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New & Coming Soon Books for Middle Schoolers August 2026 |
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Ghost in the Night
by Tiffany D. Jackson
Savannah, Georgia, with its mossy trees and ornate old homes, is a place rich in history...and ghosts. Ghosts are what pique Harmony Roundtree's interest. Still reeling from her losses back home, Harmony wants to believe in ghost stories...but isn't sure what's real. When she goes on one of the many ghost tours around town, she takes a photo of what might be a ghost. Or is it a hoax? With two new friends, Harmony sets out to investigate... and stumbles upon clues leading to an unsolved murder. The deeper she digs, the more Harmony realizes that what she saw on the ghost tour might be connected to a shocking crime. But making connections can be dangerous--even more dangerous than ghosts.
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Shook
by Julian Randall
Shake's dream of making the varsity basketball team is in peril when he gets injured. Can he rebound and make his way back onto the court--and back to feeling like himself? For fans of Kwame Alexander and Jason Reynolds. Beautifully designed with illustrations.Absolutely vibrating with energy and heart . . . a masterful middle-grade novel. --Newbery Honoree Jasmine WargaMalik Page--though unless you're his mama, call him Shake--dreams of making the Marshall Grove varsity basketball squad as an eighth grader. Then he'll be on his way to joining the ranks of Chicago legends like his pops and late Uncle Kenny. But when Shake fractures his ankle in a championship game, he's sidelined for the first time since his first dribble. As his world is turned upside down, Shake feels like there's ginger ale bubbling in his chest and sweat slicking on his palms. With a best friend who's getting more distant by the day, a growing silence between him and his dad, and varsity tryouts fast approaching, Shake will have to cross up every obstacle to find a way back onto the court--and back to being himself. Thankfully in Marshall Grove, the sky is always full of hope.
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The Third Period Comeback
by E. K. Johnston
Hayley Rilko was born to play hockey--and cursed to ruin whatever team she plays for. As long as she's still a kid, the curse's magic doesn't stick, but everyone knows her time is running out. The two things Hayley has on her side are her family--four generations of it, all carrying the same curse she does--and one last summer vacation in the Ontario Northwoods, where her great grandfather disappeared and the curse began. As the clock runs down and the magical mysteries pile up, Hayley realizes that just following the evidence isn't going to be enough. She's going to have to talk to someone who has the information she needs--even if it means raising the dead. With her cousins on her team, Hayley sets out to do what no one else has been able to: find her great grandfather's body and break the curse, no matter what it takes.
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The Hungry Forest
by Kaela Rivera
In this fast-paced middle grade horror for fans of Small Spaces, a boy must confront his grief and save his younger brother from a cursed forest.
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Secrets at Sparhawk Point
by Anna Rose Johnson
To draw tourists to their declining coastal town, a group of children claim to have seen a mythic creature from Ojibwe legend, the storm-monster Mishipeshu. But when their plan backfires, they'll need to convince everyone the beast is only make-believe. But. . . what if it isn't? 1943. Sparhawk Point, Michigan may be a small town, but it's home. For the Swedish Ahlstrom girls, it's the only place they've ever known--a place they may have to leave if their father's church can't find more parishioners. The Ojibwe Robicheaux boys are struggling, too: their father is off at war, and a lack of tourists means no income from their two rental cottages. These kids can't bear the thought of leaving. . . so they'll have to make new residents come to them, and fast. After spotting an unknown object in the water, they find their solution. Drawing on inspiration from Ojibwe stories of the mysterious Mishipeshu--the riser of storms on Lake Superior--the children spread stories of their very own American Loch Ness monster to bring curious visitors to their shores. But their plan works too well People become afraid to visit. To save their families, they'll need to convince everyone that the creature isn't real. . . even if that may prove to be their biggest lie yet.
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No Place on Earth
by Andrea Beatriz Arango
From the Newbery Honor-winning author of Iveliz Explains It All, comes a moving novel with a touch of magic, where two boys find themselves in each other's dreams and slowly help one another face the real world. Since moving to Yellowstone National Park for his mom's job, Gustavo Santos Costa has had a lot on his mind.For instance: bison stampedes. Did you know that bison can run three times faster than the average person?Also: Why do people always stand so close to boiling hot springs? Finally: the bad dreams. Why have they only gotten worse since the move?And that's all before Gus somehow meets his classmate Kordell inside his dreams. While Gus avoids sleeping (and nightmares) at all costs, Kordell finds that dreams seem to be a welcome escape from his real life . . . until one day, they're no longer enough. With the connection between the boys, Gus may be the only person who can help Kordell. But when most things already feel too big to take on, how can Gus find the courage to be there for his friends? In this powerful novel from the Newbery Honor-winning author of Iveliz Explains It All, two boys confront their fears--and their dreams--to save themselves and each other.
