New Releases

July New Releases

It’s July! Time for a summer slow down. Lucky for you, we have a nice list of new middle grades coming your way – including one from our very own
Jennifer Swanson. Happy book birthday, Jennifer!!


Spacecare: A Kid’s Guide to Surviving Space by Jennifer Swanson

Have you ever wondered how astronauts stay healthy in space? What if an astronaut gets sick on the space station? Does snot run in space? This fascinating photo-illustrated look at space and medicine explores how scientists and physicians study astronauts in space, how they help keep them safe, and what we’ve learned about the human body through space exploration. Questions from real kids and answers form from astronauts, along with photos from NASA, combine for an out-of-this-world exploration of health.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Light Comes to Shadow Mountain by Toni Buzzeo

Cora Mae Tipton is determined to light up her Appalachian community in this historical fiction novel from an award-winning author and former librarian.

It’s 1937 and the government is pushing to bring electricity to the mountains of southeastern Kentucky. It’s all Cora can think of; radios with news from around the world, machines that keep food cold, lightbulbs by which to read at night! Cora figures she can help spread the word by starting a school newspaper and convincing her neighbors to support the Rural Electrification Act.

But resistance to change isn’t easy to overcome, especially when it starts at home. Cora’s mother is a fierce opponent of electrification. She argues that protecting the landscape of the holler–the trees, the streams, the land that provides for their way of life–is their responsibility. But Cora just can’t let go of wanting more.

Lyrical, literary, and deeply heartfelt, this debut novel from an award-winning author-librarian speaks to family, friendship, and loss through the spirited perspective of a girl eager for an electrified existence, but most of all, the light of her mother’s love and acceptance.

 

 

 

 

The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn by Sally J. Pla

Neurodivergent Maudie is ready to spend an amazing summer with her dad, but will she find the courage to tell him a terrible secret about life with her mom and new stepdad? This contemporary novel by the award-winning author of The Someday Birds is a must-read for fans of Leslie Connor and Ali Standish.

Maudie always looks forward to the summers she spends in California with her dad. But this year, she must keep a troubling secret about her home life–one that her mom warned her never to tell. Maudie wants to confide in her dad about her stepdad’s anger, but she’s scared.

When a wildfire strikes, Maudie and her dad are forced to evacuate to the beach town where he grew up. It’s another turbulent wave of change. But now, every morning, from their camper, Maudie can see surfers bobbing in the water. She desperately wants to learn, but could she ever be brave enough?

As Maudie navigates unfamiliar waters, she makes friends–and her autism no longer feels like the big deal her mom makes it out to be. But her secret is still threatening to sink her. Will Maudie find the strength to reveal the awful truth–and maybe even find some way to stay with Dad–before summer is over?

 

 

 

 

The Demon Sword Asperides by Sarah Jean Horwitz

A scheming demon sword and a wannabe knight band together on a (possibly wicked) quest in this fantasy, perfect for fans of Diana Wynne Jones and Terry Pratchett.

For the past two hundred years, the demon sword Asperides has led a quiet life. While his physical form has been tasked with guarding the body of an evil sorcerer, the rest of his consciousness has taken a well-earned vacation. That constant need to trick humans into wielding him (at the price of their very souls, of course) was rather draining.

Nack Furnival, on the other hand, is far from satisfied with his existence. Nack has trained since birth to be a brave and noble knight–but, unfortunately, he isn’t especially good at it. Determined to prove his worth, Nack needs a quest. And to complete that quest, he’ll need the one thing no knight can do without: a sword.

When an attempt to resurrect the evil sorcerer throws Asperides into Nack’s path, the demon sword can’t help but trick the boy into making a contract to become his new owner. And with the newly undead (and very, very angry) sorcerer on their trail, Asperides and Nack find themselves swept up in a bigger adventure than either of them bargained for: saving the world.

 

 

 

 

The Mystery of the Radcliffe Riddle by Taryn Souders

From the Edgar-nominated author of Coop Knows the Scoop comes an exciting mystery perfect for fans of From the Desk of Zoe Washington and Holes.

When Grady and his dad learn that the town oddball, Eudora “Kooky” Klinch left something for them in her will, they can only imagine what it might be. When it turns out it’s an old scrap of 300-year-old tapestry, they are bitterly disappointed. But the cloth comes with a note saying, “This is no ordinary piece of needlework. It’s a treasure map. Riddles and Clues. To the victor go the riches.” Grady’s dad dismisses it, but Grady thinks this could be the chance of a lifetime. With the help of his friends Thad, Clemmie, and the town dog Ophelia, Grady is determined to crack the clues and find the treasure.

