Summer 2022 Recommendations: Grades 6-8 | Henrico County Public Library

All thirteen : The incredible cave rescue of the thai boys' soccer team

Soontornvat, Christina,

A unique account of the amazing Thai cave rescue told in a heart-racing, you-are-there style that blends suspense, science, and cultural insight. On June 23, 2018, twelve young players of the Wild Boars soccer team and their coach enter a cave in northern Thailand seeking an...

True Tales

I am Malala : the girl who stood up for education and was shot by the Taliban

Yousafzai, Malala

A MEMOIR BY THE YOUNGEST RECIPIENT OF THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE As seen on Netflix with David Letterman "I come from a country that was created at midnight. When I almost died it was just after midday." When the Taliban took control of the Swat...

Life Stories

Aru Shah and the end of time

Chokshi, Roshani

Best-selling author Rick Riordan introduces this fantasy adventure by New York Times best-selling author, Roshani Chokshi, inspired by the great epics she grew up on. Named one of 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time by Time magazine! Twelve-year-old Aru Shah has a...

Adaptation/Update

Bea is for blended

Stoddard, Lindsey

Girl power scores a goal in this uplifting story of teamwork, new beginnings, and coming together to fight for what's right--perfect for fans of Lisa Graff and Lynda Mullaly Hunt. Bea and her mom have always been a two-person team. But now her mom is marrying Wendell, and their team is...

Sports

The Beatryce Prophecy

DiCamillo, Kate

A #1 New York Times bestseller From two-time Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo and two-time Caldecott Medalist Sophie Blackall comes a fantastical meditation on fate, love, and the power of words to spell the world. We shall all, in the end, be led to...

Fantasy

Becoming : adapted for young readers

Obama, Michelle

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * Michelle Obama's worldwide bestselling memoir, Becoming, is now adapted for young readers. Michelle Robinson was born on the South Side of Chicago. From her modest beginnings, she would become Michelle Obama, the inspiring...

Life Stories

Becoming Muhammad Ali : a novel

Patterson, James

Two heavy-hitters in children's literature deliver a critically acclaimed, bestselling biographical novel of cultural icon Muhammad Ali. ★ "This utterly delightful story about Ali's childhood is a smash hit."--School Library Journal...

Sports

Better Nate than ever

Federle, Tim.

Soon to be a Disney+ Original movie! "The Nate series by Tim Federle is a wonderful evocation of what it's like to be a theater kid. Highly recommended." --Lin-Manuel Miranda, star and creator of the musical, Hamilton A New York Times Notable Book of the...

Realistic

The boy who harnessed the wind

Kamkwamba, William

Now a Netflix film starring and directed by Chiwetel Ejiofor, this is a gripping memoir of survival and perseverance about the heroic young inventor who brought electricity to his Malawian village. When a terrible drought struck William Kamkwamba's tiny village in Malawi, his...

Life Stories

Bump

Wallace, Matt

A moving and triumphant middle grade contemporary debut from award-winning author Matt Wallace about a heroic young girl--who dreams of becoming a pro wrestler--learning to find courage and fight for what she loves. Perfect for fans of Kelly Yang, Meg Medina, and Jason Reynolds' Track series...

Sports

Camp Famous

Blecher, Jennifer

"Camp Famous expertly blends the joys of summer camp with the struggles of not fitting in. It's a fun and uplifting read!"--Janae Marks, author of From the Desk of Zoe Washington "Like the best camp friends, this heartfelt story will stay with you for a long time."--Stacy McAnulty, author...

Relationships

Checked

Kadohata, Cynthia

"Kadohata's slapshot is the heart-swelling narrative of a father and son...Truly powerful." --Jason Reynolds "A deeply poignant story about a boy sorting out his priorities." --Publishers Weekly (starred review) "A vivid, memorable portrayal of a boy within his family,...

Realistic

City of the plague god

Chadda, Sarwat

Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents an adventure based on ancient Mesopotamian mythology by Sarwat Chadda, author of the Ash Mistry series. "An epic worthy of Gilgamesh. Chadda brings attention to the less well-recognized mythology of ancient Mesopotamia with engaging...

