Great Spring time books are raining down on middle grade readers this month. Check out this selection of upcoming releases. From a debut historical fiction story from Laurie Halse Anderson to, a second in a series from Spice Girl Geri Halliwell-Horner, and several adventures await! Come in from the rain and read!
Rebellion 1776, Written by Laurie Halse Anderson, Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books, April 1, 416 pgs
From New York Times bestselling author Laurie Halse Anderson comes an eerily timely historical fiction middle grade adventure about a girl struggling to survive amid a smallpox epidemic, the public’s fear of inoculation, and the seething Revolutionary War.
In the spring of 1776, thirteen-year-old Elspeth Culpepper wakes to the sound of cannons. It’s the Siege of Boston, the Patriots’ massive drive to push the Loyalists out that turns the city into a chaotic war zone. Elspeth’s father—her only living relative—has gone missing, leaving her alone and adrift in a broken town while desperately seeking employment to avoid the orphanage.
Just when things couldn’t feel worse, the smallpox epidemic sweeps across Boston. Now, Bostonians must fight for their lives against an invisible enemy in addition to the visible one. While a treatment is being frantically fine-tuned, thousands of people rush in from the countryside begging for inoculation. At the same time, others refuse protection, for the treatment is crude at best and at times more dangerous than the disease itself.
Elspeth, who had smallpox as a small child and is now immune, finds work taking care a large, wealthy family with discord of their own, as they await a turn at inoculation, but as the epidemic and the revolution rage on, will she find her father?
Rosie Frost: Ice on Fire, written by Geri Halliwell-Horner, Philomel Books, April 8, 464 pgs.
The second sweeping adventure by iconic Spice Girl, songwriter, and New York Times bestselling author, Geri Halliwell-Horner.
On the brink of discovering who—or what—lies behind her mother’s death, Rosie Frost begins a new adventure with a murder to solve, revenge on her mind, and more questions than she has answers.
It’s a new term at Heverbridge School, and Bloodstone Island is in turmoil: mutant animals are on the loose, jealous classmates want to bring Rosie down, and, even worse, there’s a black hole to deal with. Below the island’s surface, an everlasting star is growing in strength, and it just may end them all.
Rosie discovers the north side of the island, home to the alluring Imperium Palace. But is the palace one of scientific genius or deadly menace?
While she fights to know the truth about her past—and her family’s ancient ties to Bloodstone—Rosie begins to wonder if the price for the truth may be too high. She must discover what she’s really made of as a fresh danger puts her new home—and all that she loves—at risk.
The Trouble with Secrets, written by Naomi Miller, Quill Tree Books, April 8, 336 pgs.
A Jewish girl preparing for her upcoming bat mitzvah tries to keep a secret—along with one of her sister’s—in this beautiful coming-of-age contemporary novel that explores change, grief, and the complexities of sibling relationships.
Twelve-year-old Becky has great expectations placed upon her. Not only does she need to be as perfect as her older brother and sister, but her upcoming bat mitzvah needs to be perfect, too. She is the rabbi’s daughter, after all. The trouble is, Becky’s intentions often lead her astray. At least when she plays the flute, she feels like the best version of herself. Until playing the flute causes Becky to do something not so perfect: keep a secret from her parents.
Then Becky discovers that Sara, her “perfect” sister, has an even bigger secret. One that could turn the family upside down. The sisters couldn’t be more ready to keep each other’s secret safe…until the excitement turns to guilt, and Becky is forced to make an impossible choice.
When secrets are shared and choices are made, doing the right thing can feel so wrong. And Becky will learn that actions, no matter how well intended, always have consequences.
Survive This Safari, written by Natalie D. Richards, Delacorte Press, April 8, 384 pgs.
You’re invited to the wildest ride of the year! An exciting novel featuring a group of kids competing in a giant safari park challenge, this book is packed with animal facts, puzzles and more making it the perfect book for readers looking for their next adventure.
