Some of Us Are Brave

Faruqi, Saadia. Some of Us Are Brave

February 10, 2026 by Quill Tree Books

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

It's the last week of summer vacation in Houston, Texas in 2017, and Yasir Manzoor wishes he were attending soccer camp instead of being a coach for younger kids, since his life plan is to become a professional player and help out his mother, who has struggled since his father's death. He's not thrilled to run into school bully Cody at the rec center, especially since Yasir really wants to beat him out for team captain in middle school. One of the kids Yasir is coaching is Omar, who is also Punjabi. Omar's sister Mona is in school with Yasir, and he considers her well-to-do. Mona, however, struggles to take care of Omar when her parents, college professors, go off to attend conferences and leave her in charge. Since her grandmother passed away, they get Mrs. Shabazz to stay with the children. Cody's father is a veteran who has been injured, and has had anger management issues, yelling at Cody and his mother, and occasionally locking Cody up in a shed outside. All three children have fears; Yasir almost drowned in the rec center pool a year ago, Mona is anxious about floods, which comes out in her artwork, and Cody is afraid of the dark. As Hurricane Harvey bears down on the area, they children all find themselves fending for themselves. Mrs. Shabazz has to go to work, and tells Mona and Omar to stay inside, Yasir gets stranded at the rec center and tells his mother that he will meet her after the center is evacuated, and Cody spends the night in a rec center outbuilding for some piece. As the storm intensifies, all of the children find themselves fighting the flood waters. Cody and Yasir take cover in the shed until it's clear it will soon be flooded, and they meet Mona and Omar, who have found a canoe. They all try to get to the local fire station, along with Killer, a dog that Cody has found. At the fire station, they meet Mr. Delgado, a retired fire fighter who volunteers at the center. He helps them contact their parents and get to the George R. Brown Convention Center. Throughout their adventure, the children have shared flood stories from different cultures, and Mona has drawn artistic representations of stories about characters such as Noah, Gilgamesh, and Olorun. When the storm abates, Mona's parents come back and end up staying with Yasir and his mother, while Cody's father seems to be coping better. There is a lot of clean up to be done, but the children have all harnessed their inner bravery to survive. 

Strengths: The author lives in Houston, and includes a note that while her home was not as badly affected by Hurrican Harvey, she saw how devastating the storm was to some areas of the city. I liked that the children were all separated from parents for reasons that made a fair amount of sense. The inclusion of soccer, and the prominence of the rec center in the lives of the children, both made the sense of community very strong. Cody has internalized his father's rants that "foreigners" are evil, and has been mean to Yasir because of these views, but when the two finally talk, he changes his mind. I loved that Omar looks up to Yasir; we don't see enough relationships between older and younger children in middle grade literature, and they can be quite powerful. The difference between eight year olds and twelve year olds is staggering. Mona's art, and the inclusion of different myths, added some different twists to a flood adventure story. The ending, with the characters having different amounts of damage to their homes, finished this story off nicely. 
Weaknesses: I had a number of books about Hurricane Katrina, but they have never circulated very well. It might be because many of them are longer; Philbrick's Wild Wave has been very popular, but it's much shorter. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoy storm related adventure books like Feldman's The Puttermans Are in the House, Courage's Storm Blown, or Dodson's Escape from Hurricane Katrina. 
 

The Cassette Tape Secret

Herzog, Danielle. The Cassette Tape Secret
October 21, 2025 by Jolly Fish Press

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
 

Alex Bennett, who suffers from OCD and anxiety, just wants to fly under the radar and not incur the wrath of his classmates, who are usually mean to him. When he works on a class project with the outspoken Ida May, he has to take some chances and step outside of his comfort zone. Ida May has a cassette tape that she found in a donation to the thrift store where she volunteers, and it has a message from the 1960s for Georgia. Thrilled to be able to investigate this, and hoping to reunite parted loves, Ida May wants to look into things. Alex's therapist challenges him to talk to more people, and bribes him with a ticket to see a YouTube creator he really likes, so Alex agrees to help Ida May. Since Alex's dad is not in the picture, and his mother is a very busy doctor and Ida May has just moved to town with her father while her mother pursues a career in acting, the two have a fair amount of leeway to go places on their own. They uncover some good information; the songs on the tape before the message are by Mack Densey, who had a band that went by a lot of different names. Not only that, but Alex's Grams was in the band! Sadly, he died in Vietnam in 1969. Alex and Ida May manage to track him down and visit his guitar shop. He's thrilled to hear the tape, but doesn't have much information for them. The local library has Mr. Collins, who is very helpful with the kids' research. Will the two be able to solve the mystery of Georgia and get Mack's message to the right person? (Spoiler: they do!)

Strengths: Today's children can't fully understand how many things people committed to tape forty to sixty years ago. I used to exchange taped letters with penpals, my father recorded himself singing lullabies when he was attending night school and couldn't sing to me in person, and my friends and I occasionally would have a tape recorder going at parties, since we couldn't take videos. That a cassette tape with songs and a message could be donated to a thrift store is entirely possible. There are also a few tape players around in the wild. Alex and Ida May both have trouble making friends, so it also makes sense that they would form a connection. There are enough people around to help them solve the mystery, and there's some fun family history as well as the sadder information about the Vietnam war. The story moves quickly, and has a satisfying conclusion. 

Weaknesses: The school librarian, Ms. Strickland, is portrayed as being behind the circulation desk in an empty library at lunch, perhaps watching Hallmark movies on her phone. I can't imagine having that kind of time. Also, the mystery reminded me of a VERY old joke about a father and son who are in an auto accident, and the doctor in the ER can't operate on him, saying "He's my son!" Fifty years ago, the listener wouldn't have assumed the doctor could have been his mother. There's some nice LGBTQIA+ representation, but things are a bit different now than they were in 1969, so Mack's romance might not hit today's readers the way it would have in the past. 

What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who want gentle mysteries with some historical connections like Johnson's The Parker Inheritance, Frantz's The Secret of Helmsbruck Mansion, or Salerni's The Tontine Caper. 
 

