MMGM- Malt Shop Milestones

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Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
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Always in the Middle 

and #IMWAYR day 

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Unleashing Readers

Keels, Nadine. Vicky's Victory (Malt Shop Milestones #1)
January 6, 2025 by Prismatic Prospects
Personal Copy

Vicky Phillips is a high school student in the late 1940s in Port Milestone. She wants to attend college and be a journalist, so is happy to write for her school's newspaper, the Black Diamond Daily, but is irritated that editor Ed assigns her articles about fashion and recipes instead of serious news, just because she is female, since the other female staff member, Hester, does the advice column. Vicky's father is a bank security officer who worked in the shipyards during World War II because many Black men were not accepted into the military. He advised Vicky to remember and write about such things so that society doesn't forget. Vicky's good friend Berta is going steady with Howard, and there is some talk that Chester, a wealthy, popular boy, wants to date Vicky. However, Vicky is interested in the son of the local malt shop owner. Willie is a football player, and when he accidentally knocks Vicky off her feet but catches her, she remembers a comment her father made about a man being a good dancer if he can save a girl being "swept off her feet". Vicky thinks that if she can interview Willie for the newspaper, Ed might let her write more serious articles, so she visits Willie at home when he is sick, making him a hot drink of lemons and honey. In turn, Willie brings her a newfangled peanut butter and jelly sandwich to school. Chester has asked Vicky to homecoming, but she turns him down, and even the studious Thomas is interested in her. He gets rejected after he shares his opinion that girls only go to college to find husbands! Willie invites Vicky to a party at his home, and the two clearly enjoy being together. Vicky writes an article about Bro Brown's Burgers and Malts for the paper, which makes Ed take her more seriously and endears her even more to Willie. At the end of the book, the two share a sweet kiss. An author's note explains the need for remembering both the social injustices faced by Black people in the past, but also the daily joy that is infrequently shown in books.

Keels, Nadine. Berta's Bounceback (Malt Shop Milestones #1)

June 21, 2025 by Prismatic Prospects
Personal Copy

Berta Benson is a high schooler living in Port Milestone in the late 1940s. She's going steady with Howard, with whom she gets along very well. She still loves to work in the Victory Garden that she kept during the war, and there's a lot of excitement because her family has just purchased a television set! Even though there aren't a lot of stations or programs, it's a fascinating new technology, and the neighbors are often invited over to watch. Berta's mother is a seamstress who makes Berta's dresses, but also sews for both Black and white customers. She is very insistent that white customers treat her with respect, and doesn't allow them to call her by her first name, only Mrs. Benson. Her father is a barber whose shop is very popular, and he did not have to fight in the war because his legs are different lengths. Seeing her best friend Vicky's success on the school newspaper makes Berta wonder about her own future. She struggles in school, and doesn't have a career that interests her, so she feels very ordinary. When her neighbor Evie moves away, a new family moves in. Mr. Coleman was raised in the West Hill neighborhood, but it is widely known that he passed as white, fought in the war, and married a Mexican-American woman. This would have been illegal in some parts of the country, and his family struggles to adjust to West Hill. Berta befriends Ari, who is an excellent singer, and invites her over to watch television. She also talks to her parents about inviting the Colemans over to show that they are accepted. Howard confides in Berta that he also sometimes worries that he should have more dreams for his future, but he is happy to pursue a career as a plumber and to eventually have a wife and children, which fits perfectly with Bertas plans. Notes at the end of the book address the way Black people were addressed in demeaning ways by white people, details about how interracial marriage was viewed after the war, and even includes links to a soundtrack online! 

Keels, Nadine. Ari's Aria (Malt Shop Milestones #1)
January 6, 2025 by Prismatic Prospects
Personal Copy

Ari Coleman's family is struggling to find their place in the West Hill community of Port Milestone after moving back to the father's hometown. Mr. Coleman spent World War II passing as white and fighting in the war. During the duration, her mother worked maintenance at the nightclub where her father had been employed. After his return and the birth of Ari's brother, the family realized that the brother took after his Black father more than his Mexican-American mother. Knowing this would make their life difficult, they returned to the predominately Black community of West Hill where Mr. Coleman found a job at a pianist in a club. As the summer community celebration approaches, Ari considers participating in the Black Diamond Pageant. She is an excellent singer, but faces discrimination for being both Black and Mexican-American. She's also interested in Bam, who plays football at the high school but is a hopeless dancer. The two are friends, but both are considering more. Ari continues with the pageant despite the pushback from popular girl Hester, and is encouraged to improve her singing with inspiration from Marian Anderson's historic Easter performance at the Lincoln Memorial as well as Black films that play at the local theater. Bam admits that he likes Ari but is reluctant to pursue a relationship because he is afraid it will all go wrong. Luckily, things go well for both teens, and the book ends with a sweet kiss. 

Strengths of the series: The Malt Shop Milestones book includes all three stories, so I read this as one longer title. I'm an enormous fan of 1950s malt shop titles, and was so excited to come across Ms. Keels' work! She is also a fan of the genre, but was not happy with the lack of Black representation, or worse, negative representation common at the time. She has carefully researched the time period, made delightful romances that include realistic problems, but has also added important context by highlighting Black history in the plots. Vicky, as an aspiring journalist, underlines the importance of preserving stories like the treatment of Black citizens during World War II. Berta's mother refuses to be belittled by her white employers, and the family enjoys popular music by Black artists. Ari's family has to navigate the difficult situations of passing as white and raising an interracial family. The notes at the end of the book address these issues further, and I would love to see Keels write a book about Greenwood, Oklahoma before the horrific racial massacre. There are plenty of details about phone directories and telephone operators, polishing shoes, Kraft television theater, and, of course, Bro Brown's Burgers and Malts, the malt shop of our dreams! Young readers will be thrilled with the gentle romances and the struggles the girls go through to try to plan their paths forward into adulthood. The characters reminded me of the ones in some of my favorite series; Berta would have traded homemaking tips with Dulcie Lungaarde Trighorn from Lenora Mattingly Weber's Beany Malone books, and Vicky and Beany would have bonded over a love of journalism. 
Weaknesses of the series: This may be hard for school libraries to include in their collections because the books are over available as paperbacks or e books. Since I read primarily middle grade literature, I wanted more defined plots in all of the stories, but these embrace a more character driven, young adult format. I have a few tiny quibbles; there was not a single sock hop! I had thought that referring to stuffed animals as "stuffies" seemed very modern, but Ms. Keels herself assured me that this term appeared in Ladies' Home Journal in the late 1930s. THAT is a level of research that I can respect.

What I really think: Traditional publishers are completely missing the boat by not publishing happier historical fiction with characters of color! Romance books are more popular than ever, and the inclusion of Black history alongside positive and sweet teen relationships is the perfect combination. 

