31 Days, 31 Lists: 2023 Middle Grade Fiction

And here we deviate from the regular plan.

Under normal circumstances, I have read every single book featured on these 31 Days, 31 Lists recommendations. There is only one single, solitary list where this is not the case. Friends, there is such a plethora of amazing middle grade fiction out there, I cannot even begin to read it all. Neither can my 101 Great Books for Kids committee at Evanston Public Library, but by god we tried. We tried so hard! We tried to read all the starred Kirkus reviewed titles (Kirkus is one of the few review journals to consider smaller publishers and works in translation). We debated with one another. We worked hard to get everything under consideration. We still missed large swaths of titles, so if your favorite isn’t listed here, I sympathize. There’s only so much a single library committee can do. That being said, I have read about 90% of these. See if you can spot the ones I didn’t.

Today, I celebrate both the books that I loved and the books that my fellow, trusted librarians loved. It’s not complete, but it is reliable.

If you’d like a PDF of today’s list, you may find it here.

Curious about past middle grade lists? Then check out the ones from previous years!

• 2022
• 2021
• 2020
• 2019
• 2018
• 2017
• 2016

——–

2023 Middle Grade Fiction

Alebrijes by Donna Barba Higuera, ill. David Álvarez

What if your punishment for a crime wasn’t death but instead to have your mind placed in a tiny mechanical hummingbird? Enter a world of robot animals, giant sandworms, post-apocalyptic visions, and a tiny hero with incredible inner strength. A co-worker of mine was dead right when she said that this was The Handmaid’s Tale meets The Giver. And yes, the action really doesn’t kick in until someone gets their brain mashed into a robot bird. Still, talk about a slam bang of an ending! I had a little bit of difficulty believing that if you discovered you could control a giant mechanical sandworm, you wouldn’t just immediately use that talent to free your people, but I can see why Huguera held back on that one. Like her previous book The Last Cuentista, Higuera’s brain goes in places you’d never ever expect. Plus there’s a rather delightful ending that hat tips to The Last Cuentista at the end, which I very much enjoyed. Previously Seen On: The Science Fiction List

Aniana Del Mar Jumps In by Jasminne Mendez

Aniana loves to swim more than anything in the world, but battles a tidal wave of struggles both emotional and physical. Packed with innovative poems, this verse novel ultimately offers a feeling of hope after the storm. Nice! Generally I get a bit twitchy with verse novels if I can’t quite figure out why the author wrote the title that way, but Mendez does some lovely things with concrete poems in this book, and they all fit within the overall themes of hurricanes and oceans and water. In this book, Aniana struggles with juvenile arthritis (beautifully alluded to on its book jacket). My husband actually had juvenile arthritis when he was a kid, so it was nice to see this represented in a book. We’ve seen a fair number of books involving BIPOC girls swimming in the last year, and this is certainly one of the strongest. It also treads a nice balance between the mom as villain and as a sympathetic character. And so complex a person! The final product is impressive overall. If you need a good verse novel in 2023, this would certainly be one of my top picks.

Calling the Moon: 16 Period Stories from BIPOC Authors, edited by Aida Salazar and Yamile Saied Méndez

In her “Note From the Editors” at the end of this book, Aida Salazar writes that when she originally published her debut novel The Moon Within, she discovered that “my book was the first middle-grade novel in nearly fifty years to center the topic of menstruation.” I read this statement and I thought… and I thought… and I realized how right she was. I’ve been reading middle grade novels since 2003 as part of my job, and by gum I couldn’t think of anything else out there (not to say there wasn’t anything, but if there was it was an outlier at best). So what did Salazar do? Welp, she paired up with Yamile Saied Méndez (who had written an entire master’s thesis at the Vermont College of Fine Arts about the lack of periods in children’s books) and the two set out to create a story collection filled with BIPOC writers. Now, as with every short story collection out there, some stories are a bit stronger than others, but overall I found almost everything enticing in this book. My personal favorite turned out to be the Ibi Zoboi story “Bloodline” which had me weeping at the restaurant where I was reading while waiting for my food. I absolutely loved the sheer variety of these stories. Some were epic, some incredibly simple, some funny, and some downright dark. All told, it’s a great collection. Menstruation galore!

