Middle School Monsters

Easter, Robin. Middle School Monsters
August 4, 2026 by Little, Brown Ink
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Jamie and her family have just moved to a new town, and Jamie wants to start anew. At her old school, she let people know she was a werewolf, and they made fun of her. Now, in seventh grade, there are three girls, Aimee, Jazz, and Olivia who include her right away. They do warn her against Vera, or Vee, who claims to be a vampire and alienated her former best friend, Kennedy, by biting her. In one class, Jamie is assigned to sit next to Vee, and finds that the two share a love of certain t.v. shows that Aimee and her gang do not appreciate. They chat surreptitiously, and hang out several times, even going trick-or-treating together as their alter egos, Raven and Scout. They are even writing a story about these characters, but when Vee doesn’t log off a school computer, another student shares the story with everyone. Aimee and her gang are particularly mean, and Jamie does not stand up for Vee. This creates a rift between the two, and Jamie has to decide if she wants to pretend to be someone she is not in order to hang out with a relatively popular group, or to embrace her inner quirkiness and be friends with Vee, even if it means she creates an awkward social situation for herself.
Strengths: This has a very specific and narrow audience who will love the fact that Jamie thinks she is a werewolf (she does have particularly hairy legs and arms, and her mother won’t let her shave) and wants to wear a wolf hat to school. The message of embracing your true self and not hiding it from others is widespread in popular culture now. The librarian lets Vee eat in the library instead of learning to adapt to the school environment, and this also seems to be a popular trend. I thought it was interesting that Aimee and her friends, who play volleyball, were quite nice to Jamie, even though they were shown making somewhat unkind remarks about others. This has a lot of very real moments, like Vee coloring her fingernails with black sharpie.
Weaknesses: Whether or not Jamie is really a werewolf is never really addressed. Vee admits she just thinks she is a vampire; some young readers might appreciate more concrete identification. They will also not pick up on the allegorical elements of the story.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who liked graphic novels about school social structure like Miller’s Click, Libenson’s Invisible Emmie, or Chmakova’s Crush. 

As a weird middle schooler myself, I have to say that it is a VERY BAD idea to share your true self with others. Once I realized this, high school was a lot easier. I really, really fail to understand why adults think it’s a good idea to "let your freak flag fly", to quote Jimi Hendrix. In middle school, it’s definitely not. Had a long conversation with my now 32 year old daughter about this, and we both agreed that there is a time and place for being one’s authentic self, and that middle school is not one of them.

Saturday Morning Cartoons- Dare You to Dance

Mock, Rebecca. Dare You to Dance

July 28, 2026 by Random House Graphic
E ARC provided by Netgalley

Gracie gets accepted into a prestigious Youth Dancer Summer Program in New York City, and lives with her godmother while attending. She is from Ohio, and a little star struck by the variety of dancers from around the world, who seem to know more about dance than she does. She runs afoul of Sariah, who is very standoffish, and Nicole also gives her a hard time. Luckily, Jaz reminds Gracie of moves when she is not paying attention, and translates the teacher's French for her. There is a lot of drama in the school, and jockeying for solos and opportunities. Gracie dares Sariah several times, but Sariah, battling stiff muscles, doesn't want to get hurt... until she does. It's not a horrible injury, but Gracie learns that Sariah's aunt is the dancer Manon, who had to retire from ballet because she was injured. Gracie meets her idol, Tatiana, and learns a lot about being a team player and part of an ensemble after she sabotages Jaz after her friend wins the solo. Luckily, by the end of the book, the campers are much nicer to each other and rediscover their love of dancing. 

Strengths: The most intriguing part of the book was the author's note stating that at some point, they felt that they needed to DO something with their drawing, rather than just having it as a hobby, and that they translated this feeling to ballet. Certainly, Gracie and the other dancers think they can be professionals. The levels of drama are very high, and the meanness is right up there with the Sweet Valley Twins graphic novels, which appeals to some readers. The look backstage and how ballet training progresses was interesting, and I had a soft spot for Gracie's godmother and her tiny dogs. 
Weaknesses: Graphic novels occasionally have one facet of the drawings (often noses) that really annoys me; in this, Gracie's head often looked flat on one side. No other characters had heads like that, so I had some questions. Otherwise, the illustrations are similar to Gale Galligan's or Gabe Mendez. I wish we had more graphic novels encouraging students to pursue interests like computer programming, where there might be more jobs. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who liked Chase's So Done or Ziegler's The Audition. It would be nice to see more middle grade novels about girls involved in local ballet programs. 

I've always liked to sew and knit, and have never given it up. It never occurred to me to be professional about it, but I do daydream about having a PBS quilting show in the 1990s. Had a moment in college where I thought I could write poetry professionally, mainly due to the $50 I earned for a poem that Writer's Digest published in about 1986. Trying to read all of the middle grade literature leaves little brain space for writing poetry these days. 

