Yarn is Everything (Jasper Rabbit's Creepy Tales) by Aaron Reynolds and Peter Brown - ESSENTIAL

Yarn is Everything (Jasper Rabbit's Creepy Tales) by Aaron Reynolds and Peter Brown, 104 pages. CHAPTER BOOK Simon and Schuster, 2026. $14 9781665961141 

Content: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL - ESSENTIAL 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

When 9yo Winona Mole finds a rune inscribed crochet hook in her bag, an identical replica of the storied Spirit Hook, her crochet skills improve dramatically. Soon, Winona could create crocheted yarn versions of almost anything. Maybe she should go on her favorite show "Yarn is Everything"! 

Oh! I loved Yarn is Everything! The story is set up like an episode of Twilight Zone, which will probably be lost on the readers but their grandparents will get it. The pages are printed on black glossy pages, and the color is a neon blue, highlighting her hook and occasionally other focus items. I know the intended audience is familiar with reality competition shows, so Yarn is Everything is an essential purchase for me. Now I need to read the rest of the series. 

Lisa Librarian  

Room to Breathe by Kasie West - ADVISABLE

Room to Breathe by Kasie West, 272 pages. Random House, 2026. $13 (paperback) 

Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: PG (Kissing, making out); Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

High school junior Indy is constantly trying to be the best - she competes for grades against her best friend Beau, she tutors at an education center and is a model citizen. Until, her family begins to implode when her father seems to be in trouble with the FBI, and her mother has forbidden Indy from telling anyone. Suddenly her perfect world isn't spinning right, her studies suffer, her friends are mad and even her relationship with Beau is on the rocks. 

Told in alternating chapters between Now - when Indy is locked in a restroom at school with Beau - and Then - the story of how everything went wrong. West masterfully arranges these chapters so the reader is just barely ahead of the reveals happening in the now. I was thoroughly entertained. I also loved the stress of Indy doubting her father, and how everyone is fighting in her home and it spills into her whole life. Although Indy is in High School, Room to Breathe will appeal to 8th and 9th graders as well. The characters default white.

Lisa Librarian 

Bunkmates for Never (Camp Frenemies #2) by Liz Montague - ADVISABLE

Bunkmates for Never (Camp Frenemies #2) by Liz Montague, 215 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. Random House Studio, 2026. $22

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

13yo Bea has grown up a lot over the last year. She’s wearing a little makeup, and instead of carrying her stuffed animal everywhere, she leaves it behind in her bedroom. She’s excited to reunite with her summer camp bunkmates, but they’re shocked by all the changes they see in her.

Bea is afraid that her friends won’t be able to accept the new Bea and starts to wonder if coming back to camp was a mistake. Will the three friends be able to get along and accept the changes in each other and the changes at camp?" A fun, heartwarming graphic novel about learning to love and accept your friends as they do their best to grow up and figure out who they are. I enjoyed the simple straight forward illustrations.

Bea has brown skin and curly brown hair. Virginia has brown skin and red hair. Roxy has light brown skin with blond hair.

Reviewer: A. Snow, Librarian

When It’s Your Turn for Midnight by Blessing Musariri - ADVISABLE

When It’s Your Turn for Midnight by Blessing Musariri, 184 pages. Lerner, 2026. $19

Language: PG (7 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: PG (mental illness); Violence: PG-13 (# of dead bodies mentioned)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

One moment 15yo Chianti is only worrying about getting her little sister out of trouble with their parents. The next her mother blurts out that her Baba (dad) is not even Chianti’s. Confused and hurt, Chianti flees to her grandmother’s home, where she is surrounded by the group of loving aunties she grew up with, leaving her younger sisters to fend for themselves. While Chianti is trying to make sense of her new reality, she also delves into her grandmother’s history, when she and her friends were freedom fighters during Zimbabwe's civil war. 

