Champions of the Galaxy

Okogwu, Tọlá. Champions of the Galaxy
June 30, 2026 by Margaret K. McElderry Books
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Kola Adesola lives with his family in London in 2025. He’s been training for a space program for a year after his grandfather Gbadero, an aerospace engineer, has recommended him for a government project. His family struggles with his younger sister Simi’s sickle cell anemia, and she is in the hospital when the world shifts: a spaceship hovers over the Houses of Parliament, and the Onni, from the Ada’En system, announce that they have arrived to save the world. Kola’s space program is canceled, but after the Onni demand that children are to be sent with them to serve as champions and prove humanity’s worth in order to be saved, Kola is picked to represent the UK. Home schooled and a bit anxious, Kola doesn’t want to go, but the Onni have offered new technology as recompense, and he hopes they might have something to save Simi from suffering with her illness. Soon he is whisked away and put into a competitive “pod” with Achan, from South Sudan, Thea, from the US, and Dae Jin, from South Korea.They each have skills and complicated back stories, and fight a bit until they realize that is what the Onni want them to do. They are forced to undergo twelve trials, including one that forces them to eliminate one of the group. They refuse to do this, and the Onni are shocked. Their planet has been destroyed by an organization called the Alliance, and the twenty four remaining members of the society include Eika, the leader, and Thusor, who is in charge of Kola’s pod. The Onni group has been in charge of entertainment on their planet, and their top product was a show that traveled to different planets, arranging similar champion games. When more secrets come out about why they are taking children, and what plans are for Earth, Kola and his group have to use all of their wiles to save the planet. Will they succeed?
Strengths: If middle grade fiction has taught us nothing else, it's that only tweens can save the world. The arrival of the Onni is a new reason for them to become champions, which is a fresh twist. The idea that refugees from another planet are looking at what the residents of Earth have done to the planet and have decided to step in to save them is an interesting one, although after reading Falkner’s 2012 Recon Team Angel books, I know never to trust aliens who want to do something for your own good! Kola is an unlikely hero, which readers of science fiction seem to like, and his pod is a diverse group that is able to learn to work together. There are a few twists and turns that tweens might not expect, and there is a satisfying ending that could possibly lead to a sequel.
Weaknesses: I do not feel good about humanity’s chances of survival if we have to rely on today’s tweens. The message of the book was a bit unclear to me. Reality television is bad? People should learn to get along better? Never trust space aliens? This is more of a “me” problem; younger readers will just enjoy tweens saving the world.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed science fiction adventures like Johnson’s Aku: Journey to Ibra, Richter's The Star of Moon Village, Brooks’ Nothing Interesting Ever Happens to Ethan Fairmont, or Bradford’s Virtual Kombat series.

Time Slip Tuesday- Lily Tripp: Diary of an Accidental Time Traveler

Tait, Amelia. Lily Tripp: Diary of an Accidental Time Traveler
May 12, 2026 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus 

Lily lives with her accountant parents in England in 2025... most of the time. She has an odd habit of traveling back in time at New Year's Eve, and has spent a year in Victorian England and another in ancient Rome before returning to the present day after wishing on birthday candles. Whenever she travels, the people in her life stay the same. There are her parents, her best friend Poppy, nemesis Georgia, and crush Ollie. A classmate, Joey, often shows up as well. This year, she is determined to find out how Ollie feels about her at a New Year's Eve party, but before she knows it, she wakes up in 1621. This time, she and her family are servants living in Georgia's house! Ollie is also wealthy, but still talks to her. The two still exchange books. Because of her odd habits, and her attempt to make chicken nuggets, Lily is almost accused of being a witch, but before anything happens, travels to 1972. While she enjoys Jackie magazine, she is appalled by the open gym showers and the braless feminists. Lily eventually realizes that Ollie will never like her, not matter what time period they are in, and that Joey is a better friend than she has imagined. 

Strengths: British protagonist. Check. Time travel to the past. Check. Light romance. Check. This had all of the elements that I would have adored in middle school. Lily takes the time traveling in stride and blends in fairly well with whatever time period she is inhabiting, even though she keeps her modern sensibility. I liked how the supporting characters stayed essentially the same, but changed slightly depending on the setting. This had plenty of humor, and the romance and friend drama that my readers have been asking for. 

Weaknesses: I was never convinced there was a particularly good reason for Lily to time travel, which bothered me. Young readers might not mind as much, but I wanted to know not only why she was time traveling, but how. 

What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who can't get enough time travel books like Saunders' Beswitched or Kelly's The First State of Being, but who secretly miss the late Louise Rennison's Confessions of Georgia Nicolson series.

MMGM- Sleepless and Why Do We Sleep?

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Korman, Gordon. Sleepless

July 7, 2026 by Scholastic Press

ARC provided by Young Adult Books Central

**Spoiler alert!**

If you intend to read the book, you might not want to read the review. There are lots of twists and turns, but they occur early, so I couldn't really write a review that doesn't mention them. You've been warned! 

