Today’s post is sponsored by Candlewick and The Thing About Giants!
Title The Thing About Giants
Author Christopher Galvin
Intended Target Audience Middle Grade
Publication Date June 9th 2026 by Candlewick
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Jacq is destined to hunt fearsome giants to protect her city — but when she meets a sensitive young giant named Corman in the forest, she realizes the world isn’t quite what she’s been taught. A page-turning adventure full of heart.
Twelve-year-old Jacq Dyer is the daughter of two renowned giant hunters, although she’s never had much stomach for what they do. In a city built from giants’ bones, people rely on hunters to keep them prosperous and safe, and everyone knows that giants are violent, senseless creatures…aren’t they? But when an accident leaves Jacq lost and injured in the wilderness, she ends up face-to-face with Corman, a frightened young giant-. Corman has just lost his dad to hunters, and he and Jacq must learn to trust each other if they’re going to find their ways home. But as they start finding out the truth about giant hunting — and the shadowy Resistance Jacq has grown up hating — they discover there’s more at stake than either of them know.
With captivating world-building and rich characters, debut author Christopher Galvin offers an engrossing and thought-provoking tale.
I look forward to making Pop! Goes The Reader’s most-anticipated lists every single year! While being a mood reader means I’m not always able to strictly stick to a to-be-read list, it’s exciting to explore what’s being published in the months ahead. Posts like this help me better organize my thoughts and decide what I ideally want to prioritize and read first, not to mention give me lots to look forward to!
Please Note: If you’re a middle grade author with a novel being published in 2026 and don’t see your book on one of Pop! Goes The Reader’s Most-Anticipated lists, please don’t be hurt or upset! These lists are entirely subjective and based on my own personal reading taste. My favourite genres are contemporary and realistic fiction fiction, horror and historical fiction, which is why you won’t see many books outside of those genres on this list. While I try my best to remain up-to-date about upcoming releases, it’s also entirely possible that I simply haven’t learned about your book yet! If you’re the author of a 2026 middle grade novel that you think might make a good fit for me and Pop! Goes The Reader, please don’t hesitate to reach out – I would love to hear from you!
For even more wonderful middle grade novels being published in 2026, please check out this Goodreads list, which currently features more than 150 middle grade books being published this year for you to choose from. Hopefully you’ll be able to find the perfect book for you. Happy reading!
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The publication dates listed below might be subject to change.
Publication Date July 7th 2026 by Holiday House
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A missing child and an apartment that should be empty spur two tweens to solve an increasingly tangled neighborhood mystery in this page-turning middle grade debut.
This hijinks-heavy mystery written in dual POV reads like Only Murders In The Building for tweens. Perfect for wannabe sleuths and nosy neighbors!
Valory has developed an unfortunate reputation as a thief — primarily because she steals things — though she has resolved to change her ways.
Rook is a total asparagus-eater (a.k.a. a good kid), but he likes to spy on his neighbors. Nobody’s perfect, right?
The twelve-year-olds form an unlikely alliance when they encounter suspicious behavior in an “empty” apartment across the alley from Rook’s house. While agoraphobia keeps home-schooled Rook trapped on his property, confident and street-smart Valory can roam the scene undetected. Their opposite personalities might, in fact, be key to their success.
But their amateur detective mission morphs into something more sinister when they realize the apartment next door could be connected to a recent kidnapping. When the sleuths realize they’re also being watched, the pressure is on to unmask the villain…before she snatches them, too.
Publication Date July 7th 2026 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
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Out of the Dust meets Me and Marvin Gardens in this coming-of-age novel about a young misfit searching for the truth of her family’s past, set against the backdrop of an environmental cover-up.
Twelve-year-old Xyla is sick of two things: working on her family’s sixth-generation Iowa farm and her mother’s nagging words, “Pay attention!” But Xyla can’t help getting lost in the thoughts that fill her head, which sometimes leaves a wake of costly mistakes. If only her mom would tell her something — anything — about her dad, who left when she was little. Then maybe she could run away to live with him.
Xyla’s world gets even messier as a new family begins renting a vacant house on the farm, and the daughter is the kind of kid Xyla’s mom clearly prefers — focused and motivated. But when the girls stumble across an environmental disaster right next door, Xyla must learn to trust her new friend and her own complicated mother to figure out how to stop it.
Told in alternating timelines between the past and present, this heartfelt story brings to life a funny, hopeful, unforgettable narrator as she unravels the mysteries of her family and farm.
Publication Date July 7th 2026 by Scholastic Inc.
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An all-star author lineup, including Ann M. Martin, creates the first ever Fan Edition Baby-Sitters Club novel!
It’s a summer to remember for The Baby-sitters Club, with Mary Anne and Stacey staying in Stoneybrook while Kristy, Claudia, Dawn, Jessi, and Mallory head on adventures all across the map.
