LIBRARY HIGHLIGHTS
The ISY Library collection is in constant growth. These books are hand picked featured books suitable for Middle School students.
Featured Middle School Books
Insect Superpowers by Kate Messner
Join this awesome adventure and meet 18 natural-world real superheroes and supervillains, who each possess powers far beyond the average insect. Meet the Malevolent Mimic, who wickedly disguises itself as a harmless pink orchid only to shred unsuspecting butterflies, or the Great Glue Shooter, who can blast a smelly glue from its face. Great for Middle School students.
Moles: The Superpower Field Guide by Rachel Poliquin
Meet Rosalie, a common mole. The first thing you need to know about Rosalie is that she is shaped like a potato. Not a new potato, all cute and round, but a plain old lumpy potato. She may be small. She may be spongy. But never underestimate a mole. I know what you’re thinking: moles are just squinty-eyed beasts that wreck your lawn. You’re right! Those squinty eyes and mounds of dirt are proof that moles have superpowers. Find how there is absolutely nothing common about the common mole in your backyard. Great for Middle School students.
Ribsy by Beverly Cleary
Good ol' Ribsy's ever-curious mind has always gotten him into trouble, but this time he may have gone too far. After a comical turn of events, Ribsy finds himself in the wrong station wagon with the wrong children. Ribsy will do anything to find Henry, but there's plenty of excitement to be had along the way—and scoring a touchdown for a local high school team is only part of the fun! For kids looking for a fast, funny dog story, Ribsy is a winner. This timeless favorite works well for independent reading. Great for Middle School students.
Oh, Rats! by Tor Seidler
Phoenix is a pretty big deal in his side of the woods: The biggest in his litter with the most lustrous fur and by far the bushiest tail, he’s one of the most sought-after squirrels in the city, which makes his kidnapping by hawk even more dramatic. Luckily, the hawk doesn’t have the best grip. Unluckily, he drops Phoenix on a freshly-tarred street in downtown Manhattan. Now stripped of his gorgeous golden-brown coat, Phoenix looks like nothing more than a common sewer rat. Fortunately for Phoenix, it’s not a pack of sewer rats that find him (they’re a notoriously surly bunch), but rather wharf rats. Great for Middle School students.
Hachiko Waits by Machiyo Kodaira
"What a good dog you are. What a fine dog you are. Hachi, you are the best dog in all of Japan." Professor Ueno speaks these words to his faithful dog before boarding the train to work every morning. And every afternoon just before three o'clock, Hachi is at the train station to greet his beloved master. One day, the train arrives at the station without the professor. Hachi waits. For ten years Hachi waits for his master to return. Not even Yasuo, the young boy who takes care of Hachi, can persuade him to leave his post. Readers will be touched by the story of Hachiko and his impact on the people of Japan. Great for Middle School students.
The Next Great Paulie Fink by Ali Benjamin
When Caitlyn Breen begins her disorienting new life at Mitchell School-where the students take care of goats and study long-dead philosophers, and where there are only ten other students in the entire seventh grade--it seems like nobody can stop talking about some kid named Paulie Fink. Depending on whom you ask, Paulie was either a hilarious class clown or an evil genius. The kid was a legend. Now he's disappeared, and Caitlyn finds herself leading a reality-show-style competition to find the school's next great Paulie Fink. With each challenge, Caitlyn struggles to understand a person she never met, but it's what she discovers about herself that most surprises her. Told in multiple voices, interviews, and documents, this funny, thought-provoking novel is a memorable exploration of what makes a hero- and if anyone or anything is truly what it seems. Great for Middle School students.
Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds
A female skateboarder is the target of a bully. A teen with the signs of OCD meets a street musician who changes her outlook. Two ardent gamers are caught up in the confusion of sexual questioning. A teen with a fear of dogs devises an elaborate plan to get past his neighbor’s pet. Three boys work to make their friend presentable enough to tell a classmate that he likes her. There are connections among some of the stories: places, people, incidents. The book tells tens stories in total, about what happens after the school's dismissal bell rings, and weaves them into one wickedly funny, piercingly poignant look at the detours we face on the walk home, and in life. Great for Middle School students.
A Step From Heaven by An Na
At age four, Young Ju moves with her parents from Korea to California. She has always imagined America would be like heaven: easy, blissful, and full of riches. But when her family arrives, she finds it to be the opposite. With a stubborn language barrier and cultural dissimilarities, not only is it impossible to make friends, but even her family’s internal bonds are wavering. Her parents’ finances are strained, yet her father’s stomach is full of booze. As Young Ju’s once solid and reliable family starts tearing apart, her younger brother begins to gain more freedom and respect simply because of his gender. Young Ju begins to lose all hope in the dream she once held—the heaven she longs for. Even as she begins to finally fit in, a cataclysmic family event will change her idea of heaven forever. But it also helps her to recognize the strength she holds, and envision the future she desires, and deserves. Great for Middle School students.
Restart by Gordon Korman
Chase's memory just went out the window. Chase doesn't remember falling off the roof. He doesn't remember hitting his head. He doesn't, in fact, remember anything. He wakes up in a hospital room and suddenly has to learn his whole life all over again... starting with his own name. He knows he's Chase. But who is Chase? When he gets back to school, he sees that different kids have very different reactions to his return. Some kids treat him like a hero. Some kids are clearly afraid of him. One girl in particular is so angry with him that she pours her frozen yogurt on his head the first chance she gets. Pretty soon, it's not only a question of who Chase is -- it's a question of who he was... and who he's going to be. Great for Middle School students.
The Book of New Family Traditions by Meg Cox
Quality family togetherness, everyone wants it, but it seems increasingly harder to achieve. In a world run by cell phones, computers, and virtual networking, the comfort of human connection grows more important and rarer, all the time. In a guide newly updated for the next generation, this book offers a solution. Family rituals provide a sense of home and identity that families need. From holidays and birthdays to bedtimes, meal times, pets, and even chores, The Book of New Family Traditions spotlights hundred of ways to bring the fun and ritual back to family life. Great for Middle School students.
The Moon Within by Aida Salazar
Celi Rivera's life swirls with questions. About her changing body. Her first attraction to a boy. And her best friend's exploration of what it means to be genderfluid. But most of all, her mother's insistence she must have a moon ceremony when her first period arrives. It's an indigenous Mexican ritual that Mima and her community have reclaimed, but Celi promises she will not be participating. Can she find the power within herself to take a stand for who she wants to be? Great for Middle School students.
Smile by Raina Telgemeier
Raina just wants to be a normal sixth grader. But one night after Girl Scouts she trips and falls, severely injuring her two front teeth. What follows is a long and frustrating journey with on-again, off-again braces, surgery, embarrassing headgear, and even a retainer with fake teeth attached. And on top of all that, there's still more to deal with: a major earthquake, boy confusion, and friends who turn out to be not so friendly. Great for Middle School students. Great for Middle School students.
They Lost Their Heads by Carlyn Beccia
From the kidnapping of Einstein's brain to the horrifying end of Louis XIV's heart, the mysteries surrounding some of history's most famous body parts range from medical to macabre. Carlyn Beccia explores the misadventures of noteworthy body parts through history and springboards to exploring STEM topics such as forensics, DNA testing, brain science, organ donation, and cloning. The engaging tone, wonderfully creepy subject matter, and delightfully detailed art are sure to capture the young reader's attention. Great for Middle School students.
Tin by Padraig Kenny
Christopher is ‘Proper’: a real boy with a real soul, orphaned in a fire. He works for an engineer, a maker of the eccentric, loyal and totally individual robot children who are Christopher’s best friends. But after a devastating accident, a secret is revealed and Christopher’s world is changed forever… What follows is a remarkable adventure, as Christopher discovers who he really is, and what it means to be human and experience the normal but important things in life. Great for Middle School students.