Mickey is bored because he doesn't sleep. He and his hairless dog, Baldie, because of his bad allergies. They often go out at night, because his parents are working a lot after losing money in a bad real estate deal. With nothing better to do, he takes up running. Skye, on the other hand, uses her sleepless time for art projects, knitting, and reading. Levi, who has asthma, has several different social media accounts, and claims that some of them live in other countries, since he's posting in the middle of the night. Thea gets tired of sitting at the peanut free table but loves theater, and practices singing in a sound proofed treehouse, and Levi invents things. After Skye beats Mickey at the local science fair, the two meet when Baldie sneaks under Skye's fence. The two kids compare notes about their sleep, and eventually meet Levi when is out walking his dog, Bub. Mickey tries out for the football team once he's good at running, and after saving a game (and irritating Carlo, a teammate who bullies him), he stays out all night with the team and sees Thea outside in the week hours of the morning. Levi has posted a video of Thea singing, and she manages to flush him out by posting a Sodoku puzzle on social media. Once the five kids all know about each other, they convene, and try to figure out what they all have in common. It turns out that all five get allergy shots from the same man, Dr. Malachi. Since Skye has an appointment, all the kids go, and ask the doctor what has caused their sleeplessness. Malachi admits to giving them a special shot, but says that it is for the good of humanity, so that they can have an Uninterrupted Life and do great things. Everyone but Thea wants to stay on the shots, but Thea is adamantly opposed. When Dr. Malachi's office is empty, the group tries to hunt him down. They find an address, but there is a rather angry man there who yells at them about Spindle-Top. This turns out to be a luxury apartment building, but the doctor is gone. They go back to the former apartment and find out that the angry man is Dr. Malachi's son, James. When someone tries to break into the tree house, Mickey identifies the culprit as Beans, another member of the football team. He admits to getting the shots, and the kids sneak out to try to confront Dr. Malachi. He's gone again, but at least James, who has met the children there, is taken away and gets some psychological help. The kids have found the serum, but have to decide whether or not to have it analyzed so they can keep taking it, and eventually decide to destroy it, dumping it on the tree. Mickey and Skye are worried that they won't get to spend time together, since Skye's mother was the real estate agent whose actions caused Mickey's parents to lose their money, but Mickey's parents tell him that none of that is Skye's fault. The children still don't sleep for a while, but eventually the serum wears off. The tree at Thea's house, however, is permanently changed by the serum!

Strengths: First of all, this is a great premise, and more realistic than the somewhat similar Midnighters by Scott Westerfeld or The Eighth Day series by Salerni. Told from multiple perspectives, we see how the different children use their extra time. I would totally be like Skye, who even starts to learn Greek and Latin! The children all have different challenges to work around so they can do things undetected, but this is done in a way that makes perfect sense. Mickey's parents work at night. Thea has a soundproofed tree house. Levi has to evade his older sister, and uses Bub as an excuse for being out. I love that attention to detail. I picked up pretty quickly that they all had allergies, maybe because I took allergy shots for six years; I'm just sad mine never gave me extra hours in the day. The hunt for Dr. Malachi took the book in a different direction, and added an element of suspense. This is a fun book with absolutely solid writing. Korman should give master classes on writing middle grade fiction. 
Weaknesses: I'm not personally a fan of multiple points of view, so would rather have had this from a third person omniscient perspective, but it wasn't confusing the way it was written. Just a preference. 
What I really think: Korman just keeps getting better and better. Faker, Snoop, and Sleepless are probably my three favorite books that he has written, even though Restart will probably be considered his finest work. My condolences to him on the death of his friend, Barry Pekilis, to whom the book is dedicated. 

Evans, Cathy and Plavinskaia, Polya. Why Do We Sleep?

February 3, 2026 by Cicada Books

Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central 

Tweens LOVE to sleep these days, but do they know the benefits that sleep has for their growing bodies? Why Do We Sleep? takes a surprisingly deep dive into the science and psychology of sleep for middle grade audiences in this large format, picture book style nonfiction title. 

There is a helpful table of contents for navigating the book, although there is not index or source notes. The explanation of circadian rhythms might be new information for young readers, as will the different sleep stages. Several pages are devoted to why the brain dreams, and includes possible explanations for some common dream topics. There are descriptions of different sleep styles around the world; I'm glad I don't work in Japan, because falling asleep at my desh would not be a pleasant experience! 

There is helpful information about different types of insomnia, and the reasons some people might suffer from it, as well as two pages of different sleep disorders like narcolepsy and restless leg syndrome. Sleepwalking and night terrors are also discussed. Some attention is given to the sleep habits of animals, as well as to their dreams. New parents might take some comfort in knowing that orca mothers and babies don't sleep at all for the first month, since the baby needs to keep swimming in order to stay warm and afloat! 

Many children would benefit from the tips on how to sleep better, which include staying away from screens, establishing a routine, and living a healthy lifestyle. A helpful flow chart walks readers through some actions they might take. It was interesting to see that I my chronotype is a "lion" because I go to bed early and also wake up early. Most of my students seem to be wolves, since they like to sleep in. 

From the endpapers decorated with starry night skies to the scary black and blue backgrounds on the night terrors pages, the illustrations are largely dark, which are quite befitting to a book about sleep! The text on these pages is white, which makes it easier to read. There are some pages in brighter colors, and all have a jam-packed, collage type feel to them. My favorite is the illustration of a mother bear and her two cubs curled up for hibernation under a snowy landscape that shows smaller animals in neighboring burrows. There are also a number of sheep hidden throughout the pages for the readers to count... although, hopefully, this will not put them to sleep! 

