SLEEPLESS, by Gordon Korman, Scholastic Press, July 7, 2026, Hardcover, $18.99 (ages 8-12)
Five kids can’t sleep. Like really, they don’t sleep at all. And they’re desperate to find out why in Sleepless, by Gordon Korman.
There’s not enough time in the day.
How often have Mickey, Skye, Levi, Cyrus, and Thea thought that?
Well, now they have plenty of extra time… because they no longer need to sleep.
None of them knows why this is happening to them. All they know is that they have to keep it a secret from their families and their friends. And while they keep it a secret, they can use their extra hours to become better than everyone else.
Each of them thinks they’re alone in their sleeplessness. But once they find each other, they know it can’t be just an accident. Suddenly they’re forced to ask:
What’s keeping them awake at night? —Synopsis provided by Scholastic Press
Author Gordon Korman can’t be stopped. His books for middle-readers are always entertaining and make you think about things you’d rarely contemplate. And, in the case of Sleepless, Korman explores what life would be like if you didn’t need sleep.
From the beginning of Sleepless, Korman makes an important distinction — his characters can’t sleep, but they also don’t need to. They’ve somehow evolved to a point where it’s no longer a necessity, and that opens new opportunities for all of them.
The story is told from the alternating viewpoints of Mickey, Skye, Levi, Cyrus and Thea. And while a multi-person narrative may sound confusing, in Korman’s hands it’s anything but. This treatment allows readers to see and imagine numerous possibilities. And you quickly see how and why they become friends.
And just when you think you know where Sleepless is going Korman throws a curve ball. It’s great fun and exciting until the end. Sleepless has broad appeal. I can see this one with a constant waitlist at the library.
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