Cousins

Lavoie, Laura and Leal, Luisa (illus.) Cousins

May 27, 2025 by Roaring Brook Press

Copy provided by the publisher

Ella is very excited to go to her Grandma June's house so that she can see her family, including her six cousins, who range in age from a toddler to a preteens. The children play dress, have a baseball game, get caught in the rain and dry off for dinner, and make a plea to their grandmother to have a cousins' sleepover. Grandma June gives in, of course, and the parents help the children settle into sleeping bags on the living room floor for the night. There are spooky stories and late night snacks before the cousins finally fall asleep after their day of togetherness. 

As someone who has 38 cousins but never had a sleepover with them, this was great fun to read. Ella is lucky that her cousins are all about her age, and that Grandma June is young enough to take care of all of them! The families are depicted as somewhat diverse; some members have slightly darker skin, although there is no cultural identification. It's good to see that the family members are all close, and also to see that the children make an effort to be "extra good" so that they will be allowed to have a sleepover, although it is implied that this was the plan all along. 

I loved that the children were all close in age and were amenable to playing the same imaginative games, even including the littlest cousins. They also help out with clean up and get along well, although there is a little tiff about the best kind of pie. (According to my Uncle Chuck, this was cherry, but I maintained my allegiance to apple!) I loved that Ella cleaned up the mess her cousins made with the Mississippi mud pie, and that the two ended up sharing. 

Whether you come from a large brood or just wish that you were part of one, it's fun to read about the antics of family get togethers. This title is closely related to Madhani's Eli and the Uncles, del Mazo and Alvarez's Cousins, LaRocca's Mauntie and Me or Summer is for Cousins, or the extended family portrayed in Lucido and Demirag's Pasta Pasta Lotsa Pasta. 
 

MMGM- Picture Book December!

It's

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
 at 

Always in the Middle 

and #IMWAYR day 

at

Unleashing Readers

For reasons I don't understand, very few middle grade books are published in December, which leaves me scrambling to keep up my one-book-every-day streak that I started in January of 2012. I've been reviewing more picture books for Young Adult Books Central, in order to build a library for my grandson, but don't post them here. I'll post middle grade books if there are any published, but it's May 5 now, and few are out there. Take a look at these titles that would make great gifts for young readers! 

Willan, Alex. Piece Out
May 20, 2025 by Astra Young Readers
Copy provided by the publisher

When the red piece from the Kaflooble game gets knocked off the table on family game night, he waits for someone to pick him up. Instead, he finds himself fleeing from a loud and hungry robot, and ends up under the sofa with other missing toys. They offer him refuge, but he is determined to make his way back to his best friend, Yellow. Slowly making his way across obstacles on the ground, he encounters Lady Flufferton, a poodle, and decides it would be safer to travel the higher ground. After a perilous trip through the fish tank, he arrives at the bottom of the game shelf and sees his box, only to be whisked away and thrown in the junk drawer. Still determined, he organizes supplies and makes his way back, where he tells his friends about his adventures. When Yellow goes missing, Red is prepared to go and save his friend. 

The digitally rendered illustrations are clear and bright, and show ordinary household objects from the view point of Red, which is charming and had a similar vibe to Mary Norton's classic The Borrowers, especially with the paperclip mountain climbing equipment. I also enjoyed the map at the front of the book that labeled things like "cascading cliffs" (stairs) and "swishy washers" (washer and dryer). 

This also had a good message about perseverance, even if I found it a little hard to believe that someone would have found a game piece right in front of the boxes and not returned it. The junk drawer was a fun place to visit, though, and the one depicted looked pretty much like mine! 

I like the idea of an adventure starring toys, but the books I'm familiar with usually involved stuffed animals, which makes sense. Red's journey will be a great read for imaginative children who wonder about the sentient quality of their toys and who enjoyed Deacon's While You are Sleeping or Jenkins' and Zelinsky's Toys Go Out.

Greenwald, Tommy, Greenwald, Charlie, and Pate, Shihoh.
Three Wishes (The Rescues #3)
September 9, 2025 by Red Comet Press
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

After their adventures in Finding Home and Best Day Ever, Moose and Bear, two rescue dogs, and their cat friend Tiger, return for three more stories for emergent readers. In the first, they invite their friend Wolf for a play date. The dogs very much enjoy a game called Jumping on Top of Each Other, but since Tiger isn't as strong as the dogs, he doesn't enjoy it quite as much. When a favorite toy is in danger, however, Tiger proves that you don't necessarily have to be strong in order to make a difference. In the next story, Mailman Joe is replaced by Mailman Jack. Bear is devastated, since Joe is a favorite who always stops to give Bear treats and attention. Eventually, Bear brings Jack a bone to try to win his friendship. Bear is relieved when Jack lets him keep the bone but does share some treats. In the final adventure, the rescues' owner, Cathy, is having a quiet morning of resting. The trio want to play, and Moose manages to crash the cat tower by jumping on it. He wishes he were smaller, but Bear and Tiger manage to convince him that he is perfect just the way he is. In the end, all three pets are happy with themselves, and are glad to be together with Cathy. 

While these books are a little larger than classic I Can Read books, they have a very similar feeling. For some reason, Pate's illustrations remind me especially of Crosby Bonsall's titles like Who's a Pest? Using animals to show young readers how to be happy with the way they are is a good ploy, especially when the animals are as cute as Tiger, Moose, and Bear! 

Having adopted several rescue dogs, I'm a big fan on shining a positive light on this practice. Each of the  animals has some challenges, as many rescues do, but are so happy to be with their loving owner. They are living their best lives as they play in the yard, have friends over, and spend time inside in their cozy house. The colors in this are very happy, and it was also a good idea to have each of the pets be a different hue, so that they are easy to tell apart when they are all in a cuddle puddle! 

Series are always a comforting way to practice reading skills, and The Rescues will be hugely popular with fans of Rylant's Ready To Read Henry and Mudge books, Butler's Kayla and King mysteries, and Dotich and Alley's Peanut and Pearl adventures.

The Better to Eat You With

Meija, Tehlor Kay. The Better to Eat You With
September 23, 2025 by Delacorte Press

E ARC provided by Netgalley

N.B. Although this looks like a horror book similar to this author's It Happened to Anna, it is primarily about Evan's eating disorder. 

