Stops Along the Way by Anna Sortino - ADVISABLE

Stops Along the Way by Anna Sortino. 256 pages. Putnam (Penguin), 2026. $20.

Language: PG (15 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: PG (kissing); Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

17yo Iris has recently graduated from high school and is looking forward to college in the fall. Her sister, Amelia, is coming home from college so Iris can have the car. Iris has flown to Amelia's to road trip back with her. Iris loves board games and belongs to a gaming group that meets weekly. She always seems to have to play with Declan. She finds him irritating - he's always recording all her moves in a notebook and thinks he knows everything about board games. They are even competing against each other in an upcoming Board Game creation competition. So, when Iris arrives to pick up Amelia, she is shocked to find Declan there, too, to drive home with his brother, who happens to go to the same college as Amelia. Now it looks like the 2 sets of siblings are driving home together. 

This was a sweet love story. Sortino tends to weave in hearing-impaired characters into each story, and I love that, even though Iris is losing her hearing and wears hearing aids, that's not the focus of the story. The romance is a slow burn with a lot of "Stops Along the Way". There's a long afterward, which would have been a nice book two - I think it covered too much time - but with it, it wraps up nicely and is a standalone. The characters are white. 

Lisa Librarian 

Gingerbread Bones by Lindsay Lovise - OPTIONAL

Gingerbread Bones by Lindsay Lovise, 368 pages. Entangled Teen, 2026. $16

Language: R (228 swears, 111 ‘f'); Mature Content: PG-13 (passionate kiss); Violence: PG-13 (bloody injuries and off-page stabbing death)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

A group of eleven delinquent teens is sent to a remote area to learn survival skills and improve their behavior. A counselor, psychologist and two cameramen accompany them to keep them safe and film the transformation to make a documentary for an influencer. The influencer is Ashley, the toxic stepmother of 16yo Georgie and 17yo Hamish. Georgie and Hamish are in the group and know they have to rely on each other to get through the camp together because they are cut off from the rest of the world, unplugged. Soon the adults go missing and strange things start to happen. When they discover a dismembered, bloody hand of one of the supervising adults, they wonder if any of them will survive.

The Hansel and Gretel retelling makes the tale even creepier. Great character development. The characters have different but interesting backgrounds. I appreciate the content warning before the story begins. Social media posts or emails start each chapter, giving readers information and insight to what’s happening elsewhere.

Ava is Korean American. Talia has frizzy hair and freckles. Madison has brown skin. Alicia is white. Georgie and Hamish are white. One of the cameramen is Latino.

LynnDell Watson, DHS Librarian, Delta, Utah

The Christmas Wish by Lee Heart - ADVISABLE

The Christmas Wish by Lee Heart, 130 pages. Simon, 2026. $8 (pb)

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Joy Holly Rudolph was not only born on Christmas Day, but it is her favorite holiday. However, this year for her birthday she wants a day and place that is not decorated for Christmas. And she wants to invite Kris, the boy she has a crush on, who happens to be born on Christmas Eve - how perfect! However, her fixation on her birthday and on Kris is having a negative effect on her relationships and her Christmas spirit. 

A nice little first romance book for our young readers. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

How to Lose Yourself Completely by Peter Bognanni - ADVISABLE

How to Lose Yourself Completely by Peter Bognanni, 337 pages. Balzer + Bray (Harper), 2026. $21

Language: R (77 swears, 1 ‘f’); Mature Content:PG-13 (suicide mentioned, crude joke, mentions of drinking, smoking, and of marijuana use) ; Violence: PG ( dead body, another death)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SOME

16yo Case was used to being in his older brother’s shadow. Now that Sean is dead, Case is spiraling out of control. His parents suggest wilderness therapy. Who should also be there? Diana - Sean’s girlfriend and the girl Case can’t forget. When the kids’ guide and counselor disappears, the group is left flailing in the wilderness - nature’s version and within the wilderness of their problems. 

Kind of like an updated, more psychological version of Hobb’s classic Downriver. I was very glad that no one was a murderer, or that the program wasn’t trying to kill the teens, though murder mysteries seem to be where my readers’ attention is right now. The narrative takes us from Case’s present day and back before Sean’s death and his downward spiral.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

The Invisibles by Holly Kowitt, - OPTIONAL

The Invisibles by Holly Kowitt, 195 pages. Feiwel and Friends (Macmillan), 2026. $19.

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

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

7th grader Jimmy ruined his chances of laying low at his new school when he made an enemy of the BMOC within a few days. Then a couple of odd occurrences put Jimmy back on the social radar. 