Publication Date July 7th 2026 by Heartdrum
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Perfect for fans of Christine Day and Cynthia Leitich Smith, this debut novel follows a Cherokee girl who, after the tragic loss of her parents, tries to acclimate to difficult social dynamics in her new school and a curious magic that her mother may have passed down to her.
Raven Miller only just moved to Bear Creek Falls, but she already hates it. There’s a clique that has it out for her, a vice principal who keeps targeting her for dress code violations, and a cruel rumor going around that Raven is a witch who killed her parents. If it weren’t for her new friends Laurel and Hazel, she’d be lost.
The “witch” stuff would be easy to shrug off, but Raven does possess magical powers in the kitchen — the treats she makes can mysteriously change the lives of those who eat them. Though she doesn’t bake anymore — not since the accident that took her parents’ lives.
Then the clique’s bullying and the vice principal’s watchful eye intensifies. When the girls’ attempts to retaliate fall flat, Raven wonders if the magical sweets she used to make could whip up a justice so powerful it would set everything right. In order to find out, she’ll have to face the things she’s been avoiding. Can Raven rise above the pain of her past to secure a better future?
Publication Date July 7th 2026 by Scholastic Press
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Two friends must dig into their town’s forgotten past and uncover the forgotten truth – before their whole town goes up in flames. For fans of Small Spaces and Mary Downing Hahn, a spooky ghost story from the award-winning author of The Forgotten Girl and The Girl In The Lake.
Burn it all down.
Gianna and Carter John are best friends, but they couldn’t be more different. Gianna is small for her age, gets straight A’s, and is the teacher’s favorite. Meanwhile, Carter John gets in trouble no matter what he does, just because he’s tall and his voice is loud.
Then one day while working on a class project in the town library, Carter John gets in trouble yet again and reaches his breaking point. As his anger builds, a stack of books flies off the shelf, hitting the librarian.
Now everywhere he goes, strange things are happening. The smell of smoke hangs in the air. Sparks fly when Carter John gets in trouble. And he hears the voice of a young girl singing a song…a song about burning…
When fires start breaking out around town, Carter John and Gianna are determined to figure out who’s responsible. They are certain that these are no normal fires…Something terrible once happened where the town library now stands, and someone’s trying to send them a message about it.
But who is she ― and why is she determined to get revenge?
From the author of The Forgotten Girl and The Girl In The Lake, this is both a bonechilling ghost story, and a book about the history of segregated libraries.
Publication Date July 14th 2026 by Random House Books for Young Readers
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It’s Marlowe Middle School’s big sleepover, and the Bubblegum Shoes detectives must race to solve a blackmail case before lights out. From the New York Times bestselling author of Kill The Boy Band comes the second installment in this whip-smart, crime-solving series.
Crime doesn’t sleep…luckily neither do they.
Normally, Maya Mendoza wouldn’t be caught dead at school on a Saturday, but it happens to be the most epic night ever: Marlowe Middle’s big sleepover! The Bubblegum Shoes detective agency is taking a night off from solving cases to enjoy the Battle of the Bands, the all-you-can-eat candy, and the limited adult supervision…or so they thought.
When the girls learn classmate and rising YouTube star Hunter Holloway is being blackmailed to drop out of the singing competition, they have to help. But what was supposed to be an easy case quickly turns complicated when the Gumshoes discover an illegal pillow-fighting ring, battling Broadway divas, and counterfeit art — not to mention Hunter seems to be hiding a few secrets of his own.
Can these slumber party sleuths solve the case before the fun is over? Or will this sticky situation spell lights out for Hunter’s career and the Bubblegum Shoes’ reputation?
A smart, sharp, and sensational second book in New York Times bestselling author Goldy Moldavsky’s middle-school mystery series.
Publication Date July 14th 2026 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers
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From the New York Times bestselling author of The Bellwoods Game comes an eerie illustrated middle grade novel about a girl whose new friend and neighbor may have moved into a haunted house.
Some spirits never leave.
When a new family moves into the creepy old house across the street, sixth-grader Flora finds her wish for a best-best friend has come true. Her new neighbor Mac is sweet and charismatic. With Mac by her side, Flora feels like the upcoming school year will be a fresh start for her — no more anxious or klutzy Flora!
But despite their new friendship, not all is perfect. Mac fits in better with their classmates than Flora ever did. Mac’s family seems to be holding back a big secret, something about a mysterious ex-best friend named Daphne who Mac won’t ever talk about. And Mac’s little brother, Danny, gives Flora the creeps. Strange things keep happening whenever he’s around.
Is Flora’s mind playing tricks? Or could it be that Mac’s house is as haunted as it looks?
Publication Date July 14th 2026 by Calkins Creek
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Is a hidden diary the key to an unsolved secret from the American Revolution?
