The Poisoned King by Katherine Rundell - ESSENTIAL

The Poisoned King (Impossible Creatures 2) by Katherine Rundell, 294 pages. Random House, 2025. $12 Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content: G; Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL 

APPEALS TO: MANY 

Christopher is awakened by a tiny dragon, precipitating his longed for return to the magical islands of the Archipelago. But his return comes with incredible danger because the treat dragons are mysteriously dying, which would have grave consequences. At the same time that Christopher is summoned back, Princess Anya is facing grave peril of her own. Her grandfather, the king, has been murdered and her father accused of his murder. Her quest to save her father and Christopher's quest to save the dragons intertwine as they face the danger that lies ahead. 

What's not to like? Great storytelling, short chapters, and the occasional line drawing all combine to create a magical world that provides the perfect escape from reality. This is a grand adventure from start to finish and the magical creatures and inhabitants of the Archipelago are villainous and endearing, depending on their role. Readers of book one will not be disappointed. While one story wraps up well, there is a new twist that readers will want to dive into book three for. 

 

Michelle in the Middle 

The Last Best Quest Ever by F.T. Lukens - OPTIONAL

The Last Best Quest Ever by F.T. Lukens, 320 pages. Margaret K. McElderry Books (Simon & Schuster), 2026. $20.

Language: R (16 swears, 3 “f”); Mature Content: PG (some kissing, no underage drinking or drug use); Violence: PG-13 (repeated intense scenes with peril, some fantasy violence, some on-page blood but no dismemberment)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: MANY

16yo Ellinore the Brave is a fraud. She is the best quester in all the land of Avoury, however, every quest she has been on hasn’t been quite as glorious, like the bards sing about. The lies keep piling up and it’s stressing her out, so she announces her retirement. However, she is called back into service when her twin brother Zig makes an ill-informed magical wager with two shady mages, based on her inflated reputation. Now it is literally life or death with Zig’s heart on the line and it is up to Ellinore to do the impossible (for real), one last time.

I liked watching Ellinore grow into her real identity, instead of her glorified reputation. She has a merry crew that she reluctantly acquires, and the romance with Princet Aven (they/them, nonbinary) was just the icing on top of the story. Some reviews said it was a young-adult romantasy, which I think is a stretch. This is really an adventure story that has flavors of Dungeons and Dragons, but a little more silly. I couldn’t get over the fact that the dragon’s name was Dave. I mean Dave the Dragon, really? I was disappointed that there were a couple of F words, because it made the book rated R, when the mature content and violence weren’t as graphic.

Reviewer: K. Beddes, ELA teacher 

Perfect Enough by Meg Eden Kuyatt - ADVISABLE

Perfect Enough (Good Different #2) by Meg Eden Kuyatt, 352 pages. Scholastic, 2026. $19 

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

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SOME 

13yo Selah now has a diagnosis, sensory tools, and a friend who knows about her autism. Now she's trying something new. A sleepaway writers' camp, where she'll room with her friend Rheya, but also Brooklyn, who is loud, impatient and self-centered. Selah has dreamed about becoming a writer, and this camp is a dream come true - but Ezra is also there - her bully from school. But Ezra isn't the only problem - this is Selah's first opportunity to negotiate all this at once and on her own. An understanding camp counselor gets her, but Selah isn't ready to share. 

A great companion to Good Different, Kuyatt does a great job of filling in the background without feeling like you need to read book one. This writers' camp sounds fun, lots of activities, and kids have many opportunities to be creative. As a teacher, I didn't love that Seleh was able to sleep at night in the library without a counselor noticing and figuring out a solution. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the story and Seleh's opportunities to make hard choices. Selah is white, Ezra and Rheya are black. 

Lisa Librarian  

Titanic by Mary Pope Osborne and Will Osborne - ESSENTIAL

Titanic (Magic Tree House Fact Tracker) by Mary Pope Osborne and Will Osborne, 134 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL Random House, 2026. $18 

Content: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ESSENTIAL 

APPEALS TO: MANY 

Jack and Annie from the Magic Tree House books take us on a voyage with the Titanic which is totally factual. 

I've read lots of books about the Titanic, but I couldn't put this one down. The graphic novel makes it easily accessible, and the facts are really interesting. The pictures help place people in the period and show which class they were on the ship. There's even a couple of pages on how to use books for research. This book will help history come alive for younger kids. Jack and Annie are white. 

Michelle in the Middle 

The Faraway Inn by Sarah Beth Durst - ADVISABLE

The Faraway Inn by Sarah Beth Durst, 384 pages. Random House, 2026. $15 (pb)

Language: G (9 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: G

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Auntie Zee does not want 16yo Calisa to help her at her remote Vermont Inn for the summer. Not even for a bit of it. As Calisa works to prove herself to her aunt and help fix the various problems of the inn, she realizes that all is not as it seems. Despite being unlucky in love, Calisa's heart is in the right place and when she realizes the inn really is magical, she knows that here is where she wants to be - if only she could convince Auntie Zee. 

