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“Star” in a Novel Written by an Acclaimed Author

By on May 1, 2026   /   Oh MG News  

PEN America Character Naming AuctionWant to protect writers and have a character named after you or someone you love in a book by an author like David Baldacci, Jennifer Egan, or Brigid Kemmerer? You’re in luck.

Place the winning bid in the PEN America Character Naming Auction and not only will you see your name in a future book, along with a signed copy, but you’ll support PEN America’s Author Safety Program, a program designed to protect writers facing harassment, threats, and intimidation both online and in person.

The auction ends on May 15, 2026 @ 5:00 PM ET, so go here to get your bid(s) in now. And learn more about the work PEN America does on behalf of readers and writers around the world.

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May 2026 New Releases!

By on May 1, 2026   /   Book Lists, New Releases  

Hey, it’s May! And lots of shiny, new middle grade books are making their way into readers’ hands. Here are a few to check out!

Journey Through the Waterfall (Magic Gems #1) bookcover

Two books in the new Scholastic series: Magic Gems, by Payal Doshi

Journey Through the Waterfall (Magic Gems #1)

Lily the Water Gem helps her family take care of otters who splash around near the lake. When one of the baby otters is injured, Lily rushes to help. It soon becomes clear that the otter needs a special medicine made from flowers that grow beyond a powerful waterfall. The Gem who goes on the mission to collect the flowers must be brave, strong, and fast—because time is running out. Lily volunteers to make the journey. She’ll do anything to save one of her beloved otters!

 

Lost in the Crystal Caves (Magic Gems #2) bookcover

Lost in the Crystal Caves (Magic Gems #2)

Rio, an Earth Gem, is eager to earn his first gemstone in order to do more for his animal neighbors. One afternoon, a fox bounds up to Rio, clearly in distress. Another fox is lost inside the nearby Crystal Caves! Without waiting for his fellow Gems, Rio heads into the caves. Once inside, finding a lost fox proves trickier than Rio thought it would be. He’s worried he might get lost himself!

 

 

Squalo & Mage vs. the Rage of the Bakunawa bookcoverSqualo & Mage vs. the Rage of the Bakunawa

A Graphic Novel by Kara Bodegón-Hikino

After losing her father in an attack by the evil Tikbalang, Mage and her best friend, Squalo, set off an important quest far from home to honor her father’s last wish—find the Bakunawa, the guardian of the sea.

But Mage and Squalo don’t know where to find the Bakunawa. And the evil Tikbalang was only one underling of Ventrolio, the nightmare maker, who is hunting Mage at any cost. Mage and Squalo’s journey takes them all over Mundo, facing monsters and possessed minions of Ventrolio until they hear news of an angry bakunawa that would rather destroy ships and summon storms than help sailors. Why would Mage’s father send them to someone so dangerous? Can Mage and Squalo uncover the truth before the Bakunawa unleashes her wrath and plunges all of Mundo into chaos?

My Name Is Harriet Mansoor (Not Hairy Man Suit!) bookcoverMy Name Is Harriet Mansoor (Not Hairy Man Suit!)

By Haleh Massey (Author) and Rashin Kheiriyeh (Illustrator)

Eleven-year-old Hangameh “Harriet” Mansoor really needs to catch a break. Puberty gifted her a big nose and bushy eyebrows, which make her stick out even more than being the only Iranian girl among all her blonde, blue-eyed classmates. But the sixth-grade camping trip to Camp Cottontail could be the perfect opportunity to turn her middle-school fate around. She’d finally have a little space from her over-protective parents and moody older sister; she’d have some serious fun with her best friend Cathy; and she’d maybe even gather up the courage to talk to her long-time crush, Jeremy.

Unfortunately, a string of terrible luck threatens everything. Her bully, Sarah Gill, starts to date Jeremy and when she catches a glimpse of Harriet’s unshaved legs, she gives Harriet an awful nickname: Hairy Man Suit. But worst of all, her parents announce that money problems might force them to move all the way back to Iran–and soon–sending her far away from her best friend and everything she knows. While Harriet usually tries to blend in as much as possible and keep the peace, she’ll have to speak up and stand up if she wants to solve any of these catastrophes. But can she do it before her family packs up everything to leave the country?

