Archives de catégorie : Middle Grade

THE LAST DRAGON HOUSE de Liv Mae Morris

A spellbinding middle-grade debut about a magical boarding house for dragons and the unlikely siblings destined to save it.

THE LAST DRAGON HOUSE
by Liv Mae Morris
Amulet/Abrams, May 2026

Siblings Olly and Jenny Atwood have never met a dragon―Olly doesn’t even think they’re real. But when the strange and brilliant Dr. Lady Abernathy offers Olly a job at her mysterious house, the Atwoods learn that these incredible beasts are very much alive―and they need help.

Dragons have been forced into hiding, and as caretakers of the Dragon House, Dr. Lady and Olly are the only protectors these magnificent creatures have left. But when evil forces conspire to poison Dr. Lady, Olly and his dragon friends find themselves locked in a race against time, political conspiracies…and one very large corgi. Can Olly recover the antidote before it’s too late? And can Jenny harness her stirring powers to keep Dr. Lady alive until then? Or could this be the end of the Dragon House―and dragons―as they know it?

THE LAST DRAGON HOUSE is a showstopping novel full of fast-paced, laugh-out-loud adventure and endearingly flawed characters. It’s also about how our seemingly impossible problems will ultimately be solved: Not by waiting for a Chosen One, but by banding together and sharing our unique strengths. Another word for those strengths? Magic.

Liv Mae Morris is a writer, bookseller, and professional dragon enthusiast. She was a 2022 Lambda Literary Fellow and a recipient of the Susan Kamil Scholarship for Emerging Writers. She grew up in Kentucky and now lives in Boston with her wife, two cats (Bo and Pawl Simon), a husky/chihuahua mix (Diana Wynne Bones), and a frankly irresponsible number of books.

LIONEL MESSI’S WORLD CUP TRIUMPH de Chris Barish & Nate Sweitzer

This thrilling new nonfiction graphic novel series offers a front row seat to the greatest moments in sports history, starting with Lionel Messi and his triumph in the 2022 FIFA World Cup against French superstar Kylian Mbappé.

LIONEL MESSI’S WORLD CUP TRIUMPH
(History’s Greatest Games #1)
by Chris Barish
illustrated By Nate Sweitzer
Abrams Fanfare, March 2026

Age Range: 8 – 12

It’s the 2022 FIFA World Cup final, and Lionel Messi—one of the greatest players to ever take the field—is one match away from victory. Despite his many awards and accolades, Messi has never been able to add a World Cup trophy to his collection. If Argentina wins, this would be a historic moment not just for the country, but for the entire legacy of soccer on the international stage. Travel back in time to learn how the World Cup began and see the incredible players—from Maradona to Mbappé—who built it into the global phenomenon we know today. 

This exciting new graphic novel series offers a portal to the past, putting young readers in the middle of the most epic moments in sports history. Along with action-packed games and nail-biting victories, this series zooms out to explore the incredible backstories, social and political issues, and larger historical context that truly make these games the greatest in history.

This will be the first graphic novel to tell his incredible story for middle-grade readers. Along with play-by-play scenes from actual games, Chris Barish expertly adds trivia, fun facts, and historical context that soccer fans will love.

When Chris Barish is not reading about sports or history, he’s writing about sports history. Much like the first person who ever put together the chocolate and the marshmallow, he realized that it was possible to combine his two favorite things to make an even cooler thing. Barish currently lives in New York with his family, in a house filled with sports gear, books, instruments and lots of muddy boots. 

Nate Sweitzer became an illustrator shortly after he could hold a pencil. His work bridges the past and present, blending techniques from art history with fresh approaches from the digital world. He brings human stories to life with dynamic illustrations full of action, suspense, and striking perspectives. A lifelong fan of history and sports, Nate draws inspiration from the drama of real-life events and athletes competing at the highest level. He works out of his studio in New York, creating artwork for books, magazines, and posters. When he’s away from his desk, you’ll likely find him exploring the outdoors, watching sports, or stubbornly refusing to change his guitar strings.

WHISKED AWAY de Shaina A. Cordas

A whimsical middle-grade cosy fantasy perfect for those who are glued to their screens every Bake Off season.

WHISKED AWAY
by Shaina A. Cordas
(via Zeno)

On an island kingdom, where sugar is currency, twelve-year-old Sundae secretly enters a life changing baking competition with a stolen thimble of sugar and her best friend, Basil the ferret, hidden in her pocket. Of course, entering the competition breaks her father’s only rule: no baking, no matter what! But Sundae is determined to change his mind about her greatest passion, and is determined to win the competition and its prize—an endless sugar fortune.

