Book picks similar to
Milla Takes Charge by Erin Soderberg Downing


middle-grade
realistic-fiction
friendship
lgbtq

Long Road to the Circus


Betsy Bird - 2021
    When her wayward uncle moves back home to the farm, only to skip his chores every morning for mysterious reasons, Suzy decides to find out what he's up to once and for all. And that's when she meets legendary former circus queen Madame Marantette and her ostriches. Before long, Suzy finds herself caught-up in the fast-paced, wild world of ostrich riding, that just might be her ticket out of Burr Oak.

Field Tripped


Allan Woodrow - 2018
    Legend has it, there are some undiscovered inventions hidden in the house. The students are eager to find them, and they convince Principal Klein to let them out of writing their essay on Minks if they do. But as Aaron, Eddie, Jessie, and Chloe explore the Minks Mansion, it seems like something strange is going on. Like the adults are missing and someone might be stealing the inventions. But in order to save the inventions and their teachers, the kids might just have to pull some serious pranks to stop the bad guys. Even if it means risking a lifetime of detention.Can the fifth graders save their field trip and the mansion . . . or will this be the last field trip ever in school history?

What Goes Up


Wen Baragrey - 2018
    . . comes down on Robyn Tinkerbell Goodfellow's roof! Will a rogue NASA satellite crush her house before Robyn can set things right?Robyn Tinkerbell Goodfellow (yes, that's actually her name) has a target on her roof. Well, not a real one, but everything seems to land there: paper airplanes, lost kites, socks, cats, and once even a skydiver! In the town of Calliope, Robyn and her magnet roof are famous--for being weird. That wasn't such a big deal . . . until now!A rogue NASA satellite is falling out of orbit and is going to hit Earth. NASA says it will probably land in the ocean, but Robyn knows better--that satellite is headed for her roof. To make matters worse, Robyn discovers that she doesn't just have a fairy middle name. When her class reads A Midsummer Night's Dream, she learns that Robin Goodfellow is a fairy! Which means if the satellite flattens her, everyone will laugh at her name in the news stories. Robyn realizes what she needs to do: find her long-lost dad so he can help her change her name and protect her from the satellite!Both surprising and relatable, this middle-grade novel will have readers wishing they could move to the small town of Calliope, laugh with the larger-than-life characters, and race against the clock to save Robyn from NASA's mistake.

Surface Tension


Mike Mullin - 2018
    When Jake’s mother blames his head injury for his tales of attempted murder, he has to rely on his girlfriend, Laurissa, to help him escape the killers and the law enforcement agents convinced that Jake himself had a role in the crash.Mike Mullin, author of the Ashfall series, delivers a gripping story with memorable characters and all-too-real scenarios.Mullin's premise is riveting and timely . . . a strong action story that touches lightly on topics of grave complexity.―Publishers WeeklyMullin (best known for his Ashfall series) succeeds in creating an engaging and suspenseful novel that will hook readers almost immediately. This heart-pounding, high-stakes thriller engages with race relations in an all-too-relevant exploration of terrorism, xenophobia, and corruption at the highest levels. ―Booklist

Bullied to Death?: A Story Of Bullying, Social Media, And The Suicide Of Sherokee Harriman


Judith A. Yates - 2018
    Despite attempts to save her, the girl died, and the coroner ruled it a “suicide.” But was it? Or was it a crime perpetuated by other teens who had bullied her? Sherokee’s short life and tragic death created a national media and social media frenzy much of it centered on sensationalism rather than the truth. Meanwhile in LaVergne, the community sought answers to questions about who, if anyone, should be held criminally responsible for “bullying.” Award-winning author and criminologist Judith A. Yates peels back the layers of sensational news coverage surrounding a girl’s death, and in context with national interest in the phenomenon of internet bullying tries to answer the question of whether Sherokee Harriman was BULLIED TO DEATH.