But when someone tries to break into Grady’s house one night, and then the local antiques expert who examined the tapestry is found unconscious, Grady realizes that he’s not the only one who knows about the treasure map. There’s more at risk than he bargained for, and solving this mystery just got a lot more dangerous.

 

 

 

 

 

The Very Unfortunate Wish of Melony Yoshimura by Waka T. Brown

In this magical and chilling Coraline-esque retelling of the Japanese folktale “The Melon Princess and the Amanjaku,” one girl must save herself–and her loved ones–from a deceitful demon she befriended.

Melony Yoshimura’s parents have always been overprotective. They say it’s because a demonic spirit called the Amanjaku once preyed upon kids back in Japan, but Melony suspects it’s just a cautionary tale to keep her in line. So on her twelfth birthday, Melony takes a chance and wishes for the freedom and adventure her parents seem determined to keep her from.

As if conjured by her wish, the Amanjaku appears. At first, Melony is wary. If this creature is real, are the stories about its destructive ways also real? In no time, however, the Amanjaku woos Melony with its ability to shape-shift, grant wishes, and understand her desire for independence. But what Melony doesn’t realize is that the Amanjaku’s friendship has sinister consequences, and she quickly finds every aspect of her life controlled by the demon’s trickery–including herself.

Melony is determined to set things right, but will she be able to before the Amanjaku turns her life, her family, and her community upside down?

 

 

 

The Bellwoods Game by Celia Krampien 

Perfect for fans of Small Spaces and Doll Bones, this spooky, highly illustrated middle grade novel follows a girl who hopes to fix her outcast status through a game in the haunted woods, only to discover that some legends shouldn’t be played with.

Everyone knows Fall Hollow is haunted. It has been ever since Abigail Snook went into the woods many years ago, never to be seen again. Since then, it’s tradition for the sixth graders at Beckett Elementary to play the Bellwoods Game on Halloween night. Three kids are chosen to go into the woods. Whoever rings the bell there wins the game and saves the town for another year, but if Abigail’s ghost captures the players first, the spirit is let loose to wreak havoc on Fall Hollow–or so the story goes.

Now that it’s Bailee’s year to play, she can finally find out what really happens. And legend has it the game’s winner gets a wish. Maybe, just maybe, if Bailee wins, she can go back to the way things used to be before her grandma got sick and everyone at school started hating her. But when the night begins, everything the kids thought they knew about the game–and each other–is challenged. One thing’s for sure: something sinister is at play…waiting for them all in the woods

 

 

 

 

From soda to water to milk and juice, this refreshing follow-up to There’s No Ham in Hamburgers is full of fun facts and origin stories of some of America’s most popular drinks.

People have been inventing drinks for thousands of years. Kinda weird when you consider that humans only need two liquids to survive–water and milk–and we don’t need milk once we can eat solid foods. So, why did humans, unlike other mammals, begin concocting new beverages? It likely started with safety–boiling water to make it safer to drink, and then adding in berries or leaves or roots to make it taste better. Sometimes, it was thought that enhancing drinks made them healthier (i.e. bubbly water restored vitality). Did you know that some of the most popular sodas were created by pharmacists? Americans spend approximately $150 billion on soft drinks, coffee, and tea each year. Why? This book offers some possible answers!

 

 

 

 

The Magic Carousel by K. L. Small (Author) and Brandon Dorman (Illustrator)

THE MAGIC CAROUSEL PROMISES ONE THING: ADVENTURE!

When Russell’s eccentric, storytelling grandpa moves in with the family, Russell loses his bedroom and has to take Grandpa to the carousel in the park every day. As if he doesn’t have enough to deal with already. He’s flunking fifth grade, bullied at school, and his dad’s drinking has made him feel like a failure. Russell dreams of being a firefighter but fears he isn’t courageous enough.

Then Russell rides a carousel horse with Grandpa. Thanks to a magic brass ring, he finds himself magically transported into the past, where he faces life-and-death challenges. Each ride is a new, risky adventure. If he’s not careful, he could be trapped in one of his wild adventures forever!

