1. The Princess in Black and the Mysterious Playdate by Shannon Hale

Princess Magnolia and Princess Sneezewort have plans . . . mysterious plans, like a princess playdate! They dress-up slam! They karaoke jam! They playhouse romp and snack-time stomp! But then a shout from outside Princess Sneezewort’s castle interrupts their fun. It’s a monster trying to eat someone’s kitty! This is a job for the Princess in Black. Yet when the Princess in Black gets there, she finds only a masked stranger and no monster in sight . . . or is there? Action and humor abound in this ode to friendship that proves that when shape-shifting monsters intrude on your plans, two heroes are better than one.

book 5 in The Princess in Black series

2. The Stormy Road to Canterlot by Sadie Chesterfield

While Princess Twilight Sparkle is busy with preparations for Equestria’s first ever Friendship Festival, a foreign power is planning its attack. The Storm King has sent his most trusted lieutenant, Tempest Shadow-a Unicorn with a broken horn-to scout her former home. But Tempest wasn’t always eager to do a villain’s bidding …

book 1 in the Beyond Equestria series

3. Dog Man and Cat Kid by Dav Pilkey

Hot diggity dog! Dog Man, the newest hero from Dav Pilkey, the creator of Captain Underpants, is back — and this time he’s not alone. The heroic hound with a real nose for justice now has a furry feline sidekick, and together they have a mystery to sniff out! When a new kitty sitter arrives and a glamorous movie starlet goes missing, it’s up to Dog Man and Cat Kid to save the day! Will these heroes stay hot on the trail, or will Petey, the World’s Most Evil Cat, send them barking up the wrong tree?

book 4 in the Dog Man series

4. The Land of Flowers by Thea Stilton

Join Thea Stilton and the Thea Sisters as they travel to help a new magical land! The mice encounter fairies and other strange and fantastical creatures as they work together to solve a mystery to save the realm from peril. It’s a fabumouse adventure!

book 6 in the Thea Stilton Special Editions series

5. The Force Oversleeps by Jarrett Krosoczka

Victor Starspeeder is back at Jedi Academy for year two, but it’s not going the way he’d planned. He was thrilled about Drama Club and hoped to get the lead in this year’s musical… But a new kid got the role! What gives?! Plus, he keeps oversleeping and getting to class late . . . Worst of all, his big sister Christina is getting ready to graduate from Jedi Academy, and there are rumors going around that she’s a Sith! What’s a Padawan to do? In times when he feels more alone than ever, Victor will have to trust the ways of the Force and his friends if he’s going to survive year two in this all-new chapter in the Jedi Academy series.

book 5 in the Jedi Academy series

6. A Tale of Two Kitties by Dav Pilkey

He was the best of dogs… He was the worst of dogs… It was the age of invention… It was the season of surprise… It was the eve of supa sadness… It was the dawn of hope… Dog Man, the newest hero from the creator of Captain Underpants, hasn’t always been a paws-itive addition to the police force. While he can muzzle miscreants, he tends to leave a slick of slobber in his wake! This time, Petey the cat’s dragged in a tiny bit of trouble — a double in the form of a super-cute kitten. Dog Man will have to work twice as hard to bust these furballs and remain top dog!

book 3 in the Dog Man series

7. Super Narwhal and Jelly Jolt by Ben Clanton

Happy-go-lucky Narwhal and no-nonsense Jelly find their inner superheroes in three new under-the-sea adventures. In the first story, Narwhal reveals his superhero alter-ego and enlists Jelly to help him figure out what his superpower is. Next, Narwhal uses his superpower to help a friend find his way back home. In the third story, Jelly is feeling blue and Narwhal comes to the rescue. Ben Clanton showcases the joys of friendship and the power of believing in yourself and others through this irresistible duo.

