Books for Kids and Tweens
February 2026

Recent Releases
Firefox Moon: A Juniper Lane Adventure by Eoin Colfer
Firefox Moon: A Juniper Lane Adventure
by Eoin Colfer

Acclaimed, mega-bestselling Eoin Colfer, named a master storyteller by School Library Journal, returns to the world of Juniper Lane for a lively new adventure! This time, Juniper takes off on a summertime quest in a story sure to delight young readers all year round.
Glass Slippers by Leah Cypess
Glass Slippers
by Leah Cypess

The second book in the Sisters Ever After series of fairy-tale retellings from the point of view of the siblings in the background, this is the thrilling story of Cinderella's never-before-mentioned third evil stepsister, Tirza. Meet Cinderella's third wicked stepsister, Tirza. For years, Tirza has lived with the shame of what her family did to Cinderella. Against everyone's advice, Cinderella--now Queen Ella--took a chance on young Tirza. She gave Tirza a home in the castle instead of banishing her. The queen told everyone Tirza was good and kind, not cruel like her older sisters. But now Queen Ella's famous glass slippers are missing, and there's only one suspect. . . . Tirza may have tried them on . . . but she didn't steal them. Now she must find the true thief before she loses her royal home. But as Tirza gets closer to the truth, she finds herself getting closer to something else: her sisters, who might not be quite as evil as Cinderella claims.
The Moon Without Stars
by Chanel Miller

Quiet, creative Luna and her best friend Scott have gotten good at making zines to help their middle school classmates who are struggling. And it's those zines that grab the attention of the popular girls, forcing Luna to decide between social status and staying true to herself. Read-alike: Mallory in Full Color by Elisa Stone Leahy. (Ages 10-13.)
 
Basket Ball: The Story of the All-American Game
by Kadir Nelson

Hit the court with award-winning author/illustrator Kadir Nelson in Basket Ball, a history of the game from its humble beginnings to the high-profile sport of today. Combining vivid full-color paintings with fascinating facts and a focus on Black excellence, this overview is a must-read for sports fans. For fans of: We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball, also by Kadir Nelson. (Ages 9-13.)
 
Just Gus by McCall Hoyle
Just Gus
by McCall Hoyle

Return to the world of devoted working dogs and the humans they love in a new book from the bestselling author of Stella.Gus is a livestock guardian dog with one job--protecting his farm from coyotes and foxes. He likes keeping the sheep, the chickens, and his humans safe, and he's very good at it.One day, Diego and his dad come to visit the farm, and Gus immediately connects to the small boy. They both like to sit still and enjoy the quiet, and Gus can tell that Diego likes being around a gentle giant of a dog, that it helps relieve the boy's constant worry.When Gus detects the scent of a bear in the woods, he rushes to protect his flock, injuring his leg in a fight with the dangerous beast. Wounded, Gus needs to rest and heal away from his sheep, so he doesn't risk reinjuring his leg. Diego suggests Gus come home with them to the North Carolina coast.Suddenly, Gus is thrust into a new world of saltwater and sand and neighbors who don't appreciate the presence of a large guard dog, like the neighbor who reminds Gus of his first owner--the junkyard man with the heavy boots.Gus realizes Diego might need a friend as much as his sheep need a protector, but if he can't learn to control his instincts, like barking and patrolling the neighborhood, Gus might lose his chance to stay in his new home. If he can't protect the farm or his boy, Gus worries he might never find his place in the world.Just Gus is a tender story of belonging and of two friends who learn they are better together than they were alone.
The Road from Nowhere by Avi
The Road from Nowhere
by Avi

Inside one of America's most troubled periods of economic crisis, The Road From Nowhere, from master storyteller and Newbery medalist Avi, is both a tightly plotted adventure and a big-hearted tale of boyhood that explores what it means to put a name to the feelings we're taught to push down far into the earth. There's one road in Gatchett's Gluch--population forty-five--a silver mining town in the high Colorado desert. That means there's only one way in and one way out.Fourteen-year-old Ollie feels trapped and restless, desperate to find his own lode of silver, so he can gain riches and get his family out of the town. As the man of the house, he feels that's his job, just as his younger brother Gus's job is to ask question after question. Though Ollie is unwilling to admit it, he doesn't have all the answers. He can't even read, unlike Alys, the only girl and only friend he has outside of Gus.Meanwhile, a man who calls himself a geologist has arrived in town. Not only can he read books, he can read rocks, the first person that Ollie has ever seen who looks at rocks with fascination, not desperation. Most important, he knows how to stake a silver claim. So when Ollie, Gus, and Alys stumble upon a cave rich with silver and form a friendship with that geologist, the future suddenly looks good. The problem: Elijah Gatchett runs the Gulch and claims all its silver. Men have been kicked out--or shot at--for seeking it on their own. But for the kids, the only thing worse than their families staying under Gatchett's thumb is getting run out of town with not so much as a penny in their pockets.The kids are desperate to find an answer. It may lay in that dark cave. How Ollie, Gus, and Alys navigate all this--with a surprising ending--is an old-west adventure that has never been told before.
Retro Reads
Check out these awesome books from the not-so-distant past!
 
The Partition Project
by Saadia Faruqi

At first, Texas 12-year-old Maha Raheem is annoyed by her Pakistani grandmother, Dadi. But when Dadi begins to share stories from the violent 1947 partition of India and Pakistan, Maha finds a subject for her school documentary project, as well as a new understanding of her history and heritage. Read-alikes: Reem Faruqi's Zarina Divided; Katherine Marsh's The Lost Year. (Ages 8-12.)
 
<span style="text-decoration:underline">Show Us Who You Are</span> by Elle McNicoll
Show Us Who You Are
by Elle McNicoll

Starring: autistic wannabe-journalist Cora, who's grieving for her mom and frustrated by classmates who don't understand her.

What happens: Cora meets Adrien, who has ADHD and who makes her feel like she can just be herself. But Adrien's dad's company makes "digital immortality" technology, and Cora suspects it might be as sinister as it is groundbreaking. 

Why you might like it: This own voices science fiction story will make you think about life, death, and what makes us who we are. (Ages 9-13.)
Gut Reaction
by Kirby Larson and Quinn Wyatt

Baking makes Tess feel closer to her late dad, and she's eager to compete in this year's big baking competition. But there are plenty of complications in her way, including stomach pains that turn out to be Crohn's disease. Realistic fiction fans won't want to miss this funny yet sensitive look at life with chronic illness. Read-alike: The Year My Life Went Down the Toilet by Jake Maia Arlow. (Ages 8-12.)
 
The Night Librarian
by Christopher Lincoln

Curiosity and boredom prompt twins Page and Turner to visit the New York Public Library, where an encounter with the night librarian reveals that magical energy is escaping from the books -- along with some dangerous fictional characters. Cartoony illustrations add to the offbeat energy in this graphic novel adventure. Read-alike: Kekla Magoon's The Secret Library, Polly Shulman's The Grimm Legacy. (Ages 8-12.) 
 
The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science
by Kate McKinnon

After getting expelled from etiquette school again, orphaned sisters Gertrude, Eugenia, and Dee-Dee Porch are invited to study with mad scientist Millicent Quibb -- and their first lessons involve enormous, puppy-eating worms. Fast-paced, clever, and unapologetically weird, this series-starter by actor Kate McKinnon is a must-read for fans of Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events. Next in the series: Secrets of the Purple Pearl.
 
Contact your librarian for more great books!
New Carlisle-Olive Township Public Library
408 S. Bray St.
New Carlisle, Indiana 46552
(574) 654-3046

ncpl.lib.in.us