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12 YA Books I Can’t Wait to Read Coming September 2020

12 YA Books I Can't Wait to Read Coming September 2020

September at Last!

All the changes this past spring with lock-downs and social distancing and online learning threw me for a loop. It also delayed a lot of the books I’d been looking forward to reading, which meant I spent the summer scrambling to catch up on the ARCs that publishers had sent me. I’m finally seeing a light at the end of the reading tunnel so to speak, and it’s just in time to jump into the amazing line-up of YA books coming out in September 2020.

Happy Book Birthday to September 1st Releases!

Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Dr. Yusef Salaam

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What you need to know: Written by award-winning, bestselling author Ibi Zoboi and prison reform activist Yusef Salaam of the Exonerated Five. Tells the story of a Black Muslim teen wrongfully convicted of a crime and his desperate fight for truth and freedom.

Available September 1, 2020 | My Review


Majesty (American Royals #2) by Katharine McGee

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What you need to know: Three descendants of America’s first king (George Washington) battle for love and power in the sequel to AMERICAN ROYALS.

Available September 1, 2020


Blood & Honey (Serpent & Dove #2) by Shelby Mahurin

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What you need to know: The stakes are higher, the magic more dangerous, and the players more desperate in this fiery sequel to SERPENT & DOVE.

Available September 1, 2020


Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What you need to know: This Own Voices debut is set during Día de Muertos. Features Latinx magic, a trans main character, and ghost love interest.

Available September 1, 2020


Not Your #LoveStory by Sonia Hartl

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What you need to know: #PlaneBae meets Gilmore Girls. A rising YouTube star who reviews VHS tapes, fake dating, and a shy boy next door.

Available September 1, 2020 | My Review

More Great YA Books Coming September 2020

The Other Side of the Sky by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What you need to know: High stakes, forbidden love, and an incredible story by the team who gave us the Starbound Trilogy.

Available September 8, 2020


These Vengeful Hearts by Katherine Laurin

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What you need to know: A secret society that can deal out favors or social ruin and one girl determined to take them down. Looks deliciously suspenseful.

Available September 8, 2020 | My Review


Never Look Back by Lilliam Rivera

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What you need to know: Own Voices retelling of the Greek myth Orpheus and Eurydice. Magical realism, music, trauma recovery, and first love.

Available September 15, 2020 | My Review


Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What you need to know:

Available September 15, 2020


Smash It! by Francina Simone

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What you need to know: A hot mess heroine who’s ready to stand up instead of back. I’ve heard some conflicting response to this book and mentions of problematic content.

Available September 22, 2020 | My Review


Dear Hero by Hope Bolinger and Alyssa Roat

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What you need to know: A matching site pairs a hero and villain… who start to fall in love? Sounds really fun and cute.

Available September 28, 2020


Fence: Striking Distance by Sarah Rees Brennan

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What you need to know: Inspired by the award-nominated comic series by C.S. Pacat and Johanna The Mad. Drama, fencing, bad dates, and adventure. I’m a huge fan of Sarah Rees Brennan, so I’m really excited about this one.

Available September 29, 2020

What are you reading this September?

Have you read any of the books on this list? What new releases are you most excited to check out?

Review: The Summer We Found the Baby by Amy Hest

The Summer We Found the Baby
Amy Hest
Candlewick Press
Published August 4, 2020

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

About The Summer We Found the Baby

On the morning of the dedication of the new children’s library in Belle Beach, Long Island, eleven-year-old Julie Sweet and her six-year-old sister, Martha, find a baby in a basket on the library steps. At the same time, twelve-year-old Bruno Ben-Eli is on his way to the train station to catch the 9:15 train into New York City. He is on an important errand for his brother, who is a soldier overseas in World War II. But when Bruno spies Julie, the same Julie who hasn’t spoken to him for sixteen days, heading away from the library with a baby in her arms, he has to follow her. Holy everything, he thinks. Julie Sweet is a kidnapper.

Of course, the truth is much more complicated than the children know in this heartwarming and beautifully textured family story by award-winning author Amy Hest. Told in three distinct voices, each with a different take on events, the novel captures the moments and emotions of a life-changing summer — a summer in which a baby gives a family hope and brings a community together.

Set during World War II, this poignant, briskly paced historical novel relays the events of one extraordinary summer from three engaging points of view.

My Review

THE SUMMER WE FOUND THE BABY is one of those books where what’s not said on the page is as important as what is. A girl and her sister find a baby. A boy follows them. How they’re connected and why the girls feel drawn to the baby changes tells a moving story that I know I won’t soon forget.

