Top Ten Tuesday: Most Anticipated Books Releasing During the Second Half of 2023

I can’t believe June is almost over and we’re halfway through 2023! For today’s post, I’m focusing specifically on middle grade graphic novels as they’re one of the most popular collections in my library and we’re constantly looking for new titles to add. I think a lot of these titles might of interest to that age group. And yes, I was hungry when I created this list – three titles that are all about food!

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Most Anticipated Books Releasing During the Second Half of 2023

Atana and the Firebird by Vivian Zhou

Release Date: November 7, 2023

Atana’s island may be quiet and peaceful, but mostly, it’s lonely. With the outside world full of magic hunters who would stop at nothing to capture a mermaid like her, Atana has never been brave enough to swim far from her island’s shores and seek the answers to her mysterious past—until a firebird named Ren unexpectedly crashes into her life.

Ren’s arrival does not go unnoticed, as it has been hundreds of years since a firebird last landed on Earth. Determined to both protect Ren and finally chase the answers she’s longed for, Atana embarks on an adventure that takes her and the firebird to strange new islands and entangles them with the powerful yet secretive Witch Queen.

Generous though the Witch Queen’s offer of protection may be, an invitation to the Blue Palace can’t come without a price. And while the Palace’s splendid halls and library might hold the key to Atana’s past, will she be willing to pay the cost when it risks her chance of a bright new future?

Doña Quixote: Rise of the Knight by Rey Terciero, illustrated by Monica M. Magaña

Release Date: September 5, 2023

Lucia Castillo dreams of being a hero like her grandfather. But to the people in their Texas town, he was just a strange old man who dressed up as a knight and claimed to save the world from monsters only he could see.

Now years later, when Lucia and her best friend―and trusty squire―Sandro discover the town mayor is secretly a shapeshifting beast of Mexican lore, her parents think she’s imagining things like her “Abuelo Loco.” Only Lucia, wearing her grandfather’s magical helmet, can see the hidden threat. Can she and Sandro prove others wrong and stop the mayor from unleashing evil on their town―and beyond?

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein, illustrated by Douglas Holgate

Release Date: November 7, 2023

When Kyle learns that the world’s most famous game maker, Luigi Lemoncello, has designed the town’s new library and is having an invitation-only lock-in on opening night, he’s determined to be there! But the tricky part isn’t getting into the library–it’s getting out. Because when morning comes, the doors stay locked. Kyle and the other kids must solve every clue and figure out every secret puzzle to find the hidden escape route!

Fantastic Freewheeler: Sixth-Grade Superhero! by Molly Felder, illustrated by Scott Brown

Release Date: July 31, 2023

On his twelfth birthday, Drew Daniels receives a chunk of alien spacecraft. It’s the coolest present ever. But then a Martian secretly comes to take the piece back and gives Drew an even more amazing gift in exchange: the power to absorb information through touch! Will Drew keep this brain boost ability to himself, or will he take up the path of a superhero and help a classmate who loses something precious? Find out in this exciting Fantastic Freewheeler graphic novel, featuring a spunky hero who uses a wheelchair due to cerebral palsy, as well as action full of humor and heart.

Ink Girls by Marieke Nijkamp, illustrated by Sylvia Bi

Release Date: November 21, 2023

Eleven-year-old Cinzia is a printer’s apprentice. She adores Mestra Aronne for taking her in—most guilds don’t have room for apprentices with a crippled leg—and she loves life in the raggedy workshop that smells of paper and printing, where secrets and stories are always circulating. So when Mestra Aronne is imprisoned for publishing accusations against the ruling family, Cinzia will do anything to prove that Mestra Aronne only told the truth.

Elena is the exact same age as Cinzia, but she’s forced to keep to her rooms and garden. To protect her, according to her mother. To protect the city, according to her uncle. Because Elena is not the charming, powerful noble her family wants her to be. According to them, she doesn’t communicate well. She’s too gullible and literal, and struggles to understand other people.

After unexpectedly meeting face-to-face, the girls follow a trail of clues through their golden city, drawing supporters and learning more about their home and each other than they ever could have imagined. If one person—no matter how young—can change the course of history, just imagine what a whole flock of them could do.

Mabuhay! by Zachary Sterling

Release Date: October 17, 2023

Can two kids save the world and work their family food truck?

First-generation Filipino siblings JJ and Althea struggle to belong at school. JJ wants to fit in with the crowd, while Althea wants to be accepted as she is. But that hope seems like a long shot, for both of them. To make matters worse, they have to help their parents run the family food truck by dressing up as a dancing pig and passing out samples. Ugh! And their mom is always pointing out lessons from Filipino folklore — annoying tales they’ve heard again and again. But when witches, ogres, and other creatures from those same stories threaten their family, JJ and Althea realize that the folklore may be more real that they’d suspected. Can they embrace who they really are and save their family?

Pizza, Pickles, and Apple Pie: The Stories Behind the Foods We Love by David Ricket

Release Date: October 31, 2023

Whether it’s pizza and pickles or sushi and salad, there’s a story behind all of our favorite foods. From breakfast to dinner, this book explores popular foods from our history, and explains their origins. Young readers will travel back in time—sometimes thousands of years—to cultures all over the globe to learn how and why foods were discovered. They’ll also meet key people from food history along the way, including the inventor of breakfast cereal and the creator of salad dressing. The science behind unhealthy foods is also explored in this fascinating book, which includes projects and activities for both the classroom and home.

Saving Sunshine by Saadia Faruqi, illustrated by Shazleen Khan

Release Date: September 5, 2023

It’s even harder when you’re constantly fighting your sibling―and Zara and Zeeshan really can’t stand each other. During a family trip to Florida, when the bickering, shoving, and insults reach new heights of chaos, their parents sentence them to the worst possible fate― each other’s company! But when the twins find an ailing turtle, it presents a rare opportunity for teamwork―if the two can put their differences aside at last.

The Stupendous Switcheroo: New Powers Every 24 Hours by Mary Winn Heider, illustrated by Chad Sell

Release Date: September 12, 2023

The morning of his mom’s business trip, Switcheroo wakes up to discover he has telekinesis. Which is super convenient when he has to give his babysitter-robot the slip to fight crime all day. But it’s less convenient when he’s recruited to fight crime again the next day, only to realize he can no longer move objects with his mind. Instead, he can talk to cats! Fun, but not nearly as useful. A new superpower every day should be exciting, right? What could possibly go wrong?

Tasty: A History of Yummy Experiments by Victoria Grace Elliott

Release Date: December 5, 2023

Have you ever wondered how some of our favorite foods came to be? How was cheese created and who realized it belonged on everything? Was soda always meant to be a drink? A team of whimsical food sprites are excited to show you the yummy history of food expirements from all over the world!

Learn about the true stories behind pickles! Get a recipe for how to make your favorite pizza! With a story and recipe for every chapter, this graphic novel will give you something to read and taste.

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.