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Thinking Outside the Box

By on July 8, 2026   /   Book Lists, WNDMG   /   Leave a comment

Thinking Outside the Box:

WNDMG Summer 2026 Recommendations

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Summer is the perfect time to unwind and relax. This is true for parents, children, teachers, and students alike! So while we rest our minds, it’s best to try thinking outside the box and finding time to discover some unconventional and lighthearted reads. What am I referring to, you ask? Graphic novels!

This summertime post is dedicated to graphic novels, illustrated chapter books, anthologies, online magazines, and all things unexpected. The push for more illustrated middle grade reads and graphic novels is an excellent way to get our kids reading and falling in love with the stories they discover. Check out this list of upcoming (or recently released) stories! 

Descriptions are pulled directly from the books, so you’ll see why these stories will automatically draw you in.

 

InbetweensInbetween by Faith Erin Hicks

Faith Erin Hicks. First Second, Released Mar. 31

($22.99, ISBN 978-1-250-83875-9)

A new tween graphic novel by bestselling author Faith Erin Hicks. Perfect for fans of Sweet Valley Twins and Ride On!

Twin sisters Ash and Sloane are headed to animation camp―where their courage, drive, and sisterly bond will be put to the test!

Twin sisters Sloane and Ash are two peas in a pod, and they do everything together: watch movies, attend classes, and most importantly, draw! So when the summer animation classes of their dreams are about to start, they can barely contain their excitement!

Well…Ash is excited but Sloane is surprised to find she isn’t as jubilant about it, which makes no sense, since she loves art. Meanwhile, Ash discovers that just because you love something, doesn’t mean you’ll automatically be good at it, and she struggles under the weight of her own expectations and those of her teacher’s. Soon, the trials of challenging classwork and new friendships drive a wedge between the twins. Can their bond survive the summer? 

 

Kingdom Unraveled by Mariana DeMercurio

Kingdom Unraveled: A Closely Knit Graphic Adventure

Mariana DiMercurio. Andrews McMeel, Coming July 28

($22.99, ISBN 978-1-5248-9888-5)

One unlikely champion. One quest to save the kingdom. Two knitting needles.

For lovers of Amulet comes a new full-color graphic novel for kids with an unlikely hero. Jo’s life is changed forever when she is made the new Champion—the person tasked with saving the Kingdom from the insidious evil that’s mysteriously taking over. She’ll have to tap into her own bravery and wisdom and start on a quest through the kingdom unlike any other!

Jo is a 70-year-old woman who lives a quiet life in her village, with just her knitting needles and nature to keep her company. But when a mystical guardian knocks on her door one day, Jo is tasked as the new Champion. With help from her snarky friend Roy—whose goals seem to suspiciously align perfectly with hers—she’ll have to do what no other champion has been able to save the Kingdom (and her family) from certain demise.

Featuring the exclusive, never-before-published ending to the popular online story, Kingdom Unraveled is an original graphic novel packed with humor and heart! 

 

SuperpunkSuper punk by Mirtes Santana and Guilherme Petreca

Mirtes Santana and Guilherme Petreca. Oni, Released May 5

($14.99 trade paper, ISBN 979-8-89488-076-1)

Meet Violeta! Violeta is a thirteen-year-old skateboarder and podcaster. But most importantly? She’s a PUNK! Oh, and a superhero, too. Superhero + punk = SUPERPUNK. That’s Violeta!

After discovering her grandfather’s old cassette player, Violeta decides to play a cassette tape backward. (Why? It’s pure punk rebellion, duh!) What she didn’t know was this rebellious act would grant her magical powers! Aaaaand . . . unleash monsters. A LOT of them. Violeta will need to use all her new superpowers to protect her home of Hollow Hills from the strange creatures and send them back to wherever they came from. Luckily, she’s joined by Alan, Violeta’s faithful sidekick and fellow podcaster. Together, they’ll have to find a way to put these monsters back in their place. But between homework, podcasting, and skateboarding, Violeta has a tough time managing it all. When a horde of monsters descend on her school, will this superpunk be able to save the day?

Multi-award-winning comic book artist Guilherme Petreca and TV writer Mirtes Santana bring you Superpunk, a radical adventure story about the need to rebel and act out to protect the people and things you love!

 

Hand Me Down by Damian AlexanderHand-Me-Down

Damian Alexander, First Second, Coming July 28

($22.99, ISBN 978-1-250-86020-0)

From the author of the highly praised debut Other Boys comes a moving graphic memoir about the love we pass down across generations. Perfect for fans of Hey, Kiddo and Flamer.

Damian’s mother died when he was a baby, and he has lived with his grandma ever since. Now, all he has left of his mother are old photos and the stories Nanny shares with him. Nanny has a lot of stories, some about his mom and some about her own childhood growing up in foster care.

When Damian feels lonely, he imagines what life was like when his mother and grandmother were middle schoolers like him. Through memories, stories, and daydreams, he feels closer to the mother he lost and begins to see the mother he found.