A Kid Like Me

Feuti, Norm. A Kid Like Me

February 3, 2026 by HarperAlley

E ARC Provided by Edelweiss Plus

Ethan and Ricky live in the Millbrook Estates trailer park, and are apprehensive about starting middle school, since some kids from other parts of town make fun of them as being from "Mill-broke". Ethan's parents are divorced, and his father in Florida doesn't pay child support, so his mother does struggle to provide for him on her salary from the Big Box discount store. He's on free lunch, gets him back pack and clothing from the thrift store, and has an embarrassing flip phone. Ricky, whose noncustodial father at least lives in town, is slightly better off, and is trying to hang out with more well-to-do kids like Dillon. Ethan doesn't like the way Dillon treats him, but does make friends with Aiden and Briana after working with them on a writing assignment and finding out that they share a love of the vintage card game Bio Battle. It's bad enough that Ethan has to deal with his shoes falling apart (and wearing his mom's unisex ones to school!) and racking up a $26 lunch fee, but when he starts fighting frequently with Ricky, it's hard, especially since his mother relies on him going to Ricky's house when she has to work. His friendship with Aiden is a bright spot, even though Aiden is having to struggle through his own's parents' divorce. Eventually, he and Ricky come to an understanding and realize that they should be on the same side!

Strengths: While the vast majority of graphic novels are memoirs of the difficult life that women artists had as children, there are not nearly as many written by men, so it was good to see this updated and fictionalized account of Feuti's upbringing. The artwork is clear and fun to look at, and I loved the details like the mailboxes at the trailer park. It was a good idea to set this story in the present day with all of the students so invested in their phones, especially since Ethan was so embarrassed about his "retro" flip one. There are just not enough books about the friend drama that boys have to deal with, and it is really quite a different dynamic that the relationships and drama that girls have. I loved Ethan's mom, and appreciated all of the details about back packs and shoes falling apart! My daughter lost the sole of her shoe trick or treating one Halloween, but luckily had very understanding friends! I will definitely purchase a prebound copy of this, and might just have to buy two! 
Weaknesses: There were a lot of characters, which is completely realistic, but I struggled to remember the names of all of Ethan's classmates. 
What I really think: This is more along the lines of Tatulli's Short and Skinny or Varner's Dog Trouble than Ogle's Four Eyes or Page's Extra Large. Now, could we possibly get some graphic novels that are a little more upbeat? Still, I did enjoy this one a lot.

The Wish Ring Cipher

Ott, Alexandra. The Wish Ring Cipher (Codebreakers #1)
February 3, 2026 by Norton Young Reader
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Emma switches middle schools from Sterling to Afton Academy after her dad and stepmother decide that Afton has more programs tailored to her needs. Emma's recent autism diagnosis makes sense; she is often overwhelmed by noise and people, and is hyperfocused on puzzles and codes, which she loves. Learning coping strategies and being able to visit the school counselor, Mr. B., helps. Switching schools is hard at first, but she meets Nate Lin, who seems to be everywhere at school and is popular. He is also interested in codes, and since his brother Davey is also on the autism spectrum, he deals well with some of Emma's habits, like talking softly and not looking at people when she talks to them. He tells her that it is really important that he solves a local code, although he won't tell her why. Near their town of Riverside, there is the Sablewood National Park, where the ruins of the town of Sablewood lie. There is a legend that dark magic destroyed the town, and Nate tells Emma about an organization of Code Breakers, but students and adults, who are trying to solve codes and find secret artifacts. With Emma's help, the group (which includes Eli, Owen, and Diya) find a box that has a crystal in it. The crystal causes Eli to become invisible! Of the 11 artifacts, six have now been found, but the Code Breakers are at odds with the Division, who split from the group. When Nate disappears, Emma finds out information about the Division that makes her unsure about whom to trust, but meeting Leonora, who is part of the Division, makes Emma not want to trust them, since Leonora locks Nate up! Nate has his reasons for wanting to know the code to find the wish Ring, but Emma thinks the reasons aren't very sound. There are plenty of loose ends for the Code Breakers to investigate in another book.
Strengths: An author's note explains how Ms. Ott could not find many books with autistic characters who were girls or somewhat older, especially in fantasy books. This is definitely the case, although there are a few more with girl characters on the autism spectrum now than there were even a few years ago. Emma is very thoughtful about her reactions to things, and has some good strategies in place. The historic code is interesting, and there are some twists and subterfuge involving the Division that make the book exciting. Nate's reasons for finding the magical objects (and no mistake; this is a fantasy book) make sense, as do his friends objections to them. I loved that Mr. B. was also a Code Breaker. 
Weaknesses: This is a fairly slow paced mystery and includes a lot of puzzles, so this might not appeal to middle grade readers who want slap dash murder-and-mayhem type mysteries. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who want mysteries with a bit of danger and a LOT of code solving, like Beckett-King's The House of Found Objects, Grabenstein's Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library, Currie's The Mystery of the Locked Rooms, or Guterson's The World Famous Nine. 

Space for Saffron

Neal, Rie. Space for Saffron
February 3, 2026 by Aladdin

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Ten-year-old Saffron's Mama works at Mr. Millington's cafe in Cedar Springs, Iowa, and Saffron (who has a hearing aid) is allowed to visit after school as long as she stays in the corner, working quietly. When she tests out her volcano and ruins the walls, Mama loses her job. Since her other mother, Mimi, works construction, Saffron can't stay with her after school. When Saffron's beloved Gran wants Mama to manage her coffee shop in Silicon Valley for six months helping out Uncle Toby it seems like a perfect opportunity. Mimi isn't thrilled about leaving Iowa, but agrees to go. Once in California, it is quickly apparent that the cafe is failing. Gran leaves on an extended art vacation, and Mama is in charge of the failing cafe. Saffron doesn't have a great first day at school, but does meet Hannah, whose grandmother is friends with her grandmother. Saffron was very excited about a volcano project she was working on for her other school, but the students in her new school all have much more exciting ones, so she throws hers in the trash. She and Hannah think that having a theme at the cafe tied to the local interest in science would be good. Saffron steals a spring from Hannah's trampoline in order to work on an idea for a swing, and when she finds out that Hannah's mother bought a new trampoline, is glad to get all of the old springs. The girls know that to be successful there needs to be more games, better decor, and an unpdated menu, and get to work. There are some snags along the way, but their STEM related theme seems to work. When Gran returns home suddenly, she is willing to paint the walls of the cafe. Saffron and her mothers will say in the apartment over the space, and Safffron is glad to be in California because of all of the STEM activity at her new school, and because she will get to be near Uncle Toby's new baby. 

