Booklist Starred Review: Medicine Wheels by Byron Graves

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Medicine Wheels by Byron Graves book cover

We are thrilled to share that AKALM client Byron Graves has received a starred review from Booklist (May 1, 2026 issue) for his upcoming novel, Medicine Wheels.

“Readers will feel their passion and resilience on every page.” — Julian Axelrod, Booklist

A starred review from Booklist is one of the highest honors a young adult novel can receive before publication. It signals to librarians, educators, and booksellers across the country that this is a book that demands attention — and in Byron’s case, we could not agree more.

Medicine Wheels follows an Ojibwe skateboarder navigating identity, community, and the weight of legacy. From the author of the acclaimed Rez Ball, this novel brings the same fierce authenticity and emotional depth that made Byron’s debut a standout in contemporary Native YA fiction.

Byron Graves is Ojibwe and Lakota, born and raised on the Red Lake Indian Reservation in Minnesota. His debut novel Rez Ball (HarperCollins/Heartdrum, 2023) received wide critical acclaim, winning the William C. Morris Award and the American Indian Youth Literature Award. Medicine Wheels continues that momentum, and this Booklist star is a beautiful affirmation of the work Byron is doing.

Medicine Wheels publishes June 2026 from HarperCollins/Heartdrum. Congratulations, Byron — this one is well-deserved.

Publishers Weekly Starred Review: Medicine Wheels by Byron Graves

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Medicine Wheels by Byron Graves book cover

We are proud to share that Medicine Wheels by Byron Graves has received a starred review from Publishers Weekly — one of the highest honors in pre-publication reviewing, awarded to a small percentage of the thousands of titles PW covers each year.

“Natural-feeling dialogue and measured emotional pacing keep the story grounded in Bryce’s resilient first-person POV. Skateboarding sequences carry electric energy, and the adroitly wrought activism plotline underscores challenges faced by Indigenous communities. A concluding author’s note and glossary of Ojibwe language and skate terminology add depth to this sincere portrait of grief, growth, and finding balance on and off the board.”

— Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

Medicine Wheels follows 15-year-old Bryce, an Indigenous teenager who moves in with his grandparents on the Wolf Creek reservation after his mother’s arrest. There, he reconnects with childhood friends who teach him to skateboard, helps organize against a pipeline threatening ancestral land, navigates first love, and prepares for a high-stakes skateboarding contest — all while facing his grandfather’s illness and his mother’s eventual return.

Medicine Wheels
Byron Graves | Heartdrum/HarperCollins Children’s Books
ISBN: 978-0-06-316042-2 | $19.99 | 352 pages | Ages 13 & up
Publication date: June 2, 2026
Agent: Terrie Wolf, AKA Literary Management

J.D. Barker’s A Caller’s Game Heading to the Big Screen

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Big news for J.D. Barker fans! Screenwriter Jenna Mattison has been tapped to adapt Barker’s bestselling thriller A Caller’s Game as a feature film, as reported by Deadline.

Billed as Die Hard meets Talk Radio, the film centers on Jordan Briggs — a controversial satellite radio talk show host whose live broadcast is hijacked by a mysterious caller with a deadly game in mind. What begins as a ratings stunt quickly turns dangerous as secrets long buried come to the surface.

Barker will produce alongside Joel Gotler of Intellectual Property Group and Greg Pedicin of Untitled. Mattison and Barker previously collaborated on The Gimble Files, a TV series in development at UCP.

Congratulations, J.D.!

The Winter Verdict by Dan Buzzetta — Book Cover

The Winter Verdict by Dan Buzzetta: Now Available

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Dan Buzzetta’s thrilling legal series continues with The Winter Verdict, the second book in the Tom Berte series — available now from Severn River Publishing.

The Winter Verdict by Dan Buzzetta — Book Cover

Tom Berte’s bucolic new life is about to be shattered by a threat he can’t ignore. A former Department of Justice lawyer, Tom thought he’d left his past behind when he moved to Castle Ridge with his family. But when a brutal attack leaves him fighting for his life, Tom and his family find themselves at the epicenter of an unfolding conspiracy that stretches from a local ski resort to a desert compound on the other side of the world.

At the heart of the mystery is Phoenix Holdings Group, a shadowy international conglomerate with its sights set on Castle Ridge Ski Resort. When a catastrophic accident at the resort claims dozens of lives, Tom uncovers a chilling connection to his own assault and a ruthless plot that could endanger millions. With his wife and daughter’s lives hanging in the balance, Tom must navigate a treacherous path of legal intrigue, corporate espionage, and looming revenge.

Perfect for fans of John Grisham and Michael Connelly, The Winter Verdict delivers a breakneck pace, high stakes, and a protagonist you won’t soon forget.

Series: Tom Berte, Book 2
Publisher: Severn River Publishing
Publication Date: February 17, 2026
ISBN-13: 978-1648757570

Order The Winter Verdict on Amazon

Order The Winter Verdict on Barnes & Noble

Order The Winter Verdict from Severn River Publishing

Something I Keep Upstairs – Released!

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SomethingIKeepUpstairs

New Release Spotlight: Something I Keep Upstairs by J.D. Barker

Bestselling thriller maestro J.D. Barker is back with a standalone novel that’s already sending shivers through early readers. Something I Keep Upstairs (Hampton Creek Press, May 13, 2025) drops us on a windswept New Hampshire island, where two friends discover that the past never stays locked away—especially when it’s waiting in the attic.

Blending the fearless nostalgia of It with the creeping dread of Mexican Gothic, Barker delivers 448 pages of pulse-pounding suspense: ancient secrets, razor-sharp twists, and a choice that could cost everything. Within the first week, the book hit Amazon’s #1 Ghost-Thriller slot and cracked Audible’s Top 25 Hot New Releases (Horror)—proof that readers were ready to open that attic door.

Rights momentum is strong: US/UK print and audio are sold, along with Belgium, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, the Netherlands, Spain, and Sri Lanka. Translation, film/TV, and ancillary rights remain available.

Whether you’re a long-time Barker fan or new to his brand of mind-bending terror, this is one summer trip you won’t forget.

Ready to brave the upstairs? Grab your copy today—or, if you’re a foreign publisher seeking a can’t-miss thriller, drop us a line for rights details.

— Terrie Wolf
Literary Agent & Rights Manager, AKA Literary Management