Grady Jones and the Great Detective Game

Dye, Kerry Douglas. Grady Jones and the Great Detective Game
September 30, 2025 by Aladdin
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Grady wants to do something fantastic with his life, but he hasn’t found it yet. A foray into science ends with a slime disaster, and everything from soccer to being a sushi chef ends the same way. He also starts a career as a rock star only to have his older brother Andy tell him that he’s immature. This all changes when a mysterious woman shows up at his door and asks for Mr. Jones. Since his father died in a car accident five years ago, there seems to be some mistake… until she asks for Mr. GRADY Jones. She hands him a mysterious message from local reclusive millionaire Joseph Bancroft that says he has been murdered and only Grady can solve it. His mother contacts the police, who investigate and think everything is fine, but the next morning Bancroft is dead. In typical bumbling fashion, Grady starts to investigate, even circulating a flyer at school asking for information and promising a $50,000 reward that doesn’t exist. Luckily, he meets new neighbor Mikayla Morales who is much more organized and competent, and offers to help. He and his friend Anwar hatch a plan to deliver food from Anwar’s aunt’s restaurant, Nisha’s Noshes, and the two manage to be let inside by the housekeeper, Hedda. Grady sneaks into the reading of the will and finds out that he will be the beneficiary of the large estate if he can solve the murder. This distracts him from the investigation, but he gets some information. He meets a Detective Grady Jones, and it is fairly clear that the letter was meant for him, and the two work together a bit. When the local Winterfest is canceled because Bancroft funds it, Grady wants to be the one to be able to save this beloved local tradition. Bancroft was poisoned, but who would have done it? Secrets come out about Detective Jones, and Grady manages to finally develop skills and get some answers. Once he solves the mystery, will Ms. Bancroft have another mission for him?
Strengths: Murder mysteries are very popular in the middle school, and I imagine even younger readers are interested in the genre. This does not have any blood and gore, and has a sort of Scooby-Doo level of evil that will resonate with elementary readers. Grady reminds me a bit of Greg Hefley (Wimpy Kid), with his grand plans that he can’t quite bring to fruition. Mikayla is the best character in the book, and I was hoping that she would take Grady in hand and whip him into shape. If you’re looking for a title with the Anti Encyclopedia Brown, this is the book.
Weaknesses: This will probably be more successful with younger readers who look up to Grady even though he is incompetent and misguided. The tone was rather flippant for a story in which someone is actually murdered.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed quirky mysteries like Liebman’s Mr. Grieves and the Grievous Deeds or Millington’s Olivetti.

Happy Halloween!

I have to admit: I am a Scrooge about Halloween. It was great when I was a kid because it was the only time we were allowed to run around without adults at night (It was the 1970s!) and there was CANDY,  but even then, it was always cold and there seemed to be easier ways to get chocolate. My own children always had inventive costumes, and I went around with them, sometimes rocking my 1982 flannel leopard costume that I still have. But in general, bah, humbug! What do you MEAN that people are going to come and ring my doorbell for two hours on a school night? I hand out microwave popcorn to the 50 visitors I usually get, but every year brings me closer to turning off my porch lights. The giant skeletons and inflatable pumpkins? Don't get that. Waste of money and storage space. Spooky books, though, are always good, so we'll concentrate on those today. 

Alexander, Jed. The Black Market

September 9, 2025 by Union Square Kids
ARC provided by Media Masters Publicity

Martin loves horror films, and he and his best friend, Jess, are determined to have the best Halloween. Martin is also fond of his Great Aunt Gabby, who has shown up unexpectedly. She travels the world, often bringing Martin amazing gifts. This year, it is a pair of unusual foovaloos shoes, made from the skin of an extinct animal. She's cagey about where she has gotten them, but finally tells Martin about the magical Black Market. It shows up in unexpected places on Halloween night, and the things purchased there have a steep price that can't be calculated in monetary terms. Forgetting that he has promised to meet Jess at the library, Martin rushes off after getting Gabby settled, and ends up at the library wearing his shoes. The creepy Substitute Librarian, who is there in place of Martin's favorite staffer, seems overly interested in the friends as Martin tells Jess about his aunt's tale. Gabby continues on her travels, and Martin decides to try to find the market on Halloween. After telling their parents that they might be out longer than usual, the friends manage to find the market. Jess isn't allowed in, but Martin, in his Headless Horseman costume (shown on the cover) is assumed to be an adult and let in. He doesn't spend too much time browsing, but comes across a Bag of Dirty Tricks that he wants. The vendor offers to trade for the shoes, but when Martin finds out he needs a book of instructions to do with the tricks, he only gets half the bag. Back home with Jess, he is alarmed at how mean some of the tricks are, but still wants to try some of them. He settles on a soap that turns the users skin red for a week, and plans to trick his father into washing his hands with it before dinner. Unfortunately, a marinara explosion results in his father taking a shower... and he ends up red all over after grabbing the soap from the sink. Martin could easily have told his mother, who is very worried, what has happened, but stays silent, not wanting to admit to having been to the Black Market. It's hard to find tricks that aren't too nasty, but after a mean neighbor, Mr. Murphy, kidnaps Martin's dog Gorgo, Martin and Jess perform a complicated trick that ends with Mr. Murphy growing tree branches from his body. While recovering Gorgo, they find that Mr. Murphy isn't all that mean. They help him clip his branches and decide to bury the bag so that it won't cause any more harm. When events the sound suspiciously like Dirty Tricks hit the news, Martin and Jess, must track down the surprising person who has stolen the bag, and find a way to lessen the impact. 

Strengths: This creepy story is accompanied by the author's occasional line drawings, which is a nice touch. Martin and Jesse are great fans, and they manage to sneak out at night to get things done, and work around parents who are alive, present, and concerned about their well being, I enjoyed Great Aunt Gabby, and the ending (which I don't want to ruin), brings her influence back in an interesting way. The idea of a magical market that only appears occasionally is intriguing, and the Bag of Dirty Tricks has a magical appeal much like that of Whitesides' The Wishmakers. Martin and Jesse are fairly thoughtful and deliberate in their use of the bag, and don't want to cause any real harm. Their attempt to get rid of the back is realistic, and I liked the twist at the end. 
Weaknesses: The foovaloos shoes were a bit goofy, and make the book seem a bit younger. It also lacks the jump scares and killer ghosts that my students look for in scary books. 
What I really think: This is a good Halloween choice for fans of Allen's The Nightmare House, Uhrig's The Polter-ghost Problem, or Lloyd's The Witching Wind who aren't quite bold enough for scarier stories with killer spirits like Gillespie's Grin or Alexander's Dead Girl's Diary. 