It’s 1979 and twelve-year-old Theodora “Thunder” Underwood is dreading her summer vacation once again. Every year, her scientist parents disappear on far-flung scientific expeditions, leaving her with relatives who clearly don’t want her around.
But this summer, Thunder is sent to Mount Pleasant, her aunt’s historic yet crumbling old mansion outside of Philadelphia once owned by Revolutionary War traitor Benedict Arnold. When Thunder discovers a mysterious diary written by Mercy, a girl her age who lived through the American Revolution, Thunder is plunged into a mystery that involves a shadowy prowler, a hidden ring, and mysterious spies — making her summer far more exciting than she ever expected.
Fast-paced and full of twists, this suspenseful middle grade novel transports young readers between the 1770s and 1970s as Thunder uncovers the truth behind a Revolutionary-era spy network — and discovers the importance of friendship, family, and her own voice along the way.
Publication Date July 21st 2026 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
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Join Bea and her cousin Céline through the streets of New York City as they embark on another cryptic mystery that’s perfect for fans of The Swifts and The Misfits.
It’s springtime in New York, and Bea can’t wait for her cousin Céline and Aunt Juliette to visit. The girls are looking forward to a fun week of sightseeing, while Aunt Juliette is there to write a profile on a famous French actress, Eva, who’s starring in a stage adaptation of Agatha Christie’s The Mystery of the Blue Train.
But when the priceless diamond necklace Eva plans to wear on opening night is stolen from her hotel suite, Bea and Céline find themselves once again at the center of a mystery.
Publication Date July 21st 2026 by Balzer + Bray
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Born skeptic Lilac Black does not believe in ghosts ― until she is thrust into the secret world of seers and spirits at the Spindlewood School. Perfect for fans of The Clackity and The Swifts.
Lilac Black knows the séances her uncle runs for a living aren’t real. So when she pretends to talk to a spirit to get him out of a tight spot, she expects a scolding, not a celebration. She certainly doesn’t expect an invitation to her uncles’ alma mater, the top-secret Spindlewood School of Seeing.
Irresistibly curious, Lilac decides to attend. But as the only Unseeing student at a boarding school full of Seers, she has to bluff her way through classes and act afraid of spirits everyone else can See. Making new friends, like the intriguing Emmanuelle, only complicates Lilac’s web of lies. And as if her big deception wasn’t enough, something is very wrong on campus.
Spirits send cryptic messages warning of danger, and every ghost on the island seems drawn to a hidden door deep in the library basement. A being is waiting down there…something none of the adults dare to talk about. Lilac and her friend Emmanuelle must use all their powers ― or at least their wits and courage ― to save Spindlewood from a terrifying fate.
Publication Date July 21st 2026 by Union Square Kids
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A lot of things have changed in twelve-year-old Dahlia Reid’s life. Her best friend moved away, her mom got remarried, and now Dahlia has a stepbrother, Levi, who isn’t very nice. The one thing she can count on staying the same is Harvest Festival — the big scary event held every Autumn Equinox in the town of Wilcott Head. But when a new family arrives and grows a massive pumpkin patch, some people in town think it’s bad news, even saying the pumpkin farm is cursed. Dahlia, on the other hand, thinks it’s great. She even befriends the new girl, Penelope. After all, they’re both being bullied by the same boy, Julian, at school.
But on the evening of the equinox, the famous jack-o’-lanterns that line the path to the bonfire begin to disappear, and then people begin to disappear too. Dahlia thinks the pumpkins might be cursed after all…especially when they come to life. Dahlia, Penelope, and Levi band together to fight the jacks, undo the curse, and save the town before it’s too late.
Laura Lavoie, author of The Thirteen Doors of Black House, tells an action-packed story full of adventure, thrills, and chills in Beware The Jacks, perfect for fans of Katherine Arden and Lora Senf.
Publication Date July 28th 2026 by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
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An eerie middle grade mystery debut that follows a young girl who returns home to find the people of her little town, including her best friend, chillingly changed after the arrival of the prim and proper Gingham family.
When 12-year-old Joni Bird returns home from summer camp, it’s clear something strange is afoot in Olive Springs. May, her usually head-banging best friend, now wears her hair in a tight bun and calls playing the drums “unladylike.” The ice cream shop only serves vanilla ice cream. The women and girls of the neighborhood all sport big pearl earrings and crisp cotton dresses.
At the heart of it all? The creepy new family in the neighborhood with their soulless, carnival smiles and retro fashion sense: the Ginghams. Everyone they invite to their Thursday night book club re-emerges as dead-eyed, smiling, Gingham-approved “model citizens,” all thanks to Mr. Gingham’s lifestyle guide, The Pillars of Perfection ― and something even more sinister hidden behind his basement door.