 

 

 

 

 

The Horrible Bag of Terrible Things #1 by Rob Renzetti

From the creator of My Life As a Teenage Robot comes a middle-grade horror story about a horrible bag, the spine-chilling world hidden within it, and a terrifying adventure into the world of GrahBhag.

Perfect for fans of Coraline, the Spiderwick Chronicles, and Small Spaces.

When Zenith finds a strange, unsettling bag at his front door, he’s not sure where it came from or who sent it to him. He knows better than to expect his overprotective older sister Apogee to help him figure it out, because ever since she became a teenager, she’s been acting more like a parent to him than a sibling. But he certainly did not expect for a horrifying spiderlike creature to emerge from the bag, kidnap Apogee, and drag her inside to the equally horrifying and unsettling world of GrahBhag.

Zenith sets off into the bag to bring her back but soon finds a bizarre realm where malicious forests, a trio of blood-drinking mouths, and a sentient sawdust-stuffed giant are lurking within the seams. And from every corner of the world come whispers of the Great Wurm, an eldritch horror with a godlike hold over the creatures of GrahBhag, who seems to have a dark, insidious purpose for Apogee. With the help of a greedy, earwax-nibbling gargoyle, Zenith will have to save Apogee from the Great Wurm and help them both escape the horrible bag before it’s too late.

With a combination of dry, absurdist humor and no-holds-barred horror, Rob Renzetti has crafted a delightfully imaginative fantasy world that will hook readers as surely as it will send chills down their spines.

 

 

Don’t Trust the Cat by Kristen Tracy

WHAT IF YOU SWITCHED PLACES WITH YOUR CAT? Mean Girls meets Freaky Friday in this laugh-out-loud story about self-acceptance, learning who your friends are, and coming of age . . . as a cat.

Fifth-grader Poppy McBean likes rules and order. She’s a follower, and she’s totally okay with that. And if you judge her for that, she’s okay with that too! But after falling prey to her friends’ bullying one too many times, Poppy makes a wish to be happy–and it comes true in a very unexpected way: She wakes up in the body of her cat, Mitten Man.

Mayhem ensues as Poppy-the-girl attempts to navigate the wilds of the wilderness as a cat . . . and her free-thinking, groundbreaking kitty has had it with his owner’s timidity. He’s out to put the purr in perfectionist and take over middle school–as Poppy.

Hilarious and unexpected, Don’t Trust the Cat is a coming-of-age adventure that will keep readers cringing, cracking up, and reconsidering what it means to be a good person.

 

 

 

 

Kelcie Murphy and the Hunt for the Heart of Danu by Erika Lewis (Author) and Bess Cozby (Consultant)

Kelcie Murphy is back in another action-packed middle grade adventure, Kelcie Murphy and the Hunt for the Heart of Danu!, the second book in Erika Lewis’s magical series infused with Celtic mythology, The Academy for the Unbreakable Arts.

It’s hard having a father who’s an infamous traitor. It’s even harder having a mother who’s an omen of doom.

After a summer away, Kelcie Murphy is excited to be back at the Academy for the Unbreakable Arts. But she and her friends have barely settled in when they receive a visit from her mother–the war goddess, Nemain–with a warning of coming calamity.

The Heart of Danu, the legendary source of all light and warmth in the Lands of Summer, is going to be stolen. And only Kelcie and her mates can stop it. As they travel with the rest of the students to Summer City to take part in the glorious Ascension Ceremony, Kelcie has no time for the military parade, the lavish ball, or even to visit her father: she’s determined to protect the Heart and her new home.

But the Lands of Summer are still not a welcoming place for Kelcie. When disaster strikes, the Queen, the High Guard, and even some of her schoolmates suspect Kelcie is to blame.

As the world is plunged into darkness, Kelcie will have to decide: does she keep fighting for a place that may always see her as a traitor’s daughter, or for a future greater than the war to come.

 

I hope you found something on the list that you can’t wait to read. Please, let us know your thoughts in the comments.

New Middle-Grade releases for June!

Welcome summer! New Releases for a new season. The school year is winding down. Drop the textbooks and pick up a fun read. This list gives you several choices to tuck into your beach bag. Just don’t get any sand in the pages!

Camp Sylvania by Julie Murphy. HarperCollins/Balzer and Bray, June 6,  288 pp.

