Rutabaga's Reads 2026: Part 4

Here I am with the first young-adult (YA) compilation post for 2026. If you read YA fiction, what do you like about it that has you reading it? What can get on your nerves when it comes to YA?

And the River Drags Her Down (Oct. 7, 2025) by Jihyun Yun.

<This is a standalone novel.>

Ancestral magic follows the female line, but there is a strict rule that one will never resurrect departed humans. Soojin Han and her older sister, Mirae, followed that to the letter, even after their mom died when her car went down an embankment. It’s six years since that accident and now one year since Mirae drowned in the local river that runs through Jade Acre, a [fictional] California town along its coast. Soojin and her dad have only grown apart since they became a two-person household. She doesn’t know how to lift others up like Mirae did and so, in desperation and with Mirae’s milk tooth, she resurrects her sister. She is overjoyed to have her big sister back, but their good friend, Mark Moon, doesn’t share her joy. As Mirae claws her way out from the earth, he sees rot where Soojin only sees vitality. And for a brief while, Mirae seems content. When their dad’s away for work during the week, Mirae cooks with Soojin and prepares her lunches to take to school. The sisters and Mark get up to tame shenanigans in the middle of the night. But Mirae grows tired of hiding. She’s restless and hungry. She needs retribution. In a town that becomes afflicted with a deluge of heavy rain, watch out. “It listens through the water. It comes through the water!” The sister Soojin brought back isn’t, perhaps, the sister she knew, but one she still loves.

            In this YA paranormal fantasy and horror novel, ancient, ancestral magic and desperate loneliness weave together to create an unraveling that is devastating and poignant. The story is grief-filled and sometimes horrible, creepy and disquieting. The plot is propulsive, the horror is mature, and the value of being well-loved is sown throughout. It’s a story of sisterhood but also of selfishness and the desperate, dangerous choices one might make to retrieve what one lost. The narrative is water-stained with darkness and decay, which makes it all the more compelling to read. This haunting isn’t for the faint-hearted, but the strong-willed, even if they come with broken hearts.

Eliza, from Scratch (May 13, 2025) by Sophia Lee.

<This is a standalone novel.>

The one thing standing between Eliza Park (Korean American) and clinching salutatorian is a scheduling conflict that lands her in Culinary Arts – a regular course – instead of AP Physics. Not only is the class unweighted, non-Honors and non-AP, Eliza can’t cook. At all. She can’t fry an egg and only knows the mandolin to be a musical instrument, clearly not knowing that a mandoline is a culinary utensil. She planned for a perfect, flawless senior year with her best friends Kareena and Meredith, but secrets kept and an academic rival disrupting the friend group has Eliza feeling unbalanced. Culinary Arts classmate Wesley Ruengsomboon (Thai American) has her feeling unbalanced, too. She’s also incredibly annoyed with his ease, skill and know-all in the kitchen. In the final period of the day, Eliza goes from star student to mortifying mess. Eliza’s high expectations push her to believe she can win the midterm cooking contest. She’ll learn from Wesley, whom their teacher infuriatingly paired her with, and from her mom. Her mom doesn’t know that Eliza’s learning how to cook Korean food for school and instead thinks she’s learning in order to become closer to the late grandmother she never put in effort to truly understand and know. This overachiever is about to learn some lessons – about life and cooking – from scratch.

            To Wesley, Eliza looks like a cookie cutter cutout of overachieving perfectionism, and she is. Anyone who’s vied for the top spot in their class understands Eliza. It’s eye-opening and frustrating in equal measure and might have some racing to convince themselves that they were never as bad as Eliza. This YA contemporary romance features an enemies-to-lovers, AAPI couple with a sweet/salty plot and a zesty cast of characters. Lee’s debut is here to appease clean romance appetites and make readers hungry for all manner of cultural cuisine. There’s a main character who doesn’t take it in stride or handle it with grace. There’s toughness and vulnerability, hidden feelings and emotions spilling over. The story is well-balanced with freshness and high school drama. For this reader who’s very nitpicky about the YA she can stomach, this one hits the spot.

The Encanto’s Curse (Mar. 4, 2025) by Melissa de la Cruz.

