Welcome to our August 2026 Junior Reviews Digest. This month had real highs and lows with seven 5-star books (vs last month’s three), but also several 3-star reviews, our first 2.5-star review, and our first DNF (did not finish) at chapter 11.
Today, you’ll be reading some of the first reviews from our cohort B reviewers, plus two guest reviewers. You met a few in this post already, but here are some quick profiles for the three kids you’ll be meeting for the first time today.
Franklynne, 10: A fantasy and dystopia reader brought up on The Giver, The Wild Robot, and Warriors, who reads for the friendships that form in the unlikeliest places. Animals absolutely count as friends.
Tessa, 11: A voracious reader (Westfallen, the Vanderbeekers series) who falls hardest for a premise nobody else would have thought of, and can tell you exactly why it worked. Nothing creepy, and no animal narrators.
Ella, 10: A realistic-mystery reader with a finely tuned sense of right and wrong, drawn to characters who risk getting in trouble to get at the truth (From the Desk of Zoe Washington). Reading is, in her own words, “[her] hobby!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Hold the horror.
Our reviewers read a mix of spring, summer, and fall releases, including the new Barbara Dee (winner of our August Kid Cover Test), several middle grade mysteries, a speculative YA novel, one of my favorite YA novels of 2025, the new Kwame Alexander graphic novel, and a graphic novel that one reviewer bumped up my TBR.
What we’re reviewing in this post:
Auntie Q’s Golden Claws Nail Salon by Van Hoang
Beautiful to See You (Again) by Lygia Day Peñaflor
Birdy by N. West Moss
Bone Bag by E.M. Elliot
The Brainstormerz by Kwame Alexander
The Cat Prophecies: Claw Quest by Korpon & Paz
Codebreaker by Jay Martel
Drop Dead Famous by Jennifer Pearson
Fantastic Frog and the Amazing Tad Lad (Book 1) by Brandon Reese
Heartland by Jilanne Hoffmann
The Hidden Dominion of Geordie James by Mike Dawson
I Am Kylian by Kylian Mbappé, Faro
The Last Immortals: Dawn of the Axolotl by Kit Brooks
My Name Is Harriet Mansoor (Not Hairy Man Suit!) by Dr. Haleh Massey
Nothing to See Here by Barbara Dee
Say Something, Poupeh Babaee! by Dr. Haleh Massey
The Strange Disappearance of Imogen Good by Kirsty Applebaum
Theft of the Ruby Lotus by Sayantani DasGupta
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, Frederica De Cotis (Graphic Novel)
Until Next Summer by Allison Ashley
These books won the coveted 5-star rating from our kid reviewers. I’m sharing five for all subscribers and keeping two other 5-star books behind the paywall:
Geordie is a quiet kid who likes to keep to himself. When he learns he's failing science class, the teacher puts him in a group to work on a project together with a topic of Our Place In This World. Throughout the book, Geordie becomes more assertive and shares his ideas. He starts feeling more comfortable speaking up when he is playing an online game called Dominion. I love this book for so many reasons, like how I can relate to the main character, Geordie. I used to be on the quieter side but I learned to speak up, too. I also love the style of art in the book, and how it switches between the online world and the real world. I read this book in one day and I'm definitely going to read it again! Readers who love animals, the environment, and how we can help would love this book! Thank you for sending it to me! I'm going to let my friends borrow it, too! — Miles, “almost 10”
(Ed note: Miles’s review got me to read this book and I loved it! Unexpectedly poignant and with serious kid appeal.)
Kirsty Applebaum
Fran goes to visit her aunt, uncle, and cousin Imogen Good, but when she gets there, Imogen is gone and her aunt and uncle say they’ve never heard of Imogen. Read this book to find out what happened to Imogen and how an ancient legend relates to it. I really liked one of the main characters, Fran, because she would sacrifice herself to help people she barely knows. I loved this book so much that it was hard to put down, because there was lots of suspense and action. I would recommend this book to readers who like mystery and fantasy. I also liked how the chapters were short and switched between the characters’ different perspectives. — Lydia, 9
(Ed note: This 2025 Summer Reading Guide selection blew me away! Short chapters, can’t-look-away plot and an overall memorable reading experience. Glad to see that Lydia loved it. Lydia has had some great reading experiences so far. Hope the streak continues.)
Dr. Haley Masseh
Poupeh Babaee just moved from Iran to the United States and is staying with her aunt, uncle, and cousin. Her parents are stuck in Iran because of a travel ban. Her transition is really hard, and she stops talking, which is called selective mutism. Can you imagine not living in the same country as your parents, and not knowing when you’ll see them again? That’s what happens with Poupeh Babaee in this book! I learned a lot about Poupeh’s country, Iran, and how hard it is when your culture is made fun of at school. I got so mad at the bully character, Trevor, and cheered for Penelope, who was such a good friend. Kids who like graphic novels or kids who want to learn about other cultures would like this book. — Paige, 8
(Ed note: I love how much this book meant to our girl, Paige.)
Barbara Dee
At Gosset Middle School, every day there's a new online rumor that leaks into everyone's lives. Mateo, Levi, Winnie, and Gia are fed up and decide to do an experiment with rumors and social media to prove to the other kids that what they say online has a real effect on others, even enough to make someone leave the school. I have read many books about the effects of social media, yet this book is unique. The characters experimented with how rumors spread on social media and used that to try to prove to the other kids why social media can be impactful. This was a very engaging approach. More often, other books portray characters lashing out against social media and how they are affected by it. Another thing I really liked about this book was that it was told from all four of the characters' perspectives, yet all the characters were very different from each other and that made them more interesting. I could not put this book down, and when I physically had to, mentally my brain couldn't, and I kept on thinking about it. This book will definitely have you hooked! Kids 9 to 14 and those who liked So Over Sharing by Elissa Brent Weissman.
(Ed. note: This comes out in October but YES, Lulu is right about the characters being so distinct! Excellent character and voice work here. Also, Lulu is my book twin; our tastes are so similar! I loved So Over Sharing, too :))
Kit Brooks
It is about an axolotl named Ace who finds a group that call themselves The Immortals. I loved it! What I’ll remember most is the beginning, where Jasper, the main character’s twin brother, ripped off his twin’s tail for no reason. That moment was mentioned multiple times in the book, and it really made me want to keep reading because I wanted to see the effects on the main character and whether there was any trauma from it. I also thought it was nice how they mentioned so much about axolotls facing extinction because of humans’ waste being dumped into the freshwater lakes where axolotls live. I would give this to any fan of Warriors who loves axolotls! — Franklynne, 10
(Ed note: I couldn’t have written a better recommendation for this book. Thanks, Franklynne!)
Behind the paywall, the book that one reviewer gave “a zillion stars,” the book Evelyn said had called “crazy plot twists,” and the spy mystery that scored a five-star rating from Thomas.
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