Magnolia “Maggie” Hagen is determined to be in the spotlight . . . if she can just get over her stage fright. This summer she has big plans to finally attend Camp Rising Star, the famous performing arts camp she’s been dying to go to for three summers. But on the last day of school, her parents break the news: Maggie is being shipped off to fat camp. And not just any fat camp. Camp Sylvania. It’s run by world-famous wellness influencer Sylvia Sylvania, known for her soon-to-be-patented Scarlet Diet.

When Maggie arrives at camp, things are . . . weird. The humiliating weigh-ins and grueling workouts are expected. But campers are encouraged to donate blood! The cafeteria serves only red foods and the odd rules change every day. There are even rumors of a camp ghost.

Despite these horrors, Maggie makes friends and starts to enjoy herself. There are even tryouts for a camp production of The Music Man! This place might not be so bad . . . until campers go missing and other suspicious things happen—especially after dark. A camp ghost might be the least scary thing about this place.

Garvey’s Choice: The Graphic Novel by Nikki Grimes. Wordsong, June 6, 144 pp. June 2023 release

Garvey’s father has always wanted Garvey to be athletic, but Garvey is interested in astronomy, science fiction, reading—anything but sports. Feeling like a failure, he comforts himself with food. Garvey is kind, funny, smart, and a loyal friend. He is also overweight, teased by bullies, and lonely. When his only friend encourages him to join the school chorus, Garvey’s life changes. The chorus finds a new soloist in Garvey. And through the chorus, Garvey finds a way to accept himself and finally reach his distant father—by speaking the language of music instead of the language of sports.

If you enjoy astronomy, check out Where the Sky Lives in this New Releases list.

Greenwild by Pari Thomson. Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, June 6, 384 pp.

June 2023 releaseEleven-year-old Daisy Thistledown is on the run. Her mother has been keeping big, glittering secrets, and now she has vanished. Daisy knows it’s up to her to find Ma, but someone—determined to stop her from discovering the truth—hunts her through London. When Daisy flees to safety through a mysterious hidden doorway, she can barely believe her eyes. She steps out of the city and into another world, Greenwild. Bursting with magic and full of amazing natural wonders, it’s almost too astonishing to be true. Not only is this land of green magic real, it also holds the key to finding Daisy’s mother.

But someone wants to destroy it.

Daisy must band together with a botanical genius, a boy who can talk with animals, and a cat to uncover the truth about who she really is. Only then can Daisy channel the power that will change her world and save Greenwild.

Half Moon Summer by Elaine Vickers. Peachtree, June 6, 288 pp. June 2023 release

Two seventh graders discover it takes more than grit and a good pair of shoes to run 13.1 miles. You’ve got to have a partner who refuses to let you quit.

Drew was never much of a runner. Until his dad’s unexpected diagnosis. Mia has nothing better to do. Until she realizes entering Half Moon Bay’s half-marathon could solve her family’s housing problems. And just like that they decide to spend their entire summer training to run 13.1 miles. Drew and Mia have very different reasons for running, but the two twelve-year-olds have one crucial thing in common besides sharing a birthday. Hope for the future. For their families. And for each other.

The Jules Verne Prophecy by Larry Schwarz and Iva-Marie Palmer. Christy Ottaviano Books, June 27, 368 pp.

June 2023 releaseOwen Godfrey spends his summer in Paris studying science fiction writer Jules Verne, the amazing mind behind Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and Around the World in Eighty Days. When Owen and his new friends find a dusty copy of Verne’s collected works in an old bookshop, they’re intrigued by the hidden codes written inside. As one clue leads to another, the trio gets swept into an epic treasure hunt spanning the city—from the depths of the catacombs to the top of the Eiffel Tower—by way of a skateboard, boat, car, and even a hot air balloon!  But they quickly realize they’re not the only ones searching for the hidden riches. There are others who will stop at nothing to get to them first. This fast-paced larger-than-life adventure is filled with action, high stakes, and three friends dead set on cracking the Jules Verne mystery.

Click here to learn more about Jules Verne.

Nightmare Island by Shakirah Bourne. Scholastic Press, June 6, 304 pp.June 2023 release

Twelve-year-old Serenity Noah has never told anyone about her recurring nightmares — the haunting images of silver butterflies with flapping wings that drive away all sound, leaving suffocating silence in their wake. Her parents already favor her “perfect” younger brother, Peace, and she doesn’t want to be seen as the “problem” child. Instead, Serenity finds a productive way to channel her fears: creating a horror movie as scary as her nightmares.

