Posts Tagged Middle-Grade Fantasy

WNDMG Interview with Annie McCann, Debut Author of MY HARIMAU KING

By on May 14, 2025   /   Author Interviews, WNDMG  
Wndmg logo

wndmg logo

 

DEBUT MG NOVEL for AAPI Heritage Month

I had the pleasure of meeting Annie when she reached out to me after reading an ARC for SKYLIGHT, my own MG debut last summer. Over the past year, I’ve had several opportunities to chat with Annie and learn about the amazing writing community she’s created in Western Sydney. The moment I came across her debut announcement, I knew I had to support my fellow Southeast Asian author.

As if the stars aligned, I jumped at the chance to interview her for WNDMG! Check out the summary for her book:

 

 

MY HARIMAU KING

My Harimau King

My Harimau King

An ancient king, a modern-day kid, and a life-changing prophecy that binds them.

13-year-old Sumaiyah Jackson is living her best life in Parramatta until a family drama spirals out of control, mysterious events start happening, and loved ones begin to disappear.

Suddenly, Sumaiyah and her friends find themselves trapped in the ancient kingdom of Pajajaran, Indonesia, where Sumaiyah discovers she is “the chosen one” from descendants of ancient royalty. But this doesn’t mean fun and untold riches. Instead, she needs to break a mystifying curse and prevent a prophecy from destroying her family.

Now Sumaiyah’s in a race against time to discover her true purpose, combat terrifying creatures, and fulfil her destiny, or risk losing her family and friends forever!

I’m so proud to be a part of Annie’s debut tour and am delighted to be a part of this journey with her. So, enough fangirling ~ let’s hear from the author herself!

 

READER TO WRITER

Patchree: I know you are very involved with the writing community and serve as a moderator and advocate for so many different events and organizations! But, I’d love to hear more about your personal journey as a writer.

Annie: This was a wonderful learning experience in not only the craft of storytelling but the discipline in balancing a full-time job, home responsibilities, friends, emcee events all while meeting deadlines for my passion project. Having embarked on the writing journey, it feels like I finally got to see what’s behind the mystery door after all my years of reading and hearing from amazing authors. It’s not until you experience it yourself, you don’t fully understand an author’s journey – what a ride!

Muslim girl holding books

I founded a network of readers, Read3r’z Re-Vu 16 years ago, over the years it was all about reader friends getting together and enjoying books but, in that time, writers emerged including me and this journey gave me the opportunity to form what I like to call a Read3r’z Writers Subdivision where the writers came together from far and wide to support one another and even enjoy in person writing days.

I have learnt a lot but key takeaways are mastering the art of showing not telling and the responsibility with creative license, to ensure my stories are accessible and respectful.

My Harimau King was 5 years in the making, and in the meantime, I published 6 short stories. Writing is a marathon not a sprint and I didn’t realize I had so many stories inside I needed to get out to the world. This journey is one I hold close to my heart. Publication aside, I am proud of how much I learnt in creative writing and truly consider myself blessed with the wonderful friends I met along the way.

REAL LIFE AS INSPIRATION

Patchree: As a debut MG author, what was your main inspiration for MY HARIMAU KING?

Annie: I am an avid reader of fantasy fiction, particularly of books that infuse or are inspired by cultural legends and mythology from around the world. Having enjoyed a lot of these types of books, I spent years in search of fantasy fiction with representation of my own Indonesian culture. Despite being rich in myth and legend, I found none on the Western bookshelves. I saw this as an opportunity to not wait for someone else to write the story I want told – do it myself and it all started with one question I asked myself “why not me?”

While Indonesia is rich with mythology and legends the world needs to know, I had to start with what I knew – and that is the legend associated with my own West Javanese, Indonesian family. This was my chance to put West Java, Indonesia on the map – to tell the world that West Java is only one of many provinces in Indonesia that is rich with culture and intriguing stories to tell. It was also my opportunity to pay homage to my ancestors and family as well as leave a legacy.

Patchree: Besides sharing a biracial identity, how similar are you to your female lead Sumaiyah Jackson?

Annie McCann

Annie McCann

Annie: This goes back to starting with what you know. Yes, Sumaiyah is loosely based on me. We are both Indonesian-Australian, Muslim from Western Sydney. We are both born to a West Javanese, Indonesian and Australian father and are an only child. However, the key differences between Sumaiyah and I are the family dynamics and how much she does not know about her true heritage.