Why do most books about middle school boys either have to be a sports book or a comical farce? The over the top reactions of Jimmy (his constant self-affacing protests are so nauseating) and the harmless but constant bully antics - it all feels fake. I think the author’s idea was to imagine school as a 30 minute sit-com episode.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Nature Poems to See By illustrated by Julian Peters, - ESSENTIAL

Nature Poems to See By illustrated by Julian Peters, 141 pages. Plough, 2026. $30. 9781636081748

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Peters gives us a fresh new round of poems which he has interpreted, or enhanced, through his illustrations.  I love that he illustrates both short poems and longer poems, most of which are familiar to poetry readers already. His style differs, depending on the poem.  And in some cases, he brings a modern eye to a classic, bringing in refreshing relevance. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Double Crossed by Rebecca E.F. Barone - OPTIONAL

Double Crossed by Rebecca E.F. Barone, 187 pages. NON-FICTION. Henry Holt (Macmillan), 2026. $20.

Language: G (o swears, o ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (war deaths mentioned)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

During World War II one of the most important groups to the success of the Allies and such maneuvers as D-Day was the XX - double agents who had the ears of the Germans, but actually were loyal to England. These men and women risked their lives to feed false information to Germany.

It's too bad the writing doesn’t feel more intimate and engaging for such a potentially interesting topic. As an adult I loved learning about this dimension of WWII.  I don’t think most students will stay locked in long enough to absorb the information.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

The Silenced by Diana Rodriguez Wallach - ADVISABLE

The Silenced by Diana Rodriguez Wallach, 384 pages. Diana Rodriguez Wallach, 2025. $20

Language: PG (40 swears, 0 ‘f'); Mature Content: PG (ghosts, supernatural beings); Violence: PG-13 (fantasy of murdering someone, slapping, choking, beat someone with a rock, death)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: MANY

On her visit to the site of The Oakwell Farms School for Girls, 17yo Hazel brings home more than expected. Where is this desire for revenge and the violent urges she is feeling coming from? It turns out that Hazel has a familial link to the old school for "disturbed" girls. As her investigation develops, more secrets begin to surface, and what initially seems like a straightforward case becomes much more complicated. Friendships are tested, family relationships are strengthened and the suspense of the events keeps you quickly turning pages for more! The story moves between Hazel’s present and the disquieting past.

The ghosts weren’t simply there to make the book scary—they represented the trauma and injustice that had never been properly acknowledged. That gave the horror a purpose and made the story more emotional. The subject matter was also difficult at times. The abuse is important to the story, but there were scenes that were genuinely upsetting. I wouldn’t recommend this book to someone who is uncomfortable reading about abuse of children or institutional mistreatment.

Hazel is of Puerto Rican and Polish descent, and her identity is part of who she is without becoming the only thing that defines her. 

S. Lewis

The Doll House by D.W. Gillespie - ADVISABLE

The Doll House by D.W. Gillespie, 271 pages. Delecorte (Random House), 2026. $18

Language: G (0 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (mild creepiness, fire danger)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL -ADVISABLE; MS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

13 yo Garrett and his mother have inherited a mansion and a fortune, but in order to claim it, they must spend a week living in the mansion.  Garrett’s mom hasn’t talked about her parents much in all the years Garrett can remember, except he knows that she hates her father. When Garrett finds out that his grandfather was a famous author, though , Garrett wants to know more - which could be his undoing. Together with Wes, the caretaker's son, Garrett dives into the mysteries surrounding him.

Gillespie gives us creepy, but spends too much time working up to the big bad reveal and leaving us with very little time to enjoy the villain and the hero (hint - it isn’t Garrett). This slow burn annoyed me.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Brady Mason’s Perfect Fit by Nicole Melleby - ADVISABLE

Brady Mason’s Perfect Fit by Nicole Melleby, 318 pages. Little Brown, 2026. $18

Language: PG (13 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: PG (mild inappropriate touching); Violence: PG (touchee gets fist to face)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Yesterday 12yo Brady Mason was one of six living in a poor group home in New Jersey.  Today she’s with her birth mom, a famous fashion editor, in a four-story apartment in New York City near Central Park. Both women have a lot to learn about each other, themselves, and about building a family. 

While not quite finding out that she’s the secret daughter of royalty, Brady’s story is still pretty Cinderella.  But Brady won’t succumb to princess-pressure or her fashionable mother. Their groping towards understanding and family is heart-felt and adorable.

Brady is white and LGBT.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Welcome to Weird Street by Stephen Mangan - OPTIONAL

Welcome to Weird Street by Stephen Mangan, 318 pages. Scholastic, 2026. 

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

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

When a girl finds a lost cat, she goes to each home on Weird Street hoping to find its owner. Along the way she encounters, hears, or we as the reader discover, strange goings ons inside each house.

