The Darkdeep (Darkdeep #1) - Ally Condie and Brendan Reichs
From the publisher:
Middle-schoolers Nico, Tyler, Ella, and Opal discover a hidden island in a forbidden cove that appears uninhabited, but something ancient has awakened knowing their wishes, dreams, and darkest secrets.
The Canyon’s Edge - Dusti Bowling
A fantastic combination of a survival adventure combined with a tale of grief and resilience. A novel in verse.
From the publisher:
One year after a random shooting changed their family forever, Nora and her father are exploring a slot canyon deep in the Arizona desert, hoping it will help them find peace. But when they reach the bottom of the canyon, the unthinkable happens: A flash flood rips across their path, sweeping away Nora's father and all of their supplies. Suddenly, Nora finds herself lost and alone in the desert, facing dehydration, venomous scorpions, deadly snakes, and, worst of all, the Beast who has terrorized her dreams for the past year.
The Forgotten Girl - India Hill Brown
From the publisher:
When eleven-year-old Iris sneaks out at night to make snow angels, she was not expecting to raise the ghost of Avery Moore, a girl her own age; but bringing to light the segregated and abandoned black cemetery seems like the perfect way to help Avery get the recognition she craves, and it will also be a good idea for the school project about the history of her small North Carolina town, where racial tensions are never far from the surface--only it seems that if Avery gets everything she wants Iris will join her as a ghost, best friends forever.
The Ghost Collector - Allison Mills
From the publisher:
Ghosts are everywhere in Shelly's life. Recently passed people, pets, and a boy who lives in the local graveyard and lends her Smiths tapes are all part of spirit world she and her grandmother are privy to. In the tradition of their Cree ancestors, Shelly and her grandmother help these lost souls transition to the next world by catching them in their hair. But when Shelly's mom dies, her relationship to ghosts--and death--changes. Instead of helping spirits move on, she starts bringing them home and hiding them in her room. But no matter how many ghosts she collects, Shelly can't ignore the one that's missing. Why hasn't her mom's ghost come home yet?
When Stars Are Scattered - Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed
This book is a gift. A true story based on the experiences of Omar Mohamed who spent most of his life in a refugee camp. It’s all about the importance of story. Both to share and to listen. You need to listen to this one.
From the publisher:
Omar and his younger brother, Hassan, have spent most of their lives in Dadaab, a refugee camp in Kenya. Life is hard there: never enough food, achingly dull, and without access to the medical care Omar knows his nonverbal brother needs. So when Omar has the opportunity to go to school, he knows it might be a chance to change their future . . . but it would also mean leaving his brother, the only family member he has left, every day.
Before the Ever After - Jacqueline Woodson
Who are your friends? Who will stick by your side when things get tough? What do you do when the person you love the most in the world disappears in front of your eyes? A beautiful tale in verse of love and family and football.
From the publisher:
For as long as ZJ can remember, his dad has been everyone's hero. But now his dad is having trouble remembering things and seems to be angry all the time. ZJ's mom explains it's because of all the head injuries his dad sustained during his career. As ZJ contemplates his new reality, he has to figure out how to hold on tight to family traditions and recollections of the glory days. And can those happy feelings ever be reclaimed when they are all so busy aching for the past?
Echo Mountain - Lauren Wolk
A beautiful story of a determined family trying to survive their new life in the mountains after both parents lost their jobs in the Great Depression. Ellie is a survivor and a fighter that you will remember long after you finish this book.
From the publisher:
When the Great Depression takes almost everything they own, Ellie's family is forced to leave their home in town and start over in the untamed forests of nearby Echo Mountain. But there is little joy, even for Ellie, as her family struggles with the aftermath of an accident that has left her father in a coma. Determined to help her father, Ellie will make her way to the top of the mountain in search of the healing secrets of a woman known only as "the hag." But the hag, and the mountain, still have many untold stories left to reveal and, with them, a fresh chance at happiness.
Efrén Divided - Ernesto Cisneros
Efrén and his family are devastated when his mom is deported. Their love for each other and their struggle to overcome this loss will have you on the edge of your seat.
