The Destiny of the Diamond Princess by Sherri Winston - OPTIONAL

The Destiny of the Diamond Princess by Sherri Winston, 240 pages. Bloomsbury, 2026. $19

Content: G (mild danger)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

Zahara-Grace has always known that she’s adopted. For her 12yo birthday, her mother and G-Pop give her a DNA kit. Surprise! She is the granddaughter of the king of a small African nation, Maliwanda. As Zahara-Grace reunites with her former best friend Persephone, she is also excited about a Maliwand exhibit that includes a rare diamond, the Tear of Amun. Someone has dire plans for Zahara-Grace, however, plans that involve an ancient curse.

I found the villain in the story to be fairly obvious. Even accounting for the young age of the intended readers, I don’t find it compelling. Our young readers probably have not read The Princess Diaries nor seen the movies, so that easy comparison won’t interfere with their enjoyment.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS 

Flip by Ngozi Ukazu - OPTIONAL

Flip by Ngozi Ukazu, 314 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL First Second (Macmillan), 2025. $26

Language: R (57 swears, 3 f) Mature Content: PG-13 (sexual references, secondary characters same sex attraction, suicidal thoughts)) Violence: G

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Chi-Chi Ekeh is in her senior year at a prestigious boarding school. Black, and from Nigeria, Chi-Chi is drawn to white boys, and when her private proposal to ask her crush, Flip Henderson, to prom ends up in a public rejection, she switches bodies with him. Chi-Chi is a shy, nerdy, scholarship student, and Flip is the most popular boy in school. While switching helps them see each other's point of view, the switching episodes are lasting longer, and they need to be able to switch back before graduation.

This is the Freaky Friday version of switching bodies, but a male/female switch is much more complicated. Think periods. The themes of accepting and liking yourself ring true, as well as the need to be seen. I liked that both characters have issues, and that no one's life is easy. The K-pop fanning is fun and art works well. This is an engaging, fast read.

Michelle in the Middle 

Firefox Moon by Eoin Colfer - OPTIONAL

Firefox Moon by Eoin Colfer, 354 pages.  Roaring Brook Press (Macmillan), 2025. $20 

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

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - OPTIONAL 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

13yo Juniper Lane is helping to protect a magical forest in the middle of London with her best friend, a flying reindeer. The forest is teeming with more magic than it should because of leftover magical poop. The magic has attracted a variety of magical creatures, some good and some evil, to try and find a mythical firefox that can grant a wish under the Blood Moon. Juniper has to try and protect the forest and perhaps all of Britain, when her reindeer is captured and evil threatens. 

This is the second adventure for Juniper Lane, so readers may want to read "Juniper's Christmas" first. Juniper is a resourceful character, and her relationship with her reindeer is sweet. While there was a lot of action, I had a hard time with poop from magical beings being the cause of so much mischief, but perhaps a younger audience will find that amusing. The Christmas elements seemed a bit out of place, though to be fair, this is set in the summer, not during the holidays. It's a fun story with lots of action, but could have been condensed. No culture or race is specified, but Juniper appears black in the artwork. 

Michelle in the Middle 

Sheine Lende (a prequel to Elatsoe) by Darcy Little Badger - ADVUSABLE

Sheine Lende (a prequel to Elatsoe) by Darcy Little Badger, illustrated by Rovina Cai, 400 pages. Levine Querido, 2025. $20. 

Language: PG (17 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (peril, injuries) 

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

17yo Shane is a member of the almost extinct Lipan Apache tribe. Her mother has a special talent for finding lost people, and Shane has special skills too, and she helps her mother when she can. When a brother and sister go missing in the woods, and then Shane's mother disappears, too, Shane may have to rely on her unpredictable grandfather to help her. It seems there's some fairy magic causing the trouble. Shane has inherited a gift for temporarily raising the dead, but so far she keeps it to small things, mostly bugs. She has a ghost dog who is excellent at tracking, and Shane's mother has taught her well. 

So many twists and turns, traditional Indigenous culture along with Fairy rings and ancient wizards with some modern science thrown in as well - I had no idea where it was going, but I loved where it took me. I have not read Elatsoe, but now I need to, as I would love to return to their world. What a great adventure. Illustrations were pencil and interesting, they weren't always obviously representing something from the following chapter, but I bet they do, I will certainly take another look. 

