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New & Coming Soon Books for Middle Schoolers September 2026 |
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Wish You Well
by Jamie Sumner
Violet Marino doesn't want sympathy. And she definitely doesn't want friends. She just wants to play soccer and deal with the whole slowly-going-blind thing on her own terms. Then she witnesses a boy choke on a hot dog at a hospital picnic. Enter Wyatt: dangerously charming and full of terrible ideas, especially for a kid with a newly transplanted heart. Add sharp-as-a-blade Noor, who is always armed with excellent snacks she can't eat, thanks to chemo. Other than their illnesses, the three don't have much in common--except for the fact that a wish-granting foundation keeps calling. Ever the optimist, Wyatt has a plan: team up to game the foundation, even if it means faking friendship. One wish is fine, but three sick kids on three epic adventures? That's history-making. The scheme starts off as a distraction. But soon the stakes feel real. Because when you finally let someone in, there's more to lose.
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Art Attack
by James Ponti
The Sherlock Society's latest case is tracking down stealth graffiti artist Funky Munky--well-known for their artistic statements calling out local politicians--on behalf of a developer who wants them to create a mural for a new hotel. Their investigation leads Alex, Zoe, Lina, and Yadi deep into the very colorful south Florida art scene. But finding someone who doesn't want to be found is challenging, and it doesn't help that Miami Art Week is coming up, bringing lots of attention--and lots of new artists--to the area. The Sherlock Society's best bet is an elaborate sting operation, which involves them picking up spray cans themselves. Can they trap their quarry without exposing themselves?
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The Unusuals by Gail Carson LevineChera, Lummie, and Joan are unusual in medieval Winchester, England. Two girls and a boy, and two Jews and a Christian are not supposed to be friends. Most days, after their studies with Rabbi Baruch, they enjoy scaring themselves in the greatly feared nearby forest, home to ne'er-do-wells and sprites, where they make another unusual friend, a starving outlaw. But the trio's fun is shattered when Chera's grandmother, a wealthy widow, and Joan's mother, her maid, are murdered. Jurors name a suspect, who flees the city, and he may not have killed them anyway. Almost anyone could have, so just investigating isn't enough. What's more, the Unusuals are sure Lummie's grandmother will be the next to die. They concoct a perilous plan, which needs allies to succeed, but everyone else thinks their idea is dizzy--crazy. With lives in the balance, this trio of friends must band together against the odds and call on their unusual bonds to help seek justice.
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The Secret Bookstore Sleuth Society (Deluxe Edition) by Lindsay CurrieMerrick McGee has been having a tough time. When her Grandma Ida gets sick and moves in, the family can't afford to keep sending Merrick to her beloved private school. So, she spends most of her time in the small room at the back of the bookstore/inn her mother works at being homeschooled, bored out of her mind, and lonely for her best friends. But when an ice storm hits their town, and fate brings her friends together to ride out the storm at the inn with her, she's stoked to finally be able to spend time with the people she loves the most. Until... the unthinkable happens, and someone is found dead--facedown in a birthday cake sitting right at Merrick's own desk. With the storm picking up the police remove the body and suggest the victim died of old age. But to Merrick it seems more like a murder. Luckily, she and her friends love solving mysteries, and with the suspects all under the same roof, and her friends eager to crack the case--the Secret Bookstore Sleuth Society is born As the club begins to investigate, more questions come to light, and Merrick soon realizes her own grandmother may be the key to solving the case..
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Mischief and Monsters
by Adrianna Cuevas
Jordi Acosta wants nothing more than to be invisible. He's a six-foot-tall twelve-year-old who wishes he could blend in with the rest of his classmates and avoid trouble. Over spring break, Jordi's mom, a wildlife biologist, has him volunteer at the Yaupon Creek Wildlife Refuge, much to his dismay. But Mami is keeping secrets, and when Jordi has a close encounter with a surprisingly humanlike bear, she comes clean: her unofficial job at the Wildlife Refuge is to care for Cryptids, creatures like the Chupacabra that are only supposed to exist in stories. When a greedy corporation called Harvest Sunrise Energy arrives wanting to expand their drilling operations into Yaupon Creek, cattle start getting injured and fences damaged on their neighbors' farms. Jordi and his friends realize that the company is manipulating the townspeople to believe the creatures are responsible for the damage they've wrought. It's up to them to save their town from this insidious threat--and clear their cryptid friends' names.
