May 2023 Book Recommendations

It's almost summer!

Welcome to another month of Books for Kids! It’s difficult to believe that summer is right around the corner…in just four short weeks I’ll officially be on summer break! This also means I’m almost to the three year anniversary of sending out this newsletter every month with book recommendations for your 8-12 year-old readers AND it means it’s time for personalized summer book lists.

If you’d like a personalized summer book list for your reader leave a comment using the button below!

My goal is simple: Provide book recommendations you can trust so your 8-12 year-old reader can find their next right book.

Anisa’s International Day

Reem Faruqi tells the story of Anisa is super-excited about International Day and can’t wait to share her mother’s samosas with her class. But when someone else has the exact same idea, Anisa is crushed. This book is definitely written for early middle grade readers and I’d say the ideal audience is 7-9. The book contains recipes and activities that will help bring the story to life!

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Catalina Incognito

Written by Jennifer Torres, this is the story of Catalina Castaneda. Catalina is not persnickety, even though that’s what her parents and sister, Coco, like to think. Catalina just likes things the way she likes them—perfect. Like Anisa’s International Day, this book is perfect for early middle grade readers, particularly readers who like solving mysteries because a rhinestone has gone missing!

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Lines of Courage

Take a trip back in time with Jennifer A. Nielsen and follow the stories of five kids living through World War 1. The kids come from different backgrounds and nations and see the war through different lenses. Felix, Kara, Juliette, Elsa, and Dimitri face the terror of battle, the deprivations of hunger, and all the awful challenges of war. This is an engaging historical fiction story that is better for older middle grade readers.

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Molly and the Machine

Erik Jon Slangerup transports you back to 1983 in Ohio, and one by one, the kids of Far Flung Falls are disappearing. This is a great read for readers who want quirky, humorous adventure. Due to the length (416 pages) I’d probably save this book for older middle grade readers. Perfect for fans of James Ponti (City Spies) and Stuart Gibbs (Spy School, FunJungle)

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Odder

An absolutely delightful novel in verse from Katherine Applegate. Meet Odder, the Queen of Play. Odder spends her days off the coast of central California, but when Odder comes face-to-face with a hungry great white shark, her life takes a dramatic turn. The story is inspired by a Monterey Bay Aquarium program that pairs orphaned otter pups with surrogate mothers.

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Turtles of the Midnight Moon

Take a trip to Honduras and meet Barana. She lives in a coastal village in Honduras, and spends every spare minute visiting the sea turtles that nest on the beach. Abby is a 6th grader in New Jersey and when her papi plans a work trip to Honduras, she is finally given the opportunity to see his homeland—with Barana as her tour guide. They soon team up to catch the poachers threatening the local sea turtles. María José Fitzgerald has written a compelling mystery with just a touch of magic.

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