Lisa Librarian 

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt and K Woodman-Maynard - OPTIONAL

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt and K Woodman-Maynard, 256 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. 

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

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

10yo Winnie escapes her very strict house and into the woods, where she finds a boy and a mysterious spring, which he won’t let her drink from. Taking her home with him, he introduces her to his family, all of whom drank from the spring more than 80 years ago - since it turned them immortal. 

Babbitt and Woodman-Maynard reimagine the classic as a graphic novel. Seeing this in graphic form brings some parts which had faded in my memory to the forefront. I am not in favor of turning every classic into a graphic novel.  There is a lot of depth of language that is lost and now I’m stuck with someone else’s pictures in my mind. 

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

Fustuk by Robert Mgrdich Apelian - ADVISABLE

Fustuk by Robert Mgrdich Apelian, 304 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. Penguin Young Readers Group (Penguin Random House), 2026. $18.

Language: G (3 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (a few tense situations, e.g. a guard hurt in div attack, brief div possession, self-inflicted knife wound, and siblings fighting the div)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SOME

17 yo Katah wants to make life easier for his dying mother, but he is useless in the kitchen, and feels like an outsider in his family of chefs. However, he does have magical visions that lead him to Az, a mysterious div (demons from Persian folklore). To save their dying mother, Katah and his siblings make a risky deal with Az, who is somehow linked to their family’s past. As you can imagine, a deal with a demon never goes smoothly.

I struggled getting into this graphic novel initially. The Persian and Armenian influences in the language, the food, clothing, and architecture depicted was just so different from anything I had a reference for, and the fantasy elements were also very unfamiliar, which makes me think it will have a somewhat limited appeal to the average reader. Eventually I did get wrapped up in the story, Katah's coming-of-age arc, and of course, I was in tears by the end of the book. It's a sumptuously illustrated, fantastical story about loss, food culture, and family dynamics. It could be an excellent text for visual analysis or in comparison to other folklore-adjacent stories.

Diversity note: The story takes place in a fantasy realm of Pars, but the author noted the Armenian and Persian influences on the story, so the characters look and dress Middle Eastern.

Reviewer: Kiera Beddes, ELA teacher, #bookswithbeddes

The Shark Prince by Malia Maunakea - ADVISABLE

The Shark Prince by Malia Maunakea, 368 pages. Penguin Workshop (Penguin Random House), 2026. $19.

Language: PG (1 swear, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG (mentions of drugs); Violence: PG (assault, blood, and mentions of murder)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

13yo Nohea has been homeschooled and kept away from everyone outside of his mom and tutu in order to protect them—because Nohea is half-shark, the Shark Prince. When Nohea tries to sign up for a surfing contest with prize money that will keep his family from moving away from Hawaii, he finds out that homeschoolers are ineligible. For the first time, Nohea is getting the chance to be normal and go to school—as long as his shark stays quiet.

The aspects of Nohea’s story that come from Hawaiian culture and mythology were very interesting to read and learn about. But the heart of the book is Nohea learning about friendship and community through taking chances that his mother never did—discovering that it’s hard to get help if you never ask and that asking for help can open doors you never knew were there. Nohea and the majority of characters are Hawaiian.

Reviewer: Carolina Johnson

The Ink Witch by Steph Cherrywell - OPTIONAL

The Ink Witch by Steph Cherrywell, 288 pages. Little, Brown, 2025. $9. 

Language: PG (2 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (witch kicks her unconscious sister, mildly disturbing images described) 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME 

12yo Becca is tired of her boring mother not letting her do anything, she can't even try for the role of the Wicked Witch in The Wizard of Oz because her mom really doesn't like witches. She makes 3 wishes: that something would happen; that she would meet where her "being interesting" genes come from; and that her mom would shut up and do what Becca asks her to do. Well, she gets her wishes right away when an aunt she never met shows up, and she's a witch, and she puts a spell on Becca's mom. Now Becca doesn't like to have to tell her mom what to do, and she has to use her newly discovered witch powers to find the ingredients she needs to break the spell. Good thing she has her mom's familiar (a spider) and a monster who used to live in the ice maker. 

Very funny in parts, other times I feel the author was writing like a child instead of for a child, using excessively silly names, talking about things that would be gross, and unexpected resolutions to situations. I liked how the trans child's story was easily woven into the plot, and their journey wasn't about being trans but learning to be a witch. That felt normal and nice. Becca is a transgender girl. 