The Carrefour Curse by Dianne K. Salerni

When she left the family 12 years ago Garnet’s mom swore she’d never return. Now mother and daughter are back and the house, its curse, and its family are all wrapped up in a mystery that only Garnet and her special skills can unravel. Boy, this author knows how to write! At first I was avoiding this book because I worried that the plot sounded way too similar to Frances Hardinge’s A Skinful of Shadows, but I think Salerni does an excellent job of distinguishing the title. Best of all, it’s a mystery! I adore mysteries and I just don’t see enough of them in a given year. And yes indeed, great-grandpa is sucking the life energy out of folks, but that’s the price you pay. Sticks the landing and makes you kind of want to live in a creaky old house falling apart at the seams. Consider pairing it with another dilapidated mansion/extended family title, The Swifts by Beth Lincoln. Previously Seen On: The Fantasy List

Dear Mothman by Robin Gow

Ever since Noah’s best friend died he’s been fixated on finding the mysterious cryptid Mothman for his science fair project. A touching tale of grief, identity, and acceptance. And my librarians in my library are freakin’ OBSESSED with this book!!! I am not even kidding you. I mean, I like it absolutely, but nothing compares to the fervor with which they have devoured it. As one told me, “This is absolutely the book I wish I’d had as a kid.” And you see why, of course. Comparisons to Skellig are understandable, what with the light touch of magical realism (which Gow incredibly manages to pull off) but at the heart of the tale is Noah’s grief over losing his friend Lewis. What compounds that grief is that to Noah, Lewis was Lewis and not the “Ella” that everyone thought he was. Noah too is known at school as “Nora” and is having to deal with how to come out to everyone that loves him. It’s nice and complicated, with no formal rules or plans. The idea of what it is to be a monster in this day and age struck me as particularly timely. I do feel the book takes a little while to get going, but once he’s lost in the woods it really picks up. All told, it’s a carefully put together book that is going to find its audience. Previously Seen On: The Audiobook List

Don’t Want to Be Your Monster by Deke Moulton

SShoot. A book about vampire siblings should not actually be this good. This, folks, is why one has to look past genre from time to time, because a great writer can take any topic and make it absolutely jaw-droppingly good. This is one of the books I most regret not getting a chance to personally review this year, because Moulton’s writing is just incredible. In this story you’ve two vampire brothers. There’s Victor, who was turned into a vampire at the age of four and there’s Adam, who was a baby when he was turned. In this world, vampires historically were healers who helped humans. Unfortunately, prejudice and hatred has run them underground. Now Adam and Victor live with their moms and a rotating crew of different “siblings” in their kooky, makeshift family. Adam’s happy with their life but Victor is chafing under the restrictions. And that’s before a vampire hunter/serial killer comes to town, killing people in an effort to lure the local vampires out. Moulton leans into the fact that historically people turn on marginalized groups when they want to blame their problems on someone, pretty hard, but you’re there for it. It doesn’t hurt that the vampire hunter in this book is the scariest villain I’ve encountered in a children’s novel all year. Seriously, I was a little nervous returning to this book because I wasn’t entirely certain he wasn’t going to kill literally every person in the story. Extra points for the information in the back giving context to the origins of how we think of vampires and antisemitic myths. Previously Seen On: The Audiobook List

Eb & Flow by Kelly J. Baptist

Ebony and De’Kari (aka Flow) do not get along. How could they when their cafeteria scuffle ended with De’Kari’s ruined shoes, Ebony on the ground, and both of them with ten days of at-home suspension? Now Eb and Flow have two weeks to think about and explain their behavior—to their families, to each other, and ultimately to themselves. I just buzzed through this book. Can’t remember a time when I read one this quickly. Nor can I remember a time when I felt so completely baffled as to where it might be going. I tell you, when I got to that dream sequence near the end, I thought my heart would stop. Kelly J. Baptist is some kind of a writer, and this book just absolutely stopped me dead in my tracks. We’re seeing a couple books about suspensions this year (Not an Easy Win, featured later on this list, comes to mind) but this one’s going to stay with me for a long long time. There’s some expert plotting in its seams and it sticks the landing hard. Very impressed. 

