Fresh Reads, Honest reviews, Educator-approved
Stay away from the doll hospital! The Headless Doll takes readers to a spooky island in Maine where the toys don’t stay broken for long. When twelve-year-old Jennifer finds a headless vintage doll, she triggers a haunting that only teamwork and courage can stop. Perfect for fans of Goosebumps, this quick, chilling read is just the right amount of scary for middle-grade mystery lovers.
The earth is moving—and nowhere is safe. Magnitude brings the 1906 San Francisco earthquake to life through the eyes of twelve-year-old Cora. Trapped underground and chased by thieves through a burning city, Cora must find the courage to survive the impossible. This heart-pounding historical adventure is a perfect next step for fans of the I Survived series looking for a deeper, more suspenseful journey.
Space aliens are coming for our pizza! Grunthar’s Revenge brings the Outer Space Mystery Pizza Club back to Earth for a high-stakes showdown. As siblings Tina and Mateo navigate a little healthy rivalry, they must team up with their alien friends to stop the purple-skinned Grunthar.
Neat-freak meets Goldendoodle! A comedic adventure that turns the body-swap trope into a journey of empathy. When Parker Pitts swaps bodies with his sister’s messy dog, Boof, he learns that life is about more than organization. This fast-paced, funny read helps middle-grade students explore self-acceptance, grief, and the importance of seeing the world through someone else’s eyes (and paws!).
Tea by day, blood by night. The story blends a high-stakes heist with a sharp critique of colonialism. Follow criminal mastermind Arthie Casimir as she fights to save her illegal bloodhouse from a ruthless empire. It’s a fast-paced story of found family and revenge that challenges readers to look beneath the glittering surface of the “civilized” world to see the cost of its tea.