Summer may be ending, but these series haven’t! Here we round up the latest installments of some of the more notable middle grade and YA series. From the latest illustrated early reader by Dav Pilkey to the conclusion of a high fantasy YA trilogy, a plethora of options can be found to keep the story going.
Copyboy
In this sequel to Paperboy, Victor Vollmer sets off to fulfill a final request of Mr. Spiro, his former mentor who helped him work on his stutter; his task for Mr. Spiro evolves into a grand adventure. Paperboy was named a Newbery Honor book in 2014.
Dog Man: Lord of the Fleas (Dog Man #5)
With a three-million-copy print run, the latest installment in the Captain Underpants creator’s latest series promises to be one of the largest releases of the year. This fall’s promotional Pilkey push, including a worldwide release date and an author tour, will no doubt inspire kids around the world to line up for their copies.
The Towering Sky
The finale of McGee’s The Thousandth Floor series hits the top. The first volume was published in 2016, earrning strong reviews and a large fan base. The story follows a privileged girl living in a 1,000-floor high rise in a futuristic Manhattan, who struggles with addiction and falls into a love triangle. McGee will tour in support of The Towering Sky this fall.
Impostors
The latest from Westerfeld is set in the world of his Uglies books, and follows two twin sisters: Rafi, raised to lead a perfect life; and Frey, trained to protect her sister at all costs. The Uglies series launched back in 2005, and currently has more than three million copies in print.
The Third Mushroom
A follow-up to The Fourteenth Goldfish, Holm’s latest middle grade novel is a book about a girl and her grandfather (who has discovered the secret to eternal youth and is now her classmate), who are both keen on science, while she navigates a crush and friends. This series, which follows the comic series Babymouse that Holm co-created with her brother, as well as several standalone novels that have netted three Newbery Honors, aims to please STEM students.
Two Dark Reigns
Bestselling YA author Blake continues her Three Dark Crowns series with Two Dark Reigns, following three women vying for the throne of an island kingdom. The author’s previous work has garnered a substantial fan base, including Twilight creator Stephenie Meyer, who in 2016 bought film rights to Blake’s 2011 novel Anna Dressed in Blood.
The Law of Finders Keepers
In the fourth and final installment of the Three Times Lucky series, stakes are high and treasure hunts are on. Turnage’s Mo & Dale middle grade mystery series has netted a Newbery Honor, an E.B. White Read-Aloud Honor, and multiple starred reviews.
Zora and Me: The Cursed Ground
In this sequel to Zora and Me, which earned the 2011 John Steptoe New Talent Award for the Author category, author Zora Neale Hurston’s life is fictionalized. The new book follows Zora and her best friend Carrie as they come of age in the South, where harrowing events inspire the budding storyteller’s work.
Escaping from Houdini
This novel is third in the series that kicked off with the first YA novel published under James Patterson’s children’s imprint at Little, Brown. The historical gothic noir follows the forbidden life of Audrey Rose Wadsworth, the daughter of a lord and the solver of murders. The fourth and final book in the series is due out in fall 2019.
Nate Expectations
Nate Expectations is the final volume in Federle’s middle grade series following the titular Broadway enthusiast. Previous installments in the trilogy—Better Nate Than Ever and Five, Six, Seven, Nate—garnered plenty of critical attention; receiving starred reviews, a Lambda Literary Award, and even a blurb from Lin-Manuel Miranda. The book follows middle schooler Nate, who goes from a small town where he feels like an outsider, to finding his place performing on Broadway.
Wildcard
The sequel to Warcross picks up right where the previous novel left off, following a group of teens in a technological dystopia ruled by an algorithm that may be harming the people it claims to help. This is Lu’s third series, following Legend and The Young Elites (the former is being adapted for film), which have all hit bestseller lists and garnered the author a legion of fans. Wildcard earned a starred review from PW.
The Divided Earth
In the third and final volume in the Nameless City graphic novel series, friends Kai and Rat work to get a deadly formula out of nefarious hands. This dystopian series comes from the author-illustrator behind the Eisner Award-winning The Adventures of Superhero Girl.
The Magic Misfits: The Second Story
In the follow-up to the bestselling The Magic Misfits, actor turned middle grade author Harris continues the story of a group of street magicians in New England. This installment centers on Leila, who grows up feeling like an outsider and hones her budding psychic abilities.
The Vanderbeekers and the Hidden Garden
In the sequel to The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street, the denizens of the Manhattan brownstone plant a healing garden in the hopes of reviving a friend and neighbor. Glaser’s middle grade series is almost certain to grow in popularity—Amy Poehler’s production company has picked up film rights. Glaser is a contributing editor at Book Riot.
A Witch Alone
In Nicol’s debut The Apprentice Witch, Arianwyn learns to harness magic, but in the latest installment in his middle grade fantasy series, dark forces obfuscate her powers on a dangerous mission. Nicol’s books have been lauded in the U.K. and longlisted for awards including the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize.
