Fiction sequels hot off the presses this month include middle school drama, anthropomorphic animals, dystopian adventures, espionage, and more.

Anne's Kindred Spirits

by Kallie George, illus. by Abigail Halpin (Tundra, May 7, $12.99, ISBN 978-1-77049-932-4)

Anne Shirley meets new friends and has new adventures in this second entry in an early reader series inspired by the Anne of Green Gables classics.

The Bolds in Trouble

by Julian Clary, illus. by David Roberts (Lerner/Carolrhoda, May 7, $16.99, ISBN 978-1-5415-0045-7

The Bolds series of chapter books about anthropomorphic animals hiding in plain sight among humans continues with the fourth book. The furry family faces trouble with the arrival of a wily fox.

The Doughnut King

Jessie Janowitz (Sourcebooks, May 7, $16.99, ISBN 978-1-4926-5544-2)

After a rough patch, protagonist Tris Levin has settled into a new life in Petersville, but now his doughnut enterprise is starting to flounder. Tris sets out to revitalize his small town and save his business in this sequel to The Doughnut Fix.

Finale

by Stephanie Garber (Flatiron, May 7, $19.99, ISBN 978-1-250-15766-9)

The third and final book in Garber’s phantasmagorical Caraval series sees heroine Tella recovering from an Earth-shattering realization. Legend has taken over the empire, and Tella is determined to secure her mother’s place on the throne.

First Kiss

by Dan Richards (Little Bee, May 7, $16.99, ISBN 978-1-4998-0891-9)

The sequel to Stu Truly follows the middle grade hero as he gets closer to his crush, Becca, and goes into freak-out mode when he starts thinking about maybe wanting to kiss her.

Harold & Hog Pretend for Real!

by Dan Santat and Mo Willems (Disney-Hyperion, May 7, $9.99, ISBN 978-1-368-02716-8)

In this early reader (an addition to the Elephant & Piggie Like Reading! series), beloved characters Elephant and Piggie read a story about best friends Harold and Hog—the same one that readers are reading.

Just Jaime

by Terri Libenson (Harper Collins/Balzer + Bray, May 7, $22.99, ISBN 978-0-06-285107-9)

Book three in the Emmie and Friends graphic novel series—following Invisible Emmie and Positively Izzy—focuses on a third middle school girl who is beginning to feel ostracized by her group of friends.

Last Kids on Earth Survival Guide

by Max Brallier (Viking, May 7, $13.99, ISBN 978-1-984835-40-6)

This journal, a companion to the Last Kids on Earth books (soon to be a Netflix animated series), invites readers to imagine themselves as part of the Last Kids world through interactive activities and prompts.

Polly Diamond and the Super Stunning Spectacular School Fair: Book 2

by Alice Kuipers, illus. by Diana Toledano (Chronicle, May 7, $14.99 ISBN 978-1-4521-5233-2)

Polly Diamond, in a follow-up to Polly Diamond and the Magic Book, uses her magical book to spice up the school fair, but events don’t turn out as expected.
 

The Red Maze

by Mark Siegel, Alexis Siegel et al. (Random House, May 7, $20.99, ISBN 978-1-101-93592-7)

The 5 Worlds intergalactic graphic novel series resumes, with protagonists Oona, Jax, and An Tzu faced with lighting the red beacon.

The Rule of Many

by Ashley Saunders and Leslie Saunders (Skyscape, May 7, $14.99, ISBN 978-1-5420-4370-0)

In The Rule of One, the Saunders sisters introduced a dystopian world with a strictly enforced one-child law. Now, twins Ava and Mira have become fugitives on the run from the government, and are possible contenders for the leaders of a rebellion.

The Clockwork Ghost

by Laura Ruby (HarperCollins/Walden Pond, May 14, $17.99, ISBN 978-978-0-06-230696-8)

Ruby continues her York series with a second New York City-set adventure, featuring an alternate history and a dash of steampunk.

The Tree and Me

by Deborah Zemke (Dial, May 14, $16.99, ISBN 978-0-7352-2941-9)

Bea Garcia and her classmates at Emily Dickinson Elementary School are determined to save the life of the 150-year-old oak tree on school grounds, in the fourth book of the Bea Garcia chapter book series.

The Queen's Secret

by Jessica Day George (Bloomsbury, May 14, $16.99, ISBN 978-1-5476-0089-2)

George offers an addition to her Rose Legacy middle grade fantasy series for animal lovers. When a plague breaks out and horses are erroneously blamed as the cause, it’s up to horse whisperer Anthea to protect them.

There's Something About Sweetie

by Sandhya Menon (Simon Pulse, May 14, $18.99, ISBN 978-1-5344-1678-9)

Menon’s companion novel to When Dimple Met Rishi stars Rishi’s brother, Ashish Patel. After being dumped by his girlfriend, Ashish reluctantly allows his parents to set him up with an American-Indian girl: enter Sweetie Nair, who is fed up with her traditional parents’ narrow expectations.

Galloglass

by Scarlett Thomas (Simon & Schuster, May 21, $17.99, ISBN 978-1-4814-9790-9)

The Worldquake middle grade fantasy series continues with book three; Effie, Raven, Wolf, and Max find themselves separated by villainous outside forces and must find one another in order to save the world from destruction.

Kingsbane

by Claire Legrand (Sourcebooks Fire, May 21, $18.99, ISBN 978-1-4926-5665-4)

In this sequel to Furyborn, Legrand continues the sweeping Empirium YA fantasy series, in which the lives of two royals living thousands of years apart are intertwined.

Ninja Baseball Blast

by John Steven Gurney (May 21, $12.99, ISBN 978-1-5458-0008-9)

Gurney introduced a cast of anthropomorphic animal athletes in Fuzzy Baseball; iIn the second baseball-themed book, the Fernwood Valley Fuzzies take on the Sashimi City Ninjas.

The Secret Janara

by John Bemelmans Marciano, illus. by Sophie Blackall (Viking, May 28, $13.99, ISBN 978-0-425-29154-2)

In the sixth of the quietly eerie The Witches of Benevento chapter book series, the Benevento cousins continue to evade the clutches of the town’s witches.

Secret Weapon: Seven Untold Adventures from the Life of a Teenaged Spy

by Anthony Horowitz (Philomel, May 21, $17.99, ISBN 978-1-5247-3933-1)

Horowitz follows his long-running Alex Rider series with this collection of seven stories—three of which were never before published. The teenage spy’s new adventures include thwarting an assassination attempt at a ski resort over Christmas.