   

Winans, Justine Pucella. A Little Too Haunted

September 30, 2025 by Bloomsbury Children's Books
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Luna Catalano, who struggles with irritable bowel syndrome, leads a peripatetic life with her two mothers, who are home improvement influencers who renovate and flip haunted houses. Revenues are down since Luna had a live streamed freak out when she discovered that they faked the paranormal aspects of their content. Mom and Mamma are looking to rebrand as they start their newest project on Shadyside Street in Cleveland, Ohio. At first, Luna doesn’t think the house is dark and dismal enough to be haunted, but when she spends more time there, she feels disturbing auras. This is great, because Luna WANTS the house to be haunted. She’s a huge fan of the show Queer Fearleaders. She has a crush on the male host and desperately wants to get their Starter Ghosthunters’ Kit, which her moms eventually break down and buy for her. Since she has had several disturbing visions of being covered in blood, and seeing a giant spider on the kitchen ceiling. There are rumors about the house, which had been abandoned for some time, and the neighbor children, Dani (who is trying out they/them pronouns) and Mateo Moreno help Luna investigate. She also gets some insight when she wakes up in the middle of the night and goes outside, running into 23-year-old neighbor Evie, a horror writer, who tells her stories about the Burning Man and Mourning Dove. There’s also neighbor Logan, a very pretty girl who captures Luna’s attention, and is even the object of a very confusing crush, since Luna doesn’t consider herself gay. The stove in the house keeps turning on unexpectedly, and Luna’s moms think she has done it because she is unhappy about the move, blaming her for ruining their new camera. The children talk to Mr. Winston at the library and get some more history of the house, and learn about the Rosewood family that perished in a fire in the early twentieth century. When Evie gives Luna instructions on how to perform an exorcism, things go badly wrong, and the evil spirits in the house need serious attention. Will Luna be able to save herself and the house, and convince her moms that she is tired of moving?
Strengths: This was a bit of a twist on the middle grade trope of moving into a haunted house; Luna’s family WANTS the house to be haunted. There must be people who make a living being social media influencer, and seeing the difficulty that Luna’s mothers have with getting sponsorship and losing viewers because of her meltdown is interesting. I liked the way that Luna’s IBS was worked into the story; it’s not part of a plot arc, but does effect some of her daily life. There is lot of LGBTQIA+ representation of various sorts.
Weaknesses: I was a little confused as to why Luna could see Evie and Logan; there's a little explanation, but there could have been more. Also, it seemed pretty apparent that Evie was evil, so I would NOT have followed her instructions to do an exorcism!
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who like books that involve moving into haunted houses like Dawson’s Mine, Hung’s Hungry Bones, Bowman’s Where the Lost Ones Go, or Acevedeo’s The Curse of Spectacle Key. The home renovation portion of this reminded me vaguely of O’Reilly’s The Secret of Goldenrod or Davies’The International House of Dereliction.    

McGee, Joe and Long, Ethan (illustrator)

Pumpkin Party (Junior Monster Scouts)

July 15, 2025 by Simon Spotlight

Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

This Level 2 Ready to Read early chapter book continues the adventures of Vampyra, Franky, and Wolfy. As their favorite holiday approaches, the trio is planning a Halloween party, complete with snacks and decorations. They want to carve jack o'lanterns, so head out to the pumpkin patch to pick the best one for their projects, which include a bat, the castle, and a wolf howling at the moon. When they try to pick the pumpkins however, they scoot away! They are sentient pumpkins, and do not like the idea of being careved up and filled with twinkly lights. The friends are sad, but come up with a great idea: instead of carving the pumpkins, they will invite all of the produce to their party and PAINT the decorations on instead. The pumpkins agree to this, and end up being the life of the party. 

Long's illustrations are just the right blend of realistic and goofy, with Wolfy and Franky in  boy scout uniforms, and Vampyra resplendent with her Bride of Frankenstein hairdo even when she is a bat. The grounds of Castle Dracula are nice and dark, but their party looks very cozy with its bowls of treats, skeleton band, and strings of decorations. There are enough details on the page to spark conversations about what else might be going on, and to compare and contrast the Monster Scout party with ones the reader has attended. 

These pictures also support the text, so readers who might be struggling with the word "pumpkin" will be able to draw clues from context. I appreciated that the vocabulary was generally simple, but introduced more difficult words like "pageant". 

For elementary school students, who are the audience for this books with simple chapters and longer vocabulary words, Halloween is the best holiday of the year. They will want to throw a party just like Vampyra and her friends, although I'm not sure that this book will persuade them NOT to carve pumpkins. Include monster scouts on your Halloween reading list along with Miedoso and Rivas' Desmond Cole, Ghost Patrol or Preller's Scary Tales books.

McGee, Joe and Long, Ethan (illustrator)

Pumpkin Party (Junior Monster Scouts)

August 26, 2025 by Simon Spotlight

Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Monster Scouts Vampyra, Franky, and Wolfy want to fly kites on a beautiful spring day, but Vampyra's Aunt Moonflower cautions the group that Dracula is sleeping and doesn't want to be awoken. They gather sticks, string, and paper to construct their own kites, and then head out onto the grounds of Castle Dracula to fly them. Everything goes well until the kites go too close to the castle and wake up the grumpy gargoyles! They swoop down and voice their displease to the trio, who are afraid that the gargoyles will raise a ruckus! Instead, they challenge the gargoyles to a contest to see who can fly the highest. Even tying all three kite strings together doesn't let their kites go as high as the gargoyles, but that's okay; the stone guardians fly so high that Dracula can't hear them. Eventually, Dracula wakes up from his nap on his own, and the scouts are relieved that they got to fly their kites and didn't get in trouble. 

It is possible to make your own kite, something which young children might not know! I loved that the scouts took  it upon themselves to think up an activity, plan it, and then spent the day outside in the fresh air. I did have some questions about Vampyra and Dracula being near sunlight, but perhaps that was addressed in one of the ten earlier books in this series. 

The text moves along quickly, and most of the words are fine for independent reading, although kids may need some help when meeting the word "gargoyle" for the first time! Some words, like "quiet" and "relief" are also hard to pronounce the first time, but will become sight words when read enough. 

Long's illustrations capture the gloominess of the castle and the contrasting sunny day nicely, and I loved that Dracula is curled up with his teddy bear! 

Parents who read all the Dadey and Jones' Bailey School Kids books in the 1990s will be glad to introduce their new readers to a fun and spooky series that has a similar vibe. Junior Monster Scouts books are a great choice for readers who find Schwartz's In a Dark, Dark Room a little too spooky but want something a little scarier than Schaefer and Hartung's Happy Halloween, Mittens. 

How to Say Goodbye in Cuban

Miyares, Daniel. How to Say Goodbye in Cuban
September 30, 2025 by Anne Schwartz Books
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

In this graphic novel set in 1956, we meet Carlos, who has a great life in Ceiba Mocha, Cuba. He lives in a cozy house in the countryside with his Mama, Papi, younger brother Lazaro, and sisters Maggie and Isaura. His aunt lives nearby, as do his grandparents. His best friend, Alvaro, has a father who works on the grandparents’ farm. There are so many things to do outside, his grandmother’s good food, and a lot of time spent with his grandfather fishing and hanging out. Carlos’ father seems stressed and unhappy with his life, so when he wins the lottery, he moves the family to Matanzas, a town where he sets up a furniture manufacturing business. Carlos doesn’t care about the bigger house or better opportunities; he wants his old life back. This is unlikely to happen, especially since Batista’s government is overthrown by Castro, and the resulting conflict seeps into every facet of Carlos’ life. It takes a while, but eventually the government appropriates his father’s business, leading his father to become involved in underground activities, and to eventually become a “Gusano”, the term used by Castro’s supporters to describe people who leave for the US. Carlos’ mother does her best to keep the family together, but eventually the revolution comes a little too close, and the family moves back with the grandparents. The father returns, and Carlos’ family makes the dangerous journey to the United States. The grandparents, who have their farm taken over by the government, move to an apartment in Matanzas and remain in Cuba. The journey is difficult, but by 1962 the family has settled into a new life in Miami, Florida. This story is based on the life of the author’s father. 

