Aisha Saeed’s middle grade novels often feature young people who are forced to tough it out: characters who somehow manage to find their own way despite big limitations being placed upon them. Her 2026 novel Hafsa’s Way (Nancy Paulsen Books), for example, features a Pakistani girl who is determined to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor, regardless of the many obstacles [...]

In a family full of amazing magical talents—such as the ability to create fortune-telling pickles! —what does it mean when you’re the kid who isn’t very special? That’s one of the questions Kate O’Shaughnessy asks in her newest middle grade novel, Brittle Magic (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2026), which comes out on October 20. The book marks something new for [...]

The Neverfear (Knopf Books for Young Readers, September 1, 2026), returns readers to “the last surviving magical place.” This is the extraordinary realm Katherine Rundell introduced in the award-winning title Impossible Creatures (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2024) and expanded upon in The Poisoned King (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2025).