Yang - Front Desk

By Kelly Yang

While some kids are at sports practice or music lessons after school, ten-year-old Mia Tang is manning the front desk of the motel in which she and her Chinese immigrant parents live and work. The Calavista Motel owned by the cruel Mr. Yao is not only a haven for weary travelers, but also home to a colorful cast of full-time residents. It doesn’t take long for kindhearted Mia to be drawn into the trials and tribulations of day to day life at the motel. Even though she is faced with daily challenges, Mia has big dreams for herself, as well as her friends and family. Does Mia have what it takes to turn dreams into reality?

Woodson - Harbor Me

By Jacqueline Woodson

Six kids meet weekly in the ARTT (A Room to Talk) room without any adults and discover a safe haven to share their struggles and to find support. They share issues of identity, bullying, racism, immigration, incarceration and more. While each story unfolds in this safe space the students find strength in the community they’ve created and the bonds they’ve made.

Wang - The Prince and the Dressmaker

By Jen Wang

A graphic novel with a modern, fairy tale vibe. Prince Sebastien has a secret: at night, he loves to dress up in fantastic ball gowns and go out on the town as the fashionable Lady Crystallia. Frances is the lowly seamstress who becomes his special designer. Charming, romantic, joyful and subversive, this is a story about gender identity, self-expression, family pressure, and the joy of truly beautiful clothes.

Uss - The Adventures of a Girl Called Bicycle

By Christina Uss

Bicycle, raised at the Mostly Silent Monastery where the monks are permitted only eight words (yes, no, maybe, help, now, later, sleep, and sandwich), is being sent to the Friendship Factory to improve her social skills and make friends. Instead she runs away and sets off on an incredible solo cross-country journey to meet her cyclist hero at San Francisco’s Blessing of the Bicycles – encountering en route a host of quirky characters, among them a lonely Civil War ghost.

Stoddard - Just Like Jackie

By Lindsey Stoddard

Robbie Hart has a fierce temper and a big heart. She’s been covering for her Grandpa at home and at his auto repair shop. She worries the authorities will learn about his Alzheimer’s and take her away from her only family. Robbie wishes Grandpa would tell her about her mom, and her anger issues lead her into fights and trouble at school. Vermont author Lindsey Stoddard mixes themes of family, acceptance, race, gender, and friendship.

Saeed - Amal Unbound

By Aisha Saeed

Amal dreams of being a teacher, but soon she discovers that for a girl in Pakistan, an education is not guaranteed. After a car accident, she is forced to be an indentured servant in the household of the village landlord, a luxurious estate financed by illegal dealings. Amal discovers the depth of the corruption of the landlord and his family, but she must weigh the risks of trying to expose them in a small village where girls are not always believed and their dreams are not always honored.

Rhodes - Ghost Boys

By Jewell Parker Rhodes

Jerome is twelve and mostly just a quiet kid, until one day when he is playing with a friend’s toy gun. A police officer mistakes him for a threat and shoots him. But this isn’t the end of Jerome’s story. As a ghost, Jerome meets Emmett Till, another boy who was killed in a racially charged misunderstanding. Jerome learns about Emmett’s life and the aftermath of his own death. Through the two stories, more questions are asked than answered, in a gripping exploration of prejudice.

Respicio - The House that Lou Built

By Mae Respicio 

Lou loves woodshop, her family, and her dream to build a 100-square foot “tiny house” on a beautiful piece of land her Dad left her when he died. But when back taxes and a possible move to another state threaten Lou’s dream, she’s got to find a way to make it come true!

Oppel - Inkling

By Kenneth Oppel

Only the cat was awake to see Inkling form on Ethan’s father’s sketch pad, but soon Ethan’s whole family is caught up in the wonder of this ink blot that can read, draw, and communicate with humans...Inkling can even do your homework! But as Inkling soon discovers, even an ink blot’s efforts and adventures can lead to misunderstandings and danger. Sometimes trying to help people get “unstuck” can make things even more sticky for everyone.

