The secret lives of middle school girls

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Raise the Bar by Fernanda Frick H. (Dial Books, 352 pages, grades 5-8). For as long as she can remember, Samantha has loved to lift heavy things. Now she trains daily at her gym in Chile, inspired by her hero, Eva Dos Santos, the first Latin American woman to win a weightlifting Olympic gold medal. Sam’s parents don’t support her dreams, but her older brother helps her try out for the elite High Performance Center, where kids from all over Latin America train for events like the Pan American Games and the Olympics. When Sam is accepted to train with Dos Santos, her parents grudgingly allow her to go. At the center, she pushes herself as hard as she can, not allowing herself to become a full part of the friendly camaraderie of other athletes. A disastrous performance at an important event results in an injury and a period of soul-searching that gives Sam a new perspective, making her a more supportive teammate and allowing her to reconcile with her family. Although she doesn’t get the Pan American gold medal she’s dreamed about, Sam is well on her way to becoming a champion by the end of the story.

Middle school readers will love reading about Sam’s experiences, as well as the subplots involving various other athletes. Her ambition and passion, as well as her setbacks, will ring true for many teens and tweens, and her comeback story is sure to inspire.

Middle School Monsters by Robin Easter (Little Brown Ink, 224 pages, grades 4-7). “In movies, the monster is usually the one terrorizing the humans. In middle school, it’s the other way around,” Jamie tells the reader on the second page. She hints that she’s really a werewolf, and that she has to hide her identity to fit in at her new school. A group of girls befriend her on the first day, warning her to stay away from weird girl Vera. But Jamie finds she likes Vera, who may or may not be a vampire, and the two secretly become friends, writing a story together about werewolf Scout and vampire Raven. Vera introduces Jamie to her online friends who have similar interests. But when Jamie’s new friends bully Vera, Jamie stands by silently, and when their Scout and Raven story falls into the wrong hands, she disavows any connection to it. Understandably, Vera pushes her away, and Jamie has to decide which is more important: fitting in or true friendship?

Ah yes, the age-old middle school dilemma, told here with a fun twist about who is a monster and who is not. Readers will be rooting for Jamie to embrace her true self, and I’m happy to spoil it by saying she decides to go with her werewolf persona. There were parts of the story that could have been more fleshed out, and kids may be disappointed that there aren’t real monsters in the book, but they will also connect with the middle school drama and the importance of finding real friends.

Dance Team Drama (Detective Baby book 1) by Meg Cabot, illustrated by Amelia Allore (HarperAlley, 176 pages, grades 3-7). Jenny has a superpower that only her best friend Vesper knows about: she can understand and speak baby talk. After the money she raised for the new dance team uniforms disappears, Jenny’s desperate enough to offer her services as a babysitter. Her first job introduces her to a crackerjack baby detective named Rosie with twin sidekicks Timmy and Tippy Tupperman who communicate via baby monitor. Unbeknownst to their grown-ups, they’re just wrapping up a case, tracking down a missing cat. They’re able to coerce Jenny into helping them return the cat and collecting the reward. Jenny’s ready to pack it in after that adventure, but Rosie convinces her that she knows what happened to Jenny’s lost money. Sure enough, she manages to crack the case which involves not only Vesper, but Jenny’s brother, her crush, and her nemesis from the cheerleading squad. We’re sure to see more from this crew in book 2, Cheerleader Challenge, coming out next spring.

And on a lighter note, here’s a quick and fun mystery from beloved middle grade and YA author Meg Cabot, featuring a heroine with an unusual ability and three very clever babies. The manga-style pink and purple illustrations will draw readers right in, and they’ll have some good laughs following Jenny and the Detective Babies as they crack their first case.

Fun with food

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Mac & Cheese: The Origin Story by Michael L. Benner, illustrated by Alison Hawkins (Orchard Books, 32 pages, ages 4-8). Mac is a friendly noodle who gets along with other forms of pasta but longs for a real friend. Cheese is the king of Quesoland, beloved by his subjects, but also a lacking in the friendship department. When Mac heads off on an adventure and winds up in Quesoland, the two instantly click. Cheese loves Mac’s jokes, and Mac enjoys Cheese’s tour of Quesoland. Before long, they’ve become inseparable: two friends meant to be together.

I’ve seen quite a few comparisons of this to John Jory’s The Bad Seed series, and that seems apt. Both are kind of light on plot, but make up for it with fun, colorful illustrations, cartoon bubble dialog, and lots of food puns and jokes. The eye-catching cover is sure to draw lots of readers in quickly. Look for book 2, Milk and Cookies, coming next year.

How (Not) to Make a Jelly Sandwich by Ross Burach (Scholastic, 40 pages, ages 4-8). The narrator promises to explain how to make a jelly sandwich in five easy steps. The first step is to get two slices of bread, so she goes to the grocery store, buys the components of a duck disguise, heads to the pond in said disguise, then gets a woman to hand her two of the slices of bread that she’s brought to feed the ducks. The rest of the steps are similar, turning simple tasks into complicated Rube Goldberg-like procedures. As the girl is finally ready to take her first bite, all the people and animals that helped her show up to collect their jelly sandwiches, and she’s off again. Includes a couple of pages with some other suggestions to complete the steps and inviting readers to come up with more.

The crazy ideas and cartoon illustrations will have kids rolling on the floor with laughter. Not only that, but it could also serve as a fun introduction to writing procedural text or the concept of brainstorming.

Early readers with that Halloween feeling

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Maud and the Very Eventful Week (Maud the Vampire, book 1) by Lisa Anchin (Candlewick, 64 pages, grades K-3). Each day of Maud’s week is eventful, from buying a runaway teapot at the Night Market to setting up a juice and spider stand that doesn’t get as many customers as she had envisioned. Wednesday’s entry has just two sentences: “On Wednesday, Maud found a tooth! What an exceptional day,” with an illustration of Maud holding up a tusk that’s bigger than she is. Although the stories seem unconnected at first, as the week goes on, the reader will start to recognize things from previous days. On Saturday, Maud has a yard sale featuring the tooth (it turns out to be too big), items from Thursday’s haunted dollhouse, and the spiders and juice again. This time, she makes a lot of money, and on Sunday, she decides to try buying another teapot.

This early reader has a perfect blend of cozy and spooky; Maud’s life features a lot of everyday items and happenings, but all with a slightly ghastly twist that will make readers chuckle. I’m glad to see this is listed as book 1.

Pumpkin and Beetle: Two Vampire Cats by Jannie Ho (Holiday House, 80 pages, grades K-3). Pumpkin and Boo have fangs, eat only red foods, and are awake at night. They’re vampire cats, of course! When they see the newest volume of their favorite comic book in Mrs. Owl’s shop, they’re soon on a mission to earn enough money to buy it. Sales of crab apples and crab apple muffins prove to be a failure, but when they finally talk things over with Mrs. Owl, she comes up with a plan that makes everyone happy. The last few pages give readers a glimpse of the new comic book featuring the Frightfuls (a Frankenstein monster and a skeleton) and there’s also a recipe for apple muffins that look much better than the ones Pumpkin and Beetle bake.

Fans of Pizza and Taco or Pencil and Eraser will love this new comic book that features lots of Halloween motifs but not a single real scare. I’m a little late in discovering this book, which was published in 2025, but book 2 is coming out in just a few weeks.

Boo! Halloween is coming

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Giggling Ghosts by Fiz Osborne, illustrated by Tim Budgen (Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 32 pages, ages 4-8). A group of happy ghosts wake up at (our) bedtime and get ready for a night of haunting fun. They tip-toe, glide, spin, giggle, and boo, inviting readers to join in. The last two wordless pages show them all fast asleep after their exciting but exhausting night.

This fun, non-scary Halloween book will have young kids up on their feet and moving along with the ghosts. The illustrations are adorable, and the catchy rhyming text complements the movements. You might want to add a wind-down activity or have the kids make their boos get quieter and quieter to settle everyone down after all the action.

Scritch! Scratch! An Itchy, Witchy Halloween Tale by Teri Sloat, illustrated by Zuzana Čupová (Random House Books for Young Readers, 40 pages, ages 4-8). When three children hear a loud “Scritch! Scratch!” they’re sure they’re being pursued by a witch. They race outside, only to see her shadow flying by a full orange moon. Are the rustling sounds they hear her harvesting toads, rats, and snails for her spells? All three kids find hiding places in the house and are relieved when they think the witch has finally flown away. But then, there it is again: “Scritch! Scratch!” Slowly, they open the door…to find a little black cat scratching at the mat.