Evan is looking forward to spending the summer at Sonrisa, as her family usually does, but this year is a bit different. Her parents, who have been bickering for the past year, have decided not to rent their cabin, but have at least agreed that Evan can stay with her friend Billie and her parents. The two girls are also friends with Jackson, and hang out with a boy, Tanner, whose family rent's the cabin that Evan's family usually did. Evan is very upset about her parents, and also about her mother's constant admonitions to eat healthily. She follows fitness influencers and wants Evan to hike, do yoga, and run while eating no fat, carbs, gluten, etc. When Evan loses weight, her mother is overjoyed. Evan is relieved that she will be able to eat at Billie's, and at first, she listens to the voice in her head that tells her what her body needs. After she eats some pancakes, however, she panicks, throws them up, and vows to remain true to the strictures her mother has imposed. She eats the almonds out of the trail mix and subsists on berries and cucumbers to the point where she almost passed out while swimming and needs to be rescued by Tanner. The lakeside community seems to have a bear problem, as the children have seen many places that have been viciously clawed by a creature. Evan wants to find out what is going on, but the adults seem unconcerned. After a goose is killed on the beach in a particularly bloody way, the adults tell them to be careful, but in the area where the goose blood was, a batch of sand flies attack Evan and her friends. No explanation can be found, and Tanner's family eventually leaves. Even though she is so weak that it's hard to get out of bed, Evan decides that it is up to the kids to find out what is going on. They go out into the woods at night to investigate, and when Evan insists that they go off the path into the woods, she blacks out. When she wakes up, Jackson has been attacked, needs stitches, and is taken back home by his family. Evan is shaken, and confides in Billie about her mother's orthorexia, and the toll it has taken on her. Billie, who is homeschooled and has had lessons on intuitive, healthy eating, does a great job of helping her friend listen to her body and eat what she needs to fuel it. Of course, they don't bring this matter to the attention of any adults. Evan does well until she realizes that she can't see her clavicle because she's gained weight, and when her mother Moira calls to say that she and the father are separating and Evan will be going back home at the end of the week, Evan returns to eating barely enough to keep her alive. When Moira arrives to pick up Evan, Sue has a frank discussion with all four of them, but Moira is insistent. Evan runs out into a storm and meets the monster that she has seen. Will she be able to come to terms with her hunger, the needs of her body, and her parents' separation while getting the help she needs to become healthy again? 

Strengths: There is a great quote (in the E ARC; I will have to check a finished copy) that says "What's the point of listening to your body when you're not in control of what happens to you?" This is the reason behind anorexia-- control. Evan's mother has her own body issues that are not explored, and certainly what she is expecting of Evan is unreasonable. It was realistic that Evan was able to hide her problems from Sue and Billie for quite some time. When Evan confides in her friend, Billie is very helpful and supportive, and when she fears for Evan's health, she does tell her mother even though she promised not to. I really enjoyed the summer at the lake setting; it got Evan's parents out of the picture without killing either of them. The separation scenario is much more common, and propels Evan's situation in a disastrous way. There is an author's note at the end about eating disorders that also discusses how literature generally portrays people who suffer from these without much diversity. 
Weaknesses: The cover definitely looks like a horror title, but aside from a few moments, this is not really a scary story. Including internet links to resources at the end of the book would not be a bad idea. 
What I really think: There is always a need for books about eating disorders and body positivity, since titles like Levenkron's The Best Little Girl in the World (1978), Anderson's Wintergirls (2009), Barson's 45 Pounds More or Less (2013), and Letting Ana Go (2014) are constantly going to become dated. While this did have some very good information about eating habits, the inclusion of horror elements might make take hand selling to find the right reader. 

Winging It: A Graphic Novel

Lloyd, Megan Wagner and Nutter, Michelle Mee. Winging It

October 21, 2025 by Graphix

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Luna, whose mother died when she was a baby,  lives in California with her father. She's planning a girls' trip to Los Angeles with her good friends Gabriella and Mia, but her father breaks bad news to her: because of his job, he is being transferred to the Washington, D.C. area, and the two are going to be staying with her mother's mother, whom Luna has only seen once a year and doesn't feel a connection to at all. She has to start 7th grade in a new school, but does join the school nature club, since her mother was an outdoorsy person. Luna is not, but once her grandmother gives her her mother's nature journals, Luna starts one of her own, and spends more time outside. It helps that neighbors Sophie and Oliver are out a lot, and the club introduces her to some of the parks and museums in the area. It's not easy to get along with her grandmother, who has lots of rules about not leaving back packs on the floor and taking off shoes, and has two cats and a dog who are not particularly friendly. Eventually, however, the two work on their connection. When Luna and her father plan a camping trip so that she can try to see a Luna moth in the forest, her father has a work commitment, so her grandmother steps in. Will Luna be able to see a Luna moth, and make peace with her new life in the DC area?
Strengths: Lloyd and Nutter's Allergic and Squished are super popular in my library because they deal with dogs and big families, respectively. The illustration style is similar to Raina Telgemeier's or Gale Galligan's in that it is bright, with clear, realistic cartoon style characters and well developed backgrounds. There is a realistic amount of drama; Luna misses her friends, wants to know more about the mother she never met, and wonders why she doesn't have a closer relationship with her grandmother. She doesn't have a particularly hard time at her new school, but does miss her friends. This will be a nice, light read for fans of graphic novels. 
Weaknesses: It wasn't really necessary to kill the mother off in order for Luna to bond with her grandmother. I'm all for keeping middle grade parents alive and annoying. 
What I really think: My students started asking for this the minute it showed up on the library cataglo, even though it wasn't processed yet. I liked Allergic and Squished a bit more; I wanted some more tension in the plot. 

Mlynowski, Sarah and Crandall, Bethany(Illustrator).
If the Shoe Fits: The Graphic Novel Whatever After Graphic Novels #2
November 4, 2025 by Graphix
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Abby and Jonah have just come back from the story of Snow White, and don't really believe that the fairy Maryrose will transport them through the mirror again, but want to try. Abby even stays in her pajamas, hoping that this will make sure they travel somewhere exciting! She's right, and the two end up in the kingdom of Floom at the ball thrown by Queen Clarissa for Prince Jordan. They quickly figure out that this is the story of Cinderella, and follow her out of the castle at midnight. They think that things are okay, and just want to go home, but none of the mirrors in the castle worked. They ask Cinderella is they can try the mirrors in her house, but she is afraid that her stepmother, Betty, or her evil stepsisters, Kayla and Beatrice, will be angry. There's the typical drama about the prince wanting to marry someone, and a series of mishaps results in Cinderella's foot swelling up AND the remaining glass slipper being broken, so she dispairs of getting Prince Jordan to marry her. The three call on her fairy godmother, Farrah, who isn't willing to help! Farrah doesn't think that Cinderella should put all of her hopes on marrying, but should instead learn self-reliance. She agrees to help only if Cinderella can show she can stand on her own two feet and take care of herself, so that she can be an equal partner in marriage. Abby and Jonah help her make dinner for her family and introduce her to brownies, suggesting that maybe Cinderella can sell these at the market. Sales take off, and Cinderella meets Farrah's criteria for getting help, but Betty steals Farrah's wand and turns everyone into mice just as the prince is about to come to the house. She makes it so that Beatrice foot fits the slipper, and the prince asks her to marry him. Luckily, the spell is broken, and everything is explained. Jordan asks Cinderella to marry him, but she decides she likes being on her own, so Kayla agrees to marry him instead. Happy with how things have turned out, Farrah helps send Abby and Jonah back home to await further adventures with Maryrose. 

