New Titles

The last tamale

Mendiola, Orlando,


Kirkus Review, School Library Journal, Everyone is excited because it's tamale day, and Luis's whole family comes over for a tamale-making party. But when there's only one tamale left, Luis, Jacob, and Letty all want it. They decide to have a competition to decide who gets it. They have a dance battle, a lucha libre match, and an arm wrestling competition with Abuelita. Includes an author's note.
Date Published:2024

Dungeon club.

Ostertag, Molly Knox,


Olivia loves being the Dungeon Master of her after-school club, and she's always felt at home inside her game, but with new members and new plotlines, things are getting more and more complicated. Soon, Olivia starts to doubt herself even more when her older sister, Lu, comes home from college and tells her D&D is a waste of time and she needs to grow up. Olivia, Jess, and their new friends must find a way to navigate the changes they face as they approach the end of the middle school.
Date Published:2025

Olivia loves being the Dungeon Master of her after-school club, and she's always felt at home inside her game, but with new members and new plotlines, things are getting more and more complicated. Soon, Olivia starts to doubt herself even more when her older sister, Lu, comes home from college and tells her D&D is a waste of time and she needs to grow up. Olivia, Jess, and their new friends must find a way to navigate the changes they face as they approach the end of the middle school.

Date Published:2025

The great ghost hoax

Ecton, Emily,


Kirkus Review, School Library Journal, Butterbean is bored until Mrs. Third Floor visits and reports paranormal activity in her rental unit on the fifth floor. When Butterbean and the other pets set out to investigate, they find they're competing against professional ghost hunters who are trying to scam Mrs. Third Floor. The furry friends race to uncover the truth about the apartment and save Mrs. Third Floor from losing her life's savings.
Date Published:2022

Kirkus Review, School Library Journal, Butterbean is bored until Mrs. Third Floor visits and reports paranormal activity in her rental unit on the fifth floor. When Butterbean and the other pets set out to investigate, they find they're competing against professional ghost hunters who are trying to scam Mrs. Third Floor. The furry friends race to uncover the truth about the apartment and save Mrs. Third Floor from losing her life's savings.

Date Published:2022

The tower at the end of time

Sparkes, Amy,


Kirkus Review, Having broken their magical House's curse, Nine and her pals are free to explore the worlds again. First stop is the Wizarding Hopscotch Championships--but their trip may be over before it begins if they cannot help the House get over its nerves about traveling. A serious case of magical hiccups takes that decision out of the House and Nine's hands as with each hiccup they are transported to another world, and finally end up at the terrifying Tower at the End of Time.
Date Published:2025

Kirkus Review, Having broken their magical House's curse, Nine and her pals are free to explore the worlds again. First stop is the Wizarding Hopscotch Championships--but their trip may be over before it begins if they cannot help the House get over its nerves about traveling. A serious case of magical hiccups takes that decision out of the House and Nine's hands as with each hiccup they are transported to another world, and finally end up at the terrifying Tower at the End of Time.

Date Published:2025

The house at the edge of magic

Sparkes, Amy.


"Ages 8-12"--Front jacket flap. Publishers Weekly, December 2024. Booklist, February 2025. Kirkus Review, January 2025. School Library Journal, June 2025. "Nine is an orphan pickpocket with nothing to her name, but when she plucks a beautiful ornament from someone's purse, she's sure her luck is about to change. Instead her treasure grows into an enormous house full of magic, mystery, and ridiculous residents. But this enchanted place is under a terrible curse that only Nine can break. And she might be willing to help for something in return"--Provided by publisher.
Date Published:2021

"Ages 8-12"--Front jacket flap. Publishers Weekly, December 2024. Booklist, February 2025. Kirkus Review, January 2025. School Library Journal, June 2025. "Nine is an orphan pickpocket with nothing to her name, but when she plucks a beautiful ornament from someone's purse, she's sure her luck is about to change. Instead her treasure grows into an enormous house full of magic, mystery, and ridiculous residents. But this enchanted place is under a terrible curse that only Nine can break. And she might be willing to help for something in return"--Provided by publisher.

