It’s that time of year again where your TBR is grumpily glaring at you because you haven’t finished even half of the books on your shelves that you wanted to get to this year and still you somehow dare to order even more books?! Well, let us assuage that TBR guilt by—hah, not helping you read the books on your shelves, that would be way too productive—showing you all the middle grade releases of 2022 that are just waiting for you!

JANUARY

Dream, Annie, Dream by Waka T. Brown
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In this empowering deconstruction of the so-called American Dream, a twelve-year-old Japanese American girl named Annie Inoue grapples with, and ultimately rises above, the racism and trials of middle school she experiences while chasing her dreams.

The Unforgettable Logan Foster by Shawn Peters
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Following a 12-year-old neurodivergent orphan with an eidetic memory and zero filter, The Unforgettable Logan Foster is filled with superheroes, supervillains and epic showdowns between good an devil which show that sometimes, all it takes to be a hero is to just be yourself.

Dear Student by Elly Swartz
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When Autumn becomes the secret voice of the advice column in her middle school newspaper she is faced with a dilemma–can she give fair advice to everyone, including her friends, while keeping her identity a secret?

The Lucky Ones by Linda Williams Jackson
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Exploring poverty, racism, and the power of education through the eyes of a kid who dreams of brighter days, The Lucky Ones will resonate with fans of Rex Ogle’s Free Lunch, Linda Sue Park’s A Single Shard, and Lesa Cline-Ransome’s Finding Langston.

Riley’s Ghost by John David Anderson
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From the beloved author of Posted and Ms. Bixby’s Last Day comes a stunning and unforgettable upper-middle-grade ghost story about the struggles of surviving middle school. When Riley Flynn finds herself caught up in a nightmare of ghosts, she’s put to the test and has to attempt to survive the darkest shadows in her life and reckon with a haunted past.

FEBRUARY

Each of Us a Universe by Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo
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From Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo comes a heartfelt middle grade filled with glowing friendship, inner strength and the impossible becoming possible, following two girls who go on an adventure to the top of Mt. Meteorite, and learn about each other, themselves, and the magic friendship can bring, perfect for fans of Katherine Applegate and Barbara O’Connor.

Witchlings by Claribel A. Ortega
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Witchlings follows a 12-year-old witch who is sorted into a coven of unwanted spare witches with her bully and the new witch in town; they must now band together to defeat the fearsome Nightbeast or risk being turned into a trio of toads. This magical adventure about earning your full powers is perfect for fans of Amari and the Night Brothers.

Amari and the Great Game by B.B. Alston
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The long-awaited sequel to the New York Times bestseller Amari and the Night Brothers!
Artemis Fowl meets Men in Black in this magical second book in the New York Times and Indie bestselling Supernatural Investigations trilogy—perfect for fans of Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, the Percy Jackson series, and Nevermoor.

Unseen Magic by Emily Lloyd Jones
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The magic-infused town of Aldermere is the first place eleven-year-old Fin has ever felt safe—and she’ll do whatever it takes to save her home when she accidentally unleashes a shadow self who wreaks havoc everywhere she goes. Emily Lloyd-Jones’s middle grade debut is an enchanting exploration of self discovery and finding the place you truly belong. 

Just Right Jillian by Nicole D. Collier
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Fifth grader Jillian will do anything to blend in. But after a bully says she can never be a winner, she sets out to win her school’s biggest battle of wits. Unfortunately, breaking out of her shell is easier said than done. Jillian has less than a month to overcome a lifetime of shyness and summon the courage to speak up for herself—or lose her only chance to win.

MARCH

Where the Sky Lives by Margaret Dilloway
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From the author of Five Things About Ava Andrews comes a new middle grade standalone novel with STEM and activism themes. When the private preserve adjacent to Zion National Park is sold, Tuesday’s park archeologist mother tells her they’re moving, and twelve-year-old Tuesday’s search for closure may lead to unexpected answers.

Kelcie Murphy and the Academy of the Unbreakable Arts by Erika Lewis
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Brimming with Celtic mythology, action, and danger, Erika Lewis’s Kelcie Murphy and The Academy for the Unbreakable Arts introduces readers to a new kind of magical school and a warrior who must choose with which side of an epic battle her destiny will lie.

Isla to Island by Alexis Castellanos
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This stunning wordless graphic novel follows a young girl in the 1960s who immigrates from Cuba to the United States and must redefine what home means to her.

Ellen Outside the Lines by A.J. Sass
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Rain Reign meets Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World in this heartfelt novel about a neurodivergent thirteen-year-old navigating changing friendships, a school trip, and expanding horizons.

Wingbearer by Marjorie Liu, illustrated by Teny Issakhanian
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From bestselling author Marjorie Liu and debut illustrator Teny Issakhanian comes the first in an epic new middle grade graphic novel series featuring a young girl who must stop a threat to her magical world – perfect for fans of Amulet.

