MMGM- This Could All Go Bad

After Labor Day is still the new year for me, even when school starts in August. 

To celebrate, I'm reviewing the best middle grade book I have ever read and talking to its author. I read this during a personally lackluster summer, which included many books that were just... sad. Sad in that all the middle grade parents continued to die, and also sad that publishing doesn't seem to understand what tweens want to read. Mac Barnett said things, and I'm not going to opine. It's not the middle grade literature is bad. It's that it doesn't always align with what kids want to read. Life lessons are okay. But authors shouldn't be writing what is "in their heart" so they can process their own emotions. They should be thinking, like Jean Craighead George did when she wrote My Side of the Mountain, about what kids like to read. 

That's certainly what Mr. Hall was thinking. I'm going to try to write a sensible review, but this absolutely blew my socks off. I bought five copies. This is the book my students want, AND it made me (and an 80 year old friend of mine!) cry, so teachers and librarians will be okay with it. If anything ever deserved a Newbery Award, it is this book. 

Happy New Year!

Hall, Spencer. This Could All Go Bad.

May 19, 2026 by Bloomsbury 

Public Library Copy

Jensen Chapman isn't looking forward to his 8th grade graduation, mainly because he managed to get a black eye in dodgeball right in front of his crush, Leslie Chen. When his two best friends, Cooper and Maleek, show up at his window in the middle of the night on the day before the ceremony, he thinks that they have taken leave of their senses when they want him to sneak out with them. Maleek has an ongoing dare challenge going on with Priya, and announces that the boys have four hours to complete three dares to finally end the competition. Jensen is frequently worried about things, getting sucked into Doom Spirals, and his friends know this. They have always been supportive, but Jensen worries that they will tire of him when they start Groveland High School, but it's when he finds out that Leslie working on Priya's dares with her that he agrees to take part. Perhaps he can redeem himself a little bit, and maybe even work on his plan to talk to her, since they seemed to connect while seatmates on a school trip. The first dare is to ride a skateboard down Clay's Mill Hill, and after much internal struggle, Jensen throws caution to the wind and kneepads on his legs and takes off down the hill. He barely survives when the front truck comes loose, but Leslie sends a virtual fist bump, which bouys his spirits. Jensen is worried when the group stops and picks up a "rando" friend of Maleek's from soccer, Hugo. Hugo has a broken leg, but this doesn't stop the group from roping a wagon behind a bike and taking off. The second challenge is to free a caged animal, which the boys manage to do in the funniest middle grade scene ever written, involving ferrets, several levels of bullies, and a red slushie. The third challenge is more serious, and involves getting into the middle school through a propped open window and finding a way to humiliate Assistant Principal Awford. The boys think that sitting on a Whoopee cushion on stage at graduation would be appropriate, since Awford (aka "Awful") likes to humiliate kids. Even Leslie has fallen prey to this when he took her deck of cards on the school trip, claiming she was causing a disturbance. Jensen decides he doesn't want anyone to feel humiliation, and the boys agree with him, although this doesn't stop them from breaking into Awford's office and getting Leslie's cards back. They also get mixed up with the lock down at the high school across the street, chased by teachers, and have to ask Jensen's sister Mandy for help. With just minutes to go before the 4 a.m. deadline, the boys agree to just... give up the challenge. Maleek has to post on social media that Priya is the winner, but the boys get to hang out at her house playing video games, so it's not all bad. Jensen even talks to Leslie, who feels bad about Jensen's black eye, thinking she caused it! It's a sweet scene that is interrupted by dogs, and the boys end up fleeing the house at 5 a.m. After Cooper and Maleek drop a bombshell, Jensen calls Mandy to take him home. She gets him, drops the boys off, and offers some advice. Jensen manages to make it to graduation and make his peace with his friends. An epilogue gives us a glimpse of Jensen's homeroom at Groveland High School, and it looks like high school will be okay. 

Don't want to give away some of the twists and turns! 

Strengths: This might have to be in list format, so other authors can consult it. These are things that made this book great. 

**Characters- Jensen is realistically worried, but in a way that most people are. Over the course of the book, he realizes that it's stopping him from having fun, and he is proud of himself for stepping outside his comfort zone. Maleek is a solid character who is masterminding events, and the boys don't hesitate to call him out on his relationship with Priya, which they think he should make healthier by stopping the competition. Cooper is a theater kid who says several times he isn't interested romantically in anyone, and who brings a flair to the proceedings. Hugo is thrust into a friend group and holds his own, and at the end of the book becomes an awesome friend for Jensen. Leslie is fantastic; no wonder Jensen is smitten. Mandy is a great big sister, and BOTH OF JENSEN'S PARENT ARE ALIVE. And wonderfully, wonderfully annoying. 

**Pacing-- The sweet spot for middle grade is to have a lot of running around, then a bit of chatting. Ride a skateboard down a hill, then worry about high school. Defeat bullies with attack ferrets, talk about relationships. Ask older sister about flirting tips after a frenzied lam in a golf cart. I also have to admire Hall's tenacity. I really thought the book would end with Leslie and Jensen kissing, but no. There was still more to come. I was irritated a bit at first, but then so surprised and happy with the continuation of the story. 

**Funny lines-- Hall's attempts at stand up comedy are evident. There are tons of hysterically funny throwaway lines, the kind that Jordan Sonnenblick does so well. I didn't write them all down, but they did make me snort audibly, which to me is the sign of excellent writing. Also, the scene at Furballs Convenience Store with Bennet the Buttmunch and ferrets K-Ci and JoJo is the funniest piece of writing EVER. 

**Universal appeal-- Everyone has a little anxiety in middle school, but most people manage to have some heroic moments as well. The liminal space between 8th grade and high school is packed with emotions. Crushes at that age will lead the best of us to make rash decisions, but the high of having our crush give us the least bit of attention... whew. Deftly portrayed. Also, who doesn't like to read about kids sneaking out of the house and doing stupid things in the middle of the night? 

