I've been reading a lot of great books this summer - including middle grade novels. I brought a few stacks of books home with me because I always love reading the Iowa Children's Choice books for the upcoming school year and having something new to recommend. I've also been receiving the potential nominee list for years now, and some years I do better than others with reading them. These books are being considered for the 2027-28 list which seems far off, but will be here sooner than we think.
There's not a bad book in this bunch, but I do have a few favorites.
If you're looking for a sports book, or have soccer lovers, The Academy is for you.
Right Back At You is labeled as science fiction, but I think that misses the mark. It's a fantastic epistolary novel as two kids write letters they leave in their closets that travel between 1987 and 2023 (the years they live in).
Lois Lowry's Tree Table Book is such a sweet book of friendship and expertly weaves in a Holocaust storyline along with the sad topic of dementia.
Popcorn by Rob Harrell is a funny story with some depth about a boy trying to make it through school picture day while dealing with anxiety.
Erin Soderberg Downing's What Happened Then is a suspenseful, page-turner as cousins Avery and Jax get to know each other and try to understand a long-held family secret.
You can never go wrong with Gordon Korman. Snooped explores the idea of sticking your nose into other peoples' business and what the repercussions may be.
Confessions of a Mango -Ruby who struggles with school finds it hard to keep up with her twin, Bryce, who things come easy for. However, Bryce feels much the same way about Ruby - and it turns out that the two of them aren't alone.
Outside by Jennifer Holm is a book that tried to do too much. I liked the storyline of Razzi not being allowed to go outside, but throw in some information about wolves and a heart transplant (both interesting) and there just weren't enough pages to get that all in.
The Experiment by Rebecca Stead started off strong, and I could enjoy the storyline with aliens (out of my wheelhouse), but then it got a little too contrived and by the end I wasn't sure if everything was really explained satsifactorily.
Carole Lindstrom's Red River Rose is one I was looking forward to. Ultimately, I needed more background information about the Metis people, way of life and history. I can guarantee you my students won't have any idea about this group of people and might be interested if they had some prior knowledge to hook into.
Queso Just In Time by Ernesto Cisneros takes Queso back in time where he is able to see what his father (who is no longer alive) was like as a boy. This is an important part of Queso's grieving process and is a wonderful story.
The Teacher of Nomad Land: A World War II Story by Daniel Nayeri is short, but packs a punch. Set in 1941, Babek and his little sister are orphans and set out on a journey by themselves. They encounter people from different backgrounds - but all still have things in common. While kids can definitely read this on their own, this would make a great class novel or read aloud.
I've still got a few weeks to read as many books as possible. I have a few stacks still awaiting my attention, so I hope that before school starts, I have another dozen middle grade novels to share.
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