In this thorough collaboration, Dunn (Perkin’s Perfect Purple) and Fox (The Mystery of Mystic Mountain) recount the life of chemist and X-ray crystallographer Rosalind Franklin (1920–1958), the sexism she endured throughout her career, and the impact of her work on molecular biology and the understanding of DNA. As a child, Franklin is dubbed a math and science prodigy; at 17, high test scores earn her a place at Cambridge’s Newnham College. Upon graduating from Newnham, she pursued a doctorate in chemistry; throughout her educational tenure, her work at prominent labs furthered her studies in X-ray crystallography, which led to her refining techniques that would later prove useful in the exploration of DNA by allowing scientists to photograph evidence of its double helix structure. In 1951, after earning her doctorate and concluding a four-year research stint in Paris, she returned to London to work at King’s College Biophysics Lab. There, she encountered colleague Maurice Wilkins, whom dry text notes felt “unnerved” by Franklin’s capabilities as well as frustrated by rumors of his attraction to her. While intermittent sections detailing the scientific subjects addressed are somewhat dense, the information is enlivened by details of Franklin’s sharp, fearless observations of her male peers and their foibles. Includes brief biographies, an author’s note, and a glossary. Ages 11–up. Agent: (for Dunn and Fox) Erin Murphy, Aevitas Creative Management. (Apr.)

Reviewed on 02/06/2026 | Details & Permalink

In a richly illustrated picture book that’s chock-full of ecological facts, Gianferrari (Rain and the Reading Horse) and Sudyka (Angela’s Glacier) venerate the astounding oak for its critical role as a keystone species. Employing anaphora, assonant lines highlight the many varied roles a single tree plays for a multitude of species across the seasons: “Just one oak.../ from the tip/ of its crown/ down to the ground,/ with roots all around,/ sustains so very/ many creatures.” Accompanying captions dive deep into adjacent topics, introducing concepts including marcescence (when a tree’s withered leaves remain attached) and the brown food web (the recyclers and decomposers who reside in leaf litter). Acknowledging the subject as both shelter and granary, the text goes on to celebrate the deciduous specimen’s roots (“farther than/ the canopy is wide”), acorns (“a nutritious superfood!”), and its important functions cleaning air and preventing erosion. Spreads depicting an abundance of goggle-eyed critters washed in watery earthy hues incorporate labels for a field guide–like effect that IDs myriad flora and fauna living in concert with a lone tree. It’s a satisfyingly comprehensive and appreciative portrait of oaks and their numerous contributions. Back matter provides further information. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Ammi-Joan Paquette, Aevitas Creative Management. Illustrator’s agent: Andrea Morrison, Writers House. (Apr.)

Reviewed on 02/06/2026 | Details & Permalink

A recurring motif of poignant song lyrics from well-known musicians like Bruce Springsteen and Janis Joplin sets the tone for and strengthens what is otherwise a standard teen melodrama by Hanaor (Alte Zachen/Old Things) and Lippett (A Puff of Smoke). On top of navigating typical pressure surrounding academics and school social hierarchies, 15-year-old Nel contends with her twin brother Ludo’s constantly insulting her in front of their peers and taking up all of their mother’s attention and affection. To cope, Nel takes solace in music, biographies of influential musicians and producers, and transitory visits from her working musician aunt. When Ludo forms a band, Nel feels jealous and betrayed (“He can’t let me have anything for myself”). The siblings’ dynamic takes a turn after receiving their mock GCSE scores; Ludo’s poor results prompt their mother to force him to quit the band. While Ludo becomes increasingly depressed, Nel’s spirits rise upon joining the group as a bassist and becoming enamored with its volatile drummer—and Nel’s former bully—Bea. Abrupt plot turns, time skips, and off-page action somewhat undermine the impact of the characters’ emotional arcs, which Lippett skillfully renders in emotive, blue-hued artwork. Artist biographies and Nel’s playlist conclude. Most character skin tones are white. Ages 14–up. (Apr.)

