifies herself as a Daughter of Mayhem, shows up and claims that the Paladins have killed a number of other Sidney Poblocki's, and he is the last one standing in their way. She whisks him off to the treehouse fortress of her "femininjas", who are a bit put out that this Sidney is a boy. They try to explain the multiverse to him, and that fact that they are currently in the WoBeWo; the World Between Worlds, where things go when they vanish from other worlds. The Paladins release 400 dragonfly spies to try to locate Sidney, and Sidney meets up with Chainsaw Charlie as well as Madame Zoltana, who is working with the Paladins and won't tell him the prophecy in which he is mentioned. The Paladins eventually locate the treehouse, which leads to an altercation in the forest, where the Paladins tell Rodeo that if she hands over Sidney, everyone else can go free. Sidney manages to muster powers to bring everyone into his plane of existence on Earth, where they manage to regroup. Rodeo discovers that there are demon lords still around, even though the Paladins claim to have dispatched them, and Sidney comes up with a plan to steal the necklace that binds them and send them into a black hole. Will the Daughters of Mayhem keep the multiverse from imploding, and if they do, how will they feel about Sidney becoming one of their ranks?

Multiverse stories are often frenetic and goofy, and this graphic novel is no exception. There is a being from another planet who manifests herself as a 1950s style robot named Go, Bugbear, who seems to speak a language everyone but Sidney can understand, and two girls named Tori, one of whom has green, leafy hair that lets her synthesize food! Rodeo seems to have a lot of unrelated side missions that occasionally pop up, like when she sends Sidney to demand a vanilla soda from Chainsaw Charlie as a distraction so she can threaten him because he owes her money, or when we find out that she was raised by the cave lion Mama Onca. With so much going on, it makes perfect sense to have demon lords suddenly appear and need to be sealed in the shadow dimension! 

Miles' illustrations (which also show up in McAnulty's Save the People and Where are the Aliens?, Rubin's The Ice Cream Machine, Jewell's The Anti Racist Kid, and Ross' Alley and Rex) have a great teen look to them, and show the various levels of the multiverse to good effect. I'll be interested to see a final edition with full color, since Tori's green hair is no doubt spectacular!

While there are several middle grade novels that deal with multiverses, like Wilson's Me vs. The Multiverse, Caprara's Mission Multiverse, Lubar's Emperor of the Universe series, and Cypess and Molebash's Future Me Saves the Universe, this is the first graphic novel treatment of that theme I have seen. Fans of goofy, fantastical romps like Barnett and Harris' The First Cat in Space Ate Pizza or Angelberger's The Two Headed Chicken will love following Sidney's adventures with Rodeo as he tries to avoid being killed by the Paladins!

Kurtz, Scott. Sneak Attack (Table Titans #2)

March 10, 2026 by Holiday House 

ARC provided by Young Adult Books Central

Interpersonal relationships were difficult in Table Titans Club, and while Val is getting along better with Alan, Andrew, and Darius, Kate is especially prickly as the group heads off to Camp Owlcare, a LARPing camp. Val is very excited about every aspect of the camp, and is fully embracing the experience by being in costume at all times, but is devastated when she is not put in a cabin with the rest of her friends. Since quests are undertaken with these groups, it's important to get along with the others. Some campers, like Maria, are nice, while others, like Lilith, aren't happy with anyone or anything. There are different competitions for archery, swimming, relay racing, and going through a labyrinth, and Val is not always happy with her cabin's progress. When she sees a troll near the dumpsters, she is sure it is real, and gathers the Table Titans to investigate, especially after the obstacle course is vandalized. Val wants to make Kate less angry, and finally convinces Alan to bring her character back by using his wish school, but also encourages him to apologize for the remarks that hurt Kate's feelings. The secret of the troll comes out, and camp is generally a success. 

The illustrations add a nice level of goofiness to this engaging camp story, and there is a little touch of fantasy with the possibility of the ogre being real. The counselors are all a bit goofy, which works well to balance the darker themes of friendship problems. 

The friend drama between Kate and Alan spills over in a natural way to the rest of the group. Val is understandably upset when she is not with any of her friends, but she does manage to connect with other campers. 

There are quite a number of graphic novels similar to Table Titans, including Durfey-Lavoie's Just Roll with It, Stevenson and Agarwal's  Alexis vs. Summer Vacation, Ostertag and Bouma's Dungeon Club: Roll Call as well as the great graphic history, Sattin and Steenz's Side Quest: A Visual History of Roleplaying Games. A few other novels have plots involving Dungeons and Dragons, including Boyce's Dating and Dragons and Formato's Roll for Initiative, so fans of the game should have plenty to read.  

Sutherland, Tui. The Hybrid Prince

March 3, 2026 by Scholastic Press

** Spoiler alert! ** 

One of my students wanted to read this SO MUCH that he asked for a copy for his birthday. He got it, read it, and immediately brought it to school so he could loan it to me. I promised to read it and return it tomorrow.

I have read this entire series, but have no memory of any of the books. Fantasy amnesia is a real thing, at least for me. My student did point out that the location of this book appears on the map in other books, but the Court of Refuge is very far away (over three days flying time?) from Pantala.

Sora has murdered two dragons who were involved with the death of a sibling? (See? Already forgotten even though I took notes.) Umber doesn't want to turn her in, but feels he should watch over her, so the two run away. They end up on islands that are dangerous; there are even notes on them that say so. On one, Umber is dragged into the sea by a kraken, but he is saved by Mulberry, a Leafwing/Skywing hybrid. Umber feels very attracted to Mulberry, and the feeling seems to be returned. He wants the two to be safe, so leads them to the Court of Refuge.

Things are pretty weird when they arrive. Beryl, Mulberry's mother, is kind of creepy, and Snakeroot, his father is completely unhinged. I thought maybe he had some cognitive decline. They are unpredictable and evil, and there's also a "ghost" warning Umber to this effect, but this turns out to be a disgraced dragon, Platypus, who has been hiding and popping out long enough to protest. There are a bunch of other dragons who support Platypus' agenda, and Umber might have to fight them, because Beryl wants Umber to train her guard, known as the King's Teeth. No real indication that Umber is qualified; Beryl's just not happy with the group.

But wait! It turns out that the Court of Refuge is actually a Dungeon Isle and no one but Mulberry can leave. He routinely goes on scouting missions to bring back other dragons to "keep them safe" even though he knows they CAN NEVER LEAVE. He doesn't seem to feel too bad about that.

