Book 10 COVER REVEAL!
Coming to stores SEPTEMBER 29, 2026: SERIOUSLY, CELIA?
Announcing the next book in the Emmie & Friends series! Yes, you’re not imagining things. This edition will be out later in the year than usual (I know, boo!). After a decade, I’m giving myself a little break to work on other projects. But don’t worry, the E&F series is still going. AND this time, it’s starring the two most requested characters of 2025!
SERIOUSLY, CELIA?* is the tenth book in the New York Times bestselling Emmie & Friends series. It’s all about that Queen Mean of Lakefront Middle School, Celia, and her sometimes-reluctant sidekick, Grace. Yes, we finally get to see what makes them tick!
Synopsis:
Summer break. Second chances. MIDDLE SCHOOL.
Celia is bored. It’s the summer before eighth grade and hanging out with Grace and Lindsay is getting old. So she makes a plan to get her former besties, Jaime and Maya, back. And Celia knows just the person to help reunite them…
Grace is anxious. She loves Cee, but lately Grace is starting to feel more like Cee’s lackey than her friend. Still, without Cee’s popularity to hang on to, Grace would be a nobody—and there’s nothing worse than that.
Celia is determined to get their friend group back together by any means necessary, but Grace isn’t sure she wants to be friends with Celia anymore…even though that means the unthinkable: starting the school year (gasp) completely alone.
For ages 8-12.
*note: all these books can be read in order as written or as stand-alones
To order SERIOUSLY, CELIA? (or any other books in the series), click here.
Hello, I love your books. I’m SOOO excited for Seriously Celia? to come out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Whenever I go to the bookstore or the library, I always go straight to your books! Thank you so much for writing these AMAZING books. I love them sooooo much
So glad you love ’em!
Hi terri Im so excited to red this new book! It looks amazing
Just one question where does Katie go after invisible Emmie
Thank you
Kind regards Leah.
Hello!
I’m so happy that this series is continuing!! I have always loved the Emmie and Friends series, (the first book I read was Just Jaime, one of my favourites!) so I’m so happy to see more into Celia and Grace’s lives and personalities! I will definitely be reading “Seriously, Cee?” when it comes out. My favourite books in the series so far are Just Jaime, Becoming Brianna, and Positively Izzy!
So glad you enjoy the series (especially those three books). Hope you love CELIA when it comes out!
IT LOOKS AMAZING I CAN’T WAIT TO READ
Thank you so much Terri!
I just have one question Where did Katie go after invisible emmie
Thank you,
Leah.
Hi Leah, I’ll email you the answer (so that there are no spoilers for those who haven’t read INVISIBLE EMMIE).
Hi terri Im so excited to red this new book! It looks amazing
Just one question where does Katie go after invisible Emmie
Thank you
Kind regards Leah.
I actually have a lot to say…
You didn’t have a series in mind when you first wrote Invisible Emmie, did you?
The way the time jumps around (later books sometimes being set before earlier ones) can be a little confusing, honestly. And with all the books so far set in that seventh grade year, it’s getting pretty crowded. I saw that Seriously, Celia? is set in the summer after seventh grade, and I guess it was inevitable that you’d have to move the time forward.
The funny little images representing people’s thoughts (e.g. the “Bad Speling” monster)? <3
I always thought the series felt incomplete without focusing on Joe, so when he was finally focused on in Entirely Emmie (what happened to the italics?), along with Emmie being focused on for the third time, it seemed like a series finale somehow. But without Celia being focused on, it still felt incomplete. Glad to see we’re finally getting her side of things, because that’s kind of the whole point of the series: everyone has their side of things.
It feels like you’re running out of characters to potentially focus on. The only ones I can think of are Dev and maybe Juan.
Although Surprisingly Sarah had two different timelines, in Entirely Emmie it was mentioned that Sarah brought Leo to the spring dance, implying that the “she lost her nerve” timeline is the one that actually fits with the rest of the series.
The exact time setting is ambiguous, but I think I’ve figured it out. In Positively Izzy, Izzy’s chapters are set in the year she turned thirteen, and she turns forty in the present time; that’s a twenty-seven year gap. The test Izzy forgot about says “due 3/13”, which was a Friday, the day of the talent show. March 13 was on a Friday in 1992 and 1998. Twenty-seven years later is 2019 and 2025. A flashback at the beginning of Always Anthony shows Anthony’s mom recalling a day in late 2019, which implies the series is set in 2024-2025, on a non-Covid timeline.
Hi, Jose. Wow, you’ve noticed so much. Bravo! I think you’ve paid attention more than I have 🙂
To answer your question, I indeed did not have a series in mind when I wrote INVISIBLE EMMIE. So glad it worked out the way it did because I enjoy writing for these characters. I may not get to ALL of them, but I hope to cover the majority.
You have a sharp eye for the timeline dates and details. To be honest, I’ve tried to keep on top of it, but I’m sure there are little errors (you may like my blog post, titled “Oops.”). It does get hard keeping track of it all!
I hope you continue to enjoy the series and find all the fun crossover details.