**Heartfelt philosophical lessons for the Newbery Committe-- I was in slow, leaky tears for the last third for this book. Maleek and Cooper's bombshell slapped me upside the head so hard, and I could not stop crying. Mandy, who is off to college, has a line that should be embroidered on a pillow: "Every good thing in life is to be held loosely." I'm crying now, just thinking about it. All of the emotions were carefully on point; Maleek and Cooper are careful about Jensen's Doom Spirals, Jensen doesn't want to humiliate the principal, the pranks are as circumspect as they can be, Leslie and Jensen have common interests, Mandy talks about consent, and Hugo is a big help to Jensen. There are appropriate apologies, consideration of other's feelings, and, well, I'm fairly certain that the school golf cart didn't come to any harm. 

The cover is perfect as well, since it won't date badly, the way illustrations tend to. 
Weaknesses: The only other book that Hall has written is a YA title, and I have to hunt that down RIGHT NOW. It's horrible that this one was not on my radar before it was published, which makes me think somewhat violent thoughts about the publisher and publicity team.
What I really think: If you read only one middle grade book this year, read this one. Perfect for fans of Jordan Sonnenblick, John David Anderson's 2016 Ms. Bixby's Last Day (the last book that made me cry), or Ross' The Amazing Beef Squad. If you're a school librarian, just buy five copies and hand them to every 8th grade boy you have. I've already e mailed the mother of a reluctant reader who was in my advisory group named Jensen, recommending the book to him! 

Many thanks to Mr. Hall for taking the time to do this interview, and for sending along his middle school picture! 

Interview:

1. Who were you as a middle grade reader? What were some books you enjoyed?

In many ways, I feel like my middle school self was a much different reader than my adult self. Like many kids in the 90’s, I loved the Goosebumps series, which served as a bit of a gateway to horror. I remember being blown away when I read my first Edgar Allan Poe stories in middle school because they felt so scandalous. I was like, “You’re allowed to write stuff like this?” I also first discovered the Redwall series around that age, so I read quite a few of those books. I say I was a different reader back then because I don’t really feel much of a pull to horror or fantasy books these days, but I’m grateful that those stories helped get me into reading. 

Superhero comics were also huge for me, which is probably why I have a bit of an itch to write a graphic novel someday.

2. So few middle grade books feature male friendships. Jensen’s relationship with Maleek and Cooper is realistically nuanced, and a really good, supportive example for readers. Did you base these friendships on your own? 

I was lucky enough to have some great friends during my middle school years. I feel like that’s the time in my life where I was first beginning to discover who I was and what I cared about, and I look back fondly on those years as a time when I could be open and genuine with my friends. In my adult years, I’ve certainly recognized the importance of male friendship. They say there’s a male loneliness epidemic, and I think a lot of that is because men are so often not great at reaching out and doing the work of fostering ongoing, supportive relationships, so I wanted to write a book that showcases how great friendships among young men can look.

3. Jensen’s crush on Leslie was also well portrayed. How big a role do you think romance has in the lives of most middle school students? 

Well it’s been a long time since I’ve been in middle school, so it’s hard for me to say how things may have changed over the past several decades, but crushes were definitely a big part of my middle school experience. That was the time when I first started to really notice who I was attracted to, and I have very vivid memories of school dances and those anxious feelings of first crushes. It was fun to go back and explore that time again with this book.

4. Adults forget how annoying family can be when we are tweens, even if we love them. Why did you decide to keep Jensen’s parents alive, but make them so deliciously annoying? 

I was fortunate enough to be raised in a household with two parents who love each other and loved me well, so I feel like sidestepping the dead parent YA trope and keeping the parents alive and happy in my books sort of comes naturally to me. With this book, you see so little of the parents that I really wanted their personalities to shine through in the little glimpses you do get. As I was writing, I also realized that I’m getting to the point where the parents in the YA novels I’m writing realistically wouldn’t be much older than me, so it’s fun to imagine how I might annoy a teen if I was raising one.

5. You manage to work a ton of information about healthy relationships into the book without it becoming preachy. Why did you choose to include these discussions?

The heart of this book is the friendship between the boys. Unfortunately, around the ages of thirteen and fourteen is where we’re seeing boys start to get sucked into this toxic masculinity space online, where weird influencers are pushing regressive ideas about what it means to be a man, and how we should approach dating and treat each other. I really wanted this book to fight against that current. I wanted to write a story about boys who are thoughtful and caring, while still being goofy and fun-loving and (occasionally) immature. To me, it felt important to show young men that they can bond with each other and build relationships with the opposite sex in a way that isn’t selfish and doesn’t devalue anyone else.

6. Sneaking out at night has a huge appeal, even for readers who usually follow the rules. What would you say to adult gatekeepers who might not like the fact that the boys took such risks?

 I think a huge part of growing up is learning to recognize the consequences of our own actions. While it’s perfectly natural to want to keep kids swaddled and safe, at a certain point we have to let them step from the nest and learn to fly as their failing. This book is about a kid who has always been perfectly content in the nest and now he’s getting shoved out and that terrifies him. We know that young people aren’t always going to make the best decisions (as opposed to us adults who always make very thoughtful and reasonable choices, of course!), so I think one of the best things we can do is foster an environment where teens can fail safely. That’s what it's like for Jensen in this book, while he is making some bold and sometimes dangerous decisions, he’s still doing it in an environment where he’s insulated by the love and support of his friends, his sister, and his parents.

7. Authors seem insistent on writing what’s in their hearts, which is usually sad. What are some of the challenges of writing comedy? 

Ha! Yes, my heart is full of sadness as well, it’s just not what seems to come out when I write! Honestly, I think one of the challenges is just trying to figure out what’s funny. As you know, authors read their manuscript dozens of times before it actually gets published. Reading over the same thing so often, you start to wonder, “Is this even funny? Does this land?” That’s why it’s important to have other writers around you to bounce ideas off of, so they can provide a fresh perspective. I also think writing comedy is a muscle that require training. Creating jokes from nothing isn’t easy, so there’s a real discipline in learning how to craft and structure them. Writers are taught how to pull books apart and learn the beats that make the story work, and if you want to write comedy you have to learn how to do that with jokes, too.

8. There are some serious issues in the book. Why did you decide to include Jensen’s “doom spirals”, and show him as able to work through them? 

