What clubs should I join? Who are my real friends? Where should I sit at lunch?? The protagonists of these eight books recommended for intermediate and/or middle-school readers have more to figure out than just homework questions. For more, see our Five Questions interview with Sarah Sax about Tryouts, and the Schools -- Elementary schools and Schools -- Middle schools tags in the Guide/Reviews Database.

Wires Crossed
by Beth Fantaskey; illus. by ONeillJones
Middle School    Clarion/HarperCollins    240 pp.
4/24    9780358395447    $24.99
Paper ed.  9780358396215    $15.99
e-book ed.  9780063323711    $11.99

An enjoyable graphic novel about friendship, growing up, and all-things-engineering. Thirteen-year-old Mia is excited when her science-camp buddy, Tariq, transfers to her middle school. This turns quickly to anxiety when she discovers that her once-shy friend has blossomed into a cute, confident soccer star. Nevertheless, the two team up to compete in their school’s Science Olympics (the plan: design and build an articulated snake-bot). Tension builds as the competition approaches and Mia’s best friend, Addy, now hanging out with one of the mean girls, exerts pressure on Mia to act differently (“maybe you should try a little harder to fit in”) and to ask Tariq to the school dance. As Mia’s confidence wavers, her engineer grandmother reminds her that “some of the luckiest — and smartest — people never grow up” and that imagination and creativity can lead to innovation and problem-solving, especially when things don’t go as planned. The cartooning is easy to scan, with establishing shots providing context for subsequent panels that use simplified, color-filled backgrounds. The quirky cast, including a sci-fi-loving dad, coupon-cutting scientist mom, and an ant-obsessed sibling, add humor and liveliness to Fantaskey’s narrative, which is jam-packed with science references. ELISA GALL

Lo Simpson Starts a Revolution
by Melanie Florence
Middle School    Orca    216 pp.
4/24    Paper ed.  9781459838505    $14.95
e-book ed.  9781459838529    $11.99

Lo Simpson, twelve, is no Margaret Simon: she’d just as soon never get her period, and to her a bra is just “a medieval torture device.” But her best friend, Jazz, suddenly wants to go bra shopping and sneers at Lo’s Doctor Who cosplay. In fairly short order, Jazz is sitting at the “It Girls’ table,” leaving Lo bereft, pouring out her sadness and confusion in letters to the Doctor that she never sends. As sensitively as Florence depicts the dissolution of Lo and Jazz’s friendship, this is more than a middle-school friend-breakup story. Lo quickly (some would say conveniently) discovers a table of fellow nerds who get her Doctor Who references and give her a new community and new confidence. When, after an excruciating sex-ed session capped by a mass condom handout, some boys target the It Girls with condom-balloons, innuendo, and bra-snapping, Lo draws on lessons about consent from her lawyer mother and fights back — just the first skirmish in her “revolution.” The many references to Doctor Who risk confounding readers unfamiliar with the BBC classic, but Lo comes across as a genuine fan, and the Doctor is an important factor in her growth. Lo’s metamorphosis from “friendless loser” to a “new, badass version of herself” is swift but rewarding; readers get enough of Lo’s interiority to believe her journey. Breezy and bracing. VICKY SMITH

The School for Invisible Boys
by Shaun David Hutchinson
Intermediate, Middle School    Labyrinth Road/Random    304 pp.
2/24    9780593646298    $17.99
Library ed.  9780593646304    $20.99
e-book ed.  9780593646311    $10.99

Hutchinson’s (Howl, rev. 7/22) middle-grade debut is a captivating combination of dark fantasy and tween drama built on a cast of nuanced characters, methodical world-building, and suspenseful storytelling. Things go quickly downhill for Hector, a sixth grader at St. Lawrence’s Catholic School for Boys, after he asks his best friend, Blake, to be his boyfriend. Blake’s response is beyond hurtful, delivered with physical violence and homophobic name-calling (“he called me freak, except freak wasn’t the word he used”). Hector retaliates by lighting Blake’s science project on fire, leading to a harrowing chase scene through a church that, shockingly, results in Hector turning invisible. Layers of intrigue unfold, including Hector’s friendship with a ghost-like student; the puzzling arrival of a girl (who no one seems to notice is a girl) to the all-boys school; and the mysterious presence of a tentacled, student-abducting monster. Multiple secondary characters, close calls, and red herrings provide Hector not only with opportunities to better understand his newfound power but also with a sense of self as a sensitive, queer, and kind-hearted kid in a world that is often poisoned against difference. Hutchinson’s complex story line is dense with bewildering ideas yet is tempered by easily digestible chapters that often leave readers at the edge of a new discovery. While the novel is a complete story, the final page suggests continued adventures. PATRICK GALL

Table Titans Club
by Scott Kurtz; illus. by the author; color by Steve Hamaker
Middle School    Holiday    224 pp.
3/24    9780823453160    $22.99
Paper ed.  9780823456819    $13.99
e-book ed.  9780823457571    $10.99

