Welcome to another edition of Must Read Monday! This feature is where I spotlight current and/or upcoming releases I am looking forward to. The lists will include all genres I like to read, everything from picture books to comics, children’s lit to adult fiction!

This week I am featuring upcoming middle-grade titles by Kenneth Oppel and Nicholas Gannon:

The Nest by Kenneth Oppel, illus. Jon Klassen
Expected publication: October 6, 2015 by Simon & Schuster
I don’t really have too much to say to sell this as a must read other than: a) I really enjoy the work of Canadian author Kenneth Oppel and b) I really, really enjoy the work of Jon Klassen. I am so intrigued by the book’s description and this pairing of author-illustrator. Can’t wait to read this one!

Steve just wants to save his baby brother—but what will he lose in the bargain? This is a haunting gothic tale for fans of Coraline, from acclaimed author Kenneth Oppel (Silverwing, The Boundless) with illustrations from Caldecott Medalist Jon Klassen. For some kids summer is a sun-soaked season of fun. But for Steve, it’s just another season of worries. Worries about his sick newborn baby brother who is fighting to survive, worries about his parents who are struggling to cope, even worries about the wasp’s nest looming ominously from the eaves. So when a mysterious wasp queen invades his dreams, offering to “fix” the baby, Steve thinks his prayers have been answered. All he has to do is say “Yes.” But “yes” is a powerful word. It is also a dangerous one. And once it is uttered, can it be taken back?

The Doldrums by Nicholas Gannon
Expected publication: September 29, 2015 by Greenwillow Books
This middle-grade title caught my eye for the triumvirate of reasons: cover, description and praise from authors/reviewers I follow. The Doldrums sounds like it has the ingredients of a classic children’s title; full of whimsy and cleverness. I’ve read a review noting that it’s perfect for fans of The Mysterious Benedict Society– which I loved- so needless to say, I’m looking forward to Gannon’s debut!

Have you ever wanted to hold a little piece of the impossible? Lavishly illustrated in full color, The Doldrums is an extraordinary debut about friendship, imagination, and the yearning for adventure from author-artist Nicholas Gannon. A modern classic in the making. A modern classic in the making, The Doldrums is for readers of inventive and timeless authors such as Brian Selznick and Lemony Snicket. Archer B. Helmsley wants an adventure. No, he needs an adventure. His grandparents were famous explorers . . . until they got stuck on an iceberg. Now Archer’s mother barely lets him out of the house. As if that would stop a true Helmsley. Archer enlists Adelaide—the girl who, according to rumor, lost her leg to a crocodile—and Oliver—the boy next door—to help him rescue his grandparents. The Doldrums whisks us off on an adventure full of sly humor, incredible detail, and enormous heart.