The Best Books for 11 Year Olds

Milla and Honey are long-time besties who love to do everything together. Milla envies Honey’s large family and the warmth in their home when they celebrate their Jewish holidays, something so different from her quieter house. But when Honey transfers to Milla’s school for the sixth grade, Milla suddenly feels like Honey has stolen everyone’s love and attention in the one place that used to be hers. Can both girls work it out? I loved this story because middle school tends to evoke situations like these, and the author shows how friends can find individual interests without ruining their friendship altogether. It also features a lot of Jewish traditions, which some kids may enjoy learning about.

Apple and Dorothy are half-gods, descendants of the Greek gods Zeus and Hera and Pandora, respectively. When Dorothy’s mother refuses to return to Olympus one solstice, she becomes a full human and is soon killed in a car accident, leaving Dorothy and her father grieving. Motivated by a promise she made to Dorothy’s mother, Apple befriends Dorothy. But when the gods rule that all half-gods must return home to Olympus and take their place as gods or remain human, Dorothy chooses Earth, to Apple’s dismay. Apple’s fear of losing Dorothy leads her to make a decision with terrible consequences. As a non-fantasy reader, I loved this book — how clever, creative, and profound it is, especially in the way it approaches friendship and grief. I think fans of Greek mythology will love it.

Dani and Eric have been best friends since Dani moved next door in second grade. They bond over donuts, comic books, and camping on the Cape. But one summer, Eric saves Dani from a fire in his family’s camper. Unfortunately, the accident prevents Dani from doing what she loves the most: playing baseball. It also drives a wedge between the friends as they discover the real reason behind the fire. Can Dani forgive her best friend? Hidden Truths is an insightful, realistic, and touching middle grade book about forgiveness and evolving friendships.

What if you realized that you can’t seem to maintain friendships? When this happens to Eleni in Dear Friends, she decides to embark on a challenge to revisit and revive her top five failed friendships. As life would have it, just as the process starts, her oldest childhood friend and BFF, Sylvie, starts pulling away from her. Can Eleni get to the bottom of things and recover her friendships before the start of middle school? Dear Friends is a highly relatable, summery middle grade book about what it means to be a good friend and maintain strong friendships. 

At the start of a new school year, five kids form an unlikely friend group with surprising results. Lucas is processing his older brother’s death and his mom leaving his dad and him, Robbie is the group goofball with his own challenges, Finn is the walking encyclopedia, Cat is the star athlete, and Anna is the popular girl whose drawn to the group. As the kids play sardines (reverse hide-and-seek), they learn about each other’s most wanted wishes and plot to help each one get them. But when it’s Lucas’s turn, he’s afraid to bare his soul. Can he get past the fear and make his own wish come true? Sardines is a heartwarming middle grade novel about friendship, mental health, bullying, identity, and community. 

Selah knows there’s something different about her. She’s uncomfortable with overstimulation and can’t seem to instinctively figure out social cues, so she follows the rules; does what others do/expect her to do in those situations. But when she’s home, she practically crashes, needing to recover from shapeshifting all day. She’s doing okay, until one day she hits a fellow student who keeps trying to braid Selah’s hair. This leads to a series of events ending in an Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis and the realization that although she’s different, it’s good different. Good Different is a powerful verse exploration of life on the autism spectrum and the illuminating experience of finally understanding oneself. 

The Firefly Summer follows young Ryanna who gets sent to a family summer camp with her her mother’s extended family — who she hasn’t seen since her mom died when she was three. Ryanna goes to camp hoping for a low-key situation where she can spend time in peace and quiet with her grandparents but is surprised to find a slew of aunts, uncles, and cousins at Camp Van Camp. After a rocky start, she starts to learn more about her mom, even discovering a treasure map she created as a kid and reading the detective novels she used to enjoy. But when she discovers that the campgrounds will be torn down by a developer, Ryanna and her cousins have to band together to save the day. The Firefly Summer is a summer-infused middle grade book about family, summer camps, and learning more about a deceased parent.

In Three Strike Summer, young Gloria and her family lose their farm when an unending drought leads to a lack of produce. They move to California to find work and eventually start picking peaches on a farm. The family is also reeling from the loss of Gloria’s baby brother and struggling to contain Gloria’s spunky attitude which often gets her in trouble. At the farm, Gloria quickly discovers a baseball team (with only boys! who don’t want a girl on the team!) and is ready to do what it takes to join the team. At the same time, ripples of discontent with working wages lead to organizing that puts Gloria and her family in a precarious position. Three Strike Summer is a punchy, inspiring historical middle grade book about family, baseball, and life on farms during the Great Depression.

