Pearl Derlaga

Which books work well as standalones, and which are best for series fans? Use our input to navigate whether to begin or expand these series selections at your library.

With countless cooking shows featuring kids and teens, there can never be enough baked cookies, avocado toast, and Disney Princess–inspired chicken tenders. Both beginner cooks and experienced bakers will find something to devour among these seven recent cookbooks.

This year, we’ve seen updates to many graphic novel series aimed at middle grade and chapter book readers. Which installments will appeal only to die-hard series fans, and which can readers pick up with no knowledge of previous books? We offer some guidance.