Back of Book: 

An action-packed, empowering middle grade novel about a girl who has to speak up when her wheelchair motocross dreams get turned upside down.

Twelve-year-old Emmie is working to raise money for a tricked-out wheelchair to get serious about WCMX, when a mishap on a poorly designed ramp at school throws her plans into a tailspin. Instead of replacing the ramp, her school provides her with a kind but unwelcome aide—and, seeing a golden media opportunity, launches a public fundraiser for her new wheels. Emmie loves her close-knit rural town, but she can't shake the feeling that her goals—and her choices—suddenly aren't hers anymore. With the help of her best friends, Emmie makes a plan to get her dreams off the ground—and show her community what she wants, what she has to give, and how ready she is to do it on her own terms.

Air is a smart, energetic middle grade debut from Monica Roe about thinking big, working hard, and taking flight.

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

Sam is very in touch with their own queer identity. They're nonbinary, and their best friend, TJ, is nonbinary as well. Sam's family is very cool with it. . .  as long as Sam remembers that nonbinary kids are also required to clean their rooms, do their homework, and try not to antagonize their teachers too much.

The teacher-respect thing is hard when it comes to Sam’s history class, because their teacher seems to believe that only Dead Straight Cis White Men are responsible for history. When Sam’s home borough of Staten Island opens up a contest for a new statue, Sam finds the perfect non-DSCWM subject: photographer Alice Austen, whose house has been turned into a museum, and who lived with a female partner for decades.

Soon, Sam's project isn't just about winning the contest. It's about discovering a rich queer history that Sam's a part of—a queer history that no longer needs to be quiet, as long as there are kids like Sam and TJ to stand up for it.

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary | LGBTQIA+ 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

From Leslie Connor, award-winning author of Waiting for Normal and Crunch, comes a soaring and heartfelt story about love, forgiveness, and how innocence makes us all rise up. All Rise for the Honorable Perry T. Cook is a powerful story, perfect for fans of Wonder and When You Reach Me.

Eleven-year-old Perry was born and raised by his mom at the Blue River Co-ed Correctional Facility in tiny Surprise, Nebraska. His mom is a resident on Cell Block C, and so far Warden Daugherty has made it possible for them to be together. That is, until a new district attorney discovers the truth—and Perry is removed from the facility and forced into a foster home.

When Perry moves to the “outside” world, he feels trapped. Desperate to be reunited with his mom, Perry goes on a quest for answers about her past crime. As he gets closer to the truth, he will discover that love makes people resilient no matter where they come from... but can he find a way to tell everyone what home truly means? 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Back of Book: 

Margaret Simon, almost twelve, likes long hair, tuna fish, the smell of rain, and things that are pink. She’s just moved from New York City to Farbook, New Jersey, and is anxious to fit in with her new friends—Nancy, Gretchen, and Janie. When they form a secret club to talk about private subjects like boys, bras, and getting their first periods, Margaret is happy to belong.

But none of them can believe Margaret doesn’t have religion, and that she isn’t going to the Y or the Jewish Community Center. What they don’t know is Margaret has her own very special relationship with God. She can talk to God about everything—family, friends, even Moose Freed, her secret crush.

Margaret is funny and real, and her thoughts and feelings are oh-so-relatable—you’ll feel like she’s talking right to you, sharing her secrets with a friend. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

Some adults don't want you to know the truth. 

When Mac first opens his classroom copy of Jane Yolen's The Devil's Arithmetic and finds some words blacked out, he thinks it must be a mistake. But then when he and his friends discover what the missing words are, he's outraged. 

Someone in his school is trying to prevent kids from reading the full story. 

But who? 

Even though his unreliable dad tells him not to get emotional about a book (or anything else), Mac has been raised by his mom and grandad to call out things that are wrong. He and his friends head to the principal's office to protest the censorship. . . but she doesn't take them seriously. 

So many adults want Mac to keep his words to himself. 

Mac's about to see the power of letting them out. 

In Attack of the Black Rectangles, acclaimed author A.S. King shows all the ways truth can be hard... but still worth fighting for.

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

Kate DiCamillo's first published novel, like Winn-Dixie himself, immediately proved to be a keeper—a New York Times bestseller, a Newbery Honor winner, the inspiration for a popular film, and most especially, a cherished classic that touches the hearts of readers of all ages. It's now available in a paperback digest format certain to bring this tale's magic to an even wider circle of fans.

The summer Opal and her father, the preacher, move to Naomi, Florida, Opal goes into the Winn-Dixie supermarket—and comes out with a dog. A big, ugly, suffering dog with a sterling sense of humor. A dog she dubs Winn-Dixie. Because of Winn-Dixie, the preacher tells Opal ten things about her absent mother, one for each year Opal has been alive. Winn-Dixie is better at making friends than anyone Opal has ever known, and together they meet the local librarian, Miss Franny Block, who once fought off a bear with a copy of War and Peace. They meet Gloria Dump, who is nearly blind but sees with her heart, and Otis, an ex-con who sets the animals in his pet shop loose after hours, then lulls them with his guitar.

Opal spends all that sweet summer collecting stories about her new friends and thinking about her mother. But because of Winn-Dixie or perhaps because she has grown, Opal learns to let go, just a little, and that friendship—and forgiveness—can sneak up on you like a sudden summer storm. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟  

Back of Book: 

Naomi Soledad León Outlaw has had a lot to contend with in her young life, her name for one. Then there are her clothes (sewn in polyester by Gram), her difficulty speaking up, & her status at school as "nobody special." 

But according to Gram's self-prophecies, most problems can be overcome with positive thinking. Luckily, Naomi also has her carving to strengthen her spirit. And life with Gram & her little brother, Owen, is happy & peaceful. That is, until their mother reappears after seven years of being gone, stirring up all sorts of questions & challenging Naomi to discover who she really is. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

Some people can do their homework. Some people get to have crushes on boys. Some people have other things they’ve got to do.

Seventh-grader Zoey has her hands full as she takes care of her much younger siblings after school every day while her mom works her shift at the pizza parlor. Not that her mom seems to appreciate it. At least there’s Lenny, her mom’s boyfriend—they all get to live in his nice, clean trailer.

At school, Zoey tries to stay under the radar. Her only friend Fuchsia has her own issues, and since they're in an entirely different world than the rich kids, it’s best if no one notices them.

Zoey thinks how much easier everything would be if she were an octopus: eight arms to do eight things at once. Incredible camouflage ability and steady, unblinking vision. Powerful protective defenses.

Unfortunately, she’s not totally invisible, and one of her teachers forces her to join the debate club. Even though Zoey resists participating, debate ultimately leads her to see things in a new way: her mom’s relationship with Lenny, Fuchsia’s situation, and her own place in this town of people who think they’re better than her. Can Zoey find the courage to speak up, even if it means risking the most stable home she’s ever had?

This moving debut novel explores the cultural divides around class and the gun debate through the eyes of one girl, living on the edges of society, trying to find her way forward.  

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟  

Back of Book: 

My second life began when I was kidnapped by two complete strangers. 

That the kidnappers are actually Aunt Sandy and Uncle Max makes no difference to thirteen-year-old Domenica Santolina Doone, better known as Dinnie—she just doesn't want to go. Dinne's accustomed to change, with her family constantly moving from town to town while her father searches for "opportunity"—but when her aunt and uncle whisk her far away to an international school in Switzerland, she's not sure she's ready to face this "opportunity" alone. 

All at once she finds herself in a foreign country, surrounded by kids from different cultures speaking all sorts of languages and sharing various beliefs. Home and her first life seem so far away. 

But new friendships and the awesome beauty of Switzerland begin to unlock thoughts and dreams within her. Her joys and struggles make up a rich tapestry of experiences she can find nowhere else. Switzerland begins to be more than a temporary home—it becomes a part of Dinnie herself, the self she never knew she could be. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

Subhi is a refugee. Born in an Australian permanent detention center after his mother and sister fled the violence of a distant homeland, Subhi has only ever known life behind the fences. But his world is far bigger than that—every night, the magical Night Sea from his mother's stories brings him gifts, the faraway whales sing to him, and the birds tell their stories. And as he grows, his imagination threatens to burst beyond the limits of his containment.

The most vivid story of all, however, is the one that arrives one night in the form of Jimmie—a scruffy, impatient girl who appears on the other side of the wire fence and brings with her a notebook written by the mother she lost. Unable to read it herself, she relies on Subhi to unravel her family's love songs and tragedies.

Subhi and Jimmie might both find comfort—and maybe even freedom—as their tales unfold. But not until each has been braver than ever before. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

Fans of Newbery Medal winner Sharon Creech's Ruby Holler will love this tween novel about opening your heart and finding family when you least expect it.

When a young couple finds a boy asleep on their porch, their lives take a surprising turn. Unable to speak, the boy, Jacob, can't explain his history. All John and Marta know is that they have been chosen to care for him.

And as their connection and friendship with Jacob grow, they embrace his exuberant spirit and talents. The three of them blossom into an unlikely family and begin to see the world in brand-new ways. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟

Back of Book: 

Told in letters, poems, text messages, news stories, and comics—a series of documents Nora collects for the Wolf Creek Community Time Capsule Project—Breakout is a thrilling story that will leave readers thinking about who's really welcome in the places we call home.

Nora Tucker is looking forward to summer vacation in Wolf Creek—two months of swimming, popsicles, and brushing up on her journalism skills for the school paper. But when two inmates break out of the town's maximum security prison, everything changes. Doors are locked, helicopters fly over the woods, and police patrol the school grounds. Worst of all, everyone is on edge, and fear brings out the worst in some people Nora has known her whole life. Even if the inmates are caught, she worries that home might never feel the same. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Back of Book: 

Jess Aarons' greatest ambition is to be the fastest runner in his grade. He's been practicing all summer and can't wait to see his classmates' faces when he beats them all. But on the first day of school, a new girl boldly crosses over to the boys' side and outruns everyone.

