100 Best Books for 7th Graders (12 Year Olds)

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
HISTORICAL / FANTASY
Part historical (ancient Rome) and part fantasy, Elias and Laia live in a world that enslaves them both in different ways — Elias with fighting and Laia with serving and spying. This is an epic page-turning series with lots of mystery, action, and a hint of romance. It’s SO good that it’s one of the most popular YA books right now but one that could be read by younger readers in 7th grade.

The Fort by Gordon Korman (his 100th book!)
REALISTIC
Tension-filled, disturbing, and powerful, this story alternates the points of view of a group of boys who are each dealing with their own struggles including poverty, OCD, bullying, and domestic abuse. When the boys discover an abandoned bomb shelter in the forest, they make it their fort, which becomes a special and safe place. When one boy, the outsider who isn’t friends with everyone yet, figures out what’s happening with the abused boy who is secretly sleeping in the fort, all the friends try to help him, but it’s tricky and complicated.

Barren Grounds: The Misewa Saga by David A. Robertson
FANTASY / INDIGENOUS CULTURE
Foster kids with Indigenous heritage, Morgan and Eli, discover a portal in the attic leading to a magical world of Cree language and mythology. It’s a world with talking animals who walk on two legs and need their help. Ochek, the Fischer, asks the kids to end the starving community’s forever winter by finding the human man who stole all the birds and, with them, summer. Their dangerous quest triggers Morgan’s memories of her mother and a new perspective on who she is. The children travel far with their new friends and experience danger and trials in order to save this beautiful world.

How To Find What You’re Not Looking For by Veera Hiranandani
HISTORICAL FICTION
In a beautiful story of family, love, and forgiveness, a Jewish girl named Ariel’s older sister falls in love and runs away to marry a Hindu boy after the Loving vs. Virginia verdict. Ariel misses her sister terribly, but her parents refuse to talk about her sister or let Ariel have her sister’s contact information. Meanwhile, Ariel’s teacher thinks she has a learning disability called dysgraphia but Ariel’s mom refuses to consider it. Her teacher encourages her to write poetry which helps her express her feelings.

Legend of the Dream Giants by Dustin Hansen 
FANTASY
Gorgeous, sensory writing fills the pages of this beautifully-crafted story about a young, naive giant named Berg who is searching for his place in the world. He doesn’t want to be like the monstrous but because he’s so innocent, he’s tricked and becomes a prisoner of a town. This one of my favorite books for 7th graders about trust, hope, belonging, friendship, and truth.

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson
SCI-FI
I love this unique world with its plot twists and turns. Epics are super-powerful, evil god-like creatures who control the world’s cities. Because David’s father was killed by Chicago’s Epic named Steelheart, David wants revenge. He joins the rebel group, the Reckoners, to learn how to assassinate Steelheart– a next to impossible feat for a regular human like him. This is a page-turning, mesmerizing YA book series. Boxed Set HERE.

Children of the Fox by Kevin Sands 
FANTASY ADVENTURE
Callan’s a gaffer who joins a group of kids who are hired by a Weaver to steal something magical called the Eye. It’s a tricky job with not enough time to plan and all the kids know it’s dangerous but the monetary reward is too tempting. The misfits use their individual skills including climbing, mapping, acrobatics, and knife throwing to plan a heist in less than a week. It’s an exciting, complex, and unexpected plot involving magic and mythological gods from the stories with themes of problem-solving, friendship, and trust that ends with both an amazing resolution and a cliffhanger. 

Escape from Atlantis by Kate O’Hearn
ADVENTURE
Don’t miss this wildly inventive, exciting, and thought-provoking adventure. Riley, her dad, her cousin, and her aunt are sailing in the Bermuda Triangle when they’re attacked by a leviathan. Riley and her unpleasant cousin, Alfie, wake up on an island with overly friendly, rule-centered people including half-animal people. They soon learn the sinister truth of the rule-centric community and are determined to escape. What a great book for 7th graders!

Charlie Hernandez and the League of Shadows by Ryan Calejo
FANTASY
Charlie Hernández’s house burns down, his parents go missing, and he is sent to a foster home. But it’s when he grows HORNS, the WINGS, and meets the MYTHS in real life — like calacas, mukis, and El Justo Juez — that he’s really freaked out. Fortunately, a  persistent classmate Violet Rey (also his crush) helps Charlie follow the clues to find out what happened to his parents — and discover what it has to do with La Mano Peluda and the prophesied Morphling who is meant to save the world.