Transylvania County

Howard, Jenny. Transylvania County
July 21, 2026 by Roaring Brook Press
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Dig Romer has gotten into so much trouble that his father, a professor, moves with him from London to Seven Falls in the US to live with his Uncle Paul, Aunt Laura, and cousins Audrey and Elliot. Uncle Paul, who is the local police officer, tells Dig that the area has a lot of local legends. Unfortunately, grandpa Gene has invested heavily in following one in particular; the “Boojum”, a large, Yeti like monster. This obsession has caused his wife to leave, and he is now working as a janitor in the middle school Dig attends, where the students make fun of him. Elliot, who is very smart and rarely in trouble, is concerned that the gym teacher, Ms. Berger, has gone missing, and none of the adults seem to care. Since gym is the only class Dig likes, he is interested in finding out what happened to her, especially when Coach Renfield is her replacement. Renfield is a beefy and blustering bully who leads the class in a game of survival dodgeball, and the cousins link him to the Dracula story. Seven Falls might be the burial place of Dracula, and there is a key to the city that might be the key to the coffin. It’s kept in a showcase at the middle school, and goes missing. Along with Clem, a girl who is also always in trouble, the boys investigate the local mysteries. They get locked into the school bell tower b Renfielf, but this doesn’t stop them freom investigating when the 7th grade class president’s younger brother, Ticky, goes missing around the same time that Grandpa Gene does. The group sneaks into Renfield’s house, but Uncle Paul seems unconcerned about the obvious signs that he is involved with vampires. When they are chased by the Boojum, will they be able to survive and figure out where the missing people are?
Strengths: If middle school aged characters move to a new home, there’s usually a ghost keeping things interesting, so this mixes it up a little with some creepy local stories and mythical creatures. Dig might be a sympathetic character to young readers who themselves don’t understand consequences and frequently make ill-advised choices. Coach Renfield is an odd and frightening character, and his version of dodgeball will terrify anyone who has played. The kids romps through the town and the woods are full of adventure and suspense.
Weaknesses: This definitely fell on the cheesy/Goosebumps end of the horror spectrum. There were a lot of things that felt a half a bubble off; a crucial key is kept in a school showcase? There’s a school uniform with an embroidered vampire? Dig’s interactions with his father were very odd, and he didn’t seem to understand that any of his own actions had consequences. The Boojum didn’t add much to the story, since the main supernatural conflict is with vampires, and again, the interactions seemed odd.
What I really think: There were so many vampire books twenty years ago (it was the Twilight era) that I have pretty high standards for new ones. There has to be some fresh twist on vampire lore, and this fell a little short of the mark for me. Readers who enjoyed Karim’s Summer Vamp, Bayron’s The Vanquishers, or Birchall’s How Not to Be a Vampire Slayer might want to take a look at this new title. 

Spindlewood

Kölsch, Freddie. Spindlewood   

July 21, 2026 by Balzer + Bray

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Lilac Black is being raised in Salem, Massachusetts by her Grandma Violet, Uncle Beau, and his husband Uncle Bell since her mother died when she was a baby. Uncle Beau works for the local history museum, and Uncle Beau is a medium. When doing a seance for the mayor, Lilac claims that she can sense spirits. Her mother, Juniper, could as well, and the family gets very excited. They are all part of a secret society of seers, and make plans to send Lilac to the Spindlewood School of Seeing. The prep school is very confidential, and has a traditional uniform involving sweaters and blazers with crests. Suddenly, Lilac finds herself on her way to a remote island to study skills she has no way of developing! Luckily, Emmanuelle is nice to her, and the other residents of Hill House, including her roommate Chloe, give her enough direction that she can fake her way through her aptitude test. She studies up on Esther Prin, a local legend, and pretends to talk to her for the test. She also finds the journal of Lenet Gardner, and learns some secrets about her past and that of the school. She is accused of being Unseeing, but works hard to help when things at the school get rough. There is room for a sequel.
Strengths: Lilac finds herself in a conundrum of her own making, which will resonate very strongly with tweens. If we say something is true, it KINDA is, right? Once Lilac tells her family about her "gift" and they get so excited that they expedite her enrollment into Spindlewood, how can she possibly back out? Think Stu claiming to be a vegetarian in Richards' Stu Truly. The magical school is well set up, with houses, good cafeteria food, legends, quirky staff, and unusual classes. I appreciated that even in a school for magic, there was algebra! There is a little bit of interpersonal conflict, and lots of dealing with spirits. The backstory of Juniper and Lenet adds a bit of interest.
Weaknesses: I had trouble getting invested in the Beyond and the spirits there, so Lilac being involved with Seers, especially since she had no abilities, struck me as a little odd. Perhaps this will be explored more in a sequel, although this could be a stand alone.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who want a Wednesday Addams vibe and liked Wolff's Aftermyth, Williams' Where There Be Monsters, or Adame's Chloe Vega and the Agents of Magic but doesn't have the freshness of The Missing Magic of Sparrow Zia. I will probably pass on purchase because my students are rarely requesting magical academy books.

The Lost Jewels of Room 7113 (Bea Bellerose #2)

Beckett-King, Jo. The Lost Jewels of Room 7113 (Bea Bellerose #2)
July 21, 2026 by Simon & Schuster BYR
E ARC Provided by Edelweiss Plus

