Middle grade fiction

Royal families

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The Six Queens of Henry VIII by Honor Cargill-Martin, illustrated by Jaimee Andrews (Sourcebooks Explore, 48 pages, grades 3-8). “A Word from the Author” kicks things off by giving a brief history of the dazzling, exciting, and dangerous Tudor royal court of King Henry VIII, where six women caught the king’s eye, and, for better or worse, became queens of England. Each one is profiled with illustrations that resemble a graphic novel but contain a little more text. The emphasis is on the women, who are described as smart, educated, ambitious, and as powerful as they were allowed to be. As the author states in her introduction, “one led an army, one helped create a whole new church, and one was the first woman to publish a book under her own name in English.” After the facts of each queen’s life and marriage are given, there’s a two-page flashback scene that tells a story from the woman’s life showing her intelligence and/or courage. The book ends with a Tudor family tree, a timeline, and additional information about each of Henry’s three children, Mary, Elizabeth, and Edward.

Originally published in the UK, this book shines a spotlight on six brave, interesting, intelligent, and occasionally reckless women, relegating their husband to the background. The bold, brightly colored illustrations are lots of fun and help bring the story to life. Although there may not be a lot of interest in this topic in the US, hopefully the eye-catching cover will draw in readers who will not be disappointed.

The Lionhearts by Mike Lawrence (Harry N. Abrams, 240 pages, grades 4-8). Flynt and Alder are the two sons of the renowned Lionheart family, known for fighting dragons and other troublesome creatures. While their grandparents are retired from active duty, they help out at home and with the business side of things so that the kids’ parents can go off on adventures. When the parents disappear after a mysterious woman shows up on their doorstep, the grandparents decide to come out of retirement to track them down. They insist that Flynt and Alder stay in the background, but the boys are having none of that, and when everyone realizes the enemy that they’re up against, it takes the courage, strength, and unique talents of all the Lionheart family members to defeat it. While there’s a satisfying ending for the good guys, there are also hints that their work isn’t done yet.

Although this isn’t about a royal family per se, it’s clear that the Lionhearts are treated with respect by the good people of their community and feared by the bad guys. The artwork and world building (which is based on Dungeons and Dragons) blew me away, and older elementary and middle school fantasy fans will love this graphic novel and be eagerly awaiting book 2.

The Queen’s Granddaughter by Diane Zahler (Roaring Brook Press, 304 pages, grades 5-8). 12-year-old Blanca is excited to learn that her grandmother Eleanor (of Aquitaine) is coming to visit her family in Castille, allegedly to choose a wife for her son Prince Louis of France. Everyone is certain that Blanca’s older sister Urraca will be chosen, but at a great banquet, Eleanor makes the shocking announcement that it’s to be Blanca. Blanca is horrified to contemplate marriage, sad to leave her family, scared to move to France, but also intrigued and excited to be traveling to new places with her grandmother who is as bold and stubborn as she is. The only one from Castille who is to go with Blanca is her best friend Suna, a Muslim girl who has lived at the castle since her father died in service to the king. The travelers set off on their journey, where they face a series of dangers including a deadly blizzard and vengeful kidnappers. As she meets these challenges head on, Blanca begins to think she may have what it takes to be a queen. By the time they reach the last leg of the journey, it’s apparent that Blanca must travel to Paris alone. While she is sad to leave Eleanor and Suna, she now knows that she is ready to meet her fate. Includes additional information about Eleanor of Aquitaine, Blanca (or Blanche, as she became known), and Europe in the late twelfth century, including facts about Muslims like Suna.

It may be a challenge to convince middle schoolers to try an historical fiction novel set in the Middle Ages, but once they get to know Blanca, Eleanor, and the many other interesting characters, they’ll be hooked. The plot moves along briskly, particularly once the big journey begins, and there is plenty of page-turning adventure. I knew just about nothing about this time period, but there’s plenty of history seamlessly woven into the narrative that had me researching and learning more about the time and the people in the story.