While the girls and cat create the framework and excuse, the odd happenings in each house are the point to the short story collection. Decidedly odd. I could see a teacher reading one story a day out loud.

Audiobook provided libro.fm. Narrated by the author.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Tales from the Territory by Travis Baldree - OPTIONAL

Tales from the Territory by Travis Baldree, 224 pages. SHORT STORIES. Subterranean Press, 2026. $40.

Language: R (24 swears, 2 “f”); Mature Content: PG (alcohol use and mentions of illegal activity); Violence: PG13 (corpses, assault, blood and gore, and mentions of murder)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS, ADULT - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

Baldree has compiled five short stories focusing on a variety of favorite characters in the Legends and Lattes series. Laugh, cry, and enjoy an extra peak into the lives of Zyll, Thimble, Viv, and Tandri.

Seeing these characters again was a joy! I was thrilled to get Thimble’s backstory, so that tale was my favorite. The stories here about Thimble, Zyll, Tandri, and Viv all occur before readers meet them in their respective books of the series. I was a little disappointed that I had already read the prequel story about Viv (“Pages to Fill” was previously published at the end of the Legends and Lattes book), but it’s a fun one if you haven’t read it before. The final story is about the whole Legends and Lattes crew two years after book one.

Reviewer: Carolina Johnson

Trust Fall by Lynn Painter - OPTIONAL

Trust Fall by Lynn Painter, 416 pages. Simon & Schuster, 2026. $22. Kiss me

Language: R (719 swears, 137 “f”); Mature Content: PG13 (drug and alcohol use, including underage drinking, illegal activity, kissing, innuendo, and mentions of sex); Violence: PG (assault and for mentions of guns and murder)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

Julia and her family only learn that their friend Lou was a rich man from New York when the executor of Lou’s estate informs them that Lou left them an inheritance. The catch is that the family must move to the home Lou left in New York and Julia and her brother must attend the local exclusive academy for at least six months or else the millions of dollars will no longer be theirs. Sounds easy, but Lou’s great-nephew, Damion, has other plans.

Painter writes well, and the story is sure to be enjoyable for those who are fans of the tropes Painter chose to use. Damion hides a lot of truths from Julia, and it’s easy to empathize with him when readers get his thoughts and point of view. However, his actions towards Julia were very irritating, and I found myself more stressed reading their story than not. It all works out with a happy ending that is satisfying only because I know it is in the fictional world—I would not be as okay with the ending if Julia was a real-life friend.

Reviewer: Carolina Johnson

Move it or Bruise It by V. P. Anderson and Tatiana Hill, - OPTIONAL

Move it or Bruise It (Blood City Rollers #2) by V. P.  Anderson and Tatiana Hill, 153 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. Random House, 2026. $22

Language: G (1 swears, 0 ‘f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (Roller derby fights)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

Humans Mina and Swan (13 yo) miss their roller derby teammates the Blood City Rollers, who also happen to be vampires. After spending the summer searching for them, they finally track them down at a creepy abandoned asylum. But if the Blood City Rollers want to keep their new home, they must compete in a sudden death scrimmage against another roller derby team made up of misfit monsters who are also searching for a place to belong. Along the way, Mina learns that being part of a team means supporting one another rather than always trying to compete.

Because I had not read the first book in the series, I spent the beginning of the story feeling a little lost and confused. I kept wondering why two human girls were playing on a vampire roller derby team. However, as the story progressed, I was able to piece together the background information and better understand the characters and their relationships. The book delivers a positive message about friendship, teamwork, and learning to put the success of the group ahead of individual competition. The characters are a mix of ethnicities.  

Reviewer: A. Snow, Librarian

Nando by McCall Hoyle and Keven Keele - ADVISABLE

Nando (Best Friends Dog Tales #4) by McCall Hoyle and Keven Keele, 153 pages. Shadow Mountain, 2026. $19

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Nando is a hardworking border collie that has many responsibilities on a sheep ranch.  He expects perfection from himself at all times.  A situation arises that Nando can't control.  He is separated from his family after a storm turns a creek into a raging river.  Will Nando be able to save all of those that he cares for?

Nando is a sweet book that takes us back to the world of Stella, Gus and Millie in the Best Friends Dog Tales series.  Hoyle uses her unique writing style to convey how Nando is feeling in an extreme situation.  A great read for animal lovers!

Tracie, Elementary School Librarian

Phone Home by Royden Lepp - ADVISABLE

Phone Home (Jurassic Jeff #3) by Royden Lepp, 211 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL (Random House), 2026. $15

Language: G (0 swears, 0 ‘f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: G (Nerf gun wars)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: MANY

Jeff is loving life on Earth with his new friends. When a robot sent to "rescue" Jeff crashes on Earth, Jeff learns a rescue party from his home planet has been sent for him. Jeff isn't sure if he wants to go home or stay on Earth to finish his mission. Jeff's dinosaur friends are determined to rescue him from the alien space ship. Will the dinosaurs rescue Jeff? Will Jeff want to be rescued, and by who?

