New Middle-Grade Books Publishing 10/1

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I am trying something a little different this month. Instead of writing 1 post sharing all of the books I am looking forward to for the entire month, we are going to break it down by week. Why? There are WAY TOO MANY AMAZING BOOKS publishing this month. October is shaping up to be an absolutely incredible month for Middle-Grade books…and no one wants to read a 45 page blog post. So, let’s try breaking things down week by week and see how it goes! First up, we are going to take a peek at some of the amazing New Middle-Grade Books publishing on 10/1! This is just a selection of my MOST anticipated reads! Are you ready? Let’s chat!

The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science by Kate McKinnon

The award for the longest book title goes to…The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science by Kate McKinnon (yup, that Kate McKinnon). I am starting with this book because I just had an opportunity to read it…and it is FAN-TASTIC. This is one of the funniest, most clever, creative, and enjoyable middle-grade reads I have read in a long time. If you have kids who have loved Lemony Snicket or the Mysterious Benedict Society…or even Roald Dahl…I would highly recommend reading this book. It was quirky, zany, and uproariously funny. It was an easy 5 stars from me and I can’t wait for the next book.

Goodreads Synopsis

So, you want to be a young mad scientist. Congratulations! Admitting it is the first step. The second step is reading the (definitely true) tale of the Porch sisters…  

Gertrude, Eugenia, and Dee-Dee Porch do not belong. They don’t belong in the snooty town of Antiquarium, where all girls have to go to etiquette school and the only dog allowed is the bichon frise. They don’t belong with their adoptive family, where all their cousins are named Lavinia and their Aunt has more brooches than books. And they certainly don’t belong at Mrs. Wintermacher’s etiquette school—they’re far more interested in science. After getting kicked out of the last etiquette school that would take them, the girls expect to be sent away for good… until they receive a mysterious invitation to a new school.

Suddenly the girls are under the tutelage of the infamous Millicent Quibb—a mad scientist with worms in her hair and oysters in her bathtub. At 231 Mysterium Way, the pizza is fatal, the bus is powered by Gerbils, and the Dean of Students is a hermit crab.  Dangerous? Yes! More fun than they’ve ever had? Absolutely! But when the sisters are asked to save their town from an evil cabal of nefarious mad scientists, they must learn to embrace what has always made them stand out, and determine what side they’re on—before it’s too late!

Wish Monster by J.A. White

Next up we have Wish Monster by J.A. White. This is my current read and I have already been sucked in to this spine-tingling story. J.A. White is the author of Nightbooks which I read to my kids when it first came out and we all loved it. It has since been turned into a Netflix film which was also fantastic. So, when I saw that he had a new book coming out…I jumped at the chance to read. I will be back with a full review after I finish, but for now here is a synopsis for you!

Goodreads Synopsis

In the darkness, something opened its eyes.

The town of Haywood, New Jersey, has a secret. A wish monster.

Violet Park discovered its cave by accident, and the wish monster granted her deepest desire by bringing her dog Midnight back to life. It even erased everyone’s memory of his death. Life was perfect. But then an unremarkable boy named Hudson Causeway somehow remembered Midnight had died. That scared Violet. What if he ruined everything? Even worse, what if the wish monster wasn’t as innocent as it seemed?

Deep down, Violet knew: No wishes are made without consequences, and every monster needs to be fed.

Answers to Dog by Pete Hautman

Next up we have Answers to Dog by Pete Hautman. This is on my TBR and I am so looking forward to it. I have seen wonderful reviews! I tend to be leery of books with dogs because historically speaking…if the book has a dog I am probably going to cry. So, I am going into this one a little cautious…but still looking forward to it. Here is a little info for you.

Goodreads Synopsis

Evan doesn’t seem to fit in at school or at home. He goes out of his way to avoid attention. He sits at the back of the bus, keeps his head down in class, and keeps to himself. B

ut when a burr-covered border collie—a survivor with a gut instinct about the Boy—starts following him around and joining him on his runs, Evan’s simple duck-and-dodge existence becomes a lot more complicated . . . a lot more like life.

Evolving from wary companions to steadfast friends, Evan and the dog run fast and far together, thwart an abusive dog breeder and the school bully, and find the courage to stand up for themselves and to open up to those who matter most. Narrated in alternating viewpoints, this relatable contemporary novel with classic coming-of-age themes has all the hope, pathos, and emotional complexity that mark Pete Hautman’s books for middle-grade readers—and is a deeply satisfying read for animal lovers.

The Last Hope School for Magical Delinquents by Nicki Pau Preto

Next up we have The Last Hope School for Magical Delinquents by Nicki Pau Preto. This books has been on my TBR for quite some time! I have a copy sitting on my shelf just waiting to be read! Thinking this will be a great read for my October TBR! I love books full of magic and this one sounds like it will fit the bill perfectly! If there is a magical school it will inevitably end up on my TBR! Perfect for fans of The School for Good and Evil and Witchlings! Here is a synopsis!

Goodreads Synopsis

A middle grade magic school fantasy perfect for fans of The School for Good and Evil and Witchlings, in which a girl with unparalleled power must work with her misfit classmates to save her new school.

