After Life by Gayle Forman - OPTIONAL

After Life by Gayle Forman, 272 pages. HarperCollins, 2025. $20. 

Language: R (63 swears 10 'f'); Mature Content: PG13 (sexual activity - talked about not fully described) Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

17yo Amber arrives home from school, and things at home seem different. She can't find her cat, the TV doesn't work right and when her mom sees her she can't stop screaming. Amber was killed in a hit and run on her way home from school 7 years ago. Her little sister Melissa is now Amber's age! Amber's mother is horrified, her father is elated. Amber is confused. She didn't know she died, but now she's seeing how it affected her family, her friends, even people she barely knew. 

Told from many perspectives and times prior to and after Amber's return. After Life is definitely for a more mature reader who can keep track. A deep examination of grief, and how different people manage it. 

A complicated novel, but a must have in a High School library. Amber and her family are white. Melissa is a lesbian 

Lisa Librarian 

Dream by Barbara O’Connor - OPTIONAL

Dream by Barbara O’Connor, 256 pages. Farrar, Straus, Giroux (Macmillan), 2025. $18

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

11yo Idalee lives with her Mama in their boarding house in the small Colby, North Carolina.  Mama dreams of being a country-western star and this summer she is going on the road with her band in search of stardom, leaving Idalee and the boarding house in the care of one of their long-term borders. When Idalee hears about a song-writing contest, she badly wants to enter, but she’ll need to find the treasure hidden in the house by her late granddaddy in order to buy the guitar she needs to inspire her.

I am unsure what time period Idalee lives in - though Charlie, from O’Connor’s Wish  appears in the book as a young lady. For fans of gentle realistic fiction.

Characters default white.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

The Freedom Seeker by Ruchira Gupta - ADVISABLE

The Freedom Seeker by Ruchira Gupta, 320 pages. Scholastic, 2025. $19

Content: G (mild danger)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

12yo Simi lives in India with a loving family, but her parents are a Muslim and a Hindu and a growing faction in India are against such mixed marriages. After her father is badly beaten, he makes his way from India to Mexico and from there to NYC.  When Simi and her mother follow in his footsteps, however, they are abandoned by their coyote in the desert and picked up by American agents and taken to separate detention camps. Will the family ever be reunited?

I found this video about Indians immigrating to America - both legally and illegally (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hh1xgoPHiM8). I had no idea that Indians are a large percentage of those coming from Mexico. Gupta gives a poignant portrayal of the desperation of those sneaking in and of their treatment if captured and detained. 

The main characters are Indian and Mexican.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

The Loudest Silence by Sydney Langford, - OPTIONAL

The Loudest Silence by Sydney Langford, 301 pages. Holiday House, 2024. $20

Language: R (89 swears, 6 ‘f'); Mature Content: PG (kissing); Violence: PG (cyber bulling, punches)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

A few months before making a big move from Oregon to Florida with her family, 16yo Casey, who hoped to one day be a professional singer, woke up to find that she had lost most of her hearing. When Casey's friends find about her hearing loss, they all desert her. Determined not to be hurt again, she plans to hide that she is Deaf-Hard of hearing and make no friends at her new school in Florida. But Lela has other ideas. She brings Casey into her circle of friends anyway: Hayden, Paz, and Cesar.  Soon Casey is bonding with Hayden over a shared love of music. Hayden also has secrets he is keeping. Although his family expects him to be a soccer star like his father and brother before him, he wants to star on Broadway. Hayden is also dealing with generalized anxiety disorder. Casey and Hayden begin to confide in each other. They find love and support with each other as they are both dealing with a disability. When they both decide to be brave and share things with their other friends, they find acceptance and support there as well.

Overall, I enjoyed the book, which is told from the dual perspective of Casey and Hayden. I liked that Casey found a place where she felt at home. I liked that the focus is on two kids dealing with disabilities while still trying to follow their dreams. They both find needed love and support from their friendship. I liked that the book describes when ASL is used and touches on some aspects of Deaf culture and community. The book touches on some aspects of ableism and cyberbullying. Casey describes herself as being bisexual. The relationship between Cesar and Casey is antagonistic until the last few chapters of the book. Then I feel that suddenly, and without any lead-up, there was a change between them.