Valeria has struggled with fitting in and fighting in the past, but she is moving to a new middle school — again — and hoping for a fresh start. After some boys in her class observe her obstreperous behavior on the first day, one of them invites Val to join the Table Titans, their tabletop gaming club. Val doesn’t know anything about Dungeons & Dragons, but she is a fast learner and excitedly joins them mid-campaign. When the team unexpectedly needs a new club advisor, the only teacher available makes them a deal: he will serve in the role if one of the kids fills an open spot on the wrestling team he coaches. Val makes the cut and discovers both D&D and wrestling to be empowering outlets for her outsized imagination, energy, and emotions. This graphic novel’s clearly delineated visual narrative effectively moves between scenes from Val’s real, everyday life and moments of make-believe. Simple backgrounds spotlight characters and their actions (both real and imagined). D&D vocabulary and concepts are naturally embedded in the narrative, offering context for readers unfamiliar with the gaming world. Themes of nonconformity and being true to oneself will resonate with the audience, and the characters’ interactions with one another — both humorous and awkward — are realistically portrayed. An unapologetic celebration of growing up and finding one’s passions. ELISA GALL

Emily Posts
by Tanya Lloyd Kyi
Middle School    Tundra    264 pp.
2/24    9781774882047    $16.99
e-book ed.  9781774882054    $9.99

Eighth grader Emily Laurence aspires to be a social media influencer, if only her mom would let her post pictures of herself on her YouHappy account. For now, she’ll have to settle for producing the Cedarview Middle School podcast. Before she can gain internet fame, Emily has a lot to juggle in the real world. She and her mom have moved in with Mom’s new boyfriend and his obnoxious eight-year-old son; and a new classmate, Amelie, adds an unwelcome dynamic to Emily’s friendships. Emily channels her frustrations into producing a podcast story about an upcoming climate march, but the principal thinks the topic isn’t appropriate for middle school students and cancels the episode. When a school visit from (fictional) social media influencer (and Emily’s idol) Asha Jamil is rescheduled for the same day as the climate march, Emily can’t keep quiet about her suspicions of censorship. She tries to emulate her namesake, Emily Post — whom our protagonist sees as one of the world’s first influencers — to help her manage with tact and courtesy. With a relatable and thoughtful main character, the story offers timely reflections on social media, complicated friendships, climate activism, and what it really means to have influence. GRACE MCKINNEY BEERMANN

Gut Reaction
by Kirby Larson and Quinn Wyatt
Middle School    Scholastic    272 pp.
3/24    9781338893137    $18.99
e-book ed.  9781338893151    $18.99

Tess’s family just moved, and she is happy to start eighth grade in a school where no one knows her dad passed away three years ago. Sharing homemade treats — her dad taught her how to bake — helps win friends, and she’s invited to return to a youth baking competition that holds both positive and painful memories. But worsening stomachaches since the move have forced her to create a lengthy “do-not-eat” list. The pain in her gut that she first compares to a woodpecker rapidly upgrades to a ­porcupine (“with laser-sharp quills”) and then to “the Knife.” Tess is sure her can-do attitude and sense of humor will pull her through, but when competition preparation wears her out so much that she passes out in school, she must finally fess up to family and friends about her stomach issues to enlist their help. The story offers a realistic and often funny portrayal of middle school life and treats grief and chronic illness sensitively and with a light touch. Tess is an endearing character with an equally likable support network. The appended “Letter from Kirby and Quinn” explains how the mother-and-daughter team were careful to include accurate details about living with Crohn’s disease based on Wyatt’s own experience with the illness. MONICA DE LOS REYES

The Dubious Pranks of Shaindy Goodman
by Mari Lowe
Intermediate, Middle School    Levine Querido    176 pp.
11/23    9781646142644    $18.99

Sixth grader Shaindy feels invisible at school, so when popular Gayil invites her to sneak into the building together and help with pranks against their classmates, she can’t resist the allure of the shared mission. Before she knows it, Shaindy has helped Gayil slime someone’s hairbrush, switch the contents of lockers, and dangerously slick a floor…and then it all blows up in her face in ways that change her perspective about her peers and make for an intense Yom Kippur. The fictional Fairview setting is described as “one of the most Jewish towns in the whole United States,” with schools and other infrastructure built around Orthodox observance. Copious Jewish detail (sometimes explained, sometimes left for readers who are unfamiliar with it to figure out from context) is naturally integrated and inextricable from the characters’ relationships. In particular, Lowe (Aviva vs. the Dybbuk, rev. 1/22) explores universal themes of atonement through the specific lens of Yom Kippur in this introspective novel full of perceptive emotional observations. SHOSHANA FLAX

Just Shy of Ordinary
by A. J. Sass
Middle School    Little, Brown    384 pp.
1/24    9780316506175    $16.99
e-book ed.  9780316506373    $9.99

Thirteen-year-old Shai Stern is looking for their “new normal.” In addition to an edgy new haircut and a change of pronouns, the former homeschooler is ­planning to attend public school for the first time. Their plan takes a surprise detour when the principal suggests Shai skip a grade and start school as a ninth grader. Shai’s transition is even more of a challenge without best friend and homeschool buddy Moose by their side. Thankfully, Shai quickly makes friends with Edie and Nia and even nurtures their first crush on Edie. Balancing the excitement about new connections is an overwhelming amount of homework and a new set of academic expectations, causing Shai’s anxiety and nervous skin-picking to return. A school project requires Shai to explore their family’s Jewish heritage and how Judaism views people on the LGBTQIA+ spectrum. From interviews with family, attending holiday services with grandparents, and witnessing antisemitic vandalism of the family’s synagogue, Shai learns more than expected about the importance of acceptance and community. While Sass tackles several heavy subjects in this affecting novel, readers remain hopeful as Shai comes out of each trial a stronger person. HILL SAXTON

From the July 2024 issue of Notes from the Horn Book.