Christina Diaz Gonzalez

In more recent years, you may have been introduced to Christina’s English-Spanish graphic novel Invisible. This groundbreaking bilingual book debuted in 2022 to high acclaim, including three starred reviews and spots on a couple of bestseller lists. 

Well, Christina Diaz Gonzales is back with Offside (Graphix; July 7, 2026; Ages 8–12), a new English-Spanish bilingual graphic novel that is sure to delight middle grade readers. 

Jackson Middle School soccer team is going co-ed, but not everyone is happy about this change. When tensions threaten to destroy their season, the kids must discover the only true way to win is to work together as a team. With text in English and Spanish, Offside creates a unique reading experience and puts a spotlight on Latine characters throughout. We’re excited about this new work and grateful that Christina Diaz Gonzalez carved out some time to share with us.

SK: You’ve established yourself as a prolific and successful middle grade author. Looking back to the days when you were the age of your current readers, is this what you imagined your adult life would be like? Are there dreams that have come true, dreams that you’ve abandoned, or dreams that you’re still working to achieve?

CDG: Growing up I had a “secret” dream of being an author, but I had never met a writer and didn’t think people like me or my friends could have their stories published in a book. It was for this reason that I didn’t immediately pursue a writing career… Instead I chose to study accounting and then became a lawyer (which required a very different type of writing). Eventually it was my sons who reminded me how much I loved middle grade novels and I began pursuing the dream of sharing stories from my own imagination.

SK: As a kid with a secret dream of being an author, I’d guess you were probably a reader. If so, what were some of the books you enjoyed?

CDG: I was a HUGE reader as a kid (even won a Read-a-Thon) and the book that opened my eyes to the vast array of impactful stories was Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time.

SK: You established a track record of narrative prose in several genres before branching out into graphic novels. What have been the biggest challenges and greatest delights in moving to the graphic novel form? 

CDG: I love the graphic novel format (as a kid I was a big fan of the Archie Digest comic books) and it is a wonderful way to highlight different languages side-by-side (like Spanish and English) because the art can be a third “language” which adds so much to the understanding of the story. I am always delighted to see the illustrator’s interpretation of a story that solely existed in my imagination… although it can be a challenge to “let go” of my own preconceived notions of what the page might have looked like. Lucky for me my illustrators have far exceeded anything I could have imagined!

SK: Tell us about your process of collaborating with illustrator Mari Costa. How was your narrative development influenced by her visual story-telling, and what are the benefits and challenges of working with an illustrator in this format?

CDG: One of the surprising aspects of working with an illustrator on a graphic novel is that there isn’t as much collaboration as you might expect. We each bring our own imagination and creativity to the project at separate times. I create the story and write the manuscript breaking it up into suggested panels and, once that is complete, I hand it all over to the illustrator to bring it to life as they see fit. Mari Costa took my manuscript and crafted incredible characters that blew me away when I saw how she had imagined them.

SK: Offside is about a middle school soccer team going co-ed. You obviously know a lot about soccer and team dynamics. What experiences do you have as a soccer player and/or fan?

CDG: I didn’t grow up playing soccer or even being a fan of the sport, but my sons played highly competitive soccer, and I became the team mom/team manager. I saw how soccer brings people together, but I also witnessed some of the disparities within youth sports.  

SK:  This new book uses the same bilingual (English/Spanish) format as Invisible. How do you balance these two languages while developing your narrative, and why is this format important to you? 

CDG: I love how the graphic novel format allows for more bilingual narration which would be more limited in traditional prose novels. This is important because we live in a multi-cultural/multi-lingual world, and kids deserve to see themselves and their classmates featured as main characters. I try to balance the languages by being true to the characters (and their language fluency) while making sure that the English-dominant reader can understand everything that is happening in the book.

SK: Do you have a favorite character from Offside? If so, what makes this character special to you?

CDG: My favorite character is Palmer as he is named after someone I know who is also a fantastic soccer player… and an even better kid!

SK: You refer to Carl Hiaasen’s Hoot in part of this story. Can you tell us about other middle grade authors or books that you particularly enjoy right now?

CDG: There are so many books that I am loving such as James Ponti’s Sherlock Society series, Alyson Gerber’s The Liar Society series, Jen Calonita’s The Isle of Ever series, and Donna Barba Higuera’s The Last Cuentista series. Hmm… I’m now seeing a pattern of reading series and yet I primarily write stand-alone books! 

SK: Do you have another idea in the pipeline right now? Any hints to what your next book might involve?

CDG: I have a new mystery/spy novel book coming in March 2027 called UNIDENTIFIED. It follows Alex, a middle schooler desperate to save his family’s struggling UFO-themed mini golf park located in Gulf Breeze, Florida. When Alex overhears a retired military colonel talking about spies in the area, he and his best friend, Nora, jump into action hoping a reward will save the park. But each clue pulls them deeper into a mystery that hits far too close to home… one that suggests Alex’s parents may be involved in a plot to wipe out all of Earth’s technology.

SK: That sounds fantastic! Christina, we so appreciate your time, and we love knowing that you are hard at work creating more books that middle grade readers will love. We’ll be sure to watch for Offside, available July 7, and we look forward to learning more about UNIDENTIFIED next year. 

If readers would like to learn more about Christina Diaz Gonzalez, her books, and her author visits, a great place to start is her website: christinagonzalez.com.  You can find her on various social media platforms as well, including Instagram and Threads: @christinadiazgonzalez; Facebook: Christina Diaz Gonzalez; and Bluesky: @christinadg.bsky.social.  

The post Christina Diaz Gonzalez Discusses Her New Book: OFFSIDE appeared first on From The Mixed Up Files.

The imprint, with the goal to “[champion] bold authors across generations,” will publish children’s books from picture books through YA, as well as adult titles. The imprint will also have to-be-announced initiatives to help discover and support new writers.

The post New Kwame Alexander Imprint appeared first on From The Mixed Up Files.

All the Sunshine in the World  by Caroline Brooks Dubois. 368 pp. (July 28) 

It’s been almost six months since Tolly’s sister died in a distracted driving wreck.

Tolly misses Sunny every minute of every day, but is it wrong to want a semi-normal birthday? What about a new phone, to replace the one she lost soon after the accident? Instead, she gets grieving parents and a disappointing, misspelled cake.

And so Tolly starts 8th grade without a phone in hand and without answers to the endless questions she has about her sister’s death. Why did it happen? How did it happen? Was it Tolly’s fault? She needs her old phone back to uncover the truth.

Ironically, phone-less Tolly gets put in charge of a new Luddite club at school for kids who want to avoid technology. It’s the last place she expected to find herself, but it turns out to be a powerful escape from the unrelenting guilt she feels over Sunny’s death—and it might just be the place for her to get those answers, too.

Read an interview with the author here.

Airrelle of the Maroon Witches  by Sumayyah Beck. 304 pp. (July 14)

Anyone can become a witch in Missen Dessalin. If you can find the Missen, that is. Some say the whole reason it was called a “Missen” is because it was a gathering place for those who wanted to stay missin’.

Twelve-year-old Airrelle Bookman, born and raised in Missen Dessalin by two witch parents, has been waiting for magic to call to her for years now. She just has to secure her four patron animals, complete four rites, master four skills, and pass the initiation ceremony. Then she’ll be a fully confirmed maroon witch, able to fly beyond the walls of the Missen as she pleases. Just like her parents, older siblings, and best friend Hosniya.

The time for her trial finally arrives, along with familial troubles and threats to the very safety and secrecy of Missen Dessalin itself. But an ordinary girl from beyond the protected walls of Missen, one who has grown up in our own tumultuous and unenchanted world, may just be the key to Airrelle’s troubles.

Bubblegum Shoes: The Big Sleepover  by Goldy Moldavsky. 240 pp. (July 14) 

Normally, Maya Mendoza wouldn’t be caught dead at school on a Saturday, but it happens to be the most epic night ever: Marlowe Middle’s big sleepover! The Bubblegum Shoes detective agency is taking a night off from solving cases to enjoy Battle of the Bands, all-you-can-eat candy, and limited adult supervision … or so they thought.

When the girls learn classmate and rising YouTube star Hunter Holloway is being blackmailed to drop out of the singing competition, they have to help. But what they thought would be an easy case quickly turns complicated when the Gumshoes discover an illegal pillow-fighting ring, battling Broadway divas, and counterfeit art—not to mention Hunter seems to be hiding a few secrets of his own.

Can these slumber party sleuths solve the case before the fun is over? Or will this sticky situation spell lights out for Hunter’s career and the Bubblegum Shoes’ reputation?

Read an interview with the author here.

The Doll House  by D. W. Gillespie. 288 pp. (July 28)

Garrett never met his grandfather, Burke, but his mother told him the stories. Burke was an enormously successful writer, but he was also notoriously cruel, especially to his family. After he passes away suddenly, Garrett and his mother learn that his enormous fortune is theirs … if they agree to spend a week at his estate.

The house is a monument to Burke’s obsession with puppet-like dolls, and the attic is packed with cryptic notes and ancient books. It’s clear that his grandfather was up to something, but Garrett can only guess what. His fear only deepens when he finds a creepily detailed doll with ‘Marion’ written on the foot.

As the week progresses, Garrett realizes that the house isn’t what it seems. An old typewriter clicks away on its own. There are sounds in the night that come from the basement. And strangest of all is Marion, who always seems to be watching.

Fear Files: Hide and Seek  by Christopher Edge. 160 pp. (July 14) 

Nobody knows who started the Darkive. It’s a database filled with first-hand accounts of strange, unexplained experiences. Ghosts; paranormal entities; weird anomalies. Each one holds a bank of evidence to prove the story. Are you ready to dive in?

Adam didn’t think his summer holiday could get any worse. His camping trip with his best friend, Sol, seems doomed. Too many arguments. And, now they find themselves in a strange, abandoned town, where they must take part in a game of hide-and-seek. But the rules are hard to follow. And who, or what, are they hiding from?

The Frog Princess and Peter Pan (or, Wendy Darling and the Secret Prince)  by Kim Bussing. 336 pp. (July 7)

Princess Lissie of Neverland is a very good princess: she’s quiet, practices good manners, and stays out of trouble. She has even learned to live with the pesky curse that turns her into a frog each night, dodging the false king and his scout, Peter Pan. That is, until Lissie is magically whisked to a strange house on mainland Reverie . . . with Peter Pan himself waiting at the window.

Meanwhile, Wendy Darling has a problem. All she wants is her own happy ending, but unfortunately, her father is sending her away to finishing school (even though she isn’t that bad at being “good”). And that’s all before Wendy suddenly winds up surrounded by pirates—being ordered to walk the plank.

Happily-ever-after couldn’t feel farther away. Can Lissie stay safe from Peter Pan’s clutches? And in a world of curses and magic, can Wendy find her own happy ending?

The Ginghams  by T.C. Kemper. 240 pp. (July 28) 

When 12-year-old Joni Bird returns home from summer camp, it’s clear something strange is afoot in Olive Springs. May, her usually head-banging best friend, now wears her hair in a tight bun and calls playing the drums “unladylike.” The ice cream shop only serves vanilla ice cream. And, the neighborhood women and girls all sport big pearl earrings and crisp cotton dresses.

At the heart of it all is a creepy new family with their soulless, carnival smiles and retro fashion sense: the Ginghams. Everyone they invite to their Thursday night book club returns as dead-eyed, smiling, Gingham-approved “model citizens,” all thanks to Mr. Gingham’s lifestyle guide, The Pillars of Perfection. And, something even more sinister hides behind his basement door.

Through quick thinking and cunning, Joni and her friend Tyler set out to not only fight to get May back, but to save their whole town from forever falling under the Ginghams’ control.

Girl from the Ashes  by India Hill Brown. 224 pp. (July 7)

Gianna and Carter John are best friends, but they couldn’t be more different. Gianna is small for her age, gets straight A’s, and is the teacher’s favorite. Meanwhile, Carter John gets in trouble no matter what he does, just because he’s tall and his voice is loud.

One day, while working on a class project in the town library, Carter John gets in trouble yet again and reaches his breaking point. As his anger builds, a stack of books flies off the shelf, hitting the librarian.

Now everywhere he goes, strange things are happening. The smell of smoke hangs in the air. Sparks fly when Carter John gets in trouble. And he hears the voice of a young girl singing a song. A song about burning.

When fires start breaking out around town, Carter John and Gianna are determined to figure out who’s responsible. They are certain that these are no normal fires. Something terrible once happened where the town library now stands, and someone’s trying to send them a message about it.

But who are they―and why are they determined to get revenge?

The Girl Who Loved Monsters (A Devilfish Bay Book)  by Insha Fitzpatrick. 192 pp. (July 28) 

When Charlotte Bissett discovers a creepy cool book in her school library called Liber de Monstrum, she can’t help but take it home to investigate. Horror has always brought her comfort—as long as it stays safely within the pages of a book.

That night she reads a few pages out loud before going to sleep. And the next day, some really weird start happening in the small town of Devilfish Bay. There’s snow outside for the first time in years, Charlotte’s favorite teacher is missing, and the new substitute teacher, Miss Fell, is a little strange. She just might be a werewolf!

Charlotte’s worried she made a big mistake reading from the creepy book. She knows it’s up to her to make things right—but to do so, she’ll have to recruit her friends Molly and Griffin to help. But will they even believe her? And if they do, can this new crew of kid monster hunters actually defeat a real werewolf?

The Haunting of Old Splinter  by Jack Mackay. 272 pp. (July 21)

Peter and his half-brother, Adrian, live in the shadow of Old Splinter—a formerly lavish estate now in ruins. Rumored to have once housed an eccentric magician, it’s now home to little more than spiderwebs and mold. Tasked with renovating the crumbling mansion on behalf of their wealthy uncle, Peter’s stepdad is at his wits’ end. And the cracks are beginning to show in their once-happy cottage.

A mysterious local legend may be their only hope. The wishing claw, a magical hand that grants your deepest desires, has spell-bound townsfolk for centuries. If it’s real—if he can find it—then Peter might just save his family! But wishes are tricky things and they always come with a price. What starts innocently enough soon unearths much more than Peter bargained for, including a dark secret lurking in the walls of the mansion … and a monstrous hunger that comes knocking at his door.

Learn more about the author here.

Monsters of Fife: Terror Birds  by Jane Yolen. 160 pp. (July 14) 

It’s been a quiet seven months since their encounter with the fearsome sea dragons, and Cat, Jamie, Calum, and their teacher, Mr. Harris, are nearing the end of the school term. Then Cat finds a dog collar on the beach, and that night she dreams of a huge, howling black dog.

Cat’s nan believes it is the notorious Black Dog, a mysterious creature rumored to be a portent of death. It seems the dog brings a warning of a new kind of monster that threatens the Scottish village of Anstruther.

On a reconnaissance mission, the team spots a gigantic bird—could it be related to the ancient terror birds that Jamie’s pa wrote about in his research papers?

The hunt for the terror birds is on, and Cat, Jamie, Calum, and Mr. Harris must figure out what’s going on before the next bird attack.

Read an interview with the author here.

Pumpkin Apocalypse  by M. D. Payne. 208 pp. (July 28)

Halloween is a big deal in Little Pine, but newcomer Adam Gibbons doesn’t get the hype. In fact, he’s actively anti-Halloween. You would be, too, if you were deathly afraid of pumpkins! Yeah … don’t ask.

When Adam is tasked to team up with pumpkin fanatic Molly to plan Friday Night Fright Night, the middle school shut-in event before Pumpkin Fest, he’s forced to confront his greatest fear head … er … jack-o’-lantern-on.

But it soon becomes clear that there is something strange and supernatural brewing in Little Pine. Mind-controlling pumpkins are possessing people and taking over the town, and it’s up to Adam and his small group of friends to smash the infestation and save the world!

Raven, Rising  by Christine Hartman Derr. 288 pp. (July 7) 

Raven Miller only just moved to Bear Creek Falls, but she already hates it. There’s a clique that has it out for her, a vice principal who keeps targeting her for dress code violations, and a cruel rumor going around that Raven is a witch who killed her parents. If it weren’t for her new friends Laurel and Hazel, she’d be lost.

The “witch” stuff would be easy to shrug off, but Raven does possess magical powers in the kitchen—the treats she makes can mysteriously change the lives of those who eat them. Though she doesn’t bake anymore—not since the accident that took her parents’ lives.

Then the clique’s bullying and the vice principal’s watchful eye intensifies. When the girls’ attempts to retaliate fall flat, Raven wonders if the magical sweets she used to make could whip up a justice so powerful it would set everything right. In order to find out, she’ll have to face the things she’s been avoiding. Can Raven rise above the pain of her past to secure a better future?

Remember Me, Daphne  by Celia Krampien. 320 pp. (July 14)

When a new family moves into the creepy old house across the street, sixth-grader Flora finds her wish for a best-best friend has come true. Her new neighbor Mac is sweet and charismatic. With Mac by her side, Flora feels like the upcoming school year will be a fresh start for her—no more anxious or klutzy Flora!

But despite their new friendship, not all is perfect. Mac fits in better with their classmates than Flora ever did. Mac’s family seems to be holding back a big secret, something about a mysterious ex-best friend named Daphne who Mac won’t ever talk about. And Mac’s little brother, Danny, gives Flora the creeps. Strange things keep happening whenever he’s around.

Is Flora’s mind playing tricks? Or could it be that Mac’s house is as haunted as it looks?

Royalslinger (The Slinger Series)  by Graci Kim. 288 pp. (July 21) 

After successfully passing the Annual Royal Slinger Trials, Aria is about to kick off her second year of training at the Royal League of Dreamslingers. All she and her bloom dragon, Rio, have to do is pass the final Fellowship exam and they’ll finally become fully-fledged Fellows.

But before training can begin, the king of Royal Hanguk cancels the exam, and instead commands Aria and the other novices to reclaim the Touch of Death—a powerful ancient relic. Stolen by Aria’s mother, no less.

If that wasn’t bad enough, Aria experiences a devastating loss and considers going to horrific lengths to cope . . . even potentially joining the freedom slingers—a rogue and dangerous faction of dreamslingers. How will Aria choose to deal with her grief? And will her decisions result in the end of the League?

Sama Crushes the Code: A Graphic Novel  by Samaira Mehta. 160 pp. (July 14)

Sama’s starting middle school! Maybe Tech Club will be a good place to fit in. She’s into solving problems, building clever machines, and collecting beautiful data, plus her friend Nancy has given her a cool book on coding. But everyone at Tech Club is already so good at coding—will Sama’s contributions be enough for her to be included in the Code Crusher championship?

Sama proposes a project to help a stressed-out bus driver develop a time-saving route, but the club leader thinks the coding isn’t complex enough. When Sama befriends new neighbor Zoe (who built her own hovercraft!), however, the two girls inspire each other, and soon Sama bounces back with a bunny-based board game that teaches kids how to code while having fun.

Could this game be the key to getting to the championship?

Sleepless  by Gordon Korman. 240 pp. (July 7) 

There’s not enough time in the day. How often have Mickey, Skye, Levi, Cyrus, and Thea thought that?

Well, now they have plenty of extra time … because they no longer need to sleep.

None of them knows why this is happening to them. All they know is that they have to keep it a secret from their families and their friends. And while they keep it a secret, they can use their extra hours to become better than everyone else.

Each of them thinks they’re alone in their sleeplessness. But once they find each other, they know it can’t be just an accident. Suddenly they ask themselves:

What’s keeping them awake at night?

Sneaks  by Amy Tern. 240 pp. (July 7)

Valory has developed an unfortunate reputation as a thief—primarily because she steals things—though she has resolved to change her ways.

Rook is a total asparagus-eater (a.k.a. a good kid), but he likes to spy on his neighbors. Nobody’s perfect, right?

The twelve-year-olds form an unlikely alliance when they encounter suspicious behavior in an “empty” apartment across the alley from Rook’s house. While agoraphobia keeps home-schooled Rook trapped on his property, confident and street-smart Valory can roam the scene undetected. Their opposite personalities might, in fact, be key to their success.

But their amateur detective mission morphs into something more sinister when they realize the apartment next door could be connected to a recent kidnapping. When the sleuths realize they’re also being watched, the pressure is on to unmask the villain … before she snatches them, too.

Spindlewood  by Freddie Kölsch. 304 pp. (July 21) 

Lilac Black knows the séances her uncle runs for a living aren’t real. So when she pretends to talk to a spirit to get him out of a tight spot, she expects a scolding, not a celebration. She certainly doesn’t expect an invitation to her uncles’ alma mater, the top-secret Spindlewood School of Seeing.

Irresistibly curious, Lilac decides to attend. But as the only Unseeing student at a boarding school full of Seers, she has to bluff her way through classes and act afraid of spirits everyone else can See. Making new friends, like the intriguing Emmanuelle, only complicates Lilac’s web of lies. And, as if her big deception wasn’t enough, something is very wrong on campus.

Spirits send cryptic messages warning of danger, and every ghost on the island seems drawn to a hidden door deep in the library basement. A being is waiting down there … something none of the adults dare to talk about. Lilac and her friend Emmanuelle must use all their powers―or at least their wits and courage―to save Spindlewood from a terrifying fate.

Stitch Head: The Pirate’s Eye A Graphic Novel  by Guy Bass. 144 pp. (July 21)

You haven’t truly seen the world … until you’ve seen it through a pirate’s eye. So claims Dash Flashpowder, a legendary pirate, fearless adventurer … and the original owner of Stitch Head’s pearly blue glass eye?!

When the first of Mad Professor Erasmus’ creations discovers he might be part-pirate, he’s taken aback. But soon he realizes that, perhaps, the dangers of the open ocean have been his calling all along!

With his creator seemingly having abandoned Castle Grotteskew and its 311 monsters, Stitch Head sets out with his crewmates Creature and Arabella to search for a new destiny, only to discover that old foes may still lurk in the deep!s

Join this motley group of sailors as they search for the world’s greatest treasure—a place to belong.

Thunder and Mercy  by Jennifer Robin Barr. 368 pp. (July 14) 

It’s 1979 and twelve-year-old Theodora “Thunder” Underwood is dreading her summer vacation once again. Every year, her scientist parents disappear on far-flung scientific expeditions, leaving her with relatives who clearly don’t want her around.

But this summer, Thunder is sent to Mount Pleasant, her aunt’s historic yet crumbling old mansion outside of Philadelphia once owned by Revolutionary War traitor Benedict Arnold. When Thunder discovers a mysterious diary written by Mercy, a girl her age who lived through the American Revolution, she plunges into a mystery that involves a shadowy prowler, a hidden ring, and mysterious spies—making her summer far more exciting than she ever expected.

Transylvania County  by Jenny Howard.  321 pp. (July 21)

Digby Romer never lived in one place for very long; despite his best intentions, he’s managed to get kicked out of every European boarding school his parents shipped him off to. Now, his dad has dragged him to live with his aunt and uncle in small-town USA, with hopes that a slower-paced life will finally fix Dig’s so-called “behavioral issues.”

But all is not well here in Transylvania County, even if the locals insist that the legends of cryptids and monsters lurking in the woods are nothing more than lore. On his first night in town, Dig is convinced that he spots a gigantic, fanged beast in the woods, but nobody believes him. Then the school’s PE teacher disappears, replaced by a greasy, suspicious man named Renfield. When more people begin to disappear, Dig sets off with a ragtag crew―his smarty-pants cousin, the bossy class president, and a survivalist loner―to get to the bottom of things.

The post July 2026 New Releases appeared first on From The Mixed Up Files.

For the past year, I’ve been into drawing birds. It started as a project I’m working on that grew out of our bird feeder hobby developed during the pandemic. The bird-drawing obsession might be the reason why, whenever I walked past my office bookshelves this spring, one book called out to me, demanding a reread.

Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt

Okay for Now kept calling, and around Memorial Day, I finally listened. I began to read it for at least the third time. Doug Swiateck and his struggles, failures, and successes in his new home of “stupid” Marysville, New York, captured me once again in this National Book Award finalist from 2011. In no time at all, I was delivering groceries in the Spicer’s Deli wagon alongside Doug, navigating a tenuous home life in The Dump, and spending hours studying and drawing from the Marysville Free Library’s display copy of John James Audubon’s The Birds of America under the guidance of library volunteer Mr. Powell. It was a fantastic ride, and I was reminded of two things:

• Gary D. Schmidt is a master of his craft.
• Okay for Now is a masterpiece. 

I highly recommend reading it if you have yet to discover this title. 

After finishing Okay for Now, I turned to one of my online library accounts for Okay for Now’s 2007 predecessor, The Wednesday Wars, winner of a Newbery Honor. Holling Hoodhood hilariously navigates school, home, and relationship issues after being forced to study Shakespeare by Mrs. Baker, a teacher who “hates” him. He must endure this horrific duty during his Wednesday afternoon alone time with Mrs. Baker because he is a Presbyterian outcast who must stay while everyone else attends their Catholic or Jewish schools for the afternoon.

These two books… My God, they are good! Shakespeare and Audubon were used as foundations to build two near-perfect works of middle-grade historical fiction. 

,

After finishing The Wednesday Wars, the inspiration hit to keep on a Gary D. Schmidt reading streak, so I returned to the online libraries. While trying to decide between Orbiting Jupiter, The Labors of Hercules Beal, and Pay Attention Carter Jones for the next reread, I ran across a new-to-me title, 2021’s Just Like That. I clicked the cover and read the description. Another Gary D. Schmidt book set in late 1960s New York with a main character named Mary Lee Kowalski. Wait! Mary Lee Kowalski from The Wednesday Wars has her own book? Who knew? Not this guy!

I clicked “BORROW” and started reading. My heart was torn open in the first few pages. If you’ve read Just Like That, you know what I’m talking about. If you have not, put it on your TBR list behind The Wednesday Wars and Okay for Now. Once again, Gary D. Schmidt has me hooked and I’m reading as fast as I can between summer ball games, swim meets, garden/yard work, etc.

My conclusion from this Gary D. Schmidt revisit experience, beyond a reminder of the skill put on the page by one fantastic middle-grade author? 

Read an old book. Read a classic. Reread a book you love. Read for the different perspective time and maturity bring. Read for the magic it creates. Read now because summer reading is some of the best reading there is. 

The take-home message? When a book beckons, just as Doug Swiateck and the Arctic Tern called out to me, listen. Accept the literary summons and start reading because you never know in what fantastic directions that book might lead you.

The post The Book Called to Me…Again appeared first on From The Mixed Up Files.

Why it matters: Low key, vacation-centric summers are pleasant, but some kids face a different kind of “heat” during their break from school. These stories may help a challenging summer feel less isolating. 

Go Deeper: For readers seeking emotionally touching summer reads that won’t fade like tan lines, these five middle grade novels are bound to stick.

Read Time: 4 Minutes

“The Firefly Summer” (2023) by Morgan Matson

Summary:
Ryanna spends the summer with her mother’s estranged family in the Blue Ridge Mountains, where she meets relatives she barely knows and begins uncovering family secrets. What starts as an unfamiliar summer becomes a journey of discovering where she belongs and what family really means.

Perfect for: readers navigating family changes, blended families, and searching for belonging.

“Ferris” (2024) by Kate DiCamillo

Summary:
Ferris Wilkey’s summer is turned upside down when her grandmother claims to see a ghost, her family is dealing with personal struggles, and everything feels slightly out of control. Through the chaos, Ferris learns more about her family, herself, and the complicated emotions that come with growing up.

Perfect for: readers looking for a funny, heartfelt story about family and change.

“Ruptured” (2023) by Joanne Rossmassler Fritz

Summary:
During a summer vacation in Florida, Claire’s family is shaken when her mother experiences a medical emergency that changes the entire trip. Claire has to navigate fear, uncertainty, and the reality that sometimes one moment can change everything.

Perfect for: readers navigating a family crisis or searching for resilience, and lovers of novels in verse or deeply emotional stories.

“Summer at Squee” (2024) by Andrea Wang

Summary:
Phoenny Fang returns to Squee, a Chinese cultural summer camp, expecting another perfect summer with her friends, but things quickly change when friendships shift and new challenges emerge. As she navigates camp life, identity, and expectations, Phoenny learns that growing up means adapting to change.

Perfect for: readers experiencing friendship changes, identity questions, or who love a good summer camp adventure.

“The Braid Girls” (2023) by Sherri Winston

Summary:
Best friends Maggie and Lena spend the summer building a braiding business while balancing friendship, family expectations, and their dreams for the future. As their business grows, they learn that growing up means figuring out who you are and what kind of friend you want to be.

Perfect for: readers who enjoy friendship-focused stories, have an eye for creativity, or want to see characters exploring entrepreneurship.

In Closing:

When summer brings unexpected challenges or new beginnings, these five stories remind readers that not only can change be the start of something meaningful, but they are certainly not alone.

Until next time, remember: +  = 

The post 5 Middle Grade Books About That Summer When Everything Changes appeared first on From The Mixed Up Files.

Welcome to STEM Tuesday: Author Interview, a repeating feature for the last Tuesday of every month. Go Science-Tech-Engineering-Math!

Today, we are thrilled to travel to the Czech Republic to interview Magda Garguláková, author of Bridges (April 2025, Post Wave). Explore the amazing world of bridges—from ancient stone arches to modern marvels—and discover how they connect us all! This illustrated 64-page hardcover book delves into the history, engineering, and construction of bridges. Intricate illustrations by Jakub Bachorík invite readers to follow roads and rivers and stumble upon tiny details: a cyclist, a stroller, a leashed dog, and more. 

About the book:

Imagine a world without bridges, where every journey takes longer, rivers become obstacles, and valleys are nearly impossible to cross. Bridges don’t just make travel easier—they connect us to extraordinary places, too.

Take a journey through the fascinating world of bridges, exploring their awe-inspiring structures and the visionary architects who brought them to life. Uncover the secrets of bridge-building and marvel at some of the most famous designs from around the globe. Along the way, enjoy captivating comic strips, fun facts, and hands-on engineering activities.

Bridges

Linda: Tell us about your book, Bridges.

Magda: Bridges is a large-format, illustrated non-fiction book that invites readers into the world of bridges. It is richly illustrated with Jakub Bachorík’s distinctive, playful, and original—yet highly precise—artwork.

I like topics that can be explored from many different angles, and bridges are perfect in this respect. In the book, I don’t look at them strictly as architectural structures, engineering constructions, or from the perspective of how they are built. I also ask why people started building bridges in the first place, how they influenced history and technological progress, how they have evolved, how they have changed our everyday lives, why they are such powerful symbols, and what surprising kinds of “bridges” we can find outside architecture.

The book is intended primarily for children aged nine to eleven. It is fact-based but playful, and the amount of text is just right. I tried to draw readers into the topic and spark curiosity about bridges. Although it is designed for children, it also works very well as an all-age book. I’m really happy with readers’ responses, as it turns out that it resonates across generations and appeals to adults as well.

Linda: That’s wonderful. What inspired you to write about this topic?

Magda: It’s actually quite simple. I’ve been fascinated by bridges since childhood. I don’t even really know why, but they’ve always drawn me in and sparked my curiosity. I’m also an amateur admirer of architecture, especially modern architecture, and I love concrete as a building material as well as riveted steel structures.

What fascinates me about bridges is not only their technical side; I’m equally drawn to how multilayered a symbol they are—how they can bring hope and expectation, how important a role they play in our lives, and, at the same time, how ordinary and invisible they often feel in everyday life. I enjoy the overlaps they offer—into history, art, culture, and everyday experience.

And then there’s one more thing: I’m afraid of heights. So bridges are also a bit of a challenge for me. I actually prefer looking at them rather than from them—and quite often, that turns out to be a more interesting view anyway.

All of this together makes them a perfect subject for a book. It also invites rich illustration, which can communicate with readers in its own way, which is why I like to give illustrations a very important role in my books.

Linda: The textured maze-like illustrations complement the text. How did you organize the material in this book, and why did you choose to present it this way?

Magda: Let me start a bit broadly. When I begin working on a book, the first thing I look for is its overall arc: where I start and where I want to arrive. The flow of the book—how individual pieces of information and thematic sections are arranged—is essential to me. I constantly think about what follows what, why it should be that way, and to what extent I need to follow the logic of the subject. These are questions I return to again and again. During the process, I create several versions of dummy layouts where I test and rearrange the order and structure of the content. It’s one of the most important parts of my creative process.

At the same time, I enjoy when the reader is occasionally surprised, and the expected flow is interrupted—when the rhythm of the book shifts or something unexpected appears.

Bridges reflects all of this. It follows a logical structure of the topic, but it also allows for occasional detours. I wanted the book to flow like a river—one idea leading to another, layering and complementing each other.

It was also important to me that the book works even when read non-linearly. In other words, you can open it almost anywhere and immediately find something that grabs your attention. In this respect, Jakub Bachorík’s illustrations are essential—I knew from the very beginning that they would not just accompany the text, but become an equal part of the storytelling. Thanks to them, the book gains its unique atmosphere and appeal.

Linda: In the book blurb, there is a statement that “bridges connect us to extraordinary places.” Can you tell us about some of these places?

Magda: When I say that bridges connect us to extraordinary places, I don’t mean only specific destinations on a map or in our surroundings, but also different kinds of experiences and meanings. Some bridges lead into dramatic natural landscapes, places that would otherwise be very difficult to reach. Other bridges become destinations in themselves—iconic landmarks and architectural highlights that people travel to see.

At the same time, we also use the word “bridge” in much broader contexts. Metaphorically, a bridge can take us anywhere we can imagine. We perceive it very positively as a symbol of change or transition, and it can even signify passage into another world. It is a very powerful symbol on many levels.

And then, there is also a more playful aspect where we encounter “bridges” in unexpected places—such as in dentistry or in a yoga class.

Linda: By looking at the word “bridge,” and its many meanings and its symbolism, you added depth to this work. What would you like readers to get out of this book?

Magda: I often think about this. If I keep it to the most basic wish, it is simply that I want my book to inspire enthusiasm for bridges, encouraging us to notice, explore, and appreciate them.

If a reader, thanks to my book, decides to stop on a bridge and enjoy the view, remembers the complexity involved in bridge construction, or, with joy and an awareness of their importance, appreciates a bridge expansion joint, that would already be enough.

The book is quite intense, so it is good to take breaks while reading it, come back to it, and discover things that may have escaped you the first time. I would therefore be very happy if the book worked this way and readers enjoyed returning to it—either on their own or when reading it together.

I have also personally found that it is a great travel companion; it presents a large number of bridges from all over the world, many of which you will simply want to see in real life (or at least some of them). 

Linda: This book includes fun engineering activities. I’m intrigued. How can parents, teachers, and librarians use this material?

Magda: The book includes a challenge to build your own bridge out of dried spaghetti. It’s a playful activity, but it also works as a small test of engineering thinking and technical skills. The task is to build a bridge—of any size and design you dare to attempt—that can hold a load without collapsing.

This activity can be used at home, in schools, or in libraries as a simple project or even a small competition. It is a lot of fun, but also requires real thinking. I’ve tried building several of these bridges myself—and you can probably guess how that went…

Linda: Lol! Instead of building a bridge, it might be easier to boil the spaghetti and toss it with some pasta sauce. Magda, thank you so much for joining us!

Magda Garguláková studied Art History at the Faculty of Arts of Masaryk University in Brno, in the Czech Republic. She works as a curator and producer at the Brno-based art gallery OFF/FORMAT. After spending some time in marketing, she eventually found her way back to books, which she has loved since childhood. She collaborates with Albatros Media and its foreign rights editorial team, writing and editing mainly nonfiction illustrated books for children. She is the author of more than ten books, which have been translated into numerous languages around the world. Her The Hand Book was selected among the 100 most beautiful books at the 2022 Bologna Children’s Book Fair and was nominated for several prestigious awards in the Czech Republic and Italy. For older readers, she also wrote the acclaimed Bridges, whose illustrations by Jakub Bachorík received the Golden Ribbon Award and which was honored with the Open Book Award in Taiwan. She lives in Brno, Czech Republic, with her husband and their two daughters. Her books have been translated into English, French, German, Spanish, Korean, Japanese, and several other languages.

Linda Zajac is the author of Robo-Motion: Robots That Move Like Animals and eight Minecraft books for kids. She is an award-winning science writer who gained an appreciation for bridges after a stream crossing that involved straddling an iced log. Find her at www.lindarosezajac.com

The post STEM Tuesday– Bridges and Skyscrapers– Author Interview appeared first on From The Mixed Up Files.

As a classroom teacher, I am always looking for new ways to reach readers. Here at From the Mixed-Up Files, our From the Classroom series

This month I’m excited to share something new I introduced in my fifth grade classroom this spring: book recommendation bookmarks. 

Book Recommendation Bookmarks

My fifth graders love bookmarks. Every time I attend a conference I make sure to scoop up any promotional bookmarks I can find for middle grade books. But, inevitably, we run through them in the month or two after I get back. 

So this year, I decided to try something new. 

Instead of using promotional bookmarks to introduce students to one new book, why not put together a collection of bookmarks that feature several books? By targeting titles in our classroom library, students have the opportunity to immediately seek out and read any titles that grab their attention. 

I printed these out four-to-a-page, giving a finished size of 2.5 inches by 7.5 inches, which made for a good, solid bookmark, and allowed me to feature six titles per category. I also used cardstock so that they would stand up to repeated use.

The bookmarks were a big hit. I keep them in a container near our book return basket so that students who have just finished a book can instantly find something new. Some of my voracious readers like to use the bookmarks like a checklist, keeping track of which books they’ve read. Other students spend time browsing through the selections to get exactly the theme they want, and some students simply grab whichever one is on top and go with it!

Some of our most popular categories include novels in verse, magical school stories, survival stories, sport stories, and super sad stories. Some kids prefer picking books by genre, other kids prefer books by theme or vibe. It’s a great way to highlight a mix of older books and newer books. 

What categories of books would be most popular with the readers in your classroom?

The post From the Classroom: Book Recommendation Bookmarks appeared first on From The Mixed Up Files.

Let’s capture “aha” moments

Lazy summer days

               — Ann Angel

Summer days are meant for daydreaming on beach blankets, sitting on porches lost in a great piece of fiction, and writing about this very moment we’re in. It’s a great time to pull out a journal and create a poem that captures these special moments. Poetry seems to fit the lazy timeless summer experience and allows writers to capture the thunderstorms that feed our gardens even as they shake us to our toes, or paint the experience of hot sun on our faces, popsicle juice dripping down our hands, and even the moment we dip our faces into clover or lavender and breathe deeply.

But where to start? There are some iconic how-to books including Mary Oliver’s A Poetry Handbook: A Prose Guide to Understanding and Writing Poetry.   While this book tends to be a bit dense, there are a few books that speak directly to middle graders. Poetry Play by Amanda Shackelford uses rhyme to encourage writers to play with their experiences.

One of my personal favorites that speaks directly to writers in clear language is JoAnn Early Macken’s Write A Poem Step-by-Step. This how-to walks writers through idea generation to revision.

Giggle-Worthy Poetry Prompts for Kids by Mike Downs and Sandra Athans offers writers six poetic forms and suggests easy ways to generate poems.  Writers might use their own names to create acrostic poems, use free flowing ideas like “Purple Pickles” for free verse poems, or create concrete forms from surroundings (think a star-shaped poem about a star or back to lavender, consider that shape in simply describing this plant).

In thinking about writing poetry on timeless summer days, I’d recommend picking up a classic collection that also teaches style such as A Kick in the Head: An Everyday Guide to Poetic Forms illustrated by Chris Raschka with poems selected by Paul Janeczeko.

Over 25 poetic forms and examples are provided. (This is the most borrowed book from my personal university library and the one book that I keep having to replace because students forget to return it. I don’t mind because they end up writing a variety of amazing poems).

Of course a summer library visit to choose poetry by Robert Frost, Mary Oliver, Amanda Gorman, and Eve Miriam who offers us the opportunity to bite into poetry with her poem, “How to Eat a Poem” or seeking pictures books by JoAnn Macken, or the above authors of How-to books, mentioned above, as well as so many other favorite picture book writers who write in a variety of verse styles and provide hours of learning enjoyment even as the poems will tickle our spirits and help us lose our creative hearts in our own writing.

Here are a few more possible writing prompts:

• Look around you. What color is your world?
• Study a blade of grass and look so closely you can see an ant wandering through that jungle, or find cracks in the dirt below. Describe it in a haiku (3 lines, 5 syllables, 7 syllable, 5 syllables).
• Write about how timeless summer feels, using free verse let metaphors for timelessness flow.
• Consider a more difficult poem like a sestina which requires you to find 6 words that will be ending words that change order to create a 36 line poem. To find the words, look around you and select a few nouns, some verbs, and possible adjectives and adverbs.
• Make a list of the best things about summer.
• Write a concrete poem about the last thing you ate.
• Write a persona poem.
• Style copy a classic poem or respond to a classic poem. For example, Mary Oliver’s poem, “At Blackwater Pond” tells the story of the poet’s sensory experiences at this pond. There’s a frog in this poem and I wrote a poem from the frog’s viewpoint. Here’s that response:

A Frog At Blackwater Pond

In Blackwater Pond the lily pads tremble

throughout this night of rain.