Lavinia “Vin” Lucas is out of control and out of options. Stranded by parents who would rather use their average magical abilities to study dung beetles than raise her, Vin’s been on her own for years. But she’s never been able to corral her own powerful, unpredictable magic. After years of detention, suspension, and expulsion from magic schools far and wide, she’s now being sent to the Last Hope School for Magical Delinquents. If she gets expelled, it’s the end of the line.

Now, Vin is determined to behave. Except no one at Last Hope seems to want her to. Her new teachers—particularly the school’s kind headmistress—push her to explore her magic, and her mischievous classmates delight in every accident. And all the while, a mysterious fire sprite, a suspicious instructor, and her overwhelming abilities might just sabotage Vin. But for the first time, she is not alone.

So when a former student begins attacking the school, Vin must question just how much she knows about the headmistress and her new home. Is this place worth saving? And are her budding abilities—and every trick, trap, and deception in her friends’ delinquent arsenal—enough to protect Last Hope?

Jasmine is Haunted by Mark Oshiro

Nothing says October reading like a good ghost story. Next up we have Jasmine is Haunted by Mark Oshiro! This book sounds fabulous. I love a book with a good old fashioned haunting. Throw in some LGBTQ representation and I am immediately sold. The reviews have been excellent and I cannot wait to read it! Here is a synopsis!

Goodreads Synopsis

Jasmine Garza has a a ghost has been following her for years, ever since her Papi died. Not that Mami will admit anything supernatural is going on. But even the ghost she won’t acknowledge makes real trouble, so Jasmine and her mami are moving (again) to a new apartment in East Hollywood. This time Jasmine is committed to living a normal life with normal friends.

Enter: Bea Veracruz and Jorge Barrera. They’re the only two members of Jasmine’s middle school’s Gay Straight Alliance and they’re already obsessed with all things supernatural. Bea wants to prove herself to her paranormal investigator parents and Jorge is determined to overcome his fear of the beyond. And when Jasmine confesses she’s been tormented by a ghost for years, they not only believe her, they’re thrilled!

Together they set out to prove that Jasmine’s not just acting out after her father’s death–ghosts are real and Jasmine is haunted. But not everyone agrees how to deal with the departed. As Jasmine’s hauntings increase in intensity, her resentment builds. Why is her Mami so secretive about her past? Why is she the center of such a terrible vortex of supernatural activity? And why hasn’t her Papi ever reached out to her since he passed?

In order to face her ghosts—both internal and external—Jasmine must come to terms with her own history.

Onyx & Beyond by Amber McBride

I will always confess to judging a book on its cover. Come on…you know you have done it too! I was initially drawn to this book because of the beautiful cover. Once I read the synopsis, I knew it had to be added to my must read list for October. Onyx & Beyond by Amber McBride sounds like it is going to be a powerful read. Set during the 60’s during the Civil Rights Movement, it sounds like it is going to be a heartbreaking but beautiful read and I am so looking forward to it!

Goodreads Synopsis

Onyx lives with his mother, who is showing signs of early-onset dementia. He doesn’t want to bring attention to his home — if Child Protective Services finds out, they’ll put him into foster care.As he’s trying to keep his life together, the Civil Rights Movement is accelerating. Is there anywhere that’s safe for a young Black boy? Maybe, if only Onyx can fulfill his dream of becoming an astronaut and exploring space, where none of these challenges will follow him. In the meantime, Onyx can dream. And try to get his mom the help she needs.Based on her own father’s story of growing up in the 1960s and facing the same challenge with his own mother, award winner Amber McBride delivers another affecting depiction of being young and Black in America.

The Girls of Skylark Lane by Robin Benway

Last, but certainly not least is The Girls of Skylark Lane by Robin Benway. I added this book for two reasons. One, the cover is beautiful. Two, it is described as The Babysitters Club meets The Sandlot…and that just screamed nostalgia to me! It sounds like it is going to be a wonderful story about friends and family and I can’t wait to read it!

Goodreads Synopsis

National Book Award Winner Robin Benway’s debut middle grade novel is Babysitters Club meets Sandlot when twin sisters join a ragtag neighborhood girls softball team at a time when growing up could mean growing apart.

Aggie and Jac might be twin sisters, but lately they haven’t felt the same about anything. While Jac is excited about their move to Los Angeles and a chance to seem cool and mysterious, Aggie is worried her new locker won’t open, Jac could make new friends without her, and her friends from home will move on, leaving her all alone.

When the first day at school ends with an invite to join the neighborhood softball team, Aggie jumps at the chance to meet the other girls, even if she has to drag Jac along. Aggie is relieved to learn that each girl is dealing with their own problems and discovers that by being vulnerable, she’s able to create strong friendships.

Jac’s interest in the softball team might have more to do with the captain’s older brother. But as Jac’s crush grows she worries that it’s just one more way she and Aggie have become different. And is it wrong if Jac wants to feel different from Aggie sometimes, even if there’s no one else she’d rather have for her twin sister?

Jac and Aggie try to hold on to their sisterhood even as life throws the biggest curveball of all: growing up.

Happy Reading!

I hope you were able to find some new titles to add to your ever growing TBR lists! Stay tuned for the releases coming out the rest of the month…there are some incredible titles from some wonderful authors!

What is on your October TBR?

If you are looking for some spooky Middle-Grade reads to add to your list…check out this post!

Happy Reading, friends!