Diverse Middle Grade

Juvenile fiction titles with diverse characters and themes. Recommended for grade 4 and above.

Showing 1 - 13 of 13  There are a total of 41 valid entries on the list.
Book cover for "Dream, Annie, dream"
Star rating for Dream, Annie, dream
Average Rating:
5 stars
Description:
"In this empowering deconstruction of the so-called American Dream, a twelve-year-old Japanese American girl grapples with, and ultimately rises above, the racism and trials of middle school she experiences while chasing her dreams. As the daughter of immigrants who came to America for a better life, Annie Inoue was raised to dream big. And at the start of seventh grade, she's channeling that irrepressible hope into becoming the lead in her school...
Book cover for "Farah rocks fifth grade"
Star rating for Farah rocks fifth grade
Series:
Farah rocks volume 1.
Average Rating:
4.5 stars
Description:
Fifth-grader Farah Hajjar and her best friend Allie Liu are hoping to go to the Magnet Academy for their middle school years, instead of Harbortown Elementary/Middle School; but when a new girl Dana Denver starts tormenting Farah and her younger brother, Samir, she decides she can not leave Samir to face the bully alone, especially since the adults and even Allie do not seem to be taking the matter seriously--so Farah comes up with a plan, one which...
Book cover for "Honestly Elliott"
Star rating for Honestly Elliott
Average Rating:
3 stars
Description:
Struggling with ADHD, loneliness, and connecting with his divorced father who would rather see him embrace sports instead of cooking, sixth-grader Elliott finds an unlikely friend in popular, perfect Maribel when the two are paired in a school-wide contest.

4. Linked

Book cover for "Linked"
Star rating for Linked
Average Rating:
4.5 stars
Description:
"Link, Michael, and Dana live in a quiet town. But it's woken up very quickly when someone sneaks into school and vandalizes it with a swastika. Nobody can believe it. How could such a symbol of hate end up in the middle of their school? Who would do such a thing? Because Michael was the first person to see it, he's the first suspect. Because Link is one of the most popular guys in school, everyone's looking to him to figure it out. And because Dana's...
Book cover for "Not starring Zadie Louise"
Star rating for Not starring Zadie Louise
Description:
With her mom's job and theater on the line, Zadie is determined to help make their show Spinderella the hit of the season--that is unless she accidentally turns it into a disaster.
Book cover for "An occasionally happy family"
Star rating for An occasionally happy family
Author:
Average Rating:
5 stars
Description:
"There are zero reasons for Theo Ripley to look forward to his family vacation. Not only are he, sister Laura, and nature-obsessed Dad going to Big Bend, the least popular National Park, but once there, the family will be camping. And Theo is an indoor animal. It doesn't help that this will be the first vacation they're taking since Mom passed away. Once there, the family contends with 110 degree days, wild bears, and an annoying amateur ornithologist...
Book cover for "Planet Earth is blue"
Star rating for Planet Earth is blue
Average Rating:
4.7 stars
Description:
Autistic and nearly nonverbal, twelve-year-old Nova is happy in her new foster home and school, but eagerly anticipates the 1986 Challenger launch, for which her sister, Bridget, promised to return.
Book cover for "Race to the sun"
Star rating for Race to the sun
Average Rating:
5 stars
Description:
Guided by her Navajo ancestors, seventh-grader Nizhoni Begay discovers she is descended from a holy woman and destined to become a monsterslayer, starting with the evil businessman who kidnapped her father. Includes glossary of Navajo terms.
Book cover for "The science of breakable things"
Star rating for The science of breakable things
Author:
Average Rating:
5 stars
Description:
Middle schooler Natalie's year-long assignment to answer a question using the scientific process leads to truths about her mother's depression and her own cultural identity.
Book cover for "The sea in winter"
Star rating for The sea in winter
Average Rating:
4.5 stars
Description:
After an injury sidelines her dreams of becoming a ballet star, Maisie is not excited for her blended family's midwinter road trip along the coast, near the Makah community where her mother grew up.
Book cover for "Shouting at the rain"
Star rating for Shouting at the rain
Average Rating:
4.3 stars
Description:
Delsie loves tracking the weather, living with her grandmother, and the support of friends and neighbors, but misses having a "regular family," especially after her best friend outgrows her.
Book cover for "Stand up, Yumi Chung!"
Star rating for Stand up, Yumi Chung!
Average Rating:
4 stars
Description:
When eleven-year-old Yumi Chung stumbles into a kids' comedy camp she is mistaken for another student, so she decides to play the part.
Book cover for "A thousand questions"
Star rating for A thousand questions
Description:
Told in two voices, eleven-year-olds Mimi, who is visiting her wealthy grandparents in Karachi, Pakistan, for the first time and Sakina, daughter of the grandparents' cook, form an unexpected friendship.