Elf Dog and Owl Head by M.T. Anderson, ill. Junyi Wu

Proud Elsinore is one of the royal hunting dogs of the People Under the Mountains. When she finds herself separated in the human world, she teams up with a lonely boy and takes him on adventures he never could have dreamed of before. The last time I read an M.T. Anderson book it was The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge, which was just about the darndest thing I’d ever read. This book is a lot simpler, but still taps into the man’s love of elves, fantasy, and hidden worlds. It’s an out-and-out COVID pandemic book (the whole plot relies on our hero being sequestered from his friend) and in a big way it really feels like a story about how kids and their families can heal post-pandemic from the isolation of those early days. Also? It’s a straight-up unapologetic dog book. If you didn’t read this Anderson guest piece on why he made it, take a minute or two to do so. You will be so so glad that you did. Previously Seen On: The Fantasy List

The Eyes and the Impossible by Dave Eggers, ill. Shawn Harris

Nobody can run like Johannes, and on the island park where he lives he likes it that way. He and other animals are the eyes of the island, but when big changes head their way, will they be prepared to face the unknown? So anytime a publisher starts touting an “all ages story” from a famous, primarily adult, author I get all squidgy and nervous. And it’s an animal story as well? Oh boy. But Eggers is always interesting to watch. Sometimes I like his books and sometimes I do not, but in this particular case I think he’s put his finger on something particularly choice. On the illustration side, Shawn Harris has inserted Johannes running into a slew of paintings of nature, and it’s so seamless and natural that I didn’t even realize that they weren’t his original illustrations until I saw the credits in the end. Eggers plays fair with this book and I was very taken with the ending. Previously Seen On: The Audiobook List

Flora La Fresca and the Art of Friendship by Veronica Chambers, ill. Sujean Rim

In the year 2023 I went from knowing next to nothing about the country of Panama to discovering not one but TWO middle grade novels about Panamanian-American girls. Sincerely Sicily (featured later on this list) spends a lot more time diving into the country’s heritage, as well as what being Black and Panamanian-American means for a girl like Sicily (as well as a lot of other issues as well, particularly as they relate to hair). Flora, in contrast, is a slightly younger title. It focuses just as much on family dynamics, but in this case it’s about a girl dealing with her best friend moving away and her older sister prepping for her quince and being an utter brat about the whole thing. We overuse the word “charming” when we talk about books of this sort, and that’s a pity because it really is a rather perfect word to use for this. You are 100% team Flora (and 100% anti-Marisol, her self-absorbed teen sister). I have this dream where a simultaneous YA novel comes out from Marisol’s point of view, but let’s not go too crazy here. With art from Sujean Rim this is definitely for younger kids that read older, and when Flora saves the day near the end, you believe it completely. Don’t miss this one. It’s a heap of good fun. 

The Grace of Wild Things by Heather Fawcett

Imagine an Anne of Green Gables where Marilla is a witch and tries to eat Anne upon meeting her. Grace is determined to study under the tutelage of the local witch. When she’s given a near impossible task to finish or lose her magic, it will take all her gumption, smarts, and friends to win the day. I came dangerously close, just now, from forgetting to put this book on my lists. That would be a HUGE problem too because this book is doing something infinitely clever and should have that cleverness called out once in a while. Essentially, this is fantasy fan fiction of Anne of Green Gables and it works. It works SO WELL. The emotions, the beats in the storyline, the whole kerschmozzle. So much of this is reliant on the personality of the witch. Fawcett has to walk this fine line of making her occasionally sympathetic but also a friggin’ witch who eats kids. It reminded me a lot of that graphic novel from a couple years ago Baba Yaga’s Assistant by Marika McCoola. In both cases you’ve a young lady working for a witch, having to get around the whole devouring small children thing. I loved the premise of Grace having to perform every spell in the witch’s spellbook. I liked very much how the witch slowly comes to like Grace. But most difficult of all is making YOU like Grace and not find her annoying. Which she is a lot of the time, but she’s got that same charm that Anne had. Boy this is a fun book. Previously Seen On: The Audiobook List

