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Westfallen: Interview with authors Ann Brashares and Ben Brashares

When you see the name Ann Brashares, you probably think of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series. I sure do. So when I saw the premise of siblings Ann Brashares and Ben Brashares’s new book, I was intrigued. Here’s the description that got me hooked:

Westfallen is an action-packed middle grade alternate history thriller that asks what it would be like to wake up in present-day America if Germany had won World War II.

It sounds amazing, right? I had the pleasure of reading it (just released September 17!) and interviewing both Ben Brashares and Ann Brashares.

About the Book

Hi Ann and Ben! I’m so excited to “meet” you both!  This was a great read because it combined historical fiction with contemporary fiction. It also had many humorous elements that will really appeal to reluctant readers. Before we begin, here’s the full description of Westfallen.

Henry, Frances, and Lukas are neighbors, and they used to be best friends. But in middle school, things can change fast—Frances has become an emo art-girl, Lukas has gone full sports bro, and Henry has gone sort of nowhere. But when a dead gerbil brings them together again, the three ex-friends make an impossible discovery: a radio buried in Henry’s backyard that allows them to talk to another group of kids in the same town…on the same street…in the same backyard…seventy-nine years in the past.

The kids in 1944 want to know all about the future: are there jetpacks? Laser guns? Teleportation? Most of all, they want to know about the outcome of the war their dads and brothers are fighting in. Henry and his friends are cautious—they’ve all seen movies about what happens when you disrupt the fabric of time—but figure there’s no harm in telling them a little bit, just enough so they can stop worrying so much. And, at first, everything seems fine. Nothing’s changed—well, nothing so big they can’t contain it, anyway.

Until Henry, Frances, and Lukas wake up on May 6, 2024, to an America ruled by Nazis. They changed history. And now it’s up to them to change it back.

 

As I was reading Westfallen, my daughter noticed that it says Book 1 on the spine. Is this going to be a trilogy or a series? Care to share more on this?

Yes, this is a trilogy. We are currently finishing up our first draft of Book 2. If all goes as planned, Book 2 will be out around this time next year, and Book 3 about a year after that.

About the Authors

So the obvious question for those of us with siblings . . .How did you write this together? Please walk us through how this worked.

Ben Brashares

BB: We settled fairly early on the idea of using two different points of view. It just seemed to make sense in terms of utilizing our two different writing styles and dividing up the work. As far as the sibling thing goes, I think it kept us going at times. We’d disagree about things, as all partners do, but it couldn’t ever really rise above a certain level because we’re kinda stuck with each other. I suppose for that reason we’re always putting our siblingness first (shame I’m not a girl, I could’ve used “sisterhood” there). But, yeah, we probably fall into some classic ‘birth order’ dynamics at times –Ann is seven years older and has a strong maternal sense. I’m a classic youngest in a lot of ways –lack discipline, always try to go for the joke, fold easily, etc.

The process itself is pretty straight-forward. We write a detailed outline together and then set mini-deadlines for our scenes or chapters and send to each other to read and offer notes. Ann tends to have a lot more notes on my stuff.

 

What character do you each feel you share personality traits with?

Ann Brashares

BB: I’m a solid mix of all three of the modern day kids. I’d say I have Frances’s peanut gallery irreverence, Henry’s anxiety/sensitivity, and Lukas’s jock/bro thing (used to anyway).

AB: Alice is kind of my antithesis, and I love writing her for that reason. She’s bold and impulsive, happy to cheat and lie as needed. I’m probably more like Lawrence, cautious and cerebral.

 

What is something from your childhood that you snuck into the book?

We recycled some names.  We grew up (mostly) on Primrose Street in Chevy Chase, MD. That’s the street where Alice and Henry live. We had a lot of dead gerbils/hamsters/guinea pigs growing up.

 

Are there any Easter Eggs or nods to other books or movies in Westfallen? (I sensed maybe something related Back to the Future??)

BB: There are a lot of pop cultural references. One of the things we really loved about the series concept was that the kids in Westfallen could use their knowledge of their (our) timeline as sort of a super power.  Westfallen folks never got Star Wars or Justin Beiber or any of that, so our kids try to use their inside knowledge to gain an advantage where they can. Mission Impossible plays a role in Book 1. Back to the Future is one my favorite movies of all time, but I think we steered clear of that reference. Maybe too ‘on the nose’. Book 2 has a LOT of this stuff. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off makes a strong showing. We should probably try to be a bit more current in our references.

