MMGM- The Free State of Jax and Real-Life Mysteries and Disasters

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Nielsen, Jennifer A. The Free State of Jax

October 21, 2025 by Scholastic Press 

ARC provided by Young Adult Books Central

Jaxon Averett has lived with his grandmother after the death of both parents in a boating accident when he was three, but when she is diagnosed with Alzheimers when she is 75, Jax has to go live with his Uncle Clive and Aunt Helga Grimmitz in Walkonby, Kansas. They have a small farm and six children, most of whom are nasty to Jax. He has to sleep on the floor, is constantly bullied by Dutch and Danger, and the family can't even get his name right, calling him Jack. When he turns 12, he decides to run away and declare part of the neighbor's year "The Free State of Jax", a micronation. He knows the laws, and follows them. Of course, his family follows him and tries to get him to come home, but Jax finds a surprising ally in the owner of the property, Owen O'Keefe. O'Keefe has kept to himself after an incident nine years ago that ended with him being accused of murdering his brother and defrauding many townspeople, so he's understandably wary of letting others onto his property or into his life. Jax is glad for the support, especially since his aunt and uncle call the police, Officer Pressman (who is nice) and Officer Doyle (who is not). Jax also gets help from Alicia Baylor, who is in school with him and runs a "Brownies not Bullies" group hoping to help other kids. She brings in her mother, who is an attorney, and offers to see what she can do to get Jax away from the Grimmitz. Alicia also brings other kids from school, and they enjoy swimming in the lake, which is naturally warmed by hot springs. This is why Owen and his brother Waylon had wanted to turn the area into a resort. Jax is worried that the kids aren't really his friends, but just want access to the lake. To prove otherwise, the children help clear weeds, make a path, and install weeding. When the legal issues with the Grimmitzes heat up and Jax must contend with Finley T. Creel, Esquire, who is helping the Grimmitzes adopt Jax, some clues to Waylon's disappearance surface, and seem to implicate Uncle Clive. Will Jax be able to assert his independence in his new country as well as solve the mystery of Waylon?

It seems fair to say that a vast number of tweens have thought about running away from home at one point or another, and Jax has more reasons than most. This adds an immediate appeal to the book; what better place to live than on a raft in a lake, where there's a concerned adult to bring you food? It was good to see that Jax had some people on his side, since his family were just about as horrible as Harry Potter's  Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia! 

The information about micronations, and all of the politics involved made this a bit unusual, but also gave Jax a framework for staging his protest. I loved that Mr. O'Keefe demanded that Jax write a constitution before he let him stay on the property. While the legalities of the Grimmitz's adoption got a bit confusing, I appreciated that Nielsen drew from her own past, and from the powerlessness she felt when her parents were divorcing and no one seemed to care about her opinion. 

Even though Jax's parents are both dead, this book is rather lighthearted, with plenty of goofy things going on. It's fun to see all of the children working on Stay awhile Springs and stepping in to help Jax. The mystery with Waylon gives Jax something else to occupy his mind and also a way to pay back Mr. O'Keefe for his support. Scholastic does a particularly good job at publishing happier titles, and it was fun to see a different type of book from Ms. Nielsen, who has published many historical fiction books (Resistance,  One Wrong Step, Uprising,  Iceberg, Lines of Courage, Words on Fire) as well as the False Prince fantasy series. 

Hand this to fans of adventure stories that involve running away, like Kleckner's The Art of Running Away, Hashimoto's Bound for Home, Kothari's  Bringing Back Kay-Kay, but let young readers know that running away is generally a bad idea, just like Mr. O'Keefe tells Jax! 

This is a bit on the long side, at 352 pages, and there's plenty that could have been cut out, but still, bonus points for even TRYING to be cheerier! 

Martineau, Susan and Barker, Vicky (illus.).
Real-Life Mysteries & Disasters: Deadly Facts, Amazing Evidence, and the True Stories Behind 22 Incredible Events.

