SPEAK FOR YOURSELF de Lana Wood Johnson

Girl meets boy. Girl likes boy. Girl gets friend to help win boy. Friend ends up with crush on boy….

SPEAK FOR YOURSELF
by Lana Wood Johnson
‎ Scholastic, June 2021
(via JABberwocky)

Skylar’s got ambitious #goals. And if she wants them to come true, she has to get to work now. (At least she thinks so…) Step one in her epic plan is showing everyone that her latest app is brilliant. To do that, she’s going to use it to win State at the Scholastic Exposition, the nerdiest academic competition around. First, she’ll need a team, and Skylar’s not always so good with people. But she’ll do whatever it takes to put one together … even if it means playing Cupid for her teammates Joey and Zane, at Joey’s request. When things get off to an awkward start for them, Skylar finds herself stepping in to help Joey. Anything to keep her on the team. Only, Skylar seems to be making everything more complicated. Especially when she realizes she might be falling for Zane, which was not a #goal. Can Skylar figure out her feelings, prove her app’s potential to the world, and win State without losing her friends – or is her path to greatness over before it begins?

Lana Wood Johnson is the author of Technically, You Started It. She was born and raised in Iowa in the time before the internet but has spent the rest of her life making up for that. After years working in wireless communication for companies of all sizes, she now works doing the same for a local youth shelter. Lana lives in Minnesota with her husband and their English bulldog.

THE VERY UNFORTUNATE WISH OF MELONY YOSHIMURA de Waka T. Brown

In the vein of When You Trap a Tiger and Coraline, this contemporary magical realistic retelling of the Japanese folktale The Melon Princess and the Amanjaku follows one girl who must save herself and her loved ones from a deceitful demon she befriended.

THE VERY UNFORTUNATE WISH OF MELONY YOSHIMURA
by Waka T. Brown
Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins, July 2023

Readers will be taken on a riveting, chilling, and alluring adventure led by a shape shifting, mischief making creature who promises Melony the world and often delivers. But with that comes a price to pay, and readers will be shocked when they find out what that is!
Though the Amanjaku acts like your best friend, its true aim is to take over your life. While it helps you get whatever you want and assuages any feelings of guilt you have about it it will also take whatever it wants. Its true form is a gray, fuzzy, Muppet like creature, but it can shapeshift to look like anyone…
This novel has the best of both worlds—a relatable, accessible tween heroine trying to achieve her autonomy and figure out who she is, as well as a touch of the fantastic, which will hook genre readers looking to get lost in the possibilities of magic.

Waka T. Brown is a Stanford graduate with a Master’s in Secondary Education. An instructor at the Stanford Program on International and Cross Cultural Education, she has won the national Franklin Buchanan Prize and the national 2019 Elgin Heinz Outstanding Teacher award.

MAX AND MOONBEAN de Rob Scotton

Rob Scotton returns with the first book in a brand-new picture book series about a shy young dog and his out-of-this-world friend.

MAX AND MOONBEAN
by Rob Scotton
HarperCollins Children’s Books, June 2023

It’s the night before show and tell, and Max isn’t sure what to bring. He’s shy and worried that it will all go all wrong. But when a space creature named Moonbean crashes into his room, Max discovers all he needed was a friend to help him.

Rob Scotton is the bestselling author and illustrator of Russell the Sheep; Russell and the Lost Treasure; Russell’s Christmas Magic; Splat the Cat; Love, Splat; Merry Christmas, Splat; and Scaredy-Cat, Splat! His work can also be found on greeting cards, ceramics, textiles, prints, stationery, and glassware. An honors graduate of Leicester Polytechnic, Rob now lives in Rutland, England, with his wife, Liz, who is also an artist.

THE INTERNATIONAL HOUSE OF DERELICTION de Jacqueline Davies

In this not-so-scary ghost story from Jacqueline Davies, bestselling author of the Lemonade War series, quirky, tool wielding Alice Cannoli Potchnik begins to repair the dilapidated mansion next door only to discover the old house is home to ghosts, and they need mending, too!

THE INTERNATIONAL HOUSE OF DERELICTION
by Jacqueline Davies
Clarion/HarperCollins, July 2023

A motley crew of ghosts, some friendly and others curmudgeonly, bring comic relief as Alice repairs the House. This suspenseful, action packed mystery will keep readers guessing as Alice uncovers the secrets of the House and its ghosts. A spooky yet heartwarming and funny tale that delivers just the right amount of spine tingling scares. Perfect for fans of Mary Downing Hahn and The Vanderbeekers series.

Jacqueline Davies is the bestselling author of the Lemonade War series. She is also the award winning author of the Sydney and Taylor series, illustrated by Deborah Hocking, and Bubbles . . . UP!, illustrated by Sonia Sánchez, which was selected as an ALA Booklist Editors’ Choice.

THE UNSTOPPABLE BRIDGET BLOOM d’Allison L. Bitz

A bright and fun fat-positive coming-of-age novel about self discovery, humility, friendship, love—and how to express yourself when what has always defined you is no longer an option by debut author Allison L. Bitz . Perfect for fans of Crystal Maldonado, Emma Lord, and Becky Albertalli.

THE UNSTOPPABLE BRIDGET BLOOM
by Allison L. Bitz
HarperTeen, May 2023

Bridget grows from an egocentric, benign narcissist into a really great friend throughout her journey. Her friendships are just as important to her growth, if not more important, than the romance sub plot, in which she slowly falls in love with someone who she didn’t expect, but who readers will certainly be rooting for from scene one!
Bridget’s weight and pansexuality are never an obstacle for her, which will resonate with teens who want to see characters like them unapologetically be themselves on the page. As Allison Bitz says in her Author’s Note in the backmatter, “Bridget is graceful and attractive and confident and talented and fat and exactly the girl I wish I would have seen that I absolutely was back in high school.” Bridget is confident from page one and never doubts her talent or self-worth, even in the face of obstacles, making her the perfect role model for teenage girls, who are often told not to be too ambitious or too sure of themselves.

Allison L. Bitz hails from Lincoln, NE, where she lives with her spouse and two kids. Her superpower is empathy, and she’s been known to have resting tell-me-your-life-story face. Allison holds a PhD in Counseling Psychology and has worked as a licensed psychologist since 2012. When she’s not working on a novel or counseling, Allison is more than likely writing a song, getting riled up about something political, or trying to track down a pastry to enjoy with her coffee. She has a soft spot for rescue animals, which are vying for species majority in her home (two perfect dogs, two ornery cats). THE UNSTOPPABLE BRIDGET BLOOM is her debut novel.