Who’s ready for some new reads? The latest edition of our YAYBOOKS! Roundup! is here, and it’s jam-packed with 36 brand new books and graphic novels releasing in March!
This month’s releases include everything from life-swapped fairy tale princesses and boarding school treasure hunts to swoony, sprawling fantasy quests, kids competing in prank wars, and SO much more. Whether you’re looking for something cozy, relatable, and packed with big feels or a thrilling read that’s epic and riveting, there’s a new book hitting shelves this month with everything you need for a perfect afternoon sprawled out on the couch, escaping into your new favorite read.
Plus, we’ve got plenty of exciting stuff on the schedule for this month, including exclusive mincomics, features from your fav authors, and of course, lots of chances to WIN new reads, so be sure to keep coming back to YAYOMG! throughout the month so you don’t miss anything!
YAYBOOKS! 36 Brand New Middle Grade Books Releasing in March 2025:
Nat a Chance
AUTHOR: Maria Scrivan
PUBLISHER: Graphix
DATE: March 4, 2025
SYNOPSIS:
The sixth book in the New York Times bestselling series that began with Nat Enough!
You don’t know until you tri…
Nat doesn’t think she’s an athlete, but after a series of painfully embarrassing moments, she’s determined to build her confidence and signs up for a triathlon with her best friend, Zoe. As training begins, Nat realizes she’s in way over her head, facing so many setbacks and challenges that she wonders why she ever signed up! Can Nat get out of her own way and complete the triathlon, or has she convinced herself that she’s not cut out for it and quit?
✨NAT’S GUIDE TO GETTING OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY: Want advice from Nat? Maria Scrivan created an EXCLUSIVE mincomic for YAYOMG! – check it out HERE!
Bree Boyd is a Legend
AUTHOR: Leah Johnson
PUBLISHER: Disney Hyperion
DATE: March 4, 2025
SYNOPSIS:
From award-winning YA author Leah Johnson comes the sequel to her stunning middle grade debut, Ellie Engle Saves Herself, now with Ellie’s bff, Bree Boyd, taking center stage in story about friendship, family, and what it really means to be the best
7th grader Bree Boyd loves rules, order, and knowing what’s going to happen next. It’s why she likes reading the same books over and over; it’s why she’s the school’s reigning spelling bee champ; and, most importantly, it’s why she’s never minded the high expectations her father has always had for her and her sisters. After all, if you’re always the best, life can’t throw many surprises at you.
But for the first time, Bree has no idea what the future holds. Because when a huge storm delivers a bolt of lightning straight into Bree, it leaves behind something she never prepared for: the power to move things with her mind.
All of a sudden Bree’s life—filled with rules and routine—is twisted upside down and inside out. But will these new powers show Bree the magic of an unpredictable, imperfect life? Or will they simply spell disaster for everyone?
Irresistibly charming, laugh-out-loud funny, and brimming with heart, Leah Johnson’s powerful series about ordinary kids with extraordinary abilities is nothing short of miraculous.
Besties: Prank War
AUTHORS: Kayla Miller & Jeffrey Canino
ILLUSTRATOR: Sarah K. Turner
PUBLISHER: Clarion Books
DATE: March 4, 2025
SYNOPSIS:
From the New York Times bestselling World of Click by Kayla Miller comes a graphic novel about besties Trent and Sawyer. When they accidentally start a classwide prank war, the boys need to get especially crafty if they’re going to come out on top—with all of their friendships intact.
Trent and Sawyer make their Besties series debut with a bang and a crash! These two friends never back down from a challenge, whether it presents itself at the skate park or in the school hallway, but will that determination get them in over their heads?
Between helping with their friend Tyler’s RPG campaign, catching streams of pro skateboarder Trixie Sampson’s new video series, and—oh yeah—homework, Trent and Sawyer are more than a little busy…but when Trixie announces a competition that might result in the boys getting to meet her and her crew, how could they resist entering?!
The duo become single-minded in their quest to be the lucky “Trixsters” to win the prize, but it’s not easy pulling off the perfect prank and capturing it on video. With their friends growing resentful of being unwilling targets and after drawing the ire of the class prank queen, Nat, the buddies soon find themselves losing at their own game. As an all-out prank war spins out of control, Trent and Sawyer realize they might have pranked themselves by starting it.
New York Times bestselling author Kayla Miller, coauthor Jeffrey Canino, and illustrator Sarah Turner, with her playful and expressive art style, deliver another vibrant and unique portrayal of middle school friendship in this latest title in the Besties series.
The Trouble With Sunshine
AUTHOR: Yamile Saied Méndez
PUBLISHER: Scholastic Inc.
DATE: March 4, 2025
SYNOPSIS:
A heartwarming story about grief and new beginnings, by Pura Belpré Award-winning author Yamile Saied Méndez.
THE TROUBLE WITH SUNSHINE IS IT COMES EVEN IF YOU THINK YOU DON’T DESERVE IT.
Dorani’s mom, Isa, taught her to be bold and challenge the rules if they don’t seem fair. People are more important than rules. But she never taught Dorani how to do it all without her. So, when Isa dies on the way to speak with the principal about Dori’s latest revolution, Dori loses her voice. Her grief and guilt become the loudest parts of her.
Moving from vibrant Miami to quiet, middle-of-nowhere Wyoming with her aunt feels like the punishment she deserves. She spends most of her time with their newest horse, Sunshine. Sunshine was involved in an accident that’s left her skittish and hard to care for. Tia Ivette knows her behavior comes from fear, and she is trying everything to make Sunshine brave again.
But Dori knows grief can feel like fear… and grief is just love with no place to go.
Speaking up for Sunshine reminds Dori that the very best parts of her mother live on through her, and so when she starts to notice that the rules at her new school unfairly target specific students, she knows just want her mother would do…
🌻FIERCELY FICTIONAL: Want to know what makes Dori fierce? Author Yamile Saied Méndez shared Dori’s fiercest qualities HERE!