The Day the Whole World Stopped Turning by Michael Morpurgo
In the mediterranean landscape of the south of France during World War II, Lorenzo lives among the salt flats and the flamingos. There are lots of things he doesn't understand–but he does know how to heal animals, how to enjoy music, and how to talk to the flamingos. He loves routine, and the music people around him play, too. One of his favorite routines is to go to the market with his mother every week. It’s there he meets Kezia, a Roma girl, who helps her parents run their carousel–and who shows him how to ride the wooden horse as the happy music plays. But then the German soldiers come, with their guns. Everything is threatened, everything is falling apart: the carousel and its mesmerizing music, Kezia and her family, even Lorenzo’s beloved flamingos. Yet there are kind people even among soldiers, and there is always hope.
Great for Middle School students.
Broken Strings by Eric Walters
It's 2002. In the aftermath of the twin towers -- and the death of her beloved grandmother -- Shirli Berman wants to move forward. The best singer in her school, she auditions for the lead role in a musical but is crushed to learn that she's been given the part of a not-so-cool character in the musical rather than the main role she wanted. But there is an upside: her "husband" in the musical is the cutest boy in the school. Deciding to throw herself into the role, she rummages in her grandfather's attic for some props. There, she discovers an old violin; strange, since he never seemed to like music. Showing the old violin to her grandfather unleashes an anger in him she didn’t see before, and while she is frightened of what it might mean, Shirli keeps trying to connect with her grandpa and discover the awful reason behind his anger. A long-kept family secret spills out, and Shirli learns the true power of music, both terrible and wonderful. Great for Middle School students.
Festivals of the World by Elizabeth Breuilly
A colorfully illustrated and detailed introduction to festivals that are central to the major religions of the world. This book identifies where each faith's calendar year begins, documents the history and significance of each celebration, and describes observance traditions. It features a comprehensive list of holidays, from Rastafarian to Zoroastrian, including Buddhist, Taoist, Christian, and everything in between. Great for Middle School and High School students.
Celebrate Diwali by Deborah Heiligman
Beautiful, dynamic photographs and brief, lively text introduce readers to the joyous holiday of Diwali, evoking the celebrations of Hindus, Sikhs and Jains around the world. Readers will learn that Diwali celebrates the triumph of good over evil, and of light over darkness. Although celebrated differently in different places, Diwali is universally viewed as a time of great joy, celebrated with fireworks, sweets, and gifts. The book includes Diwali recipes, a glossary, a Diwali card game, a map, and a resource list of books and Web sites. Great for Middle School students.
Celebrations of Light by Nancy Luenn
Millenia ago, people found that fire brought warmth and light to cold dark nights, cooked food, and drove away danger. Light became so important in their lives that they came to use it in worship and celebrations. Featuring many celebrations, from a Brazilian New Year's celebration to the African-American holiday of Kwanzaa, Celebrations of Light circles the year and the globe. The text shows the ways in which people around the world use light as a major part of their celebrations. In each of these holidays, light plays a significant role, marking and brightening special days. Great for Middle School students.
Monstruous by Carlyn Beccia
Could Dr. Frankenstein's machine animate a body? Why should vampires drink from veins and not arteries? What body parts are best for zombies to eat?This fascinating encyclopedia of monsters delves into the history and science behind eight legendary creatures, from Bigfoot and the kraken to zombies and more. Find out each monster's origin story and the real-world history that informed it, and then explore the science of each creature in fun ways. Tips about monster anatomy, how to survive a vampire attack, and real-life giant creatures of the deep sea—make this a highly visual and fun-to-browse book. Great for Middle School students.