After their adventures in The House of Found Objects, Bea and Céline are planning on touring New York City. Aunt Juliette has an assignment to interview famous French actress Eva Rousseau, and is being put up in the fancy Kingston hotel. Eva is starring in a production of Christie’s The Mystery of the Blue Train, and she is being loaned the Tiffany Yellow Diamond necklace by the famed jewelry store. Not long after the girls meet the star, the necklace is stolen, and Aunt Juliette is the primary suspect, since she was the last person in Eva’s hotel room. Bea’s dad, a pastry chef, picks the girls up, but is convinced to stay at the hotel, since the girls want to investigate. Bea’s father is applying to jobs in London, but Bea doesn’t want to move, even though Céline is excited that the two could spend more time together. With a little help from Zane, whose mother owns and manages the hotel, the girls start to uncover evidence to help their aunt. Someone leaves them notes that suggest going to certain places in the city, and they see a guard from the hotel working at the Empire State Building, check out security footage, hunt down a former guard whose key card was used to get into the room, talk to other residents, and even follow Eva to a photo shoot in Central Park and talk to her assistant several times. They have several theories and even more suspects. It looks like Aunt Juliette was framed, but will they gather enough evidence to save her?
Strengths: Even though it is terrible that Aunt Juliette is in police custody (she has an ankle monitor so can stay at the hotel), this is a generally upbeat book centered around seeing the sights in New York City and empowering the girls to solve the mystery. There’s even a little light romance between Zane and Céline. The girls are given a decent amount of freedom, but it is mentioned that the father is tracking them. The mystery is well developed, and the perpetrator is really rather clever, if misguided. There are plenty of New York City details; the author is clearly fond of the city.
Weaknesses: I didn’t quite buy the red herrings, and found it difficult to believe that the girls really thought someone was leaving them useful clues. Younger readers might not worry about that aspect of the book, but may question mysteries where expensive artwork and jewelry are lying about to be stolen. What I’d like to see is a school based mystery where there is perhaps cell phone or expensive tennis shoe theft. THAT would intrigue my students!
What I really think: This felt a bit like a classic Nancy Drew mystery and is a good choice for readers who enjoyed McDunn’s Trouble at the Tangerine or McLean’s Jewel Society series.  

Payne, M.D. Pumpkin Apocalypse

July 28, 2026 by Penguin Workshop

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Adam moves to Little Pine with his mother and stepfather, but is leery of meeting other students. He is forced to talk to Molly, and gets roped in to helping her with the annual Pumpkin Festival that her grandfather hosts on his farm. This is not great, since Adam has had a traumatic experience with a pumpkin and is afraid of them. When students and teachers start getting pumpkins, they start acting weirdly, and secrets about the town's history are revealed. 

I don't want to spoil the plot twists, but this was a little similar to Beware the Jacks by Laura Lavoie.There's a harvest festival, town secrets, and some pumpkin related zombification. Both books, interestingly enough, are being published in paperback. Both are more like Stine's Goosebumps books than his Fear Street ones; my students would love Fear Street if the almost forty year old paperbacks didn't smell "like grandma's living room". 

Fatal Glitch: Camp Zero

Kelly, Erin Entrada and Schrefer, Eliot. Fatal Glitch: Camp Zero

July 21, 2026 by Stonefruit Studio
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Sofia Mendoz isn’t particularly nice; she tripped her sister Isabella, a promising gymnast who is now laid up with injuries, and doesn’t even feel bad about it. After a similar incident at school, her Dad is taking her to Camp Forestjaw whose motto is “where you show your true self”. It is run by the sinister looking Monarch, who has animatronic birds called razors to do her bidding. Sofia is put in Cabin Zero with several other children, all of whom have done something to land them in the camp. They all get “rankles” that are ankle monitors. Sofia, who is obsessed with the Sandbox video game is both intrigued and a bit weirded out by the NPC (nonplayer character) waiters who work in the mess hall; they are shadowy robot figures who are pictured in some of the illustrations. The kids think about breaking out several times, since the food is horrible and the camp generally is not a pleasant place to be. They all know that their parents will not be saving them. They eventually turn against each other, and Monarch “dismisses” them one at a time in disturbing ways. Sofia tries to turn the kids against each other to further her own agenda, and seizes every opportunity to get more points, even if it hurts others. She overhears Booth telling Murphy about his problems, then lies to Booth and claims Murphy told her everything. She ranks herself first, doesn’t split prizes, and is generally unpleasant. This puts her on top of the leader board, but is this really how the game is won?
Strengths: Readers who are obsessed with video games will relate to Sofia and her love of Sandbox. Gaining points and skills, dealing with NPCs, being ranked, and working through levels will appeal to tweens who spend way more time on the computer than they should. Camp Forestjaw is eerily creepy, and losing campers in violent ways shakes things up. (Jack is eaten by wild animals, for example.) This is the start of a series of thematically connected titles revolving around games that can be read in any order.

Weaknesses: I struggle with books that feel like a playthrough of a video game, but younger readers will not have that problem. Dahlia was a very unpleasant character who never really grew and changed, which would have been interesting to see.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed the Five Nights at Freddy’s novelizations or the Stranger Things graphic novels. It was sort of a mix of Tales From Cabin 23 and Cube Kid’s Minecraft novels. There is another book in the series coming out in September, entitled Let’s Play a Game.