From the publisher:
Both Ama and Apa work hard all day to provide for the family, making sure Efren and his younger siblings Max and Mia feel safe and loved. But Efren worries about his parents; although he's American-born, his parents are undocumented. His worst nightmare comes true one day when Ama doesn't return from work and is deported across the border to Tijuana, Mexico.
The List of Things That Will Not Change - Rebecca Stead
Bea is another tough kid dealing with things out of her control, but with her loving, supportive parents she finds a way to persevere. I really related to Bea and how she saw the world. I would have been happy to be her sister.
From the publisher:
After her parents' divorce, Bea's life became different in many ways. But she can always look back at the list she keeps in her green notebook to remember the things that will stay the same. The first and most important: Mom and Dad will always love Bea, and each other. When Dad tells Bea that he and his boyfriend, Jesse, are getting married, Bea is thrilled. When Jesse and Dad get married, she'll finally have what she's always wanted--a sister. Even though she's never met Jesse's daughter, Sonia, Bea is sure that they'll be "just like sisters anywhere."
Mañanaland - Pam Munoz Ryan
A young boy in search of his mother finds that the stories told by his grandfather have a deeper meaning and reveal a proud family secret. Reads like a fairy tale, but one that could really happen.
From the publisher:
Twelve-year-old Max, who loves the legend Buelo tells him about a mythical gatekeeper who can guide brave travelers on a journey into tomorrow, sets out on a dangerous quest to discover if he is true of heart and what the future holds, armed with a treasured compass, a mysterious stone rubbing, and Buelo's legend as his only guides.
Prairie Lotus - Linda Sue Park
I loved this book so much. Brought back all my best memories from reading the Little House books when I was little. Hanna is a heroine for the ages: brave, smart, thoughtful, and real. I want to read this over and over again.
From the publisher:
A young half-Asian girl, Hanna, makes a new start in a small town in America's heartland, in 1880. Hanna must negotiate the townspeople's almost unanimous prejudice against Asians as a girl determined to fit in and realize her dreams: getting an education, becoming a dressmaker in her father's shop, and making at least one friend.
Ways to Make Sunshine - Renee Watson
A girl who loves her family and her cooking. It’s like it was written for me!
From the publisher:
Ryan Hart has a lot on her mind--school, self-image, and especially family. Her dad finally has a new job, but money is tight. Ryan is all about trying to see the best in people, to be a good daughter, a good sister, a good friend. But even if her life isn't everything she would wish for, when her big brother is infuriating, her parents don't quite understand, and the unexpected happens, she always finds a way forward, with grace and wit. And plenty of sunshine.
We Dream of Space - Erin Entrada Kelly
I’m just going to tell you. I don’t like the parents in this book. They do not deserve these kids. All three of these kids are amazing humans who end up getting lost in the unhappiness of their home. I wish I could tell Cash, Fitch, and Bird that they DO have worth, and the world is a better place for having them in it. I want this one to win the Newbery.
From the publisher:
Cash, Fitch, and Bird Thomas are three siblings in 7th grade together in Park, Delaware. In 1986, as the country waits expectantly for the launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger, they each struggle with their own personal anxieties. The Thomas children exist in their own orbits, circling a tense and unpredictable household, with little in common. When the day of the Challenger launch finally arrives, it changes all of their lives and brings them together in unexpected ways.
White Bird: A Wonder Story - R.J. Palacio
I missed the part of Wonder where the grandmother talked about her experiences of living through WWII. But I’m so glad that Palacio turned it into its own story. I loved every second of this story.
From the publisher:
Here, Palacio makes her graphic novel debut with Grandmère's heartrending story: how she, a young Jewish girl, was hidden by a family in a Nazi-occupied French village during World War II; how the boy she and her classmates once shunned became her savior and best friend.
Ghost Squad - Claribel Ortega
From the publisher:
Shortly before Halloween, Lucely and her best friend, Syd, cast a spell that accidentally awakens malicious spirits, wreaking havoc throughout St. Augustine. Together, they must join forces with Syd's witch grandmother, Babette, and her tubby tabby Chunk, to fight the haunting head-on and reverse the curse to save the town and Lucely's firefly spirits before it's too late.