Three books for Earth Day

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Into the Wilderness by Haven Iverson, illustrated by August Zhang (Roaring Brook Press, 32 pages, ages 4-8). The narrator describes family backpacking trips into the wilderness that started when the child was a baby, carried in a backpack up the mountains. Later on, they are able to carry progressively bigger backpacks and heavier loads, learning to read a map and enjoy moments of solitude. The natural world makes the difficulties of school and navigating friendships seem far away, but eventually the family drives home and school begins again. The narrator hangs up their backpack, but sometimes pulls invisible gifts from it that were acquired in nature: strength, wonder, bravery, and quiet. Includes a two-page note from the author about her own experiences in the Colorado wilderness, as well as information about the 1964 Wilderness Act, original people of the American wilderness, and tips for being a good steward of the wilderness.

Kids will be empowered by the narrator’s story to go on their own nature explorations. This would be a great book to share at the beginning of camp or a family hiking, camping, or backpacking trip. I love how it shows the power of wilderness and the natural world that can be carried into the rest of life.

The Greenies by Emma Mills, illustrated by Sara Nicole Kennedy (Henry Holt and Co., 256 pages, grades 3-7). After her parents divorce and her mom gets a new job, Violet has to move and start a new school mid-year. The only kid she knows is her cousin Kris, whom she considers a bit of an oddball. Happy to meet some kids she likes, Violet goes to a secret under-the-bleachers gathering during lunch–and promptly gets caught and given detention along with the rest of the group. They’re assigned to help high-achiever Isabel who’s trying to start an environmental club. The other kids aren’t so enthusiastic and find a variety of ways to get out of doing too much work. But when their fooling around results in still more trouble, Violet and the others feel bad. She finally breaks down and admits to her mom what’s going on at school, as well as how much she misses her dad and her old friends. Together they come up with a plan that gets Violet on the right track and ultimately results in the formation of a real environmental club: The Greenies.

Another fun middle school graphic novel that’s sure to find readers from the Raina Telgemeier crowd. Mills and Kennedy do a great job creating the memorable characters that constitute Violet’s new friend group, and kids will be happy to learn that this is billed as book 1. It’s a bit of a stretch to connect it to Earth Day, but perhaps we’ll see more environmental club action in book 2.

The Vanishing Sea: The Tale of How the Aral Sea Became the Aral Desert by Dinara Mirtalipova (Chronicle Books, 40 pages, grades 1-5). In a prologue before the title page, Dinara Mirtalipova shares information about the Aral Sea and how it disappeared in just a few decades due to mismanaged irrigation projects, including two pages of maps that show this progression from 1960 until 2021. Then the brief story begins, “A long, long time ago, there was a lake so vast that the people called her Mother Sea.” At first, people are content with the fish and drinking water the lake provides, but over time they grow greedier. “Like a selfless mother, the Sea gave them ALL of her resources.” The tale ends with a question: “Can the people save Mother Sea?” An author’s note tells of her journey to the desert in a remote part of Uzbekistan, along with photos of her mother in 1963, picking the cotton that led to the sea’s destruction. There’s a brief history of the Aral Sea with a timeline from 305 CE to the present, as well as information on local and global ecological impact.

This sobering story is a good reminder of what prioritizing human greed over the environment can do. The main story, illustrated in Dinara Mirtalipova’s unique style, could be shared with primary grade students, while the additional material at the front and back of the book makes it a great resources for older kids.

Courageous kids from the past

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Red River Rose by Carole Lindstrom (Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 224 pages, grades 4-7). Rose loves her Métis community that she, her parents, and her younger sister are part of. When she hears rumors about the Canadian government’s plan to remove them from their land, Rose wants to help with the resistance in any way she can. She’s often frustrated that she’s not allowed to do as much as her friend Ambroise and the other boys, but she finds ways to help, like collecting scrap metal for ammunition and coming up with a plan to sabotage a Canadian steamship. The Métis are eventually forced to hide in caves, and most of their homes are destroyed by the end of the story, but it’s clear that this strong community will find ways to survive together. Includes an author’s note about the Métis tribe that she is a part of and their history along the Saskatchewan River.

