Middle School Summer Work

The goal of summer reading for incoming sixth graders is for students to enjoy reading over the summer and for teachers to get to know students as readers. All sixth grade students are expected to read two books: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (Young Reader’s Edition) by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer and one choice book from the list below. The books on the choice list meet the needs of students at a variety of reading levels and cover a wide range of topics. The opening weeks of school will feature class activities related to these texts, and students should read the books over the course of the summer and review them just prior to the start of school. Students should select books that they have not previously read. 

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Meg Murry, her extraordinary little brother Charles Wallace, and schoolmate Calvin O'Keefe make the acquaintance of eccentric Mrs. Whatsit and friends. Together they journey through a wrinkle in time to rescue the Murrys' missing father from an evil presence and a sinister brain called IT. 
 

Beetle Boy by M.G. Leonard
Darkus Cuttle's dad mysteriously goes missing from his job as Director of Science at the Natural History Museum. So Darkus moves in with his eccentric Uncle Max and next door to Humphrey and Pickering, two lunatic cousins with an enormous beetle infestation. Darkus soon discovers that the beetles are anything but ordinary. They're an amazing, intelligent, super species and they're in danger of being exterminated. It's up to Darkus and his friends to save the beetles. But they're up against an even more terrifying villain — mad scientist of fashion, haute couture villainess Lucretia Cutter.
 

Belle Prater’s Boy by Ruth White
When Woodrow's mother suddenly disappears, he moves to his grandparents' home in a small Virginia town where he befriends his cousin. Together, they find the strength to face the terrible losses and fears in their lives. 
 

Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos
Jack Gantos’ plans for vacation excitement are shot down when he is “grounded for life” by his feuding parents, and whose nose spews bad blood at every little shock he gets. But plenty of excitement (and shocks) are coming Jack’s way once his mom loans him out to help a fiesty old neighbor with a most unusual chore—typewriting obituaries filled with stories about the people who founded his utopian town. 
 

Eragon by Christopher Paolini
Fifteen-year-old Eragon believes that he is merely a poor farm boy—until his destiny as a Dragon Rider is revealed. Gifted with only an ancient sword, a loyal dragon, and sage advice from an old storyteller, Eragon is soon swept into a dangerous tapestry of magic, glory, and power. Now his choices could save—or destroy—the Empire.
 

Every Soul a Star by Wendy Mass
At Moon Shadow, an isolated campground, thousands have gathered to catch a glimpse of a rare and extraordinary total eclipse of the sun. Told from three distinct voices and perspectives, Wendy Mass weaves an intricate and compelling story about strangers coming together, unlikely friendships, and finding one's place in the universe.
 

The Golden Acorn by Catherine Cooper
When Jack Brenin finds a golden acorn lying in the grass, little does he know that it is the beginning of a thrilling and magical adventure. Just an ordinary boy, Jack has been chosen for a hugely important task, and enters a world he believed only existed in legend.
 

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Bod is an unusual boy who inhabits an unusual place-he's the only living resident of a graveyard. Raised from infancy by the ghosts, werewolves, and other cemetery denizens, Bod has learned the antiquated customs of his guardians' time as well as their timely ghostly teachings-like the ability to Fade.
 

The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester
When homeschooled farm girl Piper McCloud reveals her ability to fly, she is quickly taken to a secret government facility to be trained with other exceptional children, but she soon realizes that something is very wrong and begins working with brilliant and wealthy Conrad to escape.
 

Gone Crazy in Alabama by Rita Williams-Garcia
Delphine and her sisters head south to spend the summer with Big Ma and her mother, and the girls start finding out a whole lot about their family history. Can those bonds pull them together in the face of tragedy?
 

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
Thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson is on his way to visit his father when the single-engine plane in which he is flying crashes. Suddenly, Brian finds himself alone in the Canadian wilderness with nothing but a tattered windbreaker and the hatchet his mother gave him as a present— and the dreadful secret that has been tearing him apart since his parent's divorce. But now Brian has no time for anger, self pity, or despair— it will take all his know-how and determination, and more courage than he knew he possessed, to survive.
 

Heat  by Michael Lupica
Michael Arroyo's lightning fastball makes him the envy of all his teammates, but this speedy southpaw labors under a secret that allows him no rest. Soft spoken 12-year-old Cuban refugee Mike worries that he and his 17-year-old brother, Carlos, stand in danger of being separated, even deported.
 

Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead
Seventh grader Georges moves into a Brooklyn apartment building and meets Safer, a twelve-year-old self-appointed spy. Georges becomes Safer's first spy recruit. His assignment is to track the mysterious Mr. X, who lives in the apartment upstairs. As Safer becomes more demanding, Georges starts to wonder: what is a lie, and what is a game? How far is too far to go for your only friend? 
 