Across the Desert by Dusti Bowling 
REALISTIC / DRUG ADDICTION
Across the Desert is a stunning story about a brave girl who has been secretly dealing with her mother’s opioid addiction. Jolene is the only person who knows that her only friend Addie has crashed her ultralight plane alone in the middle of the desert. So Jolene steals her mom’s phone and credit card to takes the bus as close as she can to Addie’s location. On the bus, she meets a kind and helpful teenager named Marty who, despite Jolene’s reluctance and mistrust, helps Jolene. The story is about trust, relationships, boundaries, addiction, survival, and family; it’s also an emotional journey of inner and outer strength that leads to hope and healing. 

Taking Up Space by Alyson Gerber
REALISTIC / BODY DYSMORPHIA & EATING DISORDERS
Sarah’s mom’s dysfunctional relationship with food is affecting Sarah– who now thinks that her slowness in basketball is related to eating too much or too many “unhealthy” foods, instead of being from the normal growing pains of puberty. She’s confused, starving herself, and stressed out. Finally, a friend pushes Sarah to get help…and, help is just what Sarah needs to understand the truth about her body, what health truly is, and how her mom’s disordered eating has affected her. EXCELLENT!

A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park
REALISTIC
This is the amazing & powerful biography of a boy with courage and hope who walked across Africa to find a better life. We also learn the story of an African village for whom water is a two-hour walk, and how the boy, now a man, builds a well for the village. A good book for 7th graders!

The Fire, The Water, and Maudie McGinn by Sally J. Pla
Maudie is an autistic girl staying with her father for the summer but a California fire forces them from their cabin. She and her dad head south to where her dad grew up. A friend sets them up in an old camper at a campground near the beach. While her dad looks for work, Maudie works up her courage to ask an older surfer woman for lessons. She spends the summer worrying about her big secret and learning to surf, hoping to win the beginning surfer competition at the end of the summer. Maudie makes a new friend who is friendly and neurodiverse like her. All of these things help her consider that she is more than what her mom and her abusive stepdad think of her. This is a moving coming of age story of a girl who learns to thrive instead of survive.

96 Miles by J.L. Esplin
SURVIVAL
“Dad always said if things get desperate, it’s okay to drink the water in the toilet bowl.” Isn’t this a great first sentence? An apocalyptic event has happened, there’s no electricity, the brothers are alone, and all their dad and their survival supplies are stolen at gunpoint. Now John and Stewart are on the road trying to get to a friend’s ranch for their supplies. It’s not going well–they’ve picked up a girl and her little brother, not to mention Stewart is nonstop fighting with John. If you like survival stories, sibling stories, and adventure, this is a great choice.

Attack of the Black Rectangles by A.S. King 
REALISTIC
Multi-layered and compelling with themes of censorship, family, crushes, and growing up… 6th grade Mac lives in a town that bans Halloween, pizza delivery, bright house colors, and staying out past curfew. At school, his book group notices that certain words and phrases are blacked out in The Devil’s Arithmetic by Jane Yolen. Mac and his friends Denis and Marci decide to find the original and fight back.

A First Time for Everything by Dan Santat
MEMOIR 
In this memoir, Dan describes a transformative trip during the summer before high school that helped him grow from awkward and insecure to confident and outgoing. The trip gave the students lots of freedom. He tries beer and cigarettes. He meets a cute girl and finds the courage to get to know her, even sharing a kiss. He falls in love with the cultures and languages, too. Readers will probably want their own European experiences, too. Although, I hope that the kids would be better supervised than Dan was!

Omar Rising by Aisha Saeed
REALISTIC
A superb book of determination, resiliency, and community set in Pakistan. Omar gets a scholarship to attend a prestigious Pakistani boarding school, a step in fulfilling his dream of becoming an astronomer and buying his mom a house. But, his hopes are dashed when he’s told that scholarship students must work, must get A+ grades, and can’t do sports or clubs. Omar is grateful for his new friends and teachers but he’s worried he’ll lose it all so he studies all the time, even asking for tutoring help from the strict headmaster. Despite his efforts, his grades aren’t enough and he gets kicked out. Until, his classmates support him with a walk-out and the headmaster gets the board to change their mind, and the rules.

The Door by the Staircase by Katherine Marsh, illustrations by Kelly Murphy 
FANTASY / FAIRY TALE
Middle schoolers will LOVE this fantastic Baba Yaga story about a brave and smart orphan girl, Mary, who wants a home, even if it’s with Baba Yaga.  She just has to figure out how to be sure Baba Yaga won’t eat her and she does so with help from her friend Jacob and MAGIC!