Strengths: I absolutely loved that the biggest portion of this book was spent describing Carlos’ life before things become difficult. His close relationship with his grandfather, his idyllic childhood in the country, and his family’s increasing involvement in current events will help modern readers understand that war torn places in the world have not always been that way. While the basic circumstances of Carlos’ family are repeated again and again, the details of the family’s experiences give this a personal touch, especially since this is based on Miyares’ own father. The artwork is lovely, and very different for a graphic novel. The style and the colors felt very midcentury to me, which was very nice. This is one of the best graphic novels I have read recently, so I will definitely purchase it. 

Weaknesses: While there is a good deal of information about Castor’s process of taking over the government spread throughout the book, it wouldn’t have hurt to have a two page overview of events, or perhaps a timeline, at the end of the book. Young readers will have little idea about this era in history, and may need some support in understanding the events. 

What I really think: I will definitely purchase this graphic novel. Castro’s revolution, and especially Operation Pedro Pan, is probably my third favorite horrible historic event, after the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire and the Partition of India. A few years ago, a student’s grandmother came to speak to our school about her own journey from Cuba to the US with Operation Pedro Pan, so it’s good to see this story being told in books like Castellanos' wordless graphic novel, Isla to Island,  Cartaya's A Hero's Guide to Summer Vacation, Behar's Letters From Cuba  Cuevas' Cuba in My Pocket, Gonzales' The Bluest Sky and The Red Umbrella,  Diaz's Farewell Cuba, Manzano's Coming Up Cuban and  Flores-Galbis' 90 Miles to Havana.

Stout, Tim and Flood, Joe (illus.) 

History Comics: The Great Depression From Hard Times to the New Deal

October 21, 2025 by First Second

E ARC Provided by Netgalley

Alex and Kassie are modern day siblings who are tired of being stuck inside as wild fires rage outside their home. Their mother is working from home and needs both of them off the internet so she can attend a virtual meeting, so the two reluctantly play a board game about the Great Depression. They are magically sucked into the game, and cards appear in their pockets prompting them to do things. Alex tries to sell his stock, but ends up buying some instead and losing money. Kassie is unable to withdraw money from the bank. Soon, the siblings are separated, with Alex riding the rails out to California and Kassie trying to keep herself afloat by working in a factory. Along the way, they each learn more and more about why the Great Depression happened, and how it impacted Americans. At one point, Kassie even meets Eleanor Roosevelt, and helps smuggle President Roosevelt onto a train. She gets on a boat and ends up in Hawaii right as Pearl Harbor is being bombed, but manages to reconnect with Alex and eventually get back home. The two have a renewed appreciation for their life! 

I love the History Comics for engaging young readers, so while I wasn fond of the gamifying of The Great Depression, it might lure students into reading about it. There's not quite as much information as there was in the World War II Homefront or Prohibition, but since we are looking at nearly one hundred years ago (96 today, in fact!) I'd love for my students to read anything they can about the historic era. There are some notes at the end about some aspects that didn't get much coverage, like the CCC (Read Pearson's excellent Fighting for the Forest for information about this) and the WPA's Sewing Rooms Program, which I had not heard about. Now I need information about THAT! 

Dreki and Moonleapers

Logue, Mary. Dreki: My Icelandic Dragon

October 28, 2025 by Christy Ottaviano Books

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Johan lives in Minneapolis with his parents, but when his father wins a cruise, he is sent to spend time with his 82 year old grandfather, Siggy. He loves being with Siggy, because they always have a lot of fun, eating junk food and not following any rules. When his grandfather trips in the kitchen and falls, however, he is shaken and finally shares a long kept secret with Johan-- there is a dragon in the basement. Before Siggy left Iceland as a young man, he had found a large egg in a cave, and brought it with him to the US. He settled on a farm near Minneota, Minnesota, married Nora, and raised Johan's mother. It wasn't until the day that Johan was born that the egg hatched. Nora knew a bit about the dragon before her death, and Siggy knows that it is imperative that he gets the dragon, whom he has named Dreki, back to Iceland. Johan and Siggy leave a note for Johan's parents and take off for Iceland, with Dreki in a front pack. There's a tiny bit of magic involved with dragons, of course, so no one really notices on the plane. The three stay in a guest house near Blönduós, Siggy's hometown, and plan on releasing Dreki to the wild when the time is right. Once they hit Icelandic soil, Dreki starts to grow a bit, and when Johan takes him to the river. The owner of the guest house has a young daughter, Elva, who shows Johan around the area. When Siggy becomes I'll with pneumonia and ends up in the hospital, Johan knows that he will have to find a way to release Dreki. He calls his parents, and his mother flies out, but a storm kicks up right as he sets out to release the dragon. Will he be able to return Dreki to his grandfather's land?
Strengths: I was apprehensive about this title, but I ended up loving it because of the grandfather. It reminded me a little of Gebhart's There Will Be Bears. Dragon books have a huge and consistent fan base in my library over the last twenty years, and the addition of a fun grandfather AND a trip to Iceland make this a great title. The pace is quick, there's just enough action, and Dreki's presence is very matter of fact, even with the hints of magic. Elva and her mother are very helpful when Siggy becomes sick. The best part might be all of the Icelandic lore, which the author gathered while she was studying textiles in Iceland. How awesome is that? Definitely purchasing, and this will not stay long when I display it with other dragons books. 

Weaknesses: *Spoiler* (Highlight to read.) Siggy succumbs to pneumonia and dies, but I did love that he was in pretty good shape up to the end. Sadly, grandparents don't last for ever, and 82 is a good run. 
What I really think: Buy this book along with Reardon's Dad Rock Dragon Quest, Reintgen's The Last Dragon on Mars, and Kagawa's  Lightningborn if you need to refresh your dragon titles or add some new ones. 

Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Moonleapers (Book #1)
September 16, 2025 by Quill Tree Books
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Maisie McGraw loves the hours of the day when she gets home,her siblings Rufus and Dora are in extended after school care, and her mother is working in her home office. She appreciates the unstructured time, even though her parents try to fill it with somewhat unconventional pursuits like code breaking or studying Latin and ancient Greek. She's not particularly happy when she finds out that instead of hanging out at home for the summer, she'll have to watch Rufus and Dora while her mother takes the three of them to Maryland to take care of Great Aunt Hazel Tadwick. Hazel is in her 90s, and her health has taken a turn for the worse and is unresponsive. This is a bit confusing, because Maisie has just had a telephone call from her aunt on the phone that her aunt wanted to pass along to Maisie. Maisie has also gotten some odd texts that she thinks might be from friends of her aunt. There's also a book, the Guide for Moonleapers, which seems to have blank pages, and another book entitled Moonbows and Musk Ox that her mother found at Hazel's request. As the family settles into Hazel's very nondescript house and take care of her cat and dog, even stranger things keep happening. Maisie is now getting riddles texted to her, and it seems like whoever is sending them can see exactly what Maisie is doing. Hazel manages to communicate a little bit, and becomes apparent that Hazel has some hidden abilities that she wants to pass on to Maisie. There are also calls from a girl in the future, Ainsley, that shed some light on the situation.   Maisie is a little unsure how or why she should become a Moonleaper, but a glimpse into Hazel's past makes this clear. Like many of Haddix's books, not a lot more can be said without ruining some of the clever twists and turns of the story. Suffice it to say that all of Maisie's extra studies in circuitry, Morse code, and other esoteric topics will come in handy when Maisie is sent on a mission in the second book. 

Strengths: My daughter Picky Reader was an enormous fan of Haddix's work when she was in middle school. She felt that every title had something different that she just wasn't expecting, and that kept her turning the pages. Considering that she started ten books for every one she finished, this says a lot. Maisie's experience involvement with the Moonleapers was similar; it's not clear what is going on, and the reader has to follow along to find out what's going on. Hazel's past is quite interesting, and also neatly elucidates the importance of Maisie taking over for her great aunt. Without telling you exactly HOW it happens, I will say that Moonleapers manage to change the past. Many times travel stories like Voyagers!, have people who go to the past to change things, but the big difference in this book is that we get to see the changes that have been made. It's fascinating that Moonleapers remember all the permutations of history that they've experienced. 
Weaknesses: I'm always interested in people's houses, so when Hazel's community of small dwellings for older people was described, I was intrigued, especially since it had a bit of a feel of the houses in A Wrinkle in Time where the children all come out and bounce balls at the same time. There wasn't really a good explanation, and when history changed, the house did as well. Why were the houses in the first scenario so bland? I doubt younger readers will care, but I wanted to know more. 
What I Really Think: Haddix has a huge body of work, and many of the stories, like Falling Out of Time, The School for Whatnots, Children of Exile, and The Remarkables have a very believable science fiction basis to them. I would have loved these books in middle school, because a small part of me would have believed that I, too, could somehow become a Moonleaper right along with Maisie. Definitely adding this to my school library, especially since Maisie lives in Ohio, just like Ms. Haddix! 

MMGM- Busted and Rebel Girls Make Dessert

It's

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
 at 

Always in the Middle 

and #IMWAYR day 

at

Unleashing Readers

Gemeinhart, Dan. Busted.
October 7, 2025 by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Oscar Aberdeen has lived with his 75 year old grandfather, Pops, at the Sunny Days Retirement Community in New Jersey ever since the death of both of his parents when they were bring the infant Oscar home from the hospital. It's been a good life; Oscar is the head of the celebrations committee that plans parties, he gives many eulogies, and he knows how to dress for special occasions in a suit, dress shoes, and cufflinks. When the owner, Frank Howell, dies, his son takes over. Oscar meets Frank's granddaughter, Natasha, who offers some explanation when Pops' rent is increased so much that the two will have to leave and find another place to live. Natasha says that the community is running out of money since rents were never raised, and her father is hoping to turn the business around by getting tenants who can pay more. It's nothing personal. To Oscar, who has been raised with a plethora of grandparents, it is intensely personal. When new resident Jimmy DeLuca, a rumored ex-mobster, has a proposition for Oscar that might enable him and Pops to stay put, he's all ears. In exchange for help in breaking out of the rest home, Jimmy will give Oscar a substantial amount of cash, all obtained legally. The catch? Jimmy is 104 and on oxygen. Also, he'll be driving his own baby blue Kaiser Dragon on their adventure in New Jersey. Oscar uses his knowledge of the facility and its staff to bust Jimmy out, but encounter Natasha in her bathing suit, on the way to the hot tub. She wants in on the adventure or will alert the authorities. This necessitates a stop by the mall to buy her clothing, and Oscar even has to purchase unmentionables for her. She is a help, however, in taking care of Jimmy's hairless cat, Mr. Buttercup, on the road. Jimmy's "bucket list" starts off fairly tamely, with a fantastic dinner at an Italian restaurant. Oscar isn't happy with the "dine and ditch" approach, so he goes back to leave some of Jimmy's cash, which makes the next stop, picking up a $300 cigar, a bit more difficult. Oscar ends up getting punched, hence the black eye on the cover. Jimmy wants to apologize to his colleague, Thumbs, who is in prison, while Jimmy got away, and Jimmy somehow knows that Oscar has someone he needs to speak to there as well. The group visits the house where Jimmy lived with his wife and daughter Maria, and learn that the daughter's untimely death is what led Jimmy into a life of crime that he deeply regrets. There is a stop at a tattoo parlor, and also a gambling den, where Jimmy loses the car in a game of high stakes poker. Since the group needs wheels to get around, they steal a car. When a silver alert appears on the news, they realize that the kids' phones are being tracked, and turn them off. Jimmy's final item is to sit on the beach, where he was happy with Maria. Oscar is alarmed to find out that Jimmy's oxygen tank is almost empty, but Jimmy is not. Even though the police are closing in, the day is over for the group anyway, especially for Jimmy.

Strengths: I've been a fan of breaking senior citizens out of facilities since Cooney's 2006 Hit the Road, so getting Jimmy the Wrench out of Sunny Days was a great adventure. His possible dealings with the Mob makes this even more appealing; what middle schooler doesn't harbor vague thoughts of being on the wrong side of the law? Oscar doesn't, of course, since he has learned the most polite behavior on God's green earth, dagnabit. That's where having Natasha along for the ride comes in handy. She has a reason for seizing the day, and does it with a vengeance. The pacing of this books was particularly well done; we get just enough of Oscar's daily life to become invested in his continued residence, but are soon compelled onto the road in a sweet car with a complicated older individual. We don't get enough time with Jimmy, but what we learn of him is realistic, and his end, while a little sad, makes sense. I know that Gemeinhart's 2019 The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise has LOTS of fans among teachers and librarians; this will be a much bigger hit with actual tweens, since there is more adventure and less soul searching. 

Weaknesses: Is it possible that middle grade books involving senior living communities is becoming a trend? We've seen this theme since Sonneblick's 2005 Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie, but I've not really talked with my students about how much they are interested in this. Also, Gemeinhart seems to be fond of killing off parents; this had a complicated, very realistic backstory twist that I don't want to spoil, but I did prefer Korman's artifice of having his main character's parents in Belgium with international careers so he could like in a senior facility with his grandmother in Old School. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who like roadtrips with senior citizens and classic cars, like Cartaya's new A Hero's Guide to Summer Vacation, Bradley's The Road to Wherever, or Ponti's The Sherlock Society. The East Coast setting also reminded me a bit of Nokowitz's The Prince of Steel Pier. 