Listen, Slowly by Thanhha Lai
Mai, 12, travels to Vietnam to help her grandmother discover what happened to Mai’s grandfather during the war. Mai would rather be back in California on the beach, flirting with her new crush. But slowly, Mai begins to look outside of herself and find an understanding of her family and their cultural heritage.
 

The Mark of the Thief by Jennifer A. Nielsen
In an alternative ancient Rome, Nic, a slave, is forced to climb into a dangerous cave where he finds a bulla, a magical amulet thought to have given Caesar great power. Rather than turn it over to the power-hungry bad guy, he keeps it so he can save Rome. 
 

Masterminds by Gordon Korman
A group of middle school students living in a small, isolated, peaceful town, discover that they are part of an experiment. 
 

Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper
Melody cannot walk or talk, but she is smarter than most of the adults who try to diagnose her and her classmates in her integrated classroom—the very same classmates who dismiss her as mentally challenged. But Melody refuses to be defined by cerebral palsy, and is determined to let everyone know it.
 

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor
Set in a small town in Mississippi at the height of the Depression, this powerful, moving novel deals with issues of prejudice, courage, and self-respect. It is the story of one family's struggle to maintain their integrity, pride, and independence in the face of racism and social injustice. It is also the story of Cassie Logan, an independent girl who discovers over the course of an important year why having land of their own is so crucial to her family. The racial tension and harrowing events experienced by young Cassie, her family, and her neighbors cause Cassie to grow up and discover the reality of her environment. 
 

School of the Dead by Avi
For most of Tony Gilbert’s life, he has thought of his uncle as “Weird Uncle Charlie.” That is, until Uncle Charlie moves in with Tony and his family. Uncle Charlie is still odd, of course—talking about spirits and other supernatural stuff—but he and Tony become fast friends, and Tony ends up having a lot of fun with Uncle Charlie. When Uncle Charlie dies suddenly, Tony is devastated. The Penda School is eerie enough without his uncle’s ghost making it worse!
 

Shadows of Sherwood: A Robyn Hoodlum Adventure by Kekla Magoon
Twelve year-old Robyn fights to find her parents and right the wrongs of a future city taken over by a corrupt government leader. 
 

Slacker by Gordon Korman
Cameron Boxer is very happy to spend his life avoiding homework, hanging out with his friends, and gaming for hours in his basement. It's not too hard for him to get away with it . . . until he gets so caught up in one game that he almost lets his house burn down around him.  Oops. It's time for some serious damage control--so Cameron and his friends invent a fake school club that will make it seem like they're doing good deeds instead of slacking off. The guy who never cared about anything is now at the center of everything . . . and it's going to take all his slacker skills to win this round.
 

Theodore Boone: The Fugitive by John Grisham
While on the 8th grade trip to Washington DC, Theo spots Pete Duffy, who escaped custody while on trial for the murder of his wife. Theo is determined to have him recaptured and brought to trial.
 

The Thing about Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin
Suzy and her best friend have drifted apart in middle school but after Franny dies in an accident, Suzy is convinced that the true cause of the tragedy was a rare jellyfish sting. As she withdraws into silence, she focuses on her research to prove her theory.
 

TombQuest Book 1: Book of the Dead by Michael Northrop 
The doctors say nothing can save Alex’s life, but his mom, an expert Egyptologist, knows that the Lost Spells of the Egyptian Book of the Dead can crack open a doro to the afterlife and save him. But when she uses the spells, five evil ancients-- the Death Walkers-- are also brought back to life.
 

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi
As the only passenger and the only female on a transatlantic voyage in 1832, thirteen year-old Charlotte finds herself caught between a murderous captain and a mutinous crew. 
 

Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech

The struggle of thirteen year old Salamanca (Sal) to understand and deal with her mother's disappearance unfolds while on a cross-country trip with her eccentric grandparents. Sal tells them the story of her friend Phoebe whose mother has also left home, but in reality it is her own story. 
 

When My Name Was Keoko by Linda Sue Park
Sun-hee and her older brother, Tae-yul, live in Korea with their parents. Because Korea is under Japanese occupation, the children study Japanese and speak it at school. When World War II comes to Korea, Sun-hee is surprised that the Japanese expect their Korean subjects to fight on their side. But the greatest shock of all comes when Tae-yul enlists in the Japanese army in an attempt to protect Uncle, who is suspected of aiding the Korean resistance. Sun-hee stays behind, entrusted with the life-and-death secrets of a family at war.
 

