HELLO,
Table of Contents
Welcome to my corner of the internet!
My name is Afoma. I’m a twenty-something writer, editor, and voracious reader with an insatiable appetite for children’s literature, books by women, and articles about life and human relationships. In addition to my love affair with words, I dabble in photography, love to travel, and also happen to have completed medical school.
Afoma Umesi, the website, has evolved over the years. It began as an online diary — as all blogs were, circa 2012 — and became fertile soil for my writing skills to bloom.
In 2021, Afoma Umesi, the website became Reading Middle Grade! You’ll find that I read mostly middle-grade and young adult novels. However, I also love picture books and chapter books. I adore graphic novels and audiobooks and believe that they count as reading too.
The blog is now focused on curating book lists, book reviews, readalikes, author interviews, and other kidlit related resources.
Reading Middle Grade is also proud to support authors with a variety of paid promotional opportunities. You can review these options here and see which ones best suit your needs. My lovely header and all other illustrations on this blog were done by Kat of Waffley Cute Designs.
I’m so glad you found your way here. Stay a while, will you?
– Afoma
Follow me on Goodreads.
Our Curation Process
I get so many questions about how I compile book lists and whether I’ve read all the books on every list. The answer is: not always.
Here are some things to keep in mind while reading content on this site:
- I read and recommend every book I review and share my honest thoughts on it. I only review books I enjoyed and would recommend fully. In each review, I try to share major themes and any triggers to watch out for. This helps my readers know how to categorize and recommend the books to the young readers in their care.
- I create book lists based on my reading preferences. This means that I only include books based on whether I’ve read or would like to read them — as long as they match the specific theme. Reading is subjective and I choose to read or avoid certain reading material based on my personal preferences.
- Book lists feature books I’ve read and books I hope to read. The latter are chosen based on detailed reviews and recommendations from my tribe of readers. I recommend checking out books on Amazon, Bookshop, or Goodreads and reading more reviews to get a feel of whether a book would be a good fit for you.
I hope this helps you understand and get more out of my content. I’m happy to recommend books to you personally if you have specific needs. Reach out via my contact form or via email at [email protected] and I’ll respond as soon as I can.
In the Press
I was on episode #249 of WSIRN with Anne Bogel talking about how I discovered middle grade books as an adult and why I’m so obsessed with them.
I’m a BuzzFeed contributor. You can read my article about Black MG historical fiction here, and find my archives here.
I was a guest on episode #109 of The Reading Women podcast talking about two of my favorite middle grade books and why I love middle grade books so much.
I was featured on LitHub talking about why more adults should read middle grade books.
Support the Blog
I run this blog while working as a freelance writer and editor; it is truly a labor of love. If you value my work and can afford to, I would be so grateful to receive a donation of any amount at this link!
I love your website! I love what you do (and will be needing your skills by April).
I’m glad I ran into you yesterday.
Hey Chinyere! I’m glad too! Feel free to email me whenever you’re ready 😉 Thanks for reading!
Miss you on IG, but glad to have found you here. Keep in touch!! (@librarianMsG)
Hi Laura!!! So wonderful to see you here too. I’ll be sure to stay in touch x
I stumble on to your website as I was looking for a list of Black Authors for myself and my 5 year old son. I am very grateful for you website and look forward to all your recommendation! My IG is sasha_lovesbooks ( I blog as well too and its so much fun!)
Hi Sasha, thank you so much for reading. I’m glad to hear my website was useful to you and your son 🙂
Thank you for compiling such amazing reading lists! I came across your site while looking for books for my 11-yr (going on 16-yr old) daughter to read during the summer. We will be going through your middle grade and YA list. A few of her favorites are on your list too so I think she will enjoy working her way through your recommendations. Thanks again!
Hi Ann & Bailey! Thank you sooo much for reading. I’m glad you’re enjoying my resources. I hope your daughter finds many new books she loves.
Hi Afoma! I have started reading your list with the plan to include 3-5 titles for reading groups in a high school freshmen English class. I have begun with Dread Nation and it is fantastic!