 

What books and movies have influenced each of your writing?

BB: I grew up on TV and movies much more than books, I’m a little sad to say. Ann was much more of a reader (nerd) than I was. I was a classic 80’s kid. I loved Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark (my favorite), Michael Jackson, Prince, Atari, He-Man, Three’s Company. TV was terrible back then but movies were generally better. It was until I got out of college that I started really reading. Too late to call anything super influential.

AB: I love classic stories, like The Princess Bride and It’s a Wonderful Life, the kind that are uplifting to the point of corny.

 

Best sibling story you two have together.

Oh man. That’s tough. How about top five. . . Our brother, Justin (four years older than me, three younger than Ann), had a pair of real police handcuffs (who knows how he got them). One slow summer afternoon when I was about four, he decided to put them on my ankles. After he cinched them real tight, he made a grand display of pretending to swallow the key by throwing it up in the air and catching it in his mouth. I think he saw it in a cartoon or something. Unfortunately, the key went right down his throat. He was as surprised as anyone. Ann walked in soon after and saw my feet turning blue and got very worried. Justin, I remember, was more worried about the key in his stomach. Anyway, Ann threw me on her shoulder and ran me a long block and a half to a neighbor’s house, where a construction crew sawed the handcuffs off in time to save my feet. As a nice capper to the story, Justin called me into the bathroom a few days later and showed me the key.

 

Research/Writing

Who came up with the original idea for Westfallen and how did it come about?

BB: We had been each throwing out ideas for several months. Just about all them involved some type of time travel element and some type of friendship dynamic. But that’s sort of boring so I’ll just go ahead and take credit for the radio. And I’ll cede the WWII stuff to Ann.

 

Not sure if you’re willing to share, but did one of you write Henry’s point of view and the other write Alice’s? Care to reveal more on that?

BB: Yes, I wrote Henry and Ann wrote Alice. But we were both pretty involved in working out who the characters were when we started. Ann helped more with Henry than I helped with Alice. Because she’s my big sister and that’s what big sister’s do. And when those big sisters have already written a #1 best-selling franchise and spent nine years editing YA/MG before that, you let the big sister do basically whatever she wants to your character.

AB: I’m coming off as a bossy know-it-all here, but I guess I deserve it. I am awed by Ben’s humor, his imagination and intuition, and mostly try to help make it make sense. When it comes to six characters in two different time periods punching holes through time, that’s not easy.

 

I have also attempted a time travel book and know how hard it can be. What snags did you hit when trying to make this work?

So many snags. So many mind-melting headaches. Because we really tried hard to do it right! It was very important to us to avoid moments where a reader would go, “waaaait a minute, if they. . .how are they. . . ?” But the butterfly effect is notoriously tricky to work with. You just have to make your rules and stick by them. We hope we succeeded in doing that.

 

For Teachers

Are you doing school visits related to this book?

We’ll be doing a book tour just after the book launches on September 17th. We’ll be visiting middle schools in Richmond, DC, Chicago, Austin, Houston, and maybe one or two others.

 

How can we learn more about you?

If you’d like to learn way more about me and my wife and kids and pets than you’d ever want to know, you can visit www.thesahdlife.com. It’s a blog I wrote for a few years just after becoming a dad. It’s a (hopefully) humorous look at my life as a stay-at-home dad to three kids. Other than that, I’m hoping to do a little better with my social media presence when we get a breather after Book 2.

It’s Freak Out Season! An Interview with Dr. Carla Naumburg

It’s back to school time! For many students, teachers, and parents, this part of the year brings a mixture of excitement and anxiety, so it’s the perfect time to dig into a middle grade selection all about dealing with those “freak out” moments. Dr. Carla Naumburg was kind enough to chat with me about her new book, How to Stop Freaking Out: The Ultimate Guide to Keeping Cool When Life Feels Chaotic. Carla is a clinical social worker and the author of five books, including the bestselling How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t With Your Kids and its middle-grade companion How to Stop Freaking Out. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, CNN, and Mindful Magazine, among other places.

Her newest book is a fantastic read, with plenty of tips and tricks we’ve already put to good use in my house! Our interview is below, and be sure to check the book out here — its out everywhere tomorrow!

