Oh Brother by Georgina Chadderton - ESSENTIAL

Oh Brother by Georgina Chadderton, 286 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL Random House, 2026. $22

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

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

This is a graphic memoir about the author's experience growing up with a severely autistic brother in Australia. The timeline focuses largely on her 8th grade year. Gina has to contend with her brother, Rob, stealing her treats and getting into all her stuff, as well as pinching when he gets upset, because he is nonverbal. With everything going on at home, Gina is worried her brother might scare off her new friend.

This was a fascinating look at how a family deals with an autistic child. I loved how the parents roll with it, and Gina loves her brother, even when he is difficult. This is great insight into what it takes to have to deal with chaos daily, but in such a positive and supportive way. Other community members, like the dentist and hair stylist, also help with Rob. A great way to discuss family relationships and friendship and defining normal, this will help build empathy in readers in an engaging format. Gina and Rob are white Australians.

Michelle in the Middle 

Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave by Ally Russell - ADVISABLE

Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave (Mystery James #1) by Ally Russell, 320 pages. Delacorte Press (Random House), 2025. $16

Language: G (0 swears, 0 ‘f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG-13 (supernatural suspence/horror)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

13yo Mystery James has an unusual gift – the ability to smell ghosts. Only smell! Despite being found as a baby in a cemetery and raised in a funeral home, Mystery has never actually seen a ghost. That is, until the ghost of the deceased Ellis family matriarch, Lady Ellis, appears to Mystery and screams, “CEMETERY,” THREE NIGHTS FROM NOW,” STOP.” Now Mystery has to add "decipher cryptic message” to her growing list of concerns including sleep paralysis demons, a grave robber, potentially cursed family heirlooms, and convincing her ex-best friend, Garret, to help her take on a sinister supernatural creature. All of which are becoming oddly normal in the life of Mystery James.

I feel Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave carries many of the same strengths from Ally Russell’s It Came From the Trees: A small but memorable cast, quick and engaging chapters, and a balance between mystery and horror. Sprinkled throughout the short chapters, readers see “pages” from Mystery’s notebook which contain information on last wills and testaments, heirlooms, embalming, etc., providing context for readers who might not be familiar with funeral home practices. While this is the first in a duology, readers are not left on a cliffhanger (book 2 is expected 15 September 2026). An excellent addition where readers enjoy It Came From the Trees (Russell), City of Ghosts (Schwab), Grin (Gillespie), Small Spaces (Arden), or Scritch Scratch (Currie). Mystery is a 13yo female with "bronze-brown" skin.

Tía Lucy is Mystery’s Puerto Rican adopted aunt.

E. Powell, Junior High Librarian 

Someday Perfect by Kat Schneider - OPTIONAL

Someday Perfect by Kat Schneider, 288 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. Penguin Random House, 2026. $25

Language: PG (3 swears, 0 ‘f'); Mature Content: PG-13 (kissing, silhouettes of nude statues (no genitalia visible), gender roles); Violence: PG (name calling)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

High schooler Meg is excited to return to a Christian summer camp with her old friends, but she is also worried. She is struggling to figure out who she is and where she fits in, especially after she attended a non-Christian school for the first time last year. At camp when Meg and her friends start developing crushes on the boy campers, Meg’s anxiety and self-doubt spikes as she questions the lessons that she has been taught in church. How can she follow the rules and expectations while feeling this way?

The author was very respectful in tackling this tough subject. The graphic novels include gender expectations, such as women having to wear long skirts or dresses, men being the heads of households, and tampons being impure, while letting the main character explore her thoughts, questions, and doubts. Nonetheless, I felt that Meg's self-reflection could have gone further and been more developed. The art style is interesting with flashbacks in all blue tones. It could be an impactful novel for some students, but other graphic novels may reach a broader audience. Some secondary characters are diverse.

