Tween Reads

Discover recent releases for tweens.
Updated April 18, 2025
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Away : an alone novel
Freeman, Megan E.
Paper Book
A group of children investigate the threat that prompted large-scale evacuations in this powerful and dramatic companion novel to the New York Times bestselling Alone told in multiple POVs. After an imminent yet unnamed danger forces people across Colorado to leave...
Finding the lost one
Leer, Samantha van
Paper Book
A middle grade debut by New York Times bestselling co-author of Between the Lines stars 13 year old Ava, who helps run her family's refuge for extraterrestrials. But a sudden attack on the zoo leads to her discovering a government conspiracy that upends everything she believed to be...
Out of my heart
Draper, Sharon M.
Paper Book
Melody faces her fears to follow her passion in this stunning sequel to the acclaimed, New York Times bestselling middle grade novel Out of My Mind. Melody, the huge-hearted heroine of Out of My Mind, is now a year older and a year braver. But not as brave as she...
Kareem between
Safadi, Shifa Saltagi
Paper Book
This award-winning, heartfelt coming-of-age novel in verse tells the powerful story of a seventh-grade Syrian American boy and his struggles, big and small, as he navigates middle school. "The exact type of book I would've loved, and needed, as a kid." --Jasmine Warga,...
Pony
Palacio, R. J.
Paper Book
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "Perfection." -The Wall Street Journal The bestselling author of Wonder returns with an enthralling adventure about a boy on a quest to rescue his father, with only a ghost as his companion and a mysterious pony as his guide.<...
How to draw a secret
Chang, Cindy (Author and illustrator)
Paper Book
For fans of Raina Telgemeier's Sisters and Jen Wang's Stargazing comes the empowering autobiographical story of a young Taiwanese American artist struggling to find her voice to save what matters most. Twelve-year-old Cindy relishes drawing flawless images, but she is stumped...
Deer run home
LeZotte, Ann Clare
Paper Book
Effie is Deaf, and no one in her family speaks sign language, her language. This moving story of survival and found family, inspired by a true court case, is perfect for fans of Wonder and Out of My Mind. * "Quietly extraordinary." --Kirkus Reviews,...
A copycat conundrum
Yee, Lisa
Paper Book
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER . When San Francisco is under strange attacks-like earthquakes affecting only two city blocks at a time-who're you gonna call? An elite team of crime-fighting underdogs, that's who! The Misfits are on the case in this hilarious illustrated series!
This is our rainbow : 16 stories of her, him, them, and us
Locke, Katherine
Paper Book
The first LGBTQA+ anthology for middle-graders featuring stories for every letter of the acronym, including realistic, fantasy, and sci-fi stories by authors like Justina Ireland, Marieke Nijkamp, Alex Gino, and more! A boyband fandom becomes a conduit to coming out. A former...
On thin ice
Kim, Jessica
Paper Book
For fans of Disney's GO FIGURE, a laugh-out-loud, heartfelt dual POV sibling-rivalry story by acclaimed author Jessica Kim Twelve-year-old fraternal twins Phoebe and Dexter Bae are polar opposites in every way except for their love of the ice. Phoebe is hyperfocused...
Paradise on fire
Rhodes, Jewell Parker
Paper Book
From award-winning and bestselling author Jewell Parker Rhodes comes a powerful coming-of-age survival tale exploring issues of race, class, and climate change.​   Addy is haunted by the tragic fire that killed her parents, leaving her to be raised by her...
One wrong step
Nielsen, Jennifer A.
Paper Book
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer A. Nielsen comes a brand-new, spine-tingling adventure about two kids and their fight for survival on the unforgiving trails of Mount Everest. Jennifer Nielsen's storytelling climbs to new heights in this epic about loss, letting go, and...
Bye forever, I guess
Meadows, Jodi
Paper Book
Can a guarded gamer girl lower her shield for a new friend... or more-than-friend? "EARNEST AND LAUGH-OUT-LOUD... PITCH PERFECT."--Publishers Weekly, starred review Thirteen-year-old Ingrid's been living a double life. At school, she's her popular...
Happy & sad & everything true
Thayer, Alex
Paper Book
"A charming, entertaining, and true book...I would follow Dee's advice any time." --Gayle Forman, author of Frankie & Bug and Not Nothing With charm and sincerity reminiscent of Judy Blume and Rebecca Stead, this debut middle grade novel is a "compassionate" (...
Attack of the black rectangles
King, A. S.
Paper Book
Award-winning author Amy Sarig King takes on censorship and intolerance in a novel she was born to write. When Mac first opens his classroom copy of Jane Yolen's The Devil's Arithmetic and finds some words blacked out, he thinks it must be a mistake. But then when he and his friends...
Black star
Alexander, Kwame
Paper Book
A Coretta Scott King Honor Book The thrilling second book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Door of No Return trilogy stars Kofi's granddaughter, Charley, who's set on becoming the first female pitcher to play professional ball but who...
