Rosewater (All’s Fair in Love and Field Hockey) draws upon San Francisco’s queer history to fuel a high-stakes citywide treasure hunt that gives way to a propulsive friends-to-enemies-to-lovers romance. The summer before her sophomore year, Ivy and her then-bestie Cam spent the season scouring the city for clues about a hidden treasure hinted at in a mysterious book once owned by Cam’s late uncle. Ivy also came out to Cam as a lesbian; though she expected Cam to be supportive and understanding, Cam instead ended their friendship. In the two years following their estrangement, Cam came out as transgender and Ivy found a place to belong among her fellow yearbook editors. After Ivy uncovers a forgotten clue from her and Cam’s treasure hunt, she resolves to pick up where it left off—without Cam. When Cam catches wind, he attempts to race Ivy to the hunt’s conclusion, igniting a parallel adventure that disrupts the protagonists’ stubborn grudges, unearths buried feelings, and sparks within both a new appreciation for their hometown. Ivy’s cheeky and inviting POV expertly relays immersive discussions about queer history and intimate relationship dynamics, while jaunty pacing heightens the thrill of treasure hunting hijinks. The result is a deliciously fun romp about the necessity of friendship and the power of belonging. Ages 12–up. Agent: Lauren Spieller, Folio Jr. (July)

Reviewed on 04/17/2026 | Details & Permalink

Rivera (Cece Rios and the Queen of Brujas) spotlights two grieving siblings embarking on a thrilling supernatural adventure. Following their father’s death, 12-year-old Ryan Ramirez feels responsible for his eight-year-old brother, Teddy; Ryan hopes that by looking out for his sibling, he can support their grieving mother. But Ryan’s desire to live a life his father would be proud of chafes against his deteriorating relationship with Teddy. While Ryan tries to hide his grief behind a cool, tough-guy persona, Teddy leans into behaviors that Ryan finds embarrassing, while also taking up their father’s obsession with the nearby forest, where many children have disappeared. When Teddy enters the woods and Ryan gives chase, both boys are drawn further in after hearing their father’s voice echoing through the trees. The siblings soon encounter an ethereal world where powerful beings wearing magical masks carved from the forest’s trees attempt to capture them. Now the brothers must find a way to escape the forest before sunrise, at which point they’ll transform into trees and be trapped in the woods forever. Though a jam-packed plot and dangling plotlines sometimes prove disorienting, readers will nevertheless revel in the Latinx-cued protagonists’ lived-in relationship and touching sequences addressing their shifting dynamic. This family-focused tale is an ideal entry point to horror for young readers. Ages 9–14. Agent: Serene Hakim, Ayesha Pande Literary. (Aug.)

Reviewed on 04/17/2026 | Details & Permalink

Against a mellow summer backdrop, Galanti (Unicorn Island) follows a grieving tween’s attempts to move forward after loss. On the coast of Maine, 13-year-old Sarah helps her father run Loon Cove, a lakeside campground. Six months after her mother’s death and with her best friend away for most of the summer, Sarah decides to devote herself to the loons she loves, volunteering at a nearby bird rehabilitation center. Her plans shift when she meets Theo, one of the seasonal campers, after a loon is injured on the lake. Together with Theo’s aunt Maggie—a researcher studying the area’s declining loon population—the youths rescue the bird, forming an unexpected connection in the process. As Sarah grows closer to Maggie, she finds herself conflicted about opening up emotionally, often turning to her mother’s diary for comfort and guidance. When complications arise at home, Sarah increasingly leans on Theo for support, a link that slowly deepens into a tentative romance. Measured prose conveys emotional complexity with a lighthearted touch, allowing space for sorrow and joy to coexist and offering a nuanced portrayal of a girl contending with grief. It’s a tender and uplifting story about healing through caring for the natural world. Ages 8–up. (Self-published)

