Bakuman by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata
This spin on traditional manga (with the usual high-flying warriors and action sequences) tells the story of two kids who want to become manga artists themselves.
The characters are high school kids trying to live their dreams—very relatable to young readers.
Buy it: Bakumanon Amazon
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Do middle school books have to be read silently?
Not all middle school books have to be read silently or independently.
Read some aloud to your students, give them audiobooks to listen to, or let them read one chapter at a time to each other.
See what kind of conversations come up.
Engaged students learn better, and you don’t need a canned curriculum from some corporation to tell you that.
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Everything Sad Is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri
Khosrou is not like the other kids in his Oklahoma middle school, but he knows how to tell a story.
This true story of Khosrou’s family and their escape from Iran in the middle of the night is an immediately gripping account of both middle school chaos and personal strife.
Buy it: Everything Sad Is Untrueon Amazon
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Naruto by Masashi Kishimoto
Yes, we’re going there. No middle school book catalog is complete without a few good Manga titles.
It’s time to shrug off any reluctance and dive into what the kids are already reading.
These are teacher-approved, rich with storytelling and character exposition, and ripe for literary analysis.
If these titles don’t seem fit for your students, check.
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The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan
Simply put, this is one of the most well-written books you’ll ever find in YA lit.
Protagonist Leigh Chen Sanders’ voice is stunning in this expertly woven tale of love, friendship, tragedy, and imagination.
Buy it: The Astonishing Color of Afteron Amazon
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What are the best YA books for middle school kids?
Her book of poems is expansive and inventive, and it’s one of the top must-read books for today’s middle school kids. 7.
The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R.
Pan Simply put, this is one of the most well-written books you’ll ever find in YA lit.
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What are the main themes of a middle school story?
Primary themes of interest to middle school students:
grief and loss love and friendship coming of age identity.
Author Nic Stone drops readers deep into the life of her 17-year-old main character, Justyce, who suddenly finds himself on the wrong side of an unprovoked, racially charged encounter with a police officer. ,
What's new in middle grade contemporaries?
While the relationships in the stories prevail, as well as the lessons learned, there is so much more to unpack in these stories today.
From diverse characters to adventurous lives, middle grade contemporaries look extremely exciting and promising this year, full of the type of tales that even adults would devour and share with their little ones.
Goidelic language
Middle Irish, also called Middle Gaelic, is the Goidelic language which was spoken in Ireland, most of Scotland and the Isle of Man from c. 900–1200 AD; it is therefore a contemporary of late Old English and early Middle English.
The modern Goidelic languages—Irish, Scottish Gaelic and Manx—are all descendants of Middle Irish.