Hands by Torrey Maldonado

Trev has always been good with his hands, drawing superheroes for fun. But when his stepdad goes to jail for hitting his mom, Trev wants to use his hands for protection. What’s the right choice? And whom can Trev trust when things get rough? So Torrey Maldonado’s books fit this niche that no other author, not even Jason Reynolds, can really reach. He writes these incredibly compact realistic narratives, just pulsing with support and family but also dealing with real world issues. There’s a brief mention of Mike Tyson in this book that made me wish that the correlation between Tyson and abuse were made more explicit, but I also think that the book is saying something about fighting and violence that makes it clear that the boxers mentioned early in the book aren’t real heroes. This has to unravel some really difficult questions about responsibility and abuse and in the end I think it’s one of Torrey’s strongest titles. It’s a very quick read. That’s its superpower.

Hope in the Valley by Mitali Perkins

13-year-old aspiring poet Pandita Paul struggles to navigate grief and change in her rapidly gentrifying Silicon Valley neighborhood. A strong story dealing with the loss of stability, especially during that critical middle school time. The central characters are a Bengali-American living in Silicon Valley, California in the early 1980s, when massive economic development was taking place. When local developers set their sites on an old property near the family home that was important to Pandita’s mother, she truly believes that if this property gets bulldozed for some condominium, the world will end. Perkins takes on some pretty large, complicated topics, touching on issues of race and class, along with the political motivations of those in power to keep those structures in place. As one of my librarians said, “All the characters feel real, the prose are solid, and the lead is introspective without being annoying on the page. I really felt for what Pandita was going through.” Bonus: With its relatively shorter length it may be an ideal title for younger middle grade readers.

Jawbreaker by Christina Wyman

Max Plink is a 7th grader with a severe overbite, braces, and now headgear nicknamed “the jawbreaker.” She faces bullying at school, lots of problems at home, and dreams of being a journalist. She’s invited to a journalism scholarship competition, but the application is on video. Well, I have a pronounced dislike of middle grade bully books, no question. And this is a dyed-in-the-wool Grade A bully book extraordinaire, so you KNOW it’s gotta be good if I’m recommending it. Wyman’s a talented writer and she just sucks you into this narrative. Extra points too for that cover, which makes it feel so approachable (though it does look a tad like a graphic novel). A good novel pairing with SMILE by Telgemeier too. Previously Seen On: The Gross List

Leeva at Last by Sara Pennypacker, ill. Matthew Cordell

What are people for? Leeva is determined to find out with the help of an orphaned badger, a risk-averse boy in a hazmat suit, and the town’s librarians. A story perfect for fans of Matilda. While it received positive reviews overall, I was shocked to discover that Leeva received far fewer starred reviews than it deserved. It’s a thoroughly delightful, rollicking, absurd comedy about a neglected girl who loves books and who has nasty horrible parents. One of my co-workers opined that the book is “a sly commentary about how some rich people with political power cut funding to schools, libraries and the arts while, in this case, filling rooms with the money they have stolen and seeking egocentric all-encompassing fame.” I think he’s on to something. It manages to fall within that hard-to-reach sweet Grades 3 to 5 spot and it’s very pro-library. Which, in this day and age, I think we can all agree, we desperately need.