Chris: Thanks so much for taking some time to talk with me! Let’s start with your background as a clinical social worker…how did you make the leap from that career into writing?

Carla: I would actually say I made the leap from writing into clinical social work. I’ve wanted to write books since I was eight years old… or maybe younger! I took a psychology elective in high school, which led to a psychology degree in college, which led to my masters and PhD in clinical social work. But I never stopped thinking about writing books, and when I became a mother, my clinical background and parenting experience led to the publication of my first book in 2014… and I haven’t looked back since!

 

Chris: I get it! When you have a writer inside you, it always finds its way out eventually! So this book is actually a middle-grade companion to a book you wrote for grown-ups with similar themes. How did this project evolve from that original concept?

Carla: How to Stop Freaking Out explores the same information, ideas, and practices for managing your emotions as the parenting book you linked to above, but without the salty language and with many more illustrations! The idea for this book came from my amazing agent, Gillian MacKenzie. The minute she suggested a middle-grade version, I knew she was right. Kids freak out just as often as adults, and we all need help figuring out how to stay calm when life gets overwhelming.

 

Chris: Most of us probably have our own personal definition of a “freak out”, but how would you explain freaking out as it relates to the ideas in the book?

Carla: I use the acronym F.A.R.T. to help readers figure out if they’re freaking out. Our explosions are fueled by strong Feelings, they’re Automatic and Reactive, and, perhaps most importantly, our freak outs go Too far. I go into more detail in the book, but hopefully this silly acronym can help readers identify their freak outs and remember not to take themselves too seriously.

 

Chris: You can never go wrong with fart references in middle grade — love the acronym 🙂 As a lot of our readers know, writing and publishing can sometimes feel chaotic and stressful. Have you ever had to use any the techniques from the book in your life as an author?

Carla: All the time! Some of my favorite habits for preventing freak outs include: doing whatever I can to get enough sleep every night, exercising or moving my body every day, and ending the day by watching a TV show that makes me laugh (our current family favorite is Abbot Elementary!) When I’m trying to stay calm when life gets chaotic, I focus on breathing (and noticing that I’m breathing), going out to the front porch for a few minutes (and breathing some more), dropping my shoulders (which are almost up by my ears when I’m stressing out), and turning on a song that makes me happy.

 

Chris: Awesome thanks for sharing those tips! I’ve been reading through a really interesting book by Jonathan Haidt about the rise of anxiety in young people since the advent of the smartphone. Are there portions of this book that could be applied specifically to technology and social media?

Carla: I haven’t read that book, but yes, smartphones and social media are definitely related to freakouts! The posts and videos on social media can trigger adults and kids alike in a variety of ways, making us more prone to flipping our lids. In addition, if we pull out our smartphones every time we feel bored, anxious, frustrated, and otherwise unhappy, we’ll never figure out what our feelings really feel like and how to respond to them in skillful ways — rather than just losing ourselves in posts and videos that are likely to trigger us further!

 

Chris: Good call — I find myself often fighting the temptation to jump to my phone whenever I’m bored…love the idea of figuring out what my feelings really feel like! Okay, so what’s next for you as an author? Can you give us any clues about new projects you’re working on? 

Carla: I always have a million books bouncing around in my brain. Currently, I’m considering another self-help book for parents, another non-fiction book for kids, or maybe the ever-elusive novel… who knows?

 

Chris: We’ll be excited to see what comes next! Okay…as always, I like to do a lightning round of questions, so here we go…

Favorite place to write?

My office, preferably with two cats and a seltzer on my desk and a good police procedural playing on my iPad. (I always write with the TV on!)

Favorite authors?

In no particular order: Larry McMurtry, Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, and Sandra Boynton, but I reserve the right to add to that list!

Best desert?

Coffee ice cream with Oreo chunks.

Do you have any pets?

Yes, two rescue cats: Gertie and Gittel. They are incredibly annoying and I can’t even tell you how much I love them.

Favorite elementary school memory?

Garbage Pail Kids, of course! I collected the cards, and they even had one named Carla. Nobody ever has

anything named Carla (except my parents, I guess)!

Favorite piece of advice for other writers:

It’s impossible to write a book that everyone will love, so don’t worry about that. Write the book you love!

 

Many thanks to Carla for taking some time to chat with the Mixed up Files! You can learn more about Dr. Naumburg on her website, and of course check out How to Stop Freaking Out when it’s released on September 10th. As always, happy reading!