Penny Draws a Team Sport
AUTHOR: Sara Shepard
PUBLISHER: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
DATE: March 4, 2025
SYNOPSIS:
The fifth book in the humorous, heartfelt, highly illustrated series about a girl who doodles to cope with her anxiety, from #1 New York Times bestselling author Sara Shepard.
When fifth grader Penny Lowry’s school announces an upcoming charity pickleball tournament, she doesn’t know what to think. On the one hand, all her friends are joining the team and she doesn’t want to feel left out. But on the other hand, Penny’s never been particularly athletic. What if it turns out she’s terrible at pickleball? What if she lets her teammates down?
Things get even more stressful when a local news channel announces they’ll be covering the tournament, giving Penny something new to worry about: what if she embarrasses herself on live TV?
It’s all a lot to handle, but luckily Penny has her right hand dog Cosmo, her best friends, and her love of drawing to get her through!
The Deadly Fates
AUTHOR: Dhonielle Clayton
PUBLISHER: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
DATE: March 4, 2025
SYNOPSIS:
Return to the world of the Marvellers and Conjurors in the third book of the instant New York Times and #1 Indie Bestselling fantasy series. Year Three at the global magic school in the sky is back in session in The Deadly Fates.
After saving the world from the diabolical Ace of Anarchy, Ella, Brigit, and Jason return for year three at the Arcanum Training Institute. But the heroes’ return is far from welcoming. Ella’s big reveal last year threw everything into chaos, unearthing long-buried secrets and unwinding a twisted trail of deceit. As tensions rise between Marvellers and Conjurors, Ella realizes that the only way to end the chaos is to unveil the truth about what happened to the Conjure architect once and for all. To do that, she’ll have to enlist the help of the living and the dead. As they plunge deeper into the truth, the search leads them to the Underworld and the Cards of Deadly Fate—an impenetrable prison for supervillains.
But before Ella can figure out how it’s all connected, the tension between magical worlds boil over, threatening everyone around her. Will Ella and her friends uncover the truth about the missing architect before their worlds collide?
💫ELLA’S GUIDE TO MAGIC SCHOOL: Entering her third year at the Arcanum Training Institute, Ella’s learned a lot about navigating life at this magical boarding school in the sky and she’s sharing her advice with readers HERE!
Speechless
AUTHOR: Aron Nels Steinke
PUBLISHER: Graphix
DATE: March 4, 2025
SYNOPSIS:
From Eisner Award-winning author Aron Nels Steinke comes a heartfelt and funny middle-grade graphic novel about friendship, anxiety, and expressing yourself.
Middle school was supposed to be a fresh start for Mira, who struggles to speak in class even though she can speak at home without a problem. She didn’t used to have anxiety speaking–and she used to have friends. Now, her former best friend Chloe is her worst enemy, and Mira’s only solace is making videos for her secret stop-motion animation channel. But when Chloe’s mom has to travel for a family emergency, Mira is horrified to learn that her family has volunteered to let Chloe stay with them. When it feels like everything is going wrong, will Mira ever find her voice?
💭EXCLUSIVE MINICOMIC: Get to know more about Mira in this EXCLUSIVE minicomic created by Aron Nels Steinke! Click HERE!
Right Back at You
AUTHOR: Carolyn Mackler
PUBLISHER: Scholastic Press
DATE: March 4, 2025
SYNOPSIS:
From the award-winning, bestselling author of Not If I Can Help It, a story about reaching across time to find the support you need against bullies, bad friends, and antisemitism.
Mason lives in 2023. His parents have just split up, and there’s a guy at school who won’t get off his case. As part of an assignment, he writes a letter to Albert Einstein and it ends up getting a little too personal. He throws the letter into his closet…
…and the next day he gets a letter back from a girl named Talia, who lives in 1987. She has problems of her own, including classmates who make jokes because she’s Jewish. She thought her friends would have her back. But it ends up the only person she really has to talk to is… a random boy from the future?
In the tradition of such beloved novels as When You Reach Me and Save Me a Seat, Carolyn Mackler has written a funny, all-too-relatable story about finding the friend you need… even if that friends happens to live in another year.
💌LETTERS TO THE PAST: Author Carolyn Mackler swapped letters with her seventh grade self! Click HERE to read them!
Cloud Puppy: Game On
AUTHOR: Kelly Leigh Miller
PUBLISHER: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
DATE: March 4, 2025
SYNOPSIS:
Cloud Puppy—part puppy, part cloud, and all adorable—explores the immersive world of video games with her friends in this second book in a delightful graphic chapter book series that’s Narwhal and Jelly meets The Amazing World of Gumball!
Cloud Puppy loves playing Valley of Runes, a cozy farming video game. But when Jack says that his favorite games are better, Cloud Puppy begins to feel badly about the things that she likes…until she learns that Jack has never even played Valley of Runes!
Cloud Puppy challenges her picky pal to a trade to share their favorite games. But Jack has other plans: he thinks it will be fun to surprise Cloud Puppy with a scary simulator. But it’s his first time playing it, too, and it’s more frightening than he thought! Can the friends find a game they both enjoy without getting too spooked?
The Princess Swap: Snow White and the Dragon (or, Sleeping Beauty and the Seven Dwarves)
AUTHOR: Kim Bussing
PUBLISHER: Random House Books for Young Readers
DATE: March 4, 2025
SYNOPSIS:
What would happen if Sleeping Beauty had to create a poisoned apple, and Snow White faced off against a dragon? Fairy tales meet Freaky Friday in this series, where there’s a magical mix-up for every princess!
The magical first edition paperback of Snow White and the Dragon (or, Sleeping Beauty and the Seven Dwarfs) will feature dual-toned sprayed edges!