Growing up, I always knew about my mother’s heritage, identity and I have always been very connected with the West Javanese culture and language.  This was a gap in Sumaiyah’s life as her mother was not open about her true identity and Sumaiyah knew very little of her culture except the language. As for the family, Sumaiyah is very close with her cousin from her mum’s side, Alif. He goes to the same school and lives nearby – this was something I never had growing up with all Mamah’s family in Indonesia and Dad’s family in Central West, NSW or interstate, I never had relatives nearby and being an only child, I guess this was a dynamic I craved growing up.

When writing Sumaiyah and watching her develop and navigate as the chosen one, I felt we shared the same pressures that come with being an only child in a traditional family. Bound by expectation and to be the one to pay it forward for the sake of family. I also feel Sumaiyah and I relate in the ability to act/perform under pressure – when you only have one right choice to make without direction, you need to lead the way and still be the voice of reason in the time of calamity.

POWER OF CULTURE & LANGUAGE

Map of Southeast Asia

Map of Southeast Asia

Patchree: I loved discovering so many commonalities between Thai and Indonesian cultures while reading your book. What are some key cultural elements or traditions from Indonesia you knew you had to include in your story?

Annie: In addition to Indonesian mythology and legend, it was important to me to include strong cultural elements that were not just Indonesian but from the province of West Java. There are variations in culture and traditions across the provinces, so I wanted strong ties to the West Javanese culture. From West Javanese food to the batik designed fabrics found in a box or as worn by some of the characters. One piece that was also very important was the suling; the traditional West Javanese flute made of bamboo. Its sound is so distinct, and normally part of a Gamelan ensemble played at special occasions in West Java, I wanted a connection between the legend of my ancestor and the story itself. Lastly, I want to mention the culture of family. Many books feature early teens embarking on adventures without parents or family. However, traditionally in Indonesia, family is very important and stick together even through adulthood and having Sumaiyah’s parents and Uncles significantly involved in her story is a cultural norm so I wanted to present a story where the parents and Uncles were very much part of Sumaiyah’s adventure.

Patchree: Language is a big draw for me, and I was captivated with infusion of various Indonesian dialects throughout the book. What was your research process like and are you fluent in these dialects?

Annie: Thank you, this was one of my learnings when writing the book, to retain authenticity in language without over translating but also making the story accessible to a non-Indonesian, non-West Javanese reader. I am fluent in Bahasa Indonesian as I speak with my family in Indonesian though my Bahasa Sunda dialect could be better. I owe this to Mamah, my patient translator who I bugged constantly while writing the book with Bahasa Indonesian phrases I needed translated to Bahasa Sunda then reviewed in English to ensure we didn’t lose something in translation when providing context. To help improve my Bahasa Sunda, I also acquired a Bahasa Sunda to English dictionary from Bandung, Indonesia during my last visit! It was an unexpected find as I thought I would only find dialect to national language type dictionaries but after searching high and low with my cousins, we managed to find that gem at I place I refer to as ‘Book Road’ – a road full of book stalls.

SPOILER ALERT FOR READERS

Top Secret

(AVERT YOUR EYES IF YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW!)

 

Patchree: After reading your Author’s Note, you mention being a direct descendant of an actual Indonesian King! How did you discover this direct ancestry to Indonesian royalty?

Prabu Raja Siliwangi

Prabu Raja Siliwangi

Annie: Yes, that is true, I am one of the last living descendants of the ancient king: Prabu Raja Siliwangi who was the king of Pajajaran (ancient West Java, Indonesia). The connection is through my mother and her father. This was something I knew since I was a child, as my mum was always very open about her identity and culture and shared stories of Prabu Raja Siliwangi and his affiliation with the harimau: native West Javanese tiger. I was also shown our official family tree that’s certified by the Province Government of West Java which goes all the way back to Prabu Raja Siliwangi himself. It was fascinating to read through. Growing up, my Uncles also shared stories of Prabu Raja Siliwangi and how the golok and kujang once belonging to the king is now safeguarded by a relative in West Java.

My last visit to Indonesia was quite significant as my cousins took me to the very place where Prabu Raja Siliwangi’s palace was in Pura Parahyangan. I also got to touch the remains of his throne in a place now called Batu Tulis which houses a stone tablet chiseled in Sanskrit by Prabu Raja Siliwangi’s son honouring his father who was crowned twice.

WORDS OF ADVICE

Patchree: What advice would you give to aspiring authors of middle grade fantasy?

