Swim Team

Unable to enroll in her favorite math elective, Bree is forced to take Swim 101. The problem? Bree can’t swim. With the help of her elderly neighbor, Etta, a former swim team captain, Bree learns to love the water and joins the school’s swim team. But will her newfound skills be enough to lead them to the state championship? Middle-grade readers will love this moving graphic novel about courage and determination.

Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice

On October 16, 1968, runners Tommie Smith and John Carlos made history as they raised their fists during the medal ceremony at the Mexico City Olympics. Their actions, done to protest racial injustices faced by African Americans in the United States, immediately led to their expulsion from the Olympics. A National Book Award finalist, this graphic memoir for young readers recounts Smith’s athletic career, from his childhood all the way to the Olympics, and the ostracism he faced in the wake of his protest.

The Science of Breakable Things

When her science teacher suggests she enter an egg drop contest, seventh-grader Natalie eagerly accepts the challenge. With the prize money, Natalie wants to take a trip to see the famous Cobalt Blue Orchids, a special flower that her mother, a former botanist, had been studying before she fell into depression. Believing that the flowers will help her mother feel better, Natalie and her friends put their science skills to the ultimate test. Honest and heartfelt, this novel realistically portrays depression in language that middle-grade readers will understand.

Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus

Born without arms, Aven Green never felt judged by her lifelong friends in Kansas. But when her family moves to Arizona to run Stagecoach Pass, an old theme park, Aven struggles at her new middle school. It’s after she befriends Connor, a classmate with his own disability, that Aven regains her confidence to tackle the challenges that lay ahead. Middle-grade readers will love following the spunky Aven as she explores everywhere from middle school hallways to the beat-up streets of Stagecoach Pass.

Chasing Vermeer

Strange letters arrive at three Chicago homes, asking for help in solving a century-old art crime. Soon after, a famous painting by Vermeer is stolen en route to a Chicago museum, with the thief positing that some of Vermeer’s works aren’t really his. Calder and Petra, two children with a knack for adventuring and problem-solving, are swept into the mystery after a series of coincidences connects them with the missing painting. This suspenseful middle-grade novel will have readers thinking about the importance of art long after they’ve finished the book.

Counting by 7s

Twelve-year-old Willow is a gifted child but has trouble connecting with others outside of her family. So after her adoptive parents die in a car accident, Willow’s world is upended. With no other relatives to care for her, Willow is unsure of her future. But with the help of her school counselor and some newfound friends, Willow learns how to handle her grief and, ultimately, find a new place to belong.

All My Rage

Winner of the 2022 National Book Award, this poignant novel tackles themes of forgiveness, grief, family, and faith. In Juniper, California, teenager Salahudin is struggling to keep his family’s motel business afloat after his mother falls gravely ill. Usually, he’d rely on his best friend, Noor, but after a fight, the two are hardly on speaking terms. Noor has problems of her own, as her controlling uncle threatens to stop her from going to college. As Sal and Noor grapple with their issues, the two must learn to trust one another again if they’re to succeed. Scenes of drug use and physical abuse make this book better suited for older readers.

Interior Chinatown

Winner of the 2020 National Book Award, this novel adopts screenplay elements to tell a satirical story about the discrimination faced by Asian Americans in society. Actor Willis Wu aspires to star as “Kung Fu Guy,” his dream Hollywood role. But for now, he’s stuck playing “Generic Asian Male” on a crime TV show. As he moves from stereotypical role to role, Willis slowly realizes they’re affecting how he perceives his life off screen. Willis’s conflict with his identity unfolds in tandem with his characters’ scripts, giving readers another dimension to the story.

Where the Crawdads Sing

Kya Clark grew up on the fringes of Barkley Cove. Known as the “Marsh Girl,” she is shunned from polite society for her “wild” upbringing. Kya has few friends until she meets Tate, a young man from town. After their romance ends, Kya falls in love with Chase, a local football star. One day, Chase is found dead in the marsh, and Kya is the main suspect. Part mystery, part coming-of-age story, Where the Crawdads Sing offers an intriguing exploration of nature and the human condition that older readers will enjoy.

Kent State

On May 4, 1970, tragedy struck Kent State University after National Guardsmen killed four students protesting the Vietnam War. This verse novel by award-winning author Deborah Wiles recounts this monumental event from multiple perspectives, including the protesters, the Guardsmen, the general student body, and the townspeople, letting readers explore the disaster and its aftermath from all sides.

Fresh Ink: An Anthology

Created in partnership with We Need Diverse Books and edited by Lamar Giles, this anthology features works by thirteen notable authors in the YA scene: Nicola Yoon, Malinda Lo, Schuyler Bailar, Melissa de la Cruz, Sara Farizan, Eric Gansworth, Daniel José Older, Thien Pham, Jason Reynolds, Gene Luen Yang, Sharon G. Flake, Aminah Mae Safi, and the late Walter Dean Myers. Featuring characters from a variety of backgrounds, the stories span a number of genres and tackle themes of acceptance, identity, love, friendship, and more.

Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea

One of the most isolated nations in the world, North Korea rarely allows foreigners into the country. But in 2001, cartoonist Guy Delisle received a rare chance to visit the nation on a two-month work visa. In this graphic novel, Delisle documents his unique experiences living in the capital city of Pyongyang, his tours of famous landmarks, and his interactions with citizens and other foreigners—all while under the constant watch of his North Korean guide.

Home Is Not a Country

Perfect for young adult readers, this verse novel employs elements of magical realism to tell a poignant story of family and identity. Nima doesn’t understand why, after her father’s death, her mother moved from their Muslim home country to post-9/11 America. Feeling like she doesn’t belong, Nima wonders who she could have been if circumstances were different. Through a series of strange events, Nima gets the chance to change the past, but the outcome might not be the one she really wants.