Along with the Greenwood story, could we also see two star crossed teens from Cleveland, Ohio in 1979 who are involved in the court-ordered school busing of the time? I've been waiting for this book to be written for twenty years! 

Perfect Enough (Good Enough #2)

Kuyatt, Megan. Perfect Enough

June 2, 2026 by Scholastic Press

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

In this sequel to Good Different, Selah is cautiously excited about attending a summer Writers' Camp at a university. She will be there with her long time friends Brooklyn and Rheya,  but is concerned that she will become overwhelmed. This is something that can happen because she has autism, but she has some good coping strategies in place. Her mother is reluctant to let her go, but her grandfather, Pop, supports her. Selah worries that if she can't last a few weeks at camp, her mother will never let her do anything. She sets off with her tools like earplugs, fidgets, and sunglasses, and is excited to work on her poetry so that she can get a start on being a real writer. Her counselor, Noa, is understanding, since she also has autism and is in a wheelchair due to long COVID. Brooklyn and Rheya say that they don't want any drama during the summer, so Selah tries to not freak out, even when there are masses of ladybugs in the room. When Brooklyn and Rheya decide to do a film for their group project without consulting her, she's not happy, but tries to power through. A boy who has given her trouble back at her private Pebblecreek school, Ezra, is at the camp, but when the two are paired on a writing project, Selah finds that the two may have some things in common. Ezra has ADHD, which is what causes his exuberant behavior that irritates Selah. They find some common interests, and Selah finds it more calming to be with her than her friends sometimes, which irritates them. Brooklyn doesn't seem to really understand that Selah is sensitive to lights and noise, and Selah ends up trying to sleep in the dorm library because of the interference. When she mentions it to her roommates, Rheya seems to understand, but Brooklyn just laughs it off. This eventually causes Selah to call her mother and asks to come home. She ends up staying, but talks a lot to Noa about how she has to protect her health. This is especially important when everything becomes too much for her and she can't get out of bed. Selah talks to Pop, who lets her know that coming home doesn't mean that she can't ever succeed; it just means that she is overwhelmed right now. Brooklyn is upset because Selah hasn't been upfront with her, and claims that "real friends tell each other things". Brooklyn is, of course, having her own problems, and her parents aren't very attentive to her. Selah goes home, but has a new friendship with Ezra, a new understanding with her friends, and a new perspective in starting the upcoming school year and Old Mill Middle School. 

Strengths: While many middle grade novels depict traditional outdoor summer camps, special interest camps at universities seem to be more prevalent today. There are certainly many camps for writing and computer programming, and spending time on a campus is an intriguing proposition for young readers. It was realistic to see the difficulties that Selah had with Brooklyn and Rheya; hanging out for a few hours is completely different than having to live with your friends 24/7! It was quite fascinating to see Selah and Ezra becoming friends and bonding over their neurodiverse brains, and it was good to explore how tweens might hate when people make assumptions about them even while they are making assumptions about others. The mother's overprotection was on point, and I was curious as to how Pop's was able to encourage Selah to listen to her mother while he was still driving despite some opposition. There might be another book possible detailing Selah's entrance into her new public middle school. 
Weaknesses: While it is admirable that Selah wants to be a writer focusing on poetry, I would still like to see more books depicting tweens who are interested in careers that will be more in demand, such as STEM careers, child care, or math related occupations. I was a big fan of the 1950s career romances that encouraged girls to become physical therapists, nurses, copy editors, or librarians (which AT THE TIME was not a bad choice). It makes sense that authors are creating books about wanting to write, but it would be more useful to broaden the scope of jobs for tweens. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed Hicks' Inbetweens, Montague's Camp Frenemies, or Fajardo's Miss Camper. 

Saturday Morning Cartoons- Midsummer Sisters and Really Rubie

Smith, Niki. Midsummer Sisters

June 2, 2026 by Graphix

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

In this graphic novel, Kenzie's father, Adrian, married Quinn's mother, Bethany, after the death of Kenzie's mother when both girls were fairly young. Quinn's father sometimes visits with her, but the two are definitely sisters in every way that counts. Lately, their parents have been fighting nonstop, which is very stressful. When Gramma (Adrian's mother) offers to take the girls to her home in the Outer Banks for the summer, it's mainly a relief, although Quinn is a little upset to be missing her friend Willow. She's supposed to have a visit with her father, but Gramma offers to host him at her home. The girls have a lot of freedom to kayak and roam the beach while Gramma does her work for the Wild Horse Foundation, and it's peaceful to not have to listen to fighting all the time. The girls find a shark's tooth, help clean up the beach, and even get to name a new foal who is born. When Bethany decides to take a job in another town, Quinn is devastated. She feels that Kenzie doesn't quite understand her grief, and the two fight a bit. They eventually talk through their feelings, and Kenzie realizes that Quinn and Willow want to date each other, adding to Quinn's grief. While the parents are not very helpful during this transition, Gramma is a steady support, and the girls plan to spend their summers with her even after the divorce. 

Strengths: Definitely Gramma for the win in this book; I very much appreciated that she is still working and active, and steps in to take care of the girls when their parents are clearly not doing so. The Outer Banks setting is intriguing, and the information about the horses will appeal to a wide variety of readers. The illustrations are attractive, and the way the parents are fighting is expressed in an intriguing way, with background text bubbles and even spiky voice bubbles just filled with fire like color! The way the girls interact is also realistic; when someone is going through hard things, it's difficult to empathize with others. 
Weaknesses: While the over-the-top emotions the girls exhibit are certainly true to life, it strikes me that it would be more helpful to young readers who might have trouble regulating their own emotions to see examples of tweens developing more effective coping strategies. I realize that I have this point of view because I am an old person and this is no longer in favor, but the current methods just seem to be making my students more and more anxious. Midsummer Sisters certainly feels right at home with other current graphic novels. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who found this author's Sea Legs intriguing, or who want sadder books about divorce like Levy's All the Things We Found or Lucido's and Corcutt's Words Apart. 

Frost, Maddie. Really Rubie

June 2, 2026 by Aladdin

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Rubie Fox lives with her mother, Paula, after her parents' divorce. Her best friend is Riley. The two are very different, but get along well and are planning to go to summer camp the summer before 6th grade starts. When Riley breaks her leg while trying on her mother's heels, Rubie has to go to camp by herself. She promises that she won't do any of the items on the bucket list that she and Riley created. Rubie shares a cabin with two girls from France, as well as Riley's cousin Kat who is taking her friend's place. She doesn't get along super well with any one them, since they are also obsessed with clothing and makeup, but does make friends with Eliza. Riley has a big crush on Owen, who is at the boys' camp, so Rubie sneaks across the lake to leave him a message. It turns out that Owen has a crush on Rubie, and things get complicated. Riley shows up at camp for the dance, and sees Rubie and Owen kissing. Will this end their relationship, or will they be able to put it back together. This seems like it might be the first book in a series. 