As a baby, Rose was cursed to meet a mysterious fate on her thirteenth birthday, but no one bothered to tell Rose that until now . . . a week before she turns thirteen. And a week’s not nearly enough time to figure out what to do when she’s suddenly whisked from her Dreamwood cottage to a strange palace—trapped with an evil queen who hands her an apple . . .
Princess Snow is preparing for the ceremony that will prove she’s fit to rule her kingdom. The problem? Her wicked stepmother. The other problem? Without warning, she finds herself in the middle of the Dreamwood, where, on top of all her other problems, she has to worry about . . . a sleeping curse.
Happily-ever-after couldn’t feel farther away. Can Rose escape the curse that’s followed her since birth? And can Snow save her kingdom from her stepmother?
For other Princess Swaps, don’t miss Cinderella and the Beast (or, Beauty and the Glass Slipper)!
A Song for You and I
AUTHOR: K. O’Neill
PUBLISHER: Random House Graphic
DATE: March 4, 2025
SYNOPSIS:
Being a ranger means adventure, action, and protecting the weak. But who protects the ranger when they lose their way? From the bestselling author of The Moth Keeper and the Tea Dragon Society comes a must read MG graphic novel for fans of soft sweeping fantasy romances.
Rowan knows exactly what they to be a ranger, protecting their village alongside their trusted flying horse Kes. But when Rowan’s eagerness to show off their worth gets Kes injured, Rowan is suddenly unsure if they’re capable of being the protector they’ve always dreamed of becoming.
With Kes needing to heal, Rowan is assigned a slow and winding expedition across the outlying lands. Paired with a lackadasical sheep hearder Leone, Rowan only finds frustration as they seem to fail even the simplest tasks. But Leone’s own struggles, and endless support brings a new possibility to Rowan. Could their unlikely friendship be something more? And if it is, will Rowan be able to leave Leone behind to pursue being a ranger once Kes is healed?
🏹🎻MEET ROWAN & LEONE: Get to know more about this unlikely duo as author K. O’Neill dishes character details about Rowan and Leone HERE!
One Wrong Step
AUTHOR: Jennifer A. Neilsen
PUBLISHER: Scholastic Press
DATE: March 4, 2025
SYNOPSIS:
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer A. Nielsen comes a brand-new, spine-tingling adventure about two kids and their fight for survival on the unforgiving trails of Mount Everest. Jennifer Nielsen’s storytelling climbs to new heights in this epic about loss, letting go, and the most important lesson a climber can where the eye goes, a person follows.
For a climber, letting go means certain death. For Atlas, it means something even worse. But he’ll have to learn how to let go and look up if he ever wants to see the top…
Twelve-year-old Atlas Wade has been trying to forget the memory of his mother by climbing mountains ever since she died when he was nine years old. When his father signs them up for an expedition group hoping to be the first to ever summit the unconquerable Mount Everest, Atlas can’t wait for the chance to prove himself to his father, and maybe finally he can leave his mother behind him on the mountain.
But this time, Atlas is the one left behind, as well as a young American girl named Maddie and their sturdy yet injured Sherpa, Chodak. When news breaks out that war has returned to Europe, and that Nazis are attempting their own summit dangerously nearby, Atlas and Maddie plead with the expedition to come back down.
Their warnings come too late. Atlas looks up that same morning to see an avalanche and when they receive no word from the group, Maddie and Chodak join Atlas as he begins a dangerous journey up the mountain in the hopes of finding survivors.
Atlas, Maddie, and Chodak will have to rely not just on their own wits for survival, but on each other as well, especially as sickness, bad weather, and their fears of a Nazi spy watching them puts their mission — and lives — at risk in the brutal terrain. And Atlas will have to learn how to let go if he wants any chance of finding his father and fixing the rift between them caused by his mother’s death, before it’s too late.
Using one of the world’s greatest — and most infamous — mountains as a backdrop, #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer A. Nielsen’s storytelling climbs to new heights in this touching, thrilling epic about grief, letting go, and the bonds that keep us alive.
Animorphs The Graphic Novel: The Capture
AUTHORS: K.A. Applegate & Michael Grant
ILLUSTRATOR: Chris Grine
PUBLISHER: Graphix
DATE: March 4, 2025
SYNOPSIS:
The sixth adventure of the wildly popular, bestselling sci-fi series by Katherine Applegate and Michael Grant returns in this new full-color graphic novel series, adapted by Chris Grine.
It was bad enough when Jake found out his older brother was one of them. It was even worse when Tobias stayed in his morph too long. But nothing compares to the horror the Animorphs are about to face — nothing.
The Animorphs have discovered the location of the Yeerks’s new base. They’ve even figured out how to get in — and they have a plan to hit those alien slugs where it hurts.
But they were never prepared for Jake to fall into a Yeerk pool. For Jake to become a human controller. The enemy.
It’s a race against the clock as the Animorphs face their biggest challenge yet: Save Jake before the Yeerk can expose them all …
Maple’s Formula for Victory
AUTHORS: Kate McMillan & Ruthie Prillaman
PUBLISHER: Aladdin
DATE: March 4, 2025
SYNOPSIS:
Perfect for fans of Dork Diaries and Emmie & Friends, this second book in a diary-style illustrated middle grade series follows an anxious, science-minded sixth grader into the high-stakes world of middle school track.
Sixth-grader Maple has received absolutely devastating, world-shaking news: her health class fitness test has scored her at a fifth-grade level. That’s a whole grade level below where she should be. Having all her life been an overachiever—and fitness being an extremely important part of her twenty-year plan to become an astronaut like her hero Jackie Grand—Maple knows she has to fix this ASAP.