When Peace becomes afraid of the dark and refuses to sleep alone, their parents take him away for “treatment” on Duppy Island. Serenity has a very bad feeling about the mysterious island and the facility’s creepy leader, Dr. Whisper. And when she sees a silver butterfly from her nightmares in the forbidden forest she realizes that something is seriously, dangerously wrong. But nothing could’ve prepared Serenity for the truth: the island is home to douens — faceless children with backward feet who are trapped in limbo between the world of the living and the land of the dead.

If horror is your thing, check out this book list.

Out There (A Graphic Novel) by Seaerra Miller. Little, Brown Ink, June 27, 232 pp.

June 2023 releaseJulia didn’t always believe in aliens. It was her father who convinced her otherwise. You see—Julia’s dad believes he was abducted by aliens. And ever since then, he’s been obsessed with the extraterrestrial beings. So when a festival commemorating the 75th anniversary of the infamous UFO crash in New Mexico rolls around, Julia turns down a dream vacation to Hawaii with her best friend, Sara, to join her dad for a weekend trip to Roswell, where he expects the aliens to make contact.

But amid the alien-themed goofiness of the festival, Julia finds she isn’t sure whether her father really did get abducted. His memories of alien interference start to sound more and more shaky, and with them, her faith in him. Will this weekend bring the two closer together or drive them apart?

The Probability of Everything by Sarah Everett. Clarion Books, June 27, 336 pp.

Eleven-year-old Kemi Carter loves scientific facts, specifically probability. It helps her understand the world and her place in it. KemiJune 2023 release knows her odds of being born were one in 5.5 trillion, and that the odds of her having the best family ever were even lower. Yet somehow, Kemi lucked out. But everything she thought she knew changes when she sees an asteroid in the sky, casting a purple haze over her world. Amplus-68 has an 84.7% chance of colliding with Earth in four days, and if that happens, Kemi’s life as she knows it will end.

But over the course of the four days, facts don’t feel true to Kemi anymore. The town they moved to is supposed to be “better for her family.” But it isn’t welcoming. And Amplus-68 is taking over her life. Other people go to school and eat at their favorite diners like nothing has changed. Is Kemi the only one who feels the world is ending? Kemi decides to put together a time capsule that will capture her family’s truth: her mother’s creativity, her inquisitive little sister, and how much Kemi’s whole world revolves around her father. But no time capsule can change the fact that Kemi must face the most inevitable and hardest part of life: saying goodbye.

There are more fun “math” novels at this link.

A Season Most Unfair by J. Anderson Coats. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, June 20, 288 pp.

June 2023 releaseScholastica, or “Tick,” has grown up helping her father make candles in his shop. The experience has its ups and downs. Constantly smelling like tallow makes it hard for Tick to keep friends, but stray cats love her. Still, she delights in the work and the fact she can help Papa. Every summer, they use the long daylight hours to make as many candles as possible to sell at the Stourbridge Fair, the highlight of their year. And this year Tick will make the special Agnus Dei charms that keep travelers safe.

Because she’s a girl, Tick can never be a true apprentice in the trade, but if she gets to do the job anyway, does it matter what she’s called? But one morning she finds a boy sitting at her workbench. He’s the new apprentice and now Tick is forbidden from helping with the candle-making. Tick isn’t about to stand for this unfairness. She’s going prove to Papa that she deserves to be his apprentice.

The Sinister Secrets of Singe by Sean Ferrell, illus. by Graham Carter. Pixel and Ink, June 6, 384 pp.June 2023 release

Eleven-year-old Noah has grown up in a mysterious house—it grows larger every night—with only his mother and a robot boy for company. He spends his days building robotic devices for the city of Liberty, a place he’s not allowed to visit—not since his father almost destroyed it.

When Noah discovers a message hidden in one of his father’s inventions, he decides to run away and find him. He’s sure that by his father’s side, he’ll finally get the recognition he deserves. With the help of a band of smugglers including second-in-command Winona, he sails to Singe to rescue his father, who he’s certain is as misunderstood as he is. But the man he finds is even more of a monster than his mechanical creations. And when Noah returns home, he accidentally leads his father’s robot army to Liberty once more. Now, it’s up to Noah to rescue the city—but to do so, he’ll have to make a terrible choice.

