Tween Reads

Discover recent releases for tweens.
Updated December 4, 2025
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Stamped (for kids) :
Cherry-Paul, Sonja,
Paper Book
THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER This chapter book edition of the groundbreaking #1 bestseller by luminaries Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds is an essential introduction to the history of racism and antiracism in America  
Out of my heart /
Draper, Sharon M.
Paper Book
A New York Times bestseller! 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...
Starfish /
Fipps, Lisa.
Paper Book
A PRINTZ HONOR BOOK . Ellie is tired of being fat-shamed and does something about it in this poignant novel-in-verse. "In her debut novel, Starfish, Lisa Fipps confronts diet culture and fat phobia head-on. . . . The book reads as if Ellie herself is writing these poems, which...
Pony /
Palacio, R. J.
Paper Book
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * NAMED ONE OF THE BEST CHILDREN'S BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE WALL STREET JOURNAL "Perfection." -The Wall Street Journal The bestselling author of Wonder returns with an enthralling adventure about a boy...
From the desk of Zoe Washington /
Marks, Janae.
Paper Book
#1 Kids Indie Next List * Parents Magazine Best Book of the Year * Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Book of the Year * SLJ Best Book of the Year * Kirkus Best Book of the Year * Junior Library Guild Selection * Edgar Award Nominee * Four Starred Reviews * Bank Street Best...
This is our rainbow :
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...
Halfway to somewhere /
Pimienta, Jose.
Paper Book
New school, new country, but only half a family?! Embark on a coming of age journey with a middle school teen navigating their parent's divorce while moving to a new country in this stunning graphic novel. Ave thought moving to Kansas would be boring and flat after enjoying the...
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...
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...
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...
Speechless /
Steinke, Aron Nels.
Paper Book
From Eisner Award-winning author Aron Nels Steinke comes a heartfelt and funny middle-grade graphic novel about friendship, anxiety, and expressing yourself. Middle school was supposed to be a fresh start for Mira, who struggles to speak in class even though she can speak at home...
The talk :
Paper Book
Thirty diverse, award-winning authors and illustrators invite you intotheir homes to witnesstheconversationsthey have withtheir children about race in America today in this powerful call-to-action that invites all families to be anti-racists and advocates for change. "Project s love...
Uncomfortable conversations with a black boy /
Acho, Emmanuel.
Paper Book
Adapted from Emmanuel Acho's New York Times bestseller Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man, comes an essential young readers edition aimed at opening a dialogue about systemic racism with our youngest generation. Young people have the power to affect...
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. ...
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...
The night diary /
Hiranandani, Veera.
Paper Book
NEWBERY HONOR BOOK . A poignant, personal, and hopeful tale of India's partition-and of one girl's journey to find a new home in a divided country. " The Night Diary is a sensitive portrayal of the universal search for identity and the need for a place to call home....
A mighty long way :
LaNier, Carlotta Walls.
Paper Book
Follow the story of Carlotta Walls LaNier, who in 1957 at the age of fourteen was one of nine black students who integrated the all-white Little Rock Central High School and became known as the Little Rock Nine. At fourteen years old, Carlotta Walls was the youngest member of the...
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 series from Newbery Honoree Lisa...
Traitors among us /
Skrypuch, Marsha Forchuk.
Paper Book
World War II may be over, but two sisters are far from safe. Inspired by true events, this is the latest gripping and powerful novel from the acclaimed author of Making Bombs for Hitler. Sisters Krystia and Maria have been through the worst -- or so they think. World War II ravaged...
Vanya and the Wild Hunt
Mandanna, Sangu.
Paper Book
*Winner of the Good Housekeeping Kids' Book Awards* *A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year* From the bestselling author of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches comes an action-packed, enchanting middle grade fantasy about a...
Bea Mullins takes a shot /
Deibert, Emily,
Paper Book
When a 7th grader is forced to join her school's hockey team, she discovers unexpected friendships and a budding crush on the team captain. This fierce and heartfelt queer romance explores the courage to face your fears, even when your dreams are on thin ice. Some goals are...
How to draw a secret /
Chang, Cindy,
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...
Bridge of souls /
Schwab, Victoria.
Paper Book
Victoria ("V. E.") Schwab, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, invites readers to haunted New Orleans in this third installment of her thrillingly spooky City of Ghosts series! Where there are ghosts, Cassidy Blake follows . . . ...
Boy 2.0 /
Baptiste, Tracey.
Paper Book
An action-packed superhero story from New York Times bestselling author Tracey Baptiste Win "Coal" Keegan has just landed in his latest foster home, with a big, noisy, slightly nosy family named the McKays. They seem eager to welcome Coal, but he's wary of trusting them. So, he...
Swimming with spies /
Lucyk-Berger, Chrystyna,
Paper Book
As war escalates between the Russians and Ukrainians in the port city of Sevastopol, can one girl and a pod of dolphins prove that communication is the greatest weapon of all? It's February of 2014 in the seaport city of Sevastopol in Crimea. Sofiya Oleksandrivna only wants two...
Fallout :
Sheinkin, Steve.
Paper Book
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...
Rabbit chase /
LaPensOee, Elizabeth,
Paper Book
A BookRiot Don't-Miss 2022 Queer Graphic Novels & Memoirs * "Rabbit Chase is a welcome intersectional work for today's youth."--Traci Sorell, award-winning author of We Are Still Here! and At the Mountain's Base Anishinaabe culture and storytelling meet Alice in...
African Town /
Latham, Irene.
Paper Book
Chronicling the story of the last Africans brought illegally to America in 1860, African Town is a powerful and stunning novel-in-verse. In 1860, long after the United States outlawed the importation of enslaved laborers, 110 men, women and children from Benin and Nigeria...
Like a hurricane /
BOecotte, Jonathan,
Paper Book
★"Immediately takes one's breath away with its poetry and power...Deeply affecting. An ideal tool to illustrate poetic elements or emphasize stories of sharing scary yet necessary truths."--School Library Journal, starred review A young teen's secret is tearing him apart. He...
Ambushed! :
Jarrow, Gail.
Paper Book
Winner of the 2022 YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Award This thrilling title for young readers blends science, history, and medical mysteries to tell the story of the assassination and ultimately horrible death of President James Garfield. James...
Tunnel of bones /
Schwab, V. E.,
Paper Book
The thrilling sequel to Victoria Schwab's New York Times bestselling City of Ghosts!Trouble is haunting Cassidy Blake . . . even more than usual.She (plus her ghost best friend, Jacob, of course) are in Paris, where Cass's parents are filming their TV show about the world's most...
Dress coded /
Firestone, Carrie.
Paper Book
In this inspiring novel about girls using their collective power to improve their lives, an eighth grader starts a podcast to protest the unfair dress code enforcement at her middle school-and sparks a rebellion. "A much-needed reminder that certain fights are worth fighting, that...
And we rise :
Martin, Erica.
Paper Book
*"A powerful, necessary book." SLJ, starred review A powerful, impactful, eye-opening journey that explores through the Civil Rights Movement in 1950s-1960s America in spare and evocative verse, with historical photos interspersed throughout. In stunning verse...
This is your brain on stereotypes :
Kyi, Tanya Lloyd,
Paper Book
From the time we're babies, our brains constantly sort and label the world around us - a skill that's crucial for our survival. But, as adolescents are all too aware, there's a tremendous downside: when we do this to groups of people it can cause great harm. Here's a comprehensive introduction to...
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