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
As her mother prepares to be a contestant on the 1970s television game show, The $20,000 Pyramid, a twelve-year-old New York City girl tries to make sense of a series of mysterious notes received from an anonymous source that seems to defy the laws of time and space.

(Summaries from www.barnesandnoble.com)

The goal of summer reading for incoming seventh graders is for students to enjoy reading over the summer and for teachers to get to know students as readers. All seventh grade students are expected to read two books—On the Horizon by Lois Lowry and one choice book from the list below. The books on the choice list meet the needs of students at a variety of reading levels and cover a wide range of topics. The opening weeks of school will feature class activities related to these texts, and students should read the books over the course of the summer and review them just prior to the start of school.

Additionally, students are asked to bring in a poem that they feel best represents who they are. The poem can be from a published poet or one written by the student. This poem will be shared/discussed in the opening days of school. 

Akata Witch  by Nnedi Okorafor
Twelve-year-old Sunny lives in Nigeria, but she was born American. Her features are African, but she's albino. She's a terrific athlete, but can't go out into the sun to play soccer. There seems to be no place where she fits. And then she discovers something amazing-she is a "free agent," with latent magical power. Soon she's part of a quartet of magic students, studying the visible and invisible, learning to change reality. But will it be enough to help them when they are asked to catch a career criminal who knows magic too?

Goodbye Stranger  by Rebecca Stead
Bridge is an accident survivor who’s wondering why she’s still alive. Emily has new curves and an almost-boyfriend who wants a certain kind of picture. Tabitha sees through everybody’s games—or so she tells the world. The three girls are best friends with one rule: No fighting. Can it get them through seventh grade? This year everything is different for Sherm Russo as he gets to know Bridge Barsamian. What does it mean to fall for a girl—as a friend? On Valentine’s Day, an unnamed high school girl struggles with a betrayal. How long can she hide in plain sight? Each memorable character navigates the challenges of love and change in this captivating novel.

When I Was the Greatest by Jason Reynolds 
Ali’s got enough going on, between school and boxing and helping out at home. His best friend Noodles, though. Now there’s a dude looking for trouble—and, somehow, it’s always Ali around to pick up the pieces. But, hey, a guy’s gotta look out for his boys, right? Besides, it’s all small potatoes; it’s not like anyone’s getting hurt.And then there’s Needles. Needles is Noodles’s brother. He’s got a syndrome, and gets these ticks and blurts out the wildest, craziest things. It’s cool, though: everyone on their street knows he doesn’t mean anything by it. Yeah, it’s cool…until Ali and Noodles and Needles find themselves somewhere they never expected to be…somewhere they never should've been—where the people aren’t so friendly, and even less forgiving.

With the Fire on High  by Elizabeth Acevedo 
Ever since she got pregnant freshman year, Emoni Santiago’s life has been about making the tough decisions—doing what has to be done for her daughter and her abuela. The one place she can let all that go is in the kitchen, where she adds a little something magical to everything she cooks, turning her food into straight-up goodness. Even though she dreams of working as a chef after she graduates, Emoni knows that it’s not worth her time to pursue the impossible. Yet despite the rules she thinks she has to play by, once Emoni starts cooking, her only choice is to let her talent break free.

Monster by Walter Dean Myers
This New York Times bestselling novel and National Book Award nominee from acclaimed author Walter Dean Myers tells the story of Steve Harmon, a teenage boy in juvenile detention and on trial. Presented as a screenplay of Steve's own imagination, and peppered with journal entries, the book shows how one single decision can change our whole lives.
 

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
In the year 2044, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he's jacked into the virtual utopia known as the OASIS. Wade's devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world's digital confines—puzzles that are based on their creator's obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them. But when Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade's going to survive, he'll have to win—and confront the real world he's always been so desperate to escape.
 

Rescued by Eliot Schrefer 
Raja has been raised in captivity. Not behind the bars of a zoo, but within the confines of an American home. He was stolen when he was young to be someone's pet. Now he's grown up…and is about to be sent away again, to a place from which there will be no return. John grew up with Raja. The orangutan was his friend, his brother—never his pet. But when John's parents split up and he moved across the country, he left Raja behind. Now Raja is suffering. There's one last chance to save Raja—a chance that will force John to confront his fractured family and the captivity he's imposed on himself all of these years.

Scythe by Neal Shusterman 
A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery: humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now Scythes are the only ones who can end life—and they are commanded to do so, in order to keep the size of the population under control. Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a scythe—a role that neither wants. These teens must master the “art” of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own.
 