Strengths: This was a fun look at a family business, and all of the parents were alive! Saffron has some trouble at her new school but quickly adapts, and isn't averse to the move. She rallies her friends around her to help save the cafe, and the science theme will go over well with fans of STEM programs. Ms. Nakamura, her teacher, is an amusing minor character. We even learn a little bit about Silicon Valley. The representation of Saffron's hearing aid is interesting and well explained. The only time she seems to have a lot of trouble with hearing things is when she is eavesdropping! 
Weaknesses: Saffron has some trouble with impulse control, and she is never really reprimanded for some of her bad behavior, which has significant impacts on those around her. This seemed odd. Saffron is ten, this is best suited for elementary readers. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoy a good "save the family business" story like Caprara's The Ripple Effect, Greenwald's Wishing on Matzo Ball Soup: Ellie's Deli, or Granillo's Cruzita and the Mariacheros.

Happy Lunar New Year!

Yu, Rin-rin. Goodbye, French Fry
February 17, 2026 by Nancy Paulsen Books
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Fifth grader Ping-Ping and her younger brother Xy (pronounced "she") were born in New York City and are being raised in Edgewood, so they don't understand why ignorant classmates like Lee Beaumont give them a hard time about being Chinese. Their supportive mother translates picture books, and their Baba has a high level position in the Population and Statistics Bureau at the United Nations and commutes into New York City. There are a few higher expectations for academic performance, and since both Ping-Ping and Xy have perfect pitch, they take piano lessons. Ping-Ping also studies taekwondo, and likes to hang out with her best friend, Ana. When she overhears her mother saying that her father might get a promotion to a position in Nigeria, Ping-Ping is devastated. Finding out from her cousin Pai at Thanksgiving that people often take promotions for higher pay, the siblings both try to raise money, Ping-Ping by selling friendship bracelets, and Xy by holding unsuccessful car washes. When her eyesight makes it hard for her to see the blackboard in school and read music that is too far away, Ping-Ping tries to hide this from her parents, since they believe that bad eyesight is caused by reading at night, but she has to eventually come clean. Her parents admit that since they both wear glasses, genetics might play a part. Xy has a boy, Jack, move to his class from China, and asks Baba to help him improve his Chinese language skills. Lee's bullying behavior is a thread throughout the story, and when Ping-Ping accidentally kicks him in the face while practicing a taekwondo move, she is conflicted. She eventually confesses to her mother, who calls Lee's parents, only to find that Lee has explained his injury as an accident caused by slipping on the ice. Ping-Ping is surprised when her mother includes an extra brownie in her lunch to share with Lee, and is even more suprised when this seems to improve Lee's attitude towards her. In the end, Baba gets a promotion, but the family can still stay in the New York area.
Strengths: This was an interesting slice-of-life book involving identity and family dynamics. Ping-Ping's trying out of the name "Megan" as something that would be less problematic for her made me laugh, because I remember wanting to reinvent myself as "Kay" because there were so many people named Karen in my grade! I loved that she took piano lessons, practiced taekwondo, and studied Chinese with her father. Both parents are alive, supportive, and loving in their own way (which is also explored when Ping-Ping sees her friend Ana's mother frequently hugging her and saying "I love you", which Ping-Ping's parents don't do.). Lee and his bullying behavior is realistically portrayed, and the resolution was a relief. I would be interested in seeing more books by this author.
Weaknesses: I wish that Ping-Ping's vision problems were more clearly depicted. While the parents eventually admit that genetics might be behind Ping-Ping's need for glasses, young readers might come away with the idea that bad eyesight might be caused by individual actions. I was glad to see that Ping-Ping didn't mind her glasses, but it was alarming that she felt like needing them might be her fault.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who want to explore the issues surrounding being an Asian American and who enjoyed books such as Chen's With Twice the Love, Dessie Mae, Tsong's Fake Chinese Sounds, Keller's Jennifer Chan is Not Alone, Wang's Summer at Squee, or Soontornvat and Cacao's The Tryout: A Graphic Novel. It's also a good look at the family and school activities that upper elementary students might be involved with. I'm debating this one, as it is a bit young. I would definitely buy this for an elementary library.

Veit, Helen Zoe. Picky: How American Children Became the Fussiest Eaters in History
February 24, 2026 by St. Martin's Press
E ARC provided by Netgalley and the publisher

I'm a huge fan of histories of everyday subjects, and particularly love books like Bundy's A Century in Food (2002). Veit, who has written histories of food in the Gilded Age, Civil War (North AND South), and the really intriguing sounding Modern Food, Moral Food: Self-Control, Science, and the Rise of Modern American Eating in the Early Twentieth Century (2013), doesn't set out to tell parents how to feed their picky eaters; she's here to tell us the history of the US diet and explain how changes led to children being picky eaters. Since I am not currently dealing with any small people who won't eat dinner, I found this fascinating. 

This also delves a lot into the changes in how parenting has been viewed over the years; I particularly found the idea that "good parents are nice parents" interesting. My mother, who was born in 1934 into a family of 11, thought that two chocolate chip cookies were a fine breakfast, although when the doctor told her when I was in third grade that I needed to lose weight, she cut me back to a thermos of tomato soup and a slice of baloney (no bread!) for lunch. Nutritional advice was apparently in short supply in the 1970s, when marketing snacks to children really took off. There's also an entire chapter on Overbearing Mothers. 

Even though there isn't really a prescription for dealing with picky eaters, there is a short epilogue entitles "Happy Meals" that discusses how the author has used her knowledge of food history to encourage her own children to be decent eaters. Basically, it comes down to not letting children snack, and not offering them other options is they don't like what is being served. No bribery, no arguments, just "this is what you're eating, or you're not eating". Not perfect advice, but not a bad place to start. 

This is the sort of book I eat up (sorry!). I loved reading that even in 1955, doctors were opining that maybe kids weren't eating at meals was because they were not hungry, having filled up on snacks. And the thought that if you have pie every day, it becomes less special. This book was fascinating if you love to read about everyday culture and enjoyed books like Marks' Finding Betty Crocker: The Secret Life of America's First Lady of Food (2005), Wyman's SPAM: A Biography: The Amazing True Story of America's "Miracle Meat!" (1999), or Jan and Michael's Square Meals: America's Favorite Comfort Cookbook (1984). Which I should never have gotten rid of. Reading nonfiction books like this is how I will be spending my retirement, since I won't need to read middle grade novels for five hours a day!

