I Spy Love by Dan Marzollo & Dave Marzollo. photos by Walter Wick. Scholastic/Cartwheel. 2024.
PreS-Gr 3–Gussied up for Valentine’s Day, this I Spy does not disappoint. Stuffed animals, hearts, and a cavalcade of reds and pinks leap from the page. An ideal time-filler for young detectives.

Shape Search by Melissa Stewart. Reycraft. 2024.
K-Gr 2–Stewart shows different shapes found in nature, from raindrops to mountains, berries to clouds. Young readers will enjoy finding the shapes in a variety of hunts. Short rhyming text guides children through the pages.

Erno Rubik and His Magic Cube by Kerry Aradhya, illus. by Kara Kramer. Peachtree. 2024.
K-Gr 3–This picture book biography introduces readers to the inventor of one of the most popular toys in history. An insightful, inspiring look at the mind behind a puzzle that’s a familiar favorite.

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library: The Graphic Novel by Chris Grabenstein, illus. by Douglas Holgate. Random House Graphic. 2023.
Gr 3-7–A graphic version of the beloved novel. A new library is opening in Alexandriaville, and a dozen 12-year-olds will be selected to spend the night in it. Mr. Lemoncello, a game inventor and the library’s benefactor, chooses them. The puzzles and games begin.

Puzzleheart by Jenn Reese. Holt. 2024.
Gr 4-7–Perigree’s grandparents’ mansion was meant to be an escape room–themed bed and breakfast, but it was never completed after their grandfather’s fatal car accident. A wily 12-year-old, family secrets, and a possessed house—this twisty mystery is great for genre fans.

The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. Little, Brown. 2020.
Gr 7 Up–Avery Grambs, a teen living out of her car, inherits billionaire Tobias Hawthorne’s fortune and suddenly becomes the star player in Tobias’s final puzzle. A meticulously crafted Knives Out for YA readers.

Darkly by Marisha Pessl. Delacorte. 2024.
Gr 9 Up–In Dia’s world, the Darkly games created by enigmatic artist Louisiana Veda are a global phenomenon. Creative and unique, this is a special treat for readers who wish The Inheritance Games had been set in the world of Jumanji.

Lisa Bubert is a writer and children’s librarian in Nashville, TN.