RECOMMENDEDREADS JFICTION:REALISTICFICTION
JSAFA, S
Kareem
Between
ShifaSaltagi
Safadi
This heartfelt coming-of-age novel in verse tells the powerful story of a seventh-grade Syrian American boy and his struggles, big and small, as he navigates middle school.
JMILL, K
Southof Somewhere
KalenaMiller
When FBI agents swarm Mavis Callahan's downtown Chicago home, her mom goes on the run. With the family's house and bank accounts seized, Mavis's dad takes her and her siblings to seek refuge with his sister just south of rural Somewhere, Illinois.
JCHOL, G
TheTenth MistakeofHank Hooperman
Gennifer Choldenko
When Hank's mother does not come home after a week, he and his toddler sister seek out the stranger listed as their emergency contact, even though it means social workers, a new school, and having to answer questions about his mom that he has been trying to keep secret.
JEVER, S
TheShapeof LostThings
SarahEverett
A heartfelt exploration of family and change as twelve-year-old Skye reunites with her older brother, Finn, after he spent four years on the run with their father.
BetweenTwo Brothers JALLE, C
CrystalAllen
Isaiah "Ice" has always worshiped his older brother and best friend, Seth. For years they've been not just brothers but best friends. But after a fight, Ice finds out Seth has been in a serious accident that he may never recover from. Racked by fear and guilt, Ice chooses to step up, defy the experts, and help Seth recover by trusting in their bond and the undying love between two brothers.
JLEAH, E
MalloryinFull Color
ElisaStoneLeahy
JDEE, B
BarbaraDee Unstuck
A middle grade novel about a girl whose struggles with anxiety and writer's block set off unexpected twists and turns, both on and off the page.
JustinaChen WithTwicethe Love,DessieMei JCHEN, J
On Dessie’s first day of 6th grade, she meets Donna, who looks exactly like her. A secret DNA test reveals the shocking truth that they are identical twins, adopted from the same orphanage in China, then separated into two different families: one white, the other Taiwanese American.
JBUYE, R
Mallory Marsh is an expert at molding into whatever other people want her to be. Her true thoughts and feelings only come out in her scifi web comic, which she publishes anonymously as Dr. BotGirl. But juggling all the versions of herself gets tricky, especially when Mal's mom signs her up for swim team.
CarterAvery's TrickyFourthGradeYear
RobBuyea
Carter Avery, initially dreads his new teacher Ms. Krane, but he quickly discovers she can channel his restlessness, so when he learns of efforts to replace her, he embarks on a mission to save her job.
ThePartition Project
SaadiaFarqui
When her grandmother comes to live with her, Pakistani American Maha decides to document Dadi's experience of the Partition of India and Pakistan for her journalism project.
MichaelLeali TheTruthAbout Triangles JLEAL, M
Luca is trying to save his family's pizza restaurant and a life that feels like it's falling apart after he learns that his parents may be separating and his first crush, Will, and best friend June might be into each other.
AndreaWang Summerat Squee JWANG, A
A new middle grade novel about a Chinese American tween who attends a Boston-based Chinese cultural overnight camp and the many ways it transforms her.
L.D. Lapinksi Jamie
Jamie is a happy 11-year-old non-binary kid who loves hanging out with their two best friends. But when the trio find out that in Year Seven they will be separated into one school for boys and another for girls, their friendship suddenly seems at risk.
AliciaD. Williams Mid-Air JWILL, A
Thirteen-year-old Isaiah grapples with the loss of his best friend as he strives to fit into a world that expects him to toughen up, which leads him on a exploration of identity and vulnerability.
MónicaMancillas SingitLike Celia JMANC, M
Sing It Like Celia is a revelatory story about a Mexican American girl who finds her voice and herself with the help of her role model and icon, Celia Cruz.