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).    

Five Survive by Holly Jackson

 

Six older teenagers in an RV on a long road trip get stranded in the middle of the night in the middle of nowhere. There's no internet, their tires are flat. It feels like a big adventure until a rifle shot alerts them that they are prisoners of someone who wants something. They learn that someone in the RV has a secret and the shooter won't stop until he gets the information he needs. This truly terrifying story takes place in just 8 hours. Red, the 18-year-old protagonist, tells the story and secrets, cruelty, and scares abound. The book has a lot of foul language and is truly frightening. Five Survive is reviewed for grades 9-up. I can promise you that middle schoolers (who are huge fans of Holly Jackson and only want to read murder mysteries) are eating this one up. 

Gaslit by Megan Davidhizar

Ella volunteers to babysit for her nephew on New Year's Eve. When she arrives at her aunt's house she finds the door open and bodies on the floor. She pulls two people to safety but can't save the life of one of the people in the house. But why were people in the house and who disconnected the hose that created the gas leak? Was this murder or a terrible accident? Is her older cousin telling the truth? Can the good looking neighbor boy be trusted? Is Ella's medical condition making her see things that aren't really there? This is a twisty mystery with a YA vibe that's appropriate for middle schoolers. 

King of Nothing by Nathanael Lesser

 

Anton is a tough kid at his school, part of a group of boys that intimidates both students and teachers. His father being in prison has earned him the fear and admiration of many of the boys in his 9th grade class, and he doesn't think too much about the future. However, at home things are different. Anton lives with a strong mother and grandmother who don't like his friends or the way he is acting. His mother gets angry enough with him to turn off his internet and to sign him up for Happy Campers, an after school program made up of do-gooder kids who literally sing songs and go camping and do community service. Anton is not a happy camper, but he is roped into a service project at the women's shelter his mom is creating. Little by little Anton, along with a painfully awkward and nerdy classmate named Matthew, starts to change his ways. This book manages to be truly funny while addressing misogyny, masculinity, grief and incarceration. This is a perfect book for young teens, especially 7th-9th graders. Highly recommended for middle school libraries! #youngteenlit

Devious Prey by Scott Reintgen

 

An airship crash lands on an unknown island. A teenage smuggler brings a dragoness aboard the ship, and when it escapes on the island it sets its sights on killing all the passengers. A teenage boy suspected of murder is a prisoner on the airship, unable to use the magic that could save the survivors. In the aftermath of the crash, Pearl, the smuggler, and Marken, the prisoner, forge an alliance but neither shares their deepest secrets. It's a dark story with treachery, killings, and secrets galore, and the world building is creative, intense, and original. I loved the characters and the magical secrets they shared little by little with each other. This fantasy is not for the faint of heart or for younger readers, but it's great for young teens who are ready to step up their reading. Highly recommended for readers ages 13-up. 

Mountain of Fire by Rebecca E. F. Barone

 

Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980 in spectacular fashion. And even though people had plenty of warning that something big was happening, scientists had no idea when it would blow and how devastating the destruction would be. This nonfiction book tells about the months leading up to the eruption, including how scientists were monitoring the mountain, how government leaders were making decisions, and how people living nearby were reacting. The lead-up to the eruption is fascinating, and the eruption and survival stories of some nearby people are even more gripping. There were survivors and people who were killed by the blast, and the author has done a great job of pulling together many stories and making them come alive for young readers. The silly-looking cover might appeal to kids, but doesn't show what a fine work of nonfiction this is. There's a lot of great science and action here and curious kids will find it fascinating. Highly recommended for middle school nonfiction readers.  

Whale Eyes by James Robinson

 

This memoir about seeing and being seen is like no other book for middle schoolers. James Robinson has strabismus, a condition often mis-labeled as "lazy eye" and it has affected many aspects of his life. In this book he not only tells about his childhood and all the attempts to correct his eyes, but it also visually shows what words on a page look like to him. Readers will be spinning the book, turning it upside down, and experimenting with how words appear to James. It's a compelling story, and a vehicle for talking about disability, inclusion, and empathy. James Robinson is a documentary filmmaker and you'll definitely want to show students his New York Times documentary, I Have a Visual Disability and I Want You to Look Me in the Eye.  Highly recommended!

Grin by D. W. Gillespie

 

Danny is a seventh grader who loves video games, and he is understandably thrilled to spend a week with his Uncle Bill, the owner of PixelWorks, a huge video game arcade. Danny has heard of a rare game called Grin from his favorite video game streamer, and he is shocked to find his Uncle Bill unboxing the game in his warehouse. Rumor has it that everyone who has ever played the game has died tragically, but that doesn't stop Danny and his uncle from trying it out. When the game takes over Uncle Bill, Danny risks his own life to save his uncle and himself. Middle schoolers are always asking for horror books, and this is a rare title that will not disappoint (while also being completely appropriate for young teens). Highly recommended for middle school libraries. 

The Girl Who Sang: A Holocaust Memoir of Hope and Survival by Estelle Nadel (Author), Sammy Savos (Author), and Bethany Strout (Author)

 

Estelle Nadel was seven years old when Nazis invaded Poland and her life was upended. She spent the next years in hiding, facing devastating losses and relying on the mercy of neighbors and strangers. She miraculously survives the war along with two of her brothers. It's a miraculous story, made even better by the fact that it doesn't end with the defeat of Hitler. This book follows Estelle's journey through refugee camps and eventually to America, where three young people without parents struggle to make lives for themselves. Sammy Savos, the illustrator and co-author, masterfully illustrates and tells Estelle's story in a way that draws readers in, never hiding the sadness, fear and desperation of the Jews in hiding. The Girl Who Sang is a gem, and should be read by adults as well as young people 6th grade-up. 

