Szamosi (Unretouchable) recalls her experience being labeled as a “troubled teen” during the early 2000s in this no-holds-barred graphic novel memoir. “When I was 13, I was sent away,” Szamosi begins, in a sequence that depicts her being awakened by her mother and two strange men, who corral the teen into a car and transport her to New Horizons, a long-term behavioral correctional facility in Virginia, and the first of several programs into which she would be enrolled. Frenetic, nonlinear chronology details the figure’s challenges around disordered eating and substance reliance, the bracing friendships she made during her treatment, and the decisions she believes contributed to her situation: having been raised by a single mother who had “not yet fully healed” from the “really bad things” that occurred in her own youth, Szamosi railed against her parent’s attempts to shield her from “the evils of the world.” Mixed-media collage elements from the subject’s adolescent journals are peppered throughout high-contrast digital b&w illustrations with intense red accents, lending the work a raw, organic feel and emphasizing each event’s impact on Szamosi’s mental health and self-image. Opens with content warnings and concludes with a creator’s note. Character skin tones match the hue of the page. Ages 12–up. Agent: Jennifer Weltz, Jean V. Naggar Literary. (Mar.)

Reviewed on 01/09/2026 | Details & Permalink

In summer 1998, middle schooler Fred Townsend and his family move to Lakeside, Ill., where children have been playing a town-wide game of capture the flag since 1923. What began as a way to unite the feuding youths of Uphill and Downhill Lakeside, however, has evolved into an even more intense rivalry, whose grudges continue to grow with each generation, further polarizing already combative divisions. Fred quickly falls in with the Downhill kids, who school him in the game’s history, rules, and everyone’s carefully defined roles, and tour him around their grand headquarters and eerie jail cells. As Fred becomes embroiled in the serious business of this everlasting war—including the intense competition, cheating, and corruption that commands the kids’ days from 11 a.m. until the streetlights go on—he learns hard-won lessens in friendship, teamwork, problem-solving, and self-awareness. Morse’s stylized cartooning depicts children of various abilities, body types, and skin tones discovering personal strengths while doing whatever it takes to come out on top. Nostalgic, slice-of-life storytelling by Amato bursts with absurd action and cheerful intrigue, making this double debut an winning pick for reluctant and savvy readers alike. Ages 8–12. Illustrator’s agent: Charlie Olsen, InkWell Management. (Apr.)

Reviewed on 01/09/2026 | Details & Permalink

Gitxaała Nation author Spencer (I Won’t Feel This Way Forever) deploys frank, realistic portrayals of residential schools, sexual violence, and suicide in this emotionally raw novel about a white and Indigenous teen in 1990 British Columbia struggling to navigate shifting relationships upon uncovering harsh truths about her family’s past. Ever since her mother deserted the family when Morgan was 10, Morgan has felt adrift, often skipping class for months at a time and staying out late drinking with friends before eventually dropping out of high school. Now 16, Morgan lives on Kaien Island with her father, a commercial fisherman and—when not at sea on a gig—consummate fellow partier. “Other than the occasional house party, things are usually pretty tame at home. Boring even,” Morgan asserts. After her best friend encourages Morgan to enroll in Kaien Island Alternate School, she agrees, and soon encounters charismatic classmate Nate, who becomes an integral anchoring figure in Morgan’s life when tragedy strikes. Short chapters and breezy language relay this somber rumination on family and its influence on finding one’s place in the world. Ages 14–up. Agent: Amy Tompkins, Transatlantic Literary. (Mar.)

