Archives de catégorie : Middle Grade

DREAMSLINGER de Graci Kim

Amari and the Night Brothers meets Pokémon in this thrilling start to Graci Kim’s brand-new fantasy series where dragons and phoenixes roam the skies of Seoul; meals magically appear based on your mood; and dreams literally come to life.

DREAMSLINGER (Book 1)
by Graci Kim
Disney Hyperion, April 2025
(via Writers House)

Fourteen-year-old Aria Loveridge lives at the Resthaven Home for Dreamslingers, a safe haven for children born with a genetic mutation that transports them to a powerfully magical realm while they sleep. But this magic can be unpredictable—even deadly. After all, it was only ten years ago when members of the Royal League of Dreamslingers caused the Great Outburst—a tragedy that killed hundreds of people, including Aria’s mom.

Since then, Aria’s dad has become leading expert on Dreamslinger Welfare, which means Aria knows better than most what it takes to keep society safe from her, and others like her: separation, identification, and most importantly, power suppression.

So when the Kingdom of Royal Hanguk—home of the Dreamslinger League—announces the first Dreamslinger trials where teenage slingers from around the world are invited to compete for a chance to join the League and learn how to use their powers, Aria knows what she must do: join the trials and take down the League from the inside.

But the Trials introduce Aria to a world of wonderous magic and friendship, a world where she finally feels like she belongs. And as dark secrets from the past are revealed—ones that make Aria question her very identity—she becomes even more determined to discover the truth for herself. She just has to survive the trials first.

Graci Kim is the New York Times best-selling author of The Last Fallen Star and The Last Fallen Moon, the first two books in the Gifted Clans trilogy. A Korean Kiwi diplomat turned author, Graci writes about the magic she wants to see in the world. In a previous life she used to be a cooking show host, and she once ran a business that turned children’s drawings into cuddly toys. When she’s not lost in her imagination, you’ll find Graci drinking flat whites, eating ramyeon, and most likely hugging a dog (or ideally, many). She lives in New Zealand with her husband and daughter. Follow her on Instagram @GraciKimWrites and find her at GraciKim.com.

RYMWORLD ARCANA de Ryan Calejo

A new middle-grade mind-bending adventure from award-winning author Ryan Calejo, destined to be an instant classic.

RYMWORLD ARCANA
by Ryan Calejo
Amulet/Abrams, 2023 – 2025

THE SHAPE OF TIME (Book 1 – October 2023)

Fourteen-year-old Antares De La Vega is a natural born adventurer. He dreams of journeying across burning deserts, trekking through wild and uncharted jungles, sailing the furthest reaches of the seas—and yet, he’s never even stepped foot outside of South Florida . . . But that all changes when strange creatures come leaping out of lightning bolts to kidnap him. Locked away in a secret prison in the middle of the Bermuda Triangle, Antares meets fourteen-year-old Magdavellía, a mysterious and iron-willed girl who opens his eyes to a shocking truth: that this world is a far different place than he’s been led to believe. He learns of the existence of The Flat Earth Society, an ancient secret order, whose main function is to keep the world beyond the great Ice Wall a mystery—a land known as Rymworld. But Rymworld is in trouble. Led by a nameless evil, a sinister group of mystics seek to seize control over its only true resource: time itself.
Antares and Magdavellía must set out beyond the edges of any map to discover the undiscoverable: a lost and forgotten island where there is rumored to exist a legendary artifact: a mythical compass that just might hold the key to foiling the mystics’ plans. Following a series of intricately concealed clues left behind by Magdavellía’s parents (clues Antares seems to be the key to unlocking), they must wield both geometry and alchemy, outsmart molemen and mermaids, and outrun fiendish outer space aliens––all while attempting to solve a riddle as old and mystifying as the sun.

THE SECRET OF MATTER (Book 2 – January 2025)

After wielding time itself to save the Rym, Antares and Magdavellía return to Agartha as heroes. But peace is short–lived. As a mystic–led sneak attack plunges the Rym into chaos, they once again find themselves in a world on the brink of doom. Their only hope is a forgotten alchemyst map that supposedly leads to the Elementals—powerful Ancient Astronaut substances that, when combined, create the ultimate instrument of destruction. Antares and Magdavellía will have to race against old and new enemies to secure the Elementals, even as a traitor in their midst plots their long–awaited revenge against the empress. But every step they take toward the forging of the ancient weapon brings them one step closer to uncovering a horrible secret from Magdavellía’s past—a secret that could bring down her throne.

Ryan Calejo is an award–winning author born and raised in sunny South Florida. His critically acclaimed Charlie Hernández series has been featured in half a dozen state reading lists and has earned starred reviews from Booklist and Kirkus, was a Texas Bluebonnet Master List Selection, and won an International Latino Book Award, a Sunshine State Young Readers Award, and a Florida Book Award (Gold Medal). He lives in Miami.

THE SECRETS OF LOVELACE ACADEMY de Marie Benedict et Courtney Sheinmel

From New York Times bestselling author Marie Benedict and Courtney Sheinmel comes a historical adventure about a young girl plucked from a London orphanage to begin attending a boarding school with more secrets than she could imagine—perfect for fans of Enola Holmes.

THE SECRETS OF LOVELACE ACADEMY (Book 1)
by Marie Benedict and Courtney Sheinmel
Aladdin (Simon & Schuster), April 2025
(via Laura Dail Literary Agency)

London, 1904.

Lainey Phillips has lived at the Sycamore Home for Orphaned Children since she was three years old. Now nearly a teenager, her life is difficult, and she doesn’t expect it to get better—until a chance encounter during an open house changes everything when Lainey meets a woman who invites her to attend the prestigious Lovelace Academy.

