Curating my list of best middle grade books of 2021 was much easier than last year, for some reason. I credit that to understanding what I like better and finally defining what makes a “best of the best” book for me. Of course, as with all “best of” lists, this is entirely subjective. For me, these stories are the most memorable, enjoyable, and/or thought-provoking middle grade books I read in 2021.
For each book, I’ll share a snippet of my review along with a link to the full review, the book’s publication year, and the ages I would recommend them for. Out of 120 books read this year, these are my top 14 middle-grade books of 2021!
Best Middle Grade Books of 2021
Just Be Cool, Jenna Sakai
- Publication year: 2021
- Recommended for ages: 10 and up
- What to know about this book: This companion to Keep It Together, Keiko Carter focuses on her friend Jenna, who’s dealing with a breakup and her parents’ divorce when she finds a new friend at a Hamilton-inspired diner. Jenna and Rin are reluctant, unlikely friends who bond over art and shared parental issues, but Jenna has vowed to protect her heart. Will she let Rin in?
Just Be Cool, Jenna Sakai is a compulsively-readable middle grade release, perfect for fans of upper middle grade stories. This realistic contemporary novel handles tough themes like the process and reality of parental divorce, a tween experiencing the fall-out of a breakup, kids managing busy school schedules, and keeping bonds of friendship alive. It also highlights the value of vulnerability and how powerful it can be to open one’s heart to the affections of others. I loved this one, and can’t wait to read whatever Debbi Michiko Florence writes next.
Allergic
- Publication year: 2021
- Recommended for ages: 8 and up
- What to know about this book: Maggie loves animals and has been waiting patiently to get a dog, only to discover that she’s allergic. She’s also dealing with a changing family in which she feels less and less like she belongs. Her two little brothers are seemingly obsessed with each other and couldn’t care less about her. Her mother is heavily pregnant and excited for the new baby. When she finally makes a new friend, that friend gets a dog!
Allergic is a sweet, realistic depiction of what it’s like to suffer from allergies. This graphic novel features stunning illustrations, a lovable protagonist, and a rambunctious family. Among other things, readers will feel Maggie’s strong love for animals, the complex emotions of nurturing a friendship despite differences, and the struggle to find one’s place at home as a tween. I loved this one and would definitely recommend it.
A Place to Hang the Moon
- Publication year: 2021
- Recommended for ages: 9 and up
- What to know about this book: Orphans William, Edmund, and Anna (aged 12, 11, and 9) are evacuated after their (not nice) grandmother dies. The kids are instructed not to disclose how well off their family is until they’re placed with a new family that feels like a forever family. Through several poorly matched families, the children take solace in each other, stories from William about their parents, and their love of books and the town library.
A Place to Hang the Moon is a heartwarming, immersive middle-grade debut. Fans of historical fiction will enjoy reading this story of three orphaned siblings set against the background of the British WWII evacuation. Come for the spellbinding storytelling and stay for the unforgettable characters, the love of libraries, and the buttered toast. I would highly recommend this book, period, but especially for fans of books about siblings, adoption and community.
The Kate in Between
- Publication year: 2021
- Recommended for ages: 9 and up
- What to know about this book: Twelve-year-old Kate must face herself, and the truth, after her participation in a bullying incident — with her best friend as the victim — goes viral. Although the viral videos portray Kate as saving the day, they only show one side of the story, not the part where she participated in bullying her friend.
The Kate in Between is a timely, complex, and engaging middle grade book about identity, popularity, bullying culture, and going viral. This unique middle grade book highlights the nuances of being human and shows that no one falls neatly into “good” or “bad” boxes. With a messy, but likable and relatable protagonist, this book will prove to be a true conversation starter and resonate with middle school kids and adults alike.
Starfish
- Publication year: 2021
- Recommended for ages: 10 and up
- What to know about this book: Ellie, a fat girl, has been bullied for her weight since she wore a whale swimsuit and made a big splash in the pool. Even her older brother and sister make fun of her weight. Her mom controls her diet, monitoring her portions and choosing lackluster “healthy” alternatives. Ellie is feeling more disheartened because her friend Viv who is also plus-sized is moving away.
Starfish is a powerful, fat-positive middle grade verse novel about a girl who is learning that she deserves to take up space. This realistic story is important for educators, parents, and kids alike and urges all to question their biases toward fat people. It’s also a sweet book about friendship, sisterhood, swimming, summer, and self-acceptance.
