Juvenile Fiction Lists

"Her mother is having a difficult pregnancy, so Harriet is getting shipped off for the summer to stay with her grandmother who runs a bed-and-breakfast on Marble Island. She’s always loved short visits to the tranquil island with her parents, but spending two whole months there without them means change, and Harriet does not like change. When she finds a beautiful old key in her grandmother’s shed, things start to pick up. Suddenly, there’s a mystery to be solved, one involving her dad’s childhood on the island and Miss Marble, the witty centenarian who is the island’s namesake." (adapted from Kirkus)

"Luz Véliz has been a star her entire life on the soccer field. When an injury keeps her from playing soccer, Luz needs to figure out who she is off the field. Her dad is distant, and a life-altering revelation rocks her Guatemalan family when a big secret is revealed. How much change can one sixth grader take? As Luz feels her world falling apart, she discovers robotics class, which helps her thrive in a way she's never known before. Luz learns that she can be great on the field but has always had more to offer than only her athletic ability." (description adapted from Publisher's Weekly)

With her best friend moving away, Rica Baptista needs a pet so she won't get lonely, but her parents are against it until an act of kindness and courage proves she is ready for the pet of her dreams. (description from catalog)

"After spending seven weeks at a summer leadership program at prestigious boarding school, rising eighth grader Caprice is invited to continue her education there on a full scholarship, an opportunity her family wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford. But back home, the family receives news that Caprice’s maternal grandmother’s health is failing, they face a long-standing rift and wounds around trauma that Caprice experienced as a younger child." (description adapted from Publisher's Weekly)

Aven Green was born without arms—so when her dad takes a job running a dying western theme park in Arizona, she knows she’ll become the center of unwanted attention at her new school. But she bonds with Connor, a classmate with his own disability to conquer. Then they discover a room at the park that holds bigger secrets than Aven ever could have imagined. Can Aven face her fears, solve a mystery, and help her friend, too? (description from Novelist)

"Amelia Gray is used to "life on the go," but when her nomadic father suddenly decides to put down roots in a small northeastern town, she has to figure out who she is "on the stay"-- Provided by publisher.

"For 9-year-old Abby McAdams, everything seems to be changing. Her best friend has moved across the country, her mom is going back to work, and Abby is stuck in the only after-school activity still available—running—which she absolutely loathes. On top of everything, sudden changes in Abby's body mean she has to deal with things like deodorant, bras, and uncomfortable conversations. She's not a grown-up yet, but she definitely doesn't feel like a little kid anymore. She's Abby, in between." (description adapted from publisher)

Twelve-year-old Pearl Li tries to gain her family's acceptance and save her favorite boba tea shop by selling her crocheted amigurumi dolls.

"Relocating from London to New York City with her family in the aftermath of her mother's death, Kitty struggles to adjust to a different culture, before an unlikely friendship inspires alternate perspectives on how to keep her mother's memory alive." (description from catalog)

"Fifth-grader Jillian will do just about anything to blend in, including staying quiet even when she has the right answer. After she loses a classroom competition because she won't speak up, she sets her mind on winning her school's biggest competition. But breaking out of her shell is easier said than done, and Jillian has only a month to keep her promise to her grandmother and prove to herself that she can speak up and show everyone her true self" (description provided by publisher.)

"Twelve-year-old Renada (Wren) is going through some difficult changes. In a few short months, her parents have divorced, her father has remarried, and Wren has gone through a major move with her mother. On the positive side, she likes her new stepmother, who is pregnant with twins, and quickly makes a friend at her new school. She also follows a YouTuber who specializes in special effects make-up, and working with make-up helps her cope with life. Wren's friend Poppy convinces her to do makeup for the school musical, and Wren is surprised to find herself enjoying the challenge. On the negative side, Wren's mother is behaving erratically, taking long naps on the sofa, missing work, and keeping things locked away in her room." (description from School Library Journal)