 

September New Releases

Pumpkin spice lattes are back at the coffee shop and school is back in session. It’s September. Time to pick up some new pencils, an uncreased folder, and a nice stack of new middle grade reads to see us through the cooler days. There’s a little something for everyone on the New Releases shelf this month. Take a look.

 

Team Canteen 1: Rocky Road by Amalie Jahn 

A hot pink boa that might be magic bonds 4 unlikely friends from summer camp and gives them the courage to face down the challenges they face back home.

This sassy, diverse series debut for tweens is perfect for fans of XO, Kitty, The Baby-Sitters Club, and Julie and the Phantoms.

On the final night of summer camp, Tasha, Raelynn, Claire, and Billie get busted stuffing themselves with ice cream in the mess hall’s walk-in freezer. But when they slip away without being punished, they’re convinced the pink feather boa Billie put on to stay warm is magic.

Back at home, each member of Team Canteen tests the boa’s powers as they face their own challenges. When her little cousin moves in with her destructive dog, Tasha struggles to find her place inside her adoptive family. Claire’s scared the kids at school will find out how hard life’s gotten since her dad lost his job. Raelynn longs to be someone other than her sister’s twin. And with a hockey-obsessed family charting his every move, Billie’s worried he’ll never be able share his dream of becoming a figure skater.

It’s going to be a rocky road from the start of the school year back to Camp Happy Hollow. Will the boa continue to protect Team Canteen, or will their friendship end up being the most magical find of all?

Alternating among the friends, Rocky Road is a smart, soaring celebration of the highs and lows of middle school, and the unbreakable friendships that see you through, no matter what comes next.

 

Monster Tree by Sarah Allen

Stranger Things meets A Monster Calls in this spine-tingling, emotionally rich middle grade novel about a boy who must protect his neighborhood from a malevolent monster tree while dealing with the recent loss of his father.

Something evil is growing . . .

Linus used to be an artist, like his dad. Now his father is gone, and Linus’s mom has moved them to the other side of the city, hoping for a fresh start. Maybe, for the first time in months, Linus will even draw again.

But there’s something unusual about their neighbor Maude and something wrong with the grotesque tree in her backyard. At night Linus sees it moving, changing, growing. When increasingly bizarre events plague the neighborhood–massive claw marks appearing on doors and cars, pets going missing, sightings of a red-eyed creature–he suspects Maude and her tree are to blame.

With his home under threat, Linus teams up with his goofy best friend, Spencer, and no-nonsense new girl Abby to unearth whatever sinister seeds have been planted next door . . . where something truly monstrous is just taking root.

 

 

The Witching Wind by Natalie Lloyd

From Natalie Lloyd, bestselling author of A Snicker of Magic and Hummingbird, comes a heart-expanding adventure about the magic of family, friendship, and the lengths we go for the people we love.

Eleven-year-old Roxie was excited to start sixth grade… until a mortifying incident at a pool party turns her into a middle school laughingstock. Roxie can’t imagine enduring a full year of bullying and body shaming, so when her country music star Granny invites Roxie to join her on tour, she jumps at the chance to leave her troubles behind. But then Granny–who’s been struggling with memory loss–goes missing, leaving Roxie without an escape plan… and without her best friend.

Grayson doesn’t mind being sent to yet another foster home. Her older sister, Beanie, is about to turn eighteen, which means she’ll be able to become Grayson’s guardian. It won’t be long until they live in the same house again. It won’t be long until they get to be a real family. But when Beanie’s birthday finally arrives, she doesn’t show up to collect Grayson. She doesn’t respond to calls or texts. It’s almost like she’s just… vanished.

Roxie knows Granny would never leave without saying goodbye. And Grayson is certain Beanie would never abandon her. So when the new friends learn about the Witching Wind that “steals” what people love most, Roxie and Grayson are certain they’ve discovered the truth. Granny and Beanie didn’t just disappear–they were taken. And it’s up to Roxie and Grayson to outwit the Witching Wind before it’s too late.

 

 

 

Accidental Demons by Clare Edge

Conjuring demons seems like something you should totally not be able to do by accident, right? Well, normally it isn’t. But Bernadette Crowley is the perfect storm of magical accidents.

