REGINA AND THE KNAVES de Bonnie Maisen

In Bonnie Maisen’s thrilling middle-grade debut, an accomplished amateur thief must join forces with the knaves—the most infamous thieves in all of Solaris—in order to reclaim the magical heritage that’s been kept from her.

REGINA AND THE KNAVES
by Bonnie Maisen
Aladdin/Simon & Schuster, Spring 2027
(via Writers House)

Meet thirteen-year-old Regina Fletchley: orphan, powerless Golden, and one of Solaris City’s most wanted thieves. As « The Prince, » she’s built her reputation by breaking into the supposedly impenetrable mansions of the Golden class. But despite her talents—and she’d be the first to tell you they’re considerable—one prize remains out of reach: her lumencoin, the key to both her dormant magic and last connection to her parents. The one heist Regina most longs to pull off is to steal back her lumencoin—but that task is impossible to pull off. Or at least it’s impossible to pull off alone…

 Enter the Knaves: the only thieves in Solaris whose reputation eclipses Regina’s own. They make an offer Regina can’t refuse: if she can help them pull off an ambitious job, they’ll consider hitting the archives where her birthright is hidden next. As Regina struggles prove herself to the crew, something unexpected happens: she begins to feel like a part of something for the first time ever. But when her recklessness put the Knaves in jeopardy, Regina will need to orchestrate her boldest scheme yet to save her newfound family.

Bonnie Maisen writes stories of magic and mayhem for her three sneaky children. She has published flash fiction at GoHavok.com and is a former editor of their Mystery Monday genre.

TOMMY FROM THE MOON de Daisy Garrison

A romantic coming-of-age novel set during a Broadway production of Romeo and Juliet, about an unknown actress whose co-star is her longtime celebrity crush.

TOMMY FROM THE MOON
by Daisy Garrison
Flatiron, December 2026
(via Sterling Lord Literistic)

Grace Franklin was never supposed to be Juliet. When she shows up to audition for the new Broadway production of Romeo and Juliet, she’s just there as a dancer. But the director, fed up with the big-name actresses auditioning, calls Grace in for a cold read, and changes her life. Then, she meets her Romeo: Miles Drake, cultural icon and the star of Grace’s childhood dreams.

As Grace and Miles are swept up in the thrilling whirlwind of rehearsals, their onstage chemistry is electric, and their immediate friendship evolves into something deeper. But Miles’ fame weighs on him in ways Grace can’t understand. And Grace is keeping a secret from him, too, about her connection to his first big break. As opening night draws closer, it becomes increasingly difficult to separate acting from reality, and Grace and Miles begin to spin out of control. Everyone knows how Romeo and Juliet ends, except Romeo and Juliet. Will Grace and Miles be able to write their own ending, or are they destined to be star-crossed, too?

Utterly immersive, brimming with joy, wit, and heart, Tommy from the Moon is an ode to being young in New York City, the camaraderie of backstage life, and two characters on the brink of adulthood in a tale as old as time, and fresh as first love.

Daisy Garrison graduated from Northwestern University and lives in Brooklyn with her friends. This is her first novel.

MOSTLY AWFUL GROWNUPS de River Clegg & Lúthien Leerghast

Sold in a heated US auction, the first book in this debut middle-grade series is as hilarious, fast-paced and mysterious as it is full of heart. Featuring wonderful black and white illustrations by Lúthien Leerghast, this title is perfect for fans of A Series of Unfortunate Events.

MOSTLY AWFUL GROWNUPS
by River Clegg
illustrated by Lúthien Leerghast
Stonefruit Studio/Sourcebooks, March 2027
(via Writers House)

Twin siblings Cole and Willow are smart, resourceful, brave, and kind. But they are not safe. From the moment they return home to find their parents mysteriously missing, they are whisked into a whirlwind of narrow escapes and daring rescues, forced to flee from a cadre of menacing (and mostly awful) grownups intent on pursuing them.

As sensitive, artistic Cole and bold, clever Willow fight to figure out who they can trust and struggle to uncover secrets their parents have buried for years, they are drawn ever deeper into the orbit of a shadowy organization called the Keepers. The twins must face down uncountable obstacles in their journey—a woefully incompetent newspaper, adults who cannot identify alpacas, a vastly unhelpful desk clerk, a malicious (and bored) piranha named Reginald, and, worst of all, the looming realization that they may never have known their parents at all.

Amidst the clever plot twists and whimsical locales, it’s the tender, realistic relationship between the twins that occupies the heart of this novel. Cole and Willow love each other as only siblings can—fiercely, argumentatively, and unconditionally—and their bond breathes life into their wild and wonderful series of escapades. But perhaps even more vital is the novel’s moving and honest portrayal of the unavoidable pitfalls of growing up. As Clegg’s narrator informs his readers, “Stories are to help us make sense of our lives.” And (MOSTLY) AWFUL GROWNUPS provides empathy and clarity to young readers struggling to comprehend, perhaps for the first time, that grownups aren’t infallible, and parents can’t always be there. It’s a novel that stages an inevitable, powerful wrestling with maturation within the realm of the fantastic, rendering it at once an unmistakably timely and fresh story with the trappings of a classic.