Stealing the Score and Europa

It's

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
 at 

Always in the Middle 

and #IMWAYR day 

at

Unleashing Readers

Lost my patience AND my filter recently. 

Twenty years of reviews, one every day since 2012. Over 7,110 posts. 

Celebrate or not. No longer care. 

But I do know more about middle grade literature than anyone. 

Prove me wrong. 

Liu, Sylvia. Stealing the Score

February 3, 2026 by Scholastic Paperbacks

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Ethan Yang loves soccer, and is a big fan of Luis Alamilla, aka El Botín, a player for Venezuela who is especially charismatic and charms spectators with his antics surrounding his special "magical" soccer shoes. Ethan's best friend, Sasha plays WorldFootball, a video soccer game, when she's not helping her single mother with her catering business. She's very good, and comes close to making a level where she would go to a tournament in D.C., but loses to another player named "Worminator". Mateo Flores is a social media influencer the kids know, who has 400,000 followers. His father works with the AC Miami team. All three are interested in a scavenger hunt that El Botín sets up for fans, and manage to figure out a couple of the clues and take the required selfies, although Ethan and Mateo don't get along, and try to stop the other from finding the clues. When El Botín's soccer shoes go missing, the star posts on social media that he can't play without him. This escalates after several disastrous games, and he even mentions a curse. When Ethan (who used to live in Mexico City and knows Spanish) is at the AC Miami facility to try out for their academy team and overhears some people talking, he suspects that Mateo's dad might be involved with the disappearance of the shoes. Meanwhile, Sasha's mother gets a catering job with Irina, El Botín's girlfriend, and Irina is so pleased with how Sasha interacts with her cat, Starboy, that she offers to hire her if she needs a cat sitter! Mateo's sister, Cecelia, is planning her quinceanera, which leaves Mateo without parental supervision even more than usual. When the three kids start to work together, they investigate Mateo's father and think they find a box with the shoes. Sneaking aboard Irina's boat, they end up going to El Botín's private island and talking to him. In the end, they are able to convince him to come back to the game. Sasha ends up working her way through the losers' bracket to play the Worminator in a WorldFootball tournament. 

Strengths: Who knew there were so many different facets to soccer? This book has Ethan and Sasha playing the sport, Sasha involved in an E Sport version, and Mateo covering professional soccer on social media AND his father involved in the administration of a pro team. There's also the scavenger hunt for fans, and a mystery about El Botín going missing. The three main characters were all different, but worked well together; the tension when Sasha got along with both Ethan and Mateo while the boys didn't like each other was great! I also very much enjoyed the parents being alive but busy with other things. That gave the three plenty of time to get into trouble, sneak around, and end up with their idol on his private island! The information about handmade soccer shoes was touching as well. I've read so many sad middle grade novels recently that this was an absolute delight. Should not have been surprised, since I enjoyed Liu's Near and Deer and Hanna and the Ghost Crab Nation as well. 
Weaknesses: There could have been more soccer in the book. While I'm all about a good mystery, I'm always looking for more books about playing the sport, like Layton's The Academy books or Fabbri's Back of the Net series. 
What I really think: I will definitely purchase this title, and it is a great choice for readers who loved  David A. Kelly's Ballpark Mysteries when they were younger. If you're having a Scholastic book fair, I would make sure to have extras of these on hand, as it will be very popular with kids who like soccer, humorous books, or mysteries. 

Ponti, James. Europa (City Spies #7)

February 10, 2026 by Aladdin

Copy provided by the publisher! 

After their adventures in London Calling, the City Spies find themselves lodging in a safe house in London, since their Scottish base was compromised. Tru uses this as an opportunity to brush up on the groups' skills and knowledge of history in her Tru-torial sessions, which involves visits to important MI6 sites and sometimes delicious lunches. When there is a threat that train stations may be bombed, she has the group look at the notes, and the kids are the only ones who realize that it's not London train stations that are being targeted, but rather ones in Paris. They take off to the city with Tru reluctantly posing as their grandmother. We see that Gilles Deschamps is working for Allard, who is threatening the government even from jail, telling agents that if he isn't released, bad things will happen, not that he will be responsible for them. At the last minute, the children figure out that the "train station" is actually an abandoned one that is beneath the Museum D'Orsay. They manage to get into the museum after hours, and while Sydney doesn't completely diffuse the bomb, she manages to limit the damage of the paint, and suffers a concussion. Even with her injuries, she is able to deliver a coded message to Paris when they are arrested and questioned. They are released, but can no longer remain in Paris. There are suspicions that Clementine is somehow involved in this threat, so when she and Annie show up, there are some questions. When Allard gets loose and endangers Clementine, will the City Spies be able to save her? More missions are on the way. 

Strengths: You have to love the ease with which the City Spies bop back and forth on the EuroStar and run around London and Paris on their missions. It is nice that they have supportive adults like Tru and Mother on their side, and Clementine is an interesting character, since we're never quite sure if she is completely good. Annie gets a little more coverage in this one. The recap of the different kids in the back, along with their pictures, is a fun overview. There are a lot more puzzles and clues in this one, as Tru sets up meetings with the kids via puzzles, and the train station bombing also requires them to solves some siddles. Reading a print copy of this book made me realize that even though this is 378 pages long, the print is on the large side, with lots of white space. Publishers don't seem to realize that this  makes a HUGE difference in the reading experience for middle school students. 
Weaknesses: I'm not personally a fan of the clues and riddles; to me, they slow down the story. There seem to be more of them in this book than the others in the series, so maybe actual tweens are requesting that they be included. 
What I really think: I'm always interested to see what Ponti writes next, and even though I'm not a fan of enormous series, both his work and Stuart Gibbs' still circulates well for the entire series. We'll refer to this as the Jackson Braun Conundrum, after the author of  The Cat Who Mysteries, which lasted for an inordinate amount of books. I'll continue to purchase these until the end!

