Recommendations from the Children's Librarian: Middle Grade

Not sure what to read next? Overwhelmed trying to pick something off the shelves at the library? Check out some recommendations from our Children's Librarian, Emma! Don't forget - we're here to help you find the books you want. If you are looking for a book that's similar to something else you've read and enjoyed, trying to find recommendations for a hesitant reader, need help requesting a book from another library, or simply want a book suggestion, let us know!

The Last Kids On Earth #1 by Max Brallier (2015)

This adventurous, fast-paced book is a ton of fun on top of being hilarious. Jack Hoover, average 13-year-old, finds himself stuck alone during the outbreak of the zombie apocalypse! Using his fantastic survival skills and creativity, Jack creates an armed fortress out of his treehouse. Jack must battle the hordes of zombies, dangerous Vine Thingies, Winged Wretches, and his arch nemesis: Blarg. As he slowly gathers survivors to create the ultimate team, he must always be wary of the hyper-intelligent giant Blarg, who seems to be lurking around every corner... 

The humor and illustrations couple to make this book a recipe for success for hesitant readers. Brallier creates a world in which the zombie apocalypse takes away much of what makes life tedious and boring, such as school, family dinners, and homework, and instead leaves an environment where you can play video games all night, eat Oreos for dinner, and never have to write a report again. The only downside is the deadly creatures around every corner, but you can’t win it all, right? 

The illustrations are a fantastic addition to the story, as Holgate's illustrations make the story come alive. The pictures were relevant to each page, which is helpful for readers to keep track of the plot and avoid being distracted by pages and pages of text. The art style was detailed enough to be accurately described by the text, but still simple, allowing a little to be left up to the imagination of the reader.  

The main text size is larger than a traditional novel, making it more appealing for hesitant readers. The font sometimes changes depending on the action in the story, sometimes being large and bold to show dramatic events, or small and thin to show quiet, hesitant moments. Speech bubbles make frequent appearances, breaking up the monotony of a rare text-filled page. Jim Hoover, the book designer, does a great job at balancing art with text. Each page is slightly different, which helps to maintain the reader's attention. The art is never overwhelming or unnecessary and only adds to the story. 

Brallier’s humor makes this book very appealing to children. It is balanced with the intense scenario the children find themselves in, making the book intense but also lighthearted at the same time. Many children would love to be in Max’s shoes, and imagine themselves creating a decked out treehouse, driving a zombie-proof supercar (without a license), and eating Cheetos and playing video games all night. Brallier makes the zombie apocalypse something fun to experience, while also showing the dangers of Max’s new daily life. 

Front Desk by Kelly Yang (2019)

Front Desk is told through the eyes of ten-year-old Mia Tang, who manages the Calvista Motel in California along with her mom and dad. This medium-paced book is mainly character driven, with a bit of plot pushing the story along. There is strong character development from almost the entire cast of diverse characters, which happens over the course of the book. The Tang’s have to deal with the motel owner, Mr. Yao, who takes advantage of the family’s need for work. To help support the immigrants in their area, the Yangs hide them in empty rooms, giving them a much-needed place to stay. But if Mr. Yao finds out, the Yangs will be out of both work and a place to live! Mia helps build a strong community with all the immigrants in the area, bringing them all together despite their differences.  

This story is unique in its perspective of showing the reality of immigrant families within the US in the 1990s. Mia’s parents came over to the States highly skilled, with no working opportunities in their field. Her family came to America leaving behind good careers betting that China would not change, though they ended up being wrong. They came to America with little savings, due to China still being fairly communist in the early 90s. These factors led to Chinese immigrants in the early 90s being very vulnerable to exploitation and hardship. Yang does not sugar coat the experience of living in poverty, but shows it through the lens of a positive 10-year-old. 

Front Desk has high value for children as it shows them what poverty looks like, specifically within immigrant families. The book covers heavy topics of racism, xenophobia, and classism in a way that is applicable for younger readers, but may be overwhelming if it is an introduction into the topics. Front Desk can help children develop their empathy for others and understand the importance of tolerance and diversity. This is a great pick for older children who are beginning to leave childhood

Different Kinds of Fruit by Kyle Lukoff (2022)

This medium-paced, heartfelt fiction title is full of diverse characters. Sixth grader Annabelle Blake meets the new kid in town, Bailey, who happens to be nonbinary. A crush soon follows, changing their relationship (for Annabelle, at least). When introducing Bailey to her parents, Annabelle finds out that her father is a trans man, and her whole world is turned upside down, especially when she learns that he was the one who was pregnant with her instead of her mom. Lukoff shows just how different transgender people can be about their identities, coming out stories, and their connection to LGBTQ culture. Annabelle learns loads about her family and where she came from that she never knew, and learns more about which kinds of people she has crushes on.

Having a story center around a child with a trans parent is rare enough in today's literature, but the fact that Annabelle’s father was pregnant with her makes this story completely unique. Lukoff handles introducing various queer topics with grace, and in a way that is understandable to younger readers but would benefit from having additional resources about queer culture. 

Different Kinds of Fruit is a traditional chapter book, without any illustrations woven in. The font and size of the text are both appropriate for a middle grade book, but the 300+ page length may be intimidating to hesitant readers. This book covers a huge range of topics that would be best for readers who already have a base knowledge of LGBTQ culture. While the reader can learn about the culture alongside the main character, Annabelle, the book would be best read alongside an adult to really explore all the content being introduced. For readers with prior exposure to queer culture and content, this book would be a fantastic addition to increase their understanding of transgender people and how different each person is. Through Annabelle learning and making mistakes, Lukoff shows the reader that making mistakes is okay as long as you can learn from them. Lukoff also shows the reader the importance of keeping people's secrets, and the danger one could cause from outing people before they are ready. This is all done through the lens of a 12-year-old, with trusting adults to guide her through all of this new information. This is a great title for older children who are beginning to leave childhood.