Based on Carole Lindstrom’s 2025 picture book The Gift of the Great Buffalo, this story takes place around the same time as Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House book and offers a much-needed Native American perspective. Rose is a strong and courageous character, although some of her actions seemed to me somewhat unrealistically adult for a 12-year-old. The portrayal of the Métis and the ways they mixed their traditional ways with European influences and the Catholic church makes for a fascinating read.

The Lions’ Run by Sara Pennypacker, illustrated by Jon Klassen (Balzer + Bray, 288 pages, grades 4-8). Lucas is a 13-year-old orphan living in an abbey in occupied France during World War II. In the opening pages, he rescues a litter of kittens from two classmates who are trying to drown them. Seeking a place to hide the kittens, he stumbles upon a barn occupied by Alice, a girl who is attempting to hide her racehorse from the Nazis and smuggle her to America. Alice isn’t happy that Lucas has discovered the barn, but slowly the two become friends as Lucas begins to find the courage to participate in acts of resistance against the Germans. His job as a delivery boy takes him to a Lebensborn, where French girls, pregnant by Nazi soldiers, live and deliver their babies, who are taken from their mothers and sent to live with German families. Lucas gets to know one of the girls and learns of her plan to try to keep her baby. The plot threads about the horse and the baby come together in a heart-pounding last few chapters that demonstrate just how far Lucas has come in being brave and open up the possibilities for a better future than he could ever have imagined. Includes an author’s note about what is fact and what is fiction in the story.

At the risk of sounding like an old crank, I sometimes feel like I can’t read one more book about World War II. That was my initial reaction upon learning about this book, but the multiple starred reviews and early Newbery consideration wore me down. Thank goodness. I was drawn in right from the beginning, and by the end I was torn between not wanting to stop reading and feeling like I couldn’t stand the almost unbearable suspense. Fans of Number the Stars and The War That Saved My Life will not want to pass this one by, and I feel pretty confident in saying it will join them on the list of Newbery honorees.

Series starters

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Phoenix (Ride On, book 1) by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley (Dial Books, 176 pages, grades 5-8). 11-year-old Harper refers to the event that blew her life up as the Bomb–her mother discovered that her dad was having an affair with the mom of Harper’s best friend Cat. Now Harper and her mom have moved to a small, dilapidated house a couple hours away from their Knoxville home and are trying to start over. The house overlooks a barn, and Harper soon finds herself curiously watching the kids who take riding lessons and beginning some tentative friendships with a few of them. When a “kill truck” transporting horses to be slaughtered dumps one of them off at the farm, Harper is immediately drawn to him, naming him Phoenix, and overseeing his near-constant care and feeding. Neither of her parents is thrilled with the idea of taking on the expense and responsibility of horse ownership, but they put off a final decision while Harper takes riding lessons and watches Phoenix slowly getting better. By the end of this series opener, Harper has discovered a love of riding and horses, has begun to reconcile with Cat, and is feeling more at home with the other kids at the barn. Includes an author’s note describing her own love of horses and how it evolved over many years.

This is a fun and fast read, introducing a lot of interesting characters and situations, and will appeal to anyone with even the slightest interest in horses. There are lots of storylines left open to lay the groundwork for book 2. It’s a little tough to say what age it’s best for–the whole dad cheating on mom situation feels like more of a middle school topic, while Harper and her friends are on the younger side for those readers.

Relic Hamilton, Genie Hunter by Joseph Coelho, illustrated by Hyun Song We (Candlewick, 288 pages, grades 4-7). 12-year-old Relic Hamilton lives with his grandfather in an apartment over the antiques store they run in London. One day while helping out in the store, Relic polishes an old lamp he finds, releasing an evil genie that sends his grandfather into a coma. This leads Relic to the discovery that Grandfather is a member of a genie-hunting society, a group that soon recruits Relic to try to help heal his grandfather. Relic is sent on an undercover mission to a school where he meets Taya, a girl who’s been taken over by the powers of the evil genie. The two of them inadvertently travel back through time where they meet up with a crew of genie-hunting pirates. Along the way, Relic uncovers his own powers and discovers courage that he didn’t know he had. In the end, the evil genie is contained, Grandfather is restored, and Relic stands at the beginning of his genie-hunting career. Stay tuned for book 2.

