Middle grade fiction

Two final 2025 chapter books

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How to Save an Otter (Wildlife Rescue book 1) by Kate Messner (Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 118 pages, grades 1-4). Ivy and her mother and brother are trained Critter Courier volunteers, so when they find an injured baby otter, they know just how to get her to the animal hospital. Over the next several days, Ivy’s time is taken up with working on an Earth Day project and keeping tabs on the young otter’s recovery. She’s been going through a tough time since her cousins, who were also her best friends, moved away, but as she shares her animal rescue experiences with the girls on the group project, she realizes she may be able to make new friends. By the end of the story, Ivy’s feeling a lot better about school, and she and her family are able to help out with reintroducing the otter to her natural habitat. Includes an author’s note about her own experiences volunteering and a wildlife hospital, tips for kids to help out with wildlife rescue, and a preview of the next book in the series, which was published at the same time.

Kate Messner can generally be counted on for enjoyable early chapter books that will engage newly independent readers. This one fits the bill: a series starters about relatable school problems and an adorable baby animal, with plenty of illustrations and a page count just under 100 (the rest is back matter and a preview of book 2). The main story starts and ends with chapters told from the otter’s perspective, giving kids hints as to the nature of her injury and what may have happened to her family, although it’s never definitively revealed.

Bad Cheerleader by Alex Thayer (Aladdin, 288 pages, grades 5-8). Margaret, or Bag for short, is dealing with a lot at home and at school: her parents are separated, her dad is struggling with addiction, and her older sister Miranda not only acts like she hates Bag, but seems to be hiding a secret or two as well. Bag has recently been diagnosed with dyslexia, and although she loves books, she’s a slow reader and struggles with her other school work. When her mom has to work late, Bag reluctantly agrees to join Miranda at cheerleading practice, hoping to find out more about what is going on with her sister. She immediately gets recruited as the squad’s equipment manager, and in a hilarious sequence of events, winds up leading cheers at a big basketball game. She eventually finds out what Miranda has been doing and why, which ultimately brings the two sisters closer as they realize they need each other’s support to get through their family’s tough times.

This book dealt with heavier issues than I was expecting from the title and cover, but it did so with a light touch and plenty of humor. Middle school readers will definitely relate to Bag’s struggles, and root for her as they get to know her quirky personality and determination.

Living with disabilities

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Mama Car by Lucy Catchpole, illustrated by Karen George (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 40 pages, ages 3-8). A young girl shows the reader her mother’s “Mama Car,” the wheelchair that helps her get around. The two of them like having expeditions, and they prepare for them together, moving around the kitchen to pack a lunch, then snuggling together in bed to eat it. Although the illustrations show that her father has only one leg, no mention is made of that, as he drives the family on a bigger expedition. When the girl falls off her tricycle, her mother is quick to reach her and take her on to her lap to comfort her. “The Mama Car has so many things, but the best thing is it has Mama.” Includes a note from the author about her own wheelchair and how it affects the way she parents her two daughters.

A great choice for starting a conversation about disabilities with the youngest readers, or helping kids with a parent in a wheelchair see themselves in a book. Reading this led me to learn more about Lucy Catchpole and her husband James, the dad in the book with one leg, who have written other books together about living with disabilities.

The Bionic Boy by Lynn Plourde (Nancy Paulsen Books, 208 pages, grades 3-7). Benji was born without hands and spent the first few years of his life in an orphanage before being adopted by his two fathers; a few years later, they adopted his younger sister Becka who has Down Syndrome. Benji used prosthetic hands when he was first adopted, but he struggled with them and has been afraid to try again. Inspired by both a veteran who lost parts of all four limbs in combat and Becka’s victory at the Special Olympics, Benji makes the decision to visit a prosthetist. Things go much better this time, and even a temporary hand made with a 3D printer gives Benji exciting new skills. He momentarily questions his decision when the misuse of his new hand results in an injury and the escape of the family cat, but Benji has learned to be resilient and is able to overcome these setbacks. The story ends with Hands Day, when Benji gets his permanent prostheses, making him feel like the superhero he’s always dreamed of being.

Benji’s story will be interesting to a wide range of readers, especially the parts where he works through his doubts about prosthetic hands and then goes through the process of getting them, all the while supported by his unique but loving family of two dads and a younger sister with Down Syndrome. I did feel like a lot of the dialog didn’t ring true, particularly between fifth graders Benji and his best friend Sam, to the point of being a bit cringey to read. And Becka’s constant cheerfulness and the way her speech was written (e.g., replacing all her r’s with w’s) made her character’s portrayal feel a bit stereotypical. Still, this is an upbeat story about kids with disabilities and will encourage readers to be resilient about facing their own struggles.

