Middle School Library Services and Resources: Lists and Leads

Search 4,000+ books, audiobooks, and films from YALSA's book awards and book lists.
While these books have been selected for teens from 12 to 18 years of age, the award-winning titles and the titles on YALSA's selected lists span a broad range of reading and maturity levels.

An annual booklist of the best feminist books for young readers, ages birth through 18. Produced by the Feminist Task Force of the Social Responsibilities Round Table of the American Library Association.

The Alex Awards are given by the American Library Association's Young Adult Library Services Association to ten books written for adults that have special appeal to young adults, ages 12 through 18.

Awarded biennially, the AIYLA identifies and honors the very best writing and illustrations by Native Americans and Indigenous peoples of North America. Books selected to receive the award present Indigenous North American peoples in the fullness of their humanity.

The focus of this site is on books middle school students might like to read and topics pertaining to books for these students. Teachers, librarians and middle school students are the contributors to this blog. If you would like to listen to booktalks of some of these books, please check out this site http://www.buzzsprout.com/229361 and enjoy!

Awarded to the best nonfiction book published for young adults by the Young Adults Library Services group of the American Library Association.

The Newbery Medal was named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.

The List is a curated bibliography highlighting books with significant gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or queer/questioning content, aimed at children and youth from birth to age 18.

The Schneider Family Book Awards honor an author or illustrator for a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences.

These awards, from the vibrant WNDB (We Need DIverse Books) organization, honor and celebrate diverse books written by diverse authors.

The Coretta Scott King Book Awards are given annually to outstanding African American authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults that demonstrate an appreciation of African American culture and universal human values. The award commemorates the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and honors his wife, Mrs. Coretta Scott King, for her courage and determination to continue the work for peace and world brotherhood.

The Jane Addams Children’s Book Award annually recognizes children’s books of literary and aesthetic excellence that effectively engage children in thinking about peace, social justice, global community, and equity for all people. A national committee of members with passion for and expertise in children’s literature and social justice is responsible for making the choices each year.