Ms. Megan, HS Librarian 

Paradise Coast by Suzanne Young - SEVERAL

Paradise Coast by Suzanne Young, 320 pages. Simon & Schuster, 2026. $20

Language: R (100+ swears, 54 ‘f'); Mature Content: PG-13 (passionate kissing, drinking); Violence: PG-13 (fighting, harassment, description of dead body)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Noa and Jamie are in Cape Hope, part of the Florida Everglades. But Noa is a Chaser, one of the locals struggling to make a living, and Jamie is a reluctant member of the Collective, the rich resort owners/guests who are trying to drive out the Chasers. After Noa and her friends Tech and Shawn are harassed by a group of Collective teenagers, they decide it's time to act. They begin investigating an old accusation at the heart of the feud between the groups: that a Chaser started a hotel fire and murdered a Collective. But first they need to find the hotel which disappeared off the map, and they need a boat. Thankfully Jamie is back in town after a two year absence and happens to have one.

The murder mystery aspect is slow to start and not as prevalent as readers may expect. However, the relationship between Noa and Jamie and the disappearance of Noa’s brother kept the pace going. I enjoyed the novel’s shifting points of view between Noa and Jamie, allowing each character to develop. The lush descriptions of the setting places readers in the Florida Everglades. Furthermore, the tension between the Chasers and the Collective brings up issues of classism and identity as the teenagers work to figure out what they will stand for and against. Noa and Jamie’s ages are not specified, but they are written as older teenagers. Two secondary characters, Shawn and Jordan, are LGBT+. Tech is described as having dark skin, and Jordan has olive skin.

Ms. Megan, HS Librarian 

Jin Young In Between by Ellen Oh - ADVISABLE

Jin Young In Between (Colliding Worlds #2) by Ellen Oh, 248 pages. Crown (Random House), 2026. $20

Language: PG (19 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: PG (kissing); Violence: G (some danger)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

High schooler Mina is back in her world, but while everyone else has forgotten her, Jin remembers everything. Then one day he crosses over to Mina’s world, unknowingly starting a chain reaction that may have devastating consequences for his world. But Jin’s heart can’t stay away from Mia. The pair hopes that with the help of a physicist from Jin’s world that they can figure out how to be together.

I had no idea there was going to be a sequel! Oh mixes in the interdimensional physics with a deft hand - you can tell she did her research. The danger from a rogue scientist who wants to capture Jin for study was also a great addition. Jin and Mina’s Asaian culture doesn’t add any plot points.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS 

Traitors in Space by Tim Collins and Steven Wood - ESSENTIAL

Traitors in Space: A Pick Your Own Path Adventure by Tim Collins and Steven Wood, 176 pages. Aladdin (Simon), 2025. $9.

Language: PG (A few crew members fight aliens who have inhabited other crew members bodies. Crew members that are inhabited by aliens are pushed out the air lock and left to die in space)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

A group of young scientists are traveling back to earth after visiting a distant planet. They are awake from cryo-sleep when an alarm goes off signaling that an alien life form is on the ship. After finding no sign of alien life, the young scientists deduce that one or maybe more of them have been inhabited by an alien. Can you pick the right path and figure out who the alien is?

Traitors is Space is a fresh take on choose your own adventure stories. Even though the plot is predictable, students will enjoy reading and choosing their own path. Black and white illustrations are scattered throughout with 20 illustrated puzzles that the reader will enjoy solving. I think students will really enjoy this book! Many different ethnicities are represented in the crew on the ship.

Tracie, Elementary School Librarian 

Red Star Rebels by Amie Kaufman - ADVISABLE

Red Star Rebels by Amie Kaufman, 269 pages. Knopf (Random House), 2026. $20

Language: R (67 swears, 6 ‘f’); Mature Content: PG (kisses); Violence: PG (some gunshots, threats)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

17yo Cleo has escaped the goons after her on Earth and made her way to Mars, but she has been stuck in the UN facility now for months, as she was an illegal stowaway. When the base is evacuated in an emergency, Cleo stays behind, as there is no place for her as undocumented, in any of the escape pods. Hunter may be the son of the family that owns most of Earth and Mars, but he hasn’t spoken to his mother or twin sister in years. He snuck onto Mars and before he can register, the evacuation leaves him behind too. When a team of infiltrators arrives with nefarious purposes, Hazel and Hunter team up - not realizing the danger is even more extreme than they could have imagined, with Hunter’s family being at the heart of it. The differences in their social positions and Cleo’s lies could tear them apart before they ever have a chance to be together.