Just Ask Elsie

Koontz, Ari. Just Ask Elsie
June 16, 2026 by Feiwel & Friends
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Elsie is attending a Sunday school class at the Unitarian Universality church, where the kids are learning about puberty. Most of it feels awkward to Elsie, and it's even worse when her mom and dad (who is transgender) want to discuss what was covered. When people at her school find out that she is attending this class, she's made fun of by some students, but others ask her questions. She gets notes in her locker, and after consulting with Nate, her biological father, posts answers on her locker. She tells her mom and dad, who ask if she inquired about posting these things, since she could get in trouble. She eventually does, and is told that her information conflicts with the school sanctioned curriculum, where students get just one hour of instruction at the end of fifth grade. Elsie, who is just starting to realize that she might be attracted to girls, feels that the administration is really objecting to the LGBTQIA+ content. With the help of one of Nate's friends, she starts a zine to address some questions, and during an assembly, encourages her peers to pepper the principal with sex education questions on a wide range of topics. This gets her in more trouble, but when her parents all come to school, they mention that perhaps the ACLU could get involved. In the end, the decision is made to allow Elsie to answer questions with the help of the school counselor, and post answers by the counselor's door, out of the way of the main hall.
Strengths: I can't say that I have ever read a middle grade book with a character who goes to a Unitarian Universalist church, even though I have many friends who do. The class is a good one, and there is a laundry list of topics that it covers right in the beginning. Elsie acknowledges that while the class is awkward, talking with her parents would be worse. She makes a very reasoned attempt to inform her classmates, and I appreciated that she reached out to all of her parents for help at different times. Having her applying to a different school worked well for the plot, and added some tension. Fifth grade seems like a time when children are starting to figure out to whom they are attracted, and Elsie's exploration of her own feelings seems age appropriate. The author is from Ohio, where there is very little sex education mandated on any school level. It is a difficult topic, and not everyone agrees that this is the responsibility of public schools, so this book could start some good conversations.
Weaknesses: I could never buy into Elsie's motivation for spreading information, especially since it might have imperiled her acceptance into a school she really wants to attend. The parents' interactions with the principal also didn't really ring true to me. There would have to be district policy about posting things, and the principal wouldn't have much control over what was taught. Younger readers will not have these objections and will appreciate Elsie's outspoken perseverance to educate her classmates.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed Lukoff's Different Kinds of Fruit or McCullough's Code Red If you are considering purchasing this for an elementary or middle school library, I would make sure to read the book so you know what it contains. 

Liberty's Forgotten Hero: The Revolutionary Life of James Forten

Grant, Kesha L. and Williams, Anastasia Magloire (Illustrator).
Liberty's Forgotten Hero: The Revolutionary Life of James Forten
June 16, 2026 by Lee & Low Books
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Born in Philadelphia in 1766, James Forten had an interesting and very different view of a young United States. His father was a sail maker and political activist, and James saw how other Black people were treated differently. He went to London when he was young, and got a different perspective, and returned to the US to work with the abolitionist movement. He also had his own sail making business, and rallied Black men to defend Philadelphia during the War of 1812. Along with William Lloyd Garrison, he founded the American Anti-Slavery Society in 1833, and supported the newspaper The Liberator. He died in 1842.

The illustrations are brightly colored and have a lot of details of daily life during this period of history like clothing, buildings, etc., and support the text well. My only quibble with them is that they seem a bit heavy and flat. They are digitally rendered, which may account for this. They are fine, just not a style I personally prefer.

This is a longer picture book that would have enough information for research. The inclusion of an afterword and a great timeline is very helpful. There is also a list of Forten's family and their accomplishments. I will purchase this for my middle school library and think it will get a lot of use along with other biographies like Meadow and Law's Jimmy's Rhythm & Blues: The Extraordinary Life of James Baldwin from a Harlem Boy to a Legendary Writer and Civil Rights Advocate, Zietlow Miller and Jordan's Unstoppable John: How John Lewis Got His Library Card--and Helped Change History, and Chamber and Baker's Shirley Chisholm is a Verb.

Poetry Friday- Slow Burn

Grant, Katy. Slow Burn

April 16, 2026 by West 44 Books
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

In this short novel in verse, thirteen year old Baylor is sent by his mother to spend the summer with his noncustodial father, Rob, who has never really been part of his life. Rob has taken a seasonal job as a fire spotter in Arizona, and is living at a fire lookout tower in Arizona. It's close quarters, but the view is spectacular, and Baylor starts to think it might not be too bad of a summer, even with an outhouse! He gets a chance to talk to his father, and even learns how to use an Osbourne Firefinder and helps with spotting. There are plenty of difficult time; when the two are wrestling, Baylor gets the better of his father, who gets angry and painfully pulls Baylor's ear. There's also an awkward "facts of life" talk, when Rob (who is white) tells Baylor he doesn't want his son to make the same "mistake" that he did. Baylor's mother (who is Black) has always said that he was one of the best things in her life, even though being a young, single mother had its challenges. Since he's struggled a bit with being biracial, Baylor doesn't need more complications. There is a thunderstorm that is quite frightening, and the two do have to report a small fire, but Rob explains to Baylor that some fires are let burn in a controlled way to manage the environment. Rob and Baylor have a big blow up when Rob accuses Baylor of being a "mama's boy" and claims that he has not been involved in Baylor's life because his mother doesn't want Rob around. When a tree is struck by lightning and a fire starts, Rob is badly burned, and Baylor has to get help. Rob is okay, and the father and son have to figure out a way forward with their relationship.
Strengths: It is much more realistic and interesting to portray contentious relationships with middle grade parents, and there are many young readers who don't live with both of their parents. There are also a lot of children who are biracial, and Baylor does have some thoughts about his background, but they are not the point of the whole story, which more closely mirrors modern reality. Rob isn't the best father because he doesn't have practice, and he doesn't always have the best reactions to Baylor, but he stops short of being mean and abusive. The inclusion of fire spotting was interesting, and gives a unique background to the father and son bonding struggles.
Weaknesses: I would have liked to see more of Baylor at home with his mother, so that the contrast with his father's treatment of him would be more pronounced. We do hear that his mother and her family and friends are very supportive, but seeing him at home would have added another level of interest.