MMGM- The Haunting of Old Splinter

It's

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
 at 

Always in the Middle 

and #IMWAYR day 

at

Unleashing Readers

Mackay, Jack. The Haunting of Old Splinter
July 21, 2026 by Viking Books for Young Readers
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Peter Carney and Adrian Lee are step brothers living in Barghest-on-the-Moor. Adrian’s father, George, is helping his brother, Lawrence, renovate Old Splinter, a creepy old mansion with a disturbing history while Peter’s mother works as a nurse and ethically taxidermies road kill animals in her spare time. The house is in terrible shape, and Lawrence keeps traveling back to Hong Kong to deal with his business there, leaving George to deal with damp, rotted floorboards, and a horrible smell in the house. Peter and Adrian have befriended Alfie, a charming unhoused man who lives in a clothing donation bin and likes to scare people for fun. He tells them that the owner of Old Splinter was a magician named Wolfgand Ravenite who bought a “wishing claw”, a disturbing mummified human hand, and had it grafted onto his body. The lore is that the claw will grant wishes, but they come with a horrible price. The boys are intrigued, and since George is concerned that the family finances are keeping him tied to his brother, they even hunt down the claw, which is in the possession of local bully Jethro and his father. The claw has brought them great wealth, but certainly doesn’t make them happy. They steal the claw, even though they promised Alfie they wouldn’t. They wish for a dog, and get Poe, a black labrador who seems to have come out of a picture. They wish for something embarrassing to happen to Jethro, but what happens is more disturbing than they would have wished. Finally, they wish for enough money to leave Old Splinter, which results in Lawrence’s death. The family gets money, but Peter feels so guilty that he wishes for Lawrence to come back to life. This does not go well, and Lawrence’s zombie-like qualities eventually make it clear that this was not a good choice. Will Peter and Adrian be able to save their family?
Strengths: Creepy tales are always in demand, and the cover of this is great. There are plenty of creepy details about the history of the house, and some macabre discoveries. This really takes off after Lawrence’s death as it becomes clear that a week of being buried didn’t treat him well, and the boys approach solving the problem in a good way, and have some support from both parents and Alfie. I’m not a horror fan myself, so I enjoyed the happy ending. This was an interesting book about the price of wishes.
Weaknesses: This is a British title, but I think my readers will be okay with the haunted setting on the moors. It got off to a bit of a slow start, but definitely became quite scary.
What I really think: Readers who have met Jacob’s 1902 The Monkey’s Paw will enjoy this updated reimagining of the tale, which becomes quite the scary zombie tale. It’s also an instructive look at how badly wishes can go wrong, right up there with White’s Wish Monster or Snyder’s Bigger Than a Breadbox! Fans of Alexander’s The Fear Zone might also like this. I never have enough horror books, so will purchase this one. 

Meet Me on Love Street

Heron, Farah. Meet Me on Love Street

June 10, 2025 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Sana Merali lives on the charming Love Street in Toronto with her mother, who runs a flower shop. Her father has remarried and has a wife and daughter, Sarina, who value different things. Sana, a hopeless pansexual romantic, loves wearing clothes from Cosmic Vintage, where she works part time, and hopes to major in digital art in college, and adores her neighborhood, with its quirky shops and friendly vibe. When she sees a cute guy order her favorite pink chai at the Love Bug cafe, she is interested in him, especially when she finds out that he works out he works at her favorite book store, but at the local business owners association meeting, he comes across as a know-it-all jerk opposed to rebranding the street as a romantic destination. Hoping to persuade him to help revitalize businesses in the area, especially since her mother might have to sell their building, Sana decides to play Cupid and try to get him to fall in love. Attempts to set him up with a couple of friends as well as her stepsister don't end well, and the two find themselves connecting as they plan a festival for the area. There are plenty of mishaps and miscommunications, but Miles is very sweet when he agrees to take Sana to her prom. When there's some big news about the future of the neighborhood, it looks like Miles is right in the middle of attempt to bring in redevelopers. Will this doom their romance, or is this just another miscommunication?

While billed as an "opposites attract" novel, Sana and Miles are really very similar. They share the same cultural background (Ismaili Muslim), have parents who separated, and love their town. They both are college bound (Miles is majoring in urban planning), and are hard workers. The one thing that separates them is their level of romanticism. Sana is bubbly and completely devoted to falling in love, while Miles, in the middle of his parents' divorce, is more reserved. Once the two are involved, however, he makes sweet gestures like creating a corsage out of Legos! He is definitely a great book crush!

The details about Sana's Toronto neighborhood make me want to live there! She and her mother share a small but cozy apartment within walking distance of a book shop, vintage clothing store, coffee shop, and a bakery! At one point, Sana's father tries to tempt her to move in with his new family and attend college, but she does not want to leave. Her father ends up being involved in some of the regentrification process, and there are some changes for Love Street on the Horizon.

There is some mention that Sana is not a virgin, and her previous relationships are discussed. Near the end of the book, there is some plot involvement with what Sana suspects was her father's infidelity that may have led to the end of her parents' marriage, but her relationship with Miles involves mainly kissing. This would be a good choice for readers who enjoy the romance books of Kasie West, Suzanne Colasanti, Misty Wilson, or Katie Cicatelli-Kuc.

Saturday Morning Cartoons- First Place

Pascal, Francine, Andelfinger, Nicole, and Whittle, Knack (illus.)

First Place (Sweet Valley Twins #8)

May 5, 2026 by Random House Graphic

Copy provided by the publisher

Elizabeth and Jessica are always at odds, and in this new book, are fighting over Lila. Lila is Jessica's friend, and part of the Unicorns group, so Jessica is angry when Liz starts to take an interest in the popular rich girl because she has a horse. Thunder is appealing to all of the girls at school who are interested in horses, and the girls are offering to do Lila's homework to get near the stables. Lila isn't really interested in horses at all, because they are a lot of work, as well as being smelly, but she's enjoying the surge in popularity. Liz, who writes for the school newspaper, offers to do an article on Thunder, so has to hang out at the stables. She's thrilled to groom the horse and practice riding, and spends so much time at the stables that the staff, including Ted, think she should enter the upcoming competition. The only problem? It's for owners. Jessica is sad and angry that Lila isn't spending time with her, but pleased when she gets invited to a slumber party. Of course, Lila has invited Liz (who has a horrible time) as well as other hangers on, so no one but Lila is happy. When Liz spills a secret about her friend Amy, Amy is not happy, and eventually ends up ratting out Liz's desire to compete. Jessica embarasses herself a bit by flirting with the older Ted, who is more interested in her older brother Steven, but in the end, everything works out.

