Carpenter (Fault Lines) curates a thought-provoking collection of 16 short stories in which teens navigate the complexities of growing up amid climate instability. Selections by authors including Rin Chupeco, Xelena González, Karina Iceberg, and more feature both realistic scenarios and speculative depictions of dystopian futures that confront present-day environmental challenges. Some, such as Erin Entrada Kelly’s “The Care and Feeding of Mother” and Aya de Leon’s “Critobis,” paint a grim picture of humankind’s legacy by portraying the complete destruction of the natural world and the collapse of civilization. Despite the somber subject matter, the offerings also inspire hope, showing teen protagonists acting against climate crises, whether by protecting animals, as seen in Carpenter’s own “Armadillo by Morning,” or cleaning up polluted waterways, detailed in Aleese Lin’s “Graveyard for the Sky.” Most affecting are stories based on true events, such as Jeff Zentner’s “Tellico Lake,” in which homes, sacred structures, and endangered species are devastated by dam construction. A foreword from the editor positions the collection as being inspired by the “severe anxiety over ecological devastation and disasters” experienced by contemporary youth, and affirms the power of storytelling to effect change. Extensive back matter concludes. Ages 12–up. (Feb.)

Reviewed on 01/16/2026 | Details & Permalink

Horror tropes abound in this frightening and occasionally self-aware standalone romp from Stine (the Goosebumps series) about the difference between nightmares and reality—and what happens when that line begins to blur. When 12-year-old Joe Ferber moves into a new house with his parents and older sister, he immediately realizes that something is off. Though he tries to persuade his family to leave, citing “ghost children cackling on the stairway” and “the words GO HOME sprayed in blood on the kitchen wall,” they refuse, convinced that Joe has been watching too many scary movies. As he struggles to acclimate, a parallel story line follows Shawn Hannigan, also 12 and recently moved into a new house with his younger sister and their single mother. Having woken up from a nightmare—seemingly about Joe—Shawn begins his first day of school feeling anxious, and it’s more than just new-kid jitters. Uncanny experiences increase tenfold once Shawn’s and Joe’s stories—and relentlessly persistent nightmares—start to overlap. Propulsive prose and pulse-pounding chapter cliffhangers build tension and suspense throughout an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink thriller, which features haunted dolls, vampire principals, basement graveyards, and more. Characters are white-cued. Ages 8–12. (Feb.)

Reviewed on 01/16/2026 | Details & Permalink

Luminous first-person narration by Stewart (The Forgotten Magic of Zoey Turner) relays an introspective slice-of-life tale that forefronts connection and the lessons to be learned about friendship, family, and oneself when approaching relationships with an open heart and mind. Following an emotional meltdown while on a school trip to the aquarium, 12-year-old Lucy Sinclair’s parents send her from New York to Prince Edward Island, hoping a summer spent at her grandfather’s house will lift her spirits. Lucy worries, however, that the visit is meant to give her parents a break from Lucy and her “big feelings.” To her chagrin, life on the island proves more peaceful than back home in the city, particularly due to the smaller population. But a budding friendship with Poppy Anne Montgomery—a local kid descended from the author of Anne of Green Gables—forces Lucy to confront her feelings about an estranged relationship, as well as simmering emotions stemming from her grandfather’s reticence to talk about his late wife, her grandmother. When Grandpa gives Lucy her grandma’s old film camera, though, the object becomes a lifeline toward processing and communicating her emotions and cultivating a better understanding of each other. Gentle, lightly magical storytelling earnestly presents Lucy’s struggles with managing overwhelming feelings and her subsequent attempts to dismantle her persistent belief that the fallout of others’ reactions is hers to shoulder. Main characters are white. Ages 8–12. Agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House. (Feb.)