All about Us bookcover

All about Us: 20 True Tales of Courage and Disability

By Hannalora Leavitt (Author) and Stef Wong (Illustrator)

Meet twenty inspiring kids and adults living with disability today. Stefan Daniel is a Paralympian who began competing when he was 16 and won Canada’s first paratriathlon medal in 2016. Zamaan Jivraj, aka The Granola Kid, launched an online granola company and doesn’t let his diagnosis of Down syndrome define him. Stella Bartlett is a teen singer and performer from CBC’s Ukulele U, where she was the only performer on the show with a disability.

From journalists to NASA scientists to TikTok stars and kidpreneurs, young readers will be introduced to people who were born with a disability and others who became disabled because of illness or an accident. All About Us explores the basic categories of disability: intellectual, sensory, physical and invisible. Readers will discover how every disability, whether it’s deafness, blindness or neurodiversity, has its own unique set of adaptations to help manage the tasks of daily life. No two blind people, intellectually challenged people or people who use wheelchairs are the same.

One Ocean bookcoverOne Ocean: 7 Ways to Save the Seas

By Mark Leiren-Young (Author) and Bithi Sutradhar (Illustrator)

About seventy percent of our planet is ocean, and over 250,000 species call it home. But most of the animals that live in it–from the biggest whales to the smallest plankton–are being affected by the climate crisis.

In One Ocean, learn about practical ways to keep the ocean clean, the effects of the climate crisis, how to get political in your community and how small actions can have a big impact. Meet young activists and discover what inspires them, including Ta’Kaiya Blaney, a singer-songwriter and actor from the Tla’amin Nation, and Finlay Pringle, who fought to stop raw sewage from being dumped in the ocean near his home in Scotland. Come away with actionable steps to take because protecting the ocean is up to us. And, since all oceans connect, there is really only one ocean for all.

Song of the Yellow Dragon bookcoverSong of the Yellow Dragon

By Ying Ping Low

There is a secret that every child knows: Magic is real. But by the time children turn thirteen, they forget that magic is anything but make-believe. Mengyao wants to remember. Born in a village nestled in a secluded vale, Mengyao wants to hold on to magic and become a Divine Healer. But with her thirteenth birthday fast approaching, she is losing hope.

Young emperor Kai is on the run from traitorous advisors. He’s searching for the fabled Dragon’s Pulse, a magic capable of defeating his enemies. On the brink of his thirteenth birthday, Kai doesn’t have much longer. So when he meets Mengyao—the girl whose name is mentioned in his legend—he forces aside his instinctual distrust and recruits her to help him on his quest.

On their perilous journey, Kai and Mengyao find aid in unexpected forms like a jade hare, a moon goddess, and a handful of promises. But as enemies close in and time runs out, secrets that will reshape the fate of their kingdom forever come to light.

Wombat Waiting bookcoverWombat Waiting

By Katherine Applegate

Wombat isn’t actually a wombat—but when the homeless dog is discovered, singed and ash-covered after a terrible fire destroys a community, someone tags her with the nickname and it sticks. Wombat is a “destiny dog.” Something inside of her (she nicknames it “Voice’) keeps telling her there’s a special someone out there who is meant to be her person.

Surrounded by a devastated town, Wombat takes up residence on bench near the makeshift community center, an old brick warehouse that, for the most part, survived the flames. A small part of the community center evacuation site has been repurposed for the local wildlife rehab sanctuary that burned down. All of the animals were spared, and the temporary quarters include an elderly fruit bat and a young Northern saw-whet owl.

No matter what, Wombat refuses to move from her perch, despite the efforts of many humans. Clearly the dog is waiting for someone. But for whom? And what are the odds they survived?

