The Bionic Boy by Lynn Plourde is a fantastic read told through an incredibly unique perspective. The book follows a young boy named Benji who was born without hands. Feeling self-conscious about his disability, and wanting the ability to help people like the superheroes he looks up to, he feels conflicted about the decision to get prosthetic hands. Although not every elementary/middle school reader will relate directly to Benji’s dilemma, their feelings of wanting to help others and not knowing how to will likely be identical. The novel is an excellent read for people of all ages (and especially those who love superheroes!)
This book is a part of a series of standalone books. The novel, Playing for Keeps, by Lee Heart, is an excellent read for students entering or attending middle school. The story follows Aaliyah, a girl in middle school, who develops unreciprocated feelings for her best friend. As she navigates the ups and downs of tween life, she discovers the importance of maintaining strong relationships and the journey of self discovery. Although the book is intended for a middle school audience, it is still an exceptional comfort read for those at a higher reading level. The novel is an excellent addition to the growing Spotlight Sprinkles series.
The novel Finding Lost is another excellent novel from Holly Sloan, and an extraordinary read for students struggling with grief or loss. The story follows a young girl named Cordy who is battling difficult feelings following her father’s death and finds solace in a stray dog she names “Lost”. The book uses specific dialogue to describe Cordy’s complex emotions, focusing on specific details or memories that may remind her of her father. Holly Sloan has written an excellent story about friendship and resilience for all ages.
In How to Free a Jinn, Insyirah has just moved to Malaysia when she discovers that her family has the ability to control jinn, powerful spirits from Islamic tradition. As strange events begin occurring around her new home and school, she learns that an evil jinn is threatening those around her, and in order to protect her family and friends, Insyirah must embrace her unique abilities and learn more about her heritage, faith, and herself.
Before reading this novel, I had not read many fantasy novels that centered on Muslim characters and Islamic traditions. What stood out to me about this novel was how naturally it incorporates Muslim life into the story. Insyirah’s faith is an important part of who she is, but it is not treated as something unusual or something that needs to be explained to the reader. She prays, learns about her religion, and relies on her family for guidance while also dealing with challenges that many young people face, such as fitting in and finding confidence in themselves.
The novel also does a great job of exploring themes of identity and belonging. As Insyirah adjusts to life in Malaysia, she learns to appreciate both her cultural heritage and her unique abilities. The inclusion of Malaysian culture and Islamic mythology makes the story feel authentic and gives a perspective that is not seen in many other fantasy books.
The writing is a good fit for middle level readers, and the themes of self-acceptance, family, and faith make it meaningful for everyone, and I would highly recommend it.
Running Back to You tells the story of Millie, a girl who values honesty above everything else after her mother’s affair hurt her family. When a classmate unexpectedly asks if she has ever been kissed, Millie panics and lies. Determined to make her lie come true before anyone finds out, she sets out to get her first kiss and a date to the spring dance.
The writing is engaging and relatable, capturing the awkwardness and emotions of middle school life. This is the perfect middle grade romance book, and reminded me a lot of rom-coms like “10 Things I Hate About You” and other movies. Beyond that, it conveys important messages about honesty and learning from mistakes, highlighting how, when you try and fix a lie with more lies, things get worse before they get better. I especially liked how the track and field element was tied in as an athlete. Sarah Henning mixes sports and romance wonderfully, and I would highly recommend this book for middle level readers looking for a funny and romantic coming-of-age story.
The Last Ember is the first book of a series, and begins when twelve year old Eva accidentally becomes the owner of the last aerimander egg, placing her at the center of a dangerous conflict. Alongside Dusty, a young thief tasked with stealing the egg, Eva must navigate corruption, betrayal, and long buried secrets while protecting the last aerimander. The novel explores friendship and trust, highlighted through Eva and Dusty working together despite their different backgrounds and personalities. Additionally, it unpacks fear and prejudice, as the kingdom’s treatment of aerimanders was driven mainly by fear rather than understanding.