The Lost Year by Katherine Marsh

A 13-year-old boy trapped indoors by Covid-19 uncovers a dark family secret leading back to the Holodomor, the early 1930s Ukrainian famine caused by Stalin’s policies. This is a unicorn. It’s one of those books with three narratives that actually works. I’ve noticed a slight increase in adult nonfiction focusing on the Ukrainian famine recently, but we hadn’t really seen anything on the children’s side of things. The reason I’ve included it on the American History list is that two of the narratives focus on our American history, both the early days of the pandemic and an America that wrestled with how to acknowledge (or fail to do so) what was happening in the Ukraine. I’m not ashamed to say that as a 45-year-old woman I was inordinately proud of myself for figuring out the twist in the story. Some kids may see it coming, but not all will. Additionally, its audiobook is WELL worth listening to. Multiple narrators tackle the three kids in the book, and it’s incredible to consider that they needed each of those narrators to not only be good at acting itself but to also correctly pronounce both Ukrainian and Russian terms with aplomb. I wouldn’t have considering pairing a pandemic storyline alongside a Ukrainian famine one, but it makes a LOT of sense. A kid stuck with his great-grandmother for weeks on end is going to be more inclined to hear her story than one able to leave the house. Gorgeously written and cleverly plotted (something I personally find so hard to do). I was entranced. Previously Seen On: The Audiobook List

Maggie Lou, Firefox by Arnolda Dufour Bowes, ill. Karlene Harvey

Meet Maggie Lou, Firefox! Whether she’s boxing at the gym in a tutu, working on her dad’s construction crew, or going on her first deer hunt, this Métis kid will always keep you laughing. How could I possibly resist this? Maggie feels like a hardscrabble younger kid title with a titular heroine capable of punching you in the jaw or building you a house. And hunting in a children’s book? I haven’t seen that in years and years. I loved the tone, the humor, and the sheer messiness of this book. As Indigenous peoples’ stories go, this is precisely what we need to see more of on our shelves. Someone compared it to JoJo Makoons, which is also great, but which reads much younger than old Maggie here. Plus any kids book where the adults in the family give each other some solid burns to anyone they think is no good at hunting has my instant love. Two big thumbs up!   Previously Seen On: The Funny List

The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams by Daniel Nayeri

Saved from a stoning by angry monks, a kid called Monkey is indebted to the fast-talking Samir, a merchant on the Silk Road. The problem? Seven hired assassins have Samir in their sights, and Monkey has a debt to pay. A plus but with some caveats! The last time Daniel Nayeri wrote a book it was of an ungodly length. This time it’s a slick 224 pages, which is much better. And the man’s a born storyteller, so there’s a lot to enjoy here. So what’s the problem? Well, some of the more complex ideas that go on in this book had me, a grown adult, rereading them several times to get the gist. I suppose that this is the book you could hand to one of those kids that claim they have read “every book in the library” and demand something more challenging. Obviously the man can string two sentences together with particular skill, and I liked the twists and the ending a lot (it really picks up when the assassins start showing up). Monkey is sardonic and hilarious, and you just fall in love to Samir’s sweet con man ways. Why did it also show up on the “Gross” list? I’ve got two words for you: severed ear. You figure out the rest. Previously Seen On: The Funny List

The Night Raven (The Moonwind Mysteries) by Johan Rundberg, translated by A.A. Prime

 In 1880 Stockholm, orphan girl Mika leads a rough life. She also possesses gifts that would make her a first-rate forensic scientist. Can she solve a bunch of scary crimes? A gritty thriller that has won awards in Sweden. Oo! As part of my day job I’m always buying Swedish murder thrillers for the adults, so it’s kind of amazing to see a kid-friendly-ish version here. I’m a sucker for a good detective novel and at first, as I read this, I had a hard time figuring out if this book was, indeed, a mystery. Then Mika started whipping out the Sherlock Holmesian observations and from that moment onward I was hooked. The author cleverly justifies why she would have these skills and (even more impressive) justifies why she’d want to help the inspector with his investigations. If I’ve an objection it’s that there are still quite a few danging threads left about Mika’s own origins, but that didn’t mute my enjoyment of the text. Plus, there are sequels. Overall, this is a gripping ride. Great for any kids in need of a dark mystery.

