Seconds to Spare by Rachel Reiss

 

Evelyn is a teenage girl who is trapped in a time loop on an airplane that is almost crashing every 28 minutes. She has been through the loop over 300 times and she knows the events that will happen. The internet goes out, the plane shakes, a luggage compartment pops open, a woman collapses, and the plane goes into a steep and terrifying nose dive. Each time the loop begins again just before the plane crashes. Evelyn has tried talking with everyone on the plane and doing what she can to change the course of events but nothing works until she wakes up the other teenager on the plane. Once awakened, she discovers that he is also experiencing the time loop. Together Evelyn and Rion start to pinpoint the events they can influence as the crash gets closer and closer. I was totally enthralled by this story, which is action-packed and compelling from the first page. The author expertly takes us through multiple time loops, revealing new details along the way. Evelyn and Rion's relationship develops over multiple loops and we are rooting for them to figure it out so they can have a future together. I enjoyed this book as an adult and I think teens will also love it. The main characters are 18 years old, but there's nothing inappropriate about the story for younger teens except for one mention of "sex toys" in the luggage, which does make it problematic for middle school library collections. I sure wish those two words weren't in the book as it is otherwise a dynamite choice for young teens. (It still is a good book for them, just letting you know this is in there.) This is one of the best books I read all summer and is highly recommended.

Tested by Anna Monders

 

Humanity was almost wiped out in the "Great Dying" when a company called GenIn stepped in to make sure that those with the best genetics would survive and help lead the future. Mikayla is one of the genetic elites, and she has prepared her whole life for the test that will get her into the Elite Scholars program. Her score of 94 places her high up in the social hierarchy, above the "Defectives" and the "Expendables." But Mikayla's world is shaken by a genetic test that shows she may not actually be elite, and a family secret that connects her to the defectives and expendables she has spent her life denigrating. This book asks the question, when you know that the society you live in is corrupt and that you've been fed lies your whole life, to what length will you go to make amends and try to change the system? The book centers around Mikayla's friendship with a lower-scoring boy from her past as well as some teenagers who have been caught in the lesser levels of the caste system. Tested is recommended for middle school book collections where science fiction and dystopian books are popular. 

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

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.
 

The Girl Who Fell to Earth by Patricia Forde

 

Everyone on Aria's advanced planet knows that Earth is just a "shadow planet," an experiment in what could go wrong if humans were left to themselves. Now it's time to restart the experiment and eliminate the humans who have destroyed their planet. Aria and her father are sent to Earth to spread a deadly virus. They begin by releasing phase one on a train in Dublin. Aria has been told that because humans have short lifespans they don't bond with each other and therefore they really don't have feelings. So killing them should be a breeze...but when things go wrong and Aria meets some actual earthlings, things become more complicated. The plot is further complicated by Aria's knowledge that she shares some DNA with the humans from Earth. But will that make her susceptible to the virus she is unleashing? It's difficult to find books that really meet the needs to 12-15 year olds, and this gem is a great example of Young Teen Lit. Recommended for all middle school libraries. 

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 Superteacher Project by Gordon Korman

Mr. Aidact, a new teacher at Brightling Middle School, at first seems a little strange, but as the year goes by he becomes the most popular teacher in the school. He coaches the field hockey team, he covers detention every afternoon, he can answer any trivia question correctly, and he can stop any spitball from flying. Oliver and Nathan, famously good at pranks, decide to find out more about their new teacher and they uncover a secret that they're not sure they want to let out. I don't want to spoil the whole book in this review, so that's all I'll say about Mr. Aidact. Just know that this is a classic Gordon Korman book. Kids get put into a strange situation and they triumph with humor and heart. I think middle schoolers will like this book, but it skews younger, so definitely good for elementary schoolers as well. Thank you Gordon Korman for all your many books that bring so much pleasure to middle schoolers!

A Rover's Story by Jasmine Warga

This is a sweet story about a Mars rover named Resilience. Res is created by NASA scientists and develops human-like thoughts and emotions. The story begins at NASA where Res develops strong feelings for the humans who are programming him. One of those humans, Rania, has a young daughter who is fascinated with Res and writes letters to Res that are scattered throughout the book. Res does successfully get to Mars along with a helpful drone, and their challenge there is to find something that will make NASA want to retrieve them and bring them back to Earth. It's an entertaining and insightful story about space and artificial intelligence with some surprisingly poignant moments. Recommended for kids who liked The Wild Robot. At first glance it seems to be an elementary book, but I think middle schoolers will find a lot to enjoy here. 
 

