A Kid Like Me by Norm Feuti - ESSENTIL

A Kid Like Me by Norm Feuti, 272 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL HarperCollins, 2026. $25.

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

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ESSENTIAL 

APPEALS TO: MANY 

Ethan is just starting middle school, and his biggest worry was getting lost in the new big school, until his friend Ricky starts talking about all the social stuff. Ethan and Ricky live in a trailer park, but lots of kids at their middle school live in the rich part of town, and now Ethan is worried he will be going to school with a bunch of snobs. Ethan recently started playing a retro card game called Bio Battle, and finds some friends who are in the after-school club, but Ricky has found different friends who prefer wrestling. Can Ethan and Ricky's friendship survive the 1st month of middle school? 

Fitting in, making friends, wearing the right clothes, and being cool - doesn't everyone worry about that in middle school? I loved how easily frustrated Ethan and Ricky got with each other, and how their new friends mirrored what they were looking for in middle school. Feuti's illustrations are realistic, and his story rings true. I hope this is a hit in my library; I'll certainly be recommending it. The characters are 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 

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 

No Purchase Necessary by Maria Marianayagam - ESSENTIAL

No Purchase Necessary by Maria Marianayagam, 256 pages. HarperCollins, 2025. $19

Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (Bullying, fight which draws blood)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

13yo Ajay is a very good student. Ajay's parents have very high expectations and the family has many rules, including As only, no friends, and school comes first. But when Jacob a popular boy who bullies AJ asks him to steal a candy bar from the convenience store, Ajay hopes Jacob will finally stop bothering him and others will think he's cool if he does. When the stolen candy bar is not accepted by Jacob, and Ajay opens it to find he's won the grand prize, a million dollars, Ajay is morally conflicted and, for the first time, lies to his parents. Ajay is always striving to be the best, the best son, the best brother, the best student - it's a lot of pressure.

I loved No Purchase Necessary. A wonderful coming-of-age story with some poor choices mixed in. I couldn't put it down. The premise - what if you won a million dollars and couldn't claim it or even tell anyone - was original, and the story was heartfelt.

Ajay's parents are immigrants from Sri Lanka, he and his sister are first-generation Americans

Lisa Librarian 

Rising Thunder by Neal Shusterman - ESSENTIAL

Rising Thunder (Scythe prequel, First Blades #1) by Neal Shusterman, 560 pages. Simon and Schuster, DECEMBER 2026. $25

Language: PG-13 (55 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG-13 (deaths mentioned, some bloody)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

Who created Thunderhead? Who were the first Scythes and why did they start their gruesome business? How did humankind create immortality?

Welcome back to the beginnings of the world of Scythes where you will find as many questions as you do answers and love every minute of it. Shusterman crafts interesting, complicated, and thoughtful narratives and he does not disappoint as he unveils the first scythes and how they “got the job”. I can’t wait for others to read this so that I have people to talk to about it!

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS 

The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin - ESSENTIAL

The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin, 400 pages. Penguin, 2024. $19

Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (peril, civilian war violence - bombs, injuries)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

It's 1940, and Germany's invasion of England is imminent. 14yo Lizzie is being evacuated by her grandmother to the United States, and she's not going. She evades her grandmother's agent and sets out to find her 19yo brother Collin. Their mother was working for the US embassy and is missing (and presumed dead) in Poland. Lizzie can't believe her mother is dead. There's no body, no one saw her die; she just disappeared. All Lizzie has is hope, and she's going to find out the truth. Collin is working in the town of Bletchley, and can't talk about what he does. He's a mathematician and has signed the Secrets Act. When Lizzie joins him, she signs the Act too. Now they are both very busy, trying to stop Hitler - and looking for clues to find out what happened to their mother.

These two powerhouse authors are the perfect team! Told in alternating chapters (more or less), the two teens' stories are exciting, suspenseful, and age-appropriate both for the characters and the intended readers. I know Historical Fiction is a hard sell, but I'll be recommending The Bletchley Riddle whenever it's back on the shelf. Collin and Lizzie are English; their mother is American.

