New Titles

The World Between Blinks

Kaufman, Amie.


School Library Journal, November 2020. Booklist starred, November 2020. Bulletin (Center for Children's Books), December 2020. "Whenever cousins Jake and Marisol get together, adventure follows. They have their late Nana to thank for that. Her epic trips and treasure hunts were the stuff of family legend. This summer, with the whole family reuniting for one last vacation at Nana's home, the cousins in for a legendary trip of their own. Following a map Nana left behind, Jake and Marisol sneak out to a nearby lighthouse--then accidentally slip into another world! The World Between Blinks is a magical place, where all kinds of lost things (and people!) end up. Everywhere they turn, the cousins find real mysteries from history--plus a few they thought were just myths. But the man who holds the key to Jake and Marisol's return journey doesn't want to be found . . . and if the cousins don't catch him fast, they could end up lost in this world for good"--Provided by publisher.
Date Published:2021

School Library Journal, November 2020. Booklist starred, November 2020. Bulletin (Center for Children's Books), December 2020. "Whenever cousins Jake and Marisol get together, adventure follows. They have their late Nana to thank for that. Her epic trips and treasure hunts were the stuff of family legend. This summer, with the whole family reuniting for one last vacation at Nana's home, the cousins in for a legendary trip of their own. Following a map Nana left behind, Jake and Marisol sneak out to a nearby lighthouse--then accidentally slip into another world! The World Between Blinks is a magical place, where all kinds of lost things (and people!) end up. Everywhere they turn, the cousins find real mysteries from history--plus a few they thought were just myths. But the man who holds the key to Jake and Marisol's return journey doesn't want to be found . . . and if the cousins don't catch him fast, they could end up lost in this world for good"--Provided by publisher.

Date Published:2021

Willodeen

Applegate, Katherine,


Junior Library Guild. "Eleven-year-old Willodeen adores creatures of all kinds, but her favorites are the most unlovable beasts in the land: strange beasts known as 'screechers.' The villagers of Perchance call them pests, even monsters, but Willodeen believes the animals serve a vital role in the complicated web of nature. Lately, though, nature has seemed angry indeed. Perchance has been cursed with fires and mudslides, droughts and fevers, and even the annual migration of hummingbears, a source of local pride and income, has dwindled. For as long as anyone can remember, the tiny animals have overwintered in shimmering bubble nests perched atop blue willow trees, drawing tourists from far and wide. This year, however, not a single hummingbear has returned to Perchance, and no one knows why. When a handmade birthday gift brings unexpected magic to Willodeen and her new friend, Connor, she's determined to speak up for the animals she loves, and perhaps even uncover the answer to the mystery of the missing hummingbears. A timely and timeless tale about our fragile earth, and one girl's fierce determination to make a difference"--From the publisher's we site.
Date Published:2021

Junior Library Guild. "Eleven-year-old Willodeen adores creatures of all kinds, but her favorites are the most unlovable beasts in the land: strange beasts known as 'screechers.' The villagers of Perchance call them pests, even monsters, but Willodeen believes the animals serve a vital role in the complicated web of nature. Lately, though, nature has seemed angry indeed. Perchance has been cursed with fires and mudslides, droughts and fevers, and even the annual migration of hummingbears, a source of local pride and income, has dwindled. For as long as anyone can remember, the tiny animals have overwintered in shimmering bubble nests perched atop blue willow trees, drawing tourists from far and wide. This year, however, not a single hummingbear has returned to Perchance, and no one knows why. When a handmade birthday gift brings unexpected magic to Willodeen and her new friend, Connor, she's determined to speak up for the animals she loves, and perhaps even uncover the answer to the mystery of the missing hummingbears. A timely and timeless tale about our fragile earth, and one girl's fierce determination to make a difference"--From the publisher's we site.

