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Books for Kids and Tweens August 2023 |
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| We Still Belong by Christine DayMeet: writer, gamer, and 7th-grader Wesley Wilder, whose family is from the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe near Seattle, Washington.
What happens: During a single day, disappointments pile up as Wesley's plan to ask out a fellow gamer goes wrong and a teacher disrespects her poem about Indigenous Peoples' Day. Maybe the powwow that night can help her feel like herself again...
Why you might like it: If you, like Wesley, worry about being "enough," you might relate to this realistic yet hopeful story. (Ages 8-12.) |
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| Camp Sylvania by Julie MurphyBait and switch: Just as she's about to leave for performing arts camp, Maggie discovers that her parents are actually sending her to a weight-loss camp run by "wellness" celebrity Sylvia Sylvania.
What happens: While Maggie's happy to make friends with her bunkmates, the camp's red-foods-only diet and required blood donations are not just weird, they're suspicious...especially after campers start going missing.
Read it for: supernatural thrills, sly humor, and heroine who likes herself just the way she is. (Ages 8-13.) |
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| How to Stay Invisible by Maggie RuddWhat it's about: After his parents move him to a new town and then bail, 12-year-old Raymond sets up camp in the nearby woods with his dog, Rosie. With a bag of clothes, dumpster-dive dinners, and the resolve to keep up his grades, Raymond hopes no one will notice he's on his own.
Read it for: a matter-of-fact look at Raymond's smart survival skills and the trust he reluctantly builds with the people around him. (Ages 10-13.) |
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| Picture Day by Sarah SaxSay cheese! Weary of her boring, Mom-approved braid, 7th-grader Viv impulsively livestreams herself chopping off her own hair on school picture day.
Like and subscribe? Viv's attempts to build internet fame through further bold stunts backfire, leaving her wondering who she really is -- and who her real friends are.
For fans of: Kayla Miller's Click books, Svetlana Chmakova’s Berrybrook Middle School series, and other realistic graphic novels about the excitement and embarrassment of middle school. (Ages 8-12.) |
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| Puppy Love by Gary SotoHow it started: Following a major public humiliation, Jordan Mendoza goes to the canal to think, but ends up jumping in to save a drowning puppy.
How it's going: Afterwards, Jordan has questions. Why do his dreams keep sending him back to the canal to rescue more puppies? Can he redeem himself with the girl he likes? And why do the police suddenly want to talk to him?
Read it for: a sweet but realistic story with lots of layers. (Ages 9-13.) |
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| The Braid Girls by Sherri WinstonStarring: ballet-dancing go-getter Daija; her quiet, big-dreaming bestie Maggie; and Callie, the half-sister Maggie only just found out she has.
What happens: Running a hair-braiding business helps to bring the three girls together, but competition and jealousy might drive them apart.
Try this next: For other relatable tween girl characters and slice-of-life stories, try Anika Fajardo's Meet Me Halfway or the Startup Squad series by Brian Weisfeld and Nicole C. Kear. (Ages 8-12.) |
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| The Crossover by Kwame Alexander; illustrated by Dawud AnyabwileWhat it's about: They call him Filthy McNasty because of his sick basketball skills, but Josh Bell is a good guy. He's close with his parents as well as his twin brother, JB -- until JB ditches him and their dad's health takes a turn.
Who it's for: From the swift, swaggering beats of a basketball game to the changing rhythms of family, this moving graphic novel holds appeals for all kinds of readers, especially fans of the original book or the Disney+ series. (Ages 10-13.) |
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| Catwad: It's Me by Jim BentonMeet: discouraging grump Catwad and upbeat airhead Blurmp, a hilariously mismatched pair of feline friends.
What happens: In super-short chapters packed with bright colors, gross-out jokes, and zany, cartoon-style antics, cheerful Blurmp tries to make gloomy Catwad smile.
Series alert: If you can't get enough of Catwad, check out the 2nd book in the series, It's Me, Two. (Ages 7-12.) |
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| When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar MohamedWhat it is: Omar Mohamed's real-life experiences as an orphaned Somali kid in a Kenyan refugee camp, co-written and illustrated by Victoria Jamieson, creator of Roller Girl.
What happens: Surrounded by harsh conditions and caring neighbors, Omar studies hard, looks after his brother Hassan, and hangs on to the hope of resettlement.
Why you might like it: Honest writing and vivid art makes you feel like you're right there with Omar throughout this heartwrenching yet heartwarming story. (Ages 9-13.) |
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| Stepping Stones by Lucy KnisleyWhat it’s about: As if it wasn’t bad enough that Jen and her mom moved from the city to Peapod Farm (where Jen is stuck with a whole mess of new chores), Jen also has to put up with her mom’s insensitive boyfriend and his too-perfect daughter Andy.
Don’t miss: the scribbly pages from Jen’s notebook, where she pours out her feelings as they change.
Series alert: Find out what's next for Jen and Andy in the sequel, Apple Crush. (Ages 8-12.) |
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| Beetle & the Hollowbones by Aliza LayneFeaturing: 12-year-old goblin Beetle, a reluctant witch-in-training; her shape-changing BFF Blob Ghost, who haunts the 'Allows Town mall; and her cool, newly returned childhood friend, Kat Hollowbones.
What happens: As Beetle and Kat muddle through their changing feelings for each other, Blob Ghost's home is threatened. Will Beetle's unpracticed magic be enough to save her best friend?
For fans of: other inclusive, offbeat graphic novel fantasies, like Molly Ostertag's Witch Boy series. (Ages 9-13.) |
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| Snapdragon by Kat LeyhWhat it’s about: Despite the sinister rumors about the one-eyed town witch, middle school misfit Snapdragon isn’t scared -- especially not after she learns that the witch is actually Jacks, a crabby, Crocs-wearing old lady who might be just the friend Snap needs.
Featuring: an adorable three-legged dog, a magical motorcycle, an articulated rabbit skeleton, and several long-held secrets.
For fans of: Lumberjanes comics (co-written by author Kat Leyh) and other imaginative graphic novel fantasies. (Ages 9-13.) |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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