Rebel Girls Inc. Rebel Girls Make Dessert: Kid-Tested Recipes YOU Can Make, Bake, and Share!
October 28, 2025 by Ten Speed Press
E ARC Provided by Edelweiss Plus

I'm a huge fan of reading cookbooks. Cooking, not so much, but I think that having read a lot of cookbooks helped me to be a decent cook. Middle grade readers would benefit tremendously from books like this, that start with some cooking basics, like how to dust something with powdered sugar, melt butter in the microwave, etc. There are great photos of the end products, and even mini biographies of women who are involved in the world of cooking. 

Some of the recipes are what I would consider new fangled, because of the ingredients that are rather exotic. This isn't a bad thing; I just don't see myself making Almond-Butter Miso Cookies with Chocolate Chunks. The homemade Oreos were interesting, even though if you really want to replicate the filling you need Crisco instead of butter. Can't imagine modern children doing that! 

There are also chapters for cakes and cupcakes, fruit desserts, pastries, puddings, and pies, and frozen treats. I think a lot of kids starts cooking with cookies and other desserts, so this book would be a good gift for an eight year old who has just been granted supervised kitchen privileges. 

In the back of my mind, I keep thinking that real rebel girls don't cook. They take shop instead of home ec. Of course, now there's neither of those classes offered in schools, and I no longer understand modern feminism, so that's a me thing, along with thinking that buying boba and guava paste are impossibilities. Modern children will love this as much as I loved my Betty Crocker Cook Book for Girls and Boys. 

Three Blue Hearts

Kelly, Lynne. Three Blue Hearts
October 7, 2025 by Delacorte
E ARC provided by Netgalley

Max’s parents are divorced, and it's painful to spend time with his father. Big Max is a local councilman, a former high school football star, and the owner of a successful used car dealership who cares what other people think about him to the extent that he will only take Max out to eat at a fancy restaurant to celebrate, not go to the peanut butter sandwich food truck that Max would prefer. His mother is working on her graduate degree in geography, and has rented a house in a small coastal Texas town to finish up her research. Getting a break from his dad works for Max, and he even asks his mother if he can introduce himself as “Milo” to people he meets. He does miss his Nana and Pops, the parents of his father’s second wife who still remain in contact with him after his father divorces their daughter and marries his third wife. They are traveling, but keep in touch by phone. When Max and his mother arrive at Lafite Island, Max investigates the beach and finds an injured octopus. He gets it water and constructs a way to transport the animal out of a discarded grill, and meets Emmett, who wants to help. The two boys take the animal to the Junipers’ rescue facility, where they get the care that the octopus, whom they name Ursula, needs. Max meets Ollie Juniper, who encourages him to help out at the facility. Emmett is being raised by his grandparents because his mother, a photographer, isn’t in the picture, and Ollie is sad because a chimp at the rescue, Ramona, has gone to another facility. The two had been like sisters. Ursula is not going to survive long, but lays thousands of eggs, and Max watches their progress. Thinking that he can reunite Ollie and Ramona, he agrees to go back home to a zoo camp his father has gotten him into, and afterwards, Nana and Pops help the group travel to visit Ramona. Ursula does pass away, but Emmett takes comfort in her many children.
Strengths: The title comes from the fact that octopi have three hearts and blue blood, which is clever. Kelly does a great job with the details about animals, as evidenced in her 2019 Song for a Whale. The best part of this was the father-son dynamic, and I loved that Max understood how overbearing his father was, and was able to distance himself from him while still maintaining a relationship with him. Nana and Pops were also good characters, and it was great that they were still in contact with Max. Ollie and Emmett’s problems don’t overshadow the story, which is filled with a lot of fantastic details about the lives of octopi.
Weaknesses: This is a bit slow paced, but any books involving marine life seem to be! Whenever I see a book set at the seashore, I now expect the story to be a bit sad and contemplative.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed the mix of marine life and personal issues in Pyron’s Octopus Moon, Faruqi and Khan’s Saving Sunshine, or Venkatraman’s Safe Harbor.  

Saturday Morning Cartoons- School Dance

Sax, Sarah. School Dance (The Brinkley Yearbooks #3)
August 26, 2025 by Knopf Books for Young Readers
E ARC provided by Netgalley

Milo Castillo is dreading the school winter formal because every time he has tried to dance, it has ended in disaster. He shares this fear with his friends Al from The Tryouts and Viv from Picture Day, as well as his parents, but everyone thinks he should still just try to do his best. His dad was a champion dancer when he was Milo’s age and encourages him to just enjoy himself. He tries, but when he has another disastrous experience at his friend Ollie’s Bar Mitzvah party, where he not only wears a suit to a beach themed party, but is also put in the spotlight to dance and freezes, he’s ready to give up. His abuela Dalia is moving in with the family, since the friend with whom she has been living since her husband’s death is getting married, and since Milo and his grandmother are very close, she offers to help him. Another chance to get better comes when a local dance studio partners with the school to offer lessons to the students, but Milo’s “curse” also puts the kibosh on that opportunity. Milo’s brother Max is away at college, but sometimes video chats with him to give him advice. Dalia steps up to help, and drives Milo and his friends out to a performance by a band that helps inspire Milo to “feel” the music and enjoy dancing. Of course, the grandmother is NOT supposed to be driving without an adult in the car, as she has become less reliable in navigating around town in her vintage car, Carla. When Milo finally feels better about his skills, he prepares for the dance, even wearing his father’s jacket from dance competitions in his youth. The original tie is missing, and Dalia is determined to pop out to get another one. Milo sees her leaving and decides to go with her, after texting his parents that she is driving. The weather is bad, and there are a lot of geese on the roads, and Dalia managed to drive off the road and get Carla stuck. Luckily, his parents arrive soon, and everyone is able to get to the dance, which ends up being a good time for all involved.
Strengths: Since I became grandmother, I’ve been having a lot of conversations with students about what they enjoy about their own. Dalia is a great character with a fascinating backstory and a fabulous car. Even though Milo’s household is upended with her move, they are all glad to have her, and her problems are fairly minimal. Since I had to take my father’s car away from him a few years before he died at the age of 88, the progression of this part of the plot rang very true. Younger readers will be more interested in Milo’s idea that he has a curse, and his embracing of dancing. It’s fun to see different characters from earlier books explored, and I’m curious to see if we will learn more about Ollie in the next book.
Weaknesses: I didn’t quite understand the objection to the Snowball Soiree theme of the dance, and felt I was missing something about the weather in Brinkley Middle School’s town. Also, there are a ton of geese where I live, and I’ve never had a problem with them in traffic.
What I really think: Miller’s Click series or Chmakova’s Berrybrook Middle School saga. I’d love to see more graphic novels with boys as the main characters, especially if they also involve sports.  