<This is the second novel in a duology.>

<Alert: Potential spoilers ahead.>

A creature stalks the night. It is a manananggal – a mythical creature of the Philippines that separates its upper torso from its legs when hunting – and MJ Robertson-Rodriguez must protect her kingdom as she’s also learning how to be the newly crowned queen of Biringan. She has a vivid dream in which she attacks a young couple in love. The very next day, the couple is there. Injured, but alive. They’re reporting a manananggal attack on one of their goats. MJ comes to the mortifying conclusion that she is the monster. She has no idea how this curse came upon her, and she flees to Mount Makiling with select members of her court, including Sir Lucas Invierno; Grand Duchess Amador Oscura, Sir Lucas’ promised bride; and Nix Xing, a princess of Jade Mountain. Also with their group is the delegation from Jade Mountain, led by Prince Qian, a half-brother to Nix, after he initially tries to get Nix to return to Jade Mountain by force. Prince Qian is a handsome, famed monster hunter. MJ is charmed by him and thinks she could love him someday, but her heart still beats for Lucas just as it also fills with bloodthirst. The young queen must gain control of herself lest she lose her kingdom, her crown and herself, to the viciously hungry ways of the manananggal.

            The concluding novel in The Encanto’s Daughter duology is a YA fantasy that is steeped in Filipino mythology and paranormal romance. I don’t consider it romantasy, for while it does contain kissing, there’s nothing particularly steamy about any of the scenes. I did prefer this story to its predecessor. Where MJ came across as often petulant in that story, I did not get that here, as she races to lift her curse and hide the changes happening to her. The pace is fast, the plot is tense and the tone is dark with notes of hopefulness. Aswang queen though she may be, she’s still a queen and an encanto. And unlike Yara Liliana, practically erased from the history books, MJ has friends who care for and support her. Time isn’t on her side, but her friends are.

            Book One: The Encanto’s Daughter

Poems: Presenting Haiku Poetry 4

Photo by Marta Branco via Pexels

<Each stanza highlights different novels I’ve already read this year.>

There is a return

To the Archipelago.

Grand dragons dying.

(“The Poisoned King” by Katherine Rundell)

 

Rocket to the moon.

Onasander is missing.

Infiltrate the camp.

(“The Super-Secret Mission to the Center of the Moon (Pie)” by Melissa de la Cruz)

Ancestral magic.

Mirae’s milk tooth brings her back.

Seeks retribution.

(“And the River Drags Her Down” by Jihyun Yun.)

Filipino food

At Tita Rosie’s Kitchen.

There is food murder.

(“Arsenic and Adobo” by Mia P. Manansala)

 

The Rue de Paris.

Mysterious bakery.

Need pastries and bread.

(“The Mysterious Bakery on the Rue de Paris” by Evie Woods)

Full Moon Coffee Shop.

Astral Milk. Sunrise Syrup.

The shop’s run by cats.

(“The Full Moon Coffee Shop” by Mai Mochizuki)

One can time travel

Before the coffee gets cold.

It’s in Tokyo.

(“Before the Coffee Gets Cold” by Toshikazu Kawaguchi)

A library with

Book characters brought to life.

Magic and romance.

(“The Charmed Library” by Jennifer Moorman)

Isle of Ever.

Two hundred years have gone by.

Hides Evelyn’s friends.

(“The Curse Breaker” by Jen Calonita)

Lisa K.

March 24, 2026

A Poem: "Not Really Grown Up"

Photo by Disney PhotoPass 2025 with Memory Maker purchase.

Not Really Grown Up

“What do you want to be when you grow up?”

Is the ultimate question for our youth.

It is a question for every age,

To seek those answers like a sleuth.

But this is not a poem of convention.

It’s one of imagination and dreams.

Yesterday I was a pirate queen,

Today a designer with color schemes.

This weekend, I shall be concertmaster

At Boston’s Symphony Hall.

Next month I’ll join Cirque du Soleil,

Then to Broadway for my curtain call.

 

After that, I’ll be a mermaid

For a little, watery bit

Before a turn as a vampire,

But to drinking blood I won’t commit.

 

I’ll take a turn running Walt Disney World

And fly by Firebolt to avoid delays.

I’ll best the record for tallest croquembouche

While writing Oscar-winning screenplays.

It’ll be off to the moon for a landing

Until gravity tempts me toward home,

Where my feet will land on my homestead

And reading encourages me to roam.

Lisa K.

March 23, 2026

A Poem: "Build a Crescendo"

Photo by Benjamin Farren via Pexels

Build a Crescendo

I am but one voice in the multitude

In a sea of people with varying moods.

Some you encounter are a bright delight

While others tempt you to put up a fight.

Don’t knock quietude as a negative response,

For maybe one’s prepping a renaissance.

That quiet is what we need to begin

To dig to the deep well of strength within.

There is subtle strength in quietude,

Lifting us up in a manner subdued.

And there is resilience borne in the dark,

Where things might seem lost, broken or stark.

Rising through darkness is no easy task.