The Chance to Fly
- Publication year: 2021
- Recommended for ages: 9 and up
- What to know about this book: Thirteen-year-old Nat Beacon has been paralyzed from the waist down since an accident when she was two. She’s also a wheelchair athlete whose parents have moved from California to New Jersey for her mother’s new job. Nat is obsessed with Broadway and Hamilton although she has never actually been in a musical. So when she stumbles upon a group of kids putting on a production of Wicked, the musical, she’s all in! But can she get the role of her dreams when she’s in a wheelchair?
The Chance to Fly is a sparkling debut with excellent OwnVoices disability representation. While this book highlights several challenges that wheelchair users face, from accessibility to minimal face-to-face interaction with their peers, it is at its heart a book about a love for the stage. Theater kids will be all over this one, as well as anyone who enjoys books about large friendship groups and warm parent-child dynamics.
Red, White, and Whole
- Publication year: 2021
- Recommended for ages: 10 and up
- What to know about this book: The year is 1983 and 13-year-old Reha is caught between two cultures: her Indian family and community at home; and the all-American experience at school and with her white “school best friend.” But it’s not all rosy. Her mother doesn’t approve of Reha acting more American than Indian. She makes all of Reha’s clothes herself, and is upset when Reha says she would like to go to the school dance. Reha is understandably frustrated at her mother’s lack of understanding, but she’s about to have more problems. Her mom is diagnosed with leukemia and Reha’s life is turned upside down.
Red, White, and Whole is a heartwarming and heartbreaking verse novel about mothers and daughters, the eighties, and straddling two cultures. This moving middle-grade novel with a protagonist coming of age in the midst of a traumatic life experience will appeal both to younger and older readers between ages 10-14. If you enjoy verse novels about parental illness, family, friendships, and Indian culture, this is one you should not miss.
Taking Up Space
- Publication year: 2021
- Recommended for ages: 9 and up
- What to know about this book: Sarah loves basketball and feels most like herself when she’s playing a good game with her team. But lately her body has been changing — she’s eating more and feeling less coordinated on the court. It doesn’t help that her mom is constantly telling her that she eats too much. Before long, Sarah develops disordered eating patterns. When a friend asks her to partner with him for a cooking contest, her weird feelings about food are triggered and Sarah realizes she might need to ask for help.
I never got around to reviewing this book on my site (because time!) but I loved this story. Alyson Gerber writes so well about how food can go from a tool to nourish our bodies (and enjoy) to something punishing. Still, this book manages to maintain a thread of food love as Sarah finds her way back to a healthy eating pattern. It’s perfect for anyone looking for body image books for tweens, basketball books, or stories about food and cooking.
The Best Worst Summer
- Publication year: 2021
- Recommended for ages: 8 and up
- What to know about this book: The Best Worst Summer follows two sets of kids three decades apart. In the present, Peyton is reeling from a move and separation from her best friend. But her summer gains new life when she discovers a time capsule. After making a new friend in the library, Peyton is eager to get to the bottom of the time capsule mystery. Meanwhile, in 1989, best friends Jessica and Melissa are planning the best summer ever! They even plan to bury a time capsule. Jessica is an adopted Korean girl — one of the only Asians in her small town — and Melissa’s mom is hiding some deep secrets about their family. When the secret unravels, the girls’ lives are forever changed
I stayed up late reading this one! The Best Worst Summer is a charming, engaging middle grade novel that manages to blend historical and contemporary fiction. Friendship is the book’s central theme, but it also features good disability representation, realistic family dynamics, the struggles of moving from one city to another, and a riveting mystery for readers to watch the characters resolve. Set in summer, this book is an excellent summer reading pick!
The Shape of Thunder
- Publication year: 2021
- Recommended for ages: 8-12 years
- What to know about this book: Best friends Quinn and Cora have had their lives altered by a tragic event. Quinn’s brother Parker killed Cora’s sister in a school shooting. Understandably, this created a rift between both girls, even though they still deeply care for each other and have been friends since kindergarten. As they approach the first anniversary of the shooting, Quinn thinks she’s found a way to undo what happened and reaches out to Cora to work with her.
