August 5, 2025 by Scholastic/Graphix
E ARC Provided by Edelweiss Plus
Jinx (who doesn't like her mother to call her Jennifer) is having a hard time. Her father has quit his job because he doesn't believe in "meaningless grind for superficial achievement", which angers her mother but makes Jinx happy, since he spends more time with her and bakes a lot. When her parents announce they are separating, Jinx is sad that her father will move to Chicago to live with his mother while she stays in Manhattan. It doesn't help her mood that she doesn't have any friends at school since her best friend, Emily, stopped talking to her and hangs out with the mean Nidia instead. Jinx dresses is Goth-like attire, which makes her a target for teasing from her classmates, who also make fun of her weight. Moving into the new apartment building, she and her mother meet a neighbor, Greg, who tries to help them with a heavy mattress. During this, Jinx finds a crystal on the floor and picks it up. Greg shakes his head, says it is hers, and wishes her well with the advice that "kindness is everything". This confuses Jinx until she is at home and realizes that the crystal has given her custody of magical creatures she calls "adorables". She has names for some of them, like Pom-Poms, Squirrely, and the somewhat terrifying Bun who can get very large. These creatures follow her everywhere. She tries to ask Greg about them, but meets his niece, Robyn, and her brother TJ, who are watching his cats while he is away. The two girls get along, and have a lot in common, including the fact that they have both come out as gay to family and friends, something which hasn't always gone well. When Jinx gets fed up with her mother, she gets on a bus to visit him, which doesn't go well. Her mother rescues her, and the two come to a better understanding. Greg returns and tells Jinx that the adorables are "little gods of chaos", but Jinx has managed to accidentally pass them on. At the end, Robyn and Jinx share a kiss.
Strengths: Middle school students still believe that there MIGHT be a tiny bit of magic in the world, which is why they like stories of magical realism. Yes, school might be horrible and you might have to move because your parents get divorced, but what if you also had an infestation of adorable magical creatures who follow you everywhere? Could happen. You never know. The best part of this story was Jinx's troubled relationship with her father. He's the "nice" parent, the one who does fun things, and her mother is the enforcer, so of course she wants to run off to visit him. The fact that he tries to come to her rescue but is unable to because he has neglected car maintenance? Perfect. Young readers will enjoy Robyn and Jinx's budding friendship and romance, as well as Jinx's adventures with the adorables.
Weaknesses: It's a sad fact of middle school life that if you act weird, people will want to distance themselves from you. I speak from experience. Jinx's former friend Emily didn't stop talking to her because Jinx confessed that she had a crush on her; Emily knew that if she hung around with someone who chose to wear a spiderweb vest, she would get teased as well. Also, I sided with the mother on a lot of Jinx's behavior. Young readers will have neither of these problems with the story.
What I really think: This will be a big hit with fans of Terry's Graveyard Shakes or Ostow's The Girl From the Sea.
E ARC Provided by Edelweiss Plus
Jinx (who doesn't like her mother to call her Jennifer) is having a hard time. Her father has quit his job because he doesn't believe in "meaningless grind for superficial achievement", which angers her mother but makes Jinx happy, since he spends more time with her and bakes a lot. When her parents announce they are separating, Jinx is sad that her father will move to Chicago to live with his mother while she stays in Manhattan. It doesn't help her mood that she doesn't have any friends at school since her best friend, Emily, stopped talking to her and hangs out with the mean Nidia instead. Jinx dresses is Goth-like attire, which makes her a target for teasing from her classmates, who also make fun of her weight. Moving into the new apartment building, she and her mother meet a neighbor, Greg, who tries to help them with a heavy mattress. During this, Jinx finds a crystal on the floor and picks it up. Greg shakes his head, says it is hers, and wishes her well with the advice that "kindness is everything". This confuses Jinx until she is at home and realizes that the crystal has given her custody of magical creatures she calls "adorables". She has names for some of them, like Pom-Poms, Squirrely, and the somewhat terrifying Bun who can get very large. These creatures follow her everywhere. She tries to ask Greg about them, but meets his niece, Robyn, and her brother TJ, who are watching his cats while he is away. The two girls get along, and have a lot in common, including the fact that they have both come out as gay to family and friends, something which hasn't always gone well. When Jinx gets fed up with her mother, she gets on a bus to visit him, which doesn't go well. Her mother rescues her, and the two come to a better understanding. Greg returns and tells Jinx that the adorables are "little gods of chaos", but Jinx has managed to accidentally pass them on. At the end, Robyn and Jinx share a kiss.
Strengths: Middle school students still believe that there MIGHT be a tiny bit of magic in the world, which is why they like stories of magical realism. Yes, school might be horrible and you might have to move because your parents get divorced, but what if you also had an infestation of adorable magical creatures who follow you everywhere? Could happen. You never know. The best part of this story was Jinx's troubled relationship with her father. He's the "nice" parent, the one who does fun things, and her mother is the enforcer, so of course she wants to run off to visit him. The fact that he tries to come to her rescue but is unable to because he has neglected car maintenance? Perfect. Young readers will enjoy Robyn and Jinx's budding friendship and romance, as well as Jinx's adventures with the adorables.
Weaknesses: It's a sad fact of middle school life that if you act weird, people will want to distance themselves from you. I speak from experience. Jinx's former friend Emily didn't stop talking to her because Jinx confessed that she had a crush on her; Emily knew that if she hung around with someone who chose to wear a spiderweb vest, she would get teased as well. Also, I sided with the mother on a lot of Jinx's behavior. Young readers will have neither of these problems with the story.
What I really think: This will be a big hit with fans of Terry's Graveyard Shakes or Ostow's The Girl From the Sea.
August 19, 2025 by Union Square Kids
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Casey realizes that no one at school or home can see him, so he goes to the ghost circus to try to figure out what is going on. There, he meets Creepy Girl, and asks for her help, and a silent ghost, Polterghost, comes along as well. They figure out that Casey has been in a car accident, and is in the hospital in a coma. The Headless Horseman shows up frequently, and Casey and his new supernatural friends need to figure out how to return Casey to his body and to free the spirits trapped in the circus.
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