Lisa Librarian 

Reach by Celesta Rimington, - OPTIONAL

Reach by Celesta Rimington, 190 pages. Nancy Paulsen (Penguin), 2026. $18.

Content: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

12yo Denver is not happy with his summer.  His mom recently remarried and his new 8yo stepbrother is always in his face or causing trouble wherever they go.  And they are taking over the summer management of a resort, so Denver has no chance of hanging with any friends. Along the shores of the beautiful lake, however, Denver can hear the voices of the trees.  One tree in particular seems eager to talk and even offers to turn young Harlan into a tree so that he can feel what it’s like. Now the tree, Spiro, can’t change Harlan back. Denver is going to have to learn a lot of things very quickly if he has any hope of restoring Harlan.

The summary may feel a little weird, but Rimington writes a lovely book that delves into our need for connection versus our propensity to retreat when we are deeply hurt. She injects humor, wonder, and a bit of danger. I would encourage elementary teachers to read it out loud to their classes.  

The characters cue white.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

The Wish Switch by Lynn Painter - ADVISABLE

The Wish Switch by Lynn Painter, 310 pages. Little Brown, 2025. $9 (pb)

Language: G (1 swears, 0  ‘f’); Mature Content: G (none); Violence: G (none)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Near the end of 6th grade, Emma and her BFFs retreated to a special place in the woods for their chance at getting their wishes granted. Unfortunately for Emma, her new nextdoor neighbor almost ruins everything. When 7th grade starts, Emma’s friends show signs of their wishes being granted - but where are Emma’s wishes? Could Jackson have stolen them?  Emma needs to know - not just so that she can reclaim her wishes, but because her fourth wish could be a catastrophe for Jackson’s family. The pair will have to cooperate in order to avert disaster, and their deadline is fast approaching.

Painter has entered middle grade fiction with a cute non-romantic fantasy. The plot is a little complicated (I bookmarked Emma’s wishes to help me follow along), but lots of fun. 

SPOILER:  I like that the pair are friends - not romantically entangled.

The characters are white.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Twin Tides by Hien Nguyen - OPTIONAL

Twin Tides by Hien Nguyen, 352 pages. Random House, 2025. $20

Language: R (100+ swears, 5 ‘f’); Mature Content: G ; Violence: PG-13 (bullying, drownings)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

When their mother’s body is found, 14 years after she disappeared, 18yo Aria and Caliste find out, from first sight, that they are identical twins. Separated when their mother disappeared, Aria was raised poor by her aunt, while Caliste was raised rich by her father, who grew a grocery empire. While the girls get to know each other, they are struggling to deal with their mother’s death - and to connect it to the other mysterious deaths that have been happening in the area. The Hane family, which seems to own the small town of Les Eaux, seem to be intimately involved in everything to do with the girls’ family - even this, somehow.

Nguyen spends too much time setting up the girls’ lives - getting to their meeting more than 100 pages in. Once the book hits the town of Les Eaux, it picks up and starts really running. That first 100 pages, though , is why I can only rate it optional. The girls’ mother has her own story to tell as a Vietnamese Ma Da - a vengeful water spirit created when someone is drowned.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS 

I am the Swarm by Hayley Chewins - SEVERAL

I am the Swarm by Hayley Chewins, 336 pages. Penguin, 2025. $20

Language: R (8 swears, 1 ‘f'); Mature Content: PG-13 (passionate kissing, implied sex); Violence: PG-13 (self-harm, attempted suicide, sexual harassment)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

15 yo Nell Strand feels numb and invisible. Her mom is busy with her older sister Mora who is institutionalized for her mental health, and her dad avoids addressing issues by focusing on work. To make matters more complex, her family line is cursed as each family member's magic is revealed when they turn 15. After her birthday, Nell’s own magic appears: her emotions are released from her as insects. When the insects appear, she feels the emotions vividly until the insects die. Then, she returns to numbness. As she struggles through school, a crush, and sexual harassment, she is forced to face her swarm and all its forms from angry wasps to hopeful dragonflies.

