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Lia Park and the Missing Jewel (Lia Park #1)
by Jenna YoonPerfect for fans of the Storm Runner and Aru Shah series, this thrilling middle grade fantasy follows a young girl who must venture to the undersea kingdom of the Dragon King in Korea to save her parents from an evil diviner spirit.Twelve-year old Lia Park just wants to fit in. Her parents work with a mysterious organization that makes them ridiculously overprotective. Lia&’s every move has been scrutinized since she was born, and she&’d love to have the option of doing something exciting for once. So when she gets invited to the biggest birthday party of the year—and her parents say she can&’t go—Lia sneaks out. But her first act of rebellion not only breaks her parents&’ rules, but also an ancient protection spell, allowing an evil diviner spirit to kidnap and ransom her parents for a powerful jewel that her family has guarded for years. With just the clothes on her back and some very rusty magical skills, Lia finds herself chasing mysterious clues that take her to her grandmother&’s home in Korea. From there, she has to make their way to the undersea kingdom of the Dragon King, the only person who knows where the powerful jewel might be. Along with her friend, Joon, Lia must dig deep and find courage to stand up for those who are weak—and become the hero her parents need.
Lia Park and the Heavenly Heirlooms (Lia Park #2)
by Jenna YoonPerfect for fans of the Gifted Clans and Aru Shah series, this thrilling second book of the middle grade fantasy Lia Park series sees Lia and Joon on a mission to protect important magical objects—and themselves—from a mysterious enemy.Twelve-year-old Lia Park and her best friend, Joon, are now full-time students at International Magic Academy after defeating corrupt diviner Gaya, and their first assignment is an ambitious one. The evil nine-headed monster and King of Darkness, Jihaedaegukjeok, wants to destroy the three Heavenly Heirlooms that create fire and light to plunge the world into darkness and destroy humanity. The heirlooms can only be destroyed if they are all together, so over time, they have been hidden carefully with magic. Except now, one of them is missing. Lia, Joon, and their classmates have been tasked with recovering the lost heirloom and bringing it to IMA for safekeeping. They expected the task to be difficult, but the number of obstacles the magic trainees run into makes Lia start to wonder if the sabotage could be coming from someone inside the school.
New from Here
by Kelly YangAn instant #1 New York Times bestseller! This &“timely and compelling&” (Kirkus Reviews) middle grade novel about courage, hope, and resilience follows an Asian American boy fighting to keep his family together and stand up to racism during the initial outbreak of the coronavirus.When the coronavirus hits Hong Kong, ten-year-old Knox Wei-Evans&’s mom makes the last-minute decision to move him and his siblings back to California, where they think they will be safe. Suddenly, Knox has two days to prepare for an international move—and for leaving his dad, who has to stay for work. At his new school in California, Knox struggles with being the new kid. His classmates think that because he&’s from Asia, he must have brought over the virus. At home, Mom just got fired and is panicking over the loss of health insurance, and Dad doesn&’t even know when he&’ll see them again, since the flights have been cancelled. And everyone struggles with Knox&’s blurting-things-out problem. As racism skyrockets during COVID-19, Knox tries to stand up to hate, while finding his place in his new country. Can you belong if you&’re feared; can you protect if you&’re new? And how do you keep a family together when you&’re oceans apart? Sometimes when the world is spinning out of control, the best way to get through it is to embrace our own lovable uniqueness.
Finally Seen
by Kelly YangFrom the New York Times bestselling author of Front Desk comes a &“involving, realistic&” (Booklist, starred review) middle grade novel about a young girl who leaves China to live with her parents and sister, after five years apart, and learns about family, friendship, and the power of being finally seen.My sister got to grow up with my parents. Me? I grew up with postcards from my parents. When ten-year-old Lina Gao steps off the plane in Los Angeles, it&’s her first time in America and the first time seeing her parents and her little sister in five years! She&’s been waiting for this moment every day while she lived with her grandmother in Beijing, getting teased by kids at school who called her &“left behind girl.&” Finally, her parents are ready for her to join their fabulous life in America! Except, it&’s not exactly like in the postcards: 1. School&’s a lot harder than she thought. When she mispronounces some words in English on the first day, she decides she simply won&’t talk. Ever again. 2. Her chatty little sister has no problem with English. And seems to do everything better than Lina, including knowing exactly the way to her parents&’ hearts. 3. They live in an apartment, not a house like in Mom&’s letters, and they owe a lot of back rent from the pandemic. And Mom&’s plan to pay it back sounds more like a hobby than a moneymaker. As she reckons with her hurt, Lina tries to keep a lid on her feelings, both at home and at school. When her teacher starts facing challenges for her latest book selection, a book that deeply resonates with Lina, it will take all of Lina&’s courage and resilience to get over her fear and choose a future where she&’s finally seen.