Since I was never too happy with the Cinderella story myself (the version I told my daughters ended with Cinderella attending graduate school instead of marrying the prince), I loved this twist on the tale that includes a lesson in self-reliance. It was great that Abby and Jonah looked up apartment lists in Floom and used that as a basis for how much money Cinderella needed to make to move out on her own. I didn't feel bad at all that Kayla wanted to marry the prince, since the two did seem to share a connection, and Kayla had recently seen the error of her ways in being mean to Cinderella. 

Crandall's illustrations are quite fun, and have a tiny bit of an anime feel around the character's eyes. Some of the jokes make more sense with illustrations; we can see that Abby's pajamas match the flag of Floom, and we can see everyone turned into very Disney-esque mice! They also are reminiscent of the covers of the original novels. 

Fractured fairy tales that include a modern twist are always popular, and since the Whatever After series just recently wrapped up with volume 17, Mirror Mirror, these graphic novel adaptations are a good way to get a new generation of readers interested. Hand this to fans of E.D. Baker's The Frog Princess or Gail Carson Levine's Cinderellis and the Glass Hill. 

The Christmas Contest

The day after Thanksgiving is when I always put up my Christmas tree, so it seemed like the perfect time to review this advent story book. I was intrigued when the publisher pitched it to me; what do you mean, you can open a chapter a day?

Each five page chapter is sectioned off, and there are instructions to take a ruler and gently open the pages, so just one chapter a day can be read. Of course, I didn't want to open the pages, so had to peer down inside the paper to get the story! That meant I didn't get a great view of all of the illustrations, but now I can save it for my grandson. My daughter was a big fan of our advent calendar (a small stuffed Santa moves from one numbered pocket to another), so I think she will get a big kick out of this, too. 

Just enough time to get a copy of this fun title to start reading in a couple of days! 

Gillio, Maxime and Capriotti, Benedetta. The Christmas Contest 

September 30, 2025 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers 

Copy provided by the publisher

Santa has discovered that so many children have been good that he is concerned that he won't be able to get all of the presents delivered. His granddaughter, Holly, offers to help, but Santa doesn't want her to be away from her family. Instead, he decides to hold a contest for a helper. To his surprise, a huge number of people show up for a sledding contest. There are four winners; an elf named Ivy, a boy named Nathan, a gorilla named Koko, and Groomph, who is a tactiturn dwarf. In between showing the finalists glimpses of the work done at the North Pole, the four must compete in a variety of contests. They wrap presents, protect decorated trees from kittens, create a candy, navigate mazes and crawling up the chimney, make wooden toys, and put costumes on snowmen. The final contest is creating a Yule Log. Santa is the judge, and eats most of all four logs, making himself ill. The contestants decide to band together to prepare for the Christmas journey while Santa is sick in bed, and one of them has a big secret that is revealed. Santa recuperates, and decides that what he really needs is a whole team of helpers, so all of them are hired and go with Santa in his sleigh to make deliveries. 

Strengths: The format of this book was such fun, and I loved that there are instructions for opening the sets of pages each day. There are plenty of pictures, with lots of fun details to look at, and just the right amount of text for a bedtime story. This would be super fun for an eight year old to read aloud to younger siblings! Each chapter ends on a little bit of a cliffhanger, but those pages don't let the reader easily go on to the next day (at least the first time!). The story is sweet, there's a little twist, and of course everyone is a winner in the end. There's plenty of Santa lore explained. 
Weaknesses: Isn't Santa magical enough to keep up with the increased demand for his services? If he did need an assistant, couldn't he have just promoted a head elf? Holly might not have been that helpful, but wouldn't all her other family members understand that the family business keeps them busy on Christmas Eve? I had a lot of questions, but I don't think younger readers will. 
What I really think: One of my favorite parts was the consideration for safety; everyone wears helmets, exercise is suggested after eating a lot of candy, and there are warnings about burning pine wood in an open fire. I can see reading this book easily becoming a family tradition. It might even spark some discussion about Yule Logs and varieties there of; this inclusion definitely belies this book's European roots, but I would definitely be on board with creating a Yule Log-- probably a peanut butter and chocolate one because I live in Ohio, where that combination is "buckeye" flavored. 

Oh, look. Someone beat me to it. 

https://www.sugarhero.com/peanut-butter-cup-yule-log/

Displaced

Happy Thanksgiving! It's good to be grateful every day; perhaps I have just read too many middle grade novels where children have fewer things for which to be thankful. I'm routinely thankful for indoor plumbing, a warm, safe bed at night, healthy food to eat, and for not having to help evacuate children from London during the Blitz. We may be living in difficult times in the US, but they are not as difficult as Kenya in 2007! 

 

Ochieng, Patrick. Displaced

Cover by Moera

August 5, 2025 by Carolrhoda Books ® 

Copy provided by the publisher 

Kimathi lives in Eldoret, a town in the Rift Valley of Kenya, in 2007. In the post election violence of the time, his family's home is attacked, and his father and a family friend who tried to warn them are killed. Kim, his mother, and his young sister Ngina escape and take refuge at the local police station. They are eventually taken to a camp for internally displaced people, but on the caution of a boy named Samoei, they wait for an old truck to take them to a camp in Nakuru rather than a worse camp farther away. Sam and his sister Chebi become friends with Kim, and they all settle down to life in tents. The children are enrolled in the local school, where Mr. Njagua tells them all that in school, tribes don't matter. Kim and Ngina see a psychologist, Dr. Tabitha, when their mother is concerned about their frequent nightmares. Kim doesn't want to talk, but begins to see how this might help him process the loss of his father, especially since he is prone to passing out when he is stressed. Water and food are scarce in the camp, and must be paid for. Water especially is problematic. Not only is it expensive, but some is not clean, and can lead to typhoid or cholera. Kim has made some friends in camp, including a professor who helps him when he steals a jacket and is followed. Sam thinks about going to Nairobi to make his own way, but when his mother becomes ill and a kerosene stove sets some tents on fire, he works with Kim to get water tanks brought to the camp. It's not an easy process, and the professor helps the children apply for them. Once the tanks are obtained, it's necessary to build cement platforms for them and find a way to get them filled with water. None of this is easy, because the men who sell water are not happy about losing their businesses, and threaten to destroy the tanks. Kim is proud of himself for working to better his community, but when the family's church in Eldoret builds them a house, he and his mother and sister return to their town.
Strengths: This was an unsettling but important look at life in a displacement camp. From living in tents and having to hunt for water, there are lots of details that readers in the US will find are new to them. Like Bajaj's Thirst, this shows how something we take for granted in the US, clean running water, can be hard to come by in certain situations. It was great to see Sam and Kim identify a need and work to fill it. The school was interesting too, and the character of the professor, who wears a suit every day. Kim's resilience in the face of trauma and harrowing living situations is heart warming, and I was especially glad that Dr. Tabitha was around for the children.
Weaknesses: I wish there had been more information about why Kim's family was targeted, and what caused the post election violence. If I don't know about this historical event, most of my children will need this information to fully understand the story. I also would have liked to see more of Kim's life before the attack portrayed.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who want to know what life is like in other countries. I enjoyed Ochieng's Playing a Dangerous Game, and this would be a great book to read alongside Hughes' similarly named Displaced or Senzai's Escape from Aleppo to help young readers understand what it is like to lose a home and have to live in a displacement camp.   