While the romantic tension adds a nice undercurrent to the narrative, I loved the Mars based danger and machinations. I read one review that compared the antics to Home Alone, and I agree. Cleo, especially, is very resourceful and creative. Kaufman has just become better as she continues to write science fiction.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS 

Leader of the Pack (Scrapper #1) by Cam Higgins and Ariel Landy - ADVISABLE

Leader of the Pack (Scrapper #1) by Cam Higgins and Ariel Landy, 119 pages. CHAPTER BOOK. Little Simon, 2026. $8

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SOME

Scrapper is a puppy that loves to play fetch with his owner, Hank. When Hank goes to school, Scrapper explores the woods near his home. One day Scrapper sees a monster in the forest. He decides to create a monster hunting pack. Will any of the animals want to join? Scrapper-Leader of the Pack is a spinoff from the series Good Dog. Scrapper is Bo's best puppy friend. Leader of the pack features easy to read language with illustrations on almost every page. It would be a good read for emerging readers, especially if they like the series Good Dog. Scrapper is a puppy; his owner Hank is presumably white.

Tracie, Elementary School Librarian 

The Chismosas Only Book Club by Laekan Zea Kemp - ADVISABLE

The Chismosas Only Book Club by Laekan Zea Kemp, 319 pages. Penguin, 2026. $10 (pb)

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SOME

14yo Cat’s family owns the best bookstore in the world, or at least in their small town. As their freshman year of high school begins, she and her three best friends form a book club wit the group members taking turns choosing the book, sharing one copy so that they can write notes in the margins for each other. But 9th grade is a chaotic time for each girl in different ways and they start to lose their group cohesion as each of them feels they have secrets that are too tender to reveal.

While I needed to take notes about each girl, their family, and their drama to keep them straight, I still enjoyed reading about their journeys and their friendship. We need books about friendships weathering rocky times just as much as we need books about friendships that don’t make it. Reminds me a little of the Mother-Daughter Book Club series in flavor, but still this is a unique book. ONe of the girls is into Wicca and the girls feel like the spirit of Cat’s grandmother is guiding their choices. I really liked that all the books mentioned within are modern offerings. The girls are of various ethnicities.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS 

The Fairy Fashion Show by Bea Jackson - ADVISABLE

The Fairy Fashion Show (Ready to Read, Level One) by Bea Jackson. EARLY READER. Simon Spotlight, 2025. $19. 9781665941129

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

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Lilly and her fairy friends love fashion and especially love their summer fashion show. When Lily's human friend, Willow, wishes to dress like a fairy, Lilly and the other fairies work together to create the perfect fairy fashion for Willow.

The illustrations are whimsical. I can see this being a popular book with my students who love fairies. This series would be a great addition to an elementary library. Willow and the fairies are Black.

Rachel, elementary school librarian 

Rebel Heiress by Amalie Howard - ADVISABLE

Rebel Heiress (The Diamonds #3) by Amalie Howard, 347 pages. Joy Revolution (Random House), 2026. $20

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

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Lady Rosalin desperately wants the same kind of chance at an education that her cousin, Lord Ansel, is happy to throw away for a year of travel on the continent. Since the two of them are so similar in features, Rosalin convinces Ansel it is in both their best interests to trade places of a sort. Ansel can roam Europe, while Rosalin spends her weeks at Cambridge learning from the best and brightest, and her weekends please her mama at the balls and parties of her fourth London season. What she doesn’t bank on is a college tutor who is also devilishly handsome and has progressive views of a woman’s place in society - someone she is quite willing to fall in love with despite the obstacles.

Howard finishes off the Diamond series with a classic plot device with some fun twists thrown in. You also see the characters from the first two books. While post-Regency in time period, all of the glitter still exists, too.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS 

Elvis & Romeo Go to Dog School by Jacky Davis and David Soman - ADVISABLE

Elvis & Romeo Go to Dog School (Ready to Read, level one) by Jacky Davis and David Soman. EARLY READER. Simon Spotlight, 2025. $19. 9781665947978

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

APPEALS TO: MANY

Elvis and Romeo are back, and it's their first day of dog school! The playful Romeo already knows how to "stay," but is nervous about learning how to catch a ball. Now, it's up to Elvis to help his young friend learn something new.

This is a great addition to the original Elvis and Romeo picture book. The text is a mix of speech bubbles and traditional narration. I wish there was a bit more of the dogs' fun personalities, but that would be hard to do with a low-level early reader.

