Fresh Reads, Honest reviews, Educator-approved
Take an epic 5-star road trip in Mexikid! Pedro Martín’s graphic memoir is a hilarious and heartfelt journey into his Mexican heritage. As his family squeezes into a Winnebago to fetch their legendary grandfather, Pedro discovers that heroes don’t just exist in his comic books. With eye-popping, stylized art and a relatable cast of siblings, this is a must-read for anyone navigating the beautiful chaos of family and identity.
Get ready for a “heady” and serpentine mystery with the K Team! In Good Dog, Bad Cop, Corey Douglas and his K-9 partner Simon Garfunkel take on a cold case to clear a mentor’s name. This 4-star procedural is witty, complex, and skillfully woven. While the human characters take center stage, the canine hero Simon Garfunkel is the true star of this Paterson, NJ investigation. Perfect for fans of complex puzzles.
Slugfest is Gordon Korman’s “Breakfast Club” for the middle school gym set. When star athlete Yash is forced into summer school PE with a group of academic misfits and pranksters, he expects a boring summer. Instead, he finds a group of unlikely friends and a teacher with a secret. It’s a humorous, fast-paced look at breaking stereotypes and finding common ground, perfect for fans of sports fiction and school-centered comedies.
Co-authored by powerhouses Erin Entrada Kelly and Kwame Mbalia, On Again, Awkward Again is a hilariously cringey 9th-grade romance. Featuring “love at first sight” in a nurse’s office amidst IBS and water fountain injuries, it perfectly captures the awkward transition to high school. It’s a rare “sweet spot” book: pacy and funny enough for middle schoolers, but aspirational enough for early high schoolers—all without mature content.
If your brain still stores core memories in AIM away messages, Limited Too receipts, and Spice Girls feminism, this audiobook is going to feel like a time capsule with a pulse. Kate Kennedy is funny, sharp, and unexpectedly tender, and you will keep pausing just to say, “I thought it was only me.”