Middle grade fiction

Long, strange trips

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Styx and Stones by Gary D. Schmidt and Ron Koertge (Clarion Books, 240 pages, grades 4-7). Simon has spent centuries in the underworld, but he’s different than the other shades. After refusing to drink from the river Lethe, which wipes away memories, Simon spends his time in Hades’ kingdom plotting to escape. Even though each attempt results in his destruction, he’s brought back to life (sort of) the next day. Finally, his kindness to three-headed dog Cerberus results in success, and Simon finds himself naked in one of the boys’ bathroom stalls of a middle school in St. Paul, Minnesota. He’s rescued by Zeke, who spends too much time being bullied in the bathroom, and who gives Simon not only clothes, but a home, and an introduction to 21st-century American middle school. In return, Simon gives Zeke his undying friendship. The action shifts back and forth from school to the underworld, where Hades vows to retrieve Simon and destroy him. But Persephone and the other shades have been moved by Simon’s kindness, and little by little, changes begin to happen in the underworld. Eventually, the two worlds collide, and even Zeke’s friendship isn’t enough to keep Simon safe. But their few weeks together have changed everything for Zeke, Simon, and even the kingdom of darkness.

Collaborators Schmidt and Koertge have produced another engaging story that brings classical mythology into the modern world in a way that will undoubtedly appeal to Rick Riordan fans. While the world building is a little weak at times (how does Simon know English?), the story has a lot of heart and plenty of both mythological and middle school adventure. To me, it wasn’t quite strong enough for Newbery contention, but clearly there are other opinions, because it’s currently at #10 on the Goodreads list.

Midnight Mayhem by Christina Uss (Holiday House, 164 pages, grades 3-6). When Kaz accidentally eats an odd food combination at a diner, he loses the ability to sleep. At first, his sleepless nights are boring and lonely, especially since he and his family have just moved from Massachusetts to Philadelphia, and he hasn’t started school or made any new friends yet. When his parents put him into a hospital sleep lab to try to figure out a cure, Kaz meets fellow insomniac Floyd, who only requires an hour or two of sleep a night. Floyd loves adventures but has a tendency to inadvertently get himself into trouble, and Kaz finds himself forced to choose between lonely boredom and chaotic friendship. Ultimately, he chooses friendship, and he and Floyd get themselves a gig as late-night radio hosts…where Kaz accidentally discovers a (partial) cure for his sleeplessness.

This quirky novel features two endearing characters and a series of wacky adventures. It’s a pretty short read, and that, combined with plenty of humor, makes it a good choice for elementary kids. I haven’t read Gordon Korman’s latest, Sleepless, but interestingly it also features a group of kids who no longer need sleep, raising some interesting questions, as this book does, about what you would do with an extra 8 hours of activity in your life.

Sporty types

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Offside by Christina Diaz Gonzalez, illustrated by Mari Costa (Graphix, 208 pages, grades 4-8). This year’s middle school soccer team is open to girls for the first time, and just about everyone seems to have an opinion about that. Nicky, who fought for the opportunity to play on a team where she has a better chance of being scouted, is thrilled. Al, whose Brazilian father and grandfather have passed on their ideas about girls and sports, is determined to do whatever it takes to keep the team boys only. Fabiola and Sebastian, newly arrived from Colombia and Peru respectively, speak little English and just want a chance to play the sport they love. Palmer, sidelined with an injury, is bilingual and serves as a translator for the different teammates. As the season progresses, the kids–with some encouragement from their coaches–realize that to win games, they need to put aside their differences and appreciate each other’s strengths. By the end of the story, not only have they become a winning team on the field, but they’ve learned to act together to speak up for equal sports opportunities for everyone.

Those who have followed the World Cup this summer will appreciate this soccer-themed graphic novel with its uplifting message about equal access for all athletes. The different characters are well-drawn (in both senses of the word), showing growth as players and people throughout the story. Spanish and English are cleverly woven together in the dialog bubbles. Includes a glossary of soccer terms and a full-page illustrated explanation of what offsides means. I still don’t get it.