Reviewed on 04/17/2026 | Details & Permalink

Following the conclusion of the Vietnam War, tweens grapple with familial and communal changes in this haunting novel by Kramer (Eyes on the Sky). In the remote Appalachian town of Blackberry Holler in eastern Tennessee, 12-year-old Delilah’s older sister Eve, with whom Delilah was once close, has been inexplicably keeping her distance from Delilah—and from Delilah’s earnest attempts to learn the ways of healing herbal mountain magic. Meanwhile, Delilah’s younger sister Jezzie proves herself always ready to brawl with neighborhood boys. The arrival of traveling preacher Brother Jones instills hope in Delilah that her sibling conflicts—as well as other tensions at home—can be resolved. After he rescues Delilah from a rattlesnake, Brother Jones invites the family to attend services at his new church. But the promise of salvation soon gives way to unease: alarmed by Brother Jones’s apparent ability to speak in tongues and his dramatic handling of a rattlesnake during worship, Delilah must reckon with the possibility that a grim mountain folktale may hold surprising truths. Delilah’s perceptive first-person narration and imagery-rich language conjures a chilling Appalachian backdrop populated by strong, memorably rendered, white-cued characters. It’s an ominous tale that thoughtfully explores cultural tensions and competing beliefs. Ages 8–12. Agent: Jennifer Carlson, Dunow, Carlson & Lerner Literary. (June)

Reviewed on 04/17/2026 | Details & Permalink

Krampien (The Bellwoods Game) spins an eerie tale about a white-cued tween’s bid for friendship and the haunted house that threatens that bond. For years, 12-year-old Flora Abbott has watched families rotate in and out of Thirteen Bly, the old house across the street. Though none stays for long, Flora hopes that the newest family beats the odds—and that one of them could become her best friend. Bright and bubbly new neighbor Mac proves an ideal companion. But as Flora and Mac bond, Flora can’t help but feel like something is amiss. Mac’s parents are unnaturally overbearing, she’s reluctant to talk about her previous school, and when she mentions someone named Daphne, she quickly changes the subject. The unsettling events Flora encounters upon entering Thirteen Bly exacerbate her worries for Mac’s safety. Doors open and close unassisted, objects inexplicably vanish, and Mac’s withdrawn younger brother Danny seems increasingly determined to scare Flora away. Flora is certain that someone or something is haunting Mac’s house, and to save her, Flora must uncover the source. Krampien steadily ramps up the suspense, cultivating a palpable aura of dread as supernatural incidents—depicted in atmospheric, animated grayscale illustrations—escalate from inconvenient to downright dangerous. Threads of optimism, reinforced by Mac and Flora’s easy camaraderie, provide a resting spot throughout this tense adventure. Ages 8–12. Agent: Andrea Morrison, Writers House. (July)

Reviewed on 04/17/2026 | Details & Permalink

When an “all-powerful, primordial goddess of darkness” escapes from centuries of enchanted imprisonment, the event kicks off a countdown to the end of the world in Gilkeson’s absurd, low-key debut. While stuck in detention, 12-year-old Sebastian Onizuka, who is white and Japanese, kicks a small black object that sits the back of his suburban Illinois classroom. The item turns out to be an ancient obelisk that, once tampered with, releases 12-year-old Maggie Weaver, the corporeal reincarnation of a Caledonian goddess destined to “shroud the universe in everlasting night.” Returned to the mortal realm after spending 16 centuries in suspended animation, Maggie reluctantly intends to fulfill her prophesied duty to devour the world during the next eclipse, which is six days away. The only way to stop her is to magically entrap her once again. As Sebastian searches for the long-lost sleeping spell, Maggie enrolls in his school, moves into his home, and attempts to adjust to the 21st century. Understated humor and tongue-in-cheek prose matter-of-factly present Maggie’s godly aura, with which other characters largely remain unimpressed: teachers are preoccupied with budget constraints, classmates view her uncanny powers as amusing party tricks, and Sebastian’s parents treat her like family. The result is a remarkably upbeat tale of connecting while trying to prevent apocalypse. Ages 8–12. Agent: Maria Vicente, P.S. Literary. (July)

Reviewed on 04/17/2026 | Details & Permalink

An orphaned tween seeking a place to belong embarks on a daunting adventure in this cozy fantasy from Abe (Tessa Miyata Is So Unlucky). In the Alterran Empire, social standing is determined by citizens’ ranking on a scale of Remarkableness; Extraordinarily Remarkables live in luxury, while Slightly Remarkables wear hand-me-downs. Eleven-year-old Lyra Hunt, described with tan skin, is an exceptional case: she’s the only resident classified as Unremarkable, leaving her feeling isolated and overlooked. As her birthday approaches, Lyra is running out of time to join a guild, but being accepted into one of the organizations dedicated to myriad professions (Pine Cone Collectors, Button Collectors, Warriors) would secure her permanent shelter within the kingdom and help her evade exile. Rejections pile up until she stumbles upon the elusive Guild of Scholars, where she discovers a wary but welcoming community of book lovers and knowledge seekers, along with a magical library. To gain acceptance, however, Lyra must restore the library’s lost magic crystal, which amplifies guild members’ magic and recently vanished in a fire. With help from new allies and a mischievous furry companion, Lyra sets out on a quest boasting dragons, hidden histories, and an ancient society with secrets of its own. Whimsical worldbuilding and an endearing protagonist distinguish a winning adventure that celebrates curiosity and personal exploration. Ages 8–11. Agent: Sarah Landis, Sterling Lord Literistic. (Aug.)

