2019 Books for Missouri Students
Kate’s grandmother believes in everyday magic and tells Kate it comes from Believe, Give, and Trust. Now that Kate’s best friend Sofia is spending less time with Kate and Grammy is suffering from Alzheimer’s, Kate is willing to try the magic to get her life back in control.
During the 2016 European terrorist attacks, Ahmed, a Syrian refugee, finds an unlocked house in Brussels and hides in the cellar. Max, an American, finds him and vows to help Ahmed safe, despite the heightened prejudice and paranoia surrounding the refugees and Muslims in general.
Memoir of the childhood of middle grade author and illustrator Jarrett Krosoczka. Jarrett grew up with his grandparents due to his mother having a drug addiction and serving time in prison.
6th graders Mikayla and Lev become wrestling partners and friends. However, at the state competition, only one can be a winner.
Charlie Hernadez grew up listening to the Hispanic mythology told by his grandmother. When his parents disappear after a house fire, Charlie begins to realize that the myths are coming true. He’s a shapeshifter and with his friend, Violet, seeks out the League of Shadows, so that La Cuca can be defeated.
Before she married Malcolm X, Betty grew up being raised by her aunt in Detroit. She becomes involved with the Civil Rights Movement through church and as a volunteer for the Housewives’ League.
Devin wants to be a viral internet sensation and works out a plan wit his friend Addi to make that happen during an NBA game on Valentine’s Day.
Short biographies of 15 women who met the challenges of their daily life by inventing things like windshield wipers, kevlar, and scotchgard.
12-year old Gerome is shot and killed by a police officer while holding a toy gun. He comes back as a ghost and is invisible to everyone except the other ghosts (including historical figure Emmett Till) and Sarah, the daughter of the police officer that killed him.
Online scrabble friends Ben and Charlotte help each other deal with their family issues and middle school drama, while realizing that even though they live in vastly different areas, they have more in common than originally expected.
Prequel to Crossover. Throughout the summer he spends with his grandparents, Chuck plays basketball, listens to jazz music, and learns more about his family.
Brothers Caleb and Bobby Gene spend the summer exploring the woods. Their 16-year old foster neighbor Styx recruits them to help pull off the Great Escalator Trade, continually trading one small thing for something a bit bigger. Before long, the boys are in over their heads, breaking the law, and needing an emergency room.
More than 50 children’s authors and illustrators, including Ellen Oh, Jason Reynolds, and Jacqueline Woodson share their thoughts on becoming an activist, even at a young age.
Marcus Vega visits Puerto Rico with his Down Syndrome brother and mother. Marcus takes this opportunity to explore the island, in hopes he will find the father that left his family 10 years prior.
12-year old Julie takes two of her father’s clients scuba diving. After not listening to safety precautions, the group find themselves needing to survive the dangerous ocean waters (sharks, exposure, dehydration, and hypothermia).
Luis and Maura, two 6th graders, investigate the reason behind the long-term blackout, seeking the knowledge of the town’s homeless Computer Genius teen.
During their 7th grade field trip to Washington DC, Tally is forced to room with Ava, who may be suffering from a eating disorder.
Gwyn’s family has moved from NYC to the rural community of Crow, Iowa, to help her mother’s traumatic brain injury. Gwyn works to prove their strange neighbor is behind the disappearance of her new friend.
Inspirational poem that encourages readers to dream and strive to do whatever it takes to make that dream come true.
Jilly turns to her deaf cyberfriend, Derek, to help her learn how to best help her deaf sister, Emma.
Mason’s learning disabilities lead people to not believe him about the day his friend dies. When his friend, Calvin, also disappears, Mason once again becomes the prime suspect.
Details the life of Frederick Douglass after escaping from slavery. Includes some of Douglass’s photographs throughout his life as a speaker, Presidential advisor, and journalist.
Mia learns the value of friendship and improves on her English writing while her immigrant family runs a hotel for Mr. Yao.