Kids who love graphic novels, gaming, and funny books will enjoy this one. I didn't think it was great, but I know the kids in my library will love it.  Jeff is a green alien. 

Rachel, elementary school librarian

Please Pay Attention by Jamie Sumner - ADVISABLE

Please Pay Attention by Jamie Sumner, 249 pages. NOVEL IN VERSE Atheneum (Simon and Schuster), 2025. $18 

Language: G; Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (school shooting, not graphic - sounds, broken glass, aftermath) 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

12yo Bea is the special friend of one of the littles at school. Josie, who hates school, won’t talk to other children and generally doesn’t participate. But Bea is smart and has great ideas to help Josie come out of her shell. But when her school is attacked by a shooter, Bea isn’t as able to take care of herself. In fact when her teacher tells them to get down, Bea freezes. She has cerebral palsy and is in a wheelchair and when she finally does get down, the floor is covered in broken glass. Now, Bea can't sleep from the nightmares and is worried about even being inside, let alone going back to school. 

I wondered if a book about a school shooting would traumatize the reader - this topic is hard for me to read about. However, the shooting itself is well handled, and Bea has loving, caring adults who know what kind of help and how much time she needs. A quick read, as it's in verse; the message is great. I love that Bea is writing a letter to someone (Dear Sir), and the reader needs to presume the recipient until the end. I liked it. 

Lisa Librarian 

Gracie Under the Waves by Linda Sue Park - ADVISABLE

Gracie Under the Waves by Linda Sue Park, 176 pages. HarperCollins, 2026. $19 

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

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

6th grader Gracie loves snorkeling. Someday she would love to visit the Maldives and snorkel there, but for now, she's content planning her family vacation for spring break. She's thrilled when her parents accept her plan to fly to Roatán and visit the 2nd biggest reef in the world. But her 6yo brother can be a challenge, and when Gracie is injured and her knee gets cut on a reef, she blames him. Can this family vacation be saved when Gracie might not be allowed to go back in the water? 

A great story about ecology and saving the reefs, and saving your relationship with a little brother. I loved all the descriptions of the fish and the different kinds of coral. Maxine Vee did the illustrations, and they are great - just when we need to see a depiction of the fish or coral or jellyfish, there is an illustration. I do hope, however, that the reader checks out photographs online, because a drawing of a lionfish can't compare to a picture of the real thing. 

Gracie and her family are Korean American 

Lisa Librarian 

Steam by Shaenon K.Garrity - OPTIONAL

Steam by Shaenon K.Garrity, 208 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL Margaret K. McElderry (Simon and Schuster), 2026. $15. 

Language: PG (3 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: PG (man in briefs no shirt, kissing) Violence: PG (theme of captive humans in an experiment) 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL 

APPEALS TO: SOME 

Ruby is one of many humanoid subjects of an experiment conducted by a university. She is remarkably intelligent and has been programmed to solve problems. When she solves a problem of her own, and escapes the lab, Ruby gets a job as a barista and begins to make love matches with the employees and customers. But does she consider that there might be a match for her? 

Definitely a college setting, though only a few of the characters are actual students. The science was cool - Ruby can process so much information and figure out solutions. No wonder she's so valuable to the University. High School students would probably enjoy it, it's not very edgy though. It's almost like it was written for middle schoolers. While not specified, the characters are a mix of races. 

Lisa Librarian  

The Moon without Stars by Chanel Miller - ADVISABLE

The Moon without Stars by Chanel Miller, 256 pages. Penguin, 2026. $18. 

Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Rating: PG (description of how to use a tampon; other maturation talk as well and some descriptions of kissing); Violence: PG (bullying) 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

12yo Luna is starting 7th grade. When a teacher asks the class to describe themselves using adjectives, Luna starts to think about who she really is and how others see her. When a large book donation enables Luna to start a self-esteem help library, she begins to become more well known among her classmates. But when Luna and Scott make a zine that gets shared around, Luna becomes popular - but to what end? Will she need to compromise herself and be someone she's not in order to be in the popular crowd? 

Initially I was going to recommend this to 7th graders, and it's perfectly fine for them, they can totally relate to Luna and her problems, but after finishing it, I realize that it would also be great for 8th graders, because they've been there. Luna makes a lot of mistakes trying to fit in with the popular crowd, including alienating her best friend. 8th graders will look back on that year with her. I loved The Moon Without Stars. 

Luna is Asian American 

Lisa Librarian