It is much simpler to put on a mask,

But forward and upward we do proceed

Until light shows and the fog recedes.

Spin a tornado. Build a crescendo.

Find that flow that releases your glow.

Through the storm, be the sturdy tree,

And carry on, for we are all mighty!

Lisa K.

February 19, 2026

Author’s Note: The inspiration for this poem stemmed from the response I gave a friend on the poem she had written. Instead of viewing quiet and dark as negatives, I wanted to leave a comment that brightened that view and came at things from a different angle. My quote is below.

“I’d like to picture this quietude, not as a result of the negative people in your life that have changed you, but as the quiet we need to reflect, to dig deep, to encourage that deep well of strength that we all have even if we don’t always feel it’s there. There is strength in quietude and resilience in the darkness. It’s when we remember the bright lights we are that darkness lifts and fog recedes. We are all mighty!” --LK on a friend’s Instagram Reel 1/07/2026

Easter 2026

National Poetry Month 2026

Photo of Starfield Library, Seoul, by Philipp Brügger via Pexels

I Have Nothing to Read*

There are books here and there are books there.

There are books practically everywhere,

So why don’t I have anything to read?

I must be lacking books; that sounds logical indeed.

I have books about mythology.

That thriller gives someone the third degree.

A whimsical witch in that novel features.

Those books contain magical creatures.

Reading any of those doesn’t feel right.

I’m not in the mood or they feel like pants too tight.

Plenty of options and yet not enough.

Why is choosing a book sometimes so tough?

The library is close; it’s also where I work.

It has titles for every interest and quirk,

But though their options are bound to be vast

Doesn’t mean I’ll find what I want, at last.

I seek a YA title, but look! Ooh...

A food murder book at a barbecue.

Or there, an adult fic set in a bookshop

And that one with a cat on a countertop.

Oh, what do I read? How do I choose?

Will I simply constantly peruse?

Ha, this is never a problem for me,

For I always read multiple novels, you see!

Lisa K.

March 24, 2026

*This poem is inspired by the age-old question: Why don't I have anything to wear?

Rutabaga's Reads 2026: Part 3

It’s time for my first middle-grade compilation post of the year. This post highlights my love of fantasy and mythology.

Paola Santiago and the Sanctuary of Shadows (Aug. 2, 2022) by Tehlor Kay Mejia.

<This is the final novel in a trilogy.>

She has saved Emma Lockwood, her best friend. She has saved her dad. But Paola Santiago can’t find a rift to enter the void since her prophetic dreams have ceased. No matter their broken friendship, Paola is determined to save Dante Mata. Her dad, absent for so much of her life, thinks she should be a regular 13-year-old, but how can Paola just be 13 years old? She’s battled spirits and void monsters, is armed with an Arma del Alma and has saved people she loves. She can’t simply flip a switch. Her best chance of entering the void might be in Texas, but she’s still a kid with zero funds in Arizona. Coincidentally, Emma and her group of proactive friends in the Rainbow Rogues are heading to San Antonio, so Paola’s stop is practically along the way, if she can stomach the judgy girls. She’ll discover who Falsita fears most, but Falsita herself will be jarring to Pao. Pao reminds herself that her aim is to rescue Dante, no matter if he hates her, but in a sea of copies, who’s real and who isn’t? A battle is coming, and no one is prepared, but how would one prepare to face off with the lord of nightmares and dread, anyway?

            The trilogy-ender in the Paola Santiago series is a paranormal, fantasy adventure containing the importance of friends and family but also the stuff of nightmares. Based on Mexican folklore, Paola embarks on one more rollercoaster adventure, running away from her family (again) and realizing the hard way that she’s in over her head. Paola is clever and brave, but she’s also angry, rash and sometimes bratty enough that it’s hard to endure her. She’s a girl trying to figure out her identity, not only where she fits in with her long-lost father and her paranormal side, but also her orientation. Despite its fantastical storyline, it’s anchored by emotion and love. Though it isn’t my favorite within the Rick Riordan Presents imprint, the story’s heart and imagination scoot the story along.

            Book One: Paola Santiago and the River of Tears

            Book Two: Paola Santiago and the Forest of Nightmares

The Shadow Crosser (Sept. 1, 2020) by J.C. Cervantes.

