Sponsored by the 2k22 Debuts: 22 YA & MG books releasing in 2022.
Check out the Winter and Spring Releases: The Bone Spindle, a YA Sleeping Beauty-inspired retelling; The Witch, The Sword and The Cursed Knight, a King Arthur-inspired MG fantasy; The Turning Point, an emotional dance-infused YA set in the 80s; Drew Leclair Gets a Clue, a modern Harriet the Spy MG mystery; A Magic Steeped in Poison, a YA fantasy inspired by Chinese mythology; Remember Me Gone, a keeps-you-guessing YA speculative thriller; Hotel Magnifique, a decadent, darkly enchanting YA fantasy; Grow Up, Tahlia Wilkins! a fun MG romp about growing up.
Dear Kid Lit Friends,
Yesterday in New York City we experienced some nice twenty degree weather, which my dog Lalo happens to love. (Me, not so much. I grew up in southern California, so Northeast winters never cease to shock me!) One thing I do love about winters, though, is that they give me an excuse to drink lots of tea and curl up under a thick blanket to read. I’ve spent some time with new middle grade books lately, and here are some of my top picks for the beginning of the year.
Operation Sisterhood by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich
This delightful book is truly a love letter to Harlem, New York City. I loved this story of a combined, modern family. When Bo and her mom move in with her mom’s boyfriend and their (big!) family and (lots of!) pets, Bo isn’t sure there’s room for her anymore. Can Bo find where she belongs in this new family?
Sofia Acosta Makes a Scene by Emma Otheguy (January 25, 2022, Knopf)
Sofía Acosta loves to dream up costumes. She takes comfort in her talent because unlike her parents, who danced under prima ballerina Alicia Alonso before immigrating to the suburbs of New York, Sofía is NOT a dancer. When the Acostas host their dancer friends from Cuba for a special performance with the American Ballet Theatre, Sofía finds out about the dancers’ secret plans to defect to the United States. When Sofía makes a serious mistake confiding this information to her best friend, it threatens to ruin everything. Can Sofía find the courage to make a scene and take a stand?
Shirley and Jamila’s Big Fall by Gillian Goerz
This is the second book in a series (if you haven’t already read it, check out Shirley and Jamila Save Their Summer!), and the art is gorgeous! In this new book, Jamila gets back into the swing of school rhythms while Shirley has a new mystery on her mind. Her archenemy Chuck is blackmailing kids all over school, and Shirley knows that she and Jamila can put a stop to it… which may involve breaking into Chuck’s house…
When Winter Robeson Came by Brenda Woods
This wonderful book is set during the summer of 1965 when Eden’s cousin from Mississippi comes to visit her in L.A., just as the Watts Riots erupt. But Winter is not just visiting to hang out, he wants to figure out what happened to his dad who disappeared ten years earlier from the Watts area of L.A. Their investigations lead them all over the city while also opening up a whole new understanding of their world.
Tiger Honor by Yoon Lee
This companion book to Dragon Pearl is another space opera inspired by Korean mythology, told from the point of view of a nonbinary tiger spirit. This middle grade fantasy, published by Rick Riordan’s imprint, follows Sebin, a young tiger spirit from the Juhwang Clan, who wants nothing more than to join the Thousand World Space Forces. But when he finds out that his uncle has been accused of treason, Sebin must clear his uncle’s name and restore order to his family.
Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!
What are you reading these days? Let me know! Find me on Twitter at @KarinaYanGlaser, on Instagram at @KarinaIsReadingAndWriting, or email me at KarinaBookRiot@gmail.com.
Until next time!
Karina
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