“If you want to live, you got to run, boy, run,” 12-year-old Sam Castine tells himself. He’s trapped deep in the Maine wilderness after trying to retrieve his forgotten cell phone during a frenzied, smoke-filled evacuation of his summer camp. With wildfires raging, Sam gets left behind in the confusion. He quickly realizes, “Use your brain or die, that’s the rule.”

Thankfully, this lively, engaging narrator has plenty of smarts, allowing him to carefully but quickly try to find his way to safety, especially with the help of an abandoned old Jeep that takes on a life of its own as it zips along a maze of narrow, rutty logging roads.

Action lovers will relish every word of Wildfire, the latest by Newbery Honor winner Rodman Philbrick, whose previous books include Freak the Mighty and Zane and the Hurricane. This new novel chronicles six nonstop days of danger that include not only fire and smoke but also encounters with a bear, moose, lightning and a pair of marauding arsonists on motorbikes.

Early in his misadventure, Sam finds a friend in 14-year-old Delphy Pappas, a camper left behind at a nearby girls’ camp. Their believable, deepening friendship is the icing on the cake of this page turner. Delphy is a likable, powerful young woman coming into her own, but she’s self-conscious of her size and height, especially at “Camp Fatness,” as she calls it.

Sam was sent to summer camp instead of foster care by a savvy, caring social worker while his loving but opioid-addicted mother tries to reclaim her life in rehab (a refreshing change of pace from many such characterizations). Meanwhile, Sam recalls the many camping and survival skills learned from his late father, killed in a tanker truck explosion in Afghanistan. He also contemplates the wise words of his social worker, reminding himself, “Mrs. Labrie says that’s what life is all about, learning how to deal with stuff you can't control.”

With Wildfire―reminiscent of Hatchet and the real-life saga Lost on a Mountain in Maine―Philbrick transforms a raging inferno into an impressively plotted escape story full of heart and soul.

Rooted in Filipino folklore, Lalani of the Distant Sea is the story of Lalani Sarita and her fantastical journey to save her mother and all the villagers who live on the island of Sanlagita.

Sanlagita exists at the foot of the wrathful Mount Kahana. The island’s long drought has caused all medicinal plants to stop growing, and rations are scarce. As a deep lover of stories, Lalani knows the island’s superstitions and legends—especially that of Ziva, a courageous young maiden who stowed away on a ship bound for Mount Isa, “where all of life’s good fortunes seem to be.” Years ago, Lalani’s father sailed away toward Isa as well, but like all Sanlagitan sailors, he never returned.

When her mother pricks her finger and falls ill, Lalani, remembering the ancient legends, knows that the juice from a flower on Mount Isa can save her mother and perhaps rescue the entire island. And so Lalani steals a boat and begins her quest.

Lalani’s atmospheric journey is filled with mythical creatures, deadly plants, island spirits and unexpected friends. The way is unclear, death is always near, and Mount Kahana casts a dark shadow. Lalani is weary and confused, bloody and battered, starving and dehydrated, but in these moments, readers see her bravery, humility and deep empathy. 

Newbery Medal winner Erin Entrada Kelly’s latest begins as a story of darkness, but beyond the shadow of Mount Kahana is light overflowing. Lalani reminds us that strength and skill may not be able to defeat darkness and restore light—but kindness, integrity and steadfast love can.

In the words of another Newbery winner, Madeline L’Engle, “Stories make us more alive, more human, more courageous, more loving,” and this one does just that.

Eleven-year-old Keda (short for Makeda), a songwriter who loves to sing and listen to jazz and the blues, draws readers right in to her heart-rending coming-of-age story. 

An African American girl adopted by white parents, Keda finds it hard to feel she belongs anywhere, except with her #ashyforlife best friend, Lena, who is also a black adoptee with white parents. For Keda, leaving Lena behind is the hardest part of relocating from Baltimore to Albuquerque with her family—that is, until her mother, who at first just seems passionate and moody, descends into depression, followed by a manic episode, and reaches her lowest point before getting help. She is ultimately diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Meanwhile, Keda struggles socially with racism from mean girls in her new town, as well as with the feeling that her 14-year-old sister, Eve, has outgrown her. The Georgia Belles, a group of women who appear to Keda in dreamlike visions, help resolve her feelings of being afloat and helpless, even as they sometimes taunt her with her fears or warn her of danger to come. Keda faces her struggles with a bold self-assurance that is refreshing to read, even as her story breaks readers’ hearts only to mend them again. 

The short chapters in For Black Girls Like Me are written in distinctive, lyrical prose, with poems interspersed throughout. Keda’s world is richly drawn and seamlessly presented in a strong, authentic voice. Her difficult experiences and emotions are deeply affecting, with just enough humor to carry readers through. This magnificent middle grade debut from Mariama J. Lockington is an absolute gift of a book. 

Piper has suddenly become homeless. After a long, sleepless night traveling by bus, the fifth grader finds herself spending hours in lines waiting for everything she used to take for granted: food, clothing, even a shower.

In a spot-on and unsentimental portrayal of homelessness, author Bobbie Pyron spins an engaging, moving tale about Piper’s family and an older homeless woman who suffers from bipolar disorder. Baby, the woman’s tiny but tenacious dog, brings them all together. Pyron’s understated style switches back and forth between Piper’s prose and the poetry of Baby’s “dog view” sensations.

When Piper joins the Firefly Troop at Hope House, she finds a lifeline. The Firefly Girls motto, “Let Your Light Shine,” propels Piper to persevere and to never give up hope. Whether it’s by being a good big sister, by showing respect to others whose lives are even more difficult than hers or by telling Baby’s story in front of an auditorium full of strangers to raise money, Piper’s actions will inspire young readers. 

