Middle grade fiction

Let’s see what some of the Baby-Sitters Club graphic novel artists have been up to!

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Fresh Start by Gale Galligan (Graphix, 288 pages, grades 3-7). Ollie is used to starting over at a new school, since her diplomat father’s career means moving every year or two. She tells herself she doesn’t care, sometimes finding a reason to get mad at a friend before leaving. But this time around, her parents announce that they’ve decided to stay in Chestnut Falls, Virginia. Ollie’s excited to discover a group of girls as devoted to anime and manga as she is, and before long, she’s made some new friends, one of whom shares her Thai heritage. The two of them wind up in a Thai dance group, courtesy of their mothers, despite Ollie’s aversion to both dance and wearing the feminine clothes and make-up that are part of the performance. That’s not the only place Ollie struggles with her parents, who are constantly butting heads with her younger sister Cat. As Ollie learns more about herself through the year, she finds herself regretting the ties she cut with friends after each move and also starts to feel more empathy for Cat, putting her in the role of family negotiator. By the end of the year, she’s realized the importance of her connections to friends and family members and is starting to appreciate the feeling of putting down roots. Includes an author’s note, photos, bonus comics, and additional information about Thai language and traditions.

The many fans of middle grade novels/memoirs will enjoy this latest entry by the author of some of the Baby-Sitters Club graphic novels as well as Freestyle. Gale Galligan addresses the issues of fitting in, family dynamics, and racial, cultural, and gender identities with a story featuring manga-inspired artwork and a spunky protagonist. The back matter about their own childhood makes it even more interesting.

The Cartoonists Club by Raina Telgemeier and Scott McCloud (Graphix, 288 pages, grades 3-7). Makayla and Howard love creating comics: Makayla had endless story ideas, while Howard can draw anything she imagines. Encouraged by their librarian Ms. Fatima, they decide to start a comics club and soon are joined by Art, a maker with all kinds of interests, and Lynda, a talented artist who is shy about sharing her work. Led by Ms. Fatima, they take turns teaching each other about comics, including step-by-step directions for making minicomics and the importance of facial expressions, body language, and combining words and pictures. The newly-named Cartoonists Club is thrilled to be selected for participation in a local comics convention, where they meet one of their favorite artists and soon develop a following of their own. Includes interviews with Raina and Scott, a glossary, a list of comics jobs, the steps involved in making the book, and lists of additional resources and museums for learning more about comics.

I was delighted to receive an advance copy of this book (it comes out in April) and read it in a single sitting. While Raina’s legion of fans may be a little disappointed that it doesn’t have quite the involved storylines of her previous works, they will be excited to get so many interesting and useful tips for making their own comics. While that’s the main emphasis, the four characters still have engaging stories of their own. The two things that struck me the most about this book are: 1. The respect shown to young comic fans and artists that will encourage them to take their work seriously (but not too seriously!), and 2. Raina’s down-to-earth humility and sincere appreciation for other comic artists, even with her enormous success.

And two final 2024 novels in verse

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Black Star by Kwame Alexander (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 384 pages, grades 5-8). In this sequel to The Door of No Return, Kofi is now Nana Kofi, grandfather to Charlene, a.k.a. Charley, who dreams of being the first Black female baseball player. She and her best friend Willie Green get tricked into a bet with a local bully, forcing them to quickly organize a baseball team and play a game at the church picnic. When the picnic grounds are being used for other activities, the team sneaks over the bridge to the whites-only field, where an encounter with a group of white kids ends with Willie accidentally hitting one of the boys with a baseball. Back home, Charley can’t figure out what’s going on, but the adults start talking in hushed tones and seem to be preparing for a journey. In the final pages, the family flees in Uncle Albert’s car, except for Daddy who stays behind to defend their home, while Willie Green and his brother Johnnie run from their burning home to join them after the Klan has done something unspeakable to their father. Those in the car are heading north, with Charley wracked by guilt over her actions that have led to this moment. Readers will have to wait for the third book of the trilogy to find out what happens next in the family saga.

This incredibly rich novel has so many elements woven together: Nana Kofi’s stories that fill in some of the details between books 1 and 2, appearances by real-life people like Marcus Garvey and Mary McLeod Bethune, and everyday descriptions of the life of a Black family living on the 1920’s South. I do think most readers will need some guidance with this book, particularly with the historical context, and they will understand and appreciate it much more if they have read book 1.