I was not the bravest kid growing up. Taking risks was not something that came naturally to me, and I think there are a lot of kids/teens who are that way. There’s nothing inherently wrong with being risk-averse, but as I’ve grown up I’ve made the same discovery that Jensen makes in this book – so many great things in life lie just on the other side of fear, we just have to find the courage to step into it. I chose to include the scenes of Jensen fighting with his dread to show readers it’s not some light switch. You don’t wake up and suddenly decide to be brave one day. Courage is a muscle that requires training to build. It’s work, and progress isn’t linear. Sometimes you backslide or fail. The important thing is to know that you can always try again.

9. Are you a “plotter” or a “pantser”? Did you give a lot of thought to the brilliant pacing in your book, or did it just evolve naturally?

I’m 100% a pantser (even though I usually wish I wasn’t!). I like to say that some authors have a lighthouse, where they can see the full story from beginning to end with this powerful, guiding light, whereas I have a flashlight, where I’m lucky to just find the next step most of the time. With this particular story, I think the fact that it takes place almost entirely in a single night helps with the pacing. With every hour, the night grows darker and boys find themselves farther from home, so the tension builds. Also, I owe a huge shout out to my editor, Alex Borbolla, who is a great plotter and has a keen eye for figuring out how to inject tension.

10. You’ve written a young adult book as well; what’s next for you? My feelings wouldn’t be hurt if we saw the further adventures of Jensen and Hugo! 

I love writing stories for and about teens, so hopefully more work to come! I think my publisher likes me in this space – funny stories aimed at younger teen boys, and we’ve had some productive conversations about how to keep doing that. At my book launch, someone pitched that since TCAGB is about four friends on the eve of their eighth-grade graduation it would be fun to write a sequel where we see them going out on the eve of their high school graduation, which I also think would be really fun.

Merry Christmess

Quin, Tegan. Merry Christmess (Clementine Twins #1)

September 1, 2026 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Almost eleven year old Stevie loves Christmas and doesn't understand why the rest of her family doesn't. Her parents are divorced, and her father tours with a rock band. When he does come to town, the girls stay with him at the family hotel that his brother, Uncle Harvey, runs in Magic Lake, Saskatchewan, which doesn't feel like home. Their mother is in charge of a local community center, and is especially busy during the holiday season. Stevie wants to have a Christmas tree in their house, and have her father stay with them instead of at the hotel. She ropes her twin Jordan in to trying to manipulate her parents into providing her with the sort of Christmas she envisions. This involves getting a tree out of the garage and working with their neighbor and friend Newt to locate greenery and decorations. Their father, who is afraid of dogs, is not happy that Harvey is hosting a large number of rescue dogs at the Golden Sheaf, and doesn't want to stay there. There are some hurt feelings, especially since the girls' cousin Trish is an only child and likes to have them stay at the hotel. There are plenty of miscommunications and arguing, and Stevie and Jordan are both torn that their father has been offered a job touring with one of his favorite bands, Sour Hearts. Employment is good, but it means he will be away from them, and the girls don't necessarily react in helpful ways. They aren't trying to get their parents back together, but they do want them both around. Will they be able to get their parents to support their dreams?
Strengths: Books about Christmas are hugely popular in my library, and readers who enjoyed the Quin sisters' Junior High graphic novels will like seeing more from half of this duo. The Saskatchewan setting is interesting, and I loved the vibrant community center. There are plenty of hijinks and lots of humor, as well as two cats. 
Weaknesses: The girls are a bit young; there is some discussion that they are not entirely willing to give up on the idea of Santa Claus, which seems like something most children do at 8. (I even asked a passing 7th grader to confirm.) The writing was a bit repetitive. Also, the father's decision seemed unlikely, but does set the cast of characters up for book two. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who liked Burt's The Twelve Dares of Christa, McKeiran's 12 Strays of Christmas, or Garland's The Twelve Pets of Christmas. 

Visible: The (Sort of) True Story of a Not-So Hidden Disease

Soren, David. Visible: The (Sort of) True Story of a Not-So Hidden Disease (Invisible #2)
September 1, 2026 by Penguin Workshop
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

++Add to Goodreads.++

After coming to terms with his Crohn's disease and reaching an understanding with Norm, the monster-like embodiment of it, JJ Sugar is a bit thrown by the fact that his doctor is moving away, and he will have to work with Dr. Maneesh instead. His mother, who also has the condition as well as her own monster, Francie, understands, and works with him to get things under control. We hear from Norm, as well, who meets another invisible monster at a support group. When he finds out that Seymour has no place to be, Norm invites him to live at the Sugars' house, even though he is unsure what disease Seymour represents. There are other things going on in JJ's world; his younger brother is involved in theater productions, and he gets a summer job working at an animation studio, which he absolutely loves. His work is often interrupted by his health issues, but when Seymour turns out to be stage four throat cancer for Mr. Sugar, JJ misses even more work as his father has to get treatment. The stress of dealing with this causes JJ to spiral, and before long he passes out at work and ends up having to have surgery. Will the monsters continue to terrorize the Sugar household, or will the family's health eventually return?
Strengths: There are plenty of health issues that aren't readily apparent, and it's always good to see representation of them in middle grade literature. Crohn's would most likely be especially hard for middle school students, and this is a fairly positive portrayal of navigating doctors, treatments, lifestyle changes, and surgeries that could be helpful. This is a humorous book, and the illustrations are appealing. 
Weaknesses: I imagine that the father's cancer might have been something with which Soren's family struggled, since this is a semi autobiographical book, but it was handled in a rather odd way. There's lots of information about the treatment, but the seriousness of the diagnosis, and its effect on the family, seems at odds with the way it is portrayed. The monsters might work for younger readers, but JJ is in 8th grade and has a summer job. Older readers might not go for this portrayal. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who want a more humorous treatment of Crohn's disease than is offered in the excellent Will on the Inside by Eliopolous, or who want a highly illustrated, Daniel Pinkwater-esque approach to dealing with the disease. I will probably not purchase, since the lighthearted, almost flippant, approach seems at odds to the seriousness of the problems the family is facing. 

