This incredible novel about grit, bravery, resilience, and survival will certainly be a favourite for many middle grade readers. I absolutely loved this novel-in-verse and as I read this as a read aloud to my grade 7s, they ask me daily to keep reading. Maddie finds herself left behind after a mass evacuation and must keep herself alive until someone comes back for her. Full of twists and turns and adventure, this book is sure to please readers everywhere.

This great middle-grade novel has a fantastic lesson about censorship and the lengths people will go to "protect" kids. Also a good conversation starter about censorship of books what is happening in our world today.

Wow! A brilliant story told in both prose and in verse by two powerhouse authors, this story shared Cassius Clay's beginning and how he became Muhammad Ali.

One thing I love so much about Middle Grades books is the opportunity to talk about hard topics with kids in a way they they understand. This book is one of those books. Indebted servitude is not an easy topic to understand but this book handles it beautifully and leaves kids stunned, cheering for the Amal and they walk away with an understanding of an issue that is still prevalent in parts of the world. Last year this book was deservedly chosen as the Middle Grades book for the Global Read Aloud.

Another fabulous book by Alan Gratz about why censoring/banning books isn’t good for kids and how kids can make a difference and affect change when they really believe something is wrong. I love how a group of grade 4s come together to fight a parent group bent on banning books from their school library because of “inappropriate content”.

A beautifully written novel-in-verse about the relationship between a boy and his dad. ZJ’s dad was a pro football player and sustained numerous concussions and ZJ has noticed changes in his dad, like crushing headaches, bursts of anger, and confusion. He doesn’t understand why his dad has good days and bad, and crushed when his doesn’t remember who he is. ZJ and his dad have always had a connection around music and in the hard moments he sometimes tries to remind his dad of this by playing his guitar and singing to his dad.

This is the copy I got when I was probably 10yrs old and it was one of my most favourite books as a kid. Loved Anne Shirley and the whole series that followed.

A favourite of mine and hugely popular with kids. Told through the various perspectives of the students, the reader learns about their incredible teacher, Mr. Terupt. There is an accident and all of the kids' worlds are turned upside down as they try to unravel what happened and their feelings about it.

A wonderfully written book that shows the reader the reality of what many black children face everyday. I learned a lot from this book.