Date Published:2021

Very bad at math

Larson, Hope,


Booklist, Horn Book Guide, Kirkus Review, Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal Starred, Verity "Very" Nelson is student body president, debate club whiz, and first chair clarinetist, and she's pretty much the best at everything except math. Despite her best efforts, math just doesn't make sense to Very, and soon she finds herself enrolled in a remedial math class. She worries that if she doesn't raise her math score, she's going to lose her presidency, but everything changes when Very discovers she has dyscalculia, a learning disability that causes her to mix up numbers. After learning there's nothing wrong with her, Very finds a way to be confident and realizes she doesn't have to be perfect at everything.
Date Published:2025

Booklist, Horn Book Guide, Kirkus Review, Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal Starred, Verity "Very" Nelson is student body president, debate club whiz, and first chair clarinetist, and she's pretty much the best at everything except math. Despite her best efforts, math just doesn't make sense to Very, and soon she finds herself enrolled in a remedial math class. She worries that if she doesn't raise her math score, she's going to lose her presidency, but everything changes when Very discovers she has dyscalculia, a learning disability that causes her to mix up numbers. After learning there's nothing wrong with her, Very finds a way to be confident and realizes she doesn't have to be perfect at everything.

Date Published:2025

Twin cities

Pimienta, Jose,


Booklist, Horn Book Guide Starred, Kirkus Reviews Starred, Publishers Weekly Starred, School Library Journal, Fraternal twins Teresa and Fernando have always been together, and always will be--at least, that is what Fernando thought, anyway. Now, though, Teresa wants to go to a different middle school, which means she must cross the U.S.-Mexico border. Problems arise for both twins in their respective schools, with friends coming and going and worries that their family is falling apart.
Date Published:2022

Booklist, Horn Book Guide Starred, Kirkus Reviews Starred, Publishers Weekly Starred, School Library Journal, Fraternal twins Teresa and Fernando have always been together, and always will be--at least, that is what Fernando thought, anyway. Now, though, Teresa wants to go to a different middle school, which means she must cross the U.S.-Mexico border. Problems arise for both twins in their respective schools, with friends coming and going and worries that their family is falling apart.

Date Published:2022

The tryout

Soontornvat, Christina,


As one of the only Asian Americans in her school, Christina confronts both well-meaning ignorance and cruel racism, but in middle school fitting in is important, which is why she and her best friend Megan are both excited and nervous to try out for the popular cheerleading squad.
Date Published:2022

Timid

Todd, Jonathan, (Graphic novelist),


Booklist, Kirkus Review, Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal Starred, After Cecil Hall and his family moves from Florida to Massachusetts, near Boston, he's anxious around making new friends and fitting in at his new school. His older sister, Leah, thinks he should befriend the other Black kids at his new school, but Cecil isn't sure how do so. He'd rather be known for his comics-making talent, but the few kids who are impressed by Cecil's art aren't always nice to him. In addition, his overworked father wants him to develop other interests besides his art and to "toughen up" and stand up for himself. But things get even more complicated when one of his drawings is used for a prank that gets him into trouble.
Date Published:2024

Booklist, Kirkus Review, Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal Starred, After Cecil Hall and his family moves from Florida to Massachusetts, near Boston, he's anxious around making new friends and fitting in at his new school. His older sister, Leah, thinks he should befriend the other Black kids at his new school, but Cecil isn't sure how do so. He'd rather be known for his comics-making talent, but the few kids who are impressed by Cecil's art aren't always nice to him. In addition, his overworked father wants him to develop other interests besides his art and to "toughen up" and stand up for himself. But things get even more complicated when one of his drawings is used for a prank that gets him into trouble.

