Happy Summer!
We here at YA Books Central are looking to help you keep cool, we’ve teamed up with wonderful publishers to organize a great giveaway to make it happen!
Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August. – Jenny Han
Title: The Doomsday Archives: The Heart-Stealer Mask
Author: Zack Loran Clark and Nick Eliopulos
Publisher: Zando Young Readers
Release Date: 9/24/2024
The next installment in The Doomsday Archives introduces an alluring new occult relic and a sinister new foe―a masked monster that lures victims with visions of their hearts’ desires.
Unlike her friends Emrys and Serena, Hazel is struggling to adjust to magic and to their new roles as the secret protectors of New Rotterdam. She’s already worried about her mom, who works endless shifts at the hospital to make ends meet, and now she also has to worry about defending their entire town from supernatural forces. If only Hazel could figure out how to use her relic, the Magnus Crown, which has the power to transform matter, including turning lead into gold . . . gold that would certainly help ease her family’s financial issues.
But before Hazel can crack the Crown’s secrets, the trio discover a chilling new monster is hunting in New Rotterdam, luring its victims with visions of what they desire most. To Hazel’s horror, the monster seems to know exactly what’s in her heart and how to reel her in . . .
With eerie black-and-white illustrations by Julian Callos and chilling Wiki excerpts, The Heart-Stealer Mask continues the deliciously creepy Doomsday Archives series by Zack Loran Clark and Nick Eliopulos.
Title: Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
Author: Patrick Ness
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Release Date: September 3, 2024
From the best-selling author of A Monster Calls, this funny, wise middle-grade series explodesevery stereotype—including what it means to be a hero—in a brilliant reptilian take on surviving school.
When Principal Wombat makes monitor lizards Zeke, Daniel, and Alicia hall monitors, Zeke gives up on popularity at his new school. Brought in as part of a district blending program, the monitor lizards were mostly ignored before. Reptiles aren’t bullied any more than other students, but they do stick out among zebras, ostriches, and elk. Why would Principal Wombat make them hall monitors? Alicia explains that it’s because mammals are afraid of being yelled (hissed) at by reptiles. The principal’s just a good general, deploying her resources. Zeke balks, until he gets on the wrong side of Pelicarnassus. More than a bully, the pelican is a famed international supervillain—at least when his mother isn’t looking. Maybe the halls are a war zone, and the school needs a hero. Too bad it isn’t . . . Zeke. Smart, relatable, and densely illustrated in black and white for graphic appeal, this middle-grade series debut by a revered author returns to his themes of grief, bullying, and negotiating differences—but with zeal and comic relief to spare.
Title: The Door
Author: Jan Fields
Publisher: Jolly Fish Press
Release Date: August 1, 2024
Thirteen-year-old Tom Goodwin is not happy about moving hundreds of miles away from his best friend, thanks to his dad’s new job. His new classmates think his Boston accent is weird, his new school is seriously old, and his new friends—just kidding. He has no new friends here. But at least he’s not as weird as Lata Seth, a fellow eighth grader who skips class to stare at an empty wall of the school hallway in the belief that a door will randomly appear there. Sure, she’s sad because her sister died, and her comments about wanting to disappear through the door are a bit alarming. But the door doesn’t exist, Tom tells himself, so he doesn’t need to worry about her.
Then, to Tom’s shock, the door appears, and as he tries to keep Lata from going in, he is pushed through as well. On the other side, they find themselves in the exact same school hallway . . . except in this world, they don’t exist. These unlikely allies will have to work together to return to their homes and the people who love them.
Characterized by exciting, fast-paced plots and age-appropriate themes, Harbor’s Hi-Lo books are both engaging and easy to read. Short chapters, simple sentence structures, and an accessible format make these books perfect for tween reluctant readers. Harbor books are written at a 2nd- to 3rd-grade reading level with an interest level of ages 10 and up.
Title: Lights, Camera, Brains?
Author: Michelle L. Brown
Publisher: Jolly Fish Press
Release Date: August 1, 2024
Twelve-year-old Marty Rucker’s dream of going to space camp lifts off in T minus two months. But when his drama teacher dad loses his job, Marty’s Camp Cosmos money is needed to help pay the bills. It looks like his astronaut dreams will languish on the launchpad until Marty sees an open casting call for a Crunchy Clowns cereal commercial. He auditions, hoping to earn enough cash for his camp fee.