Guy Friday- The New Norm

Gilbert, Matthew J. The New Norm

May 5, 2026 by Simon Spotlight

Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Alex "Norm" Norman is having an unusually good first day of middle school. Over the summer, he had his wisdom teeth out, and his father (normally a boring therapist) posted a video of Norm dancing and shouting "whoop whoop" when he was coming out of anesthesia. This went viral, and everyone at his school is following him on social media, so he gets a lot of attention, even from popular kids. He doesn't want to stop being friends with his long time besties, Mia and Jordan, so tries to bring them along with him when he sits at the cool kids' table, even if they end up being a little embarassing. There's a lot to navigate in middle school, such as the strict rules about having phones out that Mrs. Stickman, the most ancient teacher in the building, enforces. After his initial surge in popularity, Norm has some missteps that prove he really isn't that cool, and he ends up facing not only declining popularity but also the loss of his best friends. Can he find a way to stay friends with Mia and Jordan while navigating the choppy waters of viral social media, or will he have to settle for being an ordinary citizen?

Many of my students are obsessed with social media and think they can grow up to be YouTubers or influencers without fully understanding how much work goes in to maintaining an online presence. Norm's experience is fairly true to life; odd videos sometimes go viral, and other students at his school would find his sudden fame appealing. I loved that Norm's dad even mentions at the beginning of the book that sometimes friends grow apart in middle school; this is absolutely true, so it's not surprisingly that there is some tension with Mia and Jordan. 

While we never see Norm's mother, there's no indication that she has died. Combined with the general upbeat feel to this book, this sets The New Norm and its sequel, Pranks and Prejudice, apart from a lot of middle grade literatue today. I'd love to see more books with humorous takes on the realistic problems that students face. 

Hand this to fans of Hart and Rodkey's Marcus Makes a Movie or Weissman's So Over Sharing when they've spend too much time scrolling through social media on their phones and need a brain break! 

Did have one reservation-- do eleven and twelve year olds have wisdom teeth removed? I thought this was something that happened later in high school, rather than in middle school. Two characters have teeth removed, and one of these is an event central to the plot.

Gilbert, Matthew J. Pranks and Prejudice (The New Norm #2)

May 5, 2026 by Simon Spotlight

Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Things are hopping at Meadowview Middle School, and this time it's Norm's friend Jordan who is at the center of the social media whirl with his viral pranks. Norm is the victim of one when a vast quantity of glitter falls out of his locker at him, and he's a little jealous of his friend, since Norm's attempts to stay viral haven't gone well. The pranks escalate, with hot chili ookies, the mascot run up the flagpole, vaseline on the faucets, and all of the ink cartridges being stolen from the pens! When Mia (who masterminded the pen prank) thinks that she should be able to use her love of science to come up with an awesome prank, Norm thinks it's a good idea to have her engaged in some non academic activity. When she decides to hide eggs in the school and wait for the resultant stink, Norm doesn't think it's a great idea but helps her out. Not only does the school stink on Monday, but school gets cancelled! The administration is not happy, and cleaning up the stink is harder than Mia expected. Norm admits to his part in the prank to help take the heat off Mia, and his father isn't even mad, since he was helping out a friend. Will he be able to keep Mia out of trouble without getting in even more trouble himself?

There are certainly a lot of pranks on social media; my school had bathroom sinks ripped out of the walls due to some viral TikTok challenge, so I appreciated that most of the pranks weren't that serious. The topic of social media popularity is very intriguing to middle school students, who will also like the idea of pranks. 

This was a bit over the top at a few points; Jordan gives everyone at school cookies that are really just ground up beans with spicy salt in them. There might have been Homeroom Cookie Swaps in some schools before the pandemic, but with allergies and other concerns, I found it hard to believe that Jordan was only required to write a letter of apology to one teacher for this prank. 

Mia's love of science is intriguing, and I hope to see more of her efforts at using this love of learning for good rather than for evil! 

We need more amusing middle grade novels, so hand this to fans of books that explore the humorous side of social media like Lumsden and Pieplow's Confessions of a Mango, Baden's Famous Anonymous, or Soto's frenetic Gone Viral. 

I'm not sure that Mr. Gilbert's local middle schools operate the same way that mine does; there were a lot of things that seemed half a bubble off. Since his body of work includes a lot of Stranger Things novelizations, perhaps he is thinking more about middle schools in the 1980s. 

Ghost Light (The Last Resort #3)

Farazin, Sara. Ghost Light (The Last Resort #3)

September 1, 2026 by Scholastic Press

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Things have been perilous in Castle Hill, Ohio ever since Caleb and Lila's grandfather was murdered and Teddy moved to town in Kelly's The Last Resort.  With the help of Rosteen, a ghost whom they met in Warga's The Claiming, the group has waged a war against the Fire Maiden, an evil spirit bent of bending people to her will and causing devastation and death. Lila almost lost her life in trying to control the Fire Maiden, but the group thinks that they can get help from Blight Howler, the ghost of the man who killed Lila's grandfather, to defeat her. They summon him, but he proves time and again that he's not trustworthy. As the town plans it's Founders' Day celebration, complete with a play, there are even more problems. Rosteen meets the ghost of Jeremiah, a disgruntled spirit who claims HE was the one who founded the town, along with Arnie, a performer killed by lights after one of Jeremiah's rages. Hoping to summon the ghosts of people killed by the Fire Maiden in various disasters in order to defeat her. the kids travel through another dimension to Cloquet, Minnesota, the site of the Moose Lake Fire of 1918, as well as to the Great Molasses Flood in Boston, to collect talismans. This travel is fraught with dangers, but the biggest danger surfaces as the town prepares to stage the play and Caleb is possessed by Blight Howler! He's taking away fire extinguishers and locking people inside the theater. Will Rosteen and his living friends be able to avert tragedy and finally defeat the Fire Maiden?
Strengths: I appreciated the inclusion of different historical disasters; readers who want to know more about "real life" ghosts related to disasters might want to look up Williams's True Hauntings: Deadly Disasters. The Fire Maiden is definitely evil, and giving her a long line of disasters makes fighting her seem even more important. We see a lot of Rosteen's emotions about being a ghost, and his childhood in the last century will be intriguing to middle grade readers, since there seems to be a lot of nostalgia for the 1990s right now. (Sorry, readers in your 30s and 40s. The 1990s are now ANCIENT to middle school students!) The town celebration makes sense, and brings together lots of different threads in The Last Resort storyline. This feels like the last book in the series, but could continue. That Fire Maiden is hard to keep down. 
Weaknesses: Since there are three different authors, I need to recatalog these and file them all under F LAS so that I can find them. It seems fairer to all of the authors to catalog them this way. The ending was very sentimental and sweet, but I'm not sure that's something my horror readers will appreciate. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who liked evil ghost sagas like Senf's The Clackity and Poblocki's The Gathering. 