Date Published:2024

Tidesong

Xu, Wendy,


Booklist, Kirkus Review, School Library Connection, School Library Journal Starred, Twelve-year-old Sophie Wu, a young witch who aspires to learn magic and attend the Royal Magic Academy, is sent to live with relatives she's never met to train for her entrance exams. However, the training isn't going well so Sophie, impatient to begin casting spells, steals her cousin's spell book and attempts magic on her own. The spell goes wrong and Sophie causes a storm that washes her out to sea. She is saved from drowning by a young water dragon named Lir, but in the process, Sophie accidentally entangles her magic with Lir's causing him to be trapped on land in human form without memory of where he came from. With his magic, Sophie could pass her entrance exams, but that would keep Lir from regaining his memories. Sophie must prove to herself--and to everyone else--that she can pass the exams without Lir's help, and find a way to separate their entwined magic.
Date Published:2021

Booklist, Kirkus Review, School Library Connection, School Library Journal Starred, Twelve-year-old Sophie Wu, a young witch who aspires to learn magic and attend the Royal Magic Academy, is sent to live with relatives she's never met to train for her entrance exams. However, the training isn't going well so Sophie, impatient to begin casting spells, steals her cousin's spell book and attempts magic on her own. The spell goes wrong and Sophie causes a storm that washes her out to sea. She is saved from drowning by a young water dragon named Lir, but in the process, Sophie accidentally entangles her magic with Lir's causing him to be trapped on land in human form without memory of where he came from. With his magic, Sophie could pass her entrance exams, but that would keep Lir from regaining his memories. Sophie must prove to herself--and to everyone else--that she can pass the exams without Lir's help, and find a way to separate their entwined magic.

Date Published:2021

Three strike summer

Schrempp, Skyler,


Junior Library Guild. "Dust Bowl refugee Gloria Mae Willard finds herself uprooted and working on a California peach orchard, where she tries to join the secret, all-boys baseball team that she's desperate to play on"--
Date Published:2022

Stuntboy, in the meantime

Reynolds, Jason,


"A Caitlyn Dlouhy book. Horn Book Guide Starred, Kirkus Reviews Starred, Publishers Weekly Starred, School Library Connection, Portico Reeves' secret identity as Stuntboy allows him to use his superpower to keep everybody safe, but when his superhero parents start fighting a lot he feels the responsibility to save them.
Date Published:2021

Squire & knight

Chantler, Scott,


Booklist Starred Reviews, Kirkus Review, Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, Boastful knight Sir Kelton and his bookish squire arrive in the village of Bridgetown to discover that a dragon is menacing the area and causing hardship to the villagers. While Sir Kelton insists that the squire won't find the solution in his books, he charges out to defeat the dragon, but doesn't return after several days. The squire humbly and methodically approaches the problem facing the villagers and learns the truth about the alleged curse upon the town and the dragon supposedly responsible for it.
Date Published:2023

Booklist Starred Reviews, Kirkus Review, Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, Boastful knight Sir Kelton and his bookish squire arrive in the village of Bridgetown to discover that a dragon is menacing the area and causing hardship to the villagers. While Sir Kelton insists that the squire won't find the solution in his books, he charges out to defeat the dragon, but doesn't return after several days. The squire humbly and methodically approaches the problem facing the villagers and learns the truth about the alleged curse upon the town and the dragon supposedly responsible for it.

Date Published:2023

Speechless

Steinke, Aron Nels,


Booklist, Kirkus Review, Publishers Weekly Starred, School Library Journal, As Mira starts middle school, she hope it will be the year she can get over her speaking anxiety at school. Mira talks fine at home, but she's never been able to speak at school or in crowds. When her mother invites former-best-friend-turned-enemy Chloe to stay with them, Mira thinks her life couldn't get any worse, so she delves into making her stop-animation films as a way to cope. However, when her anxiety only increases, her parents intervene and she learns how to face her fears and the divide between Chloe and her.
Date Published:2025

Booklist, Kirkus Review, Publishers Weekly Starred, School Library Journal, As Mira starts middle school, she hope it will be the year she can get over her speaking anxiety at school. Mira talks fine at home, but she's never been able to speak at school or in crowds. When her mother invites former-best-friend-turned-enemy Chloe to stay with them, Mira thinks her life couldn't get any worse, so she delves into making her stop-animation films as a way to cope. However, when her anxiety only increases, her parents intervene and she learns how to face her fears and the divide between Chloe and her.