Unsinkable Cayenne by Jessica Vitalis (Greenwillow Books, 304 pages, grades 4-7). It’s 1985, and 12-year-old Cayenne is excited at the prospect of finally settling down. She and her free-spirited parents have always l lived in a van, but with the addition of twins to the family, they’re feeling the need for a home and some money. Cayenne loves seventh grade, making a few new friends and developing a crush on the new boy Beau, but when there are layoffs at the local sawmill, her dad loses his job, and she learns that Beau’s father was responsible. As food gets leaner and her parents start fighting more, Cayenne fears that her days in a real home may be numbered. By the end of the story, her hunch proves correct, and the family takes to the road again, although Cayenne feels a bit wiser about appreciating herself and her family and about questioning the importance of “fitting in.” An ongoing school project about the Titanic offers additional insights about class, and the author includes additional information at the end, as well as the connections to her own family, and Cayenne’s dad’s PTSD from Vietnam which he self-medicates by smoking weed.

While not exactly an upbeat story, Cayenne is an endearing protagonist who learns some important life lessons, and the focus on class and poverty is one that’s often not explored much in children’s books. I was kind of surprised when Dad was smoking a joint on page 1, but the author’s note gave his marijuana use some good context.

New year, old books

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I’m trying out a few tweaks to my schedule in the new year, and this has led to more reading! So instead of my usual practice of taking a few weeks off at the beginning of January, waiting for new books to pile up, I have a few more 2024 posts to share. To start, here are three books that would be perfect for middle school or early high school readers, a demographic that often gets neglected, as they’re often feeling too old for middle grade but not quite ready for many young adult books.

Boy 2.0 by Tracy Baptiste (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 304 pages, grades 5-9). The story opens with Coal going to live with a new foster family after his long-term foster father had a mental breakdown. When Coal sneaks off to do a chalk drawing commemorating a woman shot by the police, he’s confronted by a man with a rifle. He runs off, trying to evade the police, and is amazed when they surround him but don’t seem to see him. Looking down at his body, he realizes he has become invisible, a condition that gradually reverses itself when the crisis is over. The rest of the story details his search for answers about this new power he had, leading him to new realizations about his birth mother as well as a deep conspiracy that includes both of his foster families. Although there’s a certain necessity to suspend disbelief, readers will love this page-turning science fiction adventure.

Bye Forever, I Guess by Jodi Meadows (Holiday House, 288 pages, grades 5-9). Awkward, shy Ingrid has a secret–she’s Anony Mouse on Scrollr, where she has a popular scroll called Bye Forever, I Guess, posting wrong-number texts that she’s received. The only people who know about her scroll are her online gaming friend Lorren, her grandmother who’s raised her since her parents died, and her best friend Rachel. When Rachel betrays her, Ingrid is afraid her secret will get out, but she’s soon distracted by a mysterious boy who sent her a wrong-number text. They start texting and gaming, and before long she finds herself with a huge crush–even though she only knows him by his gaming name, Traveler. As things unravel in Ingrid’s real life, she starts to wish she could meet Traveler in person, a wish that’s granted when they agree to meet at a bookstore where their favorite author is signing a long-awaited book. Their meeting provides a shocking surprise to Ingrid–and an extremely surprising and romantic ending to their story. While Traveler’s identity seemed glaringly obvious to me by about halfway through the book, Ingrid remains clueless. Just as I was getting completely frustrated by this, the bookstore meeting proved so sweet that I forgave Ingrid and the author everything. Fans of the genre will undoubtedly enjoy this nerdy tech-infused romance.

