Snare Your Crush in Three Easy Steps

Berne, Emma Carlson. Snare Your Crush in Three Easy Steps

August 4, 2026 by Choose Your Own Adventure

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

You and your best friend Elise are preparing for the school dance by making cupcakes. When Elise decorates a special one and plans to hide a note in it confessing her crush on the very cute James, you are appalled because he is also YOUR crush, and you had planned on asking him to dance. How will the dance play out? In this Choose Your Own Adventure Book, there are a LOT of different ways! You might sabotage the cupcakes so James doesn’t get her note, you might let Elise go forward with her plan, or a curve ball might be thrown into things when another girl, Sara, is also interested in him! There are some timelines where an overflowing toilet is involved. My favorite is when Elise understands, you get to dance with James, and even get a sweet kiss.

I struggle with this format, especially as an e-book (although it was easy enough to click on the links and go to the correct pages), and want to read every combination. Many of the timelines are very short, and resolve quickly. I can’t imagine the creativity involved in thinking up all of the different combinations of events! I appreciated that the Latin teacher, Mr. B., is also serving as the DJ, and even wearing a t-shirt that reads “Semper Ubi Sub Ubi”, which loosely translates (ungrammatically!) as “Always wear underwear”. I once owned such a t shirt! The illustrations are charming, and reinforce my thought that the girls go to a private school, since they are wearing uniforms.

Romance books have been a big draw for my students this year, so I will buy a copy of this title if it is available in a prebound format. Not entirely sure if my romance readers will like the multiple plot format, but it’s worth a try for fans of Lee Heart Spotlight Sprinkles books or Tessier’s Chloe graphic novels.

Howe, Jenny L. How (Not) to Renovate a Haunted House

July 21, 2026 by Delacorte Romance

E ARC provided by Netgalley

Amity lives in California, where she plans to attend the college where her mother teaches to save on tuition instead of joining her friend Taylor. When her mother gets another job directing the writing center at Rehoth College, Amity is suddenly whisked across the country to Harlow’s Rest, Massachusetts. She’s irritated about the sudden notice and missing a taco crawl with Taylor, although not particularly concerned about leaving her father, from whom her mother was recently divorced. When their new lodgings turn out to be a local haunted house, Amity isn’t happy, even though she has the whole third floor to herself, and cute fledgling podcaster Theo is interested in the house. Amity struggles with social anxiety, but it isn’t long before she is making a few friends and arguing with Theo. Theo’s family is involved in renovating Amity’s house, which has some weird paranormal phenomena going on. Will the two fight their way through the renovations and haunting, or come to a cozy understanding?

I’m always looking for romances with high school characters that would be appealing to middle school students, so I had great hopes for this one, since horror is also a popular genre with my students. There is at least one f-word early on, but this could work for middle school. It wasn’t my favorite, since I am not a fan of the enemies-to-lovers trope, and found Amity’s behavior a bit young for a college student. She is so anxious she will only order food online so she doesn’t have to talk to staff, and muses that “There should be some kind of script available online to guide people through interactions with strangers.” (I thought there probably was; my daughter said that there is, in fact, a Reddit that addresses this, although I didn’t research it further.)

My big objection was the use of the phrase “got smote”, since the mother is supposed to be a college professor of writing. The principal parts of the verb “to smite” are smite, smote, smitten. This is grammatically esoteric, to be sure, but Amity’s mother should have corrected her.

 
Cute story, liked the premise, would probably buy for a high school library, but this wasn’t my favorite. I'm too old, and too Xoomery too appreciate it. 

Saturday Morning Cartoons- Frostbite

Boothby, Ian and Guerra, Pia. (Illustrator). Frostbite
August 4, 2026 by Graphix
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