That's not a very promising beginning for a friendship, but Jess and Leslie Burke become inseparable. Together they create Terabithia, a magical kingdom in the woods where the two of them reign as king and queen, and their imaginations set the only limits. 

Boo Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟  

Back of Book: 

It started out as an ordinary summer. But the minute thirteen-year-old Zinny discovered the old, overgrown trail that ran through the woods behind her family’s house, she realized that things were about to change.

It was her chance to finally make people notice her, and to have a place she could call her very own. But more than that, Zinny knew that the trail somehow held the key to all kinds of questions. And that the only way to understand her family, her Aunt Jessie’s death, and herself, was to find out where it went. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

When Mia moves to Vermont the summer after seventh grade, she's recovering from the broken arm she got falling off a balance beam. And packed away in the moving boxes under her clothes and gymnastics trophies is a secret she'd rather forget.

Mia's change in scenery brings day camp, new friends, and time with her beloved grandmother. But Gram is convinced someone is trying to destroy her cricket farm. Is it sabotage or is Gram's thinking impaired from the stroke she suffered months ago? Mia and her friends set out to investigate, but can they uncover the truth in time to save Gram's farm? And will that discovery empower Mia to confront the secret she's been hiding—and find the courage she never knew she had?

In a compelling story rich with friendship, science, and summer fun, a girl finds her voice while navigating the joys and challenges of growing up.

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

Meet Jack Reynolds. Making people laugh is his life's work. Jack's wacky MyTube channel is really starting to take off. The only problem is, for the truly epic posts, he needs a collaborator. And, well, he doesn't exactly have any friends. So Jack has to swallow his pride and join the new afterschool club, Speed Friendshipping. But who would make the best partner in comedy?

- Brielle, Miss Perfect candidate for student body president?

- Mario, whose mom won't even let him have a smart phone?

- Or Tasha, the quiet, mysterious girl with a shaved head and a crocheted hat for every day of the week?

One of these kids could help catapult Jack to internet fame. . . or even become a true friend. But what will it cost him to go viral?

With an unfailing knack for the middle-grade voice, Arianne Costner, author of My Life as a Potato, explores themes of friendship, belonging, and the ways social media can put pressure on today's kids. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Back of Book: 

Willow Chance is a twelve-year-old genius, obsessed with nature and diagnosing medical conditions, who finds it comforting to count by 7s. It has never been easy for her to connect with anyone other than her adoptive parents, but that hasn’t kept her from leading a quietly happy life. . . until now.

Suddenly Willow’s world is tragically changed when her parents both die in a car crash, leaving her alone in a baffling world. The triumph of this book is that it is not a tragedy. This extraordinarily odd, but extraordinarily endearing, girl manages to push through her grief. Her journey to find a fascinatingly diverse and fully believable surrogate family is a joy and a revelation to read.

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

Danny has a life any boy would love—his home is a gypsy caravan, he's the youngest master car mechanic around, and his best friend is his dad, who never runs out of wonderful stories to tell. But one night Danny discovers a shocking secret that his father has kept hidden for years. Soon Danny finds himself the mastermind behind the most incredible plot ever attempted against nasty Victor Hazell, a wealthy landowner with a bad attitude. Can they pull it off? If so, Danny will truly be the champion of the world. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟

Back of Book: 

When a family buys a house in a struggling town for just one dollar, they’re hoping to start over—but have they traded one set of problems for another?

Twelve-year-old Lowen Grover, a budding comic-book artist, is still reeling from the shooting death of his friend Abe when he stumbles across an article about a former mill town giving away homes for just one dollar. It not only seems like the perfect escape from Flintlock and all of the awful memories associated with the city, but an opportunity for his mum to run her very own business. Fortunately, his family is willing to give it a try. But is the Dollar Program too good to be true? The homes are in horrible shape, and the locals are less than welcoming. Will Millville and the dollar house be the answer to the Grovers’ troubles? Or will they find they’ve traded one set of problems for another? From the author of Small as an Elephant and Paper Things comes a heart-tugging novel about guilt and grief, family and friendship, and, above all, community. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Back of Book: 

Is the sweet town of Appleton ripe for scandal?

Consider the facts:

       Appleton Elementary School has a new librarian named Rita B. Danjerous. (Say it fast.)

    Principal Noah Memree barely remembers hiring her.

  Ten-year-old Reid Durr is staying up way too late reading a book from Ms. Danjerous's controversial "green dot" collection.

    The new school board president has mandated a student dress code that includes white gloves and bow ties available only at her shop.

Sound strange? Fret not. Appleton's fifth-grade sleuths are following the money, embracing the punny, and determined to the get to the funniest, most rotten core of their town's juiciest scandal. Don't miss this seedy saga from the creators of the award-winning Three-Ring Rascals and 43 Old Cemetery Road series! 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

From the time he is a young boy, Neftalí hears the call of a mysterious voice. Even when the neighborhood children taunt him, and when his harsh, authoritarian father ridicules him, and when he doubts himself, Neftalí knows he cannot ignore the call. He listens and follows as it leads him under the canopy of the lush rain forest, into the fearsome sea, and through the persistent Chilean rain on an inspiring voyage of self-discovery that will transform his life and, ultimately, the world.

Combining elements of magical realism with biography, poetry, literary fiction, and transporting illustrations, Pam Muñoz Ryan and Peter Sís take readers on a rare journey of the heart and imagination as they explore the inspiring early life of the poet who became Pablo Neruda. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Back of Book: 

Thirteen-year-old Growls (aka Shaun) is an aspiring (awful) rapper who hopes to enter this year’s Raptology competition with his best friend, Shanks (aka Zachariah). After all, what better way to land his crush (Tanisha) and get the respect he finally deserves than winning the contest and going viral? 

But when a livestream practice goes epically wrong, the two friends do go viral– and not in the way they’d hoped.  

Now the laughingstock of the school, Growls is sure he’ll never have another chance to date Tanisha. Even worse, Shanks has gone MIA, leaving him terribly alone. 

But when Growls meets the new girl on the block (Siobhan), things don’t seem so terrible after all. And with some patience, a little luck, and a whole lot of practice, he just might win the Raptology competition and be a hero to both Siobhan and Shanks.

Either way, he’s ready for this. He’s steady for this. It’s comeback season and they call him comeback king for a reason. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 

A funny middle grade tale of a young rapper who will do anything in his power to save his family's home. 

Thirteen-year-old Shaun (aka Growls) is known for dropping a beat and rapping his heart out on the fly. Unfortunately, this doesn't seem to be the way to his crush's heart. Tanisha may not like his bars, but at least he has his best friend Shanks on his side. That is, until Growls goes live while he and Shanks are practicing their raps and they become the laughingstock of the school. Now, Shanks is missing in action, and Growls finds himself utterly alone until he meets the new girl on the block, Siobhan. Life feels a little less lonely, but how is Growls supposed to win the rap contest without his best friend by his side? 

If I would have only read the first twenty percent of this book, I would have hated it immensely. Growls didn't really make that great of an impression in the first part of this book and his wordplay was a bit hard to palate. Luckily, I got used to this as the book progressed and I ended up finding his cringe wordplay to be quite endearing. This book also reminded me how much slang changes in such a short period of time. I've always been bad at keeping up with trends, but so much of these words meant absolutely nothing to me. The author did me a great service by including a glossary in the back that gave a thorough explanation of what everything meant and examples of how the words would be used in a sentence. This will be especially useful as this book ages. 

I thought that this book was going to be shallow due to its lighthearted nature and the small brain power of the main character. However, this book actually has quite a bit of depth. Growls, Shanks, and Siobhan are all going through some things mentally, physically, and financially that most children are blessed to not have to ever think about in their youth. This doesn't mean that they aren't happy kids with dreams and aspirations of their own, but they certainly have more stressors than the average kid. 

Not all aspects of this book one hundred percent check out, but I'm not going to be overly critical of it because this book provided me with a great time. I often found myself laughing uncontrollably at the weird things that Growls says and the not so bright decisions that he thinks are works of art. I'm not sure how he is aware of who Guy Fawkes is but doesn't understand who Queen Elizabeth is, but hey, kids pick up on obscure facts and are completely oblivious to other things. The figurative writing in this book is totally out there, which I found to be quite fun. Seriously, this book has one of my favorite similes of all time contained within it that compares things to Pokémon in a very creative way that also perfectly portrayed the situation. 

Overall, I ended up really enjoying "Dropping Beats." It took a bit of time for the writing style, the wordplay, and the characters to grow on me, but I ended up finding it really enjoyable in the end. This book is quite comical while also highlighting on issues that many kids may be experiencing themselves. I appreciate how it portrays people who live "on the block" in such a positive light; kids are really just kids no matter the situation or the living conditions. The figurative language was quite expressive in such a unique way that I've never seen anything close to. I can see why many people would give up on this book in the first few chapters, but I found that sticking with it was quite rewarding. 

Back of Book: 

Efrén Nava’s Amá is his Superwoman—or Soperwoman, named after the delicious Mexican sopes his mother often prepares. Both Amá and Apá work hard all day to provide for the family, making sure Efrén and his younger siblings Max and Mía feel safe and loved.

But Efrén worries about his parents; although he’s American-born, his parents are undocumented. His worst nightmare comes true one day when Amá doesn’t return from work and is deported across the border to Tijuana, México.

Now more than ever, Efrén must channel his inner Soperboy to help take care of and try to reunite his family.  

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

They say you can't get something for nothing, but nothing is all Sami has. 

When his grandfather’s most-prized possession—a traditional Afghan instrument called a rebab—is stolen, Sami resolves to get it back. He finds it at a music store, but it costs $700, and Sami doesn’t have even one penny. What he does have is a keychain that has caught the eye of his classmate. If he trades the keychain for something more valuable, could he keep trading until he has $700? Sami is about to find out.