Peace to you-
Jamey Miller
Arlington Heights, Illinois
Hi Jamey! Such good news! Thank you for readign my blog and sharing these books with your class 🙂
Great job it is you are doing to make the world a better place. Thanks a bunch!
Thank you!
I am so glad I stumbled across your blog!!! I have been hunting bookstores and online for chapter books about cooking (my daughter wants to be a chef) and books for kids by black authors… and you have both!! Thank you Afoma!!
Oh Kate, it’s my pleasure!
Great to see this website. I have written a children novel. I was wondering if you would like to tell it to your readers. Sending you what the book is about. i can send you the pdf.
Come join Lega, Yaga and Timble on their adventures as they sail the high seas on a adventure of a lifetime! Wait a minute… are you wondering who Lega, Yaga and Timble are? Well, surprise, surprise – they are a spider, bear and penguin! What could animals be doing on a ship? Where could they be going? To find out, turn this pages of this book that is filled with humour, suspense, adventure and lots more.
Hi Ruchita, thanks for reading. Please send me an email at [email protected]. Thanks!
Hello, I just found this blog and it is fabulous! I am specifically looking for middle level novels that have science/biology themes. I am a middle school bio teacher and I would like to do a read aloud for my class, since we will be at least partly online this year. I would especially love to find a novel with Black main characters. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you!
-A
Hi Anastasia, thanks for stopping by! Some of my favorite science/biology recs are THE SCIENCE OF BREAKABLE THINGS by Tae Keller (explores the scientific method + depressed parent) and THE QUEEN BEE AND ME by Gillian McDunn (explores bees). THE MEMORY KEEPER deals with Alzheimer’s and brain anatomy while THE LINE TENDER has a big marine biology focus + handles death and grief (it might be a tad heavy!). I’ve linked my reviews of all four books. I hope you find them useful 🙂
Thank you so much!
I’m reading behind you as fast as I can! I teach 6th graders and love chatting about books with them. Thank you for your recommendation of Rene Watson. Our media specialist is adding a few of those to our library!
Aw! Thank you for your comment, Terry! I’m a big Watson fan so I’m very happy to hear this 🙂
Just wanted to say thank you for including my book, Sidetracked, on your list of middle grade books about anxiety. So glad to have discovered your blog!
Be well,
Diana Harmon Asher
Hi Diana! Thank you so much for reading 🙂 it’s my pleasure!
Thank you so much, your lists are wonderful, with so much thoughtful detail about each book. I have been delighted to find books that will (hopefully) appeal to my Nigerian-American students. If you run across anything for students from Karen families, it would be a godsend. All I can find is some folk tale collections, and I want my Karen students to see themselves in books too!!!
Hi Liz! Thanks so much for reading. I’ll keep this in mind, and email you any recs I find!
Stumbled on you your list of good books on editing. I found it really useful. Thank you so much. Looking forward to reading more of your blog entries.
Hi Radha! Good to have you here 🙂
Hello!
I’m homeschooling a couple of voracious readers and I am SO excited to have come across your site. Thanks so much for all your work!
You’re so welcome!
I love your website. Your reviews are excellent and your choices are amazing. 🙂 Thank you!!
Afoma, you are amazing. I have shared your website with my colleagues at our middle school, and today I shared it with my professor and classmates at the Confratute summer conference for educators at UCONN. You rock!
Hello Afoma! I love your work here!!. I used to read your blog from when it was Ihunda’s Musings. I would truly love to read your posts from those years again (I used to love your roundups from the web!). Where can I find those posts again?
Hi….Just stumbled upon your site while doing research for new titles for my middle schoolers……I teach at an International School in China and your lists reflect my students, excited to see so many titles that are on my reading lists. Excited to check out some new reads.
Thanks
Tim
Hi Tim!
Such a pleasure to have you 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
Thank you . I am a curriculum developer and I was looking for a comprehensive list of great children’s stories of our children to use in our homeschool hub thank you. Would you be interest end in compiling a list of African historically relevant stories that should be required reading for black high schoolers.
Like Barracoon and Their eyes were watching God by Zora Neale Zurston.