The realistic fiction middle grade novel The Moon Without Stars by Chanel Miller (published 2026) is a coming-of-age story for any middle schooler who needs to understand and recognize their changing place in the world. Luna inherits stacks of books. As a result, Luna becomes widely read, well able to become the “book doctor,” who
Orphaned thirteen-year-old Lucas Dubois is nicknamed petit eclair by the bullies because he is so wimpy, but he wishes he were brave. In the World War II historical fiction novel The Lion’s Run by Sara Pennypacker (published 2026), Lucas chooses bravery even when he is scared. It begins when he saves kittens from the bullies,
Sometimes you read something and finish it scratching your head wondering what you just read. Sometimes you finish a book and are simply blown away by the mastery of the plot and writing. And sometimes your reaction is just both. You Are Now Old Enough to Hear This by Aaron Starmer (published 2026) is truly
They All Saw a Cat by Brendan Wenzel (published 2016) was awarded a Caldecott-honor book for its excellent illustration. Each animal and creature sees the cat differently. The child sees the cat in child-like shapes. The mouse sees the cat as an angry, fierce predator. The fish sees the cat in a watery blur. Each
D Is for Drum: A Native American Alphabet by Michael and Debbie Shoulders (published 2013) is an alphabet book that provides a depth of understanding to dozens of Native American groups and cultures. To be a read-aloud book, each page has a short rhyming stanza about each letter of the alphabet. Then, for the more
Corn Is Maize: A Gift of the Indians by Aliki (Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Level 2 book, 1976) is a surprisingly detailed exploration of corn. The text is accessible to a young reader, and many pages have an abundance of details, such as how corn is fertilized, how it must be helped to grow, and how it was
Mariam Hassan is the only Muslim girl in her new school — her new Catholic school. In Hail, Mariam by Huda Al-Marashi (published 2026), she comes to a new understanding about her religion and how she can relate to the world around her as she navigates a difficult situation. Although there are so many things
Fictional writer Alma Cruz is done with her writing career when she builds a cemetery for her unfinished stories. In The Cemetery of Untold Stories by Julia Alvarez (published April 2024), Alma’s story drafts, which have been buried in boxes in the ground or burned, now speak out from the ground. At once a celebration
In Victory on the Walls: A Story of Nehemiah by Frieda Clark Hyman (published 2005), 13-year-old Bani hesitantly joins his uncle, the cupbearer to the Persian king, on a journey back to Jerusalem to repair the walls of the Holy City. Bani has only known Susa, the Persian capital, but now he’s returning to the
An elderly librarian is tired after a long day until, at closing time, a young man arrives asking if she remembers him. It is William Henry Spaulding, a man who, as a child, had spent hours at a time in the library. Of course she remembers him and she reintroduces him to his old friends,
Garram the Hunter: A Boy of the Hill Tribes by Herbert Best was a Newbery Honor book in 1931. It tells the story of a talented young man in the hilly country in Nigeria and his adventures with his tribe and as he visits the city nearby and learns from the leaders there. Garram must
The Toll-Gate by Georgette Heyer (published 1954) is a romantic mystery in Heyer’s traditional style, and with a strong emphasis on mystery. It’s 1817, and Captain Staple happens to stop at a toll gate in the rain only to discover a very afraid young boy has been left to mind the gate. He’s alone, and
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