Pearl by Sherri L. Smith and Christine Norrie

 

This captivating graphic novel follows a 13-year-old girl from Hawaii to Hiroshima and back again. The year is 1941 and Amy's parents, who are Japanese American, send Amy on a ship to Japan to meet her dying grandmother. Amy's grandma, whom she calls Sosobo, was a pearl diver in her younger years and Amy grows close to her in the months she lives in Japan on her family's farm. But it is 1941, and when Japan attacks Pearl Harbor, the world is at war and Amy can't go back home to Hawaii. Amy soon discovers that America is imprisoning Japanese Americans, including Amy's family. And when the Japanese army finds an American in their midst, they take teenage Amy to spy on American radio broadcasts. So much happens to this young girl, and middle schoolers will be engrossed in Amy's story and they will learn quite a bit about world history, including the atomic bomb that is destined to fall on Hiroshima. This is a quick read with a lot to think about, and one that should be in all middle school libraries. 

Faker by Gordon Norman

 

Gordon Korman's 104th book is another winning middle school story. This time it's about a kid whose dad runs an elaborate scheme in every town they live in. People invest in his sham businesses, and then Trey, his dad, and his little sister leave town in the middle of the night. They always befriend rich people who can afford to be cheated out of their money, so that's how Trey rationalizes the family business, which he is being groomed to take part in on a larger scale. Now they are in a new town and his dad has created a prototype electric vehicle that has everyone wanting to invest in the secretive new company. But Trey is making connections and realizing he doesn't want to run this time. I was unsure how Gordon Korman was going to get them out of this difficult bind--after all, Trey's dad is probably a felon at this point and it wouldn't be a fun ending for him to end up in prison. But as always, Korman manages to keep his endearing characters out of serious trouble while making sure they learn a little lesson along the way. Another Gordon Korman book that will be enjoyed by middle school students.  

If Anything Happens to Me by Luann Rice

 

Young teens love murder mysteries and horror books, and it is hard to find age-appropriate titles to satisfy their interests but don't cross into being too gruesome or sexual for readers in the 13-15 year old age range. This mystery about Oli, a 16-year-old whose sister was murdered less than a year ago, is being sold at middle school Scholastic Book Fairs and is appropriate for young teen readers. Oli visits the site of her sister's murder once a month, and in the opening chapter of this book she finds a teenage girl left for dead in the same site. Her name is Iris and she insists on not notifying the police. Iris does not remember much about her situation, but she does know that she has a sister who is being held in captivity, so Iris and Oli set off to find the captor, save Iris's sister, and find the person who killed Oli's beloved sister. This book is not nearly of the same quality as The Good Girl's Guide to Murder or One of Us is Lying or The Agathas, all popular mysteries with middle school and high school students. The teen characters are poorly developed, and the kidnappings and murders are highly implausible, and the characters lack racial diversity. However, I already know an 8th grade reader who devoured this book and loved it, and that is worth a lot. 

Twelfth by Janet Key

 

If ea ever dreamed of going to theatre camp this may be the book for you. Maren is a 12-year-old who is reluctantly sent to a summer camp in the woods that her sister attended for many years. Maren isn't as outgoing or theatrical as her sister, but she becomes involved in a mystery at the camp that has her delving into Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, the history of the camp, and a long-ago story of a woman who longed for a career as a Hollywood director. It's a mystery with a chain of clues that should lead to a valuable ring that might save the camp from bankruptcy. Maren and a couple of new friends are decoding clues from the Shakespeare play they are producing that send them all over the camp (and force them to avoid camp counselors at all costs). As you would expect at theatre camp, there are kids with a variety of gender identities and precocious teenagers who recite Shakespeare. This book's target audience is definitely theatre kids and readers who enjoy intricate puzzle mysteries. The clues and connections to Shakespeare's Twelfth Night sometimes went over my head, but smart theatre kids will likely devour this mystery.  

The Windeby Puzzle by Lois Lowry

If you've ever heard of bog people, you might find this book interesting. The Windeby Child is a 2,000 year old human body that was uncovered in 1952 in a peat bog in Germany. Due to the chemical conditions in a peat bog, ancient bodies are occasionally preserved, including their hair and clothing and skin. When modern people find them, the bodies are studied by scientists and preserved in museums. Some bog people appear to have died violent deaths, or have clearly been murdered, but not the Windeby Child. This particular body at first appeared to be a young woman with half of her head shaved and a blindfold around her eyes. Scientists later determined that the body was a young boy, and his hair had not been shaved. Lois Lowry took the interesting story of the Windeby Child and imagines the life of this child and what could have led to their death at a young age. We know very little about the people who lived in northern Germany at that time, but Lowry found out what she could and in this book she tells two possible stories to explain the puzzle of the Windeby Child. The first story assumes that she was a 13-year-old girl who meets a violent end due to her aspirations of being a warrior. The second story is one of an unloved orphan teenager who shows the curiosity of a scientist before succumbing to disease. Both stories show young teenagers living a harsh life in a society that does not treat children kindly. As a middle school librarian, I appreciate that Lowry is writing for and about young teens--there is mention of human sacrifice and adultery that makes this book more fitting for 6th-8th graders. It is not a long book and with some encouragement, it should appeal to young teens who like history, solving puzzles, and learning new things. 

Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang and Leuyen Pham

 

Val always loved Valentine's Day until a family secret, a mysterious spirit, and a ripped-up Valentine spoiled the day for her. The spirit tells her that she will never find love, and although she is only 17, she is ready to give up on love altogether. This graphic novel takes Val through a year in her life as she navigates serious revelations about her parents that shake her whole sense of identity as well as a love triangle involving boys who are part of a lion dancing group that performs at Asian festivals around her city. It's hard to describe how charming and fresh this story is...it's beautifully written and illustrated and the captivating storytelling will keep teens and adults reading to the end. A real treasure, and one that will be a hit with middle schoolers as well as older students. Thank you Gene Yang and Leuyen Pham!

From Here by Luma Mufleh

 

Luma Mufleh grew up in Aman, Jordan as the child of Syrian refugees. She was part of a large, close family with strong ties to each other, but she always knew she was different. As a student in an American high school in Jordan in the 1990s, she realized that she was gay and that there was no place for her in Jordan. In fact, she could be killed if her sexuality were to be discovered. She thought that going to college in the United States could be a way out for her, but did not want her identity to separate her from her beloved family. This memoir is illuminating on many levels--life in Jordan, Muslim family dynamics, the American immigrant experience, and having the courage to become your true self. These themes will resonate with high school students but also with adults. Luma has had a long journey becoming a US Citizen and creating schools and soccer teams for refugee children, and her story is powerful and empowering. Recommended for high school and adult readers. 

Break to You by Neal Shusterman, Debra Young and Michelle Knowlden

 

Adriana and Jon are both incarcerated at a juvenile detention center that keeps boys and girls strictly separate. Adriana has just come for a seven-month sentence and her most precious possession is her diary. When she accidentally leaves it in the facility's library, Jon finds it, reads it, and writes back to her. Thus begins a correspondence and romance between the two teenagers who connect deeply through their writing. Jon has been incarcerated since he was 13 years old, and when he turns 18 he will likely be transferred to the adult justice system. Jon and Adriana hatch a plan to meet and enlist their friends and acquaintances to pull off a heist-like operation to bring them together. However, no one knows who can be trusted and there are no fairy tales in the justice system. The adults running the center are pretty much terrible, and the other teens range from helpful to downright evil. It's a compelling and gritty glimpse into the justice system that will really speak to teens. Recommended for grades 8-up. 

The Unteachables by Gordon Korman

 

The Unteachables in room 117 are (supposedly) the worst kids  in their middle school. And this year Mr. Kermit, the worst teacher in the school, is assigned to room 117. The students are separated out for not being smart, for bad behavior, and also for a scheduling error. Mr. Kermit used to care about teaching, but his career was shattered by a cheating scandal and he stopped trying years ago. In his last year before early retirement he plans to do nothing and just make it through, but the superintendent is hoping to fire him before the year is up. The Unteachables can't believe they have a teacher who cares less than they do, but as you might expect, it's a year of redemption for everyone. It sounds trite, but as usual, in Gordon Korman's hands it is funny, a little unexpected, and heartwarming in the end. Gordon Korman is the best, and this book did not disappoint. Recommended for 4th-8th graders who want a fun reading experience. 

Everyone Wants to Know by Kelly Loy Gilbert

 

Honor Lo is a reality TV star who grew up with her every move being filmed for a show called Lo and Behold featuring her and her four siblings. Her parents are influencers who care mainly about their public image as the perfect family--but this book begins with a bombshell. Honor's father is moving out and their perfect marriage is facing an image crisis. Honor has a lot going on. She is betrayed by her best friends and her mother moves the family to a new town. Honor is desperately trying to keep her siblings together and orchestrate a family reunion that will reunite her parents. Nothing is working until the family gets devastating news about her college-aged sister, which may (or may not) bring the Lo family together again. With all the family drama, Honor has a love interest back home who may just force her out of her highly regulated life and into a relationship of her own making. This book got great reviews, but I had mixed feelings. Things I liked: The world of social media influencers was inherently interesting--the parents' narcissism and the publicists swarming was kind of fascinating. Also the sibling relationships and Honor trying to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders were entirely realistic. Things I didn't like--I found the plot surrounding her sister's tragedy to be entirely unbelievable. It just couldn't have happened. The parents were one-dimensional. I didn't feel a connection to Honor's new boyfriend (and I think I was supposed to be rooting for them). Finally, some briefly mentioned sexual encounters seemed way out of character for Honor and made the book less appropriate for middle school readers for no real reason. All this being said, it is still a compelling book about the world of media influencers and I do recommend it to YA readers who like family drama and relationships. 