In this starkly illustrated graphic novel, we see a hockey bus get lost and skid off a snowy, remote road. The driver and coach try to figure out what to do with the high school team members, and take them to a nearby cabin. Sadly, when blood from the driver drops onto the snow, it unleashes horrible zombie-like monsters that destroy everyone. We also meet Dante and Jen, influencers who specialize in extreme sports. They have a staff that includes a pilot and camera person who are not particularly fans of the teens. They jump onto a snowy mountain in the same region, but when they get to the bottom, find their crew missing. They make their way to a local store, but their equipment is stolen by a resident named Kyle. Even though the clerk warns that they should not follow them, they do, with the help of another clerk, Callum. They find a cabin, but run into the creatures as well. They barricade themselves inside, and end up on the roof, watching the creatures trying to climb the walls. They can be fought off by light as well as water piped in from local rivers. At one point, Jen falls off the roof but makes it to a nearby storage shed. Dante is turned into one of the monsters. Callum’s mother shows up, and it turns out that there is deep local and family history that has caused her to become a monster hunter. An avalanche sweeps her away, and damages the cabin, so Jen and the others have to try to survive. They are eventually rescued, but a final page shows a sign declaring that the cursed area will be home to a future resort and spa!
Strengths: There are not a lot of horror graphic novels, and this certainly had a sort of simplistic appeal, with the stark black and white background with touches of red. The creatures are fairly scary, and indiscriminate in their carnage. There’s a lot of poking them with metal spikes, which dissolves them into a satisfying goo. The backstory makes sense, and the inclusion of social media influencers will be appealing to young YouTuber wannabes. This could be a series, especially if the resort gets built.
Weaknesses: There was really no character development, and it was hard to keep the characters straight. The hockey team didn’t have much of a reason to be in the story, although the bus did show up later. The illustrations are okay, but have a standard, comic book sort of feel to them.
What I really think: This didn’t strike me as particularly good, but I can see its appeal to readers who don’t want a particularly involved story or who struggle a bit with text complexity. I might end up purchasing a copy for readers who aren’t quite up to reading Goosebumps books and enjoyed the P.J. Night graphic novels.

Ghost in the Night

Jackson, Tiffany. Ghost in the Night

August 4, 2026 by Scholastic Press

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Harmony Round tree has become increasingly interested in ghosts since the death of her beloved grandmother. She and her father, Big Al, have been traveling around the US with his band. In each new city, she tries to go on a ghost tour and endeavors to take photos. She gets a note of permission from her father, and is often the only Black girl on the tour. In Savannah, her father has new accomodations for them; the guest house at the back of his friend Lena's property. There's just been a murder in the area of a locally beloved historian, Tim Truman, and his nephew Jabari is still missing. This makes Lena wary of letting Harmony take her son, Robby, on ghost tours with her, but the two still go on Asher's Orbs and More tour in the Colonial Park area. At the run down Myers House, Harmony thinks she gets a picture of a ghost. Excited, she goes to a shop to get a hard copy printed, and meets a girl her age, Myah, whose father owns the shop. Myah thinks that the ghost is Truman's, and the girls start to hang out to try to learn more about what happened to Truman. The area was built on top of a Black cemetery, and Truman had been trying to get the name of the square changed from Calhoun, which ran him afoul of some people. The kids try to talk to friends and family of Truman, but upset some of them. They decide that they need to solve the mystery themselves. They try to get some ghost hunting advice from Maverick, who tells them that sometimes what people think are ghosts are really grief hallucinations. Since Harmony is struggling with the death of her grandmother, this is a concern. Also concerning is the fact that Myah has gotten in trouble for claiming to be able to talk to ghosts, encouraged by the teachings of her own grandmother, who is of Gullah descent. Even though the Myers House is condemned, the kids sneak in. Will they be able to solve the mystery, and will Harmony come to terms with her father's plans for the future?

While I thought this book was related to the author's Blood in the Water because of the similarities in the cover, it is not.

Strengths: I've never been to Savannah, so this was a great virtual trip. There is plenty of local history, and it was good to see Harmony investigating it along with Myah, who was aware of some of the local legends. I enjoyed Myah's grandmother. The subplot with Harmony and her father moving away from Harlem could have been a book all on its own. Robby was a good sidekick, and I liked his technical knowledge. Ghost hunting seems like a tween interest that could be more widespread, and the book had a bit of a Scooby-Doo feel to it, with Harmony and her meddling friends being able to find the evil villains and solve the mystery.
Weaknesses: Harmony and Myah make some poor choices, and as an adult, Lena seemed to have some good points about being cautious in an area that had just seen an unsolved murder.While young readers will think it perfectly fine that the kids are giving Maverick money to rent equipment and going into a decrepit building, it gave me some pause. This was also a bit on the long side.
What I really think: While this is mildly scary, it is more historically focused. Fans of Hill's Girl from the Ashes, Strong's Just South of Home, Royce's Root Magic, and Cummins' Trace will enjoy this one. While I appreciate the research that Jackson has done into children and grief, it's never my favorite thing to read about. Grandparents of middle grade readers are very likely to die; it's just part of life. My own philosphy on this is different from the prevailing one. I will probably buy a copy, since the cover is great and my students can't get enough scary books.