Two chapter books for younger elementary kids

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Sparrow, Always by Gail Donovan, illustrated by Elysia Case (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 160 pages, grades 2-5). Sparrow’s dealing with a lot in fourth grade: a new baby brother, a best friend who seems to be growing up faster than Sparrow is, and some difficulties following directions at school that get her placed in a friendship group with a counselor. She loves animals, though, and the incentive of getting to helping Toby, the new puppy next door, pass his guide dog test motivates her to do better in school. Despite her difficulties, Sparrow’s heart is in the right place, and as fourth grade ends, she realizes that she’s a good friend, sister, and dog trainer, and that if she stays true to herself, she’ll be okay in fifth. Readers will enjoy the last chapter which tells about the guide dog test in Toby’s own voice.

I missed book one of this series, Sparrow Being Sparrow, which came out in 2024. Books 2 and 3 were released together, and I accidentally read book 3, but no prior knowledge was needed for me to thoroughly enjoy it. Sparrow has a Ramona Quimby vibe, and as I’ve said before, I always like discovering real middle grade books about third and fourth graders, which tend to be a bit of a rarity. Unfortunately, I find it hard to pry my students away from graphic novels long enough to read a book like this one, but I know there are many who will relate to and enjoy Sparrow’s adventures if they give her a try.

Night Chef by Mika Song (Random House Graphic, 160 pages, grades 1-4). The Night Chef is a raccoon who has learned cooking by living in the walls of a restaurant. After saving a baby crow that she names Ichi, the Night Chef decides to go on a journey to return Ichi to his flock. Along the way, the chef does a cooking stint at an animal-run restaurant called Mole’s Hole that’s being terrorized by an owl, travels as a stowaway on a train (more cooking, to pay her fare), and finally finds the crows and returns Ichi. On the way home, she stops back at the Mole’s Hole where she’s able to rescue them from the owl’s tyranny, aided by Ichi and the crows who return at just the right moment. The Night Chef learns about her early connection to the crows and discovers that she belongs at the Mole’s Hole, creating delicacies for the animals.

This cute animal graphic novel is sure to be popular with early elementary kids. It took me a minute to understand Night Chef’s circumstances and relationship to humans, but I loved all her animal adventures and the way she used her cooking talents to help herself and others, and the ending was extremely satisfying.

Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards

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An email alerting me to the upcoming Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards ceremony coming up this Thursday, November 6, sent me on a search for some of the books that I hadn’t read yet. You can see a complete list of winners and honor books here.

Death in the Jungle: Murder, Betrayal, and the Lost Dream of Jonestown by Candace Fleming (Anne Schwartz Books, 368 pages, grades 7 and up). Most of us know about Jonestown and the tragic end that befell more than 900 residents in the Guyana jungle. This book takes readers back to founder Jim Jones’s earliest days and shows how a bizarre mix of idealism and quest for power led him to start the People’s Temple which moved from Indiana to California, and finally to Guyana where Jones basically kept his followers imprisoned: cut off from the world and subject to his paranoid drug-fueled ravings. Individual members of the group are profiled, based on Fleming’s interviews with survivors, and their memories of enjoying being part of a warm community mixed with traumatic punishments, sleep deprivation, and overwork serve as a warning to anyone drawn to a charismatic leader like Jim Jones. Includes source notes, a bibliography, and an index.

I remember reading about this incident in the news during my own teenage years and trying to make sense of what could have possibly gone so horribly wrong. This book answers some of those question–although many are unanswerable–and is told in such a compelling style that I could not put this book down and read it in about 36 hours. It’s an especially important book for teens, as many of those interviewed were their age during the events of the story (including Jones’s son Stephan), and in many cases, a questioning attitude toward authority saved them.

Oasis by Guojing (Godwin Books, 160 pages, grades 4-7). Two children live in the desert, fending for themselves with only occasional phone calls from their mother who works in Oasis City, trying to get permission to bring her children to live with her. When the kids find a broken robot, they’re able to repair it and activate its “mother” mode, giving them an AI mom. When their human mother comes home for a few days, she discovers the AI mother, and destroys it in a fit of fear and rage. Her daughter runs off, and the mother is able to repair the robot and bring the daughter back home. The two mothers share their hopes and dreams for the children, and the AI one shows how she has been able to reproduce conditions in Oasis City to start growing plants, giving them hope that one day they can all live in the desert together. The author information relates that Guojing was inspired by “left-behind children” in China, who stay in rural areas when their parents go to find work in the city.