Sora, in the meantime, is captivated by the musician Aurora, and feels "sane" when she listens to Aurora's music; it's the only time she doesn't replay the various murders in her head. Sora is working with the library, but the guards are starting to take scrolls and burn them. Sora tries to save them, and she and Umber happen upon the lair of the tiny metal SharpWings who are like small drone like creatures that do security details. Umber fixes one of them, so they get along okay.

Mulberry doesn't agree with what his parents have done, but doesn't want to make them angry because that wouldn't help him. There's a lot of history that is revealed in the Memory Room, and lots of different characters and scenarios are revealed. I really had trouble keeping those all straight. Aurora has another concert, and Snaketroot gets up and says a prophecy poem (the book didn't start with one this time because there were spoilers). There's a lot to do with only descendants of two of the original evil queens being the only ones to be able to leave. Mulberry runs away, and Aurora finds eggs (can't read my notes), and whoever raises the eggs will be able to leave, and then the dragonets will come back in three years and save everyone else.

Eventually Snakeroot, Beryl, and Taipan, who shows up and has tried to kill Mulberry, are sent to the dungeon, and Umber, Mulberry and the others are hatching dragonets.

So that's the gist of it. I didn't enjoy it because just about every setting was unpleasant, and there were so many dragons (both past and present) to keep straight. There's a little romance between Mulberry and Umber, but it felt... kind of creepy? I didn't know how old Mulberry was, and knew that Umber was a school aged dragon, and the talon stroking and fact that Mulberry could sort of mind control others felt weirdly out of place. Also, it didn't really go anywhere-- the two didn't hang out or talk very much because everything around them was a dragon dumpster fire.

I thought the series had ended, but apparently not. I need to make better notes so that I remember a little bit about where the books are going. I'll buy a copy for my middle school library, but I am NOT the target demographic for this one!

Yasha's Amazin' Bar Mitzvah

Gurevich, Margaret. Yasha's Amazin' Bar Mitzvah

March 17, 2026 by Penguin Workshop

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Yasha's family has moved from Brighton Beach nieghborhood of New York City to Rockwood, N.J. where his father doesn't have to commute as far to his engineering job and his mother is working at the Heavenly Skies assisted living community. It's a big change for Yasha, since not only does he have to leave his best friends, but there is only one other Russian family in the area. Their realtor, Katie (need Katya) and her son, Alex, try to convince Yasha to go by the name of Jake and to wear Alex's preppy hand-me-downs instead of more urban attire in order to fit in. Since Yasha is working on his upcoming bar mitzvah, he has to learn a lot of text and also do a service project. He ends up at Heavenly Skies, visiting with an older man, Bernie, who is a Mets fan like he is. Yasha (whom Bernie calls "YaJake") is impressed that Bernie was at a pivotal 1969 game, but sad that it was the last time Bernie saw his son Boris before the two fell out, and comes up with a plan to get the two of them together again at an upcoming World Series game. Alex's bar mitzvah is a huge party, with expensive swag and Americanized food, and Yasha approached his family about making changes to his own celebration. Since they aren't happy with many of the changes he is making to become less Russian, this doesn't go well. Yasha also takes money from the family cottage cheese container to pay for tickets for Bernie, planning on paying it back undetected when his gets money for his birthday. When the game he wants Bernie to attend ends up being on the same day as his bar mitzvah, and his new friends think the game is more important, Yasha questions some of his choices. There's some drama, but in the end, Yasha is more comfortable in his new home.
Strengths: Moving homes in middle school can be very traumatic, even when the houses are not haunted. Moving from a largely urban, culturally connected community to a homogenized suburban one would be particularly stressful. Yasha sees the benefits of "fitting in", and certainly in the 1980s this was far more crucial than it is now. Styles of clothing, as evidenced by Alex's extreme preppy wardrobe, defined the type of person you wanted to be in a way that clothing in middle school doesn't as much in 2025, when everyone sees to wear pajama pants and hoodies every day. There is a good balance of bar mitzvah details, school issues, and baseball, as Yasha shares his love for the Mets with Bernie. There's also just enough friction with Yasha's parents shown. I had a friend who wanted to be Gary instead of Gerhard, and it did NOT go over well with his German parents, so this seems very accurate! The cover on this is particularly good.
Weaknesses: I would have loved to see a lot more 1980s details in the book. Other than the preppy clothes, there wasn't as much of a feel for the time period to distinguish this book from novels set in the present day.
I really think: There are a good number of bar mitzvah books, which makes sense for middle grade literature. Pair this with Levy's Finn and Ezra's Bar Mitzvah Time Loop or The Jake Show, Rosenberg and Shang's This is Just a Test, or Rosen's short story collection, Coming of Age: 13 B'Nai Mitzvah Stories. 

Nightmare on Nightmare Street and Criminally Evil

Stine, R.L. Nightmare on Nightmare Street

February 17, 2026 by Blackstone Publishing

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

In this mashup of and homage to his own work, Stine embraces an "everything bagel" philosophy in his approach to a horror story. Joe and Sadie Ferber move into an older home on Nightmare Street that has more than its fair share of scary features: gravestones in the basement, a cursed doll, and eerie voices. Joe complains, but his parents brush it off, explaining that it was the only house they could afford. Sadie, a year older than Joe, also gives him a hard time. Shawn screams at every turn, but the reasons end up being reasonable and benign. There's a sparrow that gets in the house, and the voices he hears are his parents talking downstairs, probably about the vague hotline his father hopes to set up, or the crocheted internal organs his mother sells online. When Joe is confronted by a vomiting, evil doll in his bed, we suddenly switch scenes to Shawn Hannigan, who is having a nightmare about Joe's life! He and his younger sister Addie also live on Nightmare Street with their single mother. The two attend Nightmare Academy, where the teachers wear animal masks "for fun". Shawn has to meet with the principal in a darkened office, where he is told that he can't take English and math, but instead must register for taffy pulling and animal surgery. When he leaves the office, he catches a glimpse of the principal, who seems to be a wolf. Late for class, he runs into the REAL principal, who doesn't believe his story. To corroborate it, they try to find Addie, but she's nowhere in the building. Going home, he finds his house is gone, but a woman in a van claims to be his mother and whisks him off to piano lessons... which he has never taken. Afterwards, both Addie and the house are back. Returning to the Ferber's story, Joe sneezes purple worms, and thinks he finds a dead body in his mother's new sewing room. Of course, it is just a mannequin. There's an instant camera that takes pictures from five minutes in the past, and Frisky the ventriloquist's dummy who comes to life. When both Joe and Sadie are turned into dummies, will they be able to escape and finally convince their parents that something is gravely wrong on Nightmare Street?
Strengths: There's an entire PhD thesis to be written about the relationship between brothers and sisters in Stine's books. Often, they are problematic, and the children torture each other. We see this a little in Sadie's reactions to Joe, but Shawn truly cares about Addie. Since I didn't read Stine's work until I was an adult, I'm sure I missed a lot of allusions to original Goosebumps books, although we certainly see a shout out to Slappy in the character of Frisky. Those mid century Charlie McCarthy dolls were certainly terrifying! The elements that make the Goosebumps books appealing are all here; short chapters with cliff hanger endings, an anxious feeling of unreality, and plenty of screaming at creepy occurrences. The cover is an important reminder to middle grade readers that if their family moves into an older home, it will definitely be haunted!
Weaknesses: The cover made me think that this would be more like the Fear Street books rather than the Goosebumps titles. This is best suited to the younger end of the middle grade spectrum who like fast paced horror stories where the threats are goofy rather than truly terrifying.
What I really think: Others have tried to replicate Stine's formula for humorous horror and failed. The closest anyone has come is K.R. Alexander, with his creepy doll books, but thos are a bit more serious. Elementary and middle school libraries will want to purchase at least one copy of this title, which is available in hardcover from Follett.

