Middle grade fiction

Stages of the game

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Game On by Sina Grace (Random House Graphic, 208 pages, grades 4-7). Sasan takes his Persian heritage for granted–his mom is from Iran, and his absent dad is white. Sasan’s far more interested in video games, and when the other kids start talking about the new RadBox gaming console, Sasan begs his mom to buy him one. She makes him a deal: if he learns Farsi, she’ll buy the RadBox. He reluctantly agrees, and the two begin regular lessons together. On top of that, Sasan has the big “Who Am I?” school project to work on, making him consider the influences that have made him who he is. His older sister is disgusted that he’s focusing on video games and superheroes more than culture and family, and Sasan has to give some careful consideration about what’s important to him. He makes some selfish decisions along the way, disappointing his family, his friends, and himself, but by the end, he’s starting to realize that being Persian is an important part of him and beginning to appreciate his family and culture more. Includes an author’s note about how his own adolescence influenced the creation of this story.

I liked that Sasan is a typical middle school kid, often making misguided decisions based on what his friends were doing and wanting to fit in. His mom is pretty awesome, walking the line between holding him accountable and understanding what it’s like to be in middle school. There aren’t enough graphic novel middle school stories with boy main characters, and this would be a great addition to any elementary or middle school library.

Shook by Julian Randall (Henry Holt and Co., 256 pages, grades 4-8). Malik “Shake” Page has his future mapped out for him: after making the varsity basketball team in eighth grade, he’ll go on to star in high school, college, and finally, the NBA. But in his final summer game, he fractures his ankle and has to take a break from basketball. Sitting things out and watching his parents struggle to pay his medical bills trigger his anxiety, and he starts having panic attacks. On top of that, his basketball friends seem to be moving on without him, and his oldest friend, Kyla, has been acting distant lately. With the help of a compassionate therapist, Shake starts to see the pressure he’s been putting on himself and learns some strategies for coping with anxiety, including asking for help from his friends and family.

This novel in verse National Book Award finalist has been aptly compared with Kwame Alexander’s The Crossover. Shake’s voice is true to his West Chicago community, and his love of basketball, his struggles with anxiety, and his discovery about family and friends are all elements that will resonate with upper elementary and middle school readers.

Try these out on reluctant readers

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Framed by Karina Evans and Andrea Bell (HarperAlley, 176 pages, grades 3-7). Tobey’s been in a bad mood for a while now, lashing out at everyone, even her best friend Kate. When her art teacher assigns the class to paint something important to them, Tobey tries, then angrily tosses her paper in the trash. She winds up in detention with two other kids, Layla and Reed. At the end of detention, the art teacher appears and accuses Tobey of having trashed the rest of the class’s paintings and tells her that she’s calling in Tobey’s parents for a meeting with the principal. Layla and Reed offer to help Tobey prove her innocence, and the three of them spend the afternoon sneaking around the school, trying to figure out who framed Tobey. Ultimately, they fail, and Tobey winds up in the principal’s office at the end of the day. There, she confronts her parents about having overheard them discussing a divorce, and the family has a much-needed conversation about what’s going on. Layla and Reed wait for Tobey at the end of the meeting, she tells them about her family, and the three of them manage to crack the case of the art room drama. By the end of the story, Tobey’s still facing some family uncertainties but she’s doing so with the help of her friends Kate, Layla, and Reed.

This is a fun graphic novel mystery as well as a heartwarming friendship and family story. It’s also a quick read that will appeal to reluctant readers. There aren’t enough graphic novel mysteries, and I hope we’ll get another one featuring Tobey and her friends.

Rumor Has It (The Luckies book 1) by Sarah Mlynowski and Christina Soontornvat, illustrated by Madi Wong (Scholastic, 192 pages, grades 4-8). Leela and Annie are 15-year-olds who alternate chapters that tell the story of their blended family starting life together in a new home. Leela and her younger sister Mia lost their dad to cancer, while Annie and her brothers Alex and Aiden have a mom who left the family for Hollywood. Their parents are now engaged to each other, and they’re moving into the mansion that Leela’s mom grew up in and that she recently inherited. Annie’s excited to be settling down after moving a lot in her earlier years, while Leela’s sad to be leaving New York City and the memories she has there of her dad. When Annie impulsively volunteers their new house for a big school fundraiser, all kinds of drama ensues with friends, crushes, and old family secrets coming to light. While the new family works things out and seems to be back on track by the end of the book, there are just enough loose ends and one big cliffhanger to have readers eagerly awaiting book 2.

