The Space Race (History Smashers) by Kate Messner, - ESSENTIAL

The Space Race (History Smashers) by Kate Messner, 214 pages.  NON-FICTION Random House, 2026. $10

 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

Busting the myths and misconceptions about the space race between the U.S. and Russia, this book endeavors to correct any preconceived ideas we got wrong, including some of the famous lines we think those in the space program said or didn't say. 

The facts are presented in a highly readable manner, combining text with drawings an actual picture and the occasional graphic novel format. Even though I am familiar with the space race, the book was engaging enough that I read it cover to cover. This is a great way to get facts quickly and succinctly while being entertained in the process. The cover should draw young readers in, and the information will hook them. 

Michelle in the Middle

Record-Breaking USA by Clive Gifford and Paul Hammond - ESSENTIAL

Record-Breaking USA: Celebrating America's biggest, brightest and bravest by Clive Gifford and Paul Hammond, 96 pages. NON-FICTION Wide Eyed (Quarto), 2026. $25. 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

A collection of world-breaking records from each of the United States. Each entry includes quick facts about the state, its nickname, a fun fact, and prominent people who live or lived there, and some fun World Records set in the state. 

This was really a lot of fun. Lots of these records are crazy and typical of the state - like Idaho's Biggest Potato sculpture and the speed records broken or made on Utah's Salt Flats. Get this book and leave it out at your library; kids will find their own state first, then read about all sorts of interesting records held by people, things, weather, and history. I really love this! 

Lisa Librarian 

Wombat Waiting by Katherine Applegate - ESSENTIAL

Wombat Waiting by Katherine Applegate, 336 pages. NOVEL IN VERSE HarperCollins, 2026. $20. 

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

 BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ESSENTIAL 

 APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

Wombat has been homeless her whole life, and she's a survivor. But something tells her (she calls it "the voice") is trying to direct her to find her person. But when Wombat gets caught up in the Palisades Fire, and becomes dirty and singed, she worries when "The Voice" tells her to go toward the fire, rather than away - until she ends up waiting on a bench near a wildlife rehab center, waiting for someone. 

 What a darling story. The heartache and the grief and the trauma of the fires are all there - there's a story of a family displaced as well, Henry and his moms, one who cares for displaced wildlife. I'm glad it was a short read due to being a novel in verse because I could not put it down. Highly recommended. 

 Lisa Librarian 

Real Life Disasters (Danger Files) by Anna Crowley Redding and Robbie Cathro - ESSENTIAL

Real Life Disasters (Danger Files) by Anna Crowley Redding and Robbie Cathro, 208 pages. NON-FICTION Candlewick, 2025. $18

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

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

5 real life disasters told from the perspective of a child (in most cases). Includes The Great Chicago Fire, The Titanic, The Spanish Flu, The Great Molasses Flood and The Hindenburg. 

There is so much to like about this book (series). Information is presented referencing primary sources, each story contains a “try this yourself” experiment relative to the story and the telling is engaging and quick with illustrations, and side bars. I’m getting the whole series.

Most of the characters are presumed white

Lisa Librarian 

Mexikid Dreams by Pedro Martin - ESSENTIAL

Mexikid Dreams (Mexikid #2) by Pedro Martin, 320 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. Penguin, SEPTEMBER 2026. $25

Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (sibling fights and pranks, also guard violence at a prison)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

10yo Pedro (who is about 13 by the end of the book) is back from Mexico with his family (8 brothers and sisters) Their restaurant has been damaged by an earthquake and so the family has moved to California where they are sharecroppers, picking strawberries. Everyone helps, all hands are needed to make ends meet. But when the oldest brother gets a job at a lumberyard, Pedro starts making a plan to get out of working too - he wants to draw (and watch cartoons). But when a friend at school encourages Pedro to join the band, he rethinks his plan. Now he wants to plan the trombone!

