Amanda MacGregor

Leslie Vedder’s love of pirate stories started with Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island and the manga series "One Piece." But as she got older, Vedder’s interest turned to real pirates—especially female ones. This is front-and-center in Vedder’s latest novel The Siren’s Kiss, a standalone fantasy where a pirate, Rayleigh, and a mermaid, Maren, join forces and fall in love along the way.

Every August, I walk back into the library and feel it—an electric blend of excitement and possibility. The shelves stand where they always have. The makerspace tools wait, patient, exactly as I left them. Even the first-day nerves arrive like clockwork. Every new school year is a blank page, a chance to rethink what this library can become. This year, I am especially excited about helping students build AI literacy, because the conversation can’t wait any longer.

From middle school mysteries to adventure-packed graphic novels, these are must-have high-interest works that can be read at a low reading level. Middle School Aguilar, Kristen. Field Day Face-Off. illus. by George Ermos. 72p. (The Magical Morrisons). Capstone/Stone Arch. Jan. 2026. pap. $7.99. ISBN 9781669084471. Gr 3-7–Field Day is always the best day of the year. Rivals compete. Friendships are tested. But what happens when the biggest rivals are witches?