Musariri manages to pack quite an emotional punch into a short, poignant story. Can we hold this up to show that  fabulous writing doesn't need 400+ pages to wander towards the point? She paints vivid settings and complex emotions for almost every character. I also love that her glimpse into an unfamiliar culture still shows human emotions and problems are universal.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett - ADVISABLE

A Trade of Blood (Ana and Din Mysteries #3) by Robert Jackson Bennett, 400 pages. Del Rey (Penguin Random House), 2026. $32.

Language: R (196 swears, 56 “f”); Mature Content: PG13 (drug and alcohol use, illegal activity, disturbing elements, innuendo, nudity, and mentions of sex); Violence: R (corpses, assault, blood and gore, animal cruelty, mentions of genocide, suicide, and murder)

BUYING ADVISORY: ADULTS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Ana is not happy with their new investigation assignment not only because it appears to be an open-and-shut case to appease the gentry but mostly because that means it’s also going to be uninteresting. Except that when Ana and Dinios arrive, they find evidence that this case is not as easily settled as they anticipated—and that it might not be the perpetrator’s first murder.

As excited as I was to return to this fantasy world and Ana and Din’s investigative duo, I was as put off about the new case as Ana was, due to the case’s cliché Romeo and Juliet angle. Thankfully, the story quickly expanded from there, drawing in all the elements of mystery, awe, and paranoid suspicion for every character that could betray the beloved duo along the way that I have come to expect. With bittersweet feelings about finishing another mind-blowing case, I look forward to many more.

Reviewer: Carolina Johnson

Vacation Shift by Lily Chu - OPTIONAL

Vacation Shift by Lily Chu, 352 pages. Harper, 2026. $20

Language: R (18  swears, 6 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: G

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

16yo Ivy Yu is on a bonding trip to Japan with her mother. Unfortunately their curated trip is populated mostly by senior citizens - except a boy her age and his dad, who is near Ivy’s mom’s age. Since her parents separated, Ivy has been harboring hope that they will get back together and she is also battling depression on her own, as her mother feels Ivy can just “get over herself". Keith, the other teenager on the trip, agrees with Ivy that their parents shouldn’t get together.  Will the pair be able to sabotage their elders?

Chu focuses mostly on Ivy and her relationships with her parents and gives us beautiful looks around Japan.  And the growing relationship between the two teens will satisfy romance readers.  

Lily is Asian American.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

The Dream Thieves: The Graphic Novel (The Raven Cycle #2) by Maggie Stiefvater, - OPTIONAL

The Dream Thieves: The Graphic Novel (The Raven Cycle #2) by Maggie Stiefvater, 282 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL Viking (Penguin), 2026. $18 

Language: R (50 swears, 12 f); Mature Content: PG-13 (sexual references, drug use); Violence: PG-13 (murder, death, abduction) 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS, ADULT - OPTIONAL 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

This book centers on Ronan Lynch, who is made of secrets, one of which is that he can pull objects out of dreams. His father is murdered because of this ability. The Raven Boys' search for the Ley line to the Glendower, the ancient Welsh king, has run dry. Ronan's dreams may be the key to finding Glendower, but unleashing his power will have far-reaching consequences. 

Stiefvater's writing is very descriptive in prose. Because there is so much going on, the graphic novel doesn't do it justice. The graphic novel is a beautiful back-up to the novel, but it would be really helpful to have read the novel first. I had to Google the book summary and there was a lot that I missed. The plot is dark and nightmarish, but if you're into the Raven Boys cycle, the plot won't disappoint, even though it gets increasingly weird. The Raven Boys are white, privileged, high school boys. 

Michelle in the Middle 

Her America by Heather B. Moore - ADVISABLE

Her America by Heather B. Moore, 304 pages. SHORT STORIES. Shadow Mountain Publishing, 2026. $28.

Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13 (kissing, mild innuendo, and mentions of alcohol and debauchery); Violence: PG (corpses, assault, blood and gore, physical abuse, gun and bomb use, discussions of slavery and war, and mentions of suicide and murder)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS, ADULTS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Moore has put together short stories on eight influential women that combine biographical information with enough historical fiction to bring these real women and their situations to life. The women chosen to be highlighted in this book include the first female historian in America, the first woman in US history to both plan and lead a military raid, a First Lady, a cofounder of La Cruz Blanca (The White Cross), and a Pulitzer-prize winning journalist.

