Grade 1-5 recommendations:
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
This book contains many children's poems and addresses a lot of childhood concerns. Easily described as one of the most creative books, this fantasy world of freedom is one to spend your time during the new year reading!
2. When the World Turned Upside Down by K. Ibura
When the World Turned Upside Down is a beautiful book that is written from one of the most unheard perspectives during this pandemic: the perspective of children. Four children are challenged when their school shuts down and trouble starts in their own households all because of a virus. The children must now navigate as protests start to rise, how to adjust to their new way of life while also figuring out, how to help out their struggling communities in their own way.
3. Linked by Gordon Korman
Life is quiet in Link, Michael, and Dana's town until someone vandalizes their school and draws a swastika. With just one symbol, Michael becomes a suspect of this hate crime, Link is pressurized to find the real culprit and Dana becomes an outsider. With more symbols showing up, can these three come together and try to link back their broken community?
4. Dead Wednesday by Jacqueline Wilson & Nick Sharrot
Worm Tarnauer's school decides to start a controversial project: dead Wednesday. This is a day when all the eighth graders get assigned another teenager's name who has died in the past year and have them be treated invisible to help the students contemplate their own mortality. The Worm doesn't mind this, since the teachers will allow the students to get away with anything now. After all, they're invisible, aren't they? But Worm didn't count on Becca Finch (17, car crash) getting into his head.
5. Stowaway by John David Anderson
Apparently discovering a new mineral present in the Earth's crust is bigger than it seems. So big that it causes an intergalactic war over which alien race obtains it. Earth has no say of course. Wanting to get away from it all, Leo's father brings him and his brother aboard a spaceship to travel away from the mess. Or that was the plan until they were attacked and Leo's father is kidnapped. Now, Leo and his brother are stranded in the middle of space and their only option is to become stowaways on a space pirate's ship that's going who knows where so they can rescue their father
Grade 6-8 recommendations:
1. The Guest List by Lucy Foley *Contains Mature Themes
The perfect couple deserves the perfect wedding. So why is there a murderer on the loose? With the bride finding threatening notes, with the bridesmaid attempting suicide, with a horrific murder ruining the special night and everybody having some motive against the couple, the question on everyone's mind remains: which one of the guests is the killer? And what's their motive?
2. If I Stay by Gayle Forman
Seventeen-year-old Mia is now in a coma after a car crash. Her father, mother, and brother have all passed away from it. Mia however has the choice to decide whether to stay or to pass away thanks to her having an out-of-body experience. With it, she can see what's happening in the present. This heartwrenching story follows her along as she attempts to make a crucial decision solely based on what she has left, and what she has lost.
3. Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
A girl trapped in her own home because she's allergic to everything, and I mean everything. She could die at any moment if her body decides to become allergic to her mom or her own house. But when she sees the next-door neighbors move in with a boy her age, she starts to question her way of life. What would really living feel like? What would love feel like?
4. Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven
Libby Strout, once dubbed "America's Fattest Teen", and Jack Masselin, a popular student who hides a secret: he can't recognize faces. The two end up finding themselves in a cruel high school game that ends up with them doing community service and group counseling. However, this story isn't about two teenagers finding love in an unfamiliar place. Follow this story along to see how these two learn to be happy with who they are and accept things for what they are. After all, we all have our flaws, it's how we choose to deal with them that really matters.
5. Dead Girls Society by Michelle Krys
Hope Callahan has really bad lungs. So bad, that her medical bills might prevent her from going to university. If she is allowed to that is due to her overprotective best friend who she has a crush on and her mom. Luckily, she gets a chance to escape her medical bills when she decides to participate in a game where the winner takes all and the losers find themselves facing the "consequences". However, the game isn't as it initially seems and Hope finds herself doing everything she can to escape it.
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