The Long Hike: The True Story of the First Appalachian Thru-Hike by Meghan McCarthy (Beach Lane Books, 48 pages, grades 1-5). Before World War II, Earl Shaffer had planned to hike the Appalachian Trail with his best friend Walter. But Walter didn’t survive the war, and Earl decided to go it alone, to “walk the war out of my system.” Following the motto, “carry as little as possible but choose that little with care,” Earl set out from Georgia on April 4, 1948. He suffered through blisters, mosquitoes, heat and cold (New Jersey prohibited campfires at the time), and a trail that was sometimes difficult to follow. But he also met interesting people along the way and was soothed by the natural world. Finally, on August 6, he stood atop Maine’s Mount Katahdin, the first person to have hiked the entire trail. Earl spent the rest of his life advocating for the preservation of the Appalachian Trail, and did two more through-hikes, including on in 1998, in which he set a record for the oldest person (at the time) to hike the trail. Includes several pages of back matter, with additional information on Earl Shaffer and the Appalachian Trail, as well as resources to learn more.

I love Meghan McCarthy’s quirky nonfiction books, and it’s been a few years since I’ve seen a new one. This one is a lot of fun, detailing Earl Shaffer’s adventures on the Appalachian Trail, along with excerpts from the notebook he kept along the way. The illustrations of different parts of the trail and beautiful and may inspire readers to get outside for a hike themselves. This is a timely story, as the record for oldest person hiking the AT is on track to be broken this summer by 91-year-old Dale Sanders.

Sibling rivalry

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The Band of Bigs (League of Littles, book 2) by Casey Lyall, illustrated by Sara Faber (Greenwillow Books, 128 pages, grades 3-7). When an older brother babysitter gets locked out of the house by his younger siblings, the Band of Bigs is on the case. Rushing to the house, the Band discovers that the younger siblings have been joined by three members of the League of Littles who have not only locked the doors but rigged up a series of booby traps to prevent entry. A new recruit to the Band of Bigs proves her worth, some kids from the Middles and Onlys Guild show up to mediate, and everything is resolved just in time for the parents’ return. The mysterious Big Big phones in at the end with an approving message and the promise of further adventures. Includes a Q&A session between the author and illustrator about how the book was created.

I missed last year’s book 1 of this graphic novel series, and I recommend reading it, as I did, before moving on to book 2. The premise is an extremely fun one: there are rival spy organizations for older and younger siblings, and each is called on when someone in their demographic is in trouble. I hope book 3 will explain more about the intriguing but slightly mysterious Middles and Onlys Guild. Each book is 128 pages, making it a quick read and good entry point for beginning graphic novel readers.

The Great Escape by Deborah Marcero (G. P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, 48 pages, ages 4-8). Evie believes in the power of magic and wants a chance to practice hers, but she has no power over her three siblings, Wolfie, Bunnie, and Teddy, who insist on following her everywhere. When a snowstorm hits, Evie sees her chance for escape, but the kids put on scarves and boots and head outside with her. Desperate, Evie grabs a stick to use as a wand, says some magic words, and dives into the snow. She tumbles into a magical world (turn the book upside down to get the proper perspective), and of course, the three younger kids dive in after her. The unfamiliar surroundings arouse Evie’s protective instincts, and she finds herself looking out for her siblings. When Teddy takes off, the others follow and find him helping a whale whose baby is caught in a net of constellations. They help the whales, then, mission accomplished, head for home where they enjoy hot chocolate on the couch before falling asleep.

This ode to siblings and the power of imagination has beautiful, magical illustrations that distinctively show the ordinary world and the magic one. Not only are the styles different, but the whole book has to be turned upside down to see what the kids find under the snow. This book is currently at #13 on the Goodreads Caldecott list, and I’m looking forward to making it part of my mock Caldecott activities in the fall.

Cats and dogs

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The Unlikely Tale of Chase and Finnegan by Jasmine Warga (Balzer + Bray, 240 pages, grades 3-7). Finnegan is an abandoned dog, lost in the woods after a shameful incident with his previous owner that has him convinced that he’s a bad dog. Chase is a young cheetah living in the zoo, trying to figure out life after her mother dies. They tell their stories in alternating chapters. Finnegan is rescued by Ryan, who brings him home to the apartment he shares with his girlfriend Basma. Basma works at the zoo where she is training Chase to be part of a show. They decide that Finnegan might help Chase, and the two animals’ stories converge. As they learn to trust each other, each one is able to show the other that they are worthy of love despite past mistakes. Chase is able to overcome her worries about performing, and Finnegan learns to trust that his new humans will always be there for him. Includes additional information about cheetahs and dogs and the program pairing cheetahs with rescue dogs that inspired this story.

Animal lovers will enjoy this story and may be inspired to learn more about how to help endangered cheetahs. Chase and Finnegan are both loveable animals, but their doubts and worries about their places in the world will resonate with kids. This would be a great choice for an elementary read-aloud or book club.