Dracula, the Graphic Novel by Bram Stoker
This version of Dracula chronicles a vampire’s journey from his Transylvanian castle to the nighttime streets of London. There, he searches for the blood he needs to stay alive while his enemies plot to rid the world of his frightful power. Can Count Dracula find the blood he needs to survive or will his enemies rid the world of his power? Great for Middle School students.
The Big Book of Monsters by Hal Johnson
Drawn from the pages of classic books and tales as old as time, this frightfully exciting collection features 25 of the creepiest creatures ever imagined, from witches and werewolves to dragons and ghosts. Every monster is brought to life in a full-size full-color portrait that captures the essence of the beast, and in lively text that recounts the monster’s spine-tingling story. Great for Middle School students.
Lilian's Right to Vote by Jonah Winter
As Lillian, a one-hundred-year-old African American woman, makes a “long haul up a steep hill” to her polling place, she sees more than trees and sky—she sees her family’s history. She sees the passage of the Fifteenth Amendment and her great-grandfather voting for the first time. She sees her parents trying to register to vote. And she sees herself marching in a protest from Selma to Montgomery. Great for Middle School students.
Turning 15 On The Road To Freedom by Lynda Lowery
In 1965, Lynda Blackmon Lowery turned 15 during the three-day voting rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. In this vibrant memoir, Lowery’s conversational voice effectively relates her experiences in the civil rights movement on and before that march. The youngest person on the march, she’d already been jailed nine times as a protester, once for six days and once in a hot, windowless “sweatbox” where all the girls passed out. At a protest on “Bloody Sunday,” earlier in 1965, a state trooper beat her so badly she needed 35 stitches in her head. The terror of that beating haunted her on the march to Montgomery, but she gained confidence from facing her fear and joining forces with so many, including whites whose concern amazed her after a childhood of segregation. Great for Middle School students.
Harriet Tubman Secret Agent by Thomas B. Allen
This compelling biography tells the amazing tale of Harriet Tubman using details uncovered from military and intelligence archives, diaries and little-known memoirs from ex-slaves. In a compelling narrative, surprising new facts about Harriet’s story are brought to light: readers discover that the ex-slave who led hundreds to freedom along the Underground Railroad was also a spy for the Union Army! Great for Middle School students.
Bad Girls by Jane Yolen
Readers will meet 26 of history’s most notorious women, each with a rotten reputation. But the authors will remind us that there are two sides to every story. Was Delilah a villain or a heroine? Was Catherine the Great a great ruler, or just plain ruthless? At the end of each chapter, the authors will present a debate about each girl’s badness; and goodness. Great for High School students.
Wonder Women by Sam Maggs
Smart women have always been able to achieve amazing things, even when the odds were against them. In Wonder Women, author Sam Maggs tells the stories of the brilliant, brainy, and totally rad women in history who broke barriers as scientists, engineers, mathematicians, adventurers, and inventors. Plus, interviews with real-life women in STEM careers, an extensive bibliography, and a guide to women-centric science and technology institutions. Great for Middle School students.
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson
Ten-year-old orphan Mary Lennox comes back from colorful and warm India to live in a lonely, grey, and cold house with a distant relative on the Yorkshire moors; there she finds a disabled cousin and together they set out to unravel the mysteries of a locked garden in the back of the house. Great for Middle School students.
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
Assisted by three otherworldly women, Meg Murry, her brother Charles, and their friend Calvin, embark on a journey through space and time. They are out to find Meg's father, a physicist who disappeared while experimenting with time travel. Great for Middle School students.
Accidents of Nature by Harriet McBride
Having always prided herself on blending in with "normal" people despite her cerebral palsy, seventeen-year-old Jean begins to question her role in the world while attending a summer camp for children with disabilities. Great for Middle School students.
Roll With It by Jamie Sumner
Ellie’s a girl who tells it like it is; That surprises some people, who see a kid in a wheelchair and expect her to be all sunshine. Ellie has big dreams: One day she’s going to be a pro baker. If she’s not writing fan letters to her favorite chefs, she’s practicing recipes at home. But when Ellie and her mom move so they can take care of her grandpa, she has to start all over again in a new town at a new school. Except she’s not just the new kid—she’s the new kid in the wheelchair who lives in the trailer park on the wrong side of town. Great for Middle School students.