Through quick thinking and cunning, Joni and her friend Tyler set out to fight not only to get their friend May back, but to save their whole town from forever falling under the Ginghams’ control.
Publication Date July 28th 2026 by Delacorte Press
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When a boy moves into his late grandfather’s mansion, he discovers eerie spell books, creepy dolls, and strange noises. But one doll feels especially off — maybe it’s nothing, or maybe it’s…watching. This creepy middle grade read is perfect for fans of the Goosebumps series.
Garrett never met his grandfather, Burke, but he’s heard the stories from his mother. Burke was an enormously successful writer, but he was also notoriously cruel, especially to his family. After he passes away suddenly, Garrett and his mother are told that his enormous fortune is hers…if they agree to spend a week at his estate.
The house is a monument to Burke’s obsession with puppet-like dolls, and the attic is packed with cryptic notes and ancient books. It’s clear that his grandfather was up to something, but Garrett can only guess what, and his fear only deepens when he finds a creepily detailed doll with ‘Marion’ written on the foot.
As the week progresses, Garrett realizes that the house isn’t what it seems. An old typewriter clicks away on its own. There are sounds in the night that come from the basement. And strangest of all is Marion, who always seems to be watching…
Publication Date August 4th 2026 by Scholastic Press
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From mega-bestselling author Tiffany D. Jackson comes this highly anticipated follow-up to her Edgar Award-winning, instant middle-grade bestseller Blood In The Water. Ghost In The Night is another spine-tingling, can’t-put-it-down murder mystery, this time set in America’s Most Haunted City.
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.
New York Times bestselling author Tiffany D. Jackson delivers another action-packed mystery full of surprises and secrets that will give readers goosebumps.
Publication Date August 4th 2026 by Scholastic Press
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From the author of Hide and Seeker comes a new thriller where an iconic childhood game turns creepy.
Keenan is used to running. He loves it. He is good at it. He is a track star, after all. Now he and his mother are escaping his father, trying to start a new life in Tennessee.
But he has never been on the run like this before. This new town has monsters of its own. The students in his school seem to be under some sort of trance, and Keenan is the only one who isn’t affected. Which means he is the only one who can do anything about it.
It’s time for Keenan to stop running and face his fears.
He cannot let the monsters win.
Publication Date August 11th 2026 by Dutton Books for Young Readers
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New York Times bestseller E. K. Johnston’s middle-grade debut is an utterly charming, witty, and gloriously inclusive magic-tinged caper in the Canadian wilderness.
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.
Publication Date August 18th 2026 by Feiwel & Friends
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For fans of The Breakfast Club who wished every member was a nerd, this new middle grade novel stars a totally uncool boy who gets adopted by a group of other uncool kids in a bid to take over their school.
Jimmy Stern can’t catch a break.
As the new kid at school, he just wants to keep his head down and read his favorite Weird Walt comics. But when he accidentally drops Kyle Scott’s phone in the toilet, his social status goes down the drain. Being targeted by the most popular guy in school sucks.
Or, at least, it did suck, until Jimmy receives a note from a mysterious group of students called The Invisibles. Social outcasts like himself, The Invisibles have a plan: elect Jimmy as Art Week Secretary and stop Kyle’s favorite actor, Bayleigh White, from visiting their school. Jimmy quickly agrees, realizing that he can ask Weird Walt to do the Art Week visit instead.
But as campaign tactics spiral out of control, Jimmy will have to decide what he’s willing to do to get even. Smart, fast-paced, and laugh out loud funny, this is a must read for any kid (or adult) who has felt uncool.
Publication Date August 18th 2026 by Aladdin
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In this modern supernatural middle grade retelling of the beloved classic Little Women, the March sisters have a monstrous secret Meg will do anything to protect — especially with another beast lurking in the woods threatening to expose them.
Meg March and her three sisters are monsters. No, really. Meg has teeth that are a little too sharp. Jo gets furry under the full moon. Beth goes night flying on wings that are impossible to hide under her sweaters. And Amy? Well, don’t let her near a body of water or she’ll start sprouting her mermaid’s tail.
Meg is sure their foster mom, Marmee, wouldn’t like any of this if she knew. And Jo’s best friend Laurie, the nice boy next door, would run screaming. To make matters worse, Meg’s small town outside of Salem is on edge. A vicious beast has been spotted in the forest, and Farmer Bhaer believes it’s responsible for his missing chickens. Meg is sure to be blamed if anyone realizes she’s a monster in disguise. And the closer it gets to Halloween, the surer the town is that something evil is hiding in the forest.
Meg doesn’t always remember what she gets up to at night, and sometimes, she wakes alone in a mossy part of the forest and has to find her way back. With John Brooke determined to find out just what Meg is hiding and locals working to uncover the monsters in their midst, Meg must find the culprit herself — or risk losing the little home she’s found with her sisters.