Mr. Grieves and the Grievous Deeds

Lieberman, Matt. Mr. Grieves and the Grievous Deeds
September 30, 2025 by HarperCollins
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Thirty years ago, Detective James Alvarez and Captain Taylor of the Center Grove fire department found an eight year old girl sitting in a chair in the remains of a completely burnt house, rocking in a chair, lighting matches next to a can of gasoline. She would say only that “Mr. Grieves did it.” Fast forward to the present day, and we meet Victoria Gray, who is studying for an interview with the prestigious Wheaton Preparatory Academy for Exceptional Individuals. She feels compelled to be perfect because her mother is the famous child anthropologist, Anna Gray, author of the BE GOOD book on child rearing. This recommends very strict controls over children, but since her mother has disappeared, her father, David, seems to have trouble following through with her instructions, even though he quotes them frequently. Victoria’s younger brother, Ozzy, frequently sets the kitchen on fire, and was even badly injured when he followed Victoria out of the house in the middle of the night and was hit by a truck. Since the father is so frazzled, he decides to hire a nanny. Many candidates show up, but when Mr. Grieves, a quirky man in a bowler hat, comes to the house, he basically tells David that he IS the new nanny, and starts to take over the house. His philosophy is diametrically opposed to the BE GOOD philosophy, and he wants to help the children “be free”. In order to do this, he destroys the house in the name of “childproofing”, having extracted permission from David to do whatever needs to be done. Since the principal of the children’s school also uses BE GOOD principals, he kidnaps the principal. Mr. Grieves tells Victoria that her mother is in the hands of an evil character named The Governess, and they embark on a journey to save her mother, even though the school interview still weighs heavily on Victoria’s mind. This even leads to Victoria becoming part of a group called The Librarians who are also working against The Governess, dying her hair, getting a sleeve of temporary tattoos, and being fitted with a leather jacket! When their father is kidnapped and taken to the Bermuda Triangle, it’s imperative that the children figure out what is going on.
Strengths: This is a pell mell, ridiculous novel that immediately asks us to suspend disbelief and go into Victoria’s nutty world. The father is completely incompetent, the scenario implausible, and the adventure filled with odd things like the family’s household furnishings being stolen, Rabiesitters, the Double-Eyed Slow Loris Blinking Technique of Kubla Kahn, and Victoria hiring The Governess to exterminate Mr. Grieves. This might make an interesting read aloud to a particularly goofy second grader.
Weaknesses: Mr. Lieberman is a screenwriter, and the more books I read by screenwriters, the more I wonder if they READ middle grade novels before writing their own.
What I really think: This might have been popular twenty years ago, during the height of Lemony Snicket’s popularity, but it’s a bit too quirky for my readers today. This might work better with younger children who enjoyed the kooky vibe of Dr. Fell’s Playground of Doom or Eagle’s The Pear Affair.   I would definitely read this before purchasing to see if it is something that would work for your library. 

Broken Dolls

Malinenko, Ally. Broken Dolls
September 1, 2025 by HarperCollins
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Kaye Prescott has struggled since the death of her beloved grandfather, and her stress has manifested itself in arithromomania (needing to count objects) as well as some selective mutism. Her mother Deena takes Kaye and her younger sister Holly to spend the summer in the grandfather’s house, which is now owned by her Uncle Stan. He and his new boyfriend David are glad to have the girls there, and even take them to a local Cheese Festival in their town of Monroe, New York. There, Holly plays a game and wins an antique porcelain doll from the Poppet Maker. The doll looks eerily similar to Holly, and she even calls it “Holly-doll”. Their grandfather apparently collected dolls, so when Holly is insistent that they dig up the yard looking for “treasure”, it’s creepy but not surprising that they find two doll heads that Holly named Tamzin and Eudora. There is a neighbor girl, Joey, who befriends Kaye, and is patient with her quiet ways. She had a friend who lived in the house, and who said creepy things went on there; she had a breakdown and moved away with her family. As Holly finds more dolls, and as those dolls get stranger and stranger, Kaye becomes concerned and starts investigating. She finds a journal that belonged to Joey’s friend, and it talks about the dolls “taking over”. Kaye’s mother and uncle don’t seem to notice the growing number of dolls, or Holly’s odd behavior. Uncle Stan is doing renovations on the house, and they turn up a secret room, where there is a picture of the Poppet Maker… from the early 1900s! Kaye is alarmed to learn the history of the Poppet Maker, but it does explain why her sister seems to be turning into a doll. Kaye, who still thinks about her grandfather and can’t get over his loss, wants her sister to live forever, but has this wish been misinterpreted? Is it too late to save Holly?
Strengths: The Poppet Maker had an interesting historical background that gave a lot of depth to this story, which had plenty of horrific moments as well. Tying in the 1919 flu epidemic with Kaye’s fear of death was rather brilliant. Being at her grandfather’s house probably made dealing with his death more difficult, but she was seeing a therapist virtually, and Dr. Shante helps her process some of her emotions and reactions. Holly’s obsession with dolls is laughed off by the adults, who claim that it’s perfectly normal behavior for a six year old to have a fantasy world surrounding her dolls, so of course Kaye is the only one who can save her sister. I was glad to see that Kaye was able to befriend Joey, and the two could work together on the mystery.
Weaknesses: Malinenko’s lyrical writing often combines creepiness with allegory and mental health issues, and my students seem to prefer straight, cheesy horror like the works of K.R. Alexander or Chris Krovatin. Creepy dolls are something people either like or will absolutely not touch, so decide what is best for your library collection. I won't be buying this one. 
What I really think: There have been so many books about creepy dolls since Hahn’s 1989 The Doll in the Garden that I was surprised the book description didn’t reference a newer title. Readers who are fond of this author’s work will want to pick up this title, and add it to a “creepy doll” story collection that includes Sutherland’s Night of the Living Dolls, Mott’s Hush-a-Bye, Ford’s The Headless Doll, Alexander’s Speak for Me, Cohen’s The Doll’s Eye, and Bell’s Frozen Charlotte.  

Wolf Club

Bird, James. Wolf Club
September 30, 2025 by Feiwel & Friends

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

**Spoilers in weaknesses.**

When a white wolf is sighted in Grand Marais, Minnesota, Okan and his best friend Sara, are determined to find it, especially since Okan's grandmother wants him to protect it. Both have difficult lives. Okan's father abandoned his mother, and his Ojibwe grandmother helped raise him, but now she is sinking deeper and deeper into dementia. Sara's mother has died, and her father is not taking good care of her, so she has gained the nickname "Skunk" because she is not being kept clean. One of her worst tormentors is the school bully, Marcus, a rich kid with uncaring parents. When Okan and Sara skip school to go find the wolf, Marcus, who doesn't like to be called Moose, goes along with them as the "Wolf Club". Marcus and Okan used to be friends, but Marcus' parents didn't want him hanging around with a Native child. The three have quite an adventure in the woods, with a bear threatening them but only licking them, having to go swimming in the cold water, and having Marcus captured and threatened by two men who are also trying to find the wolf. Okan and Sara trick the men into carrying poison ivy, which eventually ends in them being arrested. After there is a radio announcement about missing kids, the three find the cabin of Mr. Goodman, who was a friend of Okan's grandmother, and find out the truth about the wolf. Sara and Okan also find out the truth about their own situations, but knowing the truth helps them to better their lives. 