Reviewed on 01/16/2026 | Details & Permalink

Via alternating timelines, Meikle presents a searing novel about an orphaned refugee fleeing Afghanistan for the United Kingdom. Following his parents’ murder by the Taliban in 2019, 10-year-old Samim and Samim’s best friend, Zayn, move in with Samim’s uncle Roshan. When the Taliban comes for Uncle Roshan, too, the event propels the trio to seek asylum at an iron-cutting factory in Iran. After Uncle Roshan is badly wounded in a police raid, he implores the boys leave for Turkey, where they may be able to find passage to England. Along the way, Samim and Zayn meet kind people and contend with violence, food insecurity, and inhumane living conditions. To self-soothe, Samim counts the digits of pi, while Zayn cracks jokes at Samim’s expense, offering levity to the story. Chapters set in 2022 follow Samim, now 13, as he navigates the U.K. foster system, nurtures his love of chess, and recounts his past to his solicitor and caseworker. Though aspects surrounding the political history between Afghanistan and the Taliban go uncontextualized, intense portrayals of the protagonist’s experiences culminate in a sobering and illuminating volume. Includes a map and author interview. Ages 10–14. (Feb.)

Reviewed on 01/16/2026 | Details & Permalink

Toalson (The Unforgettable Leta “Lightning” Laurel) centers the formative teen and college years of poet Sylvia Plath (1932–1963) in a fictionalized telling inspired by her letters and diaries. Beginning in 1948, during her junior year of high school in Wellesley, Mass., lucid verse chronicles Plath’s increasing thirst for creative recognition and her attempts to reconcile her literary ambitions with the era’s sexism. Challenges managing episodic depression and suicidal ideation frequently complicate her educational and artistic pursuits. Though she believes that “the worst thing/ you can do for your ambitious future// is fall in love,” Plath yearns for both marriage and a career, and struggles to remain true to writing—her first love—as she navigates romantic relationships. Intimate, confessional poems make parallels between Plath’s mental health-managing efforts and her formal education at Smith College, frankly tracing financial worries and suicide attempts alongside skyrocketing recognition of her work. The novel’s hopeful tone emphasizes Plath’s determination to learn that “light is made brighter by the dark,” and an endnote provides additional context regarding Plath’s mental health and eventual death by suicide. The result is a vulnerable, ambitious, and resolute read—much like Plath herself. Resources conclude. Ages 14–up. Agent: Rena Rossner, Deborah Harris Agency. (Feb.)

Reviewed on 01/16/2026 | Details & Permalink

When a grieving Chinese Filipino youth encounters a literal ghost from her past, she resolves to make him to stay in the living world in this unfiltered exploration of loss by Coyiuto (Chloe and the Kaishao Boys). It’s been five years since now-17-year-old Nika’s father died, and Nika feels that she and her family have never processed their grief, particularly because Nika’s mother and older sister, Jackie, refuse to talk about vivacious, music-loving Pa except on his death anniversary. Recently, Jackie has been focused on helping to plan their mother’s upcoming wedding to the family’s longtime dentist, Dr. Derrick. The adults’ relationship has always bothered Nika, so when Dr. Derrick shows up at Pa’s yearly memorial, the teen walks out and breaks a Filipino superstition of never going directly home after attending a funeral. The next day, Nika is confronted by her father’s ghost. Realizing she’s the only one who can see him, Nika takes advantage of their time together by reconnecting over old memories; she soon discovers that the more they reminisce, the more corporeal Pa becomes. Clear and touching text renders the family’s unabashed vulnerability while references to pinoy culture and superstition, as well as Filipino banter in Tagalog and Hokkein, suffuse a novel that gracefully explores the nonlinear progression of grief and moving on. A glossary concludes. Ages 13–up. (Feb.)

Reviewed on 01/16/2026 | Details & Permalink

Parallel plots set 80 years apart follow two 13-year-old girls as they navigate war and its aftermath in this stellar historical novel by Swinarski (Take It from the Top). Penny Marks resents her mother for taking a job at a “fancy art museum” in Paris, a decision that forces the family to leave their Wisconsin home to spend a year in France. When Penny and her mother learn that contractors have found a 1944 painting, along with a letter from someone named Marie Bonnet, hidden in an apartment wall, Penny’s bitterness turns to interest in the history of Paris and the mysterious correspondent. Meanwhile, a second narrative set in 1943 centers Marie, who fears imminent war living in Nazi-occupied France. With her mother long dead and her father sent to labor in Germany, she half-heartedly attends school while her older sister Héloise works as a cleaner at the Ritz. Upon discovering that Héloise is secretly aiding the Resistance, Marie pleads to help, too, as the city becomes increasingly dangerous. Educational, empathetic, and emotional prose expertly weaves together alternating story lines in a timely and resonant read that offers accessible insight into the impact of war and the importance of art and its ability to sustain people through dark times. The cast is described as white. Ages 8–12. Agent: Sarah Phair, Sanford J. Greenburger Assoc. (Feb.)

