I normally really like realistic fiction with friend drama and a little romance, so I should have liked the following books. I especially love Lisa Greenwald's writing, so should have adored Friend Group. I will buy both her new title and New Girl: First Crush, but To All the Boys I've Loved Before still has way too many casual mentions of sex for me to buy for a middle school library.
People ask me if I intend to retire soon. NO! I like going to work every day. Of course, this post will go live right before summer break starts. The only reasons I survive being off work then is that I can go on tons of walks and sew constantly!
Maybe we'll have school Friday?
May 12, 2026 by HarperCollins
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Sadie Zankel is best friends with Olive Horowitz-Yang, and it's always been two of them against the world. As they start 7th grade, Sadie is very interested in the lives of the other Sadie Z (Zicholtz) and her friends group, who are all the popular girls. When she is accidentally added to their group chat, she has a direct line to what to wear, where to hang out, and what the girls are saying about her. Since both she and the Other Sadie Z (OSZ) both have a crush on Eli, this is especially valuable. There is a ton of drama in the group, but Sadie and Olive also struggle with finding a cafeteria to inhabit. Olive isn't as concerned about popularity as Sadie is, and when she finds out that Sadie has been hiding the group chat from her, she isn't happy. OSZ is unhappy when Eli likes Sadie and not her, and when Olive tells the group that Sadie has been secretly following their messages, there's a blow up. Sadie, who has gotten along fairly well with the girls in the group, especially Annabelle, who is struggling with all of the drama, apologizes to everyone, and by the end of the book, the girls are all getting along fairly well.
My students ADORE the TBH series so much that the books have worn out and I have to buy a whole new set of them. This has more straight text, which I appreciated, but plenty of text messages. I am definitely buying a copy of this. I loved that Sadie and Olive's mothers were best friends and really concerned about their daughters, and even though there is some petty meanness, the girls are all good kids and learn to get along by the end of the book.
May 5, 2026 by Graphix
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
In this sequel to The New Girl, Lia is back at her school in Montreal, and navigating her crush on Julien. She is also dealing with extremely painful periods that the doctor won't do anything about, and is fighting with friend Wan Yin, after Lia accidentally outs her friend after Wan Yin confesses to having a crush on a girl. There is lots of drama on the school magazine, and even on school trips. Julien likes Lia, and they hang out together, but Lia is very jealous of Jade's friendship with Julien, which doesn't go over well with him. Lia and her friends all struggle with body image, and have to learn to navigate relationships as they get older.
The illustration style is appealing, and the colors are bright. Lia's family has come from Romania, so she is enrolled in a Welcome Class, and her family misses friends and family back in their previous home. Readers who enjoy Tessier's Chloe books or Beka's The Love Report will like this series.
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To All the Boys I've Loved Before: The Graphic Novel
May 5, 2026 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Like the 2014 novel version of this story, this had a lot of mentions of sex, so I won't be buying it for my middle school library. Why read it? This title, along with Green's 2012 The Fault in Our Stars, is one of the most requested books that I don't have on the shelves. There must be a television show based on the book, because there was another flurry of requests this year. The illustrations in this area quite nice, but look a bit like Archie comics drawn by anime artists. I'm sure if I bought a copy it would be worn to shreds, but I'll leave this to the high schools and public libraries.
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