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Books for Kids and Tweens July 2025 |
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| Their Just Desserts by Tracy Badua and Alechia DowSince they solved their first mystery (in The Cookie Crumbles), baker Laila and journalist Lucy have been too busy to spend much time together. When these middle school detectives are called on to go undercover at a kids' baking show, it tests both their skills and their friendship. (Ages 10-13.)
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| Lu and Ren's Guide to Geozoology by Angela HsiehLu has always planned to be a traveling geozoologist like her ah-ma (grandmother), studying creatures like mossgoats, cloud jellyfish, and super-huge axolotls. So when Ah-ma's letters stop, Lu decides to search for her, with some help from her old friend Ren. Soft and dreamy artwork helps transport you to the magical setting of this sweet graphic novel adventure. For fans of: K. O'Neill's Tea Dragon Society series. (Ages 8-12.) |
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| Graciela in the Abyss by Meg Medina; illustrated by Anna and Elena Balbusso One hundred years after falling to her death in the ocean, Graciela awakens as a sea spirit. Meanwhile, living boy Jorge accidentally delivers a ghost-killing harpoon to a vengeful villain. The quest to set things right on land and sea brings Graciela and Jorge together in this exciting and heartfelt fantasy. Read-alike: El Niño by Pam Muñoz Ryan. (Ages 10-13.) |
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| The Midwatch Institute for Wayward Girls by Judith RossellWhen she arrives at the Midwatch Institute, headstrong Maggie Fishbone discovers that the gloomy-seeming orphanage is actually a school that trains girls to "solve mysteries and do good deeds and fight bad guys." Set in a 1920s-era world of airships and motorcars, this clever story offers plenty of intrigue and thrills. (Ages 8-12.) |
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| The Best Worst Summer of Esme Sun by Wendy Wan-Long ShangEven though her sisters are always-busy high achievers, 12-year-old Esme just wants a chill summer with her local swim team. Esme's mom, however, has competitive expectations that could shatter Esme's summer hopes. Readers who like slice-of-life books with real-feeling characters will enjoy diving into Esme's story. (Ages 8-12.) |
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Blood in the Water
by Tiffany D. Jackson
Brooklyn girl Kaylani McKinnon is thrust into an intricate web of lies when a shocking murder on Martha's Vineyard threatens to expose dangerous secrets. Kaylani is determined to solve the mystery. But her investigation leads her to uncover shocking secrets that could change her own life as she knows it... if she survives. (Ages 9-12.)
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| Will on the Inside by Andrew EliopulosIt's a big change for seventh-grader Will when he's diagnosed with Crohn's disease, forcing him to temporarily quit the soccer team he loves while he gets used to new medication. Even bigger, though, is realizing that he might be gay -- and that his church group and soccer friends might treat him differently if he tells them. (Ages 9-13.) |
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| Sam(ira)'s (Worst) Best Summer by Nina HamzaAfter a horrible year where her best friend turned into a bully, relatable middle schooler Sammy now faces an even worse summer: her house was just TP'd and her brother Imran, who's autistic, is sure it's because they're brown and Muslim. How is Sammy supposed to trust in a new friendship with neighbor Alice when it feels like everyone is against her? (Ages 9-13.) |
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| The Last Rhee Witch by Jenna Lee-YunFeeling like a misfit in her own life, Korean American 12-year-old Ronnie heads to summer camp, where she encounters a hollow-eyed gwishin (ghost), a witch-hunting dokkaebi (goblin), and secrets about her own heritage. If you like paranormal fantasy with a dash of creepiness, don't miss The Last Rhee Witch. (Ages 8-12.) |
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| Daughters of the Lamp by Nedda LewersIn 10th-century Baghdad, servant Morgana is on the run after a sorcerer attacks her boss, Ali Baba. In present-day Cairo, science-loving Egyptian American Sahara fears that her uncle's bride-to-be might be an actual witch. Find out how the two stories connect in this series starter that blends fantasy and folkore. (Ages 8-12.) |
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| Olivetti by Allie MillingtonWhile searching for his mom, Beatrice, after her sudden disappearance, shy and anxious Ernest gets help from an unusual ally: Olivetti, the old family typewriter who remembers everything Beatrice ever typed with him. Narrated by both Ernest and Olivetti, this family story is both quirky and bittersweet. (Ages 9-13.) |
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Another
by Paul Tremblay
When Morel appears, he's not like any friend Casey has ever met. His skin is like clay, and he doesn't speak. But Casey's parents are charmed by the strange kid, and it's nice to have someone to talk to besides his sister, Ally, who is away at college. As his normally loving parents grow distant from Casey, they gush and fawn over Morel. Casey knows something is wrong--but with no end in sight to the sleepover, he's exhausted. And in the dark, out of the corner of his eye, Morel doesn't look like a kid at all. (Ages 8-12.)
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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