Publication Date August 25th 2026 by Simon Spotlight
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A girl from a wealthy family must defend her lady’s maid from accusations of theft in this first book in the cozy historical fiction The Manor Mysteries series that follows two heirloom lockets through generations of the same family.
Peggy Eldritch can’t wait to turn twelve and receive the heirloom Margaret locket! The necklace originally belonged to her great-grandmother Margaret Linden. Every girl named Margaret in the family has been gifted it on her twelfth birthday — and Peggy’s turn has finally arrived.
When Juliette, Peggy’s cousin from France, visits Linden Manor for the birthday ball and another family heirloom goes mysteriously missing, Peggy finds herself on a quest to clear the name of her lady’s maid and friend, who gets accused of the theft. Her search for answers leads her to a hidden diary with clues to a much larger family mystery that dates back generations. Can Peggy find the lost heirloom? And what will she discover about her Margaret necklace along the way?
Publication Date August 25th 2026 by Random House Books for Young Readers
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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.
Publication Date August 25th 2026 by Holiday House
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A powerful story of the devastation of the Dust Bowl — and the courage of those who survived it — in the tradition of Out of the Dust.
We came all the way from California to make something of ourselves.
Today’s the day we start.California, 1939. It’s hard being the new kid in school…but it’s harder for eleven-year-old Lark, after she and her family fled Oklahoma’s Dust Bowl for a not-so-sunny welcome in California. Kids whisper Go back to Oklahoma! Lark would give anything to go back to where she came from, but she can’t: the dust storms destroyed everything. The farm labor camp she, her parents, and her siblings live in is her life now, and even Lark has to get a job.
Can California really be “the land of milk and honey” she was promised? More than that…can it ever be home?
Mindy Nichols Wendell’s sophomore historical middle-grade novel is a heartfelt, powerful, and incredibly well-written story of resilience, pride, and tenacity in the face of overwhelming obstacles.
Publication Date August 25th 2026 by Holiday House
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Best friends Marvel and Roi help out on the WWII homefront, but when racial injustice threatens their community, they must turn to activism for a victory of their own in this empowering middle grade novel.
As WWII rages overseas, best friends track star Marvel and future journalist Roi face injustice much closer to home. They do what they can to support the war effort — growing Victory gardens, collecting scrap — but these contributions don’t feel like much of a victory when no one is fighting to protect their freedom. Patriotic Black recruits are turned away from the army, food shortages abound, and the military moves into their neighborhood.
When an industrial developer threatens to destroy the local park where Marvel runs track, this Olympic hopeful fears she’ll never make it to the starting line. Galvanized, Marvel and Roi learn about the Double V campaign challenging the irony and hypocrisy of racial inequality: V for Victory Abroad and Victory at Home. With the help of their journalist teacher, can two kids support their community in an activist movement to win the battle against injustice at home?
Rich with historical detail and a convincing voice, Sandra W. Headen’s immersive middle grade novel invites readers into the underexplored world of the Black WWII homefront. Roi and Me and The Double V is a story of fighting for dreams, standing up to injustice, and the power of the people — children included.
Publication Date August 25th 2026 by Aladdin
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Asking too many questions about the new ice cream truck puts a boy on thin ice in this entry in the bone-chilling middle grade horror series An Eerie Tale, perfect for fans of Goosebumps and Christopher Pike.
John’s sister has always warned him that curiosity killed the cat. But he can’t help it — nosiness is in his nature. So when Mr. Dandy’s neighborhood ice cream truck is suddenly replaced by Mr. Twisty’s horror-themed truck, John has questions. Did Mr. Dandy really retire to Florida? Why does Mr. Twisty seem as sinister as his truck? Something about him makes John’s blood run cold.
Putting his curiosity to work, John discovers Mr. Twisty is making mysterious nighttime deliveries to his neighbors. Who needs ice cream at two o’clock in the morning? Clearly something strange is happening, and John is determined to figure out what. But sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong might have serious consequences…
Publication Date August 25th 2026 by HarperCollins
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A hilariously creepy middle grade novel from award-winning author Caleb Roehrig!
Poe has spent his whole life wishing he could meet a ghost, but when he moves into a real-life haunted house, he discovers that communing with the other side might be a little more than he bargained for.
Twelve-year-old Edgar Alden, also known as “Poe,” has always been an outcast. Obsessed with the macabre, he’s never remotely hit it off with other kids. Only Grandma ever really understood his love for the supernatural, but when she dies and his parents move into a dilapidated house on the other side of town, things for Poe quickly go from bad to worse.
You see, Poe has a roommate. A dead one. A 12-year-old ghost named Violet, who’s been stuck haunting Poe’s room for longer than she can remember. Violet is territorial, kind of annoying, and tethered to the human world by her doll, Baby Jessica.