Reviewed on 02/06/2026 | Details & Permalink

In her debut graphic novel memoir, a series launch, Iranian and Colombian American actor Amini recalls her experience growing up as a “mixed kid” in 1999 Texas. As her family settles into a new home closer to her immigrant parents’ electronics shop, sixth grader Amini prepares to enter middle school. Though the tween’s internal monologue—playfully portrayed as that of a confident news reporter—suggests that Amini feels optimistic for the day ahead, reality quickly sets in as she navigates first-day-of-school pitfalls. Amini doesn’t share any classes with her BFF Monica. Worse, Monica seems to have replaced Amini with classmate Aneliese, with whom Monica grew closer at summer dance camp. As tensions rise between Monica and Amini, the protagonist also struggles with not feeling like she belongs in local Latinx and Persian communities. Upon signing up for the school’s drama club, though, Amini leans into her passion for performing, which helps the youth build self-confidence. Crisp, saturated cartooning by Amin (Shiny Misfits) centers character expression and imparts a lighthearted tone across this slice-of-life offering. Abundant pop culture references pave an accessible path along which Amini tackles issues surrounding immigration, racism, xenophobia, and puberty, culminating in a nostalgic and heartwarming trip down memory lane. A Spanish and Farsi glossary conclude. Ages 8–12. Illustrator’s agent: Jennifer Azantian, Azantian Literary. (Apr.)

Reviewed on 02/06/2026 | Details & Permalink

Sibling canines on a globe-trotting vacation must figure out how to navigate each other’s opposite personalities in this goofy graphic novel series launch for beginning readers. While older sister Betsy is a careful planner, younger brother Bones is a freewheeling excitement-hound who embraces spontaneity. The duo’s disparate travel styles cause tension upon arriving in London, as Bones ignores Betsy’s itinerary, instead investigating whatever catches his eye and forcing Betsy to hurry. When Bones dons the crown jewels while visiting the Tower of London, the siblings hide from security in a mysterious corridor, in which they encounter the ghost of King Henry the Sixth, who helps them leave the building unseen—only for them to stumble into a cricket match for which Bones scores the winning run while Betsy nurses a bump to the noggin. Though Bones’s antics make for an entertaining adventure, the narrative’s penchant for rewarding his insensitivity undercuts the effects of his behavior on Betsy, who’s often left alone to weather the consequences of her brother’s actions. Grayscale cartooning by Long (The Letter Setters in Fun!) is superimposed over orange-tinted photographs of IRL London locations, which Yaccarino (Piccolo) brings to life via clear and concise prose. Ages 5–9. (May)

Reviewed on 02/06/2026 | Details & Permalink

Witherspoon (Bingsu for Two) gleefully invokes reality show television tropes in this twisty rom-com. Twenty years before the book’s start, the series finale of a popular wilderness reality competition show concludes with one of the final three betraying his alliance to claim victory. Now the show is being rebooted with the finale’s winner, Garrett Moxley, as host. The cast of the series’ opening season is populated entirely by legacy contestants, including teens Seyoon Shin and Dean Parker, whose mother and father, respectively, were Moxley’s former allies. Though Dean and Seyoon are initially combative, they soon overcome their apparent rivalry to form first an alliance, then a fake showmance, hoping to keep the showrunners happy and improve their odds of winning. Seyoon wants the cash prize to help her financially struggling family; Dean wants to make his dad proud and prove he’s ready for independence. As they navigate the competition’s challenges and surprises, the teens grow closer, but both know there can only be one winner. The intersectionally diverse cast is entertaining and memorable, particularly the charismatic leads, whose resolve to overcome personal weaknesses—like Seyoon’s over competitiveness and Dean’s low self-worth—while cultivating trust in others shines bright throughout this satisfying if sometimes predictable romp. Ages 14–up. Agent: Maeve MacLysaght, Aevitas Creative Management. (Apr.)

Reviewed on 02/06/2026 | Details & Permalink

A teen uncovers a private island’s bloodstained past while looking for her sister in a gruesome gothic thriller. Hawaii may be orphaned twins Lehua and Ohia Sayers’ ancestral homeland, but they’ve never left Arizona. This fact adds a layer of envy to college dropout Lehua’s annoyance toward high-achieving Ohia, who breaks months of silence following a fight to brag about her new internship on a farm near Maui. Then Lehua learns from Ohia’s track coach that Ohia is on academic suspension, and there is no internship. But Ohia won’t answer her phone, so after some investigation, Lehua follows her to Kōpa΄a, an island plantation turned tech-free wellness resort and persimmon farm. By the time Lehua realizes that Ohia was employed at Kōpa΄a as a field worker but left after a week, the boat back to Maui is gone. Stranded on Kōpa΄a for the weekend due to an incoming storm, Lehua searches for clues as to the reason behind Ohia’s subterfuge and departure, as well as her next destination, not realizing that Kōpa´a is haunted and the truth she seeks could get her killed. Though the intersectionally diverse cast feels one-dimensional and some plot points don’t quite gel, Kendall (How Far I’ll Go) effectively leverages colonialism’s horrors and its effects on Hawaii’s history to maximize tension and terror. Ages 14–up. Agent: Jennifer March Solow, Starling Literary. (May)

