Canadian Middle Grade Releases - Fall 2024!
Canadian Middle Grade Books - Fall 2024
I know it’s technically not fall yet, but September 1 always feels like the beginning of the pumpkin season to me. What better time to get excited for these late summer/fall releases coming from your favourite Canadian authors? From magical to spooky to heartfelt contemporary stories, here’s my big list of 20 awesome middle grade books coming out over the next three months!
I, Brax: A Battle Divine by Arthur Slade
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
On a diplomatic mission, Brax and his rider, Carmen, encounter a ghostly vision of The Nameless Goddess. She's a part leopard, part crocodile deity, who warns them she is coming to conquer their world. Brax, in his usual snarky way, makes fun of her and after she vanishes, dismisses this threat.
When the duo arrives at the capital of the Akkad empire, they discover the emperor has been horrifically murdered by what looks to be an astral servant of that goddess, and his young nephew ascends to the throne. Both Brax and Carmen swear to protect the wetling from the Nameless Goddess. But power-hungry enemies circle the throne. Those dangers, along with the creatures sent from the netherworlds, makes protecting the emperor almost impossible.
Their only choice is to battle this goddess face to face . . .
Once they discover the true name of The Nameless Goddess, the hunt is on. Will they be able to destroy her before she rises to take over their world?
Eyes on the Ice by Anna Rosner
Goodreads | Amazon | Indigo | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Ten-year-old Lukas and his brother Denys want nothing more than to play hockey, but it’s 1963, and they live in Czechoslovakia, where the secret police (the “Eye”) are constantly on the lookout for anyone committing crimes against the state — whether that be reading a magazine about the NHL or saying anything negative about the Communist regime. Lukas’s father works for a newspaper, and printing the truth is a dangerous activity.
The family is poor, but hockey is the one bright light for the boys. They learn to skate on a bumpy outdoor rink in a city park. And when their talent is noticed, they are encouraged to try out for a local youth league, where they are thrilled to play in a real arena for the first time.
Then the boys’ father is arrested. No one knows where he has been taken or when he might be coming home. Lukas and Denys soon realize they are being watched, too, and when the secret police promise them information about their father if they help throw a game against a visiting Soviet team, Lukas must make some difficult decisions that may endanger his family and his friends, as he faces some tough questions about what loyalty really means.
Tig by Heather Smith
Goodreads | Amazon | Indigo | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
After months of living without electricity or parents, Tig and Peter are forced to move in with their Uncle Scott and his partner, Manny. The transition from down-and-out to picture-perfect isn't easy, especially in pristine Wensleydale with the idyllic couple and their beautiful home.
Tig, with Peter's support, decides to make their new life messy, starting with daily arguments and her plans to become a competitive cheese racer. She'll run circles around her new guardians, outrun a wheel of cheese, and leave the past buried in her dust.
But things don't always go as planned, and Tig must decide what to truly leave behind in order to move forward.
Anna Swan: The Girl Who Grew by Sidura Ludwig
Goodreads | Amazon | Indigo | Publisher
Before she became the "The Giantess from Nova Scotia" and travelled the globe with notorious showman P. T. Barnum, Anna Swan was a young girl growing up near the rural town of Tatamagouche, desperately trying to fit into a world for which she was literally too big. In her debut middle grade novel-in-verse, award-winning author Sidura Ludwig imagines a pivotal period in Anna's childhood, as she struggled to find acceptance in a community that saw her as other.
When twelve-year-old, seven-foot-tall Anna's family moves to her grandmother's farm in Central New Annan, she is forced to attend a new school, abandon the bedroom she once shared with her beloved sister, Maggie, and face bullies young and old. She worries she'll never stop growing, and dreams of dainty boots that fit and church pews that don't topple under her weight. Of a world that sees her as she sees herself: a gentle girl who loves to read books beneath the trees.
When Anna discovers a solution that will help her stop growing and get her family out of debt, she agrees to exhibit herself as a curiosity in the big city of Halifax. But her giant heart will be tested as she tries to balance her devotion to her family with her desire for normalcy.
Hannah Edwards: Secrets of Riverway by Ashley Hards
Goodreads | Amazon | Indigo | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Cheer on Hannah Edwards in this exciting mystery and relatable coming-of-age story about ADHD, friendship, school, and family.
