2026 Lone Star Reading List

The beat I drum

Bowling, Dusti,


School Library Journal starred, March 2025. Finding the beat of the drums helps teenage Connor navigate his Tourette's Syndrome, friendships, and family problems.
Date Published:2025

Blood in the water

Jackson, Tiffany D.,


Booklist starred, May 2025. Bulletin (Center for Children's Books), July 2025. Horn Book, July 2025. New York Times, June 2025. Pub Weekly, April 2025. School Library Journal starred, June 2025. School Library Journal, June 2025. "Brooklyn girl Kaylani McKinnon is thrust into an intricate web of lies when a shocking murder on Martha's Vineyard threatens to expose dangerous secrets"--Provided by publisher.
Date Published:2025

Booklist starred, May 2025. Bulletin (Center for Children's Books), July 2025. Horn Book, July 2025. New York Times, June 2025. Pub Weekly, April 2025. School Library Journal starred, June 2025. School Library Journal, June 2025. "Brooklyn girl Kaylani McKinnon is thrust into an intricate web of lies when a shocking murder on Martha's Vineyard threatens to expose dangerous secrets"--Provided by publisher.

Date Published:2025

Bye forever, I guess

Meadows, Jodi,


Booklist starred, October 2024. Bulletin (Center for Children's Books), September 2024. Kirkus Review, September 2024. Pub Weekly, July 2024. Eighth-grader Ingrid runs a popular blog anonymously and has online personal more popular than she is, but when a wrong-number text message offers her a chance at connection, Ingrid opens herself to the opportunity to make a real live friend.
Date Published:2025

Chronically Dolores

Van Wagenen, Maya,


Booklist starred, February 2024. Kirkus Review, February 2024. Pub Weekly, December 2023. "Dolores Mendoza is not thriving. She was recently diagnosed with a chronic bladder condition called interstitial cystitis. The painful disease isn't life threatening, but it is threatening to ruin her life. Just when things seem hopeless, Dolores meets someone poised to change her fate. Terpsichore Berkenbosch-Jones is glamorous, autistic, and homeschooled against her will by her overprotective mother. After a rocky start, the girls form a tentative partnership. Beautiful, talented Terpsichore will help Dolores win back her ex-best friend, Shae. And Dolores will convince Terpsichore's mom that her daughter has the social skills to survive public school. It seems like a foolproof plan, but Dolores isn't always a reliable narrator, and her choices may put her in danger of committing an unforgivable betrayal"--Provided by publisher.
Date Published:2025

Booklist starred, February 2024. Kirkus Review, February 2024. Pub Weekly, December 2023. "Dolores Mendoza is not thriving. She was recently diagnosed with a chronic bladder condition called interstitial cystitis. The painful disease isn't life threatening, but it is threatening to ruin her life. Just when things seem hopeless, Dolores meets someone poised to change her fate. Terpsichore Berkenbosch-Jones is glamorous, autistic, and homeschooled against her will by her overprotective mother. After a rocky start, the girls form a tentative partnership. Beautiful, talented Terpsichore will help Dolores win back her ex-best friend, Shae. And Dolores will convince Terpsichore's mom that her daughter has the social skills to survive public school. It seems like a foolproof plan, but Dolores isn't always a reliable narrator, and her choices may put her in danger of committing an unforgivable betrayal"--Provided by publisher.

Date Published:2025

The experiment

Stead, Rebecca,


Booklist, August 2025. Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books starre, September 2025. Kirkus Review, July 2025. New York Times, November 2025. Publishers Weekly, June 2025. School Library Journal starred, September 2025. "Eleven-year-old Nathan and his parents have a mission to blend in with humans on Earth, but when Nathan starts growing a tail, he begins to question the true purpose of their alien experiment"--OCLC.
Date Published:2025

Booklist, August 2025. Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books starre, September 2025. Kirkus Review, July 2025. New York Times, November 2025. Publishers Weekly, June 2025. School Library Journal starred, September 2025. "Eleven-year-old Nathan and his parents have a mission to blend in with humans on Earth, but when Nathan starts growing a tail, he begins to question the true purpose of their alien experiment"--OCLC.

