Archives de catégorie : Middle Grade

THE HOUSE OF FOUND OBJECTS de Jo Beckett-King

For fans of The Swifts and The Strangers comes an exciting mystery filled with cryptic clues and wonderful word puzzles as Bea and her cousin Celine must locate their grandmother’s precious painting and the mysterious individual leading them from clue to clue.

THE HOUSE OF FOUND OBJECTS
(Bea Bellerose, Book 1)
by Jo Beckett-King
Simon & Schuster BYR, August 2025
(via DeFiore and Company)

THE HOUSE OF FOUND OBJECTS introduces a great new middle-grade detective, in the tradition of Enola Holmes and Flavia DeLuce but entirely contemporary.

Twelve-year-old Bea is visiting family in Paris for the summer when her grandmother’s most precious heirloom—a drawing by Henri Matisse—goes missing. After a clue arrives on Bea’s doorstep suggesting its whereabouts, Bea is determined to pursue the lead. From the first page, readers are immersed in the quaint and cozy Parisian setting and her grandmother’s quirky antique store.

Without the French skills to navigate her way around the landmarks of Paris, she teams up with her cousin, Céline, whose clear-eyed French directness makes her a perfect partner for curious, problem-solving Bea. The girls embark on a city-wide search, deciphering riddles, solving puzzles, and cracking codes as they try to locate the Matisse and catch a thief.

In Book Two, the cousins will reunite in New York to catch a thief whose celebrity jewel heist has cast suspicion on the girls’ aunt Juliette.

Originally from the North East of England, Jo Beckett-King studied Art History at the University of York before moving to Paris, where she worked for several years, honing her skills as a translator. Her writing for children and adults has been longlisted for the Bath Children’s Novel Award and the Bristol Short Story Prize, and shortlisted for the Bridport Prize. She currently lives in San Francisco.

ELLA PORTER, TELEPORTER de Dori Hillestad Butler

Bestselling author Dori Hillestad Butler brings teleportation to life in her new middle-grade series.

ELLA PORTER, TELEPORTER
by Dori Butler
Aladdin/Simon & Schuster, TBD 2025
(via JABberwocky)

Meet spunky nine-year-old named Ella, who lives with her mother after her father died when she was young. Ella never met a rule she didn’t want to break. Her favorite thing is to do secret acts of random kindness with her best friend, Manny.

One day Ella meets her dad’s uncle Geoff and learns a family secret. Some people on her dad’s side of the family can teleport. Ella has part of the family mark—a dot on one of her pinkie toes. Ella can’t teleport at first, but if she develops the ability, she and her mother are to alert Great Uncle Geoff immediately and he will train her properly at his home.

Great Uncle Geoff lives alone at a lighthouse on a rock in the middle of the ocean. Ella is intrigued by the idea of teleportation, but the last thing she wants to do is go live with a stranger in the middle of nowhere. So when Ella discovers she can indeed teleport, she doesn’t tell anyone other than Manny. She decides she doesn’t need to be trained. She’s doing just fine figuring things out on her own. And by being able to teleport, she and Manny can now do even bigger secret acts of random kindness than they were ever able to before.

But teleportation doesn’t always work the way Ella wants or expects it to. She doesn’t always feel so good after teleporting. She doesn’t always end up exactly where she thinks she will. And sometimes it doesn’t even work. She’s also been almost caught teleporting. More than once.

When Ella is finally caught teleporting by her mother, she must admit the truth about her powers and learn how to use them properly.

Dori Hillestad Butler has published magazine stories, educational materials, plays, book reviews, characters for a board game, and over sixty children’s books. A two-time Geisel Honor Book winner for King & Kayla and the Case of the Missing Dog Treats and King & Kayla and the Case of the Lost Tooth, she has also been nominated for children’s choice awards in nineteen different states and won the 2011 Edgar Award for the best juvenile mystery for Buddy Files: Case of the Lost Boy. She lives in Washington.

ÀKÀNNÍ de Jessica Tagbajumi

Àkànní, a young warrior in training, and a team of unlikely-heroes-turned-friends set out to uncover a conspiracy that threatens their entire solar system—and challenges everything Àkànní’s grown up believing. An adventure-packed African space opera perfect for fans of Star Wars and Iwájú on Disney+!

ÀKÀNNÍ
created by Jessica Tagbajumi
illustrated by Jason Lamy, Obaseun Ogunkeye & Etubi Onuchyo
Kugali Ink/Disney, Fall 2025
(via Writers House)

All her life, Àkànní has dreamed of being an onija—brave in the face of danger, strong in the face of opposition, and honourable in the face of injustice. And as a student at the prestigious Onija Institute, she’s on her way to becoming part of the elite force that defends her solar system.