Hi Terri licensor I already LOVE the book I wrote you a letter also tell Jamie I said hi also it’s probably going to be hard for there friend group to get back together bye Terri😁
Hi Terri libenson I already LOVE the book I wrote you a letter also tell Jamie I said hi also it’s probably going to be hard for there friend group to get back together bye Terri😁
🙂 I DO hope you enjoy the book!
Ooo, finally! Always been curious about Cee, but I assumed she would never get a book! I kinda thought she’d just be an antagonist. I’m so excited! I got into this series when I was in the target demographic and even though I’ve kinda aged out of it I still read these books with joy!
Question, will we get to see a young Cee and her old best friend? It was mentioned in Just Jaime that her old best friend went to private school, and I’m curious if that relationship shaped her in some way?
I’ll stop talking now, but yay! Have a great break, Terri!
You’ll see… 🙂
So glad you continue to enjoy the series!
Hi!
I love your books, but I just want to know where Katie goes after Invisible Emmie. Also, I was wondering what characters you will add after Seriously, Celia?. The only characters I can think of is Lindsay and Dev, and maybe Trina.
Thanks!
Hi Sophia, I’ve been getting the Katie question a lot lately, so I added a blog post to help answer it: https://terrilibenson.com/2026/02/the-mystery-of-katie-from-invisible-emmie-spoiler-alert/
To answer your other question, I really don’t know yet! I’ll cross that bridge when it’s time to write the next book. The nice thing is, I can always make up new characters (although I feel like I still have plenty). 🙂
Hi Terri! I am sooooo excited to read Seriously, Celia? I have always found Celia mean and I’m curious to why she is, so I’m so happy we’re getting her side of a story! I have read all of your Invisible Emmie books and my favourites are probably Entirely Emmie, and Just Jaime! I have a question, it seems like Izzy is the same age as Brianna and is there, at the talent show and maybe even getting Taystees at the same time as Brianna is in Positively Izzy. But Izzy is actually Brianna’s mom. I don’t really understand that. Thanks!
So glad you like to read the books and I hope you enjoy CELIA!
Here is the answer to your question: (((Spoiler alert for those who haven’t read POSITIVELY IZZY!))) Izzy’s chapters actually take place in the past. The timeline just seems to echo the present day (when Brianna is in the talent show and Izzy is the mom/teacher). If you go back and read Izzy’s chapters, you may see some clues and notice that young Izzy and Bri are never really in the same room.
OMG!! MS.LIBENSON!! THIS BOOK WILL OBVI BE SO GOOD!!!
LOVE U AND UR BOOKS!
🙂
Hi!! I’m so excited on this book and will be counting days!! I’m actually so glad you found out the little ( and big ) mistakes you made in the old books because I was very confused. I’m glad that we’ve also started going more further near 8th grade in the books gradually, since I’ve been making tons of theories of the summer before 8th grade but now, I’ll be making even more! Here’s one of them: Cee will either use Grace as a guilt tripper for Jaimie and Maya, and both will either have different opinions, OR Celia uses Lindsay to pressure them both into forgiving her, and using Grace as a manipulator. These are my top two theories and I hope I did’nt spoil nothing! Love your books, its my fav series EVER!!!!
You’ve got good theories! We’ll see what happens….
YESSS I’ve always wanted a book from Celia and Grace’s (especially Grace’s) POV. Can’t wait to read this!
🙂
Theory: Celia is using grace by getting gossip ( Reference to in Just Jaime when she said that Grace gets all the gossip because no one notices her) about the friend group that Jaime and Maya are in and use it against the group to break them apart. Making Jaime and Maya join back with Celia.
Good Theory! 🙂
Is there any way to read the books in chronological order?(not including Becoming Brianna)
Is there any way to read the books in chronological order?(not including Becoming Brianna)
Sure! They don’t need to be read in the order that I wrote them, but if you prefer to, they are in order from top to bottom here: https://terrilibenson.com/emmie-friends-series/
OMG!! A new book in the E & F series l? Count me in! This one sounds great! My theories for Celia is that no one liked her at her old school or something like that. Also while reading your description of the book I realized that All the giggling and gossiping of Grace is probably because she wants to make her friends happy and like her. Probably something to do with her past. Sad people can tend to feel like they need to make everyone else happy because they know how much it sucks to be sad. Also I’m excited to hear about the parents, especially Cee’s. Anyway I can’t wait to read it!!
Also good theories! (smart readers here)
AHHHHHH Im sooo excited for this book!! I literally made a whole slideshow presentation on why they deserved a book and I’m sooo excited to hear about Celia’s home life as well in the story because in entirely emmie, Trina knows about Celia’s tough home situation. And I’m also hoping that Maya and Jaime will give grace second chance!! I’m so excited. And can we plssssss make a ship nam for dev and Brianna plssss
I’m game to hear your favorite ship name. 🙂 Devanna? Brev?
Assembling all emmie fans, we need a brainstorm on ship names for dev and Brianna and Anthony and Jaime and Tyler and emmie
EMMIE FANS UNITE!!
Ha, I’d LOVE to hear some original suggestions!
Wait, are you saying that dev x Brianna is cannon? Just wondering
Wait a minute, are you saying that Dev x Brianna is cannon? Just wondering