Fall is just around the corner, and while you may not be excited about the end of your summer break, these middle grade books coming out in fall 2021 are worthy of great anticipation. For this list, I’ve included 90 middle grade books that I’ve been dying to read. this list includes book releases in August and later. several highly anticipated releases, like just be cool, jenna sakai by debbi michiko florence, may be missing because they’re on my first anticipated book list for 2021.
Note that most of the books on this list are mid-grade contemporary and realistic books, with the occasional science fiction. these are the books I like to read, and this is essentially my fall reading list. hopefully you’ll find some picks for your own list!
You are reading: New middle grade books 2021
best middle grade books fall 2021
here are 90 of the best middle grade books coming fall 2021:
Fall 2021 Middle Grade Books (August)
August 3rd
be clem (langston quest trilogy)
Published: August 3, 2021
clem can make anyone smile, even her cranky older sisters, with her pranks. But when her family gets the news that her father has died in the infamous Chicago Harbor disaster, everything begins to unravel. Clem’s mother is forced to work long, hard hours as a maid for a wealthy white family. Soon, Clem can hardly recognize her home and himself. Will he be able to live up to his father’s legacy?
In her award-winning trilogy, lesa cline-ransome masterfully recreates mid-20th-century america through the eyes of three children: langston, lymon, and now clem. Exploring the impact of the Great Migration, the Harlem Renaissance, Jim Crow Laws and much more, Lesa’s work manages to be both an intimate portrait of each child and her family and a landscape of American history. p>
above
Published: August 3, 2021
The eleven-year-old diva is horrified (but not surprised) that her mom’s new dream home is a bright pink house shaped like a castle. but the pink palace is only the beginning of a series of new humiliations. While she acts as a dazzling mermaid for her mother’s party planning business, some classmates see the diva and won’t let her live. when she works up the courage to audition for her new school’s play, she lands a surprising (and ridiculous) part. But it’s when her family throws him a big surprise birthday party that things spiral toward disaster. How can a diva stay true to her introverted and hidden self in an exaggerated and direct world?
sunny days indoors and other stories
Published: August 3, 2021
And they survive brilliantly, each in their own way. the twins launch an independent research assignment on prehistoric people and accept their own return. a budding track star is encouraged to run on her balcony by a neighbor who has a secret crush on him. A classroom troublemaker approaches a teacher when his own father begins to show signs of mental illness. A young entrepreneur saves himself and his hairdresser mother from financial collapse by renting the family dog. and a girl finds a way to communicate with her hearing-impaired neighbor so they can spy on the rest of the building.
Stories follow the course of the pandemic, from first steps to lockdown, as the children of the building observe the stress of the adults around them and use their own quirky ingenuity to find ways to improve their lives. . funny, moving and wise, this book will long survive even the pandemic.
jd and the family business
Published: August 3, 2021
jd is a barber battle champion. He’s graduated from home haircuts to a regular chair at the neighborhood store, Hart & Son, and is earning enough money to keep his candy jar stocked and his comic book collection growing. and yet j.d. he knows it’s time for his next challenge. He not only wants to be the best barber in Meridian, Mississippi, he wants to be the best barber in the state. . . and maybe the country! When her older sister, Vanessa, starts gaining an online following for her hair tutorials, the kids decide that to really level up, they need to join forces. How do two brothers with big personalities, big ambitions and competitive spirits work together (or not) to dominate the world of hair?
magnolia circle mystery
Published: August 3, 2021
what happens when two best friends face the worst summer in the world?
On the first day of vacation, ten-year-old ivy crowden falls down the stairs and breaks her leg. trapped in a cast, she is certain that the summer of hers is doomed. not even teddy, her neighbor and best friend, can cheer her up because he is dealing with her own pain: the loss of a beloved dog.
but when ivy witnesses a possible break-in from her living room window, her summer takes a sudden turn from meh to mysterious. who are the criminals could a classmate be involved? Y . . . uh oh a second mystery is hot on ivy’s heels. indicates the best friends, the best dog and the best chance to save the summer!
lena, the sea and me
Published: August 3, 2021
Three and Lena may be getting older, but they still find adventure and trouble every day in their seaside town, like sinking all the rafts they build, making their little sisters sink into flag poles, and attending those dreaded music lessons. But that is not all. The arrival of a gloomy new soccer coach is putting twelve-year-old Lena’s goalkeeping career in question. and Trille wonders how to impress the girl who just walked into her class. As the best friends battle the elements and their own emotions, one thing is for sure: they won’t give up, not if Lena had something to do with it! In the sequel to Maria Parr’s waffle adventures, the acclaimed author returns to Mathildewick Cove with a thrilling story about growing up.
August 5
the amazing edie eckhart
Published: August 5, 2021
hello! My name is Edie Eckhart and I am eleven years old. i’m a little different i have a disability called cerebral palsy so i speak slowly and i fall a lot. It’s never really bothered me because I’ve never known anything else.
edie eckhart is super excited to start high school with her best friend oscar: fish to her chips, bananas to her pudding. But when she and Oscar are put into different tutoring groups on Ella’s first day, Edie is devastated. who will play secret executioner with her in class? Who will she eat sausage rolls with?
but while planning her meeting with oscar, she accidentally gets cast as the lead in the school play. As Ella Edie discovers her passion for acting, she also finds new friendships, talents and dreams. after all, it’s easy to shine on and off stage when you’re awesome with a capital a.
the boy who made everyone laugh
Published: August 3, 2021
When life is fun, make some jokes about it.
billy plimpton has a big dream: to become a famous comedian when he grows up. he already knows a lot of jokes, but he thinks he has a big problem standing in his way: his stutter.
At first, Billy thinks the best way to deal with this is to . . . never say a word. that way the kids at your new school won’t hear you stutter. but he soon discovers that this is not the best way to deal with things. (For one thing, it’s really hard to tell a joke without saying a word.)
As Billy heads toward the spotlight, a lot of funny things (and some less funny) happen to him. in the end, the whole school will know —
if you think you can hold back billy plimpton, beware: you’ll soon be the joke!
August 10
imperfect elfie
Published: August 10, 2021
elfie oster was sure hampshire academy was going to be the perfect school for her. she was sure of it until the moment she was kicked out of it. on the first day of it.
It was all a terrible misunderstanding, but until she can figure out a way to put things right, Elfie has to go back to Cottonwood Elementary for fifth grade. where she never fit in or had friends. it is not a perfect situation. and then it gets worse. her babysitter gets very sick. her aunt and her uncle do not speak. she is forced to do a group project involving an egg…
but sometimes, when everything goes spectacularly wrong, you find out what really matters and what doesn’t. So really, this terrible, horrible, surprisingly fun year may be the best thing that ever happened to Elfie.
related: kristin mahoney on elfie unperfect (+gift!)
cs high
Published: August 10, 2021
What happens when a fake crime scene created by a forensic science professor turns deadly?
As Pinehurst Academy celebrates a new football stadium, rookie genius Simon Musgrave discovers a dead math teacher in his classroom with a vial of medicine in his hand. Basketball star Marcus Jackson, who thinks he’s Sherlock Holmes in a varsity jacket, teams up with Simon and the rebellious Laurel Carmichael to analyze evidence the authorities have overlooked. using the skills they learned in their high school lab, they become convinced that the math teacher was murdered. His detective work leads to several suspects, including a prominent member of the school community.
Trusting in science and despite the consequences, Marcus, Simon and Laurel are determined to uncover the truth, even as the truth leads to a showdown in the lab. what happened at pinehurst academy years ago that has led to the murder of a teacher now?
August 17
the many meanings of meilan
Published: August 17, 2021
Meilan Hua’s world is made up of a few key ingredients: her family’s beloved matriarch, Nai Nai; the bakery her parents, aunts and uncles own and run in Boston’s Chinatown; and her favorite Chinese fairy tales.
After Nai Nai passes away, the family has a fight that sends Meilan, her parents, and her grieving grandfather on a road trip in search of a new home. They take a winding road across the country before landing in Redbud, Ohio. Everything in Redbud is the opposite of Chinatown, and Meilan isn’t quite sure who she is; being renowned at school only makes things worse. she decides that she has many meilans, each inspired by a different Chinese character with the same pronunciation as her name. sometimes she is foggy, refreshing and invisible; other times, she is a basket, carrying her parents’ hopes and dreams and her guilt for not living up to them; and occasionally she is bright blue, the way she feels about her new friend logan of hers. Meilan keeps her facets separate until an injustice at school shows her the power of uniting her many personalities.
the lost things club
Published: August 17, 2021
When twelve-year-old leah goes to chicago for the summer with her little cousin tj, she’s shocked to discover that he’s gone mute after surviving a school shooting. she knows there’s no “right way” to deal with her pain, but when she finds out he’s sneaking out to visit a laundromat at night, everything seems wrong. Determined to find out why the laundromat brings her cousin to life, Leah and her new friend Violet follow him, unwittingly falling into an imaginary world called “The Land of Lost Things,” home of socks, coins and buttons. that disappear in the dryer. And when tj finds out about the wonders beyond the portal in the back of the dryer, he really talks!