I  love that the budding romance between Calisa and Jack is not the point of the novel - Calisa is a well-rounded heroine who also happens to find love. Durst writes fantasy so well - her world building keeps me fascinated. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Threads of Red by Julie Wright - ADVISABLE

Threads of Red by Julie Wright, 272 pages. Shadow Mountain Publishing, 2026. $22.

Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG (alcohol use, kissing, and partial nudity); Violence: PG13 (assault, fantasy violence, child abuse,  blood and gore, mentions of domestic violence and suicide, and murder)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Loreda (17yo) and Kristell’s (16yo) parents have arranged marriage contracts that benefit their status more than the girls’ happiness. In an attempt to help save her sister from a miserable future, Loreda goes to find their dangerous, conjurer grandmother who lives in the woods. Unfortunately, Loreda’s tormenter invites herself along for the journey.

Wright has mashed the fairy tale of Little Red Riding Hood with Goldilocks and the Three Bears (and thrown in a little bonus Sleeping Beauty) in magical ways—though there is still a happy ending, the story is not all harmless misunderstandings and true love’s kiss. Be prepared for a Grimm-like tale with suspense, plots of murder, and betrayal. I loved the reimagining of these familiar stories and how friendship and family are the focus with a bonus of true love on the side.

Reviewer: Carolina Johnson

This is a Door by Daniel Nayeri - ESSENTIAL

This is a Door by Daniel Nayeri, 400 pages. NOVEL IN VERSE Sourcebooks, 2026. $20 

Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (Peril, death - not violent nor bloody) 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

The boy is alone, the people in the Village call him Nothing because he has no name. But Nana, the old woman who takes care of the junkpile, tells him he is not nothing. So Ing (his nickname) sets out with a dog and a mouse to 1) find his father and learn his real name and 2) find his purpose. 

Daniel Nayeri is a master storyteller. He has written an amazing novel in verse, illustrated with his concrete poems. I was on the edge of my seat from beginning to end, and loved every minute of it. I loved the characters - the wise mouse, and oh, Poppy the dog is such a dog. There are two different poems describing grief, and he's spot on. I adored This is a Door and am highly recommending it. I hope readers can appreciate its movement and charm. The characters seem to be from a time (middle ages?) rather than a specific race or culture. 

Lisa Librarian 

The Grimmelings by Rachael King - OPTIONAL

The Grimmelings by Rachael King, 280 pages. Margaret K. McElderry (Simon and Schuster), 2025. $19 

Language: PG (3 swears, 0 f) Mature Content: PG (disappearances, grief) Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - OPTIONAL 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

13yo Ella makes a wish and a curse on the same day. When the boy she curses goes missing, a mysterious black horse appears, as well as a new friend, who is an answer to her wish, though he seems to know a surprising amount about her and her family. The ominous black horse brings with it an old curse that could threaten Ella's family and her community unless she can figure out a way to break it. 

Ella and her younger sister, mother, and granny make for some strong women. Though Elle seems to be the main character, her family plays a key role and she can't prevail against the curse on her own. The mesh of cultures between Scotland and New Zealand is interesting. I was unsure about the role of Ella's pony and would have liked to have Ella and her pony play a bigger role. Granny hails from Scotland, so there is Scottish lore, but ends up in an island off Australia. 

Michelle in the Middle 

The Swan’s Daughter by Roshani Chokshi - ESSENTIAL

The Swan’s Daughter by Roshani Chokshi, 400 pages. St. Martin’s, 2026. $22.

Language: G (0 swears, 0  ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: G (threats, mentions of deaths)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Delmelza has always thought herself the unloved daughter of her veritas swan mother and her (evil) sorcerer father. The day she discovers that her mother has been protecting her from father instead, she flees to the only place in the kingdom where she might be safe. To Rathe Castle, where Prince Arris is getting ready for a contest to finally choose a bride that can steal his heart - probably quite literally, right out of his chest. 

Chokshi has restored my faith in fantasy and she brings a delightful new light to “romantasy” (can I tell you how I hate that word). Even when Delmelza finally sees her father again, Chokshi brings a fresh, delightful spin to the encounter. 

Demelza cues white.

I listened to the audiobook provided by libro.fm, narrated by Ell Potter.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Last Kiss of Summer by Jessica Felleman - OPTIONAL

Last Kiss of Summer by Jessica Felleman, 305 pages. Penguin Random House, 2026. $13

Language: PG-13 (14 swears, 6 ‘f'); Mature Content: PG-13 (descriptive but not graphic sex scene); Violence: G

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

When 18yo Sera Watkins and her family arrive at their summer house on Cape Cod, she has one goal in mind: protect her heart from the boy who broke it, her next-door neighbor, Luke. The problem is, Luke still has a piece of her heart—literally. When Sera received a new heart as a baby, the healthy valves of her old heart were given to Luke. Then, two summers ago, their friendship almost turned into something more. Key word: almost. Now, Sera is ready for a fresh start, which means no more pining over the boy next door. But Luke has grown up a lot since she’s seen him, and the chemistry she felt two summers ago? It’s still there.

