Book Lists

Short Story Collections Selection: 5 Must-Read MG Anthologies

By on December 27, 2024   /   Book Lists  
Book turning pages

Winter break can be a great time to dive deep into a novel, but the busyness of the season (and maybe a new gift or two!) can also lend itself to shorter reading experiences.

What better way to sample multiple author offerings than with a collection of stories or essays? Collections like the incredible ones below can also provide a chance to discover a new favorite writer or see an established author branch out in a new genre or style.

Either way, these collections will be sure to entertain and enrich – no matter the time of the year or the amount of time to read.

A Little Bit Super: With Small Powers Come Big Problems Edited by Leah Henderson and Gary D. Schmidt

[Cover of A LITTLE BIT SUPER.]

Everyone knows that superheroes are supposed to have awesome powers like strength or invisibility or flight. But what happens when you’re a mostly regular kid . . . who’s just a little bit super?

In these hilarious and thought-provoking stories from today’s top middle grade authors, fourteen young people are each coping with a recently discovered minor superpower.

The Haunted States of America Edited by SCBWI

[Cover of THE HAUNTED STATES OF AMERICA.]

Every state has an urban legend that evokes fear and curiosity in equal parts, and this collection chronicles all of these logic-defying horrors… strap in for this spooky cross country tour, but be extra careful not to let any of these terrors follow you home.

You Are Here: Connecting Flights Edited by Ellen Oh

[Cover of YOU ARE HERE.]

An incident at a TSA security check point sows chaos and rumors, creating a chain of events that impacts twelve young Asian Americans in a crowded and restless airport.

As their disrupted journeys crisscross and collide, they encounter fellow travelers–some helpful, some hostile–as they discover the challenges of friendship, the power of courage, the importance of the right word at the right time, and the unexpected significance of a blue Stratocaster electric guitar.

Black Boy Joy: 17 Stories Celebrating Black Boyhood Edited by Kwame Mbalia

[Cover of BLACK BOY JOY.]

Black boy joy is…

Picking out a fresh first-day-of-school outfit.

Saving the universe in an epic intergalactic race.

Finding your voice–and your rhymes–during tough times.

Flying on your skateboard like nobody’s watching.

And more! From seventeen acclaimed Black male and non-binary authors comes a vibrant collection of stories, comics, and poems about the power of joy and the wonders of Black boyhood.

Hope Wins: A Collection of Inspiring Stories for Young Readers Edited by Rose Brock

[Cover of HOPE WINS.]

In a collection of personal stories and essays, award-winning and bestselling artists from Matt de la Peña and Veera Hiranandani to Max Brallier and R.L. Stine write about how hope always wins, even in the darkest of times.

From a family restaurant to a hot-dog shaped car, from an empty road on a moonlight night to a classroom holiday celebration, this anthology of personal stories from award-winning and bestselling authors, shows that hope can live everywhere, even–or especially–during the darkest of times.

No matter what happens: Hope wins.

—

These short stories and essays are the perfect fit for busy times and busier readers – and taking a moment to enjoy them will be sure to improve any season.

 

 

 

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Heists, Hijinks, and Hardboiled Heroes: Misadventures in Middle Grade

By on December 9, 2024   /   Articles, Book Lists, Fiction  

One of the fun things about middle grade books is that they possess the capacity to reflect the adult world on a smaller scale, mimicking and evoking the tropes of other genres without missing a beat. You can have your hardboiled private detectives, your intrepid journalists, your tarnished white knights. You can have your criminal masterminds, menacing henchmen, and slick con artists. The only difference is, they’re tweens and their playground is quite literally the school playground. But all the passions, foibles, dreams and disappointments can be found here … just don’t get caught by the principal!  Read on for a selection of old and new books which expertly capture the dark side of middle school.

The Big Splash by Jack D. Ferraiolo

Hardboiled loner Matt Stevens winds up entangled in the dark and dastardly schemes of a middle school crime syndicate, facing off against hitmen armed with water pistols, in this cool, stylish, and snappy callback to classic noir.  Though set firmly in the world of seventh- and eight-grade, this serious plays its tropes and themes seriously, from the wise-cracking, world-weary hero to the ruthless crime lord, from the complicated yet lovely femme fatale to the corrupt authorities. A sequel, The Quick Fix, saw Matt investigating who blackmailed the school basketball star.

