2023 Summer Reading Guide for Middle School

When she’s mocked for wanting to play with her town’s boys’ football team, Misty determines she’ll sign up for the team. But the training process is rigorous, and playing football is physically challenging—especially with boys. Brightly colored illustrations guide readers through this exhilarating sports graphic novel as Misty proves herself.

Sixth grade is off to a rocky start for Rex. His district moved most of his elementary school to another middle school, his best friend ditches him for the popular crew, and his blurry vision means he has to get clunky new glasses–the only kind his family can afford. This sweet graphic novel for fans of Telgemeier is an ode to middle school, family, and finding your people.

1970s Indiana. Judi’s high school announces that they’re starting a girls’ basketball team because of the Title IX ruling. Unfortunately, although several girls sign up, there’s barely any funding. With scrappy strategies like DIY jerseys and neighborhood canvassing for game attendance, can Judi and the team make it work? A fantastic graphic novel about equality and basketball in the 1970s.

After a bold style statement on picture day, Viv becomes her classmates’ go-to consultant on all things style, life advice, and more. But she gets so caught up in being an influencer that her close circle starts to suffer. A funny but thoughtful start to a new graphic novel series for fans of the Click Series.

Brothers Lincoln and Hudson Dupré are constantly pretending to be on one adventure or another–and destroying their home in the process. Until their parents get an experienced babysitter who wrangles both boys using unconventional methods–much to their dismay. Their plot to get rid of her yields unexpected results. This hilarious graphic novel-prose hybrid shows the brothers’ imaginations in panels and the real story as plain text with illustrations.

Although her parents would rather she be coding away the summer, Pearl prefers making crocheted dolls and drinking boba with her friends. When she discovers that her favorite tea place is struggling financially, Pearl decides she’ll secretly sell her dolls to raise money. But running a business is tough. This heartwarming debut is the perfect summer book.

When an elite league coach poaches Alex, she hopes it will mean better opportunities. But when she starts, she’s disturbed by her coach’s unkind and misogynistic practices. This fast-paced sports story features a smart girl with too many responsibilities for her age, plenty of heart for soccer, and the will to stand up to an adult bully.

Dan Santat documents his end-of-middle-school school trip to Europe. As he and some classmates visit Germany, France, Switzerland, and England, Dan is swept up in many, many firsts (first Fanta, first kiss, first bike heist), making for a life-changing trip. A relatable graphic novel about growing up, wading through the awkward tween years, and finding one’s voice.

Ginny’s summer is thrown off when her dad gets a surprise redeployment in the middle of their family’s moving to another city. Then, her geography camp gets canceled. Her sister seems to be making new friends, but no one appears to like Ginny–even when she starts her own geography camp. This sweet, unique young middle grade book made my heart grow and ache for Ginny and her family as they navigated a season of change. Features illustrations and a new geography fact in each chapter.

Maudie is a sweet, autistic girl spending the summer with her dad. When her dad’s home is razed in a California wildfire, they move to the small beach town where her father grew up. Throughout the summer, as Maudie makes new friends, starts learning to surf, and enters a surfing contest, a secret tugs at her–one her mother has asked her to keep from her dad. Despite tackling serious issues like physical abuse and autism acceptance, this triumphant story feels infused with the lightness of summer as a girl discovers that she’s braver than she ever thought.

Reeling from the impact of her mother’s depression on their family, Natty decides she’s going to be “Good Vibes Only.” She even starts a pep rally club in her cheerless new town. But her pursuit of positivity wears on her friendships and her–until the facade starts to crumble. An insightful exploration of toxic positivity and how kids can manage tough situations instead.

It’s Tori and her siblings’ first summer with their father and his new family since he left their family over two years ago. Tori and her siblings soon realize that their father is still emotionally abusive. This heartwrenching, emotionally resonant book about dealing with difficult parents is told in intimate diary entries.