Strengths: There are a lot of middle grade books that address the fact that we should "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle", and this is certainly one. Even Marcus, the rich kid who is rather unpleasant, has things in his part that make him the way he is. The idea of a quest in the woods is always intriguing, and having disparate characters have to work together leads to an interesting story. I don't want to spoil the mystery of the white wolf, but I was not expecting the twist at the end! 
Weaknesses: Poison ivy does not immediately take effect and make one itch. It takes at least four hours; my mother always had us wash with Fels Naptha soap after gardening to get the oils off our skin, and we never got a rash. For sensitive readers, it is important to know that Sara's father has died and is still in the house, which is why she has smelled bad for quite some time. 
What I really think: This is mainly a realistic fiction book (as long as you can believe the bear licks the children) with an adventure that reveals secrets about the characters, like Anderson's Ms. Bixby's Last Day or Korman's The Fort. I wouldn't necessarily describe it as "The Breakfast Club meets Hatchet", but that's certainly evocative to teachers and librarians of a certain age. 
 

Museum Mayhem (Moko Magic #2)

Baptiste, Tracey. Museum Mayhem (Moko Magic #2)

September 2, 2025 by Rick Riordan Presents

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Misty is trying her hand at aziza cooking with Aunty Kamala and makes anchar that is tasty but doesn't have the magic required. Instead of causing the person who eats it to breath fire, it causes a horrible black smoke, which damages uncle Stanley's Caribbean Bites restaurant. A little bit of the smoke attaches itself to Misty's shoe, which causes some big problems. Aiden's dad Andrew has an art commission, and is planning on reimagining a Benin bronze. There's a lot of talk about how artwork is in museums of colonizers rather than the native populations, and how hard it can be to get pieces restored. While going to the museum to see the piece that Andrew will borrow, Brooke sees a boy protesting this. After the three moko cousins visit the museum, a janitor disappears, and a piece of art is damaged, although no one can figure out how. Mr. Rawson, the creepy art transporter show up, and dust monsters named djabs also start popping up and causing problems. More and more people go missing, and more art is damaged. Can the cousins harness their moko magic to stop the djabs from causing problems?
Strengths: The idea that even though Misty isn't an aziza, but can still learn to do magic, is very fun. The fact that it also involves cooking amazing food makes it even better. There are a lot of good cultural connections, with Misty's father being held up in Trinidad because of visa problems, ties to Nigeria with the Benin bronzes, and the close knit Brooklyn neighborhood where the J'Ouvert and West Indian American Day Carnival is held. There are a variety of interesting magical creatures, including Khody, a khodumodumo who has taken on the guise of a human. There are other small details that underscore the cousins struggles with their identities; Brooke is trying to decide which high school to apply to. The discussion of what should happen to art that has been misappropriated is one that will give readers food for thought. 
Weaknesses: This had chapter headings that changed between each of the cousins even though this is written in third person omniscent point of view. This is also a bit long, coming in at 384 pages. 
What I really think: This sequel to Carnival Chaos will be popular with fans who like fantasy books with cultural connections like Okogwu's Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun or Okorafor's Ikenga. 

Sutherland, Krystal and Seneviratne, Martin. Time Lions and the Chrono-Loop
October 21, 2025 by Nancy Paulsen Books
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Patrick and Pearl are twins who live with their parents (who have Sri Lankan roots) in London. They are both brilliant, and involved in all sorts of experiements. When they need the ring of King Tut to complete their time machine, they manage to successfully break into the British Museum to get it, and their machine works! When they return from their travels, however, they are brought before the board of The Interdimensional Misconduct Enquiry (TIME), because they caused problems in the present with interactions in the past. They should be arrested and sent to the eternal abyss, but they are given a second chance if they become trained. There is another organization, Tempus, that is interested in them. It's run by the very young Jack Noon, whow was an agent for TIME but is now trying to create a utopia. Patrick and Pearl have lots of skills, but will they be able to use them for good rather than for evil? 

This has some good time travel in it, but I felt like I was missing a lot of backstory. Why does Patrick know so many languages? Why can Peal invent such cool things? It was sort of like Ponti's City Spies meets Kerr's The Ahkenaten Adventure, with a bit of Voyagers! time travel policing thrown in. 

MMGM- At the Edge of Lost

It's

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
 at 

Always in the Middle 

and #IMWAYR day 

at

Unleashing Readers

Brockenbrough, Martha. At the Edge of Lost

October 21, 2025 by Scholastic Press

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Caleb's parents work for the State Department, and are currently on assignment in Vietnam with his younger brother Ezra, so Caleb has gotten clearance to stay with his grandfather, Poppy, in his Washington State Leisure World retirement community for the year. Caleb's Irish Wolfhound, Ronan, who is 11, is with him as well. Some chapters are from Ronan's point of view, so we hear about his aches and pains as well as his devotion to Caleb and Poppy. When an avian flu causes birds to fall out of the sky, Poppy falls ill, most likely due to his interactions with crows on the beach. He ends up in the hospital, and Caleb's parents send a friend from the State Department to deliver Caleb to his Great Aunt Pat's house on Bainbridge Island. The friend and Pat insist that Ronan remain at Leisure World, but make no plans for him other than leaving food and water. Caleb is unhappy, but there is little he can do. His friends Liv and Gen make plans to free Ronan and take him to Gen's basement, but are caught by Leisure World security guards and get in trouble. Ronan has already managed to break out of the apartment, and has taken off, getting hit by a car and injuring his leg. In the woods, he is befriended by a pregnant cat named Jade who brings him small animals to eat and keeps him company. Ronan isn't thrilled with cats, but comes to enjoy Jade's friendship. Ronan attends school virtually, texts Viv, and tries to get along with Aunt Pat, who is very different from her brother. Caleb's mom is on her way back from Vietnam, but keeps getting delayed. Pat tells Caleb that she wants to be a better aunt to him, but won't accompany him to search for Ronan. One night, Caleb sneaks out, steals a dinghy that probably belongs to Poppy, and searches for his beloved dog. He makes it back to the area near the senior facility, and finds Jade and her kittens. Eventually, he finds Ronan, who has been badly injured by a wolf or coyote he calls Yip. After hearing an alert on his phone that a man about his grandfather's age has succumbed to the avian flu, Caleb is anxious to find out about the fate of his grandfather. 

Strengths: I'm not usually a fan of chapters written from the dog's point of view, but Ronan was surprisingly philosophical and mellow, and I rather enjoyed his observations, especially about Jade. This was particularly intriguing, since early on Ronan opines that "Cats do not have the soul to fill up a raindrop"! (From the E ARC.) Poppy and Pat were both interesting characters, and Caleb's interactions with them were realistic. It was good to get a glimpse of Caleb's friends as well. The COVID pandemic is mentioned, and we get just enough information about the effects of the bird flu, which worked well. The pacing was quick, and the cover will draw in readers right away. 
Weaknesses: While middle schoolers will find it entirely plausible that Ronan was left alone in Poppy's apartment, I could not believe that anyone would leave a dog that big alone for an undetermined amount of time. Not only would the mess be enormous, but Poppy's neighbor's would have complained right away. I would have preferred it if Caleb and Ronan could have had their survival adventure together. Also, the odds of Caleb finding Ronan outside seemed slim. 
What I really think: Dog books and survival stories are both very popular with my students, and I frequently have dog books on display. This will be a great one to add to that collection, along with Hashimoto's  Off the Map, Smith's Stranded, Goebel's Back Country, Mason and Hines-Stephens' Evacuation Order, and Rudd's How to Stay Invisible. 