Maple and Lada decide to join the track team to improve their fitness scores, but they encounter new (and frankly unpleasant) variables like changing in locker rooms and periods. And when it turns out Lada is good at track, and her competitive spirit starts to change her, Maple is sent into a tailspin over her own performance and what it means if she can’t—literally and figuratively—keep up with her classmates.
The Peach Thief
AUTHOR: Linda Joan Smith
PUBLISHER: Candlewick
DATE: March 4, 2025
SYNOPSIS:
This shimmering middle-grade debut set in 1850s Lancashire, England, explores longing, belonging, and the courage it takes to find your place—and bloom.
The night that workhouse orphan Scilla Brown dares to climb the Earl of Havermore’s garden wall, she wants only to steal a peach—the best thing she’s ever tasted in her hard, hungry life. But when she’s caught by the earl’s head gardener and mistaken for a boy, she grabs on to something more: a temporary job scrubbing flowerpots. If she can just keep up her deception, she’ll have a soft bed and food beyond her wildest dreams . . . maybe even peaches. She soon falls in with Phin, a garden apprentice who sneaks her into the steamy, fruit-filled greenhouses, calls her “Brownie,” and makes her skin prickle. At the same time, the gruff head gardener himself is teaching lowly Scilla to make things grow, and she’s cultivating hope with every seed she plants. But as the seasons unfurl, her loyalties become divided, and her secret grows harder to keep. How far will she go to have a home at last? Beautifully crafted with classic middle-grade themes of fate and ambition, identity and personal responsibility, this stunning debut features brisk pacing, crackling dialogue, and deep insight into what makes a garden thrive—and a heart and mind flourish.
Speak Up, Santiago!
AUTHOR: Julio Anta
ILLUSTRATOR: Gabi Mendez
PUBLISHER: Random House Graphic
DATE: March 4, 2025
SYNOPSIS:
Welcome to Hillside Valley! 12 year-old New York city kid Santi is heading upstate, in the debut of this irresistible contemporary graphic novel series about friends, family, community and identity—just right for fans of Mexikid and the Click series!
How can you speak up if you don’t have the words?
Santi is excited to spend the summer in Hillside Valley, meeting the local kids, eating his Abuela’s delicious food, exploring! There’s just one problem—Santi doesn’t speak Spanish that well and it feels like everyone he meets in Hillside does. There’s Sol (she’s a soccer player who really loves books), Willie, (the artist), Alejandro (Santi’s unofficial tour guide!), and Nico (Alejandro’s brother and blue belt in karate). In between all of their adventures in Hillside, Santi can’t help but worry about his Spanish-what if he can’t keep up?! Does that mean he’s not Colombian enough? Will Santi find his confidence and his voice? Or will his worries cost him his new friendships…and the chance to play in HIlliside’s summer soccer tournament?!
Book 1 in the Hillside Valley Graphic Novel series introduces an unforgettable group of kids readers will love—look for more Hillside Valley graphic novels, coming soon!
Hikaru in the Light
AUTHOR: Mai Matsuda
PUBLISHER: Graphix
DATE: March 4, 2025
SYNOPSIS:
Best friends compete for the once-in-a-lifetime chance to become pop stars in this funny, feel-good manga series perfect for fans of K-On!, The Tryout, and The Baby-Sitters Club.
Middle-school student Hikaru Ogino is known as the songbird of her family’s bathhouse in Tokyo. Her beautiful singing echoes from room to room as she cleans up after school, but she dreams of holding a microphone, not a mop! When her best friend, Ran — a former girl group idol — invites her to try out for a pop star survival camp together, it’s the chance of a lifetime to put her talents to the test. Can Hikaru outshine the competition and make her stage debut, or will she fall flat?
Last Chance Academy: A Study in Secrets
AUTHOR: Debbi Michiko Florence
PUBLISHER: Aladdin
DATE: March 11, 2025
SYNOPSIS:
Only Murders in the Building meets Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library in this action-packed novel about a girl pulled into a mysterious treasure hunt at her new boarding school.
Ever since her mom passed away, twelve-year-old Megumi “Meg” Mizuno has been spiraling. After too many low grades and cut classes, she’s been expelled from school—apparently, everyone else has moved past her grief and expects the same from her. Her dad secures her a spot at the prestigious Leland Chase Academy, a boarding school in the middle-of-nowhere New York, called the Last Chance Academy by its student body. If Meg can’t make it work there, she’ll be forced to live with her horrible aunt.
At first, Leland Chase seems like an average, if very strict, boarding school, though Meg tentatively warms up to her roommate and some of their classmates. Then, one night, a mysterious envelope appears under her door, inviting Meg and her roommate to participate in a scavenger hunt. The only rules: don’t get caught by faculty or staff and no cheating. The grand prize? A luxury stay at a fancy resort in California. And after learning her dad has plans to sell their family home—with all its memories of Mom—Meg knows she has to win the competition and use the trip to convince Dad to stay.
Thanks to her mom, who taught her how to solve ciphers, Meg has a knack for puzzles she uses to get ahead in the hunt. But she quickly learns that her classmates seem to have their own sets of skills keeping them in the competition. And as they get deeper in the game, Meg and her fellow competitors realize the anonymous creator has their own agenda…and LCA isn’t quite what it seems.
🗝️PUZZLES & SECRETS: Solve puzzles & reveal fun facts about this mysterious new series by Debbi Michiko Florence. Click HERE!
Glitch Girl!
AUTHOR: Rainie Oet
PUBLISHER: Kokila
DATE: March 11, 2025
SYNOPSIS:
“Each poem is as raw as it is beautiful.” —Alex Gino, author of ALA Stonewall Award-winning novel Melissa
A middle grade novel in verse about a young trans girl who uses a computer game to process an ADHD diagnosis, isolation, and her relationship to gender for fans of Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff.