Adaptation/Update

Nathan Hale's hazardous tales. [11], Cold War correspondent

Hale, Nathan

Discover the Korean War through the eyes of a journalist who covered it in author-illustrator Nathan Hale's Cold War Correspondent, a Hazardous Tale in the New York Times bestselling graphic novel series. In 1950, Marguerite Higgins (1920-1966) was...

True Tales

Cuba in my pocket

Cuevas, Adrianna

From Pura Belpré Honoree Adrianna Cuevas is a sweeping, emotional middle grade historical novel about a twelve-year-old boy who leaves his family in Cuba to immigrate to the U.S. by himself, based on the author's family history. "I don't remember. Tell me everything,...

Historical

The cursed carnival and other calamities : new stories about mythic heroes

Riordan, Rick

Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents ten new stories--including one of his own--about beloved heroes that sprang from the imaginations of some of the best middle grade authors working today. "I hope you enjoy your trip through the multiverse mansion as much as I did....

Adaptation/Update

Daughter of the deep

Riordan, Rick

New York Times #1 best-selling author Rick Riordan pays homage to Jules Verne in his exciting modern take on 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. "If you have ever craved a story that will leave your heart racing, your lungs gasping from the numerous twists and turns, your...

Science Fiction

Enchanted air : two cultures, two wings : a memoir

Engle, Margarita.

In this poetic memoir, which won the Pura Belpré Author Award, was a YALSA Nonfiction Finalist, and was named a Walter Dean Myers Award Honoree, acclaimed author Margarita Engle tells of growing up as a child of two cultures during the Cold War. Margarita is a girl from two...

Life Stories

Fallout : spies, superbombs, and the ultimate Cold War showdown

Sheinkin, Steve

New York Times bestselling author Steve Sheinkin presents a follow up to his award-winning book Bomb: The Race to Build--and Steal--the World's Most Dangerous Weapon, taking readers on a terrifying journey into the Cold War and our mutual...

True Tales

Fast pitch

Stone, Nic

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Nic Stone comes a challenging and heartwarming coming-of-age story about a softball player looking to prove herself on and off the field. Shenice Lockwood, captain of the Fulton Firebirds, is hyper-focused when she steps up to the...

Sports

Final season

Green, Tim

**INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER** From New York Times bestselling author and former NFL player Tim Green comes a gripping, deeply personal standalone football novel about a star middle school quarterback faced with a life-changing decision after his dad is...

Sports

Frankie & Bug

Forman, Gayle

"Joyful, occasionally heartbreaking, deeply moving." --R. J. Palacio, bestselling author of Wonder In the debut middle grade novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Gayle Forman comes a poignant and powerful coming-of-age story that follows a young...

Relationships

Free lunch

Ogle, Rex

Winner of the 2020 YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Award. Instead of giving him lunch money, Rex's mom has signed him up for free meals. As a poor kid in a wealthy school district, better-off kids crowd impatiently behind him as he tries to explain to the cashier that he's on the...

True Tales

Get a grip, Vivy Cohen!

Kapit, Sarah

In this perfectly pitched novel-in-letters, autistic eleven-year-old Vivy Cohen won't let anything stop her from playing baseball--not when she has a major-league star as her pen pal. Vivy Cohen is determined. She's had enough of playing catch in the park. She's ready to pitch...

Realistic, Sports

Gone to the woods : surviving a lost childhood

Paulsen, Gary

A mesmerizing memoir from three-time Newbery Honor-winning author Gary Paulsen--whose books have sold over 35 million copies worldwide--giving readers a new perspective on the origins of his blockbuster contemporary classic Hatchet and other famed survival stories. ...

Life Stories

Greenglass house

Milford, Kate.

New York Times Bestseller * National Book Award Nominee * Winner of the Edgar Award for Best Juvenile Mystery It's wintertime at Greenglass House. The creaky smuggler's inn is always quiet during this season, and twelve-year-old Milo, the innkeepers' adopted son, plans to spend his...

Adrenaline

Ikenga

Okorafor, Nnedi

Nnedi Okorafor's acclaimed first novel for middle grade readers introduces a boy who can access super powers with the help of the magical Ikenga. Nnamdi's father was a good chief of police, perhaps the best Kalaria had ever had. He was determined to root out the criminals that...

Adrenaline

Indian no more

McManis, Charlene Willing

American Indian Youth Literature Award Winner - American Indian Library Association When Regina's Umpqua tribe is legally terminated and her family must relocate from Oregon to Los Angeles, she goes on a quest to understand her identity as an Indian despite being so far from home.<...

Historical

It's Trevor Noah : born a crime : stories from a South African childhood ; adapted for young readers

Noah, Trevor

The host of The Daily Show, Trevor Noah, shares his personal story and the injustices he faced while growing up half black, half white in South Africa under and after apartheid in this New York Times bestselling young readers' adaptation of his adult memoir. ...

Life Stories

Kaleidoscope

Selznick, Brian

'[Selznick is] a postmodern hero of middle-grade children's fiction... Those who revel in puzzles, philosophical conundrums and musings on transience, time and grief will adore this challenging read' The Times 'The most perfect feat of storytelling' Scott Evans, The...

Fantasy

The last cuentista

Higuera, Donna Barba

Winner of the John Newbery Medal Winner of the Pura Belpré Award From Pura Belpré Award winner and Newbery Medalist, Donna Barba Higuera--a brilliant journey through the stars, to the very heart of what makes us...

Science Fiction

The lion of Mars

Holm, Jennifer L.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * Life on Mars is pretty standard.... until a mysterious virus hits. Don't miss this timely and unputdownable novel from the bestselling author of The Fourteenth Goldfish. Bell has spent his whole life--all eleven years of it--on...

Science Fiction

The magnificent monsters of Cedar Street

Oliver, Lauren

From the bestselling author of E. B. White Read-Aloud Honor Book Liesl & Po comes a timely and relevant adventure story about monsters of all kinds--and a girl brave enough to save them. Cordelia Clay loves the work she and her father do together: saving and healing the remarkable...

Mystery

The many meanings of Meilan

Wang, Andrea

"The little girl I was would have been thrilled to encounter Meilan... having found a character who embraces the complexity of being both Chinese and American, I would have been able to echo her words- 'I am not alone.'" -New York Times Book Review by Jean Kwok A family...

Relationships

The many mysteries of the Finkel family

Kapit, Sarah

Fans of the Penderwicks and the Vanderbeekers, meet the Finkel family in this middle grade novel about two autistic sisters, their detective agency, and life's most consequential mysteries. When twelve-year-old Lara Finkel starts her very own detective agency, FIASCCO (Finkel...

Mystery

Map of flames

McMann, Lisa.

X-Men meets Spy Kids in this instant New York Times bestseller! Here's the first book in a new middle-grade fantasy/adventure series from the author of The Unwanteds. Fifteen years ago, eight supernatural criminals fled Estero City to make a new life in...

Fantasy

The monsters of Rookhaven

Kenny, Pâadraig

"A stunning book...a brand new take on the monster story." --Eoin Colfer, international bestselling author of the Artemis Fowl series From award-winning author Pádraig Kenny comes an action-packed middle grade fantasy about a family of monsters, perfect for fans of Jonathan...

Fantasy

Murder is bad manners

Stevens, Robin

Two friends form a detective agency--and must solve their first murder case--in this "sharp-witted debut" (Publishers Weekly, starred review) that is the first adventure in a brand-new middle grade mystery series set at a 1930s boarding school. Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong...

Mystery

The mysterious Benedict Society

Stewart, Trenton Lee.

For fans of Lemony Snicket and Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library, this first book in the bestselling, award-winning Mysterious Benedict Society Series is not to be missed! "Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?" Dozens of children...

The mysterious disappearance of Aidan S. (as told to his brother)

Levithan, David

New York Times bestselling author David Levithan takes young readers on twisting journey through truth, reality, and fantasy and belief. Aidan disappeared for six days. Six agonizing days of searches and police and questions and constant vigils. Then, just as suddenly as...

Mystery

A night divided

Nielsen, Jennifer A.