Instead of giving him the commercial gig, the producer taps Marty for the lead role in the musical zombie sitcom, Zeke Street—which would be totally cool if Marty weren’t super squeamish. Now the kid who can’t swallow soggy cereal has to train himself to stomach hand sandwiches without upchucking every take. But Marty has bigger headaches than scrambled brains for breakfast, including an obnoxious stage dad, rabid fans, and a rival actor who sabotages Marty’s scenes. Still, with foreclosure looming and his sights set on the stars, Marty must decide: leave his best friend and move in with his grandparents in another state or find a way to endure being undead, even if it kills him.
Characterized by exciting, fast-paced plots and age-appropriate themes, Harbor’s Hi-Lo books are both engaging and easy to read. Short chapters, simple sentence structures, and an accessible format make these books perfect for tween reluctant readers. Harbor books are written at a 2nd- to 3rd-grade reading level with an interest level of ages 10 and up.
Title: MONSTERIOUS: TRAPPED IN THE HORROR DOME
Author: Matt McMann
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Release Date: 8/6/24
Title: THE NIGHT LIBRARIAN
Author: Christopher Lincoln
Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers
Release Date: 7/30/2024
Night at the Museum meets the Land of Stories in this thrilling new graphic novel adventure series in which two siblings, a mysterious Night Librarian, and a motley cast of book characters try to save the New York Public Library
Twins Page and Turner know about the magic a library holds—they’ve been going to their beloved New York City public library for years, especially since their parents are always traveling for work.
But a secret mission involving their dad’s rare and valuable edition of Bram Stoker’s Dracula uncovers a world they’ve never known, featuring a mysterious Night Librarian, famous heroes (and villains) that have broken free from classic books, and an epic battle to save the library from total destruction.
Title: Hannah Edwards Secrets of Riverway
Author: Ashley Hards
Publisher: Fabled Films Press
Release Date: September 10, 2024
Hannah Edwards has a lot on her mind.
For starters, her father—the Canola King—has been missing for months. And no one—not her distracted mother, her meddlesome guidance counselor, or her evil Uncle Fergus—seems to care. Luckily, she has her secret journal to keep her focused and her best friend Sam Castillo for support in solving the case.
So when Sam tells Hannah he thinks he saw her father’s ghost down at the old Riverway Mill, Hannah decides to take matters into her own hands. She soon learns that Uncle Fergus has a plan to steal the family farm, drain the river, and find a hidden treasure.
On the edge of going from being a GOOD KID to a BAD KID, Hannah stops pretending to pay attention to her endlessly boring classes. With Sam, her secret journal, and eventually a whole lot of Riverway frogs, Hannah sets out to solve the mystery of her father’s disappearance.
Hannah Edwards is a heartfelt story of a young neurodiverse girl with a whole lot of determination to do the right thing.
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Title: Ben Yokoyama and the Cookie War
Author: Matthew Swanson
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Release Date: Aug 06, 2024
Title: ESCAPE FROM THE DUNGEONS OF SNERBVILLE
Author: Patrick Carman
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Release Date: September 24, 2024
Escape from the Dungeons of Snerbville is the third installment in the quirky, creepy, hilarious Bonkers series from #1 New York Times bestselling author Patrick Carman.
Barker Mifflin is back!
Sort of. He fell into a hole—or more accurately, he rode a forty-foot chicken down into the depths of Snerbville.
Will he be lost there forever, or will he finally solve the mystery behind Colossal Chemistry?
With the help of his new pal, Tilda Huxley—who happens to be the size of a Barbie Doll, thanks to scientific experiments gone wrong—he might just have a shot at finding out the real reason everyone in his hometown is so tight-lipped about its secrets. But first he has to avoid getting shrunk himself, or worse, getting discovered by certain fuzzy creatures with a ferocious appetite for garbage … or the next best thing.
The Invisible Man has a problem. His dog, Spot, is missing. Complicating matters, Spot is also invisible. So the Invisible Man turns to Nancy Spector for help. Nancy eagerly takes the case, and she and her grumpy best friend, a (visible) dog named Jinx, dive into the investigation.
As they follow Spot’s trail, they find themselves:
- Riding dragons
- Searching the monster diner—because all dogs like hot dogs
- Fleeing from vicious chipmunk unicorns
- Shopping in a store that is a gelatinous candy cube named Bob
- And paying a visit to Nancy’s vampire friend Eugene’s hamster’s funeral
Every time they think Spot is right around the corner, things get more and more confusing, but Nancy knows that to a great detective, there is no such thing as a bad clue. And Nancy knows she’s a great detective. Now she just needs to crack the case. . .
