Our Gracie Aunt, written by Jacqueline Woodson and illustrated by Monica Mikai. Nacy Paulsen Books, Penguin Random House. 2026. $24.99 ages 4 and up

 

"Sometimes we helped our 
Gracie aunt cook. 

She let us throw spaghetti 
against the wall. If it stuck, 
it was done. 

On Saturday nights, she made popcorn
and let us watch scary movies with her."

Beebee and her younger brother are alone in their house when Miss Lee comes to the door asking to speak to their mother. Readers quickly learn that Beebee has a worry about foster care, as their mom is often away for different periods of time. When Miss Lee returns, Beebee does open the door and Miss Lee explains she is taking them to be with their mother's sister. 

Johnson's first-person narration is full of questions about what will happen to the two of them. As they drive away from their home, Miss Lee explains she has talked with their aunt. She is their mother's sister. It is a very quiet ride. Upon arrival, Johnson becomes quite excited at how things look. 

"I couldn't believe it either. Her yard was big and had a tire swing
hanging from a tree, And pretty flowers everywhere."

Their Gracie aunt is delighted to welcome them and does everything she can do to make them comfortable. Beebee is not as amenable to the situation and attention during the day, or at bedtime. Their aunt answers the questions they have, explaining to Beebee that she and their mother had an argument once that left them not speaking to each other. 

It is not an easy transition; it takes time for the children to accept their new reality. The love shared begins a healing process that leads to their having a visit with their mama, who tells them how much she loves them and explains that she cannot take care of them right now. Their excitement as they return to their Gracie aunt leaves them in a hopeful place until the family can be reunited. 

Tender and moving, with warm digital artwork that adds understanding for the circumstances the children face, and the constant love that surrounds them whatever family might look like. 

A Fly In The Chai, written by Zenia Wadhwani and illustrated by Chaaya Prabhat. tundra, Penguin Random House. 2026. $24.99 ages 4 and up

 

"I stop for a pistachio kulfi before we get to 
Mr. Sharma's chai stall and Nanu gets a big 
steaming cup. He leans in, about to take a sip. 

"STOP! THERE'S A FLY IN 
      YOUR CHAI!""

Nanu and his granddaughter are visiting the market where Nanu has many, many friends. Each merchant is honored with a greeting in their own dialect as the two move toward Mr. Sharma's chai stall. Nanu loves a big steaming cup. As he leans in to take a sip, his granddaughter shouts out a warning about a fly in his chai. 

Despite encouragement, the fly is going nowhere. Onlookers each have a suggestion for getting rid of it. They also have opinions about why the fly is even there. Only then does the fly have a say, offering her name and the fact that her love for chai is very strong. 

"I love the smell of cardamom. 
I love to watch the steam rise. 
I love the cozy way it makes me feel. 
I love EVERYTHING about chai!"  

Nanu shares his own love for chai and its many wonders. An argument ensues; the fly angrily returns to the cup of chai. Nanu is now also furious, and does what any sane person would do. He drinks it down in a huge gulp. Does that work? I wonder. 

Bright bold colors offer a look at a traditional Indian bazaar with great characters and many items of interest. Final pages provide a pronunciation guide for the varied greetings, a glossary to explain any unfamiliar cultural words, and a recipe for Zenia's family chai recipe.  
                                                                                  

The World Entire: A True Story of an Extraordinary World War II Rescue, written by Elizabeth Brown and illustrated by Melissa Castrillon. Chronicle Bo;oks, Raincoast. 2025. $29.99 ages 8 and up

 

"Aristides hugged them more 
tightly than ever before and 
sent his sons and nephew 
home to Portugal. 

The radio announced the news -
German troops were only miles 
from Bordeaux."

This is a story I had not heard in any of the many books I have read about WWII. Aristides de Sousa Mendes worked for the Portuguese government, living as consul general in Bordeaux, France when the Nazis started pushing through that country. Always kind to his neighbors in need, Aristides turned his attention to helping refugees fleeing to safety in Portugal where they thought they would be safe and protected. The Portuguese government was not in favor of helping them. 

When faced with hundreds of travelers wanting visas, Aristides disobeyed government orders to hold them back. Over a period of 23 hectic and terrifying days in the summer of 1940, he worked endlessly to provide visas for as many people as he could. With help, he granted visas to everyone who asked, even setting up a table in the street to accommodate their requests. His disobedience led to conviction and a guilty charge. He was stripped of his job, and his home, his prestige and other repercussions for his family. At a soup kitchen where his family was being fed, he met some of those he had helped and others who had escaped. What a legacy he left.

