Finding Diverse Books 2026 | Grades 6-8

Updated January 16, 2026
LINCC (Libraries in Clackamas County) Oregon City Public Library
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Speak up, Santiago! : a Hillside Valley graphic novel
Anta, Julio
Ebook
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.

Max in the land of lies
Gidwitz, Adam
Ebook
Instant New York Times bestseller! USA Today bestseller! "A heartrending masterpiece of middle-grade historical fiction.″ -Booklist, starred review "The whip-smart combination of intrigue and adventure along with thought-provoking...

In the conclusion to Max in the House of Spies, an evacuated Jewish boy returns to his hometown of Berlin in 1940 as a British spy intent on infiltrating the Nazi radio propaganda machine--and a secret plan to find his missing parents. A fast-paced, kid-friendly thriller that explores what life was like in Hitler's Germany.

Also available as an e-book, a digital audiobook, and a Playaway audiobook.

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.

A world worth saving
Lukoff, Kyle
Ebook
A NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST * A groundbreaking, action-packed, and ultimately uplifting adventure that intertwines elements of Jewish mythology with an unflinching examination of the impacts of transphobia, from Newbery Honor winner Kyle Lukoff. "Rare and beautiful--a novel...

Aided by a golem made from discarded pieces of trash, a 14-year-old trans teen sets out to confront the sheyds spurring transphobia in his community. Steeped in Jewish folklore, this National Book Award finalist from past winner Kyle Lukoff is a great choice for older middle school readers.

Also available as an e-book, a digital audiobook, and a readalong book/audiobook.


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