Eager to keep you talking, Leah and her new friends populate the world with characters, putting on elaborate puppet shows that capture the attention of YouTube viewers everywhere. soon leah realizes that there is something in this special world that tj has to find and recover. But as the Lost Things Club works together to try to make TJ’s dreams come true, they discover there are some Lost Things that can’t come back.
big apple diaries
Published: August 17, 2021
in the big apple diaries, a poignant diary-style graphic memoir by alyssa bermudez, a young new yorker doodles on her way to high school, until the september 11, 2001, terrorist attack on her leaves you wondering if you can ever be a girl again.
It’s the year 2000 in New York City. For 12-year-old Alyssa, this means splitting time between her Puerto Rican father’s apartment in Manhattan and her white mother’s new place in Queens, navigating the trials and tribulations of high school, and an epic crush on a new classmate. class. the only way to make sense of it all is to capture the ups and downs in doodles and hilarious comics in a journal.
Then life changes abruptly on September 11, 2001. After the fall of the twin towers and so many lives lost, worries about gossip and boys feel distant and insignificant. Alyssa must find a new sense of self and purpose in the midst of all the chaos, and find the strength to carry on with hope.
aunt lugo doesn’t speak badly
Published: August 17, 2021
tia lugo has a deadly secret.
tia lugo considers herself an ordinary thirteen-year-old girl. She just wants to enjoy the end of summer, which means hanging out with her best friend and neighbor, Julius, and ignoring her Puerto Rican grandmother’s shameful reliance on creepy candles, weird-smelling bundles of herbs, and creepy statues, all available to her. the sale in the nearby botany. But when Tia witnesses a murder one night from her bedroom window, everything changes in an instant.
Now, aunt is afraid to tell anyone what she has seen. What if the killer is after her too? he knows where she lives. worse still, her aunt thinks he is sending her secret messages, reminding her to keep quiet. Desperate to protect herself and her family, her aunt turns to the last place she thought she’d go: her grandmother’s favorite shopping place, the botanist.
August 24
elvis and the current world
Published: August 24, 2021
Most shelter animals dream of coming home to a forever family. but for elvis, being chosen by mrs. Pemberton is a nightmare. he has been separated from her sister, etta, and is determined to return to the shelter to find her. Despite himself, Elvis is curious about ten-year-old Georgina Pemberton, who builds Lego skyscrapers in her bedroom while navigating her parents’ separation. The longer he is in his new home, the more he begins to recognize new feelings: admiration for Georgina’s creations, affection for the other pets, and even empathy for the Pembertons, despite his inability to listen.
August 31
a child’s trash
Published: August 31, 2021
hugo isn’t happy about being dragged across half a state of colorado just because his dad had a mid-life crisis and decided to become a ski instructor. It would be different if Hugo wasn’t so little, if girls didn’t think he was cute as a puppy in a bag and guys didn’t call him “elf” and rub his head for luck. but here he is, the little new kid on his first day of high school.
When his fellow students discover his remarkable talent for trash, the science of studying trash to tell you everything you want to know about a person, Hugo becomes the cool kid for the first time in his life. but what happens when it all goes to his head?
the ruffles
Published: August 31, 2021
with the arrival of a shiny cream colored envelope in the mail, elena martinez’s dreams come true: she has been chosen for spread your wings magazine’s young travelers program, a week-long summer internship at the that you will learn the ins and outs of working for the most popular teen magazine. She heads to New York City, anxious to get away from her best friend Summer, who is suddenly spending so much time with another girl at school and so secretive about it.
Once there, Elena meets her fellow young travelers: Harlow, who can get to the bottom of any story, Whitney, who has perfect fashion sense, and Cailin, a social media star with thousands of followers. and a good eye for photography. .
As the four new friends explore the city that never sleeps, each girl brings with her a piece of home and a few secrets, and learns that no one’s life is as bright as it seems. but with courage, teamwork and a lot of passion, there is no one to stop a flyer.
friends forever
Published: August 31, 2021
shannon is in eighth grade and life is more complicated than ever. everything keeps changing, her classmates are starting to date each other (but nobody wants to date her!), and no matter how hard she tries, it seems that shannon can never be just happy.
As she overcomes her insecurities and undiagnosed depression, she worries about disappointing everyone who cares about her. is something wrong? Could he be the person everyone expects him to be? And who does she really want to be?
With their trademark humor, warmth and insight, Shannon Hale and Leuyen Pham have crafted yet another incredible love letter to themselves when they were younger and to readers around the world, a reminder to all of us that we are enough.
all pets allowed
Published: August 31, 2021
More than anything else, even more than the best birthday party ever, Becket Branch wants a dog for her 10th birthday. But his twin brother, Nicholas, has been secretly longing for a cat. Luckily for Becket and Nicholas, their animal-loving parents have a surprise for them: they’re going to the local shelter and adopting a cat and a dog. It should be the biggest beautiful alert ever, but Becket’s dream dog, Dibs, turns out to be a super shy and skittish dog who will need a lot of training. Meanwhile, Nicholas’s cat, Dado, is more outgoing and attention-grabbing than the one-for-him pet he was expecting. Laugh as Becket pulls mice out of Nicholas’s slippers, puts goons in their place, and tries time and time again to train dibs, all while learning new life lessons and keeping up with his other farming chores.
quick launch
Published: August 31, 2021
shenice lockwood, captain of the fulton firebirds, is hyper-focused as she approaches home plate. nothing can stop her from leading her team to the regional U-12 fastpitch softball championship. but her life has put obstacles in her way. Strike One: As the only all-brown-faced team, Shenice and the Firebirds have to work twice as hard to prove that black girls belong at bat. Strike Two: Shenice’s focus is affected when Ella’s great-uncle Jack Ella reveals that a crime that ended her career and ruined the family name may have been staged. . strike three: broken focus means mistakes on the field. and shenice’s teammates begin to wonder if she’s qualified as a captain. It’s up to Shenice to find out the truth about her family’s past, and fast, before the secrets put the Firebirds out of the game for good.
we are family
Published: August 31, 2021
jayden carr has been training all summer to get ready for hoop group, the free after-school basketball program where his hero, nba superstar kendrick king, started. But when his beloved coach tells him there won’t be a basketball group this year, Jayden’s heart breaks.
and he’s not the only one. Coach Beck’s daughter, Tamika, planned to be the first girl to start for the team. Chris King, Kendrick’s only nephew, spent the summer bragging that his uncle would come over just to watch him play. For Anthony Pierson, the hoops group was supposed to be his way out of trouble. And for Dexter Donyel, who is 4’6″ from him, the hoop pool was his chance to finally be part of a team, instead of just watching from the stands.
For each child, hoop group was more than just an opportunity to play; it was an escape, a dream, a family. Now their prospects seem almost impossible, but the world hasn’t met Jayden, Tamika, Chris, Anthony and Dex before. Determined to get their chance, the five new friends fight, grapple and play hard to save their season and prove that sometimes one chance is all it takes.
is an inspiring and original middle grade story from nba superstar lebron james and acclaimed author andrea williams that channels the many relatable challenges faced by so many young children.
The first step to winning is to go out on the court.
$150,000 rugelaj
Published: August 31, 2021
Bursting with rock and roll attitude, eleven-year-old Jack Fineman dreams of becoming the greatest pastry chef who ever lived. His plans are thrown awry when his butterscotch basil brownies are upstaged at his sixth grade holiday party by a plain plate of chocolate rugelach brought by Jillian Mermelstein, the new girl in school whose mother just died and who just wants let her. alone.
The lives of these budding bakers are mixed up when they are selected to compete as teammates in a nationally televised competition. For Jack, this is his chance to take another step toward culinary greatness. For Jillian, it’s a chance to help his father by winning his share of the $150,000 jackpot.
Preparing to take on bakers from other high schools around town, Jack and Jillian struggle to find the right recipe to work with. Along the way, they make the world’s most irresistible oatmeal cricket cookies, battle Jack’s plaid-pants-wearing brother for miniature golf supremacy, and discover the disturbing reasons each of them was chosen for the game. contest.
Fall 2021 Middle Grade Books (September)
September 7th
pax, ride home
Published: September 7, 2021
It’s been a year since Peter and his pet fox, Pax, haven’t seen each other. once inseparable, they now lead very different lives. Pax and his mate Sow have welcomed a litter of pups that they must protect in a dangerous world. Meanwhile, Peter, newly orphaned after the war, wracked with guilt and loneliness, leaves his adopted home with Vola to join the Water Warriors, a group of people determined to heal the land of the scars of war. .
