Superstar athlete Arnie “Yash” Yashenko can’t believe it when Principal Carmichael tells him he won’t graduate eighth grade unless he goes to summer school—for gym.

When it comes to sports, Yash is no slouch: He already plays on the high school’s JV teams. But thanks to a change in state requirements, he’s going to be a slug, which is what everyone calls kids in the Physical Education Equivalency summer program (whose super-embarrassing acronym is indeed “PEE”). So, instead of training for high school football with his best friends Hammon and Amir, Yash grouses through gym class with the likes of sweet but super-uncoordinated Kaden; insightful former athlete Cleo; self-righteous wannabe journalist Arabella; twins and sworn enemies Sarah and Stuart; and oft-destructive class clown Jesse.

Slugfest, by beloved and prolific bestselling author Gordon Korman (who published his 100th book, The Fort, in 2022), is a rousing tale filled with hilarity and heart. Readers who love to root for underdogs and unlikely friends—a la The Bad News Bears, School of Rock and The Breakfast Club—will delight in the PEE kids’ gradual transformation from wary individuals tossed together by fate into true teammates who can achieve more together than apart.

Employing multiple perspectives with realistic, appealing voices, Korman explores how biases can take hold and posits that having an open mind can lead to a more fulfilling, fun life. We’ve all got something to offer; we just need to find the right context. This is true of the kids as well as septuagenarian PEE coach Mrs. Finnerty, a former second grade and home economics teacher who plies her charges with an astonishing array of delicious baked goods. Though the slugs scoff at her “kiddie games,” they learn playfulness and badassery are not mutually exclusive.

Whether he’s embodying the exquisite tension of a first date or the no-holds-barred thrills of a citywide flag football tournament, Korman’s gift for breathless play-by-play will have readers cheering for Yash and company to win at summer school and in life—whatever sporty or non-sporty form that victory might take.

The Unnatural History Museum may be falling apart, but it’s Kess Pedrock’s home and contains almost everything she loves: mysterious and magical skeletons from Eelgrass Bog, her petulant and perpetually busy brother, and her best friend Jim, a demon trapped as a jarred shrunken head. Only her parents are missing, but maybe, when they come back from their trip in Antarctica, they can save the museum. Until then, it’s up to Kess.

One day, the museum finally receives a visitor in the form of a girl named Lilou Starling, who later reveals that her grandfather died and left her a mysterious map with a cryptic puzzle scrawled on its back. This puzzle can only be solved by venturing into the bog itself. Despite Jim’s warnings, Kess sets off with Lilou, determined to both save the Unnatural History Museum and impress her new friend. But between the burning watch fires and eccentric witches, Kess discovers that more of her life is tied up in the bog than she could ever have anticipated. And digging too deep might destroy the one thing she’s trying to save.

Mary Averling bewitches with her debut middle grade novel, The Curse of Eelgrass Bog, which straddles the line between slimy and sweet, concocting a fantasy world that balances snarky demons, magical bogs, concerned witches and awe-inspiring serpents.

The mystery left behind by Lilou’s grandfather will keep even the sharpest readers on their toes, leaving them gasping as the perfectly paced story comes to a head. Averling handles Kess’ emotional struggles—particularly her fluttery feelings toward her newfound friend, as well as her simultaneous sense of obligation toward and longing for her missing parents—with a nuanced yet optimistic lens that will endear Kess to readers.

Whimsically creepy, The Curse of Eelgrass Bog will delight middle grade fans, especially those who loved Claribel Ortega’s The Witchlings or Jacqueline Davies’ The International House of Dereliction. Readers who love fantastical stories—or digging for magical bones in the dirt—should add this to their shelves.

If the best fiction taps into universal longings, it’s no wonder that middle grade novels often focus on protagonists who feel left out. Lisa Yee evokes this feeling with The Misfits #1: A Royal Conundrum, the first installment in a series focusing on Olive Cobin Zang and the other members of the Misfits, a secret group of young special agents.

Newbery Honor winner Yee teams up with Caldecott Medalist Dan Santat, and the result is a fun caper accentuated by Santat’s vivid illustrations. Olive, a Chinese American 12-year-old, knows that something is up when one day her InstaFriends account vanishes, along with all evidence of her presence at school. So when she’s called to the office and learns her mother (who travels constantly and doesn’t remember Olive’s birthday) is enrolling her at the Reforming Arts School of San Francisco (RASCH), Olive is not exactly surprised. Although she’s terrified that this might be a punishment—after all, RASCH used to be a prison—Olive won’t miss her old school. And because she feels invisible, she’s sure it won’t miss her either. The only person who would have missed her was her grandmother Mimi, but she’s been gone for months, though no one will tell Olive what happened: Her mother will only say, “She’s no longer with us.”

Once at RASCH, Olive feels instantly at home, a feeling that increases after she’s sorted into a pod of fellow outsiders. This team of kids brings unusual tech savvy and unique mental and physical talents (Olive’s Mimi was a circus performer who trained Olive on the trapeze) to their division of NOCK (“No One Can Know”), an elite force whose “mission includes ensuring the safety of the community, guarding the possessions of the citizens, and preventing civil disorder.” With their combined skills and immediate bond, the Misfits work together to uncover the mystery behind a string of jewel thefts and prevent their beloved RASCH from being closed by its patron, Dame Gloria. From mind-bending technology to sometimes hilarious hijinks, A Royal Conundrum has everything a young reader—especially one who feels invisible—could want.