Casey is white with a Polish father, Hayden is Cuban/Italian-American, Lela and Cesar are Colombian-American, Paz is Ethiopian-American

Reviewer: A. Snow, Librarian

Fart Boy and Reeky Dog by Joan Holub and Rafael Rosado - ADVISABLE

Fart Boy and Reeky Dog by Joan Holub, illustrated by Rafael Rosado. 133 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL Random House, 2025. $15. 9780593434307

Content: PG (farting is mentioned a lot)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: MANY

Professor Groovypants and his henchman have come to Earth to steal a renewable source of energy to power their homeworld. Together they create a small baby boy, who creates the most powerful and stinky farts ever. "Will Professor Groovypants, now Perfume Lady, win or will Phartolomew blow his nemesis away?

Fart Boy and Reeky Dog" is a pun-filled graphic novel that takes an irreverent look at the natural body function of passing gas. In the book, Dr. Gastro even gives a song filled explanation of how gas forms in the digestive system before needing to be expelled. The question is posed of whether girls actually fart as well. Joan Holub has filled the story with wordplays that are truly clever, and Rafael Rosado has created graphic storyboards that display action and humor. 

J. Smith, Teacher Librarian

Don't Cause Trouble by Arree Chung - ESSENTIAL

Don't Cause Trouble by Arree Chung, 240 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL Henry Holt (Macmillan), 2025. $23. 

Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: G. 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL 

APPEALS TO: MANY 

12yo Ming wants to meet his parent's expectations. "Get good grades" "Be a good boy" and "Don't cause trouble." But starting middle school is hard. He has the same bowl haircut his mom has always given him, and his clothes have been bought at a thrift store. He knows he has no chance of being popular. Starting the year in an ESL class he doesn't need (he doesn't speak Chinese and was born in the United States), he makes friends in the cafeteria - Marcus and Vikrum. Ming isn't popular, but school is so much better with friends. 

Don't Cause Trouble is a great story about trying to fit in. Ming's parents struggle to make money, his mother's cleaning job includes dealing with a racist who continually calls her bad words (represented in characters). Ming is also desperate to make money, trying to sell his Halloween candy. He's not an immigrant, his parents are, and we learn their back story. I know my middle school population can relate. Ming's family is Chinese. 

Lisa Librarian 

Story Spinners: A Sisterly Tale of Danger, a Princess, and Her Crew of Lady Pirates by Cassandra Federman - ADVISABLE

Story Spinners: A Sisterly Tale of Danger, a Princess, and Her Crew of Lady Pirates by Cassandra Federman. 194 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. Aladdin (Simon), 2025. $23. 9781665918237

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: MANY

Sisters Kennedy and Devon fight all the time, but now must work together to put their baby sister to sleep. Their adventurous fairy tale combines elements from both sisters as they cooperate to earn back the privilege of screen use. Princess Danger Sparklepuff must find true love and face dragons, evil water spiders, the Garbage Kingdom, and even a Shark Prince. Late nights are a good time for sisters to share creative ideas and heartfelt truths.

Kennedy and Devon portray the idea of siblings with opposite interests and habits who still love each other and can find common ground. It's kind of a morality tale about truly looking at our siblings and seeing things from their point of view. The illustrations have a kind of sticker appearance and color codes the word bubbles for the sisters dialogue. I believe this style will appeal to many young readers.

Mom is portrayed as a rounder figure.  Princesses come in all colors, sizes, and appearances. Princess Danger Sparklepuff has a peg leg.

J. Smith, Teacher Librarian

Talk to Me Nice by Minda Harts - OPTIONAL

Talk to Me Nice by Minda Harts, 240 pages. NONFICTION. Flatiron Books (Macmillan), 2025. $15.

Language: PG13 (16 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: ADULTS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: FEW

An employee since her teenage years, Hart’s résumé has given her lots of experience with various managers and coworkers. One thing she has learned is that trust is vital—but different people need trust shown in different ways. Hart introduces the seven trust languages that, when implemented, will make the workplace better for you and everyone else around you.

Admittedly, I only picked this book up because it reminded me of the five love languages, and I was interested to see this new take on the concept. While focused on workplace relationships, these trust languages can be applied to other relationships, though Hart goes into a lot of detail specifically for implementing them at work. Hart offers templates and examples to enable her readers to advocate for themselves and their needs at work—to gain, build, and restore trust with managers and colleagues. A very niche topic, but interesting nonetheless.

