Bound To Stay Bound

Publishers Weekly - 05/18/2026 Ghost hunting antics unexpectedly send three Black youths on a murder investigation across a heart-pounding adventure from Jackson (The Scammer) that features laugh-out-loud humor alongside tense emotional stakes. Raised by her late grandmother while her blues musician father toured the country, 12-year-old amateur photographer Harmony persuades her dad to bring her along on his upcoming tour. Attending a ghost walk in New Orleans ignites within Harmony an obsession with the supernatural, and she joins tours at every stop, determined to photograph a ghost. When she and her father arrive in Savannah, she’s excited to explore "one of the most haunted cities in America." More pressing for Harmony’s father, though, is supporting a family friend and her 10-year-old son Robby, both reeling from the murder of a Savannah community member whose nephew has been missing since the killing. After noticing an apparent spirit in her photograph of Calhoun Square, Harmony enlists Robby and no-nonsense new friend Myah’s help investigating the location further. What the trio find instead could change the community fabric. The protagonist’s development and experiences with grief are occasionally overshadowed by supporting character arcs. Nevertheless, evocative detail surrounding the blues, voodoo, and historically Black locales add texture to this cerebral offering. Ages 9-12. Agent: Jenny Bent, Bent Agency. (Aug.) - Copyright 2026 Publishers Weekly used with permission.

School Library Journal - 06/01/2026 Gr 5–8—Harmony Roundtree loves a good ghost tour. Traveling with her musician father gives her the opportunity to explore the phantoms of several different cities. While she is usually the only 12-year-old Black girl in the group, Harmony does not mind standing out a bit if it means she gets to learn more about the paranormal. Staying in Savannah, GA, for a few weeks, Harmony misses her Harlem friends, but home has not felt the same since her grandmother's recent death. While telling an intriguing story, Jackson incorporates information from a psychologist character who says that people who have suffered a personal loss are more likely to report paranormal sightings or attribute events to paranormal causes, linking Harmony's grief to her interest in ghosts. Jackson also contrasts the differences in media coverage and law enforcement responses to two missing persons cases, a white woman and a young Black boy. A murder has occurred in the city, and Harmony and some new friends put themselves in danger trying to figure out what happened and how it connects to the boy's disappearance. The first-person narrative and conversational tone pull readers in like a close friend sharing a high stakes adventure, building the suspense as Harmony tries to reconcile both the past and the present. VERDICT Recommended for where Jackson has a fan base.—Lucinda Whitehurst - Copyright 2026 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.