book 1 in the A Narwhal and Jelly book series

8. The Forbidden Power by Max Brallier

An all-new, original series from the mind of Galactic Hot Dogs and The Last Kids on Earth author Max Brallier! Life is tough for Fletcher Bowman. He’s an orphan from the countryside who’s just arrived at the prestigious NEXO KNIGHTS Academy, where he doesn’t know anyone or anything about being a knight. Lucky for Fletcher he quickly makes one friend – the excitable Izzy Richmond. But when Fletcher and Izzy venture off-campus, they awaken a long-sleeping threat to Knighton that threatens to destroy the kingdom. They’ll have to work together to defeat the threat -and avoid their principal’s wrath- in the start of an action-packed, epic middle grade series that will delight both seasoned fans and readers new to the world of LEGO(R) NEXO KNIGHTS(TM).

book 1 in the LEGO Nexo Knights: Knights Academy series

9. Lost in Time by Geronimo Stilton

I couldn’t believe it. I, Geronimo Stilton, had to travel back in time to save a friend! Professor Paws von Volt needed my help. He had traveled to the past alone to prove that an artifact in the Egyptian Mouseum was genuine — and now he was lost in time!

My friends and I boarded the professor’s newest time machine to go find him, and ended up on a crazy trip through history. We met Cleopatra, Genghis Khan, famouse poet Dante, Queen Elizabeth I, and more. It was a fabumouse journey! But could we find the professor and make it back to the present?

book 2 in the Geronimo Stilton: Journey Through Time series

10. The Ship of Secrets by Geronimo Stilton

I, Geronimo Stilton, was called to the Kingdom of Fantasy for the tenth time! A fairy princess had called me there. She needed my help: The most powerful and dangerous wizard in the realm wanted to capture her — and conquer the entire kingdom!

The wizard was hunting for special magical objects to increase his powers — fairy dust to make him fly, the precious gold of the gnomes, the dazzling egg of fire, and more. It was up to me to foil his plans, with the help of magical friends new and old. Could we save the Kingdom of Fantasy?

book 10 in the Geronimo Stilton: Kingdom of Fantasy series

The Stone Cold Age by Jeffery Brown

Neanderthal siblings Lucy and Andy are back to their paleo pranks. This time, they have to put up with more than just each other the cave is feeling awfully cramped since the humans moved in. They re in the Ice Age, and legroom comes at a real premium! 

book 2 in the Lucy & Andy Neanderthal series

Bad Kitty Takes the Test by Nick Bruel

Because of a recent string of embarrassing behavior, Kitty’s cat license has been revoked and she must take a test to get it back so she can still be a cat.

book 11 in the Bad Kitty (Chapter Books) series

Eugenia Lincoln and the Unexpected Package by Kate Dicamillo

Eugenia Lincoln is a practical person with no time for gee-gaws, whoop-de-whoops, or frivolity. When an unexpected package containing an accordion arrives at her house, she is determined to have nothing to do with it. But her plans to sell the accordion, destroy the accordion, and give the accordion away all end in frustration. How can Eugenia stop being tormented by this troublesome package? Might she discover that a bit of unforeseen frivolity could be surprisingly . . . joyous?

book 4 in the Tales from Deckawoo Drive series

Counting Sheep by Jacqueline Kelly

Callie Vee and Travis help animals big and small in this illustrated chapter book series for younger readers.

In this second book in the Calpurnia Tate, Girl Vet series, Callie takes a hands-on approach to animal doctoring. When Callie and Granddaddy go exploring by the river, Callie discovers a leaf covered with spots. Those spots, it turns out, are eggs, and those eggs become butterflies. One of her newly hatched butterflies has a problem, though—its wing is broken. Can Callie find a way to help this butterfly fly?