I had gotten this book out of the library several months ago, after seeing its five starred reviews, but I was a little put off by the dark artwork and never got around to reading it. I’m so glad I gave it another try. It’s a quick read–it only took me about 15 minutes–but it packs a powerful punch and celebrates all sorts of family connections and love. The cover says, “In a bleak and distant future, two children are lost, one robot is found, and a tendril of hope appears,” but it didn’t seem like such a distant future to me.

Up, Up, Ever Up! Junko Tabei: A Life in the Mountains by Anita Yasuda, illustrated by Yuko Shimizu (Clarion Books, 48 pages, grades 2-5). As a child, Junko Tabei dreamed of climbing mountains, and she pursued that dream when she moved to Tokyo as a young woman. Most mountaineering clubs didn’t take women, but Junko persevered until she found one that did. Even after marrying and having a daughter, Junko continued to climb and to encourage other women to join her. Eventually they planned an expedition to become the first all-female team to climb Mount Everest. Even an avalanche couldn’t stop her, and Junko realized her dream of being the first woman to reach Everest’s summit. In her later years, she became an activist for sustainable mountain climbing, researching the impact of trash and human waste on Everest and helping to mitigate some of those effects. Includes an author’s note, timeline, glossary, and bibliography.

I’m a little late to this 2024 book, but I’m breaking my rule of only reviewing books published in the current year. The Boston Globe-Horn Book Award follows the school year calendar, so it was eligible for this year’s award and was an honor book, in addition to winning a 2025 Caldecott Honor. Both are well-deserved for the beautiful ink and color illustrations that not only portray breathtaking mountain landscapes but celebrate Junko’s Japanese culture.

Graphic novels with girl power

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Words Apart by Aimee Lucido, illustrated by Phillippa and Rachael Corcutt (Versify, 394 pages, grades 4-7). Olive is the younger sister who shares a love of words with her linguist dad. Maddie is the older sister, an artist who struggles in school. Since Maddie repeated kindergarten, the two girls are in the same grade. Maddie, who experienced bullying in her younger days, keeps to herself and encourages Olive to do the same. So when Olive gets a crush on a boy and starts working with him on the school paper, Maddie is jealous. On the home front, their dad has taken a job that requires him to live away from home during the week. When he returns on weekends, Maddie begins to suspect that he’s hiding a secret. All of the stresses come together, and the sisters end up hurting each other deeply. When their parents give them some difficult news, they must find a way to repair their relationship even if it will never be the same as it was.

Told in alternating voices, with Olive’s written in verse and Maddie’s in comics, this book took a much more serious turn than I was expecting, given the cover and the format. It deals with a lot of tough issues in a very relatable way. Don’t be put off by the page count, the comics and verse writing make it a pretty quick read.

Kindred Dragons by Sarah Mesinga (Harry N. Abrams, 208 pages, grades 4-8). Imagine if Anne of Green Gables were named Alice, her parents were still alive (but traveling with a theater company, hence her stay at Green Gables), and some of the other girls and women in the community were “kindreds,” entrusted by the fairies to take care of a dragon in a way that makes their lives dependent upon each other. Alice longs to be a kindred, but so far she hasn’t received an egg, although many of her friends have. When she encounters a dragon named Brim whose kindred–an elderly woman with a reputation for being a witch–is missing, she is determined to help him reunite with Miss Gilroy. Her advocacy for the two of them lands her in big trouble with her grandmother, but eventually Alice prevails. Although the reunion between Brim and Miss Gilroy ends with heartbreak, it results in a deeper bond between Alice and her grandmother and the revelation of Alice’s unique magical powers.

Even those unfamiliar with Anne of Green Gables will love this imaginative tale that celebrates both individuality and community and weaves an enchanting tale that combines magic with everyday life. The art is gorgeous, particularly the aerial views that showcase both the dragons and the Prince Edward Island scenery.

