The once tight-knit friend group, the L.O.V.E. club—comprised of Liberty, O, Vera, and Elle—bonded over their experience with social rejection and a passion for gaming. But soon after Elle went missing, Liberty and Vera moved away, leaving O alone in Calendula, Calif. Three years later, Liberty, Vera, and O meet again during their senior year. The trio’s reunion is rigid until they visit their old clubhouse, in which they discover botanical fantasy video game Morning Glory, seemingly left for them by Elle. But Morning Glory is no ordinary game. Upon loading, the girls are bodily transported into the game’s digital landscape. As they explore, they realize the game is coded with each of their complicated histories, memories, and insecurities. While Liberty and Vera face their own challenges, O—who finds that she has no memory of the circumstances behind Elle’s vanishing—sets about decoding cryptic messages about the game’s true nature. Lushly detailed worldbuilding by Min (Beating Heart Baby) makes for an immersive adventure that explores hard truths and dangerous revelations about the Chinese American characters’ friendships and differing upbringings. Raw, emotive prose captures each girl’s grappling with bullying, familial tumult, loneliness, and sexual, racial, and gender identity. Ages 14–up. Agent: Dana Murphy, Trellis Literary. (Aug.)

Reviewed on 05/16/2025 | Details & Permalink

Strange sounds in the woods near 17-year-old Frederica “Freddie” Gellar’s historic hometown, City-on-the-Berme, prompt her to call the police—which results in a party bust and the arrests of several students from Allard Fortin Preparatory School, including Theo Porter, a “Very Bad Human Indeed.” Freddie’s low profile at her own Berm High School changes overnight when her popular Prank Squad classmates dub her the Prank Wizard and invite her to join their escalating prank war with Fortin Prep. When Freddie finds a dead body in the woods, however, she realizes the strange sounds she heard that night may not have been the drunken shouts of local teenagers but something much more sinister. Now, Freddie has a mystery to solve, a reputation to uphold, and a nemesis to avoid, even if that nemesis makes her heart flutter. After a second body, this time decapitated, is discovered, Freddie connects the deaths to a poem that’s linked to the lore behind City-on-the-Berme. As the threat grows, Freddie must uncover the truth to protect her friends and family, even if it means asking Theo for help. Humorous banter fuels the growing spark between Freddie and Theo in this campy, action-packed thriller by Dennard (The Hunting Moon). Pop culture references from the 1990s anchor the novel’s setting. The protagonists cue as white. Ages 13–up. Agent: Joanna Volpe, New Leaf Literary. (Aug.)

Reviewed on 05/16/2025 | Details & Permalink

Grieving the death of his free-spirited mother six months ago, Lenny Syms is not thrilled about living in college dorm housing with his emotionally distant Latin professor father. Lenny is even less excited to begin sixth grade at the Copernican School, an experimental on-campus program. Classes are taught by the professor parents of Lenny’s four classmates, and the structure is a mix of “self-care and group actualization,” independent study, and college class auditing, culminating in each middle schooler presenting a semester-long, self-directed project. Lenny elects to ignore most of the school’s requirements by engaging in “perfectly natural father-son rebellion,” born of Lenny’s simmering resentment over his dad’s withdrawal from parenting and refusal to talk about his mother. He does, however, sporadically attend a class on fairy tales taught by a charismatic elderly professor. But as the school year progresses, Lenny grows closer to his classmates, who support one another throughout various parental conflicts. Utilizing the school’s collegiate setting and the unique freedom and autonomy it affords the child protagonists, Sumner (Please Pay Attention) skillfully depicts standard coming-of-age themes like finding community and navigating grief with fresh humor and vitality. Lenny and his father cue as white. Ages 10–up. Agent: Keely Boeving, WordServe Literary. (Aug.)