How to Save a Library and The Bionic Boy

Nelson, Colleen. How to Save a Library
November 25, 2025 by Pajama Press
Copy provided by Publisher Spotlight

Casey and his father have moved around a lot with his father's job as a librarian, and have most recently landed in Cornish, where they have been for over a year. It's a great small town, and the two rent an apartment from Mr. Nakamura. Casey plays soccer with Steve and Alex, who can be unpleasant jerks at times. There is a lot of tension between Casey and his former best friends Addison and Vivienne, but the cause of this is not revealed until later in the book. When the public library needs expensive renovations, Casey is worried that his father will lose his job, and they will have to move again. To try to avoid this, he joins a school club called Kids C.A.N. (Community Action Network) that is working to win a contest that will provide $30,000 to a community project. The library is heavily used, and has a huge fan base, in part because of a duck, Daisy, who comes back yearly to nest on the roof! The only two kids willing to work with the grumpy Mr. Olivera who was "voluntold" to help? Addision and Vivienne. Luckily, Addison also wants to work to help the library, since her mother has a bakery right next door. This also makes sense, because Casey and Addison's friendship involved a lot of bonding over books. Impressed by the money making ideas that the girls have, Casey tries to play to his own strengths to earn something for the project, and approaches his soccer coach with an proposal. What if his team ran a soccer camp for younger players? Sign ups go so well that the Coach asks the girls' team to do something similar. Steve continues to be a jerk on and off the soccer field, and after a scuffle during a game leads to Casey being injured, Casey finally stands up to him. Will this be enough to repair his friendship with Addison? Most importantly, will the Kids C.A.N. group be able to win the contest and provide the money the library needs in order to keep Casey's dad employed??
Strengths: There were several threads of suspense that ran through this, and I don't want to ruin any of the twists. I liked Casey a lot; he seemed like a solid Everyboy who is trying to live his life and not irritate people around him. He is active in soccer, gets along with his dad, is a good student, and occasionally has to deal with difficult relationships. Every school has jerks like Steve, and it was good to see that he at least apologizes at the end of the book. Addison and Casey's relationship also makes sense; I wouldn't have talked to Casey under the circumstances, either, even if Vivienne was more understanding. Many libraries are having difficulties, and avid readers will be invested in saving the Cornish Library. 

Weaknesses: While I appreciated the happy ending, the help came out of left field. The cover of this might make it a hard sell to 7th and 8th graders, since it looks very young. It wouldn't have hurt to add more of an air of possible romance between Addison and Casey. 

What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who want a library centered story like Sumner' The Summer of June, Bishop's The Things You Can't Say, Tan's A Kind of Paradise, Coats's The Unexpected Lives of Ordinary Girls.  

Plourde, Lynn. The Bionic Boy

October 21, 2025 by Nancy Paulsen Books

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Benji and his sister Becka are being raised by their Dad and Papa near Bangor, Maine. Benji was born without hands in a country far away, and Becka lives with Down Syndrome. Benji is in fifth grade, and spends a lot of time thinking about superheroes with his best friend, Sam Patel. There's a new neighbor, Izzy, but she is angry about having moved, and won't talk to anyone, which really hurts Becka's feelings. When his fathers take him to see Staff Sergeant Dirk Snider speak about having lost all of his limbs in a bombing attack, Benji is amazed at what Sgt. Snider can do with prosthetic limbs. He agrees to meet with a prosthetist to see if artificial hands might be right for him; when he was younger, it seemed like something that was too stressful, and he's relied on using his feet, lower arms, or strap on utensils since. He's intrigued to meet Wyatt, who lost a limb in a tractor accident, and has been to Camp No Limits, a summer program for children with limb differences. Benji is fitted with a rudimentary 3-D printed hand while he's waiting for his myoelectric ones, so he can get a feel for what it is like. He has some initial success with it, but when the family pet, Kitty, escapes, he feels that perhaps he doesn't deserve the hands. His family and Sam assure him that he is already a super hero, and he learns why Izzy has been so difficult.

Strengths: Families can include a wider variety of people than normally are portrayed in middle grade literature, so it was good to see the dynamics in Benji and Becka's family. Both fathers are still alive! Benji has a variety of issues because of his start in life, but gets a lot of support. Including Sgt. Snider was a good choice, and Benji's interest in super heroes will speak to younger readers. This is a short, fast paced book, and offers a good view of a character whose life is most likely very different from most readers' lives. 
Weaknesses: Benji came across as rather young for being in fifth grade, so might not be a good fit for my 6-8 library. There's something about the cover that did not appeal to me. 
What I really think: This would be a great fiction companion to David and Ferren Aquilar's Piece by Piece: How I Built My Life (No Instructions Required),  and is one of the few books like Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus and Youngblood's Forever This Summer that include a character with limb differences. Plourde has also written Maxi's Secret. 

Fantasy Round Up

Colfer, Chris. Roswell Johnson Saves the Galaxy!
September 16, 2025 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
 

Sequel to Roswell Johnson Saves the World. 

From the Publisher: 

The bestselling author of The Land of Stories and A Tale of Magic returns in the sequel to Roswell Johnson Saves the World! Packed with humor and heart, the second book in this action-packed adventure series is an another epic journey, this time, to save the galaxy! Perfect for fans of Guardians of the Galaxy.

Something very strange is happening in our galaxy. People, spaceships, and even whole stars are disappearing without a trace. The Milky Way Galactic Alliance have no explanation, so it's up to Roswell and his alien friends to solve the mystery themselves.

But, along the way, Roswell discovers new technology that could put our solar system in grave danger. Can he save not just the world, but the entire galaxy?
 