For the youngest in a long line of witches, demons used to be no big deal. A spell and a quick prick of the finger, and a witch like Ber could summon a demon to do anything she needed–clean a mess, send a message, you name it.

But that was before Ber was diagnosed with diabetes. Now each time she tests her blood sugar, accidental demons are slipping into the human dimension…and causing absolute chaos.

Good thing Ber and her older sister, Maeve, know that every magical problem has a magical solution. They’ll just conjure a low-order demon to monitor her blood sugar! Bonus: they only have to bend one or two teeny, tiny rules. But before they know it, they’ve stumbled into deeper, more mysterious magic than they ever could have predicted. And soon it’s not just Ber’s magic but her entire coven that’s in danger.

 

 

 

Exit Nowhere by Juliana Brandt

Haunted Mansion meets the ultimate escape room in this tense and twisty middle grade horror following four kids who must beat a series of games to make it out of a haunted house.

The creepiest place in Barret Eloise’s small town is the abandoned Raithfield Manor, a decrepit house surrounded by rumors of ghosts and kids going missing. So she certainly never planned on stepping foot inside. But when her history teacher gives her a group project to research a local landmark, the manor is the location her group chooses. Determined to ace the project and fix her awkward first impression on her assigned partners–which include her former friend Helena, smart and confident Wayne, and school basketball star Ridge–Barret Eloise isn’t about to let some tall tales scare her off.

When the kids first enter the house, it seems to be nothing more than an empty building. But when the sun goes down, the doors and windows lock, sealing them inside. Even worse, the room they’re in transforms into an all-too-real game of The Floor is Lava. It doesn’t take long for the group to realize the mansion is a maze of childhood games. Win the game and you keep moving forward, lose and you disappear. And complicating it all is a worrying revelation–they are not alone in the house.

If Barret Eloise wants to make it home, she and her dysfunctional group are going to have to learn to work together quickly.

 

 

Team Park by Angela Ahn

Evan Park has always faced obstacles in getting his father’s approval, but an actual obstacle race has some surprising results. A new middle-grade novel from the author of the critically acclaimed Peter Lee’s Notes from the Field.

Unlike his dad, Evan Park does not like team sports — no matter how hard he tries. And when an accident causes Evan to break his wrist, he is determined that once he heals, he’ll work on finding his thing. Alone.

Inspired by his athletic physiotherapist, Evan decides to compete in an upcoming Dominator Ninja: Junior Edition competition. It will be part rehab, part fun. If he trains hard enough, he’ll finally have something to put on his empty shelf in the family trophy cabinet. Maybe that would make his dad proud of him for once.

But klutzy Evan strikes again, reinjuring his wrist. There’s no way he can compete in Dominator Ninja now — he can’t even hold chopsticks. When his sister encourages him to look beyond a solo competition, they discover a local family race that is more about the experience than the results. Can Evan shift his perspective to rally the whole family to do this event . . . together?

 

 

 

 

Valor Wings by Sam Subity

A thrilling WWII adventure that reimagines the evacuation of Dunkirk… with dragons!

May 10, 1940

Everyone in Iris’s small English village avoids the dragon in the woods. Everyone, that is, except for Iris. She knows Galahad would never hurt her–she’s been caring for the dragon since he lost his mother when he was a baby. When Galahad is accused of stealing military rations, Iris strikes a bargain that will spare Galahad’s life… but send him off to the war brewing in Europe. Soon after, she receives news that her brother is among the troops trapped in France by the advancing German troops. Refusing to give up hope, Iris devises a desperate plan that will either save both her brother and her best friend–or end in disaster.

Meanwhile in Belgium, Max’s school day is abruptly interrupted by some terrifying news: The Germans have invaded his country. He and his grandmother are forced to flee for their lives west toward France where they hope to find safety. But when they are separated after a German attack, Max must continue the treacherous journey on his own.

Across hundreds of miles, the stories of Iris and Max steadily converge toward an explosive conclusion that will change them both forever. Along the way, they each must find the inner strength and resolve–the valor–to do the impossible. Author Sam Subity blends history and fantasy to tell a story like no other–an exhilarating adventure about the power of friendship, hope, and courage.

 

 

 

On a Wing and a Tear by Cynthia L. Smith

A living legend roosting in the backyard. An unmissable game. A hair-raising mystery. A road trip full of adventure and danger. And all the overlapping circles that connect us throughout Creation.