Strangers in strange lands

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How to Say Goodbye in Cuban by Daniel Miyares (Anne Schwartz Books, 240 pages, grades 4-8). Daniel Miyares tells the story of his father, Carlos, a young boy living in the Cuban countryside in 1956. When his father wins the lottery, he decides to pursue his dream of opening a furniture store, moving the family to the big city. Carlos is heartbroken to leave his friends and grandparents, but things take a darker turn as the political landscape in Cuba changes dramatically. The beginning of each chapter shows Castro’s slow rise to power, as he gathers enough supporters to overthrow Batista and takes over the country. Carlos’s parents aren’t particularly political, but that doesn’t protect them from the state taking his dad’s business. Carlos secretly watches Papi and some other men work every night building a boat, and shortly after that, his dad disappears. When life gets more dangerous in the city, the family returns to their grandparents’ farm, where Papi reunites with them and tells them they’re going to America. Carlos is heartbroken all over again, but his father convinces him it’s their only chance for a better life. After a dangerous nighttime journey, they arrive in Florida, ready to begin that life. Includes a four-page author’s note with additional information about Carlos and how his son Daniel came to write this book, along with several photos.

I was surprised to learn that Daniel Miyares has never won a Caldecott, and this graphic novel could easily remedy that situation–or win him a Newbery. The story and gorgeous artwork capture both the beauty of Cuba and the tension, confusion, and danger of the early days of Fidel Castro’s regime. The last part of the book, covering the family’s escape is both suspenseful and moving, and readers familiar with today’s immigration situation will be surprised at the welcome the Cubans get from the American military.

The Experiment by Rebecca Stead (Feiwel and Friends, 288 pages, grades 4-7). Despite his normal New York City upbringing, Nathan has always know that he’s different from other kids. He brushes his teeth five times a day with special pink toothpaste, his mother carefully records every calorie he eats, and…he and his family are aliens. Known as the Kast, his parents have raised Daniel on tales of how they traveled from their home planet as children to begin an experiment living on Earth. Nathan meets each month on Zoom with other Kast children, and he’s begun secretly texting one of them, a girl named Izzy. But recently a few of the kids, including Izzy, haven’t been on the calls, and when Nathan discovers that he’s growing a tail, he suspects he’ll be the next to disappear. He’s not wrong, and he and his parents are summoned to the mother ship, which sits in a parking lot outside a Pennsylvania mall, disguised as a storage container. As Nathan learns more about the ship and his parents’ past, he begins to suspect that it’s all a deception, and that he and the others might be human after all.

This science fiction story is hard to put down once you get through the first few chapters, and the last half has plenty of twists and turns that will keep readers guessing until the very end. It reminded me a little bit of a Margaret Peterson Haddix story and would make a great introduction to the sci-fi genre.

A year in the life of a middle schooler

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Dear Jackie by Jessixa Bagley, illustrated by Aaron Bagley (Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 288 pages, grades 4-7). Jackie and Milo are best friends, born on the same day and growing up next door to each other. They’re nervous about sixth grade but certain they can navigate it together. When Milo starts hanging out more with his soccer teammates, and Jackie’s frenemy Adelle teases her about not dressing like a girl or having a crush, Jackie decides to take matters into her own hands. She types a letter to herself from a secret admirer and “accidentally” drops it into Adelle’s locker, which is right above her own. The cool kids are intrigued, so Jackie writes another note to get more positive attention. Before long, she’s in over her head, and she and Milo have both hurt each other with a series of misunderstandings and cruel pranks. Jackie gives into pressure and goes to the big school dance, but when the kids find out the identity of her “secret admirer,” she’s sure her life is over. With the help of her older sibling Bari, she figures out how to tell her parents who she really is and to make amends with Milo. A final letter to Bari at college reveals that she and Milo have found their people through a gaming club, and seventh grade promises to be a much better year for everyone. Includes notes from the wife-and-husband author and illustrator.

Fans of middle school graphic novels will enjoy this one, which really pours on the middle school cringe and cruelty in a way that all too many of us will find familiar. Non-binary Bari and Jackie will help kids see that there are many ways to express your identity, and the most important thing is to be true to yourself. I hope we get a sequel to find out how seventh grade turns out.

Winging It by Megan Wagner Lloyd, illustrated by Michelle Mee Nutter (Graphix, released October 21, 272 pages, grades 3-7). Luna’s unhappy when her dad tells her they’re moving from California to Washington, D.C., and even more so when she learns they’ll be living with her maternal grandmother until they can find their own place. Luna’s mom died when she was a baby, and while she would like to be closer to Grandma and learn more about her mom, her grandmother has always seemed stiff and distant. One day, though, Grandma shares her mother’s old nature journal, and Luna, who’s never enjoyed the outdoors, starts taking tentative steps to explore the natural world, with her biggest dream being to see the luna moth for whom she’s named. Slowly, she starts making friends with her neighbors and getting involved with her school’s environmental club. Even her busy father and her grandmother take an interest in sharing nature with Luna, and by the time a year has gone by, everything has changed so much that Luna feels like she’s truly found a new home.

