Beth is Dead by Katie Bernet

 

 Beth is Dead by Katie Bernet. Sarah Barley Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster's Children's Publishing Division, 2026. Young adult fiction.

     The March sisters from Little Women are back in a contemporary mystery! Their father has written a novel about his daughters and has killed off Beth. The whole family is now on the news and famous. Apparently, the father has taken off to Canada to let the whole situation cool down. 

     If you are familiar with Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy, the girls, mostly high schoolers, will seem like old friends, but different, too. They have been updated with modern touches. Mom is a nurse. Rich Aunt March promises to send one of the sisters to study at a tony private school. One wants to study in Paris but doesn't have the money. Beth has a boyfriend, Henry Hummel, while Theodore Laurence still lives next door. Meg is a student at Harvard, still likes John Brooke and rooms with Sallie Gardiner. When Sallie throws a wild party, tragedy happens for real. But, who is responsible? 

     Definitely readers will want to read the original Louisa May Alcott before this novel in order to appreciate the twists and turns here. Creative, bold, and definitely a mystery for young adults, this work is well written. This is Bernet's debut novel and we can only look forward to more by her.

The Art Thieves by Andrea L Rogers

 

 The Art Thieves by Andrea L. Rogers. Levine Querida (Chronicle Books), 2024. YA futuristic fiction.

Stevie Henry is a young Cherokee woman whose tight nuclear family includes Mom, Dad, and little brother Levi. They live in a Teas city, but return to the reservation on weekends and see extended family. Her best friends, Jess and Loren, are a couple and the three hope to attend college together soon. Stevie works in the gift shop at the local museum and it is here that she meets Adam, a handsome young artist. Adam says he is from Costa Rica, but that soon is proved false.  

When Levi gets seriously ill, the family is desperate to help him.  When Adam  tells Stevie that he is really from the future and that our world is about to have major problems, how will Stevie react? Can they save major art works? Can they save themselves? Can anyone save Levi?

The references to Levi's allergies ring true and the little family is incredibly careful with his food choices. The art museum is a place of learning and safety for Stevie. The words she speaks in Cherokee and her links to her heritage fit into the narrative. Details about Jess and Loren and their relationship and reactions to Jess's strict parents are carefully woven into the story, too. So much of the coming apocalypse makes the characters search for what's really important to them. This is a book that makes readers THINK!

Bliss Adair and the First Rule of Knitting by Jean Mills

 Bliss Adair and the First Rule of Knitting by Jean Mills. YA fiction. Red Deer Press, 2023.

 In this delightful teen romp, shy Bliss Adair helps her parents run a knitting and yarn store. Bliss is great at puzzles like knitting patterns! But, she is not really the girl to go out of her way at school or to attract attention in a socially skilled way. From an overweight friend to a new girl whose grandmother asks for Bliss' help, Bliss is put in the center of teen drama. Her own family is insightful and loving. And, Bliss' approach to helping friends is based on the first rule of knitting take one step at a time. Not looking too far ahead helps Bliss navigate Life. 

Yours from the Tower by Sally Nicholls

 

 Yours from the Tower by Sally Nicholls. Walker Books, 2023. Young Adult fiction.

Told in the form of letters, this novel follows the lives of three school friends who are searching for their next steps in life. It's the late 1890's in Great Britain. Sophia is doing "the season" in London and looking for a wealthy husband to secure her future. Polly is working in an orphanage in Liverpool. Tirzah is, unhappily, the companion to her remote grandmother in Scotland. The three pour out their hearts in letters to each other and others. Like in Jane Austen and the Bridgerton tv series, all does not go smoothly as they dream about adult life. 

Bluebird by Sharon Cameron

 

 Bluebird by Sharon Cameron. Scholastic Press, 2021. YA and Adult fiction.

Looking for a WWII thriller? This fast paced novel flashes back and forth from the late 1940's to early war days. Who is Eva? Who is Inge? Who is Anna? After leaving Berlin for New York City in 1946, two young women arrive to find new lives in America. Secrets, power, justice and the horrors of the Nazi regime all figure into their daily routines. While some of the chapters are long, readers will want to find out the truth. Cameron does an excellent job of portraying what it must have been like to be young and vulnerable in WWII and crafts a unique story.

In the Shadow of a Queen by Heather B. Moore

 

 in the Shadow of a Queen by Heather B. Moore. Shadow Mountain Publishing, 2022. Young adult historical fiction. (Based on a true story). 

Queen Victoria's life is well documented, but not so the lives of some of her children. This is a tale of the family, the death of Prince Albert, and the aftermath. It focuses on Princess Louise who is a talented sculptor in the days when most women, and especially royal women, were severely limited in what they could and could not do. Beautiful and talented also as a painter, Louise works to attend classes and to ultimately find a husband who would allow her to be herself. Well told, interesting, and based on history, the novel also shows aspects of Queen Victoria that readers might not know. Readers may want to do a little research on the other royal children, too.