Lisa Librarian 

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 

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

Anna-Jane and the Endless Summer by Paige Classey - ESSENTIAL

Anna-Jane and the Endless Summer by Paige Classey, 387 pages. NOVEL IN VERSE. Random House, 2026. $ 18

Language: G (1 swears, 0  ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (ghost story about a drowning, mild threats of violence, gun and knife threats)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

13yo Anna-Jane always looks forward to her summer sleepaway camp.  Even though she and her mother can’t afford the tuition, a camp scholarship helps. As she settles in, something strange happens in the outside world - a trip to the nearby town is derailed because almost no one is around and almost nothing is open.  Back at camp they discover that a country wide emergency has been declared. A mysterious illness is spreading rapidly.  Some kids' parents come to take them home, but a lot of campers are stuck there.  Then the director leaves in the middle of the night.  The camp nurse is now the only adult and a few counselors also remain. Otherwise, the whole group is on their own. As fall comes and winter approaches, food is getting short, and so are tempers. 

While I normally am not a novel in verse fan, Classy paints vivid pictures with her words. And the book is long enough that I never felt cheated. However, if you listened to this as an audiobook, you would never know that it is written in verse. If your students enjoy Alone by Freeman, they will be ready to devour this next. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

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

The Faraway Inn by Sarah Beth Durst - ESSENTIAL

The Faraway Inn by Sarah Beth Durst, 384 pages. Delacorte Books, 2026. $15

Language: PG-13 (9 swears; no ‘f’); Mature Content: PG (kissing); Violence G

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

Nursing a broken heart, 16-year-old Calisa leaves Brooklyn behind for the summer as she goes to Vermont to help her great aunt at the Faraway Inn. Excited by the prospect of escape from her troubles and the opportunity to work at a cozy bed and breakfast, Calisa is shocked to find the inn is run down and in desperate need of rehabilitation. Add to that, Auntie Zee doesn’t seem to want Calisa around, and strange whisperings of possible magic mean this will be a summer Calisa never forgets.

This cozy fantasy has a slow beginning, however, if readers stick with it, Calisa’s story develops into a charming tale of loss, love, and the power of family. Younger readers will appreciate Calisa’s struggle with her first heartbreak and adjustment to being away from home for the first time while the magical side of the plot will charm them. The world building is well-developed and entertaining, leading the reader to hope that this is the first in a series as so many worlds were introduced that the opportunity for exploration of people and places is endless. 

Reviewer: AEB

Building 903 by Lois Lowry - ESSENTIAL

Building 903 by Lois Lowry, 240 pages. HarperCollins, September 2026. $20 

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

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ESSENTIAL 

APPEALS TO: MANY 

14yo Tessa lives in a dystopian state in 2099 where music, art, and books are banned. Everything is controlled by a ruler who has abolished elections and has tight control of everyone and everything. Tessa's father is an inventor, her mother a security officer and her brilliant twin brother - well, he is missing. When their neighbor is moved into Elder Care, she slips Tessa a key. What she finds in the hidden closet could change everything. 

I loved Building 903 for so many reasons. There are famous children's book first lines quoted which made me cry, as I was living in Tessa's world and thinking of them not only banned but illegal broke my heart. Some interesting twists in the story certainly kept me reading. Building 903 is a winner - I wouldn't be surprised if it replaces The Giver in classrooms. The family default white 

Lisa Librarian  

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 

Forbidden Mountain by Brandon Mull - ESSENTIAL

Forbidden Mountain (Guardians #1) by Brandon Mull, 528 pages. Labyrinth Road (Penguin Random House), 2026. $23.

Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG (illegal activity and mentions of alcohol and kissing); Violence: PG13 (assault, blood and gore, battle scenes, mentions of suicide, and murder)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ESSENTIAL, HS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Everything for Mako (13yo) depends on passing his tests for a good apprenticeship and on who he receives as his guardian in three days. Arden (13yo) might not have abilities like those who live on the forbidden mountain, but her knack for reading people goes beyond average skill. While intending to do good, these teens feel lost after making mistakes and have to decide who they can trust to guide them out of it.

At first, Mako and Arden both seem to be stuck on slippery slopes due to their choices. However, their reactions to their respective consequences contrast greatly, making their similar circumstances diverge even as their stories start to intersect by ending up in the same camp. Both of them want to do good, and their examples invoke questions of whether doing something wrong for the right reasons can still be good. Expect high anticipation for the sequel!

Reviewer: Carolina Johnson

Griffin Speaker by Jan M. Flynn - ESSENTIAL

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

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

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

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

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

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS