9 Books for Young Readers Who Are Almost Ready for YA

Goodbye Stranger, by Rebecca Stead
Best friends Bridge, Emily, and Tab swore on a twinkie that they would never fight. But at the start of seventh grade, things are starting to change. Tab has a newfound passion for human rights. Emily has grown curves over the summer, and it’s getting her all sorts of attention—not all of it good. And Bridge has a new friend named Sherm, and has taken to wearing cat ears. The narrative also includes an unnamed high school character whose Valentine’s Day story unfolds slowly and with unexpected twists and turns. In classic Stead style, this is a story about the pains of adolescence, the consequences of decisions, and the bonds of true friendship.

Addie Bell’s Shortcut to Growing Up, by Jessica Brody
Like many seventh-graders, Addie Bell can’t wait to be grown up. When an elderly neighbor with dementia gives her a jewelry box, Addie writes down her deepest wish and locks it inside, only to wake up the next morning and find out that four years have passed! Everything is just as she would have wished: she’s able to drive a car, best friends with the popular girl, and a junior in high school. But without those four years in between, life is a little confusing. Trigonometry is hard. The popular girl is also the mean girl, and 12-year-old Addie’s best friend Grace is no longer speaking to her. Maybe being grown up isn’t so great after all.

Echo, by Pam Munoz Ryan
Told with a bit of whimsy, a bit of magic, and a lot of heart, Echo brings together the story of four children—Friedrich, brothers Mike and Frankie, and Ivy Maria—living before and during WWII. Friedrich seeks to free his father from a Nazi prison camp. Mike and Frankie try desperately to connect with the woman who will save them from a life at the orphanage. And Ivy Maria struggles against school segregation and the prejudice towards the Japanese landowners who may be the answer to her family finally having a home of their own. Three very different stories, and one very special harmonica linking them all.

Booked, by Kwame Alexander
This companion book to the Newbery Award winning Crossover features 12-year-old Nick, soccer fanatic. What Nick doesn’t like is words, despite the efforts of his honors English teacher, or his linguistics professor father. But rapping librarian Mr. Mac sets out to change all that. Under Mr. Mac’s guidance, Nick not only discovers a love of reading, but how those words can win him the heart of his crush. Told in verse, this is a book for sports enthusiasts, word enthusiasts, and anyone who has survived the turmoil of a middle school experience.

Nest, by Esther Ehrlich
In 1972, 11-year old Naomi “Chirp” Orenstein lives in Cape Cod with her psychiatrist father, her dancer mother, and her older sister, Rachel. When mysterious symptoms take hold of Chirp’s mother, Chirp finds escape in her birds and the unexpected friendship of Joey, the boy who lives across the street. As her mother sinks deeper and deeper into her illness, nobody, including her father or sister, seems to be able to help Chirp except Joey, who has a dark story of his own. Together, the two of them navigate through sadness, anger, and some of life’s most painful realities.

Greenglass House, by Kate Milford and Jaime Zollars
Greenglass House, and its upcoming sequel, The Ghosts of Greenglass House, are the perfect picks for those who love a good chilling mystery. In the first book, we meet 12-year-old Milo, the adopted son of the Greenglass House innkeeper. Milo is ready for a quiet winter vacation during the inn’s off-season. But on the first night of winter vacation, the door bell rings, and a guest arrives. And then another. And then another. Soon the inn has five strange new guests, each bearing a story connected to the inn itself. When things start disappearing, Milo and his friend Meddy find themselves neck-deep in mystery and Milo can kiss his quiet, uneventful holiday vacation goodbye.

The Seventh Most Important Thing, by Shelley Pearsall
One moment. One bad decision. When Arthur T. Owens picked up the brick and hurls it at the Junk Man, his life changes forever. The judge recommends juvenile detention, but the Junk Man has another suggestion, and thus Arthur is sentenced to 120 hours volunteer service…for his victim. Provided with a shopping cart and a list of The Seven Most Important Things, Arthur is expected to dig through other people’s junk looking for what could only be described as trash. Or is it? As Arthur spends time with the Junk Man and begins to check the items off his list, he discovers that one man’s trash is indeed another man’s incredible treasure.

Wolf Hollow, by Lauren Wolk
Set during WWII, this book explores the relationship between a veteran suffering from PTSD and a 12-year old girl. Most people avoid Toby, who spends his days wandering the hills around Wolf Hollow, Pennsylvania. But Annabelle has always found him to be kind, and when he comes to her aid after Annabelle is bullied, their bond grows stronger. When Toby is accused of a crime he didn’t commit, Annabelle returns the favor by hiding him from authorities, setting off a chain of events that could have lasting repercussions for both of them.

The Night Gardener, by Jonathan Auxier
Orphaned siblings Molly and Kip have traveled from Ireland to the English countryside and Windsor Estate. It’s the only place Molly could find employment, and she feels responsible for the care of her younger brother, who is lame. The estate is dark and creepy, but there are lots of dark and creepy houses in England. Yet, something is different about Windsor Castle. A gigantic tree grows through the center of the house, the family itself acts as if the very life is being sucked out of them, and perhaps worst of all is the dark shadow that walks with heavy footsteps through the house at night. Something is very different—and very wrong—at Windsor Estate. But if they leave, where else will Kip and Molly go?