September’s Best Books for Young Readers

Ghosts, by Raina Telgemeier
Raina Telgemeier is back with her signature graphic novel style in this new fictional tale about teenager Catrina, who is moving with her family to a coastal town in Northern California in hopes that the new setting will help her sick little sister. Maya has cystic fibrosis and will benefit from Bahía de la Luna’s sea air. But as the sisters soon learn, the weather isn’t the only creepy thing about this town—there are ghosts! Maya really wants to meet one, but Catrina wants no part of it. Can she push past her fears to help her sister?

Pokémon Omega Ruby Alpha Sapphire, by Satoshi Yamamoto and Hidenori Kusaka
Can’t get enough Pokémon? Then go grab the first book in an exciting new series based on the super-popular game. In it, Sapphire and Emerald are training in the new Mega Evolution techniques, so they’ll be ready for the next crisis—a giant meteor hurtling toward the planet! Ruby is searching for a way to change its course and on her quest must journey to Sky Pillar to find Zinnia, who may just be the key to saving the world in this fast-paced adventure read for kids.

Big Nate: Revenge of the Cream Puffs, by Lincoln Peirce
Sixth-grader Nate Wright is getting sporty in his latest comics collection with his unfortunately named baseball team, the Cream Puffs. They get made fun of by their opponents, the local newspaper’s sports section misprints Nate’s name three times, and the players are facing a major defeat on the day of the big game—unless Nate can figure out a way to save the day. Nate’s fans will definitely want to get in the game with this hilarious new installment in the series.

The Scribble Squad in the Weird Wild West, by Donald “Scribe” Ross
Artistic inspiration can be found anywhere, and this creative new book draws from the world of street art for an imaginative story about four animal friends—Rumpus, Tai, Phil, and Phlox—tasked with creating an Old West mural. But once the picture is complete, the squad realizes they can actually go into the painting and are suddenly face-to-face with their own creations: piranha-pistol-packing Wildhares, cattlefish stampedes, and buzzing battlebees. Colorful illustrations throughout the book bring the creative story to life for young readers.

The Initiation, by Ridley Pearson
The bestselling author of the Peter and the Starcatchers and Kingdom Keepers series kicks off a brand-new trilogy about the origins of the famed rivalry between Sherlock Holmes and James Moriarty, whose little sister, Moria, narrates. The soon-to-be enemies find themselves as roommates at boarding school, where they soon become entrenched in a school scandal. An heirloom Bible donated by the Moriarty family has gone missing, and James begins uncovering some bizarre clues in the disappearance. Kids will love this creative and suspenseful reimagining of the Sherlock Holmes series.

The Littlest Bigfoot, by Jennifer Weiner
Bestselling author Jennifer Weiner brings her hilarious and realistic voice to her stellar middle grade debut, The Littlest Bigfoot, which is all about friendship, feeling like an outcast, and finding a place where you belong. Twelve-year-old Alice Mayfair, having just been shipped off to yet another boarding school, feels invisible to her family and is desperate to find a friend. And find a pal she does when she rescues Bigfoot Millie Maximus from drowning in a lake one day. But Millie’s Bigfoot tribe doesn’t trust humans and has strict rules of secrecy. Alice, however, agrees to keep Millie’s secret, and the pair develop a fast friendship as they have to stay one step ahead of some Bigfoot hunters who are hot on their trail.

The Secret Keepers, by Trenton Lee Stewart
The Mysterious Benedict Society author brings middle grade readers a thrilling new adventure about 12-year-old Reuben Pedley and his life-changing discovery of an extraordinary antique watch. Reuben finds himself suddenly plunged into a world of dark secrets surrounding the watch and has unwittingly attracted the attention of New Umbra’s mysterious ruler, the Smoke, and his minions, the Directions. He’ll need the help of Penny and Jack Meyers, descendants of one of the original owners of the watch, to outsmart the Smoke and the Directions in this exciting page-turner.

Mark of the Plague, by Kevin Sands
In this stunning and gritty follow-up to The Blackthorn Key, the plague has returned to London, and swindlers are looking to prey upon the desperate and impoverished. However, an unknown apothecary arrives with a cure, and Christopher Rowe’s Blackthorn shop has been chosen to prepare the remedy. But once the apothecary’s life becomes endangered, it’s up to Chris and his friend Tom to bravely uncover a dark conspiracy that threatens the entire city.

Frazzled: Everyday Disasters and Impending Doom, by Booki Vivat
Neurotic and funny middle child Abbie Wu knows “nothing good ever happens in the Middles,” so she’s totally freaked out about starting middle school. Unlike her friends who have jumped head first into their new school electives, Abbie having trouble fitting in and finding her “thing” that makes her stand out. This quick read filled with quirky doodles will appeal to fans of Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid series and Raina Telgemeier’s Smile, as the story follows Abbie’s journey to discover herself in a charming and hilarious way.

The Treasure of the Sea: A Geronimo Stilton Adventure, by Thea Stilton
It’s an underwater adventure for Thea Stilton and the Thea Sisters in the fifth book in the series. The mouselet crew is needed to help Aquamarina, the magical land of the ocean, discover why the enchanted Music of the Sea has stopped playing. If it doesn’t return soon, Aquamarina will cease to exist! Thea, the Thea Sisters, and their friend Will Mystery travel to the underwater world to find the music and encounter fantastical creatures and solve an ancient mystery along the way in this exciting chapter book.

The Burning Tide (Spirit Animals: Fall of the Beasts Series #4), by Jonathan Auxier
The riveting Spirit Animals: Fall of the Beasts series comes to a thrilling conclusion with this fourth installment by Jonathan Auxier. The wicked Wyrm is awakening beneath the surface of Erdas, and Conor, Abeke, Meilin, and Rollan have only one hope of saving their home—an ancient trap hidden in Erdas. They’ll have to work with their spirit animals to uncover a secret older than time itself. Otherwise, this could be the end for Erdas and the heroes.

Nightmares! The Lost Lullaby, by Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller
Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller have managed to strike the perfect balance between hilarious and scary in their middle grade Nightmares! series thus far, and the third book certainly doesn’t disappoint. In the latest book, Charlie is once again plagued by bad dreams—this time, surrounded by a flock of creepy black sheep. But the weirdest part is that it’s not even his nightmare! It’s someone else’s entirely. And Charlie and his pals think they know who’s responsible—the twins ICK and INK. It’s time to Charlie and the gang to finish the job they started in the first books.
What are your kids reading in September?