The Sisters of Luna Island
by Stacy HackneyLittle Women gets a Nevermoor twist in this bewitching novel about a young girl tasked to break a centuries-old curse or risk losing her beloved sisters.Twelve-year-old Marigold Lafleur is the last of a long line of aromages: witches who blend scents into practical charms using aromagic. But ever since a terrible accident injured her father and damaged Luna Island, Marigold and her sisters, Birdie and Lou, have vowed to abandon their family legacy and mama&’s way of life. Shunned by their neighbors and overlooked by their parents, Marigold relies on her big sisters above all else. But when Marigold discovers a secret curse that threatens her family, her sisters can't stop the impending danger. It&’s up to Marigold and her best friend, Sam, to uncover the origins of the curse and break the spell. To do so, she must learn to trust her instincts and believe in her own unique magic or risk losing her beloved sisters forever.
A Glasshouse of Stars
by Shirley Marr&“Heart-twisting and hopeful, bursting with big feelings and gentle magic…destined to be read and loved for generations and held close in many hearts (including mine).&” —Jessica Townsend, New York Times bestselling author of the Nevermoor series &“Gorgeous.&” —Booklist (starred review) A moving coming-of-age story about one girl&’s bravery and imagination in the face of the unknown. Perfect for fans of Front Desk and Mañanaland.Meixing Lim and her family have arrived at the New House in the New Land. Her parents inherited the home from First Uncle who died tragically and unexpectedly while picking oranges in the backyard. Her Ma Ma likes to remind Meixing the family never could have afforded to move here otherwise, so she should be thankful for this opportunity. Everything is vast and unknown to Meixing in this supposedly wonderful place. She is embarrassed by her second-hand clothing, has trouble understanding her peers, and is finding it hard to make new friends. Meixing&’s only solace is a rundown greenhouse, that her Uncle called his glasshouse, at the far end of her backyard that inexplicably holds the sun and the moon and the secrets of her memory and imagination. When her fragile universe is rocked by tragedy, it will take all of Meixing&’s resilience and bravery to finally find her place of belonging in this new world.
All Four Quarters of the Moon
by Shirley MarrFor fans of When You Trap a Tiger and A Place to Belong comes a gentle, &“touching&” (Booklist, starred review) middle grade novel about love and resilience, interwoven with Chinese mythology, a Little World made completely of paper, and the ever-changing, but constant moon.The night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, making mooncakes with Ah-Ma, was the last time Peijing Guo remembers her life being the same. She is haunted by the magical image of a whole egg yolk suspended in the middle like the full moon. Now adapting to their new life in Australia, Peijing thinks everything is going to turn out okay as long as they all have each other, but cracks are starting to appear in the family. Five-year-old Biju, lovable but annoying, needs Peijing to be the dependable big sister. Ah-Ma keeps forgetting who she is; Ma Ma is no longer herself and Ba Ba must adjust to a new role as a hands-on dad. Peijing has no idea how she is supposed to cope with the uncertainties of her own world while shouldering the burden of everyone else. If her family are the four quarters of the mooncake, where does she even fit in?