J—’s life is consumed by the roller coaster video game Coaster Boss, and by the power she exerts over the pixelated theme park attendees. Her life outside the game, however, is less controllable.
Me.
I’m such a big space. I break the universe, a glitch.She’s navigating ADHD, the loneliness of middle school, and an overwhelming crush on a girl named Junie. J— is convinced that Junie sees her as who she really is, a person who isn’t “bad” just because she doesn’t stay quiet and sit still in class. As a person who is realizing that the name she’s been given doesn’t really fit her. And that maybe boy doesn’t either.
Glitch Girl! follows J— from fifth to seventh grade, from the beginning to the end of her obsession with Coaster Boss, and to the start of a new friendship. When J— meets Sam, a nonbinary classmate, she begins to realize that it’s okay to not fit into neat, pixelated boxes.
Vanya and the Wild Hunt
AUTHOR: Sangu Mandanna
PUBLISHER: Roaring Brook Press
DATE: March 11, 2025
SYNOPSIS:
From the bestselling author of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches comes an action-packed, enchanting middle grade fantasy about a neurodivergent heroine, a mysterious school, and a world of magical creatures. perfect for fans of Rick Riordan and Roshani Chokshi.
“Thrilling, funny, and suspenseful.” – Craig Kofi Farmer, Coretta Scott King John Steptoe Award-winning author of Kwame Crashes the Underworld
★ “Fast-paced and engaging… This is a beautiful, inclusive work that’s also a terrific story.” – School Library Journal
Eleven-year-old Vanya Vallen has always felt like she doesn’t fit in. She’s British-Indian in a mostly white town in England, her parents won’t talk about their pasts, and she has ADHD.
Oh, and she talks to books. More importantly, the books talk back.
When her family is attacked by a monster she believed only existed in fairytales, Vanya discovers that her parents have secrets, and that there are a lot more monsters out there. Overnight, she’s whisked off to the enchanted library and school of Auramere, where she joins the ranks of archwitches and archivists.
Life at Auramere is unexpected, exciting and wonderful. But even here, there’s no escaping monsters. The mysterious, powerful Wild Hunt is on the prowl, and Vanya will need all her creativity and courage to unmask its leader and stop them before they destroy the only place she’s ever truly belonged.
Botticelli’s Apprentice
AUTHOR: Ursula Murray Husted
PUBLISHER: Quill Tree Books
DATE: March 11, 2025
SYNOPSIS:
This funny, empowering graphic novel from rising star Ursula Murray Husted is a gorgeously illustrated glimpse into the forgotten history of Renaissance Italy, following an ambitious young girl’s quest to become an apprentice to the famous Sandro Botticelli.
Life as a chicken girl isn’t so bad, but Mella wants more. Though girls can’t be official apprentices to artists in Florence, Mella has been secretly teaching herself to paint while tending to artist Sandro Botticelli’s chickens.
When one of Botticelli’s actual apprentices discovers Mella’s work, he threatens to take full credit for it. Why does it matter who drew it if it’s good?
With the help of unexpected allies, an important patron, and a tenacious stray dog named Blue, Mella must summon all her courage, smarts, and skills to prove her worth and demand the recognition she deserves.
Paper Dragons: The Rise of the Sand Spirits
AUTHOR: Siobhan McDermott
PUBLISHER: Delacorte Press
DATE: March 11, 2025
SYNOPSIS:
The adventure continues in the thrilling book two of the Paper Dragons series! Zhi Ging must face sand spirits, unexpected dragons and hidden secrets to save the fallen Silhouettes.
Return to the underwater realm . . .
Following the infiltration of Hok Woh and possession of her friends, Zhi Ging sets out on a dangerous mission to find Reishi, the Silhouette Scout, whom she believes has been lured into a dangerous trap.
With her adorable now-phoenix Malo by her side, Zhi Ging must fight off dangerous sand spirits, power-hungry enemies and magnificent dragons if she is to save her friends and her new home in the world of the immortals.
But as secrets are uncovered and new enemies emerge, can Zhi Ging figure out who to trust? And, more importantly, how to survive?
The Griffin’s Boy
AUTHOR: Sarah L. Thompson
PUBLISHER: Peachtree
DATE: March 11, 2025
SYNOPSIS:
Magical creatures and mystery abound in this lighthearted whodunit fantasy.
Princess Lyss can’t wait another second to meet the griffin that’s joining her father’s royal menagerie, so she ditches her lessons and heads for the stables. But the griffin isn’t the only new creature she finds. A boy is hiding—or at least trying to—in the griffin’s stall. The boy is Devin, the griffin’s trainer, and he’s refusing to leave his beloved Tam. Lyss agrees to help him.
But their arrival coincides with the revelation that someone is stealing creatures from the king’s menagerie. Devin is an obvious suspect, though Lys believes someone else is to blame. Determined to clear Devin’s name and put a stop to the endangerment of any more animals, she turns to her favorite magical creatures for help.
The Kids in Mrs. Z’s Class: Ayana Ndoum Takes the Stage
AUTHOR: Kakla Magoon
ILLUSTRATOR: Kat Farjardo
PUBLISHER: Algonquin Young Readers
DATE: March 11, 2025
SYNOPSIS:
Meet the kids in Mrs. Z’s wacky and wonderful third-grade class! Ayana Ndoum, who prefers blending into the background, will have to take center stage for the class variety show—but it’s hard to concentrate on her talent when her embarrassing dad is volunteering at school, too!
Mrs. Z’s class is holding a variety show, and everyone has signed up to demonstrate their special skills! Everyone, that is, except Ayana Ndoum. She’s good at reading, but someone’s already reciting a poem. She’s good at synchronized swimming, but they can’t get a pool onstage. What could her act be?
Before she can figure it out, she has an even bigger problem to deal with: Why is her dad at school?
