8 Excellent New Middle Grade Books, January 2025

Safe Harbor written by Padma Venkatraman
REALISTIC / VERSE / IMMIGRANT LIFE
Geetha and her mom move to the United States after her parent’s divorce where everything is new– apartment, school, people, food. She’s struggling but hates to tell her mom (who is also struggling) about the bully at school or her sadness and anger about the divorce as well as the trash all over the beach and in the ocean. When she and her new neighbor friend, Miguel, save a baby harp seal, Geetha sees her journey as similar to the seal’s, from hopeless to hopeful. Also, Geetha loves playing her flute and finds a way to use her flute playing to help the seal. This is a beautifully written novel in verse about climate change, moving, identity, family, love, and the power of music!

The Secret of Honeycake written by Kimberly Newton Fusco
HISTORICAL FICTION
Shy Hurricane lets her older sister do everything but when her older sister gets tuberculosis, the disease that killed their mom, Hurricane is sent to live with her prim and proper Aunt Claire, a woman with a Latin sayings for every situation. This is a redemptive story of transformation with each of the characters undergoing growth and change including Aunt Claire, Hurricane, the kindhearted cook with PTSD, a fish monger boy, and a feral kitten. If you like stories about found family, the love of animals, finding your voice, the power of writing, and friendship, you won’t want to miss this gentle historical fiction novel!

Bridget Vanderpuff Baked Escape written by Martin Stewart, illustrated by David Habben
FANTASY / HUMOR
I LOVE everything about this story: the writing, the quirky, brave inventor orphan main character, Bridget, the exciting adventures, the humor, and the loving found family– this will be a HUGE hit with kids! Bridget escapes the horrible orphanage and the meanie headmistress when Mr. Vanderpuff, the baker, adopts her. At the bakery, Bridget gets her own room with a big bed, meets the bakery’s elf Pascal, and is fed delicious baked goods that the kindhearted Mr. Vanderpuff bakes. But whenever Bridget tries to bake, her attempts go wrong every time, whether she’s cracking eggs or making buttercream. Then the worst thing happens — Mr. Vanderpuff is kidnapped! Bridget must use her ailed baking attempts and bravery to save him. But will it work?

Beyond Mulberry Glen written by Millie Florence, illustrated by Astrid Sheckels
FANTASY / WHOLESOME
This is a perfect cozy fantasy middle grade adventure with Latin phrases and themes of growing up, light vs. dark, hope and fear, and friendship. Lydia does not want to leave her home in Mulberry Glen to apprentice somewhere. But she leaves unexpectedly, not for the apprenticeship but to save the impulsive twins who have embarked on a dangerous quest to fight the Darkness. On her journey, Lydia befriends Coran and Prehna. She discovers a magical library that will help her find answers, plants the seeds her guardian gave her, faces the dangerous Tenebrae Forest, and risks everything to save her new friend Prehna.

Mixed Up written by Kami Garcia, illustrated by Brittney Williams
REALISTIC GRAPHIC NOVEL
Stella is falling behind in 5th grade, she can’t read the video game guidebook that friend group loves which is based on their favorite show. So she avoids her friends and hides her situation. Her teacher helps Stella discover that she has dyslexia which means extra help and hard work. Stella works on a graphic novel while retraining her brain, catching up on classwork, and continuing to avoid her former friends. But can Stella find a way to reconnect with her friends and tell them the truth? This is a sweet, simple story that shows the emotional and work load challenges of facing a learning difference.

Old School written by Gordon Korman
REALISTIC
Once again, Korman has written a unique story about kindness, humanity, and growing up. Dexter is a boy raised and homeschooled at an old folks home with his grandma until he’s forced to go to public school. Maybe because he dresses like he’s 90 or because he always tries to fix stuff, but the school situation is a disaster ending up with expulsion for bringing a Swiss Army knife to school. Before long, his newspaper writing champion starts visiting, his former bully asks for tutoring, and other classmates join the older folks for shuffleboard and tea. Before Dexter knows it, the whole student body is rallying around his return to school. But does he want to return?

Will’s Race for Home written by Jewell Parker Rhodes
HISTORICAL FICTION / WESTERN EXPANSION
It’s 1889. Will’s dad and grandfather are freed slaves still working someone else’s land. But when they learn of a land opportunity in Oklahoma, Will and his dad journey to claim their own land. Along the way, they meet a Black former Union soldier named Caesar who becomes a good friend to them both. But Caesar is targeted by bitter former Confederate soldiers and when he gets shot, it slows them down significantly. Will they be too late for the land rush? Or can Will bravely ride Caesar’s horse and claim the land by himself? The suspense mounts and we see Will growing from a boy into a young man, facing dangerous snakes, men, and racism, and wrestling with big issues of morality. The author’s note is essential reading as it explains the history of the land grab — land forcefully taken from the Native tribes — and raises important questions about land ownership.

Same Page written by Elly Swartz
REALISTIC / BOOK BANNING
With her usual brilliant storytelling, Elly Swartz gives us fully developed three dimensional characters, a plot with perfect pacing, and a big hot-topic issue that matters, book banning. When Bess becomes 6th grade president, she organizes a book vending machine. But her vice president’s mother complains about the book selections, and the school removes books from the vending machine. Bess is upset about the censorship and mad at her friend, the vice president named June, who doesn’t stand up to her mom. When Bess’s Book Warriors group asks Bess to speak at a school board meeting, I wanted to stand up and cheer. (You’ll want to use what Bess says to navigate your own book banning situations!) I don’t want to give away the entire plot but trust me, it’s layered and powerful, and shows that kids can handle hard stuff!