Annie: I’d like to share the advice I was given when I started writing my book – shout out to my friend, author Jeremy Lachlan, author of the Jane Doe Chronicles who told me to focus on the story you want told, don’t worry who will read it or where it ends up, tell the story you want told and be true to yourself as a writer.

I also want to add that writing is key as you can’t edit a blank page. If you have a story to tell, do not be afraid to share it, the world will always be ready for something new and exciting.

Patchree: Can you tell me about your upcoming projects?

Annie: Next to my book launch this June and subsequent signing events, my newest short story The Moon Shadow Secret will be published in an anthology called Brave New Girls: Tales of Girls who Invent and Imagine. I am honoured to have my story featured in this anthology as the anthology focuses short stories featuring a STEM-savvy teen heroine. My story captures the ancient West Javanese legend of Nyai Anteh, infusing it into an original story of an Indonesian teen who is savvy with Coding. Proceeds from sales for this anthology are donated to the Society of Women Engineers Scholarship Fund which encourage young girls to get into the STEM industry. Keep an eye out for this in July 2025!

 

WOW! What an amazing journey!

Be sure to preorder MY HARIMAU KING and follow Annie on Instagram @nenganniemenulis!

 

Annie McCann

Annie McCann

AUTHOR BIO

Annie McCann is an Indonesian-Australian emcee and author, from Western Sydney. She has written multiple short stories and is the founder of several literary networks. Annie is passionate about diversity and representation in books, media and pop culture, and aims to ‘bridge the gap’ in the creative space. On her limited days off, Annie is either jamming to Michael Jackson’s greatest hits or cheering on her NRL Football team, Parramatta Eels.

https://linktr.ee/nenganniemenulis

 

 

Back to Top

Interview with Kiyash Monsef, acclaimed author of Bird of a Thousand Stories!

By on March 17, 2025   /   Author Interviews  

Book cover of BIRD OF A THOUSAND STORIES by Kiyash Monsef

Kiyash Monsef’s much-heralded debut, ONCE THERE WAS, introduced a fascinating concept: what if mythical beasts existed, and they needed veterinary care to survive? That book also introduced the vet-in-training, Marjan, who undergoes a series of trials to find her path in this dangerous and mysterious world. Marjan is back in Kiyash’s incredible new book, BIRD OF A THOUSAND STORIES – but as he details here, readers can dive right in and be richly rewarded.

Kiyash also discusses his writing process, mythological inspirations, and what’s next for Marjan (and him)!

I loved how the back cover lists ONCE THEIR WAS as a “companion” book to BIRD OF A THOUSAND STORIES. While the rich backstory of the first book adds so much to this one, I found that a reader could pick up this book and dive right in. Was that important for you to do, and how did you work to accomplish it?

I call the two books siblings, and that’s always how I wanted to approach writing BIRD OF A THOUSAND STORIES. It was very important to me that each book could stand alone. I know that reading time is precious, and I don’t want to ask for too much of it. If a reader is willing to give their time, attention, and imagination to one of my books, I want to honor that gift by giving them an experience that is satisfying and complete, and doesn’t demand that they immediately read the next book. Or, conversely, I don’t want to demand that a reader first read three other books before they can understand what’s going on in my latest story.

To accomplish this, I had to ask myself what background information a reader would need in order to understand the events and the relationships in BIRD OF A THOUSAND STORIES, and then find elegant ways to briefly seed that information so that everything makes sense. The biggest challenge was making sure that a reader would know just enough at the right moment, without paragraphs of infodumping. I think there are one or two instances where you might come across a word or a reference that hasn’t been explained yet, but I actually like a bit of mild disorientation as part of the reading experience, as long as you get your answers eventually (which you will).

I’ve read that ONCE THERE WAS started as a series of loosely-connected episodic short stories, and I’m sure that initial approach impacted your writing of that book. How did writing BIRD OF A THOUSAND STORIES differ from that approach, and did you have a preference between the two? (Also – as a fellow pantser, your books give me hope!)

ONCE THERE WAS has episodic roots in its DNA, and I think you can still feel that cadence in its storytelling. I love that about that book, but I always knew that I wanted my second book to be a more tightly-woven and fast-moving story. My approach to writing BIRD was quite different from ONCE, and it had its own evolution. I came up with an outline of sorts, and then I blasted through a first draft very quickly. Very little of that first draft other than some characters and a general sense of narrative momentum made it into the final version. There were a few story beats that stuck around, and some broad strokes ideas about the finale, but the second draft was really a second first draft.

The second time around, my process was more measured. I had a solid outline before I started writing, and I more or less stuck to it, and I think it hews pretty closely to what’s in the actual book.