When one of Pax’s pups becomes desperately ill, he turns to the only human he knows he can trust. And no matter how much Peter tries to harden her broken heart, love keeps finding a way in. Now, both the boy and the fox are on journeys home, healing each other, and each other once again.
danny chung sums it up
Published: September 7, 2021
Eleven-year-old Danny’s life is turned upside down when his Chinese grandmother comes to live with her family in England. things take a turn for the worse when danny finds out that he will have to share her room with her, and she took the top bunk! Danny is initially frustrated that he can’t communicate with her because he doesn’t speak English and because he is about to fail math and Nai Nai was actually a math champion in the past. he feels like he and his grandmother have nothing in common. her parents insist that danny help them, so when he stays to take care of nai nai, he drops her off at the bingo hall for the day to get her off his back. but he soon discovers that not everyone is as welcoming as he hoped. . . Through the universal languages of math and art, Danny realizes that he has more in common with his Nai Nai than he thought. Full of heart and humor, Danny Chung sums it up and shows that traversing two cultures is possible and worth the effort, even if it’s not always easy.
after math
Published: September 7, 2021
After her brother dies from a congenital heart defect, twelve-year-old Lucy is unprepared to be the new one at school, especially in a grade filled with survivors of a shooting four years ago. Without the shared past that unites and divides her classmates, Lucy feels isolated and unable to share the loss of her own family, which is profoundly different from the trauma of her classmates.
lucy clings to her love of math, which gives her the absolute answers she craves. But through budding friendships and an after-school mime class, Lucy discovers that while pain can take many forms and sadness can seem endless, love is just as powerful.
the midnight brigade
Published: September 7, 2021
carl chesterfield wishes he could talk, whether that means being honest with his dad about the family’s new (failing) food truck, reaching out to a potential friend, or alerting others to the fact that monsters could be secretly invading his hometown of pittsburgh. there is much to worry about. and much to question.
When a flyer about a mysterious monster hunting party called the Midnight Brigade catches his eye, Carl sees an opportunity to find answers. little does he know, his curiosity will lead him to find an incredible discovery under one of the magnificent bridges of his city and to be more daring than he ever imagined. Full of humor and heart, this is the quirky story of three unlikely friends and the most cantankerous troll with a heart of gold.
partly cloudy
Published: September 7, 2021
Lightning couldn’t strike twice, could it? After a terrible year, Madalyn desperately needs clear skies. moving in with her great-uncle daddy wolf and changing schools is just the first step.
However, it’s not all rainbows and sunshine. Madalyn discovers that she is the only black girl in her class, and while most of her classmates are friendly, her assumptions lead to serious storms.
father wolf’s long feud with the neighbor, mrs. baylor brings her own wild weather, and madalyn wonders how far things will go. But when fire threatens the community, Madalyn discovers that being a true neighbor means more than staying on her side of the street, it means weathering tough conversations and discovering that together, a family can get through anything.
yusuf azeem is not a hero
Published: September 7, 2021
yusuf azeem has spent his entire life in the small town of frey, texas, and almost as long waiting for the chance to enter the regional robotics competition, that he just knows he can win.
only this year is going to be harder than I thought. because this year is the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, an anniversary that has everyone in your Muslim community on edge.
With “never forget” banners everywhere and a hostile group of townspeople protesting the new mosque, Yusuf realizes that the country’s anger from two decades ago has not gone away. Will he be able to preserve his joy and his friendships in the face of anguish and prejudice?
born behind bars
Published: September 7, 2021
kabir has been in jail since the day he was born, because his mother is serving time for a crime she did not commit. he never knew his father, so the only family he has is his cellmates, and the only place he feels a little free is in the classroom, where his friendly teacher entertains him with tales of wonder. from the outside world. Then one day a new guardian arrives and announces that Kabir is too old to stay. he is given to a long lost “uncle” who sadly turns out to be a fraud and intends to sell kabir. so kabir does the only thing he can do: run away as fast as his legs will allow him. How does a guy with nowhere to go and no connections make his way? Fortunately, he befriends Rani, another street kid, and she takes him under her wing. But planning his next move is difficult and fraught with danger in a world that cares little for homeless and low-caste children. This is not the world Kabir dreamed of, but he has discovered that he is not the type to give up. kabir is ready to show the world that he and his mother deserve a place in it.
okalee is missing
Published: September 7, 2021
compared to her almost perfect little sister, phoebe paz petersen feels like she doesn’t measure up to her parents&; eyes. Okalee is smart and loved for her cheerful disposition, which makes it hard for Phoebe to stand out in her small-town Montana. But if she can be chosen for the coveted solo in the school choir, she’ll stop being a high school nobody and finally get a chance to shine.
Despite her sister’s annoying perfection, Phoebe loves spending time with Okalee. they have a very special secret tradition: the day of the river, when they take each other by the hand and cross the grayling river, cold and mighty, to celebrate the first glimpse of spring. However, this year’s river day cruise goes terribly wrong, and Phoebe’s world is suddenly turned upside down.
Heartbroken and facing life without Okalee, Phoebe is more determined than ever to sing the solo at the school concert as a way to speak to her sister one last time. But Phoebe is so traumatized by what happened that she has lost her beautiful singing voice.
kat waters wants the choir solo for herself and is spreading a terrible rumor about what really happened to okalee on river day. If Phoebe is telling the truth, she believes her family will never forgive her and she may never get to sing goodbye to Okalee. Worse yet, someone is leaving Phoebe anonymous notes telling her that she saw what really happened in the river.
traitors among us
Published: September 7, 2021
See Also: Joseph Finder – Book Series In Order
sisters krystia and maria have been through the worst, or so they think. World War II devastated their native Ukraine, but they both survived and are now reunited in a displaced persons camp.
then another girl accuses the sisters of being Hitler girls, people who collaborated with the Nazis. Could not be farther from the truth; During the horrors of the war, both sisters resisted the Nazis and all they stood for. but the soviets, who are now in charge, do not listen to the protests of the sisters. Krystia and Maria are taken in and interrogated for crimes they never committed.
Caught in a dangerous trap, the sisters must look to one another for strength and perseverance. Can they convince their captors that they are innocent or escape to safety before it’s too late?
messy school
Published: September 7, 2021
For all the teens who ever thought they were alone in their misery, here’s a hilarious graphic novel about a new kid awkwardly trying to navigate the social pressures of making friends, dealing with crushes, avoiding bullies, too! known as high school! Dave doesn’t have high hopes for himself on his first day at a new school in a new town called Muddle. but he has no idea how bad things are going to be. being thrown into a mud puddle by a trio of thugs. having her secret crush revealed to the entire math class. and then that snot bubble… no, dave is not killing it at all in confusion school. he may have to resign himself to stupidity, content to draw in his sketchbook to face life.
But then Dave starts working on a time machine for the science fair and has a brilliant idea. What if you go back in time to that first day of school? what if you have a redo and avoid doing all the dumb and embarrassing things you did? could that change everything for him? could dave become… cool?
Multi-award winning writer, illustrator and cartoonist Dave Whamond’s hilarious and irreverent graphic novel is based on his own high school experiences, complete with some of his childhood reflections and drawings included within the pages. Ultimately, it’s a positive story with a friendly and approachable main character who encourages readers to believe in themselves, including their own quirks! – and chase your dreams. the graphic novel format and visual hilarity are perfect for engaging reluctant readers. this book offers character education lessons on adaptability and perseverance, and point lessons on self-awareness.
September 14
paradise on fire
Published: September 14, 2021
Dad is haunted by the tragic fire that killed his parents, leaving him in the care of his grandmother. Now, years later, Addy’s grandmother has signed her up for a summer wilderness program. There, Ella Addy joins five other black town kids, each with her own problems, for a summer out west. Deep in the woods, kids learn strange new (and for them) skills: camping, hiking, rock climbing, and how to safely light and put out campfires. most importantly, they learn to depend on each other for companionship and survival. But then comes a devastating forest fire…addy comes face to face with her fate and her haunting past. Developing her courage and resistance against the raging fire, it’s up to Addy to get her friends to safety. not everyone is saved. but by remembering her origins and her grandmother’s teachings, she is able to use her street smarts, her nature skills, and her spiritual intuition to survive.
welcome back maple mehta-cohen
Published: September 14, 2021
maple mehta-cohen has been keeping a secret: she can’t read very well. she has an impressive vocabulary and loves to dictate stories into her tape recorder, especially the adventures of a fearless hound who is half Indian and half Jewish like Maple herself, but the words on the page just don’t seem to make sense to her. Despite all of Maple’s clever tricks to hide her reading problems, her teacher is after her and now Maple has to repeat fifth grade. Maple is devastated, what will her friends think of her? will they forget about her? she uses her storytelling skills to convince her classmates that she’s staying behind as a special assistant to a teacher (because of budget cuts, you know). But as Maple navigates the loss of old friendships, the possibility of new ones, and faces the challenges of reading in front of her, her delusion becomes harder to maintain. Can Maple begin to recognize her own strengths and love herself, and her brain, just the way she is? Readers who have faced their own trials in school and friendships will enjoy this heartwarming story and the brilliant and creative heroine in it.
a soft place to land
Published: September 14, 2021
joy taylor has always believed that home is the house she lived in all her life. But then her dad lost her job, and suddenly home becomes a small apartment with thin walls, shared rooms, and a place for tense arguments between mom and dad. The hardest thing of all is that joy no longer has its music to escape from. Without sufficient funds, her dreams of becoming a great pianist and one day a film score composer have been put on hold.