From NYT bestselling author Jennifer A. Nielsen comes a stunning thriller about a girl who must escape to freedom after the Berlin Wall divides her family between east and west.With the rise of the Berlin Wall, twelve-year-old Gerta finds her family suddenly divided. She, her mother, and her brother...

Adrenaline

The odyssey : a graphic novel

Hinds, Gareth

With bold imagery and an ear tuned to the music of Homer's epic poem, Gareth Hinds reinterprets the ancient classic as it's never been told before. "Gareth Hinds brings The Odyssey to life in a masterful blend of art and storytelling. Vivid and exciting, this...

Adaptation/Update

Ophie's ghosts

Ireland, Justina

Winner of the 2001 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction The New York Times bestselling author of Dread Nation makes her middle grade debut with a sweeping tale of the ghosts of our past that won't stay buried, starring an unforgettable girl named Ophie. ...

Horror

Out of left field

Klages, Ellen

A story about the fight for equal rights in America's favorite arena: the baseball field! Every boy in the neighborhood knows Katy Gordon is their best pitcher, even though she's a girl. But when she tries out for Little League, it's a whole different story. Girls are not eligible...

Historical

Packing for Mars for kids

Roach, Mary

What is it like to float weightlessly in the air? What happens if you vomit in your helmet during a spacewalk? How do astronauts go to the bathroom? Is it true that they don't shower? Can farts really be deadly in space? Best-selling Mary Roach has the answers. In this...

True Tales

Paola Santiago and the river of tears

Mejia, Tehlor Kay

Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents author Tehlor Kay Mejia and her thrilling fantasy adventure based on the Mexican legend of La Llorona (the Crying Woman). "This fast-paced journey into Latinx folklore, with its clever protagonist, is sure to keep readers turning pages...

Horror

The Parker inheritance

Johnson, Varian

A Boston Globe / Horn Book Honor winner * Four Starred Reviews * Over Ten Best-of-Year Lists"Powerful.... Johnson writes about the long shadows of the past with such ambition that any reader with a taste for mystery will appreciate the puzzle Candice and Brandon must solve." -- The New York Times...

Adrenaline

The Penderwicks : a summer tale of four sisters, two rabbits, and a very interesting boy

Birdsall, Jeanne

With over one million copies sold, this series of modern classics about the charming Penderwick family from National Book Award winner andnbsp;New York Timesnbsp;bestseller Jeanne Birdsall is perfect for fans of Noel Streatfeild and Edward Eager. This summer the Penderwick...

Relationships

Playing the cards you're dealt

Johnson, Varian

"With a deft hand, Johnson shows us there's no such thing as "too young" when it comes to questioning big ideas like manhood, or even family." -Jason Reynolds, New York Times bestselling author of Look Both Ways and Stamped Literary powerhouse and Coretta...

Realistic

Prairie lotus

Park, Linda Sue

Prairie Lotus is a powerful, touching, multilayered novel about a girl determined to fit in and realize her dreams: getting an education, becoming a dressmaker in her father's shop, and making at least one friend. Acclaimed, award-winning author Linda Sue Park has placed a young half-Asian...

Historical

Race to the sun

Roanhorse, Rebecca

Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents critically acclaimed indigenous fantasy writer Rebecca Roanhorse's thrilling adventure about a Navajo girl who discovers she's a monsterslayer. *"Fans of Hugo and Nebula winner Roanhorse will appreciate her fast-paced prose, page...

Adaptation/Update

Real friends

Hale, Shannon

"Fresh and funny." --New York Times Book Review Newbery Honor author Shannon Hale and New York Times bestselling illustrator LeUyen Pham join forces in this graphic memoir about how hard it is to find your real friends--and why it's worth the journey. ...

Relationships

Red, white, and whole

LaRocca, Rajani

Newbery Honor Book! A heartbreakingly hopeful novel in verse about an Indian American girl whose life is turned upside down when her mother is diagnosed with leukemia. * Walter Award Winner * New England Book Award Winner * An NCTE Notable Verse Novel * Golden Kite Award...

Historical

The shape of thunder

Warga, Jasmine

An extraordinary new novel from Jasmine Warga, Newbery Honor-winning author of Other Words for Home, about loss and healing--and how friendship can be magical. Cora hasn't spoken to her best friend, Quinn, in a year. Despite living next door to each other, they exist...

