Best Fiction for Older Readers of 2021Like this list

28 items

• Ahmed Aziz's Epic Year

  Hamza, Nina,

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  Ahmed’s year is looking bleak. He is moving from Hawaii to Minnesota. His dad is sick with a rare disease that killed Ahmed’s uncle. He is going to be the new kids in school and, worst of all, he is expected to read three books before school even…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Amari and the Night Brothers

  Alston, B. B.,

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  After her older brother has gone missing, Amari Peters has vowed to uncover the truth of his disappearance. She quickly finds herself in a world of magic and danger after she is admitted to a magical summer camp where she encounters new friends and…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Ancestor Approved

  Intertribal Stories for Kids

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  16 Indigenous authors contribute interwoven short stories with universal themes, highlighting the intersecting and disparate tribal cultures. These stories will make you laugh, ponder and leave you with plenty to think about. Biographical…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Artie and the Wolf Moon

  Stephens, Olivia,

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  Amateur photographer Artie has always been drawn to the moon. After sneaking out to photograph a full moon, she discovers that she is a descendant of a tribe of werewolves who have existed undetected in a secluded community in the woods. This…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Being Clem

  Cline-Ransome, Lesa,

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  Clemson Thurber Jr is one of the smallest kids in his fourth grade class, but he has big expectations to follow in his father’s footsteps as a brave Navy man. After Clem’s father dies in the Port Chicago Disaster in San Francisco during World War…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Black Boy Joy

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  Edited by author Kwame Mbalia (Tristan Strong series), this volume features multi genre short stories written by critically acclaimed Black authors such as Jason Reynolds and Lamar Giles. Find joy in all expressions of black boyhood.

• Born Behind Bars

  Venkatraman, Padma,

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  An Indian boy, jailed with his mother since birth, is forced to leave the only home and family he knows. When he ends up on the street, he befriends a Roma girl and together they try to find his father's family and free his innocent mother.

• Boy, Everywhere

  Dassu, A. M.,

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  13-year-old Sami loves his life in Damscus, Syria. He might have a little more homework than he’d like, but he’s got friends, video games and football. After his mother and sister narrowly survive a bombing, Sami must face a new reality: his family…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Cece Rios and the Desert of Souls

  Rivera, Kaela,

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  Cece Rios has always felt like an outsider, less talented than her peers in Tierra del Sol. But when her sister is taken by El Sombrerón, a powerful and evil criatura, Cece decides to be brave and save her, even if it means going against her…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Chance to Fly

  Stroker, Ali, 1987-

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  Middle-schooler Nat is obsessed with musical theatre, so she’s psyched when an audition opportunity pops up. But her well-meaning parents aren’t a hundred percent behind her--they’re worried that because Nat uses a wheelchair, she won’t be treated…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• City of the Plague God

  Chadda, Sarwat,

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  New York City is about to become a battleground between the gods and demons of ancient Mesopotamia and thirteen-year-old Sikander – that's Sik to his friends - Aziz’s family diner is the unlikely center of the conflict. Can Sik stop them before it’s…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Forever This Summer

  Youngblood, Leslie C.,

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  When Georgie winds up in the tiny town of Bogalusa for the summer--not her idea of what to do with her vacation!--she meets Markie. And wow, you’ve never met anyone quite like Markie! She’s fast-talking, fast-moving, and independent. When the two…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Ground Zero

  Gratz, Alan, 1972-

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  Using two voices we learn about events that happened on 9/11. Brandon is at the World Trade Center with his dad when a plane hits the North Tower and Reshmina is in Afghanistan trying to stay alive as a battle erupts in her village. Brandon is…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Hazel Bly and the Deep Blue Sea

  Blake, Ashley Herring,

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  It’s been two years since Hazel lost her beloved mum in a kayaking accident. Since then, Hazel’s mama has moved Hazel and her little sister Petra no fewer than eight times. Will they ever find home without Mum? A heartfelt, moving and honest story…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Last Cuentista

  Higuera, Donna Barba,

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  Twelve-year-old Petra is going to be the resident storyteller when her spaceship arrives on Sagan, a new planet that will save humanity. Instead, she wakes up and finds herself stuck in a brainwashed collective and she is the only one who remembers…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Legend of Auntie Po

  Khor, Shing Yin,

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  Mei is very familiar with the special magic of shared meals – she sees it every day at the California logging camp where her father works as a cook. Mei also provides support and solace through her stories about the literally larger-than-life Auntie…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Lion of Mars

  Holm, Jennifer L.,

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  Imagine a world on Mars where five different countries set up colonies to test survival on the red planet. The most important rule for the U.S. group is that they remain isolated from the other countries. Bell, 11, the youngest of five kids in their…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Maya and the Robot

  Ewing, Eve L.,

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  It is hard to start fifth grade in a different class from your two best friends- change is not always easy, especially when you are shy. Sometimes it helps to do something you love, like fixing up an old robot! And Maya’s new robotic sidekick Ralph…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Merci Suárez Can't Dance

  Medina, Meg,

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  In this sequel to the Newbery winning Merci Suárez Changes Gears, Merci Suárez is now in the seventh grade. She still has many of the worries she had in sixth grade but now she also worries about liking boys, school dances and how everyone and…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Middletown

  Moon, Sarah, 1982-

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  When Eli's single mom is sent to rehab, her seventeen-year-old sister, Anna, disguises herself as their aunt to keep the girls out of foster care. Eli must keep the lie from her two best friends, even when Anna disappears for days, and Eli is…Read moreRead more of this annotation