Melanie “Mel” Roberts and Ray Halfmoon may be from different Indigenous Nations, but the friends have become like siblings since the Robertses moved in with the Halfmoons. And they soon welcome a distinguished guest: Great-grandfather Bat, whose wing is injured, has taken refuge in their old oak tree.

A rematch of the legendary Great Ball Game is coming up, with Bat as the star player. Grampa Charlie Halfmoon offers to drive Bat from Chicago down to the traditional playing field outside Macon, Georgia, and Mel and Ray are determined to help out.

Together, they all set off on a road trip–facing adventure, danger, and a hair-raising mystery–on the way to the historic game.

With loving care and boisterous humor, acclaimed author Cynthia Leitich Smith (Muscogee) tells a modern folklore story about friendship, embracing the unexpected, and all the overlapping circles that connect us throughout Creation.

 

 

 

Beware the Heartman by Shakirah Bourne

A spooky, heartfelt mystery inspired by Caribbean mythology, featuring the most lovable characters in middle grade fiction!

For once, everything in twelve-year-old Josephine’s life is going according to plan. She’s finally proved that girls belong on the cricket team and earned a spot as a starting player! And she’s confident that she and her best friend, Ahkai, will both be accepted to their dream secondary school. Nothing can stop Jo now — not even the memory of the vengeful sea spirit she vanquished last year.

But then a series of disasters strike. Ahkai suddenly seems to have a new best friend — the annoyingly perfect Lynne. Then Jo isn’t accepted to the same school as Ahkai! Even worse, Jo keeps having eerie encounters with a mysterious figure lurking in the shadows — a figure who bears an unsettling resemblance to the fearsome Heartman rumored to steal children’s hearts…

Jo doesn’t know where to turn. With Daddy away, the only person who’ll believe her is Ahkai, but Jo is too proud to ask for help after being replaced. By the time she musters the courage to approach him, it’s too late.

Ahkai has disappeared without a trace.

He’s been taken by the Heartman.

None of the adults believe Jo. The Heartman is just a legend, after all. But Jo knows that the fearsome creature is real and that if she doesn’t find his lair soon, Ahkai will be lost forever.

 

 

Stage Fright by Wendy Parris

A new locked room scary story about thirteen-year-old Avery, who plans a séance at a deserted theater to bond with her friends, only to realize they’re locked inside with someone–or something–else. This spine tingling read is perfect for fans of Katherine Arden and Lindsay Currie!

When Avery returns to her hometown after moving away a year earlier, she is hoping to jump back into her friend group as if nothing’s changed.

Unfortunately, new interests, secret crushes, and changing dynamics get in her way. To reunite her BFFs, she suggests they host a séance at an abandoned theater that was the site of a horrible tragedy.

What starts as a fun outing, soon becomes a fight for survival after the group gets locked in…and discovers they’re not alone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stranded by Nikki Shannon Smith

One storm. One winter. One girl’s fight for survival.

A contemporary My Side of the Mountain, Stranded is the story of a wilderness-hungry Black girl from Manhattan whose journey in the Adirondack mountains becomes a nail-biting story of courage, independence, and survival.

“This gripping tale, loaded with suspense and riveting details, is the modern-day answer to Gary Paulsen’s Hatchet, a fresh and inclusive take on the classic wilderness survival story.” — Kate Messner, award-winning author of Breakout

Nature-loving Ava yearns to leave the noise of New York City behind for a real adventure in the great outdoors–that’s why she’s thrilled when her parents allow her to move in with her Auntie Raven in the Adirondack Mountains!

It’s a dream come true . . . until Auntie Raven is called away and Ava’s stay is cut short. But when wires get crossed, Ava finds herself alone in her aunt’s secluded cabin. Winter comes early in the mountains, and one night, a single storm will change everything. With a destroyed cabin, no cell reception, and no neighbors for miles, Ava begins to realize this adventure is more than she ever could have imagined.

Surrounded by mountains blanketed with snow and ice, Ava is completely on her own. It’s the ultimate test . . . and her newly-developed survival skills may not be enough for her to last through the winter. Ava might not be able to fight the cold and the storms that come her way, but can she work with nature long enough to survive it?

 

 

The Curse of the Dead Man’s Diamond by Christyne Morrell

In this middle-grade mystery, eleven year old Charlie moves from NYC to Florida only to find herself in the haunted Winklevoss Manor. To her surprise, she’s not alone–she’s joined by three mischievous ghosts cursed for snatching a dead man’s diamond.