The reason given for the stores of molasses in Boston that contributed to the flood in 1919 was that it was used for munitions during WWI. I don't think that is the case. The molasses was owned by Purity Distilling, so the thought that it was being stock piled to manufacture illegal rum during Prohibition (which had started earlier in Massachusetts) seems more likely. I'm not an expert in this field, so I will make this a quibble rather than a fervent argument. 

World Wednesday

Remember back before 2014, when it was super hard to get books with characters who weren't white? I do think things have changed a lot since then, especially when we look at the range of culturally connected fantasy books that are available now. It's not perfect, but it's changed enough that I don't feel a need to set aside Wednesdays ONLY for culturally connected books. They are all over the place. Here are two books that show this fairly clearly! 

Patterson, Kaitlyn Sage. Natalie and the Summer of Surprises 

(Windy Creek Stables #3)

May 12, 2026 by Feiwel & Friends

Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Natalie, who appeared briefly in Harper and the Horse Show Sabotage, has to spend the summer at Windy Creek Stables with her mother, Traci, since her father has to spend time in Antartica studying fish. This is not something that Natalie wants to do, and she is sure she is going to have a horrible summer. She's never really been interested in horses, since she was severely allegic as a child, and hasn't tried to learn very much even after she realized she had outgrown that condition. Her first experience in the barn underlines that; a horse runs off, scares her, and she drops and breaks her phone. Her mother isn't mad, but she isn't happy either; she wants Natalie to learn more about horses, and signs her up for horse camp. Natalie is sure that the riders like Harper, who are thin, preppy girls, won't be friendly to her, since she is one quarter Korean and self-describes as fat. She's glad that Presely, (from Presley and the Impossible Dream), is super friendly and even invites her to a sleepover. Natalie manages to ride a very gentle horse, and puts her mind to learning about how to care for horses in an effort to be close to her mother. She also tries to help out around the house and have a better attitude. She realizes that Harper isn't so bad when she joins her "Mission Mom" to connect with Traci. Natalie does much better, and even successfully completes a trail ride with Harper. Once she is all in on horses and starts to enjoy being at Windy Creek, however, she realizes that she will be sad when she goes back home to Washington, D.C. when her father returns. 

Windy Creek Stables is a fun series because we get to see the organization from different viewpoints. Harper treats being there as her right; her older sister works for a horse related magazine, and the two are engaged in more technical and difficult equestrian endeavors like vaulting. Presley fought hard to be allowed to take riding lessons after reading about the sport, and felt a bit out of her element, since there aren't quite as many Black riders. Natalie doesn't even want to ride, but has a mother who is quite an accomplished equestrienne, so puts in a lot of effort to get up to speed. There are a lot of horse series, but I can't think of one that includes a reluctant character. 

While Natalie is unhappy for about half the book, she does try to make an effort to appreciate her situation. It's good to see that both Presly and Harper are welcoming, and watching as Natalie involves herself with the unpleasant and pleasant aspects of working with horses may encourage readers to look into opportunities to ride in their own communities. I'm curious to see if there will be another book in the series, since there feels like there is more story to be told. 

Readers who enjoyed Bowling's Holding On for Dear Life, Brill and Magruder's Creaky Acres, Hicks' Ride On, or Nir's The Flying Horse will want to add these Windy Creek titles to their stable of horse literature. 

Martín, Pedro. MexiKid Dreams (MexiKid #2)
September 1, 2026 by Dial Books
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

This sequel to the graphic memoir Mexikid follows Pedro and his siblings as they help their father on the land where they sharecrop. Pedro doesn't like the work most of the time, and has bigger dreams; maybe he will become a musician, or be able to follow his passion for drawing, although this isn't considered to be a viable career. He eventually realizes that his father works very hard so that all of the children can have easier lives, and devotes himself to helping out a bit more. Since Martín grew up in the 1970s, this book will give modern children a look at life in the past. There is an epilogue that describes the different careers that the Martín children ended up pursuing. 

There is a teacher who uses the first book as a class read aloud, so I'll need to purchase this follow up volume. There aren't a lot of books set in the 1970s, and in 2026, this is the era when the grandparents of middle grade readers grew up. I enjoyed watching Pedro come to understand how and why his parents worked so hard, but I still worry about telling children to follow their joy even if their career aspirations might be difficult to follow. As a very bitter ex Latin teacher who had to retrain as a librarian only to find that being a school librarian isn't a great career choice either, I take this very much to heart. Go into the medical profession, kids, or train in an AI proof technology job. Be prepared to pivot! 

She Came Back Different

Willing, Stephanie. She Came Back Different

September 1, 2026 by Viking Books for Young Readers

E ARC provided by the publisher

The Stadler Ballet Conservatory in Vermont is very exclusive, but some of the pupils are not excited to begin their studies there. Neve has seen how the school affected her older sister Bex, and she remembers the phone call four years ago when Bex told her to never come to the school. Now Bex is prim, proper, and follows all the rules, and the spark seems to have gone out of her. Gemma doesn't fit the profile of a Stadler student, but her mother and stepfather think the school will help her to gain some poise and social skills. Once they arrive at the school, the girls meet the others in their cohort; Chloe, Chris, Esther, and Ivy. The teachers, who are all referred to as "Madame" along with the color of their outfits, have a lot of rules. Students are not to be alone, and may only be in designated areas. The older students all seem to have been conditioned like Bex, and eat very little and calmly follow the rules. Gemma balks at this, and does some exploring, but of course gets in trouble. After Esther seems to have changed in the same way that the older girls have, Gemma is devastated to lose her friend, and she and Neve combine forces to try to solve the mystery of what is affecting the students. Are the vines that surround the campus somehow draining their personalities? Gemma manages to break into the office to try to get back her phone to call for help, but is aghast to find from her file that her mother sent her to the school because she considered her socially awkward and friendless. When she wins the lead role of Clara in the production of The Nutcracker, she thinks that turning into one of the "perfect" older students might not be all bad. Still, as the investigation leads the girls into town, they stumble across a possible antidote. Will Neve be able to rescue her sister, and will the girls be able to retain their own personalities?