The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani
It's 1947, and India, newly independent of British rule, has been separated into two countries: Pakistan and India. The divide has created much tension between Hindus and Muslims, and hundreds of thousands are killed crossing borders.Half-Muslim, half-Hindu twelve-year-old Nisha doesn't know where she belongs, or what her country is anymore. When Papa decides it's too dangerous to stay in what is now Pakistan, Nisha and her family become refugees and embark first by train but later on foot to reach her new home. The journey is long, difficult, and dangerous, and after losing her mother as a baby, Nisha can't imagine losing her homeland, too. But even if her country has been ripped apart, Nisha still believes in the possibility of putting herself back together.

Told through Nisha's letters to her mother, The Night Diary is a heartfelt story of one girl's search for home, for her own identity...and for a hopeful future.

Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon 
What if you couldn’t touch anything in the outside world? Never breathe in the fresh air, feel the sun warm your face . . . or kiss the boy next door? In Everything, Everything, Maddy is a girl who’s literally allergic to the outside world, and Olly is the boy who moves in next door . . . and becomes the greatest risk she’s ever taken. Everything, Everything will make you laugh, cry, and feel everything in between. It's an innovative,  inspiring, and heartbreakingly romantic debut novel that unfolds via vignettes, diary entries, illustrations, and more. 
 

Front Desk  by Kelly Yang 
Mia Tang has a lot of secrets.Number 1: She lives in a motel, not a big house. Every day, while her immigrant parents clean the rooms, ten-year-old Mia manages the front desk of the Calivista Motel and tends to its guests.Number 2: Her parents hide immigrants. And if the mean motel owner, Mr. Yao, finds out they've been letting them stay in the empty rooms for free, the Tangs will be doomed. Number 3: She wants to be a writer. But how can she when her mom thinks she should stick to math because English is not her first language?It will take all of Mia's courage, kindness, and hard work to get through this year. Will she be able to hold on to her job, help the immigrants and guests, escape Mr. Yao, and go for her dreams?

Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds 
This story was going to begin like all the best stories. With a school bus falling from the sky. But no one saw it happen. They were all too busy—Talking about boogers, stealing pocket change, skateboarding, wiping out, braving up, executing complicated handshakes, planning an escape, making jokes, lotioning up, finding comfort. But mostly, too busy walking home. Jason Reynolds conjures ten tales (one per block) about what happens after the dismissal bell rings, and brilliantly weaves them into one wickedly funny, piercingly poignant look at the detours we face on the walk home, and in life.
 

The Girl Who Drank the Moon  by Kelly Barnhill
Every year, the people of the Protectorate leave a baby as an offering to the witch who lives in the forest. They hope this sacrifice will keep her from terrorizing their town. But the witch in the Forest, Xan, is kind. She shares her home with a wise Swamp Monster and a Perfectly Tiny Dragon. Xan rescues the children and delivers them to welcoming families on the other side of the forest, nourishing the babies with starlight on the journey. One year, Xan accidentally feeds a baby moonlight instead of starlight, filling the ordinary child with extraordinary magic. Xan decides she must raise this girl, whom she calls Luna, as her own. As Luna’s thirteenth birthday approaches, her magic begins to emerge--with dangerous consequences. 
 

The List of Things That Will Not Change by Rebecca Stead 
After her parents' divorce, Bea's life became different in many ways. But she can always look back at the list she keeps in her green notebook to remember the things that will stay the same. The first and most important: Mom and Dad will always love Bea, and each other. When Dad tells Bea that he and his boyfriend, Jesse, are getting married, Bea is thrilled. Bea loves Jesse, and when he and Dad get married, she'll finally (finally!) have what she's always wanted--a sister. Even though she's never met Jesse's daughter, Sonia, Bea is sure that they'll be "just like sisters anywhere." As the wedding day approaches, Bea will learn that making a new family brings questions, surprises and joy.

The Children of Blood and Bone by Toni Adeyemi
They killed my mother. They took our magic. They tried to bury us. Now we rise. Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zélie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls. But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.Now Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good. Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers and her growing feelings for an enemy.
 

Milkweed  by Jerry Spinelli 
He's a boy called Jew. Gypsy. Stopthief. Filthy son of Abraham.He's a boy who lives in the streets of Warsaw. He's a boy who steals food for himself, and the other orphans. He's a boy who believes in bread, and mothers, and angels. He's a boy who wants to be a Nazi, with tall, shiny jackboots of his own-until the day that suddenly makes him change his mind. And when the trains come to empty the Jews from the ghetto of the damned, he's a boy who realizes it's safest of all to be nobody. Newbery Medalist Jerry Spinelli takes us to one of the most devastating settings imaginable-Nazi-occupied Warsaw during World War II-and tells a tale of heartbreak, hope, and survival through the bright eyes of a young Holocaust orphan.