APRIL

Osmo Unknown and the Eightpenny Woods by Catherynne M. Valente
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From New York Times bestselling author Catherynne M. Valente comes an inventive new fantasy following a boy journeying away from the only home he’s ever known and into the magical realm of the dead in order to fulfill a bargain for his people.

It’s the End of the World and I’m in My Bathing Suit by Justin A. Reynolds
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A hilarious middle-grade from Justin A. Reynolds that asks: What happens when five unsupervised kids face the apocalypse under outrageously silly circumstances?

Hunters of the Lost City by Kali Wallace
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Packed with shocking twists, frightening monsters, and dark magic, this is a page-turning fantasy adventure for middle-grade fans of Holly Black and Tamora Pierce. Following 12-year-old Octavia who grew up believing the town of Vittoria was the only one left in the world is in for a rude awakening when she meets a girl beyond the walls of her town and learns the truth about the deadly magical war and plague that defined her past.

Skandar and the Unicorn Thief by A.F. Steadman
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Unicorns don’t belong in fairy tales; they belong in nightmares. Get ready for unlikely heroes, elemental magic, fierce sky battles, ancient secrets, nail-biting races and of course, bloodthirsty unicorns. Perfect for fans of Percy Jackson, Eragon and His Dark Materials, these unicorns will change everything.

Consider the Octopus by Nora Raleigh Baskin and Gae Polisner
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When chance, or fate, throws two twelve-year-olds together on board a scientific research ship at the edge of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, it’s not all smooth sailing!

MAY

Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor by Xiran Jay Zhao
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Percy Jackson meets Tristan Strong in this hilarious, action-packed middle grade contemporary fantasy that follows a young boy as he journeys across China to seal the underworld shut and save the mortal realm.

Theo Tan and the Fox Spirit by Jesse Q. Sutanto
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After inheriting a grieving fox spirit, a Chinese American boy must learn to embrace his heritage to solve the mystery of his brother’s death in Jesse Q Sutanto’s magical, action-packed middle grade fantasy.

The Marvellers by Dhonielle Clayton
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Perfect for fans of Rick Riordan, Soman Chainani, and Philip Pullman, The Marvellers is set in a global magic school in the sky where students from around the world come together to practice their cultural marvels. Ella Durand, the first Conjuror to attend the Arcanum Training Institute, must overcome anti-Conjuror prejudice to track down a missing teacher and protect the school from a magical threat. 

Freddie vs. the Family Curse by Tracy Badua
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In this thrilling and hilarious middle grade adventure, a young Filipino-American boy must team up with his ancestor to break the curse that’s haunted their family for generations. . . or be trapped in an amulet forever.

Small Town Pride by Phil Stamper
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13-year-old Jake loves his rural town, but doesn’t always feel supported by the people there, so he fades into the background. That is, until he comes out and his overly supportive dad puts a comically huge pride flag in their yard, suddenly turning all eyes on him.

JUNE

Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun by Tolá Okogwu
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Black Panther meets Percy Jackson in this action-packed and empowering middle-grade series about a British-Nigerian girl who learns that her Afro hair has psychokinetic powers.

The Lost Ryū by Emi Watanabe Cohen
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In The Lost Ryū, debut author Emi Watanabe Cohen gives us a story of multigenerational pain, magic, and the lengths to which we’ll go to protect the people we love. In this middle grade fantasy set in post-WWII Japan, Kohei Fujiwara must team up with his new neighbour to search for the truth, both about Kohei’s family history and the disappearance of the giant ryū that fought in the war.

Secret of the Shadow Beasts by Diane Magras
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For fans of Dragon Pearl and the Lockwood & Co. series comes a swift-moving contemporary fantasy about a young girl tasked with destroying deadly shadow creatures. As the terrifying beasts In Brannland suddenly double, young Nora decides it’s time for her to join the battle.

Valentina Salazar Is Not a Monster Hunter by Zoraida Córdova
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Sal and Gabi Break the Universe meets Supernatural in a heartfelt, hilarious adventure about a trio of tight-knit, monster-loving siblings from acclaimed author Zoraida Córdova.

High Score by Destiny Howell
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For fans of Gordon Korman, Varian Johnson, and Celia Pérez, High Score is an exciting heist adventure with a diverse cast of whipsmart characters and entertaining, fast-paced writing. With a head for cons and a heart of gold, Darius James – DJ – finds himself faced with his toughest challenge yet: live on the straight and narrow.

What 2022 middle grade releases are you looking forward to reading? Tell us in the comments below!

The post You Need These Highly Anticipated 2022 Middle Grade Fiction Releases appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan
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Mulan meets The Song of Achilles in Shelley Parker-Chan’s She Who Became the Sun, a bold, queer, and lyrical reimagining of the rise of the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty from an amazing new voice in literary fantasy.