Readers are immediately swept into this fast-paced fantasy adventure, which will undoubtedly appeal to Rick Riordan fans. The action, short chapters, and illustrations make it a good choice for reluctant readers. Fantasy’s not my favorite genre, but I definitely got caught up in this story.

Girl power

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Hattie Mae Begins Again by Sharon G. Flake (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 368 pages, grades 4-7). Hattie Mae is both excited and nervous to be traveling from her home in North Carolina to begin school at Miss Abigail’s School for Exceptional Young Ladies in Philadelphia. Over the course of her school year there, she learns to deal with a bully, make new friends, and to express her truest self. She and Miss Abigail share the secret that Miss Abigail is Hattie Mae’s cousin, and that Hattie Mae is at the school on a full scholarship. When the truth comes out, the school gets some bad publicity, and some of the students leave, a disaster as the school is trying to keep its doors open during the Great Depression. Hattie Mae must draw on her own strength, as well as her friends and family, to undo the damage and make the school a welcoming place for all.

The author draws on her family’s long history in Philadelphia to tell Hattie Mae’s story of discovering the wealthy Black community she finds herself in at Miss Abigail’s school, and how she finds her own way there. This novel in verse is a companion to 2023’s Once In a Blue Moon, the events of which are referenced near the end of the story.

Destiny of the Diamond Princess by Sherri Winston (Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 240 pages, grades 4-7). Zahara-Grace Jones has always known she’s adopted, but growing up with a loving mother and grandfather (G-Pop), she’s never really wanted to know about her birth parents. But as she approaches her 12th birthday, she starts to feel some curiosity. On the big day, she receives two gifts: her mom tells her about her birth mom, who had sworn her to secrecy until Zahara-Grace turned 12, and G-Pop gives her a DNA test. The test not only reveals her connection to the (fictional) African nation of Maliwanda, but it also alerts the king of the country that his long-lost granddaughter has been found. Before long, Zahara-Grace’s life has completely changed, as she learns she is a princess and has to balance the demands of two very different families. Not only that, but she learns that she’s the key to breaking an ancient curse that may have lead to her mother’s death. Everything comes to a head the night of the grand opening of a museum G-Pop has been redesigning, when Zahara-Grace is introduced as the princess of Maliwanda…and learns her true strength when cursed beings rise from the dead.

This is a fun Princess Diaries-inspired story that does a good job creating a story of an adoptee who feels torn between her two families. The supernatural stuff at the end was fun, but felt a bit tacked-on and rushed. I was kind of hoping for a more realistic explanation of Zahara-Grace’s friend’s betrayal, but kids will undoubtedly enjoy reading about mummies rising from the dead.

Middle school: the endless inspiration for graphic memoirs

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Run Home: A Graphic Memoir by Alyssa Bermudez (Roaring Book Press, 304 pages, grades 5-8). In this follow-up to Big Apple Diaries, Alyssa Bermudez records her first couple years of high school in diary format: her first uncertain days, her joy at making new friends and discovering a love of running on the cross-country team, adjusting to a new step-family, and her worries about her dad’s health issues. When she experiences an overwhelming tragedy during the summer between her freshman and sophomore years, Alyssa must work her way through grief. She’s helped by family and friends, but ultimately she has to learn how to find her own way to a new normal. Includes an author’s note about this time of her life with four pages of photos of many of the people from the story.

This heartfelt graphic novel makes for compelling reading, and readers will recognize many of Alyssa’s problems, emotions, and triumphs as she navigates a new school, new friends, and family issues. Although this will likely appeal to fans of authors like Raina Telgemeier, Kayla Miller, and Lucy Knisley, the high school setting (the title of this post notwithstanding) and deep dive into grief make it a story that may be more appreciated by middle school kids.