The Schwa was Here by Neal Shusterman 
They say his clothes blend into the background, no matter where he stands. They say a lot of things about the Schwa, but one thing’s for sure: no one ever noticed him. Except me. My name is Antsy Bonano, and I was the one who realized the Schwa was “functionally invisible” and used him to make some big bucks. But I was also the one who caused him more grief than a friend should. So if you all just shut up and listen, I’ll tell you everything there is to know about the Schwa, from how he got his name, to what really happened with his mom. I’ll spill everything. Unless, of course, “the Schwa Effect” wipes him out of my brain before I’m done….

*** Summaries from amazon.com 

The goal of summer reading for incoming eighth graders is for students to enjoy reading over the summer and for teachers to get to know students as readers. All eighth grade students must read one of the following texts from the list below. The opening weeks of school will feature class activities related to these texts.

Swing by Kwame Alexander with Mary Rand Hess 
Walt is convinced junior year is their year, and he has a plan to help them woo the girls of their dreams and become amazing athletes. Never mind that he and Noah failed to make the high school baseball team yet again, and Noah’s love interest since third grade, Sam, doesn’t feel the same way. Noah soon finds himself navigating the worlds of jazz, batting cages, the strange advice of Walt’s Dairy Queen-employed cousin, as well as Walt’s “Hug Life” mentality. Status quo seems inevitable until Noah stumbles on a stash of old love letters. Each page contains the words he’s always wanted to say to Sam, and he begins secretly creating artwork using the lines that speak his heart. But when his private artwork becomes public, Noah has a decision to make: continue his life in the dugout and possibly lose the girl forever, or take a swing and finally speak out? As the personal- and social tensions increase around them, Noah and Walt must decide what is really true when it comes to love, friendship, sacrifice, and fate.

Clap When you Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
Camino Rios lives for the summers when her father visits her in the Dominican Republic. But this time, on the day when his plane is supposed to land, Camino arrives at the airport to see crowds of crying people. In New York City, Yahaira Rios is called to the principal’s office, where her mother is waiting to tell her that her father, her hero, has died in a plane crash. Separated by distance—and Papi’s secrets—the two girls are forced to face a new reality in which their father is dead and their lives are forever altered. And then, when it seems like they’ve lost everything of their father, they learn of each other.      

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
A boy named Santiago embarks on a journey seeking treasure in the Egyptian pyramids after having a recurring dream about it and on the way meets mentors, falls in love, and most importantly, learns the true importance of who he is and how to improve himself and focus on what really matters in life. The story of the treasures Santiago finds along the way teaches us, as only a few stories can, about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, learning to read the omens strewn along life's path, and, above all, following our dreams.

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
On September 5, a little after midnight, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to give them some bad news: They’re going to die today.  Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, they’re both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. The good news: There’s an app for that. It’s called the Last Friend, and through it, Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up for one last great adventure—to live a lifetime in a single day.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Allire Saenz
Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship - the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they
want to be.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
When Death has a story to tell, you listen. It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier and will become busier still. Liesel Meminger is a foster girl living outside of Munich, who scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist - books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement.  

Love is a Revolution by Renee Watson
When Nala Robertson reluctantly agrees to attend an open mic night for her cousin-sister-friend Imani's birthday, she finds herself falling in instant love with Tye Brown, the MC. He's perfect, except . . . Tye is an activist and is spending the summer putting on events for the community when Nala would rather watch movies and try out the new seasonal flavors at the local creamery. In order to impress Tye, Nala tells a few tiny lies to have enough in common with him. As they spend more time together, sharing more of themselves, some of those lies get harder to keep up. As Nala falls deeper into keeping up her lies and into love, she'll learn all the ways love is hard, and how self-love is revolutionary. In Love Is a Revolution, plus-size girls are beautiful and get the attention of the hot guys, the popular girl clique is not shallow but has strong convictions and substance, and the ultimate love story is not only about romance but about how to show radical love to the people in your life, including to yourself.

You Should See me in a Crown by Leah Johnson
Liz Lighty has always believed she's too black, too poor, too awkward to shine in her small, rich, prom-obsessed midwestern town. But it's okay—Liz has a plan that will get her out of Campbell, Indiana, forever: attend the uber-elite Pennington College, play in their world-famous orchestra, and become a doctor. But when the financial aid she was counting on unexpectedly falls through, Liz's plans come crashing down . . . until she's reminded of her school's scholarship for prom king and queen. There's nothing Liz wants to do less than endure a gauntlet of social media trolls, catty competitors, and humiliating public events, but despite her devastating fear of the spotlight she's willing to do whatever it takes to get to Pennington. The only thing that makes it halfway bearable is the new girl in school, Mack. She's smart, funny, and just as much of an outsider as Liz. But Mack is also in the running for queen. Will falling for the competition keep Liz from her dreams . . . or make them come true?

Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram
Darius Kellner speaks better Klingon than Farsi, and he knows more about Hobbit social cues than Persian ones. He's about to take his first-ever trip to Iran, and it's pretty overwhelming—especially when he's also dealing with clinical depression, a disapproving dad, and a chronically anemic social life. In Iran, he gets to know his ailing but still formidable grandfather, his loving grandmother, and the rest of his mom's family for the first time. And he meets Sohrab, the boy next door who changes everything. Sohrab makes sure people speak English so Darius can understand what's going on. He gets Darius an Iranian National Football Team jersey that makes him feel like a True Persian for the first time. And he understands that sometimes, best friends don't have to talk. Darius has never had a true friend before, but now he's spending his days with Sohrab playing soccer, eating rosewater ice cream, and sitting together for hours in their special place, a rooftop overlooking the Yazdi skyline. Sohrab calls him Darioush—the original Persian version of his name—and Darius has never felt more like himself than he does now that he's Darioush to Sohrab. When it's time to go home to America, he'll have to find a way to be Darioush on his own.

Everything Sad is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri
A beautiful autobiographical novel told mainly from the perspective of Daniel as a middle school student refugee from Iran, in the style of Sheherazade’s Arabian Nights. Daniel and his family have to flee Iran when his mother converts to Christianity. After 2 years in a refugee camp in Italy, Daniel, his mother and sister are resettled in Oklahoma. He describes middle school bullying and friendships so well; the pain of being different, of the loss of his father through the resettlement, is so beautifully told. This just won the 2021 Printz Prize for YA Lit.

All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely
Sixteen-year-old Rashad is looking for a bag of chips at the corner bodega. While there, he is mistaken for a shoplifter and put in the hospital by a police officer, Paul. Quinn Collins—a varsity basketball player and Rashad’s classmate who has been raised by Paul since his own father died in Afghanistan—and a video camera. Soon the beating is all over the news and Paul is getting threatened with accusations of prejudice and racial brutality. Quinn refuses to believe that the man who has basically been his savior could possibly be guilty. But then Rashad is absent. And absent again. And again. And the basketball team—half of whom are Rashad’s best friends—start to take sides. As does the school. And the town. Simmering tensions threaten to explode as Rashad and Quinn are forced to face decisions and consequences they had never considered before.

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
11th-grader Leo has never met anyone like Stargirl, and neither has anyone else at Mica High. She dances around the cafeteria playing a ukulele, and never misses a chance to sing "Happy Birthday." She doesn't act right, she dresses weirdly, and she is always blazingly herself. At first, the students are puzzled, then entranced, and Stargirl becomes the most popular girl at school. And Leo is in love. But just as quickly Stargirl becomes the most despised student, shunned by the others, and Leo, now her boyfriend, is shunned with her. Though she has opened him up to new ways of experiencing life, when forced to choose between Stargirl and everyone else, Leo does what any teenager would do, and that choice reverberates down the rest of the years of his life.

Furia by Yamile Saied Méndez
Seventeen-year-old Camila "Furia" Hassan navigates a world of lies in Rosario, Argentina. At home she plays the respectful and innocent daughter who is dedicated to learning English and attending medical school. Obedient to her abusive father, loyal to her rising-soccer-star brother and dedicated to her overwhelmed mother, Camila does not show her true colors. The headstrong Latina has dreams of her own: To earn a scholarship to a university and play soccer in the United States, to stick up for women's rights in her beloved hometown, and to pursue her own relationship with Rosario's local soccer hero and international heartthrob Diego "El Titan" Ferrari. Through Camila's first-person narrative, readers learn about her conflicting feelings as a daughter, athlete, and friend, while she struggles to define her priorities. 

The Boys Who Challenged Hitler by Philip Hoose
After Germany invades Denmark in April 1940, its citizens do not resist—something that 15-year-old Knud Pedersen can't understand. So with his brother and a small group of friends, Pedersen forms the Churchill Club, named after Great Britain's feisty prime minister. If the adults won't stand up to the Germans, the Churchill Club members will do it for them. The Boys who Challenged Hitler recounts how, between December 1941 and May 1942, the teens commit numerous acts of sabotage and steal an arsenal of weapons from unsuspecting German soldiers. Finally caught by the German authorities, the boys are tried and imprisoned, but their heroic exploits inspire the Danish nation to rise up against the Nazi occupation.