Hannah has a lot on her mind. Her father—the Canola King—is missing, and no one in her small town seems to care. With the support of her best friend Sam Castillo, and their sidekick Tim the Hall Monitor, Hannah embarks on a journey to solve the mystery of her father’s disappearance.
Along the way, she uncovers secrets that she records in her journal, confronts challenges in school due to her ADHD, talks to a ghost, and learns the true meaning of determination and friendship.
Library Girl by Polly Horvath
Goodreads | Amazon | Indigo | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Essie has grown up in the public library, raised in secret by the four librarians who found her abandoned as a baby in the children's department. With four mothers and miles of books to read, Essie has always been very happy living there.
But now that she is eleven, Essie longs for a little more freedom . . . and maybe a friend her own age. She seems to get her wish when her moms let her go by herself to the mall and then on her second trip there, she meets G.E., a mysterious boy who looks so much like her she can't help but think they may be twins. Maybe he was raised by four dads in the department store. Maybe his story is intertwined with hers, and their happy ending is as one big family. But as she gets to know him better, she learns that nothing is as simple as it seems in her stories — not even her own past.
Team Park by Angela Ahn
Goodreads | Amazon | Indigo | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Unlike his dad, Evan Park does not like team sports — no matter how hard he tries. And when an accident causes Evan to break his wrist, he is determined that once he heals, he'll work on finding his thing. Alone.
Inspired by his athletic physiotherapist, Evan decides to compete in an upcoming Dominator Ninja: Junior Edition competition. It will be part rehab, part fun. If he trains hard enough, he'll finally have something to put on his empty shelf in the family trophy cabinet. Maybe that would make his dad proud of him for once.
But klutzy Evan strikes again, reinjuring his wrist. There's no way he can compete in Dominator Ninja now — he can't even hold chopsticks. When his sister encourages him to look beyond a solo competition, they discover a local family race that is more about the experience than the results. Can Evan shift his perspective to rally the whole family to do this event . . . together?
Izzy Wong's Nose for News by Marty Chan
Goodreads | Amazon | Indigo | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
A sixth-grade student with a purpose, Izzy wants to start her own hit investigative podcast. When the girls' washroom at her school mysteriously floods, she's finally got the perfect subject.
It doesn't take long to figure out that a student did it on purpose—but who? Izzy sets out on an investigation to find the culprit and interviews anyone who might know anything, including teachers, students and even the principal. But when she runs into difficulty finding the truth and is presented with a juicy lead that may or may not be gossip—but brings in lots of new listeners—Izzy finds herself in hot water. Will her podcast get shut down before she has a chance to find the perpetrator?
Waltraut by Gabriele Goldstone
Goodreads | Amazon | Indigo | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Eleven-year-old Waltraut wants to fit in at school, but it’s not easy. Not only does her name rhyme with the ethnic slur that is often hurled her way, but no one can relate to her immigrant family and their complicated past. On weekends, however, she attends German school with friends who are just like her. They share a language, food, and customs—and they understand what it’s like to live in two cultures.
As Waltraut navigates between her two worlds, she copes by reading and imagines how much easier her life would be if her name was Nancy, like the heroine of her favourite mystery series. So when her family moves to a new neighbourhood, Waltraut seizes the chance to reinvent herself. But she soon learns the price of pretending to be someone else. With support from an insightful teacher, a warm-hearted father, a tough-minded mother, and even her annoying younger brother, she embraces her true self, with all of its complexities and contradictions.
The Last Hope School for Magical Delinquents by Nicki Pau Preto
Goodreads | Amazon | Indigo | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Lavinia “Vin” Lucas is out of control and out of options. Stranded by parents who would rather use their average magical abilities to study dung beetles than raise her, Vin's been on her own for years. But she’s never been able to corral her own powerful, unpredictable magic. After years of detention, suspension, and expulsion from magic schools far and wide, she’s now being sent to the Last Hope School for Magical Delinquents. If she gets expelled, it’s the end of the line.