Fans of Allergic and Squished will be excited to see a new graphic novel by the same team. Just like Dear Jackie, this story goes month by month through a school year, from one summer to the next, and shows the reader how much can happen in a middle school year, and how many changes there can be. Luna is forced to be brave as she deals with a big move and the adjustment of living with a grandmother she barely knows, but she rises to the occasion and discovers parts of herself she never knew existed.

Fairy tales

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The Invisible Parade by Leigh Bardugo, illustrated by John Picacio (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 60 pages, grades 3-6). There’s a party planned for the evening, but Cala doesn’t want to go, since she is still grieving about her grandfather’s recent death. As the family does errands around town, illustrations show her mom giving money to a man sitting and begging, Cala bumping into a sneezing woman, and her siblings arguing. She ignores them all, feeling too sad. That night at the cemetery, Cala sees the ghosts of people who have parallels to those from earlier in the day. A skeleton on a horse is sick, another one is hungry, and a third likes to argue. They explain to her that helping sick people can lead to a caring heart, witnessing hunger can make you grateful, and fighting can provide a chance to forgive. A fourth rider, Death, shows Cala the ancestors, including her grandfather, who are still with her. By the end, Cala is no longer afraid of hunger, sickness, anger, or death, and is ready to join the party. Includes notes from the author and the illustrator.

This collaboration between a best-selling YA author and a Hugo Award winning illustrator offers a dark fairy tale perfect for Día de Muertos. The story will get readers thinking about their fears and the good that can happen when they face them, as well as how to handle grief. The illustrations will be loved by anyone who appreciates all things spooky. I saw this recommended for ages 4-8, but I think older kids would get more out of the tale and be less likely to be frightened by the pictures.

Greta Ever After by Melissa Dassori (Christy Ottaviano Books, 304 pages, grades 4-7). Greta has high hopes as well as high anxiety as seventh grade begins. Her best friends are excelling at sports, student government, and acting, and she wants to show everyone she can be a star journalist. A magical cuckoo clock she receives for her twelfth birthday has a wooden dancer girl who comes to life for Greta, introducing herself as Lulu and offering Greta the chance to escape life by entering the clock with her. Greta is tempted, especially when she finds herself struggling to come up with good news stories to write about. In desperation, she starts to secretly create situations around school that she can report on. Before long, she’s getting the praise she was seeking for her writing, but knows that she’s compromised her journalistic integrity. As the deadline to join Lulu closes in, Greta must decide whether she wants to escape from life or stick with getting through the tough times.

This was a fun mix of realistic middle school story and fairy tale magic, with a performance of Into the Woods allowing Greta and her friends to enter into a different sort of fairy world. I guess maybe I’m not up on my journalistic ethics, but I thought some of Greta’s ideas for creating news were pretty cool, and that the reactions when her family, teachers, and friends found about them were a bit overblown. Greta is a relatable character, flaws and all, and readers will connect with her dilemmas.

Hansel and Gretel by Stephen King, illustrated by Maurice Sendak (HarperCollins, 48 pages, all ages). The classic fairy tale is retold by horror legend Stephen King and illustrated using set and costume designed by the equally legendary Maurice Sendak for a 1997 production of the opera Hansel and Gretel.  Side note: the opera was composed by Engelbert Humperdinck, whom I remember as a singer from the 60’s and 70’s. I learned that the pop singer took his stage name from the German composer who created the opera Hansel and Gretel in 1893. The name dropping is fierce, and surely HarperCollins is counting on this to generate sales heading into the holiday season.

It’s a pretty long but engaging retelling, and the illustrations are all that you could want in a story whose candy-studded gingerbread house conceals a child-eating witch. In his introduction, King describes much of Sendak’s work as “sunny exterior, dark in the center…or sometimes vice versa,” and his story pays homage to this sensibility. I usually steer clear of books with celebrity authors, but in this case, I think it’s worth a look and most likely, a purchase.