Not an Easy Win by Chrystal D. Giles

Unfairly kicked out of his new school, Lawrence finds himself adrift. One day he goes to the community rec center, and discovers the game of chess. Intrigued, he now wants to learn how to pull off the right moves. But does he have what it takes to commit? Awesome! Really liked this one. Giles expertly pairs her hero Lawrence against the character of Deuce. It’s also nice to see him grow and change in the course of the book. And, to be frank, I love that he isn’t this instant prodigy. That said, it also makes sense that he’s gotten to the tournament at the end of the story. There’s a lot of complexity in this little title. Plus, it had serious subject matter but was a fun read. Not easy to pull off!

The Probability of Everything by Sarah Everett

In this story an asteroid is headed to Earth and it has an 84.7% chance of hitting in four days. Kemi is determined to bury a time capsule remembering her family, but is everything quite what it seems? I was lured into this one by a blog post from the PW blog ShelfTalker. They were talking about “when the hook is the spoiler” in relation to this title, so I knew it would at least be interesting. I didn’t know what to expect and I wasn’t disappointed. First off, I’m always happy when a kid is into math and Kemi’s penchant for probability is fantastic (which makes me think I missed something when I didn’t include it on the Math list this year). Then there’s the premise, and who doesn’t love a good asteroid? I have NO idea how you children’s librarians are going to booktalk this thing, but I look forward to seeing you try. And you should try. It’ll make you cry, I guarantee that much, but in a good way. Previously Seen On: The Science Fiction List

The Puppets of Spelhorst by Kate DiCamillo, ill. Julie Morstad

Five puppets find themselves separated, reunited, and bound for bigger, better things when an old sea captain purchases them from a shop. Heartfelt storytelling from a masterful writer. Considering the degree to which I actively did not care for DiCamillo’s last book about a doll (Edward Tulane) I picked this one up with great trepidation. Forgetting, I suppose, that she is no longer the author she once was. DiCamillo’s writing has deepened over the years, and that vein of senseless cruelty that so turned me off with some of her earlier works has left her here. There’s still sadness, of course, but in such a small story she’s packed a wallop’s worth of intelligent, brief, gentle, satisfying storytelling. A very quick read and certainly worth your kids’ time.

The Rhythm of Time by Questlove with S.A.Cosby

When Rahim uses the phone his tech genius best friend Kasia made for him to search up his favorite old school rap group, he is sent back in time! Now he and Kasia have to find a way to bring him back to the present before time runs out. My librarians just couldn’t say enough good things about this book. First off, they praised its depiction of Philadelphia (“the world they are in FELT like Philly”). They thought the stakes were beautifully high, that the quick pace worked, the dialog is sharp, and that you really get invested. They say it kind of feels like a contemporary version of Back to the Future, which is more than a little intriguing. In spite of the cliffhanger (leading you into the next book) they say you need to check it out. I’d listen to them. They know their stuff.

Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow

Simon is the only kid in his class who survived a school shooting. Not a premise you usually find in a funny book. Two years later, he’s starting over in a new town at a new school (7th grade), and he only wants to forget everything and fly under the radar. He makes new friends but also can’t put the past behind so easily, in spite of his intentions. I made the critical mistake of reading this when I was supposed to be working on my own funny novel, and boy was it a blow to my faith in my own writing. On the plus side, I now feel like I need to up my game by 500% because Bow has got to be one of the funniest writers for kids working today. How does she manage to be hilarious one moment and then manage to talk very seriously and very honestly about trauma the next? I didn’t have the objections to the ending that some folks did, though I would agree that I’d have liked more there. Of course that might just be because I liked the voice and the writing so much. Two very high thumbs up from the jealous writer over here. Previously Seen On: The Funny List

Sincerely Sicily by Tamika Burgess

It’s bad enough that Sicily is starting in a brand new middle school away from all her friends, but when her beloved grandmother starts insulting her hair as well, things go from bad to worse. Can Sicily ever find her voice and, along with it, her culture too? This one’s interesting. It’s a deep, and I mean deep, dive into Panamanian Afro-Latinx culture, but through the eyes of a girl who’s dealing with a bunch of different issues on a bunch of different fronts. From having to start a new school to best friend issues to bullying, writing, a crush, and (most importantly) a sudden emotional split from a formerly loving grandmother, I was impressed with the number of plates Burgess was able to spin, all at the same time. She even manages to round it all off and end it with emotional satisfaction, which is fairly impressive. Certainly worth some additional consideration this year.