Which is not to say that I have abandoned the pantser approach. I actually think having that improvisational ethos to draw on was amazing in a more structured creative framework, and there are plenty of moments and scenes where I kind of waved my hands at some idea in my outline, and then let the pantser take over when it came to actually executing those ideas. I think I’m discovering that I’m happiest writing somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. Taking an early structural approach means you can build a deeper and more complex story, and you can write with intentionality. But I also believe that if I’m not surprising myself at least some of the time, it’s probably not interesting enough. So there is a plan, but there are also pants.

You have an incredible facility for creating fairy tales that feel as though they’ve existed forever. The acknowledgments section lists a few of your inspirations for these tales, and I especially loved your reference to the mythologist Michael Meade’s words: “It’s an old song. You can’t hurt it.” Have you thought about future writers taking your stories and running with them – and if so – how could you see them reimagined? In poems? Songs? Something else…?

First off, thank you for reading the acknowledgements! It warms any author’s heart to know that someone read those last couple pages. In ONCE THERE WAS, the fairy tales were all original creations, but the central fairy tale in BIRD is in fact drawn from a very old story with roots in many languages and cultures, and I wanted curious readers to know that. Particularly for a book that looks at the ways that stories endure and change over time, I thought it was important to pull back the curtain just a tiny bit to show that process at work.

As far as other writers retelling these stories, stories want to be told, and I think the stories in these books are no different. I do hope they can endure in some form or other, whether it’s poetry, song, or spoken by the light of a campfire. My secret, mischievous hope is that everyone forgets that I wrote them, and that they just kind of get added to the canon of stories that have always been around. That would be the coolest.

The relationships between Marjan and her friends feel heightened in this book, as do the stakes for Marjan’s actions. How did you work to deepen these connections throughout this book and raise the stakes for Marjan’s success (especially as they impact her friends)?

I have to give a lot of credit to my editor, Kendra Levin, who is THE BEST, for pushing me to raise the stakes from the start. Every time I got to a choice point, I had that note in my head, and so I was always asking, what’s the worst thing that could reasonably result from this choice? And because Marjan can be impulsive, we tend to see those stakes play out throughout the book. As far as Marjan’s friends, I just really like them all as people, so I really wanted to spend more time with them. As a result, the connections that Marjan has with them get deeper and more complex this time around.

In particular, her relationship with Malloryn, who’s Marjan’s roommate, confidante, and also possibly a witch, sort of took on a life of its own. Malloryn is so much fun to write, because she just comes very naturally to me, and her motivations and needs are always crystal clear in my mind. And as a writer, I think you need to trust your characters above all else, because they are the heart and soul of the story. So even if I think I know exactly where the story’s going, when Malloryn’s on the page, I kind of have to loosen the reins and let her cook, so to speak.

There’s a lot of talk among writers and teachers and librarians about older middle-grade books and the need for books that bridge the gap between MG and YA. Both of your books feel like they can be read and loved by readers of any age, but they seem especially perfect for those readers who can be overlooked in early MG and YA. Is that something you’ve thought about or are hearing from readers? Does that impact your writing?

I have heard this from a few people. I’m happy to know that these books fill a need, and hopefully they’re helping to keep young people engaged with the wonders of reading. At the same time, I try not to think too much about categories, or about writing to a particular subset of readers. My own middle grade reading was Stephen King and HP Lovecraft, so I’m not an authority on what defines the middle grade category. As a young reader, I was intuitively very conscious of when I was being “written to.” I always wanted to encounter a story on its own terms, and not filtered through what someone else thinks is age-appropriate, either in content or in complexity of language or story. I try very hard to write stories that I would have liked when I was younger, but also stories that I would read tomorrow, and that, more than the conventions of middle grade or young adult, is my guide.

You state that, to your surprise, you’ve now written two books. What’s next on the horizon for you and the incredibly rich world you’ve created?

I’ve got more stories to tell in the world of ONCE THERE WAS and BIRD, and I know I will get the chance to tell them at some point. At the moment, though, I’m poking at some different ideas — different worlds, different characters. It’s amazing to be in a position to be thinking about a third book, and I’m trying to approach this moment with openness to the wide range of possibility that it offers. But for fans of Marjan and her friends, fear not. There are more stories, and they’ll find their way into the world. Stories have a way of doing that.