The format of the book is what will draw readers to it. Frost's background is in picture books, so there are plentiful illustrations throughout the story, arranged in a Wimpy Kid or Sitck Dog fashion. Camp stories are usually popular, but this felt like a bit of a throwback. Few of my students are interested in fashion or makeup these days, and having a dance at camp felt outdated. I imagine that this will be a paper-over-board hardback, so if you order it for your school library, make sure to invest in a prebind. This will see a lot of wear from fans of Russell's Dork Diaries or Greenwald's TBH series, and could fall apart quickly! 

I'd love to know if naming Rubie's mother Paula Fox is a tribute to the author of the 1973 The Slave Dancer! 

Fifth Grade Top Dogs

Spinelli, Jerry. Fifth Grade Top Dogs
June 2, 2026 by Scholastic Press

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Suds Morton and his best friend Joey are excited to enter fifth grade, but don't like the school moniker of "fifth grade monkeys", based on an odd rhyme that the previous books in the series (Third Grade Angels, Fourth Grade Rats) embraces. Instead, they decide that they will be the "top dogs" or, as Suds' mother says, the "top puppies". Suds' younger sister, Amy, whom he calls Zippernose, is a fourth grader, and is making his life difficult, perhaps because of how casually mean he is to her. Suds spends the days leading up to the start of school obsessing about how he can be cool, declaring that he will now only eat meat at lunch, and even asking his father for pointers. Once he finally gets to school, he enjoys his teacher, Mr. Miles, but pushes the envelope when it comes to the school rules. He has an altercation with a younger student over a tater tot, runs a foul of his mother by not coming home on time, and takes all the Halloween candy from a bowl at a house marked "take one", and is caught in a surprising way. He has a long time crush on Judy, and while he starts to talk to her, the two have a falling out. There are some good parts to the year, such as when a first grade teacher has a medical emergency and the fifth grade students come to the rescue.
Strengths: This is very anecdotal, and might be popular with readers who are committed to WIMPY KID books. There are a lot of illustrations (including one with a speech bubble stating "poot" coming from Suds' bottom) that will appeal to readers as well. Suds' parents are both alive and involved in his life, and take appropriate measures when Suds misbehaves. While the other books in this series came out quite a while ago (1991 and 2012), I know that Spinelli's work is popular, and elementary schools might want to take a look at this new addition.
Weaknesses: This lacks a plot, and has a lot of unpleasant behavior that seems very dated.
What I really think: There are definite JUNIE B. JONES (1992) vibes to this book, and I wonder if it was perhaps written 30 years ago but was pushed aside while Spinelli wrote other books. While this has more appeal than his experimental Hokey Pokey, it is a bit young for middle school readers, so I will pass on purchase.

The Island at the Edge of Night

Strange, Lucy. The Island at the Edge of Night
June 2, 2026 by Chicken House
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Faye Fitzgerald has had a good life with her father while they were living out in the woods in 1932, but when the two had to move to the city to be with her Aunt Christina when her father struggled with issues related to being in the Great War, things did not go well. She's not sure exactly what happened, but seems to remember an axe and screaming. Now, she is being shunted off to a school on the remote Auk Island because she is "wicked". The school is run by Dr. and Mrs. Lightbody, who is called Nurse Violet, and has a small population of troubled students who are locked into their rooms at night to protect them from each other. The children are also give blue "vitamin" pills, and one of the first activities in which Faye and fellow passenger, American Boudicca Braithwaite, have to participate is a funeral for another student, Filiberto. Other students include Evie, Archie, and Lord Gordon, who is rumored to have killed his own brother. There are no trees on the island, which is hard for Faye, who really enjoys nature, and Faye soon uncovers the dastardly curriculum of the school, which seems to focus on removing "wicked" children from their families... and eventually eliminating them altogether! When she finds that Filiberto is actually still alive and living in hidden places in the school, the two team up to try to break loose from the Lightbodys. How can they possibily succeed?
Strengths: One of my own favorite books in middle school was Lois Duncan's Down a Dark Hall, so a mysterious school on a secluded island where the children are mistreated would have been one I would have enjoyed! Faye isn't quite sure why she is considered so wicked, and doesn't quite believe that her fellow students are, either. Boudicca in particular is a great character, and her brash insistence that she won't do unpleasant tasks gets her in trouble, but not before she puts up a fight. The setting is a character on its own, and Auk Island has some troubled history that Faye's father had studied. The post WWI setting is interesting, and boarding school stories have a lot of fans. The cover is absolutely fantastic, and I wanted to poke around the school (parts of which were a former abbey) myself!
Weaknesses: I'm not sure that Gothic mysteries will resonate with my students. When the Lemony Snicket books were popular twenty years ago, I might have purchased this, but perhaps this will resonate more with a British audience.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who want to sink into a Gothic mystery like Gemeinhart's Scar Island, Walker's Ash House, or Carter's The Winterbourne Home for Vengeance and Valor.

Raise Your Voice (K-Pop Power #1)

Yun, Erin. Raise Your Voice (K-Pop Power #1)

June 2, 2026 by Scholastic Inc.