The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera

 

The year is 2061 and Petra Peña boards a spacecraft as part of an effort to save humanity. A comet is about to hit the earth and a small group of humans is going to a distant planet. Petra says a tearful goodbye to her grandmother, a storyteller, and prepares to be put into a suspended state for hundreds of years. Her parents are scientists, but Petra longs to be a cuentista (storyteller), like her grandmother. During the voyage, a cult-like group called The Collective destroys the memories of the voyagers in an attempt to solve the problems of humanity. When Petra wakes up she is the only one who remembers earth and stories and all that has been lost. This is the story of how one young person tries to take on a powerful establishment and bring the power of storytelling to a new generation. Highly recommended for middle school readers. 

Glitch by Laura Martin

 

Imagine a future in which time travelers are going back in time and trying to change history. It sure seems like there are things that should change. But then imagine that any change could be disastrous to future people and future progress. Regan and Elliot are two kids who are training to go back in time to stop illegal travelers (called "butterflies") from changing the future. Regan and Elliot have never been friends, but a forbidden message from their future selves tells them that they must work together to stop a disaster from happening. This is an action-packed story that grabs your attention right from the first moment that Regan is in Ford's Theatre trying to find a "butterfly" who is thwarting the Lincoln assassination. These kids are brave and smart and break a lot of rules. Recommended for middle schoolers, especially fans of Stuart Gibbs and Gordon Korman.  

Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee

This action-packed space adventure features a shape-shifting family of fox spirits who live on a dusty, dried up planet called Jinju. Min, the thirteen-year-old daughter, takes off on a quest to find her older brother Jun who is accused of deserting the Space Forces to go in search of the powerful Dragon Pearl. Min has spent her life hiding her fox powers, but must use Charm and shapeshifting as she roams the thousand worlds in search of Jun and the Dragon Pearl. The combination of science fiction and Korean mythology makes this a unique and exciting book. My book club students were hooked and had a lot to talk about when discussing how the Korean mythology compared to other cultures mythologies in Rick Riordan's universe. I would have preferred fewer well-developed characters and more depth to the references to Korean mythology, but sci fi space operas are not written for me. I did appreciate the presence of a gender non-conforming character who uses they/them pronouns. This book got a solid 8 out of 10 stars from 6th and 7th graders who love fantasy and sci fi books.

Imposters by Scott Westerfeld

This dystopian action adventure revolves around identical twins. Rafi is the heir to the first family, the daughter of the ruler. Her twin Frey serves as her body double, trained to kill and to prevent assassination attempts. The story revolves around Frey, who is sent to Victoria in Rafi's place. She is sent as collateral, and the first family, the Palafoxes, believes she is Rafi. Frey meets the first family's son, Col, and trusts him, but finds she is in a situation she couldn't have anticipated and must escape. It's a story that relies on action and plot twists rather than character development and world building. My middle school book club liked it but didn't love it, and I found it to be forgettable. Readers who like dystopian books may enjoy it but it does not have the complexity or character development of series books such as Warcross and Legend, both by Marie Lu.

Masterminds: Criminal Destiny and Masterminds: Payback by Gordon Korman

Spoiler alert: don't read this review if you haven't already read Masterminds by Gordon Korman. These two books complete the Masterminds trilogy, which is based on a brilliant premise for a middle school story. Our four young protagonists are part of a scientific experiment in which they were cloned from notorious criminals and then raised in a utopian society with the hope of proving that nurture would make them good people. The kids discovered this truth in book one and made a dramatic escape. In these two books, Malik, Amber, Eli, and Tori are on the run from the Osiris Project whose police force is after them, and they are desperately trying to figure out how they can live their lives with no parents, no birth certificates, no money, and little knowledge of the outside world. They drive cars, plot prison breaks, hijack planes, and hack into computer systems, in some ways using the criminal skills of the criminals whose DNA they share. These books are action-packed and wildly unrealistic, but middle school readers devour them and beg for more. Gordon Korman knows how to write for tweens and teens and this series is hugely appealing to a wide variety of kids. My one complaint about this series is that one of the female character's identifying trait is to be constantly counting calories and worrying about her weight. No male character would ever be saddled with this baggage. I hate to see body shaming and weight-obsession as as even a minor theme in a book where girls other wise are wildly adventurous and competent. 

Nyxia Unleashed by Scott Reintgen

My middle school students are CRAZY about the first book in this series and have been so anxious for this sequel. The good news is that it is action packed and the story picks up exactly where book one ended. Emmet is in a capsule headed for a new planet, where he and the other Genesis survivors must trek toward the Babel outpost where they will begin mining for Nyxia. Through their encounters with the Adamites (whose real name is the Imago), the young people find more and more proof that Babel is corrupt and not worthy of their loyalty. In this book we learn about the Imago culture and society and how they plan to outsmart Babel. There are numerous twists and turns (and very little actual mining of Nyxia). One problem I have with this book is the number of characters—I have trouble keeping all of the Genesis kids straight in my head and there is not enough time to fully develop so many characters. However, I'm fully invested in Emmett and Morning and once again left hanging while I wait for book three in the series. Readers definitely need to start with Nyxia to understand this book. Fans of YA dystopian books will not be disappointed in these titles that are appropriate for grades 6-up.