Date Published:2021

A bite above the rest

Virnig, Christine,


Kirkus Review, Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, Sixth-grader Caleb discovers that at Samhain Intermediate School every day is Halloween, and everybody wears costumes--the trouble is that in the town of Samhain some of the monsters are real, and out for blood.
Date Published:2025

The great pet heist

Ecton, Emily,


Booklist, Kirkus Review, School Library Connection, School Library Journal, Butterbean the wiener dog throws up in the hallway after chasing her tail all morning, causing her owner, Mrs. Food, to fall and hurt herself. Now, Butterbean fears Mrs. Food will not get better, and so she and her fellow pets in the house--Oscar the mynah bird, Walt the cat, and Marco and Polo the rats--stage a great heist to keep themselves fed and from being sent to the pound.
Date Published:2021

Booklist, Kirkus Review, School Library Connection, School Library Journal, Butterbean the wiener dog throws up in the hallway after chasing her tail all morning, causing her owner, Mrs. Food, to fall and hurt herself. Now, Butterbean fears Mrs. Food will not get better, and so she and her fellow pets in the house--Oscar the mynah bird, Walt the cat, and Marco and Polo the rats--stage a great heist to keep themselves fed and from being sent to the pound.

Date Published:2021

The bookshop at the back of Beyond

Sparkes, Amy,


"Originally published in Great Britain in 2023 by Walker Books Ltd."--Title page verso. Kirkus Review, Nine and her friends venture into the "Back of Beyond" to find Professor Dish, who has been trapped by the witch Ophidia in a basement shop. They rely on clever magic and quick thinking to infiltrate the witch's lair and free Dish from enchantments. The quest tests their unity and resourcefulness as they battle obstacles and curses.
Date Published:2025

"Originally published in Great Britain in 2023 by Walker Books Ltd."--Title page verso. Kirkus Review, Nine and her friends venture into the "Back of Beyond" to find Professor Dish, who has been trapped by the witch Ophidia in a basement shop. They rely on clever magic and quick thinking to infiltrate the witch's lair and free Dish from enchantments. The quest tests their unity and resourcefulness as they battle obstacles and curses.

Date Published:2025

Bad Kitty takes the test

Bruel, Nick.


"A Neal Porter book.". Based on her previous bad behavior, the Society of Cat Aptitude has determined that Kitty is not only a bad kitty but a bad cat. In order to redeem her feline status, Kitty must take an aptitude test to determine if she deserves to be a cat.
Date Published:2017

The summer of June

Sumner, Jamie,


Includes excerpt from Time To Roll. Booklist, Kirkus Review, Publishers Weekly, Eleven-year-old June is determined to beat her anxiety and become the lion she knows she is, instead of the mouse everyone sees, and with the help of Homer Juarez, the poetry-reciting soccer star, she starts a secret library garden and hatches a plan to make her dreams come true.
Date Published:2023

Impossible creatures

Rundell, Katherine,


"Book one"--Spine. Booklist Starred Reviews, Horn Book Guide, Kirkus Reviews Starred, Publishers Weekly Starred, School Library Journal Starred, One day a boy named Christopher rescued a baby griffin from drowning in a hidden lake, and his life changed forever. Learning about the Archipelago--a range of unmapped islands where creatures of legend have lived for thousands of years away from the human world--Christopher meets Mal, a girl on the run in need of help to discover why magical creatures--including sphinxes, dragons, griffins, and kraken--have started mysteriously dying.
Date Published:2025

"Book one"--Spine. Booklist Starred Reviews, Horn Book Guide, Kirkus Reviews Starred, Publishers Weekly Starred, School Library Journal Starred, One day a boy named Christopher rescued a baby griffin from drowning in a hidden lake, and his life changed forever. Learning about the Archipelago--a range of unmapped islands where creatures of legend have lived for thousands of years away from the human world--Christopher meets Mal, a girl on the run in need of help to discover why magical creatures--including sphinxes, dragons, griffins, and kraken--have started mysteriously dying.

Date Published:2025

The great catnapping

Ecton, Emily,


School Library Journal, During a television appearance at a supermarket opening, chaos erupts and Walt and Princess Jubilee (the spokes-cat for Beautiful Buffet Cat Food) are catnapped! Now it's up to Butterbean and the other pets to take matters into their own paws and bring the two cats home.
Date Published:2025

The great vandal scandal

Ecton, Emily,


"Companion to The great pet heist"--Cover. Kirkus Review, Butterbean and the other pets of the Strathmore building try to convince the raccoons who have invaded the loading dock to leave the building before Biscuit, the Yorkie on the second floor, is evicted for his non-stop barking, and Madison, Butterbean's human, is blamed for the destruction the raccoons are causing.
Date Published:2024