A Sea Monster Conundrum (The Misfits #3) by Lisa Yee, art by Dan Santat - ADVISABLE

A Sea Monster Conundrum (The Misfits #3) by Lisa Yee, art by Dan Santat, 272 pages. Random House, 2026. $15 

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

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

The RASCH gang is at it again. There's been a ghost sighting at the school and crowds are coming to see, even unexpected visitors. Could that be a Sea Monster? Our clever group of sleuths and spies are out to solve another mystery. 

Similar to the other two - gadgets and friend drama and a fun case to work on. I'm not tired of the characters yet - sometimes with such quirky personalities the characters can get silly, but Dan Santat's illustrations keep them fresh and funny. The group is a mix of races and cultures 

Lisa Librarian 

The Dysfunctional Family's Guide to Murder by Kate Emery - ADVISABLE

The Dysfunctional Family's Guide to Murder by Kate Emery, 296 pages. Knopf (Random House), 2024. $20 

Language: PG (20 swears, 0 "f"); Mature Content: PG (sexual allusions, inuendo); Violence: PG (murder, threats, attempted homicide, mostly off page) 

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

Ruth is a 14yo on vacation with her dad's side of the family when her step-grandmother turns up dead. As a fan of murder-mystery novels, Ruth is determined to figure out what happened, even though the family tries to keep her and her cousin Dylan out of the way. Solving a murder is a little trickier when the prime suspects are all under the same roof. 

It took me a minute to get into the book, but when I did, I really enjoyed the humor. Ruth's banter with her family is witty, and her family puts the fun in dysfunction. The characters and the house are all quirky in the best sense. There are references to Agatha Christie that younger readers might not get, and there are a lot of characters. That said, this was an enjoyable read that had interesting twists, and I enjoyed the writing style. Ruth and her family are Australian. 

Michelle in the Middle 

Ape Escape (funjungle #10) by Stuart Gibbs - ESSENTIAL

Ape Escape (funjungle #10) by Stuart Gibbs, 304 pages. Simon and Schuster, 2026. $18

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

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

When Teddy’s family gets the news that a good friend, Jadim, of theirs has died in Rwanda, they head to the airport for the funeral.  Instead, once they land, they find that he is in hiding because his life was threatened by gorilla poachers. When an orphaned baby gorilla is abducted right from the sanctuary, the family and Jadim head off across Africa in pursuit.

Gibbs does such a great job with his funjunge books - keeping a heightened sense of danger and adventure, while also including factually based information about the ways animals, in this any African animal, might be endangered. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Secrets of the Broken House by Taryn Souders, - OPTIONAL

Secrets of the Broken House by Taryn Souders, 254 pages. Sourcebooks, 2026. $8 (pb)

Language: G (0 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (kids see dead body)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

Geraldine is the most hated woman in town.  Her pet project seems to be making everyone around her miserable.  But helping her polish furniture for a morning will get 13yo Tucker the rowboat that he wants, then he is willing to brave her disdain. When Tucker goes back the next morning with his friends Sadie and Clemmie, though, they did not expect to see Geraldine dead in her hallway.  Tucker knows something is wrong about the scene; his dad is the chief of police in their little town and Tucker has trained himself to see details. When he finally remembers that elusive detail, however, he may put his own life in danger. 

A solid murder mystery with a little friendship drama thrown in. I like that the kids are not cocky or obnoxious and there isn't a bully picking on them. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

The Treasure of Ocean Parkway by Sarenaz Tash - OPTIONAL

The Treasure of Ocean Parkway (Queen of Ocean Parkway #2) by Sarenaz Tash, 227 pages. Knopf (Random House), 2025. $18

Content: G (none)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

Since they solved their first mystery together, 12yo Roya and Amin have been collaborating on a mystery podcast. Then Thea, another kid in their building approaches them to help her solve a mystery left behind by her grandfather. The mystery involves both Thea’s great-grandfather and Thea’s dad, who has a very rocky relationship with Thea’s grandfather, who has been beset with Alzheimer's related memory loss. As the kids follow the clues all over the building and the city, they are also learning to trust each other and how to open up to accepting new people in their lives.

#2 doesn’t have the magical realism of #1. I liked it much more than the first. Adding a third character made the dynamics between people more interesting and I didn’t miss the magical realism.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Framed! Crime Fighting Collection (#1-3) by James Ponti - ADVISABLE

Framed! Crime Fighting Collection (#1-3) by James Ponti. Aladdin (Simon). $30

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: MANY

Ponti’s original mystery series has been reprinted in paperback with great new covers which help them pair better side by side with the Sherlock Society set. I like all of Ponti’s books - perfect for middle grade readers. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

The Cookie Crumbles by Tracy Badua and Alechia Dow - OPTIONAL

The Cookie Crumbles by Tracy Badua and Alechia Dow, 320 pages. Harper, 2024. $20

Content: G (mild tension)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

Rising 8th graders and best friends Laila and Lucy are headed to the prestigious Sunderland Academy for a long weekend.  Laila is hoping to win the Golden Cookie competition and a scholarship to the school, while Lucy is there to add to her writing portfolio, as she has already been accepted to Sunderland for high school. During the first round of judging, however, the acerbic chef judge, Chef Remi, actually passes out right after sampling Laila’s cookie - turning her into the prime suspect, or scapegoat.  Even Lucy seems to suspect her.  Since a late storm has swept in, all of the contestants are stuck together.