The Last Immortals: Dawn of the Axolotl bookcoverThe Last Immortals: Dawn of the Axolotl

By Kit Brooks

There’s danger lurking in the depths of the lake. Ace learns this early–when his twin brother cruelly devours his tail and leaves him for dead. Separated from his family, Ace is cast into a perilous waterway. He is wary of trusting others, but his survival will depend on it as he navigates treacherous algae blooms and hunts for food while he waits for his tail to regenerate. And when he stumbles upon a glowing green axolotl named Ariel, he learns that, with training, axolotls can develop an incredible power: immortality. With high rewards come unspeakable risks, and Ace has been hurt before. But the potential to cheat death might be too hard to resist.

This action-packed adventure explores the strength that develops through adversity as Ace confronts bullying, betrayal, poisoned waters, and vicious predators, all while forming lasting bonds with the courageous axolotls he meets along the way.

 

The Mystery of the Stolen World Cup Trophy bookcoverThe Mystery of the Stolen World Cup Trophy

By Angela Cervantes

Diez Espada—named after the jersey number of his soccer-obsessed father’s favorite player, Lionel Messi—would rather be chasing clues than soccer balls. When the World Cup trophy disappears at a glitzy party in Miami, he’s suddenly at the center of the most thrilling match of his life—a race to find the trophy before it’s gone for good.

Teaming up with his crush, Rio, and the world-famous Detective Enzo, Diez dives headfirst into a one-night whirlwind of secret tunnels and a squad of suspicious suspects: a spoiled son of a Miami tycoon, a famous sportscaster, and even Rio’s two prankster younger brothers.

The clock is ticking, the suspects are slippery, and the stadium lights are ready to shine. Will Diez find the trophy in time for the World Cup championship match?

Listen to the Girls bookcoverListen to the Girls

By Chrystal D. Giles

Calla has always had smart-girl energy. She’s Josiah the track star’s practical younger sister. Charlee and Jacoby’s problem-solving best friend. Attorney Dionne Howard’s model daughter. So it’s nice when someone seems to see her for her, outside of all that. But what if that person is a grown-up who maybe isn’t as trustworthy as Calla thought? Calla’s mom likes to say “Always do what you know is right.” But what if you don’t know what the right thing is?

These are the questions Calla faces on the last day of seventh grade, when she finds out that her favorite teacher has been accused of inappropriate conduct at his old school. Calla doesn’t know what really happened. She does know that people are saying mean things about the girls who have spoken out—and that can’t be right . . . can it? Inspired by her favorite newsblogger, EboniNews (whose motto is Amplify. Connect. Truth. ACT.), Calla has an idea. Can she find a way to ACT?

Diamond Fever! bookcoverDiamond Fever! A True Crime Story in the Wild West

By Steve Sheinkin

Late one night two travel-weary miners, Philip Arnold and John Slack, show up at a businessman’s office in San Francisco. The miners seem nervous. They’ve got something that needs to be locked in a safe overnight. What is it? Well, that really has to stay secret, but it’s… DIAMONDS! And lots of them. Had these two miners just discovered America’s first diamond mine? Well, this is the Gold Rush era after all. Plenty of people are striking it rich. Anything is possible.

When word of the find hits the streets, diamond fever sweeps the country. Wealthy investors are desperate to elbow Arnold and Slack aside and seize control—but can they persuade the miners to reveal the location of their bonanza? At the same time, thousands of prospectors fan out across the mountains and deserts of the West—will one of them find the site before greedy bankers grab everything for themselves?

 

The Second Life of Snap bookcoverThe Second Life of Snap

By Erin Entrada Kelly

Bright Valley Subsidized Camp #5 is not a perfect place to live. It’s dusty, there are no trees to provide respite from the beating sun, the trailers are falling apart, and the water supply is heavily rationed. But to twelve-year-old Zuzu Santos and her three best friends, Bright Valley is home.