Haven Jacobs Saves the Planet
by Barbara DeeFrom critically acclaimed author Barbara Dee comes a middle grade novel about a young girl who channels her anxiety about the climate crisis into rallying her community to save a local river.Twelve-year-old Haven Jacobs can&’t stop thinking about the climate crisis. In fact, her anxiety about the state of the planet is starting to interfere with her schoolwork, her friendships, even her sleep. She can&’t stop wondering why grownups aren&’t even trying to solve the earth&’s problem—and if there&’s anything meaningful that she, as a seventh grader, can contribute. When Haven&’s social studies teacher urges her to find a specific, manageable way to make a difference to the planet, Haven focuses on the annual science class project at the local Belmont River, where her class will take samples of the water to analyze. Students have been doing the project for years, and her older brother tells her that his favorite part was studying and catching frogs. But when Haven and her classmates get to the river, there&’s no sign of frogs or other wildlife—but there is ample evidence of pollution. The only thing that&’s changed by the river is the opening of Gemba, the new factory where Haven&’s dad works. It doesn&’t take much investigation before Haven is convinced Gemba is behind the slow pollution of the river. She&’s determined to expose Gemba and force them to clean up their act. But when it becomes clear taking action might put her dad&’s job—and some friendships—in jeopardy, Haven must decide how far she&’s willing to go.
Unstuck
by Barbara DeeFrom critically acclaimed author Barbara Dee comes a middle grade novel about a girl whose struggles with anxiety and writer&’s block set off unexpected twists and turns, both on and off the page.Lyla is thrilled when her seventh-grade English language arts class begins a daily creative writing project. For the past year, she&’s been writing a brilliant fantasy novel in her head, and here&’s her chance to get it on paper! The plot to Lyla&’s novel is super complicated, with battle scenes and witches and a mysterious one-toed-beast, but at its core, it&’s about an overlooked girl who has to rescue her beautiful, highly accomplished older sister. But writing a fantasy novel turns out to be harder than simply imagining one, and pretty soon Lyla finds herself stuck, experiencing a panic she realizes is writer&’s block. Part of the problem is that she&’s trying to impress certain people—like Rania, her best friend who&’s pulling away, and Ms. Bowman, the coolest teacher at school. Plus, there&’s the pressure of meeting the deadline for the town writing contest. A few years ago, Lyla&’s superstar teen sister Dahlia came in second, and this time, Lyla is determined to win first prize. Finally, Lyla confides about her writing problems to Dahlia, who is dealing with her own academic stress as she applies to college. That&’s when she learns Dahlia&’s secret, which is causing a very different type of writer&’s block. Can Lyla rescue a surprisingly vulnerable big sister, both on the page and in real life?
Time Out
by Sean Hayes Todd Milliner Carlyn GreenwaldHeartstopper meets Friday Night Lights in this keenly felt coming-of-age story about a teen hometown hero who must find out who he is outside of basketball when his coming out as gay costs him his popularity and place on the team.In his small Georgia town, Barclay Elliot is basically a legend. Here basketball is all that matters, and no one has a bigger spotlight than Barclay. Until he decides to use the biggest pep rally in the town&’s history to come out to his school. And things change. Quickly. Barclay is faced with hostility he never expected. Suddenly he is at odds with his own team, and he doesn&’t even have his grandfather to turn to the way he used to. But who is Barclay if he doesn&’t have basketball? His best friend, Amy, thinks she knows. She drags him to her voting rights group, believing Barclay can find a bigger purpose. And he does, but he also finds Christopher. Aggravating, fearless, undeniably handsome Christopher. He and Barclay have never been each other&’s biggest fans, but as Barclay starts to explore parts of himself he&’s been hiding away, they find they might have much more in common than they originally thought. As sparks turn into something more, though, Barclay has to decide if he&’s ready to confront the privilege and popularity that have shielded him his entire life. Can he take a real shot at the love he was fighting for in the first place?
Drawn That Way
by Elissa SussmanMoxie meets the world of animation in this fresh, unputdownable novel about a teen girl determined to prove herself in the boys&’ club of her dream industry no matter what it takes.Hayley Saffitz is confident, ambitious, and intent on following in the footsteps of her hero, renowned animation director, Bryan Beckett. When she&’s given a spot in his once-in-a-lifetime summer program, Hayley devises a plan: snag one of the internship&’s coveted directing opportunities. Dazzle Bryan with her talent. Secure a job post-graduation. Live her dream. Except she doesn&’t land one of the director positions. All of those go to boys. And one of them is Bryan&’s son, Bear. Despite Bear&’s obvious apathy for the internship, Hayley soon realizes that there&’s more to him than she expected. As they work together, the animosity between them thaws into undeniable chemistry and maybe something… more. But Hayley can&’t stop thinking about the chance she was refused. Determined to make a name for herself, Hayley recruits the five other young women in the program to develop their own short to sneak into the film festival at the end of the summer. As the internship winds down, however, one question remains: Will Hayley conform to the expectations of her idol, or will she risk her blossoming relationship with Bear—and her future—to prove that she&’s exactly as talented as she thinks she is?