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Yuna is the leader of MoonGlow, a K-Pop bad managed by Mr. Han, who works for the K4 2ND music dynasty. In addition to singing and having a great public image, it is critical for Yuna and her bandmates Jade, Ara, and Sun-Hee to be able to fight monsters, since an evil woman named Echo is trying to assert her control over society and has minions called the Whispers who do her bidding. When the lead singer, Ji-Na, of the Sunshine Squad is attacted and her voice is damaged, MoonGlow is picked to debut in their place. They are going to play at the Unity Concert, which is meant to boost citywide happiness in Seoul. Yuna has a bad feeling about this, and discovers that she and the band need to find the pieces of a magical implement called the Rose Chord in order to thwart Echo. Working off clues from Ji-Na the quartet uses their powers to locate the magical petals, follow the clues, and assemble the Rose. Sun-Hee does magical choreography, and has very wealthy parents, Ara designs the costumes and is able to imbue them with powers that can keep the girls safe, and Jade writes the lyrics to the songs. The hunt for the petals takes them to Bukchon Hanok Village, the National Museum of Korea, and Bukhansan National Park... all the way to Baegundae Summit Peak! There are some fights with the Whispers, who wear masks, but Yuna and her crew are able to defeat them. Right before the Unity concert, they confer with Ji-Na in the hospital, who doesn't think they should take the Rose Chord to the concert. When they get back to the hotel to head to the venue, they find that Ara has taken the Rose Chord and is set to perform with the Sunshine Squad at the Unity Concert. MoonGlow arrives unprepared to perform, and Yuna is aghast when she realizes that the Rose Chord is stealing all of the singers' voices. There is a heated onstage battle, disguised by clever lighting, with the Whispers, and the Sunshine Squad must fight as well. Echo appears and sends a bird to steal the Rose Chord, leaving Yuna a mysterious locket. The second in command of the Sunshine Squad, Ha-Rin, who has been acting suspiciously, is gravely injured, but secrets are revealed about her motivations. There is definitely room for a sequel!
Strengths: This was a good overview of the K-Pop industrial complex, training bands and making them fit for popular consumption. The layering of magical abilities on top of that makes for an interesting combination. The plot moves swiftly, there is a clear delineation between good and evil, and there is an upbeat quality to the story. Yuna and her bandmates are easy to tell apart, and each have very clear roles in the band. The Sunshine Squad and Ji-Na are a tiny bit evil, which makes MoonGlow even more appealing. I have never watched K-Pop Demon Hunters, but it looks like I will have to do this soon so that I can tell if this is anything like the movie!

Weaknesses: The petals of the Rose Chord were ridiculously easy for the girls to find, and the fight scenes were laughably short. It reminded me of a Scooby Doo or Josie and the Pussycats cartoon where the mystery is easily solved in twenty minutes. This does make the book and fast and enticing read, and I am not the target demographic for this book!
What I really think: Yun, who wrote the Pippa Park series, has created a fast moving K-Pop Demon Hunters-esque novel that will be popular with fans of this musical genre or the movie. It's a bit cheesy, but so were the 1970s Patridge Family mystery books. This reminds me a little of Yee's foray into the Super Hero High books. Readers who enjoyed Goldie's Skylar and the K-Pop Principal, Bowman's Generation Misfits, or Kim's Make a Move Sunny Park will definitely enjoy this. Is it great literature? No. Will I buy a copy for my K-Pop obsessed fans? Absolutely. Stacia Deutsch also has a series out, K-Pop Demon Detectives (Bluestone Books), but I haven't been able to get ahold of any copies.  (But it is available through Follett. I like Deutsch's writing, and it seems like a fun series for the librarian who replaces me to find in fifteen years!)

The Haunting of Walker Pond

Tandon, Nancy. The Haunting of Walker Pond
June 2, 2026 by Aladdin

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Since Frankie's step mother Deb doesn't want to return to Maine and stay at the inn run by her best friend Parker's family for the summer, Frankie comes up with another plan. She and Parker will both apply to be Leaders in Training at Camp Asticou, near Parker's home. Since the LITs work with younger campers, there's no charge, so both families agree. After their mystery solving adventures in The Ghosts of Spruce Point, Frankie and Parker are well aware of the creepy aspects of this wooded Maine environment. The camp has a legend about the Bride of Rippowam, that concerns a young woman, Eugenie, in 1635. She fell in love with a sailor named Raleigh, but ended up falling off a cliff to her death. Her spirit is said to haunt Walker Pond, causing unusual cold and other eerie phenomenon. The LITs, which include Stacy, Nolan, Ivy, are headed by counselors Josh and Zara, and are put in charge of the Sparrows, the youngest group of campers. Darius, whose parents have some social media fame, is glad to be relatively unknown, and Frankie thinks he is rather cute. Frankie forms a special bond with Sparrow Jessy, who has a locket around her neck which seems to tie her to the history of Eugenie. When the LITs are investigating the legend, they find Eugenie's diary from 1635 in the damp stone cottage that houses the camp's Little Free Library. They learn secrets about her past, and try to unravel what might be keeping her spirit tethered to the area. The investigations involve them sneaking out at night and breaking many camp rules, which gets them in trouble, but Frankie knows that it is important to take care of Eugenie's spirit before she causes any tragedies at the camp. Will the LITs succeed?
Strengths: Summer camp is an enthralling premise for readers who might not get the chance to go to one, and there are always local legends about scary things that are told around the camp fire. What if those ghost stories are true? Frankie and Parker know their way around a mystery, and make a good team. It's fun to see them interact with other counselors as well as the younger campers, as they try to figure out why Eugenie's ghost is haunting the pond. I especially liked Frankie's interactions with her father and stepmother, who married Frankie's father when she was very young, after the death of her mother. Frankie has few memories of her mother, but the ones she has are firmly tied to the natural environment of Maine. Her relationship with Darius is very sweet; adding a bit of romance in a middle grade book is always a good idea. Eugenie is a devious ghost, and while not exactly murderous, is certainly not benign. There was a nice balance between doing things against the rules and having consequences for them, and the ending was happy and positive.
Weaknesses: I didn't believe that children would find and read a 100 year old diary in Ford's The Lonely Ghost, so I couldn't believe that an almost 400 year old book would have survived unbothered in a damp stone cottage. Also, the campers were sent out in the dark on a lot of team building exercises, which seemed dangerous. Neither of these things will bother young readers! 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who liked the eerie shivers of Burch's Camp Twisted Pine, Berk and Mitchell's Camp Murderface, or Murphy's Camp Sylvania. 

MMGM- My Roman Summer

It's

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
 at 

Always in the Middle 

and #IMWAYR day 

at

Unleashing Readers

deLuca, Bruna. My Roman Summer.