Turns out her dad is a variety show volunteer! He talks to everyone and asks too many questions. It’s embarrassing for Ayana, who likes to be quiet and help from the sidelines. With her dad taking up the spotlight, will she ever find her own way to shine?
Both sweetly poignant and laugh-out-loud funny, with black-and-white illustrations by Pura Belpré Honor artist Kat Fajardo, Ayana’s story invites readers into Mrs. Z’s class where friendship and fun rule the school, from award-winning author Kekla Magoon.
The Kids in Mrs. Z’s Class: Wyatt Hill Brings a Lizard to School
AUTHOR: Eliot Schrefer
PUBLISHER: Algonquin Young Readers
DATE: March 11, 2025
SYNOPSIS:
Meet the kids in Mrs. Z’s wacky and wonderful third-grade class! Wyatt Hill has a stepbrother with a lot of opinions, a stuffed lizard who knows everything Wyatt wants to say, and the beginnings of a voice that might end up surprising the whole school.
Nobody knows anything about Wyatt Hill. He’s the quiet giant of Mrs. Z’s class, sure . . . but his classmates wonder what is he like? What does he like? What does he do? (Does he play the ukelele?) And it often seems like his stepbrother and stepsister don’t get him either.
But Wyatt knows who he is. He adores his stuffed lizard, Lizzie, and the lively conversations they share. He notices who’s having a bad day and thinks about why the boys and girls in Mrs. Z’s class don’t play together at recess. He’s starting to put words down on paper to express all the things he feels inside.
And when quiet Wyatt decides to speak up, it just might cause a revolution—on the playground and at home.
Both sweetly poignant and laugh-out-loud funny, with black-and-white illustrations by Pura Belpré Honor artist Kat Fajardo, Wyatt’s story invites readers into Mrs. Z’s class where friendship and fun rule the school, from New York Times bestselling author Eliot Schrefer.
13 Ways to Say Goodbye
AUTHOR: Kate Fussner
PUBLISHER: HarperCollins
DATE: March 18, 2025
SYNOPSIS:
A novel-in-verse about life after loss, 13 Ways to Say Goodbye beautifully renders the power of sibling bonds, the depth of grief, and the strength of learning to love again, perfect for fans of Everywhere Blue and The Distance to Home, from the author of The Song of Us.
Nina always followed her older sister, Lily. But just before her thirteenth birthday, Lily died, leaving Nina behind forever.
In the three years since she lost her sister, Nina has completed Lily’s secret Before Birthday lists to continue in her footsteps. But now Nina is catching up. When Nina flies to Paris, France, and completes tasks that Lily never finished, Nina finds herself magically transported inside of her own memories, face-to-face with the ghosts of her past.
With her birthday looming and the last list running out, Nina is torn between visiting her sister in her memories and adventuring in the present, including crushing hard on her art classmate, Sylvie. Should she follow Lily’s instructions or try something new? And what happens when she finishes the list?
🌈FIERCELY FICTIONAL: Want to know what makes Nina fierce? Author Kate Fussner shared Nina’s fiercest qualities HERE!
The Unfortunate Wishes of Nelly Young
AUTHOR: Beth Garrod
PUBLISHER: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
DATE: March 18, 2025
SYNOPSIS:
A girl and her friends find their wishes coming true and their world turned upside down in this absurdly funny middle grade romp that’s Dork Diaries meets The Wish by Gail Carson Levine.
It’s spring break, and twelve-year-old Nelly Young is determined to ditch the embarrassing nickname Breaking News Nelly and become Totally Cool Nelly. She’s not quite sure how, but she’s sure she’ll figure it out…especially when she has her two best friends, Clara and Jas, by her side. Though nothing seems to go right for any of them, at least the three girls have each other.
With nothing to lose, they’re determined to make their own luck and write down their ultimate wishes. But to their surprise, the next morning they find their wishes starting to come true. But how?! They haven’t got a clue, but soon the tides are turning for Nelly, Clara, and Jas, and all it takes is one wish…and then another…and another.
Because when you have the power of unlimited wishes on your side, what could possibly go wrong?
Isle of Ever
AUTHOR: Jen Calonita
PUBLISHER: Sourcebooks Young Readers
DATE: March 25, 2025
SYNOPSIS:
Bestselling and beloved author Jen Calonita delivers the first in a brand new series featuring a girl who will inherit a mysterious fortune if she can break a centuries-old curse!
Days after her twelfth birthday, Everly “Benny” Benedict learns she’s the heir to a fortune! But to collect the inheritance, she first has to play—and win—a game. Following clues that her ancestor left, Benny must locate a small island that vanished long ago, according to legend.
She has only two weeks to play the game and find the island. If she’s successful, she’ll break a two-hundred-year-old curse. If she fails, the fortune will be forfeited. And if she’s not careful, she’ll cross paths with someone else who is after the island’s secrets, and who will stop at nothing to get them. Because, as it turns out, there’s far more than a fortune at stake.
🏴☠️GO BEYOND THE PAGES: Author Jen Calonita shared 7 Fun Facts about the real-life inspirations behind this high-stakes adventure mystery. CLICK HERE!
Starry, Starry Heist
AUTHOR: Karen Briner
PUBLISHER: Holiday House
DATE: March 18, 2025
SYNOPSIS:
Max Rose-Rodriguez has more important things to do than finishing sixth grade—like stopping the biggest art heist the universe has ever known.
Sixth-grader Max has it rough between tormentors at school and his sick—ever-worsening—mom at home. But then DZ, a strange, tuxedoed man with one shoe, appears to Max from the future and divulges that Max’s mother’s fate is somehow entwined with that of Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night. It’s suddenly clear to Max that any problems he already had on his plate have just gotten bigger.
DZ explains to Max that someone is after The Starry Night. . . and the thief is not bound by the usual laws of time and space.
