Young YA Books for Older Middle Schoolers

A powerhouse young adult historical fiction well suited to readers in grades 7 and up about a Black boy forced to pass as white in 1950s Pennsylvania. When Calvin and his parents move from Chicago to the Levittown surbubs, he’s torn behind leaving his culture and older brother behind in the Black neighborhoods and assimilating into the all-white neighborhood. Meeting and falling for the new black girl in his town doesn’t help as he finds himself caught up in organizing to get more Black teens into his school. But things quickly turn dangerous for him and his friends as loyalties are tested across the board. This book is endlessly fascinating and insightful and I learned so much about Black American history, the dynamics of passing in the 50s and the dark history of Levittown. It is suspenseful and I blew through the audiobook in less than a day just on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next.

Ramona is a shy 16-year-old who loves cosplay. After she leaves a picture of her cosplay character with a poem in her crush’s locker, the two start communicating via email. In class, though, she can’t seem to work up the courage to talk to that same crush, Caleb. But when Caleb suddenly starts working at the same restaurant she does, the two form a friendship that forces Ramona to re-evaluate their internet relationship. NerdCrush is a sweet young YA romance about finding the courage to be oneself, especially on the journey toward finding true love. Grades 7+

This YA mystery was SO GOOD! Five private school teen boys go target shooting and one of them ends up dead, shot by his own gun with the fingerprints of all four friends on the gun and all the boys claiming they don’t know what happened. The story is told from two perspectives: that of the killer and that of a schoolmate in the public school they transfer to, who happened to be regularly texting the boy who was killed. The girl, Kate also works at the DA’s office where her mom works and is helping the DA with his investigation since he has very poor eyesight. As things progress, nothing is as it seems both with Kate and with the boys in question and Kate gets more involved as the stakes get higher to find the killer. This was so much fun and really engaging on audio. There is one instance of F word usage but otherwise this is pretty clean content wise and I would be fine handing it to mature 7th and 8th graders.

This young adult thriller for fans of McManus’s One of Us is Lying follows four Native teenagers under suspicion for the murder of a classmate. It integrates the Missing Indigenous Women issue with other challenges of Native Americans, one of the teens is half Native, and another one is raising his sister because his drug-addict father has abandoned them. I loved seeing the way this mystery came together and the culprit was definitely shocking. Although this one has a slower start and picks up around the 20% mark, I think it will appeal to 7th grade readers and older.

Gary Vo is a Vietnamese-American soon-to-be junior high schooler. Gary and his friend Preston have been at the bottom of the social totem pole forever, and Preston is determined that this is the summer they rise up the ranks. So when they’re approached by two popular classmates with an offer to join their group, the boys are all ears! The task is to steal a bracelet from Gloria Buenrostro (a popular, but mysterious A+ student) so the boys can add it to their collections of tokens from “the hottest girls” in school. Easy enough, no? That is until Gary Vo befriends Gloria and realizes that there’s more to her than meets the eye. Gloria Buenrostro Is Not My Girlfriend is a richly layered, relatable teen novel about what it means to be a man and how to be a good friend. Grades 7+

17-year-old Rico has a lot on her plate. She works the afternoon shift at the Gas n Go and spends the rest of her free time looking after her little brother and trying to cushion the effects of her mom’s poor financial decisions on their family. But when the owner of a winning lottery ticket purchased from her doesn’t show up to claim the prize, Rico is forced to partner with her wealthy (and wildly attractive) classmate Zan to track the woman down and maybe get her to split her wins with Rico. Jackpot is a compulsively readable, hijinks-filled romance for fans of meatier YA looking for more discourse and a relatable exploration of classism, ethnic experiences, and thriving despite an economically challenging background. Heads up for some occasional language and underage drinking. Grades 8+

Dystopia fans, rejoice! This new young adult novel (first in a duology) translated from Korean is set in a dystopian world where every part of the earth is living with frigid temperatures except for Snowglobe–akin to The Capitol in the Hunger Games. While residents of all the other settlements work hard to generate resources for Snowglobe, its inhabitants live life under the camera lens, their lives fodder for reality TV and controlled by prestigious directors. When the star of one of the most popular shows dies, another girl outside Snowglobe who resembles her eerily is recruited to take her place, opening a can of worms about the unethical misuse of power in Snowglobe. Grades 7+

I just adored this new young adult novel about high schooler Aisha who, nudged by the writing prompt of her college admission essay, decides to change her life by stepping outside her comfort zone. Her manifesto includes many bucket list items but mostly revolve around Brian Wu, the boy she’s loved since childhood. The earnest voice, longing, and complete relatabilty in this novel make it a winner in my book — not to mention the sweetest love interest! Hand to fans of To All the Boys and fans of YA with awkward, messy, and ambitious female leads. Grades 7+