<This is the final novel in a trilogy.>

<Alert: Potential spoilers ahead.>

The check-in date for Zane Obispo to begin his training at the Shaman Institute for Higher Order Magic (SHIHOM) has been moved up, but there’s one more godborn to track down with the help of a foul demon who can literally sniff them out. Joke’s on the demon, though, as there isn’t one godborn, but two. Twins Alana and Adrik are found in an antiques shop taking back a red stone that supposedly belongs to them. Camazotz (the bat god) and Ixkik’ (a.k.a. Blood Moon) want it badly. But why? What’s so significant about the stone? Hurakan (Zane’s godly parent) and Ah-Puch (no longer an adversary) inform Zane that a light on the World Tree has gone out. That means a god has died (in this case, Akan, the god of wine, who was sacrificed by Zotz and Ixkik’). Hurakan and Ah-Puch tell Zane they’ll see him the following day, except they don’t. The gods are all missing in 1987! Itzamna will protect the tree as long as he can, but Zane and company will need to locate Ki’in without dying, travel through time and space (without dying) and rescue the gods (without dying and in under 24 hours). There’s no time like the present to locate a magical calendar.

            Magic, mayhem and mythology are a triple threat of adventure in this middle-grade fantasy adventure and concluding novel in the Storm Runner Series. Mayan mythology with Aztec (a.k.a. Mexica) mythology is crafted into a perfect storm with hero youth, uninvolved parent-gods that manage to need saving, a constantly-moving plot and plenty of snark. It’s a little bizarre and not without darkness, but is fully entertaining, even without being a favorite Rick Riordan Presents series of mine. Be ready for high stakes and perfect hot cocoa (thanks, Ixkakaw)!

            Book One: The Storm Runner

            Book Two: The Fire Keeper

The Super-Secret Mission to the Center of the Moon (Pie) (Feb. 4, 2025) by Melissa de la Cruz.

<This is the second novel in a series.>

<Alert: Potential spoilers ahead.>

Is the moon made of cheese? Octos Edwin, Li’l Kimmy, Dilip, Julie, Ting-Ting, Anton and Harold are about to find out when they strap in for an emergency trip to the moon, following traitorous Maureen, who’s commandeered Octagon Valley’s best rocket, which almost turns into a crash landing. The Octos have lost their fearless leader and the only adult on the impromptu mission, the brilliantly peculiar Onasander Octagon. They get what they think is the ingenious idea to become campers with the influx of other YAK campers arriving. It gets tricky fast when they’re not put on the same team (a.k.a. quadrant), and mingling with the other teams during lunchtime, for example, turns out to be a big no-no, subject to stares, judgment and even flung insults. The team’s best chance is to win the Cosmic Games and be granted access to the YAKs’ lunar labs and their top secret activity. How will any of them win when none are actually YAKs? What if the YAKs already have Onasander?

            Infiltrating a lunar camp and participating in the Cosmic Games are big components in this middle-grade fantasy adventure involving a youthful team of geniuses, an eccentric mastermind, a backstabber whose devious ways may not be her own doing and a moon-full of vengeful YAKs (we still don’t know what YAK stands for – Young Available Kittens? Yodeling Angry Knights?). Along with the racial and cultural diversity, the setting outside Earth and the story’s entertainment value, there is weight to this novel. There are lots of personalities in these characters and the struggles that go with all of those varying (genius) minds. There’s jealousy in those whose superpowers haven’t manifested, underlying resentments and nefarious aliens (different from the aliens that the Octos are). The novel is high-energy with high-stakes momentum. My only grumble is with Edwin. That kid needs a big ole slice of humble pie with a side of humility. But don’t let Edwin stop you from picking up this energetic installment.

            Book One: The (Super Secret) Octagon Valley Society

Spring 2026

 

"The Curse Breaker" by Jen Calonita

The Curse Breaker (Mar. 10, 2026) by Jen Calonita.

<This is the second novel in a series.>

<Alert: Potential spoilers ahead.>

The game isn’t over. Instead, there is a new game. Everly “Benny” Benedict found the island, but the inheritance isn’t yet hers. Benny has found Evelyn’s friends, trapped for two centuries on the island. Being stranded in perpetually glorious weather may sound divine, but learning you’ve been on the island for 200 years versus 200 days and that everyone you once knew is dead takes time to accept. There are more clues to seek out and new journal entries to read. All pieces of the pirate treasure need to be returned to break the curse, but who has the missing piece or pieces? Someone Benny thought was her friend has betrayed her, but she’s gained Gilbert “Gil” Monroe. (Aggy Bishop, Laurel Henderson and Thomas Lyons remain on the island, and no one knows where Axel Rudd is since he scampered off it.) Jonas Kimble is as cranky and fusty as ever, but he’s nearby. He’s limited to how far from Greenport, New York (part of Long Island Sound), he can venture, and he’s looking for Grace. She goes by many names that all begin with “C” for some reason. The Isle of Ever should be around for a fortnight, but the clock is ticking. If time runs out, the greedy Rudd family will inherit, and the island will disappear for another 200 years.

