Sunshine by Jarrett Krosoczka

 

Jarrett Krosoczka's book Hey Kiddo has touched many hearts (it's very popular with my 8th grade students in particular), and his follow-up also brings heart and humor and heartbreak to the world of graphic novels for middle schoolers. When Jarrett was in high school he was selected to work at Camp Sunshine, where seriously ill children were able to have some moments of fun and freedom. He was nervous and a little bit awkward, but he rose to the challenge and forged meaningful relationships with some kids and their families. The experience changed Jarrett's life more than the lives of the campers, and that is his focus in this heartfelt graphic novel. Several book clubs at my school have read it this year, and kids have been moved to tears. I even had one 6th grade boy who usually only reads manga thank me for "making him" read this book--and he said it is now his favorite book. Recommended for middle and high school collections. 

The Lady and the Octopus: How Jeanne Villepreux-Power Invented Aquariums and Revolutionized Marine Biology by Danna Staff

I love how much I can learn from an excellent middle school nonfiction book--and this one taught me about a woman who deserves greater recognition. Jeanne Villepreux-Power was a powerhouse of scientific research in the early 1800s, when women had great difficulty being accepted as scientists. She was born in France, and lived with her wealthy husband in Sicily, where she became fascinated with sea life, in particular the type of octopus called an argonaut that lived in a shell. She made the first aquarium ever invented, but realized that it was hard to keep sea life alive in her home, so she invented a way to place an aquarium underwater and observe in the clear shallow water of Sicily. Jeanne was a pioneer in studying living sea life (rather than just looking at dead specimens) and she developed ways of testing her hypotheses that stand the test of time. She also refuted commonly held beliefs and spent hears writing up her findings and convincing scientific societies to accept her as a member. She was a pioneer in many ways and this book takes a deep dive into her life and work. It would be great for motivated kids who are really into science, but I would argue that due to its complexity, it's even better for adults.  
 

Alone by Megan E. Freeman

 

This novel in verse about a girl who is left alone in an inexplicably abandoned Colorado town is a huge hit with 6th and 7th graders. Maddie starts out as a 12-year-old who is planning a secret sleepover at her grandparents vacant house. She wakes up completely alone, and as days, weeks, and months go by, she faces all kinds of survival obstacles. (Slight spoiler--this goes on for YEARS.) Kids love survival books and real danger, and this book delivers. I've had numerous book clubs select this book and readers of a wide range of abilities have enjoyed talking about it and thinking about what they would do in similar situations. I enjoyed the book as well, but I was wishing it was a little more forthcoming about the evacuation and a little more edgy about what she faced. Publishers are aiming at 12-year-olds in their books these days, and this book would have been even better if it had been more solidly positioned as a middle school book. Highly recommended!

Accountable: The True Story of a Racist Social Media Account and the Teenagers Whose Lives It Changed by Dashka Slater

 

One teenage boy starts an Instagram account and posts shocking racist images and statements about his classmates including Black girls who consider him a friend. A handful of boys follow the account, some of them liking the posts and commenting on them. Not one of the boys stands up to stop the posts or to tell anyone about the account's existence. When screenshots of the racist posts go public, the victims of the account are devastated and the students in the small California town are outraged. The boys who participated are expelled, suspended, and/or left unable to attend school. Restorative circles turn violent, leaving the school open to lawsuits and lingering mistrust. All the while the victims of the hatred are shattered and living with pain and betrayal. Sasha Slater spent years following this story and interviewing the participants on all sides. This book is an absolute tour-de-force of nonfiction writing. It is compelling and engaging and written in short bursts that draw the reader in to the many perspectives she lays bare. This is absolutely one of the best nonfiction books I have ever read and it should be required reading for teenagers as well as for school administrators and teachers and people who care about what social media is doing to our society and our children. Recommended for 8th grade-up. 

Escape from Chernobyl by Andy Marino

I first read The Blackbird Girls by Anne Blankman, which got me interested in the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. I wanted to read more, so I picked up this action-packed book about various teenagers escaping, returning, surviving, and not surviving the famous nuclear reactor meltdown of 1986. Chernobyl was a large nuclear reactor located in what is now Ukraine, but at the time was part of the Soviet Union. The Soviet government did not want word to get out that their nuclear reactor had exploded, so rather than evacuate and try to save the lives of innocent people, they waited while pretending that there was not dangerous radiation in the air. This story follows a teen who works in the nuclear reactor as well as some others who live in the nearby city. I didn't feel a strong connection to the characters, but this was worth reading to learn about the Chernobyl disaster and how it affected young people. 
 

What Happened to Rachel Riley? by Claire Swinarski

 

Anna Hunt is the new girl at East Middle School and she notices that there is something strange about her classmates and how they treat Rachel Riley. Not one person claps for Rachel's birthday when it is announced in the cafeteria--which makes Anna want to find out why Rachel, a formerly popular girl, has become the class outcast. Anna, who is an aspiring podcaster, finds herself in the midst of a mystery that includes a fire, anonymous notes, and a game that no one will talk about. The changing format--including some texts and podcast interviews, keeps the story moving along. Ultimately, this is a book about standing up against harassment and how individuals can make things better. Much like Maybe He Just Likes You, I recommend this book for 5th-7th graders, and I predict that girls will want to read it even though it is boys who might benefit the most from the story. 

The Agathas by Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson

 

This missing person/murder mystery kept me reading and guessing up to the end. A small, cliff-side town in California is the setting--and when a wealthy girl goes missing, her former best friend and a classmate investigate to try and clear the name of her boyfriend, who is jailed for the crime. One of the detectives is Alice, a rich girl with neglectful parents and a history of running away. The other is Iris, who needs the reward money and has an abusive past that she doesn't want to share with anyone. Together the two girls follow in the footsteps of Agatha Christie, tracking down leads, sneaking around, acquiring questionable evidence, and generally being sneaky and brilliant. I will definitely recommend this to my 8th grade mystery lovers and have it in my middle school library, but there are elements that make it less appropriate for younger middle schoolers. Highly recommended for fans of The Inheritance Games, Truly Devious, and the Karen McManus mysteries.