It’s the year 1905, and Shoshana, her mother, and sisters have fled their home in Ukraine and moved to reunite with her father and older brother in North Dakota. There, the family lives in a prairie dugout and Shoshana and her big sister Libke start attending school. Soon, the girls–especially Shoshana–begin to experience prejudice because of their Jewish religion and culture. Shoshana is tempted to blend into the mostly Christian community around her, but is that the right path to acceptance? Her sister Libke certainly disagrees. A Sky Full of Song is a moving, enlightening, and important middle grade book about immigration, prejudice, and life on the prairie. 

1960, Cuba. Cousins Victoria and Jackie love living in their island country with their large family. When when Fidel Castro’s communist government takes hold, things change swiftly, leading Victoria’s father to relocate his family to Miami, leaving Jackie and her family behind. As Victoria adapts to life in the US, Jackie and her family struggle in Cuba—until the family decides to send Jackie over to the States with Operation Peter Pan. But will Jackie ever see her family again? Both girls band together to bring the rest of their family to America. Farewell Cuba Mi Isla is a moving, authentic book chronicling the impact of Fidel Castro’s communist regime in Cuba.

It’s 1944 and Dory’s father has been joined the US Army in World War II, leaving behind 12-year-old Dory and her brothers, Fish (17) and Pike (7) with the parting words that the neighborhood will always give them what they need. So far, her father’s words have been true, with the neighborhood Italian restaurant Caputo’s offering them one free dinner a week and their neighbor sending them Polish food. But when the new landlord demands to see their father if they want to keep living there, the kids are in a fix. At the same time, Dory discovers an old dumbwaiter (old school elevator) in Caputo’s, which she follows one night to a hideout beyond her expectations. Can the kids get the miracle they need to keep their home and get their father back in one piece? Nothing Else But Miracles is a heartwarming, slice-of-life middle grade novel about New York City, family, and the safety of community. 

Greer, Joya, and Kiki are three best friends born just after Hurricane Katrina. Now 12 years after the catastrophe, they’re dealing with personal life struggles. Greer feels responsible for an accident that left her sister paralyzed from the waist down and has stopped running track–something she loved dearly before the accident, Kiki is grappling with an absentee father, and Joya is trying to help her financially strained family. Kiki decides that the three girls will sign up for a triathlon to get Greer back into running, but the plan ends up changing all three girls’ lives. The Hurricane Girls is a warm, stirring, and sparkling middle grade book about female friendships, body image, sports, and self-forgiveness.

Simon’s family is always on the move. Every few months, they load up their van, “Vincent Van Go,” and set off for a new adventure. According to his dad, you can’t live an extraordinary life by staying in one place. But all Simon wants is to settle down, so he’s hatched a plan: to make their latest apartment in the Tangerine Pines building his forever home. When a priceless necklace is stolen, clues indicate the thief might actually be another neighbor. Simon worries he’ll have to move again if the thief isn’t caught. He usually doesn’t go looking for trouble, but if retrieving the necklace means establishing home, Simon is willing to risk it. With the help of his neighbor Amaya, pet sitter, plant-waterer, and podcaster extraordinaire, Simon is determined to crack the case and finally put down roots. Like everything McDunn writes, this is a warm hug of a book.

This is a FANTASTIC graphic memoir about Tyler Page’s life with ADHD. Early on, his parents realized that Tyler couldn’t seem to stay focused. He acts out in class, is impulsive, and often distracts his classmates. He can’t finish his work in time, even though he’s smart and creative. Most intriguing, he doesn’t actually want to cause trouble but can’t stop himself. Tyler is eventually diagnosed with ADHD and gets on medication for it. I loved seeing his depiction of the way ADHD affects his life and how the medication changes it. We also learn a lot about his family and how life as a teenager changes his relationship with his ADHD meds. The book also includes back matter at the end of every chapter, providing more information (in graphics still) about ADHD.

In Not an Easy Win, young Lawrence has had the odds stacked against him for so long. He and his mom and little sister went from living in Charlotte, NC to finally moving in with his grandma while his father is incarcerated. To make matters worse, Lawrence keeps getting picked on at school and getting into fights, which results in his getting expelled. While he’s home, he starts going to the town’s rec center, where he learns to play chess. But a boy there keeps trying to get Lawrence to fight. Can he find a way to secure a win for once? This is a heartwarming, realistic, and satisfying book about poverty, having an incarcerated parent, and finding belonging in chess.

