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With all the middle grade novels I get sent every month, here are the ones for March 2023 that I want to tell you about. BUT, there are two that need a warning for librarians and teachers ordering for the classroom. More on that when you scroll down.
Something else besides inappropriate book labeling is on my mind right now…
Where are the middle grade books with male protagonists? We have gone so far to the side of female main characters that I rarely see books published with male main characters.
Yes, boys can read books with girl main characters.
AND, sometimes boys are more motivated to read books about boys. (I know that I prefer reading adult books about women.)
Let’s give our boys, who are often reading less than girls, MORE good book choices with boy main characters.
What are your thoughts? Comment below!
Scroll down to see my other rant about incorrect middle-grade labels for two books. Books that are good, but just need a different age recommendation.
New Middle Grade Books, March 2023
Children of the Black Glass by Anthony Peckham
FANTASY BOOK
If you like exciting adventures with surprising twists and cool world-building, read this middle grade fantasy book next! Abandoned by their mom, Tell and Wren live with their dad on the mountain but their dad gets blinded in an accident. The mountain rule is that if you can’t work, you can’t drain the resources and must be killed. So the children go down the mountain to trade their dad’s black glass and find a cure. They’ve never been to the big city since it is forbidden for children. In the city, they immediately lose everything and discover an unfamiliar world with different rules, lies, treachery, and feuding families and sorcerers. Wren and Tell make tentative friendships but must use their cleverness and new and old knowledge to survive the secrets revealed and the chaos of war.
FANTASY
(ages 7 – 10)
Plum loves the garden worms and plants where she lives with her grandparents. Even so, she’s thrilled with the opportunity to go to a Guardian school where she hopes she’ll turn into a Guardian to protect the natural world. At the Guardian Academy, Plum struggles to focus; she worries that she’ll never get her animal bond like the other students. But she learns how to fight, talk to animals, and hopes she can prove herself. Readers will love the cool world-building, the captivating illustrations, and the engaging story! I can’t wait for book 2!
Squished by Megan Wagner Lloyd, illustrated by Michelle Mee Nutter
REALISTIC GRAPHIC NOVEL
Avery has six siblings — and she’s responsible for watching the littles a lot. She really wants her own room but instead of getting her own room, she and her sister Pearl also share a room with her baby brother Max. Max has trouble with sleeping, and starts escaping his crib, even climbing up to her top bunk. Despite the challenges of a large family and a move to a new town, Avery learns to value her close-knit family.
Parachute Kids by Betty C. Tang
REALISTIC / MEMOIR GRAPHIC NOVEL
Feng-Li’s parents take her and her two siblings from Taiwain to the United States for a vacation…but not really. Her parents get the three kids settled and then return home on their visitor visas. The kids live in the U.S. where they go to school and live independently with the teenage sister in charge. But it’s difficult learning a new language, living without adults, changing your name, siblings bickering, budgeting money, and missing their parents. Even their auntie and uncle move to a different state. Talk about stressful, even to the reader!
Kie is a courier for the kingdom, riding on her skyrider, a small but fast winged horse. Her Uncle taught her the old ways of fighting the chimerae. Fearing a full chimarae invasion, her uncle sends Kie to the capital to convince the leaders to use the old ways of fighting. But she’s dismissed by the leaders who insist on their new ways — which will eventually get them killed. Meanwhile, Kie learns she can mindspeak to all skyrider steeds which helps when she and her friends (including the prince and princess) must save the city themselves. Readers will love this exciting story with an interesting plot and a brave but reluctant heroine. (I couldn’t put it down!)
What Happens Next? Talent Show Troubles by Jess Smart Smiley
CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE GRAPHIC NOVEL
This is a choose your own adventure graphic novel with fun illustrations about a school talent show. Megan is in charge of the show, but it’s not going well. The stories were short, and I didn’t like how often the choices and page turns occured. It’s not a prose book, so it means you’re constantly turning back and forth through the book. I’m including it in this round-up because the graphic novel illustrations and interactive elements will appeal to many readers.
Guardians of Horsa: Legend of the Yearling by Roan Black, illustrated by Glass House Graphics
(ages 7 – 10)
FANTASY GRAPHIC NOVEL
This book feels like ONE chapter of a longer story. Which was super disappointing. So, I’d call this a comic, not a graphic novel, because only the characters, setting, and premise are introduced, and then it abruptly ends. The gist is that four young horses from each of the four enemy tribes must work together to search for the prophesied yearling. That’s all we get until the next book. I would suggest waiting until the next few books come out before you give this a read. Teh best thing bout this book is the artwork.
YOUNG ADULT BOOKS — NOT MIDDLE GRADE BOOKS
Readers, I’m sharing two books being marketed at middle grade, which I think you need to know ARE NOT for middle grade readers which are ages 8 to 12. So many of you are librarians trying to order books, and I usually only share books I think you should order. Here are two books that you should NOT order for your elementary libraries. Both books are good — just meant for older readers.
Dreamer by Alim Aliu and Greg Anderson Elysee, illustrated by Karen De La Vega
WARNING: NOT MIDDLE GRADE
MEMOIR
This is the graphic novel memoir of Akim Aliu, a pro hockey player who faced terrible racism as a young hockey player all the way up to the pro levels. It’s well-written and sadly, completely believable. Here’s why it’s NOT a middle grade book — the bad language. Some of the swear words are crossed out but you can tell what the words are whether the n-word or the f-word. I think they belong in the story because they’re essential to the plot’s point about how harrassed and bullied he was. And yet, most parents do not want this much (any?) bad language in their 8-year-old’s book choices. So, I would only recommend this for upper middle grade (7th or 8th grade) or teenagers.
The Librarian of Auschwitz adapted by Salva Rubio, translated by Lilit Zekuli Thwaites, illustrated by Loreto ArocaWARNING: NOT MIDDLE GRADE
HISTORICAL MEMOIR GRAPHIC NOVEL
I genuinely liked this book, and so did my husband. BUT. There are images of naked people (boobs and pubic hair) and the use of the word tits (and touching breasts.) While this is an exceptionally written based on a true story book with good pacing, it is NOT, in my opinion, appropriate for middle grade readers who are 8 to 12 year olds. The story follows 14-year-old Dita and her family when they are sent to Auschwitz. Dita gets a job as a librarian caring for a handful of books in different languages and from different authors. She is a survivor but confused when she sees the Jewish leader kissing a German soldier and when he commits suicide. She survives the camps, but her family doesn’t. Later, she reunites with a boy she knew from before, and they get married.
KEEP READING