But when a surprise attack decimates her home planet and the government refuses to respond, Àkànní no longer knows who to trust. She rushes home to Asa to search for survivors—and there meets a misfit group of rebels seeking answers.

When they discover evidence that the attack on Asa was just the beginning, it’s up to Àkànní and her new friends to open the eyes of those in power to the real threat of war.

Author: Jessica Tagbajumi

For Jessica Tagbajumi, writing was an imaginative expression—a creative escape from the chaos around her as a teenager. In 2015, Jessica started her blog to practice her writing, but she would not post any of her stories until 2017, when she realized that there was nothing to be ashamed of—that her writing was enough for her. In July 2019, she published her first novel, Wings of the Night Sky, an African fantasy novel for young adults, showing them they are bigger than their fears. That was just the start for Jessica. She has published novellas, anthologies, and comics. Jessica is enthusiastic about writing more novellas and collaborating with more writers. She is not afraid of expressing her imagination on paper. The characters and stories in her head always come to life in a way that has you awed by the myriad of possibilities. Read more on her website: jessicatagbajumi.com.

Illustrator: Jason Lamy, colors by Obaseun ‘godofiron’ Ogunkeye & Etubi Onucheyo

Jason Lamy (penciller, inker) is a Zimbabwean-born UK artist. Having grown up in Zimbabwe, Jason discovered Japanese manga and anime and immediately fell in love. Ever since then, Jason has worked tirelessly to realize his dream of becoming an artist, and now his work speaks for itself. Over the course of his time with Kugali he has learned to incorporate various African art styles into his work, and works tirelessly to ensure that every visual representation of African culture within his work is as accurate and as well-informed as it can be. He is the chief designer and illustrator at Kugali who has worked as the inker and colorist for the Nommo Award-Nominated graphic novel Nani, as well as Kokou and Murenga.

Obaseun ‘godofiron’ Ogunkeye (colorist) is a British-Nigerian who has been a professional illustrator for over a decade. He has a great love and passion for animation, videogames, books and comics, finding joy in creating art that might inspire other people in the way he himself has been inspired by the creatives whose works he was lucky enough to watch, play, and read during his childhood. This love eventually drove Ogunkeye to further hone his craft as a self-taught visual artist, exploring the mediums of animation, tabletop games and graphic novels. His experiences have allowed him to apply unique perspectives and dimensions to the creative fields he currently works in.

Etubi Onucheyo (colorist) is a visual artist, a product of Nsukka Art School. He has practiced professionally for a decade through digital and traditional paintings (acrylic on canvas). His portfolio dips into both the entertainment industry and surrealist figurative painting.

About Kugali: With authenticity and creativity at its heart, Kugali is an African-owned and operated storytelling collective spearheading Africa’s modern emergence into the AAA media landscape. Founded in 2017 by Tolu Olowofoyeku, Olufikayo Adeola and Hamid Ibrahim with the purpose of taking African stories to the world, Kugali Media has paved the way for a generation of new African storytellers to find their voices in graphic novels. Their most notable achievements include record-breaking crowdfunding campaigns, a slew of award-winning graphic novels and their Disney+ series in collaboration with Disney Animation, Iwájú. You can read more about them on their website: https://kugali.com/.

RUNELESS de Bill Masuku

In a world in which magical runes determine a person’s fate, runeless best friends find themselves on opposite sides of an epic fight for justice. For fans of Amulet and Avatar: The Last Airbender, a sweeping tale of friendship and power set in an Africa-inspired fantasy world.

RUNELESS
created by Bill Masuku
illustrated by Daniel Quartey, Mario Cau & Barlo Moreira
Kugali Ink/Disney, Fall 2025
(via Writers House)

In the wealthy city of Dura, a person’s fate is determined by the magical runes they’re born with. And Fungai and Ngoni, both born without runes, have nothing—except each other.

But when a mysterious, hooded figure known as the Vagabond offers to magically grant them runes, the boys see their chance for a normal life . . . though it comes at a terrible cost. For the first time ever, Fungai and Ngoni disagree—and their choices change everything, pitting them against each other in a bitter fight for justice.

Full of action and emotion, RUNELESS is the epic story of friends torn apart—and, against all odds, reunited—in an adventure that transforms their world.

