Bound To Stay Bound

Publishers Weekly - 03/02/2026 Previous collaborators Schmidt and Koertge (A Day at the Beach) present an introspective story of unlikely connection across an action-adventure plot with Percy Jackson appeal. After spending 2,451 years in the underworld, 12-year-old Simon of Lacedaemon, who died trying to defend his village from the Spartans, finally escapes. He emerges from a portal in present-day St. Paul, Minn., and finds himself in the seventh grade boys’ bathroom of St. Nikolaos Academy, where he meets meek-mannered social outcast Zeke Tripps. As the two become fast friends, Zeke offers to take temporally displaced Simon home with him. Masquerading as Zeke’s cousin from Las Vegas, Simon tries to adjust to modernity, even as memories of his previous mortal life continue to haunt him. Back in the underworld, news of his escape rocks the kingdom, prompting its rulers to dispatch a demonic bounty hunter to bring him back. The running theme of Simon’s kindness affecting and improving the lives of those around him, both in the underworld and on Earth, gives the novel an emotionally rich undercurrent, while parallel character arcs-including Simon’s contending with past trauma, Zeke’s managing deep-set loneliness, and others-emphasize warm messaging that highlights myriad paths toward healing. Main characters cue as white. Ages 8-12. (May) - Copyright 2026 Publishers Weekly used with permission.

School Library Journal - 04/01/2026 Gr 5–7—The mythological underworld is real, and its doorway to our world is the seventh grade boys' bathroom at a Minnesota middle school. Simon, 13, escaping millennia of Hades torture, staggers out of the portal—disoriented and naked—and meets Zeke, recovering from a bully's assault in the same bathroom. A social outsider, Zeke recognizes someone who has even more problems than he does and unhesitatingly befriends this stranger in need. So begins a funny, fast-paced dual adventure as Simon adjusts to being alive again (the sun! colors!) and being a teen in today's culture (ice-cold Coke!). Wise beyond his biological age, Simon quickly gains school popularity, and Zeke gains a true friend, but the boys' happiness is shadowed by omens that Hades is intent on recapturing Simon. Down below, Simon's escape rocks the underworld, sowing seeds of rebellion. Inspired by the boy's compassionate nature and daring escape, shades and gods unite to throw off the rule of Hades, choosing caring over cruelty and determining how they want to live. Worlds collide in a cinematically exciting climax. Meticulously crafted characters Zeke and Simon are simultaneously relatable and inspiring; their humor is spot-on and hilarious. Detailed supporting characters have their own compelling story arcs; notably Persephone, queen of the underworld, and Mr. Savalas, Zeke and Simon's classical studies teacher. VERDICT This grabs readers from page one and takes them on a witty, heartfelt, and memorable ride. An essential purchase for all middle grade collections.—Marybeth Kozikowski - Copyright 2026 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 04/01/2026 *Starred Review* This unusual tale takes place near the border between the underworld of Greek mythology, ruled by Hades, and the upper world explored by Simon, whose narration includes descriptions of characters from Greek mythology and stories from ancient Greek history. He even describes the painful event when Spartan soldiers slaughtered his parents and his brothers upon arriving in Athens. After centuries trapped in the magical but sometimes horrific underworld, Simon courageously crosses the border between mythology and “the world above,” where he’s beyond the reach of Hades and his many dangerous servants. In the world above, Simon unexpectedly finds loyal friends as well as cruel enemies among the seventh- and eighth-graders at a middle school in Minneapolis/Saint Paul, Minnesota. Readers who were initially introduced to Greek mythology through Rick Riordan’s popular Percy Jackson series may find this story somewhat more challenging to read—but perhaps more compelling. Who could resist the scene in which a character bravely befriends Cerberus, the terrifying, three-headed dog, with smooches, gentle strokes, and fond words? In narrating his escape story, Simon remains aware of dangers in the underworld, even as he observes the sometimes-cruel, sometimes-generous actions of the people he meets in the world above. A refreshingly different novel that spans the centuries. - Copyright 2026 Booklist.