The Umbrella Maker’s Son by Katrina Leno. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, June 27, 384 pp.

June 2023 releaseOscar Buckle lives in a city where it’s always raining. And when it isn’t raining, it’s about to rain, so the townspeople have learned to embrace it. Oscar’s father is an umbrella maker—appropriate for a place where you can’t leave home without one!—but while Buckle Umbrellas are strong, reliable, and high quality, they’re expensive. Because of this, people are buying from the competitor instead, which is threatening Oscar’s family’s business.

To make ends meet, Oscar must quit school and work in his father’s shop as an apprentice. But when extraordinary events start to occur in their rainy town, Oscar becomes suspicious of their competitor. Desperate to save his town, Oscar must enlist the help of his best friend, Saige, to discover if there’s more than nature involved in their city’s weather.

You can be an umbrella maker, too.

When Giants Burn by Beth Vrabel. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, June 13, 256 pp.

Gerty has a secret: She’s building an airplane. She wants to join the Civil Air Patrol, where pilots as young as twelve help with disasterJune 2023 release relief—but she knows her parents would be outraged. They’re survivalists who raised her to be independent and only enrolled her in middle school to show her why they’ve decided to opt out of society. Still, Gerty is determined to protect her beloved Pando, a nearby ancient aspen forest.

Hayes has his own problems, but they aren’t the kind that can be hidden under a tarp. His mom is back from prison, but he’s not sure he’ll ever stop missing the mom she used to be. One thing is certain: He’s never going to be like her. He follows the rules. But Gerty is the only person at school Hayes doesn’t hate, so after she tells him about her hidden plane, he helps her finish it.

When wildfires break out, Gerty wants to fly to Pando and make sure it’s safe, and Hayes is tempted to escape everything on the ground. But the duo will soon realize that they can’t escape their roots and that holding onto those connections might be the real key to survival.

Is it a rainy day? Looking for more to read on a hot sweltery day? Here’s a bookshelf of other June releases.

June 2023 releases

 

New MG Releases for May!

All kinds of great MG books are sprouting up this May! And we even have some new books from Mixed-Up Files blog contributor Susan Koehler. Grab one of these new books and let your imagination grow!


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

Celebrate the joys of Black boyhood with stories from seventeen bestselling, critically acclaimed Black authors—including Jason Reynolds, Jerry Craft, and Kwame Mbalia.

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. Contributors include: B. B. Alston, Dean Atta, P. Djèlí Clark, Jay Coles, Jerry Craft, Lamar Giles, Don P. Hooper, George M. Johnson, Varian Johnson, Kwame Mbalia, Suyi Davies Okungbowa, Tochi Onyebuchi, Julian Randall, Jason Reynolds, Justin Reynolds, DaVaun Sanders, and Julian Winters


Cursed and Innocent Blood by Susan Koehler

Cursed: Eli Hancock is all about facts and scoffs at his friend Freddy’s superstitions. But after the pair find a gold coin in a sinkhole at Broken Brand Ranch and good things start happening to Eli, he thinks it might be lucky. He returns to the ranch and takes an old pocket watch. What’s a little more luck? Then, the coin begins to glow and his dreams turn haunted. Are the coin and pocket watch he found actually cursed?

Innocent Blood: Life has been tough since Rosa Vieja’s dad went missing. On top of the rumors that her dad walked out, the sophomore is haunted by a strange voice coming from the mist. The voice becomes more persistent after a classmate—the football team’s wide receiver and Rosa’s not-so-secret crush—disappears. She finds herself drawn toward the mysterious voice. Does the voice have anything to do with the nearby sinkholes? What does it mean when it says “innocent blood,” and what will make it stop?

 


Camp QUILTBAG by Nicole Melleby

Twelve-year-old Abigail (she/her/hers) is so excited to spend her summer at Camp QUILTBAG, an inclusive retreat for queer and trans kids. She can’t wait to find a community where she can be herself—and, she hopes, admit her crush on that one hot older actress to kids who will understand.

Thirteen-year-old Kai (e/em/eir) is not as excited. E just wants to hang out with eir best friend and eir parkour team. And e definitely does not want to think about the incident that left eir arm in a sling—the incident that also made Kai’s parents determined to send em somewhere e can feel like emself.