Bill Masuku is an Award-winning Zimbabwean comic book artist and writer currently creating Runeless for Disney Hyperion through the Kugali Ink imprint while self-publishing Captain South Africa and Tokoloshe Hunters. Masuku has worked as a storyboard artist for Triggerfish on a Netflix project and Disney x Kugali’s animated series Iwájú. In 2022, Masuku was featured in Forbes Africa Under 30. He has been a guest speaker at events such as MCM London Comic Con, FanCon Cape Town, Comic Con Africa, Afro Comic Con, and Harare Literature Festival. He was selected as the British Council’s Design Futures Africa Storyteller for Zimbabwe, a project centered around sustainable development, the green future, and the informal economy. Masuku was spotlighted as an up-and-coming artist during DC Comics’s global event DC Fandome. His comic book artwork has been exhibited in Mozambique for Maputo Fast Forward Banda Desinhada Exhibition and in the University of Johannesburg’s Art Gallery for their African Hero exhibition in 2024.

Illustrator: Daniel Quartey & Mario Vitor Gouveia Cau, with colors by Barlo Moreira

Daniel Quartey (penciller) is a comic book artist and 2D animator from Ghana, whose work is primarily inspired by Japanese manga. He has been active in both fields since 2020, freelancing for companies such as AnimaxFYB, Leti Arts, VX Animation, Kugali Limited, and more.

Mario Vitor Gouveia Cau (inker) is a Brazilian graphic novelist, illustrator and teacher passionate about the language of the Sequential Art. His stories cover different genres, always bringing an introspective and poetic look at the characters’ emotions and relationships and inviting the reader to reflect upon the little pieces of life’s puzzle, with inventive page layouts and a range of styles that evoke visually the emotional journeys of the characters. Active in the scene since the beginning of the 2000s, he has published dozens of original titles and participated in several anthologies. Among his main works, the series Pieces, Therapy, and Monsterverse stand out; and the comic book adaptations of Dom Casmurro and Anne of Green Gables. For some of his work he has won the HQMIX, Jabuti, and Angelo Agostini awards. He also makes videos for his YouTube channel and mentors students on editorial and creative projects.

Barlo Moreira (colorist) is a comic book artist and colorist based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, renowned for his vibrant and captivating color work. Specializing in a diverse range of color styles, Bario is celebrated for his ability to breathe life into artwork, collaborating with indie publishers and authors from around the globe. His unique talent enhances narratives, making him an outstanding colorist in the comic book industry. Some of his recent works are Histórias Cósmicas (Cosmic Stories) and A Balada dos Guascas Mascarados (Masked Guascas’ Ballad).

SONG OF THE WIND de Ying Ping Low

A lyrical coming-of-age fantasy inspired by Chinese folklore, for fans of Kelly Barnhill’s The Girl Who Drank the Moon and Annet Schaap’s Lampie and the Children of the Sea, centered on a young girl who is thrust into adventure when she crosses paths with a young emperor on the run from murderous traitors, and in search of the power of the mythical Dragon’s Pulse.

SONG OF THE WIND
by Ying Ping Low
G.P. Putnam’s Sons, July 2026
(via Park & Fine Literary and Media)

The Village has no name, hidden from outsiders for as long as anyone can remember–until today. Kaixuan, a 12-year-old emperor on the run from murderous traitors, has stumbled into the Village while seeking the fabled power of the Dragon’s Pulse, the key to vanquishing his enemies. Free-spirited Mengyao, a village orphan on the same cusp of adolescence, only wants to hold onto her belief in magic and become a divine healer to her people.

As the words of an old legend bring their fates together, sparking the hope of restoring rightful rule to the kingdom, the two set out in search of the Dragon’s Pulse. With help from unexpected quarters—a jade hare, a kitchen god, a moon goddess, and a spell woven from a handful of promises—they must reach their destination before they turn 13 and lose faith in the Dragon’s Pulse and its magic entirely…and before the enemies at their tail capture them, or worse.

An ode to the power of storytelling, suspenseful with the universal ticking clock of childhood’s end, SONG feels like a new classic in the making, spun together with a remarkable author’s magical touch.

Ying Ping Low lives in Singapore and has had several middle-grade novels published there: Prophecy of the Underworld with Penguin Random House Southeast Asia; and the Mount Emily quartet with Epigram Books. Her books have won the Singapore Book Awards, and been shortlisted for the Hedwig Anuar Children’s Book Award, and a short story won second prize in The British Fantasy Society’s Short Story Competition 2018. She holds degrees in English Literature from the University of Leeds and the University of Warwick and worked in education prior to becoming a writer. SONG OF THE WIND will be her first novel published into the US market.