House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
DYSTOPIAN
This Newbery winner grabs your attention immediately with an unbelievable (but kind-of believable) story of a boy named Matt who is a clone of the leader of Opium, El Patrón. He realizes that he’s not the first El Patrón clone and learns of a sinister reason why he’s the only Patron clone still alive. Next in the series is The Lord of Opium. This is another YA book that 7th graders can read and will love.

Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt
REALISTIC
Joseph is an abused boy with a violent father, a parent at age thirteen, and is now living as a foster kid with Jack’s family on their organic farm. As he learns to trust them, we slowly learn about Joseph’s deep love for a rich girl named Maddie, his daughter named Jupiter who he’s never seen, and his shattering heartbreak. This is an amazing story– painful yet filled with redemption and hope — beautifully written and one that will give readers so much to ponder.

Front Desk by Kelly Yang
REALISTIC
Mia and her parents have struggled ever since moving to America from China. When her parents take a new live-in job at a motel, they end up working around the clock for very little pay. Mia helps out by working at the front desk. She befriends the weekly tenants and uses her English skills to write letters advocating other people in tough spots— like her uncle whose sweatshop boss has taken his passport and weekly, Hank, who needs a letter of recommendation to get a job. This book is more than a memorable coming-of-age immigrant story, it’s also about tolerance and diversity and a must-read story you won’t soon forget.

Winterhouse by Ben Guterson, illustrated by Chloe Bristol
MYSTERY
Elizabeth, an orphan, is unexpectedly sent to a large, stately hotel with a kind, grandfatherly proprietor for Christmas vacation. There, she discovers a magical book, a sinister couple, a family mystery, and a new friend who loves puzzles as much as she does. The writing is mesmerizing, the mystery is fascinating, and the characters are enchanting.

See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng
REALISTIC
Luminous and heartfelt, 11-year-old Alex Petroski’s story will grab your heart and expand it. His dream is to launch a rocket into space with his iPod of recordings about life on earth. The story is a transcription of what he records on the iPod — his solo journey to the rocket convention, the interesting people he befriends on the way and there, his trip Las Vegas to find information about his deceased father, and his unique, innocent perspective that tries to make sense of the world.

Unwanteds by Lisa McMann
FANTASY
In this society, you are sorted as Wanted, Necessary, and Unwanted. Alex is an Unwanted and is sent to die. But instead of death, Alex is rescued by a magician who has created a secret, magical haven for the Unwanteds where they live and train to use their magic skills. I love the creative magical characters in this world like Alex’s art teacher — an octagator! Here’s the problem — Alex is a twin whose brother is a Wanted. Alex risks the safety of his new home to see his twin in the old world. His actions reveal the secret world and war breaks out.

Sara and the Search for Normal by Wesley King
REALISTIC / MENTAL ILLNESS
Sara wants to be cured of her mental illnesses and be “normal” like other kids so she makes rules for herself. She hates her out-of-control brain but begins group therapy where she makes a friend; a friend who is covered in hidden bruises. Sara and Erin think of themselves as Star Children, kids wth alien DNA. It’s profoundly sad to witness Sara’s self-loathing. For readers, it’s a valuable opportunity to see inside Sara’s mind and how painful it is to have an invisible disease. 

The Van Gogh Deception by Deron Hicks
MYSTERY / ADVENTURE
Written like an adult suspense novel, this is one of the best edge-of-your-seat mystery books for middle grade that I’ve ever read. The author jumps around, showing various incidents and people. You’ll have no idea what is going on or what will happen next. A boy with no memory is found at the National Gallery staring at a Degas sculpture. Strangely, this boy does know a great deal about art and artists. Soon we learn he’s being hunted by a team of professional bad guys. The boy, Art, and his foster sister escape from several kidnapping attempts and begin to unravel who he is and what’s going on.

Long Way Down: The Graphic Novel by Jason Reynolds 
REALISTIC / GRAPHIC NOVEL
An illustrated version of Jason Reynolds’ free verse book about Will, a teenager who witnesses his own brother get shot. He needs to follow The Rules and take revenge on the killer. But, as he travels seven floors in an elevator, each level provides an encounter with a deceased person, and their conversations halt Will’s plans and reveal to him the bigger story of what really happened with his brother. 