The mature content rating is for mentions of sexual harassment, and the violence rating is for mentions of school shootings.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Ain't it Funny by Margaret Gurevich - ADVISABLE

Ain't it Funny by Margaret Gurevich, 240 pages. Penguin, 2024. $18. 

Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

11yo Maya is having a hard year. Her dad has moved out to follow his dream of being a stand up comic, and she, her babushka and mother are running the family's Russian deli without him. But Maya is also noticing some changes in herself. She gets a hot-hot-hot feeling when something is germy - like when a boy in class touches her pencils or puts gum on her desk. She's washing her hands all the time but the adults in her home don't see she has a problem. 

I didn't expect the neuro-diversity element and I really enjoyed it. There were plenty of stand up comedy style jokes, I'm really glad Maya and her dad made sure none of them would offend anyone personally. I was sad that Baba was more concerned that people would think her granddaughter was crazy than she was about getting Maya help. I loved the school nurse and the therapist - I hope they are seeing a family therapist as well. Maya and her family are Russian. So are many of her friends. 

Lisa Librarian 

 

Candle Island by Lauren Wolk - ESSENTIAL

Candle Island by Lauren Wolk, 352 pages. Penguin, 2025. $19. 

Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (Bullying, peril, dangerous antics) 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

12yo Lucretia and her mother have just moved to Candle Island in Maine. Her father has recently died and they have moved to a new place for some privacy and to escape memories. But the town isn't very welcoming - during the summer, the population explodes with summer vacationers, and even though they are permanent, Lucretia knows it won't be easy to make friends. Especially as they have moved into Murdock's old house. Murdock is a girl about Lucretia's age, who resents anyone in her former house. And the summer kids, they are the worst, entitled bullies with no consequences. 

Lauren Wolk spins a marvelous story. I have loved her books ever since I read Wolf Hollow,  and reflected back often during my reading of Candle Island. Wolk's books stick with you, and this will too. Kid readers will love the growing friendships, the animals and the island adventure. Adults will recognize the hard decisions parents are faced with, and the consequences of spoiling children. The characters default white. 

Lisa Librarian  

Kingdom of Without by Andrea Tang - OPTIONAL

Kingdom of Without by Andrea Tang, 275 pages. Simon & Schuster, 2023.  $20

Language:  R (132 swears, 55 ‘f'); Mature Content: PG-13 (Mentions of sex and one night stands, a couple of kisses, alcohol use, mentions of drug use); Violence: PG-13 (bar fight, man shot in the stomach, attempted murder with poison, violent confrontations)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Older teen Ning'er takes on a burglary job, thinking it will be quick and easy, and provide her with much-needed money. However, she quickly finds she has signed on with a crew of college-age insurgents and vigilantes. Re Zi'an is the explosives expert, Fei fei is the fixer, Zhenyi is the medical expert, and Cheng Yun (also known as the Red Yaksha or Young Marshall) is the leader and provides the funding. To make matters worse, they don't want her to steal an object; they want her to liberate a former rebel leader who has been imprisoned for five years.  Set in futuristic Beijing, where cyborgs keep the peace in a class-divided society that often erupts in protests and riots. The city is divided by walls into six areas. Ning'er comes from the sixth or poorest of the rings. The city is run by an out-of-touch ruling family and elected officials who are in the pocket of the powerful pharmaceutical company Lilium. Many of the residents, regardless of which ring they live in, are addicted to a drug called complacency. Lilium will do whatever it takes to keep the people addicted to their powerful and expensive drug. The deeper Ning'er gets into the job, the more she realizes she has to either remain complacent or take risks and join her new friends as they seek revolution. 

I enjoyed the book overall. It is a story of a girl who must choose between remaining safe with the status quo or taking risks to improve her life and the lives of others. It was confusing at times because each of the characters has a name, a nickname, and in the case of Cheng Yun, two aliases. A few key points of the ending were wrapped up too conveniently, in my opinion. 

All of the characters are Chinese.

A. Snow, Librarian

A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hall by Jasmine Warga - ADVISABLE

A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hall by Jasmine Warga, 224 pages. HarperCollins, 2024. $20.

Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: G. 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

11yo Rami is having a rough 6th grade year. His friend group has kicked him off their lunch table, telling him he's weird, and he's feeling like he doesn't fit in anywhere. But when a painting is stolen from the museum, and his mother is considered one of the suspects, Rami rekindles a friendship with Veda, a girl from school who is obsessed with True Crime. Oh, there's also a ghost in the museum that only Veda and 

Remi can see, and she may be the key to solving the crime and clearing Rami's mom's name. 

Rami is a worrying kind of kid, but he sure makes some bad decisions when he's with Veda. The trouble adds to the story though so I'm not complaining. A fun mystery with a lot of suspects - not just Rami's mom. Rami's family is from Lebanon, Veda's is from India. 

Lisa Librarian  

Creaky Acres by Calista Brill & Nilah Magruder - ADVISABLE

Creaky Acres by Calista Brill & Nilah Magruder, 268 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL Kokila (Penguin), 2025. $15 

Language: G (0 swears) Mature Content: G Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

Nora has to move and leave her best friends and her horseback riding team behind. She is their star rider, so the first thing she does when she gets to her new town is to find a barn for her horse, Hay Fever. Nora hates the new barn, called Creaky Acres, because it's so run down and she doesn't like being the only black kid in her school. Nora has to adjust on a lot of levels and find out how to make her new life work. 

The artwork is great and there is interesting information about how to care for a horse. I like Nora's character, because even though she is flawed, she rises to the occasion and helps her new barn friends rise to theirs. Nice messages about friendship and watching out for each other. Even though it's about horse riding, anyone who has had to move can identify with Nora. I had a hard time with Nora being the team coach at age 10, and one of her riders being in a competition at age 8 without a parent there to watch. The ages seem a little young for what they do. Young readers probably won't notice though. Nora is black.

Michelle in the Middle 

Creature Clinic by Gavin Aung Than - ESSENTIAL

Creature Clinic by Gavin Aung Than, 216 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL First Second (Macmillan), 2025. $20 (paperback). 

Language: G (1 swear 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (monster injuries being treated) 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ESSENTIAL 

APPEALS TO: MANY 

When a human arrives at Creature Clinic lodged in the shoe if a very sick giant, Dr. Orc refuses to treat the human and wants him removed from Mythland immediately. But Kara, the senior resident at the clinic (and Dr. Orc's daughter) knows the human needs help and takes matters into her own hands, hiding him and giving some lifesaving treatment. But, once he's feeling better, he won't leave! 

Kids will love this graphic novel. Upper elementary will appreciate the silly puns and and the darling illustrations. I hope they get all the fairytale connections including the Three Billy Goats Gruff, Jack and the Beanstalk and the Three Pigs and many others, some just featured in the illustrations. And, with so many characters in the illustrations, it will lend itself to re-reading so well, as there is much to see and discover each time. 

Lisa Librarian 

Hoops Academy: On the Line by J.B. Duncan - ADVISABLE

Hoops Academy: On the Line by J.B. Duncan, 104 pages. Darby Creek (Lerner), 2025. $12

Language: G (0 swears) Mature Content: G Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

Nadia has made the JV basketball team as a freshman and is totally jazzed about that. She would be even more excited if she were doing better in algebra. Hoops Academy demands excellence on and off the court and if her grade drops below a B she can't play. Nadia doesn't seem to be the only one struggling with grades and someone on the team may be cheating, which could also keep Nadia from playing. 

Nice that the books aren't just about basketball. Nadia's situation is relatable and you find yourself rooting for her. Super quick read. Though it becomes fairly predictable, it's satisfying and you won't be sorry you picked it up. Race is not specified. 

Michelle in the Middle 

Hoops Academy: Numbers Game by J.B. Duncan - ADVISABLE

Hoops Academy: Numbers Game by J.B. Duncan, 104 pages. Darby Creek (Lerner), 2025 $12 

Language: G (0 swears) Mature Content: G Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: MANY 

Kaita is in her senior year at Hoops Academy and everything seems to be going her way. She is varsity team captain and finally gets to wear her lucky number on her jersey. Except that her jersey keeps disappearing, and soon, her team mates begin finding things missing from the locker room as well. Mistrust eats at the team, making it difficult to play. Kaita has to find out what's happening before their team implodes. 