Licorice by Kara Lareau, illustrated by Kelly Murphy (Scholastic, release date October 20, 224 pages, grades 3-7). Kitty’s story begins in an animal shelter, where she’s been brought after a traumatic early life living in the woods. Her neighbor, a rabbit named Bunny Von Hopper, gives her all sorts of advice about how to present herself for adoption, but Kitty is too afraid to follow much of it. She’s surprised when a boy named Max Winters takes an interest in her. A few days later, she’s officially adopted and taken to the Winters’ home at 5 Manderley Lane. There, Kitty’s worst fears come to pass as she feels like she is constantly living in the shadow of her predecessor, a beautiful and amazing cat named Licorice. A gray parrot named Duchess shares the home and delights in taunting Kitty with stories of what an amazing cat Licorice was. Licorice seems to have died under mysterious circumstances, but as Kitty spends more time in the house, getting to know various animals and humans who are part of the family, she begins to piece together what actually happened to Licorice, and to realize that she may not have been exactly the beloved pet Kitty initially believed her to be. A series of plot twists–and a slightly twisted ending–assures readers that Kitty has found herself a happy home.

If some of these story elements sound familiar, you may be recognizing them from Daphne Du Maurier’s novel Rebecca (or the Alfred Hitchcock film version of it) on which this book is based. It’s a fun and well-done take on this classic story, but even those who aren’t familiar with the original will enjoy this slightly creepy tale with plenty of suspense and questions that keep the reader guessing right up until the last page.

Understanding neurodivergence

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Perfect Enough by Meg Eden Kuyatt (Scholastic Press, 352 pages, grades 4-7). In this follow up to Good Different, we meet Seleh as she’s preparing for some big changes in her life. Not only has she recently been diagnosed with autism, but she’s starting a new school in the fall. For the summer, though, she has big plans for her three weeks at Writer’s Camp, including working on her poetry and hanging out with her two new friends Rheya and Brooklyn. Seleh’s mom is nervous about her taking this big step, but Seleh is sure with her new coping mechanisms and tools she’s ready for anything. The first few days are amazing, but before long, Seleh is struggling. Her roommates like to stay up late, and Seleh needs lots of sleep. She takes on two big group projects, even though she doesn’t like working in groups. Some of the counselors don’t understand her need for breaks and using some of her other strategies. By the end of week two, Seleh has completely crashed, and she faces the difficult decision whether to stay and see her commitment through or go home early and take care of herself. Her mom, grandfather, new friends, and a sympathetic counselor help her figure things out and to see that there’s value in trying new things even if they don’t go perfectly. Includes an author’s note and some other resources for readers.

I don’t usually review sequels, but I actually forgot that I had read the first until I was about halfway through this one, and by that point I was too invested to stop! It’s a great look at a girl figuring out how to survive and thrive with her new diagnosis, while developing empathy for her new friends who are dealing with their own issues. I also liked the message at the end of the book (spoiler: Seleh leaves camp early) that it’s okay not to finish things sometimes if it means taking better care of yourself. Note: this is currently at #12 on the Goodreads Newbery 2027 list.

No Brain the Same: Neurodivergent Young Activists Shaping Our Future edited by Lindsay H. Metcalf and Keila V. Dawson, and Jeanette Bradley, illustrated by Jeanette Bradley (Charlesbridge, 40 pages, grades 2-5). Like their books celebrating kids who are making history and fighting climate change, this collection looks at neurodivergent kids working to make a better world for everyone. Whether it’s Tourette’s, ADHD, autism, Down syndrome, or some other form of neurodivergence, these young people have learned to not only navigate the world, but to thrive in it, creating music, books, videos, and inventions to help others like them. Each spread has an illustration of the subject, a poem, and additional information about the person and their achievements. Includes a glossary, a list of the poetry forms, and additional information about the poets.

This inspiring book serves multiple purposes, introducing both a variety of poetic forms and an inspiring group of young people who have already achieved a lot in their lives despite living with disabilities. This is a great introduction to poetry as well as a good “mirrors and windows” book to learn about neurodivergent kids.