When Zuzu’s dad loses his job at Lockwood, the corporation that controls everything from rations to education, he isn’t given money or food or water as severance, but a dated, first-generation robot. They do not provide a working charging station. Zuzu names the robot Snap, and he soon becomes part of the Bright Valley family. But Snap’s battery is dwindling every day, and though Snap is prepared for his inevitable reset, Zuzu isn’t. She would do whatever it takes to keep Snap alive. The problem is, Snap would do the same for Zuzu and her friends, no matter the cost.

 

Karen Latchana Kenney is a children’s author and editor who loves creating all kinds of STEM books and classroom content. Find her at https://www.karenlatchanakenney.com/.

 

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Author Spotlight: Paige Classey

By on April 29, 2026   /   Author Interviews  

In today’s Author Spotlight, Sydney Dunlap chats with author Paige Classey about her middle-grade novel, Anna-Jane and the Endless Summer, an “enemies-to-first-crushes” story published by Penguin Random House and chosen as a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection.

Paige Classey is a school librarian who lives with her husband and two sons on the Connecticut shoreline. She is the author of the YA novel Everything You Left Me and has contributed articles on libraries and education that have appeared in School Library Journal, TEACH Magazine, and Education Week.

All About the Book!

Anna-Jane couldn’t wait for camp. But when the outside world goes dark, she and her friends soon realize they’re in for the adventure of their lives this summer—and maybe even beyond.

Captured in Anna-Jane’s diary, discover the poignant journey of a young girl’s fight to survive in the face of the unknown.

Anna-Jane and the Endless Summer released April 28, 2026, from Random House Books for Young Readers. The book has earned a starred review from School Library Journal, and Kirkus Reviews called it “an intense and riveting read.” It is also a Junior Library Guild selection.

Interview with Paige Classey

Welcome, Paige! Thank you so much for being a guest on the Mixed-up Files!

Thanks so much for having me, Sydney!

Inspiration

It is my pleasure! I absolutely loved Anna-Jane and the Endless Summer! What a beautifully written, compelling survival story—I found it impossible to put down. It is sure to be a huge hit among young readers. Can you tell us a little about the inspiration behind it?

I am so honored! This novel grew from a convergence of both childhood and adult experiences. I spent many summers at YMCA camps throughout Connecticut; those summers remain so vivid and nearly magical in my mind. The onset of the pandemic caused me to start toying with the question of what might happen to a group of children and teens left to their own devices at camp. Finally, the censorship efforts we’ve seen sweeping the nation sparked the layer regarding the necessity of the arts.

Craft

You do such a great job maintaining the element of mystery in the story about what exactly is going on outside the camp. The thread pulled strongly all the way to the very end. Was it difficult to craft this novel? What was your biggest challenge in writing it?

Pacing was my greatest challenge. Anna-Jane’s story runs for a lengthy time period, and I wanted to make sure that the sense of danger and suspense never flagged. My agent, Rebecca Rodd, and my editor, Elizabeth Stranahan, made a number of extremely helpful suggestions to maintain the tension throughout.

Point of View

You describe the experience of going through a frightening time of separation from family and so many unknowns with grace, care, and sensitivity. I loved the way the story was written in verse in Anna-Jane’s journal. How did you decide the format?

From the very beginning, Anna-Jane’s voice came to me in verse, in first person, and in present tense. In a way, she decided the format!

Characters

I enjoyed your other characters a lot too. Do you have a favorite secondary character? Who and why?

I love the other campers and counselors for all different reasons. I love Amaya’s sense of loyalty, Pooja’s genuine kindness, and Morgan’s passion for science. Bryce is the camp romance I wanted at that age and didn’t have! But my answer has to be Jojo. She is the kind of tough I’ve always wanted to be.

Takeaways

The story moves so quickly, yet contains wonderful layering and thematic elements regarding peer relationships that will be so relatable to kids everywhere. What do you hope readers take away from this book?

I hope readers walk away feeling empowered. Children can make and have been making a difference in their homes, communities, and the world at large. You don’t need to wait until you’re an adult to start making positive changes.

I also hope the story plants or reinforces an appreciation for the arts. Music, art, literature, theater, film . . . these pursuits are so essential to the human spirit. “Grow work,” as Anna-Jane’s teacher would call it.