Keeping Pace by Laurie Morrison (Harry N. Abrams, 304 pages, grades 5-9). Grace’s focus throughout middle school has been on academic achievement, specifically to win the top student award at eighth grade graduation and to beat her rival and former best friend Jonah. When Jonah bests her by half a point, Grace is devastated and faces a depressing summer. Her more laid-back sister and cousin help her come up with a list of goals for the summer that include making a new friend, taking a baby-sitting job to help her dad’s new girlfriend, taking a class just for fun, and running a half marathon. Grace secretly plots to beat Jonah, who is also running the half marathon, but as the summer unfolds, an injury derails her plans. Meanwhile, shifting relationships cause Grace to begin to question her single-minded ambitions: a new friend that she meets who’s recently given up competitive gymnastics to pursue other interests; her dad’s career ambitions that get in the way of his relationships, and most of all, her former friendship with Jonah that’s rekindled as they train for the race. As with Bye Forever, I Guess, I got kind of frustrated by the drawn-out will-they-or-won’t-they romance between Grace and Jonah, but it would undoubtedly speak to a younger teen reader, and I really liked the message about the importance of living a balanced life.

Five favorite middle grade books

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Medusa (Myth of Monsters, book 1) by Katherine Marsh. After some trouble at school, Ava and her brother Jax get whisked away to their mother’s alma mater in Venice, a mysterious boarding school where they discover that they are descended from the Greek monster Medusa. Rick Riordan with a feminist twist.

Wrong Way Home by Kate O’Shaughnessy. When Fern and her mother make a secret move in the middle of the night, Fern misses the community she’s grown up in, headed by the wise and charismatic Dr. Ben. But as she experiences life outside of the group, she begins to see its cracks and that Dr. Ben may have been toxic for her and her mom…and might still prove to be dangerous to them.

Light and Air by Mindy Nichols Wendell. Halle and her mother both end up in a sanatorium for tuberculosis patients, where their slow recovery time also allows them to heal some family difficulties. This 1935 historical fiction book takes place at the real-life J. N. Adam Memorial Hospital in Perrysburg, New York.

Mid-Air by Alicia D. Williams. Isaiah’s friends Drew and Darius often push him to take on challenges, some of them dangerous, until one proves fatal to Darius. Isaiah has to deal with his guilt about what happened, as well as the changing nature of his friendship with Drew and his realization that he doesn’t have to prove himself.

Shark Teeth by Sherri Winston. 12-year-old Sharkita will do anything to keep herself and her two younger siblings out of foster care, but her unstable mother relies on her too heavily to keep their family together, and the stress of the situation starts to put unbearable pressure on Sharkita.

Five favorite Newbery contenders

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The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman by Gennifer Choldenko/And Then, Boom! by Lisa Fipps. Okay, I lied, there are six books on this list, but I can’t choose between these two! Both are stories of boys dealing with the loss of a grandmother and an unreliable mother, forcing them to shoulder adult responsibilities and a young age. Both authors have won a Newbery Honor (Starfish for Fipps and Al Capone Does My Shirts for Choldenko), and I’d be happy to see a repeat for either or both of them.

Max in the House of Spies: A Tale of World War II by Adam Gidwitz. I read a few books with a World War II setting this year, but this one really stood out with the unique elements and twists that made me love The Inquisitor’s Tale, Gidwitz’s 2017 Newbery Honor book. Max’s story explores antisemitism in Britain, blurring the lines between good and evil that usually characterize World War II fiction. The ending was a huge cliff-hanger, so I’m happy to report that book 2 will be out in February.

Olivetti by Allie Millington. I’ve read a lot of middle grade fiction books, but this is the first one that was narrated (or half narrated) by a typewriter. Olivetti breaks the typewriter code of silence to help 12-year-old Ernest figure out what has happened to his mother in a debut novel that moves between past and present with perfect pacing to tell the story of a family facing hard times.

Kareem Between by Shifa Saltagi Safadi. It’s rare that a National Book Award winner also gets a Newbery, but we can hope it happens for this novel in verse about Syrian-American Kareem whose middle school problems feel petty when he and his family are directly affected by the 2017 Muslim ban. This is a story that may unfortunately feel more timely at the beginning of 2025.

The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin. Another World War II story by two award-winning young adult writers, this impeccably researched historical fiction novel tells the story of Lizzie and Jakob, a sister and brother drawn into the top-secret events unfolding at Bletchley Park in 1940.