This novel in verse hooks you from the first page. The prose is rich with figurative language, which is fitting for the book’s overall metaphor of mental health tied into physical iterations of magic. The novel covers a range of mental health topics, perhaps too many as I wonder if they each get enough of a focus and resolution. Nonetheless, it’s a stunning work with the powerful message of facing your emotions. 

Nell’s mother is Afrikaans, and her dad is English. The setting is Cape Town, South Africa.

Megan, High School Librarian

16 Forever by Lance Rubin - OPTIONAL

16 Forever by Lance Rubin, 368 pages. Harper, 2026. $20

Language: R (100+ swears, 37  ‘f’); Mature Content: PG-13 (teens drinking, drugs mentioned, talk of desire for sex); Violence: G

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Carter is so excited - it's his 16yo birthday and he is ready to get his driver’s license and be free! However - his parents sadly inform him that this is the 6th time he has turned 16.  Carter regresses each year on his birthday while the rest of the world keeps moving forward, so Carter is a sophomore AGAIN. Maggie had such high hopes that Carter would finally wake up on his birthday and be 17; she really thought they had made a breakthrough. Now that Carter is again 16, however, she just wants to put her head down, ignore Carter and finish her senior year. But the pair are drawn to each other despite themselves. 

Watching Carter react to being 16 again while his younger brother is now older than he is and his teachers are starting to retire is a bit heart-breaking. I can almost understand why he uses his legal ID to "help out” his fellow students. Rubin skillfully builds towards the climax - you know the outcome that you want in the story, but he keeps you in suspense throughout, happy to probably dash your hopes.

The characters cue white.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Lies on the Serpent's Tongue by Kate Pearsall - OPTIONAL

Lies on the Serpent's Tongue (Bittersweet in the Hollow #2) by Kate Pearsall, 307 pages. G.P. Putnam's Sons (Penguin), 2025. $20

Language: PG (9 swears, 0 ‘f'); Mature Content: PG-13 (mostly only kissing, one a little heated); Violence: PG (deaths, no blood)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

18-year-old Rowan James has spent her whole life harboring unpleasant truths—that’s what happens when you can smell people’s lies—and building walls around herself to block them out. Like her younger sister, Linden, who can taste the feelings of others, Rowan has long resented her gift, which has taught her that everyone lies and no one is who they seem to be. So when her old nemesis, Hadrian Fitch, the biggest liar of them all, shows up on her front porch—bloodied, broken, and asking for help only she can give—her first instinct is distrust. But something new is stalking the forest that surrounds Caball Hollow. Now things are disappearing. At first, it’s small stuff—like letters, photos, and keys. But then, Rowan notices people around her are losing their memories. And when the body of a neighbor is found in the middle of town, Rowan knows there’s a link between this death and all the events disturbing the Hollow. Can she find what—or who—the link is before it takes another life?"

Overall, it was a good read.  I felt it was a bit slow to start and if you haven't read the first book it made it a tad bit harder to understand the characters and references from the first book, but you figure it out.   The author teased the romance but didn't really give you much to go on and could have developed that more, especially with Rowan's ability to detect lies and how that could affect her relationship with Hadrian even more. The writing was descriptive and I could imagine every little part of the small town and the forest.  Pearsall made them come alive on the pages.  I enjoyed her sister's and parent's stories (although it took me a minute to understand what happened with the parents).  Again, it was a good read and I think for Middle School and High School students, they would enjoy the series, especially if they like a bit of romance and magic. I appreciate that it was overall a clean YA book with minimal swearing.

I am guessing most characters are white.

Karen Cutchen, Library aide

The Incredibly Human Henson Blayze by Derrick Barnes - OPTIONAL

The Incredibly Human Henson Blayze by Derrick Barnes, 251 pages. Viking (Penguin), 2025. $18. 

Content: G (1 mild swear, threats)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

13yo Henson Blayze is already on the high school football team. The whole town, 95% white, sees him as the next great hope. In his first game, however, Henson leaves after he finds out that his best young friend has been beaten by the police and is in the hospital. The town, lead by Dem Delta Boys, doesn’t take Henson’s defection well.  Meanwhile, Henson’s father is trying to cultivate Henson’s connection to their land - they are one of the few Black families in the county that own such a large property.  And the Blayze family has an obligation to the land and to their larger community.

