Thoughtful stories full of clever scheming and striving to do what's right, these great tales will have you rooting for their big-hearted characters!

The Takeout by TRACY BADUA. When a celebrity chef’s new restaurant threatens Mila’s family’s food truck, she plans to expose them for the recipe thieves they are — even if that means dabbling in the Filipino folk magic she’s tried to avoid, as well as alienating her new friends. Does Mila have to choose between her family and fitting in? Or, like the best recipes, will a blend of the traditional and the unexpected mix into something truly special?

The Museum of Lost and Found by LEILA SALES. After losing her best friend, Vanessa finds an abandoned museum. She starts filling the museum with her own artifacts and memories, hoping that if she can find the right way to tell the story of her broken friendship, she can figure out how to make it whole again. As Vanessa's museum grows, it seems like the place might have the answers to other questions, like why a mysterious work of art was left behind. Or even, maybe, how to set the past to rest and find a way to move forward.

Sky Ropes by SONDRA SODERBORG. Breanna is strong, tough, and  doesn't need to meet new people. She also WILL NOT be ascending Sky Ropes — the highest ropes course in the state — at her school's required teambuilding camp. No, she's not afraid of heights! As the week progresses, Breanna can't help loving her time in nature and bonding with the other kids. But as much as she likes to pretend that she isn't afraid of anything, Breanna knows that she will have to face the Sky Ropes — and with it, the fear deeply tied to memories of her father's abuse that she has been fighting to push away.

Ginny Off the Map by CAROLINE HICKEY. There are two things Ginny Pierce loves most in the world: geography facts and her father. But when her dad is deployed overseas and Ginny’s family must move to yet another town, not even her facts can keep her afloat. The geography camp she’s been anxiously awaiting gets canceled, and her new neighbors prefer her basketball-star sister. Worst of all, her dad is in a war zone and impossible to get ahold of. Ginny decides that running her own camp for the kids on her street will solve all her problems. But can she convince them (and herself) that there's more to her than just facts?

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Great Middle Grade Reads - 7/8/2023