One point-of-view is from Martha Sweet, the younger sister of Julie, who first finds the baby. Martha is sweet, enthusiastic, and energetic. She doesn’t always understand what’s going on around her, but she loves the people in her little community.

Julie also tells part of the story, and in her sections, we see a girl trying to be so much more than she is, and determined to do it perfectly. She cares for her little sister while their dad works, possibly interviewing soldiers at a local military base. And then there’s Bruno, a boy whose older brother has gone to war, leaving him behind.

The story begins with the three finding the baby and loops backward, to tell us how they came to be on the steps of the library that morning and why the baby was there.

It’s such a sweet, heartfelt story. I love that what’s on the page hints at so many things that aren’t there, things that the narrators probably wouldn’t have pieced together. It’s a really quick read, too– I think I read it in a little over an hour.

I think fans of STAY WHERE YOU ARE AND THEN LEAVE by John Boynton or PAX by Sarah Pennypacker will enjoy this book– though it’s a bit less dark than those stories.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Bruno’s family is Jewish.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Hints at a romance between Bruno’s older brother and a girl.

Spiritual Content
At one point, Bruno’s parents touch the place where they believe his brother’s battalion to be on a map and say, “God bless.”

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of THE SUMMER WE FOUND THE BABY in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog.

14 Middle Grade Debut Books You Need to Read This Year

Debut Authors Need Your Help

Middle grade debut books often face more challenges than subsequent books by established writers, and that’s never been more true than this year. Beginning last spring, concerns about COVID-19 meant not only school closures, but author visits, book fairs, book signings, book cons, summer library and bookstore programs– major things authors do to promote their books– were canceled.

Here’s something you can do to help. Read through this list. Add titles to your Goodreads shelf using the links below. If your budget allows, purchase a couple of the books on this list through any of the buy links. (Amazon, Book Depository and Indiebound links are affiliate links.)

At the bottom of the list, I’ve posted a quick ideas list of 4 ways you can support these authors and help promote their debut MG titles even if you can’t afford to buy their books.

14 Middle Grade Debut Books

Stand Up, Yumi Chung by Jessica Kim

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: Mistaken identity gives Yumi the chance she’s been dreaming of at comedy camp. A funny, feel-good story.

Published March 17, 2020


Get a Grip, Vivy Cohen by Sarah Kapit

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: Told through letters between a girl with autism and a dream to pitch baseball and her major league hero.

Published February 25, 2020


My Life as a Potato by Arianne Costner

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: An unwilling team mascot, a possible potato curse, and a chance at the prettiest girl in school. Super fun.

Published March 4, 2020 | My review


Mary Underwater by Shannon Doleski

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: A hopeful (and at times heartbreaking) story of a young girl who decides to build a submarine and sail it across the Chesapeake Bay.

Published April 7, 2020 | My Review


Ghost Squad by Claribel Ortega

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: Goodreads describes this one as “Coco meets Stranger Things with a hint of Ghostbusters.” Spooky and sweet. Also, I heard there’s a cat!

Published April 7, 2020


Finally, Something Mysterious by Doug Cornett

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: Three friends. Hundreds of rubber duckies. A town enthralled with its upcoming bratwurst competition. I laughed out loud!

Published April 14, 2020 | My review


The Mostly Invisible Boy by AJ Vanderhorst

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: A brother and sister take a wild adventure through the monster-infested Sylvan Wood. Quirky, funny and entertaining.

Published April 25, 2020 | My Review


Turtle Boy by M. Evan Wolkenstein

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: A boy with a weird chin, a hospital-bound punk drummer, and a bucket list that might change everything.

Published May 5, 2020


What Happens Next by Claire Swinarski

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: A solar eclipse, a search for a missing telescope, and a girl missing her older sister. Perfect for fans of THE THING ABOUT JELLYFISH.

Published May 19, 2020 | My Review


The Dream Weavers by Reina Luz Alegre

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: An ownvoices story about a 12 year-old girl who connects with her Cuban heritage and about discovering where you belong for the first time.

Published June 23, 2020


A Summer Taken by Jason Milgram

Amazon | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: A girl facing summer camp again after losing her cousin and inspiration. Heartbreaking and hopeful.

Published July 4, 2020


The Circus of Stolen Dreams by Lorelei Savaryn

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: A sister looking for her lost brother. A magical circus where the cost of entry is a memory. For fans of CIRCUS MIRANDUS and THE NIGHT GARDENER.

Published September 1, 2020


Beetle and the Hollowbones by Aliza Layne

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: A graphic novel following a young goblin on a search for her best friend in a haunted mall.

