Middle Grade

Tornado Brain

By: Cat Patrick
Narrated by: Jorjeana Marie
Length: 6 hours 35 minutes

In this heartfelt and powerfully affecting coming of age story, a neurodivergent 7th grader is determined to find her missing best friend before it's too late.

Things never seem to go as easily for thirteen-year-old Frankie as they do for her sister, Tess. Unlike Tess, Frankie is neurodivergent. In her case, that means she can't stand to be... Read more

Becoming Muhammad Ali

By: James Patterson & Kwame Alexander
Narrated by: Kwame Alexander
Length: 2 hours 34 minutes

Two heavy-hitters in children's literature deliver a critically acclaimed, bestselling biographical novel of cultural icon Muhammad Ali. 

"This utterly delightful story about Ali's childhood is a smash hit."—School Library Journal (starred review)

Before he was a household name, Cassius Clay was a kid with struggles like any other. Kwame Alexander... Read more

Healer of the Water Monster

By: Brian Young
Narrated by: Shaun Taylor-Corbett
Length: 8 hours 59 minutes

Brian Young’s powerful debut novel tells of a seemingly ordinary Navajo boy who must save the life of a Water Monster—and comes to realize he’s a hero at heart. When Nathan goes to visit his grandma, Nali, at her mobile summer home on the Navajo reservation, he knows he’s in for a pretty uneventful summer, with no electricity or cell service.... Read more

Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish

By: Pablo Cartaya
Narrated by: Pablo Cartaya
Length: 4 hours 35 minutes

One boy's search for his father leads him to Puerto Rico in this moving middle-grade novel, for fans of Ghost and See You in the Cosmos.

Marcus Vega is six feet tall, 180 pounds, and the owner of a premature mustache. When you look like this and you're only in the eighth grade, you're both a threat and a target.

After a fight at school leaves... Read more

Dan Unmasked

By: Chris Negron
Narrated by: Josh Hurley
Length: 8 hours 34 minutes

This heartfelt middle grade debut about grief, creativity, and the healing power of friendship shows that not all heroes wear capes and is perfect for fans of John David Anderson and Ali Benjamin. Whether they’re on the baseball field or in Nate’s basement devouring the newest issue of their favorite comic book, Dan and Nate are always talking.... Read more

A Thousand Questions

By: Saadia Faruqi
Narrated by: Gail Shalan & Reena Dutt
Length: 7 hours 38 minutes

“With alternating perspectives Saadia Faruqi gives readers a chance to explore the city of Karachi and the nature of family. Each girl has something the other wants, a stable family or chance at education, and through their friendship learn to appreciate the things they have as well as what they lack. Content warning for absent parent, gang... Read more

From the Desk of Zoe Washington

Zoe Washington

By: Janae Marks
Narrated by: Bahni Turpin
Length: 6 hours 9 minutes

“An absolutely charming and inspirational read or listen about family, growing up and second chances. Social justice issues and experiences of racism are appropriately handled with grace and realism for this age. I enjoyed spending a bit of my summer experiencing her summer adventures and mishaps. Zoe is portrayed as a bright, ambitious 12... Read more

Stand Up, Yumi Chung!

By: Jessica Kim
Narrated by: Greta Jung
Length: 6 hours 3 minutes

“Young readers will connect with the challenges of pursuing interests that your family may not be too thrilled about, and the lengths you'll go to for your dreams to come true! Read more

Ophie’s Ghosts

By: Justina Ireland
Narrated by: Bahni Turpin
Length: 7 hours 59 minutes

“This ghostly middle grade historical fiction book is exciting, mysterious and haunting (quite literally). I loved watching our main character Ophie grow up and into herself over the course of the book, and learning about 1920s Georgia and Philadelphia through her eyes as a young Black girl. I can see this book becoming an instant classic! Read more

Before the Ever After

By: Jacqueline Woodson
Narrated by: Guy Lockard
Length: 2 hours 14 minutes

“Jacqueline Woodson’s practiced hand gracefully pens the story of a son watching his father change with the seasons. A beloved professional football player, ZJ’s dad is sidelined when he suddenly begins to experience serious neurological issues. It’s hard for ZJ to understand why his dad’s excruciating headaches won’t let up, what he’s thinking... Read more

Wink

By: Rob Harrell
Narrated by: Michael Crouch & Marc Thompson
Length: 6 hours 24 minutes

A hilarious and heartwrenching story about surviving middle school—and an unthinkable diagnosis—while embracing life's weirdness.