Animal friendships

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Pocket Bear by Katherine Applegate, illustrated by Charles Santoso (Feiwel and Friends, 272 pages, grades 3-7). Zephrynia is a cat who likes to “rescue” (some would say steal) items that she finds, bringing them to her owner Elizaveta and her daughter Dasha. She always seeks counsel about her treasures from Pocket Bear, a small stuffed bear who traveled in the pocket of a World War I soldier before winding up as a castoff that Dasha found. Dasha was injured and lost her father before she and her mom immigrated to the U.S. from Ukraine, and she has a soft spot for the stuffed animals that Zephrynia brings her, so much so that she cleans them up and offers them a new home through her Second Chances store. When Zephrynia finds an unusual old bear in a dumpster, Dasha works her magic, preparing Berwon to find a new home. But his history makes him the target of an unscrupulous antiques dealer, and Zephrynia finds herself acting unselfishly for the first time to rescue Berwon and bring about a happy ending for him, Pocket Bear, Elizaveta, and Dasha. Includes an author’s note about her inspiration for this story, a little bit of the history of teddy bears, and the soft spot she has for stuffies.

As I was considering books to offer my four fourth-grade reading clubs this fall, I found myself leaning heavily on Katherine Applegate’s books. And why not? The stories are full of heart, memorable characters, interesting plots, and timely messages, yet have short chapters and enough illustrations to make them good choices for those who haven’t read a lot of chapter books. This one will go into the rotation, as it has all the elements mentioned above. And in case you are wondering, one of my groups voted for Wishtree, while another chose Dogtown. (Non-Applegate choices were The Wild Robot and The Guardian Test.)

Fox and the Mystery Letter by Alex G. Griffiths (Frances Lincoln Children’s Books, 40 pages, grades K-3). Fox lives in a cottage in the middle of a dense woods. “He lived alone–usually that was just the way he liked it.” But one morning, a large bird delivers a letter that reminds Fox of–oh, never mind. The letter is the beginning of a puzzle that Fox must solve, and with every step, readers get hints that Fox may have had a dear friend in the past with whom he quarreled and parted ways. The hunt takes him through the woods, up a tree, and across the ocean until finally the puzzle is solved and the friendship is repaired.

This is a charming animal story, and who doesn’t enjoy a good scavenger hunt? It’s a great mentor text for making predictions as clues are dropped throughout the story about Fox’s friend and what happened to their friendship. It seemed a bit risky on the part of the friend to trust that Fox would persevere through such a complicated hunt, but he does, and it’s a happy ending for everyone.

Two (or more) of a kind

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The Taylors by Jen Calonita (Scholastic, 224 pages, grades 3-6). Taylor, a.k.a. Teffy, is nervous about starting fifth grade, which is at the middle school. She’s surprised and delighted to discover three other girls named Taylor in her class, each one named, as she is, for Taylor Swift. The pop superstar’s Eras Tour is coming to their hometown of Indianapolis, and all four are desperate to get tickets. They come up with different strategies, most notably selling friendship bracelets to try to raise the exorbitant sums the tickets are fetching online. When not pursuing their Swiftie passions, the four try out for cheerleading and navigate the occasionally bumpy roads of fifth grade, including dealing with mean girl Hannah and some misunderstandings among themselves. Although they’re not able to realize their dream of buying tickets, they decide to attend the Tay-gating party next to the stadium, where their loyal friendship pays rich dividends in the form of a surprise truly worthy of Taylor Swift.

Although this story already feels slightly dated (the Eras Tour ended almost a year ago), the friendship of Teffy, Tay-Tay, TS, and Taylor is truly an inspiring one, showing four girls whose loyalty and integrity helps them achieve their lofty goals. Although it’s technically a middle school story, I like that the girls are in fifth grade, making this a great choice for elementary readers. 

Let’s Get Together by Brandy Colbert (Clarion Books, 304 pages, grades 4-7).  In alternating chapters, Kenya and Liberty tell their story of sixth grade. Liberty’s been in the foster system most of her life and has finally landed in a good home with a woman named Joey. She’s nervous about her first day of middle school, but doesn’t expect the surprise that meets her there: a popular girl named Kenya who looks exactly like her. There’s tension between the two girls from the start, and a big fight at the sixth-grade mixer lands them both in the principal’s office, where Kenya’s father realizes he’s finally found his long lost daughter–Kenya’s twin. As the girls learn about their past, they slowly become good friends and decide there’s only one way to a happy ending: get Kenya’s dad and Joey to fall in love and get married. The author’s note tells of her love of the original Parent Trap movie that inspired this story as well as additional information about children in the U.S. foster care system.

Those who have watched either of the Parent Trap movies will appreciate the parallels in this take-off, although Liberty’s story of being taken by her mom, who struggled with mental illness and drug abuse, has a more serious tone, and also provides a more realistic reason why parents would separate their twins. Despite that, the story is fun and the alternating chapters gives readers a chance to get to know each twin equally well.