A Kid Like Me by Norm Feuti (HarperAlley, 272 pages, grades 4-7). Ethan and his best friend Ricky navigate the early days of middle school with more than the usual number of bumps in the road, thanks to the fact that they live in poverty with their single moms in a trailer park. They worry that other kids look down on them for their old phones and off-brand clothing, and they’re not always wrong. Ricky makes friends with a couple of boys whose snarky comments and pranks get under Ethan’s skin. Ethan finds more compatible friends in the after-school Bio Battle game club, but his new friend Aiden seems to be avoiding coming over to his house. Eventually, both boys learn a few lessons about what true friendship looks like, and the story ends with Ethan, Ricky, and Aiden trying out a new game at Ethan’s house. Includes an author’s note with photos of him as a kid, telling about the prejudices and microaggressions he experienced as a poor kid growing up in a middle-class community.

I’ve said it before, but there are not enough middle grade books that explore what it’s like to grow up in poverty, especially considering what a common experience that is in America. Norm Feuti does a great job of showing the impacts of this experience on everyday middle school life: adults looking with suspicion at kids from “the wrong side of town,” having to navigate the pressure to have the right phone or sneakers, and insecurities about having friends over to your house. I liked how Ethan learned to speak up for himself and figure out who his true friends were.

Wrong Friend by Charise Mericle Harper, illustrated by Rory Lucey (First Second, 256 pages, grades 3-7). Charise and Casey have had a great friendship for many years. It’s easy to get together since they’re neighbors, and they both enjoy art and adventures. But Casey is two years older than Charise, and when she starts high school, she suddenly starts ignoring Charise, acting like Charise is invisible when they see each other in the neighborhood. Charise is devastated, but eventually realizes that she needs a new best friend and begins reaching out to girls in her grade. Each one has some of the qualities she wants in a best friend (chapter titles list those qualities: “A Best Friend Likes Made-Up Games,” “A Best Friend Keeps Trying,” etc.), but no one has them all. Eventually, Charise realizes that she’s happiest with a bunch of friends, with each one bringing her own special personality traits to the group.

Charise’s graphic memoir will appeal to fans of Raina Telgemeier’s and Shannon Hale’s books about the ups and downs of middle school friendships. Readers will relate to Charise’s gradual realization that no friend is perfect, but that many friendships are still worth pursuing. Pair this with Charise’s first memoir, Bad Sister, also illustrated by Rory Lucey.

Fan fiction

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Beth Is Dead by Katie Bernet (Sarah Barley Books/Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 400 pages, grades 7-12). Set in 21st-century Concord, Massachusetts, the story begins with the discovery of Beth March’s body on the morning after an eventful New Year’s Eve party at Sallie Gardiner’s house. Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy take turns telling the story, which shifts between the past and present as one friend or family member after another is suspected of the murder. Was it their father whose recent tell-all book about his daughters (entitled Little Women) has caused such a social media storm that he’s been forced to flee to Vancouver? Amy, who had a violent quarrel with Beth at the party? John Brook, who’s voiced some doubts about Beth going to boarding school at Plumfield Academy to pursue her music dreams? One secret after another is uncovered until the final showdown reveals what really happened that fateful night.

Buckle up, Little Women fans, and prepare for a darkly fun roller coaster ride into the March family as you’ve never seen them before! Fans of the original will love all the allusions to various characters and the way Katie Bernet has updated them for a modern audience, while those not as familiar with the story will still enjoy this fast-paced whodunit with new twists in every chapter.

