The Dark Times of Nimble Nottingham by Ryan James Black
Nancy Paulsen Books, 2025 ISBN: 9780593698082
When a bomb falls on notoriously creepy Gravenhurst Manor in World War II London, twelve-year-old Nim and his friend Mouse decide to liberate the spoils within. Looking for valuable goods to sell for food, they crack a safe and unwittingly unleash a monster. A shadow creature is now loose on the streets of London, and it’s up to Nim, Mouse, and a band of unattended children to end its reign of terror.
The Factory by Catherine Egan
Scholastic, 2025 ISBN: 9781339034218
When thirteen-year-old Asher Doyle receives an invitation to join the Factory–a top-secret research facility that’s supposedly developing renewable energy–it seems like the answer to all his problems. But not everything is as it seems at the Factory, and the staff are clearly hiding something. What’s more, Asher discovers he wasn’t chosen at random. Asher must team up with the other kids to uncover the sinister truth behind the experiment — and his personal connection to it — before someone gets seriously hurt.
Fierce Voice (Métier #2) by Susan Currie
Common Deer Press, 2025 ISBN: 9781998484065
Iz has finally found the perfect foster home and is attending a prestigious music school. She spends her free time helping at-risk kids have the musical experiences she wishes she’d had. When Iz meets Skye, an angry foster kid in her music program, she is forced to face her own secret. If Iz is to help Skye, she could be risking everything she has fought so hard for. Fierce Voice is the sequel to Iz the Apocalypse (2023)but can be read as a standalone. TW: references to past abuse and trauma.
Fireboy by Edward Willett
Shadowpaw Press, 2025 ISBN: 9781998273423
It’s no wonder thirteen-year-old Samantha MacReady is nervous about starting Grade 8. All but two of her Grade 7 science classmates mysteriously disappeared last year. When her missing best friend Lorenzo suddenly appears in a campfire, she moves from nervous to freaked out. She teams up with Meg LeBlanc, the sole student survivor of what all adults refer to as “The Tragedy,” to uncover just what went on that day and why Lorenzo has begun appearing in her backyard as a figure made entirely of fire.
In the Forests of the Night by Alison Hughes
DCB Young Readers, 2025 ISBN: 9781770867857
Everyone knows about the Blight that killed every forest in the world, but is it possible that there is one last secret grove of trees? Those living in The Clearwood Home for Orphans are drawn to the Ghost Tree, the last displaced relic of the Blight on their school grounds, but this connection to nature makes the kids targets of a sinister enemy. Can the friends escape capture and find the last sanctuary of trees?
Meet Me at Blue Hour by Sarah Suk
Quill Tree Books, 2025 ISBN: 9780063255180
If you could erase someone from your memories, would you? Yena and Lucas were childhood friends, and as 17-year-olds they unexpectedly meet up while spending their summer away from home. Yena is shocked to discover that Lucas has erased her from his memories, and she has no idea why. When they reconnect, they must face what happened between them and decide if they want to create new memories together.
Red Flags and Butterflies by Sheryl Azzam
DCB Young Readers, 2025 ISBN: 9781770868069
Lexie is a star student, talented artist, and accomplished athlete. Her goal of attending a prestigious fine arts program depends on her emotionally abusive dad supporting her dreams while she supports his business. Lexie struggles to find her voice and trust her instincts in this story that celebrates quiet strength. TW: emotional abuse and manipulation.
True Colors: Growing Up Weird in the 90s by Elise Gravel, tr. by Montana Kane
Drawn and Quarterly, 2025 ISBN: 9781770467996
Part diary, part artist-origin story, join Elise as she navigates growing up in the 90s. Tweeny-bopper Elise knows she’s different, but chalks it up to just being a weirdo. Other girls might be shifting their attention to boys, but Elise would rather play with her besties and pour her energy into making her art. Besides, what’s the point in rushing when being a kid is such a blast?
Under Attack (Kidnapped from Ukraine #1) by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch
Scholastic, 2025 ISBN: 9781546104513
Twelve-year-old twin sisters Dariia and Rada live in Mariupol, Ukraine which is attacked by the Russian army in 2022. The attack separates the family, one daughter with each parent. Eventually Dariia and her mother are separated and she is sent to live with a Russian family. The war rages on and the family endures unimaginable hardships, but the sisters and their family soon learn about the power of hope in the face of disaster. TW: scenes of war, violence, child endangerment, and family.
The Vanished Ones by Chad Lucas
Amulet Books, 2025 ISBN: 9781419766848
Darian is the only trainee with deep brown skin at the Mission on the Hill, and he doesn’t remember how he got there. All he remembers are brown hands and the belly of a ship. When another trainee at the Mission disappears, Darian is determined to solve the mystery that begins to shake the faith the Brothers have instilled in him. When he and his friend Micah sneak away from the Mission, they discover that the island holds far more secrets than they ever could have imagined.