Stories for Young Readers

Because of Winn-Dixie, by Kate DiCamillo
There are a lot of famous first sentences in literature, but Because of Winn-Dixie’s captures so much of the essence of this classic Newbery-winner: “My name is India Opal Buloni, and last summer my daddy, the preacher, sent me to the store for a box of macaroni-and-cheese, some white rice, and two tomatoes, and I came back with a dog.” Opal is 10 years old and has just moved to Florida with her dad—her mother left the family when Opal was 3—when she finds this scraggly dog in the Winn-Dixie parking lot. The smiling pup proceeds to change this lonely little girl’s life, bringing into it a wonderful cast of quirky characters from her community.

Counting by 7s, by Holly Goldberg Sloan
Twelve-year-old Willow Chance is an idiosyncratic genius who has trouble connecting with anyone other than the parents who adopted her as an infant. She calms herself by counting by 7s and enjoys gardening and diagnosing medical conditions. Hers is a quiet but happy existence until one day her world is turned upside down when both of her parents are killed in a car accident. With no relatives to turn to, Willow is taken in by new friend Mai Nguyen’s impoverished family. In this beautiful story told from alternating points of view, our nuanced protagonist is able to find hope and renewal in the face of tragedy.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid, by Jeff Kinney
“Let me just say for the record that I think middle school is the dumbest idea ever invented. You got kids like me who haven’t hit their growth spurt yet mixed in with gorillas who need to shave twice a day,” writes fictional sixth-grader Greg Heffley. Middle school can be traumatic, and author and illustrator Jeff Kinney’s popular Diary of a Wimpy Kid series does an amazing job of capturing what it means to be a tween in a hilarious yet believable way. In the first book in the series, Greg takes readers through his school year in this diary his mother is forcing him to keep. He recounts days’ events with typical tween humor interspersed with comic illustrations.

Kingdom Keepers: Disney at Dawn, by Ridley Pearson
Disney lovers, this one’s for you! The Kingdom Keepers series gives readers the inside scoop on the behind-the-scenes side of the Mouse House. The five teenaged holographic Kingdom Keepers are back in the sequel to Disney After Dark, but this time, the kids find themselves in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The Overtakers have control of one of the park’s computer servers used to operate Daylight Holographic Imaging, meaning if any of the kids fall asleep, they’ll go into a permanent coma. As the parks’ unofficial protectors, the Kingdom Keepers have to stop the evil Overtakers and find out which super villain is the ring leader—but can they fight off sleep long enough to solve the mystery?

Dork Diaries OMG!: All About Me Diary!, by Rachel Renée Russell
Fans of Dork Diaries’ 14-year-old eighth grader Nikki Maxwell and her tales of navigating middle school and all the ensuing crushes, friends, and enemies may have already been inspired to start keeping a diary of their own. But the Dork Diaries OMG!: All About Me Diary! is an excellent addition to those journals, as it gives readers and would-be diary keepers a two-year guided journal with questions to answer for every day of the year. What toppings do you love on your pizza? What song could you listen to 100 times? What TV show are you totally obsessed with right now and why? And, of course, Nikki pipes up with her own answers and comic artwork as well.

Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy, by Tui T. Sutherland
The dragon tribes of Pyrrhia are at war in the first book of this fantasy series. Clay and his four dragonet friends have been raised under a mountain by the Talons of Peace. These five dragons are the key to a mysterious prophecy purported to end the war. But when one of their crew’s life is in danger, Clay and his fellow dragonets attempt an escape from the mountain only to be captured by the Skywing queen, Scarlet. Can they still flee and end the war at the same time? The series is full of twists and turns that will leave readers guessing and wanting more.

Drama, by Raina Telgemeier
Drama abounds on and off the stage for seventh-grader Callie in this appealing graphic novel from the bestselling author and illustrator of Smile and Sisters. Callie has loved the theater ever since she saw Les Miserables, but since she isn’t much of a singer, she’s carved out her niche as the drama department’s set designer. But while she’s clear about her love of the stage, she’s less clear about which boy has her heart. There’s eighth-grade jock, Greg; Jesse, who’s helping with sets for Moon Over Mississippi; and Jesse’s twin brother, Justin, who’s actually in the production—but also happens to be gay. How will Callie navigate all the drama?

Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures, by Kate DiCamillo and K. G. Campbell 
From the award-winning, bestselling author of The Tale of Despereaux and Because of Winn-Dixie, Flora and Ulysses combines narrative, comic book–panel formating, and vivid pencil illustrations to tell the story of 10-year-old Flora and Ulysses, a superhero squirrel who has acquired the ability to fly and type misspelled poetry after nearly being killed by a vacuum. But Ulysses isn’t the only one changed in this book—sensitive Flora goes through her own transformation in this entertaining and charming read as she learns to overcome her cynicism and open herself to the possibilities of hope and love.

The Fourteenth Goldfish, by Jennifer L. Holm
Eleven-year-old Ellie’s life is full of changes—she’s starting middle school, her goldfish died, her best friend has a whole new set of volleyball-playing friends, and her mom just brought home Ellie’s 13-year-old grandfather. Yes, her scientist Grandpa Melvin has discovered a cure for aging and is now a teenage boy again. Ellie and her grandfather are kindred spirits with their shared love of science. And through their newfound bond, Ellie is able to learn about her capacity to thrive in an ever changing world, and her grandfather is able to reflect on the concept of mortality in this amazing read that strikes a delicate balance of dealing with hefty topics in an approachable way.

The Giver Quartet Boxed Set, by Lois Lowry
Twelve-year-old Jonas lives in a seemingly utopian society—there’s no crime, hunger, or poverty. But there’s also no love, music, or color. Children are assigned jobs by the Elders at the Ceremony of Twelve; their entire life’s work is decided for them when they’re only 12 years old. And Jonas is given the most important and most difficult job of all: Receiver of Memory. He then learns the ugly truth about his community and its dystopian, mind-controlling reality. Lowry’s provocative book is a classic that celebrates the power of love, humanity, and an indomitable spirit. The other books in this set—Gathering Blue, Messenger, and Son—occur during the same futuristic era as The Giver, introducing new characters but featuring many of the same themes.