High Score by Destiny Howell

Seventh-grade mastermind DJ has called it quits to schemes and cons, doing his best to lay low in a new school. Then his former partner and best friend Conor shows up, and winds up on the wrong side of the school’s criminal kingpin. To cancel out Conor’s debt and save him from becoming a social pariah, DJ has to assemble a new crew and acquire an astronomical amount of arcade tickets. It looks like he’s back in the game after all. Fast-paced, funny, and clever, this middle grade heist is as daring as any Danny Ocean might conceive. Followed by Second To None, in which DJ’s crew deals with a conspiracy aimed at taking down the school’s high achievers and club leaders.

 

The Great Green Heist by Varian Johnson

Another instance of a mastermind being recalled to a life of intrigue and danger, this political thriller sees Jackson Greene, reformed con man, pulling together a team of specialized operatives to swing the school presidential election. There’s nothing quite like the reluctant anti-hero ripped from a peaceful life and torn between friendship and honor. This is followed by To Catch a Cheat, in which Jackson and friends must clear their names after being framed by outwitting a devious blackmailer. “Just when I thought I was out, they pulled me back in,” to quote the Godfather movies…

 

The Cookie Crumbles by Tracy Badua and Alechia Dow

Talented baker Laila and her best friend, aspiring journalist Lucy, are excited to participate in the Golden Cookie Competition, especially since winning could determine their future in high school together. Before the final round, they must contend with sabotage, foul play, and the poisoning of one of the judges. In this cozy yet tense mystery, the recipe for success involves friendship, chocolate, and a healthy dose of danger. To be followed in 2025 by Their Just Desserts, another tasty mystery set against a baking competition.

 

The Sherlock Society by James Ponti

The Sherlock siblings—Alex and Zoe–, along with their friends Lina and Yadi, set out to form their own detective agency, only to discover it’s not as easy as it seems. Assisted by their grandfather, a retired reporter with a collection of cold cases, the Sherlocks launch a hunt for Al Capone’s lost treasure, only to stumble across more contemporary crimes in need of solving. With this delightfully intelligent, fast-paced tale, Ponti evokes classic juvenile sleuths while giving them a modern day makeover.

 

Bubblegum Shoes: The Case of the Contraband Closet by Goldy Moldavsky

In this clever mystery coming out next year, would be private detective Maya Mendoza has a nose for intrigue, a knack for getting in trouble, and a reputation for missing the mark. But when someone pulls off the heist of the century by emptying her school’s “Contraband Closet” of all its treasures, Maya has to enlist her estranged best friend and several new allies to solve the case. The clock is ticking and everyone is a suspect in this snappy, suspenseful series opener.

 

And there you go, a selection of hardboiled heroes, reluctantly reformed con men, and amateur investigators, all ready to see justice satisfied one way or another. Now if only they could solve the mystery of where I left the remote…

 

 

 

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Seasonal MG Reads

By on December 6, 2024   /   Book Lists  

The holidays are here!

One of the best things to do when it’s chilly outside is to curl up under a warm blanket with some hot cocoa and read a book! Here are some fun seasonal MG reads for all readers, whether they enjoy action, adventure, fantasy, love, mystery, or cozy!

 

Let It Glow by Marissa Meyer and Joanne Levy

When Aviva Davis and Holly Martin meet at the holiday pageant tryouts for their local senior’s center, they think they must be seeing double. While they both knew they were adopted, they had no idea they had a biological sibling, let alone an identical twin! The similarities are only skin deep, though, because while Aviva has a big personality and even bigger Broadway plans, Holly is more the quiet dreamer type who longs to become a famous author like her grandfather.

One thing the girls do have in common is their curiosity about how the other celebrates the holidays. What better way to discover the magic of the holidays than to experience them firsthand? The girls secretly trade lives, planning to stage a dramatic reveal to their families. Two virtual strangers swapping homes, holidays, and age-old traditions–what could possibly go wrong? Find out in this sweet as a sugarplum and satisfying as a latke middle grade novel!