The Firefly Summer
by Morgan MatsonIn New York Times bestselling author Morgan Matson’s middle grade debut, a young girl gets to know her mom’s side of the family and hunts for hidden treasure over the course of one chaotic summer. <p><p> For as long as Ryanna Stuart can remember, her summers have been spent with her father and his new wife. Just the three of them, structured, planned, and quiet. But this summer is different. This summer, she’s received a letter from her grandparents—grandparents neither she nor her dad have spoken to since her mom’s death—inviting her to stay with them at an old summer camp in the Poconos. <p><p> Ryanna accepts. She wants to learn about her mom. She wants to uncover the mystery of why her father hasn’t spoken to her grandparents all these years. She’s even looking forward to a quiet summer by the lake. But what she finds are relatives…so many relatives! Aunts and uncles and cousins upon cousins—a motley, rambunctious crew of kids and eccentric, unconventional adults. People who have memories of her mom from when she was Ryanna’s age, clues to her past like a treasure map. Ryanna even finds an actual, real-life treasure map! <p><p> Over the course of one unforgettable summer—filled with s’mores and swimming, adventure and fun, and even a decades-old mystery to solve—Ryanna discovers a whole new side of herself and that, sometimes, the last place you expected to be is the place where you really belong.
The Other Talk: Reckoning with Our White Privilege
by Brendan KielyAward-winning and New York Times bestselling author Brendan Kiely starts a conversation with white kids about race in this accessible introduction to white privilege and why allyship is so vital. Talking about racism can be hard, but... Most kids of color grow up talking about racism. They have &“The Talk&” with their families—the honest talk about survival in a racist world. But white kids don&’t. They&’re barely spoken to about race at all—and that needs to change. Because not talking about racism doesn&’t make it go away. Not talking about white privilege doesn&’t mean it doesn&’t exist. The Other Talk begins this much-needed conversation for white kids. In an instantly relatable and deeply honest account of his own life, Brendan Kiely offers young readers a way to understand one&’s own white privilege and why allyship is so vital, so that we can all start doing our part—today.
The Little Vampire (The Little Vampire #1)
by Angela Sommer-BodenburgAn unlikely friendship forms between a young boy and vampire in this sweet and funny first book in the classic middle grade Little Vampire series—newly translated from the original German and perfect for readers who love Hotel Transylvania and The Addams Family!Nine-year-old Tony loves ghosts and horror stories, but when he&’s left home alone one night, he gets quite the fright as Rudolph the little vampire flies in the window! After a rough start, Rudolph stops trying to bite Tony and the two become fast friends. Tony even visits the little vampire&’s family vault in the graveyard where he narrowly escapes the clutches of Rudolph&’s fearsome Great-Aunt Dorothy. But what will happen when Tony&’s parents invite his new friend for dinner?
The Little Vampire Moves In (The Little Vampire #2)
by Angela Sommer-BodenburgRudolph the little vampire moves into Tony&’s apartment building in this spooky and funny second book in the classic middle grade Little Vampire series—perfect for readers who love Hotel Transylvania and The Addams Family!Rudolph the little vampire has been banished from his family&’s vault over his association with humans. He now lives in the basement of the apartment building where his human best friend Tony lives. The two struggle to keep Rudolph hidden from Tony&’s parents and nosy neighbors. When someone gets suspicious about activity in the basement, can the friends avoid discovery?