“I have questions,” Max tells DZ. But DZ can’t offer too many specifics. What he can provide Max is a cryptic to-do list
Read The Future Time Traveler’s Guide to the Past
Consider the puffins
Beware the Wretch with obsidian eyes.
Befriend Vincent van GoghAlthough he’s skeptical, Max tries his very best. After all, he’ll do anything to help his mom. But he soon discovers that The Future Time Traveler’s Guide to the Past has never been published. And he’s not exactly sure where he’s going to find puffins in LA, let alone consider them. He has no idea what a Wretch is. And . . . befriend Vincent van Gogh? DZ is asking the impossible.
Then, one afternoon at the library, Max spots Turquoise-haired Maybe Wells, dressed in blue from head to toe, spattered in paint, carrying a skateboard, and sporting a beautiful tattoo of puffins on her right shoulder.
Max considers those puffins.
And suddenly, achieving the impossible doesn’t seem so farfetched anymore.
In this quirky, clever, and arrestingly heartfelt adventure through time, readers will find themselves cheering for the underdog at every turn—whether that underdog is Max, Maybe, a picnic hippo named Thelma, or a certain post-impressionist who, in 1889, painted his most famous work under a twinkling night sky in Arles.
The House at the Edge of Magic
AUTHOR: Amy Sparkes
PUBLISHER: Margaret K. McElderry Books
DATE: March 18, 2025
SYNOPSIS:
An orphan girl fights to save the inhabitants of a magical house in this first book in the rollicking middle grade magical adventure series perfect for fans of Nevermoor and Greenwild!
Nine is an orphan pickpocket determined to escape her life in the Nest of a Thousand Treasures where she’s one of many thieves only valued for what they can steal. When she lifts a house-shaped ornament from a mysterious woman’s purse, she knocks on its tiny door and watches it grow into a huge, higgledy-piggledy building.
Inside, Nine meets the eccentric people who call the magical house their home: Dr. Spoon the alchemist, Flabberghast the young wizard and competitive hopscotch-er, and Eric the troll housekeeper with a strong emotional attachment to his feather duster. For years, they have been desperate to end the curse on the house that prevents them from leaving, finding the bathroom on the first try, or opening the tea cupboard. They can’t even change the scenery outside the windows because the toad’s tongue that enables the structure to move around has gone missing.
After years of having only herself to count on, prickly Nine doesn’t have an altruistic bone in her body and should be the very last choice for anyone looking for a hero, but she’s the only one around. With the promise of a life-changing reward in the balance, she sets her street smarts against bats with acid dung, a burping sugar bowl, and worse as she uncovers more about the curse…and herself.
Catty Corner Lands on Her Feet
AUTHOR: Julie Murphy
ILLUSTRATOR: Eve Farb
PUBLISHER: Union Square Kids
DATE: March 25, 2025
SYNOPSIS:
Julie Murphy, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dumplin’, brings her signature warm positivity and message of empowerment to her chapter book debut: a series about a big-hearted girl who is half-human, half-cat.
Introducing Catty!
She’s a confident second grader who happens to be half-cat, like her mother and grandmother. In this series debut, Catty hits a few rough patches at her new school. So she turns to her fuzzy diary—AKA her “scratch pad”—where she shares her big feelings and documents her adventures. Before long, Catty is making friends and learning to love her new school.
Catty Corner is the natural next read for fans of character-driven chapter books like Junie B. Jones, Ivy & Bean, and Judy Moody.
🐾GET TO KNOW CATTY: Author Julie Murphy shared 10 Fun Facts about Catty Corner HERE!
The Girl and the Robot
AUTHORS: Oz Rodriguez & Claribel Ortega
PUBLISHER: Disney Hyperion
DATE: March 25, 2025
SYNOPSIS:
An out-of-this-world story about friendship, empowerment, and . . . running from federal agents?
E.T. meets cult classic The Iron Giant in this middle grade light sci-fi from Emmy Award-winner Oz Rodriguez and New York Times best-selling author Claribel A. Ortega, perfect for fans of Witchlings.
With a little heart, you can fix anything.
Mimi Perez fixes things. Phones, tablets, speakers, printers. She gets it from her dad—helping him at the family e-repair shop was always one of Mimi’s favorite things to do. But ever since Papi was deported, there’s a lot more than electronics that need fixing in Mimi’s world. Things too big for any twelve-year-old to handle on her own.
Mimi hustles around her Brooklyn neighborhood trying to earn enough money to finally fix her family. There’s no time for school or friends, but Mimi knows it will all be worth it the day Papi comes home. Then her ex-friends approach her with a proposition: enter a robotics competition with them, and they could win $50,000. It could be her chance.
Not part of the plan? A mysterious robot crashing to earth. From space.
The robot is scared, alone, and broken, and federal agents are after her. Mimi does what any street-smart electronics repair person would do: she takes the robot home, fixes her up, and in the process, makes herself a friend.
Suddenly, Mimi is anything but alone. She’s part of a robotics team. She’s sheltering a robot. She’s dodging federal agents. And keeping all of it a secret from her mom.
Join a girl and a robot on their life-changing sci-fi adventure in this coming-of-age story that celebrates kids in STEM, first-gen communities, and the power of friendship.
Once For Yes
AUTHOR: Allie Millington
PUBLISHER: Feiwel and Friends
DATE: March 25, 2025
SYNOPSIS:
From the author of the national bestseller, Olivetti, praised by Tom Hanks as “a great favor” for readers.
This heartfelt novel celebrates the healing power of community and the endurance of love, perfect for fans of Kate DiCamillo and Peter Brown.
The Odenburgh, an old apartment building made of brick and blunt opinions, is the last of its kind in a swiftly changing neighborhood. After years of putting up with people and their many problems, the Odenburgh knows there’s no point in getting attached. They all just leave eventually. A truth that comes all too soon when the building is sold and slated for demolition, giving tenants a month to move out.