The Sweet Valley Twins books, based on 1980s paperbacks, are an interesting look at what middle grade literature used to be: lots of realistic friend and family drama, short books with simple plots, and books that were just fun to read. Mothers were reading Harlequin Romances, and tween girls got massive series like Martin's The Baby-Sitters Club and Haynes' The Fabulous Five. These weren't necessarily great literature, but they were addictive, and they lead children to read a lot and to wait for the next book to come out. Modern publishing should take note.

Whittle's illustrations are fairly similar to the ones in other volumes of this series, and are brightly colored with a variety of pastels. There are lots of expressive eyes, and an interesting array of fashions that give a nod to the book's 1980s origin; there are few girls at my school who ever where dresses or skirts, but they are quite the fashion in Sweet Valley.

The graphic novel adaptation does seem somewhat updated, although I have not been able to compare this to the original. The cast seems a little more diverse; I'm not sure Ted, with his prosthetic leg and LGBTQIA+ identity, was portrayed exactly this way in the original. The mother is good about talking to the girls and trying to help them with their problems. Lila is still very 1980s; it never occurs to her that having other people doing her school work might make it hard for her to understand the material in the long run. Her family situation is over the top; fancy house, billing daddy for transporting the horse to her back yard, and a seeming disregard for everyone but herself.

Did I personally enjoy this? Not really. The sisters constantly bickering over everything wore on me, and Elizabeth's interest in horses seemed to come out of nowhere. But will my students like this? Absolutely. It's a bright and breezy storyline, with juicy details about girls gossiping, jockeying for social position, and people embarrassing themselves right and left. It's not a philosophical, introspective book about deep life lessons, and that's a little bit of a relief. Graphic novels are popular in my library, and Pascal's series is quite the rage with fans of Libenson, Scrivan, and Russell.

Alex, by Proxy

Cantor, Karen Myna. Alex, By Proxy
July 21, 2026 by Holiday House
ARC provided by Young Adult Books Central

Alex has been in poor health since he was young, but it has recently come to light that his mother Clarissa suffered from Munchausen by proxy syndrome and has been poisoning him with mercury, salt, and other substances. He also suffers from a battery of psychiatric disorders, and hallucinates and has had psychotic episodes, but it is unclear if this is because of his mother’s actions. A former friend and fellow student, Ella, has issued a podcast alleging that Alex has made himself sick, which has caused an uproar in their community, since Clarissa’s trial is approaching, and Alex is set to testify against her. Alex has fallen out with his best friend Bryce, who has his own issues to deal with since his parents are involved in an acrimonious divorce. When Naomi talks to Alex, she encourages him to talk to Ella, and soon the four teens are working together on another podcast so that Aelx can tell the “real” story. But what is real? Alex’s father, who was deployed during most of Alex’s childhood, struggles to care for Alex and his younger brother, Logan, who was often neglected since Alex’s illnesses took up so much of Clarissa’s time. Ella babysat for Logan, and was fond of Clarissa; she claims she saw Alex poisoning himself. Alex is not taking his antipsychotic medication, and has recently been in a coma, so struggles with getting through the day. He’s getting emails from Clarissa that turn out to be from her online blog that detailed her struggles with getting proper care for her son. As Alex tells his group about his experiences, a theme emerges; doctors were not to be trusted, and Alex willingly accepted Clarissa’s cures. Why was this? And what finally made him think that he should stop his mother?

Alex’s journey through understanding what has happened in his life is an interesting but harrowing one. He doesn’t always remember things properly, and doubts his own perception, making the reader unsure about what has happened. Researching and taping the podcast brings some clarity, as does preparing to testify for the trial.

Ella’s podcast was initially very damaging and hurtful, and learning her reasons for interpreting the situation in the way that she did is interesting. Logan, who at ten is much younger than Alex, ends up playing a key role in Alex’s decision to quit going along with his mother’s plans. Naomi has her own issues, as does Bryce, and they, too, have some relationship issues with Alex that play out during the course of the book. I loved that Alex’s dad was so supportive, and the fact that he was deployed in order to afford medical bills was all the more poignant since he felt so guilty for not knowing what the mother was doing to Alex.

The ending is rather surprising, but makes sense. There are some parts of this that might confuse middle school readers a little, but high school readers will enjoy the twists, turns, and changes of perspective as Alex comes to terms with what happened to him. Readers who found Corrigan’s Remedy enthralling, or who are oddly intrigued by true crime podcast books like Henry’s Girl Forgotten, Altebrado’s The Possible, or Otis’ At the Speed of Lies will want to pick up this look at mental health, family dynamics, and changing friendships.