This is book 1 in a series that’s part of Scholastic’s new NEXT imprint which seems to be designed to encourage graphic novel readers to try nongraphic books. With short chapters, high interest topics, and plenty of illustrations, this would be a good suggestion for fans of Soontornvat’s The Tryout or the Raina Telgemeier books. Book 1 of another NEXT series, Rival High, was released at the same time.

How different brains work

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Brainbow by Maya Henderson (Little, Brown Ink., 248 pages, grades 3-7). Rosie’s hoping middle school will be easier if she follows in her best friend Harper’s footsteps. They both try out for the school’s math league, but only Harper makes it. The teacher agrees to let Rosie be the team manager, but almost immediately there’s trouble when Rosie speaks up about the kids using the “wrong” colors for the letters on their team t-shirts. When a new friend named Yara explains to Rosie about a condition she has called synesthesia, Rosie realizes that she has it, too, explaining why she seems letters and numbers as having their own distinct colors, and why she likes creating art when she listens to music. As Rosie and Yara become closer, Harper feels jealous and starts being mean to Rosie. When Harper steals the math league money and lets Rosie take the fall, Rosie has had enough and stands up to her former best friend. By the end, she’s realized where her true talents–and friendships–lie and has decided to leave the math league to hang out with Yara at art club. Includes additional information about synesthesia and an author’s note telling about her own experience with it.

Since approximately 4% of the population has some form of synesthesia (as I learned from this book), readers may discover they have this condition or know someone else who does. Maya Henderson does a great job of showing Rosie’s perceptions through the illustrations, and the information about synesthesia is effortlessly woven into the plot. It’s also a fun middle school friendship story with a particularly terrible ex best friend.

Feeling Like an ADHD Alien by Pina Varnel (Rocky Pond Books, 336 pages, grades 5-10). Kiki has always longed to be “normal,” but she struggles all the time with things that others seem to find easy, like being on time, getting things done, and regulating her emotions. After one particularly difficult interaction with one of her best friends, she starts to consider that she may have ADHD. It’s tough talking to her mother about it, but after initially resisting the idea, Mom sets up an appointment for an evaluation. Kiki gets an ADHD diagnosis, a prescription for medication, and ongoing support to help her with coping strategies. Although it’s hard for her to let go of the idea that she’ll one day be “normal,” getting a diagnosis and treatment helps her to live the life she’s always wanted for herself. Includes several pages of coping strategies for different symptoms of ADHD and a list of resources.

This is a great resource for any tween or teen wondering if they may have ADHD or adjusting to an ADHD diagnosis. The first five chapters deal with different aspects of ADHD like executive functioning and working memory, showing how Kiki struggles with these in her daily life and going into some details about how her brain works differently than others’. The last two chapters are about her getting her diagnosis and what her life is like afterwards. One of her friends also has ADHD, but her symptoms present differently. She opts not to take medication, and their discussion is helpful in helping kids decide which route is best for them. Although there’s not much of a story, the information is presented in a way that’s easy to absorb and will be helpful to many.

Exposures: A Story About Life with OCD and the Power of Facing Your Fears by Lily Williams (First Second, 352 pages, grades 5-8). 12-year-old Peyton’s life is increasingly dictated by her fears, which she deals with by counting, picking at her scalp, and avoiding things like the color red and the number 13. When her twin sister’s ballet accomplishments mean some changes to the family’s schedule, Peyton has a huge panic attack. Her concerned parents get her an appointment with a therapist who diagnoses Peyton with obsessive compulsive disorder and begins exposure therapy to help her face her fears. Peyton learns that she’ll never be “cured” of her OCD, but that with intensive (and sometimes extremely difficult) therapy, she can learn to lessen her anxiety around the things that scare her and be able to live her life freer of their control. By the end of the story, readers can see evidence that her hard work has paid off: she’s considering trying out for the ski team (which she avoided because the uniforms were red), she has a closer relationship with her sister and parents, and she’s able to get through the school day without being overwhelmed by anxiety. Includes an author’s note about her own OCD, which wasn’t diagnosed until she was an adult, and how this inspired her to create this book.

