2019 Lone Star Books

As a librarian, I wear many hats. Not only am I simply the librarian at a junior high campus with 500 seventh and eighth graders, but I am also the iPad guru, the keeper of the 3D printer, the administrator of the district’s Accelerated Reader, the Canvas chaos coordinator, and I still find time to teach research and conduct daily book talks! On top of my campus duties, I also present at Region XI and TLA annual conference; and I’m a member of the Texas Library Associations Lone Star Reading Committee.

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For those of you not from Texas, the Lone Star list is a list of twenty books chosen by librarians for students in grades 6-8. I have been reading the books on the Lone  Star list for over ten years, as long as I have taught in a middle school setting. I think the best way to get students to read is to talk about books that they would read. So in this post, I’m going to give a quick rundown/my personal opinion of my Top Ten from this year’s list. Because even if you don’t live in Texas, or promote the Lone Star list, it is still a good place to get ideas for good books to purchase for your school library!

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City of Ghosts
by Victoria Schwab

Scary story about a girl who had a near-death experience and can now cross the “veil” between the living and the dead.

This book is perfect for guys and girls and I read an article that says the CW is planning a new series based on the book (loosely based, they’ve made Cassidy a college graduate). Book two is called Tunnel of Bones and will be released September 2019.

 

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Letters to the Lost
by Brigid Kemmerer
Romance that takes place through letters between strangers that are left at a grave.

It is a really great romance  that will have you falling in love with the characters and shedding tears over them as well. There is a sequel called More Than We Can Tell about Declan’s best friend, Rev.

 

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Not if I Save You First
by Ally Carter

An action adventure that will have you on the edge of your seat. The story involves the president’s son, Russian kidnappers, a snowstorm, and a kick-butt heroine to save the day!

I might be a little biased because I received a signed copy and personal note from the author, but my students absolutely love this book!

 

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In the Shadow of the Sun
by Anne Sibley O’Brien

Adventure story that takes place in North Korea, where an American brother and sister must escape after their father, an aid-worker, is arrested.

This book is so eye-opening to the real life oppression that is currently taking place in North Korea. Just Book Talking this title in my library led to so many great discussions!

 

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Ghost Boys
by Jewell Rhodes Parker

When twelve-year-old Jerome is shot by a police officer while playing with a toy gun, he comes back as a ghost and the only person who can see him is the daughter of the officer that killed him.

This book is a great middle-grade substitution for fans of The Hate U Give or All-American Boys. It also brings in a historical element because the ghost of Emmett Till helps Jerome cope with the afterlife.

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Nevermoor: Trials of Morrigan Crow 
by Jessica Townsend
Morrigan Crowe is doomed to die on her eleventh birthday. That is until a stranger rescues her from the hell hounds and whisks her off to the strange world of Nevermoor, where Morrigan will endure trials to be allowed into the prestigious Wundrous Society.

Have that student who loves Harry Potter and thinks no other book will ever compare? Give them the Nevermoor series! There are a lot of parallels, but I will admit, I love them both. Book two: Wundersmith is already out!

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Time Bomb
by Joelle Charbonneau

A bomb has gone off in the high school and the six students trapped inside need to survive long enough to figure out which one of them is the bomber.

Even though this book is about high school students, it is appropriate for middle school. It is a fast-paced thriller, but also delves into real-life drama like prejudice, stereotypes, suicide, and LGBT.

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Restart
by Gordon Korman

Chase falls off his roof and loses his memory. When he returns to school, he doesn’t exactly like the person he used to be, and tries to make up for it by joining the AV Club.

A great book for middle grade about bullying and it never being too late for a restart.

 

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After Zero
by Christina Collins

Elise has always been homeschooled and sheltered, but now that she is starting public school, she can’t seem to do anything right. It gets tot he point where maybe it’s better to not to speak at all. But when her silence begins to affect her friendships, can she really go back?

Mental illness is an important topic for students to be exposed to, but hardly ever is there a book written at a middle grade level on the topic. Christina Collins does an amazing job of showing how bullying and social awkwardness can lead to more serious problems.

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Everless
by Sara Holland

In a world where time is currency and your blood is taken straight for your veins to pay the kingdom’s taxes, the rich can live for centuries, while the poor can drain their lives just making rent.

Great fantasy novel for fans of Red Queen and it also reminds me a little bit of that Justin Timberlake movie, In Time . Book two: Evermore was just released!

There are so many amazing books on this list, that I could Book Talk every single one of them, but I really made myself stick with my Top Ten only. If you would like to see the entire list, and all of the resources that the committee has to offer, visit TLA’s Lone Star website.

Want to see more of my book recommendations? Follow me on Goodreads and Happy Reading!
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PG Rated Romances

swoonWhen I was in middle school (back when JNCOS were popular) if you said you were “going out” with a boy it meant you wrote his name all over your binder with little hearts, held hands in the hallway, and maybe you even passed notes between classes; but you never actually went out anywhere. Middle school kids today are about ten years more experienced than I was at that same age. Kids today are exposed to so much more language, violence, and sex in their lives through television, the Internet, and yes… books! It’s difficult to know where the line is for students in middle school because they think they’re too mature for some age-appropriate books and not old enough for some YA books. I’m a full supporter of giving students the right to choose their own books, but I will draw a line at books with sex scenes that will make even this librarian blush. So here is my list of middle school appropriate romances, if you know of good books that I might have missed, please let me know so I can make sure to add them to my library collection. I’ve included age ratings from School Library Journal (SLJ) and Common Sense Media (CSM) and book summaries from Follett.