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Party Pooper (#20)

Kinney, Jeff. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Party Pooper (#20)

October 21, 2025 by Harry N. Abrams

Ohio Digital Library Copy

When Greg's mother doesn't make a big deal about his birthday, he thinks it's because she is throwing him a surprise party under the guise of a pie making contest at church. Of course, when he shows up, it really IS a pie contest, and his mother has the lame excuse that the family calendar got taken away with a broken refrigerator, and she forgot. After sharing anecdotes about many, many birthday parties, Greg says that his mother is planning another one, and since he is currently obsessed with finding a Three Eyed Threeble collectible card to earn money, he asks for packs of those for gifts. He also plans to sell items at his party, like cups, and charging people to flush the toilet. He's invited a lot of people, and his mother has hired a bouncy house, so there are a ton of people, but they are all ignoring his fund raising efforts. When his mother has to redecorate the cake with expired mayonnaise and hired Heath Healthbody as entertainment, things go downhill. Collectible card thieves show up, as does the groom from a wedding down the street, creating further chaos. When a group of mothers who found out from social media that Greg's mother forgot his birthday show up with cake, it looks like things might improve, but the neighbor's overgrown yard gets mown and a deer that had been hiding there closes Greg's party down. The day is saved when Greg's Aunt Nancy, who was visiting from Hawaii and took over his room, leaves a note that has a Three Eyed Threeble card in it. Greg struggles with what to do with the card, and where to hide it, but even that supposedly good thing goes bust quickly. In the end, Greg runs into the father of a boy who heard Greg's party was so awesome that the father hires Greg to host his son't party, leading to a lucrative new business for Greg.
Strengths: It doesn't matter what the Wimpy Kid books are about; my readers have an insatiable desire for them. Since this is concerned with Greg's birthday, I think it will be especially popular, and the cake frosting cover is great. There's a tiny bit of a plot, and the story moves fairly quickly.
Weaknesses: Like the previous 19 books, there is little character development, and not enough of a plot to really mean much. Essentially, this is Greg's self-centered ramblings about his birthday. I found it hard to believe that his mother forgot his birthday, not matter how invested she was in the pie baking contest.
What I really think: I'll have to purchase a copy, and it will get read to pieces. I wonder how many more titles there will be.

Saturday Morning Cartoons- Serendipity

Benda, Gabbie. Serendipity

January 27, 2026 by Holiday House

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Serendipity is very lucky, and very active in her school. She's the captain of the girls' basketball team, President of her class, and the lead in the school play. When she wins a radio contest (yet again!), she takes her best friend Basil to the carnival with her. There, she wins a giant stuffed narwhal, but it proves her undoing when the toy crashes into a fortune telling machine, and is cursed by it after it is knocked over. Things start going wrong everywhere, starting with a bad hair day. Panicked, Serendipity tries to undo the curse by visiting another student, Evelina, who runs a business out of the janitor's closet, but the counter spell doesn't seem to work. Basil opines that maybe Serendipity is just too busy, and if she slowed down, she would be able to concentrate and wouldn't have as many problems, but Serendipity believes in the curse. She can't remember her lines, blows plays, and is challenged for class officer by someone who promises classmates free cookies every day. After assessing other things in her life that might be contributing to her bad luck, Serendipity tries to get rid of her black cat, Tuna, but ends up breaking a mirror! Eventually, she goes back to the fortune teller, and realizes that the curse isn't real. She starts to improve her life, nominates her vice president for president, and scales back her activities so she can do a better job. 

Strengths: It's always fun to read about tweens who are involved in activities, and it's not uncommon for actual tweens to get overwhelmed from time to time. Serendipity has a hard time on the basketball court playing like a good team mate and not hogging the ball, she wants to have a big role in the play but slows down production by not knowing her lines, and is conflicted about holding office. She does have a good friend in Basil, who tries to help her balance her life, and has other people involved in her activities who also try to help her. Interestingly, there is very little about Serendipity's home life; we see her cat, but I'm not sure we saw parents. Readers who like graphic novels will find the artwork appealing. 
Weaknesses: I'm still not sure whether Serendipity was really cursed, or whether she just thought she was. It's kind of like the situation in Pastis' Timmy Failure; is the polar bear real or imaginary? Young Readers won't think too hard about this. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who can't get enough of graphic problem novels like Scrivener's Nat Enough or Vivat's Frazzled. 

Making Plans for Nigel Binty

Any other librarians spending a lot of their time dealing with Chromebooks? Replacing cords in the carts. Charging devices for students who didn't charge their own. Hunting down students who take devices that others are supposed to be using. If teachers would just check carts in the morning, it would be a little better. The frustration (and conferences last night until 8:00 p.m.!) drove meet to write and record this helpful ditty. N.B. I can't sing!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wWubhTfosYChaZp1S0612iHErwh07zHH/view?usp=sharing

Stout, Shawn K. Making Plans for Nigel Binty
February 3, 2026 by Peachtree
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Nigel has just transferred to Thorpewood Academy after dealing with a lot of unsettling life changes; his grandparents have passed away, and his parents are separated. This doesn't help lessen his constant anxiety, which often results in an upset stomach. When he makes the unusual decision to pick up a dead mole on the athletic field, he thinks he is going to be in trouble when he is called to the principal's office, but it's just a check in with his mother about Nigel's frequent absences. Of course, when he drops his diorama into which the dead mole was placed, this causes him problems. It also draws him to the attention of new student Glory Bea, who is transferring to the school after her minister father, whom she calls Rev, is sent to jail on embezzlement charges. She's being raised by her Aunt Pauline, who moves Glory Bea from Tennessee to Maryland. Nigel's long time best friend is Milo, but the two aren't getting along very well now that Milo is hanging out with Jonah and Zeke. Glory is struggling in her new school, misses her father, and is getting to know her aunt and her aunt's girlfriend, Etta. When a class field trip to the Chesapeake Bay is announced, Nigel doesn't want to go, but his mother, who is deep into a self help book for "planatics", encourages him to go. He gets paired with Glory, which ends up being a good thing when he faints as he is getting on a boat. Water deeply upsets him. During the course of the trip, however, he reads something a bit mean that Glory has written in her notebook about him, and tells Milo about Glory's father. Milo doesn't keep this a secret, which causes a rift between the two new friends. Nigel is hoping to work on a compulsory cardboard boat project with Glory, but ends up having to go in the boat himself. Will the two ever be able to make up, since they did seem to get along so well? 
Strengths: Nigel and Glory Bea are two well meaning but troubled characters who have had a lot thrown at them, and also have to deal with middle school friend drama. Parents separating or being incarcerated can make life very difficult for children, and I can see how Nigel and Glory might be drawn to each other. While public schools don't have much in the way of field trips these days, I can see a private school having an adventure in nature to inspire poetry and writing. It's good to see that the children have supportive caretakers and access to some therapy. 
Weaknesses: While there are a lot of things going on, it would have helped to have a more defined plot. Since I've elected to do several language arts projects, I've paid more attention to what central conflicts and plot ARCs exist in novels. It's also difficult to pick one theme when there are so many different threads! 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed field trip stories that highlighted the problems of some of the characters, like Davis' Food Fight, Richards' Survive This Safari, Jensen's Lilac and the Switchback or Bradley's Daybreak on Raven Island.