The black and gray illustrations, highlighted with bright orange, along with the spooky rhyming text will make a great late-fall read-aloud. I was a little confused by the ending; was it really just the cat all along? And what’s up with the kitty’s menacing shadow on the last page? But maybe the ambiguity about whether or not scary things are real makes it part of the fun.

Celebrating community

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A Very Good Parade by Eleanor Davis (Harry N. Abrams, 48 pages, ages 4-8). When Gabby decides it’s time for a parade, she is unstoppable. Miguel has his dad’s big horn, but he doesn’t know how to make it work. “That horn is so good you don’t even have to play it,” Gabby tells him. Hugo can sing every part of “Stayin’ Alive,” so he’s in. Mavis and Isabel have snack time scheduled, but Gabby feeds them string cheese, and they decide to be parade acrobats. The only ones not allowed in are some big kids who are bullying a little kid–but the little kid gets to join. At last, Gabby tells them it’s time to perform, and at this perfect moment, Miguel figures out how to make his dad’s horn work. The adults go wild, cheering and clapping! Then Gabby’s grandma calls her home for dinner, the crowd disperses, and Gabby goes inside where she declares, “It was the best parade in the history of the whole entire universe.”

Gabby is clearly a person who gets the job done, and readers will love the techniques she employs to bring out the best in everyone, and to shut down those who don’t play by the rules. The illustrations portray a diverse and multi-talented group that truly celebrates community.

Here Come the Aunties! by Cyntia Leitich Smith, illustrated by Aphelandra (Heartdrum, 32 pages, ages 4-8). River introduces all the aunties who are part of his life as he goes through a year. Auntie Vicki is his second-grade teacher, and Auntie Betty drives him and his friends from around the rez to school. Auntie Patrice teaches him to bead at the powwow, and Auntie Emma comes to his class to teach the kids about Indigenous history. Auntie Wendy makes a crib quilt for a Christmas gift, and all the aunties come over when the new baby is born the following summer. Includes an author’s note with additional information about aunties in Indigenous communities and the Muscogee Nation that River is part of.

Here’s a great choice to celebrate Indigenous communities, with a wide variety of aunties who each contribute their own special talents to help River and his family throughout the year.

Creature features

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The Weaver and the Web by Chris Baker, illustrated by Byron Eggenschwiler (Godwin Books, 40 pages, grades K-3). As the sun sets, Weaver, a spotted orbweaver spider, wakes up hungry and starts to build an intricate web. Just as she’s caught a fly, a human walks into her web and destroys it. Disoriented, Weaver has to get her bearings and build another web, this one in a treehouse window. After filling up on the tasty moths she catches there, she returns to the ground to curl up safely inside a leaf and falls asleep as the sun rises on a new day. Includes an author’s note about overcoming his arachnophobia to write this book, along with additional information about spotted orbweaver spiders.

The close-up illustrations of the spider and her intricate webs will grab readers’ attention, and they’ll enjoy the story of her persistence in building the webs and catching food for herself. Her interactions with humans will perhaps give them a new appreciation of spiders they may run across and make them think twice about killing vs. releasing them.

A Bear Belongs: A Wildlife Rescue Story by Catherine Barr, illustrated by Harriet Hobday (Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 48 pages, grades 2-5). Tan-Tan is a young bear living in a Southeast Asian rainforest when she’s stolen away by hunters. Fortunately for her, the man who purchases her is a wildlife rescuer, and he takes her to the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Center. There, she’s placed with Boboi and Kitud, two other rescued sun bears, and the three are gradually introduced back into the wild. In part two, the bears venture into the rainforest for longer periods of time until they are finally released with radio collars. Scientists are able to track them for about a month, after which time the collars fail and the bears are left on their own, hopefully finding their way in their new home. Includes additional information about the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Center.

The story of the three bears is expertly woven together with information about sun bears and the scientists who help rehabilitate them. I do wonder if this book would find a wider readership if it were told with photos, although I love the beautiful illustrations of the bears and their habitat.

