While summer break is fast approaching (or, for some, already here!), we created a list of exciting new and coming soon books perfect for pleasure reading. Browse below by publication date to find out when you can snag these books for your preteens and teens!
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Tegan and Sara: Junior High by Tegan Quin and Sara Quin
Illustrated by Tillie Walden
On Sale Now
From indie-pop twin-sister duo Tegan and Sara comes a contemporary middle grade graphic novel that explores growing up, coming out, and finding yourself through music and sisterhood, perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier’s Sisters.
Before Tegan and Sara took the music world by storm, the Quins were just two identical twins trying to find their place in a new home and new school. From first crushes to the perils of puberty, surviving junior high is something the sisters plan to face side by side, just like they’ve always faced things. But growing up also means growing apart, as Tegan and Sara make different friends and take separate paths to understanding their queerness. For the first time ever, they ask who one sister is without the other.
Set in the present day, this effervescent blend of fiction and autobiography, with artwork from Eisner Award–winner Tillie Walden, offers a glimpse at the two sisters before they became icons, exploring their shifting relationship, their own experiences coming out, and the first steps of their musical journey.
A prequel of sorts to the authors’ bestselling adult memoir High School, now an 8-episode Freevee television series!
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
★ “A heartfelt, visually stunning coming-of-age story . . . Walden’s art, paired with the authors’ lyrical words, create an emotionally resonant reading experience that is sure to mesh with adolescents’ big feelings . . . Highly recommended for fans of Svetlana Chmakova and Molly Knox Ostertag.” —School Library Journal, starred review
“The high and lows of preteens navigating school and life, inspired by the Quin sibling pop duo’s actual childhoods . . . Walden’s illustrations are, as usual, wonderfully expressive . . . Tugs at the heartstrings like a well-tuned guitar.” —Kirkus Reviews
Abeni’s Song by P. Djèlí Clark
On Sale 7/25/2023
IN DARKNESS, A SONG CAN LEAD THE WAY. BEWARE WHICH ONE YOU LISTEN TO.
Abeni’s Song by award-winning author P. Djèlí Clark is the enchanting beginning of an epic West African and African Diaspora-inspired fantasy adventure for middle-grade readers about a reluctant apprentice to magic and the stolen villagers she sets out to save.
On the day of the Harvest Festival, the old woman who lives in the forest appears in Abeni’s village with a terrible message:
You ignored my warnings. It’s too late to run. They are coming.
Warriors with burning blades storm the village. A man with a cursed flute plays an impossibly alluring song. And everyone Abeni has ever known and loved is captured and marched toward far-off ghost ships set for even more distant lands.
But not Abeni.
Abeni is magically whisked away by the old woman. In the forest, Abeni begins her unwanted magical apprenticeship, her journey to escape the witch, and her impossible mission to bring her people home.
Winner of the Nebula, Alex, Locus, and British Fantasy Awards
ALA’s RUSA Reading List Fantasy Winner
One of “Speculative Fiction’s Rising Stars” (Goodreads)
Kelcie Murphy and the Hunt for the Heart of Danu by Erika Lewis
On Sale 7/25/2023
Kelcie Murphy is back in another action-packed middle grade adventure, Kelcie Murphy and the Hunt for the Heart of Danu!, the second book in Erika Lewis’s magical series infused with Celtic mythology, The Academy for the Unbreakable Arts.-fiction picture book from trailblazing civil rights lawyer and activist Dovey Johnson Roundtree.
It’s hard having a father who’s an infamous traitor. It’s even harder having a mother who’s an omen of doom.
After a summer away, Kelcie Murphy is excited to be back at the Academy for the Unbreakable Arts. But she and her friends have barely settled in when they receive a visit from her mother—the war goddess, Nemain—with a warning of coming calamity.
The Heart of Danu, the legendary source of all light and warmth in the Lands of Summer, is going to be stolen. And only Kelcie and her mates can stop it. As they travel with the rest of the students to Summer City to take part in the glorious Ascension Ceremony, Kelcie has no time for the military parade, the lavish ball, or even to visit her father: she’s determined to protect the Heart and her new home.
But the Lands of Summer are still not a welcoming place for Kelcie. When disaster strikes, the Queen, the High Guard, and even some of her schoolmates suspect Kelcie is to blame.
As the world is plunged into darkness, Kelcie will have to decide: does she keep fighting for a place that may always see her as a traitor’s daughter, or for a future greater than the war to come.
“The author keeps [Kelcie’s] tale rolling with hard-fought battles and breathless escapades plus a crowd-pleasing array of foes . . . An engaging medley of new relationships and hot battlefield action.” —Kirkus Reviews
Zeus: Water Rescue by W. Bruce Cameron
On Sale 8/29/2023
The start of a brand new series about working dogs from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Dog’s Purpose, W. Bruce Cameron!
Some dogs were born to lend a helping hand (or paw!).
Zeus, a chocolate lab puppy, is one of them. With his courage, smarts, and strength his purpose seems clear: he’ll become a water rescue dog!
When a young boy named Kimo is tasked with training Zeus, they quickly become best friends. But Zeus’s excitement makes training hard, and worse yet, becoming a working dog means being separated from Kimo. Can Zeus and his boy figure out how to stay together forever?
The first book in Cameron’s new Dogs with a Purpose series, Zeus: Water Rescue is a fun, heartwarming adventure that will introduce young readers to the bravery and hard work of water rescue dogs.