Author photo for Kiyash Monsef

Kiyash Monsef is an Emmy Award–nominated producer and director; a writer of short stories, videos, comic books, and games; and a designer of innovative conversational and voice interface experiences. He’s the author of Once There Was, which was a finalist for the Morris Award, and Bird of a Thousand Stories.

BIRD OF A THOUSAND STORIES is available at bookstores everywhere.

You can see more purchase options at: Simon & Schuster.

Back to Top

New Releases for March 2025

By on March 3, 2025   /   Articles, New Releases  

This March brings us many new middle-grade books to pore over so stock up on your bookmarks and browse the collection below. You’re sure to find one that sparks your reading interest.

13 Ways to Say Goodbye  by Kate Fussner. March 18. 304 pp. new releases March 2025

Nina always followed her older sister, Lily. But just before her thirteenth birthday, Lily died, leaving Nina behind forever.

In the three years since she lost her sister, Nina completed Lily’s secret “Before Birthday” lists to continue in her footsteps. But now Nina is catching up. When she flies to Paris, France, and completes tasks that Lily never finished, Nina finds herself magically transported inside of her own memories, face-to-face with the ghosts of her past.

With her birthday looming and the last list running out, Nina is torn between visiting her sister in her memories or adventuring in the present, including crushing hard on her art classmate, Sylvie. Should she follow Lily’s instructions or try something new? And what happens when she finishes the list?

Learn more about Paris, the city Nina visited, by clicking here.

Alice Éclair, Spy Extraordinaire: A Recipe for Trouble  by Sarah Todd Taylor.  March 18. 224 pp.

new releases March 2025A fast-paced adventure full of daring action and delicious cakes! Alice Éclair, Spy Extraordinaire, will whisk you away on a glamorous and high-stakes adventure, full of daring action and delicious cakes!

Baker by day, spy by night — Alice Éclair leads an exciting double life!

A mysterious message sends her on a mission aboard France’s most glamorous train, the Sapphire Express. Alice must sneak on board posing as a pastry chef and discover which passenger is an enemy agent before they reach their final stop. But everyone on the train seems to be hiding something. Armed with her whisk, her wits, and her will to succeed, Alice has a spy to catch.

Curious about what a pastry chef does? Click here.

Cincinnati Lee, Curse Breaker  by Heidi Heilig. March 25. 304 pp. new releases March 2025

Cincinnati Lee’s great great (great?) grandfather is famous. His adventures discovering ancient artifacts have been made into movies, and museums around the world respect his work. The thing is, in that line of work, you’re bound to get cursed. And that leaves your great great (great?) granddaughter to break the curse by returning the artifacts you “preserved.”

Cincinnati’s own adventure begins in the Cosmopolitan Museum in New York City, where her mom works. Soon she learns about the ancient Spear of Destiny and its potential to right all the wrongs in her family’s past or …  bring about the end of the world. It all depends on whose hands it falls into. Cincinnati must beat two relic hunters to the spear, and her quest will take her to surprising locations throughout the city and even across the Atlantic Ocean. Along the way, she’ll make a new friend (which is not the easiest thing to do), make some enemies (surprisingly easy to do), and ultimately learn what makes the world worth saving.

The City of Lost Cats  by Tanya Lloyd Kyi .March 4. 288 pp.

new releases March 2025When a stubborn young girl named Fiona stumbles upon an abandoned mansion down by the harbor, she discovers the house is full of stray cats and two chaotic parakeets. Fiona feels sympathetic toward the animals; she understands what it’s like to need a safe home. Ever since her parents died, she’s been struggling to adjust to the tiny apartment where she and her Aunt Tanis now live. And Aunt Tanis has little time to spare for Fiona, between her job at The Municipal Hall and her horrible, hair-gelled boyfriend.

When a demoliltion team threatens the mansion, Fiona’s determined to save it and its residents. But the cats have their own priorities. Cot has lived in the mansion for two years and is the self-proclaimed king. He’s convinced the demolition effort has been organized by the parakeets. Those birds have got to go!

As the demolition team begins tearing down the house next door, Fiona looks for any help she can find — at the library, the butcher shop, and even at The Municipal Hall. Can the efforts of one small girl and an assortment of animals stop a luxury condo development? And can they create something better in its place?

The Ghosts of Pandora Pickwick  by Christina Wolff. March 4. 256 pp. new releases March 2025

Welcome to Pandora’s Antiques, with rarities for every occasion.

Summer vacation in London turns mysterious and exciting when Mia learns that her aunt’s antique shop is actually a ghost placement agency.