Bomb by Steve Sheinkin, illustrated by Nick Bertozzi
HISTORY / GRAPHIC NOVEL
Three major storylines depict the significant historical events around the making of the atomic bomb: the Germans breaking the atom, the spy who was caught after giving the Russians the American plans for a nuclear bomb, and the American scientists working in New Mexico at a secret site to develop the atomic bomb. The stories are fascinating, more so because they’re based on actual events, but I did get bogged down with some of the science. Sheinkin and Bertozzi successfully capture the urgency scientists felt to compete with other countries and their singular focus. *some bad language

Bloom by Kenneth Oppel
SCI-FI
Get ready for a wild ride of suspense, action, adventure, science fiction, and coolness!! Bloom tells the story of three kids who are not affected by the strange-looking plants that appear out of nowhere and take over land all over the world, covering houses and streets, swallowing animals and people but doing nothing to these kids. Scientists figure out that the plants are an alien invasion…and think these kids may be the only chance they have to stop them. To avoid spoilers, I’ll just tell you that it’s an AWESOME story…and ends on a crazy cliffhanger.

Sky Full of Song by Susan Lynn Meyer
HISTORICAL FICTION

The Bridge Home by Padma Venkatraman
REALISTIC
Set in India, Viji writes this story as letters to you, her little sister Rukku who has intellectual disabilities. Viji tells how the two of them ran away from an abusive father to the big city where they met two friendly brothers and lived with them under a bridge, scrabbling to survive by collecting trash. Their lives are hard but made easier by the two boys, their new “brothers.” When Rukku gets a terrible cough and fever, so does one of the brothers. And what happens next almost destroys Viji. Ultimately, it is the kindness of her new “family” that helps her to see more than misery in the world. It’s an honest, eye-opening story that reveals the plight of many homeless children in India and yet, finds a way to be hopeful, too.

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
REALISTIC
Because this is written in verse, this is a fast read but packs a big punch. Basketball player and twin Josh narrates his life in quarters, just like the game he plays. He writes about missing his twin when his twin, Jordan, gets a girlfriend; about getting in trouble when he hits Jordan in the face with a basketball; and about watching his father as his heart fails. This is a coming-of-age, gripping story about a boy who is just trying to figure out life like most boys at age 12.

Booked by Kwame Alexander
REALISTIC
Alexander skillfully writes about the teenage human condition — he just gets it! 12-year old Nick struggles with his parents’ separation, a school bully, and the awkwardness of a first crush. The only thing that feels right is soccer. That is until he gets injured and can’t play. Written in free verse, this is a lyrical, fast-paced story that feels honest and relatable.

Wink by Rob Harrell
REALISTIC / CANCER
A funny cancer memoir for kids who like humorous but emotion-filled stories. When Ross is diagnosed with a rare kind of tumor, he immediately starts radiation treatment. His eye is goopy, he has to wear a hat, and his hair starts falling out in clumps– made funny with his cartoon drawings. A goofy, kind-hearted radiation tech gets Ross interested in alternative punk music, and in order to impress a girl, Ross asks the tech for guitar lessons. Turns out, the guitar and his new music, help Ross both express his frustrations and find his joy, leading to some surprising results.

Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan
REALISTIC
This book is AMAZING, beautiful, moving, and life-changing! 12-year-old Willow is a genius with limited social skills (it’s never stated but we might guess she’s got Aspergers) whose adopted parents are killed in a car crash leaving her so confused without her parents’ support. But, Willow pushes on and finds a most unexpected new family in the back of a nail salon.

Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks by Jason Reynolds
REALISTIC (SHORT)
Ten short stories tell about the lives of different kids after their middle school day ends. With complex backstories and incredible depth of character development, Reynold’s fiction feels truthful… so much so that I’m so very glad that I’m not in middle school anymore. What kinds of topics are these kids dealing with? Bullying, fear of dogs, parents who have cancer, stealing, comedian goals, OCD, skateboarding, and friendships. Some stories are funny, some are serious, and all ring true.

Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna by Alda P. Dobbs
HISTORICAL FICTION
Set in historical Mexico, 1913, Petra Luna, her abuela, her little sister, and her baby brother flee their home when Federales burn the village. Petra’s abuelita considers reading and writing to be barefoot dreams but Petra thinks she’ll be able to save her family and realize her barefoot dreams, too. Eventually, they wait with throngs of other people trying to cross the bridge into the United States before the Federales arrive on the Mexican side. Exciting, interesting, and inspiring.