Peyton’s story is so compelling I read the whole thing in a day. It really shows the thought processes of a person with OCD and the extremely hard and sometimes scary work that’s necessary to go through exposure therapy. The illustrations are especially effective, using different colors to show flashbacks and portraying Peyton’s anxiety attacks with the color red, and her fearful thoughts filling the page. This is an excellent example of a book being both a mirror and a window that will help both kids who have OCD and those who know someone who suffers from it.

Ghosts and monsters

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Don’t Be Scared by Saadia Faruqi, illustrated by Shadia Amin (First Second, 208 pages, grades 4-7). The best part of Riz’s day is after-school film club, where he meets Amy and Max, two other film afficionados who, like Riz, are first-generation Americans, and whose parents would prefer that they become doctors or lawyers instead of filmmakers. Riz’s widowed dad, who immigrated from Pakistan, dreams of Riz going to med school and pushes him to focus more on his math and science classes. When Riz, Amy, and Max decide to make a film about the local Hollister Manor mansion before it’s razed, they embark on a ghost hunt, assisted by a local librarian with family connections to the place. Riz’s dad starts sharing Pakistani ghost stories with Riz and slowly begins to understand his son’s passion. When the three kids are able to capture the ghosts on film, it changes the way their parents see them and saves the old mansion from demolition. Includes an author’s note about ghost stories and an illustrator’s step-by-step guide to the cover design process.

Kids will love this creepy graphic novel that mixes up ghosts with family interactions and the struggles of being a child of immigrants. The ending felt a little rushed but also satisfying, tying up loose ends for Riz and his dad, librarian Miss Templeton, and the two ghostly children at the haunted house.

The Hospital for Mythological Creatures by Cathy Evans, illustrated by Ed J. Brown (Cicada Books, 48 pages, grades K-4). On Wednesday morning, a call comes in that there’s been a car crash on Shangri-La Boulevard. An ambulance rushes to the scene, where paramedics find Daisy with an arm injury, and her mom, Lisa, in need of stitches for a cut on her forehead. The other driver, elderly Mr. Von Thunderhoof, is pale and dizzy. All three are transferred to the hospital, where readers are introduced to all kinds of personnel and technology. There are x-rays, MRIs, blood and urine tests, and a new heart valve for Mr. Von Thunderhoof. By the time Daisy’s other mom picks her and Lisa up, readers have learned a lot about a busy hospital and the many ways patients are helped there all day long. Includes glossaries of hospital departments and medical terms.

What a fun way to learn about the hospital! The illustrations portray an amazing array of mythological creatures (my favorite was Vlad, the vampire, performing the blood test, and the one I found the creepiest was Phillip, the young gnome with a penchant for sticking things in his ears and nose). Sensitive readers may get a little spooked by the various creatures; on the other end of the spectrum, those who love mythological creatures may wish for a guide identifying the many unique ones portrayed here. This would make a good companion to Lisa Brown’s The Hospital Book.

Let’s hear it for the boys

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Mexikid Dreams: A Graphic Memoir by Pedro Martín (Dial Books, 320 pages, grades 5-8). In this sequel to the Newbery Honor book Mexikid, we get a look at Pedro’s family closer to home. All the siblings are expected to help make ends meet by getting up early on Saturdays to pick strawberries. Pedro would rather stay home and watch cartoons, so when his oldest brother finds another job that their father approves of, Pedro decides he needs to find an alternative career path to get him out of the fields. He begins a hilarious stint as the trombonist in a couple of bands, one at school and one directed by the local priest who signs them up for a memorable concert in a prison. The same priest convinces their dad that the kids need to find other things to do as summer approaches, and Pedro and two of his brothers get a chance to go to camp. A few days of “normal kid” life convinces Pedro that it’s not all it’s cracked up to be and makes him appreciate his family more than ever. Includes an epilogue that tells what all the kids in the family ended up doing (spoiler alert: they’ve all had interesting and successful careers) and a collection of photos from Pedro’s childhood.

I don’t usually review sequels, but I couldn’t resist the chance to find out what the family from Mexikid would get up to next. There are enough school and family hijinks to satisfy any Wimpy Kid fan, with Pedro constantly poking fun at himself and his schemes. But there are a lot of more serious storylines about immigration, including his father’s brutal stories about being an undocumented worker in his youth, the police raids on the family farm to round up the undocumented workers that help the family, and Pedro’s trip to the prison where the Mexican kids are targets of racist guards, and Pedro finds himself scanning the crowd of prisoners for familiar faces. This feels like it may be the last of the Mexikid books, but I hope Pedro Martín will continue to find a way to share his talents as an artist and a writer for kids.