Remember Me, Daphne

Krampien, Celia. Remember Me, Daphne

July 14, 2026 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

The house across the street from Flora's, Thirteen Bly Street, embodies everything about the typical haunted house, and has seen some turnover. She's excited when a new family moves in two weeks before school starts. Fourth grader Danny seems a bit odd, but Mac is Flora's age and tremendously bubbly and friendly. The two become friends, and have a great start to the school year. There are some odd things happening; Mac's mother is missing a variety of objects, Flora has seen a creepy face in a window of the house, and Danny's behavior is increasingly odd. Still, the year is going well, and Mrs. Carlton, the girls' teacher, is great. Mac usually has a big birthday party for her birthday, and the girls spend a lot of time planning it and making invitations. Sadly, the invitations are ruined while they are in Flora's backpack, and she has a scary experience at school trying to find the person who did it. Mac is understanding, and the party goes forward. Sadly, Flora has another experience, and leaves early, but not before overhearing her mother discussing some of Mac's behavior at her old school. Eventually, Danny gives Flora some information about what he thinks is going on, and some of Flora and Mac's friends from school overhear the hypothesis that there is a ghost, Daphne, possessing Mac. One of the kids, Dirk, has an older brother who claims he can help, and the kids set up a seance to try to reason with Daphne. Some intriguing ties to other people in the community are made, and the parents even step in to help. Will it be enough to put the ghost's spirit to rest?
Strengths: I loved that Flora generally found it hard to make friends, but easily connected with Mac, and through her, a lot of other students at school. Sure, there were some odd moments (Danny offering her some mangled roses with bloodied hands was a nice touch!), but Mac is usually so nice! There are plenty of inexplicable, slightly creepy things, intimations that Mac had trouble at her previous school, and some treacherous moments, but they all seemed to fade with the daylight. What's more troubling than THAT? The best part of this was that everyone took Flora's concerns seriously; I loved Dirk and his brother's attempts to deal with the ghost. It was especially nice that the parents were also brought it, and I absolutely adored the connection that Daphne had to a figure prominent in Flora and Mac's lives (but don't want to give it away). Krampien's illustrations are just perfect, and I wish that we would see this level of illustration in more middle grade books. I miss the days of Joe and Beth Krush and Robert McCloskey illustrating novels. 
Weaknesses: While this had its scary moments, it wasn't quite as scary as the work of K.R. Alexander or Lindsay Duga. My students want really frightening, murderous ghosts like the ones in Kelly and Warga's The Last Resort series or Currie's X Marks the Haunt. 
What I really think: This is a perfect scary ghost story for the younger end of the middle grade spectrum, and a perfect choice for readers who enjoyed books like Strong's Secret Ghost Club or Oh's The House Next Door.  If there are still Betty Ren Wright books lingering in your library, this would be a good choice to replace them. 
 

Earth Heroes

Dyu, Lily. Earth Heroes: 20 Inspiring Stories of People Saving Our World
October 3, 2019 by Nosy Crow Ltd
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Did you know that Sir David Attenborough will be 100 years old on May 8, 2026? It's fitting that he is the first entry in this collective biography of influential environmentalists, since he has worked so tirelessly to support green initiatives. In all, this book highlights 24 changemakers who are trying to make the world a better place.

There is a wide range of types of eco activism. Roz Rozman is working to protect rivers, Ellen McArthur is trying to make the sea sustainable, and surfers Andrew Turton and Pete Ceglinski are concerned with ocean pollution. People make change in many different ways: Stella McCartney is trying to make fashion sustainable, Isabel Soares is trying to stop food waste, and Doug Smith is concerned with saving wolves. There are stories from different parts of the world as well. Chewang Norphel is working in India to assure that everyone has access to water, Bittu Sahghal is trying to save Tigers in India, and sisters Melati and Isabel Wijsen have addressed the use of plastic bags in Bali. It's good to see a range of ages as well; the Wijsen sisters and Greta Thunberg started working for their causes when young, and Yvon Couinard is still working with his company, Patagonia, to inform sustainable consumption at the age of 86.

Each person has about a ten page biography detailing a bit about their lives but concentrating about the various concerns they are addressing about the environment. This gives young readers a good introduction not only to the person, but also the different ways in which the world needs help. The final chapter of the book talks very briefly about what young readers can do to help as well. There are picture and quote credits, but no list of resources, which would have been helpful.

The format of this book reminded me of Freedman and Shilstone's 1961 Teenagers Who Made History, with photographs of the subjects embellished by artist Jackie Lay. The book is the size of a standard novel, and the biographies are straight text without insets, charts, graphs, or other illustrations. I would have appreciated the inclusion of more biographical information such as year of birth, and perhaps a quote from each person. This is a good springboard from students who want to learn more about environmentalists and fits in with books like Kirby's Old Enough to Save the Planet, Thimmesh and Sweet's Girls Solve Everything: Stories of Women Entrepreneurs Building a Better World, Alexander's Generation Brave: The Gen Z Kids Who Are Changing the World, and Messner and Greenwood's History Smashers: Earth Day and the Environment. I'd love to see a biography or Sir David Attenborough!

While this book will physically hold up better than some of the heavily illustrated collective biographies, it already feels dated. My readers are used to more illustrations, so this seems rather dry. The lack of dates for each person (even though these are easy to find online) is concerning, and the biographies didn't seem to be arranged in any particular order. It would have been nice to have included some maps, and I definitely would have liked a bibliography. I'll put this in my collection because we have teachers who assign biography projects on activists, but I'm not sure my middle school students would sit down and read the whole book for pleasure, which is a shame. There is another book by this author, Earth Heroes: 20 Inspiring Stories of People Saving Our World illustrated by Amy Blackwell that I may have to investigate.