Burns, Jason M. Criminally Evil
January 1, 2026 by Darby Creek ™
Copy provided by Edelweiss Plus

Damon lives with his father, the chief of police, in Salem, Massachusetts. He and his friends Madelyn and Liam have been hunting demons and keeping their town safe, even though Liam is a demon himself! While out dealing with a snow demon on a day off school, they see a man breaking into a house and alert Damon's father. The owner of the house is injured, and Damon's father adds another lock to their door, but the man isn't caught. Damon has a demon of his own, Boo-en, who reads to him at night in exchange for sapping Damon's energy. When Boo-en warns Damon to hide, he finds himself dealing with the burglar. He allows Boo-en to possess him in order to deal with the intruder. While they manage to scare him off, the man runs into the street, and is killed by a snow plow. The body is taken to the morgue, and the town thinks the burglaries should stop, but they don't. The same methods is being used, and Damon finds out that the same man, Evan Wisdom, is still committing the robberies. His body is missing from the morgue, but how can this be? When Evan shows up at Damon's, he is determined to kill him. Damon fights against him with holy water and booby traps, but has to figure out what is really going on in order to keep himself safe. What is the dark secret that is reanimating Evan's body?

This did get a bit philosophical towards the end, which makes sense since it is a high interest/low level book aimed at older, reluctant or emerging readers. The debate over why Damon is being targeted is not too heavy, and there is plenty of demon killing to keep readers turning the pages.

Horror books are always in demand in my library, but many of them are longer. At just 100 pages, this book is perfect for readers who want a good scare but aren't quite ready for similar books like Krovatin's Awake, Duga's Ghost of the Harvest, or Lawrence's Many Hauntings of the Manning Family.

I did not know that this was a sequel, so was slightly confused, but got caught up quickly. This has some humor alongside the action and adventure; Madelyn is able to take out the demonic snowman who wants to "hug" everyone to death with a drone equipped with a flame thrower! Damon's relationship with Liam (who is a fairly good demon) and Boo-en (who is suspicious) is interesting, and I would be curious to see more of the Demon Hunters adventures.

The Demon Hunter series:
The Claw
Criminally Evil
Death at Dusk
The Deep End Demon
Every Witch Way
The Fallen

The Secret Winners Club and Birdy

Galanti, Donna. The Secret Winners Club
March 3, 2026 by Wild Trail Press
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

In Brownsville, New York, we meet three students whose lives intersect even though they are very different and have varied interests. Sunny, who has alopecia, lives in a manufactured home park with her single father who runs a scrapyard, and is determined to win the school Junkbot competition. Her friend  and neighbor Trev lives with his waitress mother, and his father who has left the family for a while but has returned. Both Trev and his father suffer from varying degrees of psoriasis. Their friend Vee is active on the swim team and has vitiligo. Trev, who is a big Frank Sinatra fan, wants to win a role in the school production of Grease so that he can hang out with his crush, Elliott, a big baseball star. The three friends put together a club to help them get motivated to make their dreams become reality. They make up a list of rules, challenge themselves to take risks, and call their group "The Secret Winners Club". They all need to consult someone who excels in their field to get advice to help them. Sunny talks to former Junkbot champion Chrissy, who works at the same diner as Trev's mother. Chrissy shares some of her expertise, but refuses to talk to Sunny after Sunny appears to be stealing her ideas. Trev talks to fellow dancer Jake, who agrees to help Trev practice for the audition. Vee looks up the record holder for her swim event. Ruby Janik set the record in 1963, when she was Vee's age, and agrees to talk to Vee, inviting her in for cocoa, and even agrees to coach her. Sunny has a partner in the competition, Jolie, who is very quiet. She lives in a nicer neighborhood adjacent to the shed where the club meets, and is caught eavesdropping on them. She tells them that she struggles with celiac disease, and would like to join their club. She is also a talented wood worker, although Sunny is reluctant to use her skills in constructing their Junkbot. The group meets regularly and celebrates their successes with the delicious (and gluten free) treats that Sunny's Dad makes. Trev wins a role in the play, and Jake admits that he has a crush on Trev, but Trev doesn't respond well. Trev also makes peace with a boy who has bullied him after Will, his understudy, admits that his father is in the Navy and never gets to see him perform. Sunny gets in trouble for copying someone else's design, and must finally rely on Jolie's help. Vee's swimming improves, and she breaks Ruby's record, although the victory isn't as sweet as she had hoped. Jolie has a fall in her workshop that imperils the Junkbot competition, and the mobile home park floods at a critical juncture. Will The Secret Winners Club be able to reach their goals despite the many setbacks they face? 

A note at the end of the book shares that the author deals with several autoimmune disorders, and felt it was important to represent these in her book. My cousin's son had alopecia, and there were few books that showed a tween dealing with that condition, although there is a more recent book, Wilson's Sparkle. There are good details about how Vee's vitiligo is commented on by mean girls on her swim team, how Sunny covers her head with scarves of her own design, and how Trev manages his psoriasis. This will allow readers to gain some empathy, but none of the children's conditions are the main point of the story. I'm a big fan of books where Kids Do Things, and the members of The Secret Winners Club is very invested in their various activities.  

Jolie's storyline has a bit of a twist to it, which added another level of interest to the book. Something about the cover made me think that this would be a story about kids investigating mysteries. It wasn't, so I was glad that Jolie was at least a bit enigmatic! 

This is a somewhat longer middle grade book with smaller print, but that's because there is so much going on! Not only is there a lot of detail about the production of Grease, as well as Trev's relationships, but characters like Ruby have complicated back stories that are sometimes quite surprising. There are also a lot of cultural references, including more information about Frank Sinatra than I have seen in a middle grade novel. 

