It’s nearing the end of 2020 (finally!), and that means the best book lists are starting to roll out. Here are some great lists of middle grade books published this year (including some from our very own MUF bloggers)!
National Science Teaching Association
Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12
https://www.nsta.org/ostb-2021
NSTA’s winners of the Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12: 2021 includes some fantastic, award-winning books about science, engineering, and design. Here are a few:
Changing the Equation: 50+ US Black Women in STEM
Tonya Bolden
ABRAMS / Abrams Books for Young Readers
This book is filled with the profiles of notable, inspiring, and pioneering black women in STEM. Their accomplishments and contributions throughout American history are an inspiration to all women of color.
Wildlife Ranger Action Guide: Track, Spot & Provide Healthy Habitat for Creatures Close to Home
Mary Kay Carson
Storey Publishing
Learn about the importance of lizard lodges and bee boxes. Using everyday materials, this field guide suggests activities to turn backyards into personal learning and conservation zones.
The Children’s Book Council
2021 Best STEM Books
https://www.cbcbooks.org/cbc-book-lists/2021-bsb/
Book recommendations for educators, librarians, parents, and guardians of the best children’s books with STEM content in 2020. Here are a few:
Beastly Bionics
Jennifer Swanson
National Geographic Kids
Discover how the natural world inspires innovation in science and technology to create the latest and greatest breakthroughs and discoveries in this exciting book.
All Thirteen
Christina Soontornvat
Candlewick
A unique account of the amazing Thai cave rescue told in a heart-racing, you-are-there style that blends suspense, science, and cultural insight.
Wood, Wire, Wings
Kirsten W. Larson
Tracy Subisak
Boyds Mills & Kane
This riveting nonfiction picture book biography explores both the failures and successes of self-taught engineer Emma Lilian Todd as she tackles one of the greatest challenges of the early 1900s: designing an airplane.
New York Public Library
Best Books for Kids 2020
https://www.nypl.org/books-more/recommendations/best-books/kids
NYPL’s expert librarians choose their favorite books for kids in 2020. Here are a few from their long list:
Fighting Words
Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Dial Books
A candid and fierce middle grade novel about sisterhood and sexual abuse.
Woke: A Young Poet’s Call to Justice
Mahogany L. Browne, Elizabeth Acevedo, Olivia Gatwood, Theodore Taylor, III, (Illustrator) Jason Reynolds
Roaring Brook Press
Historically poets have been on the forefront of social movements. Woke is a collection of poems by women that reflects the joy and passion in the fight for social justice, tackling topics from discrimination to empathy, and acceptance to speaking out.
Kirkus
Best Middle Grade Books of 2020
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/best-of/2020/middle-grade/
Kirkus has a whole list of “best of 2020” lists of middle grade books. There are plenty of books to check out–from graphic novels to books about immigration and refugees. Here are a few:
Class Act
Jerry Craft
Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins
New York Times bestselling author Jerry Craft returns with a companion book to New Kid, winner of the 2020 Newbery Medal, the Coretta Scott King Author Award, and the Kirkus Prize. This time, it’s Jordan’s friend Drew who takes center stage in another laugh-out-loud funny, powerful, and important story about being one of the few kids of color in a prestigious private school.
The Land of the Cranes
Aida Salazar
Scholastic Press
From the prolific author of The Moon Within comes the heart-wrenchingly beautiful story in verse of a young Latinx girl who learns to hold on to hope and love even in the darkest of places: a family detention center for migrants and refugees.
This is just a sneak peek into all of the amazing middle grade books published this year, and the beginning of the best of lists. Be sure to check out the links to see many more middle grade books that came out in 2020!
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Thanks for the list. I have a couple on my TBR list already and have added more.