Reviewed on 04/17/2026 | Details & Permalink

In this gently eerie board book ghost story, Klassen (Your Truck) invites readers to venture into the ostensibly empty residence that inspires the work’s shape. Narration proceeds in a neutral tone as a speaker invites the curious to enter via a doorway: “There is nobody in this house. There used to be somebody. But there is nobody now. Let’s go look inside.” As the tour moves along, each progressive spread represents a new room, die-cuts allow glimpses into surrounding spaces, and straightforward commentary observes the abode’s spare, darkly inked décor (“This room has a chair in it. Let’s go into the next room”). Soon, the light in the house begins to dim, and a spectral figure appears in a chamber that’s described as hosting only “a small stool on the floor.... And a lamp.” Wholly unmentioned by the speaker, the ghost is subsequently seen staring out through the die-cuts as the remaining pages turn, delivering readers again outside: “There is nobody in this house. There used to be somebody. But there is nobody now.” Via deadpan prose that seems to hinge on a literal interpretation of “no body,” the narrator’s seemingly unreliable observations deliciously heighten the dwelling’s sense of mystery. Giving youngest readers ample space to contemplate their own perceptions, Klassen again displays a remarkable knack for creating lingering, fully realized works through the sparsest storytelling. Ages 3–7. (July)

Reviewed on 04/17/2026 | Details & Permalink

Abundant love between a child and toy animates standard stuffie fare from Hood (Clementine), making her picture book debut, and Quaranta, making her U.S. picture book debut. Piggy provides frank narration, opening with introductions before segueing to salad-day reminiscences of being “pink and plump and...// perky.” From the moment the pigtailed speaker and their pale-skinned human bestie first meet, they sleep, eat, and play together. But as Piggy begins to look worse for the wear, inevitable washing machine stints occur, events the pig describes as a “terrible thing.” Still, the stuffed animal emerges, steaming, from the dryer to greet its rosy-cheeked child with an unwavering smile. Homey artwork—a mix of digital techniques, watercolor, and texturizing colored pencil detailing—take the lead from here, with vignettes chronicling the repeated cycle: in one, the tot spills food on their companion; in another, the stuffed animal wallows in muddy wildflowers. Despite its anti-bath stance (“NOOOOO!!!” Piggy laments as another trip to the wash looms), the stuffie slowly comes to express appreciation for the beauty that lies in being (and looking) well-loved. This portrait of a tight bond feels winsomely on the nose. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Gail Hochman, Brandt & Hochman. Illustrator’s agent: Alex Gehringer, Bright Agency. (June)

Reviewed on 04/17/2026 | Details & Permalink

Much like the bovine protagonist of this goofily deadpan tale, Hannigan (The Bear Out There) takes a premise and cheerfully runs away with it. A spotted cow makes a carefully planned nighttime escape from its farm home, its innocence about the world and pride in its own sly plan the first of many jokes. Trailed by a black cat who seems equal parts knowing and protective, the cow, with wide-eyed naivety, encounters an array of pale-skinned “night people.” These include a scarecrow (“such a marvelous sense of style”), a pair of burglars hauling off the farmer’s TV (“Everyone seems very polite at night”), and a vampiric “upside-down night person” who invites, “Do you desire to walk as a creature of the dark for all eternity?” But when a green figure whisks cow and cat aboard a spaceship and the adventure leaps from shaggy dog telling to absurd interplanetary outing, even the formerly unflappable cow admits, “It’s looking like I’ve made a pretty big mistake here.” Bold, flat compositions—heavy on saturated greens, oranges, and purples, with a crisp, cut-paper sensibility—match the text’s dry wit beat for beat. It’s an exploratory comedy that’ll draw giggles ’til the cows come home. Ages 4–8. (July)

Reviewed on 04/17/2026 | Details & Permalink