The Mysterious Magic of Lighthouse Lane by Erin Stewart (Aladdin, 336 pages, grades 4-7). After a meltdown on a class trip, Lucy is haunted by the memory of her best friend turning away from her and is sure she is destined to be friendless forever. Her mom, who tends to want to “fix” Lucy, decides that her daughter should spend the summer on Prince Edward Island, where Mom grew up and where Grandpa still lives. Lucy is reluctant, but she finds herself drawn to the island’s tranquility and curious about her late grandmother. When her grandfather gives her Grandma’s old camera, Lucy is thrilled to be able to hone her photography skills. As she learns to develop her own pictures, she starts to notice magical changes appearing that only she can see, changes that reveal the subject’s deepest wish. Her efforts to grant those wishes, with the help of her new friend Poppy, have mixed results, but as the summer goes on, Lucy discovers what her real gift is. Poppy helps her to see that she’s an empath, someone who feels others’ emotions as deeply as they do. It’s a gift her grandmother also possessed, and with the help of her mother, grandfather, friends, and even a message from her grandma, Lucy learns to use her empathy to help others around her as well as herself.

This charming story has a number of nods to Anne of Green Gables: the PEI setting, of course, as well as Lucy’s first name, Poppy’s last name (Montgomery), and Lucy’s highly sensitive nature, a trait she shares with author Lucy Maud Montgomery. Lucy’s journey from believing her emotions are a burden that needs fixing to embracing them as a gift she can use to help others, particularly Poppy and Grandpa, makes for an engaging story that will be especially appreciated by other empaths.

How to survive middle school

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Serendipity by Gabbie Benda (Holiday House, 224 pages, grades 4-7). Serendipity leads a charmed life, excelling in her classes, at basketball, onstage, and in student council, where she’s president. After winning free tickets to the carnival, she and her friend Basil encounter a fortune-telling rabbit robot, which Serendipity accidentally destroys. Certain that her luck has changed, she starts seeing signs that she’s cursed, getting a B instead of all A’s, missing baskets, and forgetting her lines in the play. Serendipity returns to the repaired robot, who prints out a fortune telling her “The future is in your hands.” She finally gets the message, realizing that she can make her own luck by sharing the spotlight and handing off some of her responsibilities to others. By the end, Serendipity is ready to try some new activities, but with the realization that it’s more important to enjoy herself than to try to please everyone.

This fast-paced story will appeal to fans of other middle school graphic novels, with its appealing artwork and a reassuring message about setting boundaries and appreciating friends.

The Moon Without Stars by Chanel Miller (Philomel Books, 256 pages, grades 5-8). Luna starts seventh grade with a single friend, Scott, who has been by her side all her life and understands her completely. When they start creating zines for other kids dealing with middle school issues like eczema, periods, and difficult parents, Luna’s writing grabs the attention of the popular group. At first she’s able to balance her social life between Scott and her new friends, but soon the new friends take over–and Luna finds herself compromising her values in the process, taking part in the mean girls’ bullying and shoplifting. Things come to a head when Luna’s mom discovers the shoplifting, and Luna is expelled from the popular crowd. A quirky but kind school counselor helps Luna to see that it’s okay to make mistakes and encourages her to try to forgive herself and see what she can do to fix things. The final pages contains a sweet surprise, not resolving everything but offering hope of a better eighth grade year.

The author of Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All clearly has a Judy Blume-like memory for her early adolescence, and Luna’s story will have you cringing (perhaps with recognition) at all her terrible choices. While there are no doubt fifth graders who would enjoy this book, it is truly the perfect middle school story. The author’s doodles on many of the pages feel very middle schoolish as well. I loved the ending, particularly this teacher’s wise advice: “The life you make will be part effort, part chance; the combination is what makes it stunning.”

Superhero graphic novels

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Supa Nova by Chanté Timothy (Nosy Crow, 160 pages, grades 2-5). Inspired by her scientist parents, Nova has created a secret lab that she accesses through her bedroom. After learning about islands of plastic trash floating in the ocean, Nova sets out to create a plastic-eating creature. The key to success turns out to be her teenage sister’s discarded wad of gum, and before long Nova has made an adorable pink monster named Chomp. Unfortunately, Chomp has a voracious appetite for plastic and an unfortunate propensity to grow quickly when he eats. Soon he’s threatening to consume the entire town, and Nova has to act quickly–and to reluctantly call on her sister for help. The two of them find an ingenious solution, shrinking Chomp to a more manageable size and convincing the adults to find a home for him on one of those plastic islands. Includes an author’s note on the science behind the story, some drawing tips, and a preview of the next Nova book.