Published September 1, 2020


Double the Danger and Zero Zucchini by Betsy Uhrig

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: A boy gets hired by his aunt to help her fix her children’s book about a grumpy frog and prize-winning zucchini. Sounds hilarious to me!

Published September 22, 2020

4 Ways You Can Help These Debut Authors

  • Order a copy of any of these books using the buy links listed.
  • Contact your local library and ask them to order copies of these titles.
  • Share this post so that other readers can see the list and support the authors, too!
  • Write your own blog or social media post that highlights your favorite debut authors’ books– be sure to include at least one buy link.

There are more middle grade debut books in this list on Goodreads, too. Check it out and find even more titles you might like!

What are your favorite debut middle grade titles from this year?

Have you read any of the books on this list? Which are your favorites, or which ones are you excited to read?

If you’ve got other debut titles on your reading list, let me know about them! Let’s spread the word and help support this year’s debut authors.

Spotlight: Sanctum by Hannah McBride

Here’s some fun bookish news… if you’re a long-time Story Sanctuary reader, you may remember that I used to participate in Irish Banana Book Tours. I loved working with Irish Banana coordinator Hannah McBride, so when she announced she was releasing a book, I knew it was going to be something to talk about here! Today I’m sharing some of the fun and amazing details about her debut novel, Sanctum. It’s one I’m eager to check out!

Sanctum
Hannah McBride
Available August 21, 2020

Amazon | Goodreads

About Sanctum

A survivor on the run

After refusing the laws of her sadistic pack, Skye Markham barely escapes with her life, seeking sanctuary with the feared Blackwater pack. Hunted by her former Alpha and his soldiers, she’s determined to create a life even though she knows they will come for her.

An alpha with a pack to protect

As the next alpha in line, Remy Holt has spent years guarding the Blackwater pack and his family from those who seek to seize control and destroy them. The last thing he needs or wants is Skye Markham and the dangers she brings with her adding to the stress on his pack, but his wolf has a different opinion. He wants her, and after one moment that shouldn’t have been possible, he knows he’ll never be able to let her go.

A bond unlike any other

Skye thought she was finally safe, but as her bond with Remy strengthens, the shifter world starts to break apart at the seams. Missing shifters, a dying population, and pack wars are all causing their sanctuary to crumble around them, and Skye is trapped in the middle of it all. Someone is out to destroy the pack and if they succeed, there will bring down everything Remy has sought to protect and for Skye… maybe there is no such thing as a sanctuary.

*SANCTUM is the first book in the Blackwater Pack series. Possible trigger warnings: abuse, violence, language, and bullying.

About Author Hannah McBride

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter |Goodreads

Hannah McBride has been many things in her life – a restaurant manager, a clinical research coordinator, a dreamer, a makeup brand ambassador, an event coordinator, a blogger, and more. But at heart, she’s always been a writer, and in 2020 she decided to make it official with her first release, SANCTUM. 

An Excerpt from Sanctum

He shifted towards me. “This is all new to me, too, Skye.”

A sobering thought crossed my mind. The one that had been plaguing me since the woods. “Do you want this, Remy?”

The corner of his mouth hitched up for a second as he looked at me. Slowly, he raised a hand, tracing the curve of my jaw. I shivered, remembering the feel of his hands stroking when I was a wolf.

This was so much better.

He inched even closer. His breath, minty and warm, fanned over my face. His eyes tracked the movements of his fingers hungrily.

“Yeah,” he answered roughly, thickly. “I want this. I want you.” He dipped his head and covered my mouth with his.

As far as first kisses went, I was pretty sure this was one for the record books. 

Fire ignited in me the second Remy’s lips touched mine, soft but demanding all at once. His hands settled on my hips, pulling me closer. The smell of him from earlier in the evening, pine and soap and something that was entirely Remy, filled my senses. 

I was going to combust in the most exquisite ways.

His large hands almost spanned my waist, his fingers flexing against the soft material of my yoga pants. His tongue teased the seam of my lips until I opened my mouth on a gasp, letting him in.

I groaned as his tongue stroked mine, one hand sliding from my waist up my spine.

My hands had been clenched into fists on his chest, the fabric of his t-shirt bunched in my grip. I relaxed my hold now, letting my hands slide over the hard muscle and up around his neck, pressing my chest flush against his.

Now Remy groaned, changing the angle of his head to deepen the kiss.

Flames licked through my blood, and I was sure I was going to combust any second.

I was one hundred percent okay with death by kissing.