Mosquitoland by David Arnold
The opening page of Mosquitoland is one line—"I am Mary Iris Malone, and I am not okay"—and the second is the first in a series of letters to an unspecified relative named Isabel, to whom Mary (or Mim, as she prefers to be called) is chronicling the story of a 1,000-mile journey she took to get home to her mother. Mim lives in Jackson, Mississippi, with her father and his new wife, Kathy, but she refers to the town as Mosquitoland, and it doesn't feel like home. After discovering that her beloved mother is sick back home in Cleveland, Mim decides to steal her stepmother's secret stash of cash and take the first Greyhound bus headed for Ohio by Labor Day, which is only four days away. Mim is no stereotypical teenager: She may or may not suffer from psychosis; she's temporarily blind in one eye; and she has a displaced epiglottis and can pretty much vomit on command. All these issues—and more—come into play as Mim travels the 947 miles and meets a host of strangers, some heroic, some villainous, but most somewhere in between who change her life.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Starr Carter is a teen between two worlds: her school, which is rich, fancy, and white; and her neighborhood, which is poor and black. She navigates this differing terrain every day of her life until her worlds collide when she witnesses the fatal police shooting of her best friend, Khalil, an unarmed black teen. Khalil's death goes viral, and Starr is caught in the middle between the protesters in the street and her friends at school. With the eyes of the world on her, Starr has to decide: Will she say what happened that night? Will it matter?

The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner
Set in rural Tennessee, The Serpent King follows three misfit best friends who stand out in their otherwise homogeneous small town of Forrestville, Tennessee, for a variety of reasons. Lydia is a precocious, relatively wealthy "Internet-famous" fashion blogger with college-educated parents and a big-city future; Travis is linebacker-sized, but instead of being a football player like his father and dead brother he carries a staff and obsesses about a fantasy series; and singer-songwriter Dill is named after his snake-handling preacher of a father, who's in prison for having a secret stash of online child pornography. As their senior year begins, they each deal with having one foot in school and one in the quickly approaching future. Travis finds romance on a fan site's message boards, his only escape from an abusive home life; Lydia devotes herself to sustaining her blog—her ticket to NYU; and Dill struggles with his soul-crushing fundamentalist parents, as well as the impending doom that Lydia, with whom he's not-so-secretly in love, will go away for good at the end of the year.

Hope was Here by Joan Bauer
Hope was Here is about high school senior Hope, whose mother left her to be raised by Hope's aunt, Addie, shortly after Hope was born, and Hope's only seen her mother a handful of times. Aunt Addie is a chef, and she and Hope have had to move around a lot as one restaurant closes and another one opens up somewhere else. Their latest move takes them from New York City to a small town in Wisconsin, which Hope is pretty sure doesn't have much to offer. Little could she have imagined it would turn out to be a place to call home.

You Have a Match by Mandie Caroll
You Have a Match is about outdoorsy Abby Day, a talented but shy nature photographer, struggling student, and big sister. Abby takes a DNA test to encourage her lifelong best friend and secret crush, Leo, to do one as well, since he was adopted. Abby is shocked to learn she has an older sister, Savvy, a semi-famous, yoga-posing, model-gorgeous Instagram star—basically, Abby's polar opposite. The two plot to be at the same summer camp, Abby as a camper and Savvy as a counselor, to try to figure out why their parents kept them apart. Things do not go well. Savvy is a stickler for rules and is on Abby's case about gum-chewing and tree-climbing, and Leo, of all people, is the camp's co-chef, thwarting her hope to cure herself of her crush. There's also the fact that any day now, Abby's parents will come to drag her back home for lying about flunking a class, so she's in quite a time crunch to figure out at least some of the mess her life has become.

A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey
A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow tells the story of almost-18-year-old Lila, a Miami native who's just graduated from high school. In the past few months, she's lost some of the most important people in her life. Her boyfriend of three years broke up with her right before prom. Her best friend suddenly moved out of the country, abandoning all the plans they'd had together for after high school. And her beloved grandmother, who instilled in Lila her passion for baking, passed away. Lila's parents decide the best thing for her would be to visit her aunt, who lives in the English town of Winchester and runs an inn. Lila's pretty sure the only place she'll be able to heal is at home, among the people, places, and food she loves so much. But off to England she reluctantly goes. There she has a chance to take over the inn's kitchen and meets Orion, the handsome young man who delivers the inn's tea. As she introduces Winchester to Cuban pastries, Orion introduces her to the people and places he loves. And as her feelings for Orion grow, it starts to look like the one thing she wanted most, going back home to Miami, is going to be the hardest thing she's ever done.