The Good War


Todd Strasser - 2021
    Peterson is starting a video game club where the students will playing The Good War, a new game based on World War II.They are divided into two teams: Axis and Allies, and they will be simulating a war they know nothing about yet. Only one team will win. But what starts out as friendly competition, takes an unexpected turn for the worst when an one player takes the game too far.Can an afterschool club change the way the students see eachother...and how they see the world?By using a gaming lens to explore the students' entr�e to prejudice and radicalization, he succeeds in lending immediacy and accessibility to his cautionary tale.--Kirkus Reviews

The Last Monster


Ginger Garrett - 2016
      Sofia has never felt special. Not at school, or with her track team, and especially not since she’s become sick. She’s always been different, but this doesn't make her stand out . . . it's makes her invisible. Then something special lands right in Sofia’s lap. An ancient book that serves as a portal for the Greek philosopher, Xeno, one of Aristotle’s lost students. Sofia has been chosen to be the next Guardian. Suddenly Sofia is not only trying to survive middle-school cliques and first crushes, she’s in charge of protecting grotesquely beautiful, lonely monsters that have roamed the Earth for centuries. Drawn into Xeno’s violent and unpredictable world of mystery, Sofia learns that loving outsiders has a price.

A Dog's Porpoise


M.C. Ross - 2019
    And he's not the only one who's lost in these wayward waters: Lars, a rowdy pup, is knocked overboard a nearby boat. With the help of a girl named Natalie, Bangor rescues Lars, and they become fast friends.But not everyone in the small town approves of this unlikely friendship. Some find Lars a nuisance to the community, and it isn't safe for Bangor to remain in the harbor. It's up to Natalie to convince the town to locate Bangor's pod and return him safely home -- even if it means saying goodbye to her new friend.

Across the River: Life, Death, and Football in an American City


Kent Babb - 2021
    Short on hope and big dreams, its mostly poor and marginalized residents find joy on Friday nights in fall, when the Cougars of Edna Karr High School take the field. For three years, this team of scrappy, talented athletes have brought glory to Edna Karr and Algiers, winning three straight consecutive state championships in Louisiana’s ultra-competitive Class 4A division. While planning for a fourth title, thirty-three-year-old head football coach Brice Brown is focused on something much more important: keeping the 96 teenagers on his team alive. An epidemic of gun violence plagues New Orleans and its surrounding communities and has claimed too many innocent lives, including Coach Brown’s former star quarterback, Tollette “Tonka” George, shot at a local gas station. Determined to protect his boys, Coach Brown fills their days with workouts, team activities, and grueling marathon practice sessions. At night, he patrols the city in his rusted truck, iPhone in hand, dialing each of his players to make sure they made it home alive. Award-winning sports journalist Kent Babb told Coach Brown’s story in the pages of the Washington Post. Now, he builds on his early reporting to offer a rich and deep portrait of this man, his players, and Algiers itself, where neighbors try to make the best of a terrible situation. Featuring eight pages of full-color photos, Across the River is an indelible true story of violence and pain, dedication and love, and the fight for life and a better future.

Breakout


Kevin Emerson - 2015
    The truth is, he's not trying to be anyone's hero. Anthony Castillo needs a new life. His teachers are clueless autocrats except for Mr. Darren, who’s in charge of the rock band program. The girls at school are either shallow cutebots or out of his league. And his parents mean well, but they just make things worse. It’s as if Anthony is stuck on the bottom level of his favorite video game, Liberation Force 4.5. Except there is no secret escape tunnel and definitely no cheat code. Fed up, pissed off, and feeling trapped, Anthony writes his first song for his rock band, the Rusty Soles. His only problem: Arts Night. If he exercises his right to free speech and sings his original lyrics—where his own bombs will drop—he and his band will be through. The clock is ticking. Time for Anthony to pick his battles and decide what’s really worth fighting for.