The Little Vampire Takes a Trip (The Little Vampire #3)
by Angela Sommer-BodenburgRudolph the little vampire tags along on Tony&’s family vacation in this spooky and funny third book in the classic middle grade Little Vampire series—perfect for readers who love Hotel Transylvania and The Addams Family!When his parents plan a vacation to a farm, Tony and his friend Rudolph the little vampire hatch a plan for Rudolph to come along to keep Tony company. Rudolph needs to have his coffin with him so he can sleep during the day, so he takes the train instead of flying. Can he make the trip without drawing too much attention to himself?
The Little Vampire on the Farm (The Little Vampire #4)
by Angela Sommer-BodenburgRudolph the little vampire shares Tony&’s family vacation on a farm in this spooky and funny fourth book in the classic middle grade Little Vampire series—perfect for readers who love Hotel Transylvania and The Addams Family!After a perilous train ride, Rudolph joins Tony in the countryside where his family is enjoying a taste of life on a farm. They spend the week hiding from Tony&’s parents, exploring old farm buildings under the full moon, and even getting chased by a bull! But will their sneaking around be enough to keep Rudolph from discovery?
It All Begins with Jelly Beans
by Nova WeetmanTwo girls form an unlikely friendship during their shared time in the school nurse’s office in this heartfelt middle grade novel for fans of Save Me a Seat and Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus. Meg spends her days hoping no one thinks too hard about why she wears the same t-shirt and slippers to school every day. Luckily, the nurse’s office provides a welcome escape from classmates who don’t understand…and snacks when food runs out at home. Riley knows fitting in at her new school would be a lot easier if her friends were more understanding of her type 1 diabetes. So she keeps her testing under wraps…and an emergency bag of jellybeans on hand. When Meg and Riley end up together in the nurse’s office one day, both girls think they’ve worked each other out, but what if they’ve got it all wrong? On the brink of moving on to junior high, Riley and Meg must find the courage to discover who they really want to be. And maybe a bag of shared jellybeans will provide all the help they need.
A Kitten in Gooseberry Park (Gooseberry Park)
by Cynthia RylantFrom Newbery Medalist Cynthia Rylant and illustrator Arthur Howard comes the third book in the beloved Gooseberry Park middle grade series.Kona the Labrador and Gwendolyn the hermit crab love how much it&’s been raining in Gooseberry Park. But the weather brings trouble to their home when a lost bobcat kitten is swept down from the mountain and away from his family. Murray the bat rescues the cub, but to bring him home, Kona and Murray will have to venture beyond the comfort and safety of their beloved park…and prepare themselves to say goodbye to their young new friend.
Queen of the Tiles
by Hanna AlkafThey Wish They Were Us meets The Queen&’s Gambit in the world of competitive Scrabble when a teen girl is forced to investigate the mysterious death of her best friend a year after the fact when her Instagram comes back to life with cryptic posts and messages.CATALYST 13 points noun: a substance that speeds up a reaction without itself changing When Najwa Bakri walks into her first Scrabble competition since her best friend&’s death, it&’s with the intention to heal and move on with her life. Perhaps it wasn&’t the best idea to choose the very same competition where said best friend, Trina Low, died. It might be even though Najwa&’s trying to change, she&’s not ready to give up Trina just yet. But the same can&’t be said for all the other competitors. With Trina, the Scrabble Queen herself, gone, the throne is empty, and her friends are eager to be the next reigning champion. All&’s fair in love and Scrabble, but all bets are off when Trina&’s formerly inactive Instagram starts posting again, with cryptic messages suggesting that maybe Trina&’s death wasn&’t as straightforward as everyone thought. And maybe someone at the competition had something to do with it. As secrets are revealed and the true colors of her friends are shown, it&’s up to Najwa to find out who&’s behind these mysterious posts—not just to save Trina&’s memory, but to save herself.
Lily and the Night Creatures
by Nick LakeA young girl sets out to defeat the evil spirits inhabiting her home in this delightfully dark middle grade adventure perfect for fans of Coraline and Margaret Peterson Haddix&’s The Strangers.Lily is used to hospitals—she&’s spent more time in them than out of them thanks to her recent health issues. But when her mother goes into labor, her parents drop her off at her grandmother&’s house and rush to the hospital without her. Lily doesn&’t want the new baby to replace her and she certainly doesn&’t want to be sick anymore. Most frustrating of all, she forgot to pack Willo, her favorite toy. Under her grandma&’s not-so-watchful supervision, Lily sneaks back home to get Willo. Expecting to find an empty house, she is surprised to find her parents there. But something isn&’t right... They look just like her mom and dad until she gets closer and sees their coal black eyes. And they refuse to let her in—it&’s their house now. With the help of some surprising new friends that she meets in her garden, Lily is determined to beat these shadowy replacements and be reunited with her real parents. But is she strong enough to triumph?
