New YA Books Coming in September

2022 has been a banner year for great books with wide appeal to middle school students to add to my classroom library, and the year is not over. I am eagerly awaiting these books to add to my classroom library:

Dinged by Tommy Greenwald

A middle school library can never have enough sports books! Basketball and football are definitely the most popular sports with my students, and books by Tommy Greenwald are especially well written. Not only do they entertain, but they also cause readers to think.

The Girl in White by Lindsay Currie

Perfect for those students that always ask me for scary ghost stories! At the heart of the story is a spooky mystery, but also friendship and family.

We Were the Fire: Birmingham 1963 by Shelia P Moses

The powerful story of an eleven-year-old Black boy determined to stand up for his rights, who's pulled into the action of the 1963 civil rights demonstrations in Birmingham, Alabama.

What We Saw: A Thriller by Mary Downing Hahn

A chilling murder mystery lies at the heart of this page-turning thriller about a missing teacher, small town secrets, and turbulent tween friendships from master of middle grade horror Mary Downing Hahn.

Attack of the Black Rectangles by Amy Sarig King

This is such a timely book that deals with the imminent threat of book censorship, but it's also filled with great characters who learn how to take care of each other and themselves. More than anything, it’s a story about the importance of the truth of being the person you are and speaking up when anyone tries to challenge that.

Inaugural Ballers: The True Story of the First US Women's Olympic Basketball Team by Andrew Maraniss

Packed with black-and-white photos and thoroughly researched details about the beginnings of US women's basketball, Inaugural Ballers is the fascinating story of the women who paved the way for girls everywhere. There's even an excellent afterword that talks about the effects of that team, and how the women who played on it have viewed the progress women have made in sports since. If you are looking for more sports and non-fiction books for your students, this one checks both boxes.

Mysteries of Trash and Treasure: The Secret Letters by Margaret Peterson Haddix (Sept 20

This is the first book in a series, and each book will examine a different time period in history and make readers think about how we value the stuff we hold on to--and what it is that makes it valuable.

City of Thieves (Battle Dragons #1) by Alex London

Enthralling, action-packed, & full of heart, the world Alex London created in Battle Dragons is an exciting one where each heist/race/battle has dire stakes. Perfectly paced for middle grades readers,

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