Mother’s prize sheep, Snow White, is pregnant and about to give birth. With Dr. Pritzker off helping a colicky horse, it falls to Callie to deliver the lamb. Will Callie be able to take the situation in hand?

book 2 in the Calpurnia Tate, Girl Vet series

Who Gives a Hoot? by Jacqueline Kelly

Out in their boat exploring the San Marcos River, Callie and Granddaddy see all kinds of nature–fish, mockingbirds, ammonites, and more. But when Callie spots an owl in the water, she knows it’s in trouble. With quick thinking and quick action, she and Granddaddy bring the bird aboard–but will they be able to save its life?

book 3 in the Calpurnia Tate, Girl Vet series

Abby In Wonderland by Sarah Mlynowski

Down the rabbit hole . . . 

I’m spending the day with my best friends, Frankie and Robin, and — UGH — snobby Penny. I’m not expecting anything magical to happen, until Frankie falls into a mysterious hole behind Penny’s house . . . and we all wind up in the story of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland!

I’ve visited fairy tales before. But in Wonderland, everything is topsy-turvy. There are potions that make you grow, cakes that make you shrink, bossy caterpillars, and a horrible Queen of Hearts who wants to put us on trial.

Now we have to:
– Solve a riddle from the Cheshire cat 
– Attend a wacky tea party with the Mad Hatter
– Become BFFs with Alice
– And find Frankie

. . . Or we’ll be stuck in Wonderland for good!

book 10.5 in the Whatever After series

Nancy Clancy, Late-Breaking News! by Jane O’Connor

Nancy Clancy is working to be the star reporter of the Third Grade Gazette—that’s a fancy word for newspaper. When the latest issue comes out, Nancy and Bree decide the articles just aren’t interesting enough and set out to find some really exciting news to report on. But when Nancy overhears something she shouldn’t and the news gets out, she learns that a good reporter knows when to keep things confidential and may even get some surprising and unexpected news herself.

book 8 in the Nancy Clancy series

Pip Bartlett’s Guide to Unicorn Training by Jackson Pearce

From bestselling authors Maggie Stiefvater and Jackson Pearce comes the second installment in a series bursting with magical creatures, whimsical adventures, and quirky illustrations.

Now that the mystery of the exploding Fuzzles has been solved, it’s up to Pip and Tomas to save their town from another magical troublemaker . . . the Unicorn.

book 2 in the Pip Bartlett series

Giant Trouble by Ursula Vernon

Princess Harriet Hamsterbone doesn’t go looking for trouble. She prefers to think of it as looking for adventure. But when she climbs to the top of an enormous beanstalk and sneaks into the castle at the top, Harriet finds plenty of both. The castle is home to one very poetically challenged giant rabbit with two unusual prisoners a girl who is half harp, half hamster, and an extremely large goose. This calls for a heroic rescue, and Harriet is just the hamster for the job. 

book 4 in the Hamster Princess series

Cats in the City by Tom Watson

While admiring the view of the city from his friend Edith’s apartment, Stick Cat notices that Hazel, the bagel maker, is in danger across the ally, and he devises a plan to rescue her.

book 2 in the Stick Cat series

Two Catch a Thief by Tom Watson

Much to Edith’s delight, she and Stick Cat are enjoying a lazy day at his apartment. But not for long. Soon, strange and threatening sounds come from the ceiling. What could it be? An elephant? Santa?

It’s a man—a masked man! 

Stick Cat suspects the man is up to no good, while Edith only hopes the man has snacks. When treasures are stolen from their homes, Stick Cat must come up with a plan to stop the burglar. There’s a thief on the loose. He is big, determined, and sneaky. Will Stick Cat convince a hungry Edith to help him catch the thief?

book 3 in the Stick Cat series

Stick Dog Craves Candy by Tom Watson

Stick Dog and the gang are on their usual hunt for food, but there is something unusual going on. Little humans are dressed up as creepy witches and spooky ghosts, all carrying big orange buckets!

Their search leads them to something unexpected and delicious and sweet—candy! Once they get a taste, they will stop at nothing to get more. The gang will have to avoid terrifying witches and even escape a creepy haunted house! Will Stick Dog’s smarts, courage, and patience be enough to lead his buddies to the best treats ever?

book 7 the in Stick Dog series