Today’s post is sponsored by Paul Cicchini and The Central Park Irregulars!
Title The Central Park Irregulars
Author Paul Cicchini
Intended Target Audience Middle Grade
Publication Date September 15th 2025
Find It On Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● Blackwell’s ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
Harper Jensen and her precocious little brother Bohdi have an idyllic childhood helping their dad on their family’s apple and dairy farm in the country while their mom studies Archaeology at the university. But when their mom takes a new job as a curator in charge of a new exhibit at the Archaeology museum in Manhattan, the kids are uprooted and their dad is left behind. Now, Harper’s view from their new apartment overlooking Central Park is nothing like the farm she left in Devon. Instead of cows and horses, she sees dozens of yellow cabs.
Missing the rolling hills and meadows of the farm, not to mention her dad, Harper’s mom introduces her to Central Park, the biggest backyard in the world with so much to discover. And Harper doesn’t lose time, making friends on her very first day of exploring. It’s not long before Harper, Addy, Eli, Gabriel, and Zara, make an alarming discovery that sets into motion an investigation that links some of their parents and puts a bullseye on Harper’s mom when a priceless artifact is stolen.
By following clues among the famous landmarks of Central Park, while avoiding encounters with the park bully, can the newly dubbed Central Park Irregulars solve the mystery in time to save Harper’s mom, before it’s too late?
Do! Judge A Book By Its Cover is a regular feature on Pop! Goes The Reader in which I pay tribute to some of the best and brightest the publishing world has to offer in the way of book cover design.
Please Note: As always, I’ve done my best to credit the designers and artists responsible for the book covers below, but was unable to find this information for some of those listed. If you know of an uncredited designer and/or artist responsible for any of these book covers or if I’ve credited someone incorrectly, please let me know and I would be happy to edit the post to include their names. Their work is important and deserves attribution!
01. Jackson Bright In The Spotlight by Eureka O’Hara and Dan Poblocki
Cover design by Micah Fleming, Cover art by Ricardo Bessa
02. Olivia Gray Will Not Fade Away by Ciera Burch
Cover art by Dika Araújo
03. A Year Without Home by V. T. Bidania
Art direction by Theresa Evangelista, Cover art by Christina Chung
04. Mixing Magics by Clare Edge
Cover art by Alessia Trunfio
05. Sprout by Taylor Tyng
Cover art by James Firnhaber, Title Hand Lettering by Jessica Cruickshank
06. Mythspeaker by Christopher Roubique
Cover design by Kaitlin Yang, Cover art by Kadijah Khatib
07. The Treasure of Ocean Parkway by Sarvenaz Tash
Art direction by Carol Ly, Cover art by Ericka Lugo
08. The Forbidden Room by Nicki Pau Preto
Cover art by James Firnhaber
09. Ms. Pennypickle’s Puzzle Quest by Chris Grabenstein
10. Georgia Watson and The 99 Percent Campaign by Sara Shacter
Cover design by C.B. Royal
11. Goodbye, French Fry by Rin-rin Yu
12. Opal Watson: A Case Most Fowl by Brittany J. Thurman
13. Sparrow, Always by Gail Donovan
Art direction by Karyn Lee, Cover art by Elysia Case
14. The Mighty Macy by Kwame Alexander
Cover art by Kitt Thomas
15. The Case Of The Scarlet Snakebite by Christyne Morrell
Cover art by Diana Dementeva
16. Each and Every Spark by Claire Swinarski
Cover art by Sophie Barocas
17. The Ordinary and Extraordinary Auden Greene by Corey Ann Haydu
Cover art by Matt Rockefeller
18. Some Of Us Are Brave by Saadia Faruqi
Cover art by Chaaya Prabhat
19. Nox Winters and The Stygian Serpent by Rochelle Hassan
Cover design by Molly Fehr, Cover art by Xiao Tong
20. The Pumpkin Princess and The Buried Castle by Steven Banbury
Cover art by Matt Rockefeller
21. The Star of Moon Village by Jennifer Ann Richter
Cover art by BeaGifted
22. Reach by Celesta Rimington
Cover art by Ramona Kaulitzki
23. The Wish Ring Cipher by Alexandra Ott
Cover art by Jared MacPherson
24. Space For Saffron by Rie Neal
25. Cast vs. Crew: Setting The Stage by Lindsay Champion
Cover art by Ericka Lugo
