You and Me on Repeat by Mary Shyne - OPTIONAL

You and Me on Repeat by Mary Shyne, 224 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL Henry Holt (Macmillan), 2025. $18 

Language: R (35 swears 9 'f'); Mature Content: PG13 (Illustration of girls intimately touching, kissing) Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL 

APPEALS TO: SOME 

High school senior Chris is reliving his graduation day every day - he can't get past it, he's caught in a time loop. Good thing, too, because he hasn't yet kissed his girlfriend and now he has the ability to keep trying new things to achieve his goal - but to no avail. Then he realizes Alicia, a girl he has history with - they used to be friends - is also caught in the same time loop, in fact it's her fault he's there. 

I liked the story, discovering along with Chris - and also Alicia - what their truths were and what needed to be resolved. Interesting use of the color palate which I have only figured out some rationale for - (the past is blue) - it begs a re-read if only for that. Alicia is Mexican, Chris is white. 

Lisa Librarian

Three Blue Hearts by Lynne Kelly - ADVISABLE

Three Blue Hearts by Lynne Kelly, 282 pages. Delacorte (Random), 2025. $18 

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

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

12yo Max is hoping for a fresh start. His politician dad has high hopes for him, that Max can't seem to measure up to. During his summer stay at a Texas beach town, Max discovers an injured octopus washed up on the shore. With the help of some local kids he becomes friends with, he rescues it and names her Ursula. As he bonds with Ursula at the rescue center, he thinks he may finally be in the right place at the right time. He also realizes he is not the only one with problems. 

Well written, Max captures the angst of finding yourself and the things that are important to you. There are themes of friendship, loss, and community. You will want to go to a small beach town where everyone pulls together and has history. There were also some great octopus facts. I had no idea how smart they are. Nice read, especially if you like animals. Has environmental themes without hitting you over the head with it. The characters default white. 

Michelle in the Middle 

Vanished: Seven Women Magicians who Simply Disappeared by Anna Hays - ADVISABLE

Vanished: Seven Women Magicians who Simply Disappeared by Anna Hays, 232 pages. NON-FICTION Bright Matter Books Random House, 2025. $19 

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS, ADULT - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

In the Golden Age of Magic, seven talented women headlined their own shows. These women did everything from escapology to mind reading and catching bullets. To make it even more impressive, this was an age when women were supposed to be solely dedicated to hearth and home. These women have been all but forgotten, vanished, as it were. This book shines the spotlight back on their lives and accomplishments. 

What a fun read! I learned so much about the history of magic and how these women perfected their arts. There was some tension, as I worried about whether they would survive some of the more daring stunts, or whether their magic secrets would be revealed. I would have loved to see them perform. This book helps them live again, and is a must read for anyone who loves magic. The layout is engaging and colorful and the writing is succinct and entertaining. The illustrations are colorful and there are photos and playbills of these fascinating women. The women are mostly white, though their countries of origin differ. Ellen Emma Armstrong is black. 

Michelle in the Middle

Coming Home (adapted for YA) by Brittney Griner with Michelle Burford - ADVISABLE

Coming Home (adapted for YA) by Brittney Griner with Michelle Burford, 309 pages. NON FICTION BIOGRAPHY. Bright Matter Books (Random House), 2026. $20. 9798217027033

Language: PG (4 swears, 0 ‘f'); Mature Content: PG (drug possession, nonsexual nudity; Violence: PG (LGBT slurs), peril, confined in small cage

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Brittney Griner is a decorated WNBA player, three-time Olympic gold medalist, and star player in the EuroLeague. She has been playing for the Ekat team in Russia and was home in the US for a week long break. Disaster strikes when she is searched upon landing in the Russian airport. In a packing rush, she has left a THC vape in her carry on bag. At home she has a medical card to legally use marijuana to manage chronic pain, but it’s not legal in Russia. She must now navigate a corrupt legal system and manage to keep herself safe as a black, queer, 6’9” tall woman in a Russian prison. Brittney and her loved ones are desperate for her return home.

I liked that it showcased the things that kept Brittney going in her hardest times: faith, family, connections with others, and self love. I found the limited dialogue and heavy exposition a bit of a slog to get through in the middle of the book. I really enjoyed her reflections on coming of age, I think students may relate to and find hope in her coming out story. Brittney Griner is a black, gay woman. 