Date Published:2025

Speak up, Santiago 1 /

Anta, Julio,


Booklist, Kirkus Review, Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, City kid Santiago's summer in Hillside Valley gets off to a good start with new friends, time with his grandma, and new, complicated feelings for Nico--but things quickly go south when it becomes apparent his Spanish is no where near good enough to really fit in with his Colombian family and friends. It gets so bad, Santi worries he will not be able to play in Hillside's summer soccer tournament.
Date Published:2025

Booklist, Kirkus Review, Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, City kid Santiago's summer in Hillside Valley gets off to a good start with new friends, time with his grandma, and new, complicated feelings for Nico--but things quickly go south when it becomes apparent his Spanish is no where near good enough to really fit in with his Colombian family and friends. It gets so bad, Santi worries he will not be able to play in Hillside's summer soccer tournament.

Date Published:2025

A song called home

Zarr, Sara.


School Library Journal, January 2022. Booklist starred, February 2022. Pub Weekly, December 2021. Kirkus Starred, December 2021. New York Times, February 2022. Receiving a mysterious guitar the night before she leaves the city to live with her mom and new stepdad, Lou believes that if she learns how to play it, she can bring a piece of her old life home.
Date Published:2022

Smaller sister

Willis, Maggie Edkins,


Horn Book Guide, Kirkus Reviews Starred, Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal Starred, Lucy, a young girl has always looked up to her beloved big sister, Livy, but she has recently started to notice Livy's changes. Livy gets angrier and more withdrawn, until Lucy and the family find out Livy has an eating disorder. Apart from navigating middle school and making new friends, while dealing with bullies, now Lucy must find a way to help Livy heal and find her way back to being best friends and sisters.
Date Published:2022

Horn Book Guide, Kirkus Reviews Starred, Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal Starred, Lucy, a young girl has always looked up to her beloved big sister, Livy, but she has recently started to notice Livy's changes. Livy gets angrier and more withdrawn, until Lucy and the family find out Livy has an eating disorder. Apart from navigating middle school and making new friends, while dealing with bullies, now Lucy must find a way to help Livy heal and find her way back to being best friends and sisters.

Date Published:2022

A sky of paper stars

Yi, Susie,


Booklist, Horn Book Guide, Kirkus Reviews Starred, Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, A graphic novel following the little girl Yuna, whose grandmother, or "halmoni," tells her that if she folds 1,000 origami stars, she will be granted a wish. Yuna's one desire is to belong in her middle school, and to do that, she wishes for her family to go back to Korea. The next day, halmoni dies, and Yuna and her family must go to Korea for her funeral--and Yuna wishes for her wish to come untrue so she can get her grandma back.
Date Published:2023

Booklist, Horn Book Guide, Kirkus Reviews Starred, Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, A graphic novel following the little girl Yuna, whose grandmother, or "halmoni," tells her that if she folds 1,000 origami stars, she will be granted a wish. Yuna's one desire is to belong in her middle school, and to do that, she wishes for her family to go back to Korea. The next day, halmoni dies, and Yuna and her family must go to Korea for her funeral--and Yuna wishes for her wish to come untrue so she can get her grandma back.

Date Published:2023

The sheep, the rooster, and the duck

Phelan, Matt,


Junior Library Guild. In 1783 France, ten-year-old Emilie works as Benjamin Franklin's caretaker, but after he finds himself in the middle of a sinister plot, he helps France's undercover guardians, a sheep, a roster and a duck save the world.
Date Published:2022