What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who want a short, easier to read book with more emotional depth, like Fontes' Benito Runs (Surviving Southside, another Hi Lo series) or Watson's Living Rough. Interestingly, there are two other middle grade novels about fire spotting, Rose's The Burning Season or Downing's Controlled Burn. 

Girl from the Ashes

Brown, India Hill. Girl from the Ashes
July 7, 2026 by Scholastic Press
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Carter John is often in trouble, even though he doesn't mean to be. His teacher, Mrs. Williamson, doesn't understand that he has gotten taller, and his voice is deeper, so he just seems louder. He is also struggling with the fact that there is no recess in middle school, and he can't burn off his excess energy. His best friend, Gianna, sticks up for him. Her former best friend, Amanda, calls her "babyish" and makes fun of everything from her clothes and school supply choices to her smaller size. When Carter John and Gianna get to work together on a project about a historical figure, they are excited, and head to the public library to do research. They don't like the library as well as their school media center, because it is dark and purported to be haunted. They think about doing a report on Ron McNair, but Carter John gets kicked out for being loud. He runs into more trouble at school, and when he is serving a short detention in Mrs. Williamson's room, there is a fire, caused by a mysterious girl he has seen around. He puts it out, and gets blamed for it, although he knows he didn't do it. Mrs. Williamson warns Gianna's parents that Carter John is a bad influence on Gianna, but Gianna's parents understand the relationship that the two have. The mysterious girl shows up more and more, and her voice echoes with threats against anyone who crosses the two friends. They find out more information about their local library, which was called the Promise Branch library and was segregated in the 1950s. When it was desegregated in 1965, local people weren't happy, and a man set the branch on fire, trapping a young Cora Belle inside and killing her. Cora Belle was an avid reader who was frequently denied service because she was Black, just like Ron McNair. Carter John's grandparents introduce him to Cora Belle's relatives at church, and he finds out more about the history of the library. Fire follows him, and Amanda accuses him of setting a fire in her front yard. When Cora Belle shows up in Carter John's bedroom, she wants him to burn down the library, but he doesn't want to, knowing that having a library is beneficial. He goes to the library at night and has a confrontation with her. Luckily, Gianna comes to help out, and the parents believe the kids. There is a memorial made for Cora Belle, and her ghost is put to rest.
Strengths: I love the combination of horror and history, which Hill always does well. It amazed me how recent the history seemed, with the new branch of the Thompsonville library being built in 1965 and having issues with racism during the height of the Civil Rights Movement. There is information about Ron McNair and the Challenger Disaster as well, and Mrs. Hammond, the school librarian, talks about being a student when that happened. The book also addresses the way that students who may be neurodivergent are sometimes treated by teachers who don't fully understand the way they operate, and Carter John's experience with being reprimanded may resonate with middle school students. Gianna's struggles with Amanda will as well, since friendships often undergo changes in this age group.
Weaknesses: This wasn't very scary. Cora Belle wasn't as threatening as the ghosts in books by Dan Poblocki or Mary Downing Hahn, and the fires focused attention on Carter John's behavior more than the history. It didn't quite make sense for Cora Belle to want to burn down the library, since she was a big reader. There were several things that didn't come together as much as I would have liked.
What I really think: It would have been interesting to have a historical note about historical instances of segregated libraries. This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed Hill's The Forgotten Girl or The Girl In the Lake, or other historically connected spooky stories like Ireland's Ophie's Ghost, Cummings' Trace or Davis' The Lonely Below. 

Monster Down Deep

Dominy, Amy Fellner. Monster Down Deep  

June 2, 2026 by Pushkin Children's Books

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Cassie and her father live on the coast of Southern California, where her father is an aquarist for the small Mayim Aquarium. Her mother, who was also interested in the well being of the ocean and its creatures, was killed in a car accident when Cassie was three. There has recently been a yacht crash in the area that resulted in the loss of a lot of expensive jewelry, and the Royce family has offered a million dollar reward for the return of a particularly elaborate $50 million dollar necklace. Cassie, along with her Hunter Pro Series 2 metal detector named Sylvia (after marine biologist Sylvia Earle), is determined to find the item. What she finds instead is Blue, a very odd fish, whose point of view is shared in some chapters. Blue is caught in a fishing net and a lot of seaweed, and seems to understand when Cassie communicates with him. Cassie is not happy to see a “Mystery Thief", a boy her age who is also looking for the necklace, but gets to know TJ, who is staying along the beach with his uncle while his father and pregnant mother are back home in Carlsbad while the mother is on bedrest. Cassie spends a lot of time on the beach, nominally supervised by local artist Miss Mary, and when she sees Blue being menaced by a seven gill shark, she immediately goes to her father for help. Unfortunately, he is in a very important meeting with the new directors of the aquarium, but manages to save Blue. Since Blue is very unusual, he becomes a cause celebre in the news, but also isn’t treated well by the new directors. Will Cassie be able to continue to search for the necklace but also save Blue? 