 

 

The Daggers of Ire by J.C. Cervantes

Esmerelda Santos is a rare bruja, born with Chaos magic in her veins. She and her family are direct descendants of one of the four original witches—a mysterious legend about the night magic was born in San Bosco. But since the death of her mother, Esme is more concerned about healing their father’s spiraling grief.

When Esme finds a heart spell in a forbidden grimorio, she thinks it could be the answer to making her dad whole again. But before she can try, she and her best friend, Tiago, discover that their families and all the town’s witches have vanished—along with their magic, which keeps San Bosco alive. The only way to save them and the town is to find an original witch—impossible, since no one has actually ever seen one.

With a witch hunter on their tail, Esme and Tiago journey to a banished realm where forbidden magic runs wild. Here the two must embrace their powers and confront the legend’s terrible truths . . . or risk losing their families and their magic forever.

 

 

Spellbound Solstice by Alexandria Rogers

Every winter solstice, when people lock eyes in the Ambrose Ensorcelled Cottage, they fall in love.

This year, Alice Ambrose has secretly invited her dad in hopes that her parents will realize they’re happier together than apart. With her parents together, Alice will finally feel whole. But when Alice’s parents lock eyes…nothing happens.

Turns out, the women in her family are cursed to never fall in love.

Ronan Knight will do anything to get his enchantress mom to settle on a forever home. Luckily, he’s found her a perfect job at a perfect place: the Ensorcelled Cottage. The only snag? His mom would rather run from their mysterious past than settle down.

When Ronan learns about Alice’s family curse, he figures he can kill two birds with one broken curse, since helping Alice will surely earn his mom points with the owner of Ensorcelled Cottage. But when their meddling causes the town to lose the ability to love all together, and ghosts whisper of the very past haunting Ronan’s family, Alice and Ronan discover that happily ever after doesn’t look the same for everyone. And sometimes, to get what you want, you’ll have to give your heart away.

 

 

Northwind by Gary Paulsen

When a deadly plague reaches the small fish camp where he lives, an orphan named Leif is forced to take to the water in a cedar canoe. He flees northward, following a wild, fjord-riven shore, thrown from one danger to the next, unsure of his destination. Yet the deeper into his journey he paddles, the closer Leif comes to his truest self as he connects to the heartbeat of the ocean, the pulse of the sea.

 

 

 

 

Voyage of the Frostheart by Jamie Littler

In a snow-covered land where monsters rule the icy tundra, only song weavers hold the power to control these vicious giants. But for centuries song weavers have been the subject of suspicion–how can those who hold so much power be trusted?

Ever since his parents were lost on a pathfinding expedition, Ash has spent his life as an outcast. As a budding song weaver, his village marked him as a potential threat, even though all he wants to do is protect them. Eager to find his place in the world, he and his cantankerous yeti caretaker seek passage on the Frostheart: a ship-like sleigh whose mission is to explore faraway lands.

There he meets a fast-talking, spunky navigator, a walrus captain with a peg leg who runs a tight sleigh, and a mysterious traveler who encourages him to hone his song. But can Ash’s song weaving save the Frostheart from the monsters hiding under the ice? Or will his untamed powers put his newfound friends in jeopardy?

 

 

Winterhouse by Ben Guterson, illustrated by Chloe Bristol

Orphan Elizabeth Somers’s malevolent aunt and uncle ship her off to the ominous Winterhouse Hotel, owned by the peculiar Norbridge Falls. Upon arrival, Elizabeth quickly discovers that Winterhouse has many charms―most notably its massive library. It’s not long before she locates a magical book of puzzles that will unlock a mystery involving Norbridge and his sinister family.

But the deeper she delves into the hotel’s secrets, the more Elizabeth starts to realize that she is somehow connected to Winterhouse. As fate would have it, Elizabeth is the only person who can break the hotel’s curse and solve the mystery. But will it be at the cost of losing the people she has come to car for, and even Winterhouse itself?

 

 

 

Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu, illustrated by Erin McGuire

Once upon a time, Hazel and Jack were best friends. But that was before he stopped talking to her and disappeared into a forest with a mysterious woman made of ice. Now it’s up to Hazel to go in after him. Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Snow Queen,” Breadcrumbs is a fairy tale of modern-day America, an ode to the power of fantasy, and a heartbreaking meditation on how growing up is as much a choice as it is something that happens to us.

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