While each section focuses on only one woman’s life, there are multiple heroes in every story. These women worked together with both those that came before them and those around them to accomplish great things—great things that allow us to enjoy the freedoms we take for granted. Every voice matters, and these women demonstrated how we can create a better future for our loved ones as we use our voices. All eight women highlighted are American; they are described as White, Black, and Mexican-American.

Reviewer: Carolina Johnson

My Sister the Werebeast by Alina Tysoe - ADVISABLE

My Sister the Werebeast by Alina Tysoe, 316 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. First Second (Macmillan), 2025. $15

Language: G (0 swears, 0 ‘f'); Mature Content: G (0); Violence: PG (some fantasy violence,not graphic)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Something is happening with Peanut, Rosie and Mira's younger sister.  She seems to have magic powers.  But magic doesn't exist anymore in this world, right?  All magicians died out long ago.  Rosie and Mira need to find a way to keep their sister safe from a dark force that wants to steal her power.

My Sister the Werebeast was an enjoyable read!  The plot was interesting and not predictable.  The illustrations were fun and eye catching.  Also, the text font was easy to read.  My Sister the Werebeast will definitely appeal to students who like fantasy graphic novels with some humor thrown in. Rosie and Mira are anywhere from 14-16 yrs old.  Peanut is a preschooler.

One of the daughters and the mother are Hispanic.  The other main characters are presumably white. 

Tracie, Elementary School Librarian

In the Blood by April Henry - OPTIONAL

In the Blood by April Henry, 304 pages. Hachette Book Group, 2026. $20

Language: PG (5 swears, 0 ‘f'); Mature Content: PG-13 (Dead body, sexual references, objectifying women); Violence: PG-13 (Murder, off-page sexual assault of a teenager by an adult) 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

18yo Tessa has always wondered about her birth parents as she was abandoned at a fire station as an infant. For her birthday, her friend El buys her an ancestry test. With no clear parental matches, Tessa and her friends begin investigating her relatives and uncovering family secrets. At the same time, Keisha, a young cop, is out to prove herself as she tries to find the infamous serial killer the Portland Phantom who just struck again. Quentin is the Portland Phantom, and he is biding his time until makes his next kill.

With all the points of view and plotlines, the novel lacks some depth and character development. I question the inclusion of the serial killer's point of view as he has disparaging views of women, and he is a stereotypical stock character. Nonetheless, the novel does include a positive example of adoptive families and supportive friends. The serial killer storyline, short chapters, and fast-pace may make this novel appealing to reluctant teen readers. 

Keisha is biracial. Tessa's friend Victor has brown skin. Secondary characters are LGBT+.

Ms. Megan, HS Librarian 

A Lady’s Guide to Love and Pirates by Jennifer Moore - OPTIONAL

A Lady’s Guide to Love and Pirates by Jennifer Moore, 320 pages. Shadow Mountain Publishing, 2026. $25.

Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG (alcohol use, illegal activity, kissing, partial nudity, mild innuendo, and mentions of drugs); Violence: PG13 (assault, gun use, blood and gore, and suicide)

BUYING ADVISORY: ADULTS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Lady Annabelle Bradford (20yo) looks forward to summer when her godfather, Court, takes her to the sea on his ship, not that she doesn’t also enjoy the balls of her London society life. She’s surprised when Court sends two members of the crew to pick her up instead of coming himself. But he couldn’t come. Court has been taken hostage by Captain Blackham, and the crew has come to Belle for help.

Swashbuckling adventure, treasure of legend, and, of course, a handsome pirate hero with a tragic backstory all make for a delightful story. I love the crew that would do anything for the noble girl they basically raised together on the seas, though Moore admits how unlikely the scenario would have been and provides sources for nonfiction pirate information in her author’s note. The majority of characters, including Annabelle and Court, are English.