            Calonita’s middle-grade fantasy adventure features family, friendship, magic, mayhem, pirates and lost treasure. The characters of 2025 and 1825 are intriguing and curious. Captain Jonas Kimble reminds me of Captain Jack Sparrow, but for the middle-grade set and without the smell of rum. Ha! No sequel syndrome with this Isle of Ever series book, as it is a riptide of conflict, calamity, mystery and spirit. Even when characters are slogging through the rain, this novel is an escapade and a local research expedition. There are twists to capsize the reader and a confrontational cliffhanger that’ll have the audience impatiently awaiting the next installment.

            Book One: The Isle of Ever

The Positive Page-turner's Challenge: Take 22

The Positive Page-turner’s Challenge: Take 22

This is my first book photo challenge since June of last year. As I mentioned in that Challenge, I haven’t been purchasing as many books, and that remains true. But even if I only buy books to fill one Page-turner’s Challenge, I will keep posting one of these challenges per year. My aim; however, is two per year.

            There are 17 books in this photo. I will again donate $5/book. A check for $85 will be written out to a fund at my local church. Currently, I’m unsure if I’ll donate it to the Sunday School, Altar Guild or the Haiti Fund.

            The need around the globe and in our own communities is greater than ever. Please donate whatever you can, whether it’s time, money, pantry items, clothing or baked goods for a bake sale. It’s all worthwhile, and it all counts. YOU count, and together, we can all make a positive difference.

"Sunrise on the Reaping" by Suzanne Collins

Sunrise on the Reaping (Mar. 18, 2025) by Suzanne Collins.

<This is the fifth Hunger Games novel.>

<Chronologically, it occurs 40 years after TBoSaS and 24 years before the THG trilogy.>

The odds will be ever in someone’s favor. But whose? Panem is readying for the Fiftieth Annual Hunger Games. In honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes. Two girls and two boys. In District 12, Haymitch Abernathy tries not to think too hard about his odds, especially since he has extra tesserae in order to receive extra food rations for his family (mom: Willamae; 10-year-old brother: Sid). His birthday is never one to truly celebrate, landing on reaping day as it does, but he does want to be with Lenore Dove Baird, the girl he loves. Unfortunately, Haymitch’s name is called without being drawn. He’s torn from his family, Lenore, everyone he knows in District 12, and as the Games begin, he knows he’s been set up to fail. His fellow tributes are Louella McCoy (a 12-year-old who’s like a younger sister to him), Maysilee Donner (the snobbiest girl in town) and Wyatt Callow (an oddsmaker and the son of a Booker Boy). Does he want to die? No. Does he expect to die a painful, gruesome death? Yes. So, if he’s going to die no matter what, he wants to die fighting a fight that will reverberate beyond the arena all the way to District 12. If he can, he will drown the arena if the arena and the Career tributes don’t end him first.

            It took me almost a year since its publication to read, but once I dove in, the propulsive storyline propelled me quickly through this YA science fiction dystopia. Because I already “knew” Haymitch from The Hunger Games trilogy, I rooted for his character and so was easily swept up in his story, brutal and broken and gut-wrenching as it is. It’s a formidable edition to the canon, and it’s explosive in its portrayal of an authoritarian government with totalitarian control. There is jet propulsion to this book that is upsetting, agonizing, raw and candid, but it makes it all the more provoking, emotional and exceptional. There is rage. There is compassion. And there is inspiration. Perhaps one day, there will be hope and no sunrise on the reaping.

            Also reviewed by me: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

"Arsenic and Adobo" by Mia P. Manansala

Arsenic and Adobo (May 4, 2021) by Mia P. Manansala.

<This is the first novel in a series.>

Big city life in Chicago was the dream and still is, but Lila Macapagal is back home with Tita (Aunt) Rosie and Lola (Grandmother) Flor. The Calendar Crew of aunties not by blood (Mga Ninang April, Mae and June) give her a hard time for leaving for three years, showering her with love and judgment, as Lila is back working at Tita Rosie’s Kitchen. When the particularly unpleasant, self-proclaimed food critic in Shady Palms, Illinois (population around 20,000), drops dead soon after a wisecrack from Lila about, “Would it kill you ...,” her life tilts. Not only is the deceased her ex-boyfriend, but Detective Jonathan Park treats her like the only suspect and is convinced of her guilt based on evidence [definitely] planted in her work locker. Lila has no choice but to conduct her own investigation. She’s got a list of restaurants who’ve been targeted by Derek Winter (the dead guy), the nosy auntie network, her barista bestie Adeena Awan and her trusty, overweight Dachshund Longganisa. There’s also the family lawyer, Amir Awan, Adeena’s golden-child big brother and the guy Lila’s had a crush on for forever. And Dr. Jae Park, town dentist, has entered the picture. Both are attractive. Both are successful. Both are single. But first, Lila must figure out who killed Derek, framed her and brought further distress upon her family’s already struggling restaurant.

