This collection of chapter books for middle school girls ranges from memorable historical fiction to gripping fantasy novels to poignant classics featuring inspiring female protagonists.
1. Goodbye Stranger by Rebecca Stead
This wonderful New York Times bestselling novel features a group of middle school friends who start to drift apart due to their changing interests. It provides meaningful life lessons on the theme of staying true to oneself while maintaining old bonds.
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2. Dress Coded by Carrie Firestone
This empowering book tells the story of Molly, who decides to start a podcast to fight back against her school's strict dress code. Dealing with themes of body insecurities, mutual respect, and standing up for what is right is sure to encourage avid discussion among young readers.
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3. Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
Miri's life changes suddenly from supporting her family in quarrying stone to attending a fanciful princess academy. When a gang of bandits attacks the boarding school, she must use the skills she's learned to protect herself and her classmates.
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4. Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk
Faced with bullying and cruelty, Annabell must find the courage to stand alone as a compassionate voice against entrenched injustice.
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5. The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes
A deeply moving story about bullying and forgiveness, this heartfelt story encourages children to be advocates for those that are marginalized instead of passive bystanders.
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6. Stella Diaz Has Something to Say by Angela Domingues
This charming story tells the story of a plucky Latina girl named Stella and her challenges growing up between Mexican and American cultures. The book features some simple Spanish vocabulary throughout, adding a fun and educational bilingual element.
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7. Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
Esperanza lives a privileged life with servants and all the luxuries of wealth, but all that changes when her father is brutally murdered, leaving the family to work on a Mexican farm labor camp to survive.
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8. The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
This highly-acclaimed coming-of-age novel tells the story of Esperanza Cordero, who must find hope on the rough streets of urban Chicago.
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9. The Summer of Bad Ideas by Kiera Stewart
In this thrilling summer story, Wendy and her friends quickly learn that the only way to have an amazing summer is to try out some so-called 'bad' and daring ideas.
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10. Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos by R.L. LaFevers
This first installment in the wildly popular tween book series takes readers on a secret mission. Theo must return a cursed artifact back to its rightful home in Egypt before it brings down not only the Museum of Legends and Antiquities but the entire British Empire.
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11. The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin
When her best friend dies in a drowning accident, Suzy is overcome with grief and on a quest for answers. This award-winning book tackles the heavy subject of grief in a heartfelt and thoughtful manner.
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12. Refugee by Alan Gratz
This bestselling novel tells the three interweaving stories of Josef, a Jewish boy living in Nazi Germany, Isabel, a Cuban girl seeking refuge in America, and Mahmoud, whose Syrian homeland is besieged by civil war.
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13. Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
This classic coming-of-age tale follows Margaret's journey of discovering her own unique relationship with friends, boys, and God. Readers are sure to fall in love with this relatable, humorous, and sensitive protagonist.
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14. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Voted one of Time Magazine's 100 Best Young Adult Books of All Time, this gripping story tells the story of a foster girl named Leisel who finds solace in reading and sharing stolen books while growing up in Nazi Germany.
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15. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
This poetically written fantasy classic deals with the theme of everlasting life. It's a wonderful way to introduce readers to the power of their creative imagination.
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16. Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
Stargirl is as unique as they come and her bold individuality takes her new school by storm, attracting first admiration and then ridicule from her conformity-obsessed peers.
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17. Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart
This thrilling book takes readers on a whirlwind journey across the US as Coyote and her dad attempt to find a way to honor their family's poignant legacy.
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18. Maybe He Just Likes You by Barbara Dee
This award-winning story tackles the sensitive subject of harassment and unwanted attention endured by seventh-grader Mila until she finally decides to take matters into her own hands by enrolling in karate lessons.
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19. The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacy McAnulty
What if being struck by lightning gave you super-human intelligence? This whimsical tale follows the journey of precocious Lucy as she discovers there's more to growing up than Calculus textbooks and preparing for college.
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20. A Good Kind of Trouble by Moore Ram
Shayla does everything in her power to avoid trouble until she attends a Black Lives Matter protest and discovers that standing up for what's right is more important than being liked.
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