I loved that Sunny and her friends supported each other in working towards their goals. Fans of novels with well developed group dynamics like Konigsber's The View From Saturday, Jahn's Rocky Road (Team Canteen #1),  and Korman's Swindle series, will enjoy following the exploits of The Secret Winners Club. 

N.B.  The Secret Winners Club is not available through Follett's Titlewave. 

Moss, N. West. Birdy
February 17, 2026 by Christy Ottaviano Books
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Birdy (May) and her younger brother Mouse (Michael), have had a hard life in Hell's Kitchen, New York City, with their mother. It seems she was at first a bit neglectful and prone to anger, and then passed away from cancer. With no father in the picture, the two children are sent to live with their "Aunt" Mitzi, a distant cousin, and her artist husband, Shadow, in upstate New York. Both are in their 70s, and Shadow has just fallen and broken his ankle. Mitzi is unsure about how to care for the children, but treats them gently, is quietly supportive, and allows them a lot of free time to do what they would like. There are a few rules, as well as light chores like cleaning up after themselves. Birdy is amazed at the amount of food in the house, since her mother often had none, and is concerned that she should have some money in case she and Mouse need to flee. She steals small amounts from Mitz's coffee can to bolster her reserves. Social services manages to locate Clay, a half brother of the mother's, and he comes to visit. He is a naturalist who works for a Maine parks department, and brings a goat and tame racoon with him. He, too, is very gentle with the children. Mouse takes to him right away, willingly leaving Birdy's side to sleep on the porch with Clay and the animals, and even Birdy reluctantly likes him. The children are sent to the Mighty Oak Day camp where they can interact with other children. Birdy, who bore the brunt of her mother's neglect and had to struggle to take care of Mouse, would prefer not to talk to anyone, and finds constantly being around people taxing. She frequently lashes out in her diary, and is standoffish with most people. She does develop a crush on an older counselor in training at the camp, and manages to make a friend. Clay decides that he will move to the area if it's okay with the children, and buys a run down property in which Shadow had been interested. After a social worker's visit, plans for a permanent placement are started. Birdy is relieved, but when her theft is finally realized, she worries that everything will fall through. Is there a happy ending for Birdy and Mouse?
Strengths: One of my favorite books as a child was Julie Andrews Edwards' 1974 Mandy, about a girl in an English orphanage who eventually gets placed in a loving family. Mitzi and Shadow's house in the country is very appealing, and Birdy is suddenly surrounded by nature (which she doesn't like), space, and adequate food and supervision. Understandably fearful, she is not pressed for interaction and given plenty of time to settle in. Uncle Clay brings another fun element to the story, with his animals and love of the outdoors. There are realistic scenes of Birdy having to interact with other children at camp. Her inner thoughts, expressed in her diary, are realistic; aren't there days when all of us hate EVERYONE? There's something oddly comforting about this story. Maybe I just want to hang out with Mitzi while she bakes in the kitchen.
Weaknesses: I wish that there had been more information about how Birdy and Mouse lived when they were with their mother. It's sketched in briefly, but the comfort of Birdy's new situation would have been even more of a relief if we had seen how bad her life was. Think about a book like Fipps' And Then Boom, where most of the book is about the neglect the character suffers; this is oddly appealing and comforting to my students. While I appreciate Birdy reading Voigt's 1981 Tillerman Cycle, I'm not sure how many people will understand this reference, since it's old enough that even most of our teachers would have missed it.
What I really think: This made me think of Fisher's Understood Betsy, and I enjoyed the gentle new situation in which Birday and Mouse found themselves. It has some similarities to other books about foster placements, including O'Shaughnessy's Lasagna Means I Love You, Farr's Pavi Sharma's Guide to Going Home, Little's Mostly the Honest Truth and Choldenko's The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman. I have a number of books like this that aren't getting read, so I may not buy this, although I would probably purchase this for an elementary school.

Fantasy Round Up

Johnson, Micah. Aku: Journey to Ibra

March 3, 2026 by Random House Books for Young Readers

ARC provided by the publisher

Aku (a nickname using his initials) and his friends Benji and Trae like to play the video game Star Tribute, which is put out by astronaut Nash Altair's company. It takes Aku's mind off the fact that his grandfather went on a work trip and has been missing for a while. His mother, a high school nurse, and his father, an electrical contractor, are struggling with this, as is Aku. When he finds a space helmet in the basement, he is astonished when it telelports him away to the planet Ibra in the Void Galaxy. The helmet tells him that his grandfather is alive on the planet, so Aku wants to find him. He sees the Avalunas, small creatures who take care of the Lunaberry trees, but also is chased by Floratron Crunchers and is pulled back to Earth. The next time he travels, he takes Benji and Tae with him. They find out that the Lunaberries are crucial to the survival of the planet, and after an Avaluna steals the helmet, the kids travel to the city and find that Nash Altair has set this up and is drawing power from the berries. Aku's grandfather is most likely being held in the Retention Tower. I'm trying to escape Nash's men, the kids meet the Avaluna Queen Orax, and learn that his grandfather was trying to save Ibra from the devastation Nash is wreaking. They also meet Bizzy, an Avaluna who is an inventor and helps them. He has come up with a planetary shield that might save the day, but needs the helmet to scan the grandfather's retinas to put the shield up. With his helmet returned, and Benji and Tae fitted out with an AstroBeat and Holospecs, the group heads to the Retention Tower to try to free Grandpa Underwood. Will Aku and his friends be able to save his grandfather, capture Nash, and make sure that the Avalunas and the Lunaberry trees can survive?
Strengths: Aku's journey was a fast paced, exciting adventure on a troubled planet, and his desire to rescue his grandfather will resonate with young readers. Ibra is an interesting planet, and the Lunaberries reminded me a little of the Truffala trees in Seuss' The Lorax! It's great to see that Aku is interesting in inventing and science, and that Trae is a good computer hacker. While we don't see a lot of Aku's home life, what we do see is very supportive, and there's a nice thread about his father wanting to spend more time with him even though he is sad about the grandfather being missing. It was fun to see the family dinners. Making Nash Altair the villain was a good twist, and I loved that the kids stopped playing the video games put out by his company after their adventures. The teleporting technology of the helmet was very cool, and the end of the book makes it look like there could be more adventures in space. The author was motivated to create Aku after he heard a boy asking his mother if there could be Black astronauts, and he has worked to encourage young people to follow their dreams, which is certainly a positive message. 
Weaknesses: I'm a little conflicted about this title, since Aku started out as an NFT. I rarely buy books based on video games or YouTube channels, but NFTs are definitely new to the world of children's literature. There are a couple of instances of product placement in the story, when Aku's father is reading Time magazine, which featured Aku on the cover. Mr. Johnson is a baseball player, and I certainly have bought sports books written by sports stars. The writing is fine, although there are a lot of plot holes that younger readers will skip right over. (E.G. How do we know that ALL of the Lunaberry trees on the entire planet have been destroyed? And would Aku's few seeds really be able to revitalize Ibra?) I'm very curious to see what other readers think of this book. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed science fiction adventures like Richter's The Star of Moon Village,  Smith's Project Mercury, Cervantes' Anomalies 53: Into the Shadows, or Brooks' Nothing Interesting Ever Happens to Ethan Fairmont. 