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Building 903 by Lois LowryTwins Tessa and Theo live in a world ruled by a tyrannical leader, where there are no dangers or rebels... or so they've been told. In this world, citizens live long lives, and while many hate their leader, they are comfortable and safe. So, when Tessa's brother disappears, nobody wants to discuss it. But then Miriam, their 135-year-old neighbor bound for the retirement community, slips Tessa a key--not only to her brother's disappearance, but to the source of all real magic... books. As Tessa and her parents begin their search for Theo, Tessa learns that books not only tell us stories--they open portals and unlock our humanity through our most powerful tool: the imagination. Once that truth has been revealed, Tessa won't be able to rest until she has retrieved her twin and society itself has been transformed.
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The Forgotten War: A World War II Battle on American Soil by Candace FlemingCharlie Groth has just been drafted into the US Army's 7th Infantry as a litter bearer in October 1942 when he boards a ship bound for remote parts of Alaska. Japanese forces have invaded mere months after their deadly attack on Pearl Harbor and are occupying two of the Aleutian islands. Yet Charlie and his fellow soldiers have been assured it's bound to be an easy fight and a quick victory. The boys will be home with their families for the holidays. It will be three years before Charlie sees his family again. Paul Nobuo Tatsuguchi is a physician in the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces with a penchant for journaling, a way to distract himself from how much he misses his wife and young daughters. As Charlie and his troops make their way to Attu Island, Paul and his troops construct foxholes, field hospitals, and trenches in preparation for the vicious battle to come. When the two armies meet amid the fog and freezing rain, neither side is ready for the desperate fight that will become the second bloodiest battle in the Pacific after Iwo Jima. And neither is prepared for the price that patriotism and loyalty will demand. Following two parallel stories from opposite sides of the conflict and capturing the war through first-person accounts and archival photographs, acclaimed author Candace Fleming brings this history to life with a thrilling, movingly personal, and fast-paced examination of the little-known World War II campaign that unfolded on American soil and wound up playing an essential role in the ultimate defeat of the Japanese Admiralty in the Pacific.
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La Bandera: Poems of Resistance and Pride
by Anika Aldamuy Denise
The riveting story of Puerto Rico, its flag, and its people--told in captivating verse by Pura Belpr Honor-winning author Anika Aldamuy Denise with gorgeous illustrations from Ericka Lugo.The missing piece of history you are about to read begins with a brave woman, a swath of fabric, and a spool of thread.Puerto Rico's complex and deep history is woven throughout each thread of its flag. A symbol of opposition to occupation and injustice, la bandera represents the great pride of a people and its diaspora. With lyrical poetry and vibrant art, the deeply layered origins of the Puerto Rican flag are stitched together in this poignant reflection on the island's history from the 19th century to the present day.Includes 14 poems. Further historical context about Puerto Rico and an author's note is included in the backmatter.
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The Wild Season: The Remarkable True Story of a Rabbit Rescue
by Dashka Slater
When four abandoned bunnies turn up in a city park, the community rallies to save them in award-winning, bestselling author Dashka Slater's unforgettable middle grade nonfiction debut. No one knows how a bunch of pet rabbits ended up in a San Francisco park--but one thing is clear: they don't belong. Predators are circling, and if they aren't rescued soon, the park itself will be overrun. From the moment they're spotted, the countdown begins. Join a cast of kids hiding out in forts, keen-eyed teenagers surveying the park, rabbit experts setting traps, and scores of neighbors willing to do anything to help as they rally together in pursuit of rabbits. For fans of Candace Fleming, this exceptional true story comes to life in a beautifully illustrated book, which includes a fun feature that animates a running rabbit when you flip though the pages as well as behind-the-scenes bonus material.
