You saw all the incredible picture books returning to Peachtree this season, and now it’s time to introduce the binge-worthy middle grade and YA reads also hitting shelves this fall in paperback! Explore page-turning mysteries, adventures, nonfiction, and more that bookworms of all ages are sure want on their fall TBRs.

Candy Mafia PB

The Candy Mafia
by Lavie Tidhar
illustrated by Daniel Duncan

Nelle Faulkner is a preteen private detective solving cases in a city where candy is a crime and kid-led gangs are thriving. So when notorious candy gangster Eddie de Menthe asks for her help finding a missing teddy bear, Nelle Faulkner is on the case. But when the teddy turns up, Eddie himself goes missing, and Nelle and her friends quickly find themselves swept up in a shady underworld of sweets smugglers, back alley deals, and storefront firebombs. If Nelle has any hope of tracking down her missing client, she’ll first have to unmask the true faces behind the smuggling ring. Can she and her friends find a way to take the cake? Or will they come to a sticky end?

Mr Penguin Catastrophic Cruise PB

Mr. Penguin and the Catastrophic Cruise
by Alex T. Smith

Dashing detective Mr. Penguin and his adventuring gang board a luxury cruise ship for some much-needed rest and a little entertainment. With Colin, his kung fu spider sidekick, preparing to perform with the Ladies Choir and fish finger sandwiches available twenty-four hours a day, Mr. Penguin isn’t even bothered by the fact that he can’t swim and is deeply afraid of water. But when a series of odd events infiltrates a façade of glamorous parties filled with a who’s who of film stars and politicians, Mr. Penguin can’t help but feel that something shifty is happening on board. And when he befriends a young stowaway with a mystery of her own, he soon finds that adventures are lying in wait.

Save The Crash Test Dummies PB

Save the Crash-test Dummies
An Action-Packed Journey through the History of Car Safety Engineering
by Jennifer Swanson
illustrated by TeMika Grooms

Cars take us to work. To school. To soccer practice. To the grocery store and home again. Can you imagine a world without them? It’s not so easy! One of the reasons we can use cars so much in our everyday lives is because they are safe to drive. But that hasn’t always been the case. If it weren’t for the experiments conducted over decades that involved all kinds of crash test volunteers―dead, alive, animal, or automated―cars as we know them might not be around. And then how would you get to school?

Pretty Funny for a Girl

Pretty Funny for a Girl
by Rebecca Elliott

Haylah Swinton is a stellar best friend, a loving daughter, and an incredibly patient sister to a four-year-old nutcase of a brother. But she has a big secret: one day, she’ll be a stand-up comedian star. So when impossibly cool and thirstalicious Leo reveals he’s also into comedy, Haylah jumps at the chance to ghost-write his sets. But is Leo as interested in returning the favor? Even though her friends warn her of Leo’s intentions, Haylah’s not ready to listen―and she might just be digging herself deeper toward heartbreak. If Haylah’s ever going to step into the spotlight, first she’ll need to find the self-confidence to strut like the boss she really is.

Sing Like No Ones Listening PB

Sing Like No One’s Listening
by Vanessa Jones

Nettie Delaney is a young singer who has just lost her mother and, despite a dreadful audition, has been accepted into a prestigious performing arts school―the very same school her superstar mother attended. With her mother’s shadow hanging over her, Nettie has her work cut out for her―and everyone is watching. To make matters worse, she hasn’t been able to sing a single note since her mother died. Whenever she tries, she just clams up. If Nettie’s going to survive a demanding first year and keep her place in a highly coveted program, she’ll have to work through her grief, find her voice, and deliver a showstopper. Or face expulsion.