Two series entries to read with Pride

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Sebastian Metzger Solves a Sticky Situation (The Kids in Mrs. Z’s Class #11) by Kyle Lukoff (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 128 pages, grades 2-4). Sebastian loves going to the school library with his class, and he’s excited when Mr. Bloom, the librarian, lets him take a new book about octopuses that hasn’t been processed for the library yet. Sebastian promises to be extra careful with it, but when he takes it home, his little sister ends up getting sticky fruit punch all over one of the pages. Sebastian is horrified. He knows his mom can’t afford the $29.95 replacement cost. At first, Sebastian finds ways to avoid going to the library, but the guilt of the situation starts to take over his life. He finally confesses everything, first to Mr. Bloom and then to his mom, and is thrilled and relieved when both adults come up with solutions to help him out, making the library a fun and safe space for Sebastian once again. Includes a preview of the next book in the series.

Although I don’t usually review series books beyond the first one, I was intrigued by this entry by Kyle Lukoff about a transgender boy in Mrs. Z.’s class. For Sebastian, third grade is “the first year that he started as Sebastian and ended as Sebastian, and he was happy that no one seemed to care.” It’s nice to see an elementary trans character handled so matter-of-factly, and Sebastian’s much bigger issue in this book involves the damaged library book. The school librarian is also an excellent role model, as is Sebastian’s single mom, who is clearly working hard and struggling financially but is loving and patient with her kids.

Fruitcake by Rex Ogle, illustrated by Dave Valeza (Graphix, 240 pages, grades 5-8). Rex Ogle continues his graphic novel memoir series with this account of eighth grade. Everyone around him seems to be pairing up, and when he meets the new girl Charlotte, she seems like a good candidate to become Rex’s girlfriend. But Rex can’t ignore his feelings of attraction to his friend Drew, and he starts to wonder if he’s gay. He and Charlotte start dating, but on a camping trip, he and Drew kiss, confirming Rex’s suspicions about his sexuality. Drew can’t admit the truth, saying that he’s straight and just having fun, and Rex gets his heart broken. He starts to notice homophobia in his family and in his grandma’s church, making coming out that much scarier. When he finally gets the courage to tell the truth about himself, he’s happily surprised for the most part. Includes notes from the author and illustrator sharing their own coming out stories.

This funny, honest memoir will ring true for many middle schoolers struggling to figure out who they really are. I love Rex Ogle’s books, and he never shies away from sharing his embarrassing or dark memories of middle school. The content of this book is a bit more mature than the first two books in the series, and I would tend to classify it more for middle school than elementary. It would make a great companion to Ogle’s non-graphic memoir, Free Lunch.

Girls and dogs

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Strays by Gia Gordon (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 272 pages, grades 4-7). When Campbell sees a puppy dumped from a van, she knows only to well what is likely to happen: her dad is the head of animal control and regularly euthanizes pets who have been in the town shelter for too long. Determined to save the pup, Campbell enlists the help of her new best friend Luz. The story of their campaign is woven together with glimpses of each girl’s family life. Campbell’s distant father and missing mother seem to her to be a contrast with Luz’s warm family with two parents and two sisters. But as Campbell spends more time at Luz’s house, she starts to see that things aren’t as perfect as they seem. When the puppy bonds with Campbell enough to follow her home, it triggers a surprising sequence of events that offers hope and healing for both families.

Campbell and Luz both have a lot going on with their families–both of them have dads who are dealing with trauma, Campbell’s from a disastrous house fire and the loss of his wife, and Luz’s from military PTSD. The girls have different coping mechanisms, but each one is resilient in her own way. While their story is kind of a heavy read, the end offers the promise of a better–if not perfect–future. A great choice for fans of Barbara O’Connor’s girl-and-dog stories.

Kestrel Takes Flight by Joy McCullough (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 304 pages, grades 4-7). Kestrel has spent her whole life living with her strict pastor grandfather and her single mother as part of an isolated church community in San Diego. But the summer after fifth grade, her mom suddenly tells Kestrel they’re spending the next few months at the Rocky Mountain Bear Institute in Montana, where her mother has a job working with dogs bred to protect people and bears from each other. Kestrel, who is afraid of dogs and misses her grandfather, is furious at her mom at first and just wants to go home again. But as the days go by, and Kestrel is surrounded by caring people, she starts to questions much of what her grandfather has taught her and how he disciplined her and her mother. When he shows up at the end of the summer, she has to decide whether or not to go back home with him, and much to her surprise, it’s the dogs who help her to make the decision. Includes an author’s note about emotional abuse and what kids can do if they realize they are experiencing it.