A couple of courageous kids

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Monster Locker by Jorge Aguirre, illustrated by Andrés Vera Martínez (First Second, 256 pages, grades 4-7). Pablo Ortiz is as about as unlikely a hero as any sixth grader at Garfield Middle School. Basically friendless after an embarrassing incident at his ex-best friend’s house, he winds up with one of the worst lockers, in the school basement. What he doesn’t know is that a dangerous (if slightly goofy) monster named Obie the Evil lurks inside. When Pablo accidentally releases Obie, it sets off a chain events that culminates with Aztec earth goddess Coatlicue setting up her throne on the roof of the school and preparing to destroy humanity, starting with Pablo’s school. Assisted by his fierce abuela, Pablo discovers resources he didn’t know he had, and he and two new friends find a way to not only defeat Coatlicue but befriend her. He and his friends give her a quinceañera, paying their respects by promising to take care of the earth in a variety of ways. Things seem to be getting back to normal, but an appearance by Obie all but guarantees that book 2 is on its way. Includes an introduction to Aztec mythology by Pablo at the end.

With plenty of humor and non-stop adventure, this is sure to be a big hit with upper elementary and middle school readers. Try it out on fans of Rick Riordan and the Last Kids on Earth series. I hope there will be many installments to come, and I could see a Netflix series for Pablo and his friends in the future.

Light and Air by Mindy Nichols Wendell (Holiday House, 208 pages, grades 3-7). Halle has a pretty happy life until Mama is diagnosed with tuberculosis. It’s 1935, when TB means an indefinite stay in a sanatorium. Halle misses her mother terribly, especially when Papa becomes difficult and demanding. One day, Halle decides to walk to the sanatorium to visit her mother, a day’s trip on a route she’s only traveled by car before. As the day goes on, she becomes increasingly exhausted until she finally collapses. After being rescued, she’s diagnosed with pneumonia and sent to the children’s wing of the sanatorium. Although they don’t have symptoms, both Halle and Papa test positive for TB, and it’s decided that it will be easier for both of them to have Halle stay. She’s placed in a room with three other girls, and soon becomes accustomed to the routine of the TB ward: good food, rest, and plenty of fresh air. The death of one of her roommates brings the reality of the disease home, and Halle launches a plan to help her mother get better. Although her good intentions are somewhat misguided, in the end her courage and determination help heal herself and her family, both physically and emotionally. Includes an author’s note with additional information about the J. N. Adam Memorial Hospital in Perrysburg, NY, where the story takes place.

I do enjoy a good hospital story, and it was interesting to learn more about sanatorium life in the 1930’s. The good food, extended periods of rest, and plentiful fresh air honestly sounded a bit like a spa, except for the constant coughing, occasional lung hemorrhages, and possibility of death. Halle’s struggles with family and friends felt genuine, and her perseverance in helping both her parents was inspiring.

Middle school drama

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Stand Up! by Tori Sharp (Little, Brown Ink, 336 pages, grades 5-8). Kyle and Clay are best friends who also live together with their moms in an apartment over the local cafe. They’ve both been part of stage crew through middle school, but Clay decides she’s ready for the spotlight and auditions for the last eighth grade show, Gals and Dolls. The performance brings all kinds of new experiences, including Clay’s crush on fellow actress Daria and the creation of a popular podcast by Kyle and Clay. Although Clay enjoys being in the play, her ADHD makes her struggle with focus, and she’s heartbroken when she learns that leading man Nate is asking Daria to the eighth grade dance. But the show must go on, and not only is Gals and Dolls a sold-out hit, but Kyle and Clay’s podcast takes off as well, resulting in them getting to do a live show opening act for their own favorite podcast. Includes an author’s note describing how her own autism (like Kyle) and ADHD (like Clay) influenced the story, and encouraging readers to embrace who they are and find their own people.

Fans of Raina Telgemeier’s Drama will enjoy this graphic novel that offers a behind-the-scenes look at a group of lovable thespians figuring out life, middle school, and how to put on a play. The plot is a bit meandering at times, but the characters carry the story and will have readers turning pages until the end.

