Finding Diverse Books 2026 | Grades 6-8

Updated January 16, 2026
LINCC (Libraries in Clackamas County) Oregon City Public Library
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Finding Diverse Books 2026 | Grades 6-8

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Rick Kotani's 400 million dollar summer
Brown, Waka T.
Paper Book
Oregon Book Award-winning author Waka T. Brown hits a home run in this middle grade novel about a baseball-obsessed twelve-year-old who moves to Oregon to help his grandfather--an elusive old man with a shrouded past--but ends up learning unexpected truths about his family and how...

A sports novel from Oregon author and OBOB favorite Waka T. Brown combines Japanese folklore with a contemporary story about a young teen who loses sight of his values after joining an ultra-competitive baseball team. Come for the sports action, stay for the exploration of one of the big questions facing young athletes: is it more important to be a good sport or win at all costs?

Refugee : the graphic novel
Gratz, Alan
Paper Book
A USA Today bestseller! The timeless #1 New York Times bestseller Refugee is brought to life in a stunning graphic novel adaptation! JOSEF is a Jewish boy living in 1930s Nazi Germany. With the threat of concentration camps looming, he and his...

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.

The blossoming summer
Johnson, Anna Rose
Paper Book
When English thirteen-year-old Rosemary is evacuated to her grandmother in America at the start of World War II, she uncovers the family secret--they are Anishinaabe and passing as white. Life in England is all Rosemary has ever known. . . but as WWII changes the world, no one's...

A WWII evacuation story about a British American girl who discovers her Anishinaabe heritage when she's sent to live with her American relatives during the Blitz. With its similar theme and tone, this novel is a must-read for fans of The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley.

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

A world worth saving
Lukoff, Kyle
Paper Book
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.

Will's race for home : a western
Rhodes, Jewell Parker
Paper Book
★ Winner of the Coretta Scott King Book Award! ★ ★ A New York Times bestseller! ★ ★ "Rhodes deftly captures a unique ­aspect of this historical event, with a perspective...

A twelve-year-old boy and his father team up with a former Union army officer to make it to Oklahoma in time for the 1889 Land Rush. With short sentences, clear language, and fast-paced chapters, this action-oriented Western is a great choice for striving readers. Pair with Birchbark House, Prairie Lotus, A Sky full of Song, and One Big Open Sky for a multi-faceted look at the Pioneer Era.

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

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https://librarian.syndetics.com/syndeticsunbound/lp/2320.2914/list/7162

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