A New Wrinkle in Time Story, a Brilliant Young Engineer, and a Magical Cat: 5 Exciting New Chapter Books and Series

Sam the Man & the Dragon Van Plan, by Frances O’Roark Dowell and Amy June Bates
Sam the Man is back with another one of his famous plans—two of them actually!—in the funny third installment in this chapter book series by Frances O’Roark Dowell with illustrations by Amy June Bates. Seven-year-old Sam is super into monster trucks, so when his family’s minivan needs to be replaced, Sam comes up with an awesome idea. His parents should get a family monster truck instead! And if that won’t work, Sam has a stellar Plan B: Get a monster minivan and paint a fierce-looking dragon on it. How is he going to convince his mom? And does Sam even know how to paint a dragon? Those are just pesky details for Sam in this fun family story.

Kitty’s Magic 1: Misty the Scared Kitten, by Ella Moonheart
Young cat lovers will think this first book in a new series is the purr-fect read. In it, Japanese-American Koemi “Kitty” Kimura has always wanted a cat—hence her nickname—but unfortunately, she’s allergic. But when Kitty’s best friend invites her for a sleepover to meet her new kitten, Misty, Kitty’s grandmother says it’s OK for her to go—if she wears a mysterious family heirloom charm. Regardless, Kitty has a sneezing fit at Jenny’s house and then magically transforms into a cat! Luckily, Kitty has Misty there to show her the feline ropes. And it turns out Kitty has something important to teach Misty too in this sweet, charming book with kitten illustrations throughout.

Heartwood Hotel: Better Together, by Kallie George and Stephanie Graegin
Orphaned mouse Mona is so thrilled to have found her home at the Heartwood Hotel, where she has gotten a job as a maid. So when the hotel’s badger owner, Mr. Heartwood, takes off on vacation, Mona is happy to work hard to keep everything tip-top. But soon after Mr. Heartwood heads out, Gilles, the front desk lizard, hears that a rival hotel is looking to take down the Heartwood. The lizard is determined to throw the biggest, best Spring Splash the forest has ever seen. Can Mona and the other critters at the Heartwood protect Mr. Heartwood’s hotel? Find out in this charming new adventure filled with sweet woodland illustrations.

Intergalactic P.S. 3: A Wrinkle in Time Story, by Madeleine L’Engle and Hope Larson
Bring young readers into the world of Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time with this standalone chapter book. Intergalactic P.S. 3 started out as a short story L’Engle published in 1970 and was the basis for the second book in the quintet, A Wind in the Door. It has now been reinvented as a short book with illustrations by Hope Larson. In it, Meg knows her little brother, Charles, isn’t cut out for school on Earth, so with the help of the mysterious Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which, Meg and her friend Calvin get Charles into a public school that is truly out of this world.

Ellie, Engineer, by Jackson Pearce
With a toolbelt strapped over her fluffy, purple skirt, Ellie is the self-dubbed “neighborhood engineer” in this STEM-powered story of friendship. Ellie is known for her amazing inventions she creates in her backyard workshop, so when she overhears that her best friend, Kit, is getting the dog she always wanted for her birthday, Ellie is determined to engineer the perfect doghouse for her best bud. But soon her plans get so elaborate, there’s no way she can pull this off on her own. She’s going to need help, especially if she wants to keep the gift a surprise. Kids will love this endearing and funny new book.