Nielsen - No Fixed Address

By Susin Nielsen

What do a Westfalia van, a hamster named Horatio and a gnome all have in common? To Felix Knuttson, they are all important parts of his rapidly changing world. The van is home that he shares with not always dependable mom. The hamster is named after the host of his favorite TV quiz show, which with some luck, Felix thinks he could win. Mel is a steadfast tomte that Felix believes protects his family from all that could go wrong. Felix must keep his living arrangement a secret, from everyone, even his best friends. Can Felix find a solution before it is too late?

Medina - Merci Suarez Changes Gears

By Meg Medina

Merci Suárez is grateful to go to an excellent private school. Really, she is. Even if she was able to forget how fortunate she is, the extra required community service hours would be there to remind her. She also knows how lucky she is to be surrounded by family- even though that has its own challenges, as her grandfather ages and her family relies on her in more ways. How can Merci navigate her changing worlds at home and at school?

McAnulty - Miscalculations of Lightning Girl

By Stacy McAnulty

Although she doesn’t remember it, Lucy Callahan was struck by lightning, which gave her genius level math skills and a severe case of OCD. Since then she has been homeschooled. She is technically ready for college, but her grandmother gives her one more test to pass: middle school. This novel teaches us that sometimes numbers aren’t all that matters, no problem is unsolvable, and if you have a few friends who accept you for who you are, you’re pretty lucky.

Maas - Bob

By Wendy Mass & Rebecca Stead

Illustrated by Nicholas Gannon

It’s been five years since Livy last visited her grandmother in Australia – and when she finally returns she finds Bob, a greenish zombie-like creature in a chicken suit, who has been obediently waiting in her closet all this time. (He’s spent the years crying and building LEGO® pirate ships.) A tale of friendship, love, and magic, told in the alternating voices of Livy and Bob.

Marsh - Nowhere Boy

By Katherine Marsh

How does a community absorb an increasingly desperate group of refugees, while keeping everyone safe from terrorism? Max is unhappy about his family’s one-year stint in Brussels, Belgium, until he meets Ahmed, a Syrian refugee boy who’s been secretly living in his basement. Max’s neighbors are angered by terrorist attacks in the news and would gladly report Ahmed if they saw him. The boys form a bold plan to help Ahmed stay under cover in this suspenseful novel.

Lages - Out of Left Field

By Ellen Klages

In 1957, Katy Gordon is denied the opportunity to play Little League baseball even though she is a talented pitcher with an unhittable “Sunday pitch”.  Katy researches famous women baseball players to convince officials that girls can play and play well.

Key - Deep Water

By Watt Key

Desperate to save his business, Julie’s ailing father agrees to take a father/son team of rich, arrogant clients to a deep-sea site, but he needs 12-year-old Julie, an experienced diver, to actually take them on the dive. Julie quickly discovers that the clients aren’t interested in doing things the right way, and their recklessness results in the trio being lost at sea. With no boat and little hope, it is up to Julie to fend off tragedy and find a way to survive.

Jarrow - Spooked

By Gail Jarrow

In our time of fake news and alternative facts, what could be more timely than an account of Orson Welles’s famous Halloween-Eve radio broadcast? - the one that convinced much of America that the Martians were invading! Filled with period photos, art reproductions, newspaper headlines, and quotations.

Hood - Lifeboat 12

By Susan Hood

This riveting novel-in-verse is the story of thirteen-year-old Kenneth Sparks and his experience on a lifeboat after surviving a torpedo attack during World War II. This is truly an edge-of-your-seat survival tale based on a true, but little-known disaster. The book will appeal to readers of all ages.

Greenwald - Game Changer

By Tommy Greenwald

An accident at the end of a high school football practice leaves Teddy Youngblood in a coma...or was it an accident? Rumors swirl as Teddy, the team, and the town try to recover. While Teddy is in the coma, unable to share what he knows, there are others who want to tell their version of what happened.