Hands by Torrey Maldonado

Trev is a 12-year-old kid with adult problems. His stepfather, who is in jail for hitting his mother, is scheduled to be released soon. Trev believes it is his job to protect his mom and sisters, and he decides to go to a gym and learn to fight. As you can see from the cover, Trev has two sides--he is both a fighter and an artist--and the theme of this book is Trev choosing how to use his hands. Trev lives in the projects, and even though he feels the weight of the world on his shoulders, there is a village around him that advises him and tries to protect him. I love that his book is short (we need more short books!), and the chapters are only a couple of pages long which makes it very appealing to pick up and read in short bursts. I know that lots of kids are going to see themselves in this book, or they are going to gain some empathy from walking in Trev's shoes. I'm not going to spoil things, but the ending was abrupt for me and I think kids are going to wish they had a few more scenes to wrap it up. This is a great choice for upper elementary readers--I recommend it for 4th-6th graders. 

Plain Jane and the Mermaid by Vera Brosgol

 

This graphic novel is the story of an ordinary looking girl having extraordinary adventures. Young Jane is kicked out of her own home after her parents' death because there is no male heir. She quickly proposes to handsome Peter, but her hopes are dashed when he is kidnapped by a mermaid. Jane goes on a wild quest to save Peter (and her own future) in a dangerous underwater adventure. Behind this fairy tale is a lot of truth about how society views girls and youth and beauty and marriage. As Jane says in the end, "Someone somewhere makes up all these stupid rules and we're just all going along with them! Even if it makes us miserable!" Vera Brosgol is absolutely BRILLIANT (see Anya's Ghost and Be Prepared) and this magnificent graphic novel is going to have huge appeal to kids of all ages. 

The Eyes and the Impossible by Dave Eggers

This Newbery-winning novel is unlike anything I’ve read before. It’s narrated by a dog who lives on an island and roams freely, patrolling with the birds, talking with the bison, and generally keeping his eyes on the whole island, which is a public park. Johannes loves to run, and exaggerates just about everything about his speed and prowess. Humans are building something new and intriguing on the island, and he longs to see what is inside the new building. He and his friends (a seagull, raccoons, squirrels, and a new pack of goats) know that humans are to be avoided—but they are encroaching on the animals’ space and it may be necessary to plan a great escape. This book, with its first-person dog narration, has the tone of an old classic of children’s literature. However the story is original, and full of humor and sadness and relationships in which to invest. I can imagine this being an unforgettable read-aloud for elementary children. It may be on the young side for middle schoolers, but it is a delightful book and I will absolutely put it in my library and recommend it to animal lovers. 

 

Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli

 

I finally read this book at the urging of a well-read eighth grade girl who considers it her favorite book of all time. I was immediately wrapped up in Becky Albertalli’s realistic world of high school friend groups and all the relationships within them. Leah and her friends are seniors in high school and many of them are theatre kids. Leah herself is a drummer in a girl band, but the bonds in that group are being tested. We met her best friend and his boyfriend in Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, and they are going strong as a couple and enjoying being out to all of their friends. All the while that Leah supported Simon in his coming out journey, she never had the nerve to tell him that she thinks she may be bisexual. This is her story of figuring that out and dealing with a major crush on a girl who is in a messy breakup with a boy in their social circle. This is a solidly delightful realistic fiction book with scintillating dialogue. I do have it in my middle school collection for the more mature eighth grade readers, but like with most YA books these days, it is geared for older teens and I recommend it to grades 9-up. 

Displacement by Kiku Hughes

 

In this time travel graphic novel a modern teenage girl finds herself transported (or “displaced”) back in time to a World War II internment camp for Japanese Americans. Kiki knows that her grandmother spent time in a camp, but knows very little about her experiences. After a few brief displacements, Kiki becomes stuck in the past, which gives her the  opportunity to observe her relatives and maybe even get to know them. She fully lives the life of one of the captive Japanese citizens, but longs to return to her mother in the present day. It can be hard to get kids interested in nonfiction books about this time period, and this story is an excellent gateway to learning about hard history and gaining some empathy for the Japanese people who were so callously displaced. I wished that she had actually gotten to know her grandmother better in the past, but that wasn’t the direction the story took. The art is perfectly suited to the story and will draw readers in. Highly recommended for grades 7-up.