            The debut adult fiction novel in Manansala’s Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mysteries series brings Filipino American food culture to the forefront of a cozy, culinary mystery series with a sizzling plot and mouthwatering dishes. It is ripe with sticky situations and satisfying snark, humor, hard work and heart. Lila is plucky and sarcastic and is definitely new to amateur sleuthing, flawed bits and all, but I rooted for this tight-knit (if sometimes overbearing) family and community of color. There is one moment where I really struggled with Lila, as she’s the one who’s bringing the “high school drama.” Not Adeena. Yeah, I realize she’s going through a lot, and while I have compassion for her, I have zero patience for bratty behavior. There is emphasis on culture and language (Tagalog) with the story tackling heavier matters like drug-dealing, racial discrimination and fatphobia. (There is a trigger warning.) I flew through this story like a contestant in a timed showdown (minus all the stress and the actual cooking or baking). There is food. There is murder. It is cozy and culinary with the right amount of drama. It’s a little sweet, a lot salty, but all the mentions of food balance it out and keep me hungry. Now, how about a plate of ube crinkles?

            P.S. This library checkout was my Blind Date with a Book this month.

            P.P.S. There are recipes at the back of the book, including a recipe for those ube crinkle cookies!

Rutabaga's Reads 2026: Part 2

I have the library to thank for the books rounding out this chapter book compilation. We’ve got an axolotl, fashionable young friends and a fractured fairy tale, all for the 6-9 age range. If you have children/grandchildren/nieces/nephews in this age group, what do they like to read? What are you reading together?

The Great Axolotl Escape (Aug. 1, 2025) by John Sazaklis.

   Letizia Rizzo, illustrator.

<This book is part of an unnumbered series.>

In Ms. Garcia’s sixth grade class in Brownsville, Texas, there is Amigo the Axolotl. He is from Mexico, and when he hears Alejandro telling Ms. Garcia that he’s going to the Charro Days Fiesta, he plots quickly to tag along with the Student Helper. The festival should be great. Maybe Amigo will meet a lady lizard! Or he’ll get to eat shrimp burritos! Instead, things don’t go as planned, and he ends up separated from Alejandro and in the sights of a dog. What’s an axolotl to do?

            This book geared for ages 7-8 is part of the Homeroom is a Zoo series. It is constantly-moving and fun to read the axolotl’s chaotic misadventure. It is a story for emergent readers ready for chapter books who may still need help with some of the vocabulary. I would read more of these.

JoJo and the Fashion Show (Aug. 1, 2025) by Annette M. Clayton.

   Carolina Vázquez, illustrator.

<This is part of an unnumbered series.>

JoJo Jupiter has a new hearing aid. At first worried about the bold purple color standing out, she chooses to own it and blings it up with a Dazzle Kit, also making herself other accessories to complement her ear-ware. JoJo sets a classroom trend and soon her best friends Rae and Mia are sporting Dazzle Kit jewelry along with many of their other classmates. Her third best friend, Cassie, is not sporting Dazzle Kit accessories. With a recess fashion show coming up, JoJo isn’t seeing that Cassie’s having a hard time. How can JoJo make sure the fashion show goes on while being the friend Cassie needs her to be?

            An unnumbered book in the JoJo series that is youthfully stylish gets readers thinking about what they might do if one of their friends was struggling. It is a thoughtful story that involves teamwork and troubleshooting in order to help a best friend feel included and seen. Advanced readers will fly through this book in no time, making it a good one for those budding readers ready for more challenging chapter books.

This Journal Belongs to Rapunzel: A Rapunzel Fractured Fairy Tale (Aug. 1, 2025) by Stephanie True Peters.

   Danesh Mohiuddin, illustrator.

<This is part of an unnumbered series.>

There is a girl who lives in a lighthouse in the middle of an island teeming with the most delicious clams. The girl’s name is Rapunzel. She’s never been allowed to eat a clam. She only ever remembers living in the lighthouse and being its keeper, tasked even with switching out a broken lightbulb in a massive storm. The only one who ever comes to visit her is a large talking crab called Gurgle. She is unpleasant, Rapunzel has to regularly remove barnacles from her when she visits, and she’s, well, crabby, but Gurgle is also the only way Rapunzel gets any food. Her favorite treats are marshmallows. When she hears, “Rapunzel! Rapunzel! Let down your hair!” and up climbs a boy named Henry, she is in shock. Henry may be her ticket off the little island, but first she’ll have to face off with Gurgle and her super sharp claws.