The Ghosts Behind the Door

Wilde, Jen. The Ghosts Behind the Door
February 3, 2026 by Scholastic Press
E ARC Provided by Edelweiss Plus

When Maggie's mother and her nongendered partner, Morgan, move to Oak Grove to help out with grandmother Betty, there is a lot of tension. Maggie's mom has lost her job as a librarian in New York City, but Morgan has kept their job and commutes back to the city. Maggie is happy to be with Nana Betty, but feels like there is something very creepy in the house. Not only that, but everyone at school gives her a hard time for being a Havercroft, calling her grandmother "Batty Betty" and her mother a pyromaniac! This is tough on Maggie, who already suffers from anxiety and has an emotional support cat, Bear. At least neighbor Ivy is nice, having suffered at the hands of mean girls like Hailey and Olivia because she is the only transgender student at the school. The school librarian, Shanice, is a friend of Betty's and supportive as well. Maggie starts to investigate her family history and finds some alarming information; Charles Havercroft apparently threw his wife Abigail off the cliff near the family graveyard, and another foremother was drowned in the bathtub by her husband! Maggie occasionally has visions of these past lives, and even sees her own mother struggle with people in town who don't like that she is a lesbian. When Nana has a stroke and has to go to the hospital, the house becomes even more active and angry, and Maggie knows she needs to try to break the family curse before it it too late. With Ivy's help, she finds a spell book in the attic and tries a banishment spell, causing several of her classmates to disappear for a few days. Eventually, she figures out that she needs to banish the ghost of Charles Havercroft and finish the job her mother started when she set fire to the local history museum, trying to burn his portrait. When Nana dies, things escalate further, but help comes from Nana's "book club" ladies, including Shanice, and eventually from Maggie's mother. 
Strengths: Even though I am more of a "cottagecore" grandmother myself, I loved the representation of Nana as a "hardcore" grandmother, and her house was interesting. It's a sadly accurate representation of having to clean out a house and deal with an elderly relatives decline. The family history was unusual, and it was good that Ivy was willing to overlook it to help Maggie out. The ghosts were fairly scary, so I can see why this book is compared to the work of India Hill Brown, which also has murderous ghosts and family history. 
Weaknesses: It was a little hard to believe that there was so much bad treatment of the women in the family over such a long period, but mental health challenges can be hereditary. Since I had a relative who was subjected to a lobotomy, I can't doubt the use of "water cures" back in the day. Young Readers might need a little more explanation about the historical treatment of mental illness. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed this author's Paige Not Found, Averling's The Ghosts of Bitterfly Bay,  Van Otterloo's Cattywampus, or Talbot's Sixteen Souls. 

A Scar Like a River

Graff, Lisa. A Scar Like a River

February 3, 2026 by Christy Ottaviano 

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Fallon Little has two good friends in Cedar Haven, California. Neither Trent nor Kiara care about the significant scar that Fallon has had since she was five years old, but they don't know the secret of how she got it, either. There's a lot going on in Fallon's life, especially since her mother is struggling with the after effects of a virus and can barely get out of bed some days. After Fallon's Uncle Geebie dies, feelings from the past resurface and cause problems, especially when Fallon's Aunt Claire (aka Lune) comes to live with the family to help out. Claire gets a job at the local newspaper. When Fallon auditions for the school production of Hello, Dolly!, she is surprised to win the leading role, since Stella Brymer usually stars in the plays. She even asked the director, Mr. Castiglioni, if her scar won't distract people from her performance, but he assures her that she has talent enough that no one will care. Fallon is in therapy, and is surprised to see Stella at the office. The two talk, and Fallon shares her opinion that the message of Hello, Dolly! is problematic, but Mr. Castiglioni says that play can't be changed. This bothers Fallon, but she's also dealing with doctors who are dismissive of her mother's condition, the fact that Kiara and Trent are dating and haven't told her, and Aunt Claire being around the house. When she finds that Stella is attending a Survivors of Sexual Assault Group, secrets from Fallon's past surface. After she protests the play and writes a letter to the newspaper, she is surprised that her aunt doesn't support her. She finds old news articles of her aunt's and reads them to try to find ammunition to fight her, and finds that her aunt has secrets of her own. These anger Fallon, and she finally decided to tell her parents what really happened in the past. 

Strengths: Fallon is dealing with a variety of very serious issues, so it is good to see that she has access to a therapist. Even with her own challenges, it was good to see that she was willing to advocate for her mother at a doctor's appointment! It is also good to see that she has good friends, and that she is involved in school activities. I really enjoyed her developing friendship with Stella, whom she thought was stuck up at first. Aunt Claire's presence in the home was unsettling, and it turns out there was a good reason for that feeling! I really wish that schools would look more critically before they choose plays; our local community children's theater put on Oklahoma several years ago and I was absolutely appalled at how completely inappropriate it was. Surely, there are other plays out there, despite what Mr. Castiglioni says about most plays having some issues of not aging well! 
Weaknesses: There is quite a lot going on in this book, and since there is a fairly graphic description of inappropriate touching, this might be a better choice for readers who are in middle school. It's done very sensitively, but you might want to be aware of this if it is in your library. 
What I really think: I read this right after Haydu's The Ordinary and Extraordinary Auden Greene, and there are some similarities in those two books; school plays, mothers with debilitating conditions, and being at odds with friends! The two stories will always be connected in my brain! Graff, who deals with a chronic illness of her own, has written a wide variety of middle grade novels. A Scar Like a River is more like her Lost in the Sun than her more upbeat Rewind, and is comparable to Brubaker Bradley's Fighting Words. 