Nowhere does Mia feel so at home as in her Aunt Harriet’s antique shop. How wonderful that she can spend her summer vacation there! But something is wrong in the store. Things disappear as if by magic, just cleaned furniture dusts up again in seconds, and there’s an eerie number of clatters at night. However, her aunt acts as if this is completely normal. Mia, on the other hand, suspects that Harriet is hiding something from her—just like the question of who her birth parents are.

The Girl and the Robot  by Oz Rodriguez. March 25. 320 pp.

new releases March 2025Mimi Perez fixes things. Phones, tablets, speakers, printers. She gets it from helping her dad at the family e-repair shop, one of Mimi’s favorite things to do. But ever since Papi was deported, there’s a lot more than electronics that need fixing in Mimi’s world. Things too big for any twelve-year-old to handle on her own.

Mimi hustles around her Brooklyn neighborhood trying to earn enough money to finally fix her family. There’s no time for school or friends, but Mimi knows it will all be worth it the day Papi comes home. Then her ex-friends approach her with a proposition: enter a robotics competition with them and they could win $50,000. This could be her chance.

Then, a mysterious robot, scared, alone, and broken, crashes to earth from space. When federal agents search for it, Mimi does what any street-smart electronics repair person would do: she takes the robot home, fixes her up, and in the process, gains a friend.

Suddenly, Mimi is anything but alone. She’s part of a robotics team. She’s sheltering a robot. She’s dodging federal agents. And keeping all of it a secret from her mom.

Are you interested in robots like Mimi? Build one at this website.

Last Chance Academy: A Study in Secrets  by Debbi Michiko Florence. March 11. 304 pp. new releases March 2025

Ever since her mom passed away, twelve-year-old Megumi “Meg” Mizuno has been spiraling. After too many low grades and cut classes, she’s been expelled from school. Her dad secures her a spot at the prestigious Leland Chase Academy, a boarding school in the middle-of-nowhere New York. If Meg can’t make it work there, she’ll be forced to live with her horrible aunt.

At first, Leland Chase seems like an average, although strict, boarding school, and Meg tentatively warms up to her roommate and some classmates. Then, one night, a mysterious envelope appears under her door, inviting Meg and her roommate to participate in a scavenger hunt. The only rules? Don’t get caught by faculty or staff and no cheating. The grand prize? A luxury stay at a fancy resort in California. And after learning her dad has plans to sell their family home—with all its memories of Mom—Meg knows she has to win the competition and use the trip to convince Dad to stay.

Thanks to her mom, who taught her how to solve ciphers, Meg has a knack for puzzles. She gets ahead in the hunt but quickly learns that her classmates, having their own sets of skills, are tough competitors. And as they get deeper into the game, Meg and her fellow competitors realize the anonymous creator has their own agenda … and LCA isn’t quite what it seems.

Plan your own scavenger hunt here.

The Many Hauntings of the Manning Family  by Lorien Lawrence. March 18. 288 pp.

new releases March 2025Thirteen-year-old twins Gabby and Trent Manning are Connecticut’s youngest paranormal investigators. They both inherited “the gift” from their grandparents whose legendary ghost hunts inspired several books and movies, but whose names have been nearly forgotten since their untimely deaths years ago.

Armed with EMF machines, flashlights, and recording equipment, the twins’ mom drags them all over New England in an attempt to bring their family back into the limelight. Never mind that Gabby is tired of being known as a Ghost Twin, and Trent finds most of the haunts to be pretty frightening. Their mom thinks their latest destination—the abandoned Majestic Theater, site of the late Mannings’ infamous failed exorcism—is exactly what the family needs to go viral.

However, nothing about this investigation goes according to plan. After a terrifying séance-gone-wrong, their mother goes missing, and it’s clear that a powerful demon is haunting the theater. Will the twins be able live up to their grandparents’ legacy and vanquish the demon before it’s too late?

The Peach Thief  by Linda Joan Smith. March 4. 384 pp. new releases March 2025

One night, workhouse orphan Scilla Brown, climbs the Earl of Havermore’s garden wall. She wants only to steal a peach—the best thing she’s ever tasted in her hard, hungry life. But when the earl’s gardener catchers her and mistakes her for a boy, she finds something better: a temporary job scrubbing flowerpots. If she can just keep up her deception, she’ll have a soft bed and food beyond her wildest dreams . . . maybe even peaches.

She soon falls in with Phin, a garden apprentice who sneaks her into the steamy, fruit-filled greenhouses, calls her “Brownie,” and makes her skin prickle. At the same time, the gruff gardener teaches Scilla how to make things grow, and her hope begins to grow with every seed she plants. But as the seasons unfurl, her loyalties become divided, and her secret is harder to keep. How far will Scilla go to have a home at last?

