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

Stay Dead by April Henry

 

Sixteen-year-old Milan has been though a lot. Her father, a U.S. senator, was killed in a car accident (with Milan in the car). Her mother then took over his senate seat and sent Milan to boarding schools, where she has been acting up and getting into trouble. After starting a fire she is expelled from her third boarding school and her mom flies a private plane to pick her up and take her home to Portland, Oregon.  Somewhere over the Pacific Northwest, a bomb detonates in the wing of the plane, causing it to crash in the snowy mountains. Milan survives, but her mother isn't so lucky. Her mom's last words to her are to "stay dead" and she hands her a key chain with instructions to acquire information that will prove that both Milan's parents were actually murdered. Milan sets off on a dangerous mission, fighting to survive the mountain and to make the world believe that she died in the plane crash. But powerful people want her dead and she has no idea who she can trust...and turning on your cell phone is a sure way to let people know you are alive. This action-packed story, like so many other April Henry books, is a great suspense novel for middle schoolers. 

The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson

 

Bel's mother disappeared from her car on the highway many years ago when Bel was just a toddler. No one knows if she was abducted, murdered, or simply ran away, but she has not been seen since and Bel has grown up with her father in the same small town. In order to pay for the care of her aging grandfather, Bel and her father agree to be filmed for a documentary about the disappearance of Rachel Price. In the midst of filming, a woman in a tattered red shirt and black pants shows up in town claiming to be Rachel Price and saying she was kidnapped and held in a basement for 16 years. She moves into their house and agrees to be filmed for the documentary. She wants to resume being "mom" to Bel, but Bel has doubts about her motives and her story. This super-compelling mystery is great for teenagers. It is full of F-bombs, but other than that language there is nothing inappropriate for 8th graders looking for a twisty mystery. I will definitely be recommending this to my older middle school readers. 

Spin by Lamar Giles

 

Spin is a murder mystery. The victim is Paris Secor, also known as DJ ParSec. She's a high school student on the verge of making it big in the music industry when her body is discovered by two teenagers. Kya is her former best friend and Fuse is her former social media manager. Kya and Fuse can't stand each other, but when they are both kidnapped and threatened, they decide to team up to try to solve the mystery before one of them is the next murder victim. There are passionate fans willing to kill for DJ ParSec, as well as a former manager, a new manager, and an ex boyfriend. The police are getting nowhere and don't even seem to care anymore, so Kya and Fuse are on their own in a dangerous world. It took me a while to fully immerse myself in the characters and their relationships, but once I was in I was hooked. Lamar Giles is a talented writer and I recommend this mystery to 8th-12th graders with an interest in music and/or mysteries. 

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

 

This fictional book reads like a true crime story, and will remind readers of the first season of the podcast Serial. Five years before the start of the book, Andie Bell, a popular high school student, disappears and is presumed dead. Her boyfriend, Sal Singh, confesses and appears to commit suicide. Case closed. Five years later, high school senior Pip takes the case on as a school project, with the assumption that Sal Singh is not the murderer. She's a gutsy investigator, and she teams up with Sal's brother to try to prove his innocence, but someone knows what she is up to and might be willing to kill again to keep Pip quiet. There are dead ends, red herrings, and lots of twists and turns. Recommended for high school students who want a suspenseful murder mystery. Middle schoolers will also want to read this book, but should note that they will encounter teenage partying, drinking, drugs abuse, and some sexual content. I will be recommending it to 8th graders on up. 

Spy School by Stuart Gibbs

Ben is recruited for the CIA's top secret spy school due to his advanced math skills, but it turns out that he wass not really chosen for his abilities. He's a pawn in someone's game, and when an assassin comes after him, he is thrust into some serious espionage. He is aided by Erica, a 15-year-old student who kicks some serious butt as a spy. Reading this out loud to my daughter I was struck by some sexism--I could do without Stuart Gibbs' descriptions of girls (all spy girls don't really have to be "hot", do they?), but like his other books (Space Case, Belly Up) they are fun mysteries with underdog protagonists (and pretty sophisticated vocabulary). Sixth graders love these books, as does my own fourth grader (a hard-to-please girl). I enjoyed reading this aloud to her and trying to figure out who the mole was going to be.

Cardboard by Doug TenNapel

This colorful, action-packed graphic novel drew me in and I finished the book in one sitting. It features an underdog kid named Cam with a down-and-out father. Together they create a cardboard man that comes to life. Bill, as he is called, is a good character (as far as cardboard men go) and helpful to have around. The problems arise when Cam's nasty friend Marcus figures out how to create his own cardboard army of evil creatures. The cardboard creatures rage out of control and Cam and Marcus must fight them off. This alone is a great plot for middle school kids, but what made it compelling for me was the subplot of Cam's unemployed dad dealing with the grief of losing his wife and feeling like an inadequate father. The art and the story work together perfectly to tell a story that will have great appeal to kids intermediate and middle school kids. Recommended for readers from 4th grade and up.

Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol

Look at the cover of this book and notice the figure in Anya's hair. That's the ghost that follows her out of a deep well and becomes her friend and an ally in her awkward efforts to get the attention of her crush at school. Anya, a Russian immigrant to the U.S. who has worked hard to lose her accent and fit into American high school life, doesn't have a lot of friends and Emily (the ghost) is an appealing friend...at first. This graphic novel paints a realistic picture of Anya and her day-to-day troubles as well as the spooky story of how Emily turns out to be a not-so-friendly ghost. This one will be liked by fans of graphic novels as well as by younger teens who just want to read a good story about a girl they can relate to.