Post-It Note Reviews: 14 quick looks at new middle grade and YA releases

# What this column is Amanda MacGregor's Post-It Note Reviews gives short, librarian-style reactions to 14 new books aimed at middle grade and teen readers. The list leans heavily toward graphic novels and highly illustrated formats and mixes light, humorous series entries with intense, issue-driven fiction.

# Quick summary of the selection

• 9 graphic novels. 2 mixed-format or illustrated books. 1 historical fiction. 1 time-travel story. 1 poetry collection that addresses policing.
• The notes include publisher descriptions and Amanda's short "post-it" reactions that point to audience, tone, and content sensitivity.

# Notable titles called out (what the notes say)

• Absent (Rex Ogle, illustrated by LJ-Baptiste): Mixed-format middle grade told in verse, prose, and comics about three boys who skip school. Themes: absenteeism, family instability, bullying. Post-it reads as a strong pick for ages 10–14 thanks to format variety and empathetic storytelling.

• Detective Baby: Dance Team Drama (Meg Cabot, illustrated by Amelia Allore): A comedy-minded graphic series entry featuring a babysitter who understands baby talk and a baby detective. Post-it frames it as a silly, fast read likely to click with middle grade fans of babysitter-style series.

• To The Last Gram (Shreya Davies, illustrated by Vanessa Wong): Coming-of-age story tracing a protagonist's struggle with disordered eating through school and young adulthood. Post-it warns this is an intense, unflinching read that many young readers may relate to.

• War (Eoin Colfer, Andrew Donkin, illustrated by Giovanni Rigano): A graphic novel exploring effects of war on children with interwoven character perspectives. The post-it highlights its emotional weight and focus on children's experiences.

# Themes and formats to note

• Format variety is intentional: multiple books use comics, verse, and prose to broaden accessibility for reluctant or visual readers.
• Emotional range is wide: offerings span light, humorous mysteries to serious treatments of trauma, absenteeism, mental health, and the impacts of conflict.
• Audience guidance appears in the notes: suggested age ranges, read-alike series, and content tone (e.g., "intense," "silly," "moving").

# For librarians, teachers, and parents

# Final read on the column's value The piece functions as a fast curation tool: publisher blurbs plus a one-line librarian reaction give immediate sense of tone, target age, and whether a title needs content caveats. That makes it practical for quick acquisition decisions or reader advisory when you don't have time for full reviews.