Shakti

Sindu, SJ,


Booklist, Kirkus Review, Publishers Weekly Starred, School Library Journal, Twelve-year-old Shakti is no stranger to being the new girl at school, but she hopes the move with her two moms and her unborn baby brother to Amherst, Massachusetts, will finally be the place they can truly call home. On the first day of seventh grade, Shakti befriends Xi but also makes enemies with the meanest girls in school: Harini, Emily, and Kelly. When she and Xi find the trio casting spells in the woods, Shakti turns to ancient Indian magic to protect her new home. But when she tries to get help from Durga Ma, Shakti accidentally conjures Kali Ma, the Destroyer and Durga Ma's dangerous twin, who turns Harini, Emily, and Kelly into monsters and curses Amherst. It's up to Shakti and Xi to save the day, but Shakti must find a way to let go of her anger towards the girls in order to release Kali Ma's grip on their town.
Date Published:2023

Booklist, Kirkus Review, Publishers Weekly Starred, School Library Journal, Twelve-year-old Shakti is no stranger to being the new girl at school, but she hopes the move with her two moms and her unborn baby brother to Amherst, Massachusetts, will finally be the place they can truly call home. On the first day of seventh grade, Shakti befriends Xi but also makes enemies with the meanest girls in school: Harini, Emily, and Kelly. When she and Xi find the trio casting spells in the woods, Shakti turns to ancient Indian magic to protect her new home. But when she tries to get help from Durga Ma, Shakti accidentally conjures Kali Ma, the Destroyer and Durga Ma's dangerous twin, who turns Harini, Emily, and Kelly into monsters and curses Amherst. It's up to Shakti and Xi to save the day, but Shakti must find a way to let go of her anger towards the girls in order to release Kali Ma's grip on their town.

Date Published:2023

Sea legs

Bakes, Jules,


Booklist Starred Reviews, Horn Book Guide, Kirkus Reviews Starred, Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal Starred, Janey's family is sailing to the Caribbean in their boat, but it means Janey has to leave all her friends behind for a life at sea, and she discovers that when you are constantly on the move it can be difficult to connect to people. Things start to look up when she meets fellow boat kid, Astrid, but Astrid is always pushing Janey to do things outside her comfort zone that are often downright dangerous, and she soon starts to question if they should be friends.
Date Published:2025

Booklist Starred Reviews, Horn Book Guide, Kirkus Reviews Starred, Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal Starred, Janey's family is sailing to the Caribbean in their boat, but it means Janey has to leave all her friends behind for a life at sea, and she discovers that when you are constantly on the move it can be difficult to connect to people. Things start to look up when she meets fellow boat kid, Astrid, but Astrid is always pushing Janey to do things outside her comfort zone that are often downright dangerous, and she soon starts to question if they should be friends.

Date Published:2025

School trip

Craft, Jerry,


Horn Book Guide Starred, Kirkus Reviews Starred, Publishers Weekly Starred, School Library Journal Starred, Jordan, Drew, Liam, and their friends from Riverdale Academy Day School are going on a school trip to Paris, France, and Jordan can't wait to see all the famous artwork in the City of Lights. But when things don't go as planned and the faculty assignments get mixed up, the students find they'll be traveling with different teachers than expected. In addition, Jordan is accepted into art school, and he must decide whether or not he wants to be the new kid once again.
Date Published:2023

Horn Book Guide Starred, Kirkus Reviews Starred, Publishers Weekly Starred, School Library Journal Starred, Jordan, Drew, Liam, and their friends from Riverdale Academy Day School are going on a school trip to Paris, France, and Jordan can't wait to see all the famous artwork in the City of Lights. But when things don't go as planned and the faculty assignments get mixed up, the students find they'll be traveling with different teachers than expected. In addition, Jordan is accepted into art school, and he must decide whether or not he wants to be the new kid once again.

Date Published:2023

Saving Sorya Chang and the sun bear /

Nguyen, Trang, 1990-,


Translation of: Chang Hoang DÃ£-Gï¿½. "First English language publication in the United Kingdom by MacMillan Children's Books, an imprint of Pan MacMillan. Junior Librar. "A young conservationist overcomes the odds to return a sun bear to its natural habitat"--Provided by the pu.
Date Published:2021