Diverse Back to School Recs for Middle Schoolers

It’s basically Back to School Season and this is the first year since 2014 that I’m not preparing to go back into the classroom. While I really love my current work, it’s a bittersweet feeling to not be part of the fresh start a new school year brings.

BUT you can take the teacher out of the classroom, but she’ll always be an educator. So, I’m sharing a few Back to School book recs for middle schoolers that are all about starting at a new school or the first day of school.

Honest June by Tina Wells

Who wouldn't want a fairy godmother? But when June's puts her under a spell where she cannot tell a lie, the truth is middle school just got a lot harder.

Curlfriends: New in Town by Sharee Miller

New Kid meets The Baby-sitters Club in this graphic novel series opener about the Curlfriends, four inseparable Black girls who show us the meaning of true friendship—and being your true self.

Doodles from the Boogie Down by Stephanie Rodriguez

 young Dominican girl navigates middle school, her strict mother, shifting friendships, and her dream of being an artist in this debut coming-of-age graphic novel inspired by the author's tween years.

Measuring Up by Lilly Lamotte

Twelve-year-old Cici has just moved from Taiwan to Seattle, and the only thing she wants more than to fit in at her new school is to celebrate her grandmother, A-má’s, seventieth birthday together. Can Cici find a winning recipe to reunite with A-má, a way to fit in with her new friends, and somehow find herself too?

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I have a ton more titles on my website of course and I’m always happy to chat recs for your particular kiddos. Just leave a comment below or email me at info@tumasbooks.com anytime. =)