Strengths: I picked this book up because it reminded me a bit of Duncan's Down a Dark Hallway; I am not a big fan of Gothic horror, but there was something about a creepy boarding school that is intriguing. There are a lot of students who dance, and very few ballet books. The world building is strong, and there are lots of good, mysterious details about how the school is run. Most of the book is from the alternating perspectives of Gemma and Neve, but we do get a little peek at Ivy, whose family started the vines. The sisterly bond is nice, and there is even so science connections with the vine's relationship with fungus that reminded me a little of Short's The Mutant Mushroom Takeover. There are a few scenes of solid ballet work, and plenty of drama surrounding the casting of The Nutcracker, which are both things my readers who like ballet stories request. I can't think of any other ballet horror books unless you count fairy tale ballet themed books like Sutton and Hannuniemi, The Song of the Swan or Smith's The Toymaker's Apprentice as horror. 
Weaknesses: Ballet fans should know there isn't a lot of dance until page 100, and fans of horror should know this is on the mildly scary side. The cover could be more appealing. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who want to combine performing arts with gentle horror and enjoyed Parris' Stage Fright or Key's Twelfth. 

MMGM- Secrets at Sparhawk Point and Alice Piper Speaks Up

It's

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
 at 

Always in the Middle 

and #IMWAYR day 

at

Unleashing Readers

Johnson, Anna Rose. Secrets at Sparhawk Point

August 25th 2026 by Holiday House
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

In 1943, Alex and Jack Robichaux and Ingrid and Beatrice Ahlstrom live in Sparhawk Point, Michigan, and are great friends even though their lives are rather different. The boys’ father has passed away, and their mother is struggling to keep the family’s tourist cabins open. She eventually takes a job at the fishery, and wants the boys to step up to help with the housework. Alex especially struggles with being responsible, even though he fully appreciates that when he is not, it’s harder for his mother. The girls are new to the area, and their father is the pastor of a small church. Not many people in the area go to church, and they are concerned that their father feels that he is not doing enough for the war effort and fear that he will enlist to be a chaplain. All four children love the area, and don’t want to leave. After seeing a shadowy shape along the coast, they decide that if there were a monster akin to the Loch Ness one, more people might come to the area. The tourist cabins would get rented, and more people would come to church, which could help ensure that the children can stay. The girls’ Aunt Ebba is a reporter for the local paper, and runs an article on the children’s assertions about the creature. This gets picked up and causes a lot of interest, especially since similar claims were made in 1891 by Jeremiah Burns, who still maintains that there is something in the water. Beatrice fancies herself an interior designer, and tries to freshen up the cabins and well as the church, with sometimes disastrous results. As the monster, named Martha, gets more and more interest, the children start to worry that her “presence” might have the opposite effect and turn people away. When they find out more secrets about her, they loop in their aunt, and find various ways to make life in their beloved Sparhawk Point sustainable.
Strengths: Like Johnson’s The Blossoming Summer, The Star That Always Stays, or The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry, this story has a very classic feel to it, with children having a lot of agency and getting into a number of low stakes scrapes. There’s something about the writing that is very reminiscent of Dorothy Canfield Fisher, whose Understood Betsy I still love. The Robichauxes' struggles are very true to the time period, and it was great to see that the Ahlstrom’s stepped in to help. I loved the descriptions of the area, especially the manse and the vacation cottages. There are frequent references to the Robichauxes’ Ojibwe heritage, and there is a nice Native American connection to the monster. There’s some Swedish heritage as well. This was a great gentle read that puts the homefront during World War II into perspective.
Weaknesses: While I love Johnson’s writing, few of my students request historical fiction, no matter how much I promote it. Historical books do a little better if there's lots of action and adventure, but the mystery will help this one. Also, painting brick should be a federal crime, so when Beatrice did this, it hurt my soul!
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoy classic children’s literature or more modern books like Birdsall’s The Penderwicks or Albus’ Nothing Else But Miracles.    

Romero, Sage Andrew, Sepsey, Loralee, and Thompson, Morgan (illus.)

Alice Piper Speaks Up (Fighting for Justice #3)

June 2, 2026 by Heyday

Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Born in California in 1908, Alice belonged to the Numu (Paiute) community. Her parents were supportive of her education, so when she wanted to attend the new Big Pine School instead of the Big Pine Indian School, they promised to help her fight to attend. At the time, many Indian Schools, including Alice's focused on teaching students only what they would need to be laborers and servants. Schools were not well supplied, and were inferior to the white schools that the Native children were not allowed to attend. Alongside Alice's story, we get a lot of information about the area in which she  lived and the sociopolitical climate of the time, which is helpful in understanding Alice's experiences. Alice's case went before the court, and she and several other Native students were finally allowed to attend the Big Pine School. It wasn't easy, and not everyone welcomed her, but she managed to go on to high school and have a career helping other Native children further their education. 

The portions of the book that tell Alice's story are in verse, and accompanied by Thompson's vibrant illustrations that show what it was like for Alice to live in her community and fight for her rights. The nonfiction sections have photographs, reproductions of documents and newspaper articles, and helpful sidebars with important vocabulary. There are timelines threaded throughout the book as well, and those help put the events of Alice's life in context with other civil rights issues at the time. 

At the end of the book, there are good resources for young activists who need guidance on how to get involved in their community so they can fight injustices in the same way that Alice did. There are also source notes, a bibliography, and a complete index. 