Reviewed on 01/09/2026 | Details & Permalink

A teen magician contemplates vengeance in this empowering series opener from Burton (the Sing Me to Sleep duology). Most Virdei citizens believe the country is ruled by Virdeian-born men, and that all the republic’s magic users, or aikkari, have been conscripted into military service. In truth, some aikkari pull strings from the shadows: Luc, who leads Virdei’s council, is essentially a puppet for covert aikkari Mira, Luc’s half sister from neighboring nation Ophera. All aikkari have a source that fuels their magic; for Mira, that means receiving an influx of power when someone lies, knowledge she exploits to keep Luc in command via blackmail. Luc is poised for uncontested reelection as leader of the council until Opheran-born Kaidren inherits his Virdeian father’s seat and challenges Luc for the role. After Kaidren underestimates Mira—mistaking her first for a servant, then a naif—she vows to orchestrate his defeat. Knowing Luc doesn’t value her either, however, Mira resolves to help him win the council seat—and steal it for herself. Burton weaves an intricate plot that cleverly capitalizes on ingenious worldbuilding and lore to engineer exponentially increasing stakes and suspense. Mira’s engaging and ruthlessly determined first-person narration foments drive, while her and Kaidren’s antagonistic flirtation injects heart and heat. All characters have brown skin. Ages 14–up. Agent: Maddalena Cavaciuti, David Higham Assoc. (Apr.)

Reviewed on 01/09/2026 | Details & Permalink

Stocker (Stronger at the Seams) offers a gritty portrayal of a teenager navigating financial insecurity, family tumult, and bullying—and the unlikely solution he cooks up to alleviate his worries. After 16-year-old Quill Jenkins’s parents separate, Quill and his mother leave their comfortable house in a picturesque neighborhood and move into a rundown rental home owned by a cantankerous landlord. And when Quill’s alcohol-dependent father gives him a bearded dragon for Quill’s birthday, the gift sows further financial woes. To help mitigate reptile expenses, Quill—having learned that the local pet store owner’s relationship with their cockroach supplier has gone sour—starts a business breeding roaches in his attic. Enlisting assistance from his classmate, Harley, and Harley’s twin sister Zuri, the trio agrees to split the profits and embark on an entrepreneurial escapade, out of which comes a bond that helps them weather personal challenges. Unflinching prose fittingly highlights Quill’s willingness to be vulnerable as he grapples with unresolved issues in his familial relationships, culminating in a moving and believable interrogation of one teen’s changing outlook and his growing ability to trust others. Quill reads as white; the twins cue as Black. Ages 13–up. Agent: Allison Remcheck, Stimola Literary Studio. (Mar.)

Reviewed on 01/09/2026 | Details & Permalink

A Bangladeshi American teen struggles to manage her depression, especially when a literal cloud that reflects her emotions starts following her around in this affirming speculative novel by Bhuiyan (I’ll Pretend You’re Mine). Megh Rashid is desperate to get away from her constantly arguing parents in New York City and attend UCLA. After she’s waitlisted for admission, though, she fails to see a way forward and her depression worsens. Things seem to improve when her cousin Sadia helps Megh land a TV production internship at the Today show. When Megh finds herself in possession of her own rain cloud following a lightning strike—and the cloud seems to affect the moods of the people around her—she resolves to improve her life outlook. With help from attractive, Turkish American fellow Today show intern Lev, Megh attempts to find joy in the everyday. But her tumultuous homelife with her antagonistic parents continues to drag her down. Splashes of romance alongside the sometimes playful misadventures inspired by Megh’s wayward emotional barometer inject levity into an insightful commentary on mental health and the way it can impact all areas of life. Vivid characters and quick-witted dialogue distinguish this affecting work. Ages 12–up. Agents: Pete Knapp and Stuti Telidevara, Park, Fine, & Brower Literary. (Mar.)

Reviewed on 01/09/2026 | Details & Permalink

An affluent teen influencer gets a reality check when her family files for bankruptcy in this discerning novel with Schitt’s Creek vibes. Korean American 17-year-old Elena Ok has carefully crafted her image to ensure she stays at the top of the Los Angeles social heirarchy. Meanwhile, her parents are focused on training her older brother Gavin to take over the family’s fast fashion brand. But when the business goes under seemingly overnight, the Oks leave their Calabasas mansion for a quaint house in Blaire, a “microscopic” farm town located in a National Radio Quiet Zone, which means no Wi-Fi, putting an indefinite hold on Elena’s career. It’s a culture shock for the siblings, who have only ever experienced a privileged upbringing. To the teens’ surprise, though, their parents are more open to a rural lifestyle than they anticipated. As the family settles into their new reality, they each find their own niche with help from kind locals: Gavin explores culinary interests, while Elena applies her influencer marketing skills to organize a farmers market. Using the relationship between the teens and their parents as a jumping-off point, Shim (Not Your Average Jo) considers how changing attitudes surrounding masculinity and gender roles inform one family’s view of creating and maintaining households, friendships, and businesses, resulting in a feel-good story of self-discovery and redefining the boundaries of success. Ages 12–up. Agent: Andrea Morrison, Writers House. (Mar.)