I absorb water through green skin. I breathe

oxygen and moisture. The excess slides

down my slimy back and puddles

on the leaf pad. I hear the drumming

of drops, spattering,

insistent reminders that this beautiful

water is my life force.

— Ann Angel

Explore your summer world and see if you can fill a journal with this summer’s “aha” moments. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

The post Summer Dreaming and Writing Poems appeared first on From The Mixed Up Files.

It’s summer! I know everyone is busy, so here’s a short and sweet STEM Tuesday Writing Tips & Resources post in place of my normal rambling dissertation on the beauty and significance of STEM in a literary world.

I am the son of an engineer, a civil engineer. My dad was an engineer to his very core. He thought like an engineer. He fixed things, like our bikes, broken baseball bats, toys, etc., with an engineer’s approach. He packed the trash and the garbage cans every week with an engineer’s efficiency. He wrote everything in that classic engineer’s script—an engineer to the core. 

Me? I am not an engineer. I am a microbiologist. My approach to life is messier than my father’s, and my handwriting is nowhere near the neat and precise handwriting of an engineer. However, that is not to say I did not learn a thing or two from him. In fact, I gleaned many things about how he worked and went about his business that still stick with me in my creative life. One of those is his particular area of civil engineering expertise, bridge construction. 

Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, 2011 (Almonroth, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)

The main function of a bridge is to connect. A functional bridge is built through solid design and execution of its structural parts. The pilings and the caps support the deck and create the stability necessary to establish the desired connections.

For example, an island in the middle of a large lake or sea is not easily accessible until a bridge is built that connects one place to the next. As writers and creators, we can bring this concept of bridge building into building stories, 

Outlining or developing the plot points of the story provides the structural plan to assist in the execution of the story. The plot points are the islands sitting isolated in the open water. Once we get our plot points envisioned, the next step is to work to build the structural parts through design and execution.

The storytelling magic happens with the type and style of the bridges we build to connect the plot points. The stories that grab readers contain bridges with interesting features, bridges that are fun to traverse. The successful story bridges make the journey a more enjoyable experience beyond simply getting from one plot point island to another.

One tool I use to create the plot islands for outlining my stories is the Brooks Model from Larry Brooks’ excellent book, Story Engineering.

1. Opening Scene/First Page
   1. 3 Essentials
      1. Whose story is it? Protagonist
      2. What’s happening here? There’s a world & there’s something off in it.
      3. What’s at stake? The specific conflict for the protagonist.
2. Hooking Moment (In first 20 pages)
3. Exposition/A setup of inciting incident(optional)
4. First Plot Point (@ 20-25%)
5. First Pinch Point
6. Context Shifting Midpoint (reactionary to action @~50%)
7. Second Pinch Point (~60%)
8. Second Plot Point (75%)
9. Ending/Resolution – New Normal

These nine points give me destinations to target. Once these are loosely set in stone, the drafting begins, and my creative brain switches from planning mode to bridge-building mode. The job becomes creating and building effective bridges to transport the reader to the next destination in an entertaining and engaging manner. The goal is to engage the reader in such a way to keep them traveling along the bridge instead of wanting to stop halfway across, racing for the railing, and jumping off the bridge deck into the water below.

As you ponder your stories, don’t forget the power of building bridges to get your story to its target destination. Adopt a bit of a civil engineer’s mindset into your creative work, but feel free to leave the perfectly formed engineer’s writing script behind if you so choose.

Tower Bridge, London (© User:Colin / Wikimedia Commons)

Mike Hays has worked hard from a young age to be a well-rounded individual. A well-rounded, equal-opportunity sports enthusiast, that is. If they keep a score, he’ll either watch it, play it, or coach it. A molecular microbiologist by day, middle-grade author, sports coach, and general good citizen by night, he blogs about sports/life/training-related topics at www.coachhays.com and writer stuff at www.mikehaysbooks.com. Two of his science essays, The Science of Jurassic Park and Zombie Microbiology 101,  are included in the Putting the Science in Fiction collection from Writer’s Digest Books. He can be found roaming Bluesky under the guise of @mikehays64.bsky.social and @MikeHays64 on Instagram.

The O.O.L.F Files

This month on the Out Of Left Field (O.O.L.F.) Files, we cross the bridge and explore bridges!

The Randolph Bridge on Tuttle Creek Lake in Riley County, Kansas

This was the first big bridge project my civil engineer dad worked on in the early 1960s for the Kansas Department of Transportation. After it was completed, he transferred back to Kansas City in 1964. I now live and work within 30 minutes of the bridge and still get a great deal of joy visiting and driving across the mile-long bridge.

Here’s a YouTube drone video that uses the Randolph Bridge as a backdrop to show the drone’s features.

Story Engineering by Larry Brooks

I highly recommend Story Engineering and its companion Story Physics. It’s one of those craft books I reread every few years to not only refresh my creative skills, but to revitalize them. It’s a reminder that discipline and structure actually help me be creative rather than stifle my creativity.

The Mike Hays Best Bridge in Fiction Award goes to…

An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge  by Ambrose Bierce

Robert Enrico’s 1961 short film adaptation of the story is a must-watch.. I remember watching this in school and being completely mesmerized. Of course, we’d already read, or supposed to have read, the story, so the infamous Ambrose Bierce “Gotcha” moment was already played out. Nevertheless, it is a fantastic short film. Below is the Vimeo link to the movie.

https://vimeo.com/91150431  

Alcántara Bridge, Spain (Dantla from de.wikipedia)

The post STEM Tuesday– Bridges and Skyscrapers– Writing Tips & Resources appeared first on From The Mixed Up Files.

I’ve included some of my favorites, both old and new. These are books that have made me laugh and cry ( I’m looking at you, The Ghost Rules) sent shivers down my spine, and kept me turning pages long past my bedtime.

I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.  Don’t forget to leave the light on . . . You never know what’s lurking in the shadows. 

The Ghost Rules by Adam Rosenbaum 

Twelve-year-old Elwood McGee never asked to have “ghost-sight,” and it involves a lot more drool-dodging than he expected. Ghosts are the WORST—and they’re all over the place in this sharp-witted middle grade debut novel.

Did you know that ghosts love coffee? They’re not trying to be scary. They’re just deprived of an appropriate amount of caffeine! They also bump into things by accident, are occasionally nosy, and get a little nervous when they’re seen by the living.

Elwood McGee knows these ghost facts because he’s one of those rare people with the gift of ghost-sight. And it turns out ghosts are everywhere! Especially in the small Tennessee town where Elwood and his family had to move following the death of his big brother Noah, which Elwood thinks was his fault.

Once Elwood figures out he can see ghosts, he becomes single-mindedly determined to use his powers to see Noah and talk to him once last time. With the help of two girls who live on his street, Elwood embarks on a journey through the surprisingly funny world of ghosts and faces the realities of letting go.