Absent by Rex Ogle, illustrated by LJ-Baptiste (Norton Young Readers, 304 pages, grades 5-8). Manny is a poet and lyricist who would rather be skateboarding than in school and isn’t afraid to tell his teachers that. Calvin is an artist and cartoonist who can’t get to school on time because of all his commitments at home. Liam wants to be a doctor who sometimes misses classes when he’s hiding from the bullies who trigger his panic attacks. The three boys wind up in detention together and tell their stories through poetry (Manny), comics (Calvin), and journal entries (Liam). Although they come from different backgrounds and have different interests, somehow a friendship grows during their three-week detention, and each one comes away from their punishment with new friends and new tools to help them cope with life at home and at school.

Told in three different formats, this book zips along quickly, with funny and sometimes heartbreaking stories unfolding that include poverty, incarcerated parents, and bullying. Each boy is incredibly resilient in his own way, and each has at least one adult who believes in him and encourages his talents. I was wiping away a few tears by the time detention ended and a friendship had been born that left each boy in a heading in a more positive direction.

The right stuff

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The Gallaudet Eleven: The Story of NASA’s Deaf Bioastronauts by Kerry O’Malley Cerra, illustrated by Kristina Gehrmann (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 48 pages, grades 1-4). As the Space Race heated up, a researcher at NASA needed to figure out how to help astronauts with motion sickness as they traveled into space. Knowing that motion sickness originates in the inner ear, he decided to study a group with vestibular systems don’t work–which is some people who are deaf. He recruited eleven men from Gallaudet University and spent the next ten years studying them in all sorts of environments that had them spinning, floating, and traveling on a ship through stormy seas. The team saw it as a way to serve their country, and the experiments led to the creation of medicines, space suits, and other devices that eased motion sickness for the hearing astronauts. Includes a note from the author (who is deaf but now hears with a cochlear implant) with additional information about the bioastronauts and the creation of the book, a timeline, and a list of selected sources.

This was such a fascinating story, and one that is sure to grab the attention of a wide range of readers. The Gallaudet’s enthusiasm and willingness to put themselves through a variety of challenging experiments really shines through, despite their isolation from scientists and hearing astronauts who didn’t know how to communicate with them.

Casting April by Wendy Lu (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 288 pages, grades 4-7). April loves the theater and secretly hopes to try out for her middle school play. Having a tracheostomy tube makes her nervous about performing onstage, and her mom’s worries don’t help her confidence. When her best friend Ruby urges her to try out, April nails her audition and eagerly awaits the cast list. Much to her surprise and disappointment, she’s given a backstage role. She decides to give it a try, hoping to unseat new girl Zahra from the lead role. After overhearing the director Ms. Rooney telling other teachers that she was afraid to give April a part because of her trach tube, April becomes more determined than ever to prove her wrong. The play turns out to be full of surprises, and April’s discoveries about Zahra and Ms. Rooney cause her to reevaluate everything. When it looks like the performance might get cancelled, April puts aside her own ambitions and works with her family and friends to prove once and for all that the show must go on.

At first glance, this may seem like another middle school theater story, but there’s a lot more packed into it, including interesting insights into living with a disability. April proves herself capable of handling just about anything related to her health, proving those around her wrong about her limitations. At the same time, she wants to be treated like other kids. She also gets a lesson about invisible disabilities with her discoveries about Ms. Rooney. An engaging and inspiring story by an author who also lives with a tracheostomy tube.

Two books to kick off Hispanic Heritage Month

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The Mystery of the Stolen World Cup Trophy by Angela Cervantes (Henry Holt and Co., 240 pages, grades 4-7). Diez has a dad who loved soccer and almost went pro. He had a mother who loved mysteries until she died of cancer not too long ago. These two influences come together when Diez and his dad are invited to an exclusive FIFA party by Diez’s crush, Rio. In the middle of the party, the World Cup trophy mysteriously disappears, and Diez teams up with Rio to try to figure out what happened. A big storm keeps everyone in the hotel for several hours, so the mystery must be solved before lockdown ends and the thief can escape. Although the police and a famous investigator are on the case, it’s Diez who discovers the missing piece to the puzzle that reveals who stole the trophy.

