Best Fiction for Older Readers of 2023Like this list

26 items

• Alebrijes

  Higuera, Donna Barba,

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  In a post-apocalyptic settlement known as the Pox, 13-year-old Leandro does what he has to do to keep himself and his little sister Gabi safe. But when he is exiled for a crime he didn’t commit, Leandro learns there is life beyond the Pox…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Aniana Del Mar Jumps in

  Méndez, Jasminne,

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  Swimming is Aniana del Mar's passion, although her swim meets are a secret that she and her Papi keep from her mother. Years ago, Mami lost her brother and her home to Hurricane Georges, and now she's terrified of the water. But when…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Beautiful Something Else

  Van Otterloo, Ash,

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  As Sparrow understands it, it’s their job to keep everything okay for Mom--which means no problems, perfect grades, and no challenging Mom’s idea that Sparrow is a girl. But when Sparrow is sent to stay with a distant aunt while Mom is in…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Dear Mothman

  Gow, Robin,

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  Feeling fully loved and understood by a best friend is such a gift, especially when that friend is like you. Noah had a friend like that: Lewis. When Lewis dies in a car accident. Noah begins writing a journal to Mothman to deal with his…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Ellie Engle Saves Herself

  Johnson, Leah (Young adult author),

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  Have you ever imagined what it would be like to be a superhero? When a surprise earthquake leaves 12-year-old comic book nerd Ellie Engle with the ability to bring (almost) anything back from the dead, Ellie tries to learn how her new…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Eyes & the Impossible

  Eggers, Dave,

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  The Eyes – that’s what the Bison call him – is a wild dog who lives in a fictional park on a fictional island and keeps watch of everything that goes on in the human and animal worlds around him. But when the humans start making changes…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Finally Seen

  Yang, Kelly,

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  Five years ago, Lina's parents and baby sister moved to America, leaving her in Beijing with her grandmother. Now, she finally gets to join them, but life in California isn't what she expected. Her parents owe back rent, her father works…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Ghost Book

  Lai, Remy,

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  July Chen is a girl who sees ghosts. William Xiao is a boy who has been brought back from the dead more than once. Their lives have been intertwined since birth - but neither of them knows it yet! Now, as William’s thread of life is…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Good Different

  Kuyatt, Meg Eden,

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  Anyone who feels like they have to put on a mask to fit into a world not made for them will be able to empathize with Selah, an autistic girl who has a meltdown and hits another student. Threatened with expulsion, Selah sets out to…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Greenwild

  the World Behind the Door

  Thomson, Pari,

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  Travelling with her reporter mother from environmental crisis to environmental crisis, Daisy Thistledown’s childhood has been one exciting trip after another. But her mother’s abrupt disappearance and a bewildering betrayal sends Daisy…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Hands

  Maldonado, Torrey,

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  Trevor’s stepdad promised to get revenge the night he was arrested for hitting Trevor’s mom. Now Trevor is having nightmares and training as a fighter in the same boxing gym as his deceased father once did to protect his mother and ‘two…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Lost Year

  Marsh, Katherine,

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  Matthew certainly thinks he has it the worst this year – stuck inside under quarantine, living with his mother and 100-year-old Ukrainian great-grandmother GG when he should be hanging out with his friends and visiting his father in Paris.…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Manifestor Prophecy

  Thomas, Angie,

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  Nic Blake is finally turning 12 years old, and her dad has promised to teach her how to use The Gift. They are Remarkables living in a world of Unremarkables (regular humans). Nic soon discovers that her dad has hidden a lot from her…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams

  Nayeri, Daniel,

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  “The first time I was stoned to death by an angry mob, I was not even a criminal.” So begins the tale of Omar, an imperiled orphan, and Samir, the traveling merchant who comes to his rescue. But being saved is hardly a guarantee of safety.…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Mascot

  Waters, Charles, 1973-

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  This middle-grade novel in verse tells the story of six eighth graders whose English teacher has created an assignment debating whether the high school’s mascot should be changed or remain the same. The mascot is an Indigenous caricature…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Montgomery and the Case of the Golden Key

  Crowder, Tracy Occomy,

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  It’s 2008, Obama is running for president, Monty’s turning 10, and he’s planning on having the best summer ever. Then he finds the mysterious golden key. In searching for where the key came from, he’ll discover a whole lot he never knew…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Mossheart's Promise

  Mix, Rebecca,

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  In this fantasy with a touch of gothic horror, a race of fairies and other critters are trapped in a molding, dying world. Everyone looks to Ary to fix it all simply because they think she should be like her heroic grandmother. 12-year-old…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Not An Easy Win

  Giles, Chrystal D.,

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  Since his pop left home and never came back, things have been hard on Lawrence, his mom, and his little sister Nikko, causing them to move from hip urban Charlottesville to boring rural Larenville to live with Granny. After Lawrence gets…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Parachute Kids

  Tang, Betty C.,

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  Imagine vacationing in another country and discovering your parents are leaving you and your teen siblings there. None of you even speak the language! They enroll you in school, expect neighbors to watch out for you, and leave. Such is the…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Salsa Magic

  Marrero, Letisha,

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  Mystical dreams of a woman in white and mesmerizing blue waters fill 13-year-old Maya Calderon's nights while her close-knit clan, a new crush and soccer occupy every waking moment. The Calderon family is full of nearly-magical stories,…Read moreRead more of this annotation