Sisters of the Lost Marsh by Lucy Strange

Six sisters live under a family curse. When one sibling disappears into the ghastly Mire, it’s up to brave Willa to ride into the fantastical unknown and find her. Oh yeah. This is good stuff. Interestingly, I wasn’t even certain that it was a fantasy novel until the last 20-25 pages or so. An abundance of strong female characters, a nice creepy setting, and a strong mix of fantasy and historical fiction are at play here. It’s like a kid-friendly version of We Have Always Lived in the Castle (if you know what I mean). Cause townspeople can really suck. Some folks are calling it akin to Wuthering Heights, but aside from the obvious presence of the moors, I thought the feel of the book wholly different. And hey, if Ms. Strange is taking requests, I would love to see a sequel to this. That youngest daughter, dead center on the cover, has more stories inside of her, I’m sure of it. Previously Seen On: The Fantasy List

Something Like Home by Andrea Beatriz Arango

Laura didn’t know a 911 call to help her addict parents would result in her being forced to stay with her estranged aunt. This moving free verse novel shows Laura finding kindness and friendship, as well as an adorable pup to train. It’s always a good idea to keep a close eye on Ms. Arango. After all, some of us missed her Iveliz Explains It All until it went and won itself a Newbery Honor. Never afraid of tough issues, the author has the difficult task of trying to get a young reader to understand why her heroine feels terrible for calling for help when her parents had a medical emergency. Granted, it landed them in rehab and her in the home of an aunt she never even knew, but it’s still a difficult thing to try to justify. I was impressed with Arango’s ability to make you really identify with Laura, even if she makes choices you don’t always like. My librarians liked the uncertainty that comes at the end regarding Laura’s parents. Plus who doesn’t like cute dogs? Cute dogs, people! This has it all.

The Song of Us by Kate Fussner

Olivia loves poetry and Eden. Eden loves music and Olivia. The myth of Orpheus and Eurydice retold in a middle school with all the romance and tragedy intact. Well, if you’re looking for strong LGBTQIA+ representation, I can’t think of a book even half as full of longing as this one. That’s cool, but what sets it apart is its poetry. It’s written in verse (so it won’t take you long to finish) but the poetry that is written by the characters is so good that I’m almost inclined to slot it into the poetry category instead of the fiction category. For the record, I read the entire book and had no idea it was doing anything with the Orpheus/Eurydice myth at all, until I finished and went back to read the front bookflap. This is definitely on the upper upper end of my middle grade spectrum, and is probably best suited for middle schools more than anything else. Come for the romance. Stay for the killer verse.

The Swifts: A Dictionary of Scoundrels by Beth Lincoln, ill. Claire Powell

Every year I wish that I had read enough mysteries to make a Mystery List and every year I read only a few. But by gum if I HAD done a Mystery List in 2023, this would have been at the tippy tippy top. Lincoln kicks off the book with an epic funeral rehearsal fail and just goes from there. The basic premise is that in the Swift family, every member has been named by a random selection of a word from the dictionary. That’s why you end up with a heroine named Shenanigan who wants nothing more than to discover the lost Swift fortune. She and her siblings and various relatives live in a crumbling estate (crumbling estates were also very hot in 2023 middle grade children’s books, by the way) and it’s time for a massive family reunion. However, when an attempt is made on the life of the matriarch of the family (Great-Aunt Schadenfreude) it’s up to Shenanigan and her siblings to find the culprit. That this book has been as well-received as it has this year is a testament to its writing as well as its marketing team. I found the Swifts delightful, funny, and wackadoodle in all the right ways. Previously Seen On: The Audiobook List

Tiger Daughter by Rebecca Lim

A powerful novel about a girl named Wen finding her strength and resilience while living with her troubled parents. When tragedy strikes the family next door, Wen must learn to help her friend too. And speaking of books that push at the upper end of “middle grade”, here’s another book that might be more middle school than anything else. I was all set to label this book as a potential Newbery contender this year, when I discovered the author isn’t eligible. Nevertheless, my librarians raved about it saying things like, “it has its own voice, its own style. It stands out.” They say it’s short but extremely well-written. It doesn’t sugarcoat the struggles that immigrant families face. Please note that there is a neighbor that commits suicide in this book, so bear that in mind with your young readers if you think it’s pertinent.