The Doll House

Gillespie, D.W. The Doll House
July 28, 2026 by Delacorte Press
E ARC provided by Netgalley

 
It’s always been just Garrett Weathers and his mother June, so when they are visited by a lawyer representing his recently deceased grandfather, it’s a bit of a surprise. There’s been years of estrangement, but the grandfather, who wrote under the pen name Alistair Gray, has left his sizable estate to the two, on one condition. They must spend a week at his house in Georgia, Inkwell Point. June is reluctant, but Garrett is curious, so the two set off on an adventure. The house is enormous but very creepy; it looks like the Addams family house, and there are pieces of wooden dolls strewn about. Not only that, but when Garrett moves a chair that is wedged under the closet door in his room, he finds a super creepy, life sized doll there! The lawyer indicates that Alistair had some sort of unsavory project going on, and June is reticent about why she never visited her parents, which makes Garrett even more curious. There’s a locked basement door behind which there are skittering noises, a typewriter that communicates with Garrett, and a creepy attic workshop with even more dolls. The handyman’s son, Wes, agrees to help Garrett investigate, but refuses to enter the house, since he knows how sinister it feels. Garrett learns that his grandmother was a painter as well as a writer, and died some years ago. He also discovers that Alistair’s siblings all died in their 40s and 50s within a very short span of time. Even though the typewriter warns him to leave the dolls alone and to not put any of the pieces back together, Garrett continues to pry into the past, with terrifying results. Will he and his mother be able to understand their troubled legacy and move on?
Strengths: Finding out your grandfather was a bestselling author. Cool. Inheriting his palatial estate. Awesome. Discovering that there are murderous doll corpses with a dark secret strewn everywhere. Terrifying! There were deeply creepy moments scattered throughout the book, but nothing so disturbing that fourth and fifth graders would have nightmares after reading this. I did appreciate that Garrett told his mom some of what was going on, and that she was somewhat sympathetic. The backstory with her father’s past plays out in a sometimes understandable and sometimes fantastical way, and I didn’t quite put together what Alistair’s diabolical plan was. Definitely a twist on the scary doll and haunted house tropes, and another very solid book by this author.
Weakness: I’ve read hundreds of middle grade novels about haunted places and things, and I’m ready for something new. A haunted community center? Park? Little used mall? Dollar store? Church? There are some haunted library and school books. And why is it always dolls? Couldn’t we have haunted books, pets (Red Rover!), backpacks, or technology? Haunted technology would be awesome.
What I really think: I like Gillespie’s work, especially Grin, so will definitely purchase this one for fans of Currie’s It's Watching, Alexander’s Follow Me, and Sutherland’s The Nightmare Next Door. I’m not entirely sure whether the cover is scary or icky, but I can certainly hand sell this if students find the cover TOO disturbing. I know I’ll have to hide the book when my usual substitute covers for me, since she can’t stand scary doll covers! 

Mayhem at Misfit Mansion

Davault, Kay. Mayhem at Misfit Mansion (#2)
August 4, 2026 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

After the adventures in Misfit Mansion, Iris is glad that things have calmed down and that she can live with her friends, even though she is concerned that Agnes and Kel have their own interests and may not want to talk to her anymore. Larkspur is still not very friendly, and even Mathias seems to be distancing himself. When the town agrees to have the annual Harvest Festival at Misfit Mansion, there is a lot of work to be done, and Iris is very busy. When Pippa, a rare Pied Piper Parrot, shows up, her sad song starts to affect the residents, and an effort is made to find her missing friend, Piccolo. Larkspur is irritated when the parrot bonds with him, and also still irritated by Mathias’ past as a horror hunter with his Aunt Anemone. As tensions escalate between Iris and her friends, and secrets emerge about the history of horror hunters, will the Harvest Festival, and perhaps the fate of Misfit Mansion, be in jeopardy? 

Strengths: The illustrations are very appealing, and the color palette is bright despite all of the problems the characters experience. Misfit Mansion is an appealing place, with all of the different “horrors”, which are really just misunderstood mythical creatures. The idea of the Pied Piper parrot is interesting. The current opinion that issues are made worse if you don’t talk about them, and that you should share your emotional upheaval with your friends, is definitely upheld. The townspeople accepting the horrors feels very allegorical and could apply to lots of different situations in today’s world. 