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

Mr. Hoppy is in love with his neighbor, Mrs. Silver; but she is in love with someone else—Alfie, her pet tortoise. With all her attention focused on Alfie, Mrs. Silver doesn’t even know Mr. Hoppy is alive. And Mr. Hoppy is too shy to even ask Mrs. Silver over for tea. Then one day Mr. Hoppy comes up with a brilliant idea to get Mrs. Silver's attention. If Mr. Hoppy's plan works, Mrs. Silver will certainly fall in love with him. After all, everyone knows the way to a woman’s heart is through her tortoise. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

And as streams of light fan out behind the darkened sun like the wings of a butterfly, I realize that I never saw real beauty until now.

At Moon Shadow, an isolated campground, thousands have gathered to catch a glimpse of a rare and extraordinary total eclipse of the sun. It's also where three lives are about to be changed forever. 

Ally likes the simple things in life—labyrinths, star-gazing, and comet-hunting. Her home, the Moon Shadow campground, is a part of who she is, and she refuses to imagine it any other way.

Popular and gorgeous (everybody says so), Bree is a future homecoming queen for sure. Bree wears her beauty like a suit of armor. But what is she trying to hide? 

Overweight and awkward, Jack is used to spending a lot of time alone. But when opportunity knocks, he finds himself in situations he never would have imagined and making friends in the most unexpected situations.

Told from three distinct voices and perspectives, Wendy Mass weaves an intricate and compelling story about strangers coming together, unlikely friendships, and finding one's place in the universe. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Back of Book: 

Rion Kwirk comes from a rather odd family. His mother named him and his sisters after her favorite constellations, and his father makes funky-flavored jelly beans for a living. One sister acts as if she’s always onstage and the other is a walking dictionary. But no one in the family is more odd than Rion’s grandfather, Papa Kwirk. He’s the kind of guy who shows up on his motorcycle only on holidays, handing out crossbows and stuffed squirrels as presents. Rion has always been fascinated by Papa Kwirk, especially since his son—Rion’s father—is the complete opposite. Where Dad is predictable, nerdy, and reassuringly boring, Papa Kwirk is mysterious, dangerous, and cool.

Which is why, when Rion and his family learn of Papa Kwirk’s death and pile into the car to attend his funeral and pay their respects, Rion can’t help but feel that that’s not the end of his story. That there’s so much more to Papa Kwirk to discover.

He doesn’t know how right he is. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Back of Book: 

It's Anny's first day of middle school and, after years of being homeschooled, her first day of public school ever. In art, Larissa asks what kind of ESP is her telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, or telekinesis? Tracy asks how she gay, straight, bi, asexual, pan, trans, or confused? And thus kicks off a school year for Anny in which she' ll navigate a path between childhood and adolescence, imagination and identity. In a year of turmoil and transition, with a new awareness of loss after the death of a friend, Anny struggles to find meaning in tragedy, to come to terms with her questions about her sexuality, and to figure out how to negotiate her own ever-shifting new friendships. And when her oldest friend's life is in danger, she must summon up her wits, imagination, and the ghosts that haunt her to save them both. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

A middle grade novella featuring a young girl as she tackles middle school, her identity, and the everchanging friendships that she has found herself thrust in the middle of. 

After being homeschooled her entire life, Anny is starting her first day of middle school. Not only is she adapting to a new school system, she is also learning to navigate teen drama, discover her sexual identity, and move on from the death of someone she knew. Many things can change over the course of a year, and Anny is about to discover some things aren't meant to stay the same. 

For a novella, this middle grade story certainly packs a punch. It captures the nuances of tween drama, shifting relationships, and self-identity. Anny also deals with grief, fear of missing out, and the anxiety of being different than her peers. These are all things that most children go through in their adolescence, so these aspects of this book are on point. 

In my opinion, this book is super "Are You There God? It's Me Margaret." coded. Anny's family is super religious, and she also questions elements of her faith. "Fires Burning Underground" really focuses on sexual identity, which is not a huge theme in Judy Blume's book. The scenes where the girls would have sleep overs had super similar vibes to Margaret's experiences; in many ways, it felt like this book was set in the seventies. The kids are addicted to ESP (extrasensory perception), technology was nearly nonexistent, and the entire town that Anny lived in felt rather old school. I'm not saying this is necessarily a bad thing, it just may not be the most accurate picture of most kids' experiences in this day and age.

I think my favorite part of this book is the intersection between sexual identity and religion. This is a topic that I always take interest in; I am passionate about supporting LGBTQIA+ rights (i.e. human rights). Living in a rural smallish town, I see my community constantly holding onto these outdated mindsets that divides humanity over issues that shouldn't even be others' concern. It makes me so sad that Anny's parents ignored her for several weeks just because she was *questioning* her identity. She's only twelve years old, and it breaks my heart that kids in the real world have to deal with these stresses on a daily basis. Also, shout-out for introducing all types of identities to children including demisexual and pansexual. 

I really appreciate that McCabe allowed the page count to remain as short as it is. She wraps it up nicely as soon as she checks all the boxes that need to be checked. I would have been alarmed if this story drug on, so I'm glad that this one is a novella that introduces middle schoolers to many topics and prompts them to do more research on their own if their interest is piqued. 

Quick note, there is a character who is oddly infatuated with one of her teachers in this book. I find this to be quite weird (especially because these kids are middle schoolers), but I've also lived through similar experiences with kids in my class, so I know this happens. The teacher has no part in this, so it's not creepy or weird, but it's definitely something I have to mention. 

Overall, "Fires Burning Underground" is a middle grade novella that showcases how tough middle school can be. It tackles the complexities of many types of relationships, challenges outdated religious ideas, and captures the mischievous nature of young kids so well. It's definitely not a perfect book, but people are far from perfect, aren't they? 

Back of Book: 

My story starts the day that my parents told me we must leave our adopted home forever. Because of the soldiers and the drought we barely had enough to eat and we could no longer stay to help the people in our village.

The journey would be hard—to cross the mountains and get to the safety of the border and the people there who could help us. But right before we were leaving, I saw a fish in a small brown puddle and I knew I had to take it with me. Yet when I put the fish in the pot, I never realized what we would have to face. It never occurred to me to leave Fish behind.

A subtle and sophisticated exploration of life, the strength of humanity, and survival in an unforgiving world, Fish is a story that will teach those who doubt that, when hope is almost extinguished, miracles can happen. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟

Back of Book: 

Ally has been smart enough to fool a lot of smart people. Every time she lands in a new school, she is able to hide her inability to read by creating clever yet disruptive distractions.  She is afraid to ask for help; after all, how can you cure dumb? However, her newest teacher Mr. Daniels sees the bright, creative kid underneath the trouble maker. With his help, Ally learns not to be so hard on herself and that dyslexia is nothing to be ashamed of. As her confidence grows, Ally feels free to be herself and the world starts opening up with possibilities. She discovers that there’s a lot more to her—and to everyone—than a label, and that great minds don’t always think alike.

The author of the beloved One for the Murphys gives readers an emotionally-charged, uplifting novel that will speak to anyone who’s ever thought there was something wrong with them because they didn’t fit in. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟

Back of Book: 

What if you found a place that nobody else knew about? 

The morning after Hurricane Leo rips through their town, Evan, Jason, Mitchell, and C.J. find a total mess outside, with downed branches and uprooted trees everywhere. They know they should stay indoors—but they want to go exploring, even if it means having a new kid, Ricky, tag along. 

Ricky's the first one to discover a strange trapdoor in the middle of the woods—the door to an old bomb shelter, unearthed by the hurricane. Inside, the boys find a completely intact underground lair, with electricity, food, and even a TV. The boys vow to keep the place a secret. It's theirs now. 

But some secrets are hard to keep... especially when adults and older kids are closing in. And what started out as a fun place to escape soon becomes a serious refuge for one of the boys, who is trying to avoid his abusive step-father. The Fort has become the safest place they have—will they be able to protect it? 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

This is war. Okay—that's too dramatic.

But no matter what this is called, so far I'm winning.

And it feels wonderful.

Grace and Ellie have been best friends since second grade. Ellie's always right in the center of everything and Grace is usually happy to be Ellie's sidekick. But what happens when everything changes? This time it's Grace who suddenly has everyone's attention when she accidentally starts a new fad at school. A fad that has first her class, then her grade, and then the entire school collecting and trading and even fighting over... buttons?! A fad that might get her in major trouble and could even be the end of Grace and Ellie's friendship. Because Ellie's not used to being one-upped by anybody. There's only one thing for Grace to do. With the help of Hank, the biggest button collector in the 6th grade, she'll have to figure out a way to end the fad once and for all. But once a fad starts, can it be stopped?  

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

When Claudia decided to run away, she planned very carefully. She would be gone just long enough to teach her parents a lesson in Claudia appreciation. And she would go in comfort—she would live at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She saved her money, and she invited her brother Jamie to go, mostly because he was a miser and would have money.

Claudia was a good organizer and Jamie had some ideas, too; so the two took up residence at the museum right on schedule. But once the fun of settling in was over, Claudia had two unexpected problems: She felt just the same, and she wanted to feel different; and she found a statue at the Museum so beautiful she could not go home until she had discovered its maker, a question that baffled the experts, too.

The former owner of the statue was Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. Without her—well, without her, Claudia might never have found a way to go home.

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

Longing to be one of the popular girls in her new town, Kammie Summers has fallen into a well during a (fake) initiation into their club. Now Kammie’s trapped in the dark, counting the hours, waiting to be rescued. (The Girls have gone for help, haven’t they?)

As hours pass, Kammie’s real-life predicament mixes with memories of the best and worst moments of her life so far, including the awful reasons her family moved to this new town in the first place. And as she begins to feel hungry and thirsty and light-headed, Kammie starts to imagine she has company, including a French-speaking coyote and goats that just might be zombies. 

Karen Rivers has created a unique narrator with an authentic, sympathetic, sharp, funny voice who will have readers laughing and crying and laugh-crying over the course of physically and emotionally suspenseful, utterly believable events. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟

Back of Book: 

"Why mess around with Catholicism when you can have your own customized religion?"