"Sent to Ireland after stealing one too many times to stay with her grandfather, a traditional Gaelic storyteller, Breda Moriarity seeks out the truth about what happened to her absent father, her family's history and herself." (description from NoveList)

"When her truck driver father talks about putting down roots, 11-year-old Hazmat, who loves life on the road in the navigator's seat by his side, hatches a plan to make sure his dream doesn't become a reality." (description from NoveList)

"Four-year-old Sal cannot find a gift she received from Santa, her new baby sister still does not have a name and takes up all of Mama's attention, and her brother Billy is annoying, but Sal finds her own strengths over an eventful Christmas season with her family." (description from catalog)

"When eleven-year-old Ginny Pierce's father gets deployed to Afghanistan just as her family is moving to a new post in Maryland, she tries to salvage a long and lonely summer by running her own geography camp." (description from NoveList)

"When she discovers her nemesis, Ella Quinn, is being harassed by golden boy Tyler Harris, seventh grader Hazel Hill is determined to prove it, since no one believes he would do such a thing, even if it means risking everything." (description provided by publisher)

"Mallory Moss knows the rules of middle school. The most important one? You have to fit in to survive. But then Jennifer Chan moves in across the street, and that rule doesn't seem to apply. Jennifer doesn't care about the laws of middle school...Then Jennifer goes missing. Using clues from Jennifer's journals, Mallory goes searching. But the closer she gets, the more Mallory has to confront why Jennifer might have run...and face the truth within herself" (description from publisher)

"As tensions escalate in the Jewish community of Beacon with incidents of vandalism and a swastika carved into new concrete poured near the synagogue, so does the tension grow between Aviva and Kayla and the girls at their school, and so do the actions ofthe dybbuk grow worse. Could real harm be coming Aviva's way? And is it somehow related to the 'accident' that took her father years ago?" (description provided by publisher)

Helping her popular next-door neighbor Gayil set up what she thinks are harmless pranks, 12-year-old Orthodox Jewish girl Shaindy must figure out how to stop them before she becomes the next target when the pranks escalate and turn malicious. - Provided from Catalog.

"When 12-year-old Joy Taylor's dad loses his job and the family has to give up their house, Joy's dreams of learning to play the piano and someday becoming a film score composer are put on hold. Their new apartment is too small, her mom and dad are fighting, and there is no money for piano lessons. A secret room in the apartment complex, known as the Hideout, provides a place where Joy and the other kids in the building can temporarily escape. Soon Joy makes new friends, starts a dog-walking business, and even begins writing to someone who is leaving heartrending messages on the wall of the Hideout. One weekend things go terribly wrong, and Joy must face uncomfortable realities about loyalty and responsibility" (description from School Library Journal)

When her estranged grandparents invite her to stay with them in the Poconos for the summer, Ryanna meets many relatives on her late mom's side of the family and discovers a whole new side of herself--and a place where she really belongs. (description from catalog)

With her mom's job and theater on the line, Zadie is determined to help make their show Spinderella the hit of the season--that is unless she accidentally turns it into a disaster.

"Thirteen-year-old former elite gymnast Eden is feeling lost after a career-ending injury, but when she meets new friends who open her eyes to period poverty, the struggle that low-income people have trying to afford menstrual products, she becomes an advocate for fair treatment and rediscovers her passion and drive." (description from catalog)

Eleven-year-old Juniper Berry lives off the grid in the California woods with her family, but when her brother gets sick, they have to leave to get help.

"Cline Alden's grandmother says that music is in the family's blood, but Cline's mother is dead-set against her daughter's dreams of becoming a country music singer; Cline is determined to find the money to attend a Young Singer-Songwriter Workshop in Lexington (not too far from her Paris, Kentucky home), so now she has a lot on her mind--she is hiding things from her mother, she is losing her beloved grandmother to Alzheimer's, and she has begun to acknowledge, to herself at least, that she is more attracted to girls then boys." (description from catalog)

"Determined to answer the burning question that askes what people are for, Leeva Spayce Thornblossom, with the help of an orphaned badger, a risk-averse boy in a hazmat suit and the town’s librarians, sets off a chain of events that will change Nutsmore forever." (description from NoveList)

Twelve-year-old Natalia's dream of becoming a synchronized swimmer is in jeopardy when her parents decide they are against a sport that emphasizes looks, but Nat is determined to change their minds.

