Top Heavy by Rhonda DeChambeau

 

Esme is a 15-year-old dancer who has worked her whole life to make the elite dance team. When she and her best friend get the coveted spots they earned, it seems like the beginning of a great school year. But Esme has a lot of things weighing her down, one being her father's health problems that make him unable to work and therefore unable to afford expensive dance lessons. Another issue in her life is the size of her breasts--they make dancing uncomfortable and they cause unwanted attention from both men and boys. In fact, Esme is so unhappy with her body that she is looking into having breast reduction surgery. Along the way, Esme develops a romantic relationship, and is cut out of her best friend's life, and learns how to cope with all the things life is throwing at her. It's a novel in verse that is a quick read, and the topics of body image and harassment are of high interest, so this is a much-needed book in middle and high school collections. Recommended for grades 8-10. #youngteenlit

Not If I Save You First by Ally Carter

 

Maddie's Dad is a secret service agent, and when a plot to kill the First Lady of the United States goes wrong, he quits the secret service and takes his daughter with him to live off the grid in Alaska. Maddie is crushed to leave her best friend Logan behind, and receives not a single reply to her many snail mail letters. Six years later, when Logan shows up in Alaska, Maddie is mad. But there's no time to make Logan pay for ignoring her. Logan is the son of the President of the United States and terrorists know his location. Maddie has to use all of her hard-earned survival skills to save his life. It's a wild survival/adventure/action story that is perfect for young teen readers. Maddie and Logan are both smart, funny, bold, and more than a little bit sweet on each other. Highly recommended for 6th-8th graders.   

I Witnessed: The Lizzie Borden Story: A Graphic Novel by Jeramey Kraatz (Author)and Crystal Jayme (Illustrator)

 

Middle school kids are very interested in murder mysteries, so this graphic novel caught my attention. It features a 14-year-old boy who is the next door neighbor of Lizzie Borden. The year is 1892 and soon Lizzie's father and stepmother will be killed with an ax and Lizzie, the spinster daughter, will be accused of murder. Charlie is the next door neighbor (and there was actually a 14-year-old Charlie who lived next door). He knows the family, sees Lizzie try to purchase poison at a store in town, and even sees the shadow of someone lifting an ax. After news of the horrific crime becomes public, Charlie does a little sneaking around to try to find some answers. His mother is called to testify at the trial, and Charlie is at her side viewing the drama that unfolds in the tiny Massachusetts town. Much of the book is based on the well-known facts of the historical Lizzie Borden murder case, but Charlie's story is fictional. Nothing gory here, and kids might need some context to understand fact from fiction, but I think middle school readers will like this. 

The Beat I Drum by Dusti Bowling

 

Dusti Bowling's latest novel is solidly #youngteenlit with a 14-year-old protagonist and strong disability representation. Connor has Tourette's Syndrome and is starting 9th grade in a new high school. He holds a lot of resentment for the way his father treated him regarding his Tourette's-related tics. Connor, whose main tic is barking uncontrollably, is understandably nervous about starting in a new high school, but he is pleasantly surprised to find a new friend group and a music teacher who encourages him to choose an instrument that speaks to him. It's a story about the power of music (drumming!), the difficulties of forgiveness, the importance of friendship, dealing with bullying, and experiencing a first romance. And yes, Connor's old friend Aven Green from Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus makes an appearance. Realistic fiction at its best and can be read as a stand-alone novel. Recommended for all middle school libraries. 

Last Dragon on Mars by Scott Roentgen

 

Lunar Jones was born on Mars. But life outside of planet Earth is no picnic. Mars, which was cursed by its own dying dragon, is running out of resources, and Martian-born children scavenge for anything they can sell for food or sustenance. In one harrowing scavenging expedition, Lunar discovers a life-changing secret. An underground bunker hides an unbelievable treasure--a dragon that could be the key to reviving the dead planet. And that dragon seems to have chosen Lunar to be its rider. If the thought of young teens on a life-or-death mission riding dragons through space sounds exciting, it is. Scott Reintgen knows how to write compelling action books with great characters (if you haven't read the Nyxia series, read it now!). The Last Dragon on Mars belongs in every middle school library and is a great example of #youngteenlit

The Enigma Girls: How Ten Teenagers Broke Ciphers, Kept Secrets, and Helped Win World War II by Candace Fleming