Ross Maloy just wants to be a normal seventh grader. He doesn't want to lose his hair, or wear a weird hat, or deal with the disappearing friends who don't know what to say to "the cancer kid." But with his recent... Read more

Roll with It

Roll with It

By: Jamie Sumner
Narrated by: Candace Thaxton
Length: 4 hours 29 minutes

“A big-hearted story that’s as sweet as it is awesome.” —R.J. Palacio, author of Wonder
“An honest, emotionally rich take on disability, family, and growing up.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

In the tradition of Wonder and Out of My Mind, this big-hearted middle grade debut tells the story of an irrepressible girl with cerebral palsy whose... Read more

Song for a Whale

By: Lynne Kelly
Narrated by: Abigail Revasch & Lynne Kelly
Length: 6 hours 34 minutes

In the spirit of modern-day classics like Fish in a Tree and Counting by 7s comes the story of a deaf girl's connection to a whale whose song can't be heard by his species, and the journey she takes to help him.

From fixing the class computer to repairing old radios, twelve-year-old Iris is a tech genius. But she's the only deaf person in her... Read more

Count Me In

By: Varsha Bajaj
Narrated by: Priya Ayyar & Christopher Gebauer
Length: 3 hours 57 minutes

An uplifting story, told through the alternating voices of two middle-schoolers, in which a community rallies to reject racism.

Karina Chopra would have never imagined becoming friends with the boy next door--after all, they've avoided each other for years and she assumes Chris is just like the boys he hangs out with, who she labels a pack of... Read more

The Night Diary

By: Veera Hiranandani
Narrated by: Priya Ayyar
Length: 5 hours 54 minutes

In the vein of Inside Out and Back Again and The War That Saved My Life comes a poignant, personal, and hopeful tale of India's partition, and of one girl's journey to find a new home in a divided country

It's 1947, and India, newly independent of British rule, has been separated into two countries: Pakistan and India. The divide has created much... Read more

The Parker Inheritance

By: Varian Johnson
Length: 10 hours

“Really, really enjoyed this book! I always love a good puzzle mystery and my heart melts for book-loving preteens. This book was great in that it not only had a fun buried treasure mystery but also friendship evolution between Candice and Brandon, Candice's reckoning with her parent's relationship, and racial tensions in the history as well as... Read more

Strange Birds

A Field Guide to Ruffling Feathers

By: Celia C. Pérez
Narrated by: Rebecca Soler
Length: 7 hours 31 minutes

From the award-winning author of The First Rule of Punk comes the story of four kids who form an alternative Scout troop that shakes up their sleepy Florida town.

* "Writing with wry restraint that's reminiscent of Kate DiCamillo... a beautiful tale." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

When three very different girls find a mysterious invitation to a... Read more

Each Tiny Spark

By: Pablo Cartaya
Narrated by: Pablo Cartaya
Length: 5 hours 45 minutes

From award-winning author Pablo Cartaya comes a deeply moving middle grade novel about a daughter and father finding their way back to each other in the face of their changing family and community.

A SCHNEIDER FAMILY BOOK AWARD HONOR FOR MIDDLE GRADE

Emilia Torres has a wandering mind. It's hard for her to follow along at school, and sometimes she... Read more

Lu

Track: Book #4

By: Jason Reynolds
Narrated by: Guy Lockard
Length: 4 hours 50 minutes

“Pure gold.” —School Library Journal (starred review)
“The perfect anchor leg for a well-run literary relay.” —Kirkus Reviews

SELECTED AS ONE OF THE YOUNG ADULT LIBRARY SERVICES ASSOCIATION’S 2019 TOP TEN AMAZING AUDIOBOOKS FOR YOUNG ADULTS!

Lu must learn to leave his ego on the sidelines if he wants to finally connect with others in the climax... Read more

Sunny

Track: Book #3

By: Jason Reynolds
Narrated by: Guy Lockard
Length: 3 hours 7 minutes

Sunny tries to shine despite his troubled past in this third novel in the critically acclaimed Track series from National Book Award finalist Jason Reynolds.

Ghost. Patina. Sunny. Lu. Four kids from wildly different backgrounds, with personalities that are explosive when they clash. But they are also four kids chosen for an elite middle school... Read more