Strengths: Treasure hunts are always popular, and the ocean is an interesting place for them, which we see in novels like Rodriguez’s Treasure Tracks or Collard’s Double Eagle. Combining this activity with saving an unusual fish and an interesting small aquarium makes for an intriguing story. I was glad to see that Cassie didn’t fight with TJ the entire time, but learned to work with him. There is a little bit of friend drama with two of Cassie’s sometimes friends, both realistically named Emma! Cassie’s family is Jewish (as are many of Dominy’s characters, going back to her 2011 OyMG), as are the owners of the aquarium, and I enjoyed how the Jewish concept of tikkun olam was explained and demonstrated.
Weaknesses: This almost verged into fantasy, with Blue seeming to understand Cassie’s communication, but it remains a realistic fiction book. While it is admirable that Cassie wants to save Blue, releasing him back to a dangerous situation in the ocean while ignoring the recommendations of her father made me uncomfortable. It didn’t help that the dead parent trope was embraced even though it did nothing to enhance the plot. The ending is happy, but a little unbelievable. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed aquatic preservation adventures like Dimopoulos' Turn the Tide, Baskin’s and Polisner’s Consider the Octopus, Kelly’s Three Blue Hearts, or Pyron’s Octopus Moon.

Fantasy Round Up

Mull, Brandon. and Dorman, Brad. Fablehaven: The Illustrated Edition
June 23, 2026 by Shadow Mountain
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

So, now we are seeing twentieth anniversary editions of books I bought when they first came out, like Cabot's The Princess Diaries. Since Mull's Fablehaven has been consistently popular, I was tempted by this new edition, but since it costs $40, I'll have to pass. The two copies I already have will have to suffice. If your library hasn't already bought the series, it would be worth looking into. Shadow Mountain is to be commended for still having the entire series available in hardcover. I've had to replace a few worn copies!

Abe, Julia. The Magical Library of Waterfall Way

August 25, 2026 by Bloomsbury Publishing

E ARC provided by Netgalley

Lyra is having a hard time finding an apprenticeship because she is not only an orphan, she is an Unremarkle. In the Alterran Empire, this means if she does not get a place, she will be banished. Her mentor thinks she can get her a place in the Guild of Pine Cone Collectors, which even waives a quest, but they, too, deny her entry when they find out about her lack of powers. When Lyra happens upon Guild of Scholars, she hopes that she can work in their library. Of course, there's a quest, and secrets along the way.

While I enjoyed Abe's Alliana: Girl of Dragons, this had too many fantasy tropes for me. Traditional fantasy has not been in demand in my school library for quite some time, and as much as I liked the idea of working in a magical library, I have other books that are similar to this if anyone asks for them, including Ham's The Missing Magic of Sparrow Xia, Townsend's Wundersmith books, Thomas' Nic Blake and the Remarkables, or Leathley's Meticulous Jones and the Skull Tattoo. If I had a bigger budget, I might buy this.

Xu, Jen and Rhodes, Kate.  Haven and the Fallen Giants

June 16, 2026 by Viking Books for Young Readers

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

While it was good to see a fantasy graphic novel, this one was a bit confusing at the start, and isn't the sort of thing my graphic novel readers generally select. It's perfect if you want a fantasy graphic novel. 

From the Publisher:

Legend says that giants once roamed the skies. When one fell to Earth, a great city called Raqmu arose from its remains—great if you happen to live in the city, that is.

For Haven, an outcast living in the desert outside Raqmu, life is only about survival: sleeping in a shanty, scrounging for food, and fighting others for mere drops of water. However, she refuses to give in to hopelessness—Haven is a resourceful tinkerer who sneaks in and out of Raqmu to find spare parts for building gizmos that make life a little easier for herself and her guardian, Yassu.

One night, while scavenging the city's restricted junkyard, Haven uncovers a mysterious relic. Before she gets a chance to inspect it, the city's Guardians come after her! As Haven tears through the back alleys, she's helped along in her escape by Lan, a wealthy city girl who's seen how cruelly the Guardians treat Outsiders. Together, she and Haven form an unlikely bond—one that becomes dangerous when the Guardians track them down . . . and when Haven unwittingly awakens a sleeping giant with her stolen relic.

This full-color graphic novel is an exciting mash-up of dystopian futurism, fantasy adventure, and coming-of-age stories, with a dash of Avatar the Last Airbender for even more thrills!