I loved this coming-of-age YA story by adult romance writer Jane Igharo. It’s all about Enore whose mother and sister have moved with her to the US after her father’s death. Terrified of all the new changes, Enore watches over 50 American teen movies to prepare her for high school but soon realizes that real life isn’t like the movies. This one is angsty, swoony, heartfelt, and feel-good, with many nods to classic and contemporary teen movies, plenty of Broadway love, and authentic insight into Nigerian culture. There is a fair amout of language in this one, so I’d say grades 8+

Perla Perez is a 16-year-old high school senior who has been rejected from the college of her (and her parents’) dreams. Much to her dismay, she put all her eggs in this one basket and didn’t give her other college applications half as much care as she did this one — so all the other colleges rejected her too. With her back against the wall and under the immense pressure from her immigrant parents to succeed, she forges an acceptance letter and thus begins months of lying and elaborate schemes to get into the dorms, going through all the motions of a real student. She hopes to re-apply in the next session and get in so her parents never know she was rejected. But will her plans go up in flames? This is a fast-paced, compulsively readable young adult novel about the pressures of college admission. Grades 7+

This was very sweet, all about a boy who can’t seem to work up the courage to tell his crush how he feels! I loved the message of putting yourself out there instead of living in your head. I also liked that while we’re in Darren’s head, we learn enough about his love interest that she’s not just a manic pixie dream girl. Lovely teen-parent relationships and main characters who attend church without it being a preachy book. Really fun and perfect for younger teens with nearly no language! Grades 7+

The Boy Next Story is book two in the Bookish Boyfriends series (which does not need to be read in order). I would especially recommend it for YA lovers looking for a sweet, fresh take on the classics.

Adanna, or Sophie as she’s known at school, is the 17-year-old daughter of Nigerian immigrants whose main goal is that she excel at school and become a lawyer. Sophie is on the debate team and has zero hobbies. She has crushes on two guys: Tayo, a fellow Nigerian-Canadian family friend, and another Canadian boy on her debate team. Ada is fairly content with her life until the wedding of her cousin Genny to a popular Afrobeats musician, and her new poetry elective brings her back in contact with her older estranged brother, whom her parents effectively disowned a few years ago. As Ada tries to figure out how things went wrong with her parents and brother, she starts experiencing doubts about her pre-charted career plans until things explode in her face. This is a relatable, heartrending young adult novel about choosing one’s own path despite immigrant parental expectations. Grades 8+

Keeping It Real follows Marigold Johnson, daughter of the media moguls who own Flexx Unlimited. Marigold’s friend and crush, Justice, hates their private school, where both kids are part of the token number of Black kids. Marigold, on the other hand, tries to conform to white expectations and fit in with the kids. When Justice gets into Flexx Unlimited’s fashion program for teens, Marigold wants to get in to avoid summer boredom and spend time with Justice — despite warnings from both parents that she may not fit in with the other kids from lower-income families. But when her parents get her into the program, one girl in particular, Kara, can’t seem to stand Marigold. Add that to the tension between Marigold and Justice, and Mari’s summer internship seems more stressful than inspiring. This is a riveting upper middle grade book about family, privilege, and conformity in the Black community. Grades 7+

Jade believes she must get out of her poor neighborhood if she’s ever going to succeed. Her mother tells her to take advantage of every opportunity that comes her way. And Jade has: every day she rides the bus away from her friends and to the private school where she feels like an outsider, but where she has plenty of opportunities. But some opportunities she doesn’t really welcome, like an invitation to join Women to Women, a mentorship program for “at-risk” girls. Just because her mentor is black and graduated from the same high school doesn’t mean she understands where Jade is coming from. She’s tired of being singled out as someone who needs help, someone people want to fix. Jade wants to speak, to create, to express her joys and sorrows, her pain and her hope. Maybe there are some things she could show other women about understanding the world and finding ways to be real, to make a difference. Grades 7+

Jia, Everett, and Ariel are high school besties whose summer plans could not be any more different. Jia is a Chinese-American helping out at her family’s restaurant in Chinatown while looking after her little sister and grandmother. Everett is a Vietnamese-American off to theater camp in Ohio, while Ariel, the genius Korean-American, is in pre-college grieving the death of her older sister months before. As the summer progresses, all three girls will need their friendship to anchor them through the waves of grief, first loves, and standing up for themselves. I LOVED the depiction of friendship in this book and the way the author brings cities and characters to life. If you loved The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and can’t get enough of emotional, fast-paced YA stories — this book is for you! Nearly no language and no sexual content. Grades 7+