Take It From the Top by Claire Swinarski (Quill Tree Books, 256 pages, grades 4-7). For Eowyn and Jules, summers at Lamplighter Lake Summer Camp have always been the best part of the year, a time when they get to live and breathe musical theater. Eowyn’s first summer at camp, when she was 8 years old, was a welcome change of scenery following her mother’s death. There she met Jules, who sees camp as an escape from the poverty of cramped West Virginia apartment and worries about her father’s disability. But their sixth summer, when the girls are 13, is different. Jules has been cool to Eowyn all year, and she remains distant when they get to camp. Eowyn is dealing with crippling stage fright, which has meant smaller parts each year in the big camp production, as well as family issues with her dad and her Broadway star older brother Nick. When it’s announced that this year’s play will be Wicked, a show the girls have always dreamed about co-starring in, Eowyn fears that she will have to put many of her dreams on hold forever.

Told in chapters that alternate between Eowyn’s first-person narrative of the present and Jules’s third-person accounts of past summers, the story slowly reveals the cracks in their friendship, as well as some of the family issues both girls are dealing with. Everything comes to a head during Wicked‘s dress rehearsal week, and some honest communication begins the healing process for everyone. Musical theater fans will love the behind-the-scenes look at putting on a big play, and everyone will enjoy the idyllic summer camp vibes. I was surprised this summer-y book was released in November, but then I realized the release date was well-timed to coordinate with the Wicked movie.

Heartbreaking/heartwarming stories

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I Know How to Draw an Owl by Hilary Horder Hippely, illustrated by Matt James (Neal Porter Books, 32 pages, ages 4-8). Belle’s teacher holds up her picture of an owl for the class to see. “How did Belle make his eyes so wise? Belle’s owl almost looks alive.” Belle doesn’t want to tell the class, but she shows the reader how she learned to draw an owl. She and her mom have been living in their car in a deserted park. At night, they hear an owl hooting, and her mom tells Belle that the owl is keeping an eye on them. One night, there’s no sound, but suddenly the owl appears in a nearby tree and locks its wise eyes with Belle’s. She’s sure she’ll never tell the story to any of her classmates, but one day a new boy gets dropped off in a car that looks just like the one that she and her mom live in, and just like the owl, she vows to keep an eye on him.

This moving story shows a girl and her mom surviving a tough time with courage and resilience, resulting in Belle’s kindness when she sees another child who may be going through something similar. The owl adds an interesting element to the story, which will engage kids and build empathy for others who may be experiencing homelessness.

Shark Teeth by Sherri Winston (Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 304 pages, grades 4-7). At age 12, Sharkita has far too many responsibilities weighing on her, often being forced to care for her younger siblings while Mama is out drinking and partying. The family has been split up before, the kids sent to foster care, and Sharkita’s mom has been given a last chance to prove herself. At first, things seem pretty good, and Sharkita is cautiously optimistic that she can lead a normal middle school life, hanging out with friends, being a baton twirler, having her first boyfriend, and maybe even getting help for her hyperdontia (extra teeth). But soon, Mama starts disappearing, leaving Sharkita to take care of 5-year-old Lilli and 8-year-old Lamar, who has fetal alcohol syndrome. When Sharkita defies her mom one night to go out with her friends instead of babysitting, disaster strikes, and the kids are placed in foster care once again. Ultimately, they’re split up, but end up in loving homes. Sharkita begins to receive therapy for her panic attacks and sleep paralysis, learning that it’s okay to take care of herself as well as her siblings, and that the three of them will always be a family no matter what.

I could not put this book down, and I hope it will be considered for awards. Sharkita’s family is, as she learns, in crisis, and the brunt of that has fallen on her. The topics are not easy to read about, and I was on the edge of my seat for most of it. It seems like there have been more middle grade novels this year with terrible mothers, whether they are unrepentant criminals or criminally neglectful. It does make for rewarding reading to watch their resilient kids, like Sharkita, find their own way and manage to connect with loving adults who can actually support and take care of them (which sadly is not always how things turn out in real life). Sharkita’s support all comes from staff at her school, serving as a reminder of how much social work schools are doing these days.

That holiday glow

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Winter Solstice Wish by Kate Allen Fox, illustrated by Elisa Paganelli (Beaming Books, 32 pages, ages 4-8).  On the shortest day of the year, a group gathers on a beach to watch the sunset and build a bonfire.  In the darkness, people long for light and the connection to each other.  “Around the globe, other hands reach out, holding hope, holding space, holding one another” is accompanied by people in three different countries reaching out to pass a light from one place to the next.  At the same time as the shortest day, in other places on Earth it is the longest day.  And on the winter solstice, we know that soon the days will start getting longer and daylight will return.  Includes information about both the winter and summer solstices and the winter solstice celebrations that are pictured in the book.