Now, Vin is determined to behave. Except no one at Last Hope seems to want her to. Her new teachers—particularly the school’s kind headmistress—push her to explore her magic, and her mischievous classmates delight in every accident. And all the while, a mysterious fire sprite, a suspicious instructor, and her overwhelming abilities might just sabotage Vin. But for the first time, she is not alone.
So when a former student begins attacking the school, Vin must question just how much she knows about the headmistress and her new home. Is this place worth saving? And are her budding abilities—and every trick, trap, and deception in her friends’ delinquent arsenal—enough to protect Last Hope?
Stopping the Shots by Lorna Schultz Nicholson
In this companion book to Taking the Ice, goalie Mike Krieger (aka Tree) takes centre stage. Although Mike is known to be calm and collected, his home life is more difficult than it seems.
His younger brother, Eric, is a hockey hotshot, already playing on the top U13 team. And their parents are so focused on Eric’s game that Mike’s success in net is barely noticed ― except by his older brother, Liam, who was born with Down syndrome and is Mike’s biggest fan. Mike’s parents dismiss a suggestion that he could be good enough to attend a top goalie camp, and while Mike is used to living in Eric’s shadow, the tension between the two brothers increases when Mike is asked to play goal for Eric’s team.
When an accident threatens Eric’s hockey career, and money troubles threaten his parents’ farm, Mike worries he might also have to give up the sport he loves. He decides to risk his reputation ― and more ― for the new goalie pads he desperately needs. But when the truth comes out, can Mike find a way to make things right?
Mystery at the Biltmore by Colleen Nelson
Goodreads | Amazon | Indigo | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Left behind by her globe-trotting detective parents once again, Elodie decides to prove she’s worthy of joining them on a case by setting up her own detective agency at her renowned Upper West Side home, The Biltmore.
When a pair of sapphire and diamond earrings mysteriously disappear from Mrs. Vanderhoff’s apartment, Elodie is asked to solve the case. Elodie begins her investigation the way any good detective would, looking for clues and potential suspects. With twists, turns, and suspects galore, will Elodie be able to prove she has what it takes to solve a crime? Or will the LaRue Detective Agency fail on its first case? As Elodie, her dog Carnegie, and new friend Oscar (a self-proclaimed parkour master) delve deeper into the mystery, they encounter a quirky cast of characters, an array of clues, and a little bit of fun.
Bad Bot by Pierrette Dubé
Goodreads | Amazon | Indigo | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Victor is thrilled to get the toy he’s always wanted for Christmas. It’s a LenBot―a smart robot that can learn anything. For once, it’s a toy that lives up to the hype. The robot really does become Victor’s best friend.
But before long the robot starts learning more than Victor has taught it and acting very strangely. Victor knows LenBot is smart, but a toy robot couldn't be cruel. It can’t kill …can it?
Creepy Classroom by François Gravel
Goodreads | Amazon | Indigo | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Packing a bunch of dusty books into boxes doesn’t sound like a very difficult job, so Matt doesn’t think twice when the old librarian at his school offers him the chance to earn some cash on the weekend. But once he gets down to the dark, dark basement, he realizes he’s made a grave mistake.
Lurking in the deep corners of the library there are old student photos, horrific taxidermy and no exits. Can Matt find his way out before the creepy librarian preserves his presence in the basement forever?
The Time Keeper by Meagan Mahoney
Goodreads | Amazon | Indigo | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Edinburgh in 1902, a historic city on the precipice of modern progress, is not an easy place for an inquisitive orphan, and twelve-year-old Malcolm McKenzie knows he’s lucky to have an apprenticeship with the local clockmaker, Jack Alexander. When Jack is found dead inside a locked clocktower, Malcolm’s life begins to unravel. Even worse, Jack’s son and Malcolm’s best friend, Peter, is stricken with a mysterious and life-threatening illness.
Malcolm is sure that both the truth behind Jack’s untimely death and the map to a miracle cure for Peter lie inside a seemingly broken watch Jack had been unable to fix. As the clock ticks away on Peter’s life, Malcolm and fellow orphan and pickpocket Maddie must outrun and outsmart those who want the cure to remain hidden as they race through the streets and clocktowers of Edinburgh to solve the puzzle of the watch before it’s too late.