The Ordinary and Extraordinary Auden Greene

Haydu, Corey Ann. The Ordinary and Extraordinary Auden Greene
January 13, 2026 by Quill Tree Books

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Denny Greene and her best friend Runa have spent years making up stories about an imaginary world, Sorrowfield, and have even written a book about it, The Tales of Dragons True. As their twelfth birthday approaches, however, Runa wants to distance herself from this imaginary pursuit, and wants Denny to grow up. Denny is struggling for several reasons; she isn't interested in clothes or makeup like Runa is, and she has to deal with her mother's alcoholism. Runa's friend Sadie is quite mean to Denny, even after Denny wins the role of Dorothy in the school production of The Wizard of Oz. We also meet Princess Auden, who lives in Sorrowfield. Her parents and two older sisters were taken by dragons, and when she turns twelve, Duke Verdon and Duchess Dutton expect her to solve the dragon problem. Their daughter, Lady Genevive, is the Sorrowfield counterpart for Runa. When presents of birthday mirrors cause the two girls to venture into each other's worlds, the problems become more difficult. Auden has to navigate middle school, and Denny has to figure out how to fight dragons... in a ball gown! While Denny is in danger of having her entire kingdom taken over by another ruler if she can't solve the dragon problem, Auden has to perform in the play, figure out arguments with Runa, and watch as her mother's drinking problem culminates with her getting behind the wheel of a car and crashing. Eventually, Denny manages to fight the dragons by looking them in the eye, which she is told is NOT the thing to do, but manages to save the day. After she comes back from Sorrowfield, she has a lot to catch up on, and work to do on her relationships. 

Strengths: Readers who enjoy Haydu's different worlds and allegorical stories, like The Widely Unknown Myth of Apple & Dorothy, will find Denny's adventures in the kingdom she made up fascinating. There are a fair number to tween friendships that break up when one friend matures more quickly than the other, and Denny and Runa's rift makes perfect sense. There aren't a lot of stories involving alcoholic parents (although Petro-Roy's Life in the Balance and Zarr's Kyra, Just for Today are quite good), so that was an interesting inclusion. 
Weaknesses: This was a bit repetitive. We hear over and over that being twelve changes everything, and that princesses "know what to do". The mother's alcoholism runs parallel to the problems with dragons in a way that may not make sense to younger readers. 

What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who want a portal fantasy like Trehan's Snow, Durst's Even and Odd, or Short's The Legend of Greyhallow, but want a side of problems and allegory with it. 
 

MMGM- The Star of Moon Village and Some Biographies

It's

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
 at 

Always in the Middle 

and #IMWAYR day 

at

Unleashing Readers

Richter, Jennifer Ann. The Star of Moon Village

January 27, 2026 by Holiday House

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus 

 Priscilla Cobb of Walnut Grove, PA is very excited to be chosen to travel to Moon Village in 2079, especially since her late mother was a participant in the program when it first started. Her father is going along as an adult supervisor and focus group member opining on the tourist portion of the project. While she's sad to leave behind her best friend Doria, grandma Nin and Gram Nicole (who is almost 100), she excited to live in space and also to show off her newest invention, a robot that can create complicated hairstyles, inspired by her uncle's work as a hairdresser. While Priscilla is glad to connect with fellow student Hoshiko, she is dismayed that famous actor Orion Prett and dancer/singer/acrobat Starletta, also from Walnut Grove, are attending the school program but also planning a concert. Priscilla had an unpleasant interaction back home with Starletta, and doesn't like the emphasis on entertainment that is taking away from the scientific aspect of Moon Village. Priscilla is excited to be assigned to a horticulture and botany unit, and is eager to learn about growing plants and fungus in space. Life in on the moon is very different, and Priscilla is eager to experience it all, even when a walk to a lunar crater ends with Starletta and Priscilla plummeting to the bottom of the crater and needing to be saved. As the preparation for the concert ramps up, Priscilla asks the head of the interns, Dr. Petrova, if she agrees with the emphasis on tourism, and what the group might be able to do to protest it. The two decide that sabotage is a bad idea, but agree that well placed signs stating "Keep the science going", and consistent comments by everyone interviewed by Earth media underlining the importance of the science missions, will be helpful. Priscilla has an altercation with Starletta that gets her kicked out of dancing at the concert, but the two eventually talk and make amends. After a key staffer becomes I'll right before the concert, Priscilla's hair styling robot saves the day by doing Starletta's hair, and Starletta makes a public announcement that learning and discovering should take precendence over tourism. 

Strengths: Books depicting girls with an interest in STEM always go right to the top of my list, and I loved that Priscilla was interestested in horticulture and mycoculture. Even though I live in Ohio, I have more students interested in marine biology than agronomy, and that's a shame! Food science is an interesting field. We get just enough of a glimpse of Priscilla's life at home before taking off into space, and the details about preparing for the journey are great. When the tourism aspect was first introduced, with the fancy resort and boutique shops, I had an immediate visceral dislike of it, so was glad to see that Priscilla chose to fight against it. The drama with Starletta will appeal to tweens on a lot of levels, especially when the two tumble into the lunar crater! This had a lot to recommend it, and is a necessary purchase for middle school libraries.

I've read too much middle grade speculative fiction, so kept waiting for something terrible to happen. You know, all the parents get blown up in a space shuttle and Priscilla has to work with Earth to get the kids back. The village looses power. Space aliens wanting a vacation invade the resort. I'm always asking for upbeat novels, and this was really perfect in that regard, just surprising considering the gloom and doom speculative fiction already out there. The biggest problems were the tiff with Starletta, and frenemy drama is always a hit with my readers. Can't argue at all with the idea that the village should be dedicated to science rather than tourism.

Weaknesses: Somehow, I had trouble connecting to this book, but I think I'm going to have to blame this on my current bad mood rather than any faults with the writing. Priscilla also mentions her deceased mother quite a lot, which doesn't really add to the plot and is just one of my least favorite tropes in middle grade literature, recently eclipsing even talking animals. I rarely reread books, but I may pick this up again when I get a library copy. If I still have a job after the November 2025 election. (Hence, bad mood.)

What I really think: Why does the blurb compares this to Stacy McAnulty’s The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl? The two books are not similar at all! While most similar to Danziger's 1986 This Place Has No Atmosphere, it also reminded me of Holm's Lion of Mars, Gibbs' Moon Base Alpha, Anderson's Stowaway, King's The Incredible Space Raiders From Space, or other middle grade speculative fiction novels that showcase living in space. I did very much like that this concentrated on being on the moon rather than traveling around space, and appreciated that it was mostly upbeat. I'm definitely purchasing this, and love the cover.

Yasmin, Seema and Habaieb, Noha (illus.) 