Reviewer: Carolina Johnson

Hafsa's Way by Aisha Saeed - ADVISABLE

Hafsa's Way by Aisha Saeed, 212 pages. Nancy Paulsen (Penguin), 2026. $18.

Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (elephant injury and care issues)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Hafsa wants to be a doctor when she grows up. She's determined to follow that dream despite her father's reluctance to allow his daughter (a girl!) to become a doctor, and the fact that she has been accepted to as prestigious summer camp for pre-med is expensive, and it's in the big city. Fortunately, Hafsa gets her way, and the stars line up in her favor; her married sister lives less than a mile away, and her brother-in-law offers to pay. But when she starts the camp, she sees she's enrolled in the environmental camp instead, but Hafsa is willing to make the best of it.

A companion novel to both Amal Unbound and Omar Rising - Amal returns as best friend, but it's Hafsa's story. I'm not sure how old Hafsa is, she reads to be 12-14, maybe? The story takes place in Pakistan, and the conditions at the zoo are rough - I hope readers understand that things are very different in the US. I loved the environmental connection - kids today are really invested in this subject, so I think this will get read. Saeed is a great writer, and I love her storytelling. The family drama was just right; the medical component - yes, she gets a bit of an opportunity to experience it - was a little surprising, so I think she may be older than 12. Hafsa is Pakistani

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 

Friend Group by Lisa Greenwald - ADVISABLE

Friend Group (Friend Group #1) by Lisa Greenwald, 352 pages. NOVEL IN VERSE HarperCollins, 2026. $20

Language: PG (29 swears - all God, 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Olive and Sadie are so excited to start 7th grade at the middle school. One of the things they wish, though, is to be part of the popular group. Those girls don't exclude them; they just aren't invited. But when Sadie is accidentally added to their group chat, she suddenly has inside knowledge of what the popular kids are doing, where they are going, what they are wearing etc. But they don't know they got the wrong Sadie, and she's not telling anyone, not even her best friend Olive.

Knowing she's lurking on someone else's group chat is disconcerting and cringy. That said, there were a lot of discussion-starting things that happened in this novel - it would make a great book club choice. Sadie is Jewish, Olive is Asian, the friends are multi-cultural

Lisa Librarian

Flight by Alan Gratz - ADVISABLE

Flight by Alan Gratz, 96 pages. Scholastic, SEPTEMBER 2026. $10 (hc)

Language: G (0 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G (mentions girls being dragged away); Violence: PG-13 (beatings, threats, kidnappings, guns and other weapons)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

13yo Dani and 9yo Carlos are fleeing for their lives aboard The Beast, the train that can take them all the way to America. Their small Honduran coffee farm used to be prosperous until climate change brought new diseases. Then they had to flee the city when they became the targets of local gangs. Dani disguises herself as a boy to keep attention away and she and Carlos will have to be very careful of whom they befriend on their harrowing journey.

More short story than novella - it needed to be included as part of Gratz’s Two Degrees book. Gratz is honest about the dangers people face as they try to flee violence to a place of safety without roaming in to graphic, mature content. I just wish it had another 50 pages for more depth.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS 

Sugh Great Heights by Rajani LaRocca - ADVISABLE

Such Great Heights by Rajani LaRocca, 384 pages. HarperCollins, 2026. $20

Language: R (12 swears, 1 ‘f’); Mature Content: PG (kissing); Violence: G (none)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

10th grader Siya is ecstatic to make the school’s mock trial team - especially since 12th grader Raj Raghavan is one of the leaders. Siya is also determined to honor the memory of her mother, a lawyer, who died in a car crash when Siya was ten. This year’s mock trial is not sitting well with Siya, however, because it seems to be based on Siya’s family’s own tragedy. She not only wants to do her best, but she also wants to find out if this is coincidence or a plot.