But Poe quickly discovers that Violet isn’t the only spirit haunting his house. There’s a vengeful, violent entity in his basement. And it’s up to Poe to find a way to help them both cross to the other side.
Creepy Kid is a heartfelt but page-turning exploration of grief, moving on, and finding one’s place in the world — sure to make middle grade readers laugh, cry, and wonder about the mysteries that might lie on the other side.
Publication Date August 25th 2026 by Holiday House
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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.
Secrets at Sparhawk Point is a timeless summer adventure from acclaimed Ojibwe voice Anna Rose Johnson, whose first two books — The Star that Always Stays and The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry — have received an avalanche of awards, nominations, and media spots. This is another flawless, insightful, and glowing novel that marries a Native American perspective with myth, history, and a classic storytelling voice.
Publication Date September 1st 2026 by Bloomsbury Children’s Books
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In this young middle grade series with charming black and white illustrations, a girl from a spooky family wonders what it would be like to be friends with her very normal new neighbor.
Greta Grimsdark lives in a haunted castle at the edge of a dreary forest. Her parents, Mumsy and Pops, are dragons. She has three brothers: Zombert (who is part zombie), Gothric (who is likely a vampire), and Hauntsley (who is definitely a ghost). Greta is not a dragon or zombie or a vampire or a ghost. She’s something even scarier…a human child.
Greta’s perfectly eerie life changes when a normal new neighbor, Agnes, moves in across the street. Suddenly Greta is faced with very human problems, like figuring out how to make friends. Friendship and normal, human things are kind of scary! So Greta comes up with the perfect plan: a friendship test! But when a mistake proves potentially disastrous, will Greta decide friendship is worth the risk?
Publication Date September 1st 2026 by Simon & Schuster
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For fans of Judy Blume and Lee Knox Ostertag, a heartfelt and hilarious MG debut from Kai Cheng Thom about learning to listen to that quiet, bold voice in your heart.
In every generation, a special few of Nor Numinem are born shapeshifters. Unfortunately, being one of the “special few” does not get you out of gym class.
Nor Numinem. A town of hope and beauty. A place where freedom for all blooms as abundantly as the flowering vines that cover the buildings on every street. Yet even in this beautiful town, a kid like Maia’s got problems.
Maia is a shapeshifter.
And worse, she’s starting middle school.
In every generation, a special few of Nor Numinem are born shapeshifters: children who develop the mysterious ability to transform into a part-animal shape. Unfortunately for Maia, her ability is merely this: to grow giant moth wings that grow uncontrollably out of her back whenever she’s excited, or upset, or for some reason, whenever her new classmate Luke looks at her in a particular way. Worse than worse? Maia’s wings are useless. Weak and fragile – unlike her talented friends.
But Maia’s problems are about get much harder than even she knows. A strange illness is spreading through the gardens of Nor Numinem. The very gardens that feed and sustain this once-perfect town. Worse still, some of the adults think the shapeshifter children are to blame. A rumors turn into hate, life gets tougher for those who aren’t seen as “normal”. Maia and her friends will soon discover that there is a dark rift in Nor Numinem, one that will take all their talents, known and unknown, to heal.
Publication Date September 1st 2026 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
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From the New York Times–bestselling author and Grammy-nominated artist comes a funny, warm-hearted debut middle-grade novel about sisterhood, family, and how the holiday season is a time to be merry ― and messy.
All twins Stevie and Jordan Clementine want for Christmas is to enjoy the holiday with both of their Grinchy parents ― something they haven’t done with their traveling rock star father and work-obsessed mom since they were too young to remember. Instead, the sisters expect to spend this season as they always do: hopping between their uncle’s motel, where they stay with Dad while he is in town, and home, where Mom is too frazzled from organizing the endless holiday celebrations at the local community center to have much Christmas spirit left for her kids.
But when news arrives that could wreck the halls, mischief-minded Stevie ropes her reluctant sister into a plan to save the holiday: get their parents under one roof for a movie-worthy Christmas. For their scheme to work, the girls will need plenty of holly-and-jolly cheer, enough messy white lies to land on Santa’s naughty list…and unexpected help from some four-legged friends.
Irresistibly festive and fun, Tegan Quin’s first solo novel is a fresh celebration of the season that reveals how family messiness is sometimes the missing ingredient for true holiday magic.
Publication Date September 8th 2026 by Andrews McMeel Publishing
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When an ambitious feline detective gets his paws on a mysterious treasure map, curiosity turns into a full-blown adventure! Li Chen’s bestselling Detective Beans series continues in this new graphic novel that will delight mystery fans and cat-lovers alike.