I love GBBO, and I enjoyed Knives Out - this is not a sterling combination of the two. If you have kids who like mysteries, or baking contests with intrigue, then by all means, purchase. Laila is way too high strung for my taste. And a contest only based on cookies felt limiting and boring. The book did not need 300+ pages - maybe 200 pages would have made a tighter, more exciting read.

Laila is Black, Lucy, I think, is Indian. 

I listened to the audiobook provided by libro.fm.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Mr. Whiskers and the Shenanigan Sisters by Wendelin Van Draanen - ESSENTIAL

Mr. Whiskers and the Shenanigan Sisters by Wendelin Van Draanen, 196 pages. Alfred A. Knopf (Random), 2023. $17

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: MANY 

When fake FBI agents kidnap 10yo Misty and 11yo Zelda's Nanigan's dad, a stray dog named Mr. Whiskers jumps in to help them find him. The girls do not always understand him and don't always believe him but Mr. Whiskers does not give up. There are clues to find, high-speed dog chases, secret rooms, help from friends, and gold coins to add to the adventure.

I loved that the book was narrated by the dog, Mr. Whiskers. The book is full of dog puns and observations on humans from a dog perspective. This is a fun adventure that will appeal to many. It is assumed that all of the characters are white.

Reviewer: A. Snow, Librarian

 

One Last Breath by Ginny Myers Sain - OPTIONAL

One Last Breath by Ginny Myers Sain, 384 pages. Penguin Young Readers Group, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, 2024. $18 

Language: R (164 swears 52 'f') Mature Content: R (sexual-related nudity); Violence: R (bloody deaths) 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

18yo Tru doesn’t know what she wants for her future, not even whether or not she wants to leave her hometown of Mount Orange, Florida. She feels stuck until 18yo Rio shows up in town. Rio is a female diver like Tru and they instantly become friends. They both want to solve the twenty-year-old cold case murders of Bailey and Celeste , who were teenagers when they were killed. Tru and Rio feel a deep connection to Bailey and Celeste and when they dig into the evidence and ask questions, their lives become endangered. 

I love that there’s more than one mystery inside this story. The suspense was great and kept me riveted. Tragic and scary and such a good read. The ethnicity is white. 

LynnDell Watson, DHS Librarian

The Mystery of the Radcliffe Riddle by Taryn Sounders - ESSENTIAL

The Mystery of the Radcliffe Riddle by Taryn Sounders, 304 pages. Sourcebooks, 2023. $16

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

13yo Grady had no idea that he was related to crazy Eudora Klinch, the old lady who walked around their town with a shovel, constantly mumbling to herself. Eudora has left Grady a tapestry that supposedly leads to a treasure that was forgotten long ago.  Grady thinks nothing of it until someone tries to break into his house. And when someone dies because of the tapestry, Grady and his two best friends decide they must solve this mystery once and for all.  Grady and his father are doing so poorly, that they are about to lose their home and will be forced to move out of town; maybe this treasure will save them.

Solid addition to a mystery collection.  Grady is pretty clever and he and his friends are resilient, imaginative, and persistent. While the slasher type murder mystery that most kids are drawn too, kids who like kids solving less deadly mysteries will enjoy this. 

Grady is white, one of his best friends has red hair, and the other is Black; however, ethnicity doesn’t play any part in the book.

Cindy Mitchell, Library Teacher, MLS

The Swifts: A Dictionary of Scoundrels by Beth Lincoln - ADVISABLE

The Swifts: A Dictionary of Scoundrels by Beth Lincoln, illustrated by Claire Powell. Dutton (Penguin), 2023. $17

Language: G; Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (attempted murder, off-page murder, non-gruesome murder)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

In the Swift family, on the day a new member is born, their name is chosen from the dictionary with the expectation that they will grow to match the name. 13yo Shenanigan Swift seems to be fulfilling that expectation well as she causes chaos with her mischief. With the big family reunion approaching, Shenanigan is excited to meet all the extended family and search for the fabled family treasure. Excited, that is, until someone attempts to murder the family matriarch in a bid to take the treasure all for themselves.

Clever plotting and likable characters make this a fun read. However, the plot does move rather slowly at points, which may cause younger readers to lose interest. Overall, an original story that pares many new words for consideration alongside a murder mystery providing a unique reading experience.

