Age Level

Melissa is like many other fourth-grade girls; she loves fashion magazines, experimenting with hairstyles, and talking with her best friend. But the outside world sees her as the gender to which she was born, not the one with which she identifies; they see her as George. Nailing the younger middle grade voice, Gino offers a straightforward and authentic story, crafting a character whose universal need for recognition and acceptance will be embraced by all readers.

Once 12-year-old Astrid sees roller derby for the first time, she’s totally hooked. All she needs to do is learn to skate, hold her own among her rough-and-tumble peers, and figure out how to navigate the vagaries of junior high friendships. This vivacious, colorful read is full of rink action and crazy skater names, with an awesome heroine at its core.

In this sequel to The Riverman (2014), Alistair journeys into Aquavania, a hidden universe of connected worlds created by “daydreamers.” In search of his lost friend, Fiona, he makes his way from one psychedelic landscape to the next, hot on the trail of a creature known as The Whisper, who’s sucking the life force from the daydreamers and overtaking their worlds. Dark and strange, this is a wholly original tale that combines real-life horror, fantasy, and mythology and reverberates with complex themes about creation, responsibility, and imagination.

When my youngest daughter started 8th grade at Cope Middle School and we got the curriculum from her teachers, I was surprised by her English curriculum. The teacher, Mr. Monet Stewart, allowed students to include manga and graphic novels in addition to prose novels as part of the required outside reading assignments. I have personally […]

Librarians create special spaces and services for preteens.

Picture books, say English language arts experts, provide excellent opportunities to teach higher-level skills while still providing an engaging experience for older students who might think they don’t like to read.

This looks like just the type of program a middle school librarian could love. CS, or Computer Science First is a free Google program designed to increase student exposure to computer science education through after-school, in-school, and summer programs in a club approach run by teachers and/or community volunteers. CS First works towards its goal [...]

From the new "Penderwicks" novel to the sequel to E.K. Johnston’s The Story of Owen, the titles featured in SLJ’s March issue will delight fans and create new ones. Check out the latest sneak peek of reviews appearing in the next print issue.

Three middle grade series installments that can be enjoyed all on their own.