Sundae brings a secret talent to the baking competition; the ability to weave the stories she loves into her recipes. As the contest picks up speed, Sundae is forced to bake at new and dizzying heights as she keeps her secret, even from friends that begin to feel like family. As the final draws closer Sundae finds herself facing her greatest rival—the kingdom’s reclusive prince.

But when Sundae discovers that this year’s winner will also be named heir apparent to the realm, the competition becomes more than the chance to win her fortune. Sundae isn’t sure that she wants to rule, especially now that she’s discovered a wide world outside her little village.

Shaina a. Cordas is a middle grade and young adult fantasy author dedicated to whimsy and adventure. Shaina made the 2025 RevPit shortlist, and won the 2020 Story Pony flash fiction contest. Her writing has appeared in the Rejection Letters literary magazine. She has a degree in Biology and English, which she’s used in grant-writing and fundraising for nonprofits.

FORBIDDEN MOUTAIN de Brandon Mull

Choose your guardian. Choose your destiny. From the #1 bestselling author of the Fablehaven and Beyonders series comes an epic new fantasy set in a world where children bond with a spiritual guide—some promising greatness and glory, while others, destruction and death.

FORBIDDEN MOUTAIN
by Brandon Mull
Labyrinth Road/Random House, April 2026
(via Writers House)

Every Anoran child dreams of the day they will enter the sacred bonding hut and match with a guardian—a spiritual guide who grants magically enhanced abilities. A lucky few will bond with Advocates, who promise greatness and glory. Others will be tempted by forbidden offers from the Accursed—dangerous spirits who bring nothing but destruction and a penalty of death to any Anoran who chooses them. But when Mako discovers that the worst of these agents of chaos has returned to spread an ancient evil through the empire, he faces an unthinkable choice: Will he bond with one of the Accursed to gain the power to stop another?

Halfway across the empire, Arden has no guardian and no prospects of adventure…until she infiltrates an underground criminal network to find her missing friend. Relying on her knack for sensing the truth through even the smoothest lies, Arden finds herself at the center of a sinister conspiracy that runs much deeper than she ever imagined.

Soon Mako’s and Arden’s fates collide, and together they must face bandit armies, dark secrets, and untold dangers to fight an enemy who could destroy all they’ve ever known.

Brandon Mull no longer lives on the side of a mountain above a prison. He now resides in a happy little valley near the mouth of a canyon with his wife and three children. Since the arrival of his new daughter, he is more the golem of the household than ever, following whatever orders trickle down the chain of command. Brandon is the author of the New York Times bestselling Fablehaven books and The Candy Shop War.

CREEPY KID de Caleb Michael Roehrig

It’s one thing to see ghosts—it’s another to have one for a roommate. This hilariously creepy page-turner features a macabre-obsessed kid who moves into a haunted house only to find that communing with the other side might be a little more than he bargained for. It’s a heartfelt but snappy exploration of grief, moving on, and finding one’s place in the world, developed in conjunction with the hit-making movie production studio, Temple Hill.

CREEPY KID
by Caleb Michael Roehrig
HarperCollins Children’s Books, August 2026

Creepy Kid is a heartfelt, spooky-funny middle grade novel developed in conjunction with the hit-making powerhouse Temple Hill Productions that’s sure to make you laugh, jump in fright, cry, then jump in fright again.

LIGHT HORROR: As spooky stories continue to be winners in the middle grade marketplace, Creepy Kid is perfectly positioned to be a breakout in the genre – not too scary, but with just enough creepy spooks to keep readers on the edge of their seats!

DEALING WITH GRIEF: Poe, our main character, begins the book with the loss of his grandmother, and struggles throughout with his grief. Readers will be able to sympathize with Poe, and relate to his emotions, as he processes this major life event.

OPTIONED BY TEMPLE HILL: Developed in conjunction with the production company Temple Hill, Creepy Kid has potential to hit the big screen!

RELATABLE NARRATOR: With his dry, whip-smart humor and oddball personality, Poe will immediately appeal to readers who feel like they’ve never quite found their footing in middle school.

Originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan, Caleb Roehrig grew up with a healthy fixation on ghosts, witches, and all things spooky. A former actor and television producer, he’s done a lot of wacky things to earn a paycheck, and sometimes they even turn up in his books.