We Still Belong by Christine Day

On the same day her poem about Indigenous People’s Day will appear in the school newspaper, Wesley must build up enough courage to ask her crush to a dance. A realistic heartfelt novel about identity and connection. Upon finishing this one, I liked the fact that this wasn’t a bully book (and it’s probably the only school related story this year that isn’t) and how it all took place over the course of a single day. I liked the way in which Day also wove gamer culture into the story (my son watches YouTubers play games all the time and I never thought of it being like watching football until now) and that third act with the dad? Terrifying! But the kind of terrifying that gives it that little extra kick that you need to remain memorable. A great book about microaggressions and finding your community.

The Worlds We Leave Behind by A.F. Harrold, ill. Levi Pinfold

After Hex causes an accident, he runs into the woods where he discovers a mysterious stranger who offers him a terrifying chance to alter the universe. Eerie and haunting. Oh! It’s a metaverse fantasy novel! I’ve never really seen such a thing before, but Harrold does an excellent job with the choices we make and then having to live with them afterwards. I’d been looking for a sufficiently creepy book to read, and this fits the bill brilliantly. The art is a perfect complement too. It totally throws you off when the p.o.v. changes at a pivotal moment, which I appreciated. For the Coraline fans and kids unafraid of not entirely happy endings. Reminds me of that line from the musical Into the Woods: “Nice is different than good.” Be careful who to trust, kids… Previously Seen On: The Fantasy List

You Are Here: Connecting Flights, edited by Ellen Oh

A dozen amazing Asian-American middle grade authors each contribute a story set on a stormy day in a fictional Chicago airport. As 12 middle schoolers wait to board their respective flights, they each take a thrilling stand for justice…and themselves. I was curious about this one since folks have been asking whether or not a book with this many multiple authors can be considered seriously for a Newbery. The trouble with short story collections is often that you get a real variety in quality. Here, almost all the stories are strong. I only objected to one tale (which shall remain nameless) where its particular author decided they needed to spell out their message as clearly as humanly possible. For the most part, though, the entire product came off as super strong and it had a really interesting way of pulling everything together at the end. Previously Seen On: The Audiobook List

---

Hope you enjoyed these! Here are the lists you can expect for the rest of this month:

December 1 – Great Board Books

December 2 – Picture Book Readaloud

December 3 – Simple Picture Book Texts

December 4 – Transcendent Holiday Picture Books

December 5 – Rhyming Picture Books

December 6 – Funny Picture Books

December 7 – CaldeNotts

December 8 – Picture Book Reprints

December 9 – Math Books for Kids

December 10 – Gross Books

December 11 – Books with a Message

December 12 – Fabulous Photography

December 13 – Translated Picture Books

December 14 – Fairy Tales / Folktales / Religious Tales

December 15 – Wordless Picture Books

December 16 – Poetry Books

December 17 – Unconventional Children’s Books

December 18 – Easy Books & Early Chapter Books

December 19 – Older Funny Books

December 20 – Science Fiction Books

December 21 – Fantasy Books

December 22 – Comics & Graphic Novels

December 23 – Informational Fiction

December 24 – American History

December 25 – Science & Nature Books

December 26 – Unique Biographies

December 27 – Nonfiction Picture Books

December 28 – Nonfiction Books for Older Readers

December 29 – Audiobooks for Kids

December 30 – Middle Grade Novels

December 31 – Picture Books

Filed under: 31 Days 31 Lists, Best Books, Best Books of 2023