For Young Readers, Continued
More to the Story
by Hena Khan
Realistic fiction
Ages 9 and up
I adored this modern retelling of Little Women! Jameela wants to be a writer, but life gets hard for her family when their dad has to work overseas for six months. Then her younger sister gets seriously ill, and Jameela’s world turns upside down.
Restart
by Gordon Kormon
Realistic fiction
Ages 9 and up
After Chase falls of his roof, he remembers nothing of his previous life. When he returns back to school, he finds that the students either worship him or fear him, leading him to wonder what kind of person he was before his accident. After confronting his own past, Chase realizes that he has the chance to completely redefine himself.
Legend
by Marie Lu
Sci-fi / Dystopian thriller
Ages 10 and up
What was once the United States is now home to the Republic, a nation constantly at war. Born into an elite family, June is a prodigy being groomed for the Republic's highest military position. Meanwhile, Day grew up in the slums and is now a notorious criminal. Chapters alternate between the two characters, revealing that things are not always as they seem.
Rain Reign
by Ann M. Martin
Realistic fiction
Ages 9 and up
Rose has Asperger's syndrome and is obsessed with homonyms and prime numbers. Her dog Rain is her constant companion, especially since her father doesn't have much patience for his special-needs daughter. When Rain goes missing during a storm, it forces Rose to abandon her routines and safe spaces as she is faced with a very difficult choice.
Nowhere Boy
by Katherine Marsh
Realistic fiction
Ages 10 and up
Ahmed fled a life of uncertainty in Syria, only to lose his father on the perilous journey to Europe. Now Ahmed’s struggling to get by on his own, but starting to lose hope. Then he meets Max, an American boy who is struggling at his new school and just can’t seem to do anything right. With one startling discovery, Max and Ahmed’s lives collide and a friendship begins to grow.
Breakout
by Kate Messner
Realistic fiction
Ages 10 and up
Nora Tucker is working on her contributions to the town's time capsule when two inmates escape from the nearby maximum security prison. Fear can help a community come together, but it can also bring out the worst in people. Told through artifacts for a time capsule, this book sheds lights on important issues like systemic racism and generational prejudices.
The Stars Beneath Our Feet
by David Barclay Moore
Realistic fiction
Ages 10 and up
Lolly and his mom are still reeling from his older brother's death in a gang-related shooting when he receives a gift of Legos, and puts all his frustrations and anger into building something... something big. What a beautiful story about finding your own place in the world, no matter how unconventional it may be.
A Monster Calls
by Patrick Ness
Magical realism
Ages 10 and up
Every day at seven minutes after midnight, Conor wakes up to find a monster outside his window. The monster has several lessons for Conor to learn and wants something terrifying from him in return: the truth. The story is accompanied by haunting illustrations and is a heart-shattering tale of dealing with grief.
Wish
by Barbara O'Connor
Realistic fiction
Ages 9 and up
Charlie knows every possible way to make a wish, and she's been wishing for the same thing forever. But when she's sent to live with family she barely knows, it seems unlikely that her wish will ever come true. That is until she meets Wishbone, a stray dog who captures her heart.
Inkling
by Kenneth Oppel
Fantasy, humor
Ages 9 and up
The Rylance family is stuck. Dad's got writer's block. Ethan promised to illustrate a group project, even though he can't draw. Sarah's still pining for a puppy. And they all miss Mom. One night, the ink in Dad's studio leaps off the page, and that small burst of creativity changes everything.
The First Rule of Punk
by Celia C. Pérez
Realistic fiction
Ages 9 and up
Malú is miserable when her mom announces that they are moving from Florida to start a new life in Chicago. It initially seems like she and her mom have nothing in common, but they learn how to look past these differences and support each other.
Ghost (Track series #1)
by Jason Reynolds
Sports, realistic fiction
Ages 10 and up
A long time ago, Ghost and his mom had to run for their lives, and he still carries the anger from that moment with him. Now, he wants to turn that anger into speed on the track. An engaging read with dynamic and well-developed characters.
Don't miss the rest of the Track series!
Ghost Boys
by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Realistic fiction
Ages 10 and up
When 12-year-old Jerome is mistakenly shot and killed by a police officer, the ghost of Emmett Till guides him through the afterlife. Among friends and family members, Jerome's spirit also communicates with the daughter of the cop who fired the fatal shot, and he realizes that more than one life was shattered by his untimely death.
Playing Atari with Sassam Hussein
by Jennifer Roy and Ali Fadhil
Historical fiction
Ages 10 and up
A “slightly fictionalized biography” of co-author Ali Fadhil during his childhood in Iraq during Operation Desert Storm in 1991. This account is eye-opening about the terrors of growing up during war, but with the innocent optimism of a child narrator.
Amal Unbound
by Aisha Saeed
Realistic fiction
Ages 10 and up
Life is quiet in the Pakistani village where Amal lives. But then the unimaginable happens; after a run-in with the son of her village's corrupt landlord, Amal must work as a servant to pay off her debt. Her dream of becoming a teacher is shattered, and her life will never be the same.
The Rithmatist
by Brandon Sanderson
Fantasy
Ages 10 and up
Joel wants to be a Rithmatist so he can learn how to bring Chalkings to life and fight evil forces... but as the son of a lowly chalkmaker, this can never be his future. But when students start disappearing, Joel is assigned to help the professor investigating the crimes, and he finds himself on the trail of a dangerous discovery.
The Blackthorn Key
by Kevin Sands
Mystery, historical fiction
Ages 10 and up
As an apprentice to Benedict Blackthorn, Christopher was learning how to decipher codes and create potions. But when a mysterious cult begins to prey on London’s apothecaries, and the trail of murders grows closer to Blackthorn’s shop, Christopher must use every skill he’s learned to discover a secret with the power to tear the world apart.
The Ethan I Was Before
by Ali Standish
Realistic fiction
Ages 10 and up
Ethan and his family pick up and move from their home in Boston to a small town in Georgia after "the accident." Pieces of the story are slowly revealed until they all come together at the end, leaving the reader guessing the whole time.
Nightbooks
by J.A. White
Horror/suspense
Ages 10 and up
When Alex is kidnapped by a witch in his own apartment building, telling her the scary stories from his notebook is the only thing keeping her happy and sparing his life for the moment.
Front Desk
by Kelly Yang
Realistic fiction
Ages 8 and up
Mia and her parents are Chinese immigrants who came to America with only $200 in their pockets. They accept a job managing a motel for a horrible man who constantly exploits them, but Mia is strong and earnest and learns how to use the power of words to persuade.