Our Middle Grade book spotlight this week is focused on books that have recently been added to our collection meaning they are new!!!! New books are the best; they have a new book smell and there is just something about being one of the first people to read it. There is a great mix of fiction and non-fiction titles including some recent award winners; there is literally something for everyone! These books and more can be found by searching the catalog using the search tag #2024youthnewbooks as well as on Libby and Hoopla. Check back next week for a new Middle Grade book spotlight and if you have any book suggestions, please let us know!!
Farewell Cuba, Mi Isla by Alexandra Diaz--When protests begin happening in her home country of Cuba in 1960, twelve-year-old Victoria is forced to flee with her family to the United States. Left behind is her beloved cousin and best friend Jackie, who witnesses a rise in violence around her, while in the U.S., Victoria and her family struggle to find housing and jobs and face discrimination. When Jackie is offered the opportunity to leave without her family, she takes it, and is once again reunited with Victoria. With Jackie's family still in danger, the girls work towards reuniting their whole family.
Eb & Flow by Kelly J. Baptist--A novel in verse told in two voices that describes how African American tween girl Ebony "Eb" gets into a fight with her classmate De'Kari "Flow" Flood, a boy, and they both get suspended. Now they have ten days to explain their behavior to their families and reflect on their actions.
The Sky Over Rebecca by Matthew Fox--After eleven-year-old Kara begins to notice mysterious tracks in the snow in the surrounding woods near her Stockholm home, she follows them across a frozen lake to discover two siblings hiding out. Determined to help them, she discovers they have traversed time and space from 1944 Germany, and are hiding from the Nazis. To save them, Kara, with help from a bully named Lars, must enter the time loop and help the pair reach a British airplane that can take them to safety.
The Woman In the Moon by Richard Maurer--Chronicles the life of Margaret Hamilton, who helped write the software for the guidance and control systems that would guide astronauts from Earth to the Moon and back during the Apollo Missions, and details her early life, education, and career in software engineering. Explores how she paved the way for women in male-dominated STEM fields. Includes black-and-white photographs, a timeline, and additional resources.
The Dubious Pranks of Shaindy Goodman by Mari Lowe--Shaindy Goodman has always felt awkward and overlooked, so it is to her great surprise that Gayil--the elegant, gorgeous queen bee of Bais Yaakov Middle School--invites her to sneak into their school with her after hours and commit some harmless pranks in their classroom. Mischief soon turns into malice as Shaindy realizes Gayil is targeting only certain other girls for humiliation. Shaindy must figure out what these girls have in common before she draws Gayil's ire and becomes her next victim.
Plague-Busters by Lindsey Fitzharris--Provides a history of six different diseases, including smallpox, tuberculosis, and scurvy, that ravaged past generations. Describes their causes, the damage they inflicted upon their victims and society, and how scientists discovered their cures and treatments. Features tri-color illustrations and sidebars.