MMGM- Ride or Die

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Dawson, Delilah. Ride or Die

August 5, 2025 by Delacorte Press

Public Library copy

Brie has had to move to Stokely Prep after her older sister Artemis created an uncomfortable situation at her previous school, and she's just trying to keep her head down. At the end of the year, she ends up next to the hugely popular Emily, who runs the school along with her friends Emma and Emerson. While Brie knows that running afoul of "the Ems" could be catastrophic, she also knows that befriending them could make her school experience smoother. When Emily asks if Brie will be her partner during the three legged race so she can not only beat her boyfriend but also get money from her father, Brie reluctantly agrees, weighing her actions carefully. While Brie is a fast runner, Emily isn't, so Brie makes a quick decision, wins the race, and gets invited to Emily's birthday party. This is a sleepover held at the nearby Wildwoods Amusement Park. The girls check in to the Magnolia House, get the parameters of their night, and head off to enjoy the park. Emily wants to play Truth or Dare, which is a minefield. Brie is able to survive the first round by calculating her response, but Emma fails, and has to eat gum from the ground. Realizing that Emily is even more evil than she imagined, Brie decides to take a dare rather than answer a question about her sister that could end poorly. The park has an area that was closed off after four teens died in 1995, on the very day that the girls are visiting. Emily dares Brie to go behind the wall and retrieve a souvenir, but then locks Brie in. She panics at first, but manages to find a beeper. Shortly afterwards, she meets three teens, whom she assumes are there for the teen lock in. They hang out together, but strange things start to happen. Brie thinks she must be hallucinating because she is tired, being unused to staying up that late. As the evening progresses, however, things become weirder in terrifying ways. CJ, Dawn, and Trip are cool teenagers who are  nice to her, but what is their real story? Will Brie be able to survive the axe of Pickaxe Pete, the crocodile Monster Max, out of control amusement park rides, and zombies?Even if she makes it out of the amusement park, will she be able to come to terms with Emily and her friends?

Strengths: If you've read Dawson's Mine, rest assured that Ride or Die has a similar level of ick, with roaches, spoiled food, and zombies with rotting body parts. Someone connected with the 1995 deaths is trying to kill Brie, but I don't want to give too many details and spoil all of the twists and turns. I missed picking this book up before it came out, thinking that it would be more like Natasha Preston's YA horror; luckily, another librarian on Goodreads reviewed this. There were several reviewers who complained that this was repetitive and had too much friendship drama, but I think they are wrong. My students who love horror love to read about killer zombies and gross stuff, but are secretly REALLY terrified of... tween drama. Emily is scary, but what's brilliant about this book is the way Brie tries to navigate working with this villain. She knows Emily isn't nice, but feels it is worthwhile to try to deal with her so that her social life is easier. Hanging out with cool teenagers is fun... but is Brie imagining things because she's tired? I found myself really getting into this one, and enjoyed it tremendously. Definitely buying a copy. 
Weaknesses: This does start with a lot of drama; it might not be a bad idea to warn readers that it is worth getting through the first couple of chapters. The issue with the older sister didn't seem that serious that Brie would have had to change schools, but that didn't take up too much time in the story. Brie could have had to start a new school for other reasons, and Emily isn't the kind of person who needed any actual dirt on people. She'd just make some up. 

What I really think: A haunted amusement park is always great. I'll buy this for Dawson's fans or for readers who enjoyed Alexander's Escape. There aren't as many haunted amusement park books as I thought there were! 

Rosetown Forever (Rosetown #3)

Rylant, Cynthia. Rosetown Forever (#3)
June 23, 2026 by Beach Lane Books
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

In this third book set in Rosetown, Indiana, in is now 1974. Flora Smallwood is living with both of her parents, Emma Jean and Forster, who now run the Rosetown Paper and Press shop. She and her best friend, Yury, are still sad that their favorite bookstore, A Wing and a Chair, is gone, since the wonder moved away to live with a friend. They have a new haunt, Day Road Farm, run by Farmer Hester, where they enjoy riding horses. Flora loves her town, and doesn't want anything else to change, but knows that there are often circumstances beyond her control. A rash of tornadoes hitting other small towns is a vivid reminder of this. At the end of fifth grade, she and Yury are faced with the rite of passage that is the oral report, but they both do perfectly well after asking the town librarian, Mr. Anderson for help and consulting the How and Why Library for information. They occasionally hang out at the local pharmacy, with its lunch counter and array of 1970s era shampoos like Prell, Breck, and Herbal Essence. Flora learns about the historical society and its attempts at keeping the town as it is, but she and Yury do like the new store that takes the place of A Wing and a Chair. The Slightly Cracked Teacup is an antique and oddity store that does have a few vintage children's books, and Alfie and Roy, who run it, welcome them as customers. When Yury's father has to live in Chicago for a while to train in orthopedics, Flora worries that things will change, but for the moment, most of Rosetown remains comforting and familiar.

Strengths: This is a very gentle historical fiction book that looks back fondly at the world fifty years ago. There are good details about what life was like before computers arrived, and the scope is narrowly focused on the experience of Flora and her friends, which will appeal to readers who are her age. Rosetown is very idyllic; I would have adored this as a child and would have searched out vintage children's books much earlier than I eventually did had I read this!

Weaknesses: This ended rather abruptly, in the way that many books published in the 1970s did. I'm not sure if this was on purpose or not! There could easily be another installment about the Bicentennial, but this is billed as the final book.