Click here to grow a garden like Scilla.

Octopus Moon  by Bobbie Pyron. March 25. 336 pp.

new releases March 2025Pearl loves watching the majestic loggerhead turtles and octopuses glide through the water at the aquarium. She especially identifies with the octopuses, who have millions of touch receptors all over their bodies. They feel everything. But sometimes, Pearl wishes she was more like a turtle, with a hard outer shell—it hurts too much to feel everything.

And the changes at the start of fifth grade don’t feel good to Pearl at all. New teachers, lockers, and being in different classes than her friends is unsettling. Pearl tries her best to pretend she’s fine, but she’s struggling with things that used to come easy, like schoolwork, laughing and skateboarding with her best friend Rosie, running, and even sleeping.

After a disastrous parent-teacher conference, her parents decide to bring Pearl to Dr. Jill, who diagnoses her with depression. At first Pearl is resistant to Dr. Jill’s help; she doesn’t like feeling different, but she also doesn’t want to continue feeling so bad all the time. When Dr. Jill asks Pearl to try one Impossible Thing each day, like running, skateboarding, or walking her dog Tuck, she decides to try. For each impossible thing she attempts, Pearl puts a bead on a string. Bead by bead, and with the support of family and friends, Pearl finds her way back to herself. She discovers that just like the moon is always there in the sky, even if it isn’t full, she’ll always be herself even when she doesn’t feel whole.

Once for Yes  by Allie Millington. March 25. 272 pp. new releases March 2025

The Odenburgh, an old apartment building made of brick and blunt opinions, is the last of its kind in a swiftly changing neighborhood. After years of putting up with people and their many problems, the Odenburgh knows there’s no point in getting attached. They all just leave eventually. A truth that comes all too soon when the building is sold and marked for demolition, giving tenants a month to move out.

No one is more troubled by the news than eleven-year-old Prue, who refuses to leave her family’s apartment. Not when it was the last place she lived with her sister Lina, before she lost Lina forever. When Prue launches a plan to save their home, the Odenburgh joins in―flickering lights, jamming elevators, triggering fire alarms―all to try and bring a building full of bickering residents together. In the process, Prue meets Lewis, an eccentric boy who lives across the street―and the only one who can help her discover the missing elements of her sister’s story.

One Wrong Step  by Jennifer A. Nielsen. March 4. 336 pp.

new releases March 2025Twelve-year-old Atlas Wade strives to forget the memory of his mother, who died when he was nine, by climbing mountains. When his father signs them up for an expedition group hoping to be the first to ever summit the unconquerable Mount Everest, Atlas has a chance to prove himself to his father, and maybe finally leave his mother’s memory behind him on the mountain.

But this time, Atlas is the one left behind, along with a young girl named Maddie and their sturdy yet injured Sherpa, Chodak. When news breaks out that Europe is at war again, and that Nazis are attempting their own summit dangerously nearby, Atlas and Maddie plead with the expedition to come back down. Unfortunately, their warnings come too late. When an avalanche occurs and they receive no word from the group, Maddie and Chodak join Atlas to begin a dangerous journey up the mountain in the hopes of finding survivors.

Atlas, Maddie, and Chodak will have to rely not just on their own wits for survival, but on each other as well, and Atlas will have to learn how to let go if he wants any chance of finding his father and fixing the rift between them before it’s too late.

Read some fun facts about Mount Everest here.

Starry, Starry Heist  by Karen Briner. March 18. 304 pp.

new releases March 2025Sixth-grader Max has it rough—between tormentors at school and his sick mom at home. But then DZ, a strange, tuxedoed man with one shoe, appears to Max from the future and divulges that Max’s mother’s fate is somehow entwined with that of Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night. It’s suddenly clear to Max that any problems he already had on his plate have just gotten bigger.

DZ explains to Max that someone is after The Starry Night. . . and the thief is not bound by the usual laws of time and space. DZ can’t offer too many specifics, but he does provide Max with a cryptic to-do list:

Read The Future Time Traveler’s Guide to the Past. Consider the puffins. Beware the Wretch with obsidian eyes. Befriend Vincent van Gogh.

Max is skeptical but tries his very best. After all, he’ll do anything to help his mom. But he soon discovers that The Future Time Traveler’s Guide to the Past has never been published. And he’s not exactly sure where he’s going to find puffins in LA. He has no idea what a Wretch is. And befriend Vincent van Gogh who’s been dead for over a hundred years? That’s impossible.