This was a sweet love story with a lot of emotion.  Not complicated writing, just simple and to the point.  I enjoyed the story.

Karen Cutchen, Library Media Aide

Gaslit by Megan Davidhizar - OPTIONAL

Gaslit by Megan Davidhizar, 400 pages. Delacorte (Random), 2026. $20 

Language: G (2 swears, 0 f); Mature Content: PG (mental health, relationships) Violence: PG-13 (death, murder, suicide) 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

16yo Elle, suffers from migraines because she has a tumor. Unable to attend a New Year's Eve bash because of it, she recovers enough to babysit her young cousin. When she gets to her Aunt's house, she notices the smell of gas and manages to drag her young cousin and his older brother out of the house. Not everyone survives, and the gas leak doesn't seem accidental. The more Elle investigates, the more she can't help but wonder if she was the target. Elle's tumor makes it more and more difficult to process reality and the gaslighting begins. 

I liked the premise. There is a lot of sadness associated with the death, and of course Elle and other teens seem to find out more than the police. There were some nice twists in the book that kept the interest level up, though parts dragged because of the length. It was a satisfying, if sad, read. Though not specified, the characters seem white. 

Michelle in the Middle 

The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst - ADVISABLE

The Enchanted Greenhouse (Spellshop #2) by Sarah Beth Durst, 400 pages. Tor, 2026. $20 (pb)

Language: 3 (0 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: G (mild danger)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Terlu’s punishment for giving a plant sentience is to become a statue and be a visual reminder of what happens to those who presume to use magic they aren’t entitled to. After drifting through this non-life, she wakes one day to find herself restored and on an island with an extremely handsome, but very grumpy gardener. And the greenhouses that hold the plants of the island are failing.  Terlu is supposed to restore them, but how can she use magic again - what if she gets caught?  It is only through the discovery of a greenhouse full of sentient plants that Terlu starts getting the clues and the help that she needs to really help. Dare she?

Durst’s Spellshop world is so delightful.  I love being enchanted by my fantasy rather than always being dragged through war and destruction. The slowburn romance is a perfect secondary plot. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

The Escape Game by Marissa Meyer and Tamara Moss - OPTIONAL

The Escape Game (The Escape Game #1) by Marissa Meyer and Tamara Moss, 416 pages. Putnam's (Penguin), 2026. $15

Language: R (149 swears, 9 ‘f'); Mature Content: PG (gentle, brief kiss); Violence: PG-13 (off page abuse of a child, stabbing and gunshot wounds, and a bloody death)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Season five of The Escape Game is beginning, even though season four ended with the murder of a contestant, Alicia Angelos. Alicia’s sister, Sierra, is a current contestant and her goal is to solve the mystery of her sister’s death. The contestants are a diverse group with varied backgrounds and skills. The more she learns about the others involved in the contest, Sierra realizes that they all have something to hide. Will she be able to get justice for her sister’s death?

The character development is strong. A wonderful character driven mystery. I love the teamwork that pushes the story along and I enjoyed the puzzle concept.

Sierra and Alicia have pale skin. The rest of the characters are a mix of ethnicities with olive, brown and black skin.

LynnDell Watson, DHS Librarian, Delta, Utah

Meet Me Under the Lights by Cassie Miller - OPTIONAL

Meet Me Under the Lights by Cassie Miller, 384 pages. Penguin Random House, 2026. $14

Language: R (100+ swears, 19 ‘f'); Mature Content: PG-13 (sexual references, kissing, drinking, drugs); Violence: PG (pranks, rivalry) 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

12th grader Eliza Crowley is well known in Fairfield as her family owns the local stadium, and her dad coaches baseball. Eliza herself has a passion for stage lighting and is working on this summer’s  production of Romeo and Juliet. Reed Fulton returns to Fairfield after his grandfather asked him to pitch for a new baseball team that hopes to take down the Crowley Cardinals. The two families have been feuding since the Crowleys won the bid to buy the stadium over the Fultons. After a bet puts the stadium on the line, the stakes are higher than ever. Eliza and Reed try to focus on baseball and theater, but something keeps drawing them together.

I enjoyed that this sports-themed romance had parallels to Romeo and Juliet. It also tackles themes of wealth differences, family legacy, handling pressure, and having a military parent. The novel has some familiar tropes and convenient turn-of-events common in romances, but the rich secondary plot adds depth.

Main characters read white. Minor secondary characters are LGBT+.

Ms. Megan, HS Librarian

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