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.  

I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys

 

I Must Betray You takes readers back to 1989 in Communist Romania near the end of the dictatorship of Nicolae Ceaușescu. Christian is a Romanian teenager who is brought into the vast citizen spy network against his will and discovers that no one can be trusted. This is both a gripping thriller of a story and an eye-opening lesson in recent history. Ruta Sepetys is a master of historical fiction for young adults and her books cross over into adult reading as well. There's a lot to learn here and it's easy to see how pervasive and oppressive the regime was in keeping people silent and isolated and helpless. Highly recommend for readers in 7th grade-up. 

Strong as Fire, Fierce as Flame by Supriya Kelkar

The year is 1857 and a 13-year-old girl in India escapes from death on her husband's funeral pyre. Meera runs from her village and all she has ever known, and finds herself a servant in the home of a wealthy British family that is part of the East India Company. Meera's eyes are opened to the oppression and injustice that her country suffers under British colonization and she learns that there are young people resisting the violent rule of the colonizers. I love a book that puts me in another place and time and teaches me about history while I read a compelling story. I can't wait to recommend this book to middle schoolers. 

How to Build a Human: In Seven Evolutionary Steps by Pamela S. Turner

A good middle-school level nonfiction book gives me (a curious adult) a great overview of a subject and leaves me wanting to know more. This gem of a book covers the history of hominins (everyone on the human family tree but not including apes). I found myself wanting to tell people all kinds of facts and new information. Did you know that every living person with ancestors from Europe, Asia, the Americas, or Oceania is 1-2 percent Neanderthal? Did you know that it is only recently that there has only been one species of hominin existing on earth? Denisovans were the last hominin to share the planet with us and we don't know a lot about them. This book takes us back millions of years to Australopith hominins (many of us have heard of "Lucy"), Homo Habilis ("Handy People"), Homo Erectus, on up to Neanderthals, Denisovans, and Homo Sapiens (us!). Along the way we examine tool making, skull size, fire making, talking, and storytelling. This is the best explanation of evolution that I have ever encountered, and it gave me a mind-boggling view of the long long history of our beautiful and complex earth. Honestly, this is a great read for anyone and it includes lovely artwork, photos, and snarky footnotes. And do not miss the author's note on race among the backmatter. Highly recommended and not just for kids. 

Counting Down With You by Tashie Bhuiyan

Karina Ahmed, a high school junior, follows all of her parents rules. They expect her to get good grades, go to medical school, and not to ever go on a date. When her high school English teacher asks her to tutor another student, she knows that tutoring notorious bad boy Ace Clyde will not be approved by her father. However, her parents go to Bangladesh for 30 days, leaving Karina with her more understanding grandmother. When Ace tells people that he and Karina are dating, she has 30 days to figure out how to react. This enjoyable romance gives a glimpse into the difficulties faced by first generation American students who find themselves caught between what their parents want and what they want. I loved learning about Bangladeshi culture and especially loved the relationship between Karina and her grandmother. Recommended for grades 8-up. 

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. 
 

Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston

 

Middle schoolers are loving this fantasy book about a girl in search of her missing brother. Quentin has disappeared, but leaves little sister Amari with a mysterious invitation to a summer program at the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs. Amari eagerly joins the summer program, but discovers that she possesses extreme magical powers that make her an outcast at the summer program. With the help of her roommate Elsie and another magical student who reaches out to her, Amari trains and studies to be a Junior Agent. In the meantime she is investigating her brother's disappearance at every opportunity. There are talking elevators, eccentric teachers, and lots of twists and turns. It's a fun fantasy that's accessible to a wide range of readers and Amari is a relatable character who overcomes adversity due to her race as well as her magical status. Highly recommended to readers of all ages. 

Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson

 

Stevie Bell is a modern-day girl who loves true crime. She goes to Ellingham Academy, a private school in the mountains of Vermont specifically so she can try to solve a crime that happened there in the 1930s. The founder, a man fond of games and puzzles, founded the school to bring together brilliant students, but his own wife and daughter were kidnapped and the crime was never solved. Stevie arrives at school hoping to investigate the long-ago crime, and becomes friends with some interesting students--an actor, an inventor, a writer, an artist. But when the past comes back to haunt them and tragedy strikes one of her new friends, Stevie has a new murder to solve. If you like solving crimes and if you're willing to read the whole trilogy (spoiler--you don't get all the answers without reading all three books), try this mystery. Recommended for grades 7-12. 