Science Fiction

Sia Martinez and the moonlit beginning of everything

Vasquez Gilliland, Raquel

"In a world where we are so often dividing ourselves into us and them, this book feels like a kind of magic, celebrating all beliefs, ethnicities, and unknowns." --The New York Times Book Review Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe meets Roswell...

Science Fiction

Small spaces

Arden, Katherine,

New York Times bestselling adult author of The Bear and the Nightingale makes her middle grade debut with a creepy, spellbinding ghost story destined to become a classic. After suffering a tragic loss, eleven-year-old Ollie only finds solace in books. So when she...

Horror

Starfish

Fipps, Lisa

A Printz Honor winner! Ellie is tired of being fat-shamed and does something about it in this poignant debut novel-in-verse. Ever since Ellie wore a whale swimsuit and made a big splash at her fifth birthday party, she's been bullied about her weight. To cope, she...

Realistic

The storm runner

Cervantes, Jennifer

"A perfect storm of inspiring heroes, surprising twists, and some seriously scary monsters. This hilarious, expertly-plotted adventure keeps you racing through the pages and leaves you desperate for the next book (and craving a steaming mug of hot chocolate)!" --Shannon Messenger, New York...

Adaptation/Update

Stormbreaker

Horowitz, Anthony

Alex Rider is now an IMDb TV/Amazon Original Series! A New York Times bestselling series They told him his uncle died in an accident. He wasn't wearing his seatbelt, they said. But when fourteen-year-old Alex finds his uncle's windshield riddled with bullet...

Adrenaline

The supernatural society

Ogle, Rex

"Monsters have never been so much fun." -Stuart Gibbs, New York Times bestselling author of the Spy School series "Frightening and fun!" -Neil Patrick Harris, New York Times bestselling author of The Magic Misfits Readers will be scared silly in...

Fantasy

Those kids from Fawn Creek

Kelly, Erin Entrada

"A powerful and thought-provoking story."--Shelf Awareness (starred review) "An emotionally resonant story about authenticity and belonging."--Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "A raw, real exploration of belonging that's also sweetly hopeful."--Publishers Weekly (starred review) ...

Realistic

Under the broken sky

Nagai, Mariko

"Necessary for all of humankind, Under the Broken Sky is a breathtaking work of literature."--Booklist, starred review A beautifully told middle-grade novel-in-verse about a Japanese orphan's experience in occupied rural Manchuria during World War II. <...

Historical

What lives in the woods

Currie, Lindsay

For fans of Small Spaces and the Goosebumps series by R.L Stine comes a chilling ghost story about a girl living in the decrepit and creepy mansion, who discovers something in the woods is after her, from the New York Times bestselling author of Scritch Scratch and The Mystery of Locked Rooms.<...

Horror

When you reach me

Stead, Rebecca

"Like A Wrinkle in Time (Miranda's favorite book), When You Reach Me far surpasses the usual whodunit or sci-fi adventure to become an incandescent exploration of 'life, death, and the beauty of it all.'" --The Washington Post This...

Adrenaline

Whispering Pines

Lang, Heidi

Stranger Things meets The X-Files in this eerie, heart-pounding middle grade adventure about a young boy and girl who must protect their small town from otherworldly forces threatening to destroy it. Rae's father vanished without a trace--and Rae knows what happened...

Horror

I will always write back : how one letter changed two lives

Alifirenka, Caitlin

The New York Times bestselling true story of an all-American girl, a boy from Zimbabwe, and the letter that changed both of their lives forever. It started as an assignment. Caitlin had never even heard of Zimbabwe when everyone in her class was told to write a letter to...

True Tales

Winterborne home for vengeance and valor

Carter, Ally,

From the New York Times-bestselling author of the Gallagher Girls series. "A fast-paced thrill ride of a book . . . it's Batman meets Annie." --Stuart Gibbs, New York Times-bestselling author April didn't mean to start the fire. She wasn't the one who broke...

Mystery

Summer 2022 Recommendations: Grades 6-8UnpublishedShare

Summer 2022 Recommendations: Grades 6-8Unpublished