Pedro Martin is so funny, and this series is delightful. I love how he shows the sibling interactions, funny names for the outhouse and the way they work in the fields. I also loved how he really showed the plight of the share croppers, the difficulty making a profit and a danger experienced by undocumented people (in 1977) who were desperate for work so they could send money home. A great companion which can stand alone to Mexikid. The family is Mexican with some of the children first generation American

Lisa Librarian 

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 

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 

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 

Twice Enslaved: Liberty and Justice for Henrietta Wood by Selene Castrovilla and Erin K. Robinson - ESSENTIAL

Twice Enslaved: Liberty and Justice for Henrietta Wood by Selene Castrovilla and Erin K. Robinson. 80 pages. NON FICTION. Calkins Creek (Lerner), 2026. $20

Language: PG (0 swears, 0 ‘f'); Mature Content: PG (Henrietta has a son, but doesn't reveal who the father is); Violence: PG-13 (slavery, vicious floggings, and describes her situation as being "in hell")

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

At the beginning of the novel, Henrietta Wood is 14. At the end of the story, she is 58 years old. This is a true story about Henrietta Wood's amazing life. She was born into slavery, eventually given freedom papers, and then kidnapped and sold back into slavery. On June 19, 1865, she was emancipated and was determined to seek justice. She sued the man who kidnapped her, Zebulon Ward. His lawyers stalled, but in the end, she was awarded $2,500 by an all white jury. This is still the "largest financial award granted by an American court as reparations for enslavement." 

I liked this because it was written in prose. It was extremely interesting and it showed how Henrietta didn't give up during very hard times of her life. It helps young readers understand how unfair and terrible slavery was. Henrietta Wood is African American.

Reviewer: A. Criswell, English Language Arts teacher 

Amina Banana and the Formula for Making Money by Shifa Saltagi Safadi and Aaliya Jaleel - ESSENTIAL

Amina Banana and the Formula for Making Money (Amina Banana #3) by Shifa Saltagi Safadi and Aaliya Jaleel, 128 pages. CHAPTER BOOK. G.P. Putnam's Sons (Penguin), 2026. $7 (pb)

 Content: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ESSENTIAL 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

3rd grader Amina and her family immigrated from Syria. Amina is quickly learning that her new home is very different than Syria. For example, America uses inches and pounds, while Syria uses centimeters and kilograms. Her parents are struggling to save enough money so that her mom can take an English test; the last step preventing her from practicing as a doctor in America. Amina decides to help out her family using some creative ways to earn money. Will her ideas work? Will she be able to save $500 for her mom to take the test? 

 I liked this plot because it integrated critical thinking skills as well as real world math situations. It helped show different cultural perspectives. Amina and her family face ignorance and bigotry from people working at a grocery store. It shows how her family deals with this and stands up to bullies. Amina and her family have immigrated to America from Syria.

 Reviewer: A. Criswell, English Language Arts teacher 

Amina Banana and the Formula for Fairness by Shifa Saltagi Safadi and Aaliya Jaleel - ESSENTIAL

Amina Banana and the Formula for Fairness (Amina Banana #4) by Shifa Saltagi Safadi and Aaliya Jaleel, 112 pages. CHAPTER BOOK. G.P. Putnam's Sons (Penguin), 2026. $7 (pb). 

 Content: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ESSENTIAL 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

Right now, many things seem unfair to 3rd grader Amina. The Science Fair has arrived at Amina's school. Unfortunately, she is partnered with Tara, not her friend Lana. Her grandmother has come all the way from Syria to visit, but gave a gift to Amina's brother, instead of her, that she had really wanted. She also has to miss playing with her friends during recess because she is working with a teacher to improve her English. Everything seems so unfair! Amina has to learn how to think of things differently. She might even make a new friend along the way. 

Safadi shows common struggles that young immigrant students face while they are adjusting to their new home. She does a good job showing problems from multiple perspectives. She also shares cultural food recipes at the back of the book that Amina makes during the novel. Amina and her family have immigrated to America from Syria.

 Reviewer: A. Criswell, English Language Arts teacher 

Song of the Yellow Dragon by Ying Ping Low - ESSENTIAL

Song of the Yellow Dragon by Ying Ping Low, 278 pages. Putnam (Penguin), 2026. $19 

Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (murder, attempted murder) 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

Two children, two wildly different dreams; and time is running out for both of them. Mengyao dreams of becoming a Divine Healer for her village. Young emperor Kai wants to find the fabled magic of the Dragon's Pulse to help him defeat his enemies. Thrust together, they must find their answers before their 13th birthdays, when children forget about magic and only remember it as make-believe. 

