Spectacular speculative middle grade fiction 2025
So even though CYBILS isn't doing an award this year, people are still reading and recommending books. I'm so happy I got to read this two, because they're wonderful! The first one is called "Candace, the Universe, and Everything". It's written by Sherri L. Smith, who has written several other books, but this is the first one I've read (and it will NOT be the last). The story is told by Candace, a middle schooler who lives with two loving parents. She's having a hard time adapting to the new relationship she has with two girls that she considers her best fiends. She missed out on a camping trip with Becca and Deen and it seems like Becca and Deen are bonded in a way that they hadn't been before. Candace feels left out. And then, a bird flies out of her locker, leaving behind a purple notebook full of advice that seems surprisingly on point, especially when Candace finds out that the notebook is 40 years old and that the writer had the same...