Melanie Pew (School Counselor)

Jawbreaker by Christina Wyman - ADVISABLE

Jawbreaker by Christina Wyman, 306 pages. Scholastic, 2023. $18. 

Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG Bullying; a lot of it, mostly verbal but tripping and bumping etc. as well 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

12yo Max Plink has a Class II malocclusion - a pretty significant overbite. She's worn braces for a while, but now the orthodontist wants to try adding headgear to her treatment to hopefully avoid surgery. Max wants to be a journalist, and has looked forward to the annual Journalism Competition, but this year, the submissions have to be submitted by video. It's bad enough that the people at school see her face, she's not ready to make a recording of herself that might go on the internet. The Bullies are terrible right now, the worst of them is her very own sister - what might happen if she makes a video that goes viral? 

Based on the cover illustration, I expected Jawbreaker to be a humorous story about a girl and her braces. It was heartbreaking, more about a family in crisis, school bullies and the trouble kids have fitting in. I loved how Max was able to use her position on the paper to write articles about what she was facing. I didn't love most of the teachers at the school - I feel like bullying that obvious would have been shut down by the teachers quickly, and acknowledged by the administration sooner. Max and her family are white. 

Lisa Librarian 

The Forbidden Room by Nicki Pau Preto, - ADVISABLE

The Forbidden Room (Last Hope School for Magical Delinquents #2) by Nicki Pau Preto, 327 pages. Viking (Penguin), 2025. $19

Language: G (0 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (magic fight)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

12yo Vin is happy for school to start again after winter break, but unfortunately the events of the first part of the school year has brought Inspectors from the Worldwide Magical Coalition whose aim really seems to be to find any excuse to shut down the school. A new student, Zach, has joined the school, and Vin is determined to make him feel welcome, just like her friends did for her. As Vin becomes more proficient and comfortable with her Chameleon powers, she  doesn’t know that she and her friends are headed for a showdown with someone whose purpose is much more evil than just closing the school. 

Vin is SUCH a great character! She does act older than 12 - it would have been great if she had aged up a whole year between books instead of just having winter break. The magical powers of the world are different from others i have read for this age group and if Pau Preto doesn’t continue this series (it does feel like it could be finished), then I hope she continues to realize new characters.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Ape Escape (funjungle #10) by Stuart Gibbs - ESSENTIAL

Ape Escape (funjungle #10) by Stuart Gibbs, 304 pages. Simon and Schuster, 2026. $18

Language: G (0 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (animal abuse, some danger)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

When Teddy’s family gets the news that a good friend, Jadim, of theirs has died in Rwanda, they head to the airport for the funeral.  Instead, once they land, they find that he is in hiding because his life was threatened by gorilla poachers. When an orphaned baby gorilla is abducted right from the sanctuary, the family and Jadim head off across Africa in pursuit.

Gibbs does such a great job with his funjunge books - keeping a heightened sense of danger and adventure, while also including factually based information about the ways animals, in this any African animal, might be endangered. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Fooled by Susan Haas with Lexi Haas - ADVISABLE

Fooled by Susan Haas with Lexi Haas, 269 pages. Little Brown, 2025. $18

Language: G (0 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: G (mild bullying)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

11yo Lil and her friends in her EC (Exceptional Children) class at Willow Street Middle School love magic, but their situations and their unabashed love of magic also makes them targets for a couple of bullies at school. Plus, the vice principal at their school has the school board’s approval for a new Safety First initiative, which seems to be aimed at keeping the ECs in their classroom where they can’t be seen by everyone else. One day, however, the football team asks Lil for a charm to help them win their game -- and it works!  Now they are busily making charms for some many others - which makes them even more of a target.

