Books Like Starfish by Lisa Fipps

Nat is a chubby 12-year-old with major swimming skills and a fiery temper. After spotting The LA Mermaids, a synchronized swimming group at a neighborhood pool, Nat is convinced that it’s the sport for her. Her parents aren’t so sure. So Nat auditions for and joins the team behind their backs, getting her older cousin to take her to practice. This book is compulsively readable, and Nat is a well-drawn, rarely represented type of female character with many flaws and a lot of confidence. She learns how to be a good friend and why it’s important to be honest. The author also delves into discourse about body image. Readers may also want to know that a side character is disowned by her parents after coming out as gay. Grades 6+

In Frizzy, young Marlene hates the salon where her mom takes her to get her natural curls straightened weekly. Marlene’s mom and some in their circle/family believe that “good hair” is straight hair. Marlene’s mom wants her to focus on school and look “tidy” by having her hair straight and slick. But Marlene isn’t so sure. She sees an internet influencer and her favorite aunt, Tia Ruby rocking their curls and is eager to try. But her first attempt fails woefully. With Tia Ruby’s hair, Marlene learns to care for her natural hair better and embrace her curls. Frizzy is a delightful, thought-provoking graphic novel about natural hair, self-acceptance, and body image. Grades 4+

Thirteen-year-old Genesis grapples with intense self-hate worsened by her father’s verbal abuse and her grandmother’s backward ideologies about skin color. Things seem to look up for their family when they move into a posh neighborhood. Genesis makes new friends, joins the school choir, and even gets a helpful math tutor. Yet, her self-hate follows her. Genesis Begins Again is a remarkable middle-grade debut with a strong message about colorism, self-love, and the power of music. Grades 6+

Nala Robertson is a big Black girl who lives with her cousin Imani and Imani’s parents. Imani is an environmental activist with the group Inspire Harlem. When Nala attends Imani’s birthday open-mic night, she meets a charismatic young man named Tye. Tye is also an activist who is immediately drawn to Nala. Nala is eager to impress and starts a series of lies, telling Tye that she is a vegan and pretending to be active in community work at her grandmother’s home for the elderly. The two soon start dating, but the relationship is obviously built on lies. Eventually, with the help of her grandma, Nala has to realize the importance of self-love and being herself. Love Is a Revolution is a thoughtful, sweet ode to embracing and loving oneself. Grades 7+

Will feels like the only chubby kid in his class and feels insecure about his weight. Add to that the bullying he faces and his observations of his mother’s attitude toward food, and he falls into a pattern of disordered eating and over-exercising. Thankfully, a budding friendship with a new classmate changes his view. This is a great book about body image issues, and it’s done in an illustrated verse format that I think kids will love. Grades 5+

Alyson Gerber is one of my favorite middle grade authors (you can tell by the fact that I’ve read all of her books so far). She writes about impactful topics in a sincere, realistic, and immersive way. This title is about a girl whose mother’s issues with food are starting to affect her. Add puberty, friend drama, and disordered eating, and Sarah is finding it hard to take up space. For grades 6+

Max Plink’s life is rough. She has a Class II malocclusion and has to wear braces, but now her dentist is saying she’ll also need headgear if she wants to avoid dental surgery and fix her teeth for good. To add to the trauma, her sister is being really mean to her, teaming up with school bullies to make fun of her. Her mom won’t stop smoking and her dad keeps drinking, which means the two keep fighting. Through it all, Max learns the power of her voice and manages to make the best of life’s lemons. This is one the most moving, relatable books I’ve ever read. Kids who like stories with writer protagonists and realistic family dynamics will enjoy this. For grades 6+

13-year-old Rain is dealing with several issues. First, her best friend has been acting like a frenemy lately. Then, she’s just so sad all the time and can’t stop feeling negative about her body — thinking she’s ugly and too big. Her single source of solace is her family. When the thoughts become too tough to handle, her mother and brother Xander, especially, bring light to her day, even without knowing her challenges. But when Xander gets beaten up in a racially motivated attack during a potential college visit, Rain feels the walls closing in on her. Can she and her family find their way back to normalcy? Rain Rising is a powerful debut middle-grade verse novel about mental health, body image, family, and healing. Grades 6+

Joe lives with his grandmum, who’s stepping in for his flighty mother, but thanks to some issues with his mom, his grandmum loses her home, and they begin living in her car. Just when they find some respite, Grandmum dies, leaving Joe in his mother’s care. Not long after, Joe is alone again and has to fend for himself. This verse novel chronicles Joe’s hardships on the poverty line and shows the way his community steps in to help him out. The writing is beautiful, as is Lisa Fipps’ work, and if you liked Starfish, you’ll likely enjoy this too. Grades 5+