Reviewed on 02/06/2026 | Details & Permalink

Mexican siblings in a small West Coast town in the 1920s seek revenge on a robber baron by plotting an elaborate con in this lean and tightly wound supernatural novel from McLemore (Flawless Girls). Sixteen-year-old Lola Bernal and her brother Lisandro, 17, make their living by staging hauntings; Lola acts as a ghost, terrorizing their mark in increasingly elaborate ways until the mark pays a young spiritualist, played by Lisandro, to exorcise the apparition. Unbeknownst to Lisandro, Lola has a personal vendetta against wealthy media mogul Bixby Fairfax and sets her sights on the Coterie, his massive estate, as the venue for their next haunting. While Lisandro struggles to reconcile his growing attraction to the troubled Fairfax heir, the depths of Lola’s grudge against Bixby appear to be painfully transforming her flesh into leaves and vines. As the brother-sister duo delve into the origins surrounding the Fairfax family and the Coterie, they sink deeper into the secrets they keep from each other. Via lived-in-feeling and fully fleshed-out alternating perspectives, McLemore infuses a cathartic revenge tale with allusions to Ovid’s Metamorphoses and Nahuatl folklore. Balancing depictions of searing rage and the costs of unfettered greed against a gorgeously rendered backdrop enriched by instances of queer love and acceptance, lush prose and deft character writing intertwine for a spectacular offering. Ages 13–up. Agent: Michael Bourret, Dystel, Goderich, & Bourret. (May)

Reviewed on 02/06/2026 | Details & Permalink

Initially released as an audiobook, this immersive novel from Reynolds (Twenty-Four Seconds from Now...) serves as a stunning tribute to New York City’s creative scene and community built through music. High school senior Stuyvesant Grey lives with his single mother, formerly a drummer in an all-Black punk band that included Stuy’s father, who left before the teen was born. Stuy’s close relationship with his mother—cemented throughout a childhood bonding over music—is upended when her controlling, verbally abusive boyfriend moves in, prompting Stuy to seek refuge with his uncle Lucky. Stuy soon meets Dunks, a space-obsessed guitarist living in Uncle Lucky’s apartment complex who shares Stuy’s passion for music. Resolving to start a band, the boys recruit fellow teens—a lively trumpet player, a bassist, and a charismatic hype man—to form Soundtrack. The bandmates revel in their growing popularity until a major setback jeopardizes their progress. Reynolds retains some of the appeal of the original audiobook by incorporating playscript dialogue, which portrays interactions between the magnetic, richly textured cast with lyrical verve. References to culturally significant Black musicians from punk, jazz, and Afrofuturist subgenres, peppered throughout sensorial first-person narration, ensure that the text echoes with the sounds of N.Y.C., as Stuy perceives them, from beginning to end. Ages 12–up. Agent: Elena Giovinazzo, Heirloom Literary. (Apr.)

Reviewed on 02/06/2026 | Details & Permalink

Dessen (The Rest of the Story) serves up a warm summer romance that’s a fortifying interpretation of self-transformation. Though recent high school graduate Finley Hope intends to spend most of the summer with her charismatic boyfriend, Colin Frisbee, before following him to a state college, she must first endure an annual two-week visit with her emotionally distant mother in New York City. But a last-minute change in the pair’s itinerary sees them arriving at a lakeside vacation home that the Hopes have owned for generations. And when Colin breaks up with her via video call, Finley, crestfallen and infuriated, impulsively tosses her cellphone into the lake. Forced offline, Finley distracts herself by getting a diner job, bonding with estranged family, and making new friends—including charmingly awkward line cook Ben, who might be something more than a pal. The laid-back atmosphere offers ample opportunity for Finley—a vulnerable protagonist forced to reckon with skewed self-perception—to reflect on family drama and secrets in this delightfully layered, bighearted novel. The comedic cast cues as white. Ages 12–up. Agent: Leigh Feldman, Leigh Feldman Literary. (May)

Reviewed on 02/06/2026 | Details & Permalink