Mermaids Rock series by Linda Chapman. For those who enjoy Mermaid Tales by Debby Dadey, another series about a group of underwater folk who protect their home and its creatures. Gr 2-3.
The Party Diaries: Awesome Orange Birthday by Mitali Banerjee Ruths. An early chapter book with full color illustrations on every page and high interest plots. In this installment, Priya is excited to plan her aunty’s birthday party. She will donate the money she makes to help the cutest endangered animal on the planet, the quokka. The series has an international flavor with words from other parts of the world introduced and explained. Gr 2-4.
Travis Daventhorpe for the Win by Wes Molebash. Graphic Novel. Travis Daventhorpe may be a genius, but he's always struggled to make friends. After his attempt to befriend new kid Juniper Reyes results in an epic fail, Travis takes his sentient flying robot, Travbot, out for a ride. Cue a stupendous crash in a wilderness. And that’s only the beginning... Gr 2-6.
Diary of an 8-Bit Warrior series by Cube Kid. Minecraft fans, this unofficial Minecraft series by fan fiction author Cube and comic illustrator Saboten follows the adventures of Runt, a villager turned warrior in journal format with lots of pics. Gr 3-5.
Link + Hud : Heroes by a Hair by Jarrett & Jerome Pumphrey. Captain Underpants, there’s some new boys in town. Link + Hud are brothers with imaginations, not just active imaginations, but “imaginations that run wild and free.” Imbued with lots of humor, heart and hilarious illustrations, this pair is as much fun to be with as Lamar Giles’ legendary Alston cousins. Gr 3-6.
Together for Never by Marilyn Kaye. Two very different girls are happy in their separate worlds. Then, they discover their parents are seriously dating and want to vacation together. Ick! Channeling the Parent Trap in reverse, the girls plot how to keep their parents apart. Could they ever be one big happy family? Gr 3-6.
It’s Boba Time for Pearl Li! by Nicole Chen. Perfect for fans of Kelly Yang (Front Desk) this joyful, moving middle-grade contemporary story follows a big-hearted Taiwanese American girl as she aims to save her favorite boba tea shop by selling her handcrafted amigurumi dolls. Gr 3-6.
Bea and the New Deal Horse by L.M. Elliott. Set during the Great Depression this story of 2 children trying to convince a woman already suffering from drought and financial ruin to take them in is a moving tale of the spirit of American persistence, found family, and the magical partnership between girl and horse. Good read alike for The War That Saved My Life. Gr 4-8.
Nic Blake and the Remarkables: The Manifestor Prophecy by Angie Thomas. The award-winning writer of hard-hitting Young Adult realistic fiction has some fun with the Chosen One storyline. A combination of all the popular series: Amari & the Night Brothers, Percy Jackson, Harry Potter. Gr 3-7.
Jacky HaHa Gets the Last Laugh by James Patterson/Chris Grabenstein. Jacky shares more of her teenage life in the early 1990s before she became a famous comedienne on shows like SNL. This time she’s going to theatre camp, only she’s not sure she has enough of what it takes to get into show business. Very readable, with a lot of references to real-life celebrities. Gr 4-7.
Iceberg by Jennifer Nielsen. As disaster looms on the horizon, a young stowaway onboard the Titanic will need all her courage and wits to stay alive. Gr 5+