This cute story is a quick read and would be a good point of entry for beginning readers to try out a full-length graphic novel. Nova’s larger-than-life adventures bring to mind TV cartoons, with the science occasionally feeling a bit like a magic trick, but she’s a spunky and resourceful protagonist who serves as a good role model for girls (and boys) who are interested in science.

Sidekicks: Thick as Thieves by Dan Santat (Graphix, 208 pages, grades 3-7). I’m a little confused about this series: a book called Sidekicks by Dan Santat was published in 2011, but it looks like it was reissued as book 1 in a series last year. Book 2 is due to be released in the first week of 2026. When Scholastic offered to send me both books, I readily agreed, read both of them, and feel pretty sure this will be a hit series. The sidekicks are the pets of aging superhero Harry Blake, aka Captain Amazing. Each one has a superpower, but also a flaw or two, and part of the fun is watching both the people and the animals mess up.

In book 2, Harry and his older sister head off for a crochet convention as part of Harry’s attempt at retirement. While they’re away, chameleon Shifty’s older brother Whipley shows up. The two brothers were close at one point, but now the other pets–Manny the cat, Roscoe the dog, and Fluffy the hamster–are suspicious of Whipley’s intentions. Is he really there to reconnect with Shifty, or is he a spy working to bring down Captain Amazing? When Shifty leaves with Whipley, the other sidekicks go after him, and they wind up in an epic showdown right in the middle of the crochet convention. The good guys win for now, but readers are encouraged to stay tuned for two more upcoming installments. The fast-paced plot, constant humor, and Dan Santat’s incredible artwork will definitely appeal to fans of Dog Man and Bad Guys.

Two final 2025 chapter books

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How to Save an Otter (Wildlife Rescue book 1) by Kate Messner (Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 118 pages, grades 1-4). Ivy and her mother and brother are trained Critter Courier volunteers, so when they find an injured baby otter, they know just how to get her to the animal hospital. Over the next several days, Ivy’s time is taken up with working on an Earth Day project and keeping tabs on the young otter’s recovery. She’s been going through a tough time since her cousins, who were also her best friends, moved away, but as she shares her animal rescue experiences with the girls on the group project, she realizes she may be able to make new friends. By the end of the story, Ivy’s feeling a lot better about school, and she and her family are able to help out with reintroducing the otter to her natural habitat. Includes an author’s note about her own experiences volunteering and a wildlife hospital, tips for kids to help out with wildlife rescue, and a preview of the next book in the series, which was published at the same time.

Kate Messner can generally be counted on for enjoyable early chapter books that will engage newly independent readers. This one fits the bill: a series starters about relatable school problems and an adorable baby animal, with plenty of illustrations and a page count just under 100 (the rest is back matter and a preview of book 2). The main story starts and ends with chapters told from the otter’s perspective, giving kids hints as to the nature of her injury and what may have happened to her family, although it’s never definitively revealed.

Bad Cheerleader by Alex Thayer (Aladdin, 288 pages, grades 5-8). Margaret, or Bag for short, is dealing with a lot at home and at school: her parents are separated, her dad is struggling with addiction, and her older sister Miranda not only acts like she hates Bag, but seems to be hiding a secret or two as well. Bag has recently been diagnosed with dyslexia, and although she loves books, she’s a slow reader and struggles with her other school work. When her mom has to work late, Bag reluctantly agrees to join Miranda at cheerleading practice, hoping to find out more about what is going on with her sister. She immediately gets recruited as the squad’s equipment manager, and in a hilarious sequence of events, winds up leading cheers at a big basketball game. She eventually finds out what Miranda has been doing and why, which ultimately brings the two sisters closer as they realize they need each other’s support to get through their family’s tough times.

This book dealt with heavier issues than I was expecting from the title and cover, but it did so with a light touch and plenty of humor. Middle school readers will definitely relate to Bag’s struggles, and root for her as they get to know her quirky personality and determination.