McKinnon, Kate. Secrets of the Purple Pearl (The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science #2)
September 30, 2025 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

 

This second book in the series seems even quirkier than the first, which might serve elementary students better than middle school. The trend of addressing chapters to "My dear reader" (ala The Series of Unfortunate Events) hasn't done well with my students for a while, nor have quirky names (Ugottabekiddingme, Austria, G. Edwina Candlestank). Fans of Primavera's Ms. Rapscott's Girls or Benedict and Sheinmel's The Secrets of Lovelace Academy  might like this one. 

Alkaf, Hann, ed. The Beasts Beneath the Winds: Tales of Southeast Asia’s Mythical Creatures

October 21, 2025 by Amulet Books

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

This was a great collection of short stories by a variety of Southeast Asian authors, and is a good introduction to their work. There are not a lot of collections of fantasy short stories, and this would be good for a unit study on mythology as well. Sadly, short story collections circulate very poorly in my library, and the ones that do get checked out are generally scary tales. Will think about this one. 

Durham, David Anthony. A Rage of Lions (The Shadow Prince #3)

October 28, 2025 by Lee & Low Books

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, but the second book has not been checked out a single time. With budget cuts, I may have to stop buying sequels, although I've always prided myself in having complete series. This book is 400 pages long, making the series quite a commitment. The ending left this open to another possible book, although it could be the end. 

From the publisher: 

In the third installment in The Shadow Prince saga, Ash and his friends race against time to save Egypt, again. This time it’s to stop a war with Kush and its raging, roaring, lion-headed god Apedemak.

It takes Ash some convincing–since heroes get tired!–for Princess Sia to enlist him and his friends on a dangerous new quest. Sia believes Prince Rami is being held against his will by Lord Set, the mischievous Egyptian god of chaos. Does she really expect them to go outside of Egypt? All the way to Kush? Besides, didn’t Prince Rami betray them and his family?

Across the border, the kids discover things are worse than they imagined. Lord Set has convinced Apedemak, Kush’s powerful lion god of war, to gather his massive army of the living and dead to invade Egypt.

The odds do not look good for Ash and his friends, but Team Shadow Prince may have a chance when they meet a boy who wields a strange Kushite magic channeled through henna tattoos on his skin.

Will Ash and his friends stand a chance against the mighty rage of lions that threatens all of Egypt? Or will Lord Set’s deadly plan finally bring Egypt to its knees?

MMGM-Balancing Act and Kid Olympians (Winter)

It's

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
 at 

Always in the Middle 

and #IMWAYR day 

at

Unleashing Readers

Chase, Paula. Balancing Act
October 21, 2025 by Wednesday Books
Copy provided by the author

Chyna is an exceptional gymnast who has been recruited by a new privately funded charter school, The Heights. In her town of Diamond Falls, fights often emerge over sports between the public school and the private school. In one of these, her boyfriend, Jacquees, is killed trying to protect his brother Jamaal. This isn't a rare occurrence, and Chyna is leery of the many "help the underprivileged" programs tried in her community, since the fights continue. The Heights has gotten heat for recruiting good athletes from the public school, including Chyna, who is just trying to survive after Jaquees' death, and take advantage of all of the opportunities she can to better her situation. Jacquees brother, Jamaal, is on the school's basketball team, but struggling with randomly passing out. There is a lot of social media buzz in "Da Icy City", with an influencer, Hot Lipz, who seems to have a lot of inside information on Chatter, and the Black Swan, a radio d.j. who grew up with Chyna's ailing mother and Aunt Tam. Swan's daughter, Alicia, is also attending The Heights. She and Chyna are picked as co-captains of the gymnastics team, but Alicia doesn't like this, since Chyna is an unproven quantity. Chyna is struggling to deal with her mother's health, and hopes that she can soon get a kidney transplant. She has also not told Jamaal about her relationship with his brother. When Jamaal is picked to play in the prestigious Peace in the Streets game, Swan takes an interest in him, as does Alicia. The radio personality suggests that Jamaal get a second opinion about his condition; Swan's wife, also a media personality, is more blunt, and tells him to find a doctor who will give him the diagnosis he wants so that he can play. The pressure on both teens mounts as Hughes University announces it will be the first HBCU to have a gymnastics team, and the community is thrilled that a reality television show called "Da Icy City" set in Diamond Falls featuring The Heights and its students will be produced. At the end of the book, Jamaal must deal with the consequences of his actions, and Chyna finally finds out the identity of her father after a family tragedy. There is a sequel planned to follow up on all of the drama in Diamond Falls.
Strengths: In addition to being a founding member of the wonderful literary resource The Brown Bookshelf, Chase has a great list of books that my students have enjoyed, like So Done, Dough Boys, Turning Point, and Keeping It Real. While I'm too old to have enjoyed Francine Pascal's Sweet Valley High books to which this has been compared, I can definitely see the appeal of a drama laden, soap opera style story centering on a community like Diamond Falls where success can sometimes be hard to find. Alternating between Chyna and Jamaal's perspectives draws the reader into all of the fraught emotions and interpersonal drama. The Swan's family's opulent lifestyle contrasts nicely with Chyna's constrained one, especially given the surprise twist at the end. The sports drama, with fights over captains and competitions, is just as important to teens as the weightier issues of health problems and dealing with the death of family members. The fictional community of Diamond Falls is well portrayed, and acts almost as another character. I can't wait to see what happens in the next book!
Weaknesses: At over 400 pages, with several f-words, this is definitely a young adult book, although there is no mention of any sexual activity other than kissing, or any substance abuse, which I appreciated. There's a lot of slang and dialectical speech, and I never know how well that will fare over a long period of time.
What I really think: This is an excellent choice for readers who love Ms. Chase's work and want an updated version of her Del Rio Bay Clique series, or who want grittier stories that center around sports, like Waltman's Next or Buford's Kneel. There are very few books that center gymnastics, so that was great to see. High schools will definitely want to purchase this, as will middle schools where more mature language isn't an issue.

Stevenson, Robin and Steinfeld, Allison (illus.). 

Kid Olympians: Winter: True Tales of Childhood from Champrions and Game Changers
November 11, 2025 by Quirk Books
Copy provided by the publisher

Just in time for the Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo 2026 Winter games, this collective biography shines the spotlight on 16 athletes who represent different sports and different cultural backgrounds. Divided into four categories (Olympic Pride, Powerful Women, Olympic Firsts, and Taking the Ice), we get a rare look into the childhood of these sports enthusiasts. We learn about their living situations with parents, their experiences in school, and their introduction to their sport of choice. While it's possible to look up news articles about the Olympic exploits of all of the subjects, it's nice to have an overview of what the historical times were like when they were active, and the challenges that they faced in competition. For some of the older athletes, we also get a look at what they have done since they have retired from the sport. 