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Lonely Planet Kids Atlas of Spooky Places
by Paige Towler
Discover spooky secrets from around the world in this atlas of eerie places. Read on if you dare...Take a journey to a wild and isolated park in Canada that's said to be roamed by headless ghosts, or descend into an underground network of human bones and skulls in Paris. Packed with wicked tales of cursed castles and legendary monsters, this is the ultimate guide to some of the creepiest places on Earth.Inside Atlas of Spooky Places: Explore the strangest and most unusual places on the planetContinent maps introduce each section and pinpoint creepy locationsFun features cover haunted happenings, horrifying hotels, and unsolved mysteries Bursting with awesome and spooky visuals that bring each location to lifeIllustrated by Maria Brzozowska, a masterful visual storyteller whose stunning artwork is shaped by a sense of wonder and symbolic surrealism.
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National Geographic Kids Science Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition: Atom Smashing, Food Chemistry, Animals, Space, and More!
by National Geographic Kids
How does a rocket launch into space? Did dinosaurs really all go extinct? And what makes a firework work? These are just a few of the questions answered in the second edition of the National Geographic Science Encyclopedia, a fact-filled reference for all things science. Reviewed by experts in the field to include the most accurate and up-to-date information, this comprehensive encyclopedia covers all essentials, such as matter, forces and machines, energy, electronics, life on Earth, the human body, and more. Inside, you'll also find: Fascinating fun facts about earthquakes, electricity, elements, and everything else you want to know about scienceThe latest info on cutting-edge technologies like CRISPR and ChatGPTTry This sidebars with DIY experiments and Open Questions features that bring learning to lifeMore than 1,000 vibrant color photographs that showcase everything from outer space to the cells that make up our bodies.
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The Outdoor Survival Guide for Kids
by Chris Oxlade
Get ready to explore the great outdoors with this fun and practical guide for young adventurers! Turn the pages to learn: How to safely forage for food How to build a shelter and survive How to create a map and use a compass How to recognize animal footprints How to spot when bad weather is coming . . . and so much more! Packed with eco-friendly activities and hands-on tips, Outdoor Survival Guide for Kids helps kids unplug, gain confidence, and build real-world skills. It's the perfect companion for getting outside, staying active, and making the most of nature.
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Earth to Chris Cleevy: A Graphic Novel
by Christof Bogacs
Aliens have invaded Earth--or so it would seem--in this contemporary middle grade graphic novel that follows 11-year-old Chris Cleevy as he navigates the emergence of his OCD and his mom's new boyfriend. Perfect for fans of Very Bad at Math and Real Friends. Chris Cleevy's out-of-this-world imagination has always been fueled by his love of sci-fi. Thankfully, simple routines like tying his shoelaces and picking out his socks have kept him grounded right here on Earth. But his carefully constructed world is shattered when his mom brings home her new boyfriend, Phil.Despite Phil's friendly demeanor, Chris becomes convinced Phil's a member of the mind-controlling alien race from one of his science-fiction stories. Chris believes, however, that his routines will shield his mind from Phil's alien influence. As the world becomes harder and harder to navigate, Chris discovers the source controlling his behaviors may have a different, more earthly origin.
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The Library of Memories (a Graphic Novel)
by Barbara Perez Marquez
In this breathtaking middle grade graphic novel full of magic and mystery, bestselling creators Barbara Perez Marquez and Lissy Marlin ink a story that explores the power of memories, for fans of Pixar's Inside Out and The Moth Keeper. Copenhagen arrived at the library one day with little memory of who she is, and she's been stuck here ever since. She takes to helping preserve the library alongside the wise mechanical creatures who tend to its care, but the longer she stays, the more she forgets. Unless she can find her memories, Copenhagen will cease to remember everything that makes her who she is. But the library has been losing magic for quite some time, and with it, all the memories it holds. To save this wondrous place from ruin, Copenhagen will have to journey deeper into the library than she's ever ventured before, even if what she finds shatters everything she thought she knew.
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Raise the Bar: A Graphic Novel
by Fernanda Frick H.
aSam Sanchez might not have a coach or proper equipment, but she's going to become Chile's first weightlifting gold medalist. She just knows it. When there's an opportunity to train at the high-performance center with her weightlifting hero and Olympic gold medalist Eva Dos Santos . . . well, Sam can't let that opportunity pass. Even if it means going behind her parents' back. As she makes friends (and a rival) during training and tries to qualify for the Pan American Games, she'll find out how far hard work and perseverance can take her and just how much weight she's able to hold.
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Crescent Moon Marching (Volume 1)
by Hamachi Yamada
Mizuki has never played a musical instrument. She's never marched in time with a group (it's harder than it looks ). And she's never spent time on school activities when she could be studying. But after leaving behind her high-stress high school in Tokyo and moving to small-town Akita with her aunt, she's looking for a fresh start. And when she crosses paths with Akira, a cute-but-grumpy trumpet player who introduces her to their school marching band, this may be just the chance she needs to take a leap and find herself.
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