November 4, 2025 by Bright Matter Books (Penguin Random House)

Copy provided by the publisher

Have readers who can't get enough Titanic books? Some who love Hopkinson's Scholastic Focus Deadliest  titles or fiction like Tarshis' I Survived series, Marino's Escape from the U.S.S. Indianapolis, Philbrick's Wild Wave, or Johnson's Survivor Diaries? This is the book for them! 

There are twenty two different mysteries and disasters, and each once has an overview of one specific incident (like Bigfoot or the Bermuda Triangle) where the location, time period, and basics are covered thoroughly. This is followed by a case file in a fun scrapbook format that discusses what evidence is available, lists witness statements, has applicable maps, and has a box that encourages further investigations. I enjoyed that fact that there were definitions of words, assessments of witness reliability, and descriptions of similar cases, especially in cases of "unidentified weird lights" which are often thought to be UFOs. My favorite was probably the descriptions of spontaneous combustion; it never seemed all that possible to mek but looking at the scientific evidence, now I'm not so sure! 

It is also helpful that each of the sections starts with a helpful overview of how the pages are going to be set up. Many of my students struggle with processing nonfiction text, and this would be a great book for navigating a mix of pictures, text, and sidebars. Because of the interesting aspects of the mysteries and disasters, reading this book wouldn't feel like work. 

There is a helpful table of contents and a glossary of words at the back that readers will find useful. 

This reminded me of some National Geographic books or Lonley Planet nonfiction titles. The illustrations are great, but it wouldn't have hurt to include a photograph or two. I know that it's often more expensive to do this, and readers today are keen to look things up online. 

I'm always a fan of having books like this along on car trips. Real-Life Mysteries & Disasters is packed with information and would definitely take a couple of Midwestern states to finish. I get too car sick to read, but my brother was always a big fan of the Guiness Book of World Records and would quote passages while my parents are driving. This always led to some good family conversations, and I think that a topic like Bigfoot or the Halifax explosion could make the time on the road fly by. 

Tatulli, Mark. The eXpets 2: The Skunk Who Challenged the World!
November 4, 2025 by Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Professor Foozypinz is looking through his Enormo-Scope when he sees a giant kitten heading towards Earth. He tries to alert the White House and the military, but no one believes him. Needing back up, he sends out an alert to the eXpets, and soon the Incredible Mr. Turtle, Laser-Eye Kitty, Ginormous Gerbil, and Wonder Guppy have come to help. Stanky Dog has thrown his collar out into the yard so that his girl, Lily, doesn't hear it beeping, and Skunk and his sidekick Lizard have found it. He eventually comes to the aid of the professor, and the group realizes that the kitten must have been on the Moon when they discarded the powerful Collar of Power of Kitty KahKah and is wearing it. Appropriating a giant catnip filled toy, they manage to slow down the kitten. They need skunk's help, but know they van't trust him. When Stanky Dog is kidnapped by Skunk and held captive in his Mobile Underwater Secret Hideout, he is accompanied by Laser Kitty, who is now a shape shifter and has tagged along in the shape of a crab. Laser Kitty wisely tells Stanky Dog that he shouldn't rely on people, but when the two are rescued by Lily, Stanky feels good about his life choices. Skunk also is in control of UpDawg, and it looks like things will not end well for the eXpets until the giant kitten's identity is revealed, and an emotional connection saves the day. 

Strengths: Tatulli's illustration style is clear and less cluttered than that of many similar books, and his plots are a little more streamlined. Sure, there is a lot of goofiness, but it makes more sense, which is a huge relief for me. Readers who are drawn to graphic novels often have a hard time processing text and stories, so having larger print, fewer words, and fewer extraneous characters and events really helps. There are some good messages about the importance of love and family, right alongside Stanky Dog's potent reeking breath, so this will make young readers and teachers alike very happy. 
Weaknesses: I loved Tatulli's Short and Skinny so much, and wish that he would turn his talents to more realistic humorous graphic novels, but am glad to see anything he can publish. 
What I really think: This is a must purchase title for elementary libraries where Pilkey's Dog Man books or Barnett and Harris' The First Cat in Space series are popular. Make sure to get prebound editions so they hold up to the frequent check outs it is sure to see.