What I really think: I would probably buy this for an elementary school library, but it is a bit too slow paced and introspective for middle school. If I had read a book set fifty years ago when I was in elementary school, it would have taken me back to the 1920s, which was always my favorite decade of the twentieth century! This made me feel a tiny bit old, but I still want to travel into the book and take over Mr. Anderson's job so that I can check out The Childhood of Famous Americans book to Flora and Yury! 

Saturday Morning Cartoons- Round Up

Lyall, Casey. The Band of Bigs (The League of Littles #2)
June 23, 2026 by Greenwillow Books
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus 

The illustrations in this series are fun, but the books are just kind of... mean. Younger readers will enjoy the over-the-top feel of these humorous books, but I was left feeling that the siblings should have worked together rather than resorting to hanging out with groups of the same birth order. Clearly, I'm just not the target demographic for this series, and it will be popular with readers who enjoy the goofy humor of Barnett and Harris' The First Cat in Space or Blabey's Cat on the Run series.

Howe, James, Donkin, Andrew and Gilpin, Stephen (Illus.)

Howliday Inn (Bunnicula #2)

July 14, 2026 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

An editor gets another manuscript for Harold, the writing dog: this time, the Monroe family is taking a vacation and boarding their pets at Chateau Bow Wow. Chester the cat isn't too thrilled, but the animals settle down in their "bungalows" to be cared for by Dr. Greenbriar, Harrison, and Jill. There are a variety of other "vacationers", but they go missing. Jill thinks it is her fault for leaving a gate open, but when even Chester disappears, Harold steps in to investigate. He finds the perpetrator, which is a good thing, since one of the missing dogs has puppies. The Monroes decide to adopt Howie, whom Chester feels is half werewolf, and we see the happy pets back home. 

Based on the 1982 original, and the sequel to Bunnicula, this adaptation seems to follow the original book fairly closely, and it's easier to see Harold's flights of fancy in drawings. I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first, but it's a good story. Lots of rain, and a decent mystery, although it was wrapped up in a very 1982 way. There is a short story at the end, Fur-Lock Holmes and Dr. What's-Bone. 

I weeded the originals, which were in very crumbling prebinds, so will probably purchase this one. It's somewhat updated, with cell phones and computers. 

Sawyer Lee and the Quest to Just Stay Home

Weinersmith, Zach. Sawyer Lee and the Quest to Just Stay Home

June 16, 2026 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Sawyer lives in Ovelaville with his Aunt Cecilia because his parents are always traveling. His aunt is a big fan of accomplishing things, but Sawyer is so lazy that he doesn’t even want to take phone calls from his friends Gary and Angela, because he knows they will ask him to do things. Because Ovelaville’s annual Gourd Festival is such a big event, he ends up partnering with Angela on a gourd display, because arguing with her takes too much effort, and he figures she will do all of the work anyway, because her parents are very interested in the festival. Sawyer’s nemesis is Anderson, who is always going around doing good deeds, so when Gary starts hanging out with Anderson and taking on some of the more motivated boy’s characteristics, Sawyer is outraged. Not enough to actually do anything about it, but outraged nonetheless. The gourd display project gets underway, but halts when Anderson finds that Angela’s parents have gourd enhancer, and their gourds are pulped. They claim to have been framed, so Angela mounts an investigation while her father becomes unhinged. Anderson uncovers a lot of other “cheaters”, including Bus Driver Stu and half the town. Will Angela, with Sawyer’s lukewarm help, be able to locate the culprit?

This is a highly illustrated novel that your readers will probably like more than I did, since many of them also aspire to do absolutely nothing with their days other than be on screens. I did enjoy Gary’s transformation away from being a game playing zombie when he hung out with Sawyer, but Anderson ends up not being as nice as we think he is. I can see this being popular with Stanton’s Funny Kid series, Pastis’ Timmy Failure, or Patterson’s Middle School books.

Dinosaurs to Dragons and The Last Ember

Shreeve, Elizabeth and Violeta Encarnación, Violeta (Illustrator) 

Dinosaurs to Dragons: The Lore and Science of Mythical Creatures 

July 21, 2026 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Do you have a lot of fantasy readers who are inquisitive and also LOVE mythology? This book has a lot of great connections between literature, science, and a wide variety of fantastical creatures!

Griffinsm, yetis, bunyips (which were new to me!), krakens, fairies, phoenixes, unicorns, mermaids, Quetzalcoatl's, and, yes, dragons, all get their due. There are about eight pages devoted to each, and I loved that the entries all followed the same format. There's a "Let's imagine" section that gives us an introduction, some literature, maps, and why stories were told about particular entities. There are photographs and illustration to help draw parallels between real life animals, and a good amount of scientific research and thought. The addition of more legends are lore will be appealing to readers who really want to know more about a particular creature. 

Middle school readers are fascinated by mythology, and I can still remember my own seventh grade language arts assignment where we had to take a scientific phenomenon and write our own myth explaining it! The introduction gives a brief description of how stories were told in Ancient times to explain things that people couldn't understand. 

This was well formatted, but the E ARC seemed incomplete and did not include back matter, which I suspect the finished copy will have. 

Dinosaurs to Dragons is a great book to have for all manner of fantasy readers, Dungeons and Dragons players, and students whose love of the mythical and the scientific is nicely balanced. 