Helpful neighbors

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Gus Upstairs by Carey Sookocheff (Owlkids, 40 pages, ages 4-8). Ms. Wilson lives in a downstairs apartment, where she enjoys the familiar noises of the Lam family in the apartment above her. When they go to work and school, she also relishes the silence and uses the time to play music. When Gus moves in, things change. After being adopted on a Friday, Gus enjoys a weekend of doggy play with the family until they go off on Monday morning, leaving him alone and lonely. He welcomes the sound of Ms. Wilson’s music, but when he tries to sing along, she feels compelled to stop. She leaves a note for the Lams, and it looks like Gus will have to be returned, but the last few pages show a better solution: Gus will spend his days with Ms. Lam, where they can enjoy music together.

I loved the structure of this story, which quickly introduced the character, set up the problem, and provided an extremely satisfying solution. I wasn’t a huge fan of the muted brown and gray color palette, but the simple text and cute cartoon style illustrations eventually won me over.

Big Rig Pig by Claire Tattersfield, illustrated by Rob Sayegh Jr. (Flamingo Books, 40 pages, ages 3-6). Miles Bacon is hauling boxes through town, but when he gets a call for help, he can’t say no. He adds a trailer full of logs to his rig and keeps going. Then a circus needs a hand, and he adds the performers to his truck. Miles goes through his day assisting others until he gets to a hill and can’t get his big load up the slope. Just as he’s about to give up, his friends come to the rescue, each vehicle taking part of the load until Miles can get moving again. First stop? The auto shop for some much-needed repairs.

The rhyming text and colorful illustrations depicting all kinds of vehicles will make this a popular choice with preschoolers. It would make a great match with Towed by Toad by Jashar Awan; both feature kind, friendly truck drivers who learn that it’s okay to ask for help when you need it.

Orphan girls

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Birdy by N. West Moss (Christy Ottaviano Books, 288 pages, grades 4-8). Birdy and her younger brother Mouse have lived all their lives in Manhattan with their mother, whose cancer and mental health issues have meant a difficult childhood for both kids. When their mom passes away, the kids are sent to the country to live with an older couple who are distant relatives. Everyone is trying to find their way in this unexpected new situation when the kids’ long-lost Uncle Clay comes for an extended visit. Despite her fear of any kind of attachment, Birdy finds herself drawn to the new adults in her life. She’s surprised to enjoy day camp, meeting kids her age and getting to engage in fun activities that weren’t part of her city life. At the same time, she’s working through her grief and doesn’t always know what to do with her feelings of anger, fear, and sadness when she remembers her mom. Although the kids’ situation is only for six months, things start to feel permanent, and everyone waits anxiously when a social worker comes to visit and to make a recommendation for their placement. A happy ending gives Birdy and Mouse an unusual but loving found family.

The story is somewhat slow-paced and most of the action is internal, so I think it would take a certain kind of reader to connect with it. Having said that, this is probably my favorite middle-grade novel of the year, and I found myself slowing down reading it so that I could savor every bit of Birdy’s journey before getting to the extremely satisfying ending. I loved that Birdy was reading Cynthia Voigt’s Dicey books, a series I loved many years ago and that tell the story of a similar orphan girl.

Raven, Rising by Christine Hartman Derr (Heartdrum, 288 pages, grades 4-8). Raven and her aunt have moved to a new town after a freak accident that Raven feels responsible for claimed the lives of both of her parents. She longs for the connection to her Cherokee heritage that was a big part of her old community, and a clique of mean girls and a bullying assistant principal make her feel unwelcome in her new school. She misses the baking she once did with her mom, which almost felt magical, but she feels like her passion for cooking may have caused her parents’ accident. Raven finally befriends two other girls and starts to notice that they have some unique powers, similar to her baking. The three of them join forces to take action against the assistant principal and to try to deal with the ringleader of the mean girls in a constructive fashion. Their friendship makes a huge difference to Raven, and by the end of the book, she’s starting to feel like she and her aunt are becoming part of their community.

Magic realism gives this story a fun and occasionally spooky vibe, addressing many issues, including bullying (by kids and adults), grief, and respecting and celebrating others’ cultures. I closed both books hoping for sequels so that we can find out what happens next for Raven and for Birdy.

Carpe diem

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A Day Off School by Oliver Jeffers, illustrated by Kevin Waldron (Philomel Books, 40 pages, ages 4-8). Herbie’s home sick from school…but not sick enough to stay in bed all day! He’s got a long list of things to do, like playing Space Blasters, making a pillow fort, and drawing dinosaurs. When lunch comes, Herbie’s surprised to realize he’s already worked his way through every item on his list. The afternoon drags, and he starts imagining increasingly audacious scenarios about what he might be missing at school. By the time his sister comes home, Herbie’s ready to go back to school, and the next day he does. And school is really boring.

