Archives de catégorie : Middle Grade

THE FLYING HORSE de Sarah Maslin Nir & Laylie Frazier

From author of the memoir Horse Crazy, the first in a series of fictional middle-grade novels inspired by real horses and the people who love them.

THE FLYING HORSE
(Once Upon a Horse Book 1)
by Sarah Maslin Nir
illustrated by Laylie Frazier
Cameron Kids/Abrams, March 2023

Trendsetter is a horse destined to fly—in more ways than one. Sarah is a horse-loving seventh grader who has a secret and a fear of losing the one thing she loves most in the world. Separated by an ocean, a horse and a girl’s parallel struggles to be their best include lots of luck and grit, some stubbornness, and a few failures. It is only when they find each other that the two kindred spirits find themselves. Together they learn that what’s important in life isn’t greatness—it’s being great at being you. Inspired by a real horse and a real girl, THE FLYING HORSE will make horse-lovers’ hearts soar.

Sarah Maslin Nir is a Pulitzer Prize–nominated New York Times reporter and the author of Horse Crazy: The Story of a Woman and a World in Love with an Animal. This is her first book with Cameron Kids.
Laylie Frazier is a fine artist and illustrator inspired by the natural world. And while she doesn’t ride horses, she loves to illustrate them. Frazier lives in Houston, Texas.

KRAZYLAND de Mar Romasco-Moore

In this scary story for fans of Neil Gaiman, The Last Kids on Earth, and Goosebumps, the only way out is krazier than you could ever imagine…

KRAZYLAND
by Mar Romasco-Moore
Delacorte, September 2022
(via Dystel, Goderich & Bourret)

Nathan used to be terrified of Krazyland when he was a young kid. Now that he’s 12, the spooky-themed arcade games aren’t that bad. He even enjoys stomping on plastic spiders and battling a creepy doll with big plastic eyes. But things become scarier again when kids start to go missing from the entertainment park…
There’s another world exists beneath Kraztown’s ball pit. A world where the entertainment park’s games come to life. And if he isn’t careful, Nathan is going to be the next one sucked under!

Mar Romasco Moore is the author of the novels I Am the Ghost in Your House and Some Kind of Animal, as well as Ghostographs, an interconnected collection of flash fiction inspired by vintage photographs. Her stories have appeared or are forthcoming in Lightspeed, Fireside, DIAGRAM, Hobart, Interfictions, Kaleidotrope, Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet, and the anthology Women Destroy Science Fiction. She is a graduate of the Clarion West Writer’s Workshop and has an MFA from Southern Illinois University. She teaches writing at Columbus College of Art and Design.

PAWS #2: MINDY MAKES SOME SPACE de Nathan Fairbairn & Michele Assarasakorn

Are you a fan of Raina Telgemeier or Shannon Hale? Then you won’t want to miss the second book in this graphic novel series that’s the Baby-Sitters Club for pets! Your favorite dog-walkers are back with even more cute animals—and even more friendship and family drama—in this funny and heartwarming story perfect for fans of Real Friends, Roller Girl, and Allergic!

PAWS #2: MINDY MAKES SOME SPACE
by Nathan Fairbairn
illustrated by Michele Assarasakorn
Razorbill/ Penguin Young Readers, November 2022

Best friends Mindy Park, Gabby Jordan, and Priya Gupta are back in business! After a few ups and downs, their dog-walking business is booming and the girls are closer than ever. It’s a dream come true!
But for Mindy, things at home are beginning to feel like a bit of a nightmare. Her mom just started dating someone, which has Mindy feeling like the odd one out. For as long as she can remember, it’s been just the two of them and she doesn’t want that to change. (So what if her mom’s boyfriend has a cute pet cat, and all of Mindy’s friends seem to think he’s pretty cool?)
And things only get worse when a new student named Hazel arrives in class and seems totally into joining PAWS. Sharing her mom feels bad enough, so there’s no way Mindy’s is going to share her best friends and her business, too! But when Mindy’s stubbornness starts to hurt everyone around her, will she be able to overcome her fears and learn that change doesn’t have to be a cat-tastrophe?