River Clegg is a Brooklyn-based copywriter, creative director, and TV writer. His work has frequently appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and in The New Yorker’s “Shouts & Murmurs” section.

PRETTY EVIL de Rebekah et David Ian McKendry & Tim Seeley

KPop Demon Hunters meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer in this sparkling, darkly funny young adult graphic novel following a teen pop star who must take up her missing mother’s demon-slaying mantle and battle her way through the monster-infested world of social media influencers.

PRETTY EVIL
by Rebekah and David Ian McKendry
illustrated by Tim Seeley
Margaret K. McElderry Books, September 2026
(via JABberwocky)

To her fans, Mallori (heart over the i, thank you very much) is the ultimate teen pop star: platinum albums, a massive online following, and a glittery pink lifestyle to die for. But in her own life, Mallori Martin just wants to be her own person, free from the pressures of stardom—not to mention her mom-ager’s controlling hand.

After a particularly vicious fight with said mom, Mallori wakes to find her gone, with no clue where or why. In desperation, Mallori calls the police—whose search uncovers not her missing mother but several bodies buried in the basement of their Hollywood Hills mansion.

The bodies don’t stay secret for long, not with Mallori’s legions of fans watching her every move. With rumors flying about Mrs. Martin’s secret serial-killer lifestyle, Mallori flees the public eye, only to discover her mom was indeed living a double life: as a demon slayer.

She’s been abducted, and Mallori can’t let that fight be their last conversation. So to get her back, Mallori will have to pick up where her mom left off, hacking her way through demons and boogeymen—with all her trademark sparkle.

Rebekah & David McKendry are both award-winning writers. Their most recent horror feature, Glorious (starring JK Simmons), premiered at Fantasia Film Festival and after receiving top honors from critics was certified as “fresh” on Rotten Tomato. Rebekah is also an award-winning director and her latest film, Elevator Game, came out in September 2023. Rebekah and David began their film career working for Fangoria Entertainment. Rebekah went on to become Editor-in-Chief for Blumhouse Productions, and went on to write with David for media companies like Shudder, Universal, AMP, AMC and more. Rebekah is also an award-winning podcaster currently hosting Fangoria’s Colors of the Dark Podcast, which reaches over 250,000 listeners each month. Prior podcast guests include horror icons like Jordan Peele and Jason Blum. David has published multiple books including several volumes of the Hellraiser comic book series. David is also an award-winning podcaster having written and co-hosted the show Fear Initiative for Blumhouse Productions.

Tim Seeley is one of those “slash” people…a writer-slash-artist. He has drawn a number of different comic book series including G.I Joe, Halloween, Wildcats and Exsanguine. His writing work includes NY Times bestselling Hack/Slash, Nightwing, Batman Eternal and the critically acclaimed Revival. He resides in Chicago, Illinois and works at Four Stars Studio where he is never far from his 80s action figure collection.

THE HOUSE OF GARDENIAS d’Isabel Cañas

A stunning YA debut from gothic master Isabel Cañas, bestselling author of The Hacienda, Vampires of El Norte, and The Possession of Alba Díaz.

THE HOUSE OF GARDENIAS
by Isabel Cañas
Dutton Books for Young Readers, September 2026
(via KT Literary)

Despite near-constant political violence in the city and an abusive father at home, Minerva Treviño’s cowardice has kept her alive for sixteen years. But even she has a limit. Unable to take another beating or miss another meal, Minerva musters enough courage to flee to a neighborhood full of rich people loyal to the deposed fascist viceroy and take a job as lady’s maid to a wealthy widow.

Minerva is happy serving Encarnación del Valle. She has food in her belly and the safety of a warm house lit by magical chispa. Why should she care who runs the country or how her employer affords the magic?

When the viceroy sweeps back into power, Encarnación gleefully retreats to the family’s mountainside estate to wait out the inevitable slaughter of the viceroy’s enemies—and of course Minerva may join her. At la Casa de las Gardenias, Minerva is surrounded by more experienced servants and the cruel, scheming del Valles. But the living residents of the house are the least of anyone’s worries, and Minerva quickly discovers that the ancient estate is home to forces far older and more bloodthirsty than anything she could have imagined.

Isabel Cañas is a Mexican American speculative fiction writer. After having lived in Mexico, Scotland, Egypt, Turkey, and New York City, among other places, she has settled in the Pacific Northwest. She holds a doctorate in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations and writes fiction inspired by her research and her heritage. Her adult novels include The Hacienda, Vampires of El Norte, and The Possession of Alba Díaz.