Adventures in the City of Stories

Otheguy, Emma. Adventures in the City of Stories (#2)
July 21, 2026 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers
ARC provided by Young Adult Books Central

After our Cousins in the Time of Magic return to Miami following their time travel adventures to Virginia in 1862 and the Battle of Puebla, they once again get into trouble at their Tía Xía's house. Camila, Jorge, and Siggy find puppets and a signed, antique book in their aunt's cupboard, but end up jumping through a magical tinajón and leave the objects at the Mar del Tiempo when trying to escape from the bully, Cooper. Camila has had a rough day already; she's brought Spanish language books to school to share with her friend Marisol only to have the principal tell her they were inappropriate and could not be brought! Not only that, but he's sent a letter home to everyone about not bringing such books to school. After finding out that the book was signed by the famous poet Gabriela Mistral, and that the puppets belonged to author and librarian Pura Belpré, there's a huge problem. Tía Xía, who runs the Latin History Museum, found them in a closet, but now insurance investigators are looking for the relics. Unfortunately, continued scuffles end up with Cooper having the puppet Perez, and the children and the puppet Martina traveling back in time to New York City in the 1930s. The puppets serve as a kind of walkie talkie, and the children can communicate across the years from time to time. In the city, they try to get information from Anne Carrol Moore at the New York Public Library, but are overheard by Eva Wilson. Mrs. Wilson is the wife of a horrible employer, and she is very vocal about how there should be no books published in Spanish when it's so hard for any books to be published. The children find out where Pura Belpré works, but also run into Antonia, whose father works for Mrs. Wilson. Mrs. Wilson threatens Antonia that if she doesn't turn in the Time travelers, Mr. Wilson will fire her father, especially since Antonia has written an essay about the poor working conditions. The children also meet Gabriela Mistral when they duck into her apartment to escape being caught! A talking doll named Nicholas gives them a note from Tía Xía, who has arrived in the 1930s and is staying in Harlem with Arthur Schomberg. The whole adventure is fraught with anxiety as Mrs. Wilson steals the book and calls the police, and it looks like the puppets won't be able to be hidden away. Luckily, Antonia's Puerto Rican family is very welcoming and allows the present day visitors to stay with them in the 1930s. Things become even worse when the group makes sure that Antonia's negative essay is published in the paper. Will everyone survive and make it back to Miami? And will the adventure give Camila the boost she needs to stand up to book banning in her own time? 

There is a lot of historical information in this book that might not be widely known, so it was great to see extensive end notes describing historical events like the Great Depression as well as the famous historical figures who are portrayed. Information about book bannings and Puerto Rico is also included. There is an extensive list of books for further reading in addition to a lengthy bibliography. 

Like the first book in the series, this is illustrated by Poly Bernatene. In addition to chapter headings, there are a good number of illustrations that support the text, usually about one per chapter. I'd love to see more illustrated middle grade books. 

Teachers and librarians will appreciate the inclusion of information about both historical and modern books bannings, which weigh heavy on many minds. To lighten the load, there is the opportunity to see famous literary characters interacting with the time traveling cousins!

Time traveling is always more fun when there's a mission, celebrities from the time, and a lot of adventures! If readers enjoyed Henderson's The Magic in Changing Your Stars or Questlove and Cosby's The Rhythm of Time series and want more time slip adventures, this and Cousins in the Time of Magic are great choices to read next. 

MMGM- Beware the Jacks and Kid Potato

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Unleashing Readers

Lavoie, Laura. Beware the Jacks

July 21, 2026 by Union Square Kids

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Dahlia Reid has enjoyed living in Wilcott Head, awhere the Harvest Festival during the Autumnal Equinox is a big deal. The town has tried to position itself as a spooky destination, so she’s a little surprised at how vehemently the town opposes Penelope Mullins and her family, who have recently moved in and started a pumpkin patch. Some feel they are challenging the more established Pickens Place, but Mrs. Barnes is quite vocal that the soil there is “spoiled” and it’s dangerous for anyone to live there. There is some historical truth to this; the area was the site of a sinkhole in the 1800s that killed several people. Dahlia, whose best friend Lucy used to live where the Mullins do, befriends Penelope, who was adopted from China. Penelope said they moved because her father, a professor of environmental science, was stressed. The family certainly is trying to ingratiate themselves to the community, and even invite Dahlia’s class to the farm for a field trip. This doesn’t stop Levi, Dahlia’s new stepbrother, from being a jerk to Penelope. At the farm, Dahlia buys a couple of pumpkins so her family can carve them. When a forest walk at the Harvest Festival is called off because two children, Julian and Ava, are missing, Dahlia returns home to find her folks missing, and the house filled with green goo. As unusual and scary things continue to happen, she realizes that Mrs. Barnes’ concerns were valid, and consults with Isaiah Barnes, borrowing his mother’s books, to find a way to neutralize the creepy and evil Jacks that are terrorizing the town. Will Dahlia, Penelope, and Levi be able to work together to save Wilcott Head?
Strengths: I don’t want to give away too much, since there is a great backstory to the killer jack o’lanterns that are terrorizing Wilcott Head. Suffice it to say that “it’s not nice to fool (with) Mother Nature!” The opposition to the Mullins’ farm makes sense for several reasons, even if people like the Jamaican born Mrs. Barnes are not always taken as seriously as they should be for their objections. It was nice to see Dahlia befriend Penelope, and to work with her stepbrother Levi, even if she didn’t really want to. The town is deliciously creepy, and the kids are given free rein to wander about in the dark, which is always fun. There are plenty of tense moments, which are essential in a scary middle grade book. This read quickly, and will be a good addition to an autumnal horror collection, even though it would be good to read all year.
Weaknesses: Like this author’s scary The Thirteen Doors of Black House, this is being published in paperback. Titlewave does not yet have a prebound version, but I will keep my eyes open for one. Paperbacks do not hold up well in my middle school library.
What I really think: This is a great choice for people who liked Gillespie’s Give Me Something Good to Eat, Arden’s Small Spaces, Strand’s It Watches in the Dark, Russell’s Down Came the Spiders, and Krovatin’s Killer Harvest. Also, this has made me add “small rural towns with harvest festivals” to my list of places I never want to live, along with the Florida Keys, New York City, Hawaii, and anywhere south of Ohio. 

