Set in 1999, Chandni’s life is going great; her parents are successful doctors, she has a great group of friends, and she’s on track to get a place at India’s top girls’ boarding school. But when Chandni learns a terrible secret, she realises that her family and her life might not be so perfect—and that getting everything she wants might mean hurting the people she loves the most.

B. B. Alston’s Amari series is a favourite of mine. Following the adventures of magician Amari in her role as a junior agent for the Bureau of Supernatural Investigations, this latest installment sees a battle-weary Amari pulled back into the magical world when a strange illness begins turning people into machines. Amari and the Metalwork Menace opens up new spaces in a brilliantly-drawn magical world, and pushes our brave heroine to her limits.

Middle grade mystery is currently going through a golden age, and what better combination than mystery and chocolate? In Death by Chocolate, young detective Coco must team up with the ghost of a murdered chocolatier, who promises to help Coco save her parents’ hotel—as long as she solves his murder. With plenty of laughs, action, and a little bit of spookiness, Death by Chocolate is a great new beginning to an intriguing murder mystery series.

Second in the Dream Hunters series, The Night Curse continues Mimi’s adventures in the Citadel of Dreams. The citadel’s peace is disturbed by the Night Curse, which makes dream creatures turn on their owners and trap them in nightmares that they can’t wake up from. Friends Mimi and Rafi must leave the citadel and face down danger to find a cure.

Jordan Ifueko’s middle grade debut, The Genie Game, is a dystopian fantasy that strikes a chord for the present day. Valentine is a young teenager searching for her missing sister, who is drawn into a world of genies and evil corporations. To find her sister, Valentine becomes a GENIE—part of the General Employee Network of Immortal Engineers—and competes in a tournament run by the sinister Trio Trust.

One of my goals for the year has been to read more middle grade, and Miller’s latest was not only a delight, it really set a high bar for what great middle grade literature is. Luna loves being quiet—and book lovers will absolutely relate to her desire to recommend books whenever she can!—but when one of the zines she makes with her best friend takes off and she’s suddenly surrounded by popular kids, she finds herself torn between engaging with a new crowd or sticking with her tried-and-true bestie. It’s a story about self-confidence and friendship that will resonate across generations. —Kelly Jensen

Maia Kobabe (Gender Queer) makes eir’s middle grade debut with this wonderful graphic novel cowritten/illustrated with Lucky Srikumar. It grapples with gender identity, first periods, crushes, and that in-between feeling so common for middle graders. Indian American tween Saachi’s fellow seventh-graders are obsessed with dating, but the changes that come with puberty and middle school make Saachi anxious. She’d like to opt out of the mess, please! Few middle grade novels address puberty through a nonbinary lens. In a time when LGBTQ+ books are disappearing from kidlit, it’s a much-needed perspective into a difficult time for many kids. —Margaret Kingsbury

Denny and Runa have been imagining a fantasy world called Sorrowfield for years. Now, Runa wants to be a popular girl instead of writing about it. But Denny doesn’t want things to change, especially not during her mom’s alcoholism relapse. On her 12th birthday, Denny switches places with Princess Auden of Sorrowfield. Denny has to figure out how to banish the dragons from her new land. And Princess Auden must adjust to the modern world and uncover some big truths Denny has been hiding. This book uses metaphor to weave big real world problems with a riveting fantasy story. Middle grade at its best! —Alison Doherty

A heart-tugging read for animal lovers, The Shadow Pony follows Evan, a young boy who loves his dog and his grandad. Evan’s family is splitting up, and he’s finding it difficult to cope. When Evan visits the coal mine where his grandfather used to work on a school trip, Grandad refuses to talk about what happened there, driving a wedge between the two of them. To heal their rift, Evan is determined to learn about the mine, and particularly about the pit ponies that used to work there.

Roman’s family has always had some strange stories—like that of the Toe Beast, Roman’s grandpa’s explanation for why he is missing one toe. After his grandfather’s death, Roman helps his family clear out the old house, and finds some strange objects that seem like they might have an even stranger explanation. In this twisty tale, we learn secrets along with Roman, and dive into a story that asks us: how well do we know our families?