Beautifully written, this book effortlessly pulled me in with its Asian lore and magic. The two children are engaging characters who grow throughout the story. The interweaving of the magic of childhood and its inevitable loss, paired with the children's journey to hold on to that magic, was compelling. The culture shines through and the lesser characters are also interesting. This has all the elements of an old-fashioned, well-told fairytale. I loved it. 

Michelle in the Middle 

Who's Got the Best Medicine? (Survival of the Fittest #2) by Rebecca Donnelly and Misa Saburi, - ESSENTIAL

Who's Got the Best Medicine? (Survival of the Fittest #2) by Rebecca Donnelly and Misa Saburi, 112 pages. NON-FICTION GRAPHIC NOVEL. Henry Holt (Macmillan), 2025. $17

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

Animals and insects in this graphic novel compete in a game show to see who can present the best medical innovation based on their own anatomy.

The book is full of interesting animal and insect facts presented in a fun approachable way. I  found it to be very informative and creative in the way it presented information. The illustrations are also great. 

Reviewer: A. Snow, Librarian

River of Spirits (The Underwild #1) by Shana Targosz - ESSENTIAL

River of Spirits (The Underwild #1) by Shana Targosz, 416 pages. Aladdin (Simon), 2025. $19

Language: G (6 swears, 0 ‘f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (peril, some fighting)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

12yo Senka is the ward of Charon, the Ferryman of the Underworld. Together they live between the realms of the Living and the Dead, where Senka dreams of one day becoming an assistant Ferryer. She has memorized all of Charon’s Rules for guiding the recently deceased from the shores of the living to their final afterlife and follows them carefully. But when a living girl named Poppy arrives searching for her ghost brother and is accidentally swept into the river of the dead, Senka is forced to break the rules to save her. Together the girls journey through the Underworld in a desperate race against time. If a Living person remains there too long, they risk becoming trapped forever. As Senka and Poppy travel through the dangerous realm, they encounter demigods, monsters, and strange inhabitants of the underworld. Along the way, Senka begins uncovering secrets about her own existence and realizes that Charon may have been hiding the truth from her all along.

A story about the power of love and learning to accept the loss of those we care about, woven together with elements of Greek mythology. I really enjoyed this book. It was a grand adventure that was both exciting and emotional, and the writing drew me into the world of the Underworld and its characters.

Senka and Poppy present white.

A. Snow, Librarian

Sleepless by Gordon Korman - ESSENTIAL

Sleepless by Gordon Korman, 240 pages. Scholastic JULY 2026. $19

Content: G (mild threats)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

They are all 12yo and all five of them don’t need any sleep.  None. Instead, each of the five is using that extra time to perfect talents and interests - until they start discovering each other.  Now there’s a bigger mystery for them to solve.  Why are they all sleepless? They have an idea of what has happened to them and who did it, but do they want this sleeplessness turned off? Maybe they won’t be so special any more. 

Korman has such a knack for taking these little ideas and making them so compelling to read all the way to the end.  It would be great to read aloud and then discuss what kids would pursue in those extra hours and would they be willing to give them up or not.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Ancient Egypt (History Smashers #11) by Kate Messner - ESSSENTIAL

Ancient Egypt (History Smashers #11) by Kate Messner, 208 pages. NON FICTION. Random House Books for Young Readers, 2025. $10 (paperback), $13 (library binding)

Language: G (0 swears, 0 ‘f'); Mature Content:  G; Violence: PG (description of mummification process, not graphic)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

From the insightful History Smasher series comes another fantastic title: Ancient Egypt. Did you know that the word "pharaoh" actually comes from an Egyptian word for “great house” and wasn’t used as a title for royalty until the Twenty-Fifth or Twenty-Sixth Dynasty? Maybe you know Sobekneferu was actually the first female king - not Hatshepsut - but you probably didn’t know hieroglyphs can be read either left to right or right to left depending on which way the first character in profile is facing. No matter your knowledge of the ancient Egyptian world and its people, readers young and old are bound to learn something new from the latest installment by professional History Smasher, Kate Messner. 

The easy to read text is broken up by short comics and info panels throughout. Messner includes a time of ancient Egypt, an author’s note, bibliography, and additional books/museums readers can check out for more information. An excellent addition to libraries where the History Smashers series are already in regular circulation.