 

Journey to Tomioka Journey to Tomioka by Laurent Galandon

by Laurent Galandon and Michaël Crouzat, trans. by Anne and Owen Smith

First Second, Released June 9 ($19.99, ISBN 978-1-250-40671-2)

For fans of This Was Our Pact and Hayao Miyazaki films comes a breathtaking graphic novel about siblings who risk everything to return their grandmother’s ashes to her home inside the Fukushima Exclusion Zone.

Osamu hasn’t been the same since that day. When the tsunami hit Fukushima prefecture, it killed his parents, destroyed his home, and triggered one of the world’s worst nuclear disasters. Now, all Osamu has left is his grandmother, Bā-chan, and his big sister, Akiko. As he withdraws into his own world, he befriends friends yōkai―spirits only he can see.

Then, tragedy strikes again, and Bā-chan dies. Osamu and Akiko are determined to return her ashes to their family farm in Tomioka, a town within Fukushima’s forbidden zone. There, the siblings will face dangerous radiation and yōkai, both friendly and deadly―but they’re willing to risk it all to make it home.

 

A Fishboy Named ... Sashimi by Dan Santat A Fishboy Named Sashimi 

Dan Santat, Roaring Brook Press, Released Apr. 14

($14.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-250-35999-5)

“From the mega-talented Dan Santat comes a hilarious and beautifully illustrated tale of friendship, adventure and mystery. Sashimi is FRESH!!!” -Dav Pilkey, creator of Dog Man and Captain Underpants

He’s funny. He’s (too) friendly. He’s… a fishboy named SASHIMI!

A new, graphic novel series from bestseller and Caldecott Medal winner Dan Santat.

In the town of Barnacle Bay, a creature lurks. He’s come from the ocean, in search of others like him.

To fit in with humans, Sashimi sneaks into an elementary school and pretends to be a student. But he’s clearly a fish out of water!

When Sashimi finds out the whole town is on the hunt for the Beast of Barnacle Bay—a creature who sounds a lot like Sashimi—hijinks ensue! Fortunately, with the help of a new friend and the class goldfish, Sashimi figures out a way to stay afloat.

Perfect for fans of Bad Guys, Sharkdog, and The Investigator series!

 

Bonus Recommendation

Lit Kids Magazine

If reading stories isn’t your kid’s cup of tea this summer, maybe creating their own is more their speed! If so, have them try their hand at submitting work to Lit Kids Magazine – an online publication featuring creative works made by kids for kids! Lit Kids Magazine publishes four issues per year with rotating themes. The call is open for children ages 5 – 13 to submit their stories, poetry, artwork, and even photography. If you’ve got a creative youngster in your midst, nudge them to share their work and get published! Their next deadlines for submissions is August 7 and the search is on for your spooky stories!  

 

With so many unique finds, your summer reading list just grew a little bit longer. Which recommendation piques your interest the most? Share your graphic novel recs below or let us know which one you’ll be picking up today.

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WNDMG Author Interview: Getting to Know Crystal Allen

By on June 10, 2026   /   Articles, WNDMG  

Let’s welcome Crystal Allen to the Middle Grade Mixed-Up Files! She’s written five books for middle-graders, including The Magnificent Mya Tibbs series. Join us as she dishes on writing, her career and other fun stuff. Read on!

 

Author Crystal Allen holding her book, "Between Two Brothers."

You were born in a military hospital in Germany. How long did you live in Germany before moving to the States? Yes! My father was in the Army and was stationed for training at an Army base in Kitzingen, Germany. I was only there long enough to be born and ready to travel back to the States.

What are you working on now? I’m working on a paranormal MG story.

What was the inspiration for this story? It’s based on a true story that happened to me while doing a residency at the James Thurber House in Columbus, Ohio. It’s been difficult creating this story for a middle-grade audience, but I won’t give up! 😊

What is your writing process like? I enjoy writing early in the morning, and I always invite my characters to join me! They don’t always come, which makes me have to do more writing exercises or prompts and wait on them! LOL

Some writers tend to be on the introverted side (me, I’m talking about me), and you seem to be pretty extroverted, how/when did you start writing and why? My first memory of writing something significant was when I wrote a list of things I was good at and put it near my teacher’s desk. I was the new kid at school (being a military kid makes you travel and change schools more than you want), and was having trouble making friends. So, I created what ended up being an “about me” doc. Two girls in my class found the list and then asked me if I wanted to play with them! That was huge! (Note: Those two girls got in trouble a lot for being mouthy, rolling their necks when they spoke, and bragging. They may have unintentionally helped me with any sort of introverted issue I had.) LOL

How did you know writing for middle-schoolers was your jam? I kept getting feedback that my characters sounded older than their ages and that the plots were inappropriate for younger elementary school children. So, I upped the ages, and that put my characters in middle school! It worked out great for me and my characters!

Describe your writing space. A hot mess.  I clean it, and it stays organized for a few hours before I have papers and pens and highlighters and my phone, a plate of fruit and a coffee cup and a map I tried to draw for a scene…ugh. But I love all of it and wouldn’t change a thing!