June 2, 2026 by Chicken House/Scholastic

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Livia Nardelli and her mother are spending the summer in Rome because her Nona Adelina (Nina) who is 75 and has broken her leg. She is unable to run her long standing bar/cafe. This means that Livia's best friend, Isla, is running the mother's Caterina's Cat Casa in Edinburgh while Livia's father travels to take wedding photos. While Livia speaks Italian at home with her parents, she is intimidated by Nina and doesn't speak as much with her. Still, she is rather angry that her grandmother has signed her up for language classes instead of expecting her to help out at the bar. The reason behind this seems to be Giulio, the grandson of Nina's best friend, who passed away. Giulio's parents had a lot of difficulties, so he has become very close to Nina. Giulio is Livia's age, but helps extensively at the cafe, and lives next door. Livia heads off reluctantly to her language class, and finds that it is below her skill levels. It is not all a loss; she meets Kenzie and Ren, and starts meeting with them at the bar for language practice. Ren likes to cook, and brings treats, which interest regulars like Enrico, a retiree who used to run a restaurant in the area. The bar is having financial difficulties, and Livia suspects that Giulio is hiding things from her. When she finds them out, she hides them from her mother, who is in turn hiding things from Livia. With Nina still in the hospital, Livia and her new friends, along with Giulio (to whom she is warming) come up with a plan to try to save the bar. Will they succeed?
Strengths: I read so many depressing middle grade books that My Roman Summer was a delightful relief. Livia is perfectly happy to travel to Rome, and really wants to help out her grandmother. She's struggling with not feeling Scottish enough at home, and not feeling Italian enough in Rome, so watching her connect with her Italian roots was particularly intriguing. It is realistic that her grandmother needs help with her business, but also that Caterina isn't thrilled with having to put her own life on hold to come and sort out her mother, with whom she has a slightly troubled past and prickly relationship. I enjoyed seeing the regulars at the bar (which serves breakfast, so is really more like a cafe), and the neighborhood coming together to save the business was heartwarming, if a little unrealistic. Giulio is a great character. He's never really mean or unpleasant, and has the best interest of Nina and the bar at heart; it's just Livia's impression of him that causes her to dislike him. It doesn't hurt that he is cute, charming, and drives a vintage Vespa! There's a little sight seeing, and a light but very sweet romance that will suit high schoolers and middle schoolers alike. This is a great summer read, and I hope that de Luca's Evie in Venice is available in the US soon!
Weaknesses: I'm personally not a fan of the enemies to lovers trope, but that's because if I hate someone, I hate them forever. Livia's initial dislike of Giulio is perfectly valid, as her growing trust in him, and there are many readers who enjoy this change of heart.
What I really think: This is a fantastic choice for readers who loved Callaghan's Lost In series but want a slightly longer young adult book with a little more angst. Really can't go wrong with a romance set in Italy like Rae's Wish You Were Italian, Henderson's Flirting in Italian, Bennardo and Zaman's Blonde Ops, and of course Welch's bestselling 2016 Love and Gelato.

Roxie in Color

Debrovner, Diane and Cervenka, Stacy. Roxie in Color
June 2, 2026 by Candlewick
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Roxie and her family, which includes younger brother Theo, move to a new home in Greenview, Long Island. Roxie is a bit apprehensive about starting seventh grade, but determined to make it a good year, despite dealing with a bit of anxiety. She doesn't want her classmates to know that both of her parents are blind, since students at her previous school either made fun of her or were overly solicitous about the situation. It's wearing to always have to explain how her parents navigate their lives, especially since her mother has a service dog named Nash. When classes start, Roxie finds she has a few things in common with Kayla, like a fondness for butter pecan ice cream and rock climbing, and Roxie makes an effort to talk to Kayla and invite her to sit together at lunch. Kayla has a twin, Taylor, who is a bit controlling and doesn't want to welcome a newcomer, but after Roxie prevents another girl in the friend group, Quinn, from walking into traffic while distracted by her phone, the group welcomes her. Roxie loves art, and is allowed to paint a mural on her bedroom wall, so she wants to join art club. Since Roxie is trying to hide her parents from her classmates, she gets involved in some difficult situations, such as buying jeans at the mall with her credit card and lying to her mother when she gets the bill. The family is busy settling in and preparing for her mother's book launch, and Roxie takes advantage of these distractions to push the boundaries of what she is allowed to do. When she has a sleepover with Kayla and her friends, she takes a dare to walk to the local train station, and Theo runs off. Child Protective Services is involved, and her parents have to defend their ability to parent again. While things work out, there is also some sadness when Nash is clearly ready to retire, and Roxie's mom wants to send him away instead of keeping him as a home dog. Roxie continues to make some bad choices, but starts to see that she needs to embrace her parents instead of hiding them.
Strengths: It is always good to see books about children who move and try to react positively to change. It makes sense that Roxie wants to be judged on her own merits and wants to keep her parents' condition from her classmates, even if it isn't the best idea. Her interest in art adds some interest to the story, and young readers will understand Roxie's anxiety and her coping strategies. Kayla and the friend group are typical middle school girls who are trying to figure out how to fit in and get along with others. This is cowritten with Stacy Cercenka, a middle grade author and leader of the Iowa Department for the Blind, so there are lot of good details about the strategies the parents use to help with school communication, travel, and taking care of children. I don't like PDFs either, but hadn't realized that they are problematic for people with sight impairment because they are images that can't be read by text-to-speech apps, so I learned something!
Weaknesses: If Roxie were my own child, she would have been grounded until the end of time. I was surprised at how REALLY bad her choices were. Buying three pair of jeans at the mall without permission, lying about it, sneaking out with friends, endangering her brother, and burning a candle inside, with very bad consequences? As a parent, I wanted to see more consequences, and perhaps some therapy, since the mother was a psychologist herself.
What I really think: There are a few books about tweens with vision impairment, like Morris and Brown's Squint or Vrabel's A Blind Guide to Stinkville, but I can't think of any where the parents are navigating these challenges. The only book that's at all similar is the nonfiction The Sounds of Silence: Growing Up Hearing with Deaf Parents by Myron Uhlberg. Definitely an intriguing book. 

Saturday Morning Cartoons- Landing in Place

Hamdy, Sherine and El Mir, Myra (illus.) Landing in Place: A Graphic Novel
May 19, 2026 by Kokila
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Anisa's pilot father and mother Nadia are very quiet about their past lives in Egypt before coming to the US, and Anisa often bristles against the expectations they have for her. She would rather go to college and be an artist like her best friend Tomoyo, but she is supposed to attend a medical program like her older sister Reem. After graduating in 2016, she goes to college, and her roommate Shazia is also Muslim, although seems to be much more observant. It's a tough year, and while she doesn't get good grades, she does meet Ajay, who is Indian, and has a pleasant relationship with him even though she isn't supposed to date. When Reem gets a chance to study in Egypt, Anisa asks to go as well, and stays with her mother's father, Geddo. She enjoyed being with him, and even gets an internship at a newspaper, drawing comics. Things are fragile politically, and she starts wearing a hijab, initially to blend in, but finds that she enjoys the freedom that wearing it brings. When her father suffers a stroke, she returns home, and is devastated when he dies. She and her mother disagree about many issues, but Anisa finally finds activities she enjoys and is able to make peace with her family and religion. 

Artists seem to be very fond of detailing their experiences in graphic novels, and Landing in Place is similar to titles like Bermudez's Big Apple Diaries, Chan's Uprooted, Sattin and Hickman's Buzzing, Rodriguez and Bell's Doodles from the Boogie Down, Chang's How to Draw a Secret, Mercado's Chunky and especially Mai's Freshman Year.  There are fewer graphic novels with Muslim characters, but this would go along well with Fahmy's Huda F Are You. Since Anisa's experiences after she graduates from high school are portrayed, and there is a lot of history that is discussed, this might do better with high school audiences, although there is nothing in the book that would keep it out of middle school libraries. 