Here are some other recent fantasy titles middle grade libraries may want to consider.  

Baptiste, Tracey. Kid X (Boy 2.0 #2)

February 24, 2026 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

The first book has circulated well, so I will buy this sequel. 

From the publisher:
The thrilling sequel to Boy 2.0 , from New York Times bestselling author Tracey Baptiste, perfect for fans of Amari and the Night Brothers and Into the Spiderverse.

Win “Coal” Keegan is starting to get the hang of his new life. He’s come to love his foster family, the McKays, and is getting more confident with his invisibility powers. Almost too much confident. At first, he uses his abilities for small favors. But soon, favors snowball into bigger asks and messier pranks. And when rumors surface about a “ghost” in the neighborhood, Coal realizes it might be best to keep his talents under wraps.

But that gets harder when Coal starts to suspect that someone—or something—might be tracking him. And as the evidence stacks up, Coal realizes he’s not the only one with powers. Is his pursuer friend or foe? What would it be like to meet someone just like him?

As the stakes rise and Coal finds allies and enemies in unexpected places, he’ll have to channel a new level of bravery to protect himself, his family, and his world. Packed with real-world themes of technology, race, and justice, this exhilarating follow-up to Boy 2.0 returns readers to the world of their new favorite superhero.

Roubique, Christopher. Mythspeaker

February 24, 2026 by Viking Books for Young Readers

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

This longer middle grade fantasy had a lot of Indigenous and Cajun folklore that might need a little more explanation for some readers. The cover is great, and it's a good choice for readers who want an action packed adventure fantasy like Marsh's Rougarou Magic, Hobson's The Storyteller, Young's Healers of the Water Monster, or Smith's On a Wing and a Tear.

For fans of Race to the Sun and the Aru Shah series, this epic fantasy adventure inspired by Indigenous American mythology follows a band of misfit children who must pull off an impossible heist in order to save the world!

Thanks to a prophecy revealed when he was little, thirteen-year-old Kyta always knew that he was destined to save the world. But waiting for that moment has kept him on edge his whole childhood, preventing him from having fun like other kids in his tribe. So when the ground quakes and the trees whisper that something is wrong, Kyta leaps into action, desperate to fulfill his destiny. 

He is horrified to find that the precious Egg of the World Turtle, on whose vast shell everyone and everything lives, has been stolen by invaders. The Turtle is angry and grief-stricken, threatening to upend the very land under their feet. The invaders refuse to heed the warning of the tribes and return the Egg . . . so Kyta comes up with a plan to steal it back! 

It's risky and dangerous . . . but abandoning the Egg is certain doom. Kyta assembles other kids who could sneak into the invaders' fortress and pull off the heist, but getting four very different personalities to work together is harder than he thought. And when they discover that the Egg is being guarded by an evil collector, his savage ogres, and a beast so terrible that it defies description, their odds seem all but impossible! Will Kyta be able to fulfill his destiny, or did he set himself up to fail . . . and the world to fall?

Inspired by the Indigenous American folktales, this thrilling and heartwarming fantasy shows the importance of teamwork, respect for nature, and believing in yourself.
 

Questlove, Cosby, S.A. and Akpan, Godwin (illus.)

Time for a Change (The Rhythm of Time #2) 

February 17, 2026 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

As much as I love a good STEM oriented fantasy with some time travel elements, they are a hard sell to my students, so I will sadly pass on this one. 

From the publisher: Book 2 in the electrifying middle-grade sci-fi trilogy.

On the heels of their thrilling appearance in Rhythm of Time, best friends Rahim and Kasia are back traveling through time in Time for a Change. Last time around, they were on their own—now they are working with Aevum, a mysterious organization from the future that tasks them with averting disaster and safeguarding the flow of history.

The first assignment sends Rahim to Hawaii to recover a rock that Aevum insists is key to stabilizing the future. But things take a dramatic turn when he inadvertently jeopardizes the mission, thrusting him and Kasia into a web of intrigue populated by a diverse cast of time-travelers with their own enigmatic motives. There are doppelgängers from parallel dimensions. There are robots who may be allies but may be enemies. As Rahim and Kasia move like pinballs through time, they must navigate a treacherous path to unveil the truth and avert a devastating future across multiple realities.

Alston, B.B. Amari and the Metalwork Menace (#4)

February 24, 2026 by Storytide

E ARC Provided by Edelweiss Plus

When Amari and the Night Brothers came out in 2021, I had high hopes for this series and even bought two copies of the first book. Sadly, my students now don't want to read ONE 400 page book, much less commit to a series of them. Since there is probably at least one more book in this series, I'm torn. I feel like I should buy a copy, but I'm not convinced anyone will ever check it out. (Looking at you, Duane's Games Wizards Play (2016) that has maybe been checked out once.)

From the Publisher:

The gripping fourth book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Supernatural Investigations series that began with Amari and the Night Brothers!

Perfect for fans of Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and Nevermoor.

In the wake of the extreme losses to the Bureau during the war with Dylan Van Helsing and the magicians, Amari has stepped back from being a Junior Agent to spend the school year as a normal kid. But as she prepares to graduate eighth grade, she's faced with a decision: Return to the Bureau and join the elite new Junior Special Agent Program, or retire for good—which would mean safety, but also losing her memories of the supernatural world.

But soon she finds that she may not have a choice. A deadly new curse is threatening both the supernatural and mortal worlds as, beneath their skin, people are slowly becoming machines—and losing their very humanity. And it's somehow related to the First Magician.

Hundreds of cases have been cropping up, with no cure in sight. And when the curse hits someone close to Amari, it's up to her to get to the bottom of this deadly mystery—even if it means trusting an old enemy.

