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Diversity in Kid's Literature
August 2026
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Picture Books and Early Readers
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Chapter Books & Graphic Novels
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The Golden Monkey Mystery
by Piu Dasgupta
A thrilling adventure set in the jungles of 19th-century India from the author of Secrets of the Snakestone. When twelve-year-old Roma discovers a golden leaf-eating monkey in her grounds of her boarding school, she can't believe it Not only is it the rarest monkey in all of India, but its home is hundreds of miles away. What is it doing here? If Roma can return the monkey to Assam and be the one to discover its secret habitat, she can prove once and for all that she is an exceptional scientist and worthy of a place at medical school. But as she sets off on her quest, Roma gets swept into a daring jungle adventure featuring bandits, two annoying British children, tigers, and a mysterious magical jewel called the Snakestone. Roma has unwittingly become embroiled in a deadly plot involving her father. Will she make it out unscathed? And be able to follow her heart and succeed in her dream?
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Firebird Waltz
by Misty Copeland
From New York Times bestselling author and former American Ballet Theatre principal dancer Misty Copeland comes the first book in a middle grade series about a girl who must balance her ballet aspirations with her magical destiny. Twelve-year-old Josie can't wait to start classes at the prestigious Star Fire Academy for the Performing Arts. She has been dancing ballet since she was three years old and hopes she can live up to the expectations of the school--and make her parents proud. When she arrives at the academy, it only takes one class for Josie to know she's going to have to perform like never before to keep up with her talented fellow students, especially if she wants a shot at the coveted solo in the upcoming fall recital. As Josie digs deep for the confidence and inspiration required for the role, she grows closer to her ballet teacher, Miss Fiona, who tells Josie she's destined for something far greater than a solo. According to Miss Fiona, centuries ago an evil sorcerer attempted to turn himself into the most amazing dancer in the world. Instead, his spell went wrong, transforming him into a monstrous being full of rage and envy--but also creating a beautiful dance spirit full of goodness: the Firebird. Ever since, the two timeless entities have been fighting for the souls of young artists. In every generation, the Firebird is embodied by a new hero, and Josie is next in line. Suddenly, Josie is faced with two roles of a lifetime. Can she rise to the occasion?
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Tales from Cabin 23: The Sinking House
by Darcie Little Badger
Few campers at Camp Apple Hill Farm have found the mysterious cabin rumored to be hidden deep in the woods, but those who have whisper of a mysterious woman who tells tales of horrors beyond imagination. Find out if you're brave enough for Tales from Cabin 23--the thrilling new series created by award-winning authors Justina Ireland and Hanna Alkaf. Sean knows that one disaster tends to leads to another--like when his mother got sick and the cost of the treatment meant they had to move out of their cozy Texas home. As they try to get back on their feet, Sean's parents send him to stay with his aunt and cousin, Zeke, in Victorvale, Massachusetts--a seaside town that has seen its own share of bad luck, with crumbling houses sitting on an eroding coastline that threatens to fall into the sea. It is into one of these decrepit old mansions that Sean and Zeke, along with their classmate Jenny, venture, looking for a neighbor's lost cat. Before they can rescue it, though, lightning cracks, the ground rumbles, and the cliffside crumbles....When Sean and Jenny come to, they find themselves trapped inside a house on its side, half submerged in the ocean, leaning against a sheer wall of rock. Zeke is in a room somewhere below them--one that is filling with water. And as night falls and the storm picks up, they discover there may be something else in the house with them.Now, the three friends must escape before the cold water--or whatever lurks within it--consumes them.And don't miss the other books in the hit Tales from Cabin 23 series: The Boo Hag Flex, Night of the Living Head, and The Visitors
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Anomalies 53 #2: Dragon Dreams
by Angela Cervantes
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection Cross over to another realm in the sequel to Anomalies 53, Dragon Dreams It's been a month since Ollie and Garen said goodbye to each other. A month since they crossed into the Shadowland, fracturing the magical balance between realms and almost destroying the world as they know it. A month since they discovered their true selves--shapeshifter and gatekeeper.Everything should be normal now - or as normal as normal can be. Ollie's in Miami, and Garen's on the other side, keeping the peace in the Shadowland.But when a gate to the Shadowland briefly opens--and a note from Garen saying HELP falls into Ollie's lap--it becomes clear that their story isn't over yet. Before Ollie knows it, his Dad and Dr. Jackson have been snatched, and he finds himself in an alternate realm--a dark and lawless place called Morgumbra.With Ollie's inner dragons fighting him for control, Ollie will have to tame the beasts within in order to save everyone he loves--or risk losing his family, and the Shadowland, to the darkest forces.It's a high-flying, vividly imagined new adventure from beloved author and Pura Belpr Award-honoree Angela Cervantes.
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Shook
by Julian Randall
Malik 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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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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Airrelle of the Maroon Witches
by Sumayyah Beck
Anyone can become a witch in Missen Dessalin. If you can find the Missen, that is. Some say the whole reason it was called a Missen is because it was a gathering place for those who wanted to stay missin'. Twelve-year-old Airrelle Bookman, born and raised in Missen Dessalin by two witch parents, has been waiting for magic to call to her for years now. She just has to secure her four patron animals, complete four rites, master four skills, and pass the initiation ceremony. Then she'll be a fully confirmed maroon witch, able to fly beyond the walls of the Missen as she pleases. Just like her parents, older siblings, and best friend Hosniya. When the time for her trial finally seems to arrive, so do familial troubles and threats to the very safety and secrecy of Missen Dessalin itself. But an ordinary girl from beyond the protected walls of Missen, one who has grown up in our own tumultuous and unenchanted world, may just be the key to Airrelle's troubles.
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The Fire Serpent Legacy
by Cindy L. Rodriguez
Magic, danger, and heart collide in this middle-grade adventure as Auri Braga risks everything to raise a fire-serpent in secret and save the Amazon from destruction. Perfect for fans of Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez and The Last Beekeeper Auri Braga isn't much of a fighter--not like her parents, who rode the legendary Boitat s, protecting the Amazon and its people. But when she discovers a fire serpent's egg, Auri knows she can't stand on the sidelines anymore. Her parents believed the egg should be in Brazil, so Auri isn't going to stop until their last wish is fulfilled--even if she has to hide the truth from her family. But getting to the egg safely to the guardians is easier said than done, and when it suddenly hatches, it's Auri's turn to be a hero: to protect the new fire serpent and help him save her family's homeland from destruction.
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