Fed up with his parents' boring old religion, agnostic-going-on-atheist Jason Bock invents a new god—the town's water tower. He recruits an unlikely group of worshippers: his snail-farming best friend, Shin, cute-as-a-button (whatever that means) Magda Price, and the violent and unpredictable Henry Stagg. As their religion grows, it takes on a life of its own. While Jason struggles to keep the faith pure, Shin obsesses over writing their bible, and the explosive Henry schemes to make the new faith even more exciting—and dangerous.

When the Chutengodians hold their first ceremony high atop the dome of the water tower, things quickly go from merely dangerous to terrifying and deadly. Jason soon realizes that inventing a religion is a lot easier than controlling it, but control it he must, before his creation destroys both his friends and himself. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Back of Book: 

From Newbery Medal winner and bestselling author Sharon Creech comes a grand, sweeping yarn that is a celebration of the great and unexpected gifts of love, friendship, and forgiveness. With a starred review from Kirkus Reviews calling it an "enchanting tale to treasure," The Great Unexpected captures the heart and the imagination.

Humorous and heartfelt, this is a story of pairs—of young Naomi and Lizzie, both orphans in present-day Blackbird Tree, USA, and of Sybil and Nula, grown-up sisters from faraway Rook's Orchard, Ireland, who have become estranged.

Young Naomi Deane is brimming with curiosity and her best friend, Lizzie Scatterding, could talk the ears off a cornfield. Naomi has a knack for being around when trouble happens. She knows all the peculiar people in town—like Crazy Cora and Witch Wiggins. But then, one day, a boy drops out of a tree. Just like that. A strangely charming Finn boy. And then the Dingle Dangle man appears, asking all kinds of questions. Curious surprises are revealed—three locked trunks, a pair of rooks, a crooked bridge, and that boy—and soon Naomi and Lizzie find their lives changed forever.

As two worlds are woven together, Creech reveals that hearts can be mended and that there is indeed a gossamer thread that connects us all. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟

Back of Book: 

In one day, four lives weave together in unexpected ways. Virgil Salinas is shy and kindhearted and feels out of place in his loud and boisterous family. Valencia Somerset, who is deaf, is smart, brave, and secretly lonely, and loves everything about nature. Kaori Tanaka is a self-proclaimed psychic, whose little sister Gen is always following her around. And Chet Bullens wishes the weird kids would just act normal so that he can concentrate on basketball.

They aren’t friends—at least not until Chet pulls a prank that traps Virgil and his pet guinea pig at the bottom of a well. This disaster leads Kaori, Gen, and Valencia on an epic quest to find the missing Virgil. Through luck, smarts, bravery, and a little help from the universe, a rescue is performed, a bully is put in his place, and friendship blooms.

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

Benny's parents are splitting up. 

His mom leaves home after a fight about a mysterious splinter that is rumored to be part of an important relic. Benny's dad has always liked clutter, but now, he begins hoarding everything from pizza boxes to old motorcycle parts.

As his house grows more cluttered and his father grows more distant, Benny tries to sort out whether he can change anything at all. Meanwhile, a local teacher enters their quiet Missouri town in America's Most Charming Small Town contest, and the pressure is on to clean up the area, especially Benny's ramshackle of a house, before the out-of-town guests arrive. 

With a cast of characters readers won't soon forget, and a disaster no one sees coming, Homesick explores the challenges of living with difficult people in difficult times, and looking for hope and meaning amid the splinters of one's life. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

It's never too late for the adventure of a lifetime.

In all the ways that matter, Mark is a normal kid. He's got a dog named Beau and a best friend, Jessie. He likes to take photos and write haiku poems in his notebook. He dreams of climbing a mountain one day.

But in one important way, Mark is not like other kids at all. Mark is sick. The kind of sick that means hospitals. And treatments. The kind of sick some people never get better from.

So Mark runs away. He leaves home with his camera, his notebook, his dog, and a plan. A plan to reach the top of Mount Rainier. Even if it's the last thing he ever does.

The Honest Truth is a rare and extraordinary novel about big questions, small moments, and one incredible journey. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟

Back of Book: 

When Phil sees another kid wearing his brother's jacket, he assumes the jacket was stolen. It turns out he was wrong, and Phil has to ask himself the question: Would he have made the same assumption if the boy wearing the jacket hadn't been African American? And that question leads to others that reveal some unsettling truths about Phil's neighborhood, his family, and even himself. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟

Back of Book: 

IT WAS THE PERFECT CRIME

Unfortunately, it also led to the perfect punishment. When Jack Rankin gets busted for defacing a school desk with a huge wad of disgusting, watermelon bubble gum, the principal sentences him to three weeks of after-school gum cleanup for the chief custodian. The problem is, Jack's anger at the chief custodian was the reason for his gum project in the first place. The chief custodian happens to be Jack's dad.

But doing time in the school basement after hours reveals some pretty surprising things: about the school, about Jack's father, and about Jack himself. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Back of Book: 

Why can't he get things straight?

Ten-year-old Justin just can't seem to do anything right—no matter how hard he tries. He gets home late when he doesn't mean to. He can't keep his room clean, wash dishes, or fix himself a meal.

Luckily, Justin's cowboy grandfather comes to his rescue. Not only does he invite Justin to visit the family ranch in time to see the big rodeo, but Grandpa's also going to teach him how to do real "men's work"—like mending fences and handling horses. But what Justin doesn't realize is how much he's going to learn about other, equally important things—like how his Great-Great-Grandpa Wiley Ward brought the family from Tennessee to Missouri in 1879, and how to make a prize-winning batch of the best biscuits in the world!

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟

Young Justin learns to be less sexist when he goes to spends time at his grandfather's ranch and is shown a different perspective. 

Honestly, I picked this book up at the library as a joke with my sister. But my number one rule with books I own is: I have to read them before I get rid of them. So I found myself reading this book written for young readers this evening.

Sadly, this book didn't have as many biscuits as I would have liked. It did have plenty of sexist attitudes, the n-word, and its fair share of cringe dialogue. I'm not saying that this book was horrible, but it was certainly not great either. And I'm still a bit sad about the lack of biscuits in the first half of the story. 

I did find the last scene quite funny when Justin wants to make his family a surprise meal and his mom is petrified that he is going to burn down the kitchen. I don't know why, but I found this interaction to be quite comical. It would take a bunch of persuading for me to let Justin in my kitchen, too. 

Overall, "Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World" was certainly not written for me, but I still had the right to read it. It certainly had some language that made me a bit uncomfortable (why are some young boys so turned off from anything deemed "too feminine"?). Anyway, I won't remember anything from this book in two days, but at least I will finally be able to unhaul it. 

Back of Book: 

NEW STUDENT GETS OLD TEACHER

The bad news is that Cara Landry is the new kid at Denton Elementary School. The worse news is that her teacher, Mr. Larson, would rather read the paper and drink coffee than teach his students anything. So Cara decides to give Mr. Larson something else to read—her own newspaper, The Landry News.

Before she knows it, the whole fifth-grade class is in on the project. But then the principal finds a copy of The Landry News, with unexpected results. Tomorrow's headline: Will Cara's newspaper cost Mr. Larson his job? 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

Seventh grader Jeremy Miner has a girl problem. Or, more accurately, a girls problem. 475 of them to be exact. That’s how many girls attend his school, St. Edith’s Academy.

Jeremy is the only boy left after the school’s brief experiment in co-education. And he needs to get out. His mother—a teacher at the school—won’t let him transfer, so Jeremy takes matters into his own hands: he’s going to get expelled.

Together with his best friend Claudia, Jeremy unleashes a series of hilarious pranks in hopes that he’ll get kicked out with minimal damage to his permanent record. But when his stunts start to backfire, Jeremy has to decide how far he’s willing to go and whom he’s willing to knock down to get out the door. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Back of Book: 

For Hart Evans, being the most popular kid in sixth grade has its advantages. Kids look up to him, and all the teachers let him get away with anything—all the teachers except the chorus director, Mr. Meinert. When Hart's errant rubber band hits Mr. Meinert on the neck during chorus practice, it's the last straw for the chorus director, who's just learned he's about to lose his job due to budget cuts. So he tells the class they can produce the big holiday concert on their own. Or not. It's all up to them. And who gets elected to run the show? The popular Mr. Hart Evans.

Hart soon discovers there's a big difference between popularity and leadership, and to his surprise, discovers something else as well—it's really important to him that this be the best holiday concert ever, and even more important, that it not be the last. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review:  🌟🌟🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

"It's normal to be a little scared, Georges." 

"I'm not scared." Though it has crossed my mind that a person could go to jail for the thing Safer is planning. 

When seventh grader Georges (theS is silent) moves into a Brooklyn apartment building, he meets Safer, a twlve-year-old coffee-drinking loner and self-appointed spy. Georges is happy to hang out with Safer's warm, eccentric family, because lately things haven't been east at home: his dad has lost his job, and his mom has started working extra shifts at the hospital. Life is no better at school, where Georges is the new target of Dallas, who is always on the lookout for other kids' weak spots (so he knows exactly where to hit them). 

Georges becomes Safer's first spy recruit. His assignment? Tracking the mysterious Mr. X, who lives in the apartment upstairs. But as Safer becomes more demanding, Georges starts to wonder: how far is too far to go for a friend? 

Liar & Spy is an inspired, often-funny story about destiny, goofy brilliance, and courage. Like Stead's Newbery Medal-winning When You Reach Me, it will keep readers guessing until the end. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

The Line Tender is the story of Lucy, the daughter of a marine biologist and a rescue diver, and the summer that changes her life. If she ever wants to lift the cloud of grief over her family and community, she must complete the research her late mother began. She must follow the sharks.