Rolling Warrior: The Incredible, Sometimes Awkward, True Story of a Rebel Girl on Wheels Who Helped Spark a Revolution


Judith Heumann - 2021
    Paralyzed from polio and raised by her Holocaust-surviving parents in New York City, Judy had a drive for equality that was instilled early in life.In this young readers' edition of her acclaimed memoir, Being Heumann, Judy shares her journey of battling for equal access in an unequal world--from fighting to attend grade school after being described as a "fire hazard" because of her wheelchair, to suing the New York City school system for denying her a teacher's license because of her disability. Judy went on to lead 150 disabled people in the longest sit-in protest in US history at the San Francisco Federal Building. Cut off from the outside world, the group slept on office floors, faced down bomb threats, and risked their lives to win the world's attention and the first civil rights legislation for disabled people.Judy's bravery, persistence, and signature rebellious streak will speak to every person fighting to belong and fighting for social justice.

The Mealworm Diaries


Anna Kerz - 2009
    Jeremy is a bit like that when he leaves his home in rural Nova Scotia and moves to Toronto with his mother. Lots of things keep him from enjoying his new life, but the worst is his science partner, Aaron, who is more annoying than sand in a bathing suit. Jeremy is also burdened by the secret he carries about the motorcycle accident that injured him and killed his father. Although Jeremy is haunted by his past, he starts to feel at home in Toronto when he realizes he has some skills he can share with his classmates. And when his mealworm project yields some surprising results, Jeremy is finally able to talk about his part in the fatal accident.

Oddity


Sarah Cannon - 2017
    But things haven't been the same since her twin sister, Pearl, won the town's yearly Sweepstakes and disappeared . . .Along with her best friend, Raymond, and new-kid-from-Chicago Cayden (who's inability to accept being locked in the gym with live leopards is honestly quite laughable), Ada leads a self-given quest to discover Oddity's secrets, even evading the invisible Blurmonster terrorizing the outskirts of town.But one of their missions goes sideways, revealing something hinky with the Sweepstakes . . . and Ada can't let it go. Because, if the Sweepstakes is bad, then what happened to Pearl?Join a tough eleven-year-old as she faces down zombie rabbits, alien mobs, and Puppet Cartels while trying to find her missing twin in Sarah Cannon's imaginative middle-grade debut, Oddity.

Next


Kevin Waltman - 2013
    Especially for inner-city black kids like Derrick Bowen. He's a 6'3" freshman, lightning quick, and he can slam the rock. He wants to start at point guard for Marion High, but senior Nick Starks has that nailed down. Besides, the coach is old school. He thinks D-Bow needs to work on his game, his shot, and his attitude. That means bench time. And that's when Hamilton Academy, the elite school in the suburbs, comes sniffing around. They want D-Bow for the next three years. His mom wants no part of that. But his father needs a job, and Uncle Kid, who is a bitter ex-star at Marion High, has his own plans. Yeah, there's a pretty girl and a best friend in the mix. Plus plenty of basketball action and suspense just like high school boys like to read.Kevin Waltman, a native of Indianapolis, Indiana, was a high school player and remains a huge basketball fan. Next is his third YA novel. His first two, both from Scholastic, are Nowhere Fast (2002) and Learning the Game (2005). Kevin is an instructor at the University of Alabama where he lives with his wife Jessica, their daughter Calla, and their dog Henry.

City of Thieves


Alex London - 2021
    But in the city of Drakopolis, humans domesticated them centuries ago. Now dragons haul the city’s cargo, taxi its bustling people between skyscrapers, and advertise its wares in bright, neon displays. Most famously of all, the dragons battle. Different breeds take to the skies in nighttime bouts between the infamous kins—criminal gangs who rule through violence and intimidation.Abel has always loved dragons, but after a disastrous showing in his dragon rider’s exam, he's destined never to fly one himself. All that changes the night his sister appears at his window, entrusting him with a secret...and a stolen dragon.Turns out, his big sister is a dragon thief! Too bad his older brother is a rising star in Drakopolis law enforcement...To protect his friends and his family, Abel must partner with the stolen beast, riding in kin battles and keeping more secrets than a dragon has scales.When everyone wants him fighting on their side, can Abel figure out what's worth fighting for?