ALSC 2025 Summer Reading List: Grades 6-8Like this list

20 items

• The Baker and the Bard

  Haught, Fern,

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  A baker’s apprentice and a young bard go on an adventure to secure the final ingredient needed for a massive pastry order. Along the way, they encounter mysterious happenings and meet fantastical beings.

• Bye Forever, I Guess

  Meadows, Jodi,

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  Introverted Ingrid thrives in a roleplaying game online but spends school days alone until her virtual crush presents an in-real-life opportunity. A charming look at first crushes, healthy friendships, and book superfandom.

• Flying Through Water

  Wolo, Mamle,

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  Sena will have to use all the survival skills he has learned from his grandfather in rural Ghana to survive and scape from the human traffickers who trapped him.

• Impossible Creatures

  Rundell, Katherine,

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  Two children fight to save a magical land where the last magical creatures are threatened with extinction.

• Kareem Between

  Safadi, Shifa Saltagi,

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  Caught between his Syrian heritage and his desire to be seen as American, Kareem pursues his dream of being the first Syrian American football player, even if it means putting aside what is most important.

• Mid-Air

  Williams, Alicia, 1970-

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  When Isaiah loses his best friend in a tragic accident, he must navigate grief, fractured friendships, and his own identity in this moving novel in verse.

• The Mystery of Locked Rooms

  Currie, Lindsay,

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  In an abandoned funhouse, three friends unlock clues to discover a hidden treasure.

• Next Stop

  Fong, Debbie,

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  Dealing with the grief of losing her brother, Pia embarks on a road trip that ends at a mysterious lake rumored to grant wishes. An exploration of grief and resilience told with humor and heart.

• Not Nothing

  Forman, Gayle,

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  While doing court ordered volunteer work at a senior home, twelve-year-old Alex meets 107-year-old Josey who hasn’t spoken in years. A bond develops, and they help each other overcome mistakes and misunderstandings.

• Not Quite a Ghost

  Ursu, Anne,

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  Amid a variety of changes in her life, Violet Hart must come to terms with her illness and a dark shadowy presence in her new home.

• The Pale Queen

  Aldridge, Ethan M.,

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  After a chance encounter with the mysterious Lady of the Hills, Agatha learns of a hidden mist-shrouded land. But is the Lady who she appears to be, and can Agatha protect her village?

• The Picture Visitors

  a Case for the Van Gogh Agency

  Wolff, Christina, 1973-

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  This adventure follows Vincent, who has the ability to jump in and out of paintings. As he pursues an art thief, he meets two other teens who also possess this ability.

• Shark Teeth

  Winston, Sherri,

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  In this portrait of a family in crisis, seventh-grader Sharkita struggles to care for her siblings and hold her family together as they face the possibility of separation by the foster care system.

• Side Quest

  a Visual History of Roleplaying Games

  Sattin, Samuel,

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  This graphic novel is a dive into the world of role-playing games (RPG), presenting stories from the creators about their RPG experiences and fascinating tidbits about the medium with origins dating back to ancient Asia.

• Spying on Spies

  How Elizebeth Smith Friedman Broke the Nazis' Secret Codes

  Moss, Marissa,

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  A great addition to books about women’s contributions to science. Readers will enjoy learning about the brilliant Friedman in this narrative nonfiction title featuring photographs and graphic novel–style drawings. The back matter includes…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Take It From the Top

  Swinarski, Claire,

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  Their tremendous talent and love for performing arts first brought besties Eowyn and Jules together at Lamplighter Lake summer camp, but this sixth summer finds the girls barely speaking. Through flashbacks and chapters from each girl’s…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman

  Choldenko, Gennifer, 1957-

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  Left to care for his little sister while facing eviction and an uncertain future after the disappearance of their mother, eleven-year-old Hank reaches out to a stranger on an emergency contact form for help.

• Unsinkable Cayenne

  Vitalis, Jessica,

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  After being homeschooled by her parents while living out of their van, Cayenne starts seventh grade at a middle school. A fascinating story told in verse.

• We Are Big Time

  Khan, Hena,

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  This heartfelt graphic novel follows Aliya as she joins the struggling all-girls basketball team at her new Islamic school.

• Weirdo

  Weaver, Tony, Jr,

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  When relentless bullying at school leads to a mental crisis for seventh grader Tony, a move to a new school helps him find his own pack of “nerds” and embrace his own weirdness.