Isabella prepares for her upcoming piano recital while dealing with changes with her parent dynamic (through divorce and remarriage), racial tensions at school, and police brutality.
Anthology of eleven short stories depicting the life of middle school students, in a wide range of writing styles.
5th grader Frederick is sent to a disciplinary camp, where he attempts to be the toughest boy attending. Thankfully, he forms a friendship with Ant Hill, Nosebleed, Specs, and the Professor because they all must work together to survive the impending hurricane.
Rose and Mavis are very different from each other, but those differences don’t keep them from becoming friends. Mr. Duffy is having a tough time recovering from the recent loss of a beloved pet, until the two girls bring him Henry, a lost dog they found on their adventures together.
June loves to read! Her parents find an “inappropriate” book in June’s school library and work to get the school library collection revamped (including the release of the school librarian and cancellation of an author visit). June fights back by using a vacant locker as a Little Free Library.
Noah, partially paralyzed in an accident that killed his father, must learn to navigate middle school, friendship, baseball, and his feelings from a wheelchair.
In Pakistan, Amal holds on to her dreams of becoming a teacher even after she misses school in order to stay home to help take care of her younger siblings and being forced to become an indentured servant to help pay off her family’s debt to the corrupt Khan family.
During World War II, 12-year old Ken Sparks is one of the lucky 90 youth chosen to leave Britain on the ship SS City of Benares headed to seek refuge in Canada. The same day the captain declares they are safe from German’s attacks, the ship is hit by a torpedo and Ben must survive on Lifeboat 12.
12-year old Lucy Callahan has been homeschooled since being struck by lightning (which causes her to be a genius at math). Before she is able to enter college, her grandma asks Lucy to finish one year of middle school, make one friend, join one organization, and read one book.
Cooper Vega befriends the ghost of a 16th-century boy, Roderick Northrop, through the use of his top-of-the-line smart phone, all while Cooper’s new 7th grade class prepares for a production of Romeo and Juliet.
Six middle school students spend an hour each week in the ARTT (a room to talk) room, without any adults to guide their conversations.
Memoir of author Temple Grandin, interspersed with 25 step-by-step STEM projects and historical information about scientists and inventors.
Candice and Brandon follow the puzzle clues left behind in a letter to Candice’s grandmother to learn more about Lambert, South Carolina’s history and find an inheritance meant to correct the past.
After Charlie’s sharecropping father suddenly dies leaving him with no family, Charlie is forced to travel north with the local plantation Cap’n to fulfill his father’s debt.
Nisha keeps a journal filled with letters to her deceased mom to help her process the feelings and events of being a refugee fleeing their home in Pakistan after the end of World War II.
WWII tale told in alternating perspectives between Ray, an American soldier, and Hideki, a citizen of the Okinawa island drafted by the Japanese army. When both men come face to face during a battle, only one will survive, taking the other’s spirit (Mabui) with them.
Memoir of author Vera Brosgol’s first trip to a Russian summer camp, which she wrongly assumes will be just like the other summer camps her non-Russian school friends attend.
Conor is an 11-year old AAA hockey star whose life is absorbed by stick time, and private and team skating lessons. When Sinbad, Conor’s pet Doberman, is diagnosed with cancer, Conor must make difficult choices in order to come up with the money necessary for Sinbad’s treatments.
Biography of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow from birth to their lives of crime that led to their violent deaths.
Langston’s mom has died resulting in his dad moving them from the Alabama country to Chicago. To avoid school bullies, Langston takes a new route home and discovers a public library.
Kiranmala is surprised to find out on her 12th birthday that she is a Princess and must travel to the Kingdom Beyond Seven Oceans and Thirteen Rivers to find her parents. Based on Indian folklore.
Middle schoolers Natalie, Twig, and Dari team up to enter an egg drop competition, in hopes that the prize money will help Natalie’s depressed mom.
Details in verse the accomplishments of NASA and the Apollo missions during the 2979 days after President Kennedy’s speech that challenged America to have a man on the moon within 10 years.