Turning the Page, Part 2

As I mentioned in my previous post, I love the new 2025-2026 North Carolina Middle School Battle of the Books list. Here are my summaries and thoughts on the next five books on the list:

City Spies by James Ponti is the first in a series of six books (so far) that are all great, fast-paced mysteries. MI6 (England's CIA) recruits tweens with remarkable abilities into a sort of "family" led by an operative code named Mother. Each kid is code-named for the city from which they were recruited. 

In this opening novel, we meet Brooklyn as she is about to be sentenced for hacking the local juvenile justice center's computers. In a very Mission Impossible way, Mother swoops in and offers her a new life as part of the team. But, it can't be that simple, right? Adventures and rivalries await her as she is swept off to Scotland and a castle that will be her new home. 

I enjoyed this book, even with its cliffhanger of an ending, and have gone on to read several more in the series. The characters all have interesting backstories, and we find out that there is a lot more to Mother than it seems. Fun and fast read!

Our students will be familiar with this novel in verse from Kwame Alexander's visit to our school last fall. The Door of No Return is the first in a trilogy and introduces us to Kofi and he faces the loss of his idyllic childhood through rivalry, revenge, and finally the loss of his freedom. 

Each chapter opens with a story told from Kofi's grandfather's point of view and is followed by Kofi's voice describing the increasingly alarming events. Though the lines of verse are easy to read, the subject matter is challenging. Alexander's amazing word choice and turn of phrase make the seemingly simple lines into a powerfully emotional read. 

Get ready to rock! I loved this book because the music is so 80s! Malu (short for Maria Luisa) arrives at her new school to discover that her clothes, music, and personality are not going to get her in with the popular crowd. In fact, they might even cause her to get in trouble! 

But no matter! She struggles, but perseveres and finds her crowd, forms a band, and rocks on! I loved learning about new foods and new music in this book. I loved Malu's acceptance of herself and willingness to stand up for what is right. And, I loved learning how to make Zines -- the book has step-by-step instructions. 

Another book in my TBR stack, this book was originally on last year's list, but publisher availability pushed it to this year. I am excited to read it because Gordon Korman is one of the best and always gives readers a great story. One of my favorite things about his books are that his characters are funny and real and layered. 

The Fort is about five friends who, while exploring the destruction caused by a recent hurricane, discover the hatch to an old and abandoned bomb shelter. This underground hideout goes from a fun, secret hangout, to a literal safe space to hide from bad guys and, for one of the boys, a bad situation at home. 

Ground Zero by Alan Gratz is, as the subtitle states, a novel of 9-11. This book is the student's choice title for this year, meaning students from all over North Carolina voted for it to be on the list. 

The book alternates between the stories of Brandon in New York and Reshmina in Afghanistan who experience life-changing events 18 years apart. The book is an interesting exploration not only of the historical events described, but also of the long-lasting and wide-reaching impacts of the attacks on 9-11. Gratz helps the reader to see that tragic events often echo and have effects through the years. 

This is a great and powerful read for students who don't have a solid knowledge of the background and complexity of events that led to the worst attack on American soil since Pearl Harbor. 

Well, I'm halfway through the list. The next post will feature five more 25-26 MS BOB books. Happy Reading! 

Turning the Page

 Well, our amazing Battle of the Books team fought hard but didn't advance out of the regional competition level yesterday. And, while this makes me sad because these kiddos worked hard and gave up so much of their free time to read and learn all 20 books on the list, part of me is happy because we get to read and talk about new books!!! I love the 2025-2026 NCSLMA middle school BOB book list for next year and can't wait to dive in to it. To get started, I've summarized and shared some thoughts on the first five books on the list below. Which one are you most excited to read? How many of these have you already read? Grab a book or update your TBR (to-be-read) list and let's get going. Next year, STATES OR BUST!

Across So Many Seas by Ruth Behar

Currently sitting in my TBR stack on my desk, I am excited to read this novel that tells the story of four girls from four very different generations of the same family. The story first focuses on the family's persecution in the Spanish Inquisition, a historical time about which I don't know much, but am eager to learn. 

Are Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi is the first novel in a five-book series featuring Aru Shah as she awakes an ancient demon. Woops! Aru must dive into Hindu mythology and poetry to save her Mother, her friends, and. herself!  There is a dusty old museum, a magic (or cursed) lamp, lies, and a funny and furious journey through the "Kingdom of Death." If you liked the Percy Jackson series, you are going to love Aru Shah. 

You may never see or each chocolate in the same way again after reading The Bitter Side of Sweet by Tara Sullivan. The book tells the story of two brothers, kidnapped and forced to work in brutal and horrific conditions on a cocoa plantation in Ivory Coast. Sometimes hard to read, I ended up loving this book -- cheering for the boys and crying at the (no spoilers) end. 

Black Brother, Black Brother is such an awesome book, and one I recommend from my classroom library all the time! And, I cannot say enough about Jewel Parker Rhodes -- she writes with such truth and captures real-life moments that are so relatable. Plus, she's an amazing lady that I got to meet this fall at NCTE. She said she'd come and visit our school, and I'm going to work on that! 

This is the story of bi-racial twin boy fencers. Yeah, I know that sounds like a lot, but the way that they navigate race, racism, family, and friendship is wonderful. 10 out of 10 recommend. 

As individual writers, Steve Sheinkin and Ruth Sepetys are two of my favorites. Put them together and WOW! I loved this book. It tells the story of Lizzie, a puzzle-loving girl who is being sent to America to live with relatives during WWII. Well, they can try, but Lizzie has other plans. Her brother Jakob is away at school, so it is up to her to figure out what happened to cause their mother to disappear. But, Lizzie soon finds that Jakob is NOT at school. He's at Bletchley Park where cryptologists and mathematicians from all over have gathered to crack Germany's Enigma code. 

We soon find out that Lizzie has a part to play in this part-mystery, part-spy novel, all historical fiction gem of a book. Read The Bletchley Riddle and tell me what do YOU think Willa is up to?!

Ready to read? Come back again for details on the next five books on the 2025-26 North Carolina Middle School Battle of the Books list.