Sequels for Younger & Older Readers

​Across 2025 and 2026, beloved series returned for long-awaited sequels and finales, with new titles for nearly every age and reading level. The titles include playful early chapter books, middle grade favorites, and YA fantasy, dystopia, and romance. Each one builds on a world readers already know, raising the stakes and deepening the characters along the way.

Bunny vs. Monkey and the League of Doom. Jamie Smart. (2026). Union Square Kids.
Bunny vs. Monkey and the League of Doom is the latest book in Jamie Smart's comic series set in a chaotic woodland. Ever since Monkey crash-landed in the Woods, he has kept the forest in chaos with his constant schemes. Bunny and his friends, including Weenie the squirrel, Pig, Action Beaver, and Skunky the inventor, can barely keep up. This time they face a giant robot whale, a pig cannon, a camping trip gone wrong, and even the actual end of the world. The story is fast-paced, with colorful comic art and a goofy sense of humor, though it also mixes in some real surprises and even a little heartbreak along the way. New readers can jump in without having read the earlier books. Gr 3-5

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Coach. Jason Reynolds. (2025). Simon & Schuster. 
Coach is the fifth book in Jason Reynolds' Track series, a prequel that traces the early life of the firm but caring coach who guided Ghost, Patina, Lu, and Sunny. Set in the late 1980s, the story follows twelve-year-old Otie Brody, a sprinter who idolizes Olympian Carl Lewis. When his often-absent father comes home with a coveted pair of Jordans, Otie feels unstoppable. But the shoes vanish overnight, and so does his father, forcing Otie to face hard truths about why his dad keeps disappearing. Written in Reynolds' warm, conversational style, the book handles addiction and its impact on families with honesty and humor, while staying grounded in a kid's point of view.
 Gr 5-8

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The Dragon and the Sun Lotus. Amélie Wen Zhao. (2025). Delacorte Press.
In The Dragon and the Sun Lotus, Amélie Wen Zhao continues the fantasy adventure that began in The Scorpion and the Night Blossom. The series follows Àn’yīng, a determined young woman who enters the dangerous Immortality Trials in hopes of winning the legendary pill that could save her dying mother. Along the way, she forms a complicated alliance with fellow competitor Yù’chén, whose motives remain uncertain. In this sequel, the stakes grow even higher as secrets, betrayals, and powerful magic continue to shape their journey. Rich with suspense, romance, and mythology-inspired worldbuilding, the duology keeps readers questioning who can truly be trusted until the very end. Gr 6-10

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Fight or Flight. Jeff Kinney. (2026). Amulet Books. 
In Fight or Flight, the twenty-first installment in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, Greg Heffley finds himself caught between wanting to avoid conflict and being pushed into situations where he has to stand up for himself. Filled with the awkward humor, exaggerated misunderstandings, and relatable middle school drama that define the series, the book continues Greg’s misadventures while introducing new challenges involving friendships, family tensions, and social pressure. As a sequel, Fight or Flight builds on the familiar personalities and running jokes readers have followed throughout the series, while still offering fresh situations that keep longtime fans engaged. Gr 3-6

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Jin Young, In Between. Ellen Oh. (2025). HarperCollins. 
In Between continues the story begun in The Colliding Worlds of Mina Lee by Ellen Oh. In the first novel, Korean American teen Mina Lee is pulled into the dangerous world of her own web comic, where superheroes, villains, and high-stakes battles suddenly become real. The sequel shifts perspectives, giving Jin Young, the charming and mysterious boy introduced in the first book, the chance to tell his side of the story. As the boundaries between fictional worlds and reality continue to blur, Jin must navigate danger, loyalty, and complicated emotions while the adventure grows even more intense. Fans of the first book will enjoy seeing the story expand through a new narrator while revisiting the action, humor, and heart that made the original so engaging. Gr 6-10

