Take Five: New Middle Grade Books in September

As part of our Mind the Middle project focusing on middle grade books, I’m going to try to do weekly Take Five lists, which is to say, five books on a certain theme. 

Here’s a few (well, five, I guess!) new middle grade books that are coming out in September.

 As always, a list of five is only sharing a tiny bit of what’s new this month. Check your local library for other new releases!

These Take Five lists can help you with collection development, displays, reading lists, and more. I have a pretty giant list of potential Take Five themes, but if there’s something you’re desperate for a list for, let me know! All descriptions come from the publishers.

The Queen of Ocean Parkway by Sarvenaz Tash (ISBN-13: 9780593809785 Publisher: Random House Children’s Books Publication date: 09/03/2024, Ages 8-12)

An 11-year-old podcaster-turned-sleuth teams up with the new kid in the building to find their missing neighbor! A captivating adventure perfect for fans of When You Reach Me and Only Murders in the Building.

Eleven-year-old Roya is the superintendent’s kid in her regal Brooklyn apartment building, so she knows pretty much everything there is to know about its residents. An aspiring reporter, she even hosts a secret podcast about the lives of the building’s tenants. It’s a good distraction from the problems in her own life.

But when Katya Petrov, one of her favorite tenants, goes missing, Roya discovers an eerie connection to Grandmother’s Predictions, an antique fortune-telling machine at Coney Island. “Grandmother” has been linked to multiple disappearances in the Petrov family over the last century. Now, with the help of a new friend who’s just moved in, it’s up to Roya to make her own headlines as she searches for Katya and attempts to break the Petrov curse once and for all.

Team Park by Angela Ahn (ISBN-13: 9781774883433 Publisher: Tundra Publication date: 09/10/2024, Ages 9-12)

Evan Park has always faced obstacles in getting his father’s approval, but an actual obstacle race has some surprising results. A new middle-grade novel from the author of the critically acclaimed Peter Lee’s Notes from the Field.

Unlike his dad, Evan Park does not like team sports — no matter how hard he tries. And when an accident causes Evan to break his wrist, he is determined that once he heals, he’ll work on finding his thing. Alone.

Inspired by his athletic physiotherapist, Evan decides to compete in an upcoming Dominator Ninja: Junior Edition competition. It will be part rehab, part fun. If he trains hard enough, he’ll finally have something to put on his empty shelf in the family trophy cabinet. Maybe that would make his dad proud of him for once.

But klutzy Evan strikes again, reinjuring his wrist. There’s no way he can compete in Dominator Ninja now — he can’t even hold chopsticks. When his sister encourages him to look beyond a solo competition, they discover a local family race that is more about the experience than the results. Can Evan shift his perspective to rally the whole family to do this event . . . together?

Exit Nowhere by Juliana Brandt (ISBN-13: 9781665948289 Publisher: Aladdin Publication date: 09/17/2024, Ages 9-13)

Haunted Mansion meets the ultimate escape room in this tense and twisty middle grade horror following four kids who must beat a series of games to make it out of a haunted house.

The creepiest place in Barret Eloise’s small town is the abandoned Raithfield Manor, a decrepit house surrounded by rumors of ghosts and kids going missing. So she certainly never planned on stepping foot inside. But when her history teacher gives her a group project to research a local landmark, the manor is the location her group chooses. Determined to ace the project and fix her awkward first impression on her assigned partners—which include her former friend Helena, smart and confident Wayne, and school basketball star Ridge—Barret Eloise isn’t about to let some tall tales scare her off.

When the kids first enter the house, it seems to be nothing more than an empty building. But when the sun goes down, the doors and windows lock, sealing them inside. Even worse, the room they’re in transforms into an all-too-real game of The Floor is Lava. It doesn’t take long for the group to realize the mansion is a maze of childhood games. Win the game and you keep moving forward, lose and you disappear. And complicating it all is a worrying revelation—they are not alone in the house.

If Barret Eloise wants to make it home, she and her dysfunctional group are going to have to learn to work together quickly.

On a Wing and a Tear by Cynthia Leitich Smith (ISBN-13: 9780062870001 Publisher: HarperCollins Publication date: 09/17/2024, Ages 8-12)

A living legend roosting in the backyard. An unmissable game. A hair-raising mystery. A road trip full of adventure and danger. And all the overlapping circles that connect us throughout Creation.

Melanie “Mel” Roberts and Ray Halfmoon may be from different Indigenous Nations, but the friends have become like siblings since the Robertses moved in with the Halfmoons. And they soon welcome a distinguished guest: Great-grandfather Bat, whose wing is injured, has taken refuge in their old oak tree.

A rematch of the legendary Great Ball Game is coming up, with Bat as the star player. Grampa Charlie Halfmoon offers to drive Bat from Chicago down to the traditional playing field outside Macon, Georgia, and Mel and Ray are determined to help out.

Together, they all set off on a road trip—facing adventure, danger, and a hair-raising mystery—on the way to the historic game.

With loving care and boisterous humor, acclaimed author Cynthia Leitich Smith (Muscogee) tells a modern folklore story about friendship, embracing the unexpected, and all the overlapping circles that connect us throughout Creation. Perfect for fans of Kate DiCamillo, Brian Young, and Elana K. Arnold! 

The Beautiful Game by Yamile Saied Méndez (ISBN-13: 9781643753980 Publisher: Workman Publishing Company Publication date: 09/17/2024, Ages 9-13)

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. 

Filed under: Take 5