Invisible by Christina Diaz Gonzalez, illustrated by Gabriela Epstein
REALISTIC /GRAPHIC NOVEL
Spanish-speaking kids are thrown together to complete before-school community service hours. When the kids notice the homeless mom and her child living in a van, they try to help with leftover food. But they get into trouble with the mean cafeteria lady who thinks they’re stealing and watches them like they’re delinquents. This is a story about kindness, racism, differences, and marginalized individuals — both non-English speakers and homeless individuals. It’s excellent, and I love the Spanish dialogue written first with English-translated text second.

Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson
REALISTIC / VERSE
Written in verse with precise text, this is an important book to bring awareness to CTE as well as show families in grief. ZJ’s professional football player dad is changing. He’s stopped playing, gets terrible headaches, surprising anger outbursts, and forgets ZJ’s name. ZJ contrasts this with memories of his dad before the ever after; the before dad who played with ZJ, made him breakfast, and treated his friends like family. Now, there are a lot of doctor’s appointments and not much hope. It’s real, raw, and profoundly sad to watch ZJ slowly lose the dad he once knew. 

Not an Easy Win by Chrystal B. Giles
REALISTIC
Lawrence is been beaten up by a group of bullies, blamed for the fighting, and kicked out of the mostly-white school. His Granny tells him he can’t stick around the house. A kind, older neighbor takes Lawrence to his work at the local rec center where Lawrence helps out while doing online school and learning to play chess. PThrough the wisdom of his neighbor and learning to focus on chess, Lawrence finds purpose and inner fortitude that leads to his success in life and in chess. 

A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen
HISTORICAL
Overnight a fence with armed guards divides Berlin. Gerta is stuck on the east side with her brother and mother while their father and another brother already escaped to the west. Greta’s father gets her a message that sets her on a course to dig a tunnel to the west. It’s dangerous but Greta’s determined. Excellent.

Snow White: A Graphic Novel by Matt Phelan
GRAPHIC NOVEL / FAIRY TALE
In this reimagined Snow White story, set in New York City in the 1920s, Snow White’s dad is a Wall Street king, her stepmother is a Zigfield Follies star, and her seven small protectors are street kids. It’s SO interesting how Phelan uses this historical setting to animate a familiar fairy tale. The black and white illustrations set the tone for this dark story with a happy ending

Science of Breakable Things by Tae Keller
COMING-OF-AGE / MENTAL ILLNESS
Natalie wants to figure out how to help her depressed mother. As Natalie prepares for an egg drop contest with two other kids, she looks at her mother’s situation with the same scientific process. Her ultimate plan is to win the contest and then use the prize money to whisk her mother away on a special trip. It’s a beautiful, well-done story and a compassionate look at depression.

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill
FANTASY
Wonderfully crafted and imagined, this 2017 Newbery award winner is a fairy tale of sorts about a good witch who rescues one of the town’s many abandoned (sacrificed) babies instead of giving her to another town to adopt and love. She’s a special baby named Luna who accidentally becomes infused with moon magic. It’s also the story of the baby’s magical, bereaved mother, a wicked witch who feeds off sorrow, a woodcarver who wants justice, and most of all, an amazing girl named Luna.

Pretty by Justin Sayre
REALISTIC / COMING OF AGE
Beautifully written and plotted, Justin Sayre has created a coming-of-age masterpiece not to be missed. Sophie’s life is complicated. Hiding her mom’s alcohol addiction affects everything, even her schoolwork. When her mother leaves for a trip, her aunt moves in and gently helps Sophie learn about being a strong, beautiful, biracial woman. Sophie blossoms with the love and kindness of her aunt. Soon, Sophie must decide what she’ll do next — move with her aunt or stay with her mother who eventually returns home from rehab.

Brothers Keeper by Julie Lee
HISTORICAL FICTION 
A powerful read that captures the fearful culture of North Korea, the marginalization of females, and the bond between siblings. As war erupts between North and South Korea, Sora and her family decide to flee from North Korea but she and her little brother are separated from their family. They experience death, kidnapping, starvation, killings, sickness, and winter’s brutal cold with the Red Army marching right behind them. 

Danger and Other Unknown Risks by Ryan North and Erica Henderson
review by Jemma Taylor
ADVENTURE / GRAPHIC NOVEL
This book is genuinely one of my new favorite graphic novels EVER. The world collapsed on New Year’s Day of the year 2000, but not because of technology; because magic became real. Billions died, electricity became a thing of the past, and everyone had to rebuild their lives in the new post-apocalyptic society. Everything sucks, but Marguerite is the chosen one who will save the world. (Or is she?) With visually stunning art, a creative setting, and a fantastic story, I cannot recommend this book enough.