A powerful story about family, fútbol, and playing like a girl, perfect for fans of Front Desk, The Academy, and, Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret from the award-winning author of Furia.
At thirteen years old, Valeria “Magic” Salomón is already the best soccer player her town has ever seen. She has talent in spades and an abuelo whose tough-love coaching and lessons about “strength and honor” have made her the star of the Overlords, the top boys’ team in the state.
But everything changes at the State Cup semi-final when Valeria gets her first period while Wearing. White. Shorts. After her team is unexpectedly eliminated, she goes from their secret weapon to their scapegoat. Soon, she doesn’t have a team at all anymore. She’s not sure she has a relationship with her grandfather either.
Valeria’s a fighter, however. And with the help of her grandmother and support of her cheerleader BFF, she finds herself on a girls’ team for the first time. But the Amazons aren’t exactly excited to have her there. After all, Valeria’s spent years ignoring their existence. With the next tournament looming on the horizon, Valeria has a month to figure out her place on her new team and learn how to play like a girl.
The award-winning author of Furia returns to the world of “the beautiful game” in this uplifting, heartfelt novel about family, self-confidence, and the power of second chances.
Calling all sleuths! The Case of the Dumpleton Diamond is the first title in the new Cluedle series of interactive mystery books for young readers.
Dave the dog has been pup-napped, and in a village like Dumpleton, everyone’s a suspect! Do you have what it takes to sniff out clues? Or will you end up barking up the wrong tree?
The reader, under the watchful eye of Private Investigator Hartigan Browne, must tackle 50 brain-busting puzzles, each holding a clue to solving the larger mystery. Who pup-napped Dave the dog? What is so important about The Flying Goat? How did the Dumpleton Diamond go missing? And where is it now? Packed full of codes to crack, evidence to evaluate, clues to unravel, and maps to navigate, Cluedle is chockful of puzzling fun!
Dinosaurs to Chickens: How Evolution Works showcases over 125 animals in 30 charts that feature most astonishing evolutions in Earth’s history! Track the evolution of traits from the Tyrannosaurus Rex’s to the chicken, the first insect to the monarch butterfly, the giant sloth to the armadillo and many more. With full-color illustrations throughout, plus a gatefold showing how species connect and evolve via the “Tree of Life”, this book makes the science of evolution an exciting and accessible topic for young readers, and will capture the fascination of kids who already love science, dinosaurs and fossils.
Within these pages, readers will learn what a freak out is (and isn’t), discover why people flip out when they’re stressed, practice keeping cool in the most chaotic moments, and choose one of many strategies for calming down when things are totally overwhelming.
Along the way, there are:
• Quizzes! What’s your freak out style?
• Truth Bombs! You don’t have to be perfect.
• Freak Out Facts! There are more nerve cells in your body than there are stars in the Milky Way.
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER: You can—and will—have big, intense, unpleasant feelings. The trick is knowing how to manage them.
Uniquely designed to meet readers ages 10 and up, this book is filled with techniques, tools and most importantly, understanding, to guide readers through all the twists and turns on the roller coaster called LIFE.
This powerful and compassionate book follows a family’s journey through the turbulence of parental addiction—and the moments of connection and healing that break through the dark days.
Reese is a seventh-grader in rural North Carolina who loves drawing, basketball, his hardworking mom, and his charming, charismatic dad. But then one day, he comes home to his worst nightmare – his dad on the floor, lips turning blue, overdosed. Again. Reese calls 911 and gets his dad out of danger, and he expects to go on as before. But for his mom, this is the breaking point, and she declares that she and Reese are leaving until Reese’s dad gets real help with his addiction. They move to a rundown trailer outside of town, where Reese is furious with his mom, scared for his dad, and terrified his friends will find out.
Then he meets Meg and Charlie, who have likewise been stranded by circumstances beyond their control. As the trio explores the blackwater river that runs nearby, Reese discovers new beauty and joy in nature and these fresh connections. His dad is also doing better, holding things together, and talking to his mom again. But how long can the good times last? And what will Reese do if — when — they end?
In the United States today, an estimated one in eight kids live with a parent with a substance-abuse problem. Written with bracing honesty, deep sympathy, and tenderness for all its characters, Breaking into Sunlight offers readers a powerful affirmation that no one is alone.
*GIVEAWAY DETAILS*
One winner will receive a copy of each title from the Summer Buzzworthy Book Giveaway 2024 (MG)! ~US ONLY
*Click the Rafflecopter link below to enter the giveaway*
