List

2019 Staff Picks: Books for Middle Grade Readers

By Skokie Staff Youth Services

Here are our favorite 2019 books for 4th-6th graders. Happy reading, everyone!

The Other Half of Happy
2019 by Balcárcel, Rebecca
Biracial 7th grader Quijiana, caught between the Anglo and Guatemalan sides of her family, worries her parents are keeping unsettling family secrets. A poignant, poetic, and beautiful book about family and forgiveness. Recommended by Caitlin Savage.

Get this item

A Drop of Hope
2019 by Calabrese, Keith
The dried-up well is granting wishes. Is it magic or is real life magical? Recommended by Karen Trier.

Get this item

Island Book
2019 by Dahm, Evan
A young creature braves the unknown and leaves her island to search for a monster. Recommended by Christine Goertz.

Get this item

Beverly, Right Here
2019 by DiCamillo, Kate
Beverly, 14, leaves home after the death of her dog. She is fiercely independent and determined to make it on her own. Recommended by Gudrun Priemer.

Get this item

Never Caught: The Washingtons' Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge
2017 by Dunbar, Erica Armstrong
As the world is finally giving Harriet Tubman her due, here's the story of another brave female fugitive slave. This young readers edition of the title nominated for the National Book Award title is a compelling page-turner that will appeal to nonfiction readers and action-adventure fans, too. Recommended by Mandy O'Brien.

Get this item

The Strangers
2019 by Haddix, Margaret Peterson
The Greystone kids lead a happy life until their mother leaves and they discover three children who share strangely similar lives. Recommended by Caitlin Savage.

Get this item

Sweeping up the Heart
2019 by Henkes, Kevin
Amelia and Casey, 12 years old, meet at an art studio during spring break and find solace in the friendship that develops between them. Recommended by Lorrie Hansen.

Get this item

The Wonders of Nature
2019 by Hoare, Ben
A gorgeously illustrated guide to everything nature. Recommended by Gudrun Priemer.

Get this item

Tin
2019 by Kenny, Pádraig
I did not expect to like this cyberpunk children's fantasy, but I did! Behind the Dickensian robot adventure is a sweet story about family and fighting for what's important. Recommended by Caitlin Savage.

Get this item

The Unteachables
2019 by Korman, Gordon
In this story that is funny, touching, and that stretches credibility, lives are changed when a teacher and his students learn to work together. Recommended by Karen Trier.

Get this item

Over the Moon
2019 by Lloyd, Natalie
A dark and magical story about a girl who learns to soar to great heights. Recommended by Karen Trier.

Get this item

Emmy in the Key of Code
2019 by Lucido, Aimee
Two girls find themselves while learning to code and become friends along the way. Recommended by Quetzalli Cortez.

Get this item

Strange Birds: A Field Guide to Ruffling Feathers
2019 by Pérez, Celia C.
Four very different girls come together to fight an injustice in their community and discover more about themselves in the process. Recommended by Quetzalli Cortez.

Get this item

A Good Kind of Trouble
2019 by Ramée, Lisa Moore
A wonderful story about growing up and learning to find your voice. Recommended by Mary Michell.

Get this item

To Night Owl from Dogfish
2019 by Sloan, Holly Goldberg
I love books that are tell a story in letters! These two girls are at the same camp but email each other instead of interacting face to face. You'll have to read it to find out why. Recommended by Shelley Sutherland.

Get this item

The Owls Have Come to Take Us Away
2019 by Smith, Ronald L.
Simon is terrified of aliens (just like I was when I was 12) and becomes convinced he's been abducted when he disappears during a camping trip and has no memory of where he's been. An eerie, but also sweet and searching book. Recommended by Caitlin Savage.

Get this item

The Runaways
2019 by Stark, Ulf
A touching story from Sweden about a cranky grandfather and the grandson who understands him. Recommended by Karen Trier.

Get this item

The Bridge Home
2019 by Venkatraman, Padma
A sad, yet compelling, story about four young street children in India. Recommended by Karen Trier.

Get this item

Other Words for Home
2019 by Warga, Jasmine
A beautifully written book about a young refugee and how she adapts to life in America. Recommended by Karen Trier.

Get this item