MMGM- Small Wonder and Writing Toward Justice

It's

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
 at 

Always in the Middle 

and #IMWAYR day 

at

Unleashing Readers

Montgomery, Ross. Small Wonder

March 3, 2026 by Candlewick

ARC provided by Young Adult Books Central

Tick and his younger brother Leaf have been raised by their grandfather in a remote cabin along the coast of Ellia. Since he has passed away, Tick is trying to prepare for the upcoming winter. When he and Leaf see Drene ships with black sails approaching, Tick remembers his grandfather's warnings and heads home to pack so the boys can flee to the Kings Keep. When he gets home, however, there is already a Drene Hunter there. Tick roots in his bag for supplies and grabs a handful of papers before he needs to escape. With their horse, Pebble, the boys take off across the Forest, planning on making the six day journey to the Keep so that they can shelter there. Along the way, they find a wagon overturned, and try to get some supplies, but get attacked by bandits. Later, they come across the bandits again, and Tick daringly frees the man they have captured. The current king, Cass, is the son of the Good King Avery, but has not done a good job ruling, and is even rumored to have killed his son Brandon and his wife Brianna. The emperor of Drene needs to conquer Ellia, because it is the gateway to the Five Kingdoms. Kings Keep is situated at a critical point of access to the other kingdoms, which is why it is so well fortified. The papers that Tick has found indicate that there is a weakness in the keep's walls, and he feels even more compelled to get there to warn everyone. At one point the boys stop at an old woman's house, and while she seems helpful, she ends up drugging their food and drink and stealing their supplies! Luckily, Pebble comes to the rescue. The mountains are the hardest part of the journey, and while Tick realizing some shocking information about his brother, Leaf becomes ill.  The boys are helped by Ffiona and Daniyal, knights of Ellia who have been banished by King Cass. They help Leaf recover, tell Tick to look for a knight named Lara, and help the boys take a daring ride up to the Keep. The narrowly make it inside, and luckily find Lara right away. Tick has an audience with king Cass. The king is determined to surrender Elia, but Tick confronts him with proof of his betrayal of the country. The Hunter who has been stalking Tick shows up, as does the entire Drene army and the emperor. Will Tick be able to use his knowledge and skills to save Ellia?

Even though there isn't any magic, Small Wonder does read like a medieval fantasy quest. There's even a map at the beginning of the book so that we can track our hero's journey. While the grandfather is dead, he is with Tick every step of the way, and the lessons he taught the boys save them many times. There are plenty of good details about riding through the Forest, across the Deep, and struggling up the mountains to the Keep. The Hunter is quite ominous, and his hawk frightening! Luckily, Tick is extremely clever, even pitted against the emperor of the Drene! 

There are some excellent twists and turns in this story that I don't want to ruin, and some great hidden identities. Some of these I got early on, but there was a big one that was quite a surprise! The pacing of this was extremely good, and I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. This is a perfect choice for young readers who desperately want to read Tolkein but are not quite ready for The Fellowship of the Ring. 

I'm not sure why the book description says this is "perfect for fans of Percy Jackson, Michael Morpurgo and Wild Robot". It's much more of a fantasy adventure title similar to Flanagan's Ranger's Apprentice series of Alexander's The Chronicles of Prydain, and made me wistful for Banks' 1976 The Farthest-Away Mountain. It had a classic feel to it, and my feelings would not be hurt if this became a series. The Keith Robertson cover is fantastic! 

Thomas, Peggy and Engel, Tonya (illus.)

Writing Towards Justice: The Life and Reporting of Alice A Dunnigan

January 27, 2026 by Astra/Calkins Creek

Copy provided by the publisher

Born in 1906, Alice Allison was always passionate about education, equal rights, and writing. She demanded to go to school at a young age, and let people in her hometown in Kentucky know about the unequal treatment that Black residents faced. She wrote for the Owensboro Enterprise, and became the first high school and college graduate in her family. Career paths for women were limited, so she taught school for a while, but soon embarked on a difficult path to be a reporter. This became even more difficult during the Great Depression, but she was always looking for opportunities. When she saw an ad for typists in Washington, D.C., she got the job, and wrote stories for the Associated Negro Press in her part time. It wasn't easy, since she was often denied access due to her race. This was especially true when covering events for the White House or Congress. Eventually, after a heated congressional hearing, she because the first Black women reporter in the Capitol Press Corps. She traveled with President Truman's entourage on a cross country train trip, and managed to tell him about all of the problems that she and other Black people were having. The Civil Rights movement of the 1960s made some more progress, but Alice A. Dunnigan was at the forefront of this cause. 

It's always fascinating to read about historical figures who haven't been celebrated, and Dunnigan's life is certainly worth learning about. I was amazed that she even wrote a 1974 memoir, A Black Woman's Experience: From Schoolhouse to White House, and yet I still had never heard of her! Peggy Thomas has done a great job of weaving historical facts in with messages about the qualities that propelled Dunnigan's work. Engel's acrylic paintings with oil finishes capture the feel of the early twentieth century nicely, and her use a colors underlines this period feel. 

There are great notes at the end of the book, and a complete list of resources, along with a photograph of Dunnigan. It's always good to see these things included, but I prefer picture book biographies to include relevant years in the text. I look for this as a way to place historical figures in context, and it's especially important for young readers, who might think the subject is still alive. 

Journalism continues to be an important career, even though traditional newspapers may not enjoy the readership that they once did. Include this with other picture book titles about groundbreaking writers like Christensen's The Daring Nellie Bly: America’s Star Reporter,  Ida B. Wells: Let the Truth Be Told by Myers, Christensen, Blumenthal, Baddeley, and McCartney's Revolutionary Mary: The True Story of One Woman, the Declaration of Independence, and America's Fight for Freedom,  The Power of Her Pen: The Story of Groundbreaking Journalist Ethel L. Payne by Cline-Ransome, and Miss Mary Reporting: The True Story of Sportswriter Mary Garber by Macy and Payne. 

Didn't read as much this month, since we didn't have a full week of snow days!

