Bound To Stay Bound

Other - 01/19/2026 Luminous first-person narration by Stewart (The Forgotten Magic of Zoey Turner) relays an introspective slice-of-life tale that forefronts connection and the lessons to be learned about friendship, family, and oneself when approaching relationships with an open heart and mind. Following an emotional meltdown while on a school trip to the aquarium, 12-year-old Lucy Sinclair’s parents send her from New York to Prince Edward Island, hoping a summer spent at her grandfather’s house will lift her spirits. Lucy worries, however, that the visit is meant to give her parents a break from Lucy and her "big feelings." To her chagrin, life on the island proves more peaceful than back home in the city, particularly due to the smaller population. But a budding friendship with Poppy Anne Montgomery-a local kid descended from the author of Anne of Green Gables-forces Lucy to confront her feelings about an estranged relationship, as well as simmering emotions stemming from her grandfather’s reticence to talk about his late wife, her grandmother. When Grandpa gives Lucy her grandma’s old film camera, though, the object becomes a lifeline toward processing and communicating her emotions and cultivating a better understanding of each other. Gentle, lightly magical storytelling earnestly presents Lucy’s struggles with managing overwhelming feelings and her subsequent attempts to dismantle her persistent belief that the fallout of others’ reactions is hers to shoulder. Main characters are white. Ages 8-12. Agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House. (Feb.) - Copyright 2026

Booklist - 01/01/2026 Big emotions and what to do with them are at the center of Stewart’s (The Forgotten Magic of Zoey Turner, 2025) latest novel. Lucy, a sixth-grade empath, is spending the summer on Prince Edward Island with her solitary grandfather after an emotional crisis with her former friend. She wants to do anything except “feel,” but as she takes photos using her grandmother’s old camera and develops them in a darkroom, they come to life for her, enabling her to understand her subjects to their core. As the summer visit progresses, she comes to understand herself and to appreciate where her uniqueness comes from. Using the device of capturing her surroundings and human interactions through a classic camera lens, Stewart allows readers an opportunity to walk briefly in her heroine’s shoes. Lucy is sensitively and authentically portrayed, as are how she feels and how she deals with her reality. A quietly effective tale of family and friendship, but, most importantly, self-understanding. Geared toward middle-grade readers who enjoy flawed but growing characters. - Copyright 2026 Booklist.