Twelve-year old Lucy can’t believe her luck when she is selected for the Wildlands Safari Escape Challenge, which involves solving a series of mind-bending puzzles to unlock access to new animal habitats across the local safari park. Her team will be racing the Wildlands Ambassadors, a group of student animal experts. And if they win, wildlife-loving Lucy will get the chance to be an Ambassador herself!
But this challenge is trickier than Lucy expects—her team is in for a wild ride! Broken locks, downed electronics, and empty animal enclosures are just the start. Lucy discovers something truly terrifying: Wildlands’ beloved baby elephant is on the loose and might be in danger! The team is sure this can’t be part of the competition—and with their walkie-talkie on the fritz, they have no way to call for help.
Their fun puzzle has turned into a serious test, but Lucy and her team will surprise everyone with how they tackle the real Wildlands challenge.
Family Week, written by Sarah Moon, Knopf Books for Young Readers, April 15, 208 pgs.
Four best friends spend Family Week together at an annual gathering of LGBTQ+ families in Provincetown, MA—the largest of its kind across the world—in this middle grade coming-of-age story that celebrates identity, acceptance, and found family.
For as long as they can remember, Mac, Lina, Milo and Avery have celebrated Family Week together in “the smallest, gayest town in the world”—Provincetown, Massachusetts.
But this summer, their big rented beach house feels different. Avery’s dads are splitting up, and her life feels like it’s falling apart. Milo’s flunked seventh grade, which means everyone is moving on to bigger and better things except for him. Mac’s on his way to a progressive boarding school that lets transgender kids like him play soccer, but it means leaving his twin sister, Lina, and his moms—and the safety of home—behind.
Everything is changing, and for Lina, it feels like it’s happening with or without her. Avery, Milo, and Mac know this is going to be their last summer together. But Lina can’t accept that—and if she can make this the best summer ever, maybe she’ll convince them that there will be a Family Week next year. Good things might not last in the real world, but they do in P-town…. Right?
The Night We Got Stuck in a Story, written by Ben Miller, Aladdin, April 22, 288 pgs.
Lana must rescue her brother from an evil queen in this sequel to the illustrated middle grade fantasy adventure The Day I Fell into a Fairy Tale from actor, author, and comedian Ben Miller—perfect for fans of Half Upon a Time and Land of Stories!
When Lana and Harrison stay with their grandparents, one of their favorite places to play is a large hollow tree that made their adventures feel magical long before they were first transported into a fairy tale. But during their latest visit, the two discover the tree is set to be demolished.
That night, a magical golden thread leads them up through the hollow of the tree into a storybook land, where wind and rain rage and a fearsome beast terrifies all who live there. The siblings try to help, but things only get worse when Harrison gets kidnapped by the evil queen.
Now, Lana must do whatever it takes to find him, save the villagers, and restore the balance of the storybook world in order to save their beloved landmark.
The Trouble with Heroes, written by Kate Messner, Bloomsbury Children’s Books, April 29, 368 pgs
Bestselling and award-winning author Kate Messner takes readers on a heart-filling journey as a boy finds his path to healing.
One summer.46 mountain peaks.
A second chance to make things right.
Finn Connelly is nothing like his dad, a star athlete and firefighter hero who always ran toward danger until he died two years ago. Finn is about to fail seventh grade and has never made headlines . . . until now.
Caught on camera vandalizing a cemetery, he’s in big trouble for knocking down some dead old lady’s headstone. Turns out that grave belongs to a legendary local mountain climber, and her daughter makes Finn an unusual offer: she’ll drop all the charges if he agrees to climb all forty-six Adirondack High Peaks in a single summer. And there’s just one more thing—he has to bring along the dead woman’s dog.
In a wild three months of misadventures, mountain mud, and unexpected mentors, Finn begins to find his way on the trails. At the top of each peak, he can see for miles and slowly begins to understand more about himself and his dad. But the mountains don’t care about any of that, and as the clock ticks down to September, they have more surprises in store. Finn’s final summit challenge may be more than even a hero can face.
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