Date Published:2025

The extraordinary orbit of Alex Ramirez

Paulino, Jasminne,


Kirkus Review, April 2025. Publishers Weekly, March 2025. School Library Journal starred, May 2025. Alex, a neurodiverse seventh grader, works to convince his teachers and parents that he is ready to leave his self-contained classroom and join his grade's mainstream science class.
Date Published:2025

The factory

Egan, Catherine, 1976-


Booklist, December 2024. School Library Journal, December 2024. "Thirteen-year-old Asher Doyle is no stranger to misfortune. Bullied at school and struggling with problems at home, he dreams of the day he can leave it all behind him. That's when he receives an unexpected opportunity: an invitation to join the Factory--a top-secret research facility that's supposedly developing renewable energy--and Asher will be paid handsomely for his participation. It seems like the answer to all his problems. But not everything is as it seems at the Factory. The other kids in the program are tired and sullen, almost as if they've had the life sucked out of them, and the staff members are clearly hiding something"--Provided by publisher.
Date Published:2025

Booklist, December 2024. School Library Journal, December 2024. "Thirteen-year-old Asher Doyle is no stranger to misfortune. Bullied at school and struggling with problems at home, he dreams of the day he can leave it all behind him. That's when he receives an unexpected opportunity: an invitation to join the Factory--a top-secret research facility that's supposedly developing renewable energy--and Asher will be paid handsomely for his participation. It seems like the answer to all his problems. But not everything is as it seems at the Factory. The other kids in the program are tired and sullen, almost as if they've had the life sucked out of them, and the staff members are clearly hiding something"--Provided by publisher.

Date Published:2025

The freedom seeker

Gupta, Ruchira,


Booklist, August 2025. Bulletin (Center for Children's Books), June 2025. Kirkus Starred, June 2025. School Library Journal, June 2025. "Twelve-year-old Simi Singh's life in Northern India is filled with love, family traditions, and ordinary worries . . . But when a single rock carrying a note crashes through their window during their Id celebration, Simi's life will shatter. Her Sikh father and Muslim mother's interfaith marriage is becoming a target of violent vigilantes. Faced with rising threats, they must make an impossible choice: stay and risk their lives, or flee their homeland"--Provided by publisher.
Date Published:2025

Booklist, August 2025. Bulletin (Center for Children's Books), June 2025. Kirkus Starred, June 2025. School Library Journal, June 2025. "Twelve-year-old Simi Singh's life in Northern India is filled with love, family traditions, and ordinary worries . . . But when a single rock carrying a note crashes through their window during their Id celebration, Simi's life will shatter. Her Sikh father and Muslim mother's interfaith marriage is becoming a target of violent vigilantes. Faced with rising threats, they must make an impossible choice: stay and risk their lives, or flee their homeland"--Provided by publisher.

Date Published:2025

The girl who kept the castle

Graudin, Ryan,


Booklist, May 2024. Bulletin (Center for Children's Books), June 2024. Publishers Weekly Annex, May 2024. School Library Journal, June 2024. "Wizard West was dead for nearly an entire day before he noticed. And Faye, the daughter of West's groundskeeper, is charged with the unfortunate task of informing the wizard that he is now a ghost who has lost all magical powers. (But not before West tries turning her into a cat!) To make matters worse, the enchanted castle of Celurdur, the only home that Fay has ever known, will fall apart at the next new moon if its foundation spells can't be renewed. After (sort of) accepting his demise, West decides to host a competition to choose his successor. And Faye now finds herself fighting behind the scenes to keep the tournament running smoothly: putting out kitchen fires, feeding the compost dragon, and making sure competitors stay away from the cockatrice pen. But killer roosters soon become the least of her worries. A servant of the evil Shadow Queen has sabataged the contest, and is set on destroying not only Celurdur, but the entire kingdom of Solum. Faye must find a way to stop him, but she'll need more than a mop and some magic to save everything she loves from utter destruction"--Dust jacket.
Date Published:2024

Booklist, May 2024. Bulletin (Center for Children's Books), June 2024. Publishers Weekly Annex, May 2024. School Library Journal, June 2024. "Wizard West was dead for nearly an entire day before he noticed. And Faye, the daughter of West's groundskeeper, is charged with the unfortunate task of informing the wizard that he is now a ghost who has lost all magical powers. (But not before West tries turning her into a cat!) To make matters worse, the enchanted castle of Celurdur, the only home that Fay has ever known, will fall apart at the next new moon if its foundation spells can't be renewed. After (sort of) accepting his demise, West decides to host a competition to choose his successor. And Faye now finds herself fighting behind the scenes to keep the tournament running smoothly: putting out kitchen fires, feeding the compost dragon, and making sure competitors stay away from the cockatrice pen. But killer roosters soon become the least of her worries. A servant of the evil Shadow Queen has sabataged the contest, and is set on destroying not only Celurdur, but the entire kingdom of Solum. Faye must find a way to stop him, but she'll need more than a mop and some magic to save everything she loves from utter destruction"--Dust jacket.