Green - Missing Mike

By Shari Green

Eleven-year-old Cari is devastated when wildfires force her family to quickly evacuate their home - before she can find her beloved dog, Mike. After a harrowing escape, Cara’s family is housed by a host family with a foster daughter whom Cara befriends and enlists the support of to find Mike. Faced with the realization that her home is gone, Cara will do whatever it takes not to lose Mike too.

Gardner - Fake Blood

By Whitney Gardner

AJ has been wondering for years how to get ultra-cool Nia’s attention. When he finds out about her obsession with vampire lore, he decides to try something really different-- he pretends to be a vampire. Will his plan work?

Fletcher - Journey of the Pale Bear

By Susan Fletcher

In this riveting adventure set in the 13th century, 12-year-old Arthur – in hopes of claiming an inheritance in Wales - sets out from Norway on a ship bringing a polar bear as a gift from Norwegian King Haakon to England’s King Henry. Though the bear terrorizes the crew, Arthur forms a bond with it. A wonderful story based on the true tale of a polar bear who lived in London’s Tower Menagerie.

DiCamillo - Louisiana's Way Home

By Kate DiCamillo

Louisiana Elephante’s world gets turned upside down the night her Granny announces that they must leave their home immediately. For Louisiana that means leaving behind her best friends Raymie and Beverly as well as her beloved cat, Archie. As fate would have it, Granny’s mouth full of bad teeth land them in Richford, Georgia, a place that Louisiana at first desperately wants to leave. As Louisiana begins to settle into the new town and learns more about her past, she begins asking herself: what is the true meaning of home?

Connor - The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle

By Leslie Connor

Mason Buttle is a large, sweaty kid with learning disabilities. Mason also has a big heart. When his best friend dies under suspicious circumstances, Mason becomes the focus of Lieutenant Baird’s investigation.

Castaldo - Back From the Brink

By Nancy Castaldo

Activists and animal-lovers alike will be inspired by this non-fiction book about saving endangered species, complete with full color photography. It discusses seven threatened species, the threats to their survival, and the ways scientists and others have worked to pull them away from extinction.

Braden - Benefits of Being an Octopus

By Ann Braden

Seventh grader Zoey has a lot on her plate. She is constantly taking care of her younger siblings, being bullied or ignored at school, and worrying about things like the power being turned off or not having enough food to eat. This novel, set in Vermont, describes the reality of living in poverty, being both kid and care-giver, and the ups and downs of being a middle school girl. The Benefits of Being an Octopus blends both politics and economics in a story about finding your own voice.

Bigelow - Drum Roll, Please

By Lisa Jenn Bigelow

In Melissa “Melly” Goodwin's mind, she and her best friend Olivia are about to experience the most epic summer ever at Camp Rockaway, a music camp located deep in the woods of Michigan. It starts looking like Melly’s dream summer may become more of a nightmare, when her parents announce the day before camp begins that they are getting a divorce. Add to that a scary band instructor, Olivia’s sudden infatuation with “Noel”, a cute fellow camper, and Melly’s own confusing feelings towards Adeline, a girl to whom she finds herself drawn. Will Melly’s summer hit all the right notes or be a flat-out disaster?

Beatty - Willa of the Wood

By Robert Beatty

Willa is a young night-spirit living in the Smoky Mountains who must use her grandmother’s old magical ways to save human children stolen by the misguided leader of her own clan.

Auxier - Sweep

By Jonathan Auxier

Nan, a young chimney climber in Victorian London, has to carry on without her protector the “Sweep” when he disappears, leaving behind only his hat and a small piece of coal. The coal comes to life in the form of a golem and saves Nan from a near death experience. Together they protect each other from the grim life of London in the 1800s. Combining fantasy, history and folklore, this is a funny and adventurous tale of friendship and loyalty.

Arden - Small Spaces

By Katherine Arden

Ollie Adler saves an old book from a distraught woman threatening to throw it into a river. The book leads Ollie into a dangerous, supernatural struggle for survival at a local farm.  Ollie and her friends can only survive if they can hide in the “small spaces” and follow the mysterious messages that appear on her “broken” digital wristwatch.