Guy Friday: The Shark Prince

Maunakea, Malia. The Shark Prince
May 5, 2026 by Penguin Workshop
E ARC Provided by Edelweiss Plus

Nohea Alapa’i lives in a village in a valley on O’ahu, Hawaii. He loves to surf, but he is all too aware of his family history. He is a shark prince, and his father turned into a shark and ate a competitor when he was a teen. He left, and was never seen again. This left his very young mother alone with only her mother to help raise him. Because of this family history, and the fear that one day Nohea will one day turn into a shark, his mother and Tutu (grandmother) homeschool him, feed him a vegetarian diet, and monitor his behavior carefully. Nohea does enjoy surfing, and often “talks” to his missing father when out in the ocean. He knows that finances are tight even though the family works hard, with the mother taking shifts a Mr. T.’s small grocery store and weaving lauhala purses to sell. His mother would like to join family in Las Vegas, and has been meeting with a developer who is trying to get her to sell the family’s home. When Nohea finds that there is going to be a surging competition with a significant cash prize, he wants to enter, but would have to find five other homeschooled children to join his team. Instead, he decides to enroll in the public school system. His mother agrees, and even though things don’t always go smoothly, he joins the surf team, coached by teacher Kami Sanoe. Team member Rell is supportive, but Layden seems to know about Nohea’s family history, and often angers Nohea. When this happens, Nohea can feel his shark shaped birthmark burning on his back, and he starts to exhibit more and more symptoms, like shark teeth, and eventually even a dorsal fin! With the help of an endangered monk otter, Notch, who has befriended him, Nohea has to deal with these changes at the same time team members go missing. They might have been attacked by sharks; is Nohea doing this during his blackouts? Mr. Canterman, the developer, is trying to buy up the entire valley, and might be using evil methods to accomplish this, even relying on the efforts of a surprising community member. Will Nohea be able to come to terms with the shark portion of himself and also save his beloved community? This is apparently the first book in a duology.
Strengths: Remember K.A. Applegate’s 1990s Animorph series? My children were obsessed with them, so that was the first thing I thought about! Nohea’s family has always been upfront with him about his father, but has kept it a secret from the rest of their neighborhood, which seems like a good plan. The homeschooling is perhaps an excessive caution, but going into a public school affords Nohea a good way to break from his family and gain new experiences. There are a lot of good details about surfing, as well as about the natural environment. Development is a growing concern in many areas of the world, so Canterman’s plan to build makes sense, especially when we find out secrets about HIS past. I enjoyed Nohea’s snarky attitude, his relationship with Notch, and the way he is able to realistically handle both being a shark and saving his community.
Weaknesses: At 368 pages, this book is on the longer side of what my students will read. The first 100 pages flew by, but the story did slow down a bit. Tighter editing, and less of Nohea talking to his father, would have made for an even more engaging read.
What I really think: From the perspective of an Ohioan, Hawaii is a fascinating change of pace, and this should be a big hit with fans of Huang’s Kaya of the Ocean, Smith’s The Pearl, or Maunakea’s own  Lei and the Fire Goddess. The cover is great, with just that tiny bit of shark tooth showing in Nohea’s mouth! 

The Magic Awakens (Renegades #1)

Hunter, Erin. The Magic Awakens (Renegades #1)

May 19, 2026 by HarperCollins

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

When cat sisters Luna and Willow are forced out of their home in an abandoned diner when it catches on fire, they find themselves in the company of a group of "Attuned" animals who are able to channel the magic of anima. They meet Skitter, a rat, and Thorn, a dog, and are encouraged to join their group, the Wild Alliance, since Luna seems to have particularly strong magic. The animals live in an abandoned mall and are somewhat at odds with other Attuned animals, but are not allowed to hunt them. Most animals who come across the groups are allowed to pick their own Covens, especially when they are Bound animals that have left their humans. Human witches can bind with animals and steal their magic, which does not appeal to the Wild Alliance. Luna is able to set things on fire, and probably had something to do with the diner burning down, but doesn't know how to harness her magic. Willow just wants to go home, and the two sisters are separated. Willow is eventually found by a kind human named Violet, but her parents, the Rousseaus, are the most powerful witches in the city and are eager to bind Willow to their daughter. Violet only wants to do this if Willow agrees. When Luna tries to free her sister, one of the Rousseaus familiars,  a rat named Fidget, is killed. There is clearly a series in the works, as the book ends on a cliff hanger, and we aren't quite sure what Willow and Luna will do. 

This is a bit of a departure from Erin Hunter's usual style of books, and involves humans and magic a bit more than series like Bravelands or the various iterations of the Warriors books. This seems a little darker, although Warriors books are plenty dark. The bloody death of Willow and Luna's mother is mentioned several times, and there are some animal deaths. I have so many Warriors books in my library that I many pass on purchasing this one, but die hard fans will definitely want this one, especially if they have also started to read fantasy books with magic. 

The Chismosas Only Book Club

Kemp, Lakan Zea and Moreno, Heidi (Illus.). The Chismosas Only Book Club

May 26, 2026 by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

E ARC Provided by Edelweiss Plus

The town of Nueva Rosita, New Mexico is the charming setting of this story about a slightly magical bookstore and the four girls who have a book club there. Milagro's Books is indeed the site of a miracle. When Cat was very young and her parents inherited the store, she wandered in and the whole store fell down around her, but she was safe. A piece of paper, an insurance policy, even wafted down into the wreckage, and the store was covered. Things aren't going as smoothly as she would like, as her parents now fight all the time, but Cat and her cousin Sofia still enjoy getting books from the store. Sofia's grandmother is very strict, and forbids even the reading of Tarot cards, so frowns on Sofia's spells and herbal remedies. She would also not be happy to learn that Sofia has a crush on Jules, a girl at her new high school. Ana's parents have a restaurant near the bookstore, and Ana frequently has to help out watching her siblings, making sure her grandmother doesn't burn down the house, and pitching in to help with the family business. This is stressful and makes it hard for her to get her schoolwork done, so it's no surprise that she takes refuge in a treehouse in the family's yard. Mari loves to draw, which takes her mind off her mother's health problems, and the fact that her father lives far away. In between reading a wide array of books, which are listed at the end and include middle grade titles like Witchlings and Frizzy but are largely young adult and adult titles, the girls have lots of drama during their freshman year. Cat gets her period and tries out for drama club while dealing with the fact that her father might be having an affair, Ana meets up with Gabe in the treehouse, Sofia starts to hang out with Jules, who shares her love of nature and magic, and Mari finds out that she has a half brother, Noah, who starts to date Cat. Even though life is challenging, it is easier to navigate with good friends. And, of course, lots of literature! 