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. 

Into the Clouds: The Race to Climb the World's Most Dangerous Mountain by Tod Olson

 

I don't know why, but I am a sucker for a mountain climbing saga. This is the absolutely riveting true story of three separate expeditions taken by Americans in an attempt to be the first to reach the summit of K2. I learned that the mountains of the Himalaya are the highest on earth by far. In fact, the tallest mountain anywhere else on earth (found in South America) would not even be in the top 200 mountains in the Himalayan Range. And K2 is the second highest of them all--but it is actually much more remote and difficult to climb than the more famous Mount Everest. The first journey takes place in 1938. Charlie Houston, a medical student from the United States, and a team of men journey to K2 to scout out a base camp and to work their way up the mountain. They don't reach the summit. The next year Fritz Wiessner leads a team of less experienced climbers to follow in Charlie Houston's footsteps. It's a dramatic mission, but Wiessner is not much of a team player and things go badly. Finally, in 1953, after World War II ends, Charlie Houston tries again. His philosophy is to work as a team and leave no man behind. The conditions on the mountain are brutal and at a high altitude decision-making is impaired. All three expeditions challenge the climbers to the depths of their beings. The questions always seems to be whether it is better to reach the summit at all costs or to bring home all the climbers alive. If you like real life drama, survival, and a well-told story, pick this book up and give it a try. It's unforgettable. I recommend this book for all readers grades 7-adult. 

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. 

Born Behind Bars by Padma Ventrankama

 

As the title suggests, Kabir is a child who was born in jail. His mother, who committed no crime, has raised him entirely within the tiny prison in Chennai, India. At the age of 9 he is released into the city, where he has no relatives or connections. Kabir fights off some unsavory characters, but ultimately pairs up with a street-smart girl, Rani, who helps him find his paternal grandparents who don't even know he exists. The issues of caste and religion and poverty are addressed and readers will learn a lot from Kabir's experiences. It's an engaging story that will inspire empathy and a bigger world view. Recommended for readers 3rd-7th grade. 

The Season of Styx Malone by Kekla Magoon

 

The Season of Styx Malone is a summer story in which two brothers meet a super-cool teenager and spend their summer dreaming big dreams and pushing limits. Caleb, the younger brother, has a fear of being ordinary, and meeting Styx Malone catapults his life into the realm of the extraordinary. Styx, who seems to have it all together, is a foster child who has been bounced around. Styx introduces the idea of the Elevator Trade, and the boys set off to make a series of trades that will turn a sack of fireworks into a moped. Along the way we fall in love with Styx and get a good look at family life for Caleb, Bobby Gene, and their loving but protective parents. Of course, Styx's life is far from ideal, and Caleb's highly protective family has its advantages that the brothers can't see. It's funny and sweet and adventurous. An all-around treasure! Recommended for 4th-7th grade readers. 

Maybe He Just Likes You by Barbara Dee

 

In this story, Mila is a seventh grader who is receiving unwanted attention from a group of boys. The boys' behavior confuses her, because it feels wrong to her but never crosses into something that rises to the level of something she would define as harassment. She experiences rubbing against her, unwanted hugs, knowing that she is the target of a "game" in which her reactions score points for the boys. Teachers and a school counselor don't understand the severity, and to be fair, neither does Mila. The author keeps the harassment at a low enough level to cause confusion and disagreement among Mila's friends about what is going on. Mila is a relatable character and all of the secondary characters are handled with nuance. While the book is somewhat predictable and comes to a neatly-wrapped up conclusion, I know that many middle schoolers will want to read this and talk about the issues. It will very likely open up conversations and help students speak up and advocate for themselves. Recommended for 5th-7th graders. I predict that girls will want to read this book, but it's boys who might benefit most from walking in Mila's shoes.