My Five Favorite Back-To-School Books!
Some school-themed book recs I think you should read
Hello, friends, and happy back-to-school! I always really enjoy the beginning of the school year, so to celebrate, I pulled together five books I love that I think would be perfect to read for this time of year. There’s a lot to discuss, so let’s get into it!
1: Absolutely Truly
Author: Heather Vogel Frederick
Genre: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction
Plot: Truly Lovejoy wishes she was back in Texas. When her parents decide to move her and her four siblings to the tiny town of Pumpkin Falls, New Hampshire, to help their retiring grandparents with their bookstore, Truly’s not sure what she thinks of the move. But once Truly and her new friends find a secret note in a first edition of Charlotte’s Web, they find themselves in the middle of a scavenger hunt. Truly doesn’t want to get too attached to Pumpkin Falls or her new friends, but what if chasing secret clues around town convinces her she wants to stay…
What I Like About It: I love all of the characters in Pumpkin Falls, and Truly is such a good narrator!
Things To Be Advised About: Discussion of war, prosthetic limbs. A few scary scenes; one of the characters almost drowns.
2: Front Desk
Author: Kelly Yang
Genre: Realistic Fiction, Middle Grade
Plot: Mia has just moved to the United States with her parents from China, determined to make a new, better life for themselves. But when they find themselves taking care of a hotel owned by a mean man, they find themselves working overtime to keep the hotel running. Plus, Mia has having a hard time at school, and the only other Chinese person in her class doesn’t like her. How can Mia fit in if she can’t find anyone like her?
What I Like About It: The chapters are super short, and the pacing of the book (and Mia’s adventures) is perfect!
Things To Be Advised About: There’s talk about lack of money, racist and mean people, and a few mentions of blood.
3: Prairie Lotus
Author: Linda Sue Park
Genre: Realistic Fiction, Middle Grade, Historical Fiction
Plot: Hanna is used to being half. She’s half white and half Chinese. Half a girl and half a woman. Half a student and half a dressmaker. So when Hanna and her father move from California to La Forge in the Dakota Territory, she knows she’ll be seen as half again. As she tries to adjust to the new town, she is confronted by old dreams: her mama’s, to see Hanna graduate, and hers, to become a famous dressmaker. But how can she accomplish her dreams if no one can see her for what she really is – a whole person?
What I Like About It: I love Hanna’s narration and the way the author effortlessly combines description and dialogue!
Things To Be Advised About: There are racist people, mentions of adult substances, and riots.
4: Stargirl
Author: Jerry Spinelli
Genre: Realistic Fiction, Young Adult, School Story
Plot: Leo knows the rules at Mica High School: fit in, be normal, and never, EVER do anything that could change that. But when Stargirl shows up at Mica High out of the blue, she challenges everything that Leo and his fellow high schoolers believe in and stand for.
What I Liked About It: This book is such a masterpiece! I love Stargirl as a character so much, and having Leo be the narrator is such a wise decision. I think the book addresses themes of popularity and being yourself very well.
Things To Be Advised About: Mentions of bullying, verbally and physically.
5: The Secret of Honeycake
Author: Kimberly Newton Fusco
Genre: Middle Grade, Historical Fiction
Plot: Hurricane is used to running on the sandy beaches of Maine with her dog, Brody Bear, and writing in her journal to her mama. But when her sister, Bronte, gets sick, Hurricane is sent to stay with her aunt in the city. Hurricane longs to go back home, but she finds that maybe her aunt, the nice butler, and a kind boy with a menagerie of animals might not be so bad…
What I Liked About It: I couldn’t stop reading this book as soon as I picked it up! I loved Hurricane and the surrounding cast of characters, and I can’t wait to read this again.
Things To Be Advised About: Illness, a few bullying remarks from an adult, a few sexist lines. Mentions of war, and one of the characters experiences PTSD (although since it’s set in the 1930s, they don’t describe it as such.)
Those are the five back-to-school books I selected for this post! Have you read any of these? Do you want to? Pop a comment below with your answers; I’d love to know!
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