This is a poignant graphic memoir about a year in Kathy McCleod’s life. Kathy is half-Thai and half-American and has older parents than her peers. She constantly feels out of place throughout the year she recounts in the memoir, so when her father gives her a diary to document her feelings it feels like a much-needed outlet. She likes pizza and American food more than Thai food. In Thailand a neighbor thinks she isn’t American because she doesn’t have blonde hair and blue eyes. In Maine, her family spends more time together but she also feels like people view them differently because they’re mixed. As time passes, Kathy realizes that she’s not the only one who feels out of life and that it takes time to figure out who you want to be. This contemplative memoir will appeal to fans of Almost-American Girl and Be Prepared.

This book is about two best friends, Grace and Lola, who begin a project to study love. Their research (if you can call it that) opens their eyes to how fickle romantic love can be (especially among infatuated teens), the negative effects of stereotypes (a goth has more to her personality than the way she dresses, an assumed “bimbo” is more than just a pretty face). But it also forces them to examine their friendship and how well they show up for each other. I loved the illustration style in this book. It kept me turning the pages for sure. Good for kids interested in manga and romance.

Addie has reluctantly moved across the country with her dad for his summer job in the virtual reality industry. He’s working on research to use VR for therapeutic purposes, such as helping people cultivate empathy. Addie is not into VR, but that starts to change when she meets Matteo another kid on campus, and tries out VR on her own. Eventually, the two find a helpful use for VR that helps other people. Lo and Behold is a clever middle grade graphic novel about virtual reality, grief, and parental addiction.

12-year-old Jolene has a tough life. Her mom is misusing opioids and can barely care for her. She’s mocked at school for wearing too-small clothing and looking haggard. Jolene’s only bright spot is a tween pilot she watches via livestream at the library, “Addie Earhart.” Addie and Jolene gradually form a warm friendship and encourage each other through life’s hardships. But one day during the livestream, Addie crashes her plane. No one but Jolene is watching the stream, and Addie’s mom doesn’t know she even flies planes. It’s up to Jolene to save her, but she’s a kid with no money — and Addie’s is stuck miles away in the Arizona desert. How will Jolene make it work? Across the Desert is a heart-pounding middle grade novel about self-worth, friendships, and the struggle of a parent with addiction.

This book follows 12-year-old Maddie, who gets abandoned by some twist of fate when her entire town is mysteriously evacuated. Left alone with no human in sight, she bonds with a Rottweiler named George, who is one of many abandoned pets. Soon after, they lose power and then water, and Maddie has to fend for herself using a variety of ingenious means and the town resources at her disposal, including an empty library, grocery store, neighbors’ homes — you get the picture. Maddie is alone for months and has to safeguard herself from wild animals, terrible weather, and dangerous intruders, on top of the fear and loneliness of being all by herself. Alone by Megan E. Freeman is a well-written middle-grade survival novel with a tenacious protagonist and engaging plot.

Nolie feels like the odd person out amid changes. Her sister Linden, who’s only 14 months older seems to have grown up overnight, ditching the seashell necklace their grandmother gave them. And now her best friend, Jessa thinks Nolie’s nickname is too babyish and she should really go by her full name, Magnolia instead. She also wants to include a new cooler friend in their duo and give Nolie a complete makeover. To top it off, Nolie doesn’t seem to have a “thing” that she’s good at or particularly passionate about. With all those emotions brewing, Nolie makes a poor choice to start stealing things from several people. Can she find her way? Where You’ve Got to Be is an engaging, immersive, and relatable middle grade book about dealing with changing circumstances.

After Ash McAnulty won the school-wide Quiz Bowl in the fifth grade, it was almost like she got a golden ticket. Although she’d been in the school’s Gifted and Talented program since first grade, now everyone viewed her as the smartest of the bunch. But now fifth grade is wrapping up, and Ash feels less gifted. She can’t seem to grasp the abstract concepts other kids in her class do, and she begins to feel like a fraud. If she asks for help and her teachers learn she’s struggling, she’ll no longer be “gifted,” will she? Then who will she be without her “gifted” identity? She resolves to prove herself in the upcoming Quiz Bowl, but her plan doesn’t go to plan, triggering a sequence of events that forces Ash to evaluate what matters most. Golden Ticket is a true-to-life middle grade book about intelligence, identity, and recovering from poor choices as a kid.