Rosetown Summer (The Rosetown Books)
by Cynthia RylantFrom Newbery Medalist Cynthia Rylant comes the sweet and resonant follow-up to the critically acclaimed Rosetown, continuing the story of nine-year-old Flora Smallwood&’s life in quiet Rosetown, Indiana.It is August in Rosetown, Indiana. Ten-year-old Flora is having a calm and busy summer filled with old friends and new projects, dear pets, and, of course, many hours at her favorite place: Wings and a Chair Used Books. It is her constant and her comfort. But change may be ahead for Wings and a Chair, and Flora is uneasy about what it will bring.
Farewell Cuba, Mi Isla
by Alexandra DiazAlan Gratz&’s Refugee meets Pam Muñoz Ryan&’s Esperanza Rising in this &“evocative and transportive&” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) middle grade novel about two girls fleeing 1960 Cuba with their family inspired by award-winning author Alexandra Diaz&’s family&’s history.Victoria loves everything about her home in Cuba. The beautiful land, the delicious food, her best friend and cousin, Jackie, and her big, loving family. But it&’s 1960 in Cuba, and as the political situation grows more and more dangerous, Victoria, her parents, and her two younger siblings are forced to seek refuge in America with nothing more than two changes of clothes and five dollars. Worse, they&’re forced to leave the rest of their family, including Jackie, behind. In Miami, everything is different. And it&’s up to Victoria to step up and help her family settle into this new world—even though she hopes they won&’t be there for long. Back in Cuba, everything feels different, too. Jackie watches as friends and family flee, or worse, disappear. So, when she&’s given a chance to escape to America, she takes it—even though she has to go alone. Reunited in Miami, can Victoria and Jackie find a way to bring the rest of their family to safety? Based on Alexandra Diaz&’s mother&’s real experiences as a Cuban refugee in America, this is a moving and timely story about family, friendship, and fighting for your future.
Alley & Rex (Alley & Rex)
by Joel RossFans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Wayside School will love this first book in a new, off-the-wall middle grade series about two boys—one with the heart of a lion and the test scores of a baked potato, the other a shy boy genius in a bunny suit—finding their strengths and true friendship.Sixth-grader Alley Katz is innocently trying to help a bunch of kindergarteners when the burrito hits the fan. Literally. A burrito. A ceiling fan. A hail of beans. Now he has to get an A on his science test or he&’ll be transferred to the dreaded Steggles Academy. An A seems impossible! Alley is kind, intrepid, and well-liked, but for some reason he doesn&’t get graded on any of that. So the principal assigns a peer mentor to help: Rex, a fourth-grade genius who wears a bunny suit. Alley is totally in favor of both bunnies and fourth graders, but he doesn&’t need Rex. He has his own foolproof plan to ace the test. Still, Rex is determined to fulfill his duty as Alley&’s mentor—and he may need some help of his own. One boy needs to stay in school, the other needs to get through it. Can this odd couple save the day—and each other?
Bite the Bagel (Alley & Rex)
by Joel RossLoveable prankster Alley and bunny-suited brainiac Rex team up again, this time to help each other survive PE and save breakfast, one mutant bagel at a time in this hilarious story that&’s perfect for fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Wayside School!Rex can rock a bunny suit like no one else. But his PE teacher insists that all students must wear gym clothes—or face a punishment worse than dodgeball. Alley vows to help his pal Rex. And to save the free breakfast cart that was closed due to budget cuts. Everyone knows that kids can&’t learn on empty stomachs! From a heist in the principal&’s office to a bake sale featuring mutant bagels, Alley tries everything he can to bring back the food cart. And Rex tries everything he can to turn Alley&’s bad choices into good solutions. They will stop at nothing in their quests for justice!