Out of my Mind by Sharon Draper
Melody, diagnosed with cerebral palsy, cannot walk or talk. Despite her parents’ best efforts, the outside world has defined her by her condition. Her life changes when inclusion classrooms are introduced in her school, and she interacts with children other than those in her special-needs unit. To them, Melody is “other,” and they are mostly uncomfortable with her sounds and jerky movements. Normal problems of school friendships are magnified. What will happen when she gets the computer that will let her communicate her intelligence to the world? Great for High School students.
El Deafo by Cece Bell
A humorous and touching graphic memoir about finding friendship and growing up deaf. When Cece is 4 years old, she becomes “severely to profoundly” deaf after contracting meningitis. Though she is fitted with a hearing aid and learns to read lips, it’s a challenging adjustment for her. After her family moves to a new town, Cece begins first grade at a school that doesn’t have separate classes for the deaf. Her new hearing aid, the Phonic Ear, allows her to hear her teacher clearly, even when her teacher is in another part of the school. Cece’s new ability makes her feel like a superhero—just call her “El Deafo”—but the Phonic Ear is still hard to hide and uncomfortable to wear. Cece thinks, “Superheroes might be awesome, but they are also different. And being different feels a lot like being alone.” Great for Elementary students.
The Poison Eaters by Gail Jarrow
If every dish on your table was poisoned, would you jump at the call to dinner? In posing this question the author draws readers into a world of horrors hiding in plain taste. The first half of the book plunges into the story of U.S. Department of Agriculture chemist Harvey Wiley, who devoted the his life to combating food adulteration. The second half traces a thorny path to the workings of the modern FDA, pointing out ongoing limitations alongside advances. Excellent for High School students.
Pirate Queen: the Legend of Grace O'Malley by Tony Lee
Retells, in graphic novel format, the legend of Grace O'Malley, who spent her life wishing to join the fight to keep Henry VIII's armies from invading her homeland of Ireland-only to be told again and again that the battlefield is no place for a woman. After English conspirators brutally murder her husband, Grace leads men into battle on the high seas and quickly gains a formidable reputation as the Pirate Queen of Ireland. Her newfound notoriety puts the lives of Grace and her entire family in danger and eventually leads to a confrontation with Queen Elizabeth I. Great for Upper Elementary students.
A Place to Belong by Cynthia Kadohata
This was the thing about Japan: she had never been there. Her parents had told her for her entire life that it was important to be American. It was important to talk just a little more loudly than some of the girls who were being raised to be more Japanese. It was important to make eye contact and not cover your mouth when you laughed, like some of the more Japanese girls did. Basically, the way to be Japanese in America was to be more American than the Americans. And now she was being told she would need to learn to be more Japanese. Great for High School students.
Geek Girls Don't Cry by Andrea Towers
This book outlines some of the primary traits heroic women can rely upon, like resilience, self-acceptance, and confidence. Also included are insights from psychologists and personal anecdotes from courageous real-life women involved in all facets of culture. Great for High School students.
Me & Mr. Cigar by Gibby Jaines
Seventeen-year-old Oscar Lester and his dog/supernatural companion, Mr. Cigar, eager to avoid nefarious forces that are after Mr. Cigar, speed to New York where Oscar's twenty-two-year-old sister, Carla, is being held hostage. Great for High School students.
Mike by Andrew Norriss
Meet Floyd. He's a tennis star. Possibly even good enough to win Wimbledon one day. Meet Mike. He's... different. Apart from anything else, Floyd seems to be the only one who can see him. But Mike must have appeared for a reason and finding out why is perhaps the most important thing Floyd will ever do. Great for High School students.
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