"Over a period of 23 days, Aristides de Sousa Mendes rescued many thousands of people, including the painter Salvador Dali; the writers Margaret Rey and H. A. Rey; the entire Belgian cabinet; professors of medicine, biology, and physics who would go on to teach in America; and thousands of others whose lives are less known but no less precious." 

His story is told with honor and simplicity to hold attention and inform young readers interested in heroic people from history, and WWII specifically. What a rescue mission he commanded. It is estimated he helped upwards of 30,000 people, Digital pencil crayon illustrations offer a realistic setting and inspiration for the fine work he did. An extensive author's note provides further context, along with a timeline for the 23 days, a list of quotes and sources, and a bibliography. 

Take Me Out To The Ball Game, words by Jack Norworth and pictures by Gary Clement. Greystone Books, 2026. $23.95 ages 6 and up

 

"LET ME ROOT, 
ROOT, ROOT, 
FOR THE 
HOME TEAM,

IF THEY DON'T
      WIN IT'S
      A SHAME."

Written in 1908 and not heard at a ball game until the 1934 World Series in St. Louis, this song has become an iconic anthem for many baseball games, including ones played in packed MLB stadiums. It's a fun song to teach in early years classrooms, and is one of those books that young readers will soon be reading for themselves. 

What Gary Clement has done is create an illustrated story for the familiar words. An eager young fan does his best to have his father leave the endless pile of work on his desk so that the two can head out to enjoy a ball game together. The father is not sure he has the time, what with all the work facing him. The child is not willing to give up on his dream. 

By singing the song, he entices his father to consider all they will see while there: the crowd, the food vendors, the perpetual action as the game begins, and the joy that comes from rooting for a favorite team. Soon Dad is joining in the song, and the two are in the car and on their way to a packed stadium full of ardent fans. A home run makes their day. 

Watercolor, gouache and ink artwork shows the child in different roles within the ball game experience. The bond between parent and child at a venue they love will certainly help it find fans who will want to sing it again and again. It is a beloved tradition of summer baseball.                                                                                           

Frog: A Story of Life on Earth, written by Isabel Thomas and illustrated by Daniel Egneus. Bloomsbury, Raincoast. 2026. $26.99 ages 8 and up

 

"But if frogs come from eggs, 

and eggs come from frogs, 

where did the first frog 
come from?"

Beginning with the life cycle of the frog, and a child observing a frog's eggs in the pond visited, the author poses the question that will lead to sharing the history of the universe based on a frog's life. That story begins before frogs and everything else, including people, plants, Earth and stars. In fact, it begins with a very hot speck impossible to imagine. 

A BIG BANG happened when that speck expanded and created a universe. Small and energetic, 'there were no frogs yet'.  Going back billions of years, Ms. Thomas shares how stars and planets formed, followed by life ... but still no frogs. It took eight billion years to form the Sun and eight planets. The best of all of those was Earth, where life could develop because of its perfect atmosphere. 

The accuracy of the storytelling allows young children to understand complicated ideas of how life today came to be. Repeating the phrase 'but there were no frogs yet' keeps readers looking ahead to a time when there will be frogs. Ther progression is laid out clearly and enhanced by mixed-media illustrations that are stunning in their scope, filling spreads with scientific accuracy as stars explode, and the world moves toward what children know today. 

Text circles back to the origin story of amphibians: 'the ancestors of every living animal with four limbs, whether legs, or flippers, arms, or wings, including ... the very first frog!' Long after dinosaurs, frogs survived throughout the world. One exceptional spread shows many colorful species found around the world. As their ancestors, a frog's life cycle remains as it has always been. 

"Next time you see a tadpole, egg, or frog, 
marvel at this animal like any other, 
formed from stardust scattered through
space, created by chemistry, conditions, 
and chance.

Not just a frog, 
but the story of the universe, retold."

As they have done in two previous books, Moth (Bloomsbury, 2018) and Fox (Bloomsbury, 2021), this incredibly talented team uses an animal familiar to readers to examine a life cycle, and offer an accessible look at evolution in a way that is perfectly understandable for their target audience. Backmatter tells The Story of Everything in a double-page spread that offers context for the awesome and wondrous story of evolution. For those kids always wanting to know more, this is sure to be read again and again. 