Rachel, elementary school librarian 

Rolls and Rivalry by Kristy Boyce - ADVISABLE

Rolls and Rivalry by Kristy Boyce, 358 pages. Delacorte (Random), 2026. $14

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

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

As the color guard captain, Hazel is looking forward to a great school year. She’s even toying with finally starting her own D&D campaign like the weekly one her parents have run for years. Who shows up at the first day of band? Max! Her former best friend and now a hottie member of the drumline - the same drumline which causes the color guard so much grief every band season. Hazel has a lot of disparate pieces to fit together if she is going to salvage her senior year.

Boyce’s D&D related romance series is a solid choice. This one is heavy on the band drama and less so the the D&D, but still a good romance.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS 

Platform Decay by Martha Wells - ADVISABLE

Platform Decay (The Murderbot Diaries #8) by Martha Wells, 256 pages. Tor Books, 2026. $25.

Language: R (84 swears, 92 “f”); Mature Content: PG13 (illegal activity and for mentions of drugs and nudity); Violence: PG13 (assault, gun use, blood and gore, and murder)

BUYING ADVISORY: ADULTS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

On a rescue mission, Murderbot intends to find its clients and get away as quickly as possible. However, it does not anticipate the stupidly complicated transportation—or lack thereof—on the giant space torus nor being forced to promise to extract more humans than it had planned for. Humans make everything complicated.

As usual, Wells drops the reader into the story just after the beginning of the action, which hasn’t been as smooth in the last couple of books as it was at the beginning of the series, but the confusing bits are eventually explained. Then readers get to follow along with Murderbot’s mission while it is still adjusting to its new mental health module that asks it to check in with its emotions at inopportune times. The humor is as spot on as always, making me want to reread the journey so that it doesn’t have to end.

Reviewer: Carolina Johnson

Dragon Girl and the Awakened Flames by Jenny Moore - ADVISABLE

Dragon Girl and the Awakened Flames (Emba Oak #1) by Jenny Moore, 307 pages. Sourcebooks, 2026. $10 (pb)

Content: G (mild danger)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SOME

Young Emba has always had scales on her arms and she knows that she was hatched from an egg, but she loves her stepmother, the witch Fred. Fred did a reading from the Tome of Terrible Tomorrows for Emba, but when Fred is kidnapped, Emba throws all caution to the wind to save Fred. WIth the help of Odolf, Emba marches straight towards danger and the evil sorcerer who wants to harvest Emba’s dragon blood. 

Originally published in England, there are four books in the series. I like Emba - her friend Odolf is a bit of a humorous sidekick. Moore goes with unlikely and funny details that play against normal fantasy tropes. a good paperback series for young dragon lovers.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Thornbird by E. Kennedy - SEVERAL

Thornbird by E. Kennedy, 448 pages. Delacorte Press (Random House), 2026. $21.

Language: R (189 swears, 36 “f”); Mature Content: R (alcohol use including underage drinking, mentions of drugs, kissing, innuendo, nudity, and sex); Violence: PG13 (assault; blood and gore; mentions of guns, rape, and murder; and suicide)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Ten years ago, her father killed her mother and confessed that his wife wasn’t his first victim. With one parent in the grave and the other in prison, her name was changed to Ryan, and she went to live with her grandmother. But then her grandmother dies (of natural causes), and Ryan has to finish out high school in the town where her father committed his crimes, hoping that no one discovers who she really is.

Ryan is a deeply troubled protagonist, struggling to find a way to live her life in the limbo between pretending to be normal and being convinced that her father’s actions have stained her—her past, her present, and her future. As a result of this perspective, Ryan can’t see past her own dark life to realize that no one is all light. Everyone has secrets. As secrets around town start to be revealed, Kennedy shows readers that peace can be found in the space between full dark and full light.

