Classics. The stories that are timeless and have been read and re-read for generations. Reading of Romeo and Juliet for ninth grade English doesn’t count, but what about Pride and Prejudice? Or Beowulf? Or children’s stories like the Three Little Pigs and nursery rhymes like Humpty Dumpty?
Well, in 2023 those stories – and more – have been refreshed and renewed, allowing readers like us to see old stories in new ways … and introduce new readers to classic tales.
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Book covers and summaries are from Goodreads.
FICTION PICTURE BOOKS
Humphrey the Egg-Splorer
by Nadia Ali, Valentí Gubianas (Illustrator)
Inspired by the beloved nursery rhyme, author Nadia Ali and artist Valentí Gubianas deliver a rollicking story that expands the famous tale of a fragile egg to a new story about bravery, creativity, and forging your own path.
Inspired by the beloved nursery rhyme, author Nadia Ali and artist Valentí Gubianas deliver a rollicking story that expands the famous tale of a fragile egg to a new story about bravery, creativity, and forging your own path.
Prak Fills the House
Donna L. Washington, Lauren Emmons (Illustrator)
This hilarious retelling of The Three Little Pigs stars a spirited pig as she outsmarts her older siblings in a friendly competition.
This hilarious retelling of The Three Little Pigs stars a spirited pig as she outsmarts her older siblings in a friendly competition.
A Spider Named Itsy
by Steve Light
Everyone knows the rhyme "The Itsy Bitsy Spider." We know about the climb up the waterspout, the washout, the return of the sun, and the determined climb back up the spout--again. But what sent the tiny spider on his upward trek to begin with? What happened along the way--and where is Itsy now?
Everyone knows the rhyme "The Itsy Bitsy Spider." We know about the climb up the waterspout, the washout, the return of the sun, and the determined climb back up the spout--again. But what sent the tiny spider on his upward trek to begin with? What happened along the way--and where is Itsy now?
ELEMENTARY/MIDDLE-GRADE SPECULATIVE FICTION
The Grace of Wild Things
by Heather Fawcett
An inventive and fantastical reimagining of Anne of Green Gables—with magic and witches!—that explores found family, loss, and the power of a girl's imagination.
An inventive and fantastical reimagining of Anne of Green Gables—with magic and witches!—that explores found family, loss, and the power of a girl's imagination.
Moongarden (Plotting the Stars, #1)
by Michelle A. Barry
In this riff on The Secret Garden, Myra Hodger, n her first year at an elite school on the Moon, is cutting class and wandering the halls. she discovers a secret lab hidden behind one of the unused classrooms and, beyond that, a secret garden overflowing with plants. Dangerous toxic plants. As she learns more about the garden, Myra begins to wonder ...
In this riff on The Secret Garden, Myra Hodger, n her first year at an elite school on the Moon, is cutting class and wandering the halls. she discovers a secret lab hidden behind one of the unused classrooms and, beyond that, a secret garden overflowing with plants. Dangerous toxic plants. As she learns more about the garden, Myra begins to wonder ...
GRAPHIC NOVELS
Northranger
Rey Terciero, Bre Indigo (Illustrator)
Inspired by the gothic romance of Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey and perfect for fans of Heartstopper and Bloom comes a modern love story so romantic it's scary.
Inspired by the gothic romance of Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey and perfect for fans of Heartstopper and Bloom comes a modern love story so romantic it's scary.
Doña Quixote: Rise of the Knight (Doña Quixote, 1)
Rey Terciero, Monica M. Magaña (Illustrator)
Middle Schooler by Day. Monster Hunter by (K)night. In this action-packed and hilarious contemporary graphic novel retelling of Don Quixote, a young girl in Texas is obsessed with becoming a modern-day knight and thwarting supernatural evil― for fans of Mighty Jack , Zita the Spacegirl, and Amulet.
Middle Schooler by Day. Monster Hunter by (K)night. In this action-packed and hilarious contemporary graphic novel retelling of Don Quixote, a young girl in Texas is obsessed with becoming a modern-day knight and thwarting supernatural evil― for fans of Mighty Jack , Zita the Spacegirl, and Amulet.
POETRY – VERSE NOVEL
Bea Wolf
by Zach Weinersmith
A modern middle-grade graphic novel retelling of Beowulf, featuring a gang of troublemaking kids who must defend their tree house from a fun-hating adult who can instantly turn children into grown-ups.
A modern middle-grade graphic novel retelling of Beowulf, featuring a gang of troublemaking kids who must defend their tree house from a fun-hating adult who can instantly turn children into grown-ups.
YA SPECULATIVE FICTION
The Alchemy of Moonlight
by David Ferraro
This is a retelling of The Mysteries of Udolpho\. When Emile’s aunt declares that he must marry or be disowned for being gay—he runs away to hide as a servant in Count Montoni’s mansion. When his identity is revealed and his aunto comes to collect him, the Count orders everyone to the remote Udolpho Castle. Now Emile must risk his life for the love he deserves.
This is a retelling of The Mysteries of Udolpho\. When Emile’s aunt declares that he must marry or be disowned for being gay—he runs away to hide as a servant in Count Montoni’s mansion. When his identity is revealed and his aunto comes to collect him, the Count orders everyone to the remote Udolpho Castle. Now Emile must risk his life for the love he deserves.
In Nightfall
by Suzanne Young
The Lost Boysmeets Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In the quaint town of Nightfall, Oregon, it isn't the dark you should be afraid of—it's the girls. Beautiful and charismatic, the girls have a magnetic pull that is irresistible.
The Lost Boysmeets Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In the quaint town of Nightfall, Oregon, it isn't the dark you should be afraid of—it's the girls. Beautiful and charismatic, the girls have a magnetic pull that is irresistible.
My Dear Henry: A Jekyll & Hyde Remix (Remixed Classics)
by Kalynn Bayron
n this gothic YA remix of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, a teen boy tries to discover the reason behind his best friend's disappearance—and the arrival of a mysterious and magnetic stranger—in misty Victorian London.
n this gothic YA remix of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, a teen boy tries to discover the reason behind his best friend's disappearance—and the arrival of a mysterious and magnetic stranger—in misty Victorian London.
Midnight Strikes
by Zeba Shahnaz
In this explosive fantasy debut with a time-loop twist, a provincial girl must work with a roguish prince to stop an attack on the royal family and escape a nightmarish curse that forces them to relive the same night again and again. This is a time-loop retelling of Cinderella.
In this explosive fantasy debut with a time-loop twist, a provincial girl must work with a roguish prince to stop an attack on the royal family and escape a nightmarish curse that forces them to relive the same night again and again. This is a time-loop retelling of Cinderella.
Pride and Prejudice and Pittsburgh
by Rachael Lippincott
A fresh and inventive sapphic romantic comedy that’s What If It’s Us meets Bridgerton.
A fresh and inventive sapphic romantic comedy that’s What If It’s Us meets Bridgerton.
Snow & Poison
by Melissa de la Cruz
Raven-black hair, red lips, and skin as white as snow—Lady Sophie has led a sheltered life. . . . But that tale ends here. A new tale begins: one where Sophie must shield her heart, fight for life life, and protect her home. Love is stronger than poison in this lush retelling of Snow White.
Raven-black hair, red lips, and skin as white as snow—Lady Sophie has led a sheltered life. . . . But that tale ends here. A new tale begins: one where Sophie must shield her heart, fight for life life, and protect her home. Love is stronger than poison in this lush retelling of Snow White.