“Reminiscent of Ann M. Martin’s The Baby-Sitters Club, this series starter will be a surefire hit with Raina Telgemeier fans and any reader seeking a solid friendship story. Laugh-out-loud funny and full of heart.” —School Library Journal, starred review ★

“The story is refreshingly inclusive in its depiction of its distinctive characters and their families, offering a reflection of the world that many readers will find familiar. With expressive faces and body language, the artwork poignantly emphasizes the ups and downs of the girls’ experiences. This truly heartwarming story about friendship (and lots and lots of dogs) is a great choice for fans of Raina Telgemeier and Shannon Hale.” —Booklist

« What’s a bigger, tougher balance of fun and responsibility than animals? Friends, maybe. And I was really rooting for the three girls from PAWS as they struggled to navigate both. I liked this book a lot! » —Dana Simpson, New York Times bestselling creator of the Phoebe and Her Unicorn series

Nathan Fairbairn is a New York Times bestselling and Eisner-nominated creator who has worked as a colorist for such iconic characters as Spider-Man, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Scott Pilgrim. He’s also co-creator, writer, and colorist of the graphic novel Lake of Fire. He started writing PAWS, his middle-grade debut, as a way to share his passion for comics and storytelling with his daughter. Nathan lives with his family in Vancouver.
Michele Assarasakorn (also known as MSASSYK) is colorist who worked on comic series such as Eisner-nominated Isola, Gotham Academy, and the Magnificent Ms. Marvel. Originally from Bangkok, Thailand, Michele now calls Vancouver home but also likes to travel the world working remotely as an artist.

HELLAWEEN de Moss Lawton

The first in a new middle-grade graphic novel series, featuring over-the-top action and excitement—and a superpower all kids dream of having.

HELLAWEEN
by Moss Lawton
Razorbill/ Penguin Young Readers, August 2023

Learning to become a witch can be difficult. Luckily, Gwen has Sloane (a werewolf) and Miles (a vampire). Except they’re not from this world… they’re from the Hallowlands, a realm with monsters. With the help of a new wand and a grimoire, Gwen’s hoping her friends will see that she’s ready to return with them to the Hallowlands. But Gwen hadn’t counted on running into Hiro, a local kid who’s just a little too obsessed with monster-hunting, and his mission to rid his town of evil.

Moss Lawton is a combination Dracula/Storyboard and Comic artist from the Bay Area, based in Los Angeles. Since graduating from San Jose State they have worked at major studios such as Netflix, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Warner Animation Group, Disney TV and Dreamworks TV. Moss has also worked on projects such as Monsters at Work, Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans and LEGO Movie 2.

THE YEAR LIFE WENT DOWN THE TOILET de Jake Maia Arlow

A hilariously honest book about surviving middle school while navigating a chronic illness from the Stonewall Honor-winning author of Almost Flying. When Al is diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, she thinks her life is over, but then she joins a support group for other middle schoolers with IBD. Her new friends help her navigate life in seventh grade.

THE YEAR LIFE WENT DOWN THE TOILET
by Jake Maia Arlow
Dial/ Penguin Young Readers, August 2023

Twelve-year-old Al Schneider is too scared to talk about the two biggest things in her life:
1. Her stomach hurts all the time and she has no idea why.
2. She’s almost definitely 100% sure she likes girls.
So she holds it in…until she can’t. After nearly having an accident of the lavatorial variety in gym class, Al finds herself getting a colonoscopy and an answer—she has Crohn’s disease.
But rather than solving all her problems, Al’s diagnosis just makes everything worse. It’s scary and embarrassing. And worst of all, everyone wants her to talk about it—her overprotective mom, her best friend, and most annoyingly her gastroenterologist, who keeps trying to get her to go to a support group for kids with similar chronic illnesses. But, who wants to talk about what you do in the bathroom?
The Year My Life Went Down the Toilet is a wildly funny and honest story about finding community, telling the truth even when it’s hard, and the many indignities of middle school life.

Jake Maia Arlow is a podcast producer, writer, and bagel connoisseur. She studied evolutionary biology and creative writing (not as different as you might think) at Barnard College. They live with their girlfriend and their loud cat in the Pacific Northwest.