"You are a whisper of the past.

You are a wonder of the universe."                                                                                  

Go, stories by Deborah Ellis. Groundwood, 2026. $15.99 ages 10 and up

"After he sees Ms. Penheligan, he'll go home. 
He'll give his parents the footstool he made. 
Maybe they'll like it. He'll be okay if they don't. 
They'll probably be mad at him for leaving Sam
stranded. He'll be okay with that, too. 
     In less than four and a half years, Brodie will 
have his own life. 
     He has plans. He has things to do. He has places 
to go." 

I am in awe of the short story genre, and of the writers who do a remarkable job of writing with such care and precision to give readers a momentous experience in storytelling. Deborah Ellis is one of the finest. Following Sit (Groundwood, 2017) and Step (Groundwood, 2022) comes Go. As she did in those earlier books, Ms. Ellis explores the world of children from different points of view. In Sit, she introduces nine children who find themselves in situations that require making a needed decision and taking action to change their circumstance. In Step, ten eleven-year-old children around the globe find themselves learning the true meaning of empathy toward others. 

In Go, readers are introduced to nine children who learn those in the adult world can be a disappointment. Through their experiences, they realize there comes a time when they must pick up and Go. Three sections, entitled Ready Set, and Go, share Brodie's continuing story about his how family expects him to step up and admit wrongdoing when he has done nothing wrong. They have no intention of doing anything for him once he admits guilt. The consequences are heartbreaking; Brodie is able to find a way through the pain and make a plan for his future. 

Joan learns that nothing she does for her cantankerous grandmother will make a difference, and knows that her parents have no confidence for her future. So, she decides to makes decisions that will improve her circumstances and not worry about what the adults think. While looking to take some money from her father's stash of bills in his dresser drawer, Janine makes an alarming discovery and keeps the secret until she can no longer ignore it. Liberi learns that stealing results in feelings of guilt, despite his impossible situation: alone, far from home, without money or papers to help him navigate his way. Bastien, whose life as an unwanted foster kid, has that life change when a wildfire threatens the town he is living in and he makes the decision to offer help where he can. 

Each child's story is heartbreaking in that the grownups in their lives have turned their backs, leaving the children to find ways to move forward from where they are. Each child learns there is somewhere to go if you take action that helps to lighten the darkness. Middle grade readers are sure to root for each of them as they negotiate circumstances created by the adults in their lives. Perseverance in really tough times result in survival, independence, and an understanding of themselves at a too early age. 

The Future Book, written by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Shawn Harris. Alfred A. Knopf, Penguin Random House. 2026. $26.99 ages 4 and up

"In the future, lots of people are named

CHARLIE CHEESE FACE

There's an interesting reason why, 
but we don't have time for that story.
I have too many other things to tell 
you about the future."

Mac Barnett and Shawn Harris have done their best, in this new book, to ensure their audience is attentive to the ridiculous changes in language the future may bring. They are also set on inspiring laughter at every turn of the page. It begins quite innocently, letting readers know things will be very different in years to come. 

For instance, the sun will be called the moon, and the moon the sun. Morning will be called night, and night morning. The first sign that things are changing even more dramatically comes when readers are told bananas will be called apples, and there will be no longer be any apples. No explanation ... it's time to move on to the next change (see above). The changes become more absurd by the minute as readers eagerly continue page-turning. 

Cows and cats have new names; dogs remain dogs. Numbers have even been changed with knowledge that everyone will become accustomed to it. Reactions to common occurrences and phrases are impossible to explain. Even a new color is announced. 

"BLORANGE

Blorange is a very famous word
in the future because there are 
no words that rhyme with it!"

Can you hear listeners response when they hear that? On the narrator goes, introducing the supermarket (silly word) as being called the 'bolly bolly hoo hoo'. This is followed up by an uproarious two-page dialogue between two characters who manage to use most of the new language so carefully presented in preceeding pages. 

Why not get kids together to create their own short story using what they have learned about conversation in 'the future'?  The sky's the limit when taking this premise to a logical conclusion in the imagination, since we don't know what the future holds for us.

Shawn Harris' ink and acrylic (and boldly colored) illustrations match the absurdity of the text in every way. There is joy, and considerable humor, as he interprets the text for full impact in a book that is entertaining enough to spur repeated readings.