Finding Lost

Sloan, Holly Goldberg. Finding Lost

October 7, 2025 by Rocky Pond Books

E ARC Provided by Edelweiss Plus

Cordy Jenkins lives with her mother, Casey, and brother Geno in Florence, Oregon, a small coastal town. Her father had been a commercial crab fisherman, but died in a boating accident. Casey had been in school training to be a nurse, but after the accident had to take a job at Curly's Seafood to make ends meet. In order to save money, she is also the caretaker for the McKearn's "Big House". She doesn't get paid, but the family can live in the boat house and doesn't have to pay for utilities. Cordy attends Siuslaw Middle School with her best friend Button, but it's hard to connect with other classmates while dealing with her grief over her father and her family's straitened circumstances. One bright spot is finding a small stray dog named Lost that her mother reluctantly lets her keep. Cordy's afraid of the water, but when Lost runs off, she sees a pink dolphin in the river. Intrigued, she visits the library and borrows a few books from Mrs. Hunt, who also gives Cordy her own backpack (claiming it is from the lost and found), after Cordy mentions her own has broken, and she's upset at having briefly lost Geno. Geno has been at a presentation about community resources, and finds that there is a free veterinary clinic. Cordy's mother can't get off work to take Lost, but lets Cordy skip school to go. The vet, Dr. Taj Mazari, is very nice, and tells Cordy and Casey that Lost needs expensive dental extractions, but they could be pro bono if they can bring Lost to the university where he teachers. Cordy wants to hate Dr. Mazari when he and Casey seem to have a good time talking to each other, but she is able to accept the relationship after talking to an elderly neighbor who tells her that her mother deserves some happiness. When her friend Button moves to California, Cordy is devastated, but there is a bright side to life when the McKearns want to sell the Big House, and Cordy's mom and Dr. Mazari buy it together, and Casey goes back to nursing school. 

Strengths: There is an interesting author's note that this book was inspired in part by the death of two people on a crabbing boat. This was very atmospheric, and spending time in Florence, Oregon was interesting. I wanted a nice bowl of soup (maybe not clam chowder) at Curly's, because I felt cold all the time I was reading this. Lost is an engaging dog, and it's very realistic that he needed dental work, which is freakishly expensive. It was good to see that the Jenkins have a few people who are helping them, like Mrs. Hunt and Mrs. Crowley. The romance between Casey and Dr. Mazari is nice, and Cordy has age appropriate mixed emotions. 
Weaknesses: This ends rather abruptly; I knew that Casey and Dr. Mazari would end up together, but it happened rather suddenly. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed King's Benny on the Case, which involves a seafront village, or Fusco's The Secrets of Honeycake, which had a similar sad feel to it. -

Saturday Morning Cartoons- Gracie's Ghost

Brown, Dawn. Gracie's Ghost
September 23, 2025 by Image Comics
E ARC Provided by Edelweiss Plus

Gracie, who lives in the late 1970s with her parents and brother, is accompanied by a ghost. Gracie attends a private school, where she is made fun of for having a shirt with a round collar instead of a pointed one, and where she struggles to see the board because she needs glasses. She likes to watch television (including 1970s favorites Captain Caveman and The Electric Comany), loves the movie ET, and is allergic to the family's new puppy. Her mother is frequently telling her that she can't do things because she is a girl, including getting the very cool bike that she wants because it isn't a girl's bike, or building a car for Boy Scouts. At one point, we learn that the ghost is that of a woman from 1969 who fell down a manhold in New York City and died. There is an incident where Gracie develops breasts and is uncomfortable wearing a sweater on a hot day to hide them, and one where she is in charge of getting a Malibu Barbie for a friends birthday. When all of the stores are out of stock, her mother makes her buy an Alabama Pamela, and everyone gives her a hard time. 

I felt like this was perhaps a collection of web comics, because this was very anecdotal, and didn't seem to have a plot arc. This doesn't seem to be the case; Ms. Brown is a "film concept artist". It would have helped to have had some context for many of the anecdotes. While I could tell this was set in a particular past time period, young readers may be confused why Gracie's mother is so sexist. 

The artwork is rather different, so if you have a very large collection and have the budget to buy an unlimited amount of graphic novels, you could take a look at this quirky fantasy title. 

Famous Anonymous

Baden, Morgan. Famous Anonymous
September 9, 2025 by Pixel+Ink
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Harper and Luke and their two moms are neighbors with Sophie and Gus and their family in the small town of Valleyville. They live on the same street, and used to always walk back and forth to school together, calling themselves the Rowan Roadies. When their parents leave them alone while they attend a work party together, Harper has a great idea. She wants to make a video about characters, Lorgans, in the AfterLaunch video game they play. She’s interested in theater and social media, so comes up with costumes and a hilarious script. Even though she’s not supposed to, she posts the video on the Cre8 platform. Soon, it gets hundreds of thousands of views. She’s thrilled, but the other kids want her to take it down. Gus is more interested in soccer, although he also is excited to have been accepted into a writing camp. Luke, who is a bit socially awkward, doesn’t mind the video, because he would love to get into more of the editing software. Sophie doesn’t quite get the appeal, and when a video of her falling (albeit in costume) gets a lot of views, she wants Harper to take it down. When Cre8 announces a contest with a large cash prize, the group tries to keep posting, but it takes a lot of work to create content. When Sophie realizes that they will do better at the contest if they are true to themselves and have fun, rather than try to capture the vagaries of an algorithm, she gets permission to film at a house at the end of their street, the Black Hole house, that looks like a Lorgan spaceship and has been a subject of curiosity in the town. THe kids also have to help put together a neighborhood block party and keep up with their schoolwork. Is social media fame worth all of the effort? This is the first book in a purported series.
Strengths: The idea of neighborhood friends who have fallen out of sync but who band together when a video they make goes viral is a fun one. I love that the author really thought through several aspects of this in a realistic way: middle school kids are rarely left to fend for themselves, but having the four kids together allows the parents to go out. Harper isn’t supposed to have social media, but of course she does. There are other realistic touches, like Luke’s anxiety and the scuffle over taking down the video of Sophie falling. I’m curious to see what the further adventures of the Rowan Roadies will bring.
Weaknesses: It seems unlikely that a video of characters in a video game would get so many hits, but I did appreciate that the book pointed out how time consuming and difficult it is to create content. 

What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who like somewhat goofy and unlikely adventures like Malone’s The Sleepover or Calabrese’s Wild Ride, or books about children creating video content like Markell’s The Final Cut or Kendrick’s Instafamous.