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. 

Every Day by David Levithan, illustrated by Dion MBD (graphic novel)

 

I have long loved the novel Every Day by David Levithan with its highly unique premise. This graphic novel version brought new life to the story and got me excited about it all over again. The protagonist is A, a teen who wakes up in a different body every day. Because A only inhabits other teens’ bodies, A has no gender and no real identity. But A longs to make connections. In one incarnation, A is in the body of a teenage boy and he skips school with his girlfriend, Rhiannon. They have a lovely day at the beach together, and Rhiannon is shocked at how well her boyfriend (really A in her boyfriend’s body) treats her.  The next day A moves onto another body, but A does not forget Rhiannon. In fact, A has her email address and is able to contact her via an email that A uses in spite of all his different incarnations. A manages to meet up with Rhiannon in various bodies and convinces her of A’s changing identity. It is such an intriguing conundrum—they love each other but how can they ever be together? One major advantage of the graphic novel is seeing A in all of the different bodies—male, female, as well as different races. It is a highly effective way to bring the 2013 novel to new readers. Recommended for 8th-up. 

Just Jaime by Terri Libenson

 

This is part of a series of novels called Emma & Friends. The books are somewhere between a novel and a graphic novel. I shelve them in graphic novels in my library, but they have more text than most graphic novels. Jaime is the main character in this story and it is the last day of seventh grade. She has sensed something "off" about her best friend Maya and their other two friends, but she just can't believe that her long-time BFF would really be ending their friendship. In fact, Jaime comes to school ready to confront Maya and find out why she has been excluding her. And Maya comes to school ready to break off the friendship. The story takes place all in one day--when Jaime finds out that she's not invited to the end-of-year party and she realizes that as a newly friendless person, she's not entirely blameless in treating others poorly. It's cute and sweet and realistic...definitely a series that is enjoyed by elementary students up through sixth or seventh grade. 

Ferris by Kate DiCamillo

 

Ferris is going into 5th grade and is having a weird summer that includes a sick grandma, a possible ghost, a younger sibling running wild, and adults acting strangely (and sometimes selfishly). It's an offbeat, quirky story grounded in family relationships and the love of a grandmother and granddaughter. As you can probably tell from this description, it's hard to describe the plot of this story, because it's not really about the plot. Suffice it to say, it's very much in the Kate DiCamillo style, and I love her books. The writing has moments of pure beautiful simplicity. This book is solidly for younger kids, however, and I don't see a lot of crossover appeal for middle schoolers, even though it is beautifully written. 

Chronically Dolores by Maya Van Wagenen

 

Breaking news--we need middle school books and this is one! 

Dolores has a chronic bladder condition called interstitial cystitis. It can be painful, and it can cause bladder leakage. At the end of eighth grade she suffers a humiliating incident in a classroom--she pees on the floor then slips and falls in it, giving herself a concussion. In her mind, and probably in reality, she has become a "contagious loser." It's the summer before high school and her best friend, Shae, has ghosted her. Dolores wants her friend back. And when she meets a homeschooled girl who wants to attend high school in spite of her autism and her mother's objections, she realizes that the two new friends might be able to help each other achieve their goals. 

I love many things about this book, with the number one thing being that it is truly a book for teens ages 13-15, which is a rare thing in the publishing world today. Dolores is going into 9th grade and she thinks about topics such as whether her bladder condition will one day keep her from ever having sex. She connects with (and betrays) her new autistic friend and she wrestles with the end of her friendship with Shae. Her older brother, Mateo, is gay and it's not a problem for anyone. Her parents and aunt are key players in the story as well, and their Latinx family is a big part of the story. Dolores has also got a snarky sense of humor--she rates and reviews every bathroom she ever uses, she secretly goes to Catholic confession and questions everything the priest says, and her inner dialogue is just plain hilarious. She's also not always a perfectly reliable narrator, which makes things interesting. 

Bottom line--it's poignant and real, funny at times, and is solidly written for the largely forgotten 7th-9th grade age range. Highly recommended!

This Book Won't Burn by Samira Ahmed

 

Noor Khan is reeling from her father's desertion of her family and her mother's sudden move from Chicago to a small town in Illinois. Noor has one semester left of high school, and she intends to lay low and focus on graduating and getting into college. She and her sister find themselves in a conservative community that has very few Black and brown people, and only a handful of Muslim students--so the two new students attract attention at their high school. Noor finds refuge in her school library, only to find out that books are being surreptitiously removed from the shelves. Against her better judgment, Noor decides to fight back against the book censorship that is happening. 

Romantic relationships and book banning and racism all come into play in this excellent YA novel. I will definitely be recommending this to students 8th grade-up. 

Two Tribes by Emily Bowen Cohen

 

Mia is a middle schooler with two identities--her mother is Jewish and her father is a member of the Muscogee Nation. She lives with her mom and stepfather in California and attends a Jewish school. She doesn't have a lot of contact with her father, who now lives far away in Oklahoma with a new wife and children. Mia begins to have questions about her heritage and realizes that she doesn't know anything about being Muscogee. After some insensitive comments from classmates and the school's rabbi about her background, Mia hatches a plan to visit her father in Oklahoma without her mother knowing (her mom harbors a lot of resentment toward her ex-husband). The plan involves pretending to go on a school trip, but taking a taxi to a bus station and riding a bus across the country to Oklahoma. She gets away with it for a short time and makes valuable connections with her father and her relatives there, including meeting her grandmother and going to a powwow. This could have been a preachy book about a girl learning about her two identities, but in reality it's a compelling story that beautifully shows Jewish traditions and native traditions and makes connections between them. I especially liked that the adults in Mia's life are not perfect--they make mistakes and have regrets and do their best to make things right. Essential reading for middle schoolers--and it's a graphic novel which means kids will be drawn to it.