A friendly new neighbor her age gleefully recounts the complex’s best-kept secret: the hideaway, a cozy haven only children know about. And it’s in this little hideout that Joy starts exchanging secret messages with another kid in the building who also seems to be struggling, until suddenly they stop responding. What if they’re in trouble?
Joy is determined to find out who this mystery writer is, fast, but between trying to raise money for her music lessons, keeping a brave face for her little sister, and worrying about her parents’ marriage, Joy isn’t sure. how to keep your own head above water.
how to win a slime war
Published: September 14, 2021
alex manolo and his father just returned to sacramento to help with his extended family’s struggling philippines market. While Alex likes to help out in the store, her true passion is making slime! he creates his own recipes and plays with the ingredients, the colors and the different irregular or shiny parts that make his slime really special. A new friend encourages Alex to sell his creations at school, leading to a payoff battle with a girl who previously owned a slime-opoly. The winner gets bragging rights and the right to be the only slime game in town.
but alex’s dad thinks alex should focus more on “traditional” kids’ hobbies and less on slime. As the new soccer coach, Dad gets Alex to join the team. Even though he hates sports, Alex gives up.
alex is struggling on several fronts: with his new friends at school and with his father at home. It will be a tough race to the finish to see who comes out on top.
related: mae respicio on how to win a slime war (+gift!)
star dog
Published: September 14, 2021
laika is a cold dog, a stray puppy fighting for her life on the streets of moscow. then one winter night, she is taken out of her alley to become a flying star, a dog trained to travel into space. Distrustful of people, Laika tries her best to escape from them. That is, until she meets Nina.
nina is a cold, lonely girl full of questions. Her best friend has moved to America in a hurry, leaving Nina alone to take on the bullies at school. Furthermore, her father’s work as a scientist in the Soviet space program becomes more secret every day.
When the two meet in their father’s lab, their growing bond slowly warms the chill that has settled in each other’s hearts. As the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union turns fierce, Laika and Nina discover shocking secrets and hard truths that will test their friendship. How will they find the courage to chase their dreams to the stars?
piece by piece: nisrin’s hijab story
Published: September 14, 2021
nisrin is a 13 year old bangladesh american girl living in milwaukie, oregon in 2002. as the end of 8th grade nears, she makes a presentation for world culture day about bangladesh while wearing traditional cultural dress . On her way home, she is the victim of a hate crime when a man violently attacks her for wearing a scarf on her head.
Deeply traumatized by the experience, Nisrin spends the summer depressed and isolated. Aside from weekly therapy, Nisrin doesn’t leave the house until fall arrives and it’s time for her to start her first year at a new school. The night before she starts class, Nisrin makes a decision. she tells her family that she is going to start wearing a hijab, much to her dismay. Her mother’s and her grandparents’ surprised and angry reactions confuse her, but only strengthen her resolve.
This choice sets Nisrin on a path to not only discover more about Islam, but also about her family’s complicated relationship with religion and the reasons they left Bangladesh in the first place. on top of everything else, she’s struggling to fit in at school: her hijab makes her a target for students and teachers alike. But with the help of friends old and new, Ella Nisrin is beginning to discover what really makes her happy. piece by piece is an original graphic novel about growing up and choosing your own path, even if it takes you somewhere different than you expected.
himawari house (already)
Published: September 14, 2021
living in a new country is not easy at all: nao, hyejung and tina can attest to that. The three became fast friends, living together in the Himawari house in Tokyo and attending the same Japanese school. Nao came to Japan to reconnect with his Japanese heritage, while Hyejung and Tina came to find freedom and their own paths. Although each of them has their own motivations and challenges, they all deal with language barriers, being a fish out of water, self-discovery, love, and family.
how to find what you’re not looking for
The life of twelve-year-old Ariel Goldberg feels like the moment the last guest leaves the party. her family’s jewish bakery closed due to financial problems, and her older sister eloped with a young man from india following a supreme court decision striking down laws banning interracial marriage. As change becomes Ariel’s only constant, she is left to hone something that she will always be in her own voice.
September 21
space to dream (reception #3)
Published: September 21, 2021
mia tang goes for her dreams!
After years of hard work, Mia Tang is finally able to go on vacation with her family – to China! all a dream come true! mia is looking forward to seeing all her cousins and grandparents again, especially her cousin shen de ella. as she wanders around beijing, witnessing some of the big changes she’s going through china, ella mia thinks about the changes in her own life, like. . .
1. lupe is taking classes in high school! and mia’s own plans to be a great writer are . . . stuck.
2. something happened with jason and mia has no idea what to do about it.
3. new buildings are springing up around the motel and small businesses are disappearing.
Can the Calivista survive? seat belt! Mia is more determined than ever to get through the turbulence, now that she finally has. . . room to dream!
set me free
Published: September 21, 2021
Three years after being kidnapped as a “living specimen” in a cruel experiment to determine the cause of her deafness, Mary Lambert has grown tired of domestic life in Martha’s Vineyard, and even of her once beloved writing.
/p>
So, when an old acquaintance calls her to a secluded manor house outside of Boston to teach a young deaf girl how to communicate, Mary agrees. but can it be taught to an eight-year-old without a previous language? And mary is up to the task? With new purpose, Mary arrives only to discover that there is much more to the girl’s story, and the circumstances of her imprisonment, than she could ever have imagined. Suddenly teaching her and freeing her from the prison of her isolation takes on far greater meaning and danger.
last player standing
Published: September 21, 2021
In the world of twelve-year-old Reyna Cheng, gaming is everything. professional esports teams are top celebrities. kids start training from a young age, aiming for the big leagues.
reyna is the up-and-coming junior amateur gamer who competes in a vr battle royale against ai monsters and human players. But despite Reyna’s growing popularity and abilities, no one knows who she is. the games are still a boys club, and to protect herself from trolls and bullying her, she plays the mysterious theruinar.
When Reyna qualifies for the junior dayhold tournament, she knows she has what it takes to win the championship title and the $10,000 prize pool. It is an opportunity to step forward towards her professional esports dreams and to help her family with the costs of her mother’s hospital bills.
But when an anonymous troll blackmails her and threatens to set her up, Reyna has to come face to face with the community of toxic gamers.
With his dreams and the cash prize on the line, the game is on!
the vanderbeekers make a wish
Published: September 21, 2021
It’s summer on 141st Street and the Vanderbeekers are looking forward to Dad’s surprise 40th birthday party.
But then Dad has to leave town to help his best friend, and the Vanderbeeker kids are shocked to find their maternal grandparents on their doorstep. Grandma is very critical of everything they do. Meanwhile, they find themselves learning more than ever about their dad’s father and wishing they’d gotten to know him a little better. Can they learn more about the grandpa they lost and come to appreciate the grandparents they still have while making sure their dad has the best birthday ever?
sunny makes a splash
Published: September 21, 2021
It’s summer and sunny is bored. most of her friends are out of town. his mom wants her to be the babysitter much more than sunny wants to be the babysitter. there’s nothing good on TV.
The only place that’s cool (in a non-boring sense) and cool (in a non-hot sense) is the community pool. sunny loves going there. . . and she loves it even more when they offer her a job at the cafeteria. he soon he is tossing fries and serving soft serve ice cream like a pro. . . with the help of the very sweet guy who works with her.
sunny’s mom isn’t sure sunny should be so independent. but the sun is definitely safe: life is better when swimming freely.
the samosa rebellion
Published: September 21, 2021
Before his grandmother moved from india to butterfly island, muki krishnan’s life was good. but now? He has to share his bedroom with Paati, his grandmother, who snores like a bulldozer and wakes him up at dawn to do yoga.
