8 Books For Brand New Middle Schoolers

A Million Miles from Boston, by Karen Day
Many  of us have that special place; that spot where summer memories are made. For Boston native Lucy, that place is Pierson Point, Maine. Pierson Point is the place where Lucy can breathe, where she can remember her mom, where she can try to come to grips with her dad’s new girlfriend, and starting middle school in the fall. But this year, Boston follows her to Maine in the form of her classmate, Ian. Ian is one of the cool kids—loud, confident, and mean. And the last person Lucy wants to spend her whole summer with at her beloved Pierson Point.

Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life, by James Patterson and Laura Park
Yep. That James Patterson. The best-selling crime novelist. If you haven’t yet been introduced to his books for middle grade readers, you’re missing out. In the first book of this series, Rafe Khatchadorian is about to embark on his first year of middle school, and he’s got a plan: Break every rule in the school’s lengthy Code of Conduct. With his best friend Leonardo (The Silent) awarding points, Rafe sets of to make middle school history. It seems simple enough…but plans like these have a way of catching up with you. With the movie coming out this fall, now is the perfect time to read this laugh-out-loud book.

Schooled, by Gordon Korman
You remember your first day of middle school, right? The hallways, the lockers, the cliques, the general mass confusion? Now imagine your first day of school after you’ve spent your entire educational career up to this point being homeschooled on a former compound by your hippy grandmother, Rain, and that’s what Capricorn (Cap) Anderson is up against. Are you cringing? There are a lot of cringe-worthy moments in this book, as the naive Cap learns that people don’t always mean what they say, that friends can really be enemies in disguise, and first crushes come with first rejections. Yet in the midst of all that, there are good people, too, and sometimes if you just hold on, things have a way of (sorta) working themselves out.

Goodbye Stranger, by Rebecca Stead
Bridge, Emily, and Tabitha. Three friends with one rule: No fighting. It’s worked so far. But here comes 7th grade. Bridge still struggles to understand how and why she survived a rollerskating accident when she was eight, and has recently started wearing a cat-ear headband—every day. Em has a new boyfriend, the kind that wants a certain kind of picture. Tab’s newfound interest in social justice and women’s rights has given her a voice, but one that her friends aren’t so sure of. Then there’s Bridge’s new friend Sherm, who’s dealing with his anger towards his beloved grandfather, who recently left his grandmother after more than 50 years of marriage. And there’s yet another mysterious character, one whose name we don’t know, struggling with a crisis of her own. Told in alternating viewpoints, this novel weaves multiple storylines together into a very satisfying finish.

The Secret Language of Girls, by Frances O’Roark Dowell
Eleven-year-olds Kate and Marilyn have been best friends forever. All that changes when Flannery moves into the house right between Marilyn and Kate, and immediately separates the two girls, literally and figuratively. Suddenly, Marilyn is concerned with makeup and making the cheerleading squad, while Kate worries about her father’s recovery from a heart attack, seeking out new friends, and first love. Told in alternating viewpoints, The Secret Language of Girls shows the reader that the grass is not always greener…no matter what side you’re on.

Charlie Joe Jackson’s Guide to Not Reading, by Tommy Greenwald and J.P. Coovert
There are reluctant readers, and then there’s Charlie Joe Jackson. Charlie’s claim to fame is that he’s never read a book cover to cover, a fact that Charlie’s rather proud of. But arriving in middle school, Charlie finds that avoiding reading is becoming a little bit harder. When his friend Timmy tells Charlie he’s no longer going to cover for him, Charlie realizes he’s on his own, and things start to get a little bit desperate. And hilariously funny.

Dream On, Amber, by Emma Shevah
Meet Amber Alessandra Leola Kimiko Miyamoto. It’s hard enough finding a place to fit in when you’re half-Italian, half-Japanese. Even harder when you have a ridiculous name. And then if your dad goes and leaves you when you’re little, and half of you feels like it’s missing, well…let’s just say Amber hasn’t had the easiest time. Now she’s starting middle school and not feeling so optimistic about making new friends. This is the kind of story that doesn’t provide all the answers, but let’s the reader know there are others out there walking the path right along with them.

Lost in the Sun, by Lisa Graff
Unlike most of his peers, Trent Zimmerman is looking forward to sixth grade and middle school. That’s because nothing, nothing, could be worse then Trent’s fifth grade year, the year a freak hockey accident led to the death of his classmate Jared out on Cedar Lake. Trent blames himself for it, and middle school is a fresh start, the chance to prove to everyone that he’s not the monster they think he is. But things aren’t going quite as planned. Then Trent meets Fallon Little. Fallon has a scar across her face, and a story she won’t tell to anybody. Through their growing friendship, Trent finds hope for forgiveness, even from himself, and Fallon learns to trust others and admit her own insecurities. There’s a lot of raw emotions, raw truths, and painful healing, the kind of roller coaster ride readers will understand.
What books will you be reading when the school bell rings this year?