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Food Network Magazine the Big, Fun Kids Cookie Book (Food Network Magazine's Kids Cookbooks): 100+ Easy Recipes
by Book Author
This is the perfect cookbook for kids who love to bake: It's packed with fun, foolproof cookie recipes, tips and photos with every recipe, so junior bakers can make their best cookies ever. Every kid baker will love Food Network Magazine's Big, Fun Book of Cookies: The latest book in FNM's Big, Fun kids' cookbook series is filled with bright photos, playful ideas, and step-by-step recipes that will help young bakers succeed every time. Each recipe comes with helpful tips and instructions that show kids exactly what to do, so they'll feel confident mixing, scooping, and decorating all on their own. The cookies range from familiar favorites, like chocolate crinkles, to wildly creative new twists, like toasted marshmallow whoopie pies, all presented in Food Network Magazine's signature colorful, poppy style. This book isn't just about baking great treats--it's about sparking creativity, building baking skills and making the kitchen the most fun room in the house.
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Absent
by Rex Ogle
From award-winning author Rex Ogle, a mixed-format middle grade novel about three boys who skip school, told in verse, prose, and comics.
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Don't Be Scared: A Graphic Novel
by Saadia Faruqi
For fans of Stranger Things, and Goosbumps comes a graphic novel filled with thrills, chills, and friendship. Horror fans will delight. --School Library Journal, starred review.Riz is determined to prove to his dad that movies matter and ghosts are real, but he and his friends might be in over their head when they investigate the local creepy mansion. Riz Choudhry lives for two things: movies and anything spooky. His dad? Not so much. While Riz dreams of filmmaking and jump scares, his father dreams of Riz going to med school or law school--and neither one includes ghosts. But the film club is Riz's safe haven, a place where other supernatural-obsessed first-gen kids swap scary stories from their cultures. So, when the group decides to film a documentary about the creepy old mansion in town, Riz is all in. But there's a problem. His dad wants Riz to quit the club. AND the building is about to be demolished. Now Riz and his friends must use the power of filmmaking to save the mansion...before it vanishes forever.
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Emmie & Friends: Seriously, Celia?: A Graphic Novel by Terri LibensonCelia is bored. It's the summer before eighth grade and hanging out with Grace and Lindsay is getting old. So she makes a plan to get her old besties, Jaime and Maya, back. And Celia knows just the person to help reunite them...Grace is anxious. She loves Cee, but lately Grace is starting to feel more like Cee's lackey than her friend. Still, without Cee's popularity to hang on to, Grace would be a nobody--and there's nothing worse than that. Celia is determined to get their friend group back together by any means necessary, but Grace isn't sure she wants to be friends with Celia anymore...even though that means the unthinkable: starting the school year completely alone.
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Mexikid Dreams: A Graphic Memoir
by Pedro Martín
In this extraordinary graphic memoir companion to Newbery Honor winner Mexikid, hilarious family hijinks, immigration patrols, and musical daydreams shape a year of growth and change for a Mexican American boy and his family. Pedro Mart n is sick of strawberries. Since he was seven, he's spent every weekend and summer picking berries with his family under the hot sun. Sometimes it's not so bad--Pedro's an ace at strawberry wars with his siblings, and when a good song comes on the radio, the fields can come alive with music. But mostly, Pedro wishes he could just stay home watching Saturday cartoons, head to the beach like other kids, and not worry about immigration patrols. When his older brother gets a job away from the farm, freedom suddenly seems within arm's reach: Pedro just has to prove to his dad that he's ready to follow a different path Maybe he can be a trombone player, or a cartoonist--if that's even a real job. But as Pedro learns more about his parents' and abuelito's past, and the choices they made in order to open up more choices for him, he starts to understand that freedom isn't just about leaving the fields--it's about knowing where you came from and having the courage to draw your own life.
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