Wherever the sharks led, Lucy Everhart’s marine-biologist mother was sure to follow. In fact, she was on a boat far off the coast of Massachusetts, preparing to swim with a Great White, when she died suddenly. Lucy was eight. Since then Lucy and her father have done OK—thanks in large part to her best friend, Fred, and a few close friends and neighbors. But June of her twelfth summer brings more than the end of school and a heat wave to sleepy Rockport. On one steamy day, the tide brings a Great White—and then another tragedy, cutting short a friendship everyone insists was “meaningful” but no one can tell Lucy what it all meant. To survive the fresh wave of grief, Lucy must grab the line that connects her depressed father, a stubborn fisherman, and a curious old widower to her mother’s unfinished research. If Lucy can find a way to help this unlikely quartet follow the sharks her mother loved, she’ll finally be able to look beyond what she’s lost and toward what’s left to be discovered. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

Sonia and I have a lot in common. Our parents are divorced. Our dads are gay. We both love barbecue potato chips. But she is different from me in at least one way: You can't tell how she's feeling just by looking at her. At all.  

When Bea's dad and his wonderful partner, Jesse, decide to marry, it looks as if Bea's biggest wish is coming true; she's finally (finally!) going to have a sister. 

They're both ten. They're both in fifth grade. Though they've never met, Bea knows that she and Sonia will be perfect sisters. Just like sisters anywhere, Bea thinks. But as the wedding day approaches, Bea makes discoveries that lead her to a possibly disastrous choice. 

Making a new family brings questions, surprises, and joy in this brilliant modern classic by Newbery Medalist Rebecca Stead. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary | LGBTQIA+ 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

This story was going to begin like all the best stories. With a school bus falling from the sky. But no one saw it happen. They were all too busy—

Talking about boogers.

Stealing pocket change.

Skateboarding.

Wiping out.

Braving up.

Executing complicated handshakes.

Planning an escape.

Making jokes.

Lotioning up.

Finding comfort.

But mostly, too busy walking home.

Jason Reynolds conjures ten tales (one per block) about what happens after the dismissal bell rings, and brilliantly weaves them into one wickedly funny, piercingly poignant look at the detours we face on the walk home, and in life. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

Sixth grader Alec can't put a good book down. So when Principal Vance lays down the law—pay attention in class, or else—Alec takes action. He can't lose all his reading time, so he starts a club. A club he intends to be the only member of. After all, reading isn't a team sport, and no one would want to join something called the Losers Club, right? But as more and more kids find their way to Alec's club—including his ex-friend turned bully and the girl Alec is maybe starting to like—Alec notices something. Real life might be messier than his favorite books, but it's just as interesting.

With The Losers Club, Andrew Clements brings us a new school story that's a love letter to books and to reading and that reminds us that sometimes the best stories are the ones that happen off the page—our own! 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review:🌟🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

Marcus Vega is six feet tall, 180 pounds, and the owner of a premature mustache. When you look like this and you're only in the eighth grade, you're both a threat and a target. Marcus knows what classmates and teachers see when they look at him: a monster.

But appearances are deceiving. At home, Marcus is a devoted brother. And he finds ways to earn cash to contribute to his family’s rainy day fund. His mom works long hours and his dad walked out ten years ago—someone has to pick up the slack.

After a fight at school leaves him facing suspension, Marcus and his family decide to hit the reset button and regroup for a week in Puerto Rico. Marcus is more interested in finding his father, though, who is somewhere on the island. Through a series of misadventures that take Marcus all over Puerto Rico in search of the elusive Mr. Vega, Marcus meets a colorful cast of characters who show him the many faces of fatherhood. And he even learns a bit of Spanish along the way.

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 

I really enjoyed reading "Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish." It's a sweet story about a boy trying to reconnect with the father he hasn't seen in ten years. It's a novel about the importance of family, defining yourself as the person you want to be, and not letting the negative things (and people) in your life drown you.

Marcus Vega was an interesting and unique protagonist. He is big, like six-feet-tall big, yet caring and gentle, especially when it comes to his little brother Charlie, who has Down Syndrome. Due to Charlie being his soft spot, he ends up breaking his gentleness when the school's bully, Stephen, calls Charlie the R-word. This spurs Marcus' mom to bring the two boys on an impromptu trip to Puerto Rico, the island that Marcus was born on, and the location of Marcus' missing dad.

Personally, my two favorite parts of this book were Charlie's character and how supportive Marcus' extended family was of him and his goal to find his father, even though they just met him. Charlie is an optimistic kid who loves "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," spontaneously breaking out into the salsa, and giving his brother motivation by calling him a slowpoke. He is such a gem and he was truly precious to read about the entire novel. It was also sweet that Marcus' extended family was willing to drive all over the island of PR to help Marcus meet his father and I just thought that was so cool of them. So I guess my main consensus with this book is that I really enjoyed the characters.

Overall, it was enjoyable to read about Marcus and his family as they wandered around Puerto Rico getting to know one another and indulging in the PR lifestyle. This is a great story and I would recommend it for those who like middle grade realistic fiction with a hint of adventure.

Back of Book: 

BE WHO YOU ARE. When people look at George, they think they see a boy. But she knows she's not a boy. She knows she's a girl.

George thinks she'll have to keep this a secret forever. Then her teacher announces that their class play is going to be Charlotte's Web. George really, really, REALLY wants to play Charlotte. But the teacher says she can't even try out for the part... because she's a boy.

With the help of her best friend, Kelly, George comes up with a plan. Not just so she can be Charlotte—but so everyone can know who she is, once and for all.  

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary | LGBTQIA+ 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

Mosquitoes don't bite Nala Simiyu. It's part of who she is, like being a half-Kenyan seventh-grader whose mother is in a wheelchair. But when a schoolmate's father—who happens to head up a large drug company—learns of Nala's special power, the excitement begins. After helping out with mosquito research, Nala has the chance to travel to Kenya to investigate mosquitoes' reactions to her father's family. All goes well until a man heartbroken by his daughter's death from malaria kidnaps Nala.

In the midst of a realistic adventure story, this book will introduce young readers to such dilemmas as health disparities, subtle racism, and who owns biological information. Brave, fallible, compassionate and spirited, Nala is a strongly relatable character in a loving, imperfect family. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

It was hard enough for Mr. Popper to support himself, Mrs. Popper, Bill and Janie Popper. The addition of twelve penguins to the family made it impossible to make both ends meet. Then Mr. Popper had a splendid idea-the talented penguins would be a sensation on the stage. And so they were...

A classic of American humor, this story of a gentle house-painter and his high-stepping penguins has delighted children for generations.  

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Back of Book: 

Everyone knows there are different kinds of teachers. The boring ones, the mean ones, the ones who try too hard, the ones who stopped trying long ago. The ones you'll never remember, and the ones you want to forget. Ms. Bixby is none of these. She's the sort of teacher who makes you feel like school is somehow worthwhile. Who recognizes something in you that sometimes you don't even see in yourself. Who you never want to disappoint. What Ms. Bixby is, is one-of-a-kind.

Topher, Brand, and Steve know this better than anyone. And so when Ms. Bixby unexpectedly announces that she won't be able to finish the school year, they come up with a risky plan, more of a quest, really, to give Ms. Bixby the last day she deserves. Through the three very different stories they tell, we begin to understand what Ms. Bixby means to each of them—and what the three of them mean to each other. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟

Back of Book: 

Ben Hardy believes he's cursed by potatoes. And now he's moved to Idaho, where the school's mascot is Steve the Spud! Yeah, this cannot be good.

After accidentally causing the mascot to sprain an ankle, Ben is sentenced to Spud duty for the final basketball games of the year. But if the other kids know he's the Spud, his plans for popularity are likely to be a big dud! Ben doesn't want to let the team down, so he lies to his friends to keep it a secret. No one will know it's him under the potato suit... right? 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

In the summer of 1984, 12-year-old Ebony-Grace Norfleet makes the trip from Huntsville, Alabama, to Harlem, where she'll spend a few weeks with her father while her mother deals with some trouble that's arisen for Ebony-Grace's beloved grandfather, Jeremiah. Jeremiah Norfleet is a bit of a celebrity in Huntsville, where he was one of the first black engineers to integrate NASA two decades earlier. And ever since his granddaughter came to live with him when she was little, he's nurtured her love of all things outer space and science fiction—especially Star Wars and Star Trek, both of which she's watched dozens of time on Grandaddady's Betamax machine. So even as Ebony-Grace struggled to make friends among her peers, she could always rely on her grandfather and the imaginary worlds they created together. 

In Harlem, however, she faces a whole new challenge. Harlem in 1984 is an exciting and terrifying place for a sheltered girl from Hunstville, and her first instinct is to retreat into her imagination. But soon 126th Street begins to reveal that it has more in common with her beloved sci-fi adventures than she ever thought possible, and by summer's end, Ebony-Grace discovers that gritty and graffitied Harlem has a place for a girl whose eyes are always on the stars. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟 

Back of Book: 

Wallace Wallace won’t lie, even if it means detention. And after he handed in a scorching book report of the classic novel, Old Shep, My Pal, detention is just what he’s been handed. He is sure he’s done nothing wrong: he hated every minute of that book, especially when the dog dies in the end! Why do dogs always die at the end?

Wallace refuses to do a rewrite of his report, so his English teacher, who happens to be directing the school play of Old Shep, My Pal, forces him go to the rehearsals to teach him a lesson on why the story is the way it is. Surrounded by theater kids who are apprehensive of him, Wallace sets out to prove himself. But not by changing his mind. Instead, he changes the play into a rock-and-roll rendition, complete with Rollerblades and a moped! 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟

Back of Book: 

It’s boys vs. girls when the noisiest, most talkative, and most competitive fifth graders in history challenge one another to see who can go longer without talking. Teachers and school administrators are in an uproar, until an innovative teacher sees how the kids’ experiment can provide a terrific and unique lesson in communication. In No Talking, Andrew Clements portrays a battle of wills between some spunky kids and a creative teacher with the perfect pitch for elementary school life that made Frindle an instant classic. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Back of Book: 

Sylvan has been angry ever since his parents split up. And now that an embarrassing photo has appeared in the paper, he's stuck with a lame nickname too.