I so loved reading about Lil and her friends.  They are fully realized human beings - not caricatures of their abilities and challenges. Fully able to stand beside Wonder or Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus  in terms of heart and representation.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

The Nature of Play by Delfina Aguilar, Clare Aitken, and Sabrina Arnault - ESSENTIAL

 Get Creative

The Nature of Play: A Handbook of Nature-Based Activities for all Seasons by Delfina Aguilar and Clare Aitken, illustrated by Sabrina Arnault. 180 pages. NON FICTION. Greystone Books, 2026. $23 Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: ADULTS - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

Thoughtfully organized by the four seasons, Aguilar and Aitken show that nature is full of fun and adventure. This isn't about supervising play; it’s about facilitating it. The activities range from the artistic (making natural dyes or leaf prints) to the practical (building shelters and identifying tracks). With stunning photography and a clean layout, it avoids the over-stimulating clutter often found in children’s activity books.

Aguilar makes nature feel accessible. You don’t need to live in a forest to use this book; many activities are perfectly suited for a small urban park or even a backyard. I love that it encourages taking time to play, where you aren't rushing to a scheduled practice, but instead sitting on the ground, noticing the way a beetle moves. This is the perfect gift for a new parent.

S. Lewis

Glass by Kathryn Lasky - ADVISABLE

Glass by Kathryn Lasky, 213 pages. Harper, 2024. $20.

Language: G (0 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (some bullying, deaths)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE, MS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

14yo Bess feels like the outsider in her family of glassblowers. When she discovers the horrible secret behind the most wondrous of their creations, she flees to the forest. Unfortunately, a poor cousin has to take refuge with the Wickham’s and she may be the next victim in their scheme for money and prestige. 

The subtitle calls this a Cinderella story, and while I might say it is Cinderella adjacent, I would have never minded not knowing about the subtext. By itself, it is an interesting fairy tale that I enjoyed reading. Bess is 14yo at the beginning and is in the woods for at least a couple of years, but the story itself will attract a 5,6,7th grade audience.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Most Likely to Murder by Lish McBride - OPTIONAL

Most Likely to Murder by Lish McBride, 320 pages. G. P. Putnam’s Sons (Penguin Random House), 2026. $13.

Language: R (122 swears, 24 “f”); Mature Content: PG13 (drug and alcohol use/underage drinking, kissing, illegal activity, scary elements, partial nudity, innuendo, and mentions of condoms and sex); Violence: PG13 (assault, gun use, corpses, blood and gore, mentions of suicide, and murder)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL

When the high school yearbooks come out with ways students and faculty are going to die rather than the usual superlatives, everyone assumes Rick and Martina are behind the prank. Until someone on the list is found dead. The remaining students put their heads together, trying to figure out what they all have in common before it can kill them, too.

McBride switches through points of view, sometimes giving readers a front row seat to what happened just before a death, which brilliantly puts readers on edge every time this happens, not knowing whether or not the character is about to be murdered. I enjoyed that this story doesn’t make the desperate teenagers into better detectives than the adult professionals, and it was refreshing to see them make smart choices, like sharing their locations with each other just in case. These details make the story feel more realistic, even if some silly stereotypes are still included. Martina is implied Hispanic, and Martina, Camryn, and Zeke are queer.

Reviewer: Carolina Johnson

Coming Out Perfect written and illustrated by Richard Mercado - OPTIONAL

Coming Out Perfect written and illustrated by Richard Mercado, 272 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. Graphix (Scholastic Inc.), 2026. $17.

Language: R (11 swears, 3 ‘f’); Mature Content: PG-13 (repeated underage drinking, once to blackout drunkenness); Violence: G.

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Kevin is a gay, high school Filipino boy who is tired of being overlooked at home and invisible at school. He gets a taste of the popular life thanks to the school’s perfect gay boy, Raymond. However when acting “perfect” becomes too difficult to bear, Kevin has to reconsider what he actually wants from life, something real, or fake?

I enjoyed this classic coming-out/coming-of-age story, layered with the author’s lived experience. Even though it was technically set in the Philippines, I think readers will still find plenty of commonalities between Kevin’s high school experience and US schools. The premise was a little superficial, along the veins of the movie She’s All That. I don’t know how much a simple makeover would actually do for someone’s popularity, but high school students would eat it up with a spoon.

Reviewer: Kiera Beddes, ELA teacher, #bookswithbeddes

  

Nature Poems to See By art by Julian Peters - ADVISABLE

Nature Poems to See By art by Julian Peters, 141 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL, POETRY. Plough Publishing, 2026. $30.

Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG (kissing and partial nudity); Violence: PG (corpses, blood and gore, death, and mentions of guns and murder)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SOME

From Dickinson, Frost, and Shakespeare to lesser known poets, Peters brings words and stanzas to life with his illustrations. The collection of poems is grouped by season, inviting readers to see and feel the ups, downs, and arounds of life.

Peters’s creative pictures are individualized for each poem—not only in size and in positive versus negative illustrations, but even in medium and style. No two poems are the same or evoke the same images, and Peters assists readers in celebrating their similarities and differences.

Reviewer: Carolina Johnson

Speak Up, Santiago! by Julio Anta and Gabi Mendez - ADVISABLE

Speak Up, Santiago!(Hillside Valley #1) by Julio Anta and Gabi Mendez. 244 pages.GRAPHIC NOVEL. Random House, 2025. $13

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

12yo Santiago is headed to Hillside Valley to spend a month with his Abuela, and he is terrified! Abuela Emma mostly speaks Spanish, and while his mother and father tried raising him in a bilingual home, speaking was difficult for Santi. In HIllside Valley he meets some local kids who invite him to join their secret soccer club and play in the local tournament at the end of the month. Things are starting to look up for Santi until he overhears Abuela Emma and her friends laughing about his broken accent. As his embarrassment turns to anger, Santi starts taking his feelings out on everyone around him. After a particularly aggressive soccer practice, Santi even finds himself kicked off the team. Not only is he upset, but he returns home to find Abuela Emma has fallen and suffered a hairline fracture. Amidst the chaos of the hospital and doctor visits, Santiago learns to speak up and offers to care for his Abuela.

You don’t have to be learning a new language to empathize with Santiago. His experiences with embarrassment, fear, and betrayal are common emotions many of us feel when breaking out of our comfort zones or learning to speak up. The illustration style is brightly colored and the bilingual text is handled in a way that makes the reader feel as if they are learning Spanish along with Santiago. The Spanish word bubbles at the beginning of the novel have blacked out words, indicating Santi is only picking up half a conversation. As his Spanish improves, English translations begin popping up next to the  Spanish word bubbles.There is a special author and illustrator note in the back that talks about their personal insecurities about being a second-generation Latino or learning Spanish. 

Santiago’s father is Colombian and his mother is Irish/French.  

E. Powell - Junior High Librarian

Wanted: Your House by Monique Polak - OPTIONAL

Wanted: Your House by Monique Polak, 263 pages. Kids Can Press, MAY 2026. $20.

Language: PG (4 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

12yo Cyril’s mom is always dragging him to open houses.  She dreams of owning their own home - even on her meager teacher’s salary.  Cyril decided to help - his brilliant plan - offer himself and his mother as companions and caretakers for an elderly person - as long as the person deeds their house over to Cyril’s mom once they pass away.  Crazy- right?  But curmudgeonly Mr. Hartt takes Cyril up on the idea.  They all agree to a one month trial.  Cyril is not sure they will last that long.

 I wanted to like this so much more, but I was not satisfied with the end, and I was not fond of Mr. Hartt at all. Great premise - middling execution.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

The Mean Girl Mission by Rosaria Munda - OPTIONAL

The Mean Girl Mission (Confessions of a Junior Spy #2) by Rosaria Munda, 189 pages. Feiwel and Friends (Macmillan), 2026. $9 (pb)

Content: G (mild danger)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

Bea has heard from her best friend Chantal that there may be a spy problem at Chantal’s new private school, so Bea jumps to the rescue, with Tommy playing back-up.  Bea is determined to save Chantal from a possible Arctic assassin plot, even if it means she may have to do homework.

I was surprised that I did not like #2 as much as I enjoyed #1. I know why, though.  1 - I don’t spy novels that set-up one person, or group, as “the enemy”; I want variety in my villains. 2 - a mean girl problem at a local middle school is frankly boring if you are determined to become an international spy. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Some of Us are Brave by Saadia Faruqi - ADVISABLE

Some of Us are Brave by Saadia Faruqi, 324 pages. Quill Tree (Harper), 2026. $20

Language: PG (4 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (bullying by parent)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SOME

12yo Mona has to care for her little brother while their parents are away on yet another conference trip. 12yo Yasir doesn’t have money to go to soccer camp this year, but if he coaches the littles, he can attend camp as payment - even if that means playing with 12yo Cody, who bullies Yasir. Cody, meanwhile, goes through life with a huge chip on his shoulder because his father bullies him and is constantly telling him to “man up”. When Hurricane Harvey hits land and causes major flooding in Houston, all four kids are caught and must figure out how to work together to survive. And maybe learn some great lessons about what being a friend means and how to speak up for themselves.