E. Powell,  Junior High Librarian

Wilderness Hacks by Joslin Brorsen - ESSENTIAL

Wilderness Hacks by Joslin Brorsen, 313 pages. Knopf (Random), 2026. $18

Language: G (0 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (drowning victim mentioned, blood)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

12yo Sadie’s little brother, 9yo Silas, convinced her to enter the contest for the adventure with 13yo survivalist and influencer Radley, but she did not expect to actually win. Meeting Radley in person, Callie is not impressed; he seems to be in it for the money, not because he loves the outdoors. On their river rafting trip, a sudden earthquake breaks the dam above their position, sending their guide overboard and now the pair must negotiate their situation alone, with only what they are carrying. 

Brorsen did such a great job of engaging my attention and keeping me invested.  I read in one sitting! Well done in showing the highlights and lowlights of being an influencer right now. The action can be intense as the teens are in very real danger several times!

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Exile by Shannon Messenger, adapted by Celina Frenn, illustrated by Valeria Tenaga Romanazzi - ESSENTIAL

Exile (Keeper of the Lost Cities 2) by Shannon Messenger, adapted by Celina Frenn, illustrated by Valeria Tenaga Romanazzi, 336 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL Aladdin (Simon and Schuster), 2025. $28 

Language: G (0 swears), Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (kidnapping, mild violence) 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL 

APPEALS TO: MANY 

Sophie is a 12yo elf who has left the human world to study at Foxfire, the premier Elvin academy. She is worried about making the grades to get fully accepted at school, and hopes to be adopted by her guardians. On top of that, she has memories of things she shouldn't be able to understand, which threaten her life. Sophie seems to be caught between warring factions much bigger than herself. 

As the graphic novel version of the popular Lost Cities novels, I hoped it would be on par with the original text. I was not disappointed. I love both versions. The art on this one is stellar and captures the feelings and mood of the characters. It's nice to get a visual on the Elvin universe. This series is worth the investment and the graphic novel may reach readers the novel version does not. Action packed, along with plenty of teenage angst and universal feelings, this book has it all. 

Michelle in the Middle 

Dragonborn by Struan Murray - ESSENTIAL

Dragonborn by Struan Murray, 320 pages. Dutton (Penguin), 2026. $20.

Language: G (0 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (bullying, dragon fighting, battle)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

12yo Alex feels suffocated by her overprotective mother - especially since her dad died in a violent storm. Then one day while in her favorite woods actual fire comes out of her mouth. Soon Alex is swept off to the remote island of Skralla, a hidden haven for young dragons to learn how to use their powers. Alex is having a hard time learning to shift from her human form to her dragon form and she is also still mourning her dad. When she hears about a special artifact, the Phylactery, which can help find the spirits of any dragon, she pursues it, even knowing that it is also a possible tool for Drak Midna, the evil dragon who has existed for centuries and who has no need for humankind. Murray sets up the tension so well. He manages to keep the myriad of surprises well-hidden, but logical.

I also became so frustrated with Alex’s inability to change forms, so he was great at engaging my emotions. The only thing I don’t understand is his use of “phylactery” as the name of the artifact - seems an odd use of a Jewish religious word. Other than that, though - loved it. Gorgeous end papers also.

The characters cue white.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS 

Madsi the True by S. J. Taylor - ESSENTIAL

Madsi the True by S. J. Taylor, 295 pages. Atheneum Books for Young Readers (Simon), 2024. $18

Violence: G (peril, danger, fights with mythical beings)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

12yo Madsi and her older sister Lisbet love telling and hearing stories. But a year earlier, Lisbet was snatched away by the Northern Lights from their small Norwegian village. When Madsi demands that the lights return her sister, another girl—Torin—falls from the sky instead. Lisbet was always the brave one, but now Madsi must find her own courage. Along with Torin and a boy named Espen, she sets out into the forest to find Lisbet and help Torin return to the lights. As the three unlikely friends battle harsh elements and monsters Madsi once thought existed only in stories, they discover that some stories are true, some are wrong, and that true friendship can be just as important as family."

A beautifully written, fast-paced adventure set in 1750 in a small Norwegian village. Many of the villagers have rarely, if ever, left their home, and because of that they have developed superstitions about the outside world. As Madsi and her friends journey together, they discover true friendship and bravery. I really enjoyed the story and this small glimpse into Norwegian folklore and history.

A. Snow, Librarian