It's interesting that there are two sets of siblings included; ice skaters Alex and Maia Shibutani (who have also written the Kudo Kids  middle grade series!) and skiers Charles and William Flaherty. Supportive family is so important to the training process that it's good to see so many parents discussed as well. While younger readers will appreciate that most of the athletes are from the 2000s, with Michelle Kwan being about the oldest inclusion, I would have liked to see some older Olympians like track and field star Bob Mathias or swimmer Arati Saha. 

Steinfeld's colorful illustrations give a good feel for not only Olympic moments but childhood ones as well. Their cartoon style will appeal to readers of graphic novels. As a huge fan of Simon Kids classic Childhood of Famous Americans series (which I mention every time I read one of these!) I love seeing the new categories that Stevenson and Steinfeld find to highlight in this Kid Legends series. There are eleven titles in all, starting with  Kid Presidents (2014) and continuing through Kid Innovators (2021) and Kid Musicians: True Tales of Childhood from Entertainer, Songwriters, and Stars (2024). I don't know how I managed to miss Kid Authors!

Marya Khan and the Disastrous Class Project and How to Save an Otter

Faruqi, Saadia and Bushry, Ani (illus.).

Marya Khan and the Disastrous Class Project (#5)

April 22, 2025 by Harry N. Abrams

Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Marya is a very exuberant third grader who loves new words, and informs her best friend Hanna one morning that she will have an "exceptional" day! Things don't quite work out that way; there is a new student, Waleed, who has moved to the US from Pakistan, where Marya's family has roots, but he looks scared and shy. Marya wants to make friends with him, but just about anything she says seem to make him downcast. Marya also struggles a bit with fellow student Alexa, who is friendly but brags a lot about the trips that her parents take her on, and rather exasperates Marya, although Hanna doesn't seem to mind her. When her teacher, Mrs. Piccolo, assigns group projects on countries, she pairs Marya with Waleed and has them researching Pakistan. As the two research the country, Marya tries again and again to make overtures and "make" Waleed like her, but fails again and again. She even asks her brothers, parents, and grandmother what she can do to make a friend. Her grandmother suggests that it might be a hard transition for Waleed, and that Marya should be patient, but it isn't until she sees Waleed at a local Pakistani market that she begins to understand how much he has left behind in his old home. Eventually, the two present their project, and Waleed helps Marya out when she gets nervous, cementing their friendship. 

School days play a large part in the lives of elementary students, but it's not the same drama as middle school. With older kids, it's all about relationships, romance, and keeping up with trends, be they technological or fashion. With younger ones, it's about interpersonal relationships and navigating the work that needs to be done. Family life also figures largely, since third graders don't spend nearly the amount of time sulking in their rooms that seventh graders do. It's interesting to watch how Marya deals with her siblings, classmates, and the adults in her life, and how she weighs their advice and tries to put it into practice. 

This book has a somewhat larger font, is under 150 pages long, and has plentiful illustrations, making this perfect for first and second graders who are becoming interested in longer chapter books and want to read about older kids and get a feel for what their lives will be like in the future. Series books allow students to have some familiarity with the character and not have to process information about new characters while they are trying to deal with the social situations. Many students may never have met a classmate who has moved from another country, so books like this are a good way to help build empathy. 

Marya would be right at home with Haywood's Betsy, Sheth's Nina Soni, Butler's Kayla, and Barrows' Ivy and Bean. The books are a nice small size, perfect for taking out into a tree fort or reading under the covers! 

Messner, Kate and Bricking, Jennifer (illus.). How to Save An Otter
September 2, 2025 by Bloomsbury Children's Books
E ARC provided by Netgalley

Ivy, her mother, and her younger brother Ezra are biking on trails through a swamp near their Florida home where they find an injured otter pup. Her mother, a science teacher who rescues a lot of animals, and Ivy, who has taken a wildlife rescue class, know that they need to keep the animal warm, and in a dark and quiet place while they get it to the vet. They are well acquainted with Doc, Dr. Martha Tate, and the local wildlife rescue, who gives the otter pain meds and antibiotics to manage the injury and infection. While Ivy is very interested in the cute animal, she knows that too much human contact can be bad for wild animals, so contents herself with watching the otters progress through a one-way window at the clinic. When her school plans Earth Day celebrations, Ivy wants to help give back to the animal hospital. She and her friends work on a plan to educate others about the importance of the facility and the services it provides, and even run a towel drive after checking that the rescue center can use towels. She even works with her pastor, who puts information about the drive in the church bulletin, and has the congregation pray for the otter’s recovery. After a month and a half, the otter has been rehabilitated, and is released back in the area where she was found, along with two other otters. Ms. Messner worked with the von Arx Wildlife Hospital on this book, and two more titles, about an owl (9/25) and a tortoise (3/26),
Strengths: Had my own children read this book, they would have spent hours searching the creek and woods near our house to see if there were any abandoned animals, so it was excellent to see practical, realistic tips on what to do in the case of finding an injured animal. I feel like a lot of middle grade books romanticize this, and always end with the main character taking the animal home and hiding it from parents while trying to take care of it. Ivy is better prepared than her contemporaries to get animals the PROPER help. There are other girls around when the otter is found, and they want to offer it a granola bar, but the comparison is made with a person in an auto accident being offered a cheeseburger. That was an excellent explanation for why this is a bad idea! It’s also good to see that while Ivy is interested in the animal’s progression, and she does get a chance to help feed the otter at one point, she doesn’t interact too much with her. Bricking’s illustrations add a lot of extra appeal. There are good tips at the end of the book about what kids can do to help out local wildlife rescue efforts.
Weaknesses: I would definitely purchase this for an elementary library, but this was a little young for middle school. With budget cuts, I won’t be adding as much to some sections of my library, like books for emerging readers or nonfiction, which have increased over the last couple of years. This book is roughly the same length and has a similar level of text complexity to Messner's Ranger in Time (2015) series.
What I really think: Readers who love animals and who have enjoyed Miles’ Puppy Place books, the Animal Rescue Friends series, Johnson’s Rescue at Lake Wild, or Peter’s Jasmine Green stories will get lots of practical information from this book, and will perhaps be motivated to check with their own local wildlife sanctuary to see how they can help. 

Sunny Figures it Out

Holm, Jennifer L. and Holm, Matt. Sunny Figures it Out (Sunny #6)

July 1, 2025 by Graphix

Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Sunny is living her best 8th grade life in 1978 (easily pinpointed by the mention of the Star Wars Christmas special, which aired in November of that year). She's sort of dating Tony, who plays hockey, has a big family, and worked at the snack bar at the pool where they met in Sunny Makes a Splash. She and Tony don't necessarily do all of the things that couples are "supposed" to do, but her best friend Deb reminds her that Tony should be carrying Sunny's books, Sunny should be supportiver and attend Tony's games, and the two should double date with her and Greg when they start to go steady. Sunny, who would just as soon play drinking straw hockey at the Howard Johnson's with Tony rather than canoodling, doesn't agree. She has taken to reading a lot of paperback romance books that she gets at a resale shop, so is struggling to decide if she should run her relationship the way that "everyone" says she should, or the way that she and Tony prefer. She sees her mother struggle with societal expectations as well when she gets a job at a local gift store. This means that Sunny and her grandfather have to occasionally step up to watch Sunny's younger brother, and that her mom can't always bake for school parties the way she used to. Sunny can be supportive of her mother, and remind her that she has excellent managerial skills and deserves a promotion, but struggles to ignore Deb's insistance that she and Tony need to make out at parties and go on stuffy dates. In the end, Sunny is able to be true to herself, and finds that it makes her much happier. 