No one is more troubled by the news than eleven-year-old Prue, who refuses to leave her family’s apartment. Not when it was the last place she lived with her sister Lina, before she lost Lina forever. When Prue launches a plan to save their home, the Odenburgh joins in—flickering lights, jamming elevators, triggering fire alarms—all to try and bring a building full of bickering residents together. In the process, Prue meets Lewis, an eccentric boy who lives across the street—and the only one who can help her discover the missing elements of her sister’s story.
Heartfelt and bursting with a community of unique characters, Once For Yes is a testament to the endurance of love and the people we carry with us, wherever we go.
Cincinnati Lee, Curse Breaker
AUTHOR: Heidi Heilig
PUBLISHER: Greenwillow Books
DATE: March 25, 2025
SYNOPSIS:
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler meets Indiana Jones! A young adventurer races to break the family curse by repatriating the artifacts her famed ancestor “saved.” Perfect for fans of Rick Riordan, Kwame Mbalia, and Rena Barron.
Cincinnati Lee’s great great (great?) grandfather is famous. His adventures discovering ancient artifacts have been made into movies, and his work is widely respected by museums across the world. The thing is, in that line of work, you’re bound to get cursed. And that leaves your great great (great?) granddaughter to break the curse by returning the artifacts you “preserved.”
Cincinnati’s own adventure begins in the Cosmopolitan Museum in New York City, where her single mom works and Cincinnati has grown up. Soon she learns about the ancient Spear of Destiny—and its potential to right all the wrongs in her family’s past. Or bring about the end of the world. It all depends on whose hands it falls into. Cincinnati must beat two relic hunters to the spear, and her quest will take her to surprising locations throughout the city and even across the Atlantic Ocean. Along the way, she’ll make a new friend (which is not the easiest thing to do), make some enemies (surprisingly easy to do), and ultimately learn what makes the world worth saving. Acclaimed author Heidi Heilig makes a dazzling middle grade debut with an irrepressible hero, a compelling cast of friends and enemies, nonstop action, and a thoughtful approach to viewing our responsibilities to each other and the world around us.
Octopus Moon
AUTHOR: Bobbie Pyron
PUBLISHER: Nancy Paulsen Books
DATE: March 25, 2025
SYNOPSIS:
A deeply moving middle grade novel in verse about a girl struggling with depression when she starts fifth grade amidst a sea of changes.
Pearl loves watching the majestic loggerhead turtles and octopuses glide through the water at the aquarium. Pearl finds it especially easy to identify with the octopuses, who have millions of touch receptors all over their bodies. They feel everything. Sometimes, Pearl wishes she was more like a turtle, with a hard outer shell—it hurts too much to feel everything.
And the changes at the start of fifth grade don’t feel good to Pearl at all. New teachers, lockers, and being in different classes than her friends is unsettling. Pearl tries her best to pretend she’s fine, but she starts to struggle with things that used to come easy, like schoolwork, laughing and skateboarding with her best friend, Rosie, running and even sleeping.
After a disastrous parent-teacher conference, her parents decide to bring Pearl to Dr. Jill, who diagnoses her with depression. At first Pearl is resistant to Dr. Jill’s help; she doesn’t like feeling different, but she also doesn’t want to continue feeling so bad all the time. When Dr. Jill asks Pearl to try one Impossible Thing each day, like running, skateboarding, or walking her dog Tuck, she decides to try. For each impossible thing she attempts, Pearl puts a bead on a string. Bead by bead, and with the support of family and friends, Pearl finds her way back to herself. She discovers just like the moon is always there in the sky, even if it isn’t full, she’ll always be herself even when she doesn’t feel whole.
In this tender novel-in-verse, critically acclaimed author Bobbie Pyron draws from her own experiences to tell the story of a brave girl learning to take care of and love herself.
The Underwild: River of Spirits
AUTHOR: Shana Targosz
PUBLISHER: Aladdin
DATE: March 25, 2025
SYNOPSIS:
A stunning debut middle grade fantasy about a girl caught between the realms of the living and the dead who gets lost in the Underworld—perfect for fans of Greenwild and Rick Riordan.
Senka lives between the realm of the Living and the realm of the Dead. As ward to Charon, the Ferryer of the Underworld, Senka assists in ferrying recently departed souls across the river and into their afterlife. Although Charon has taught her many Rules about life in the Underworld, there is much he avoids telling her. Though she doesn’t understand why the Rules are so important, she listens—she must heed them in order to become an official Ferryer, just like Charon.
Then a Living girl, Poppy, enters the Underworld to plead for help in finding the ghost of her brother. Poppy’s grief tugs at Senka’s heart—but helping Poppy goes against the very Rules Senka is so desperate to follow. When Poppy is yanked away by the river’s current, Senka leaps to save her, and she and Poppy are swept downriver, far from everything Senka has ever known.
Lost in the Underwild, Senka and Poppy encounter malevolent spirits of lore and eccentric ghosts—and not all are willing to let souls slip through their grasp. Senka knows the Living can’t stay in the realm of the Dead for long, and if Poppy isn’t returned home soon, she will risk becoming lost to the Underworld forever. But as Senka travels deeper into the Underwild, she discovers there are secrets her guardian has kept from her, including the mystery surrounding her own existence. As Poppy and Senka dodge angry demigods, hungry wraiths, and terrifying dragon chimera, Senka gets closer to learning the truth of her own past. Soon, Senka won’t just need to save Poppy’s life—she’ll also need to save her own.
🐦⬛GET LOST IN THE UNDERWILD: Author Shana Targoz shared 5 Fun Facts about River of Spirits HERE!
📚STILL NEED MORE READS?: Catch up on last month’s edition of YAYBOOKS!
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