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
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In A Psalm for the Wild-Built, Hugo Award-winner Becky Chambers’s delightful new Monk & Robot series gives us hope for the future.

Notes from the Burning Age by Claire North
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Ven was once a holy man, a keeper of ancient archives. It was his duty to interpret archaic texts, sorting useful knowledge from the heretical ideas of the Burning Age—a time of excess and climate disaster. For in Ven’s world, such material must be closely guarded so that the ills that led to that cataclysmic era can never be repeated. But when the revolutionary Brotherhood approaches Ven, pressuring him to translate stolen writings that threaten everything he once held dear, his life will be turned upside down. Torn between friendship and faith, Ven must decide how far he’s willing to go to save this new world—and how much he is willing to lose.

Capture the Crown by Jennifer Estep
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Bestselling author Jennifer Estep returns to her Crown of Shards world with an all-new trilogy and a bold new heroine who protects her kingdom from magic, murder, and mayhem by moonlighting as a spy. 

Assassin’s Orbit by John Appel
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On the eve of the planet Ileri’s historic vote to join the Commonwealth, the assassination of a government minister threatens to shatter everything. Private investigator Noo Okereke and spy Meiko Ogawa join forces with police chief Toiwa to investigate – and discover clues that point disturbingly toward a threat humanity thought they had escaped. A threat that could destroy Ileri and spark an interplanetary war… unless the disparate team can work together to solve the mystery.

The Freedom Race by Lucinda Roy
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The Freedom Race, Lucinda Roy’s explosive first foray into speculative fiction, is a poignant blend of subjugation, resistance, and hope.

Sidewinders by Robert V.S. Redick
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Two brothers flee an army of fanatics across a vast and magical desert in this white-knuckle sequel to Master Assassins from Robert V.S. Redick, author of The Red Wolf Conspiracy.

The Empire’s Ruin by Brian Staveley
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Brian Staveley, author of The Emperor’s Blades, gives readers the first book in a new epic fantasy trilogy based in the world of his popular series the Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne, The Empire’s Ruin.

Breeder by Honni van Rijswijk
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Will Meadows is a seemingly average fifteen-year-old Westie, who lives and works in Zone F, the run-down outermost ring of the Corporation. In the future state of the Corp, a person’s value comes down to productivity: the right actions win units, the wrong ones lose them. If Will is unlucky and goes into unit debt, there’s only one place to go: the Rator. But for Zone F Breeders, things are much worse–they’re born into debt and can only accrue units through reproduction.

The Past Is Red by Catherynne M. Valente
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Catherynne M. Valente, the bestselling and award-winning creator of Space Opera and The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland returns with The Past is Red, the enchanting, dark, funny, angry story of a girl who made two terrible mistakes: she told the truth and she dared to love the world.

Savage Bounty by Matt Wallace
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The sequel to the acclaimed, spellbinding epic fantasy Savage Legion by Hugo Award–winning author Matt Wallace about a utopian city with a dark secret…and the underdogs who will expose it—or die trying.

A Desert Torn Asunder by Bradley P. Beaulieu
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The final book in The Song of the Shattered Sands series closes the epic fantasy saga in a desert setting, filled with rich worldbuilding and pulse-pounding action.

What July fantasy and sci-fi releases are you looking forward to? Tell us in the comments below!

The post July 2021 Fantasy & Sci-Fi Book Releases appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Check out the books below and tell us in the comments if you will be reading one!

The Spawn of Lilith by Dana Fredsti | Goodreads
Lee Striga is a successful actress and stuntwoman in Hollywood, with big secrets to keep hidden. She’s also a demon hunter, forced to pay off an ancient family debt in order to free her ancestor, Lilith, Mother of Demons, imprisoned centuries ago by a vengeful god. The creatures she must kill also are the descendants of Lilith who roam the earth.

Indigo by Charlaine Harris, Christopher Golden, Kelley Armstrong and more | Goodreads
By day, Nora is an investigative reporter and by night, she’s Indigo, a brutal vigilante who can forge darkness into weapons and travel across the city by slipping into shadows. Through both identities, she focuses on a murderous criminal cult called the Children of Phonos who murder children. In the aftermath of a bloody battle, a dying cultist causes Indigo to question her origin and memories.As Nora starts to pick apart her memory, it begins to unravel. Her parents are dead, but the rest is a series of lies. Where did she get the power inside her?

Judge Anderson: Year One by Alec Worley | Goodreads
The untold story behind Mega-City One’s most famous telepath and Judge Dredd partner, Judge Anderson, in her first year on the job! Mega-City One, 2100.  Cassandra Anderson is destined to become Psi-Division’s most famous Judge, foiling supernatural threats and policing Mega-City One’s hearts and souls. For now, she’s fresh out of Academy and Psi-Div themselves are still finding their feet.

