Chimeras, Shadows, and a Black Hole: 5 New Science Fiction and Fantasy Middle Grade Books for the Fall

Suee and the Shadow, by Ginger Ly and Molly Park
After Suee Lee transfers to the dull and ordinary Outskirts Elementary, she is content to be friendless. That is, until her shadow comes to life and sends her world into chaos. When her classmates become zombie-like, hollow-eyed Zeroes, Suee investigates what’s happening and discovers a shocking secret about herself. This graphic novel is beautifully drawn, with film noir-like illustrations that animate this suspenseful, eerie tale.

The Care and Feeding of a Pet Black Hole, by Michelle Cuevas
When a black hole follows her home from NASA, Stella Rodriguez finds herself with a new pet who swallows everything in sight; the ugly homemade sweaters from her Aunt, a smelly class hamster, and all the painful reminders of her dead father. When the black hole swallows her brother and Cosmo the dog, she must go on a cosmic space adventure to save them and get back home. Both humorous and poignant, this story will keep kids laughing and thinking.

Tentacle and Wing, by Sarah Porter
Ada is a chimera, born with human and animal DNA from a science experiment gone wrong. Her infrared vision makes her a target; there are a whole host of people who want to do away with “freaks” like her. After a test exposes her condition, she is shipped to a quarantined school where she is surrounded by kids who are different, just like she is. As much as she loves bonding with her newfound friends, she senses the school is keeping a secret that could upend everything the world knows about chimeras and their origins, and she sets out to learn the truth.

The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding, by Alexandra Bracken
This new contemporary fantasy from bestselling author Alexandra Bracken tells the funny and thrilling adventure of Prosper Redding, who learns that a vengeful demon lives inside of him. The four-thousand-year-old demon, Alaster, has beef with Prosper’s great-great-great-great-great-something grandfather and plans to destroy the Redding family. Prosper only has a few days to break the curse. Along with his long-lost Uncle and cousin Nell, Prosper tries to escape his family history before he’s doomed to repeat it.

Elizabeth and Zenobia, by Jessica Miller
In this gothic horror story, timid Elizabeth Murmur and her Edgar Allan Poe-loving best friend Zenobia find themselves at Witheringe House, a creepy old mansion where Zenobia suspects there is an otherworldly presence in the east wing. Determined to summon the dead, the fearless Zenobia leads Elizabeth on a journey through the house to uncover its ghostly secrets. Readers will delight in this creepy and twisty tale.