Maysoon Zayid, the Girl Who Can Can
February 10, 2026 by Salaam Reads / Simon & Schuster BFYR
Copy provided by the publisher

Maysoon Zayid, author of the graphic novel Shiny Misfits, was born in 1974. Because of difficulties with her birth, she has lived with cerebral palsy. This manifests itself, in her case, by tremors that she can control sometimes. When she wanted to enroll in the same elementary school with her sisters, the principal said that she could not because of her disability, and sent her and her father to the superintendent. It was even mentioned that she should enroll in a school for children with Down Syndrome. This was before the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. She made her case successfully, as was able to enroll. Her parents, who immigrated from Palestine, couldn't afford physical therapy, so her father worked with her for two hours a day at home. To help, she did enroll in dance classes. Since she was young, Mayson wanted to be a famous actress and appear on the television soap opera General Hospital, so she loved dancing. She attended Arizona State University to major in dance and drama. Despite a lot of negativity from teachers, she persevered. She took comedy classes as well, and eventually got an audition for her dream job, General Hospital, and won a role. She continues to perform and to serve as a good example for fighting through difficulties and not giving up on dreams.
Strengths: This is the first book in the Muslim Mavericks series, and is a short (72 pages) book with large print and great illustrations that would be perfect for elementary school students. Since I was absolutely obsessed with the Childhood of Famous Americans series when I was in elementary school (right about the time Zayid was born!), I would have adored this book as a child. There is a good mix of family background, personal dreams, and challenging reality that is very appealing. The story moves quickly, and has a positive, upbeat feel to it. Since Zayid's book, Shiny Misfits, will have a good number of readers, seeing how see strove for her dream in real life despite obstacles will make this biography a good companion to the graphic novel. It's becoming easier to find biographies of people with Islamic backgrounds, but there are still not enough books. I'm looking forward to seeing what other titles Salaam produces.
Weaknesses: There are no dates listed in the book, which makes it hard to place Zayid in a historical context. I hope that further Muslim Mavericks books also include people whose dreams included more practical fields like technology, science, and medicine.
What I really think: Elementary libraries will want to include this series in their collections. It is a little young for my middle school collection, but I would love to see something similar for older readers that is around 100 pages and includes dates, a bibliography, and an index.

 

Maraniss, Andrew and Hodge, DeAndra (illus.)
Beyond the Game: Jordan Marie Brings Three White Horses Whetstone
June 3, 2025 by Viking Books for Young Readers
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Jordan was born in 1988 to Terra Beth, a nurse from the Lakota Nation, and David Daniel, a teacher. She lived on a Sioux reservation in South Dakota, where she enjoyed visiting with her grandfather Nyal, who had been forcibly sent to a boarding school and was the first in his family to attend college. Both he and Terra Beth were strong runners, a sport which Jordan also embraced. While her grandfather and mother were Olympic hopefuls who sustained injuries which crushed their dreams, Jordan did well. After the family moved to Maine, where she had a hard time with her classmates, many of whom were racist, she ran track and cross country, and eventually got a scholarship to the University of Maine. She struggled with some eating disorders, but was eventually able to move to D.C. for work and earn money through sponsorships for her running. Her job with the National Indian Health Board opened her eyes to even more injustices, such as the Standing Rock Oil Pipeline. Qualifying for the Boston Marathon in 2019, she decided to bring attentiong to the plight of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women by racing with red body paint and handprints. She inspired other young activists, like Rosalie Fish. Today, running the Rising Hearts nonprofit that helps races acknowledge that they are being held on Native lands and supports the relatives of people who were forced into boarding schools.

There is a lot of good information in this book, and there are appendices at the end. There are tips for getting involved, a number of resources, a glossary, a map of Native words, and a list of other influential Native athletes.

Hodge's illustrations support the text and will make this more appealing to young readers. They depict various scenes and people from Jordan's life.

Maraniss' other Beyond the Game titles cover LeBron James, Pat Tillman, and Maya Moore, and do a good job of covering not only the subject's athletic career, but also the social activism that drives and inspires their work. These are great books for reader who like Penguin's Who Was biographies but are looking for individuals involved in sports.

One for the Dogs

Weisfeld, Brian, Bader, Bonnie, and Hsieh, Nadia. 

One for the Dogs (Start Up Squad Graphic Novels #1)

February 3, 2026 by Philomel Books

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

In this graphic novel, Resa, who appears in the Start Up Squad novels, is excited to visit her Abuela in Brooklyn, especially since she is allowed to bring her friends Harriet, Amelia, and Didi! After a day of sight seeing, Resa is feeling a little jealous of her friends, and when Abuela falls and sprains her ankle, she is alarmed that her friends know how to take care of her grandmother while she freezes. Resa decides to go help at Abuela's store the next day, and after talking to Parker and Nicole, whose grandmothers know Abuela, loans the girls money out of the store's till to start a dog bandana business. She thinks this is what her grandmother would do, and Resa loves to start new businesses. When she meets with Parker and Nicole, however, she isn't happy with the quality of their bandana production, and has a disagreement with them. She does meet them in the park to try to sell the bandanas, and not surprisingly, this doesn't go well. Resa's aunt brings the girls tickets to a Broadway show, and the four set off on the subway to see it. Things go well until Harriet gets off the subway on the way home to try to get a cell phone signal, but Resa had put a plan in place, and the group is soon reunited. Parker and Nicole want help, and the Start Up Squad meets with them to make some more bandanas, which sell. Resa is able to pay her grandmother back, although they have to talk about why it is wrong to borrow money without asking. The group also gets to go to a fashion show  before heading home. 

Strengths: There seem to be very few tweens with an entrepreneurial spirit, so it's good to see this sort of story written by someone who has been very involved in a variety of businesses. Resa has good business skills, even if she needs some work on her interpersonal ones. Visiting a grandparent always makes for a fun book, and I loved the little tour of New York City the girls got. The business aspect of this made sense, even if it was a bit suspicious that Resa gave two girls she didn't really know money! The business details were good, and the girls worked out their problems. Resa also is able to talk to her grandmother critically about her choices. The illustrations are cute, and I can see this being a big hit in elementary schools. 
Weaknesses: This seems to be the fourth tale of the Start Up Squad, since it mentions their work selling t shirts, lemonade, and planning a wedding, but is the first graphic novel. I bought the first two novels, but they haven't circulated as much as I would like, perhaps because the girls seem younger. I don't remember Resa being so anxious or having troubles getting along with people. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who like the Cupcake Diaries graphic novels or Vargas and Yovaniniz's The Do-Over .