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?

Max in the land of lies
Gidwitz, Adam
Paper Book
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 : 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.

How to Free a Jinn
Aru Shah meets Aladdin in this "fast-paced...delightful" (School Library Journal, starred review) debut middle grade fantasy about a curious girl who discovers she has the power to control an all-powerful jinn. ...

A neurodiverse Australian girl discovers an ability to tame jinn's when her family moves to Malaysia to care for her ailing grandmother. A great choice for fans of the Rick Riordan Presents series and other fantasy epics inspired by world mythology.

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/859.1223/list/7162

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