            Geared for youth ages 6-8, this chapter book written in journal form is a fractured fairy tale just right for this age group. It’s fast-paced and attention-keeping. There are harrowing moments that aren’t scary and a revelation expected to anyone familiar with the story of Rapunzel that is a good moment to read all the same. It’s a worthy tale for confident chapter book readers.

Rutabaga's Reads 2026: Part 1

Welcome to the first picture books compilation of the new year! This compilation features a broken cup, a humble pie, a kitty camp, a strong father/daughter bond and a baby with a library card (maybe).

Broken (Oct. 14, 2025) by X. Fang.

Here is a story of Ama’s cup. That Mei Mei accidentally breaks when she tries to surprise Mimi, Ama’s cat. Mei Mei feels terrible and so she runs away, because she’s scared that Ama will be so mad that she’ll yell at her or kick her out of her house. Innocent Mimi is blamed by Ama, and Mei Mei feels certain that Mimi is staring at her with accusation, because the cat knows the truth. Finally, the guilt overwhelms young Mei Mei and the story pours out. What will Ama’s reaction be? Will she yell? Kick her out? Take away her piece of cake?

            Author and illustrator Fang presents readers with a well-paced story that is easy to follow. Children and adults who remember being children will relate to the weight of guilt that unexpected accidents can cause. The illustrations are vivid but also moody. Mei Mei’s weighing guilt shows through with darker tones. There is compassionate drama in this picture book of fault and forgiveness. There’s also a lot of love and a little glue to mend what’s been broken and give the cup its own story to tell.

            Also by the author: We Are Definitely Human

The Humble Pie (Nov. 4, 2025) by Jory John.

   Pete Oswald, illustrator.

<This is the eighth book in the Food Group series.>

For the Humble Pie, humble looks like meek, the one always hiding in the shadows. When he pairs with his best friend, a cake named Jake, on a major science project for Mr. Berryman’s class, they’re thrilled to be a dream team together. Unfortunately, Jake’s a busy cake, participating in most extracurriculars in existence, it seems like, and eventually, Humble Pie is doing all of the work alone. There’s much yet to do, and he isn’t going to complete it in time alone. They’ll be mincemeat if that happens. All this time, Humble Pie has thought that being humble meant being unseen and sometimes getting walked all over like a rug. He’s going to need to push up his hypothetical sleeves and have that tough conversation with his best friend. Will he learn that always being the side dish takes the cake? Or will this Humble Pie learn to fly?

            The eighth in the Food Group series is a sweet little delight of a picture book. Oswald’s illustrations complement John’s writing superbly. I love all of the color and the bright-eyed classmates in treat form. This is a kid-friendly story about learning the importance of advocating for yourself. Advocating for yourself can include asking for help instead of tackling it all on your own when you’re struggling, and it can mean sticking up for yourself so you’re treated fairly. This book also serves up how great it is when best friends are there for each other, especially in a time of need. It’s a charming story to sweeten up anyone’s day.

            Also from the author: The Smart Cookie

Kitty Camp (Apr. 29, 2025) by Drew Brockington.

It’s camp day. Hooray! One girl is so excited to attend her first summer (day) camp. She’s going to arts & crafts and can’t wait to hike, swim and sing. She’s in for a big surprise when she accidentally gets on the wrong bus and ends up at … Kitty Camp! Arts and Crafts is disorganized, hiking is nap time, her tuna sandwich lunch is nabbed, and no cat wants to go swimming with her. She’s about decided that Kitty Camp isn’t so fun until she comes across the best idea. Superfort, anyone?

            As a cat person, yes, please, sign me up for Kitty Camp! Author-illustrator Brockington creates an entertaining tale accompanied by colorful, lively illustrations. There is enchantment in the story’s hilarity and delight through the hijinks. My first story from Brockington tells me I’ve been missing out. This one is full of feline friskiness and friendly fun.

My Daddy Tells Me (2022) by Thuba Nguyen.

   Serena Lombardo, illustrator.

Young Mai is a precocious girl, curious about life and well-loved. She’s a biracial Vietnamese African American being raised by her father. He showers her with positive affirmations and encourages her bright personality and myriad interests. And Mai is the light as they emigrate from Vietnam for a new life in the United States. Mai’s life isn’t going to be without toxicity surrounding color, culture, tradition, gender and more, but with her dad’s enduring love and support helping to shape a healthy and self-assured self-image, Mai will grow up with a strong sense of identity and self-worth.