Short and to the point. Books in this series alternate between male and female protagonists, and don't have to be read in consecutive order, though it may help a little. The story is quickly paced and has some positive vibes about getting along, teamwork, and seeing others' points of view. No race is specified. 

Michelle in the Middle 

Hoops Academy: Boxed Out by J.B. Duncan - ADVISABLE

Hoops Academy: Boxed Out by J.B. Duncan, 104 pages. Darby Creek (Lerner), 2025. $12

Language: G (0 swears) Mature Content: G Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: MANY 

Murph and Mike are twins who have played basketball together all their lives. Mike makes the varsity team, while Murph is on the JV team. Murph is completely bugged by this and doesn't take his coach's guidance seriously. When Murph gets an unexpected opportunity to move up to varsity, he has to decide if he really has what it takes to make it. 

Short and sweet and high interest. This is a great hook for reluctant readers who like basketball. Murph is relatable, with his faults and dreams of glory, and the underlying messages of having to work and be a team player are a happy bonus. Race and culture are not specified. 

Michelle in the Middle 

Mixed-Up by Kami Garcia, illustrated by Brittney Williams and Tyler Smith - ESSENTIAL

Mixed-Up by Kami Garcia, illustrated by Brittney Williams and Tyler Smith. 193  pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. First Second (Macmillan), 2025. $23. 9781250142337

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

Stella is excited to start fifth grade with her two best friends. They have a great teacher and their favorite TV show just got a new online game. Stella loves math and art, but is very slow at reading. When fifth grade turns out to be harder than ever and Stella falls behind in her classwork, she can't keep up with her friends or the online game. It turns out that Stella has dyslexia.

Students will be able to see themselves in the characters--from friendship struggles to learning differences. The font is even dyslexia accessible.  This is one of the best books I have read this year! Dan Santat's endorsement on the front cover sums it up well: ""Handles living with dyslexia beautifully, with empathy and compassion. This is a must-read book."" I wish I could get a few select educators to read this book. In the meantime, I will be recommending it to every middle-grade reader and teacher I can! "

The main character is Latina and other characters are ethnically diverse.

Rachel, elementary library specialist

Weirdo by Tony Weaver, Jr., illustrated by Jes & Cin Wibowo - ESSENTIAL

Weirdo by Tony Weaver, Jr., illustrated by Jes & Cin Wibowo, 318 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL, First Second (Macmillan), 2024. $23 

Language: G (0 swears) Mature Content: PG (mention of suicide attempt, no specifics) Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL 

APPEALS TO: MANY 

Tony Weaver is in the 7th grade. His parents moved him to a new school to challenge him. Instead, his teacher thinks he is cheating with his writing and he is bullied by other students because of his love of comic book heroes. Tony wants desperately to fit in but begins to feel like everyone would be better off if he was gone. A traumatic event forces him to find out who he is and that he can become the hero of his story. 

This is an essential read for anyone who feels like they are not accepted for who they are and strive to conform to fit in, but are still the target of bullying. This is a positive story of healing and self-love and a journey to finding that he can fit in and make a difference. This is the author's story and he tells it well without getting into detail about self-harm. The focus is really about recovery and finding inner strength. Tony is black. 

Michelle in the Middle 

A Rover's Story by Jasmine Warga - ADVISABLE

A Rover's Story by Jasmine Warga, 320 pages. HarperCollins, 2024. $10 (paperback) 

Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

Resilience is a Mars rover created in a NASA lab. Although definitely a robot, Res (as one of the scientists nicknamed him) recognizes human emotions and sometimes sees them in his own responses, and hopes to always be rational. He is launched to Mars, and with the help of Fly - an embedded Drone and Guardian, a satellite, Res' primary mission is to find another rover, Courage, who was lost in a dust storm and has gone offline, but Res has a personal mission - to find something so important, they bring him back to Earth. 

What a sweet story! Warga's first science fiction novel was great. I really liked Resilient's voice, and the relationship between Fly the drone and Guardian the satellite. Another character, Sophie, is the child of one of the scientists, who writes letters to Res - more like journal entries, which helps the reader see the passage of time and helps connect with Earth. Perfectly appropriate for upper elementary, with a growing Sophie so there's some friend drama and family problems mentioned as well. 

Lisa Librarian