Hurricane Harvey hit Houston in 2017, but this isn’t about the history of the hurricane - it is definitely a vehicle for a diverse trio of kids to learn about each other and that they can be friends. Both Cody and Mona’s lives make the biggest changes - Mona learning to find her voice with her parents who have given a young girl way too much responsibility, and Cody recognizes that his father’s viewpoints are based on hateful opinions, not facts and that Cody does not have to act the same way.

Yasir and Mona are from the Middle East.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Barbed Wire Between Us by Mia WenJen and Violeta Encarnacion. - ADVISABLE

Barbed Wire Between Us by Mia WenJen and Violeta Encarnacion. PICTURE BOOK. Red Comet Press, 2026. $20. 9781636551920

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - OPTIONAL; MS, HS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SOME

The stories of two little girls separated by decades, both of whom are incarcerated by barbed wire.

WenJen and Encarnacion share the story of Fort Sill, Oklahoma - site of Japanese imprisonment during WWII and immigrant child imprisonment in 2014 - using reverso poetry and a stark color palette. In communities affected by recent detainments, the book could be helpful for children still processing.  I see the most value in secondary schools as a way to foster conversation about immigration - especially as the backmatter talks about the Japanese experience and the lies told by the US government. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Griffin Speaker by Jan M. Flynn - ESSENTIAL

Griffin Speaker by Jan M. Flynn, 384 pages. Disney, MAY 2026. $ 18.

Content: PG (one death by dropping, other mild danger)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

12yo Rain lives with her aunt in a Harvester, or grub, village, just dreading the day when she turns 13 and will be forced to work in the Root mines, harvesting the Roots, which are essential to the realm’s economy.  Her aunt, who is an Outlier (outcast) who runs an illegal magical animal menagerie, has a secret hidden in the barn and Rain is sure that it is a griffin - flying animals reserved for only the top ranks of Griffin Land society. When Rain can no longer resist, she bonds with the griffin, starting her down a path to defying all social conventions and expectations.

Rain’s story is thrilling!  I read almost straight through (had to get some sleep and do some work). She has a couple of great friends to help her and all of the action hangs together and makes sense as well as being interesting to read. The only thing I don't like is that the illustrations make her feel more like 10, instead of 12.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

True Life in Uncanny Valley by Deb Caletti - OPTIONAL

True Life in Uncanny Valley by Deb Caletti, 416 pages. Penguin Random House, 2025. $20

Language: R (100+ swears, 17 ‘f'); Mature Content: R (Drinking, passionate kissing and arousal, sexual discussion, nudity); Violence: G

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

Eleanor Diamond, a junior, feels like the odd one out in her family. After all, her mom and older sister Rosalind seem so alike and spend a lot of time together. Eleanor has a hope though: perhaps she is meant to fit in with her father, the rich app inventor Hugo Harrison. The only issue is that he has had nothing to do with her family since the affair with Eleanor’s mother. When Hugo’s wife Aurora advertises for a babysitter, Eleanor takes strength from her favorite comic hero Miss Fury who has an alter-ego, and after a chance encounter, lands the job under a fake last name.

The novel's fourth wall breaks feel awkward, and some integral parts of the plot line, such as the fact that Eleanor’s mother never tries to call the family that she is going to be staying with all summer, are difficult to believe. But the book has a lot of heart with some fun friendships and a budding romance. It also includes discussions on AI art, body positivity, sexual boundaries, and racism, sexism, and homophobia in early comics. Plus, the novel's references to an actual comic and the inclusion of a square from that comic at the start of each chapter is fun. If readers stick with it through some moments of slower pacing, they will find a modern novel exploring human connections and relationships.

Main characters read white.

Megan, HS Librarian