Dodd, Lily Berlin. The Last Ember (The Aerimander Chronicles #1)

November 18, 2025 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

Public Library copy

Eva Alexander lives in the Kingdom of Claucus, in Porttown, where she attends the Young Ladies' Royal Academy of Science. When her father sends her a voucher for Bronsworth's Department Store, she doesn't buy herself the tiara or jewels her father expects; she buys a box with a shiny substance in it that she thinks is rubidium, an explosive element. We have read earlier that this came from a man who was killed on a ship. We also meet Dusty, who lives at St. Icabod's orphanage and has recently had a Mark appear on him identifying him as a member of the Thieves' Union. He is tasked with stealing the object from Eva. Also interested in the box is director Eoin Parnassus, who refers to it as "the weapon". Eva and her roommate, Myrnie, do some research and suspect they may have an aerimander egg. This is significant, since all of the dragon like creatures in the kingdom were thought to be killed. When a mishap causes the egg to adhere to Eva's hand, the two want to consult Dr. Frogg, a cryptoecologist whom Myrnie admires, but instead Eva ends up being kidnapped by Dusty, who is working out of the Lurid Ferret tavern. She manages to escape by bribing a bartender to slip poppies into Dusty's drink, and gets Dr. Frogg's help in removing the egg. The scientist wants to hatch the egg and take the Aerimander to the Northern Isles, which Eva doesn't like. Myrnie is looking for Eva, with the help of a man claiming to be a soldier. Dusty is trying to locate Eva, riding along on a rented horse named Gourd. The egg fuses to his hand in another mishap and eventually hatches into an Aerimander Eva names Rubi. Parnassus is on the trail, too, and the groups all serendipitously come together in the Meadow District, where there is an epic showdown that ends in a violent death. Rubi vanishes, and Eva is sent to another school, Brydhaven. Dusty checks in with the orphanage, but the last scene is of rocks being thrown at Eva's window at school. The First Flame, book two, comes out November 17, 2026. 

Strengths: This was a complicated fantasy, with chapters alternating perspectives, but I was able to follow the story. There is a somewhat cozy feel to the setting of the Ladies' Academy, and I liked the idea of Eva wanted to study science rather than be concerned about her clothing or boys. The Thieves' Union is intriguing, and there's an Oliver Twist feel to Dusty's backgroung. Director Parnassus is just pure evil. The concept of an Aerimander is an intriguing one, and I would have liked to have seen more of Rubi. This was well woven together, and had a convincing world. I can see this selling well at holidays as a gift for avid readers. 

Weaknesses: I do have readers who like books where the characters interact with dragons, but there is relatively little dragon in this first volume. This 350+ page book just sets the scene, and I'm not sure my readers will stick with it. The pseudo Victorian setting feels a bit dated and just the tiniest bit twee; I suspect the young author was a fan of Pullman's The Golden Compass and read a lot of fantasy books in middle school. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for fans of Townsend's  2017 Wundersmith: The Trials of Morrigan Crow, Steadman's Skandar series, or Rundell's Impossible Creatures. 

The Masterminds Trap (Last Chance Academy #2)

Florence, Debbi Michiko.The Mastermind's Trap (Last Chance Academy #2)
March 17, 2026 by Aladdin
E ARC Provided by Edelweiss Plus

Meg and her friends Tana, Ryan, and Zane are back after their adventures in A Study in Secrets, and are going on the trip that Meg won in the scavenger hunt. At the last minute, her father can't chaperone, and her Aunt Vivian (who is always very negative) goes instead. The group ends up at Moon Manor, a fabulous house in California, and proceed to spend nearly half the book solving mysteries and seeing the sights like the Crystal Cave, Balboa Fun Zone and the Japanese American National Museum. There's a bit of a secret about who orchestrated this trip, but it's soon found out, and before long the kids are back at school. The Leland Chase Academy is having financial troubles, and to solve this issue, the director is having all of the students do a showcase project to attract investors to the school. Meg doesn't know what to do, but working with some teachers, she decides to plan a walking trail. She won't have to actually build it, just come up with the plans. It's hard to concentrate on this when she needs to find the identity of the Mastermind, especially since he has threatened to end the showcase, which would lead to the closure of the school and Meg's loss of her friends. It's likely that the culprit is Charles Chase, the descendant of the founder of the school and also the boyfriend of a teacher, Miss Jillian. There seems to be a Chase treasure that could help save the school, but Meg's research into this is hindered by the necessity of keeping things secret from her friends. While everything works out, the book ends with a teaser for another possible mystery for the group to solve.
Strengths: Boarding school tales are always fun, and it was interesting to see Meg and her friends as they become more acquainted with each other. The virtual vacation in California was rather fun, and Florence (who was raised there) has an obvious fondness for the location. There are a lot of clues to follow, and a serious issue to address about the school. Add in a bit of friend drama, as well as a cat, and this will be a winner with readers who like clue oriented mysteries and scavenger hunts.
Weaknesses: I didn't like the way that the Mastermind threatened Meg in a rather serious way and the showcase didn't seem like enough to save a school.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed Yee's The Misfits or Gerber's The Liar's Society. Florence's This is How I Roll and Sweet and Sour are wildly popular in my library, and since romance books have become more popular, I'd love to see her write a few more like these.