Strong as Fire, Fierce As Flame by Supriya Kelkar
HISTORICAL FICTION / INDIA
A powerful story set in colonial India about a girl finding her voice and inner strength. Meera flees from home after her dad experts her to join her betrothed on his funeral pyre. But as she’s escaping, she’s captured by a British captain and assigned to work in his kitchen. There, she witnesses institutional racism and cruelty. She eventualyl fights back by helping the resistance. 

Genesis Begins Again by Alicia D. Williams
REALISTIC – BEAUTY / SELF-LOVE
Don’t miss this important story about self-worth, beauty, and colorism. Genesis hates that her skin is so dark; she knows her grandma and father hate that about her, too. In her self-loathing, she believes that if only she were lighter-skinned, she’d be pretty and have all the things that go along with being pretty. In this coming-of-age story, Genesis finds her voice both literally and metaphorically. It will start the conversation about who defines beauty and how we can do better individually and as a society.

Soul Lanterns by Shaw Kuzki
HISTORICAL FICTION / WWII IN JAPAN
An important, multi-layered story of a Japanese girl’s understanding of Hiroshima, grief, family, and the healing power of sharing stories. When Nozomi’s art teacher, Mr. Yoshioka, leaves the school due to sickness, she and her friends plan a festival in his honor called “Hiroshima: Then and Now.” They interview people close to them about their experiences during the bombing (which they call “the flash”), learning many unknown stories that impact the way the kids view things now and their hope for the future.
A Good Kind of Trouble by Lisa Moore Ramée
REALISTICMiddle school is hard enough with friend drama but add to it not-being-black-enough drama, personal and community race-related drama, and boy drama. Frankly, it’s a lot for 12-year-old Shayla who, unlike her older sister with all-black friends, has a diverse friend group she calls The United Nations. When a jury finds a cop innocent in the shooting death of a black boy, Shayla wears an armband to school and rallies many of her classmates even though the principal says it’s against the rules.  

The Bluest Sky by Christina Diaz Gonzalez
HISTORICAL FICTION
Hector lives in Cuba with his mom and older brother in a communist-controlled state that imprisoned his now-exiled dad. He doesn’t understand why his mom would want to leave Cuba for the U.S. until their neighbors turn on them, and something unthinkable happens. Hector’s mom applies to leave Cuba  and their journey is fraught with complications and dangers. 

The Prisoner of Cell 25 (Michael Vey #1) by Richard Paul Evans
SCI-FI
Kids love this book series about a boy with electrical powers and an evil group who wants to control him and the others like him. I zipped through the series and loved every minute.

For Black Girls Like Me by Mariama J. Lockington
REALISTIC / MENTAL HEALTHJust like the author’s own experience as an adoptee, it’s hard for Makeda to be a black adopted girl in a white family. But there are even more challenges for Makeda these days, starting with being the little sister to a newly distant teenager, moving to a new town away from her BFF, having parents who are constantly fighting, and watching her mom’s mental health deteriorate.  After her mom’s mania takes them on a trip to Colorado which abruptly nose dives into severe depression and a suicide attempt, Makeda reaches out for help.

Deep Blue by Jennifer Donnelly
FANTASY
If you like strong girl power books for teens, you’ll love this story of five mermaids who journey to find each other and the sea witches. An ancient evil is being unleashed and is not just trying to kill the girls but also planning on enslaving or killing their communities. Very entertaining.

The Nameless City by Faith Erin Hicks with Jordie Bellaire
FANTASY/GRAPHIC NOVEL
In this first book in an Asian-influenced series about an occupied city, we meet two kids from different clans and backgrounds who become unlikely friends. Kaidu is a Dao and new to the Nameless City where he’s studying to be a soldier. Rat is a street girl who teaches Kaidu how to survive in the city. Together they save the city’s leader from an assassination plot. 

Shinji Takahashi and the Mark of the Coatl by Julie Kagawa
FANTASY

The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacy McAnulty
REALISTIC / BOOKS ABOUT MENTAL ILLNESS – OCD
My daughter and I could not put this book down — it’S a thoughtful coming-of-age story about a girl genius with OCD whose grandma wants her to go to public middle school to make one friend, read one non-math book, and join one school activity. Surprisingly, Lucy does find friends and more than that, too. A well-written, heart-warming story!