Weaknesses: The multiple layers of conflict, as well as repetitive explanations of it, slowed this one down quite a lot. I was hoping that the monsters could embrace a little more joy after all the problems of the first book. 

What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who like the Lumberjanes series or other angst ridden magical graphic novels like McClaren’s Crumble.  

The Ginghams

Kemper, T.C. The Ginghams
July 21, 2026 by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Joni Bird has returned from an arts summer camp with her friend Tyler. The two had to leave behind their friend May, a drummer in Olive Springs because she had broken her arm. In their absence, May has started to hang out with a new girl, Charlotte Ann Gingham, whose family has an odd fashion sense and even odder world view. Charlotte Ann and her mother wear clothing reminiscent of the 1950s, heavy on pastel dresses, cardigans, and pearl accessories. They also espouse “virtues” of the era through their weekly book club that studies Mr. Gingham’s book Pillars of Perfection: Building a Flawless American Family. Since May has started wearing similar dresses instead of ironic band t-shirts, and putting her hair in a bun, Joni is concerned. The trio loves the Twister Trio series of graphic novels, but before long May is saying that they are inappropriate. Joni and Tyler, a boy who favors sparkly eyeshadow and paisley tank tops, spend a lot of time trying to research the Ginghams at their school library, consulting Miss Peters, an older woman with a bright pink Pixie and fun t-shirts. Joni’s parents make her attend the book club, and once Ms. Bird gets earrings from the Ginghams, she starts turning into one of them. Mr. Bird starts sporting a silver watch and also seems to change. More horribly, May’s cool mother, who runs the local Bookies and Cream bookstore/ice cream shop, stops riding her motorcycle and paints the cool store beige! Mr. Gingham runs for mayor, and Joni has her suspicions about what ‘s going on. When he persuades the school board to remove all of the books from the library for “evaluation” Joni and Tyler know they need to act. Will they be able to figure out how the Ginghams are brainwashing the town in order to stop them?
Strengths: The premise of this, as well as the mechanics of how people were controlled, was intriguing and a bit brilliant, and the book certainly embraces the current social zeitgeist concerning behavior, identity, and societal norms. Joni and her friends have a great relationship and varied interests, and it’s nice to see how well they complement each other. This makes the horror of May’s change all the more terrifying. Mr. Gingham is clearly the most evil, but he is also clever, glib, and politic… in the way that all the most truly evil people are. It’s a modern, middle grade twist on Ira Levin’s classic 1972 The Stepford Wives with the visual effect of the 1998 movie, Pleasantville.
Weaknesses: This felt very heavy handed. It seemed a bit odd that Joni and her friends complained that they were “weird” because they liked graphic novels and quirky fashions. ALL of my students seem to be this particular flavor of quirky, and even the new stereotype of school librarians is a dyed, tattooed, and pierced person in Chucks and message t-shirts. The Ginghams weren’t entirely wrong– aren’t most adults against social media apps and too many video games? To be petty, I’m not sure you can really describe a sweater as “gingham”. Gingham is a distinctive weave of fabric, but I guess you could reproduce this with knitted color work.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who like strong social commentary like King’s Attack of the Black Rectangles or Dee’s Tear This Down. It also could be paired with van Eekhout’s Happy Town, Haydu’s Eventown, or Korman’s Masterminds.  

I was so looking forward to this book, but was a little disappointed in the lack of nuance. I wanted Joni to be initially charmed by Charlotte Ann so the reality seemed harsher. Also, I can’t argue with another of Mr. Gingham’s dictates that our only value comes from our productivity, and if we aren’t useful, we have no value to parents or society. Okay, so maybe NO value is a bit harsh, but if I’m not doing something productive, what value do I really have? This is definitely a similar philosophy from my maternal line; both Helen (my mother) and Anna (my grandmother) were ALWAYS doing something, and I have embraced this fully. I fail to see why this is wrong, although I know full well that society has moved away from this. It will do no good to argue this with me.

This book did lead me to instruct my advisory group on different types of fabric, so that perhaps they will understand, at the very least, the difference between knit and woven fabric.     

MMGM- Level Up

It's

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
 at 

Always in the Middle 

and #IMWAYR day 

at

Unleashing Readers 

It is SO time to go back to school! Originally posted this with the heading of AUGUST! I did put in a book order last week, so I'm hoping to have new books for students shortly after they come back. 

