Wilderness Hacks by Joslin Brorsen

 

Sadie doesn't really want to win a survivalist contest, she's just entering to help our her little brother, Silas, who is a big fan of a 13-year-old YouTuber named Radley Shaw. Radley posts content of himself surviving in the wild, eating live bugs, and reviews of outdoorsy equipment. When Sadie wins and the prize to go rafting with Radley, she tries to bring Silas along but it's against the rules. Sadie actually does know something about survival, and she senses that Radley isn't as great at survival as his influencer status might suggest. The two kids set off on their rafting trip with a wilderness guide. It doesn't take long for a catastrophic disaster to flood the entire valley, leaving Sadie and Radley alone and stranded and lucky to be alive. Wilderness Hacks is their story of trying to overcome all of their bickering and annoyances in order to save their lives and get back to their (imperfect) families. This survival story will probably appeal to outdoorsy kids, but it lacks the edginess to feel like a middle school book to me. I think the sweet spot for this book will be 3rd-5th graders looking for survival and action stories.   

Beasts by Ingvild Bjerkeland

 

It is so hard to find horror books for middle schoolers and young teens. This one really grabs you with its short chapters and chilling plot. Abdi is a 13-year-old on the run from beasts who have wreaked havoc on the known world. He's in charge of his younger sister after the death of their mother, and they are on a quest to get to their father who they believe is on an island. Everyone is hiding, desperate to survive, and no one trusts anyone. Can Abdi keep his sister alive and get to safety? This book won awards in Europe and crossed over to the US in 2025. I love the hairy cover but have found that middle schoolers aren't picking it up, so booktalk this title and emphasize the horror and suspense. Highly recommended for middle school collections. 

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. 

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. 

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.