Date Published:2024

Gloam

Mackay, Jack,


"Age range: 8-12"--Dust jacket. Booklist, June 2025. Horn Book, September 2025. Kirkus Review, June 2025. School Library Journal starred, September 2025. After moving into their late grandmother's eerie house on a small island, thirteen-year-old Gwen must protect her family from their monstrous babysitter, Esme, which forces her to confront her deepest fears as she fights back against terrifying creatures.
Date Published:2025

"Age range: 8-12"--Dust jacket. Booklist, June 2025. Horn Book, September 2025. Kirkus Review, June 2025. School Library Journal starred, September 2025. After moving into their late grandmother's eerie house on a small island, thirteen-year-old Gwen must protect her family from their monstrous babysitter, Esme, which forces her to confront her deepest fears as she fights back against terrifying creatures.

Date Published:2025

A hero's guide to summer vacation

Cartaya, Pablo,


Thirteen-year-old Cuban American Gonzalo joins his estranged grandfather on road trip to promote his grandfather's fantasy book series.
Date Published:2025

It's watching

Currie, Lindsay,


Booklist, January 2025. Bulletin (Center for Children's Books), December 2024. Kirkus Review, December 2024. Publishers Weekly, November 2024. School Library Journal starred, January 2025. After attempting to prove the existence of a famous ghost for their school newspaper, Josie, Jackson, and Alison begin to receive sinister memes on their phones and must uncover the truth behind the terrifying messages before time runs out.
Date Published:2025

Booklist, January 2025. Bulletin (Center for Children's Books), December 2024. Kirkus Review, December 2024. Publishers Weekly, November 2024. School Library Journal starred, January 2025. After attempting to prove the existence of a famous ghost for their school newspaper, Josie, Jackson, and Alison begin to receive sinister memes on their phones and must uncover the truth behind the terrifying messages before time runs out.

Date Published:2025

Junius Leak and the spiraling vortex of doom

Wolf, Allan,


Booklist starred, May 2025. Horn Book, September 2025. Pub Weekly, May 2025. School Library Journal, July 2025. Thirteen-year-old Junius Leak is doomed to ten days of boredom on a houseboat on Lake Peigneur with his uncle while his parents "work on" their marriage. Caught up in a mystery involving pirates, a buried treasure, and a hundred-year-old family feud, he is determined to learn why his mom left Delcambre, Louisiana, when he was a baby and to conquer his fear of water. But the lake has other plans for him. When disaster strikes, Junius must dive deep within to emerge an unlikely hero.
Date Published:2025

Booklist starred, May 2025. Horn Book, September 2025. Pub Weekly, May 2025. School Library Journal, July 2025. Thirteen-year-old Junius Leak is doomed to ten days of boredom on a houseboat on Lake Peigneur with his uncle while his parents "work on" their marriage. Caught up in a mystery involving pirates, a buried treasure, and a hundred-year-old family feud, he is determined to learn why his mom left Delcambre, Louisiana, when he was a baby and to conquer his fear of water. But the lake has other plans for him. When disaster strikes, Junius must dive deep within to emerge an unlikely hero.

Date Published:2025

Keeping pace

Morrison, Laurie,


Booklist, February 2024. Bulletin (Center for Children's Books), March 2024. Determined to regain her sense of accomplishment after losing her top-class ranking to Jonah, Grace decides to compete against him in a Labor Day half-marathon, but as they train together, she learns valuable lessons about what truly matters.
Date Published:2024

Kyra, just for today

Zarr, Sara,


Booklist, February 2024. Kirkus Starred, January 2024. School Library Journal, March 2024. "At the start of seventh grade, Kyra believes her alcoholic mother, who has been sober for five years, has relapsed and with no one to count on, not even her best friend, she starts to question whether being just enough is not enough at all"--Provided by publisher.
Date Published:2024

The legend of the last library

Cole, Frank L,


Includes discussion questions. Juni lives in a world without books. The Blight killed off all the trees, and since then, paper is worth more than just about anything else. Juni's parents were killed in an archeological dig when she was young, so now it's just her and her Grandpa Edgar, trying to survive. When she's not in school, Juni and her friends Doler and Quaze turn to plifting-scavenging in abandoned buildings for any scrap of paper they can find-to earn a little money. If Juni can find enough paper, she can pay for the expensive health care Grandpa needs.
Date Published:2024

Includes discussion questions. Juni lives in a world without books. The Blight killed off all the trees, and since then, paper is worth more than just about anything else. Juni's parents were killed in an archeological dig when she was young, so now it's just her and her Grandpa Edgar, trying to survive. When she's not in school, Juni and her friends Doler and Quaze turn to plifting-scavenging in abandoned buildings for any scrap of paper they can find-to earn a little money. If Juni can find enough paper, she can pay for the expensive health care Grandpa needs.