This novel in verse allows readers to see Kestrel’s struggles as she slowly moves from anger and despair at being suddenly removed from her home to a realization that life may be better for her without her grandfather. A crisis forces her to get to know the dogs better, and she slowly begins to let go of that fear. This would make a great book for summer reading, as it’s a pretty quick read but does a great job of showing all the changes that can happen in just a few short months.

Fly me to the moon

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Explore the Far Side of the Moon by Jenny Jacoby with consultant Dr. Sheila Kanani, illustrated by Lea Woo (Thames and Hudson, 64 pages, grades 2-6). Readers are invited on a mission to the far side of the moon to explore the area in and around the Shackleton Crater at the lunar South Pole. Each spread covers a different aspect of the mission from Meet Your Crew to Liftoff to Stepping Onto the Moon to The Splashdown. Illustrations include diagrams and pictures that show readers many aspects of space travel that can be highly technical, like a cutaway of the moon lander, or more mundane, like directions for making a beef taco or how to go to the bathroom in space. The last few pages show moon maps and the phases of the moon, and there’s also a glossary and an index.

This is a fun look at many different aspects of space travel, with plenty of information presented in ways to make it easily accessible for elementary kids. It’s perfectly timed to show kids what the real-life NASA Artemis missions are like.

I Built a Rocket Ship by Anna Lazowski, illustrated by Jennica Lounsbury (Kids Can Press, 32 pages, ages 4-8). A grieving child tells her late mother that she’s building a rocket ship. As she creates, she shares some of her memories, like the time they went camping, and her mom showed her the constellations when she was scared of the dark. Dad is quiet when she tells him what she’s doing, but later he takes a lasagna Mom made out of the freezer and promises they’ll use the recipe to make another one together. The two of them paint the spacecraft Mom’s favorite color “so you’ll be sure to see me coming.” The last page shows the purple rocket ship flying through space next to a swan constellation.

This book will break your heart, with memories, and grief woven into the spare text. I loved the rocket as a coping mechanism, following Mom’s advice to build it, filling it with her favorite things, and using it as a springboard for memories. The dad is clearly going through his own grieving process but is there for his daughter throughout.

Life on the Moon by Matthew Swanson, illustrated by Robbi Behr (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 320 pages, grades 3-7). When Leo was given the choice between staying on Earth with his mom and living on the moon with his dad and Dad’s girlfriend, he chose the moon. Which may say something about what his life on Earth has been like recently. But no sooner has he arrived on the moon, than his dad and girlfriend go off on a top-secret mission and disappear. Leo breaks the rules and goes out in a lunar rover to try to find them. Almost immediately, he realizes that two rules he’s been told about moon life–there’s no life on the moon and there are no technical difficulties–are completely untrue. Not only are there life forms, but they are all intricately connected, so that disturbing one will potentially destroy them all. As Leo slowly learns this, he comes to realize that his own life is a web of interconnections, and that he has a purpose that he is only beginning to understand. When catastrophe threatens the lunar colony, it’s up to Leo to come up with an unconventional solution that will give the reader plenty to think about after reading the last page.

Personally, I’m not a big fan of picaresque novels, and the blurb on the cover–“A modern-day Phantom Tollbooth”–was a bit of a red flag, as I don’t particularly care for that book. However, if I’m going to read a book in which the protagonist travels from one adventure to the next meeting all kinds of unusual creatures, each with its own lesson to teach, let it be one by beloved husband-and-wife team Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr. I believe that many readers will fall in love with this book (as the have The Phantom Tollbooth, to be fair). Behr’s illustrations are imaginative and funny, and Swanson’s story is ultimately complex and affecting, raising interesting questions, some of which are nicely articulated in the afterword. This would make a very interesting read-aloud or book club choice that could lead to some good discussions.

Geordie and Rubie

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The Hidden Dominion of Geordie James by Mike Dawson (Union Square Kids, 256 pages, grades 3-7). 12-year-old Geordie is dealing with a lot of anxiety, especially when he has to interact with kids at school. Being assigned a group project to help him pull up his failing science grade is a complete nightmare for him. One of the boys, Samesh, seems like he could be a friend, and he and Geordie gradually start bonding over Dominion, a world-building game Geordie loves to play. When his dad decides Geordie’s getting too much screen time, he pushes Geordie to go outdoors. Geordie eventually discovers a secret hideaway in the woods, a place where he can mysteriously excel at Dominion (he sneaks his tablet out of the house). He eventually shares his secret with Samesh, and the two spend many happy hours in the woods building their worlds together. When people from town decide to turn the woods into a nature preserve, Geordie’s happy world is destroyed. He attempts to go back to his fort one night, but gets caught in a storm, and a series of flashbacks reveals the reason for his anxieties. In the end, his dad realizes both he and Geordie need some professional help, and Geordie realizes that his project group has become a source of support for him as well.

