Book Recommendations for School-aged Kids and Teens
by Anna Yesilevskiy
Summer is the perfect time for kids and teens to read books for fun while brushing up on their vocabulary and expanding their worldview. Avid reader Anna Yesilevskiy, a member of the Brooklyn Book Bodega community, recommends these books for K-12 students during the summer.
K-5:
The Bad Seed by Jory John and Pete Oswald is a picture book that follows a seed who has a bad temper, bad manners and a bad attitude and no one believes that the seed can change as he is stuck in his ways. The Bad Seed is a funny children’s picture book full of heart that explores themes of acceptance and found family, shows children that positive change is possible for anyone and teaches them about overcoming a negative experience.
After the Fall: How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again by Dan Santat is a picture book that follows Humpty Dumpty and what happened to him after he fell and how he overcame his fear of flying. This story teaches children the importance of overcoming fears and obstacles through beautiful illustrations.
The Generous Fish by Jacqueline Jules and Frances Tyrrell is a picture book that is inspired by Jewish folklore and that follows a young boy named Reuven, who forms a friendship with a giant talking fish whose scales are made of real gold. When everyone in Reuven’s village starts coming for the fish’s scales, the fish is happy to give the scales away but giving away too many scales makes the fish weak and Reuven must therefore learn how to save his friend. This children’s book is beautifully illustrated and teaches children about friendship and about standing up for what is right.
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson is a children’s book that follows Jess Aarons who wants to be the fastest runner in fifth grade and he almost is until a new girl in school. Leslie Burke turns out to be faster than him. The two become best friends and spend most of their days in the woods behind Leslie’s house where they invent a fantastical land called Terabithia. Then one morning, Leslie goes to Terabithia without Jess and tragedy strikes. This book tells an emotional story of friendship and family and also teaches children about the process of grief.
Holes by Louis Sachar is a children’s book that follows Stanley Yelnats who has unfairly been sent to a boys’ detention center, Camp Green Lake where the boys build character by digging holes but Stanley soon realizes that something more sinister is going on at the camp. This book is a great portrayal of the injustices within our justice system and also a great exploration of redemption and human compassion.
6-8:
New Kid by Jerry Craft is a middle-grade graphic novel that follows a seventh-grader named Jordan Banks who loves to draw cartoons about his life and whose parents enroll him in a prestigious private school known for its academics rather than sending him to the art school of his dreams. At his new private school, Jordan is one of the few kids of color in his entire grade and as he makes the daily commute from his Washington Heights apartment to the Riverdale Academy Day School, Jordan has to find ways to fit in both worlds while also staying true to himself and his values. This graphic novel features a great art style, has great humor, and tackles and teaches kids about many important topics such as friendships, self-expression, bullying, implicit bias, microaggressions, and racism in schools.
American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang is a graphic novel that follows four characters: Jin Wang, a Chinese American boy who wants to fit in at school; the Monkey King who wants to be a god; Danny, an American high school student; and Chin-Kee, Danny’s Chinese cousin who visits the United States every year. In combination with a great art style, Yang weaves a captivating story about culture and identity.
The Giver by Lois Lowry is a children’s book that follows Jonas, a twelve-year-old boy who lives in an ideal world that has no color and is full of conformity. When he is given his life assignment, which is to be the Receiver of Memory, he starts to unravel the dark secrets that his community is hiding. This is a poignant and intriguing coming-of-age novel that explores individuality, freedom, choice, and memory.
BANG by Barry Lyga is a young adult novel that follows Sebastian Cody, a fourteen-year-old boy who accidentally shot and killed his infant sister with his father’s gun. For ten years, Sebastian has lived with the guilt of what he has done and he has a plan to fix what he did—he just needs to get a gun. Then a new girl named Aneesa moves to town and they become quick friends. However, even their friendship doesn’t allow Sebastian to escape his dark thoughts. This YA novel delves into topics such as gun violence and xenophobia while also exploring family dynamics and the way those dynamics tie in with grief.
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton is a young adult novel that follows Ponyboy Curtis, a fourteen-year-old boy who feels like an outsider and struggles between making right and wrong choices. According to Ponyboy, in his society, there are two kinds of people: Greasers and Socs. A Soc is short for social who is in the higher class and can get away with anything whereas a Greaser is someone who is the lower class, lives on the outside, and needs to constantly watch his back. Ponyboy is a Greaser and has always been proud of it until one night when his friend, Johnny kills a Soc. The boys must then decide where to go from there. This novel is a must-read as it teaches teens about class relations, societal expectations, empathy, the perpetual cycle of violence and poverty while also portraying the importance of a found family and friends.
9-12:
Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds is a young adult novel that follows Will, a fifteen-year-old boy who wants to avenge his older brother’s death by shooting the person he believes is responsible for his brother’s death. However, when he gets a gun and goes to the building that the alleged killer lives in, he gets onto the elevator and meets ghosts from his past. This is a thought-provoking and hard-hitting novel that explores and portrays gun violence and the cycle of violence as it intertwines with loss and grief.
Cool for the Summer by Dahlia Adler is a young adult novel that follows Lara, a high school senior who, after having a summer fling with a girl named Jasmine, returns to her hometown for her senior year of high school where the guy she’s been crushing on finally reciprocates her feelings. However, when Jasmine walks through the front doors of Lara’s school on the first day of school, Lara is reminded of the summer they spent together and now has to sort her feelings and figure out her identity. This is a well-crafted novel that has Jewish representation, bookish characters, sex positivity, well-developed characters, and a focus on sexuality, self-discovery and identity. A must-read for teens who are exploring and navigating their identities.
The Bridge by Bill Konigsberg is a young adult novel that follows Aaron, a Jewish-American gay teenage misfit and Tillie, a Korean-American teenager who feels like she will never be good enough. Both of them arrive at the George Washington Bridge at the same time with the intention to jump. After they get onto the bridge, the novel splits into four sections, which include a section where Tillie jumps and Aaron doesn’t, a section where Aaron jumps and Tillie doesn’t, a section where they both jump, and a section where neither of them jumps. The Bridge normalizes therapy, seeking help and antidepressants, has characters that are well-developed, complex, and flawed, and features a great friendship. A must-read for teens who may be struggling with their mental health.
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas is a young adult novel that follows sixteen-year-old Starr Carter, who navigates two different worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she goes to. The already unstable balance between these two worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses a police officer shooting and killing her best friend, Khalil. Soon, Khalil’s death becomes a national headline where some are calling him a thug and a drug dealer whereas others start protests on the streets. At the same time, some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family into keeping quiet. Everyone wants to know what really went down that night and Starr is the only one who can answer those questions. However, what she does or doesn’t say can threaten her and her family’s life, so she must make a choice between staying quiet and having a voice. This book is a must-read for teens today as it goes into an in-depth exploration of race and class relations, racial differences in the United States, microaggressions, interracial relationships, and grief while also portraying complex family dynamics.
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson is a young adult novel that follows Melinda Sordino, a high school freshman who calls the police after she is sexually assaulted at an end of a summer party and is ostracized by her peers for it because she won’t explain why she called the cops. This coming-of-age book is an important and necessary read for high school students today as it delves into topics such as sexual assault trauma and memory and how they intersect with isolation and depression.
Anna Yesilevskiy has a graduate certificate from NYU’s summer publishing institute, an M.S.Ed in Education Policy from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, and a BA in Psychology with double minors in Creative Writing and Women and Gender Studies. She currently works as a K-12 tutor and as a legal writer. Anna is also a book/tv blogger and the host of a YA book club at a Brooklyn Public Library branch.