Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt (graphic novel) adapted and illustrated by K. Woodman-Maynard

The first week of August hangs at the very top of summer, the top of the live-long year, like the highest seat of a ferris wheel when it pauses in its turning. 

Natalie Babbitt wrote the captivating, poetic, beautiful novel Tuck Everlasting over 50 years ago. In it, Winnie Foster comes to love the immortal Tuck family and must decide whether or not to drink from the spring of eternal life. The original story is full of metaphor and images of wheels turning and time moving forward. It's a book that opened my mind when I first read it as a sixth grader in 1980. I am thrilled to say that this graphic adaptation beautifully captures that ache that Winnie Foster has to laugh and be loved, and the painful lessons she learns about staying on the wheel of time. The story has action (very important for young readers today) and includes a kidnapping, an evil pursuer, a potential execution, and life-or-death decisions. I absolutely love this story in its original form and in this lovely graphic novel. I am thrilled that it will bring Tuck Everlasting to a new generation of young readers. This book belongs in every elementary and middle school library. 

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. 

The Lions' Run by Sara Pennypacker

 

Lucas lives in an orphanage in a French village. The Nazis have invaded, making life hard for everyone. Lucas is soft-hearted, making him a target of bullies. The story begins with him rescuing newborn kittens and hiding them in a stable where he meets a girl who is rescuing a racehorse. In addition, Lucas makes a little money making deliveries, and on his route is a German-run home for pregnant teenagers. He discovers that the Germans are taking these babies, fathered by German soldiers, back to Germany to be raised to be the next generation of Nazis. These storylines intersect and Lucas finds ways to be courageous that involve much more than saving kittens. It sounds complicated and like more than a 4th-6th grader might want to handle, but Sara Pennypacker makes this story accessible, compelling, and inspiring for young readers. As a middle school librarian I was hoping that it would lean toward older readers, but it is solidly in the young middle grade sphere and I'm sure it will find many readers who will learn a lot from this story, both about history and about how ordinary young people can be heroes. 

Lydia Cooper is a Lie by Meaghan McIsaac

 

Lydia's dad works in the tech industry but won't let her ever use social media. She is an 8th grader with no phone and a tablet that only lets her go to pre-selected websites. It's hard to have a social life, so Lydia figures out a way to get online and chat with her school friends. But the moment a photo of Lydia is posted online, her life is upended. She is separated from her dad, given instructions to get to a safe house, and multiple groups of people are after her. She discovers that she really isn't Lydia Cooper and that her dad's life (and her life) are in danger. Can she trust the boy she has a crush on to help her out? Should she go with the Marshall from Witness Protection? Who is the man with the wolverine tattoo? This fast-paced story takes place in a couple of short days when Lydia is on the run and does not know who to trust or how to get back to her father. The Face on the Milk Carton was wildly popular years ago, and this has similar vibes. Kids love to ponder whether their lives might all be a lie and they love action and adventure. While it seems to be marketed as a middle grade book for younger readers, it has an appealing cover for older readers and I think it will be a huge hit for 6th-8th grade readers. Highly recommended!

The Danger of Small Things by Caryl Lewis

 

"The truth is that the whole world rested on a single bee's wings. The whole world." 

In the near future, when the last of the bees has died, food is scarce and society as we know it has broken down. Boys are forced to become soldiers and girls, at age 11, are taken to camps where they pollinate fruit trees by hand using brushes. It's backbreaking labor being up on ladders in trees all day in extreme heat. The girls, permanently separated from their parents, have nothing to look forward to except for forced marriages and childbearing as soon as they begin menstruating. Jess is different from other girls--her mother taught her to read and paint, and kept her out of the camps until she was 13 years old. She's a quiet outsider who is devoted to her best friend Cass, and she understands the inhumanity in how the girls are treated. A chance gift of paints gives Jess the opportunity to rebel and gives Jess hope for a more meaningful future. This slow-moving, beautifully crafted story has many similarities to The Handmaid's Tale. Young teens who are willing to enter into this dystopian world will find much to think about in this world (almost) devoid of art and literature and bees. Recommended for middle and high school library collections.  

