Books for middle school readers who crave fast-paced, heart-pounding stories like those by author Alan Gratz, The New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty books for young readers, including Heroes, Two Degrees, Captain America: The Ghost Army, Ground Zero, Allies, Resist, Refugee, and Ban This Book. Summaries from publishers.
A Land of Permanent Goodbyes by Atia Abawi
Tareq lives with his big and loving family… until the bombs strike. As they travel as refugees from Syria to Turkey to Greece, facing danger at every turn, Tareq must find resilience and courage to finish his harrowing journey.
Rebellion 1776 by Laurie Halse Anderson
In March 1776, Elsbeth Culpepper finally had hope. Hope that the Patriots would beat the British Army and free Boston. An epidemic rages in tandem with the American Revolution. Suddenly, her dreams of the future are reduced to one simple wish: survival.
Westfallen by Ann and Ben Brashares
Told in alternating voices and timelines, twelve-year- old Henry and his two friends unknowingly alter the outcome of World War II when they communicate over radio with three kids from 1944 and must now work together to change it back.
Lines of Courage by Jennifer A. Nielsen
From the assassination that triggers World War I in 1914 to Armistice Day in 1918, the story follows the fates of five young people on both sides of the conflict—each facing their portion of the war with courage, until the end of the war brings them together.
The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
Jakob and his quirky younger sister Lizzie share a love of riddles and puzzles. And now they’re living inside of one. The quarrelsome siblings find themselves amidst one of the greatest secrets of World War II—Britain’s eccentric codebreaking factory at Bletchley Park.
I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys
In a country governed by isolation, fear, and a tyrannical dictator, Cristian Florescu is blackmailed by the secret police to become an informer, but he decides to use his position to try to outwit his handler, undermine the regime, give voice to fellow Romanians, and expose to the world what is happening in his country.
Bomb by Steve Sheinkin
In December of 1938, a chemist in a German labora- tory made a shocking discovery: When placed next to radioactive material, a Uranium atom split in two. That simple discovery launched a scientific race that spanned three continents.
