Under the London Sky by Anna Woltz

 

Imagine your city being bombed for months and spending every night huddled in a crowded subway station, sleeping among strangers and not knowing if your home would be gone when you emerged in the morning. That was the reality for Londoners during the World War II Blitz and this is the story of Ella, a 14 years old girl, and three other teenagers living through the Blitz. Ella has a limp caused by polio and often feels left behind and ignored, but her new friend Quinn does not seem to notice Ella's physical limitations. Quinn is a wealthy girl, recently escaped from her family's fine estate, and eager to help with the war effort and find her brother, Sebastian, who may or may not be a traitor. The girls meet a 26-year-old boy named Jack who makes money off of the hardships of others and the stories of these four young people intertwine in wartime London. There is hardship and romance and tragedy and reconciliation in this historical book that's perfect for young teens. Recommended for 7th and 8th graders and for all middle school library collections.   

One Word, Six Letters by Adib Khorram

 

One homophobic slur is what it takes to change the lives of two ninth grade boys. One of the boys is Dayton who takes a dare and shouts a slur in his school auditorium during an author visit. He does not understand why his friends and classmates distance themselves from him and the hateful word. After all, he doesn't hate anyone, it was just one word and one ill-advised dare. Farshid is the other boy in this story, and ever since that word was shouted, he feels it hanging over him in the hallways of his school as he grapples with his own identity and what it might mean to reveal the truth to his classmates and to his Iranian family. The school year unfolds in alternating viewpoints. This outstanding book is compelling and thought-provoking and perfect for 8th-9th graders who are ready to grapple with serious issues. It deserves to be read and talked about and will be great for empathy building. Highly recommended for middle and high school collections. 

Romantic Tragedies of a Drama King by Harry Travaldwyn

 

If you like witty banter or musical theatre or or a sweet, awkward rom com, this is the book for you. Patrick is a 16-year-old British boy whose goal is to get people to call him "Patch" and to find a boyfriend in time for prom. In this charming and very funny coming of age story Patch navigates crushes on the new boys in school, broken friendships, and the everyday struggles of being a teenage theatre kid. Although it's billed as a romance, friendships play a major role in the story. It's lighthearted and fun and very chaste (no problems having this in a middle school library). Kids who love Heartstopper will be a natural audience, but readers wanting humor and realistic stories about friendship will also find much to love here. Highly recommended for 7th-10th grade readers. A delightful story!

Thanks A Lot, Universe by Chad Lucas

 

Brian has a lot of family problems, including his father abandoning him and his younger brother at the same time his mother attempts suicide. Brian also is an awkward 7th grade boy without a lot of friendships to help sustain him. Life is clearly going to be rough for Brian and there are going to be no easy answers. Enter Ezra, a classmate with friends and sporting ability and a slowly emerging crush on Brian. This is the story of what these boys do in the face of many hurdles and awkward moves toward friendship. It's a slow and gentle book with a very middle grade vibe, and I'm sure there are readers who will love to find this book as it might help them through tough times of their own. Recommend this book to young readers who like to read about family dynamics, mental health, and kids exploring their identities. I think this book's sweet spot is 5th-7th grade readers. 

Outsider Kids by Betty C. Tang

 

I wasn't expecting to love this book even more than Parachute Kids, but the continuing story of the Lin siblings is even more compelling in Outsider Kids. A snooty cousin moves in with the siblings and upends their lives in ways they couldn't anticipate. Big sister is trying to get into college, older brother is grappling with his identity, and Feng-Li discovers that one impulsive act could upend their whole lives. I was totally engaged in the story and shocked at more than one plot twist. I cannot help but put myself in these kids' shoes, and I know that my middle schoolers do the same. We relate to these characters and we sympathize with the precarious situation they are in as parachute kids in the United States. Recommended for all middle school collections. 

