Grades 6-8 Dia Booklist 2025Like this list

18 items

• ALSC Dia 2025 Book Lists

  View on ala.org

  Books from this list were selected by ALSC. Follow this link for more information and for the Spanish version.

• Grow Up, Luchy Zapata

  Alessandri, Alexandra,

  Add Grow Up, Luchy Zapata to your for later shelf

  "As they enter middle school, a group of friends face new challenges and the realities of growing up." -ALSC

• Uprooted

  a Memoir About What Happens When Your Family Moves Back

  Chan, Ruth, 1980-

  Add Uprooted to your for later shelf

  "When Ruth’s family moves from Canada to Hong Kong, reuniting with her mother’s family in the process, Ruth begins to learn that home is a place inside us all." -ALSC

• Nearer My Freedom

  the Interesting Life of Olaudah Equiano by Himself

  Edinger, Monica, 1952-

  Add Nearer My Freedom to your for later shelf

  "By transforming Olaudah Equiano’s 1789 autobiographical slavery narrative into poetry, this book makes an important historical document accessible and relatable. While reading like a classic adventure, Equiano’s suffering, terror, and…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Kwame Crashes the Underworld

  Farmer, Craig Kofi,

  Add Kwame Crashes the Underworld to your for later shelf

  "Twelve-year-old Kwame helps his grandmother save humanity. The only problem is he has to go to the Ghanaian underworld to do it." -ALSC

• And Then, Boom!

  Fipps, Lisa,

  Add And Then, Boom! to your for later shelf

  "How do you handle the surprises, heartbreaks, and fears that turn your world upside down? In this novel in verse, Joseph faces many tough challenges, but he stays strong and never gives up with the help of his friends. " -ALSC

• Invisible

  Gonzalez, Christina Diaz, 1969-

  Add Invisible to your for later shelf

  "Nothing and no one is what they seem in this graphic novel about five very different Latinx students thrown together for a community service project at Conrad Middle School." -ALSC

• What Jewish Looks Like

  Kleinrock, Liz,

  Add What Jewish Looks Like to your for later shelf

  "Thirty-six vibrantly illustrated biographies, organized by six core Jewish values and with a particular focus on intersectionality, highlight the geographic and cultural diversity of Judaism." -ALSC

• Mani Semilla Finds Her Quetzal Voice

  Lapera, Anna,

  Add Mani Semilla Finds Her Quetzal Voice to your for later shelf

  "Protagonist Mani contends with the challenges of middle school, including an upcoming family trip, constant harassment from male classmates (which goes ignored by her school administration), and learning about the mysteries of her…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Daughters of the Lamp

  Lewers, Nedda,

  Add Daughters of the Lamp to your for later shelf

  "During a family trip to Egypt, Sahara finds herself the unexpected guardian of Ali Baba’s treasure." -ALSC

• Beautiful Game

  Méndez, Yamile saied,

  Add Beautiful Game to your for later shelf

  "Valeria “Magic” Salomón is the best soccer player in her town, so good, in fact, that she plays on the top boys’ team in the state. Due to an unfortunate incident, her teammates turn their backs on her, andshe ends up playing for the…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• We Are Your Children Too

  Black Students, White Supremacists, and the Battle for America's Schools in Prince Edward County, Virginia

  Pearson, P. O'Connell (Patricia O'Connell),

  Add We Are Your Children Too to your for later shelf

  "Chronicles the powerful story of Black students in Prince Edward County, Virginia, who fought against white supremacists for their right to an education. Set during a time when schools were shut down to resist integration, the book…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Find Her

  Reno, Ginger,

  Add Find Her to your for later shelf

  "This middle-grade novel shines a light on missing and murdered Indigenous women as Wren, a young Cherokee girl, tries to find her mother, while finding lost pets along the way. " -ALSC

• A Long Time Coming

  a Lyrical Biography of Race in America From Ona Judge to Barack Obama

  Shepard, Ray Anthony,

  Add A Long Time Coming to your for later shelf

  "This biography in verse focuses on six Black Americans and how they fought racism in different eras of U.S. history." -ALSC

• Parachute Kids

  Tang, Betty C.,

  Add Parachute Kids to your for later shelf

  "This graphic novel, inspired by the author’s life, follows three siblings as they navigate a surprise move to a new country and culture while their parents remain in Taiwan." -ALSC

• Where Wolves Don't Die

  Treuer, Anton,

  Add Where Wolves Don't Die to your for later shelf

  "Still reeling from the death of his mother, Ezra Cloud wishes he could spend less time in Northeast Minneapolis and more time on the rez with his grandparents. When a school bully’s house burns down and Ezra is a prime suspect, a winter…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Brooms

  Walls, Jasmine,

  Add Brooms to your for later shelf

  "This fantasy graphic novel takes place in 1930s Mississippi,where a diverse cast of teens participate in forbidden broom races to feel autonomy in their life choices. " -ALSC

• Ash's Cabin

  Wang, Jen, 1984-

  Add Ash's Cabin to your for later shelf

  "With basic supplies, newfound wilderness skills, and their beloved dog by their side, 15-year-old Ash, lonely and alienated, spends several weeks surviving in solitude in their late grandfather’s cabin, forging a life with the land until…Read moreRead more of this annotation