Some of the notes include information about other children who fought to go to school, which is a great way to get readers interested in searching for other inspirational cases. Readers might want to pick up Huahn and Chan's Mamie Tape Fights to Go to School, Conkling's Sylvia and Aki, and Aguila's A Sea of Lemon Trees: The Corrido of Roberto Alvarez and Kanefield's 2014 The Girl from the Tar Paper School: Barbara Rose Johns and the Advent of the Civil Rights Movement. There two other books in the Fighting For Justice series (about Fred Korematsu and Biddy Mason) that are also great additions to middle grade libraries. 

Kingdom Unraveled

DiMercurio, Mariana. Kingdom Unraveled: A Closely Knit Graphic Adventure

July 28, 2026 by Andrews McMeel Publishing

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Seventy-year-old Josephine Lightfoot lives in a cottage in a medievalish forest, content with her knitting and tea. When a Guardian magically appears and tells her that she is a new Champion and must travel to an abandoned castle in the capitol of Fiora, she nonchallantly accepts, and takes the magical axe offered to her. She tries to muster some help in town, and ends up with Roy, a rabbit like creature who had tried to steal her bag. They venture into the forest, only to be beset by spiders, but Josephine manages to elude them by cleverly wielding her knitting needles. The two stop by Ignacia's School of Magic, where Bea transports them to an abandoned building to hide them from the queen. They manage to fall through the floor and continue on their journey. We find out that Josephine's son Tobi was a Champion, but she hasn't heard from him in quite a while. A rag tag band is assembled that includes Delvin, who has a lute fashioned from a magical tree. The queen wants this, so the group has another reason to avoid her. There is a lot going on, with dragons who must be figured out, an animated cat toy, Tabitha, who is helping out, and a secret identity for one of our main characters. I would not be surprised if there is a sequel. 

Strengths: Well, this certainly appealed to me. An older woman who knits embarking on an adventure to save the kingdom? Of course. This embraced a lot of fantasy adventure tropes, but gave them a bit of a twist. I loved that a Champion was missing, so his mother was sent on the mission instead. Like many books of this kind, there are a lot of different characters and places to travel. Music is used to good effect, and I rather liked the dragons. There is even a little twist at the end. Acording to the publisher, this is based on an online story, but I can't seem to find it. 
Weaknesses: Oh, I wanted to give this the benefit of the doubt on the knitting. The first illustration looked... okay. The second... almost. But later in the book, the knitting embraced the upside down knitting needle scourge that Betsy Bird rails against. I'm just confused as to why one wouldn't investigate proper form if something is so essential to the main character. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed fantasy adventures like Lawrence's The Lionharts #1 or Cacao's The Secret of the Ravens.

Saturday Morning Cartoons- Spy Grandma

Freen, Celina. Spy Granma

August 18, 2026 by Aladdin

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Jamie and her brother Ben are dropped off at their grandmother’s house by their mother, who is off to be involved in some manner of social justice work. Their grandmother, a tiny woman with a gray beehive hairdo and a walker, is not expecting them, and is busy fighting off assassins! She manages to subdue them with yarn and trundle them out into the dumpster, so her grandchildren do not suspect anything. It’s hard to keep upo the ruse when she is under attact, and has to come clean. After taking refuge at the Cake Pop Antique Shop, they flee in an ice cream truck and meet thirteen year old agent Nolan, who is a tech guy. There are five possible villains who might be after the grandmother, and when Ben is kidnapped, it’s imperative that Jamie and Grandma figure out who is targeting her so they can get Ben back. Family secrets are revealed, and Jamie is glad to have time with her grandmother, even if the circumstances are difficult. When their mother picks the two children up, there is some discussion about moving closer to the grandmother, so perhaps more adventures await.

 
This reminded me of the comic books I used to read, and definitely had a super hero feel to it. It’s goofy and fun, with cartoonish villains and some fun tech. I need to have a serious talk with Mr. Elliott about how knitting works, since Grandma is frequently shown holding her knitting needles incorrectly. As a grandmother myself, who harbors a secret desire to be a spy, I wasn’t super keen on the portrayal of the grandmother with a walker, dated hair style, and track suit, since even my 80 year old friends don’t look like that, but young readers will find it amusing. Hand this to fans of Blabey’s Cat on the Run or Barnett and Lowery’s Spy Kid series.

No Place on Earth

Arango, Andrea Beatriz. No Place on Earth
August 25, 2026 by Random House Books for Young Readers
E ARC provided by Netgalley

Gustavo is devastated that he has to leave his family, especially his father, in Puerto Rico when his mother takes a job in Montana at Yellowstone National Park. In addition to missing family, he struggles with anxiety that his family treats as inconsequential, and is petrified of the variety of wild animals in his new home. His sister Lorena doesn’t seem to mind, and his mother is very excited about her new job. Gardiner, where he attends school, is small, but the kids at school are nice. He meets Kordell, a Black student, who has been showing up in his dreams. He is also part of the Bison Brigade conservation and survival group that Gustavo joins because his father is hoping that time in Montana will help him “man up” and not suffer from “chapines” (a feeling like there are fish in his stomach). Gustavo like the leader of the group, Ranger Rob, who says that the group is a safe space and doesn’t seem to mind when he has to wear women’s hiking boots because he has narrow feet, a BIG change from the way Gustavo’s family approaches matters. Gustavo is asked to play Dungeons and Dragons with a group from school, which is helpful since he misses his friends in Puerto Rico, with whom he plays video games. As Gustavo’s dreams start to intersect more with Kordell’s, he learns that their family situations are similar, with their parents being separated and Kordell struggling with depression, but also learns that his mother has taken Kordell’s mother’s job. While this causes a rift, the boys are able to work through their differences, and Gustavo is emboldened to tell his parents that he needs to be in therapy.
Strengths: Gustavo’s longing for Puerto Rico (which is much warmer than Montana) and the inclusion of a lot of Spanish phrases will be appreciated by students who either are experiencing homesickness, or want to understand classmates who are. The Yellowstone setting is intriguing. There is a bit of magical realism, as Gustavo had a great grandmother who was “sensitive” and had some experiences with dreams. The chapters from Kordell’s point of view are in verse. The stress over parents separating and divorcing is not addressed in middle grade literature enough, and seeing how both boys handle their situations differently is instructive. The author’s note addresses the state of mental health challenges facing Latine students, and there are a lot of positive examples of tweens talking through problems and advocating for themselves. It was good to see that there were some positive experiences in Montana, and Gustavo was willing to split his year between Montana and his father in Puerto Rico after his father faced his own toxic masculinity.
Weaknesses: When I described this book to my daughter, she agreed that moving to Yellowstone National Park would be very cool, and most middle school students would embrace this experience with a lot more positivity! I would rather have seen more information about this very cool area of the world, and seen Gustavo have amazing adventures there.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who liked or have enjoyed books about children navigating mental health issues like Stout’s Making Plans for Nigel Binty, Lumsden’s and Pieplow’s Confessions of a Mango, LaRocca’s Mirror to Mirror, Lerner’s A Work in Progress, Baron’s The Gray, Pyron’s Octopus Moon, or Piontek’s Better With Butter, or Arango’s other works, It’s All or Nothing or Something Like Home. There are so many books about children working through mental health issues, but the books I have on the topic do not circulate well.