Charity is back in the United States after several years in Africa. And she's learning that home can be a strange place when you've been away for a while.

Neither of them knows what's up with Brian. He spends whole afternoons alone on his trampoline.

From the first day of school, Sylvan knows he doesn't want to hang out with weirdos like Charity or Brian. He'd rather just be a normal kid. But when the principal gets ready to fire their favorite teacher, Sylvan, Charity, and Brian have to find a way to work together. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

In this thought-provoking examination of freedom, patriotism, and respect, ninth grader Philip Malloy is kept from joining the track team by his failing grades in English class. Convinced that the teacher just doesn't like him, Philip concocts a plan to get transferred out of her class. Breaking the school's policy of silence during the national anthem, he hums along, and ends up in a crisis at the center of the nation's attention. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

A coming-of-age story about transgender tween Obie, who didn't think being himself would cause such a splash. For fans of Alex Gino's George and Lisa Bunker's Felix Yz.

Obie knew his transition would have ripple effects. He has to leave his swim coach, his pool, and his best friends. But it's time for Obie to find where he truly belongs.

As Obie dives into a new team, though, things are strange. Obie always felt at home in the water, but now he can't get his old coach out of his head. Even worse are the bullies that wait in the locker room and on the pool deck. Luckily, Obie has family behind him. And maybe some new friends too, including Charlie, his first crush. Obie is ready to prove he can be one of the fastest boys in the water—to his coach, his critics, and his biggest competition: himself. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary | Romance | LGBTQIA+ | Sports

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 

A middle grade novel about a trans boy by the name of Obie who just wants to enjoy his time swimming and have the bullies that torment him finally leave him to exist in peace. 

After his transition, Obie was kicked off of his old swim teach by his transphobic former coach. It's all worth it because Obie finally gets to compete with the other boys. Unfortunately, his old teammates are less than amicable about the switch which leads to Obie being constantly bullied and living in a state of continuous fear. Luckily, Obie has many people in his corner who are willing to support him every step of the way. Desperate to prove to himself that he can keep up with the boys in the pool, Obie pushes himself harder than he ever has before and encounters plenty of new best friends who accept him for who he truly is, no strings attached. 

After reading Schuyler Bailar's short story in the anthology "Fresh Ink," I have been quite curious to check out some of his longer work. Let's just say, he did not disappoint! "Obie is Man Enough" is a wonderful middle grade book that talks about intersectionality and what it means to be a half-white, half-Korean trans boy who is also a swimmer. Every part of Obie helps make up who he is, and this book does an amazing job showcasing how our various identities connect and make us into the interesting individuals that we all are. 

I think swimming is such great topic matter for a book and I have enjoyed novels involving this topic in the past. Pairing this with the struggles of switching teams, losing old friends, and learning how to compete in a new league, made this an engrossing read. Obie's love for the sport is extremely evident, and I love seeing his passion shine through everything else he is grappling with. 

Another huge topic in this one is bullying and discrimination. Obie's former best friend, Clyde, is extremely transphobic and constantly berates Obie. This leads to discussions about bullying and harassment in sports and in the classroom. These are important things for kids to learn that it's not okay to do from a young age, so I appreciate when books make this so glaringly obvious. Obie's other former best friend, Lucy, is also verbally harassed by a few girls who call her some pretty awful names. Note that this book uses some harsh language against trans people and young girls, but nothing that children can't handle. Just make sure to look into the language if some of these things are triggering to you personally. 

This book uses Jason Reynold's "All American Boys" to showcase parallels between police brutality and racial discrimination and Obie's situation involving transphobia and harassment. It does go into great detail about the book at times, so if you haven't read it, there may be some big spoilers. However, the way that Obie learned to feel empathy towards the "bad guys" and came to realize that nobody is the villain of their own story through Reynold's book was done quite well. I think this added to the story immensely, but I have read "All American Boys" myself, so I'm not sure what others that haven't read it yet thought of this tidbit. 

I honestly was not expecting this book to have a romance element due to the fact it's a middle grade book, but I actually didn't mind it. Charlie is a quirky young girl who loves to ramble, sing, and solve Rubik's cubes. She is such a sweet and understanding girl who helps Obie through many situations that he goes through, so it would be hard not to support the blossoming relationship between these youths. They are still so young, so who knows if it will last, but it is cute in the meantime regardless.

The way that Obie bonds with the Korean side of his family is quite precious. He makes kimchi with his grandparents, speaks to them in Korean, and goes over to their house quite often for dinner. It's unfortunate that many Asian families are still less accepting of queer children, but that is not the case at all with Obie's family. They are one hundred percent in support of their grandson, they just remind him that since his parents have no daughters, he has to remember to take care of them. 

Overall, "Obie is Man Enough" is a stellar middle grade novel that trans kids may immensely relate to that should also teach cis kids how to approach certain topics with respect. The discussions about intersectionality, queer culture, bullying and harassment, as well as transphobia are all very powerful and handled quite eloquently. I thought learning more about competitive youth swimming was also fun and I actually came to enjoy the slight romantic subplot. I really enjoyed this one, so I look forward to checking out more of Bailar's work in the future! 

Back of Book: 

Ikea: It's got cool furniture, delicious meatballs—and two best friends-turned-runaways? 

Frankie and Walter aren't really running away. Just like the kids in their favorite book, they are running to somewhere. Specifically, a massive furniture store. They've been obsessed with the Ikea catalog for years. So they make a plan, pack their backpacks, give their parents the sleepover switcheroo... and they're in.

One night all on their own, with no grown-ups or little brothers.

One night of couch jumping, pillow forts, and unlimited soda refills.

One night of surprises and twinkle lights and secrets they have been keeping—and waiting to share.

One unforgettable night in Ikea. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

A coming-of-age story of a girl who discovers the endless possibilities her future may hold, with help from a brilliant teacher and a boy with a generous smile.

Gina Filomena has been told she has an overactive imagination. With her bright clothing and artistic spirit, she’s always felt different from the other kids in her class. That is, until she meets her new neighbor, a mysterious boy named Antonio with a wide, welcoming smile.

Add in a creative new teacher, Miss Lightstone, and a world of possibilities opens up for Gina, Antonio, and their classmates. With the help of Antonio and Miss Lightstone, will Gina find the answers to the questions Who am I? and Who do I want to be? 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

Secrets are always a gamble. 

Ten-year-old Anthony Joplin has made it to double digits! Which means he's finally old enough to play in the spades tournament every Joplin Man before him seems to have won. So while Ant's friends are stressing about fifth grade homework and girls, Ant only has one thing on his mind: how he'll measure up to his father's expectations at the card table.

Then Ant's best friend gets grounded, and he's forced to find another spades partner. And Shirley, the new girl in his class, isn't exactly what he has in mind. She talks a whole lot of trash—way more than his old partner. Plus, he's not sure that his father wants him playing with a girl. But she's smart and tough and pretty, and knows every card trick in the book. So Ant decides to join forces with Shirley—and keep his plans a secret.

Only it turns out secrets are another Joplin Man tradition. And his father is hiding one so big it may tear their family apart...

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

With multiple starred reviews, don't miss this humorous, poignant, and original contemporary story about bullying, broken friendships, social media, and the failures of communication between kids. From John David Anderson, author of the acclaimed Ms. Bixby’s Last Day.

In middle school, words aren’t just words. They can be weapons. They can be gifts. The right words can win you friends or make you enemies. They can come back to haunt you. Sometimes they can change things forever.

When cell phones are banned at Branton Middle School, Frost and his friends Deedee, Wolf, and Bench come up with a new way to communicate: leaving sticky notes for each other all around the school. It catches on, and soon all the kids in school are leaving notes—though for every kind and friendly one, there is a cutting and cruel one as well.

In the middle of this, a new girl named Rose arrives at school and sits at Frost’s lunch table. Rose is not like anyone else at Branton Middle School, and it’s clear that the close circle of friends Frost has made for himself won’t easily hold another. As the sticky-note war escalates, and the pressure to choose sides mounts, Frost soon realizes that after this year, nothing will ever be the same. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Back of Book: 

Rose Howard is obsessed with homonyms. She's thrilled that her own name is a homonym, and she purposefully gave her her dog Rain a name with two homonyms (Reign, Rein) which, according to Rose's rules of hononyms, is very special. Not everyone understands Rose's obsessions, her rules, or the other things that make her different—not her teachers, not other kids, and not her single father. 

When a storm hits their rural town, rivers overflow, roads are flooded, and Rain goes missing. Rose's father shouldn't have let Rain out. Now, Rose has to find her dog, even if it means leaving het routines and safe places to search. 

Hearts will break and spirits will soar for this powerful story, brilliantly told from Rose's point of view. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

With the backdrop of a large family and a theater as its frame, this is a story about twelve-year-old Leo, who has a talent for transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary. That's why he's called "fog boy." He's always dreaming, always replaying things in his brain. As an actor in the school play, he is poised and ready for the curtain to open. But in the play that is his life, he is eager to discover what part will be his.

With the universal theme of finding one's true identity, and set amid a loud, noisy, memorable family, Leo's story is one that all kids will relate to. And there's a full play at the end of the book that kids and teachers can perform! 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

Chase's memory just went out the window.

Chase doesn't remember falling off the roof. He doesn't remember hitting his head. He doesn't, in fact, remember anything. He wakes up in a hospital room and suddenly has to learn his whole life all over again... starting with his own name.

He knows he's Chase. But who is Chase? When he gets back to school, he sees that different kids have very different reactions to his return.

Some kids treat him like a hero. Some kids are clearly afraid of him.

One girl in particular is so angry with him that she pours her frozen yogurt on his head the first chance she gets.

Pretty soon, it's not only a question of who Chase is—it's a question of who he was... and who he's going to be.

