
MY FINE FELLOW by Jennieke Cohen
I featured Jennieke Cohen's previous book back in 2020, and when I heard she had a new one, I had reach out to her again. MY FINE FELLOW offers a gender-flipped spin on My Fair Lady with some added delectable foods interspersed throughout:
Helena…

EVERYTHING WITHIN AND IN BETWEEN by Nikki Barthelmess
I received an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of EVERYTHING WITHIN AND IN BETWEEN by Nikki Barthelmess, and as soon as I started reading, I fell in love with the main character, Ri. This story offers such a great lens into a mixed heritage Latine…

DEAR STUDENT by Elly Swartz
I received an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of this book on NetGalley, and it was such an engaging read! Elly Swartz does a great job at capturing what it's like to have social anxiety and changing friendships in middle school, with the extra-fun…

RUN, LITTLE CHASKI by Mariana Llanos
When I came across this beautifully illustrated book about a royal messenger in the ancient Inka Empire, I knew it belonged on any and every library shelf. It offers a wonderful opportunity for children to learn about history and a unique ancient…

DREAMS LIE BENEATH by Rebecca Ross
I've had the privilege of interviewing Rebecca Ross about her Queen's Rising series, as well as about her book SISTERS OF SWORD AND SONG. Her newest YA novel, DREAMS LIE BENEATH, came out on November 2, 2021:
A curse plagues the…

JADIE IN FIVE DIMENSIONS by Dianne K. Salerni
I first interviewed Dianne K. Salerni back in 2016 about her Young Adult title The Caged Graves. When I first saw her newest Middle Grade book, JADIE IN FIVE DIMENSIONS, I completely fell in love with the premise. Have a look:
Jadie…

LOLA BENKO, TREASURE HUNTER: THE MIDNIGHT MARKET by Beth McMullen
I was lucky to feature Beth McMullen's Mrs. Smith's Spy School for Girls series back in 2019. Her new series, starting with LOLA BENKO, TREASURE HUNTER and now its follow-up LOLA BENKO, TREASURE HUNTER: THE MIDNIGHT MARKET, promises to deliver…

THE PLENTIFUL DARKNESS by Heather Kassner
I saw a post about THE PLENTIFUL DARKNESS by Heather Kassner on Twitter and completely fell in love with the cover. Even though it came out in August, this spine-chilling middle grade novel is perfect for Halloween:
In order to…

KEEPING IT REAL by Paula Chase
Paula Chase writes both teen and upper middle grade books that offer a glimpse into what tween and teen life is really like. Her latest novel, KEEPING IT REAL, comes out on October 19, 2021. It stars Marigold, the only Black kid at her fancy…

PARTLY CLOUDY by Tanita S. Davis
Tanita S. Davis is an award-winning children's author, and any library would be lucky to have her books in their collection. Her latest novel, PARTLY CLOUDY, offers a nuanced exploration of middle school through the eyes of a young Black girl…