A World Worth Saving by Kyle Lukoff

Books build empathy, and this genre-bender goes deep into the experiences of transgender teens as they face off against actual demons bent on destroying them. The main character, who goes by the name A, is 14 years old and is forced to go to a therapy group called SOSAD (Saving Our Sons and Daughters) by parents who have no desire to understand or learn about A's identity. Students from SOSAD occasionally disappear, and A ends up running away from home with the help of a monster made of trash to try to save one of those friends. A is helped by a Rabbi and her husband, who explain elements of Jewish mythology, including how golems have intervened to help people throughout history. It's an action-dystopian-horror-fantasy that's steeped in Jewish mythology, so there is a lot of plot to keep readers going, but at it's heart it's about acceptance of trans kids in a world bent on destroying them. This book, written about and for kids who are 14-16 years old, is a fine example of #youngteenlit

Ash's Cabin by Jen Wang

 

Ash is fifteen and frustrated by lots of things in life--they come up with a plan to leave it all behind and spend time in the wilderness at a cabin. Ash sneaks away with only their dog, surviving mostly alone for many weeks. This is Ash's survival story and also the story of how people do need people, even when they disappoint and disrespect them. This is a thoughtful, beautifully illustrated graphic novel that is perfect for middle school libraries. #youngteenlit

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. 

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. 

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. 

Other Boys by Damian Alexander

 

This heartbreaking yet hopeful graphic novel tells the true story of a boy who is bullied for his sexual orientation. Damian is now in seventh grade and is refusing to speak--not to teachers or students or anyone at school. We find out that in addition to a lifetime of taunts and slurs, Damian's mother was killed by his father when he was a baby, and he has lived with that trauma as well as the trauma inflicted on him by other students. The artwork is colorful and bright and the story flashes between the present (seventh grade) and past years and we see how Damian has always been his unique self. Most kids can relate to bullying and how hurtful it can be, and hopefully this honest memoir will build empathy and understanding among young readers. 

The Civil War of Amos Abernathy by Michael Leali

 Amos Abernathy and his best friend, Chloe, volunteer at a living history park. Amos, who is white, and Chloe, who is Black, are joined by a new volunteer, Ben. Amos develops a crush on Ben, but it is not well-received by Ben's conservative family. Along the way the kids realize that many voices are missing from their living history park--including LGBTQ+ and African American voices. They research a new exhibit that will bring in new stories, including the story of Albert D.J. Cashier, a Civil War soldier who may have identified as a trans man if he were living today. The story flips between past and present as the kids plan a project and implement it, and as the tenuous relationship between Amos and Ben is tested. This book about crusading kids would go well with Alice Austen Lived Here by Alex Gino.  

Alice Austen Lived Here by Alex Gino

 

Sam and TJ are nonbinary kids with positive role models and strong friendships to help them navigate the world. When their history teacher announces a contest to propose the subject of the next statue in their home of Staten Island, New York, Sam and TJ discover a little-known photographer who lived for years with a female partner in Staten Island. Sam and TJ do research with the help of friends and neighbors, and discover that Alice Austen was successful, joyful, and fully lived her life with a partner and many friends. Their presentation is flawless, but will their history teacher choose their entry to be nominated for the top prize? This is a story about role models and found family and how love and support can make kids blossom. This book will teach kids about pronouns and gender issues, and will also make nonbinary kids feel seen and supported. And it's also a fun story about a historical figure that most people have never studied. 

King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender

 

This book won the National Book Award for 2020, and with good reason. It's a lovely story, full of surprises, featuring middle schools boys from Louisiana. Kingston (known as King) thinks he sees his recently deceased brother in the dragonflies in the nearby bayous of his small town. Before his death, his brother had warned King not to associate with a boy named Sandy because Sandy is gay. King never felt right about abandoning his best friend over the issue, and when Sandy goes missing, King becomes involved in hiding him and protecting him. King is Black and Sandy is white, and that causes division in their southern town. But Sandy being gay results in similar discrimination. This book is a rare find--it's a genuinely lovely, surprising book, that also happens to feature Black and LGBTQ characters. Not only is it much needed, it's an excellent book in its own right. 