The story is a thrilling tale of how loyalty, friendship, and trust can combat evil and betrayal. I thought the world building in this book was fantastic, but it left me wanting more depth from the plot. There were many chapters that felt askew from the overall narrative, but it did have a lot of action, which I appreciated. Also, this book felt written for an audience older than middle school because of its vocabulary and flow of the story. The villain in the story, Eoin, is portrayed as purely sadistic, and mentions of kidnappers and murderer’s guilds could make it slightly inappropriate for a younger audience.
Readers who enjoyed dragon books like Wings of Fire by Tui T. Sutherland or fantasy readers who enjoy books like Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger might like reading this book, although it is a bit more mature.
Included in series: The Circulatory System, The Digestive System, The Muscular System, The Nervous System, The Respiratory System, The Skeletal System
This high interest series, easily accessible for elementary readers (target age is 3rd grade), is visually appealing with simple and engaging images that feature diversity in ethnicity and age. Every book in the series is 32 pages, making it easily digestible (pun intended) for those exploring nonfiction for the first time, or wanting to review body systems. At the end of each book, you’ll find tips for success, a glossary, a list of “read more” suggestions, “learn more online” links, and an index. Teachers and librarians will love this series if they’re teaching nonfiction text structures. Also, a HUGE bonus: ALL books in the series use OpenDyslexic font, ideal for readers with dyslexia. As an introductory series, I recommend this for all elementary school libraries and even middle grade libraries if you serve emerging readers.
Reilly Rhoades is not looking forward to the opening of her family’s amusement park since it will be the first year without her grandfather. When her grandmother lands in the hospital, her mom and her aunt have a huge fight and her aunt takes Reilly’s best friend and cousin Nic to visit Nic’s father. Now Reilly has no grandfather, no grandmother, and no Nic to help her get through the summer. While walking her dog by the creek that separates the amusement park from the adjacent campground, she meets Alex, who is staying in the campground. With Alex’s help, Reilly takes on her grandfather’s last unfinished project.
This book is not just a story about an amusement park, it is about friendships, learning to let go, and taking things one step at a time.
Henson Blayze is a 13 year old teen entering 8th grade. He’s looking forward to the new school year and playing football. The small, mostly-white town of Great Mountain, Mississippi sees Henson as their star and ticket to a varsity football championship. They make shirts, give him special privileges, and he even has an agent, a friend named Flowell. Some of the Black people in town warn Henson that most people don’t see him for who he really is, and to be careful. Henson brushes that off, especially after the beginning of his first game, where he helps his team score over 30 points. At halftime, however, he learned that his close friend, 10 year old Menkah Jupiter, was beaten by two white police officers. Henson goes to him, which infuriates most of the townspeople, and their adoration for him turns to anger. Soon, Henson must decide if football is more important than supporting Menkah. The more Henson learns from his father, a local vineyard owner, the more he realizes what he must do.
The author tells a story that isn’t easily forgettable. This is a powerful book about injustice, being true to yourself, and calling out racial injustice. Henson is both exceptional and incredibly human, and this book delivers the message that it is those two aspects that make Henson, and all of us, worthy of value and love.
Free Piano (Not Haunted) is about an aspiring teen singer/songwriter, Margot, who stumbles upon a synthesizer piano from the ’80s. Struggling with her relationship with her parents, she feels like she’s not seen. Her dad continuously blows her off and her mom is always working. Her two best friends have their own social media that often leaves her feeling like a third wheel. When Margot finds an abandoned synthesizer that says it’s free, and not at all haunted, she takes it home with the hopes of learning to play so she can follow her dad to California and be famous. As it turns out, the piano is haunted by former 80’s pop star, Vision, and her evil manager, Marty. Vision tries to protect and guide Margot to follow her own creative spirit even if it doesn’t gain her social media followers.
In a world surrounded by social media, this graphic novel shares a message about doing things for yourself and not for the audience. This is a great book about doing what you love because you love it, and it seamlessly integrates supernatural elements.