From the #1 bestselling author of Swindle and Slacker, Restart is the spectacular story of a kid with a messy past who has to figure out what it means to get a clean start. 

Book Number: Stand Alone

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Back of Book: 

Rick's never questioned much. He's gone along with his best friend Jeff even when Jeff's acted like a bully and a jerk. He's let his father joke with him about which hot girls he might want to date even though that kind of talk always makes him uncomfortable. And he hasn't given his own identity much thought, because everyone else around him seemed to have figured it out.

But now Rick's gotten to middle school, and new doors are opening. One of them leads to the school's Rainbow Spectrum club, where kids of many genders and identities congregate, including Melissa, the girl who sits in front of Rick in class and seems to have her life together. Rick wants his own life to be that... understood. Even if it means breaking some old friendships and making some new ones.

As they did in their groundbreaking novel George, in Rick, award-winning author Alex Gino explores what it means to search for your own place in the world... and all the steps you and the people around you need to take in order to get where you need to be. 

Book Number: Stand Alone (Note: This book contains the same characters as Alex Gino's book George so I would recommend reading that one first if you are interested.)  

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary | LGBTQIA+ 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

Ruby Holler is a Carnegie Medal-winning novel, and with its quirky protagonists and exciting journey, captures the imaginations of readers of all ages.  

Brother and sister Dallas and Florida are the “trouble twins.” In their short thirteen years, they’ve passed through countless foster homes, only to return to their dreary orphanage, Boxton Creek Home.

Run by the Trepids, a greedy and strict couple, Boxton Creek seems impossible to escape. When Mr. Trepid informs the twins that they’ll be helping old Tiller and Sairy Morey go on separate adventures, Dallas and Florida are suspicious.

As the twins adjust to the natural beauty of the outdoors, help the Tillers prepare for their adventures, and foil a robbery, their ultimate search for freedom leads them home to Ruby Holler. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Back of Book: 

Joe and Ravi might be from very different places, but they're both stuck in the same place: SCHOOL.

Joe's lived in the same town all his life, and was doing just fine until his best friends moved away and left him on his own.

Ravi's family just moved to America from India, and he's finding it pretty hard to figure out where he fits in.

Joe and Ravi don't think they have anything in common—but soon enough they have a common enemy (the biggest bully in their class) and a common mission: to take control of their lives over the course of a single crazy week. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟

Back of Book: 

Perfect for fans of Charlotte’s Web and The One and Only Ivan, Saving Winslow is an uplifting modern classic in the making about a young boy who befriends an ailing newborn donkey and nurses him back to health, from New York Times bestseller and Newbery Medal winner Sharon Creech.

Louie doesn't have the best luck when it comes to nurturing small creatures. So when his father brings home a sickly newborn mini donkey, he's determined to save him. He names him Winslow. Taking care of him helps Louie feel closer to his brother, Gus, who is far, far away in the army.

Everyone worries that Winslow won't survive, especially Louie’s quirky new friend, Nora, who has experienced loss of her own. But as Louie's bond with Winslow grows, surprising and life-altering events prove that this fragile donkey is stronger than anyone could have imagined.

Written in the spirit of Creech favorites Moo and Love That Dog, this standout tale about love and friendship and letting go will tug at the heartstrings. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟

Back of Book: 

Jonathan Grisby is the newest arrival at the Slabhenge Reformatory School for Troubled Boys—an ancient, crumbling fortress of gray stone rising up from the ocean. It is dark, damp, and dismal. And it is just the place Jonathan figures he deserves.

Because Jonathan has done something terrible. And he's willing to accept whatever punishment he has coming.

Just as he's getting used to his new situation, however, a freak accident leaves the troubled boys of Slabhenge without any adult supervision. Suddenly the kids are free, with an entire island to themselves. But freedom brings unexpected danger. And if Jonathan can't come to terms with the sins of his past and lead his new friends to safety. . . then every boy on the island is doomed.

Dan Gemeinhart's most gripping novel yet, this is a tale of outcasts at odds and in peril, and a redemption story that shines a light on dark truths to reveal that the strongest prisons of all are the ones we build for ourselves. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Back of Book: 

Natalie's best friend, Zoe, is sure that the novel Natalie's written is good enough to be published. But how can a twelve-year-old girl publish a book? Natalie's mother is an editor for a big children's publisher, but Natalie doesn't want to ask for any favors.

Then Zoe has a brilliant idea: Natalie can submit her manuscript under a pen name, with Zoe acting as her literary agent. But it's not easy for two sixth graders to put themselves over as grown-ups, even with some help from a couple of real grown-ups who are supportive but skeptical. The next bestselling school story may be in their hands—but can Natalie and Zoe pull off their masquerade? 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Back of Book: 

Homeschooled by his hippie grandmother, Capricorn (Cap) Anderson has never watched television, tasted a pizza, or even heard of a wedgie. But when his grandmother lands in the hospital, Cap is forced to move in with a school counselor and attend the local middle school. While Cap knows a lot about tie-dyeing and Zen Buddhism, no education could prepare him for the politics of public school.  

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Back of Book: 

When orphaned Mary Lennox comes to live at her uncle's great house on the Yorkshire Moors, she finds it full of secrets. The mansion has nearly one hundred rooms, and her uncle keeps himself locked up. And at night, she hears the sound of crying down one of the long corridors.

The gardens surrounding the large property are Mary's only escape. Then, Mary discovers a secret garden, surrounded by walls and locked with a missing key. With the help of two unexpected companions, Mary discovers a way in—and becomes determined to bring the garden back to life. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Back of Book: 

You don’t have to weather the storms alone.

Delsie loves a good storm—except when the squalls are in her own life. Her summer friend, Brandy, is back on the Cape at last—but devastates her by dumping her for a new friend. And she could really use a mom right now—except hers left years ago and her loving Grammy won’t discuss her mom, saying it’s too painful.

So when she meets snarky Ronan, supposedly a liar and a thief, Delsie wonders if he’s another storm on the horizon. Turns out he’s caring and courageous—a fisherman’s son who’d rather protect sea life than eat it. But she recognizes something else, too. He is lonely just like she is. As they traipse around the island they uncover deep neighborhood secrets, stand up to cruelty and get into both good and bad trouble. But they also open up to each other and tackle complicated stuff like what it means to be angry versus sad, broken versus whole, and abandoned versus loved.

Lynda Mullaly Hunt, author of New York Times bestseller Fish in a Tree, has written a tender, compelling story about learning to feel complete, figuring out who deserves your love—and making sure those are the folks you give your heart to.

Book Number: Stand Alone

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟  

Back of Book: 

It seemed like a normal school day, until a horrible storm forced the very cautious school administration to make everyone hole up in a safe place. Six students find themselves stuck in a tiny, questionably smelly space—a school bathroom—with a stuffed cat for entertainment. Hijinks ensue and the unexpected happens. They enter as strangers... and leave as friends.

A special script accompanies the novel, so any six kids can get together with their friends and perform the story anywhere they’d like. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟

Back of Book: 

Eddie Beckey makes lists for just about everything and everyone in her life. And for mattoints: ers of real importance, she wears (and snaps) an array of colored rubber bands on her wrist. Unfortunately, the world is not always so orderly and knowable. No list can help her cope with what's happening to her best friend, Sally—or change the course of things for Sally's grandmother, whom Eddie has grown to love and depend on as well. With subtlety and insight, novelist Alison McGhee tells the story of a young girl's first encounter with grief, and of the enduring power of friendship. 

Book Number: Stand Alone

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟 

Back of Book: 

Iris is about to go on a grand road trip to makes sure the world's loneliest whale in the ocean is finally heard. 

From fixing the class computer to repairing old radios, twelve-year-old Iris is a tech genius. But she's the only deaf person in her school, so people often treat her like she's not very smart. If you've ever felt like no one was listening to you, then you know how hard that can be.

When she learns about Blue 55, a real whale who is unable to speak to other whales, Iris understands how he must feel. Then she has an idea: she should invent a way to "sing" to him! But he's three thousand miles away. How will she play her song for him? 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

Cassie’s always looked up to her mom, a vivacious woman with big ideas and a mischievous smile. Together they planned to check off every item on a big-dream bucket list, no matter how far the adventure would take them. But then Mom was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, and everything changed.

Now, Cassie tries to keep Mom happy, and to understand some of Dad’s restrictive new rules. She tries to focus on math lessons and struggles to come up with art ideas that used to just burst off her pen. When Mom’s memories started to fade, so did Cassie’s inspiration. And even worse, she’s accidentally pushed away Bailey, the one friend who could make it all okay.

After the worst Mom day yet, the day she forgets Cassie’s name, Cassie decides to take action. It’s time for one last adventure, even if it means lying and taking a big risk to get there. Sandy Stark-McGinnis, acclaimed author of Extraordinary Birds, explores big questions—the kind that don’t always have answers—in a powerful story about family, friendship, and the memories that will always be part of us. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Back of Book: 

As if being stuffed into last year's dress pants at his cousin's wake weren't uncomfortable enough, thirteen-year-old Jimmy has just learned from his mother that he has to say a few words at the funeral the next day. Why him? What could he possibly say about his cousin, who ruined everything they did? He can't recall one birthday party, family gathering, or school event with Patrick that didn't result in injury or destruction. 

As Jimmy attempts to navigate the odd social norms of the wake, he draws on humor, heartfelt concern, and a good deal of angst while racking his brain and his memory for a decent and meaningful memory to share. But it's not until faced with a microphone that the realization finally hits him: it's not the words that are spoken that matter the most, but those that are truly heard.

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

It all started with two garbage bags full of Legos. 

Or no, maybe it started with the two thugs following Lolly down 125th that night. 

Or maybe it was Jermaine's dying. Or the fight they had before 'Maine got shot. 

Yeah, probably it was that. 

Lolly's having a hard time knowing how to be without his older brother around. Seems like he's either sad or mad. The thing that helps most is the building. His mom's girlfriend gave him two huge bags of Legos, and Lolly's working on an epic city—a project so big it outgrows his apartment. 

