Biblio File, NYPL Recommends: New & Noteworthy

NYPL Recommends: New Middle Grade Fiction

I can't stop marveling at the amazing Middle Grade Fiction being published these days. Character-driven, culturally diverse, multiple perspectives, funny, offbeat, historical, moving, and lyrical. There is something for everyone and here are a few new titles we recommend.

Beyond the Bright Sea

Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk

Abandoned and set adrift in a small boat when she was just hours old, now twelve year old Crow lives on an isolated island in Massachusetts with the only two people she has ever known.

Heart-wrenching, Lyrical, Strong sense of place

 

 

 

 

Forever or a long, long time

Forever or a Long, Long Time by Caela Carter

Flora and Julian and their latest (in a long line) foster mother set out on a journey to resolve their past so that they can build a future.

Character-driven, Culturally diverse, Introspective, Realistic fiction

 

 

 

 

Forget Me Not

Forget Me Not by Ellie Terry

Calliope has Tourette syndrome. She meets Jinsong at her latest middle school and he befriends her despite the embarrassment her Tourette’s can cause.

Angst-filled, Character-driven, Multiple perspectives, Novels in verse, Realistic fiction

 

 

 

 

Midnight Without a Moon

Midnight Without a Moon by Linda Williams Jackson

Set in Mississippi 1955, Rose dreams of a life beyond the cotton fields, but when Emmett Till is murdered in Mississippi, she is torn between leaving and staying to be part of the growing movement.

Character-driven, Historical fiction

 

 

 

 

Olga and the Smelly Thing from Nowhere

Olga and the Smelly Thing from Nowhere by Elise Gravel

Armed with the scientific method and her observation notebook, Olga sets out to learn the facts about the smelly species she discovered.

Cartoony, Funny, Offbeat

 

 

 

 

One Good Thing About America

One Good Thing About America by Ruth Freeman and Kathrin Honesta

Anais recently emigrated from Africa to Maine with her mother and brother. Now she has to learn to navigate a new language, culture, and school.

Character-driven, Culturally diverse,  Realistic fiction

 

 

 

 

Quicksand Pond

Quicksand Pond by Janet Taylor Lisle

Twelve-year-old Jessie is spending the summer on Quicksand Pond. It is here in this New England vacation spot where she meets a new friend and a reclusive old lady with a connection to a decade old murder.

Character-driven, Realistic fiction

 

 

 

 

Revenge of the Green Banana

Revenge of the Green Banana by Jim Murphy

Jim Murphy starts the sixth grade with the best of intentions, but Sister Angelica has already made up her mind and pegged him and his friends as trouble.

Darkly funny, Historical fiction

 

 

 

 

Revenge of the Star Survivors

Revenge of the Star Survivors by Michael Merschel

Clark Sherman uses his encyclopedic knowledge of the TV show “Star Survivors” to battle the evils he encounters in middle school.

Character-driven, Fast-paced, Realistic fiction, Witty

 

 

 

 

The Crystal Ribbon

The Crystal Ribbon by Celeste Lim

Set in the village of Hunan in medieval China, Jing’ s is from a poor family and is sold off as a bride. She is treated poorly and eventually sold again. With the help of a spider and a nightingale she embarks on a redemptive quest.

Coming of age, Culturally diverse, Historical fiction, Lyrical, Richly detailed,  Sad

 

 

 

 

The End of Wild

The End of Wild by Nicole Helget

A fracking company rolls into town and threatens eleven-year-old Fern’s peaceful woods and her family’s livelihood.

Ecofiction,  Lyrical, Moving, Realistic fiction, Richly detailed

 

 

 

 

The Someday Birds

The Someday Birds by Sally J. Pla; illustrated by Julie McLaughlin

Charlie is twelve-years-old, autistic, and obsessive compulsive and is about to embark on a cross-country road trip with his siblings and his babysitter.

Ability diverse, Character-driven, Hopeful, Realistic fiction

 

 

 

 

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Squirrel Meets World by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale; illustrated by Vitale Mangiatordi

Doreen uses her powers to stop a group of troublemakers.

 Ability diverse, Action-packed, Culturally diverse, Funny, Multiple perspectives

 

 

 

 

Train I Ride

Train I Ride by Paul Mosier

Rydr is on a train going from her Grandmother’s place in California to her new home in Chicago. She bonds with her fellow passengers along the way while seeking what she needs to make a fresh start.

Character-driven, Moving, Realistic fiction

 

 

 

 

Have trouble reading standard print? Many of these titles are available in formats for patrons with print disabilities.

Staff picks are chosen by NYPL staff members and are not intended to be comprehensive lists. We'd love to hear your ideas too, so leave a comment and tell us what you’d recommend. And check out our Staff Picks browse tool for more recommendations!

 

Comments

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Squirrel Girl is awesome!

Squirrel Girl is awesome!