It’s never easy to bid farewell to beloved characters. Check out our roundup of popular children’s and YA series ending this season.
The Bad Guys in One Last Thing by Aaron Blabey (Scholastic, Nov. 12 $6.99; ISBN 978-1-5461-1180-1).
Mr. Wolf, Mr. Piranha, Mr. Snake, and Mr. Shark take their final stand and prove that bad guys can do the right things in the 20th installment of The Bad Guys. The series was adapted for screen under Dreamworks and released in 2022. Read more about Blabey’s farewell to his wildly popular series here.
The Colony by Richard Paul Evans (Simon Pulse, Nov. 26 $19.99; ISBN 978-1-66591-958-6).
In the close of the Michael Vey series, the Electroclan tries to find their kidnapped friend, and will have to go up against a group whose powers rival their own. The series debuted in 2011, marking the bestselling author’s entrance into the YA market.
The Color of Revenge by Cornelia Funke (Scholastic/Chicken House, Nov. 12 $19.99; ISBN 978-1-338-75893-1).
Funke is making her final return to the Inkworld universe, after more than a decade. Five years post-Inkdeath, Meggie, Mo, Dustfinger and the rest of the residents of Ombra live in peace, but not exiled Orpheus. Willing to do anything to claim victory, including writing the most dangerous spell of all, the tweens make their last stand in the fourth Inkworld book. Read more about the series Funke drew to a close in 2008.
The End of the Story by Melissa de la Cruz (Roaring Brook, Dec. 3 $17.99; ISBN 978-1-250-86631-8).
It’s up to Filomena and her friends to find the last surviving fairy or face the destruction of Never After in the last installment of the Chronicles of Never After books, reimagining fairy tales for middle grade readers.
The Loneliest Place by Lora Senf, illus. by Alfredo Cáceres (Atheneum, Sept. 17 $17.99 ISBN 978-1-66593-460-2).
In the finale of the Blight Harbor trilogy, Evie Von Rathe traces her mother’s old bedtime story back to the Dark Sun Side in order to find her. Check out our interview with Senf about the series debut The Clackity here.
Mr. Lemoncello’s Fantabulous Finale by Chris Grabenstein (Random House, Nov. 5 $17.99 ISBN 978-0-593-70794-4).
World famous gamemaker Mr. Lemoncello invites 13 lucky contenders, including Kyle Keeley, to compete in his final competition, but with someone trying to ruin Mr. Lemoncello’s empire, Kyle attempts to stop the sabotage and win the game.
Rise of the Wrecking Crew by Kalynn Bayron (Bloomsbury, Oct. 8 $18.99; ISBN 978-1-5476-1160-7).
Boog and the Squad must put all their vampire slaying skills to the ultimate test when a weapon is stolen from them and an old ally is behind the latest launch of attacks. The Vanquishers series is Bayron’s first middle grade series; the debut book earned a starred review from PW.
The Whispering Night by Susan Dennard (Tor Teen, Nov. 19 $20.99; ISBN 978-1-250-33948-5).
The Nightmare Masquerade invites Luminaries across the globe for a week of celebration, but when Winnie is threatened, she must deal with friends and foes under the same house.
Wisteria by Adalyn Grace (Little, Brown, Aug. 20 $19.99; ISBN 978-0-316-56938-5).
In the concluding volume in the Belladonna trilogy, Blythe Hawthorne lives under the roof of the man she’s bound herself to, but when she uncovers a secret that links her to his past, she must decide if she’s ready to unravel the entire truth about her identity. Learn more about how Grace began the Belladonna universe in our Series Starter roundup.
