If you're anything like me, summer is your season for catching up on your TBR and finding new gems to share with students come fall. Whether you're lounging with a lemonade or brainstorming back-to-school bulletin boards, there's nothing better than discovering a fresh story—or 8—that will inspire, engage, and empower the young readers in your life.

I’m thrilled to share these 2025 releases from some of my incredibly talented author friends. These are books I loved—and I think your readers will, too. Whether you're a teacher, librarian, or just a kidlit fan looking for your next great read, these are stories worth adding to your reading pile and your bookshelves.

**📚 Same Page by Elly Swartz**
A must-read middle grade about friendship, book challenges, and finding your voice. Elly Swartz brings her signature heart to this story about a girl navigating a new friendship in the midst of a book ban at her middle school. It's gripping, motivating, and full of big feelings your students will totally relate to.

**🎭 Operation Sisterhood: Stealing the Show by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich**
Lights, camera, sisterhood! This vibrant sequel bursts with creativity, love, and the chaotic joy of a big, blended family in the Bronx. The Operation Sisterhood girls are back and putting on a musical—which is just as fun and full of heart as it sounds.

**🧗🏾‍♀️ Makeda Makes a Mountain by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich**
Perfect for early readers, this chapter book stars spirited Makeda as she learns to face new challenges with creativity and confidence. It's empowering, thoughtful, and utterly charming—great for fans of Yasmin or Jada Jones.

**🐋 I Know the Whale by Robin Yardi**
A quiet, moving novel about grief, friendship, and the beauty of the natural world. With rich characters and lyrical writing, this one stays with you. It’s a powerful conversation-starter and a great fit for upper elementary and middle grade readers.

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🐚 Search for the Silver Shell & Dive for the Black Pearl by Robin Yardi

These two books are part of Coral Keeper—a science-meets-mystery and magic series packed with marine biology, adventure, and friendship. Perfect for curious readers who love facts and fiction in equal measure! (Think The Magic School Bus meets Nancy Drew, but with way cooler sea creatures.)

🔍 **Opal Watson, P.I.** by Brittany Thurman
Move over, Sherlock—Opal Watson is on the case! This middle grade novel is full of charm, curiosity, and confidence. Opal has a nose for clues and a heart of gold. Her determination, intelligence, and community spirit make her a standout star for young readers—and a fantastic addition to any classroom or library shelf.

**✊🏽 Be the Light: How She Became Angela Davis by Daria Peoples**
A stunning picture book biography that beautifully blends poetry, history, and empowerment. This is the kind of book that makes you want to stand up a little taller. Daria Peoples’ powerful art and words tell Angela Davis’s story with nuance and inspiration—essential reading for every classroom and library.

I’m so lucky to call these brilliant creators my friends, and even luckier to read their books. I hope you’ll give them a look, share them with your readers, and maybe even fall a little bit in love with them, too. ❤️

Happy summer reading!