Pierce County Library System: * Grades 8-9 Booklist (website only): Grades 8-9 Booklist

Hollow Fires
by Samira Ahmed

After discovering the body of fourteen-year-old Jawad Ali in Jackson Park, seventeen-year-old journalism student Safiya Mirza begins investigating his murder and ends up confronting white supremacy in her own high school.

All You Have to Do
by Autumn Allen

Intertwining the stories of two Black students decades apart, this compelling and honest novel follows Kevin and Gibran as they navigate similar forms of insidious racism while discovering who they want to be instead of what society tells them they are.--

Small Spaces
by Katherine Arden

After eleven-year-old Ollie's school bus mysteriously breaks down on a field trip, she has to take a trip through scary woods, and must use all of her wits to survive. She must stick to small spaces--

The Lamplighter
by Crystal J. Bell

In a quaint 19th century whaling village, a young woman seeks to expose the dark truth behind the village's eerie disappearances at the risk of the lives of everyone she loves . . . assuming anyone will listen to a female in the first place.

Legendborn
by Tracy Deonn

To discover the truth behind her mother's mysterious death, a teen girl infiltrates a magical secret society claiming to be the descendants of King Arthur and his knights--

Messy Roots: A Graphic Memoir of a Wuhanese American
by Laura Gao

After spending her early years in Wuhan, China, riding water buffalos and devouring stinky tofu, Laura immigrates to Texas, where her hometown is as foreign as Marsat least until 2020, when COVID-19 makes Wuhan a household name. In Messy Roots, Laura illustrates her coming-of-age as the girl who simply wants to make the basketball team, escape Chinese school, and figure out why girls make her heart flutter.--Provided by publisher.

The Last Cuentista: Newbery Medal Winner
by Donna Barba Higuera

A girl named Petra Pena, who wanted nothing more than to be a storyteller, like her abuelita. But Petra's world is ending. Earth has been destroyed by a comet, and only a few hundred scientists and their children - among them Petra and her family - have been chosen to journey to a new planet. They are the ones who must carry on the human race. Hundreds of years later, Petra wakes to this new planet - and the discovery that she is the only person who remembers Earth. A sinister Collective has taken over the ship during its journey, bent on erasing the sins of humanity's past. They have systematically purged the memories of all aboard - or purged them altogether. Petra alone now carries the stories of our past, and with them, any hope for our future. Can she make them live again?--Jacket flap.

What the River Knows
by Isabel Ibañez

Set in 1884, nineteen-year-old Inez travels to Egypt after the sudden death of her parents to uncover the truth about their deaths, and as she attempts to unravel the mysteries her parents sought, she becomes a pawn in a larger game that threatens to kill her.

Dinosaur Sanctuary Vol. 1
by Itaru Kinoshita

Dinosaurs are alive! In 1946, a remote island was discovered where dinosaurs never went extinct. Through breeding and genetic manipulation, dinosaur populations increased and dino-mania reached a fever pitch worldwide ... until a certain terrible incident occurred. Afterward, dinosaur reserves like Enoshima Dinoland fell on hard times. Enter Suma Suzume, a kindhearted rookie dino-keeper! Can she be the one to save Dinoland from extinction?

Thieves' Gambit
by Kayvion Lewis

Seventeen-year-old Ross Quest, a master thief, enters the Thieves' Gambit, a competition consisting of dangerous, international heists, in order to save her mother's life.

Wish of the Wicked
by Danielle Paige

Sixteen-year-old Farrow hatches a dangerous plan to seek revenge on Queen Magrit and regain her magic, but when Farrow finds herself falling for the one person who could ruin everything, she must decide whether it's more important to live in the past or forge a new future.--

A Girl's Guide to Love & Magic
by Debbie Rigaud

Fifteen-year-old Haitian American Cicely is excited to celebrate the West Indian Day Parade with her aunt, and voodoo dabbler, Mimose, but when Mimose's dabbling goes awry and she becomes possessed by a spirit, Cicely, Renee, and Kwame, her crush, must find a way to set things right--

Louder Than Hunger: (A Middle Grade Novel about Mental Health, Eating Disorders, and Self-Acceptance for Kids Ages 10-14 in Grades 5-9)
by John Schu

Jake volunteers at a nursing home because he likes helping people. He likes skating and singing, playing Bingo and Name That Tune, and reading mysteries and comics aloud to his teachers. He also likes avoiding people his own age...and the cruelty of mirrors...and food. Jake has read about kids like him in books -- the weird one, the outsider -- and would do anything not to be that kid, including shrink himself down to nothing. But the less he eats, the bigger he feels. How long can Jake punish himself before he truly disappears?--Provided by publisher.

Gallant
by V. E. Schwab

Olivia Prior has grown up at the grim Merilance School for Girls with no no past except for her one treasure, her mother's journal, so when a letter arrives inviting her to come home to ruinous manor, Gallant, she seizes the chance to find out about her family.

I Must Betray You
by Ruta Sepetys

In a country governed by isolation, fear, and a tyrannical dictator, seventeen-year-old Cristian Florescu is blackmailed by the secret police to become an informer, but he decides to use his position to try to outwit his handler, undermine the regime, give voice to fellow Romanians, and expose to the world what is happening in his country. Includes author's note.

Dry
by Neal Shusterman

A lengthy California drought escalates to catastrophic proportions, turning Alyssa's quiet suburban street into a warzone, and she is forced to make impossible choices if she and her brother are to survive.

Dps Only!
by Velinxi

High school student Vicky Tan lives a secret life. To most, she is a meek pushover, often in the shadow of her e-sports superstar of a brother, Virgil. Unknown to anyone, however, she dons a secret identity when she logs on to play Xenith Orion, the multiplayer game dominating the e-sports scene. She knows firsthand the harassment female gamers often experience, but when an opportunity arises in a local tournament, Vicky--mask in hand--can't resist the challenge. Sneaking around and hiding only works for so long, and once the truth comes out, what will it mean for Vicky and those who trusted her? DPS Only! is a heartfelt and compelling coming-of-age debut about finding your team, finding your voice, and finding your own identity. Based on the acclaimed webcomic.--Back cover.

Brooms
by Jasmine Walls

It's 1930s Mississippi. Magic is permitted only in certain circumstances, and by certain people. Unsanctioned broom racing is banned. But for those who need the money, or the thrills...it's there to be found. Meet Billie Mae, captain of the Night Storms racing team, and Loretta, her best friend and second-in-command. They're determined to make enough money to move out west to a state that allows Black folks to legally use magic and take part in national races.--]cFrom publisher's description.

Lunar New Year Love Story
by Gene Luen Yang

Graphic novel superstars Gene Luen Yang and LeUyen Pham join forces in this heartwarming rom-com about fate, family, and falling in love.

Instructions for Dancing
by Nicola Yoon

After picking up a book from the library, Yvette--who has given up on love--gains the ability to see how other people's romantic relationships will end--

For additional reading ideas, talk with your library staff