There’s an amazing amount packed into this graphic novel; my summary didn’t even touch on Geordie’s love of animals, the mysterious runaway pig, and the devastating effect Covid had on this family. Readers will relate to many of Geordie’s struggles at school and at home and will root for him as he slowly comes to terms with all that’s going on in his life and learns to reach out to those around him.

Really Rubie by Maddie Frost (Aladdin, 240 pages, grades 3-7). Rubie’s excited for a month at summer camp with her best friend Riley. The two girls have come up with a TUCE (The Ultimate Camp Experience) Truce: a list of classic camp activities, like eating s’mores, making friendship bracelets, and having a first kiss, that they will do together. When Riley breaks her ankle and has to stay home, she makes Rubie promise she won’t do anything on the TUCE list. Rubie’s sure she’s going to have a miserable time, but she’s forced to participate in all things camp, some of which (art) are easy, and others (horseback riding) that force her way out of her comfort zone. As the weeks go by, Rubie finds herself increasingly torn between her loyalty to Riley and her desire to have the full camp experience with her new friend Eliza. No matter what, Rubie puts her own wacky spin on everything she tries, and by the end of the month she’s grown in ways she never expected and has (more or less) learned how to navigate friendships, both new and old.

Fans of Dork Diaries and Terri Libenson’s books will enjoy Rubie’s camp diary, liberally illustrated with her cartoon-style doodles. She definitely has a style all her own, and her blunders with friends and an unexpected crush will resonate with middle grade and middle school readers. Happily, this is billed as book 1, making it a perfect summer read that can segue into sequels in the upcoming school year.

Figuring out middle school

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Friend Group by Lisa Greenwald (HarperCollins, 352 pages, grades 4-8). Sadie and her best friend Olive are nervous about starting middle school, which in their district begins with seventh grade. Olive is shyer and reaches out to Sadie for reassurance that they’ll stay friends, while Sadie is more outgoing and interested in finding a friend group. So when she finds herself accidentally added to the most popular girls’ group chat, she knows she should get off, but she also can’t stop reading this insider’s look at what popularity looks like. She finally reveals to Olive how she’s getting her information but will only let her friend see a few of the texts. As Sadie learns how the group works, she finds herself becoming friends with some of the members, driving even more of a wedge between her and Olive. Adding to the drama is Sadie’s crush on Eli, who just so happens to be the crush of one of the popular girls. Told in chapters that alternate between Sadie’s narration and various texts, the story ends with some loose ends tied up, but also with many of the issues realistically unresolved.

I’m not going to lie, books like this are just pure brain candy for me. Lisa Greenwald does an amazing job of realistically portraying seventh graders, which meant that I didn’t always love Sadie, who could be a bit of a mean girl herself. I kept wanting Olive to stand up for herself or make some new friends, and ultimately, she did a little of both, but she also acted like a shy, uncertain seventh grader right up until the last page. This would be a great choice for reluctant middle school readers, and I’m sure they’ll be looking forward to the sequel which will focus on the boys’ group chat.

Opting Out by Maia Kobabe and Swati “Lucky” Srikumar (Graphix, 256 pages, grades 5-9). As Saachi moves through middle school, she finds herself struggling more and more with puberty and the social changes surrounding her. Getting her period is extremely upsetting, as is her need for a bra, and she hates the way kids start dating, especially when one of them is her best friend. She learns about a cousin who’s come out as transgender, but that label doesn’t feel quite right either. As she explores her identity through conversations with her parents, younger sister, and a new friend, and especially through her writing, she starts to realize that she doesn’t identify with either gender. Reading an interview with a nonbinary author inspires Saachi to write more honestly about both her struggles and her Indian heritage, and the resulting poem ends up getting accepted for publication in a magazine for teen writing, creating an opportunity to fully come out to her family.

This honest and engaging graphic novel is an important contribution to LGBTQ+ literature, but will also be embraced by all sorts of adolescent readers struggling with identity and fitting in. Saachi’s family, especially her dad, are models of accepting and openly communicative parents. The story and the art also pay homage to the family’s Indian heritage and Hindi religion. Maia Kobabe is the author-illustrator of Gender Queer, one of the most banned books in America, so be prepared for some challenges to this one