Coslett, Neil. Welcome to My World (Kid Potato #1)

May 5, 2026 by Ten Speed Young Readers

Copy provided by the publisher

Spudbert lives with his mother, father, sister Parka, and dog Ollie. He isn't particulary fond of school, and doesn't do as well as his friend Raven, although he knows not to cheat from her papers when she is distracted. He also has a metal robot friend, Chomp. Spuddy, aka "Kid Potato" embarks on a variety of every day adventures. These goofy antics include an alien getting stuck in Chomp's head and needing to be sent home, and Kid Potato being paired with a vampire-like classmate named Kid Evil for science fair. The two construct a project measuring how eating cheese before bedtime changes people's dreams, but don't win. Kid potato goes to visit his elderly grandmother, and gets involved with her high end toilet, the Flusterton, when it goes rogue and causes havoc by sucking things into itself. Even though he's not a competitive bowler, he decides to enter the Croco Bowl tournament so he can beat nemesis Finchely. Finally, we find out more about Ollie's past as there is a pet day at the school and Ollie runs off. There are several pages of puzzles at the back of the book for those who like activity books. 

Strengths: Like Kinney's Wimpy Kid series, Kid Potato has little discernable plot, but an endless supply of gags, jokes, silly illustrations, and potty humor, so I can see this being very popular in my library, along with books like Keller's Arnie the Doughnut and Pastis' Timmy Failure books. It's been harder to find good notebooks novels since graphic novels have really taken off, but for some reason, graphic novels tend to skew towards female characters. The constant stream of zany takes, like the school being across from a prison and next to a sewage processing plant, the alien destroying Kid Potato's school and home, and the sentient toilet are paired with MAD Magazine type illustrations. I can imagine this being a great choice for a giggle inducing read aloud for first graders, who will unabashedly love the potty humor and slapstick comedy, but it's also good for middle school readers who want a fun break from all of the serious books language arts teachers assign. The sequel, Fry and Stop Me, will be published in September 2026.
Weaknesses: Readers in the US will miss the joke with Parka's name, since we don't called baked potatoes JACKET potatoes. Since this was first published in the UK, it does seem very British, but other UK notebook novels, like Pichon's Tom Gates Clover's Rory Branagan: Detective, and Berger's The Pudding Problem have done well in my library. 
What I really think: This was not a personal favorite of mine, since I have never actually been a twelve-year-old boy and don't particularly care for the low brow humor. Will fans of Pilkey's Dog Man, who seem to be legion, enjoy this? Absolutely. I'll definitely recommend this a lot at the beginning of the school year in order to get kids to read, and hope that they will use this as a bridge to more challenging books like Hall's fantastic new This Could All Go Bad or, aptly, Costner's My Life as a Potato. 

Eleven Kinds of Blue

Wolff, Katherine. Eleven Kinds of Blue
July 7, 2026 by Holiday House

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Margot Stafford's father died before she was born, and her mother, Ruth-Ann, who has recently lost her job as a kindergarten teacher, has struggled with depression. Margot and her older brother Eli try to help as much as possible, but have their own interests. Margot's best friend, Suzanne, and her mother, Joan, try to help as well. School isn't Margot's favorite place, but she does enjoy art class with Mr. Grunwald, even if she isn't wild about some of the assignments, like mixing different shades of one color and naming them. When Ruth-Ann's current boyfriend, JP, moves in, the kids are wary. JP is a landscaper who has lost his daughter (a student of Ruth-Ann's) is a freak accident, and he is temperamental and often controlling. Hoping to show her mother that she doesn't need JP's help, Margot visits a new local art gallery to apply for a job. The owner, Alice, offers to let her work off the cost of a vase she has broken by cleaning the upstairs annex, and then to continue for minimum wage under the table. Margot is entranced by the gallery and her proximity to art, and when she finds six prints, takes them home and frames them herself, hoping to prove her worth to Alice. Suzanne is busy with her own activities, and Margot is trying to balance working at the gallery with watching out for her mother. She does meet Lex at a tutoring group that JP makes her attend in order to improve her math skills, and is enthralled with the carefree way Lex approaches life. When things with JP and the gallery reach a crisis point, Margot realizes that she needs help dealing with her mother, and is helped by Joan. Things end happily, with Ruth-Ann being offered a job running a town-sponsored art program at the gallery. 

Strengths: It would be great if there were more middle grade books with children who had jobs; it would be great if more middle grade students were trusted to have jobs. Babysitting, lawn mowing, dog walking, and cleaning are all things that tweens should be able to do to earn money and experience. Cleaning out an art annex would be fascinating, and Margot does enjoy it. Navigating changing middle school friendships is also something that interests young readers, so Lex and her different approach to life (She has a tattoo! And used to live in the city! Her parents are interesting!) is quite intriguing. There's some adventure, and the very real problem of dealing with a parent who needs help. Having Joan around was reassuring and helpful. Despite the heavy quality of a lot of the storyline, there is a happy ending. 
Weaknesses: This would have been a fresher and more upbeat story without the inclusion of not only the deceased father (whose overalls Margot wears every day), but of JP's daughter, who was crushed under a folding table of casseroles at a family gathering. The inclusion of so much grief slowed the story down. This is always my pet peeve, so other readers may not agree. I also found it a bit disturbing that there were few consequences for Margot taking the paintings or for moving JP's things specifically to annoy him, since this had rather serious consequences.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who found Braden's The Benefits of Being an Octopus or Keller's The Science of Breakable Things interesting.