What if all the crushes you ever had found out how you felt about them…all at once? Sixteen-year-old Lara Jean Song keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. They aren’t love letters that anyone else wrote for her; these are ones she’s written. One for every boy she’s ever loved—five in all. When she writes, she pours out her heart and soul and says all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly, Lara Jean’s love life goes from imaginary to out of control. Grades 8+

Izumi Tanaka finds out that her father (the one her single mother never wants to talk about) is the crowned Prince of Japan. Immediately, she’s whisked away to Japan to meet her father and the family she didn’t know she had. Of course, this means she had to leave close to the end of her senior year in high school, hoping to return in time for graduation. When she gets to Japan, however, she’s met with a new (handsome) bodyguard, Akio; cunning cousins, and a whole lot of royal etiquette to learn. Will she survive and finally find belonging? Or will she crash and burn? This is a royal coming-of-age story perfect for fans of The Princess Diaries. Grades 7+

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder follows British teen Pippa Fitz-Amobi who’s decided to do her senior capstone project on a local murder case that was closed 5 years ago. Five years ago, high schooler Andie Bell went missing and her boyfriend Sal Singh sent his father a text admitting to the crime, after which he was found in what seemed like an apparent suicide. But Pip doesn’t buy it. With the help of Sal’s younger brother, Ravi, she investigates the events surrounding Andie’s disappearance and Sal’s murder. But the culprit won’t let her find the truth so easily. Can Pippa hack the crime?This is a thrilling clean teen murder mystery with a clever, likeable protagonist. Grades 7+

After a horrific Valentine’s Day, Emilie Hornbie is ready for a do-over — or so she thinks. Her boyfriend is cheating on her, her dad is planning to move away without asking how she feels, and her car is totalled after an accident with a schoolmate. But she feels better after arriving at her grandma’s house that evening. Except… when she wakes up the next day, it’s Valentine’s Day again! Stuck in the time loop, Emilie tries to undo the calamities, but she keeps running into the same schoolmate, Nick — and falling for him too. The Do-Over by Lynn Painter is a charming romance with substance that delves into grief, family, and perfectionism. There is some strong language here, so I’d say grades 8+

Japanese-American, Kimi Nakamura is fashion-loving teen who spends her time designing and sewing bold, creative outfits. The only problem is that her mother — a graphic designer who always wanted to be an artist — expects Kimi to become a “real artist.” To her, Kimi’s designs should remain a “hobby.” Although Kimi has already been accepted to a reputable fine art college, she hasn’t told her mother that she’s dropped out of Advanced Fine Art and hasn’t painted anything all semester. When her mother finds out and is sorely disappointed, Kimi takes advantage of her estranged grandparents’ offer to visit Kyoto. I Love You So Mochi is a delightful, delicious young adult novel, perfect for anyone desperate for a trip to Japan on a page. Grades 7+

Almost American Girl is Robin Ha’s graphic memoir detailing her move from South Korea to Huntsville, Alabama. Robin is 14 when she and her mother leave for one of their regular visits to the US. Except, this time it’s not Hawaii or any other vacation hotspot — it’s Alabama. Robin’s mother has been encouraging her to learn English like she has been doing, but Robin is uninterested, preferring to enjoy her Korean comics and spending time with her friends buying stationery and Korean street food. When they arrive in Huntsville, Robin realizes that her mother is there to visit a man she has been corresponding with. His family welcomes them, but Robin feels out of place since she can neither speak nor understand English. She dreams of returning to Korea when the vacation is over. However, Robin is in for a shocker as her mom announces that she’s marrying this man, and she and Robin are staying put in America. Her whole life changes forever, as she struggles to assimilate, while handling the ups and downs in her mother’s relationship. Robin Ha’s Almost American Girl is a moving exploration of the joys and misfortunes of immigrant life — especially for a teen. Grades 6+

Sophie is looking forward to getting time away from her parents for the holidays. They’re visiting her heavily pregnant sister over the holidays. But she’s especially happy because she’s looking forward to spend time with her boyfriend, Griffin. So she’s thrown for a loop when she overhears Griffin discussing his desire to break up with her — and then, of course, she breaks up with him. Sophie’s large family is very happy to have her with them for the holidays, particularly her cousins Olivia and Charlie whom she’s closest to. The family wants Sophie to enjoy the holidays and decide they will set her up on a date every day for the last 10 days of the year. 10 family members get to choose a different date — location, person, and all — for each day. She has the ability to decline one date. In the midst of all the chaos, Sophie begins to rediscover her connection with Charlie’s friend, Wes.10 Blind Dates is an entertaining young adult novel, perfect for lovers of Hallmark movies or anyone looking for a festive, fluffy read. Grades 7+