The magical realism of Barnes’s story is a bit confusing. I think Henson could have learned his lessons without it. There is not enough football for me to point this at sports boys. The commentary on Blacks being “required” to entertain white folk to “earn” their place is the best part for me.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

The Village Beyond the Mist by Sachiko Kashiwaba - ADVISABLE

The Village Beyond the Mist by Sachiko Kashiwaba, translated from Japanese by Avery Fischer Udagawa, 146 pages. Restless Books (Yonder) 2025 $18. 

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

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SOME 

6th grader Lina travels alone to a rural village (at her father's request) to spend the summer. She expects to be met by someone, but only finds her destination, Absurd Avenue, through a series of strange circumstances, then finds that the boarding house she lives in requires her to work for her board - Mrs. Picotto won't accept Lena's father's money. So Lina takes jobs assigned to her, helping out in several shops, learning about the people in the village and how to be a real friend. 

Originally published in Japan in 1975, it feels very Pippi Longstocking to me. I love the stories of Sachiko Kashiwaba (see Temple Alley Summer) and I was delighted with each new quest. I love Lina's attitude and the characters she comes in contact with. The bits of magic are fun as well. As with most books originally published outside the US, it's not for everyone, however, if you have readers that are Studio Ghibli fans, this is the text Hayao Miyazaki used as inspiration for Spirited Away. The characters are Japanese. 

Lisa Librarian 

The Snowman Code by Simon Stephenson - ADVISABLE

The Snowman Code by Simon Stephenson, 238 pages. Simon and Schuster, DECEMBER 2025. $18.

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Blessing is sad - her mother is depressed because even though it is March there is no sign of spring and Blessing is afraid that she will be placed in foster care again.  Also, the Driplet Triplets have been making her life miserable.  Blessing decides to write a letter to school saying they are moving to Australia, so now Blessing can skip school every day.  Wandering the park one day, she sees a snowman frolicking and she stumbles upon  Albert and the Snowman Code - part of which involves helping children in trouble. Maybe Blessing can help Albert, too.  Albert has been looking for his lost love - every year snowmen are reborn in new places, so they haven’t found each other for 600 years. Rumor is that Clementine is right here in NYC.

I found Albert absolutely adorable. He has some mixed up ideas about the world, but it is from a snowman’s point of view.  I would love to read this to a 2, 3, 4th grade class. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Steel & Spellfire by Laura Weymouth - ADVISABLE

Steel & Spellfire by Laura Weymouth, 368 pages. Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2025. $20.

Language: PG (13 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: PG (kissing); Violence: PG (bloody gunshot wound)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

Magic, murder and mystery!  17yo Pandora’s childhood was taken from her by a patron that warped her powers into an extremely and extraordinary strength to make her dangerous. Her patron always kept their identity secret and Pandora is determined to discover who the person is that changed her power. Meanwhile, someone with similar powers to Pandora’s is murdering young women the same age as her. Once Pandora arrives at court, she meets a guard named Beacon and immediately feels a connection with him. Pandora is determined to solve the mystery of the murderer and her patron but she will struggle to do it alone and Beacon will struggle with loyalty and doing the right thing.

I enjoyed the prose. Beacon fell for Pandora a bit too quickly. Pandora’s friend Winifred is charming and fun. The rivalry between Pandora and Imogen entertains and surprises. Ethnicity falls to white. 

LynnDell Watson, DHS Librarian

Lovely Dark and Deep by Elisa A. Bonnin - OPTIONAL

Lovely Dark and Deep by Elisa A. Bonnin, 388 pages. Feiwel and Friends (Macmillan), 2025. $21

Language: R (22 swears,  4 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (mild danger, skeleton mentioned)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

18yo Faith is back at Every West, a hidden school for magical students for her final year, but this year she is branded a Red Stripe - dangerous. Since her best friend Sydney didn’t return from the journey into the forbidden woods around the school, nothing has been the same. While she is ostracized by the other students at school, the handful of other Red Stripes adopt her as one of their own.  With their courage and strength, Faith may be able to find the answers she needs and find the truth about the mysterious presence she felt within the woods that day.

While Elisa looks a tad young on the cover, she is a senior in high school. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Faith’s story and meeting the other Red Stripes. Less time is spent on explaining the magical system that exists in this world, but I didn’t miss it - Faith’s story was enough for me. I don’t see how there can be a sequel, but I sure do need to read the author’s other two books now.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS