Welcome Students with New Fiction for Fall
By Kasey Short
The beginning of the year is a great time to refresh classroom and school libraries as well as to create new book lists for students to choose from.
2024 has been another fantastic year for new middle grades books with many more titles to come in the next few months. I spent time this summer creating a wish list of new books for my classroom that connect to adolescent readers by including relatable topics, diverse voices and ideas, and stories that engage readers with magic and truth.
Students enjoy being the first one to read a book and are interested in hearing about what I have read over the summer. I hope this list inspires your own wish list of new books to read, share, and include in your collection.
The First State of Being by Erin Entrada Kelly
This book is so much fun to read! Michael is living in 1999 and worried about the possibility of a Y2K crisis and his crush on Gibby, and then they meet Ridge who has time traveled. The book alternates between 1999 and Ridge’s future and reads as both realistic and science fiction. Ridge wants more than anything to go to the mall, and the seemingly simple outing showcases the vast differences in time periods. Michael and Gibby work to help Ridge find his way home while Michael also works through his own fears of the future and anxiety.
Isabel in Bloom by Mae Respicio
This novel in verse captivates readers with its carefully chosen words and realistic story of Isabel who is adjusting to life with her mom in America after growing up with her grandparents in the Philippines. It shows the immigrant experience and includes generational storytelling and the challenges of fitting into a new school and making friends that many readers will relate to. As Isabel discovers how gardening can help her connect different parts of herself, make friends, and help others, readers are left with hope and inspiration.
The Night War by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Perfect for the many fans of the author’s well-known book, The War That Saved My Life. This historical fiction novel weaves facts from WW II and French history into a fictional story that will instantly engage readers. Miriam is living in a Jewish neighborhood in Paris in 1942 when she is forced to flee a roundup alone with her two-year-old neighbor. She ends up in a Catholic boarding school near a castle that provides an escape route. She meets a ghost and then works to help people escape Nazi-controlled France. This book is filled with adventure, a strong female heroine, and insight into the atrocities of the Nazis. The epilogue is a must read to gain additional insight into the historical facts that went into the story.
Safiyyah’s War by Hiba Noor Khan
This inspiring and beautiful historical fiction story was based on many Jews who were saved during WWII through the Grand Mosque of Paris. Safiyyah is a young Muslim heroine who works with her father and the resistance to provide fake identities and help Jews escape Paris. The book provides raw emotions and the truth of trauma while also showing the value of helping others and the power of hope. Readers will be engaged in the adventure and anticipation of the story, learn empathy from the characters, and develop a greater understanding of the historical events in the story.
One Big Open Sky by Lesa Cline-Ransome
Another amazing novel in verse by Lesa Cline-Ransome, this book alternates between the perspectives of three women who are traveling west during the Black homesteader movement in 1879. Letti is a young girl who is traveling with her family and must grow up quickly to survive and help her parents. Her mother, Sylvia, is trying to take care of her family while pregnant, and Philomena is a young woman who connected with the family on their journey and is trying to find her way to a job as a teacher. The book addresses the vast difficulties of their journey and how they were impacted by the patriarchal society and racism while leaving the reader feeling hopeful for their future.
Sona and the Golden Beasts by Rajani LaRocca
This is a must read for middle grades. On the surface it is a fantasy story about Sona, a young girl who connects deeply to animals, hears music even though it is forbidden, and is on a quest to find the magic that will help save someone she loves. It is set in the land of Devia where people are grouped based on the color of their ears and the Malechs who colonized the land make laws to control the gems found in the earth and the Devans who were native to the land. There are plot twists, magic animals, and an epic quest, but the book is so much more than that. It addresses climate change, the impact of colonization, discrimination, family, identity, and more.
And Then Boom by Lisa Fipps
Another captivating novel in verse by Lisa Fipps! The reader is instantly engaged when they read on the first page that Joe ended up on the news because he flew “Just like Superman.” The book holds their attention with the raw truths and well written poems. Joe’s mother often abandons him, and he goes from living with grandmother and struggling to get by to being entirely on his own without basic needs such as food. This book shows readers the truth of poverty, hunger, homelessness, abandonment, and the importance of friendship, the power of love, and the value of asking for help when it is needed.
The Wishkeeper’s Apprentice by Rachel Chivers Khoo
This book is full of magic and will engage younger middle grades readers who enjoy fantasy and mystery. Felix makes a wish in a wishing-fountain that his big sister will notice him again, and it changes everything. He meets the town’s Wishkeeper who wants Felix to work as his apprentice. Felix comes to realize that someone is trying to erase all the wishes from the entire town which will also result in Felix disappearing from his family. There is action, magic, complex family dynamics, and ultimately a lesson about the power of hope and joy.
The Monarchs of Winghaven by Naila Moreira
This is such a sweet story about friendship, families, activism, and the environment and is perfect for younger middle grades readers. Sammie spends her free time in nature drawing and making notes about what she sees. She thinks that being alone is the best way to enjoy nature until she meets Bram who loves documenting nature with his camera. The book includes excerpts of her field journal with sketches and notes that add to the story and engage readers. Bram and Sammie build a friendship as they explore and document an abandoned lot that they name Winghaven. When they learn that developers want to destroy the lot, they use their knowledge about the garden to fight to save it.
Olivetti by Alli Millington
This book is told from the perspective of a typewriter, Olivetti, and twelve-year-old Ernest who is searching for his mother who recently went missing. When Olivetti realizes its owner is missing, it breaks the “typewriter code” and starts typing back to Ernest to help him find his mom. Olivetti is the only clue Ernest has that will help him find his mom, and luckily typewriters remember everything that has been typed on them. It is an intriguing story of adventure, mystery, friendship, and the complexities within families.
Other Books Coming Soon
The Science of Friendship by Tanita Davis (August 20th)
The Skeleton Flute by Damara Allen (August 27th)
All the Ways to Go by Jessie Janowitz (September 3rd)
Team Chu and the Wild Ghost Chase by Julie C. Dao (September 10th)
Not Another Banned Book by Dana Alison Levy (September 10th)
On a Wing and a Tear by Cynthia L. Smith (September 17th)
Gracie Under the Waves by Linda Sue Park (September 17th)
When We Flew Away by Alice Hoffman (September 17th)
Kasey Short (@shortisweet3) is the Middle School Director of Studies and an 8th Grade English Teacher and Advisor at Charlotte (NC) Country Day School. Kasey loves to share ideas from her classroom and her leadership roles and writes frequently for MiddleWeb. She attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she earned a bachelor of arts in middle school education with a concentration in English and history. She went on to earn a master’s in curriculum and instruction from Winthrop University.