What was your experience getting your first book published? It was educating. I was told by a few peers that no one would buy a book about a Black boy who loves to bowl because if publishers were interested, it would already be in the bookstores in other versions. I almost believed that lie. I took my first three chapters to an SCBWI event where Jen Rofe was speaking. She loved the chapters, asked for the entire manuscript, and eventually offered representation. That was back in 2008, and she is still my agent. She took my book to auction, and it sold to HarperCollins. That taught me to always follow my heart, use my gift as it was intended, and don’t listen to the negative chatter.

What was your favorite book from childhood, and why? I was in elementary school, and I ended up living on my grandparents’ farm in Indiana. Before I was smart enough to make that “About Me” list, our school librarian gave me Charlotte’s Web to read. Looking back, I’m sure she gave me that book because I was living on a farm, and she was trying to help me become a reader. Little did she know that I would relate to Fern, the little girl in the book, because she was so much like me—had only one friend, had brothers, and loved animals. I have four copies of Charlotte’s Web in my office, just in case a few grow legs and walk out of my house with my granddaughters. 😊

What do you like to do when not writing? I love to cruise, and I love to cook. Both are very relaxing to me.

What do you hope young readers will take away from your books? I write humor and heartache. They go hand-in-hand. My hope is to give young and older readers an opportunity to see themselves in stories, and to know that life is not perfect, and neither are we.

Bonus question: If you could be any character in a middle-grade book, who would you choose? I think Amari Peters from Amari and the Night Brothers!

 

      

 

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WNDMG Author Interview: Seema Yasmin on her series Muslim Mavericks

By on April 8, 2026   /   Author Interviews, WNDMG  

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Author Interview – Seema Yasmin

I’m so excited to be able to introduce you to author Seema Yasmin today. We are going to be talking about the start of her new series, Muslim Mavericks, spotlighting actress and comedian Maysoon Zayid, and launching from Salaam Reads / Simon and Schuster Kids on February 10, 2026.

I am excited to discuss this series with Seema and encourage everyone to buy a copy for themselves and their classrooms and libraries.

 

About MAYSOON ZAYID, THE GIRL WHO CAN CAN:

Description taken from online:

From the prolific Pulitzer Prize–nominated Muslim reporter Dr. Seema Yasmin comes an exciting nonfiction chapter book about one of America’s first female Muslim comedians—Maysoon Zayid—the first in the riveting and inspirational Muslim Mavericks.

This is the story of the girl who could!

Maysoon Zayid was just a girl from New Jersey. She might have sometimes felt like she was in the shadow of her three older sisters, but in her dreams, she was Mimi—an amazing actress, comedian, and dancer! The only problem? People kept telling Maysoon her dreams were impossible!

Achieving her goals certainly wasn’t easy; as a Palestinian Muslim girl born with cerebral palsy, Maysoon faced all sorts of challenges—both physical and societal. But Maysoon didn’t dare give up. Instead, she followed her heart all the way to the screen and stage to become one of America’s first ever women Muslim comedians and an actress on her favorite TV show.

 

 

Interview with Seema:

I loved getting to talk to Seema about her new book and I know you will enjoy meeting her as well.

 

SSS: What a wonderful start to a series. Can you tell us why you picked Maysoon Zayid to be the first person to spotlight?

 

SY: I’ve been a big fan of Maysoon’s standup comedy and writing for a long time and once my agent, Lilly Ghahremani, and I had conceived of the Muslim Mavericks series and pitched it to Simon and Schuster, it was a no brainer to have Maysoon’s story launch the entire series. The way Maysoon uses her voice, her humor and humanity to connect with and move an audience is phenomenal. I’m excited for readers to get to know her.

SSS: How did you conduct your research for this book? Did you interview Maysoon and how was that? (I am assuming hilarious, just like her!)

SY: I had the privilege of interviewing Maysoon, watching her do standup comedy live in New York City, and spending hours researching her life story and calling it “work.” Being a writer is the best because you get to read and interview fascinating people for a living! Interviewing Maysoon was of course hilarious but it was also sobering and humbling; I was made aware of my ableism and how it shows up in my writing.

SSS: What surprised you most about Maysoon’s life?

SY: I loved learning about her mum and dad’s personalities and differing life philosophies. Maysoon’s dad said “Yes, you can can!” and her mum was perhaps ore pragmatic about life and the challenges her daughter would face. But both of them treated all of their kids equally.

 

SSS: How do you choose who to write about when you are planning this series out?

 

SY: I am spoiled for choice selecting iconic Muslims who are changing the world. The second volume in the series is about a legendary record-breaker who held a secret for most of his life. There are so many people to write about! As a doctor and artist myself, I want to include the breadth of Muslim changemakers, from vaccine scientists to dancers.

SSS: What is next for this series? Or rather, WHO?

 

SY: I can’t say just yet but watch this space!

Link to order here.

Thank you Seema for joining us- and I hope everyone gets a copy of this book!

 

About Seema Yasmin:

Seema Yasmin is an Emmy Award–winning journalist who was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, medical doctor, professor, and poet. She attended medical school at Cambridge University and worked as a disease detective for the US federal government’s Epidemic Intelligence Service. She currently teaches storytelling at Stanford University School of Medicine, and is a regular contributor to CNN, Self, and Scientific American, among others.

 

 

 

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