The Shape of Thunder is a brilliant, moving, and realistic take on the effect of school shootings, death, and grief on the lives of children. This book is a reminder that kids should not have to feel unsafe anywhere, but especially at school. It is also a heartfelt ode to childhood friendships and people who know us even better than we know ourselves. With exceptional storytelling prowess, Warga has created a timeless classic about family, loss, and forgiveness.
Ten Thousand Tries
- Publication year: 2021
- Recommended for ages: 8 and up
- What to know about this book: Golden Macaroni is having a tough year. First, he really wants to get bigger and become the captain of his middle school soccer team. As a dedicated Messi fan, he’s working on putting in ten thousand hours of soccer practice so that he can become as good as Messi. His former-soccer-star father has been diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). His best friend, Lucy Littlehouse is also moving away from her home next door to Golden’s. Despite his dad’s obvious deterioration, Golden stubbornly believes that his dad will get better. How will he cope with everything on his plate — and the heartbreaking challenges ahead of his family?
Ten Thousand Tries is a moving, heartwarming story about family, friendship, community, soccer, and the love of a father. This book artfully manages the delicate balance of real-life suffering with the humor we can find lurking in small, mundane moments. With engaging soccer scenes; and warm, healthy friendship and family dynamics; this book is hard to put down. If you like books about soccer, families banding together, and books that make you laugh and cry, this is not one to miss.
How to Find What You’re Not Looking For
- Publication year: 2021
- Recommended for ages: 9 and up
- What to know about this book: 12-year-old Ariel finds her life upturned when her big sister (the best of them all), Leah, elopes with her Indian-American boyfriend after the Loving vs. Virginia ruling. Ariel’s parents are upset, Ariel is struggling with being able to write well at school, and she can’t stop thinking about her sister and everything happening in the world.
How to Find What You’re Not Looking For is a poignant, moving, and brilliantly written middle grade novel about family, identity, and love. Set against the background of the 1968 Loving vs. Virginia verdict and written from a second-person point of view, this book follows an insightful young Jewish protagonist confronting the world’s harsh realities and inequities. This one is a real treat for tween and adult readers.
Birdie’s Billions
- Publication year: 2021
- Recommended for ages: 9 and up
- What to know about this book: Sixth-grader Birdie Loggerman’s life becomes complicated when she finds half a million dollars — cash — in an abandoned house. Her mom is a cleaner currently out of work because Birdie’s damaged property in her last client’s house. And Birdie’s best friend’s mother views her with disdain because she’s one of the poorer kids living in their highbrow area. So when Birdie finds all this money (she’s been praying for, no less), should she keep it? Or does finders, keepers not apply in this case?
Birdie’s Billions is a unique, absorbing, middle grade novel about poverty, moral dilemmas and class privilege. With a fresh plot and and an endearing, flawed protagonist, this story highlights the impact of financial difficulties on kids. It also shows the value of a supportive home environment and community, especially in challenging times. If you like engaging realistic fiction with protagonists who don’t always do the right things, you’ll enjoy this one.
Violets Are Blue
- Publication year: 2021
- Recommended for ages: 9 and up
- What to know about this book: 12-year-old Wren lives with her mom after her parents’ divorce. Her dad has moved to New York City and married his lover (with whom he was unfaithful to her mother) who is now expecting twins. Wren is also a special effects makeup aficionado. Caught up in a new school, navigating new friendships, and balancing her relationships with her parents — whose relationship with each other is strained — Wren notices her mom has begun behaving strangely.
Violets Are Blue is an engaging middle grade book with a relatable, creative protagonist dealing with parental substance abuse. It also spotlights the reality of coping with parental divorce after infidelity and thereafter adjusting to a new blended family. Fans of stories with kids who love arts and crafts as well as musical theater will also enjoy this book. Really, everyone and anyone will.
There they are: 14 best middle grade books of 2021! If you want to see more books I loved this year, check out my summer reading guide. Already stacking your TBR for 2022? I’ve got you covered. Have a look at 100 of my most anticipated 2022 middle grade books (you’re welcome).
Totally agree on A PLACE TO HANG THE MOON! It’s one of my favorite reads of the year as well. I also really liked STARFISH. Great list!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
I have not read any of these! At least, a few of them are already on my TBR, haha. But The Kate In Between is new to me – sounds like one I should prioritize next year.