Beautiful Illustrations and Lovely, Rhyming Text: You and I Are the Stars and Night

 

You and I Are the Stars and Night

by Kate Hosford

Illustrated by Richard Jones

Beach Lane Books

an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division

2026

32 pages

ISBN: 9781665940382

Hilarious Time Travel:Short chapters make Future Me Saves the World and Ruins My Life a real winner!

Future Me Saves the World and Ruins My Life

by Leah Cypess

Illustrations Wes Molebash

Aladdin

An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division

2025

192 pages

ISBN: 9781665964395

Time travel has never been more fun to read. 

Ethan Koslov is ten years old and just a "normal" kid until he meets his future self who is thirty-nine years old and wears weird clothes, worries about his health, has no interest in playing with slime and is a lot less fun. Future him visits and tells him he has a mission to save the world by making sure his substitute teacher keeps teaching because if she doesn't, she will become an evil dictator and start wars. 

Fourth grade is tough as it is, but pile on saving the world and it becomes intolerable. Short chapters and fun illustrations make this an easy read for even the most reluctant of readers. Cute premise, creative story and tons of fun!

Highly recommended grades 4 and up. 

 

Middle Grade PIck: Bad Cheerleader

 

Bad Cheerleader

by Alex Thayer

Aladdin

An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division

2025

288 pages

ISBN: 9781665955270

Seventh grader Bag does not fit in. Her popular cheerleader sister Minerva who used to be a fun sister has never been more distant, and Bag knows she's hiding a secret. Minerva is downright rude, bratty and AWFUL, calling attention to Bag in front of the entire cheer squad. 

Worse, their mother has just landed a part in an off, off, off Broadway play and can no longer give Bag a ride to the library after school. She tells Bag to wait at cheer practice with Minerva to be picked up. 

This is the last thing either sister wants. Minerva's absences while the squad is warming up, concerns Bag. She asks the sponsor, Mrs. Yoh, where her sister is, and learns Minerva is "writing cheers." Curious, Bag goes in search of Minerva. 

She spots her with another cheerleader near the dumpsters which is very mysterious and secretive. Determined, Bag sets out to find just what her sister is up to. Meanwhile, things between their parents are broken as Dad has moved out and seems in a "bad" place. 

Bag wants to turn to her Bff Ridgeey but he, too, seems distant. 

Bad Cheerleader is a quick read. The characters are almost believable except Bag seems too naive for a seventh grader. She seems more like grade three or four. She has zero knowledge about smoking and marijuana. Even the most sheltered child has some knowledge from tv or the internet. 

Grades 5 and up.