Fitting in amongst the many privileged students at Lovelace Academy proves challenging in a different way, though. Terrified she’ll be cast out of the academy, Lainey grabs the chance to prove herself by traveling to Switzerland to witness a female scientist craft a groundbreaking theory. The journey that includes a train, a ferry, and a mysterious boy named Gen is treacherous, but the real test is what awaits her at the home of Mileva Maric, wife of Albert Einstein.

Marie Benedict is the New York Times bestselling author of several adult books of historical fiction, including The Other Einstein, the inspiration for this book. She found her calling unearthing the hidden historical stories of women. Her mission is to excavate from the past the most important, complex, and fascinating women of history and bring them into the light of present day where readers can finally perceive the breadth of their contributions as well as the insights they bring to modern day issues. THE SECRETS OF LOVELACE ACADEMY, written with Courtney Sheinmel, is her first book for kids. She lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Courtney Sheinmel is the author of nearly thirty books for kids and teens, including the acclaimed Stella Batts and My Pet Slime series for young readers. Her book, Helen Keller, was part of Chelsea Clinton’s She Persisted series. Courtney received a National Scholastic Outstanding Educator Award for her work as a writing instructor at the non-profit Writopia Lab. She lives in New York City.

PETWIZARDS de Kirk Scroggs

Perfect for animal lovers and fans of Lumberjanes, here is a hilarious middle-grade graphic novel about a glam rock-loving boy named Finch with the not-so-secret ability to control animals, and his mission to save the school musical and win the heart of his crush.

PETWIZARDS
by Kirk Scroggs
Union Square Kids, August 2024
(via JABberwocky Literary Agency)

Finch Eaglehawk may seem like an average oddball with a taste for the dramatic and glam-rock musical numbers, but he has a secret. Finch is a PetWizard, with the ability to control the animal kingdom—well, the « et cetera » category of the animal kingdom. Though he loves his naked mole rats, bearded dragons, and boa constrictors, Finch yearns for more. With the help of his best friend, Aberdeen, a mysterious new kid named Erica, and an ancient PetMaster manual, Finch tries to learn how to own his powers and use them to help those in need, protect the vulnerable, and, most important, impress his crush, Ken Chu, the star of the upcoming school musical.

Kirk Scroggs is the author and illustrator of The Secret Spiral of Swamp Kid and We Found a Monster. He has been publishing illustrated middle-grade novels for over fifteen years. Kirk lives in Los Angeles with his husband, Steve, and an ungrateful cat.

THE PRINCESS PROTECTION PROGRAM d’Alex London

A new middle-grade series about a boarding school where a fairy godmother hides fairytale princesses (and one prince) who don’t like the endings to their timeless tales.

THE PRINCESS PROTECTION PROGRAM
by Alex London
HarperCollins / Greenwillow, 2024 – 2025
(via Sterling Lord Literistic)

Book 1: THE PRINCESS PROTECTION PROGRAM (February 2024)

The valiant prince quested long and hard to reach the castle where the sleeping princess lies. The last thing he must do is awaken her with a kiss. He has played his role in the story perfectly. But Princess Rosamund does NOT think a kiss from a stranger is a very pleasant way to be woken up! At all!

When Rosamund flees her prince, a Door of Opportunity opens, and she steps through to the HEA. In this new world, HEA stands for Home Educational Academy, not Happily Ever After. Rosamund has found the Princess Protection Program, where fugitive fairy tale princesses escape unwanted affections, untimely ends, and all the other perils of their stories. Verna, the kindly fairy godmother who runs the academy, keeps them all safe. Safe from their stories, and safe from the monstrous Uponatimes who lurk outside the school’s gates, eager to swallow the girls whole and return them to their tales.

As Rosamund adjusts to life in the real world and makes her first real friends, she has more and more questions.

THE PRINCESS PROTECTION PROGRAM is for fans of the Never Afters and the Descendants series, The School for Good and Evil, and the Fairly True Tales series.

Book 2: AFTER EVER AFTER (February 2025)

The second book in Alex London’s delightful middle-grade fantasy duology that plays with the traditional fairy tale story.

Rana loves her friends, loves her school, and loves punk rock. One she thing she does not love is frogs…especially demanding frog princes who follow her home. She left her story because of one and has no plans ever to go back. When her frog prince shows up at the Academy for wayward fairy tale royalty, she’s not happy about it, and when dozens of duplicate frog princes follow him to her world, she’s downright alarmed. Worse still, a shadowy monster is in hot pursuit and to save everyone she cares about, Rana will have to do the one thing she vowed she’d never to do. She has to return to her Once Upon Time and face more than just the frogs she left behind. All her fears are waiting for her, right where she left them.

Alex London is the author of over 25 books for children, teens, and adults, with over 2 million copies sold. He’s the author of the middle grade Dog Tags, Tides of War, Wild Ones, and Accidental Adventures series, as well as two titles in the 39 Clues. His latest middle grade series, Battle Dragons, a cyberpunk romp pitched as The Fast and the Furious meets How to Train Your Dragon, is out from Scholastic. For young adults, he’s the author of the cyberpunk duology Proxy, an ALA Top Ten Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Readers, Best Fiction For Young Adults, and Rainbow List selection and the epic fantasy trilogy, Black Wings Beating, an NBC Today Show Pick, a Kirkus Best Young Adult Fantasy selection, a Seventeen Magazine best of 2018 pick, and a We Need Diverse Books 2018 Must Read, and a 2020 Rainbow List selection. He’s been a journalist and human rights researcher reporting from conflict zones and refugee camps, a young adult librarian with New York Public Library, an assistant to a film agent, and a snorkel salesman. He lives with his husband, daughter, and hound dog in Philadelphia, PA.