Then, one afternoon at the library, Max spots her: Turquoise-haired Maybe Wells, dressed in blue from head to toe, spattered in paint, carrying a skateboard, and sporting a beautiful tattoo of puffins on her right shoulder. Suddenly, achieving the impossible doesn’t seem so farfetched anymore.

Learn more about the artist Vincent van Gogh and view some of his paintings here.

Ticket to Ride: An Unexpected Journey  by Adrienne Kress. March 11. 208 pp.

new releases March 2025To say twelve-year-old Teddy loves trains is an understatement. It’s his obsession. He knows everything there is to know about them, has the most amazing model train setup in the basement, and he carries around a classic caboose, a small model of a 19th century steam engine caboose that he received as a birthday gift. It’s his good luck charm!

So when Teddy wins a Ticket To Ride the Excelsior Express, he can’t wait to go. The Excelsior Express is modeled to look like it’s from the 1920’s but is outfitted with a high-tech locomotive system. This will be the train’s flagship journey, and it’s a dream come true for Teddy. Plus, he’ll get to see his grandparents in Los Angeles, and travel all across North America from his hometown of Toronto, Canada.

But his dream come true becomes a nightmare when the train gets rerouted and, what’s worse, his lucky caboose goes missing. As it turns out, this ticket to ride takes Teddy, his new friend Olivia, a woman always dressed in yellow named Mina, two traveling musicians named Allie and Dex, and their fellow passengers on an unexpected journey and through some pretty hefty corporate corruption.

Are you interested in trains, too? Here’s a great video on the history of trains.

The Trouble With Sunshine  by Yamile Saied Méndez. March 4. 272 pp. new releases March 2025

Dorani’s mom, Isa, taught her to be bold and challenge the rules if they don’t seem fair. People are more important than rules. But she never taught Dorani how to do it all without her. So, when Isa dies on the way to speak with the principal about Dori’s latest revolution, Dori loses her voice. Her grief and guilt become the loudest parts of her.

Moving from vibrant Miami to quiet, middle-of-nowhere Wyoming with her aunt feels like the punishment she deserves. She spends most of her time with their newest horse, Sunshine. An accident left Sunshine skittish and hard to care for. Tia Ivette knows her behavior comes from fear, and she is trying everything to make Sunshine brave again. But Dori knows grief can feel like fear… and grief is just love with no place to go.

Speaking up for Sunshine reminds Dori that the very best parts of her mother live on through her, and so when she starts to notice that the rules at her new school unfairly target specific students, she knows just what her mother would do.

Read a discussion with the author here.

Vanya and the Wild Hunt  by Sangu Mandanna. March 11. 288 pp.

new releases March 2025Eleven-year-old Vanya Vallen has always felt like she doesn’t fit in. She’s British-Indian in a mostly white town in England and she has ADHD.

Oh, and she talks to books. More importantly, the books talk back.

When a monster she believed only existed in fairytales attacks her family, Vanya discovers that her parents have secrets, and that there are a lot more monsters out there. Overnight, her parents whisk her off to the enchanted library and school of Auramere, where she joins the ranks of archwitches and archivists.

Life at Auramere is unexpected, exciting and wonderful. But even here, there’s no escaping monsters. The mysterious, powerful Wild Hunt is on the prowl, and Vanya will need all her creativity and courage to unmask its leader and stop them before they destroy the only place she’s ever truly belonged.

When Sally O’Malley Discovered the Sea  by Karen Cushman. March 25. 240 pp. new releases March 2025

Sally O’Malley is an orphan working at a mineral spring hotel in the woods of central Oregon—that is, until they chuck her out like chewed-on chicken bones, due entirely to an unfortunate incident with a pig and some church ladies.

And so Sally decides to head west to the sea. She’s heard it’s glorious. She’s heard it’s fierce. Why not see for herself? Before long Sally encounters a dangerous bobcat—and that’s just the first day! Safe in the knowledge that she’s fearless, she continues on her journey with no place to belong and no one to depend on. And that’s just fine with her.

Then a lady called Major, an old donkey, a loyal dog, and an abominable brat show Sally that she’s not quite as brave as she thinks. It turns out that counting on someone else is the scariest thing of all.

Learn more about the author Karen Cushman here.

March is a prolific month this year for New Releases. If none of the above are drawing you in, try one from the bookshelf.

new releases March 2025

Back to Top