The cat who saved the library : a novel
Natsukawa, Sōsuke
Paper Book
The long-awaited sequel to the #1 international bestseller The Cat Who Saved Books--an uplifting tale from Japan about a talking cat, a book-loving girl and the power of books to make a difference in the world. A chronic asthma condition prevents thirteen-year-old Nanami from playing...
Yusuf Azeem is not a hero
Faruqi, Saadia
Paper Book
At a time when we are all asking questions about identity, grief, and how to stand up for what is right, this book by the author of A Thousand Questions will hit home with young readers who love Hena Khan and Varian Johnson--or anyone struggling to understand recent U.S. history and...
The Sherlock society
Ponti, James
Paper Book
In the tradition of Nancy Drew, four kids and one grandfather in Miami tackle a decades-old mystery in this first book full of "atmosphere, history, and lively humor" (Publishers Weekly, starred review) in the Sherlock Society middle grade series from New York Times bestselling,...
Return of the thief
Turner, Megan Whalen
Paper Book
The thrilling, twenty-years-in-the-making conclusion to the New York Times-bestselling Queen's Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner. The epic novels set in the world of the Queen's Thief can be read in any order. This beloved and award-winning series began with the acclaimed novel...
What is Black Lives Matter?
Wilson, Lakita
Paper Book
From the #1 New York Times bestselling series comes the latest title in the Who HQ Now format for trending topics. It tells the history of a political and social movement that advocates for non-violent civil disobedience and protests against incidents of police brutality--and all racially...
The beautiful something else
Van Otterloo, Ash
Paper Book
Full of humor and heartbreak, this story about a nonbinary character navigating a binary world is perfect for fans of Alex Gino and Kyle Lukoff. It's exhausting trying to be the perfect daughter. Still, getting good grades without making any waves may be the only way to distract from the...
Lola
Valenti, Karla
Paper Book
A simmering tale of magic, adventure, and the extraordinary bond between a brother and sister who'd journey to the ends of the Earth to save each other. From the acclaimed author of Loteria comes a heartfelt story rooted in Mexican magical realism. A PURA BELPR AUTHOR WINNER ....
Monster locker. 1
Aguirre, Jorge Augusto
Paper Book
A Kirkus Best Book of the Year In this first volume of a thrilling middle grade graphic novel series, a sixth-grader named Pablo discovers his locker is a portal to the realm of monsters! For hundreds of years, something in the basement of Glenfield...
A strange thing happened in Cherry Hall
Warga, Jasmine
Paper Book
From the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of A Rover's Story and Other Words for Home comes an extraordinary story about two friends, a ghost, a missing painting, and a turtle named Agatha. The perfect next read for fans of The Swifts, Kate DiCamillo, and Erin...
Weirdo
Weaver, Tony, Jr
Paper Book
A Kirkus Best Book of the YearA School Library Journal Best Book of the Year A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year A New York Public Library Best Book of the Year A Chicago Public Library Best Book of the Year A People Magazine<...
The ribbon skirt : a graphic novel
Mukwa, Cameron
Paper Book
A joyful coming-of-age middle-grade graphic novel by debut Indigenous creator Cameron Mukwa about the journey of a two-spirit kid who wants to create a ribbon skirt for the upcoming powwow.Ten-year-old Anang wants to make a ribbon skirt, a piece of clothing typically worn by girls in the...
The queen of Ocean Parkway
Tash, Sarvenaz
Paper Book
An 11-year-old podcaster-turned-sleuth teams up with the new kid in the building to find their missing neighbor! A captivating adventure perfect for fans of When You Reach Me and Only Murders in the Building. Eleven-year-old Roya is the superintendent's kid in...
Library girl
Horvath, Polly
Paper Book
After living in the public library for the last eleven years, Essie must learn to adapt to a world that's not as perfect as the stories she's grown up with in this heartfelt middle grade novel from Newbery Honor author Polly Horvath. Essie has grown up in the public library,...
And then, boom!
Fipps, Lisa
Paper Book
Lost at Windy River : a true story of survival
Rathgeber, Trina
Paper Book
★"Colorful illustrations in classic comic-book style help readers explore the challenging landscape. An excellent choice for a book report and good addition to a children's nonfiction collection." -- School Library Journal (SLJ), starred review It takes courage and bravery to survive...
Jax Freeman and the phantom shriek
Mbalia, Kwame
Paper Book
"I loved everything about this book."--Rick Riordan, New York Times #1 best-selling author of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series 12-year-old Jax Freeman discovers a secret world where a diverse group of students with unique talents wield magic by summoning the power of...
Ain't it funny
Gurevich, Margaret
Paper Book
For fans of Stand Up, Yumi Chung! and The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl comes an honest and heartfelt novel about a girl who's determined not to let her growing anxiety and OCD hold her back from using stand-up comedy to bring her parents back together. ...
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