Today's list: Books for Middle Grade Readers! If you're shopping for a kid ages 8-12, these are my favorites of 2020.
Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson (Nancy Paulsen Books, 2020). This novel in verse about a boy and his professional football player father who is facing the health effects of years of concussions is a moving portrait of a family in crisis. This is a wonderful book that's special even for Jacqueline Woodson (and I don't say that lightly!). Pick it up for fans of The Crossover, fans of realistic novels in verse, or sports fans.
The Blackbird Girls by Anne Blankman (Viking, 2020). This engrossing historical novel brings Soviet Russia to life as it follows two unlikely friends during their evacuation from the Chernobyl disaster and a parallel narrative of a Jewish girl's escape during WWII. I loved the characters, I loved the rich setting. I would hand this to readers of The War That Saved My Life (and I don't say that lightly!) or Refugee.
Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley (Dial, 2020). This one is pretty intense, but it's definitely one of my favorites of the year. Ten-year-old Della has always been able to count on her older sister Suki, even when they both had to run from their abusive step-parent and they ended up in foster care. But now Suki's struggling. Can Della pull it together to give Suki what she needs to heal? This reads like an updated The Great Gilly Hopkins and will appeal to readers who like issue books and strong characters to root for.
From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks (Katherine Tegen Books, 2020). Zoe Washington plans to spend the summer proving to her parents that she's mature enough to apply to be on her favorite cooking show now that she's turned twelve. But when she checks the mail one day and finds a letter from her father who's been in prison since before she was born. Without telling her mom, she writes him back. And so begins the strangest summer of her life. This would be a good choice for young readers interested in social justice and realistic stories.
King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender (Scholastic Press, 2020). King's brother's sudden death is still causing fresh pain, but what King can't stop thinking about is something Khalid said to him offhandedly before he died. King betrayed a friend because of what Khalid said and he's desperately trying to figure out his own identity and what that means in the context of his family and his race. This is a rich, moving book about a kid beginning to question his identity and sexual preferences written solidly for a middle grade audience. It's a book that I read early in the year and it's stuck with me. If you have a reader who's a fan of books like George by Alex Gino or Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World by AShley Herring Blake, this would be a good choice.
Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park (Clarion Books, 2020). Hanna, who is half-Asian, has just moved with her father to a new Dakota Territory town in 1880 and she's hoping beyond hope that it's a place she'll finally be able to settle down and go to school. But some of the townspeople take issue with their children attending school with a non-white kid, so things don't go exactly as Hanna hoped. This would be a wonderful choice for middle grade fans of Little House on the Prairie, especially if you're looking to encourage discussions about race.
When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller (Random House, 2020). When Lily and her family move in to take care of her sick grandmother, a magical tiger straight out of her halmoni's Korean myths appears to offer Lily a deal. But deals with tigers can be tricky. This is a heartfelt book with a good dose of magical realism and it will appeal to kids who like to feel the feels. This is another one I read early in the year that's really stuck with me.
Need more suggestions? Have a middle grade reader who's looking for something in particular? Check out these lists from previous years:
For the first 12 days of November, I'll be posting a list of children's books perfect for gift giving this holiday season. Check out the full list of lists here to see what's coming. All the lists link to IndieBound to make it easy for you to find an independent bookstore to buy from (and as an IndieBound affiliate, shopping through those links supports me, too!). Independent bookstores need our support more than ever this year, so please shop local if you can or if you don't have a local independent bookstore, please consider ordering online from my local indie Carmichael's Bookstore.