Kids & Parents

Four sisters find their summer vacation taking a magical turn when they stumble into the world of some rather unexpected fairies in this “heartwarming” (Kirkus Reviews) and “clever” (The Horn Book, starred review) middle grade story that’s perfect for fans of The Penderwicks.

It all started when Jojo saw a fairy but said she didn’t. After all, fairies aren’t real—and if they were, they wouldn’t look like that! No, Jojo did not see a small, green, muddy…person. Her sisters have no problem believing, though. They beg Jojo to finish the story she started telling long ago, but since the death of their beloved grandmother, Jojo hasn’t felt like talking about magic, even if her sisters still believe.

Instead, the sisters decide to make fairy gardens to entice the new kid across the street to come play. Their plan works, but it also catches the attention of creatures that bear an uncanny resemblance to the bedraggled fairies Jojo invented. Stories can’t come to life, though—can they? Yet the danger is real enough. With the questionable help of a very self-satisfied cat, the sisters and their new friend, Theo, set off on an adventure to save the fairies from a flock of terrifying birds made of bones.

But making everything right again will require a different kind of magic: the magic of sharing stories…and letting go.

Judy Blume meets Barbara Dee in this tender and empowering middle grade novel told in journal entries and poetry about a young writer on the verge of becoming a woman whose summer with her estranged father doesn’t turn out the way she’d hoped.

Twelve-year-old Victoria Reeves is all set for her “First Magnificent Summer with Dad,” even though it’s been more than two years since she last saw him. She’s ready to impress him with her wit, her maturity, and her smarts—at least until he shows up for the long road trip to Ohio with his new family, The Replacements, in tow. 

But that’s not the only unpleasant surprise in store for Victoria. There are some smaller disappointments, like being forced to eat bologna even though it’s her least favorite food in the world. And then there’s having to sleep outside in a tent while The Replacements rest comfortably inside the family RV. But the worst thing Victoria grapples with is when she begins to suspect that part of the reason Dad always treats her as “less than” is for one simple reason: she’s female. 

As Victoria captures every moment of her less than magnificent summer in her journal, she discovers that the odds are stacked against her in the contest-no-one-knows-is-a-contest: Not only does her wit begin to crumble around Dad’s multiple shaming jabs, but she gets her first period. And when Dad does the worst thing yet, she realizes she has a decision to make: will she let a man define her?

From Newbery Honor–winning author Andrea Wang, a new middle grade novel about a Chinese American tween who attends a Boston-based Chinese cultural overnight camp—and the many ways it transforms her.

Phoenny Fang plans to have the best summer ever. She’s returning to Summertime Chinese Culture, Wellness, and Enrichment Experience (SCCWEE for short and “Squee” to campers in the know), and this year she’s a senior camper. That means she; her best friend, Lyrica Chu; and her whole Squad will have the most influence. It almost doesn’t matter that her brother is a CIT (counselor-in-training) and that her mom and auntie are the camp directors. Time spent at Squee is sacred, glorious, and free.

On the day Phoenny arrives, though, she learns that the Squad has been split up, and there’s an influx of new campers this year. Phoenny is determined to be welcoming and to share all the things she loves about camp—who doesn’t love spending hours talking about and engaging in cultural activities? But she quickly learns how out of touch she is with others’ experiences, particularly of the campers who are adoptees. The same things that make her feel connected to her culture and community make some of the other campers feel excluded.

Summer at Squee turns out to be even more transformative than Phoenny could’ve imagined, with new friendships, her first crush, an epic show, and a bigger love for and understanding of her community.

From acclaimed author Camryn Garrett comes a middle-grade mystery with a magical twist, about a girl who goes to live with her aunt in the summer after the loss of her father--and who finds a doorway in Central Park that leads to a magically preserved historical village

Everything is changing, and twelve-year-old Rowan Robinson hates it. She's dreading having to spend her summer in New York City with her Aunt Monica, even though she used to love it. But things are just different after her father passed away. Without him, nothing about her world feels the same.

Things start to get a little better when Rowan brings her dad's old camera to Central Park to take pictures. But as she's snapping photos, she notices a strange mirror-like shape floating in the air. When she gets closer to it, she trips and falls through the portal, and after she lands, she finds herself in a different world: Seneca Village, where Black people with magical abilities seem to live in the past, in a time without phones or electricity. At first, Rowan thinks it must be a dream, but the more time she spends in the village with her new friend Lily, the more she wants it to be real.

But outsiders aren't even supposed to be able to find Seneca. Rowan and Lily aren't sure how Rowan was able to see the portal, but they suspect it might have something to do with the girl who normally guards the portal having gone missing. As Rowan and Lily search for clues to help find the missing girl and uncover the truth of the portal's magic, Rowan begins to realize what secrets this village might be hiding, and how the events of the past still linger in the present day.