Date Published:2024

No purchase necessary

Marianayagam, Maria,


"Ages 8-12"--Jacket flap. Booklist starred, January 2025. Horn Book, March 2025. Kirkus Starred, November 2024. Publishers Weekly, October 2024. School Library Journal starred, December 2024. "Ajay Anthonipillai has a million-dollar problem. Ajay has lived his life dutifully following the rules set by his Tamil parents. Rules like, 'straight A's only' (rule #3), 'no such thing as a no-homework day' (rule #5), and 'never watch scary movies' (rule #10). But moving to a new school gives Ajay a new rule to follow: get on seventh grade all-star Jacob Underson's good side. When Jacob asks him to steal a Mercury bar from Scary Al's convenience store, Ajay feels this is his chance to finally 'get cool' and gain real friends. Maybe even stop eating lunch alone. But Jacob rejects the stolen chocolate bar, leaving Ajay to unwrap it and discover that it contains Mercury's 25th Anniversary Grand Prize: one million dollars! Faced with an extreme dilemma, Ajay will have to bear the weight of his actions and battle his conscience in deciding whether or not to claim the prize that may change the life of his family forever"--Provided by publisher.
Date Published:2025

"Ages 8-12"--Jacket flap. Booklist starred, January 2025. Horn Book, March 2025. Kirkus Starred, November 2024. Publishers Weekly, October 2024. School Library Journal starred, December 2024. "Ajay Anthonipillai has a million-dollar problem. Ajay has lived his life dutifully following the rules set by his Tamil parents. Rules like, 'straight A's only' (rule #3), 'no such thing as a no-homework day' (rule #5), and 'never watch scary movies' (rule #10). But moving to a new school gives Ajay a new rule to follow: get on seventh grade all-star Jacob Underson's good side. When Jacob asks him to steal a Mercury bar from Scary Al's convenience store, Ajay feels this is his chance to finally 'get cool' and gain real friends. Maybe even stop eating lunch alone. But Jacob rejects the stolen chocolate bar, leaving Ajay to unwrap it and discover that it contains Mercury's 25th Anniversary Grand Prize: one million dollars! Faced with an extreme dilemma, Ajay will have to bear the weight of his actions and battle his conscience in deciding whether or not to claim the prize that may change the life of his family forever"--Provided by publisher.

Date Published:2025

On again, awkward again

Kelly, Erin Entrada,


Junior Library Guild. High school freshmen, Pacy and Cecil, share a look of love at first sight that sparks a series of mistakes and awkward interactions that become part of their love story.
Date Published:2025

Shadowed

Deuker, Carl,


Junior Library Guild. "Nate plays soccer, but he doesn't love it. He plays because it's what his family expects. Then Lucas Cawley moves in across the street. Lucas isn't like any of Nate's sports friends--he's poor, his parents are mostly absent, and he's devoted to his sister, Megan, who has a learning disability. Lucas may be an outcast at school, but he and Nate find common ground in their fierce games of one-on-one basketball. It's not long before Nate realizes that basketball is his sport. But Nate has an ax to grind with star players Colin and Bo, who have disrespected him for years. Nate believes that outplaying those two is the most important thing . . . until he learns that life is about more than getting ready for the next game"-- Provided by publisher.
Date Published:2024

Junior Library Guild. "Nate plays soccer, but he doesn't love it. He plays because it's what his family expects. Then Lucas Cawley moves in across the street. Lucas isn't like any of Nate's sports friends--he's poor, his parents are mostly absent, and he's devoted to his sister, Megan, who has a learning disability. Lucas may be an outcast at school, but he and Nate find common ground in their fierce games of one-on-one basketball. It's not long before Nate realizes that basketball is his sport. But Nate has an ax to grind with star players Colin and Bo, who have disrespected him for years. Nate believes that outplaying those two is the most important thing . . . until he learns that life is about more than getting ready for the next game"-- Provided by publisher.

Date Published:2024

The singular life of Aria Patel

Ahmed, Samira, (Fiction writer),


Junior Library Guild. Struggling to cope with her father's death and a recent breakup, eighteen-year-old Aria's life becomes infinitely more complicated when she falls through the multiverse, and with the help of a poem, she discovers truths about herself as she journeys through different universes to find her way back home.
Date Published:2025