The Golden Hour by Niki Smith

 

This lovely graphic novel has developed a following in my middle school library, with kids repeatedly telling me how much they liked it. Now that I have finally read it, I can wholeheartedly recommend it to middle school readers. Manuel has experienced trauma (we don't know quite what he has seen) and his therapist has given him ways to use his camera to frame a scene and get himself centered. At first Manuel is lonely. He doesn't seem to. have great communication with his parents or peers as the book opens. But a group project that puts him with two new friends, Sebastian and Caysha, changes his life. Sebastian lives on a farm, and being involved with nurturing a new calf and helping his friends prepare for the county fair help Manuel open up and start to move on with living. Highly recommended for middle school libraries. 

Seen and Unseen: What Dorothea Lange, Toyo Miyatake, and Ansel Adams's Photographs Reveal About the Japanese American Incarceration by Elizabeth Partridge

 

I missed reading this book when it first came out in 2022 but I am here to say this should be required reading for Americans of all ages. An excellent children't nonfiction book is a treasure for kids and adults, and this is an absolutely astounding take on the imprisonment of Japanese Americans during World War II through the lens (literally) of three photographers who documented the atrocity from different angles. Dorthea Lange, Ansel Adams, and Toyo Mitatake were all taking photos for different reasons and many of their photos remained hidden for many years. The combination of the illustrations and the photographs make for an engaging read and brilliantly show the things that could and could not be photographed. Because this book is the shape of a picture book, middle school students may not pick it up, but it is absolutely perfect for visual learners and gives them exactly the right amount of information they need to understand what happened and empathize with the American citizens whose constitutional rights were stripped from them during a time of war. Educators should read this book and work it into history, ELA, and even art classes. Don't miss this treasure!

Last Day on Mars by Kevin Emerson

 

It's hard to find science fiction for middle school readers. There are a lot of dystopian books, but actual sci fi is hard to come by. The premise here is that the sun is heating up and Earth has already burnt to a crisp. Humans fled to Mars, but since Mars will also be burning up soon, all the humans are being evacuated in enormous space ships heading on a long journey to a safer galaxy. Liam and Phoebe are 13-year-olds scheduled to be on the last ship to leave Mars. But things don't go as planned and they learn some world-shattering secrets as they scramble to leave the planet. This series starter is fast paced, full of reveals, and I know it will find many fans among my 6th-8th graders. The reviews would make you think this is a middle grade book (8-12 year old audience), but it has a lot of appeal for young teens as well. See youngteenlit.com for more on why we need more books for 12-15 year olds. Have all 3 books in the Chronicle of the ark Star trilogy on hand, because it ends on a cliffhanger. 

The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepytus and Steve Sheinkin

 

Historical fiction and mystery are expertly combined in this fast-paced book set in the summer of 1940. It begins with Lizzie on a ship bound for her grandmother's home in America to avoid the war. Lizzie escapes from her guardian just before the ship sails, proving herself to be no ordinary 14-year-old girl. She stays in England with her older brother Jakob who is covertly working as a code-breaker at Bletchley Park where Alan Turing and other real historical figures are frantically cracking Nazi codes. While Jakob works on the Enigma machine codes (fascinating!) Lizzie is solving the mystery of her mother's disappearance in Poland just as the Nazis invaded. Lizzie provokes government agents, works as a messenger at Bletchley Park, and evades her grandmother's attempts to retrieve her yet again, all the while solving mysterious codes in messages seemingly being sent by her missing mother. It's great fun and there is much to be learned about the potential Nazi invasion of Britain during World War II. Pair this with Enigma Girls by Candace Fleming and Spying on Spies by Marissa Moss and Radar and the Raft by Jeff Lantos for readers of any age (adults included) who want to know more about this time period. Septetys and Sheinkin are top-notch writers for young teens and pairing them up is a big treat for readers. 

Worldwide Crush by Kristin Nilsen

Texts, song lyrics, letters, and short chapters make this breezy, funny story about a 7th grade girl with a huge celebrity crush an appealing addition to romance books for middle school (and younger middle grade) readers. The story is inspired by Nilsen's girlhood crush on Sean Cassidy and all those strong feelings are there in the story of 7th grade Millie, whose crush on teen superstar Rory Calhoun leads her on a quest for concert tickets and later on a family whale watching vacation to Rory Calhoun's hometown. The ending is utterly perfect and the audiobook read by the author is a delight. In a publishing world where humor is hard to come by, this was a fun read and kids need FUN. Truth be told, Gen X librarians will enjoy it as much as the kids. For more on Sean Cassidy crushes and Gen X culture, check out the Pop Culture Preservation Society podcast that author Kristin Nilsen co-hosts. Recommended for grades 4-7. (It has a couple of humorous uses of swear words but I think this book probably has the most appeal to the younger end of the age range.)