Kalahari by Jessica Khoury

This science fiction action-adventure is set in the very real Kalahari semi-desert in Botswana, where the Sarah lives with her father who is a conversation researcher. In order to fund his research, her father has brought a group of 5 teenagers to  experience life in the Kalahari. Sarah, who is not  an outgoing person, must take care of the newly arrived teenagers while her father goes off to confront some wildlife poachers. When her father doesn't return, Sarah and the teens embark on a treacherous journey to find her father and get themselves to safety. It's too much of a spoiler to explain how this book becomes a science fiction story, but it does and it involves human meddling in genetics. It's a fast-paced story that will appeal to students who love wildlife and nature and science, as well as kids who just like action-adventure books.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Middle school kids are going crazy for this book and I'm so glad my 7th and 8th graders chose it for their book club. It's a sci-fi/dystopian Cinderella story, but there's no helpless princess here. Cinder, a cyborg and second-class citizen, is the best mechanic in New Beijing. She lives with her stepmother and stepsisters, who treat her badly (no surprise there). A deadly plague is killing people right and left, and a lunar civilization ruled by Queen Levana is lurking nearby, waiting for a chance to take over the earth by way of marrying Prince Kai. Cinder has a brief encounter with the truly charming Prince and is charged with repairing his android. But shortly thereafter her sister gets the plague, Cinder is "donated" for plague research, and she discovers some shocking secrets about her past. It's fun to catch all the fairy tale references, but Cinder truly is its own story. I listened to the audiobook and couldn't wait to hear more. My only gripe is the ending, which is one of the worst cliff-hangers I've ever read. This book is not short, but there's no reason that younger middle schoolers up through high schoolers won't enjoy it.

Tesla's Attic by Neal Shusterman

If you like science, action, fantasy, and mystery, this may be the book for you. Nick moves into an old house with a lot of intriguing junk in the attic. After he sells a lot of items at a garage sale, he realizes that each one has special power and that he needs everything back in order to avoid world destruction (yes, it's true). There's an evil society out to stop Nick and his new friends and each item has amazing and unique properties. How the items work together and how famed scientist Nikola Tesla is involved are questions that will be answered by the end of the book. Recommended for middle schoolers who like science fiction and fantasy.  

The Martian by Andy Weir

This book was recommended to me by several high school boys. It's not something I normally would pick up, but I listened to it as an audiobook, and found it very compelling. It is hands-down the most science-filled science fiction book I have ever read, and as a matter of fact, it's almost nothing but science. The plot is simple. Mark Watley, an American astronaut, is left for dead during a mission to Mars. He's not dead, though, and he must figure out a way to survive on Mars for as long as it takes NASA to rescue him. Things go wrong. He almost dies. He fixes the problems. Then more things go wrong. There's not a lot of characterization or dialogue, but his survival story kept me hooked and all the science sounded believable to me. I'm pretty sure this will appeal to people who don't like novels dripping with symbolism and emotion and deep meaning. Highly recommended to boys from grades 7-up (not that girls won't like it but it definitely has strong guy-appeal).

Phoenix Island by John Dixon

When a high school boy tells me he read a great book, I always want to read it for myself. The kid who told me about this one has never steered me wrong, so I grabbed it right away. He was right. This book was violent and horrifying and perfect for readers who like action and adventure, with a touch of science fiction thrown in. It's about a Carl Freeman, a 16-year-old who is sentenced to a military-style boot camp for teenagers who have broken the law. Carl's problem is his temper. When he sees a bully in action he fights back, and even though he is usually protecting someone helpless, he causes a lot of damage. Carl is also an orphan, so when he is sent to Phoenix Island, he has no family to wonder where he went. What he finds on Phoenix Island is a cruel, physically violent book camp where kids are bullied, tortured, and maybe even killed. Carl, a champion boxer, eventually fights back but he is up against a powerful system that goes far beyond Phoenix Island. Be warned—this book has numerous graphically violent fight scenes so it's recommended for 9th grade-up.

Noggin by John Corey Whaley

Travis Coates has come back from the dead. He passed away five years ago and opted to have his head frozen. Scientists miraculously figured out how to bring frozen heads back to life in the intervening years, and now Travis is alive again but he feels like he just died yesterday. The problem is that five years have passed for everyone else—five difficult years in which his closest friends grieved and adjusted to life without him. His best friend is in college, his girlfriend is engaged to someone else, his parents are keeping a secret from him, and Travis is stuck back at age 16 in his old high school. This book is bittersweet and funny and really quite moving at times. You will sometimes cringe at his behavior, but you will also sympathize with Travis as he deals with adjusting to being a scientific wonder. Recommended for high school readers who want something a little different.