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell 
Eleanor is the new girl in town and her wild red hair and patchwork outfits are not helping her blend in. She ends up sitting next to Park on the bus, whose tendencies towards comic books don’t jibe with the rest of his family’s love of sports. They sit in awkward silence every day until Park notices that Eleanor is reading his comics over his shoulder; he begins to slide them closer to her side of the seat and thus begins their love story.  Set over the course of one school year in 1986, this is the story of two star-crossed misfits-smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you'll remember your own first love-and just how hard it pulled you under.

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
Cemetery Boys begins as 16-year-old Yadriel, shunned by most of his Latinx brujx community because he is trans, takes matters into his own hands, and successfully performs a quinces ritual on himself, becoming the brujo he knows he is. Immediately, he senses his cousin Miguel's death and tries to summon his spirit, but accidentally summons the spirit of Julian, a classmate he barely knows, but who has also just died. Yadriel's cousin, Maritza, his ride-or-die companion, helps him and Julian try to unravel the mystery surrounding Julian and Miguel's deaths. They are on a tight deadline with Dia de Muertos just a few days away (spirits must cross over to the afterlife before being able to come back and celebrate with their families). But Yadriel and Julian still manage to grow close, sparking a doomed, slow-burn romance. A plot twist puts the entire brujx community at risk of destruction, with only Yadriel and Maritza, both still inexperienced brujx, standing in the way.

The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar
The Henna Wars begins with a summertime Bengali wedding, where Nishat reconnects with Flávia, an old classmate who had moved away, and they share instant romantic energy. This, and the way she could see her parents looking forward to her own wedding to a nice Bengali man, prompts Nishat to tell her parents that she is lesbian. They meet her coming out with a devastating silence. When school starts, Nishat discovers that Flávia has transferred to her school, and her crush only intensifies. When Nishat and Flávia both decide to start a henna tattooing business for a school competition, Nishat is furious that Flavia thinks it's OK to lift an art from Nishat's culture for her own profit. Still, Nishat struggles to let go of her crush on Flávia. Nishat shares a close bond with her sister, Priti, who stands by Nishat through every hard thing she faces.

The Voting Booth by Brandy Colbert
When The Voting Booth begins, it's Election Day. Marva, an 18-year-old activist who's been working to get out the vote, will be casting her ballot for the first time. While at the polling place, she sees another kid her age being turned away. Duke's family recently moved, and he's gone to the wrong site. She persuades him to skip school so that they can get to his polling place as early as possible, in case there are long lines or other glitches. The clock is ticking: Duke needs to get finished voting in time to make it to his band's first paid gig. The pressure mounts when Marva's dad calls to tell her that the family cat, Selma, has gone missing. The two new friends launch a campaign to find her through the cat's social media account.

Don’t Ask Me Where I’m From by Jennifer De Leon
Don’t Ask Me Where I’m From tells the story of Liliana, a high-school sophomore and first-generation American from a gritty Boston neighborhood. Just as the new school year begins, she finds out she's been accepted into a program that will transfer her to a wealthy, white, suburban high school 20 miles away. The list of reasons not to join the program is as long as the daily bus ride will be, but Liliana's mother won't let her pass up the opportunities the richer school can provide. Her father's also been gone for a long time, with no explanation, so making ends meet and taking care of two younger siblings doesn't make things any easier. When Liliana learns the truth about her father, she starts to take a hard look at who she is, where she belongs, what's in her way, and how to get around anything blocking her path.

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
A downtrodden bureaucrat goes to a remote island populated by magical kids and their mysterious teacher, where his heart begins to “unshrivel” in unexpected ways, which is a treat to see. As Linus's adventures at The House in the Cerulean Sea continue, both he and the reader are drawn into its world, delighted by its residents, and more and more inclined to doubt the prejudice that finds them so dangerous.

The Inexplicable Logic of my Life by Benjamin Alire Saenz
The Inexplicable Logic of my Life starts with Sal's senior year. He worries big changes are coming—and not for the better. He's always felt at home as a white boy raised by his gay Mexican-American single dad and loving extended family. But now Sal's suddenly wondering about his biological dad and torn over learning more about his dead mother. He's started responding to taunts and minor threats with his fists, and his anger scares him. And he's heartsick to see his beloved grandmother dying of cancer. Big changes also disrupt the lives of his closest friends: longtime bestie Samantha, who has a rocky relationship with her mom, and Fito, whose mother is lost to drug addiction. Through it all, Sal turns to his family for strength and hope.

***Summaries are from various sources.