Chai Jinxed by Emi Pinto
Goodreads | Amazon | Indigo | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
All it took was one majestic frog and a love brew gone wrong—and faster than you can say ribbit, Misha got expelled...again. Things aren’t much better back home. A rival tea shop opens across the street, and rumors spread that the Dayaans' tea is cursed. Determined to fix her family’s reputation, Misha’s only got one option left: attend the infamous Margaret’s Academy of Tea and Brewing and brew her way to the top of her class—even if it means a little bit of spice sabotage.
But when Misha finds herself up against the girl from the tea shop across the street and things start going wrong—ghostly tea leaves, living scarecrows, and rumors of missing tea witches—Misha starts to realize the truth: she’s jinxed. And if she can’t turn her luck around, her family tea shop, her classmates—and even all of Margaret’s Academy—will have a fate worse than cold tea.
Ghosts of Gastown by Jessica Renwick
Goodreads | Amazon | Indigo | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Twelve-year-old Hope Graves can see the dead. But nobody believes her. Not even her best friend.
When Hope and her mom move to the Gastown area of Vancouver, their new home isn't exactly as she imagined. The ancient apartment sits over a weird crystal shop, she misses her dad, and ghosts lurk around every corner. The worst part? The strange boy whose parents own the shop can see spirits too, and he won't stop bugging her about it.
Hope tries to avoid Oliver, but when a ghost appears in her bedroom with a haunting plea, he's the only person she can turn to for help. Trying to banish the spirit only leads them down a twisted path far more dangerous than any ghost. Something is hunting the souls of Gastown, and it's closing in on its next victim . . .
The Shape of Lost Things by Sarah Everett
Goodreads | Amazon | Indigo | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Skye Nickson’s world changed forever when her dad went on the run with her brother, Finn. It’s been four years without Finn’s jokes, four years without her father’s old soul music, and four years of Skye filling in as Rent-a-Finn on his MIA birthdays for their mom. Finn’s birthday is always difficult, but at least Skye has her best friends, Reece and Jax, to lean on, even if Reece has started acting too cool for them.
But this year is different because after Finn’s birthday, they get a call that he’s finally been found. Tall, quiet, and secretive, this Finn is nothing like the brother she grew up with. He keeps taking late-night phone calls and losing his new expensive gifts, and he doesn’t seem to remember any of their inside jokes or secrets.
As Skye tries to make sense of it all through the lens of her old Polaroid camera, she starts to wonder: Could this Finn be someone else entirely? And if everyone else has changed, does it mean that Skye has to change too?
Unsinkable Cayenne by Jessica Vitalis
Goodreads | Amazon | Indigo | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Cayenne and her family drift from place to place, living in their van. It hasn’t been a bad life—Cayenne and her mother birdwatch in every new location, they have a cozy setup in their van, and they sing and dance and bond over campfires most nights. But they’ve never belonged anywhere.
As Cayenne enters seventh grade, her parents decide to settle down in a small Montana town. Cayenne hopes that this means she will finally belong somewhere and make some friends. But it turns out that staying in one place isn’t easy at all.
As her social studies class studies the Titanic tragedy (the wreckage has just been discovered and her teacher is obsessed), Cayenne sees more and more parallels between the social strata of the infamous ship and her own life. Will she ever squeeze her way into the popular girls’ clique, even though they live in fancy houses on the hill and she lives in a tiny, rundown home with chickens in the front yard? Is it possible that the boy she likes actually likes her back? Can she find a way to make room for herself in this town? Does she really want to? Maybe being “normal” isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
Cave-In by Pam Withers
Goodreads | Amazon | Indigo | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
Hudson Greer and his caving partner, Jett, are determined to become teen legends who discover a long-sought passageway that connects two giant cave systems in their little mountain town. But they're haunted by the history of a giant sinkhole that opened up and swallowed the town's fully-packed church, steeple and all. Dozens were killed, including Hudson’ s grandfather. Hudson knows it's in danger of happening again; he just doesn't know when or where.
Can his caving instincts and science knowledge predict or prevent the next disaster? Are the shoddy logging practices of the town's main employer tempting fate? And who's on whose side when business and political shenanigans mix with evaded environmental codes?
Nothing less than the lives of the townspeople are at stake — and it's up to Hudson to separate myth from fact, and get key players working together, before it's too late.