I’m not usually a big mystery person, but I got caught up in this story, which was not only a whodunit but the story of Diez. He has a great sense of humor and is also honest about his own shortcomings and working through his grief about his mother. There were a lot of characters to keep track of, and I would have appreciated a list of them all somewhere that I could have referred back to. I definitely didn’t see the final resolution to the mystery coming, but it all made perfect sense. This should generate a lot of interest with students coming back to school after the big World Cup summer.

Queso, Just In Time by Ernesto Cisneros (Quill Tree Books, 272 pages, grades 4-7). Queso is another narrator dealing with grief, in this case losing his dad in a senseless shooting. Before he died, his father had been going through a difficult time, dealing with PTSD from his military service. In an unexpected series of events, Queso finds himself transported back to 1985, where he meets Pancho, who turns out to be his dad when he was Queso’s age. Pancho accepts Queso’s story that he’s gotten separated from his mom and invites him to stay at his house, where Queso meets a younger version of his beloved abuelita and his abuelito, who passed away shortly after Queso was born. He also learns of his dad’s struggles at school and his joy at being the best at foosball. Torn between missing his home and wanting to soak up every minute with his father, Queso tries to help Pancho do better at school and have more confidence in himself, hoping that that will help him lead a happier life. When Queso is finally able to go home again, he discovers that his dad is still dead, but the changes that Queso initiated in 1985 have paid big dividends in his present life.

This Back to the Future-inspired time-travel story explores a number of different issues including grief, living your best life, Queso’s Mexican heritage, and being an ally as Queso learns to be that to LGBTQ+ friends in the past and present. I have mixed feelings about time-travel stories, which are a lot of fun, but which always leave me wondering about making changes that go forward into the present. Cisneros handles the plot of this one very well, though, and I definitely had fun revisiting the 1980’s.

The secret lives of middle school girls

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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.

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.

Magic books

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The Ordinary and Extraordinary Auden Green by Corey Ann Haydu (Quill Tree Books, 336 pages, grades 4-7). Denny is dealing with a lot as her twelfth birthday approaches: her mom has relapsed with the alcoholism that plagued her before Denny was born, and her best friend Runa wants to break into the popular crowd. Runa and Denny have spent many years creating the world of Sorrowfeld, an imaginary land they write about in a special notebook that’s filled with princesses and dragons. After Denny’s disastrous twelfth birthday party, she finds a gift from Runa–a mirror framed by dragons–that seems to show Runa hasn’t forgotten their magical world. When Denny gazes into the mirror, she’s transported into Sorrowfeld, trading places with Princess Auden, who finds herself in Denny’s world. Each girl has to deal with the other’s issues: Princess Auden has to figure out what’s going on with Denny’s parents and Runa, and Denny is tasked with fighting the dragons that the princess has been dealing with. Each girl feels torn between childhood and adulthood, still wanting the simple joys of being younger while facing the responsibilities of growing up. As each girl learns how to be herself and find her voice, both Denny and Auden learn how to deal with the dragons that they’re facing.

This is a very cool premise for a book, and for the most part it’s carried out with grace and skill. Anyone who’s ever created an imaginary world will envy Denny’s chance to visit hers, and the issues that each girl is facing are sympathetically portrayed. It did feel like it got a little preachy toward the end, with both Denny and Auden making one life-changing realization after another, but many middle school readers will find important lessons woven into a compelling and magical story. This has consistently been in the top ten of the Goodreads Newbery list.

When Tomorrow Burns by Tae Keller (Random House Books for Young Readers, 272 pages, grades 4-7). Long-time friends Nomi, Vi, and Arthur found a book many years ago with mysterious verses handwritten on its pages. Over the years, these verses have come to seem like prophecies, predicting events that have come to pass in their lives. Now their Seattle neighborhood is engulfed in wildfire smoke, and Nomi is certain that the end of the world that the book predicted is coming to pass. Told in alternating narrations, the three kids deal with a lot of big issues including sexual harassment and bullying, social media, climate change, toxic masculinity, and class differences. Through it all, their friendship evolves and survives, offering them hope in an uncertain future.

This is an amazing book that explores both the inner and outer worlds of three interesting and engaging middle school characters. The many different threads are expertly woven together, and it would make a great choice for any kind of book discussion. If anything, it felt a bit too ambitious taking on so many different topics, and I think it would be most appreciated by kids who get some expert guidance through it. Tae Keller is a Newbery Medal winner already, and she undoubtedly has another shot at it with this book.