Hail Mariam and Magnitude

Al-Marashi, Huda. Hail Mariam

February 24, 2026 by Kokila

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Mariam Hassan is concerned about starting 6th grade at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic School, especially since her family is Muslim. Her mother, an Iraqi immigrant, has been told by one of her friends that the school is more academically rigorous, but Mariam is concerned about the fact that there are so many depictions of Jesus around the school, since she thought the Muslim faith (which considers Jesus a prophet) didn't approve. Her younger sister, Salma, doesn't have to attend. Sister Geraldine seems nice, and Mariam decides to run for class president, devising a clever speech complete with props. She makes friends with Isabella, whose family is Latine, and even gets along fairly well with the popular Lauren despite her political run and the fact that she is cast as Mary in the Nativity play, a role that Lauren was hoping to get. Mariam encounters some academic trouble with her penmanship and math, and worries about what her parents will think of her role in the play. When Salma is diagnosed with a lung problem that might be cancerous, Mariam doesn't want to bother them about issues at school. She even manages to message her teacher, writing as her mother, about several different problems. One of these arises when she whispers to another student during a service at school. A nearby adult thinks that she is being disrespectful because she is Muslim, but Mariam is actually trying to get help because she has just gotten her period. Not wanting other students to think poorly of Muslims, she asks Lauren for help in spreading the information that she was talking because she got her period to all of the students! When her grandmother (Bibi) visits, Mariam wonders if she is right, and that if Mariam were a better Muslim and wore a hijab, her sister wouldn't have gotten sick. Mariam also asks to read a passage about Jesus from the Quran before the Christmas play, since she has dropped out of playing Mary after Salma's diagnosis. She isn't granted permission, but reads it anyway, with the help of her schoolmates. It is a huge relief to find out the truth about her sister's condition, and Mariam makes a tentative peace with being a Muslim student in a Catholic school.
Strengths: This story is based on the author's own life. She is Muslim and attended Catholic schools, which is a rather singular experience! I grew up in a largely Catholic community, so many of my classmates transitioned back to public school after elementary; I can't imagine hitting middle school and starting at a religious school! There was a lot of fairly positive, open religious discussion, and I learned some things, like the fact that there isn't music in masjid. Mariam's desire to fit in but also remain true to her background is realistic, and she has a fairly positive attitude, running for class office and putting herself forward for the play. It was interesting to see Ramadan occur right around Thanksgiving and Christmas time. The impact of Salma's health on the entire family was also informational. This author also had a story in Ali's and Saeed's Once Upon an Eid: Stories of Hope and Joy by 15 Muslim Voices, and I'll be interested to see what else she writes.
Weaknesses: Other than the mention of Mariam's period, this didn't seem to have much in common with Are You There God, It's Me Margaret. I reread the Blume title not long ago (and watched the movie; have to love the vintage set design!), and just didn't see many similarities. While the religious details are interesting, they do slow the story down a bit.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who would like to see more representation of children coming to terms with religion in books like Butler's Rabbit, Rabbit, Ma's Rainbow Fair, Algarmi's Almost Sunset, Siddiqui's Barakah Beats or Braden's Opinions and Opossums.

Nielsen, Jennifer. Magnitude.

March 3, 2026 by Scholastic Press

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Cora and Oliver both live in San Francisco in 1906. Their families were friends, but after Cora's father lost the family gold mine and he went to Los Angeles for work, the two were forbidden to speak. Cora owes money to bullies Vincent and Tony, of the Union Street Gang, and when she is going to meet them in the early morning hours, she sees them bullying a young Chinese girl, Chi, and trying to take her bicycle. Cora intervenes, and the girl gets away, but an earthquake hits. Both girls are trapped underground, but work to escape. When they finally free themselves and see the devastation, they both want to find their families. Cora has stolen some gold coins while trapped. Cora runs into Oliver, whose father is a fireman, and the two defy the authorities and head back to her house to find her my other and brothers. They aren't there, but Cora picks up some possessions. Vincent is looting, and tries to extract payment from Cora; he shows up and again and again, as does Mr. Hinkle, who seems helpful but who hides a secret. General Funston is trying to help the fire by blowing up buildings, which seems like a bad idea. Oliver and Cora occasionally listen to the authorities and evacuate to Union Square and the Praesidio, but always seem to go back to get into more trouble. Cora also comes across Chi several times, and eventually helps her get to her family on a boat. She also finds her mother, but goes off and loses her again. In the end, it turns out the gold she is worried about really belongs to her grandfather and will help the family after the father miraculously returns and finds everyone. 

I love Nielsen's work (Free State of Jax, One Wrong Step, Uprising, Iceberg, Lines of Courage, Rescue, Words on Fire, Resistance, A Night Divided, The False Prince ), but this novel had so many coincidences and bad safety protocols that I'll feel compelled to tquiz all students who check this out  with "What do you do in case of fire/flood/earthquake?". It was well written, compelling, and had a lot of historical details that will appeal to readers Hopkinson's Into the Firestorm: A Novel of San Francisco 1906 and Deadliest Fires: Then and Now, Blundell's A City Tossed and Broken,  and Lee's Outrun the Moon. 

If authorities tell you to evacuate, FOLLOW THEIR DIRECTIONS!" May have grilled my daughter about this, and luckily she knew that if you go into a danger zone, it endangers not only you but the rescue workers, as well as other people they might have helped had you not been stupid. 

Whew. Sorry. Visceral reaction to this one. 

Snowlands and The Trouble with Leo

Meroz, Morr.  A Blood Moon (Snowlands #1)
February 3, 2026 by Graphix
E ARC Provided by Edelweiss Plus

Feba is a white wolf, and her pack have decided that she is cursed and they must get rid of her, since the pack can't find any sheep and are in danger off starving. She is always relegated to watch duty, and when she hears what Toofan is planning, runs away. Eventually, she befriends Usha, a leopard who is mourning the loss of her son and doesn't want to help Feba. After meeting a lynx, Garvesh, the two are lured into a pit and meet Migois, a baboon, and well as Batu, a cat. The group travels to the Sanai Springs to try to find out about Usha's son, and she is encouraged to find the Seeress by traveling through the Forest of Roo. The group is stalked by a group of evil rats (or weasles?). Everywhere the group goes, there is danger, but they manage to help out a crocodile/alligator, and escape some vultures with the help of lemmings. Monkeys in the jungle help an injured Usha, and Feba eventually discovers that Umanga, a goat, is hunting her down to avenge the death of her daughter at the hands of Feba's mother. By offering Feba as a sacrifice, she hopes to bring her daughter back to life. There's an epic battle with Umanga, leading to her death in a plunge over a cliff inspired by the demise of Snow White's Evil Queen. When the truth comes out about Feba's mother, Feba is accepted back into the pack.
Strengths: Feba is a fierce character who is intent of self preservation, and who is unwaveringly loyal to Usha, even though the leopard claims not to want her help. This is an epic hero's journey across an interesting fantasy landscape that will delight readers of Hunter's Bravelands series who want this kind of adventure in a graphic novel. The illustrations feel very classic, and I was not surprised to find that the illustrator has a background in animation. 
Weaknesses: I had a lot of trouble telling what kinds of animals were being represented; the "rats" were especially confusing because they looked more like weasels. It also seemed unlikely that there would be a snowy area so close to a tropical jungle, and that the wide array of animals would be found together.  Young readers won't care as much. This included a lot of fantasy tropes, but to be fair, I haven't seen them used as much in graphic novel fantasies. And why could all of the animals but Batu communicate in English? So many questions. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for a library collection where Warrior Cat graphic novels are popular, or where Lasky's Wolves of the Beyond still circulate. This was definitely not my personal cup of tea, especially since I thought of Kimba, the White Lion every time I looked at Feba! 