Research

This story is one that will stay with me for a long time, and it gave me so much to think about. Can you describe the research that went into crafting this novel?

I don’t want to give away any spoilers here, so I’m going to tread lightly! I needed to research different reasons a community or region might shut down, how daily life would be disrupted, how government agencies and others might respond, and so forth.

Writing Process

Will you tell us a little about your writing process? Are you a plotter or pantser? Where and when do you prefer to write?

Can I go with “middle-of-the-roader”? I definitely do not plot out an entire novel chapter by chapter beforehand. But as I write, I keep a list of plot points and ideas I want to return to. I keep this list at the end of my document, then erase points as I address them in the story. It’s in my nature to make lists and check off as I go, and I feel like my writing process mirrors that tendency.

I find my best ideas come when I’m taking long walks. Walking gives my mind the space to roam, and I usually end my walk with a new idea or two for my work in progress.

As a mom of two small children and a full-time school librarian, I write whenever I can find pockets of time (generally when my children are asleep!). I usually write at home, but sometimes at local coffee shops or libraries. I recently won an Artist Fellowship grant from Connecticut’s Office of the Arts, which made it possible for me to attend a writing retreat at the Highlights Foundation (now called Boyds Mills) in PA.

Influences

What are some current books that have influenced you as a kid-lit writer?

I noticed my students flocking to novels-in-verse by Jason Reynolds, Elizabeth Acevedo, Rajani LaRocca, and Megan E. Freeman, so I read them too, along with Shout by Laurie Halse Anderson. In a sense, I never put them back down.

Advice

What is your advice for aspiring writers?

Write what you care about. And read, read, read. I know this is “typical” advice, but it is truly the best way to learn more about style, the market, your target audience, and more. My work as a librarian has fed my writing, and vice versa.

I also recommend sharing your writing with others who will give you serious and constructive feedback. I saw an ad in my local paper and entered Connecticut’s Tassy Walden Award for New Voices in Children’s Literature in 2020. Throughout that process, my friend and mentor (author Doe Boyle) recommended joining a writers’ group through SCBWI. That community has provided so much support and has been instrumental in elevating my writing.

Upcoming Projects

Can you give us some insights into what you’ll be working on next?

I’m currently editing my YA thriller-in-verse, SURVIVING THE MADISONS, forthcoming from Delacorte in summer 2027. The story follows a toxic trio determined to right perceived wrongs at their high school . . . until the line between right and wrong blurs, leaving them to face dire consequences.

I’m also fascinated by the mixed-media format I’m seeing in books like A GOOD GIRL’S GUIDE TO MURDER by Holly Jackson and GAME CHANGER by Tommy Greenwald, and I’d love to craft a story that uses mixed-media in a meaningful way in the future.

And for the lightning round:

Coffee or tea?

Coffee! I wish I liked tea—it seems so refined! But if I’m being true to myself, I’m a latte girl.

Sunrise or sunset?

Sunset. I like to sleep.

Favorite place to travel:

I love traveling to places I’ve never been before, but Newport, Rhode Island, is a forever favorite. I also spent a college summer in Florence that remains alive in my memory.

Favorite dessert:

Mint chocolate chip ice cream.

Superpower:

I am intrigued by the idea of time travel, but worry too much about the potential consequences! So I’m going to go with teleportation.

Favorite music:

Wow, how do people answer this?! Everything from Led Zeppelin to the Gilmore Girls soundtrack. We also play a lot of Disney music in our house. Lately, I can’t stop listening to Chappell Roan.

Favorite book from childhood:

Again, how can I answer this? I loved Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes when I was very small. As I grew older, I devoured the Harry Potter series, the American Girl series, the Dear America series, and R. L. Stine’s Fear Street novels—can you tell I grew up in the ’90s and early 2000s?

Thanks again, Paige! It was so much fun to learn about you, your writing journey, and your amazing novel! Learn more about Paige on her website and follow her on Instagram.

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