While there may not be any great lessons to be learned here, kids and teachers alike will recognize the excitement of having a day off, only to realize they’re thinking about school…and that it’s still the same when they go back! The imaginative illustrations and real-life situations are a winning combination that will appeal to a wide variety of kids.

Today Is the Day! by Chelsea Lin Wallace, illustrated by Adam Rex (Chronicle Books, 44 pages, ages 4-8). The story is told from the perspective of a day. The day is born at sunrise. It says goodbye to thousands of people, while welcoming thousands more into the world. It celebrates millions of birthdays and becomes part of the 27,000 days that make up the lifetimes of many people. It’s the entire lifespan of a mayfly, and it sees the birth of many stars throughout the universe. As the sun sets, the day moves on to make room for other days, knowing that it will have been memorable for many people all around the world. Includes statistics on all the things that happen in one day.

This unique book will make readers stop and appreciate each day. The lush illustrations help convey the wonder, joy, and sadness that can be contained in a single day, and the back matter adds some interesting facts about all the things that happen around the world (and the universe) each day.

Perfectly imperfect

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A Not So Perfect Start by Trudy Ludwig, illustrated by Maribel Lechuga (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 32 pages, ages 4-8). Thea’s starting school with some big feelings: excitement (to meet her teacher), hope (that her teacher and the other kids will like her), and worry (that the teacher will get mad at her). The first few days have ups and downs, but halfway through the third day, Thea really gets stuck. She can’t get her picture to look the way she wants it to, and it makes her feel mad and like she’s no good at art. Mrs. Howard tells her that art doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful. When a classmate spills paint on the floor, Thea helps clean up, then notices how beautiful the paint-soaked paper towels look. The class gets inspired to make a bouquet of paper towel flowers for Mrs. Howard. Includes a list of helpful tips for “perfectly imperfect YOU!”

I loved the progress-not-perfection message of this book, which could be helpful for kids AND teachers starting a new school year. The only complaint I had is that every school I’ve ever worked at has had those brown non-absorbent paper towels, which could never in a million years soak up paint, much less be made into a bouquet of flowers.

Allie and the 100 Percent Perfect, Frustration-Free Day! by Megan Wagner Lloyd, illustrated by Ellie Snowdon (Peachtree, 32 pages, ages 4-8). Allie the alpaca wakes up each morning determined to have a 100 percent perfect day. She WILL learn to tie her shoes, create an amazing painting, and bake incredible cookies. When inevitable problems arise, Allie feels angry and frustrated, even more so when her little brother laughs at her and her mom tells her to have a positive attitude. To make sure tomorrow is perfect, Allie lays out her clothes and fixes her lunch the night before. But a nightmare right before she wakes up derails her, and the morning gets off to another imperfect start. But just as the frustration is building, Allie remembers advice others have given her, like “Get help when you need it,” and “Try taking a break.” At that moment, Allie’s brother trips and falls, and the two of them start laughing together. Allie realizes she may not ever have a frustration-free day, but the day can be pretty perfect anyway.

Another perfectionist learns to relax in this cute story filled with alpaca illustrations. Both of these stories offer practical messages for kids to give themselves when things go wrong and would make a fun addition to any SEL curriculum.

Dear Math, We’re Not Friends by Lina Chopra Haldar, illustrated by Teresa Martinez (Beaming Books, 32 pages, grades K-3). When Nikhil’s teacher assigns the class to write letters to Math, Nikhil informs Math that they are not friends and never will be. His letters reveal that Math gives him anxiety about messing up and not being able to find the right answer. As the year goes by, however, he starts to realize that mistakes are okay, just part of learning. He also starts to see Math in his everyday life, like measurement and money, and that it also plays an important role in some of his favorite subjects, like space exploration, art, and cooking. “I seem to find you everywhere now,” he writes in his last letter, signing it “Your friend, Nikhil.”

This book of letters not only tells the story of a boy discovering the beauty and importance of math but also overcoming his fear of making mistakes. It would make a good introduction to math at the beginning of the year, helping to establish a growth mindset of learning vs. trying to always make sure you have the right answer.