Reviewer: Carolina Johnson

The Forgotten War: A World War II Battle on American Soil by Candace Fleming - ADVISABLE

The Forgotten War: A World War II Battle on American Soil by Candace Fleming, 272 pages. NON-FICTION Scholastic, September 2026. $20

Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (war violence, descriptions of trench foot and battle injuries - not graphic)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SOME

Charlie Groth was drafted into WWII in October of 1943. Initially trained as an infantryman, but his winter driving skills - he's from Michigan, got him moved to the ambulance corps and he was assigned to be a litter carrier - one of the soldiers who take the wounded from the battlefield. When he's finally deployed into the war, he finds himself on Attu, part of the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. After Pearl Harbor, this and another island were taken over by the Japanese, and Charlie has been assured that taking them back will be quick and easy. But constant terrible weather, and a series of miscalculations by the American Commanding officers make for a very bloody battle and an embarrassing part of WWII the American Military would rather hide and forget.

Well researched and I love that Fleming told both sides of the story - there's a Japanese doctor with the Japanese troops whose experiences are also recounted. Besides the few stories she knew from her father, Fleming combed the National Archives and Records Administration for primary documents, utilized the Park Service and National WWII Museum for interviews, and even found more information about her father. She begins the book with an author's note, and ends with well-organized source documentation. Includes photographs throughout.

Charlie is white.

Lisa Librarian 

13 Little Love Stories by Elise Bryant and co - OPTIONAL

13 Little Love Stories by Elise Bryant and co, 336 pages. SHORT STORIES. G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books (Penguin Random House), 2026. $13.

Language: R (114 swears, 16 “f”); Mature Content: R (alcohol use (including underage drinking), kissing, innuendo, illegal activity, sexual harassment, nudity, and mentions of drugs, STDs, and sex); Violence: PG (assault and mentions of murder)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

In this anthology, thirteen authors each offer readers one short love story based on different Taylor Swift songs. Most of them are realistic fiction, though there is a little magic thrown in for good variety, and all of them center around matters of the heart.

Each chapter starts by naming the song the author took inspiration from, and I enjoyed listening to the song and reading the lyrics before diving into each story. The possibilities of interpretation are endless, and it was fun to see which words and feelings from each song got incorporated into the stories. They range from cute and funny to heartbreak and betrayal, from platonic to romantic, from one great night to years of longing.

Reviewer: Carolina Johnson

Omnibird: An Avian Investigator's Handbook by Giselle Clarkson - ESSENTIAL

Omnibird: An Avian Investigator's Handbook by Giselle Clarkson, 96 pages. NON-FICTION. Gecko Press, 2025. $25. 9798765670514

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

Birds come in all shapes and sizes and are warm blooded vertebrates. All birds have beaks, feathers, and lay eggs. You can recognize the different specie by their wings shapes, beak shapes, feather colors, and whether they have combs, caruncles, spurs, or talons. Many bird names come from a description of feather areas such as a yellow-crowned parakeet. You can recognize the different specie by their wings shapes, beak shapes, feather colors, and whether they have combs, caruncles, spurs, and talons. Birds are good for many things, such as: singing, pollination, making eggs to eat, fertilizing, spreading seeds, cleaning up dead tissues, being food for other animals, and pets. Birds evolved to fit their environment such as growing log legs for walking in the water. People can learn to interact with birds in safe ways since some birds are prone to attack.

Although not a comprehensive book on birds, Clarkson wrote a book well fitted for the average person, including adults. The book covers most aspects of ornithology. In between pages of information, she inserts some comic relief such as “how to pick up a chicken”. The illustrations show the characteristics of different birds clear enough to distinguish groups in a species. Clarkson uses both common and scientific names for the birds to inform the reader.

MOMMAC 

The Endless Game by J.D. Amato and Sophie Morse - OPTIONAL

The Endless Game by J.D. Amato, art by Sophie Morse, 244 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL Simon and Schuster, 2026. $25

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Fred Townsend has had to move a lot, so it's been hard for him to make friends. When he moves to Lakeside, Illinois, Fred finds that he has been inducted into a never-ending game of capture the flag that pits kids from the two opposing sides of town against each other. Though the stakes are high, Fred discovers that there might be something amazing about having teammates and friends.

The characters are in the 8-12 age range. The art is well done and makes the book easy to follow. The premise of a never ending steal the flag game is a little like an adult sanctioned "Lord of the Flies." Some of the kids make good kings, and others do not, and they are totally self-governed. Themes of friendship and fitting in, help. I was just hoping the town would come to its senses and become friends all-around. It's a fast read, and the ending leaves it open for a sequel. No culture or race is specified, but characters are depicted from various backgrounds.

Michelle in the Middle