The arrival of paati coincides with even greater changes in butterfly. the president divides the citizens into butterflies, families that have lived in the butterfly for three generations, and moths, which, like muki’s family, are more recent immigrants. the changes are small at first. but then muki and her friends find out that a camp is being built to imprison moths before sending them away. shortly after, his paati is captured and taken there.
While plotting Paati’s escape, Muki discovers that a secret rebellion is brewing, and as he digs deeper, he realizes that rescuing Paati will be the fight of his life.
September 28
welcome to the dweeb club
Published: September 28, 2021
What if a school club changed your life forever?
In the second week of seventh grade, Jason Sloan joins the new barber club. he and his friends have no idea what it’s all about, but since they’re the first to sign up, they think they’ll be in charge in no time. the club turns out to be super weird: using fancy new gear donated by a mysterious benefactor, the members are supposed to monitor security footage of the school. Your first task: find out what is stealing croutons from the cafeteria.
Instead of the expected dark cafeteria, the computers show the club members something completely different: real images of themselves as high school students, five years in the future! what the hell could be going on? Is it some kind of time warp or an alternate reality? Or is it just an unfunny joke? As they struggle to solve the mystery, they can’t help but notice something else: None of them like what they see five years from now. Is there any way to change the future and its destinies?
Discovering who you are and who you want to become has never been more fun in this hilarious game through the perils of high school and beyond.
violets are blue
Published: September 28, 2021
Twelve-year-old wren loves makeup, special effects makeup to be exact. When she’s experimenting with new looks, her wren can create a different version of herself. a girl who doesn’t have the best friendship with someone who seems to hate her. a girl whose parents aren’t divorced and doesn’t have to learn to love her new stepmother.
So, when Wren and her mother move to a new town to start over, she’s cautiously optimistic. And things seem to fall into place when Wren meets potential friends of hers and is selected as a makeup artist for her school’s next production of Evil.
just wren’s mom isn’t doing too well. she is taking a lot of naps, she starts biting the wrens for no reason and she always seems to be sick. And what’s worse, Wren keeps getting hints that things aren’t going well at her new job at the hospital, where her mother is a nurse. And after an opening night disaster leads to a harrowing discovery, Wren realizes her mother has a serious problem, one she can’t erase or cover up.
After all the progress he’s made, can wren start over with his devastating new normal? And will he ever be able to heal the broken trust with her mother?
collin worst case
Published: September 28, 2021
Collin is always prepared for something to go wrong. Ever since he lost his mother in a car accident, he has been writing in a journal about how to overcome things like avalanches, currents, or even a bad case of halitosis. Meanwhile, Collin’s father grows more distant by the day and has started piling up things all over the house. Determined to hide his home life from his friends, Collin navigates high school alongside the hilarious and clueless Liam, and Georgia, for whom Collin may have feelings. Can Collin learn to be vulnerable with his loved ones, even when he can’t control every possible scenario?
out of my heart
Published: September 28, 2021
melody, the big-hearted heroine from out of my mind, is now a year older and a year braver. but not as brave as she wants to be, as she is terrified of horses. though she loves horses—she loves them she loves them—from afar. Melody is undeterred and decides that summer camp, one with horseback riding, should be her next challenge. except, are there horse riding camps for differently abled kids? Who would welcome a child with cerebral palsy? she’s going to find out.
a shared secret
Published: September 28, 2021
birdy, the younger sister of nora and ben, loves to keep secrets. she more than once surprises her family: she hides a kitten in her room. she writes a beautiful poem. One day, Birdy sees her mother spitting into a tube, ready for her to send him off to find out more about her and where her family comes from. birdy also spits into a tube when no one is looking.
but when the test results come in, they are a surprise. Birdy is apparently not related to Ben and Nora’s parents. but if she is adopted, how could it have happened without the children knowing?
nora and ben must learn when to keep a secret and who to turn to for help, and ultimately how to solve this secret for the whole family.
Fall 2021 Middle Grade Books (October)
October 5
play the cards you are dealt
Published: October 5, 2021
ten-year-old anthony joplin has hit double digits! Which means he’s finally old enough to play in the tournament of spades that every joplin man before him seems to have won. So while Ant’s friends are stressed about fifth grade homework and girls, Ant has only one thing on his mind: how he’ll live up to his dad’s expectations of him at the card table.
then the ant’s best friend is punished and he is forced to find another spade partner. And Shirley, the new girl in his class, isn’t exactly what he has in mind. she talks a lot of trash, much more than her old partner. besides, he is not sure that his father wants him to play with a girl. but she’s smart, tough, and pretty, and she knows every card trick in the book. So Ant decides to join forces with Shirley and keep her plans a secret.
turns out secrets are another joplin man tradition. and his father hides one so big that it could destroy his family…
myosotis flowers never forget
Published: October 5, 2021
Perfect for fans of Meg Medina and Barbara O’Connor, this heartwarming novel about family, pets, and other things close to us is one you’ll never forget. Miosotis Flores is excited about three things: raising rescue dogs, silly horror movies and her sister’s amaryllis upcoming wedding. school? not on that list. but her daddy cares about school more than anything else, so they strike a deal: if miosotis improves her grades in two classes, she can adopt a dog of her own this summer. Miosotis becomes immersed in her schoolwork and raising a fearful little puppy named Freckles. Could she become her dog forever? At the same time, she notices that Amaryllis behaves strangely: she wears thick clothes in spring, she leaves her friends in favor of her fiancé, and even avoids Miosotis and the rest of Amaryllis’s family. she. when she finally discovers her sister’s secret, miosotis faces some tough decisions. What do you do if someone is in danger, but doesn’t want your help? when should you ask for support and when should you try to handle things on your own? and, ultimately, what matters most: what does myosotis want or what is best for her loved ones?
susie b. won’t back down
Published: October 5, 2021
susie b. has a lot to say. like it’s not fair that she has to be called susie b. instead of just susie. or about how polar bears are in danger of extinction. or how the usual geniuses always get picked for cool stuff about kids like her with butterflies for brains. and it’s because susie b. has so much to say about these important things that she’s running for student council president!
If she’s president, she can stand up for the underdog just like her heroine and partner susie b., susan b. anthony. (And, okay, maybe the chance to give big speeches to the whole school with a microphone is another bonus.) But when the more usual genius also enters the student council race, Susie realizes this may be a tougher fight to win than she is. thought. Worse yet, Susie discovers that Susan B. Anthony wasn’t as good as he seems in the story, and she did some pretty terrible things to try to help her own cause. Soon, Susie has to make her own tough decisions. But one thing is for sure: whatever happens, Susie B. won’t back down.
how to train your dad
Published: October 5, 2021
Twelve-year-old Carl is fed up with his father’s single-minded pursuit of an off-grid existence. His dad may be brilliant, but garbage digging for food, trash-scavenging for salvageable junk, and wearing clothes wholly obtained from garage sales is becoming obsolete. Increasingly concerned about what his classmates and a certain girl at his new school might think of his circumstances, and encouraged by his eccentric best friend, Carl adopts the principles laid out in a randomly discovered puppy-training booklet to “re-educate “The mentality of his father. . . . a wacky experiment that produces some unintended results.
freddy’s care and maintenance
Published: October 5, 2021
Georgia Weathers’s worry machine has been in overdrive ever since her mother, Blythe, left in Lyle Lenczycki’s blue sedan. Earlier that day, Blythe gave Georgia a bearded dragon named Freddy. Georgia is convinced that if she loves Freddy enough, her blythe will come home.
Georgia is not the only one with family problems. the parents of ella’s friend maria garcia de ella have happily moved out of the house and into a trailer in the yard. roland park is the new kid in town. As a child in the foster care system who stays with the Farley family, he is sure his stay is temporary. When the three friends discover an abandoned glass house in the woods, it becomes his secret hideaway: a place of his own, free from parents and trouble. but glass can break.