Song of the Current by Sarah Tolcser | Goodreads
Destined for the river, Caroline Oresteia’s family have always been called by the river-god and at seventeen, she is ready to meet her fate, but the river-god hasn’t spoken her name yet and there’s a chance he never will. Taking her future into her own hands when her father is arrested, she soon finds herself caught in a web of politics and lies with dangerous pirates behind her and without the river-god to help. With so much at stake, she must choose between the life she always wanted and the one she never could have imagined for herself.

The Refrigerator Monologues by Catherynne M. Valente | Goodreads
A series of linked stories from the points of view of the wives and girlfriends of superheroes, female heroes, and anyone who’s ever been “refrigerated” so that a male superhero’s storyline will progress. Valente subversively explores these ideas and themes in the superhero genre, treating them with the same love, gravity, and humor as her fairy tales. After all, superheroes are our new fairy tales and these six women have their own stories to share.

Twelve Days by Steven Barnes | Goodreads
While leaders and notorious criminals alike are mysteriously dying, Olympia Dorsey, with her cynical teenage daughter and autistic son, are trying to heal from a personal tragedy. Meanwhile, soldier Terry Nicolas reunites with his team to carry out a risky heist, but when they visit an unusual martial arts exhibition and meet Madame Gupta, she offers not just a way for Terry to tap into mastery beyond his dreams, but also for Olympia’s son to transcend the limits of his condition.

The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O by Neal Stephenson & Nicole Galland | Goodreads
When Melisande Stokes, an expert in linguistics and languages, accidentally meets military intelligence operator Tristan Lyons in a hallway at Harvard, it is the beginning of a chain of events that will alter their lives and human history itself. Tristan needs Mel to translate some very old documents, and if authentic, they prove that magic actually existed and was practised for centuries until it stopped working. And so the Department of Diachronic Operations—D.O.D.O. —gets cracking on its real mission: to develop a device that can bring magic back.

Roar by Cora Carmack | Goodreads
Long ago, the ungifted pledged fealty to Aurora Pavan’s family in exchange for safe haven as their kingdom was sustained by magic capable of repelling the world’s deadliest foes. As the sole heir, Aurora’s been groomed to be the perfect queen, but she’s yet to show any trace of the magic to protect her people. To keep her secret and save her crown, she is arranged to marry a dark, brooding Stormling prince. With secrets kept by her betrothed, Aurora soon learns there’s a third option besides ruin or marriage: steal the magic, if she’s brave enough.

Spoonbenders by Daryl Gregory | Goodreads
The Telemachus family is known for performing inexplicable feats. Teddy, a master conman, heads up a clan who possess gifts he only fakes: there’s Maureen, who can astral project; Irene, the human lie detector; Frankie, gifted with telekinesis; and Buddy, the clairvoyant. But when, one night, the magic fails to materialize, the family withdraws to Chicago where they live in shame for years. Until: As they find themselves facing a troika of threats (CIA, mafia, unrelenting skeptic) but must put past obstacles behind them and unite like never before. 

Beren and Luthien by J.R.R. Tolkien | Goodreads
Painstakingly restored from Tolkien’s manuscripts, the epic tale of Beren and Lúthien will reunite fans of The Lord of the Rings. Essential to the story is the fate that shadowed the love of Beren and Lúthien: for Beren was a mortal man, but Lúthien was an immortal Elf. Her father, a great Elvish lord, in deep opposition to Beren, imposed on him an impossible task that he must perform before he might wed Lúthien. This is the kernel of the legend; and it leads to the supremely heroic attempt of Beren and Lúthien together to rob the greatest of all evil beings.

The Sandcastle Empire by Kayla Olson | Goodreads
Before the war, Eden’s life was easy, but then the revolution happened, and now a powerful group controls the earth and its resources. Eden refuses to die by their hands and seeks out the only neutral ground left in the world, a place called Sanctuary Island. When one of Eden’s new friends goes missing, she searches for her lost ally and discover Sanctuary is filled with lethal traps and an enemy they never expected. This island might be deadlier than the world Eden left behind, but surviving it is the only thing that stands between her and freedom.

Godblind by Anna Stephens | Goodreads
Exiled from Rilpor a thousand years ago, a new Mireces king now plots an invasion of Rilpor’s thriving cities and fertile earth. Dom Templeson, a Watcher and civilian warrior guards its border and as a powerful seer, he’s plagued with visions and prophecies. But Dom harbours deep secrets, which threaten to be exposed when Rillirin, an escaped Mireces slave, stumbles broken and bleeding into his village. Meanwhile, more and more of Rilpor’s most powerful figures are turning to the dark rituals and bloody sacrifices of the Red Gods.

The post June Book Releases: Fantasy & Sci-Fi appeared first on The Nerd Daily.