After a bit of a rocky start at camp, Abigail and Kai make a pact: If Kai helps Abigail make new friends, Abigail will help Kai’s cabin with the all-camp competition. But as they navigate a summer full of crushes, queer identity exploration, and more, they learn what’s really important. Camp QUILTBAG is a heartfelt story full of the joy that comes from being and loving yourself.

 

 


Singing with Elephants by Margarita Engle

Cuban-born eleven-year-old Oriol lives in Santa Barbara, California, where she struggles to belong. But most of the time that’s okay, because she enjoys helping her parents care for the many injured animals at their veterinary clinic.

Then Gabriela Mistral, the first Latin American winner of a Nobel Prize in Literature moves to town, and aspiring writer Oriol finds herself opening up. And when she discovers that someone is threatening the life of a baby elephant at her parents’ clinic, Oriol is determined to take action. As she begins to create a world of words for herself, Oriol learns it will take courage and strength to do what she thinks is right—even if it means keeping secrets from those she loves.

A beautifully written, lyrically told story about the power of friendship—between generations, between humans and animals—and the potential of poetry to inspire action, justice, and acceptance.

 


Lost in Taiwan by Mark Crilley

THIS WASN’T PAUL’S IDEA.

The last thing he’s interested in is exploring new countries or experiencing anything that might be described as “cultural enrichment.” But like it or not, he’s stuck with his brother, Theo, for two weeks in Taiwan, a place that—while fascinating to Theo—holds no interest to Paul at all.

While on a short trip to a local electronics store, Paul becomes hopelessly lost in Taiwan’s twisting, narrow streets, and he has no choice but to explore this new environment in his quest to find his way back to Theo’s apartment.

In an unfamiliar place with no friends—and no GPS!—there’s no telling what adventures he could happen upon. And who knows? Maybe it turns out he has friends in Taiwan, after all.


The Samosa Rebellion by Shanthi Sekaran

Before his grandmother moved from India to the island of Mariposa, Muki Krishnan’s life was good. But now? He has to share his bedroom with Paati, his grandmother, who snores like a bulldozer and wakes him up at dawn to do yoga.

Paati’s arrival coincides with even bigger changes in Mariposa. The president divides citizens into Butterflies—families who have lived in Mariposa for three generations—and Moths, who, like Muki’s family, are more recent immigrants. The changes are small at first. But then Muki and his friends find a camp being built to imprison Moths before sending them away. Soon after, his Paati is captured and taken there.

While devising Paati’s escape, Muki discovers that a secret rebellion is underway, and as he digs deeper, he realizes that rescuing Paati will be the fight of his life.

 


Condor Comeback by Sy Montgomery

In April of 1987 the last wild California condor was captured and taken to live in captivity like the other twenty-six remaining birds of its kind. Many thought that the days were over of of this remarkable, distinguished bird that had roamed the skies of North and Central American for thousands of years.

Sy Montgomery employs her skill for on-the-ground reporting, shrewd observation, and stunning narrative prose to detail the efforts of scientists, volunteers, and everyday citizens to get California condors back in the wild. In particular, Montgomery profiles employees at the Santa Barbara Zoo who have worked tirelessly to raise abandoned chicks, nurse sick birds back to health, and conduct research that can support legislation to ban what is probably the largest threat to the existence of the wild condor: lead bullets. In turns affectionate and frustrated, hopeful and heartbreaking, Montgomery’s powerful prose does justice to these ancient, sociable, and elegant creatures.

Complete with world-class, full-color photography and helpful sidebars that provide details such as the history of the bird’s fight back from extinction, the dangers of lead poisoning, and the relationship of condors to the Chumash nation, Condor Comeback is an inspiring story of groundbreaking science, perseverance, and cooperation.


Room to Dream by Kelly Yang

After years of hard work, Mia Tang finally gets to go on vacation with her family — to China! A total dream come true! Mia can’t wait to see all her cousins and grandparents again, especially her cousin Shen. As she roams around Beijing, witnessing some of the big changes China’s going through, Mia thinks about the changes in her own life, like . . .

1. Lupe’s taking classes at the high school! And Mia’s own plans to be a big writer are . . . stuck.

2. Something happened with Jason and Mia has no idea what to do about it.

3. New buildings are popping up all around the motel, and small businesses are disappearing.

Can the Calivista survive? Buckle up! Mia is more determined than ever to get through the turbulence, now that she finally has . . . room to dream!


Just a few of the many MG books coming out in May . . . happy reading!