Just like Saturday morning cartoons, today’s post is aimed at kids, specifically those in grades 5-8. The following are kid’s books that your tween might like:

I Can Make This Promise by Christine Day features a much neglected population of the U.S., Native Americans. Not only is this novel accurately representative, but it also is crammed full of family secrets.

For younger readers, grades three and four, who like chapter books, check out The Dog Who Lost His Bark by Eoin Calfer. This is illustrated by P.J. Lynch and is a must for dog lovers.

Speaking of dogs, Angela Cervantes has written a delightful chapter book, Letty Out Loud for upper elementary grades. Letty works at a local animal shelter as a volunteer and wants to adopt Spike, aka Hunter, who is the “perfect boy” in her opinion. As she works with Spanish ESL, she reads aloud to dogs at the shelter, thus perfecting her English skills. Letty is an “idea person” who gets things done–her way. She is a spunky, caring protagonist kids will identify with.

Switching to books that offer more adventure, Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation by Stuart Gibbs is a rollicking read, a spy novel where Charlie, a kid-genius on a secret mission for the government, receives instructions that he must carry out to save the world.

In a quieter, more introspective read, Eric Walters and  Kathy Kacer write a lovely novel for upper elementary and early junior high age readers, Broken Strings. Several life lessons are taught in this novel which deals with friendship, competition among musicians, and familial love against the background of Holocaust memories.

These are just a few of the special books, recommended by librarians for the Cybil award which I had the privilege of reading as a first round Cybils’ judge last year. It was a wonderful experience and one I hope to repeat if I am asked again in 2020.