Outstanding International Books for Middle Grade

Updated November 25, 2024
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Catherine's war
Billet, Julia
Paper Book
"A shining story of a young girl who struggles to come of age and find her place in a world fraught with danger." --Susan Campbell Bartoletti, Newbery Honor-winning author of Hitler Youth * Winner of the Youth Prize at the Angoulême International Comics Festival (voted by readers) * Winner...
Living with Viola
Fung, Rosena
Paper Book
"unforgettable . . . will shake middle grade readers to the core"--School Library Journal, starred review "Beautifully illustrated, relatable, and genuine." --Molly Brooks, creator of Sanity & Tallulah "Everyone needs to buy this book now. ...
Girl of the southern sea
Kadarusman, Michelle
Paper Book
From Governor General's Literary Award finalist Michelle Kadarusman, an empowering novel about a girl from the slums of Jakarta who dreams of an education and the chance at a better life From the time she was a little girl, Nia has dreamed up adventures about the Javanese mythical...
Soul lanterns
Kuzki, Shaw
Paper Book
The haunting and poignant story of a how a young Japanese girl's understanding of the historic and tragic bombing of Hiroshima is transformed by a memorial lantern-floating ceremony. Twelve-year-old Nozomi lives in the Japanese city of Hiroshima. She wasn't even born when the...
The apartment : a century of Russian history
Litvina, Alexandra
Paper Book
In this picture book from author Alexandra Litvina and illustrator Anna Desnitskaya, 20th-century Russian history comes to life through six generations of a family in their Moscow apartment.   The Apartment: A Century of Russian History explains the...
The swallows' flight
McKay, Hilary
Paper Book
"A triumph." --Philip Pullman, bestselling author of the His Dark Materials saga Four young lives are forever changed at the dawn of World War II in this "stirring and unforgettable" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) novel from award-winning author Hilary McKay.
Run for your life
Mitchell, Jane
Paper Book
A moving and sensitive children's book exploring a child's experience living in refugee accommodation in Ireland. School Library Journal, "Best Books 2023" Bank Street Best Children's Books 2024 Azari's...
We are wolves
Nannestad, Katrina
Paper Book
This "hauntingly atmospheric" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review), heart-stopping middle grade novel follows three of the Wolfskinder, German children left to fend for themselves in the final days of World War II, as they struggle to hold onto themselves and each other while surviving in the...
Plasticus maritimus : an invasive species
Pêgo, Ana (Marine biologist)
Paper Book
"Clever...beguiling....Readers age 11 and older are likely to finish this book feeling both persuaded and uplifted. Beauty has a way of doing that." --Wall Street Journal For young readers comes an imaginative guide to ocean plastics, filled with tips...
The barren grounds
Robertson, David
Paper Book
Morgan and Eli, two Indigenous children forced away from their families and communities, are brought together in a foster home in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They each feel disconnected, from their culture and each other, and struggle to fit in at school and at their new home until they find a secret portal...
The Night Raven
Rundberg, Johan
Paper Book
Mika is not your average twelve-year-old--and she's about to prove it. It's 1880, and in the frigid city of Stockholm, death lurks around every corner. Twelve-year-old Mika knows that everyone in her orphanage will struggle to survive this winter. But at least the notorious serial...
Wild poppies
Saleh, Haya
Paper Book
Two brothers fight to reunite amidst the turmoil of the Syrian War. Since the passing of their father, Omar has tried--and in his little brother Sufyan's eyes, failed--to be the man of his family of Syrian refugees. As Omar waits in line for rations, longing...
Weird rules to follow
Spencer, Kim
Paper Book
Winner of a 2024 PNBA Book Award Winner of the 2023 IODE Violet Downey Book Award Winner of the 2023 Jean Little First-Novel Award Winner of the 2023 Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People Winner of the 2023 TD Canadian Children's Literature...
The kaya girl
Wolo, Mamle
Paper Book
Writing with effortlessly engaging prose, Wolo showcases the interweaving layers of Ghanaian culture to create a prismatic, multifaceted world in which two young girls, against all odds, are able to find each other. When Faiza, a Muslim migrant girl from northern Ghana, and Abena, a...

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