You Should See Me in a Crown by Leigh Johnson

 

You Should See Me in a Crown is a sweet romance that is entirely appropriate for middle school students. Liz Lighty, an awkward band girl in need of college funding, is running for prom queen (for the scholarship money) in an Indiana town that won't allow same-sex couples to attend prom. She is also one of few Black girls at her school and often feels stifled by her small-town high school. Liz is out to her friends, but has never had a girlfriend, so it doesn't seem like a big deal until she meets Amanda. The two girls have a strong connection, which is almost spoiled by Liz's hesitance to go public with her feelings. It is rare to find feel-good romances featuring non-white and non-straight characters. If this were a story about white, heterosexual kids it would be in some ways unremarkable--a good, solid romance story--but the addition of diversity on several levels makes it especially valuable for library collections. And what an awesome cover!

The List of Things that Will Not Change by Rebecca Stead

Bea's parents are divorced, and they have given her a list of things that will not change. Number one on that list is that they will always love Bea and each other. Bea's dad is gay and she is thrilled when he and his boyfriend Jesse get engaged, mainly because she will finally have a sister. Sonia lives far away, but Bea is sure they will feel like sisters. Of course, relationships don't always come all at once, and Bea struggles with her disappointment. This is an intimate view of Bea's life and how her loving parents help her deal with a secret that she has been hiding from everyone. Rebecca Stead writes beautifully about the details of every day life and you will leave this book feeling like you know Bea and the people in her life well. 

George by Alex Gino

George knows that she is a girl, but the world sees her as a boy. Her fourth grade class is reading Charlotte's Web, and what she wants more than anything is to play the wise, kind spider in the school play. But no one, not his brother, his mom, the bullies at school, or his teacher are making things easy for her. The star of this book is George's best friend Kelly, who is accepting and guileless and courageous. She shows that one person can make a world of difference to someone in need. George's journey to becoming who she needs to be is satisfying and sweet and will inspire empathy and hope. Recommended for elementary and middle school students everywhere.

One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus

Five students are serving detention in a locked room and one of them is killed. One of them must be the murderer. But which of these teens--a jock, a princess, a brain, and a drug dealer--would have wanted Simon (the outcast) dead? That is the premise of this mystery that has been flying off the shelves of my library this year. The author got her idea for the characters from The Breakfast Club, and as you might expect, each character is much more than the stereotypes that others see. The big reveals (there are several of them) did not surprise me, but kids have been enjoying it and a movie is in the works. Recommended for 8th-up. 

The Princess and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang

I knew this was a graphic novel about a prince who wears dresses, and I went in to reading it expecting it to be something of an "issue book." I was pleasantly surprised that it was much more than that. It's the charming story of a working girl who aspires to be a successful dressmaker and clothing designer. She is at the mercy of whoever employs her, and when she goes to work for Prince Sebastian, she becomes privvy to his secret--he likes to go out at night as the dazzling Lady Crystallia. Frances makes fabulous dresses, but how can she advance her career while keeping his secret? Readers will empathize with both Frances and Sebastian, and will be surprised by the twists and turns that their story takes. I know that this feel-good fairy tale will be enjoyed by middle school, high school, and adult readers alike. 

Odd One Out by Nic Stone

Nic Stone's second book takes a deep dive into the lives of three teenagers who share deep bonds with each other and who are exploring and questioning their sexual identities. This is a relationship book--a deep dive into Coop and Jupiter--teens who have been best friends their whole lives and how things change when a new friend, Rae, enters the scene. Suffice it to say that boy crushes on lesbian best friend, while new female friend has feelings for both boy and girl. Stone is a strong writer and she kept me interested and involved in these teens' stories. There is a whole new world of books that celebrate diversity and I many teens will find inspiration and companionship with these characters. As a middle school librarian, I will not be putting this in my library due to the sexual content, but I wholeheartedly recommend it to teens and young adults.