Middle grade is a term that refers to books written for readers between the ages of eight and twelve. In this column, Erica will recommend great books for children in this age group! Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow All available formats here Simon is probably the only tween in existence to be actually sort of excited to be moving into a town where technology and Internet access is limited – but then again, he and his family are hoping for a fresh start. Simon relaxes into making friends out of the shadows of his past and figuring out
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Middle grade is a term that refers to books written for readers between the ages of eight and twelve. In this column, Erica will recommend great books for children in this age group! Ellie Engle Saves Herself by Leah Johnson All available formats here Ellie Engel is completely fine existing in the shadow of her amazing best friend Abigail; she has her comics, she has Abigail, she has her fish and her mom – that’s all she needs. Everything starts to change when she and Abigail begin middle school, but everything *really* changes when she wakes up with superpowers. Her
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Middle grade is a term that refers to books written for readers between the ages of eight and twelve. In this column, Erica will recommend great books for children in this age group! All You Knead is Love by Tanya Guerrero All available formats here Alba feels abandoned when her mother ships her off to live with her Abuela Lola in Barcelona, but it doesn’t take long for her to find all the good in her new life – a new hobby, new friends, and the unconditional love from her abuela that she’s never felt from either of her parents.
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Middle grade is a term that refers to books written for readers between the ages of eight and twelve. In this column, Erica will recommend great books for children in this age group! Terry’s Crew by Terry Crews and Cory Thomas All available formats here Terry Crews is a kid with vision – he knows exactly what he’s going to be, and he has plans for getting there! First step is attending the elite Rock City Academy, which will help him learn the skills and make the connections he needs. But middle school can be hard, especially with determined bullies
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Middle grade is a term that refers to books written for readers between the ages of eight and twelve. In this column, Erica will recommend great books for children in this age group! The Trouble with Robots by Michelle Mohrweis All available formats here Evelyn is determined to do whatever it takes to lead her middle school robotics team to victory – no matter who she runs roughshod over. Allie is new at school and already gotten into fights – too many fights, according to the principal. Successfully working with the robotics team will be her last chance to prove
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Middle grade is a term that refers to books written for readers between the ages of eight and twelve. In this column, Erica will recommend great books for children in this age group! Hazel's Theory of Evolution by Lisa Jenn Bigelow All available formats Hazel likes her life just the way it is – her family, her hobbies, her chores at the family farm, and her best friend Becca. But when her mom is pregnant (for the third time, after two miscarriages) and redistricting means starting at a new school without her best friend, Hazel’s worry over the upheaval in
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Middle grade is a term that refers to books written for readers between the ages of eight and twelve. In this column, Erica will recommend great books for children in this age group! Hanging with Vampires: A Totally Factual Field Guide to the Supernatural by Insha Fitzpatrick All available formats This fangtastic nonfiction guide to vampires digs into the lore, history and pop culture appearances of vampires, arming all its readers with information and food for thought (even literally, with a garlic bread recipe!). Knowledge is power, after all, and this first entry in a series of guides into the
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Middle grade is a term that refers to books written for readers between the ages of eight and twelve. In this column, Erica will recommend great books for children in this age group! Attack of the Black Rectangles by Amy Sarig King All available formats Mac is a kid who believes in the importance of asking questions – *especially* the hard ones teachers don’t always want to answer. So when he and his friends find out that their sixth-grade teacher has given them books with censor bars over certain words – specifically hiding references to a young girl’s breasts –
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Middle grade is a term that refers to books written for readers between the ages of eight and twelve. In this column, Erica will recommend great books for children in this age group! Dungeons and Dragons Honor Among Thieves: The Deluxe Junior Novelization adapted by David Lewman Library Catalog: Print Edgin Darvis and Holga have made their way back to their daughter Kira, but in doing so they find out that yesterday’s friends have become today’s enemies! Can they find new allies and overcome all the obstacles in their way to defeat evil and save the day? Lewman has written
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Middle grade is a term that refers to books written for readers between the ages of eight and twelve. In this column, Erica will recommend great books for children in this age group! My Aunt is a Monster by Reimena Yee All available formats Safia was raised on tales of adventure, and when she is taken in by her aunt Whimsy, the (retired) greatest adventurer to have ever lived, Safia is determined that she will finally get to have her own adventure. But Aunt Whimsy and Safia’s friend Hebe have secrets; what will happen when they finally get out? This
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Middle grade is a term that refers to books written for readers between the ages of eight and twelve. In this column, Erica will recommend great books for children in this age group! Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston by Esme Symes-Smith Library Catalog: Print Libby: eBook and eAudiobook In a world where girls have magic and boys become knights, nonbinary Callie has always been determined that their gender will not be able to stop them from becoming a proud knight of the realm. When their father is summoned to the capital Helston, Callie leaps at the chance to
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Middle grade is a term that refers to books written for readers between the ages of eight and twelve. In this column, Erica will recommend great books for children in this age group! Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor by Xiran Jay Zhao Library Catalog: Print Libby: eBook and eAudiobook Zachary Ying has been struggling to fit in at school – hard to do when you’re one of the only non-white kids. But any worries about that are immediately overwhelmed when Zachary’s mother’s soul is stolen – and he gets possessed by the spirit of the first emperor of China!