Detective Beans is set on being the world’s most successful detective, but before his mom will let him solve any cases, he’s going to need to clean his room first. But when he sets out to deliver some mail he received by mistake, a whole new world of adventure opens. After being handed a mysterious treasure map by an old sea captain, Beans sets out to connect the clues on a journey that winds through amusement parks, secret tunnels, and pirate ships. Together with his best friend, Biscuits, the fearless feline detective pieces together a mystery that nobody in Cat Town saw coming.
Young readers will delight in the charming characters, clever plot twists, and positive spirit of curiosity and problem-solving that pack every one of these colorful and beautifully illustrated pages.
Publication Date September 8th 2026 by Ten Speed Young Readers
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In this twisty, propulsive mystery for kids from former public defender Emily Galvin Almanza, author of The Price of Mercy, a fearless fifth grader vows to help a classmate in danger of getting lost in the system.
Andromeda Diaz knows a thing or two about fighting injustice – after all, she’s the daughter of two public defenders. Andy just never anticipated putting her skills to the test in her fifth-grade class! But when she hears that popular classmate Benji Jones is suspended for stealing, something that just doesn’t sound like him, Andromeda decides to investigate, especially when she hears that school officials have decided to take this matter to the District Attorney.
Together with her best friend Danny, Andromeda revisits the events leading up to the theft, interviewing witnesses, finding holes in the evidence, and coming up with alternative theories for why Benji was accused. Unfortunately, school officials are convinced Benji is the culprit and changing their minds is going to be a challenge. Finding undeniable proof might be more than two fifth graders can handle. But one innocent kid’s future lies in the balance….
Emily Galvin Almanza has written an exciting, empowering novel that shows readers the importance of fighting for justice, no matter how young you are. Plus don’t miss the scrumptious recipe for Andromeda’s cuñapes (a beloved Bolivian snack bread)!
Publication Date September 15th 2026 by Penguin Workshop
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Queen of Mysteries Riley Dare has her first real-life case to solve!
Riley Dare is a master of solving puzzles. After all, she helps run her aunt’s beloved escape room, Level Up, and makes it extra special thanks to the flicker of magic she’s gifted with. Need some extra shadows? Some spooky lighting? She’s got it covered.
But when a celebrated author of children’s mysteries vanishes during the latest, greatest escape room she’s designed with her aunt, one themed after the biggest unsolved heist in her small town’s history, things get complicated fast.
Not only is the author missing — and oh, maybe there’s a ghost inside the escape room — but with reservations being canceled left and right alongside the police investigation, there’s a chance Level Up might not survive. Riley will have to team up with her closest friends to figure out what’s going on, and how all this might be tied to that same unsolved heist from twelve years ago. A heist that happened on the day she was born…
It’s her greatest puzzle yet, and Riley Dare is on the case.
Publication Date September 15th 2026 by G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
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A middle grade horror novel about disappearing kids and a monstrous beast lurking in the woods, from the author of The Curse of Eelgrass Bog.
As the daughter of private detectives, Pira is used to moving around a lot. So when her mothers’ newest case brings them to the small town of Eyrewood, she expects to find a town just like all the other ones she’s left behind.
But Eyrewood is nothing like she expects. Ash is always falling from the skies, the local wildlife is nowhere to be found, and it’s impossible to light a fire anywhere inside the town limits. And worst of all, there are monsters in the woods — monsters that none of the adults believe in.
When Pira joins up with a group of kids intent on fighting the beasts, she discovers that the monsters may be linked to a series of missing kids going back decades—including the older sister of her new friend Jackie. As Pira and Jackie work with their friends to solve the mystery of the disappearances, they’ll have to confront the secrets at the heart of Eyrewood and the danger lurking in every corner.
Publication Date September 15th 2026 by Sourcebooks Young Readers
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In this exciting series starter, four best friends are trapped in a book-themed inn during an ice storm and they must use each of their special skills, as well as a few tips from an armchair-detective grandma, to figure out who killed one of the regular customers. From #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Mystery of Locked Rooms comes a thrilling murder mystery.
Merrick 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…
Publication Date September 15th 2026 by Levine Querido
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The author of the Walter Award-winning Man Made Monsters and the Caldecott Medal-winning Chooch Helped delivers a thriller that reads like Holes for a new generation ― a murder mystery interwoven with Cherokee history and culture.
The hills of northeastern Oklahoma. 1968. Cynthia and her family have moved onto their grandfather’s ranch in the hills of Oklahoma. There’s any number of problems she can see with her new situation, but the main one is plain: Grandfather Wilson is not a good man. But with her sisters and her parents ― and the opportunity to reconnect with her Cherokee heritage ― it’s at least manageable.
Until a strange girl shows up on the ranch and Cynthia’s life is changed forever. For she soon realizes that death lurks within the beautiful prairie grass around them…and a terrible secret that will tear their family apart if she lets it.