Hermon, Daka. Level Up

August 4, 2026 by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Keenan, his Dane Shepherd Leo, and his mother Jackie move from California to Tennessee to get away from his father, who is controlling and unpleasant. They are staying with Jackie’s mother, with whom there is some tension. Keenan thinks his grandmother is cool, if a little quirky, and she runs the Southern Delights Bakery. Maxine, who is Keenan’s age and lives nearby, warns him that there have been kids kidnapped by a “fear monster”, which seems a bit ridiculous, but makes a bit of sense since Keenan feels that something is wrong. This is made worse at school, where all of the children are encouraged to play video games to help with their academic skills, but seem completely addicted to them. The teachers are all a bit odd, and Keenan notices that they wear stone bracelets. Keenan can’t play the video games because he is colorblind and they rely heavily on color, but he hides this from his teachers because he had been bullied before about his condition. Maxine warns him to stay away from kids in a nearby neighborhood who were involved with some of the monster issues, but after classmate James turns into a monster in a bathroom and menaces Keenan, he starts to wonder if he should ask them for help. When he finally contacts Justin, Nia, and Lyric, they tell him a little about their adventures, and figure out that he is the only one who can defeat the monster queen by heading into her world during the upcoming eclipse. It’s a good plan, but requires precise timing and a lot of bravery. Will Keenan be able to defeat the queen, and even if he does, will it be enough? 

Strengths: I have a good friend with red/green color vision deficit, so it was fun to see this condition not only represented, but to have it be almost a superpower that Keenan uses to fight the monsters. The inclusion of video games as a way to mind control students is absolutely on point; we have iReady and CommonLit that students have to spend time on, as well as other programs for intervention classes, and I’m not a fan of kids having to spend so much time looking at screens during the school day. The grandmother is an absolute delight, and knows her stuff, but of course Jackie discounts her opinion as well as Keenan’s. Even Leo plays a good role in the fight, and there is some solid real life drama with Keenan’s family situation that is worked out well. I don’t want to ruin any surprises, but there could well be another book, and I will be looking forward to another adventure for the “Monster Crew”. 

Weaknesses: I suppose the teachers have to be evil, but couldn’t there be just ONE who was on the grandmother’s side and could help Keenan and his friends? Maybe, I don’t know, the librarian? 

What I really think: This could almost be a stand alone, but is better if read after Hide and Seeker and The Nightmare King. It was just the right level of psychological terror and gore, and was quite a relief after a spate of cheesy horror books. Definitely purchasing, since it was my second favorite read of April. (Nelson’s RV There Yet? was the first, since I don’t personally care for horror books. My students LOVE horror!) Perfect for fans of Lawrence’s The Stitchers, Currie’s X Marks the Haunt, and the works of K.R. Alexander.  

Lieberman, Daniel E. Fed Up: What Evolution Reveals About Food, Diet, Health, and Eating Well

August 11, 2026 by Knopf

E ARC provided  by Netgalley

Netgalley is a dangerous platform, because I often find books there that look appealing but don't fall within the purview of my blog. Dr. Lieberman had posted a charming video describing his book on social media, and when I found out it was available on Netgalley, I read it right away. 

This had a fantastic balance of science and anecdote. The author and his wife gamely tried a lot of fad diets, and the book was arranged in historical order of some of these. Major trends (Weight Watchers, Atkins, High Carb, etc.) were discussed at length with humor and professionalism. I didn't know that evolutionary biology was a field of study, but this expertise shed some light on why some diets are adopted, and how they do or don't support human health. 

My favorite part of the book was the discussion of African chimpanzees' diets-- Lieberman followed them around and ate the plants that they ate, even ingesting some ants! This personal approach and willingness to be his own guinea pig was quite interesting and endearing. Reading about his mother's adherence to diets of her era was interesting; she was roughly the age of my own mother, but more "successful" in adhering to them. Sadly, this meant that she was very underweight in her old age and not as strong as she could have been. Since I have an aunt who is 88 and currently weighs 92 pounds, this hit close to home!

There aren't any earthshaking conclusions at the end of the book; he quotes Michael Pollan's "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." a couple of times. Eat a variety of whole foods, but don't put foods off limits; just eat some sparingly. I love reading food writing, though, so didn't really expect a prescriptive diet from this book. Knowing the history of diets, and knowing that I'm fairly on track with current research and science when deciding what to eat (yes, getting enough protein and fiber is a full time job as one ages!) made this book worth reading. I would think all public library would want to invest in this title. 

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.