Filled with sparkling magic, honest explorations of grief, and moving depictions of a new friendship, The Forgotten Summer of Seneca asks us to remember a history that's often overlooked--and imagine a future where we're brave enough to embrace change.

Oregon Book Award-winning author Waka T. Brown hits a home run in this middle grade novel about a baseball-obsessed twelve-year-old who moves to Oregon to help his grandfather--an elusive old man with a shrouded past--but ends up learning unexpected truths about his family and how they mysteriously parallel the Japanese folktale of Urashima Taro.

Rick Kotani is looking forward to spending the entire summer playing baseball. Sure, his team never wins, but he's been practicing a special pitch he knows is going to land him a 400-million-dollar major-league contract . . . someday. That all changes when his mother throws a curveball of her own: Instead of playing ball in California, Rick will be heading to Oregon to help keep an eye on Grandpa Hiroshi while they move him to a retirement home. Trading no-hitters to be a babysitter Rick is beyond bummed.

But once there, Rick discovers Grandpa is actually pretty cool, and the two bond over a Japanese folktale about a fisherman, Urashima Taro, who trades his life on earth for the riches of an underwater kingdom. And like the fisherman, Rick soon forgets about his team back home when he joins a supercompetitive local league that only cares about being the best--at any cost.

As the team racks up the wins and Grandpa makes his final move, Rick must decide which ending he wants for his story: Will he fall in line with his ruthless teammates and their victory-obsessed coach in his own "underwater kingdom," or will family, true friendship, and integrity lead him back to shore

Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew need to discover who’s tricking their taste buds!

Nancy, Bess, and George are excited to be spending some of their summer at Kid Kuisine, a cooking camp where they are going to learn how to make delicious treats from Chef Giorgio. At the end of the camp, they will be cooking for their families—and someone will win Best Chef!

But after a few days, it’s clear that one of their fellow campers is not as excited as they are. From salty brownies to super-spicy pizza, things are not as yummy as they should be: Someone is sabotaging the food. Could it be the stuck-up Jeremy, who is intent on winning Best Chef? Or the chef’s assistant, who might have hidden motives of her own? It’s up to the Clue Crew to figure out who’s ruining the recipes—and everyone’s appetite!

Something's fishy...Leo can't wait to go to summer camp with his best friend, Chad. It's his best chance to finally solve a decades-old zombie mystery, but things start to get weird as the boys help clean up slimy Lake Moan. The Zombie Zappers are in for a skin-crawling surprise. And Leo's half-zombie friend might be the only one who knows what's really going on.

From New York Times bestselling author-illustrator Kayla Miller comes a graphic novel about venturing off to summer camp for the first time and stepping out of one's comfort zone, navigating new experiences, and the satisfaction of blazing your own trails.

Olive and Willow are happy campers!

Or are they?

Olive is sure she'll have the best time at summer camp with her friend Willow - but while Olive makes quick friends with the other campers, Willow struggles to form connections and latches on to the only person she knows - Olive. It's s'more than Olive can handle! The stress of being Willow's living security blanket begins to wear on Olive and before long...the girls aren't just fighting, they may not even be friends by the time camp is over. Will the two be able to patch things up before the final lights out?

The New York Times bestselling author-illustrator Kayla Miller has created an emotional and honest story about navigating new experiences, learning to step outside one's comfort zone, and the satisfaction of blazing your own trails.

Read more about Olive & friends in the World of Click books!

Click Graphic Novels:

Click

Act

Camp

Clash

Crunch

Break

Stuck

Besties Graphic Novels:

Besties: Work it Out

Besties: Find Their Groove

Besties: Prank War

"Just the right amount of chills for tweens who enjoy supernatural suspense." — KIRKUS

Perfect for fans of Lumberjanes and Brain Camp, there’s more than mosquitos at Camp Whatever and Willow will need to face truths about herself and her family as summer camp dread goes head to head with the supernatural.

Eleven year-old Willow doesn't want to go to her dad's weird old summer camp any more than she wants her family to move to the weird old town where that camp is located. But her family—and fate itself—seem to have plans of their own. Soon Willow finds herself neck-deep in a confounding mystery involving stolen snacks, suspected vampires, and missing campers, all shrouded in the sinister fog that hides a generation of secrets at Camp ... Whatever it's called.

Princess Evie is crazy about her ponies. But Princess Evie's ponies aren't like any other ponies - oh no! Her ponies are magic ponies and, whenever Princess Evie rides them, she is whisked away on a magical adventure in a faraway land . . . 

In this sixth book in the series, Princess Evie and Sparkles, the kitten, are whisked away on the back of Indigo the Rainbow Pony to the rainbow's end. There they help to put colour back into a dreary, grey garden - with the help of a few friends, of course!