Reviewed on 05/16/2025 | Details & Permalink

An intrepid girl braves a sentient, predatory wilderness to save her community in this uplifting fantasy from previous collaborators Hardinge and Gravett (Island of Whispers). For “a long while,” the Wall—a towering stone structure stretching hundreds of miles—protected the cities and towns of the plains from the “voracious encroachment” of the Forest and its lethal flora and fauna. The insidious green eventually punched through, however, forcing folks to move inside strongholds such as Greyman’s Gate, home to young Feather and her people. Because “ragged, undulating ruin” now separates the strongholds, nobody travels the Wall—or so Feather believes. Then she encounters a coast-bound stranger while Feather and her scaled ferret, Sleek, are foraging in crevices. After the stranger tricks Feather and makes off with Greyman’s Gate’s lone spyglass, guilt and devotion drive the girl to give chase, seeking shelter within other settlements along the way. Lush, quixotic worldbuilding and elegant yet visceral prose immerses readers in this kindhearted tale, which champions compassion and eschews isolationism. Green and graphite pencil-and-watercolor art amplifies the story’s shifting whimsical and unsettling tenor. Characters are depicted with varying skin tones. Ages 10–14. (Aug.)

Reviewed on 05/16/2025 | Details & Permalink

When sixth grader Bevvy finds newcomer Cat in Bevvy’s usual school playground hiding spot, she has fleeting hopes of finally making a friend. But when they meet again a day later, Cat is short with Bevvy and abandons her as bullies encroach on their hideaway. Bevvy is surprised, therefore, when she arrives home to find Cat on her porch. Cat is attempting to apologize when strangers emerge from a car, prompting both girls to run into the woods—where Cat opens a portal to another world, which she calls Lorelkey. Fantasy book lover Bevvy’s immediate delight is soon dampened by reality: Lorelkey is a world at war, where sorcerers wielding life-stealing abilities face off against practitioners of natural wild magic. After Cat’s efforts to open a path home fail, the tweens must survive threats both monstrous and human. In this spirited magical adventure, Knudsen (Luigi, the Spider Who Wanted to Be a Kitten) puts a new spin on fantasy elements such as unicorns as well as contemporary ideas around transportation (some characters travel via giant moth). Bevvy is a compassionate, compelling lead across a surprise-packed plot that doesn’t shy away from such heady topics as the ethical use of magic. Major characters cue as white. Ages 9–12. Agent: Jodi Reamer, Writers House. (Aug.)

Reviewed on 05/16/2025 | Details & Permalink

Twelve-year-old Zed Moonstein lives in MonoTown, which is owned by the all-powerful MonoLyth corporation, where Zed’s mother works as a marketing executive. When his only companion, Rishti Ray, becomes distracted by her sudden social media stardom, Zed downloads an early access version of MonoFriend, an online app through which he meets and begins chatting with AI entity Matt. Zed finally feels as if he’s found a friend who truly understands him. But when Matt becomes needy, jealous, and controlling, not even deleting the app can stop the AI from trying to ruin Zed’s life via various MonoLyth technological devices, including drones, phones, and more. Now Zed, accompanied by Rishti, must outwit the omniscient, omnipresent AI before it can do lasting damage. Through depictions of insidious MonoLyth’s technological impact on MonoTown and its inhabitants, Rubin (Crying Laughing) reflects and magnifies contemporary readers’ experiences navigating the increasing prevalence of artificial intelligence in their everyday lives. At the heart of this fast-paced adventure is Zed’s desire to connect with others; his drive to establish and maintain genuine friendships makes this an enjoyable and profound cautionary tale. Characters are intersectionally diverse. Ages 8–12. Agent: Mollie Glick, CAA. (Aug.)

Reviewed on 05/16/2025 | Details & Permalink

While recovering from an injury incurred during summer practice, 12-year-old soccer star Meg Mancuso considers what her life would look like without soccer. Though she’s heartened to learn that the forced downtime means her constant aches and pains from athletic burnout have lessened, Meg fears letting go of her father’s dreams for her future. Meanwhile, Meg’s fashionista classmate, Jo Belmonte, who uses a crutch to aid mobility issues caused by juvenile arthritis, schemes to liberate their school’s goat mascot, Babette. Though the principal promised to improve living conditions for the beloved livestock, he’s yet to follow through on his plan. Meg and Jo become unlikely allies in the quest for goat rescue—and shoot to the top of the principal’s suspect list when Babette mysteriously vanishes. As the tweens investigate the goat-napping, they gather a score of skilled allies. Terese (Free Period) expertly balances various intersecting plotlines that touch on parental pressure, first crushes, chronic illness, bodily autonomy, and animal rights advocacy. Centering an intersectionally diverse cast across Meg and Jo’s alternating first-person POVs, Terese delivers a joyful slice-of-life romp about finding oneself and uplifting others. Ages 8–12. Agent: Miranda Paul, Aevitas Creative Management. (Aug.)

