Finding Diverse Books 2026 | Grades 6-8

Updated January 16, 2026
LINCC (Libraries in Clackamas County) Oregon City Public Library
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A Hillside Valley graphic novel. 1, Speak up, Santiago
Anta, Julio
Paper Book
Welcome to Hillside Valley! 12 year-old New York city kid Santi is heading upstate, in the debut of this irresistible contemporary graphic novel series about friends, family, community and identity--just right for fans of Mexikid and the Click series! Named one of the...

A Colombian American middle schooler who doesn't speak Spanish well struggles to fit in with his fluent peers during a summer visit to his grandmother in this graphic novel exploration of identity and acceptance.

Also available as an e-book.

Faiza Is a Fighter
Dasgupta, Debasmita
Paper Book
Faiza wants to win the biggest boxing tournament in town. When the odds are stacked against her, will she be able to achieve her dream without the presence of her biggest supporter? Life in hilly northern India is not easy. Every day, Faiza has to scale the mountains to reach her school or...

A Sikh girl from Northern India overcomes challenges, both in the boxing ring and in real life, with her father's enthusiastic support. When he's unable to attend a big match due to a landslide, Faiza must learn to be her own #1 cheerleader. Inspired by a real Indian boxer and classical Indian art, this graphic novel is a great choice for athletes and artists.

Refugee
Gratz, Alan
Paper Book
The award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling novel from Alan Gratz tells the timely--and timeless--story of three different kids seeking refuge. A New York Times bestseller! JOSEF is a Jewish boy living in 1930s Nazi Germany. With the threat of concentration...

A graphic novel adaptation of Alan Gratz's wildly popular novel, which intertwines the stories of three refugees from different times and places: 1930s Germany, 1990s Cuba, and 2010s Syria. An easy sell to fans of the original book as well as striving readers.

Also available as an e-book.

Fooled
Haas, Susan
Paper Book
In this fresh, funny, and fast-paced story, chaos ensues when the kids at a down-on-its-luck middle school come to believe that fake magic is the real deal! Magic loving, wheelchair user Lil Evers wishes she could start sixth grade at a real...

A group of kids with disabilities--who cope with being sequestered from their peers in a separate Special Education classroom by roleplaying that they're at magic school instead--inadvertently trick the rest of the school into believing they can cast real spells. A fun premise that explores an important issue; hand to fans of Wonder and Harry Potter alike.

How to free a jinn
Idil, Raidah Shah
Paper Book
Fast-paced middle fiction fantasy featuring a curious girl discovering a big family secret. Full of intrigue, humour, warmth, action, jungle spirits, a perilous unseen realm and ghostly battles. A wonderful debut, perfect for readers who love Jaclyn Moriarty and Jessica Townsend.

A neurodiverse Australian girl discovers an ability to tame jinn's when her family moves to Malaysia to care for her ailing grandmother. A great choice for fans of the Rick Riordan Presents series and other fantasy epics inspired by world mythology.


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