But there are dangers outside. Older guys who harrass Lolly and then jump him and his friend Vega. 

What would Jermaine want him to do? Get with a crew and take revenge? 

Or build a different kind of world for himself? 

Lolly's going to have to figure this one out on his own. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟 

Back of Book: 

Foster Sumner is ten years old. He likes toy soldiers, tadpole hunting, school, and the beach. Best of all, he likes listening to his dad's stories.

Lately, though, his dad's memory for stories hasn't been so good. His mom has to put a sticky note on the mirror so his dad won't forget to take his pills. And when Dad starts to forget even more, Foster's aunt suggests that they should sticky-note the whole house so he can find things. Where has Dad's memory gone? 

Sticky Notes is a touching story about what it means to forget and to be forgotten, as well as the devastating effects of Alzheimer's and the strong families behind those who suffer from it. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review:🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

It's the first real summer since the devastating accident that killed Cedar's father and younger brother, Ben. But now Cedar and what’s left of her family are returning to the town of Iron Creek for the summer. They’re just settling into their new house when a boy named Leo, dressed in costume, rides by on his bike. Intrigued, Cedar follows him to the renowned Summerlost theatre festival. Soon, she not only has a new friend in Leo and a job working concessions at the festival, she finds herself surrounded by mystery. The mystery of the tragic, too-short life of the Hollywood actress who haunts the halls of Summerlost. And the mystery of the strange gifts that keep appearing for Cedar.

Infused with emotion and rich with understanding, Summerlost is the touching middle grade debut from Ally Condie, the international bestselling author of the Matched series, that highlights the strength of family and personal resilience in the face of tragedy. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review:🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

Walking through the misty Florida woods one morning, twelve-year-old Rob Horton is stunned to encounter a tiger—a real-life, very large tiger—pacing back and forth in a cage. What’s more, on the same extraordinary day, he meets Sistine Bailey, a girl who shows her feelings as readily as Rob hides his. As they learn to trust each other, and ultimately, to be friends, Rob and Sistine prove that some things—like memories, and heartache, and tigers—can’t be locked up forever. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟

Back of Book: 

Avery Bloom, who's bookish, intense, and afraid of many things, particularly deep water, lives in New York City. Bett Devlin, who's fearless, outgoing, and loves all animals as well as the ocean, lives in California. What they have in common is that they are both twelve years old, and are both being raised by single, gay dads.

When their dads fall in love, Bett and Avery are sent, against their will, to the same sleepaway camp. Their dads hope that they will find common ground and become friends—and possibly, one day, even sisters.

But things soon go off the rails for the girls (and for their dads too), and they find themselves on a summer adventure that neither of them could have predicted. Now that they can't imagine life without each other, will the two girls (who sometimes call themselves Night Owl and Dogfish) figure out a way to be a family?

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary | LGBTQIA+ 

Review: 🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

A heartfelt middle grade adventure about one girl's search for sunken treasure, friendship, and her place in the world.

Thirteen-year-old Blue Broen is on the hunt for a legendary ship of gold, lost centuries ago when her ancestors sailed to New York. Blue knows her overprotective parents won't approve of her mission to find their family's long-lost fortune, so she keeps it a secret from everyone except her constant companion, Otis, an 80-pound diabetic alert dog. But it's hard to keep things quiet with rival treasure hunters on the loose, and with Blue's reputation as the local poster child for a type 1 diabetes fundraiser.

Blue's quest gets even harder when she's forced to befriend Jules, the brainy but bratty daughter of a vacationing movie star who arrives on the scene and won't leave Blue alone. While Blue initially resents getting stuck with this spoiled seventh grade stranger, Jules soon proves Blue's not the only one who knows about secrets—and adventure.

Will Blue unravel a three hundred year-old family mystery, learn to stand up for herself, and find the missing treasure? Or is she destined to be nothing more than "diabetes girl" forever?

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 

A summery middle grade adventure featuring a sunken treasure, history in the making, and a pretty adorable diabetic-alert dog named Otis. 

Blue Broen has one goal for the summer: find the remains of the Golden Lion, a ship that her ancestors sailed to America on that unfortunately wrecked before reaching the shore. Blue is determined to find the fortune that was aboard the ship when it sank, even if it means lying to her parents about what she is truly up to that summer. Blue's plans go a bit askew when her parents force her to hang out with a Hollywood brat by the name of Jules. Not only does Blue have to worry about managing her diabetes, she also has to worry about babysitting this Los Angeles girl who knows absolutely nothing about boats or treasure hunting. Can Blue and her companions find the treasure before the summer is up or will someone unexpected beat them to it? 

I was honestly surprised by how much I liked this book. I thought the summer vibes were impeccable and that the treasure hunt plot line was quite fun. Blue and Jules make some really dumb decisions when it comes to their treasure hunting endeavor, but it was still entertaining to follow their journey nonetheless. When a professional treasure hunter shows up, the stakes are raised and it added a level of suspense to the book that I really wasn't expecting. 

My favorite part about this story is how both Blue and Jules work towards overcoming their outward image that others shackle them with. Blue has long time been known as "Diabetes Girl" and feels the burden of her condition. Not only do some people not see her as a person, but she also worries about the strain (both mentally and financially) that being diabetic puts on her parents. I thought that being diabetic was presented in such a positive light in this book, and I learned quite a bit about the things that go into having diabetes. Jules lives in the shadow of her father Ed, who is a famous LA actor. Everywhere she goes, people see her as the daughter of someone famous rather than a young girl who has her own values and personality. I think it was neat that these two both went through a journey of self-discovery and redefining their images during this summer in which they are looking for treasure. 

It's super neat that "The Truth According to Blue" is connected back to Yohalem's previous novel "Cast Off: The Strange Adventures of Petra De Winter and Bram Broen." Petra and Bram are Blue's ancestors and are mentioned quite heavily in this novel. I would be very curious to dive into the backstory of Blue's great great (however many great) grandparents in this previous novel. Hopefully I can get my hands on that book someday!

I really liked the ending. It wasn't super original, but it also wasn't the most obviously option either. I think it was cool how the treasure was approached in the very end of this story. I was quite satisfied by the conclusion of this book and am happy to report that I enjoyed this novel quite a bit. 

Overall, "The Truth According to Blue" was a fun, summery read featuring some inclusive characters, entertaining insights, and self-discovery for days. I haven't been reading as much middle grade books as of late, but I'm glad that I took a chance on this one. 

Back of Book: 

As the son of the world’s most famous tech billionaire, Jett Baranov has always gotten exactly what he wanted. So, when his father’s private jet drops him in the middle of Little Rock, Arkansas, at a wellness camp called the Oasis, Jett can’t believe it. He’s forced to hand over his cell phone, eat grainy veggie patties, and participate in wholesome activities with the other kids.

At the Oasis, he meets Grace, who is his polar opposite. She thrives in the wellness atmosphere and resents Jett’s terrible attitude. Then there’s Tyrell, who suffers from a dizzying list of food allergies that render him constantly itchy. And also Brooklynne, a girl who definitely seems to be hiding something.

As the weeks go on, Jett starts to get used to the unplugged life and even bonds with the other kids over their discovery of a baby lizard-turned-pet, Needles. But he can’t help noticing that the adults at the Oasis are acting really strange...

Jett is determined to get to the bottom of things, but can he convince the other kids that he is no longer just a spoiled brat making trouble? 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

A hilarious new middle grade novel from beloved and bestselling author Gordon Korman about what happens when the worst class of kids in school is paired with the worst teacher—perfect for fans of Ms. Bixby’s Last Day.

The Unteachables are a notorious class of misfits, delinquents, and academic train wrecks. Like Aldo, with anger management issues; Parker, who can’t read; Kiana, who doesn’t even belong in the class—or any class; and Elaine (rhymes with pain). The Unteachables have been removed from the student body and isolated in room 117.

Their teacher is Mr. Zachary Kermit, the most burned-out teacher in all of Greenwich. He was once a rising star, but his career was shattered by a cheating scandal that still haunts him. After years of phoning it in, he is finally one year away from early retirement. But the superintendent has his own plans to torpedo that idea—and it involves assigning Mr. Kermit to the Unteachables.

The Unteachables never thought they’d find a teacher who had a worse attitude than they did. And Mr. Kermit never thought he would actually care about teaching again. Over the course of a school year, though, room 117 will experience mayhem, destruction—and maybe even a shot at redemption.

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

Half-Colombian Eddie Aguado has never really felt Colombian. Especially after Papa died. And since Mama keeps her memories of Papa locked up where Eddie can’t get to them, he only has Papa’s third-place fishing tournament medal to remember him by. He’ll have to figure out how to be more Colombian on his own.

As if by magic, the perfect opportunity arises. Eddie—who’s never left Minnesota—is invited to spend the summer in Colombia with his older half-brother. But as his adventure unfolds, he feels more and more like a fish out of water.

Figuring out how to be a true Colombiano might be more difficult than he thought. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

For fans of Old Yeller and Shiloh, Where the Red Fern Grows is a beloved classic that captures the powerful bond between man and man’s best friend. This special edition includes new material, including a note to readers from Newbery Medal winner and Printz Honor winner Clare Vanderpool, a letter from Wilson Rawls to aspiring writers, original jacket artwork, and more.

Billy has long dreamt of owning not one, but two dogs. So when he’s finally able to save up enough money for two pups to call his own—Old Dan and Little Ann—he’s ecstatic. It’s true that times are tough, but together they’ll roam the hills of the Ozarks.

Soon Billy and his hounds become the finest hunting team in the valley. Stories of their great achievements spread throughout the region, and the combination of Old Dan’s brawn, Little Ann’s brains, and Billy’s sheer will seems unbeatable. But tragedy awaits these determined hunters—now friends—and Billy learns that hope can grow out of despair.

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Middle Grade | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