Reviewed on 01/16/2026 | Details & Permalink

A grieving tween plans for the worst in this emotionally raw upper middle grade debut by Moss (Flesh & Blood). Following Birdy’s mother’s death from a prolonged illness, the 11-year-old and her seven-year-old brother Mouse leave New York City, moving upstate to live with distant relatives Aunt Mitzie and Uncle Shadow. While Mouse is optimistic about the new experience, Birdy worries over a social worker’s comments that the siblings’ relocation is only a stopgap. Birdy’s wariness prompts her to feel distrustful of Aunt Mitzie and Uncle Shadow’s small kindnesses, such as supplying Birdy with her favorite snack. Suppressing feelings of budding happiness about her new home, Birdy resolves to take care of Mouse by preparing for potential disaster, hiding away food and stealing from Aunt Mitzie’s savings jar. The arrival of another distant family member—soft-spoken naturalist Uncle Clay from Maine—and the youths’ enrollment in summer camp offer additional opportunities for joy and distraction from their mourning. As Birdy’s grief for her late mother and anger over trauma associated with past instability fester amid her good fortune, she writes in her diary, “I need to try and be happier—but I don’t know how.” Sensitive language addresses the myriad challenges the protagonist faces, making her efforts to traverse processes of bereavement and change both understandable and heartbreaking. The cast cues as white. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 10–14. Author’s agent: Michael Carr, Veritas Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Hannah Mann, Writers House. (Feb.)

Reviewed on 01/16/2026 | Details & Permalink

When a nonbinary, neurodivergent teen’s college plans are unexpectedly derailed, they’ll stop at nothing to get things back on track in this character-driven novel from Randall (The No-Girlfriend Rule). Kentucky high school senior Mal Flowers is distraught after the school lit mag that they edit, Collage, is canceled due to budget cuts. While Mal scrambles for a new extracurricular to pad their application to the University of Kentucky—which Mal and their soccer star sister, Maddie, dream of attending together—bubbly fellow lit mag colleague Emerson suggests that they team up to resurrect Collage as an underground zine. Despite initial resistance, Mal is soon swept up in both the project and Emerson’s increasingly frequent flirting. But when their grades begin to slide and they start missing Maddie’s soccer games, Mal’s relationship with their mother—who often dismisses Mal’s ADHD and learning differences—deteriorates. As Mal struggles to hold everything together, they find their goals for the future undergoing a radical, but not unwelcome, transformation. Though the romantic elements between Mal and Emerson are somewhat lackluster, readers will surely resonate with Mal’s organically rendered character arc and complex, relatable conflicts, beneath which lies a foundation of optimism and joy. Major characters read as white. Ages 14–up. (Feb.)

Reviewed on 01/16/2026 | Details & Permalink

A bumblebee, snake, squirrel, speckled toad, and more take up space in the “weedy garden” celebrated in this elegant picture book from sibling team the Renkls. Poetic, frequently alliterative second-person lines offer concise lyrical profiles: “If you’re a green hummingbird glinting and gleaming... you dance at the first glad glimpse of trumpet vine.” Immersive full-bleed spreads lend a diorama-like feel to jam-packed mixed-media scenes that display vintage species cut-outs and emphasize fauna’s natural camouflage. A goldfinch plays “hide-and-seek among the black-eyed Susans,” an earthworm tunnels “between the weedy roots,” and flowers keep a cottontail rabbit’s presence secret (“You push back leaves, nudge tufts of soft fur. While the hawk sleeps, you nestle your babies”). As more and more beings enjoy their treats (“Strawberries!”), a friendly message of creaturely community is conveyed to a final presented species—a pale-skinned human “child sitting still in the clover.” Back matter includes more about the highlighted animals. Ages 4–8. (Feb.)

Reviewed on 01/09/2026 | Details & Permalink