The Second Life of Snap by Erin Entrada Kelly is a brilliantly layered and character-driven dystopian novel set in the near future. The story centers on twelve-year-old Zuzu, who lives in Bright Valley Camp #5, a dusty, barren community set away from Bountiful, where the Lockwood Corporation is headquartered. When her dad, Beanie, loses his job at Lockwood, he is given a robot chaperone as severance. But Zuzu doesn’t want a robot chaperone. She wants to keep adventuring with her friends, who call themselves The Valleycats. Robots, like Snap, are for rich people and bound to be snitches. You’ll have to read the book to find out what happens. But I will say the novel is a beautiful story of friendship and survival that tackles many of the big questions today’s young readers face through a very organic and compelling narrative. As with all of Entrada Kelly’s work, the story is full of heart and emotion. The Second Life of Snap is the other #AngiesPeeks for this month. Recommended for ages 8 - 12.

The Moon Without Stars by Chanel Miller is a fabulous middle-grade book that tackles the confusing angst of middle-school social dynamics in a genuine and heartfelt way. The book is this month’s #AngiesPeeks because it really does a marvelous job of capturing the mindset of a middle schooler and reminding adults about how challenging and unmooring this time is for kids. The story centers on 12-year-old Luna, a quiet, observant girl who loves writing zines with her best friend, Scott. Initially, she writes a zine to help a classmate, which leads to requests for more from other students. But as the zines, then Luna, become more popular, things begin to shift. The story honestly tackles a myriad of middle school dilemmas, ranging from body image to shifting friendships to complicated home scenarios. The story is sensitive and funny, meeting the needs of young readers navigating these moments. It is wonderfully honest and realistic. Recommended for readers ages 10-12.

This month’s #AngiesPeek is A Sea of Lemon Trees: The Corrido of Roberto Alvarez by MarÍa Dolores Águila. The novel in verse tells the true story of twelve-year-old Roberto Alvarez and the Lemon Grove incident. During the Great Depression in Lemon Grove, California, school administrators tried to segregate Mexican students by pulling them out of the local public school, Lemon Grove Grammar School, and sending them to a school in a shack everyone called la caballeriza (the stable). The Mexican community united and fought back, and Roberto became their star witness in court. It is the perfect novel for meaningful conversations about the moment in history we are navigating right now, addressing issues of deportation, immigrant rights, birthrights, prejudice, and how children perceive and navigate them. It is emotionally resonant, honest, and hopeful. It’s no surprise that it is a winner of a Newbery Honor and several other accolades. Recommended for readers ages 8 and up.

When I think of phenomenal middle-grade historical fiction, books like Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson come to mind. Although it came out in 2022 and I am just reading it now, I couldn’t resist making it this month’s #AngiesPeek. The novel tells the story of a brother and sister duo, Homer (12) and Ada (7), who escape from slavery at the Southerland Plantation and join the Great Dismal Swamp community. Cleverly crafted, the book weaves together information about life on the plantation with the dangers of seeking freedom and the lesser-known history of swamp communities of escaped slaves that existed in the South. Besides confronting the big emotions Homer and Ada feel about being separated from their mother in their escape, the book tackles complicated feelings of PTSD and what children born in these exile communities, never having experienced slavery, might have felt about being confined to a life in the swamp. The characters are vivid, the story compelling, and the issues complex and thought-provoking. Recommended for readers ages 8 and up.

When I decided to highlight The Teacher of Nomad Land: A World War II Story by Daniel Nayeri as this month’s #AngiesPeeks, I did not know it would be the winner of the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature. But I’m not surprised. As someone who taught a course on Holocaust Literature and has read numerous World War II books, I am always pleased when a new perspective or story from this period surfaces. The Teacher of Nomad Land: A World War II Story is brilliantly unique and universal at the same time. Set in Iran, a neutral country during World War II, the novel follows recently orphaned thirteen-year-old Babak and his younger sister, Sana, as they embark on a quest for survival. Babak, eager in his desire to protect his sister and honor his father’s memory, decides to continue his father’s work as a teacher to the children of a tribe of nomads. The odyssey that ensues tackles complex themes of grief, displacement, the refugee experience, and survival while skillfully integrating historical facts about the war. It is both brilliant and a captivating tale for young readers. Recommended for ages 10 and up.

This month’s #AngiesPeeks, The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest by Aubrey Hartman, was an unusual but thoroughly engaging read. I felt compelled to check it out because it kept popping up everywhere in my newsfeed. The story centers around Clare, an undead fox who serves as an Usher to the souls of dead animals entering the Afterlife, and a badger named Gingersnipes who arrives seeking direction from Clare. When the “usual” approach doesn’t work, the two embark on a journey to discover where they both belong and to try to control their destinies. It is a beautifully imaginative novel for children that explores the complex subject of life, death, and the afterlife with humor, adventure, and candor – quirky and thoughtful in its approach without talking down to kids. Recommended for ages 9 and up.