When the Rain Came by Matt Eicheldinger

 

Survival stories are popular with middle school kids and this fast-paced and riveting "Cli-Fi" novel (climate fiction) is going to be a big hit with young teen readers. Aurora is 17 years old and living with foster parents when the rain starts and never stops, flooding cities and leaving people stranded in their homes, desperate for food and safety. Society quickly dissolves into survival of the most prepared, and Aurora's foster parents happen to be peppers who have supplies and a plan of escape. However, when Aurora finds herself abandoned and alone (maybe accidentally but maybe planned) she takes to the water, trying to find a place called "The Hill" where there may be a community forming. Along the way she meets a younger boy and they band together in their search for refuge. The book has several features that make it especially appealing to middle school readers--one is the engaging cover (not a cartoony middle grade cover) and the other is the pace of action (non-stop). It's not that there is no character development, but the plot is primary and the story starts moving on page one. Although Aurora is 17 years old, she seems more like a 15-year-old, which is also makes the book relatable to the 13-14 year olds who need books written for them. Highly recommended for middle school collections! 

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. 

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. 

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!

A Scar Like a River by Lisa Graff

 

Fallon has a long scar on her face and a deep secret that she has kept since she was very young. She's now 13 years old and enjoying her first lead role in a school musical, but nothing is going smoothly for Fallon in 7th grade. The death of her uncle sets her off on a journey of facing the trauma that she has lived with since she was five years old. As she gathers the courage to speaks up about the negative messages in the school musical, she also gathers the courage to go to therapy and to speak up about a much bigger issue involving family secrets, her uncle, and sexual abuse. This carefully crafted book has a gentle tone, but deals with sensitive topics. Students should know going in that they will encounter difficult issues and a story about resilience and healing in a solidly middle grade package. Recommended for middle school students, especially those who like reading realistic books about tough topics. 

This Could All Go Bad by Spencer Hall

 

This is a rare find--a book with 14-year-old boy protagonists that is FUNNY. Jensen and his best friends Maleek and Cooper are graduating from 8th grade in the morning, but they are going to have a wild adventure the night before. Jensen is not a rule breaker and he's got some anxiety, but when his friends knock on his window and invite him to sneak out for a night of dares (from a group of girls), Jensen climbs out his window and joins in on the fun. Most of the book takes place in one night as the boys attempt to keep up with the girls' dares. There are funny scenes involving skate boards, an internet-famous ferret, and sneaking into their deserted middle school. It's also a story about crushes, friendship and fear of the unknown. Recommended for middle school collections, especially for 8th graders contemplating high school. 

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. 

Candace, the Universe, and Everything by Sherri L. Smith

 

I love that this book is about an 8th grade girl as it is hard to find books about 14 year olds in today's publishing environment. I also love the premise of this book--a girl's locker is a portal and birds can fly in and out delivering items from the past to the future. Eighth grade girls from years ago have also experienced the incredible time warp of this mysterious locker, and our current 14 year old, Candace, finds women of two older generations who team up to solve the mystery of the locker. Unfortunately, the book is slow paced and the big time warp reveal at the end is barely explored. It also has a great cover, and Sherri Smith is a wonderful author, so I wish this book well, I just wish it packed more of a punch and that it had fully explored the magical world it introduced.  

The Moon without Stars by Chanel Miller

 

Luna begins this book as a solidly bookish seventh grader who spends most of her time with her best friend Scott. When circumstances lead Luna to recommending books and making personalized zines for her classmates, she becomes swept in to a popular group of kids. She stops spending time with Scott and participates in some "mean girl" activities until her new friends inevitably turn out not to be her friends. The strength of this book is in the details. The author perfectly captures the observations of middle schoolers and the way very small things can seem so big. Readers will appreciate the straightforward talk about periods and the lengths they go to to hide their menstrual supplies, but that's not the focus of the story. It's really about how even the best kids can grow and change and do things they wish they had never done. Because it is set in 7th grade and it contains a few edgy references, this might seem like a middle school book, but I think it will have the most appeal for 5th-6th graders (or even younger kids).