When everything around you feels out of your control, the question is what can you hold on to? And what do they have to let go of? Turns out there are a few things, and lizards, that they can count on.
best friends: work it out
Published: October 5, 2021
Meet Beth and Chanda, two stylish best friends on their way to building their fashion empire! An unexpected business opportunity presents itself when the girls are asked to dog-sit at Mrs. Langford’s lavish home while she’s away, but it quickly turns into a disaster after an accident leaves one of the Mrs. langford’s prized possessions in pieces! Now Beth and Chanda have to take as many odd jobs as they can to afford a replacement. car wash, book sale, interior decorating, you name it, beth and chanda are there! Will they be able to fix their mistake in time?
living with viola
Published: October 5, 2021
Livy is already having trouble fitting in as the new girl in school, and then there’s viola. Viola is Livy’s anxiety come to life, a shadowy twin that only Livy can see or hear. Livy tries to roll back Viola’s relentless judgment, but nothing seems to work until she makes new friends at school. Livy hopes Viola’s days are numbered. But when tensions arise both at home and at school, Viola rears her head louder than ever. Only when Livy learns to ask for help and cope with her anxiety does she finally figure out how to live with Viola.
rosena fung draws on her own early experiences with the anxiety and pressures of growing up as the daughter of chinese immigrant parents to create a delightful and deeply personal story that blends the shock of raina telgemeier’s guts with the wacky humor of the lumberjacks. Lush, colorful art brings livy’s richly imaginative world to life on the page, filled with everything from clever meatballs to flying unicorns.
marshmallow and jordan
Published: October 5, 2021
Jordan’s days as a star player on her school’s basketball team ended when an accident left her paralyzed from the waist down. Now, she’s still captain of the team, but her competitive days seem to be behind her…until an encounter with a mysterious elephant she calls Marshmallow helps Jordan discover an entirely new sport. /p>
Will water polo be Jordan’s way of pursuing his athletic dreams, or will he just come between Jordan and his best friends on the basketball team? And with the big tournament just around the corner, what secret is Marshmallow hiding?
rob house
Published: October 5, 2021
When a boy struggles after moving to a Japanese internment camp during World War II, baseball shows him another way to approach life. their Japanese Canadian community. But when the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor, his life, like that of all Americans of Japanese descent, changes forever. his family is forced to move to a remote internment camp and his father must spend months away from them. Sandy, her mother and her brother cope as best they can with the difficulties of the camp. Over time, Sandy realizes that life is a lot like baseball. it’s about dealing with whatever is thrown at you, however you can. and it’s about finding the way home.
I’ll keep you close
Published: October 5, 2021
jeska doesn’t know why her mother keeps the curtains drawn so tightly every day. And what exactly is she trying to drown when she floods the house with mozart? what are they hiding from?
When Jeska’s grandmother accidentally calls her by a stranger’s name, she finds the first clue to her family’s past and, hopefully, everything that hasn’t been said. With the help of an old family photo album, her father’s encyclopedia collection, and the unquestioning friendship of an alley cat, the silence begins to melt into terrifying clarity: Jeska’s family survived a terror they struggled to maintain. in secret all his life. . and somehow, it has everything and nothing to do with it, all at once.
A true story about going through generational trauma as a child, I’ll Hold You Close is about what comes after disaster: how survivors move on, what they bring with them when they do, and the promise to start over by always keeping closure. from the past.
October 12
horse problems
Published: October 12, 2021
Twelve-year-old Kate is focused on her true passion: horseback riding. But no matter how hard she tries, she can’t hide from the troubles of barn life.
there is nothing that kate likes more than being surrounded by horses. but her best friend is allergic to them, so kate has to take riding lessons without her. Kate is forced to overcome some of the difficulties in her life, like the mean girls in the barn who make fun of her and her body insecurities, on her own. To make matters worse, Kate keeps falling off her horse. For Kate, her teenage years feel like one unjust punishment after another. Will she be able to get over it all…and get back on her horse?
through the desert
Published: October 12, 2021
Twelve-year-old Jolene spends every day she can in the library watching her favorite live stream: The Desert Aviator, where twelve-year-old “Addie Earhart” shares her adventures flying over the desert in a microlight aircraft. . As she watches this daring girl soar through the sky, Jolene can dream of what it would be like to fly with her, away from her own troubled home life, where her mother struggles with an addiction to narcotics. And Addie, grieving the loss of her father, finds solace in her online conversations with Jolene, his biggest and only fan.
Then one day, everything goes wrong: Addie’s engine abruptly stops and Jolene watches in horror and helplessness as the ultralight plummets to the ground and the video blacks out. Jolene knows Addie won’t survive long in the extreme heat of the summer desert. With no one to turn to for help and armed with only a hand-drawn map and a stolen cell phone, Jolene must find a way to save the desert flyer. Full of adventure and heart, Across the Wilderness speaks to the resilience, hope, and strength within each of us.
sorry for your loss
Published: October 12, 2021
See Also: 50 Best Action Books Of All Time: A Comprehensive List 2022
evie walman is not obsessed with death. however, she thinks about it a lot, but only because her family runs a Jewish funeral home. at twelve, she evie already knows that she will be a funeral director when she grows up. So what if the kids at school call her “corpse girl” and say she smells like death? they’re just mean and don’t understand how important it is to have someone take care of things when your world is falling apart. evie loves dusting caskets, polishing pews and vacuuming the chapel, and on her funeral days, she dresses up, passes out tissues and offers her condolences to mourners. She normally doesn’t directly help her parents with grieving families, until one day they ask her to help them with pray, a child who had a horrible car accident in which her parents died. Oren refuses to speak and Evie, nursing her own private pain, is determined to find a way to help him deal with losing her.
the lost language
Published: October 12, 2021
Sixth grader Betsy is the one who informs her best friend, Lizard, that thousands of the world’s languages are currently in danger of extinction; Betsy’s mom is a linguistics teacher who works furiously to study dying languages before they’re lost forever. But it is Lizard who, moved by the magnitude of this loss, challenges Betsy, “what if, instead of writing about dying languages, like your mom, you and I kept one?”
As the girls embark on their quest to learn as much as possible of the nearly extinct language of Guernésiais (spoken on the island of Guernsey, off the coast of France), their friendship faces unexpected strains. With Lizard becoming more obsessed with the language project, Betsy begins to seek greater independence from her controlling, charismatic friend, as well as her controlling, charismatic mother. Then tragedy threatens Betsy’s life beyond words, and Lizard does the unthinkable.
perhaps lost friendships, like lost languages, can never be fully saved.
in love
Published: October 12, 2021
Ever since her parents divorced, twelve-year-old Peyton has known that in order to achieve the happiest outcomes in her life, she needs to focus on ironing out her flaws and making sure her first boyfriend is truly right for her. Guided by her collection of inspirational quotes and her growing list of ideal boyfriend traits, Peyton is convinced this summer will be the perfect summer—with the perfect boyfriend! But when she discovers an unconscious boy in the middle of the road, the victim of a hit-and-run, her perfect summer takes a dramatic detour.
Determined to find the driver responsible, Peyton divides her time between searching for clues in her small town and visiting the comatose (and cute!) boy in the hospital. when she wakes up, will he be her destiny? Or does life hold some more surprises for you? With plenty of warmth and gentle humor, Jennifer Richard Jacobson delivers a novel about searching for the perfect answers and discovering that reality is more complicated and far more intriguing than anything you can dream of.
October 19
yummy: a history of desserts (nf)
Published: October 19, 2021
Ever wonder who first thought of freezing cream? Or when people started making sweet doughs to wrap fruity fillings? Peri is excited to show you the delicious history of candy as she takes you around the world and back! the team that made ice cream cones! the mistake they made brownies! learn and taste the true stories behind everyone’s favorite treats, combined with fun and easy recipes to try at home. after all, sweets and their stories are always better when shared.
passport
Published: October 19, 2021
young sofia has lived in so many different countries that she can barely keep count. Now stationed with her family in Central America due to her parents’ work, Sophia feels displaced as an American living abroad, when she has barely spent part of her life in America.
Everything changes when she reads a letter she should never have seen and discovers her parents’ secret. They are not who they say they are. They are working for the CIA. As Sophia tries to make sense of this news and the web of lies that surrounds her, she begins to question everything. The impact this has on Sophia’s emerging sense of herself and understanding of the world makes the exploration of lies and double lives turn a page.
In the hands of this amazing storyteller, this amazing true story comes to life.
barakah beats
Published: October 19, 2021
Twelve-year-old Nimra Sharif has spent her entire life in an Islamic school, but now it’s time to go to the “real school.”
nimra is nervous, but as long as she has her best friend jenna who is already in public school, she thinks she can handle just about anything.
Unfortunately, high school is hard. The teachers are mean, the schedule is confusing, and Jenna starts treating Nimra, who wears a hijab, coldly with the other kids.
Desperate to fit in and win back Jenna’s favor, Nimra accepts an unlikely invitation to join the school’s popular eighth-grade boy band, Barakah Beats. the only problem is that nimra was taught that music is not allowed in islam and she knows that her parents would be disappointed if they found out about her. so she devises a simple plan: join the gang, get jenna back, and then quietly abandon her before her parents find out about her.
but leaving the band is more difficult than expected. her plan is not just to get jenna back to work, but nimra really likes hanging out with the band – they value her contributions and respect how important her faith is to her. Then, Barakah Beats signs up for a talent show benefiting refugees, and Nimra’s lies begin to unravel. With the show just weeks away and Jenna’s friendship hanging in the balance, Nimra has to decide whether to betray her bandmates or herself.
fifty four things wrong with gwendolyn rogers
Published: October 19, 2021
no one can figure out what gwendolyn rogers’s problem is, not her mother, not her teachers, not any of the many therapists she’s seen. but gwendolyn knows that she doesn’t have a single problem: she’s fifty-four.