Setting Sunny's life almost fifty years ago instead of in the modern day is successful for several reasons: older readers like myself will enjoy the passing of notes and "no taking calls at dinner" rule, along with the fantastic 1970s two story Colonial house where Sunny lives. Younger readers will see that while new technologies and past times may emerge, some things stay the same. It's good to see a healthy boy/girl relationship, and know that there must be tweens just like Sunny and Tony who want to hang out together without worrying about being romantic, even if they might enjoy thinking a little bit about romance from time to time. 

There are a few asides about historical topics that were quite fun, and informative for readers who were born after the smart phone became widely adopted! Avon Ladies, rotary phones, note passing, air hockey, and Fantasy Island all have short but  brilliant explanations. I have to admit that I have a LOT of questions about the Harrowgate (aka Harlequin) Romance books; why were these something that tweens had access to? I'm sure they are much milder than the modern day equivalents (if there is one). Of course, Sunny is in the generation that read all of V.C. Andrews' Flowers in the Attic books, so there must have just been a general lack of oversight of tweens reading material. 

Matthew Holm's illustrations do a great job of setting the scene, and do an excellent job of showing excellent vintage details (wide legged pants, the grandfather's groovy shades and cardigan, school hallways and that fabulous house) while still preserving a fairly modern feel. I'm pretty sure that readers who pick up the first book do so not knowing that it is set in the past. 

This even has a little bit more of a message than the other books, which I appreciated. Even though my students claim that they don't care what other people think, it would be hard to find a middle school student who is not aware of the expectations of others. Of course Sunny listens to her friend Deb's opinions... for a while. It's good to see that she and her mother are both able to come to terms with what works best for each of them. 

Sunny is definitely one of my favorite graphic novel series, and addresses tween angst with a little more fun than other series do. Hand this to readers who need a break from the angst of Miller's Click series, Libenson's Emmie and Friends books, or Scrivan's Nat Enough titles. 

Standoff (Kidnapped from Ukraine #2)

Skrypuch, Marsha Forchuk. Standoff (Kidnapped from Ukraine #2)
October 7, 2025 by Scholastic Press
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

In this companion novel to Kidnapped From Ukraine, we follow the journey of Rada and her father, Ivan, when they are separated from Dariia and their mother. Rada and Ivan are in the family apartment when it is bombed; they've taken shelter in the bathtub, but it falls through into the apartment of the Yanins below them. They're not injured, but I'll prepared for fleeing, since it is early morning and Rada is still in her bunny slippers. They take a few supplies from the Yanin's apartment, but when they leave the building, find Mrs. Yanin, her friend Viktor's mother, dead in the street. Rada sprinkles dirt on her and says a prayer, but there is no time to waste in getting to the Azovstal steel plant where her father works. He works with the Territorial Defense, and wants to get Rada to the plant to shelter while he goes out to fight. Luckily, they run into Ms. Olenyk, who has a flower delivery van. It's a hard trip to the plant, but they know there are supplies and underground bunkers there. Rada has to tell Viktor about his mother, since he is there with his father and younger sister Alina. Also there is Lesia, whose parents are off fighting. She's there with both of her grandmothers and her sister-in-law, who has a baby. Viktor has brought an extra pair of shoes with him (he's sneakerhead), and gives them to Rada. There is limited fuel for the generators, and very little food. Mr. Yanins makes sure everyone has a cup of warm water every day, as well as a type of grain porridge, but there is little else. The children scavenge in the offices when Mr. Yanins isn't making them do some school work. Eventually, the plant is evacuated, and there is supposedly a humanitarian corridor that will allow Rada and her companions to get to Zaporizhzhia, but it closes before they can get through. They manage to find shelter, and are joined by an older woman, Svetlana, and a young boy, Mychailo, both of whom have lost their entire families. The conditions are brutal: cold and so damp that clothing is rotting, with limited food and sanitary facilities. At one point, Viktor, Alina, and Rada go back to the plant to scavenge for food and clothing. They manage to find some, but there is a bomb that kills Lesia's grandmother (who has decided to live in the bombed out offices) and burns the children badly. They are grateful to have found a large sack of flour so they can have dumplings in soup. Rada's father returns to tell her that she needs to leave, and also that he intends to fight to the end. Luckily, the Red Cross find the group as they are leaving, get them past the Russian soldiers, tend to their wounds, and give them supplies. Lesia's sister-in-law decides to go back home to her parents (since her husband has gone over to the Russians, she intends to divorce him). Rada's mother is also in the camp, but tells Rada that her sister is in Russia. We should find out what happens after this in book three, Still Alive, which comes out April 21, 2026. 

Strengths: Once again, Ms. Skrypuch brings a current news story to life for readers who might not know how horrible the conditions in Ukraine are right now. Many middle graders like to read books about World War II, but don't understand that there are conflicts that are every bit if not more devastating going on right now. I imagine that she has talked to many people who have seen the atrocities of this war first hand, which allows the details of sheltering in the steel plant to be absolutely devastating. I hadn't thought about the damp making clothing rot while people are wearing it, and at one point Rada cuts off her heavy braid and shaved her head because her hair is so moldy and dirty. Since I have been watching my young grandson, reading about an infant being in these circumstances was devastating. In addition to being an interesting and informative story about a current event, this will serve as an important historical document when (hopefully soon) this war is over. 
Weaknesses: The early on page death of Mrs. Yanins might be too much for sensitive readers, so I would add this cautiously to an elementary library. I am also wondering if the finished copy will have a note from the author about the current conditions in Ukraine, as the first book did. The digital ARC did not have one. 
What I really think: It's a little unusual to see fictional coverage of real life events so soon after they have occurred, but it's good for middle school students to read books like this in order to understand what's going on in the world. I can't think of many authors other than Skrypuch who write about Ukraine; Lucyk-Berger's Swimming with Spies is the only other book I can think of that describes what has been going on in this area of the world. 

Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave

Russell, Ally. Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave
September 16, 2025 by Delacorte Press
E ARC provided by Netgalley

Mystery was abandoned as an infant and adopted by Tia Lucy, who runs the Garcia Graves and Funeral Home. She doesn't mind helping clean up the graveyard, although she and best friend Garrett sometimes get in trouble for accidental misbehavior. She struggles with nightmares, and has been able to smell ghosts for a while; whether this has anything to do with her unknown parentage is unclear. When Lady Ellis dies and her son contacts Tia Lucy for the funeral service, he requests that a necklace be buried with his mother even though one of his sisters would like it. Mystery herself puts it around the corpse's neck. When it shows up two towns away at an antique shop, Mr. Ellis blames Tia Lucy for the theft, even though other people were involved in getting the mother into the family crypt. Mystery, who has been bedeviled by sleep demons, is also haunted by the ghost of Lady Ellis, who tries to talk to her, although Mystery isn't quite sure what she wants. A granddaughter of the deceased, Eliza, is around, and Mystery would like to speak to her. WHen an even more frightening ghost/vampire, the Baron, shows up with hideous demands, Mystery has no choice but to help the ghoul find a "fresher" body, as well as his heart. Raymond, a local man who does odd jobs and occasionally helps Tia Lucy bury bodies, is also working with the Baron. Even though Raymond's involvement in these exploits could exonerate Tia Lucy and the funeral home from any wrong doing, Mystery doesn't want to bother her Aunt. Eventually, she goes to talk to Eliza at the Ellis mansion, and finds very interesting information about the Baron. The necklace was part of a binding spell to keep him contained, and when the necklace left the area, his spirit was set free. Eliza also identifies the Daddy Long Legs (whom Mystery has named Coffin) living in Mystery's hair as a "Harvestman". Sadly, once Mr. Ellis finds out that Mystery has visited, he forbids Eliza to see her again. With Garrett's help, Mystery manages to find that a large rock she's been trying to move is actually a gravestone with "May no place keep this foul soul and fiendish heart, 1863" engraved on it. This is where the Baron's body is, and Mystery manages to find cemetery records that indicate his heart is probably in the crypt with another Ellis. When the Baron taunts Mystery with information about her birth mother, will she be too weak to stop him from unleashing himself into the world? A sequel, Mystery James Returns from the Grave, is to be published in the fall of 2026. 

Strengths: Russell's It Came From the Trees was a big hit with my students, with its mix off outdoor camping adventures and scary beasts kidnapping children. A look at a small town funeral home and cemetery will appeal to readers who are drawn to creepy things and love K.R. Alexander titles. It's good to see Garrett and Mystery work together, and to learn some ins and outs of funeral home life. The idea that ghosts not only have a semi-corporeal presence AND a distinctive, unpleasant smell was a nice twist on ghost lore-- after all, since they don't exist, authors can put their own spin on what ghosts are like. The Baron is fairly frightening, and the information from the 1860s was cool to read. For those who like low levels of gore, Mystery and Garrett do exhume a body and are surprised at how much flesh can linger on bones after 160 Plus years. 
Weaknesses: I needed a LOT more information about the arachnid hiding out in Mystery's hair. It was just a bit odd, and I don't think an actual critter would be very comfortable there. The cover is somehow half a bubble off; maybe the Baron looks goofy rather than scary? There were some things that didn't make as much sense as I would have liked them to. For instance, if Tia Lucy adopted Mystery when she was an infant, why is she referred to as an aunt and not as a mother? 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who want graveyard related spooky tales like Smy's The Hideaway, Aldridge's Deephaven or Fournet's Brick Dust and Bones. There aren't as many Goth/Wednesday Addams wannabes as there were twenty years ago. 

Always Be My Bibi

Taslim, Priyanka. Always Be My Bibi
June 10, 2025 by Salaam Reads

Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Bibi Hossain's family is very wealthy and fairly easy going, but when she sneaks out to prom and her parents find out, they ground her. In Bibi's mind, she didn't have any other choice, since she is forbidden to date until her older sister, Halima, gets married. Since Halima is finishing up her degree at and heading to law school, that seems too long to wait. Just a week into her stint working at a restaurant in her father's Royal Fried Chicken fast food restaurant, which is beyond mortifying, Halima shows up to announce her engagement. Not only that, but her fiance, Sunny, is from a family near the Bangladeshi village where her father grew up and her grandmother (Thathu) still lives. Flying first class and staying in Sunny's family's resort on the tea plantation that they run seems a whole lot better than serving up fried chicken in Princeton, New Jersey. The plantation is vast, and Bibi's father tells her that he worked there when he was young, and Thathu ran the guesthouse. Sunny seems to dote on her sister, who throws herself into trying to learn as much about the running of the family enterprise as possible, but his brother, Sohel, doesn't get a long with Bibi. True, she thinks a little too much about fashion (she wears $100 t shirt and designer overalls to work on the plantation), and she has a bad habit of saying the right thing, but she doesn't feel she should have to still be grounded and have to work, especially alongside Sohel. Her parents backpedal on allowing her to date now that Halima is getting married, until an auntie shows them a BioData book of eligible guys Bibi's age and say that since Halima is getting married, there has been a lot of interest in Bibi. Because the family is Muslim, they insist of chaperones, and since Sunny is often traveling for business, Sohel is often cast in this role. Bibi is smitten with Akash, a cricket player from a wealthy family whose reputation as a lady's man Bibi is willing to ignore. Bibi is glad to spend time with Thathu, and loves learning about her gramdmother's college years, before her family arranged a marriage for her. As the wedding approaches, Halima starts to have her doubts about relocating to Bangladesh, and Bibi's romantic interests take a predictable turn. How will both sisters balance their own needs with the wishes of their family?

Setting this book on a Bangladeshi tea plantation that is trying to better the lives of its workers was so fascinating, and young readers will adore the Crazy Rich Asians style details like having a servant run one's bath, and carrying $2,000 Louis Vuitton bags. Of course, Bibi also understands what it is like to  have to work (even if her fried chicken stint is short), and gets along well with other workers. The visit to the grandmother's village points out some of the dichotomies in the culture.

Enemies to lovers style romances are popular, and while Bibi and Sohel spar at the beginning, there's never any high level of animosity, which made their relationship more realistic to me. Bibi comes across as a pampered, stereotypical American; she even knows this and doesn't try very hard to change in order to help Sunny's family like her. Sohel is a big proponent of education and hard work, so I liked him a lot more than Bibi for most of the book. 

Weddings have been fascinating to high school and middle school readers since Cleary's 1963 Sister of the Bride because when older sisters get married, there are a lot of moments for their younger counterparts to shine. Toss this one over your shoulder to readers who enjoyed other multicultural wedding books like Bajpai's Sister of the Bollywood Bride, Avachat's Arya Khanna's Bollywood Moment, Richardson's The Meet-Cute Project and even Liang's Never Thought I'd End Up Here, which starts with a wedding and involves travel abroad, but doesn't have as many details about the wedding planning as the other books.