Review: Foreverland by Nicole C. Kear

Foreverland
Nicole C. Kear
Imprint
Published April 21, 2020

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

About Foreverland

Margaret is tired of everything always changing. Middle school has gone from bad to worse. Her best friend is becoming a stranger. And her family—well, it’s not even a family anymore.

So Margaret is running away to Foreverland, her favorite amusement park. Hiding out there is trickier than she expects–until she meets Jaime, a thrill-seeking, fast-thinking runaway who teaches Margaret how to stay one step ahead of the captain of security.

At first, this after-hours, all-access pass to the park is a dream come true: sleepovers in the Haunted House, nonstop junk food, and an unlimited ticket to ride. But as the runaways learn each other’s secrets, they must face the reasons they left their normal lives behind. With the Captain closing in and Jaime’s future on the line, can Margaret finally take control?

My Review

I can’t help being fascinated by books that take place in a theme park, whether they’re dark, like TWO CAN KEEP A SECRET or VANISHING GIRLS or sweeter, like THE MIXED UP FILES OF MRS. BASIL E. FRANKWEILER (okay, so that one is set in a museum, but I’m still counting it.).

FOREVERLAND is on the sweeter/lighter side of the spectrum. Margaret wrestles with fears and feelings of rejection and loneliness, but her friendship with Jaime helps give her a new perspective on not just her life, but herself. He sees her as this bold, courageous girl, which gives her an opportunity to reevaluate herself and see if she can find that courage and strength that he sees in her.

I’m pretty sure I saw the book on a list on Twitter and decided to order it to help support authors whose books have come out during the pandemic. We don’t always realize how much authors depend on school visits, book cons, and other big spring and summer events to get the word out about their work. With so many events canceled and so many students distance learning, it has not been easy for authors to reach new readers.

If you’re looking for a really sweet, uplifting book about friendship and courage, I absolutely recommend this one! You can find it on Indiebound and support not only the author but an independent bookstore near you, too!

You can also find other books for readers ages 8 to 12 that came out this year on this Goodreads list.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Margaret has panic attacks and anxiety. Jaime’s grandparents are Puerto Rican.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Margaret feels left behind and forgotten now that her older sister has a boyfriend.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Margaret chokes on a bite of food and someone helps her by knocking it loose.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog.

Review: This Book is Anti-Racist by Tiffany Jewell

This Book is Anti-Racist
Tiffany Jewell
Frances Lincoln Children’s Books
Published January 7, 2020

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

About This Book is Anti-Racist

Learn about identities, true histories, and anti-racism work in 20 carefully laid out chapters. Written by anti-bias, anti-racist, educator and activist, Tiffany Jewell, and illustrated by French illustrator Aurélia Durand in kaleidoscopic vibrancy.

This book is written for the young person who doesn’t know how to speak up to the racist adults in their life. For the 14 year old who sees injustice at school and isn’t able to understand the role racism plays in separating them from their friends. For the kid who spends years trying to fit into the dominant culture and loses themselves for a little while. It’s for all of the Black and Brown children who have been harmed (physically and emotionally) because no one stood up for them or they couldn’t stand up for themselves; because the colour of their skin, the texture of their hair, their names made white folx feel scared and threatened.

It is written so children and young adults will feel empowered to stand up to the adults who continue to close doors in their faces. This book will give them the language and ability to understand racism and a drive to undo it. In short, it is for everyone.

My Review

It took me about an hour to read this book, so it’s a pretty quick, very straightforward read. It begins with asking readers to consider some facts about themselves– their race or their gender, for instance– and to think about how those things place them within our culture. Are you a member of the majority in that category? If so, how can you use that strength to empower others?

One of the most helpful things for me in reading the book were the practical tips for how to respond when someone says something racist or prejudiced in front of you. As with each chapter, the author breaks it down into simple, practical steps.

In the past, I’ve really struggled when someone says something inappropriate in this way. I tend to freeze up and feel panicked and then later wish I’d done something more proactive. Reading this book left me feeling as though I now have the tools to gently but firmly confront friends, family members, or coworkers when I need to. That feels pretty huge for me.

I would recommend this book especially for teens interested in this topic, but I think adults can stand to gain a lot from it, too. As I mentioned, it was a super quick, very practical read. I think it’d make a great place to dip your toes into learning about social justice and how you help.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 up.

Representation
The author is Black Biracial. The book is really aimed at any reader of any race or sexual orientation.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
References to faiths.

Violent Content
Offers tips for what you can legally do if you witness police brutality.

Drug Content
None.