Strengths: Nueva Rosita is an interesting setting, and I don't know that I've read a novel about a book club since Frederick's Mother-Daughter Book Club series. There is lots of Latine culture, with extended families, involved grandmothers, and lots of tasty treats. I had to look up a lot of Spanish words, but many of my students won't. This is a solidly upper middle grade book, and while there are plenty of serious teen problems, none of them are sensitive enough that a sixth grader couldn't read this book. The chapters alternate between the perspectives of the four girls, and Mari's chapters include cartoon panels, which graphic novel readers will enjoy. 
Weaknesses: The cover makes the girls look a bit younger than I envisioned them, but as least does mention high school. 
What I really think: This reminded me a little of Meriano's Love, Sugar, Magic mixed with Lopez's Lucky Luna and should be popular with fans of some of the books mentioned in the reading list! 

The Missing Magic of Sparrow Xia and Magical Experiments

Ham, Leia. The Missing Magic of Sparrow Xia

May 5, 2026 by Scholastic Press

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Sparrow lives in the United Realms, a world where children have magic but adults do not. Because magic can be channeled into magestones and runs everything, the children with more magical abilities are sent to schools to cultivate their skills. Sparrow has always been told that she isn't as good as her brother Ainsley, so is both relieved and scared to be attending the Zenith Academy for Magical Development, the school her brother attends. After saying goodbye to their mother and heading through the Luneport, Sparrow arrives at the academy only to find that first year students have to climb a mountain to get to the school. She has befriended Lyndon Demara, who seems nice, but who takes off up the mountain and won't help Sparrow when another student, Orla, falls. Sparrow helps the other student, and the two manage to make it to the gates of school just in time, although many students do not. When the identification pendants are being handed out, Sparrow sees a vision when she looks upon the Eye of Zipporah, but no one else in her class has a similar experience. There are many classes, including an herb class with Silas Rowan, a snotty classmate, Camellia, and a lot of unpleasant run ins with Ainsley. Sparrow finds that her magic is stronger than she thought, and can be unmanageable when she becomes angry. When other students become ill with magedrain fever, she and her new friends try to investigate and find out what is causing it. Will Sparrow be able to develop her magic, complete her evals, and save Zenith Academy from destruction? 
Strengths: While there are many fantasy books, I can't think of one that has such great illustrations. These add a lot to building the fantasy world, especially when there are so many pictures! I wish that more middle grade books were heavily illustrated. Zenith Academy has lots of things to recommend it: tasty meals, a variety of students, classes on magical topics, and, of course, a force of evil that must be stopped. Ainsley is really quite an evil older brother, and it's fairly clear why Sparrow suffers from poor self image. Despite the treatment she has received at home, she is a good person, and tries her best to be a good friend and classmate, which is endearing to see. The mystery about the sickness is well developed, and Sparrow and her friends do the best investigation that they can. I feel like there is something more to this story, and fully expect there to be more books coming out about Zentih Academy. The uniform is perfect for cosplay! If any of my students need a turtleneck, I've got a whole drawer of them, and the magestone identification pendants won't be hard to make. Wide legged pants should be hitting the thrift stores this spring and will be easy enough to turn into the cropped pants. 
Weaknesses: I'm not sure when publishing will realize that younger readers are not as enthralled by books like Harry Potter as the generation before them was. There have been several articles about this, even in the New York Times, and I have definitely seen this in my school library. I used to have a whole list of "magical academy" books, but I haven't had a single student ask for one this entire year. The author's note at the beginning of the book added some insight to the trend I am seeing: she grew up escaping into fantasy books because there was a lot of pressure on her academically. My students today don't even feel pressure to turn in homework, and have little imagination, so it's not a surprise that they don't enjoy fantasy books. 
What I really think: The illustrations do set this book apart from other fantasy books, and the story is fairly well constructed. I think fantasy books are going to start falling into a category like horse books or talking animal books; I'll buy one or two a year to add to my already large collection. This is one of the better books I have read lately, so I will purchase a copy in case my readers work their way through 

Sanders' Keynan Masters and the Peerless Magic Crew, Elle's Taste Of Magic (Park Row Magic Academy #1), Perry's Jaden Powers and the Inheritance Magic,  Alston's Amari and the Night Brothers, Adame's Chloe Vega and the Agents of Magic, Williams' Where There Be Monsters, Madanna's Vanya and the Wild Hunt, Okogwu's Onyeka and the Acadmey of the Sun, Dumas' Wildseed Witch, Thomas' Nic Blake, and Clayton's The Marvellers. I hope that the next book in the series explains a little more why children have magic and adults do not... always. 

Wood, A.J. and Rioux, Jo (illus.)

The Wizard's Guide to Magical Experiments: 40 Science Experiements to Try at Home. 

September 16, 2025 by Harry N. Abrams

Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

While middle school students may no longer be obsessed with certain wizarding worlds, this book of "magical" science experiments will be a big hit with elementary school students whose parents probably still harbor fond feelings for them. This book offers a solid foundation of scientific fact, easy to do experiments, and an aura of magic, all from the creator of the Ology books (notice the glittery gem at the top of the cover?), which also have a strong nostalgic pull for readers of a certain age. 

The two page spreads are well designed, and each one centers on a scientific topic; there is information about status electricity, water, states of matter, mixtures, air, fire, salt, crystals, acids, compounds, and my favorite, kitchen alchemy. Some of the experiments don't take very long (moving paper "ladybugs" with static electricity or making secret messages with wax on paper), but others take some preparation and patience, like making stalactites. There are warnings when parental involvement should be sought, although this book is probably best experienced with an adult presence to help procure needed equipment and supplies, and to help interpret the accompanying science information. 

Jo Rioux's illustrations (also seen on the covers of Judith Eagle's mysteries in the US market) give the pages a cozy, magical feeling, rather like I would expect a non creepy grimoire to look. While the experiments aren't really magical at all, there is a lot of reliance on wands, capes, and hats to give the instructions a magical quality. The addition of envelopes, flaps, and even a certificate of completion at the back gives this an even better interactive feel. 

The most impressive part for me was the casual introduction of hard core science. There is a flap with the PH scale, and another with the complete table of elements. There's even a nice recipe for color changing ink made from boiled cabbage, and a whole brochure of Halloween experiments. 

This book would be the perfect gift from an involved aunt or uncle who has time and space to devote to some of the more elaborate experiments, like dissolving egg shells in vinegar or making a lava lamp out of grains of salt, oil, and water. Including a lab apron and some goggles with this book wouldn't be a bad idea!

