Books for Kids and Tweens
October 2024
Recent Releases
Stella & Marigold
by Annie Barrows; illustrated by Sophie Blackall

Meet seven-year-old Stella and four-year-old Marigold, a pair of sisters who are there for each other during the messes, mistakes, and misunderstandings of life. If you like the popular Ivy + Bean books, you don’t want to miss this funny chapter book series-starter by the same author and artist. (Ages 6-9.)
Popcorn
by Rob Harrell

Seventh-grader Andrew worries a lot on a good day. And today -- a school picture day packed with small mishaps and big fears -- is not a good day. Sprinkled with Andrew’s doodle-style "Anxiety Files" comics, this relatable slice of middle school life has both humor and heart. Read-alike: Just Roll With It by Veronica Agarwal and Lee Durfey-Lavoie. (Ages 10-13.)
The Beautiful Game
by Yamile Saied Méndez

Following a losing game and an embarrassing incident with her first period, skilled soccer player Valeria "Magic" Salomón is forced off the boys’ team she’s played with for years. Can she fit in with the girls’ team while also dealing with big changes at home? Blending sports action with realistic fiction, this authentic story will grab a variety of readers. (Ages 10-13.)
Splinter & Ash
by Marieke Nijkamp

Welcome to Calinor, where Princess Ash is disrespected because she’s disabled, even by her own brother, Prince Lucen. But things start to change when Ash makes friends with Splinter, a fierce, nonbinary squire-in-training. Filled with intrigue, conflict, and questions of loyalty, this fantasy series opener will keep you turning pages. (Ages 8-13.)
Impossible Creatures
by Katherine Rundell

After rescuing a wounded baby griffin, Christopher meets Mal, a girl from the magical Archipelago, and is drawn into an island-hopping, world-saving quest filled with mythical creatures. With an intense plot, brave characters, and a fascinating bestiary, this trilogy opener will grab fans of modern fantasy classics like Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials series. (Ages 8-13.)
A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hall
by Jasmine Warga

Viewed as a suspect in a theft from the museum where his mom works, lonely seventh-grader Rami decides to solve the case himself -- with some help from a new, true-crime-obsessed friend and a mysterious museum visitor who looks like the girl from the missing painting. Read-alike: Gillian McDunn’s Trouble at the Tangerine. (Ages 8-12.)
Highlighting Horror
Nightmare Island
by Shakirah Bourne

Haunted by recurring nightmares, 12-year-old Caribbean girl Serenity channels her fears into making a horror movie. But when her family visits Duppy Island, Serenity’s nightmares prove to be real, and she’ll have to face them to save her loved ones. For fans of: the creepy Afro Caribbean folklore in Tracey Baptiste’s Jumbies series. (Ages 8-12.)
The Girl in the Lake
by India Hill Brown

Celeste’s fear of water means that she’s been dreading this summer’s visit to her grandparents’ lake house. Her fears only get more intense when she sees a ghost that seems to share her face. The ongoing, deadly ripples of racism drive this spellbinding paranormal tale. (Ages 8-12.)
Finch House
by Ciera Burch

Micah’s beloved Poppop has always warned her away from Finch House, but when Micah discovers that the old Victorian home is newly occupied by a kid named Theo and his family, Micah's curious -- and that curiosity traps her in a generations-old web of hauntings, disappearances, and family secrets. (Ages 8-13.)
Hide and Seeker
by Daka Hermon

When Justin's friend Zee returns after being missing for a year, he’s nervous, violent, and full of warnings that don’t make sense -- not until Justin and his friends go missing too, vanishing into a nightmare realm where they're stalked by the terrifying Seeker. For fans of: eerie mystery and spine-chilling horror. (Ages 9-12.)
Hush-A-Bye
by Jody Lee Mott

At first, Lucy doesn’t mind that her little sister Antonia talks to the broken doll’s head she found by the river. But she’s disturbed when the doll talks back and begins a revenge spree that puts Antonia at risk. For fans of: Holly Black’s Doll Bones and other stories about sinister toys. (Ages 9-13.)
The Clackity
by Lora Senf

Orphaned 12-year-old Evie is no stranger to the supernatural. But when the terrifying, toothy Clackity kidnaps her aunt, Evie needs all of her bravery for the mission the Clackity demands as ransom: to explore seven cursed houses and capture a spectral serial killer. Dark and intriguing, this is a horror story that will stick with you. (Ages 9-12.)
Contact your librarian for more great books!