The Vanishing of Lake Peigneur: A Graphic Novel Based on a True Story by Allan Wolf (Author) and Jose Pimienta (Illustrator)

This gripping nonfiction graphic novel tells a little-known story about science, survival, and environmentalism, all from the first-person point of view of Lake Peigneur, which literally did vanish one day in 1980. Lake Peigneur, located in Louisiana, had an oil well and a salt mine on its shores, both of which contributed to the bizarre disaster that occurred on November 20, 1980. The lake had numerous people on its waters and shores, including fishermen, oilmen, and miners, all going about their normal work on an ordinary day. The author tells the tale of the 51 men deep in a salt mine, the father and son fishing on the lake, and the passengers on a boat rescuing some of the oil rig workers. It's a compelling survival story, with science and history thrown in. Curious middle schoolers will definitely be caught up in this story, and the back matter gives context and documentation to the remarkable tale. Highly recommended for middle school libraries. 

Where Wolves Don't Die by Anton Treuer

 

Ezra Cloud is a Native kid living in the city. He hates it there but his dad is a professor of Ojibwe language with a job in Minneapolis. Ezra would rather be in Canada with his grandparents learning their skills in nature. When Ezra has a run-in with Matt Shroeder, a notoriously troubled bully, Ezra becomes a suspect in a fire that destroys Matt's house and kills his family members. Ezra's family sends him north to work a trapline with his grandfather while the investigation plays out, knowing that an Indian teenager may not get fair treatment from the law. This book grabs your attention from the first page, makes you fall in love with Ezra and his grandparents, then catapults you into an outdoor survival story, then brings you back to the original murder mystery. It's a great story with so much to learn along the way. The audiobook read by the author is excellent, and it will help readers to hear the Ojibwe words spoken. It's a true coming of age story about a young teen finding his culture, learning about his mother, seeing his grandparents as full people, finding first love, facing mortal danger, and reconciling with his father. Beautifully written and insightful and a really great story. Highly recommended for 7th graders on up and also for adults.  

Westfallen by Ann Brashares and Ben Brashares

 

Imagine if your actions today could change absolutely everything about the society you live in. Henry, Frances, and Lukas are three modern kids who find an old radio that allows them to communicate with kids 80 years in the past. They realize they are in the same shed in the very same back yard, and that there are ways they can send items back and forth. The kids in the past want to save their local candy store, but they also want to know the outcome of World War II, which is still very much uncertain. Even the most careful conversation can lead to dramatic changes in the future, and when the outcome of the war changes, Henry, Frances, and Lukas have just a few days to reverse the changes and restore the United States of America. This book keeps you guessing up to the end, teaches lots of history lessons, and makes you want to immediately pick up the sequel. Highly recommended for 5th-7th grades. 

Blood in the Water by Tiffany D. Jackson

Kaylani is spending a few weeks on Martha's Vineyard with family friends when a local teenager goes missing. When it is determined that his death was not accidental, Kaylani realizes that she may have some knowledge of the events leading up to the murder. Kaylani is living with a snooty and not very welcoming family that is part of the Black community on Martha's Vineyard, and it becomes clear that they are hiding some secrets. Kaylani is most interested in communicating with her father who is in prison for financial crimes he may or may not have committed, and her father's status affects how people perceive her on the island. Readers will relate to Kaylani and her outsider status. Murder mysteries are in high demand in middle schools, and this is a fine selection for 6th and 7th graders (or even younger students). It does not have the edginess of a YA murder mystery but the ending will likely surprise readers and its shorter page count and beautiful cover will draw students in.  

Slugfest by Gordon Norman

 

Yash is a JV football star looking forward to a summer of football practices before his freshman year of high school begins. When he gets the bad news that he needs one more PE credit in order to graduate from 8th grade, it means his whole summer is going to be spent with the "slugs" in summer school. An older home economics teacher shows up as the PE teacher, and not a lot of physical edcation is happening. This upsets Yash, but not the other slugs, who aren't very physically fit. In the meantime, a new kid joins the JV football team, and it looks like he's better than Yash. In classic Gordon Korman style, he takes an unlikely group of kids, brings them together with a cause (in this case, it involves competing in a flag football tournament), and we have a humorous, heartwarming, fun book that will be enjoyed by middle schoolers, especially football fans. Thanks, Gordon Korman!

The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Kids are clamoring for this series from the author of The Inheritance Games series. The Naturals was first published in 2014 but has had a social media resurgence in 2025. It's the story of 17-year-old Cassie, recruited by the FBI because of her natural ability to read people. She's brought together with a small group of teens who are also "naturals" at some aspect of crime solving. The teens aren't supposed to get directly involved with murder cases, but Cassie is motivated by her mother's murder many years ago, and one of the other teens has a criminal father. So the crime solving is personal, and the naturals get access to some evidence they can't put down. As in many YA books, there's also a love triangle. It's a gritty murder mystery, one that I would say is most appropriate for 8th-up (but younger kids are asking for it). It's smart and feels like watching a crime TV show. CW: mention of sexual abuse, mutilation, and use of the word "whore"