AEB

Search For Treasure by Mary Alice Monroe, Angela May, and Jennifer Brickling - ESSENTIAL

Search for Treasure (The Islanders #2) by Mary Alice Monroe and Angela May, illustrated by Jennifer Brickling, 259 pages. Aladdin, 2022. $18 

Language: G; Mature Content: G; Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

Jake Potter, now 12yo, is on his way to spend the summer with his grandmother and his best friends Macon and Lovie at Dewees Island. Last year they had a great mission, saving baby turtles. Jake is determined that this year they will have find his Dad's tree fort, which is hidden deep within the forest. Maybe they will find old pirate treasure too? Life isn't just sunshine and roses for Jake and his friends. Some new boys are on the island - Jake and his friends are being bullied by them, but the adults can't see the bullying. Jake hopes he can find the treasure and make his dad happy again.

I was so excited to see this book in my box. I loved the first book. This one does not disappoint. Tell the kids about this book and I think they will like it. My grandson loved the first book and is eagerly waiting for this one. The characters are strong and very realistic. The setting is real and the adults give the kids a lot of freedom to explore by themselves. It is a small island, so it would be hard to get lost or get to any harm without being found quickly. I loved both Islanders and look forward to more adventures with Jake, Macon and Lovie.  All three children have personal problems in their families. Together they are stronger, they can talk about their problems and help each other find solutions. 

Ellen-Anita Librarian 

The Secrets of Stone Creek by Briana McDonald - OPTIONAL

The Secrets of Stone Creek by Briana McDonald, 394 pages. Simon & Schuster, 2022. $19. 

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

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

12yo Finley Walsh is upset that her best friend Sophie is making new friends and that her mom always underestimates her by asking her older brother Oliver to be in charge. To make things worse, she and her two siblings are being dropped off during their spring break at an estranged relative's house while their mom goes on a business trip. Because Finley wants to be remembered as a female adventurer, she decides to pass the time in Stone Creek by solving the mystery of a local woman who sent missing over 20 years ago. During her investigation, Finley reestablishes her relationship with each of her brothers and learns that making mistakes is part of growing up.

I enjoyed learning about all the female adventurers that are described at the beginning of every chapter and watching Finlay as she develops more confidence in herself. Finley stops worrying about proving herself and begins to move forward leaving her grudges against others behind. All of the main characters are default white. Sophie's brother, Oliver, reveals that he is gay as he can't hide his attraction to another male character.

Paula B. , Teacher Librarian 

Whale Done by Stuart Gibbs - ESSENTIAL

Whale Done (funjungle #8) by Stuart Gibbs, 300 pages. Simon & Schuster, 2023. $18. 

Content: G (mild danger)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Teddy’s home has burned down – by a kangaroo! So, he is heading to Malibu with his girlfriend Summer and her mom. Beach time is what 14yo Teddy wants – and needs. Instead – he gets a dead whale – that explodes. Something is really wrong on this beach and Teddy is going to have to solve it before even worse things happen. It’s hard to concentrate when the Hollywood media is trying to pair Summer with this season’s “It Boy”.

I love Gibb’s mix of good mysteries for Teddy to solve, plus realistic – not over the top relationship gaffs between Teddy and Summer. God for the readers as they get older, but not too mushy for new, young readers who breeze through the whole series.

Cindy Mitchell, Library Teacher, MLS 

The Final Cut by Denis Markell - ADVISABLE

The Final Cut by Denis Markell 289 pages. Delacorte (Random House). 2022. $17 

Content: G. 

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Alex Davis is finally in 7th grade, where he gets to choose an elective! Although he hoped for the cool video game design class, he ended up in Filmaking. Determined to make the best of it - and excited about the school's Golden Reel competition, Alex, Priti Sharma - the prettiest girl at school, his best friend Lexi and a loner named Theo begin work on what they think might be a winner. But someone is determined to sabotage their movie. 

I like that Markell set The Final Cut in a private school. Primarily because the choices of electives were amazing, difficult offerings to justify to 7th graders in a public school setting, but also, I like that the kids were all a bit eccentric (Theo especially). I really loved the conversation with Alex and his mother about appropriate boundaries with girls, and not making judgements about them based on what they wear. Alex's sister Violet - her parents really treat her like a toddler, I was shocked that she was 7. All in all, though, a solid stand alone with a fun storyline, full of political intrigue, teacher drama and mystery. One of the characters comes out to their friend, Priti is of Indian descent, all other main characters are white - based on the cover illustration.

