Hi, friends! Today on Pop! Goes The Reader I’m thrilled to welcome author Triona Murphy to the blog to share the exclusive cover reveal for her debut middle grade novel, Socks and Secret Quests! Scheduled to be released on on September 29th 2026 by Atheneum Books For Young Readers, Socks and Secret Quests is a cozy fantasy adventure filled with fun, crafty details informed, at least in part, by Triona’s own passion for knitting and work designing patterns professionally.
Please read on to learn more about Socks and Secret Quests and see the breathtaking, magical cover with art created by James Firnhaber, as well as read a special note from the author about the novel’s inspiration and what the story means to Triona.
Triona Murphy
Triona writes books and designs (unfortunately non-magical) knitting patterns from her home in beautiful Oregon wine country, where she lives with her husband and three kids in a house overflowing with board games, yarn, and books. She grew up both in Los Angeles and the rural US Midwest and enjoys writing adventure stories that draw from both experiences. Socks and Secret Quests is her debut novel.
The initial idea for Socks and Secret Quests came to me while reading an old favorite fantasy book with one of those mystical, magical shops that appears just when the heroes need it. For the first time, I wondered what life would be like for the people inside the shop, and the seed for this book was planted! Incorporating magic knitting meant I could draw on my love of fiber arts, and I hope people enjoy reading all the fun, crafty details in the book as much as I enjoyed writing them.
I love writing books for young readers with protagonists like Peri — characters who aren’t “the chosen one” or even necessarily the strongest, fastest, or smartest person around. Legendary heroes need help and support as much as anyone else, and the people who provide that backup are doing a job that’s just as important. I hope readers might see that it’s okay to follow their own path, even if it doesn’t look the same as it does for everyone else.
When my editor first sent me a link to James Firnhaber’s website, I clicked it in the middle of an extended family dinner and gasped in delight so loudly that I brought the whole table’s conversation to a screeching halt. I am continually awed by James’s ability to create fully realized fantasy worlds you just want to step inside. In addition to the beautiful cover, they also created a ton of wonderful interior art for the book. I can’t wait for readers to meet these characters and see them in action!
Cover art and interior illustrations by James Firnhaber
Title Socks & Secret Quests
Author Triona Murphy
Illustrator James Firnhaber
Target Audience Middle Grade
Publication Date September 29th 2026 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Find It On Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● Blackwell’s ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
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 epic quests, unsure if she’ll ever do more than stock shelves, mend mittens, and knit non-magical hats that mostly just 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 team, who are 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.