Reviewed on 01/09/2026 | Details & Permalink

Seventeen-year-old magic user Monroe Bennett doesn’t believe that love is in her future—until she’s tasked with investigating the circumstances behind a rogue love charm in this frothy rom-com. As a junior recruit at the Bureau of Mystical Affairs, it’s Monroe’s responsibility to solve magic-related mishaps, and she’s determined to excel in this first job: looking into a love enchantment gone awry, which has been wreaking havoc at her high school, causing sometimes comedic and sometimes harmful accidents during romantic encounters between students. Monroe isn’t the only junior recruit on the case, though. If she wants to snag a coveted full-time spot at the Bureau, she must compete with six other recruits, including talented and popular peer Taylor. When the Bureau director’s daughter, Iris, becomes charmed and her romantic overture toward Monroe goes viral online, Iris—hoping to take advantage of the notoriety—proposes an exchange: Monroe will fake-date her to make Iris’s ex-girlfriend jealous, and Iris will help Monroe with the assignment. Monroe’s pragmatism coupled with Iris’s charisma dials up the appeal of this humorous romp by Page (Brewed with Love), which features tried-and-true romance tropes with elevated stakes and a mystical bureaucratic spin. Characters are intersectionally diverse. Ages 12–up. Agent: Rebecca Podos, Neighborhood Literary. (Mar.)

Reviewed on 01/09/2026 | Details & Permalink

A tween contending with familial tumult and financial insecurity finds comfort in a brand new setting in this classic-feeling girl-saves-horse story by Bradley (The Night War). It’s been three weeks since what 11-year-old Harper refers to as the Bomb figuratively “blew her family to pieces.” As if learning that her parents were getting divorced wasn’t bad enough, gossip at school soon revealed the reason behind the separation: Harper’s father and her best friend Cat’s mother have been having an affair. Now, after moving into a small home on the grounds of a riding stable in the Tennessee countryside, Harper and her mom attempt to start over. Grieving and angry over the loss of her former life and Cat’s friendship, Harper feels adrift—until a slaughterhouse truck abandons an ailing horse at the stable. Empathizing with the horse, Harper names him Phoenix and resolves to do everything she can to help him recover from the trauma of his neglectful past. Alongside sobering, candid conversations about animal abuse and the expenses and responsibilities associated with equine ownership, Harper’s relentless belief in Phoenix and herself buoys this optimistic series launch. Harper reads as white; supporting characters are racially diverse. Ages 10–14. Agent: Ginger Knowlton, Curtis Brown. (Mar.)

Reviewed on 01/09/2026 | Details & Permalink

In this honest novel by Gurevich (Ain’t It Funny), a Russian American 13-year-old explores cultural identity and the meaning of lasting friendship during the lead-up to his bar mitzvah and the 1986 World Series. Thirteen-year-old Yasha does not share his parents’ excitement about the family’s move from their Brooklyn apartment to a house in suburban New Jersey. Yasha’s anxious feelings about attending a new school are exacerbated by his encounters with Alex, the only other Russian kid in town, who takes Yasha under his wing and encourages him to act less Russian (“Fitting in is a good thing”). Though Yasha’s attempts at blending in—concealing the gold chain he wears, not packing his favorite Russian foods for lunch, accepting hand-me-downs from Alex—cause friction with his parents, he’s relieved to find community at school. He also takes comfort in watching Mets games with elderly friend Bernie, with whom Yasha bonds while volunteering at the local senior center in preparation for his upcoming bar mitzvah. Skillful pacing and memorably developed character interactions—distinguished by socioeconomic stresses and the loneliness that can come with being different—pair with organically incorporated details of Jewish and Russian traditions, language, and foods to satisfyingly set all the strands of Yasha’s life on a championship track. Ages 9–12. Agent: Kaitlyn Katsoupis, Belcastro Agency. (Mar.)

Reviewed on 01/09/2026 | Details & Permalink