A smaller list with a mixed bag of titles, this column features everything from early readers to middle grade novels, let’s dive right in!
First, a board book:
The House with Nobody in It Jon Klassen (Author & Illustrator),
Why do Halloween-themed books start popping up in July? And Xmas books? It’s a bit of a mystery… just like the inhabitant of this book.
I am the proud aunt of a one-year-old, and this book fits the bill for me: gently spooky, and made for babies! There is a hole in the book that resembles doors and windows, and there is somebody in the house, or isn’t there?
A ghost is lurking behind doors, furniture, and windowsills, all with that quiet humor that makes Klassen one of the classics. He has recently won the Astrid Lindgrned Memorial Award for his body of work; congratulations!
The House with Nobody in It is on sale since July 16, 2026.
Published by Candlewick
Boardbook | Pages: 18
ISBN: 9781536248289
Now, a new best friend:
The Day Saida Arrived by Susana Gómez Redondo (Author), Sonja Wimmer (Illustrated by), Lawrence Schimel (Translated by)
I distinctly remember a friend who came over to our city once, and how she tried hard to communicate with us on a road trip. She spoke English, and we spoke Spanish. She taught us songs, and we learned bits and pieces, but what I remember the most was our enthusiasm: we really wanted to understand each other.
And something of this is reflected in this book: a young girl searches for the words to help her friend feel welcome and happy in her new home.
Along the way she learns about differences and similarities in countries and words. There are bits of words hidden in the illustrations, gathering meaning and connections. They do so suddenly, like sparks on a fire.
The Day Saida Arrived is available since September 08, 2020.
Published by Blue Dot Kids Press
Hardcover | Pages:32
ISBN: 9781733121255
Up next, a book about sisters:
Sister Scribbles by Lenny Wen (Author & Illustrator)
A little sister named Lila is frustrated because her drawings are not as pretty as those of her older sister, Rosa. She really wants to participate in a drawing contest without being overshadowed by her talented sibling.
Because, above all, even though she is learning, Lila loves to draw! I really enjoyed the differences between hesitant and wavy lines and almost perfection from the older sister; all you need to know is keep going!
Rosa also signs up for the contest, but together they will find a way to reconcile their differences and make it work.
Sister Scribbles will be available on August 25, 2026.
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
Pages: 32 Hardcover
EAN/UPC: 9780593694985
Now for a lovely book about voting and crowns, hilarious to boot!
The Crown. An Epic Tale of Fools, Fate, and Fish Butts by Lauren Stohler (Author)
This was such a fun take on the perils of authoritarianism and how, even though it is taxing, imperfect, and slow, voting is better for everyone involved! I would read this in class and at the “No King” marches!
When a crown arrives in a box, it seems like the perfect solution for the caste and the villagers: Whoever has the crown makes the rules! NO exceptions!
Quickly enough, each person donning the crown puts his interests first, and the tug-of-war between alligators, pancake makers, villagers, and a new player called Big Smoke begins!
Thank goodness, when the inevitable ensues (I loved how you get to switch the book to get a better view of the tug-of-war), two people who were away making dinner happen to intervene. Finally, all decide what’s best for everybody, and you guessed it, it doesn’t involve crowns.
The Crown will be available on August 25, 2026.
Published by Penguin Workshop
Hardcover | Pages: 48
ISBN: 9798217244713
Up next, a book about dogs’ lifestyles:
Everything You Need to Know About Life You Can Learn from a Dog Bruce Littlefield (Author), Maribel Lechuga (Illustrated by)
The title is self-explanatory, but the message is real: dogs know how to enjoy life! (and don’t get addicted to smartphones).
The book follows one simple idea by representing different dog races and a simple idea: dogs have life figured out. They wake up each day looking to make the best of every moment. They are unabashedly enthusiastic; they love, they rest, they play, and above all, they are present in the moment.
They even know what to shake off! We can all learn a few tricks from dogs.
Everything You Need to Know About Life You Can Learn from a Dog is be available since July 07, 2026.
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Pages: 32 Hardcover
EAN/UPC: 9780593698013
Now for middle grade novels:
Pumpkin Apocalypse by M. D. Payne (Author)
The only thing I miss from not living in the US anymore is physical books and public libraries (and art museums).
Reading middle grade novels online is not effortless, and I get discouraged easily. I only read the ones with a strong enough tempo for me to keep going on a screen, when there are so many distractions awaiting you just one click away.
This one had the RL Stine feel from the get-go, and was set up in a way that both interested me and kept me going: Halloween is a big deal in Little Pine, but Adam Gibbons is not planning to stay for long. In fact, he cannot stand either Little Pines, (he plans to leave soon) nor Halloween, and is deadly afraid of pumpkins. In pumpkin country, where the vegetable has a special stand!
He and Molly have to plan for Friday Night Fright Night, the middle school shut-in event before Pumpkin Fest, and his worst feat: jack o lanterns
Enter the creepy, mind-controlling pumpkins! I love when you get to meet with friends and start smashing the infestation to save the world! It’s so straightforward! If it were in my hands, I would have read it on a bus ride, happily enjoying the pre-Halloween atmosphere, even if it’s still summer.
Pumpkin Apocalypse is available since July 28, 2026.
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Pages: 208/ Paperback
EAN/UPC: 9780593523889
Finally, this is such a good take on the apparently endless grind of our era:
Sleepless by Gordon Corman (Author)
This poor kid! I got PTSD just by remembering the one time I suffered from insomnia, and he just can’t get to sleep at all. The sole presentation of this frightening scenario, and the fact that parents almost don’t live with him and don’t realize what’s going on, made me pity him even more.
What would it be like to live your life widely awake, for the entire 24-hour periods, day after day, month after month?
After trying everything he could think of without telling the adults about his condition, Mickey has just given up and decided to be a different persona every 8 hours, idly chatting online and doing endless videos… until he discovers that other kids are living with the same condition as him.
Why can’t Mickey, Skye, Levi, Cyrus, and Thea sleep?
None of them know why this is happening to them. Instead of using their extra hours to become better than everyone else, once they find each other, they’re forced to ask:
What’s keeping them awake at night?
Sleepless is available since July 7, 2026.
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Pages: 304 Hardcover
ISBN-10: 1546126112
ISBN-13: 978-1546126119