LaRocca includes the Indian story of Rama and Sita woven into the book. While it is supposed to highlight the romance between Siya and Raj, I found that part of the plot to be secondary to Siya searching for the truth about her mother and family. Of course, I’m an old lady, so I am totally missing the romance. I do love LaRocca’s resolution.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS 

Scrap by Guy Bass - ADVISABLE

Scrap by Guy Bass, 320 pages. Penguin< SEPTEMBER 2026. $10 (pb) Language: G (0 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (danger, injury) 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

Humans were supposed to land and take over the planet Somewhere 513 after the robots prepared it, but when K1-NG and the humans arrived, the robots had rebelled and ordered the humans to leave. Damaged trying to protect the humans, King’s core was transferred to a junk robot and he has been sitting ina scrap pile for the last 10 years. When two young humans, 10yo Paige and 5yo Gnat (Natalie) follow a core detector to him, Scrap (as Gnat names him) has no desire to help them, in fact he actively discourages their presence. But other robots get wind of humans being on the planet and now all of them are running for their lives. 

If younger students are looking for books to read after The Wild Robot, send them in this direction, I enjoyed Scrap’s personality, even though he keeps trying to get rid of Paige and Gnat. The other robots are also interesting - even the Mechanical Mayor, Harmony Highside. 

 Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS 

Ghost Light by Sara Farizan - ADVISABLE

Ghost Light (The Last Resort #3) by Sara Farizan, 208 pages. Scholastic, SEPTEMBER 2026. $18 

Content: PG (some danger, evil spirits) 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

Lisa and Teddy are involved with the Founder’s Day play being produced in honor of their town of Castle Hill, even though past plays have said to be cursed. What they don’t know is that one of the original founders, whose name has been erased from history, lingers as a ghost and gets angry whenever he hears the rewritten narrative. Plus, the kids know that the Fire Maiden has not been completely vanquished. They will not only need Rosteen’s help to conquer her for good, but also of Blight Howler, who they originally banished. It is a delicate balance to save not only themselves, but the whole town, too. 

Farizan skillfully picks up where Kelly and Warga left off. She brings humanity back to Rosteen, whom I only saw as a nuisance in book #2. The danger is nicely creepy without going overboard. 

 Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS 

No Way Never Sisters by Chantel Acevedo and Natalia Sylvester - ADVISABLE

No Way Never Sisters by Chantel Acevedo and Natalia Sylvester, 276 pages. Aladdin (Simon), 2026. $19 

Content: G (mild pranks, family tension) 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

Sure 12yo Roxy and Meli know each other from school, but they are definitely in different crowds. Roxy is sporty and popular, while Meli is artsy and has her own crown, thank you very much. Now Roxy’s dad and Meli’s mom are getting married? And they are all, including their little brothers, moving into the same house which needs major renovations before the wedding in August! Meli and Roxy need to cooperate and scuttle this relationship pronto, if they want to maintain the lives they already enjoy. Their Disaster Plan has a good chance of succeeding - so what if it hurts everyone around them. 

Acevedo and Sylvester juggle a lot of moving parts, but they do it well. The two younger brothers are the cutest, but different from each other. The girls each have a health problem and the dynamics between each girl and the adults plays out differently. The middle grade crowd is perfect for this. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS 

Killing Sadie by Rachel Peterson - OPTIONAL

Killing Sadie by Rachel Peterson, 304 pages. Simon Pulse (Simon & Schuster), 2026. $20.

Language: R (210 swears, 12 "f"); Mature Content: PG13 (drug and alcohol use including underage drinking, illegal activity, kissing, innuendo, and mentions of nudity, STDs, masturbation, and sex); Violence: PG13 (blood and gore and murder)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Authorities bring in Sadie’s twin, best friend, and boyfriend for questioning after Sadie and Mason are found dead at a party. Between the three teenagers with things they want to hide, the police hope to uncover the truth of events that brought about this tragedy.

The whole story is told to readers in a series of biased flashbacks as each of the three high school seniors are interviewed about the day before. Attempting to figure out which version of the truth is the most factual was the most enjoyable part of the book. Unfortunately, while the end included answers, it lacked a satisfying conclusion.

Reviewer: Carolina Johnson