At least, according to a confidential school report (which she read because she’s #16. cunning, not to mention #13. impulsive). So gwendolyn needs a plan, because if she doesn’t get these fifty-four things under control, she won’t be able to go to horse camp this summer with her half-brother, tyler.
but tyler can’t help her because there’s only one thing “wrong” with him: adhd.
and her best friend hettie can’t help her because there’s nothing wrong with hettie. she is perfect.
so gwendolyn is helpless until she remembers the one thing that helped her mother when her own life was out of control. or actually, the twelve things. Can these twelve steps that healed her mother heal gwendolyn too?
A Lot Made in Heaven: A Novel of Wishes
Published: October 19, 2021
delicious recipes…a family secret…and a clever cookie ready for a challenge!
mina is excited to start her mentorship at a batch made in heaven, the bakery in her hometown that is famous for its inventive cookies. Mina dreams of becoming a baker one day. But there’s a problem. Flynn, the owner’s (admittedly cute) son, keeps Mine out of the kitchen: the top-secret cookie vault. if she doesn’t know how to bake, then she can’t enter the big cookie competition…and if she can’t enter, she’ll never earn the money to help her dad open the restaurant she always wanted. /p>
what secret is flynn hiding? Will the whole plan of mine fall apart like an overbaked cookie, or will she be able to find a way to help her family and her heart?
drool
Published: October 19, 2021
When fourth graders Billy Hamilton and Sam Baptiste concoct a batch of super-secret slime for the upcoming America’s Got Science auditions, it all goes horribly wrong. Now they must find a way to stop their amateur science experiment from taking over every adult in town and turning them all into mindless “slobbers.”
hidden
Published: October 19, 2021
ivette. joana and now: katrina
Whatever its name, it won’t last long. katrina doesn’t know any details about her past, but she does know that she and her parents are part of the witness protection program. Every time her parents say they have to move on and start over, she takes on a new identity. a new name, a new hair color, a new story.
until his location is leaked and his parents disappear. Forced to embark on a dangerous rescue mission, Katrina and Ella Parker’s new friend set out to save Ella’s parents and uncover the truth about Ella’s secret past and the people who want her family dead.
But each new discovery reveals that Katrina’s entire life has been built around secrets cloaked in lies, and that her parents were actually the ones with the biggest secret of all. Katrina must now decide if knowing the whole truth is worth the price of losing everything she has always believed about herself and her family.
recover
Published: October 19, 2021
lilico’s life in japan is going well. she has great friends and is the captain of the school basketball team. she is happy!
Then comes the news of his parents: they are moving to the United States! Before she knows it, Lilico finds herself in Brooklyn, New York, forced to start over. And that won’t be easy with her closest friends thousands of miles away or a school bully who immediately takes a dislike to her.
Fortunately, anime-loving Nala and Henry eventually befriend Lilico, and with their help, along with her guardian spirit, who looks a lot like her cat, Nico, Lilico might find out where she fits in.
how to save a superhero
Published: October 19, 2021
Ten-year-old Addie knows that superheroes don’t exist and they certainly don’t hide out in retirement communities, but she may have to change her mind.
addie and her mom never stay in one place for too long. They’ve been up and down and all over the country. when his mom, tish, gets a new job at happy valley village retirement community in pennsylvania, addie thinks they’ll be on the road again in a month. but this time, something is different-do that, someone. Mr. Norris, a grumpy resident of Happy Valley and. . .a former superhero?
Well, that’s what Marwa, whose mother also works at Happy Valley, would try to make Addie believe. Addie and his friend Dickson know best even if there are things they can’t explain. like the weather mr. Norris was about to get hit by a car and suddenly he was on the other side of the road or the way his gaze seems to take root in Addie’s stomach.
When a man begins prowling the Happy Valley grounds, claiming to be the great-nephew of a resident, Addie, Marwa and Dickson soon stumble upon a major conspiracy involving the Manhattan Project, a shady weapons company and the fate of the human race, in this witty and funny middle grade novel.
a bird will fly
Published: October 19, 2021
axel loves everything related to birds, especially eagles. No one cares if an eagle flies too far and doesn’t come home, a fact that Axel wishes his mother understood. deep down, axel knows that his mother is like an osprey, the best of all bird mothers, but it’s hard to remember that when she worries and keeps secrets about important things. His dad is more like a wild turkey, coming and going as he pleases. Her father’s latest disappearance is the biggest mystery of all.
despite all this, axel loves his life, especially the time he spends with his friends watching the eagles nest in the forest near his house. But when a tornado damages not only Axel’s house but also the eagles’ nest, Axel’s life is thrown into chaos. Suddenly, her dad returns to help repair the damage, and Axel has to deal with his dad’s presence and the absence of his beloved birds. Plus, her mother seems to be keeping even more secrets.
but axel knows another important fact: an eagle’s instincts let it fly. Axel must trust his own instincts to help heal his family and the nest he loves.
the flight of the swallows
Published: October 19, 2021
In England, Ruby has no friends due to mottled spots on her face that children say look like dirt. and kate is sick all the time, her older brothers take turns taking care of her. Ruby and Kate’s first meeting is nearly disastrous, but the two lonely girls soon strike up a friendship. their connection becomes even more important when england joins the war against germany and the bombing starts on high.
In germany, erik and hans are best friends full of plans for their future: erik takes over their beloved local zoo, and hans serves cakes right outside the gates. they never expected to be forced to join national service, train as pilots, and take it upon themselves to hurt people.
and in london an abused dog roams the streets looking for handouts, and a friend.
All of these lives will intersect in the most surprising ways in this harrowing tale of war and compassion, and the hope that can be found in even the most unexpected friendships, brought to life by award-winning author Hilary McKay.
keep it real
Published: October 19, 2021
marigold johnson can’t wait to attend a special show at her family’s business, flexx unlimited, for teen fashionistas. But Mari quickly realizes that she is out of place compared to the other three apprentices of hers, and one girl, Kara, seems to hate her at first sight.
As tensions mount and the stakes on the show rise, Mari discovers exactly why Kara has been so spiteful. He also discovers some hard truths about her and her family.
paula chase explores complex themes centering on friendships, family, and what it means to conform to fit in. Keeping Reality is also a powerful exploration of what happens when parents choose what they protect their children from. Timely and memorable, Paula Chase’s character-driven story touches on creativity, art, fashion and music. an excellent option for the upper middle grade audience.
last chance for logan county
Published: October 19, 2021
otto and sheed are back in another legendary adventure that might take all your deduction skills and a little help from friends and family to solve.
With the rorrim mirror emporium closed and their adventures through the last mirror on the left behind them, otto and sheed are ready to get things back to normal. but the fixity it took warned him of the side effects and they quickly came true, beginning with a thunderstorm that rained frogs. But that’s just the beginning. Teachers suddenly start quitting, vets leave their animals behind, and a strange goat starts delivering takeout orders. When a shady company known as Goo, obsessed with Logan County’s weirdness, shows up and starts buying up all the property in town and threatens to take Sheed after a strange new energy traces back to him, the legendary Alstons Logan County Boys, along with Otto’s mom, Sheed’s dad, and the Ellison twins, have to find a way to save their town and keep their family together.
October 26
frankie and amelia
Published: October 26, 2021
After being separated from his family, Franklin becomes an independent cat, until he meets a goofy dog named Chester. Chester is a service dog for his person, a boy named Gus, and Chester knows the girl is Franklin’s person: Gus’s classmate Amelia.
Amelia loves cats, but she has a harder time relating to people. However, Franklin understands her and sees how much they have in common. When Amelia gets into trouble at school, Franklin wants to help the girl she has done so much to help him with. he’s still not sure how to do it, but he’s determined to try.
This sweet and heartwarming novel demonstrates just how powerful the bond between pets and people can be, while carefully depicting the experience of a neurodivergent preteen.
Fall 2021 Middle Grade Books (November)
November 2
the ice house
Published: November 2, 2021
Spring is here, and yet a relentless winter freeze has left Louisa snowbound in her apartment building for months with parents dealing with extreme stress, a little brother battling claustrophobia, and, uncomfortably, his neighbor and former close friend, luke . The new realities of this weather disaster have not only affected Louisa’s family, but when Luke’s father has an ice-related accident and it is unclear if he will recover, the lives of both families are turned upside down. /p>
Desperate to find an escape from the pain plaguing their homes, Louisa and Luke build a massive snow fort in their backyard. but their creation opens an otherworldly window into what might be to come, and sets them on a mission: to restore the universe to its rightful order, so that the ice melts and life returns to “normal.”