Fairbairn, Nathan and Assarasakorn, Michele (Illustrator). 

The Trouble with Leo (PAWS #5 )

March 3, 2026 by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

While we haven't seen much of classmate Leo in Gabby Gets it Together, Mindy Makes Some Space, Priya Puts Herself First, or Hazel Has Her Hands Full, we get to spend a lot of time with him in this volume of PAWS. He and Gabby have always had a fraught relationship after a misunderstanding at her birthday party three years ago, but when Gabby runs into an angry Leo in the park, things escalate. Leo decides to start a competing dog walking service with his friends Brandon and Nolawi. The trio plaster the neighborhood with posters advertising Super Cool and Mobile Pet Support, and these even include a QR code to a WALKR app where customers can schedule appointments. Gabby is furious, and takes down the posters. She shows the poster to her father, who is more concerned with how much of a cut the app takes from gig economy workers. She even goes so far as to leave negative reviews on the WALKR site, even though SCAMP doesn't actually have any clients. There is a science project at school, and because Gabby and Leo made a fuss when people were picking their own partners, Mindy is paired with Brandon. They actually get along, share a love of drawing and manga, and need time to work on the project outside of school, which infuriates Gabby, who is bent on destroying her nemesis. This causes problems in the PAWS business, which is often overbooked. The owner of Scraps uses SCAMP, but cancels when Gabby ask about the service. Since this was SCAMP's only customer, and they are out a lot of money for all of their posters, Leo is angry. After Brandon accidentally picks up the PAW's contact book and Leo uses the information to find clients, Gabby and Leo come to blows. It is revealed that Leo's dad moved to Toronto with his dog, and also that Gabby was the one in the wrong during the birthday party. Even though it is difficult, Gabby apologizes, and PAWs is able to increase their business by adding the SCAMPs staff to its own. 

Strengths: This newest volume in the PAWs series really ups the game with the introduction of Gabby's nemesis. This is certainly something that comes up in middle school with alarming frequency, and man, does Gabby hold a grudge. Leo is also very devious, and sets out to destroy Gabby rather than set up his own successful business, although Brandon and Nolawi have some great ideas. This all unfolds in a realistic way, and Gabby certainly walks all over her friends at PAWs as well. I love how realistically dark this is, and how very, very wrong Gabby is at the end. Poor Leo, losing his father AND his dog to another city, and then to be treated so poorly. Dramatic and traumatic in the extreme. Add in a sweet relationship between Brandon and Mindy, and this is middle school melodrama at its finest. I already have students eager to read this volume, and they will not be disappointed. 
Weaknesses: I understand long, long grudges as well as anyone (Remember that purple crayon in 3rd grade, Mark? I do.), Gabby is way out of line when she leaves negative reviews. I'm surprised she didn't get into more trouble for her actions. 
What I really think: This is a popular series in my library, and I love the fact that the characters are all involved in a bunch of activities and are generally upbeat in their outlook. It will be interesting to see how the series continues as Mr. Fairbairn steps down to do other projects and turns over the leash to Ms. Assarasakorn. 

Midnight Mayhem

Uss, Christina. Midnight Mayhem

March 3, 2026 by Holiday House

ARC provided by Young Adult Books Central

Kaz has moved to Philadelphia with his parents and younger brother Max, and misses his friends. He does enjoy the family's new habit of getting weekend brunch at Beigel's Bagels, but is otherwise worried about making friends in his new town. When the owner of the shop challenges him to eat fluorescent green hot mustard, Kaz's father eggs him on. The mustard is hot, and Kaz washes it down with a root beer float, trying to cool himself down. That night, he finds that he can't sleep at all. The same thing happens the next night. He tells his parents, and his mother makes an appointment with Dr. Macaroni, who refers him to a sleep study specialist, Dr. Trout. Kaz's school is shut down for two weeks because of a breakout of hand, foot, and mouth disease, and since he has been bored at home, especially at night, he is devastated. He can't sleep during the study, and when he gets up, he finds another boy his age, Floyd, who is taking animals from a hospital lab, claiming he can talk to them. Floyd has a genetic condition that causes him to need fewer than two hours of sleep a night. His parents have turned him over to the sleep lab for a break, since Floyd is NOT bored; he uses his nighttime hours to have adventures and get into trouble! Kaz is glad to go along, and the two frequent all night food trucks, ride in bicycle taxis, and visit places that are open for Phil Up the Night (which sadly does not seem to be a real thing). After Floyd has a disastrous crash at the science museum, he is grounded, and Kaz, who is still not back at school, is devastated. He's been working with Mr. Beigel to find an antidote for his sleeplessness, which has roots in Poland, where others are mustard and drank root beer and were cursed to not sleep. He tries many things, and also works with the doctors at the sleep lab, who are trying to record Floyd's brain waves during the two hours that he does sleep, because he sleeps so soundly. Eventually, the boys try to win a contest to host an all night radio talk show so that they have something to do all night. 

Uss, who also wrote The Colossus of Roads and The Adventures of a Girl Called Bicycle, has constructed a goofy friend adventure along the lines of The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death (1982) by Daniel Pinkwater, to whom the book is dedicated. There is a screaming Fennec fox and a couple a screech owls, bizarre fried food from street vendors, and plenty of running about town. Tweens will love the experiments for antidotes that involve mixing condiments with beverages; mayonnaise and orange juice does NOT sound very tasty, but is an amusing combination! 

There are many things that are a bit unbelievable, from the mustard and root beer causing sleeplessness to the way the sleep lab is run. Even if a museum is open all night, I think two unaccompanied children would look very suspicious! Floyd gives just enough explanation to make these quirky things seem possible, which will delight tween readers. 

Readers who like quirky realistic fantasies will enjoy Kaz's attempts to find a cure for his sleeplessness, and for his boredome. Midnight Mayhem has some similarities to Cherrywell's The Ink Witch or Brosgol's Return to Sender and might even encourage readers to rediscover Pinkwater's titles like the newer Crazy in Poughkeepsie. 

Sadly, I can't get my students to check out The Colossus of Roads , which I enjoyed, so I will pass on purchasing this title, which is even quirkier. Quirky is not something I have much patience with. My students have not asked for this kind of humor, or I would try harder to like it. After all, I read all the Erin Hunter Warriors books and every horror or football title I can find because I get constant requests for this kind of book. Quirky, not so much.