Alondra by Gina Femia
On Sale Now
A contemporary YA debut from award-winning playwright Gina Femia, Alondra is a coming-of-age story of friendship and romance, about a bisexual teen girl and her friends wrestling their way through the summer–sometimes on the playgrounds of Coney Island, sometimes with their feelings and at home.
Sixteen-year-old Alonda loves professional wrestling. So when she meets a group of teens with aspirations of wrestling fame in her Coney Island neighborhood, she couldn’t be happier. So as the ragtag team works to put on a show to remember, Alonda sheds her old self behind and becomes Alondra—the Fearless One. But with her conflicting feelings for King, the handsome leader of their group, and Lexi, the girl with the beautiful smile, Alonda has to ask herself: can she be as fearless outside of the ring as she is inside it?
★ “There’s much to praise in this fast-paced and engaging debut, from the sense of found family that is part of Alonda’s life in multiple ways to the commentary on the impact of gentrification…A satisfying and joyful read.” —Kirkus, starred review
An Improbable Season by Rosalyn Eves
On Sale Now
For fans of Bridgerton, a Regency romance by Rosalyn Eves about three young women, their big dreams, and a London Season gone awry.
When Thalia, Kalliope, and Charis set off to Regency London for their first Season, they each have clear goals—few of which include matrimony. Thalia means to make her mark among the intelligentsia and publish her poetry, Charis hopes to earn her place among the scientific elite, and Kalliope aims to take the fashionable ton by storm. But this Season, it doesn’t take long for things to fall apart. Kalli finds herself embroiled in scandal and reliant upon an arranged marriage to redeem her reputation, Thalia’s dreams of publication are threatened by her attraction to a charming rake, and Charis finds herself an unexpected social hit—and the source of a family scandal that her heart might not survive. Can this roller-coaster Season find its happily ever after?
An Improbable Season is a voicy, swoony regency drama about falling in love—with another person, with new opportunities, and with yourself.
“Alternating third-person narration highlights the [three] young people’s personal loves—Thalia’s for poetry, Kalli’s of home and hearth, Charis’ of the natural world—and their dreams for the future…. Regency fans will enjoy this comfortingly familiar feeling story of endearing young women chasing happy endings through a maze of societal rules.” —Kirkus Reviews
“An Improbable Season will delight fans of regency novels, containing just enough twists and turns to keep the familiar beats and tropes exciting. Eves pens compelling romantic moments, but the real strength of this novel is the depiction of the strong love the young women have for each other.” —Booklist
The Dos and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaigirdar
On Sale 6/6/2023
A pun-filled YA contemporary romance, The Dos and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaigirdar finds a teenage girl competing in a televised baking competition, with contestants including her ex-girlfriend and a potential new crush – perfect for fans of The Great British Bake Off and She Drives Me Crazy!
“Welcome to the first ever Junior Irish Baking Show!”
Shireen Malik is still reeling from the breakup with her ex-girlfriend, Chris, when she receives news that she’s been accepted as a contestant on a new televised baking competition show. This is Shireen’s dream come true! Because winning will not only mean prize money, but it will also bring some much-needed attention to You Drive Me Glazy, her parents’ beloved donut shop.
Things get complicated, though, because Chris is also a contestant on the show. Then there’s the very outgoing Niamh, a fellow contestant who is becoming fast friends with Shireen. Things are heating up between them, and not just in the kitchen.
As the competition intensifies , Shireen will have to ignore all these factors and more— including potential sabotage—if she wants a sweet victory!
“This joyful read with a cheerful protagonist also explores racism, fatphobia, and mental health with care. Cute, fresh, and endearing.” —Kirkus Reviews
“The charming baking competition setting provides most of the fun and excitement in the story, and adorably punny chapter titles...bring added humor, but the text injects enough realism to keep the comedic elements this side of twee.” –BCCB
Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
On Sale in Paperback 6/27/2023
Gossip Girl meets Get Out in Ace of Spades, a YA contemporary thriller by debut author Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé about two students, Devon & Chiamaka, and their struggles against an anonymous bully.
All you need to know is . . . I’m here to divide and conquer. Like all great tyrants do. —Aces
When two Niveus Private Academy students, Devon Richards and Chiamaka Adebayo, are selected to be part of the elite school’s senior class prefects, it looks like their year is off to an amazing start. After all, not only does it look great on college applications, but it officially puts each of them in the running for valedictorian, too.
Shortly after the announcement is made, though, someone who goes by Aces begins using anonymous text messages to reveal secrets about the two of them that turn their lives upside down and threaten every aspect of their carefully planned futures.
As Aces shows no sign of stopping, what seemed like a sick prank quickly turns into a dangerous game, with all the cards stacked against them. Can Devon and Chiamaka stop Aces before things become incredibly deadly?
With heart-pounding suspense and relevant social commentary comes a high-octane thriller from debut author Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé.
2022 NAACP Image Award Winner for Outstanding Literary Work – Youth/Teens
A 2022 Willam C. Morris Award Finalist
A Junior Library Guild Selection
A YALSA 2022 Best Fiction for Young Adults Finalist
An Amazon Best Book of 2021
A School Library Journal Best Young Adult Book, 2021
A BuzzFeed Best YA Book Covers Of 2021
A Boston Globe Best Book of 2021
An Autostraddle Best Queer Book of 2021
A The Young Folks Best Book Debut of 2021
★ “Àbíké-Íyímídé excels in portraying the conflict of characters who exist in two worlds…Devon and Chiamaka are dynamic and multifaceted, deeply human in the face of Aces’ treatment.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
★ “Readers will love this thriller-mystery… A revelatory, buzzworthy debut.” —School Library Journal, starred review