As Piper attempts to reunite the homeless woman with the dog she holds dear, her own story is fraught with the same emotions faced by any young person thrust into a situation where little to nothing is within his or her control.

Fans of animal adventure stories will be especially glad they found Stay.

Alexa, age 9 ¾, and her group of friends are changed when a boy named Ahmet takes the seat at the back of the class. In this debut novel and British import, the classmates learn that this quiet boy is a refugee from Syria. Brendan the Bully and his gang try to terrorize Ahmet, other students spread rumors about him, and parents instill intolerance in their children by spewing disparaging remarks about him. Nevertheless, Alexa sets out not only to befriend this newcomer but also to understand what it means to be a refugee.

She starts with a list of questions, from why he had to leave his home country to what his favorite fruit is. But as Alexa learns more about Ahmet, including his arduous trek across countries and his separation from his family, she forms even more questions. And when Alexa discovers that England’s borders will soon close and Ahmet may never get to see his parents again, she gathers her friends to carry out “The Greatest Idea in the World,” a daring plan that involves contacting the queen for assistance.

Onjali Q. Raúf’s heartwarming story highlights the plight of young refugees around the world. To help children comprehend and empathize with Ahmet’s plight, the book offers additional information about refugees in the United States, refugee resettlement agencies and how refugees differ from migrants. Readers of all ages will appreciate the guided questions and discussion prompts to think about one’s own identity and place.

Twelve-year-old Ali Kensington has a slight problem telling the truth. She tells her classmates about her experience in the wild, eating bugs and surviving animal attacks. This is plausible because her dad, George Kensington, is Survivor Guy, star of a hit nature show. But unlike her older brother, Jake, Ali’s never actually been on set, let alone participated in the adventure. Instead, she reads as many nature and survival guides as she can, preparing for the day she’ll really need those skills.

Ali also has trouble telling the truth about more mundane things, like what’s happening in her parents’ marriage, which frustrates her best friend, Harper. But a fight over Ali’s little white lies takes a back seat when Ali’s dad, who’s supposed to watch her for the week, instead takes Ali and her brother into the Great Dismal Swamp to tape a family episode of “Survivor Guy.” Ali is terrified—and feels unready to truly test her survival knowledge—until she finds out the truth about Survivor Guy: There are lots of cameras, scripted scenes, stunt doubles, animal handlers, cushy trailers and even a professional chef. But when a wildfire burns through the swamp and Ali is left behind by a rescue helicopter, she has a chance to prove to herself and her family that she has the skills and confidence to be a survivor.

This fun and relatable story remixes the classic wilderness survival plot with reality TV and features a resourceful, complex female protagonist. A great middle grade summer read with STEM themes and solid character development, Survivor Girl will entertain and inspire.

M.G. Hennessey knows that some children lead tough lives. Her debut, The Other Boy, tackled what it’s like to be transgender, and her sophomore novel, The Echo Park Castaways, takes readers into the foster care system. Alternating perspectives follow Nevaeh, a black eighth-grader who dreams of becoming a doctor; Vic, a Salvadoran-American fifth-grader whose father was deported and who disassociates by assuming a spy persona; and Mara, a tiny Latinx third-grade girl with limited English skills. Together they live with widowed, overworked Mrs. K in her Echo Park, California, home. In this insightful story, their set routines are disrupted by the arrival of Quentin, who has Asperger’s.

When Quentin becomes adamant about seeing his sick mother, Vic takes on the challenge of Quentin’s reunion. When quiet Mara sneaks along, Nevaeh, the caregiver of the group, must find them and bring them back before their foster mother decides to kick them all out. It begins as a doomed trek filled with buses and unknown neighborhoods, but a string of unexpected joys, truths and one life-altering Ferris wheel ride weave through the day.

Hennessey tempers the harsh realities of these “castaways” with hope and love. While the four children know they’ll probably always be in the foster care system, they’re also held together by an unbreakable bond of support and family.

Life looks bleak for 10-year-old Nitty Luce, who, after escaping Grimsgate Orphanage, steals a pouch full of strange, shimmering seeds. Things take an even stranger turn when she encounters a circus elephant about to be hanged for supposedly killing her trainer. In a moment of mutual desperation, Nitty befriends the elephant, named Magnolious, and the pair makes a bold escape.

That’s the action-packed opening of Suzanne Nelson’s tender-hearted Dust Bowl fantasy, A Tale Magnolious. The runaways are taken in by a brusque, lonely farmer named Windle Homes in the dying town of Fortune’s Bluff. Nitty also befriends Twitch, a sickly boy determined to bring down dastardly Mayor Neezer Snollygost, who wants to flatten the town and build high-rises.

In an intriguing author’s note, Nelson explains that her fantastical novel was inspired by a photograph of a circus elephant named Mary who was publicly executed in 1916 in Erwin, Tennessee, after killing her trainer. Once Nelson saw the horrific image, she dreamed of a girl running through a town square, carrying a mysterious stolen object, finding shelter between an elephant’s front legs. The tale Nelson went on to write has an old-fashioned, Dickensian feel and plenty of vocabulary flair, with names like Miz Turngiddy and words like catawampus. It’s also an allegory about empowerment when adults are intimidated by an evil politician. In Fortune’s Bluff, it’s kids to the rescue, with the help of one mighty elephant.

This is a walloping romp that delivers an important message: “Each and every one of us has a say when it comes to what is right.”