Death in the Tallgrass

Rogers, Andrea L. Death in the Tallgrass
September 15, 2026 by Levine Querido

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

In the summer of 1968, Cynthia and her family are spending the summer with her father's parents, whom they have never seen because a fight their father had with his own father. The change from Dallas to Snake, Oklahoma is stark, and dealing with the strict and unapproving grandfather has Cynthia walking gingerly and doing a lot of work around the farm. Her older sister Diane is busy hanging out with teens in town, especially Will, and her younger sister Wren is not expected to do as much, although she does see the chickens as pets and cares for them. The parents are fighting, and trying to figure out how to get the family moved to Tulsa in time for the father to start a new job, although the mother's health is an issue as well. Cynthia is interested in her family's Cherokee heritage, but no one wants to talk much about it. She also gets drawn into a historical mystery when she finds a bracelet and journal belonging to a young girl, Violet, who died under suspicious circumstances in the 1920s. As the summer progresses, tensions rise, and Cynthia and her family must figure out their next moves. 

Strengths: This is a good look at life in the late 1960s; there's a lot of unrest among the teenagers, and a lot of tension between generations. Cynthia's attitude is one that modern children might find new, because she doesn't complain about the work on the farm. She knows that doing it will make her grandfather less volatile, so takes it up on herself, even though her sisters slack a bit. I loved that she was reading Snyder's 1965 The Velvet Room. I loved that book! Nothing like reader about the desperate plight of families in the Great Depression to make one think that taking care of the chickens isn't that hard. There is a good bit of Cherokee history included, especially in interludes between chapters. 
Weaknesses: The title of this led me to believe that this would be a murder mystery (which my students crave!), and it is, but it moves very slowly and has little information about the "death in the Tallgrass".

What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who want historical fiction that includes Native Amerrican culture and reconnecting with grandparents, like Johnson's The Blossoming Summer or Sneve and Littlebird's The Summer of the Bone Horses.

Still Alive (Kidnapped from Ukraine #3)

Skrypuch, Marsha Forchuk. Still Alive (Kidnapped from Ukraine #3)

April 21, 2026 by Scholastic Press

Public library copy

Rada and her mother are living in a ski village in the Carpathanian mountains after their harrowing experiences after the Russian attack of Ukraine in Under Attack and Rada's twin sister Dariia's journey Standoff. Her mother is working in the spa, and the two have assembled a small community around them that includes Babushka, who is making drones for the Ukranian army, Alina, Viktor, and Mr. Yani. When they hear from Dariia and learn that she is in Russia with a family, they start making plans to rescue her. They reach out to the family's of the children with her, although Genya's family doesn't respond right away, and there is little information about baby Sasha. Since children can only be reclaimed by official guardians, and it isn't safe for Rada's mother to travel alone, it's important to find family members. Rada's father is still missing, and there is little information about him. When temporary housing is constructed in Prytulok, those living in the ski chalet get units, and move to town. Babushka decides to live near a shop where she can work, but the others are fairly close. Rada, whose hair had to be cropped close after she couldn't wash it for months, is relieved to be in her own space with her mother, and appreciates the community that places like Lydia's Kitchen provides as she and her mother try to heal after their experiences. While there is no imminent danger, the stress of trying to get Dariia back, and of not knowing where her father is, still is difficult. Once Genya's family is located, a reporter, Mr. Semeniuk, offers to go in her mother's place with a power of attorney if he can report on the conditions in Russia. This sounds like a great solution, but there is still a war on, and he is injured. There is some brief contact with Dariia, who is being aided by her foster mother's son, Anton. Anton has seen first hand how badly Russia has treated Ukranians, so is willing to stand  up to his mother. Will Dariia be able to make it safely back to Rada in Prytulok, and will their father ever be found?

Strengths: My students don't read a newspaper or listen to the news, so many have no idea what is going on in other parts of the world. Books like the Kidnapped from Ukraine series are essential in helping them to understand that the way they live their lives is very priviledged, and to develop a sense of empathy toward other people. Seeing events unfold from two perspectives gives a wider understanding of the various realities of life in Ukraine; Dariia and her father and Rada and her mother have had very different experiences. Shedding some light on the egregious Russian practice of stealing children and having them "adopted" by Russians is good, because I haven't heard much about this even though I do keep up with the news. It's helpful to see that there are moments of happiness and lightness even in the midst of a war, and I particularly liked the scene where Rada works on psyanky for Easter. There are great notes at the back of the book that help the reader understand what has happened since February of 2022. 

Weaknesses: There are a lot of characters to keep straight, so this is a series where reading the books in quick succession works well. Since the storyline is very compelling, this shouldn't be a problem. Again, because of the horror of the war in Ukraine, this book will be best suited to middle schoolers reading independently, or upper elementary students who have good support. 

What I really think: This is a good conclusion to this trilogy, although it seems fitting that it doesn't quite seem like an ending. I'll be optimistic and hope that in just five years, the war in Ukraine will be over, and Skrypuch will be able to write a final book to wrap up the storyline, like Deborah Ellis did with the fifth The Breadwinner book, One More Mountain, even though things are still not settled in Afghanistan.