Deftly blending heartfelt prose and a touch of magic, Monica Sherwood’s poignant debut novel is a relatable story of struggling families emerging from a different kind of quarantine.
related: monica sherwood on the ice house, edtech and writing for tweens
when the world turned upside down
Published: November 2, 2021
what do you do when the world turns off? A heartwarming story of friendship and overcoming adversity in a time of Covid, when the world is turned upside down is about community, giving back, and understanding the world around us through the power of generosity from first-time author K. ibura.
no one expected that a small virus would change the world in such a big way, especially shayla, liam, ai and ben. But when the school closes to keep everyone safe, their lives are turned upside down. It’s one thing to know the outside world isn’t safe, but why does it seem like the virus is causing problems inside your homes, too?
As they struggle to adjust to life in quarantine, they discover that they are not alone: their apartment building is full of people who need their help. working together, they begin to see that there is power in numbers. when they cooperate, they can ease each other’s challenges and help their neighbors through difficult times. it is a lesson they will need when protests erupt in the streets. Soon, each friend must decide what it means to be part of a community and how much he is willing to do to make this world safer for everyone.
Set at the onset of Covid, as the world upside down navigates issues of race and social justice in a moving story of generosity, friendship, and the power of youth.
tangled in luck
Published: November 2, 2021
if you had told sloane osburn and amelia miller-poe that they would be hiding in their city cemetery from an evil mastermind, they would have had a hard time believing you. if you also told them that person intended to win a cache of long-lost jewels from them using nothing more than a slingshot and wicked aim, they would have been sure you were wrong. Finally, if you had told them that you would do all of this as friends… well, they would have been sure you needed medical attention.
either by chance (very, very good luck) or zemblanity (very, very bad luck), someone tricked their teacher into using their seventh grade class to investigate the mystery of their town’s lost treasure. From there, things have escalated. quickly. now, the girls are stuck hiding behind a tombstone, dodging acorns (who knew acorns could be so threatening?), and only a few clues below those jewels.
It’s up to these enemies-turned-partners to uncover centuries-old clues to find the treasure at the end of this book before the mysterious person following them can get there first…
the loot is in the socks
Published: November 2, 2021
xavier moon is not one to steal the spotlight. he’s perfectly content playing video games and sitting in his bedroom window watching the neighborhood talk outside. But for Xavier’s twelfth birthday, he gets a funky pair of socks and a dare from his great-uncle, Frankie Bell, saying it’s time to show off and talk. first in the list: he enters the league of the legendary scepter. Xavier’s grandfather, great-uncle, and father were invited to join the elite after-school boys’ club that admits only the most affable and confident youngsters. Xavier has never had the courage to apply before, but his wild socks are getting her attention, so maybe it’s time to step out of the shadows and follow in his family’s footsteps. or maybe xavier will march down a whole new path.
November 9
double action, meanwhile
Published: November 9, 2021
Portico Reeves’ superpower is making sure all the other superheroes, like his parents and his two best friends, stay super. and sure. super secure and all this is done in secret. no one in his civilian life knows that he’s actually…a stuntman!
but his usual gantry identity is also cool. he lives in the biggest house on the block, maybe in the whole town, which basically makes it a castle. her mom calls where they live an apartment building. but a building with fifty doors right in the corridors is definitely a castle. and behind those fifty doors live a lot of different people who double save all the time. in fact, he is the only reason why the cat, with a new name every day, has nine lives.
this is all great except for the other gantry secret, its not so super secret. Her parents fight all the time. they are trying to hide it by repeatedly telling portico to go see a neighbor “in the meantime”. but gateway knows that “in the meantime” means his parents are heading for the meantime, which means they’re about to get into it, and well, gateway’s superhero responsibility is to save them too, as soon as he figures out how to do it. .
alone, all these secrets give portico the wiggles of worry, the junk, what his mom calls anxiety. Plus, like all superheroes, Gateway has an archenemy who is determined to prove that Gateway is nothing super.
stuck
Published: November 9, 2021
if austin chose a color to describe his life, it would be tumbleweed brown. Austin doesn’t like to stand out. he’s always the new guy, and you can’t hide the size of him. Also, Austin has a secret: he has a hard time reading. then austin meets bertie, who is razzmatazz. everything about bertie is about to explode! But the best part of his new school is the security team, with their lemon laser vests. her easy confidence and leadership stand out in the coolest way. Even when things aren’t so vibrant and home life makes Austin feel peaceful blue for the first time, he wants to make a mark. And the more Austin talks, the more he discovers that he may not be so different after all.
November 16
the art of running away
Published: November 16, 2021
maisie, twelve years old, is an artist. When she’s in front of her sketchbook or as an apprentice at Glenna Portraits, the family art shop opened by her grandmother, the world makes sense. She doesn’t think about Calum, her brother who mysteriously left home and cut ties with her family six years ago, or her parents’ insistence that she “broaden her horizons” and try something new, something she didn’t know. outside art.
But when Glenna Portraits falls on hard times, Maisie’s plan to take over the shop when she grows up and become an artist for life begins to unravel. Desperate to make things right, Maisie runs away to London to reunite with her adult brother, hoping he holds the key to saving the store. But as Maisie learns about her family’s past from Calum, she begins to rethink everything she’s ever known. Ella Maisie must decide not only if her family’s art store is worth saving, but also if she can forgive her parents for the mistakes they made.
the theft of the crown
Published: November 16, 2021
As dangerous as his adventures have been, Art has always been able to count on his best friend, Camille. now that camille finds her father estranged from her, art wants to be there for her, which means going to london. but her father, Camille’s history teacher, renowned for his expertise in British legends, is missing. When they visit his apartment, Art and Camille find a long-lost item that suggests the professor may be in trouble and solve a mystery related to London’s history.
Follow art and camille as they visit the tower of london, the national portrait gallery, and ride the “tube” in hopes of discovering the truth before it’s too late.
billions of birdies
Published: November 9, 2021
For as long as the eleven-year-old birdie can remember, it’s always been just her and her mom, which means there’s not a lot of extra money to spend on things like new clothes and poles from the fancy gym store. even so, they always find a way to make ends meet. Then Birdie makes a dumb mistake with one big consequence: Mom loses her job. now things are worse than ever, and birdie knows it’s up to her to fix it.
When birdie discovers a large amount of cash in an abandoned house, she knows it must be the answer to her problems. but the people who left that money behind are not willing to give it up so easily. Does “seekers, keepers” count when it’s half a million dollars?
In this heartwarming small-town story from beloved author Edith Cohn, Birdie learns to balance what’s right for her family—and herself—with what’s the right thing to do.
Fall 2021 Middle Grade Books (December)
December 7
I know your secret
Published: December 7, 2021
Email arrives on Sunday night: Do exactly what I say, when I say it, or I will reveal your secret.
On Monday morning, seventh graders Owen, Gemma, Ally and Todd, who have nothing in common and barely know each other, must work together and follow the instructions of an anonymous blackmailer. None of them want to follow the blackmailer’s instructions, but each of them has a secret that they must protect at all costs.
Set during a single school day, students race against the clock to complete a series of unsettling tasks, with fast-paced chapters detailing every moment of the day interspersed with an interview-style recording by the quartet.
double clique: a novel of desires
Published: December 7, 2021
friendship? just add science. . .
lb in poor condition. Even though her best friend Kat says he’s forgiven her for using science to get popular, things are still pretty weird between them. Then her old school bully Courtenay shows up, pretending to be nice! worst of all, it looks like kat. . . as a courtesan? Just when she thought things were getting back to normal, lb’s friendships are more confusing than ever!
He needs a new hypothesis, and fast, to renew his relationship with Kat before Courtenay can screw everything up again. Sure, lb has never seen a superhero movie or drawn a comic, and lb has definitely never done roller derby before, but if kat is into that stuff, why shouldn’t she give it a try? As she moves out of her comfort zone and into Kat’s, LB discovers a world of new adventures. maybe his first experiment started this mess, but his second plan will surely fix it! Will your two mistakes of his make a hit?
the meow of the dog
Published: December 7, 2021
When 12-year-old Mina discovers an abandoned kitten, Nukka, outside of Fairbanks, Alaska, she knows she has to take care of it. And with the help of Mina’s huskies, Nukka quickly becomes part of the family.
There’s just one problem (isn’t there?): nukka is a cat, and with only a pack of huskies to raise her, she develops some… interesting characteristics. Nukka learns to pan like a dog, play like a dog, and even wants to become a sled dog, just like her canine siblings. but they are much bigger and stronger than her. how could nukka keep up?
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But things take a turn for the worse when the pack is stranded in the woods during a rescue mission. With a blizzard on the way, can Nukka save the family from him before it’s too late?