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The Kids in Mrs. Z's Class: Fia Hosein Finds Her Beat. Tracey Baptiste. Illus. by Kat Fajardo. (2026). Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. 
Fia Hosein Finds Her Beat is part of The Kids in Mrs. Z's Class series, which follows the students in a lively third-grade class. After moving from Trinidad and Tobago to Peppermint Falls, Fia is excited for new experiences like snow days. But when she notices her accent starting to fade, she worries she is losing a part of who she is. The feeling grows harder to manage when Mrs. Z assigns her a presentation in front of the whole class. Fia works through it with help from the people around her, and a growing love of steelpan music helps her feel like herself again. Gr 2-4

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Rebel Witch: The Crimson Moth. Kristen Ciccarelli. (2025). St. Martin’s Press 
Rebel Witch is the YA fantasy conclusion to Kristen Ciccarelli's duology and is set in a world where witches are hunted after a revolution. Rune Winters is now on the run, her identity exposed by Gideon Sharpe, the witch hunter she once loved. To survive, she allies with the ruthless Cressida Roseblood, who wants to seize the Republic and restore a Reign of Witches. Rune makes Gideon an offer he can't refuse when the two are forced together, and his buried feelings resurface. He faces an impossible choice of either sacrificing Rune to stop Cressida, or sparing her and watching the world he fought for fall. The story blends political intrigue, magic, and a long-burning forbidden romance. Gr 8-12

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Shadow and Tide. Rachel Greenlaw. (2025). HarperCollins. 
Shadow and Tide is the second book in Rachel Greenlaw's series, picking up where Compass and Blade left off. Mira waits on the island of Rosevear, ready to avenge her father and stop Renshaw's schemes, when an attack devastates her home. She sets out to cut down Renshaw's reach with a crew of loyal friends and her mother’s map, but the more she learns, the more she realizes danger surrounds her on every side. As Mira struggles to control her growing siren magic, she must decide whether to trust Elijah and his crew to save her homeland and the people she loves. The dark, sea-shaped fantasy builds toward a cliffhanger ending. Gr 8-12

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Snowglobe 2. Soyoung Park. Trans. by Joungmin Lee Comfort. (2025). Delacorte Press. 
Snowglobe 2 is the sequel and final book in Snowglobe’s dystopian duology. This hit was written in a similar style to Hunger Games and Divergent. This is a YA story where marginalized district citizens work to power the "Snowglobe" that houses the elite of society. Set in a frozen future where the privileged live inside a climate-controlled dome and their lives are broadcast as reality TV, the story follows Chobahm after the explosive ending of the first book. As she uncovers more secrets about Snowglobe’s creators and the powerful Yibonn family, alliances shift and the system holding their world together begins to collapse. The series blends survival dystopia, media satire, climate fiction, and thriller elements, often compared to The Hunger Games and Squid Game. Gr 9-12

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The Witch and the Wolf. Lindsey Kelk. (2025). HarperCollins.
The Witch and the Wolf is the second book in the Savannah Red series, a Southern gothic fantasy of dark magic, romance, and suspense.  Emily Bell has settled into Savannah with her new family, but her love, Wyn, is increasingly absent as he adjusts to life as a werewolf. Tasked with finding her fellow witches to avert a looming prophecy, Emily is hunted by a lone wolf determined to destroy her and everyone she loves. As she races to uncover its identity, she learns she can't face the danger alone. The plot is full of twists, and Emily learns to lean on the people around her. The werewolf lore and supernatural elements add excitement and mystery, making the plot feel richer and more intense than the first book. Gr 9-12

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Samantha Levinson is a Reading Specialist for grades 6–12 at Salem Academy Charter School. She has an MEd in Education, is licensed in moderate disabilities, and is a licensed reading specialist.  Previously, she owned and operated an ESL school in South Korea from 2012–2021. She has multiple publications in the KOTESOL journal, with a focus on language acquisition through vocabulary knowledge and literacy instruction.