New Middle Grade Books by Award-Winning Authors

Chanel Miller’s second middle grade novel shows that messy, back-and-forth pull between childhood and adulthood and the confusion being on the edge of both brings. Quiet seventh-grader Luna gets suddenly thrust into the spotlight when her uplifting zines for classmates catch the popular clique’s attention. But the clique wants Luna to refocus the zines on correcting classmates and forcing them to fit into certain boxes and styles. Everything is complicated and messy, and nothing comes easily. Miller narrates the audiobook, and it’s a wonderful listen.

Shook was released in August, and it’s a National Book Award Nominee for Young People’s Literature! This verse novel follows basketball enthusiast Malik Page, known as Shook, after he injures his leg. Fearing that his hopes of making the varsity team are squashed, Shook begins having panic attacks. It’s a moving, realistic read for kids who enjoy Jason Reynolds, and I always love to see books where kids see therapists.

Kate O’Shaughnessy’s latest middle grade novel is a cozy contemporary fantasy about a family where everyone has magic — except 12-year-old Shiloh. While her older sister can grow giant produce and her twin can heal plants, Shiloh has no magic. But she just knows she’s got to have a power and that it’s somehow connected to the death of her older brother, whom she never met. While cozy, O’Shaughnessy deals with tough topics like murder and incarceration gently and with grace. This very well might be my favorite of hers so far.

This action-packed middle grade horror follows two brothers with a rocky relationship who are lost in a forest full of monsters. Ryan’s dad recently died, and he blames his younger brother, whose love of teddy bears and crying would often make their dad angry. When they both hear their father’s voice calling from the forest, they rush inside. Instead of their dad, they find cursed monsters. The pacing never lets up as these kids face one near-death experience after another, all while tackling the harms of toxic masculinity.

Saadia Faruqi is quite a prolific author, and her most recent middle grade is a slow-burning survival novel, centering complex character arcs and relationships. It follows three kids as they learn what it means to be brave during the Houston flood of 2017. Yasir dreams of becoming a pro soccer player and using his money to bring his mother out of poverty. Cody also plays soccer, but his abusive father has taught him that real men are bullies. Mona is a young artist intent on drawing flood myths from around the world, but her frequently absent parents put a lot of responsibility on her shoulders. When the three are stranded together, they learn who they truly are, outside of family pressures.

Ying Ping Low is an award-winning middle grade novelist in Singapore, and this is her first book published in the U.S. It’s a high fantasy full of folklore and adventure. Mengyao has always lived in one village with her sister, never leaving. The forest protects the village by keeping outsiders away. Then Mengyao finds the young emperor, Kai, in the forest, escaping from a coup. She vows to help him, but in this world, children forget about magic when they turn 13 and both children’s birthdays are coming up. It’s a fast-paced fantasy with unique world-building.

Andrea Beatriz Arango wrote her previous middle grade novels in verse, but her latest switches between verse and prose chapters–and it’s her first middle grade written from boys’ perspectives. Like in her other novels, Arango focuses on how mental illness impacts tweens’ lives. She also explores toxic masculinity and dreams. Gustavo, who has anxiety, has recently moved from Puerto Rico to Yellowstone National Park, where he begins to have shared dreams with another boy, Kordell, who also lives on park land. Kordell has depression. This is just as poetic and moving as her previous novels, with a unique setting.

Aisha Saeed’s companion to the award-winning Amal Unbound is just as good as the first, and it can be read as a stand-alone. While it deals with heavy topics, Saeed does so in a light, thoughtful way that never feels too stressful. Hafsa lives in a small Pakistani town and dreams of becoming a doctor, though her traditional parents frown on the idea. She gets accepted into what she thinks is a medical summer camp for kids in Lahore, but it turns out she’ll be studying climate change. It’s a lovely middle grade that will give kids a glimpse into what living in Pakistan looks like.

This slim dystopian middle grade is perfect for kids who love robot stories. It follows a group of tweens who hack a robot and accidentally give it a personality. The world is pretty dark, but the kids form a tight bond. Though Erin Entrada Kelly’s Newbery-winning novel The First State of Being also has a sci-fi twist, this one feels quite different, and would work well as a high/low book (that is, high concept, lower reading level).

Two award-winning authors team up in this middle grade contemporary series starter that’s sure to become a favorite for many tween girls. It alternates between two stepsisters, one of whom is happy to be moving to the middle-of-nowhere Tennessee, and the other HATES everything about the new town. Much drama ensues. It’s highly illustrated, with all the topics tween girls love. The second book in the series releases next year. This is another one that will appeal to high/low readers.