After twelve-year-old Charlie moves from New York City to sweaty, sticky Florida, she’ll do anything to get back home.

Even if it involves ghosts.

Winklevoss Manor, Charlie’s new house, is a towering Victorian mansion famous for one thing–it’s haunted. Three ghosts–Ada, Arthur, and Guff–live there, and not by choice. They’re trapped, cursed for stealing a dead man’s diamond. A diamond that, just like the ghosts, is still in the house. And this gets Charlie thinking. . .

Maybe if she can find the diamond and sell it, Charlie’s family could have enough money to move back to the city. But lifting the curse isn’t that simple, especially when she’s pitted against the school bully and three unruly spirits. It’s frightening to think about, but what if the only way to get rid of the ghosts and curses is by doing what Charlie fears the most–confronting the past that haunts her?

 

 

 

Wishbone by Justine Pucella Winans

Coraline meets Ghost Squad in this terrifying story about what happens when you aren’t careful what you wish for.

Ollie Di Costa wishes things could be different.

He wishes the bullies at school would leave him alone. He wishes his parents would stop fighting. He wishes his sister Mia didn’t have to worry about things like paying for college. But most of all, he wishes he wasn’t so angry about all of this. When he and Mia find a two-tailed cat they name Wishbone, Ollie takes comfort in telling him everything he wishes would change-then suddenly, it does. Everything Ollie and Mia wish for comes true, and it’s like all of their problems are solved. But magic comes at a price. Whatever they wish for is not simply given to them, but taken from others. And to make matters worse, a mysterious shadow man called The Mage is after Wishbone and his power. With each wish, darkness takes over more and more of their world, and worst of all, it threatens to take over Ollie, too. But can he let go of everything he’s ever wanted?

 

 

 

 

 

The No-Brainer’s Guide to Decomposition by Adrianna Cuevas

In Pura Belpré Honor-winning author Adrianna Cuevas’s new spooky middle grade novel. Frani must fight to stop the undead from rising in her father’s body-farm laboratory–that is, if she can embrace the true nature of her brain and its ADHD.

No one has ever called Frani Gonzalez squeamish. Seriously, whether it’s guts (no big deal), bugs (move aside, she’s got this), or anything else that you might find at the Central Texas Forensic Anthropology Research Facility, to her and her dad, the university’s body farm is just home.

Having bodies buried in her backyard doesn’t exactly make Frani the most popular kid in school, and the imaginary spider that lives in a web in her brain isn’t helping either. Arañita’s always to blame for the distracted thoughts weaving through Frani’s mind. But when a hand reaches out of the ground and grabs her ankle, Frani realizes that she’s got bigger problems.

Not everything is as it seems at the body farm, and now Frani must help the teenage zombie that crawled out of the dirt…before he gets too hungry. But as more and more zombies begin to appear–and they seem to get less and less friendly–can Frani embrace the true nature of her brain and count on new friendships to solve the body farm’s mystery before it’s overrun with the undead?

 

 

 

Lola by Karla Arenas Valenti

A simmering tale of magic, adventure, and the extraordinary bond between a brother and sister who’d journey to the ends of the Earth to save each other. From the acclaimed author of Lotería comes a heartfelt story rooted in Mexican magical realism.

Ten-year-old Lola has always been touched by magic. In her Mexico City home, built around a towering tree, she is accustomed to enchanted blooms that change with the seasons, a sandbox that spits out mysterious treasures, and mischievous chaneques that scuttle about unseen by all but her. Magic has always been a part of her life, but now she must embrace the extraordinary as never before.

Ever since The Thing That Happened, Lola’s brother Alex has been sick. As his condition worsens, something begins eating away at the tree, causing its leaves and blossoms to crumble like ash. The two are related, Lola is sure of it, but how? Seeking a cure, she visits a grocery store oracle who bids her to follow the chaneques down one of their secret passages… into a hidden world.

Here in Floresta, a land of myths and monsters and marvels untold, lies the key to healing her brother. But the kingdom’s young queen stands in the way. Lola must use her wits and face her deepest fears if there’s any hope of saving Alex in time.

 

 

There are a lot of cool September New Releases to choose from this month. See anything you particularly like? Let us know in the comments below.