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To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before series by Jenny Han

“Lara Jean writes love letters to all the boys she has loved and then hides them in a hatbox until one day those letters are accidentally sent.” Netflix movie available 8/19/2018. SLJ: grades 7-10    CSM: ages 13+ 

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P.S. I Like You by Kasie West

“Every day in chemistry class, high school student and aspiring songwriter Lily Abbott is finding notes left to her by a mystery boy, love letters really, and she hopes they are from Lucas, a boy she is attracted to–so when she finds out who they are really from, she is shocked and unsure about how to respond.” I recommend all of Kasie West’s books. SLJ: grades 7-10    CSM: ages 12+

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The Selection series by Kiera Cass

“Sixteen-year-old America Singer is living in the caste-divided nation of Illea, which formed after the war that destroyed the United States. America is chosen to compete in the Selection–a contest to see which girl can win the heart of Illea’s prince–but all she really wants is a chance for a future with her secret love, Aspen, who is a caste below her.” Also check out The Siren by Kiera Cass SLJ: grades 8+    CSM: ages 13+ 

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Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

“Hadley and Oliver fall in love on the flight from New York to London, but after a cinematic kiss they lose track of each other at the airport until fate brings them back together on a very momentous day.” SLJ: grades 8-11    CSM: N/A 

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Well, that Was Awkward by Rachel Vail

“There are unexpected consequences when thirteen-year-old Gracie sends texts pretending to be her bashful best friend, Sienna, and their friend Emmett starts texting back pretending to be shy A.J.” SLJ: grades 5-8    CSM: 11+ 

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Project (Un)popular series by Kristen Tracy

“Sixth-graders Perry and Venice, photographers for their middle-school yearbook, are frustrated to learn that only pictures of popular students are welcome, but when Venice gets involved with a boy Perry doesn’t like, Perry puts their friendship at risk by siding with Anya, the editor-in-chief.” SLJ: grades 5-8    CSM: N/A

The Summer I Turned Pretty (Summer, #1)

The Summer I Turned Pretty series by Jenny Han

“Belly spends the summer she turns sixteen at the beach just like every other summer of her life, but this time things are very different as she finds herself falling for a boy she has known since childhood.” SLJ: grades 5-8    CSM: N/A

Gimme More Middle School Titles!

I have been thinking about expanding what I read.  As you may know, I absolutely LOVE young adult literature, especially targeting teens.  But then I thought, “Hey!  Wait a minute!!  Young adults aren’t just in high school!”  So middle school, here I come!  And here are two titles I read that made me REALLY enjoy reading middle school titles (and they made me laugh too!!)

24 hours24 Hours in Nowhere by Dusti Bowling.  2018, Sterling Children’s Books

The town of Nowhere is exactly located where it says it is in the state of Arizona.  It’s a town where “no” precedes a lot of things.  No one wants to visit it.  No thing really exciting ever happens.  But at the start of the day, Gus finds himself in a spectacular situation.  He is about to eat a cholla cactus.  No because he wants to, but because Bo Taylor is making him.  And it’s about to happen until Rossi saves him the only way she can.  She gives Bo her dirt bike in exchange for a life.  And the day keeps getting better.

Gus wants so badly to get that dirt bike back for Rossi.  The reason why is because he wants HER to win the next race with a huge prize involved and knows if Rossi isn’t it in, Bo will win.  In order to do that, he decides to find hidden gold currently found only in tales in the Dead Frenchmen Mine (emphasis on dead.)  Bo decides to send one of his buddies with him, and along the way Rossi decides to join.

And what happens in the mine in the rest of the 24 hours of that day….

Bowling writes a novel that contains both humor and the hard parts of life teens go through.  Readers will connect with Gus and his travails with bullying, his life situation without his parents, and his determination to make things right.  And that’s the beauty of this novel that will make you laugh out loud.  Everyone can find themselves in it.  HIGHLY recommended for junior high/middle school libraries.

 

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Sam Wu is Not Afraid of Ghosts by Katie and Kevin Tsang.  2018, Egmont, UK

Sam is ready to go visit the Space Center.  He has his Space Blasters suit on and can’t wait to be part of the fun.  Unbeknownst to him, the “fun” is already beginning to percolate for some of his classmates, especially with Ralph Zinkerman.  Once they get there, he dares Sam to take a ride in the Astro Blaster. And Sam, not wanting to look scared, does it.  But he comes out of the situation humiliated and with a new name – Scaredy Cat Sam.

Undaunted (well, a little), Sam decides to channel his inner space hero to prove he’s not scared.  That means getting a side-kick of the most unusual variety.  But it takes more than that, and Sam takes the big step of inviting his best friends over to help him achieve his goal (and show off his side-kick!)  He asks his family to make his favorite dishes for dinner when Zoe and Bernard show up.  And when they do, the humor is amped up!  Enter Sam’s sister Lucy, his grandmother, and the introduction of an Asian family’s culture to his friends who have never experienced it before.

And then add the ghosts!!

Katie and Kevin Tsang write such a gloriously wonderful book for middle graders by creating characters of all kinds and best of all, from all different kinds of backgrounds.  Add a great storyline with some equally great images, and you have the type of book that readers will flock to because who doesn’t like books with pictures AND humor.  This is going to be a great new series!! HIGHLY recommended for middle/junior high school libraries.

 
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