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. 

Best of All Worlds by Kenneth Oppel

I was thrilled to receive an advance copy of Best of All Worlds in January, 2025. I am always in search of books for young teens (ages 12-15) and this sounded promising. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this books for middle school readers due to sexual content, and below is the letter that I wrote to the publisher expressing my frustration with what is currently being written and marketed for young adults. This is not to say that it isn't a good story and a well-written book, it just missed its chance to be a huge hit with 7th and 8th grade readers.  Learn more about Young Teen Lit here. 

Dear Scholastic Editors,

One of the popular areas of my middle school library right now is adventure and survival, and kids are always drawn to sci fi/dystopia, so I was over the moon to hear Kenneth Oppel talk about his new book, Best of All Worlds. I could see that it checked many of the boxes for Young Teen Lit–it deals with complex topics, it’s a survival story, the main character goes from 13-16 years old, it has diverse characters, the cover is dynamite, and it’s got a great page count (not too long!). I was ready to declare this the new poster child for Young Teen Lit, but after reading it and mulling it over, I feel compelled to write to you about this book and how, regretfully, I am not going to be able to purchase or recommend it to the 7th and 8th graders for whom I think should be it’s target audience.  To be completely blunt, the very small plot issue of the main characters’ sexual encounter (described by the main character as a “hand job”) makes this a book a non-starter in middle school libraries and book fairs. If I thought this were an upper YA book I would not give it another thought–I would just accept that it’s not for my students. However, this book has all the hallmarks of a great book for young teens, and I don’t think it is quite right for older YA readers, so I’m afraid this book isn’t going to find its audience due to a couple of paragraphs. 

Although I’m a Georgia librarian, I work in a progressive school district that has not been targeted by recent book bans. I purchase books that reflect all my students, including LGBTQ+ books and books about race and identity. My collection includes Heartstopper, Dear Martin, They Both Die at the End and many other books that can be controversial in middle schools.  All that to say that I think I am more courageous in my purchasing than many middle school librarians so my feedback isn’t rooted in fear of censorship. 

I know it’s probably too late to give this book the small edit it would need to be considered Young Teen Lit, but I was hoping you could pass this feedback onto others at Scholastic who might be interested in publishing more Young Teen Lit books in the future. Middle librarians and students are clamoring for books like Best of All Worlds–just dialed down one notch.
 

XOXO by Axie Oh

 

This sweet romance features Jenny, a Korean American cellist, and Jaewoo, a South Korean K-pop star. Jenny meets Jaewoo at her uncle's karaoke bar, not knowing that he is a celebrity in his home country. When family issues cause Jenny to move to South Korea for a semester of music school (she is an intensely serious cello player), she is shocked to find Jaewoo going to her new school, and also to learn that he is part of the band XOXO and that as a K-pop star he is not allowed to have a girlfriend.  Readers get a taste of life in Seoul, the world of K-pop music, and a swoony romance all in one. Recommended for romance readers grades 8-up. The audiobook was excellent. 

All the Blues in the Sky by Renee Watson

 

This is a book about grief. On the day Sage turns 13 years old her best friend is killed in a car accident and Sage has a long road to walk to come to terms with her loss. This beautifully written novel in verse takes the reader through the year after this tragedy, a year in which Sage attends a grief counseling group, has her first fledgling romance, and learns some new things about her best friend. It's a short book (This is a rare find--kids do not want to read long books), it's in verse, and it's satisfying on many levels. Adults will appreciate the poetry and the nuance of language. Middle schoolers will lean into the sadness and the hope of overcoming trauma. This is a must-buy book for middle school libraries and is recommended for 6th-7th graders.