Rylan is working as a farm hand in France to reconnect with his used-to-be best friend, Wilder. But the trip is complicated when Rylan’s mom tells him that his estranged father lives in France and wants to reconnect with him. This funny, emotional book is unique and relatable all at once.

Drew and Mia were born on the same day, but their lives have taken different paths. When Mia returns to the town where Drew still lives, both kids start training for a half-marathon together for different reasons. Mia, to solve her family’s housing issues; Drew, for his dad, who’s received a crushing diagnosis. Written in alternating verse and prose chapters, this book is incredibly moving.

11-year-old Mo has lost her Nan (and sole guardian). So, Mo’s entering the foster care system. She ends up with a well-to-do couple who seem delighted to have her. There, Mo tries recipes and even starts a website for all the family recipes she’s been collecting. But then, Mo’s world is turned upside down again. An achingly tender portrait of a girl searching for a family.

After surviving a school shooting, Simon and his parents (one a priest, the other a mortician) move to a town in America’s National Quiet Zone with no internet or TV. As Simon tries to stay under the radar, new friends, a new mission, and a warm community draw him out in this funny, quirky, and moving release about science and PTSD.

After her plan to start an official Lola Bay fan club is usurped by some mean girls, sixth-grader Iris befriends eighth-grader Dana who’s starting an “unofficial” fan club. But soon, Dana’s actions (like hacking into a website, using Iris’s parents’ credit card to buy tour tickets) begin to unsettle Iris. A chilling look at the power of celebrity fandom and toxic friendships.

Zeke tries to be a good kid, but most days, he can’t resist pulling a great prank or instigating his classmates into mayhem. So, imagine his shock when he gets an invitation to join The Greatest Kid in the World contest. As a camera follows him and his family for days, Zeke gains a new perspective on life and what it means to be a “great” kid. Surprisingly profound and ridiculously funny.

It’s 2020, and Matthew is sick of being inside with the pandemic raging outside. While reluctantly helping his great-grandmother sort through her belongings, he finds a picture of two girls. As she shares her experience during the Ukrainian famine, the story alternates between three narrators: Matthew, Helena, and Mila. A powerful, unforgettable account of historical events.

After losing their land, Gloria and her family move to California to find work and eventually start picking peaches on a farm. There, Gloria quickly discovers a boys’ baseball team (no girls allowed!) and is ready to do what it takes to join the team. At the same time, ripples of discontent with working wages lead to organizing that puts Gloria and her family in a precarious position. Utterly immersive.

Honey is Mila’s best friend. She loves the warmth of Honey’s boisterous family and wants to spend every moment with them. That is, until Honey transfers to her school and suddenly, everyone seems to like Honey more than they do Mila. This sweet slice-of-life story grew on me with every chapter. Mila and Honey are both Orthodox Jews, so this book includes many details about the religion.

Penny is a middle schooler with mild-moderate cystic fibrosis who forms a strong connection with a dolphin she finds in the creek behind their house. When a marine biologist finds out that the dolphin is also sick, they’ll need Penny to help them treat the animal and return it home. This beautiful verse novel about living with cystic fibrosis is honest and heartrending.

When Rahim’s friend Kasia gifts him her newest invention, he has no idea that it’s a time travel device. Rahim ends up in 1997 meeting his father as a tween before he became the strict dad he is. Can Kasia get him back in time for dinner–and before his actions change the future? Hand this funny, suspense-filled sci-fi release to fans of time travel stories.

In this collection of interconnected short stories, 12 Asian-American kids at the international terminal of a major airport deal with microaggressions, disdain, and outright racism. This is one of my favorite books of the year, and I’m as surprised as you are that it’s an anthology! Moving, inspiring, and eye-opening.

When she sets out to investigate the fall of fellow student Rachel Riley from popular girl to middle school pariah, new student Anna Hunt discovers a shocking story. Told in podcast episodes, emails, texts, and more, this is a zinger of a book. If you haven’t already read this inventive, immersive, and important book about sexual harassment–run, don’t walk!