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From biographies of Olympians to fictional mysteries and romance, get young readers excited for the Tokyo Games competition and drama with these titles.

Warning: These 22 titles may induce hearty chuckles, grossed-out giggles, or milk-out-the-nose laughing. 

The young people featured in these middle grade novels are intrepid, confronting racism, grief, queer identity, and more. They’re relatable teens and tweens, making mistakes and stumbling as they find themselves. Looking for more summer reading recommendations? SLJ is publishing lists all summer long—from family stories to mysteries to teen reads. 

A dozen mystery titles for independent readers ranging from laugh-out-loud interactive fun to edge-of-your-seat thrills.

Whether kids are eager to read about friendship woes, holidays, or new furry friends, they’ll find something to satisfy them in this list of realistic chapter books. Looking for more summer reading recommendations? SLJ is publishing lists all summer long—from family stories to mysteries to teen reads. 

During Pride month and all year long, curl up with these fantastical YA novels that center LGBTQIA+ characters and affirm queer identities.

With the growing cultural footprint of superhero stories and other forms of fantasy and science fiction, academics have begun to examine the impact of these genres on young readers. These ten titles are an excellent introduction to the rich possibilities of early speculative fiction.

Twenty-five outstanding works made SLJ's list of the best middle grade books published in 2020. 

These titles for middle and high school readers celebrate joy in the lives of Black teens and tweens. The characters in these stories laugh honestly, love fiercely, and exist wholly.