July’s Top Picks for Young Readers

The Land of Stories: Beyond the Kingdoms (B&N Exclusive Edition), by Chris Colfer
The Masked Man has been freed from Pinocchio’s Prison and is now running loose in the Land of Stories. Twins Alex and Conner Bailey—along with the help of Goldilocks, Jack, Red Riding Hood, Mother Goose, and her gander, Lester—must put a stop to him and his plans to recruit an army of storybook villains. Combining action, adventure, drama, and humor, Beyond the Kingdoms is the fourth in bestselling author and Golden Globe–winning actor Chris Colfer’s The Land of Stories series. Bonus: This Barnes & Noble exclusive edition includes an extra chapter, The Night Shift, which tells the eerie story of Central Park’s Belvedere Castle.

The School for Good and Evil: The Last Ever After (B&N Exclusive Edition), by Soman Chainani
All good and evil things must come to an end in this final installment in the bestselling School for Good and Evil trilogy. Best friends-turned-enemies Sophie and Agatha thought their endings were set in stone after going their separate ways. But now that the girls are apart, their tale is being rewritten as the villains of the past have returned, and the forces of Evil threaten to trump all that is Good in this action-packed, adventurous fairy-tale finale with twists at every turn. After everything they’ve been through, can the girls come back together for the last ever after? This Barnes & Noble exclusive edition includes a double-sided Ever versus Never timeline.

Ever After High: A Semi-Charming Kind of Life, by Suzanne Selfors
The third book in Selfors’s Ever After High series follows the story of Darling Charming as she attends Ever After High, where boys get to learn how to be heroes and girls are supposed to just wait to be rescued. But Darling is bored out of her mind in Damsel-in-Distressing class, while her brothers, Daring and Dexter, get to take Hero Training. Little does anyone know that it’s actually Darling that’s been helping Dex ace his class. Can one Rebel help turn the tide at Ever After High without destroying her family’s prestigious reputation?

Descendants: Junior Novel, by Disney Book Group
Adapted from the upcoming Disney Channel movie of the same name, Descendants details the story of four offspring of iconic Disney villains—Mal, daughter of Maleficent; Evie, daughter of Evil Queen; Jay, son of Jafar; and Carlos, son of Cruella de Vil—as they are faced with a life-changing decision. Do they follow in the evil footsteps of their parents or opt to leave the Isle of the Lost behind for a chance to attend prep school alongside all the good apples in Auradon? Does this foursome really have what it takes to break free from their legacies?

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back: So You Want to Be a Jedi?, by Adam Gidwitz
Star Wars continues to reach new audiences nearly 40 years after George Lucas’s first film was released. And now the saga from a galaxy far, far away is being adapted into a new trilogy, which will include The Empire Strikes Back: So You Want to Be a Jedi? written by Adam Gidwitz, author of the A Tale Dark and Grimm series. The book, out Sept. 22, isn’t just a retelling of the familiar story—though it does stay true to the film—it’s an original interpretation of Empire as told with Gidwitz’s unique voice and also includes tips on how to be a Jedi (apparently a Jedi should know how to count). May the force be with you as you pre-order what’s sure to be an epic series.

Fantasy League, by Mike Lupica
All of the adults who loved Michael Lewis’s Moneyball now have the kid equivalent to introduce to their favorite middle schoolers with bestselling author Mike Lupica’s latest, Fantasy League. Even though he’s only a bench warmer for his school football team, 12-year-old Charlie loves the game and knows it better than most. His podcast even attracts the attention of a Los Angeles sports radio host, which leads to an unlikely friendship between Charlie and the elderly owner of the (fictional) NFL team, the L.A. Bulldogs. But things get even crazier for Charlie when the team owner heeds the tween’s advice and brings on a new quarterback, which brings on a media frenzy. Charlie’s not even in high school yet, but has he already landed his dream job?

Last Stand on the Ocean Shore: The Mystery of Herobrine: Book Three, by Mark Cheverton
Minecraft fans, rejoice! Mark Cheverton’s latest Gameknight999 trilogy, The Mystery of Herobrine, comes to an exciting end with Last Stand on the Ocean Shore. Gameknight999 has only two things to aid in his quest to defeat his arch nemesis, Herobrine: the order from the Oracle to find the lost ocean monument, and a puzzling riddle—“Look to the lowliest and most insignificant of creatures, for that is where your salvation will lie.” Meanwhile, Herobrine is gathering the monsters of Minecraft together to establish a force strong enough to eliminate Gameknight and his friends. Can Gameknight solve the riddle before it’s too late?

Saving Mr. Terupt, by Robert W. Buyea
Alexia, Anna, Danielle, Jessica, Jeffrey, Luke, and Peter are all back for this third installment in the Mr. Terupt books. The gang from Snow Hill School is excited to be entering seventh grade—junior high!—but they’re missing their beloved teacher, Mr. Terupt. The chapters unfold, month by month, with alternating first-person perspectives detailing the highs and lows of the students’ seventh-grade year. One of the lowest lows comes during a harmless game of spin-the-bottle gone awry that threatens to tear the group’s friendships apart. The kids think only Mr. Terupt can help them, but it looks like Mr. Terupt may be the one in need of rescuing.

Trick or Trap, by R. L. Stine
Ready for some trick-or-treating in July? Scott and Amanda are having a Halloween party at a haunted house in R.L. Stine’s latest creepy Goosebumps Most Wanted book, Trick or Trap. There won’t be any treats at this fete, though, only traps for the school bullies. Of course, Scott and Amanda didn’t expect the old haunted house to start playing some of its own tricks (and setting its own traps).
What young readers’ books are you excited to read in July?