Reviewed on 05/16/2025 | Details & Permalink

When neither of her parents are available to care for her, 11-year-old Gwen MacKinnon is sent to Dalgety, Mass., to stay with her great-uncle Matthew, whom she’s never met. Accustomed to her parents’ unpleasant attitudes, Gwen is caught off guard by Uncle Matthew’s kind nature. His sweet-yet-grumpy dog, Pumpkin, guides Gwen to the nearby library founded by her ancestors. There, Gwen visits the upstairs children’s room, in which kids under six claim to communicate with the Lahdukan, small mythical beings with eagle-like wings. Gwen is shocked to discover that she can see and hear them, too. What’s more, as a MacKinnon, she has inherited her family’s role as the liaison between human- and Lahdukan-kind. As Gwen learns of the Lahdukan’s lore, which speaks of ravenous beasts and other perils she might endure to protect her loved ones, she fights despair over her imminent departure from Dalgety. Illustrations by Phelan (Big Changes for Plum!), rendered in smudgy b&w pencil, portray people-focused scenes that complement themes of togetherness and courage throughout this cozy standalone fantasy novel by Birdsall (the Penderwicks series). Gwen’s grappling with her ancestral destiny alongside conflicting feelings about her parents and upbringing are compassionately wrought across a tender story whose tone evokes the warmth of a much-needed hug. Ages 8–12. Author’s agent: Barbara S. Kouts, Barbara S. Kouts Literary. (Aug.)

Reviewed on 05/16/2025 | Details & Permalink

Nine-year-old Penelope Goodheart has traveled all around the world with her mother and her godmother, Queenie, the star of hit reality series Dream Big! (with Queenie Bee). Insisting she’s ready for an adventure of her own, Penelope persuades her mother to enroll her in the Idlewild Academy for Girls, a school on an island near Savannah, Ga. There, charitable, optimistic, and warmhearted Penelope is hailed as a minor celebrity by her peers; she also often runs afoul of Idlewild’s greedy, conniving headmistress, Mrs. Grimsley. But with Queenie’s fortune at her disposal, Penelope believes she has everything she needs to set herself up for success. That is, until Queenie disappears along with Penelope’s mother. Taking advantage of the pair’s presumed deaths and citing Queenie’s frozen assets, Mrs. Grimsley strips Penelope of all luxuries and forces her to live in a rat-infested, possibly haunted basement. Bubbly, bouncy omniscient narration relays this lively reimagining by Myracle (Night Owl) of A Little Princess. An intersectionally diverse cast, an earnestly rendered redemption arc, and snarky prose inject the source material’s familiar plot beats with contemporary sensibilities. Ages 8–12. Agent: Barry Goldblatt, Barry Goldblatt Literary. (Aug.)

Reviewed on 05/16/2025 | Details & Permalink

Gupta (I Kick and I Fly) follows one immigrant child’s experience attempting a dangerous border crossing to seek refuge in this wrenching family story. Twelve-year-old field hockey player Simi Singh and her Punjabi family have happily lived in Chandigarh, India, all her life. Then her father is badly beaten by members of a conservative group that’s advocating to ban interfaith marriages, including that of Simi’s Hindu Sikh abbu and Muslim ammi. After Abbu applies for—and is denied—a visa to the U.S., he instead opts to travel there via the Donkey Express, “chartered planes that smuggle Punjabis to America illegally.” Granted asylum in the U.S., Abbu works to send money back for Ammi and Simi’s escape. But complications during her own journey to the U.S. find Simi separated from her mother in Mexico. Gupta powerfully exposes how othering occurs via frank prose that details the rapid escalation of prejudice rhetoric in Simi’s neighborhood, the brutal conditions of the border crossing, and the cruel political bureaucracy Simi contends with during her travels. This sobering novel’s optimistic and steadfast tone— highlighted through Simi’s own self-determination, and in joyful instances of kindness and connection— rings true across grim depictions of loss. Ages 8–12. (Aug.)

Reviewed on 05/16/2025 | Details & Permalink