The Inn Between by Marina Cohen

The Inn Between by Marina Cohen is a deliciously creepy horror story for middle-grade readers that is as smart as it is full of heart.

11-year old Quinn has had some bad experiences lately. She was caught cheating in school, and then one day, her little sister Emma disappeared while walking home from school. She never returned.

When Quinn’s best friend Kara has to move away, she goes on one last trip with Kara and her family. They stop over at the first hotel they see, a Victorian inn that instantly gives Quinn the creeps, and she begins to notice strange things happening around them. When Kara’s parents, and then brother disappear without a trace, the girls are stranded in a hotel full of strange guests, hallways that twist back in on themselves, and a particularly nasty surprise lucking beneath the floorboards. Will the girls be able to solve the mystery of what happened to Kara’s family before it’s too late?

Midnight at The Barclay Hotel by Fleur Bradley

Hunting ghosts and solving the case before checkout? All in a weekend’s work.

When JJ Jacobson convinced his mom to accept a surprise invitation to an all-expenses-paid weekend getaway at the illustrious Barclay Hotel, he never imagined that he’d find himself in the midst of a murder mystery. He thought he was in for a run-of-the-mill weekend ghost hunting at the most haunted spot in town, but when he arrives at the Barclay Hotel and his mother is blamed for the hotel owner’s death, he realizes his weekend is going to be anything but ordinary.

Now, with the help of his new friends, Penny and Emma, JJ has to track down a killer, clear his mother’s name, and maybe even meet a ghost or two along the way.

The Polter-Ghost Problem by Betsy Uhrig

One haunted orphanage + two types of ghosts + three freaked-out friends = plenty of trouble.

Best friends Aldo, Pen, and Jasper are braced for a boring summer. And equally dull summer journal writing assignments. That is, until they see a slightly transparent boy with a bad haircut appear by the soccer field and then disappear into the woods beyond. The boys follow him and discover the long-abandoned Grauche Orphanage for Orphans, a house in the woods that is most definitely haunted.

But the ghosts are not the problem. They have been trapped at the orphanage by a cranky poltergeist who erupts into violent tantrums if they put even a spectral toe across the property line. The ghosts ask the boys to help free them—but who is the angry poltergeist and what does it want? To solve the mystery, the trio must investigate the orphanage’s dark past, evade Aldo’s ghastly older brother, borrow a skeptical librarian, and duck lots of flying furniture, all while failing to agree on almost anything. Can they defeat the evil entity and rescue the ghosts before their parents catch on and ground them for eternity?

The Haunting of Walker Pond by Nancy Tandon  

Frankie Wilkins waits all year for her favorite thing—summers in coastal Maine. This time, she and her best friend, Parker, are Leaders-in-Training at Camp Asticou on nearby Walker Pond. For Frankie, it’s not just about proving her skills but also the hope that a successful LIT run will convince her dad and stepmom to stay in the area, rather than move them all to Long Island.

During their first night there, the LITs learn about a local legend called The Bride of Rippowam. A young woman named Eugenie fell in love with a sailor, but after a tragic accident, she and her fiancé, Raleigh, both drowned. And weird happenings have occurred at the camp ever since, with incidents increasing in recent years.

After suffering a tragic loss, eleven-year-old Ollie who only finds solace in books discovers a chilling ghost story about a girl named Beth, the two brothers who loved her, and a peculiar deal made with “the smiling man”—a sinister specter who grants your most tightly held wish, but only for the ultimate price.

Captivated by the tale, Ollie begins to wonder if the smiling man might be real when she stumbles upon the graves of the very people she’s been reading about on a school trip to a nearby farm. Then, later, when her school bus breaks down on the ride home, the strange bus driver tells Ollie and her classmates: “Best get moving. At nightfall they’ll come for the rest of you.” Nightfall is, indeed, fast descending when Ollie’s previously broken digital wristwatch begins a startling countdown and delivers a terrifying message: RUN.

I Text Dead People by Rose Cooper

You can’t block the dead! The first novel in the Dead Serious series, in which a middle school girl bridges the gap between the living and the dead with her phone.

Annabel Craven hopes she’ll fit in—maybe even be popular—at the Academy. She’s worried she’ll stay friendless and phoneless (it’s true). But when she finds a mysterious phone in the woods near the cemetery, one of her problems is solved . . . and another one is just beginning.

Someone won’t stop texting her. And that someone seems . . . dead. How is Annabel supposed to make friends when her phone keeps blowing up with messages from the afterlife? And what will happen if she doesn’t text back?

Includes morbidly-cute black-and-white illustrations!

The Haunting of Aveline Jones by Phil Hickes

Aveline Jones loves reading ghost stories, so a dreary half-term becomes much more exciting when she discovers a spooky old book. Not only are the stories spine-tingling, but it once belonged to Primrose Penberthy, who vanished mysteriously, never to be seen again. Intrigued, Aveline decides to investigate Primrose’s disappearance.
Now someone… or something, is stirring. And it is looking for Aveline.

Grandpere’s Ghost Swamp by Rachel M. Marsh 

Basil Theriot has spent her entire life in New Orleans—in her family’s famed Cajun restaurant in the French Quarter, really—but she’s never been out to the bayou where her grandfather grew up. She’s also never seen a ghost, even though dozens of ghost tours pass by the restaurant every day and her best friend Tommy is determined to be a ghost hunter.

But then Grandpere’s ghost appears. And he has a mission for her.

Basil wouldn’t mind being haunted if Grandpere could be helpful and share his secret recipe that might save the restaurant. But instead, he’s intent on connecting Basil with her Cajun heritage. He sends her out to the bayou to meet his friends: an airboat captain, a shrimper, and a scientist rebuilding Louisiana’s fast-disappearing coastline.

For fans of Gracie Under the Waves and A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hall, Grandpere’s Ghost Swamp has a little bit of everything: a pinch of spookiness, a dash of environmental activism, and a heaping of family.

Ghost Scout’s Honor by Carey Blankenship-Kramer

The Ghost Scouts were created to keep the ghosts of Savannah in line. It’s an honor to serve.

Evey’s never wanted anything to do with ghosts, but after best friend, Laura, dumps her for no reason, Evey wants revenge. To take the student of the year award from her ex-bestie, she’ll have to join the Ghost Scouts. She’ll be the best Ghost Scout Savannah has ever seen.

Only this year the ghosts seem different. They are angrier than usual, and they seem to be growing in power. No problem, Evey can get to the bottom of why and send all the ghosts back to their cages.

But what she uncovers makes her angry too. What if the ghosts don’t deserve to be caged? What if they have every right to be furious?

I hope you’ve discovered a few new spooky reads to add to your summer TBR pile. And if you enjoy a book, please tell a friend about it. Word of mouth is one of the most powerful ways to support authors and help great stories find new readers.

May your summer be filled with just the right amount of chills and thrills. 

Happy reading!

The post Spooky Summer Reads to Keep You Up Past Bedtime appeared first on From The Mixed Up Files.