Both the poetic text and the illustrations provide a luminous introduction to the winter solstice, with a nod to the summer one and what causes both solstices.  There are lots of celebrations pictured, and readers may want to think about how they want to observe the shortest day and wishes that they may want to make.  This would be a nice December book to pair with Hanukkah Upside Down, which shows kids celebrating Hanukkah in both the northern and southern hemispheres.

Let It Glow by Marissa Meyer and Joanne Levy (Feiwel and Friends, 304 pages, grades 4-7).  Aviva and Holly take turns narrating the story of how an unexpected meeting at a holiday pageant audition leads to the discovery that they are identical twins separated at birth.  While Aviva is getting ready for Hanukkah with her parents, brothers, and bubbe, Holly and her single mom and grandfather are preparing for Christmas.  When they decide to do a Parent Trap-style switch, each learns about the other one’s family, personality, and holiday.  They’re able to hold off on a grand reveal to their families until they bring down the house with an original song and the pageant.  Although they don’t get all the answers about their birth and separation, it’s clear that the two families will be connected going forward, especially since there seems to be a budding romance between the grandparents.

This feel-good book has some serious Hallmark vibes and is sure to be a best-seller that will undoubtedly be unwrapped by many tweens by the light of the Christmas tree or Hanukkah menorah.  While a little suspension of disbelief may be needed (the girls figure out they’re twins that were separated at birth in about five minutes–and are immediately fine with it), there are enough hilarious hijinks, cozy winter scenes, and touching family interactions to satisfy readers.

Two novels about Indigenous communities

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The Ribbon Skirt: A Graphic Novel by Cameron Mukwa (Graphix, 192 pages, grades 4-7). Anang is a two-spirit (non-binary) 10-year-old, who wishes to make a ribbon skirt to wear for powwow. Because Anang is perceived as a boy, they have had bullying issues at school, resulting in a decision to homeschool. When Sherry, a former friend turned mean girl, comes to stay at Anang’s house, there’s some tension between the two kids. Anang is afraid they’ll be made fun of for wearing a ribbon skirt, but their kind grandmother offers support and advises them to consult with spirits. Various animals assist Anang in their quest for skirt materials, and as the items seem to magically appear one by one, Anang and Sherry are also able to work out their differences. The skirt is complete in time for powwow day, and Anang joyfully participates in the dancing before inviting Sherry to join them. Includes a glossary of Ojibwe words and additional information about ribbon skirts, two-spirit, powwows, and a recipe for manoomin, a wild rice and berry salad.

This fairly short graphic novel covers a wide range of topics, with a main character who has struggled with others’ acceptance of their gender identity but seems to have emerged stronger from the experience. I loved the supportive community Anang is part of, and readers will enjoy the helper animals who all seem to have pretty healthy senses of humor.

Find Her by Ginger Reno (Holiday House, 224 pages, grades 5-8).  Wren’s Cherokee mother has been missing for the last five years, ever since Wren was seven years old.  Her white father, the local police chief, is a stickler for protocol, frustrating Wren who wants to know all the details of the investigation.  Her grandmother Elisi has lived with the family since Mom’s disappearance, taking care of Wren and her dad, and instilling in Wren pride in her Cherokee heritage.  Wren has a natural instinct for finding lost things, especially animals, and when pets are found dead or tortured, she wants to find out what is going on.  With a new friend Brantley, she starts to investigate the animal crimes and eventually makes a discovery that turns her and Brantley’s worlds upside down.  While Wren and Brantley are able to solve the mystery, her mom remains missing at the end of the book, strengthening Wren’s resolve to find out what has happened.  Includes information on the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls database and Fort Gibson, Oklahoma, the town in Cherokee Nation where the story takes place.

This is a riveting mystery by debut author Ginger Reno (Cherokee), which shines a light on the issue of missing and murdered indigenous women.  There are some pretty heavy issues in the story, including bullying, child abuse, and animal abuse, making it perhaps a better choice for middle school readers.