Most kids probably don't know how important secret codes were during World War II. Germans, Japanese, and Allied forces had to send radio messages around the world, and it was vitally important to each side that their messages were not intercepted, and thus each country went to great lengths to disguise their messages and to decode the communications coming from their enemies. This gem of a nonfiction book explains how British citizens spent years of their lives working to break the codes that Germans created using the Enigma machine. The Enigma was a kind of typewriter, but with lots of wheels and almost unlimited combinations of letters that changed daily. The British military took over a large house in the countryside near London called Bletchley Park and they recruited the most brilliant mathematicians and code breakers they could find. They also assigned thousands of young women, many of them still teenagers, to Bletchley Park to help in the work of code breaking. As you will see from this book, those girls did repetitive, very specific jobs day in and day out, never knowing exactly what contributions their work was making to the larger effort of saving lives, stopping the Nazis, and ending the war. 

Candace Fleming has taken this huge topic involving thousands of people, and focused in on 10 teenage girls who left their homes and families to help break the Enigma's codes. The result is this brilliant book, full of flesh and blood young girls away from home, doing important work, while at the same time growing up during wartime. These amazing women went on to live ordinary lives, unable to talk about the work they did for many years (they signed wartime secrecy papers and they all kept their silence). When their stories got out, the world was shocked to discover the brilliant work they did and the lives they saved thanks to their incredible sacrifices. As is frequently the case with Candace Fleming's work, there is much here for teenagers as well as adults. I highly recommend this award-winning book for readers ages 13-up with an interest in World War II, math, secret codes, and women's history. 

The Scott Fenwick Diaries by Kristin Nilsen

 Anyone who has ever had a crush on a real live person will see themselves in Millie, a 13-year-old girl who has only experienced love through her celebrity crush, Rory Calhoun (see Worldwide Crush by Kristin Nilsen). This book picks up exactly where the first book left off, with a note passed in social studies class. Could Scott Fenwick with the swoopy hair and beautiful lashes actually have a crush on Millie? She starts a new diary to record all of her fears and feelings and insecurities, as well as her most heartfelt acrostic poems spelling out SCOTT FENWICK. You have to trust me that this book is absolutely hilarious, yet perfectly true to the feelings of a 7th grade girl who thinks everyone else knows all about French kissing. Millie's bulldog Pringle is a big part of this book, as are Millie's friends Shauna, a Filipina girl who feels left behind by Millie's new obsession, and Tibbs, who strategizes to get Millie invited to Hebrew school just to ride in a car with Scott Fenwick. Millie's Sound of Music loving parents and her forthright, funny grandma also play key roles. There is humor on every page, including in Millie's numerous attempts to swear without actually using swear words, but there is also a lot of awkwardness, sweetness, and one tearful moment. Gen X readers, you should absolutely pick up this book. You will find references to Pa Ingalls, Barry Gibb, and Magic 8 Balls, and it will bring you back to a time of life you may have chosen to forget. I cannot recommend this book more for 5th-7th grade readers (and their moms). Don't miss this one! 

Black Girl You Are Atlas by Renée Watson

This collection of poetry by the multitalented Renée Watson is exquisite. It weaves together stories of Black girls growing up in a neighborhood of supportive mothers, aunts and neighbors. It's a celebration of resilience and a call for young girls to claim their strength and celebrate who they are. The collage art by Ekua Holmes is gorgeous and the poems are resonant and thoughtful and joyous. Recommended for all middle and high school library collections, and for adult readers as well. 
 

Boy 2.0 by Tracey Baptiste

Coal is a 13-year-old boy who has no idea that he has superpowers. Life isn't easy for him--he's a foster child and artist who has a traumatic experience when a strange man shoots at him as he draws with chalk on a street. Coal runs, knowing that the police will only suspect him, a Black teenager, of wrongdoing. In the chase that follows, Coal finds himself turning invisible and that begins his quest to figure out the origin of his power. On a field trip to a genetics lab he realizes that this lab holds some answers, and those answers involve his lost mother, his past foster families, and the lab itself. This #youngteenlit is perfect for middle school collections, and a definite follow up for readers who enjoyed Shuri by Nic Stone and Miles Morales by Jason Reynolds. Recommended for grades 6-8.  