Lisa Librarian

The Secret Letters by Margaret Peterson Haddix - ADVISABLE

 The Secret Letters (Mysteries of Trash and Treasure #1) by Margaret Peterson Haddix, 360 pages. Katherine Tegen (Harper), 2022. $17 

Content: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

12 yo Colin is spending his summer helping his mom at her organizing business. When he finds a shoebox of letters, he decides to rescue them. 12yo Nevaeh is also working with a parent this summer – her father, the Junk King. While their parents aren’t friends, Colin and Nevaeh come together to read the letters from the 1970’s and solve the mystery of why two fast friends suddenly stopped speaking to each other. Then Nevaeh also finds a letter – but one that hints at a modern mystery – did Colin’s mother sabotage her father’s business? 

The interplay between the two new friends is a nice echo of the mystery from the 1970’s. I enjoyed watching the modern kids as they tried to juggle their families and perhaps reunite two former friends. While not Haddix’s strongest writing, still satisfying. Nevaeh does continually bring up the differences between women’s choices in the 1970’s and now. The characters default to white. 

 Cindy Mitchell, Library Teacher, MLS 

Enola Holmes and the Elegant Escapade by Nancy Springer - ADVISABLE

Enola Holmes and the Elegant Escapade (Enola Holmes #8) by Nancy Springer, 240 pages. Wednesday Books, 2022. $19.

Language: PG (2 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Stopping by to see her best friend, Cecily (17yo), Enola is shocked to be quickly and thoroughly turned away. She has put a pause on her practice of being a finder of lost things, but that does not mean Enola is done deceiving and donning disguises. Enola will find out what has happened to Cecily and do all she can to help her.

Enola is brilliant; she is also rash. These traits usually end up serving Enola well, but not without a little bit of help from her detective brother. I love the dynamic between Enola and her brother Sherlock as they support each other and find each other’s boundaries, especially when it comes to meeting out justice. Springer balances the believable with the ridiculous as she tells of Enola’s antics, and I am greatly anticipating her next adventure.

Enola, Sherlock, and Cecily are English, as are the majority of characters they interact with. The mature content rating is for mentions of drugs and alcohol as well as for illegal activity. The violence rating is for knife use and mentions of domestic violence.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Crashing in Love by Jennifer Richard Jacobsen - ADVISABLE

Crashing in Love by Jennifer Richard Jacobsen. 272 pages. Candlewick Press, 2021. $17 

Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G (Boyfriend talk); Violence: PG (Peril, hit and run accident).

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

On an early morning bike ride, 12yo Peyton comes across a boy on the road. He has been hit and the driver left the scene of the accident. Peyton calls 911, and he is taken to the hospital. Peyton happens to be hoping to find a boyfriend this year, and she's looking for the perfect one. Gray - the boy involved in the accident - might be perfect - but he's unconscious. Peyton hopes that if she hangs around the hospital enough, she'll be there when he wakes up, or maybe she can figure out who hit him. Somehow, she's sure, he'll open his eyes and see her and *boyfriend*!

A cute romance (rather one-sided I guess) with a good amount of other drama as well. Her parents are divorced and she is choosing to stay in town rather than help on her grandma's farm, there are some friend issues, as well as "honesty" issues between Peyton and her mom. While the story contains a mystery, Peyton's hope for this boyfriend was the main story. A cute lite romance for 6th or 7th graders.

Lisa Librarian

Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche by Nancy Springer - ESSENTIAL

Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche (Enola Holmes #7) by Nancy Springer, 261 pages. Wednesday Books, 2021. $14.

Language: PG (2 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Sherlock is experiencing melancholia, so Watson sends for Enola (15yo). While Enola is visiting her brother, a client calls about the suspicious circumstances of her sister’s alleged sudden illness and death. Enola takes the case, hoping it will help Sherlock – and it works!

The case of the black barouche is recounted by Sherlock and Enola to readers. While the antagonist of the story is easier to figure out than I usually like my mysteries, Springer makes the story engaging as Enola and Sherlock untangle the details of how it happened and how to undo what was done. Sherlock is much more level-headed than the fiery Enola, and the execution of their plans is very fun to be part of.

Enola and Sherlock are English, as are the majority of characters they interact with. The mature content rating is for mention of alcohol and mention of nudity. The violence rating is for gun use.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Shirley & Jamila’s Big Fall by Gillian Goerz - HIGH

 Shirley & Jamila’s Big Fall by Gillian Goerz, 236 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. Dial Books for Young Readers (Penguin Random House), 2021. $13

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

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Shirley and Jamila are back for a second adventure. Jamila is finding a new friend as she makes the basketball team and has after-school basketball practice. Shirley has a new mystery to solve: her old enemy is blackmailing students at school. Shirley is approached by desperate students and involves Jamila as they hatch a plan to set things right.

Though this is a second book, these books don’t need to be read in order. Shirley is an intense Sherlock Holmes type and Jamila her Watson. The characters are engaging and the plot works as they tackle themes of friendship, bullying, and intimidation. I found myself cheering for Shirley’s quirky character who is strong and independent despite being so different from her peers.

Michelle in the Middle