From the matchless pen of Andrea L. Rogers comes a story as sharp as the unseen blade and as soft as a baby chick, impossible to let go.
Publication Date September 15th 2026 by Lee & Low Books
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Julieta travels to Guanajuato, Mexico, where she is drawn into a new, head-scratching mystery involving a secret society, mischievous cousins, and the ever-inspiring art of Diego Rivera.
Ten-year-old (and budding detective) Julieta and her family head to Guanajuato, a colonial town in Central Mexico, where Julieta’s mother has been hired to restore several paintings from the famous Mexican painter Diego Rivera. Unfortunately, the paintings, which call the breath-taking Diego Rivera Museum home, have been damaged by a mysterious flood. Is it possible that someone damaged the paintings on purpose? Julieta can’t help but to want to find out.
Julieta once again finds herself mixed up in an enchanting art-related mystery. Risking a whole lot of parental disapproval and bad grades, Julieta begins investigating a potential Rosicrucian conspiracy unfolding in Guanajuato. But what if the conspiracy isn’t real? Is Julieta really wiling to risk disappointing her parents (and eternal grounding) for thieves that may not even exist?
With the help of her cousins Mario, Elissa, and Sofía (lovingly named the MES) Julieta must crack the case to save the work of Diego Rivera, and test the limits of her parents’ patience.
Publication Date September 22nd 2026 by Delacorte Press
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A brand-new cozy gothic series that’s The Inheritance Games for middle grade readers — filled with family curses, talking cats, and clever clues!
SOLVE THE PUZZLES. SURVIVE THE GAME.
Orphan Kit Devlin knows two things for sure about her scheming relatives:
1) They’re cursed, with someone doomed to croak every three years like clockwork.
2) They only care about one thing: themselves.When wealthy Grandpa Amos dies, all the Devlins come running to his remote Scottish manor for their piece of the inheritance — only to find a mysterious, magical game instead. Whoever solves his riddles will win his fortune. But everything is not what it seems, like the crimson-eyed cat who only talks to Kit and the misfit cousin with secrets to hide. As the clues grow more perilous, Kit learns there’s more to the family curse — and her spellbinding connection to it — than she ever suspected. If she wants answers, she has to survive the game…and win.
Publication Date September 22nd 2026 by HarperCollins
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From award-winning author Lisa Moore Ramée comes the companion to A Good Kind of Trouble, a heartfelt and powerful sequel about coming of age, social justice, and the trials of friendship and competition, in which Shayla will learn the true definition of “personal best.”
After a hard seventh grade year full of misunderstandings, face plants, and bullies, all Shayla wants is a hassle-free summer. Her ticket to a summer of fun? Joining the club track team! However, Shayla struggles to fit in with new friends, to set a personal best that will secure her a spot in the exclusive Junior Olympics and reluctantly earns the title of “Prank Queen.”
But Shayla discovers that sometimes trying so hard to stay out of trouble ends up making things a whole lot worse. Will she risk new friendships by owning up to a big mistake? And is she ready to speak out against another social injustice? In this powerful and heartfelt follow-up to A Good Kind of Trouble from acclaimed author Lisa Moore Ramée, Shayla will learn the true definition of personal best.
Publication Date September 29th 2026 by Clarion Books
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In the tradition of her bestselling, award-winning phenomenon, The Giver, Lois Lowry delivers a story about censorship, comfort, complicity, and the radical power of books to open portals and unlock our humanity through our most powerful tool: the imagination.
Twins 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.
Two-time Newbery-winner Lois Lowry has crafted a narrative that feels at once prescient and eternal: in this world, the imagination is the revolution. Not only does Building 903 sit in the same resonant space as The Giver Quartet, but it is also a profound addition to Lois’s enduring body of work — and a testament to the strength and value of her voice, vision, and legacy.
Publication Date September 29th 2026 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers
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Howl’s Moving Castle meets Dungeons & Dragons in this debut cozy illustrated middle grade fantasy adventure that follows an unlikely heroine who rallies a ragtag team to face a dark wizard, uncovering her own magic along the way.
Peri has been waiting for her magic to show up, but there’s been no sign of it since she was chosen as an Apprentice Shopkeeper a year ago. Now she travels with a magical shop that equips adventurers for their quests, unsure if she’ll ever do more than stock shelves, mend mittens, and knit non-magical hats that don’t do anything but keep heads warm.
Then a dark wizard kidnaps the Master Shopkeeper, intent on using her power to create an unstoppable army.
To save her master, Peri must leave the cozy shop and seek help from the closest adventuring party, who is really good at arguing and really bad at working together. As Peri’s magic unexpectedly begins to show itself in the items she’s knitting, it’s up to her and her team to stop the dark wizard before war breaks out — or it won’t be just her shop at stake but the entire kingdom.