            Nguyen’s picture book is a celebration of fathers and daughters and the importance of having that strong bond. The power of love and the impact of parental support is life-changing. Sure, Mai and her father are connected by blood, but that connection is cemented by trust and knowing one is loved. This story is sweet, tender and heartwarming, but it’s also infused with strength, perseverance and integrity.

            Bonus: Nguyen is a Minnesota author!

Never Give a Baby a Library Card (Oct. 21, 2025) by Erin Sandberg.

   Tom Booth, illustrator.

Give a baby a library card? What a thought! Because “…what if a baby learned how to make clothes?/We’d all look ridiculous!/Who’d want to wear those?” A mother and grandmother have come to the library to get a baby its first library card, but Shouty Man wants none of that. He’s galled at the idea of babies running barbershops after learning to cut hair “just a moment ago” and adults walking about in the latest $400 diaper fashions. Or of babies finding inspiration that trigger their imagination. The chaos! The horror! But a practical child contradicts him and asks if he hasn’t also learned from the books he’s read?

            This rhyming picture book is a lively romp that’s perfect for reading aloud. It promotes libraries, the power of books and the significance of learning at every age. The story from this married duo is colorful, the rhyming tempo is spot-on and little details in the illustrations like PRADADA and GUGUCCI are hilariously adorable. For someone like me, who loves books and libraries (and currently works in one), this book is a celebration and a joy. It empowers readers and library users and reminds us all that access to knowledge should not be limited. Keep on reading, and get your library card if you don’t already have an active one!

"The Poisoned King" by Katherine Rundell

The Poisoned King (Sept. 11, 2025) by Katherine Rundell.

<This is the middle novel in a trilogy.>

The call to return to the Archipelago comes when Christopher Forrester wakes to find Jacques the jaculus dragon chewing on his face. Finally! A summons! He’s joyful to return, but the news is grim. Someone has a poison strong enough to kill the dragons. Such poison does not exist in the Archipelago, so it must’ve come from the Outerlands. The great red-winged dragon Sarkany states that she’ll only trust Christopher because he’s from the Outerlands and not of the Archipelago. After correctly answering Naravirala the sphinx’s question (and thus preventing being eaten), he travels on her winged back. Before making course for Sarkany in Edem (a dragon island), they detour to save Princess Anya Phoebe Cornelia Argen of the Island of Dousha, Duchess of the Silver Mountains, Countess of the Winged Forests. The Argens are the last royal family in the Archipelago. Anya’s dad is being held prisoner, set up for a murder he didn’t commit, and Anya is about to be murdered. She’s a 12-year-old with nothing but the clothes on her back, a flock of royal gaganas at her side, a newly-hatched gagana chick called Koo in her pocket and a thirst for revenge so strong that her throat burns with injustice. One wants to save the dragons, the other wants to rescue her father, but both need the other’s help, as the avarice-filled killer connects them.

            Rundell’s sequel suffers no second-book syndrome in this mythological, magical thrill ride in a world of creatures both gentle and dangerous, intelligent, cunning and helpful (depending on the species). The fantastical fantasy adventure includes corruption in a royal family, dragons of all sizes, retribution and friends new and old. There’s triumph and new life, grief and peril, advice and wisdom. It’s emotional, cheeky, high-spirited and fast-moving. With brilliant illustrations, magnificent world-building, heart-tugging scenes and continuous adventure, this story is a resplendent return to a wondrous world. As with the previous story, there is a Guardian’s Bestiary of magical creatures at the back.

            Book One: Impossible Creatures

HNY 2026

 

Happy 2026!

Photo by Atlantic Ambience via Pexels

Happy New Year!

Look at us. We made it through 2025. I hope your year was filled with shining moments and not 365 Mondays. I hope your 2026 is full of goodness and gladness, wellness and well-being. Don’t stop chasing dreams and don’t be afraid to try something new. In fact, go DO something new, something that gets you out of your comfort zone. Drive someplace you’ve never been. Tackle that challenging recipe. Jump out of an airplane. Eat squid. Whatever that something is for you, go do it, and please let me know about it!

            Have a year of successes and core memories. Make lemonade out of lemons. Break those eggs so you can make that omelet. Be a creative potato. Have a year of sunshine days and wind-at-your-back moments. Fulfill all of your resolutions. Cheers to us and the light that we’ll all bring to 2026!

            Love and sparkles,

            Lisa