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Middle grade is a term that refers to books written for readers between the ages of eight and twelve. In this column, Erica will recommend great books for children in this age group! Catching a Storyfish by Janice N. Harrington Library Catalog: Print Libby: eBook This novel in verse tells the story of a young girl whose move to a new state causes her normal stream of words to almost entirely dry up when her classmates make fun of her accent. The only place she feels safe enough to talk is fishing with her grandfather – but what is she
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Middle grade is a term that refers to books written for readers between the ages of eight and twelve. In this column, Erica will recommend great books for children in this age group! The Civil War of Amos Abernathy by Michael Leali Library Catalog: Print Libby: eBook Amos Abernathy is a gay middle schooler who’s been volunteering as a historical reenactor for most of his life – his mom runs the entire park. When Amos learns about the LGBTQ+ history in his backyard, he wants to share it with audiences through the park – but he gets passed over to
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Middle grade is a term that refers to books written for readers between the ages of eight and twelve. In this column, Erica will recommend great books for children in this age group! Children of the Quicksands by Efua Traoré Library Catalog: Print Simi is distraught to be plucked from her comfortable city life in Lagos and sent to visit her estranged grandmother in the rural village of Ajao. Soon, however, Simi learns of a battle between the villagers and the local gods – a battle that tore her family apart, and one that she has to resolve before it’s
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Middle grade is a term that refers to books written for readers between the ages of eight and twelve. In this column, Erica will recommend great books for children in this age group! Broken Strings by Eric Walters and Kathy Kacer Library Catalog: Print Libby: eBook Shirli Berman is so excited for her school’s play this year, Fiddler on the Roof. She has high hopes for the female lead role, but those hopes are dashed – she’s playing the role of the older mother character instead. Shirli is soon distracted from her discontent with the role when she discovers secrets
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Middle grade is a term that refers to books written for readers between the ages of eight and twelve. In this column, Erica will recommend great books for children in this age group! A Duet for Home by Karina Yan Glaser Library Catalog: Print Libby: eBook June Yang, her sister, and her mother have been evicted from their apartment and landed in Huey House, a homeless shelter. She’s ashamed of their new circumstances – until she begins to make friends, especially with longtime Huey House resident Tyrell. Tyrell helps June learn the ins-and-outs of the House, while June gets Tyrell
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Middle grade is a term that refers to books written for readers between the ages of eight and twelve. In this column, Erica will recommend great books for children in this age group! Windswept by Margi Preus Library Catalog: Print Windswept is a story within a story, regaling the reader with a story fit for a fairy tale about the journey of a young girl in search of her lost siblings. In a future of our world, when stories are banned, anyone under the age of fifteen is forbidden from going outside for fear of the wind sweeping them away.
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Middle grade is a term that refers to books written for readers between the ages of eight and twelve. In this column, Erica will recommend great books for children in this age group! Valentina Salazar is NOT a Monster Hunter by Zoraida Córdova Library Catalog: Print Libby: eBook As the title makes clear, the main character of this novel is not a monster hunter – she’s a monster protector! …Or at least she used to be. For all of Valentina’s life, the Salazar family has protected the “monsters” who show up in our world and sent them back where they
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Middle grade is a term that refers to books written for readers between the ages of eight and twelve. In this column, Erica will recommend great books for children in this age group! Definitely Dominguita: Knight of the Cape by Terry Catasús Jennings Library Catalog: Print Libby: Digital Audiobook Knight of the Cape is the first book in the Definitely Dominguita series about a young Cuban-American girl who goes on adventures in her neighborhood, inspired by the classic books she reads and rereads to feel close with her abuela, who has moved to Florida. In the first book, Knight of
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