It's always good to get children involved in STEM activities, and the best way to do this is to tap into interests they already have. Depending on what interests your own budding Marie Curie, Smits' The Kids Book of Paper Love, Brunelle's Turn This Book Into a Bird Feeder, Connolly's The Book of Wildly Spectacular Sports Science: 54 All-Star Experiments or Roehrig's Rainbow Science would be good choices. If you have a child patiently waiting for their Hogwarts owl to arrive, The Wizard's Guide to Magical Experiments is the perfect choice.

MMGM- Charts for Babies and Camp Big Top

It's

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
 at 

Always in the Middle 

and #IMWAYR day 

at

Unleashing Readers

Personality leakage: School is over for the year! I have a busy summer planned. After a trip to Rochester, New York (that will include the Corning Glass Museum, Susan B. Anthony house, Strong Museum of Play, and a side trip to Seneca Falls!), I have jury duty on June 22 and a trip to the Latvian Song Festival in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I do much better with long chunks of unscheduled time, so we'll see how this all goes! There will definitely be some sewing and knitting, a decent amount of reading and walking, and maybe even some quality time with my grandson. 

Henry turned one in February and is just starting to walk. He babbles a lot. I've forgotten if that's what he's supposed to be doing, and am having trouble with the fact he doesn't wear shoes (I ALWAYS do!) and lets him eat with his hands. I know that parenting styles change all the time, and my daughter understands that it's sometimes hard for me to fathom. 

I am most pleased that when given a choice between a book and a toy, Henry will gravitate towards the book, most often a Sandra Boyton title. The most exciting thing is that he has a really good understanding of concept of print. He holds books and turns pages the right way. His favorite book is Anderson's Imitation Book (Which I did not buy for him. Sigh.), and when he gets to the page with the dog, he makes the sound, and when he gets to the page with the high five, he high fives! So that's some progress. He is also a big fan of the Brain Quest books from Workman that I've been reviewing for Young Adult Books Central. (Going on 14 years over there; check them out!)

Now, to work on his math skills with books like the following! 

Rial, Michelle. Charts for Babies: A Picture Book 

April 7, 2026 by Harry N. Abrams

E ARC provided by publisher

Education is best when there is an element of fun to it. Even I am not going to sit down with a one year old and try to directly teach charts and graphs. This is where this book is brilliant. In fun, rhyming text, a lot of different concepts are introduced. There are some opposites introduced (short, tall, big, small) but also things like straight and curly, arrows, and some colors. All along, however, there are charts and graphs in the background. At the end, there is a nice illustrated list of different kinds of charts and graphs like pie charts, area charts, bubble charts, and scatter plots. I know that my students struggle to identify these in sixth grade, so a solid preschool footing in these is a great way to encourage academic success later. 

In addition to reading very smoothly, this is quite humorous. I love the pages that say "This is No, Thank You; This is Yes, Please; This is a... This is a... This is a... SNEEZE! ACHOO!!!" There are lots of little fun things like that will keep kids wanting this to be read over and over. 

The bright colored backgrounds frame the simple black and white drawings well, and there are lots of things to point out to young readers. As someone who still has to think way too hard about the "less than" and "more than", I will definitely use the page with the pie chart with a slice labeled "This is less" to explain reinforce this concept with my grandson before he can really understand it. 

For those who do like all the mushy stuff, there is even a kiss and a hug that you can work in, and the book ends with a really, really tight hug respresented by a spiral and two smiley geometric people hugging. The bowtie on the dad echoed by the hair bow on the little girl are very cute. 

Charts for Babies would be an excellent baby shower gift, with a wooden abacus, and is definitely a book that preschools need in multiples. 

Diaz, Alexandra. Camp Big Top

Cover by Debbie Sfetsios-Conover
May 26, 2026 by Beach Lane Books
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Luna and her parent, Cosmos, have run a circus camp in New Mexico for several years. Luna was a talented aerialist, but since the last summer has gained weight and not been able to work out. Cosmos is not happy about this and has made a lot of disparaging remarks about how Luna shouldn't eat so much. There are about thirty campers, but the book concentrates on just a few of these. Mario has been sent by his harried tech worker parents to stay with his abuela after he used their credit cards to buy a number of things online, and his abuela has enrolled him in the camp. He is not happy and would rather work with her in her vintage clothing resale shop. Ricky is super excited to go to the camp, since he has been kicked out of several because of the behavior caused by his extreme ADHS. Bettina is at the school on a scholarship after a guidance counselor notices that she is a good student who could use some enrichment after three years of being in the US. When classes start, Luna is reunited with her camp best friend, Rowan, who is a competitive ice skater who uses circus camp as a change of pace. Coach Emmy and Coach João teach classes in climbing silks, juggling, and stilts, and Horace covers clowning. The school is having financial problems, and when a plumbing issue closes the school down for the day, Cosmos is in danger of being evicted from the building due to back rent being owed. It doesn't help that Rowan breaks his ankle when he falls from a pyramid when Mario fails to spot Ricky. Luna is fighting more than ever with Cosmos and even spends several nights with her step parent Kai and stepsister Lani, who don't make fun of her weight. Ricky doesn't want to come back, since he feels responsible for the accident, but Luna firmly believes that the circus should include everyone, and the kids visit his house to ask him to come back. They then all work together on a plan to save the school, and Ricky is instrumental in helping with the fundraiser. Even Mario, who has discovered a talent for juggling, wants to help. A fund raising performance is planned in the Teatro del Palacio complete with a parade. Will it be enough to save the camp? 
Strengths: When I coached cross country, the other coaches and I were well aware of what we called "Eighth Grade Girl Syndrome". There are a lot of runners who do really well in 7th grade and start their 8th grade year 35 pounds heavier, and really struggle. This is a tough situation for all parties involved to navigate, so I definitely read Luna's account with interest! I liked that she really had made peace with her body and was working on regaining her abilities, and her biggest challenge was dealing with Cosmos' negative attitude. Mario was not the most pleasant character, but his grandmother knew how to deal with him, and he definitely got better as the book progressed. Ricky is a fairly typical middle school boy, and it was good to see the other campers try to support him. Betina's family didn't quite understand why she wanted to go to the camp, but were ultimately supportive as well. There are lots of good details about the acts that go into a circus, and also information about the fact that animals shouldn't have a role in modern circuses. There is a glossary of Spanish words at the end of the book, since many are used in the text. 
Weaknesses: Cosmos' business practices seem ineffectual, and as an adult, it was hard for me to believe that a fund raiser would really make much difference. Younger readers will believe that children can save the day. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who harbor secret desires to attend circus camps and have read Levinson's Watch Out for Flying Kids, or who enjoyed reading books like Palmer's Camp Prodigy or Bird's Long Road to the Circus.