Words on Fire by Jennifer A. Nielsen
HISTORICAL FICTION
Learn the history of Lithuania’s book smugglers as well as the fundamental truth that books give readers freedom from oppression; books keep alive a language, culture, and identity, no matter how hard someone tries to erase it. Audra doesn’t know her parents are book smugglers until they are arrested by the Cossacks. She flees to their contact’s house but she herself can’t read or write. She slowly learns and develops a passion for stories. Not only that, she became a clever smuggler. 

The Maze Runner by James Dasher
DYSTOPIAN
What a wild ride! Kids can’t put these books down. In this dystopian world, kids are either killed or must kill to survive. There are tons of plot twists that kept me surprised and entertained but I thought the last few books weren’t as strong as the first few. Boxed Set HERE.

When the World Was Ours by Liz Kessler
HISTORICAL FICTION
Three friends in Vienna, Leo, Max, and Elsa are separated by war, location, and ideology. Because Leo and Elsa are Jewish, their path includes ghetto housing, escape, and prison camp. But, Max is not Jewish and his main goal is to get the approval of his brutal Nazi father. To do so, he gladly pursues Nazi beliefs and actions, despite the nagging voice that reminds him that his friends weren’t “dogs” or less than human. A heartbreaking, beautiful story about humanity, morality, hope, and love.

Above World  by Jenn Reese
SCI-FI
Humans are created to live in tech-dependent, animal-morphed groups with different climates and groups: mer people, snake people, centaur, bird people –and the groups have mostly remained separate from each other. The main character, Aluna, a Kampii (mer), has left her clan in order to discover why the clan is dying. In Mirage, she and her unique group of friends must try to convince the Equian colonies that the evil Karl Strand is trying to take over Above World. 

I Can Make This Promise by Christine Day
REALISTIC
The author skillfully weaves an important, heartfelt story about growing up, family, and finding your identity in the context of adoption, the historical maltreatment of Native Americans, and the mystery of your own heritage. When Edie unexpectedly finds a box of photos and letters from the woman she suspects was her mom’s birth mother, it prompts a journey to discover the truth of her Native heritage.

Closer to Nowhere by Ellen Hopkins
REALISTIC / VERSE
A #ownvoices heart-warming story in verse of struggle and unconditional love for a child with challenging behaviors. Hannah hates that her cousin Cal is now living with her family. He’s ruining everything from her parent’s relationship to her gymnastics competitions, and can’t be trusted. Once we learn Cal’s backstory and the pain he’s suffered from an abusive dad who is now in jail and an addict mom who died of leukemia, we begin to feel compassion for him.

The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani
HISTORICAL FICTION  / INDIA
Written in a diary as letters to her Mama, Nisha shares how her life is turned upside down when the British rule of India ends in 1947, splitting the country into two — the Muslim north where she lives becomes Pakistan and the Hindu south remains India. Even though Nisha’s mom was Muslim, Nisha, her brother, her doctor Papa and her grandmother are forced to leave their home in the north because they are Hindu. There’s violence everywhere; nowhere is safe, not even the trains. It’s a harrowing journey and a confusing time.

Sky Song by Abi Elphinstone
FANTASY

Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson
REALISTIC
Harbor Me tackles some very big issues including race, immigration, bullying, learning differences, friendship, and forgiveness. The story is about six diverse children with learning differences. They bond during a special kids-only time on Friday afternoons where they share their stories, many of which Haley records on a tape recorder. Even as she learns about the other kids who are, Haley is reluctant to share that her own dad is in jail for the car accident killing her mother. 

Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk
REALISTIC
This beautiful story captures the essence of love, family, and self-discovery. It’s compelling and exquisitely crafted. Osh, a solitary island man, rescued baby Crow when he found her in a small boat on the sea. Crow loves Osh but now at age 12, she wants to know where she came from — was it the island across the way where the leper colony was? She, Crow, and their friend, Miss Maggie journey to the island to find out. The island brings them closer to answers but also into danger, too.

Voyage of the Sparrowhawk by Natasha Farrant
HISTORICAL FICTION
A warm-hearted adventure with brave kids, dogs, and a happy ending… The war has made Ben an orphan –again. All that he has left are his dog and his dad’s boat, the Sparrowhawk, he and Lottie set off on the boat for France to find Ben’s missing older brother. The boat isn’t meant for a channel crossing but the two kids are determined to make it work…but it won’t be easy. Nor will it be easy to find Ben’s missing brother in a country decimated by war.

Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley
MAGICAL REALISM
You’ll fall in love with this magical story about a lonely boy whose beloved grandfather faces a life-ending illness. Micah’s grandfather and Micah hope the Lightbender in the Circus Mirandus who owes the grandfather a miracle, will be able to help. With a missive to the Lightbender, Micah soon discovers the magical circus his grandfather once loved so much. It’s an adventure filled with emotion and faith.

The Outcasts: Brotherband Chronicles, Book 1 by John Flanagan
ADVENTURE
A well-written story of a young, fatherless boy named Hal whose mom was an Araluen slave. To survive the town’s prejudice against him, he is helped by another outcast, his dead father’s former shipmate, a one-armed recovering drunk. When it’s time for his Brotherband training, he becomes the leader of a rag-tag group of boys. They’ll compete against better, stronger teams who don’t always play fair. The stakes are high and Hal must win even with his group of misfits.

Black Brother Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes
PREJUDICE / COMING OF AGE / FENCING (SHORT)
Twin brothers with very different skin colors, one whiter and one darker, are treated differently, most noticeable at their school. Donte is unfairly accused of something and when he tries to defend himself, the police are called and he’s suspended from school. Donte starts fencing to get revenge but as he trains, he finds that he’s smart, good at fencing, and courageous. 

Furthermore (Book 1) by Tahereh Mafi
FANTASY
Magic and color are closely linked in her world. Only Alice has no color in her skin or hair. And her father has been missing for years making her even sadder. She travels with a boy named Oliver to a different magical land in order to find and rescue her Father. But the rules are wildly different and the inhabitants eat people for their magic. Even though Oliver and Alice start their quest at odds, the many challenges join them in a solid friendship. 

Mad Wolf’s Daughter by Diane Magras 
HISTORICAL FICTION
Set in medieval Scotland, this is an action-packed adventure with a strong female protagonist, medieval and mythical elements. When Drest’s war-band family is kidnapped by knights she sets off in pursuit, taking a wounded soldier hostage. Throughout their travels, the two develop a complicated friendship and Drest learns many uncomfortable truths about her family.

Captain Superlative by J. S. Puller
REALISTIC
Right from the start, we know Captain Superlative is gone. This foreshadowing kept me reading with curiosity. The big lesson our main character, Janey, learns is about not standing by when injustice is happening. She learns this from a girl dressed in a swimsuit, wig, mask, and high tops who arrives at her middle school and changes everything. Read this with a book club or with a friend!

Edge of Extinction The Ark Plan by Laura Martin
ADVENTURE
This is an awesome dystopian story about a dangerous world where cloned dinosaurs have taken over. Sky and other humans live below ground in safety with Noah, their supreme ruler. Sky leaves the safety of the underground city in order to find her dad. Barely outside a day, she and her friend Shawn are rescued from hungry dinosaurs by a boy who lives in a treetop enclave. When his enclave is attacked by Noah’s soldiers looking for her, Sky realizes that everything she believed about Noah is wrong.

The Canyon’s Edge by Dusti Bowling
ADVENTURE
Written in verse, this is a heart-wrenching, heart-stopping, suspenseful adventure with lyrical, figurative language about an intense journey of physical hardship and emotional healing. For the first time since her mom was shot, Nora and her dad climb into a Sonoran Desert canyon for the first time. Then, a flash flood careens through the canyon, carrying her father and their supplies away. Alone and terrified, Nora forces herself to find shelter and keep searching for her father, even with the venom from a scorpion bite slowing her down. As she faces her fears and continues on, she overcomes a metaphorical war with the “beast” who has been giving her nightmares.

Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson
HISTORICAL FICTION
Told from many different, well-developed characters’ points of view, this is a Newbery award winning historical fiction story about the plantations with their abuse and a thriving swamp community of Freewater filled with formerly enslaved people and some freeborn children, loosely based on the history of maroon communities in the South. There are many intertwined story threads including escaped children, Freewater residents, and the plantation owner’s daughter that weave together for a hopeful ending.

The Green Ember by S.D. Smith
FANTASY
Powerful! I don’t normally like books with animal characters but this was epic and I didn’t really notice or care that the characters were rabbits. The writing is excellent, the characters are compelling, and the plotting is exceptional. I totally love this series!

Mother-Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel Frederick
REALISTIC
This series kept my 12-year-old daughter reading all summer last year. The story begins when a group of 6th graders begin a mother-daughter book club. Each book in the series focuses on one book the girls read (such as Little Women, Daddy Long Legs, and Pride and Prejudice) and the relationships of the girls among themselves, the relationships with their mothers, and the business of growing up.