This Book Kills by Ravena Guron

 

Jess Choudhary is a scholarship student at an elite British boarding school. She's one of very few Indian students, and she only has one friend. She and a classmate write a short story about a murder for a class assignment, and within days, a popular, wealthy student named Hugh is murdered on school grounds exactly how they wrote it in their story. Shortly after the murder, Jess receives a message saying, "Thank you for the inspiration." Jess fears that if she doesn't solve the mystery that she will either be expelled or the next to be killed. The police, a private investigator, and the school staff are failing badly at protecting the students (there are more murders and threats!), so Jess gets to work analyzing all her classmates, sneaking around, and generally doing things that the reader knows she shouldn't do. There are lots of characters and possible motivations and a powerful secret society made up of students who come from old money. Good readers will love following all the threads and trying to predict the surprise ending. This twisty boarding school mystery is ideal for fans of Holly Jackson and Karen McManus. Young teens are clamoring for murder mysteries and finding quality stories that are appropriate for middle school libraries is tough. This one fits the bill, and I can't wait to recommend it to my 7th and 8th graders. 

We Are Big Time by Hana Khan

 

This graphic novel opens with a family moving from Florida to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Moving is always hard on kids, and Aliya is not happy to be leaving behind the basketball team she loves and starting high school in a new city. She attends Peace Academy, a Muslim high school with a historically terrible basketball team. We Are Big Time follows Aliya's basketball team through their losing season, which is full of disappointments, improvements, and surprises. This book checks a lot of boxes in the world of what middle schoolers want to read. It's a graphic novel, it deals with sports, and has ninth grade characters, and it has great cultural representation, which is essential for Muslim and non-Muslim students alike. Recommended for all middle school libraries.

Parachute Kids by Betty C. Tang

 Imagine going on a vacation across the world, and then finding out you are never going home again. That's what happens to Feng-Li and her two older siblings. Their dream trip to America turns into a permanent situation, and the siblings are expected to learn English, attend school, and learn to navigate a new culture. But there's more--Feng-Li and her siblings are "parachute kids" who are dropped in the United States without their parents (mom and dad return to Taiwan, leaving their kids on their own in a rental house). Lots of hard things happen in this graphic novel, but also good things as the siblings navigate a new culture and try to escape the notice of the authorities. Middle schoolers are loving this book--there's lots to talk about and learn about and the highly engaging story keeps their attention. This is a must-buy for middle school libraries, and great news--the sequel, Outsider Kids, came out in April of 2025. 

Perfectly Parvin by Olivia Abtahi

 

Parvin is going into ninth grade and a boyfriend situation has developed over the summer. She is looking forward to entering high school with an improved social status, but everything changes when she is dumped before school even starts. Parvin decides she needs to find a new homecoming date, mostly to prove her worth to her ex. She sets her sights on Matty Fumero, who is probably out of her league, but she has a plan. She will act like a rom com heroine, not like her usual loud, frizzy-haired, band-nerd self. This coming of age story follows Parvin through her freshman year, including Farsi classes with other Iranian Americans and conversations with her relatives in Iran who are affected by the U.S. muslim ban. This gem is genuinely funny and a great #youngteenlit romance. Recommended for grades 7-10.  

The Right Call by Tommy Greenwood

 

Cal is a 15-year-old pitcher who already has college scouts looking at him play. He's a great ball player, but the tension and stress put on him at such a young age is making baseball a lot less fun than it used to be. In addition to coaches and scouts putting pressure on him, Cal's dad has gotten invested in the game to the point of arguing and even yelling at the umpires. It all comes to a head in a heated game when an older umpire makes a call that Cal's dad doesn't like. There is an argument in the parking lot and the umpire is badly injured. Cal's dad is accused of a crime, leaving Cal to wrestle with his feelings about the game, his dad's behavior, and his future plans. The format of this book is unique--it is entirely told in transcripts of conversations, news articles, text messages, and even poems that Cal writes. It's part of the Game Changer series, and all of these books are great picks for middle schoolers who love sports. Thank you to author Tommy Greenwald for writing books for and about young teens! #youngteenlit

Game Changer by Tommy Greenwald

 

Teddy is in the hospital in a coma with a brain injury after a football training incident. While Teddy fights for his life, we get to read the texts and messages sent by his classmates, hear the conversations happening in the hospital, and read the newspaper articles about the incident. All these elements (and more!) start to paint a picture of a not-so-typical football injury. Teddy's friends and classmates suspect that something nefarious was happening on the football field, but members of the high school football team and even the coaches are desperately trying to cover up the truth about his injury. This is a perfect book for middle school sports fans--and there are 3 more "companion books" in the Game Changers world (Dinged, Rivals, and Right Call). While this book is 304 pages long, the entire text is made up of conversations, messages, newspaper articles, and dialogue, so it's a quick read and one that will lead to a lot of conversation about sports and how we treat athletes. Highly recommended for middle school libraries.