2025 TD Summer Reading Books for Older Children

Updated February 27, 2025
Drag items up and down to your preferred order then select the "Save Order" button.
Alterations
Xu, Ray
Paper Book
For fans of Gene Luen Yang's American Born Chinese and Svetlana Chmakova's Awkward, this funny yet poignant middle-grade coming-of-age story highlights the struggle of feeling invisible while yearning to be seen by all.    ...
Anne dares
George, K.
Paper Book
Anne is excited to be a guest at a party at Orchard Slope, the home of her kindred spirit, Diana Barry. But when the dares start and mean Josie Pye makes the others feel bad, Anne can't stop herself from challenging Josie to a dare... which leads to Anne being dared to climb the house and walk along...
Anzu and the realm of darkness
Nguyen, Mai K.
Paper Book
5 Worlds meets Spirited Away in this tale of a girl fighting her way back home after getting trapped in the spirit world. Anzu has just moved to a new town during Obon, a time for families to remember and celebrate their ancestors. Ever since her obaachan died,...
Are we there yet? : how humans find their way
Birmingham, Maria
Paper Book
Why do some people have a bad sense of direction? How can you avoid getting lost? Why did early mapmakers put fake towns on their maps and why does every traffic controller in the world speak English? From finding food, water and shelter to traveling for commerce, trade and eventually...
The Bellwoods Game
Krampien, Celia
Paper Book
Perfect for fans of Doll Bones and Hocus Pocus, this "beautifully creepy" (Kirkus Reviews), highly illustrated middle grade novel follows a girl who hopes to fix her outcast status through a game in the haunted woods, only to discover that some legends shouldn't be...

Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

The boldest white : a story of hijab and community
Muhammad, Ibtihaj
Paper Book
In this call to bravery from Olympic medalist Ibtihaj Muhammad, Faizah learns to overcome her fears and stand in front of the crowd in this beautiful celebration of family, fencing, and community.   Faizah loves being part of the community at her mosque, and...
A first time for everything : a true story
Santat, Dan
Paper Book
*Winner of the National Book Award for Young People's Literature* A middle grade graphic memoir based on bestselling author and Caldecott Medalist Dan Santat's awkward middle school years and the trip to Europe that changed his life. Dan's always been a...
Grounded : a novel
Saeed, Aisha
Paper Book
When a thunderstorm grounds all flights following a huge Muslim convention, four unlikely kids are thrown together. Feek is stuck babysitting his younger sister, but he'd rather be writing a poem that's good enough for his dad, a famous poet and rapper. Hanna is intent on finding a lost cat in the...

Also available in eBook format.

Isabel in Bloom
Respicio, Mae
Paper Book
A middle-school girl discovers a connection between her home in the Philippines and her new home in the U.S. through a special garden in "this sweet and heartfelt novel that explores how bumpy beginnings can offer chances for new growth" (The New York Times) A National Council...
Kwame crashes the underworld
Farmer, Craig Kofi
Paper Book
Winner of the Coretta Scott King John Steptoe New Talent Award Discover a stunning middle grade fantasy about a boy hurled into the Ghanaian underworld to help his grandmother save humanity, perfect for fans of Tristan Strong and Amari and the Night Brothers.
Lunar boy
Wibowo, Jessica
Paper Book
Stonewall Children's Literature Award Winner 2025 Rainbow Book List Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2024 NPR's Books We Love of 2024 GLAAD Media Awards Nominee 2024 Harvey Awards' Best Children's Book Nominee For fans of The Witch Boy and Squished,...
The new girl
Calin, Cassandra
Paper Book
Instagram sensation and Tapas webcomic superstar Cassandra Calin makes her long-form debut with this funny, feel-good middle-grade graphic novel about change. Goodbye, old life... Lia and her family are waiting to board a flight across the Atlantic, leaving behind family,...

Also available in eBook format.

Out of my dreams
Draper, Sharon M.
Paper Book
Melody flies to London to speak at a convention about differently abled kids in this "warm and beautifully told" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) sequel to the acclaimed, New York Times bestselling middle grade novels Out of My Mind and Out of My Heart.

Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

The Racc Pack. 1
Cooke, Stephanie
Paper Book
Live life in the trash lane with this first entry in a hilarious middle grade graphic novel series about a family of sneaky raccoons from graphic novel superstars Stephanie Cooke and Whitney Gardner! Meet the Bins family, a trio of raccoons in the risky business of dumpster...
Safiyyah's war
Khan, Hiba Noor
Paper Book
Inspired by the true story of how the Grand Mosque of Paris saved the lives of hundreds of Jews during World War II, this breathtaking tale of suspense, compassion, and courage stars an extraordinary young heroine readers will never forget. "A riveting read for children and adults alike." -...
Tasty : a history of yummy experiments
Elliott, Victoria Grace
Paper Book
How did cheese happen? Who pickled the first pickle? Explore the history of innovative food in this non-fiction graphic novel filled with facts, legends, and recipes. Have you ever wondered how some of our favorite foods came to be? How was cheese created and who realized it...
Viewfinder
Chung, Christine D. U.
Paper Book
A young space traveler happens upon Earth in the future in this gorgeous wordless adventure for fans of Shaun Tan. A transportive graphic novel for ages 6 to 9, perfect for Earth Day. A young space traveler visits Earth on a whim and finds a planet empty of people. She happens...
Monstrous mammals
Pallotta, Jerry
Paper Book
Eight monstrous mammals battle it out in this exciting bind-up featuring four Who Would Win? books in this action-packed animal series! Which dangerous animals would win in a fight? Find out in this awesome bind-up of four books in the popular Who Would Win? series. The collection features...

Library staff! You can create and contribute to lists. Contact your catalog administrator or log in here.