Twelve-year-old Emmie Ethrige lives with her widowed father in South Carolina, dreams of wheelchair motocross, and is working toward her dream of buying a serious set of wheels to take her big-air tricks to the next level. But when a mishap leads people to question her independence, Emmie must find a way to change their minds. (description from NoveList)

"Lauren and her best friend, Tara, have always done absolutely everything together. So when they don't have any classes together in sixth grade, they try out for the school play. Lauren, who loves to sing, wonders if maybe, just maybe, she will be the star instead of Tara this time. But when the show is cast, Lauren lands in the ensemble, while Tara scores the lead role. Their teacher explains: Lauren just doesn't look the part of the all-American girl. What audience would believe that she, half-Jewish, half-Chinese Lauren, was the everygirl star from Pleasant Valley, USA? From amidst the ensemble, Lauren tries to support her best friend. But when she can't bring herself to sing anymore, her spot in the play and her friendship are in jeopardy. With the help of a button-making business, the music of Patsy Cline, and her two bickering grandmothers, can Lauren find her voice again?" (description from publisher)

"Written exclusively by authors who are Black, Indigenous, and/or people of color, this must-have, highly relatable collection of short stories and poems, as varied as the phases of the moon, reassures readers they aren’t alone in their period journey."(description from Novelist)

When eleven-year-old Vanessa discovers an abandoned museum, she starts filling it with her own projects and art and memories, thinking maybe, if she can put them all together in just the right way, she can finally understand why she and her relationshipsare the way they are. (description from catalog)

"Soon after her mother marries a man with three sons, sixth-grader Bea Embers fights to form a girls' soccer team at school, despite discrimination and setbacks." (description from catalog)

Eleven-year-old June is determined to beat her anxiety and become the lion she knows she is, instead of the mouse everyone sees, and with the help of Homer Juarez, the poetry-reciting soccer star, she starts a secret library garden and hatches a plan to make her dreams come true.

When her mother is injured in a car accident, twelve-year-old Franny tries to keep their fragile world intact by taking over her mom's cleaning jobs.

Seventh grader Tiffany Tudwell tries not to attract attention, but when she gains the ability to steal others' talents, Tiffany suddenly finds herself in the spotlight as she uses her powers to help save her dad's failing planetarium.

"It’s the spring semester, and Airi Sano is on top of the world! Her grades are up, she has real friends at her side, and she’s joined the school play. She’s even keeping out of trouble and toning down the pranks! But when the play falls victim to some truly awful pranks, everyone immediately suspects that Airi is behind them. As suspicion mounts, it’s up to her to solve the mystery and clear her own name before the imposter strikes again. Sounds like a job for Airi and her crew!" -provided by publisher

"When her father goes away, eleven-year-old California "Callie" Poppy winds up with her eccentric Great-Aunt Monica and their ancestor, the once-famous etiquette expert Eleanor Fontaine, now a hypersensitive ghost." (description from catalog)

"When they are selected to read speeches at their elementary school graduation, an unlikely friendship develops between two sixth-graders, one popular and one a misfit, who are facing family problems and health issues." (description from catalog)

"Twelve-year-old Max, who has an extreme overbite, must navigate sibling rivalry and middle school bullies." (Description from catalog)

"Marianne Blume, a self-described 'ditz,' tries out for her school's Quiz Quest team in a bid to prove she is smart." (description from catalog)

From the critically acclaimed author of the ALA Notable and Charlotte Huck Honor Book Forever, or a Long, Long Time comes the story of Piper Franklin, the girl who is way too busy to grow up . . . until she has to. Perfect for fans of Alyson Gerber and Rebecca Stead. Published from Amazon Books.