5 Editor-Approved Books a Middle Schooler Will Love

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Middle school is a notoriously awkward and challenging time in a girl’s life. As she stands with one foot in childhood and another in adolescence, she begins to see things in her environment she hadn’t noticed before and may begin to question herself and those around her. She might not feel ready for this big shift in consciousness. I certainly remember feeling overwhelmed. But I also remember finding solace and inspiration in stories about girls going through difficult situations and coming out the other end even stronger and wiser. Just in time for Labor Day, here are five middle-grade novels featuring courageous protagonists who show us girls can face any challenges life throws at them.

Zora & Me, by Victoria Bond and R.R. Simon

This beautifully written novel is narrated by Zora Neale Hurston’s fictionalized childhood best friend, Carrie, who just like every other child in her town is captivated by Zora’s riveting storytelling. Zora uses her imagination to try to make sense of recent mysterious occurrences. Her latest invention is an alligator man who can capture human souls. Carrie allows herself to believe in her friend’s tales until both girls start to slowly come to grips with the more complex truths of the violent Jim Crow era. In this coming-of-age story, Carrie helps girls—of all races and backgrounds—understand the light that community, love, and friendship can shed upon darkness.

The House on Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros

Written in short, powerful vignettes, this classic novel reveals the world of Esperanza Cordero, a young Chicana growing in Chicago. The novel begins with her family’s move to an impoverished neighborhood. The new house is not what Esperanza had expected or hoped for but it’s what her family can afford. As she dreams of a better future, Esperanza carefully observes her neighbors and new friends, which opens her young mind to the realities of living in a marginalized community. First published in 1984, the novel is still incredibly relevant and appropriate for girls who have big questions about the world around them and want to explore heavy topics such as social class, racism, identity, and surviving trauma.

The Girl and the Ghost, by Hanna Alkaf

Suraya is a young girl living in a Malaysian village with her cold and guarded single mother who is struggling to keep their family afloat. Lonely Suraya feels like an outcast—both at school and in her own home. But everything changes when her estranged grandmother passes away, and Suraya inherits her grandma’s special friend, a dark spirit disguised as a grasshopper. As her relationship with the creature develops throughout the novel, Suraya’s life becomes more and more complicated. While the captivating plot is full of fantasy and mystery, at its core, the novel is about a resilient girl facing enormous ethical dilemmas and painful family secrets. Girls who enjoy magical characters and yet still want to engage with topics such as self-discovery and challenging relationships will find this book to be the perfect fit.

Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise, by Dan Gemeinhart

Coyote Sunrise is a 12-year-old living a very unconventional life: traveling cross-country in a school bus with her father. It’s been just the two of them since her mother and sisters were killed in a car crash, and Coyote hasn’t been to her hometown since the tragedy took place five years prior. Then, she finds out the park in her old neighborhood is being demolished, and devises a plan to trick her heartbroken father into going back. On the way home, Coyote and her father pick up a crew of wanderers also struggling and looking for a way to change their lives. Coyote is bright, funny, and quirky even as she teaches young girls how to deal with the intensity of grief.

Matilda, by Roald Dahl

Last but not least, a middle school masterpiece that also delights elementary school siblings.. Matilda is a bookworm greatly misunderstood by her abusive parents. She looks forward to school only to find that it isn’t much better than home. The horrible headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, attacks Matilda, but Matilda realizes she has the power to fight back with an incredible superpower. She is the perfect example of how a girl’s self-confidence, self-determination, and ability to find allies can completely change the course of her life.

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